by Marie Mason
“What’s wrong?” Hunter’s voice was deep and even.
She glanced at him beneath her lashes. His brow was furrowed into a deep line as if he was concerned about her.
“Nothing. I just realized my phone was dead.” She sighed heavily. “And that I left my charger in the car.”
“Is there someone you need to call?” Hunter’s calm face hid his intense interest in Julie’s answer. He sure as hell didn’t want some man worrying about her. That was his job.
He pushed that thought back away.
Coward.
The taunt from his wolf didn’t faze him. Damn right, he was a coward. Only the stupid were never afraid.
“Just my sister.”
Hunter didn’t allow his relief to show at her words. He dug his phone out of his back pocket and handed it to her. “Here, mine still has a charge. Give me yours and I’ll plug it in. My charger’s in my bag.”
He held out the phone and she gave him hers. He tried not to listen as she made her call as he dealt with plugging in the charger. It was a very quick conversation with very little said by Julie. In just a few minutes, she was handing him back his phone.
As he took it, he allowed himself to smooth his fingertips along her knuckles. He was pleased by the hitch in her breath at his touch. “Does she live around here? Is she alright?”
Julie nodded and allowed her hand to drop back down to her side. “Yes. She got off early from work and made it back home before the roads got too bad.”
“Unlike you, who thought you were super woman and could drive on a foot of snow.”
Julie resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him. “It wasn’t bad when I left and I had someplace I needed to go.”
“Left from where?”
“My job.” She turned away, unwilling to stare into those incredible brown eyes while he gave her the third degree. Now, Mr. Wolfie was in a talkative mood when the questions weren’t being directed at him. Looking at the hard backed chair, she decided to take a seat on the bed. And instantly regretted it at the look he gave her.
What? Did he think it was an invitation to join her?
Oh, if only she was that kind of woman. One that could casually invite a man to love her.
“As?”
“As what?” She played dumb, not wanting to talk about herself. Didn’t men only want to talk about themselves?
“What do you do for living, Julie?”
“I’m a boring office worker for a boring corporation.” Not quite true anymore. She was in fact a regional manager of a nationally known marketing firm in the greater Chicago area. She loved the creative part of her job—thinking up jingles and ads for her customers. She did not necessary like supervising others. In her line of work, one bad idea could cost you your job and usually it was up to her to break the bad news to the unfortunate copywriter.
“Where were you going when you left work?”
She looked up at him with those big eyes and Hunter almost lost it again. Her eyes were almost navy blue, an unusual color for sure, that just made him want to keep on looking, to drown in her gaze. He still didn’t like the fact that she’d been out in the snow all by herself.
You would have liked it better, if she’d been with a man?
She named a small town about two hours from Chicago. “One of my friends is getting married.”
“You mean was. They got hit just as hard as Chicago.”
“Yeah, I know. My sister said my friend had called already, warning me not to try and come.” She smiled. “I guess I got that message a few hours too late, didn’t I?”
He continued to watch her but didn’t ask anything else for which she was very grateful. She hated talking about herself.
He picked up his duffle bag and threw it on the bed. Taking out a clean pair of underwear, he headed toward the bathroom. “I’m going to take a shower and then I think we need to turn in for the night.”
As he walked to the door, he heard her say, “Bossy much?”
Closing the door behind him, he allowed himself a smile, then a deep groan as he came face to face with her panties hanging over the shower rod to dry.
Shit. Did that mean she was naked beneath her shirt? Double shit.
He turned on the shower and didn’t even adjust the temperature. He needed the cold. That last walk outside had helped, but stepping back into the room, smelling her scent—seeing her Goddamn panties—had put him right back in the same condition. At half-mast. Cursing his body and the attraction he couldn’t control, he stepped beneath the showerhead, letting the cold water do its thing. He directed another curse at the makers of the cracker sized pieces of soap found in hotel rooms. He soaped himself up. His hand lingered on his cock, still heavy with desire and he debated stroking one out. He wanted the relief—no needed the relief—but his wolf, hell he—didn’t want to find his pleasure at his own hand. He wanted to walk back into the bedroom, take Julie in his arms and have her every which way he could, and then do it all over again.
His cock swelled as he thought of taking her, sinking inside her for the very first time and he knew he had very little choice than to release some of the pressure if he was going to make it through the night with her in the same bed. He took himself in hand and tugged until he was rock hard, his erection straining for release. All he had to do was close his eyes and imagine her stretched out on the bed, completely naked, and at his mercy. He wanted to stroke every one of those curves, part her thighs and bury his head—
“Fuck.” He threw back his head and groaned as he ejaculated. A few hard twists of his wrist and he was spent.
Until he thought of her again.
He quickly washed his hair and rinsed away the shampoo and soap. Taking one of the less than luxurious hotel towels, he dried himself off and put on his underwear. She was damn lucky he’d had an extra pair in his luggage. When he was off the military clock, he usually went commando.
Making sure not to leave a mess—a habit ingrained into him not only by the military but his mother—he left the bathroom. She’d moved from the bed and was sitting at the table watching the news and the latest weather prediction. Snow, snow and more snow.
Surprise, surprise.
