by Terry Spear
Again, a memory. But even so, he couldn't recall what had happened to his parents or anything else about the incident.
After Tessa washed his neck, she left. Hating to admit it, he wanted in the worst way to drag her back, beg her to finish, then make love to her. He opened a sleepy eye, wondering what she was up to.
With a slight blush to her cheeks, she stood over him holding the afghan. "You must be cold." Before he could tell her she was heating him up just fine, she covered the lower part of his body with the soft blanket, and then started to wash his back, her touch methodical and soothing. "You sure took a beating."
She might have talked further, but he couldn't be sure. His thoughts had drifted to his current predicament and how he'd gotten here. If he had a sister, were they in a pack? He had to be the leader. He couldn't imagine serving in any other role. But what of his people? Were they from this area?
The lupus garou skulking around Tessa's place didn't remind him of anyone he knew. And then another concern: if his pack thought he was dead, one of the emergent alphas--if there were any--would try to take over. Well, he would remedy that when he got back.
"I had a premonition something bad was going to happen," Tessa was saying.
He opened his eyes, turned his head, and stared at her.
"Oh, I'm not psychic or anything. I just have these--bad impressions sometimes. Anyway," she said, scooting the afghan down to the tip of his spine, "sometimes I feel like something is wrong. When my parents died, I felt that way. Before they arrested Michael, it hit me again. Now tonight. I just couldn't pinpoint the feeling, but I couldn't squash the sensation of being watched."
Yeah, by the gray. He assumed the man had been stalking her for some time before he finally made a move.
She finished washing his back, slipped the afghan higher, covering his back and shoulders, and began washing his lower extremities. "Are you all right? Not getting too chilled?"
More than all right. In heaven, as much as he could be, the way he was so bruised and every muscle ached. "It feels good to have the salt washed off my skin," he said, his voice muffled in relaxation.
"Tell me if I hurt you and I'll quit."
He would suffer anything as long as she kept touching him.
When she began to work the liniment into his shoulders, the way her fingers massaged the muscles sent a sizzling heat through every fiber. He groaned with pure pleasure.
She stopped. "Am I hurting you?"
"Only if you quit."
She chuckled.
Despite how good she was making him feel, he couldn't prevent his mind from working over the problem with the gray wolf intruder. "Who would have a key to your house?"
She hesitated and then began to rub his lower back. "Michael, of course. Bethany had a key." Her fingers rested on the tip of his spine.
Move lower, he silently pleaded.
"Ohmigod, what if the killer had taken it off Bethany? What if he was looking for evidence Michael might have against him, except my brother was unaware of it?"
What if the whole scenario was a setup to get rid of Michael so the lupus garou could have a free shot at Tessa? What if it had nothing to do with Bethany Wade?
It would make sense that a sneaky beta was seeing Bethany behind Michael's back, cagey enough not to get caught, but giving Michael an alibi he couldn't prove. Oh, hell, if a lupus garou killed Bethany, no way could he expose him for the crime. If the killer went to prison, the moon's appearance would eventually force the man to turn wolf. But to get Michael off, they needed to catch the murderer and have him convicted.
Hunter let out his breath in exasperation.
"Did you want to turn over, and I'll wash the rest of your skin?" she asked.
He didn't think she could handle what she had done to him with her sweet touch, but he was more than ready and rolled over. He groaned with the effort and any fear she might have had that he would want to take their relationship too far seemed to fade as her eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly. Not that he couldn't make love to her despite the way he ached. Dealing with that torture would only help alleviate other discomforts she was now making worse.
She covered him quickly, although the afghan couldn't hide his full-blown erection, and her cheeks blushed anew. "I don't believe anyone else had a key to our place."
He studied her face as she washed his chest, her lashes hiding her eyes as she concentrated on her work. He wanted to ask her if she was seeing anyone regularly. The scent of several different males filled the house, but they might have been her brother's friends. He hoped they were her brother's friends. But if he asked if she was seeing anyone special, she might make more of an issue of his question than he intended. Still, being an alpha he couldn't skirt around the situation. What if a suitor turned up and found Tessa and him sleeping together?
He didn't want to ruin her relationship with a guy if it was important to her. He couldn't claim her for his own. He didn't believe in changing humans, and he hadn't known anyone personally who had ever done so. At least that he could remember.
Certainly, he couldn't imagine anyone doing it in this day and age. Although he supposed if the two were mutually agreeable... he mentally shook his head. It wasn't possible without the wolf telling the human what they were, which wasn't allowed. And even if a lupus garou did explain the situation, how could a human truly understand the ramifications of the change? He or she couldn't.
Tessa lowered the afghan and then worked on his stomach, her hair caressing his belly. Tickling, tantalizing. he itched to take handfuls of her hair and lower her fascinating mouth to his and kiss her again. Only this time with a lot more stamina.
When she began washing his legs, she avoided looking in the direction of his erection staking the cover in the form of a mountain peak.
"Tessa," he said, raising up on an elbow, "are you seeing anyone regularly?"
Wide-eyed, she looked at him.
He sure as hell didn't mean it like it sounded. "I don't want to ruin your relationship with a man if you're serious about one while I'm staying with you, and he was to drop by unexpectedly."
