I sighed heavily and stared at the table.
“Bryan,” said Danny. “I'm sorry, mate. I didn't see that side of it coming.”
“Bryan?” said Chris.
“Jack's brother,” said Joanne. “And, yes, they look enough alike that, in poor light, you could mistake one for the other.”
Zoe was blushing furiously.
“Did he tell you his name was Jack?” said Bobby.
“No, not as such.”
“What did he say his name was?”
“He ... he kind of didn't.”
There was a brief period of silence as everyone worked that one out, which Chris happily broke.
“Oh, Zoe,” he said. “Sounds like you still have some 'splaining to do.”
“You didn't even know the guy's name?” said Tommy.
I couldn't tell if he was horrified or aroused.
“Well, it had been a while, he was nice and available,” she said, blushing harder. “The one time I do something stupid like that and it comes back to bite me in the bum.”
I reached out and squeezed her hand.
“It's okay,” I said. “From what I've heard Bryan was fairly persuasive. I bet he never came right out and said it, but he gave you the impression that he was in the Regiment, right?”
She nodded and then shook her head wryly.
“I fell for it, didn't I?”
“Hook, line, and plonker,” said Paul, earning him a punch in the arm from his husband.
“Jack,” said Tommy, “I hope you won't take offense if I punch your brother in the face when I get to meet him.”
Danny winced and Helen groaned.
“What?” said Tommy.
“Bryan's ... missing, presumed dead,” I said quietly. “He's not been seen since the vamps invaded the North.”
There was silence in the bar.
“Wow,” said Ben. “That was a fuckin' bastard of a downer.”
I laughed. Ben always did know exactly what to say.
“Okay,” I said. “Let's talk about something more cheerful. Did you guys do a good enough job trashing my reputation to the love of my life?”
“We did our best, mate,” said Bobby. “But I think most of it fell on deaf ears.”
“Yep,” said Paul. “Looks like you've got a good 'un there.”
Danny raised his glass.
“To Marie,” he said, his eyes sparkling. “The woman who finally took Jack Henderson off the market.”
The others echoed the toast as Marie blushed and cuddled up next to me.
“Oh,” he went on, “and to Jack, and the g-string that is flossing his arse cheeks as we speak.”
The group erupted into laughter as I turned a glare towards Marie.
“You told them?” I said incredulously.
She nodded, laughing so hard that tears were rolling down her face as the group started singing the theme tune to 'The Stripper' at the top of their lungs.
CHAPTER
7
I'm so glad Jack wasn't actually angry at me over telling his friends about his underwear. That's one of the great things about Jack; his sense of humor. He can see the funny side of just about everything.
We were back at the hotel, in my room, watching a bad American movie about a group of college kids who had to deal with the fact that their friend was a vampire. It was awful, but the company more than made up for it. Jack had kicked off his shoes and socks and was stretched out next to me in just a pair of jeans that really showed off his cute butt and a t-shirt that clung to his muscles like a second skin. Oh, and that teeny-tiny leather g-string.
I was having trouble keeping my hands to myself.
But if the way he looked was preying on my senses, the way he smelled was even stronger. Jack gave off waves of scent that changed with his mood. Right now he smelled warm and content, a little aroused—but Jack always carried a little background arousal in the same way that the universe has radiation—and a touch of weariness.
Jack didn't know this, and I'd die rather than tell him, but I could read his mood like a book just from his scent. I could also tell how good I looked just from his reaction.
I'd started reading a lot more complicated books. People assumed that because I'm blonde and pretty that there's not a lot going on between my ears, so I was taking advantage of the education classes that the Ministry offered. My education in the pack had been rough and specialized, so I was delighted to find that I had a natural affinity for a lot of science, especially those areas of science that were supposed to be too hard for me to comprehend. Just the other day I'd discovered my first real-world example of positive feedback. Feedback occurs when a signal affects itself. Positive feedback occurs when a signal reinforces itself, quickly building up.
