by Milly Taiden
Jim frowned, his gaze scanning the area. “What’d you do with her? I don’t think she’s ever been to this party.”
Ella shook her head. “She hasn’t. She’s not one of us. I think she is at the wrong party,” she tapped her chin, “but how?”
Jim’s eyes widened. “Then she needs to go before the Hunt starts.”
“It’s too late. She would have never made it to the entrance before the clock struck twelve. Not with the number of people that just arrived or those dancing. I hid her away. Hopefully she doesn’t get traumatized by the sound of a massive number of people fucking in the moonlight at midnight.”
“Shit. That’s something you don’t see every day.”
“Tell me about it.” She motioned for him to go. “I’ll be in the study in case anyone needs me. Go on. Find yourself someone to spend the night with.”
Jim gave her a wicked grin and rushed off, a loud howl coming out of him as he ran.
Ella dashed into the house and locked her office door. She turned to the wall of security monitors. There were cameras throughout the property, except in the maze. They had motion detectors to guide them to anyone who might have gotten lost inside the labyrinth.
She sat and watched as people coupled and went into the woods. Clothes were strewn all over and naked bodies rushed into the forest. She itched to be out there with them, but she’d promised her mother that she’d make sure her brother found a mate this hunt, and by god, she’d keep her promise.
Chapter Five
Dax relaxed as he walked into the maze. He could run it with his eyes closed. It was the first thing he’d learned as a kid. The deeper he went, the farther from the party he felt.
Soft sounds caught his attention. He listened intently, hating that his ability to scent was suspended for a while. Stupid Hunt.
“I can’t believe this shit. No service? How’s that possible?” a female voice grumbled. “I just had service not five minutes ago. Piece of shit phone.”
He wanted to laugh at the outrage in the female’s voice but decided not to. Instead, he walked quietly toward the voice, listening to her argue with her cell phone.
“This is the shittiest party ever. I didn’t eat. I’m out of water, and I can’t find my way out of this fucking maze. Who the hell builds mazes in their back yard? I bet this guy’s a serial killer. Watches his victims get lost in the maze before he kills them.”
At this point, Dax couldn’t stop the grin. She was creative for sure. He wondered who she was. He didn’t recognize the voice, and the way she spoke, the animation in her tone, he’d have remembered her.
He hit a corner and cocked his head, watching as the female tried unsuccessfully to climb a bush.
He cleared his throat and she slipped. He rushed forward, catching her midfall.
“Dammit!” she screamed as she landed in his arms. She instinctively curled her arms around his neck and blinked dark brown eyes at him.
She felt perfect in his arms. He couldn’t scent her, but something about how her soft, curvy body felt pressed against him made his wolf wake. It made the human male part of him hard, too.
“Hi,” she said, her voice soft and throaty.
Fuck. He didn’t need to smell her to know he liked her. He liked her a lot.
“Hi. You okay?”
She nodded and wiggled to be let down. “Yeah, I’m good. Sorry for almost breaking your arms.”
He chuckled at her words. “You’re light as a feather.”
She snorted and raised a brow. “Yeah. Okay.”
As she stood straight, he took in her costume and almost swallowed his tongue. The long black dress fit her like a glove. Her curves were on display even though there was nothing revealing of the dress. Her long black hair, parted at the center, and her painted red lips made her pale skin glow in the moonlight. She didn’t smile and didn’t seem particularly impressed with him.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your name,” he said as she turned to walk away from him.
“I didn’t give it to you, hotshot.”
He grinned. “So what is it, then?”
“Didn’t you ever watch the movie? Morticia. Morticia Addams.”
He laughed and finally placed the character of her costume. “I have to say, you’re doing an amazing job of playing the role.”
She continued walking, peeking around corners before taking different turns. “How about you make yourself useful and help me get out of here.”
He watched her sexy ass sway with every step she took. “You’ve never done one of these?”
