Authors: Terry Spear
“What do you think about Alfred wanting her so badly?” Devlyn asked, trying to take his mind off Alfred’s hands on Bella’s hips.
When she moved them back to her waist, Devlyn smiled at her tenacity.
Nicol faced Devlyn. “I’d say you’ve got a hell of a lot of competition and a big fight coming if you want to keep her.”
The truth was out. “You’d fight for him so he could have Bella?”
Ross finally returned to the table, his face crimson. Devlyn glanced back at Alfred, dancing super slowly to the music.
“I’d fight
any
to have a chance to have her,” Nicol said.
Ross glared at Nicol but quickly shifted his attention back to Bella and Alfred.
Steeling his composure, Devlyn watched every move Alfred made toward Bella, intent on ripping him apart if he did one thing that she didn’t like... or that
he
didn’t care for.
“Hey, Ross, guess how long the little lady’s been in the area.”
Ross looked at Nicol, waiting for him to answer. Devlyn could sense the tension building.
“Three years. Can you believe it? Alfred’s really steamed over it.”
“Shit,” Ross said.
Nicol finished his beer and set the bottle on the table with a clunk. “I told Bella that Volan looked for her here. We didn’t know he was the gray leader who wanted her, though, or we would have done something about it.”
Hell, Devlyn must have just missed Volan.
“We’re not through with him yet,” Devlyn said. “He won’t want to give her up.”
Ross faced Devlyn. “Did you bring the hair sample with you?”
Devlyn hadn’t even considered doing so. He shook his head. “We’ll rendezvous at the ice cream shop tomorrow.”
“We could follow you home tonight,” Nicol offered, with a sideways glance at Ross.
“Thanks, but no. Zoo man Thompson’s hot on our trail. The more of us there are, the more likely we’ll all be caught.”
“Maybe you ought to stay with one of our pack. We have several widowed females, if you’d prefer to reside with one of them,” Nicol said.
“We’re making other arrangements.”
Ross growled.
Devlyn turned to see what Ross was watching. Two uniformed policemen. The same ones Devlyn had knocked out at the hospital. And both were showing sketches to club patrons.
Trying not to catch the policemen’s attention, Devlyn eased his way across the dance floor and reached for Bella’s wrist. He attempted not to make a scene and quickly said to Alfred and Bella, “The policemen from the hospital incident are here. Got to go.”
Bella’s peach skin blanched and her eyes turned nearly black.
Alfred motioned for Ross and Nicol to watch their backs.
“Tomorrow, the ice cream shop,” Devlyn said to Alfred; then he pulled Bella toward the rear of the establishment, not waiting for him to respond.
When they reached the back door, Alfred followed on their heels. “Tomorrow night.” He looked at Bella with such longing — his dark eyes clouded over as if he were totally moonstruck — Devlyn could have slugged him.
Devlyn yanked Bella out of the building, ran down a street parallel to their vehicle, and then dashed in front of the shops lining the street. Once at the SUV, Bella finally took a breath.
He hurried her into the car, jumped into the driver’s seat, and they were off. Driving down the main road, he headed in the opposite direction of her home, just in case anyone tried to follow them. “Are you all right, Bella?”
She nodded, her hands trembling to fasten her seatbelt.
“Did... did you find out anything from the reds about the murderer?”
He snorted. The notion that they stirred up a hornet’s nest came to mind. “Only that Volan had arrived, and the reds all want me dead.”
She ran her hand over his thigh and immediately he became aroused. “We can’t let that happen.”
He chuckled. “I don’t intend to.” He could handle any red. Even the three at once, as long as Bella wasn’t there to worry about.
The farther away they got from the club, the calmer she seemed.
“Both Ross and Nicol intend to become the pack leader so they could have me. Now that they know Volan is the gray leader who’s after me, they might attempt to gang up on him.” Her voice still sounded strained, and he figured she’d balk about becoming his mate while Volan still lived, but he had every intention of persuading her again.
“Better him than me.” He glanced at Bella, whose lips rose in a small smile. It wasn’t a pack leader kind of comment to make, but she seemed to sense that he was joking.
Doubling back, he headed for her place.
