Beneath a Spring Moon (2 page)

She sure as hell hoped so.

Nevertheless, Tessa did shower and dress—not in a skirt for God’s sake, but clean jeans and her favorite blouse. She headed for her bathroom and even attempted to tame her hair, the long, dark curls mocking her in the mirror as she tried to comb them into submission.

Screw it.
Hadn’t her mother always said the unruly hair she’d forever complained about was actually one of her strongest assets? Tonight she could put that theory to the test. If the man didn’t like her thick wavy hair… Who was she kidding? She’d be devastated if he didn’t like even one aspect of her.

She drew the line at makeup. If this Aaron didn’t like her without makeup he was in trouble, because she hardly ever wore the stuff. Her father had always said she didn’t need it anyway, with her tanned, smooth skin and dark eyelashes.

She was no supermodel, but to hear her parents talk…

Her brothers were loud and obnoxious every day, but considering the level of noise coming from the living room, she had to guess her father had returned with her mate, and the group was currently inside the house.

What choice did she have? It wasn’t as though she could stay in her room for the rest of her life. Taking a fortifying breath, Tessa put her hand on the doorknob with the knowledge that as soon as she opened the door, Aaron, the presumably cute vet, would fill her with his smell and send her brain cells scrambling out her ears.

God, help me.

*

Aaron had followed Richard all afternoon from calf to calf, all the while praying he was doing what he’d come there to do. His mind was running a mile a minute, and he could hardly concentrate.

Now that they were finally done with the work and entered the main house, he tried to slow his heart rate and relax.

A petite older woman with kind brown eyes met the men at the door. “Hello, you must be Aaron.” And
she
had to be Richard’s wife.

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you for having me in your home.”

“Please, call me Nancy. And you are most welcome.” She stepped back and motioned toward the living room. “Have a seat.”

His first impression was noise. It was louder in this house than any home he’d ever visited. Did all these adult children live here?

As he followed Nancy into the great room, she spoke over the mayhem. “These are my sons.” She clapped two times, producing an amazing thwack with her hands. “Boys, listen up. This is Aaron. He just took over for Doc Simon. Stand still for one minute so I can introduce you.”

The room went marginally silent. Marginally.

Nancy pointed to the right and made her way around the room. “That’s our oldest, Justin. Next is Trevor. He’s not biological, but might as well be. Then we have Ryan, Charles, and the youngest, Michael.”

Aaron would never remember their names, except Michael, the gangly teenager. The rest were nearly full-grown and looked almost alike.

“Can I get you a drink? A beer perhaps?” Richard eased past Aaron from behind and looked back over his shoulder as he headed for the kitchen area.

The living space was huge, as it would need to be with this many people in the family.

“No, I’m fine. Thanks.” In truth, he didn’t believe he could actually hold a drink without dropping it. His hands were shaking too bad.

Where was this mate of his? Her scent was in the room, but faint. She’d not been in the area recently. Would she even come to the table? Or was she too pissed off to leave her bedroom? Suddenly it seemed absurd to sit down for a meal with this wild, rambunctious group of people. How was Aaron supposed to swallow anything?

“Staying for dinner, doc?” The man heading toward Aaron was the oldest son. Justin?

“Yes.” Aaron cleared his throat when his voice came out squeaking. “Your father invited me.”

“Cool. Come. Sit down. We’re a bit loud, but you’ll probably get something to eat if you’re quick.” Justin teased him, his smile broad. No doubt it was difficult to get a bite to eat with this bunch all reaching across the table, but it was lucky for Aaron; he couldn’t eat if he tried.

Aaron was swept into the thick of things by Justin, who graciously played host. “Let’s grab a seat, and you can tell me about your job. You’re a vet, right?” Justin motioned to a chair and took one across from Aaron.

“Yes.” Aaron obediently followed. He had nothing else to do. Was it hot in here? Probably. He plucked at his shirt, doubtful the act would allow air to enter his lungs, but at least he’d be able to cool his skin a bit. “I just moved here a few weeks ago to take over Doctor Simon’s practice when he retired. Loving it out here.”
Especially now
.

