by S Bolanos
“I’m sure,” I panted. “I’m really, really sure.”
He rewarded me with another throaty laugh and stole a kiss before rocking back on his heels and reaching for one of the condoms. I watched his movements with an eagerness I hadn’t felt in years. And thanks to his insistence on waiting to use protection, I knew it wasn’t because of the full moon; this was all me.
He leaned down and snared me with a kiss that hovered between slow and desperate. I curled my arms around his shoulders while his tip teased my swollen entrance. He broke the kiss and looked at me, his deep brown eyes filled with a tenderness that terrified me. Then he pressed forward and I forgot about everything else.
We moaned in unison as my body welcomed him, pulling him deeper and squeezing tightly. I wrapped my legs around his waist and he began to move, slow at first then with increasing tempo until our bodies were slapping together and the sound of our panting breaths filled the room. I moaned and raked my nails across his shoulders as another orgasm rolled through me.
“Stars, you’re tight,” Michael panted, his pace faltering. “I’m not gonna last.”
I tightened my legs around him, lifting my hips off the bed and sparking the start of another wave of release. “Then come for me.”
Michael’s fingers dug into my thigh as his thrusts became more erratic. He groaned deep in his chest as he gave a final stroke and came undone. He shuddered through his release until he caught his breath and fell forward to snare me with a sweeping kiss that spread an entirely different wave of heat.
“I think you’ve ruined me,” he said with a huffed laugh as he disposed of the condom.
We took turns cleaning up in the bathroom and taking care of other necessities, then flopped on the bed, twisted sheets and all, in satisfied exhaustion. We lay intertwined, our fingers tracing the map of our skins.
I sighed contentedly and snuggled closer. “Mm,” I hummed. “Why can’t every day be like this?”
“What? With you disappearing and leaving me beside myself with worry? Yes, of course, can’t imagine why not,” he said with a laugh that was low and warm.
“I told you I was sorry, and I am.” He placed a gentle kiss on my forehead and gave me a squeeze. I glanced up at him through my lashes to find him looking right back as if searching for something. Our conversation from earlier drifted back to me.
He’s hiding something, something important.
Before I could bring it back up, he leaned down and gave me a lingering kiss that left my lips tingling.
“So, this is a thing now, huh?” I asked quietly.
“This is definitely a thing,” he growled. The next kiss was far from sweet.
18
David
*Beep*Beep*Beep*
I silenced the alarm with a decisive smack then twisted around. To my amazement, Michael was still asleep. I reached out and brushed the dark brown locks from his forehead. He grumbled in his sleep, but otherwise didn’t move.
As carefully as I could, I slipped free of the sheets. My hands reached towards the ceiling in a long luxurious stretch that arched my back and pulled at muscles that were sore in all the best ways. I gave a satisfied groan and dropped my arms back down.
Impressed that I’d awoken first, I left him to snooze a while longer. I stretched again in the living room then padded over to the sliding door. The blinds had been left open, offering a spectacular view of the backyard.
My own breath steamed on the glass and I drew a smiley face. Satisfied with my handiwork, I shifted my gaze back to the yard where the faint pink of sunrise was starting to make the foliage blush. Bare branches hung down low over full, resilient shrubs in manicured chaos. Unlike my yard, Michael’s had no fence and butted right up to the forest itself.
My hand hovered over the handle, my fingers a mere snap away from unlocking the door. I chewed my bottom lip as the human reality of needing to get ready for work battled with wild impulse to streak into the trees with abandon. The sun inched a little higher while I struggled with indecision. I glanced over at the clock to see how much time I had to kill when a flash of light outside caught my eye.
I immediately returned my attention to the yard. Whatever it was glinted again in the increasing dawn. I strained to bring it into focus. Stripped branches became flush with barely distinguishable growth, shrubs morphed into young trees, and there amidst the denser greens were two luminescent orbs of gold.
My heart leapt to my throat, nearly strangling the scream that tore free. My calf bumped the edge of the coffee table and I careened backwards to land in a truly spectacular crash. I stared in horror at the yard beyond occupied with no more than the early light of dawn.
“What is it?” Michael asked, suddenly standing beside me.
I ripped my gaze away from the glass to meet his alarmed one. His hair poked up in random directions and his face still bore the imprint of a pillow.
“Sara,” he snapped and terror renewed its grip on me.
I shot a panicked look at the door where the lawn remained empty.
“What is it?” he repeated as he strode over to the door.
I swallowed hard. “I saw him.”
“I don’t see anything.” He glanced briefly back at me. “Are you sure?”
“Michael, I saw him. I swear. He was here!” I scrambled to my feet and joined him.
“Okay, I believe you.” He gently squeezed my hand and I let out a relieved breath. “I’m going to go out and sniff around.”
“Do you want me to lock it behind you?” I whispered. He shot me a look. Right, because glass and a locked door would stop a determined werewolf.
He released my hand, then stepped out into the crisp, morning air, the only sound to betray his leaving that of the door clicking shut. Rather than head straight for the back, he veered off to the side, disappearing from sight.
