“What?” Kate asked, startled.
Blood soaked the sheet where her arm lay. Her bandages saturated. Guilt hit his gut like a suckers punch.
Max had warned him to be careful, that his strength had increased. Now her wound was open and spilling on the bed.
His eyes traveled from her arm to her face. She glanced over and saw the problem.
“Ohh,” she sighed before bringing her other hand to the wound.
Richard jumped from the bed and went to the bathroom for a towel.
He took his time removing her bandage and putting pressure on her injury. He shook his head and cursed his actions under his breath.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
“Don’t say that,” she told him.
“It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have been so...” What could he say? Animalistic?
Kate put a hand to his face and forced him to look her in the eye. “We were both here, Richard. We were both...excited. This is no more your fault than mine.”
“I should have known better. Max told me...” Oops, better to keep that part to himself.
“Max told you what?”
His first instinct was to lie. Yet somehow, he knew he shouldn’t. Kate wouldn’t like a dishonest lover, she didn’t deserve that. “Never mind,” he said instead, “I should have been easier on you.”
Her arm forgotten, she moved closer and kissed his swollen lips. “I’ve never felt so needed. I wouldn’t change a thing we did.”
Ego surged again as did his body. This woman was intoxicating.
One soft hand traveled down his torso and rested on his hip. She rubbed her knee against his erection. “Some of you isn’t sorry in the least.”
“Never mind him, he doesn’t know when to quit.”
“Humm,” she trailed her fingers along his thigh, causing his penis to jump to attention. “Neither do I.”
“You’re bleeding,” he reminded her.
“I’m sure Janet has something here to tie it over until we’re ready to go back to the main house.”
“You’re not ready to go back?”
In answer to his question, her hand wrapped around his erection.
He groaned.
“No, I’m not.”
After one crushing kiss he pulled her to her feet, marched her naked to the bathroom and opened every cupboard until he found what he needed.
Dressing her wound was erotic. She sat on the counter with naked breasts thrust in his face. He cleaned the blood away while she did her best to distract him. His hands were busy and so were hers.
She plucked his nipples, traced the dusting of hair on his chest down the path to his erection. Little swirling fingers traced his shaft.
“You’re making this impossible.”
“Want me to stop?”
“No.”
He needed to hurry so he could bury himself inside of her. He dried away the water around her wound.
Nails scraped him ever so gently.
“Antiseptic,” he murmured finding it and swabbed her wound with the oily liquid.
She moved on the counter and spread her legs drawing his eyes to the curls between her thighs. Pheromones enveloped him. His ears picked up the subtle sound of her body clenching. As if her womb beckoned him.
“Bandage,” he stopped thinking about her throbbing tight body and hurried.
She giggled.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
Moving forward so the tip of his erection sat against her heat, she lifted her hips, taking in his tip.
Once, twice...he wrapped her arm. Three, four...
There wasn’t any tape so he circled her arm one last time before tucking the end inside.
Practically throwing the supplies aside he place one hand on each side of her, locking her hips in place.
“Vixen.” With that, he drove himself home.
Chapter Nine
Reminding her of her youth, Kate and Richard snuck in the house before the sun came over the horizon. They had made love no less than four times during their hours in the pool house, leaving them sore and exhausted. Thrilled and rejuvenated.
“I want to go in there with you,” Richard confessed at her bedroom door.
“If Joey crawls into bed with me he will be a little more than shocked.”
“I won’t mind.” His wicked grin disappeared a she found a spot behind her ear that drove her mad. He had only discovered it in the last hour and already he was using it for his own personal gain.
Trying her best to concentrate on the conversation, and not the delightful things he was doing with his tongue, Kate murmured, “Joey needs time to adjust. His life is upside down right now. Finding us together could be difficult for him. “Ahhh...you don’t play fair.” Her body responded to his touch, despite her fatigue.
Richard moved away, lazy, brown eyes half-mast with passion. “Tomorrow.” The thrill of knowing he would be there was so much more than she expected. “Tomorrow.” One last series of kisses, and he walked away. Part of her left with him. Closing the door behind her, she floated to herbed, fell on the pillow, and slept soundly.
****
As expected, Joey was by her side when she opened her eyes, his little arms clenching a blanket he’d owned since birth. His mouth open, and his breaths came in quiet little pants.
Kate brushed a lock of hair away from his sleeping face and watched her son sleep.
He was beautiful.
With a heart full of love and a body satisfied with passion from a night with Richard, Kate slowly moved off the bed.
She was right to keep Richard from sleeping in the same bed as her. Joey wouldn’t understand.
Kate turned on the water to the shower and checked the temperature. Inside the steady stream of water washed away her lover’s scent. But the feel of his fingers gliding along her flesh was still present.
His ability to bring her pleasure repeatedly would never be forgotten. And it wasn’t over yet. Their time together had just begun.
Smiling, Kate went through the ritual of washing her hair and body with warm soapy water, careful to keep her arm out of the direct path of the spray.
