Garden of the Wolf

  "I hope you don't mind this being a foursome. Daniel and I often eat together," Young told us.

  "We could make it a five-some if we could find Linda," I suggested.

  Susie glanced around us. "She is gone. Where'd she go?"

  "I told her she could have the night off before she went to fetch you," Young admitted.

  "So what's on the menu?" Susie wondered.

  "A special steak with a special thank-you, and these." Young pulled out one of the bottles while Nelson took the neck of the other. I was shown Young's bottle, and Susie got a look at Nelson's.

  "Late-harvest viognier, 1950," I read the label. My eyes flickered up to Young's face and I was glad for the limited light. His eyes couldn't bewitch me. "Was that a good year?"

  "A very good year. This has a unique flavor that no other bottle in the world contains," Young promised. He eased the cork out, and the last half inch it spared him the trouble and flew from the neck. The cork sailed into the sky and dropped a few feet from the table.

  "Cool!" Susie commented. She looked to Nelson. "Do that to yours."

  Nelson chuckled. "I make no promises, but here goes." He slowly opened his cork and leaned his face back. At the last quarter inch his cork burst from the neck and made an arch above us. It dropped close beside its fallen brethren near the table.

  I furrowed my brow. "I didn't think anybody could get a cork out with their hands. Are you sure the contents aren't tainted?" I asked them.

  "I told you these were very special bottles," Young reminded me.

  "Are we talking expensive or actually tastes good?" Susie wondered.

  "Both, because of the rarity and the flavor," Nelson promised. He grabbed their two glasses while Young took a hold of ours.

  Susie covered the mouth of her wine glass with her hand and shook her head. "Not for me, thanks."

  Nelson raised an eyebrow and I noticed Young's eyes flickered between our complimenting pair. "Any particular reason why you don't want it?" Nelson asked Susie.

  "I don't drink wine. It just doesn't agree with me. Too fruity, I think," she admitted.

  The men visibly relaxed, and Nelson smiled and poured only one glass. "I see. I'll have to make a request to have the contents mixed with our steaks. You can't taste the flavor that way."

  "That sounds like such a waste," I spoke up.

  "A used drink is never a wasted drink," Nelson countered.

  Young chuckled and pushed my drink toward me. "My friend is quite the philosopher when it comes to management. That's why he's in charge of the finances and I get the honor of handling the guests," he commented.

  "How did the meeting go with the other guests, if you don't mind my asking?" I wondered.

  Young picked up his glass and winced. "I don't particularly mind, though I'm afraid there was nothing constructive accomplished," Young replied.

  Nelson raised an eyebrow. "They slaughtered you," he corrected his friend.

  "I wouldn't go that-"

  "There were no survivors," Nelson interrupted him.

  "They took no prisoners?" Susie added.

  "Not alive," Nelson answered.

  Susie cringed. "Ouch, brutal annihilation."

  "Devastation."

  "Destruction."

  While the two went back and forth showing off their thesaurus skills Young leaned toward me and nodded at the pair. "They seem to get along," he commented.

  "Like two patients in an insane asylum," I agreed.

  He chuckled and held his glass between us. "I'll drink to a little insanity in life. It's a refreshing change from the ordinary."

  I lifted my glass so it was beside his. "I suppose I can drink to that." We chinked our glasses and he swallowed half of his in one gulp. I took a tentative sip of mine and found the flavor not only sweet, but with a hint of something I couldn't decipher but found delicious. "What's in this?" I asked him.

  "Oh, an old specialty of mine," he replied.

  "Yours? From 1950?" I wondered.

  "That is, an old specialty of my family," he corrected himself. His eyes scrutinized my face. "How do you like it?"

  I shrugged. "Not bad." To prove my point I downed the rest of the glass and held it out to him. "May I have another, gov'ner?"

  "Don't get drunk on me," Susie spoke up. Their back-and-forth was finished, but I wasn't sure who was the victor. Probably not the thesaurus.

  "If I do you can help me back to the cabin. I promise I won't make too many passes at you," I teased.

  Young smiled and poured me another glass. He refilled his own and raised his glass above the center of the table. "To new friends and new futures."

  Susie furrowed her brow. "That's a strange toast."

