Split at the Seams

by Yolanda Sfetsos

  Papan scratched his head. “You know what? No, he didn’t always smell like that. I remember the first time I met him in your office, standing too close to you…” He looked away. “No, he smelled human back then.”

  So he hadn’t smelled strange at the beginning. Not long after we started dating, he’d gone overseas on a prescheduled trip to Europe. Could that be when everything changed?

  “It must’ve been after he came back,” I whispered.

  “Came back from where?”

  “Shortly after we met, he went to Europe, and when he came back a lot had changed about him.” I just thought the distance between us and his research into purchasing more bizarre books had gone so well he’d flourished. Even if it didn’t fully explain why he’d returned tanned and toned. I’d just assumed Europe had agreed with him. He didn’t want to talk much about his trip afterward.

  Papan looked thoughtful. “Yeah, I think that’s when I first noticed. I remember seeing him leaving the office one day with a sneer on his lips, and that’s when I first noticed he stunk. He’s got the demonic stench, just like a sewer rat.”

  “Do you know any demons?”

  “More than I care to admit. But I don’t want to talk about that at the moment.” He took a step forward. “Did you really break up with him this time?”

  I nodded. ”You’re the one…” I cleared my throat. “I want you.”

  Papan closed the short distance between us, never taking his eyes off mine. When he reached me, he scooped me into his arms and pressed me up against the wall. “You shouldn’t have told me that, Foxy Lady.”

  He kissed me, leaving me breathless and needing so much more.

  “Yeah, I did,” I spoke near his lips. “I’ve wanted to tell you for a while. I just didn’t know how you felt. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship.”

  “You don’t know what you’ve done,” he whispered nibbling on my chin. “I’ve got a list of wicked things I’ve wanted to do to you for so long.”

  “Don’t let me stop you,” I said, breathy, and in desperate need of whatever he had to offer.

  Papan’s lips returned to mine, setting off another bout of frenzied kisses.

  Being in his arms made my heart overfill with emotion, and wonder how I could have been so blind to my real feelings for this long.

  “Oh, Foxy Lady…” He walked into the living room, carrying me in his arms and slowly laying me down on the couch. He climbed on top, leaning over to cover my mouth with his. His tongue searched for mine and when they met, ecstasy rolled through me.

  I curved my back beneath him, twirling my tongue inside his mouth and reaching for the waistband of his jeans.

  The solace of his touch, and the ability to forget about everything else while we were together, was all that I wanted right now. Papan and I had known each other for a while now. We weren’t strangers. We were friends who’d hidden true feelings from each other long enough.

  He lined his body over mine until his erection was pressed between my legs. The fabric between us didn’t diminish the way my body trembled when he pushed down against me. I wanted to rip his clothes off, but didn’t want to break this wonderful kissing. Every time our tongues touched, it sent a multitude of sparks racing down my body.

  His hand ran under my top to cup my left breast. As his fingers tweaked at the peak, a low growl rumbled from deep inside him. It pushed through his mouth and past my lips, making me hotter than I already was.

  “Sorry,” he whispered, pulling out of the kiss. “I can usually keep better control of my wolf.”

  I stared deep into his gorgeous eyes. “I’m not afraid of your wolf.”

  He responded by covering my mouth with his. The hand he had under my T-shirt was now trailing down my stomach and in between our bodies. He altered his position enough to keep his hand moving lower, until his fingers stopped in between my legs. He rubbed his fingers up and down the fabric of my yoga pants, stimulating me a little more with each stroke.

  “Oh, Papan…” I licked my lips, never taking my eyes off his.

  He nibbled my bottom lip before pulling back enough to watch my reaction.

  “I want to do so many wicked things to you.” His fingers rubbed faster and seemed to have found the perfect nook, right to my clitoris.

  “I can’t wait…” The swell of sensation was so close to the surface now, I could feel my legs trembling. My heart beat fast against his chest and his fingers didn’t stop.

  I’d never had anyone’s touch affect me so much that I felt as if I was about to come without taking a stitch of clothing off.

  “Don’t hold back.” He moved his fingers up and down my mound, with just enough pressure to make me swoon.

  My breathing quickened, and when he pressed his mouth against the side of my neck and nibbled on my skin, I couldn’t take it any longer. The orgasm tore through my body, curling my toes still inside my sneakers. My hips bucked but he didn’t move his hand, didn’t stop until I fell back against the couch, my eyes heavy and body tingling.

  Papan’s teeth continued to nibble playfully. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was a wolf trait. Was he marking me, or maybe this was part of the foreplay. Either way, I didn’t care. It felt good.

  “Jason…” His name was like a breath leaving my mouth. It felt right and good, like something I needed to survive. “Let’s go upstairs.” I ran my hands up and down his back, stopping at the ends of his hair. Droplets of water moistened my fingertips.

  He kissed me again but the intensity seemed to have waned. When he pushed off my body, and sat back, I knew something was wrong. “I need to tell you something.”

  For a moment, I thought the worst, but decided things couldn’t get worse than they already were.

  “Yeah, what is it?” Remembering what Jonathan had said about Papan wanting to mooch and get into my pants before walking away, circled inside my head. No, don’t give Jonathan the credit he doesn’t deserve. He didn’t know Papan.

