He was sweating now. Several beads rolled down his temple and got lost in his glossy black hair. “Breathe, chère.”
She realized she’d stopped breathing and sucked air into her lungs. The second she relaxed, he gripped her hips and pulled her all the way down his shaft until he was seated to the hilt.
They were both panting heavily now. His chest moved up and down to a steady rhythm. She matched her rate to his until they were breathing in tandem. His cock pulsed heavily inside her. He filled her completely, almost overwhelming her. The heat from his large body seeped into her. Her skin was dewy with perspiration.
He sat up and the movement drove him even deeper. They both groaned. Then he caught her head between his hands, dragged her mouth to his and kissed her.
Anny wrapped her arms around his neck and held on. Armand was both taking and giving at the same time. His tongue demanded entrance to her mouth and she gave it. Their tongues danced and twined together. Her breasts were plastered against his broad chest. Every time she moved, his crisp chest hairs abraded her tender nipples in the most delightful way.
He roamed his hands up and down her spine, pulling her closer. She angled her head and thrust her tongue into his mouth, returning his kiss without reservation. All the while, his cock throbbed and pulsed with her until she thought she’d go mad.
Then he gripped her waist and lifted her slightly before bringing her back down on his shaft. She released a long, low moan and let her head fall back. Armand released another one of those incredibly deep growls and captured one of her straining nipples between his lips and sucked.
Anny was burning up inside. She touched him wherever she could reach him, running her hands over his back and shoulders, down his muscular arms and back up again.
Armand lay down flat on his back and then rolled, taking her beneath him. She twined her legs around his waist and hooked her ankles together at the small of his back. His strokes were short and hard and he rubbed his pelvis against hers, stimulating her clit with each one.
She flew, wild and free, screaming his name as she orgasmed. He buried his face in her neck and she felt the slight sting of his teeth. Then he swore and he was coming. His shaft rippled inside her and she felt the warm flood of his release.
It seemed to go on forever and then he collapsed, catching himself on his forearms so he didn’t completely squash her. He was panting as though he’d run for miles and she was no better. Anny closed her eyes. Every nerve ending tingled, every muscle twitched.
Finally, after about five minutes, Armand pushed himself off her and slowly withdrew. Her inner thighs were wet.
They hadn’t used any protection.
She bolted upright, half-shoving him off her. He grabbed her before she could run to the bathroom, taking her back down to the mattress with ease. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” she echoed. How could he be so obtuse? Of course, he was a guy, so he didn’t have as much to worry about as she did. “We didn’t use a condom.” They hadn’t used one either time they’d made love. No, they hadn’t made love. They’d had sex. Time to get realistic. Better late than never.
He grabbed her shoulders and held her down. “It’s okay, Anny. I can’t get you pregnant.”
She froze and he slowly released her. “You can’t?”
He shook his head, looking incredibly sad. “No, it would be a miracle if it happened.”
He must have had some kind of disease or illness to know something like that. It wasn’t exactly the kind of information a guy went looking for.
“What about STDs.” Now that she didn’t have to worry about getting pregnant, she was concerned about sexually transmitted diseases.
“I’m clean.” He kept his gaze level, his chocolate-brown eyes sincere. Anny believed him. Maybe it was foolish on her part, but she did.
“I’m clean too.” There hadn’t been that many men in her life and she’d always been cautious until tonight.
One corner of his mouth turned upward and her heart almost stopped. Some women might be put off by the vicious scars that ran down the left side of his face and neck, but she wasn’t. She barely noticed them. Even with the scars, she thought Armand was an incredibly handsome and charismatic man. Oh, not in the traditional sense, but he had a rugged beauty that made her panties wet.
“Now that we’ve settled that, how about we get a shower.” Armand pushed himself off the bed and stood. He held out his hand, totally at home with his nudity.
Anny took his hand and led him toward the door. There was no sign of either cat when she opened it. The cats were probably sleeping in the living room. “The shower is small,” she warned.
His eyes twinkled, almost glowing. “I don’t mind a tight fit if you don’t.”
She shivered and led him into the bathroom. She didn’t think she’d mind a tight fit at all.
Armand stood by the bed and watched Anny sleep. It was time for him to leave. He had to take his turn on patrol, but it was more than that. He shouldn’t have come here at all. Should have had the strength enough to walk away from Anny. There was no place in his life for her, not with an all-out war between his pack and their former one. No way did he want her caught in the crossfire.
In order to keep her safe, he’d have to leave her.
He swore under his breath, wheeled around and headed for the shower once again. The black cat sat in the hallway and hissed at him as he went by. He growled at it and sent it scurrying away.
He shut the door and raked his fingers through his hair. He was a mess. No way could he go home smelling like Anny. That would raise questions. If he showered and rolled around in the dirt in his wolf form a few times, that should be enough to mask her scent from his friends.
He didn’t want them asking questions. Not about Anny. What had happened here tonight was too personal to share.
Armand turned on the water and stepped beneath the spray. The water was cold and bracing. He leaned his hands on the tiles, bent his head forward and let it cascade over him. This shower was much different from the one he’d taken two hours ago.
