Nightfall

by TK Lawyer

  Well, yes, there were, but Tamara was definitely not letting any of them in on her little secret. She expected to indulge in all of Josh’s perks later. After his little stunt tonight, she anticipated being rewarded until sheer exhaustion overcame him. She grinned, listing the after-hours indulgences she’d request of him, knowing he’d be more than happy to fulfill every one.

  Josh moved next to her and addressed the guests’ questions when several proceeded to ask for more coupons. Tamara marveled at his delicate yet firm manner. However, Josh was always that way with her, …especially in bed. She almost blushed, recalling. Josh was commanding, but loving, and she thrived in his care.

  Wait…what was she doing? She found a few guests trying to loosen the coupons from her hand. She watched their mouths move and realized she had tuned them out to envision the delectable fantasy of her and Josh. She shook herself back into reality.

  “Sorry,” she said, handing over the coupons. Josh’s amused smile made her blush.

  After completing the remainder of his rounds, they returned to his office, where Josh closed the door and pushed Tamara up against it. He kissed her, moving into her while he plundered her mouth. He pulled back, looked at her parted lips, and sighed.

  “I can’t, my love. I have to get back to work.” He stroked the back of his hand against her cheek one more time before he rounded the corner of his desk. Soon, his fingers flew across the keyboard while Tamara looked at his profile and smiled. Josh was tall, strong, and silently powerful, and his profile only added to the striking image.

  “You do so much. I didn’t realize how much there was to do and monitor. Running a restaurant is a tremendous responsibility.”

  He nodded. “Yes, but when you have good, capable staff, things go smoothly. There’s not much to do but observe and prepare in case something unusual happens in the future.”

  She looked at him with awe and wonderment. “But you do everything with such finesse, and you have the trust of the customers. It’s amazing how you handled the various situations that came up tonight.”

  He swiveled in his chair. “I could say the same about you. The way you handled my nephew and gave him hope, each time he met with you. The resources you knew and the professionalism with which you handled yourself…well, that was amazing. You’re very good at what you do. You, too, provide excellent customer service.”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “Thanks, though it’s not what I imagine myself doing for the rest of my life. I want so much more than to just be a counselor for the next twenty-plus years. There has to be something else.”

  Their gazes met.

  “Run the restaurant with me.”

  Her breath hitched. “Josh, I don’t know anything about being a restaurateur. You run things so well.”

  She knew what Josh wanted, and she, desperately, wanted to give it to him. He wanted her to let go and say, “Yes, Josh, I will run the restaurant with you, my loving, sexy, dependable, hot hunk of man.” But he wanted to run the restaurant with his wife, not his girlfriend. She couldn’t commit that much time to him, not now. Maybe not ever. What if she let him down? What if she got scared and couldn’t make that final commitment? She couldn’t face his disappointment.

  “It’s not that hard,” he assured her kindly. “I’ll teach you. It only looks like a lot of work.”

  “I don’t know,” she responded hesitating. “Though I’d definitely consider it if we ended up together.”

  He squeezed her hand and rubbed it. “Thank you, Tamara. Thank you for at least considering it. It would mean a lot to me if you were my partner.” He looked into her eyes before continuing, emphasizing the next few words. “In everything.”

  A cold shiver rushed up her spine. He lifted up from his seat and crossed the room, taking her in his arms and kissing her. His kiss increased in urgency with her moans. He crushed his lips against hers. She stroked her fingers through his thick hair, softly pulling strands of it with her building need. Her head fell back and lolled while he rained kisses down upon her neck. She sighed with pleasure. He pushed her against the door again, and she moaned his name and arched her back against the wood. Josh palmed her bottom and squeezed.

  “Tamara, my sexy, wanton vixen, the things I want to do with you.”

  He jerked back and held her at a distance.

  “Nooo,” she protested. She looked up into deep, dark pools of desire staring back at her. The murky hue struggled between light and dark, eventually settling into his usual welcoming amber-gold. His breathing returned to a state of normalcy.

