Outfoxed

Chapter Six

They spent Saturday making love and having the time of their lives in an upscale bed and breakfast in Whitefish. Grady had gone to great expense to treat Gabby to a romantic weekend away from everyone and everything but him. It had been a magical time he’d never forget, and it had forced him to confront his feelings. He’d decided to tell her the truth—he loved her. The big L. The issue with Joy and Dean could wait. It bothered the hell out of him he had to deal with it, but as soon as he reasoned a way to tell Gabby without looking like a horse’s ass, he’d do it.

There was no way they could hide the mating scent from the others. The thought of flaunting his relationship in front of Miles excited the immature competitor within. “Stupid,” he muttered, wishing he and Gabby could have spent forever sequestered and in love.

But was she in love? He thought so. The way she looked at him, the way she’d loved him with her entire being. He compared her glances to the ones Rachel gave his brother—a pair of cats totally enamored of one another. Gabby never seemed annoyed with him. She got him. She liked that he worked in Whitefish, away from town. She appreciated his close ties to his brothers and that he planned to live in the pride until the day he died. With any luck, they could convert his or her cabin into a place big enough to raise cats. Kits. Whatever.

He hadn’t brought up the question of babies, and he wouldn’t until he confessed how he felt and heard it returned. Sweat covered his brow. What if this was all just fun to her? Some hot sex and light-hearted play? Foxes were devious creatures, after all. Yet he’d scented a deeper bond, hadn’t he? Or was he just overwhelmed by their chemistry? Would their mingled scent fade in time?

Fuck. He needed to talk to Burke, to figure out what the hell he and Gabby really had. He knew what he felt, but the time had come to determine what she felt as well.

Sunday afternoon, he pulled his truck up to her cabin to drop her off. “I’ll meet you back here in an hour, okay?”

She kissed him with a lingering desire that only sparked brighter when they touched. “Sure thing, hot stuff.” She giggled. Actually giggled and flushed that pretty pink. Then she left the truck and entered her house.

Their joined fragrance lingered after, appeasing the feline inside him.

He still worried about her avoidance of anything serious and pondered what that might mean as he drove back home. He’d parked before he realized he wasn’t alone. Unable to avoid him, Grady left his truck and lugged his travel bag onto the porch.

“Well, well. Bad kitty finally comes home.” Monty took a long drag on a beer bottle and pushed himself away from the front door.

Monty. Work. The fishing tour he’d been supposed to take out on the boat this weekend, when he’d been with Gabby instead. “Shit.”

“Yeah, shit. When you didn’t show on Saturday and refused to answer your cell, Dean and I covered for you. Look, I appreciate that you’re finally getting a piece of ass—”

Before the wolf could finish his sentence, Grady had him by the throat against the door. “Do not, I repeat, do not ever refer to my mate as a piece of ass.”

Monty choked out an apology and sucked in a breath when Grady dropped him.

“Fucking cat claws.” He winced at the cuts at his throat.

Grady would have felt bad at losing control if Monty hadn’t insulted Gabby, so he said nothing.

The wolf had the grace to know he’d been in the wrong. “Hell. I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean anything by it. I like Gabby. You, on the other hand, are a pain in my ass.” Monty braced himself against the wall and stood, fingering his throat. “I was this close…” he put his thumb and forefinger together “… to having Sophie accept an actual date without laughing. From me, you asshole, not Scooby.”

Grady smothered a grin.

“But instead of going out to dinner, I spent my weekend entertaining businessmen fly-fishing.” He sneered. “I hate fish.”

“The Watson group. Sorry about that.” He so wasn’t. “But Gabby and I…we mated. She’s mine.” I think.

“Good God. You mean it. So that scent all over you isn’t just sex. I thought it smelled deeper.”

And if Monty could smell it, the others definitely would. Miles included.

“Well, I’m off. Dean will be by soon enough to tear you a new one.” Monty punched him in the arm. “Next time, dickhead, just call to let us know you’re busy doing whatever with that delightful vixen.” He paused. “For the record, foxes are more dog than cat. Wolves, jackals, foxes. We’re canids, dude.”