"We could say you're gay."
He raised his brows. Not only did he not care for the idea, he didn't like that she had a boyfriend. "Then you're seeing someone?" He hated how gruff his voice sounded. He meant to ask casually, not like he was ready to rip the guy's head from his shoulders.
She shrugged, but avoided looking at him. He smiled. She wasn't seeing anyone, but was afraid to admit it--maybe embarrassed that she didn't have a guy, or maybe she thought she could prevent her houseguest from getting too frisky with her in the event he wanted something more.
He leaned back again, his head resting on the crook of his arms while she washed his feet. From the moment he'd found himself half frozen and hurting beyond belief on the beach, he'd never thought an angel would be the one to save him, or tempt him like she did.
"What about you? Do you have anyone?" She set aside the wet washcloth and applied ointment to a cut on his shin.
Hell, he'd never considered that. What if he did have a mate waiting at home for him? There were too few to leave widowed, before another male would jump to claim an unattached female.
Tessa rubbed more antibacterial ointment on a deep scrape on his inner thigh, stirring his erection. But he couldn't quit worrying if he had a mate. Surely if he did have one, she'd wait for some time before giving up hope on him.
When he didn't respond, Tessa looked up at him. "Do you?"
Tessa felt Hunter's pain, the poor man. He couldn't even remember if he had someone special in his life. But it was probably good she brought it up, to put a halt to whatever he was thinking might go on between them. He was way too aroused for her to believe he was interested in only protecting her. And she couldn't help but notice his irritation when he thought she might be attached to a man.
She glanced at the dwindling fire. They would need the dry firewood for tomorrow's heat and breakfast if th
e electricity didn't come on during the night. She wasn't sure if taking Hunter to bed with her was a sound idea, but it would be warmer under the covers if they couldn't have a fire all night long. And the mattress was definitely preferable to the carpeted floor.
"I'll get some fresh sweats for you to wear. You look worn out. Maybe we should go to bed now."
He attempted to look serious, but his eyes and mouth hinted at humor. Yeah, he had suckered her right in. He might have been dead tired, but the way he regarded her with such fascination--her hair, her clothes as if he could see right through them, the way he captured her gaze, holding her captive--he was way too interested in her.
"But remember," she said, grabbing a camp lantern, "you're gay, so no funny stuff or you'll be sleeping on the floor."
This time he gave her a smug smile and a little chuckle. "As you wish. Thanks, Tessa, for taking me in."
"I'd say we both benefited." She tried to sound businesslike, as though she ran a first-rate hotel for half-drowned victims who earned their keep, and hurried down the now dark hall. But then she thought she heard someone in Michael's bedroom. She had closed the door to keep the freezing wind blowing through his window from chilling the rest of the house, but she was sure a drawer opened and shut.
Maybe the wind had made the noise. Still, she listened and couldn't force herself to reach for the doorknob.
"Tessa?" Hunter walked up behind her, this time wearing the afghan slung low over his hips.
The effect was nearly as erotic as when he wasn't wearing anything. She would never look at the blanket her grandmother had made the same way again either.
He seized the doorknob and jerked the door open.
She held her breath.
He stalked into the frigid room, and she hurried to give him the lantern. He peered into the closet, and then walked inside. She half-expected him to bring the intruder out, with an arm locked around the culprit's neck. But instead, Hunter carried a bundle of sweats. Then he went to the window and looked out.
"See anyone?"
"No one's there." He turned to face her, the breeze blowing his hair across his cheeks, softening his dark expression. "What do you think you heard?"
"Someone opening a drawer."
Hunter dumped the sweats on the mattress and peered under the bed. He set the lantern down, and then crossed the floor to the dresser. When she saw what he was about to do, she hurried to help him move the furniture. His muscles strained as he did the majority of the work, and she cringed to think he might injure himself further.
After they had blocked the window with the heavy mahogany dresser, he grabbed the sweats and lantern.
"He won't be getting in that way again."
"Do you think I really heard him? Or do you think I imagined it?" she asked, hoping the intruder hadn't slipped back in as she led Hunter into her bedroom.
"Could have been the wind. I'll board up the window in the morning and replace it once we pick up a new one."
Brother, here she worried about him getting too amorous with her in bed, and he was saving her butt again. The long-standing distrust of men she had didn't help. Not after her father had been one of the worst womanizers in the small community. How her mother had put up with him and his philandering ways she could never fathom.
"I'll leave this lantern on in the bathroom in case you need something in the middle of the night." She noted he had put on a pair of pale gray sweatpants, but not the sweatshirt. "Aren't you going to be cold?"
He cast her a small smile and her cheeks heated. Since he was so comfortable showing off his nudity, he probably usually slept in the raw.
"I'll leave a spare toothbrush on the bathroom counter for you. Be right out."
"Thanks, Tessa. I'll lie down until you're through."
But he glanced at her bedroom window, and she bet he wanted to check outside for the intruder. "You've got to be exhausted, Hunter. Don't worry about him. I'll be quick."
As much raw sexual energy as he exuded, she wasn't sure sleeping with him was such a good idea after all.
