Dating a Werewolf

by Abbey MacMunn

  Grayson put down his sketchpad, pulled Luna down on top of him and tickled her. “Don’t be so cheeky, little pup. You know I’d do anything for you, but Jamie might not want to do my hair.”

  Jamie couldn’t work out if that was an invitation or not. Get her hands on that sexy mane of his? She’d be up for it in a flash. “No, it’s fine. I don’t mind if you don’t,” she said, attempting nonchalance.

  “Okay then, but I hope you’re gentle.”

  She could be gentle… or rough, even—whatever Grayson wanted. A vision of her grabbing a fistful of his luscious locks as he kissed her passionately flashed to the forefront of her mind. Stop it, Jamie, there’s a child present.

  Jamie glanced at the sketchpad; he’d drawn a picture of her and Luna playing at being hairdressers, capturing the image perfectly with just a few pencil marks. “That’s lovely, Grayson. You’re a brilliant artist.”

  “Thanks. Come on then, make me look like a fool with plaits in my hair before I change my mind.” He shifted away from the sofa.

  She didn’t need a second invitation. Jamie knelt behind him and ran her fingers through his soft, wavy hair, trying her best to concentrate when she had a sudden urge to bury her face in the locks and breathe in the scent, like the earth after a summer shower.

  Luna watched avidly while Jamie showed her what to do.

  Jamie laughed.

  “What’s so funny?” Grayson asked, feeling the plaits in his hair. “Do I look ridiculous?”

  No, he looked dead sexy.

  “If someone told me I’d be doing an alpha wolf’s hair before I came on this date, I would have thought they were mad.”

  “What do you think now?” His voice was husky.

  “I think that maybe I am mad, but I haven’t had this much fun, or been this happy, in goodness knows how long. Thank you, all of you, for welcoming me into your home. I’ve had the best day ever.”

  Grayson turned to face her. “It doesn’t have to end here, Jamie. Say you’ll stay for dinner, please?”

  “Dinner? We’ve not long ago had our picnic.” Grayson, Luna, and Alice had polished off huge amounts of food, too.

  “That was hours ago,” said Luna. “I’m starving.”

  “So am I,” said Grayson and Alice together.

  Jamie laughed. Must be a wolf thing. “I’d love to stay for dinner.”

  She did.

  And the next night too, and the night after that.

  * * *

  A month of glorious, head-spinning happiness followed, something Jamie never thought she would have again, but Grayson had filled a huge hole in her heart as though the empty cavern had been waiting for him all along.

  Jamie finished her mojito—Grayson made even better mojitos than Willow, although she didn’t tell her friend that—and put the glass down. She rested her cheek on Grayson’s chest, his arm wrapped around her as they snuggled together on the sofa in his lounge.

  It was past nine p.m.; Alice had taken Luna to bed and they were alone. She loved this time with him, but she wanted more.

  Woozy with alcohol, or the heat from the fire, she wasn’t sure which, Jamie stared into the flickering flames and sighed. “Am I doing something wrong, Grayson?”

  He shifted to look at her. “Why would you say that?”

  With her fingertips, she traced a pattern over the curve of his pecs until she found the slight mound of a nipple protruding through the fabric of his T-shirt, and circled it seductively.

  He moved away, albeit gently, but he still wouldn’t allow her to touch him intimately—the only irk to her happiness.

  “That’s why,” she said. “You keep pushing me away. It’s like you don’t want me to touch you.” She tilted her face and gazed into his eyes. The firelight reflecting in their depths competed with the golden flecks. “Don’t you want me like that?” Her voice sounded small, desperate. She craved his touch, yearned to make love to him for hours, wanted to know every beautiful part of him.

  Grayson gasped. “Don’t ever think that, Jamie. Believe me, I want you so much I can barely control myself when you’re near me.”

  Encouraged by his words, Jamie inched forward and tucked his hair behind his ear. “Then make love to me, Grayson.”

  He leaned his face into her hand, closed his eyes for a moment. He expelled his breath and then met her gaze again. “There’s nothing I want more than to take you up to my bedroom right this minute, but… but I’m terrified I’ll hurt you.”

