Animal Attraction (12 page)

“You people are crazy to even own a hot tub up here,” she told him, submersing herself up to her chin in the water so that her teeth would stop chattering. “It’s freezing! How can you stand it?”

His mouth twitched with amusement. “Oh, we have lots of ways to stay warm. Come here and I’ll demonstrate one.”

As he spoke, Hunter pulled her close and captured her lips in a long, intoxicating kiss that had Eliza forgetting all about the cold and focusing her complete attention on the gorgeous man in the hot tub with her. Sighing against his mouth, she wrapped her arms around his neck and threaded her fingers in his thick, dark hair. She let her tongue tangle with his, almost delirious from how good he tasted. Beneath the water, his hand slid up her belly to gently cup her breast. Her nipple immediately pebbled beneath his touch, and she moaned against his mouth as he took the turgid little tip between his thumb and forefinger and gently squeezed.

Dragging his mouth away from hers, Hunter trailed hot, moist kisses over her jaw and down her neck. Using the hand on her back to guide her, he urged her out of the steaming hot tub just enough so he could continue kissing and nibbling his way down her body. Eliza gasped as the cold air touched her wet skin, but then Hunter’s mouth was on her breast and all she could think about was how wonderful and warm it felt. Taking her nipple into his mouth, he gently suckled on the sensitive little peak. Eliza caught her breath, her fingers grasping a handful of hair as his tongue worked its magic.

She could have him do this all night and she arched against him in invitation. But no sooner had she done so than he lifted his head from her breast. She automatically opened her mouth to protest, but the words disappeared on her lips when she realized he had merely decided to lavish the same amount of attention on her other breast. Tugging the nipple on that one into his mouth, he swirled his tongue round and around the taut nub until she was moaning with pleasure.

Lifting his head all too soon, Hunter gently lowered her into the hot tub again, and Eliza let out a little cry of surprise as the hot water touched her nipples. Chuckling, he silenced her with a kiss, his tongue slipping between her parted lips and bringing her mouth to ecstasy.

Murmuring her pleasure against his lips, Eliza ran her hand down his broad, muscular chest and over his tight abs to the hard cock waiting between his legs. Closing her hand around his shaft, she slowly and deliberately stroked him up and down. With a growl, Hunter slid his hand down her slim waist and over the curve of her hip. Beneath the water, his hand found her pussy, and she let out a little sound of approval as he teased the plump folds. Pushing his finger deep into her pussy, he began to wiggle it back and forth in the most amazing fashion, and she cooed as he found her G-spot.
How did he always manage to find it so easily?

Eliza dragged her mouth away from his to gaze down at him. “I need you inside me. Now!”

She didn’t need to ask Hunter twice. Sliding his finger out of her pussy, he slipped his hands beneath her ass cheeks and lifted her onto his lap so that she was straddling him. Resting her hands on his shoulders, she slowly eased her herself down onto his hard, throbbing cock.

Though the breeze blowing across her wet skin was still chilly, Eliza barely noticed as she began to ride him. She’d never made love in a hot tub before, but had read all about it in
Cosmo
. According to the magazine, it was out of this world. As Hunter leaned forward to press his lips to the curve of her neck, she decided she would definitely have to remember to email and tell them they were right.

While she would liked to have had sex out there like this for hours, her body apparently had other ideas because before she even realized it, she was bouncing up and down on him so wildly that the water from the hot tub began to splash all around them. Below the waves, she felt Hunter tighten his hold on her hips as he thrust up to meet her.

As he began to move with her, Eliza’s movements became faster and even more frantic, and when her orgasm came, it was a frenzied explosion of exquisite sensations that had her screaming with ecstasy. Somewhere on the edge of her consciousness, she heard Hunter groan hoarsely. A moment later, he pulled her down fiercely onto his cock, and though she knew that it shouldn’t be possible, she was sure she could feel the heat of his cum as he poured himself inside of her.

