“Damn, you’re beautiful.”
She yipped at him and jumped back in, this time resurfacing with her long hair swirling around her shoulders. Her ear no longer rang, and it was just what the doctor ordered, if he could have ordered eardrum repair. It would take a few times shifting before it returned to its pre-bomb state, but it was at least better than before.
“Are you going to come in?”
“We’ll never make it to the meeting.”
“You didn’t get naked for nothing.” Xio shoved her palm across the water and splashed him. “Come on. The water is perfect. I’ll behave.”
He grinned and shoved off the moss-covered bank, then sank under the water and came back up with his chest against hers.
Xio slid her hands up his shoulders and locked them behind his neck. “Since you left your gun in the car, I’m going to assume that you’re happy to see me.”
“Honey, I’ve been happy to see you since the moment we met.” He leaned in and caught her lower lip between his teeth, giving it a playful tug before he released it. “But no matter how much I’d like to enjoy this warm dip with you, we’ve got to go. Once we’ve had the meeting, I’ll be happy to bring you back here, or anywhere else you want to go.”
She sighed. “I wish you weren’t right.”
“Me too, sweetheart.” Marcus spun her and lifted her out of the water, then hopped out after her.
She turned and glanced at him. “My, what a big dick you have.” As she climbed to her feet, a sharp sting radiated across her ass cheek. “Ouch.” Xio jumped. “What’d you do that for?” She twisted and spotted a handprint.
“Torturing me.” He reached down and grabbed his jeans off a bush and stepped into them, pulling them up. “I’ll be lucky to zip these damn things, and I’ll have to sit through that meeting with wood.”
“I’ll kiss it and make it all better later. I promise. Think of this as foreplay.”
Marcus growled. “Trust me, this is all I’m going to be thinking about until I get you naked again.”
Xio scooped her shirt off the ground and wiggled into it and tugged it down. She snatched up her shorts and panties as she passed them, stopping only for a moment to put them on. “Come on, let’s not keep the big bad wolf waiting.”
Chapter Four
Marcus’s foot tapped as he and Xio sat waiting to be called into the Alpha’s office. He glanced at the art on the walls. She reached over and grabbed his knee, stopping the nervous twitch.
“That’s not helping.”
“Sorry. I’ve never met this guy before. I don’t have a clue what to expect and I don’t like walking into a situation not knowing if I’m going to have to kill someone to protect you. I’ve heard stories about Magnum. Sons can be a lot like their fathers.”
“Drew isn’t his father. I haven’t seen him in years, but when I did know him, he wasn’t a bad guy.”
“Honey, you’ve done a lot to make him less than welcoming. He might not have a choice. His pack might not want us here. Your being here will put them at risk.”
“Relax. If he’s the Drew I knew as a kid, he won’t be that bad.”
“How have you been, Xio?” A man stood in the door to the office, staring at her. She looked down, breaking eye contact, careful not to challenge the man who held her future in the palm of his hand.
“I’ve been better.”
“So I hear.” He shifted his attention to Marcus. “And you’ve brought a mate home with you.”
“Yes.” She looked up, avoiding his eyes. “I really didn’t have a choice in the matter.”
Drew laughed and stepped to the side. “None of us do when it comes to mating. We are slaves to our natures.” He gestured toward a couple of chairs inside. “Please come in and have a seat. We have a lot to discuss.”
Xio picked the chair closest to the door and sank into the cushy seat. Marcus dropped into the one next to her and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze.
“So, you left as Beta of the Cazador pack to join us in the Black Hills.”
“Yes. I go where Xio goes.”
“I understand; no explanation is needed.” Drew laced his fingers together and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk and his chin on the brace he’d created with his hands. “I, above all others, understand why you left, Xio. What I need to understand is why you want to come back.”
“I have nowhere else to go. The pack and my brother are the only family I’ve got. And Marcus.”
“I’m not going to tell you I’m thrilled with what you’ve been doing the last few years, but I will tell you if you can look me in the eyes now, tell me that you are leaving that life behind and won’t return to it, I’ll welcome you back with open arms and offer you the pack’s protection.”