Lucas limped towards her.
"That is so unfair." Holly cocked her head to one side and chewed her lip as she clearly battled her conscience. "Okay. One night and then you're back outside where you belong."
She patted the bed, and Lucas wasted no time in jumping up to join her. Holly Turner was too trusting for her own good.
****
Holly's sleep was disturbed by dreams about being homeless and chased by wolves with big dark eyes. She conceded defeat and tried to pull the covers back to get out of bed, but a great weight rested at the bottom of the bed.
"I forgot about you," she said to the dark shadow while she untangled herself from the sheets and went for a glass of water.
Careful not to wake the slumbering wolf, she left the bedroom light off and fumbled for the one in the hall to light her path. On her return, the glass slipped from her hands and smashed on the floor.
"What the fuck?"
In the glow of the light she could see that in place of her injured wolf, lay a very large, very naked man. A scream caught in her throat. She couldn't be sure what danger she would be calling her parents into. Instead, she looked around for a makeshift weapon, grabbing a nearby broom to defend herself from the nude intruder. He had his back to her, so Holly could only see his broad shoulders and muscular butt from this angle.
"Who are you? What do you want?" She jabbed the end of the broom into his back.
"What's all the shouting about?" The home invader slowly turned around, squinting against the light.
It took a moment for her to put a name to the body. "Lucas? What the hell are you doing in my bed? Get out now, before I phone the police!"
Her first impression of him had been that he was an egotistical arse, not that he was some sort of sex attacker. But what possible explanation was there for him to be here minus his clothes?
"It's not how it looks. I can explain." He got to his feet and gave a full frontal view of everything Mother Nature had bestowed upon him, and boy she was one generous lady.
"Really? Because it looks as if you broke into my house and climbed into my bed uninvited." She tried to maintain eye contact, but it was difficult when his huge penis was vying for her attention.
She waved a hand in the general direction of his manhood. "For God's sake, put that away."
"Sorry." He turned around to grab something from the bed and mooned her again. To her relief he finally covered himself with a strategically placed pillow. "I hate to disagree with you, but strictly speaking you did invite me into your bed."
"I did not." Not one word of their conversation today could possibly have been construed as a come on.
"I think the exact words you used were, 'One night, and then you're back outside where you belong'." He had no right to look so smug when she knew he was completely in the wrong.
"I said that to Shadow. Where is he?" This weirdo must've been hiding out here most of the night to have overheard her talking to the wolf.
"I think you need to sit down so I can explain this all to you."
"I think you need to get out of my house before I shove this broom where the sun doesn't shine." Where was her big brave wolf to protect her?
Lucas held his free hand out. "Give me five minutes and we'll get this all cleared up."
So far he hadn't made a move toward her, and she was certain she could still do some hefty damage with her trusty weapon if it came to it. "Five minutes. But I'm not letting go of the broom."
The corner of his mouth tilted up into a half smile. She was so glad he was finding her terror amusing.
"Deal. Now, this is going to sound really strange, but I am your wolf."
Forget the police, she was phoning the loony bin direct.
"Okay. Time's up, nut job. Out you get." She advanced on him with her menacing wooden lance.
"You said five minutes. I know this is hard to understand, but I'm a wolf shifter. I can change into wolf or human form. There aren't many of us around."
"I'll bet." She knew Englishmen were supposed to be eccentric, but this one took the cake.
"I can prove it to you. I have the bruises where you hit me with your car." He pointed to some nasty looking purple marks around his ribs.
It could've been make up for all she knew, so she poked the end of the broom into his skin.
"Oww! What the fuck did you do that for?" He winced.
"Just checking. So, if I'm to believe what you're saying you followed me around the house tonight?" Her stomach churned at the invasion of her privacy, and her cheeks burned as she recalled her bath time chat with the wolf.
"You have nothing to be ashamed of." The look he shot her pinged her nipples into points against the flimsy fabric of her nightwear.
"You saw me naked?" Regardless of whether his tale was true or not, she hated that there was a possibility he had seen her at her most vulnerable.
