by M. L. Briers
“So you were thinking about my nuts and the rest of my body…”He nodded his approval.
Macy took a long moment to just stare at him. This was like her worst nightmare come true. The man was just so up his own backside that she didn’t know whether to slap him or herself…
“You really are a mental person.”She informed him with all sincerity and watched his grin grow.
“But where are my manners?”He expanded his hands in front of him and she snorted.
“Probably left them in the same place as your brain.” She bit out quietly.
“Can I offer you a cup of tea…?”That wolfish grin was back on his face and she thought that it suited him. The man was definitely an animal, whether she would tar a wolf with the same brush wasn’t a certainty…
“I’d rather swallow my own tongue.”She made it sound like a joke, but it really wasn’t. She’d didn’t want to sit and have tea with this man, she wanted to be as far away from him as humanly possible… Maybe because she had the urge to be as close to him as humanly possible, and that wouldn’t be good.
“I have something you can swallow…”His eyes spoke volumes, she didn’t need him to draw her a damn picture, but still he used his own eyes to direct her gaze down to the rock hard erection in his jeans.
For a long moment she couldn’t pull her gaze away, just the look of that bulbous bulge and his words hitting her brain like a bullet was enough to send her imagination soaring. Macy wanted to slam the palm of her hand against the side of her head, over and over, and knock the sense back into herself. But when she did finally drag her eyes back to his she gave him a look that could have melted a glacier.
“I think you are the most disgusting person I have ever had the misfortune to lay eyes on.”She hissed at him.
“A little harsh, but I get where you’re coming from…”He pushed away from the doorframe with his shoulder and took a step towards her as she eyed him cautiously. “You’re the kind of woman who wants to be wooed with soft words and flowers…”
“Wooed?”She sneered back at him. Folding her arms over her chest defensively, mirroring his own stature, and just knowing that there would be a punch line somewhere along the way and she was getting ready for it.
He circled around the back of her, taking in every inch with his eyes as he went. “Wooed…”He breathed out behind her in those deep tones that made the hairs, and other things, stand to attention. “You want to be treated like a Princess…”
“Boy do you not know women…”She rolled her eyes, even though she wanted to keep an eye on where he was at all times. Not that her body wasn’t acutely aware of exactly where he was, just not what he was doing.
“Or you want a man on his knees begging your forgiveness for any little slight you may perceive…”He was coming around the front of her.
“The only reason I would want a man on his knees in front of me is so he can give as good as he gets…”She let her eyes drop to the erection he was so fond of in his pants and deliberately let her tongue run over her lower lip…
Rudd almost tripped over his own tongue. He was sure it had lolled out of his mouth and was dragging on the floor in front of him. He didn’t believe it possible, but his hardness for her got even harder, painfully so, and the damn thing was twitching in his jeans like it was fighting to get out and plough its way home…
Macy saw the way he tripped over his own feet. She saw the fiery look of shock-meets-desire in his eyes, watched his jaw sag slightly open, and she was sure he was actually panting like a damn dog, and she gave herself a mental slap on the back. He may be throwing her a few loops, but she was damn well going to give it back to him with relish.
“Now there’s an image I’m going to treasure…”He growled out, practically drooling and she raised just one eyebrow and gave him a small shrug off her shoulders.
“And use over and over again to pleasure yourself, because nobody wants to do it for you.”She gave the best little-Miss-Innocent impression of her life and watched as her words hit home and he scowled back at her. His dark eyes narrowed in comprehension of her words and he took a long deep breath in before he nodded his head. She was playing him…
Rudd took a step towards her and she didn’t move, even though he could see that she wanted too. So he took another one, stepping right in front of her and leaning in until she had no choice but to take a step backwards, she couldn’t look up at him and keep her damn balance.
She uncrossed her arms and found that she had managed to trap herself against the wall and with one final step he had her stuck between him and the wood panels behind her. Just as her eyes flicked to the side looking for an escape route his hands shot out and he palmed the walls either side of her, truly caging her in.
“I would love to bring you pleasure, Macy…”He growled down at her. “Over and over again…”
There wasn’t an inch of her body, inside or out, that didn’t feel his presence. Even her blood fired up with the heat that swept through her. It wasn’t fear, even if he was twice her size and could probably snap her like a twig if he had a mind too. It was desire, lust, passion, need, want, and Lord did she feel every one of those emotions down to the very soles of her feet.
“Wow, I’ve never heard that line before…”She offered up to him with a bored tone and a look that said pull-the-other-one. Most men bragged or was it blagged that line. The trouble was she didn’t think that this guy was blagging. She truly believed that a night in bed with him would be a wild ride that would see her with a very happy smile of her face the next morning. Although from the size of him, she did wonder if he wouldn’t snap her in two…
“But you know I’m not lying, don’t you sweetheart?”He growled again. What was it with this guy and growling? At least it sounded like he was growling, a deep rumble that underlined his words and made her pulse race that little bit faster.
“I know you need to back off.” Invading her personal space was not a good idea. She’d never taken kindly too this kind of attention, or the men that offered it.
