Tempering Steel

by Lea Barrymire

  Something must have shown in the kid’s face, because Skip softened his tone a little. “Son, if you tell us the truth straight away, you’re not going to be in too much trouble. But that all depends on how you behave. Be a man, own up to your mistakes, and I’ll promise to be fair.”

  Sniffles punctuated Corey’s words. “Okay. Thank you, Alpha. Can I…can I say I’m sorry to Ms. Libby?” A sob shook the little shoulders. “I’m really, really sorry. I didn’t mean nobody to get hurt.”

  Margie couldn’t help it. Tears burned in her eyes. No one so young should have to stand in front of a bunch of adults alone. But then again, he’d caused harm to two of the pack. She knew Skip would be fair and that Rebecca Cartridge would never let anyone harm the boy, but it didn’t stop the slow trickle of tears.

  “Go ahead, son.”

  Corey walked slowly toward the large cat cowering in Amie’s lap. He took three steps at a sedate pace before racing the rest of the way, falling to his knees and burying his face in her fur. His watery and mumbled apology slowly drove a knife into Margie’s heart. How could she have thought this little kid would have done something malicious? But then again, she’d grown up with bullies. Age didn’t matter.

  Skip turned his attention to Jason. “What the hell is wrong with you? I take you into my pack, allow you sanctuary, and I’ve had to witness you attacking my people on numerous occasions.”

  The wolf hung his head. “I am sorry, Alpha. My wolf has decided Libby is ours and seems to have a tough time restraining itself. I will accept any punishment you deem fit for my transgressions.”

  “Transgressions? Christ, cut that shit out. We don’t transgress here—we fuck up, screw up, make things messy. Apology accepted, but you must get every male you’ve attacked to accept as well.”

  A brilliant white smile peeked from behind Jason’s dark lips. “Deal.”

  “Good.” Skip faced everyone else. “Go home. Connor, I’ll call you later with what I find out. Margie, Libby is fine. You can take your man home and do whatever it is you two do together. Zeke and Pete, go away.” Turning with a grin, he continued. “Amie, can you stick around for a little bit? Libby, you’re going to need to shift. Corey, you and I have an appointment in my house.”

  With a few more directives, everyone started to disperse. It felt anticlimactic somehow, as if she were waiting for the other shoe to drop. Could it all be that simple? But then again, hadn’t they dealt with enough crap to fill a few weeks? Her stomach decided to take the hint and rumble its dissatisfaction with lack of feeding.

  “Come on. I’ll feed you.”

  Connor’s voice shook her from her thoughts. Looking around, she found they were the only two still in the building, other than Skip and the girls. Even Corey was gone, presumably with his foster parents.

  “Okay. My house or yours?”

  “I was assuming yours, if that’s okay?”

  “Sure.” She nervously wrung her hands. How to ask about their plans without it sounding desperate or weird?

  “Margie? Look at me.”

  What she saw took every ounce of concern from her. His eyes were clear and honest, shining with understanding and happiness. “We go back to your place and we eat dinner. There’s no rush. You can kick me out then or let me touch you. It’s all your decision.” He smiled and leaned in to whisper, “But just to warn you, I don’t play fair. I’m going to try and make the second option happen.”

  With a full belly and enough wine to make her sleepy, Margie flopped onto her couch, sprawling out and throwing an arm over her eyes. “Wow, you make a mean meatloaf. I’m so full.”

  The meal had been great. Their conversation had been stilted at the beginning, but it hadn’t taken long for them to fall into easy chatter about life, the town, the day. It’d been relaxing and nice. True to his word, Connor had made every attempt to touch her, caressing an arm as he passed behind her to get to the fridge or giving her shoulder a kiss if his hands were full. She’d remained in a heightened sense of sexual awareness and still ached with the need to feel him naked and hot against her.

  A brush of air was her only warning before warm lips pressed to hers. Where their mouths touched, she tingled. Slowly she’d become addicted to the physical reminder of their connection. Grinning, she licked his lower lip and opened her eyes to find him watching her. “I want to make love to you.”

