by Bonnie Vanak
“Keep a stack here, just in case you came to visit one day. I’m hungry. Going to make a small snack.”
Confused, she watched him vanish into the kitchen. She’d gotten him all hot and bothered and now he acted as if it didn’t matter? Arianna picked up the magazine and settled back against the sofa. It was a favorite, featuring music and song crossword puzzles. She started working on one.
Soon, the delicious smells of baking chocolate filtered through the air. Her nostrils twitched. Kyle knew she adored brownies. Bearing a plate piled with chocolate brownies, he returned to the living room and set the plate upon the coffee table before the sofa.
Arianna tried not to look as he ate one, strong throat muscles working as he swallowed. The tempting scent of chocolate made her mouth water as much as his delicious masculine scent of cold snow and pine. All the scents began to lick over her body in invisible tongues. Overwhelmed by the sensory overload, she set down the magazine.
“You’re trying to get me to relax.”
“Um-huh.”
“By giving me something to do and baking me brownies.”
“Mmmm. Maybe. Or maybe I had a yen for chocolate. I added a special ingredient.” Kyle dipped a finger into the soft frosting and slowly licked it off. She stared at his tongue lapping away the chocolate, and her imagination flared. She envisioned Kyle, smearing chocolate over her naked breast, then dragging his tongue over her nipple, making it harden. Then drawing a chocolate line down her belly, to her belly button, and then sliding his chocolate-laced finger between her slick, wet cleft and lowering his head to taste her...
Moisture dampened between her legs. Arianna squeezed her thighs together.
She picked up the magazine, but could not concentrate. Her skin felt stretched too tight, the loose clothing too restrictive. The pencil hovered over the page. Kyle swiped frosting off the brownie.
“Just a bite, Ari. Won’t hurt you,” he coaxed. “Open your mouth.”
She set down the magazine and pencil and did as he asked. The sweetness of chocolate slid past her lips, then pushed a little against her tongue. She swirled her tongue around his finger to get every bit of chocolate and moaned at the delicious taste. Sweet, sinful.
Gently, he pushed his finger in and out of her mouth, the green of his eyes quite intense. “Do you like it, Ari? Does it taste good?”
Moaning, she nodded. He had added something special to the frosting, and it was cranking up her arousal, making her feel pliant and open.
“I want it to be good for you,” he murmured. “Real good. Only I can give you the kind of pleasure you crave, chase away all your fears. Open yourself to your natural sensuality, Ari. You’re Lupine and the call to mate is strong.”
She sucked on his finger, desperate to get every last little bit of chocolate. Desperate to make this work and not capitulate to fear again.
“Do you want me inside you? I can make you feel so good inside as I slide in and out. Real slow?” He pulled his finger out in a leisurely pace.
“Or push inside you hard and fast?” Kyle jack hammered his finger in and out her mouth.
Now she was getting hotter, her body humming with pleasure. But he withdrew his finger. Disappointment speared her.
“More,” she whispered.
This time, he smeared chocolate over his lower lip. “Come and get it.”
Arianna pounced, eagerly licking his mouth. Kyle sat perfectly still as she closed her eyes, sucking at his lower lip. Not close enough. She climbed into his lap, straddling him, Arianna kissed him deeply, slipping her tongue past his lips. Kyle sat up, seized the back of her head with one strong hand and kissed her in return. His tongue began stroking hers.
He’d taken over, and she let him. Kyle was sexually dominant. It was his nature, the animal inside no one talked about. But his fingers grasping the back of her head were gently rubbing her scalp, making her feel tight and hot. Her nipples began to tingle and rub against the soft fleece of her sweatshirt.
Kyle pulled away. Unsmiling, he regarded her. “I need to touch you, Ari.”
Her breathing slightly ragged, she considered. “Only if you tell me what you put in those brownies.”
His fingers skimmed over the long slope of her neck. “A drop of peppermint.”
“That’s it?”
He pulled her close. “The peppermint is a special blend for shifters, a gift Tristan gave me long ago. For males, it tamps our arousal, allows us to take more control, exercise patience during a female’s first time when she might be shy or scared. For females, it awakens their natural sensuality and prepares her body for penetration.”
