“Sure.” Max picked up the empty coffee cups. “Let me just finish cleaning up real quick.”
“Okay, I have to grab a few things from the office anyway.”
Max went back into the kitchen to wash the last of the pans he’d used earlier. He didn’t like leaving a mess. His brother might own the diner, but Max always pulled his own weight. He hoped he would be an asset for the Wilson family. He remembered they had always had been so happy. Very similar to his own. They never treated him any different either.
He was scrubbing the last pan when Scott Little walked in the back door.
“Hey, man!” Scott waved at him.
Max inclined his head since his hands were still in the water. “Thanks for coming.”
“No problem,” Scott assured him. “Didn’t have anything planned today anyway.”
Scott attended the community college in the next town over and was an okay kid. Max enjoyed their shifts together as well as Scott’s quirky humor.
“You about ready?” Chase called from the front of the diner.
Max rinsed off the pan then placed it in the strainer. “Yeah.”
He waved to Scott as he joined his brother out front. He grabbed his jacket and keys from under the counter. Together, they walked out.
One of his first purchases when he’d returned to the states had been his Harley. Chase had tried to get him to use one of the Alpha’s many vehicles, but Max enjoyed riding the bike. He craved the freedom that the motorcycle provided him.
He’d found that the best time to ride down the canyon was just before sunset. The gorgeous views on the back of his Harley could not be seen the same way in a truck or SUV. Max threw his leg over the bike and turned the key. The machine came alive under him. He couldn’t suppress his grin. Yes, motorcycles were dangerous, and he loved every single second he was on his.
Chase waved at him as he climbed inside his truck.
Chase’s house was just outside the city limits. He needed to be close to the Alpha in case any problems arose. The fifteen-minute ride was smooth and without a lot of traffic. Max could see his brother ahead of him as they both drove in the same direction.
The Wilson ranch was farther inside the canyon lands. He would be able to take his bike there and hopefully would have time to ride some of the private roads.
Plus there was good hiking around the Wilson place. He didn’t know if Cassie Wilson hiked, but he sure hoped so. It would be nice to be able to get some fresh air and just be away from everyone and everything.
He pulled up beside his brother’s truck then turned the engine off. Chase’s abode was small compared to a lot of the other Packs’ houses. But the three-bedroom structure was enough for them. Chase had welcomed the company when Max had come back to town. Their parents had offered to let Max stay with them. However, he was glad Chase had suggested they live together. He loved his mom and dad, but at forty, he didn’t want to live with them again.
“I’m going to take a shower while you get your things together,” Chase informed him.
Max nodded and made his way to his bedroom. He didn’t have a lot. Just clothes and a few things he’d kept in storage. Even the furniture in the bedroom was his brother’s.
Finally, Max felt like he was putting roots down. Eventually he would buy his own home and concentrate on discovering what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. Whether he’d stay in Canyon or move on, he wasn’t sure. He had time to decide.
He grabbed two duffels out of his closet then started to pack. He didn’t know how long he would be needed at the Wilson ranch. It was better to have too much stuff than to have to leave Cassandra to go pick up what he needed.
He threw in jeans, T-shirts, boxers, socks and a light jacket. Back at his closet, he reached up to the top shelf and brought down the lock box. Max carried the box to the bed and sat.
It had been six months since he’d opened it.
He removed the keys from his pocket and carefully unlocked then lifted the lid. Inside was his favorite gun. A .45 Desert Eagle.
He ran his fingers over the stainless-steel barrel and sighed. He hadn’t held a weapon in his hand since he’d left the Navy. He wasn’t sure he would even be able to fire it again.
As he sat on the bed, he could still smell the smoke from the last gunfight. He hadn’t been shooting his Desert Eagle that day. The M4 that he’d had on his shoulder had run out of ammo and Max had looked down in horror when he’d realized the entire team had used all the bullets they’d brought with them.
The house they’d been hiding in was small. Evan Cruise laid at Max’s feet, wounded and crying out in pain.
