Changing Hearts

by Marilu Mann

  “He beat me so bad I couldn’t even walk out of the circle. I just lay there watching the rest of the fights. When they were all over, he’d won and I’d learned a valuable lesson.”

  “What lesson?”

  “Don’t bite off more than you can chew.” With that, he pulled her over on top of him, his new second favorite position for making love. Joie smiled as she sat up astride him.

  “Your eyes are glowing. That is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen, the way they do that.”

  “Get a condom, Joie. I need to be inside you.” Slade cupped her breasts then sat up enough to suckle her. Joie didn’t argue with him, she moved just enough to reach the bedside table and in moments lowered herself onto his latex-covered shaft.

  Slade lay back and grabbed the headboard, moving his hips just enough to get deeper inside her then he put his head back and watched her. Joie moved on him, finding her own pace, her own pleasure and he watched.

  He watched her facial expressions, watched her beautiful eyes close. He released the headboard long enough to put her hands on her breasts then grabbed it again. Watching her stroke and tease her own nipples while he buried himself deep inside her only made him hotter and harder. It was the most erotic, beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

  She liked it too. He could hear her breathing change, felt it in the way she tightened on him and when she let go, he lifted his hips completely off the bed with his own release.

  Joie collapsed onto his chest then felt his arms come around her. Never, never in her life had she ever experienced anything like Malcolm Slade. She lifted her head long enough to kiss him softly. She felt him smile as he hugged her tightly to his chest.

  “I love you, Malcolm.”

  She didn’t expect a response. She knew it was hard for him to say what he was feeling. Still, she thought he must return her feelings. Joie knew he cared about her, cared what happened to her and to Tante Kay. For now, that was enough.

  Joie moved slowly off the bed then stood beside it to look at him again. The most beautiful man she’d ever seen, tattoos, scars and all, lay in her bed, a smug grin on his face. Leaning down, she kissed him again then turned and headed for the bathroom.

  Knowing he watched her, she put an extra sway in her walk. The only warning she had that he was coming was the slight creak of the bed frame as he got out of bed.

  Strong arms came around her middle as he lifted her off the floor and carried her into the bathroom. He kissed the top of her head as he started the shower then stepped into it with her still held captive. She was beginning to like being carried this way!

  They bathed quickly, exchanging kisses, then got out to dry off and dress. Joie went into the kitchen while he started throwing clothes into his backpack.

  Kay joined them as they sat down to eat. “Y’all got everything you need? Joie, you done packed some food?”

  “Yes ma’am. We’ve got enough to last a few days. I need to remember the gas for the generator, though. Malcolm? Will you remind me?”

  “Sure, baby.” He finished eating then stood to stretch. “You sure you got enough food packed?”

  “I’m sure. Though you eat enough for four.” She playfully punched him in the stomach as she moved past him.

  “I told you I had a healthy appetite. I can’t help it if I have a fast metabolism.” He grabbed her hand, nibbling at her knuckles before letting her go.

  “I just bet you do, what with animal and man changing places all the time,” Tante Kay chimed in with an observation that hadn’t occurred to Joie.

  “She’s right! I bet that’s how you can eat as much as you do but not gain any weight.”

  “What makes you think I don’t gain weight?”

  “Well, you haven’t since you’ve been here.” Joie eyed him critically. “It must be all the exercise you get when you’re in wolf form. And you do tend to eat more when you’ve gone from one form to another. Have you ever paid attention to that before? Maybe all shifters are that way, eating more as they expend more energy?”

  “Can we please change the subject? Isn’t it time to leave?” Malcolm was so obviously uncomfortable that both women stood and started preparing to leave.

  Joie moved into the living room to call their nearest neighbor. She’d need someone to watch the animals in the shed while she and Malcolm were gone. Tante Kay checked her satchel again just to make sure she had everything she needed.

