by Selena Blake
This…this was not a goodbye kiss. Of that much, Kendall was sure.
“I don’t want you to leave,” he murmured.
“Then why—“
He silenced her with another kiss, his arms tightening around her waist until her bones protested. “I have a rule. No humans. Ever.”
The light bulb came on. “And you thought I was human.”
“I can’t believe you’re not.”
“Carl bound my powers. I can’t shift.” Without her powers, without her ability to shift, she was essentially human. Smelled like a human. Her senses had been stripped too. She hadn’t been able to sniff out his secret…though there’d been that one time she’d wondered if he was, in fact, a werewolf.
Looks like she’d been right.
She’d been prepared to give up her powers forever so she could remain with him.
Looking at him now--
“I really hate that guy,” Burke uttered, kissing his way down her neck.
“Good thing he’s dead.”
“He’ll never bother you again,” he said, his voice so fierce she couldn’t help the love that blossomed in her heart. He tipped his forehead against hers and for a moment, everything was right with the world.
“If it makes you feel any better, I thought you were human too. I was actually kind of happy I couldn’t shift into some freakish monster and scare you away.”
“You’re not freakish.”
“Whatever you say.”
If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up.
“I say kiss me.”
“Gladly.” She rose up on her tip-toes and met him half way. She couldn’t believe it. She was light headed from the ecstasy of being so close to him, inhaling his masculine scent, feeling his hands at her back urging her closer.
Burke could hardly believe he was able to kiss Kendall like this. This past week had felt like a lifetime. He just hoped it was the beginning of the rest of his life.
Her lips were soft beneath his, pliant, welcoming. Arms wrapped around his neck, she clung to him as if she never wanted to let go. That was more than all right by him.
A werecoyote. He could scarcely believe…but it made perfect sense. All her little comments about animals, tails and mating rituals. She’d known what Carl was. And the others. He trailed his lips across her cheek, marveling that she hadn’t gone screaming down the mountain when he’d shifted to his were form.
Gently, he flexed his fingers into her hips, assuring himself she was real and this wasn’t a magnificent dream. The look on her face was pure adoration, a combination of happiness and hopefulness and love he’d never thought to see again. At least not when a woman looked his way.
She threaded her fingers through his hair and moaned when he dipped his head he nibbled the delicate skin beneath her ear. His lips quested south as his hands slipped beneath the barrier of her clothes.
The tiny little catch in her breath was his undoing. She was so incredibly sexy. And she had no idea. Though he wanted to stay this way forever, slowly making love to her, the wolf inside him demanded more. Now.
He should have known from the first, that first moment he’d glimpsed her hair with those wild colors and that adorable nose, the pleading in her eyes and her husky voice… He’d been a goner.
Right now, he needed to get them out of the cold before his wolf did something crazy, like strip her naked and make love in the snow. As much as the idea appealed to his baser side, his more civilized self had fantasized about undressing her in front of a roaring fire and slowly taking her on a big, cushy bed.
Pulling back a fraction, he severed the kiss and picked her up. This time when she looked up at him, her eyes unfocused, it was because of her desire and not the pain. But ever mindful of her injury, he carried her carefully to the front door.
Kendall giggled, hiding her face against his throat. Damn that felt good. So good he almost missed the single step up to the front porch.
“Care to share with the class,” he said.
“I can’t believe a naked man is carrying me through the snow. I can’t believe you…I can’t believe I’m in your arms again.” It was a breathy confession filled with wonder. The same wonder that zinged through every vein and nerve ending in his body.
“Get used to it sweetheart. I like the way you feel in my arms.” He stopped in front of the door, reality intruding.
“You forgot the keys,” she murmured, and kissed his throat. Damn, that did crazy things to his self-control.
“Stay here,” he said, letting her down.
“Where else would I go?” she asked, her voice light and teasing as he back tracked to the truck. His keys were right where he’d left them—in the ignition.
After unlocking the front door with a quick flick of the wrist he scooped her up again.
Their lips sought and clung as he carried her across the threshold. Her passionate moans were music to his ears.
With the front door firmly shutting out the world, he managed to lock it before carrying her into the bedroom.
In front of the fireplace, he let her slide down his front.
Eyes alight with lust, she backed up a step and surveyed his body. While he’d had the pleasure of seeing her before, he’d managed to keep his clothes on. As fragile as it was, fabric was still a barrier…and right now there was one less barrier between them.
He resisted the urge to puff up his chest and preen under her gaze. But as her gaze dipped from his shoulders to his chest he found he was almost nervous. He had never been nervous in front of a woman before, which just went to prove how much she meant to him.
He reached for her but she shook her head and made a tsking sound.
Slowly, she circled him, touching him with nothing but a look. But he heard each breath she took, felt the desire rolling off her. He closed his eyes, fighting for control.
"Like what you see?” he finally asked when he couldn't stand the silence any longer.
"Very much."
When she stopped in front of him, her hands smoothed over his chest.
"Never doubt that," she told him. Then she planted a kiss over his heart.
"Kendall-"
' Yes?' She nipped his skin.
