She gave him a half smile. “I know it’s small, and probably not what you’re used to, but it’s all I can afford right now. I’m trying to save money so I can to open my own shop sometime in the future.”
Roan moved to put their food on her small kitchen table before he came to stand in front of her. “I didn’t come here to check out your apartment, Ansley. I came here to be with you.”
He pulled her into his arms. His lips took hers in a heated kiss. Ansley let her keys and purse fall to the floor before she wrapped her arms around Roan’s neck. Her body liquefied as he licked and then gently bit her bottom lip before he pushed his tongue inside her mouth. Ansley went up on her toes and pushed closer to Roan. He was so much taller he had to practically bend over to kiss her.
As Roan increased the pressure of his lips, Ansley sucked on his tongue and threaded her fingers through his long hair at the back of his neck. Roan picked her off her feet and continued to kiss her as he walked over to her couch. He laid her on it then followed her down. The couch barely accommodated the both of them. Roan positioned them so they both lay on their sides with him on the very edge.
Ansley threw her leg over Roan’s hip. He let his hand trail down her side to the bottom of her t-shirt. He shoved his hand under it and cupped her breast through her bra. His thumb rubbed back and forth across her already taut nipple. When she moaned and pressed her breast closer, Roan took hold of her shirt then pulled it over her head. He threw it over his shoulder onto the floor. Her bra quickly followed. Roan rolled her nipple between his thumb and index finger while he nibbled his way along her jaw. Needing to feel his skin next to hers, Ansley grabbed the bottom of his tshirt and lifted it to his chin. Roan lifted his head only long enough pull it off before he made a trail of kisses down to her breast. Wetness leaked from her pussy into her panties, soaking them. He lifted her breast in his hand and circled her nipple with his tongue just before he sucked it deep inside his mouth. With each pull of his mouth Ansley felt a corresponding pull in her sex. She clenched her strong inner muscles as her body readied itself to be filled.
Ansley gasped. Roan alternated between sucking and flicking her nipple with his tongue. She felt the hard length of his cock pressed against the inside of her thigh. Wanting to feel just how big he was, she reached down and cupped him through his jeans. A low growl rumbled out of Roan’s throat from deep down in his chest as she stroked him. He dragged his teeth lightly over her nipple. She undid his jeans and reached inside to wrap her hand around his thick shaft.
With another low growl, Roan quickly undid her jeans and pushed them down past her hips, taking her panties with them. Once he had them completely off her, he released her breast and trailed his hand to the part of her that ached to be filled. He claimed her lips in a hard kiss as he stroked her wet pussy with a finger before he pushed it inside her core.
Ansley pumped her hand up and down his cock in the same rhythm Roan pumped his finger in and out of her pussy. When a second finger joined the first, she moaned into his mouth. He pumped his fingers, harder, faster. She squeezed her pussy around them. Her hips bucked, her body coiling tighter. As if he sensed that it wouldn’t take much to send her over the edge, Roan stroked her clit with his thumb while his fingers worked inside her. With a loud moan, she shattered. Her inner walls clutched at his fingers as she came. She relaxed against Roan. The last wave of pleasure receded, but Ansley wanted all of Roan not just his fingers. She trailed her fingers up his hard shaft to the head of his cock. She rubbed the bead of pre-cum she found there into his skin. Roan left her mouth and buried his face into the crook of her neck as she fisted his erection in her hand. He pumped his hips against her.
Feeling the pleasure once again start to build inside her, Ansley shifted until her sex came into position with his cock. With her hand still wrapped around the base of his shaft, she moved forward until the head of his erection butted up against her wet opening. She flexed her hips and pressed down to take the tip of his cock inside her pussy. Roan lifted his head and growled loudly. He placed a restraining hand on her hip to hold her still. “No,” he said in a strained voice.
