Naughty by Nature

by Judy Angelo

  She hopped off the bed and padded out of the room and down the hallway toward the kitchen. She grabbed a bowl and a spoon then pulled the tub of maple nut ice cream from the freezer. Wolf was in for a chilly surprise.

  Almost humming at the thought, she tripped back along the hall to the room and laid her prize on the nightstand then she reached behind her and pulled down her zipper and wriggled out of her dress. Now, because she’d been bra-less, all she wore was a very sexy bikini which Wolf could not see right now. Oh well, he’d have his chance another time. Right now she wanted him sightless so all his other senses would be heightened. Tonight she wanted him to experience everything to the fullest.

  But to really enjoy the experience he had to be naked.

  Tessa’s eyes went to Wolf’s boxers where the depth of his desire was evident in the tent at the front of his shorts. Now, with him helpless and unable to object, would be the perfect time to drag that last piece of clothing down his legs and reveal him in all his glory.

  Her mouth went dry at the thought. She wanted to, but no, she would wait. She wanted things to go just right.

  She climbed on the bed and straddled Wolf’s hips. He groaned and jerked his hips but wisely he remained silent. She reached over and grabbed half a spoonful of the ice cream then held it up, way up over his chest and let the cream slide off the spoon and fall with a splat on his right nipple.

  Wolf jumped and clenched his teeth at the shock and cold, but still he said nothing.

  Tessa leaned down and covered his ice cream covered nipple with her mouth then she flattened her tongue and licked and sucked until his skin was clean and moist from her kiss. She reached over again with the spoon. More ice cream, another dollop on his breast, and then she was licking and sucking again, making him squirm.

  She got more spoonfuls and blazed a trail down his middle, dropping ice cream and licking it up till she’d reached his navel where she lingered for two spoonfuls. At this point he was groaning and twisting and looked like he wanted to burst through his shorts. But she would give him no release.

  “Your turn now,” she whispered and took a spoonful of the ice cream and covered one of her nipples. She leaned forward. “Open your mouth,” she ordered. When he did, she slipped the nipple between his lips and let him suck, and he did it so eagerly, so hungrily, that she had to pull back before he sucked it right off her body.

  When she pulled away he groaned. “Hold on, sport,” she said with a chuckle, “there’s more coming right up.” She lathered her other nipple and gave it to him and he devoured it just as he’d done the first. This time, when she pulled away he strained at his bonds and he moved his head from side to side.

  “I need to touch you,” he groaned.

  “You will,” she said, her breath catching in her throat. She’d been torturing him but she’d ended up torturing herself in the process. She was dying for release. “You will,” she said again, “but my way.”

  She slid off the bed then hooked her thumbs into the sides of her bikini and pushed them off and down her legs. Now she was totally naked and Wolf couldn’t see a thing. Somehow that turned her on even more. She reached into the nightstand one more time and pulled out a pack of condoms. Wolf hadn’t had any last time so she was not taking any chances. She ripped one open then turned toward Wolf.

  He must have heard the condom packet rip open because his head was thrown back and his hips were slightly raised as if to help her get his shorts off.

  She hesitated. Now that it was time to do the deed she was getting cold feet. She still wanted him, that was for sure, but as crazy as she was, she’d never been so bold in her life as to tie a man down and do what she wanted with him. He already thought she was crazy but after this episode what in the world would he be left to think?

  But when Wolf groaned and began to thrash his head from side to side she knew she’d gone too far to turn back now. She had to put them both out of their misery.

  Before she could change her mind she gripped the legs of his shorts and pulled and his manhood sprang up, stiff and proud. She sucked in her breath and drew back. Then, screwing up her courage, she licked her lips and pulled the pants all the way down his legs and off onto the bed.

  Wolf began to pull on his bonds again and this time he pulled so hard that the headboard rattled. “Get these things off me,” he growled through clenched teeth, “or else I’m going to pull this bed apart.”

