She didn’t know how long she ran before she arrived at a cabin. It was a lonely little place by the river. She knew Tommy lived outside of town and not quite near the ranches, but she had no idea he lived so far apart.
That was Tommy, though, and always had been. He’d played the too cool and aloof boy when they were teens. He played at being part of the town as a man. He was still a wild, reclusive wolf at heart.
Her fox stepped back, and she lurched through the shift to her human form. The little beast urged one foot forward, but Faith chewed on her lower lip. Maybe he was better off without her. Maybe he was better off with Shana. She was a wolf, too. And maybe Tommy needed a pack. A real pack, not something close-but-not-quite that he’d get with her fox.
"Are you just going to freeze out there all night?"
Faith flushed. By the Broken, she was turning into one of those romance book heroines that blushed all day and fainted all night. She’d be blowing over with a stiff breeze soon.
She ignored her fox running in happy circles as she marched up the steps of Tommy’s cabin.
He held a blanket out for her, which she gladly took. Shifters were comfortable with nudity, for the most part, but being comfortable in her own skin was entirely different than feeling comfortable being naked with a man she wanted to get naked.
He wouldn’t need to take much off. He looked far too relaxed in bare feet and dark jeans that hung low on his hips. Her heart thundered loudly in her ears as she dragged her eyes up his body. Muscles cut sharp lines against his hip bones, then stacked in solid slabs on his abs. Then there were the tendrils of ink curving over his arms and up his shoulders.
Heat spread through her like wildfire. He was unfairly built and she wanted him more than any other man in her life.
"You should leave," he said thickly.
Pheromones hung heavy in the air. Every inhale sucked more into her lungs. Every second made her want him more. He wanted her, too. It didn’t make any sense for him to get handsy with another, then skip out on them both. She needed to know where she stood with him. Too many years of watching him from afar had finally coalesced and she couldn’t back away now. Not without knowing what they could be to one another. "I’m not leaving until you tell me why you ran."
"Why? The night was blown and Shana came back. It didn’t work out with me and you. That’s life."
She flinched. That couldn’t be the entire reason. She saw him push away from his ex. She saw him run instead of letting her dig her claws into him. There was more that he wasn’t telling her. There had to be. Because her heart wanted to believe that he wasn’t cruel enough to spend the day flirting with her just to abandon her.
She tested the air. "Lie. Not all of it, but you stink of a lie."
He swiveled his head and finally fixed her with a golden-eyed stare. Danger radiated off him. It was almost enough to make her back away.
Almost.
"Shana is a wolf. Conris mate wolves. She’s back now and you should forget about me. Early days, isn’t it? No harm done." He stepped back and tried to put the door between them, but she slapped it back open.
"Lie. Stop lying to me." She tried to keep the plea out of her voice. Maybe he was right, and she should forget about him. She couldn’t be with someone who lied to her face.
He had her same senses. He knew she could tell from the slight change in his scent and the hiccup in his pulse. He turned his head so she couldn’t see his eyes, but she was sure she would see his pupils changing. She could even hear the false sound of his words. It made the lie all the more insulting.
Something broke in him. He passed a hand over his face, stared out at the snow for a loaded moment, then shook himself. "You’re too good for me, Faith."
"Don’t say that."
"I’m bad for people. Shana? That was the Conri solution. I’m not steady. I can hardly make it through the day. My nights are spent in my wolf or fighting for control. You should leave before I drag you down with me."
Faith shrugged inside her blanket. "You haven’t scared me off. I’m still here. And it’s really cold out here."
Tommy grunted and she was sure she saw a flash of a smile. He looked like a man fighting an internal battle, and whatever the stakes were, he still stepped aside and let her pass through his door.
The space was small and utterly charming. Darkened doorways led to a bedroom and bathroom, she guessed. The living room and kitchen took up the most space. His appliances weren’t top of the line, but they weren’t bottom bargains, either. They even looked well used. He’d be ashamed at how little she used her own kitchen, preferring quick meals after a long day at Mug Shot.
