Untamed: An Alpha's Kiss (Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance) (5 page)

CHAPTER
TWELVE

Her mouth went dry at the sound of his voice, and her heart lurched in her chest.

"Sorry..." she stammered. "I just had two really frustrating calls from my mother, and I thought you were her again."

"Oh," he replied politely. "I'm sorry, do you need to go?"

"No, not at all." And then she frowned, puzzled. "Wait
--how did you get my number?"

He chuckled, a soft rumble on the other end of the line. "I have connections."

"Should I be worried?"

Another laugh. "No. I just called to see how you're holding up."

"I'm... okay. Tired."

"And how's your friend?"

"He's okay. Still sleeping. He's here at my house."

There was a quiet pause. "You're taking care of him?"

"For now. His parents are out of town, so they'll get him when they return, I imagine."

He was still again. She could almost hear him thinking, trying to form difficult words.

"I want to apologize," he began.

"No," she protested. "You really don't need to, I--"

"Let me finish," he insisted, and she fell silent. "I want to apologize for this morning, in the garden."

Had it really only been that morning?
It felt like a year ago.

"It wasn't gentlemanly. Not the way I'd have liked our first kiss to be."

Her throat tightened.
Our first kiss?

"So I'm wondering if I can make it up to you. Take you out on an actual date and just see what happens. No pressure."

No pressure?
Was he insane? He was her pack's sworn enemy. She couldn't just go out on a date with him or bring him home to introduce him to her parents like any other guy. Not to mention that her limited dating experience consisted of two high school boyfriends, which meant hanging out with groups of friends and then sneaking off somewhere to be alone. Not exactly practice for the kinds of dates she knew people her age actually went on.

Just another deficiency.
Her heart sank as she realized what being a workaholic had cost her. All those long days at the office, all those early nights she'd had in preparation for early morning sales meetings and site visits. She was nearly twenty-one and had never even been on a real date before.

"You there?" Parker's voice cut through her reverie.

"Um... sorry, yeah, I'm here."

"You didn't answer my question," he nudged.

"Sorry. Yes. I mean, yes, I'd like that. A date. A date with you." She flushed and silently berated herself for her own sudden awkwardness.

"Great." Parker's voice was calm, but she could hear his relief, just a bit of edge taken off his tone.

"Next weekend, then?"

He chuckled. "I was thinking more like Wednesday night. I don't want to wait till next weekend."

Her limbs felt weak as the full meaning of his words hit her. She bit her lip and tried to ignore the answering flutter in her stomach.

I don't think I can just kiss you.

CHAPTER
THIRTEEN

Charmaine was a wreck at work for the next three days, losing her concentration and making silly mistakes. She tried desperately to get herself under control, but the more she tried to focus, the more she thought about Parker. Her father thought she was deliberately being difficult because he hadn't allowed her to go to the Council Summit
. Though they had several heated arguments about it, she couldn't convince him otherwise. Even she couldn't understand how the Summit, which had seemed so critical to her just days before, had now taken a backseat in her mind.

Wednesday dragged on unbearably, a mindless jumble of calls and paperwork and waiting. She filed everything in her "to be filed" bin, sorted her paper clips, even called a few inactive clients to see if she could set up meetings. No matter. The hours crept by infinitesimally, and each hour closer to five o'clock brought more anxiety.

They'd agreed to meet in a neutral place in town, but to avoid being seen together they would meet in the supermarket parking lot and then she would follow him. They couldn't risk a public outing, so they'd have to go farther away for their date, the location of which was still a mystery to her. Several times it dawned on her just how insane this whole thing was. Going on a date to an undisclosed location with the enemy? It was madness. In those moments she contemplated backing out. Just calling him and telling him.
I can't do this.

But then she recalled the feeling of being in his arms, the taste of his breath, the scent of his skin. Looking into those clear green eyes and feeling her soul being anchored, somehow, even as her entire body was set adrift on a churning sea of need. Their animal lust as they devoured each other's mouths in the hospital garden at dawn.

They'd both agreed it was irresponsible.

I want to kiss you right now more than I've ever wanted anything.

They'd both agreed they shouldn't.

Please, Parker...

They'd known it was a bad idea and they had the chance then to turn back. They should have taken it.

But they hadn't. And now it was five o'clock.

***

The Jeep rumbled in the parking lot as she waited for Parker. She was way early, but driving there was the only way she could calm her nerves. At last his sleek black Audi materialized into the spot next to her, and Parker nodded through the darkened glass for her to follow him. She took a deep breath and put the Jeep in gear, trying to steady her shaking hands.