  Still, my heart was beating like crazy.

  Papan took my hand. “I know you want to keep me safe from the werewolf hunter, and you took great care of me after I was shot…”

  I pushed the strands of his long hair out of his eyes. “Don’t stop now. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

  “I need to leave. It’s the eve after the full moon, and I have to run. I’ve put it off for as long as I can.”

  “No, you can stay here. I don’t mind you changing inside the house.”

  “I know you don’t, Fox, but I don’t want to risk my first lunar change with you.” He looked dead serious. “Besides, I’m a werewolf. I have to run outside. I can’t stay cooped up inside the house when the moon forces my change.” The dimple on his left cheek twitched. “I’d love to stay with you all night.”

  “Why can’t you?”

  “I could go feral, and I don’t want to risk hurting you. I’d rather die than lay a hand or claw on you in anger.” He touched the backs of his fingers to my cheek. “Ever…”

  I shook my head. “Your wolf already knows me, he won’t hurt me.”

  “That’s true. I know you in both forms, but the first forceful change of each full moon cycle is the hardest. I lose total control. I regain it shortly after…but during the change, I could do anything.” He paused and grinned. “Besides, I’m no house pet. You saw what I did in the cemetery.”

  What could I say to that?

  I nodded, though I felt tears rise to my eyes. As much as I wanted him to stay with me so we could pretend nothing bad would happen, and we could ignore the world outside, he was right. Being a werewolf meant he had urges and needs I didn’t completely understand yet. Hell, I hadn’t known he was a wolf until last month. Not to mention that I’d never suspected any wolves—whether were or otherwise—lived here in Sydney. Weren’t they supposed to be native to North America, Europe and Asia?

  “So you don’t have to change during the night of the full moon?”

  “I have to change
sometime within the week of the full moon cycle. Every wolf is different, but I can put it off for most of the week if I want to.” A small smile tugged at the edges of his mouth, once again showing off his dimples. “Full breeds can change whenever they want, but none of us can withstand the overpowering call of the moon.”

  I nodded. I really had to quiz him about all of this. “How long will you be gone?”

  “Two nights,” he said, taking my face in his hands and lowering his lips to mine. “Y’know, we don’t need to rush this.” He pointed a hand at me then at himself. “Without a stinky boyfriend to interfere, we can take our time.”

  “I don’t want to take my time with you.”

  “Sierra, I don’t want to start on the wrong foot, and doing this on the rebound would be doing just that.”

  I wanted to tell him he was wrong, but the fact he’d used my first name drove home how serious he was about this. I knew what he was saying was true, but I was so in lust with him, and in desperate need of forgetting.

  “You’ve just broken up with him. When we do this, I want to know it’s because we’re both sure. Not because one of us is on the rebound, or because I’m hot and sweaty and wish I was with you…like you did in your office that night.”

  Heat flushed my cheeks. He knew about what happened the night we nearly kissed, and instead I ended up having desk sex with Jonathan?

  “It’s okay, I know why you did it. I had a fitful night myself, but before you ask, no I didn’t sleep with anyone else—not even Ebony.”

  I playfully hit his arm. As stupid and juvenile as it seemed, I liked all of the things that were surfacing between Papan and me. It was too bad we had both been so blind to what was really going on, and instead of being honest, toyed around with playful innuendoes. Not that I wanted all the playing around to stop now. Flirting with Papan was too much fun.

  His smile widened. “You know what I’m saying is right. There’s so much going on right now, but I’ve waited too long to rush into it now.” A smile stretched his mouth. “Besides, I think I’ve left you something to remember me by.”

  Heat rushed to my face. I could still feel the satisfying throb between my legs. I wouldn’t forget what he could do while we were still dressed, but couldn’t wait to find out what he could do when we were naked.

  “Don’t go shy on me now,” he said, teasing. “This was just a taste of things to come.”

  “Can I ask you something?” I had to steer the conversation away from the unabated heat still surging within me. His admissions, teasing and proximity weren’t helping my racy thoughts.

  “You can ask me anything.”

  “Did you…?” How was I going to say this without coming across as pompous and stupid? I sucked down the uncertainty and just blurted it out. “Did you purposely keep things platonic between us because of what you are?” Somewhere in our conversation, the realization hit me. The more time I spent with Papan, and the more I found out about him, the more I was falling under his charismatic spell.

  Jason Papan was turning out to be one of the most thoughtful and sensitive people I’d ever met, one who successfully hid behind a cocky, flirty exterior. He knew how to use his looks to hide a lot, including the fact he was a werewolf.

  His warm breath played over my face. For a long moment, he didn’t say anything, just pushed off the couch and sat down on the coffee table. I hated his hands being away from mine, so I sat up and took hold of his left hand.

  “I didn’t know how to tell you,” he said, shaking his head. “You were always so caught up in your own world of ghosts and work. You didn’t know about the existence of anything else.” Papan looked deep into my eyes. “I didn’t want to be the one who shattered everything you thought you knew. I care too much to do that. I wasn’t lying when I said I would do anything to protect you.”