  Tessa shook her head. She knew that was his passion talking. He wanted her so bad it was ripping him apart, driving him mad. And she was getting there, too.

  Quickly, she retrieved the condom and positioned it at the tip of his member then rolled it down till he was fully sheathed. Then she straddled his hips again and positioned herself above him. Slowly, gingerly, she sank down onto him and he gave a guttural groan that urged her on.

  He was totally helpless, arms tied, eyes blindfolded, her legs straddling his hips... and that special part of him was trapped inside her. And she was loving it.

  Tessa planted her palms on Wolf’s chest and rode him until she felt the searing heat building between her legs. His hips bucked beneath her as he tried to take control but she wasn’t having it. She tightened her knees at his sides, immobilizing him at times, slowing him down at others, till he was moving to her rhythm, only at the pace that she dictated.

  And so Tessa made love to Wolf until the tension inside her was too much and as she got closer and closer to the edge she rode faster and he bucked harder until she gasped then fell over into a rolling tide of sizzling sensation that swept her along in its current.

  Wolf gave a hoarse cry and exploded deep inside her as he rode the wave with her.

  Tessa collapsed onto Wolf’s chest, breathing hard. As she lay on top of him he shifted.

  “I want to hold you, Tessa.” His voice was breathless, like he’d just run a marathon.

  Tessa stirred but she did not get up. She wanted to free him, she really did. But right then all she could do was gasp for air.

  It took several seconds before she could find the strength to move. Slowly, she slid up his body and reached behind his head to untie the bandana.

  When she slipped the cloth away he blinked as his eyes adjusted then he blinked again as he saw what hung just above his lips. Tessa was leaning over him, her breasts above his face as she reached up to release one arm and then the other.

  As soon as he was free he grabbed her then rolled over and pinned her beneath his weight. “You’re lucky you made me explode like that,” he said with a satisfied grin, “or else you’d be in big trouble right now.”

  She was chuckling as she snuggled into him. “Sometimes I enjoy trouble.”

  “Don’t I know it,” he said with a sigh. Then he rolled them over so she was lying on top of him. “You’re one of a kind Tessa Tyndale, and that’s why I love you so much.”

  Tessa’s heart jerked at his declaration. She ducked her head and hid her face in his shoulder. "I love you, too,” she whispered then relaxed into him as he stroked her back.

  And so they lay, listening to the beat of each other’s hearts, until they drifted into dreamland.

  ******

  The sun was high in the sky when Wolf woke up. He looked up at the ceiling then his gaze flew to the window with its bright yellow curtains. What hotel was this?

  He made to get up then felt an unfamiliar weight on his chest. He looked down at the tousled blonde head and that was when he remembered – he’d spent the night at Tessa’s house.

  He smiled then put up a hand to smooth the hair from her face. When she mumbled something then sighed he pulled the cover up over her shoulder then slowly slid out from under her, doing his best not to wake her. He’d let her have her rest. For what he had planned for later, she would need it.

  While Tessa slept, Wolf popped into the shower then he wrapped himself in a terry bathrobe he’d found hanging behind the bathroom door. He was feeling good today and he was in the mood to cook.
/>   He found his way around the kitchen fairly easily. Tessa was very organized, with all the spices in one area, all the tea things in another, and pots and pans neatly arranged in cupboards.

  He made quick work of breakfast. In less than half an hour he’d loaded a tray with two cups of hot tea, plates of scrambled eggs, hash browns and slices of tomato. He’d even squeezed glasses of fresh orange juice. As a final touch, he pulled one of Tessa’s white roses out of the vase and laid it on the tray. Now he was ready.

  When he got to the bedroom he saw the rumpled bed clothes but no Tessa. He heard the shower going so he laid the tray on the nightstand, lay down on the bed and folded his arms behind his head. He would just wait.

  She was out in less than five minutes and greeted him with a shy smile. When she’d found her robe missing she must have grabbed another because she came out wearing a pretty pink robe with frills at the bottom.