  Her lips hurt from how wide her smile went. “I want you to make love to me.”

  As if she’d uttered something profound and necessary, Connor’s face smoothed, relaxed. The tension she ’hadn’t even realized he was carrying melted away with a slight nod of his head. She was swept into strong arms and cuddled against his wide chest as he strode toward her bedroom. Thrumming under her side was a purr or a growl that held nothing but satisfaction and contentment. It sounded as if his coyote was as happy as she was that they were moving to the bed and some skin-on-skin time.

  Without breaking eye contact, Connor set her gently on the bed, leaning in and pressing warm lips to hers. She liked this side to him. They kissed slowly, tasting and teasing, but neither pushed the heat farther. Enjoying each other’s mouths, sharing their breath and gazing deeply into each other’s eyes, time could have stopped as they spent time connecting and kissing.

  “I could do this forever.” His words were low and heavy with emotion. Connor kissed down her neck and spent time laving her skin with long swipes of his tongue. “I want to bite you right here.” He nipped a place right at the base of her neck. He groaned. “Right here. Everyone will see my mark.”

  She shivered and gave him more access to the place where he was sucking up a bruise. Weaving her hands into his hair, she pulled him close. “Do it. Bite me.”

  He shook his head, tickling her cheek with his short locks. “Not yet. Not like this.”

  She moaned as he placed one more kiss on the sensitive spot. Before she could argue with him, he’d shimmied down her body, pushed her shirt up and was licking her belly. Goose bumps and a shiver erupted along her skin. His mouth was so hot. Tingles chased his touches until she didn’t know what she wanted other than to feel him inside her. When he moved to her breasts, she gasped. The first flick of his tongue over her nipple sent a shock of heat to her pussy. When he sucked the nub into his mouth, she shuddered. Each pull felt as if he was sucking her clit.

  “Oh, that’s nice.” She wiggled, trying to get her hands to her pants. “Naked. Now.”

  “You’re so demanding.” His words feathered over her skin and she shivered. But he listened. With an efficiency she was jealous of, he had his pants and shirt off and was yanking at her jeans. His cock was full and weeping clear drops.

  Connor was quickly between her legs again and sucking her other nipple. Her back bowed with the sensations. “I want you inside me.”

  He stilled and dark eyes burned her with need. While she fell into his gaze, she spread her legs open farther and wrapped them around his hips. He gave her what she wanted with a shift of his body. His cock slid through her wetness, rubbing over her puffy pussy lips. She moaned but refused to close her eyes. She wanted to watch every emotion on his face.

  As if they’d been made to fit perfectly together, his dick found her opening with ease and slid torturously slowly into her body. She loved the stretch, the pressure as he pushed deeper inside. One moment she’d been achingly empty, the next she was full and gasping from the pressure of his pelvis against her clit.

  “Oh, you’re so fucking wet and hot.” He groaned as he pulled out of her channel. “Rub yourself, Margie. I want to feel you come around my cock.”

  Sliding a hand between their bodies, she loved the feel of his shaft where it entered her. He was so hard and silky, so different from her soft and wet pussy. She delved a finger inside her channel alongside his shaft, loving the extra sensations, and gathered some of her juices. He shuddered above her as she rubbed along his sensitive flesh.

  With slick fingers, she pressed lightly against her swo
llen nub and gasped. “Won’t take long.”

  He nodded and continued his slow pace, pulling nearly all the way from her body then powering back in until his spongy head kissed her cervix. The bite of pain with that tap pushed her higher. Between her fingers and Connor’s movements, the building release was upon her too soon. Her channel clamped down on his rigid cock, making it harder for him to move within her. His silky dick rubbed against her G-spot on each stroke. She burned with the impending orgasm, her muscles clenching, and her fingers sped.

  A moment before she blew apart, he leaned down and sucked a nipple, biting lightly. That sent her flying. Margie threw her head back, crying out as the heat and light rippled through her body. He kept moving, pushing into her heat, extending her release. She shook with the power of it and a gush of liquid coated his cock as she continued to shake. “Oh, God.”

