Moonlight Danger Page 7

  “Uh-uh what?”

  “You shouldn’t have stopped. Why did you? Don’t!”

  “Okay, okay. Hang on.”

  He stroked her nub. She bucked and clenched her jaw, enduring the delicious torment, her ears buzzing. He panted, thrust, and teased her clit. She backed into him, wanting more, even though he was driving her loony. After another pump, he roared, coming with her.

  They slumped to the mattress, still joined, arms and legs trembling, damp with perspiration, wrapped in warmth and wonder from their joy.

  ***

  Nick couldn’t get enough of Portia. If he lived an eternity, he still wouldn’t have had his fill. After a brief nap, he peeled off her socks.

  She opened one eye. “You don’t like them anymore?”

  “I love them. That’s why I’m doing this.”

  “I see. No, I don’t. As much as you like them, they’re not going to fit you. You’re a big guy.” She ogled his stiffening shaft.

  “Don’t worry, neither of us are getting dressed yet.”

  He carried her into the shower then directed her to the wall. She slumped against the tiles. He lifted her hands to the rod that kept shampoo and other stuff from falling off the shelf. “Go on, grip it. Keep your arms up.”

  She regarded him through lust-slitted eyes. “Having fun?”

  “Are you kidding? Getting you clean is work.”

  “The dirty variety, huh?”

  Already, she knew him too well. He washed off first then soaped her good, paying particular attention to her nipples and cleft because he liked them so much. As far as her good heart, ballsy bravery, wicked sense of humor, and smarts were concerned…he was falling in love with the person she was, or maybe he was already there. Nick didn’t know. She seemed to have always been part of his life. He didn’t want to recall a single moment without her. If the pack had forced her to leave today, he would have followed her out of the community, keeping her close. Together, they would have found a place to belong even if it was only with each other.

  Neither of them would ever be alone again.

  He eased into her. She melted into him. Effortlessly, they fit. Beneath the gentle spray, she held onto his shoulders at the same moment he cupped her ass, pulling her up so his cock could slip back into her cunt.

  Their lovemaking was more sensual than frantic. Oddly enough, also more impassioned. They burrowed into each other’s core, reaching past facades and fun to their souls. He invited her inside his, their gazes caressing, smiles knowing and reserved for them alone.

  They resisted climax far more impressively than they had the other times. Possibly lasting two minutes. Maybe a few seconds past that.

  When Nick came, he pressed his face against her shoulder. She did the same with him. They clung to each other in the steamy heat, making the moment, the world, and everything else stand still.

  Chapter Five

  An uneasy truce settled between Fran, Olive, and Portia. The older women didn’t speak to, look at, or bother her. She stayed far from them, too, taking extra care with her work. Handles no longer shot from sinks. There were no more kitchen leaks or bathroom flooding reports. All was right with the world.

  Especially hers and Nick’s.

  Each day, they enjoyed lunch together, her surprising him with culinary treats she’d learned from the Food Network, or him bringing baloney-and-mustard sandwiches so she wouldn’t have to do the work. A good guy. At night, they retired to her cottage or his, sharing the cooking and clean-up duties, after which they watched TV programs like an old married couple. She loved Grey’s Anatomy, even with McDreamy’s departure. Nick liked The Blacklist, Blindspot, and The Following, which he lamented for having been canceled. As long as the show was about a government conspiracy or wacko killers, he was on board. After the evening news, they retired to her bedroom or his for the real entertainment.

  Since their date, they lived joined lives, more so than many couples who’d exchanged vows or had fully mated.

  Shifting and running together remained the only thing they hadn’t done. When Nick gave into his inner wolf, he preferred to do so at twilight. She favored the hours before sunrise. Moonlight and the surrounding forest always seemed cooler then. Plus, she never ran into another shifter during that time.

  To come across Olive or Fran after their change wasn’t something Portia wanted to do. She still didn’t trust them completely. Seeing them naked while they shifted was too much punishment even for a masochist. That kind of stuff would make a wolf want to go blind.

