By the Light of the Moon Read online

  "My office then," Dash suggested, his lips twitching before he pressed them together.

  Cole inclined his head, following Dash behind the counter and into the spacious office behind. Two entire walls were made up of windows that overlooked the resort. Beyond the palm trees and cabanas, sandy beach meant sparkling, turquoise water.

  Instead of taking a seat, Cole remained standing while Dash settled behind the glass desk and leaned back in his chair. "I have to say you're the last person I ever expected to see here."

  "It's a long story."

  Dash idly tapped a pencil against the date book open in front of him. "She's not like us and not supposed to be here. You must know that."

  "Yeah well, she thinks there's a story here, so if you make her leave she's only going to want to stay." The potential repercussions of Harley finding anything aside, he almost enjoyed telling Dash there was nothing he could do.

  Dark eyes narrowed. "She's a journalist?"

  Cole nodded, pretending to be engrossed in an impressionist painting of the ocean from the view of the office.

  "Perfect. Another fucking headache I could have done without." Dash scrubbed his hands over his face.

  Amused at pissing Dash off if nothing else, Cole slid into the chair opposite the desk. "What are you doing here anyway? I didn't think you came down here all that often."

  "There was a problem that needed my attention." He let out a breath. "So what kind of angle is she working?"

  "That's the only upside. Harley doesn't know."

  Leaning forward, Dash frowned. "Run that by me again."

  "Her boss got a call from Reginald someone or other. He said there was a story here, but he didn't show for a meeting with Harley's boss. But he obviously said enough to catch the old man's interest."

  Dash stood up, turned to face the bank of windows overlooking the beach side of the resort. "Well, Reginald is now unhappily abroad. So he shouldn't be a pain in the ass any longer."

  "Is he why you came down here?" Cole relaxed into the chair, half wondering what Harley was doing at this moment. Maybe shimmying into a sexy little two-piece swimsuit.

  "Seems he was getting a little too forceful with the staff. Rumor has it he planned on challenging me when I arrived."

  With Dash being an Alpha, someone had to be incredibly confident or incredibly stupid to even think about challenging him. "Did he?"

  Turning around, Dash grinned. "He'd already left by the time I arrived. Some associates of mine caught up with him yesterday and I believe he's now roaming about Italy somewhere. He knows what will happen if he returns. Reginald's brother still works here, but I'm keeping an eye on him." He crossed his arms, his smile widening. "So how do you fit into all this?"

  Cole opened his mouth.

  "No, wait. You were so preoccupied with getting laid, you didn't bother to find out where you were actually going."

  He let his glare speak for itself. He didn't need the obvious pointed out to him. This whole mess could have been avoided if he'd bothered to get more specific about the exact resort they were going to.

  Dash shrugged. "You wouldn't be the first." He returned to his desk, one golden eyebrow arching in curiosity. "You haven't claimed her, have you?"

  Tensing, Cole leaned forward. "Don't get any ideas."

  "If she's available...." Dash's innocent look grated on his last good nerve.

  "She's damn well not available," Cole snapped.

  "Oh, so you plan to claim her then?"

  Not liking the direction the conversation headed in, Cole stood. "It's none of your damn business."

  "She's very attractive...."

  "And off limits."

  Dash's grin faded. "She doesn't know about you, does she?"

  Cole ignored the comment and strode for the door. "Let's not pretend either one of us gives a shit what the other is doing in their personal lives."

  "What, a guy can't care about his little brother?"

  Stopping, he glanced over his shoulder. "Half-brother. And no." Sure as hell not when Dash hadn't bothered with him after Cole's mother had walked out on all of them years ago.

  "So why haven't you told her?"

  Annoyance gave way to anger. "Stay the fuck out of it, Dash."

  "Fine." Dash stood up. "Keep her distracted and then get her away from here. I'll let the rest of the guests know. There's a general rule about guests not shifting while on the resort grounds, staying only to the jungle while in wolf form, but sometimes things happen. And with there being a full moon tonight, you do realize I'm going to have to compensate everyone. "

  "I'll write you a check."

