Claiming the She Wolf (2 page)

“Imagine that, a man who can use tools. I could have done it myself.”

Warning signs flagged. He’d grown up with a single mother and younger sister, Sugar. Both fought often for their independence and got angry when he was able to open a jar they couldn’t. His mom had never remarried, although she dated some. He figured she never wanted to lose control of her life. She’d run once, and that was enough.

“I don’t doubt it,” he said. “Still, I’m glad to have helped.”

From a rear pocket, she withdrew a piece of paper and unfolded it. “This here is the wanted sign I was going to put up at the convenience store. Something you can do?”

Carpenter/Construction

Work Exchanged for Room & Board

Remodel and Upgrading

Basic Handyman Duties

The gods were shining down on him. How did he walk into the situation he most fit perfectly? If she wanted someone with an accounting background, he’d be out of luck. A chef? Forget it. But construction?

“Sounds perfect.” He picked up his backpack and slung it over one shoulder. “When does it start?”

Her eyes narrowed. He could tell she was weighing her options. “Right now, follow me. I’ll show you the home, and you can let me know if you’re up for the job.”

The newcomer had pissed Tala off right away, telling her how to hang the B&B’s sign. What a way to start the business. She knew all the guys who worked construction in town, and they were being kept pretty busy with rebuilding the grounds and with Drew’s assignments. She never expected to find an out-of-towner to do the job, and so quick, too.

It was kind of eerie how fast he came along, and on the same day her brother left. What were the odds?

As she opened the front door, she did her best to hide the broken hinge. Soon enough, he’d find out all the house’s faults, but she didn’t want to scare him away too fast.

“You can set your bag down in the foyer while we do the tour.” She held out her hand. “I’m Tala.”

His handshake was firm and his hand slightly rough. She imagined working construction and hiking took its toll.

“Yas Collins.” His blue eyes drew her in, and the corners crinkled up as if he found something humorous. “How big is this place?”

“Eight bedrooms, including mine. The downstairs has a large family room, kitchen with a dining area, and two rooms. The rest are upstairs.”

He stopped to run his fingers along one crack in the entranceway, and she hoped he didn’t inspect the long-term damage too closely. Kind of hard to miss.

“Follow me,” she said.

He went to take a step forward and faltered. “Let me get these boots off first. I don’t want to track mud through your house.”

Her heart jumped at the consideration.
Brawn and brains?
Her inner wolf growled at her sudden attraction. Domesticated did it for her, eh? That and his fair looks. The blond hair and pale skin was in such a contrast to her Native American heritage.

Leaning against the wall, he unlaced one boot and yanked it off before settling it gently to the floor. Off came the other one. Exposed beneath was a pair of bright-red socks with black polka dots. She raised an eyebrow and met his gaze.

“Gift from my little sis.”

Sweet and forgivable.

She shook off the goo-goo eyes and continued with the tour. First, they headed through the large shared room and kitchen with its bay window. She winced, watching him take in the boarded-over panes. He glanced at her.

“Some kids broke out the window, and I haven’t had a chance to get it fixed.” She didn’t need to tell him it had been almost two years before, and they hadn’t bothered because the way things were before, odds were someone would just as fast throw more stones.

Her father had gotten into some bad business, years past, and within the pack, memories ran deep. She didn’t meet new shifters too often. A tightening in her lower belly spread, surging energy throughout her body. What would it be like to shift with him and run under the full moon?

And make love in the soft grasses
. She couldn’t keep the fantasy out of her mind. It had been too long since she was with a man of worth. She’d grown tired of the local boys, who never seemed to want to grow up and take responsibility. Something in Yas’s blood called to her. But if he was “just visiting,” maybe he’d be fun to play with and not get attached.

She hated being prisoner to her animal instincts. She preferred to be in control. But there were a few times a month she let go. His eyes widened. No way he could guess what she was thinking. Unless the scent of her desire gave it away.

Inside, the house was in worse shape than he’d expected. Cracked walls, busted-out glass, and scrapes marred the floor in the kitchen. Water from the previous night’s storm seeped through the broken windows and holes in the roof. That was only the surface—what could be seen. Who knew what lay inside the walls or the plumbing? What had he gotten into?

