by A C Warneke
Duncan’s heart stilled in his chest at the trust she placed in him, so honest and unfettered. Who was this girl? Clearing his throat, holding her hips in his hands, he asked, “Do you want to follow me in your car?”
“I don’t have a car,” she admitted. “I usually catch a ride with Dima or Cole or I take the bus or a cab.”
“You don’t drive?” he sounded incredulous.
She laughed, “I drive, I just prefer not to in the morning. I mean, have you ever tried driving in four inch stilettos? It’s not exactly easy, especially when you’re barely awake.”
“So, we take my car?” he asked, still holding her.
“Unless you want to give me your address and have me call a cab,” she smiled, her eyes sparkling with laughter. “Or I could call Dima or Cole and have one of them drop me off, sort of like an adult version of a slumber party.”
“Lexi?”
“Yes, Duncan?” she grinned up at him.
“Shut up,” he grinned back, lowering his head and kissing her fast and hard. Before the kiss could go any further, Duncan stepped back, and took a moment to catch his breath. “We’ll take my car.”
“Brilliant idea,” she smiled.
Chapter 14 (Friday Night)
Lexi lay in Duncan’s arms, their bodies still slick from their frenzied lovemaking upon getting to his house, located a half hour outside of the city limits on a huge wooded lot. She barely had time to register the magnificence of her surroundings before Duncan had his lips on her and he was leading her to a sitting room with a chaise. Then she was naked and writhing on the soft couch with Duncan between her thighs, furiously thrusting away. As soon as they exploded, he rolled over so that her boneless body was sprawled over his and he discarded the used condom.
She still had her wig on.
She idly drew circles on his chest, feeling out-of-breath and blissful. “Wow.”
He grunted, his chest rumbling against her chest as he tightened his grip around her shoulders, pulling her even closer to his spent body. Kissing the top of her head, he let out a wince, “I want to see you without the wigs, Lexi; I want to make love to you, damn it.”
She chuckled as she reluctantly pushed herself away from his lovely, hard body and straddled his thighs. Taking a moment to appreciate his masculine beauty, she exhaled softly: his muscles gleamed in the low light and he smelled of sex. Reaching up, thrusting out her breasts, she removed the pins from her hair and then removed the wig. Scrubbing her hands through the strands of her hair as it fell limply down to the middle of her back, she shrugged her shoulders in apology, “My hair’s a little flat from the wig.”
He sat up, snaking one arm around her waist as he reached up with the other to run his fingers through the tangled mess. As he studied the boring brown hair his expression was reverential and his words appreciative as he whispered, “It's beautiful.”
“Now I know you’re lying because I know how my hair looks after it has been pinned up under a wig all day,” she laughed. The amusement faded as he held her gaze, sincerity and desire making the silver shine.
His muscles flexed as he ran his hand over her scalp, his other hand up her spine. She was held immobile by the intensity of his expression as his eyes moved over her face, making her blood surge through her veins. His silver gaze caressed her and she swore that she could feel it in her soul. Her body trembled as he continued to consume her without words. “Duncan.”
“You make me want to be stronger,” he rasped, the silver of his eyes glowing as they met hers. “So I can have you and keep you safe."
Cupping his face in her hands, she shook her head and smiled softly, “You’re a warrior, Duncan, always plotting your next conquest or preparing for battle. Let me be your strength when you’re with me; let me be your port in the storm.”
His eyes closed and he inhaled deeply as his other arm wrapped around her and he pulled her closer, resting his cheek against her breast. “You’re a siren.”
She stiffened at his words and her mouth felt like ash, “What do you mean?”
“You tempt me like no other,” he whispered, kissing the skin over her heart, kissing a trail over her chest to her neck, where he feasted and made her lose her mind. “You’re a goddess that offers cool water to a weary traveler; you’re an angel that offers shelter in the wilderness.”
