by Martha Woods
“For two months I kept my hands off of you because of professionalism, because I wanted to keep you safe. But I can’t sit down and watch you with someone else, damn it.”
Slowly standing up, she held both hands out. “Now Liam, I want you to calm down. You’re not making any sense. I think you’re having some kind of breakdown. Stay right here and I’ll get Farah.”
Liam laughed and wiped a hand roughly over his face. “For God’s sake, Skylar. Will you listen? I’m not going crazy - well, maybe a bit since meeting you - I’m telling you that I’m jealous of you and him.”
Oh. She gaped, not sure what to say or do. Her heart fluttered but she dared not get to excited.
“Aren’t you going to say something?” He asked. “You always have something to say.”
He was right. But for once, she was speechless. “I, uh… you never said anything. Why did you spend the last month pretending like I didn’t exist?”
“Like I said, I wanted to protect you. You’re so young and innocent. It would be unfair of me to drag you into my world. Yet I can’t fight my attraction for you anymore.”
She took a step closer to him. “There you go again, not making any sense. What do you mean your world? As far as I can see, you have a pretty charmed life.”
“Yes, as far as you can see.”
She wanted to ask him what he meant but first… “So you’re attracted to me?”
Skylar gazed into his eyes and it felt like she was spiraling head first into a sea of green. “I would say it’s a bit more than attraction.”
“How so?”
He shrugged. “I have a very possessive nature.”
Skylar shivered when his eyes darkened. Raw desire and the promise of passion could be seen in their depths. Excitement coursed through her veins as she waited to see what he would do next. But he didn’t move. Instead, he remained still, his eyes still on her. She did the only thing that came to her mind. She stepped closer, covering the slight distance between them and kissed him. That triggered him into action and his fingers bunched in her hair, forcing her head back so he could deepen the kiss.
His movements were rough, and she kissed him back with the same hunger. The sexual tension that had been simmering beneath the surface for weeks, erupted to consume them both. In the back of Skylar’s mind was a vague, sane thought. Maybe things would be awkward between them as employer and employee if they went too far but his hands on her bare skin drove the thought away and she was lost. Only then did she realize that her blouse had been removed. She pulled her mouth from his to glance down and saw buttons scattered on the carpet.
“Hey, I loved that top.”
“Sorry, it was in my way.”
Liam shrugged his shirt over his head and she forgot about her destroyed top. Sinewy muscles bunched with each movement and her mouth literally watered. “Wow,” she whispered. “You are a work of art.”
With a chuckle, he lifted her and made his way to his desk. Before setting her down, he swept most of the contents to the floor.
“I think those were very important documents,” Skylar whispered, running her hands over his bare chest and chiseled abdomen. She could worship his body all day.
“Mhmm.” His head dipped and he took a nipple into his mouth, nearly making her jump out of her skin.
“Liam,” she gasped. His tongue on the sensitive flesh sent arousal shooting through her, making moisture pool between her thighs. Skylar didn’t know how to tell him that she wasn’t experienced so she opted to keep it to herself.
He removed her pants and underwear while feasting on her breast. He stopped long enough to run his gaze appreciatively over her naked body. “Beautiful,” he whispered.
Skylar flushed and nibbled her lower lip as she watched him remove the rest of his clothes. Her breath hitched when his impressive erection jutted in her direction. She couldn’t take her eyes off of it until she heard him chuckle. Looking up she asked, “What?”
“Why do you look so worried?”
She gave a nervous giggle. “I’m not.” She let out a breath. “What are you waiting for?”
He stepped between her thighs and pulled her closer, until her ass was at the edge of his desk. “Next time, I’ll take things slow. I promise.” The tip of his length hovered at her entrance.
Skylar’s breathing escalated. She was excited by the fact that there would be a next time and that she was very close to losing her virginity. And unlike like last night with Cayden, it felt right. He murmured something that she didn’t catch.
“What was that?”
“Does he make you feel the way I do?” Tormented eyes, sparkling with jealousy, stared down at her.
“Huh?” Confusion clouded her mind until it dawned on her who he was talking about. “Liam, I didn’t -” She gasped as he pushed forward, breeching her entrance. A sharp pain shot through her but quickly disappeared.
He froze and let out an expletive. “Sky?” Confusion and shock played across his features.
“I was about to tell you that I didn’t do anything with him,” she croaked.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were a virgin?”
Were they really going to discuss that now? She wiggled her hips experimentally and he sucked in a sharp breath. “Please keep going, Liam.” Her arms wound around his neck and she pressed her lips to his.
He let out a groan and began to move slowly. His body shook and she knew he was holding on to his control. The foreign feeling of being filled completely by Liam turned into unthinkable pleasure. His slow possession of her was driving her wild and she wanted more. She began to move, meeting his slow thrusts, silently begging for more. Her name spilled from his lips as a tortured moan.
“Keep still, woman. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t,” she panted. “Stop holding back.”
