by Siobhan Muir
“Ewww!” Liam scrunched up his nose. “That’s the worst.”
“Hey, now.” Sarah swiped at her son and he dodged, laughing. “If I get attitude like that, it’s off to bed with you.”
“Aw, can’t I stay up longer, Mama?”
“No, we’ve had a long day, and we need as much rest as we can get.” Sarah rose from her seat and collected their plates.
“Can I at least get a bedtime story?” Liam pushed back from the table and stood by his chair.
“Of course you can. Off you go, now. I’ll be right up.” She shooed her son toward the stairs.
“Don’t worry about the dishes. I’ll get them.” Alex took the plates from her and smiled. “You go get Liam ready for bed.”
“Are you sure? You cooked.”
Alex laughed. “I take it as a great compliment you didn’t spit it out in disgust. I’ll get this.” He waved her off and Sarah nodded.
She followed Liam, wondering why it was so hard to leave the kitchen behind. Chewed bones, you’re worse than a pup with her first scent of roses. Get it together. But Alex didn’t smell like roses. He smelled like heaven and everything inside her clamored to claim it before it disappeared.
“Mama, there aren’t any sheets.” Liam held the coverlet off one of the beds.
“Right. Let’s see what’s in the linen closet.”
She made the bed and Liam climbed between the fresh sheets.
“What shall we read?”
He reached out and grabbed the book off the bedside table as she sat beside him.
“This one again?”
“Yes, please.” Liam nodded with an anticipatory smile.
Sarah sighed. “Oh, what places you’ll go…”
Chapter Three
Alex filled the dishwasher and set it to clean as he thought about Liam’s question. Had his scent changed? He sniffed under his arms, but nothing seemed different to him. Nothing more than his own sweat came to his nose and he shook his head. Maybe the kid had simply smelled him on the stuff in the house and mixed it with his mother’s scent.
Good story, but you never mixed up scents even at that age, his Brother quipped.
The only time he’d ever heard of people’s scents mixing occurred after sex, and he’d done nothing of the sort with Sarah Flanagan. He’d kissed her, and the memory of her lips sent blood straight to his cock until it nudged the fly of his jeans.
Mine, his Brother insisted.
Not tonight, she’s not. But his Brother wouldn’t let go of the possibility.
Alex finished cleaning up and belatedly remembered the beds being bare upstairs. Cursing his negligence, he sprinted up the stairs to rummage through the linen closet. He didn’t remember the size of the guest room bed so he grabbed two sets of sheets and strode for the door.
Sarah’s voice carried down the hall, slowing his steps. She read the book from the station and her sweet Irish lilt wrapped around his heart and squeezed.
“And when things start to happen, don’t worry, don’t fret. The path ahead could be your best journey yet.”
Alex paused at the door and peeked around the edge. Sarah sat on the bed facing Liam as she read and Alex’s heart squeezed again. They looked like a family—his family—as if they belonged here in this house with him. She kept reading and he fell into her cadence, relaxed and happy for the first time in almost a decade.
True Mate. His Brother’s voice held a confidence Alex didn’t share.
But she’s a normal werewolf, not a Hell Hound. How could she be my True Mate?
His Brother whined. True Mate.
It doesn’t matter. That’s a secondary concern if a concern at all. I don’t have time for love.
“On and on you will trek, and reach for the stars to take on your problems wherever they are.”
Heh. Truth and wisdom from a kiddie author. Alex leaned back against the wall beside the door and closed his eyes. He’d been asked to help Sarah and Liam, not keep them as his family.
He had to get his head back in the game and focus on the threat, not on the luscious female in the next room. She’d experienced enough difficulty already. The last thing she needed was some horny male backing her against the wall and kissing the hell out of her.
The idea made his cock swell.
Shit. Get downstairs before she sees you, fool.
Alex lurched off the wall and shoved the sheets back in the closet. Then he bolted for the stairs, damn near tripping on the way down.
Sarah’s voice floated after him. “Your mountain needs moving, so get on your way.”