His words brought tears to her eyes and as she closed them a tear managed to slip out. Resting her cheek against the cool black silk of his hair, she whispered, “You’re not supposed to make me fall in love with you, Duncan. It’s only temporary, remember?”
“I think it will be all right to fall in love a little bit,” he rasped, his breath hot against the damp skin of her throat. “For a little while.”
Pushing herself up, not comfortable with the emotional intimacy that felt too close to love, she kissed him lightly on the lips and stared deeply into his wonderful silver eyes. Brushing her lips over his cheeks, feeling the stubble of new growth, as his hands moved over her naked body, caressing her waist, her hips, she continued kissing him. Needing to establish some emotional distance from what she was feeling, she looked at him through lowered lashes and purred, “Duncan, I burn for you; I want to see you lose control completely.”
“I’m not an animal without control,” he eyes flashed as his lips pressed together in a thin line. Pushing her hair away from her face, he smiled reluctantly at her sultry expression, “Except, perhaps, around you.”
“I’m an animal around you, Duncan,” she hummed, pushing him backwards and down onto the chaise. Running her foot along his calf, enjoying the feel of his crisp hairs against her toes, she dug her fingers into the hard muscles of his chest and his eyes blazed with lust. His body was so solid beneath hers, reinforcing her impression of him being a warrior in a past life; in this life. But he didn’t smell of sweat and horses; he usually smelled of clean male. Now, well now he smelled of sex and she didn’t want to think, only feel. “A horny beast.”
That got a reluctant smile from him and her breath caught in her throat at how handsome he was when he smiled. There was simply nothing better than a naked, smiling Duncan. His breath hitched in his throat as she pressed her hot and wet sex against his hardening cock. “Lexi.”
Her smile was sultry and playful all at once, “Am I to be alone in this madness, then?”
“Hell, no,” he breathed, cradling her face in his hands and kissing her as he rolled her beneath him, until her soft body was covered by his much harder one. He was so dominant, always wanting to be in control. One of these times she was going to be in control. When she put her hand over the lips that were about to kiss her, frustration and bewilderment colored his eyes and he asked, “What is it?”
She was quiet, contemplative, for a long moment, chewing on her lower lip as she deliberated back and forth in her head. Finally, she looked at him from beneath her long lashes, feeling a little foolish. “I’m clean and I was wondering if maybe you’d want to do it without a condom?”
“I’ve never made love without a condom,” he murmured, almost to himself. Wiping his hand over his face, he put the finger of his other hand beneath her chin tilted her head up. Holding her eyes, he rasped, “Are you sure?”
“I’m on the Pill,” she said, smiling slightly with amusement.
Enchanted by that smile, he smiled, “What is it?”
“I went to the gynecologist the afternoon after that first meeting, when I found out you were going to be my new boss,” she laughed softly, turning her head and kissing his palm, leaving out the part about being a virgin until she met him. “I wanted to be prepared because I knew we would end up here; I just want you to know that I’m clean.”
His smile widened and her heart lurched in her chest. “As am I,”
“So… yes?” she asked hopefully, as if there was any doubt as to what his answer would be. She caught her lower lip between her teeth and looked at him….
“Hell yes,” he rumbled, bending his head and cap
turing her lips in an explosive kiss. He entered her slowly, reverently, as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Feeling her flesh embrace his cock without any barriers was Heaven. Being with Duncan was Heaven.
Even if it was only temporary.
*****
Lexi blinked her eyes open and found herself staring into the most beautiful silver eyes above a black muzzle that was filled with lots and lots of sharp, white fangs. She blinked again and the dog didn’t disappear. And she realized her fingers were curled into the thick fur, making her smile; she hadn’t known Duncan had a dog, and such a lovely one, too. “Hey, there, handsome; where did you come from?”
In response, the dog licked her nose, making her cringe and laugh in equal measures. Wrapping her arms around the dog’s thick neck, she briefly wondered where Duncan had wandered off to but she was already falling back to sleep. With a big yawn, she rubbed her face against the warm fur, “I like you, too. But I’m not going to give you a tongue bath.”
