by Jenika Snow
It sounded nice, and she was exhausted, but there was no way Fiona could fall asleep. “Thanks, but I doubt I’ll be getting much sleep tonight.” He sat next to her on the couch, which surprised her.
“Listen, if it would make you feel better I have a handgun you can hang on to. I don’t go about letting strange women into my house or giving them firearms, but I can tell you’re pretty shaken up and it would probably put you at ease.”
Fiona wasn’t a stranger to a gun, and although she wasn’t a fan of them, she gratefully accepted. He left her for a moment and she used that time to look around. The cabin wasn’t overly large, but she could tell whoever built it had put a lot of their sweat and love into it.
The fireplace was probably the most elaborate one she had ever seen. The mantle was made of thickly cut mahogany, and the scrolling etched into the wood was delicate and detailed. It was large and took up almost one side of the wall. The rest of the cabin was pretty average. Landon didn’t have elaborate furniture or décor, and she could tell he lived simply. He returned a moment later with a small, silver gun.
“Do you know how to shoot one of these?” At her nod he continued. “This is a .22 caliber Colt. It is already loaded and the safety is on.” He handed her the gun.
Her hands shook as she took it. She wasn’t frightened of the gun, but of what she may have to shoot with it. When she held it in her hand the metal was ice cold. Landon placed his hand over hers, steadying it as he stared into her eyes.
“Everything will be okay.”
Somehow, she really doubted that.
Chapter Three
Fiona turned the gun around in her hand. The weight was substantial in her palm, and although she had shot a firearm with her father on more the one occasion, it had been years. She prayed Landon was right and she wouldn’t have to use it.
“I’m going to get cleaned up. I’ll just be in the restroom, which is right around the corner.” He pointed to where it was and then disappeared.
Fiona didn’t move from her spot when she heard the sound of running water. Landon had said he had no electricity, and from the looks of his raw cabin, she didn’t doubt what he said, but still, how was he running water? About half an hour later he emerged. His hair was wet and he smelled heavenly. He held a towel in his hand and then handed it to her.
He must have read her mind because he answered her unspoken question. “I have a filtration and purification system hooked up. I’m able to use water from the rain, the nearby lake, and even the natural hot springs without the use of electricity. You’re more than welcome to use the shower, if you want. The pressure isn’t the greatest, but you look like you could use a hot shower.”
She glanced down at herself, saw her torn clothes and muddy legs, and felt a twinge of embarrassment. She shouldn’t care, not after the night she’d had, but hearing him say she needed one made the feminine side of her cringe. Her muscles did ache and she didn’t doubt the hot water would feel glorious, but fear kept her rooted.
“No pressure. If you’d rather just freshen up and not shower, or do neither, that’s completely fine.”
She could handle that. She took the towel he offered and made her way into the bathroom. She closed the door behind her and set the gun on the sink. The mirror right in front of her showed her a frightening sight. The woman that stared back was pale and cut up. Her chin was swollen, and she had several cuts along her cheeks and forehead.
“What the hell is happening?” She whispered the question to her reflection. She hadn’t dismissed the idea that maybe she had imagined it all, but when Landon confirmed it she knew she must have fallen into the Twilight Zone. How was something like this even possible? She shook her head. There was nothing to do but wait it out until morning.
She put the stopper in the sink and turned on the hot water. He was right, the pressure was mediocre at best, but soon steam started to fill the bathroom and fog up the mirror. Good, she didn’t want to look at herself anyway.
There were a few washcloths on a shelf by the sink and she grabbed one. Once it was wet she started to clean her face, arms, and legs. The ointment he had applied had done a good job of numbing her injuries, but now, as she washed it away, they were really starting to get sore. When she was cleaned enough to where she didn’t feel gritty, she completely undressed and slipped the shirt he had given her over her head.