  “Oh, Papan.” I ran my fingertips over the bristly stubble on his cheeks and chin. “I wouldn’t have shunned you. It might’ve taken some getting used to, but we’re friends first and foremost. Even now, wherever this leads…I don’t ever want to lose your friendship.”

  He nodded, kissing my palm.

  “Yes, we’ll always be cool. Your friendship means the world to me too. You understand why I have to leave, right? I’m not purposely trying to make myself a target for that hunter. This is part of who and what I am.” Papan leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Because, Fox, I want to fuck you. I want to make love to you. I want you ravage you, right now…but we can’t. We shouldn’t. I don’t want to be your scapegoat. I want to be the one you truly want.”

  I nodded, feeling the stir of desire tear through me. I couldn’t speak, I was so breathless.

  “Good.” He kissed me, long and passionately.

  “When do you need to leave?” I asked when I got my breath back.

  “Tonight.”

  My heart sank, but I didn’t let it show. Instead, I smiled and dragged his hand between my breasts. “Then, you’ve got no objection to having a little fun right now, do you? You know…something to remember me by when you’re out there on your own chasing rabbits and cats?” My smile widened when he pushed off the coffee table and stood. “I’ve got a bit of time before I need to get to the office.” I’d told Ebony I would be in by ten.

  “Fox, I love how you think, but I need you to hold that thought.”

  “Hey, where are you going?” For just a moment I’d thought he might have changed his mind and wanted to go upstairs after all.

  “I hope you’re hungry, because I’m going to pop a pizza into the oven.”

  “A frozen pizza?” Personally, I preferred to call one in.

  He shook his head and left the living room. “No, I made one myself.”

  Wow. “I might have to keep you.” I pressed the back of my head against the cushions behind me.

  His laughter rang out from the kitchen, making me feel a swell of happiness I was sure I wouldn’t be able to recapture after what I’d ended with Jonathan.

  Papan stepped back into the living room. “Now, where were we?”

  “I believe we were here…”

  Papan might have to go and run wild because it was in his nature, and we might not have to rip our clothes off to have rushed sex, but it didn’t mean we couldn’t enjoy what we’d just mutually discovered.

  I just hope he stays safe out there, and Vixen doesn’t catch sight of him.

  Chapter Nine

  “Seriously, what’s with the goofy look?” Ebony briefly glanced up from the screen between our desks. She also had her laptop working in front of her, juggling more than any one person should handle—like usual. “Wait a second! Did you and Jonathan just do it?”

  I looked down at the same T-shirt I’d been wearing all day, though I did change from yoga to cargo pants. Personally, I didn’t think I was looking any goofier than usual, but I did leave the house—reluctantly—in a very good mood. Spending some personal time alone with Papan turned out to be soothing for my soul. It hadn’t been all hands wandering and mouths going crazy either, though my lips did feel a little swollen. We’d had a nice conversation over his delicious pizza. I warned him to be careful while he was gone and he said he would, even if we both knew he would do whatever he needed to do to survive out there.

  I just hoped Vixen was busy elsewhere.

  “No, we didn’t. Actually…” My voice trailed off. As much as I didn’t want to get into this, Ebony deserved to know. She was my business partner, fellow spook catcher, and best friend extraordinaire. “Jonathan and I aren’t together anymore.”

  “You finally broke up with him?” Her eyes widened, as if she couldn’t believe I’d actually gone through with it.

  “How did you know it was me who broke it off?” I dumped my phone and wallet on top of the desk and dropped onto the swivel chair. This one was a lot more comfortable than the one I used for several years, and didn’t feel like it was going to break beneath me. Though, maybe now it would—after having one pizza slice t
oo many.

  The phone on her desk started ringing. “Hold that thought,” she said, holding up her index finger in the air. “Good morning, Sierra and Ebony, Spook Catchers, how can we help you?”

  So she’d added her name to the end. Maybe I should surprise her and get new business cards with both of our names. With the amount of work she was doing lately, it wouldn’t be such a bad idea. She tackled the receptionist/secretary part of things, headed out into the field alone, and had even started putting some of her own money into the expenses account. Maybe it was time I seriously considered making this a partnership.

  But today, my main focus was on making some headway on the bundle of manila folders between our desks. They were still stacked too high. Even after we’d cleared a huge backlog during the last few weeks, it never seemed to be enough. How was I going to squeeze it in between Oren’s little magic lessons?

  “Yes, thank you. We’ll be in touch.” Ebony prepared to hang up. “Yes, I’ve got all your contact numbers. Bye.” She dropped the receiver back into its cradle and rolled her eyes. “Anyway, I knew because I’m not blind. I saw the two of you at the meeting and things didn’t look good. Even Conrad noticed, and you know he’s only got eyes for me.” She batted her eyelashes.

  I opened my mouth to respond when the phone rang again. Ebony answered the call but my line rang too. Ten minutes and too many calls later, we both slammed the phones back into place.

  Ebony stood up and made her way toward the answering machine sitting on top of the long row of short bookshelves we’d positioned against the far wall, near our coffee machine. “Okay, I’m going to switch to answering machine because I need to go, and I know you don’t want to spend all afternoon on the phone.”