by Lucy Farago
4
Loki was going to kill him. He’d done it again, but now that he’d extended the…er…invitation, he couldn’t, wouldn’t take it back. He had to remember he was no longer in the military, but from what he’d seen from her, he suspected a simple “stay at my place” would’ve been brushed off. On a second consideration, given her weird are-you-for-fucking-real expression, maybe he was wrong about that. It wouldn’t be the first time, and he seriously doubted it would be the last.
“Look,” he explained, absently rubbing the diamond-shaped birthmark on the inside of his wrist. “If something were to happen to you, I’d feel even worse than I do now. You wouldn’t want that on my conscience, would you?” He had to do something to make it up to her. You should never fuck with someone’s home.
“I don’t even know you. What makes you think I’d give a rat’s ass about your feelings?” She laughed. “You Siberians are all alike,” she said, poking him in the chest before walking out the front door.
“You can’t judge me by Loki. Ask him yourself. He’ll tell you we are nothing alike.” Loki would give her a long list of how much Sirius was nothing like him. For one, Loki was a bit of a loner, while he preferred the company of others.
“He’s bossy, or tries to be. It’s actually quite entertaining to watch him pull that shit on Mia.”
He was looking forward to seeing that for himself. “I didn’t mean to come off bossy. You just didn’t strike me as the pretty-please type.”
She appeared to mull that over, staring off into the woods beyond the row of cabins. “I don’t like being told what to do either,” she said, in a way that indicated others had tried.
“Who does? In the end, the decision is yours. But you’ll be right next door. You can keep an eye on your place, get clean clothes, whatever you need. And sleep soundly knowing nothing is coming in. I have excellent hearing.”
“Are your ears as good as Loki’s?” she asked, still focused on the trees.
“Better. His bi-colored eyes make his vision superior to mine, but his hearing doesn’t compare.” He could pick up the tick of a bomb or the cocking of a gun nearly a half-mile away. It had been his saving grace with his commander after she’d wanted to discharge him. They’d been preparing for a mission that required Sirius’s talents. She’d been left with no choice. Using him as a scapegoat for her problems with her daughter wasn’t an option.
“Okay, what the hell.”
“I promise to be a total gentleman.”
“Now where would the fun be in that?”
He’d have been taken aback if Loki hadn’t mentioned her having a weird sense of humor, but when she turned, he swore that was heat in her eyes. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t interested, but Mother Nature, buzz kill that she was, didn’t give him time to explore his options. A bright light split the evening sky, seconds before the air bellowed with thunder. It was going to be a shit-show tonight. Raindrops began to speckle the cedar porch.
“Grab your stuff. It’s about to come down.”
Sirius handed Winter a glass of white wine from the bottle she’d brought over and sat with her on the sofa. The power had gone out, and while they’d found candles, he explained that speaking to someone from across a darkened room was creepy, even with his night vision. She’d laughed…at him…not with him. It had been like that most of the night, but he hadn’t minded. It seemed to put her at ease.
“Where’d that come from?” She nodded to the beer in his hand.
“Loki stocked the fridge.” He was flattered his friend had had that much confidence in his ability to land the teaching job.
“I hate it when that dog is right.”
“Me too,” he said, clinking her glass before taking a swig.
“Has he always…like…beat his chest? It’s really annoying. Are all Siberians like that?”
“I’m not one for pissing contests. Life is too short to spend in conflict.” And alphas tended to enjoy conflict. “I’m a lover, not a fighter.” Of course, he shouldn’t have said that, as she, once again, laughed.
They hadn’t missed the deluge, ending up seriously drenched. He’d swopped his cargos for jeans, and while she’d looked hot in biker shorts and rosy cheeks, she looked even hotter in sweats. But considering they’d be spending the night under the same roof, he kept that opinion to himself, not wanting to ruin the evening by making her uncomfortable.
