by Kate Douglas
Once more his pants felt a bit too tight. He slowly repositioned himself in the bucket seat and took a deep breath.
Big mistake. Her scent filled the interior of the car, a rich, spicy aroma that told Luc exactly where she was in her menstrual cycle, let him know she was ripe and ready for breeding, that her body was every bit as aroused as his. He’d never been this close to a Chanku female before, even one unaware of her nature, never understood the depth of need her proximity would awaken.
For a brief moment, Luc allowed himself the luxury of absorbing the scents and sounds of Tia’s body.
Bigger mistake.
Deeply aroused, body skirting the need to shift, Luc’s Chanku senses locked on the equally aroused female so close beside him. He heard the rapid beat of her heart, the soft catch in her breath. Smelled the scent of her heat, more human than wolf, but with Chanku genes so strongly a part of Tia’s DNA, the wolf was not that deeply buried.
He slammed on the brakes as the car in front of them slowed, and then sped up again. Damn. He really had to pay closer attention.
Tia smiled at him. “Traffic’s worse here than in Boston.”
“I dunno. Boston’s pretty bad. Last time I was there, it was all torn up.”
“That was the Big Dig. A lot of the freeways are underground now. It’s better…some of the time.”
Traffic slowed to a crawl. Tia chatted on about Boston and the Big Dig and life in the North End. Luc watched her lips move, vaguely responded to her chatter, but he felt the sensual impact of her Chanku presence all the way to his bones.
She doesn’t know.
Tia didn’t have a clue what she was, what she could so easily do, given the supplement. Once that small part of her brain, the tiny organ that allowed the Chanku side to take over the human response, was activated, Tia would discover an entirely new world.
She would no longer be human. Just as Luc had changed so many years ago, Tia would discover a new self, an entirely new view of the body with which she’d lived her entire life.
She would be Chanku, able to shift from woman to wolf at a moment’s notice. Able to control her breeding if not her cycle…able to choose a mate on her own terms.
The implications practically exploded in his mind.
Luc found the address to Tia’s school and followed the narrow alley between buildings to the apartment in the rear. His hands controlled the wheel, his eyes spotted the address and the tiny apartment tucked in behind the larger school building.
His mind silently repeated the same refrain, over and over again.
Choose me. Choose me. I will be your mate.
Choose me.
Tia turned and smiled at him. A question lurked beneath her dark lashes.
Luc shut down his silent plea. Tia might not be fully Chanku yet, but he had the strange feeling she had just heard every pathetic word crawling through his brain.
Chapter 3
“I never expected anything this nice.” Tia swept her hand over the polished oak windowsill. No dust. The tiny apartment was not only attractively furnished, it was immaculately clean. She’d meet with the school’s administrator in the morning and find out her schedule of classes, but with almost two weeks before school was scheduled to start, she had plenty of time to settle in. Maybe this hadn’t been such a dumb idea after all.
Tia turned away from the window and its view of a sprawling bougainvillea on the building next door and smiled at Luc standing close behind her.
Not nearly close enough.
He held her luggage in both hands. Tia stared at the strong curve of his fingers wrapped around the handles. For a brief, heart-stopping moment, she imagined them cupping the fullness of her breasts. Blinking the image aside, Tia looked up into Luc’s hooded eyes. “How did you know which bags were mine?”
“What?” He set the luggage down on the floor in the middle of the small front room, then straightened up. A thick shock of dark brown hair fell across his forehead. Luc brushed it back from his eyes and stared intently at Tia.
“My bags. You picked them off the baggage carousel without any hesitation. How did you know they were mine?”
Luc shrugged and then grinned. Damn, his smile was dangerous. Tia felt the heat between her legs, heard the catch in her breath.
“Just good, I guess. They are yours, aren’t they?” Luc leaned over and flicked her name tag on the closest piece of luggage. It was printed in bold, felt-tipped pen. “I can read, Tia.”
Tia felt her skin go hot and cold all over. She’d forgotten about the name tags. “Well, of course, I…”
“S’okay.” He waved one hand, as if to dismiss her. “Where do you want these?”