  “I’m sorry. I forget where I am when I’m with you.” Josh grabbed his keys. “I think we should head home now. I’m not going to last much longer with you around. What do you say?”

  He reached for her hand.

  “That sounds good,” she told him, intertwining her fingers with his. “We can continue this at home.”

  “I’d like that.” He patted her rear and rushed her out the door.

  - CHAPTER TWENTY -

  Tamara figured the last time she watched the local hockey team, the Jackals, was a little over a year ago with her last boyfriend—the creep. She compared him with Josh and regretted it. There was absolutely no comparison. She looked over at Josh behind the steering wheel with pride and admiration. Josh was sexy, but he was also capable, independent, and driven.

  He was decided about several things in his life, and one of them was that he wasn’t going anywhere without Tamara. He was unshaken when it came to her, and she loved the reassurance. She liked that he was passionate about certain things but was never over the top about any one thing. She also loved his independent mind and the fact that he was dominant but not domineering. For instance, he’d never make plans for her without her input. From numerous conversations, they found several similarities and agreed with one major life tenet—that freedom to live and express oneself within moral constructs was important to both of them.

  After Tamara and Josh ascended the never-ending stairs to the arena, Josh handed the tickets to the usher and received the T-shirt promotions for each of them.

  “Enjoy the game,” the usher said.

  Tamara walked through the turnstile and molded the T-shirt against her body to model it for Josh. “So, what do you think? The Jackals.” She teased with a broad smile.

  He shook his head. “Are you going to be making wolf jokes all night?”

  She shrugged. “Maybe I will and maybe I won’t.”

  She winked and turned on her heels with exaggerated emphasis when something smacked her butt. Her eyes widened, her jaw dropped, and she wheeled around to face his mischievous grin and a low growl. He did a quick sidestep and missed her playful retort.

  “You, you!” she called out, her hand slipping in the air. She wasn’t able to retaliate fast enough.

  He grinned with satisfaction. “Hey, don’t try to get back at me. You know you deserved that.”

  She snorted and walked away. A few feet up, she turned around to find Josh still standing in the same place with his hands on his hips and a look of concern. He looked like he was trying to gauge her mood.

  Does he actually think I’m upset? He’s too cute. I better let him know it’s okay.

  She laughed and returned to his side. She kissed the back of his hand. “I’m not mad. I love you.”

  He sighed with relief as she grabbed his hand and led him through the arena.

  They found several food vendors and discussed the various choices, but neither could agree on a single vendor. She wanted nachos, and he wanted a burger.

  “I’m not much of a seafood fan. I’m more of a meat lover,” Josh explained.

  Tamara nodded.

  He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, go ahead and say it. It’s the wolf thing, I know. I prefer meat because of it.”

  He grinned, grabbed her bottom, and squeezed. Tamara squealed and caught his playful snicker.

  “I wasn’t going to say anything,” she retorted.

  His eyes n
arrowed. “I saw the look.”

  After visiting two different food vendors, they walked into the packed arena. Descending what seemed like several miles of concrete steps, Josh suddenly stopped and motioned for Tamara to sit.

  “Josh…”

  She stared at the floor seats in front of them. Hockey tickets weren’t cheap and floor seats—they must’ve cost Josh a bundle. She’d never watched a game this close before. She was astounded at what Josh did for her.

  “These seats are amazing.” She wanted to squeeze him into the tightest bear hug until he couldn’t breathe, but at the moment, she had food in her hands. Josh winked and grinned.

  He gave her a nod. “It’s okay, I love you too.”

  ***

  Twenty minutes later, the Jackals team skated onto the ice. Each player’s name was announced over the loudspeaker to the frantic crowd surrounding the rink.

  She added her own exuberant voice to the revelry. “I love this part of the game. The instant camaraderie and the passionate energy of the fans supporting the local team.”