Arianna squirmed on the couch, need suddenly cranked to overdrive.
“That was only a drop?” She moaned as he nuzzled her neck with his warm, wet mouth.
“The full effect isn’t felt until you eat the brownie. You don’t need arousal, Ari, but I sure as hell need control when I’m around you.” He blew a warm breath against her skin. “I started taking the drops shortly after I got off your naked body back in the forest. If I hadn’t, you wouldn’t be a virgin right now.”
He slid a thumb down her now warm cheek. Another current of sexual awareness sparked, making her aching and needy. Arianna clutched her hands, twisting them in her lap as the intense feelings surged through her. Her skin felt stretched too tight over bone. Between her legs, her female flesh ached.
She rubbed herself all over him until they were both burning hot and needed to have nothing but skin between them. Golden firelight bathed Kyle, the crackling flames reflected in the burning intensity of his eyes. His gaze held her captive as his breath hitched.
“Damn, you are so beautiful,” he said hoarsely, lightly touching her throat. “So lovely. Have you ever touched yourself?”
Mortified, she jerked her gaze away.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Ari.”
She stole a peek at his wry expression.
“I do it all the time, imagining I’m with you. Except my fist is poor substitute for the real thing.”
“You do?” Arianna sighed as he lightly rubbed his thumb against her throat. “I tried, a couple of times in the shower. I... kept a picture of you in my mind and touched myself. But nothing happened.”
“Maybe you were too uptight. Need to relax, get comfortable.”
Hunger flared in his green gaze. He wanted her, badly, wanted to push her backward on the floor and mount her, doing those things he’d dreamed about. The space between her legs throbbed in pleasant anticipation as her mind screamed.
Kyle got up and snapped off the lights, leaving the room dark but for the fire. He spread a fleece throw on the couch and patted it, inviting her to join him as he sat.
When she gathered the courage and sat next to him, he slid his hand down her throat, toward her breast. “Just relax, Ari. Think of the good times we’ve shared and know I’d never harm you.”
Don’t panic, don’t panic, it’s Kyle, it’s Kyle.
Drawing in a deep breath for courage, she did as he asked. The fleece sweatshirt provided a slim barrier of protection. When his palm cupped her breast, she felt momentary panic push aside intense arousal.
“Close your eyes, Ari. I’m not going to hurt you. Concentrate on the feelings. There’s only here and now, and us.”
Feelings. The slow, confident flick of his thumb across her taut nipple pushing against the fleece. Her breasts felt heavy and full as he squeezed and kneaded. Kyle was so gentle and every stroke of her skin made her ache for more.
“That’s it, sweetheart. Relax, just relax and enjoy it,” he murmured, stroking her nipple.
A minute later, she was much too warm; hell, she was hot. He reached for the hem of her sweatshirt and tugged upward, a question in his eyes.
At her nod, he pulled her shirt off and tossed it aside.
Self-consciousness vanished beneath his worshipping gaze. “So beautiful,” he said thickly. “So full and ripe and lovely.”
Kyle lower
ed his head to one breast and fastened his warm, wet mouth on her turgid nipple. Arianna squeaked as his tongue lazily swirled, then flicked back and forth. The pulsing between her legs intensified and wetness began to trickle out of her.
Then, as his mouth continued to suckle her, his fingers lazily skimmed the waistband of her sweatpants. He slid his hand into her pants, down to the thatch of hair covering her groin. Arianna stiffened and pushed his hand away.
The hunter was strong. If he wanted, he could easily overcome her, do as he pleased. But Kyle obeyed her silent request.
She focused on the sensation of his mouth suckling her and ground her hips against the couch. She needed more.
Pulling away, she stood, stripped off the pants, leaving on her panties and sat on the couch. Arianna slid her arms around his neck and kissed him. The kiss was clumsy, inexperienced, but he let her do as she pleased. He opened his mouth when her tongue pressed against his lips, leisurely swirling his tongue against hers.
Still kissing him, Arianna seized his hand and guided it between her legs. She felt him smile against her mouth.