“Uh, right here is fine. I’ll move them later.”
“Why don’t I put them in your bedroom? These two are pretty heavy.”
Bedroom. Tia absentmindedly rubbed at her forearms. The mere thought of Luc in her bedroom made her nervous. “Um, okay. I’m not sure….” She turned toward the first door to her right and opened it. The small bathroom glistened, all new blue tile and shiny white linoleum with bright yellow towels hanging on two racks.
Tia tried the next door and pushed it all the way open. A huge, four-poster bed almost filled the entire room. A shaft of afternoon sunlight cut a brilliant swath across the multicolored, satin spread. Piled high with soft pillows and a down-filled comforter folded at the foot, the bed obviously was more than big enough for two.
An image of herself and Luc, naked, their bodies tangled together amidst the pillows and slick satin, flashed into Tia’s thoughts. The sunbeam showcased Luc’s tightly muscled ass, the dark hair dusting his long legs, the…
Tia’s breath caught once more as Luc nudged her aside. She felt as if she moved on legs made of wood, stepping into the room so he could fit through the door with her bags.
He set them down and turned back to her. “You okay?”
Rubbing at her arms, Tia nodded. “Just tired.”
“Look, you’re dealing with a long flight and a three-hour time difference. Why don’t you rest for a while? I’ll come back later and we can head over to your dad’s for dinner.”
Tia shook her head. “I think I’m too wound up to sleep. It’s been a wild day.”
“I could tell you a bedtime story.”
She blinked, caught off guard by the laughter in Luc’s voice. “I can just imagine your kind of story.”
“No, really. C’mon. Take your shoes off. Lie down and get comfortable. I’ll put you right to sleep.”
“Said the big bad wolf to Little Red Riding Hood.” Tia laughed. Luc in this kind of mood she could handle. When he was serious and quiet, she wasn’t quite sure what went on behind those sexy eyes. “I don’t think so. Besides, I bet you don’t know the best stories.”
Luc went back into the front room and retrieved the rest of Tia’s luggage while she opened the first of her bags and began hanging blouses and pants in the closet. He set the smallest bag on an antique dresser tucked into one corner and leaned back against the top drawer with his arms folded across his chest. Tia noticed he’d rolled the sleeves partway up. Luc’s forearms were muscled and lightly dusted with dark hair.
It looked soft as silk. Tia licked her top lip and blinked at Luc’s knowing grin. Damn. He’d caught her staring again.
“Which stories are the best ones?” His voice sounded deeper, huskier.
Tia knew they weren’t talking about stories at all. She turned her back on Luc and returned to hanging up her blouses. “My favorites. The amazing tales of the ancient and mystical Chanku.”
“What?”
Damn, how did he do that? Tia spun around to find Luc at her elbow. “What do you mean, what?”
His eyes practically glowed with intensity. “The stories. What stories are you talking about?”
Tia blinked and fought the urge to step back, to give herself a bit of space. “Oh. The wolf stories, the ones my mom used to tell me at bedtime. I’d completely forgotten ab
out them until just now. She used to make up stories about mythical creatures she called Chanku. They looked like people during the day but turned into wolves at night. They ran through the forest helping people and animals in need. I got a new story every night before I went to bed. I loved them. I used to dream I was a wolf.”
She almost told him she still dreamed of wolves, but she didn’t. The dreams that awakened her now were much too intimate to share with anyone.
“Oh. I thought…. Never mind.” Tension seemed to melt out of him. Luc’s hand came up and brushed some loose strands of hair away from her face. “I’m sorry about your mother.”
Tia sucked her lips between her teeth, remembering. “Yeah. Well, it was a long time ago.” She turned away. Luc was too close, her mother gone too long.
Life too unsettled.
“Do you still remember the stories?”
“Yeah, I do. Dad used to try to tell me bedtime stories, but no one could do it like my mom. I still miss her. A lot.”
Luc nodded and backed away from her. She wanted to cling to him, to beg him to stay here, in her home, in her bed, but he was moving away, separating himself from her. “You try and rest. I’ll come back in a while.”
