Longing rang clear in his chastened voice. It took everything she had not to go to him and fall into his arms. The only thing that stopped her was her fear of what she might initiate. And how Rafe would feel if he lost control. “The full moon sucks.”
He surprised her with silent laughter that made his shoulders shake and put a genuine smile on his face. “Yeah, it kind of does.”
“Tomorrow, when this is all over…”
Rafe nodded and pushed off the wall, exhaling. He got the hammer off the table and went to nail another board in place. “We’ll celebrate.”
It took them an hour to finish boarding up the windows. Katie followed Rafe around the cabin, offering help where and when she could. Mostly she tried to stay out of his way, aware that he was having an increasingly difficult time keeping his composure. Only two o’clock in the afternoon and already she could see the growing influence of the moon. Rafe’s movements and vocalizations grew more primal by the minute, and Katie could feel his pent-up aggression stirring and roiling within. Though she had a bad feeling that boarding the windows was a silly, futile gesture, the task gave Rafe an outlet for his aggression and that was exactly what he needed.
When he nailed the last board in place, Katie looked around, wishing for another. They had another six hours to kill before he would need to go outside and face their enemies. She questioned Rafe’s current capacity for small talk and doubted that he had a closet full of board games somewhere. How they would pass the time when all either of them really wanted to do was fuck, was beyond her. She almost suggested they brave the inevitable taunts and jeers and go for another round of target practice, but she knew that Rafe’s struggle to hang on to his humanity was no doubt shared by the other werewolves outside, and for them there was no fighting against their beastly natures. Stepping outside now would be like tossing gasoline onto a fire.
She’d rather brave the heat inside the cabin.
Rafe placed the hammer on a shelf near the hallway that led to the bedrooms when he was finished. “Remember this is here, if you need it.”
She sincerely hoped that she wasn’t going to be engaging in the kind of close combat where a hammer would come in handy, but she nodded. “Thanks.”
Sweat soaked through Rafe’s thin T-shirt, evidence of his exertion since their brief sexual encounter. The release she’d given him seemed to have improved his aim, but each swing had been harder than the last, until she’d grown concerned he was going to put the hammer through the thick log wall. She’d said nothing, content to let him release his primal urges in a relatively innocuous fashion. Yet after all that, he looked only mildly satiated, staring at her with palpable heat as he stripped the damp shirt over his head.
“I’m going to shower.”
Katie nodded absently and tried not to stare. Rafe’s lean, muscular torso dripped with perspiration. His musky, pleasant scent hung heavily in the air between them, literally making her mouth water. She’d never enjoyed sweaty hugs from ex-boyfriends, so she was mystified by her reaction to Rafe’s natural aroma. It was probably pheromones. Or something. Forcing her gaze from Rafe’s chest to his eyes, Katie nodded again. “Okay.”
“Will you wait for me in my bedroom?” He jerked his head toward the front door. “I don’t feel comfortable leaving you alone out here. Even with Shilah.”
The brown mutt lifted his head from his place on the floor, next to the kitchen table. His ears were alert, but his face remained open and friendly. Katie regarded him fondly. “Yeah, Shilah doesn’t seem like much of a threat.”
“Oh, he’ll protect you as best he can. I have no doubt about that.” Rafe crouched down, calling the dog to him. Shilah dashed to his side, happily accepting the affectionate strokes that Rafe bestowed upon him. “Unfortunately, he’s a mere Canis lupus familiaris. So he’s at a bit of a disadvantage with my kind. Especially outnumbered.”
Shilah leaned against Rafe’s legs and panted with a doggy grin on his face. “He loves you.”
“I love him.” Rafe scratched behind Shilah’s ears, and Shilah closed his eyes in clear pleasure. “He’s my brother.”
The sight of Rafe—shirtless, beautiful, strong Rafe—lavishing his dog with affection stole Katie’s breath and filled her chest with a powerful feeling of deep, limitless love. This was her family now. These two recluses, a werewolf and a mixed-breed dog. She never would have believed it possible to feel about anyone the way she felt about them.
