by Eve Langlais
“He’s trying to pretend he doesn’t give a fuck by taking out the biggest whore he knows. So plan on being a little tired for work tomorrow and show up with Alejandro so you can prove him wrong.”
“But-”
“No buts, well, until you get them both in your bed. Then, pour on the lube and butts away.” Naomi cackled at her own poor joke as she hung up, leaving Francine bemused.
Claim them both? Could she dare even contemplate that kind of feat? Who knew? But Naomi did get one thing right. Francine was a fighter, and she didn’t know how to give up without giving it her best shot first-or as she preferred, a naked tackle.
Work done, she left the office after saying goodbye to her bosses who barely looked up from their Blackberries, the workaholics. It didn’t surprise her to see Alejandro already parked out front of the building, ready to take her home when she exited. Warmth imbued her and a smile tilted her lips, a welcoming grin he returned.
“Hey, baby. Miss me?” he asked, pulling her close for a hug.
“Tons and tons,” she replied, realizing it was actually true.
“That’s what I like to hear,” he murmured, leaning his forehead against hers before dropping a kiss on her lips. Oh how she could get used to these types of sensual moments.
“What’s that?” she asked, pointing to the pink helmet perched on the seat.
“If you’re going to be a regular passenger, it only makes sense you have your own helmet. Read the back.”
Picking it up, she spun it and then laughed. In red letters across the back was printed, “Hot Stuff.”
“Awesome,” she exclaimed, tickled he’d thought of her. “Thanks.” She leaned up to kiss him on the cheek, but he turned and caught her mouth instead, the electric feel of his lips making her sigh in pleasure. All too quickly, he stepped back, but the glitter in his eyes let her know he found himself just as affected by the embrace.
“We can’t dawdle. Much as I’d like to kiss you for hours. Supper awaits you.” Putting his own helmet on first, he then swung his leg over the bike to straddle it before righting the bike and kicking the stand back.
Smooshing her new helmet onto her head, she then climbed on behind him and wrapped her arms around his torso. She’d grown to enjoy the rides on the back of his bike, her precarious perch the perfect excuse to snuggle. The rushing air and traffic noise made it impossible to hold a proper conversation, and yet, she didn’t feel forgotten as every so often his hand would leave the grip of the handlebar and stroke the side of her thigh. Needless to say, it made her hyper aware of him.
Arriving at her place, she walked into a heavenly aroma and she gaped at him.
“I got the groceries this afternoon, as ordered. I made a lasagna, which is just about done. So have a seat, my working wolf, and let me serve you.”
“I still can’t believe you cook,” she said with a smile.
“I do. Both in and out of the bedroom.” He winked mischievously.
She dropped to one knee. “Marry me.”
For the second time since she’d met him, Alejandro appeared lost for words. “Brat.” He pulled her up from the floor and gave her a swat on the ass as he pushed her in the direction of the stairs. “Go change into something comfy while I check on things.”
She needed a moment to freshen up, brush her helmet crushed hair, and wash her face, trying to cool her ardor. It didn’t work, and actually got worst when she caught sight of him bustling around her kitchen. Talk about an all over tingle. Even just doing mundane things, the man made her body ache as if he’d spent hours on foreplay.
“How was your afternoon?” he asked, flashing her a white grin as he served up heaping portions of pasta and garlic bread.
“Boring. Although I did talk to Naomi.” And she told me, in not so many words, that I should jump your naked body until you concede you’re mine. The idea had merit. Not that she said it aloud.
“Mmm,” he replied around a mouthful of food.
“She says Mitchell is spinning and that we need to go out dancing tonight.” A part of her found it uncomfortable to even talk about Mitchell, despite their agreed upon plan. Naomi’s suggestion she seduce Alejandro, and her own revelation about her feelings toward him gave her a sense of dishonesty. Like I’m cheating on him. He didn’t seem to notice her discomfort. Of course he doesn’t, because he’s just acting. As for the flirting when Mitchell’s not around, I’d say that comes to him as natural as breathing.
“Fantastic. You’ll be delighted to know I am a fabulous dancer.”
