Climbing the Ladder (10 page)

lot I didn’t know.”

“How long has it been? Since you…broke up?” God, this was weird.

“Long enough. Too long.” There was something in the way he squeezed her hand that

told her he wasn’t giving Kody back.

She sighed, her heart more than a little broken. “Long enough to let him get married to an

idiot.” And that was the problem, wasn’t it? She was the rebound lover. She hadn’t even known

there was a lover for Kody to be rebounding from, which was stupid, because the man was wild

in bed. Amazing. Practiced.

“You’re not an idiot, honey. I’m glad he found you.” Mesa didn’t sound like he was

lying.

Her fingers twined with his. “I’m laying here cradling my husband while I get to know

his lover.”

“I know.” Mesa made this rough but happy-sounding noise. “I guess it does seem weird

to you, but to me it seems normal.”

“How? How can this be normal?” She lowered her voice as soon as Kody frowned. “Oh,

shh. Shh, love. I’m okay. We’re okay. Mesa and I are just talking.”

“It’s normal for us. Why do we have to worry about anything else?”

“I…” She didn’t know. “That sounded very much like Kody.”

Mesa squeezed her hand again. “Good.”

“What’s your favorite food?” Her fingers moved over Mesa’s wrist, touching lightly. His

heartbeat was strong, steady. Fascinating.

“I love nachos. The kind with steak and lots of yellow cheese.”

She chuckled. “Oh, you’d love the Mexican food in LA. There are amazing places to eat.

What’s your favorite part? Sour cream and salsa?” Kody loved the guacamole best; he’d spent

hours perfecting his own recipe and testing it out on her.

“Yes. I love the chips, too, though.”

“Boys and the salty.”

Mesa’s laughter moved Kody against her. “Kody says you like sweet best. Chocolate or

fruit?”

“Chocolate.” Absolutely.

“That’s bad for dogs.”

She cracked up. “Kody’s always telling me that! He made tons of other desserts to tempt

me—pies and puddings and crème brulee. None of them were chocolate. Although the

cheesecake thing, yum.” This was making her hungry.

“Mmm. I like that, too. With Irish cream.”

Her stomach growled, and she blushed. “Irish cream? You’re not a beer man?”

“Nope. I like sweet, too, I admit.”

“Me too. I love the girly drinks, but that’s not in style right now.” Now it was cigar bars

and scotch.

“Yeah? What’s your favorite? Does Kody still like coffee liqueur?”

“Strawberry margaritas, and I’ve never seen Kody drink liquor, ever. I sort of thought

maybe he had an addiction problem.”

One of Mesa’s eyebrows went up. “Yeah? Why is that?”

She shrugged. “I guess because he didn’t drink at all. Smoke. Gamble. Nothing.”

“Ah. No, I bet it’s because it impairs his senses.”

Sometimes she thought it would be better to have impaired senses in LA. Everything

there was overwhelming, heavy, hard or bright.

“Are you going to take him away?” It was a fair question, right? She’d tried to walk off

and let them be. It would be cruel to do this and leave her somewhere on the road.

“From you? No.” Mesa stroked her skin, back and forth. “From California? Yeah.”

“I live in California.” The touch was easy, good, and she couldn’t tense.

“You have lived there.”

She just didn’t understand how he could be so calm. “Yeah, and I had a job there. A

house. I can’t believe I just walked away from it all. What was I thinking? In this economy? Just walking away?”

A hint of panic hit her, square in the belly.

Kody frowned, fingers searching for her.

“Shh.” This time it was Mesa comforting Kody.

“Mates.” Kody relaxed, smiling gently.

“He’s happy with you.” It hurt to admit, but it was true.

“He loves you.” Mesa sighed. “You have to understand, honey. He needs us both.”

“I’m trying to, really. I mean, I’m trying not to be a harpy.” She didn’t want to be a bitch.

“I know.” He poked her wrist. “I know that.”

She leaned up onto one elbow, looked over at Mesa. “So, what are you suggesting,

honestly?”

“That we’re mates. The three of us.” Mesa sat up, one hand on Kody’s back.

“But… that’s not legal.”

“Uh-huh. Where we’re going it doesn’t matter.” Mesa winked, the expression

unexpectedly charming, boyish. “And no, it’s not Utah.”

