Changing never brought him physical pain. Becoming a wolf was all exhilaration and heightened senses. Freedom. His worries fell away like a suit he’d never been meant to wear. Coming back to humanity was more emotional in nature. He was still the wolf inside, tempted to race back to the inn to bring his prize home for a bite. But he was also a man who needed to soothe his frustrated lover before dealing with the complications the curvy, irresistible innkeeper had created simply by existing.
He stepped over the threshold of the study, but Davide was nowhere in sight. It wouldn’t last long, he knew, so he used the time to take in the décor of the one room that, no matter what state or country they landed in, was where he would most likely spend the majority of his time.
A wall of glass led to the third-story balcony, seeming to bring the outside in. There was a small but impressive library with a rolling ladder to his right. In the center of the room, a wide-cushioned leather sofa that could comfortably fit his frame faced the stone fireplace, and several plush occasional chairs were artfully arranged around the hearth, reminding him of a Rockwellian postcard. The large, sturdy antique desk in the corner was somehow unobtrusive while still commanding the attention of all who entered.
The room was masculine but welcoming. Warm but not too casual. And the view left no doubt as to where he was at all times. It was, in a word, perfection.
He walked closer to the desk, noting the small potted cactus that carried traces of Bailey’s scent. Was this from the inn’s garden? It was easy to imagine her doing a walkthrough of the rental and adding the prickly housewarming gift as a silent, subtle rebuke of his presence. She might be afraid of spiders, but she wasn’t afraid of him. He liked that. Liked her.
The wolf wasn’t the only one that wanted her.
“How was your run, Cameron?”
Davide entered from the balcony, his dark curls damp, his body clad in nothing but a towel wrapped around his narrow waist. “It’s finished. How was your swim?”
“Also finished.”
Cam hungrily tracked the droplets of water coursing over Davide’s golden-brown body. He curled his hands into fists to keep himself from temptation. Judging from Davide’s tone, now wasn’t the right time. “It didn’t cool you off?”
Davide’s upper lip curled as he studied Cam in return, gaze honing in on the erection that was impossible to conceal. “I’m not the one who needed cooling off after visiting our new property. I picked up your things, by the way, and paid off the driver to keep his mouth shut about the wealthy fare that stripped and disappeared into the desert. Luckily, he’s driven a few rock stars in his day, so he wasn’t that surprised. He couldn’t smell the reek of arousal coming off your clothes.”
Cam winced in surprise. Davide was possessive, but he’d never been jealous. Not of other shifters, and never of the humans that occasionally shared their bed. In fact, most of their threesomes over the years had been Davide’s suggestion. But this was jealousy. He hadn’t met Bailey and Cam hadn’t said a word, but he obviously sensed something was different.
Still, his insecurity was unacceptable.
“I don’t deserve that,” Cam said, his aggravation clear. “You know I haven’t fucked anyone without you in the room for over thirty years. Do you think I decided to start tonight, while you were waiting for me in an idling car?”
“I saw your face.” His tone was still sullen, but Cam could see the tension in him beginning to ease. “And whatever happened, it had you disappearing for hours in an area we aren’t familiar with yet. You could have been hurt or crossed a boundary, and I wouldn’t have known.”
“I didn’t say I wasn’t tempted,” he admitted candidly. “But nothing happened, there are no boundaries and I’m not hurt. I’m here.”
Something had almost happened. If she hadn’t introduced herself, Cam wasn’t sure he would have broken away in time.
“You’re covered in desert.”
“I got sidetracked.” He brushed at his chest. “It’s like nothing we’ve seen before, Davide. We’ll go out together tomorrow.”
“Did you at least get to meet Bailey before you got sidetracked?”
Cam frowned at the familiarity. “Ms. Wagner?”
“Yes. Bailey,” Davide replied with a shadow of his usual grin. “The funny innkeeper I’ve been emailing for weeks to make sure we had everything we needed. We stopped being formal twenty replies ago. I’m planning to convince you to sell the inn to her when we’re done with it.”
It hadn’t occurred to Cam that they already knew each other. At this point, Davide might know Bailey better than he did. And he liked her. It was too soon to say whether or not that was a good thing.