They’d been talking about his army days, her begging Sirius for dirt on Loki, when the rain hammering the tin roof changed to, of all things, snow. The academy, Winter explained, had generators, and if they wanted to, they could crash there. But being posted overseas, he was used to power outages, and being a Siberian, he had a fondness for chilly nights. Winter’s wishes were professed rather succinctly.
“I’d rather stick hot pokers in my eyes than spend a night in the dormitories.”
So here they were, sitting on the couch swapping stories about his life in the army and hers working as a FUC agent.
“Once again, I’m really sorry about your front door.” He was a real shit for wrecking her place.
“That’s like the hundredth time you’ve apologized. It’s not like you blew up my place.”
“No, but you’re stuck here with me, instead of being in your own bed…” He craned his neck to look out the window behind him. “In what’s turning out to be one hell of a crappy night.”
“This isn’t so bad. You must be used to the snow. Didn’t you say you were Canadian? What city?”
“No city. Before they died, my parents never stayed in one place for very long. We were always moving. Afterward, I was the one moving around.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It was a long time ago.” If not for the picture he carried in his wallet, he wasn’t sure he could conjure up their faces.
“Really? You’re younger than Loki, but you can’t be more than what, thirty-five?”
“Thirty-six.”
“So how old were you when they died?”
“Ten.”
“Damn. So by moving around you meant uncles, aunts…or foster care?”
“Oh, don’t do that,” he said, taking a swig from his bottle. He didn’t want her to feel sorry for him. “You learn to be very independent in foster care. I joined the military as soon as I was old enough. Guess I wanted a place to belong.” Or simply to belong.
“Did you find it?”
He shrugged. “In a way. The people you serve with become like brothers, sisters. Loki, for example.”
She hissed. “Yeah, sucks to be you. Count yourself lucky. He’s Mia’s problem now.”
He really wanted to know what Loki had done to get on Winter’s bad side, but she cut him off before he could ask.
“I wonder if I should check on my place. Even with the tarp, I suspect I have some serious mopping ahead of me. Wanna come?”
Maintenance had arrived after the rain had started, so she was probably right. Still, it was his fault, so he’d be the one swabbing the decks. He took another swig from his beer before setting it down on the coffee table and standing.
“Stay here and finish your wine. That’s my job.”
Without a second thought, she pulled her legs onto the sofa and covered her feet with the plaid throw he’d found in the chest that doubled as a coffee table. “Don’t forget the towels.” She pointed to the stack sitting by the front door, which maintenance had left behind.
“You’re enjoying this.”
“Not at all,” she said, taking a sip of her wine with a straight face, which really didn’t do much to hide her amusement.
He folded his arms over his chest. “You enjoy a lot of things at my expense. Like, say…watching me swim.” He’d probably regret it, but her smugness needed a retort. And she had most definitely been spying on him, just as surely as she’d liked what she’d seen.
“Hmm…I did do that, didn’t I? Then we’re even. You caught me in the bathtub.”
“That’
s not the same thing. I expected to find you dead…or bleeding. Not scared by some itty-bity spider.” What kind of shifter was afraid of bugs?
“Or naked.” She took another sip of wine, licking her lips when she was done. “You didn’t expect to find me naked. Well, not completely naked. I did have some bubbles in the water. You remember the bubbles, don’t you?”
His arms fell to his sides, remembering how she’d looked. He’d never been so jealous of soap in his life. She’d resembled a sea nymph covered in frothy foam, her snowy white hair, a crown on her head. A queen he’d happily bow down to.
“Why do I get the impression you like playing with fire?”
“Are you the fire, Sirius?”
“Do you want me to be?” spilled out of his mouth before he’d had a chance to think better of it. While she appeared to be mulling over his question, he considered his options.
He wasn’t the alpha male of a pack, nor did he want to be. Unlike Loki, he preferred second in command. It was less stressful and his ego didn’t care that everyone expected less of him. When it mattered, he was alpha. His friend was right though; he was a pleaser. From time to time, his ass got burned, but he saw nothing wrong with helping others. God knew he’d grown up in a dog-eat-dog world. And he didn’t mean that metaphorically. But a part of him feared Winter could do him irreparable damage, that she was the fire he should stay clear of. And yet he couldn’t deny his draw to her.
