Call of the Wilds (15 page)

“I know.” Two red spots appeared on her cheeks. She stared at him, longing plain in her eyes.

She wasn’t going to make this easy. He fought an urge to get to his knees in front of her, lay his head in her lap, and tell her everything. Instead he changed the subject. “Tell me what’s bothering you.”

“The black wolf kill.” She sighed. “It looks like the medical examiner is going to call it a wolf attack. If they catch the wolf, she’ll probably be put down. If she isn’t dead already.”

“She’s probably in the next state by now,” he said softly.

“I hope so, but I’m afraid this whole thing put my pack in the crosshairs. If they’re delisted, every trigger happy redneck will be out gunning for them. Nothing has worked out the way I wanted.” She bit her lip and looked down at her hands twisting in her lap. “Not even us. I hate the way we left things.”

“So do I.” If she cried again, he would lose it for sure. He ran his fingers through his hair. “I asked you to trust me, and then I took advantage of you. I’m sorry.”

“I’m not sorry, and you didn’t take advantage of me. I didn’t do anything I didn’t want to do.” She hesitated. “I’ve been thinking about you…about us.”

“There is no us, Karin.” The look on her stricken face just about did him in. “You have no idea who I am.”

“Then tell me,” she begged. “I want to know. I’m scared, too, but I’m not willing to give up on you, on us.”

“So you think I’m scared?”

“Yes.” Her eyes dared him to prove her wrong. “Yes, I do.”

Scared? Yeah, he was scared. Scared of what he would see on her face when she got a good look at his scars or learned the truth about him. Would it be fear, revulsion, or, worse, pity? Maybe it was time to find out. They were over anyway. He’d prove he wasn’t the man for her. She’d take one look at his disfigured body and run for the hills. With two strikes against him, he wouldn’t have to worry about throwing strike three.

“So you want to know the real me,” he muttered. “Be careful what you wish for. You might be sorry.”

Chapter Fifteen

Inside she squirmed as if she’d eaten a handful of crickets, but outwardly she remained frozen, perched on the edge of her seat like a stone gargoyle.

He grabbed the hem of his T-shirt and hesitated. She wanted to help him take it off. Hell, she wanted to tear it off his body, but, terrified he’d change his mind, she stayed put. When he pulled it over his head and threw it aside, she quivered with the need to touch him, to feel the hard planes of his chest under her hands. He took her breath away. Just like the song from
Top Gun.

Her fingers itched to follow the path of dark hair that disappeared beneath the waistband of his jeans. She loved his body. He was every woman’s wet dream. Hell, her panties were soaked as soon as she laid eyes on him. If only she affected him the same way.

His boots followed, and then he stood and unzipped his jeans. He moved so slowly, he drove her crazy. Her eyes widened at each inch of skin he exposed. At last, he pushed the material over his slim hips, revealing the evidence of his arousal. Wetness pooled between her thighs when she saw his erection rising out of a thick patch of dark hair. He still wanted her. He couldn’t deny it. That much was evident. It was all she could do to sit still. She hadn’t tasted him yet, and her mouth watered at the thought of her lips around his engorged flesh.

He stopped, and after a long minute, she looked up, urging him with her eyes to finish. His expression was unreadable, but he slid the jeans down and kicked them aside, baring legs covered with thick burn scars. Her stomach turned over in icy shock. Suddenly, the reason he pushed her away became clear in her mind. She knew all too well how the fear of being pitied could lead to isolation and loneliness.

She looked up and met his eyes. They regarded her, flat and expressionless. For the space of a few heartbeats, utter silence prevailed. Then he scowled and bent to retrieve his jeans. Red-hot anger boiled in her gut. He had no right to spring this on her without a warning, then sit there like judge and jury waiting for her reaction. Damn him! He revealed his past in bits and pieces, intending to put her off, but each fragment made her want him more. He saved her from a life in solitary confinement, and she vowed to do the same for him. Something terrible happened to him, and one day, he would trust her enough to tell her about it, but right now she had something to prove. If she said the wrong thing, he would use it against her, and she would lose him forever. She took a deep breath, determined not to give him the opportunity.

 
“I finally got you out of your pants. Turn around. I want to see everything.”

A suspicious line creased the corner of his mouth. Could it be the beginning of a smile? He turned before she could be sure, but she took it as a good sign.

“You put this butt on the line for me. It’s about time I got to see it.” She came up behind him and slid her hands over his ass. He had a great body, lean and muscular with the power and grace of a panther. “I love your body, Malcolm.” He stiffened when she ran her fingers between his firm cheeks. “Mmm. I want more of this later.” She gave his butt one last squeeze and skimmed over his hips to run her fingers through the coarse hair around his swollen cock.

“Shit!” He grabbed her wrists.

“Hey, I’m not done yet.”

 
“Yes. You are.” He twisted out of her reach. “Your turn.” His muscles flexed as he crossed his arms over his chest and grinned at her.