Deep down, he’d feared that was it. They were all going to die over in some god-awful place and no one would know all they had wanted to do was rescue the captured aid workers.
The mission would be classified and Max wondered if Evan’s family would even be given his body.
The guerilla fighters who had gotten the jump on them had still been shooting into the house. Max had knelt beside his friend and gripped Evan’s hand. He was supposed to have been in charge of his five-man team. It’d been up to him to get them out.
“You okay?”
Max started at Chase’s voice. He slammed the lid closed on the gun box and stood. Quickly, he stuffed the container at the top of one of the duffels and faced his brother. “Yeah, just about done.”
Concern was evident on Chase’s face. Max had to ignore it. He wasn’t ready to talk about what he’d been through. Actually, he couldn’t speak to anyone about anything. He rushed into the bathroom then quickly packed everything he would need for the next several days.
When he returned to the bedroom, Chase was zipping up one of the bags. Max dumped his toiletries into the other then closed it. They each grabbed one as they headed out of the door. Max was relieved that Chase wasn’t pushing him. He knew that he would have to eventually share something with Chase. Luckily, his brother was giving him time.
“I’ll take your bags over for you,” Chase offered.
“Thanks.” He passed the second duffle to his brother. Ready to go, he strode to the bike.
He could probably find the Wilson ranch on his own, but any time he had a flashback he was always a little shaky. He needed a few minutes to get his bearings. Although he would have to follow Chase closely so he wouldn’t get lost.
Chase backed out slowly and Max waited until the dust settled then followed. He was happy to have something to keep his mind off what he’d been through.
Hopefully this new job would help him clear his mind.
It took longer than he expected to reach the Wilson property. He slowed at the large gate where Chase was waiting. His brother waved him through and Max drove on. He pulled off to the side as Chase closed and locked the gate again.
Max was glad to see that they were indeed taking precautions on security.
Chase climbed back into his truck and started south. Max followed using his senses to get familiar with the area. The main house loomed in the distance, a strong, solid structure that appeared inviting. Max could remember the barbeques that he and his family attended there when he was younger.
Even with the passing of their parents, it looked like the Wilson children had kept the property up. Green grass filled both sides of the paved road. As he pulled next to his brother and turned off his motorcycle, he could hear horses not far from him.
He turned his head to see if he could spot them and couldn’t. He hadn’t ridden in over a decade. His family didn’t keep animals, and in the service he hadn’t had the opportunity. Excitement had him swinging off his bike. He’d always enjoyed the freedom of being on the back of one of the large animals. Luckily, even though the horses could sense the predator in a shifter, as long as a mount was treated with respect it didn’t have any problems accepting shifters as riders or caregivers. The stallions and mares sure were trusting. In that regard, Max was envious of them.
“They still have horses?”
Chase nodded. “Yeah, Alex puts a lot of time into them.”
“I thought he worked in the gallery.”
Chase waved his hand. “He does. But his love will always be the horses first.”
The front door opened and the subject of their conversation stepped out. “Hey, guys.”
Alex stomped down the stairs to greet them. Smiling widely, he’d changed out of his slacks into jeans. Max was relieved to see Alex more relaxed. Max was glad he had agreed to help. It was great to be needed again.
They shook hands, then Alex motioned toward the house. “Cassie’s inside. Let’s talk here before you go over to the house.”
Max nodded and followed Alex and his brother.
The cool air hit him as soon as he walked inside. Max hadn’t noticed just how hot he was until the air conditioner blew over him.
He must have made a sound because Alex glanced back at him. “Cassie keeps the air on frigid. She can’t stand being hot.”
Since Max had spent way too much time in deserts and jungles, he agreed with her. “Feels good.”
Alex grinned. “You’ll fit in just fine.”
He hung back, taking in the homey feel of the ranch house. The Wilsons had money, but he wasn’t uncomfortable walking through the hall. The simple touches around the place were welcoming, not intimidating.
The hall opened into a large living room with beautiful wood flooring. Dark-brown leather couches dominated the space, a huge flat-screen television was placed over the stone hearth. In the corner, standing by of the curved bar, was the most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen.