  “How? You’re a kind, gentle man. You could never hurt anyone.”

  “But what if I lose control of my wolf?”

  Was that what was bothering him? She’d wondered why he’d never shown her his wolf side, but would it really be that dangerous? “You won’t, and even if you did, I don’t care.” She lowered her voice. “Because I’m crazy in love with you, wolf and all.”

  His smile made its way straight to her heart. “You are?”

  She nodded.

  He cupped her jaw. “You came into my life, and Luna’s too, and it’s like you made us complete. I want you, I want this, Jamie. I want us to be a family.”

  Jamie’s heart pounded. “What are you saying, Grayson?”

  “Not saying, I’m asking.” He swallowed. “Will you marry me?”

  She gasped.

  “I know we’ve only known each other for a short while,” he continued, “but I love you so much, Jamie. I have since that first awkward kiss on the top of Gray’s Point. I love your smile, your beautiful eyes. I love how you challenge me to be a better person, and I love how you are with Luna, and Alice too.” His wide grin reminded her of a daft, adorable Labrador. “They adore you, and they keep nagging me if I’ve asked you yet.”

  “You’ve already spoken to Luna and Alice?” Now she understood the odd exchanged glances lately.

  Grayson rummaged in his pocket and brought out a small box. “I’ve been carrying this around for over a week, trying to pluck up the courage to ask you.” He opened the box to reveal a sapphire engagement ring. The stone was small, not too ostentatious, but still stunning. “I know you’ve been hurt in the past, but the sapphire represents faithfulness and sincerity. This ring was my mother’s—who incidentally didn’t like anything too flashy either—but I would be honoured if you would accept it. Say yes, Jamie, put your trust in me and I promise I will never let you down.”

  Her head spun. His words rolled over each other as he poured out his heart to her, warming every part of her.

  “If it’s too soon, we don’t have to get married straight away—”

  She cupped his jaw. “Yes.”

  He carried on talking. “We could wait a while, have one of those ridiculously long engagements. Anything you want, Jamie. Please say you’ll at least consider it?” He finally stopped speaking, as though he’d only just heard what she said. “Wait, what?”

  Jamie smiled. “I said yes, Grayson. A hundred times yes! I will marry you.”

  Grayson inhaled sharply, stared at her trance-like, as though he didn’t quite believe it. “You will?” He swallowed, then took the ring out of the box.

  Jamie held out her left hand and he slipped it on. Turning her hand so the sapphire caught the firelight, she whispered, “It’s perfect, Grayson. I love it; I love you.” She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

  He deepened the kiss in an instant, his arm snaking around her waist as he crushed his body to hers. “Jamie…” he murmured against her lips. “I’m so happy I could howl.”

  He didn’t, but she wondered what it would be like, seeing him in all his werewolf glory.

  His kisses turned frantic, hot and needy as he trailed them along her jaw. He buried his face in her neck and nipped her earlobe, making goosebumps dance across her skin.

  The urgency to his actions ignited desires within. He’d never shown such abandoned passion, as though he’d been holding back until now. Maybe he was old school, preferring to wait until they were married before they made love
, and it was kind of sweet, but she couldn’t wait that long. She wanted him now. Jamie grabbed a fistful of his hair and returned his kisses with equal fervour.

  Grayson withdrew a fraction, his darkened gaze fixated on hers. He took her hand and moved to the edge of the sofa. “Upstairs. I want you in my bed. Now.”

  Her breath hitched. Her sex throbbed with a need only he could sate. She was kind of liking his demands. Maybe she was wrong about the old-fashioned values. “I thought you’d never ask,” she purred.

  He stood, bringing her up with him. Without another word, he led her through the manor. At the top of the stairs, Grayson stopped to kiss her again, his embrace even more urgent than before as he tugged at her clothes.

  The seam of her blouse ripped as his warm hand shot under the fabric, up her spine and unclipped her bra.

  She giggled, fiddling with his belt buckle.

  In a swift move that took her breath away, Grayson picked her up like she weighed less than a bag of sugar and carried her into his bedroom, then kicked the door shut.

