More Wicked Alphas, Wilder Nights: Sizzling Collection of Paranormal Romance (Wicked Alphas, Wild Nights Book 5) (14 page)

He’d had to rebuild the trust within the pack and within the community. It had taken time, but he had brought them back together. Now, a pack once filled with wolves on the verge of going rogue, had mated couples, children, and infants. Families.

He placed his hand on the small of her back as he guided her down the staircase and into the living room. He was pleased to note that she didn’t flinch away. Progress. A baby step, but progress never the less. Marge had warned him she’d be skittish at first and not to take it personally.

“Would you like something to drink?” He walked toward the back of the room where a larger than average bar stood in the corner, complete with handcrafted wine racks and a stainless steel refrigerator unit. He frequently held pack meetings here, wanting each member to feel as though his home was their home should they ever need it.

“Do you have a soft drink? I haven’t had one in a while.”

Liam nodded. The living room held large leather couches and matching chairs. It could easily fit twenty to thirty wolf shifters with room to spare. A large flat screen television was mounted above the stone fireplace that took up half of one wall. Its mirrored surface gave him the perfect reflective surface to watch her without her realizing his scrutiny. He took his time fixing her drink, studying her.

Not wanting to set his wolf off, he started at her feet. Her bare feet. He frowned thinking how cold the hardwood must feel under her feet. Why hadn’t Marge given her a pair of socks he thought with an irrational burst of anger. His attention was soon diverted by the swell of her breasts under the soft knit of her top. Marge hadn’t seen fit to provide her with a bra either. Of course, he wasn’t going to complain to his healer about that. No, he liked the fact that her big breasts were bare beneath that cotton fabric.

Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips. The innocent movement had frantic alarms buzzing inside his brain. Slow. He had to go slow or risk losing this woman forever. She was little more than a wild animal, ready to flee at the first wrong move.

Janet walked into the large living room unsure what she should do. Her lack of social graces was something she’d never been ashamed of before. She was ashamed with this man. Despite his effort to hide it, she sensed his slow, potent scrutiny as it drifted over her like a scorching desert wind, burning her skin. His expression was hard, inscrutable, his eyes glinting hot as molten steel. Suddenly, she felt exposed and vulnerable.

She put on the bravado that had been her constant companion all her life and returned his appraisal. His stance was casual, but she knew he could turn from easy-going male to killing predator in the blink of an eye. He wore a black t-shirt that clung to his impressive chest and strained under the pressure from his biceps. His jeans molded to his powerful thighs. She couldn’t help the quick look she took at the junction of his legs.
Everything
 about him appeared to be impressive.

She didn’t know what to do with the flush of sexual heat that ran over her. Suddenly it was hard to breath. Her pulse accelerated; her head felt fuzzy and to her chagrin, she could feel the crest of her breasts blossom into aching arousal against the soft worn cotton of her borrowed t-shirt. Her senses soaked up his deeply masculine scent of sunshine, leather, and hard work. Her wolf whined inside her. She’d never given in—had never had the desire to give in—to that part of herself. The part that said mate. Claim.

Maybe if she didn’t look at him, that would help keep her defenses in place.

She’d couldn’t deny the draw and attraction she felt toward Liam. But wasn’t that just female being drawn to male? Their animals wanting to make a good match, bred strong pups. They were drawn to each other on a primal and primitive level that had nothing to do with their compatibility or shared hopes and dreams. The man and the woman didn’t have a choice. Their wolves ruled their fate, chose their mate for them.

In the same instant that she turned, Liam took a step forward, their movement coinciding to send her crashing into him so that she literally bounced off his chest. Off balance, she staggered back, almost falling until his arms shot out and reeled her in, steadying her against him. Her eyes looked up to meet his and he was once again draw into the dark depths. So beautiful. So innocent.

Then his gaze drifted down, drawn to tell-tale response of her body. His attention zeroed in on the aroused centers of her breasts, the nipples standing out in firm relief beneath the thin fabric of her shirt. Damn. He was going to have to get her some different clothes. A fucking bra for one thing. His wolf licked its lips in anticipation of stripping the same garment from her curvy frame. He groaned, realizing he was in a no-win situation. Dressed or undressed he wanted Janet to hell and back.

