Davin reared back and tried to think of a good—frankly, any—explanation for why he was naked in his kitchen at that exact moment.
Bree blinked several times like she couldn’t quite decide if he was real.
Back out the door. Maybe she’ll think you’re a hallucination.
Except it was damn cold outside. Even the short walk after shifting out of his fur to the back door made his nipples hard—and not in a fun sexy way.
He paused. Yes, he was naked but she was—
“You wear glasses?” he blurted out. That wasn’t possible. When a person became a blood slave, the human frailties like poor eyesight and aging vanished. Their lives became bound to the vampire’s.
“Yes, I—” She jerked the glasses off and shoved them in her pocket.
That means she’s not a blood slave, at least not yet. Does she even know Wedge is a vampire? If not, she’s definitely isn’t ready to know I’m a shifter. Unless she already saw me change. Fuck. “What did you see?”
“Uh—” She blinked and dragged her gaze up. “A moose?” She glanced around the floor. “I thought Bruno was going to get trampled so I brought her inside and went to look for you and why are you naked?”
That scrambled pile of words didn’t indicate she witnessed him changing. He could leave off trying to explain the whole human turning into a wolf—damn, moose—and go back to figuring out how to explain why he stood naked and shivering in his kitchen.
“Training.” He clapped and rubbed his palms together to warm them. He’d been outside for about an hour trying to adjust to his new form. It hadn’t been his plan but after he’d gotten the call that the vampires had cancelled the aurora tour, he’d decided to work with his moose. He figured he’d give Bree a few hours to have dinner with the vampires before calling her, luring her away.
Now, it wasn’t necessary. She was here. Wearing glasses. He still hadn’t adjusted to that reality.
“Training?”
“Yes, training for a triathlon.”
The upper edges of her cheeks tweaked up as she squinched her nose. “I don’t understand. You were swimming?”
“God, no. The cold and snow toughens me up,” he said. “Every day, I go outside and run around the block.”
“You run around the block naked?”
“Neighbors don’t mind. It’s bracing.” He shuddered, his body still bound in the muscle-deep chill.
“You’re freezing.”
A whistle screamed through the kitchen. They both jumped. Bree sagged forward as the tea kettle shattered the tension in the room.
Thankfully, it gave Davin an out as she turned to the stove.
“Make yourself at home,” he called. “I’m going to run upstairs and take a shower.” He got to the door and glanced over his shoulder.
Her eyes stayed locked on his ass. When she recognized that he’d paused, her head popped up.
She blushed but the sexual heat in her stare warmed him deep inside even if his skin still burned with the cold. His cock came alive. He made sure his hips remained turned away so he didn’t flash his erection toward her.
She’d stopped by as a—
Hell, he had no idea why she’d come by but he needed to be dressed before any further conversation.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He sprinted up the stairs as the screaming kettle sputtered to silence. He didn’t know what he had in his house that doubled as tea but she could search, as long as it kept her occupied. He jumped in the shower, needing the hot water to warm up his muscles and maybe cool down his prick. He let the stream flow over him and focused on calming his body.
Bree is here. In my home.
He’d been stunned when she walked around the corner of his house and snatched Bruno away from...him. He needed to teach her to stay away from giant animals. Yes, this time it was safe but moose were wild creatures. And still, she’d stepped in and saved his dog from danger.
After spending the day with Bree, his blood burned in his veins, a frenetic combination of lust and celibacy. Lust because their shared kisses resonated through his soul. The sweet sexual sounds she made when she came. Fuck! His cock plumped up at the reminder of how close he’d been to fucking her that afternoon. So close.
Damn, he was going to blame that on Riordon. Yes, he understood the need for caution when dealing with the vampires and their blood slaves.
But, fuck...Bree was no blood slave.
He had proof. She wore glasses.
Davin had meant to check the delicate skin of her neck today at the pool but the tempting view of her breasts and the wicked taste of her lips distracted him.
Surely Wedge was feeding off her, but he hadn’t made her a blood slave?
What the fuck was she doing with that asshole vampire?
If he’d had his teeth—fuck, if he’d still been a wolf—he would have challenged Wedge last night. What the fuck could a moose do? They were massive creatures and dangerous in their own ways, but they were prey animals. Their biggest defense was running away. Yeah, that’s impressive.
Hell, wolves ate moose. Would he be allowed to remain in the Pack? The question haunted him. Not enough for him to tell Riordon about his moose-half. They’d find out eventually. That particular discussion required a face-to-face meeting. Video chat wasn’t going to cut it. Not for this.
As much as he wanted to hide in the shower—and a good portion of his brain encouraged that course of action—he couldn’t leave Bree downstairs alone.
His moose snuffled inside his head. Now that he recognized it, he realized he’d been hearing it all along. The creature didn’t have the same sounds as the wolf—no growls, no howls—but since he’d made the first change, the animal made its presence known.
And his moose liked Bree. A lot. His other side revealed itself to be less aggressive than the wolf but much more touchy-feely. He wanted to touch Bree, spend long hours stroking her soft skin, licking the sweet flesh between her thighs. His cock swelled to full hardness. He considered jacking off before heading downstairs but it screamed “tacky” to masturbate to the image of a woman when she stood in his kitchen.
