Adele, Claire - Guardian of His Love [Wolves of West Texas 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More)

Wolves of West Texas 3

CLAIRE ADELE

Copyright © 2012

Chapter One

“I’ve been hard ever since I looked in her blue eyes. What’s with that?” Derek Wolfson demanded of Juan Enriquez, his best friend. Derek couldn’t believe what had started out as a distracting evening with two women had ended with him hungry for Kelly Smith. Derek hoped Juan would give him a logical explanation for his physical reaction to Kelly.

He’d shared a few women over the years with Juan, but Derek hadn’t experienced such a strong reaction since he’d fallen for his ex-sweetheart. He’d never forgotten how devastated he’d felt when she’d broken up with him their senior year in college. She’d been his life mate. At least he’d assumed so. He’d expected to be with her forever. Since she’d walked out on him, he’d never felt the same connection with a woman until now. He’d never expected to feel the same attraction ever again.

“Sounds like you’ve lucked out,
amigo
. I say go with it.”

“What if it doesn’t work out? What if the same shit happens again?”

Juan smiled, one side of his mouth tilting up. “What if it doesn’t? I could see you were attracted to Kelly the night we fought the Hawks outside the Rescue Mission so she could escape from them.”

“Hell, yeah. I wanted to protect her, make damn sure the Hawks didn’t get her.”

“And when they dragged her off to their house of prostitution the next day?”

“I wanted to get her out of there as fast as possible and destroy every last damn Hawk.”

Juan shook his head. “I don’t think you have a choice, bud. Maybe it’s best for your heart if you see this through. You could find her to be an incredible lover and companion, like I have found Cindy.”

Derek sighed. He wasn’t so sure he could risk his heart again. But for better or worse, he wanted to keep seeing Kelly.

“Thanks, bro, for listening to me.”

“I hope it helped.”

Derek smiled at his friend. “You make a good sounding board.”

Juan laughed. “Let’s head out. We still have a few Hawks to bring in.”

Derek welcomed the challenge. His work as a private investigator with his cousin, Mike Wolfson, and his best friend, Juan, once again saved his sanity. He’d concentrate on their work this night and worry later about what to do where Kelly was concerned.

It wouldn’t be easy. She was beautiful, with her long blonde mane of silky hair, shapely legs that went on forever, and those voluptuous breasts. She was so hot he wanted to have her naked beneath him, wanted to cup those breasts, taste her sweet tits, and sink into her wet heat over and over, after he drove her crazy.

But he damn sure couldn’t handle going through what he’d experienced in college, ever again.

* * * *

Wolves howled as they ranged along the gully behind Darlene Lovejoy’s home. Kelly had managed to outrun her family for two years. Now her brothers had discovered her location. What blasted luck. She knew her three brothers’ individual howls. It was definitely her male siblings calling to her. Well, they could keep waiting for her to join them for all she cared.

Hopefully Darlene would understand when Kelly told her she would be leaving, especially after Darlene had offered her employment helping her in her own home. It would have been the perfect way for Kelly to support herself and hide out from her family. She hated to go on the run again after finding a home with Darlene. With her brothers knowing where she was, she couldn’t afford to stay here another day. She’d pack up her things and leave in the morning. Hopefully, Darlene would understand and not be too upset.

Being found by her brothers was so frustrating after she’d gone incognito, changed her last name, and gone so far as to stay in lonely places like the Rescue Mission. Yet somehow her brothers had located her.

She’d prayed her family would forget about her. Obviously, they hadn’t. She could not face being mated for life with someone she didn’t love and felt no sexual attraction to. She wanted to live her life either with a mate she loved or live her life alone.

How, in this modern day, could her family continue to abide by pack laws written generations ago. Her pack, Wolford, had for generations given their daughters and sons to the sons and daughters of the pack Wolfgang. Family stories handed down from one generation to another told how the two families had been close for many generations. The families had even traveled together on the same ship from the eastern border of France to Texas, before Texas was a state, in the early 1800s.

But she did not want to follow their mating tradition when she wasn’t even drawn to the Wolfgang son both families expected her to marry. She couldn’t. She was a modern woman with a mind of her own. She intended to mate and live with a man she loved who attracted her sexually. Accepting anything less was not an option. She wouldn’t think about what she faced under the family pack laws if they caught her.

After coming of age, she’d avoided any relationships with men. Her family didn’t know about the few one-night flings. Not one guy had really interested her until she’d met Derek Wolfson. He’d caught her attention that night in the parking area of the Rescue Mission when those fucking terrible Hawks had tried to drag her into their car. Revealed by car headlights, she’d noticed Derek was tall with broad shoulders and sandy-blond hair. He’d looked like a mythical avenging god, his topaz eyes shining golden in the flash of lights.

She’d watched the fight through the side of the window drapes inside the Mission as Derek had fought the Hawks and sent them running. He’d fought magnificently. The day the Hawks had captured her and taken her to their disgusting house of prostitution, she’d escaped unharmed when Derek, with his friend Juan, had attacked the Hawks in the hall.

After Derek had dinner with her that night at Darlene’s home, where Kelly had been offered shelter, she had known she wanted to get to know Derek better. Even though he’d had the opportunity, Derek was so respectful of her that he had yet to make a move on her.

