Moonlit Embrace (2 page)

He wore a suit, but something about him told her he’d be more comfortable in jeans. Though he’d have to paint them on over thigh muscles like that. 

Despite what her sister loved to say about her, she’d had a few men, wolf and human. None of them ever smelled like
this
. And
this
roped her in.

Not cool.

She believed in restraint and good common sense, but something about this man wouldn’t let go. There was no such thing as fate or love at first sight. Wolves, like humans, didn’t mate for life unless they wanted to. Probably.

But something about this guy had her hoping those legends had a bit of truth to them.

He pointed to his trousers. “This is your fault, Johanna,” he said, in a voice heavy and low. “You smell amazing.”

“Rude!”

“You feel the same way.”

“No I don’t!”

He sniffed.

Loudly.

Busted.

None of this was her fault. Not really. This was the perfect storm of her most fertile time of the month, plus a new hot guy combined with the new den...err...apartment. Never mind the full moon. Yeah, that must be it. Best to send him on his way. “Is there anything you actually need? You’re holding up the line.”

His brows furrowed in mock outrage. The jerk even pouted. How messed up was life that this only made him hotter?

She bit and sucked in her lip, a nervous habit Kate loved to rib her about. This man, however, couldn’t seem to turn away from it. His eyes lasered in on her mouth and he licked his lips.

Some wicked thing convinced her to lick her own.

Adonis-Sent-To-Play-With-Mere-Mortals groaned loud enough that Tony in the next aisle looked over and coughed. Okay. Playtime’s over. She had to shut this down.

Should shut this down.

Would.

In a minute. “How did you know my name?”

He pointed to her nametag and the plaque, the certificate, then jerked a thumb behind him to where a glaring Belinda sat with another client. “I told her that you called me in. Not altogether untrue.”

“Great. She’ll hate me even more now. Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

Tony hadn’t looked back, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t heard her. The last thing she needed was more bad blood with that woman.

“I kinda picked up that you two weren’t painting each other’s toenails. Here’s the thing, I don’t want to talk about her. I just met a hot wolf and I’d like to ask her out.” The man leaned across the counter and pushed at her index finger with his.

Last month, she would have said no. Last week too. But these were interesting times. “Maybe, but I still have no idea who you are.”

“Shhh...” He dropped his voice to wolf range, the same one she and her sisters once used to cheat in class when they were kids. “Your friend is listening.” He coughed and resumed his normal speaking voice. “I’m sorry, baby, but I didn’t want Daddy’s money to help us out. Please forgive me. Tell me you still love me. Go on, tell your ol’ Baron what he wants to hear.”

Good show, Baron. Real good. To the point, she could feel the glares and certainly heard the gasps of workers and customers alike. This might get back to her sister and it would be glorious. She could kiss him for that alone.

The crazy man leaned back and crossed his arms, clearly enjoying his handiwork. Then he took two of her business cards. One he pocketed, the other, he wrote his number on and slid it back over. When she reached for it, he latched onto her hand, snatched it to his lips and gave it an over the top smooch, complete with a
pop
at the end.

At this point, she half expected Kate to materialize in a puff of imperious smoke. Better to get ahead of the story and call her sister the second Baron and his bun-hugging trousers walked out the building.

Two problems with that.

Number One, Baron wasn’t leaving.

Number Two, they hadn’t properly set up a date yet. There was nothing to tell Kate. Not really.

“So I’ll pick you up tonight around seven? It’ll still be nice out and you can give me a walking tour of the area.”

She legit went to war with herself. One foot tapped. One set of fingers drummed the counter. Thank heavens her mouth worked. At least now, she could tell him to shove off. “I guess I’ll see you later, then.”

Or not.

New Number Two, Kate didn’t have to know everything. She’d take over. Either Kate would try to talk her out of her date or iron out which panties she ought to wear. Nope. This was her thing. Hers and Baron’s.

Fat chance getting back to work after all that. Tony scooted his seat toward her and Belinda slithered over the second the door closed behind Mr. Hot Pants. “How do you know our Baron,” the woman asked.

Lying had never felt more right. “We’ve known each other for a while.”

