Armand looked at the two men who were as close to him as brothers. Closer. And he knew he wouldn’t share what had happened between him and Anny. His wolf rumbled in agreement. Anny was theirs, and he wasn’t about to draw the attention of another wolf her way.
“Yeah. I stopped off for a beer. No big deal.” He threw himself onto one of the two heavy chairs that flanked the stone fireplace. What he really wanted to do was go to his room and close the door, but that would only lead to more questions and speculation.
Cole sniffed the air. “I smell a human woman.”
His heart pounding, Armand only snorted. “You probably smell more than one. The bar was packed tonight.”
Gator slumped down on the other couch and propped his bare feet onto the wooden coffee table. Cole had made the piece of furniture out of a tree that had been knocked down in a storm a few months back. It worked well for them and held up to hard use. Gator stuffed his hand into the bag, pulled out a handful of nuts and started munching. “So, much happening in town?”
Armand shrugged. “No more than usual.” He sniffed the air around him and sighed. “I stink of smoke and sweat and perfume.”
“And a woman,” Cole added. Usually quiet, Cole was like a dog with a bone when he wanted to be. Stubborn to a fault. With his shaggy dark-blond hair and green eyes, Cole didn’t resemble the typical werewolf who usually had dark hair and eyes. But at six eight in human form and absolutely enormous in wolf form, few dared to point that out to him. Not unless they were looking to get their ass handed to them.
“I need a shower.” Armand stood and stretched before giving himself an all-over shake. “Who’s on watch tonight?” Since the attack a few weeks back, they all took turns patrolling the grounds. They’d instituted some safety measures and had alarms set up in strategic places, but nothing beat having a wolf prowling their land.
“I’ve got first watch.” Gator munched some more nuts before having a swallow of beer. “Then Cole.” He smiled as he tipped up the bag and shook it slightly, dumping the last of the contents into his mouth. “You’re last,” he said around a mouthful of peanuts.
“I’m going running after I shower. I’ll be back by four to relive Cole.”
“You sure you’re okay?” Cole asked.
“Just restless is all.” Armand left the two men and headed to his room to strip off his clothes.
His keen hearing caught Gator’s comment. “That boy is lying through his teeth. Something happened tonight.”
“I know,” Cole replied.
Armand shut his bedroom door and yanked off his clothing. He dumped them all in the hamper, but at the last second, he pulled his shirt back out and buried his face into the material. It smelled like Anny.
Cursing himself, he flung the garment back into hamper and strode to the shower. He had to forget her. He had no other choice.
Anny made sure the doors and windows were locked for the night. Not that she was expecting trouble, but it was a ritual she did every night and knew she wouldn’t sleep if she didn’t do it.
Her home was small, more of a cottage really. It had two small bedrooms, a tiny kitchen, one bathroom and a combination dining room and living area. But it was hers and she loved it. It was on the outskirts of town and had been cheaper than a house more centrally located. Anny didn’t mind. She liked being alone.
Two sleek cats, one black and one calico curled around her bare legs.
Okay, not quite alone. Her cats were all the company she needed. “What do you want, Seymour?” The black cat peered up at her and meowed. Not to be outdone, Tigger gave a loud yowl, making her laugh. “Okay, guys, you’ve had your treats. Time for bed.” She went down the short hallway and the two cats followed on her heels.
It was late, but that was okay. She didn’t have to work tomorrow. After she’d dropped Sue off, Anny had come home and immediately taken a shower. She hated the odors from the bar, well, almost all of them. Her shirt smelled like Armand. She’d stood in the center of her small bedroom, holding her shirt to her nose until she’d realized what she was doing.
Slightly disgusted with herself, she’d tossed the garment into the hamper and climbed into the shower. The water had seemed extra harsh against her skin tonight. Or maybe her skin was still sensitive from where Armand had held her, touched her.
Her nipples had tightened into little buds and she’d groaned, pressing her thighs together to try to ease the growing ache. It hadn’t helped. Even a cool shower hadn’t helped.