She might have been uncomfortable wearing one of his shirts, but the material fell past her knees and elbows. It covered her more than her shorts and tank did. When she opened the bathroom door she ran right into a hard, big chest. Her heart instantly leaped as she craned her neck and looked into Landon’s eyes. He held a mug and steam swirled around it. She could smell chamomile and honey, a tempting blend that she knew would calm her.
“Sorry. I was just going to tell you I made you some tea and a little something to eat.” He handed over the mug and then turned and went back into the living room.
Fiona followed, slowly. When she was back on the couch, Landon placed a plate with fruit and crackers in front of her. He took a blanket off the back of the couch and placed it over her legs.
“Thank you.” Fiona felt her cheeks heat. She hardly knew this man, aside from the countless times she’d passed his cabin with her team and seen him under the warm morning sun, yet she was finding herself inexplicably drawn to him.
He moved back and sat in the chair across from her. There was a lot she wanted to ask him, yet she didn’t know where to start. She figured the beginning would be best.
“You live here alone?” At his nod she felt a stab of pleasure. The wind howled outside and something scraped against the door. Fiona’s whole body tightened and she looked from the door to Landon.
“A storm is coming and the wind is picking up. That was just some debris.”
“How can you be sure?” His response was a gentle smile.
Nothing more was said and Fiona found herself calming. Either the tea was doing the trick or just being in Landon’s presence was all she needed to feel safe. “It’s kind of crazy, but even though I’m scared, I feel safe around you. Thank you for helping me.” She couldn’t tell him that enough.
“There is nothing for you to thank me about. I wouldn’t have done it any other way.” His smile was charming, all straight white teeth and a dimple on the side.
Fiona cleared her throat and looked into her mug. What she really wanted to ask him was when he had seen someone turn into a wolf. “So—” she cleared her throat again, “you’ve seen someone change into a—” God, it still sounded crazy. “You’ve seen someone change into a wolf?”
He took a long drink of tea and watched her over the rim of his mug. “When you live this far into the mountains, and are this isolated, you see a lot of things.” He took another drink and turned his attention to the fire. “Believe it or not, there are a lot of things in this world that people think are myths, and in all actuality, they are as real as you and I.”
Fiona wasn’t closed minded in any way, and although she never really believed in werewolves, vampires, or the such, she didn’t think humans were the only ones out there. But werewolves? It was so much to take in.
“Enough about that stuff.” He smiled and Fiona knew he was trying to make her feel at ease. “Why don’t you try and eat something?”
She looked down at the plate of food and her stomach cramped. “I’m really not that hungry.”
“Well, at least lie down and try to rest. As soon as the sun rises we will get you into town.”
She did as he suggested and watched the flames dance over the wood. She glanced over to Landon, saw him watching her intently, and then looked back at the gun she had set on the table beside her. It was close enough that she could reach for it if she needed to. Before too long, she found her eyes growing heavy. She was so very tired, and although she hadn’t thought she’d be able to sleep, she was finding herself going down that road. The image of the crackling fire and Landon watching her from hooded e
yes was the last thing she remembered before she fell asleep.
Chapter Four
Fiona knew she was dreaming. It was one of those times that people are aware that it didn’t matter what happened, because in the end they would wake up and be fine. This wasn’t real, but it felt real. Right down to the scent of the moss covered rocks below her feet.
Air slammed in and out of her lungs as she ran. The trees that surrounded her were so very tall, but every now and then there would be a break in the canopy above her and the luminescent moon would shine down. She glanced over her shoulder again, but didn’t see anything. She wasn’t a fool; she knew he was hiding in the darkness, just waiting until that perfect moment when he would attack.
Her heart raced and her blood pumped hard through her veins. She was not frightened; no, she was excited. A brush from a fingertip slid down her bare arm and she ran harder. That was what he wanted. He liked the chase, liked to hunt her down and claim his prize. She didn’t know how she knew that, but she knew, with every fiber of her being.
Run faster. Tempt him.
