by Nora Snowdon
The music changed into a slow song by Pink and I moved into his arms. Then it hit me. He smelled. And not in a good way. It was a combination of citrus fabric softener, a deodorant with vanilla, nutmeg and another spice, and a cologne with even more contrasting odors. Why would a guy wear that many flavors all at once? I tried to discreetly mouth breathe and it helped a bit.
He pulled me closer and his hand drifted down my backside. I raised it up to my waist with a little laugh to show I wasn’t angry, just not willing to be felt up. After all, if it wasn’t for his noxious odors, I might have considered dating him. He wasn’t nearly as attractive as Robert, but then again, no guy I’d dated previously or would likely date in the future could measure up to Robert in the looks department. I could forego the perfect looks for a less controlling guy. But the smell factor was another issue.
As soon as the song ended I pushed out of his embrace.
He grabbed my hand. “Another dance?”
“No thanks.” I pulled my hand away, resisting the urge to wipe my palm on my skirt. “I should get back…” I nodded toward where Leanne was now sitting with another drink in front of her. She also had two glasses of wine presumably waiting for me. Gah! One of us had to stay sober. And I was obviously the only possibility for that job.
“Oh come on.” He whined as he followed me back to the table.
Could I foist him off on Leanne? Hmm, probably not as she already didn’t like his tattoos, not to mention that he’d asked me to dance first.
I sat by Leanne and the guy sat across the table from us. Damn. But at least his stink wasn’t as bad with the distance.
“My name’s Jim.”
We shook hands with him, exchanged names, and then he turned to Leanne. “Care to dance?”
“Sure.”
I raised my eyebrows at her and she gave a small shrug. Hmm, maybe that’d been his plan all along, dance with me to make Leanne feel competitive. Whatever. I watched her walk to the dance floor. She didn’t seem too drunk to think. Always good to know when you might need to cock-block. They’d just started dancing when a heavyset guy took over Leanne’s seat with a thump.
“Hi. Wanna dance?”
“Sorry. I need a break.” It’d be too rude to dance seconds after turning down Jim. And I needed to guard our drinks and purses.
Another guy appeared to my left holding two glasses of booze, one of them a red wine. “The bartender said you were drinking Shiraz, so…” His voice faded as he noticed my still untouched two wines.
Like hell I’d touch any drink from a stranger. I smiled, but made careful note as to which drinks Leanne had been watching as he placed his glass into the line-up. What was going on with all these men? Usually I watched them dance attendance on Leanne. And these guys both had annoying smells, too. Were they selling cheap colognes in the men’s bathroom?
The heavyset guy stood up and leaned aggressively toward the newcomer. “We were just gonna to dance. Why doncha take a hike?”
I guess the surprise on my face gave the new guy courage. “I don’t think so, buddy. She doesn’t want to dance with you.” They both puffed out their chests like roosters.
Holy crap! They weren’t planning to fight over me, were they? Now I definitely didn’t want to know either one. Was there a way to extricate myself without abandoning our drinks? I slung my purse strap across my chest, Leanne’s purse on my other shoulder, picked up one of my wines and Leanne’s Brown Cow and backed away from the table.
Apparently just in the nick of time, as the first jerk took a wild swing at the other guy. I lurched back, only spilling a bit of my wine. Then all hell broke loose. It felt like an old western movie as more and more people got caught up in the melee. I abandoned the drinks and found Leanne and Jim on the dance floor. I tapped on her arm.
“Hey. Let’s go.”
Her eyes widened as she took in the escalating fight. Jim looked at the mob scene and then at me. “Don’t worry Ella, I’ll protect you.”
What the frig? “No.”
He ignored me as he dove into the fight with both fists flailing. I grabbed Leanne and pulled her in the opposite direction toward the door.
“My purse—”
“I’ve got it.”
“What about my jacket?”
“I’ll pick it up tomorrow,” I reassured her. There had been too many club brawls ending in knife or gun fights recently, there was no way I’d let Leanne go back into that mess. We joined the crowd streaming out of the club just as the police were running in.