As the last little quivers slowly began to fade, Eliza leaned forward to rest her head on Hunter’s shoulder, pressing her lips to his wet skin. When she was finally able to regain her breath, she lifted her head to gaze down at him.

“Now I understand why you wanted to come out here. That was absolutely amazing,” she said with a smile.

He kissed the corner of her mouth. “I’m glad you think so. What do you say to going back in the house and curling up in front of the fireplace while we dry off?”

“I’d say that sounds heavenly,” she breathed, only to let out a groan when she saw that the towels she had set within easy reach were now soaking wet. “Just one question, though. How are we going to get inside without freezing to death?”

Chapter 8

Eliza flatly refused to get out of the hot tub until Hunter agreed to go in for some dry towels. Which he finally did, though not before he stood on the edge of the tub naked and dripping wet and attempted to convince her that the brisk wind felt refreshing. The man was completely certifiable. She shook her head as he strode into the house. But he was also a gentleman, she decided a few minutes later as he wrapped her in a fresh towel, and then scooped her up and carried her across the deck so that her feet wouldn’t freeze.

“I could definitely get used to this,” she murmured a little while later as she stretched out on the faux bearskin rug and propped herself up on an elbow. Hunter was over by the hearth, and she let out a sigh as she watched him bend over to place a few logs in the fireplace. She’d had no idea that watching a guy make a fire could be such an erotic experience. Of course, it probably had something to do with the fact that he was completely naked while he was doing it. Broad back, long powerful legs, deliciously tight butt—what more could a girl ask for?

Finishing up, Hunter turned and walked over to stretch out beside her on the rug. “Well,” he said softly. “I certainly wouldn’t mind you getting used to it.”

“Oh?”

“Mmm-hmm,” he said, leaning close to give her a slow, gentle kiss. “There’s always room for you on my bearskin rug.” He kissed her again. “Or in my hot tub.” And again. “Or in my bed.”

Eliza couldn’t stop her pulse from doing a little happy dance at his words. While she knew she shouldn’t read too much into what he’d said, she couldn’t help but feel a little thrill. If she were ever going to move to the great white north for a man, Hunter would certainly be the one.

“You’d better be careful, or I might think you’re serious and take you up on your offer,” she said lightly.

He pulled away to look at her. “I am serious,” he told her. “Very serious.”

Her breath hitched at that, but before she could think of anything to say in reply, Hunter leaned in close to kiss her again, and as his tongue swept inside her mouth to take possession of hers, she surrendered to him with a throaty purr. Sliding her hand up to bury her fingers in his hair, Eliza deepened the kiss and rolled onto her back, taking him with her. They could get back to that conversation later.

As her nipples skimmed tantalizingly against his chest, part of her wondered how it was possible to want him again so soon. It hadn’t been more than ten minutes since they had made love in the hot tub, and yet she was already longing to feel him inside her again.

They made slow, sweet love there on the bearskin rug in front of the fireplace. It was so perfect that this time it really did bring tears to her eyes. Eliza burrowed her face in his neck as she lay there on top of him, not wanting him to see. It would only make him think there was something wrong when in reality, everything was absolutely perfect.

It was much later before either of them moved. Finally, Hunter lifted his head with a deep sigh. “God, you’re incredible,” he told her, then added, “And absolutely perfect. But all of this fantastic sex has gotten me ravenous again.”

Eliza laughed as she gazed down at him. “You’re such a typical guy! Or is it the werewolf in you that makes you so hungry all the time?”

He grinned at her. “Nope, it’s you, I’m sure of it. Want to go to the diner for some bacon and eggs?”

She looked at him incredulously. “Bacon and eggs for dinner?”

“Sure. Lots of people have bacon and eggs for dinner. Why do you think diners serve breakfast twenty-four hours a day?”

Eliza supposed that made sense, though she’d never had it for dinner. She shrugged. “Okay, I’m game if you are. But why do we have to go to the diner? Can’t we just have it here?”

“We could if I had any, which I don’t,” he said. “We finished all the eggs this morning. The bacon too, I think. Let’s just go to the diner.”

