Must Love Dogs

by Lena Austin

  He followed her gaze only to see that in his struggle with the seat belt he had lost one of his loafers. It was a wonder he hadn’t noticed, but the girl had kept all his attention. Great image presentation, Mr. Heir to the Thornburn Pack. In an attempt to save what was left of his dignity, he reached into his coat and pulled out a rainbow colored teddy bear with a bright pink bow. “I didn’t know if you were allergic to flowers or candy.”

  Charmed, she cuddled the bear close, clearly enjoying the soft plush body until he envied the toy. It almost looked as if she began to melt right there on the sidewalk. “It’s very cute. Thank you. So where are we off to tonight?”

  “How do you like your steak?” Even a human like he pretended to be knew to take a werewolf out for real meat and not any sappy seafood or salad bar.

  “Still mooing.” Her chin lifted as if her response was a challenge. Maybe it was. For omnivores, humans could be squeamish.

  “My kind of girl.” Corbin opened the door for her in a display of old-world courtesy females still appreciated.

  She looked up, her eyes glittered in the moonlight. “Not the final question of the evening but an important one. How do you like your potato?”

  Once again Corbin found himself enthralled by her brown eyes, and this time the scent of leather teased his nose as well. He struggled to formulate a coherent answer. “Baked, with everything.”

  Her eyes lit with pleasure, and her smile widened with approval. “I think I’m in love.”

  Could an Alpha melt on the sidewalk in the moonlight? This she-wolf was a real kick in the gut. Corbin’s mouth opened before his brain recovered from the urge to chase her into the woods. “As long as you’re also in lust ’cause I am.”

  Roni’s eye widened to the size of saucers. She didn’t back up, which earned her kudos for courage on a blind date. Her lip didn’t even curl into a were-bitch’s snarl for male arrogance.

  Embarrassment flooded his face and soul. He probably stood out like an aircraft beacon in the darkness. Way to go, Mr. Sophistication. You’ve been hanging around construction sites too long. “Did I say that out loud?”

  Her reply was a soft “Yeah.” Incredibly, her lips twitched into a mysterious smile worthy of the Mona Lisa. Maybe he hadn’t screwed up the entire evening. “It’s okay. It was cute, and the possibilities are there.” She slid into the passenger seat as if she owned the evening and buckled the full-body restraints required of all passengers.

  Elated, Corbin closed the door and refrained from skipping around the front of the car to the driver’s side. Sliding into the seat, he suavely put his seatbelt on without strangling himself and surreptitiously put on his shoe. He’d do his best to repair his slip of the tongue, but at least she’d subtly let him know he’d not blown the evening completely. “How about we dine and get to know each other first?”

  Mischief sparkled in her dark eyes, and her tone insinuated much more. “Isn’t it stupid that we’re going to busy the only orifice that we can legally be interested in publicly?”

  His brow furrowed. Orifices? Was she really implying that he wasn’t the only one with erotic designs on the brain? “Is that a trick question?”

  The sexy confidence in her eyes was breathtakingly different from the average werewolf ladies of his acquaintance. Roni was a bitch who knew who and what she was with no shame. “No, darling. Take it as a glimpse of the future.”

  His hopes of at least chasing the sexy lady around a bedroom increased exponentially. “You’re beautiful and sassy. I think we’re going to have a great time.” Corbin stomped on the accelerator and sped down the street to the sound of her laughter.

  At the steak house, Roni and Corbin listened to the waitress run through her opening lines. When she pointed out the salad bar Roni stopped her by raising one hand, palm out. “I did not climb to the top of the food chain to eat vegetables.”

  Corbin thought he was going to die of either laughter or suffocation from trying to hold the laugh back. Instead he choked and coughed politely into his napkin. “Excuse me. We’ll have the special.”

  The annoyed waitress frowned and brushed her feathery hair, identifying her as at least part Nephylum, back over her shoulder. “I understand, ma’am. I’ll be back with your order shortly.” He thought he heard her mutter, “Carnivores.”

  Soon the waitress returned, fully composed, with two plates. T-bone steaks just brown enough to sizzle but still bleeding sided with two mounds of butter, sour cream, bacon, cheese, and chives topping what Corbin hoped was a baked potato. The scent was enough to make any were-folk howl with pleasure.