“I think I need to get closer.”He dipped his head towards her neck and he couldn’t help but take in her scent. The deep growl of desire rolled through him, he wanted her so damn much he could taste it.
When he lifted his head to stare down into her eyes he saw her hand come up in front of her and heard a hiss, a moment before the mist hit him in the face and his eyes were on fire.
The roar that left his lips as he threw himself backwards away from her was a cross between a wounded animal and rage, and Macy panicked, tearing off down the hallway and yanking open the front door as she threw herself out into the night without a backwards glance.
CHAPTER THREE
By the time Rick and Link reached him, the Alpha was rolling around on the wooden floor as if he was trying to rub off the scent of a skunk into the imaginary grass, rolling back and forth with his hands at his face as tears streamed from his eyes, and the sound of him violently sneezing, in between growls of annoyance and howls of pain.
“Burns…Burns…”He growled out, hearing the feet that signalled someone had come to his aid.
“She pepper sprayed him.”Link spat out the deep laughter that rolled through him as Rick growled in annoyance. His head twisted around on his neck as he tried to locate her.
“Burns…Burns…”Rudd growled again.
Link took off towards the toilet and reappeared an instant later with a bucket that he had found and filled with water. Link had no hesitation in dumping the whole damn lot into the Alpha’s face, in fact in quite enjoyed it.
Between the coughing and spluttering he was sure that there was groan or two of relief.
“How’d you know it was pepper spray?”Rick asked and Link gave him a devilish grin.
“I gave it to her for protection.”He double raised his brows in amusement and then looked down at a more subdued Alpha who was still on the floor, dripping wet and as mad as hell. “You either really scared her, or really pissed h
er off.”Link gave another hearty laugh as he looked around. The front door standing open left him in little doubt where she went.
“She’s nuts…”Rudd growled out, before he sneezed again, and then followed it up with another growl.
“She’s just being Macy. I did try to warn you. And right now five will get you ten she’s trying to walk home.”He motioned towards the front door and Rick frowned at him.
“Why would she do that?”
“Because I locked the car and she’s either pissed or scared. Back in a minute.”He offered before he shot off, following Macy’s scent and more than aware that there were wolves out tonight.
“You want a hand?”Rick offered down to his Alpha and got a menacing growl of warning back in return. “Fine, drag your own backside up off the floor. Damn mates and their damn attitude…”Rick turned on his heels and walked back into the living room as Rudd growled out again.
Pulling his body up to a sitting position and daring to try to open his eyes fully, it was like looking through water in a misty lake, and he shook his head in annoyance, it was lucky he was Lycan and would heal fast, otherwise he might just be tempted to tear her damn hand off and slap her with it.
“Macy.”Link called to her, knowing that he couldn’t just appear at her side, he had to at least give the appearance he was jogging to catch up with her.
“Thanks for leaving me with the butthead.”She snapped out, lifting one hand in frustration and slapping it back against her thigh. Guilt and remorse mixed with a hefty dollop of self pity that she’d been put in that position in the first place.
“Butthead?”Link bit down on the laugh that wanted to escape his lips. Finally able to catch up with her, he wrapped his fingers around her arm and brought her to a halt.
“Conan the damn caveman- beats his chest and growls like a damn dog, butthead.”She spat out. And Link raised his brows and regarded her with all the amusement that ran through him.
“So there’s what, a slim possibility that you’re attracted to the guy then?”Link rolled his eyes and waited for her tirade to pass, and it did, as quickly as she let it out it was replaced by the spluttered laughter that escaped her lips.
“I hope I got him good.”She informed him, not really feeling that way. In fact she was still feeling pretty damn guilty that she’d used the pepper spray at all, perhaps a knee in the groin would have made him back off, it would have at least cured his erection problem. “And good news, it works.”She added, not sure if she was trying to convince him or herself that she was ok with it.
“You got him, but not as much as you think. He’ll be ok in a bit. I hit him in the face with a bucket of water.”Link knew he had to come up with a plausible reason why the guy wouldn’t still be crying tears and groaning in agony for a while yet.
“Well I hope you threw the bucket with the water.”She snorted her contempt for him, and watched Link raise just one dark brow at her. The smirk on his lips said he didn’t quite believe her.
“Such hostility, what did the guy do to you?”Link teased and she rolled her eyes at him and stared up at the night sky and the billions of twinkling stars that she could see.
“Nothing…”She admitted.
“You pepper sprayed him for doing… nothing.”He made it sound so bad, so wrong, so mean, and yet it wasn’t like that… Macy went to open her mouth but nothing came out. Her brain was still analysing his words and her reaction to that damned sexy caveman…
“Well, no there was…”
“Chemistry.”Link teased in a more than suggestive voice and she snorted her contempt.
“Whatever would make you think that I would be in anyway attracted to that…”She waved a hand absently. The words wouldn’t come and she groaned out in frustration.
“Sexy hunk of a he-man?”Link offered and she put her hand on her hip and gave him a look that told him he was walking a fine line.
“If you think that then why don’t you go shag him, after all you’ve never been picky before have you?”She sneered and he drew his head back on his neck and chuckled.