Tala kept checking him out, and when he thought she wasn’t looking, he was doing pretty much the same. Her body language tightened up the longer the tour lasted. Maybe staying here wouldn’t be such a good idea after all. He could handle staying above the bar if they had any availability. Without even trying, Tala pushed all his buttons.

Her ass swayed in her cute denim overalls as she climbed up the stairs, and his cock grew harder with each step. He counted the beats—step, sway to the right, step, sway to the left. Repeat. He’d been having trouble controlling his shifting, especially when turned on. He wanted to reach up, lay his hands on her hips, and feel the movement. His wolf liked what it saw.

What if she had another lover who visited her at the house? Would he lie in bed awake at night, listening to them pound the headboard into the wall?

A growl from low in his throat threatened to escape. The rumble started in his chest, and he fought to keep it down.

She turned, looking down at him. “Did you say something?”

“Umm, no. Just clearing my throat.”

He needed to get his base instincts under control. Recent research showed that wolves in the wild killed in order to protect their domains and to get more space. He didn’t want to be ruled by his wolf. He’d grown up in the city, with humans, not out in the forest. His mom had tried to talk to him about shifting, but as a woman, she didn’t have the same experience.

He couldn’t go to a shifters anonymous group for help with his sexual urges. Maybe he needed to start his own support group. He snorted at the idea. At the top of the landing, Tala turned to the right, and he followed.

They entered what had to be the master bedroom suite. It was painted a vibrant lavender color, and the bed had a green floral comforter with an abundance of fluffy throw pillows. White dollies rested on the two nightstands, and a vase of wildflowers called for attention. The feminine room seemed in sharp contrast to his host. She didn’t look frilly.

“This will be your quarters.” Her lips pursed, and she blinked a few times.

The idea shocked him. “What? I’m sorry, but it looks like your room.”

“Well, it has been. But it’s the nicest room in the house, and as a guest, figure you should have it to be comfortable. I’ll move my things into another one.”

He waved his hands in front of him, as if shooing away something physically bad. “No way. No can do. Give me the second best, then. My first job can be fixing it up.”

She smiled. “Well, second best would be my brother’s room, and even though he’s on a trip right now, I don’t feel comfortable moving his stuff. So third best, and we work today to make it more, um, livable?”

Her choice of words made him pause. “Deal.”

As they walked down the hallway, things got worse. A whistling rattled, and he swore the floor shook. With all the doors shut, he wasn’t sure where they were headed.

“This here is the bathroom.” Tala pushed open a door.

He peeked in, taking in stains on the ceiling, which must have come from a bad leaky roof. By the looks of things, it had been in poor shape for a while. Didn’t her brother do any upkeep?

“And your room is the next on the left.” She removed a key ring from her pocket and unlocked the door. “Safety reasons,” she mumbled under her breath.

Once he stepped inside, he could see why. A gaping hole where a window should have been looked out onto the forest. Two birds rushed past them and outside. He looked up to the corner where they’d come.

“Is that a nest up there?”

“Probably. Better than bats, though, right?”

He shuddered. “I’m sorry, but I have to ask. Why didn’t you board up that window?”

“Well, then the birds couldn’t get to their nest, could they?”

The reasoning almost made sense to him. Except he’d be the one staying in the room. “Any other creatures I need to worry about?”

“Maybe a squirrel or two, depending upon the time of year.”

“I see. Well.” He surveyed the room. It really was a quite stunning view, one he didn’t get living in the city. The bed was stripped, and the mattress looked a bit worse for wear. “This room may take longer than this afternoon to become habitable.”

He preferred not to share his space with wildlife, especially ones he may eat come shifting time. Unless, that is, he was living outdoors. Being in a home should have some basic comforts. This room was the best of the rest? He had his work cut out. He’d seen the oversize sectional downstairs. “Is the couch comfortable?”

“Soft,” she said, “but clean and comfortable. I take naps there often.”