  Dash nodded. "Good. Now about Harley...."

  Cole spun on his heel and left the room. He stopped by the desk to ask directions to their bungalow, shoving all thoughts of his half-brother out of his head. If he didn't calm down, Harley would have something else to speculate about. The last thing he needed her fixating on was his and Dash's family connection.

  The walk to the bungalow was short, and he found himself pleasantly surprised to find theirs built out over the water. He didn't see Harley in the main room as he scanned the cozy area, taking immediate notice of the king-sized poster bed. The wrought iron frame would be prefect for a little bondage play. Cole's insides quickened at the thought of wrapping Harley's pretty hands together, leaving him free to tease every inch of her until she screamed his name.

  Get a grip man.

  Sliding open the terrace door, he found Harley leaning against the rail, her attention firmly on the turquoise water. Her short skirt hiked up her thighs as she leaned over the edge to look at something in the water.

  He thought about walking up to her and simply slipping his arms around her waist. His cock twitched at the thought of pressing against her first class ass. A quick stab of guilt prodded him in the chest. She'd be pissed to know he had no intentions to let her poke around the resort, at least not without him.

  Cole propped a shoulder against the doorjamb and admired her legs a moment longer. "Nice view, huh?"

  Harley tensed then turned around. Her lips parted in a slow smile, the warm breeze tugging at her hair. Cole wished they weren't here because of the story.

  She pinned him in place with a heated glance that had the animal inside him raking his claws. "Why did you kiss me on the plane?"

  Cole shrugged. He hadn't expected the question and with the memory of how she'd melted into that kiss, the silky brush of her tongue across his, his arousal increased ten fold. If she continued to look at him like that....

  A change of subject was definitely called for. "How do you know this Reginald guy wasn't just looking for his five minutes of fame when he contacted Mac?"

  She waited a beat, just long enough to make Cole think she wasn't finished talking about that kiss. "I thought it was possible, likely even. Until I arrived. I overhead two people, a man and a woman saying Dash Windsor had taken care of Reginald. What do you think that means?"

  Cole could tell her the truth, about Dash sending him off the island, but then she'd only want to know where and how he came by that information. Seeing as how he wasn't ready to tell her or anyone that he and Dash shared the same father, he let it go. It was bad enough the questions were rolling through her mind about Reginald to begin with. He didn't need her asking him questions about his and Dash's nonexistent relationship. "Maybe they just meant fired him. Maybe he screwed up and Dash let him go, and Reginald decided to get back at them with a little negative press. That kind of stuff happens all the time."

  "Maybe," Harley ventured, but Cole could tell by the troubled light in her eye she wasn't convinced. And unfortunately for them, that meant he needed to keep her from digging too deep. She might be ready to put her journalist career behind her to focus on teaching and writing, but he knew when the story bug bit, and Harley was definitely infected.

  "I think I'll take a look around."

  He cursed under his breath and let her get as far as the middle of the
room before he caught up with her.

  * * * *

  Cole's hand clamped around her wrist, drawing her back around. "Hold on a sec."

  His brown eyes flicked over her face, pausing half a second longer than usual on her lips. Just long enough for her heart to pick up speed. Harley drew in a soft breath, all too aware Cole stood much closer than he made a normal habit of, but she couldn't make herself back up.

  He leaned forward, blatant need reflected in his eyes.

  "Nobody's watching," she whispered then wanted to smack herself for interrupting him when he was only inches away from her mouth. But Harley couldn't just fall into some casual kiss-and-touch relationship. She knew it would be too easy to enjoy, too easy to get used to.

  Too easy to be hurt when the charade was over.

  Cole rocked back on his heels. "Right." His hand fell away as he stepped back.

  Determined to find anything in the room to focus on besides the man still too close for any peace of mind, Harley started to unpack. "Maybe we should establish some ground rules."

  "Ground rules," he echoed, following her to the bed where she'd left her suitcase.

  Was that annoyance she detected in his voice?

