Beneath a Spring Moon (Those Sexy Shifters, Book 1) Read online

  “Please.”

  This time Aaron controlled the kiss, angling his head and deepening the intensity until he licked the seam of her lips. Tessa shivered and opened her mouth to him. She gripped his biceps with both hands as he entered her mouth and explored. Her tongue danced with his, tasting the mixture of chocolate cake and coffee he’d eaten for dessert.

  They remained locked together. She clutched him tight, and eventually she became aware of his hips pressing into her, his erection resting against her belly.

  Part of her brain leaped to attention. A low moan escaped her lips. God—that was me. Her eyes flew wide, and she found Aaron looking at her with an intensity she’d never known. He broke the kiss, licked his lips, and smiled at her. “Sleep well. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Stuffing his hands in his pockets, the man sauntered toward his truck without looking back.

  Chapter 4

  Aaron awoke early the next morning, long before the sun. Awoke was actually a strong word—he had never been asleep to begin with.

  The sooner he got through the day, the sooner he could head back out to the Masters’ farm and get Tessa back in his arms.

  It had taken a Herculean effort to walk away from her last night. He hadn’t been able to keep from kissing her senseless before he left. He’d felt her hesitancy and knew she’d never been kissed before.

  He sincerely hoped adding that second kiss, more forceful and intense than the first, had left her squirming. That had been his goal.

  If he played his cards right and took his time, Tessa was bound to come around sooner than if he pressed the issue. The woman needed to feel like she was making decisions where Aaron was concerned. She was skittish about mating, her impression of the claiming process mistakenly clouded by visions of men dominating unwilling women into submission. The notion was absurd, but somehow Tessa didn’t seem to realize she was going to want this as badly as Aaron did. She would not be led into sex unwillingly. Her body would crave the claiming as strongly as his.

  Tessa Masters may have been naïve, but she was a strong, educated woman. She would be his equal, not someone he stripped of her identity and left at home tending to a slew of children. Now all he had to do was convince her.

  Sure, his dick ached with the need to claim her in every way imaginable. He longed to press her into the mattress and make her writhe beneath him, moaning with need. The thought alone made him adjust himself on the way to the shower. He could be a bit dominant, but only in the bedroom. And only for her enjoyment. To push her limits until she succumbed to multiple orgasms. He had no intention whatsoever of imposing coercion outside their bedroom.

  In fact, he looked forward to having someone to share with. Talk to. Laugh with.

  Aaron stripped and climbed into the shower—warmer than he probably needed. Cold would be more appropriate.

  Aaron took his length in his hand and permitted himself to relax into his own grasp. Maybe he could concentrate for the morning if he took the edge off—again—to the image of his sexy mate’s mouth wrapped around his cock.

  Leaning against the cool tile of his shower, Aaron moaned as he let his hand slide up and down his length and over the tip. It took only a few passes before he came against the shower wall on a long groan.

  God help him. It was going to be a long day.

  *

  Tessa parted the curtains and glanced out the front window for the tenth time that afternoon. She wrung her hands, and then smoothed her hair back from her face. Lucky for her, her brothers were all scarce this afternoon. Michael was at school. The others were all off on the farm under the supervision of her father.

  Bless her dad for keeping this mating situation under wraps for a while. She wasn’t looking forward to the ribbing she would get from her brothers.

  Her mother walked by on some imaginary household mission. The woman had been hovering. “He’ll be here.”

  Tessa flushed. Was she that obvious? Had her mother felt the same way when she and her father met?

  The crunch of gravel under tires. She held her breath as the black truck parked in front of the house. She wiped her palms on her skirt.

  Aaron stepped down from the truck and rounded the hood. His tall, lean frame took her breath away. Worn jeans molded to his thighs and hung low on his hips. A black T-shirt hugged his chest and showed off firm pecs that would make any woman drool. Today he wasn’t wearing a cowboy hat, and his blond, wavy hair hung loose across his forehead making him look younger than his thirty years.

