by T. S. Joyce
“It’s not selfish, Gentry,” she whispered, sliding her hands around the back of his neck and standing on her tiptoes to hug him. “I want those same things. All of them. I can’t explain it, but you feel important. No, that’s not even a big enough word. You feel crucial. To me, to my growth as a person, to my happiness, all of it.” Before she could change her mind, she blurted out, “I called a realtor about selling my house.”
“What?” he asked, easing her back to arm’s length. “So you can move here?”
“No! Oh, my gosh, no. That makes me sound like a stalker.”
“Oh.” Gentry frowned.
“Wait, is that what you want? You would want me to move to Rangeley? We’ve known each other for—”
“Don’t. Don’t point it out. It’ll make me feel even more selfish.”
“No, I am selling the house I shared with my ex-husband. I’ve been clinging to it. Clinging to the idea of him. I failed big-time in my marriage, and it was scary to move on and start over. So, selling my house is a really big step for me. It’s my goodbye to my old life, and I have you to thank for it. You make me feel ready to move on.”
“Good.” Gentry gave a cocky smile and slid his hands under her jacket to grip her hips. “I’m proud of you.”
“I like that you say stuff like that.”
“Well, I like your freckles.”
“I like your wolf-eyes.”
His grin turned wicked, and before she knew it, she was tossed over his shoulder like a log. He smacked her ass hard enough to sting. “I like that.”
“I like that you give me erotica books to read.”
“Yeah? Did you read Chapter Four?”
“Part of it. Odine interrupted me mid-imaginary coitus.”
“Ugh, she’s the worst,” he teased.
“She cock-blocked my imagination.”
“I’ll reenact the rest of that scene for you,” he said in a growly, sexy voice.
“Wait, really?” she asked low, arching up so she could see his face. “I would really like whatever that entails.”
“Well, not down to the letter,” he said, letting her slide to his front and wrap her legs around his hips. He kept walking like she was no burden at all. “Desmund gave Sheela a claiming mark, and those are a no-no with real life werewolves. A claiming mark from me would kill you.”
“Wait, what? Kill me, you say? What?”
Gentry frowned and settled her on her feet, then slid his big strong hand around hers and kept walking without missing a beat. “I won’t ever do that. I won’t bite you. You’re safe with me. Wolf wouldn’t allow it. I know he wouldn’t.”
“Wolf?”
“He’s separate. It’s not supposed to be like that, but it’s just how I am. There’s human me and Wolf.”
“So when you were sitting in the middle of the road today…”
“I was barely present. You were meeting Wolf. For him, you’re it. You’re everything.”
“And for you?”
He flashed her a serious, green-eyed glance and murmured, “Same. You said you want to know everything.”
“I do. The good the bad and the ugly. Lay it on me, wolf-man.”
He chuckled. “True story, I’ve never talked to anyone as openly as I talk to you. It’s a relief. I was kind of glad you found out last night and saw Wolf today. Feels good not having to hide from you. I’ve been on my own so long, it’s so damn nice to share things with someone I trust.”
“You trust me?” she asked in a mushy high-pitched squeak.
Gentry grabbed her ass hard and shook it a couple times as he growled and nipped her neck gently. “I showed you my wolf, Trouble. That is the biggest sign of trust with my people. Plus, you’re fun to fuck.”
She giggled as he sucked on her neck. “You have a filthy mouth.”
“You like it,” he accused. “You smell like you want sex when I talk how I want to you.” He kissed her hard and ran his hand up the back of her sweater, unhooked her bra, then trailed his fingers to her front and slipped his palm under her loose bra and squeezed her breast gently. “Pretend you’re a proper lady all you want. I like that. I like your cute clothes, your make-up all done up, and those fancy snow boots you lace up to your knees. I like that you try not to cuss, and that you use big words. But you’re bad just for me, aren’t you, Trouble?” he murmured against her throat. “You wear those sexy see-through panties that say you want me to make you feel good.” When he slid his hand down the front of her jeans, Blaire arched back her head and gasped as he slid his finger into her. “I fucking love the way you react when I touch you. It’s instant. You start shaking, and your heart starts pounding. I can hear it. Can smell you wanting me. Fills my senses and makes me crazy for you. Makes me lose my mind, and today was long, Trouble. I wanna lose my mind. Will you take it for a little while?”