Rafe raised his gaze to meet hers. “Us, too.”
Katie blinked back tears. She didn’t have to say a word for Rafe to know exactly how she felt. It was the same for her. Both Rafe and Shilah wore their love and loyalty plainly. “I know.”
Arms flexing, Rafe stood and gestured toward the hallway. “Will you stay in my room? It really will make me feel better.”
“Of course.” Pleased that Rafe was actually conversing with her again, Katie followed him willingly. “Maybe after you shower you can tell me more about being a werewolf. I’m sure there are things I should know.”
His hand found the small of her back and he guided her to his bedroom door. “I’d rather talk about you.” He urged her into his room, stepping away after a brief caress on her hip. “You can tell me what it was like growing up human.”
That sounded like a safe way to spend the countdown to the full moon. “Deal.”
Rafe left her with a tender smile that was in stark contradiction to the heated lust in his eyes. He closed the door behind him, but not before checking, “You’ve got the gun?”
She held up the revolver, which had been tucked into the back of her blue jeans. “Got it.” As soon as he left the room, she placed the gun on the nightstand and flopped onto his bed, anxious and exhausted and thrumming with unspent sexual energy—despite the strength of the orgasm Rafe had given her only an hour ago. Who said she wasn’t dealing with the full moon, too? This was torture.
To distract herself, she lifted the leg of her jeans and inspected the wound on her calf. Once again, she’d nearly forgotten it was there. Whatever Rafe had done to her had not only taken away her pain, but it appeared that her torn flesh was already healing itself. Not at the rate that Rafe could manage, no doubt, but much more quickly than she’d ever seen her own body accomplish. The bite looked days old, maybe even a week—certainly not like it had happened less than twenty-four hours ago. Shivering, Katie lowered her pants leg and lay back. She stared at the ceiling while she tried not to dwell on memories of her attack, but rather thoughts of her rescuer.
The shower came on in the bathroom and she shivered, all too aware that Rafe was naked on the other side of the wall. Naked and…wet. And no doubt rock hard. Katie exhaled and rolled onto her side, bringing her knees to her chest in an effort to distract herself from the stunning arousal she felt lying in Rafe’s bed, surrounded by his scent, listening to him soap his naked body. She tried to think of other things—the pile of work that was no doubt waiting for her back at home, the murderous thugs lurking around outside at that very moment—but her mind kept going back to Rafe. The way he’d slipped his hand into her panties. How he’d felt inside her last night and this morning.
“This is crazy,” Katie murmured to herself. No sooner had the words left her mouth than a delicious wave of ecstasy rolled through her belly and settled squarely between her legs. She moaned in surprise and squeezed her thighs tightly together. “Shit.” Another wave of pleasure, this one nearly kicking off a bona fide orgasm. Katie closed her eyes and took calm, measured breaths.
This was really crazy.
A low, muffled groan from the bathroom confirmed the source of her surreal ecstasy. With her eyes shut, she was able to focus on the sound of Rafe—and more importantly, the feel of him. Even without seeing him, she knew he was jerking off. Of course he was. It was the smart thing to do, during this rare moment apart. And it was probably necessary for his continued sanity as dusk approached. Except—
Katie moaned quietly as breathtaking pres
sure built in her womb. Unable to keep still, she rolled onto her back and stared at the pattern of the wood grain on the ceiling, biting her lip as the shared sensation with Rafe grew more intense. She was certain he was going to make her climax without even touching her, which was absolutely amazing—and exciting. Yet she wanted to rub her clit so badly she ached.
She succumbed to the urge almost immediately. Unbuttoning her jeans with shaking hands, she plunged the right one into her panties as soon as she had access. Pure relief spread throughout her body, but her muscles remained tense and her breathing only grew more labored. She glided her fingertips through her slick arousal, shuddering at the overwhelming sense of satisfaction that the caress brought. A quiet moan escaped her lips, and Rafe answered it through the wall.