“I’m not,” she grumbled. “This is one chubby girl who has no rhythm.”
“First of all, you are not chubby. Deliciously curvy, yes,” he said, tossing her a smoldering look. “Making me blue-balled with desire, definitely. Anytime you want me to prove how beautiful I find you, just let me know. My tongue is always ready for a workout.”
“Pig,” she muttered, trying hard not to blush. She’d not said it looking for a compliment, but holy freakn’ hell, his answer went beyond making her feel good right into I-just-about-came.
“I’m a cat, my little wolf, and one who wouldn’t mind licking every inch of you. Now that we’ve cleared up the fact you are the hottest thing in this town, let’s discuss the dancing. If we are going to a techno club, then just leave it to me. I am an expert dancer probably because it’s a lot like sex. You match your partner’s rhythm and let your body move in time to theirs. I have a feeling you’ll do just fine.”
“And who says I’m good at sex?” She smirked.
A slow wink made her squirm. “A man knows.”
“Oh, really? And what if I said you were wrong?”
“Is that an invitation?” He stood and moved toward her.
Flee the promise in his eyes or stay and enjoy it? Screw waiting for him to reach her, she stood and grabbed his shirt, pulling him against her.
“Feisty little thing,” he murmured. “I like it.” Bending his head, his hands on her waist pulled her up on tiptoe so he could kiss her. Back and forth, he rubbed his mouth against hers, sensual, silky touches that made her pant and clutch the fabric of his shirt, drawing him closer to her.
“Stop teasing,” she growled, nipping at his lip.
The soft chuckle that emerged from him tickled her mouth. “But it’s what I do best, baby. Now, tempting as I find you, we have to get ready to go out.” He pulled back from her.
Incredulity made her stare at him. Seriously? He gave her a panty-wetting tease of a kiss then walked away? “I’m going to have a shower,” she growled, stalking away from him. “Thank God I have a detachable massaging showerhead,” she tossed over her shoulder.
Half a second, that’s all it took for him to push her up against a wall, his hard body molded to hers, his eyes glittering down at her. “A man can only take so much, baby.”
“Ditto,” she replied. “Tease me and I’ll tease you back.”
“Is this your way of telling me you want something more? What about Mitchell?”
What about him? She loved Mitchell, wanted to spend her life with him, but she also wanted Alejandro. Wanted him to do the wicked things his grins and smoldering gaze promised. What she couldn’t do was express that aloud. How could she? He’d think she was the biggest flake.
“I-”
The ring of a cell phone coming from the vicinity of his groin saved her. He cursed. “Get ready before we both forget what we’re trying to accomplish.”
Francine fled, her heart pounding, her pussy aching and her conviction that Alejandro belonged to her stronger than ever. Just ask her pacing wolf. At least he seemed to desire her as well, but once he had her, would he walk away? And if she did give in, would she lose her chance with Mitchell? The game she played seemed rife with risk, and the further she went, the more she realized the one who stood to lose the most was her. And then where will I be?
* * * *
Alejandro wanted to curse his brother out for interrupting the moment with Francine. Fleeing him, her confusi
on-and yes, lust-plain to see. He longed to chase after her, to make her admit she wanted him. That she wanted to forget her plan with Mitchell and be with him instead.
In the space of twenty-four hours, Alejandro, ladies man and king of the one night stands, had fallen hard for a short and curvy she-wolf. And despite what he tried to tell himself, he knew with a certainty he’d rarely felt in his life that one taste would never be enough.
But how to convince her that while perhaps Mitchell was meant for her, it seemed fate decided she’d also have another?
I could seduce her, make love to her delectable body all night long. Make her forget about going to the club. But would she resent him in the morning for ruining her chance with the idiot she’d loved so long? And by seducing her, would he perhaps drive Mitchell away forever? An interesting prospect for him, but one she might never forgive him for.
This indecision sucked, so it was with a sigh of annoyance that he answered the call on his cell.
“What?”
“Well hello to you too, little brother. Did I interrupt something?”
“I wish,” he grumbled.