But when she exited the bathroom, expecting to find him lying on the bed, half-asleep, she found the room empty. Sitting by the remnants of the fire then?
Cinching up her velour robe, she hurried down the hall with lantern in hand to let him know the bathroom was free, but there was no sign of him in the living room. She rushed to the picture window and peered out. He couldn't be out in this awful weather.
Not anywhere in sight. Hurrying to the back door, she halfway expected him to trudge up the hill with another enormous load of firewood.
"Looking for someone?" he asked behind her, his voice dark and husky.
She squeaked and whirled around. "My god, Hunter. Where were you?"
He held up a shaving kit. "I found it in the guest bathroom. I hope your brother won't mind if I shaved."
His skin was smooth as satin and she wanted to run her hands over his face, feel the velvety skin, smell the citrus spice aftershave, but more than that, she wanted another of his soul-piercing kisses. She chastised herself. He probably had a wife.
"He won't mind that you've used his things while he's... away. He'll be glad you were here to watch over me. And that you've offered to help me find Bethany's killer so we can free him."
A subtle shadow fell over his face, and she wondered if he'd changed his mind. Well, she hadn't. "If you don't need anything else..."
He moved out of her path and bowed his head slightly.
The frigid air wasn't the only thing that chilled her to the bone. She had quickly become used to the idea she'd have a real man on her side to help her locate Bethany's murderer.
She shouldn't have gotten her hopes up.
* * *
Tessa grabbed the tie to her robe, then apparently thinking better of it, she climbed into bed dressed in fluffy pink socks, polka-dot pink and green pajamas, and the emerald robe. He had never seen a woman so clothed in bed. He stifled a chuckle. The big bad wolf would not eat her all up, unless she chose it and he was free to do so.
She kept her distance, staying near the opposite edge of the soft queen-sized mattress, which was understandable since he was a stranger. But she needed someone to hold her tight after her harrowing day--the trial, the intruder, finding a near dead man on the beach. She cast wistful looks at him when she didn't think he could see her in the dark.
He took a long-suffering breath. Patience was definitely not one of his virtues, but he needed a place to stay until he could sort out his situation. The best thing he could do was ignore his cravings when it came to the woman who stirred his desire with a smile, a touch, and the scent of her subtle aroused state.
Forget patience or the right or wrong of it. "Join me, Tessa. The room's too cold. I promise I'll behave." At least that was the plan.
"You're injured."
He'd suffer anything to have her in his arms. "I'll let you know if I'm hurting."
Silence. He smiled. She was thinking on it. He waited, anticipating enveloping her soft body in his. She shook her head. He groaned inwardly.
"I'm fine. If you get too cold, throw on Michael's sweatshirt. You can get some of his sweaters, socks, whatever else you need to stay toasty."
"If you change your mind and want me to warm you up, just slide over here."
Forever, he waited for her to come to him. The wind whipped around the house in a howling frenzy while the rain continued to pelt the roof and windows. Every bit of the cold seemed to have made it inside her home and the bedroom was icier than her freezer. But still, he would not bundle up in tons of clothes when he had a perfectly good woman to snuggle with.
Then her leg jerked. Her arm twitched. She was asleep. She rolled over. Was she joining him?
Her foot shot out and connected with his knee. Pain flared through the tendons and surrounding tissue. Hell, he already had a bruise the size of a melon there. Before he could pull her into his arms, she rolled over again. Night terrors? Nightmares? He reach
ed over to rub her back, to comfort her, when her elbow jabbed him in the chest.
Not what he had in mind after frolicking in the ocean, battered against the rocks in the icy water. Then the sound of distant gunfire caught his attention. As a lupus garou, shouldn't the shots grip him with terror? Adrenaline flooded his system, but he wasn't afraid. In fact, for whatever reason, he felt the oddest urge to take up a gun and retaliate.
If the shooter was nearby, Hunter would make him move so he wouldn't wake Tessa. Time to see if the gray who broke into her home was wandering around outside at this hour also.
Careful not to wake Tessa, Hunter climbed out of bed, covered her up, observed her hair splayed across the pillow, her lashes twitching, her alluring lips parted slightly, inviting another kiss. He took a deep, settling breath. A mermaid from the sea, and just as alluring. He groaned to himself, seized Michael's shoes and sweatshirt, and hurried from the bedroom.
He thought of changing by the shed, but he couldn't risk Tessa catching him shapeshifting. With Michael's field jacket and gloves tucked under his arm, he found a plastic garbage bag to stick them in to keep them dry while he searched for the gray in his wolf form.
At least it seemed like a good strategy. But the way things were going for him lately...
He'd had enough bad luck to last him at least one human's lifetime.
In the middle of the night, the sound of gunfire in the distance woke Tessa. She jerked her head around and stared at the empty bed. No Hunter. Her heart raced and she practically flew off the mattress. Grabbing the lantern from the bathroom, she hurried down the hall. "Hunter?"
No answer.
She half-expected him to be asleep on the couch because she'd been tossing and turning so much, her usual mode of sleep since her brother had been incarcerated.
"Hunter?" She peered into the living room.