by Haley Weir
He pulled her into his arms as he closed the door behind them. He pressed her against the door and kissed her passionately. He put his hands on her hips. “It goes both ways. Before we met, my life was all about work and impressing my father. I didn’t want to settle, or settle down, even though my father pressured me to. But you changed all of that. If I hadn’t met you, I wouldn’t have a beautiful, smart woman in my life who warms my heart and my bed.” He laid a hand gently on her stomach. “And soon we’ll have a family of our own.” He rubbed his thumb over her belly before looking up at her. “I love you, Ava.”
Her heart ached more and more with each word. It was the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to her. She looked up at him and smiled. “Thank you, that means everything to me. I love you too, Mason.”
******
THE END
Moonlight Alphas
Rugged Wolf: Moonlight Alphas I
“Oh my god, just do it,” Vanessa Cummings said. Her statement was almost punctuated by a stomping of her cute white and cork wedges, but she resisted. Instead, she directed all her frustration to chewing the straw of her long gone iced coffee. The poor thing had been having a rough morning, as had she.
The reason for her bad morning stood in front of her in all of his tanned, Greek god glory with his infuriatingly perfect smile and super grating chiseled jaw. In the right light and state of undress, Archer Payne was almost too hot to look at. The man looked like he stepped out of a romance novel or high fashion photo shoot. With his construction experience and way of being able to fix…anything…he was every woman’s weakness, formulated perfectly to satisfy her. Well, every woman except Vanessa. She remained resistant to his charms.
“Babe, I would if I could. Really. But those pretty little white things are called pipes. And I know, that up until now, you thought that word only existed to describe my biceps, but alas…they have other uses. Like moving water and sewage. And I’d like neither option to rain down on me today.” Archer shot a killer grin directly into the camera filming. Vanessa counted her blessings that they weren’t running live feed today. Otherwise, this whole process would be much worse.
She just looked at him, letting him see the clear annoyance that was written all over her face. “Archer, I’m not asking you to hit the pipes. I’m asking you to hit the wall in between the pipes. I know it’s only about four-inches, but you’re used to slamming in that size, so you shouldn’t have a problem.”
The film crew snickered behind the lenses, cameras still rolling. She fought the urge to smile like an idiot and pump her fist in the air. Score 1, Cummings.
But instead of either guffawing or acknowledging her point, Archer smiled broadly and gripped the sledgehammer a little bit tighter. She found her eyes unwillingly drifting down to the strain of his biceps, almost exploding out of the black t-shirt he was wearing. How was he so built? Surely construction wasn’t that much of a workout. He must be on steroids. Yup, that must be it. Picturing him popping pills and pouring powder made her feel a little bit better. She ignored the little voice telling her there was no way a guy like Archer would ever cheat his body by taking performance enhancers.
She mentally shook her head, trying to focus on what Archer was saying. “…And I think viewers of ‘Hard Hats’ would appreciate my construction experience more than the work that goes into which shots make ladies panties wet.”
She felt her eyes go wide. That was really inappropriate, even for him. “You better not be talking about me that way, Archer Payne.”
His smile dimmed and he looked around at the crew, who likely all cast their eyes downward. Her crew knew that onset, she was the omnipotent god here. She pulled the strings. She was in control of everything. He was not going to win this battle, and she felt satisfaction watching his face as he realized that fact. He cleared his throat, looking more than a bit sheepish. “Uh…no. Nope, wasn’t talking about you.”
“And?” she asked, raising a blonde eyebrow.
“Aaaand…sure, Vanessa. I’ll put my big, industrial-sized hammer directly into that tight space,” he said, devilishly winking at her in front of cast and the entire world. He probably knew that was too juicy not to air that. It would bump up the ratings, and it would definitely make her lady viewers’ panties wet.
The show had been her idea, something that she’d pitched to her station, CW30, after noticing a dip in viewership of the after thirty feminine market. Most of their reality shows targeted millennials with their prank and comedy shows, but the plus thirty market controlled most of their sponsorship and their future. She hadn’t known they would accept it with open arms. CW30 was known for airing all the juicy details about celebrities, reality show stars, and people famous for…being famous.
And one of her first calls after accepting the position as field producer had been to Archer. As much as she hated to admit it, the man was talented and hot, something that was harder to find than one might think. He’d taken a little convincing, but after an in-person meeting with her, he’d suspiciously accepted. Work had been stressful, sexy, and irritating since that fateful day. While he might be hot as hell, Archer was also arrogant, smug, and had a habit of being way too forward in front of the crew and America.
She cleared her throat, trying to focus. “See that you do. Make it quick, we only have about thirty more minutes for this shoot and we need to move on.”
She realized her mistake too late. He chuckled and said, “I don’t rush my…advances, sweetheart.”
She rolled her eyes, knowing that her viewers would never see it, but it made her feel better anyway. “Let’s go,” she ordered, motioning to continue, then looked up at the sky. In about forty minutes, it the sun would be going down. Her perfect shoot was disappearing before her eyes. Move your cute ass, Payne, she pleaded silently. She needed that spark of magic that he had a habit of making under her careful direction. “And be careful. If you ruin this shot, you’re fired.”