“Ah, is a woman finally giving you the run around? Welcome to the club. Don’t forget, I was in your shoes almost a year ago so I know the feeling. I will say this, though; Naomi was worth every bit of the chase. Don’t give up. If you feel that strongly about her, things will work out.”
What a surreal topic of conversation, one he’d never expected to have. “It’s crazy,” Alejandro replied, the sound of the shower upstairs letting him know he could talk freely. “I mean, I barely know her, and yet, it’s like I’ve known her forever. All day long, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. And as for my cat… Fucking kitty is going insane in my mind, wanting to bite her and mark her. I’m afraid to shift for fear it will start pissing all over her house, leaving its scent to warn others off.”
A chuckle came through the earpiece. “Sounds familiar. Don’t worry, while that feeling won’t go away entirely, even once you’ve claimed her, it will become easier to bear once you don’t have to fight it.”
“Yeah, well, that’s if she ever lets me claim her. She’s still convinced Mitchell is her one and only. I made the stupid suggestion of using me as jealousy bait so she thinks everything I do is part of this plan to get the stupid dog.”
“So tell her how you feel.”
“And scare her off? I can’t take the chance. Nor can I interfere with her plan to capture Mitchell’s interest for fear she’ll hate me.”
More laughter filled his ear. “Ahh, poor baby brother. I’d wager that you’re slated to be in a threesome like me and Ethan. Can you handle sharing?”
“Never thought about it,” he answered honestly. “Then again, I also never thought I’d ever find a mate like you either. The idea of having to share her with another man…” Should have disgusted him, made him walk away, done something other than rouse his curiosity as to how he’d feel watching her in the arms of another. Or more decadent, joining in.
He’d seen the happiness Ethan and his brother shared with Naomi, heard their indiscreet cries of pleasure as they spent every night together, the three of them at once. Could he handle it? If it means pleasing Francine? Probably, dammit.
“Don’t let the whole other guy thing wig you out. Just keep your focus on her and you’ll see the pleasure is well worth it. But discussing my sex life wasn’t the reason why I called. Some dude has been staking out the neighborhood and I think it’s because of you.”
“Oh that’s priceless. Blame me even if I’m not there.”
“Who else should I blame when the truck we found stashed in the woods has plates with a dealership sticker from our hometown?”
A curse slipped from him. “What does the stalker look like?”
As Javier described the man, Alejandro’s grip on the phone tightened to the point he heard plastic cracking. “Fuck. He followed me.”
“Who?”
“Bloody hunter whose daughter I banged one night drunk. I think he saw me shifting in the woods when I left her room.”
“You fucking idiot.”
“It wasn’t my fault. I’d left her bedroom and thought I was alone. The bastard was hiding in a blind wearing some fucking animal piss that masked his scent. He took a pot shot at me, but I got away. The next day, I heard he was in town making inquiries, trying to find out who I was. Rather than lead him to Mama and the others, I thought I’d take a vacation and visit family.”
“And led him straight to us.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t expect him to find my trail.” A trite reply to a possible sticky situation.
Javier sighed. “Don’t worry about it. Shit happens. I’ll let the neighborhood know and we’ll be on our guard. You might want to stay away from here though. I don’t want Naomi in danger.”
Just the thought of her or the babies she carried getting hurt made him sick to his stomach. “I should probably go to a hotel so that Francine is safe too.”
“And leave her alone if he’s already found you?”
Double fuck. He couldn’t leave her unguarded. “Good point. Thanks for the warning. I’ll keep my eyes peeled.”
They exchanged good-byes and hung up. Staring at the ceiling where the sound of water running had stopped, he couldn’t help clenching his fists in anger. If that bastard dares to harm a hair on her head… He’d kill him, pure and simple.
Chapter Seven
Hanging off his arm, nattering nonstop, Mitchell refrained from sighing at Jenny’s annoying presence. In the past, he’d never noticed certain things about her, such as her too slim frame-unlike someone’s plush, curvy one. Ignored her habit of using too much makeup-so different from a certain fresh-faced girl with freckles he knew. Tuned out her stupid attempts at conversation, while recalling the fun he’d had verbally sparring with another.