  Slade went out onto the porch, stripped and shifted then made a quick circuit around the cabin just to make sure there weren’t any other shifters in the area. Maggie’d had plenty of time to get back to New Orleans, tell everyone he still lived, where he was, and to send others after him. The fact that she hadn’t done so almost made him more edgy than if she’d just sent in a team of hunters to finish him off.

  He arrived back at the cabin to see the two women loading the flat-bottomed boat. He shifted quickly and dressed then went to help them. The motor started with a roar of sound and they were off.

  Just a few short miles away, Joie and Slade bid Tante Kay farewell, watching as the three Boudreaux children swarmed around her, reaching into her pockets for candy. Joie turned to him with a smile, then steered the boat back out into the middle of the bayou.

  She pointed out various landmarks and childhood haunts to him and they watched the turtles disappearing into the water at their approach. Slade saw a snake in the water at one point and his skin crawled. Even as a wolf he had no use for snakes.

  It took them nearly an hour, winding through the bayou before they came to a small inlet. Joie steered the boat toward a floating dock and Slade jumped out to tie them up. He handed Joie out of the boat then wrapped his arms around her and took a deep breath.

  “God, it’s beautiful here.” The trees along the bank hid them somewhat from the main traffic on the bayou. The sun glinting off the water cast everything in a shimmering haze.

  Moss hung heavy around them and the smells were unbelievable. Slade took a deep breath again. Lilacs, moss, faint smells of meat and cheese from the cooler in the bottom of the boat combined with deer, raccoon and otter. No other human smells. No sound either, except the birds and squirrels overhead and the sound of his and Joie’s breathing.

  He stepped back into the boat and hefted the cooler out. Crap, it weighs a ton! He grunted slightly as he put it on the dock then tossed the bags with their clothes and another bag of Joie’s up there as well.

  They loaded themselves down with Slade carrying the cooler with the gas can and one of her bags balanced on top. He’d slung his backpack on as well. Joie carried two bags and led the way. At the end of the floating dock, a wooden plank connected them to the shore.

  They walked across the plank and stepped onto the spongy surface of the bank. Joie indicated a small path then led the way. It wound and twisted farther back into the bayou where the trees got closer together and the sunlight became more shadow than anything else.

  Finally she stopped and set her bags down. Slade glanced around then finally noticed the small shack. It was raised off the ground by what he assumed to be telephone poles. Standing nearly four feet high, a steep staircase led the way to a wraparound porch. Joie left one of her bags on the ground then started up the stairs. She glanced at him with a smile.

  “The generator’s on the back porch, but we’ll need to open the place up and air it out first. Come on, I’ll show you around.”

  Slade set the cooler down then followed her up the steps. She unlocked the door and pushed it open. He followed her into the gloomy interior, wrinkling his nose slightly at the musty odor. Joie moved toward one of the large windows on either side of the door and removed wooden shutters. He went to her side to help her, then muscled the window open.

  Removing the shutters allowed him to see the interior more clearly. A worn sofa, two old comfortable-looking chairs and a small potbellied stove that occupied one corner. There were no pictures on the walls, and only one overhead light in the very center of the
room.

  Joie led the way farther into the cabin. Two small bedrooms and a bath were off the central hallway to the right, she only went into those rooms to remove the shutters and open the windows. They walked straight down the hall to the kitchen where she unlocked and opened the back door and they repeated the process of removing the shutters there.

  Slade realized he could see the front door in a straight path from the back. Joie grinned at him as she moved about the kitchen, opening drawers until she found a hand towel. She wiped the countertops off and opened the refrigerator in the corner.

  “It’s what’s called a ‘shotgun’ house. Meaning you can stand at one end and fire a shotgun all the way through the house without hitting anything.” She grinned at him again.

  “If you’ll get the gas can we can get the generator started and put the food away. Then I can show you around more.”

  “Okay.” Slade moved through the house, his curiosity about what was on the left side of the hallway prickling intently. He opened the only door on the left to see a large bedroom.

