Big Bad Bite (26 page)

“Don’t worry. I won’t keep us out too late.”
He swung his leg over the four wheelers seat and settled. Looking
over his shoulder at her, he smiled rakishly. “Climb on, let’s go
have some fun.”

She sat down behind Adam and gripped her
hands around his waist just before he gunned the motor and shot off
into the woods like a madman. Taking a trail through the trees,
they rode for close to half an hour before he finally pulled up to
a small grassy opening that sat a couple of yards away from the
same stream she and Amy had visited earlier in the week. Adam
waited until she dismounted from the four-wheeler before he draped
the blanket over his left arm, and used his left hand to grab the
picnic basket. When his right hand grabbed her own, she couldn’t
help but shiver at the heat he gave off. If she used her hands to
touch him other places, would he feel that hot everywhere?

When he let her hand go to arrange the plush
blanket across the grass in front of them, she almost whimpered at
the loss of his warmth. Who knew something so small could feel so
comforting? With the blanket spread out, he set the picnic basket
down to the side and dropped to the middle of the blanket. Sitting
with his legs sprawled out in front of him, he grabbed her hand
once again and pulled her down to sit by his side. Watching as he
pulled out containers of snack size cuts of ham, cheeses, and
crackers, her stomach rumbled. The side of his mouth ticked up in a
grin as he pulled out a few more containers filled with
strawberries and cut pineapple. As he pulled out two giant sized
metal drink containers, she had to marvel how the silence between
them was in no way awkward. In fact, Jenna couldn’t remember the
last time she’d felt this comfortable around another person. If her
nerves weren’t as jumpy as a downed power line, then she’d like to
think she could curl up with him on their blanket and just be. That
alone would be like a fairytale come to life for her lonely
soul.

Night started to fall around them, the sounds
of the forest and its inhabitants settling in for the night. She
marveled at the sounds of nature’s symphony with crickets singing,
accompanied by the rustle of leaves in the gentle summer night
breeze. Of course, there was no movement from animals bigger than
the crickets. They’d long since scuttled away at the sight, smell,
or sound of humans with the scent of wolves.

Adam handed her a paper plate piled high with
a bit of everything. She was touched by his intimate gesture of
making her food. “Thank you. You didn’t have to make my plate, I
could have done it.”

His strange amber eyes shined with sincerity
when he murmured, “I don’t mind taking care of you, Jenna. It’s a
pleasure for me. I’d take care of much more than making a simple
plate of food if you’d let me.”

Her cheeks flooded with heat. His suggestive
tone made it clear even to her naive self just what he’d like to
take care of for her. The more time she spent alone with him, the
more she started to think that she’d very much like him to take
care of those things too.

As he unscrewed the lid to her drinking
bottle, he asked, “So, you have some telekinetic abilities. What
you did today, is that the extent of it, or are you capable of
doing more?”

Nibbling on meat paired with a cracker, she
shrugged, “As far as telekinetic abilities among demons, Mama says
I’m about the average. I’ve yet to be able to lift something
heavier than say, your conference table. My mother is always
pushing me to try harder. She knows that with my hybrid genetics
nothing is guaranteed about how strong my inherited powers from her
side of the family will be, but she has a hard time believing that
I’m unable to do more.”

“Why, is she able to lift that much more than
you?”

A harsh laugh escaped. “Yeah, you could
certainly say that. Mama could have chucked your conference table
over a few football fields.”

“That far? How much can she lift? Could she
lift my bike?”

“That would be puny work for her.”

“My SUV?”

“Yup. She could lift it, and throw it at
least a football field away.”

“You’re serious? She could lift an SUV that
weighs thousands of pounds and throw it the length of a football
field?”

“Absolutely.”

“How much can she lift then? Something has to
be too heavy. Everyone has their limits. Could she lift the small
cabin next to the house?”

Snorting, she let an amused grin spread
across her face at his skeptical awe, “The cabin is nothing, wolf.
She could lift
your house
and make it do one hell of an
impression of Aunt Em’s farmhouse caught in the tornado in the
Wizard of Oz.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope. My Mama’s side of the family has
always produced extremely powerful abilities.”