Grady grinned. “Please. She’s a fox, a cat and mine. Not a dog, Scooby.”

Monty shot him the finger and walked away, looking awfully graceful for a gray wolf, though Grady didn’t think he’d like knowing that being in the pride was rubbing off on him.

Thinking he’d survived the worst of it, he entered and took a quick shower, wanting to be perfect for Gabby while avoiding his brother at the same time. But when he exited the shower, he found an irritable Dean waiting for him. To make matters worse, Joy stood with him, looking equally annoyed.

He gripped the towel around his waist tight and faced them. How bad could it be?

Gabby decided to surprise Grady. She couldn’t wait to be with him again. No one around here locked doors or windows, so she figured she’d sneak through his bedroom window. When he came out of the shower, he’d find her naked and waiting…and ready to confess. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She was going to do it. To admit how she felt, but only after making him say it first. Her fox yapped at her to get on with it already, while her cat wanted to take her time, to play with her prey before going in for the kill.

She took care to be silent as she approached. With any luck, she’d be in bed when he walked back into the room, hopefully sans a towel. Without clothes, the man was a virtual god.

Movement from within showed Grady in the bedroom. She slowed as she approached the window, content that from this angle and half hidden by the curtain that fluttered in the wind, he couldn’t see her. Added to that, she stood downwind, like any smart predator would. A familiar scent hit her. Joy. A female near the man Gabby considered hers. Her hackles rose and she took a step closer when she scented Dean as well. Oh hell. They meant to confront Grady now, on the day she’d planned to pledge her undying love and loyalty? She’d have to do it tomorrow then. No way did she want anything to mar this mating.

She took a sniff of her shoulder, sure there was more to the blended smell than mere sex. Like Julia and Ty, she and Grady had bonded. Hadn’t they? She felt emotionally tied to the man, and physically, well, that was a no-brainer. But he hadn’t said he loved her. To her, that would seal the deal, scent or no scent.

“What the hell do you two want?” Grady asked.

Oh boy. The poor guy. But he had her now. He no longer needed Joy, not since he had a prize like Gabby for the taking. So why did that niggle of jealousy refuse to go away?

“How did it go?” Dean asked.

“I’m not giving you details, Dean. Really.”

“Good, because I don’t want them. Really. What I want is an apology for leaving me and Monty to clean up your mess this weekend. We almost lost the Watsons to those idiot McKindrick tours.”

He’d left work for her. She shouldn’t feel so good about him getting in trouble because of it, but that he might have forgotten his work because he was infatuated pleased her to no end.

“Fine. I’m sorry. It slipped my mind.”

“And?” Joy asked.

“And what?” Grady snapped. “Look. You two have done enough. I’m meeting Gabby soon and—”

“And how about an I’m sorry I didn’t trust your judgment, Joy.”

Gabby didn’t understand.

“I don’t trust it.”

Dean snorted. “Please. The only reason Gabby even gave you the time of day was because of us.”

From her vantage point, Gabby could see Joy nod and cross her arms over her generous chest. Joy agreed with Dean, apparently. “She felt sorry for you, because of me.”

“Because of us,” Dean corrected. “I told you mooning after her wouldn’t work. And that dancing, that almost sunk you.”

“You did that to me, dickhead.” Grady snarled and took a step but Joy interceded.

Gabby didn’t know what to think.

“You lost a bet, dumbass. But Joy and I gave you Gabby. We want something in return.”

“I don’t have her yet,” Grady mumbled. “I haven’t told her the truth.”

“Why not?” Joy asked.

Truth? What truth? What the hell were these three talking about? And why did she have the sinking feeling she’d been the butt of a nasty prank?

“Because I’m afraid she’ll hate me,” he said through gritted teeth. “Yeah, your story about Joy dumping me got me close to her. Great. But she’s not going to like knowing I lied to her.”

“True.” Joy buffed her nails on her shirt. “Women don’t like being lied to for sex.”

Gabby saw red. The bastard!

“It wasn’t just for sex, damn it.” Grady’s anger took her aback. “I love her, have loved her. But she wouldn’t take me seriously.”

