The Wolf on the Hill Read online

  But it would take more than a spring clean to convince him this was the place where he wanted to begin his life over again. Add some respect, a sizeable cash donation, and the love of a good woman, and he’d think about it.

  With the living room finished, and Naomi back at the pub for her shift, Mia moved on to decorate one of the bedrooms alone. Singing tunelessly along to the radio, she actually found herself enjoying the task. Maybe she was high on paint fumes, but it gave her a ridiculous sense of achievement to watch the skirting boards transform with a coat of brilliant white gloss under her brush. For now, making sure she covered every inch of wood took her mind off her troubles.

  “Oh, it’s you singing. I thought there was a cat getting strangled in here.” Caleb’s sarcasm permeated her solace and she stuck her tongue out at him in childish retaliation.

  “You know, this isn’t a bad wee place now it’s tidied up.” Sitting back on her knees to admire her handiwork, she spotted a bare patch in the wood and leant forward to fill it in with a quick swipe of her paintbrush.

  “It has a nice view, I’ll give you that.” He waggled a suggestive eyebrow with his gaze firmly rested on her backside. Another gesture that her body didn’t have the courtesy to ignore, as once again her insides turned to mush.

  Mia balled up the cloth she had used to mop up any paint spills during her seemingly unnecessary attempt at reconciliation, and tossed it at him. Obviously he wasn’t as wounded by the previous day’s comments as she’d imagined. “Seriously, though, you could have a nice home here if you wanted.”

  While the idea of Caleb as a permanent neighbour freaked her out to a certain extent, she believed that, once they put the whole shagging in the forest debacle aside, they could be friends. Ignoring the flirtatious edge to their banter, talking to him made a refreshing change from her now strained conversations with Robbie. If only she hadn’t realised too late that he wasn’t the one for her. If only her parents would accept her decision.

  “I’m not one for settling down.” Caleb sounded apologetic, as if he knew the direction her thoughts were headed. “I’ll have the house on the market soon. In fact, the estate agent phoned earlier to say there’s already an offer.”

  “Already?” It winded her to find out that he was making plans to hightail it out of there so soon after swooping in and turning her life upside down.

  “Yeah. Strange, seeing as it’s not even listed yet.”

  “It’s a small community. Word gets around quickly. You should know that.” She could have kicked herself for dredging up his past, but thankfully he paid no notice to her slip up.

  “That would also go some way to explaining the ridiculously low offer. Obviously someone thought they could get themselves a bargain with the place trashed.”

  “Surely you’re not going to take it?” Mia couldn’t explain the sudden panic rising in her chest. If he sold up and moved on, no one would know about her lapse of judgement. Caleb’s quick departure is what I want, isn’t it?

  “Not now, no. The house is worth substantially more today than it was yesterday and I can’t afford to give it away.”

  Mia closed the lid on the paint, wiped her brushes and got to her feet. “Well, I’m sure with my artistry you’ve added at least a tenner to the value.”

  The pinched expression on his face as he had talked money softened into a smile. As aggravating as he was, she definitely preferred this look on him. “With you in it, the house is priceless.”

  How quickly a few words, or that particular way he had of looking at her as though she was his entire universe, could revert her back to that carefree spirit he’d first met. For a moment they stood toe to toe with only the buzz of the radio in the background breaking the silence. The airwaves crackled with electricity and Mia held her breath when he reached out to her. Even though her head told her he was all wrong, her body couldn’t resist his touch.

  He brushed a loose strand of hair from her face and she closed her eyes as anticipation danced along her spine.

  His hot breath caressed her skin. “You have something in your hair.”

  Not exactly the words a girl expected to hear in that moment.

  She prised her eyes open and coughed nervously, attempting to expel her mortification. “Paint, I expect. I’m covered in it.”

  Caleb frowned and examined the locks between his fingers. “No. It’s a spider.”

  “What? Aagh! Get it out! Get it out!” She did the jerky spider dance, trying to expel the offending creature in a series of limb-busting moves.

