Read Blue Moon Online

Authors: Lisa Kessler

Tags: #rock star, #paranormal romance, #Entangled, #shifter, #Select Otherworld, #second chance love, #Paranormal, #werewolves, #latina, #woman in jeopardy, #Lisa Kessler

Blue Moon (9 page)

BOOK: Blue Moon
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As he circled the arena, he noticed me leaning on the railing. He put the reins in one hand and raised the other to wave. “Give me ten minutes.”

“No problem,” I called.

The guy in the center of the ring started walking my way. Shit. I hoped I wasn’t getting Luke in trouble. Maybe he wasn’t supposed to have visitors at the ranch? I’d never met his boss before.

He glanced over his shoulder at Luke and the horse before jogging the rest of the way over. After slipping out the gate and closing it behind him, he walked toward me. Up close, he was tan and rugged, and built with broad shoulders and narrow hips.

I forced my gaze back on to Luke. His blue eyes met mine as he rode past, but he smiled, so I relaxed a little. He must not be in hot water with his boss.

“I’m Adam.”

I turned, and he held out his hand. I shook it, trying not to feel small compared to him. “I’m Vivi.”

“Nice to meet you.” He nodded toward
the arena. “Luke’s never invited a girl out to the ranch before.”

I chuckled. Luke and I were both in the age group when many of our friends were starting to get engaged or married, and most people who were older than us were eager to hook us up.

“Luke and I have been friends since elementary school.” I met his eyes. “Just
friends
.” I emphasized the last word.

Adam nodded. “Ah well. Luke’s a great guy. I’m sure he’ll find his perfect mate eventually.”

Mate. There was that word again. Did Adam know about werewolves? That Luke and Logan were werewolves? It sounded nuts. Couldn’t be true. But until I verified it with Luke, I was struggling to wrap my head around the insanity.

“He will. He’s got plenty of time.”

Adam watched Luke on the horse. “Yeah.” He glanced my way with a smile that could make a girl’s knees weak. “You here to ride?”

“A horse?” My eyes were probably saucer-sized. I shook my head, trying to regain my cool. “No. I need some friendly advice, and he told me to come by. I hope that’s not a problem. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

He pushed off of the rail, straightening to his full height. “No problem. Bruce was our last one to work today.”

“The horse’s name is Bruce?”

He chuckled. “If you want to get technical, his registered name is Calisto’s Dark Night, but we call him Bruce. Like Bruce Wayne…”

“Batman. I get it.” I smiled. “How long have you had the stable?”

“Just over ten years now.”

Luke stopped at the railing in front of us. “Hey, Adam. Happy with Bruce? Can I cool him out?”

“Yeah.” Adam nodded. “In fact, hop off. I’ll do it.” He glanced at me. “You can help your friend.”

Adam went into the ring while Luke kicked his leg over and dropped to the ground. Adam got in the saddle and smiled down at us. “Nice meeting you, Vivi.”

He clucked at Bruce and loosened the reins. The horse walked off, head hung low, moseying into the distance.

“Sorry. I didn’t realize you’d be here so soon.”

I looked up at Luke. He was a mirror image of Logan, but with shorter hair and a deeper tan. “When you said I could talk to you, I jumped in the car.”

He frowned. “Is something wrong?”

I started to shake my head no, then almost nodded, and finally I just shrugged. “Logan told me something crazy last night. I know it’s not true, but he seemed serious. I just…” I met his eyes, my voice wavering. “He said he’s a werewolf.”

Luke raised a brow. “He told you that?”

I rolled my eyes groaning. “Oh God.” My hands waved around in time with my frustration. “How could I have seriously been considering it? I feel like a total idiot now.”

Luke grabbed my hand, his gaze pinning me where I stood. “You’re not an idiot.”

“But werewolves?”

He didn’t smile, or laugh at me. He only nodded.

My eyes narrowed. “No way.” I shook my head in denial. “No. It’s true?”

He nodded again.

“This can’t be happening.”

He tugged my hand, walking me toward the barn. “What else did he tell you?”

My mind spun at a dizzying speed. “Something about mates, and full moons…” I looked up at him again. “That’s why you and Logan were always so good at sports.”

“That’s why we gave up playing sports in high school. We were pissed that we had to hide our abilities, but keeping the Pack a secret trumps everything else. Logan channeled the anger into his music. I got in fistfights.”

“I remember.”

He kicked at the dirt. “You know you can’t tell anyone, right?”

“Who would believe me?”

He sighed. “There are some people out there who would.”

“Who?”

But Luke had already headed down the barn aisle.

Chapter Eleven

Logan

I strummed my guitar on the back porch, alternating between playing and making lyric and chord notes on my notepad. Ever since I’d left Anna last night, my nerves had been shot.

And tonight was the new moon. The jaguar shifters would be hunting as giant black cats. Our Pack now included two jaguars. Five years ago I would have bet my life that we’d never welcome the silent killers into our Wolf Pack, but Lana won all of us over, and Sasha was now one of our strongest Pack defenders.

As my Pack brothers found their mates, the women made us even stronger as a whole. Diversity was definitely helping us.