“Fine, but I want something in return.” She kissed his neck, and then sucked gently.
Gentry groaned out the word, “Anything.”
“I want your heart to.”
Gentry picked her up and held her close as he walked them toward the cabin. He leaned forward and whispered against her ear, “That was yours from the moment I saw you.”
Butterflies flapped around in her stomach so hard she hunched into herself with the sensation and let off a happy sigh. And before she could stop her mouth, the words, “I think I love you,” plopped out.
Mortified, she squeaked and buried her face against his shoulder.
He laughed and gathered her hair at the nape of her neck, then pulled her back gently and locked onto her with that striking gaze of his. “When was the last time you said that to a man?”
“My ex.” Her cheeks were on fire. Right about now, she could probably fry an egg on her face.
“And before that?”
Blaire shrugged. “No one before that. Met the ex when we were kids.”
“So you’re saying I’m only your second I love you.”
She nodded and scrunched her face up into an embarrassed smile.
Gentry set her down outside her cabin’s front door. He slid his hands down her arms, his fingertips making a zipping noise against the thick material of her winter coat. He intertwined his fingers with hers and leaned into her, kissed her so sweetly. Much sweeter than a man who had the devil in his smile should be able to. He disengaged with a soft smack and then cupped the back of her head and kissed her forehead, her closed eyes, the tip of her nose.
And then he whispered something that changed her life in a moment. “I love you too, Blaire. Before you, there was no one. You’re the first and only.”
Chapter Fifteen
Gentry loved her.
It hadn’t been a slow build either. This burning light between them had been an explosive sensation that left Blaire breathless. Was this what love was supposed to be like? Was it the sudden realization of some other force in the universe shaped exactly like the hole in her heart? Was a connection like this supposed to be so instantaneous?
Gentry led her into the cabin by only her fingertips. She felt like she was floating. Last night had been incredible, but now she knew she wasn’t just casual sex to him.
Everything.
She’d never been that for someone else before. She’d been an add-on, but never everything. If this was what it was like bonding to a werewolf, she didn’t mind what he was at all. It made no difference that he had Wolf inside of him. She adored them both. He and the animal were both hers to protect now.
Gentry turned at the bedroom door and walked backward, peeling off his shirt.
His six-pack flexed with the movement, his scars silver in contrast with his tanned skin. His deep V of muscle guided her attention right to his crotch. He lifted his chin and smirked as he undid his belt that rode low on his hips.
“Whoo,” she sighed out, shaking her head in disbelief that he was hers.
He nodded and dragged his gaze to her jacket. “Your turn.”
Oh, he wanted a
strip-tease. There was a hundred percent chance she was about to turn him off indefinitely with her un-sexy moves, but she was game for anything if he would let loose his dang belt.
With a nervous laugh, she splayed her hands on his abs and pushed him backward until his back hit the wall closest to his bed. Gentry relaxed against it and waited, so she unzipped her jacket slowly and shrugged out of it. She pulled her sweater over her head, but it got hooked on her dangly earring. Blaire tried to be smoother, removed the earring and left it in the shirt, dropped the sweater on the ground, then removed her other earring in a rush. Gentry chuckled, and Blaire’s cheeks heated slightly. If this was anyone else, she would’ve gotten super embarrassed and quit, but Gentry made it easy to be herself. That, and he was still rocking an obvious boner, so she wasn’t doing that bad. The boots were next. She was clumsy, but he didn’t seem to mind so long as she did her bending at the waist with her butt toward him. Socks and skinny jeans removed, she locked her arms on the bed and wiggled her see-through lace, hooker-red panty-clad butt at him with a laugh.
