by Vivian Arend
Laurin sat up on the bed and he worked diligently to ignore the fact her shirt gaped open, her sweet breasts peeking out from behind the fabric.
“What are you talking about?”
He shrugged, then let a ripple of his power fill the room. Her eyes widened for a moment and then she smiled back at him, mischief written on her face. “Oh hell, that would freak them out. You’re like the big bad boogey-man compared to that lot.” He wiggled his brows at her and she laughed. The sound died in midair. “Wait. What do you get out of the deal? Other than the fun of making a bunch of chicken hearts lose some feathers as they flap for the hills, scared to death?”
I get to take care of you. He wouldn’t voice the thought. Not yet. But perhaps a little of the emotion driving through his veins, just a little, ran through hers. For now, he shared a part of his troubles.
“You know what kind of a family life shamans usually have?”
“Shamans don’t have families. They…” Her face paled and she opened and closed her mouth a few times. “Oh my God, that’s why you were surprised when I told you I wanted to use a condom that first time. Most women want to have sex with you so they…” She swore softly, shaking her head in sympathy.
He nodded. “They want to get pregnant and potentially have a powerful offspring. It’s not an easy thing, to get pregnant with a shaman, but it happens. And, speaking personally? It’s a fucking miserable way to grow up, with no father but some mystical presence who visits once in a blue moon. I have no issue with single moms, but the ones who deliberately set out to gain status through having a kid—their idea sucks. I’m not having it, Laurin. I want a real family some day. In the meantime, I’ve spent the past six months fighting off the women who simply want me to be a sperm donor. If I had you by my side, my problem would be solved.”
Laurin nodded slowly, considering his words. She wrinkled her nose for a second. “I’m scheduled to teach at Bella Coola for a month. How long are you supposed to stay?”
“Two weeks. I could arrange to do short-term visits to some of the closer settlements on weekends when you’re free to accompany me.”
“I might be able to rearrange my schedule a bit. It could work.” Her dark eyes looked him over carefully. “What if while we’re in this arrangement, you find someone you want to get to know better? I mean, you might miss out on the love of your life while we’re pulling this charade.”
I think I’ve already found her. Oh fuck. His gut twisted. Think fast, Matt, she’s not ready to hear that. He forced himself to stay calm and relaxed. “I won’t cheat on you if that’s what you’re asking. For now, I simply want a chance to relax and do my damn job. Let’s give it a shot, and see what happens.”
Laurin paused for a moment before she stuck out her hand and they shook, businesslike. Impersonal. A moment’s guilt assaulted him along with the trickle of sexual electricity snapping between them. This arrangement would stand for now, but he had no intention of letting her go. At least this way he’d have the time to be able to convince her they belonged together.
The deliberate fluttering of her eyelids did strange things to his heart. Another erotic image flashed from her mind to his, and he clamped down on the groan of desire wanting to escape. She’d envisioned them naked and entwined, the pale light of sunset on their skin as they made love on the deck of Stormchild.
His heart beat faster as she slipped the oversized shirt off her shoulders. It pooled around her hips and he swallowed hard. His cock filled like a sail in a stiff breeze. “Laurin?”
“I figured if we’re going to be a couple, we’d better practice. We need to be convincing for the boys when they arrive tomorrow. Don’t you think?”
Oh God, she was going to kill him. Could a man die from his dick exploding? “Moonshine, I love the way your mind works, but I left my wallet on the ship. No protection. The cabin owners were prepared, but obviously not expecting mermaids to come waltzing in the door.”
She crawled toward him, a sultry expression on her face. Passion in her eyes, her breasts swayed slightly as she approached and his breath caught in his throat. “You need to think this through logically. We don’t need a condom. Air shifter, plus water shaman? Remember your science, medicine man.”
His erection stood straighter and saluted with a hallelujah. “Shit, you’re right.” She couldn’t get pregnant, not without some serious mumbo-jumbo first. Which he’d be very willing to go through once he’d convinced her this was more than a relationship of convenience.