It wasn’t until we’d turned the corner and got into a cab that I began to feel safe. “Wow, when you turn thirty, you do it with a bang.”
”Too much of one. I think I’ll try thirty-one next year.” She leaned back against the car seat and started to laugh. “You know, I was just thinking that maybe Jim was the guy for me when suddenly he’s jumping in to fight to protect you. Who the hell’s butt had he just been groping? What a jerk. And what was that fight about?”
“Who knows? A bunch of drunk guys letting off steam.” That couldn’t have been about me—unless somehow a werewolf bite made me irresistible. That seemed unlikely. Robert hadn’t said anything about that, had he? I tuned back into what Leanne was saying.
“—I guess I knew Jim wasn’t really interested, he did ask more about you than me while we danced. But I figured when he grabbed my ass, maybe he’d come around to wanting me. And I wanted him, even though he had stupid tattoos. God, I’m pathetic.” Her lower lip started to quiver and her eyes welled up.
Oh frig. Don’t let her start crying, she’ll never stop. “You’re not pathetic. He probably overheard our conversation and figured you weren’t a slut like me.” Not that he could’ve, but hopefully she was too drunk to remember how it had all played out.
“You think so? Hey, you’re not a slut! You’re just a wannabe slut.” She started giggling again and I heaved a sigh of relief. Man, I just wanted to get home. Even the damned taxi driver had bad body odor. What the hell was it with all the stinky men?
****
“Why are you so grumpy tonight?” Lucas eyed Robert as he toyed with his chicken wings. “Dad said your new ad campaign had boosted sales in every state we ran it. And that TV producer keeps phoning trying to work out a time for you to fly to L.A. to discuss the new show. I should be the grumpy one; it was my buying trip to Tehran that got cancelled.”
“I’m not grumpy.” Robert pushed his plate away. Cold wings and warm beer. He should stop trusting the stupid food critic who’d recommended the bloody pub. Best hot wings, my ass. He ripped open a wet cloth and wiped his hands. Hell, the food wasn’t the problem. Maybe Lucas could help. With his new wife, he was a little better at understanding human females. “Ella blew me off for a date tonight.”
“Who?” Lucas furrowed his brows for a moment then nodded. “Ah, the woman you bit. Well, it’s not as though you really want to date her, do you? You just need to help her transition and then she can go out with one of the Parker brothers.”
Robert sneered. “Why would she like them better than me?”
“I didn’t mean that. But she’s not exactly your type, is she? You always fall for gorgeous women.”
“What’s wrong with Ella?” Man, he hadn’t felt like decking Lucas for ages. At least since when he’d thought his brother had cheated with his fiancée. He shoved his fist into his pocket.
Lucas laughed. “Uh oh. Sounds like you’ve found your mate and she’s not biting.”
“What the hell are you talking about? She’s not my mate. I just don’t appreciate being blown off so she can hang out with a friend.”
“Or maybe she’s already seeing someone else?” Lucas seemed to be reveling in his rejection. Twit!
“No. I asked her.” She wouldn’t have lied about that, would she? And she’d kissed him back. Robert sipped his tepid beer, trying to ignore the tightening in his groin. He’d been honorable, backing off instantly when she’d said no. Maybe if he’d pushe
d she would’ve changed her mind? Hell, he’d sure wanted to. Nah. He’d been right to leave but it sure didn’t help with his lust tonight every time he thought of her. What if her heightened sexuality made her fall for some other guy? That thought had kept him awake most of last night.
“So when are you seeing the lovely Ella again?”
Robert drained the rest of his beer. “Don’t know.”
“What? She wouldn’t commit to another night? That doesn’t sound good.”
“No, dufus. I didn’t ask her out for another night.”
“Why not, for chrissake? If you like the girl then don’t dick around. Unless…” Lucas looked at him with concern and lowered his voice. “Does she want children? Is that the problem?”
“No. She said she didn’t want kids even before I mentioned my accident.”
Lucas jerked back in surprise. “You told her about that? On your first date? No wonder she bailed.”
