by J L Taft
A blur of black went between her legs and she watched in shock as the wolf dashed into her living room and sat in front of the fireplace. She might have some deep connection to animals but this was something else entirely.
Did she really want to lock herself in with a wolf? Deciding that would be just stupid, she left the door propped open so he could get out at any moment. She was thankful it wasn’t too cold outside.
Carrying her groceries to the table, she sat them down and glared at the wolf.
“You are almost as rude as my new neighbor,” she mumbled.
She took her time taking care of things, glancing often at the wolf, who was content to sit by the fire and stare back at her.
Contemplating him from the kitchen, she wondered how to get him to leave. The only person near enough to help her was her grumpy neighbor and she wasn’t going to bother him.
Heaving a sigh, she didn’t know what to do.
“All right, Wolf, what do you want?”
He cocked his head to the side at the sound of her voice. Just then her cell rang and, looking down at the screen, dread fell upon her. It was her mother.
She briefly considered not answering but her mother would just keep calling.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Blair! What is the meaning of this?” she said, her unhappiness coming over the line loud and clear.
“What do you mean?” Blair had learned to take her mother in stride. She plopped down on the couch, resigned to listen to the lecture that was certainly coming.
“You have been gone for two days and not a word from you! Is it too much to ask that you let us know how you are?”
Guilt was always the first tack she tried.
“I’m fine. I’ve been busy unpacking.” And avoiding this call, she silently added.
“This is ridiculous, you need to come home where you belong.”
Blair closed her eyes briefly, seeking strength. She knew what was coming.
“You are not well, Blair, and you need to be where we can take care of you. Not living out in the middle of nowhere alone.”
“I’m fine, Mother.”
“Don’t use that tone with me! I am your mother and I know what’s best for you.”
Yeah, not since she was ten. Blair remained silent, knowing her mother wouldn’t listen to a word she said anyway.
“Blair? Are you still there? Blair!”
A stroke of genius struck Blair. Putting her fingers over the speaker on her phone, she spoke while covering and uncovering it.
“Mom, I’m… I must have…reception.” Before her mother could answer she hung up.
She knew it would take all of two minutes for her mother to call back but when she did, Blair let it go to voicemail. She wasn’t changing her mind and going back. This was her home now and she was staying.
Something warm and wet touched her bare arm and she jerked in surprise. She looked down at the wolf, who was now sitting next to the couch. He bumped his nose again against her arm and she slowly reached out to pet him. His ears went back as her hand got close but she kept her movements slow.
Her fingers brushed the top of his head and she was surprised how soft he was. Starting with small strokes between his ears, she then moved to scratch his chin. His mouth opened, his tongue lolled out and she swore he was smiling.
“You like that don’t you, boy?” she whispered.
Suddenly he lay down at her feet. She had no doubt what he wanted—a belly rub. Going to her knees next to him, she started at his neck and worked her way down to the shorter hair on his chest and belly.
As she rubbed he lifted his back leg and she giggled. “I knew you were a boy!”
She didn’t know much about wolves but this one seemed to be well-endowed.
“Maybe I should name you if you are going to keep showing up and thinking you own the place.” She gave it some thought as she sat there.
Forgetting all about the call from her mother, she scratched and petted the big black wolf until her arms were tired. Even then she just sat next to him on the floor, his big body keeping her warm. Soon her eyes got heavy and she fell into an exhausted slumber.
Shane knew he was risking it but he couldn’t leave her sleeping on the cold floor with the front door propped open. Women! Detangling from her gently, he padded out to the yard. It was still somewhat painful to change back to his human body and he didn’t want to wake her if he groaned.
A few minutes later he entered the cabin cautiously, watching for any movement. He hadn’t brought any clothes with him so he was creeping around in his birthday suit and he really didn’t want to find out how she would react if she awoke to find a naked man in her house. He had a feeling she was feisty.
She really was beautiful too. Her hair was a strange color, kind of red but darker, and he had noticed earlier there were black streaks in it. Pair that up with her amber-colored eyes and she was a looker. Her body was enough to make any man drool—long legs and a perfectly rounded ass. Quietly he called to her, “Blair?”
No response. Gently he lifted her in his arms. He had no trouble because she weighed practically nothing. He carried her back to her bedroom and laid her on her bed, removing her shoes and covering her up. She never stirred.
Shane stoked the fire and closed the doors before he left, sure she was okay for the night.
Changing back to the wolf, he wandered aimlessly through the woods, not ready to go back to his quiet cabin. He was lonely, tired of searching for the mate he knew was out there somewhere for him.
But he could only find his mate in Shifter form and since they didn’t gather in large numbers it was easier said than done. So he wandered among the trees alone, night after night, year after year.
It was the curse of a Shifter. They were meant to have mates. Some were lucky enough to find them and others wasted their lives searching. He was beginning to think it wasn’t in the stars for him.
He had felt something special when he had moved into his own little cabin. It had made him think he was supposed to be here. No other place in his travels had made him feel anything more than it was just another town, another city.