But Gentry wasn’t smiling anymore. His eyes were trained on her backside, and that man looked hungry. As she moved to stand, he shoved off the wall and gently pushed her between the shoulder blades until she was back to resting her palms on the mattress.
He ran a light fingertip along her red lacy bra. “Did you match your lingerie for me today, Trouble?”
“Maybe,” she said cheekily. “Or maybe I just matched them for myself.”
“Mmmm,” he murmured, the sound tapering into a growl as he leaned his body over hers. He inhaled deeply at her neck and whispered, “Werewolves can sense a lie.” He hooked a finger into the lace at her hip and rolled his erection against her ass. “Are these for me?”
Excitement zinged through her. “Yes,” she said on a breath. “It’s all for you.”
Her bra went loose and fell around her wrists. There was the quick rattle of his zipper and, oh, this was happening fast now. The shuffle of clothes sounded, and then her panties slid down her thighs to her ankles. She kicked out of them—ungracefully of course—and gasped when he nudged her legs wider with his foot. He pushed her shoulder blades until she was resting on her elbows on the bed, ass up in the air. His hand was in her hair at the nape of her neck now, pulling gently, making her arch her back as he teased her with the head of his swollen cock. This had never been her favorite position, but Gentry was changing that quick.
He reached around her thigh and cupped her sex, ran his fingers through her folds and chuckled against the back of her neck. One bitey kiss, and he whispered, “I like how wet you get for me, Trouble.”
Words completely failed her. She wished she had something witty to say back, something that would turn him on, but all she managed was a helpless moan as he pushed his dick into her.
She was dizzy with how good he felt inside of her, stretching and filling her over and over. He sped up, and his thrusts became more powerful as he pushed her farther onto the bed. He released her hair, and then his hand was on her breast, squeezing hard, and his other arm was locked beside her ribs. His body was so powerful against hers as he thrusted over and over again.
She cried out at the peak of every stroke. He was so big she was on the verge of pain, but the pleasure overrode everything and fogged her mind. Suddenly, Gentry pulled out of her and rolled her onto her back, and then he was on her again, his abs flexing as he pushed into her.
Blaire wrapped her legs around his hips and clawed at his back as the pressure in her middle exploded outward. The orgasm came so hard and fast she didn’t even have time to cry out his name. All she could do was cling to him as he slammed into her. He paused as pulsing warm fluid flooded her, then reared back and bucked again—warmth, warmth, again and again, until neither one of them had anything left.
Blaire’s entire body was shaking, but that was okay because Gentry was shaking, too. Such deep emotion welled up inside of her as she hugged him close and laid pecking kisses all over his neck and shoulder. God, she loved him. She loved the way he was protective and sweet, understanding and strong. She loved the way they fit together. She loved that he hadn’t just finished without her and left her alone on the bed. He’d flipped her over when he was close and made sure she came with him.
“Gentry,” she murmured, her heart overflowing.
“I know. I know,” he chanted against her neck. “I can feel it.”
“What?”
“I can feel how happy you are, Blaire. I can feel you.”
A tear streamed out of the corner of her eye. Maybe that’s what was happening to her, too. Maybe all this emotion wasn’t only hers. “Is this… Are we okay?”
“Yeah,” he said, cupping her neck and easing back. His eyes were glowing again, and his teeth looked sharper when he smiled, but at least he was smiling. “Bonds are only supposed to happen to werewolves. I thought…I thought we wouldn’t have it.” He shook his head, baffled. “I fucking love you, Blaire. I fucking love you,” he murmured, closing his eyes tightly and resting his forehead on hers.
Another wave of potent emotion washed through her as she clung to him and cried as quietly as she could. She’d been so sad, utterly heartbroken, at the failure of her marriage, and then to find this? With Gentry?
