by Simone Bern
When the waiter came by to pick up their empty salad plates Lee figured she’d better toss the wolf a bone before he started snarling. She leaned into Jeremy.
“I love that subvocal growl thing you do,” she whispered in his ear. “Sets tingles running up my spine.”
He shot her a look totally devoid of amusement. Lee raised an eyebrow at him and shrugged. If he was going to insist on remaining stuck in a bad mood she’d just ignore him.
She turned to the other woman. “So, Sally, how did you meet Eric?”
“I do temp work at the police station every once in a while.”
“How lucky for you. I’m sure very few offices have such wonderful scenery.”
Sally smiled. Her dark slanted eyes lit up and she looked directly at Jeremy. “No. They don’t.”
Lee stiffened. The unspoken message was clear. She brushed off the momentary discomfort. There probably weren’t too many attractive local girls he hadn’t been with at some point in the last three years. And if Sally was still stuck on him that was her problem. Lee glanced at Eric. Did he know? The big man was leaning back in his chair, smiling faintly. Yeah, he knew and was enjoying the subtle byplay. Lee smiled back at him. The guy was a shit-disturber. And very much her type. It was almost too bad she’d met Jeremy first.
“Where are you working now?” she asked Sally.
“Reception for an accounting firm.”
“That sounds dull.”
“Jeremy tells me you’re a counselor,” Eric put in.
“Yeah. I get to mess with people’s minds,” she said lightly. People tended to react strangely to learning she was a psychotherapist. Some got uptight while others wanted to dump all their personal shit on her. It was usually best to turn her training into something of a joke.
Jeremy barked a laugh. Lee looked at him. They all did.
“You certainly do, my little witch,” he said without the faintest glimmer of a smile.
Lee narrowed her eyes at him. He glared back. Jeremy was angry to the point of boiling over. She hoped he wasn’t about to say anything nasty or they would have a roaring fight right here in the restaurant.
Their staring contest was broken by the return of the waiter. Lee turned her attention to the seafood pasta in front of her. Jeremy was shoveling in food like he couldn’t wait to have it disappear. There would be no friendly sharing of dessert tonight. Her stomach clenched up. Damn his jealousy.
She’d only been having a little fun. Eric knew she wasn’t serious. There was a tremor of desire in him but his mental state was more amused than aroused. He had no intention of taking her up on any of the coy, suggestive comments she’d been making. If she had gotten any sense from him that her flirting was being taken the wrong way she’d have stopped. Sure, Eric tugged at her interest but she wasn’t the type to string along two guys. Lee glanced over at the solid hunk opposite. Having him in her back pocket, however, would be awfully nice. He was damn attractive.
She let out a slow breath. It occurred to her that Jeremy would be reading the scene with his other senses. He could smell desire…and her body had definitely reacted to Eric. It wasn’t the powerful surge of heat she’d felt when she first saw Jeremy but then Eric wasn’t walking toward her naked in the moonlight either. Lee got swept up in the memory of her first view of Jeremy and her body temperature increased another couple of degrees. She slanted him a look out of the corner of her eyes. Long slender fingers lifted a piece of bread to his mouth. She swallowed and admitted to herself that even fully dressed and in a crowded restaurant Jeremy could send her pulse through the roof. At least he could when rage wasn’t coiled up like a snake inside him.
“You guys want to catch a movie or something?” Eric asked when the bill arrived.
“What’s play—” Lee started to ask.
“Lee and I have plans,” Jeremy said, interrupting her.
Eric looked at her and concern flashed over his face.
“Okay, buddy, I know you don’t like movies much,” Eric said soothingly. “How about a drink somewhere instead?”
“No,” Jeremy snapped and got out of his chair. “Come on, Lee.”
She gave Eric a reassuring smile. “It was really nice to meet you. And you too, Sally.”
Jeremy was pulling her away before she even finished her goodbyes. They got outside the restaurant and she hissed at him, “Stop it, Jeremy. Behave.”
