by Wendy Stone
Closing her eyes, she let her arm lay across them to block out the light. From one breath to another, she was asleep.
“You’re working too hard, Josie love,” Teagan said, sinking down to sit next to her on the couch. He lifted her book off of her chest, his eyebrow rising at the picture of the young couple on the cover, entwined in an embrace that left no doubt as to what they were about to do. “Racy books? Josie, you’re too young to be reading this shite. You should be doing it instead.”
“Oh and you think I should be doing it with you, don’t you?” she asked him back, laughing at the way he wiggled his brows at her. “Do you want to tell me how the button on my pants ended up on the coffee table?”
“I put it there. Are you telling me you don’t remember?” he asked, a hint of hurt in his voice.
“I remember you doing it in my dreams, but when I woke up this morning, it was there, for real.”
“Wishful thinking on your part?” he asked, leaning over her to kiss her lips. “Coffee? Is that all you’ve had today?” he asked, quickly changing the subject.
“No,” Josie said quickly and a little defensively. “I had toast, too.”
“You’re going to fade away to nothing, love. Then who would I have to visit?”
“The next girl who rented this place?” she offered. She pushed against his chest when he moved even closer, inhaling then burying his nose in her neck.
“What are you doing?” she squeaked.
“You smell so good,” he almost whimpered.
“I took a shower this morning,” she said.
“Oh, I wish I could have joined you,” he sighed.
The yearning in his voice made her smile. “This is my dream again, isn’t it?” she asked him.
“Yes, love, it is. You’re longing for me drew me to you. I couldn’t stay away.”
Josie closed her eyes, remembering the shower with its glass doors and huge rainfall shower head. She smiled when she felt the first drop of water, quickly followed by more, then his arms wrapping around her bare skin.
Opening her eyes, she watched as he pushed his wet hair from his eyes, his hard body glistening with drops. “How’s that?” she asked.
“Perfect,” he sighed, leaning down to find her lips. She gasped at the taste of him and felt it explode into her senses like a wildfire, enveloping her until she couldn’t tell where he began and she ended. He was careful of her back and her leg, delicately rubbing her thigh and ridding it of the tension and cramps she’d developed from sitting in front of her computer.
“You’re better than my therapist,” she moaned.
“A man?” he asked, his eyes narrowing.
“No, she’s a woman,” Josie answered, not hearing the jealousy in his voice. “She never seems to find all the spots that hurt like you do.”
“A woman massages you like I do?” he asked, a healthy dose of ‘really?’ in his voice.
“Not like you do,” Josie laughed, gasping as his hand slid between her thighs and into the heat of her body. “Certainly not like that.”
“Good, I’d hate to think anyone could touch you like this.” His thumb circled her clit, and she almost collapsed against him. “Hmm,” he moaned, forcing his hand out of her body. “I think I’m getting ahead of myself though. I wanted to wash you.”
“My scars are so ugly,” Josie said, trying to stop him as he turned her around.
“Nothing on you is ugly, Josie. You’re absolutely perfect in my eyes.”
Josie cringed as she felt his fingers trace the bright scar, following it from where it started in the middle of her back and going lower until it ended where the crack of her butt started. There was one part that gaped a bit, where the staples had been torn out of her back, caught on her brace before she started wearing a tee shirt under it.
His lips followed his hands, the sensations almost more than she could take. She started to shiver in the heat of the water, tears dripping down her cheeks and landing against her breasts to mix with the droplets there. She lifted her arms, bracing herself as the first sob shook her shoulders.
“Josie?”
When she didn’t answer, he stood, turning her gently, his thumbs rubbing against her cheeks. “What are the tears for, darling?”
“Why can’t you be real?” she asked him, staring up into his gentle brown eyes and that beautiful carved-by-an-angel face. “You know all the right words, all the right way to say things. Why do you have to be part of my dreams?”
“Oh, love,” he said, dropping his forehead to rest against hers. “I wish I knew the answers to all your questions. But I don’t.”