Dean nodded. “And again I say, where’s the thanks?”

“Look, fuckwad, you lied to her. Then I lied to her. She’s going to be madder than a…fuck. She’ll be madder than Burke when you crashed his car in high school.”

“That was your bad influence and you know it,” Dean protested.

“So what, Grady?” Joy sounded exasperated. “You want me and Dean to pretend to be into each other in front of the others? She’ll never have to know we weren’t in desperate, romantic, passionate love.”

Dean scoffed. “Christ, Joy. That’s a mouthful.”

“Shut up, Dean. Maybe if you had those deep feelings for a female, you’d be more than a man-whore. You’d be a romantic like Grady.”

“I prefer man-slut, thank you very much.” The two bickered like siblings while Gabby tried to gather her wits.

Grady had lied. She’d made love to him thinking him a poor, cheated-on lover while in truth, he’d been scheming to get into her pants.

Yet he said he loved her, and he sounded miserable and guilty about fibbing.

Part of her wanted to claw his eyes out. The other part wanted to hug him tight and never let him go. The cat didn’t like being played for a fool, but she’d gotten sexual satisfaction—and then some—from the handsome feline. The fox loved this game, pleased at finding a mate that could best her. But then, the fox had loved his pranks and conniving ways from the beginning.

She needed time to think things through. At best, she had another half an hour before he returned to her house. What could she do? Slinking away from the fighting and hissing in the cabin, she returned home and made her own plans.

Trick her into loving him, would he? Well, two could play at that game.

Once at home, she dialed a number off the business card she’d received last week. “Miles? Hi. This is Gabby Easton, from the pride. Oh sure. Of course you know who I am.” She cleared her throat, full of nerves. “I need a favor…”

When Grady arrived forty minutes later, he could feel his palms sweat. He’d dressed in his best jeans and button-down shirt. He’d brushed his hair until it gleamed and held a bouquet of Rachel’s freshly picked daisies, wishing he’d had time to buy a ring. But he couldn’t wait. Especially not after dealing with his idiot brother and ditzy Joy. If Gabby thought he’d played her for sex, he’d lose her for sure. And that didn’t bear thinking about.

He knocked and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

“Gabby?”

She answered wearing ratty shorts and a cute top that enhanced her curves. No problem. He didn’t need her in a fancy dress to tell her what was in his heart. Then again, he did his best work on paper. Maybe he should have written her a note.

“Hey Grady.” Her smile was wide and toothy, and made him pause.

He suddenly felt like a wild hare trapped between a cat and a fox with nowhere to run. “Gabby?”

“Oh are those for me?” She drew him inside and put the flowers in a vase.

Her warm thanks relieved him. He must have been imagining things.

She returned to the living room and crossed to kiss him. The moment their lips met, he lost what he’d wanted to say. They broke the kiss, both panting with need.

“I want you, Grady. Right now.”

He had things to tell her, but his protest died under the warm hand curled around his cock. She had an uncanny way of getting around his clothing in no time.

“Oh baby. Whatever you want.”

“I want you to go down on me. I want to watch you lick me.” The dark mischief in her gaze entranced him, as did the sultry vixen looking out at him. He hadn’t seen this side of her before, and he wanted more.

“Good, because I love eating you out.” As much as I love you, he felt with all he had inside him.

She blinked at him and smiled, and there was a softening around her eyes. “Let’s go to my bedroom.”

He hefted her over his shoulder and fireman-carried her into the bedroom in a rush, ignoring her shriek of surprise. He tossed her on the bed and stripped her bare. Then he parted her thighs and settled in for a meal.

She was sweet, so ripe under his tongue. The slick glide through her pussy told him without words how much she wanted him, and he reveled in it, in the possession and awe of having such a strong, sexy woman to call his own.

“Grady, please.” She writhed under his tongue, pushing for more while he intentionally held back, determined to make it last.

While he worked her clit with his tongue and teeth, he used his thumbs to stroke the sensitive inner flesh of her thighs. He rubbed circles in her skin, moving his thumbs closer to her folds, over them, then between them. He parted her and inched a finger inside her, captivated by the musky heat he’d brought out of her. Pushing his finger deeper inside, he soon added another and stretched her, loving her with his hands while he kissed the sensitive bud firming under his mouth.

