Hers to Take(6)

Kira was just about to go inside the camp office when a green truck pulling into the staff parking lot stopped her. Nash.

She waited and watched while he hopped out of the cab, grabbed a duffel bag from the box of his truck and headed toward the south cabin.

Her cabin.

Oh hell no.

Of course, if Nash was the new resident handyman, he'd need a place to stay and although the thought had crossed her mind, she certainly hadn't considered the fact that he'd take the spare room in the south cabin, where she stayed. Employee lodging was co-ed, and generally the rooms were assigned based on availability. Surely there must be another vacant room in one of the other cabins?




 

 

Kira's entire body stiffened, and she did her best to ignore the surge of desire that had shot through her at the idea of only a thin wall separating Nash's bed from hers. No. She could not allow herself to feel anything for him. He was a wolf, for goodness' sake.

An incredibly hot wolf, the little voice in her head chimed in.

As if he sensed her, Nash chose that moment to turn and see Kira watching him.

Even from a distance, she could see the flash of his teeth as he grinned at her, the heat in his eyes. No. She turned away and slammed the office door against the wall as she opened it and went inside. She had a phone call to make. Because there was no way she could have Nash in such close proximity.



Nash knew he should probably back off when it came to Kira. Especially considering she'd turned out to be his boss. Sort of. Either way, she was the manager of the campground, and even if he didn't report directly to her, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to piss her off.

But even though he knew logically he shouldn't push her so hard, he couldn't stop himself. From the moment he'd laid eyes on those curves and thick, juicy lips, he knew he wouldn't rest until he'd had a taste of her. At the very least.

The moment he'd opened the door and hopped out of the truck, he'd sensed her. There was no mistaking her scent. She was delicious. Her animal was faint, but it was there. As if she'd been denying or neglecting it. He knew she stood there watching him, because even if she tried to pretend it didn't exist, there was no mistaking the scent of desire. Kira was definitely not going to come to it easily, and that would be half the fun, but she wanted him just as bad as he wanted her. They both felt it. Of that, Nash had no doubt.

Finally, he turned and grinned at her. Just as he expected, she turned and walked inside. He let her go. For now.

She would be a challenge, that was for sure. But if there was one thing Nash liked, it was a challenge. Especially one in the form of a feisty she-bear. He'd never been with a bear. Hell, he'd never even considered it. In his pack, the focus was on breeding and expanding the population.

When wolves had been reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995, it had been controversial among the shifter community. Not everyone thought it was a good idea. Packs were divided and families split. Nash's family was pro-reintroduction and as a pack, they'd made it a priority to make the program successful. Which, for Nash and his brother meant mating and breeding with other wolves to further the population. No exceptions. If it wasn't a priority to find a suitable mate, there was no room in the pack for you.

It's not that Nash was against mating with another wolf. Not at all. He just didn't think it should be forced upon him. His brother, the alpha, disagreed. When Nash refused to accept the female Nolan had chosen for him, he'd been cast out. Not that those were the exact words Nolan used. 

"Take some time, Nash," he said. "Get it out of your system, whatever it is. And when you're ready, come home, take a mate and do the right thing."

The right thing. Whatever that was.

And that was the problem. Nash and Nolan had very different opinions on what exactly that was.

Nash walked into the cabin he'd been assigned and pushed thoughts of Nolan to the back of his mind. He was going to take the summer off, just the way his brother had suggested, and maybe when the seasons changed again, he might feel differently about his future. It was doubtful, but for his family, his pack, he'd give it a shot. Nash wasn't ready to completely close the door on his family. He knew what his decisions would mean for his future as well as his pack. And he still wasn't sure he was ready to turn his back on everything he'd ever known.

"Hey. You must be Nash."

A woman appeared in what looked to be the direction of the kitchen and smiled at him. She was petite, with deep-brown eyes and creamy dark skin that reminded Nash of a rich cup of hot chocolate.

"I am." He smiled at the beauty and offered his hand. "And you are?"

"Sasha. I work in the office. Welcome to Riverside."

"Thank you, Sasha." He dropped his bag at his feet and leaned against the wall next to her. She smelled floral and feminine. And human. Very different from Kira's earthy fresh scent. "It's good to be here. I'm looking forward to settling in. Do you happen to know which room is mine?"