Putting the Heart Before the Horse Read online

  The shelves were overcrowded with games, stuffed animals, and t-shirts, with a toy train running on an elevated track that circled the length of the store. The noise in the store was almost overwhelming, as the train whistle blew and other electronic toys bleeped and zoomed.

  “How about this?” He turned to find Hope holding up a bucket of something labeled “Super Glitter Slime—Glows in the Dark” with the helpful note “Extra Sticky!”

  “Funny, but only until I have to help clean it up.”

  She chuckled as she put it back on the shelf.

  Josh moved through the aisles and collected an assortment of small items—postcards, pencils with slogans printed on them, a few keychains, and some refrigerator magnets—then turned to look for Hope.

  She was at one of the front windows, head cocked, looking up at something in the display. He stepped over to her side and joined her.

  “Find something you’re interested in?”

  “Oh, I was just looking at the kite,” she said. She pointed to a kite hanging in a corner of the window, brilliantly painted to look like a monarch butterfly.

  “That’s nice,” he said. “When you live in the Windy City, you must see a lot of them.”

  “Actually it—it reminds me of when I was a kid. I used to fly kites with my dad. Not all the time, of course, but every once in a while. Until he...until my mom left.”

  Her tone was a little distant, a clear sign that this was a subject she didn’t want to discuss any further. Losing his parents at a young age had been traumatic, but at least he’d grown up secure in their love and in the love of his relatives. It sounded like Hope’s upbringing had been a lot more complicated.

  “My cousin Ava loves anything that flies, including kites,” he said, steering the conversation away from dangerous ground. “Her birthday is next month, actually. I think I can sneak one last thing into my suitcase.”

  Packages of the butterfly kite were hanging next to the window display. Josh grabbed one and brought the basket up to the counter to pay. He handed the clerk his credit card and thought about what Hope had said. Her mother had been the one who left, but it sounded like she’d had some problems with her father too.

  The clerk handed back his card and gave him the bag of souvenirs, and he stepped over by Hope’s side.

  “All done?” she asked.

  He held up the plastic bag in response and gestured her toward the door. The sun had almost completely set, and the air was getting chilly. After a few steps, he paused and shrugged off his jacket.

  “Here,” he said, draping it around Hope’s shoulders.

  “Thanks.”

  This time, she reached for his hand. Her touch felt like a tug on his heart. He was trying not to let himself move too fast, but each minute he spent with this woman made him more and more sure that they belonged together.

  This was one of the problems of dating outside shifter communities. No matter how much a non-shifter knew about them, some things just weren’t quite the same. He’d seen it happen before, where someone got scared off by the idea of a destined mate.

  But so far, he hadn’t seen any sign of that with Hope.

  “I got Ava a big fancy kite as a Christmas present a couple of years ago,” he said, picking up the conversation from inside the store. “Uncle Josh was her favorite for a while after that.”

  “Is Uncle Josh the fun uncle?”

  “Most of the time. It’s pretty easy to be fun when you’re not their parent. But I try and take responsibility too. It’s the same way I was raised.”

  “To a kid who grew up alone, that sounds amazing and alarming at the same time. It would have been nice to have other kids around to play with. But I can’t imagine constantly being around that many people.”

  “It’s a trade-off,” Josh agreed. “But relationships always are, in one way or another. And what you get out of it is usually worth it.”

  “That’s a good point,” she said, squeezing his hand. As much as he wanted her, wanted to explore her body and worship her, at this moment he was content just to be with her, walking down a sidewalk at sunset with the breeze blowing around them.

  All too soon, they were back at the hotel, walking through the sliding doors. Hope let go of his hand to maneuver around an overloaded luggage cart, and he instantly missed her touch. They reunited in the lobby after a harried-looking father, chasing after a toddler, wheeled the cart out of the way.

  “Well, thanks for dinner,” Hope said. “I enjoyed it. I was a little nervous about being set up by a matchmaker, but—” She trailed off as Josh took her hand again.