He imagined her scent filling his nose as he drifted off to sleep. The thought aroused him once again. Maybe the plumbing didn’t matter too much. He predicted an awful lot of cold showers in his future.

“Sold.”

The scent of roasting meat filled the house. Yas reached the kitchen and took in the beauty of Tala. The late-afternoon sunlight streamed in through the window—what was there—bathing her in hues of soft yellow and orange. Her long black hair flowed down her back, and she’d changed into a summery dress that stopped right at her knees, showing off her shapely calves.

She hummed a song he couldn’t quite place.

“It smells good.”

She jumped and dropped the wooden spoon. “Oh, you scared me. I’m not used to someone else being in the house. My brother clumped his feet so much I always knew he was coming.”

As he bent to pick up the spoon, she reached down at the same time, and they clunked heads.

“Ouch, sorry,” they said in unison.

“Jinx,” she threw out, really fast.

He chuckled, holding out the spoon. “I owe you a Co-Coke?” His mind had wanted to fill in “cock.” He bit the side of his tongue, reining the beast in.

So she was beautiful, and from the smells, she knew how to cook. It didn’t mean he needed to be aggressive. He’d take it easy, get to know her and the town. He hadn’t come looking for a mate—not really—but as she turned to wash off the spoon, he took in the swish and sway of her hips and he needed to be reminded of the fact again.

Mate?
Why was he even thinking that word? He was the handyman. That was all.
Handyman with benefits?
“Anything I can do to help?”

“I about have it covered. Did you get your things unpacked okay?”

“Mmmm-hmmm.” He picked at the salad on the dining table. The crisp radish crunched in his mouth, and he savored the burst of freshness. For the time being, she’d given him a drawer in her room, and he’d only unloaded the essentials. He didn’t travel with much.

Next to the stove, she stirred something and then put on some oven mitts to take out the roast.

“You didn’t have to go through so much trouble.” His stomach roared in protest. He wasn’t too bad in the kitchen, but he rarely got a home-cooked meal. Everyone was too busy.

“Gives me practice for when this place is filled. It’s a B&B, remember.”

“Yes, but that second B usually stands for breakfast.”

“Well, with how small our town is, I’ll be a bit more full service.”

Some plates and silverware sat on the counter, and he picked them up and laid them out at the table.

“You don’t need to—”

“Hey, I’m happy to help.” He had to keep his hands busy; otherwise, they’d get him in trouble.

A roast, potatoes, and vegetables—a bona fide feast in his eyes. All that was missing was the gravy, and then he caught Tala standing at the sink, pouring steaming gravy into a boat. His mouth watered. After the hike into the town and too many granola bars, real, hot food sounded too good.

They settled at the table. When she passed a platter over to him, their fingers brushed, and he met her gaze. A slow smile spread across her face.

“I’m thankful you showed up today. I thought I’d be eating leftovers alone. It’s good to have someone else here, to care for….”

“How long have you been alone?” he asked.

“Oh, not too long. My brother headed into the city to go to college. He was tired of being caged in a small town. Greener pastures, and all that. What brings you here to Los Lobos?”

“Greener pastures,” he joked. “After growing up in the ‘cement jungle,’ I wanted to see where my mom came from, our roots. How about you? No desire to see the rest of the world?”

Tala finished chewing, glanced at the familiar knickknacks decorating the dining nook, and finally shrugged. “It may not be much, but this is my home. Some people are destined for more, have bigger dreams. Me? Maybe I’m stubborn or something. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. Sometimes it might make my life easier though.”

Although he understood where she was coming from, the last statement was a bit curious.

“Easier how?”

“Let’s enjoy the meal. We have plenty of time to talk. Sometimes a small town feels small.”

After dishes, Tala said good night and slipped upstairs. She didn’t normally go to bed so early, but being with Yas put her on edge. It was more than meeting someone new. She found him attractive—too much so. As a she-wolf, she was coming into her time. Shifting and sex often went together. With her brother in the house, she hadn’t felt too comfortable running wild. With him gone, her hormones shifted into overdrive, and tonight the fantasies consisted entirely of her first houseguest, Yas.