I’m going. I’m going.
Alex scanned his living room, trying to think of something to help him calm his hard-on before she returned to the first floor. Think! Nothing came to mind except the radiant color of her hair and the softness of it in his hands. Is she red everywhere? His cock flexed with hope and interest.
Chewed bones!
“Alex, is everything all right?” Sarah stopped at the base of the steps.
Alex glanced over his shoulder and tried to smile. “Yeah. Why?”
“You’re staring out the window and your knuckles are white. I thought perhaps we had unwanted company.”
He shoved his fisted hands in his pockets to disguise the rigid bulge pressing against his fly. “No, sorry. I was just thinking.”
“Oh, I know all about those sorts of moments.” Sarah shifted past him and settled on the couch, rubbing her face with her hands. The action broadcast so much weary resignation, he couldn’t help but sit down beside her. Everything inside him screamed to wrap her up in his arms and hold her close, but he settled for taking her hand.
“Did Liam go to bed okay?”
“Yes, thank goodness. He hasn’t been sleeping well since we left Dublin.” She shook her head. “Nor have I.”
Alex’s arm slid around her shoulders of its own volition and he gathered her against his side.
Sarah stiffened for a moment, surprise filtering through her sweet scent. She relaxed after a few moments.
“I suspect demons make it hard to unwind, but I think you’ll be able to get some good sleep tonight. Here.” He shifted his body until his back wedged between the armrest and the upright cushions. “Lay your head on my chest and get some sleep. I’m not going anywhere.”
Sarah gave him a long look. “You want me where?”
Alex patted his chest. “Lay your head here. Your hips here.” One hand tapped the couch beside his extended leg.
“You want me…between your legs?”
Hell yeah, I want you between my legs, hot and snarling and begging for more.
“You’re exhausted, Sarah. Take a break and let me watch over you for the moment. I promise not to do anything you don’t want me to do.” He patted his chest again.
Sarah’s shoulders slumped and she ran a hand through her hair, pulling a few strands out of her ponytail. His hands itched to smooth the tendrils back and he held his breath, hoping she’d agree.
“All right. Maybe just a wee nip o’ sleep.” She shifted her hips, scooted closer to him, and settled her shoulder against his side. The warm swell of her breast pressed his ribs, branding him with her heat, and he prayed to the Goddess his cock didn’t poke her in the belly.
Thank the First Canid for jeans. Even if they got too tight.
“Better?” It was certainly better for him.
“Yeah, thank you. You’re wonderfully warm.”
I’m on fire. “I try.”
She sighed and closed her eyes, settling her body against his. Alex reveled in her scent and laid his arm across her back. It felt so natural to cradle her this way. Maybe his Brother knew better after all. Alex listened to her soft breathing and contentment unfolded in his chest.
Before he knew what he was doing, he stroked her hair back from her face, sliding his hand over her head in a repeated pattern. Sarah started, her breath hitching in surprise, but he just kept stroking, enjoying in the soothing motion.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m trying to help you rest. My mother used to do this after I woke up from a nightmare. It calmed me right down. Do you want me to stop?” Please, please, don’t say no.
“No…it’s nice. Your mother was right.”
Delight flowed through him as she snuggled deeper against his side. He tried to keep his touches light, but he wanted to drag her up his body and take her mouth in another hot kiss. Sarah sighed with appreciation and Alex’s cock flexed.
I’m just offering comfort, that’s it. But it’d get uncomfortable for him soon if they didn’t stop. What’s a little sexual frustration between friends?
He forced himself to concentrate on the silkiness of her hair and the warm scent of contented woman. Mine. True Mate. He gritted his teeth against the urge to claim her, pausing before he did anything like grab her hair and drag her lips to his.
“Is everything all right?” Sarah looked up at him, her misty green eyes searching for danger.
He cleared his throat. “Yeah, everything’s fine. Just…”
Silence filled the space between them and Alex fell into her eyes, everything around him drifting away. He dropped his gaze to her lips and the memory of her flavor filled his mind, urging him to taste her again.
