Surrounded by Pleasure (14 page)

He ended the kiss and held her. He wasn’t sure how long
they stood beside the big truck, but he finally willed his arms to let go, his
legs to move back a few steps.

“Good-bye,” she breathed as she opened the door. And he
just couldn’t say it back. Instead he brought his fingers up to his lips and
kissed them before angling them in her direction and dropping his hands limply.

He watched them leave, keeping his eyes on Krista until
he couldn’t see her anymore. Then he’d watched the truck until it’d turned out
of sight. Then he listened to the truck as it traveled down the road until he
couldn’t hear it anymore.

She was gone.

He looked up to see Josh watching him sympathetically. He
couldn’t take that. Not pity. Not right now. When his brother took a step
toward him, Toby shook his head frantically as he backed away. Then he turned
and shifted into his bestial side, running as fast and as far away as his
feline legs would take him. He knew no one could see him.

But he had no misconceptions about the agonized roars
tearing through his throat.

Chapter Ten

It had been almost two weeks since Krista returned home.
Mikaela hadn’t stayed, preferring to take a much-needed vacation. It was just
as well. Krista worried that being so close to her friend right now would just
be a reminder of what she’d lost.

After crying for several days, she’d turned stoic. Going
through the motions of everyday life like some zombie and lying awake at night,
just staring at the ceiling. When she allowed herself to think about her time
with Toby, she realized she was a different person now. When she’d arrived on
the Woods estate, she’d been a timid, sexually inexperienced lady. Now she was
a woman, more secure in her skin. If only she’d allow herself the opportunity
to embrace the change that being with Toby had ignited. But she wasn’t ready
yet. In time she would be, but right now she just couldn’t go there.

It was late when she heard her phone ringing. Her heart
raced as she jumped out of bed to grab it, but then she saw the caller ID, and
her fragile hopes plummeted. Ariel. Not Toby. God, she missed him so much she
ached. This was madness. She didn’t have a boyfriend. She should be with the man
she loved. Why was she not giving him a chance to be with her? Was it because
she was scared of becoming a mountain lion like Mikaela?

When the phone wouldn’t stop ringing, Krista finally
answered. “Hello?”

“Hey, sis. Long time, no talk. I got your message and
called you back, but I never heard from you. Everything okay?”

Hell, no!
But she wouldn’t burden her
sister with the drama of her private life. If she could get Ariel to help Toby
and his brothers break free from the prison of their estate, then her heartache
would serve a healthy purpose. “I have a job for you. This is going to sound
crazy, but just hear me out.”

After getting her sister’s promise to secrecy, Krista
explained the Woods family secret, their dilemma caused by their urge to mate,
and her theories about suppressing those instincts enough for them to socialize
with society again.

Ariel listened with rapt fascination, asking excited
questions whenever Krista paused long enough to take a breath. She’d have
rolled her eyes if she’d been in a better mood. Her sister had always loved the
unexplained and was more open to seemingly unexplainable phenomena than Krista
had ever been.

“I just finished a project that was funded by a grant, so
I’m actually free for an indefinite period. When can I meet everyone?”

“Er, um, how about next week?”

“I was thinking this weekend?”

“That’s in two days!” Krista squeaked. But just as soon
as she said the words, she felt a long-forgotten calm wash over her. She’d see
Toby again. She wasn’t letting Ariel do this on her own, even if her sister was
a professional scientist. Okay, Krista knew the excuse was flimsy, but it was a
lifeline to her. She cleared her throat. “I have to make some calls. If I can
work it, how about Sunday?” At least that’d give her an extra day.

“Sunday’s good. I’ll see you then.”

Krista hung up, her mind racing. She’d see Toby again by
Sunday. It was three days away.

Too far away.

She paced, clutching her phone. The thought of what she
wanted in life dominated all others. She’d always wanted to be an attorney, but
since she’d returned from the Woods estate, that dream paled in comparison to
the one she had about belonging to Toby forever. She could have both. Mikaela
was a prime example. And she was happy.