  He put her down by the bed and pulled her blouse over her head. Her undone bra slipped down her arms. Grayson tugged his T-shirt over his head and threw it to the floor.

  His appreciative gaze zeroed in on her naked breasts. “God, you’re beautiful.”

  She admired him too—his huge biceps, muscled pecs, leading downwards towards a well-defined six-pack. Dark hairs gathered below his belly button in a vertical line that disappeared enticingly into his jeans. “You’re not so bad yourself,” she told him, her voice a sexy rasp. Understatement. The guy was all bulging muscle and testosterone, and all hers.

  Grayson crushed her to him again, his tanned skin hot, her peaked nipples brushing his chest. He undid her jeans and yanked them down her thighs, her dampened knickers too.

  He wriggled out of his jeans and flicked them from his ankles, his erection bobbing.

  Less frantic now, he lowered her onto his bed and lay beside her, his weight dipping the bed so she rolled closer to him, his manhood nudging her thigh.

  He smoothed her hair away from her face and kissed her tenderly. First on her mouth, then her neck, before trailing his kisses between the valley of her breasts towards her stomach, the heat of his breath warming her skin.

  She arched her back, screwed the sheets in her fist.

  His long hair tickled her as the silky waves brushed across her skin, igniting erotic signals straight to her core. She whimpered with pleasure.

  “You like that?” he murmured.

  “Hell yes! I love your long hair. Don’t ever cut it.”

  “I kind of don’t have a choice. It’s a wolf thing; even if I cut it, it grows back fast.” He did the thing with his hair again, on purpose this time, moving his head so the tresses brushed against her breasts, her aching nipples.

  “Have you any idea how much that’s turning me on?” she rasped. “I could let you do that all night.”

  Grayson glanced up, a gleam of wickedness in his eyes. “I intend to do more than that tonight, my love.” He inched his hand downwards, circling her pubic hair with his fingertips before stroking between her slick folds.

  She jerked and opened her legs for him, gyrating her hips towards him as he slipped first one then two fingers inside her.

  She floated on an ocean of pleasure, lost herself in ecstasy, in what Grayson was doing to her body, her mind and her soul, and she wanted the same for him.

  Tracing her fingertips over the soft hair below his belly button, she then reached downwards and curled her fingers around his rock-hard shaft, so damn hot it took her breath away. She moved her hand up and down in unison with his fingers.

  A guttural groan escaped his lips. “You’re good. So good.”

  His enjoyment encouraged her to take the lead. “I can do better than that.” She grinned mischievously. She let go of him and grabbed his hand so he stopped what he was doing. Her actions rough and wanton, she shoved his massive chest and pinned him to the bed as she climbed on top of him and hovered above him.

  She clawed his chest, empowered and aroused to have a hot werewolf between her thighs.

  Bear-like hands grabbed her backside and squeezed, urging her downwards to take his length inside her.

  Grayson made an odd noise deep inside his chest. Not a human sound, more a wolf-like snarl.

  Her inner walls clenched around him. Her wolf man was rocketing her arousal to epic proportions.

  Jamie met his gaze, but not the one she knew. His eyes were that of his wolf—intense, possessive and predatory.

  Grayson’s whole body stiffened. The veins in his neck and temples protruded and pulsed, his skin reddened and then he convulsed violently beneath her.

  She gasped.

  In an inhumanly swift move, he lifted her and plonked her on the bed beside him with such force the air whooshed from her lungs.

  His breathing laboured, he turned away.

  “Grayson…?”

  He didn’t answer, but he stopped convulsing and his skin tone returned to normal.

  Tentatively, she touched his arm. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m so sorry. Please forgive me, I never meant…” He shook his head, his long hair brushing his broad shoulders. “I thought if I waited before we made love, I would be able to control the beast within. I’m a monster.”

  She shifted to face him, forced him to look at her. His striking wolf eyes stared back, so full of regret and shame. Self-hatred, too. Her heart went out to him. She wanted nothing more than to ease his concerns.

