Kara's Wolves (3 page)

She swallowed. Justin’s heart squeezed.

“Just follow my lead.” His double entendre was only for himself.

At the edge of the dance floor, Justin placed the cool palm of her left hand on his shoulder and grasped her right hand in his left. His giant fingers completely swallowed her tiny ones. He stared for a moment at her smooth fair skin contrasting against his rough, sun-darkened tones. Short clipped fingernails, filed to perfection, graced her dainty hand, but her palm was callused.
Does she work in construction?
He almost laughed out loud at the thought and then decided she must surely enjoy gardening or something.

When Justin wrapped his right arm around Kara’s shoulder, he noticed she was not a fragile rose by any stretch of the imagination. She may have been small, but she was incredibly muscular. How did this wisp of a woman manage to maintain such strength?

“Um, what do I do now?” Kara was staring up at him again, her eyes questioning.

How long had they been standing there? He wasn’t sure.

“Right. Well, the basic steps are very simple. It’s a series of slow, slow, quick, quick.” Justin edged them into the line of traffic. “Our feet will move together. When I step back, you step forward on the same side. Feel the music. The beat is always a steady slow, slow, quick, quick.”

Kara caught on fast. She didn’t seem to falter at his instructions. Thank God, because he could barely think with her in his arms, her face so close to his chest, her scent permeating the air around him.

“You’re a natural. Didn’t you say you’d never two-stepped before?”

“Yes… I mean no, I haven’t. I’ll probably step on you in a minute.” Her smile sucked the air out of Justin. Time to bump this relationship up a notch.

“I’m Justin, by the way. Justin Masters.”

“Kara Shepherd. Do you, um, go to school here?”

“No. I mean, I did.”
Don’t tell her your age yet, you doofus
. “But, I graduated. I work on a dairy farm now, just outside of town. You?”

“I graduate this May. Teaching degree.”

Sexy and educated.
Why haven’t I ever seen her before?

The music switched to a slow song and Justin let his right hand trail down Kara’s back to rest on her bare waist and draw her closer. He could reach so far around her his fingers grazed her firm abs. Her skin felt cool beneath his touch and she gave a short gasp at the contact with his warm hands.

“Kara…” He loved that name. Delicate, but strong. It suited her perfectly.

“Yes?”

Had he spoken out loud?

Justin chuckled to himself just as someone graciously bumped into Kara from behind, forcing her body flush against his. For the second time tonight. He held her tighter, causing the vibrations of laughter to run through his chest and into hers.

He had always prided himself on being firm and fit—most of his kind were—but this tiny lady could rival him in the fitness department. She was rock solid. Her small breasts brushed against his chest as he laughed at himself.

“Sorry, I was just trying out your name. Didn’t realize I had spoken out loud.”

Justin cautiously set Kara’s right hand on his shoulder, freeing himself to reach around her with both hands at her waist, trapping her in a slow sensuous dance. Their movements were barely existent among the crowd. Justin didn’t care. If he died right now, it would be worth it.

“Well, Justin Masters,” she peered up at him, a soft curl falling across her face, “you are a fantastic dancer. Thanks for showing me the ropes.”

Honey, you haven’t even begun to experience my ropes
.

Justin cleared his throat, trying to shake the image of Kara with her delicate wrists tied to his bedposts while he held her legs apart and sucked on her clit. The vision included his buddy Trevor pinching her nipples into tight buds above him. Would she be a screamer?

“No problem.” Justin found himself physically shaking the image from his head. His mate was completely unaware she was about to be claimed. By at least one man. The images of him and Trevor sharing her would not shake. Was it possible she would belong to them both?

One song ended and another sultry ballad began. Shania Twain’s voice filled the room now, her words caressing them as they swayed to the beat. Justin’s chest swelled when she didn’t seem to notice they were now moving on to a third song. If she hadn’t been interested, she would have quickly pulled away after the first. Of course, there was no way she could “not be interested”. It was fated after all.

“So, Kara. What do you do when you are not in class? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you here before.”

“Actually, I’m a gymnast. Well, until next week anyway. My career is about to come to an end.”