“Claws in kitty-cat. I don’t want your man. I likes me the ladies…”He tossed an arm around her shoulders, and he turned her at the same time as he pulled her to his hip and started leading her back towards the house.
“He’s not my type…”She told him emphatically and Link couldn’t help but chuckle.
“And yet there’s something about him, isn’t there?”He teased and she frowned long and hard. How the hell did Link know her better than she knew herself, it was weird, and creepy, or just really bloody annoying.
“He’s certainly different.”She offered, tilting her nose up in the air and not giving an inch.
“That’s just evading my question.”Link challenged her and she sighed.
“I’m not evading, I’m…”
“Sidestepping, running from the truth, scared to admit you like him…”Link tossed them out one after the other and she finally balked.
“I do not like him…”She said emphatically and he stopped them and turned her towards him, his green eyes narrowed on hers and he gave her that look, the one that said come clean… So she stayed quiet.
“But you’re attracted to him…”He offered and she just gave him her best bored look. “Liar, liar, panties on fire…”He teased and she tried to bite down on the smile that cracked her lips as she shook her head in denial.
“He has a certain…”
“Manliness about him…”Link deepened his tone and beat his chest with one hand and she spat out a laugh.
“Something like that.”She reached for his fist and stopped his antics. “But you have to save me from myself. He is not my type.”
“Yeah, I think you’d be surprised by what your type really is.” Link informed her as he turned them again and started back towards the house. Just as Rudd came outside looking for them, Macy spotted him and tried to stop in her tracks but Link kept her moving.
“It doesn’t matter because he’ll never speak to me again after I sprayed him.”She gave a small shrug off her shoulders and Link grinned to himself.
“Oh I think he has a forgiving nature about him.”
“You think?” Macy frowned at the big, sexy, wild man standing outside staring at them as they took a slow walk back.
“Sure, I think he’s a real pussy cat underneath all of those muscles.”Link snorted and then Macy snorted.
“He growls like a dog.”She offered and Link almost doubled over with the laughter that was bursting to get out. He saw the Alpha tense, saw his eyes narrow on them, and knew he was listening to every word.
“Bet his bark is worse than his bite.”Link shot back and Macy chuckled.
“I guess a little chewing here and there by him wouldn’t be so bad.”She finally admitted and Link watched the Alpha’s eyes light up.
“See, told you he was your type. Which leads me nicely into telling you that we’re going to have to stay here for the next few days at least…”Link admitted. And she stopped suddenly, but he stopped right alongside her.
“With him?”She whispered and Link rolled his eyes.
“Well I don’t think we can ask him to leave his own house, Mace…”
“No, but still…”She hissed and he balked.
“What’s the problem? You said you were attracted to the guy, here’s your chance to get to know him a little better…”Or a whole damn sight better, in every way possible… Link thought. Nudging her forwards again.
“That’s not a good idea…”She hissed back and Link shrugged.
“What’s the problem now?”
“Because I think I just want to climb up those tree trunk legs of his, wrap my legs around him and…”She stopped herself, biting down on her lip as she groaned inwardly and outwardly, but Link’s soft, melodic chuckle greeted her ears and she sighed.
“You know what I say…”When she didn’t answer he just steamed right into it. “Go for it. He’s certainly not going to protest. He likes y
ou.”Link chuckled and she blushed hard. Groaning to herself again.
“Really, I couldn’t tell.”She bit out, tongue in cheek, and still eyeing the big guy as they drew up close. His eyes looked a little red and puffy, even in the darkness of night and she winced inwardly at her cowardly attack on him.
Link might have thought the guy had a forgiving nature, but she wasn’t so sure, and she found herself edging closer to Link’s side where she just felt naturally safe.
The Alpha stared down at her and she nervously stared back at him. There was something in those dark, puffy eyes that seemed to capture her imagination with thoughts of things she hadn’t bothered thinking about in what felt like a very long time.
“If I scared you I apologise…”Rudd started and Macy couldn’t help herself when the disbelief shot through her brain at a hundred miles an hour.
“You apologise…”She nearly choked on the words. Was this guy for real?
“I just did.”He frowned back at her and she shook her head, trying to clear the disbelief away and replace it with a semblance of reality.
“No, I meant, you apologise to me, question mark.” she explained and Rudd shrugged his shoulders.
“I guess I came on a little strong with you…”He started again, and again she was in there with her mouth before her brain kicked in…
“You did?” What was this guy, a saint? Because he certainly didn’t act like one ten minutes ago, He was definitely all sinner…
“Then I’m sorry.”He offered and she shook her head again. Now her brain was running in circles, like a dog chasing its tail.
“No I meant… oh god, my brain hurts…”She seemed to be on a rollercoaster, strapped in for the ride with no way off until it had come to a stop. There was forgiving and then there was lying down on the floor and asking to be kicked again, and for some strange reason, he didn’t seem the type.
“I should be apologising to you, for spraying you. I overreacted…”Macy took a second to think about that… “I think.” She offered on a shake of her head. It seemed like such a long time ago now, what with his unexpected apology and all, her brain just couldn’t keep up, or it chose not to.