“Okay,” she agreed, and then ran her hand through her disheveled hair. “But it’s going to take me a little while to get ready. I’m a mess.”

He gave her a grin. “I think you look beautiful.” Giving her a kiss, he took her hand and pulled her to her feet. “Come on, let’s go.”

Thirty minutes later, they were sitting in one of the booths at the diner. Eliza was starting to think of this place as her home away from home when the same waitress who had served her the first night took their order. This was the third time she’d been there since arriving in Fairbanks. Eliza was just placing the menu back in the holder against the wall when she noticed the photo hanging on the wall above the booth. It was a picture of five men outfitted in hunting gear and holding rifles. One of the men looked familiar, but she couldn’t remember where she’d seen him. Then it came to her. He was the man who had been attacked by the wolf the other night. She had seen his face briefly when Detective Newman had lifted the sheet to let Hunter see the body.

“Hunter, look at this picture. This is the guy who was attacked last night,” she said, pointing him out.

Hunter set down his coffee mug and leaned forward to take a closer look. He studied the picture for a moment, and then his eyes widened.

“What is it?” she asked.

“These two guys here,” he said, pointing at two of the other men in the picture. “They were the first two who were attacked.”

Her brow furrowed. “Are you sure?”

He nodded. “I saw their faces when I looked at their bodies in the morgue.”

She looked at Hunter in bewilderment. “What are the chances that all three of the werewolf’s victims just happened to know each other?”

“Absolutely none,” he said grimly. “Which means the were isn’t attacking people at random. He’s taking out the men in this picture.”

“Hunter, we have to warn these other two guys,” she said.

He nodded. “I agree, but I have no idea who they are. And before you even suggest it, we can’t ask the cops because
 
they’ll never believe that a wolf is actually tracking down the guys and purposely killing them. Animals aren’t really known for premeditated murder.”

Eliza sighed. He was right. They would have to find out who these guys were another way.

The answer presented itself when the waitress came by with their food a few minutes later.

“Do you know any of these guys in this photo?” she asked, pointing to it. “Specifically these two?”

The waitress leaned over their table to squint at the picture. “Sure. That’s Ken and that’s Tom,” she said, pointing from one to the other. “They come in here all the time, or at least they used to. They haven’t been in for a while.”

“Do you know their last names?” Hunter asked.

The waitress pursed her lips as she thought about it, but then she shook her head. “No, but maybe Bob does.” Before Eliza or Hunter could ask who Bob was, the woman turned and bellowed out across the room. “Hey, Bob!” she called. “Ken and Tom, the hunters who sit here all the time, do you know their last names?”

While Bob didn’t know, it turned out that one of the diner’s patrons did. Quickly paying for their uneaten food, Eliza and Hunter left the diner and headed back to his house.

The moment they walked inside, Hunter strode across the kitchen to pull open one of the drawers. Taking out a phone book, he began to flip through it.

“What are you looking for?” she asked.

“I want to see if I can find addresses for these two guys,” he said.

She set her purse down on the counter. “What if their phone numbers are unlisted?”

He gave her an amused look. “This is Fairbanks, not San Francisco. No one bothers with unlisted numbers up here. What are their names again?”

“Ken Marberry and Tom Porter.”

Hunter thumbed through the phone book until he came to the M’s, and ran his finger down the page. Picking up the phone, he punched in Marberry’s number, then let it ring for several moments before hanging up.

“No answer,” he said, immediately flipping through the phone book again until he came to the Ps. Finding the listing for Tom Porter, he dialed the number, only to hang up after no one answered.

“Damn,” he muttered. “Porter’s not answering, either. I’m going to have to go up there if I want to warn him. Then I’ll go to Marberry’s.”

She picked up her purse. “I’ll go with you.”

He shook his head. “No way. It’s too dangerous. The were could already be at Porter’s place. If you’re there, I’ll be so worried about you that I won’t be able to focus on fighting him.”