  Roni had no lies to restrain her. “Pardon me while I forget that I’m a lady. Cover me. I’m going in.” She picked up her fork and knife without modesty and started slicing.

  She really was the woman of his dreams. Like a good carnivore, she was unashamedly all about the meat. Yet she’d had the courtesy to beg forgiveness of her supposedly human date. Corbin squirmed, caught in a trap of his own making and hating his lie. Now for the ultimate test. Could she handle his favorite fantasy? “Here’s another question for you. What do you think of roller coasters?”

  Her fork paused at her luscious lips, meat dripping deliciously down the metal. Her brown eyes twinkled with delight and challenged him silently. “My favorite is the Aneurysm at the theme park on Evergreen.”

  “Where do you like to sit?” Corbin leaned closer and watched her put that beautiful chunk of meat into her mouth. Corbin’s vision blurred as he fantasized about other meat she could put between those full red lips. She chewed the meat so seductively he thought he was going to come right there at the table.

  She swallowed the steak and bared her teeth in full challenge. “The front, where I can scream.”

  His dick was so hard he could have hammered nails with it. Challenge accepted. He had to challenge her back. “The roller coaster won’t be the only thing making you scream tonight.”

  Even the Mona Lisa didn’t have a smile that mysteriously enticing. “Promises, promises.”

  Corbin shivered as her foot slid slowly up his leg and settled between his thighs. When exactly had she taken her shoes off? Corbin immediately forgot the question, and his dinner, as she tickled his balls with her toes.

  Roni’s smile was feral and enticing. “I think I’m going to enjoy a wild ride, aren’t I?”

  * * *

  The crystal tumbler hit the wall paneling and shattered into a thousand sparkling shards. Duke took a few calming breaths and stared up at the holo image of his deceased wife. He missed her every day. How would she have handled this? The news was so unexpected. “My son has a date with a what?”

  The informant blanched at the dangerous tone in his boss’s voice, but stood his ground. “A Chuskie, sir. She’s a mutt. I dated her last year and recognized them in the restaurant.”

  Duke stalked over to pour himself a fresh whiskey from the decanter, his lupine eyes dark with thought. The pickings weren’t that slim among the unmated bitches of the pack, but Duke understood Corbin’s disgust. The ladies, no matter how beautiful and accomplished, made no secret of their interest in wealth and power. Even he, graying at the temples but still in shape, felt like a prime piece of beef for sale. Still, a mutt was an unacceptable substitute, even for a one-night stand. “I do not approve of my son dating a mutt. I will stop this. Go.”

  The informant scurried out like a were-rat with the keys to a recycling plant. Duke made a note to himself to fire him on the next available pretext. He didn’t trust spies, even when he himself benefited. No one could guarantee another with deeper pockets and a need to know about Duke’s business couldn’t buy the spy’s information.

  The fine, aged whiskey failed to warm Duke’s aching heart. He stared into the darkness outside the window of his office. He wanted his son to rule the pack, but not yet. Corbin was strong and willful. He needed time to make his mistakes and settle down. All Duke could do was pray the mutt wouldn’t hold his son’s interest.
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br />   Chapter Three

  Corbin smiled to himself as he led his amorous date into the roller coaster’s first car. He had no defense against the one-two punch of her perfume and the musk of a were-bitch in heat. Not that he intended to try. Was this how all the were-bitches acted around humans? Somehow he doubted it. This was all Roni.

  The lady in question eagerly hung onto the restraint bar with a huge grin on her face. She kept him completely off balance. At dinner she’d managed a perfect combination of ladylike politeness combined with discreet seduction, all overlaid with a were-bitch’s supreme confidence in the male she’d chosen. That wasn’t new. All females, once they’d selected a male, were aggressive in their seductions. The new part was Roni acting like a big kid, full of excitement at the old-fashioned amusement and disdaining the more sophisticated entertainments available. She crooked her finger at Corbin. “Come on, Corbin. They can’t start until you’re restrained.”

  Obedience Training 101 — Come when the lady calls. Corbin slid into the plastic seat and pulled the iron bar down securely. “Oh, baby. You’re making me come with just one finger.”