  Boy, was he glad that wasn’t the one he’d found when he got out of the shower.

  “I made breakfast,” he said and waved his hand toward the tray.

  “Thank you,” she said but made no move to come forward.

  So she was planning to take up residence by the bathroom door? “Come on,” he said, and lifted the covers. “Hop in. Make yourself comfortable and let’s eat.”

  After another second’s hesitation she nodded and padded over to join him in the bed. How different she was from the bold and saucy siren who had dominated everything the night before. She looked so shy and so sweet with her damp hair curling around her face. No-one would ever guess she was a prankster at heart.

  She slipped into the bed and pulled the cover up and under her chin. Which was surprising, considering that he’d already seen her totally naked. “What have you got?” she asked.

  He reached over and got the tray from the nightstand then rested it on the bed, right between them. “Here you go. Bon apetit.”

  Her eyes lit up. She must have been as hungry as he was because she dug in immediately, all shyness seeming to have disappeared.

  “Hey, hold up,” he said with a laugh. “Save some for me.”

  After that, they gobbled down the breakfast then relaxed into the pillows and chatted for a while then Wolf reached over and pushed a stray lock off her face. “I’m hungry again,” he said as he stared into her brown eyes.

  “Already? We just ate.” She gave him a look that said, you’re such a pig.

  He shook his head. “I’m not hungry for food.”

  “Oh,” she said, her eyes growing round in realization.

  “Yes, oh,” he said with a laugh and then moved the tray off the bed and slid back underneath the covers with her. “You tortured me last night,” he said. “Now it’s your turn to suffer.”

  He reached out and tickled her, making her laugh out loud.

  “Hey, no fair,” she cried.

  But he did not stop. He tickled her till she loosened up, let go of all her inhibitions and became that bold and unapologetic girl of the night before. Within seconds the shy maiden of the daytime was gone and the daring woman was back.

  And so, with his feisty Tessa back, Wolf pulled the robe off her and threw his on top of hers on the floor, then made sweet love to her until both of them groaned with exhaustion.

  Both spent, Tessa lay with her head cradled on his shoulder as she played with the hairs on his chest. She seemed to love doing that but he didn’t mind one bit.

  But then he reached out and stilled her fingers. He’d been lying there, reliving all the wonderful moments he’d shared with Tessa, and he never wanted it to end. He took her hand and kissed the middle of her palm. Then he looked down into her wide, brown eyes.

  “Tessa, I’ve already told you how I feel about you and I think I’m ready to take things to the next level.” He kissed her fingers, which had begun to tremble. “I’d like to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”

  For a second her eyes grew wider then she blinked, like she hadn’t heard right.

  “Marry you?” she whispered, as if in shock.

  “Yes, little one,” he said with a laugh. He hadn’t expected her to be so surprised. After all, this wasn’t the first time he’d said he loved her. “I’m asking you to marry me. Would you be my wife?”

  She dropped her eyes and made a small sound, like a sob. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice a broken whisper. “I can’t.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Wolf jerked upright. “You…can’t?” He looked like he’d been smacked with a two-by-four. “Why not?”

  How could she tell him? How could she say she didn’t want to spoil what they had? Would he even believe her?

  Marriage, she was sure, would spoil everything. She’d seen it happen to her parents. Her mother often told her how happy they’d been – until marriage, new responsibilities and the arrival of a baby. Tessa knew there were happily married couples out there but she would never be so lucky. She was from a dysfunctional family. She was made up of dysfunctional genes. And if she ever dared to get married, that would be dysfunctional, too.

  But how could she tell him all that? Finally she said, “I just can’t.”

  All kinds of emotions flashed across Wolf’s face – confusion, hurt, pain, and then anger. He pulled himself away from her and got out of the bed. He stood there, arms folded, face darkened in a frown, totally naked and obviously not giving a damn. “So what was all this? A joke?” He looked at her like he didn’t know her at all. “Are you telling me you have no feelings for me?”

