Wolf Out of Water: Mythic Series, Book 4

by Abbie Zanders

  She gave him that enigmatic smile again and his cock pulsed. Oh yeah. This one had some sass.

  He ordered for both of them. She tipped her head and lowered her eyes in a silent thank you before meeting his gaze head-on with one of her own. Damn, that was hot. Submissive, and yet... not. Which just further proved she wasn’t a she-wolf. If she was, she wouldn’t be able to help but respond to him; he was an Alpha.

  Visions of riding her hard assaulted him. The images were so raw, so graphic, they nearly knocked him back in his chair. He had to get a grip. However hot she was, he would do well to remember that she was human, and therefore, breakable.

  “My name is Matt,” he said, easing into the open chair.

  Those pretty lips curved. “Hello, Matt. I’m Jessie.”

  “Well, thank you for letting me join you, Jessie. It would have been a long wait for a table.”

  “Something tells me you wouldn’t have been waiting long,” she said with a sexy smirk that sent shivers of anticipation right into his groin. “But it is my pleasure. One good deed deserves another, right?”

  He grinned. “Right.”

  The server came back with their drinks. As she placed the glasses in front of them, she slipped an extra cocktail napkin beside his. A brief glance down proved what he already suspected – that her name, number, and the time she got off was written on it. He looked over to find Jessie looking at it, too, then raising her gaze to meet his. It had been enough to see the flash of jealousy there before she managed to mask it completely. One brow arched slightly, a silent question: Well, what are you going to do about that?

  He couldn’t help but wonder what she would do if he slipped the napkin into his pocket. The temptation was definitely there. Visions of the blonde calling out the little server fueled his increasing arousal. There was something so primal, so hot about females fighting for a male, especially when that male was him.

  If only they weren’t in a crowded human restaurant.

  “Thank you, - ” Matt glanced at the server’s name tag, easily visible on the left breast of the chest she was thrusting toward him, “-Britnee.” He flashed her a smile, though he had no intention of following up. Even if he hadn’t found Jessie, he wouldn’t consider it. The girl was cute but barely legal, and far too thin for his tastes. His big hands preferred a little meat to grab onto. In a polite but clear message, he slid the cocktail napkin back onto her serving tray. Tonight, he was only interested in the golden goddess beside him.

  “Are you ready to order?” she asked, addressing only him. Either she hadn’t noticed his gentle rebuff, or she was choosing to ignore it. Matt was used to this kind of reaction, but flicked a look at Jessie to see how she was handling the server’s undivided attention. There was no longer any evidence of either irritation or jealously. She seemed... amused.

  “Not yet; I haven’t had a chance to look at the menu. Can you give us a couple of minutes?”

  “Of course,” Britnee answered a bit breathlessly. On the next breath, Matt inhaled the girl’s scent. Even saturated with arousal as it was, it paled in comparison to the scent of the woman across from him. Peaches, he realized. That’s what he hadn’t been able to identify earlier. Jessie’s subtle, unique scent was rich, creamy coconut and sweet, juicy peaches. It made his mouth water for a taste.

  “Get that a lot, do you?” Jessie said, eyes twinkling, as if she knew what he was thinking. Oh yeah, the female was laughing at him. He shifted slightly to relieve some of the pressure.

  “No, never,” he said solemnly. “That was a first.”

  “Right.” She laughed aloud. Like the rest of her, it was beautiful. Slightly husky, incredibly sexy. He made a point to hear more of it, preferably after she screamed his name in ecstasy.

  “Have you eaten yet, Jessie?”

  “No, I haven’t.”

  “Then would you allow me to buy you dinner?”

  She tilted her head slightly, as if actually considering it before finally saying, “Yes, I think I would.”

  Fire raged through his veins, hardening him even further, almost to the point of pain. He was right, this woman did have a touch of wildness. He was going to have a hell of a lot of fun taming her to his hand, to his command.

  “See something you like?” he asked suggestively.

  She didn’t even look down at the menu in her hands. “Maybe.”

  His grin grew as he placed his own menu down. “Then I’ll let you choose for both of us.”