“I told them I lived in an apartment. Just sort of let it slip naturally so they wouldn’t be on to us,” she said; her voice seemed more even now. “Even so, they probably figure I live in Portland, not Tigard.”
“Good. If they speak to Volan, maybe they’ll let him know this, too.” He was glad he hadn’t said anything about her house to the reds and ruined her ploy.
“I was wondering,” Bella said, sliding her hand up and down his thigh in a slow, sensual caress, forcing his blood to pump faster, “if you’d cooled down too much since the dance club. We might put some slow music on at home and warm things up. I was thinking about your comment concerning dancing...
au naturel.”
Reaching over, he slid his hand down her dress. With little effort, his fingers slipped down the lace cupping one of her breasts, exposing one already hardened nipple. Rubbing his thumb over the protruding nub, he smiled when she moaned in ecstasy. “I’d say we’re heating up just fine.” He grinned at her to see the devilishly wicked smile on her lips. “Bad Bella.”
“Hmm, don’t take any more detours on the way home, unless you want to park out here somewhere.”
He raised his brows at her suggestion. When she’d torn into the club and said she’d wanted to mate with him, he considered she’d done so only to get him away from Volan. Hell, whatever her reasons, if she said yes, he was game. “I
would
park somewhere out here, only zoo man Thompson, Volan, or the reds might catch up to us.”
She growled low with amusement. “Here I thought you were my wild wolf companion, afraid of nothing.”
“I’m not afraid of anything. Well, except that I won’t risk your safety, no matter how much I desire to have you.”
She began to unbutton his shirt. “Speed it up, stud, while I’m still hot. You’re going much too slow.”
He’d show her slow, when he had her naked body pinned beneath his... slow and hard.
When they pulled into Bella’s housing development, they kept a lookout for any cars parked in the street that appeared suspicious. Not seeing anything to concern them, he drove into her garage and shut the door.
Now that everything appeared safe, Bella wanted Devlyn — before anything else prevented them from finishing the moves they had started on the dance floor. Volan was dead, but she didn’t want to think about that. The police had no idea where she lived, and even the pain in the back of her head had nearly subsided. No one would stop her from having her mate.
Immediately, she unfastened her seatbelt and grabbed Devlyn’s. chuckling, he pulled his seatbelt free. “I thought we were going to play some slow music and work up the — “
Tugging at his shirt, she yanked it free from his trousers. She had no intention of wasting any more precious time to set the mood right. “The loud music from the club’s still ringing in my ears. I don’t need it to get me in the mood. Do you?”
His low sensual laugh pushed her to work faster. Their lips touched with heated passion when his fingers struggled with her buttons and she worked on his belt.
“Hmm, fewer clothes next time, stud.”
“I’d have to say the same for you, Bella honey.” Devlyn unfastened her bra and slid the straps down her arms, kissing her skin from her shoulder to her fingertips.
They moved to the middle bench seat, where there was no console to hamper their progress. The soft velour fabric against her bare back sent a tingling through her body while he knelt between her legs. For a moment, he looked her over, his eyes smoky with blinding desire. “The thought of the reds touching you... “
“But only your touch drives me wild.” She ran her hands down his naked thighs, the well-developed quadriceps tightening with her stroke. Already he was fully aroused and her eyes shifted from his washboard stomach to the full erection readied for her.
He tangled his fingers in the short curls between her legs, and a smile curved his lips upward. “Been ready a while, eh, Bella?” His voice was husky, filled with wolf-sized craving.
“I told you I wanted you some time ago.” She moved her hand to touch him, but he shifted out of reach.
“You touch me, and I’ll never make it.”
She growled. “You’ll have to learn better control, my mate.”
“Not with the way you arouse me, Bella. Maybe not until we’re both old and gray.”
She chuckled. “No way am I waiting to touch you until we’re old and gray.”
Bella’s skin was velvet against Devlyn’s mouth and tasted sweet and wild. He nestled his lips against her abdomen. Almost with a purring catlike quality, she growled softly.
Threading her fingers through his hair, she arched her pelvis toward him. She was ready to mate and she’d chosen him over anyone else... over both the gray and red pack leaders, human males, everyone.