Tony imitated a spectacular faint before doing circles on the stool and tossing spirit fingers above his head. “Spill. He looks like a man who knows what he’s doing.”

“Well, I—”

Belinda flipped her hair and shot her a sideways look. “I don’t know, Johanna. You need to be careful with those Hit It and Quit It types. Sometimes they take advantage of women like you. They can sense desperation.”

Tony sucked in air but didn’t exactly lunge to her defense. As for Belinda, that woman had a lot of nerve. She’d slept her way to the top and everyone knew it. Not that anyone could do anything about it. In addition to her good looks and her money, she was also brilliant and doing a better than decent job of things. She was just a bitch. Like Kate.

Under those circumstances, the lying felt even better. “Why do you think he moved here? Like he said, he left his family’s fortune when I broke it off. They didn’t accept me. I guess I never expected him to really do it.”

“I see.” Belinda’s hawkish eyes narrowed

Tony attempted to high-five her, but she didn’t meet him halfway. Blessedly, the late lunch crowd poured in, just as she ran short of patience and out of material. What would happen when they found out the truth? Who knew? But for now, this Monday ranked number one of all time.

B
aron had come to this town to unscrew his life and start fresh. Dating wasn’t on the menu and yet, something about this woman messed with his head. He hadn’t been able to think of anything else since seeing her this morning.

He left the realtor’s office and shoved his hands into his pockets as he strode down the semi-crowded streets of a picture perfect New England town. Women stopped in their tracks, a few bold ones waved, but he hardly spared them a passing glance. His focus centered on a curvy haired woman with a wide smile. She wasn’t his type and he definitely had a type: blonde, thin and loud.

Johanna was nothing like the last woman he’d gotten caught up with. For one, she ate. But she also had a kindness and cleverness about her that kept him intrigued.

And her scent!

The doggone woman smelled like home. Not in the usual ways – no pine or sawdust – but something deep and personal. It ought to have freaked him out, but even the memory of her scent soothed his hackles.

Scenting out a mate ranked right up there with winning the lottery. Sure it happened, but never to anyone he’d met.

Except for his little brother.

And a cousin.

And that guy he went to high school with who had a turtle tattoo on his face.

Hmm...

If it could happen to those numbskulls, why not him?

On the off chance that’s what
this
was, he wasn’t about to screw it up. He ran home, changed and rushed to meet Johanna at the office at five in the most non-stalkerish way he could think of. It took all of two seconds to justify it. He didn’t feel like walking around town with his nose to the ground to find her apartment, nor had she given him
her
number. She had a reservedness about her and he didn’t trust her not to wimp out.

Honestly, the only reasonable option was lounging against a lamppost and waiting for her to leave work. He liked to call this Wolf Logic.

He started waving the second she stepped outside.

Johanna’s eyes widened and she jumped back, but he scented surprise, not apprehension. Good.

“You’re being a creeper, Mr. Baron Wyatt.”

“I didn’t think you’d show.” He angled his arm so she could loop hers through. The sweet thing wore a sleeveless blue sundress, one that had no chance of obscuring her ample bosom. He hadn’t anticipated the ferocity with which heat popped off her skin and into his. Apparently, neither had she. She tried to pull back, but he folded his arm down and snapped his teeth. “Gotcha.”

“Creeper.”

“Why’s that? Because I see something I like and I don’t want it to get away?”

“I have your number. You forced it on me, remember?”

“You wouldn’t have used it.”

“You don’t know that.” But her smile slipped. She recovered it quickly enough, but not so fast that he didn’t spot the doubt there.

“I’m going to enjoy proving myself worthy of you, Ms. Johanna.”

She snorted – actually snorted – and grinned. “I look forward to seeing you try.”

“Now that, I do believe.”

The buzzer went off behind them as another group of workers left for the day. Whatever reservations she might have had about him paled under the scrutiny of company. Johanna leaned into him when the bitchy Belinda swooped in.

“Hiya, Baron. Came back to see me? We should talk. I’ve heard so little about you.”

“I’m a private man.”

“Don’t be. A few of us are going out for drinks. Would you like to join us?”