  One perfectly shaped brow lifted upward. “Challenge accepted,” she murmured so softly, he wouldn’t have heard it had he been human.

  Matt sat back, content to watch as her gaze returned to the laminated choices.

  “Hmmmm,” she hummed, her pink tongue peeking out as she considered the selections. He shifted in his seat again, the need to suck that tongue into his mouth almost overwhelming as the desire to feel it on his cock. “You seem like a salad and sprouts kind of guy -—” his gaze flicked up for an instant, long enough for him to see the mischief that filled those blue-greens, “ -—but I’m kind of hungry, so I’m going to go with something more substantial.”

  It was his turn to raise a brow. In yet another bold move, she raised a hand and summoned a buff young human male server. Oh, she would pay for that, Matt thought with relish.

  “We’ll both have the half-pound burgers, as rare as you can legally make them, with a basket of loaded fries.”

  Exactly what he would have ordered, Matt thought with appreciation. Was she that perceptive, or was that really what she wanted? Either way, it didn’t matter. She had just gained another point in her favor. Of more immediate interest to him was the human male currently standing too close to her. The boy looked at Jessie with the same kind of hero worship as the girl who had served their drinks had looked at him.

  Matt didn’t like it, not at all. The boy was no threat, of course, but Matt would not tolerate such blatant disrespect. He allowed a growl -—just a little one -—to rumble from deep within his chest. It would be the only warning the boy would get.

  Matt knew his message had been received when the server paled and hurried off with the order.

  “That wasn’t very nice,” Jessie chided, but she looked far from upset. “I think you scared poor Austin.”

  Matt snorted. Jessie tried to hide her grin, but failed miserably.

  “So tell me about Jessie,” Matt said, moving his chair closer to hers so that there would be no chance for anyone to come between them again. “What is a beautiful woman doing at the beach all alone? I assume you are travelling alone?” He was pretty certain of it. There was no scent of any male -—or any other person -—anywhere on her.

  “I am,” she confirmed. “And as to the why of it, well, I suppose I could ask you the same thing.”

  Definitely perceptive. Mentally, he added that and mysterious to gorgeous, sexy, and mouth-watering. “Are you asking?”

  She took a long sip of her drink. He couldn’t draw his eyes away from the way her full lips wrapped around the straw or the way her neck moved with each swallow. “No.”

  He grinned. Cheeky female. It was just as well. He wouldn’t have told her anything significant anyway.

  “Fair enough. Will you at least tell me where you’re from, Jessie?”

  “Glasgow.”

  He eyed her bronze coloring, gold and sable locks, and turquoise eyes doubtfully. “Scotland?”

  Her lips twitched. “Delaware.”

  Matt’s eyes widened slightly, then he laughed. Damn, he liked this woman.

  He waited for her to return the question. She didn’t.

  “So not a very far trip for you, then,” Matt said. At her blank look, he added, “Anywhere in Delaware is only an hour or two from Ocean City, Maryland, right?”

  Realization dawned. “Oh, I was born in Glasgow. I don’t live there now.”

  “Where do you live now?” he prompted when she said nothing more.

  She gave him a tight smile, a
nd much of the amusement left her eyes. “Not Glasgow.”

  The hair on the back of his neck prickled, but he let it go. Why didn’t she want him to know where she lived? Did she think he was going to track her down or something? Not likely. A few days here was all he had to offer, then he had to get back to reality.

  Their food arrived, and his attention turned back to his companion. She was removing all of the lettuce, tomato, and pickle from the burger as quickly as possible, wrinkling her cute little nose in disgust as she set them off to the side.

  “Not a health nut,” he commented, amused.

  “Ugh,” she replied. “Why ruin a perfectly good burger with rabbit food?”

  Spoken like a true wolf, he thought immediately, then pushed that thought away. She was human, not wolf, no matter how much he wanted her to be otherwise. There were plenty of human females who preferred meat over greens, burgers over salad. But they were also the ones who didn’t look nearly as attractive in a string bikini, his logical mind pointed out.

  “My thoughts exactly,” he murmured.

