He made her a cup of peppermint tea. “At least your bedroom door was closed so you couldn’t go running off.”

  “Yeah, but what if I had gone to your bedroom and joined you in bed?”

  “Now that would have been welcome.”

  “If I’d been a wolf?” She couldn’t believe he would be okay with that.

  “Yeah, as either would be great.”

  “Okay, good to know.” She wasn’t sure she would be comfortable joining him in bed as a wolf. “Breakfast is outstanding.” She took another sip of her tea.

  “Thanks. I should have asked you what you wanted to eat, but we got in so late last night, I didn’t think about it.”

  “Well, it’s delicious. So what are we doing today?”

  ***

  Maverick and Gina fed the reindeer after breakfast. She was petting them, getting to know them, and he was glad she was having such a great time with them. They took over the morning reindeer tour after that. She even began talking about the reindeer to the tour group as if she’d always worked with them.

  While she was talking, he watched the easy way she handled questions, leaning against the corral fence, looking so relaxed, using her hands to help tell her story, reaching over to pet the reindeer. She even was talking to the visitors about the llama. Gina was so pretty; her dark hair tossed in the breeze, and he wanted to run his hands through it and kiss her smiling lips. She laughed with joy when some of the visitors joked with her. Maverick couldn’t stop thinking about how he wanted to convince her to join him in his bed tonight. Not to make love, unless she wanted to. He was definitely up for that. But because he really wanted to see her shift, and at this rate, if she didn’t bark or howl to alert him, he didn’t think he’d ever witness her change.

  They worked all the rest of the morning, taking a break for a light lunch, and she said, “I love my parents, but I’m so tired after all the short nights of sleep, I hope I don’t fall asleep during dinner tonight.”

  He chuckled. “I’ll make the meal tonight. You can just relax and talk to your parents and have a Christmas cocktail.”

  “No way. If I relax and combine that with a cocktail, I’d just pass out.”

  He smiled. “Do you want to take a nap this afternoon while I go out and finish some work?”

  “No. I’m having way too much fun. I just hope we don’t have too late of a night again.”

  Then they headed back outside, and she began cataloging the reindeer’s and llama’s behavior on her notebook—watching the animals as they interacted with each other and with the ranch hands and visitors, measuring the stalls, and analyzing their feed. He admired her determination to keep on trucking, no matter how tired she was, especially since she really didn’t have to do so.

  Even so, he told Randall to handle things earlier than he normally would have so they could go inside, clean up, and get ready for her parents. Later, they went inside to shower and dress for her parents’ arrival. He and Gina met in the living room, and he cupped her face and kissed her. “I loved watching you speak to the tour group, answering their questions, petting the animals.”

  “Thanks.” She slipped her arms around his waist and kissed him more, their tongues connecting, tasting, teasing. “I love seeing you work with the reindeer, wearing your sexy cowboy clothes and directing your wolfish smiles at me. It makes me want to just drop everything I’m doing and haul you right to bed. Speaking of which, if I do get in bed with you tonight, are you sure you wouldn’t have any issues with me if I suddenly turn into a wolf?”

  Then he realized that was what she was really worried about. “I would be honored with your presence, no matter what form you’re in. Seriously.”

  “Okay, good.” Then she glanced at the oven clock. “They should be here soon.”

  They heard a car pull up outside.

  “It’s amazing how I can hear vehicle engines now and can recognize them the next time I hear them.” She went to the door. “Yep, it’s them.” She took a deep breath and exhaled and opened the door. “Mom, Dad, don’t you just love the ranch?”

  “Oh, my, yes,” her mom said, giving her a hug.

  Then she gave her dad a hug and took their coats. “Mom, Dad, this is Maverick Wilding, and Maverick, this is my mom, Faye Hutton, and my dad, Reggie Hutton.”

  Maverick greeted them, shaking Gina’s dad’s hand, and then her mom gave Maverick a hug. He hadn’t expected it but appreciated it. “What would you like to drink? How about caramel white Russians?”