Her soft plea snapped what shred of control he was holding on to and with a growl, his wild nature took over. His hips surged back and forth rapidly as he buried himself deep in her warmth. Her mewls of pleasure in his ear nearly drove him over the edge and he had to push down his wolf’s urge to show itself and dominate. Burying his face in her neck so she wouldn’t witness the yellow glow of his eyes, he maintained his pace, driving into her until her inner muscle clenched around him.
Skylar was in a world of sheer pleasure and it felt like it was about to get better because she felt warmth spreading in her core until the heat spread throughout her entire being taking her to a high that she had never reached before. Her nails dug into his shoulders as she convulsed, calling his name over and over.
When he gave one final thrust and let out a guttural groan, she felt aftershocks of pleasure moving through her. She clung to him, not wanting to let go and very much wanting to experience another intense orgasm like the one she just had.
Liam, breathing just as hard as she was, managed to make it to the couch and drop down, taking her with him. She straddled his hips and they remained connected. Finally, the blissful haze cleared and Skylar lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him. Neither said a word for a long time. They simply stared at one another in wonder.
Finding her voice, she asked, “Why the hell did we wait so long to do that?”
Liam grunted. “Because I was being an idiot.”
She pursued her lips, attempting to swallow her smile. “I’m not going to argue with you there.”
He pinched her backside, making her yelp. “I’m still your boss.”
“Yeah and you owe me a blouse, boss.”
He frowned when she pushed away and stood up, grabbing her torn blouse from the floor. “What’s wrong?”
Running a hand through her hair, she turned to him. “You’re right, I still work for you. While sex with you is the most incredible thing I have ever experienced in my life, I don’t want things to get too complicated. I can’t lose this job, not right now.”
His jaw clenched. “Because you’re in trouble and you won’t tell me what kind.
”
“I’m not in any -”
“Cut the crap, Sky. I pay attention. To you.”
“Well, it’s not like you don’t have secrets too. I pay attention to you too.” She sighed. “Are we really going to argue after… that?” She pointed to the desk.
Liam reigned in his temper. “Let’s not.”
“So what happens now?”
He grasped her chin, tilting her face up to lock gazes with her. “It doesn’t matter what happens. Just know that you are mine now.”
Skylar’s breath hitched in her chest as she gazed up at him. His emerald eyes darkened with possession and a hint of something untamed. She shivered as a strange combination of fear, excitement, and surrender rushed through her.
Chapter 10
Liam smiled and it didn’t feel so strange because over the last three days, he had gotten used to it. He smiled harder when Skylar stretched lazily beside him and sighed. He trailed his fingers up her bare thigh and to her hip.
“Tired?” he murmured in her curtain of hair that was spread over his shoulder.
He couldn’t help taking in a deep breath to fill his nostrils with the scent of strawberry, which he had discovered was her favorite fruit and that was why she used strawberry shampoo. Another smile stretched across his lips. Smiling was all he had been doing for days, as if he was making up for all the years he didn’t smile.
Skylar nodded. “Yup, because somebody kept me up all night.”
“I believe it was you who kept me up with round after round of hot, sweaty sex.”
She giggled and he could tell she was blushing without looking at her. “Because you’re insatiable.”
“And you have become a monster,” he countered. “You have sex one time on an office desk and you turn into a nymph.”
She swatted his shoulder playfully. “The average man would fall asleep around, say round three, but not you. So look who’s talking?”
“I never said I was the average man.”
He was actually more beast than man most of the time. His mood dampened at the thought. How long did he think he could hold on to Skylar without her discovering what he was or without putting her in some kind of danger?
“I should get to work,” she murmured, planting a kiss on his chest.
He pulled her back to him before she could scoot off the bed. “Not so fast. I’m not done with you yet.” His hand found its way between her thighs and brushed over her mound, making her moan.
“Liam, you’re going to go broke. You haven’t gotten anything done in days. I can’t allow that to happen. I’m still in charge of efficiently running your life.”
Nuzzling her neck, he murmured, “I think my bank account can survive another day off.”
She sighed and relaxed into his touch, allowing him to sensuously explore her body. Her soft moans filled his bedroom. Suddenly, her phone began to vibrate on the night stand, breaking the erotic spell he had cast. Liam muttered a curse as she surged upward and reached for the wretched device. He had noticed that every time her phone rang or a text came in, she was on edge. With a frown, he watched her closely as she glanced at the screen but didn’t answer. The color seeped from her face and he was tempted to grab the phone from her and throw it out the window.
“Is it that cop? Because if it is, I’m going to drive into town and run him over.”
She rolled her eyes and sent him an annoyed glance. “You need to get over your jealousy, Liam. And no, it wasn’t Cayden so don’t get your briefs in a bunch.”
“I don’t wear briefs,” he growled. “Who was it then?”
“No one important.”
“You’re lying to me.”
She glowered at him. “What is your problem? I don’t know why you’re getting upset. It’s not like you’re Mr. Ready-To-Share either.”
“Damn it, Sky. You will tell me what is going on or-”
“Maybe I’ll tell you if you tell me why you’ve been avoiding going to see your family.” She crossed her arms and eyed him challengingly.