  “Are you going to get the door, or shall I?”

  Tessa turned around and let go of the curtain. She released a long breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “I will, I guess.” Tessa took the few steps to the front door and opened it just before Aaron reached the top step of the porch.

  “Hi.” The man’s smile was even more mesmerizing than she remembered. He melted another piece of her just by looking at her with those deep blue eyes.

  “Hi, yourself.” Tessa stepped outside, pulled the door closed, and leaned against the wood. She didn’t really want to deal with entertaining the man in front of anyone. She wanted to get away from the house as soon as possible, before one of her brothers wandered by. There’d be no way to keep this crazy situation under wraps if one of the boys saw the good doctor returning again today. News would spread like the spring pollen blowing in the wind, and the razzing would commence.

  “Ready? Do you need anything?” Aaron motioned to the house.

  What could she possibly need? Tessa had never been the sort to carry a purse. She tended to stuff whatever she needed into a back pocket and go. Of course, she’d also never been in a situation in which she thought she’d want to freshen up makeup or tidy her hair before.

  That had never been her style. And she didn’t intend to pretend otherwise. “No, I’m ready.”

  Aaron leaned in and kissed her lips gently before he took her hand in his. “You look beautiful, and you smell fantastic.”

  Tessa glanced down. She wasn’t used to compliments from men—especially not men who made her skin tingle just by touching her palm.

  “I love this dress.” Aaron pinched a corner of her skirt between his fingers and let the material fall from his hand. “The color is perfect on you.”

  Tessa raised her eyes as her skirt fluttered around her thighs. The sundress was her favorite. It was still early spring, but she’d put a loose sweater on over the salmon-colored dress. At least it covered her shoulders. She seriously doubted she’d need anything to keep her warm though. She was reaching a boiling point just by the proximity she had with Aaron. That wasn’t likely to change anytime soon.

  Aaron led Tessa toward his truck, never releasing her fingers as he twined his with hers. When he opened the passenger door and helped her into the truck, she had the fleeting thought he wasn’t willing to let go of her. She wondered how he was going to manage to get into the driver’s seat without breaking contact.

  Truth—she didn’t want him to. If there were a way he could avoid letting her go, she’d have been all for it. When he did release her to round the truck to his side, she began to fidget. What were they going to do today? How long before he would kiss her again? Would she be able to stop him when things got heated? Did she even want to?

  How fast did wolves usually mate? It seemed like several of her friends and cousins had been claimed practically before getting their mate’s last name. Was that normal? She’d always thought it was absurd. Hadn’t understood what all the fuss was about, or why anyone would rush into a relationship like that.

  Now, she just wondered if they would make it out of the driveway before she started begging Aaron to pull over and just claim her already. Her body burned. From the moment he got into the driver’s seat, his scent filled the car. An ache formed low in her abdomen when he glanced her way before starting the engine. Moisture pooled in her panties.

  Perhaps the dress hadn’t been such a great idea. Could he smell her a
rousal? She squirmed to get her skirt more firmly situated beneath her. The cool leather of the seat beneath her thighs made Tessa even more aware of her sex.

  Aaron didn’t say a word until they had driven a few miles from the farm. He seemed to concentrate solely on driving as though it were something he’d just mastered this week.

  Finally, he turned to her. “I thought we’d go to the Farmer’s Market in Corvallis for a while. What do you think? Have you been?”

  “I have. It’s been a while. Sounds lovely.” Sounded perfect actually. If they didn’t go someplace public, she’d be claimed in about five seconds. She wasn’t yet sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

  If she went by her legs—currently squeezed tightly together—and how heavy her breasts felt inside the bra that had fit just fine yesterday, she would have no self-control to speak of. As it was, she couldn’t decide of the clench of her thighs was helping or hindering things. Inside the cab of the truck, it seemed she was trapped in a small world where the circulating air was laced with an aphrodisiac, because with each breath she grew more and more aware of her body and the aching need she had to be possessed.