It was time for her to let him know she was interested in taking things further. She’d tell him tonight.

Tomorrow, she must find a new place to hide from her brothers and their close friends, the Wolfgang boys. She had no doubts they had accompanied her brothers.

Her family’s mating traditions revolted her. The marriage vows required witnesses. It wasn’t like normal society’s wedding witnesses, who only signed the marriage certificate. In her family’s weddings, the marriage certificate wasn’t signed by the witnesses until after the mating. Just the thought of family and close friends witnessing her mating with the man she cared for made her shudder with revulsion. She didn’t even know if she could mate with someone she loved under those conditions.

She wondered what having sex with Derek would be like. If he made love with her, she would tell her brothers she was already pledged to another and no longer a virgin. That had to be enough to satisfy her brothers and the rest of her family. She hated to disappoint her parents, but she prayed they wouldn’t require more from her. If Derek eventually loved her, she doubted that he would go along with the strange family tradition of the mating ceremony with witnesses, much less what came before the mating ceremony. Shudders shook her at the thought of that.

She wouldn’t tell him about either one of the pack laws unless she needed to. First, she needed for him to make love to her. Afterwards, if her brothers and family friends insisted on a meeting, they’d be able to tell by scent that she was mated. Although the traditional mating ceremony she faced at that point was hard to even think about, she hoped she wouldn’t be forced to mate with Rafe Wolfgang. Rafe was tall, darkly handsome, and built, but arrogant, aggressive as hell, and over-the-top alpha.

Would Derek stand up to them if she needed his help? His care for her would be the proof.

She wouldn’t think about any of that now. Right now, her problem was getting together with Derek tonight without her brothers knowing. She had a pretty good idea they’d been spying on her for a while.

* * * *

Derek glanced at Kelly. Sitting beside him in his Honda Civic, she looked comfortable and at ease, her long, jeans-clad legs stretched out in front of her.

When Derek had left Darlene Lovejoy’s house the other night, he’d noticed the gleaming eyes of several wolves who slinked between the houses.

He’d driven away from the house slowly and kept track of them. All three of the wolves had disappeared into the gully to the north, behind the gated neighborhood. They were too large for normal wolves in this part of the southwest, and he’d had a feeling they belonged to a pack of werewolves that had just moved into Desert Edge.

He had no idea if they were involved with the Hawks. Until he knew who they were and what they were up to, he intended to keep his dates with Kelly private for her safety. She’d suffered enough stress with being kidnapped by the Hawks. For their date tonight, he’d borrowed the keys to Mike’s second home, located at the top of Crazy Cat Mountain.

With the sheer cliffs below the bedrooms on the south side of Mike’s house, and the guards at the gated entrances to Mike’s property and the gated community, Derek figured he and Kelly would enjoy complete privacy.

She’d pulled her silky hair back in a ponytail at her nape. Her light-brown knit top outlined her lush breasts. Sneakers covered her small feet.

“My partner and cousin, Mike, was happy to give us the use of his house. He’s living with his new wife in her home right now. His home is well guarded and private. No one can break in without setting off alarms. Mike’s father had them put in years ago after he had the house built. There’s a fantastic view of the city lights from the main rooms.”

“It sounds great. I’m looking forward to it.” She smiled at him.

“Jared Hunter, the man who lives in the house and takes care of it for Mike, is off tonight. So we’ll have the place to ourselves.” He smiled at her, and she nodded. After parking in the garage and closing the door, he unlocked the door from the garage to the entryway of the house. He motioned for her to enter. Across from the entry, on the other side of the house, floor-to-ceiling windows gave a view of the city and mountains to the west and south.

“Oh, my goodness. How beautiful. What a fantastic view.” She hurried across the room to the windows.

A faint glow of sunlight rimmed the horizon beyond the mountains. Derek couldn’t resist the picture she made outlined against the dusky evening sky. He crossed the expanse of wood flooring and stepped close behind her, cupping his hands around her waist. Her flesh was both firm and giving. She felt incredible. Her hair held a faint scent of honeysuckle.

When she leaned back against him with a soft humming sound in her throat, he lowered his head and kissed the curve where her graceful neck met her shoulder.

“I could eat you up,” he said softly.

“I wouldn’t mind. Go ahead,” she offered.

“Dinner smells delicious, if you’re hungry for food. Mike’s houseman left us a meal in the oven evidently.”

“Can it wait? Or are you hungry now?”

“I’m hungry for you, Kelly. I’ve been dying to taste you since the first time I saw you. But I need to know what you want, because if we start this, I don’t think I can stop with just kisses and touches.”

“I want whatever you want, Derek.” She turned to face him. “Kiss me.”

Her invitation was all he needed. He covered her soft lips with his and devoured her. Her moan of pleasure spurred him on. Her delicate hands curved around his upper arms. His body trembled at her touch. He deepened the kiss, explored every part of her warm mouth, and tangled his tongue with hers. She moved her lips against his as she slipped her fingers up his shoulders to his nape and stroked through his hair and against his scalp. His already hard cock stiffened even more in response.