  “It’s tiny.” Caleb laughed in the face of her hysteria.

  “I don’t care. It could still crawl into my ear and lay eggs. Get it out!” She sobbed as an involuntary shudder racked through her.

  “It’s okay.” He tugged his fingers through her hair before presenting the specimen for inspection. “See, he’s tiny. I’m sure he’s more scared of you than you are of him.”

  “I doubt it.” Mia’s skin prickled with goose bumps and she was only too glad to see him dispose of the eight-legged beastie through the open window.

  “I’m surprised an inoffensive wee creature like that would have such an effect on a wolf shifter.”

  She hated showing any vulnerability and immediately went on the defensive, folding her arms across her chest. “Everyone has their weakness. Spiders are mine. Okay?” Unwanted tears welled in her eyes and she despised herself for the ridiculous overreaction.

  Caleb crossed the room to rest his hands on her shoulders. “Okay. I’m sorry for being an arse about it. We’ll say no more on the subject.” He wiped away a stray tear with the pad of his thumb and dropped a kiss on her head.

  That simple contact was enough to start her free-falling back into that pit of desire. She remembered those lips too well—soft, yet demanding. Her mouth parted on a sigh and she invited him to take a taste.

  “I thought you didn’t want this.” Caleb moved his hands to cup her face and rested his forehead on hers. The hitch in his voice betrayed his struggle for restraint, a quality she did not possess at this moment in time.

  “What harm is there in a kiss?” Mia’s plea came in a whisper against his lips. Regardless of his good looks and obvious skills in the bedroom department, she knew it was the fact that she could be herself around Caleb that made her act so recklessly. So why am I spending so much time in my head rather than on his lips?

  The minute their mouths met, animal passion took hold once more, where nothing mattered except exploring her freedom. She lashed her tongue to his, savouring his wild male essence on her every taste bud. Under the flats of her hands, his chest was hard, solid muscle she wanted to take a bite right out of and, suddenly, relying on memories of that wild encounter wasn’t enough. She wanted a live action replay.

  “Caleb, what are your plans for dinner tonight?” They heard Rory call out from another room moments before he opened the door.

  She pushed Caleb away as though he’d burned her, leaving him staggering backward when Rory entered the room. “Ah. There you are. Everyone else appears to have gone home.”

  Mia pretended to clean her brushes for a second time, stalling for some time to regulate her breathing. That was too close for comfort. Or discomfort. She squirmed with her arousal refusing to dissipate. Her brain might have ended the craziness the minute her brother had intervened, but her spiralling libido wasn’t so easily distracted.

  “I…er… No plans.” Caleb sounded as dazed as she felt, her mind and body foggy with desire.

  “Why don’t you have dinner with us?”

  Mia wanted to throttle her brother, no matter how well-meaning his intentions were. This was definitely one area of her life that didn’t need his interference, and she simply didn’t trust herself not to offer herself up as dessert if Caleb kept looking at her like that. Self-preservation sent her scrabbling for excuses not to spend any more time with him than necessary.

  “Caleb is probably looking forward to getting settled in h
ere. I have a sleeping bag he can borrow and he could order a takeaway.” Already struggling to decipher her feelings for Caleb, Rory had trapped her like a wolf in the headlights. Making out was one thing, but cosy family dinners were a step too far. Especially with the exciting new addition of wild beast in a tempting jus to liven up the usually bland menu.

  Unfortunately Caleb didn’t seem to agree. Pointedly ignoring her ramblings, he slapped her brother on the back. “Cheers, mate. I’d love to have dinner with you guys. I’ve spent so long on the road I’ve forgotten how good the taste of home can be.”

  This time Mia knew that he’d only accepted the invitation to rile her. Okay, so she was weak, she’d kissed him in another moment of vulnerability, but he shouldn’t blame her for things beyond her control. Didn’t he understand that what she wanted and what she could have were two totally different things?