Nerves were making Aaron sweat while he answered Justin’s questions. Interesting, and at the same time heartening, to realize no one informed the brothers of his status. He doubted Justin would be quite so amiable if he knew the fate of his older sister now rested in the hands of the stranger about to dine with the family.

Everyone gathered around the table. Being from a small family of four, Aaron could hardly see straight with all the movement and noise. The volume rose while every member of the family talked over each other. They were a jovial bunch though, each and every face smiling and laughing at something or other. The mysterious Tessa wasn’t yet in the room, but she was close. And growing closer. Slowly. A breeze seemed to blow through the room and on it the sweet scent of his mate. Aaron leaned back and closed his eyes for one brief moment. Heaven. If she was half as pretty as she smelled, he’d be a happy man.

Finally, a short hush. Aaron turned around when several gazes focused behind him. With his neck craned, he got his first look at the woman he would spend his life with.

Beautiful didn’t begin to describe her.

She was not at all the young girl he’d expected. She was a grown woman. Long, thick brown curls hung around her round face. He wanted nothing more than to get his fingers caught in them.

Aaron held his breath while he took in the rest of her. Tall, lithe, her jeans hugged her to perfection and her blouse was open enough at the neck to tease him with a glimpse of her smooth neckline. He stood, scooting his chair back with his thighs. Most of the family was still standing, and it seemed appropriate, under the circumstances.

Huge wide brown eyes scanned the room, landing on him for only a second before continuing on as though he weren’t the man she’d been looking for, and there was someone else in the kitchen she didn’t know.

Tessa stepped about two inches farther into the room, her hand still gripping the doorframe that led down a hall. Her knuckles were white.

“Tess? You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. And what are you so dressed up for?” One of the younger brothers spoke.

Tessa nailed him with a glare that could kill and stepped into the room, head held high. Very purposefully, she ignored his questions and chose a seat at the far end of the table.

Aaron swallowed his tongue.

Here he’d spent the afternoon worrying about her being too young for him. Now, he felt completely out of her league. The woman was a goddess. Her body was perfection. Her curves in all the right places. Her breasts high and full—her waist slim and flaring to hips that made him swallow again.

He should have taken Richard up on that beer.

“Let’s eat.” Nancy made the announcement, and everyone took a chair.

Aaron was the last to sit. His body wouldn’t obey simple commands. He moved in slow motion, not even sure the chair was still behind him to keep him from slipping to the floor in embarrassment. Luckily, it was.

Tessa didn’t look at him, and yet he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her. Was she being coy? Or was she truly as disinterested in him as she seemed? Could she turn him away?

Aaron rubbed his hands on his jeans beneath the tabletop. His palms would not stop sweating, and his knees would not stop bouncing. He felt like an overgrown teenager. Which made him fit in fine with the rest of the clan.

Aaron found himself seated next to Richard, which was convenient, since the man knew him better than anyone—and the plight he currently found himself in. Fortunately the man kept a steady stream of conversation going. Aaron wasn’t oblivious to the fact that Richard’s questions were purposefully presented for his daughter’s benefit.

As far as Aaron was concerned, the more Tessa knew about him indirectly, the easier it would be to court the woman. And he intended to do just that. Starting with a nice, long walk after dinner. And ending as swiftly as possible. “Courting” was suddenly something Aaron felt like doing for about five minutes.

His cock grew harder by the minute, and he had to adjust the poor sucker way too frequently to remain inconspicuous. If this relationship didn’t get off the ground and running soon, he was going to be spending a lot of time in cold showers. As it was, he needed to hold the woman at the other end of the table so badly he thought he might go up in flames waiting for the meal to end.

Aaron had no idea what he ate, or even if he ate. He only knew it was a long time before people scattered. The boys jumped up and left the table with quick thanks to their mother, and each dropped their plates in the sink before they fled in a flurry of commotion.

“Why don’t you take Tessa for a walk? It’s nice outside.” Richard nudged Aaron, but his gaze remained pinned on the back of his daughter, who stood at the sink.

