Fire in the Smokies (Durham Wolves) (8 page)

“Gotta run. I’ll see you tomorrow. Get some sleep. Long day expected.” The captain stepped back around his car, his radio up to his mouth. He was already barking instructions before he pulled away.

“How many people know about you?” Brianna questioned as the three climbed into the cruiser.

“Very few.” Jaxon ducked into the back seat next to Brianna. “Don’t worry. James will come up with an explanation for your boss. He always does.”

Hardin glanced at them both in the rearview mirror as he started the engine. “Sure. Leave it to the human…again. Why do I always have to do the dirty work?” The sheriff shook his head, but he was grinning. Obviously, this wasn’t the first time he’d concocted some sort of story to keep the wolves’ existence a secret.

“Where to?” Hardin turned the cruiser around and got back on the main road.

“My place.” Jaxon didn’t even glance at her as he controlled her next destination. Was he always this domineering?

Brianna didn’t have the strength to argue with him. Now that she sat down on the leather seat, her muscles relaxed and she was grateful for the rest of the day off. Besides, she wouldn’t admit it out loud, but the idea of going to Jaxon’s cabin didn’t exactly turn her off.

Jaxon squeezed her hand. Of course. The man was reading her thoughts.
“It’s going to be fine. You’ll see. You’ll love my family and I have a nice big tub you can soak in, a hot meal to eat and a king-sized bed to…sleep in—or whatever else your heart desires.”

The sooner she learned to control her ability to selectively project her thoughts, the better.

Keeton McKinney watched the scene unfolding from a great distance. His vision was excellent, but when he added high-power binoculars, he could practically read lips.

He smiled. “Perfect.” He spoke to the forest at large. No one was around to hear him.

When he’d returned to the Smokies last week, his intentions had been clear—kill the wolves and take back his mountain range. The fucking wolves had been in his territory for over ten years and frankly they were on his last nerve. Especially after their antics in the spring when they’d stolen the woman he’d intended to own right out from under him.

He’d licked his wounds and returned now with a vengeance.

The fire hadn’t been in the bargain, but Mother Nature had a mind of her own even Keeton couldn’t control. Lucky for him, circumstances had drawn the wolves out to play. Damsel in distress always did it. And, as it turned out, the fire was the perfect distraction. The wolves were so concerned with the flames, they weren’t paying any attention to Keeton.

Of course, even with his binoculars, Keeton hadn’t realized the trapped firefighter had been a woman. Bonus.

He smirked as he watched the female get into the patrol car alongside the wolf.
Well, well, well… What have we here? Could it be the little wolf is interested in the blond he just rescued?
These wolves sure had a propensity for falling for the damsels they saved.

This twist could come in handy. The women these wolves fell for tended to be excellent bargaining chips when necessary.

The police cruiser drove away, leaving Keeton with his thoughts. Fire wasn’t his thing. He abhorred the substance. But if that female could help keep the wolves out of the house and separated, he’d take the good with the bad.

It was only a matter of time…

Chapter Six

Brianna’s jaw dropped as they pulled up to Jaxon’s
cabin
. “Jax?”

He turned to face her and squeezed her hand. “Yes?”

She didn’t look his way, but she sensed him grinning next to her from his tone. “This is not what I would call a cabin.”

“Well, it’s home to us. Cabin. House. Whatever.”

“It’s so…big.” The cruiser pulled to a stop and Brianna dipped her head to get a better view out the window. A sprawling ranch-style home sat tucked away in the mountains. Sure, it was made of logs, but the resemblance to a cabin stopped there. Cabins were tiny structures with one room where a person might go away for the weekend to get a rustic vacation.

Suddenly she understood better how so many people could live here together.

“Come on. I’ll show you around.” Jaxon opened his door and tugged her toward him.

Brianna followed, awestruck by the surroundings. With no neighbors and only trees and animals for company, this elegant home was truly secluded.

Sheriff Hardin twisted around in the front seat and tipped his hat at them. “I hate to run, but I’ve got to get back to the station.”

