And if he was getting philosophical about the past, it was definitely time to leave. Armand pushed back his chair and stood. He started toward the door, really he did, but somehow he found himself standing beside the woman seated alone. Close up, she was even lovelier than he’d thought.
Her skin was smooth and fine with a slight tinge of red to her cheekbones, which seemed more natural than cosmetic. Her blue eyes widened when she looked up at him, and she parted her rosy lips. She was slender, almost delicate with hair the color of mahogany that fell in a straight curtain to midway down her back.
His cock sprang to attention when he got a whiff of her sweet-scented skin. It wasn’t perfume. Much to faint for that. Had to be her soap or some kind of lotion. The delicate floral scent made him think of a summer meadow on a hot day. It wasn’t much of a stretch to imagine her naked, lying on the warm ground with him buried deep inside her.
“Would you care to dance?” The words were out of his mouth before he could call them back. What was he doing? This was not the kind of woman who was only out for a good time. He could deal with a woman like that. He didn’t mind a quick, heated sexual encounter where both partners found mutual satisfaction and then walked away. That was all he had room for in his life.
He waited while she continued to stare at him as if she didn’t quite trust him or his offer of a dance. Yes, Armand knew women, and this one screamed trouble. But he would not rescind his offer.
She bit her bottom lip and he could read her growing apprehension. He was about to apologize for disturbing her and move on when she spoke. “I really don’t know how to dance.”
Her voice wrapped around him, warm and soft, like a blanket on a cool night, seeping into every cell of his body. His wolf went on alert and his cock sprang to attention.
There was no way he could leave her now. He could hear the yearning in her voice and knew she wanted to dance but was afraid to.
His friends would shake their heads and laugh at him. His soft spot for women often got him in trouble. But he’d rather deal with the consequences of some woman using him than be cold and heartless like his father.
The music changed, becoming slower and not quite as loud. Armand smiled and held out his hand. “Then let me show you.”
Anny wasn’t sure she was still breathing. Her chest ached and her entire body quivered with anticipation. The man standing beside her was tall and broad shouldered. He wasn’t handsome in the classical sense. He couldn’t be with several wicked scars marring the left side of his face. It gave him a menacing appearance, but there was something compelling about him. His black hair fell to his shoulders, longer than most of the men around here wore theirs. It gave him a wild, untamed appearance. His eyes were so dark she couldn’t tell if they were brown or black, but the depth of unspoken emotions in them pulled on her heartstrings.
Maybe she was being fanciful. He was a stranger. A tall, dark stranger. She should have been scared to death or at least cautious. Instead, she was filled with an urge to get closer to him. So when he held out his hand, she eagerly took it.
She was safe enough here. The bar was filled with people. There was no danger in indulging in a harmless dance. She’d call it a birthday present to herself.
He led her to the crowded dance floor and turned her so she was facing him. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Just follow my lead.” His warm breath tickled her ear and sent a shiver racing down her spine. His voice was deep and compelling.
He placed one hand on the small of her back and pulled her closer, aligning their bodies. The man was huge and made her feel slight in comparison. “Just move to the music, chère. Let your body feel the rhythm.”
She watched him, unable to tear her gaze away from his face. He was ruggedly handsome. His rough appearance so at odds with his fluid speech. She’d caught the hint of Louisiana in his voice and instantly knew who he was. Most of the town was interested in the group of men who’d moved up here a little more than two years ago from the south. Speculation was rife, but no one really knew much about them. They mostly kept to themselves and were quiet and polite whenever they ventured into town.
He moved easily to the music, his body fluid and innately sexual. She, on the other hand, felt more like a robot, her movements stiff.
“Relax,” he murmured. “No one is watching. There’s nothing to worry about. Just close your eyes and let the music take you.”
When she did nothing but stare at him, he sighed. “Close your eyes. Go on.”
Anny reluctantly shut them and immediately became more aware of the man she was dancing with. With her vision impeded, her other senses took over. She could smell him. It was an outdoorsy scent, like trees after a morning rain. She was also well aware of his large hands resting at the base of her spine. He held her loosely, but she was very aware of his broad chest and shoulders.
“Feel the music.” He turned to the left and she automatically moved her body to match his. “That’s good, chère,” he praised. The music was slow and had a beat that was easy for her to follow when she stopped thinking about it.
Warmth flowed from him and she had the urge to cuddle up to him. Anny wondered what it would feel like to have his much bigger body rubbing against hers.
As if he could hear her very thoughts, he pulled her closer. Her breasts pressed against his chest and her belly pressed against a very hard bulge in the front of his jeans. Heat suffused her and it was all she could do not to fan herself.
“What’s your name?”
Her eyes flew open. Her dance partner was staring at her with those dark, bottomless eyes. She was dancing with a stranger, pressing her body up against his and wondering what it would feel like if they were both naked, and she didn’t even know his name. What had come over her? She couldn’t blame the alcohol because she hadn’t even had one full beer.
“Anny,” she managed to get out.