  She checked the nightstand clock. The day would start soon. Disappointed, she nevertheless slipped from Nick’s embrace. His upper lip fluttered with a mild snore. After easing his hair from his forehead, she kissed his eyebrows. He stretched briefly, his musky scent enveloping her.

  She went limp with wanting. Maybe she wouldn’t shift today.

  He rolled to the side, his back to her. Fighting the urge to jump him, she tugged on denim cut-offs and a pink bra so she’d be nominally decent before slipping into the forest. She didn’t bother with shoes.

  Loamy soil and dewy vegetation perfumed the air. Crickets chirped. The cottages were dark, illuminated only by the three-quarter moon, its silvery rays making everything magical.

  She inhaled deeply then quickly slapped her hand over her mouth, swallowing hard to avoid being ill. That same odd, sickening scent hit. She followed the stench to the forest edge across from Zach and Valerie’s place. Portia craned her neck and sniffed repeatedly to determine where the foul odor came from or to spot an animal carcass rotting in the humid environment.

  There wasn’t anything out there, not even disturbed soil that would indicate a regular wolf had buried its prey, as they’d been known to do with surplus kills. Dogs followed the same pattern.

  She couldn’t detect either animal’s scent.

  The stench vanished, as it always did, replaced by a sweet rose fragrance. Troubled and mystified, she jogged to her backyard.

  Rabbits and rodents scurried into the brush. Once naked, she bolted into the thicket, shifting rapidly. On all fours, she raced through the forest, gulping air, loving the endorphin rush from a hard run. Almost as good as sex.

  Ashy beams lit her way, creating a wonderland no human had ever experienced. Mammals’ eyes glinted in the faint light, the creatures spying her approach and departure. Insects crept across the path in a long unbroken line, one following the other on mindless instinct. Bats soared overhead, their leathery wings whapping the clammy air. Leaves rustled violently, more than they should from her having passed or the breeze disturbing them. The wind blew in her face, keeping her from detecting an unwelcomed visitor’s scent from behind.

  Panting, she slowed and turned, neck hairs raised.

  Nick stood on the path, fully shifted, his black fur glistening in the moonlight.

  Portia’s heart caught. She wanted to believe this meant what she’d longed for but was too afraid to hope.

  He approached first, a quiet whining noise pouring from his throat, the sound every wolf recognized as the start to courtship and bonding. Thrilled, she padded near, vocalizing as he had, giving herself to him for all time. They’d been born for each other. No one could convince her otherwise.

  He mouthed her muzzle. She did the same with his. They touched noses, repeatedly bumping their bodies together. Beneath the gauzy light, they groomed each other’s coats, nibbling the fur.

  Nick bowed to her, tossing and tilting his head then laid his legs over her neck. If a wolf could have squealed with delight, Portia would have. She’d never known him to be such an outrageous flirt, using all his charm on her.

  She’d been a goner the moment he’d first said “hi.”

  Getting down to business, he smelled her sex, flicking his tongue in and out, testing to see if she were ready. She had been, for more months than he could have guessed.

  Her joy broke free, so did his. They nestled and nudged, then whipped their tails across each oth
er’s muzzles, their behavior instinctive and primal, as required as human wedding ceremonies.

  Nick mounted her from behind, his sex piercing hers, delivering otherworldly comfort nothing had ever matched. He thrust rapidly, a wolf unable to restrain his shameless desires. She welcomed his beast, her sheath narrowing. His cock swelled, tying them together. What should have been their most vulnerable moments were protected and sacred, nothing daring to harm them.

  At last, he twisted around until they were end to end though still joined.

  There they remained, belonging to each other now for life.

  ***

  Nick should have claimed her sooner. Coward that he was, he’d held back these last days, uncertain whether Portia would commit her future to him. Sure, she enjoyed his company, got down and dirty with him whenever he wanted, and spent every minute she could at his side. That didn’t mean she was truly in love. To her, they might have merely been friends with benefits…the super great kind.

  These last moments had changed everything.

  Back to their human forms, they lay on the forest floor, facing each other, grinning from ear to ear.

