Claimed by the Mate, Volume 1 Read Online Free Page B

“Great. I can’t believe I’m having a conversation with a wolf. Maybe I have been working too hard.”
    She stood, glanced around the cute little cabin, and realized it already felt familiar and comfortable. The wolf watched her, and if she didn’t know better, she’d think he looked concerned. Maybe she did need a drink. “C’mon,” she said, snapping her fingers as she opened the door. “Why don’t you show me where the bar is.”
    Then she opened the door and followed the wolf outside.
    *   *   *
    The sound of laughter drew Cherry to the broad deck in front of the lodge. Christa and Steph were seated at a long picnic table with the three women they’d seen earlier. She glanced back to see if the wolf was still with her, but he’d faded into the forest.
    Disappointed she couldn’t show off her new friend, Cherry climbed the stairs to the deck.
    â€œWe were just wondering where you were.” Steph scooted over and made room for Cherry on the long bench.
    â€œI needed a shower. Driving that far makes me feel grungy.” She sat in the vacant spot and faced the three strangers. They were each beautiful, and, as usually happened in situations like this, it would take two of them to make up one of her.
    It used to bother her. She’d learned to accept she was who she was and there was no point in wishing she could be different. Not that her personal philosophy totally stopped her agonizing, but still …
    Smiling, she reached across the table to shake hands with the closest woman. “I’m Cherry.”
    â€œI’m Fred.” The tiny blonde laughed at Cherry’s raised eyebrows. “Fredericka, but if you call me that I’ll have to kill you. This is Suni on my right, Darnell on her right.”
    â€œThey’re up from LA,” Christa said. “Suni’s a costume designer, Darnell does makeup, and Fred’s a hairstylist. They just finished work on a movie they can’t talk about yet.”
    â€œWow. A secret movie?” Cherry glanced at the three.
    Fred rolled her eyes. “We had to sign an agreement not to talk about it. The director’s superstitious.”
    â€œBut he’s really good,” Darnell added.
    â€œAnd we all got paid on time.” Suni poked Darnell in the shoulder. “That’s never a given in this business.”
    â€œHey, Cherry.” Brad stepped out of the lodge with an empty wineglass and a newly opened bottle of Chardonnay. “I was beginning to wonder if you were coming.”
    She took the glass and held it while Brad poured. “Are you saying you didn’t send that big, beautiful guy to my cabin?”
    His smile was so damned sexy she broke out in goose bumps from head to toe. “I take it you had a visitor?”
    â€œYou might say so.” She took a sip of her wine. Brad winked and then turned away to refill the glasses for the other women.
    Christa reached around Steph and poked Cherry’s arm. “I wanna know more about your visitor.”
    Cherry had no idea why she blushed, but it never took much to set her off. Sometimes she wondered if she were the only woman in the world who spent as much time showing everyone just how embarrassed she was.
    â€œCherry?” Laughing, Christa cocked an eyebrow. “Who was it?”
    â€œMore like ‘what was it,’” she said. “Did you send him, Brad?”
    â€œI’ll never tell.” He tipped the brim of his ball cap and headed back into the lodge.
    Cherry called after him, “You’re no help.”
    He turned at the open door and made a deep bow before going inside.
    â€œMen.” She almost snorted but bit it back in time. “I was just getting out of the shower when I thought I heard someone at the door. When I opened it, an absolutely magnificent wolf was sitting there. He just shoved the door open with his nose and walked into my cabin