Embracing the Wolf

by Catherine Bybee

  ****

  Responsible adult? Shit, who was she kidding? Kate felt more like a child, at the moment.

  She sat across the room from Janet watching TV. Twice she’d opened her mouth to ask her new friend if she had any spare condoms, and twice she shut her mouth without uttering a syllable.

  The men were due home any time, and Kate still hadn’t worked up the nerve to ask Janet for the simple form of birth control.

  She never bothered with the pill, and since there weren’t any men in her life, a supply of condoms wasn’t on the list of things to buy when she went to the drug store.

  “Oh, geez,” she moaned in disgust.

  “What?” Janet turned away from the television.

  “I ah...” I need to suck it up. “Janet, do you happen to have...I mean could I borrow. No, not that.”

  Janet flipped the switch and turned off the TV. “What’s the matter? Is there something you need?”

  “Yes.” Her words came out in a rush. “Do you have any condoms you don’t plan on using anytime soon?” That was lame. Considering Janet was eight months pregnant. She certainly didn’t need any condoms now.

  “Oh...” Janet’s eyes lit up, a small smile peeked through her surprise. “You and Richard?”

  “No, me and James. Of course, me and Richard!”

  “Wow, that was fast.”

  “Well, do you?” Kate knew her cheeks flamed red.

  “Yeah.” Janet managed to get up off the sofa. “Follow me.”

  “I’m sorry to ask, I just don’t want to be irresponsible, and it isn’t like I could make a trip to the drug store.”

  Janet waved her off. “You don’t have to explain.”

  Once in her and Max’s bedroom, Janet opened a drawer to a smorgasbord of condoms.

  “Holy cow.”

  “I can’t take the pill,” she explained. “Pick whatever you want.”

  “I don’t know where to start.”

  Laughing, Janet grabbed four at random and handed them to her. “How long did you sit there waiting to ask for these?”

  “Since dinner.”

  They both laughed. “Don’t stew like that again. I’m not shy.”

  “I didn’t know what you would think. Richard and I haven’t known each other that long.”

  “Please, Max and I were intimate right from the start. Besides, who am I to stand in judgment?”

  Kate sighed and sat on the edge of Janet’s bed. “Richard is your brother-in-law.”

  Janet sat beside her. “Richard is a great guy and whether he knows it or not, he’s falling for you.”

  “You think?” She wanted to believe the words, but how could Janet know?

  “Richard has done for you more than he has ever done for anyone, including his family.”

  Kate smiled and nodded. “He is a great guy.”

  Lights from a car splashed onto the house from outside. Kate’s pulse jumped. “Oh, boy.” They were home.

  “Come on, girlfriend. He won’t bite.” Janet stopped herself and started to laugh. “Well, maybe a little.”

  Warm laughter eased her anxiety. Both women left the bedroom and went to meet their men.

  Chapter Seven

  Completely tuned in to her scent, Richard could practically taste her before they made it inside the house. Both women stood in the doorway hiding behind smirks. Kate’s face was crimson, a sure sign she hid something.

  Janet moved in and kissed her husband hello. But before she moved away she winked at him. What the hell did that mean?

  They walked to the den. Max went behind the bar and poured drinks for both of them. “Want one?”he asked Kate.

  “No thank you.”

  “Maybe you should.” Janet nudged Kate’s arm.

  The women exchanged a quick look and both tried to hide their grins. What are they up to?

  “Well, how did it go?”

  “Dead ends. Lots of them.” Max handed the drink to him while he told the women about their day. He left out the part about sniffing all over the city to find the criminals.

  “What about Devon? Did he have any more leads?”

  Max sat next to his wife and took her hand in his. “He’s working on it.”

  “It’s kind of nice having another woman around the house. I hope you don’t mind keeping me company,” Janet said with a grin.

  Richard’s heart went out to his sister-in-law. She knew how to make everyone feel at home. Kate’s distress over being an uninvited guest wasn’t something she took lightly.