  "It's my motto. It keeps me looking forward without dwelling too much on the past," Young explained.

  Nelson raised his glass, and we girls followed suit. "To new futures," we chanted. We chinked our glasses together and downed what drinks we'd chosen. At that moment a cart wheeled through the glass door and to our table. A metal cover shielded the food from our gaze, but wonderful smells wafted from beneath the lid.

  "What's for dinner?" Susie asked our host.

  Young shrugged. "Daniel demanded he be in charge of the meal, so everything's a surprise to me," he told us.

  "Tender sirloin steak with side dishes of salad, mashed potatoes and gravy, and corn," Nelson replied.

  Susie picked up her knife and fork in each hand and widely grinned. "I'm game."

  An hour later and the game was finished, and so was my friend. Susie packed away the last of the meat and Scott poured me the last bit of the late-harvest wine. Our wonderful food had been punctuated with lively conversation about the Gardens, Susie and my boring lives, and future career plans for all of us.

  Scott set down the empty bottle beside his plate and his eyes flickered to me. "You've spoken a great deal about your jobs, but I wondered what your plans were for your life."

  Susie snorted and nodded at me. "Her job is her life," she informed him.

  "Is it? That's a pity," he mused.

  I raised an eyebrow and narrowed my eyes at him. "You seem pretty engrossed in your business, too," I pointed out.

  He leaned back and smiled. "In this case the business is a family one, and it's impossible to disentangle the two," he defended himself.

  "Well, the same is kind of true for me, it's just that I don't own the business," I argued. Young chuckled, and I scowled at him. "What's so funny? Can't a girl work for a living and like it?"

  "By all means, but you shouldn't let it consume you," he scolded.

  "Maybe I'm not 'consumed' by anything. Maybe I just like to have a future somewhere," I argued.

  "But at a company? That doesn't sound like a very fulfilling future, and definitely not a fulfilling life," he countered.

  "But it's my life," I insisted.

  "Have you ever wondered if maybe you're taking the wrong path in life?" he challenged me.

  My pride was pricked, and I wouldn't take it sitting down. I stood and flung my napkin on the table. "So you're saying women shouldn't put work first?"

  His smile slipped off his lips. "Not at all, but there's more to life than a career."

  Susie made slashing motions across her neck at me. "Abby!" she hissed.

  I ignored her and scowled at Young. "Well, maybe other people don't think the same way you do. Maybe they don't have the luxury of owning a large resort that practically runs itself and only has to deal with a couple of complains every few months. Maybe other peoples' lives are a little tougher than being a rich playboy."

  That hit the wrong button on Young because his lips pursed together. "If that's what you think of the situation then you're gravely mistaken. There are more responsibilities here than you can imagine."

  "Scott," Nelson warned him.

  I snorted. "Yeah, right. I'll believe it when I see it. Thanks for the meal." I stomped from the balcony and down the inside stairs.

  Footsteps h
urried after me and Susie caught up to me in the lobby. "What the hell was that?" she questioned me.

  "A disagreement," I growled.

  "More like a tongue-lashing. He didn't do that much to deserve that," she insisted.

  By this time we were halfway down the row of cabins, and I spun around and glared at her. "If you think he's right then go back and stay with him," I snarled. I knew I'd gone too far when Susie shrank from me. I clutched my head in one hand and ground my teeth together. I felt like I'd just emerged from a bad dream or a terrible hangover. "What the hell did I just do?" I murmured.

  "Probably get us kicked out because there's no fighting allowed," she told me.

  I sighed and dropped my hand to my side. My shoulders drooped and I shook my head. "I'm so sorry, Susie. I. . .I just don't know what came over me."

  She patted me on the shoulder, and when I looked up there was a smile on her face. "Well, at least we-um, we-" She pursed her lips and tapped her chin. "Actually, I can't think of any good reason to leave here early."

  I snorted. "Thanks. That makes me feel a lot better."

  "What a friends for? Anyway, let's get a good night's sleep in case the eviction notice comes early tomorrow morning. They wouldn't dare throw a couple of beautiful girls like us on the streets at this hour." She turned me toward our cabin a few buildings down, but I paused and glanced at the dark night sky.

