“It was nice,” Cash said noncommittally.
Cal knew there was more to it than that, but Cash wasn’t giving anything away. He hurried up the stairs, leaving Cal with a million unanswered questions.
Cal didn’t know how this was going to work. His jealousy was too intense to bear, and he could only assume that his twin was feeling the same. And the fact that it was getting between them wasn’t lost on him. The last thing he wanted was to be at odds with his brother, but he didn’t know what he could possibly do. They couldn’t make River’s choice for her. All they could do was be patient and wait for her to make up her mind.
Cal had eaten lunch in town. He driven through a fast-food restaurant and eaten while he was driving. He couldn’t sit still. The minute he stopped to think, he felt frustrated, so he had to stay on the move. Without knowing how the date had gone for Cash and River, he was at a loss. He didn’t know if he should call her and ask her out on another date or if he should leave her alone.
He grabbed his phone and went out to sit on the front porch. As he was sipping his iced tea, he saw her walk by with Boo. He waved to her from the porch, and she waved back, walking up the front walk to meet him on the lawn.
“Hi, River,” he said, squinting in the afternoon sunlight.
“Hi, Cal. How are you?”
“I’m good. How was your day today?” he asked nonchalantly, trying not to reveal his real feelings.
“It was good. But I’m more confused than ever, I’m afraid.”
“Oh?” he asked, his heart rate increasing. He felt exactly the same way, and he wished there was something they could do to make it all makes sense. “How would you feel about going out with me tonight?”
River sighed, not meeting his eyes. Boo barked at her side. Cal thought for sure that he’d said the wrong thing and he was going to mess it all up.
Finally, she turned back to him. “I’d love that.”
“Really?” he said, his voice catching in his throat.
“I feel like I need to get to know you both better. We have a lot to figure out, and we can’t do that if we avoid the situation.”
“Do you mind if we do something kind of informal?”
“I’d love that,” she said, waving goodbye as she continued her walk down the road.
Cal let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding, and a slow smile crossed his lips. Everything was coming together. After their date, he was sure that she would pick him. He didn’t want to think about what that would mean for him and his brother, and he didn’t have room in his head for that question. But no matter how much he tried to shut it out, it kept rearing its ugly head.
That night, he picked her up at the bunkhouse at seven. He’d been having a hard time staying still, so he’d ordered some takeout from the Chinese restaurant. He and River took the takeout to the local park and watched the kids play on the playground in the fading evening light.
“Do you want kids?” River plucked another piece of sweet-and-sour chicken from the carton.
“I never really thought about it until recently… until I met you. But now, settling down and starting a family seems to be all I can think about.”
Cal wiped his mouth with a napkin, not believing the words that had just slipped from his lips. He and Cash had always been a bit wild and untamed. Neither of them had wanted to join Mate.com until recently. But now that River had come into his life, he wanted to be the man she deserved, the man who was always there for her.
“What about you?” he asked.
“I was never sure that I would want to bring children into this world. Not after what happened to me.”
The fading sunlight was shining pink and orange in her eyes, making her beautiful face glow like an angel’s. All he wanted to do was reach out and hold her and tell her that everything was going to be okay and that not all men were horrible brutes like the hyenas—and her own father—had been. He fell silent for too long, and she turned away as if he’d done the wrong thing.
Then the words spilled from his lips. “If I could go back in time and take out the men who hurt you and your mom, I would. I’d give up everything I have in an instant just to make you safe. But I know I can’t do that. All I can do is try for the rest of my life to make you feel safe and loved and protected.”
“I know. Cash said the same thing.”
At the mention of his brother’s name, his inner wolf reared up and growled. River was his mate. She belonged to him. But he had to make himself calm down. It was her choice. If she wanted his brother, he had to be okay with that.
“No matter what happens, I will always protect you. I give you my word.”
“Thank you, Cal,” she said in a soft voice.
They stood and headed back to the car. The sunlight was fading, and he felt like he needed to move. They got back into the truck and headed toward the ranch. He veered off onto a gravel road that led up into the mountains. The moon was bright overhead as they drove over the bumpy road through the trees. He came to a stop and pulled the cooler out of the back seat.
“There’s a cool view through the forest. I thought we could light a fire and have a few beers as we look at the stars.”
“That sounds awesome,” River said.
They walked through the forest. It was at least a mile to the fire pit that looked out over the valley. They made their way through the tall trees, pine needles breaking underfoot. When they arrived at the fire pit, the moon was full and bright overhead, and the stars twinkled in the heavens. There were plastic chairs already set up.
Cal went about starting a fire as River commented on how beautiful it was in a soft, sweet voice. “I don’t think I could ever get tired of looking at this.”
He got the fire lit, and they sat together in the folding chairs, sipping cold beer and looking up at the moon. He pointed out the constellations, and she seemed impressed that he knew about the stars. But then the clouds rolled in from the east, and raindrops began to fall.
“We’d better head back,” he said, kicking out the fire.
River grabbed the cooler as the rain fell faster. She shrieked, and they began to run through the forest, laughing. She tripped and fell into his arms, dropping the cooler. They were panting and wet as the raindrops fell from the heavens. The flashlight glowed in her eyes as she looked up at him. He captured her mouth with his.
The kiss was so consuming that he couldn’t have stopped it if he’d tried. They kissed each other with the raw intensity of two people who’d hungered for too long. She groaned against his mouth, pressing herself into his body as her hands roamed his chest.
He couldn’t hold back. He walked her back against a tree, drew her shirt up over her breasts, and pulled down her bra. He licked her nipple as she ran her fingers through his hair, groaning and asking him not to stop.
Stopping was the last thing Cal wanted to do. He could smell her desire, wet and heavy on the damp atmosphere. Her nipples were taut in the cool air. He sank to his knees and unzipped her pants. She groaned, her voice primal and thick with her fox.
He pulled down her pants and slid his tongue between her legs, cupping her ass in his hands. The taste of her sent his wolf into a frenzy. He pressed his tongue deeper, hooking her clit and circling the tight bud with his tongue. She groaned, and he could feel her growing close to release. She gripped his shoulders and threw her head back, letting out a throaty howl as she came. The flood of her release washed over his tongue. It was the sweetest nectar he’d ever tasted. She stood, panting, above him, her smell thick.