She whirled her head around and glared at him. “No. I haven’t. And I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t allowed myself to be talked into it. I thought it would be easy. Clearly, I’m a moron.”
“You’re not. People get lost in these mazes all the time.” He cleared his throat and added, “I’ve been told.”
He shouldn’t lie to her, but she was pretty and he liked how fearless she was of him. She didn’t seem concerned at all over who he was. Unless…she didn’t know who he was.
“I’m Dax. Dax Birch,” he said, waiting for her to start fawning over him.
She stopped and turned to face him. “All righty then, Dax. Let’s get something straight. You might be hot in your tiny little Tarzan costume that leaves nothing to the imagination,” she sucked in a breath and berated herself for glancing at his crotch.
Fuck, she did it again. “But I’ll have you know I’m not interested in a one-night stand. I’m a boring homebody, and quite honestly, no matter what Amy says, I’m not gonna have wild monkey sex with some stranger at a Halloween party just because he’s the hottest man I’ve seen in my whole life. I don’t care that I haven’t gotten laid in years. Got me?”
She hadn’t been laid in years? How was that possible? She was fucking gorgeous and that snark made it hard for him to hold his laughter. He wanted to get her naked right that fucking moment.
“I got you, Queen of the Dead.”
She gave him another glare and continued forward. The wrong direction. He could have told her she should’ve taken the other turn, the one she eyed suspiciously, but he decided against it.
Chapter Six
Willow wanted to slap herself in the forehead. Why the hell had she told him she hadn’t had sex in years? Why? She hoped the fire turning her face into a flaming tomato was internal only.
“From that speech, I’m guessing there’s no Gomez in your life.”
She growled and started cursing quietly when she hit another dead end. “No. I’m too busy for a Gomez.” She glanced over her shoulder and caught him staring at her ass. God. She shouldn’t like that he’d been looking there. “What about you? Where’s Jane?”
“Haven’t found my Jane yet.”
“Right. From the looks of things earlier, I’d say you had your pick of, like, ten Janes.”
“Were you spying on me?” He said the words with humor in his voice.
“No,” she replied too quickly. “You happened to be in my field of vision with your harem of half-naked women.”
“You know, for a woman not interested in me, you sound jealous.”
She ground her teeth and sucked in a breath. “I’m not the jealous type. Like I said, I don’t have time for a one-night stand. Just because you’re like ten feet tall and have the body of a god, doesn’t mean I’m jealous of your harem.”
She squealed, seeing a wide opening. Finally! She rushed forward, only to do a full circle in horror.
“What the actual hell?”
He laughed and shrugged. “You found the center of the maze. So do you really think I have the body of a god?”
She rolled her eyes and ignored the question. “It’s obvious this is the center of the maze, Einstein. But there are three openings and I really don’t want to spend all night here.”
She stood there, weighing her options when he heard a sound from the opening to the far left.
“Uh, I don’t think you should go that rou
te,” he said.
She frowned and met his gaze. “Why not? Aren’t you trying to get out, too?”
He gave a sharp nod. “Lead the way then.”
“I never imagined I’d spend Halloween trying to get the hell out of a maze. So what do you do for a living? Let me guess, you’re a model.”
He raised his brows and shook his head. “I’m the CEO of a logging business. We have companies all over the northwest and western United States.”
She gaped at him then sighed. “I’m sorry. I’ve been a real bitch this whole time. Acting like just because you’re all brawn you can’t have brains. That’s one of the things I always hate people doing. Here I am doing it, too.”
His eyes flashed and she did a double take. He must’ve had those contacts the other employees had.
“Why are you so averse to male company?”
She shrugged and sat on a bench they came across. “I haven’t really been around men in years. My last relationship sort of went to hell and I just didn’t have time for men after that.”
“But you said you’re a relationship type of girl.”
She glanced up at the moon and stared at the sky. “I am. I don’t like the fakeness of hook-ups. I hate the insecurity of friends with benefits. I like knowing where I stand. I’m a loyal person, so I expect the same, you know?”