“I have to figure out what I’m doing with my life. Get a job. Sell the house. Apologize to

Becky for yelling at her.” God, his eyes fascinated her, his sounds, and she caught herself leaning toward him. He rewarded her with a touch, the hand not on Kody coming up to her arm.

“Oh.” The word just breathed out of her.

“Mmm.” Mesa smiled. “You’re warm.”

“I can’t think when you two touch me. I thought it was just Kody.”

“Has he always had that effect on you?”

“Yes.” She actually laughed, happiness bubbling up inside her. “He read my palm at a

faire. Literally grabbed my hand while I was shopping for a toe ring, and dragged me over to this weird little tent of his. It was purple and had the phases of the moon painted on it in glittery paint—so cheesy. I never would have gone in, but…his eyes were so pretty, and he smelled like

Heaven, and we ended up in the back of some weird old tent in about ten minutes. It was the

strangest thing in my life.” Until a couple of days ago.

Mesa’s dark eyes were glowing like embers, and she knew, suddenly, without question,

that he was erect, hard. “He’s a force of nature.”

“He is. He gets under my skin.”

“Yeah. I get that.” His fingers were sliding up her arm now, moving toward her nipple.

“I bet. Have you been looking for him long?”

“I think we should talk about you and me.” Mesa gave her a predatory grin. That smile

made her want to howl at the moon. Where the hell did that come from?

“You and me?”

“Yep. You and me, Sam.”

“Is there a you and me?” That was a stupid question, but it had to be asked.

“There is.” He pressed his fingers to her skin, and her nipples hardened.

Sammy licked her lips. “And…and what do we need to talk about?”

“We don’t really have to talk about it as long as you’re willing to explore it.” Mesa

sounded very interested in exploring.

She slipped over, ending in Mesa’s lap. “This is probably a bad idea.”

“I think it’s a great idea, honey.” He pushed her back a little, so she rested against Kody.

When she touched Kody, a rush of pure joy hit her, made her moan. “Oh. Oh, God. Do

you feel that?”

“I do. Trust me, honey.”

“I do. I shouldn’t, but I do.” She arched, touching them both.

“Good.” He kissed her then, hard and deep.

She found herself panting, breathing hard, suddenly overwhelmed, the room spinning as

Kody’s arms wrapped around her.

“Shh.” Kody looked so much better, at least when he got right up and stared into her

eyes. “It’s okay.”

“Kody…” Something was happening to her.

“I know. I know, love. Just go with it.”

Go with it? It was like staring into an abyss. “I’m scared. Kody. I don’t…” This sound

came out of her, deep and raw. Her skin didn’t fit.

“We’ll help you.” Mesa’s words almost made no sense, but she managed to understand

them.

Kody’s hands were on her back, moving in long, slow strokes that felt so good. She

pushed into the touch, whining softly, trying to ease the deep hurt inside her. Mesa nuzzled her cheeks, her nose, sharing his breath with her.

Scared. She was…she panted as their hands soothed her, scratching her belly, her ears,

grooming her. Welcoming her.

Oh, better.

She breathed them in, her ears popping a little, making room in her head for all the things

her senses were telling her.

She rolled up, tongue lolling, and she stretched lazily, the scent of her mates heavy on the

air. They moved next to her, vocalizing, their bodies firm and good. Her nose rubbed into Mesa’s ruff, then groomed one soft muzzle, then the other. Her boys.

They licked at her whiskers, loving her so well. Mesa was proud, strong, fierce. Kody

was pure love.

They played idly, rolling over each other on the mattress. She spent a long time gnawing

on Kody’s tail, her paws batting playfully at Mesa. Good. They were good. Kody’s eyes were

bright and happy, and his ears were up, his tail wagging. No more worries. She pounced him

happily, biting one ear, shaking him a little bit. No more scaring them.

Kody chuffed, dancing back. Mesa dove in front, mock protecting. She rumbled, sizing

Mesa up, admiring his strength, his tail. Then she pounced, trying to take him down. They rolled, all but falling off the bed. Mesa caught her at the last moment, pulling her back with his teeth on her neck.

She yelped, paws scrabbling, her ruff puffing up.

Kody gnawed her ear, distracting her with his little sounds. Such a puppy.

