“We have a communal pot to pitch our incomes into. We each have our own savings, but the community money is for the whole of the pack—for the upkeep of our ancestral home, for food, celebrations, and special needs. I want to show you just how we can figure things and bring more money into the accounts.”
“Well, my earnings and the rental income from the carriage house should help to pay the loan back,” she said, watching as he turned on his computer. “I need to move some of my things out of my home, some I can store at my parents’ place. The rest of the furnishings will stay so that it’s sufficiently furnished for bed-and-breakfast guests. As to the rest…”
“We’ll move your other stuff here. We can do that this afternoon after the meal if you’d like.”
“Okay.”
He watched to see her response. She was frowning, but he didn’t sense distress, only that this was going to be a lot of work. He was eager to get her moved over completely, though he’d forgotten about that part of it. Once they had mated, he’d felt that was all that needed to be done. She was here. That was all that was important.
“Everything’s going to be fine.” Guthrie pulled up some of his spreadsheets.
“Impressive,” Calla said next to his ear, her warm, sweet breath tickling it as she leaned close to observe the charts.
In that instant, he was thinking a lot more about Calla’s assets, rather than the finances. He couldn’t believe anything would distract him from showing off their books.
“You’re so meticulous with your accounts,” she said, her breast touching his shoulder.
“Aren’t you?” He was thinking about pulling her onto his lap and snuggling with her while they looked over the finances.
“Wait. I’ll get my laptop and be right back.”
He sighed. He should have just taken her straight back to bed when they returned to Argent Castle. What had he been thinking? “All right. I’ll print these out, and we can have a seat over there and look them over.”
In a few minutes, Calla was back with her laptop and sitting on the couch. He joined her with his handful of papers. She turned on her laptop and pulled up her financial records.
He smiled. “You’re just as meticulous about your records.”
He’d suspected she might be since she was able to talk to him about her financial data without having to look up her records.
She started analyzing his stocks and earnings. “Wow, this is great.”
“Just as yours are,” he said, admiring her—and not just for her financial figures.
“Our combined assets will grow over time and…” She paused when he began brushing her hair with his fingers.
“Aye, our joining of assets will be in both our best interests.”
He shoved his papers aside, took her laptop, and set it on the coffee table, then pulled her into his arms. He began kissing her, then remembered the office door. But when he broke off the kiss, he saw that Calla had already shut it. Had she had the same notion as he had?
With the door closed, no one would intrude. When he napped, he always shut the door. Otherwise it was always open to pack members who wanted to discuss their finances with him or kids who needed math tutoring.
She smiled and began to unbutton his shirt. “No worries. I locked it when I returned with my laptop.”
“I love when you are thinking the way I’m thinking. I love you,” he said, pulling off her sweater, then yanking off his own. He’d never imagined making love on the sofa where he’d take a quick wolf nap in between figuring out the pack’s finances—and with the loveliest she-wolf, who was now his mate.
“I just wanted to say that we are together in anything we do, you know. Even when we are apart. If you ever feel the need to talk to me about anything, if you’re ever upset with me, just say so. I don’t want anything to ever come between the two of us.”
He’d understood her need to protect her parents’ reputation and solve the financial crisis on her own, but he never wanted her to feel that she had to do anything like that again. They were a team now.
She smiled up at him with the most devilish look as she reached for his belt. “I’ll remind you of this conversation later if you change your mind. It goes both ways, you know.”
He grinned at her as he helped her to unbuckle his belt.
“I still don’t know for sure—do you or don’t you go regimental when you wear your kilt?”
“Ahhh, lass, what do you think?”
She ran her hand over his crotch, his cock straining for release, and he hurried to pull down his pants.
“Regimental. And you, lass, under that long Stewart plaid skirt?”
She smiled wickedly at him.
He smiled back. “Then next time we’re wearing our plaids, we’ll have to do something about it.” He could just envision the two of them like that and wished that after the previous festivities when they had worn them, they would have had the chance to see for themselves. But they hadn’t quite come this far at the time, and they had a lifetime together now to experiment all they wanted. The very next kilted occasion…well, he couldn’t wait.
He stripped off the rest of her clothes and the rest of his, the room toasty warm. She was bared to him, her strawberry blond hair draped across his sofa, her smooth, soft skin light against the chocolate velvet and gold-embroidered throw, the red thatch of curly hair between her legs begging him for further exploration, her green eyes smiling as she waited for his touch.
She smiled at him and he sighed. “You’re beautiful. How could I have ever gotten so lucky?”
“I keep asking myself the same question—about my getting lucky with you, of course.”
He chuckled, loving her sense of humor. Then he pulled her legs apart so he could nestle between them and rub his cock against her mound. He smelled the way her pheromones were already stirring, her scent changing from sweetly seductive to hot and enticing. Everything about her was tantalizing—her soft skin, her round breasts, her erect nipples, her tongue-moistened lips open to him. He kissed her, tasting her lips, and licking and nibbling at their sweetness.
She moaned as he rubbed against her feminine folds.
