Hugh looked up blankly. "You heard then?" he muttered uncomfortably, shaking his head a little at Byron.
"Yeah."
"I can't believe that. I feel like I'm in a parallel universe. She actually paid me."
"Do you feel like a hooker now?" Byron teased then ducked when Hugh aimed a fist at his shoulder.
"Fuck you."
Hugh looked around the bare bones of the room and frowned at what had just happened. It seemed surreal yet, at the same time, a chance to be with her. Obviously, she wanted her husband back, but he was sure he'd seen a sliver of doubt in that emerald gaze of hers. She'd looked at him with such passion, such need, such desire that he felt like there was something deeper going on. But he couldn't be sure. Maybe she just wanted to get back with her husband.
He shook his head at the folly of women. That she wanted Joe Durst back was completely bizarre to him. He didn't understand it. The man was a lech, a dirty old man, and, if Hugh hadn't received almost seventy-five percent down-payment for the job, there would've been no way in hell he would've started to work for the creep.
A part of him was annoyed that she only considered him good enough to toy with to ingratiate herself into her husband's good books again. But then, it wasn't her fault that she still wanted Joe. He'd seen some of the doubts, seen her desire for him, and knew she was both vulnerable and confused. He couldn't understand why a beautiful woman like that would want to stay with a man that cheated on her. It seemed extremely odd to him, but then women were a complete puzzle to him. Women always seemed to want the bastards. The sorry mother fuckers who treated them like shit. And the women just loved it, loved them. But the good guys? They were just treated like shit in general.
* * * *
With sleepy eyes, Nicole gazed blearily out of her kitchen window. Her coffee percolator was bubbling, and she knew that her drink was almost ready. While she didn't need a caffeine boost to start the day, it had become a routine to enjoy a dark cup of coffee before she got down to work. She found that drinking the strong substance curbed her appetite somewhat and stopped her from munching on snacks throughout the day.
Rubbing her eyes with a fist, she yawned then froze as she saw the crew from the Jakman Building Co. pull up outside her house. Having seen them for what felt like a thousand times before, she shouldn't have been nervous. But then, she'd never propositioned any of them before!
A part of her was on tenterhooks, wondering which option Hugh would take. Would he play besotted boyfriend? Or would he take on the role of lover?
A buzz of adrenaline jolted her awake at the thought, and she stared out of the window to watch both of the brothers start their work day. The men hauled their tools out of their cabs, and she heard the front door bang open as they all stomped in.
The kitchen was set to the side and wasn't accessible via the front hallway, so she could wear her nightgown in comfort and not fear for her butt being wolf-whistled at by sex-obsessed builders.
The coffee percolator stopped bubbling, and she turned it off.
There were times when she hated this kitchen. Joe had been a selfish prick and had had it designed for his size. Considering the fact that she spent the most time in it, it hadn't made much sense to her. But then Joe had been selfish and inconsiderate at times. Joe was over the six foot mark and she was barely over the five! That meant every movement in the kitchen necessitated careful planning and the use of a sturdy stool. Whenever she did anything, she always tried to get all the tools and products she needed, otherwise she was up and down all the time and it drove her insane.
She stood on her stool and started to make her coffee the way she liked it. Adding a drop of half and half and two sweeteners, she stirred it and took a deep sip of the tasty brew.
Hearing a creak that was closer to home than she liked, she turned her head sharply to the kitchen door and saw that Hugh stood in the doorway. His hard body was propped up against the door frame. With his arms crossed across his wide chest and a wolfish grin on his face, he looked overtly masculine and eminently desirable.
She blushed a little. She had known he might approach her, but she'd never suspected it would have been first thing the very next day! And she hadn't imagined him approaching her when she was wearing a ratty old t-shirt! She hadn't even brushed her hair, for God's sake! She knew that she looked a mess and felt mortified that he should see her like this.