“About ready for bed?” His wolf jumped at the question, eager to feel her soft body against them.
“I, umm…”
“Spit it out, sweetheart.”
“I thought I’d just take this and sleep in the chair tonight.” She’d found an extra blanket in the closet and now clutched the folded bundle to her chest.
“I don’t think so.” He took the few steps he needed to bring him next to her and pulled the blanket from her hands. Or tried to. She had a surprisingly tight hold on it and he didn’t want to hurt her by yanking too hard. “Let go, Julie.”
“No.”
This time he did let his wolf smile as he bent his head until his eyes were level with hers. “Do you know what I do to little girls who misbehave?”
“No. And I’m not a little girl.” She snorted. “Far, far from it.”
Hunter felt a sudden overwhelming flare of anger at her ease in putting herself down. Without any trace of vanity, he knew that he could have had pretty much his pick of women. Hell, he had had his pick of women. He’d slept with some of the world’s most beautiful women and he could have told Julie without lying that none compared to her.
“Oh, baby, you really shouldn’t have said that.” He leaned forward and took her mouth with a kiss that left her in no doubt who was the dominant in the room. He didn’t even have to use his tongue or his teeth to leave her a breathless mess of want. He pulled back a satisfied grin on his handsome face. “The next time I hear anything like that come out this pretty mouth of yours, I will bend you over my knee and spank your beautiful ass until you beg me for mercy. And then, then, I’ll kiss every inch of it until you beg me to fuck you. Now get in the Goddamn bed.”
Julie did as he commanded, her limbs trembling, almost forgetting how to breathe.
What in the world had possessed him to kiss her? And to say those things…She clenched her thighs together, hoping the stories she’d read about a shifter’s sense of smell were not true. Her pussy was wet with want.
Gathering her wits, she pulled the cover up to her chin and turned toward the edge of the bed. Unfortunately, it was the side next to the door and she got another eyeful of his body as he checked the lock and padded back. She knew she’d never forget the picture he made walking around in only a pair of soft knit boxers. It was like having a real life male underwear model all to herself. The light went out and she felt the bed dip as he sat on the edge, then lifted the covers and slid in beside her.
He didn’t speak and Julie’s muscles started to ache from trying to hold herself away from him, or at least not relax against him. He was one big wolf, his shoulders taking up more than his fair share of the bed. This was what she’d wanted to avoid. All her lusty thoughts were flying around in her head. She shivered uncontrollably.
“Are you cold?” Hunter inquired softly.
Automatically her head moved in the direction of his voice, freezing abruptly when her cheek encountered his mouth and chin. Dang it, she hadn’t known he was that close. “A little.” She wasn’t lying exactly. She was cold, but knew she’d warm up really fast with this wolf in her bed.
He edged the rest of his body closer, seeming to scorch her skin. She only had on an oversized sleep shirt so her legs were bare. All he wore was a pair of knit boxers. There didn’t seem to be any part of him that wasn’t touching her and filling her with dangerous longings.
Even as she had those tantalizing thoughts, the palm of his hand settled on the swell of her stomach and he was pulling her into his body, making her more fully aware of every muscular inch. And there was no mistaking that he was packing quite a few inches. “What are you doing?” she squeaked.
“Just making sure you’re warm enough.” The movement of his mouth against her cheek, so very close to the corner of her mouth froze her in place. Oh, heavens, was he about to kiss her again? And should she let him? She snorted silently to herself. What woman would want to stop Hunter McCall from kissing her?
Maybe a prude like herself? A woman insecure in her looks? It took everything in her not to snatch his hand away from her belly. Her round, soft belly that said more than anything else, she was packing some inches herself. Inches around her waist.
“Your feet are like ice cubes.”
Instinctively, she drew her toes away from the warmth of his legs. She didn’t remember putting them there.
“Leave them.” His leg moved trapping hers between his, and tangling their feet together.
“But—”
“I’m a wolf, Julie. I don’t feel the cold like you do. Let me warm you up.”
Since it was nearly impossible to find a place for her feet where they wouldn’t touch him, she left them where they were.
His hand left her waist to brush the tangle of hair from her cheek.
“You’re trembling,” he accused gently.
“It’s nothing.”
His hand turned her in the bed until she was laying on her back, his body above hers. His mouth moved closer until they were breathing the same air. “It’s something if it’s making you tremble. Are you afraid of me?”
“No, of course not.” That was the first truth she’d told in the last minute and a half. She wasn’t afraid of him. She was afraid of what he was making her feel. How could she possibly tell him she wanted him to make love to her, to feel the caress of his hands and the warmth of his lips, his mouth—on every inch of her body? Her pussy grew wetter thinking of his mouth on her there. She’d never had a boyfriend who even hinted at wanting to share that with her. Or one she’d want doing that to her. There was nothing casual about that kind of intimacy.
“Hunter?” The aching whisper of his name was more revealing than she realized.
She felt the sudden stillness of his body. It was as if he’d stopped breathing. The light from around the window curtain allowed her to see his face. It was beautiful. Beautifully rugged. Unable to stop herself, she lifted her fingers and traced the line of his brows, down the slope of his noble nose, barely falling across his mouth. He moved his head slowly, closing the small space that still separated their mouths. Their lips.
