* * * *
Avery couldn’t say she’d exactly slept well, as her dreams had been plagued by weirdness. Well, she often dreamt of wolves, and last night had been no exception, but she’d also dreamt of Chase. He’d run up to her door all silvery-looking and barked and growled until she’d opened up. When she opened the door, he’d been standing there completely naked, and she’d immediately dropped to her knees to suck his cock. Weird. She guessed it was a combination of too much writing and too much horny. Wide awake in the middle of the night, she’d rolled over, intent on a little alone time with her vibrator, but found the batteries dead and spent quite a bit of time pouting before sleep took her again.
When she later opened her eyes on a half-decent hour, she pulled herself out of bed, ready to get up, but far from perky. Heading to the kitchen, she grabbed a bottle of her bad morning habit and walked back to the living room to check for Roscoe and let him out. Sure enough, he was spread out on the couch—again. “Off the furniture,” she said, pushing at his rear.
Roscoe yawned and looked up at her before very slowly deigning to climb down off the couch. Shaking her head, she walked to the door and opened it for him, waiting while he just as slowly crossed the room and went outside to do his business. She walked with him a couple of times per day, but in the earliest and latest hours, she let him have his fun without her.
Avery shut the door behind Roscoe, swigging her caffeine bomb, and walked over to her front window. She’d been so good about it last night. Once she’d taken Roscoe for a walk and pretty much wore herself out, she hadn’t picked up the binoculars again, but there they were, sitting on an old oak table by the window, just calling her name.
He’s too hot to be up this early. What would it hurt to just have a little peek? On the other hand, why bother peeping when there was nothing to see? She was still arguing with herself about it when she picked up the binoculars.
“Holy fucking hell.”
She dropped the soda bottle, feeling it splash on her leg and foam out on her feet. “Shit.” She ran to the kitchen, still holding the binoculars, then back again to mop up the mess she made. She made quick work of it, too, just so she could get back to the sight of Chase, standing on the opposite bank with a fishing rod in hand and wearing nothing but a pair of boxers.
“Damn. Just. Damn.” If her body had gone gaga over the sight of him in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, this was sure to do her in. The man had muscles on his muscles, his body long and built…built for fucking. She moved the binoculars up and down, trying to take in as much of him as possible. When he turned around to pick something up, bait maybe, her eyes got a view of his firm ass and her mind flew to the image of her clutching it as he pounded in and out of her pussy. When he turned around again, she got caught up in his mouth, the thought of his lips kissing her all over made her pussy as wet as it had been for him the day before.
Roscoe scratched at the door and Avery practically sprinted for it, needing to get back to the window pronto. She spent a little time checking out the front slit in his shorts, but decided to leave that alone. The thought of what she might see made her clit throb too hard. Maybe she ought to focus on something safer, like his handsome face. She flipped the binoculars up and froze in pure shock, holding her breath. She was staring straight into Chase’s dark eyes. It was a few minutes before she could move, before she could convince herself that he’d only been looking in her direction and couldn’t possibly see her at that distance. Then, when one corner of his lips quirked up, she backed away slowly, careful to let the curtain slide back into place.
He couldn’t have seen her, but that little grin had her freaked out. “Shit, Roscoe. Get. Off. The. Couch.”
The dog climbed down faster this time, but Avery left him to do what she knew he would, which was climb back up there the moment she left the room. She needed to brush her teeth and take a cool shower to wash away her lust. He hadn’t seen her. There was no way he could have seen her. Problem was, that felt like a lie.
* * * *
After writing as much as she could, given her continued thoughts of Chase, Avery had decided a trip to the grocery store was in order. She needed food, but above all, she needed batteries. She’d taken Roscoe for a walk first then headed into town to the local grocery store. It took her longer than it needed to since many of the locals recognized her and wanted to chat, and though Avery liked the privacy her home afforded her, she couldn’t resist hanging out for a while.
A little over two hours after she’d left for the shopping trip, she drove back down the private road that led to her house and parked her Jeep. Like always, she opened her front door and set her purse and keys inside, then went back to unload, with Roscoe following every step of the way. On her third trip to her car, she discovered Chase leaning against her Jeep, still bare-chested but wearing a pair of cut-off shorts instead of the boxers.
How did he make it over here so fast? She’d moved at a leisurely place, though she didn’t think she was particularly slow. And he hadn’t been outside when she got home. She’d checked.
“Hey.” He pushed off her Jeep as she approached.
“Hey back.” Avery tried to keep her voice level in contrast to the racing of her heart. What was he doing there and why wasn’t he wearing a shirt? Please wear a shirt, dude. Help me maintain my sanity.
“Need some help?” he asked, already reaching in to grab a bunch of bags.
“No.” She reached to take them back. “I got it.”
“Really?” He moved the bags just out of her reach. “You want to carry all these by yourself? Let me help you.”
She stared at him, unable to come up with a reason he shouldn’t help her other than that she was embarrassed about watching him and couldn’t seem to be anywhere near him without her body going crazy. And then his voice just made everything worse. It had this way of rumbling through her body and making all of her dirty imaginings worse. When she finally managed to open her mouth, nothing came out.
