Werewolf in Denver (Wild About You #4)(32)
Author: Vicki Lewis Thompson

Elizabeth wore a flowing, floor-length gown made of an iridescent material that shimmered in ever-changing colors as she moved. She wore an extravagant necklace of amethysts and diamonds, and those same gems dangled from her earlobes. Duncan appreciated the grace and style of her outfit, but he spent very little time looking at it.

He spent quite a lot more time staring at Kate’s red, formfitting dress covered in sequins. Elizabeth’s outfit was lovely, but Kate’s…The plunging neckline had surely drawn the attention of every male in the room. As if that weren’t enough to send their libidos into overdrive, the skirt had a slit up the side that ended dangerously halfway up her creamy thigh.

A ruby pendant dipped tantalizingly close to her cl**vage, and she’d worn her hair piled on top of her head to show off ruby earrings that brushed her shoulders. Duncan was so entranced that he took an unconscious step forward, as if he needed to reach her before any other Were got the jump on him.

Fortunately he snapped out of his daze before he made a complete ass of himself. He’d made a semi-ass out of himself, though, because those on either side of him gave him a knowing glance, and the Russian delegate winked. They knew. His besotted state was obvious for all to see.

Therefore he might as well confess his feelings to her soon and get it over with. Besides, if he didn’t act quickly, she was liable to have six more offers before the night was out. He couldn’t imagine that any single Were in the place wasn’t thinking of Kate in very lustful ways. Woofer or Howler, they were all normal male werewolves with typical reactions.

He hoped that Jake Hunter wasn’t here, but the minute he had the thought, he spotted Jake from the corner of his eye. Jake seemed as transfixed by Kate as Duncan was. And to top it off, the bastard was wearing a tuxedo. Duncan hoped that Elizabeth was right about the lure of kilts, because Hunter had bloody well dressed to impress.

Elizabeth took the microphone first while Kate stepped back. “Welcome to our party!” She lifted her arms and the crowd cheered.

Duncan listened for woofs and howls, but didn’t hear any. Good. He hoped the evening would remain apolitical, for everyone’s sake, especially his. This atmosphere could aid his cause by helping focus on the positives in their relationship instead of the negatives.

“I’m pleased to see that you’re all having such a great time,” Elizabeth said. “Thank you all for coming to WereCon2012. Stillman Lodge is honored to have hosted all of you this weekend and we would love to see you all back here for WereCon2013!”

More cheers greeted that suggestion. Duncan wondered what his life would look like a year from now. He was beginning to hope it might be very different, but uncertainty still gripped him. So much depended on Kate’s reaction to what he had to say, and he couldn’t predict what it would be.

“I only need one more minute of your time,” Elizabeth said. “Before you return to a much-deserved celebration, please give a round of applause to the person who worked very hard to make this conference happen, my granddaughter Kate Stillman!” Stepping back, she motioned Kate toward the mike.

The applause was deafening. Instead of howls or woofs, the air was pierced by loud whistles and cries of “Kate, Kate, Kate!” Duncan was positive he’d made an ass of himself, because he was surely the loudest of them all.

“Thank you all.” She swallowed and swiped her fingers quickly under her eyes. “Thank you,” she said again, her voice husky. “This weekend has surpassed my wildest dreams. And it couldn’t have happened without my grandmother.” Turning, she started another round of applause for Elizabeth, who came back to the microphone and slipped an arm around Kate.

Elizabeth leaned toward the mike. “Now go enjoy yourselves!” As the band played another catchy sequence, both women started down the steps.

Duncan had already begun to move. He probably shouldered a few male Weres out of the way as he headed for the base of the steps. Too bad. When they reached the bottom, he planned to be there, and he would beat Hunter to the spot, too.

He made it just ahead of the Alaskan. Glancing back at him in triumph, Duncan turned toward the steps and offered his hand to Elizabeth. “You look beautiful tonight,” he said.

“Thank you.” She eyed his kilt. “You don’t look so bad yourself.” With a smile she squeezed his hand and released it before stepping toward Jake. “Mr. Hunter! I’ve heard so much about you this weekend, but we haven’t had a chance to talk. How would you like to get me a drink?”

