Wild Reunion (Dark Pines Pride Book 3) Read online

  He would have to tell her about shapeshifters, eventually. Soon, more likely. She’d need to know what she was getting into if she accepted him as her mate. She was it for him; there’d never be another. But if she rejected him, she could find someone else, and even be happy.

  Whatever she chose, he hoped she’d be happy.

  A small, black and white cat came out from under the couch and put its front paws on the edge next to Summer.

  “Who’s this?” Will asked.

  “Fido.”

  He held in his chuckle. “Cute.”

  “Yeah. I’m surprised he came out.” Her voice was a sleepy murmur. “Doesn’t usually talk to strangers.”

  Will wanted to say, I’m not a stranger, but Ellie’s breathing had already grown even and deep. Poor woman was exhausted.

  So Will kept silent and waited while Fido sniffed the air before jumping up on Ellie’s legs. The little cat walked up and down her, his attention on Will.

  As a shapeshifter, Will knew he smelled different to animals. He was, just like Jackson and Hayley, a predator. He was no danger to pets, although Fido didn’t know that yet.

  Fido looked at Will. Will looked at Fido. Fido hissed, his yellow eyes wide and filled with the kind of fear-hate cats were known for.

  Will ignored him and snuggled closer to Ellie. After a minute, Fido walked back down to Ellie’s feet and curled up at her ankles on the side opposite Will.

  Will couldn’t fall asleep yet, so he watched the movie, his gaze unfocused. Several Interstellar Love Connection graphic novels were stacked on a side table. They looked well-worn, well-loved. He hoped he’d made the right call with the drawings he’d made for her. She’d find them soon, he hoped, and then she’d understand he was in this for good.

  She made a small sound and wiggled a little bit, getting more comfortable. Then her breath returned to her even sleep-breaths. Will reached for the remote control and flipped off the television, then slept, curled around his mate.

  There was no better place in the entire universe.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Something hard was pressed against Eleanor’s backside, and she was surrounded by the scent of pine. Will. Will, whose penis was definitely interested in fooling around. Will, who was, thankfully, still asleep.

  His presence, his very scent, that large rod poking against her butt—too much temptation. If she wasn’t careful, she’d reach back there, encircle him with her hand, and start something a lot like what had happened the other day in her hallway. Scorching, mind-blowing sex.

  But how would it end? With more doubts about his commitment to sticking around.

  She sat up and got off the couch in one clumsy movement, and staggered to the bathroom. Based on the weak winter sunlight outside, it was probably getting close to seven a.m. Fido usually chased after her when she got up in the morning, but when she turned, she saw him getting comfortable against Will’s legs.

  She made a clicking sound with her teeth, telling Fido it was time to get up. He lazily opened his yellow eyes, blinked once, and then closed them again, tucking his nose beneath his tail.

  Traitor.

  It wasn’t until Eleanor was washing her hands that she noticed the papers on the counter next to the bathroom sink. The purple and blue-hued rectangles on the top page reminded her of Interstellar Love Connection, and text bubbles cluttered the tops of each rectangle. Why would she have loose pages of ILC in her bathroom? Had some heathen ripped apart a book? One of her books? Horror filled her as she wondered who would do such a thing.

  Something looked slightly off with the artwork, though. She examined them more closely. The panels weren’t anything like the books she owned—and she owned every single volume. The characters in these panels weren’t Joona and Dirk. She gasped in excitement. This was completely new work! But what was it doing here in her bathroom?

  She sat down on the edge of her bathtub and began reading. There were four pages, each sharing the backgrounds of the usual ILC novels. But although the female character was dressed like Joona, she no longer looked like an ethereal, willowy blonde. In these images, she had brown, curly hair and wore glasses. Her body was curvier, too. And the guy dressed like Dirk had dark blond hair, almost brown, and dark blue eyes. He looked like Will.