Fear clawed at me and I pressed against the door to keep sight of him. The cold glass leached the warmth from my hands as I scanned the space. I finally spied Michael gliding around the perimeter like a ghost. He made two complete circuits before coming back to the house. I moved aside and rubbed my arms in a vain attempt to dispel the chill that had nothing to do with the temperature.
The sliding door snicked shut behind him. “He’s gone now.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, worsening the already prominent bed-head. His gaze caught mine.
“What? Why do you look like you’re about to give me particularly bad news?” I asked, barely containing the impulse to break down right there in the living room.
Whatever he says, I can handle it.
“This isn’t good.” Those three words stole all of my false confidence and I whimpered. “He knows where we are. If he’s bold enough to come here…” He left the statement unfinished.
I swallowed and fought back the tears already burning my eyes. “What are we going to do?”
“You're going to get ready for work, and I’m going to make a call.”
“You can’t be serious,” I argued.
Michael shook his head and grabbed my arms, but the gentle touch didn’t match the concern clouding his eyes. “He’s not likely to return this morning. He was probably staking the place out.” On that horrible note, he released me and strode off to retrieve his phone.
Despite my frazzled nerves—or perhaps in spite of them—my stomach growled. I prepared breakfast by rote, mindlessly fixing enough for both of us. When Michael returned from his mysterious call completely dressed, we traded places in silence. What was there to say? We’d been found. All our hopes of safety had blown away while we slept.
The drive to work held no more conversation than breakfast. Michael pulled into an open space and as the engine died, silence reined once more. We sat a moment in the increasing tension, then quietly got out and went our separate ways.
I stared at my computer screen and its blinking prompt to enter my password. Beside the monitor sat a stack of folders in desperate need of attention. I picked one o
ff the top, opened it, then closed it again without reading anything. It rejoined its fellows and I picked up a magnetized paperclip holder. The contents spilled onto the desk in a small series of clicks.
My mind flashed to the sliding door clicking shut a few hours ago. I squeezed my eyes shut.
If he’s willing to walk right up to Michael’s house, then what’s to stop him from waltzing right into the office or snatching me from the parking garage?
I tilted the holder towards the desk. Two paper clips flew up.
Why can’t he just leave me alone? I never asked for any of this.
A blue paper clip shot up to join its fellows, bringing the chain to a staggering five clips.
There has to be something I can do. I feel like a chicken sitting in a pot waiting to be boiled.
Images of the gruesome creature from the woods came to mind. His warped face twisted into a snarl. Ropes of saliva hanging from jagged teeth as if in anticipation of tearing through my flesh. Spittle flecking the windshield as he raged on the other side of the thin barrier. A shudder ran through me as I realized once again how close I'd been to death.
If he’d walked up on us sleeping. If I hadn’t heard the birds… Oh God, how long was he out there?
I slammed my head down on the desk. Paperclips scattered and a distinctive groan emanated from the surface. I quickly sat back up and checked to make sure I hadn’t cracked the desk in two.
I need to think about something else.
I shook my head to dispel the darkness. I conjured happier thoughts. Sunlight warming my back. A light breeze kissing my face. Michael’s arm resting across my hip.
He’s hiding something from me. Who did he call this morning?
The answers to my nagging doubt weren’t in my cubicle. More pressingly, I needed to make sure I didn’t work myself into a change.
Focus on the good. Hands gliding over smooth skin, spreading a deep heat. Wonderfully kissable lips, tasting every inch of me. Moonlight sinking into every pore. Michael’s teeth gently nipping, fingers sliding around my inner thigh. A gasp as he…
“Sara.”
I jumped in my chair and the wheels squealed in protest.
“Jesus, Bob, you scared me half to death.” I clutched at my chest.
Bob raised an eyebrow at my theatrics, but offered no empathy. “I need you to run down to HR and pick up a report.”
“I’ll get right on it,” I mumbled.
“Oh, and Sara, you might want to look into getting your nails done.” He gave my hands a very direct look before returning to his office.
Since when did Bob care about the state of my nails? I glanced down to find eight deep gouges marring the surface of my desk. I hurriedly examined my hands. Nothing seemed out of place, but the rents in the desk suggested otherwise.
I grabbed several folders and spread them over the latest development in my abilities. Once I was satisfied the ruse sufficiently covered the evidence, I quickly made my way to HR, intentionally taking a route that avoided the marketing department.
“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” Charline’s voice followed after me.
I pulled up short. In my distraction, I’d walked right past my destination. “Oh, hi, Charline. Sorry. Bob sent me to pick up a report.”
She scowled. “How many times do I have to say it? You need to tell that man to go take a flying—”
“Yeah, I know,” I quickly cut her off. “And quite frankly, I’m closer to it every day. However, today is not the safest day to get into it with him.” I gave her a pointed look.
She immediately sat up a little straighter and glanced around before leaning closer and whispering, “Did something happen?”
I sighed. “I don’t even know where to start. Best not to talk about it here. I want to get through this day in one piece.” I grimaced at my own word choice. Thankfully, Charline let it drop with nothing more than a concerned expression.