  “Where’s Joey?”

  “Bed. He played in the pool so long his skin wrinkled like an old man. It’s going to be hard for him to go back to our little apartment after all of this is done.”

  The thought of her going back to that hole left a bad taste in his mouth.

  “You’ve got yourself a great kid there, Kate.”

  The proud mom smiled despite the worry behind her eyes. “I can’t complain.”

  “He even asked if he could have his school work sent over so he didn’t miss anything. Can you believe that?” Janet told Richard.

  “That won’t last.” Max lifted his brows.

  Janet nudged an elbow into his ribs.

  “Hey...what? It won’t, wait until Junior High. She’ll be yelling at him to finish his homework.”

  “I have a few years before I have to worry about that.”

  Kate turned her head away when Max nuzzled his wife’s ear. Richard caught her gesture and suggested a walk outside.

  Alone.

  A symphony of crickets, frogs and an occasional owl drowned out the silence of the night. He captured Kate’s hand, wove his fingers with hers, and walked behind the pool to the manicured gardens beyond.

  “How is your arm today?”

  “Much better than I thought it would be. It aches, but the sharp pain is all but gone, except when I attempt to use it.”

  “Is that like, ‘Doctor, it hurts when I do this?’”

  Kate closed her eyes and gave into a deep laugh. “Yeah, I suppose it is.”

  “Joey seems to be adjusting.”

  “What’s to adjust to, a big house, great people and a swimming pool at his disposal? He thinks he’s on vacation.”

  Her voice was full of gratitude with her assessment of the situation.

  “Don’t forget the ‘not having to go to school part.’ What kid wouldn’t like that?” Richard added.

  “Joey doesn’t have many friends there. I think if he did it would be harder for him.” A flicker of grief brushed her eyes with her comment.

  “Doesn’t Joey make friends?” Richard thought he would.

  “He makes them. I’m the one with the issues. Most of the kids at that school come from broken homes.” She paused and glanced up. “Hypocritical of me, I know. The difference is Joey’s father isn’t around to make trouble like so many of the kids he knows. Many of the kids are left home alone. Those are the lucky ones. I let Joey visit one of his friends for a couple of hours once. The mom told me to take my time, go to the store run a few errands. Sounded good to me until when I went to pick him up.”

  “What happened?”

  “Mom was blitzed and yelling at her ex on the phone. I could hear the entire conversation from the driveway. Joey practically ran to the car and made me promise to never leave him at anyone’s house again.”

  “And have you?”

  “No. Never.”

  No wonder there weren’t any men in her life.“What about your family? Joey’s grandparents?”

  She shook her head. For a moment, he thought maybe they had died and regretted bringing up the subject.

  “I was seventeen when I ended up pregnant with Joey. My parents were grief stricken when I announced I was pregnant. Within a week, they blamed each other for my reckless behavior. Dad ordered me to have an abortion while Mom suggested I ‘go away’ and give the child up for adoption.”

  They found a cushioned, bench swing and sat under the stars
while she continued.

  “My father refused. It was abortion or out. There was no way Mr. Jackson Davis would allow his only daughter to parade around pregnant.”

  Richard clenched her hand that tightened in his with her memories. “Wait. Jack Davis of Davis Enterprises?”

  “Yep,” she said with a nod. “That would be him.”

  “Elizabeth Davis is your mother?”

  “Ironic isn’t it?”

  He would say so. Elizabeth Davis headed up a large charity auction every year to help a home for wayward girls who found themselves pregnant and scared. Her social circle praised her efforts. It wasn’t unheard of for the high profile couple to end up in the papers society pages.

  “My parents have no problem helping others.”

  “But not you.”

  “I refused to give up Joey. The fighting in the house escalated until I left. I packed my bags, found a home in Arizona who took in teens, and went there under an assumed name. I hopped around for the first couple of years and ended up back in Southern California working as a waitress. My parents’ friends don’t visit the diners I’ve worked in. They never looked for me.”