His hands moved over her body, gently, carefully, caressing her. When he reached the small of her back, she flinched. It wasn’t from pain. It was from having someone touch her there when she’d been so careful to keep everyone away from the site of the scar and the feel of the cage in her back.
Besides that first flinch she was still, wanting him to feel it, wanting him to see, to know her for exactly who she was. His fingers explored carefully while she held herself against him, feeling his cock hard against her belly.
“You’ve been through hell,” he said finally, the compassion in his voice making her sob. “Oh love, don’t cry, please. It near to breaks my heart, it does, to hear your tears.”
“Then stop being so perfect, and I won’t cry,” she threw back at him, sniffling delicately.
Teagan reached down and lifted her shampoo bottle to his nose, breathing in the scent. “It doesn’t smell as good in the bottle,” he complained lightly. Pouring some in his hands, he ran them through her hair, gathering it in his hands and scrubbing gently. He drew her back into the spray of the shower, rinsing her off then handed her the bottle.
“Will you?” he asked softly, the accent becoming more pronounced. “I long to feel your hands on me body, love.”
“Ask me like that, and I’ll probably do anything you want,” Josie said, feeling her heart beat race at the thought of touching him.
She poured a handful of shampoo then reached up to run her fingers through the wet strands of his hair. Having that long mass slicked back from his face gave it a more angled look, sharper but still as handsome. Feeling his hair in her hands made her pulse hum, and she gave a little moan.
Using some of the suds from his hair, she rubbed at his shoulders, enjoying the hard feel of them under her fingers. “You’re so strong,” she almost whimpered, her hands coming down to his chest, pressing against the wide muscles and finding the hard points of his nipples. Her nails flicked at the tiny nubs and it was his turn to moan. He tipped his head back under the water spray, letting the soap wash out of his hair even as her hands slipped down to his stomach. Her fingers bumped over the ridges of his abdomen.
He seemed to hold his breath as she traced the dark line of hair from his navel to where it thickened around his cock. When her hand stroked over him, he let out an audible hiss, moaning as she continued to stroke him. Her other hand slid down. She cupped and rolled his balls, using her nails to tickle them, his every moan urging her on.
“I…I want to…” Her voice trailed off. She’d never been good at playing the sexual games everyone else seemed to thrive on.
“You want to what, love?” he asked, his voice a rumbling growl.
With a bit of difficulty, she got to her knees in front of him, feeling the water rush around her legs before it went down the drain. She rinsed off the suds on his cock then took it in her hands again, stroking it gently as she studied it. With a groan of need, she moved forward, drawing him into her mouth until she felt him at the back of her throat.
“Fuck!” he growled, his accent making even that obscenity sound sensual. His body jerked, and he fought to hold still, not wanting to hurt her. “Baby,” he moaned as she began to move her mouth on him. “You’re too much.”
Her tongue was like a living flame, teasing and tormenting his cock, flicking at the tip, and swirling around the head of his cock. She s
ucked on him, her cheeks hollowing out, taking as much of him as she could into her eager mouth.
His cock was hot and musky tasting. She gulped at it noisily, wanting more.
Josie looked up, meeting his deep brown eyes. They were narrowed as he concentrated upon the sensations she provoked and the beauty of her on her knees at his feet.
“Oh love, don’t hurt yourself doing this for me,” he growled, his hand going to her face and caressing her cheek as she continued to pleasure him. His growls and groans got louder. His hips began to move, to thrust into her mouth, pushing deeper and deeper. She swallowed around him, feeling his cock grow larger in her mouth.
He grunted, and she felt the first spurt of hot seed fill her mouth. She swallowed greedily, wanting all of him, sucking harder as he continued to come. His hand fisted in her hair as he shouted his pleasure.
She sucked him clean, smiling up at him from her position at his feet. “I can’t get up.”
His chest heaved, and he stared down at her with a look of incomprehension in his eyes. “What?” he panted.