  "Yeah, I mean we don't want to get... awkward or anything." Anything meaning get too attached to him.

  His lips twitched. "So what did you have in mind?"

  Space. Lots of it. Harley grabbed a stack of folded clothes and moved away from him. "Well, for starters I think we should save the affectionate displays for when we're around other people."

  Cole stayed on her heels, closing the dresser drawer after she slid her clothes inside. He planted a palm on the edge of the wood. "Like the kissing."

  Harley's heart thumped, his sensually charged proximity disturbing her in every way. "Right," she managed.

  He eased closer, his voice softening. "But don't you think we need to look... comfortable with each other?"

  She swallowed past the sudden dryness in her throat. "Why wouldn't we look comfortable?"

  "You froze up on the plane when I kissed you."

  Her chin shot up. "I did not. Besides, you caught me off guard. I wasn't expecting it."

  "But that's the thing, you have to be expecting it. Which is why a little practice might be in order." His arms encircled her, the warmth from his palm burning into her lower back.

  "Practice?"

  His other hand trailed across her waist to her hip, his fingers gently massaging. "You can't be so jumpy around me."

  "I am not jumpy."

  Cole leaned in and scuffed his jaw across her cheek. Harley shuddered.

  "See," Cole whispered against her hair. "Jumpy."

  "That wasn't jumpy, that was...." She broke away as his mouth slid down her neck. Deliciously persuasive lips seared a hot path to her collarbone.

  Catching her chin in his palm, he tipped her head back. "You were saying," he prompted.

  She was? Right. She was about to say....

  Cole kissed her again and her world spun inward. Harley clung to him as his tongue pushed past her lips. She moaned, sinking her fingers into his shoulder. The rich masculine taste of him as he deepened the kiss made her want the two of them naked. Now.

  His arousal brushed her belly, and instinctively Harley rubbed against his cock, dragging a tortured groan from Cole in the process. His hands tightened around her waist before inching upwards. At the edge of her halter-top, his fingers teased her exposed midsection then slid beneath the stretchy fabric. The pad of his thumb skimmed the underside of her breast.

  His mouth caught the shaky moan that rose from her throat. She had never been more turned on and he was doing little more than teasing his thumb across her skin. Harley stretched up on her toes and pressed herself against him. The soft ache between her thighs intensified at the tantalizing contact.

  Cole growled deep in his throat, turning to press her against the dresser. He worked his wicked mouth along the column of her throat, nipping gently before stroking the same places with his tongue. When her body felt ready to burst into flames she grabbed his chin and pulled him back to her mouth.

  Seconds later--maybe minutes--she drew back and rested her forehead against his chest. "See, not jumpy."

  Cole didn't move for a long moment, then he abruptly stepped back. "Glad we've established that. It's hot. I'm gonna take a shower."

  Harley stared slack-jawed as he disappeared into the bathroom. The click of the door shutting snapped her back to reality. How did he do it? How did he kiss her like that, hold her, make her feel so damn hot and achy and then just walk away as if it meant nothing to him?

  On a frustrated exhale, she flopped on the bed. That was because it didn't mean anything to him. He didn't have a thing for her. Although he obviously didn't find her completely unattractive or she doubted he would have agreed to come along, Cole was playing his part. Just like she was supposed to be doing.

  Only she had failed miserably.

  Refusing to mope, Harley waited until she heard the water turn on before she got up. There was no point in waiting here when she could at least take a look around. Outside their bungalow, she followed the short wharf to the beach, then a cobblestone pathway lined on both sides by towering palm trees. After passing the pool, where she glanced longingly at the small waterfall grotto, Harley turned away from the crowd, curiously aware of the pairs of eyes that followed her. She might have chalked the stares up to her more provocative clothes, but it wasn't just men interested in her presence.

  Disconcerted, she followed another path into a denser part of the surrounding jungle, unsure of where it would take her. As long as nobody stared at her, she didn't care. A bird cawed overhead and she tipped her head back to watch the bright colored creature chatter down at her.