  Jessie took a bite, her eyes rolling back into her head in an expression of pure bliss. Damn. If she got that much pleasure out of a freaking hamburger, what would she do when he buried himself inside her and showed her what true ecstasy was?

  “Good, huh?”

  “Amazing,” she said, licking the reddish-pink juice from her lips. “Aren’t you going to try yours?”

  Matt had been so enthralled by watching Jessie he’d forgotten about his own meal. He had never seen a woman eat with such undisguised relish, as if it was both the best meal she’d ever had and her last.

  He forced his attention back to his plate, his mind working overtime. The burger was good, but what he really would have liked was to bite into her.

  Before long, all that remained were a few crumbs and the discarded vegetables. Matt added “healthy appetite” to his ever-growing list of Things He Liked About Jessie.

  * * *

  Jessie sat back, resisting the urge to ask Matt if he was going to finish the rest of his fries. The burger had been good, but not enough to completely satisfy her ravenous hunger. Judging by the way he was watching her, she probably shouldn’t have eaten as much as she did. The last thing she needed was for him to get any more suspicious than he was.

  “Would you like to go for a walk on the beach?” he asked.

  Not really, Jessie thought. While she loved walking on the beach, she’d just as soon get back to his room and get on with it. She didn’t need her preternatural senses to know that he wanted her, and she was totally onboard with that plan.

  But a human woman wouldn’t be so comfortable with her sexuality, and would require at least a little coaxing, however unnecessary. There probably weren’t too many (if any) females capable of saying no to this male.

  As it was, it was all she could do to refrain from jumping him right there at the table. If she’d had any lingering doubts, they were now soundly dispelled. The male was definitely an Alpha.

  And he didn’t know what to think of her. She could see him trying to put together the pieces, but he wouldn’t, not as long as she wore the amulet and didn’t do anything stupid.

  “A walk on the beach sounds wonderful,” she replied.

  Matt took care of the check, and with a large hand placed possessively at the small of her back, led her out onto the sand. Jessie couldn’t help but think of how she had looked enviously upon such couples at the beach just the night before. Now they were looking at her with envy.

  They walked along the shoreline; Jessie kicked off her shoes and let the waves rush up on her ankles. Neither spoke much, but it wasn’t awkward. They both knew what came next, and neither pretended otherwise.

  When they reached a particularly dark section of the beach, just beyond the reach of the hotel’s floodlights, Matt took her hand and tugged her into his body. She only had a moment or two to appreciate the corded steel of his chest before he was lifting her chin and devouring her mouth with singular skill.

  Her arms rose up instinctively, winding their way to his neck, pulling him closer. There was absolutely nothing gentle or tender about that first kiss. Matt was all Alpha, and a damn powerful one at that. He would take exactly what he wanted, because that’s what Alphas did. And she wouldn’t have had it any other way.

  Strong male lips pressed against hers, tasting them, branding them, before leaving to drift across her cheek. Beneath her ear. Along her jaw. Down the tender skin of her neck. She let him, tilting to expose herself to him, to give him better access. It was a purely submissive move, one she couldn’t have stopped if she tried. The amulet might suppress her animal nature, but it couldn’t quell it completely.

  Matt growled in approval, nipping the sensitive spot right where her neck curved gracefully into her shoulder, then soothing the sting with a long, languorous lick of his tongue. Jessie shuddered, the meaningfulness of the act not lost upon her. Biting that spot was exactly how a male wolf claimed his mate.

  Of course, he hadn’t really bitten her. It was just a nip, an erotic scrape of sharp fang upon delicate skin. Female satisfaction surged within her. For his fangs to become so prominent, she must be having an effect on him, too.

  That theory was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt seconds later when his hips began to grind rhythmically, pressing the proof against her. He was hard, so incredibly hard and thick and large, and Jessie’s body rushed to answer his call, preparing for him in a dozen different ways. Deep within her core, her womb clenched in an aching spasm, sending a wave of slick wetness practically gushing over her sex. Supersensitive nerves fired to life. She moaned, a deep sound of pure need that had his fingers flexing and biting into her flesh, just on the right side of pain.