  As they reached their destination, Tessa gazed at the profile of her mate. Her mate. God. It was happening so fast.

  He grinned at her when he caught her studying him, but she didn’t flinch. She had a right to look. And he was sexy enough to keep her gaze locked on him for a long time.

  His skin was tan from working outside with animals. A dimple formed on his cheek each time he smiled, and she wanted to touch it.

  His eyes sparkled when he gazed at her—as though he knew a secret. He sort of did, she supposed. He knows a lot more about what today has in store than you do, that’s for sure.

  Did he have a specific plan in mind for their courtship-of-sorts, or was he winging it?

  Aaron parked the truck and turned to her. “We can wander around, pick up some things, and I thought we could go back to my place and cook dinner out of whatever catches our eye today.” The words were all statements, but Aaron looked to her for confirmation of his plan as though they’d been questions.

  “Perfect. Do you cook?” If this man could make his way around a kitchen, she’d be a total goner. The men in her family pulled their weight around the house. They had no choice. There was only one of her and five of them. But, they did not do much in the way of cooking and she’d always imagined how sexy it would be to have a mate who could actually whip something up without her help.

  “I’ve been known to make something edible on occasion.” The twinkle in his eye as he spoke didn’t help her to know whether he was kidding or serious. By edible, did he mean toast? Or roast? “I’ve lived alone for a long time. I have to eat. Come on.” Aaron nodded to his door, which he then flung open. In seconds he had climbed down from the cab and dragged Tessa with him, right out his side.

  She loved the way he wove their fingers together again as he started walking. He didn’t just hold her hand; he interlaced their fingers, somehow uniting them more intimately.

  “It’s so nice out.” Tessa glanced up at the sky as they started wandering toward the market. The sun shone bright.

  “Beautiful.” Tessa flushed when she realized Aaron was looking at her, not the sky.

  Chapter 5

  They spent two hours wandering around the open market. As Tessa warmed up to him, he saw more and more of her natural self. They laughed over vegetables and fruits they either couldn’t identify or detested, surprisingly similar in their tastes. Every time she giggled, he melted a little.

  She’d been shy last night, but today as she got comfortable, she began to talk. They discussed everything about her family’s farm and his veterinary experiences. He thanked God the mate He’d put in Aaron’s path had so much in common with him, especially his love of animals.

  Aaron couldn’t believe his luck. Tessa was the most genuine woman he’d ever met. Not a bone in her was fake. She didn’t spend the day trying to be someone she wasn’t or someone she thought he’d like. What you saw was what you got. Sometimes she seemed youthful and naïve. Other times she came off as serious and older than her years.

  Life would never be boring with Tessa in it.

  As they stood at one booth, waiting to purchase the makings of a salad, he watched her out of the corner of his eye. Her hair blew in the slight breeze, framing her face. She wore hardly any makeup. She didn’t need it. Her complexion was smooth and her skin glowed.

  The dress she’d chosen had practically made him groan aloud. Since she’d opened her front door his cock had been hard just thinking about running his hands up the long expanse of her sexy legs until he reached her center. The stylish boots she wore turned her into the perfect cowgirl. He couldn’t fight off visions of her sitting on his high kitchen table, legs spread wide, her skirt lifted high, and boots propped up on his barstools.

  “What?” Tessa shook him from his erotic imagining.

  “Nothing.” He leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips. It was the first time he’d let himself kiss her since they’d left her house. It had taken all his willpower, but if he got as close to her as he wanted, he’d never be able to stop himself. He’d end up crushing her against the nearest surface, lifting one of her legs, and tuning out the universe around them.

  They’d probably get arrested.

  As soon as they’d gathered all the items they wanted, Aaron grabbed their plastic bags in one hand and steered them back toward the truck with his free palm on her lower back. “I have some steaks in the fridge. We can make a salad and grill some of these veggies.”