Duncan made a quick mental note to thank her for that later. But right now, he had to concentrate on Kate. He held out his hand to help her down the steps. He wasn’t even sure she’d take it.

But she did, her gaze locked with his as she descended the steps. “Nice kilt, Woofer.”

His pulse leaped at the warm glow in her blue eyes. “Nice dress, Howler.” The band was playing a waltz. He would have preferred something a little less taxing, but he’d take it. “Can you dance in it without causing a riot?”

“Can you dance in your kilt without causing one?”

“I couldn’t say, lass. The sway of a kilt does tend to cause some excitement.”

“As does the flash of a nak*d thigh.”

“Then let’s put on a show, milady.” His idea of a quiet interlude was disappearing fast, but he couldn’t resist the challenge in her eyes. If she wanted to display their connection for all to see, he was done with protesting. She knew what she was doing.

He’d been taught to waltz at a young age, and while it was very romantic, he wouldn’t be allowed to mold her body to his as he’d hoped. Placing his palm in the small of her back and cupping her hand in his, he looked into her eyes. “I love you.” Ah, he hadn’t meant to say that.

Her lips parted as her breath caught. “Way to throw off a girl’s concentration, Woofer.”

“Sorry. Let’s dance.” He began to twirl her around the floor as he cursed his loose tongue. What a blunder that was. He’d meant to lead up to it, find a quiet time, a secluded spot…and that plan was in ashes.

“Is that it?” She danced as beautifully as she did everything else. They moved together as if they’d been doing this for years. “You blurt out that you love me and then we just waltz?”

“I dinna mean to say it.” Turned out his bad leg was good for only a couple of times around the floor. Now he winced every time he put his weight on it.

“Because you don’t love me? Is it because I’m not a human? Is that it?”

“Nay, I do love you, and I love that you’re Were, too. That’s the best part, which is ironic considering how I’ve been sounding off on the subject. But this wasn’t how I…bloody hell. I’ve made a mess of this.” He sucked in a breath as pain sliced through his leg.

“Duncan, what’s wrong with you? Are you hurting?”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. Your jaw is clenched and sweat is popping out on your forehead. Unless you really hate dancing with me, and after saying you love me I doubt that, you have a problem.”

“Just keep dancing. I don’t want anyone to…Just keep going.”

“But you’re in pain. I can tell.”

“I don’t want them to know I’m injured. The fight caused too much commotion as it is.”

“All right. Then I’ll have to come up with a different reason why we’ve stopped dancing.”

“I can’t imagine what that would be.”

“I can. Get ready because I’m about to stop. On three. One, two, three.”

Before he knew what she was about, she’d come to a halt and thrown her arms around his neck. Then she pressed her mouth against his. At first he simply stood there in shock, unable to believe that she’d truly kissed him in front of the entire roomful of delegates, including Howlers and Woofers.

“Kiss me back,” she murmured as she continued to press her mouth to his, “or I’ll look like a fool.”

Of course he didn’t want that, so he wrapped her in his arms and got serious about this unexpected event. At first he was aware of the other dancers who had slowly stopped moving to stare at them. But as the heat of passion rose in him, he lost touch with his surroundings.

The world disappeared and there was only Kate, the love of his life, here in his arms as if she meant to stay there for a very long time. His arms tightened and he kissed her with all the tenderness in his heart, which turned out to be quite a bit. Once he started kissing her, he couldn’t seem to stop.

Eventually he became aware of someone tapping him on the shoulder. How annoying. He glanced up to tell the intruder to bugger off. The intruder turned out to be Elizabeth Stillman.

“I think you’ve made your point,” she said with a smile. “We all get it.”

Slowly he remembered where he was, but he didn’t let go of Kate. Keeping one arm firmly around her waist, he turned to the group of curious onlookers. “I suppose you’re all wondering what this means.”

Knox Trevelyan was one of the bystanders, and he chuckled. “We’re all adults here, MacDowell. We have a pretty good idea what it means.”