Instead, he switched the knob from almost too hot to brrr!
His shaft deflated within seconds and his balls tried to crawl back into his body. He shook out his hair and scraped it back from his face. A brief hit of warmth from the shower made little impact on his body—particularly after blasting cold water over his skin—but he dried off and dressed, pulling on jeans and a t-shirt.
The heater in his house ran beautifully and spread warmth to all levels so he didn’t worry about being bundled up inside.
He jogged down the stairs. He didn’t call out to Bree, wanting a moment to slow his breath before he faced her. What the hell was he going to say to her? Well, find out why she’s here, first of all. Maybe she left that asshole vampire. His cock swelled again at the thought of what that could mean, but nothing was certain yet. And he had to be certain, or Riordan would take it out on his moose ass for sure.
Davin pushed his shoulders back and entered the kitchen. Empty.
“Bree?” Surely she hadn’t left. He walked into his living room and found her, sitting in the corner of his couch, coat still on, head tipped to the side and eyes shut. Fast asleep.
She’d had a busy couple of days between the aurora viewing, spending time with him and...Wedge.
The moose snorted inside his head, revealing his displeasure. I’m with you, buddy, he said to the animal sharing his existence. They were still new to each other but finding their way.
Bruno lay against her leg, her chin on Bree’s knee.
The dog’s eyes opened as he drew close, her tail flipping back and forth in greeting but she didn’t move, as if the puppy recognized Bree’s need for comfort and warmth.
“You protecting her, girl?” Davin scritched the top of Bruno’s head. “Bree?” he called softly. He didn’t necessarily want to wake her. She looked so peaceful but that couldn’t be comfortable.
Davin straightened and considered the situation. He couldn’t leave her there. She’d get stiff and too hot in that coat.
Nudging a fussy Bruno out of the way, Davin bent down and slipped his hand around her back and under her knees. She sighed as he lifted her close to his chest.
“Davin?” she murmured, the words laced with sleep.
“I’m just going to take you to bed.” That sounded more sexual than he’d intended. I’m innocently taking her to bed, he corrected in his head though his prick definitely had other ideas.
“Ooh, good.” She nuzzled his neck, her lips whispering kisses across the taut muscles.
Oh, not helping.
His cock thickened inside his tight jeans. He’d been moving fast to return to Bree so he’d skipped underwear. Regretting that, he thought. His zipper dug into his shaft.
He shifted Bree in his arms, drawing her higher and a little closer. She moaned and the kisses grew more deliberate, drifting upward. Her teeth nipped the lower edges of his ear lobe.
“Bree, honey, I’m not sure you know what you’re doing.”
And I really can’t take you to bed the way I want. She wasn’t a blood slave but that didn’t mean she wasn’t dating the ass-wipe. Maybe she wanted one fling before she signed the blood slave contract. Fuck!
Davin reached the top of the stairs. He considered taking her to the spare room except it was sparse—okay, it was an empty room with a bed but his friends didn’t mind.
She’ll be more comfortable in my bed, he thought. The image of her in his space, his sheets the perfect backdrop for her naked body, had dogged his dreams. The visual made his cock even harder.
In her sleepy state, Bree wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled closer.
“Baby, we’re both going to get in trouble if I don’t strip you out of these clothes and get you into bed.” The words left his mouth and he sighed. Not what he meant. Not that it mattered. Bree was obviously locked in some dream.
But who was she dreaming about? He’d kick himself if it was Wedge.
Another reason why you should put her on top of the covers and walk away.
Except he wasn’t going to do that.
He shouldered his way into the bedroom. His old jeans lay on the floor where he’d dropped them before heading downstairs to shift. Who knew a visitor would drop by? He kicked the denim toward the corner and placed Bree on the foot of the bed.
“No, stay with me,” she moaned and refused to let go of his neck as he tried to retreat.
“Oh, I wish I could.” He said the words to himself. Unable to resist any longer, he twisted within her hold and kissed her. A soft, gentle brush of lips, just enough to tease him with all the wicked possibilities.
As he lifted his head, he smiled at the dazed, sleepy look on her face.
One day soon, I will know what it’s like to wake up beside her, hair messed up from my fingers, mouth swollen from my kisses. He imagined it. He’d never seen her hair down but pictured it tousled and tangled, wrapped around his hand as he fucked her.
He stared at her for a little longer, unwilling to look away from those pretty green eyes. She blinked and the sleep slowly cleared from her gaze. Her mouth sagged open. She should have looked stunned but her parted lips gave Davin too many tempting ideas.
“This isn’t a dream, is it?” she asked.
“No.” Davin offered a slight smile, a little sad for both of them. She looked embarrassed and he knew he had to release her. And he probably wouldn’t get to see her asleep in his bed.
Gently placing a sleeping woman on his mattress? That was cool and sexy.
Coming into the room where she was sleeping and staring at her? More stalker-ish than sweet.