  Jamie cupped his face with both hands. “You listen to me, Grayson. You are not a monster; that’s not what I see. I see the magnificent man I fell in love with.”

  “But I could have hurt you. I’d never forgive myself if—”

  She silenced his protest with a kiss. “You would never hurt me. I trust you with my life and my heart.”

  His eyes turned back to normal once more. “How did I get so lucky to find you, Jamie?” he uttered, his voice thick with emotion.

  “Ditto.” She grinned. “Now get here, my handsome wolf man, and finish what we started.”

  She pulled him on top of her this time, his size dwarfing hers, his power a hundred times greater than hers, but she felt no fear, just protected and safe, and insanely smitten by a reluctant alpha werewolf with a beautiful soul and a heart of pure gold.

  Chapter Eleven

  Grayson opened his eyes. Jamie.

  She lay naked and asleep beside him, her gentle breaths puffing on his skin. The early morning sun shone through the window, catching the highlights in her tousled hair. Dark eyelashes fanned her porcelain cheeks and her soft lips twitched.

  He forgot to breathe. Last night hadn’t been a dream; she was still here, in his bed. She’d rocked his world last night, but she’d done something else too. She’d put her trust in him, even when he’d almost shifted.

  There could have been a hurricane blowing outside and it still would have been the most beautiful morning ever.

  Jamie stirred, as though she sensed him staring at her. She opened her eyes and smiled. “Hey, you,” she murmured.

  “Morning, my love.”

  “What’s the time?”

  “Early, before seven. Sleep well?”

  A sexy dimple appeared in her cheek. “I seem to recall we didn’t sleep much.”

  He chuckled. She wasn’t wrong.

  “Did that really happen?” she asked.

  He caressed her bare backside. “You better believe it.”

  She laughed and shoved his chest playfully. “Not that, you big, bad wolf. I meant did we get engaged?”

  Grayson sought her left hand and brought it to his lips, the sapphire ring on her finger. “You better believe that, too, future wife.”

  Her wide grin warmed his heart, not to mention making his cock twitch.

  “Well, future husband, as much as I’d like to stay here forever, I better sneak out before Luna and Alice realise I stay
ed the night.”

  “I’m sure they won’t mind in the slightest. Knowing Alice, she’ll want to cook you a fine breakfast.”

  “No, I should go. You’ll have to tell Luna and Alice about our engagement.”

  “They already knew I was going to ask you.”

  “I know, but it’ll be better if you tell them on your own, just to make sure they’re happy about it.”

  “They will be, believe me.” He wrapped his arms around her and drew her close, then kissed her tenderly, hoping to change her mind.

  “Hmm, tempting, but I’m going.”

  He made an exaggerated sulky face, but he couldn’t deny she was right; he did have to tell Luna and Alice before the gathering.

  Shit, the gathering. It’s tonight. In less than thirteen hours, all of his pack would be here.

  Jamie went to get out of bed, but he pulled her back. “There’s one more thing I wanted to ask you before you go…” He hesitated, uncertain of how to put it. “You can say no if you want, but it would mean the world to me if you would come. To tell the truth, I hate these things, but they’re part of my alpha duties. I wish I didn’t have to hold them here in the ballroom—”

  “Grayson!” she interrupted. “What are you talking about?”

  “Sorry. The pack gathering. We hold them twice a year. They’re a load of pomp and ceremony, and there’s always trouble of some sort, family dramas and such, but it’s tradition, a way for the pack to keep in touch. I wouldn’t ask normally because I know you hate all that unnecessary extravagance, but it would be the perfect opportunity to announce our engagement. Plus, I get to show you off to everyone.”

  She regarded him for a moment. “The whole pack will be there? What if they don’t like me?”

  He tucked her hair behind her ear. “You’ll come?”

  She nodded.

  “So, you’ll be in a room full of werewolves and all you’re worried about is if they will like you?”

  “Yeah,” she said slowly. “Is there something else I need to be worried about? For instance, will Imogen be there?”

  “Yes, Imogen will be there, but you’ve nothing to fear from her. One advantage of being alpha is everyone is answerable to me.”