"Hello," she murmured weakly, ducking her head and taking another sip of her fortifying coffee.
"Good morning," Hugh replied.
His voice was deep as it resonated through her, seeming to jolt against every nerve ending and creating a miniature explosion wherever it touched.
Gulping, she nodded and hid her face in her large mug. Then feeling like a wimp, she turned around to face him.
Looking over him in his work gear, she felt like sighing. As her gaze raked over his legs, she noticed the hard bulge at his crotch and felt like jumping for joy or shouting hosannas at the sky!
"You look... overdressed," Hugh growled.
"I do?" she squeaked.
He nodded slowly and stepped closer to her.
"Turn around so that you face the window again," he murmured sensually.
Heading towards her, he stopped when he stood directly behind her, curving his body against hers so that every inch of her was pressed against him.
She felt the rasp of the coarse materials of his clothes against her soft skin and a shiver overtook her.
He pulled away slightly, and his hand trailed down to cover the peachy curve of her butt. His fingers delved still further down and soon she felt the 'string' of her G-string being pulled between her pussy lips.
She gulped but felt the cotton of her underwear rub against her clit and a small gasp escaped her throat. Placing her hands on the counter, she bowed her head, which pushed her butt out a little. Grasping the countertop, she spread her legs a little and was rewarded by the pressure of his firm and callused fingers touching her intimately. Moaning softly, she rocked her hips and hissed as a broad finger slid along the seam of her slit. When his finger began to circle the entrance to her body, she must have made a sound of denial because he hushed her and pressed himself closer to her. The movement made the digit penetrate her a little more deeply and she let her head drop down even further.
Her lower body felt both lax and tense at the same time. As that finger began to move and another one began to rub at the nubbin of her clit, she was bombarded by furious and powerful sensations of lust. She rocked her hips in time to his movements and groaned despondently when he pulled away from her.
But soon she heard the slow slide of his zipper and the muffled sounds of his clothing being moved around to accommodate him.
His fingers returned between her legs, and, this time, he pulled her underwear away and to the side.
Intense excitement coursed through her, and, when she felt his jeans against the back of her thighs, she thought she would pass out from exhilaration.
The blunt head of his cock nudged against her and when it began its long slide into her cunt, she moaned a little fearfully. Rolling her hips, she moved around a little to escape that ceaseless thrust and when finally he hit home, she groaned. He was so big, so wide, she felt spread apart, plundered by his rampaging cock.
Grunting as his cock settled, she heard the satisfaction in that gesture and was pleased by it. Despite her own nerves and discomfort and worry at his size, the most feminine part of her was immensely pleased at satisfying him.
His cock spread her that wide apart that she knew her clit had escaped its small hood and whenever he moved, it pulled that flesh even tauter and with invisible fingers that fluttered over it, she felt both spiritually and physically stimulated.
Moving faster now, his hips began to thrust harder and moans of pleasure/ pain escaped her at his relentless battering. When his hand moved down between her legs and began to rub her clit, the combination of the invisible fingers, his rough ones an
d the deep penetration made her shout out as a rush of release pervaded her every sense.
Pleasure like she'd never before known seemed to ricochet throughout her body. Unable to handle it, her arms slumped and he caught her in his arms before she could hit the counter. The position pushed him deeper, causing them both to moan and soon the splash of his seed hit the walls of her womb and the silent sounds of the kitchen were invaded by the sounds of groans and heavy breathing.
Dammit, Hugh swore to himself as he pulled out of her warm and welcoming body. Patting her softly on the butt, he covered himself up before lifting her from the stool and placing her weak and trembling body on the kitchen floor. Seeing how wobbly she appeared, he lifted her once more and carried her to the bedroom, where he lay her down on the bed and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
He watched amusedly as her eyes fluttered shut and a deep sleep overtook her. There was nothing more that he longed to do than join her and sleep with her for real, but he had work to do and for the first time since establishing his company, he resented it.