  Her foot caught the edge of a stone and she shot forward. Stumbling, Harley managed to catch her balance. She glanced back over shoulder, frowning at the pair of shorts in the middle of walkway. Someone must have dropped them on their way to or from the pool.

  Five steps further up, she spotted a shirt and a... pair of boxers? Harley smiled. Maybe somebody had a few drinks and wanted to get a little closer to nature.

  Raised voices caught her attention, and after a moment she recognized them from the resort's lobby.

  Careful not to give herself away, she inched down the path, staying close to the thick foliage growing at the edge of the path between her and the couple in heated discussion.

  Sensing movement behind her, Harley whipped around.

  The pathway behind her was deserted. Frowning, she glanced back in the direction of the arguing couple who'd suddenly grown silent.

  Harley blinked, disbelieving the sight in front of her even as adrenaline pounded thick and fierce through her system.

  A black and gray wolf blocked her path.

  Chapter Four

  Harley backed up, then and froze as the wolf took a step towards her. Her heart pushed up into her throat, her mind screaming for her to run. Afraid to take her eyes off the large animal, Harley fought back the panic. Should she run? Scream? Curl into a ball and play dead? No, that was what someone did with a bear, wasn't it?

  The wolf curled its lips in a vicious snarl.

  Harley inched backwards.

  "Easy," Cole whispered, coming up behind her. "Don't move." Instead of being relieved to see him, her fear intensified at the thought him getting between her and the wolf.

  He eased her behind him, his body tense, poised for attack. He could not be thinking of doing something stupid.

  "Cole," she warned.

  He didn't respond, his eyes never wavering from the wolf.

  Harley's rapid heartbeat counted off the seconds in triple time.

  Cole took a step towards the wolf, mumbling something Harley couldn't make out. Something about, not her?

  Breath held, Harley waited. The wolf stopped snarling, his bristled fur lowering before it turned and plunged into the foliage.

  Neit
her of them moved for a long moment then Cole finally turned around, his tense expression relaxing. "He's gone."

  Harley could only stare at the spot where the wolf had disappeared. And just how in the hell did a wolf get to Antigua? They certainly couldn't be native to the environment, could they? "Where did it come from?"

  Cole shrugged indifferently. "Maybe he got loose."

  "You think he's somebody's pet?" Harley shivered at the thought of crossing paths with the animal again.

  "Maybe. I'll walk you back to the room. You can change or shower if you want. I'll talk to the staff about it, then we can go to dinner."

  Harley sidestepped him. "You don't find it a bit odd that there is a wolf running loose on the resort?"

  "Not a whole lot surprises me anymore." He started back towards the pool, glancing back over his shoulder. "You coming?"

  "Yeah." Left with little choice, she followed him back to their bungalow, wondering why he wasn't half as concerned as she was about the animal.

  Picking up a lilac colored sundress, she slipped into the bathroom as Cole went to let the staff know about her run in with the wolf. Washing off the sticky humidity made her feel better, but alone her thoughts drifted towards the kiss she and Cole had shared. Next time, even if it meant begging him not to walk away, she would somehow convince him to do all the wicked things she had dreamt about.

  She had just finished drying off when he returned.

  "The owner's," Cole said from the other side of the door.

  Opening the door farther, Harley frowned. "Dash Windsor has a big wolf for a pet?"

  "Apparently. He's back in his pen now." Cole smiled. "You wearing that tonight?"

  She glanced down and realized she had stepped into the room with nothing but the skimpy towel around her. His gaze slid over her, hot and hungry. Heat surged through her middle and pooled in between her thighs. "No."

  He took a step towards her, the interest in his expression enough to put her on edge.

  Abruptly Cole changed directions and flopped down on the bed. "Hurry up then. I'm starved."

  She glared at him. What the hell was a matter with him? He really couldn't keep doing that. One minute he looked like he would devour her on the spot and the next act as if she wasn't even in the room. Harley let the bathroom door slam behind her as she finished getting ready. Some men were just so damn .... The proper term escaped her, maybe because there were too many that fit, she couldn't settle on just one.