by Sofia Grey
A Handful of Wolf
Snowdonia Wolves Book 2
Sofia Grey
Published 2013
ISBN: 978-1-62210-052-1
Published by Liquid Silver Books, imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing, 10509 Sedgegrass Dr, Indianapolis, Indiana 46235. Copyright © Published 2013, Sofia Grey. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.
Manufactured in the United States of America
Liquid Silver Books
http://LSbooks.com
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.
Blurb
Sasha's not a looking-to-the-future kind of guy, but he's made an exception with his plans to travel and meet lots of pretty girls. Too bad his Pack Alpha, fate, and reality have other ideas about his trip abroad. He's pretty sure he didn't sign on to be a diplomat for the Snowdonia Wolf Pack. Or to find a Mate. Especially not a human Mate.
Megan knows better than to let a sweet-talking charmer get under her skin, but Sasha's sexy playfulness is making her forget all her rules. Except one: she's not willing to risk her heart by falling in love. The gorgeous boy from Wales can only be a fling, especially since her over-protective brothers hate him on sight.
In the midst of a wolf uprising, a hesitant Mate, and Megan’s complicated family ties, Sasha learns that sometimes impulsiveness is dangerous and even lethal. Can he show Megan why they belong together before it all comes crashing down around him and he loses his Mate forever?
Acknowledgements
Thanks to my fabulous beta readers, TigerLilyReader, Janet and Allyson, and to the brilliant team at LSB. Thanks also go to Rene, for introducing me to the amazing nightclub that became Mighty Mike’s, to Kimbles for patiently answering my questions about working in the construction industry and the real D behind Dion. You guys all rock.
Chapter 1
Any minute now and the girl would lose her scarf. Sasha watched with interest as the wind snatched at the gauzy pink fabric and blew it briefly onto her face. She pushed it down with one hand, a frown appearing on her smooth forehead. Her attention seemed to be riveted on the phone call she was making or taking. Either way she was oblivious to the group of builders on the raised platform opposite of where she stood.
“Twenty bucks on her.” Dion nudged him and Sasha stared at her some more. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen the curvy brunette and he figured she must work in one of the nearby office blocks. Kissing her would be no hardship at all.
He flashed a grin at his colleague. “You’re on.”
Dion winked and they bumped knuckles. “I’ll raise it to fifty if you score a date with her.”
Fifty? The guy was earning too much. “Just a date?”
“Yep, but she has to turn up. No show, no pay.”
Sasha shrugged. He loved a challenge and this would be a fun diversion for the end of the week. “Sure.” At that moment, the breeze intensified and whipped at her scarf, tugging it free.
“Watch and learn, dude.” Sasha prowled to the edge of the platform and leaned on the rail. The girl grabbed at the errant scarf, but it was too late. It swirled up and away from her before floating on the breeze, racing across the busy road and flying upward toward the builders.
Sasha channeled his inner wolf and jumped onto the guardrail. He crouched for a second before springing forward and catching the trailing end in his fingertips. He dropped neatly onto the next platform and stood there, waiting to see her reaction.
Dion whistled and clapped his hands. The girl stared open-mouthed and then laughed, a dimple appearing in her cheek.
Wow. Sasha could see why she’d been wearing a scarf; her very generous breasts were all but falling out of her stretchy white T-shirt. He had a thing for leggy blondes, but there were plenty of those in Wellington and he’d dated more than his fair share, so maybe it was time for a change.
The girl dodged between a string of cabs and made it safely to his side of the road. Sash vaulted over the guardrail and grinned as she approached. Dion stood no chance of hanging on to his money.
*
Megan spotted the cute builder days ago. It would have been hard not to, he stood out from the usual crew like a diamond in a coal mine. She’d taken to leaving the office a little earlier each day for lunch, and it was pure coincidence that she waited for Phillip opposite the construction crew. A little eye candy never hurt. While she loved her job with Ecology, a natural skincare company, all she had to look at in her office was other women and geeks.