Could he feel her pleasure, like she felt his? She hoped so. Eager to enhance his masturbation session—and hers—she moved her fingers down to tease at her opening. The contact felt so good that her hips lifted on instinct to allow her fingertips to slide inside. She groaned quietly, then grinned at a grunt from the next room. That was a good sign. Pressing in deeper, she lay the palm of her hand over her sex and rubbed herself sensuously.
“Fuck.” Rafe gave a muffled shout. Then he let loose a snarl that raised the hair on the back of her neck and caused her pussy to contract, hard, sending her over the edge once again.
Unable to cope with any more stimulation, Katie pulled her hand from her panties and rolled onto her side. She curled into the fetal position and closed her eyes, riding out her climax in desperate silence. One moan at the wrong second and Rafe could be here and inside of her before she could summon the strength to say no.
Finally the pleasure ebbed and she could breathe again. The water turned off in the bathroom, signaling that Rafe was also finished. She didn’t know how long it might take him to get dressed, but she was certain that she didn’t want to be in this state when he returned to the bedroom. She sat up with effort, wiping her hand on her panties—like that would disguise her scent—then fumbling to fasten her jeans. She spent the next two minutes schooling her breathing and trying to think about happy memories of home. About anything but Rafe.
He returned to the bedroom wearing no shirt and a clean pair of sweatpants. Clearly embarrassed about his state of undress, he barely met her eyes and rumbled, “Closer we get to dark, less I can stand wearing them.”
“Them?”
“Clothes.” He gestured down at the pants, which failed to hide his unflagging hard-on. “I’ll keep these on. I just can’t tolerate the shirt anymore.”
“That’s fine. I’ll control myself.” Katie admired his broad chest, trying not to react to the sight of so much skin. She remained sitting on his bed, not trusting her legs to support her.
Rafe’s nostrils flared and he visibly fought not to come any closer. She knew without him saying that he was aware of exactly what had happened in his bed. “Why don’t you wash up and then we can talk?” His gaze moved over her body, then the mattress. “In the den.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
He was waiting for her on the couch when she returned to the den, two glasses of water and two sandwiches on the coffee table in front of him. He didn’t look up at her as she entered the room, too busy staring at his sandwich like he wanted to devour it in one bite. Surprised that he’d bothered to wait for her, she said, “Go ahead and eat.”
Rafe startled, acknowledged her with a brief nod, then picked up the thick sandwich laden with nothing but meat and took a ravenous bite. His eyes glowed briefly amber at the first taste, and Katie nearly hesitated before sitting down beside him. That he seemed more interested in lunch than her reassured her that he hadn’t noticed her slight lapse. She still believed to the bottom of her soul that he would never hurt her, but those eyes were difficult to get used to.
“I didn’t think you would want quite as much meat as me,” Rafe mumbled between bites. “But there’s plenty in the kitchen, so help yourself.”
She eyed the generous mound of thinly sliced meat and vegetables he’d prepared for her, amused at his concern. “This is more than enough.”
He grinned. “We’ve been working up an appetite today. Figured we could use the energy for tonight.” He took another giant bite, rumbling in satisfaction. “I know I’m starving.”
Katie nibbled at her sandwich as she studied him as subtly as possible. His muscles were bunched and tense, his entire body wound tight. “This must be exhausting for you. Having your body hijacked, spending the entire day in overdrive.”
Rafe shrugged. “I’m used to it by now. It’s not usually this bad.” He glanced at her, then away.
She picked up on the subtext. “I’m sorry I’m making things difficult.” Reflecting upon that statement for a moment, Katie sighed. “Really, I’ve made your entire life difficult. No matter how tonight ends, I can’t imagine that you’ll be able to simply fall back into your old routine. You’ll have blood on your hands and a human girlfriend that your friends despise.”
He polished off his sandwich, brushed his hands on his pants, and turned to touch her knee. Comforted by the heavy weight of his hand, she managed another bite. She wasn’t hungry, but Rafe was right—she needed the energy.