  “How can you be so sure?” Richard stroked her fingers with his thumb and wondered how difficult those first few years must have been.

  “My parents are rich, Richard. If they wanted to find me, they would have. The fact remains they were thankful I left. The black mark I would have made on their reputations wasn’t something they wanted to face.”

  Kate leaned into him with her head on his shoulder and let her words soak in. She’d never told anyone the truth about her past. Getting the details out in the open gave her a sense of relief. Not that she tried to hide anything, but there was no one whom she wanted to tell...Until now.

  Richard snuggled closer, his arm circled behind her shoulders. He leaned down, and she could swear he sniffed her hair.

  “I’m sorry to have dumped all that on you.”

  “I asked.”

  “Still, it isn’t the most romantic conversation.” She gazed into his eyes.

  “Is it romance you want?” He licked his bottom lip and moved in closer.

  “I’m not sure what I want. It’s been so long since I’ve concerned myself with my needs.”

  “Perhaps,” he said a breath away from her lips, “you should put aside Kate Davis, the single mom and let Kate Davis, the beautiful young woman come out.”

  The warmth of his breath caressed her skin.

  “I don’t know if I can do that.”

  “Let me see if I can help you.”

  His kiss was gentle. A caress of his lips over hers, that sent a spasm of delight to the pit of her stomach. His male body dominated hers by pulling her into his arms where she felt gloriously lost in his embrace.

  Oh yes, this was nice. Kate Davis, the woman, wanted this.

  Kate deepened the kiss. Roaming hands found a gap in his shirt, and she reached for his skin beneath. His skin grew hot under her touch.

  Richard was doing his best to remove her top. Their simple caressing kiss took on a new life. She arched forward but found the angle uncomfortable. There simply wasn’t enough of her body touching his.

  With a dominance she didn’t know she possessed, Kate moved to his lap, straddling his jean-clad thighs. He was already hard and pressed against the material in an effort to escape. Unable to stop herself, Kate ground her core against him. The friction sent an unexpected shiver of pleasure up her spine.

  “Shit,” he said in frustration. “We’ll never make it inside at this rate.”

  She hid a grin and nuzzled his neck. His pulse beat in a wild tattoo, matching hers.

  “Isn’t that a pool house?” Kate nodded toward the separate building.

  Finally freeing her of her blouse, Richard took full control of her aroused breasts. A wicked smile crested his mouth before he dipped down to devour them.

  Lightning bolted with his contact made her rock against him again. She wanted him, all of him.

  “Richard?”

  “Humm?” he succeeded in removing her bra, unabashed by her naked torso outside where anyone could see, he continued to explore.

  “Pool house,” she whimpered, “Now.”

  His head came up. “Good idea.”

  He stood in one swift movement. His hands held her straddled against his erection.

  Kate giggled and wrapped her legs around his waist and continued kissing his neck and ear.

  It wasn’t locked, thank God. Richard kicked the door closed behind them and headed straight for the bedroom.

  There, he set her on the bed, but didn’t let her move away. He stayed between her legs, and kissed her fully. Dueling tongues searched each other’s mouths, unable to quench the thirst the other provoked.

  His naked chest pressed against hers, his hands stroked her sides.

  Kate brought both her hands around him, ignoring the pain in her arm, and squeezed his sculptured butt.

  “Jesus,” he groaned.

  “Take these off,” she demanded pulling at his jeans.

  He moved back, breaking contact long enough to put a hand to the buttons of his pants. “You get yours.”

  Kate lifted her brows and watched his eyes taking in every one of her movements on the bed. Purposefully moving slowly, she unsnapped and tugged down the zipper of her pants. She lifted her hips and wiggled her butt causing him to gasp, and her to grin.

  Where this brazen hussy came from, she had no idea. The need to have Richard cover her naked body with his grew so powerful, she felt as if she had no control at all.

  His eyes followed her fingers while she kicked off her jeans leaving only her panties.

