“Yeah, Duncan. It’ll be fun.” He grinned wide.
Duncan had no choice but to watch her wade into the water. He stuck his thumbs into his jeans pockets and wondered just how fast it would all go wrong. Lance had a scheme in mind. That much was for certain.
Lance got her in front of him then wrapped his arms around her. Duncan bristled, knowing Lance didn’t have to get that close to her to teach her. The werebear sure hadn’t wrapped his arms around his cousin.
Lance spoke to her, instructing her how far to bend over, how to hold her hands, and what to watch for in the water. Her round buttocks pushed against Lance’s crotch and Duncan had to grit his teeth at the agony that move caused him. Christy, however, was too involved in trying to learn to notice the eat-your-heart-out grins Lance shot at Duncan.
All at once, Lance told her to “go for it.” Christy thrust her body forward, arms outstretched.
“I’ve got it. I’ve— Oh!”
She fell forward, face-first into the water.
“Shit!” Lance, still on his feet, jerked her upward. Keeping hold of her under her arms, he lifted her up and carried her back to the shore.
“Damn it, Lance. You knew she couldn’t learn that.” Duncan bit back curses. He couldn’t blame his cousin for trying. He was just mad that he hadn’t thought of something else to entertain her. The fact that it had backfired wasn’t Lance’s fault. Or was it?
If anything could make her look sexier, it was wet clothes sticking to her hot, curvy body. Water dripped off her soaked clothes and dropped to the ground. She pushed the wet hair away from her face, then shook her head, flinging water off her hair. “I guess I didn’t do that right.”
She was a good sport as well as a girl with a sense of humor. That was good since she’d need both to spend a lifetime with them.
Duncan fought back a smile. “Ya think?”
She laughed, then squeezed the end of her shirt and let the water drip. “But now I’m soaked.”
“Yeah, you are. I think you’d better get out of those wet clothes.”
“Oh, do you? Really?” She’d tried to act all haughty, but the tips of her mouth tilting upward spoiled that ruse.
“Yeah. We wouldn’t want you to catch a cold.” What else could he do but play along?
“He’s right.” Lance stood in front of her. “We wouldn’t want anything to happen to you. At least, nothing you don’t want to happen.”
The meaning behind his words was all too evident. Duncan drew near her, coming to her side.
The three of them stood, silent, letting their eyes, their body language, their connection say all that was needed.
When Lance brushed her wet hair aside and pressed his lips to the curve of her neck, Duncan knew his chances to resist her were gone. He pushed the hair on the other side of her neck away and put his mouth to her soft skin. She moaned, and keeping one hand on Lance’s shoulder, clutched Duncan’s shirt.
His hands couldn’t stop moving. They roamed down her arm, caressing the side swell of her breast, then on to find the luscious curve of her buttocks. He flicked his tongue over her skin, drinking in the water that beaded there, then nibbled, letting her know what he had planned for her hot spot between her legs.
Lance eased to her other side, giving him more room, and together, they each cupped a breast. Part of him, the part that was surprised that she wasn’t resisting, rejoiced. He lingered there, his thumb rubbing against the wet material outlining her hard nipple.
In what was nothing short of a feat of Herculean power to turn her loose, Lance stepped back, tossed his hat to the ground, and unbuttoned his shirt while Duncan continued to explore her. He could feel the race of her heartbeat under his palm and could smell the rush of pheromones her body released. Hot enough already from the warm day, the air around them grew steamy until he felt cocooned in a swirl of lust.
He felt her body tense, heard her inhale, and followed her gaze to Lance who stood watching them. His cousin’s body trembled, whether from his need for her or his attempt to keep his wolf subdued, Duncan didn’t know. As long as Lance didn’t shift, they’d be all right.
He’d heard about the connection and had talked to several males about what it felt like, how he could recognize it once it came, but none of that had prepared him for the riotous onslaught of emotions tearing him up from the inside out. Perhaps the amber moon phase made it more intense, perhaps not. But what did it matter?
They’d found their mate and they were determined to claim her.
Even if it meant burning their connection out and ruining the rest of their lives.
He prayed that Fate wouldn’t be that cruel.