His control broke. “Behave? I’m supposed to behave? You’re the one that’s been acting like a bitch in heat right in front of me.”
“Oh, get over it. Eric is gorgeous, charming and a really cool guy. That doesn’t mean I’m going to jump him.” She continued to walk toward his car.
“You want him.” Jeremy grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. “Don’t deny it. I can smell it on you.”
“Is that a crime? Am I not allowed to desire any other man now that you’ve fucked me a few times?”
His eyes widened then narrowed. “Is that all this has been to you? A few good fucks?”
“Damn it, you’ve been pushing me since the very first night. It’s like you’ve got your teeth in me and won’t let go.” She yanked her arm away from him and backed up. “I was willing to give this a chance. But if you can’t handle it when I show a perfectly harmless interest in another man then we don’t stand a chance.”
He growled and stepped in closer. Lee registered the fact that Eric had followed them out and was coming up behind Jeremy. The big man took hold of Jeremy’s shoulder and spun him around.
“Leave her alone, Jer.”
Lee felt the flash of fear that shot through Eric as Jeremy’s fury focused on him. “No, you leave her alone. I warn you, touch her and you’re—”
“Don’t be an idiot, Jeremy,” Lee snapped. “We were flirting, nothing more.”
He turned and picked her up by the forearms so fast she hardly saw him move. She dangled like a rag doll from his hands. Lee could sense the urge to throw her, to hurt her in some way.
“Do it and you’ll regret it,” she said, her voice like ice.
Trembling, he set her down gently and walked away.
Lee looked up at Eric. “It’s not your fight. Better if you leave us alone to work it out.”
He ran a hand through his blond hair and looked from Jeremy’s stiff back to her face. “Maybe you should let him cool down a bit,” he suggested. “Come with us and we’ll drive you home later.”
“No. We have to deal with this.”
“You’re a very brave woman,” he said softly.
Lee offered him a wry smile. “Go back to your date.”
Eric nodded and, with a final glance at Jeremy who was getting into the black SUV, reluctantly turned and went in the other direction. Lee straightened her shoulders and walked toward the vehicle and the damn possessive wolf inside.
She climbed into the SUV without a word. Jeremy started the engine and they pulled out of the parking spot with an abrupt jerk. Lee decided to wait until they got out of the heavy traffic before saying anything.
They were traveling down a long, straight, rural street when she finally broke the harsh silence. “Yes, I do want him. And he wants me. And Sally wants you. It was a tangled mess of desire around that table tonight. But I’m with you and no one was threatening that relationship…except you.”
He snarled and hit the steering wheel with a fist. “I’m supposed to sit and watch you coming on to my friend? I can’t do it, Lee.”
“Okay, so maybe I pushed you a little too hard,” she admitted reluctantly. “But you’re reacting all out of proportion to the situation. Your anger is completely unreasonable.”
Jeremy swung the wheel to the right and pulled off onto the shoulder of the road. He turned in his seat and glared at her. “Unreasonable? Smashing in Eric’s face and throwing you to the ground, that would have been unreasonable. Keeping my mouth shut all through dinner while you were tossing baited hooks at another man showed a hell of a lot of restraint.” H
is eyes bored into her. “You pushed me to the limit…and you did it on purpose. You want this fight.”
Lee froze. Damn, but he was smart. There was far too much truth in that accusation.
“You have to get over this insane jealousy,” Lee said but inside she wondered if that was what had really been driving her. The way she’d behaved would have set an ordinary guy’s teeth on edge. Was she really trying to get Jeremy to overcome his possessiveness…or had she been pushing him away? Lee cursed herself for being stupid. He probably could learn to deal with her male friends, maybe even with an unreciprocated interest from another man but the fact that she had honestly desired Eric and had blatantly let it show, that had driven him insane.
Jeremy snorted. “Don’t play fucking games with other men in front of me and I’ll manage fine.” He got out of his seat and on his knees beside her. A hand buried itself in her hair and pulled her face roughly toward him. “I will never be able to tolerate what you did tonight. Do it again and you’re right, we will be through.”