  Roni rewarded Corbin’s lame joke with a peal of laughter. “This is the best date ever!” She shot him a look under her lashes. “I don’t ever want the fun to end.”

  That was an invitation if ever there was one. “Me either.” The words slipped out before he could censor himself. Man, he was sunk. All he had to do was continue to hide the fact he was really a werewolf, and that would be difficult if she lived up to the promises of her seduction. He’d have to fight for self-control and not shift to lupine while they made love.

  The car rumbled forward, and the first drop loomed in front of them. All Corbin could see was starry skies and blackness below. His heart raced, and he clamped down on the urge to howl.

  Roni had no such restraints to keep her from pealing out the wildest howl he’d ever heard. “Woo-woo-wooo!” She threw back her head and sang to the moon.

  The carriage shot them down into the blackness of a dark cave. At least Corbin assumed it was a cave. He couldn’t see the stars or the moon but he could see the luminous red nature of Roni’s eyes. She looked like the legendary demon dogs. Wait. Her mother was a Siberian Husky werefolk. Their eyes turned red in low light. His heart raced faster, and adrenaline shot through his system. He’d howl in a few seconds if he didn’t do something, and his body reacted before his conscious mind thought up a plan. His arms clamped around Roni’s, and he yanked her closer for an adrenaline-laced kiss.

  She returned the kiss in kind, smelling of excitement and a trace of fear from the ride. Her lips worked beneath his, nibbling on his bottom lip with tiny nips both painful and arousing.

  They were still locked at the mouth like two teens with stuck braces when the ride ended. The attendant chuckled when he lifted the restraint bar and whispered the name of the nearest hotel. “Get a room, you two.”

  Roni released Corbin’s lips and giggled. She tugged on his hand. “C’mon, handsome. Your car is this way.” Then she let go of his hand and ran. The wink over her shoulder invited him for a short chase.

  He knew where the damn car was. Barely. Not that it mattered. She couldn’t run fast in those heels and presumably she left them on to let “the human” catch her. He laughed and loped easily after Roni.

  She let him catch her at the rear bumper of his hydrocar. Her hand reached up to grasp his head and pull him down for a lingering kiss.

  Corbin wrapped his arms around her and lifted Roni’s butt until it rested on the trunk of his car and equalized their heights.

  Roni responded by wrapping her legs around his waist. The heat of her arousal smacked his nose like a fist. “We need a room. And a bed. Now.”

  Those panted demands acted like the strongest aphrodisiacs known to lupine kind. Corbin stroked her whole body from breast to hip and back. “Yes. Your place is closest.” It was a lie. His home was closer, but the last thing he wanted was for Duke to see or get involved. She was his, and he didn’t want to share even her face.

  Roni dove for the passenger side and had her seatbelt on before he could even get in. Her big brown eyes flashed with that demonic light once more in the streetlamps. Her fingertips stroked his zipper, but she couldn’t reach any further. “Damn the laws that keep me locked away from you. I’d suck on your cock the entire way home.”

  The aforementioned body part stood at rigid attention like a soldier called to duty. Corbin’s mind blanked as all the blood rushed out of his brain. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll drive as fast as I can.”

  They made it to her place in less than fifteen minutes. They didn’t make it to the porch. He tackled Roni on the lawn, and clothes scattered while they rolled on the grass, locked at the lips.

  Her shirt and bra didn’t survive the initial rip. No doubt her leather pants would be somewhat the worse for a night on a dewy lawn. Roni didn’t seem to care. She threw them off with abandon while Corbin kissed anything he could reach.

  His clothes fared no better. Roni was so aroused she grew a light coat of brown and gray fur, and her feathery tail wagged happily while her claws shredded his clothes off him. Good thing he kept a spare set in the car in case he had to travel on a moment’s notice. Driving home in rags would be sure to attract unwanted attention. Wanted attention came when Roni’s lips found his aching dick. Coherent thought flitted away on wings of the night.

  Roni hummed happily as soon as he grabbed her hair. Her fingers cupped his balls and gently fondled. Her tongue expertly provided just the right amount of pressure.