The fireplace was the crown jewel and the focus of the living room. He’d hung a few strands of white lights twined together with real boughs of holly on the mantle. A large television hung on the wall above. He’d opted to open up the fireplace and looked like he’d been in the middle of prepping a fire when she interrupted.
Faith nervously shuffled her feet. Tommy nudged her forward and gestured to the heavy sofa. Dark green, and softer than it looked, she tucked her feet under her and snuggled down into the blanket.
She just had to ignore the fact that she was utterly naked underneath.
Tommy didn’t join her immediately. He putzed around in the kitchen and she didn’t push. He felt like a feral animal, unsure if he should run or fight. She didn’t want to startle him into either.
He returned after a few minutes with two mugs, and she knew she’d won some small victory. He hadn’t forced her out and he hadn’t left. He was giving her something of his.
She took the offered mug and sighed when the fresh eggnog hit her taste buds. "What did she do that has you so worked up?"
"Fuck, she’s awful. What she did was awful." Tommy sank into the other end of the couch and stretched his legs out onto the coffee table.
Faith itched to lick a trail up the dips of his muscles. He was every bit the predator, though. His deliberate lounge was meant to lull her into a sense of security. He couldn’t hide the crackle of tension that still filled the air around him.
And she couldn’t hide her response to it. His bad boy demeanor had her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. Her fox bounded around, yipping and rolling and showing her belly in turn. They were in the wolf’s den and nothing else mattered.
She’d chosen Tommy.
Hearts and starshine didn’t just magically happen when an animal chose their mate. Denials and heartbreak could still easily hurt them both. Especially with an ex suddenly reappearing and a man reeking of danger and barely suppressed dominance.
“Well, whatever it was, she didn’t goad you into publically humiliating yourself in front of the entire town. I still have mothers who rush their kids across the street to avoid me and my potty mouth.”
Tommy smirked. "Who knew shouting about not being a blowjob exhibitionist would get you in trouble."
“And yet, because it was Bruce being Bruce, there’s no sympathy for it.” She stared into the empty fireplace. “Sometimes I wish I’d been brave enough to leave when Becca did.”
“I’m glad you didn’t,” he said quietly. “I don’t think you would have come back.”
“And then you’d never have me naked on your couch?”
“Yeah.” His smirk reappeared and disappeared just as fast. “Shana cheated. Probably with Bruce, too, so sorry about that. I don’t even know how many people. I told her to go back to Wolfden and never step foot in Bearden again. And yet, here she is a year later.”
Faith scrunched her nose. “I’m sorry. That’s never easy. I know how I felt when Neal Jordan kissed Tammy Smith while we were dating.”
“One,” he held up a finger, “that was when we were sixteen. Tiny bit different. Two,” he added a second finger, “he felt her up, too. That was the talk of the boy’s locker room for an entire week until Cole slept with Sandy Martinez.”
“That lying, stocking stuffing, piece of coal. Maybe he and Shana
can make each other miserable until the end of time.”
"Wouldn’t be allowed to happen.” Tommy let his head fall back and studied the ceiling. “The Conri pack wants to keep wolves in their line. Full-blooded wolf like her? Too valuable. They don’t want to mix with bears or cats or hell, even you foxes. We were kings, once. They don’t want to tarnish that heritage."
"But that’s so far in the past. In a different world. The Broken—”
"I know that. They know that. The veil ripped, our ancestors came through, and then the Broken made the enclaves to protect us from humans. But Conri wolves mate other wolves."
"Is that why she’s back now?" Each enclave created by the Broken operated with their own laws. Some even kept themselves hidden from the others. Bearden and Wolfden always seemed interchangeable to her, but evidently not for a man with the Conri name.
Tommy passed a hand over his face. "I don’t know. Maybe? Maybe she just wants to fuck everything up. That’s just who she is. She can’t let anything lie in the past. Every single bit of trouble is an open wound. She’s festering in her hate for the world."