"I think that makes us even, don't you?" He clutched the pillow closer to his groin. She'd have to remember to put the cover in the wash tomorrow.
"So, you've seen me in the nip, and I've seen you. It's been fun, but could you please fuck off now? It's been a long day." She wanted to crawl back into bed and pretend the past twenty-four hours had never happened.
"I didn't realize losing my father's funding would cause you such hardship. I'm sorry I upset you. That wasn't my intention." He had seen her tears after all. Bugger. That put her on the back foot.
"What did you think was going to happen? That we would put the flags out and celebrate our independence? As much as I detest saying it, we rely on your contribution to fund the project here." She had to set her weapon down so she could wipe away some more stupid tears.
"I'm still trying to get over the loss of my father. I guess I was trying to make it easier on myself by cutting a lot of ties to him. Listen, do you have something I can wear? It's impossible to have a serious conversation when I'm standing here with my balls in my hand." He peered at her from under lowered lids, sounding strangely vulnerable.
Maybe he wasn't such a cold hearted bastard after all. She knew she would go completely doolally if anything happened to her parents. That still didn't make it any more appropriate for him to be stark bollock naked in her bedroom. The sooner he covered up his six-pack and that happy trail of hair dipping from his navel, the quicker she could resume hating him. She grabbed her robe from behind the bedroom door and threw it at him.
"Thanks." He dropped the pillow to catch it in both hands.
Fuck a duck! Holly tried to avert her eyes, but she could still see his junk swinging about in her peripheral vision as he dressed. "I think I'll go put the kettle on."
Despite the cold evening, her skin was clammy. Obviously it had been too long since she'd seen a naked man for her to get all hot and bothered like this. Then again, there wasn't much chance for romantic liaisons out here in the wilds with her parents only next door. Holly shook her head as she retrieved two mugs from the cupboard. Why am I thinking about Lucas Forbes as anything other than a pain in the arse?
"It just about fits."
She turned to see him partially covered by her pink dressing gown. It didn't do much to cover his chest, but he had belted it so it at least hid his tackle from view. He took a seat at the kitchen table, tugging the bottom of the robe so it didn't expose more than the top of his meaty thighs.
"So, now what?" She put two cups of black coffee on the table, careful not to spill any over any delicate areas.
"Now, I'm hoping you'll keep your promise to let me stay the night until I've recovered enough to shift back and go home."
"I mean about the foundation. The jury's still out on whether I let you stay or bounce your butt out into the cold." Don't think about his butt. Picture him in his eviction suit.
"Do I have to remind you, you hit me with your car?" His delayed wince wasn't very believable.
"Allegedly. I'm not sure I buy into the whole werewolf deal yet." Although she knew it explained a lot about tonight,
Holly didn't believe in fairy stories.
"Hmm. How can I convince you?" Lucas drummed his fingers on the table, and Holly watched open-mouthed as his nails curved over into claws.
"That can't be real." She was seeing it, hearing the tapping of those claws on her table, but she couldn't quite believe it.
"Oh, it's real." Lucas gave a low growl, a sound Holly recognized from the local park residents, and reached across the table.
She sat completely still, holding her breath with anticipation, as the razor sharp claw came close to her face. Clearly there was something wrong with her. He had the power to rip her to shreds, and she was actually sitting her waiting for him to make his move. With a touch so gentle she could barely feel it, he ran the tip of his claw along her cheek and over her lips. Shivers ran up and down her arms lifting all the tiny hairs on end.
"Feel it?"
"Yeah." Her voice was breathy as her whole body zinged with adrenaline. As she trembled, it was as if someone had flicked a switch and turned on all her erogenous zones.
"Are you cold? I can give you this robe back if you'd like?" Lucas grinned, his eyes firmly fixed on her nipples poking through her nightie.