****
Sarah stared up into his amber eyes and wanted nothing more than to sink into his sexy heat. What am I thinking? Running from a demon didn’t leave time for romance or even sex. But she wanted it more than she wanted anything else, and her Sister self acted like a bitch in heat around Alex.
This could be the last time you get any kind of loving, ever.
“Make love to me.”
Alex blinked, the surprise on his face mirroring her feelings. She cursed her impulsive Sister.
“Are you sure, Sarah?”
“Yes. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? This may be our last chance to celebrate life. Please, Alex.” How had she lost control of her voice?
Alex groaned. “Here’s the thing. I don’t think I’ll be able to stop if you change your mind.” He shifted beneath her again and the long, hard ridge in his jeans ground against her belly. “I usually have more control, but tonight I’m as rabid as a honey badger, and I won’t give up until I’ve had you, if you give me the go-ahead.”
His frank words set her core on fire and she whimpered with the lust they inspired.
“Chewed bones, you make more sounds like that, I’ll be forced to make love to you.”
She dusted off her sultry smile and let it curl her lips as she wriggled, moaning in supplication. “I want you, Alex MacLaren, rabid as a honey badger, smoky as a fine whiskey, and hard as stone. I’ll take you anyway I can get you.”
He growled and fisted her hair, dragging her face closer. “Fine. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Alex took her lips in a consuming kiss, stealing her breath and her sanity. One hand slid down her body into her pants, long fingers strumming her clit. “Oh yeah, give me some of your honey, sweetheart.”
Sarah gasped as a single finger slid deeper, stroking the walls of her pussy. She writhed around the digit as Alex’s tongue battled hers for supremacy, his growls counterpoint to her moans. Electric pleasure surged between her legs, swamping her mind with nothing but bliss.
“Oh, Goddess, Alex.”
“I love it when you say my name, Sarah. It turns me on so much.” He pulled his hand out of her pants and slid his fingers into his mouth, tasting her cream. His eyes closed and an expression of ecstasy flooded his features. “Damn, you taste good.”
The scent of her own arousal combined with his earthy musk created a potent mixture so delicious she had to have more. She grabbed his face between her hands and planted a kiss on his lips, desperate to recapture the taste of them together. Flavors from dinner and her own tart juices filled her mouth as she suckled his tongue, making him growl.
Sarah groped down his body until she grasped his jeans, and fumbled with the button at the top.
“Whoa, wait a moment.” Alex pushed her back and everything within her squealed with disappointment. “Easy there, little wolf. If you get your hands on me, I might come too soon. That won’t be good for anyone.”
“But…”
“Come on.” He squirmed out from under her and pulled her up, kissing her knuckles when she stood. “Let’s take this somewhere more comfortable.”
Sarah raised an eyebrow. “What happened to the honey badger rabidness?”
Alex laughed. “It’s countered by two centuries of experience at pleasing my lover.”
By the Goddess, she liked the sound of that. She’d only been sexually active for forty of her sixty two years, but no one had pleased her in a long time. Not even Malcolm.
Alex drew her up the stairs and through the first doorway on the right. The room had a dusty, disused scent, but under it Sarah detected Alex’s earthy musk. He flipped on the lights and pulled her to the bed. Sarah didn’t have much time to take in the décor before he tore off his shirt and unbuttoned his jeans.
“Now, I’m going to go all rabid on you.” He grinned as he gripped the hem of her shirt and pulled it off. “Rabid wolf.”
Alex dropped his head between her breasts and snapped her bra apart with his teeth. Sarah’s heart beat a rapid tattoo against her ribs and her pussy clenched around a new influx of cream. She inhaled his masculine scent and her nipples hardened to the plundering of his tongue, the wet heat stealing her breath.
“Holy Goddess, you taste wonderful, Sarah.” The moan originated at her chest before his hot tongue swiped along the swell of one breast. “I could spend hours sucking on your nipples.”