  I was still restless from my argument with the owner, and sleeping didn't sound like what I wanted. "You know, I think I'll break one more rule before we leave."

  Susie raised an eyebrow. "Which one?"

  "I think I'll take a walk to the lake," I told her.

  A devilish smile slipped onto Susie's lips and her eyes took on a faraway look. "Maybe I'll go try out those golf carts," she mused.

  "No. We're not adding homicide and property damage to our list of broken rules. You stay here," I commanded her.

  Susie's shoulders slumped and she sighed. "I guess. Want me to come with you?" she offered.

  I shook my head. "No, I've got a lot of thinking to do."

  "Ooh," she replied. She patted me on the shoulder and smiled at me. "Well, don't go beating yourself, or any trees, up too bad about us leaving early. I'll forgive you someday."

  I rolled my eyes. "Thanks, and I'll see you in a bit." I strode between the cabins and toward the trails into the shadowed trees.

  "Have fun," Susie called to me.

  Chapter 10

  I walked through the dirt path with my eyes on the ground and my mind lost in deep thoughts. I really couldn't figure out why I'd blown up at Young. It's not like he'd insulted me too bad, he'd just given me some piece of advice. A different way of looking at my life, if you will. Then I had to go and take it personally, and try to chew his head off. It left a bitter taste in my mouth.

  In the dark I was heedless of where I traveled, and I must have taken the wrong path on these unfamiliar trails because fifteen minutes later I found myself in a loop backwards. Ahead of me was the cabins, and at my back was the forest. There was a light on in my cabin. Susie was still awake. I thought about joining her and giving up on one last moonlit glimpse of the lake.

  I changed my mind when I heard a howl. It was the call of the wolf again like last night, but this time it sounded mournful, frustrated, angry. My mind was indecisive. The safety of the cabin or the unknown of the dark woods. Another howl came to my ears and the sound slipped into silence. Why not go after it? Susie kept telling me I needed to be less suspicious and more spontaneous.

  I spun on my heels and hurried into the woods. It was just my luck that the noise didn't return, but at least this time I paid attention to where I walked. I reached the intersection of hot springs and lake in a few minutes, and looked from left to right. Nothing stirred. All was quiet. I strained my ears. There! A sound from the lake!

  I hurried on my way. The sound was like something splashing in the water. It couldn't be a guest. They weren't allowed out at night. Well, unless they were as stupid as me and planned on getting an eviction notice tomorrow. In a minute the trees parted and I had my first glimpse of the lake by moonlight.

  The calm, serene water glowed beneath the bright, round night light in the sky. My eyes skimmed the area for signs of wolf. Something fifteen yards from the shore caught my eye. The unknown shadow broke the surface of the water and paddled to and fro in long, swift strokes. I couldn't make out who, or even what, it was, so I snuck over to the lifeguard chair for a closer look. From my new position I caught a glimpse of human arms break through the surface of the water and human feet propel the person forward. It wasn't a wolf I'd found but another human breaking the rules.

  I set my hand atop the seat of the lifeguard chair and yelped when I felt something soft move beneath my weight. The thing slid off the seat and dropped to the ground atop my feet. I let out another squeal of fright and reversed. The sand slipped from beneath my retreating heels and I fell back onto my rear.

  My frightened noises caught the attention of the swimmer. The person directed their strokes toward the shore, and I scrambled behind the high chair. I peeked my face around the rear corner of the chair in time to watch Scott Young emerge from the depths of the water. He stood and showed off his muscular chest and arms. His damp hair clung to him and his shorts showed off his thick legs.

  Young splashed to the shoreline, and his bright eyes swept over the area for only a moment before they fell on me. He raised an eyebrow. "Abby?" he called to me.

  I cringed, but emerged from my poor hiding place. "Um, nice night," I replied.

  A half-smile slid onto his lips. "It is, but I wonder what you're doing out here when you know it's against the rules."

  I shrugged. "Susie and I guessed we'd be kicked out tomorrow, anyway, so I thought I'd see the lake by moonlight. I guess I've definitely gotten us kicked out now because you caught me, huh?"

  "I'm not sure. I first like to do an investigation into the matter," he replied.