He didn’t even justify that with a response. He knew she wouldn’t fire him. She couldn’t. He led this show in viewers, and the chemistry between the two of them only served to make better TV.
“I’ll get started as soon as I get a black coffee. I had a long night.” His tone was playful, and she knew exactly what he meant by long. Damn him, now she had visions running through her head of what he looked like against black silk sheets with nothing but a smile…and possibly a tool belt.
“I’m sure you and your hand had a wonderful evening together, but can we please get on with this?” Vanessa mocked, and several of the crewmembers sucked their teeth and began to cheer her on. “We haven’t got all day.”
Score two for Vanessa, she thought to herself proudly.
“Why don’t you come on over here and I’ll show you exactly what my magic hands can do.” Archer wiggled an eyebrow at her and frustration rose into Vanessa’s throat. But she felt something else, something buried very deep down that she pushed to the pit of her stomach and hid it there so that it would never see the light of day.
“I’d rather stick pins in my eyes,” Vanessa said, shaking her head.
“Your loss, sweetheart.” Archer shrugged and finally turned to get on with the shoot. He liked to make Vanessa work hard for what she wanted. It was infuriating, and ignited a fire within her like no other ever had. She was pretty sure he knew exactly how his teasing exasperated her and did it on purpose.
***
“That’s a wrap for today,” Vanessa called, and the cameras were instantly shut off at her order. Archer was finally allowed to drop his tools and take a break. He pulled off his hard hat and ran his fingers through his dark hair. He could feel the eyes of several women on set watching him, but there was one who went blindly about her business, which intrigued him. Vanessa.
He couldn’t put his finger on it, but something about her had him panting after her like a schoolboy. Maybe it was that she constantly turned him down, or because of the way she dressed, spoke, and did what she wanted to
do. She didn’t wear those tight shorts for his benefit, didn’t put on those shoes because she wanted him ogling her ass, even though he did anyway.
“Hey, sweet cheeks,” he greeted her as he slid up beside her and smacked her on the behind. “How did I do today?”
Vanessa jumped and whipped around to face him with a fire blazing in her pretty gray eyes. “Payne, you are treading on very dangerous ground.”
“What’s the matter? You don’t like the touch of a real man?” he smirked. Vanessa glanced around the set as though she was looking for something.
“Excuse me, have you seen a real man around here anywhere?” she asked a passerby who gave her a confused expression before hurrying on their way. Archer couldn’t help but chuckle at the way she flushed from head to toe when he irritated her. Oh, how he loved to torment her, the one woman who tried to seem immune to his charms. But he saw those flushed cheeks, and the way she stared at his shoulders when he was doing something onset. She wasn’t immune, but she made a hell of an attempt not to be.
“Admit it, V, I get under your skin.” He crossed his arms over his chest, intentionally causing the muscles to pop. He was satisfied when her gaze was drawn to them. He worked hard for what he had, both financially and physically, and he didn’t mind flaunting either.
“Don’t call me that. My name is Vanessa,” Vanessa replied with a quick shake of her head before she prodded him in the peck. “And you, Archer Payne, do not get under my skin.”
“Then why is your hand shaking?” Archer teased in a low voice. Vanessa quickly pulled her hand away from him and placed it behind her back, out of sight. “Admit it, you like me.”
“Play all you want on camera,” Vanessa told him firmly. “But when the cameras aren’t rolling, you can give up this act. Some women might think it’s charming, but I just find it frustrating.”
“Oh, ouch,” Archer placed a hand upon his chest. “You wound me, my lady.”
“Yeah, right,” Vanessa rolled her eyes at him. Damn, how the last of the evening light made her eyes shine when she did that. Archer felt his manhood harden in his jeans uncomfortably. He cursed himself for being attracted to such a woman. There were plenty of pretty women in his life, but it was the one that infuriated him that set him on fire. Deep down, he knew he could never have her, and not only because she was basically his boss. She was the reason he was on the show in the first place. She’d obviously seen something before everyone else had.
“I think I might die of the trauma if I don’t get some mouth to mouth.” Archer leaned forward towards her until their breath was one – her exhale becoming his inhale. She smelled like fruit, something spicy, and female. She was intoxicating. He could almost get drunk on the smell of her. If he ever tasted her…his jeans strained at the thought.
“Oh, Archer, get out of here!” Vanessa snapped as she slammed the palm of her hand against his chest and shoved him away. He laughed as he watched her face flush and her eyes grow bright. She was an intensely beautiful woman, especially when she was passionate. “Get out of here. Go on!”
With that, she turned her attention to one of the set workers who requested her help, and Archer watched her turn back to business. He had to admit that she had a knack for the job. She took charge of a set like nobody else, and always knew how to get the job done. Not that he would ever admit that to her. He didn’t want to give her the wrong idea about why he was drawn to her…although, everything about her made him want her. It wasn’t just her body, her smile, or the way she mastered her job. It was everything.
For a few moments, he watched her move about the set as though she was queen over all the eye could see. She waved and gestured, explaining to her employees everything that she wanted them to set up for filming the next day. The way she took charge was admirable. He’d always been the same way when it came to his work – ready to get shit done. He also appreciated her ambition as a woman rising up in a traditionally male field.