In spite of the cool water, his cock rose to attention. He swore again, but there was no way to keep the erotic memories from flooding his brain. Anny sleek and wet and smiling at him. Anny groaning, her lips parted on a sigh as he plunged into her. Her legs wrapped around him, trusting him to keep her upright and safe as he fucked her in the shower. Anny wearing his mark on the side of her neck. Oh, it wasn’t a permanent one, more of a hickey really. It would fade in time just as her memory of him would.
That thought made him feel slightly savage, and he grabbed the soap and made quick work of washing his entire body, leaving his cock for last. He shouldn’t be able to get it up again. He’d taken her four times tonight and it still wasn’t enough.
It would never be enough.
Armand gripped his cock and began to stroke, his actions rough and unlike Anny’s softer touch. He needed to gain some control or he’d crawl right back in bed with her as soon as he left the shower rather than leave like he was supposed to.
For the first time in his life, he resented his responsibilities to his pack. It was shocking. For a wolf, pack was everything. He’d never understood how that took a backseat when a wolf found his mate, and she became everything and pack came second. Or at least that was the way it was supposed to work. His father and many of the men he’d grown up around made a mockery of their mating.
Armand suddenly understood how a female could become the most important thing in his life. Now that his cousin had mated with Gwen, he was subtlety different. Armand could relate now that he’d met Anny. All of the members of their small pack would do anything to keep Gwen safe, but it was different for Jacque. How did his cousin stand knowing Gwen was in danger on a daily basis? Armand didn’t want that for either himself or Anny.
In spite of his dark thoughts, his cock wasn’t the least bit deflated. He pumped his hand up and down his shaft all the while ima
gining it was Anny touching him. The fantasy pushed him over the edge and he came hard, ejaculating over his hand. He reached for the soap and cleaned himself again.
When he turned off the water, the silence was almost overwhelming. Armand grabbed a towel and quickly dried himself off, tossing it over the rod when he was done. His cock was still erect. Anny was everywhere in this room. He could smell her on the towels from where they’d showered earlier.
He reached out and touched her brush where it sat on the vanity, her body lotion and a tube of lip gloss. He liked that she wasn’t heavily into makeup. She didn’t need it with her natural beauty.
He lifted his hand away from her things and silently left the room. He should just go to the front door and leave. But he couldn’t go without one final look at Anny.
The second he walked into the bedroom, he knew he’d made a mistake. The sound of her breathing gave her away. Anny’s eyes might be closed, but she was awake. He waited, but she said nothing. It was then he knew she wasn’t going to. She’d expected him to walk away from the beginning and wasn’t going to make a scene or try to prolong his stay.
Armand wanted to drop to his knees and howl. It was the perfect way out for him. Then why did it hurt him so much? Did their time together mean so little to her?
He’d turned off the light earlier, but he didn’t need it in order to see her. His superior night vision and the glow from the moon coming in through the window was more than enough for him to see her brown hair flowing over the pillowcase. Her eyes were shut and her lips slightly parted. The sheets hid her body from him and he felt cheated. He’d wanted to see her naked one final time.
He left the room as silently as he’d arrived. Both cats were perched on the back of the sofa, glaring at him. “Take care of her,” he ordered them. Neither beast moved or acknowledged his words in any way.
He unlocked the door and hovered in the opening, torn between instinct and duty. He caught the slight rustling sound of the sheets and bolted before she could join him. He might not be able to find the strength to leave her again. The door shut with a finality that was like a punch to his heart. He made sure the lock engaged before he loped off toward the woods.
The second he was clear from sight, he embraced the change. He didn’t stop running but shifted on the fly, giving his wolf free reign. The animal in him howled, bereft at leaving his mate behind even if it was the right thing to do.
The second the door closed behind him, Anny allowed the tears to flow. She’d known from the beginning that this wasn’t a forever romance but a one-night stand. So why did she feel worse than she had when her relationships with both her long-time boyfriends had ended?
There was an empty place in her heart and only Armand could fill it. Stupid really since she’d only met him tonight. But there was no accounting for the needs of the heart.
The end of the bed depressed slightly, and then she felt the bump of a soft, furry head against her arm. She gave a watery laugh. These were two men she could depend on. “Hey, Seymour.” Tigger joined his friend and meowed his concern. “I’m okay,” she told both cats, even though she wasn’t.
But she would be. She was tough and used to being alone. Armand leaving her without a word hurt, but she wouldn’t allow herself to have regrets. She’d had the kind of night that most women could only dream about. The sex had been phenomenal, and while he’d been here, Armand had made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world.
“It’s enough,” she told herself. It would have to be because it was all she was going to get.
The lone wolf was in his human form and watched the small house through a pair of binoculars. This was very interesting. In all the time he’d been watching the members of the Salvation Pack, none of them had ever interacted with a human woman beyond purely commercial dealings. This was different. He didn’t need to be near Armand to know he’d reek of sex and the woman.
Pierre would want to know this.