Her body ached, and not all because of the trauma of her arm. She felt like a woman again. Not just a mom, although she knew deep down inside that being a mom was the most important thing in her life. Richard’s affection and desire made her more a woman than ever before.
She sent a silent prayer to whoever might be listening and requested that her relationship with Richard would last.
****
Breakfast was a quiet affair, with knowing glances full of laughter. Max watched Richard, who gazed at Kate. Janet raised her brows in question to Kate who gave non-committal shrugs of her shoulders in reply.
Richard hardly slept. His body didn’t seem to have the need to fall into a deep oblivion even though his mind could use the break.
All he could think of was her. Kate. Smiling, laughing and screaming out in ecstasy.
His life had changed. Somehow he knew that becoming a werewolf had very little to do with that change.
Kate was there, slicing through her French toast and replying to comments and questions from Max and Janet. All the while oblivious to the effect she had on him.
“Well, bro, you ready to go?” Max smacked him on the back and got up from the table.
No! He wanted to scream. Instead, Richard pushed his chair back. “Fine,” he conceded defiantly.
Kate got up and started clearing the table of plates.
“I can get those,” James stood from the end of the table and removed the plates from Kate’s arms.
“It’s all right. I can manage.”
“Kate.” Richard spoke out, more forcefully than he expected.
Her eyes moved to his in alarm.
“Your arm, remember.” He sent her a knowing look. “You don’t want it opening up again.” Her cheeks started to flame assuring him she understood his meaning.
Kate lowered her eyes to the floor.
“Ohh...” Janet exclaimed under her hands that hid her grin.
“Is your arm okay, mommy?” Joey asked between bites.
“It’s fine.”
“Can I talk to you a minute?” Richard asked Kate nodding toward the livingroom where he could corner her for a kiss goodbye.
“Umm, yeah.”
As soon as the others were out of sight, he pulled her in his arms. He pressed his lips against hers, and fell into the depths of her mouth.
Once breathless, she pushed him away. “Don’t be late,” she told him.
His heart surged with her words. She was as desperate to return to his arms, as he was to get her there. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
The clearing of Max’s throat broke them apart. “Ready?” he asked. One last brush of his lips against hers, and he turned to leave.
****
“Give it up, girlfriend.” Janet sat with a cup of decaf perched to her lips, a glimmer of humor hovered beyond her eyes.
There was no way out of kissing and telling. Truth be told, Kate didn’t mind the invasion of her privacy.
“All I can say is... Oh. My. God!”
Laughter took over the room and kept Janet from drinking more of her coffee.
“That good huh?”
“Four times, Janet. Four times. I need to visit your bedroom pharmacy before he comes home.”
“Maybe I should make you an appointment with my OB doctor.”
Kate shrugged. “Maybe I should let you. He was amazing...we were amazing.”
“I think it’s great. Richard needed someone like you in his life.” Janet reached over and patted Kate’s hand. “You’ve given him purpose.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“I hope it lasts.”
Janet’s pointed stare made her wonder if she should have voiced her fears aloud. “Don’t you think it will?”
“It doesn’t take a psychologist to know I have separation issues. I hope all of this emotion isn’t because of my current circumstances. That Richard isn’t simply playing the hero, and when all is said and done he will ride off into the sunset...alone.”
Janet rolled her eyes. “Man, I thought I was the drama queen. Richard isn’t like that. Oh, I think all men like to play hero, but Richard has never taken helping others to this extreme. He isn’t the kind of guy who uses a woman’s emotional weakness for sex. Especially a vulnerable woman.”
“I don’t think of myself as vulnerable. Is that how I appear?”
Janet’s wan smile said more than words. She did think of her as helpless.
“Okay, maybe I am...just a little. I don’t like being in such a powerless position.”
“I wouldn’t say you’re without power. More like temporary shutdown. Max and Richard will find the guys responsible for the hold up.”
“Why does everyone keep saying guys? There was only one man and his dog.”
Janet’s lips rounded, her brows lifted. “Well, the police think there are two men involved. Maybe someone was driving a getaway car.”
Kate had a fleeting thought that Janet knew more than she was telling. Yet a driver made sense. “I hope they find them soon, whoever they are. I’d like for Joey to get back to school.” Janet smiled sipped her coffee and changed the subject.
****
“I say this is a stupid ass thing to be doing. Do you know who we are up against?”
“Don’t be a chicken shit.” L.J. grabbed a handful of his French fries and popped them in his mouth.
“Can’t you find another chick to calm your urges? This one is too much trouble.”
“I’m getting mighty tired of listening to you bitch, Cutter.” If he didn’t put a lid on it, and soon, L.J. would need to remind him who was boss around here.
The abandoned house sat on about ten acres on the backside of Acton, a good fifty miles from the scene of the crime. Here L.J. had room to stretch out with no one the wiser to the strange activity he and Cutter engaged in.
Under the house was a rare basement, complete with cages where he kept his new ‘family’ until they had made their first change.