Her legs wrapping around him, she rested her heels against the back of his thighs, her body receptive as she moved against him.
She groaned as he plunged his tongue into her mouth and began stroking her as his cock rubbed between her legs. Feeling her arching against him, as eager to find release as he was, he wanted this to last. She had the most amazing mouth, her tongue just as intriguing as she chased after his, stroking and making him smile. And she smiled right back.
He loved making love to her. He was so glad they hadn’t waited any longer than this because the painful obsession he’d had to get close to her like this, to share of himself as she opened herself up to him, had been strangling him. Now, they were one, and he couldn’t have been more pleased.
His skin was overheated, all because of one little she-wolf, her hot body making his blood sizzle. He kissed her again, loving her lips beneath his, the power of her kisses nearly making him come. Or maybe it was the way her body rubbed against his cock or her heels pressed against the back of his legs or her fingers combed through his hair.
He thought he would get the chance to stroke her clit, but before he had the opportunity to make her come using his fingers, him rubbing his cock against her made her cry out, and he quickly covered her mouth to kiss her long and hard. A little too late.
He slid inside her and felt her muscles contracting, pushing in all the way and slowly pulling out, then plunging deeper, harder. She felt so good wrapped tightly around him, and he leaned down and suckled a nipple. She groaned and lightly scored his back with her fingernails.
“You are so good,” she whispered against his ear as he leaned down to lick her neck.
“Lass,” was all he could get out as he plunged into her, over and over. She rocked against him, gripping his hips with her hands now as if afraid he would leav
e her before she could come again.
He rubbed and thrust until he felt her spasm around his cock. He couldn’t hold on and released, letting go of the control, pumping into her, emptying his progeny into her womb, adoring her.
“Damn, woman, how we can go from analyzing finances to hot sex…”
She pulled him down for another kiss. “We just love each other’s assets way too much.”
Chapter 19
After lunch, Guthrie had to talk to Ian and Julie about the finances as Calla explained how much she earned and about renting out her place. Other issues came up that afternoon that Guthrie had to deal with and Calla agreed that they would get a fresh start in the morning to move her things. She truly was anxious to get settled permanently at Argent, but Guthrie had the best way of getting rid of her worries, though she hoped no one had noticed that she and he had slipped off to bed so early.
Getting a really late start the next morning, Calla was ready to begin preparing her place to open as a bed-and-breakfast. She was grateful that the MacNeills had helped to pay her parents’ loan off, but she wanted to start earning an income from renting her home as quickly as possible so she could repay the loan to the MacNeills and they could reinvest it. She hated owing money, even if technically her parents owed it. They were a family unit, and that was all that mattered.
She was afraid that Guthrie wouldn’t want to bother with moving-in details this soon. Baird had not been interested in the details of domestic life—which was why they hadn’t discussed her moving in with him. She guessed he’d just assumed she’d take care of it all in due time. But Guthrie?
He was ready to get this done. He actually talked all about it with her—including what she could change in his bedchamber so she’d be comfortable there. She loved that about him and reminded herself not to compare him to Baird again.
“You’re not in any hurry, are you?” she asked, smiling as he rushed her down the stairs.
“The sooner we get you moved over here permanently, the sooner you’re all mine.” He smiled wolfishly at her.
She chuckled. “That sounds awfully possessive.”
“I just don’t want you to feel like you’re having to live in between Argent Castle and your carriage house.”
She truly loved him; he was being so considerate of her.
“As for my office, we can fix it up so that you have plenty of room for your own desk and files or whatever you need.”
“Thanks, I’d love that. On both accounts. You don’t mind if I move my frilly pink curtains into the office, do you?”
Smiling, he looked at her with a raised brow.
She chuckled. “Just teasing. By doing this today, we’ll be home in plenty of time to rest up before the Christmas party tomorrow.” She couldn’t wait. She and Julia had sneaked off to plan the whole affair in secret, clueing in some of the ladies, who would help set up the games, and Cook and her assistants, who would prepare the special treats and meal. Calla had gotten the biggest kick out of hearing Ian cajoling Julia to tell him what all they had in store for the party, but she wouldn’t say.
Guthrie slipped his arm around her waist and kissed her forehead. “I can’t believe you’ve left me out of the loop on the Christmas party.”
She smiled up at him. “Remember, no swordplay.”
He sighed. “I don’t plan on us returning from your house after moving your stuff just so we can rest up a whole lot, either. You haven’t scheduled the celebration too early, have you?”
“Thankfully, Julia wanted it to be a late-afternoon affair.”
“I’m glad for that.”
Guthrie asked Ian whom he could spare to help them move her things to her parents’ home, while she okayed it with her father over the phone. “Aye, aye, Dad. We’re…” She smiled up at Guthrie as he observed her. “Mated.”
Her father whooped and hollered, and she envisioned him seizing her mother, embracing her, and twirling her around as she screeched in the background.
“And the wedding?” her father finally asked, his excitement cheering her.
“Nothing elaborate. Just a gathering of families and that’s it,” she said.
“You still have the wedding gown.”
“Of course. The store doesn’t take back used wedding gowns.”