“That has to be very hard for you then, if
she pushes you in the hopes that your own abilities will become
something more like her own.”

A wry twitch overcame her lips. “Can you
imagine? The product of one high level demon and the former Pack
Master of the United States having weak telekinetic powers, and
perhaps half of a shifter’s natural born abilities. Pretty
pathetic, huh?”

He took her empty plate out of her lap and
placed it with his own inside the picnic basket. Grasping her waist
he dragged her closer to him so that they were sitting side by
side, flush from shoulder to hip. Then, with his hands moving up to
caress the sides of her face she watched as his wonderfully weird
amber eyes turned molten gold as he brought their faces closer.

“You are the most perfect thing I’ve ever
seen in my life, Jenna. From the moment I laid my eyes on you, I’ve
been mesmerized.” Moving his finger to trace lightly down the side
of her velvety cheek he continued, “Everything about you feels as
if you were made perfectly for me. Your striking eyes are not only
beautiful, but they’re sharp, and easily display your intelligence.
Your pale skin perfectly complements this sexy black hair that
tempts me to wrap my hands up in it, trapping you in my grasp, so
that I can kiss those lush lips of yours. Your body feels like it
was built so that all of your amazingly soft curves fit against me
in the sexiest ways. The fact that you can use that incredible body
of yours to kick practically anyone’s ass,
Jesus
” A groan
escaped Adam as he rubbed his forehead against hers for a second
before pulling back again to finish, “It’s the most arousing thing
I’ve ever seen. Everything about you is perfect to me, Jenna. In my
eyes, no one could ever measure up to you. No wonder my wolf is
obsessed with you.”

Her breath hitched at what had to be the
consummate example of everything she could have ever asked for a
man to say to her. “Kiss me, Adam?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

His lips crashed down on hers, and they
quickly spiraled into a drugging kiss full of questing tongues,
playful nips on lips, and a mating of their mouths. .
Unfortunately, her body was at war with her mind. Every cell in her
body felt like it was screaming at her to peel off his clothes so
that he could make love to her on this blanket in the middle of
what had quickly become their own blissful little world. But her
mind protested her body’s desires. It frantically told her to slow
down, to get to know Adam a little more before handing over her
heart right along with her body. Her kisses started to falter as
she fought to sort out the conflicting feelings.

Adam noticed the new hesitation. He
disengaged their mouths to pull back and question her with his
eyes. Jenna feared his anger or disappointment over her putting the
proverbial brakes on what he must have thought would be the
completion of the burning lust that ignited between them. Would he
harp on her inexperience? Belittle her for being a tease? Storm off
from her in rage that he couldn’t have the release that he probably
felt had been promised to him by her earlier actions?

As she stared warily back at his questioning
eyes, suddenly terrified he would end what had quickly become the
best night of her life, she saw the questions disappear from his
face. This was the moment. This was the second that he would either
crush every girlish fantasy she had never dared to dream, or show
her that he was a man honorable enough to wait for what he wanted,
regardless how much it must hurt him to deny him and his beasts’
desires. Her breath caught in her chest as she waited.

It was undeniably a breath worth holding.

His eyes shined with new understanding. His
fingers stroked soothingly over her face. Those exquisite, kiss
swollen lips of his smiled at her reassuringly. His voice was
hoarse as he rumbled in low tones.

“No pressure. I’ll wait until you know
without a doubt, that you can trust me to love you inside and out,
and not hurt you. You’re more than worth waiting for.”

Leaning forward again, he gently rubbed his
forehead across hers and then dragged his nose along her jaw while
breathing deeply. He took in her scent, filling his lungs before he
pulled back to place a kiss on the tip of her nose. Leaning down to
lay on his side, he pulled her down with him so that they lay
facing each other.