Her heart flip-flopped. She thought she’d never see his grin again. She grinned back, determined to stretch this out and drive him crazy. Crossing her arms over her chest, she gripped the hem of her shirt, pulling it up inch by inch until he had a good look at the sexy black bra barely concealing her nipples. It came from Victoria’s Secret and cost a fortune, but she’d pay much more to see the lust it sparked in his eyes. Encouraged by his reaction, she took even longer with her jeans. She resisted the urge to end this slow torture and throw her clothes off. Determined to play the sexy vixen, she drew out her striptease, enjoying his eyes on her body. At last, she revealed the pièce de résistance, a black thong guaranteed to make a eunuch stand up and take notice. It had to be the most uncomfortable thing she’d ever worn. Hopefully, she wouldn’t have it on too much longer. She did a pirouette so he would get the full effect and hoped for the best. He wasn’t the only one who worried about appearance.

She needn’t have worried. His gaze dropped from her chest to her pussy, barely concealed by the scrap of black lace, and when he raised his eyes, they seared her with his hunger, but his mouth twitched with amusement.

“What are you waiting for? I want to see everything.”

Feeling deliciously naughty, she returned his smile and pulled one strap over her shoulder, then the other. Only her hands cupping her breasts held the bra in place.

“Take it off,” he said thickly.

She was sorely tempted to tell him to do it himself just to feel his hands on her heated skin, but if he touched her, it would be over much too soon. She wanted to make this good for him. She twirled the scrap of material over her head like a stripper, and it landed on top of her jeans. Her breasts firmed, and the tips grew sensitive under his possessive stare. She longed to rub them against his stubbled jaw and let him soothe her nipples with his tongue. Instead, she lifted them invitingly and thumbed her nipples. The peaks grew taut, and she tugged them, sending delightful shivers of want coursing through her body and moisture seeping down her inner thighs. His nostrils flared, and his eyes went wild and untamed, almost bestial. Never before had she been so aroused by a man looking at her. If he touched her, she’d go off like a firecracker.

She slid her hands down her sides to her hips and wiggled seductively. Then she hooked her thumbs over the elastic of the thong.

“Stop.”

She looked up, surprised.

His predatory expression pinned her. “Leave it on,” he growled.

“Your wish is my command,” she purred back at him. Oh, yes, definitely worth all the discomfort. She sashayed closer, dropping to her knees in front of him and clutching his legs. When she ran her hands over his scars, his muscles tensed, but he didn’t move. His body poured off heat like a forge, branding her with its intensity. She rubbed her face along his thigh like a cat, loving the way his coarse hair tickled her nose, and his scent, musky and masculine like some wild woodland animal, thrilled her senses. Her fingers danced up the insides of his thighs, and she smoothed her cheek along the velvet length of his erection, wanting to taste him. His cock twitched, and he widened his stance.

God, she wanted everything at once. She longed to take him inside her aching pussy, but first she would show him just how much she loved his body. Right now, it was all about him and his pleasure.

A small bead of pre-cum at the tip of his cock beckoned her, and she leaned forward to lick it off. The salty sweet taste made her hungry for more, and she probed the slit with her tongue.

His growl made her shiver. God, she loved hearing the low rumble that came from deep in his chest. Moisture soaked the wisp of material between her legs, and she marveled at the effect he had on her. She looked up, and her world stopped when their eyes met. He looked as if he might devour her, but she meant to consume him first. She swirled her tongue over the head of his cock and then took it in her mouth and sucked gently. Soft moans of encouragement spurred her on, and she increased her suction, but she didn’t want him to come too soon, so she pulled back, letting her teeth scrape his silky flesh.

“Sweet Mother of God,” he gasped. “You’re killing me.”

 
Feeding off his pleasure, she wrapped her hand around the base of his cock and gently licked and sucked on his sac. She worked him until his body vibrated like a tuning fork, then ran her tongue along his shaft and took him in her mouth again. His hips bucked, driving him deeper, and she slid her lips over his length, taking as much as she could. Incoherent sounds came out of his mouth, and he wound his fingers in her hair as she moved her hand and mouth in tandem.

“Stop,” he groaned and tried to pull her off. “I’m going to come.”

She shook her head and sucked harder, wanting to drive him over the edge and hear him roar with satisfaction. He rocked against her, his legs trembled, and his breath came in uneven pants. He drove into her mouth one last time and let out a howl as his cum filled her throat. She swallowed every last drop, licking her lips as he pulled her up, and collapsed on the chair with her on his lap.

His arms slid around her, squeezing her tightly and crushing her breasts against his chest.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

“My pleasure.” It was not exactly what she wanted to hear, but she’d take it. “I owed you one, remember?”

“Yes, but you went above and beyond.”

“I know you’ll make good.”

“I’m older than you. How can you be sure I’m up to it?”

“Who are you trying to kid?” She laughed and reached for his already stiffening cock.

“It’s those panties,” he groaned. “They’re lethal.”

“Well, don’t die on me, baby. I’m not nearly done with you.” She grasped his head with both hands and covered his face with wet kisses before claiming his mouth hungrily.

Chapter Sixteen

The years had hardened him until he felt incapable of any real emotion, but he couldn’t deny the passion Karin evoked in him. She wanted him as much as he wanted her, and it made a powerful aphrodisiac.

But she meant more to him than just sex. She made him feel alive again as if all things were possible, as if he didn’t have to be alone anymore. For once, he didn’t want to downplay his feelings. The little seductress came to him, and in spite of the lousy way he treated her, she made it clear just how much she still wanted him. Evidently, she didn’t scare easy. She may have convinced herself his scars didn’t matter and she didn’t want children, but he knew that would change. Someday, she would resent him because he couldn’t give her what she wanted. And, if he told her why, she would hate him for being different.