Even on a date with a girl guaranteed to give him a good time, he couldn’t stop thinking about Francine. Worse, he kept comparing her to Jenny, and poor Jenny, she couldn’t seem to win in any category.
He actually began thinking of ways to ditch his eager date when they came in. Looking ridiculously gorgeous-and nothing like a sister, dammit-Francine wore a short red skirt that flared, a tight top that showed off cleavage deep enough to swallow a hand, oh and a certain cat, whose possessive arm around her staked his claim quite effectively.
Bright eyes only lightly outlined with dark eyeliner skimmed over him, and he didn’t miss the quirk of her lips as she took in his date who chose that moment to hang herself on his neck like a pendant. Before he could disentangle her, Francine tugged at Alejandro, leading him toward the bar, but Alejandro changed her direction, instead leading her onto the dance floor.
It briefly crossed Mitchell’s mind to wonder what she did here, this techno club not her usual hang out. His sister and Francine usually preferred cocktail type bars. Not that how she’d gotten here mattered. Present, and looking entirely too delicious, he couldn’t push her from his mind. An irrational urge came over him. He needed to see her, touch her. Mark her, whispered his wolf. However, instead of doing any of those things, he stayed put, and lost sight of her among the dense bodies. His beast just about lost its mind, pacing and growling that he find her. Surely a peek wouldn’t hurt, a glimpse to ensure nothing untoward happened whilst in the grips of the seducer.
“Let’s dance.” He dragged Jenny, craning to locate a mop of auburn curls, and when he found it, both man and beast let out a low growl. Stopping dead on the dance floor, he watched as Francine danced with Alejandro, her hourglass shape undulating to the music’s fast tempo, the cat’s hands on her hips guiding her. A hypnotic sight if he ignored the other male and imagined himself in his stead.
An arm wrapped around him from behind, a bony frame pressing up to his back. Jenny shouted in his ear, “I thought we were going to dance?”
Pivoting, he tried not to let his annoyance show on his face. Poor Jenny. She’d done nothing to deserve his
ire. He moved jerkily to the toe-tapping rhythm, trying not to cringe when his date kept rubbing against him. Harder to fight was his urge to peer back at Francine and see what she did. He lost that battle. Twirling Jenny, he swapped places with her in time to catch the girl that he could no longer consider as a sister, dirty dancing with the cat. Facing away from Alejandro, she gyrated her buttocks against him while the seducer let his hands roam over her stomach, sliding them to a point just under her breasts then down again to clasp her hips.
Unbidden, Mitchell’s cock swelled at the sight, their dance so mesmerizing and sensual that he wanted to join them, press in on her from the front, have her hands wander over his back as he hungrily devoured her mouth.
“Mitchell,” yelled a voice that didn’t sound like a husky promise coated in laughter. “I’m so flattered.” It took a hand cupping his crotch for him to clue in on what Jenny meant. He recoiled from her touch, repulsed and imbued with a sense of guilt. Not at having gotten caught lusting for another woman, but because he didn’t want Francine to see Jenny touching him.
His distaste didn’t go unnoticed. Confusion twisted Jenny’s face, and he could see her opening her mouth to speak. An answer eluded him so he took the cowardly route. He turned on his heel and made a beeline for the bar.
Unfortunately, she followed, not so easily ditched.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Jenny asked, her fingers digging into his arm, trying to stop him.
“This was a bad idea.” Such a bad idea, because like a fever, thoughts of Francine consumed him, and his Jenny remedy just wouldn’t do.
“What was a bad idea? Dancing? We can leave anytime you like. My roommate’s gone for the night. We’ve got the place to ourselves,” she said seductively, pressing herself to his side.
God, how he wished he could take her up on the offer. Screw something until this crazy mess in his head sorted itself. But the thought of banging Jenny and not Francine shriveled his dick better than an arctic swim.
Shit, how to get out of this pickle? Honesty seemed like his best option. Wasn’t that what women always clamored for? “The mistake I meant was you and me going on a date. I’m sorry, Jenny, you’re a nice girl and all, but I think we need to just be friends.”