  Clearly not. She shivered beneath his dark stare, which was filled with resentment for spurning him after she’d instigated the kiss. Both a threat and a promise that he wasn’t done with her yet.

  Chapter Three

  The imposing white mansion, complete with stately pillars and veranda, would have looked more at home lording it over a southern plantation than perched atop the bleak Irish hills. But it fitted its purpose in telling the world that the Blakes were somebodies.

  “Hello, Mrs Blake.” Caleb held out his hand to the elegant blonde who took it limply, regarding him as though he was something her expensive designer shoes had stepped in.

  “Hello, Caleb. We heard you were back in town.” The familiar blue eyes didn’t hold the same warmth as her daughter’s.

  “Are you going to keep us out on the porch all night?” Rory interrupted his mother’s cool appreciation to kiss her on the cheek and push past the parental barricade.

  Caleb would have given dinner a miss if he’d known it included the Blake seniors, but, in his desire to get back at Mia for rejecting him again, it had never entered his head. Unused to being the one dangled on a string, this typical drive-thru Romeo certainly didn’t do the whole meeting the parents deal. Yet here he was, standing in the hallowed halls of Casa Blake, dressed in his best T-shirt and least oil-stained jeans, feeling every inch the kid from the wrong tracks in a John Hughes movie. His great revenge plan to make Mia squirm had backfired spectacularly.

  “Take a seat. Mia will join us shortly,” Mr Blake greeted him in the dining room. The sheer height of the man would have proved enough to scare off any would-be suitor for his beautiful daughter, but, fortunately, he possessed the same easy-going countenance as Rory.

  “Grab a couple of beers from the fridge, son.” He ignored his wife’s glower as they took their places at the formidable dining table.

  With more glass and cutlery than Ikea’s kitchen department, Caleb only relaxed when Rory passed him a cold bottle of beer.

  “Cheers.” He clinked his bottle to Caleb’s and took a swig. Apparently the formal dining was optional.

  Mia entered the room, wearing a knee-length white lace dress that left everything to Caleb’s tawdry imagination, just as he took a swig of his drink.

  “You all right?” Rory handed him a napkin as he spluttered beer all over the place.

  “It must have gone down the wrong way.” Caleb wiped the beer, or was it drool, from his chin and watched the ghost of a smile flit across Mia’s face.

  With exemplary etiquette she took her seat and sipped delicately from her water glass, her perfect poise making Caleb more uncomfortable than the whole dining showroom spread before him.

  “So, Rory tells us you’re leaving town soon,” Mrs Blake interjected as they tucked into their seafood starter, making her opinion of his return very clear.

  His bolshie personality immediately reared its head to piss her off. “Who knows? Thanks to Rory and Mia the house looks great and I don’t have any immediate plans to go elsewhere.” He shrugged, enjoying the reaction he gained around the table.

  Good old Gayle held the stem of her crystal glass so tightly he waited for it to shatter, whilst Mr Blake’s affable mood disappeared into a frown, and Mia’s spoon stopped halfway to her open mouth. Only Rory took the news in his stride and carried on eating.

  After that conversation-stopper, no one bothered to engage him in any further small talk and they reverted to discussing the inclement weather and declining economy amongst themselves throughout the remaining courses. Caleb tried to enjoy it for what it was—a home-cooked meal he didn’t have to pay for.

  The doorbell rang as dessert arrived. Mia’s mother hurried to answer it as he attacked the elaborate spun sugar basket to get at the berries inside.

  “Robert. How wonderful to see you.” Whoever the new guest was, he certainly received a welcome Caleb could only dream of.

  Mia, however, didn’t appear to share her mother’s enthusiasm. Her careful composure faltered as she leaned across the table to confront her father. “Dad? What is he doing here?”

  He held his hands up in surrender, echoing her obvious surprise. “I have no idea.”

  Caleb watched the byplay in fascination as Robert entered the room. He didn’t recognise the face but he did take an instant dislike to his smooth playboy looks. The suspiciously black hair, the beige slacks and pink polo shirt combo screamed pompous arse.