“I can’t get up, Teagan,” she said, chuckling, a satisfied smile upon her face. His reaction gave her even more reason to smile. He reached down and scooped her up in his arms, taking her out of the shower and giving her a quick chance at a towel from the bar. Then he carried her into the bedroom and settled her onto the bed.
But it wasn’t the same bed she’d placed her suitcase onto earlier that morning. This one was made with sumptuous soft sheets and a cloud of feather pillows. A thick down comforter in a gorgeous silk duvet was folded down to the foot of the bed.
“What is this?” she asked him, staring around curiously.
“A bed fit for you, my queen,” he joked, sinking down next to her. His hands stroked over her skin as he threw his leg across her legs.
“Your queen?” she giggled. “Does that mean I have to change into a wolf?”
“Would that be so bad?” he asked,
“Well, I don’t think I’d mind the tail, but the fleas—”
“Are you saying I have fleas, love?” he asked, going up on his knees and straddling her hips.
The smile on her face was teasing, her blue eyes danced and sparkled. She felt more alive now in her dreams than she had since long before her accident. It was Teagan, the aura of life around him, his natural exuberance, his magnetism and the joy he felt in her presence seemed to be catching.
“Would I say that?” she teased then made him laugh by reaching up and scratching behind his ear. His eyes narrowed, and he growled deep in his throat. Lunging forward, he had his teeth at her throat in less than a second. He nipped gently at her flesh.
“I think you’re a witch,” he rasped, nibbling at her throat. “You draw me to you and I have no will to resist. I come to you and leave my pack leaderless. The worst is I don’t care.” Taking her face into his hands, he kissed her gently. “I long for you, Josie love.”
“Then come to me when I am awake,” she begged. “Let me see you for real, not just in my dreams. Be with me, Teagan. Please.”
“I cannot, not yet, love. I wish I could but there are others involved who must have their say, as well. For now, let me love you, let me make you happy like you did me.” As he spoke, he kissed his way down her body, sipping water from her breasts, lapping at the drips that covered her belly. His tongue slid into her navel then moved lower.
Josie couldn’t breathe waiting for him to continue. Her body was tense, wanting him to move lower. “Teagan?” she asked when he didn’t move.
His head lifted. “Answer your phone, Josie,” he said, then he reached up with his hand, using the tips of his fingers to close her eyes. One last kiss and he was gone.
The sound of her cell phone going off roused her from her sleep and she reached for her purse, digging the offensive phone from the bottom.
“Hi Kathy,” she said without looking to see who it was. “I’m fine.”
She listened to her sister, opening her eyes and pushing at her hair. Something white caught her eye, and she pulled it out of her hair, staring at the feather.
A feather like those that were in the pillows he’d put on her bed.
“Hang on a second, Kath,” she said, hitting the mute button. “Teagan?” she called, feeling foolish. “Teagan, are you here?” She rose from the couch, moaning a bit as the pain in her back hit and her leg wanted to buckle. Going into the bedroom, she stared at her suitcase. It wasn’t on her bed but on the chest of drawers and a trail of water led from the bathroom to her bed.
Her fingers shook as she hit the button again. “Sorry, Kath, what was it you were saying?”
She listened with half an ear, staring at the water.
It was a dream.
Wasn’t it?
Chapter Three
Two days had slowly slid by since Kathy had woken her from her dream of Teagan. Josie had gone to bed every night hoping to see him, she’d taken naps in the afternoon and she’d even managed to gain a bit of weight, evening out the hollows in her cheeks and taking the shadows from her eyes.
She’d established a pretty easy routine. Breakfast every morning on the porch then work for a few hours, trying her darnedest to not become too stiff and sore. Then she’d take a short walk, exploring her surroundings without becoming lost or overdoing. The doctor had warned her to take it slow and not expect too much right away.
Lunch was on her mind when she’d get back then she’d nap, usually on the couch he’d found her on. But no luck, he hadn’t appeared in the last two days. Disappointment had woken her early this morning, and she’d gotten so much more done on the book today. Her agent would be thrilled. If she kept up this pace, the book would be finished well before the due date.