“No problem. We’ll talk later.” Jaxon patted the hood of the car with one hand as Hardin drove away.

Jaxon didn’t release Brianna’s hand. His thumb grazed repeatedly over her palm, distracting her from everything around her. She had to yank her hand free so she could take it all in.

To the left of the main house was the barn. “Thoroughbreds you say?” She took a few steps in that direction. “I don’t know a thing about horses.” She could see a few of them in the corral outside the barn. Gorgeous majestic beings. She was drawn in that direction and ambled toward the fence.

Jaxon followed her. She could sense his presence right behind her even without glancing back. It made her shudder. What if there was more to his story than she currently believed? They did most assuredly seem to have a connection beyond just telepathy she couldn’t deny.

When Brianna reached the fence, she leaned against it, folding her arms over the top and resting her chin on her hands. Even the fence was perfect for the scene. Natural wood rungs nestled together to blend with the environment.

Jaxon laid a hand on her back. “They are beautiful, aren’t they? I guess I don’t stop and admire them often enough. I’m glad you like the farm.”

“I didn’t—”
Right. I didn’t need to say how I felt, you read my mind
.

Jaxon set his chin on her shoulder and kissed her neck. His breath on her ear made her melt beneath his gentleness.

“My brothers are coming out of the barn to meet you. Then we’ll go inside and you can meet Juliana.”

Two figures emerged from the barn at that moment.

“This telepathy thing is weird.” Brianna turned toward the man who insisted he was her mate. “I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to it.”

“You will, baby.” His words caressed her in sync with his hand running up her spine. “Juliana said the same thing and she’s doing fantastic now.”

“That’s Sergius’s wife, you said?”

“Yep.” Jaxon nodded toward his approaching brothers and tugged on Brianna’s hand. “Come on.”

The men coming toward her looked amazingly similar to Jaxon. There was no doubt they were brothers. They could have been triplets.
Dark hair and penetrating brown eyes must run in the family.
Even their strides were similar.

“Ma’am.” The one on the left tipped his hat. “I’m Sergius.” He reached out a hand and shook hers.

Brianna smiled at him. Before she could speak, the other brother took her hand from Sergius. “Micah. Welcome.”

Jaxon pulled her hand from Micah and swatted at his brother. “That’s enough. Give her some space.” He pulled Brianna in front of him and wrapped his arms around her middle.

She grinned internally at his possessive streak. It felt so…safe.

Micah stepped back. “Like the space
you’re
giving her?” He laughed.

“No, like the space you’d want me to give your mate, hotshot.” Jaxon squeezed her tighter, if that was possible.

She glanced down at his hands against her stomach. God, she was still in full fire gear. And she had no doubt there was soot still lingering on her face. “I’m a mess. Do you have a shower somewhere in that
cabin
of yours? Perhaps if I could clean up a bit, I might be recognizable.” She twisted her neck and smiled up at Jaxon.

“I think we can at least muster up some cold water and a metal trough,” he rattled in a mock backwoods accent.

“Ha ha. Unfortunately, even
that
sounds divine right now. Water of any sort would do wonders.”

Sergius laid a hand on Jaxon’s shoulder. “Take her inside, man. We’ll talk later.”

Brianna let Jaxon lead her toward the house, his grip tight on her hand. Every time he touched her, she could feel it all the way to her soul. Electricity flowed from him into her, warming her and heightening every sense.

When they reached the house, Jaxon bowed dramatically low as he opened the front door. “After you, ma’am.”

The inside was not what she expected. Modern, and yet maintaining a rustic look. She could tell a woman lived there. The place was immaculate.

“Hey, now. Juliana is a wonderful gal and she works hard around here, but we did okay for ourselves before she met Serg. We aren’t slobs.” His jest made her smile.

“Jax?” She looked pointedly at him.

“Yes?”

“Stop rummaging around in my head.”

“I can’t help it. You’re so wide open.”