  Holy crap, it was the two of them—Will and Eleanor. Eleanor read through the panels, as Joona/Eleanor and Dirk/Will exchanged dialogue. On the first page, Joona was mad at Dirk, and accused him of leaving her on their crumbling home planet on purpose. Dirk explained that he hadn’t wanted to leave, but his presence had put Joona in danger, and he wanted her to come with him, but she was learning to be a starship captain and he didn’t want to rob her of her dreams. The explanation sounded familiar, and Eleanor set the pages in her lap, sighing.

  But she was unable to stop reading.

  Page two was full of panels of Dirk/Will traveling through space, and the loneliness he felt at every planet he visited.

  Page three showed Dirk finding Joona again, and although she was angry at him—there was a whole panel with her chewing him out that made Eleanor want to laugh—he was working behind the scenes to make them a beautiful starship where they could be together.

  Because, as the last panel showed in his thought bubble, He wasn’t ever going to leave her. Never again.

  The last page didn’t look like ILC illustrations at all, but was instead a full-color illustration of a modern house surrounded by pine trees. She could see what might be Paris Lake in the background. It was labeled, at the bottom, Will and Ellie’s Starship.

  Chapter Eighteen

  When Will woke up, Ellie was sliding next to him on the couch and pulling the blanket back around her.

  Her voice sounded shy when she said, “I saw your illustrations.”

  “What did you think?”

  “It’s a bit soon to move in together.”

  “House won’t be finished until next summer, anyway.”

  She laughed softly. “That’s not what I mean. I mean it’s soon to start talking about it. Considering it.”

  “Maybe for you. But I’ve known since high school, Ellie.”

  She snuggled against him, her ass brushing against his cock. The feeling of her pressing against him nearly caused him to groan.

  “Ellie,” he whispered. This hadn’t been his plan when he came over, but fuck, if it was what she wanted, he wouldn’t complain.

  Instead of answering with words, she reached behind her. Her hand found his cock and she squeezed him through his jeans.

  This time, he didn’t hold in his groan. He didn’t even try. He pumped his hips forward, showing her with actions as well as sound what she did to him. She made him eager. Ready.

  How ready was she? He wanted her to feel good, too. He reached around her and found the edge of her sweatshirt. Her skin was so warm, so inviting. He nuzzled her ear while he brought his hand up underneath her shirt and cupped her breast. No bra. Fuck. She drove him crazy. Finding her nipple, he pinched it gently and rolled it between his fingers.

  “Will. Please. I need you.”

  Chuckling against her shoulder, he helped slide her sweats all the way off, and pushed his jeans down as far as they would go. He slid his cock in between her legs, not entering her yet, just feeling the gathered wetness there, and the tantalizing closeness of her pussy.

  Her back was still to him. He embraced her, using one hand on her nipples and the other at her clit, rubbing gently while he thrust between her thighs. “I could do this all morning,” he said.

  “But I—want you—now,” Ellie gasped.

  “Impatient.”

  She muttered something about waiting four years, but then he began rubbing her clit in earnest, and she seemed to lose her words. She arched back against him, her wild, curly hair tickling his face while he brought her to her finish.

  “Will!” she cried, shaking in his arms.

  He pressed kisses against her neck and adjusted his stroke so that his co
ck was poised at her entrance. “Now?” he asked.

  “Y-yes,” she said, still breathing heavily.

  He entered her, feeling the aftershocks of her first orgasm, wanting to prolong it for her even while bringing her to her climax again. He moved slowly, even though every fiber of his being was telling him to rush, to take her, to make her his again as quickly as possible. This wasn’t about him—this was about her.

  He cupped her breasts and plucked her nipples, pinching them in the way he could tell she loved from the way she moaned and arched into his touch. He continued to thrust, slowly and methodically. Every stroke built up inside of him, and soon Ellie was thrashing and shaking. The perfume of their mixed scents in the air filled his nose and he couldn’t hold back anymore.

  “Are you coming, Ellie?” he asked, nibbling the skin just below her ear.

  “Yes,” she gasped, squeezing him with her inner muscles. “Yes, oh, Will, yes.”

  “I want everything with you,” he said.