He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, grazing his fingers along the side of her neck as he did so. Her skin tingled where he touched her and a throbbing began low in her belly. “Conrad,” she added. Was that her voice so sultry and slow?
“Nice to meet you, Anny Conrad.” He maneuvered them around the floor until they were dancing in a shadowy corner. “I’m Armand. Armand LaForge.” The song ended, but thankfully another slow one began. She didn’t want this amazing dance to end, not yet. It wasn’t often in a woman’s lifetime that she had the opportunity to spend time with a man like Armand.
He was sexy without even trying. All he had to do was breathe. His voice alone was enough to make any woman a puddle at his feet.
“Hi.” Her greeting sounded more like a sigh. He grinned and she immediately felt her cheeks heat. Could she be any more stupid, acting silly over a man she just met, one who’d only asked her to dance. He probably thought she was an easy conquest.
She started to pull away, but he kept his hands tight against her back, imprisoning her in the circle of his brawny arms. “Stay. Please.”
It was the sincerity in his voice that made her stop trying to get away from him. “Dance with me, Anny.”
Commonsense told her to thank him for the dance and walk away. It was time for her to go home. Like Cinderella at the ball, the clock was ticking away and this wasn’t real. But she was no Cinderella and he certainly wasn’t any Prince Charming. He looked more like he’d be the villain in any fairytale, yet she was drawn to him.
“Just one more,” he coaxed.
Anny glanced toward their table and found Sue watching her. Her friend gave her a thumb’s up and mouthed, “You go, girl.”
Anny looked back at Armand, who was watching her intently. “Okay.”
He relaxed and pulled her against him once more.
It was torture, pure and simple.
Armand wasn’t sure what the hell he was doing. He should have left the bar five minutes ago. Instead, he was on the dance floor in the middle of a crowd of humans holding the most delectable woman he’d ever me
t. There was nothing overtly sexy about Anny Conrad. Not in the way she looked or dressed. But it was there. He could sense it in the way she looked at him, in the way she flowed against him when she forgot her surroundings and lost herself in the music.
There was a lot of untapped sexual heat in Anny just waiting for the right man to release it.
He growled low in his chest at the thought of any man touching her. Anny’s heat belonged to him.
That stopped Armand cold. What the hell was he thinking? There was no room in his life for a woman, especially a human one. Not with the threat against the pack and Armand’s personal need for vengeance consuming him.
But it was difficult to think about such things with Anny’s lithe body pressed against him. Her curves were subtle, but they were there. Her breasts were firm and full, if not overly large. They pillowed against his chest and had his cock straining against the zipper of his jeans, begging for release.
The urge to yank her lower body closer and rub his cock against her mound was almost overwhelming. He took a deep breath and then wished he hadn’t. Anny was aroused. The scent was faint, but it was there.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
Armand realized he’d stopped dancing and quickly resumed. He had to finish this song and get out of here before he did something stupid like throw her over his shoulder and run off with her. “Everything is fine,” he assured her.
But it wasn’t. This slight human woman had gotten under his skin. There was something about her that relaxed him. He realized the anger he usually carried with him night and day had abated in her presence.
Anny had soothed the savage beast within him.
That was dangerous. He needed to keep his edge if he was going to protect his pack and avenge his sister. Andre Dubois was dead, the bastard killed in bloody battle. Armand’s only regret was that he hadn’t been the one to kill him. In order for his revenge to be complete, he had to kill their father, the man who’d known he was giving his only daughter to a werewolf who’d already gone through two wives and didn’t care.
He couldn’t afford to be distracted by a pretty face, no matter how lovely it was. And there was no doubt that Anny was beautiful in an understated way.
The music stopped and so did he. It was time for him to go.
“Thank you for the dance, Anny.” He forced himself to release her, but neither of them stepped apart. The music began again, this time faster and louder. Still, they both stood there on the edge of the dance floor staring at one another.
Her lips parted and she licked them, the action natural and innately sensual. “Thank you, Armand.” He loved the sound of his name on her lips.
Armand knew he was about to make a colossal mistake, but he couldn’t stop himself. He had to know what she tasted like. He leaned down and brushed his lips over hers, barely touching them.
Softly and gently, she returned the kiss. He caught her breath when she sighed and deepened the caress. She tasted sweet, her breath tinged with the yeasty flavor of the beer she’d been drinking.
Anny went up on her toes and kissed him harder. He groaned and turned his head to the side to get a better angle. He traced his tongue over her bottom lip, teasing, looking for entrance.
In the distance, someone nearby laughed and yelled, “Get a room,” over the loud music, tugging Armand back to the here and now.
Anny slowly opened her eyes. Sexual awareness filled them, and he wanted to throw back his head and howl. She wanted him.
His cock ached to claim her. His wolf was howling inside him, demanding he take her. Now. But the human side of him knew it would be a mistake of epic proportions to do so.
She brought her hand up to her mouth and touched her lips. The innocent, sensual gesture almost brought Armand to his knees. He had to get out of here now before he did something totally stupid.
“Thank you for the dance.” He was surprised he could get two words out of his mouth, let alone an entire sentence.
