by Leela Ash
It was too late for her to hide her feelings from him at that point, and she looked down at the ground, the breath catching in her throat as heat rose in her face. She was probably blushing horribly, but there wasn’t much point in being self-conscious about it. He knew exactly how she felt. All she could do was try to play it off as if it weren’t a big deal. Anyone having their stomach touched so sensually would react that way, wouldn’t they? Whether they wanted to pursue anything further with the person touching them or not. It was biological. She was scientifically minded. Rationalizing it would help.
“You deserve a real man who would never let you down or ask you to give up your child,” Walker said.
She could feel the weight of his fierce gaze upon her, and she felt even more crushed by it as she attempted to quell the war raging inside her. Walker was incredibly handsome, but who was to say he was even interested in her back? If anything, it would probably be a one-time thing. She saw the kinds of women he went for. And she was definitely not his type.
“Thanks,” Riley said, sighing deeply and finally meeting his eyes. “But I don’t need anyone. I’m never going to rely on someone else as long as I live.”
“That’s a good plan,” Walker said with an approving nod. “Let me know how that works out for you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Riley demanded, suddenly feeling stupid and defensive.
“Wolves are pack animals, that’s all. Relying on each other is kind of what we do, you know? There’s nothing wrong with trusting someone else. At least, not when they’re trustworthy…”
“Oh…right.”
Walker and Riley grew quiet, until both of them were focused only on Walker’s strong, skillful hands dressing the wound. Every time their skin touched, it sent a thrill through Riley’s body; one that rivalled the dull sensation of pain she felt whenever the bandage would touch her skin or put pressure on the wound.
“How did you learn to do this?” Riley asked, trying to distract herself from her unwanted desire. “You seem so professional.”
“Oh, it’s actually kind of a requirement to learn about healing and tending to wounds when you’re a pup. It’s impossible to detect when danger might strike and if you aren’t able to cope with it, you could lose your life or the life of someone you love. It’s a risk most of us aren’t willing to take, so we learn young.”
“Oh…”
Walker chuckled. “When it comes to humans, there are some different techniques you can use because our constitutions are so different, but the idea is more or less the same.”
“You mean because we’re weak?” Riley asked, daring to meet his eyes. He was smiling playfully and nodded.
“Exactly. Super weak.”
They laughed softly together, and finally, the wound was dressed and Walker was done. He let his hand drop away from her exposed abdomen and left a trail of fire that spread down to her loins. Walker helped her up and examined the bandage closely to make sure it was secure enough, and then smiled at her.
“That will do,” he said, his eyes dark and flashing. She knew, suddenly, that he had been on to her the whole time; he knew exactly what she was feeling and now, in this moment anyway, he was feeling the same thing.
Suddenly, she was pressed close against his body, his arms gentle but assertive around her, and his face inches away from hers, the tension between them enough to nearly kill her. It was impossible to hide how he made her feel now; her body was awake and alert and sending every signal possible in her brain to tell her she needed to give in to this temptation and succumb to the power of this man’s body.
But Riley was frozen, unable to reconcile her desire with the running track in her mind that was telling her no. This was wrong. They worked together and should keep things on a business spectrum. She could lose everything.
And yet she wasn’t able to pull away. All she could do was yield to the man’s power, and melt under his touch as slowly, gently, his lips met hers and a hot explosion of desire exploded throughout her body. There was no turning back now. All she could do at that point was enjoy the ride.
Riley was suddenly being hefted into the air, a tiny hot pain in her abdomen as Walker lifted her into his arms and carried her, his tongue caressing hers sensually all the while, to his bedroom. It was dark and cool inside, with a heady, rugged scent that reminded Riley of the outdoors.
When Walker looked at her again, his eyes flashed, almost menacingly, and she saw a glimpse of the same wolf that had saved her and her child; the wolf that seemed to be taking them down this path of giving into temptation, no matter what the cost.