When I looked sexy, Jack noticed it and became aroused. I noticed the scent of his arousal and it turned me on, making me look and act even sexier, arousing Jack even more. No wonder we so often ended up in bed.
I'd also found that human mating rituals are stupidly complex. Take lingerie. Lingerie, to humans, is worn by women but is solely for men. When a man buys a woman lingerie, it's really a gift for him. The problem is that it's a lie.
Maybe this is some big conspiracy, a secret that women are trying to keep from men, but when you don those little garments that put that crazed look in your man's eyes—the look that says 'I'm about an inch away from losing it completely'—it's a huge turn-on. Lingerie may be tight, difficult to figure out, mostly uncomfortable and scratchy, but it makes you feel like Venus—the goddess of love, not the planet and if you feel like the planet you bought the wrong lingerie.
Look at that. I'm even starting to think like my man, now.
It's like oral sex. I hear so many women complain about performing that act, but I like it. I know that when I look up at him and our eyes meet, I am the absolute center of his attention. Bombs could go off nearby and he wouldn't even blink.
I'm stronger than Jack, faster and more powerful, but I'm a wolf, which means he's in charge in the bedroom. And I wouldn't have it any other way. In the field I'm a valuable asset, a colleague he can count on to watch his back, a weapon to be deployed, safe in the knowledge that I'll do the job. In our social life Jack's my man and I'm his woman. We're equals. In our sex life I'm his puppy and he's my owner. That's just the way it is and that's the way I want it.
“Penny for your thoughts, love?” he said.
I came back to the present, aware of two things. Firstly the movie had ended and I'd missed how it turned out. Big shame. Second, the amount of arousal that was coming off of Jack had significantly increased.
“You have that dreamy look in your eyes again,” he said. “You thinking about my bike?”
“No,” I said. “Not your bike.”
“What then?” he said, leaning closer to me.
Jack was there, so incredibly there, filling the entire room with his scent.
“Actually,” I breathed. “I was thinking about sucking your cock.”
Jack's eyes widened slightly, then he blushed. Adorable. He moved closer, his lips touching mine, and I fell backwards onto the pillow, pulling him with me. His tongue pushed into my mouth, his hands roaming over my body. I felt like my abdomen had been filled with liquid lead and someone had opened my skull and poured ice on my brain. Jack was between my legs, kissing me, devouring me. My hands were doing a little exploring themselves, ending up gripping his butt and pulling him against me.
We kissed—snogging was the word Jack used for this—and kissed and kissed, our arousal feeding off of itself until we were panting and growling at each other. Jack could have me with a single word. I could see in his eyes that he knew. All he had to do was tell me, give the order, and I would obey. Forget the promises, the agreement, just tell me and I'm yours.
He opened his mouth and my body melted, open and ready for him.
“I think we need to cool it for a bit,” he said.
I grit my teeth to hold back the screa
m of frustration.
CHAPTER
8
I came instantly awake as the door to my room opened. My hand was under the pillow so it was a simple matter to grab my SIG.
In near silence, feet padded across the carpet towards the bed. I mentally cursed my own stupidity. The bathroom light had been left on but—idiot that I am—I had closed the door after paying a little visit before going to bed.
I tensed my muscles, my thumb on the SIG's safety. I would have to disengage it before firing but—
“Marie?” I said, catching her scent.
“Shhh,” she said. “This is an emergency.”
I opened my mouth to ask the inevitable question but the room lit up for a brief second. Thunderstorm.
“What is it with us, hotels and thunderstorms?” I asked as she dived under the covers.
She grabbed onto me and pulled us close together.
“It's not just hotels,” she said, her voice trembling along with her shoulders. “There was one just after Christmas.”
“I don't remember that one,” I said.
“You slept through it,” she said.