But there was something more behind the joy and relief that was pulsing through her. Something dark. Something sad.
Confused, she pushed him back so she could look in his eyes when she asked, “What’s wrong?”
Gentry looked away and rolled to the side, pulling her with him. He was quiet for so long, but this was Gentry’s way. He didn’t give himself easily, and if he was struggling with the words, it must’ve been important.
At last, he sighed and stroked her hair. “I’m not allowed to be with you—”
“I don’t care about the rules—”
“I don’t either except when it comes to your safety, Blaire. There are people in this town who would follow through with the punishment. Werewolves police themselves. My dad chose Odine, a human, and now he’s…” Dead. “What if they found out about her, and that has something to do with his death? I can’t risk the same thing happening to us. To you.”
“But Odine is alive.”
“Because she has black magic you wouldn’t believe, Blaire. I saw some of it. I tasted it. Fuck, it nearly crippled me. She pulled the human out of me when I was Wolf, like it was nothing. She did it to my brothers, too. If the Bone-Rippers are smart, they won’t mess with her. But you have no defense but me.”
“But you can protect me.”
“And I will. With my life, I’ll make sure you’re safe. But as much as I want you here, with me, where I can see you and touch you and make sure you’re okay, Rangeley isn’t safe for you. And what kind of man—what kind of mate—would I be if I kept you here?”
“Don’t push me away, Gentry. Don’t make me leave. I’m not ready.”
“It’s not forever. And nothing in me wants to do it except for this instinct to keep you safe. And right now, keeping you safe means keeping you away from all that is happening in this town.”
Blaire flinched away from him and crossed her arms over her chest like a shield. “That’s not how this is supposed to work. We’re supposed to be a team. You’re not supposed to say you love me and then push me away.”
Yep, she was angry, but this was unexpected. She was supposed to have more time here with Gentry. Everything important suddenly felt like it was right here in Rangeley, and the thought of leaving when Gentry was headed right for the eye of whatever supernatural storm was brewing made her want to sink her claws in and stay.
She log-rolled out of bed and landed clumsily on her feet on the worn wooden floor. It was cold in here, and chills instantly took her body without Gentry’s warmth, so she rushed for the bathroom and turned on the hot water in the shower.
“What are you doing?” Gentry asked.
“I’m getting ready for a night out on the town, beca
use surely you don’t expect me to leave tonight. It’s late, snowy, and Roman broke my window. I’ll freeze and die of frostbite.”
Gentry let off a growl in the other room. “If I take you to the Four Horsemen tonight, will you promise to leave first thing in the morning?”
Hell no, but werewolves could sense lies, so she started singing that good-girl-gone-bad chorus and stepped into the steaming shower. Blaire closed her eyes and let the water rush over her hair, but startled when she felt Gentry’s strong arms wrap around her waist. The scary predator in him made his movements silent.
He gently sucked her earlobe, then murmured, “I know what you’re doing.”
“Stalling?”
“Mmm hmm.”
“I’ll go when I’m ready to go.”
He huffed a laugh and shook his head against her cheek. “I can make most people do what I want with a look, and then you come along and tell me ‘no’ on everything.”
She rolled her back against him. “Not on everything.”
“Will you leave in the morning?” he asked, his tone deadly serious.
With a sigh, Blaire turned in his arms and hugged his waist. For a few moments, she watched the water droplets racing down the contours of his muscular chest. She tried to imagine leaving but couldn’t wrap her head around this being one of the last times they shared a moment like this. “No.”
Chapter Sixteen
Blaire was going to be the death of him.
Death from acute stress.
And what could he do? He couldn’t force her to leave. Wait, maybe he could. He could drive her cute, round ass to the airport himself. Nah, she would jump out at a stop sign. His woman was feisty.
“Motherfucker,” he murmured, studying her rental car window. Roman’s handprints had dented it enough that the window pane was now stuck inside the damn door. Laugh and joke all he wanted, Roman still had the same temper.