She froze and turned around slowly, finally allowing herself to look Aaron in the eye.

“Go on. I’ll clean up,” Nancy urged.

Tessa didn’t take her gaze off Aaron. Was she appraising him? Did he meet her standards?

She nodded almost imperceptibly. “I’ll just grab a jacket.” Her voice tinkled through the air, soft and melodious. It caressed his senses. He wanted to hear it again, closer to his ear.

He hadn’t heard much from her during the meal. She’d been too far away and hadn’t spoken more than a few words.

Aaron stood and headed for the front door. He waited for her there, unsure what else he could possibly do
but
wait. But for how long?

Chapter 3

Tessa nearly ran down the hall to get away from the piercing gaze of Aaron Garrett.

God almighty, her body’s response to him had been thoroughly unexpected. Sure, she’d scented him earlier, but not like this. His full-blown presence nearly buckled her knees.

And to make matters worse, he was sex on a stick. She couldn’t have chosen a better mate for herself. Tall and lean, he was also tanned to perfection. His blond hair was the tiniest bit too long and begged her to run her fingers through it. His blue eyes penetrated her, even from across the table.

She entered her bedroom and leaned against the inside wall, trying to catch her breath. How could she possibly go for a walk with that god of a man and keep her head straight? She was at once turned on like she’d never before
imagined
and pissed off at her inability to hold her ground.

An ache she’d never felt in her life tugged inside her belly. Moisture built between her legs she couldn’t prevent, even by squeezing her thighs together. In fact, that only seemed to make matters worse.

And now she was going to go outside, in the waning light of dusk, and spend time alone with Aaron? She’d never be able to keep her hands to herself. And she hated that fact more than she enjoyed the sensation.

With resolve, Tessa grabbed her jacket from behind her bedroom door. She glanced around the room as if she were looking at her childhood.
You’re an adult, Tessa. Grow up.
She was hard on herself, but hell, this room had been where she’d spent the last twenty-three years, where she’d hidden from her brothers whenever necessary, where she’d experienced many of life’s firsts. It would undoubtedly not look the same ever again.

It was time to face the man she’d spend her life with.

Clutching the jacket she didn’t really need, Tessa held her head high and padded back down the hall to find Aaron standing at the front door.

He had to be several years older than her, but at that moment, he looked younger. He stood smiling at her as though they were off for a first date. In a sense they were, but the dating rituals of wolves were far different from those of humans. It wasn’t as though they were headed to the senior prom. There would be no lecture from her dad about Aaron keeping his hands to himself. If she was
lucky
, she’d make it back to the house unscathed. And worse, her parents knew it. The thought gave her a chill.

“Shall we?” Aaron graciously held the door open, his arm raised for her to pass under it so he could shut it behind them.

If nothing else, Tessa was incredibly relieved the man was so tall. She was five-ten and had always worried about meeting a mate shorter than her. That was not to be the case.

“Thank you,” she muttered as she passed Aaron. She sucked in a breath, aware only of the taste of him on her tongue as she passed.

The door shut with a quiet
snick
behind them, and Tessa didn’t turn around. She feared she’d faint if she looked him in the eye.

Aaron exhaled long and slow behind her. “Thank God. I thought we’d never be alone.”

Tessa stiffened. Is that all he cared about? Should she be afraid?

“That didn’t come out right. I just mean … you have so many brothers. I kept thinking someone was going to pull out a shotgun or something.” Aaron chuckled behind her and grasped her hand. He tugged gently until she turned toward him.

Face to face, mere inches separating them, Tessa gazed into Aaron’s clear blue eyes. His expression grew serious. He gently separated her from the jacket she was clutching with one hand and set it on the arm of the nearest rocker without moving away from her. “It’s not chilly out here.”

Her face flushed with embarrassment. He’d known she only used the coat as an excuse to gather her wits. The evening was unseasonably warm. She lowered her head and glanced down at his chest. A wide chest, fit and tight beneath the western shirt he wore.

Aaron lifted her chin with one hand until her gaze was back on his face. “I don’t bite.” He smiled. “You might even find me rather pleasant, if you give me a chance.”