“I do. You must be incredibly busy to not meet any men.”
She glanced at his gorgeous face. He seemed genuinely interested in finding out about her life. “I’m about to get my degree in education. I’ve wanted to be a teacher for a long time, but I had to put it off for years to take care of my mom. I work a lot and go to school. Dating and relationships took the back seat.”
“That’s admirable, Morticia.” He picked up her hand and brought it to his lips, placing a kiss on her palm. Her stomach did a flip and heat spread through her limbs.
She grinned and slid a finger over his lips. Lord, but he was fine. “Willow. My name is Willow. Willow Myers.”
“Who invited you to the Hunt, Willow?”
“Two classmates, but I haven’t gotten a chance to see them yet.”
He nodded and pulled her to her feet. “Come on, I have a good feeling about this turn.”
She let him lead, trying to ignore the warmth spreading at her core and how nice it was to have a good-looking man pay attention to her.
They got to an exit and two giant guys stood there, their backs to them.
“Oh my god,” she squealed, “you got us out!” She threw her arms around him and hugged him hard. Bad move. His arms tightened around her, his large hands splayed on the curve of her ass. Her pussy ached and she had to squeeze her legs together to stop herself from moaning at the feel of his erection.
He pulled back slowly, their faces mere inches from each other. She licked her lips and did the unthinkable. She leaned in and kissed him. She’d barely touched her lips to him when he was taking control, his tongue diving into her mouth and planting a flag of possession. She moaned into the kiss. Their tongues tangled and their bodies pressed tightly. She’d never done that before and it felt fucking amazing.
The kiss was hot, slow, and erotic. He stroked her tongue with his, mimicking thrusting and retreating as if they were in the throes of hot sex. Fuck, he was good at kissing. He sucked her bottom lip, nibbling on her and licking her after each stinging bite. Then he moved down to her jaw and stopped at her neck, sucking and biting and making her underwear soaked with wetness.
“Fuck, Willow. I want you. Let me have you, beautiful.”
She wanted him, too. Damn, her hormones were raging out of control for him. She’d never felt so hot and desperate. “God.”
“No, baby. I’m just a man, but having you in my arms feels like heaven. Stay, Willow. It won’t be a one-night stand. What’s happening between us is stronger than that.”
She licked her lips and closed her eyes to enjoy his kissing her neck. She opened them again to stare up at the full moon. She should say no. She knew better than to let her body dictate her actions. But dammit! She’d been living the life of a hermit. In a few months, she’d be working herself to death and immersed in teaching full-time. Was it wrong to want an adventure?
How bad would it be for her to have a night of fun? Amy’s words rang in her mind. She really needed to remember how to live. Her mother would have been the first person encouraging her to go for Tall, Dark, and Half-Naked.
Chapter Seven
“Okay.” Once Willow said the word, excitement took hold instead of regret.
He picked her up in his arms and marched past the two guys. She clung to him, her arms wrapped around his neck and glanced over his shoulder to peer at the two guys. They were grinning at them.
“I think your boys are happy you’re getting me naked,” she told him.
“Not as happy as I am,” he told her, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
She closed her eyes and rubbed her nose on his neck. Fuck, he smelled good. Like the woods and some sexy cologne she’d never smelled before. She kissed him, her tongue trailing up and down his jaw, and sucked on his spiky beard.
A soft growl sounded from him. “Ah, baby. You need to stop before we give those guys a show.”
She grinned and licked him again, this time nibbling on his earlobe.
The growl came louder and the sound of a door hitting a wall pulled her into the present. They were going into one of the tiny cabins she’d seen earlier. It wasn’t as small as it looked, but she gasped when she realized the roof was made of glass. The moon shone down on them as he placed her on the massive bed.
