The Wolves Next Door
Read The Wolves Next Door Online
Authors: Catherine Vale
Werewolf Paranormal Romance
By Catherine Vale
full-figured waitress trying to rebuild her life. Both have something to hide;
neither is willing to let go.
Can two people with so many secrets ever learn to trust again?
Warning: This novel contains mature content intended for readers 18
years of age or older.
Praise For Catherine Vale…
online. Sinfully and unapologetically naughty.”
– Romance Monthly
“Delicious. It’s all so incredibly delicious. Alpha males
everywhere, around every corner, down every lane. Catherine Vale knows
how to create a world in which every hot blooded woman would love to live!”
– Janice Delaney
“Catherine’s writing is so fresh and clever with a hearty helping of
spice!”
– Vanessa White
“It’s just plain old fun! Every story leads you down a different path,
but you can always count on there being more fun than you’ve had in awhile!”
– Sizzling Reads
Wolves Next Door
Werewolf BBW Romance
By Catherine Vale
First Edition. June 2014.
Copyright © 2014, Catherine Vale
Published by Wild Hearts Press
Website:
http://www.CatherineVale.com
All
rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no
part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a
retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written
permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This
is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, brands, incidents, and
places are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used
fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and
trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction. The
publication/use of these trademarks is not associated with or sponsored by the
trademark owners.
This
book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be resold
or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with
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Table Of
Contents
Another
crazy day of endless shopping
,
thought Julie as she dumped her bags onto the floor, struggled to open the
front door and then fought to reload the heavy bags into her arms.
That’s
the exact moment she heard a deep voice rumble from out of nowhere.
A voice
she knew that she would never forget.
“Looks
like you could use some help with those.”
Crushed
gravel…warm, delicious velvet, and pure steel mixed with just a hint of smooth,
deep bass…
That voice.
Julie caught her breath as the words washed over
her senses, her pulse instantly quickening. She was reluctant to look behind
her; she already knew who it was. Only one man had a voice that could send such
wickedly delicious vibrations through her curvy frame, reducing her to a
blushing schoolgirl within minutes, leaving her feeling lightheaded and
breathless.
“Come
on, let me help you with that. Those bags look awfully heavy for a girl.”
This
time, his voice held slight humor and she rolled her eyes before finally
spinning around to face him.
“Hi,
Caine,” she greeted him with a bright smile.
With
a man like Caine, there was only one thing to expect: Unapologetic and brazenly
hot fire that could melt the toughest woman’s heart with just one look. And
that’s exactly what happened every time she ran into him.
Julie
had moved into the quiet, upscale neighborhood nearly three months ago and so
far, Caine was one of the only neighbors who had reached out to her. Julie
didn’t mind that so much, since the last thing she wanted was to add chaos to
her life with nosy neighbors wanting to invade her space. After all, she moved to
the area for one reason only: peace and quiet, and most importantly, a brand new
start, a second chance. And that involved keeping a low profile, her head down,
minding her own business.
She
looked up,
way
up at Caine and instantly felt the undeniable heat in the
deep blue of his eyes.
It
was hard to turn a cold shoulder to such a beautiful, charismatic man, even if
the plus size beauty felt completely awkward and out of place with him. Perhaps
she wasn’t used to the attention of such a powerful specimen, especially one as
seductively handsome as Caine, or maybe it was because of her own insecurities,
ignited by an ex boyfriend who made her question everything about herself. But
as she stood before the irresistible man and his desire to simply help her with
her shopping bags, all self-conscious thought was lost in the wind, replaced
with a deep satisfying need to be close to him, to remain in his presence.
His
dirty blond hair and six-foot-six frame in that black t-shirt and low slung jeans
looked casual enough at first glance, harmless even, but you could still
imagine him just walking out of a Calvin Klein photo shoot and with just a
quick flash of that bright-white smile a woman could lose all control.
“Thanks,
Caine. I appreciate the help, but I think I’ll manage.” she finally replied.
Damn the breathy way she sounded! Every single time he approached her she felt
like she should run the other way for fear of further embarrassing herself. But
Caine seemed harmless enough – as harmless as a walking sex god could be,
that is. Julie had to quell the impulse to run her fingers through his hair.
She hoped she looked okay after a full day of shopping and errands. What could
she say? Shopping was her pick-me-up, especially after a rough day – or
week.
And she’d had more than a few of those lately.
“Are
you sure about that?” Caine prodded, a small smile tilting his sinfully curved
lips. Julie tore her eyes away from that beautiful mouth to look down at the
bags, which still dotted the floor at her feet, barely maintaining their
contents. She figured two trips would be all it would take and she’d have all
of her stuff inside. But then she looked up at Caine once again, and didn’t
feel like saying ‘no’ today. Not to those gorgeous blue eyes. Not to that
sinfully flirty smile with those
melt-your-heart
dimples. What harm
would it be anyway, accepting a bit of help from a friendly neighbor?
“On
second thought, I really would appreciate your help. Thanks,” she replied with
a genuine smile. She could swear Caine’s eyes darkened momentarily as he held
her gaze, but then he nodded with a return smile.
“No
problem,” he replied, his molten-lava voice oozing sexuality, and with one
quick movement, he easily gathered up several of the over-flowing bags into his
large hands.
“Come
on in,” Julie whispered, though he already was walking through her front door.
She hid an inward sigh as she watched Caine enter into what she’d so far
considered her personal space. Her eyes lingered briefly on his retreating
back, stretched beneath the fabric of his t-shirt and outlined in muscle, and
then down at his perfectly sculpted frame.