Ansley blinked open her eyes to find that Roan’s glowed mutedly as he stared at her. Even though she knew what she saw couldn’t possibly be real, his eyes continued to glow, even after she blinked. She found it oddly arousing. Despite his large hand on her hip, she flexed her hips and took a little more of his cock inside her.
“Stop, Ansley,” Roan said between his gritted teeth. “You don’t know what you’re doing. I’m only hanging on to my self-control by a thread.”
She tried to take more of him, but Roan’s grip on her hip tightened. “I thought this is what you wanted,” she moaned. “I know I want it.”
With a growl that couldn’t be mistaken for anything but animalistic, Roan pushed her away as he fell back off the couch onto the floor. Not sure exactly what she had done to cause such a violent reaction from him, Ansley silently watched him pick himself up. He stood in front of her and ooked down at her. His chest rapidly rose and fell. His cock stood erect from the open front of his jeans. Ansley didn’t understand. It was obvious Roan wanted her.
She reached out her hand, but he shook his head. He shoved his cock back inside his jeans and did them up. He snatched up his t-shirt from the floor and yanked it on.
“Roan?” Ansley asked bewilderedly.
“This was a mistake. I shouldn’t have come here.” Without another word, Roan turned and let himself out of her apartment.
Feeling as if Roan had just slapped her, Ansley got off the couch and gathered up her clothes. Hurt, with no real understanding why Roan had run from her, she headed for the bathroom to take a shower. She’d thought things had been going well. Obviously she had done something wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time a man had changed his mind about her once things got intimate. Her last boyfriend, who had only lasted a couple months, hadn’t liked that she tended to be a bit aggressive in bed. But when she held herself back, he ended up dumping her because he found her too cold.
Ansley stepped into the shower and let the warm water run over her. As she washed Roan’s scent off her skin, she wished she could just as easily wash away the memory of how good it had felt to be held in his arms.
* * *
Roan couldn’t get away from Ansley’s apartment fast enough. As he sped down the highway toward the Golden Gate Bridge, he tried to leash back his wolf. The wolf wanted to go back to Ansley and finish what they had started. Roan couldn’t believe how close he had come to giving in to his urge to claim Ansley as his mate right then and there. As she had come apart in his arms, with her moans filling his ears, he had told himself that would be enough until he felt ready to explain to Ansley what she was to him. But when she had taken the head of his cock inside her body, he’d had to fight both himself and the wolf to keep from sheathing himself to the hilt in her welcoming heat. He drove his car across the bridge and headed for Marin County where he and his brothers and sister lived. The mansion was large enough for the seven of them, now eight since Eli, Saskia’s mate, had moved in with them. But in his current mood, Roan wished he lived alone.
When he arrived at the mansion, Roan drove up the long drive and parked his Lexus in the spacious six car garage before he headed inside the house. Feeling as if his nerves had been stretched to their limits, he went to see if anyone else was home. He found Saskia and Eli in the living room watching a movie on the large LCD screen TV. They were cuddled together on the couch. The sight of them together made Roan long for Ansley.
Saskia turned her head in his direction when Roan walked into the room. She looked him up and down. “You look as if you’re about ready to snap. I take it your evening didn’t turn out like you had planned.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “I damn near fucked it up.”
“What happened?” Eli asked. “Did you tell her about you being a werewolf and she didn’t take it well?”
Roan shook his head.
“I haven’t told her about that yet.”
“Then what’s the problem?” Saskia asked.
“I came pretty damn close to claiming her.”
“I thought you wanted to take things slow with Ansley.”
“I do, but it’s turning out to be a lot harder than I thought it would be. I think I may have screwed things up.”
“Why?”
“Let’s just say I pulled the same stunt you did with Eli when you found yourself mated to him—I ran.”
Saskia and Eli hadn’t known they were mates when they had first met. Eli being a mortal at the time, of course hadn’t shown the signs a male werewolf displays when he has found his mate. Unexpected as it had been, Saskia had run from Eli right after their mating bond had been formed.