Fear gripped Eliza at the thought of him fighting the other were, and she swallowed hard. She knew he was right, but it didn’t keep her from being terrified for him all the same. “I could stay in the car,” she insisted. “That way I’d be there in case you need me.”

Hunter reached out to gently cup her face in both hands. “Eliza, it’s too dangerous. Car doors wouldn’t slow down a werewolf for a second,” he said firmly. “Now, please say you’ll stay here. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Part of her wanted to insist that she go with him, but the other part of her knew that if she did go, and the other werewolf were there, then she could end up distracting Hunter and putting him in even more danger. Very slowly, she nodded her head.

“Thank you,” Hunter said, bending his head to give her a long, slow kiss before turning to grab his jacket. “I’ll try and call you, but Porter’s place is well outside of town and cell reception isn’t always so great out there.”

Eliza followed Hunter to the door. “Promise me you’ll be careful.”

He turned to look at her. “I promise.” He reached up to cup her cheek. “I’m not going to do anything foolish. I have too much to lose.”

So did she. It was hard to believe that she had come to care for Hunter so much in such a short time, but she had. Actually, she more than cared for him. She was in love with him. It seemed incredible, but there it was. Her heart squeezed in her chest at the notion. She supposed she’d known from the moment they’d met over that bottle of ketchup, but she hadn’t been able to let herself believe that it could be true until now. She loved him.

She started to open her mouth to tell him how she felt, but he lowered his head to kiss her again.

“I’ll call you,” he said.

She nodded. It wasn’t really the best time to be declaring her love, anyway. Hunter had other things on his mind, and she wanted him to be focused on that. “Be careful.”

He brushed her cheek with his thumb. “Always. And could you keep trying to call Marberry? I’m not sure what you’ll say, but try to convince him that he’s in danger and that he should go someplace safe.”

Eliza told him that she would, and then waited until the garage door had closed behind Hunter before going into the living room. The huge house seemed unusually quiet now that Hunter had left. She considered turning on the television, but decided against it, and instead began to nervously pace back and forth in front of the fireplace, only to jump when the doorbell suddenly rang.

Surprised, she whirled around to stare at the front door.
Who could that be?
If Hunter had been expecting anyone, surely he would have mentioned it. Maybe if she didn’t answer, whoever it was would go away. To her chagrin, however, the doorbell chimed again, this time followed by an insistent knocking.

Oh, for heaven’s sake, get a hold of yourself! If it’s the werewolf, he’s not going to stop to ring the doorbell. Just go look through the peephole.

Taking a deep breath, Eliza slowly made her way over to the door and cautiously put her eye to the peephole, only to let out a sigh when she saw Andy and Nate standing there. Shaking her head at her own foolishness, she unlocked the door and pulled it open.

“What are you guys doing here?” she asked.

The two men glanced at each other before Nate said, “We thought we should come by and tell you what we found out.”

Her brow furrowed in confusion for a moment, but then she remembered that Hunter had asked them to go door to door looking for information about the wolf. She opened the door wider. “Come in.”

Nate glanced around the living room. “Is Dr. McCall here?”

She shook her head. “No, he had to go out for a while.”

He sighed. “I suppose it doesn’t matter. We were just going to tell him that we didn’t have any luck canvassing the houses near the sight of last night’s attack.”

“That’s okay. I think we may have gotten a lead,” Eliza said, and then explained about the photo she and Hunter had seen at the diner.

“You actually told Dr. McCall about the werewolf?” Nate asked excitedly. “And he didn’t think you were crazy?”

If only Nate knew. “Actually, Hunter sort of brought up the idea of it being a werewolf himself. He thought I would be the one to have a problem with it.”

Nate was practically bouncing on his toes with excitement. “Really? I knew he wasn’t one of those academic types who refuse to believe anything they can’t explain. So, where is he at now?”

She sighed. “He went to warn Porter. After that, he’s going to Marberry’s.”

Andy’s brow creased. “Wouldn’t it make more sense if we went to Marberry’s instead of waiting for him to go out to Porter’s, and then come all the way back?”