Lee’s heart slammed against her chest. Fear and regret battled anger and stubborn pride. At the same time desire shot up from her groin. She wasn’t used to this. She was supposed to control the emotional context of their encounters. Jeremy sniffed and brought his face right up against hers. His teeth brushed her cheek, more a threat than a kiss. “Choose, little witch,” he said into her ear, “And if you want me more than the others at least let me pretend that the lust I smell on you is for me.”
Her anger shattered. “Oh god, Jeremy, it is. I want you more than any man I’ve ever met.”
He bruised her mouth with a kiss. His whole body was shaking as he pulled her out of the seat and onto the floor with him. He growled softly, the rage inside him still needing an outlet. It mingled with a passion so hot Lee felt it burning into her lungs with every breath, as if the fire between them was a manifest thing and not just an emotional sending.
“You want me. What else? What else am I to you, Lee?” His voice was harsh with need.
She put her arms around him and clung tight. “You’re the first man who has ever known what I am. The only one who sees me as a whole person. You challenge me. You dent my pride and trample my emotional control. I don’t know what that means…but I want to find out.”
Jeremy broke her clasp and sat back on his heels. He looked at her solemnly. “Let’s go home.”
Lee nodded. Home. It wasn’t her home. But maybe it could be…someday.
Chapter Eleven
Jeremy got out of the SUV and tried not to slam the door. Damn that woman. He was still so furious that he could barely talk. Fear and anger churned in an unpleasant mix in his belly. Arousal added a slick, hot coating. He wanted to fuck her. He wanted to strangle her. He wanted to hold her so tight she’d never get away. And he wanted to tell her that he loved her.
Lee walked into the house in front of him. She went into the living room, not the bedroom, and sat down on his black leather sofa. She looked so subdued that he almost let go of his anger.
“I’m sorry, Jeremy. What I did would have tried the patience of a saint. I went too far.” She offered him a half-smile. “I know I drive you crazy but you get under my skin too. I can feel how you want to own me and it stirs up the contrary devil in my personality.”
He paced across the room. “I don’t want to own you.” He stopped directly in front of her and looked down. God, but she was beautiful. “I love your spirit.”
She twitched and the green eyes regarded him like a wary animal. Shit. He could put his hands around her throat and squeeze and she’d meet his threat with one of her own. But say the word love and she jumped like a startled rabbit. “You’re so frightened of commitment that every step closer is a battle. You’ll grab at any excuse to keep your distance emotionally.”
“That’s not true. I’ve said I’m willing to try…and I am.”
“Yeah. You’re trying. I’m doing, Lee.” He sat down. The temptation when he was standing in front of her to press those pouty lips into his crotch was too great. “I don’t have to try to have a relationship with you. I’m already in one.”
Her chin came up. “Just because you dove in headfirst doesn’t mean I have to follow. We’ve only known each other a week. Most people would think we’re moving way too fast. Stop rushing me.”
“Is it because of Ryan? Are you still hurting? Are you afraid I’ll betray you?”
She looked away. “I’m just naturally more cautious than you.”
“The hell you are,” Jeremy replied, “I’ve never been in love be…never been in love with anyone.” Damn. That came too close to admitting what he had promised himself not to say. “You have and you were hurt. I need to understand if that’s what is getting between us.”
“I’m over him,” she said in a cold voice.
He reached out and forced her to look at him. “Then why are you pushing me away so hard?”
Her eyes flared. “Every time we go to a restaurant around here I meet another of your casual fucks. It doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in your fidelity.”
“Stop it, Lee. You’re bringing out another excuse and a lame one at that. You know damn well that what I feel for you…what’s between us, is completely different. Can’t you feel that in me? Or are you hiding even from your own senses?”