  The bedroom didn’t truly capture his attention, but the massive four-poster bed in the very center of the room did. How in the hell had someone managed to get that monster bed way the hell out here?

  Shaking his head at the erotic visions running through his mind, he walked out of the cabin and jumped off the porch. He bent his knees as he landed and touched the warm earth with one hand. A gasp behind him had him turning quickly.

  “Unbelievable! That was amazing!” Joie laughed as she moved to the edge of the porch.

  “Jump.”

  “What?” she laughed down at him even as she shook her head.

  “Jump, I’ll catch you.” Slade moved to stand in front of her. From this position he could almost see up her skirt. He grinned at that thought even as he held his arms up. “Come on, baby, jump.”

  “If you drop me, I’ll never feed you again.” Joie closed her eyes and stepped off the porch, trusting him to catch her. She gasped as she landed in his arms then laughed as she realized that “somehow” his hands had wound up under her skirt. “You’re incorrigible.”

  “No, I just constantly want you.” Malcolm gave her a smacking kiss as he set her on her feet and squeezed her butt. “I’ve got big plans for you, Miss Joie. I saw that bed.”

  He raised one eyebrow at her as he turned to pick up the gas can. “I also saw the ceiling fan in that room. Why don’t you just go take off your clothes and lay down on that bed while I get the generator started.”

  “Don’t be silly, we’ve got to get the food put away first.” She felt the blush heating her cheeks, but his sexual brazenness still shocked her from time to time. Truth be known, it thrilled her as well.

  She’d never had a man so enamored of her before. Even her former fiancé had looked at making love as more of a monthly ritual than a joyous experience. Joie moved to pick up the other bag she’d discarded earlier. Malcolm stepped in front of her, tilting her head back slightly.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “I just don’t know what you see in me, Malcolm. I’m not tall or slender or beautiful. You’re like this perfect man and I’m just plain old me.”

  Malcolm moved the gas can and sat on the cooler, pulling her onto his lap. “You’re not plain, Joie. Your eyes caught my attention right away. They’re a mossy green that reminds me of the water near the cabin. When you’re happy, there’s a gold tint to them. You’ve got the most incredible skin, just made for stroking.”

  He took a deep breath as he trailed one hand over her neck and lightly over her breasts to her waist.

  “Don’t even get me started on your breasts and your ass. You know what I thought the first time I saw you? I thought you were the most sensual woman I’d ever seen. I knew your breasts would be soft, the softest pillows on earth. And you’re perfectly proportioned. You’ve got just enough meat on your bones for me to hang on to. You are beautiful, baby.”

  He kissed her then set her on her feet. “Enough of this, now let’s get this stuff inside before the mosquitoes start swarming.

  Joie simply stood still for a long moment, watching him walk up the steps with the cooler and the gas can. Malcolm had just praised everything her former fiancé had discounted. He must care for her to feel that way about her. If only he’d say the words.

  Joie sighed as she bent over and picked up her bag and his backpack. She moved up the steps and into the cabin, shutting the screen door behind her. The next two days would be as perfect as any one person could make them. That was a promise she made to herself, and one she intended to keep.

  * * * * *

  Slade collapsed onto his side, breathing hard. Sweat pooled in the small of his back and ran down his chest. He kept his hand on Joie just because he couldn’t bear to not be touching her. Beside him, Joie struggled to catch her breath as well.

  He’d fulfilled his first fantasy with the massive bed. Slade struggled into a sitting position. He ran a hand through his hair, smelling Joie on his fingers, on his skin. He laughed softly as he untied her legs.

  She’d been hesitant to allow him to restrain her until he’d showed her that she could pull free at any time, and until he’d promised she could tie him up next. That thought hardened him even as heat pooled in his belly.

  His little darling could only moan softly as he massaged her legs now. He grinned as he lifted her foot to his mouth and gently bit then licked her instep. She shivered and tried to pull her foot away from him, causing him to laugh softly.