With another wide yawn, she snuggled further against the dog, feeling its slick tongue against her neck as he licked her. She fell asleep with a smile on her face, feeling strangely safe with the massive black dog.
*****
Lexi woke up when the sun hit her eyes. Blinking, she looked over and saw Duncan’s big, hard body sprawled across the bed. Rolling over, she plastered her body against his, resting her cheek against his shoulder blades and smiling with contentment.
“Hmm, Lexi blanket; perfect,” Duncan’s sleep gravelly voice murmured as he grabbed her arm and pulled her over his body until she was lying in front of him.
She giggled as she curled up against his chest and tangled her fingers in the dark hair that grew there. “You didn’t tell me you have a dog; what’s his name?”
He peeled his eyelids apart and looked at her oddly, “What are you talking about?”
“Last night I woke up and there was a gigantic dog on the bed with me.”
Letting his eyes drift back shut, he chuckled, “Sweetheart, I’m pretty sure you were dreaming; I don’t have a dog, big or otherwise.”
“But I was sure….”
His arm slid around her waist and pulled her harder against his body as he kissed her forehead with his eyes still closed, “It was just a dream.”
Relaxing, she rubbed her face against his chest and smiled, “I suppose you’re right. It’s just strange, is all; I mean, he had your eyes.”
“That’s because I’m a wolf, Lexi,” he said with such a deadpan voice that she jerked her head back and looked at him. As she continued to stare at him, the corners of his lips curved upwards in a sexy smile, “And I want to devour you whole, my pretty little vixen.”
She laughed at his ridiculousness, loving this less-serious side of him as much as she adored his all-too-serious nature. “I have a red cloak.”
He chuckled, tightening his hold in a hug, “But are you foolish enough to go traipsing through the woods to get to grandma’s house?”
“If I knew you were lying in wait?” she tilted her head back and grinned at him. “Hell, yeah.”
When the laughter slowly eased away, he kissed the top of her head, “I want to take you out, Lexi; and when I say I want to take you out I mean that I want to take you out, no wigs or crazy outfits, just you, just Lexi.”
She smiled to herself, his words filling her with a warm glow. “Where do you plan on taking me?”
“There’s this bar that some friends of mine run,” he said, his voice surprisingly gruff for what he was saying. Clearing his throat, he added, “It’s about an hour away but they brew their own beer and make the best cheeseburgers this side of paradise.”
“It sounds wonderful,” she murmured, pressing a light kiss against his chest, over his heart. She loved listening to the strong, steady rhythm; it made her feel cherished and safe. “But the only outfit I have has gone missing somewhere in this mammoth house of your and even if I could find it it is probably wrinkled beyond compare.”
“You and my sister Jillian are about the same size,” he murmured, his hand gently stroking her arm. “She has a closet-full of clothes here for emergencies.”
Lexi giggled, "You’ve lived here only a couple of weeks and your sister already has a stash of clothes?”
“You don’t know my sister,” he grinned, his voice warm with affection.
In that moment, Lexi realized that she wanted to meet his sister; she wanted to meet all of his relatives; she wanted to learn everything there was to know about Duncan Tremain. And she knew that it was impossible while he insisted on keeping it brief and she held any Siren-sway over him. Resting her head once more against his chest, she sighed with contentment and a little bit of melancholy, “Are you sure we can’t break your rule about having this be only temporary?”
“I have too many secrets and if I were to keep you I’d have to tell them to you,” Duncan answered slowly. When she tilted her head back to look at him, he was observing her, waiting to see what her reaction would be. “They’d make you run the other way.”
“You’ve mentioned secrets before, Duncan,” she murmured, reaching up and running her fingers over his firm lips. “And I understand. I think we keep secrets from those we love, or hope to love, because we don’t want to disappoint them or hurt them or risk losing their love. It’s terrifying opening yourself up to ridicule, especially by those you love, isn't it? If you need to keep your secrets, I won’t make you tell me.”
