Lindsey's Wolves (2 page)

Lindsey had always been quite tan, but when she glanced down at their skin next to each other, she realized how much darker Alejandro was. Probably from working outside all summer. The sleeves of his deep purple dress shirt were meticulously folded up far enough to reveal his bronzed muscular forearms covered in a dusting of blond hair.

She couldn’t help wondering if that same hair covered his chest or if he was smooth under that shirt. As she returned her gaze to his face, she paused at his neck. The top two buttons were undone, but not far enough to answer her question.

“Yes.” It was going to be a short night if she didn’t come up with anything more conversational.

He didn’t seem to mind, however. His smile grew slowly across his face as if he were completely aware of her plight and found it amusing.

He couldn’t be of course.

“Shall we?” Letting go of one elbow, he guided her toward the front door with the other.

Jessica was nowhere in sight. Not surprising. She never liked to interfere.

“Where are we going?”
Ah, a full sentence. And even apropos.

“I thought we’d try that new Spanish restaurant across town. Do you know it?”

“No.”
Does that count as a sentence also?
“But, it sounds wonderful.”

“I hope it’s authentic and not a disappointment. You never know about these places. I’ve heard good things about it, but not from anyone Spanish. We’d be taking our chances. Are you up for the adventure?”

“Absolutely. Even if it’s not completely what you’re used to, it will surely be delicious.”

“We Spaniards are culinary snobs.” He probably wasn’t kidding, but his words were so gentle and his face so calm, she didn’t believe he was even capable of disappointment right now. A fact that made her feel pretty good.

Alejandro led her toward a brand new black Toyota truck parked in the street in front of the townhome she shared with Jessica. Ever since Kara had moved out earlier in the summer, they hadn’t bothered to get another roommate. They had both gotten teaching jobs locally and as soon as school started in a few weeks they’d be making enough money to handle the expenses. In the meantime, they were enjoying the last few weeks of summer, their last few leisurely weeks for what could be a long time.

Ever the gentleman, Alejandro opened the passenger door and held on to Lindsey’s arm until she was situated inside. She felt like a princess in his care. Doted on. Appreciated.

American men never seemed quite so polite, or maybe that had been just her experience.

In any case, who cared? The man currently circling the hood of the car was so suave she wanted to lean into him and soak up his tender warmth.

And his accent was so musical; like melted caramel it oozed over her every time he spoke. Especially when he spoke in Spanish. She’d taken four years of high school Spanish and two years in college, but that barely got her by.

Maybe if she hung around Alejandro for a while, she’d actually learn something.

I hope so
.

When he slid into the seat beside her, he started the engine and then reached for her hand. “You truly are
bellísima
this evening,
cariña
.”

She got the idea. “Thank you.” Lindsey was so comfortable with him. It seemed as though she’d known him a long time.

Of course, they’d spoken for about two hours last night. She felt like she truly did know him in some ways. Once they’d finally made it out of the grocery store, he’d helped her load her trunk and they’d wandered into the coffee shop conveniently located next door to the supermarket. The lattes didn’t even come close to reaching Alejandro’s coffee standards, but they still laughed and talked for so long, she’d lost track of time.

Alejandro’s large hand enveloped Lindsey’s small one. She couldn’t concentrate with his thumb rubbing circles across her palm. He was going to drive her mad. If there hadn’t been a seat belt law, she’d have slid right up next to him and laid her head on his shoulder with no concern whatsoever for how forward that would be.

Truth be told, she couldn’t wait to feel his soft lips caressing her skin again. Last night, when he’d walked her to her practical Honda Accord, he’d pressed her back into the driver’s door, wrapped her face in his palms, and kissed her to oblivion. Sure, it had started out slow and hesitant, the faint hint of coffee mingling with her own, but then he’d angled his head to one side, pressed his body against hers, and licked the seam between her lips until she opened for him on a moan.

The episode was so erotic, a book could have been written about that kiss alone. Her entire body trembling with need, she’d gripped his forearms until her nails nearly dug into the skin. After what seemed like an eternity, he’d gradually pulled away, raining kisses along her cheeks before settling his forehead against hers.