“Chewed bones, Alex. I don’t have hours.” She arched her back and pushed her flesh against his lips.
“You will someday, but I won’t torture you tonight.” He chuckled, the rumble echoing through her body. “Tonight is about giving you pleasure.”
“I’m all for that.” If Alex gave her the opportunity to be selfish for one night, she’d take it. Tomorrow she’d have to face her son’s needs, and the demon who hunted them.
Her thoughts splintered as his tongue dipped into her navel then skimmed around the swell of her belly. While she’d never been vain, her belly had never been the same after her pregnancy and she slid a hand over it to hide the stretch marks.
Alex paused. “What’s wrong, Sarah?”
Chapter Four
Alex’s gut clenched and he swallowed hard. Had he hurt her? Had some of his fire escaped and singed her? A few times while making love to Lisa, they’d set the bed aflame in their exuberance, but it had always been localized. Hell Hounds had a natural affinity with fire, but Sarah didn’t have such imperviousness.
“I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“No, no. Nothing like that. You were lovely.”
Chewed bones. Here comes the ‘you were okay, but I’ve had better’ speech.
“But…childbirth changes the body and…well, the stretch marks…”
He huffed a laugh and his guts unclenched. Thank the Goddess I didn’t hurt her. “Sweet Sarah, you are beautiful. You have nothing to be concerned about.” He ran his hands over her stomach, kissing the skin in their wake. “You’re real, sexy, and so gorgeous I can’t keep my hands,”—he kissed her again—“or lips off you.”
Sarah gasped and arched into his caresses, and he used the distraction to unbutton her jeans and slide them off her hips. He pulled her panties off with them and the delicious scent of her arousal slammed into him. His mouth watered and his cock solidified as he thrust his nose against her pussy lips.
“Alex!”
He couldn’t answer. Her taste overwhelmed him and he needed more. He pressed her back onto the bed and nestled between her thighs. Sweet and tangy, hot and wet, he couldn’t resist opening his mouth and swiping his tongue along her slit. Sarah moaned and squirmed, pulling a growl from his chest as his hands clutched her hips.
Mine.
Damn right she was. Tonight
he’d take her to the limits of pleasure and make her his forever. He ignored the implications of his thought as he settled to feast on her sweet pussy. Ambrosia coated his tongue as he sipped from her cream, savoring the hot, sultry flavor swirling in his mouth.
He caressed her folds with his tongue, luxuriating in the smooth, slick flesh contrasted with the crinkly hairs. His cock jerked each time she twitched and her moans set his brain on fire. Every gasp tightened his balls until he couldn’t stand much more. He hummed against her clit, suckling on the little nubbin until she grabbed his head.
“Oh, Goddess, yes, Alex. Lick me harder right there!”
He feasted on her folds, licking and devouring her sweet cream. The sounds of wet pleasure mixed with her moans of ecstasy in the quiet room, and Alex reveled in the joy of both. His own pleasure ramped up as Sarah’s body tightened. She keened an ecstatic wail as he sent her over into orgasm, rocking her hips hard against his mouth. Alex damn near followed her, but he held back by lapping up all her juices, taking everything she had to give.
Alex wanted more, had to have more. Had to sink his teeth into her sweet shoulder and bind her to him so he’d never be alone again.
What the—
True Mate. Mine.
His Brother surged to the forefront of his mind and Alex stood, shucking his jeans and boxers before he realized he’d moved. His heart raced as he gazed down on her body. She still trembled with the aftereffects of her release, but his Brother scented her continued arousal and a possessive growl echoed in the room.
Sarah’s eyes opened and she looked back at him with a sensuous, satisfied smile as she slid one hand up her side to cup a heaving breast.
“Mine,” he growled.
“Am I, now? Come show me, then.” She pinched her nipple between her fingers and gave a seductive wiggle. “Prove to me I'm yours for the taking.”
The challenge in her voice and in her expression ignited his lust and his cock jerked with renewed interest. She jerked her chin up and he snarled, both delighted and determined in the face of her dare.