  Slade stretched out beside her then pulled her against his side, ignoring the heat that the ceiling fan battled to disperse. Joie snuffled into his chest then kissed him right where she’d bitten him.

  He grinned again as he ran one hand down her side to cup her ass. She bore his mark again as well though he’d still refrained from drawing blood. She’d be bruised but nothing more.

  She, on the other hand, had bitten him hard enough, at his insistence, to make him bleed. He’d pressed against her head as she’d bitten him. He’d waited until she’d been in the throes of a climax then whispered for her to bite him.

  Joie tilted her head back to meet his eyes. Running her hand up his chest, she sighed even as she rolled away from him a little, letting more air between their bodies.

  “Be honest, you’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?”

  “What?” He was shocked until he stared at her for a moment, recognizing the teasing light in her eyes.

  “One massive screaming orgasm isn’t enough for you! Oh, no, Monsieur Wolf, you have to nearly make me pass out before you’re satisfied.”

  “I’m never satisfied when I’m with you. That’s why I’m always after you like you’re in heat.” As soon as those words left his mouth, he remembered their encounter after his fight with Maggie.

  Shit! Joie’s in heat! Or the human equivalent, anyway, she was ovulating. That’s why he’d been so determined to have her over and over again. He’d recognized the scent. He’d taken her twice without protection and that had to be one reason why.

  Though they’d used condoms ever since, he worried about the possibility of her being pregnant. What did he have to offer her? The likelihood that he’d be dead in a few days loomed overhead. Slade stared down at Joie, then leaned over and kissed her. He’d never abandon her with a possible shifter child to care for. He’d make sure there would be someone for her to turn to for answers. For now, though, he’d just have to be more careful.

  “I need to write some stuff down before I go back to New Orleans. Don’t let me forget, okay?”

  “What kind of stuff?”

  “Just some things you might need.” To distract her, he got off the bed and stretched. He could feel her gaze moving over his body. It pleased him that she found him attractive. She’d spent nearly an hour tracing the tattoos on his back and leg earlier in the day, asking him questions about the wolves and the Chinese dragon on his leg.

  Though he hadn’t w
anted to talk about the brand on his hand, she’d drawn that story out of him as well then berated him for requiring the males in the Pack to participate in such a test of loyalty. He tried to explain that he was only thinking of the Pack but she hadn’t bought it and now, neither did he, really. That brought his thoughts back to a place he didn’t really want to go. The questions Micah had asked him about his intentions with the Pack. Most of the males had passed his stupid little loyalty test and now they’d be branded for life just like he was. Shaking those thoughts away, he grinned at Joie again.

  He walked across the hall and dealt with the spent condom then leaned out of the bathroom door to crook his finger at her. “Come on in here, baby. I want you to wash my back.”

  “Why don’t you get started and I’ll fix us something to eat?”

  “Only if you’ll join me in a minute. Dinner can wait.”

  “Malcolm, I’m starving!” Joie laughed as she got off the bed. The only article of clothing handy was one of his t-shirts so she slipped it on. The hem fell nearly to her knees and the vee-neck showed her cleavage to perfection.

  Joie moved closer to the doorway. “You shower now and I’ll take one after I get supper started. You know as well as I do that if I get in there with you it’ll be another hour before we eat.”

  He sighed heavily then winked at her. “I like the way you look in that. Maybe I’ll hide the rest of your clothes and force you to wear my t-shirts the rest of the time we’re here.”

  “Don’t you dare!” Joie laughed as she swatted his chest. He caught her hand, nipped at her fingertips, then winked and released her.

  She moved down the short hall, hearing the water start in the shower. Smiling felt good, being with Malcolm felt even better. Joie was glad she’d suggested this time apart.

  She glanced out of one of the windows in the kitchen and noticed that the sun had fallen into the bayou. They’d spent the entire afternoon in bed and he’d shown her more about her own sensuality than she ever would have believed possible.