“
Mañana entonces, cariña
? Until tomorrow?”

Why did his words in Spanish sound so much more lyrical? Those beautiful words meant “until tomorrow?”

“Yes.” It was all she’d been able to articulate at the time, and she hadn’t improved much since then.

If only he would kiss her like that again…

And please, God, let me enjoy this without enduring flashbacks from my childhood
.

She deserved it. It was time to move on.

Alejandro gritted his teeth all during the short drive to the restaurant.
Please, if there is a God, make this evening perfect
.

He’d driven over to the quaint corner location earlier in the day, seen the inside firsthand, and made a reservation. It had the appeal of home and made him anxious to get a taste of the delicious aromas floating among the lunch crowd.

Home
.

He actually felt the pangs of missing his family today for the first time in months. He’d come to America in the early spring on a whim. His cousins had been begging him for years to join them in Washington. The timing couldn’t have been better. Two of his cousins, Mariam and Sean, had married in the last year and moved farther away from the farm. The family was a bit shorthanded, and their call had coincided perfectly with Alex’s recent ugly breakup. Not to mention a restless need for a change of scenery.

Alejandro was settled. Happy. Loving the change. And living in the sprawling ranch home owned by his mother’s brother had proven to shake any doubts he’d had before leaving the vineyard about living with family. The house was enormous and there was plenty of privacy. At twenty-eight, Alejandro hadn’t looked forward to the possibility that there’d be restrictions, rules, questions.

His mind was at ease. He’d slid right into Sean’s old quarters and was enjoying himself immensely.

However, he’d been completely unprepared to run literally straight into the woman he would spend the rest of his life with during a quick stop at the grocery yesterday to grab a few items for his Aunt Stacy. The poor woman hadn’t said a word when Alex had returned three hours later, empty handed, preoccupied, and begging forgiveness when he saw her face.

The awaited flour and eggs were forgotten, the “fried” chicken baked, and his aunt, without asking a single question of her normally extremely thoughtful and considerate nephew, had spent the evening biting her tongue, a sparkle in her eye that expressed her amusement at his floundering actions.

The cause of this distraction now sat next to him with a slight smile curving up the corners of her luscious pink lips. She’d let him grasp her hand when he’d climbed into his truck beside her and had even scooted his direction across the bench seat, as much as the seat belt would allow.

Lazily drawing circles across her palm with his thumb was now driving him mad. Her skin was so soft and warm, her grip on his fingers making him long to have her grip other parts of his body with the same passion.

Again he prayed to a god he’d suddenly found himself taking a keener interest in.
Please, just help her understand
.

Alex knew he’d eventually have to confront her. She was his mate and that was fantastic. But … she was human. She had no idea what was about to happen to turn her life upside down.

He had no idea when he might go about telling her the details of the unimaginable world he would open up to her, but it would have to be soon. He didn’t know how many days he could go with cold showers and the constant need to adjust his cock in his pants. Even masturbating twice last night after he’d excused himself from the family had done nothing to ease his discomfort. He was still hard nearly twenty-four hours later.

“So, why have you never been to this restaurant before, Alejandro?” When she spoke his name, with an accent that sounded almost precisely like a native of his country, it made him almost groan out loud with visions of her screaming the word in passion as she came. And she would. He’d make sure of that.

“I have been so busy since I got here in the spring, I guess I just haven’t had the chance. My cousins have eaten there and they tell me the menu is authentic and delicious. I hope they are correct. It’s really tough to find the cuisine of
España
replicated in the States. A rare delicacy.”

“I’m sure it will be wonderful.” When she smiled at him, one sweet dimple exploded on each cheek, begging him to run his tongue through the indention. He glanced her way to catch this expression, wishing he could stare at her forever without running off the road.

Two more miles and then you can sit across from her at the table and look to your heart’s content
.

He’d purposefully selected a specific corner table when he’d been there earlier, slightly out of the way where they’d have some privacy to get to know each other.