His jaw clenched and rage surged through him. “This is about you, not me.”
“Let’s make it about both of us then. I’ll talk if you talk.”
A string of expletives erupted and Liam jumped up. “You know what, don’t tell me a thing. Your business is just that, your business.”
He marched toward the door, not caring that he didn’t have on a stitch of clothes. At least he wouldn’t ruin another good pair of jeans when he shifted.
He heard Skylar shout, “Go ahead and run when things get too emotionally heated for you, Liam. You’re good at that.” She let out a frustrated growl just as he slammed the door.
* * *
Skylar sat in the living room downstairs and stared out the window. She wasn’t usually one to sit and brood but she didn’t know what else to do. It was getting dark and Liam hadn’t come home yet.
“Sheesh, the man sure can keep a grudge,” she murmured.
She had long gotten over their fight and was presently busy worrying about his safety. Farah wasn’t even there to listen to her complain about how immature Liam had behaved. It was Friday night and she had gone to town to have drinks with Mrs. Porter to catch up on the latest gossip. Mrs. Porter was like a walking, talking Boulder Junction tabloid magazine. Farah claimed to not like her and only entertained the woman because she liked to know what was going on in the town.
So Skylar had been sitting at home alone for hours. She didn’t like it one bit because that left her with plenty of time to stress about her father. It irritated her that she kept getting threatening phone calls when the nameless mob boss - no mob jackass - had agreed to her paying in installments. He had changed his mind and was demanding more money each time. The worst part was she didn’t even know if her father was still alive because she wasn’t allowed to talk to him.
She wiped a tear that seeped from her eye and rolled down her cheek. Maybe she should tell Liam what was going. She didn’t want his money though. She simply wanted to talk to someone and let off some of the burden. Resting her hand on her chest, she fiddled with the pendant her mother had given her. Her finger brushed over the charm Farah had added to it. It was a circle with intricately twisted pieces inside of it. Farah had said it was some family heirloom and she was touched that she had given her such a thing of value. She didn’t have the heart to tell Farah that it was hideous and so she wore it on the chain of her mother’s pendant with pride.
The silence had gone on too long and it was getting to her so she reached for the TV remote. Before she could switch on the TV, she heard footsteps on the porch. Letting out a relived breath, she threw down the remote. It sounded like either Liam or Farah had come home.
“It’s about time.”
Minutes ticked by and no one came through the door. She frowned and walked to open the door. Stepping outside, she glanced around.
“Liam, are you out here? Look, let’s just forget about what happened this morning? Come inside and let’s talk. I won’t pry into your family business again, I swear.”
No one answered. Maybe she hadn’t heard footsteps after all. It was probably her mind playing tricks on her. With a sigh, she turned and headed back inside. Before she made it through the door, someone appeared in the living room. She gasped and jumped back. The man stared at her with malicious content.
Skylar stood frozen but her mind raced. The stranger almost looked like Liam. He even had similar green eyes. She opened her mouth to scream but he asked, “Where is he?”
“Who? And who are you? How did you get in?” She took retreating steps as he advanced.
He looked her up and down. “His scent is all over you.”
“W-what?”
The stranger laughed. “Well, well, things just got even more fun.”
Skylar knew it was time to run. She knew danger when she saw it and the man smiling wickedly at her meant to do her harm. Immediately, she turned and ran down the steps. She considered running to her
car but remembered that the keys were in the house. There was nowhere else to run but into the woods and she wasn’t thrilled about that. Nothing good ever happened in the woods.
Looking back, she let out a scream when instead of the man, she saw a huge furry creature dashing toward her. “What the f-” She stumbled over a tree root and quickly turned her eyes forward and steadied herself.
What was she running from? A wolf? Wolves didn’t grow to be that big, did they? It wasn’t humanly possible to outrun it, she knew, but she was never one to give up. Skylar shrieked when something heavy hit her in the back and she went flying forward. Landing on the ground, she realized that the gigantic animal had knocked her down with a paw. She rolled over and scrambled backward, staring up at the animal with wide eyes. Well, this was it. Her life was about to end.
To her surprise, the wolf growled and stepped back. It was staring at her chest and shaking its head from side to side wildly. She took a second to glance down. It was staring at her necklace. The animal tilted its head to the side as if confused. It advanced on her again but stopped abruptly and whimpered, ducking it’s head.
Skylar wasted no more time. Taking advantage of the animal’s distress, she set off again. To her dismay, footsteps pounded behind her again. “Shit, shit, shit!” She could only keep running for so long. She forced her terrified mind to think. “A tree!” She headed to the tree in front of her and began climbing. Thank God she had experience with climbing up and down fire escapes, walls, and fences to evade mob henchmen so climbing a tree wasn’t so hard.
Feeling like she was high enough, she glanced down to see the monster of a wolf circling the tree. It started up at her and she could swear she saw his eyes flash from yellow to green, reminding her of the man that broke into Liam’s house. But when she blinked, its eyes were glowing yellow. The animal growled.