When they’d almost collided Janet had grabbed Liam by the shoulders. Her fingertips tingled with the desire to feel the sculpted hardness of his wide shoulders and to smooth along his bronzed arms and under the edges of the shirt straining against the strength of his biceps.

She cursed her treacherous body for feeling this crazy feminine yearning when Liam was so close. She’d endured her heats before, taking care of herself beneath the covers, knowing no wolf in the pack would ever want her. Not with her alpha making it plain her full figure was something to be mocked and ridiculed.

She watched the play of muscles across his broad, broad shoulders and back. Wolves weren’t the biggest of shifters, that honor went to the bears. Liam was, however, the largest wolf she’d ever seen. He man was huge.  Massive shoulders and arms. Wide chest, washboard-belly. Shifters were always fine specimens of male virility, but Liam was in a class by himself. His skin was naturally tanned and his looks unmatched by any wolf she had ever know. All of her feminine instincts were urging her on, telling her this was a prime, alpha male with whom she should mate. Her wolf recognized his wolf as being capable of taking care of them and any offspring she might bear.

Her hands itched to reach for him, to stroke his flesh—her eyes dropped to front of his pants—and she did mean stroke him everywhere. His hair gleamed even in the room’s muted lights and beckoned to her. Ten shades of black and a hint of gray around the temples. Was he that old of a wolf or was that just his natural coloring? It didn’t matter. She bet he’d be black, gray, and white as a wolf. He’d be beautiful.

Standing so close to him made her breathe uneasily. She’d never felt this way before. Never desired a man like this. Never as her untouched state could attest to. “I want to thank you for letting me stay here until I can—”

“Until you can what, Janet? Leave? You’re under my care now.”

For an instant her expression took on a look of feminist outrage then it fled, to be replaced by a sad little smile. “I’ve been taking care of myself for a very long time.” His mouth tightened ominously. She crossed her arms over her chest as he walked toward her, his eyes hard and shuttered—and swirling brown and glittering gold. A sure sigh his wolf was near the surface.

Oh damn, she thought. He looked like a wolf on the prowl.

“I’m not afraid of you,” she said when he came to a halt only inches away. As if to prove her words, she stared defiantly up into his hard, handsome face.

“You ought to be,” he said silkily.

Deciding he was too close, she planted her hands on his chest and gave him a shove. Although it wasn’t strong enough to actually move him, it did manage to rock him back on his heels. For the second time that night, his hands shot out faster than she could imagine, this time to encircle her wrists. He pulled her close until he could bend his head and whisper in her ear. His warm breath wafted over her skin, making her shiver.

“You’re under my care now. And I take very good care of what’s mine.”

“I’m no man’s property.” She struggled to get her wrists free. He wasn’t hurting her and he adjusted the hold on her wrists so she wouldn’t hurt herself. She lifted her head to warn him to let her go and when she did, he swooped down, giving her a kiss she’d only ever dreamed about. Hard, needy, dominant. Oh yeah, despite her tough girl attitude, she wanted to be dominated. By the right man. The right wolf.

Knowing she shouldn’t, but as if it was the most natural thing in the world—she gave him her mouth. He pressed their lips together, moving in a slow, sensual possession that made her relax into his body. Then, for an instant, she had a brief moment of clarity. “No,” she protested weakly. “We shouldn’t.”

“I’m pretty sure we should,” he whispered against her lips, his tongue licking along her full bottom one.

Despite her protest, she surrendered with mortifying speed. The scent of his warm, male, spice was enough to steal the strength from her knees. The first incredible, heady taste of his lips had her mouth parting for more, and when his tongue slipped past her teeth and his hands fell away from her wrists, she found herself winding her hands around his neck in a desperate desire to bring him closer. He returned the possessive hold, his fingers delving into her hair, gripping the silky mass to tip back her head so he could deepen the angle of the kiss. His other arm encircled her waist.

“Oh, yes.” She felt intoxicated by him, the wildness in her blood intensifying madly when he blazed a trail of hungry kisses along the sensitive underside of her jaw.