As he slid his finger over the silk of her panties, she grew warmer. Hot. Her skin felt too tight; her nipples were aching and sore.
Without a frustrated sound, she pushed his hand away and then drew off her panties, wanting no obstruction to his ministrations.
Kyle’s gaze darkened as he embraced her with one arm, his right hand sliding between her legs. Oh yeah. Right there... With each gentle sweep of his finger across her soaked cleft, she opened her legs wider, allowing him access. Arianna began to pump her hips upward, obeying an ancient instinct.
“That’s good, sweetheart. This is your body preparing you for full penetration, for me to take you. You’re wet and ready for my cock.”
He was so gentle, yet she sensed a leashed control. The beast was on a chain and if released, she’d be flat on her back in no time, Kyle pushing deep inside her.
Silently, she thanked Tristan for the gift of peppermint. Arianna clasped Kyle’s shoulders as he slid a finger into her wet channel, then stroked his thumb over her clit.
“Ari. Look at me. Look at me, giving you this pleasure. Nothing to be scared of.”
The sensations built higher and higher as she clutched his muscled shoulders, an anchor in this storm of erotic bliss. Arianna opened her eyes to see Kyle focused on her, his expression almost cruel, like a pirate ravishing a maiden.
The tension built higher and higher. A new fear surfaced, natural and normal. She did not want to awaken the sleeping young. So Arianna buried her head into the crook of his shoulder to muffle her growing cries as the feelings crested and the wave threatened to break.
“Let go, Ari, let go, come for me,” he whispered. “Come on, sweetheart.”
Nails digging into his arm, she surrendered, her flesh pulsing and throbbing. Lights danced before her closed eyelids, exploding in colors awash with scent and sound. Breathing ragged, her heart pounding hard, she lay bonelessly against the sofa.
Finally, Arianna blinked, a little embarrassed. But he pulled her into his arms, stroking her sweat-dampened hair.
“Always heard men thought cuddling was overrated,” she managed to say.
“You should be held after your first orgasm.” Masculine pride threaded through his deep voice, but his expression remained tender.
Arianna shifted her legs, parting them momentarily. The scent slammed into her nostrils. If she could smell her desire, what did it do to Kyle?
Daring to open her eyes, she stole a peek.
Amber flashed in his eyes as a deep growl rumbled in his throat. A rill of fear slid down her spine as his arms tightened around her.
Jaw clenched tight, Kyle closed his eyes. Gradually she lost self-awareness and realized he was still very erect, and very much unfulfilled.
“What about you?”
“Later. This was all about you, Ari. Only you.”
“Doesn’t it hurt when you stay like that?”
Amusement flicked across his expression as he released a hissing breath and adjusted his crotch. “Oh, yeah. But it’s a good hurt.”
The fleece throw was soft beneath her, and the wiry hairs on his muscled chest tickled her cheek, but with Kyle’s arms wrapped securely around her, she felt warm and safe. She could lie here a long time drowning in his scent, she thought drowsily.
Scent. A troubling realization hit her.
“Kyle, the Skins who took the children, they’re not typical humans. I couldn’t pick up their scent in the cabin.”
“No, they’re not,” he said quietly. “All I detected was a faint scent of dark magick.”
“The wizard conjured a spell to empower them.” Don’t panic, think of a plan.
“I’m not afraid of dark magick.” He cupped her cheek, the coolness of his palm refreshing against her flushed face. “And neither are you. Fluffy can take them down if Arianna doesn’t kick their asses first.”
His confidence fed her another bite of courage. Arianna looked around the cabin with its wide windows. “How are we going to keep them out? They seem to have all the power.”
Dropping his hand, Kyle gave a cold smile. “They don’t. If they come here, I’ll give them a little demonstration.”
This was another side to her laid-back, gentle guardian. Confident and dangerous, as if the beast she’d seen long ago bristled to claw its way out.
He paced over to the window and spoke over his shoulder. “Get some sleep. I need you alert and refreshed for later.”
She accepted his suggestion, her eyes heavy. But as she trudged up the stairs, she saw him watching with his hooded gaze. Stopping halfway up the steps, she leaned over, palms on the railing.