  She made an incoherent noise and arched against him.

  The pleasure was building even more, but Will had to tell her. “I have from the start,” he said, panting. “House, life, family. All of it with you, Ellie.”

  Then he thrust into her again and again. She cried out again, clutching his biceps until he found his own release.

  They lay, panting, enjoying the endorphins. Will couldn’t get enough of Ellie and he pressed kisses to the back of her head.

  “Wanna go somewhere today?” he asked.

  Her voice was sleepy as she said, “Mmm, where?”

  “It’ll be a surprise.”

  She nestled against him, her bare ass tantalizing on his naked thighs. “You sure you want to leave the house?”

  “Only if we come right back again.”

  She laughed and sat up. “All right, then, I’m game.”

  *

  Will turned off the truck’s engine, and the silence of the outdoors pressed in on them.

  “What are we doing here?” Ellie asked, looking around at the Jaynes family property.

  “I thought we could look at the site where our starship will be.”

  She laughed. “Our starship? And you really want to call it a starship?”

  “Yes, it’s ours. And why not? It’s a fun name.” His mouth twitched as he tried to hold back a smile. In a teasing voice, he added, “You’re obviously a fan of those silly graphic novels—”

  She raised her eyebrows and gave him a playful pout. “Silly? Oh, now you’ve done it. I think I’ll walk home.”

  He tugged her to his side. “Not a chance, woman. Let’s check out the view we’ll have from our starship.”

  “Can I call you Dirk?”

  He growled playfully and swatted her ass. She screeched and took off running.

  “Wrong way,” he called. “We’re over on this side of the lake.”

  Ellie came back to him and held his hand as they made their way to the site Will had chosen. It had a gorgeous view, and he enjoyed it even more now, seeing it through Ellie’s eyes. He’d proposed to her on the shore of that lake, and it meant something to him—to her too, he hoped.

  He watched as Ellie walked around, looking at the clearing and the trees that surrounded it.

  “Hey, it’s so close to the old treehouse,” she said, staring up at a rudimentary little house that had been built around the trunk of a large cedar.

  Will looked up. The platform, held up by tall, strong beams, looked intact, although the roof had partially caved in. “When we have kids, if you want them, I’ll fix up the old place so they can play up here.”

  “Let’s go check it out now,” she said.

  Will hesitated. He remembered how his parents had built that treehouse together.

  Ellie seemed to notice his reluctance. “We don’t have to,” she said.

  “The memories are strong,” he said. “But I want to go up, if I’m going with you.”

  “If you’re sure.”

  “I am.” He threatened to swat her ass again, and she squeaked before climbing up. She crawled onto the platform porch outside the roofed section. “Does it feel sturdy?” he asked.

  “There’s a weak spot here,” she said, “so avoid that when you get up here.”

  He followed after her, testing his weight on the steps nailed into the tree. His left leg ached by the time he reached Ellie, but being up here with her was worth it. He clambered over next to her and dangled his legs off the edge of the porch at her side.

  She snuggled up against his shoulder. Something about the gesture made him feel bigger and stronger. She made him feel better.

  “Are you warm enough?” he asked.

  “Next to you—my portable space heater? Yeah, I’m fine.”

  “Portable space heater?”

  She grinned. “You give off heat like one, yeah.”

  “It’s cause I’m so hot.”

  She took his hand in hers. “What kind of memories are strong here?”

  “My parents,” he said, rubbing the back of her hand against his cheek. She wouldn’t recognize the action, but the lion inside of him stretched and purred at the thought he was scent-marking her. “I remember them working on this place.”

  “I’m so sorry about the fire,” she said quietly. “I cried for days.”

  He was struck again with guilt. Ellie’d had to mourn alone. At least he’d had Jackson and Hayley. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here,” he said.

  “It was a tragedy for all of us.”

  He swallowed past the thick feeling in his throat. “I miss them.” Then he grinned. “They would’ve gotten a kick out of me ending up with you.”