He grinned at her, making her weak in the knees. “I promise I don’t bite…”
Avery gave him a quick shrug and reached in to pull out more bags. She was already walking away when he amended his statement.
“…Much,” he said, rocketing her mind right to the gutter.
A couple of trips and too much staring at his ass, arms, and mouth, and the car was emptied.
“Well, thanks.” She put the last bag on the counter and turned to face him. The way he looked at her, possessively, hungrily, made her nervous. It was weird, and she didn’t understand it, but she felt his body heat from across the room. “I’ll walk you to the door,” she finally said after a too-long, too-awkward silence.
He nodded, following her. “I’ll be back at seven to take you to dinner.”
That stopped her in her tracks, and she turned around to face him. “All right, what’s this about? What do you want?”
He cocked an eyebrow at her. “I want you.”
Damn. “I’m not on the menu, and I don’t have time to play games. So just tell me. You’re a reporter, right? It’s been a long time since I had reporters bugging me about my past, but I guess I shouldn’t be totally surprised.”
“I’m not a reporter, Avery. I’m just a man who wants you.”
“Sorry, I don’t know what you’re selling but I’m not buying.”
“You’re surprised I want you?” He stepped closer to her, and she stepped back. “You’re a smart, sexy woman. Any man would want you, but it just so happens that I—”
She cut him off. She had to before he talked his way into her pants and then posted photos of her naked ass all over the Internet. “Look, cut the bullshit. You’ve got that something most women want. I’m sure you have no problem with the ladies, and I can tell you know the effect you have, which almost makes it worse. You come out here by yourself and rent that huge cabin right across the lake from me. You ignore all the private property signs on the way here, even though you don’t look li
ke the type of man who gets lost or can’t read. You walk right up to my door and flirt with me. Then, the day after you arrive, you’re back, helping me carry groceries and asking me out.” She didn’t mention the part about fishing half-naked just across the lake from her, preferring to pretend she hadn’t been watching him.
“Since when is asking a woman out on a date a crime?”
“Guys that look like you don’t just drop out of the sky into a remote campground like this. There’s no way you just happened to come here and happened to immediately decide you like me. I call bullshit.”
The look that crossed his face told her she was right, but he quickly veiled it with a cocky smile. “Are you this suspicious of everyone or just me?”
“Right now? Just you. So you can tell me what you’re doing here, why you’re really at White Oak Run, or you can get out with the understanding that you aren’t welcome back.”
He hesitated, and she’d had enough. Walking to her front door, she opened it, then turned back to glare at him. “Good-bye, Mr. Randall, if that’s even your real name. Come back and I’ll have you ejected from the campground.”
“Chase. I told you to call me Chase.”
“We don’t need to be on a first-name basis, and we’re done talking.” She didn’t know what pissed her off more, the gut feeling that he had an ulterior motive or the fact that her body was still reacting to him.
He sighed loudly. “Look, okay. You’re right. There is something I need to tell you, if we could just sit down and talk.”
“Too little, too late. Please don’t make me ask you to leave again.” Oddly, she still didn’t feel any fear of him. She didn’t think he’d try anything, but if she had to, she’d command Roscoe to attack while she went for her gun. Roscoe was usually a lover, not a fighter, but he was well trained. If Mr. Randall made the wrong move, he’d be well and truly sorry.
Chase walked toward her and stopped, not touching her, but still managing to pin her between him and the door jamb. If she moved, she’d be pressed up against him. She bit her lip to stop herself from going for the accidental feel.
He looked into her eyes, then down at her mouth, which dropped open on a half-stifled sigh. “I’m going now because you’re upset, and I can see that, but I can’t just walk away and leave you alone. When you’re calmer, we’ll talk and you’ll see this isn’t what you think.”
Avery watched him walk away, then shut and locked her door, breathing heavily. Was there a female version of blue balls? Because she had it, and before she could think straight and decide what to do about Mr. Randall, she had to take care of it.
* * * *
Avery shut her bedroom door and turned the air conditioner on high. The heat she felt despite the efficient air conditioning was entirely Chase’s fault. She had to do something about the state he’d put her in before she opted for something stupid, like fucking him. He had to be a reporter. No crazy person could be that gorgeous.
Stripping quickly, she climbed between the cool sheets and grabbed her vibrator. Her hands shook as she loaded it with batteries, her need was so intense.
Lying back on her pillows, she spread her legs and placed the tip of the vibrator at her entrance, closing her eyes as she hit the button to turn it on. It slid inside her easily, she was so wet, and she turned her mind to her favorite fantasy as she slid it in and out of her pussy. The problem was, the old favorite wasn’t working like it usually did to get her off hard and fast. She kept seeing Chase’s face behind her closed eyes, and before long, she couldn’t fight him off. It was his cock working in and out of her pussy, his fingers flicking her clit.