Her fingers fumbled with the fastenings on his shorts as he tried to kiss her senseless. They rolled together on the tiny bed, the crackle of the fire meshing with the pounding of the rain. A symphony of nature providing a background to their lovemaking.
Their naked skin brushed as they exchanged wet kisses. Matthew took his time and explored every inch of her body again in the dim light of the cabin. Her gasping breaths as he nipped and suckled at the rosy peaks of her nipples made his body ache. Made his heart sing.
He stroked her gently, circling the rigid nub at the apex of her mound with his thumb, sliding his fingers into her wet passage. They kissed long and thoroughly. Tongues and teeth, heat and hearts. When she gasped out with her release, he captured the sound in his mouth, continuing to draw her over the edge until her whole body shook in reaction. Then he settled between her open thighs and nestled their bodies together.
Sweet heat, warm and enveloping, welcomed him in. He pressed smoothly until he was buried hilt deep. It was everything he’d ever wanted and still not enough. The urgent need for her—he’d thought it would diminish now they were connected intimately, skin to skin. Something was still missing. His soul ached.
He pulled back to stare into her eyes. “Laurin.” His raging blood didn’t cause the pulse within his body to beat out of rhythm. Something deeper, more elemental and wild was happening.
She cupped his cheek in a hand and narrowed her gaze, a frown creasing her forehead. “What’s wrong?”
He shook his head. “Nothing’s wrong, but I have to tell you…I have to show you.” Unable to contain his power anymore, he let go of his restraint.
Bells rang in the small room, a deep tolling sound originating from his magic. Magic that tangled their limbs, stroked their minds. Laurin clutched his back, her legs wrapped around his hips. “Oh my God, what are you doing?” A shimmer, like the light of a million fireflies, lit even the farthest corners of the room. A breeze formed out of nowhere and brushed their naked skin.
“I can’t stop.” He thrust in again, slow and smooth, dragging his abdomen over her clit and tilting his hips to hit the exact angle he sensed she needed. Laurin sang out in delight and scratched his shoulders.
“I don’t want…you to stop…oh mercy…yes.”
Another thrust. Another. Laurin bit her lip and lifted into his motion. The magic in the room spiked and she swore.
And lost control of her own tightly reined power.
The supernatural essence of their souls—of air and water—met as they made love. The small cabin attempted to contain the elements within a twelve-by-twelve-square-foot space. There was hard aching physical need, the stroke of his cock deep into her body. The pull of her hands to bring their mouths together. Her addictive taste, the meld of their now-sweating bodies and salty skin. All of it, oh so right and necessary.
And on yet another level they touched. Her thoughts brushed his mind, revealing the level of her excitement, as well as the longing for him in her body. In her life. He sensed everything—desires and needs—and he hungered to provide for her.
Her body tightened, the first pulses of her climax clutching him. He held on for another three strokes, trying to prolong her pleasure, before it grew too much to bear. Burying himself in her warmth, he let loose and emptied himself. His body joined with hers as close as possible.
Their minds and souls linked.
Images, emotions. Knowledge of her hidden hopes and fears rolled through him and he knew her intimately, inside
and out. Her eyes widened and she cupped his face tenderly as his own history wrote itself into her memory.
Matt wasn’t sure how long they remained, postcoital, still joined. He became aware he lay on his side, staring into her face. A single tear leaked from the corner of her eye and he kissed it away.
“What happened?” Laurin whispered, running her fingers through his hair again and again. “Did we do something wrong?”
He brushed his thumb over her trembling lower lip. “Something very right.”
“We’re…this isn’t just a casual relationship, is it? We’re something more.”
He nodded, unable to stop kissing her. “You still have time. I won’t push you for more than the commitment we made to help each other. But we complement each other. Not only in bed, but in our skills and personalities.”