Armand turned and walked away, leaving Anny on the edge of the dance floor. It wasn’t the gentlemanly thing to do and was completely out of character for him, but he was feeling more than a little savage.
The crowd parted in front of him, some instinct warning them to get out of his way. He felt more predator than human at the moment. He needed to get out of the confines of the bar, away from the crowd.
Most of all, he needed to run.
Maybe it was the smells of the bar coupled with the loud noises that had screwed up his senses. Or maybe it was him. Maybe he hadn’t wanted to acknowledge the truth staring right at him.
At the door, he turned back and looked at her one final time. She was still standing where he’d left her, watching him leave.
Armand swore bitterly, shoved the door open and stalked out into the night. There was no doubt in his mind that fate was screwing with him.
Anny Conrad was his mate.
And he could never claim her.
Deep in the shadows, a lone wolf watched Armand leave the roadside bar. The wolf raised his head and sniffed, but the wind was blowing in the wrong direction for him to catch any scents. He watched as Armand got in his truck, slammed the door and peeled out of the parking lot.
The wolf watched him go, knowing Armand was heading back to pack land. He ran through the woods, following the truck. His orders were simple. He was to follow any members of the pack when they left their land and report everything he saw to his alpha. Pierre wanted to know who they talked to and who they did business with. And he wasn’t to step one foot on the pack’s land because they patrolled it often and would know the second a strange wolf crossed onto it.
No, he knew how to watch from a distance. They wouldn’t spot him or smell him until it was time to fight.
Chapter Two
Anny slowly made her way through the crowd and back to the table where Sue waited for her. Her entire body yearned for Armand. She missed him, which was stupid considering she barely knew the man and he’d just left. They’d shared two dances and a single kiss, and she’d probably never see him again. After all, he and his friends had been living outside of town for two years and this was the first time she’d really seen him up close.
“Wow, that was some dance.” Sue fanned her face with her hand. “Who was that guy? With the lighting so dim, I couldn’t really get a good look at him.” She leaned forward expectantly. “But he looked like one of the men who own that property outside of town. You know, the guys everyone in town gossips about.”
Anny bit her bottom lip and shook her head. For some reason, she didn’t want to share what had happened between her and Armand with Sue. She felt the overwhelming need to protect him and his privacy.
“He was just a guy who asked me to dance.” He was so much more than just a guy, but it felt too personal to share, even with her best friend.
Sue grabbed her purse and sweater. “Too bad you didn’t get his name and number.” Her friend studied her intently. “Did you?”
“No, no number.” Anny didn’t say anything about his name. She felt stupid, like some teenage girl with a crush on the hunky new boy in town. Part of her admitted she was a little afraid if her friend found out who he was that Sue would want to meet Armand. And that wasn’t going to happen. There’d been a finality to his words when he’d thanked her for the dance. There wouldn’t be a repeat.
So rather than give Sue the details, Anny planned to hold them close to her heart. He’d made her birthday, a day she usually dreaded, into something special. For that, she would always be grateful.
“I’m ready if you are.” Anny gathered her sweater and pulled it on. She thought Sue might say more but she simply turned and led the way out of the bar.
The night air was cool and Anny shivered. She should have worn a warmer coat but hadn’t wanted to bother with anything bulkier than a sweater. Her vanity was making her cold now.
“Hurry.” She rushed across the gravel parking lot to her reliable sedan with Sue on her h
eels. Anny quickly started the engine and turned up the heater.
“You let him kiss you.” Sue pulled on her seat belt and buckled it.
Anny followed suit and then dropped her head against the steering wheel. “I know. It was stupid and impulsive.” And yet she couldn’t really regret it.
“Hey,” Sue touched her arm, and Anny raised her head. “So you danced with the guy and he kissed you. It’s your special day and you can darn well do whatever you want. It’s not like you went home with a complete stranger or anything. It was innocent enough.”
Anny knew Sue was right. She was making much ado about nothing. Armand had probably forgotten about the kiss already.
“What was it like?” Sue asked. “The kiss.”
Anny fanned her face and both women laughed. “He’s a very good kisser.” Which was the understatement of the year. If Armand had been any better at kissing, she probably would have had an orgasm right there on the dance floor.
Don’t think about it, she told herself. It was over and done with. Anny put the car in gear and checked both ways before pulling out onto the highway.
“Then I’d say your birthday night out was a success.”
She glanced at Sue and smiled. “I think you’re right.” They sped down the highway toward Sue’s place. Anny would drop her friend off before she took herself home for the night.
Armand shoved open the door of the house he shared with two of his packmates. Cole Blanchard was sprawled across one of the two huge leather sofas that filled the living room. Cole was such a big bastard he made the darn thing look downright dainty. Armand was always a little surprised the furniture didn’t collapse under his friend’s weight. Cole nodded but said nothing. He was a man of few words.
Gator stuck his head out of the kitchen. “You’re finally back.” He strode into the room carrying a bag of peanuts in one hand and a beer in the other.
Wolf in Her Bed: Salvation Pack, Book 2 Page 2