Once the full moon turned them, L.J.’s carnal activities took away all their dignity and urge to return home. Hell, he was another Manson in the making. His women were set up all over the desert. Not a night went by that he couldn’t get a piece of ass.
They loved him. All of them.
His threats to Cutter were unfounded. He wouldn’t turn the bastard. No way did he want to share his gift with another man. He didn’t want the competition.
L.J. had enough on Cutter to keep him quiet. One call to the police and Cutter would be the one behind bars. No one would believe his story about werewolves. Cutter would end up in a crazy house pissing on himself if he so much as uttered one word about men and women turning into wolves.
Best of all, Cutter knew it. That was why he stayed. Not to mention the fact that L.J. would hunt his sorry ass down and rip his throat out if he tried to run.
“Ritter is said to be an expert in his field. A damn vigilante against werewolves.”
“So?”
“Don’t you think you’re barking up the wrong tree, man? You saw him going after that woman at the school. He’s likely to take it personally if you mess with her.”
Biting into his burger, L.J. chewed with the grace of a dog. “So?”
“You’re getting cocky. Cocky lands you in jail.”
Sucking down the coke with a straw and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand L.J. spit. “That’s why we’re lying low for a while. Chicks don’t like being cooped up for long. She’ll be itching to get out within the week. First couple of times she does her confidence will grow, and that’s when we’ll nab her.”
“He’ll track her here. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear he’s just like you.”
“Nawh, too much of a candy ass.” Still, L.J. held the thought that maybe Ritter was more than a suit wearing security guard.
He shook his head. Couldn’t be.
****
“When are you coming back to work?”
Kate’s boss sounded a little more than ticked on the other end of the phone. The graveyard shift proved difficult to staff, and her absence didn’t go unnoticed.
“The doctor told me not to lift as much as a feather for at least a month. Can’t you get someone to cover?” She couldn’t afford to lose her job.
“It’s very inconvenient,” was all he said.
Inconvenient is being shot! What a jerk. Kate held her tongue and counted to five.
“Well?”
Her hair rose on the back of her neck and her teeth ground together. “Tell me, Mason. Is it The Eatery’s policy to bully their employees to go against doctor’s orders after being injured while on duty?”
“Ahh…”
That put him back on his heels. “Perhaps I should have the officer on the case call you on my behalf. Better yet…a lawyer.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way.”
“I’m sorry you’re not more understanding. That man shot me, Mason. I could have been killed.”
Silence met her as a reply. Did she push him too far? Would he fire her right then and there?
“We’ll see you when you’re better,” he finally said.
Kate let the air she had held in her lungs go. “Good.”
She hung up without saying goodbye.
It had been one hell of a week. In so many ways, life was wonderful. Richard snuck into her bedroom every night, making love to her for hours. By morning, he snuck into his own room to keep Joey from seeing them together.
They took their quiet moments of heavy petting and deep kisses in hallways and dark corners. Smug smiles from Richard overwhelmed her with joy. She’d missed being in a relationship. Having someone to talk to about her day, her worries, her life.
Her arm was healing well, but the thought of going back t
o work raked her nerves. Max and Richard were no closer to finding the man who shot her than they were the first day.
He’d vanished. Richard insisted Joey stay out of school and she stay under constant security.
Janet took her maternity leave and waddled around in misery. Kate noticed the baby drop over the last couple of days but kept the information to herself. It wouldn’t be long before the baby came.
Although she hadn’t known the Ritters for long, she looked forward to the birth like an expectant Auntie. Even Joey ran around asking if it was time yet.
One early afternoon, two and a half weeks into her stay, Kate suggested they get out of the house to shop for the baby.
“Come on, it’ll be fun.”
Even Janet felt the pinch of staying home. “You think we should?”
“The guys haven’t seen or heard from the punk who held me up. He’s probably long gone by now. Besides, take it from me. Shopping after the baby comes is much more complicated.”
“All right, but we’ll bring James along.”
“Whoo hoo. I’ll get my purse.”
Even Joey bounced with joy when they left the house.
James was a little more reserved.
Janet called Max and left him a message on his cell saying they were leaving and giving him a detailed plan as to what they were going to do.
The mall was crowded with busy shoppers. The temperatures outside were reaching into triple digits, bringing in several people for the sole purpose of cooling off.
The four of them hustled through department stores, searching the baby departments for clothing and little trinkets for the room. Janet and Max opted not to know the sex of the baby until delivery day. Therefore, their choices were green and yellow.
Janet held up a package of white T-shirts and cooed over the size. “What about these?”
“Not white, Janet. It will stain after one wear.”
“I didn’t think of that.”
“Trust me, white is a wear once color for infants.”
James had Joey in a secluded corner, pulling the strings on mobiles that hovered over cribs.
“I’m so glad you’re here. I would have bought way too much.”
“I am the queen of thrifty. I had to be doing all of this on my own with Joey.”
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