She sent the publisher the pages she’d done and reread the last bit that still sounded a bit rough to her. Getting up from the table, she hobbled to the couch. The sky outside was cloudy, the wind whipping the tops of the trees. It’d grown a bit colder in the last few days, and she’d thought she’d caught sight of a few snowflakes drifting down.
If it really began to snow, she might want to drive the eight miles of back roads to get to the only store nearby so she could stock up on supplies. She’d gotten candles out of one of the drawers and set them up, just in case she had to shut down the generator. A warm, crackling fire filled the cabin with heat, and she’d brought in enough wood for a couple of days.
Kicking back on the couch, she stared at the fire, wondering what the storms were like around here. “Teagan would know,” she said softly, just wanting to hear his name again. “Teagan,” she murmured sleepily even as her eyes began to shut. “I miss you.”
“Well, love,” he said, staring down at her. “What are we up to today?”
Josie stared up at him, her mouth dropping open. “Where have you been? I’ve been searching for you for two days.”
“Well, I’m here now, love.” He moved towards the couch, sinking down by her hip and leaning over to kiss her.
Josie clung to him, holding on with all her might. She was afraid he’d disappear again, and she’d never see him. “I missed you,” she said when he let her breathe.
“Oh, love, I missed you, as well. I just wasn’t able to get away to come back to you the past couple of days.” As he spoke, his hands were busy undoing the fastenings on her brace then the buttons on her shirt, spreading the two sides wide. His big hand lay on her chest, warm and solid and oh so real. Then he slid it down her body, between her breasts to open wide across her belly.
“You’ve gained a bit of weight,” he said. “It looks damn good on you, Josie.”
It did, softening the angles and giving her a bit more curves. She nodded her thanks then moaned as he pulled on the ties of the sweatpants she’d thrown on that morning.
“In a hurry?” she asked him as he began to pull down her sweats, leaving her in nothing but wispy pale green silk.
“Not me, love, but a part of me is pretty demanding whe
never I’m around you.” He sighed and grabbed her hand, pushing her fingers around the long, hard ridge in his jeans.
“This is all for me?” she asked.
“You don’t see any other females around here, now do you? I get this way every time I think of you, Josie. I want to be with you, to love you, to make love to you.”
Tears ran down her face, but she smiled through them. “There you go, saying all the right things at the right times.”
“You’d rather I sit down on the couch, burp and scratch myself?” he asked.
“Ew,” she teased. “Definitely not.”
“So deal with me being me,” he whispered, leaning forward to nuzzle his nose into her neck, laughing when she shivered.
“Your nose is cold,” she complained.
“It’s supposed to be cold, Josie. Remember, I’m a wolf.” He lifted his head, staring down at her for one second. Then the look in his eyes changed. They grew sad and disheartened.
“What’s wrong?” Josie asked him, dreading his answer but knowing she had to.
“I don’t know how many more times I’ll be allowed to dream walk with you. I fear that those who know will stop me from coming or my pack will find out that I am falling for a human woman.” He sank down so that he laid on the couch, scooting her over to make room for his well-muscled form.
“You’re falling for me?”
“I kind of just said that, didn’t I?” He sighed heavily, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. “I’m beginning to live for these moments, stolen minutes that are ever so precious to me. You’ve done something to me, Josie, something I can’t seem to change and I don’t know if I want to.”
“Then come to me when I’m awake,” she urged boldly.
“It’s not as easy as that. I’m the Alpha male of my pack. They expect me to choose a mate who will be our Alpha female. She will be my equal as well as bear my litters. My pack would never accept a human female as Alpha.”
Josie saw the sadness in his brown eyes. That same sadness seemed to settle around her heart, squeezing it until she thought she couldn’t breathe. She would lose him eventually. He’d go back to his pack. She couldn’t go with him and she’d be alone again.