Although, he felt like he’d known her for years after last night. They’d practically spoken on top of each other the entire time, laughing and joking about their different life experiences.

It was with great relief that Alejandro pulled into a parking spot and turned to stare into those gorgeous brown eyes that hypnotized him with their warmth.

He practically flung himself around the front end of the truck to reach her side, bereft of the feel of her soft fingers in his.

As she stepped from the car, he caught a significant glimpse of the V between her legs. Her short dress couldn’t hide much as she was forced to put one foot down and then the other. She reached to adjust the front, even tugged the fabric with both hands to more concisely cover herself before raising her face back to stare into his eyes. She was clearly unaccustomed to dressing in such a short skirt. Her cheeks were flushed. Was she embarrassed? Did she feel self-conscious about what he might have seen between her legs during the brief exit?

She’d have to get over that fast, but the idea of her being shy about her body made him almost tremble with the anticipation of ridding her of any preconceived notions she may have acquired about sex in her twenty-two years. Why did the idea of her initial timidity only make him harder?

“Shall we?” As soon as she’d adjusted her dress to her satisfaction, Alex once again grasped her hand and guided her toward the entrance.

“It’s lovely. I don’t know why I haven’t been here before myself. Maybe it’s fate that we are to experience it for the first time together.” Lindsey sucked in a breath on the end of that sentence, and he looked at her with a smile. She shivered beneath his touch, turning her face toward the ground.

Alex pulled her close as they reached the door, wrapped his arms around her to stave off the chill she’d experienced, as though caused by the evening air, and kissed the top of her head. “I’m certain you are correct,
cariña
.”

Her hair smelled of the floral shampoo he would never forget from yesterday. The soft strands glided across his lips as he pulled reluctantly away, wishing for all the world they weren’t in public, it wasn’t their first official date, and he didn’t have to spend the next week going through the formalities dictated by human society to court and woo this woman before he could divest her of her clothes and delve into all her glorious wonder.

Would the bronze skin of her arms and legs extend to her entire body? Was it natural? Or did she have tan lines? Perhaps tiny straps of a string bikini would extend across her shoulders and reveal smooth white breasts that would contrast with ripe pink nipples.

Again, he gritted his teeth as he guided her through the front door.

“Good evening, Señor Ramos. We have your table ready. Right this way.”

“How did they…?”

“I came by earlier to make a reservation. So we wouldn’t have to wait,” he explained.

“How thoughtful.” She beamed at him.

“¿
Está bién, Señor
?” the maître de questioned, his eyebrows raised.

“Is this okay?” Alejandro turned to Lindsey.

“Of course. It’s wonderful.”

“
Perfecto, gracias
,” he said to the polite man.

He released the breath he’d been holding as she eased into her chair. He didn’t know why he’d been holding his breath. She didn’t seem the type who would have complained about the location of the table.

He just wanted everything to be … perfect.

And it was panning out that way.

The table was small, which had attracted Alejandro right away. He wanted to be able to touch her across the tablecloth. Hoped to share morsels of food. Hell, he wanted to be able to kiss her if he desired, lick dabs of garlic and olive oil from her lips. He wouldn’t, of course, but he wanted the possibility to exist nonetheless.

“The ambience is so … romantic,” she stated, peering around the room. “They even have a little band wandering around. What do you call that?”

“Mariachi. They’ll meander from table to table during the evening. It’s actually a Mexican tradition, but fits in perfect here.”

She was right, of course. He couldn’t have chosen better, assuming the food was as good as the service and atmosphere. Dim lighting interspersed with candles provided the perfect setting for the seduction he had planned.

By the end of the evening, he wanted this woman to be so comfortable with him she wouldn’t balk at seeing him every opportunity they had. He knew it wasn’t customary in the U.S. for new couples to see each other so frequently, among humans that is. But lupines knew in an instant when they met their mate, and Alejandro was as warm-blooded as any American wolf when it came to claiming his woman. He wanted her fast, soon, often, and aggressively.