  “But it feels right,” he said softly. She nodded slowly, never taking her eyes from him.

  He guided her to a little alcove off the main lobby, keeping their fingers threaded together. The noise of the restaurant and the lobby disappeared, and they entered their own private world.

  “Hope,” he said, using his other hand to brush her blonde hair back from her face. “I was worried too. I want to get married and have a family, but still, I took a big step signing up with Single and Serious. It was a little embarrassing to think that I needed help finding a woman. But if I’d known that it would lead me to you, I wouldn’t have worried at all.”

  He’d put his trust in destiny, and destiny had brought him Hope.

  Her eyes fluttered closed as he leaned in closer. He took a breath, inhaling the sweet scent of her perfume, and chased it to its source on the delicate skin behind her ear. As he nuzzled at that tempting spot, he heard a small moan escape her lips. The sound wiped every other thought from his mind—he had to have her.

  She turned up her face to meet his kiss, which started out gentle as they tasted and tested each other. Her soft lips plucked at his, and for several long moments, they were content to learn what the other person liked. Their joined hands broke apart, and as Josh moved to grasp her hip, Hope’s arms slid around his neck. Her lips felt as amazing as he’d imagined. He traced them with his tongue, and when her mouth opened eagerly beneath his, their tongues met and tangled hotly.

  He drew back, panting, aware of every place their bodies touched. “Hope, that was...God, I don’t know what to say.”

  A smile bloomed on her face. “Amazing? Astonishing? Arousing?”

  “Definitely all three of those.” To illustrate his point, he pulled her closer, flush against his hardness.

  “Josh,” she murmured, so sweetly that he had to kiss her again. They lost themselves in each other until a large group of people entered the lobby and the noise pulled them back to reality.

  “Hope,” he said hesitantly, “believe me when I say that I didn’t plan this, didn’t even dream that it could happen, but...would you come upstairs to my room? I want you so much, it’s making me crazy.”

  She took a deep breath. “You’re right, it is crazy. We just met a few hours ago, and I’ve never even met a shifter before. There’s so much we should talk about.”

  He forced himself to release his grasp on her hip and stepped back. “Of course.”

  She stunned him, then, by reaching out to stroke him through his pants. “But talking is the last thing I want to do with you right now.”

  Chapter Three

  In the elevator, Josh stared straight ahead at the closed doors, keeping a careful few feet between them. Hope stood behind him, trying to simultaneously imagine what he looked like under his clothes and not have a panic attack.

  What was she doing? Going up to Josh’s room was impulsive, even reckless, maybe the craziest thing she’d ever done. Her thoughts raced around in her head, but the hot thrum of her blood almost drowned out any kind of coherent thought. She had never felt a connection like this with a man before. One kiss, and she’d been ready to jump him in the hotel lobby.

  Hope had spent her life being responsible. She’d worked her way through college, earned a living, made a good career for herself. She drove a safe Japanese car, drank inexpensive California wine, and put ten percent of he
r income into savings. She dated boring men who made her feel boring too.

  Maybe it was time to do something completely reckless.

  The ding of the elevator startled her out of her reverie. Josh stepped out of the elevator and turned to the right, still not looking at her. She followed through the beige hotel hallway, wondering if he was having second thoughts, even as the concerned little voice in her head was silenced for good by the sight of his long, lean back flexing as he dug his keycard out of his pocket and unlocked the door.

  She didn’t say anything as the door swung closed, leaving the two of them in the small room only lit by a small lamp. Just when she decided Josh had changed his mind, he turned and grabbed her arms a little roughly and backed her against the door. His jacket slipped off her shoulders into a puddle on the floor.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked.

  Instead of answering him, she went up on her tiptoes and kissed his throat, his chin, and finally his lips.