"So she didn’t keep your wolf steady, then."
He barked a laugh. "No. Not one bit. She made him a monster."
"And now?" Faith raised an eyebrow and toyed with the mug. She wanted to meet his gaze and found she couldn’t. Not when there was still so much up in the air.
"She’s bringing back a lot of shit I thought was finished. I thought this was done, but apparently, the entire fucking population of Bearden thinks otherwise." He threw his hand in the air with frustration, then curled his arm back behind his head. He studied her carefully over the rim of his mug before finally saying, "All I wanted was to turn on the lights, curl up next to the fireplace, and enjoy the evening. With you."
A full-body shiver made its way through her. With her, he said. He wanted her. “That sounds nice,” she murmured.
He moved fast and set his mug on the coffee table. Tension lined his body again, but it wasn’t the dangerous kind from before. She tested the air. Anticipation. That’s what she picked up. It matched what churned in her stomach.
His eyes danced from dark brown to gold and his voice lowered a touch when he next spoke. “I could still start the fire. Or we could go back to your place. I’m sure it’s more festive.”
“It’s not.” Faith shrugged. She didn’t want to leave and break the spell they’d suddenly been caught in. “I haven’t even dragged out my decorations.”
"You haven’t decorated?” Tommy reached forward and brushed a stray curl behind her ear. His eyes didn’t leave her lips. “I thought you loved Christmas. It’s all candy cane curses with you, isn’t it?"
"I like that one. I’m stealing that." She sighed and continued. "I do love this time of the year, but Becca showed up at the last minute and there was all the prep needed for the Bash. I just haven’t had time to do more than decorate the shop."
"Come on." He stood quickly and pulled her to her feet.
Faith blinked and stared at his perfect chest. He was near enough to kiss if she leaned forward a fraction of an inch. As if he could read her thoughts, he took a step back and smirked. "What are you doing?"
"We’re getting you a tree and decorating the thing. Christmas isn’t over."
He was putting her off-kilter. Hot and cold. Teasing her, then moving away. It was a repeat of her entire day. "I need clothes."
His eyes scorched a path down her body, then right back up. “If you insist.”
Chapter 7
Faith glanced up at the sound of Tommy thumping down her stairs with the last load of boxes containing her Christmas decorations. Music blasted from her laptop and two steamy mugs of cocoa with extra marshmallows rested on her coffee table. Her newly acquired tree waited for colorful flair to be added just as soon as she sorted through the boxes and found everything she wanted to use.
A quick look out the window showed snow fluttering out of the sky. The flurries had picked up since they arrived back at her house. The toasty fire built in her fireplace completed the feeling of wintery bliss.
Tommy gestured to the boxes he’d hauled out of her attic. "How does one even accumulate this much stuff for one holiday? When I finally put you out of business, you won’t even need to come begging a job. You can just open up your own craft store."
She let the jab sit with the smallest of withering looks spared for his teasing smirk. "I saved most from my parents after they passed. Then there’s everything I bought while living on my own. Becca moved her stuff here when she decided to leave Bearden. Let me guess, the entirety of your decorations were already out."
“Clutter makes me antsy.” He canted his head and eyed her with a hint of his wolf showing through. “Not here, though. This feels… homey. Good.”
“Good.” Faith ducked her head to hide the blush spreading across her cheeks.
A quick rustle of movement, and then Tommy had her chin in his fingers. His thumb grazed over her cheek. He smelled delightful. Wild like the woods, fresh like the snow, and something fierce underneath it all.
Mine.
“What can I do to help?” he asked softly. “I dragged you out tonight.”
Kiss her, for starters. Take off her clothes, light some candles...
Faith blushed again. "Will you find the lights and start testing strands? We still have some time for the branches to settle, but I can start putting garland around the railing."
The huge tree dominated the front window of her living room. The parted curtains would show it off nicely once it was fully decorated.