Tia stared at him a moment. Why did she feel as though he tried to reach her on another level? What was it about Lucien Stone that left her feeling unsettled and incomplete, filled with more questions than answers?
Without thinking of risk or consequence, she put one of those questions to words. Tia stepped close and placed her hands on his biceps. Slowly she stroked the smooth muscles beneath his cotton sleeves and felt the strength of the man, felt his arms tense beneath her palms. She cocked her head to one side and looked up at him. As tall as she was, it was a new experience, looking up to a man.
Luc wasn’t so bulky that he made her feel petite, but his size definitely made Tia feel feminine, standing this close, her hands moving slowly over his smooth muscles. A small thrill went through her and settled where every feeling she’d had since meeting Luc seemed to settle.
Right between her legs.
Gathering her courage, Tia ran her tongue across her upper lip, then quietly asked him, “What’s going on, Luc? Is it just me?”
He sighed, glanced down, away from her steady gaze, and shook his head. A mere ghost of a smile touched his lips. “No, Tia. It’s most definitely not just you.” When he looked up, he was grinning. “Now that you’ve brought it up…I’m not quite sure what it is, but it’s something I’d like to investigate a little further. With your permission.”
She sucked in a breath, caught in the feral gleam in his eyes, the sense of possession hovering between them. Her fingers tightened on his biceps. Luc stood so close, mere inches away, his chest broad and muscled beneath the light chambray shirt, his arms hanging deceptively relaxed at his sides.
He must have read permission in her hopelessly besotted gaze, because he was raising his arms, his warm palms clasping her shoulders, drawing her closer still. Tia felt his biceps shift and tighten beneath her grasp. Her nipples hardened against her lacy bra at their first contact with his chest. She raised her chin, tilted her head back and lifted up on her toes, meeting Luc halfway.
His mouth found hers so easily, so naturally, his warm, mobile lips recognizing their mate in hers. He nibbled at her mouth, slipped his tongue along the seam between her lips and she parted for him, breathing him in as he tasted her.
Luc widened his stance, pulling Tia closer until her hips fit into the cradle of his strong thighs. She felt the hard ridge of his cock straining against her belly, felt the tension in his arms as he surrounded her in a sheltering embrace. His mouth, though, his mouth…Tia sighed with the beauty of his kiss, the deft swirl of his tongue inside her mouth. She drew him in, suckled and licked, tasted paradise on his lips.
The mattress pressed against her thighs, a welcome invitation Tia fought to ignore. This was her home now, her new life. This man was, so far, the only new friend she had. What if he was like the others? All promise, no substance? She knew nothing about Lucien, not nearly enough to risk a chance at passion, only to find, once more, something lacking.
His hands swept up her spine, fisted in her hair and held her steady for pleasure. His lips explored her mouth, her jawline, the sensitive spot behind her ear. Tia realized she had a death grip on his upper arms, as if steadying both of them against falling into something so deep neither would be able to escape.
Luc growled. She felt as much as heard the rumble deep in his chest and her body responded with a heated gush of liquid between her thighs. The skin along her forearms crawled. The same sensation rushed over her legs, up her spine. Instead of feeling irritation, Tia let her nerves pulse as they would. No matter, not when her entire body pulsed to the same rhythm.
All that mattered was Luc. His taste, his strength, his sensual touch arousing Tia beyond rational thought. His rock-hard thighs pressed close to hers, his arms, just as powerful, surrounded her, yet his touch was gentle, loving.
His growl, deep and powerful, a sound of need, of desire such as she’d never experienced, stirred Tia on a level beyond comprehension.
Searching for something more, needing more, Tia pressed her pelvis close, raising up on her toes so that her mons found his lengthening cock. She swayed against the long, hard ridge of his erection, sinuously; like a cat in heat she rubbed herself against his solid length. Blood rushed in her veins, her heart pounded, and she kissed him, frantically, passionately, wanting more, needing all of him.