  She needed to give him an answer, she knew she should, but the words left her. How could she explain without making him think she’d now truly gone round the bend? She bit her lip and shook her head, not trusting herself to speak.

  With a snort of something akin to disgust, Wolf turned away and went over to the chair where she’d put his clothes. Quickly, he began to dress. “I don’t understand you. I told you I loved you. I thought you felt the same way.”

  “I do love you,” Tessa said, finally finding her voice. She clutched the cover to her as she stared at him. “I just can’t marry you.”

  By this time Wolf was fully dressed. Only his shoes and jacket were missing. As he watched her his gaze narrowed. “What? Are you already married? Do you have a husband hidden away somewhere?” He bit out the words as if they caused him pain.

  “No,” she said, wishing she could make him understand. Still holding the sheet, she kneeled in the bed. “It’s nothing like that, Wolf. I wouldn’t be that crazy. I just…I just can’t make that kind of commitment. I’m not the marrying type.”

  “Not the…oh, so you just want to sleep around?”

  Tessa felt like he’d slapped her. He was angry, she knew, but that was no excuse. She would not take insults from anyone, not even Wolf Spencer.

  “If you can’t be civil,” she said, her voice cold, “you’ll have to leave.”

  “With pleasure.”

  He didn’t even look back. He marched out the door and seconds later she heard the front door slam.

  And that was how he left her, hugging the covers to her chest and staring out the open bedroom door, wondering if she would ever see him again.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Wolf wasn’t speaking to her. Tessa had called his number three times over the last couple of days and he hadn’t picked up and he hadn’t returned her calls.

  After he had stormed out of the house Tessa had been so angry. No, she’d been pissed. What right did he have to get angry with her? There was no law on earth that said a girl had to accept every marriage proposal thrown in her direction.

  But then, after her anger had cooled, she’d understood. Sort of. At least she was trying to see things from his perspective. He’d made himself vulnerable to her and then she'd turned him down.

  Maybe he would understand if she explained? Then again, maybe she’d only end up making things worse.

  Frustrated with her confusing thoughts, Tessa picked up the
phone but this time it was not to call Wolf. She was calling Lydia.

  “Hi, stranger,” Lydia said with a laugh. “You’ve moved on to bigger and better friends?”

  “Of course not,” Tessa responded warmly. Speaking to Lydia always gave her a boost. “In fact, I’ve been thinking about you. A lot.”

  “Really?” Lydia sounded pleased. “How come?”

  "There was a book I was reading which may be helpful to you. It’s called ‘The Brain That Changes Itself’.”

  Lydia chuckled. “So you want to change my brain now? I thought you’d be focused on making your students smarter, not me.”

  "No, it’s nothing like that,” Tessa said quickly. “In the book they talk a lot about non-traditional therapies that have helped stroke patients. I thought it might help you.”

  “Well, bring it over, girl. What took you so long to tell me about it?”

  “I wanted to finish reading it first, just to make sure what the author was saying made sense.”

  “And did it?”

  “I’m no neurologist but as a layperson it made sense to me. And they mentioned a doctor…Dr. Taub or something like that…who has a clinic that’s used some very effective techniques. Maybe he can help you.”

  “Like I said, come on over and bring it. Can you come tonight?”

  Tessa looked at the clock. Seven eighteen. “It’s already a bit late and I have school tomorrow. What if I swing by after my last class tomorrow?”

  “Perfect. I’ll see you then.”

  By four o’clock the next afternoon Tessa was on her way to Mississauga. She was greeted with hugs from Lydia. She was a bit surprised at the effusive greeting. It was like she’d known Lydia for years and not just a few months. Still, she was not complaining. Then she paused. Something was different. Then she gasped. “You just hugged me,” she exclaimed. “With both arms.”

  “Glad you noticed,” Lydia said, looking pleased as pie.

  Ruben, too, was beaming. He was obviously ecstatic at his wife’s progress. “I made sure she did all her exercises,” he said, “even when she grumbled.”