The brush of his fingertips across her skin raised the fine hairs all over her body. It’d been like that all night. The slightest touch snapped her attention to him. What she found when she spun made it nearly impossible to keep her laugh locked away.
"And I swear, if you make that dick joke, you can leave," she threatened as seriously as she could manage, which was not serious in the slightest.
He dropped the hand holding twin blue ornaments to his side and the giant candy cane held perpendicular to his frame swung down to dangle between his legs.
She reached for the candy cane and grinned. "What an unfortunate deformity," she said, before placing it on the mantle display she was assembling. A trio of stockings hung off the mantle, and she secretly planned to fill the extra one for Tommy.
"Oh, you can make the jokes around here. You think you’re the funny one? Where’s the gratitude for helping you decorate?"
"I know I’m the funny one. Thank you for helping with the tree."
"I cut down that tree, hauled it all the way to my truck, hauled it all the way into your house, put it in your tree stand."
She snorted. "You can put your tree in my stand anytime you’d like."
He pointed a finger at her. "That was very unladylike. You try to be this prim and proper woman, but you’re down in the gutter with the rest of us."
“Maybe.” She drew the syllables out to put as much doubt as possible in them. He grunted and gave her a disbelieving look before digging back into the boxes for lights.
“What were your holidays like as a kid?” she asked after a moment.
Tommy was quiet long enough that she regretted her question. "Dad always dragged us to Wolfden for Christmas. It was nice to visit the Conri pack as a kid. There aren’t many wolves here, and they aren’t pack. There’s always that lingering sense of being an outsider, no matter how nice or involved everyone is in each other’s business." He ruffled his hair. "It’s like a bad breeze in your fur that just won’t blow the other way."
Faith nodded. His words were her own, besides the having a place to visit and belong. There was no enclave made up of foxes, not in the way the bears had Bearden and the wolves had Wolfden. Or, if there was, they’d kept secret since the Broken sacrificed themselves to create the magical towns invisible to human eyes.
"I know what being on the outside feels like. Becca and I were always close, but she was the
favorite. She was more in your face, had a defined personality from the beginning. I was always in her shadow. As much as I missed her, it was nice to find myself without her here.”
"I’m glad you found yourself, too." He approached slowly, almost as if afraid she’d dart away, and stroked fingers across her cheek. Then that smirk returned, and he pulled something from behind his back. He dangled mistletoe above her head. "This is what you do, isn’t it?"
Yes, she wanted to scream. She stared wide eyes at the bit of greenery and then dug deep for courage.
He wanted to play? She could tease, too.
She planted her hands on his chest and stood on tiptoe. A tiny press of her lips to his was all she gave.
Only, Tommy didn’t want to play games.
His hand went to the back of her neck and he pulled her flush against his body. Half-lidded looks were nothing on him actually kissing her. Her quickly pecked kiss wasn’t even a flickering candle next to the bonfire of passion he lit inside her. He led her on a merry dance of crushed lips and swirling tongues so quickly that she didn’t have time to feel nervous before sinking straight into the feeling of him.
Rampaging reindeer, Tommy Conri could kiss. He angled her face exactly where he wanted her. One hand in her hair, the other on her waist, and he moved against her. His hips rocked forward with every thrust of his tongue, letting her feel exactly how much he wanted her.
He rolled his head at a creak of wood outside the front door. "Is your sister coming home tonight?"
She shook her head slowly. The house moved and made noise with the slightest breeze. Spooked wolf needed to pay more attention to her. "She left me a message when she dropped off my keys and phone. She’s staying out tonight."
He pecked her lips. "Should be every night. Then I get to keep you to myself."
"Getting possessive already, are you?" She tried to keep her voice light and even but the anticipation that thrummed in her veins pushed too much air from her lungs. There was no hiding from him. He could smell how much she wanted him and hear her heart pounding in her chest.
Her Christmas Wolf Page 4