  Richard licked his lips, his own task of removing clothing forgotten. She traced the line of lace covering her sex and slipped one finger inside.

  A predatory growl erupted Richard’s lips. His eyes swirled with passion. With only moonlight gleaming through the windows of the pool house, Kate saw his eyes changed color and shape.

  Slightly startled but completely at his mercy, Kate moved back on the bed. “Your turn,” she reminded him.

  He was naked in a heartbeat, his penis jutting forward at an impressive length.

  He crawled on the bed on all fours. After playfully knocking her hand away from her sex, he took its place. One long finger dipped into her folds and stroked her swollen nub. On a curse, he tore her panties away and lowered his mouth to just below her navel.

  She bucked. Desire and need for his penetration clenched her body. From his expression, he had other plans.

  “Richard, please...” She sat up and brought his lips to hers. “I want you inside of me.”

  With both hands, she found his cock and stroked his length, his groan sounded more like a growl, his quest to pleasure her with his mouth forgotten. Dueling tongues fought to dominate their kiss

  He removed his lips from hers, grabbed his pants from the floor, and removed a foil packet from his wallet.

  “Were you a Scout?” she asked, thinking about the condoms she left by her bed in the house.

  “Always be prepared,” he said tossing her the condom.

  Peeling away the wrapper, Kate took her time rolling it over his length.

  “Your hands are lethal weapons.”

  “More like rusty from lack of use.”

  Fully gloved, he pressed her back against the bed. “If this is rusty, then I’m a dead man.” He possessed her mouth again.

  His tip edged outside her body. His breath caught when she pushed closer to him. Anticipation seized her soul until he finally descended with a low thick slide.

  With one thrust, Kate felt the first waves of an orgasm. She clenched his shoulders, digging in her nails. Her body slick with passion rippled with pleasure when he plunged into her completely.

  He was well-built, and heaven knew she was out of practice, but his penetration was so complete she didn’t think she would ever feel this close to anyone ever again. Tears
glistened in her eyes. Her joy of being with him tore her heart open, allowing him in.

  His rocking hips stopped. She opened her eyes and saw him studying her reaction. “Are you all right?”

  All right? I’m in heaven. “I don’t think this could be more right,” she told him. She felt a single tear slip out and wished she could have stopped it. The last thing she wanted to do scare him off with unwanted emotions.

  Something flickered in his eyes when they locked with hers. He started to move, setting the pace. Slowly he rocked causing her mouth to open in a gasp as tension built.

  He bent and kissed away her tears. “You are so beautiful. I could stay like this forever.”

  Her heart lurched and her muscles tightened around him. Pelvis thrust against pelvis brought panting gasps from them both. “Oh, Richard.”

  Fire built and burned inside her body as she struggled beneath, him wanting his movements to quicken.

  A low chuckle passed through him as he complied with her demands. Her nails raked into his back as he drove her closer.

  He murmured her name.

  On a strangled gasp, he pushed her over the edge. Spasm after spasm swarmed her inflamed body. He followed close behind until finally collapsing on top of her completely sated.

  ****

  Holy Shit. Richard shifted his weight enough so he wasn’t crushing her, but not so far that either of them would chill.

  While his breath returned to normal, his swirling head and thoughts did not. He didn’t dare open his eyes, fearing she had been a dream—one very hot, erotic, wet dream.

  His hand rested on her hip, his thumb moved in a slow caress. She was there. Real and alive. And he had had the most powerful sexual experience of his life.

  Was it the change, or was it the woman?

  Something told him it was both.

  She nuzzled closer to him, her thigh moved and pushed between his legs. His body was already responding to her innocent touch.

  Smiling, he opened one eye and then the other. She wore a grin. A very satisfied grin.

  His ego grew and his heart swelled knowing he was the reason for her happiness. He’d put that smile there.

  Then he noticed the blood. “Crap,” he exclaimed jolting them both from the bliss they shared.