  The national anthem played, the crowd cheered, and the game started. Josh watched Tamara with amusement. She truly did enjoy hockey. He marveled, watching each time her shapely bottom flew out of her seat to rally the team toward a goal. Her enthusiasm was intoxicating, and Josh’s desire was growing with excitement. He viewed her curvy bottom and imagined bending her over the back of a seat, tearing off her jeans and giving everyone another, entirely different show. She was thrilled and fired-up, and he was starting to feel wickedly playful.

  Josh had been to several sporting events, but he’d never wanted one to end this badly. The urge to procreate with his mate was approaching a desperate need.

  Wolves could have sex with anyone, but it was different with their mates. Their libido was enhanced, and the urge was stronger, especially on the night of the full moon. He wanted Tamara naked in the backseat of his car right now. He watched her bounce side to side, and his eyes danced along with her movements. She was sexier to him when she was enthusiastic and spirited, and he was extremely excited.

  He leaned over and whispered, “Game’s over, Baby. I think we should go now before everyone leaves and we’re stuck in a traffic jam.” She looked over at him and nodded.

  Good. He couldn’t wait to get her into his car.

  He held her hand firmly while they walked out among a small crowd of people.

  Tamara stopped him before he turned on the ignition. When Josh turned his head toward her, he was greeted by her warm lips covering his. He closed his eyes and reveled in her unique, sweet scent and the softness of her skin.

  She smiled, her eyes tender with affection. “I had a wonderful time tonight. Thank you, Josh. I love you.”

  “I love you so much, Tamara.” Josh had a raspy tone to his voice. He pulled her roughly to him and kissed along the sensitive juncture between her neck and shoulder. He nuzzled aside the cotton neckline and continued his sensuous exploration across her bare shoulder.

  The background faded into darkness. Silence engulfed them completely, and time stood still.

  Languishing in the blissful paradise, Josh was startled moments later when a loud noise flooded his ears. He looked to the left to find an onrush of fans running down the steps of the arena to the parking lot. Josh shook off his momentary mind fog and tenderly brushed Tamara’s cheek with several of his fingers. “We need to go, my pet. Everyone’s leaving.”

  Turning on the ignition, he made his way out of the parking lot and onto the main road.

  “Tamara pouted. “Do we have to go home?”

  He turned his head toward her and mischievously grinned. “You want to go somewhere else?”

  She smiled and nodded.

  “Okay.”

  He drove for a long while, evading Tamara’s questions regarding their destination. Finally, he drove his car into a dimly lit, empty parking lot adjacent to a deserted basketball court. Turning off the ignition, he leaned over and said, “I used to come here when I was younger to play ball with a few of the neighborhood kids.”

  “Oh.”

  He drew closer, and his voice turned husky. “Nice, huh?”

  “Yes.”

  “Get a good view now because you won’t be seeing much more of it.” He growled and pounced, sealing his lips over hers in a raw, intensely passionate kiss. He tore himself away just long enough to confess, “I’ve wanted to do that all night.”

  Without another word, he pulled her into his arms and slipped a hand underneath her shirt.

  ***

  Tamara exhaled a long, hot breath as she lifted up from the back seat of Josh’s car. The tight proximity, not meant for lovemaking, caused sweat to pour down from them. The windows had fogged over from the confined heat. She finger-combed her hair, attempting to straighten out the wet strands. Eventually, she and Josh found their abandoned clothes.

  Tamara pulled her shirt down over her waist. “I’m glad no cops came by.”

  “They usually don’t in this area. That’s why I brought you here. I knew I’d have time with you.”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “So, you planned this with me, huh?”

  “It was last minute, but yes.”

  She smiled. “You’re terrible.”

  He grinned, displaying a row of perfect white teeth. “I didn’t think you’d say that after what we just did.”

  She squeaked and shied away.

  He crooked a finger under her chin and turned her back toward him. He looked straight into her eyes. “I really enjoy making love with you, Tamara.”

  Sudden warmth spread across her cheeks. She tried to hide her embarrassment with a nervous smile before she averted her eyes. “Josh...you can be so direct at times.”

  “I want you to know how you make me feel. And you should do the same and tell me how you feel.” He kissed the back of her hand. “Don’t you want me to know?”