“I didn’t give her the details. Besides, most women are actually intrigued by a man with a tragic ‘accident’ in their past.”
“Really? I’d think they’d want to know you had all the necessary parts.”
“Oh, she knows that.” Robert smiled remembering her rubbing her pelvis against him. Damn it, she had been attracted to him.
“Okay.” Lucas sounded doubtful.
“So what should I do?” It felt odd asking his little brother for dating advice. Robert had always been the more sexually confident of the two. But this woman had him stumped, maybe because she wasn’t his usual type.
Lucas shook his head in exasperation. “Call her up tomorrow and ask her on a date, stupid. If she says she’s busy one night, then ask for the next and keep going until she accepts or hangs up on you.”
“What? I’m not going to beg a woman to go out with me. I have some pride.”
“Swallow it.” Lucas patted him on the shoulder. “Face it, bro. You’re licked. You’ve found your mate and if you don’t convince her, you’re screwed. Or more like you won’t get screwed satisfactorily for the rest of eternity.”
“Forget that bullshit. I’ve enjoyed a lot of women who weren’t my ‘mate’ and so even if you’re right about Ella—which you’re not—I’ll still enjoy a lot of others.”
“Call her.” Lucas stood. “I’ve got to go. I promised Rosie I wouldn’t be out late again tonight.”
“Pussy whipped.”
“Yup. And guess what Robert, it’s worth it.” Lucas smiled that damn smug smile and walked out of the pub.
Robert picked up his glass before noticing it was empty. Shit. Was he going to call the woman? He had to see her again pretty soon anyway to help her prepare for the full moon. Without help, the first werewolf transition could be dangerous. And if she resisted it could be much worse.
****
CHAPTER 4
Jeez! What the hell was wrong with me? I’d spent all of last night and this morning convincing myself I was lucky to have ditched Robert before he broke my heart or worse, I found out he was mentally deranged. Now here I was running around my bedroom searching for something sexy to wear on a date with him. Officially nuts.
It wasn’t my fault, though. He’d caught me off guard turning up at my office at noon. He also surprised Kaity, who promptly spilt coffee down the front of her new cream blouse when he strode into the room like he owned it. She slunk off in embarrassment so I didn’t have to introduce them. Yeah. Then he’d been very business-like, suggesting we conclude our interview tonight at six. If he hadn’t held the handshake a tad too long, and his eyes hadn’t been as intense, I would’ve believed he was only interested in my article. That might’ve helped my nerves tonight as I threw my discarded clothing choices on my bed.
Could I get away with my black jeans and copper sweater? It might be a little casual if he took me somewhere expensive, but my fancier stuff all looked too businesslike. And was it another dinner date? What if he just meant to take me out for drinks? Hmm, I’d have to drink slowly so it didn’t hit too hard on an empty stomach. Six should mean dinner.
Yup, jeans and sweater were fine. Heck, I don’t think he even noticed my outfit last time. God, I need sexy date clothes, but I didn’t want to waste the money if he was going to dump me when I didn’t become a werewolf. Or maybe even if I did become one. He might only feel obliged to see me through the first transition. I mean, really, dogs hump everything from other dogs to human legs to probably lamp posts. Why would a werewolf be any more monogamous?
And what if he made love like a dog—wham, bam, thank you, bitch. How disappointing would that be? Then again, that kiss…
Like I said, “Officially nuts.”
I added a little more make-up while I waited for him to arrive. Although with how healthy my skin and eyes looked, I didn’t need much. I wish the bite could’ve also made me taller, but you can’t have everything.
A shiver of excitement coursed through me at the sound of the doorbell. I tried to cover my excitement with a bland hostess smile. It would’ve worked better if I could’ve kept my breathing and heart rate under control. I opened the door.
My stomach fluttered at the sight of him, almost too perfect to be real. I swallowed trying to get some moisture in my throat before speaking.
