Hanging off his arm, nattering nonstop, Mitchell refrained from sighing at Jenny's annoying presence. In the past, he'd never noticed certain things about her, such as her too slim frame-unlike someone's plush, curvy one. Ignored her habit of using too much makeup-so different from a certain fresh-faced girl with freckles he knew. Tuned out her stupid attempts at conversation, while recalling the fun he'd had verbally sparring with another. Even on a date with a girl guaranteed to give him a good time, he couldn't stop thinking about Francine. Worse, he kept comparing her to Jenny, and poor Jenny, she couldn't seem to win in any category. He actually began thinking of ways to ditch his eager date when they came in. Looking ridiculously gorgeous-and nothing like a sister, dammit-Francine wore a short red skirt that flared, a tight top that showed off cleavage deep enough to swallow a hand, oh and a certain cat, whose possessive arm around her staked his claim quite effective
"Are you okay?" Alejandro's soft question snapped her from her vacant stare out the car window. "No. I'm now wondering if I should have said or done something different with Mitchell. But, I got so mad when instead of admitting he felt something for me, he pretended the whole asshole act was to protect me." "It's not easy to admit you care about somebody." A bitter laugh slipped from her. "So I'm noticing. I think I'm going to forget our plan to make him jealous. It's worked too well. The only problem is while he's jealous, he still doesn't want to do anything about it. Make that, he wants nothing to do with me." "Mitchell's an idiot. So forget the dog. Let's make the act reality." Puzzled, she turned to look at him. "What are you trying to say? You want to keep pretending we're a couple?" "Not all of us were faking it," he said in a wry tone. "I don't understand." Stopped at a red light, Alejandro banged his head off the steering wheel.
Mitchell panted, his head bowed over the steering column of his car. Inside his pants, his cock throbbed, aching and ready to forget his misgivings and take what Francine had offered him for so long. What he'd now lost in his stubborn refusal to recognize the prize before his very eyes. The woman who made no bones that she wanted him, and when rejected, turned to another. He'd not meant to walk in on their lovemaking. Although, a part of him knew what he'd see when he approached her partially ajar front door, the soft sounds of her moans and the fleshy slap of bodies fucking too blatant for him to not decipher. It didn't stop him from entering. Coming across her, pinned against the wall, her legs wrapped around Alejandro's flanks, his taut buttocks pumping while she clung to him, her fingers digging into his skin, should have sent him into a rage. Embarrassed him at the very least. Instead, it made him rock hard. Unable to tear himself away, he'd watched as the cat gave the woman
A feathery touch tickled down Francine's spine, and she squirmed to make it stop. It lightly stroked her again, and she grunted as she rolled onto her back to stop it. A warm hand landed on her bare breast, cupping it, and she froze, her next breath halted. Oh my God, he's still here. The realization both warmed her and sent a chill of fear through her because she didn't know what to do. She'd not exactly expected Alejandro to disappear like Houdini before she woke, but she'd never expected to wake up beside him. While she'd had boyfriends in the past, short term ones, she'd never had one spend the night. At a loss as to what she should do, she kept her eyes clamped tight and tried to breathe shallowly lest he discover her less than pleasant morning breath. "You're not very good at faking sleep," Alejandro said wryly, squeezing her breast before rolling her nipple between his fingers. With a gasp, her eyes flew open, and she saw him propped on one elbow staring down a
Helplessness. What an awful feeling, and one Alejandro never experienced before. It bothered him as much as the fear that gripped him when he thought of Francine not recovering. No! She has to get better. I won't let her die. Alejandro paced in front of the door that hid him from Francine and the doctor they called to take care of her. The ride to Naomi's house with Francine pale and unconscious would haunt him forever. He'd not wanted to move her initially, but he feared even more her bleeding out from the silver embedded in her flesh, so he agreed to meet the physician at Naomi's house, which cut their travel time in half. Borrowing Francine's car, he sped all the way, and said a prayer of thanks no cops stopped him on his way. Arriving in a squeal of tires at his brother's place, he almost cried in relief when he saw the doctor already there. Hands shaking, he feared moving the pale bundle in the back seat. Ethan pushed him aside and gently carried Francine inside, close
Returning to the bedroom, Mitchell seethed at the cat's words, but his anger receded in the face of Francine looking so small and helpless in the big bed. Of course, he should have known her tongue was in fine fighting shape. "Are you guys done pissing on Naomi's walls? Or would you like to each grab one of my legs and pull me apart like a wishbone and see who gets the bigger piece?" "You must be feeling better. You're trying to rip a strip off me," he remarked in a dry tone as he sat on the edge of the bed beside her. "Move over, you bed hog." "No. I'm the injured one here." "Excuse me? Do you think I'm wearing this bandage because it's fashionable?" She peered over at him, her eyes lingering more on his nude torso than his bandage, which made him puff up his chest. "Wuss. My bandage is bigger than yours," she sassed, but she inched over a bit. He slid down on the bed until he lay beside Francine, his head on the edge of the same pillow. Her eyes di