  The scent of her arousal rose between them. Jessie knew that if she had her wolf senses, she would smell his, too. God, how she wished she could smell him right now, all that potent male musk filling her lungs, wrapping her in a cocoon of primal, animalistic need.

  Matt growled softly, just enough that she could feel the rumble in his body ripple throughout her own. “My room or yours,” she whispered breathlessly, glad for his acute hearing because she couldn’t draw enough air to speak any louder.

  “Mine,” he answered. “It’s close.”

  Chapter 4 – Burning Moonlight

  A heartbeat later, Jessie’s feet left the ground as Matt swept her up effortlessly and cradled her against his chest. She clung to him, but it wasn’t necessary. He had her now, holding her as if she was a prized treasure. Jessie closed her eyes and burrowed into his neck, taut with strain and desire. Opening her lips, she licked slowly along his skin, drawing the taste of hot, salty male into her.

  It wasn’t enough. She wanted more. She licked again, then clamped down with her jaw, sucking against his skin, tonguing circles in the hollow of his neck that mimicked another act.

  He growled an expletive, tightening his hold and increasing his pace. His long strides ate up the distance from the shoreline to the hotel; he didn’t stop until he reached the beachfront entrance to his suite.

  Drunk on potent Alpha pheromones and un-slaked lust, Jessie was only vaguely aware of him shifting her to one arm while he used his key on the door’s key pad. A rush of cold air met her almost immediately afterward as they entered the air conditioned room.

  He all but threw her onto the bed, then backed up two steps. Dazed and confused, Jessie looked up to find him pacing two steps in either direction, clearly agitated. “Is this what you want?” he asked, his voice harsh and rough and just barely human.

  Her gaze raked over him. Over the corded muscles, bunched and taut with tension and his hands clenched into fists. Over the massive bulge in his pants, clearly displaying how much he wanted her. Over his chest, now heaving with barely controlled restraint. To his eyes, his beautiful gold and amber eyes, now glowing with lusty desire.

  “What I want,” she murmured. “What I need.”

  Wit
hout warning, Jessie lunged forward, hands and mouth cupping him through his pants. “Fuck!” he shouted, his large hands grasping her head and holding her in place while he ground against her face. Jessie tilted her head and opened her mouth as wide as it would go, clamping down on him with her teeth -—not enough to hurt, but enough to get his attention. It was both a statement and a question that said tonight you are mine, and will you grant me this gift?

  If the growl/groan that came from him was any indication, he both understood and granted her request. He pushed her back far enough to release the fastening of his pants. Before he could even push them down, her hands were there, doing it for him.

  “So eager,” he breathed, tangling his fingers in her hair. She responded by grasping him hard with both hands and pulling him toward her waiting mouth, eliciting a fresh stream of oaths from his mouth.

  As he had not been gentle with his mouth, so she was not gentle with hers. She sucked him hard, then released him to scrape her teeth along his length, making him shudder. One of her hands slipped lower, between his powerful legs, cupping his heavy balls. She tugged at his sack while clamping down on his engorged length, this time with no fabric to dull the sense of her sharp teeth.

  He shouted her name, a violent bark in the otherwise quiet room, pulling at her hair until her entire scalp tingled. She reveled in the sound, reveled in the pain, reveled in the knowledge that she could bring him to this point so quickly.

  “Enough!” he commanded, pushing her roughly backward. She reached for him again, but he swatted her away. Suddenly he was gloriously naked, towering over her as she leaned back on the bed.

  Matt didn’t say a word; he didn’t need to. Everything was on blatant display right there in his face. The feral expression, the glowing eyes, the bulging veins. His hand shot out, grasping the neckline of her sundress and wrenched it from her body. The sound of cloth ripping was audible, even above the pounding of her heart and the rushing of blood through her veins.

  Jessie lay there, basking in the glory of his gaze as his eyes moved up and down the length of her. Knew exactly when he hit on the parts of her he liked most based on the flaring of his nostrils and the flashes of those beautiful eyes.