by Terry Spear
“I feel the same way about you.” She kissed his bare chest. “That first day you walked into my shop, I knew I shouldn’t have been falling for the detective who was accusing me of stealing his reindeer, but I couldn’t help myself. You were so annoyingly frustrating and yet—”
“Lovable?”
She laughed and tweaked one of his nipples gently. “Hot and sexy. And you were so concerned about me, so protective, when I totally needed the protection. And helpful. I meant what I said about all the assistance you gave me. I was able to get so much more done with us working together. Most of all, you are the only wolf who has ever sent my pheromones reeling. Yes, I want you for my mated wolf, to love and to cherish and to enjoy the time we have to spend with each other—both as wolves and in our human forms. I love you. But—”
“There are conditions.” He gave a dramatic sigh, even though he was ready to meet any conditions she set for him.
“I want you to stay on the force until you can help Adam learn who is responsible for the armed men coming to the shop so you’ll still be able to question people about the case. I know Adam would tell us what is going on, but I think that having both of you working this investigation will help get results faster.”
“I was going to say I wanted to stay until this case was done, though we’ll have to wait to marry. I don’t want anyone taking me off the case because I’m involved personally with the shop’s owner.”
She smiled. “I’m sure they already think that.”
“True. But I don’t want to make it official in a human way. They know we’re seeing each other, but we’re saying it’s for your protection.”
“Then mate me and make an honest wolf out of me.” She smiled up at him. “That’s as official as we need as wolves. We can have a ceremony later.”
“After the holidays.”
“After we resolve this case.”
“Sure.” He didn’t want to consider the possibility that it could be a very long time before they could resolve the case. He was certain she was just as aware of it. All that mattered for now was they were going to mate. He kissed her forehead, then their lips melded with pent-up passion. “I want to be there for you. That’s what I want to do too.”
“I want you,” she whispered in his ear, her hands sliding up his bare chest, “any way I can have you. You are the only one for me. Especially when you found the real culprits in the theft of Jingles.”
His arms wrapped around her waist, he chuckled. “You will never let me live that down.”
“You had what it took to get my attention.”
“I’m sure glad I did something right.”
“Hmm, you sure did.” She pulled his face down to kiss him, their lips merging.
Chapter 21
Brooke was eager to make love to Josh and become mated wolves. She swept her hands down his delectable chest, her fingers reaching her mission, and began to tug to unfasten his belt. While she was struggling with that, he angled his head so he could kiss her earlobe and then her neck and her shoulder, taking her red bra strap in his teeth and pulling it off her shoulder.
Feeling sexy, playful, and loved, she smiled. “You are such a wolf,” she whispered, licking his chest.
He growled in a hungry, fun way. She chuckled. She loved her wolf.
He caressed her skin with his mouth until he reached the other bra strap and grabbed it with his teeth and pulled it down. Then he nuzzled his face in her cleavage, and she giggled when his whiskers tickled her. He smiled, and she moved her hands down to his trousers zipper and gave a smart tug, then pulled them down.
He reached behind her and unfastened her bra, his chest pressed against her breasts as if he wanted to hug her at the same time. Her hands slipping to his backside, she pressed his growing arousal against her thigh and wiggled a little.
“Hmm, I like this kind of dancing,” he said, his voice low but rough against her ear as he pulled her bra loose.
She did, too, and rocked her hips some more. They didn’t need any music to make their own dance steps. Then he was back to business and sliding his hands down her waist until he reached her skirt. Once he’d unbuttoned the wool plaid skirt, he slid it down her legs and helped her out of it.
She worked on removing his trousers so that he was only wearing a pair of boxer briefs, straining with his aroused package, and she was wearing just her red panties. Sliding his hands down the backside of her panties, he cupped her naked bottom. She reciprocated, slipping her hands beneath his waistband and squeezing his muscular ass. She sure wished she could be that firm.
He was kissing her, his hands still on her ass, and she was kissing him back, his erection straining in his boxer briefs against her waist as they moved against each other, and then they were on the bed, her on her back, him between her legs, ready to make love to each other—all the way.
He kneaded her shoulders, his mouth on hers, the warmth spreading through her muscles, through her body. His hands and lips felt heavenly on her. She couldn’t have found a better mate for herself than him.
She ran her fingers through his hair, loving the silky texture, breathed in his heavenly scent, the scent of male and wolf and her orange citrus body wash.
It felt natural being with him like this. His mouth again on hers, kissing, making her light-headed, her pulse sounding in her ears. She kissed him back, hot, tantalizing, pure chemistry. He was the meaning of life for her, the treasure she hadn’t been searching for but had found. The only one she truly needed.
She realized once he had come into her life that she was no longer thinking of selling the shop in three years. She wanted to do this with him, as long as he wanted to. She wanted to find the treasures on her great-aunt’s treasure list—and share in the fun with him.
And this? This was all part of the fun. Being with him, glorying in the passion between them. She slipped her tongue inside his mouth, and they kissed again, their tongues dancing together, the sensory assault melting her all the way to the tips of her toes.
