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“It works. For now.” He stood off to the side, his eyes never leaving me.
“What would you prefer, cold steel and all white furniture? No, you’re the aging cabin type of guy, right? Or maybe you prefer camping out under the stars.”
“Likely a combination of all three. If you don’t want to be here, I’ll take you home. However, you’d miss out on an incredible dinner.”
The slight husky sound of his voice drew my attention, the thought of whatever dinner he might provide piquing my interest. I shifted to face him, planting my hands on my hips. “Dinner, huh? What do you have in mind, cowboy?”
His laugh was genuine. “I’m no chef, but I make a mean rare steak. You game?”
My mouth watered at the thought. “There is nothing I would like more.” When I felt the heat of his gaze sliding ever so slowly down to my heels, a warm blush crept across my cheeks. “Well, maybe one or two things.”
Chuckling, he motioned toward the kitchen. “Let me drop your things in the bedroom. Then we can have a drink and you can ask all those questions you’re dying to find out.”
“What are my limitations?” I asked just as he was starting to walk down the hallway. There was something so seductive about the way he tipped his head, his strong jaw clenching, the two-day stubble that was hard to take my eyes off of more pronounced in the dim light.
“None.”
The challenge was on, and I had to admit, I was eager to learn more about him.
Including all the dirty little secrets.
* * *
Phoenix
The woman might be able to drive me crazy by the end of the weekend, but it wasn’t just because of her incessant questions. It was the need to pick me apart that made me bristle one minute and long to tackle her to the ground the next. It was the carefree way she avoided all sense of normal dating banter, refusing to accept any terms but those she set for herself.
It had become obvious she’d lived a sheltered life, forced to become the perfect doll. Then she’d branched out on her own, a little bird in a big, bad world. She had no idea the evils that awaited her.
Including from a wolf like me.
I threw on another shirt, rolling up my sleeves, not bothering to tuck the tail in. This was my home, one of the few places I could be myself. While the reminders of my parents and my father’s bullshit as I was growing up remained throughout the house, I’d done what I could in a short period of time to make it my own.
I pulled out the steaks first, allowing them to warm on the counter. By then, she’d already made herself at home, finding a bottle of cabernet I didn’t know I had, assuming I wanted whiskey instead. She’d even poured me a glass, two ice cubes only. It was as if the woman had been able to read me in our limited time spent together.
Now, Wren stood in her bare feet at the end of the island, studying me as if I was a specimen she was prepared to dissect.
I grabbed my glass, lifting a single eyebrow as I turned toward her. Damn, the woman was beautiful, her long hair spilling over her shoulders drawing my attention. I wanted to wrap my hand around the thick strands, forcing her to her knees to suck my cock.
Neanderthal, buddy.
So what?
She’d been the first woman who’d broken through the protective layers I’d built around myself. But I was no romantic and this wasn’t about starting a relationship. I’d likely need to make that perfectly clear at some point.
“Go ahead, little bird. I know you’re dying to ask questions.”
“How many acres?” At least her first question was a simple one.
“Ten thousand, give or take.”
She almost choked on her wine. “Wow.” I watched her subtle move as she wiped two small beads of wine from her lips and it was all I could do not to grab her fingers, sucking them dry.
Sighing, I swallowed hard, my cock aching already.
“Okay. What do you do with all that acreage?”
I had to laugh. For a girl who’d been brought up in Montana, she sure didn’t seem to have a handle on what happened on a ranch. “I have horses, cattle. It’s a working ranch. Yes, I have dozens of employees, but no one for the house.”