She was no longer shaking. I must calm her down or something. She barely jumped when a peal of thunder broke the silence. She was wearing a shirt and panties, I could feel that from how close she was. I could also feel the warmth of her body, the smooth, silky skin of her thighs, the soft pressure of her breasts, and the hardness of her nipples. She moved, laying her head on my shoulder and took a deep breath.
“You're thinking bad thoughts, aren't you?” she asked softly.
“Bad?”
“Naughty.”
“Me? Nah. Never.”
She cuddled closer, pushing her nose behind my ear and breathing softly.
“Liar,” she whispered.
There was another roll of thunder and she jumped.
“Damn, it's hard to concentrate on seduction when you're scared out of your wits,” she grumbled.
“Seduction isn't going to do any good until tomorrow anyway,” I pointed out.
“It's one in the morning. It is tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow night.”
“How can you stand it?” she asked.
“By realizing that every second we wait is just going to make it that bit better when we finally do make love.”
She made a disgusted noise.
“Wish that worked for me.”
“That's okay, puppy,” I replied. “I can make it work for both of us.”
“Don't bet on it,” she said sleepily. “I don't know how much longer I can stand this.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, kissing her on the forehead.
“For what?” she mumbled.
“For finding me irresistible.”
The only reply she gave was a soft snore.
Good, now I only had my own hormones to deal with.
“Come on, sleepyhead, wake up!”
I groaned and rolled over, pulling the covers up over my head.
“Jack, come on.”
She grabbed the covers and yanked. I let go. It was either that or ... let go anyway. I rolled over onto my stomach and pulled the pillow over my head.
“I'm sleeping,” I mumbled.
“Okay, but you're missing me naked,” she said sweetly.
I thought about this for a few moments.
“Okay, but if you're not naked when I look there's going to be trouble.”
I pulled the pillow away and turned, blinking in the light.
“Naked.” I said finally. “Naked and kneeling. It doesn't get any better than that.”
Marie was, indeed, kneeling on the bed, her knees together, her hands on her thighs. And she was, indeed, completely naked. I let my gaze wander over her body in a long, slow inspection.
“Very nice,” I said finally.
I rolled over onto my side in order to get comfortable, and looked her over again.
“Wow.”
“You've seen me before,” she said.
“Not after three days of deprivation, I haven't.”
I propped myself up on one hand and licked my lips.
“Jack,” she said, her voice hoarse. “Please calm down.”
My heart was thudding in my chest and I was painfully erect. I flopped down on my back and stared at the ceiling.
“Whoa, what a rush,” I said. “All the blood has left my brain.”
I took a deep breath, then another, slowing my heart.
“Want a bath?” she said.
“Need a cold shower,” I replied.
“Won't work,” she said. “Tried it.”
“When did we turn into a pair of sex maniacs?” I wondered.
“You always were a sex maniac, my love,” said Marie, leaning over me. “I think you gave me something.”
I laughed, actually feeling a bit better.
“I thought werewolves were immune to human diseases.”
“We are. I think you just awakened the beast.”
“That's okay then.”
“So,” she said, obviously changing the subject, “what are we going to do today?”
“I dunno about you but I'm going to spend the entire day trying to control my libido.”
“You didn't have anything planned for today?” she asked, frowning. “You told me to pick out a casual outfit for today and something sexy for tonight.”
“Yep, but what I had planned for today probably won't work.”
“Why? What was it?”
I leaned in and kissed her, and it went on for a long time.
“Oh, Jack,” she whispered when we parted.
She put her hand on my chest and shoved me backwards.
“You were planning to spend today turning me on?” she asked. “Trying to make me scream?”
I nodded, grinning.
“Oh my God, Jack. I would have exploded.”
“That's really the point. But now... I think we need a little cool down time.”
“Sure, but where do you want to go?”
“I have no idea.”
“Well, it's a nice day outside. How about we go to the park? Get back to nature? Somewhere nice and public where you'll have to behave?”
I laughed at that. Like being in public was going to stop me.