Today the cutie had outdone himself. His death-defying leap from one platform to the other had her frozen her with fear, but he was more agile than she’d guessed. He stood on the pavement with his back against the guardrail, one hand tucked into the pocket of his jeans, the other holding her scarf.
She paused before closing the distance to his side and looked at him more closely. Tall and slim-hipped, he had the broad shoulders and muscular chest of the other builders, but a leaner build with a flat stomach and the most delicious wolfish grin on his face. White teeth gleamed against a tanned face and a dimple flashed at her. His eyes were obscured by wraparound sunglasses and his hair was hidden by the hard hat, but what she could see added up to a very pleasing image. If only they didn’t have an audience. Megan hated to be the center of attention.
Bracing herself, she stepped forward and smiled, a little uncertain. “Thank you. That was very athletic.”
Cutie’s grin broadened. “My pleasure. Happy to help.” His voice was dark and deep, and the accent not local. She frowned as she placed it.
“Welsh?”
The dimple flashed again. “Guilty as charged.”
She felt her phone vibrate. Almost certainly Phillip. “May I have my scarf back, please?”
“Of course.” He slid the shades from his face and she gazed, startled at his eyes. A bright, translucent blue, they reminded her of the Mediterranean Sea at the height of summer. She stared a moment longer, spellbound.
Cutie lifted her scarf and she watched it shimmer in the breeze. “I’m afraid scarf-rescue comes with a price tag.” She was transfixed by his cheeky smile.
“A price?”
“A kiss.”
Oh. He must have been teasing, but she was not prepared for the ripple of excitement that uncurled in her belly. Megan tried to look severe. “I don’t think so.”
He cocked his head slightly to one side and then leaned forward, almost close enough to touch her. “Help me out.” It was a loud whisper, close to her ear. Warm breath fanned over her cheek and more delicious, sultry tingles flashed down her spine. “My buddy here is convinced that you’ll turn me down. Will you let me prove him wrong?”
How would it feel, for those generous lips to brush over hers? She snapped to attention. “That’s a high price.”
Blue eyes twinkled. “Call it hazard pay.”
She swallowed. The guy was temptation in human form. The tool belt around his middle emphasized his flat stomach and narrow waist. As she stared, he dropped his scarf hand to rest on his denim-clad thigh. She followed the movement and found she was staring directly at his groin. Heat filled her cheeks and she dragged her gaze up to meet his amused smile. “Have you had any success with that line before?”
His eyes widened at her tart comment and he clutched her scarf to his chest and pretended to stagger. “You wound me.”
Despite herself, she felt her lips twitch at
his clowning. As far as flirtation went, this guy was a gold medalist. He’d also sidestepped her question, but she was having fun, so she forgave him. It was just a line, she knew that. Her phone vibrated again. She needed to be on her way, but not without her scarf. There was an easy solution and Megan giggled and then held out her right hand.
She fully expected him to play along and drop a gallant kiss on the back of her hand.
She didn’t expect him to pull her close into his chest…and she definitely wasn’t expecting him to gaze deeply into her eyes, slide a possessive hand around her neck and claim her lips.
*
Sasha intended to tease the pretty girl a little longer. The pink flush that suffused her cheeks was positively adorable and he couldn’t help wondering how far down it went. Good manners forbade him from staring at her cleavage, at least, while she stood next to him. His wolf pricked its ears up at her voice. Her Kiwi accent was softer than most and the animal inside him liked the sound of it. Her scent was delicious too: caramel and warm earthy spices. Exotic.
The second he caught her hand, a shockwave rippled up his arm. Static? His wolf leaped up and howled. Huh? The wolf scratched at him, demanding he draw her closer, take her lips, claim her. Instinct overruled common sense and he listened to his beast. There was a moment of what-the-fuck from the girl, a shocked gasp and then silence, apart from his heartbeat pounding and the pulse thrumming in his ears.