  He groaned and leaned into her, pressing himself up against her body. He felt amazing, all muscle and hardness. When his tongue brushed against her parted lips, she opened them further and thrust her tongue against his. The kiss was wet and hungry, turning into another kiss and yet another until she felt like she was drowning and dizzy with lust. She pushed into him, her nipples tingling with sensation and begging to be touched.

  Hoping he’d get the idea, she let her fingers go in search of his shirt buttons. He broke the kiss and reached down to help her, and together they shrugged off his shirt, leaving her free to explore the expanse of his shoulders and chest. So much skin for her to touch, smooth in places, rough with hair in others.

  He undid her belt, letting it fall to the floor, then began tugging at the zipper of her dress. She turned around to allow him better access, but he drew it out, lowering the zipper an inch at a time, then leaning in to lick and kiss the skin he’d uncovered.

  When he reached her bra, he slid his hands along her shoulders, pushing her dress off. She reached up to pull it off and let it drop to the floor in a colorful puddle. She took a deep breath, thinking of all those times she’d meant to go to Zumba, but then Josh leaned in to kiss her shoulder, and she felt his erection press against her backside. He was hard for her. He wanted her, extra pounds and all.

  She unhooked her bra before turning around, for the pleasure of seeing his eyes widen at the sight of her breasts. He immediately reached up to cup them, his thumbs stroking across the nipples, and she let her head thunk back against the wall as the pleasure shot through her. He let out a low chuckle and leaned into to take one in his mouth.

  “Oh, God, Josh,” she gasped as he tugged at the pebbled flesh with his lips.

  “You are so gorgeous, I can’t believe it. I could barely wait until we got in the room,” he murmured. He stroked his hands down her bare sides and came to rest on her hips. “Lie down, so I can taste you.”

  The rush of desire felt like a physical impact, weakening her knees. She wanted so many things simultaneously—his mouth on her, the feel of his skin against hers, him filling the aching emptiness inside her. She moved toward the bed, a little unsteady on her feet, and pulled the covers aside. The cool sheets were a shock to her overheated skin. Josh finished undressing, and then he was on top of her, slowly sliding to rest between her legs.

  They kissed again and again, deep, hungry kisses, each one promising more pleasure to come. Josh slid his mouth down her neck, leaving a wet trail that tingled in the cool air of the hotel room. He kissed each of her breasts, then trailed his tongue along the waistband of her panties.

  “Can I take these off?”

  “You better.”

  The silk slid down her legs, and then his mouth was on her. His tongue was wet and hot, licking into her relentlessly, sending her into a spiral of pleasure. Her muscles tensed, and her fingers clenched in the sheets. When he sucked gently on her, she cried out in a voice she barely recognized as her own.

  “Josh,” she chanted, “Josh, Josh, so good...”

  The sensation built and built, but as she came close to release, he eased back on the pressure, just lightly teasing her with the tip of his tongue.

  “Oh, you bastard,” she gritted out. Her muscles were so tense it almost hurt. “Please, please—”

  “Shh, it’s okay.” He lowered his mouth to her again and kept up the steady pressure, just right, so that she almost immediately crested to her orgasm. She relaxed as the waves swept through her body, pulsing warmth spreading through her and leaving a languorous exhaustion behind.

  Josh climbed up and settled next to her, a hand resting gently on her belly.

  She poked him in the side with a finger. “You can stop looking so smug.”

  The smile on his face grew, and he leaned down to kiss her. “Oh, it was my pleasure.”

  “Mine too. Obviously.”

  She reached down to stroke his cock, and that wiped the smile off his face. “God, your hand feels so good.” He thrust into her grasp, a little helplessly.

  “I want you inside me,” she whispered.

  “There are condoms in that bag on the nightstand.”

  She pulled out a condom and rolled it onto him, and then she leaned back and welcomed him into the cradle of her legs. He pushed slowly into her, her wetness smoothing the way. When he came to rest fully inside her, she tensed around him, loving the feeling of fullness. Loving the way they were joined together, body and soul.

  He thrust into her over and over, and she wrapped her legs around his hips, holding him to her.