Anny yanked back the covers on her bed and slipped between the sheets, barely stifling a moan when the light fabric of her nightgown brushed against her breasts. The sunny-yellow room usually soothed her and made her happy. But not tonight. Tonight her mind was filled with images of Armand LaForge. She loved the sound of his name. So exotic, like the man himself.
“Stop it.” She turned off the light and punched her fist into her pillow. “It was a dance and a kiss. Get over it.”
She felt the slight pressure on the end of the bed and knew both cats had jumped onto the mattress to settle down for the night. Now if only she could do the same.
Closing her eyes, Anny tried to concentrate on the chores she had to do tomorrow. But it was no use. Tall and dark with his slightly ruined face, Armand popped back into her head, seducing her with his deep-brown eyes.
“Crap.” It was going to be a long night. Maybe she should make herself a cup of chamomile tea. Maybe that would help her relax enough so she’d sleep.
Anny tossed back the covers and turned the small bedside lamp back on. One of the cats meowed in displeasure. “Sorry, guys, but I can’t sleep.” Tigger opened his eyes, glared at her and then shut them again. Seymour jumped off the bed and padded back down the hallway beside her, probably hoping he’d get another treat.
She’d just reached the living room and turned on a light when a knock came on the front door. Anny froze. It was late, she was alone and there wasn’t anyone who should be at her door. Her phone. Where was her phone?
Anny scurried for her purse as another knock sounded. “Anny. It’s Armand.”
Armand? What was he doing here and how had he found her?
She dug in her purse and came up with her phone. Holding it clutched tight in her hand, she walked slowly toward the door and turned on the outside light. “What do you want? How did you find me?” Her finger hovered over the contact number for the local sheriff.
“I’m sorry, Anny. I didn’t mean to frighten you.” His voice was slightly muffled, but she could still hear him.
She pulled back the curtain and her mouth dropped open. He wasn’t wearing a shirt. His bare chest gleamed in the dim light from the bulb. She swallowed hard as her eyes drifted over his incredibly broad shoulders and his wide torso.
Oh, she’d known he’d be magnificent beneath his clothing, but this was beyond what she’d imagined. For one thing, his chest was slightly hairier than she’d pictured. Not overly so, but definitely manly.
“Anny.” His voice pulled her gaze back to his face and she could feel her cheeks getting warmer. “I noticed your car in the driveway. I was out for a run and saw your light on. I just wanted to talk with you.”
And she was Miss America. She might not have a ton of experience with men, but she wasn’t stupid. If she opened that door, they’d do more than talk.
Seymour bumped his head against her leg. He was a big cat, but not an overly brave one. He looked concerned.
“It’s okay,” she whispered to the cat.
“Who are you talking too?”
And how had Armand heard that? “No one.”
“Anny?” She could hear the disappointment, almost hurt in his voice, which didn’t make any sense. They’d only just met. She didn’t owe him anything, certainly not explanations about her life.
“It’s my cat Seymour,” she heard herself saying before she clamped her mouth shut. “Anyway, it’s none of your business who I talk to.”
“Oh, chère, I wish tha
t was true.” He leaned his forehead against the door. “I tried to stay away. Truly I did.”
He lifted his head and peered at her through the small window. “Let me in, chère.”
No, she wouldn’t let him in. Armand was a virtual stranger. For all she knew, he made a habit of picking up women at the bar and going back to their houses with them. Of course, if that were the case, it would be the hottest gossip in town. She didn’t think many women would keep quiet about having Armand in their bed. They’d have to tell their friends, who would tell their friends, and pretty soon everybody would know.
Anny expected the news that she’d let a strange man kiss her at the bar would be all over town by tomorrow morning. It only took one or two people to see something before everyone knew. Such was the reality of life in a small town.
“Anny?”
The sensible thing to do would be to call the sheriff’s office and report a prowler at her door. “It would be the right thing to do, wouldn’t it, Seymour?” The cat simply looked up at her and blinked.