Jenna was in awe of this man in front of her.
Others may not have thought that his sharp cheek bones, jaw, and
strong nose that gave credence he was indeed more animal than man
could be beautiful, but she’d disagree. He was entrancing. His
harsh, masculine features, combined with the haunting wolf eyes,
and paired with his captivating blend of authority and caring, were
quickly coming to be the most breathtaking thing she could have
ever hoped for. She decided he was, in fact, more than she would
have ever believed possible in a world she feared would never know
she truly existed. Better than any hero she’d read in any book.
Better than any idol worshiped lovingly in a song. Better than any
figment her imagination could have ever created.

The reason why he was simply better than any
of those things was fantastically obvious. He was real, lying in
front of her, and taking her in with a look as if he could gaze
upon her face from now till this world was dust, and he would never
tire of his view. If she followed the direction her vulnerable
heart was headed, she knew life wouldn’t be easy. He could be a
hard man. There would be times when Adam would give a verdict that
he expected to be followed blindly. Times when he would set aside
his feelings for her to do what was best for those under his care,
regardless of how she might feel about the situation. Probably
times when she would rather kill him than kiss him.

Oh, but think of the other times, her mind
whispered. The times when he would stand beside her, in lieu of in
front of her, blocking her way. Always allowing her to be the
independent woman that thrived on fighting in battle, rather than a
meek mate expected to allow others to fight the battle for her. How
he would love and respect her for her strengths rather than cut her
down for her faults. Think of how he would leave the Alpha behind
when it was just the two of them. Allowing her and her alone to see
his vulnerabilities, his emotions, and finally, his love.

And she knew without a doubt now, that it
would be love that shined from him. Surrounding her in an easy
warmth of affection and understanding that she’d feared forever
lost to the possibilities of this life. The unmovable beast would
melt for her in the sanctity of their space to become the man who
even now, petted her with reverent strokes down her arm, her ribs,
and traced little circles on the patches of exposed skin.

Did her eyes now reflect the same things she
read in his own? Could he see there that she saw a future blooming
before them where they would walk this world hand in hand, always
growing in the easy confident devotion of the other? She thought
that perhaps he could, since his smile became brighter.

Rolling onto his back, Adam pulled her into
his side so that her head lay on his chest. “Come here,
sweetheart,” he murmured as he started lazy strokes down her back
as they lay in companionable silence, enjoying nature around them.
Fireflies danced in the woods around them. Twinkling stars shined
down on them. The entire world around her played the stage for the
story of her life. A story she’d always thought of as a struggling
tragedy before now. No, now she saw that story line changing,
becoming an epically awesome action and adventure tale with the
heroine meeting an equally formidable hero to fall for.

To think, at one time she had been sure that
Adam would end up being her death sentence. With that stray
thought, she chuckled, pressing her face into his chest. It didn’t
take long before strong fingers threaded her hair, fisting it and
turning her face towards his own.

“What’s so amusing?”

“I was just thinking that you are the best
mistake I’ve ever made.”

Rather than having her explain her bizarre
statement, he once again proved that he was the perfect man for her
because he did one thing.

He smiled.

Chapter Twelve

The trip to Wilmington International Airport
the following morning was surprisingly annoying. Of course, that
might have had something to do with Uncle Owen acting like an
impatient dictator and Adam his trusty General. It was a whole new
insight into the dominating side of Alphas demanding the kind of
unquestioningly behavior they expected from those under their
command. Before Jenna had the chance to have her two cups of coffee
that morning was a terrible time to subject her to this kind of
display. When her Uncle yelled at her through the bathroom door to
hurry up while she was taking a shower, she ignored him. When Adam
came down the stairs from the second floor carrying her duffel bag
from the guest room she’d slept in, and told her that she’d better
drink that cup of coffee PDQ – pretty damn quick – exactly fifteen
minutes since she’d been yelled at from her Uncle, she ignored him
too. When her brother strolled in into the kitchen not even five
minutes later, she was barely halfway into her beloved cup of life
affirming elixir. He stated that she had to hurry the hell up
because everyone was waiting on her. Jenna decided now was a great
time to display how much she loathed to be bothered in the
morning