Jessie shrugged his shoulders. “Oh, I don’t know about that, you look pretty good in my tee-shirt,” he said. “Come sit down and eat, and then you can take a shower. I washed your clothes last night.”
Sophie felt her face turn a deep shade of red. She cursed her pale complexion as she walked over to the table and sat down. “Thank you for making breakfast,” she said.
“My pleasure. I’m sure you’re starving. After I change...” Jessie trailed off, clearly embarrassed by what he was about to say.
Sophie studied him for a second, then said, “It takes a lot of energy to shift, I do remember that. I bet it’s the same for you.”
He seemed to relax. “I don’t usually talk about it, no one wants to think about what I become, so I avoid the subject,” he said, sitting down across from her with his breakfast.
Sophie took a few bites of her food, then said, “I understand what you mean; I hate to talk about it too.”
Jessie smiled at her. “Then we won’t, but I just want to say that you’re beautiful whether you’re a wolf or a human, Sophie.” Sophie blushed again, making Jessie laugh. “And you’re even prettier when you blush like that.”
They finished their breakfast in silence. Sophie was so overwhelmed with new feelings she couldn’t think of anything to say. When they’d finished eating, Jessie took their plates to the little sink and began to clean up while she finished her coffee.
When he was finished, he turned and said, “I need to go check on the animals if you want to take a shower. I put some clean towels and your clothes in the bathroom, then if you want, I’ll give you a tour of my mountain.”
Sophie liked the sound of both. She was curious to see the rest of his mountain, and a shower sounded like heaven. “That sounds like a great idea. I won’t be very long.”
Chapter 13
***Jessie***
Jessie started his chores, feeding the chickens first and then moving on to the barn, where he milked the cow and fed the horses. As he worked, he thought about how nice it would be to finally have someone to share all of this with, someone to talk to about his hopes and dreams.
For the first time in his life, he could almost believe that there might really be a woman who would be willing to share his life. Sophie seemed to take his being a black werewolf in stride. He wasn’t sure why, but it gave him hope.
He smiled thinking about how he’d been flirting with her, something he hadn’t even known he was capable of, but if her constant blushing was any indication, he wasn’t doing too bad. Most important, she’d kissed him back when he’d kissed her the other night, and when he’d awakened this morning, she was cuddled in his arms.
When he thought about seeing her chained to that wall the night before, the anger and rage began to build. He knew deep down that they weren’t finished with Gus and Mac, and that last night was just another battle in a war that he’d begun that first night.
He wondered if Danny had been able to track down the sheriff and tell him what happened; if not, it might look bad if someone found Sophie up here. But then he realized that he didn’t care what they thought. She was here of her own free will, although if she left, it would be risky.
They’d have to talk about what was going to happen in the future soon, and he suddenly realized that the safest thing Sophie could do would be to leave the valley. Sadness washed over him, but he knew that he’d have to make the suggestion; it would be shellfish to do anything else.
But first, they’d spend the day together. If in the end, she was forced to leave, at least he’d have this time with her. As long as they stayed on his mountain, they’d be safe from Mac and Gus, and if they were lucky, the sheriff would step in and do his job.
When he’d finished his chores, he headed back to the cabin to wait for Sophie at the picnic table out front. He was looking forward to showing her the life he’d built for himself, the first time he’d ever wanted to show anyone what he’d achieved.
It was a beautiful fall day; the trees had just begun to change colors, giving him just a taste of what was to come. The birds and creatures of the forest were busy all around him, and he felt at peace, a feeling he rarely had.
But then the forest fell silent and he jumped to his feet, suddenly alert. He saw a white head coming through the trees and understood. His brother headed right to him and sat down next to the picnic table.
“Is she alright?” he asked, using his head to gesture to the cabin.
“She’s fine, taking a shower,” Jessie said, not able to suppress the smile that spread across his face.
His brother nodded. “I’m glad. What are you going to do now?”
“For today, I’m going to pretend that everything is fine,” Jessie said.
His brother gave him a look he knew all too well. “Just one day, that’s all I want,” he said.
Just then Sophie came out of the house and saw them. She stopped in the doorway and watched them for a second before coming out of the house. She approached his brother slowly, then said, “Thank you for saving me last night.”
His brother nodded his head, then turned and walked away. “He’s not much of a people person, but he likes you,” Jessie said.
“How can you tell?” she asked.
“He let you get close to him,” Jessie said. “He never does that; I’m the only one he’ll come near.”
Sophie thought about that. “I’m glad he likes me,” she finally said. “Now how about that tour?”
Jessie stood up and held out his hand; she took it and together they walked toward the barn. “We’ll start with the barn, then I’ll show you my garden,” he said, unable to keep the smile off his face because he’d never known that holding someone’s hand could feel so wonderful.
***Sophie***
Sophie was more than impressed with what Jessie had created on the mountain he called home. The barn was large enough to hold not only his three horses, but two cows and a pig that was less than friendly. And when they stepped out the back door and into his garden, she gasped at what was spread out in front of her.