Walking upstairs, he contemplated how bad a move fucking her had been.
When he'd gone to greet her, it had never been his intention to make any move on her. He'd intended to return the money to her and to tell her that they were going to be making a lot of noise today. Obviously as she was now sleeping and it was his fault, there would have to be a change of plan; but he felt like kicking himself for moving so far ahead when she probably wasn't ready for that.
Seeing her there though, standing on that stool, her butt exposed, the creamy flesh of her legs bared to his sight; his wolf, his beast had taken over. Had seen that curve of her ass, seen the small shade of color there which told him she'd been wearing nothing but a thong and suddenly, control was no longer his.
Unable to control any part of himself, his beast had wanted to mark her with his scent. Make her his. Get that dirty old bastard's scent from her delectable body and make her retain the perfume of his own.
The only part of this situation that he was pleased with, was that he'd satisfied her as no other man had. He'd seen the stunned wonder on her face, knew that her intense orgasm was the reason behind her need for sleep.
Closing his eyes, he fought for control once more. The beast wanted to return, but the man held the reins this time. It pissed the wolf off that she wanted him for the sole reason to make her husband jealous and the combination of pleasure, lust and anger had riled him until he'd no longer been in charge of his own body.
Now that the beast was sated, Hugh thought it would be easier to control, but that wasn't a definite. He would just have to be more careful around her. Obviously she inspired some deep emotion in him and that would have to be monitored at a later and less hectic date.
Chapter Two
Flickering her eyes shut to veil the emotions she knew would be projected from them, and easily read by the man standing before her, Nicole sighed softly as she felt the gentle press of Hugh's lips at her temple.
The unnecessary tenderness behind that move made her stomach churn with a need to reciprocate that pleasingly delicate touch. A part of her wanted to respond. A part of her needed to respond. But how could she? Was there correct protocol for situations like this? Was there a certain way a woman had to act after being thoroughly satisfied by her new lover? Why did his tenderness affect her so? Because affect her, it did.
Her stomach felt practically like jelly at the thought of this man caring for her, even in only a tiny way. Her heart was going pitter patter in her chest. How had he penetrated her defenses so easily? How had he reached deep down inside of her and touched the molten core of her being that seemed to burn stronger and brighter under his one small act of tenderness?
Joe, in all their years of marriage, had never managed to do that. Basically an intrinsically selfish man, he'd in no way managed to touch that intensely vulnerable part of her. But she'd loved him and God help her, she'd tried to make their marriage succeed. If only her husband had tried as damned hard, she wouldn't be here now . . . having sex with another man, a younger man, to make her ex-husband jealous.
It hurt her that Hugh, with that one act, had managed to evoke sensations in her that Joe hadn't. She wasn't sure if that made this whole hellish situation better or worse! For a man she'd had such a short acquaintance with to have reached somewhere deep inside of her that her husband of a decade and a half had never reached scared her terribly. What rested at the very depth of that emotion was the part that frightened her.
Was she forever destined to make a fool of herself over men?
Firstly, her husband not only cheated on her but managed to impregnate his girlfriend. Then, her heart was melting over the man she had basically hired to have sex with her in order to make her ex-husband jealous. God, how pathetic was she?
How had Hugh managed to lower all her guards? That she left herself open to such hurt was both foolish and reprehensible. And why couldn't she learn from her mistakes? Why couldn't she get it through her head that no man could be trusted and that they were all out for any and all they could get.
Feeling the whisper of his breath drift over the sensitized skin of her face almost made her shudder. Her body felt hyper alert to his presence and, in a way, that frightened her too. Should this be happening to her? It was abnormal to feel so . . . alive after just the one experience together, wasn't it? The questions and concerns tumbled together clumsily in her mind and upon hearing the click of the door as it closed, she breathed out in relief at being alone once more.
Her eyes flickered open as soon as she realized he couldn't see whatever foolish emotion was in them. Because she was indeed feeling foolish. That she should feel anything but lust and satisfaction towards him was just ridiculous.