"No. Thank you. All I'm interested in is getting my livelihood back." She pushed his hand away and folded her arms across her chest. This was going to be a long night unless her focus remained on business rather than pleasure. Although, judging by the one touch near-gasm, Holly was sure he could do a lot for her in both areas.
****
Lucas silently thanked her for the subject change. Perhaps it was some sort of pack mentality, being so close to other wolves, that was making it so difficult for him to control his animal urges right now. She was attractive, she was feisty, and he enjoyed her company. But from the second he'd touched her, he'd wanted to leap over the table and have his wicked way with her. Holly wasn't helping the situation when she was clearly as aroused as he was. He shifted in his chair and strategically arranged the robe to hide his growing problem.
"I'll reinstate the funding. It's probably tax deductible anyway." It also meant he had an excuse for a return visit in the future. His short break away from the corporate world had proved to be very invigorating so far.
"I would appreciate that. Thank you. Of course, I'll make all the paperwork available to you so you can see exactly where the money goes." The tension automatically left Holly's shoulders, and another dagger of guilt stabbed Lucas in the gut.
"That's not necessary." He knew enough about her to know she wasn't the type to pull a fast one. Besides, his father was too shrewd to have been involved with someone unreliable.
"You're too trusting, Lucas. People might take advantage." She said it with a twinkle in her eyes and a smile on her lips.
"I'm too trusting? I'm not the one who lets random wild animals sleep on her bed."
Holly shrugged. "I generally prefer the company of wolves to most humans. I haven't met one yet who wanted to hurt me. The same can't be said for –"
"I'll take that as a compliment." He cut her off before she could finish the sentence and reinforce the fact that he'd been a bit of a shit to her.
She narrowed her eyes at him but didn't rise to the teasing. "This wolf thing. Is it hereditary, or were you bitten?"
The laugh that started deep in his belly was unexpected, but she had that effect on him. With his great secret shared and business out of the way, they were starting to relax in each other's company. And he liked it. "I wasn't munched on by a rabid wolf in the hills, no. I came from a family of wolf shifters."
"So, your dad—?"
"Yes. We were the last of our kind as far as I know. I've heard stories of some packs in Ireland or overseas, but I've never come across any. I suspect that's why he liked to come up here, for the freedom to roam and be close to your wolves." In hindsight it was a shame he'd never thought to join his father up here and embrace this life once in a while instead of shunning it.
"You mean to tell me those are real wolves roaming out there and not more hunky men waiting to jump into my bed?" It was Holly's turn to poke fun, and definitely preferable to the freak-out he expected after his reveal.
"Hunky, eh? I'll take that. You're not so bad yourself."
"Gee, thanks. You know how to make a girl feel special." She flicked her hair from her shoulder, and Lucas caught the scent of her strawberry shampoo. She smelled fresh and sweet. And good enough to eat.
Lucas's inner wolf bayed its appreciation. "Since you're fishing for compliments, and I have seen the evidence for myself, I can say you have a smokin' hot body, Holly Turner."
That image of her naked body, suds sliding over her bountiful breasts, would keep him warm on many a cold, lonely night.
Her pale skin flushed pink at the compliment as they held eye contact. In the sexually charged silence, Lucas burned with need to kiss her, hold her, possess her. Raging horny hormones rose up to strangle all of his common sense. He launched himself from his seat, and Holly met him halfway across the table, their lips colliding in a savage kiss that took his breath away.
Like too-long separated lovers they clung to each other, desperate to be reunited. He wound his fingers in her hair, and she cupped his face in her hands, as they pulled each other closer. It wasn't long before the table became an obstacle he needed to overcome. He edged around the end, never breaking contact with Holly, until they were chest to chest and unencumbered by furniture.
"What are we doing?" Her question against his lips told him this craziness wasn't the norm for her either.
"Do you want to stop?" Although he was trembling now with restraint, she only had to give the word and he would call a halt now. He might have to stand outside in temperatures below zero to cool off, but he would do it if she asked.
"No." That one word blew the lid off the passion bubbling between them.