“This is amazing! How do you take care of it all on your own?” she asked, looking at what he’d called his garden but was really a field full of vegetables and fruit.
Jessie shrugged, “I have a lot of time on my hands, and I enjoy it. It’s kind of amazing when you think about it, all of this came from tiny little seeds,” he said, then looked embarrassed.
Sophie felt something deep inside her, a twinge of something that felt warm and wonderful, and then a burst of desire. Not even thinking about what she was doing, she stepped up to him and kissed him quickly on the lips. Blushing, she said, “It is amazing.”
She stood there feeling a bit embarrassed, not sure if the look of shock on his face was good or not, but then he pulled her into his arms and before she could even take a breath, his mouth came down on hers. Pleasure shot through her as he explored her mouth, kissing her like no man had ever kissed her before.
Her knees became weak, so she wrapped her arms around Jessie’s neck as her body came alive, each thrust of his tongue bringing new waves of pleasure. When he finally broke the kiss, he crushed her to his chest and held her there for a long time.
Sophie had never felt anything like what she’d just experienced, and suddenly she understood something she hadn’t realized before: with the right man, passion was a wonderful thing. She also knew without a single doubt that Jessie was the man who would finally be able to awaken the passion inside her; it was such a relief to know that she had some that she smiled.
Jessie pulled back and looked down at her, and he had the same smile on his face. “Shall we finish the tour?” he asked.
All she could do was smile stupidly and nod at first, but finally, she found her voice. “I think that would be wonderful.”
Jessie grabbed a big basket off a table and took her hand. “We might want to pick something for dinner tonight,” he explained as they walked along the path. “If you see some
thing you want, just let me know.”
They’d only gone a little way into the garden when they heard someone calling out Jessie’s name. It only took them a few seconds to realize that it was the sheriff. “We’d better go meet him,” Jessie said, setting down the basket and pulling her the other way.
Sophie had completely forgotten about George, but there he was, stomping up the trail looking less than pleased to be where he was. They met him at the edge of the cornfield, and for a second, he and Jessie just looked at each other, their eyes locked.
Then George turned to Sophie. “Are you okay? Danny said that Gus and Mac kidnapped you. I should have known something was up when I got that call, but I couldn’t just ignore it.”
Sophie looked at Jessie, then said, “I’m fine, thanks to Jessie.”
George looked at Jessie again, then looked down at the ground. “Well, I’m thankful for his help,” he said, clearly not able to meet Jessie’s eyes. “But I think we’d better get you down the mountain.”
That was the last thing Sophie wanted to do. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather just stay here for a little while.”
George looked over at her quickly as if shocked by her answer. “You want to stay here, with him, on this mountain?”
“I think I’m safer here than anywhere else, that is, if it’s okay with Jessie,” she said, stepping closer to him.
She noticed that Jessie looked as shocked by her answer as the sheriff, but when their eyes met, he nodded his head and said, “I think she’s safer here, too.”
The shock drained from George’s face, replaced by anger, “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Folks around here aren’t going to like you staying up here with him,” he said, pointing his finger at Jessie. “Has he told you what he is?”
Sophie didn’t like George’s tone or the way he was pointing his finger at Jessie, who was standing silently next to her. “I’m not sure you know what he is, George. But I’ll tell you one thing; he was the one who came after me, the one who saved me from Mac and Gus. I’m not blaming you for not being there, but he was, and that counts,” she said, her eyes sparkling with anger.
“I’m just saying people aren’t going to like it, what with everything on this mountain,” George said, backing up a few steps.
“Well, I guess they’ll just have to get used to it because I’m not leaving here until I know that Gus and Mac aren’t a threat. I’m tired of getting beat up, Sheriff. Broken ribs aren’t any fun,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I hope you feel the same way on the next full moon,” George said, then added, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you about him.” Then he turned and stomped off down the trail, his mumbled curses fading as he got farther away.
***Jessie***
Jessie couldn’t help but stare at Sophie as he thought about her words, about the way she’d stood up to the sheriff for him, and before he could stop himself, he’d pulled her into his arms. Desire flooding his body, he brought his mouth down on hers far harder than he intended, but she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back.
The passion between them ignited once again, but Jessie pulled back and looked down into her eyes, needing to know what she was feeling. “Did you really mean what you said?” he asked. “That you feel safer with me?”
Sophie smiled at him. “I’ve never felt safer in my life,” she said, then pulled his head down, kissed him and said, “Let’s go back to the cabin.”
He scooped her up in his arms, making her laugh and squirm. “Jessie, put me down! I can walk,” she said.
Jessie shrugged, and said, “I know, but I like to carry you.” Then he leaned down and kissed her as he walked, “And I can’t do that if you’re walking next to me.”
Sophie didn’t argue with that, just rested her head on his chest and sighed. When they got back to the cabin, he set her on her feet then pulled her into his arms and kissed her again. But this time, he let his hand roam, up her back and down to her butt, then he crushed her to him, unsure what to do next.
His body was pulsing with pleasure, desire racing through him, but he wasn’t sure this was the right thing to do, that he wasn’t taking advantage of Sophie. Reluctantly, he pulled back and looked into her eyes, searching for the answer.
