by M. L. Briers
“She initiated the dream with me- not the other way around-“ Adam looked more than sincere as Faiths brows drew down in a frown of contemplation.
“That’s not good-“ She half mumbled to herself as her eyes searched Adams face once again for any sign of lying, he grinned brightly- as though touched by a warming thought.
“Don’t smile-“ Faith berated him and he shuffled on his feet as he realised he was doing it, snapping the smile away and shrugging his shoulders.
“I can’t help it if your friend comes into my dreams Faith-“ He offered adamantly and she sighed then, unable to shake the uneasy feeling that was washing through her. It seemed being around the supernatural was having an effect on her friend that she didn’t much like. Maybe she had been wrong to invite Fay.
“You can block her-“ Faith declared and she saw Adam shake his head.
“I was sleeping-“
“Then tell yourself to wake up and block her out-“ Faith was getting more animated as she dropped her hands and took a step towards him.
“Maybe I don’t want too- there’s a connection that-“ Faith held up her hand to stop him, her brows raised high on her forehead as she shook her head in total disbelief.
“Oh no- don’t even say it Adam- get your jolly’s elsewhere- Fay is-“ Adam growled low and deep in annoyance causing Faith to stop and stare back at him.
“Is that how you think of me Faith?” He demanded and Faith withdrew immediately, of course she didn’t, he was one of her oldest and dearest friends and yes she knew that he was a she-wolf magnet- not to mention the long line of human females on the side- but he wasn’t the one who did the chasing.
“You know it’s not Ad- but Fay is-“ Faith gave a shrug of her shoulders, Faith had always sought to protect Fay from life- not knowing her true being weighed heavily on Faith because she couldn’t tell her.
“Look I know you’re worried- but you know me Faith- I wouldn’t go out of my way to get into your friend’s head- it’s not my style.” He gave her that wolfish grin that she had loved and always caved in to ever since they were little and this time was no exception.
“I hate it when you do that.” She snapped rolling her eyes and poking him in the solidity of his chest with enough vigour to push herself backwards while he stood like stone in front of her.
“You love it babe.” He reached out and wrapped a large hand around her shoulder pulling her to him until they were hip to hip and she laughed gently as she wrapped her arm around his waist and dropped her head to his chest allowing the heat of him to warm her through to her very heart.
“I worry is all.” She pouted placing her hand against his chest and sighing deeply and he tightened his hold on her.
“Hey I’m one of the good guys remember?” He soothed her and she looked up at him cocking her brow.
“I remember you pulling my hair- and tossing me into the river- fully clothed in my Sunday best-“ She mused and watched him grimaced at the memory.
“Yeah but I did it out of love.” He chuckled.
CHAPTER THREE
Hope dropped down onto the sofa with a heavy sigh of relief as Fay eyed her bridesmaid dress from across the room-
“Was it me or did that woman actually insinuate my thighs were too big?”
“What are you worried about she practically stated that my boobs were too small to make any dress look good- asking if I was going to wear an added push up and out bra.” Fay groaned back- dropping her head back against the softness of the cushion and gritting her teeth.
“She might be a genius designer but she nearly got a knee in the teeth from me-“ Hope admitted in solidarity as Faith breezed over and sat gracefully in the armchair across from them.
“Oh stop your whinging- you were being fitted for beautiful designer dresses by a woman whose designs should be in fairytales and here you are bitching she was mean to you-“ Faith admonished and Hope shuffled in her seat.
“Well if she wants to dress perfect size zero’s then she shouldn’t design for the likes of us mere mortals- I’m not forgoing my doughnuts for the perfect figure I could never hope to attain because it’s just not in my gene’s.” Hope sounded more than a little put out by the experience and Faith changed into soothing mode as she stroked her friend’s ego.
“Oh come on Hope- you have the perfect hour glass figure-“
“Shame we don’t live in the nineteen fifties-“ Fay injected as Hope gasped a breath of disbelief and Faith chuckled. Hope slapped out at Fay causing her to lift her head and rub the spot on her arm that was turning red.
“Listen to miss pancake boobs-“ Hope retaliated as Fay shot her a look of disbelief.
“Well at least I don’t need a ton of scaffolding to hold my boobs in place- you must set off the metal detectors at airports with what you need to keep those puppies in place.” Fay snapped back good naturedly as Faith spat out a laugh that had Hope giving her an open mouth look of disbelief.
“I don’t hear any men complaining about my girls-“ She started and Fay shrugged.
“That’s because their being smothered to death beneath them- how would you hear them?” She teased back in a totally deadpan fashion and Hope raised her brows and gave Fay’s chest a long hard look.
“Well at least I’m getting some flat chest- when was the last time you had a man?” Hope shot back and Fay took a moment to think that over.
“Eighteen months-“ She admitted and heard the gasp of horror from Hope beside her.
“Eighteen months- my god woman no wonder your dreaming about wolves-“ Fay went to answer and then stopped on a look of pure confusion as Faith chuckled across the way.
“What has wolves got to do with my sex life?”