Saskia cringed. “You didn’t.”
“Oh, but I did. It was either that or finish what we had started.”
“What are you going to do to fix it?”
“I haven’t got a clue. Right now, I need to work off my frustration.” He gave a Saskia a pointed look. “Time to return the favor I gave you when you came running home from Eli’s.”
Saskia smiled and got off the couch. “I’ll get my sword and meet you downstairs.”
She looked down at Eli. “Are you going to join us?”
Eli gave her a heated look. “I’d better not. You know how seeing you swing that sword of yours turns me on. I don’t think Roan would appreciate it if I stole you away too soon.”
She bent and gave Eli a quick kiss. “Maybe later I’ll have to do a little sword practice of my own up in our room.”
Turning away, Roan said in a sharp voice, “I’ll be downstairs.” He walked away from the couple before he did something stupid like put his fist through the wall.
* * *
Down in the basement, which they had converted into a training area, Roan watched Saskia cross the room with sword in hand to stand in front of him. She swung her sword in an arc in front of her to loosen up. Roan did the same. He knew Saskia wouldn’t take it easy on him. She never did, which he now counted on. He needed to do something that would distract him from thinking about Ansley. Something that would tire him out. And Saskia would be the woman to give him what he needed.
At first glance, Saskia didn’t look as if she would be a match for him, but looks could be deceiving. With her long light blonde, almost white hair, flashing violet eyes and slim build, someone would think he could disarm her and have her at his mercy in a matter of seconds. That was so far off the mark it wasn’t even funny. Saskia hadn’t been chosen to be the leader of six large lone male werewolves for nothing. She could hold her own against any of them.
At Saskia’s nod, they circled each other with their swords raised. While most werewolves their age had given up the sword long ago and chose to fight in wolf form if the need ever arose, the seven of Roxie’s protectors still used the sword—their weapon of choice. Roan made the first strike, which Saskia easily blocked with her sword. Circling each other again, he waited for another opening then struck out at her. This time sparks flew when their blades met.
Saskia and Roan parried and thrust. The sound of their swords clashing filled the room. Neither one of them tried to hurt the other. This was for practice only. By the time Roan held up his hand to indicate that he’d had enough, both he and Saskia were sweating and out of breath.
“Feel better now?” Saskia asked while she panted for breath. He wiped the sweat out of his eyes before he answered. “A bit. At least I now should be able to sleep.”
“That bad, is it?”
“I’m sure it isn’t as bad as when you and Eli are away from each other for any length of time.” Once mated, werewolf couples couldn’t stand to be apart for very long. The longer apart the more anxious they became until they were together again, which usually ended up with the mated pair having sex.
“Just tell Ansley what you are, Roan. You’re not doing either one of you any good by holding off, especially you.”
He snorted. “Yeah, I’ll just blurt out that I’m a werewolf and that she’s my mate and we’ll live happily ever after. Ansley will think I need to be locked up with the rest of the crazies.”
“You could always go wolf in front of her. She wouldn’t be able to deny the truth then.”
“No, but she could very well run away screaming. Or drop dead in a faint. I don’t think she is as strong as you are, Saskia. She’s a bit on the timid, shy side.”
“I think you’re second guessing yourself too much, Roan. How long do you intend to drag this out? How long do you think you’ll be able to last before you break and claim her without telling her the truth?”
“To be honest, I haven’t a clue. Right now seeing how long I can keep myself in control is the least of my worries. After the way I left Ansley, I wouldn’t be surprised if she is more than a little pissed off with me.”
Saskia closed the distance between them and gave Roan a hug. “I’m sure she’ll forgive you. After all you two are meant to be together.”
Roan hugged her back. “I can only hope so.”