“I’m not sure what we’re doing, Sophie. I’m drawn to you like I’ve never been drawn to a woman, but I don’t want to hurt you. There’s so much you don’t know about me, so much I should tell you,” he said, the words difficult to say.
“I know all I need to know, Jessie: you’re kind and caring, incredibly handsome, and I’ve never felt this way about anyone,” Sophie said.
Jessie could see the truth of her words in her eyes, along with the same longing and desire he was feeling. Then he turned from her and walked across the room, too embarrassed to face her. “I’ve never done this, Sophie.”
She walked up behind him. “That’s okay, Jessie, we’ll figure it out as we go,” she said wrapping her arms around him from behind. “This is new to me too.”
Jessie turned in her arms and cupped her face with his hands. “I just want to make you happy, Sophie. I just want to keep you safe and make you happy.”
Chapter 14
***Sophie***
Jessie’s words washed over her, leaving a feeling of warmth behind and a longing so intense it took her breath away. Knowing that nothing but Jessie would relieve the need inside her, she reached up and unbuttoned his shirt, then pushed it off his shoulders and ran her hands up and down his chest.
He moaned, and grabbed her hands, then kissed each palm before he pulled her tee-shirt over her head. Sophie felt her cheeks pinken when he looked down at her breasts, but his groan of appreciation sent a wave of pleasure through her and her embarrassment vanished.
Jessie looked up and into her eyes, then reached behind her and unhooked her bra and let it fall to the floor. When he reached out and cupped her breasts in his hands, pleasure washed over her, and her nipples hardened to stiff peaks. Jessie drew his thumbs across the sensitive tips, smiling when she sucked in a deep breath and reached out to grab his shoulders.
He pulled her into his arms and held her against his chest, his wiry chest hair rubbing against her sensitive peaks, making her moan. Then his mouth came down on hers, and he kissed her until she was breathless, then kissed a path down her neck, across her chest, and sucked one of her nipples into his mouth.
Sophie hadn’t known that such pleasure was possible, that anything could feel as good as Jessie’s warm mouth on her breast. When he released that nipple and sucked the other one into his mouth, she whimpered, then gasped when his hand slid up between her legs. When he reached the heat there, he growled deep in his throat and rubbed her through her jeans.
Sophie dug her nails into his back as the tingling inside her grew into a pounding need, a need that seemed to capture her and carry her away. She knew what she wanted, so she reached for the button on his pants and stripped them off. She gasped when she saw his erection, but boldly reached for him.
When her hands wrapped around him, and she gently stroked him, he moaned and reached for the button on her pants, releasing it. He slid them down her legs, stopping to kiss her belly button, then slid her panties to the floor. Kneeling in front of her, he slid one hand up between her legs until his hand was gently resting on her mons, then softly parted her folds and ran his finger over her tight button.
Sophie gasped with pleasure and parted her legs more, making Jessie moan deep in his throat and get to his feet. He swept her up in his arms and carried her over to the bed, gently laid her down then joined her, lowering his mouth to hers.
When his hand slid down her body between her legs, she spread them wider, arching her hips when his finger began to tease her, the moisture making her slick. She felt a hard knot of pleasure beginning to build deep inside her, then burst when Jessie slid his finger deep.
Crying out her pleasure into his mouth as he kissed her, she rode the
wave, her body trembling. When her body stilled, Jessie whispered in her ear, “I want you, Sophie, I want to make you mine, but I have to know you want me too, all of me.”
Sophie didn’t say anything for a second, his words flowing over her and making her warm deep inside. When he finally looked at her, she said, “I want you too, Jessie, all of you. Make me yours.”
He slid between her legs, then paused and looked into her eyes. “I think you’ve saved me again, Sophie,” he said, and as his eyes locked on hers, he slowly slid inside her.
Sophie moaned with pleasure, the feeling so intense when he was fully inside her that she had to gasp for breath. When he slowly pulled out of her, she whimpered then gasped again when he thrust his hips and filled her again.
Wanting more, needing him deeper, she wrapped her legs around him and thrust her hips up. He moaned deep in his throat and pumped his hips, burying himself deeper and deeper inside her with each thrust.
Soon the world faded, and all Sophie was conscious of was the man above her making her body pulse with pleasure. The pressure inside her began to build, and she was sure that she couldn’t take much more when a wave of pleasure more intense than anything before it swept her over the edge.
Her body trembled and shook under Jessie, driving him to the limit of his control. With her name on his lips, he drove himself into her once more, then let go and tumbled over the edge with her. When his body finally stilled, and he could move, he rolled off Sophie, then gathered her in his arms.
They were both still slightly out of breath when he leaned up on his elbow and looked down into her eyes. “That was incredible, Sophie; I never dreamed it could be so wonderful. Thank you.”
Sophie felt tears coming to her eyes and tried to stop them, but one leaked out and ran down her cheek. Jessie brushed it off, then kissed her cheek. “I hope those are happy tears,” he said.
Third Time a Charm: Wolves of Gypsum Creek Page 8
