The Wolf Within

by Sondrae Bennett

  She turned to look at the man behind her and hastily closed the mouth that had flapped open in surprise. Wowza—

  handsome didn’t begin to describe him. She ran her gaze from his casual brown shoes up his jean-clad legs and form fitting black t-shirt, ending with his piercing blue eyes. The look in them was almost frightening in its intensity, startling her from her perusal. He looked … hungry.

  It took a moment to compose her thoughts. To buy time, she glanced down at the bottle she held, trying to form a response.

  “Good to know. I don’t suppose you’ve tried the pinot?”

  She held up the bottle in her other hand. His smile was friendly, but his hungry gaze remained fixed on her.

  “I haven’t. How about I pick up a bottle, and we can test it together. What do you say?” As far as pick-up lines went, it was one of the better ones she’d heard. Not to mention, a tempting offer. The man was attractive, and she was single.

  It might be the perfect way to distract herself from her feelings for Brendan.

  But ditching Brendan for this man, for any man, left a bad taste in her mouth. Besides, the intensity in the man’s eyes was a bit unsettling.

  “I appreciate the offer, but I have plans tonight.” Plans that only minutes ago she’d decided to cancel, but he didn’t need to know that.

  “A shame. At least tell me your name, for the next time we meet.”

  Julie shivered. Next time? The certainty in his voice unnerved her. Jeez—first thinking something had lurked in the forest, and now creeped out by a friendly stranger. Her imagination was in overdrive. As soon as she got home, those damn suspense books were going in the trash. It was obvious she needed something milder.

  “It’s Julie.”

  “A pleasure, Julie. I’m Jay. So you have plans tonight, but what about tomorrow?” The way he continued to stare at her gave her the heebie jeebies.

  “I’m actually seeing someone. But I appreciate the offer.”

  She wasn’t above lying to escape these situations. This guy was a bit too intense for her.

  “Too bad. I hoped we could get to know each other better.

  Until we meet again, my dear.” He bowed, and with another charming smile, walked toward the back of the store.

  A shiver snaked down her spine. If she had any say in the matter, they would never meet again. Something about him just didn’t sit right, and the way he stared at her was downright creepy. Considering how far she was from Alpine Woods, the chances of running into him again were slim at least. And now she had a couple of bottles of wine picked out.

  She’d go home, blast some cheesy 80s rock and drown her troubles. All that was left to do was call Brendan and cancel their plans.

  After paying for the wine, Julie headed home. As her tires ate up the road, she pulled out her cellphone to make the dreaded call.

  If she were a brave woman she’d dial his cell, which he would undoubtedly pick up. She knew how that conversation would go. He’d coerce and coddle until she caved. He always had the power to make her agree to anything. Case in point: going out last night. The truth was she wanted to do what he wanted, to please him. But this time she had to put her foot down. She could not let herself go to his place tonight.

  She flipped through her contacts and dialed his house phone, calling herself a chicken the entire time. She knew he was at work, and wasn’t surprised when the call rolled into his voicemail. Leaving a brief message on the machine, she apologized for the last minute notice.

  It’s better this way. Maybe if she kept repeating the thought, she’d begin to believe it.

  * * * *

  Brendan saw the blinking light on his answering machine the minute he walked in the door. A sense of foreboding told him who it was even before Julie’s voice drifted out.

  He hit the button to repeat the message as he carried the grocery bags farther into the kitchen. He stopped and laughed at the quiver in her voice as she explained how they should stick to being friends. That wasn’t going to happen.

  Grabbing a bottle of water, Brendan pondered his options.

  The obvious one would be to accept her cancellation and track her down tomorrow. It was what any sane, rational human being would do. Clearly not an option for him. After all, he wasn’t just a man after a woman. He was a wolf after his mate.

  Calling her didn’t seem like the smartest plan, either. Over the phone he had less influence than face-to-face. If he saw her, he knew he’d be able to convince her to come back to his place.