When she noticed him watching her, she called over, “Go home, Payne!”
“But I wasn’t done making your life a misery,” Archer protested with a shake of his head.
“To make my life a misery, I would actually have to care what you have to say,” Vanessa told him as she placed her hands on her hips and glowered at him. “Now go home and get some rest because we have another long day of shooting tomorrow.”
Archer groaned inwardly. He loved his job and being in front of the camera, but one thing he did hate were the long hours.
“I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning then, boss.” Archer tipped his hard hat to her.
“By the way, don’t be having another long night tonight. You will need your energy,” Vanessa said and furrowed her brow at him. He fought the urge to smooth the skin with his finger and place a kiss there.
Shocked, he froze at his emotional thoughts. Place a kiss on her skin? No, he just wanted to have sex with her. He needed to stick to that. He couldn’t afford to get involved romantically, but maybe a physical relationship was still on the table for them.
“Is somebody jealous?” Archer asked, and couldn’t help but laugh at the way Vanessa opened and closed her mouth, thinking carefully on how to reply.
“I don’t want you burning yourself out on my set,” she insisted.
“I wouldn’t dream of it, my dear.” Archer gave her a quick mocking bow and when he straightened up, she was scowling at him deeper than ever.
“Just get out of here and leave me in peace would you?”
“Don’t get too used to the peace because I’ll be right back at it tomorrow,” Archer promised before he turned and made his way to his car. It was just as well. He could smell the scent of rain on the breeze. It was time to get home and get a run in before it really started to come down. There was nothing he hated more than wet fur.
All day long, he’d been surrounded by humans. He couldn’t wait to get home and turn into his natural form.
Archer’s home was a large cabin isolated by woods on all four sides, making it the perfect place to be in isolation. There were no women vying for his attention, no prying eyes. He could strip off his clothes in his back yard, something he could never do if he lived in the hustle and bustle of the city.
That’s exactly what he did the moment he got home. He walked through the house, out onto the patio, and began to strip off his jeans and black t-shirt, kicking off his work boots as he went. Before long, he stood naked in the middle of the garden.When he shook out his body he began to change, shifting and transforming into a magnificent gray wolf. He caught his reflection in the glass of the patio doors and couldn’t help but smile to himself. This was his true form, He felt completely at ease.
After examining the state of his thick, gray coat, he turned and began to prowl off in the direction of the woods. His huge paws pounded on the ground as the first droplets of rain began to splatter lazily down from the heavens. When he reached the trees, he was relieved to know that the thick canopy above his head shielded from the elements.
As he ran, he thought back on the events of the day, especially focused on the way he’d made Vanessa squirm several times. He couldn’t help but think of the way she blushed and glowered at him when he teased her, and smiled at the memory of it. No one else reacted the way that she did to his charms, and he had to admit that he liked that about her, Although he’d never admit it to her face.
He was, lost in thought when he felt something barrel into him from the side. For a moment panic overwhelmed him, and he began to writhe and fight beneath the heavy weight that landed on top of him. Then, a familiar scent washed over his nostrils and he began to relax. He rolled away from the black wolf that had knocked him over, and shook the mulch from his coat before he turned to see his half-brother crouched in front of him.
Shaking off his wolf form, Archer stood before his brother who instantly began to shift and change as well. As soon as he was transformed, Archer lightly punched him in the chest. “You should know
better than to sneak up on me like that!”
“Who said I was sneaking?” Keaton scowled. “Even a human could have heard me coming from a mile away. Is something on your mind dulling your senses?”
Archer didn’t like the way his brother examined his face, searching for any sign that his question rang true . He gritted his teeth, steeled his expression, and responded, “nothing that I can’t handle.”
“You know, it’s really not safe for us out here like this,” Keaton insisted, and Archer instantly knew where he was going. It wasn’t the first time they’d had this conversation. “We should be running with a pack.”
“How many times do I have to tell you? It’s not safe to run with a pack. Too many wolves in one place brings far too much attention,” Archer exclaimed.
“How would you know?” Keaton demanded. Archer sometimes hated the innocence of his younger brother. “You have never been in a pack before.”
“There’s a good reason for that.” Archer shook his head and sighed. “Our father was part of a pack remember?”
“Just because things didn’t work out for him doesn’t mean they wouldn’t for us,” shrugged Keaton. “There’s safety in numbers.”
“That is just a stupid cliché. When there are more of us in one place, we become sitting ducks just waiting to be popped off one at a time,” Archer insisted.
“Why do you always crush my hopes and dreams?” said Keaton. He pouted longingly, reminding Archer of Vanessa once again. Archer shook his head, forcing away the thought of her so that he could focus on the task at hand.
“I said no and that is final.” Archer straightened up to his full height so that he stood taller than his younger brother by an extra two inches. “We are a two wolf pack.”
“It’s no pack at all,” Keaton sighed, and Archer felt instantly sorry for him. He knew that his brother was lonely. The loneliness sometimes got to him too, but there was no way around it when the risk was so great.