With a roughened voice, Josh said, “I love you.” He nuzzled her neck with his mouth in a seductive way, the tease of his warm lips stirring her blood.
“I love you back, you hunk of a wolf.” Her voice was just as rough and needy, and she kissed his stubbly chin.
She loved the flex of his muscles against her as he moved his mouth to her breasts. He was such a wolf. Hot need filled her with urgency. Raw passion. Wolfish possessiveness.
He slid his hand down her belly, down through her curly hairs, and separated her feminine lips, then began to stroke her nub. His mouth recaptured hers, and she eagerly met his kiss.
She moaned with his strokes and arched her back. “Oh yes,” she let out in a husky whisper.
He picked up the strokes, slid a finger and then a second one inside her, and caressed and twisted, making her want to scream out in ecstasy. Then the climax hit her, the ripples running through her. “Oh God, yes. You are the wolf for me.”
He smiled and removed his fingers, licked her mouth, and spread her legs further. Then he entered her, his hard, full length filling her. Her body welcomed him, received him as part of her, just like she was part of him. Wolves mated for all time.
She couldn’t have been happier than to enjoy the joining with her mate, the love between them just the beginning.
He continued to thrust, his arms resting on the bed beside her, his hands cupping her head, his eyes filled with lust as he leaned in to kiss her again. She loved him.
* * *
Beautiful, mysterious, tantalizing, and all his, Josh thought as he plunged his cock into Brooke, glorying in her wet heat, their pheromones dancing with each other. She arched her sweet, curvy body against him, propelling him deeper, brought her legs up around his hips and bucked. She squeezed his ass, sending another volley of heat straight through him. He thrust faster and harder. He sl
id his hands under her buttocks and pulled her tighter. He gave her a hard-fast kiss before he resumed his thrusts.
Then she gasped, and he felt her second orgasm hit hard, caressing his cock. He continued to kiss her, to thrust, to hold off the inevitable, wanting to treasure the moment as long as he could. But there was no way he could last, and he came. He rocked into her until he was spent. And this time, he howled. Being with her, being mated to Brooke, that was something to howl about, and he couldn’t be happier that she’d chosen him for her mate when there were so many other male wolves she could have chosen. She was the only one for him.
* * *
When they woke the next morning, Brooke kissed Josh, then hurried out of bed to the bathroom.
He folded his arms behind his head and sighed. “You know the shop is closed today, so there’s no rush to do anything.” He could have snuggled with her and made love to her all morning.
“The shop isn’t closed today.”
Hell, he must have his days mixed up since he was off from work. “Gotcha.” He jumped out of bed and joined her in the shower, but she smiled, kissed him, and got out.
“I’ve got to do something this morning before we open the shop.” She toweled herself off in a hurry and dressed.
“Maybe we should have waited to mate until we had two days off,” he said, hurrying to soap up in the shower.
“No. Way.”
He smiled. “It’s going to kill me to have to wait until the shop is closed to have my way with you again. Do you want me to fix breakfast while you’re working on the ‘something’?”
“That would be great. You don’t know how wonderful it is having you here. Though if you hadn’t been here, I would have gotten up earlier.” She finished applying her makeup and brushing out her hair and hurried out of the bathroom.
“I made it worthwhile to stay in bed a little longer, right?” He got out of the shower and dried off.
She laughed. “I was thinking we might start running as wolves in the morning before Forest Park opens to the public.”
He dressed and joined her in the dining room. “They open at five.”
“Right.”
He’d rather sleep with her and make love to her.
“Or we’ll have to wait until ten at night.”
“Or we could head over to the reindeer ranch after the shop closes at six, have dinner with Maverick, and go running.” He massaged her shoulders as she was typing something on her laptop.
“Right.”
“What are you doing?”
“While you were chasing down leads on the bad guys, I contacted three antiquity collectors who are collecting period pieces like I have. The Chinese art market is big right now. I was just texting them the certificates of authenticity and insuring the vases. I have the same insurance company my great-aunt had, so it was easy to insure all the contents and the house, shop, and car with them, and it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“That’s good to know. Did you want pumpkin spice waffles for breakfast?”
“Sure, if I’ve got the ingredients for them.”
“I’ll check.” He looked in the pantry and the fridge and began pulling ingredients out. “Cinnamon, ginger, cloves, light brown sugar, can of pumpkin, buttermilk, eggs, flour, baking powder and soda,” he said, looking in her pantry and fridge. “You’ve got it.”
“Good. Thanks. Sounds delicious.”
“So the contacts you checked with… Did you have any interest in the vases?” He began to whip up the egg whites and set them aside. Then he mixed the egg yolks, buttermilk, pumpkin, and butter, beating the mixture until it was smooth. Then he added the rest of the ingredients, whisking them until the batter was ready.
“Yes. As to the potential buyers for the Chinese vases, one is interested in purchasing them for $10 million together, if they’re authentic, which I now have proof they are. I told him they wouldn’t go for less than $35 million each—since the other appraiser had said that’s what they’re worth—and that the collector was the first I had contacted. I didn’t tell him I’d already sent word to two others who will be sure to outbid him for the collection. He knows I will, and he was the first I notified.”
