by Judy Angelo
“Ready to go?” Wolf gave her a sardonic grin. “Already? It’s not even a school night.” But even as he said the words he was taking her elbow and directing them through the bobbing crowd and toward the exit.
When they got to the car she sank down into the seat in relief.
He glanced over at her as he started the engine. “Tired?”
She sighed. “A little.” Pity he didn’t know that she was wide awake and very much alert but scared to death at her body’s magnetic reaction to him.
He glanced at the clock on the dashboard. “Just eighteen minutes shy of midnight. Time to tuck you in bed, little one.”
She didn’t know why, but that image sent a fresh wave of shivers racing up her spine.
Within ten minutes they were back at the hotel and Wolf was throwing the car key to the valet who was grinning from ear to ear, obviously pleased with the generous tip he'd received. In the lobby Tessa turned to Wolf, suddenly depressed that her wonderful night was coming to an end, but instead of bidding her goodnight he took her arm again.
“Let me walk you to your door,” he said as he turned her toward the elevator.
Thank you. A few more seconds with Wolf. Maybe even a minute or two before they would have to part for the night. She would take every moment she could get.
But then, when they got to her door and turned to face each other, she felt her heart tighten and her breath grow shallow. Her body was speaking, making its position very clear – no matter what the rational mind was thinking, her body did not want this night to end. Not now, not yet.
“Goodnight, Tessa,” Wolf said then leaned forward and gave her a sweet peck on the forehead. But when he made to pull back, her hand came up to touch his arm.
“Why don’t you…come in for a minute? I’m not that tired. We can…talk for a while.” She drew in a slightly shaky breath and stared up at him. She’d done it. She’d invited him into her hotel suite. Now what would he think? She searched his eyes but his expression was unreadable.
He cocked his head, looking like he was going to ask a question, but then he nodded and his lips curled in a smile. “Thank you,” he said softly. “I will.”
She released her breath and gave him a tremulous smile then turned and slipped her keycard into the door. Brave girl, Tessa. It’s your night and you’re in control.
Pleased with herself and feeling more confident, Tessa pushed the door open and held it wide so Wolf could enter.
“Make yourself comfortable,” she said, waving her hand to the sofa then she picked up the TV remote control and handed it to him. “I’ll be right back.”
She escaped into the bedroom where she took a couple of quick breaths then checked herself in the mirror. Everything still in place. Great.
But there was one thing she had to get rid of. She looked down at her stylish shoes. Her feet were killing her. With a groan she slid them out of their torture chamber then sighed when her soles settled onto the plush carpet. Sweet relief. Right now she was more than willing to sacrifice height for comfort.
Now it was time to head back to the tiny living room. She’d invited him in to talk. What the heck were they going to talk about? Too late to back out now. He was already in and she’d better start talking.
Tessa strolled out of the bedroom looking far more relaxed than she felt. To her relief, Wolf looked quite comfortable lounging in the sofa, his long legs stretched out in front of him. He had the remote in his hand and he was flipping channels. As she approached he glanced away from the TV screen and smiled.
“Hope you don’t mind,” he said, “but I took the liberty of ordering up a bottle of champagne. They should be here any minute now.”
Mind? She could have kissed him. That was exactly what she needed to calm her jangling nerves. Any form of alcohol would do. “No, that’s fine,” she said, trying to project a nonchalant air. “I could do with a glass of the bubbly.” It would also serve another purpose. When she ran out of things to say she could always mask it with a sip of champagne.
“Why are you so far away? Come on over and sit beside me.”
Tessa stared at Wolf. She’d planned to sit some distance away from him, probably on the chair by the desk. Her body was too conscious of him, her nerve endings too raw, for her to want to be so close. Who knew what she’d end up doing if she came within a few feet of him?
But Wolf was patting the seat beside him, and he was looking at her with an expression that said he would not take no for an answer. So who was in charge now?
Tessa was taking her first step toward him when there was a knock on the door. Saved. For the moment. She did a quick turn and went to open the door. But the distraction only saved her for all of thirty seconds and then she was alone again – with a bottle of champagne, two glasses…and Wolf.