  She fidgeted in her seat.

  “Don’t be afraid of telling me the truth, I’d do anything for you. If I’m not a good lover, please let me know.”

  She snorted. “Are you kidding me? You’re amazing.” Her eyes opened wide with his unexpected rolling growl.

  “Don’t get me started again, Tamara, or we may never leave the back seat.”

  Eyes the color of Nightfall’s met hers.

  ***

  It was four-thirty p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, and they made it. They walked hand in hand up to Vee’s front door bringing flowers for Vee and chocolates and Heineken for Vee’s mom.

  Josh chuckled and rang the doorbell. “Buttering them up for me, huh?”

  He was greeted by two small, curious dogs. They ran up to Josh, circled him, licked his face, and fell onto the tile floor in submission, exposing their bellies for rubs.

  “Wow,” Vee interjected, giving Tamara a welcome hug. “I’ve never seen them do that before, and so quickly with a stranger.”

  Josh whispered to Tamara with a wink. “Guess they know who’s pack master.”

  He extended his hand to shake Vee’s.

  “Sooo, this is the famous Josh,” Vee said, ignoring his hand and pulling him into a hug. “Oh no, we’re family here, and it’s very nice to meet you. Come in, please. Come in.” Her thick, black hair bobbed as she turned and nodded her approval to Tamara.

  Vee’s husband strolled toward the door and greeted Josh with a handshake. “Hey, I’m Ray. You must be Josh.” Ray nodded his head and pushed up his silver, wire-rimmed eyeglasses. “Very nice to meet you. Tamara’s told us all about you.” Josh and Ray exchanged smiles, and Ray pointed to the TV. “Why don’t you join us, and I’ll introduce you around. We’re watching a game right now. You like football?”

  Josh nodded and followed Ray into the living room but not before he looked over his shoulder and winked at Tamara.

  Tamara mouthed, “I love you” before joining Vee in the kitchen. Vee was perched over the stove, busy as usual cooking last-minute items for dinner. She opened t
he oven door.

  “So, who’s all coming?” Tamara asked in the middle of their conversation.

  “Well, there are a couple of our friends, Ingrid and Jose, and there’s Jim, Landon, and Ruben.”

  Tamara’s head perked up. “Ruben? Ruben’s coming?”

  Vee turned and eyed Tamara over her leopard-print framed eyeglasses. “Yes. He’s a good friend, and we’ve remained in contact.”

  “Vee, you never told me you and Ruben were still in contact with each other.”

  “What? I’m sure I did. You probably just forgot.”

  Tamara shook her head.

  Vee waved a hand in dismissal. “Well, no matter, he’s coming.”

  “No, that’s great. I’m so excited. I haven’t seen Ruben in a year.”

  ***

  Anticipating Ruben’s visit, Tamara’s body jerked each time the doorbell rang. Josh watched her and wondered who had her, literally, on the edge of her seat, nervous and watching the door. He caught her frowning each time it opened. Afterward, she’d slump back into her seat only to bolt forward once again and look out the window when the doorbell rang. She repeated this maddening cycle endlessly.

  He got up from his seat and walked over to Tamara. He placed a hand on her shoulder before she knocked it off her with a high-pitched squeal and a jarring jolt off her chair.

  “Oh my God, what was that?” Vee turned with a start.

  Tamara sat back down and took in a deep breath. “It’s just Josh. He scared me.”

  Josh whispered. “Who are you waiting for, Hon?”

  She whispered back. “A friend.”

  “Just a friend? You sure? I can feel your nervousness.”

  Tamara scrunched her eyebrows and shook her head. Josh moved his chair closer, slipped an arm around her waist, and snuck a quick kiss on her bare shoulder.

  “Aww…young love,” Vee commented.

  Tamara smiled shyly and blushed.

  Vee gestured toward Tamara with a nod of her head. “Look, Ray. We used to be like that.”

  “Yeah.”

  “See. He said, ‘yeah’. That’s all he says, just ‘yeah’.”