  “Gayle mentioned you were having guests and I said I would pop in to say hello, sweetheart.” He glided across the room to plant a kiss on Mia’s cheek before making himself at home in the chair next to her.

  “Hello, Robbie.” The greeting was strained through gritted teeth. Caleb drew some satisfaction from the fact that she didn’t return this tool’s affection.

  Mrs Blake rushed to pour a glass of the finest champagne for her favoured guest. Caleb took another swig from his bottle and eyeballed his new adversary, doubting Preppy ever lowered himself to drink common lager. He couldn’t put his finger on why he had taken an instant dislike to this weed. Maybe it was the whiff of money and social standing, or perhaps he could blame it on the possessive air he took on around Mia.

  Robbie laughed at some inane comment he had made himself, displaying rows of perfectly white, even teeth. He reached out to place his hand on Mia’s arm, forcing Caleb to draw back his claws and fangs. Yes, his urge to punch this arsehole was definitely related to his pawing of Mia.

  “Robert is partner in his father’s property company. The Carson family is very well established in the area,” Mrs Blake announced, most certainly for his benefit.

  Whoop-de-frigging-do!

  “Yeah? I would have thought a high-flyer like you would have wanted to start out on his own rather than hanging onto Daddy’s coat tails,” Caleb challenged him directly across the table.

  Robbie took his time setting his glass down before he spoke. “And what is it you do?”

  All eyes were on Caleb, waiting for him to humiliate himself. It seemed to be the theme of the evening and he’d had enough. Echoing Robbie’s deliberate moves, he drained the last drop of beer and set the bottle on the table. “Well, you know I dropped out of school so I ain’t got none of them there fancy qualifications. So, I have to use what the good Lord gave me.”

  He leant back in his chair until he balanced on the two back legs, and gestured between his legs. “What can I say? Rich housewives are only too happy to pay for a bit of rough.”

  He could practically feel the heat radiating from Mia’s burning cheeks. Mr Blake spat beer all over the crisp, white linen tablecloth, while Rory laughed so hard it drowned out his mother’s gasp of disgust. She sat at the head of the table, her eyes wide and her hand covering her mouth in absolute horror.

  Rory scraped his chair back from the table and rose. “Thanks for dinner but I think I’ll be on my way now.”

  With all ties to this shitty town now completely severed, he could think of nothing better than jumping on his bike and getting back on the road. For now, though, he would have to settle for kipping on the floor of the only place in town
he couldn’t be chased out of.

  Making his way to the front door, it occurred to him that he might be better off living his life permanently as a wolf, with no one to piss him off and vice versa. As a wolf he could do what he did best. Survive.

  The staccato beat of Mia’s heels on the marble floor followed him down the corridor before he managed to escape the hell-hole. “What the hell was that all about?”

  Anyone with a smidgeon of common sense would have kept walking out of that door and never looked back, but no one could ever accuse Caleb Jackson of acting any other way than impulsively.

  “I am not here for either your amusement or your boyfriend’s.” The venom in that final word betrayed the twist of jealousy in his gut he had no right, and no wish, to feel. What was the point in carrying on this charade when she’d made it perfectly clear that she had no interest in him?

  “I didn’t ask you to come.” She stopped chasing him.

  He stopped running. “No, but you did kiss me.”

  “Shh!” She put her finger on her lips. “Get in there before someone hears you.”

  Unlocking a side door, she all but pushed him out of sight, thus underlining his position in her life. Books lined the room from floor to ceiling in the part of the house she introduced him to so unceremoniously. Of course they have a library.

  Mia paced up and down, gesturing wildly. “I did. I did kiss you. I don’t know why. I do know why. I wanted to.”

  “Doesn’t lover boy know how to kiss?” He couldn’t resist a dig. The bastard’s nauseating scent still lingered on her.

  “He’s not my lover boy, or my boyfriend. Not anymore. And, for the record, yes, he is a crappy kisser.” She stopped wearing the floorboards down long enough to indulge a smile.