The lone wolf paused. Remy would want to know even more. He pulled his cell phone out of his back pocket and pressed the second number in his directory. When it was answered, he got straight to the point. “I have some news you might be interested in.” Then Travis Dubois told Remy everything his son had done tonight.
Chapter Five
Armand listened halfheartedly to the banter around the kitchen table at the main pack house. Gator had cooked breakfast for all of them and the delicious smells of pancakes, bacon, ham, hash browns, eggs and coffee filled the air.
“You okay?”
Armand slowly turned toward his cousin Louis and nodded. “I’m fine.” He appreciated the concern, but there was no way he was talking about what was really on his mind.
He wasn’t sleeping well. His dreams were filled with images of Anny. Hot, erotic fantasies that left him panting for release and empty inside. And the daylight hours were worse. He thought of her constantly. Wondering what she was doing and how she was feeling. Did she ever think of him?
“Armand.” The sharp tone caught his attention. His alpha was frowning. Jacque wasn’t happy with something, and Armand had the feeling it was him.
He cocked one eyebrow in question, and Jacque’s frown deepened. Armand felt his hackles rising and had to force back his temper. The last thing he wanted to do was get into a fight with his cousin. Still, he snapped back, “What?”
Jacque emitted a low growl. “What in the hell have you got shoved up your butt? You’ve been slinking around here like a whipped dog for the past two weeks.”
The accusation stung. It was the ultimate insult for a wolf to call another one a dog. Armand tossed his fork down on his plate of breakfast and slowly stood. “If you think I haven’t been doing my share, then maybe I should leave.”
Just the thought had him breaking out in a cold sweat. Wolves were pack animals. This was his pack. But more than that, this was his family.
Gwen jumped up, hurried around the table and threw her arms around him, hugging him tight. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, letting the anger drain away from him. He appreciated her concern. Gwen had brought a level of care and tenderness that had been missing in all their lives. She loved Jacque but mothered the rest of them constantly. It was a source of amusement among the rest of them, although none of them would have it any other way.
“You can’t leave,” Gwen insisted. “Tell him,” she ordered her husband and mate.
Jacque sighed and motioned for them both to sit. “No one is going anywhere. And no one is accusing you of shirking your duties. If anything, you’re strung too tight, too watchful.”
Gwen gave him a final squeeze before releasing him. She returned to her chair by her husband but patted Louis’s shoulder and ruffled Gator’s hair on the way there.
When Armand hesitated, Jacque shook his head. “Don’t be a stubborn ass, Armand. Sit. Whatever is bothering you has to be dealt with.”
He sat and took a mouthful of coffee to help steady himself but didn’t speak. He couldn’t talk about Anny. It hurt too much.
It was laughable. He was the big bad wolf and he was being haunted, brought to his knees, by one slender, human female.
Gator and Cole shared a look and Armand got a sick feeling in his stomach. “Don’t,” he shouted at the same time Cole said, “It’s a woman.”
Armand squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the accusations of stupidity or at least some general ribbing. Instead, there was silence. When he opened his eyes, everyone was staring at him with varying degrees of concern and pity.
He jumped up and headed toward the door, but Cole got there first.
“Move,” he ordered.
Cole crossed his arms over his chest and stood there as big and broad as a mountain. Armand didn’t want to fight with his friend, and he knew that was what it would take to move him. He knew Cole meant well. Too bad the normally quiet guy hadn’t kept his mouth shut. If anyone was going to spill about that night two weeks ago, Armand would have expected it to be Gator
.
And right on cue, his packmate began. “It was the night he went to town a couple weeks back and was late getting home. He reeked of the bar—sweat, booze and perfume. But he especially smelled of one woman.”
“Oh, Armand.” The sorrow in Gwen’s voice made his heart ache.
He turned and glared at Gator, but the bastard simply shrugged, daring him to make something of it. The kicker was he knew Gator meant well. He could be meaner than his namesake when we needed to be, but with this small group, his chosen family, he used his skills to protect and nurture, never to harm.
“It’s nothing.” The words almost choked Armand. Inside him, his wolf howled in protest. The animal part of his nature wanted his mate and wanted her now. The wolf saw no reason not to claim her. He’d bring her here and keep her safe.
Only he couldn’t guarantee her safety. Armand knew that. Gwen was proof of what could happen to a human female when their former pack attacked. Gwen had almost died. No way did he want that for Anny. She was better off without him and he wouldn’t draw any more attention to her.
“Who is she?” Jacque asked.
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Armand.”
“No.” He emphatically shook his head. “It was a night of weakness not to be repeated.” Armand pointed at Gwen. “Look what happened to Gwen. You got lucky. I won’t do anything to jeopardize An—her safety.” He had to be more careful. He’d almost blurted out her name.
Louis patted the chair next to him. “Finish your breakfast or you’ll make Gator cry. He slaved all morning fixing this.”
Armand snorted at the thought of a tough bastard like Gator shedding a tear over anything or anyone. He couldn’t picture it.
Gator threw his arm dramatically over his eyes. “No one appreciates all I do around here. I’m taken for granted.” He peeked around his forearm. “Is it working? Do you feel appropriately guilty?”
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