Lucas put his hands on her waist and lifted her up onto the table. When she hitched her knees up and invited him to join her it was game over. Holly lay down on the solid wood as he braced himself above her. He called his claws out to play, and with a quick flick, sliced through the thin spaghetti straps of her chemise.
Holly gave a little gasp, quickly followed by a cat-got-the-cream smile. Lucas had never been able to completely give himself to a woman, always holding this part of him back. Now, with her excitement and acceptance of who he really was, this beautiful woman had managed to break down those barriers. He'd never felt more in the moment, more alive, than he did right now.
****
Deep inside, Holly knew this was crazy. At some point she would wake up, because there was no way she was actually getting it on with someone claiming to be half man, half wolf. She would have to worry about her mental state tomorrow though, because she couldn't think straight as he sliced down the front of the silk like a scissor blade through paper.
The cold air puckered her nipples into bullets as her night dress slid away from her body. Her chest rose and fell with every eager breath she took, waiting for his next move. She trembled under Lucas's hungry gaze, looking at her as though she was dinner, spread out for him to devour. He latched his mouth around one proud pink bud, and Holly melted under the heat. Arousal coursed through her, pooling between her thighs, and leaving the first course ready to serve.
Lucas teased her with his multi-purpose claw, scraping it lightly over her collar bone and down the center of her torso. She held her breath as he trailed lower, dipping in and out of her belly button before coming to rest at the top of her slit. Clearly she had some seriously fucked up ideas of what qualified as a turn on when she was an inch away from mutilation and wetter than a teenager at a boy-band concert.
Impatience gripped her, and in return, she gripped him. She tugged the dressing gown open to take his impressive erection in hand. He gasped at her boldness, and she hesitated for a moment. This wasn't her. She didn't do casual sex, and she certainly didn't eat anything except her microwave meals for one at the dinner table. And then he re
placed his claw with his tongue and licked her inner prude into submission. Oh, Christ! He dipped deep inside her pussy, and Holly went limp. Her hands drifted back to her sides, leaving his cock unattended. While Lucas was circling her clit with such intensity, her thoughts were purely selfish. His turn would have to wait.
"I need you inside me."
Lucas lifted his head, his hair mussed from where her fingers had raked through it. "Now?"
"Now." They hadn't wasted time on courting this far, and she didn't see the point in putting off what they both wanted. Sometimes slow and steady just didn't hit the spot.
Lucas threw off the ridiculous pink robe, enabling Holly to revel in every hard inch of his naked body, and lowered himself onto her. He kissed her with purpose, if that purpose was to turn her into a raving nympho, while his sturdy erection pressed into her belly. She arched off the table, providing her own thrills as she rutted against him.
Her nether lips parted to slide along his length, and she could feel the tremor run through Lucas. In this role reversal, she claimed power over him. Although, not for long. Lucas positioned the head of his cock at her entrance and pushed inside her. White heat consumed her from the inside as she accepted him and gave herself over to raw passion.
Lucas's sharp intake of breath matched her own as she fought to regain control. How easy it would be to let go now with a quick and easy release of her frustrations, and miss all the fun. Instead, she clung to him and rode out her wanton desires, afraid she would never experience such overwhelming need again.
She lifted her knees up, tilted her pelvis up, and made damn sure she didn't miss any part of this surreal coupling. Lucas took the hint that she wasn't interested in niceties tonight, withdrawing and slamming into her with such force she slowly inched across the surface of the table. It should've hurt; it could've been too rough for someone who hadn't been laid in months. It didn't; it wasn't. Every slam pushed her closer to Nirvana. Perhaps his wolf was connecting with her on some basic, animal level, but she was willing to be fucked like his bitch.
He leaned back on his knees and grabbed her butt cheeks in his hands to pull her back down the table. With increased vigor, he pumped into her like some sort of motorized sex doll for whom stamina was no problem. Between her pants and moans, Holly tried to catch her breath, an impossible task when he increased his thrusts per minute to jackhammer proportions, and her cries grew shrill enough to shatter glass.
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