He was so fucking hard, turned on by her scent and her response. Had he been naked, he’d have mounted her and come by now. The thought of taking his sweet vixen everywhere prodded him to push her to the extreme. Grady used his thumb to rub a good bit of her cream along the seam of her ass toward her hole.

She tensed and shivered. Her clit was taut, her nipples stiff, her pussy wet with need. And then he rimmed her anus with his thumb before edging just the tip inside her as he sucked her clit.

She cried out and clamped around his fingers, her body hungry for his. Her fingers latched onto his hair and held tight as she ground into his face, no shy kitten but a hungry lioness out for what she deserved.

So it was no small shock when she pushed him off and rolled him underneath her on the bed. She dragged his pants down his legs in seconds and engulfed his cock with a skill that made him love her all the more.

“Oh Gabby. Gabby, I love you so much,” he babbled. Not sure of anything but the wicked tongue snaking along his glans, the fingers rubbing his balls as she sucked away his will to do anything but lie there and accept whatever she gave him, he said whatever came to mind—the truth itching to be set free.

He wanted to see her naked, to watch her mouth surround him. But he couldn’t function past the need to jet down her throat. Tension burned at the base of his spine. His balls drew tight, and his cock throbbed as she grazed that tender part of his shaft, under the head of his cock. Prickly nails ran over his bared upper thighs, the tiny bites of pain making it hard to breathe beyond the pleasure.

“I’m coming. Oh Gabby. Yes, yes, now,” he shouted as he arched off the bed and surrendered to the redheaded seductress, climaxing into an ecstasy that made him see stars.

He felt every touch of her tongue, every puff of her hot breath against his body as she sucked him dry. That such a tender female could make him lose control astounded him. That she could turn him into so much of nothing without her scared the hell out of him.

While he tried to catch his breath, she scooted off him and winked. After disappearing into the bathroom, she returned moments later wearing different clothes. Jeans and a pretty pink blouse, one of his personal favorites. A pair of leather sandals covered her feet, exposing sexy toes sporting red nails.

Gabby fluffed her hair and smiled that toothy grin that should have made him nervous. But he could barely function past breathing. “You are so sexy. And hung. I don’t know if I told you, but you are one seriously hot cat.”

Her tone alerted him that something was off. The shy smiles she’d given him all weekend no longer existed. Now he looked at the predator under those long eyelashes and feminine charm.

“Uh, Gabby?”

“Shoot. I wanted to spend more time with you, but I have to run. A client needs a favor.” She shrugged, then walked to his side and stroked his chest. “Thanks, Grady. You’re the absolute best. The weekend rocked. I’ve been needing this for far too long.”

Wait. What? This? What the hell was this?

“I mean, last week was great, but I kept expecting us to knock boots a lot sooner. Took a bit of persuading to get you to finally come to me,” she teased. “But it makes sense, you not wanting to piss off Burke and Ty. Don’t worry. I won’t say anything if you don’t. And heck, we can even do it again, you were so good.” She pecked him on the cheek in approval. “I might have next weekend free. But now I’ve gotta scoot. Business won’t run itself, you know.”

She left the room and called over her shoulder, “Let yourself out when you leave, okay?”

He didn’t believe she’d actually leave him with his dick hanging out until he heard a car pull away. He didn’t know how to feel. So she hadn’t commented on his admission of love. She might have thought he’d meant it in the heat of the moment. But to just leave him there like that? Wham bam, thank you…man? And what the hell had she meant by persuading him? Maybe next weekend? The pieces of this puzzle settled into a surprisingly painful picture.

To his mortification, he had the odd sense the last few days had just been a much-needed booty call. But that couldn’t be right. After their week together? The way their gazes had met, the subtle touches, the bedroom eyes? Their mingled scents?

He stared at the ceiling, confused, angry and too boneless to think straight.

“This? What the fuck is this?” he hissed and resolved to find out where the hell he’d gone wrong.