Beside him, Kate stood up straighter and took a deep breath. “It seems I’ve fallen in love with the King of the Woofers.”

Duncan stared at her. “You have? That’s wonderful news, lass!”

She flashed him a smile. “Yeah.” Then she continued to address the crowd. “If my followers want to kick me out, then I understand, but personally, I don’t think it would be such a bad thing if we had greater cooperation between the two groups. We could keep an eye on each other that way.”

Heidi stepped forward. “I can’t speak for all the Howlers, but I don’t see how anyone with a heart could help falling for Duncan MacDowell. I’m half in love with him myself.”

Kate laughed. “Hey.”

“Just kidding. Sort of. But most of us suspected you two had a thing for each other. I’m glad it’s out in the open. I, for one, don’t see a problem. Like you said, you’ll keep an eye on each other. Worthy opponents.”

Duncan glanced around at the group and was gratified to see heads nodding in agreement. “Those of you who know Kate won’t be worried that I’m going to convert her to my way of thinking. She has strong opinions and that won’t change.” He couldn’t believe that she’d made his argument for him. “But I can keep an eye on her. And she can do the same with me.”

“Fine speeches,” Elizabeth said. “Well done, both of you.” She handed Kate a small evening bag. “Here’s your purse, dear. Now get out of here. I’m sure you have better things to do than hang around this ballroom.”

That brought another laugh, but Duncan thought it was a fine idea. “We do, at that.”

As they left the ballroom with their arms around each other, Kate lowered her voice. “Lean on me if you need to.”

“Nay, lass. I can make it under my own power.” He gritted his teeth. “But it’ll be good to stretch out.”

“We’ll take the hotel elevator to the third floor.”

“Don’t want to be seen leaving like a cripple.”

“No, you’ll be seen leaving like a Were eager to be alone with his lover. An elevator is faster than stairs.”

He was in no mood to argue, so he walked with her into the spacious elevator. She punched a button for the third floor.

Holding her close by his side, he gazed into her upturned face. “Did you mean what you said back there?”

“Did you?”

He was willing to go first. “Aye. It must have been bubbling up in me, waiting to get out. I couldn’t stuff it down another second, and out it popped. I love you, Kate. I think I loved you before I met you, but once I glimpsed you in the airport with that furry hat and your blond hair peeking out…I was a goner.”

As the elevator creaked upward, she smiled at him. “I think I loved you before I met you, too, Woofer. You and your torch, and the ability with a tire iron, and your…ability with all that you’re hiding under your kilt.”

He laughed. “You’re wondering, aren’t you?”

“I am. It’s part of the mystery of a kilt. On this side of the ocean, we’re told that a true Scotsman wears nothing underneath. Are you a true Scotsman?”

“You’ll find out soon enough, won’t you?”

“I could find out now.” She eyed the drape of his plaid.

“Not yet. I want to preserve the mystery a little longer. Your grandmother said that a kilt made a powerful lure, so I want to make sure I have you well and truly caught before I reveal my secrets.”

As they walked down the hallway toward her suite, their arms still wrapped around each other, he couldn’t imagine a moment when he’d been happier, or more filled with anticipation for the future.

At the door to her suite, Kate paused to dig the card key out of her tiny purse.

Duncan tried not to be impatient. The night was still young, and they had it all to themselves.

She found the key and opened the door. “Did you get anything to eat while you were down there? Do you want something from the kitchen?”

He guided her inside and turned to lock the door behind them. “All I want is right here.” He drew her into his arms.

“Now, that’s so touching,” said a voice that Duncan knew only too well. Kate gasped and stiffened in his arms. Dread sent a cold chill up his spine. He pushed Kate behind him as he turned to confront Neil leaning in the archway that led to the living room. His neck was bandaged, but otherwise he looked strong. And he held an ugly gun in his hand.

“Come on in,” Neil said. “I wasn’t sure whether Kate would come back alone or with you, but having both of you here is terrific. You’re earlier than I expected, which is good. We’ve run out of things to talk about and could use some company.”