  His gaze lingered on the uncooked salmon on the counter.

  Better yet, pick up a pizza on the way to her place. Dinner wasn’t started yet, and food would ease his way into her apartment. After all, who could resist a hot, gooey cheese pizza? Besides, maybe she’d feel more comfortable if he gave her the home court advantage. He had no doubt he’d win regardless. He was still grinning as he made his way to his car.

  Chapter 5

  Music blared through an open window in Julie’s studio. He chuckled as King of Wishful Thinking pummeled his sensitive ears the moment he opened the car door. Get over him, huh?

  Wishful thinking was right. He’d make sure Julie didn’t have any opportunity to “get over” him.

  But he had a bigger problem to contend with first. No way would she hear the door through that racket. Just to be sure, he tried the buzzer and waited a full minute before trying again. He was amazed no one had called in a complaint. She was making enough noise to wake the dead. Wolves had extra sensitive hearing, after all.

  It really would be for the benefit of the town to go up there and turn the music off. He grinned at the obvious false justification. The good of the town didn’t factor in, but was a reasonable excuse. Now to figure out how to get up there.

  He walked to the front door and examined the lock. He often did repairs on the apartment for Laurie, so he knew the layout of the space. Even if he made it through this door, it would only give him access to the stairwell leading to the actual apartment above the bookstore. At the top of the stairs, the main door to the studio had yet another lock. Once he gained entrance through that door, the apartment was one big room, housing a bed and a small kitchenette. No place for Julie to hide.

  In high school he’d spent a few summers working for the local locksmith. One of the first things they’d taught him was how to pick a lock as they’d often been sent on house calls where someone had locked himself out.

  He hadn’t done it in years. Still there was no harm in trying, right? And this looked like a simple lever lock. There were even a couple of hangers in the backseat he could use for makeshift tools.

  Rubbing his hands together, he planned his approach.

  Julie’s shouted lyrics drifted to him, making him laugh. Her speech was a bit slurred, and it was clear she was having a good time. He’d long known about her penchant for 80s and early 90s rock. One of her quirky little habits he found adorable.

  Pulling out the hangers, he bent them into the shapes he needed.

  Time to get to work.

  * * * *

  Julie gawked in surprise as the door to her apartment swung open. Brendan stood framed in the doorway, wearing a cocky grin. A large pizza box sat on the floor behind him.

  She stood on her bed, the only piece of furniture in the small studio, and stared at him for a full minute before glancing down at the half empty bottle in her hand. What the hell was in this stuff? Wine had never given her hallucinations before. She closed her eyes, rubbing one with her free hand.

  But the vision remained.

  “I brought pizza,” it said, reaching down and grabbing the box on the floor. Or at least, that’s what she thought it said.

  Like a proper vision, the lips moved but no sound emerged.

  Although now that her brain had considered it, pizza sounded good. Her stomach rumbled in agreement.

  The figment rolled its eyes and prowled into the room.

  Julie watched it cross to the stereo on the k
itchen counter.

  The music shut off.

  How had her imagination done that? The man stalked toward her.

  She took a wobbly step backward, thrown off balance by the springiness of the bed beneath her.

  “Whoa, easy there.” He reached out to steady her. His touch was warm against her arm, and she stared down at his long tanned fingers against her pale skin. A shiver of awareness raced through her, sweeping some of the clouds from her mind. This wasn’t a vision. Brendan was really here, in her apartment.

  “Brendan? What are you doing here?” She shook her head, trying to clear the cobwebs. Her brain wasn’t processing things as quickly as she needed right now.

  “Well, since you didn’t feel like salmon—” The smile he threw her way robbed her of what few thoughts she’d managed to gather. “—I brought pizza. Pepperoni, tomato and mushroom. I know it’s your favorite.”

  She glanced at the box sitting beside the stereo on the counter. She was hungry. And her earlier reasons for cancelling didn’t seem valid anymore. What harm was there really? The world wasn’t going to end because she ate dinner with him.