He disentangled her arms from his neck and started to back away. Bree reached out and snagged the front of his t-shirt, holding him in his bent-over position.
“Did you mean it? That you wished you could stay?”
He closed his eyes, fighting temptation. Reminding himself of all the good reasons not to fuck her. Those good reasons faded, morphing into really good reasons why he should make love to her—the delicious way she smelled, the sweet flavor of her lips, the dazed blink as she stared at him.
He opened his eyes and met her sparkling green gaze—filled with a mix of hunger and trepidation, but definitely awake.
“Honey, I want nothing more than to strip off every layer you’re wearing and spend the rest of the night worshiping every inch of your body.”
Heat swelled in his core and the same warmth reflected back at him through her eyes.
“But?”
“Uh, but—” And suddenly he couldn’t remember any reason why they weren’t naked already. His Alpha, vampires, logic—they flew from his brain. “There’s no but, except I shouldn’t. You’re sweet and—” Sexy. Enticing. Addictive.
He kept all those words to himself. And the one word he should have spoken, the one word he should have said…Wedge. He needed to know her situation before this went any farther.
Her fingers twisted within the soft material of his shirt and drew him mere inches closer. It was enough to capture the delicious perfume wafting over her skin.
“Oh, baby, I…”
She liked that Davin appeared to have lost his ability to speak.
And then he’d blurted out Wedge’s name.
Janine’s voice spiked through her brain, urging her on, telling her to take the chance.
Bree sat up taller as she drew him down, meeting in the middle for a slow, sensuous kiss that promised more. Davin’s hands slipped beneath her coat and dragged it off her shoulders.
She gasped at the heat of his touch, opening her mouth, inviting him in. The first delicious press of his tongue between her lips set off wicked need inside her core. Hot spices flowed through her. Gentle strokes teased her as he explored her mouth, tasting her, making her wonder what else he might do with that tongue.
The air cooled around her as the heavy coat disappeared. Once again clutching Davin’s shirt, she leaned back, drawing him on top of her. She spread her legs, offering him that space between her thighs.
Realizing she didn’t need to hold him in place—he wasn’t going anywhere—she released her tight grip on his shirt and slid her hands down his side. Hard, hot muscles rippled beneath her fingers. She slipped her finger beneath the soft cotton, teasing his skin at the edge of his jeans. His hips rolled forward, a gentle pulse, rocking against her pussy, tempting her with the real possibility of fucking her.
“Fuck, baby. I—” He drew back then returned as if he couldn’t stand to be away from her lips for long. With a low moan, he retreated—as in off the mattress, standing at the end of the bed.
Breath caught in Bree’s throat as she waited. Had he decided he didn’t want her? After one long moment, Davin grabbed the lower edge of his t-shirt and stripped the material up and off.
The silver of his nipple piercing caught her eye. She licked her lips. This time, she was going to get a chance to play with it. She sat up, drawn to him, needing to feel those strong, hard muscles beneath her fingers. When she reached out, he took one step back and slowly shook his head.
“Take off your clothes,” he ordered.
The brusque command made her knees tremble even though she was sitting down. She stared at him for a long moment to see if he was joking or teasing but the barely contained power that normally rippled beneath the surface had bubbled to the top. Within moments, he’d shifter from unable to speak to a man in control.
Blushing furiously, she fumbled with the buttons on her shirt, her eyes skipping from his face to his chest. The memory of the sharp, intense orgasm earlier in the day flowed through her core. Her mind and her body responded, begging for more.
Her fingers trembled and her pussy flowed hot and eager. Anticipation surged through her in steady waves. She needed to be fucked. It had been months since she’d been on a date and more since she’d gone to bed with someone. Her body was not happy about the drought.
She jerked off her shirt and went to work on her jeans. She stood up. Davin’s eyes flared as if she disobeyed him by moving off the bed. Her nipples tightened at the thought of being punished. She’d never done any BDSM and wasn’t interested in anything hard core but a dominant lover? Oh, yeah. She’d take that.
She shoved the denim to the ground and stepped out of them, leaving her dressed in her bra and panties. They were basic and didn’t match—she was on vacation after all and hadn’t been expecting sex—but Davin didn’t seem to care. His stare remained laser focused on her breasts. The bulge in his jeans got a little bigger.
Oh my.
While he watched, she arched her back, just a little, and reached up. With one flick of her fingers, she unclipped her hair. Blond and brown locks tumbled down around her shoulders in long curls. Doing her best to channel the “hot librarian” image, she shook her head and let the strands fall in a messy tangle.
Davin’s stare never changed.
Suddenly awkward, she brushed the lower edge of her hair to the front. He followed the movement as the ends teased the top curves of her breasts. The heat burning from deep in his eyes made her nipples tighten, drawing them forward, pressing against the lace of her bra. Her arms twitched in an unconscious urge to shield herself from his gaze.
“Don’t hide yourself.” His voice was different tonight. Not teasing, not flirting. Strong. Intense. “Take off the bra. I want to see those beautiful tits,” he commanded.
Entire body trembling and heated, she rushed to comply.