Krista could be happy, too. As she thought about it, she
felt her resolve settling in. She didn’t know if Toby would have her after she
lied about having a boyfriend, but she’d find a way to come clean without
jeopardizing their lives. If she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt he wanted her
above all others, she’d take that leap with him.

But she couldn’t find out here. She had to go to him.

And Sunday was too damn long to wait. Thinking well into
the night, she decided she’d much rather inquire in person than make those
calls on Ariel’s behalf. And if she booked her flight now, she could be back on
the Woods estate by lunchtime.

* * * *

Toby walked into the kitchen with his brothers during
their lunch break on Friday. Their dad was interviewing prospective employees
now that they had the adjacent Caldwell Tree Farm, so his brothers were
excitedly talking about finally getting the help they needed.

But Toby didn’t give a shit. Work was a distraction for
him. It always would be since he had nothing else in his life. No woman. No
wife. No mate. And he never would. It was a wonder how he was able to drag
himself from his bed every morning. As he remembered those first few days
without her, he knew he hadn’t. It wasn’t until the third day of drinking and
passing out in his bed when his brothers rallied around him, forcing him to
join the land of the living. So he got up, not always showering, and when he
did, not always shaving—like this morning—and worked, visited with his
brothers, ran at night. But his heart wasn’t in anything he did.

Because his heart was in
St. Louis
, encased in his beautiful mate,
where it belonged.

He ate and joined the conversation when he was prompted
to, staring into space when he wasn’t.

“. . . meet in ten minutes.”

Toby looked over at Josh, who’d been speaking. “What did
you say?”

Josh sighed and gave Toby’s shoulder a squeeze. “Mikaela
had to run into town. She’s on her way back and wants to meet with everyone in
ten minutes.”

“What about?” Jack asked, with the natural scowl on his
face. Toby figured in time he’d be giving Jack a run for his money in the
frowning department.

“She has some ideas about our mountain lion side. She
didn’t really elaborate, but she sounded excited about it when I spoke to her a
few minutes ago.”

The hum of the guys’ voices drifted into the background
as Toby went back to eating. This was just one more thing for his brothers to
be excited about, and he wasn’t in the right mind to join in the fun discussion
about all the possibilities of what their sister-in-law was up to. He didn’t
care. It wasn’t that he was an asshole about it. He just couldn’t muster up the
energy to be excited about anything.

After he finished eating, he walked to the back of the
room to look out the window that overlooked their backyard. He stood there,
staring at the thousands of trees in the vicinity but not really seeing them.
It was her he saw. He didn’t think of her name. He hadn’t said it aloud since
she left, and he didn’t let it slip in his mind for fear he’d cry it out. But
that didn’t stop him from thinking about her.

Hell, he had no choice. And he wouldn’t have it any other
way. If he stopped thinking about her, he’d forget what she looked like, and
that was unacceptable.

As he stared through the trees and into her beautiful
eyes, he heard a door shut in the distance. A familiar smell assaulted his
senses, and he almost buckled. It had to be the female scent of Mikaela
reminding him of his mate, but that didn’t make it any easier to accept. When
he heard her walk and her voice in the kitchen talking, he turned to look at
her.

The air locked in his lungs.

She wasn’t alone.

She was with his mate.

All of his brothers shot their eyes to him and back to
her before Josh cleared his throat.

“Hi, kitten. What’s going on?” Josh asked his wife as he
walked over and kissed her. “You said you had some ideas about our mountain
lion sides.”

Mikaela smiled, but Toby wasn’t watching her. As soon as his
eyes locked with his mate’s he wasn’t going to look away for fear she’d
disappear.

“Actually, this was Krista’s idea. After she learned our
little secret, she mentioned her sister is a scientist and wondered if there
was something that could be done to subdue the urge to mate with any available
female.” She looked over at the beautiful woman standing next to her. “Isn’t
that right, Krista?”