“You’re infatuated with me, Jeremy. Caught up in the novelty of a woman who doesn’t wince every time you growl.” Her eyes narrowed at him. “I think the charm of that might already be wearing thin. Then what? You’ve been fucking a different pair of legs every week for years. How long will it take before you miss the ritual of the chase, the thrill of a new conquest? You’ve never had a woman stick around for more than a few months. You haven’t got a clue what a real relationship is.”
Jeremy felt his mouth harden into a thin line. “We’ve talked about this. You know why I was doing what I did. I swore I wouldn’t screw around on you. What more can I do or say to get you to trust me?”
“Give me time. Trust doesn’t come in an instant. You have to let it grow.”
He sat staring at her for a long moment. “Okay,” he said finally. “And if I’m pushing too hard you can push back, Lee. Just don’t ever use another man to do it the way you did tonight.”
She gave him a slow nod. “I promise.”
The tension drained out of his shoulders. He held her face in his hands and kissed her gently, taking a deep breath to capture her scent. Now that his anger had calmed it hit him that he had blown his own promise to not lose his temper. He had been furious and she’d been fully aware of his desire to lash out. Yet clinging to her was the mixed scent of anger and lust, only slightly tinged with the sour smell of fear. It amazed him. Even seeing the full extent of his fury she had not run away. She was insanely brave. And utterly maddening. Jeremy pulled her closer and deepened the kiss.
Lee’s tongue darted into his mouth and he could feel fingernails digging into his scalp. The aggressiveness of her response broke his control. Jeremy reached down with both hands and tore her shirt open. Buttons flew and fabric ripped. She bit his lip. He slid off the sofa to kneel on the floor. Her bare breasts jutting out of the torn shirt made his cock throb. He lowered his mouth over a nipple and sucked hard. Lee moaned and fire ran through him. He tugged her jeans off, pulled his pants down just far enough to expose his cock and rammed himself into her.
Remnants of rage fueled his passion and he did not try to hold it in. She wanted this, could handle even his darkest rage and lust. His hands grabbed hold of her ass, fingers sinking into the plump rounded flesh. Lifting her hips up to get the perfect angle, he stabbed his cock into her with full force. She screamed, an animal sound that made his whole body shudder. He fucked her so hard the heavy sofa lifted and banged into the floor. Jeremy threw back his head and howled. Then he slumped onto her.
Lee’s chest shook in a silent laugh. “Think the neighbors might call the SPCA?”
He licked the sweat off he
r throat. God, but she was delicious. “I’ll just explain that I have a wild girlfriend. One look at you and he’ll understand.”
“What if it’s a woman?”
“Well, then she’ll look at me and smile.” He lifted his head to grin at her.
“Arrogant bastard,” she muttered.
He put on an innocent expression. “It’s hard to be humble when you fuck like a god.”
Lee laughed even harder and he joined in. It broke the final bit of tension between them.
* * * * *
Jeremy watched Lee pull out of his driveway and stood there listening to the roar of the motorcycle engine as it accelerated down the road and gradually faded away. He wasn’t sure if today had been a good day or a bad one. He certainly didn’t want to live through it a second time. They seemed to have reached an understanding but he wondered how solid it was. Time. She had asked for more time. He could give her that—hadn’t even mentioned the spare set of keys waiting for her. He turned and went back into the house.
Lee needed to admit that her previous asshole of a boyfriend was affecting her ability to commit. His history with women wasn’t the real factor in this equation. She was clinging to straws with that angle. What worried him more was the fury she had provoked in him. He knew that he had teetered on the edge of lashing out at both her and Eric earlier. He should call Eric. Apologize, maybe. Let him know that things were cool.
Jeremy picked up the phone and dialed. A deep voice barked a hello into the phone.
“Did I call at a bad time?” Jeremy asked, realizing that Sally was probably at Eric’s place.
“Nah. We’re done. Just trying to get some sleep.”
“Sorry.”
“Everything okay there?”
“Fine. Lee just left,” Jeremy said.
“She really is something,” Eric replied, then paused. “You know I’d never…”