Dreaming of the Wolf (Heart of the Wolf #8)(77)

Before she could stand, he pulled her to her feet, and then he gave her a warm hug. “I plan to settle into my grandfather’s house tonight. Darien might say no, but if we can get a bodyguard detail together, that’s where I’d like to be with you tonight. In our own place.”

“I’d like that.” Although she didn’t have a clue what his place looked like. What if she didn’t like it?

She’d love it, she decided. If Jake was with her and she could help him decorate, she’d love it. “Are your photographs hanging on the walls?” she asked as she headed for her chest of drawers.

“No. I’ll leave the walls for you to decorate to your heart’s content.” He continued to reverently put her mother’s things back in the boxes.

“I want that photograph of the fuchsia flowers at the gallery, unless you have another like that. Oh.” She put an armload of sweaters on the bed. “What about my car? Your photograph of the wood lilies is in the car.”

“You can have any photograph you want, Alicia. You didn’t need to buy any of them.” He chuckled. “You might be my only buyer.” Then he grew serious. “But your car will have been towed to a service station in Breckenridge. The window will be replaced and everything will be set right.”

“Good. I would have hated to lose that picture.”

He was so quiet that Alicia looked over from unloading another drawer of her underwear. He was reading a note.

“Anything important?”

“An address.” He looked up at her. “Danny Massaro’s address.”

“So my mother had Danny’s key and”—she read the address—“an address I don’t recognize.”

“The key could be to any place. But it really wouldn’t matter. I have lock picks, remember?”

***

Four hours later, they were finished unloading the furniture at Jake’s grandfather’s place, a spacious brick ranch-style home. Alicia wandered around the three-bedroom house, finally standing in the living room and turning to look at Jake as she watched men she hadn’t met help settle her furniture in the place. The same men had already moved out his grandfather’s old furniture and even cleaned up the house. Jake said he and Tom and some others had worked on renovating the place for months in preparation for moving in. She was already really warming up to being part of a pack.

“Is the house to your liking?” he asked, studying her response.

She smiled. “It’s lovely, Jake. All the beautiful stained-wood trim, the moldings, the rustic stone fireplace. I can’t wait for winter to come when we can sit before the fireplace, sipping hot chocolate and watching the flames flicker.” She looked out the expansive window at the forest surrounding them.

“All my life I’ve lived on top of people, crunched up beside people in apartments. Heard all the noise of neighbors walking on my ceiling or banging against walls when hanging pictures or moving furniture. Or hearing angry words when fights occurred. I love it here, the peace and quiet, the wide open space, yet the surrounding forest makes it comforting.”

He joined her and wrapped his arms around her. “You don’t feel isolated out here? Scared? Frightened of the woods? You’ve lived all your life in town. You won’t feel you’ve been dumped in the wilderness, will you?”

She nestled against his body. “No. I love it here. I used to love going on nature walks with my mother, wishing I had been a pioneer and could have lived out away from people.”

“Truthfully in a pack, we’re never very isolated. We might have our own homes or apartments, but we’re never really alone.”

“I can see that,” she said, smiling up at him as she listened to the men moving the master-bedroom furniture around as Tom directed the placement of the dresser.

“Lelandi wants us to come home for dinner. If that’s all right with you.”

“Of course.”

“But…” He leaned down and slanted his mouth over hers and then, with an openmouthed kiss, stroked her lips with his. When she parted her lips for him, he tongued hers. Their hearts were already beating faster, his body hardening, her nipples spearing him. “…we’ll set things up a bit before we return to their house.”

She knew what he had in mind. “Will it be safe?”

Already his eyes had darkened with desire. “Guards will be posted outside the house. You’ll be safe. I’ll just talk to them. If you want to”—he waved at the hallway that led to the bedroom—“start making the bed. I’ll help you finish up in a minute.”

The only thing bad about being with a pack was the knowledge they all knew exactly what she and Jake would be doing as soon as he cleared the house out. As soon as the men finished with the bedroom, she slipped into the room and dug around in a box, then found a set of fresh sheets as she listened to hear what Jake was telling the men. Not a word. Just a shuffling of boots, and the front door opened and everyone marched outside.

A few minutes later, Jake was stalking into the bedroom. “I set a detail around the house. We’ll be safe enough.”

“They don’t mind?” she asked, searching for the pillows.

“No, of course not. We’d all do the same for each other. Why did you have such a big bed when you’re such a little thing?”