  He cradled her hand to his chest, confident in their future. “So who moves where now? You to my place or me to yours?”

  “How about we keep both and build an addition to join them. Plenty of room for the kids.”

  He liked the way she talked. He’d been an only child, then lost his parents in a tornado. Having a large family had always been his dream—endless activity, noise, laughter, hope for the days to come. “Sounds great. With the extra jobs I do for The Defenders, we’ll be able to afford renovations in no time. I’ll work nonstop if I have to.”

  She stroked his pec. “And neglect me?”

  “Never.” He kissed her greedily, proving he’d be a fervent lover. She made sweet noises and slung her leg over his, grinding her pussy against his cock.

  Lost in her embrace and warmth, he didn’t rush, exploring her with tender care and wicked passion.

  They snuggled closer.

  Sun spilled across their bodies, the rays bleeding through a break in the vegetation.

  Crap. Too much precious time had passed already. He wanted every second back. “Feel like playing hooky today?”

  “Always.” She suckled his neck, darkening his hickey, a favorite pastime. Oddly enough, what she did no longer stung.

  Finished, she smacked his ass.

  “Ow. What was that for?”

  “Someone has to punish you for tempting me.”

  “In that case, you’ll always be beating me up.”

  “Only now.” She stroked his butt. “Though I’d love to ditch work today, we can’t. I got stuff that can’t wait. So do you. Aren’t you helping Ty fix the roofs?”

  “He probably won’t notice I’m missing.”

  “Until he does. Then he’ll pound on my front door until everyone in the community knows we’re in the bedroom banging our brains out.”

  Nick pulled her into him, snuggling his shaft against her cleft. “We could do it in the shower instead, or why don’t we just stay here?”

  “I understand Fran likes to take morning runs. If we’re lucky, we might be able to see her shift. Maybe Olive, too.”

  Ew. “Better go.” He got to his feet, hauled Portia to hers, and slung her over his shoulder.

  She shrieked.

  “Quiet.” He paddled her. “Do you want to wake the natives?”

  “Listen.” Country music floated on the breeze. “I think they’re already up.”

  Even with her added weight, Nick hotfooted it to her shorts and bra. When he’d left, he hadn’t bothered with clothes. Maybe he’d build a thirty-foot wall around their joined houses so they could frolic nude without worrying about the others.

  With him and Portia protected by brush, no one could spot her dressing or him checking the community. Several members were already gone, on their way to pack businesses. Lights illuminated cottage windows. Ty shuffled from his place, stretching, yawning, scratching his underarm.

  Despite the distance, he spotted Nick immediately and called out, “Good, you’re up. Let’s get to this.”

  “I’m not ready yet.”

  “I noticed. How long will it take you to finish peeing on Portia’s property, scent marking it?”

  God. If anyone heard that, Nick would never live it down. Fran might call another meeting to discuss his disgusting habit, despite that being a natural wolf instinct. “I haven’t had breakfast yet.”

  “Well, hurry up. I want to finish before it gets really hot.”

  The air was already dank, hazy sunlight promising to make it worse. “See you in a few.”

  Portia grabbed Nick’s hand, leading him into her bungalow. “Come on, I’ll make you something to eat. How about ham and eggs, pancakes, home fries, biscuits, French toast—”

  “Whoa. We’re going to have to wean you from cable food shows. It’d take me all day to eat that.”

  “I see the problem. Want me to heat up some Pop-Tarts?”

  “Let’s not lose our heads. Go on and do your thing. Ty will have to wait until we’re through eating.”

  Nick pulled Portia toward the shower.

  She resisted. “The kitchen’s behind us.”

  “I thought I’d lather you up first, then you can do me, then I’ll do you.”

  “How about you go ahead while I cook? A more efficient use of time.”

  “Not as much fun.”

  “True.” She stroked his rod. “But we still have lunch and all that time after dinner.”

  “Forever. Please, promise me.”

  “Nothing will keep me from you.”

  They hugged fiercely, made out like sex-starved teens, then finally broke free, padding in opposite directions.