"You’re playing with fire.”
“I know.” She gave him a knowing smile. Intentional and lusty.
Her tongue darted out to tease his nipple. The groan that rumbled from his chest didn't seem to startle her because she just grinned up at him. Damn, she was perfect.
Unable to wait a second longer, he reached for the hem of her sweater, tugged it upward. She helped and together they made short work of her thermal wear. When she was at last standing before him in nothing but her underwear and thick wool socks, he didn't think he'd ever seen anything as sexy in all his life.
"Like what you see?" she asked, her finger twisting a strand of her hair around and around.
He took in each of her beautiful curves, the delightful dip of her belly button, the flair of her hips. Just as she'd done to him, he circled her. But he did not keep his hands to himself.
No, he traced a finger around the indention of her waist before splaying his fingers across her belly. "Very much," he said against the side of her neck, then darted his tongue out for a taste.
Heart pounding, he scooped her up into his arms like he had several times before. But this time he was be able to act out his desires. Starting with a kiss.
"Never doubt that.” He parroted her words against her lips.
Burke put her down on the edge of the bed and stepped between her legs. She leaned back and her breasts thrust upward. He hardly knew where to start first. She was so delectable, her pale skin so smooth and perfect, he wanted to lick every inch.
He started at her thighs. Running his hands north, watching the progression, his tanned fingers against her creamy skin. She trembled beneath his touch. He’d be lying if he didn’t admit he was trembling too.
She nibbled her bottom lip as his hands gli
ded over her hips then zoomed north to cup her breasts.
“You’re so beautiful.”
When he glanced up he saw tears in her eyes.
“Tell me this is real,” she murmured as he wiped a tear from her cheek.
“It’s real, chéri,” he whispered against her lips.
The emotion of the last few days would not be denied. He wanted her to feel everything he was feeling, know how much he loved her. As she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, opening her lips his cock jerked. She sucked his tongue into the warm, wetness of her mouth, welcoming him in a way no other woman ever had.
One hand propped behind her, he used the other to tweak a nipple through satin fabric.
She arched into his touch but her lips never broke contact from his.
“You won’t—“ he said against her lips, “be needing this.” As sexy as the bra was, it had to go and he made short work of removing the garment.
Mouths mating, he let his hand trail down to the apex of her thighs.
“Or this.” He used both hands to rip the baby blue panties from her body. Her gasp made him smile.
He ran the back of his fingers against her pussy, loving the way her hips bucked against him. “Burke,” she cried, her voice needy.
“Soon, sweetheart. Soon,” he replied, knowing exactly what she needed. He pulled away from her lips to lavish attention on her breasts with the tip of his tongue. Her fingers tightened around his shoulders as breathy little moans rang from her lips.
He let her nipple pop from his mouth and straightened to enjoy the view.
So this is what heaven looked like. A beautiful cherub in his bed, smiling up at him as if he’d just handed her the world. He wanted to. He’d give her anything he could. Right now he wanted to give her pleasure and a happy memory to wipe away the bad ones.
Frowning, he considered her injuries. “How’s your shoulder?”
“It’s fine…touch me,” she pleaded.
He dipped his head again and trailed kisses down her stomach, enjoying the way her muscles went taunt beneath his lips. Trailing kisses down her right thigh, he nipped the side of her knee.
“What do you think?” he asked, sliding a finger inside her sock.
She gave a shaky laugh. “Don’t need those either.”
With a grin, he tugged them off and then ran his hands over her long, shapely legs. Her skin was silky smooth beneath his fingertips.
“I borrowed your razor,” she murmured. “I—hope you don’t mind.” There was still that little tremor of uncertainty in her voice that made his heart ache.
She really had no clue how special she was, how precious she was to him.
“See that rock on your finger…”
She held up her left hand and studied the blue diamonds.
“It means that you’re mine and I’m yours. Therefore, whatever is mine, is also yours.” Tears in her eyes, she nodded.
Satisfied that she felt more secure, he licked his way back down her body. Hands on her thighs, he ducked his head and had his first taste of ecstasy.
Her hips tilted and her thighs widened, offering herself to him. The combination of his tongue and a single finger had her writhing atop the mattress. Her fingers fisted in his hair and together they found a slow, smooth rhythm that brought her to the brink of pleasure. Her breathing was harsh, loud in an otherwise quiet room, each strong deep breath moving her whole body.
He licked his lips and smiled up at her. Her blue eyes were bright and dreamy.
“I love the way you taste.”
“You’re such a tease,” she hissed as he flicked his tongue over her clit one more time.
But she was smiling too. Reaching for him as he lay next to her. “You’d better get on top sweetheart,” he murmured, knowing it’d be better for her if she controlled the depth and speed of their lovemaking.
She glanced down at his cock and her smile grew. Slowly, she slid a hand across his chest and hooked it behind his neck. She leaned over him, brushing her lips against his and threw a leg over his hips. And she called him a tease.
His eyes rolled back as she slid against his cock, coating him in her warm wetness.