  Turning back to Brendan, she ran her gaze from his head to his toes and back up. He was looking yummier than the pizza.

  His smile grew under her perusal, and she raised her gaze to his. The teasing glint in their depth told her he had watched her ogle him, and had enjoyed every minute. He took the wine bottle from her hand and lifted it toward the light.

  “How much of this have you had, anyway?” His lips puckered in a whistle as he surveyed the level of the liquid within. It would be so easy to lean down and kiss him. His lips were already puckered and everything. God knew the man could kiss.

  She dropped to her knees on the bed, putting them at the same height. Taking the bottle from him and setting it on the bedside table, she reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. His lips hovered above hers, just shy of touching. She stretched, but he leaned back so their lips remained apart.

  “You need to come closer.” She tugged at his shoulders, but he resisted the pull.

  “Ordering me around, are you beautiful?” She tugged again, making no more progress than last time.

  “Fine. If you don’t want me, then go away.” She puffed out an exasperated breath, unraveling her hands to bring them to her side.

  * * * *

  Brendan felt her arms slide away from him, and grabbed them, bringing them back around his neck. He wasn’t ready to release her just yet.

  “Oh, I want you all right. It’s taking every ounce of willpower I possess not to strip off your clothes and bend you backward until neither of us knows our own names. But you, my dear, are drunk. I want more from you than one night you might consider a drunken mistake tomorrow.” He watched his words sink past the alcoholic haze in her eyes. First surprise, then heat, flared in their depths before she dropped them to stare at his mouth.

  “I’m not that drunk, Brendan.”

  The laugh started in his gut, bubbling up until he had to release it. Even knowing it would replace her desire with anger, he couldn’t stop it. “Don’t laugh at me!” she huffed, trying to pull away. He clung tight, loving the fight within.

  “I’m not. I swear. You’re just so perfect. And drunk enough, I might add, that I can’t trust your judgment right now. So why don’t we sit down and have some pizza, maybe some water for you, and we can come back to this conversation a bit later.”

  She stuck her lip out in a pout. His wolf wanted to jump in, but he held the reins tight. Taking her right now, no matter how appealing the suggestion might sound, or how much she begged, was not the way to start a relationship. That way led to ignored phone calls and a pounding from her brothers.

  Pizza. They were going to sit down, eat and talk. Nothing more. He looked at her lips. Well, maybe a little more. But he drew the line at kissing. His fingers tightened on Julie’s waist.

  Okay, maybe a bit more than kissing, but the line was there. A very definite line. Somewhere. He’d know it when he saw it. As long as he kept his wits about him. Easier said than done around Julie, but he had to succeed. There was no other choice if he wanted forever.

  “Come on, wobbly. Time to eat.” He didn’t give her a chance to move, swinging her into his arms. But he enjoyed her squeak and the way she clung to his shoulders.

  Carrying her to the kitchenette, he sat her on the counter with reluctance. He liked holding her.

  He leaned down and kissed her nose.

  “You missed again,” she whispered.

  “Again?”

  “Yeah, yesterday you were going for my foot. I liked that miss more.” The grin spreading over her face made him feel special. As if they had their own private joke.

  “I never miss.” He leaned in close, placing his hands on either side of her hips, caging her. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.

  Tilting his head to the left, he bypassed her mouth and trailed his lips down her cheek to the juncture of her neck.

  Placing his mouth over the spot where her neck met her shoulder, he sucked hard, letting the edge of his teeth scrape her delicate skin.

  Her body shuffled closer, and her head fell back. Brendan closed his eyes on a groan. Her breasts pressed against his chest. The scent of strawberries was stronger against her neck, and he drew it in like a starving man as he ran his hands from her thighs around her back to pull her tight against him. When she wrapped her legs around his waist, the scent of her arousal floated up to join in the blend. Julie and sex fused together into a heady combination.