“The magic. I’ve never lost control like that before.” She rolled on top of him, pressing up to straddle his waist. Her hair hung like a curtain over her shoulder and he reached to brush it back from her breast. The need to touch her undiminished.
“I don’t think you lost control of it. You would have shifted.”
She nodded slowly. Matt held his breath, waiting for her response. He knew what he’d experienced.
His world had changed.
Whatever happened from here on in, he needed her to be with him. But if it took more time for her to accept their joining, he had the patience. The People of the Sea were old in tradition. Calm and deep, able to wait until the time was right. He sat up and folded her in his arms. “I’m going to love getting to know you better. You still willing to take me on? Magical destinies and all?”
The wind rushed in where angels fear to tread. Laurin’s voice was soft, but clear as she spoke. “You think I can ignore what just happened? I wasn’t planning on making up wedding invitations, but that was a little more than sex we just shared.”
She nuzzled against his throat and the knot in his belly loosened. The tension of the past months eased away. When she giggled, he pulled her back to stare into her dark eyes. “What?”
“You know how weird it is to look at you and know what you like to eat for breakfast? That you drive too fast and you secretly love to read—”
Matt laughed out loud as he pressed a hand over her lips. “That’s cheating.”
She kissed his fingers, the light shining in her eyes beautiful to see. “Not my fault.”
He held her gently, his heart overflowing. “You don’t know everything, you know. We still have some secrets.”
Laurin grinned at him. “Are you still planning on kicking the boys’ butts when they arrive in the morning?”
He had to concentrate to answer her with the thrill racing through his body. “Oh hell, yeah. They even breathe at you funny and we’ll have a new feather duvet for our bed on the Stormchild.”
The sound of her laughter intoxicated him and he reached for another shot of pure sweet Moonshine.
The rest? They’d figure out the details as they went along.
About the Author
Vivian Arend has hiked, biked, skied and paddled her way around most of North America and parts of Europe. Throughout all the wandering in the wilderness, stories have been planted and they are bursting out in vivid colour. Paranormal, twisted fairytales, red-hot contemporaries—the genres are all over.
Between times of living with no running water, she home schools her teenaged children and tries to keep up with her husband—the instigator of most of the wilderness adventures.
She loves to hear from readers: [email protected]. You can also drop by www.vivianarend.com for more information on what is coming next.
Look for these titles by Vivian Arend
Now Available:
Granite Lake Wolves
Wolf Signs
Wolf Flight
Wolf Games
Tidal Wave
Turn It On
True love’s path never did run smooth.
Wolf Games
© 2010 Vivian Arend
Granite Lake Wolves, Book 3
After seven years of total denial, Maggie Raynor’s body—and her inner wolf—are in full revolt. Weak and shaky, she literally falls into the very large and capable arms of the Granite Lake Beta, Erik Costanov. The last thing she wants is a mate, particularly when just looking at another wolf scares her to death. And one as big and sexy as Erik? Really bad idea, no matter what her libido says.
Erik expected to meet Maggie in Whitehorse to escort her to the home of her sister, his pack’s Omega. Sheer chance puts him in the right place at the right time to catch her, but the realization that hits him with the force of a full body shot is no accident. She’s his mate. An even bigger shock? She wants no part of him—not until she resolves her issues.
She’ll have to work fast, because they’re both selected to represent the pack during the premier sporting event for wolves in the north. Not only will she have to work as a team with Erik, she’ll have to face down her fear of wolves. Let the Games begin.
Warning: Contains uber-sexy werewolves of Russian descent, reluctant mates and exotic travels through the Yukon wilderness. Includes sarcasm and hot nookie under the Midnight Sun.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Wolf Games:
Her bright eyes examined his face closely, as if she was trying to see if this was some kind of trick to impress her. “You’re a very complicated man, Erik Costanov.”
He shook his head. “I’m as simple as they come. I believe in the golden rule, and I try to live by it.”