“Would you object,” she said, “if I said yes?”
Hell no. He did, however, choose his next words wisely. He wasn’t a one-night stand guy. He didn’t oppose casual sex—he was a man—but all the cards had to be laid out. “I’d have to be an idiot to object. But I don’t go into things blind.” He sat back on the sofa, wanting to know exactly what it was she wanted from him.
“I’m not interested in a ring on my finger. I enjoy my freedom,” she said, as if she’d had to fight for it.
Did Winter have an elephant mama in her life? “Then what do you want?”
To say he was stunned stupid when she kissed him was an understatement. To say it didn’t give him the best hard-on of his life was also an understatement. Rarely did someone catch him off-guard. So it took a few heavy heartbeats to push past the sexual adrenaline and take her into his arms. When he did, man, did it feel good. She molded to his chest like they were carved from the same icecap, her curves fitting into all his grooves. And whatever perfume she’d put on triggered a rush of senses he had a difficult time controlling. It took him back to his all-time favorite place. The arctic tundra, where he could shift and run for miles and miles until he was so exhausted all he could do was curl up and enjoy the unadulterated perfection of nature. Now, that perfection was Winter.
He might not be able to pick up her actual scent, but he could taste her. Maybe it was the chilled wine she’d been drinking or his cold beer, but when their tongues touched, it was like…it was like quenching his thirst with snow and the blissful melting of it down his parched throat. Kissing had always been a means to an end, as he much preferred his mouth elsewhere. But this, this was nothing he’d experienced before.
He pushed her down onto the couch and blanketed her body with his, the soft noises she made demanding him to take more. He drew back, wanting to see it in her eyes, wanting to know this wasn’t just him. What he saw rendered him speechless. Maybe it was because of the dim candlelight, but he swore looking into her black eyes was akin to staring into a midnight sky, all lit up with stars. When he blinked hard, thinking the darkness played tricks with his vision, Winter slammed her mouth over his and he no longer cared what he’d seen or hadn’t seen.
His pants turned boa constrictor the moment her lips had touched his, but now the rest of his clothes felt too tight. His skin ached with the need to have her touch him. Never in his life had he wanted a woman this much. He was an addict and she, his fix. It was as if his brain was on power overload, and if he didn’t find release, it would explode.
Sirius jumped to his feet, and while tempted to tear his T-shirt in half, he chose to whip it off as Winter knelt on the couch and did the same to hers. Beneath her sweatshirt she wore a pink lacey bra, one that didn’t cover much. He had it off her before she unbuckled his belt. His pants fell to the floor, soon followed by hers. Back on her knees, she yanked him to her. He bent his head to kiss her, but instead, perfect little teeth clamped around his right nipple.
“Do you bite?” He held his breath, wondering just how naughty she could get. One never knew with shifters.
She shrugged, giving nothing away, yet rewarding his patience with a swirl of her tongue over his puckered flesh. Usually when a woman was on her knees, sucking him, her head wasn’t chest level. This was a new experience for him, and while he enjoyed it, he was eager to return the favor. Given her height, she was easy to straddle, and it was even easier to arch her backward over the couch. Two beautiful mounds presented themselves as she let her head fall back. He played with her breasts, massaging and kneading, using his thumbs to create the perfect peaks for him to savor. And when she moaned, he suckled her, his cock letting him know patience might not be his biggest virtue. But he wasn’t ready to give up watching her squirm beneath his touch and under his tongue. He maneuvered one leg between her thighs and pressed tight against the heat of her body.
Her breathy gasps were music to his ears, but if she didn’t stop, he’d embarrass himself. His knee grew slicker with the gyration of her hips, and he decided he needed to see her come. She looked so fucking sexy, and he could only imagine how much hotter this would be with an orgasm rocking her body.
“You are so beautiful,” he said, praying he didn’t spoil the mood. Sometimes women just wanted to get lost in the moment without the platitudes. But he meant what he said. Never had he imagined coming here and finding her.