She smiled wide when their gazes met. “Wow! You grew up.”
Max opened his mouth to respond then closed it again quickly. There was no way this sexy creature in front of him was Cassie Wilson. Gone were the braids and the crooked teeth. Instead, she had a pixie cut of short brown hair with streaks of blond. She had to be only five foot five or so. She was tanned and had a body built for a man’s hands. He actually had to clench his teeth to keep from reaching out for her.
He groaned mentally. Not what he had expected.
Cassie Wilson was an attractive woman. Her soft, chocolate eyes sparkled with amusement as she licked her lips.
Fuck
! His cock hardened painfully. Max struggled to push aside his carnal needs and remember there were two other people in the room.
Chapter Three
Max’s reaction shot a thrill through her. The way his gaze traveled up and down her body pushed a strong tingle of lust through her. Heat flushed into her face as she watched his eyes lighten with arousal. His appraisal of her also gave her the opportunity to stare back at him. She’d suspected Max would be good-looking since Chase and their dad were both attractive. Still, the hot, heavily muscled man across from her was
not
what she’d been expecting.
He was taller than both her brother and his, so that had to put him a few inches above six feet. His short black hair was a reminder that he’d just gotten out of the military. Wide hazel eyes stared into hers and his massive chest expanded with each breath. A tight black T-shirt, faded jeans and heavy boots made up his wardrobe. She wanted to see what was underneath those garments.
The tattoos covering both arms intrigued her. She wondered how he would respond if she ran her tongue along them—and wherever else he might have ink. How much of him
was
covered in ink?
She flushed and had to tear her gaze away from his body. She turned back to the mini fridge. “So…a beer?”
Alex chuckled and she wanted to sink into the floor. Of course her brother had caught her attraction to Max. There would be no living with him now.
Alex was always trying to get her to step away from her studio and date. But until she’d gotten a look at Max, dating hadn’t been a high priority. She’d grown up in a small town. Sure, she’d gone out with a few of the guys, but she had never been serious about any of them.
She popped the tops to four beers and strolled around the bar.
Max had settled on one of the couches and Alex and Chase took the one closer to her. So she was going to have to take a seat next to Max.
Her heart pounded frantically as she moved farther into the middle of the room.
She passed the bottles to Chase and Alex, ignoring the gleam in her brother’s gaze. She walked over and held out another beer to Max. Their fingers brushed as he took it from her and she barely held in a gasp at the electricity that sparked between them. A glance at his lap showed he was indeed as attracted to her as she was to him. The heavy aroma of arousal and need surrounded them. His erection pushed at the zipper of his jeans. A nice-sized package, she believed.
Since dropping to her knees to help him out probably wouldn’t go over well with the other two men in the room, she backed away slowly.
When she’d agreed to have Max hang around as security, she’d had no idea what she was getting herself into.
“Thank you.”
His deep voice sent a thrill down her spine. Cassie managed a smile and nodded. She sat gently on the edge of the couch as Max took a long pull on his beer. She watched his throat work. Who knew a throat could be so damn sexy?
She caught herself staring and quickly looked away. Her gaze passed over Alex, who still smirked. She needed to get control over herself and stop fantasizing about what Max’s large hands would feel like on her body.
Especially under the watchful attention of her brother.
“Shall we get started?” Alex asked with amusement.
She shrugged.
Alex, Chase and Max started going over the plan to beef up security on the property. Since she wasn’t hearing anything that she objected to, she just listened. Listened and watched.
Max reclined back with the bottle held loosely between his fingers. He was a big guy but appeared comfortable. He had a certain amount of power surrounding him. The wolf inside her recognized it and wanted to present herself for him. The only other person she’d ever felt that kind of radiating dominance from was her Alpha.
The inner strength that she was picking up on could very well be why she was so attracted to him. Constantly surrounded by such domineering men, she had found herself more and more comfortable around the type. Although her reaction to Max was very unique from anyone else she’d ever met.