  “Yes,” Faye said.

  “Oh, that sounds good. I’ll help you make them,” Gina said.

  “Sounds good to me,” Reggie said. “So how many acres do you have out here?”

  “Four thousand,” Maverick said, starting on the drinks.

  “That’s a nice spread,” Reggie said.

  “The place is beautifully lit up in Christmas lights,” Faye said. “It’s just magical.”

  “Yeah, and you have a beautiful home,” Reggie said.

  “Thanks, we love Christmas, and we do well enough. We’re going to have salmon, asparagus spears, and potatoes for dinner if that sounds fine to you all?”

  “Yeah, just what we love,” Faye said.

  Brooke had picked up the salmon earlier that day for them so it would be fresh. He just hoped they cooked it up perfectly, her parents enjoyed the meal, and he didn’t make any major mistakes. He’d never considered he might be trying to impress human parents and show them that he was just who their daughter should date and even mate at some future time.

  Chapter 9

  Gina had mixed feelings about her parents coming here for dinner. She knew Maverick didn’t plan to turn them tonight, but she figured it was inevitable, and she normally didn’t keep secrets from her parents—especially secrets of this magnitude that would affect them so drastically.

  She truly hoped her parents would like Maverick and that he would like them. She was used to going to the movies with them on occasion, even taking trips with them and eating out, plus taking shopping trips with her mother. She didn’t want to miss out on all that.

  Her mom and dad were dressed to impress, and so was Maverick. She appreciated that he had dressed up for her parents. Her previous boyfriends wouldn’t have for any gathering, no matter what it was.

  “It really is a beautiful ranch,” her mom said, and Gina knew right away she really did like it. “I didn’t expect it to be so whimsical.”

  “Yeah, everything here looks first class,” her dad said.

  Okay, they already accepted him, probably because of the beautiful ranch and home.

  “You have a couple of other homes out here?” her dad said, as Maverick served them caramel white Russians.

  “Our ranch manager has a place, and my brother and sister-in-law have a home here. Josh and Brooke often stay in town in their house behind the antiques shop though.”

  “Oh, I love antiques stores.” Her mom took a sip of her drink. “This is so good.”

  “I’ll have to take you there,” Gina said. “Brooke has the cutest things.”

  “Weston said you have a couple of wolf dogs,” her dad said.

  “They’re staying with Josh and Brooke at their home in Portland,” Maverick said.

  Nice save. Smiling at Maverick, she figured he didn’t want to have to text the ranch hands so they would hurry up and shift and show themselves in their wolf halves at this point.

  “The ranch is owned jointly by you and your brother?” her dad asked.

  Gina figured that her dad wanted to know how well off Maverick was or if the holdings belonged to both brothers and he wasn’t as well off as he appeared.

  “We both own it, though I run it because Josh works most of the time with Brooke at her store. Before that, Josh had been a police detective with the Portland Police Bureau, and then he retired. Brooke actually inherited more acreage adjoining our property, and she has a home on that that she rents out.”

  “Oh, Dad, you have to see Maverick’s car,” Gina said. “It’s beautiful. A classic ’57 Corvette.”

  Her dad instantly perked up. She knew that would get his attention.

  “I’ll show it to you after we start the dinner,” Maverick said.

  Then he and Gina started the asparagus and fondant potatoes in a frying pan with olive oil. She cut the potatoes into cylinders, browned them on both ends along with the asparagus, and then slowly roasted them in the oven with butter, veggie broth, and rosemary.

  “That will take about thirty minutes. Do you want to take a walk through the stable and meet the reindeer and see my Corvette in the garage?” Maverick asked.

  “Yeah,” her dad said. “That would be great.”

  “I sure do,” her mom said.

  “You’ll love the llama too. Gina and I found a reindeer and the llama together in the woods at the state park,” Maverick said.

  “Oh, no. They were all right though?” Faye asked.