She cleared her throat. “Yeah.”
Oh, God, her voice.

“Krista,” Toby breathed, unable to keep it from slipping
out of his mouth. She was really here, really talking.

She gave him a tentative smile. “Yeah, I called Ariel, my
sister, when I was here, and she called me back last night. She understands the
need for secrecy and is eager to meet with you all to see if she can help.
She’ll be here on Sunday if you agree.” She was asking everyone, but she hadn’t
taken her eyes off Toby.

“Whatever you want, baby,” he responded automatically.
He’d give her whatever she wanted for the rest of his life.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Jack said, rolling his eyes. “Just
what the hell do you expect her to do?” Krista flinched, breaking eye contact
with Toby and looking at Jack.

Toby growled, shooting his gaze to his overbearing
brother. “Back off.”

“No, no, it’s okay, Toby. He has a right to understand
this. You all do. I’m not sure what she’s planning on doing because I’m not a
scientist, chemist, and all those other things she is. I think she’ll formulate
some drug for you, but she’s a professional. She won’t just throw a bunch of
dangerous stuff together and shove it down your throats. At this point, all I’m
offering is the opportunity to see if she can help.”

“Well, I think it’s a hellacious idea!” Rob said,
gleaming. “Is she single?” He wagged his eyebrows.

Krista smiled at Rob. “No, she’s married to her high-school
sweetheart.”

“Well, damn.” He rubbed his chin. “I still think she
should come try her voodoo out on us. Couldn’t hurt.”

“Fine,” Jack grumbled.

Mikaela clapped her hands. “Good. Then it’s settled.”

Nobody spoke for several seconds, the silence almost
deafening. Toby was worried now that Krista had spoken her news, she’d be
leaving. His skin felt tight as panic set in. His mate was here. He couldn’t
let her go. Oh, God, not yet. Please not yet.

“Josh, honey, can you call Jeffery and have him bring
Krista’s bags in? She’ll be staying until her sister arrives on Sunday. He can
put them in the second-floor guest room.”

“No!” The word was out before Toby could stop it. He
searched Krista’s eyes. Were they sad because she didn’t want to stay with him,
or did she think he didn’t want her staying here at all? He couldn’t let her
worry. “Have him take them to my cabin.”

The relief that flashed in her eyes was almost his
undoing. She still wanted him. No matter what their lives were like, she still
wanted him. The joy that flooded him was damn-near overwhelming.

Mikaela turned to Krista for confirmation, and she gave
his sister-in-law a quick nod. “Okay, then. Rob, Jack, I need to speak with you
in my office. Honey, you can come, too,” she said to her husband.

The people in the room slowly filtered out, but Toby was
frozen in place. He wanted to yank Krista in his arms and never let her go, but
he couldn’t seem to move his feet.

“You look like hell,” she whispered.

“I’ve felt like hell.”

She nodded as she clasped her hands in front of her and twisted
them nervously. “Can we, er, go back to your place and talk? I’d like a little
privacy.”

“Of course.” He walked toward her, passing her to open
the door for her, and led the way to his cabin in silence. He’d let her speak
her mind before he said or did anything. Although he had no idea what he’d say
or do given the opportunity. He was still reeling with the reality of her being
here.

When they walked into his cabin, he winced. God, it
reeked of booze in here. He quickly opened up the windows to get the air
circulating and gathered the empty bottles while she sat down on the couch. He
tossed the evidence of his weakness into the trash and turned to face her,
resting on the wall for several seconds as he gathered his strength to sit next
to her. When he finally couldn’t stand the distance any longer, he took his
seat and turned to her, their knees brushing against each other—it was the
first physical contact he’d had with her since she’d left, and he immediately
wanted more. So he rested his elbows on his knees and buried his head in his
hands to stave off the urge to touch her just yet.