She giggled, a tiny evil laugh that he hoped to hear over and over again. Then, on a sharp intake of air, she pushed his face away and yanked his hips into her rib cage. Before he had time to think, she was cupping her breasts, using them to squeeze his cock. Her body undulated, stroking his hard dick and spreading moisture around his knee. Fuck, this wasn’t how he’d planned to come. Only there she was, coiled around his body. It was near impossible to hold off. And then, when she tucked her chin and closed her mouth over his tip, he nearly lost it. Yeah, no, that wasn’t going to happen. They could play all she wanted later. He didn’t know why, but now he had to be inside her. As if he had no control over his body, his hands pinned her shoulders, but she didn’t fight him. Her hair had come undone, and when she slipped down onto the cushions, he was reminded of a floating mermaid, blissfully basking in the sun’s rays.
Winter was sexy, alluring, his siren calling him to her shores. And no way in hell could he or would he resist. He slid into her, she waiting and accepting, his cock so hard he’d expected this to be a hurried frenzy to the finish line. But no, his hips slowed, all urgency vanquished by the need to be together, to be one. He never took his eyes off of her, or her him. The rhythmic dance never wavered, but his mind…as if apart from his body…raced. It was dizzying. His body doing one thing, his brain another. He forced air into his lungs, thinking that perhaps he’d failed to breathe and now he paid the price. It didn’t work.
And then she held his face, and that was when he saw it again. The stars, like tiny galaxies in her eyes, wondrous and hypnotic. His thoughts calmed, and his body quickened, until at last, like he and Winter, the two parts of him became one. She matched him breath for breath, heartbeat to heartbeat. And when at last they broke, together as it was meant to be, they were the stars—gone supernova.
After what felt like an eternity, he collapsed onto her, exhausted, sated…and very confused. What the hell had just happened? He wouldn’t say it was the best orgasm of his life, because, compared to the others he’d had, this was the only orgasm of his life. Nothing before this matched. It was as if he’d had an out-of-body experience and run a marathon at the same time
. Should he say something? He rolled off of her, cocooning her between him and the couch, and looked for any sign that she hadn’t enjoyed that as much as he had.
She let out a long and a good-for-his-ego sigh. “Wanna go again?”
Siberians weren’t like human men. They could “go again” and again and again, but frankly, sex with Winter had weirded him out. So instead of doing the girl-thing and talking about it, he told her round two would happen after he checked her place. And even doing that felt weird, which was saying a lot, considering Loki had accused him of being an uncontrollable do-gooder. This was more of a compulsion, a driving need to make certain everything was right in her world, and that included her home. It went beyond a sense of responsibility for the damage he’d done or gratitude for the best orgasm of his life.
Unlike Loki, Sirius hadn’t enlisted to find himself. His motives hadn’t been completely selfless, but he had wanted to do his part. But this, this simple act of ensuring Winter safely returned to a dry cottage went beyond any duty he’d felt to his unit. As if she’d spelled him, enslaved him. He tipped his head to the darkened sky, never more grateful for the rain pellets hitting his heated skin. The snow was now ice, and the short distance between the cottages had become a skating rink beneath his feet. That was all he needed, a fucked-up leg to match his fucked-up brain. It was just sex, he told himself. Get over it.
Shifting would’ve made the frozen trek easier, but if he was seen, meeting someone naked wasn’t the lasting impression he wanted to leave with a new colleague. He managed to make it up the short flight of steps to her door without breaking his neck, where, thankfully, her covered porch gave him a reprieve from the ice. Unfortunately, the staples had given way, because the tarp hung, foot loose and fancy free, off to one side. He stripped off his rain gear and left it outside so he wouldn’t track water inside. Luckily, her place was dry. He listened for any unwanted guests. When nothing registered, and without the freezing rain impairing his night vision, he checked all of her rooms. Goldilocks had nothing on raccoons. Those buggers could make a real mess.