  “Yes. The vet checked them over, and both were in great health.”

  Then they headed outside, and Maverick led them to the stable where all the reindeer were bedded down for the night. The night tour group was just getting into their bus to leave. Her mom and dad were smiling at all the fancy carved signs, the lights, the reindeer and calves, and even the llama in the stall with the reindeer, happily lying down together like best friends.

  “Oh, they’re so cute,” her mom said.

  They finally went to see the classic Ford truck and then the Corvette. Her dad had to sit in the car and place his hands on the steering wheel. He looked like he was in heaven.

  “Sometime, I’ll let you drive it,” Maverick said.

  “That would be great,” her dad said, looking like a kid in a toy shop, his bright smile contagious. Then her dad got out of the car, and her mom got behind the steering wheel. “This is really nice.”

  “The same goes for you—driving the car,” Maverick said to Faye.

  Gina glanced up at him, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and smiled down at her. “You too.”

  Then Gina’s dad and Maverick started the salmon steaks on the grill under the patio cover.

  “Come on, Mom, we’ll finish the rest of the meal.” Gina and her mom went inside.

  “Oh, Gina, honey, I like this new boyfriend of yours.”

  “So do I. He’s a great dancer.” And kisser! And he had a super-hot body. She loved how he was with animals, loving them just like she did. “A super cook too.”

  “He’s a dreamboat. Your dad approves of him just because of his car.”

  Gina laughed. “Yeah, I figured he’d love that.” But what would they think if they knew he was a wolf shifter? And he and his pack planned to turn her family?

  She so wanted to talk to her mom about wolf shifters, to tell her they were real and all the good things about them. She knew she couldn’t, but she really, really wanted to. If she did, then what? Her mom wouldn’t believe her. At least Gina figured she wouldn’t.

  Then the men came in with the salmon steaks, and Gina served up the potatoes and asparagus. Once everyone had glasses of water and a wine glass filled with pinot noir, they took their seats to eat dinner.

  “So how do your wolf dogs get along with everyone? And are there more than just the two?” her dad asked, his dark brows arched, and he was looking like a protective father.

  Gina wanted to groan out loud. If her brother hadn’t crashed the Christmas party, none of this would have come up.

  “We took in two wolf dogs that the owner swore didn’t have wolf genes, and some of our friends took in some others of the same litter. But they’re good dogs. They’re good with the reindeer and with the horses and cattle on the other ranch. Sometimes they can be a little stubborn, but they get along great with each other, and they do really mind us when we give them commands. They grew up with the reindeer herd and the horses.” Maverick didn’t sound in the least bit perturbed that her dad was questioning him about it further, for which Gina was glad.

  “Well, you know your brother, Gina. He was so excited—and concerned—that you were associating with a pack of werewolves that when we told him we were invited for dinner, he insisted we ask about the wolf dogs. Weston said he always knew you didn’t believe in Bigfoot or anything but went along on the hunts because you enjoyed hiking with him and his friends so much. So he worried you could be in the middle of a pack of werewolves and not even realize it,” her mother said.

  Gina smiled, but she felt so insincere. She patted Maverick’s shoulder. “Maverick is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. So if he’s a werewolf, I’m glad to know him.”

  Her parents laughed and went on to other topics to Gina’s relief.

  After enjoying the spectacular lighting display one last time—her mom even taking a few phone pictures as it illuminated the ranch houses, stables, corrals, and Christmas tree farm—Gina’s parents finally said their good-nights and left.

  “Sorry about all the interrogation about the wolf dogs.”

  “No problem. I think they liked me well enough.” Maverick sighed with relief.

  She smiled at him. Before now, she wouldn’t have even heard his nonverbal response. “You passed my parents’ inspection with flying colors. With my dad, it was the offer of allowing him to drive your car. He’ll take you up on it, too.”

  Maverick laughed. “I’d be happy to loan it to both of them for some test drives. Anything that will help them adjust to the changes in their lives once we have to turn them, the better. Now the question is: my bed or your own for the night?”