Ah, that explains the physique
. Wait … a gymnast? As in flipping around on the ground, flying through the air, attempting suicidal feats not meant for womankind to endure? Justin sucked in a breath, his fingers gripping her waist. Why did visions of her tumbling cause him distress?

“Really?” He couldn’t eek out any other syllables at the moment. Tendrils of horrible images flitted through his mind.

“I’ve been working in the gym several hours a day for almost my entire life. Next weekend I’ll have my last gymnastics meet and become a free woman. That’s why I’m here tonight actually. My roommates think they need to indoctrinate me into society, so to speak.” A sexy giggle bubbled from her chest. “They say I never have any fun. So, they dragged me out here and then bribed me to get on the dance floor. And here we are.”

She made it sound so simple. Just a few more days of school and gymnastics, and she would be all his. He shivered at the thought. Trevor was definitely not going to like this new twist. Justin may be a doting protective man to have around, but Trevor was off the charts when it came to safety. Maybe he could manage to keep the two of them from meeting for a few weeks, buy some time?

Not a chance in hell.

Justin’s mind was so connected to Trevor’s, he was probably on his way here now, just buzzing with the mental vibrations rushing through their link. He tried to block their connection as best he could.

“Do you have
any
free time? I’d sure like to take you out on a proper date.”
What if
she says no?
Justin didn’t want to have to force the issue, but the reality was she was his now and he was not going to take kindly to letting her out of his sight very often.

“Well…” she appeared to be pondering the idea, nibbling once again on that lower lip of hers “…I guess I do eat, occasionally. Perhaps dinner sometime?”

Thank God she wasn’t just going to blow him off. “How’s tomorrow? Six o’clock?

I’ll pick you up?” Justin held his breath waiting on her response.

“Tomorrow? Hmm…” She glanced up at him and he read unease in her eyes. “I hardly know you at all. Maybe I could meet you somewhere?”

“Sure.” It had been a while since Justin had spent any real time with a human woman. He’d forgotten they could be a little nervous about dating. Secretly, he was glad to find she would be a little cautious. He and Trevor did frequently sleep with non-shifters, but not the timid type standing before him right now, gnawing on a lip he badly wanted to soothe with his own tongue. “How about we meet at the Steak House on First Street. Do you know it?” A steak could go a long way toward soothing his need to sink his teeth into Kara’s supple young skin, perhaps chew on a nipple or nip her tight little clit between his teeth.

“Steak?” There was a hint of surprise in her voice. “Um, okay.”

What? Don’t tell me she’s a vegetarian
. That would be disastrous.

“I can find it. First Street you said?” Her tongue darted out to lick the edges of her mouth nervously.

Justin craved to kiss the worry from her. “Yes, just a block down from the mall.”

He held his breath, knowing she was in control of this situation, but he had to make some concessions to ease her mind. She was a human. New territory for him. He wasn’t used to tiptoeing around a woman. At least now that he’d found her, he knew she could never escape him. With his sense of smell he could track her wherever she might go. Her essence now permeated his soul.

Someone bumped them from behind and Justin realized they had stopped moving.

With a short sidestep, he moved them off the dance floor.

Kara looked up at him with questioning eyes.

He couldn’t stand being this close to her another moment without tasting her. He cupped the side of Kara’s face. “God, I want to kiss you.”

Justin half-expected her to turn and walk away. Instead, she gazed into his eyes and whispered, “Yes,” so softly he almost didn’t hear her.

“Not here. Outside. Do you trust me?” He didn’t want their first glorious kiss to be in this crowded room.

“Uhm, hm. I don’t know why…” She looked at him with such faith, a shiver coursed through him. He had no idea what the effect of finding a mate would be on a human. Was she as entranced as he?

“Come on…” Justin grabbed her by the hand and led her across the room. He was going to combust if he didn’t at least get a taste of her before he allowed her to leave this evening.

She didn’t yank her hand away. He could smell the slight tinge of fear, but she was also aroused by him, her body already taking control of her reactions. Once they actually mated, she would never be able to deny him again. Her pussy would beg and plead for his cock. But for now, she was just getting a taste of the need that would soon drive her bonkers.