It turned out the drive was just what she needed to calm her jangling nerves. As the ribbons of roadway stretched out in front of her, she followed Parker's taillights through the winding hills and out along the edge of the desert. Invigorating night air whispered against her skin through the windows, and she rolled them down--messy hair be damned--as they drove into the stars.

At last he pulled into a dirt driveway that wound and disappeared behind a grove of trees. He stopped a few hundred yards in and got out of his car.

"Put this address into your GPS."

"Why?" she asked through her window, puzzled.

He shook his head. "I just brought you forty miles away from home. You have no idea where you are. Put the address into your GPS so you can find your way back."

She looked at him incredulously but did as he asked. "I trust you, Parker."

"It's not about trust, it's about safety. What if something happened?"

Oh my God, I'm dating my father.

She followed him up the driveway.

CHAPTER
FOURTEEN

She'd managed to keep herself from gaping at the house when he opened her car door and escorted her up the front walkway. The modern angles and walls of glass should have been out of place among the pines, but somehow it worked, even on such a grand scale.

"What is this place?"
She marveled as he guided her inside.

"My secret fort in the desert," he grinned. "I guess it's not actually all that secret. But I come here sometimes to get away, and people know to leave me alone when I come out here."

"Wow..." Charmaine took in the simple decor as they stepped inside, her eyes drawn immediately to the framed photograph hanging in the front hall. She recognized a much younger Parker, still a boy but full of handsome manly promise, a look of victory in his eyes and a massive fish dangling from his fist. Standing on the weathered dock next to him was a man who could only be his father; he looked much as Parker did now, only older and bearded. The man's arm was slung around the boy's shoulder, his love and pride evident even in this impromptu photo.

"My old man," he said simply.

"How old were you here?" she asked, delighted.

"Maybe fourteen." He took her jacket and hung it carefully on a coat rack made of antlers.

"That's beautiful," she gestured to the rack. "Did you make that?"

Parker nodded, pleased that she'd noticed, and took her hand in his. He led her down a hallway of gleaming wood planks and into the most magnificent kitchen she'd ever seen.

Charmaine gasped as she stepped into view of the gleaming appliances and carefully crafted cabinets.

"I like to cook," he began.

She giggled. "You brought me all the way out here to cook for me?"

"Among other things."

She was hit with a cramp of desire that took her breath away, and when her eyes met his she saw the same desire in his. She stepped closer and he slid his arms around her, pulling her to him. It was like they were back in the garden, face to face, the same problem lurking in the bushes while they pressed their lips together and tried like hell to ignore it.

His mouth on hers was sweet relief and she sighed into his kiss, making him grip her harder and groan softly as their tongues twined. Almost instantly her nipples sprang to attention in her lacy bra, and she knew he would feel them through her thin shirt. Dampness flooded her panties and she wondered if he would smell her again as she did in the garden.

Only this time he wouldn't push her away.

And this time she wouldn't say goodbye.

Her back thudded against the wall as Parker pressed her to it, his lips traveling to her neck to nibble and suck her delicate flesh. Her nerve endings sizzled as his mouth made a slow exploration of her throat, her collarbone, the expanse of flesh just below.

She practically thrust her aching breasts at him, willing him to cup and squeeze them, and he eagerly took her hint. Impatiently, he yanked down the low neckline and tugged her breasts from their lace cage, so they were propped for his pleasure.

"God, you're beautiful," he groaned, burying his face between her creamy tits. He inhaled the scent of her flesh as he fondled the bountiful globes, flicking at her rosy nipples until she gasped. When his mouth closed over one of the sensitive peaks, she shivered and arched into him, loving the sensation of him suckling her. Parker's scruff scratched her skin, heightening the sensation as he pleasured her.

Charmaine reached for him, pressing her hand firmly along his impressive length through his jeans. He twitched against her touch and his hand guided hers as she kneaded and stroked through the denim., All the while he kept licking and sucking and teasing her nipples. She thought she would come just from his mouth on her tits.

And then Parker pulled slowly from her touch, reluctantly kissing each puckered pink nub before tucking each of her breasts back into her bra, smoothing her back into her shirt and kissing her gently. She was mind-whacked and sopping, feverish with desire.

He saw the question in her eyes and chuckled. "This is supposed to be a
date
. I'm supposed to be
cooking
for you, not eating you in my kitchen."

"Oh, Grandmother," she teased, "What big teeth you have!"

Parker laughed, the first real laugh she'd ever heard. She wanted to hear him do that again and again, and she glowed with pleasure to see his amusement. "Later," he promised, but she saw the temptation in his eyes.

"I'm not really all that hungry," she whispered. "Not for food, anyway."

In two steps he had her in his arms, sweeping her easily off her feet and carrying her down the hallway, his mouth never leaving hers as he strode into the bedroom and kicked the door shut.