Just then the woman who had to be Juliana appeared. “You must be Brianna.” She smiled as she grasped Brianna for a quick hug, soot and all. “I’m so glad you’re here. The potent male overload was getting on my nerves,” she teased.

Juliana was stunning. Thick, soft, red curls made a halo around her face and hung halfway down her back. Clear green eyes gave Brianna the most genuine welcome. Even in jeans and a simple long-sleeved shirt, the woman made Brianna feel inadequate.

“Thank you,” Brianna muttered. She had no idea what to say.

Juliana turned to Jaxon. “Why don’t you show her to your wing? I’m sure she’d love a bath and a change of clothes.”

Clothes. Shit. Brianna had nothing with her. Why hadn’t they stopped to pick up some things before heading out here?

Juliana was sharp. “Can I lend you something to wear? You must have come straight from the fire.” She glanced up and down, making Brianna feel a bit self-conscious. “I bet we’re almost the same size. I’ll find something for you.”

“Thanks.” The woman was incredibly kind. It was impossible not to like her. “I’d appreciate it.”

“Come on. I’ll show you my rooms and let you get cleaned up.” Jaxon tugged her arm again. He did that habitually. Brianna felt a bit like a rag doll, allowing him to yank her around from place to place. However, it wasn’t at all unpleasant.

Her entire life was structured around fighting to stay tough in a man’s world. Every day she struggled to stay stoic and firm. It was the only way she could be taken seriously in her line of work. The idea of having someone take control for a while made her feel desirable, sexy, who was she kidding…horny.

“Relax, baby.” Jaxon took both her hands and led her down the hall backward. “Just be yourself. Everyone will love you.”

When they reached the end of the hall, Jaxon pushed a door open and backed into the room. “Here we are.” He stood back and let her enter. “Sorry, it’s a bit messy. I wasn’t expecting to bring home a mate when I left the house this morning.” He chuckled.

Brianna glanced around the room. Although, honestly, the word “room” was a bit too diminutive for the space. It was more like a suite.

Jaxon shut the door with a snick. “Whatever you don’t like, we’ll change. I don’t have much of a sense for style.”

The bedroom was bigger than her apartment. Brianna wandered in farther. A king-sized bed sat against one wall, the blankets strewn on it haphazardly. Jaxon rushed past her to straighten the sheets and make the bed.

To the right was a sitting area with a beige couch and a flat-screen TV. Surrounding the television was an entertainment center that bulged with CDs and DVDs.

“I like my music.” Jaxon shrugged as he wandered back toward her.

The carpet was a thick luxurious tan, a shade deeper than the sofa and the comforter on the bed. The walls were also painted a deep brown. The room was warm and inviting, like the rest of the house.

“Did you decorate yourself?” Brianna couldn’t imagine any man having the fashion sense to pull this together.

He shook his head. “’Fraid not. I love it, but I can’t take the credit. I hired a decorator when we first moved in. Haven’t changed much since then.” He took her hand again. “Interested in the bathroom?” He raised an eyebrow as he spoke.

“If you don’t mind.”

“Mind? A gorgeous naked woman in my bathroom, luxuriating in my deep Jacuzzi tub? Why would I mind?” Jaxon turned toward a door on the left and pushed it wider, exposing the largest bathroom Brianna had ever seen.

“Did you say Jacuzzi? You have one of those in your bathroom?” She followed him, lured by the promise of steaming hot water.

“I did.”

She nearly gasped when she entered. Sure enough, the bathroom boasted a tub big enough for two people in the middle of the room, half sunken into the floor. While she gawked, Jaxon fiddled with the knobs, sticking his hands under the water until he got the temperature just right.

As the tub filled, Jaxon turned to Brianna. With his gaze plastered to hers, he tugged on the sleeves of her jacket until he had the yellow coat removed.

Brianna stood frozen, as though she weren’t capable of undressing herself. Something about the way Jaxon moved around her was so damn sexy, she couldn’t bring herself to stop him. Like a ritual mating dance of some sort, he pulled her boots and outer pants off, lifting her feet one at a time. He then proceeded to remove all her thermal wear.