Soft, warm and sweet, the taste of her nearly drove him to his knees. It was like no other kiss before, and Sasha had sampled a lot of girls. His wolf yipped and scratched some more while Sasha tried to figure out what had just happened. He tilted his head and deepened the kiss, licking delicately along the seam of her lips. She moved in his arms and made a little noise, and then pain crashed into him like a knee in the balls. Hang on, it was a knee in the balls. The pain blossomed and radiated outward, and he could do nothing other than stagger backward and cup himself.
Fu-uck. She was lethal. Gorgeous.
“Thank you.” What? She tugged the scarf from his suddenly limp fingers. “Have a great day.” His eyes were watering, but he’d swear she winked at him as she sashayed away, fastening the scarf around her throat as she went.
“Dude. That was frickin’ hilarious.” Dion wiped his eyes, but from laughter not pain. Sasha tried to stand up straight and winced. He needed a moment. “You’ve got your twenty bucks though. That was a helluva kiss, man.”
“Yeah.” Gritting his teeth, Sasha stood up straight and replaced his shades, scanning the street to see where she’d gone. Vanished.
“Don’t fancy your chances for the rematch though. You’ll never get a date with her.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to say he didn’t want a date with her, when he realized that he did. He must need his head examined.
Chapter 2
Megan felt unsettled all day. She wanted to be able to blame Phillip for standing her up at lunchtime, but since he was taking her to dinner to make up for it, she couldn’t be mad. She tugged down her skirt and smoothed her loose silk top while she waited for him to feed coins into the parking meter. He was the kind of guy who always carried spare change and who never let his cell phone battery go flat. He’d probably been a Boy Scout. Always prepared.
As boyfriends went, he was okay. They’d been dating a grand total of four weeks and to give him credit, he wasn’t pushing for anything more, but she knew it was only a matter of time. So if it wasn’t Phillip bugging her, what could it be? Cutie. The gorgeous construction worker. She touched her lips with her fingertips. They still felt sensitive and swollen, and that had been hours ago. Her knees had felt so weak, she didn’t think she’d be able to move, let alone incapacitate him, but he’d definitely been taking liberties with that kiss.
“Ready?” Phillip smiled at her and held out a hand. Megan chose that moment to fiddle inside her shoulder bag and he stuck his hands in his pockets instead. Unruffled, he began to walk along the waterfront. “I thought we’d try that new restaurant on the front.” He gave her an inscrutable look. “Somewhere special.”
Uh oh. That sounded ominous. She dragged her attention back to the man at her side. “Okay.”
*
For once in his life, Sasha was trying to be responsible. His wolf was frustrated at not being allowed to run free and he’d thought longingly of taking off into the hills for the weekend, but instead he was taking care of Pack business. His cousin and Pack Alpha, Jake, spoke encouragingly down the phone line to him.
“Just play nicely, Sash. I’m trusting you to be an ambassador here, to start networking with the New Zealand wolves. You’re representing the Snowdonia Pack. Don’t fuck it up.”
“Such trust,” he grumbled. If nothing else, it was a waste of a beautiful summer evening. He’d have to sit and make small talk with a group of native wolf shifters and be on his best behavior. Jake would normally take care of business like this, but he was thousands of miles away in their home territory. Sasha’s mind flashed to the mountains and forests he called home. It was winter now in Wales. It felt odd to be hanging around in hot sunshine, while Jake had snowdrifts. By the time Sasha finished his contract here, it would be spring. He’d never missed a winter in all his twenty-four years.
“I’ve got to go, Sash. Good luck tonight, and email to let me know how it goes. Okay?”
Something tugged at Sasha’s senses and his wolf lifted his head, intent and focused. A scent he recognized. He opened his mouth slightly and inhaled, the wolf very much in control. Caramel and spice. The girl with the scarf.
“Yeah, will do.” He finished the call, shoved his phone into a pocket and turned around. There she was. The brunette stood a short distance away on the edge of a car park and he feasted his eyes on her. Business clothes had been replaced with a short stretchy black skirt that hugged her curves and a shiny, gleaming top that begged to be touched. Dark hair tumbled down her back, a few strands falling onto her face and she brushed them back with one elegant hand. Her scent called to him and his wolf whined, needing to get closer.