Playing the card game, Asshole-which still made them giggle just as energetically as it did when they were kids-with Mitchell, Naomi along with whomever wasn't out searching for the hunter got tedious after a while. But, Francine couldn't deny that even as she missed Alejandro, she enjoyed spending time with Mitchell, the boy she remembered now a man with the same temper and twisted set of morals that let him cheat at cards, but think that his sister's BFF was off limits. Or used to be off limits. True to his word, he'd not left her presence since her injury the previous morning, sleeping by her side, grumbling that she kicked in her sleep. His family took his presence as a given, not saying a word, which surprised Francine given his family weren't the types to curb their tongues. It seemed everyone assumed he'd taken his rightful spot. Francine might have thought it too except for one thing; he didn't say or do anything to make her think his newfound glued to her side status was
Irritated and longing to go home, the new home he'd discovered in Francine's arms, made Alejandro impatient. For the last two days, he'd followed the hunter's sloppy trail. First missing him by minutes at the scuzzy motel he'd checked out of, the location courtesy of a receipt he'd found snagged on a branch in the tree the bastard perched in. The female clerk at least-after a little persuasion, AKA a smile from him-divulged not only the truck's plate number for his prey but also the make and color of it, which as it turned out, Javier had if he'd bothered asking before running off . What a surprise, the hunter drove a big ass, red pickup truck. Stupid redneck. Most people thought hillbillies and rednecks were an American phenomena. He had news for them, Canada had its fair share of crass, belligerent types who shot anything that moved. But, even he had to admit, their daughters were raunchy in bed. Stereotypes aside, he jumped on the highway, the clerk having mentioned the man s
Nothing ever felt more right than the first time Derrick sank balls deep into Janine. Unless he counted the second time and then the third. Over and over, he claimed her that night, the next day, all that week as she took some time off work for them to explore their new relationship. And yes, they were in a relationship. She's my mate now. And soon, she'd be his wife. He'd already asked for and received permission from Orson and Janine's mother. A conversation that went along the lines of? "I'm going to marry your daughter." "I get to plan the wedding." "I'll have you cremated if you hurt her." Derrick could already tell they'd fit in well with his family. Snap.*Epilogue An exaggerated groan left Derrick as he heaved Janine out of the car. The sound totally deserved a laser-hot glare. "Are you implying something?" No denying she was a little more rotund these days. He pulled her close, not caring that her big belly got in the way. A smile tugged
With Derrick buried in the bosom of his family, Janine slipped away before the tears blurring her gaze were noticed. Derrick had survived the surgery and seemed about to beat the odds. He would recover, which meant it was time for her to go. Even if I love him. And she did love him. Loved him so much that she couldn't be with him. She knew Derrick thought himself in love with her, that she was his mate. Much as she wanted to believe that, she couldn't. He'd fallen for her only because, at the time, he depended on her. Acting as his therapist meant their close involvement brought them together and imbued him with a false sense of intimacy. I think the intimacy came from you letting him touch you. Acts that shouldn't have happened, and yet, she didn't regret. It made leaving so much harder, but she did it now while she could. Now while he had his family and the promise of a bright future ahead of him. Let him get on with his life. Find a woman to settle dow
The hot satisfaction at having brought down the enemy paled before the panicked realization that Derrick couldn't move. Not a single damned muscle. The cold reality sent his wolf into hiding, pulling back from the dead weight of his body and leaving only human flesh. Flesh that felt nothing but the tips of her fingers on his cheeks as she cradled his head. "Derrick. Oh God, why did you do that?" She hugged his head, and if the moment weren't so dire, he might have enjoyed being buried against her plush tits. But all he could think was, This is the last time. The last time he'd smell her or feel her touch because he'd fucked up majorly in skipping the surgery and now paid the price. Since he didn't expect he'd get another chance, he whispered, "I love you," which only caused her to rock and hug tighter. In a voice thick with tears, she retorted, "This better not be one of those goodbye speeches. You're going to be fine. We'll get you in for that surgery, and ever