“You humble me, Lexi,” he breathed, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Maybe someday, if I get it together, I will tell you and we can have forever.”
“Maybe you won’t want forever if I tell you some of my secrets,” she grinned, needing to lighten the mood. Her heart was too engaged and she didn’t want to think about it, about her feelings for this incredible man. She didn’t even know if his feelings were real since she had hummed a few bars near the beginning of their acquaintance and all of his talk about love and forever actually hurt a little.
“What are your secrets, Lexi?” he asked with an amused grin.
Sitting up next to him, ignoring the way his eyes dipped to her naked breasts, ignoring the erection that was nudging her thigh, she grinned, “Well, I used to be kinda shy.”
He reached up and cupped her cheek, brushing his thumb over her full lower lip, and she could see the disbelief in his eyes. “I find that hard to believe.”
“No, it’s true,” she insisted, widening her eyes as if that would help make her point. “Before I moved in with Cole and Dima, I was a social misfit.” She didn’t miss the way he cringed when she mentioned her two roommates by name, the flare of jealousy in his silver eyes. Deliberately ignoring the danger, she continued, “They insisted on pulling me out of my cocoon and embracing who I am. Of course, my family thought I was sleeping with both of them and pretended to accept the relationship but I knew they were uncomfortable about it. I let them believe what they wanted to believe because I liked the notoriety and until recently I never told them the truth.”
“And what would that be?” he asked through gritted teeth.
Leaning forward until her breasts were cushioned against his chest, until her hands were on either side of his head, she whispered, "I've never slept with either of them.”
The breath he had been holding whooshed from him and he huffed a laugh, “I knew about the bartender but I didn’t know that about the artist.”
She smiled slightly, “You did not know about Dima."
“Ashley told me when she introduced us last week.”
Cocking her head to the side, she frowned, “Isn’t it a little weird for your former lover to be introducing you to her current lover?”
“You would think so,” he said. But he didn’t expand, just brushed her tangled hair out of her face. He seemed to be fascinated by her natural hair, insisting on brushing it after their late late shower the night before. Before he used the strands of damp hair in a seduction that required another, even later
shower.
“You’re not going to explain are you?”
Grinning, he shook his head no. making him look young and carefree. It was a good look. “I’d rather hear more about your secrets.”
“That’s not terribly fair, you know,” she sighed, laying back down and snuggling up against his chest. Being in his arms was like coming home and she knew it couldn’t last and she wondered what his secrets were that kept him from giving their relationship more than a few days, a week at most.
“Life’s not terribly fair, you know,” he replied, sadness darkening his voice. Brushing her hair behind her ear, he cupped the back of her head and tilted her head back until she was looking into his eyes. “So confess your sins and let me offer absolution.”
“You’re right,” she said softly, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Where do I even begin? There's just so many sins to choose from...."
He growled and before she could tell him she was teasing, she was on her back and he was showing her how easily he could forgive her as he got very intimate with her body.
Chapter 15 (Saturday)
Duncan’s sister might have been the same height as Lexi but she obviously wasn’t as well endowed; the tight t-shirt lovingly stretched over Lexi’s breasts in a way that had Duncan re-thinking his desire to take her to the bar he owned and his pack managed for him. When he had acquired the pack at fifteen he had taken some of his trust fund money and bought the run down establishment until he could figure out what else to do with the rag tag pack of seventeen hungry and half-wild wolves.
Their previous Alpha had done a piss poor job of protecting them, keeping them under his tyrannical thumb, keeping them hungry and broken and giving them just enough to keep them loyal, to ensure his own power. After Duncan became the Alpha they respected him but they weren’t comfortable with the world Duncan moved in. Not knowing what else to do, he bought bar for them, which they affectionately named The Black Wolf.