  I cringed. "Starting with our fight earlier? I'm really sorry about that, I don't know-"

  "What do you think of it?" he asked me.

  I blinked at him. "What do I think of what?"

  He swept an arm over the lake area. "The lake. You told me you wanted to see the lake at night. What do you think of it?"

  I looked out on the dark, unbroken surface with all the reflections of the shadowed trees. A small breeze wafted over the beach and sent ripples along the water and over my skin. It was deliciously cool to the touch, and I realized for the first time that the night air didn't cause me to shiver. My body felt-how to describe it? Alert, tense, warm? All of the above? I felt a pull inside me, like I wanted to run through the shallow waters kicking up sprays or exploring the depths of the woods in a search for-well, I don't know, for something.

  "Abby?" Young spoke up.

  I shook myself and blinked at him. "What?"

  "What do you think of the lake?" he repeated.

  "Oh, it's beautiful. I don't know why, but I really like it at night better than the day," I told him.

  He stepped up to me so only a foot separated us. "You know, I really should escort you back to your cabin."

  I raised an eyebrow. "So why don't you?"

  His stunning eyes swept over me and I shivered beneath his penetrating gaze. He dropped his voice and there was a sultry quality to it that excited and surprised me. "Because I like to look at you in the moonlight. You look as beautiful as the pure moon." I blushed, and he smiled. I don't know how he saw the faint red in the night light. "Blushing again?" he teased.

  I rubbed my cheeks with the back of one hand. "No, it's just a little cold. Anyway, I really should be going." My legs didn't obey me, and Young didn't give me a chance to force them.

  He moved closer, so close that we nearly touched shirt to bare chest. I smelled the faint scent of sweat and water on his body. Droplets slid down his muscles and glistened in the moonlight. His eyes looked down at me with unmistakable desire. My b
ody reacted to his presence in a most awkward and pleasant way when heat pooled between my legs. I parted my lips for air. This wasn't right. I'd leave tomorrow and that would be the end to this short courtship.

  I willed myself to look away. This couldn't be. We needed to get away from each other before something happened that we would regret. I pressed my hands against his chest to push him away, but my nerve failed me when I felt the heat and smoothness of his skin. There was a silky quality to his flesh that excited my passions. I panted for breath. His arms wrapped around me. They were warm and strong. I'd never felt such comfort and such desire.

  He leaned down and his whispering breath brushed across my neck. "Don't fight the urge. Live it."

  I sighed as he planted soft, delicate kisses on my trembling flesh. My heart pounded in my chest and my hands slid against his soft, strong chest muscles. I pressed against him and gasped when I felt the size of his need hidden inside his shorts.

  He lowered me to his towel and covered me with his hot, wet body. His leg opened mine and he settled himself between them. His hands worked magic over my skin as they explored my clothed body. I frowned and fidgeted. The material got in the way. I wanted to feel his warm fingers against my flesh.

  I grabbed my shirt and pulled it over my head. It broke our contact for a moment and he leaned back to inspect my full, swollen breasts. They stretched my tight bra and ached for his touch. His breath came out in sharp, deep growls that excited my passion further. I squirmed and arched my back, giving him permission to taste what he could of me.

  One of his hands reached behind me and unclasped my bra. In a moment the clothing was thrown aside and he had a clear view of my pert pink buds atop those quivering mounds of soft, pliable flesh. He cradled one in his hand and massaged me. I groaned and pushed myself deeper into his grasp.

  "Beautiful," he whispered. His voice was hoarse, strained. I excited him, and that power over him increased my desire for him.

  He lay over me and his hot, wet lips swallowed one of my tight buds. He suckled me and the motion of his lips on my body made me moan. I clasped his head in my hands, willing him never to leave me, never to stop doing what he was doing.

  His hands roamed over my body. They snagged on the waistband of my pants, but that was quickly remedied when I felt him unbutton my pants and pull down the zipper. His fingers dove into my underwear. My coarse hair was soaked with my need. His fingers brushed over my folds before they spread them and touched my sensitive nub. He pressed hard against me and rubbed a finger across the quivering, aching nerves. A bolt of pleasure shot through me. I gasped and thrust into his fingers.