She set the phone down on the console table just inside the door and slowly pulled the chain off. Her hand hovered over the bolt.
If she turned Armand away, she’d regret it for the rest of her life. She knew it to the depths of her soul. This was her chance to have one night of passion, the kind most women only dreamed about. No one would know about it but her and Armand, and she didn’t think he was the type to kiss and tell.
They were both adults. There was nothing wrong with them having a night of hot sex if they were both agreeable. And was it getting hot in here?
“You’re not married, are you?” She was horrified the thought had only just occurred to her.
“No, chère, I’m not married.” The tenderness in his voice almost brought her to her knees. “Let me in.”
Anny turned the bolt and opened the front door.
Armand stood outside in the cold night air, but his skin was hot. Anny was on the other side of the door watching him. He was thankful the window wasn’t very big and she could only see the upper half of his body. He didn’t think she’d be so calm if she knew he was standing on her porch stark naked.
He’d started out for a run across pack land to clear his head. He’d never had any intention of seeking out Anny. But his wolf had other ideas, and Armand had soon found himself heading toward the town of Salvation. He hadn’t stopped even though he knew what he was doing was the height of folly.
Keeping to the trees, he’d loped down the road, stopping when he’d gotten a whiff of Anny’s sweet scent near a house on the edge of town. It had been ridiculously easy for him to find her. He hadn’t even had to comb the streets of Salvation as he’d been fully prepared to do.
The lights had been off, but he’d padded into the small yard and up onto the porch. Then he’d heard her moving around inside and had seen an interior light come on. He’d shifted to human form and knocked on her door before he could change his mind.
He was a little surprised she hadn’t called the cops on him. Anny struck him as a cautious woman, and what he was doing was reckless, stupid and possibly dangerous.
He placed his hand on the door, willing her to open it. A part of him wished she’d be sensible and find the strength to keep him out. He couldn’t do it. Not tonight. Not with her scent in his nostrils and sexual need riding him hard.
His cock was swollen, his testicles heavy. His fingers itched to touch every inch of her soft skin, to explore and discover. He wanted to know what made her sigh with pleasure and scream her release.
A low rumble rolled through his chest when he heard the lock turning. Then the door opened and she was standing in front of him wearing nothing but a thin white nightgown that covered her from neck to mid-calf. The light over the door made it slightly transparent and he could see the darker color of her nipples and the hair covering her mound.
He stepped inside before she changed her mind, closed the door and locked him out. No way did he want to be shut out in the cold, not when Anny was so damn hot.
Her eyes widened when she caught her first glimpse of all of him. “You…you’re naked.” Her mouth fell open and he caught her chin on the edge of his hand and pushed her mouth shut.
He moved closer, backing her up until her spine touched the wall. He kicked the door shut behind him. Beside them, the cat hissed before it turned tail and ran. Anny might not know what he was, but the cat recognized a predator when he faced one.
“Yes, I’m naked.” Armand took her hand in his and pressed it against his cock. It jumped against her palm. He leaned down and nuzzled the soft skin at the base of her neck where it met her shoulder. The urge to bite her, mark her as his was almost more than he could handle.
He shook himself and gained control over the more primal part of his nature. He was not an animal, and he would not chain Anny to him as his mate. It wouldn’t be fair to her. But he would give her what he could—a night of sexual satisfaction that she would never forget.
“And, Anny.” His lips were almost touching hers. She sucked in a deep breath as he crowded even closer. “I want you.”
Chapter Three
Anny wasn’t one hundred percent certain she wasn’t dreaming. Why else would Armand show up at her front door in the middle of the night totally naked. Except the hands stroking her sides and the lips nibbling at her neck belonged to a flesh-and-blood man, not a fantasy.
“What are you doing here?” It wasn’t easy to speak coherently, not with Armand’s rather large erection pressed against her palm. Her fingers automatically curled around his shaft. He was hot and hard, but his skin was velvety soft.