“You said you wanted to talk,” Wolf said as he poured champagne into the glasses and rested the bottle on the coffee table. “So let’s talk.” He jerked his head toward the vacant seat beside him. “Come tell me everything I need to know about Tessa Tyndale.”
She licked her lips. She was thirsty and that bubbling glass of champagne looked really tempting. And she couldn’t exactly stand by the door all night, trying to stay out of arm's reach. After all, she was the one who had invited him in. She padded over in her bare feet and sat on the other end of the sofa.
“Thank you,” she whispered and took the glass he held out to her.
Tessa took a sip and then another and another, and before she knew it she was feeling one hundred percent better. What in the world had she been nervous about, anyway? It was only Wolf, not the bogeyman. There was absolutely nothing to worry about. Unless, of course, Wolf was short for werewolf. Then she’d be in big trouble. She giggled at the thought.
“What’s so funny?” Wolf asked as he reached over to refill her glass.
“Just a crazy thought,” she said with a little laugh as she picked up the newly filled glass. “What if you were a werewolf in disguise? You know, seeing that your name is Wolf. There’s a full moon out tonight.”
“And what happens when there’s a full moon?” he asked, his eyes glinting in the light of the lamp. “Do I come over and suck your blood?”
“No, silly. Only vampires suck blood.” She drank more champagne, glad for the tingling glass of liquid courage. “You would turn into a man-wolf.”
“Oh, really?” His voice was a soft growl and he was staring at her intently, his eyes burning into her. Then he smiled and his teeth gleamed white in the lamplight. “ And what would a man-wolf do to a girl like you? Eat you up?”
“I…don’t know.” Tessa’s mouth went dry and she gulped down the rest of the champagne. She’d brought up the werewolf thing as a joke but as she stared at Wolf, his face partly in shadow, his eyes so intense, it was becoming too real. Werewolves were just a fantasy, weren’t they?
She did not get the chance to ponder that further. Wolf had rested his glass on the table then reached out to take the empty one from her stiff fingers and put it down beside his. Now he was shifting in his seat, closing the distance between them, and he was reaching for her.
“Would a werewolf do this?” He wrapped an arm around her and drew her close then reached a hand up and slid his fingers into her hair. Now she was trapped, her body pressed against his, her head cupped in his hands.
With another growl he dipped his head to capture her lips with his own, then he was kissing her with a fierceness that made the werewolf idea even more believable.
And that thought, that he could be the wild and dangerous beast of nightmares, was her undoing. Maybe it was the champagne or maybe she read too many paranormal romance novels, but the idea was such a turn-on that as he drove her wild with his kiss, her hands slid up and then her arms were clinging around his neck. He was kissing her passionately and she was kissing him right back, giving him as good as he gave.
When he finally released her and drew back she moaned in protest. This fire between them, she didn’t want it to c
ool. Not ever.
She slipped her arms down from around his neck then slid a hand into the V of his shirt. She knew she’d hit her mark when he gasped and closed his eyes.
Yes, that was exactly what she wanted. She wanted him to moan for her, to desire her just as badly as she desired him. Before she could stop herself she began undoing his buttons. But then Wolf stole control again, stilling her fingers with a firm hand. Then he reached out and pulled her onto his lap and he was kissing her again, more forcefully this time, and all she could do was cling to his broad shoulders.
She shivered when she felt his hands slide up her leg and onto her thigh and when it paused just above her knee she writhed in shameless agony. She wanted it so bad, for him to touch her, stroke her, soothe the fire that raged within.
But – the beast – instead of putting her out of her misery he made things a whole lot worse.
Wolf did not move his hand any higher up her leg. He left it right there to torture her and then he began another assault. Now he was kissing her neck, then her collarbone, and then his lips slid down and his hot breath tickled the tops of her already tormented breasts.
Her nipples tingled in anticipation and she gasped, her head falling back against his shoulder. “Please,” she whispered, “don’t stop.”