But now Damian Severino walked in our territory, and we were betting he’d be shifting tonight, too. Our Pack kept Reno and Lake Tahoe under our watch, our protection, but Damian had slipped in through a real estate broker, who had had no idea she made a deal with a jaguar assassin.

Jaguar shifters were strong like us, but while my strongest senses were hearing and smell, a jaguar could see better in that dark. They were also silent loners. Adam could guide a Pack of wolves as our Alpha, but Jaguars didn’t run in Packs, and they didn’t answer to anyone but themselves.

Even Lana and Sasha didn’t completely trust the panther inside. Their mates would be tracking them to keep them away from humans tonight.

But Damian Severino was a loose cannon, a dangerous trained assassin who could expose us all.

I should’ve been cleaning my pistol and getting prepared for the long night of hunting that lay ahead, instead of writing a new song.

But I couldn’t stop thinking about Anna, about how I’d fucked up and then never made amends. Her friend gave me something to think about. I’d never even sent a birthday card or left a voicemail.

Why hadn’t I?

I guess I already knew. If I had spoken to her, my mate, I would’ve needed to touch her, protect her, love her. Hell, I never stopped loving her. Maybe I was afraid she really
was
better off without me.

My cell phone buzzed, a welcome interruption from painful memories.

Vivi came to the barn asking about werewolves.

I stared at Luke’s text. It was real. I told a human I was a werewolf.

Last night, I called my brother to tell him that Anna knew the truth. He’d been encouraging, but I was still struggling. After I’d dropped her off, I figured she’d go to him. She was a journalist. She’d want to verify my story, but this wasn’t something she could corroborate with just anyone.

With a sigh, I grabbed my phone and started typing.

How is she?

Anna hadn’t called or texted me. Would she run now that she knew I wasn’t human? Giving her space should’ve come easy—God knew I’d managed it for a few years—but my control was shattered the second we touched again.

And this hunger to be near her was eating me alive.

She’s still processing it, but she seems okay. Left the ranch a half hour ago.

I wanted to grill him with questions. What did she ask? Did she say this was too much? Does she still hate me?

Instead, I sent,
Thanks, Bro.

I picked up my guitar again, eager to lose myself in the music. Two chords in, my phone rang. Her name lit up the screen. My chest clenched as I put the phone to my ear with no idea what to expect.

“Hey, Anna.”

“I talked to Luke.”

I stared outside. The sunshine didn’t reflect the storm of emotions inside me. “Yeah, he told me.” I took a breath. “Are you all right?”

She groaned. “Not really.”

“Sorry. Dumb question.”

Silence.

I cleared my throat. “I’m home now if you want to come by and talk.”

“Good.”

My doorbell rang. I held out my phone and glanced over my shoulder. “Are you already here?”

Apparently, I’d been too distracted to notice a car had pulled up. I needed to get my shit together before it got dark. Rattled, I got up to get the door, but the moment I caught her scent a smile curved on my lips.

“Yeah. I drove here and then realized I didn’t know if you were home…or alone.”

I opened the door, jammed my phone in my pocket, and took her in my arms. The moment my lips met hers, my pulse hit overdrive. I kicked the door closed and pressed her back against it. Her hands moved up my chest and around my neck as our tongues tasted and explored.

Gradually she backed off, her lips caressing mine over and over, and finally I rested my forehead against hers. I didn’t recognize the raspy whisper that escaped my throat. “I was scared you’d run.”

She stared up at me, into my soul. “I was scared I’d find you half naked with a groupie.”

I chuckled and shook my head. “There’s only one woman on earth I’ve been fantasizing about naked, and she doesn’t even listen to my music.”

Her full lips curved into a sexy smile. “I might have lied about that.”

“Your friend told me you played ‘Madness in the Moonlight’ every October second.”

“Madison outted me?” She rolled her eyes. “I used to imagine you wrote that song for me.”

“I did.”

She sobered and pulled away a little. “If that was how you felt, why didn’t you ever find me?”

Million-dollar question. I took a step away, pulling my hair back from my forehead. “At first I didn’t think I had anything to offer you. No money, no house, no future. You were getting awards for your articles in the college paper, and I thought once I had carved out a life, I’d try to make things right between us.”

I couldn’t read her expression.

“But by the time we were actually making money and I bought this place, years had slipped by. I thought it was too late.”

She crossed her arms, that inner fire lighting her dark eyes again. “You were afraid I’d turn you down.”

“Maybe.” I opened my mouth to go on, but the honest words that came out shocked me. “I was terrified you’d be married. My decision to walk away that day meant
I’d
never love anyone else. It was easier for me not to know if you did. If you moved on, I didn’t want to know.”

“And you believe in this mate thing about only loving one woman?” She kept her distance, her tone tentative.

I nodded. “Completely.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I’d rather not say.” I rubbed my chin. “I don’t want to blow a second chance before I even get one.”

She raised a brow, but the corner of her mouth twitched, holding back a smile. “If we agree to try again—still a big
if
—you have to be completely honest with me.”

I held my hands out. “I’ve got nothing else to hide.”

“We can’t pick up where we left off.” She walked past me to sit on the sofa. “We’d need to start over. Fresh.”