  “Can you come again?”

  “I—I don’t know,” she said; even the thought felt shocking and erotic.

  He balanced his weight on one arm and reached for her hand to pull it down. “Try,” he said.

  She rubbed herself gently, the sensation different but still good. Josh started thrusting again, and they both groaned at the movement. Her second orgasm was tighter, more focused, and after that, it was almost too much to have Josh moving inside her.

  “Come on,” she whispered. “Your turn.”

  He pushed all of the way inside her and dropped his head to her shoulder, and after a moment, she felt him pulsing as he came.

  She turned on her side and nestled into the pillows while he disposed of the condom. The bed dipped as he slid back into it and moved close to her, their foreheads almost touching. She tried to remember the last time she’d felt this content and comfortable with a man and came up blank.

  “I love hotel sheets,” she murmured sleepily. “They always smell clean and feel so crisp on your skin.”

  “Lot of experience with hotel sheets, huh?”

  “All that travel,” she said. “And the hotel sheets always smell the same, no matter where you are.”

  “On the ranch, we dry most of the laundry outside. They smell like clean air and sunshine.”

  “That sounds nice,” she said, halfway asleep.

  He yawned. “You’ll come visit, right?”

  “Sure.” She’d make a trip out there to get to know him better, meet his family, take a look at what she might be getting herself into. A long-distance relationship could be a bit of a challenge, but she thought they’d be able to manage it for a while.

  “I want you to meet everyone, and I’ll show you around the place. I know the perfect spot for a summer wedding.”

  Her eyes flew open as his words registered like a bucket of cold water dashed over her. “Wait, what?”

  “Flowers blooming in the meadow, beautiful blue skies—”

  “Uh, Josh?” She poked him until he opened his eyes. “Are you talking about our wedding?”

  “Well, yeah. I know I haven’t asked you yet, and it’s moving a little fast—”

  “A little fast?” she heard herself screech. “We haven’t even known each other twelve hours!” She pushed herself into a sitting position, and he sat up to face her.

  “I don’t understand,” Josh said. “I thou
ght you were ready to get married. That’s why you signed up with Single and Serious.”

  “Not right away!” she protested. “After we’ve actually spent time together and gone on dates and fought over, I don’t know, leaving the toilet seat up.” Suddenly, her carefully made plans and schedules were falling apart.

  “Why do we have to do that if we already know we belong together? I know you’re not a shifter, but—you’re my mate. I knew it as soon as I saw you.”

  “Mate?” There was that word again.

  “When we meet the person we’re destined to be with, we know. We can feel it. Didn’t you know?”

  Shit, Kathy was right. Hope swallowed down on the sensation of panic building in her stomach. Of course she felt something, a connection more intense than anything she’d ever experienced, but that was very different from some kind of magic bond.

  “No, I didn’t know!” she snapped, feeling herself scooting a little farther away from him.

  “The agency should have told you!” He paused. “But they didn’t tell you I was a shifter, did they. Someone messed up.”

  “Big time,” Hope agreed.

  “But you feel it, don’t you? Our connection?” He leaned toward her, probably not even meaning to do it, but it was suddenly the last straw.

  “I feel...like I am not prepared to have this conversation.” She swung her feet to the floor, stood up, and began gathering her clothes.

  “Hope—”

  “I’m not going to pretend that I didn’t enjoy myself, because obviously I did, and you’re gorgeous and nice, but I don’t even commit to a dentist this quickly!”

  She knew she was babbling as she pulled on her undergarments and her dress, but as long as she kept talking, there wouldn’t be a really awkward silence, and she wouldn’t actually have to deal with what she was feeling.

  Josh was simultaneously tripping over his discarded shoes and trying to disentangle himself from the trailing bedspread. “You’re right, I’m sorry, I just—”

  “Where is my purse?” she muttered to herself. There, tossed on the desk chair near the door. She turned to look at Josh, who’d managed to pull on his pants and looked both chagrined and confused.