  “Really?” She looked uncertain with her hazel eyes wide and her forehead scrunched in the middle. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

  “Just funny. Looking back, I bet they knew I was into you all along, but they never said a thing. Probably wanted me to find my own way.”

  “Do you think they would have approved?”

  “They knew how happy I was when I was with you. They definitely would have approved.”

  Her gaze was far away as she looked across the lake. “I’m glad you came back, Will. I didn’t think it at the time, but I’m so glad you’re here.”

  “I love you, Ellie.” He cupped her cheeks in his palms. “I love you and I’ll be here with you forever.”

  Her eyes shone, reflecting the sunlight outside. “I love you, too, Will. I always have.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Eleanor had never thought of her bathroom as a sexy place before, but as she took her shower late on Monday morning, all she could picture in her head was the way Will had taken her up against the wall of her shower yesterday.

  She was a sick person, obviously. Everything in her house reminded her of sex now, from the sight of her shampoo and conditioner bottles to the Christmas wreath she’d hung on her front door—the scent was pine, just like Will. She couldn’t even look at her comfy sweatpants in the same way—every time she glanced at them, she remembered the feel of Will’s hands beneath the fabric, exploring her skin.

  Her face flamed. She was sick, all right. She hadn’t checked Dr. Bridges’s symptom checker in ages, it felt like, but as soon as she was done with her shower, she found her phone and pulled up the app.

  But what was her symptom? Sex on the brain? While she deliberated on what to type into the app, her phone rang, and Summer’s name flashed on the screen. Eleanor answered it immediately. “Hey, what’s up?”

  “You have to come,” Summer said. “I want you, Becca, and Hayley there, and it is going to be awesome.”

  “What is it?”

  “A Licorice Fiddles show!” Summer said, squealing.

  “A what show?” Eleanor asked, amused by Summer’s squealing.

  “No. What? You haven’t heard of them? I’m going to get you their latest album, you’ve gotta listen to it beforehand so you can sing along at the show.”

  Eleanor
had never heard Summer sound so manic before. “Oh—okay,” she said. “Are you sure you want me to come, and not Jackson?”

  “It’s my Christmas present from Jackson,” Summer said, laughing. “I want to spend it with my friends. Then I come home, and it’s just me and Jackson, and it’s Christmas all over again. We’re going out to pizza tonight to plan everything. Tell me you’ll be there.”

  “I’ll be there,” Eleanor said.

  Summer hung up with another giddy squeal, and Eleanor laughed, staring at her phone.

  *

  Will knocked on her door at seven. He’d called her not long after Summer, asking if he could drive her to the pizza place. Eleanor smoothed down the dress she was wearing over a pair of comfy leggings, making sure it didn’t look bunchy. She fluffed her hair, then opened the door.

  “You look amazing,” Will said.

  “Thanks. And thanks for picking me up.”

  “Happy to do it.” He grinned that heart-stopping grin, the one that promised mischief and pleasure and toe-curling good times.

  She shook her finger at him. “Oh, no, mister. Don’t smile at me like that or we might never make it to dinner.”

  “We could order in,” he said, grabbing her finger and giving it a little nibble. “It’s not my fault that everything associated with you now reminds me of sex.”

  “You, too?” she asked.

  He crowded her against the door frame. “I want you pretty much all the time,” he said, nipping her neck.

  “Bitey man.” She rolled her head to the side, giving him easier access to the spot behind her ear that made her entire body turn to mush.

  “Dinner,” he said, stepping away abruptly. “Need to feed you so you have more energy for later.”

  Pouting, she followed him to his truck.

  Pizza My Heart wasn’t too crowded on a Monday night, so their party of six had a large corner of the dining room to themselves. They ordered a pitcher of beer, although Hayley asked for a milkshake, making Will and Jackson laugh. Eleanor guessed it was an old joke.

  Hayley and Jackson hadn’t batted an eye when Will held Eleanor’s hand at the table. Hayley just gave her a quick flash of a smile, and it confirmed what Eleanor had suspected—Hayley had known all along.