“Later, when you need my wolf?”
Kyle stroked a finger down the cold windowpane, as if stroking a woman’s thigh. “Later, when I need you naked.”
Swallowing hard, she headed for the second guest bedroom, her body tingling at the erotic promise in his smile.
Chapter 12
ARIANNA AWOKE TO the thunderous snap of metal, the crunch of bone and howls of agony.
Heart racing, she tossed aside the blankets, rolled out of bed and pulled on her sweatshirt and pants. She raced downstairs, taking the steps two at a time.
Kyle still stood at the window, a cruel expression on his face. Heart pounding, she joined him as he lifted the curtain with the back of one hand.
Moonlight illuminated the garden, with its cheerful cherub statues overlooking the violence staining the pristine beauty. On the ground outside, a man writhed, bellowing in pain as his friend struggled to open the jaws of a trap imprisoning his leg. She recognized them as the same Skins from earlier in the evening.
“Bear trap,” Kyle said briefly.
“The bears around here are shifters. You set them out as a welcome mat?”
“Ben and his family brought it when they came over for dinner. Said it would make an attractive planter. Grizzlies have a strange sense of humor.”
With a muffled curse, the Skin sprang the trap, releasing his partner’s leg. Arianna recognized the taller man as he lifted Skip’s mangled leg from the steel jaws. Skip’s moans were music to her ears as the taller Skin helped him stand. Gleeful, she pressed her nose to the glass, hoping they’d finally get the message and leave for good.
The taller Skin swung around and seemed to look straight at her. And then she saw the glint of moonlight on a shotgun barrel.
Kyle shoved her down to the floor and took a protective stance. Growling at the window, he flashed sharp white fangs. At the emergence of his wolf, her own wolf whined and clawed to the surface. Arianna felt the tingle in her body heralding the shift.
Oh yeah, playtime is over, boys. Come and get it.
But he glanced down at her and shook his head. “Stay here.”
“Let me help you.”
“Stay here.” The words came as a growl. “I need you guarding the young. I’ll deal with this.”
<
br /> He turned and headed for the door, then paused. “I must do this. Don’t watch, Ari. It’s going to get ugly.”
As the door slammed behind him, Arianna crouched by the window. She glanced upstairs. No sign of the young. Please, let them sleep through this.
She lifted the curtain and peered outside.
Kyle rounded the cabin and faced the tall Skin, who swung the shotgun toward him. Moonlight gilded his honed muscles. Goodness. Her guardian was stark naked.
Staring in awed wonder and growing concern, Arianna put a hand to her mouth. One Kyle versus two Skins. Okay, one was wounded, but one was armed with a shotgun. Lupine magick was no match against a metal bullet. Hadn’t she witnessed proof of that when her parents died?
He’d told her to remain. But everything inside her clawed and raged to shift into wolf and aid him. As if compelled by an outside force, she headed for the door, trying to fight the compulsion.
Arianna opened the door and stepped outside, dragging in a deep breath of cold, crisp air. But it did no good. Emotions in a lather, she closed her eyes.
Transforming into wolf, she growled and pawed the porch. Threats were out back, big threats with guns who had hurt and killed. No more. They would not hurt anyone else.
Her wolf knew silence was essential, so with great stealth, she loped around the corner to the back yard. Arianna crept into the wildflower garden. From there, she had an excellent vantage point. Crouching low on her belly, she hid among the tall, dried stalks of fireweed, Indian paintbrush and lupine. Perched on a stone pedestal next to her, a beaming cherub danced. Arianna tensed her muscles, preparing to attack.
Kyle had his back to her, facing the two Skins. The woman inside the wolf took a few seconds to admire his toned, taut ass. Then the taller Skin spoke.
“I’ll give you five minutes to get the hell out, let me take those kids and the woman. I know they’re inside. I need those fucking kids, damnit. If you give them to me now, I won’t beat them too hard for running away.”
Tension knotted Kyle’s muscular body. But his voice was deep and calm. Too calm. “Why do you want the woman?”