His scent enveloped her, made her thoughts spin and her nostrils flare. His taste was a drug. She wanted to absorb the flavors of Luc, the sensual, invisible aura of sound and scent and taste bombarding her. Tia’s senses screamed—alert, aware of everything that encompassed Lucien Stone. Her skin felt more sensitive, her needs stronger. Passion and desire somehow transferred itself to the man holding her and swept back again, to Tia.
Luc growled again. His body tightened against hers and he rubbed his cock against her belly with bruising strength, the motion frantic, out of control. His grip on her hair tightened to the point of pain. He nipped sharply at the tender skin beneath her throat, then bit again behind her ear. The sharp sting of his teeth, his hands twisting in her hair, controlling her, jerked Tia out of the sensual fog surrounding them.
No longer a gentle, questing sensual glide into arousal, this felt wrong. Something dark, something beyond Tia’s understanding seemed to drive the man holding her, controlling her body with the greater strength of his.
Tia released her grasp on Luc’s arms and shoved forcefully at his chest, flattening her palms against the solid muscles. She didn’t say a word. She didn’t have to.
Luc’s body immediately stilled. He backed slowly away after a single, gentle swipe at her lips with the tip of his tongue, breathing as if he’d just run a mile. With a strangled bark of what might have been laughter, Luc leaned his forehead against Tia’s. She wrapped her arms lightly around his slim waist.
It took a moment before he had his breathing under control. “Oh, my. Good lord, sweetheart. I’m so sorry. I didn’t…I…” His shoulders slumped. He closed his eyes and looked up, away from Tia. “Shit. I’m glad one of us came to our senses.” He hugged Tia close. She heard his heart pounding in his chest, felt the rush of his warm breath against her cheek.
“Barely. I was right there with you.” She tilted up her head and made herself smile at him, searching for something light, some small comment to break the tension. “Do you always growl when you’re turned on?”
“You must bring out the beast in me.” Calm now, his breath no longer hissing between his teeth, Luc leaned close and kissed her on the nose. Dispassionately. As if she were no more than a mere acquaintance…which, Tia guessed, she was. Nothing more.
Luc backed away and stared intently at her face. “Your freckles are all gone. I remember freckles marching across your nose when you were a kid.”
Tia took a deep breath, s
till rattled from the darkness, the sense of control rushing away. “Thank goodness that’s one of the things I outgrew.” Slipping her arms from around Luc’s waist, Tia turned away from him. She grabbed a pale green blouse out of her suitcase with trembling fingers and shoved a hanger through the sleeves.
She couldn’t look at Luc. Not with passion still simmering in her body, not with that small, niggling fear she’d felt that he might have tried to overpower her.
What the hell had just happened? Had Luc really been out of control? Of course he had, and she’d been right there with him. Only fear had stopped her. Fear of Luc?
He was strong. Stronger than any man she’d ever known, and she knew he burned for her, burned in the same way she did. Tia’s body ached with need. Aroused beyond belief, her sensitive, traitorous pussy wept. Her breasts felt heavy, her nipples pressed painfully against her bra.
She moved over to the closet to hang her blouse, well aware that Luc followed her. He touched her chin lightly and turned her head so that she looked at him.
His eyes were troubled, his expression unreadable. Then he reached out with his other hand and stroked along her left cheek. “Thank goodness you didn’t outgrow this.”
Tia frowned. Her pussy clenched at his gentle caress. Her distended clitoris rubbed painfully against her panties. “What?”
How could such a simple touch affect her so deeply?
“Your dimple. I used to love watching that dimple when you’d smile. Always had the urge to…” He leaned close and ran his tongue around the small indentation.
Tia shivered and backed away. She had to force a smile. She didn’t know whether she wanted to rip Luc’s clothes off him and haul him to bed, or tell him to leave. “Please don’t. I know where that leads.”
“So do I.” Luc rocked back on his heels and stuck his hands in his hip pockets. His expression looked relaxed, untroubled. He grinned, transforming himself from dark and dangerous to boyishly sweet in a heartbeat. Tia wasn’t certain which one was the more attractive.