No man’s ass had the right to
look that good in jeans
, thought Julie with a shiver. Finally, she bent
down to pick up the remaining two bags. As she straightened, she glanced across
the street and let out a quiet groan of dismay.
Julie
recognized the woman standing there in front of the opposite house, her thin
face etched in disapproval. She had long brunette hair tied back in a severe
ponytail, and her gaze was that of sharp daggers and cold steel.
Just what I
need
, thought Julie. It was bad enough that she’d been feeling snubbed by the
ladies in the neighborhood, but now she’d have to contend with being thought of
the neighborhood flirt, maybe even slut, luring their sexy male neighbors into
her love nest.
Not
sure what to do, Julie simply smiled and nodded, but the woman merely huffed
and turned her back, shaking her head all the way up to her front door which she
slammed shut behind her.
Ouch
.
Okay, so that’s how it’s going to be.
Well, all the more reason not to socialize.
With
a deep sigh she retreated into her house only to find Caine waiting for her, standing
in the middle of the foyer, bags still in hand.
“Where
do you want me?” He glanced over his shoulder at her, his dimples prominent on
his tanned face.
Julie
couldn’t control the rush of heat between her thighs or the way her nipples
suddenly felt sensitive beneath her thin blouse. Stuttering, she struggled to
breathe. “Umm, in the … the living room. Just set the bags down on the coffee
table, please.” She moved ahead of him, leading him deeper into the house, and
he followed close behind, his masculine scent waffling in the air, permeating
everything it touched and she knew that she would never be able to walk through
the front door of her house again without being instantly reminded of Caine. And
she was very certain he knew that.
* * *
Caine
noted that the bags weren’t filled with groceries, but clothing and other
fashion items. Some of the bags held insignia from pricey designer stores.
Coupled with the way the house seemed so nicely decorated and styled, it was
obvious Julie was doing well for herself. Or maybe she had a rich family
– or boyfriend.
The
thought of any man in Julie’s life fired him up, causing him to let out a growl.
Damn
. He didn’t want to think about that. Ryan had warned him that they
should take it slow. Give her time to adjust to the area, get to know her. It
was all part of the process to eventually make her understand that not only had
she come into their territory, she’d staked her claim on the two men destined
to have her as a mate.
Their one and only mate.
And
now it occurred to him that she might not even be single. After all, she was
absolutely stunning. Curves in places Caine never even dreamed a woman could
have them, and eyes; such a gorgeous, impossibly dark brown he was almost
tempted to ask if she wore contacts. And her smile – it had the power to
tilt his world on its side, leaving him desperate to cling to reality before he
was swept away in some dangerously wicked fantasy. And oh those lips…
deliciously plump and begging to be kissed. When she smiled at him the way she
had earlier, as she’d thanked him for his offer to help, Caine had felt the
strings clench around his heart. Taking things slow with Julie would be the
most difficult thing Caine ever did.
Besides,
he wasn’t known for his patience. Ryan was the calm and steady one. Dark,
brooding and enigmatic, he was the opposite of Caine’s wild, carefree style.
But
there wasn’t a carefree thought on his mind right then, a frown marring his
forehead as he suddenly wondered if the reason Julie always seemed so nervous
or wary of letting him close was because she was already taken.
Imagining
another man’s hands on Julie’s body tightened his gut till he could hardly
breathe. Yet, he couldn’t sense another man on her – no masculine scent
existed in the room other than his own. Funny how, after only three months
since she moved in, he already thought of her as theirs to claim. And though Caine
normally didn’t like to share when it came to his women, when it came to Julie,
Caine and Ryan already had an understanding. There could only be one woman for
them; a shared mate that would fulfill their needs as lover, friend and mother
to their offspring. One scent of Julie, and their joint fate had been sealed…
* * *
Ryan
had found her first.
He’d
literally passed by her on the street a short distance away from her house.
He’d seen her heading toward him and was instantly taken in by her beauty.
Taller than the average woman, beautifully curved; a classic beauty that made
you lose your breath for a moment in hungry admiration.
As
she’d approached, she’d looked up and met Ryan’s gaze and he instantly picked
her scent in the air. She gave him a polite smile and nod and then brushed past
him on the narrow pavement, oblivious to the desire she etched into his heart.
A
minute later, Ryan spun round, fists clenching, desperate to hold back the urge
to claim what he was sure was his. Being a shifter meant there was always a
thin line between your primal and human instincts. Sometimes, it was easy to
simply give in, the beast breaking through the logic, forcing its desires above
all rational thought. As he watched the gloriously beautiful woman walk away,
Ryan felt closer to losing control than he’d ever felt since he had originally
shifted.
He
watched with narrowed eyes as she suddenly moved toward the house nested
between his and Caine’s. As she let herself in, he realized she was his new
neighbor, the woman who had just purchased the Miller house that had stood
empty for years. And then a smile had spread over his normally forbidding
expression, dispelling the shadows. He couldn’t wait to tell Caine the news.
They’d
found their mate. Or more aptly, she’d found them, although she had yet to know
it. Fate couldn’t have been kinder and Ryan was hell-bent on making sure he
seized every opportunity to get to know her, to bring her closer into his
circle and finally, when the time was right, to reveal who she was to them. Their
one true mate, where she would be forever claimed, possessed by their
never-ending desire for her. She would succumb to her own desperate need for
them, accepting them as both her leaders and lovers in return, and she would
finally be right where she belonged.