He took a moment to reset the scene: Middle of town, people going by and he could have heard a friggin’ pin drop. He and Johanna may have been the wolves, but her coworkers hovered like a committee of bloodthirsty vultures.

“No, thank you,” Johanna said, voice muzzled by his side.

“Exactly. No way would we miss this opportunity and thank you for asking.” He dropped her arm in exchange for her waist – definite upgrade – and half pushed, half dragged her along. He sniffed again, catching more than anger, but fear. What the hell? “Johanna—”

“I didn’t exactly correct what you told them.” She said it in a voice just for his ears.

“Right. So, we’ve dated for some time then?”

“You started it and I’m sorry. Okay? When we sit down, we can pretend it was a joke that got out of hand.”

“That’s your plan?”

“Do you have a better one?”

He pulled her close and accidently brushed his lips against her ear.

Then he accidently flicked his tongue across the top of it.

And bit the lobe. Accidently.

He should stop this. The logical part of him knew that, but damn him, he enjoyed her. Life had dealt him a string of messed up cards. This might be the first good hand he’s had in ages.

“I think we should put on a good show for your boss.”

“No!”

“C’mon? When was the last time you had fun? I need fun. I’ve left behind my pack and my family for this new town. I don’t know anyone here. I’m about to sign a loan for a crap ton of money and the one bright spot I have, is that my lips are touching you. Don’t you want them to touch you?”

“No.”

“Liar. I can smell it. I could pick you up, throw you over my shoulder and kiss you until...”

“I have mace. And a knife.”

“I’m a wolf.”

“So am I.”

“See? This is fun.”

He bit back a smile at another one of her cute snorts.

Wait.
Cute?
He’d never described anything as cute a day in his life. Ugh! She kept this up and she’d have him giggling on the phone with his sisters. If this was a mating AND if this was what mating did to a man, it sucked.

“You’re being a real champ about this. Thanks, Baron.” She squeezed his arm to her chest and shot him a smile that was...well...
cute
.

He didn’t tell her that, a wolf had his pride, but he didn’t even try to wipe the smile from his face. Then again, neither did she. 

The group crossed a final street and dipped into an Irish themed sports pub. This could have been an opportunity to scope out his competition, but the inquisition started the second his left ass cheek hit the chair.

Belinda slid out of her business jacket. She did it with all the grace of a black widow shedding her shell. “So how did you two meet again?”

He kept it quick. “Back home.”

“But this is her home.”

“My home. Montana.”

“Interesting. She’s never mentioned Montana before, or even you at all. I wonder why that is.”

“She’s mentioned a thing or two about you, lady. So far as I can tell, they’re all true.”

The bitch blinked like a deer in headlights, while Johanna side-kicked him beneath the table. He laid off, but didn’t break eye contact with Belinda, daring her to say something else.

She didn’t. The woman’s menu snapped open to shield her face. Belinda didn’t speak again until the waiter arrived and she ordered drinks for the now silent table.

Baron tossed a finger in the air before the waiter pulled away and pointed to Johanna. “She hasn’t had a chance to tell you what she wanted.”

Belinda shushed him. “I ordered a round of margaritas for the table. You’re welcome.”

He wasn’t used to being shushed.

He didn’t like being shushed.

He wouldn’t stand to be shushed. Especially not by her.

“Yes, but Johanna didn’t order what she wanted. Dear?”

“Rum and cola.”

Belinda’s eyes crinkled. She tapped table, obviously determined to cement her place at the head of it. In an obnoxiously loud whisper, she asked, “Are you sure you don’t want a diet drink? You’ve been working on that last twenty pounds for ages.”

Oh, hell no.

“What did you say to her?”

“It’s fine, Baron.”

Belinda shimmied back into her seat and rested her elbows on the table. “I didn’t mean anything by it. But you’ve...well...you know...”

“Then why did you say it?”

“She’s my boss,” Johanna whispered.

“Quit,” he shot right back, answering on the same non-human level. After sending the waiter away with an updated order of two rum and colas, he waited for Belinda to apologize but apparently, this wasn’t in the cards.