  Connor leaned down and bit the spot on her neck that he’d kissed and sucked earlier. The sensitive tissues sent a rush of tingles to her already spasming cunt and she came again, clenching harder around his shaft. A guttural groan against her ear was her only warning before he powered harder, faster into her body. Once. Twice. Another rush of hot liquid coated her channel as he came, shaking and grunting.

  The only sounds in her bedroom were gasps and pants. He held most of his weight off her body with his arms, but she could feel him still shaking. She wrapped her arms around his back and pulled him down onto her. He was heavy, but it felt good to have him pinning her down. Small tremors still worked through her pussy, each one answered immediately by a twitch from his still-hard cock.

  Exhaustion and the day’s events quickly caught up with her. She yawned and let her body relax, floating on a stream of endorphins. “Nap.”

  Connor chuckled as he rolled to the side. He pulled the blanket off the foot of her bed and covered them with it. “Good idea.”

  She didn’t even care about the wet spot. It would take too much energy to move. She’d worry about it after they woke, and then maybe they’d even get under the covers. Or shower together. Or maybe she could talk him into taking her from behind again. Her body liked all of those ideas, but it reminded her with another yawn that the day had been long and hellish. She drifted off to sleep with a smile on her lips.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Bleary-eyed and still not fully awake, Margie wandered downstairs. The smell of coffee and something that smelled blissfully like bacon had beckoned to her. She needed the caffeine but wanted the crispy strips more. Her fluffy bunny slippers and large men’s plaid robe were a sight, she was sure, but the unruly mop of auburn hair flopping around on the top of her head was sure to scare Connor off.

  Even the thought of his name had her shuddering with a surge of lust. That man knew how to make her body sing. When they’d woken from their nap, she’d talked him into taking a shower. Connor wet and primed for sex was something amazing to see. He’d lifted her against the wall and taken her like that, powering into her while she held on for the ride. He’d woken her later in the night and made sweet, slow love to her while they spooned. Margie had drifted back to sleep with tears of happiness on her cheeks. She’d been hoping to wake with him and get him interested in making love in the pale morning light, but she’d slept in and he obviously hadn’t.

  “Mornin’.” She gave a weak wave as she headed to the coffee pot. He, of course, was sitting at her kitchen table, fully showered and dressed, reading something on his phone while drinking coffee from her Minnie Mouse cup. The image of his big, rough hand cradling the pink ceramic had her chuckling under her breath. Actually, she resembled the angry version of Minnie, with hair curlers and big robe, more than the well put-together Connor.

  He stood, and while she filled her other favorite cup with the elixir of life, he wrapped warm arms around her and gave her a hug. His breath tickled her ear. “Good morning.”

  She grunted at him and leaned in to the embrace. It was too early to be civilized and use words. With a splash of cream and a small spoon of sugar, she was ready to take on the day. She patted his arm before trying to step out of his arms. He let his hands slide to her hips and turned her around.

  “Kisses first. Then I’ll let you go.”

  With a grin, she puckered her lips and tilted her head back. She probably looked like a deranged fish, but she didn’t care. Warm, calloused palms rested against her cheeks for a moment before he lowered his mouth to hers. She loved how gently he started his seductions. His mouth was warm and soft as he pressed it against hers. The firm cock that rolled and rutted against her stomach dragged a moan from her parting lips. She felt the grin a moment before Connor explored her with his tongue. Dipping and tasting, he teased her until she’ grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him flush against her.

  Panting and smiling, he pulled away from her. “Now. I have breakfast ready, warming in the oven, and news. Which would you like first?”

  Her stomach growled loudly but her curiosity needed sating before her belly. “News, please.”

  “Talked to Skip this morning. Corey took them to the woods in three locations last night and showed them thirty traps he’d set. Thirty. The kid defined overkill with his tactics.”

  She waited patiently. For one full second. “And?”