  “Sounds delicious.”

  It wasn’t surprising that the woman he’d spent the afternoon getting to know clammed up slightly as they reached his condo. It was expected. She’d be nervous about being alone with him. Hell, he was nervous too. The last thing he wanted to do was pressure her or insult her in any way. That thought hung in his mind next to visions of the first thing he’d like to do…

  After exiting the truck, Aaron set the bags down next to the front door, wiggled the key with shaking fingers, and finally managed to get the door open. “It’s not much. I’ve only been here a few weeks. I’m not really very moved in or unpacked yet,” he started as he ushered her through the door.

  Tessa looked around the foyer while Aaron balanced their purchases and kicked the door shut. “It’s nice. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t see any unopened boxes. You’ve even got pictures on the walls. I’d call that moved in.” Tessa wandered farther inside and ran her hand over the back of his couch.

  All Aaron could think of was bending his mate over the side of that sofa and running his fingers through her wet pussy before plunging into her. Would she moan when he made her come? God, he hoped so.

  Shaking the thought from his head, Aaron nodded toward the small kitchen to the left. “Kitchen’s in here. I’ll just set this down.”

  “Here, let me help you.” Tessa took a bag from his hand and headed the direction he’d indicated. Her ass swayed, her skirt fluttering as she walked. And Aaron nearly choked. Now that he had her inside his home, she was filling it with her scent, unknowingly marking the territory as hers. As far as Aaron was concerned, it was all hers. He was putty in her hands. Everything that used to be his alone was now smothered by the smell of his mate, and he never wanted her to leave.

  Aaron’s kitchen was small, but somehow they managed to prepare an easy meal as though they’d done so every night of their lives. They had a rhythm of dancing around the center island in sync with each other. Aaron couldn’t stand the thought of grilling on the back patio, so he opted to broil the steaks inside. He irrationally didn’t want any of his mate’s scent to escape the confines of the condo. He wanted every breath he took to be filled with her tantalizing arousal.

  It didn’t take long to get dinner together and soon they were sitting at his table eating the succulent steaks, grilled asparagus, corn on the cob, and the mo
st colorful salad he’d ever seen.

  Tessa wrapped her boots around the legs of her stool as she took a bite.

  Aaron couldn’t even swallow thinking about the space between her legs, open the few inches necessary to reach her ankles to the edges of the upper rung of the chair. She had no idea how tempting she was. If she had, she’d have surely run from the room.

  Did she want him as much as he wanted her? Would she let him claim her—right now, tonight—and be done with this pretending that they weren’t dying with the need to get naked? It was a crazy concept invented by a society of lupines so long ago no one even remembered why wolves bothered to take the time to get to know each other before ripping off the wrapping paper and getting to the present inside. Not to mention the fact that it generally lasted only hours, not days. All this posturing to put off the inevitable for like half a date. It would be so much easier if wolves just fucked first and saved the twenty questions for later.

  They were destined. All their fears would eventually be put to rest. The worry newly-mated couples experienced was always for naught. Never had he heard of a pair who just didn’t quite get along. It wasn’t the way of wolves.

  And yet, here they sat, eating and chatting and courting … and faking like they didn’t both want to push the food onto the floor and use the table as leverage instead.

  With that thought in mind, Aaron nearly jumped as Tessa reached across to set her glass down on the table, her hand brushing against his.

  The tension in the room snapped tight and then busted completely open. Aaron landed his palm over hers, jumped down from his stool, and crowded into her space. He’d longed to get between her legs ever since she’d sat. He couldn’t wait another minute.

  Gazing into her eyes just long enough to allow her the freedom of denying him, he grabbed both sides of her face, spearing his fingers into the depths of her hair, and closed the distance between their mouths.

  The gentle kiss turned urgent as soon as their lips collided. He explored her as though starving. If he’d gone one more minute without tasting on his tongue what he could already taste in the air around him, he’d have split a seam in his jeans.