Just as she would have broken through into the clearing, he had his thick arms around her waist. Before she hit the ground he had her turned and falling onto his chest. The air left her lungs as she came up against solid muscle. He stared at her with glowing blue eyes. She knew who he was, and despite the fact they didn’t speak, she knew they were meant to be together.
Her increased breathing had her breasts rubbing along the firm expanse of his chest. Her legs were spread as she straddled his waist, and she could feel the thick length of his erection pressed against her pussy. He smirked and lifted his hips up, which in turn pressed his cock more firmly into the center of her body. Fiona sucked in a breath as pleasure coursed through her. She wanted him, so bad.
He lifted his upper body and ran his tongue up the side of her neck. Fiona closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side. Her nipples ached and her pussy tingled. All she would have to do was take off her panties and let him slide right into her body. His hands were everywhere, but she needed more. When he placed his fingers right on her cunt and gently pressed on her clit, Fiona bit her lip to stop from crying out.
He started rubbing slow circles around the tiny bundle of nerves and then slipped his finger down to the opening of her pussy. “I want to be inside you.” His voice was deep and distorted, animalistic even.
“Yes.” God, she wanted him there. His chuckle sent a spike of pleasure through her whole body. She would have begged him, right then and there, but the sound of a wolf howling in the distance had him disappearing right before her eyes. There she sat, her body wet and needy, yet the man that could have eased her pain was gone.
Fiona opened her eyes. The first thing she registered was that her heart was pounding a mile a minute. The second thing was that she was so incredibly aroused. It took her a moment to realize where she was, and when she did she couldn’t help but seek out Landon. She didn’t know how long she had been sleeping, but there he was, right in the same chair. He watched her from hooded eyes, and it was clear his breathing was also increased. She thought of her dream and her cheeks became hot. Had she been moaning or talking in her sleep? She could only imagine the dirty things she would have said.
Still, her body ached to be touched, and the longer she looked at him, the more she wanted him. She lifted herself into a sitting position. The shirt she wore was wrapped around her body, no doubt from tossing and turning from her dream. The material felt tight around her breasts, and she knew he could see her nipples spiked hard through the fabric. Why she was tempting him like this she didn’t know. Fiona had only been with a few men in her twenty-five years of existence, but this one man whom she had only met hours ago called to her. She wanted him, more than she had ever wanted anything else, and from the looks of his erection, which she could see through his pants, he wanted her too.
They stared at each other yet neither spoke. After what seemed like an eternity, Landon rose from his seat and stalked toward her. She could smell him before he even came to her, that woodsy and all male scent that had her pussy creaming even more. Her clit positively throbbed and her chest felt heavy for his touch.
He stood in front of her, not touching or speaking, just staring. Her head was tilted back in order to look into his face, and when she licked her lips he groaned. It was a delicious sound, one that had her doing it again just to tease him.
“What were you dreaming about, Fiona?” His voice, so deep and gravely, like he had just woken up, had her closing her eyes momentarily. He sounded so masculine and dominating. Never had a voice aroused her so much.
The blanket had fallen half off of her and her bare legs were visible. She watched as he scanned her body, so slowly and heated that the inner muscles of her pussy clenched in need.
“I can’t remember.” It was a blatant lie, and by the way he flicked his gaze back to hers and smirked, she knew he knew she was lying.
“I know what you were dreaming of.”
She swallowed. “You do?” Was she tempting him further? Yes. Yes, she was. She wanted him to tell her. Why, why am I doing this? Why do I have this reaction to him? This is insane, yet I can’t help myself.
“I believe, sweet Fiona, you were dreaming of wicked, wicked things.”
Oh God. Yes, she sure was. The next few moments seemed to go in slow motion. First he was standing in front of her, his hard cock no more than a few inches from her face, and in the next second he was face-to-face with her. Fiona blinked a few times to try to clear her mind. He was so close she could smell the honey and hint of whiskey that had laced his tea.