His lips grazed the curve of her ear and she shivered.
“I couldn’t stay away.” Unspoken was the sentiment that he’d wanted to. She could hear the insinuation and it hurt more than it should. After all, they were strangers who’d shared a dance.
But right now, they were sharing a whole heck of a lot more than a dance.
He was freaking naked.
She licked her lips and then groaned when his tongue traced the whorls of her ear. Her nipples puckered in response. “This probably isn’t a good idea.”
“Probably not,” he agreed. He eased his hands over her hips and tugged at her nightgown until it began to rise.
“We should probably stop.” Anny stroked his cock, unable to stop herself. The image of him naked was burned onto her brain and she knew she’d never forget it as long as she lived. Sure, she’d seen a naked guy before, but nothing in her limited experience had prepared her for Armand.
The man was a god.
He stood a couple of inches over six feet, his shoulders broad and strong. Muscles flexed in his arms and chest every time he moved. She could probably bounce a quarter on his abs, they were that taut. His thighs were heavily muscled and even his feet looked strong. He had a thick mat of crisp chest hair that thinned out as it bisected his abs and traveled down to his groin.
He truly was male perfection.
His body might make her stomach jump and her pussy clench, but it was his face, his eyes that touched her soul. His eyes were the same color as her favorite dark chocolate. There was so much knowledge in his gaze, so much pain.
Maybe she was seeing what she wanted to see, but Anny didn’t think so. The scars on his face were a testament to his suffering. Whatever he’d done in his lifetime, it hadn’t always been easy.
“You’re thinking entirely too much, chère,” he whispered. He left a string of openmouthed kisses on the curve of her shoulder that made her toes curl. The hem of her nightgown inched higher.
“I can’t help it.” It was a fault of hers, and one her ex-boyfriends had often lamented. She tended to overanalyze everything. “You’re naked,” she repeated, unable to quite wrap her mind around that salient fact. “You said you were out running.”
He nipped at her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t matter.”
She released her hold on Armand’s cock
and braced her hands against his shoulders. He raised his head and stared down at her. He really was huge. He was also naked and a virtual stranger. She should be scared to death. Instead, she felt safer than she had in her entire life.
Armand would never hurt her. At least not physically. Of that, she was one hundred percent sure. She didn’t know how she knew that, but she trusted her instincts implicitly.
“I’ll leave if you want me to.” Armand released the hem of her nightgown and it drifted back down around her calves. He lifted one of her hands and brought it to her lips. “But I hope you won’t ask me.” He kissed each knuckle before sliding her index finger into his mouth.
Anny jumped and her pussy clenched hard. His tongue lapped at the webbing at the base of her finger and her entire body went liquid. It wasn’t fair how he could make her lose all common sense with just a touch.
A little voice in the back of her head told her to shut up and just enjoy. It was her birthday and Armand was here, more than ready to help her celebrate. She wasn’t naïve enough to believe his being here meant anything more than sex. But that was okay. She’d held out for more her entire life and was celebrating her thirtieth birthday alone.
Or at least she’d been alone until Armand had showed up.
A hot night of memorable sex was exactly what she needed, what she wanted. She could return to being sensible tomorrow. But for tonight, there was only her and Armand. No one else would ever know what had happened between them. She didn’t have to worry about her reputation.
And did she really care why he’d shown up naked at her front door. He was here. That was all that mattered.
Armand slowly released her finger, scraping his teeth gently along the length. “Anny?”
She shook her head and he froze.
“No, I won’t ask you to leave.”
He relaxed and it was only then she realized just how tense he’d been. One corner of his mouth kicked up in a smile. “You won’t be sorry, Anny. I promise.”
She grabbed the sides of his head and yanked him down so she could kiss him. She knew she’d be sorry when she was all alone again. Knew she’d replay this night over and over. But that was for tomorrow. Tonight, Armand was here with her and Anny wanted to make the most of it.
Wolf in Her Bed Page 3