“Oh honey- if only you knew.” Hope shot back and Faith took it upon herself to clear her throat again as Fay stared in bewilderment at what Hope had said.
“So- what shall we do now- margaritas? “ Faith rushed in quickly and Hope bounced excitedly in her place as she clapped her hands together in glee.
“Hey watch it- you don’t need two black eyes for Faiths big day- those puppies look fit to escape.” Fay cautioned as she pointed to Hopes chest and drew another gasp of dismay from Hope as Faith chuckled.
“Margaritas it is.”
Fay wasn’t much of a drinker. She certainly wasn’t prone to drinking before she’d had dinner and while her friends were knocking back the afternoon margaritas she had taken herself off to explore the grounds, secretly hoping to find a hidden nook where she could be alone with the thoughts.
It was too nice of a day to stay in and her wanderlust for all things nature sent her in the direction of the woods where she had encountered the wolves the night before in the secret hope that she might catch sight of them again- although from the way the wolf had growled at her, she had to admit that seeing them from a distance would be better than up close.
As she walked through the trees watching the sunlight that permeated through the thick canopy above almost guiding her way like stepping stones on the ground before her she got the sudden feeling of déjà vu and stopped in mid step to look to her left almost believing that the wolf from her dreams would appear beside her.
With a quick frown at her own stupidity and a shake of her head in amusement she was on her way again- the bright light of the clearing ahead giving her something to aim for in her quest.
Stepping out into the brightness of the day she almost sighed at not finding the waterfall that had been in her dream and instead she found an open field of tall grass that was gently blowing this way and that in the breeze.
“Dream on-“ She mumbled to herself as she took a step forwards almost jumping in place as the hot breath touched the back of her neck.
“Were you expecting to find your wolf?” The deep tones sent a wall of heat through her body at the same time her skin set to tingle mode as she spun in place and came face to very broad chest with the man- standing so close to her she could feel the heat of his bo
dy.
She forced herself to take a step backwards, her trainer catching in a divot and causing her to lose her footing as she fell backwards, her arms failing for something to grab hold of when she felt a large pair of hands reach around her, strong arms pulling her back against the hard muscles of his chest.
Fay tried to steady her heartbeat as she curled her fingers into his top, the tingling that spread across her body was too fierce to deny as she caught her breath from- not only her sudden fright- but also from the heat that swept through her once again- every inch of her body acutely aware of him as she relaxed into his arms, her forehead resting against his chest as she breathed him in.
Adam saw her move back away from him and wondered at her response, maybe scaring the hell out of her wasn’t the best way to get her attention he pondered for the brief instant it took her to lose her footing and start to fall backwards- his arms were already reaching for her before she threw her own up looking for a safety net that would save her and the moment he touched her he felt that strong wave of something primeval wash through him.
The hair on his body practically stood to attention as he pulled her up against him, her soft body fitting against his perfectly he noted as he locked his arms around her in an age old tradition of providing safety and comfort for his mate- whoa , where the hell did that come from- His mate?
That couldn’t be right- could it? And Faith would kill him if he- Oh crap- he had a feeling that this was going to end badly.
He brushed his hand down her spine in a soothing motion and felt her body move against him, instantly responding to his touch as his own body responded to having her within his arms, he had to fight to control the rush of blood to his groin- trying desperately to think of anything that would keep the beast- that was already swelling into life- down.
“You ok?” He breathed down at her, trying to move his lower body away from hers when all he wanted to do was to press it against her, let her feel his desire for her.
“I’m fine-“ She breathed against his top, her warm breath feeling like a caress against his chest as it invaded his inner space and he groaned against the twitch of his hardness against his jeans and when she ran her fingertips down over his pecs he stood no chance of keeping his beast hidden- the wolf inside him springing to awareness as he grew rock hard for her.
“You scared me.” It was an accusation that brought a jolt of perspective to him as she tried to move back away from him and he had to physically force himself to ease his hold on her.
When her eyes came up to meet his he saw the small flash of annoyance there in those beautiful green eyes, saw the flare as they met his, her pupils dilating slightly under his gaze as she stared up at him and he had to fight the urge to kiss her, to pull her body to his and press his hardness against her, show her he wanted her before throwing her down on the ground and taking her- claiming her over and over again until they both lay satiated in each other’s arms.
“I didn’t mean to- I didn’t realise you were such a scaredy cat-“ His amusement fuelled her annoyance and she pushed at his chest in disbelief?
“Don’t call me that- god you’re as bad as Faith- I don’t jump at my own shadow you know.”
The fact that she had gone from completely helpless in his arms to fiery resentment amused him and when he reached out with his thumb to brush the stray strand of curly hair from her forehead she almost gasped at the touch of his skin against hers, her insides contracting in a jolt of awareness as heat pooled between her thighs.
He felt the tug on his manhood instantly as she found her awareness of him again- he could sense her desire, saw the way she gently swooned towards him and could smell her arousal and it was almost more than his beast could bare.