  “I don’t know. I need to check out how nice your bed is first.” She smiled up at him and loved how his expression instantly brightened.

  ***

  “Hopefully, my bed meets with your expectations.” Maverick genuinely liked Gina’s parents, and he was so glad he’d met them. They seemed to really like him, but would that all change if the pack turned them? He was also thrilled Gina wanted to stay with him in his bed tonight. “Don’t worry about the business with werewolves and all. Your parents don’t believe in them. I got the impression they were amused by your brother’s claim that I’m part of a werewolf pack.”

  “I agree.”

  He set her bag on a chair in the bedroom as she checked out the bed first, plopping down on her butt in an exaggerated way. She was such a fun person to be with.

  Then she lay down and sighed. “Okay, this is perfectly acceptable.”

  He was glad, though he suspected she would have stayed with him even if it hadn’t been perfect.

  She got up from the bed. “I need to take a shower.”

  “Bathroom is in there.”

  She took his hand and led him in there, surprising him. “Keep me company?”

  He sure would and didn’t have to be asked twice to do so. He pulled off her sweater, revealing her red-lace bra and creamy breasts. Then he leaned down and kissed the swell of her breasts, his hands stroking her smooth shoulders, before he moved his mouth to hers and kissed her on the lips. They were pliant, eager to ramp up the energy and passion already igniting between them.

  Kissing his mouth back, she slid her hands from his shoulders and ran them over his chest, their pheromones even now telling them they were on the right track. Their hearts were thundering, their blood heating as he reached behind her and unfastened her bra, sliding the straps down her arms and dropping it on top of her sweater.

  But then it was her turn, and she began to unbutton his plaid shirt, one torturously slow button at a time, twining her tongue with his, continuing to kiss him in a lingering and methodical way. His boxer briefs were already stretching with his rigid erection, and he wanted her to hurry up with his shirt so he could ditch his pants and boxer briefs and hit the shower with her.

  She was in no rush, making him fight the urge to plead with her to hurry it up or he’d take over from her to finish unbuttoning his shirt instead.

  “I love your buttons,” she whispered against his mouth, the seductive vixen.

  He wished he’d worn a pullover shirt instead. “I’m glad you were only wearing a sweater. Well, and a bra.”

  He ran his hands over her breasts, enjoying the plump feel of them in his hands, the nipples peaking against his palms, rigid, feeling sexy against his skin. Her lips were lightly moist, sinful, and she was still working on his buttons! She slipped her hand under his partially unbuttoned shirt to run her fingers over his pecs and smiled against his mouth.

  He couldn’t wait any longer and began to unbuckle his belt. She leaned down and kissed his chest. And then she finished unfastening his shirt buttons and slipped his shirt off his shoulders. She began kissing his shoulders, her lips like satin on his skin, and he stroked her bare shoulders and then kissed them with reverence. Every inch of her was delectable.

  He moved his fingers down to unfasten her jeans and then unzipped them and slid his hand down her panties, feeling the wetness between her legs. He smiled. She was as ready for him as he was for her.

  He had never expected to turn a woman into a wolf and feel the incredibly strong desire he had for her. Not just wanting sex with her, but something deeper emotionally.

  He pulled her jeans down just as she seized his waistband and began to pull his pants down too, like they were conducting a synchronized, intimate dance move. He kicked his off and pulled hers the rest of the way down, and then he slipped her socks off her feet before yanking his own off.

  She reached into the glassed-in shower to turn on the water, and he pressed his frontside to her backside, rubbing his engorged cock, still confined in his boxer briefs, against her, his hands on her hips as she gyrated against him. He groaned, not expecting her seductive move.

  He slid his hands up her belly to her breasts and gave them a gentle squeeze, kissing her shoulder at the same time, and she shivered. Then he slid one hand down her tummy and under her waistband, finding her mons, and began stroking her clit.