He took a step toward her. He’d apologize for taking advantage earlier, offer to buy her a drink. Maybe try another kiss later when she’d forgiven him. He still had plenty of time for the Pack business, and a little fun first would satisfy his wolf. Confident, he took another step, but then stopped.
She was with someone. A guy. Sasha’s wolf growled when the guy held out his hand to her, and then quieted again when she refused. This was stupid. He didn’t even know her. One kiss was all they shared. Yeah, and what a kiss. She was a gorgeous, hard-assed girl and it stood to reason she’d have a boyfriend. All the same, for whatever reason, she didn’t want to hold the guy’s hand and that was enough of an excuse for Sasha to look out for her. When the couple walked into a waterfront restaurant, he followed.
*
Megan had a weird prickly feeling in the back of her neck, as though someone was watching her. Her Welsh grandmother, her Nain, used to tease her that she’d inherited the family gift of second sight. It was supposed to appear in every second generation and had skipped Megan’s mother. Apart from some odd dreams though, Megan had never experienced even a case of déjà vu.
She tried to focus on the menu in her hand and the handsome guy sitting opposite. Phillip looked like a man who was going places. His smart suit fit his lean body as though made to measure and the light blue tie was a perfect match for the color of his eyes. Cutie’s brilliant blue eyes came to mind again and she shook her head, trying to shift his memory. Phillip’s head was bent as he scanned the menu options and she gazed at his immaculate hair. Light brown and short all over, it didn’t dare to be messy like her own. She blew at another wispy strand that had fallen onto her face.
“So.” Philip’s smile was as flawless as his haircut. “I’m celebrating tonight and wanted to share it with you.”
“Oh?” Megan relaxed a touch.
“I’ve been promoted at work.” She tried to remember exa
ctly what he did…oh yes, worked for a property investor. Phillip flicked at the menu with his thumb. “My boss has been transferred to Christchurch, so I’m stepping into his role.”
“Well done.” This time her smile was genuine. “You must be pleased?”
“Yeah. I’ll get to spend time on the sites as well, talking with the architects and that, so I won’t be stuck in the office all the time.”
She picked up the glass of water by her place setting and held it up. “Congratulations.” They chinked their drinks together and she sighed inwardly in relief. Not The Speech tonight then. She relaxed too soon.
“It’s our four week anniversary today.”
Boom! He’d been doing so well up to now. Megan opened her mouth to speak and felt that strange tingle in her neck again. She slipped one hand underneath her hair and gently massaged the now taut muscles.
“I know you don’t want to tie yourself down or anything.” He offered her a smile. “I really like you, Megan. I think we’re good together and I thought we could maybe go away for a weekend? Get to know each other properly. There’s this fabulous little spa up in Taupo. Hot pools, massage therapies…you’ll love it.”
Get to know each other being code for getting horizontal between the sheets. Megan froze. How to let him down gently? As she hesitated, he dug into an inside pocket and produced a shiny envelope. “I’ve booked for the weekend after next. You said you weren’t doing anything.” Phillip put down the envelope, reached over the table and closed his fingers around her hand. “What do you think?”
*
Sasha positioned himself at the end of the bar, his body in shadow, but with a good view of the girl. She didn’t look thrilled with her date and Sasha’s gut tightened. He took a sip of his bottled beer and tried to pretend he wasn’t really staring, but when the guy took her hand, lifted her fingers to his mouth and dropped a kiss on them, Sasha’s wolf snarled in earnest. What the fuck was the matter with his wolf? It’d been unsettled and growly for the past couple of weeks. It’s not as though she’d need to be rescued. This was the same girl who dropped him with one swiftly placed knee. Sasha took a deep calming breath and took another swig of beer. He needed to leave soon anyway, to make the meeting. She was none of his business.