*

Kara wanted to pull from the grasp Justin had on her hand, really she did. Her mind was shouting “No”, but her traitorous body was screaming “Yes”.

She was mesmerized by the way he looked into her eyes, seemed to peer into her soul, the way he held her possessively in his arms and stroked her bare skin beneath her blouse, the way his low rumbling voice reached into her heart… She was unable to stop herself from following him to whatever destination he had in mind. It was mad. That was a fact. No woman in their right mind would allow a strange man to lead them away from the safety of their friends and … out into the night?
Shit
.

He led her right out the front door and before she could utter a syllable, she found herself against the side of the building, his strong huge body melding against her and his lips lowering toward hers. Kara gasped and gripped his biceps with both hands as he took her mouth in a fiery kiss that sent a shiver clear down to her feet.

No one had ever kissed her like this. Granted, she could count on one hand the number of men she had even kissed at all, but none of them had elicited this … this …

burn grasping her sex.

Justin tipped his head slightly to one side and deepened the kiss, tracing her lips with his tongue before dipping it into her mouth to tangle and dance with her own. He tasted of beer and mint and kissed her with an urgency she was beginning to feel herself.

Strong hands circled her waist, his thumbs rubbing a pattern of circles on her stomach, driving her crazy with new sensations of need.

Slowly Justin’s palms moved upward until they grazed the bottom of Kara’s breasts beneath the lace bra she was wearing. She should be pushing him away. Why was she letting a stranger fondle her like this? All she knew was she wanted more. More of his touch. More of his kisses. Liquid pooled between her legs to dampen her panties. A tingling sensation shot from the spot where his fingers were just barely brushing against her breasts straight down to her sex.

A low moan escaped her and she gasped, jerking her head back into the wall when she realized it was her.

Justin placed his forehead against hers and chuckled lightly, a tone she was beginning to find increasingly arousing.

“Are you okay?” He ran a hand through her hair.

He probably meant to soothe her, but she couldn’t for the life of her remember why.

She just knew she never wanted him to stop touching her. Her hips pushed forward of their own accord, straight into his rock-hard thigh. With one leg strategically placed between hers, his erection was burning a hot line of need against her.

Kara jumped when a door slammed into the wall to her right, allowing loud raucous noise to escape the confines of the bar and spread out into the cool night air, forcing Kara’s mind back to earth. How long had they been standing here? Surely only moments.

She peered around Justin’s massive biceps to catch Lindsey and Jess falling out the door, staggering to catch their breath as their gazes jerked from one end of the parking lot to the other. Just as Kara suspected. Her protective friends would never allow her to leave with a stranger. It warmed her heart to know they cared.

As soon as her friends spotted her against the wall, they breathed a sigh of relief and nonchalantly glanced away, as if they had merely come outside for a breath of fresh air themselves.

“Don’t worry, ladies.” Justin’s deep timbre vibrated through Kara’s system as he gently grasped her chin in one hand and brought her gaze back to his, inches separating their eyes. He never once looked over his shoulder in the direction of her friends, but somehow he knew they were there. His warm delicious breath blew across her face as he continued. “I wasn’t going to kidnap her. It was a bet, right? I think she won.” The smile creeping across Justin’s face was incredibly sexy.

Kara melted beneath his intense stare. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

“Just give us a minute, will you? And I promise to hand her over in one piece.”

Justin closed the gap to Kara’s open mouth and covered it again, slower this time, with his own.

A giggle broke from the peanut gallery, but quickly faded from Kara’s consciousness as all her attention once again diverted to the soft, warm, moist kiss taking over her senses.

Kara’s body relaxed against Justin’s, leaning into him in its traitorous mission to get closer. His left hand continued to hold her jaw, tenderly tilting her face to the side to get a better angle on her mouth. His right hand remained poised against the bare skin of her abdomen, gently grazing back and forth in silent torture. A knot of heat balled in Kara’s stomach, creating an aching desire for him to inch those bold fingers lower until they cupped her sex with enough pressure to ease the need overwhelming her.