Chapter Four
After a fitful sleep with his dreams filled with erotic images of Ansley in his bed, of her moaning his name as he took her over and over again, Roan headed over to Roxie and Beowulf’s house. It was his turn, along with his two brothers-in-arms Dirk and Kye, to watch over Roxie. Not that she allowed them to do much more than sit around using up space. Even though Roxie didn’t think she needed their protection, Roan knew Beowulf was more than grateful. Roxie might think they were overdoing it, but he knew it would only be a matter of time before someone made a move on her. The person who worried them most was Miles—Saskia’s brother by blood. At one time, he had been chosen to be the foretold one’s protectors, but that soon changed when Miles decided he wanted to have control over the foretold one rather than be a protector. Roan found his brothers with Roxie inside her second floor office. Even though Roxie didn’t need to work, since Beowulf had more than enough money and then some, she still continued to work at her web design business that she had started before she had met her mate. As a self-proclaimed internet junkie, Roxie had told him she loved her job too much to give it up.
Kye sat in one of the chairs near Roxie’s desk looking bored out of his mind. Dirk, on the other hand, stood behind Roxie’s chair completely absorbed in what Roxie worked on as she pointed to something on the monitor of her desktop computer. Roan shook his head. Dirk and Roxie would be up here for hours. Dirk, the only one of them that had completely embraced the technological age, now did all his investments through the internet. Once Roxie had found out he was computer savvy like she was, she had taken it upon herself to teach Dirk everything she knew about web design. Something Dirk had been interested in learning.
Knowing the other two were too absorbed in what they were doing to have heard him come into the room, Roan caught Kye’s eye. “If you need me, I’ll be outside in the back. I have to make a phone call.”
Kye covered a large yawn with his hand. “Sure, go ahead. Not as if much is happening here. I don’t know how those two can stare at that computer monitor for hours on end and not get a headache. My eyes would be crossing by now, especially if I had to look at that gibberish Roxie calls HTML code.”
Roan chuckled. “I guess it helps if you can understand what you’re looking at.”
“I guess.” Kye settled down lower in his chair. “I think I’ll catch some Zs until they have decided they’ve had enough.”
Having been in Kye’s place more than once, Roan couldn’t blame him. He slipped out of the room and headed to the kitchen. He stepped through the sliding glass door and pulled his cell phone out of his jean’s front pocket. He closed the door behind him. He searched through his contact list until he found Ansley’s work number, which he had programmed into his phone earlier.
Once someone picked up on the other end, Roan asked to speak to Ansley. Put on hold, he patiently waited for Ansley to pick u
p the phone. When she did, he said, “Hey, Ansley. It’s Roan.”
“Oh. What do you want?” Ansley asked in a clipped tone.
She was definitely not happy to hear from him. “I thought we could get together again tonight.”
Ansley didn’t reply right away. “Why? So you can run out on me again?”
“Ah, look, that had nothing to do with you. Okay?”
“Sure it didn’t. You couldn’t get away from me fast enough.”
“I had my reasons for doing what I did. Let me see you tonight and I’ll explain everything.”
“I don’t think so. Being humiliated by you once was more than enough. I have to go. I’m in the middle of cutting a client’s hair. Bye, Roan.” Ansley hung up before Roan could say anything else.
Knowing he couldn’t leave things the way they now stood, Roan hit redial and once again asked to speak to Ansley when the other end picked up. This time the girl who answered told him Ansley wouldn’t take any phone calls right now. After he hit the end button to hang up, Roan let out a low frustrated growl.
“Your soon-to-be-mate giving you a hard time?”
Roan looked up and realized he hadn’t been alone out here. Beowulf sat at the patio table with a newspaper in his hand. Roan went over to Beowulf and sat down in the chair next to his. “You could say that. I have no one to blame but myself, though.”
Beowulf folded the newspaper he had been reading in half and placed it on the patio table. “Having a mortal mate who knows nothing of our kind tends to make things a little more stressful.”
“You’re not kidding. By taking it slow, I now have Ansley not wanting to talk or see me. I know Roxie told me to explain everything to Ansley before I claimed her, but I don’t know if I can keep this up.”
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