A low chuckle escaped his lips. “You want more?” His voice was raspy, a clear indication that he was just as affected as she was.
“Yes,” she breathed. “Yes.”
To her sheer relief he obliged, his lips sliding even lower into the valley between her breasts, and then he lifted a hand to shift the silky fabric of her dress and the black lace of her bra. And then, sweet Lord, his lips descended and covered the passion-hardened tip, sucking the nipple deep into his mouth.
Tessa moaned out loud, powerless to hide her body’s reaction to Wolf’s tantalizingly wicked treatment. And she wanted more.
She reached up to trap his head with her hands, pressing him into her as she arched her back in ecstasy.
And then…he pulled away.
“What…what are you doing?” The words were thick on her tongue as she fought her way back to awareness. “Why did you stop?”
Wolf drew in a slow breath then, almost gently, he slid her off his lap and back onto the sofa. “Let’s stop here,” he said as he pulled his hands away from her. “We’ve had a good time tonight. Let’s just…keep it that way.”
What the heck? Didn’t he know how desperately she wanted him? If the pounding of her heart and the moisture between her legs were anything to go by, she was ready for him right now.
But no, she was only fooling herself. Now was not the time and she knew it. She only wished her renegade body knew it, too. Suitably chastised, she slid her hands up her arms and hugged herself, then she bit her bottom lip and nodded. “Okay,” she whispered, not looking at Wolf.
He reached over and gave her a quick pat on the knee then he got up. “I’ll see you in the morning,” he said then walked over and plucked his coat off the hook by the door. "Good night, Tessa."
And then he was gone, leaving her to wonder how much control she really had. She, who always prided herself on taking charge of a situation, had been so easily turned upside down - no, inside out - by a man who obviously knew what he was doing.
But then, as she sat there, she smiled to herself. Because she realized, where Wolf Spencer was concerned, she didn’t mind at all that he’d taken control.
The man had turned out to be the total opposite of her first impression of him. Who would have thought the grouch could be a fun guy, a great dancer and, as she’d found out tonight, a superb kisser. She could just imagine what he’d be like…as a lover.
She could hardly wait to find out.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“Doesn’t he look handsome, Tessa? Tell the truth. He’s a stud, right?”
“Mom, please.” Tessa shook her head. She couldn’t tell who was more embarrassed, she or her father. How could she think of her father as anyone but ‘Daddy’? Stud? Eww.
Bob had actually begun to turn a little red now that he was the center of attention – as a stud, no less.
Tessa decided to break the tension and help him out. “You look good, Dad,” she said enthusiastically. "The bald head really suits you.” And she meant it.
“Thanks, Princess,” he said, smiling back. “You may be right. I’ve been getting compliments since I shaved off the hair.”
“From women,” Eleanor scoffed, rolling her eyes. “But it’s okay with me, just as long as he doesn’t let it go to his head.” She finished the statement with a glare of warning.
Bob shook his head then left the two women in the kitchen, mumbling as he went. “Women. They want you to look good then get upset when you do. God damn.”
Eleanor gasped and stared wide-eyed at his retreating back. “Bob Tyndale, did I just hear you swear?”
There was no answer. Bob was already gone, obviously with no intention of returning to explain himself. Eleanor twisted around on the stool and turned back to Tessa who was by the stove, making another cup of mint tea. “I tell you, Tessa, I don’t know where he gets his attitude sometimes. He does these things to annoy me. He knows I don’t like swearing.”
“It just slipped out, Mom.” Tessa smiled and slid a steaming cup under her mother’s nose. “Dad didn’t mean it. Now let’s have some tea and you can tell me all about the flight from Florida.”
It was Wednesday, the third day of Tessa’s time off for spring break week, and her parents were with her. They’d come up the night before and weren’t going back home until Sunday, the day before Tessa was to return to school. As she slid onto the stool across from her mother she glanced at the calendar one more time. She had to hold back a sigh. Would she last all of five days in the same house with her parents?