“I don’t want to fall back into my old routine.” Rafe sounded so sincere that Katie didn’t doubt him for an instant. “You weren’t a part of that routine and that means it’s not worth missing for even a second. Understand?”
She nodded, throat stinging. “Okay.”
Rafe squeezed her knee. “Now tell me about being a kid. I’ll bet you were a spirited little thing.”
The affection in his voice made her feel cherished in a way she’d never come close to experiencing. With all of the sexual intensity between them, moments of quiet warmth had been difficult to find today. But here Rafe was, closer to sunset than ever, and he’d just made her feel as adored as she ever had. “I was precocious. A know-it-all. I watch home movies and cringe.”
“I like a woman with confidence.” Rafe sat back and put some distance between them.
“My older sister Erin is the same way. We used to butt heads a lot. She’s even more stubborn than I am. We would fight like crazy—drive mom and dad nuts—but we were always best friends.” Katie smiled as she thought about Erin, then ducked her head when tears threatened to spill over. “I really hope I get to see her again.”
Rafe took her hand, stroking his fingers over her wrist. “You will.” He lifted her face with his other hand. “What about your parents? Do you still have them?”
“Yes, and they’re still married. They live down near San Jose. Erin lives in San Francisco, with me.” She paused, then said, “Not with me. Close to me.”
“I’m sure they’re worried about you.” Regret colored his tone. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to let you contact them.”
“Soon enough,” Katie said in as light a voice as she could manage. “Maybe tomorrow the roads will clear and we can drive to town.”
He swallowed. “Yes, hopefully. The good news is that it’s stopped snowing, and the sun was shining when I went outside earlier. I won’t be surprised if some of the snow melts off today.”
“That is good news.” Aware that they needed to pass the time with innocuous conversation, Katie returned to answering Rafe’s question. “I was always interested in art. I started drawing with crayons and colored pencils when I was three or four years old—not your typical pre-school drawings, I guess. I started to focus on graphic design in college, but as a teenager I did mostly charcoals and pencil drawings. I still do, for fun.”
“I’d love to see your work.”
“I’d like that.” Warmed by the genuine interest Rafe exuded, Katie said, “My parents were afraid that I would graduate from college and become a starving artist, but I was always too practical for that. That’s where computers came in. Luckily, that allowed me to develop a reasonably lucrative career that’s still related to my passion.”
“
I’ve always been into photography, myself,” Rafe murmured.
She thought back to the pictures that lined the walls of the guest room. They were beautiful—she’d even thought so when she’d been convinced that Rafe was a serial rapist and/or murderer. “You took the pictures on the walls?”
Sheepish, he tipped his head. “I’m not artistic like you are, but I enjoy taking pictures.”
“You’re very artistic. There were some gorgeous shots.” Katie made a mental note to examine his work again. That he had creative tendencies reassured her that perhaps they were well-suited for one another in more ways than just having a supernatural connection. “My sister is a general surgeon. That’s one area where we couldn’t have been more different. She was the practical one, I was more of a dreamer.”
“I hid the photography from my pack mates for a long time. I knew I’d be ridiculed for having such a ‘soft’ interest.”
“As far as I’m concerned, your social circle would benefit from a little more softness.” She touched Rafe’s foot, hoping to lighten the mood, but he recoiled as though burned. He shot her an apologetic look and she reassured him with a tentative smile. “You’re a good man. A good wolf.”
Rafe didn’t look convinced. “I wonder how your family would feel about me.”
“If they knew everything or if they got a censored version of your biographical information?”
Rafe’s chuckle was tinged with sadness. “The censored version would probably be safest.”
“Then they’ll love you.” She poked him with her toe, just enough to get his attention. “What’s not to love?”
She hated the brief flash of self-loathing that passed over his face. “You obviously don’t belong in my world, but I worry that I would be just as out-of-place in yours.”
Soul Bonded Page 16