I followed her and sat down. “Good plan, but if we date, you’ve probably noticed that people will bug the shit out of us. Are you prepared for that kind of publicity?”

“You’re the reclusive rock star, not me.”

“Only because I have a Pack I have to protect.”

“I have a million questions…” She took my hand. “But first, I need to tell you something.”

“Okay.”

Her gaze drifted down to our hands. “Even if this doesn’t work out, your secret, your family…you don’t have to be scared.” She glanced up at me from under her lashes. “I’ll protect you. Always.”

Emotions I couldn’t define flooded my senses. I loved her before, but this secret had been a barrier between us—my true self that I could never share with her.

“I don’t deserve you, Anna, and I don’t know how yet, but I
am
going to make things right.”

She rested her head on my shoulder, and I wrapped her in my arms. Her scent intoxicated me as I mussed her hair with my chin.

Her head tilted back, and her soft lips caressed my neck. I closed my eyes, embracing the rush of desire she kindled inside me. Her breath teased my ear as she whispered, “I better go before I break my own rule about starting over.”

I caught her hand, sliding it lower with a chuckle. “You’re going to kill me.”

She moved even farther down, running her fingers along the bulge in my jeans as she looked up at me. The sexy smile she saved for me alone warmed her lips. “You think this is easy for me?”

“I’ve never been one for rules.” I squeezed her thigh.

“I remember.” Her fingers splayed wide, exploring my chest. The scent of her arousal hit my nostrils, and my wolf clawed his way forward, desperate to claim our mate.

Gripping her hips, I lifted her onto my lap in less than a second. The sight of her straddling me had me rock hard and throbbing. “So be a rebel with me.”

Hesitation flashed in her eyes. I wanted to erase that hurt. I wanted new memories. And I wanted her trust. “I won’t walk away this time. Never again.”

She crushed her mouth to mine, our tongues tangling, urgent and hungry, as I clutched her to my chest. Her hips rocked against me. I growled into the kiss. Our clothes needed to go. I gripped her ass and stood up, taking her with me. She hooked her legs behind my back, her teeth brushing my lower lip. I freed one hand and wiped all the benign shit off my dining room table so I could lay her back on it.

Her smile warmed me all over as I tugged my shirt over my head. I fed on her lips again as I slid my hands under her tank top. Her warm, soft skin had me aching to touch every inch of her body, to make her mine again.

She lifted her head, and I pulled back just enough to slide her shirt off and toss it aside. I made quick work of her bra, and it flew in the direction of her shirt. When my chest pressed against hers, skin to skin, she moaned, and I almost lost the last thread of control I had left. The wolf’s instinct, combined with my love and the loneliness I’d endured for years, turned into an all-encompassing yearning. Need didn’t begin to describe this ache.

I kissed my way down her neck while I unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans. As much as I wanted her pants gone, her breasts could not be ignored. I teased her nipple with my tongue, groaning as her back arched into me. Cupping her other breast, I circled the taut peak with my rough fingertip.

She gasped my name, her hands sliding into my hair, and I was hard enough to cut diamonds. I sucked gently one last time and stood over her. “You’re even more beautiful.”

I knelt down to pull off her shoes and socks before I tugged her jeans free. She was laid out naked on my table, and I was famished. I brushed my lips to the inside of her knee, my eyes on hers. We never closed our eyes. I’d forgotten. When we were younger, we shared everything, every kiss, every pulse of pleasure, and now, there were no secrets. No barriers.

Her lips parted, her breathing shallow as I moved up her inner thigh. I lifted her other leg over my shoulder. Watching her face, I ran my finger along her opening. The passion in her eyes undid me.

“It’s been way too long.”

She nodded, wetting her lips, and I lowered myself again. I groaned the second I tasted her. Mine. Her hips writhed against me as I teased her with my tongue. She tightened her grip in my hair, and pleasure played openly on her face for me to witness. I slid two fingers inside of her, her muscles clenching around me.

“Yes.” I growled into her. “Come for me, Anna.”

Her entire body trembled as she cried out my name. I needed her. Now.

As I stood, her scent intoxicated me. My gaze stayed locked on hers, and I took my pants off. Moving between her legs, I’d almost pushed forward when she gasped, “Condom.”

Fuck. Did I have any?

“Shit. Just a second.”

I went to my bedroom. Not as fast as I would have liked, but considering the rock hard erection leading the way, I did the best I could.

Nightstand drawer. Nothing. I slammed it shut. Bathroom cabinet. I knocked out shaving cream and toothpaste. Nothing. Shit.

I turned around to find Anna sitting on the edge of my bed, naked. Hunger, lust, passion, love, they all collided inside of me as I rushed to pull her into my arms. She clung to me, returning my desperate kisses, her hands sliding down my back until she gripped my ass, holding me even tighter.

“I don’t have any condoms,” I whispered against her mouth. My erection pulsed between us, aching to slide into her warm body. “But…” My fist tightened in her hair. “I can’t get you pregnant.”

“No, you can’t.” Her lips curved into a sexy smile as she rested her forehead to mine. “I’m on the pill.”

BOOK: Blue Moon
7.47Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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