“Shannon has the report. I think it’s something about interns. I wasn’t sure who the lucky department was going to be, but it looks like you’ll be pulling babysitting duty,” she said in an attempt to add levity.
“Great,” I groaned. “That’s the last thing I need.” I rubbed my forehead, temporarily forgetting that those nails had recently put holes in a desk.
Charline’s eyes softened in understanding. “I’m sorry, sweetie, I really am. If there’s anything I can do…”
“No,” I shook my head. I didn’t want to drag her into this anymore than I already had.
“Well, the offer stands. I have an idea though,” she said, brightening back up.
I dropped my hand and looked at her. “If it’s shopping, I’m out.”
She gave me a wry smile. “No, it’s not shopping. Though I personally don’t see what you have against retail therapy. Do you think we could get together and hang out? No shopping, I promise. I need—a bit of distraction.”
You and me both.
“When were you thinking?” I asked aloud.
“How about Wednesday? I think I can survive until then,” Charline quipped with an added eye roll for emphasis.
“Wednesday night?”
“No, Wednesday. The office will be closed for the electrical upgrade.” When I didn’t respond, she added, “They’re upgrading the lights? Sara, it’s been posted for over a month.”
“Shit. You’re right. I totally forgot.”
She threw up her hands and leaned back in her chair with a huff. “I swear, not a damn soul around here reads the memos.”
“I’ve been a little caught up. Anyway, Wednesday sounds great. We’ll get out, do something fun." The image of a poster on the message board came to mind. "I think there’s a fair in town.”
“That would be awesome! I don’t know that last time I went to the fair. Ted doesn’t like them, says they smell, and you know how he feels about crowds, so we never…” she trailed off.
I laid a hand on her arm. “All the more reason to go. You’re too much fun to keep cooped up.” While her smile seemed forced, I could see the light trying to peek through. “More importantly, what are you going to wear?” I quirked an eyebrow.
Her eyes widened. “I hadn’t thought of that.” She spun back around and furiously scribbled on a notepad.
I suppressed a laugh and made my way down to Shannon’s office. “Hey, Shannon,” I offered by way of greeting as I strode in. A loud thump resonated through the floor and papers flew into the air, creating a miraculous windstorm of perfectly typed pages. “I don’t suppose one of these is the report Bob needs?” I asked, snatching a few out of the air.
The rest of the papers finally cleared enough to make out a wide-eyed Shannon sitting on the floor. “All of them,” she squeaked.
“Oh my God, are you okay?” I dropped the papers and rushed over to help her up.
“I…I never even heard you,” she stuttered.
“That’s my fault. The door was open, but I should have knocked.”
I helped her back to her feet and she looked about the room, taking in the cyclone of disaster. “Oh.”
“Let me give you a hand.”
Between the two of us, we made short work of the mess. By the time we were done, she was back to her normal, business-like self.
“He’ll need to review and sign these. This stack needs to be archived and tagged for next quarter. And this is for you.” She placed a much smaller packet on top of everything else.
“What is it?”
“You didn’t know? PR is getting an intern.”
I barely managed to stop the groan. For a split second, I seriously debated taking Charline’s advice and telling everyone to go take a flying fuck off the roof, then it dawned on me that she would probably have to file the report. With a resigned sigh, I shuffled out of the office, viscerally aware of what it would look like if I dropped the towering stack.
I skulked through the office like I was in some sort of adventure video game, cautiously making my way through t
he maze of cubicles, each junction potentially fatal to my precious tower. I craned my neck around the last corner before I would have the relief of a straight shot. Coast clear, I eased myself into the walkway.
Slightly more relaxed, I glanced around at people going about their business, completely unaware that a werewolf was in their midst. My gaze passed over the entrance to the marketing department and I did a double take. In my attempt to take the safest route, I'd unintentionally ended up in the one place I was trying to avoid. Naturally, Michael was headed straight for me.
“Hey, Sara, what are you doing here?” he asked with a smile.
How can he be so calm after what happened this morning? We could’ve died and he’s going about his day like imminent death is nothing to worry about.
He eyed my ludicrously high pile of paper. “Please tell me we’re not getting another intern.”
I rolled my eyes. “No, that would be my privilege. If you don’t mind, I really should be getting these to Bob.”
“Let me give you a hand. I was actually on my way to see you.”
“Why?”
A cloud drifted across his face. “Because I wanted to talk with you.”
I could have kicked myself. We’d already established this was a thing.
So why am I still second-guessing everything?
I leaned a bit to let him take off the top half. “What did you want to talk to me about?” I asked as he fell in step beside me. Naturally, now that I had help, the way back to my desk was miraculously obstacle free.
“I figured it might be a good idea to get someone to give us a hand with our... problem.”
My mouth hung agape while I stared back at him in wonder at how he could casually talk about being hunted by a serial killer werewolf in the middle of the office and not bat an eye.
“What?” He waited for me to shake my head, then continued unperturbed. “Anyway, an old friend of mine is in town with work for a few weeks. I invited him over for dinner tonight. You’ll be able to meet him then.”
“Is he… like us?” I asked, clearing papers off my desk to make room for the stack he was holding.