Her soft belly rose and fell rapidly. She wanted his touch. She wanted him.
Hunter’s muscles tensed as her fingers continued to move along the side of his neck, tracing across his skin with the softest of touches. Wherever she touched him, his skin tingled. His wolf rumbled when she stroked the dip where his neck and shoulder met. Where a mate would mark him.
Mark, yes. His wolf wanted that.
And so did he.
That’s what gave him the strength to pull away.
“We can’t do this.” Not until he explained what mating was all about. And then, he wasn’t so sure. Hell, he spent most of his life traveling from one war-torn country to the next, putting his life on the line to protect others. He wasn’t a wolf who was meant to have a mate. She was human so she wasn’t feeling the mating pull as deeply. She might want him, but she wasn’t experiencing the soul-consuming passion he was.
Hunter’s words couldn’t have been any colder than if Julie had landed face first in the snow. Ashamed and embarrassed at her wantonness, she spoke, “I, I don’t—didn’t—”
What was she suppose to say? She didn’t want him? That would be a bold-faced lie. That she knew he’d stopped because he realized he was about to make a colossal mistake?
She turned away from him and drew her knees up to her chest and curled up into a small ball on her side of the bed.
“Julie…”
“I’m warm now, Hunter. Go to sleep.”
Hunter cursed and turned on his back, resisting the urge to tunnel his fingers through her silky locks and pull her around to face him.
Instead, he stared at the textured ceiling of the hotel room, listening in the darkness as she tried to hide the fact that she was crying.
Crying because she thought he had rejected her.
He’d done anything but.
CHAPTER FOUR
“So what are we going to do today?” Julie was willing to do just about anything to get her mind off of her empty belly. She sat at the desk, playing with the deck of cards she’d found in the desk drawer. If this little adventure had taught her anything, it was to make sure she brought something entertaining with her on her next trip. How she wished she’d brought her laptop. She could get a lot of work done if she had. Instead of staring at the man who played a starring role in all her x-rated fantasies. Who needed pay-per-view when you had a sexy wolf shifter walking around in front of you wearing only a pair of jeans that he had somehow forgotten to fasten at the top.
“The first thing I need to do is find some more food.”
“I’m fine. I keep telling you that.” Julie prayed her stomach wouldn’t choose that moment to make a lair out of her and growl. “I’m sure I’m not the only one who is going to go a little hungry today.”
“No, but they aren’t my—”
She tilted her head to look at him. “Aren’t your what? Unwanted roommate?”
If only she knew, Hunter thought. She was anything but unwanted. And he certainly didn’t think of her as a roommate. Just mate.
“I’m going to take a run and see if anything’s open.” He rummaged through his duffle bag and came up with a black t-shirt that he quickly donned. Then he drew out a backpack that was the same drab olive color of the duffle bag.
“Are, you going to, umm, shift?”
“Why, do you want to see my wolf?” The smile he gave her made her toes curl.
“Maybe.”
“Well, not today. Maybe later I’ll let my wolf come out to play.”
Hunter groaned inwardly at the scent of arousal that instantly filled the room. He stopped by her chair. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
She dipped her head
, no doubt to hide her reddened cheeks. “I know, but I’ll worry about you.”
Hunter’s heart stuttered in his chest. When was the last time anyone had ever worried about him? Yeah, his team cared if something happened to him. They worried if he didn’t show at their rendezvous points during a mission. But it wasn’t the same as having a mate worry about your well-being. Having a mate worry about you was both exhilarating and crippling.
“Stay put,” he ordered lifting her head so he could place a brief, burning kiss on her pink lips. He didn’t give her a chance to respond, knowing if she said just one more thing, she’d have no doubt how he wanted to spend the rest of the day—buried balls deep in her pussy.
Julie touched her lips as Hunter slipped from the room. They hadn’t been awake long and the day stretched out before her. Deciding to take advantage of his absence, she filled the bathtub with hot, steaming water. She added one of the little bottles of conditioner. It wouldn’t make bubbles but it would leave her skin soft and silky. Folding up a towel for a headrest, she stepped inside after making sure the door was locked. She did not want Hunter walking in on her with nothing to cover herself with but a wet washrag.
Settling into the hot water, she stretched out her legs, and enjoyed the sensation of just being. Her job had gotten more difficult over the last year and she sometimes regretted taking the promotion the company had offered. But, she was a single woman who had to support herself and if she didn’t want to eat baked beans and bologna sandwiches in her old age, she needed a well-paying job.
Turning her brain off, she relaxed until the water started cooling down. Flipping the drain up, she waited until most of the water was gone before turning on the shower. Using the last bar of soap and bottle of shampoo, she washed and rinsed her body and hair. As she did, she wondered what it would be like to take a shower with Hunter.
Her sexual experience could be written on the head of a pin with room left over. She wasn’t a virgin, but probably as damn near as you could get. She’d been with one man, boy really, back in college. He’d been nice, nerdy, and seemed to like her, curves and all. She’d been curious so she’d said yes one night when things had gone further than ever before.