Doctor's Pet. She read the title in gleaming silver letters on the back of Derrick's chair as he whipped by with a whoop, well ahead of his brothers in their own colorful chariots. When she'd come across some orderlies watching something out the window, she'd not expected to see the Grayson clan gathered out front, clapping and hollering at the participants in the wheelchair races. It wasn't even just Derrick and his brothers playing. They'd gotten several other patients to join in too. Given the speed at which they raced, a fear for their safety made her want to march out that door and tell them to stop, but an old adage came to mind-boys will be boys. And men would do stupid things that resulted in stitches for, as Stu said upon meeting her, "Shits and giggles." The main surgeon for the rehab center came to stand beside her. "Looks like fun," he noted. "Yes. Dangerous, though," she added. "These men have been to hell and back. Do you really want to
The feel of her on his fingers proved exhilarating, but it couldn't compare to her intoxicating taste. A man parched, Derrick lapped at her, savoring her womanly cream and humming with pure male satisfaction at how she clenched and pushed against him, her body craving more of his touch. He couldn't have stopped if he wanted to. Too long he'd craved her. Too long he'd denied the unmistakable truth. Janine is mine. And for this moment at least, he couldn't find the strength to push her away. I'm tired of fighting what I want. Time for a little selfishness. He lapped at her sweet button, feeling it swell at his flicks. He pumped his fingers in and out of the moistness of her sex, loving how she gripped him tight. Her excitement built, reaching a crescendo, and he felt just as coiled as her, poised on the edge. He pistoned his fingers in her as his lips pinched her swollen button. A low cry began to keen from her lips. She smashed a pillow over her face as her body arched
Something woke Janine from a light slumber. She lay in bed, one half of her face squashed against her pillow, listening. Not even the creak of joists shifting broke the heavy silence. Holding her breath a moment longer, she tested the ambiance of the room. Is anyone here? Am I alone? Her senses craned, seeking that sense of vitality that only another person could emit. She sought another presence, a reason for waking, and felt nothing. She exhaled with relief. No bogeyman tonight. For those who might mock her, she had no problem admitting a fear of the dark, especially the particular shade it achieved in the middle of the night. Dark deeds often happened under night's shadow. And sometimes a little girl wakes and opens her eyes to see bloodshot ones staring right at her. The shriek she uttered proved piercing. The scarier thing? Daddy screamed at an even higher pitch. But that had happened a long time ago. Only the one time, but it left an impression. She'
The tingling awareness of her presence faded as Janine moved from the doorway of the game room. He'd known she watched him. Felt her eyes on him the moment she appeared and missed her gaze when she left. It took him gripping the wheels of his chair not to chase after her. Having her out of his line of sight didn't sit well, and not just because of all the people roaming around. Earlier, when they'd first arrived, he'd also hated sending her off into the kitchen with her mother. Then again, it was probably a good thing Red didn't stay because the first thing Derrick tried to do was get her out of his life. "I want a new shrink." On his way to a bar, fetching a drink of something with a fiery kick, Orson paused. "Is there a problem with my daughter?" "No." "Then why the request?" The council member uncorked a decanter and poured some amber liquid into glasses. He handed one to Derrick before taking a seat on the couch. "Do you want her removed because she's
Despite the mishap in locating Derrick-I really thought I'd have to hunt him down and force him-the road trip passed rather peacefully. Despite the sexual tension between them, there was also a genuine like for one another, and when he wasn't barbing her or trying to push Janine away, they could have the most interesting conversations. It passed the long trip. While Derrick started out driving, the highway part of the route being the longest, she took over once they hit an exit. She made sure to give him a pit stop so he could use a washroom, and she said not a word about the fact that he took a few minutes longer than other people to do his business and glared at those who dared to complain outside the locked door. As she took the familiar twists and turns to her parents' house, she couldn't help a touch of anxiousness. How would her stepdad react? With her, Orson was the most lovable teddy bear a girl could ask for, but with anyone he thought threatened her? Poor Jeremy w
Red stalked into his room, swinging the door open in a familiarity that apparently didn't see a need to knock. "Derrick, we need to-Uh. Oh." Her outburst ended on a gasp. Probably because she got more of a glimpse than she expected Splayed on top of covers still drawn tight, one hundred percent naked, and bound-the height of emasculation-he glared. "Were you raised in a barn?" Something his mother used to accuse him of when he lacked manners. His Aunt Joni took great offense at that expression and claimed it was those raised as ci-diots that were the problem with morality nowadays. A shame they feuded for years on end. Aunt Joni's pie was worth the occasional brawl between sisters. Janine's head ducked. He could only imagine the pinkness of her expressive cheeks. "Sorry. I didn't think. I'll come back later when you're not so, um, er, tied up," she stammered. The things she could do to me right now? For a moment, he almost imagined a spark, enough that he said t