Leaning his naked body against hers, he enjoyed her soft curves, fitting nicely against his hard muscles. She mewed her satisfaction. He growled his.
He wanted to take it slow, to enjoy every inch of her and to prove to her she’d made the right choice. Still, her touch heated a fire in his belly that couldn’t be quenched until he had his fill of her and she of him. Taking it unhurriedly would test his resolve more than anything else he had ever done.
He cupped the swell of her breast, the darkened nipple taut. When he licked the tip, she closed her eyes, stopped breathing, and stilled her fingers that were buried in his hair. “Breathe, honey.”
She chuckled. “Quit talking and get to business.”
“Pleasure,
woman.”
“Hmm, you don’t have to tell me.” Her fingers massaged his back muscles, kneading and stroking.
Shifting his body higher, he moved his mouth over her heated skin, across the collarbone, higher, to the hollow of her throat.
“Oh, Devlyn,” she said, her voice washing over him like a heated spring, filling the emptiness. She arched her body against his, parting her legs, urging him on. Offering herself to him like a siren of the sea.
Brushing his mouth up her neck with whisper-soft kisses, he tangled his fingers in her long hair, squeezing the soft locks in his hands, thankful the redheaded goddess was no longer his fantasy, but tangibly real. Again she pushed her pelvis against his erection, making it clear she ached to have him fill her. Her hands slid down his back and cupped his buttocks, prodding him to enter her.
Making love to her felt more than right. She was feral and willing and throbbing with life. And she was his.
He nipped her chin and then conquered her mouth. Instantly, she flicked her tongue at his lips, teasing him. Catching her tongue, he sucked fervently, making her smile. Again she lifted her hips off the seat, pressing hard against him.
A groan issued from deep within his throat. He continued his slow pace to pleasure his mate, but bad Bella wasn’t cooperating. Sliding his hands up her velvet-soft belly, he cupped her breasts, weighing each bountiful marvel. She marked his neck with her teeth. Another surge of craving crashed over him, titillating him as he attempted to use a slow touch. “You’re beautiful,” he said — but inwardly, not just outwardly, the most beautiful creature of their kind; fun, loyal, and full of heart.
“Quit torturing me,” she breathed heavily against his mouth.
It was his turn to smile. “I haven’t even begun.”
Bella frowned at Devlyn, her blood already so hot she felt her car’s heater was on the fritz and they were now in a sauna. His arousal pulsing against her waist and the ache between her legs was driving her mad. “Devlyn, I swear... “
He covered her mouth with his and with long, hard strokes, thrust his tongue deep inside.
Hurry up!
she wanted to scream at him.
His fingers slid down her abdomen and then massaged her deeply, as if preparing her for his penetration, which she’d been damned ready for ever since she spied him at the zoo.
Again she arched against him, trying to force him to hurry. He throbbed against her and she fought biting him again to get him to oblige. “Devlyn,” she whimpered, bringing a devilish smile to his lips.
She growled in response. Two could play at this game. She attempted to work her hand between their moist bodies to his thickened length, but as soon as her fingers reached his navel, he grabbed her wrist, kissed her hand, and shook his head.
“Bad Bella.”
“Devlyn,” she groaned, the pleasurable ache of his actions killing her.
“If you touch me... “ His words trailed off and he worked his hand lower, tangling his fingers in her short curly hairs for a moment, and then dipped even lower.
But she didn’t want his fingers. She wanted his...
“Oh,” she moaned against his mouth when he kissed her hard and stroked her sensitive nub.
“Breathe, Bella,” he said, his tone of voice amused.
But she couldn’t breathe and feel the sensual strokes that filled her with a longing she clambered to reach... a peak of ecstasy that waited at the top, willing her onward.
Never had she thought being with him could feel like this. From their early days of nuzzling and playing, of nipping and biting, of his pinning her down, of her tackling him back... none of that had prepared her for the earth-shattering feelings he now stoked deep inside of her.
“Oh, Devlyn,” she whimpered against his mouth, loving the way he touched her, cared for her, wanted to make the sexual experience last for her. He’d searched for her for years — not to return her to Volan, but to have her like this.
His accomplished strokes sent streaks of pleasure rifling through her like electricity zinging through hot wires, running to the source but not quite tapping into it.