Forward. Back. Forward again. He locked his hands around her hips and kept the delicious motion going.
Kendall laughed down at the man who’d stolen her heart so quickly, so completely.
“How did I get so lucky?” she whispered, leaning forward to nibble his lower lip.
Burke tossed a blanket around her shoulders as he rocked against her. “I’ve been wondering the same thing, mon amour.”
His voice was so quiet, so intense it melted her. “What does that mean?”
“My love.”
Kendall stilled and her heart skipped a beat. Until that moment, she hadn’t realized that these feelings inside her, the love in her heart, all of it had remained unsaid. Only told through actions, looks, and caresses.
She sat up, taking in every inch of him. The most gorgeous tan skin covered his muscular arms, perfectly sculpted shoulders. He obviously spent many hours in the sun.
Shirtless. And by the look of the hard planes of his chest he was no stranger to physical labor.
A smattering of hair across his lower belly pointed south…as if she needed a reminder that he was all man.
But he was more than his body. When she stared into his incredible eyes, flecked with green and gold in the firelight, she knew that he was her everything. Every single desire she’d held silently in her heart. Kind. Generous. Protective. Demanding and giving.
“I love you Burke Deveraux,” she said as she started the slow slide down his magnificent cock. Hands braced against his chest, she made tiny rocking motions as her body stretched to accommodate his size.
“I don’t know how I got lucky enough to find you, and I know we haven’t known each other long.” She dropped her head back and closed her eyes as she settled over him fully.
Huge. Thick. And perfect for her. Opening her eyes again, she smiled down at him, her heart so full she thought she might burst.
“But I love you.”
“Music to my ears.” He rolled them over, settling between her legs. “I think I’ve loved you since the moment I saw you stuck in that snow dune and you begged me not to let Carl-the-creep find you.”
Kendall wrapped her legs around his hips, loving the way his weight pressed her into the soft mattress. He was real. Not a dream. Not a figment of her imagination. But a real flesh and blood man who knew just how to please her.
“I’m glad you’re a man of your word.”
She cupped his handsome face between her hands and opened herself to his powerful thrusts. He kissed her sweetly, gently, belying his strength and power. Then he nuzzled her throat. The whisper of five o’clock shadow grazing her skin gave her delicious chill bumps.
“I hate the circumstances that brought us together,” he murmured, glancing at her injured shoulder. It hadn’t ached in a while but his concern endeared him to her that much more. Between the bath, the rest, Burke’s care and the adrenaline rush on the mountain, she’d been healing well.
He trailed a hand down her side and gripped her hip, shifting the angle of penetration ever so slightly.
“I wouldn’t change them,” she whispered back. Indeed she would not. She’d go through all the pain, the fear, the anxiety again if it meant ending up with this incredible man.
Arms bracketed around her, his muscles trembled beneath her fingertips. How he managed to hold off his orgasm she didn’t know. But as he moved inside her, her pleasure built. He dropped his shoulders and delicious sensations swept through her as his chest brushed against her erect nipples. The feel of his pelvis grinding against hers was like nothing she’d ever known. A perfect motion, a dance made for the two of them, choreographed to their favorite song.
The friction built to the point where she thought she would surely go mad if he didn’t make her come. Release was so close she could almost reach out and grab it.
As if sensing her raw desperation, he slipped a hand between and circled her clit with the tip of his finger. Once. Twice. A deep thrust at a sharper angle and her world shattered.
He groaned, long and deep, his head falling back. Panting, her lips curved upward.
Delicious. Absolutely delicious.
Chapter Twelve
The next morning Kendall clung to her dreams, not wanting them to end. She was comfortable in a way she’d never before experienced. Warm and secure. Burke smelled so…
good. Earthy, with a hint of fabric softener and snow.
Why was he petting her? Never mind. It didn’t matter. Dreams were the one place she could relax and enjoy herself…and Burke.
But this felt so…real. The bed, soft beneath her, and warm sunlight on her face. His hand raking through her fur.
Fur? Kendall cracked an eye open.
“Morning, beautiful.”
Burke rose from the bed. “Run with me,” he said, pulling his sweater over his head.
Even half asleep, she could appreciate the taunt muscles of his chest as he unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it over his massive shoulders.
Run with—her gaze narrowed on the dusty brown paw on the sheet in front of her. She crossed her eyes. Ohmygod, she had a snout.
Alarmed, she jerked her head up and stared down at her fur-covered legs. This could not be happening. Not now.
As if sensing her disgust, he reached out and stroked her head. Oh, that felt good. Then he cupped her face as he had many times before.
“You’re beautiful,” he assured her in that voice that broached no arguments. “In any form.”
She was a freak of nature.
Then you’re a beautiful freak of nature.
Startled at his voice rumbling through her head, she sat up so quickly she almost lost her balance.
“Yes, I can read your thoughts, my lovely mate.”
Mate? Had he really said mate? Kendall sucked in a sharp, shuddering breath.
Don’t worry, mon amour. It’s not as scary as it sounds. Unless you want to be rid of me, and in that case—
No. Never rid of you.