He thrust harder and deeper, until she was moaning under him. It wasn’t her own hand at her breast, squeezing and tweaking her nipple. No, that was him clutching her as he claimed her pussy. It was his voice demanding she call his name. There was no use fighting it. She couldn’t hold it back. Avery gave herself over to the fantasy, lifting her hips to meet his thrusts, moving faster, more urgently, panting, moaning, and pleading for the release that only he could give, and when fantasy Chase called her “baby” and told her to come, she did, hard, shaking, and calling his name.
Chapter 3
The morning after the big rejection didn’t start so great for Chase. Gus showed up at the door of his rental to give him a speech about leaving Avery alone. Apparently, she’d wanted him warned that if he trespassed on her private property again, she’d call the police and have him arrested for harassment. Chase wanted to punch Gus for telling him to steer clear of his own mate, but he managed to control himself.
Then his brother called, fucking up his day even more. He thought about ignoring the call, but ended up answering just before it went to voicemail. “Yeah,” he grumbled into the phone.
Liam started straight in. “Why haven’t you called? You’ve been there, what? Three days already?”
“I didn’t call because I didn’t have anything to report and I didn’t want to hear you bitch about it.”
“Don’t be a dick. What’s up with you? Even when you’re pissed, you don’t go dark like this. I’ve called you five times. You couldn’t even text me back, not even once?”
Oh, that. “I didn’t want to talk to my alpha because he can be a pain in the ass, but I do need to talk to my brother.”
“Shit, what did you do, Chase? You in trouble?”
Actually, he was. “She’s my mate, Liam.”
“You found your mate out there?”
“I did, and she’s it. Avery Montgomery is my mate.”
Liam growled, low and rumbling. “You’ve claimed her?”
“Not yet. You know how the humans are. I can’t just run right up and take her.”
“Good,” Liam said. “We still need to know who she’s getting her information from and what else she knows.”
“What the fuck? Didn’t you hear what I said? She’s my mate, Liam.”
“Doesn’t matter. You don’t know who she is or who she might be working with. I still need you to get all the information you can before you take her. Think about it. Let’s say she’s feeding information to the government and you go ahead and claim her. Then you’re stuck with her. Next thing you know, they have your balls in one specimen bag and your cock in another. Mating her doesn’t mean she’ll love you, Chase, or be loyal.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” Mates were forever bonded once the claiming took place, but love came later, if at all. He already knew he could love Avery. She could love him, too, if she just gave him a chance. “She’s not working with anyone.”
“How do you know?”
“I just do.”
“Not good enough.”
“Why would a woman working with some scary government agency to harm shifters even bother writing a romance book?”
“How do I know? Maybe that’s how it all started, or maybe she’s using those stories to draw us out.”
“Well, if that’s the case, it’s working because here I am.”
“But she doesn’t know who you are, and you have to keep it that way until you figure out what she’s up to.”
“She isn’t up to anything. Fate wouldn’t send me a government spy or whatever you think she is.”
Liam sighed. “You’re thinking with your dick. Get the big head back in the game.”
“You know what, Liam?”
“What, Chase?”
“You can be a dick.”
Liam laughed. “So you’ve said before.”
Chase wasn’t in a laughing mood. “This is one of those times.”
* * * *
No one would say she knew her way around appliances, but she had to try. The heat was stifling. She had to get the air conditioning working again. She’d managed to pry the front panel off but was clueless when it came to what to do next. She looked down at the wrench, then back at the unit. Hopeless. Throwing it on the bed, she picked up the phone to call Gus. Maybe he could rig it up to work somehow, at least until she could get
a repairman out there.
She punched out Gus’s phone number on her cell phone, but Chase answered.
“It’s hot,” she told him.
“I know,” he said.
“Can you fix it?”
“Mine,” he snarled.
It wasn’t an answer, but she let it go because someone was knocking on the door.
Avery opened her bedroom door to a wolf, which bared its teeth at her. She blinked, her eyes heavy from fatigue and the heat, and when she opened them again, Chase was standing in its place.
“You can fix it?” she asked.
He closed in on her, bringing his heat to scorch her already-feverish body. “No one else can.”
“Where are your tools?”
“Right here.” He ripped away his shorts, revealing his fully erect cock. “What needs fixing?”
“My air conditioning,” she said as she lifted her night shirt off and tossed it to the floor. His cock bobbed, glistening with pre-cum. She decided she’d better remove the panties, too.
“I’m here now.” Chase crowded her, wrapping one hand in her hair, pushing her downward.
“You can fix it.” She fell to her knees, her mouth open, ready for him.
“Your mouth,” he said. “Give me your mouth.”
Her lips fell open to receive his cock, and he used her hair to draw her forward until his cock touched the back of her throat. He used her hair to pull her back and forth on his cock over and over again until she was clutching at his thighs for balance. He let go on a growl, but she kept going, tracing every ridge, every vein of his cock with her tongue.
His hand found her hair again. Grabbing fistfuls, he pulled her off, making her whimper. “You have the sexiest mouth. Is your pussy wet for me?”
Avery and Her Wolf [Shifters Revealed 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 4