She knocked him off balance by crawling across his legs and straddling him, her butt resting on his thighs. He lay very still, afraid to scare her, but savouring the sensation of her weight on top of him.
“What are you doing?” There, that managed to come out sounding reasonably intelligible. Damn, he spoke seven languages and right now English didn’t seem to be one of them. His tongue was glued to the roof of his mouth.
She wiggled a little closer and he bit back a groan. Her hot core now rested against his groin and his cock rose like new bread in an oven. “I want to kiss you.”
Hallelujahs rang in his brain. Holy freaking exclamations of jubilation, rejoicing and unending glee broke out in a full chorus. But when he spoke, he delivered a measured, “Okay.”
She leaned forward and brushed her lips over his, and the electric sensation he’d felt before when they kissed buzzed through his torso and up his spine to his brain. Before he knew it, he’d buried the fingers of one hand in her hair, moving her the way he wanted her, while the other wrapped around her body to pull their torsos together. Her sweetness filled his senses, tantalizing his taste buds with the desire for more. Eager noises rose from her as their tongues brushed.
The night remained warm, and they both wore only shorts and T-shirts. Having a barrier between them was torture. He broke off their kiss, sat with her still straddling him, and whipped off his shirt. Her eyes bulged for a second before she reached down to caress his abdomen, the fleeting strokes tormenting him even as he savoured his mate finally, finally touching his skin again.
“Please take off your shirt.” His voice cracked, he needed this so much. He closed his eyes against the disappointment of her saying no, then the rustle of fabric hit his ears. When he looked again, she still wore her bra, but the creamy smoothness of the rest of her skin more than made up for that small disappointment. He touched her reverently, stroking from her hips up the gentle indent of her waist until he covered the swells of her lace-covered breasts. She sucked in a gasp as he rubbed his thumbs in small circles over her nipples, the tips beading to tight points that stabbed his flesh through the fabric. “You’re beautiful.”
He ignored the driving urge to roll her over and take her, and instead slipped his hands back around her torso so their lips met again.
They kissed leisurely, exploring each other’s mouths and necks, tongues stroking, teeth nibbling. Erik wasn’t sure how long they sat there and frankly, h
e didn’t give a damn. He’d waited his whole life for her, and they were finally doing what his wolf had been howling at him to do for days. Although the beast was going to be sorely disappointed when they didn’t go all the way.
Maggie’s breathing grew more rapid and she squirmed against him, her mound rubbing his groin like a firebrand. When he finally couldn’t take it anymore, he grabbed her by the ass and adjusted her until he was happy. He ground them together again and again, and she moaned in his ear. Damn, he was going to come right like this if he didn’t watch it.
So he lifted her and undid her belt.
She slapped at his hands. “What are you doing?”
“Take off your pants.”
“Erik, we can’t—”
He was on fire with a desperate need. “We’re not having sex but I need to touch you. Take them off, now.” She hesitated for just a second, then unzipped and dropped both her panties and her shorts, stepping out of the legs where they bunched around her ankles. She stood there, bare-naked except for her bra, with her pussy right in front of him and he had no power to resist.
He clutched her ass and buried his face between her legs. She cried out softly but he was too busy to warn her to stay quiet. Her sweet scent drew him, and he separated the curls covering her with his tongue and licked the length of her slit. Oh Lord, she tasted good. Her flavour raced through him and drugged his senses. He pressed his tongue into her pussy as far as it would go, lapping at the cream coating her passage.
She rocked against his mouth, opening her legs wider, her fingers clutching his head. The arm he’d wrapped around her ensured she stayed right where he could reach and delve into her body. She made the most delicious noises, and he stopped to take a deep breath and enjoy the sensation of holding her intimately.
“More,” she demanded.
“Yes.” He slipped a finger into her depths and suckled her clit with his mouth.
“Yessss…” Her hiss of agreement trailed off into the contented rumble of a wolf being petted and he smiled.