The little house was like a hotel room. A giant bed, a dresser, and an attached bathroom. More rooms were to the back, but she didn’t bother going in that direction. She was temporarily mesmerized by the sky view.
“This is beautiful,” Willow murmured.
“Yes,” Dax whispered back.
A thrilling shiver took hold of Willow when she noticed he wasn’t talking about the night sky. He was looking at her.
Desire made his eyes shine. Willow felt completely exposed, but perfectly safe. She had never felt so sexy in her life. Dax’s eyes roamed all over her. He knelt on the bed, joining her.
His strong, warm hands traveled up her hips, along her ribcage, grazed the side of her breasts and settled onto her face. Her cheeks cupped in his hands, Willow felt precious and wanted. This moment they were sharing was loaded, heavy with so many things Willow couldn’t place them.
But she didn’t care. All that mattered was Dax’s body so deliciously close to hers. He ran his lips softly along hers and when she opened her mouth to sigh at the loving sensation, Dax kissed her.
His tongue dipped into her mouth, expertly twirling around her own. His lips were soft, yet demanding. Willow knew she was getting wetter with each of his movements. Her core clenched, empty, but oh how she longed to be filled by the thick erection she could feel pressed against her.
Willow wanted to spread her legs wide to feel some kind of friction against her center, but in the skin-tight dress, it was impossible. She needed to feel it. It seemed vital to her survival to be closer to Dax.
“Please,” she pleaded, “I need…”
“Out of this dress?” Dax finished the thought for her. He stood back, taking her with him.
Setting her in a sitting position, Dax unzipped the dress, taking his time. Once the garment was completely unlaced, Dax gently slid it off of her shoulders. He bent his head down and pressed kisses to her neck. His lips tracked every inch of skin he discovered.
When the material slipped past her bare breasts, Willow moaned, sure she would go insane. Dax undressed her as if she was the most cherished gift he’d ever received.
He let out a hiss of breath when he took in the creamy skin of her breasts.
“You look so delicious, Willow.”
She didn’t have time to respond. His mouth closed on one of the needy nubs, sucking it into his mouth as he twirled his
tongue around it. Willow arched her back into the embrace, her hands tangling in his hair.
“I’m going to taste every inch of your gorgeous body.”
It was a promise. It sent a shiver of need coursing through Willow’s body.
She watched as Dax tugged the tight dress down onto her hips, past her legs before he discarded it. He took a step back
“Seeing you like this, in the moonlight… You’re a goddess, Willow.”
He wasted no time, kneeling on the bed between her splayed thighs, he lifted her hips as his mouth descended between her legs. Willow heard him growl.
“I bet you taste like heaven.”
He dropped a kiss at the very top of her slit, just grazing her clit. The sensation was intense and Willow arched her back, desperately needing to be closer.
It didn’t matter that they were strangers. It only mattered that Willow had never felt this needed, this wanted in all her life. Dax made her feel special. Like she was the only woman in the world he desired.
That, combined with the man’s tongue lapping at her quivering sex, was driving Willow mad with the need to come. She could trust Dax to get her there.
He licked from one end of her slit to the other, taking the time to fuck her with his tongue before rubbing her clit with circular motions. His tongue caressed her folds before he worked her clit. He nibbled at it, sucking it into his mouth.
“Dax,” she panted before a series of tiny orgasmic whimpers overcame her. Willow’s pussy clenched and Dax’s tongue sent her crashing into a shower of starlight as she came on his mouth.
Shamelessly, Willow grinded her hips, needing more, needing everything Dax was giving her.
“Fuck, that was exquisite. I want to take you, Willow. Do you want to come again? Ride out your climax on my cock?”
“Yes,” she pleaded.
“Tell me you want me to take you, long and deep.”
“Please, Dax. Fuck me.”
With quick, sure movements, Dax removed his loincloth. He ran the tip of his engorged length onto her clit, making her shiver with anticipation. The teasing motions had her hips lifting off the bed, searching for him.