“Your mum said she’ll call Guthrie’s mum and talk to her.”
“No big wedding, Dad. We can’t afford it. Just something simple.”
“All right.”
“I’m moving in with Guthrie.”
“Aye!”
She laughed. “You sound like you’re eager to get rid of me.”
“Nay, lass. We’re so glad you’re mated to Guthrie and have a pack to live with.”
“Good. I want to move some of my things to your place.”
“Anything.”
“And I want to rent out my place as a bed-and-breakfast. I was thinking…”
“Way ahead of you there. We’ll manage it, and we’ll rent out the five extra bedrooms in the manor house. Your mother has wanted to do this forever. She loves to cook—you know how she is. This was just the incentive we needed.”
“Good. We’re headed over there now, and when you return home, we can see what the MacNeills’ schedule looks like and plan a quick wedding.”
“Your mum wants to talk to you.”
Calla took a deep breath, bracing for the inevitable.
“Calla, oh, Calla, we’re so very proud of you,” her mother said. “As soon as we end the call, I’m talking to Lady Mae.”
“Keep it simple. Nothing extravagant. I mean it.” Calla didn’t want to hurt her mother’s feelings. By lupus garou tradition, her parents had never officially been married in a church, though they had legal documents to prove Calla was their only daughter and heir. Still, she knew how much this meant to her mother, that Calla would marry Guthrie in a church.
“Of course, dear. We wouldn’t think of anything too costly. Flowers—”
“No flowers. They’re too expensive.” If it had been summer, Calla would have cut some roses from her garden.
“Oh, all right.” Her mother began crying.
“Mum?” Tears sprang into Calla’s eyes. She couldn’t bear it when her mother cried. “What’s wrong?” She didn’t believe having no flowers would upset her mother so much.
“I’m just so happy for you,” her mother sobbed.
Calla smiled and sniffled. “Me too. I have to go. I’m moving most of what I can today. An ice storm is coming in, so we’ve got to hurry.”
“All right. You take care of that handsome Highlander. I always told you that you should have paid more attention to Cearnach’s younger brother.”
“Aye, you’re right. A mistake I’m rectifying. Love you, Mum. See you soon.” Calla ended the call and put her phone in her purse. She’d forgotten how her mother had said she should have gotten together with Guthrie some time or another. Just to see if they would suit because both of them were actually like-minded about finances and, well, a whole lot more. But Calla hadn’t had a chance once she returned to the area and Baird had so quickly swept her off her feet.
“Are you okay?” Guthrie asked, helping Calla into her coat.
“Yeah. They’re both ecstatic.” She wiped her nose with a tissue.
“You had me worried there for a moment.”
She smiled up at Guthrie and tugged on his belt. “My mother was overwhelmed with joy and began sobbing.”
“Ah, mothers. Got to love them.”
She laughed. “Aye.”
Duncan, Cearnach, Jasper, Ethan, and Oran all volunteered to help with the move. Ian figured they didn’t need any more men than that, and that was probably too many. But they all insisted on going. Heather went along to help Calla pack. The other ladies were mysteriously absent.
The weather was supposed to worsen later in the day, so they left right after breakfast. A heavy mist already cloaked the area with a ghostly white blanket.
When they rea
ched Calla’s carriage house, she felt overwhelmed with the idea of packing up everything that she didn’t want to leave behind. It seemed like a lot more work once she realized how much paraphernalia she had stuffed in closets, under beds, in drawers, and in cabinets.
Guthrie rubbed her back. “We don’t have to do this all in one day, lass. We can take as much time as you need.”
“Aye.” But she wanted to do this. To get it over and done with as quickly as possible. At least she had only lived here for a year and hadn’t accumulated many years’ worth of things. Plus, the last time she’d moved, she’d gotten rid of a lot of stuff she didn’t need.
She started in the kitchen and began giving orders, thankful everyone was here to help and thinking maybe it wouldn’t take too long after all. “All the food needs to go. You can leave it in my parents’ fridge and cupboards. The dishes will stay here. I’ll go through the rest of this and see if there’s anything I want to take. Guthrie, you can box up my clothes. I’ll take all of them with us.”
“Got it.” He took a couple of boxes down to her bedroom. Ethan and Jasper unloaded her fridge and all the food from the cupboards.
She directed Duncan and Cearnach to help pack up all of her financial files and office supplies. She and Heather went through the rest of the house, collecting keepsakes that Calla would leave at her parents’ home for now and taking anything else that renters didn’t need for a comfortable stay.
Packing everything up that would go to her parents’ house first would take a lot longer than she’d thought. The men figured they’d get it done quicker if all six of them started hauling everything over to her parents’ place while Calla and Heather stayed at the carriage house and continued to pack.
The men would leave all the boxes in Calla’s old bedroom, knowing that her parents would not rent her room out, and she’d come back and sort out everything later. Some of the boxes were going into a storage unit on the property, and the men would need a little time to put away all the food.
Heather smiled at Calla. “I’m so glad you mated Guthrie. We’ll have to have a grand wedding.”