She chuffed softly, then butted Mesa with her head. Mesa woofed before grooming her

for a few moments.

The touches made her eyelids heavy, made her curl up happily and sigh.

Kody snuggled up next to her, heavy head on her rump. Mesa curled around them, and

this she understood. This was easy.

She rested her chin on Mesa’s paw, sighed, then chased her mates into sleep.

Mesa finished packing everything in the truck before going back to the hotel room where

Kody and Sammy were curled around one another. Naked as jaybirds. He stared at them for a

few moments, then nodded, satisfied.

He flipped the blankets up around them and picked them up as-is.

Sammy squealed, flailing, but his Kody never even woke up.

“Hush. Just hold on to Kody.” They needed to rest. He needed to get home.

“I’m naked.”

Kody wrapped around her, murmuring softly, trusting him, totally.

“Good thing you’re not driving.” The need to get back to his pack was riding him hard.

He didn’t have time for any more coddling. He had to deal with his new responsibilities and with the possibility of hostile action from that damned Wyoming pack. He needed to find out who’d

killed Ben. Damned politics.

“Where are we going?”

He put them in the back of the king cab, pushed them in and closed the door.

“Home.” He hopped in the driver’s seat before she could get the idea to run.

“You’re taking me home?” She relaxed. “Cool. Are all the clothes in the back?”

“They are.” He’d thought about tossing them all.

“When you stop, I’ll need some.”

“Sure.” He could do that. When they got home.

Sammy nodded, then started combing her fingers through Kody’s hair, untangling it. “I

had the weirdest dreams during our nap.”

“Did you?” He got them on the road, anticipating getting off the highways onto the

byways.

“I did. I dreamed I was a dog.”

“A dog!” He laughed. “That’s aiming low. How about a wolf?”

She chuckled. “I blame you and Kody for putting that nonsense in my head.”

“Uh-huh. We’re bad that way.” He was picturing a were-poodle, all fluffy hair and pink

ribbons. Barking in French.

“So why werewolves?”

“Why?” He glanced at her in the rear view. “Because that’s what we are.”

“I mean, why pick wolves. I mean, with you I can see it, but Kody? Not wolfy. Wolvish?

Canine?”

“Lupine. Kody is just a Beta, is all.” She still didn’t believe it. She was humoring him.

“A Beta? You mean… for sex, right?”

“Absolutely.” Among other things.

“I… I’m not exactly sure of the appropriate response to that, especially after we’ve all…

you know.”

“I’m not sure there is one.” He grinned wider. Lord, this was fun. It took his mind off all

the bullshit waiting for him at home.

“Still, I guess the whole changing during the full moon, silver bullet thing is less

confining than staying inside during the day and avoiding Italian food.”

It took him a second to follow along, but he cracked up when he got it. “We can change

at will, silly girl.”

“Can you? So the moon thing’s just a…myth?”

He hooted. “I wish. The moon thing is no question. The wolf has to show. Surely, you

noticed Kody left every full moon. Every one.”

She blinked up at him. “I thought…”

Oh, he had to hear this. “You thought what?”

“My period. I thought maybe he was embarrassed or he couldn’t do his psychic thing

when I was bleeding. Those are my heavy days.”

Oh. Oh, that was fabulous. She wanted so badly for everything to fit her worldview.

When he didn’t say anything, she continued, “You said you were a sheriff. You have a lot

of hair, for law enforcement.” She kept smoothing Kody’s hair, humming to him.

“I said I was something like a sheriff.”

“Oh. I’m something like a glorified bank teller.” She met his eyes in the rear view mirror,

smiled sheepishly. “Was, I guess. I will be again. Hopefully…”

“Yeah? You handle a lot of money going back and forth?” He knew what she did. Her

skills would actually come in handy with the pack. He loved how smart she was, how sharp.

“I do. I make things work, deal with situations. It’s stressful, but Kody and I decided not

to have kids and…well, now it doesn’t matter. I think he’s going to go with you.”

“You think? He loves you, honey. I think he can work this out.” It was important that she

remember that.

“Yeah, but…” She sighed. “Sometimes that’s not the answer. I can’t even be mad at

him.”

“You shouldn’t be, you know. He did really good to find you.” Mesa wasn’t teasing this

time. Kody had done amazing. She was strong, hardheaded. She would find her feet and be his