It thrilled her, in a way, to be able to see Walker in his purest form; every little part of him. But it was also a little scary. The wolf would take what it wanted, no matter what. Did that mean it would take her too, even if Walker, the man, would simply discard her later?
The thought weighed heavily on her, until Walker’s expressive human eyes laid upon her again and she felt herself relaxing under his touch as he laid her gently on the bed, climbing above her and showering her with languid kisses that brought electricity coursing up and down her skin. He was a caring and sensual lover, but there was also an edge to him. Something unspoken that told her he was in charge here; an alpha not to be reckoned with. And for some reason, that made her want him even more.
Layer upon layer of clothing was peeled away, revealing their bodies to one another. Walker kissed her reverently, as if admiring and appreciating every inch of her, and his hot lips sent shivers of ecstasy through her as he continued, with wolf-like curiosity, to explore her every curve. She didn’t have many of them, not like Walker’s ex-wife, but he seemed intrigued by her body nonetheless, and Riley found herself closing her eyes and gasping in delight as the man’s deliberate, careful touches and strokes ignited a burning desire within her that demanded to be satisfied.
Riley ran her hands down Walker’s incredible torso, mesmerized by every delicious muscle in his body. He was incredible, and frankly, massive; she had never been with a man so huge and she wasn’t sure how she was going to take it.
But the worries soon left her as he came in close again for another round of kissing, and the friction of his body against hers, their middles touching, gave her the confidence that she could handle anything.
As if to test this theory, Riley’s body was suddenly enraptured by the piercing bliss of Walker’s member. She cried out in pleasure as he made his way inside her, carefully but assertively, his eyes watchful and caring.
Once he seemed satisfied that she was able to handle what he had in store for her, his eyes glittered again, flashing back to the animalistic gaze of the wolf within him. Instead of fear, Riley felt a surge of excitement. Walker was going to give her body exactly what it wanted, and he wasn’t going to think twice about it.
Soon, all of her senses were being assaulted as Walker’s powerful, flawless body began to deliver on the promise it had made her. Wave after wave of ecstasy crashed down upon her as she was shocked by the blissful penetration of his hard, urgent muscle. She could feel every inch of him inside her as he pleasured her, their bodies entwined and connected by the depth of their desire for one another. She had never experienced anything like it.
Riley moaned deeply as a prickle began to creep up her spine, the immense pleasure causing her to arch her back, bucking her hips invitingly against Walker’s. He seemed to know exactly what to do with this invitation and let out a soft growl, his body ramping up the power and sending wave after wave of unbridled pleasure throughout her body.
With every sensually charged thrust, Riley found herself closer to reaching the height of her pleasure. However, it continued to elude her until Walker gazed into her eyes, his own eyes half wolf and half man, fighting an endless battle for control. It was a battle the man lost, and she found herself helpless to the unmatched power of Walker’s alpha side. Riley shouted out in ecstasy; she could feel the power of both of their bodies climbing toward the ulti
mate climax. But it wasn’t until she felt Walker grip her hips, the deep rumble in his throat sending a shiver throughout her body, that she finally felt the orgasm begin to overtake her.
Walker’s body didn’t let up on his tirade, and she was helpless against it as an explosion of heat erupted inside her. Walker’s climax filled her with an unrivaled heat and she found the barriers within her melting. Riley’s body trembled beneath his, filled again and again with a pleasure she hadn’t even known was possible as she was swept away by the power of the height of her bliss.
Walker slowed, and then finally stopped his thrusting, until finally, he rolled over beside her on the bed. Both of them lay there panting, lost in their own versions of what had just happened and what they had done. Riley was surprised by a quick peck on the cheek before Walker turned away from her and promptly fell into a deep sleep.
8.
Walker groaned softly, rousing himself from the bed. His mind was foggy from sleep, but when he glanced over to look at the time, his heart lurched. Riley’s lithe body was tangled in his sheets, and when she felt his intent gaze upon her, she stirred, opening her dazzling eyes and fixing him with a smile.
