Wild Lust(40)

“Charlie, we need to talk.”

She choked on the sip she’d just taken. “I wasn’t sure…I mean, I didn’t want to assume that we were together.”

Blane glanced at Reese, who shrugged. “What?”

“Isn’t that what people say to each other when they’re about to break up? The old ‘we need to talk’ speech?” She thought Blane would get her joke, but he only grew more serious.

“No, it’s not that. As far as we’re concerned, this is your home for as long as you want.”

The sincerity in his voice overwhelmed her, and, for a moment, she found it difficult to speak. “But you hardly know me.”

Blane reached over to take her hand. “We know you just like you know us. In your heart where it counts. You’re ours as sure as the sun shines. If that’s what you want.”

She swallowed and tried to keep her tears from falling. “I do. I want you, both of you, more than I can say. But until I know what’s going to happen with Shannon… You can understand that I have to settle that first, can’t you?”

Why did he suddenly glance away? Had she found love only to have it snatched away by her sister’s circumstances?

“We’ll figure it out one way or another.”

For one of the few times she could remember, Reese’s expression was open, even vulnerable.

She yearned to ask them to take her back to bed, to forget about everyone and everything, but sooner or later, reality would come crashing back. “So what did you want to talk about?”

The men exchanged another telling look. “We want to take you to Shannon’s place. You two need to talk.”

She couldn’t breathe at first. At least not until it hit her that the idea couldn’t be Shannon’s. “She told me to go away and never come back, so I know she didn’t put you up to this. Besides, what about the werewolves?”

Reese dropped his fork on his plate and scowled at her. “Get this straight. Nobody puts us up to anything. But we can’t let this go on any longer. Anderson and Daniel have agreed to get Shannon to sit down with you and talk it out.”

“Providing you come unarmed.” Blane reached over and placed his hand on hers. “You’ve got it all wrong. Yes, Shannon’s men are werewolves, and yes, they can change at will. But they’re still men. They’re still the men she’s chosen to make a life with. As far as we can see, you’ve got two choices. Either you give her a chance to show you that her life with them is good or you forget she’s alive and move on.”

“And let her stay with those animals?”

Reese’s laugh came out sounding more like a bark. “They’re animals? Are you for real?” His face crunched into a snarl. “I’ll tell you what an animal is. An animal is a man who kills his neighbor to take his land. An animal is a man who kills for sport and not to fill his stomach. An animal is a man who pollutes his land for the sake of an extra buck. An animal is a man who fucks a woman against her will. Those are the real animals.”

Reese stood up, shoving his chair out from under him. “If you have half the sense I think you have, you’ll get your pretty ass in the pickup. They’re expecting us.”

Charlie stared after Reese as he kicked the back door open and strode outside. Reese’s outburst had alarmed her and thrilled her more than she could say. Instead, she turned to Blane and asked, “Was it something I said?”

At least this time he chuckled at her joke. “Ya think? That’s about the longest speech I’ve ever heard him make.”

He grew serious again. “Anderson and Daniel are our friends. They have been for a long time. We’ve accepted Shannon as their woman just as she’s accepted them. You don’t have to worry about your safety. They won’t hurt you, and we’ll be there with you. So what’s it going to be? Are you going to see your sister? Or are you giving up?”



* * * *



Shannon was even more beautiful than Charlie remembered. She’d always been envious of her sister’s golden hair, her innocent face, and her curvy body, but now she possessed an added quality that Charlie couldn’t define.

“Charlie.”

Charlie bit her lower lip. No how are you or even get the hell away from us. Just a cold, impersonal tone and her name. “Can I come in?”

Shannon’s gaze lifted past her to the four men standing in the front yard, and Charlie followed her gaze. They were obviously trying not to watch the sisters’ interaction and failing miserably. Daniel and Anderson were werewolves, yet they looked and acted like any other men.