Josh’s jaw dropped. “That’s $35 million for one?” He warmed up slices of ham.
“Yeah. My great-aunt left me a real treasure. Well, now it’s my mate’s treasure too. But that’s only if we can get top dollar for them.”
“It’s a good thing you didn’t leave it to me to handle the auction. I would have jumped at the chance to have a million bucks for the two vases. Hell, I would have thought I’d won the lottery if I’d sold them for a couple thousand.” He smiled at her.
She chuckled. “You’ll learn the value of things soon enough.”
Josh made up some lavender tea for her and a cup of coffee for himself, then brought the Christmas mugs to the table. It didn’t take long for him to serve the waffles after that, with maple syrup and butter. Then he served the ham.
Brooke got another text and sipped from her mug. “From the other potential buyer. He’s offering $12 million each.”
“I suppose you’d say no and hold firm.” Josh sat down at the table and buttered his waffles and then poured maple syrup over them.
“Yes. I tried to get hold of another private buyer, but he hasn’t responded yet. One of these vases sold for $70 million, another for $80 million. So yeah, I’m holding firm. Wait, here’s from potential buyer number one. Now he’s offering $10 million each. I’m texting him back that I’ve contacted two other potential buyers, and one of them has outbid him. They’re always the same art collectors for this kind of art, so he’ll know his competition.” She cut into a slice of ham.
“Are you telling him by how much the other guy outbid him?”
“No, I’m going to wait and see where it goes.” She got another text. “This text is from the Chinese American who hadn’t responded earlier. I really want as much as I can get, but I hope the buyer would be of Chinese origin, which was why I only contacted these three collectors. I don’t know how my aunt ended up owning them, but these collectors often loan their treasures to museums to share with the world, which would be great.”
He glanced at her laptop. She texted the Chinese American buyer: $35 million apiece. We have three bidders.
“They all can afford it, financiers who are worth billions. But they will all try to get the best bargain they can for the royal china.”
He appreciated that she was including him in the business. He still hadn’t quite begun to think of himself as part owner of her estate, just as she was now part owner of the reindeer ranch.
She texted the first two bidders back: A third bidder has stepped up to the plate.
Josh was fascinated by her business acumen as she let the bidding war go on.
“Woo-hoo! The first buyer just bought the vases for $40 million apiece. I figured he would outbid the others, which was why I contacted him first.”
Josh was thrilled for her. She whooped for joy again and did a little dance. He gave her a hug.
“Man, this calls for a celebration,” Josh said. “How do we get the vases to him?”
“He’ll send his men to pick them up. A couple of men will guard the vases—one to hand over the money and take possession and another who is an antiquities dealer in China who will again authenticate the vases. I’ve sold one royal Chinese bowl worth half a million to the collector. It was a great find, but not as big as this, and I was able to pay off my house, car, and college loans with the profit, after taxes. That’s how he handles purchases of this magnitude.”
Josh glanced at the date on her laptop. “Wait. The shop is closed today.”
She glanced at the date. And smiled. “Good. That means we can do some more work, take a nap, and this afternoon celebrate the sale of the vases and our mating with Adam and y
our brother.”
That sounded like a plan to him. For now, he secured the two vases in the safe before they did anything else.
* * *
Much later, after they’d tagged merchandise from several more boxes and filled some of the shelves at the shop, taken a nap, and made love, Josh called Adam and put the call on speakerphone. “How did things go with Lucas last night?”
“I dropped off Lucas with the pack at the ranch last night, and he was thrilled to see the overwhelming welcome everyone gave him when he arrived. Poor kid was moved to tears. I packed a bag for my overnight stays at the shop. I thought I’d come over and help you go through a bunch of the boxes and help with tagging the merchandise like Josh was doing. I’ll be there in about an hour.”
“Good. Come over to the house,” Brooke said. “We’re going to celebrate the biggest antique sale I’ve ever made. I’ll tell you about it when you get here.”
“That sounds good to me. Did you need me to bring anything?”
“No, I have champagne, and I’ll make us steaks for lunch. We should be good.” She really had wanted to do this for Josh, Adam, and Maverick for all the help they’d been anyway. She still couldn’t believe the amount of money they were getting for the vases, though she felt she couldn’t plan what to do with the money until she handed over the vases and received payment for them.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“We just need Maverick to come,” Brooke said to Josh when he ended the call with Adam.
“I’ll call him.”
“He deserves to be part of this, with all the help he’s been.”
“I agree.” Josh called his brother. “Brooke’s having an impromptu celebration for selling a couple of royal Chinese vases. Adam dropped off Lucas with the pack, and one of the families will take him in for now. We want to have you join us too. Lucas is the one who helped mess with our security video and stole the reindeer along with his friends. We found out he’s a wolf. That’s why we smelled a wolf around our security equipment… Well, there’s one other kid who was involved. We’ll still have to bring him up on charges so he can serve community service time. He’s not a wolf though… Okay, good. We’ll see you when you get here.” Josh set his phone on the table. “Maverick wants to help with tagging stuff too. He thinks you might find some more high-dollar antiques that would be the cause for more celebrations.”