“Hello beautiful.” He took my hand and kissed it. His soft lips and warm breath on my skin promising so much more. Then he pulled me towards him until we were just inches apart. Holy Hannah, he smelled good. What was it with me lately with all the smelling of men? And how the hell could this man smell so incredible? I couldn’t even identify the scent as floral or spicy, I just knew it made me want to jump his bones. Now. Maybe it was a pheromone cologne? I was so distracted by his heavenly scent, I didn’t even notice him coming in for the kiss until his lips met mine. His full, firm and sensuous lips.
Holy crap.
My body melted into his embrace like I had no say in the matter. Although I’m pretty sure if I did have a say, I would be, “Yeah, go for it!”
We stood there kissing for what seemed like an eternity and then like not nearly long enough when he broke it off. Yeah, somehow I didn’t think he’d make love like a randy dog.
I cleared my throat. “Hi.”
He kissed the top of my head and then murmured, “We could go to dinner, but I’d rather drag you inside and ravish your delectable body, right now.”
I looked up, startled to see his dark eyes looked totally serious. Wow. I think I’d like that.
“That sounds like fun, but I’ll take the dinner first.” I should get as much good food out of the deal as possible before he dumps me. Besides I still had to ask him how he felt about small animals.
His low chuckle surprised me. “I like a woman with a good appetite. Shall we then?”
I locked my door wondering if I was making a big mistake. What if he didn’t want to ravish me later? Or if I didn’t want to be ravished by him? Dead animals was still a definite deal breaker. Then again, if he was innocent, the anticipation would make it even more exciting.
****
Robert looked down at the blonde head as she walked beside him. Could she be his mate? She wasn’t at all his type. He preferred more sophisticated women, more career driven women and certainly taller women. He also liked women who didn’t make him wait. Grr. Then again, she sure tasted wonderful. Every fiber in his body ached to possess her.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts as he opened the car door for her. It really didn’t matter. What was important now was to help her transition and to have sex with her. After that he could worry about how permanent anything was. And actually since the full moon was still three days away, his first personal need was the sex. From her response earlier, she seemed willing to indulge him. He slid into the driver’s seat.
“Where are we going?” Her soft voice shot straight to his groin.
Could he apply a little more pressure to persuade her to change the sequence of the night’s events? No, down boy. Ignition, gas, clutch. H
is car rumbled to life. “Kobi’s Steak House.”
“I’ve never been there. So tell me, does every restaurant you go to feature steak?”
He laughed. “No.” He turned to glance at her. “Well, maybe. We could go somewhere else.”
“That’s fine. As long as they also serve other stuff.”
“I hear they’ve got great seafood.”
She licked her bottom lip and let out an odd purring sound. “I looove seafood.”
“You’ll change.”
She was silent for a couple of blocks and then blurted out, “How do you feel about small animals and pets?”
“What?” That came out of nowhere. He changed lanes while he thought out his answer. “I like most animals. I wouldn’t want to have a pet, though. It would be strange training one as if it was somehow beneath me, if that makes sense. Especially a dog. One of my distant cousins is half poodle. Her dad’s very nice and I can’t imagine lording my opposable thumb abilities over him.”
“Oh.” She smiled, so his response must’ve been okay.
“Do you have any pets?” He hadn’t heard or smelt any animals in her house.
“No. I’d like to have a cat, but then I’d feel guilty either not letting it outside or have to worry about it getting run over.”
He chuckled to himself. Her preference toward cats would change over the next few days as well, but no point telling her.
“When did you first realize that your family was different?” She fiddled with her purse strap.
He eyed her with suspicion. “You’re not still interviewing me, are you?”
“For the magazine? No. As a date, maybe. I’m just curious as to how werewolves could actually exist and people wouldn’t know. Like, wouldn’t little werewolves tell their friends?”
“Sure they do. But everyone just assumes it’s their crazy imaginations. Kids are born as wolves but do a swift transition into human form. Then they don’t actually transition back into wolves until their teens. And that’s when we have a sort of wolf-mitzvah, if you will. The kids are taught the history of their pack, sworn to secrecy and then they get to join in their first full moon run. It’s very exciting.”