But he had been here for three years now and even though the feeling hadn’t faded he still hadn’t found his mate. Maybe it was time for him to move on.
Throwing his head back, he howled at the moon and the injustice of it all.
Chapter Four
Blair woke with the sun, a little disoriented. She didn’t remember getting into bed. Sitting up, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and then she remembered—the wolf!
Jumping up and racing to the living room, she looked around but he wasn’t there. But the front doors were closed and the fire still had coals in it for once. Hmmm. She didn’t remember doing any of that but it wouldn’t be the first time she didn’t remember doing something. The meds made her loopy. But she hadn’t taken any yesterday. It was strange but she didn’t dwell on it for too long.
It was a beautiful day and the sun was shining cheerfully in the front window. She could resist no longer. The urge to put her big black wolf on canvas had her unpacking her oil paints. She had her area set up the way she liked it in no time.
Time ceased to exist once her brush hit the canvas. This is what she loved about it—the bubble that surrounded her, where there was nothing but the colors and what she chose to do with them.
No nagging parents, no doctors analyzing every stroke, nothing but her and what she wanted. It was liberating.
It was easier than she remembered, the lack of distractions adding to her artistic ability. The wolf came first, bold and beautiful on the canvas. She added the trees around him but made them bare, not wanting the riot of color to distract from his beauty.
The sun’s shadows grew long and then were gone altogether. Dragging two lamps from other parts of the house, she continued to paint, refusing to give a second thought to how ridiculous the living room looked now.
The sky was dark and the stars were showing when she
heard a knock on her door.
A brief moment of panic overcame her as she wondered who it could be. Please not her mother, she silently prayed.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the door to find her grumpy, rude, sexy neighbor.
“Yes?”
“Hey, I’m really sorry about yesterday. I’m Shane Rivers and I think we got off on the wrong foot.” He held a covered dish of food up in offering and she blinked at him in shock. It smelled good and she realized how hungry she was.
He seemed sincere and the food was a welcome distraction. Without saying a word, she opened the door and let him in. Suddenly she wished she had cleaned herself up a little. She was wearing old, ripped jeans and a skimpy white tank top that was now covered in paint stains. But that was what he got when he showed up unannounced.
But he didn’t seem to mind. She caught his gaze quickly roaming down over her breasts before jerking back up.
He immediately went to the table and set the casserole dish down. The smell of the potatoes and meat filled the room.
Her little cabin felt even smaller with him in it. His size dwarfed the little table and chairs that she had in the kitchen.
Still silent, she gathered plates, silverware and napkins, setting them out and then taking a seat at one end of the table. She wasn’t sure why but she was nervous, her tongue tied and her mind unable to focus.
If he thought her quietness odd he didn’t mention it and dished up their plates. Setting a steaming pile of Shepherd’s Pie in front of her, he took his own seat.
Abruptly his voice cut across the stillness. “So, I guess I’m forgiven?” he said with a small smile.
Blair looked across the table at him. “Forgiven for what, exactly?”
He shoveled a bit of food in his mouth and then took his time answering.
“For being rude? For scaring you off my land? We are neighbors, after all, and I really am sorry. You caught me at a bad time.”
“Well, I’ll be sure to avoid you at bad times from now on.” Blair felt a little bad for obviously reprimanding him but she couldn’t help it. She was flustered and her heart was racing. Sexy men just didn’t bring dinner to her door every day and she was wise enough to realize that.
He was a puzzle and she couldn’t just fit him in the same mold of man she was used to. He did something to her insides just by being near and it made her excited.
He did chuckle, though, and she couldn’t help but smile back.
“Where did you move from?” he asked between large mouthfuls of food.
“New York City. I was ready to break out on my own.” She answered as she ate at a much slower pace.
“From the city and you came here? Out in the middle of nowhere?” He sounded surprised.
It wasn’t the first time she had heard that. “Yes, to the middle of nowhere, on purpose. I like it here. I like the woods and the lake so close and that people are few and far between. Plus there is a lot of inspiration to be had around here.”
“Inspiration?” he asked.
“I am a landscape painter and the views here are amazing.”
“It is a pretty area,” he answered.
“What do you do for a living?” she asked as she picked at her food.
“I build wooden boats. Small ones, mostly flat-bottom, and I sell them online. It pays the bills and I enjoy it.”
He wandered away as she picked up dinner dishes and made them both coffees. Blair came up behind him as he stood staring down at her half-finished painting. She watched nervously as he leaned down to peer closely at her work.
Several minutes went by before he straightened. “This is really something,” he said as she handed him a steaming cup. Their fingers brushed and Blair felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Heat pooled in her belly and she felt wetness between her legs.
“How much?” he asked.
“Excuse me?”
“How much do you want for it?” he asked again impatiently.
Blair stared at him in shock. “It’s not even done yet!”
“I can see that but when it’s done I want to buy it.”