  By the time Nick had washed and dressed for the day, glorious aromas drifted from the kitchen. Grilled sugar-cured ham, each slice with a crunchy edge, fried potatoes and onions, biscuits or maybe bread giving off a faint yeasty smell. He sniffed so much he felt dizzy. “You’re going to spoil me.”

  “You get to do the dishes.”

  “I knew there was a catch.” Once she had their plates on the table, he pulled out a chair for her then sank to his.

  They enjoyed the bounty, too ravenous to speak. Nick finally wagged his fork at her. “You should seriously consider opening your own restaurant. This is great.”

  She licked yolk off her lip. “What about the diner? Wouldn’t want to go into competition with them. Hey, wait. I could pick up some hours there to make extra cash for our renovations.”

  “No.”

  “No?” She pulled back, forehead furrowed. “You won’t give me your permission?”

  “I didn’t mean it like that and you know it. I don’t want you working twenty-four-seven, just like you don’t want me to. We need time for each other.”

  “We could always work in the diner together.”

  “I can’t cook. I don’t want to learn either. If food doesn’t come fully prepared, I’m not interested.”

  “Maybe we could work some security details together.”

  “Absolutely not.”

  “Come again.”

  He held up his hands. “I don’t want you getting hurt.”

  “I don’t want that for you either. You can’t take any more of those jobs ever.”

  “What? They only involve guarding construction sites so no one steals copper wiring or other stuff.”

  “Sounds easy and safe. Even I can do that. In fact, I insist. Now it’s your turn to be all Alpha again, telling me no. Go on.”

  He hung his head. “Is this our first argument?”

  “More like a disagreement. Want to make up?”

  Laughing, he pulled her onto his lap. “We’ll work this out, okay? If you do go with me, I want you to wear a helmet, goggles, bulletproof vest, body armor—”

  “I’m not going to get hurt and leave you, I promise.”

  “Baby,
you can’t know that.”

  She held him as tightly as he did her. “Let’s both find other ways to make extra bucks, all right? Surely, we can work security without it being dangerous. Like investigating stuff on the Internet. We see it all the time in your programs.”

  “That’s Interpol, the FBI, CIA, and the rest of the alphabet agencies.”

  “So? We’ll start small. Stuff we can do together from here. Okay?”

  “We can try. Where do you think you’re going?” He pulled her back onto his lap.

  “I was shooting for my chair. Your food’s getting cold.”

  “So is yours. We can eat it together from here.”

  They kissed more than anything, laughed, too, their quarrel already forgotten.

  Nick grabbed the last biscuit, putting it on her plate. A loud crash sounded outside, followed by a brief yell.

  He and Portia tore from the cottage, zooming toward the noise, the same as other pack members, Olive and Fran included. Fran sneered at Portia’s cut-offs and bra. The rest had stopped at a bungalow two buildings down, a ladder resting against the outside wall. Its roof had a gaping hole that hadn’t been there earlier.

  Nick dashed across the front yard. “Ty!”

  “Wait.” Portia grabbed his arm and used her weight to keep him from tearing free. “Be careful.”

  “I will. Let go.”

  Once she had, he ran into the cottage. Dust rained down, along with something else he couldn’t immediately identify. He swatted and coughed. “Ty! Talk to me.”

  The guy’s foot and leg had crashed through the ceiling.

  “Ty!”

  He moaned.

  Nick ran outside, nearly colliding with Portia. They both reared back. She gripped his hand. “Is he all right?”

  “He’s alive. I don’t know how injured he is.” Nick hauled the ladder inside to bring Ty down from the ceiling access door. Pulling him out of the hole and across the roof might make the whole damn thing collapse.

  A male pack member hollered, “What happened?”

  “I don’t know. Help me.”

  The guy and three others rushed to Nick. Once in the crawlspace, he inched toward Ty, wood groaning beneath his weight. Sun slanted across the confined area, dust swirling in the rays. They shone on the beams, honeycombed with damage. Nick jerked his hand away from a termite swarm in the thousands, many falling through the ceiling past Ty’s leg.