Clearing her throat, she fidgeted a little. Rolling from the position he'd set her in, on her back, to her side and then returning to her original position to study the detailed plasterwork on her ceiling minutely.
It was hard to concentrate, hard to assemble those jumbled thoughts into a semblance of reality and so, she conceded defeat. She allowed her body to reign supreme for the moment and just the thought enabled her to free herself from the restraint she'd tried to place upon herself.
Feeling as though she were watching from afar, her body fell softly back down to Earth and as that feeling of weightlessness assailed her, she pushed those pesky thoughts to the side. The time spent with Hugh had shaken her up more than she ever would've believed possible, and the aftermath of that surfeit of pleasure was taking its toll on her still tingling nerves.
Gulping a little in remembrance, her body seemed to flash back through the past twenty minutes. Every sensation and emotion rocketed through her body and she guiltily realized that she had never once felt this way with Joe. Never had both her mind and body been in such synchronization before. Never had the feelings assailing her, powered through her veins like a firework fizzing and spitting as it reached the sky before bursting into a series of magnificent sparkling lights.
Almost snorting at her need to embellish reality, Nicole lifted her left arm and raised it to cover her eyes. Feeling unbelievably shy and embarrassed by the depth of emotion she was experiencing, she childishly hid herself from the empty room.
The whole situation seemed scarily dream-like. The prospect that she could wake up at any given moment frightened her more than she cared to admit.
Everything about this morning had been unexpected. In fact, everything about the last two days had been unexpected. Maybe that added an extra buzz, an extra tingle to her excitement.
From feeling unbearably low at the prospect of having to ask her contractor to help her re-ensnare her husband. To feeling even worse at misinterpreting Hugh's reaction to her proposition and believing him to find her unattractive. Nicole had then experienced an extreme high as relief had settled as light as a feather in her heart.
Despite her discomfort and embarrassment, something inside of her felt damned good, se
cure in the knowledge that her builder, the one with the movie-star good looks, wanted her. There could be no mistake, he'd wanted and now had had her.
That thought shouldn't have been as thrilling as it truly was, she thought on a chortle.
Although, Nicole had been pleased-truth be told, more than pleased-to learn of his attraction for her, no way had she expected this morning to happen. She'd genuinely believed that he would just act the part of lover. How could she complain that he'd decided to take that role a step further when it was what she'd wanted all along!
Deep down, she was pleased that the first time had taken place in the kitchen. In a room, he didn't know contained a camera. Because it meant that he'd genuinely wanted her for lust's sake rather than to help her in her cause.
Having felt that undeniable embarrassment at believing him not to be attracted to her yesterday, it came as a great relief that he wanted her, that he hadn't been able to contain himself. Whether this plan of hers would make Joe jealous, she couldn't be sure. But, whatever happened, she had a feeling she wasn't going to be too upset. She fancied the pants off both Hugh and his brother. This plan of hers enabled her to have sex with a man she couldn't stop thinking about, with the definite possibility of being able to also have sex his brother, who was also far too often on her mind. If, at the same time, it changed her ex-husband's perspective on her and perhaps turned him on enough to reconsider her as a desirable woman, then all the better. The plan worked in her favor in so many ways that she couldn't help but be pleased by it.
Leaning up on to her elbows, she blushed as she stared down at her naked body and the evidence of what had occurred on said nakedness, then scrambled to her feet. She hesitated as she stood, then realized that no caffeine was necessary to wake her up anymore. Apparently a quick morning fuck with Hugh worked better than a cup of coffee, and, grinning slyly, she practically skipped to her bathroom to shower.
Nicole couldn't deny how good she was feeling. In fact, she was feeling most unlike a woman whose ex-husband had been cheating on her and had managed to fuck up and produce a kid along the way.
Hungry Like the Wolf Page 3