“Really?” She was surprised but pleased too. No one at home put much stock in her paintings even though she had sold several to galleries in the Big Apple.
“Is this the wolf you saw?” Suddenly she lost her train of thought when he caught her eye. His deep gaze was the color of the dark-green pine needles and she couldn’t look away until he blinked and looked back down at the painting.
Blair glanced down at the canvas that had taken on a life of its own. The wolf was standing broadside but he was looking right at them. It was one of her best.
“Yeah, I’ve seen him a couple times now. Charming’s a bit rude.”
“Charming?” He snorted with laughter and it put her back up.
“Yes, that’s what I call him.” But now that she thought about it, she didn’t want to talk to Shane about him. She wanted to have the wolf all to herself. She had begun to think of him as not a pet but a friend. “You’re right, it’s silly.” He looked at her strangely when she didn’t go on.
“You are kind of shy, aren’t you?” he asked quietly.
She had never been put on the spot like that and she felt her face heat. “So what if I am?”
“It was just an observation, no need to get defensive,” he said as he held his hands up in surrender. “You are very beautiful too.”
Blair had heard that one before but as she lifted her eyes to his she could tell he really meant it. That he really saw her as she wanted to be seen. It felt amazing and the sexy woman inside her opened her eyes and stretched, possibly for the first time ever.
“Thank you, Shane,” she said with a small smile.
“Do you have a boyfriend back home waiting for you?” he asked.
“No, and I don’t plan on going back. This is my home now.”
“Did you leave anyone back there?” His voice was quiet as if he knew there was more to the story.
“Yes, my parents. I may go back to visit them. Someday.”
He was silent for a moment and then, “Do you want to talk about it?”
She debated for a second but talking about it only made her depressed and she was enjoying her evening too much to bring it up.
“No, thanks anyway.”
“Okay, but I’m here if you ever do.” He suddenly reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Smiling up at him, she led him to the couch where they both sat and Blair was very aware of the few inches separating them.
They talked for a while and Blair found herself enjoying his company enough to relax. But there was an underlying tension between every word and every touch. She noticed he found little ways to touch her, even if it was just to brush against her hand. By the time he was ready to go she was a quivering mass and searching for courage.
Seeing him to the door, she stood still as he looked at her for a long moment. She silently prayed he would kiss her. Her hand was on the doorknob but she didn’t open it yet. He didn’t seem quite ready to go and she realized she wasn’t ready for him to.
There was something about him that let her know it would be like nothing else she had ever experienced.
He was so different from what she was used to—he had rough work hands and faded clothing. A far cry from the business suits and ties that were standard in the city. But there also weren’t any walls to try to peek over either. He didn’t hide what he was thinking and he had been open and honest with her.
She was tired of playing it safe, picking the men she dated by judging what her parents would think. They had left her cold inside and she wanted to experience more of the heat Shane sent her way with just a look.
Briefly she wondered if knowing her parents wouldn’t approve only made him more attractive. But she refused to believe that was the only reason.
His dark-green eyes held hers and she was swiftly lost in them. He leaned in, her lips parting in anticipation. He stopped a hair’s
breadth away from her lips.
“I’m going to kiss you, Blair.” His low voice sent shivers down her spine and she nodded. He smirked down at her and said, “No objections?”
Blair shook her head no but couldn’t help taking a step back when he stepped forward, effectively blocking her in behind the door. His strong, tanned arms boxed her in, his hands flat on the wall on either side of her head.
Gently he brushed his mouth against hers and she felt the contact shoot straight between her legs. He pulled back and caught her gaze again, looking a little surprised himself. She watched as his eyes closed and his face descended again.
This time he really kissed her, his mouth coming down hard and demanding. Blair moaned and he took advantage of her parted lips to slip his tongue inside, swirling it along her teeth.
Her own eyes closed and she raised her hands to lay them on his hard chest. His hands came down to cup her face, tilting it back for better access. Deepening the depth his tongue could invade.
She couldn’t hold back and keep her emotions and the passion in check like she had always done, but it had never felt like this before. Rising up on her toes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him even closer, her own tongue dueling with his. He growled when she slipped inside to lick the roof of his mouth and she was instantly proud of herself for doing it.
Shane’s hands left her face and reached down to pull her hips up against his. Blair groaned when she felt the hard ridge of his penis straining against his jeans, rubbing on her belly.
She knew in that instant she wanted him more than any other man and she was going to prove it. He had lit a fire in her veins, burning brightly and settling deep between her legs. She had nothing to lose and a feeling that with him there was a lot she could gain.
His mouth left hers to trail wetly along her neck. “Shit, Blair, I want you,” he mumbled between open-mouthed kisses.
Smiling at him, she removed her arms from around his neck to trail down his cotton-covered chest. Her nails scraped and she felt the muscles underneath contract and her belly gave a slow roll in response.
His seeking fingers tried to pull her shirt up but she batted his hands away and dropped to her knees in front of him. He looked down at her in amazement as she popped the button open and unzipped his jeans.