“Okay,” I said. “We'll order breakfast and we can get lunch from a little place I know.”
She smiled, looking unbelievably cute.
“Maybe we'll see your friends on their horses again. And then,” she said, her voice lowering, “tonight ... I belong to you ... and you can do anything—everything—to me.”
CHAPTER
9
The park was wonderful. Everyone was getting into the spring weather, enjoying the sun. The flowers were fragrant, the air was warm, and Jack looked good enough to eat. Our outfits almost matched. We were both wearing jeans, mine dark blue, his faded and battered. His t-shirt was white; mine was a faded gray that had an advertisement on the front for something called 'Roo Beer', with a picture of a grinning kangaroo wearing a hat. I have no idea what it meant, or where Jack had got it from, but one of the park police pointed at me and yelled “Wagga hey! It's the rye grass!” which sent Jack into a fit of good-natured laughter. I made a mental note to have him explain it to me, and fast.
I was warm, happy, and more in love than I could ever have thought possible. Wolves have a phrase to describe this feeling. We say that a couple who are in love are 'racing the wind together', and I think I finally understood it. The breathless exhilaration that swept over me whenever Jack took me in his arms was intoxicating.
We were walking, hand in hand, when Jack bent down to pick something up. It was a stick that had been laying on the path. I could see tooth marks on the bark. Obviously it had been abandoned by someone who had come to the park to play with their dog. He threw it, off to the side, into a small group of trees. He turned to me, a contented smile on his face that quickly faded.
“Everything okay?” he sa
id, suddenly concerned.
“I'm fine,” I said. “I'm just a little nervous about tonight.”
“Nervous?” he replied. “Yeah, me too. Weird, huh?”
“Hey, doggy! Come here! Heel!”
I spun, tears forming, convinced someone was yelling at me. Off to the side was a man trying in vain to get a tennis ball away from a joyously running Labrador. The dog barreled over to us and dropped the ball at Jack's feet, looking up at him expectantly, tail wagging furiously. Jack laughed and picked up the damp sphere, hurling it towards the dog's owner, who waved his thanks. The dog took off, barking happily.
“Ick,” said Jack, wiping his hand on his jeans. “Dog drool.”
I smiled a little uncertainly.
“What's up, darlin'?” he asked. “Jealous? Want me to play with you instead?”
I hovered between outrage and amusement, eventually coming down on seeing the funny side. Jack didn't know what he'd just said, so I chose to take him at his word.
“Sure,” I said, stepping into his arms. “Just not fetch.”
I looked up at him, aching for his kiss. I didn't have long to wait. His lips met mine and I melted against him, my arms sliding around his neck as he pulled me close.
We were interrupted by a bark.
“Your new girlfriend's back,” I said with a grin.
Contrary to popular belief most dogs aren't cowed by werewolves in human form. We looked human and we smelled mostly the same way. To a dog we simply smelled like a human that owned an unfamiliar dog. In wolf form it was a different matter. Had I been in wolf form the dog wouldn't have dared approach me.
“Sorry about her,” said the man who had been playing with the Labrador.
“Oh, that's okay,” said Jack, who was crouched down, enthusiastically scratching behind the dog's ears.
The Lab was bouncing excitedly, loving the extra attention. Suddenly I felt better. Jack behaved completely different around the dog than he did around me. Sure, he'd spent time stroking my fur, even scratching behind my ears (and it'll take a werewolf to tell you just how wonderful that feels) but he did it because he genuinely enjoyed doing it, and he knew I did too. With the dog he was playing with a lower animal. With me he was playing with his mate. It's hard to put into human words, but I decided then that I didn't care about the name-calling and the sniping from the older pack members. I resolved to deal with my own prejudices concerning human mates, and to get to know the three wolves in Liam's pack that were in human-wolf relationships. Let the conservatives snipe and joke and throw insults. I no longer cared.
Renegade (Ministry of Paranormal Research & Defence) Page 4