She’d better come up with some good ideas to keep them entertained or else they would drive each other – and her – up the wall.
She took a sip of the hot, sweet tea and was just opening her mouth to suggest a trip to the mall when the phone rang. She set the cup down a little too hard and tea splashed over into the saucer. Please, no more phone solicitors. With three calls already that morning she’d had enough of banks trying to get her to take out new credit cards.
But when she saw the name on the screen her heart lurched, and it was not in annoyance, it was in real pleasure. The name on her screen was ‘Wolf Spencer”. She immediately picked up the receiver. “How are you?” Her voice came out a bit breathless and she glanced over at her mother, wondering if she’d noticed. To her relief, her mother seemed absorbed in the day’s crossword puzzle in the newspaper.
“I’m doing fine,” came the response, and she could hear the smile in his voice. “How’s the spring break going?” he asked.
“Fine. I…my parents are here with me, visiting from Florida.”
“That’s great. You definitely won’t be bored, then. I’m sure they’re keeping you busy.”
“I guess,” she said, her tone casual. She didn’t want to start a conversation about her parents, not with her mother sitting there, right under her nose. And besides, what would she say? I’m just hanging in there, trying to keep the bickering at a minimum until I can put them on the next plane to Florida?
“I was calling to invite you over to my house,” Wolf was saying. “I’m having my parents over for dinner tomorrow evening and was wondering if you would like to come. I didn’t know you had visitors.” There was a slight pause then he said, “Hey, why don’t you ask your parents if they’d like to come? You never know. They may hit it off with my parents.”
“Yeah,” Tessa said, thinking fast and warming to the idea. “Maybe they’ll entertain one another and you and I can sneak off and leave them on their play date. They won’t even know we’re gone.”
“Bad girl.” Wolf chuckled. “I like the workings of your evil little mind. Definitely take them with you then. Tell them I will not take no for an answer.”
<
br /> And that was how Tessa found herself driving along Tecumseh Park Drive in the sedan Indie had loaned her, both her parents in the back, searching for Wolf’s house. When she found it she was not disappointed. It was even more beautiful than his parent’s house on Mississauga Road, with a circular driveway that meandered past an impressive home with a wide porch and vine-covered front wall.
“This is where your friend lives?” Eleanor’s jaw dropped. “What high school teacher can afford a house like this?”
“I never said he was a high school teacher,” Tessa said with a laugh.
Her mother’s eyes narrowed as she looked over at Tessa. “And you never said your friend was a ‘he’, either. Is there something going on that I should know about?”
“Leave the girl alone, Eleanor,” Bob grumbled from the back seat. “It’s none of our business.”
“None of our business?” Eleanor gasped. “This is our only child.”
“All right, Mom. Can we talk about this later? Wolf's on the porch now and he’s staring right at us.”
“Wolf?” Eleanor gasped again, even more dramatic this time. “His name is Wolf? A man with a name like Wolf can’t be good. He sounds like a rake.”
“Rake?” Came another grumble from the back seat. “Who in the twenty-first century says 'rake'?”
Tessa groaned. Oh Lord, here we go again. We’re practically at the front door and they're still bickering. Tessa parked the car and hopped out. “Come on, guys. They're waiting.”
She breathed a sigh of relief when Bob got out of the car and helped Eleanor out, as he always did, but then he took her arm and plastered a smile on his face. After a quick little hrmph to indicate that the conversation was not at an end – they’d continue it tonight back at Tessa’s house, to be sure – Eleanor also put on a smile.
As they walked up the pathway Wolf came down the steps to greet them. “Welcome, welcome,” he said, shaking the Tyndales' hands. And then his eyes were on her, devouring her unapologetically. “It’s good to see you again, Tessa.”
She could feel herself coloring. “It’s good to see you, too.” And it was. Ever since they’d parted on Sunday night after a terrific weekend in Peterborough, she’d been dying to see him again. How could a man have wormed his way into her mind – and her heart – in such a short time? Dear Lord, was she falling in love?