  Slow. He was supposed to be taking things one step at a time. Skimming his lips down her throat, he placed a quick nip at her collarbone before moving away.

  They stared at each other in silence for a full minute, their deep breathing the only sound in the room. Sexual tension buzzed between them until the air was thick with emotion.

  “You are such a tease.” Julie broke the silence, cutting through the tension around them and bringing a smile to his face.

  “Me? Woman, I’m just trying to get to the pizza, but you keep throwing yourself at me and I get all distracted.”

  “Woman? You so did not call me woman.” He leaned in close again, placing a quick kiss against her lips, but backing away before either of them could deepen it.

  “God, you are too cute.” Without moving from between her legs—because there was no way he was giving up such prime real estate—Brendan reached over and flipped open the pizza box. He took out a slice and handed it to her.

  “Aren’t you a little close?” she asked as he stood with his own slice.

  “I’m comfortable.”

  “Well, I’m not. Scoot back a bit.” She shoved his shoulder, and he took a reluctant step back.

  “Fine, but don’t think I won’t be back there soon.” He winked, causing her to roll her eyes and shake her head.

  * * * *

  The man was so damn cocky. Julie watched him take another bite of pizza, his sharp teeth cutting through the cheese with ease. She wished she had fangs. She probably had cheesy strings all over her face. A quick swipe over her mouth assured her she wasn’t a complete mess.

  Still, as the bready pizza soaked up some of the alcohol in her system, everything that had occurred since his arrival sharpened in her memory. Oh God, she’d thrown herself at Brendan. Worse, he had rejected her!

  This couldn’t be happening. Maybe she had run her car off the road earlier and was even now in a hospital bed having a coma-induced nightmare.

  “Why do you look so horrified, baby?” His sharp eyes were fastened on her face. She strove for a nonchalant look, having no idea if she succeeded.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just wondering what you’re doing here.”

  He reached over to the box and pulled out another slice, holding it out for her to take. After only a moment of hesitation, her hunger overruled her reservations.

  “I’m eating.” He shru
gged, still drilling into her with his gaze.

  “Yes, but why are you eating here?”

  “We had a date. You left a message on my machine saying, ‘ Brendan, I’m not feeling up to salmon tonight. Would you mind picking up some pizza and coming to my place instead?’ What was I supposed to do—say no?”

  He’d used a high pitch voice to imitate her. Julie stared for a full minute before she could form a reply.

  “That’s not what the message said.”

  “It wasn’t?” The smile he threw her way was playful. “My bad. I guess I misunderstood.” He started eating his slice again, his gaze never breaking contact with hers.

  “You know it’s a little nerve wracking to eat while you’re staring at me.”

  An image of Jay, the man from the wine store, flashed through her mind. His eyes had pierced her with the same intensity as Brendan’s did now. But whereas Brendan’s gaze made her feel safe, not to mention hot all over, Jay’s had left her on edge. As she remembered, a wave of unease swept over her, and she brought her arms around herself to chase away the goose bumps.

  In an instant, Brendan was there, clutching her shoulders and forcing her gaze to his.

  “Julie? What happened?” There was a fierceness in his grip, in his posture, that had been absent before.

  “It’s nothing.” What was she supposed to say? That some guy had hit on her and now, hours later, she was freaking out. It sounded ridiculous even to her.

  “It’s not ‘nothing.’ I saw the frightened look on your face.

  Now tell me what happened.” His grip tightened, not painfully but with clear intent. He wasn’t going to drop this until he knew what had spooked her.

  “I was thinking about this guy I met today. He gave me the willies. No big deal.” A barrage of questions assailed her.

  “Who was he?” Brendan’s voice demanded an answer, his grip solid on her arm.

  “Calm down, Brendan. He was just a guy. He asked me out. I said no. He went away. That was it.” She left out Jay’s eerie certainty they would meet again, knowing it would set Brendan off.