“That…can never happen again,” she said, her voice soft from waking. She sat up and stretched, the sheet slipping down to reveal the gentle slope of her breast. As much as he agreed–with every fiber of his being, he knew that nothing like this could ever happen again–he felt an urgent pulse of longing shoot through him.
“No,” he said, looking away from her and attempting to repress his desires. “This is definitely not something that should continue. We’re going to be living together now, this isn’t really appropriate. Especially not with the girls…”
“Shit, the girls,” Riley said, scurrying out of bed and dragging the sheet with her to wrap herself up in. “I’ve got to get dressed. I need to see my baby.”
“She’s with my sister,” Walker said as she disappeared from the room. “She’s fine.”
But Riley didn’t hear the last part. She was already in her own room. Walker could hear her rummaging through one of her large duffel bags and finding an outfit for the day.
He sighed and shook his head, vowing to himself not to spy on the girl by taking advantage of senses she probably didn’t even know he had. Instead, he would focus on making them both some breakfast. That would help him keep his mind and hands occupied. He would make enough for the girls in case they wanted some.
With a new goal in mind, he was able to distract himself from the wolf, who was tempting him to keep trying to hone in on what Riley was doing and stalk the human until it got exactly what it wanted. But it had already gotten far more than it should have the night before, and Walker was hardly the type of man to indulge in the things he knew he shouldn’t. He liked to believe he was capable of a higher level of self-discipline, but the fact of the matter was, that sometimes, he simply happened to be a man with needs, and he wanted those needs met.
However, he was not willing to meet his needs at the cost of the best nanny he and his daughter would ever manage to have. Walker just could not afford to be selfish right now. Erin was in a vulnerable place, and the two of them had a hard enough time making ends meet. His sister worked a demanding job, but pitched in whenever she could. Even that was never enough. There were times when Walker just needed to be able to leave the house without worrying about what he was going to do with his daughter, and having Riley there helped to free him up enough to be able to do that.
And now that they were going to be living together, that was going to become even more accessible. No, he wasn’t going to risk any of this by making himself out to be a hornball and letting the wolf have its fill of its sinful desires. He was going to be a respectful alpha and take care of his pack, and make sure Riley and her daughter felt safe and protected in his home, no matter what the cost. Even if that meant he didn’t allow the wolf to roam free, when, otherwise, it would have.
“Tara lives on Maple Street, right?” Riley asked, coming into the kitchen and heading to the fridge. She dug through until she pulled out sour cream, clearly eager to have a fast meal and get to Tara’s house to pick up the girls.
“Yeah. Look, sit down and have a proper breakfast. The girls aren’t going anywhere. Tara knows how to cook as well as I do, they’re getting fed and probably having a ton of fun.”
Riley didn’t meet his eyes, and her energy remained anxious and scattered. She wasn’t sure what to do with him now that they had been intimate. It was painfully awkward for her. Walker sighed.
“I’ll eat in the living room if you want. You can eat at the table. We don’t have to make things all weird, you know. Let’s just pretend none of this ever happened.”
For some reason, this seemed to be the wrong thing to say, because Riley’s face creased in pain. “Fine.”
Walker was surprised by her reaction, and wished there was something he could say to fix things, but apparently, the human was done speaking to him and got her plate of food and sat down at the table pointedly with her back to him.
He shook his head to himself and headed into the living room as he had promised he would, wondering what in the hell the code was to making women happy and why he always seemed to be missing it. Maybe he just wasn’t meant to be in a relationship with a woman of any kind. The only girl he needed in his life was Erin. They were happy enough together without any of that type of mess complicating his life and making his mornings unbearably awkward.
After about ten minutes, Walker heard Riley’s keys jangle and he listened to the screen door slam shut and the engine of her car turn over. He was really going to have to check that out for her. The last thing she needed was to get stranded somewhere, especially when there were people after her.