  Corbin moaned with a heartfelt need to express his enjoyment. The heat of her mouth and the strokes on his balls were too much to take. He had to say something or the evening would end too quickly. Hell, he didn’t want being with Roni to ever end. Was it love? Nah. Couldn’t be. “Baby, if you don’t slow down, I’ll…” He couldn’t think of a polite human’s way to say it.

  Another chuckle teased his cock, but she let go with a soft pop. She lay back in the grass, bringing her legs out of what seemed an impossible position, like a yogi from the Far East. “Then let’s do something worthwhile in the meantime. My implants are up to date. Come and get me. Or, in this case, vice versa — get me and come.”

  No further invitation needed. Corbin damn near fell on top of her, catching himself with his arms in a pushup maneuver. “One of these days I’ll take my time with you, I swear it.”

  Roni laughed and pulled his face to her breasts. “Another day. Yeah, later. That sounds good. For now though, fuck me in the moonlight. I need to howl.”

  His dick homed in and plunged without conscious thought on his part. Good thing. The way she clamped her legs around his hips and pulled him in deeper drove him crazy. Sure, he had to arch his back like a feline because she was so short, but who cared? All Corbin’s self-control was centered on not changing — no fur, no tail, no teeth. No matter how badly he wanted to flip her on her stomach and make her his in true Alpha fashion. Stay human. Stay. Human. Stay. Sit. Stay. Beg. Oh, God, how I want to beg.

  Roni matched him stroke for stroke, and she had no restraints about fur, tails and teeth. She bared her fangs, and her claws ripped what remained of his shirt to mere tatters. Her nose lengthened but her eyes remained big and brown. Odd-looking, but strangely beautiful. Her howl, half lupine half “talk,” rang out. “Woo-wooo!”

  Corbin, unable to stop himself, felt his balls contract. His final thread of control snapped in an instant. He came. And came. His sac emptied. He thought he’d turn inside out until his heart seemed to lodge deep inside Roni. Oh, yeah, he was in love.

  Dammit. He was in trouble.

  * * *

  Roni sat in the overstuffed chair and chewed on a manicured nail. “I fucked up. I had the best sex of my life last night with a human.” The nail broke. She stared at it stupidly, still grinning about their night rolling around on the grass tangled together. Yes, with a human. “Fuck, Dad is going to shit a brick.”

>   She smiled at the thought, considering the brick would be bigger than her father, but he stood a good chance of throwing it at her. Roni frowned. Her dad might be tiny but he had the arm of a major leaguer and the temper of a Tasmanian Devil.

  “What does a girl do with no place to turn?” She picked up the vid keyboard and punched up her mother’s URL. “Hello? Mom?”

  Her mother’s face on the screen winked with amusement. “What have you done, my darling?”

  Chagrin mixed with a sigh. “Damn, Mom. Are you psychic or something? What makes you think anything is wrong?”

  The bottom of a mug covered the camera’s view for an instant before her mother’s face reappeared. Katriena didn’t function without her ubiquitous coffee. “I’m a mother, and you’re calling me at dawn.”

  Roni backpedaled and wondered at her sanity. Calling Mommy like a wet-behind-the-ears pup? What had she been thinking? “Can’t a daughter call and have phone coffee with her mother?”

  “Not at eight in the morning. Spill it, Veronica.” Ouch. The full name would be next. Roni wasn’t getting out of talking to her now.

  Roni winced and took a deep breath. “I-had-sex-with-a-human-last-night.”

  Katriena didn’t hesitate a second. “Okay. Was it good sex?”

  “It was mind-blo… Mother!” The heat rushed to Roni’s cheeks. You just didn’t discuss the intimate details with your mother. Did you?

  “What? Your father hasn’t been giving me any lately.” The laughter in Katriena’s voice made it clear she was teasing her only daughter. Figured. Katriena had always been the coolest mom in the neighborhood, willing to destroy her tidy home for a tea party with a gaggle of giggling girls.

  The image of Katriena and her father rolling around on the lawn of their perfect suburban home right in front of the shocked neighbors swam before her eyes. Not an image any offspring wanted to think about. “Mother! Please!”

  “Come on, Roni, let me live vicariously through you. I’m frustrated.” Now Katriena was openly sniggering. She was enjoying embarrassing Roni.