“No you’re the girl who would walk up to a wolf-“ He breathed down at her and for a long moment she just stared back at him before awareness took hold of her and she frowned up at him.
“How would you know that?”
“You told us- last night.” He ran his hand down her spine again in the hopes it would distract her, he knew damn well she hadn’t told them that, he only hoped she didn’t.
“Y- you need to stop doing that-“ She protested as her own body betrayed her and swooned towards his- every other thought apart from the way his body was affecting hers had left her mind and she found herself just staring up at those blue eyes, so aware of every inch of him in front of her.
“Why does it make you want to do this?” His lips were like a breath against hers in an instant and she closed her eyes on instinct as her body took over with the need to concentrate solely on the way he was making her feel.
When he brushed his lips against hers she couldn’t help but catch her breath as a jolt of excitement swept through her- as her lips parted he took the opportunity to brush his tongue gently against the opening, teasing her with the promise of more if she just allowed it.
Fay didn’t move, she couldn’t- it was almost like she had been moulded to the spot by some unseen force, she could neither move further towards him and have the feel of being that close to him that her body seemed to crave- nor move back away from him for fear that this spell, whatever it was, would be broken and right now she wasn’t prepared to let that happen.
He brushed his tongue across her lips again causing a shiver to run through her before he kissed her lightly, allowing her the time to come to him when all he wanted to do was to control the moment, to take her mouth for his- claim it and with another gentle kiss he found her responding- her fingers moving up over his chest as she swayed towards him, her lips moving gently against his and his beast took over, demanding her to surrender to his touch as he pulled her against him, his arms locking around her and deepening the kiss, his mouth claiming hers with a passion that had her clinging to him in an instant.
He fisted her hair and held her mouth where he wanted it, devouring her so effortlessly as his beast stepped up to take control- her body pressed against the length of his as he groaned from the feel of his hardness straining against his jeans and when her hips rolled against him he groaned again with the sensation that swept over his hard shaft.
Damn it he just wanted to feel her beneath him on the ground, open her thighs and take her as deeply as he could get- feel the heat from her arousal sheath him as he thrust into her over and over until they were both done.
His beast growled its approval, its desire and its need to be satiated- he felt the low growl roll through his chest a moment before her hands stilled against him, her lips hesitated against his and she tensed slightly within his arms- he cursed his beast for the intrusion.
He eased his mouth from hers taking it slowly, reclaiming his senses one by one and halting his beast in its tracks, now he needed every ounce of self control he could muster to pull back from doing what he wanted, what he needed to make her his. He felt her tension ease slightly throughout her body as she panted for the breath she needed to satiate her lungs.
Holy Crap! What the hell was she doing?
Fay drew deeply on the oxygen she needed and hadn’t realised she had been without for the most amazing minutes of her life so far. She couldn’t quite grasp the fact that she had just been so wanton with this man- that she barely knew and in the middle of nowhere- yet she wanted to damn well do it all over again, and again, and damn it even again.
This wasn’t her, she wasn’t this person- this was Faith territory and Hope territory, this was embracing life, something she had always admired her friends for being able to do- but had never quite managed to get there on her own, preferring to live vicariously through their misdemeanours.
If she wasn’t so damned well overcome with other emotions right now she would be mortified by her own actions- Hope was right, she had been too long without a man- well- what she had considered a man- but compared to Adam, compared to what had just happened- she wondered if she had ever really known a real man’s touch before. Certainly nobody in her very short list of suitors had managed to elicit s
uch a response from her body- mind or even her soul before- no one had even come close, even at the end game and that was just a kiss- or was it?
Damn if that was just a kiss she was the tooth fairy!
It felt more like a possession than a kiss and who was he to be doing that kind of thing when she didn’t even know him?
“Don’t do that again.” She managed on a breathless whisper as she took a step back away from him and for a long moment she didn’t think he was going to let her go, maybe even hoped he wouldn’t- but then his hand left her hair and his arm skirted her hip as he dropped his hands to his sides and she didn’t know whether to sigh in relief or dismay.
“Really- because I thought you liked it?” He teased down at her and she didn’t have the heart to look up at him, keeping her eyes on the ground in front of her, but feeling those blue eyes staring down at her was enough to make a shiver run through her body as she took another tentative step backwards from him.
“I didn’t say I hadn’t liked it- I just asked you not to do it again.” There was no point in denying that she had liked it, hell she was standing their panting like a dog for god sakes, let alone the way her body had taken off at full steam ahead when he was kissing her, but she needed to take a mental step back, to regroup, to put some distance between them.
Adam watched her as she had a sparring match with her inner self. He could see that one part of her wanted to step back towards him and do that all over again- while another part of her wanted to run away and hide in a corner somewhere, possibly in a fetal position until her mind came to terms with what her body was telling her. She was his and he was hers and somewhere deep inside her Fae psyche she must have known that fact- but he couldn’t push her on it, at least not right away.
At least she hadn’t tried to deny that she liked it- that was a good first step he supposed, given that his beast was trying so desperately to rear its head within him again, he wasn’t sure how he could not do that again and soon.