  “And…he’d overheard two of the teens talking about him and his lack of shifting. They’d said he was too weak to fend for himself and that Skip would have to kill him because he’d been a runt. The only thing that saved him was the Cartridges. He took that badly.”

  Margie mulled over the comments and tried to superimpose them onto the little boy she’d watched cry into Libby’s fur. “Wow.”

  “Skip is making the older kids do community service right next to Corey.”

  She nodded. “Good idea. The community, including the teens, needs to be reminded that stupidity can be the cause of a lot of trouble.”

  Her words weren’t meant to imply anything about Connor and his fight with his coyote about her, but as soon as she’d spoken the double meaning was out there. For a moment she thought about saying she hadn’t meant it to sound like she was calling him stupid for causing all the issues between them, but then again, that was the truth. Sure, he’d owned up to it and the last three days had been fantastic, but in reality he could easily roll over one morning and go back to ignoring her or pushing her away.

  He hadn’t claimed her the night before. He’d wanted to. In more than one instance she’d seen his animal peeking out from smoldering eyes and Connor’s teeth had lengthened. Margie had been lost in the moment, but she hadn’t been so far gone that she hadn’t noticed the fight he’d had with his beast.

  “Stop thinking so hard over there.”

  Margie shook her head and took a sip of coffee to cover her sudden lack of enthusiasm.

  Connor sighed. “I’ll be proving my heart to you every day for a while, won’t I? I didn’t bite you because I want the decision to be made when we’re not knee-deep in lust. I want you to want to be mine all the time, not just when we’re in bed.”

  The slight sadness coloring his words broke through her self-pity. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Can we have a truce? Something you can hold over me when I get bitchy and something I can remind you of when I feel like you’re forgetting that I love you?”

  The ‘L’-word had left her mouth before she’d even realized it was coming. She, of course, did the most dignified thing. Slamming both hands over her mouth while mumbling behind her palms sure made it easy to gloss over her statement. Blushing fiercely, she glared at the chuckling man.

  One movement had her wrapped in the best arms on the planet. An instant to savor the embrace was all she was afforded before being plopped over his shoulder and walked, like a sack of grain, into the living room. Connor sat neatly on the sofa, smoothly swinging her body around until she’d been positioned on his lap.

  “Margie?”

  She refused to look at him.

  “I love you too.”

  The
sentence was said in a hushed whisper against her ear. Tears sprang to her eyes and she slammed her forehead into his nose when she tried to see his face. “Ow, sorry.”

  Connor laughed enough to shake her. His hand tested his nose to make sure he wasn’t bleeding. “You didn’t need to attack me.”

  She smacked his arm. “You know that was an accident.” She sighed. “You love me? Are you sure? Because you fought the pull for a long time. I mean, I know I’m awesome in bed, but eventually I’ll run out of new things to show you. And where will that leave us?”

  *****

  Connor watched with a sinking heart as Margie waved her hand in the air as if it would erase the last few words they’d spoken. The damage he’d done, the hurt he’d caused; it all fell heavily on his shoulders.

  Taking Margie’s hand in one of his gave him a way to anchor her. He tilted her head up so he could see her eyes. “I swear right now, I love you, Margarete Barrie. I’ve loved you from the first time you stuck your finger out and told me I was being a bullying asshole. Two years I fought the truth, and I’m truly sorry about it. I will show you every day how I feel. And I promise if I ever act stupid again about our relationship, you are more than welcome to dart me, taze me, whatever you feel would make your point.”

  A spark of mischief burned in her gaze. Oh, what had he done? A slow, sinful smile spread across her face. “Can I tie you down?”

  “Okay.”

  “And torture you sexually?”

  He gulped. “Maybe?”

  She laughed. “Don’t worry, big guy. I won’t do anything like that unless you really get out of hand. But I’m going to remember you told me I could do anything.”

  Pulling her into his arms again felt so right. Soon he’d mark her and mate her, put a wedding band on her hand, and she’d be his in every conceivable way. She snuggled against his chest, all warm and soft. A study of opposites. He loved them all.