Walker cursed. He had just let her leave the house without protection! What the hell was he thinking?
He discarded his plate and shifted into his wolf form to run after the car, watching from a careful distance to make sure nothing happened to her. Whether she liked it or not, he would be there to keep her safe, even if she didn’t know he was there. That much was not negotiable.
***
“Marcus! Haven’t seen you around in a while!” Walker said, genuinely happy to see his friend. “How is your latest project coming along?”
But Marcus didn’t seem to hear him. He looked distracted and pensive, and kept looking over his shoulder as if expecting to see somebody coming up behind him.
“Marcus? What’s going on?”
A wave of fear spiked out from his human friend, and Walker felt bad for raising his voice. Shifters were known to growl as they spoke if they were passionate or concerned, and sometimes, it put humans on edge. He had assumed Marcus would be more desensitized to this by now, but apparently, he wasn’t.
“Hey, Walker,” Marcus said. His face was pale, and he looked as if he hadn’t been sleeping properly. “Oh, everything’s fine…”
“You’re lying,” Walker stated. He hated it when people tried to insult the wolf in him like that.
“Okay, so I’m lying,” Marcus grumbled, sliding off the hood of his car and walking toward Walker miserably. “I think I might be in some trouble.”
Walker sighed. “Seems like there’s a lot of that going around lately.”
Marcus looked bewildered. “What do you mean?”
“You know the nanny you hooked me up with? Someone attacked her yesterday. The evil bastards nearly abducted her child, too, from the looks of it. It has something to do with Luthor Mays.”
“Shit, really?” Marcus asked. Now his energy changed from fear to anxiety, as if he were guilty.
“Marcus, what happened? Is this related to the trouble you’re in?”
Marcus was reluctant to reply, but from his hesitation, Walker could clearly determine the answer.
“Well, what’s going on, man? I can’t help you guys if I don’t understand the problem.”
“You’re an alpha,” Marcus said. “I d
on’t know if I want to tell you my problem and have you feel obligated to come in and rescue me. It’s kind of my own shit to deal with, you know?”
“Marcus, it’s not just your shit. My nanny and her child are involved too. They could have been killed. And I need to know why.”
Marcus exhaled deeply.
“All right, but you’re probably not going to like this very much,” he said.
“Of course, I’m not going to like this,” Walker stated. “I have the people closest to me in serious danger and I don’t even know why.”
“It’s my program,” Marcus said, his entire body emanating pain and regret. Walker arched his brow but remained silent, urging his friend to continue with his story. “It’s got the most advanced encryptions of any technology out there right now. But you know Luthor. He wants to exploit that for himself and get access to the information that the royals try to keep to themselves.”
“What does he want with the information?”
“Walker, it’s everything. From their financial accounts to the family secrets and records dating back hundreds of years. Even information about the original shifters and the world we came from. Portals. Everything that could be dangerous should the wrong people get a hold of them. They would probably sell it to the bear shifters, or use it themselves, to wreak havoc in Stonybrooke and try to get the power twisted into their favor. It’s bad news, man. Really bad news.”
“Since when did they put their special secret records in a digital format?” Walker exclaimed. “That’s the most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard!”
“I guess one of the head honchos talked to the Council and they thought it would be helpful to create a database. There are other shifter settlements popping up all over the world, and they have a right to the information too. At least, the elders of the packs do, at any rate. So that’s where my IT skills were supposed to come in handy…”
“What did they do to you?” Walker asked, doing his best to keep his voice even and steady. He didn’t want to scare Marcus again. And he would have to try to keep himself under control if he was going to be living with a human. They had such vulnerable dispositions, physically and emotionally, at times. And yet, he sometimes found himself envious of that. Maybe if he had been more emotionally intelligent he wouldn’t have married a horrible, psychotic woman who broke his heart and abused his trust and willingness to accommodate her selfish desires.
