Page 20 of Runaway Mate
Sean followed suit. “They have. They do you credit. Your home and what little I have seen of the grounds are truly spectacular. I didn’t dare the maze. I think you could get lost in it for days.”
Reynolds chuckled. “One of the reasons we have drones. So much easier to spot people from up above, but then you would know that from the way Curaidh perches on and within the cliffs.”
“Yes. When it was built it was impenetrable. And even now, her walls would be difficult to breach.”
“But don’t you find that the things that are most often difficult to obtain are more than worth it?”
Sean had to wonder if Reynolds was talking about a fortress or Winter.
Reynolds stood again and Sean turned in his seat, his breath catching in his throat. She wasn’t dressed in anything fancy or revealing. In fact, she had on clothes similar to the ones she’d worn the night before, only this time they weren’t all in black. She was dressed in buff-colored doeskin breeches, tucked into a pair of buff and chocolate cowboy boots with a cobalt blue design on the shaft, and what appeared to be a thin cashmere sweater in the same shade of blue. The sweater wasn’t tight or low cut, but it certainly clung to her curves like a lover’s caress.
Sean stood, as well, and was glad when the chair Reynolds offered Winter was the one in between them.
“Winter, may I say you look beautiful this evening?” asked Sean.
“You may, and I’ll be sending you the bill for the clothing you destroyed last night.”
“A bill I will be most happy to pay.”
“He destroyed your clothing?” asked Reynolds with a bit of ice in his tone.
“No harm was done, Alpha.”
Hearing her call him that in her soft, affectionate tone made him want to punch Reynolds in the face, and by the grin on the lynx-shifter’s face, he was certain Reynolds knew exactly what he was feeling.
Both Sean and Reynolds reseated themselves when Winter lowered herself gracefully to the chair. Several other members of the clowder joined them, but no one Sean would peg for Reynolds’ beta.
“Were you able to find out anything more about those snowplows?” Reynolds asked her.
“Not a whole lot more, but I think what I found was significant.”
“I still can’t believe anyone would think Colby had anything to do with that,” said one of the other men at the table. Sean pegged him for a warrior, maybe even captain of Reynolds’ guard, but he didn’t conduct himself with the assuredness and self-confidence of a beta.
“I don’t know that they truly believe,” said Reynolds, “but even I had to take a second look at them to realize they weren’t ours. The important thing is that Jax doesn’t believe it.” He turned back to Winter. “What did you find?”
“I think I have a lead on a purchase of the same kind of snowplows in the right amount to someone outside of Snoqualmie. I thought I might take the jet down and poke around a bit.”
“Nonsense,” said Reynolds. “You just got back and besides I’m sure our guest would prefer your company to mine.”
“Yes, but who says I wouldn’t prefer someone else’s to his?”
Sean only barely managed to muffle the growl that settled low in his throat.
“He doesn’t have much of a sense of humor, does he?” asked Reynolds.
“None whatsoever. He is the living, breathing personification of the ‘dour Scotsman,’” she laughed, and Sean realized she was teasing him.
He nodded and felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. “I am now duly chastised, but would anyone like to fill me in on misidentified snowplows and why they matter?”
Winter turned and looked at him, all traces of amusement now gone. “And why would we tell you, Campbell? Remember you are a guest here due only to my alpha’s largess and nothing more. You have no rights here and don’t just get to show up and stick your nose in where it doesn’t belong.”
“If you hadn’t acted like a frightened toddler scared of a spider, I wouldn’t be here at all to stick my nose into anything.”
Winter stood, knocking her chair backwards and Sean could feel not only his ire rising, but his cock hardening behind his fly as he, too, stood. Reynolds stood, and once more pushed Winter behind him, gesturing to his other men that he did not need their assistance.
“Winter, Campbell is a guest here at Windsong, regardless of his incredibly boorish behavior. As for you, Campbell, I would suggest you remember your place at my table. You are a guest here. Let me give you a friendly piece of advice. I’m not quite sure why it is you are so easily able to ruffle Winter’s feathers, but I can tell you it is a dangerous thing to do, and few men are able to do it more than once.”
“Why is that?” asked Sean, genuinely interested in how Reynolds would respond.