“You’re killing me, baby,” he murmured as he pressed his face against her neck and inhaled. “I smell your want.”

The words almost slapped Janet from her desire. Want. She couldn’t want him. She had no idea what he
wanted
 from her. Trust did not come easily and he had yet to do anything to earn it.

Except rescue us
, her wolf growled as she pulled back from the big man. Her animal and pussy both protested the move.

“I usually get what I want.” Liam caught her gaze and refused to release it.

Janet felt the threat, but was helpless to escape from it.

“I—” What did she say? What could she say? Kiss me, please? Throw me over the couch and ravage me?

Yes, yes, yes
, her wolf snarled. All of that. And more. There was so much more that she wanted.

Sexy, sultry things she couldn’t name but could clearly envision—such as the damp heat of his mouth sucking her nipples and the strength of his hard, long-fingered hands urging her against the length of his cock. God, his cock. She wanted him inside her with a need that she’d never felt before. She wanted it more than she’d wanted anything for a long, long time.

The thoughts rolled through her like the hot rush of the desert wind, heating her blood, making her heart race, sending her swaying closer to him. She took a deep breath, remembering humiliation at the hands of her old alpha and the guards in the compound when she’d had to shift in front of them.

Liam could read the feelings coming off Janet. First there was red-hot lust, a heat that made his cock stiffen to an almost unbearable hardness and his wolf howl in the same agony. Then, despair and anger had washed over her.

“I’ll make it good for you,” he told her. “I’ll make it good for both of us.” He knew she would need gentle handling. No matter how difficult it would be for him to hold back, to wait, to deny himself, he wanted this night to be for Janet. But, fuck, how he wanted her. Here. Now. He nuzzled her neck, then inched his way past the knit collar of her shirt. He flicked out his tongue and tasted the damp, salty essence of her flesh. He longed to expose and explore, to bare her body and familiarize himself with every luscious, curvy inch of female flesh.

He bit down softly on the muscle where her neck and shoulder joined. He’d mark her there. Mark her while he was buried balls deep inside the sweet pussy he could scent spilling with feminine want.

She sucked in a deep breath as if his words had both enticed and frightened her. When his mouth found hers again, she made no protest, giving herself to him completely. Lips connected with furious passion and tongues mated frantically.

Don’t stop now
, his wolf told him.
 If you hesitate, she won’t give herself to us. She’ll run.

Yeah, like he needed his damn animal to remind him of that.

“I want to be with you,” she whispered into his mouth. “I want to know.”

Did she realize how her words made his cock throb, leak with cum? The man—and the wolf—couldn’t wait to have her either. Lifting her up on her tiptoes and lowering his head, he initiated another tender kiss even though that was the furthest thing from what he truly wanted to do. But he made it soft and languid. As the reward for his patience, she eased one hand from his neck to grip his shoulder and lifted the other to caress the back of his head. Her body pressed against his. Full breast to hard chest. Slowly, so as not to appear too aggressive, he slid his hands from her waist to her hips, loving the feel of her curves. She’d filled out a little more since she’d been here, but not enough for him.

“I want to see you. May I?”

When Liam asked permission to touch her, to deepen their intimacy, the last of Janet’s doubts faded away. No man had ever asked permission to touch her. Not that any had ever wanted to touch her the way Liam’s eyes promised he wanted to touch her. Hesitating, Janet raised her eyes to him and her heart melted. He wasn’t going to force her, grab her and take what he wanted, she realized. He was waiting for her permission, waiting for her to set the pace of their loving.

She nodded her head, trembling in anticipation of his touch.

He smiled. That predatory smile that almost had her taking back her permission and running like hell.

“Oh no, baby, you’re going to have to tell me what you want.”

“I.” Janet wasn’t sure that she could. She was scared of what was about to happen. And, she really didn’t know what she wanted.

“Okay,” Liam said, breathing through his nose to push back the lust trying to take control of him, “we’ll take this slow.” He bent down and pressed a soft, but possessive kiss against her full lips. The near-sexual purr in her moan slid under Liam’s skin straight to his wolf. The animal was hot, eager and horny. Instantly.