“This is crazy.” She whispered the words.
“Maybe, but maybe this is so right.”
He dipped his gaze down to her lips and she had to force herself not to lick them. She should stop this, but she couldn’t. She didn’t even really want to. “We shouldn’t do this.”
“No?” He moved closer still. “If this isn’t want you want, you can always say no.”
She knew she could, and although that would have been the smart and logical thing to do, Fiona couldn’t form the words.
“Besides, if you didn’t want this why were you calling out my name in your sleep?”
Oh God. Embarrassment flooded her, but Landon didn’t give her any time to dwell on it. Fiona was frozen with surprise as he leaned in those last inches and ran his tongue along the seam of her lips. He pressed his mouth against hers and she closed her eyes as pleasure washed through her. He tasted like he smelled, all sweet honey and spicy whiskey. As their mouths moved together and opened, Fiona found herself pressing her chest against his. He speared his hand in her hair and tilted her head to the side as he deepened the kiss.
Mouths moving in sync and tongues slipping together, Fiona couldn’t stop from placing her hands on his wide shoulders. The muscles she felt right below her hands flexed as Landon shifted. He leaned over her, pressing his chest more firmly against hers and deepening the kiss even further. The moan that slipped free from her seemed to ignite him. He used his free hand to cup her breast through her shirt. First he started to slowly massage it, and then he tweaked her nipple with his thumb and forefinger until a shot of pain lanced through her. That pain gave way to pleasure and she arched her back into his touch.
He chuckled against her mouth and broke the kiss. “Looks like someone enjoys that.”
He didn’t let her respond. He started kissing and licking her neck, and in-between that he would gently nip her flesh. The dual sensation had her writhing beneath him, and before she knew it the shirt she wore was bunched around her waist.
Landon leaned back and looked down at her spread legs. She was a shy girl by nature, but there was this wild side in her that was coming out. She spread her thighs a little wider and watched in awe as his breathing picked up. She could see the swell of his shaft through his pants, but he either read her mind or saw her expression, because in the next instant he had his shirt and pants
off. It all happened so fast that Fiona’s mind reeled.
Are you really going to go through with this? Are you really going to give yourself to this man when all you know is his first name?
His boxers did nothing to hide his hard cock, and even though Fiona knew this was ridiculous and foolish, she was helpless to stop it. She wanted him, and she wanted this, and even if this was the one and only time she would see him and be with him, she wanted it. She was a firm believer in everything happening for a reason. She was by no means a slut, but she was a woman and she did know what she wanted. She wanted Landon.
Chapter Five
Landon was waiting for something. Maybe he was waiting for her to say no? She had no intentions of doing that.
When she didn’t say anything he must have taken that as affirmation enough that she wanted this. He covered her body with his and started kissing her again. They shifted as they kissed until she was fully on her back and her legs were wrapped around his lean waist. He started to slowly pump his hips against her panty clad pussy. She wanted to feel skin on skin, but the angle that he was in had the root of his dick hitting her clit. It was an amazing feeling, and one she wasn’t quite ready to have stop.
Her cream continued to lubricate her vagina until she felt her panties soaked through. Could he feel her wetness? Was it so prominent that he felt it through his boxers? He had his hand slipped up the shirt, over her hip, and onto her chest within seconds. She didn’t wear a bra, so when his bare skin touched her tingles of awareness shot through her.
“Oh—” She had meant to tell him how good it felt, but that lone word had been the only thing she could utter. The feel of his lips on her throat, of his cock pressed against her cleft, had Fiona on the verge of climaxing.
“This is wrong.” He said it, yet he didn’t stop kissing her or thrusting his pelvis against hers.
Yes, it was wrong, but who the hell cared. If there was one really stupid thing she would do in her life, then let this be it. She didn’t respond. Instead, she tilted her head more to the side in hopes he would get the hint. She didn’t want him changing his mind, not when her body felt like it was on fire.