Free Claimed by the Mate, Volume 1 by Kate Douglas Page A

counter in front of the mirror.
    Cain was setting up what looked like a fancy TV tray for his lotions and oils. Cherry shivered. He was so capable looking, and it was obvious from his practiced moves that he did this sort of thing a lot. She’d had exactly one massage in her life—from a very nice lady—when Christa gave her a certificate for a massage for her twenty-fifth birthday over three years ago.
    That masseuse was nothing like Cain, who was as masculine and sexy as Brad, who had taken his shoes off and sprawled on the bed as if he was already planning to spend the night.
    The moment that thought flashed into her mind, the muscles between her legs did an involuntary clench and ripple that took her breath. Thinking about how sexy these two looked had her body taking control.
    She was still trying to process the sensation when Cain walked across the room and handed a glass of red wine to her. He’d pulled out a cold beer for Brad and one for himself and raised the bottle in a toast. “Cherry, to you and your week here at Feral Passions.” He raised an eyebrow and added, “And to new experiences.”
    She clinked her wineglass against Cain’s bottle and Brad’s, and sipped thoughtfully, tasting the wine, thinking of the day she’d had. Wondering what these two had planned and what those “new experiences” might entail.
    â€œTell me about your hike,” Cain said. He led her to one of the chairs at the small table in the corner, seated her as if they were out on a date, and then took the chair across from her. Brad stayed on the bed, but the cabin was so small, he was almost close enough to touch.
    â€œIt was so much fun!” She’d had a fabulous time with her sister and Steph, and Darnell had kept them in hysterics. She was funny and so very “L.A. Hollywood” that they’d really enjoyed her stories and sense of humor. “We hiked for what felt like forever, but it wasn’t, obviously. We’re just out of shape.”
    â€œWhich is why I’m here. But finish your wine first.”
    She made a face at Cain. “Yes, master.” And took a swallow of her wine.
    â€œI think I like that,” he said. “‘Master’ works.”
    â€œIn your dreams, sweetheart. Anyway we got up to Blackbird Lake and it’s so pretty and peaceful. We saw a couple of wolves along the way. One even trotted alongside for a bit. Darnell was so excited she could barely even talk, but we got to the lake and had our lunch under a huge tree. There were wood ducks in the water, and their colors are so amazing they don’t even look real. I’d never seen one before. Ronan and Wils are really fun and they finally convinced us we should all go skinny-dipping.”
    â€œOh, they did, did they?” Brad appeared to have suddenly grown interested in her story. He got off the bed and took the third chair at the table. “And of course they didn’t look when you girls all stripped down, right?”
    Cherry almost choked on her wine. “Are you kidding? We told them we’d only do it if they’d strip down first. So they did, and we had to.” She laughed. “It wasn’t all that hard to convince us by then. It was hot, we were all dusty, and that lake is unbelievably clear. It’s also damned cold, if you want the truth.”
    Cain stared past Cherry at Brad. “And we all know what happens to a man’s equipment in cold water, right, Brad?”
    â€œC’mon. I got a good look before they got wet.” Cherry took another sip of her wine. She’d had plenty to drink at dinner, and this glass was already relaxing her. “Ronan and Wils are extremely well-endowed. They did not suffer any embarrassment from the cold water. In fact, I would say it appeared to invigorate them.”
    Both Cain and Brad laughed hysterically, for whatever reason. Cherry looked at her wineglass. She was definitely