Hot Springs Werewolf Complete Series (BBW Werewolf Erotic Romance) (13 page)

There was no time between Red at the end of the bed and then him inside me. I gasped but it was a wild gasp, not that of a submissive girl. I scratched my nails down his arm as Red nipped my shoulder. I bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. He bit me back.

We fucked. We bit. We scratched. We were two wild things fighting against each other. Red pushed my knees up, just like in the forest and pulled my hair. He had the upper hand but for only a moment. I slipped my fingers through his hair and twisted, pulling his head down, making him fuck me as I held him. Gasps and sighs and heavy breaths became growls and exclamations of pain and pleasure as teeth closed on flesh and nails scratched down skin. I bit Red and wanted to bite harder. I wanted to close my teeth fully. I, Harper Finch, writer, waitress and curvy girl was barely hanging on. There was another Harper in control. She was wild and powerful.

She was the werewolf's mate.

My hand slipped on Red's forearm as my body, wild as it was, began to let go. Muscles trembled and tightened and a deep ache that was pain and pleasure all at once started somewhere inside me. Red's growling pushed me along and each time he thrust his thick cock into me, I jolted to a new level. We had no words left, just wild sounds and intense pleasure. I knew he was going to come inside me and it was this, the final thought, the last words I had that tipped me over. Red growled and I felt his hands clench my skin, saw his sharp teeth and then I was breathless, flooded with pleasure as Red came. I felt every moment and heard every sound. I was here in the cabin with Red inside me, fucking me like crazy as I came and I heard his heart, heard his blood rushing through his veins, smelt his skin and the faint scent of wood and rusted nails. I could smell the soap on my body, taste the strawberries on my lips. I heard the creatures of the woods moving on their secretive night travels. For a perfect moment I was flooded with awareness and then, just as Red's lips touched mine, I rushed into darkness.

*

I
floated up from deep sleep into a deep drowse. I couldn't see a clock but I knew it was late, maybe after two in the morning. The moon had shifted and the darkness outside was almost complete. A blanket of stars had obscured the clouds and even as I noticed how dark it was, some other part of me could see clearly.

These observations and internal comments slipped on under the heavy weight of near sleep. I hadn't done any more than awaken and barely open one eye. I was in my bed, covered over, telling myself to wake up but I wasn't going to. I moved my arm and brushed against thick fur.

Red, asleep beside me in wolf form.

I ran my fingers through his fur and heard his breathing change at my touch. With great effort I managed to turn over and shuffle closer to him. I pushed my face into his fur and breathed in his scent. Warm and spice. I touched his fur with my hands even as his scent infused me and brought sleep along with it.

Before I closed my eyes I saw a long scratch on my arm and caught the faint scent of dried blood. Our wild sex came with a cost and I was sure I'd pay it in the morning. For now, I was too relaxed to feel much at all. The scratches and marks were distant tingles and the idea that I'd get up looking like I'd lost a fight with a barbed-wire fence was a fading echo in the back of my mind.

I breathed in Red and slipped into sleep.

*

"Y
ou have got to be kidding me."

Mirror Harper was shocked and so was I. The long scratch down my arm from last night? Gone. My skin was perfect and smooth. I'd woken up ten minutes ago, found Red gone and then had come to the bathroom to assess the damage. Instead of scratches, bruises, love-bites and a wild look in my eye I had perfect skin, the occasional fleck of dried blood, one tiny love-bite in the hollow of my jaw and a very confused look.

The bed was a mess so I knew I wasn't dreaming. There were dots of blood on the sheets where Red and I had attacked each other. I'd felt his teeth on my skin, had felt him draw blood. Yet today there wasn't a mark to be found.

I turned around to check my butt on the mirror. Curvy? Yes. Spanked until it was red? Are you sure it was this butt ma'am? Cos this one looks like it ain't never been slapped. I traced my finger over my skin and although the memory of Red came charging back, there was no soreness.

"No, I am not kidding you," I said to Mirror Harper. She just raised her eyebrows at me and shook her head.

But we didn't have time right now to analyze all things Red and Harper. I had to get ready for work.

I zipped into the shower and zipped out again in record time. I rushed through a quick breakfast of cold cereal and was about to leave (after noticing that Red hadn't taken his bag of clothes with him despite being here last night) when I remembered the love-bite on my neck. It was too warm for scarves and Katy wouldn't let me live it down if she saw. I scurried into the bathroom for some concealer and then Mirror Harper and I shared one final look of complete confusion. The love-bite that was purple just twenty minutes ago was gone. I even checked the other side of my neck in case I'd been in some sort of sleep daze. Nope.

I had no time for this nonsense so I grabbed my things and practically bolted out to Boris. I started him up and put him in gear before I realized there was a gold-edged envelope stuck under his very old windshield wiper. I jumped out (faster than winding down the window), grabbed the envelope, saw my name in curly script on the front and then flashed back into Boris to haul ass to work.

*

I
reached Greasy Manna five minutes before starting time and although I needed that time to pack my things away and get ready for the day, I instead sat in Boris reading over the card inside the envelope.

Ms. Harper Finch,

Come to the Mayor's Ball with me on Saturday. I'll pick you up at seven.

Red.

The man had beautiful handwriting but damn he was a puzzle with no solution. Crazy wild sex one moment and an invitation to the ball the next? And once again I'd failed to have any kind of intelligible conversation with him. Get any questions answered Harper? Nope. Find out why he changed and ran into the forest? No, why would I want that answer?

How was I to get my reply to him? Would he just show up at seven on Saturday?

I slipped the invitation into my bag and pondered for a moment appearing at the cabin door wearing my most slouchiest clothes, hair a mess, maybe eating a bowl of cereal when he arrived. Oh, you think that because you leave me a card that I'm coming to the ball with you? How about a conversation?

Yeah, Harper, that would show him. Wal-Mart pants, a terrible t-shirt and a bowl of cereal. Clever idea. Dork.

Katy met me at the door of Greasy Manna.

"Tara's off sick and word is a bunch of tourist buses are coming through."

"How much is a bunch?"

"A crazy amount. We got featured in some guide and they loved the Big Breakfast so get ready to do a lot of them today."

I followed her in and got ready for my shift. Sarah came to talk to me and told me pretty much the same thing about the tourist buses.

"Don't forget to drink water," she advised, pointing towards the water-cooler we used for ourselves.

Sure enough by ten in the morning we saw a giant tourist bus squeezing its way down the street and parking in the lot across the road. The doors opened and out came the tourists, blinking in the light. A couple of them pointed at us and began to walk over.

"This is going to be madness," Katy said, gulping down some water as the first tourist reached the door.

Fast-forward two hours with the orders piling up and I barely had time to drink a glass of water let alone think about Red and his invitation to the ball.

"Hi, can I take your order please?"

"Harper Finch?"

I focused on my customer and realized it was Donald Crisp from the Historical Society. I gave him a double blink as I tried to marshal my thoughts.

"Mr. Crisp. How are you? I'm sorry I didn't get to see you on Tuesday."

"It's fine. I wasn't feeling well anyway. Do you have time to talk? It's really quite urgent."

I looked around Greasy Manna. Every table was full to the brim and there was a line of customers stretching out the door who were opting for takeaway or sitting outside until a table became available.

"We're really busy, I'm sorry. I finish at four today - can I come see you then? Or maybe you can come back?"

Donald looked out the window, frowning at the line of tourists streaming off the latest bus.

"Very well. I'll come back at four o'clock on the dot. Please don't go before then - it's about your Great-aunt."

I nodded and he was gone before what he'd said registered. Millie?

The door dinged and more customers entered and back I went to it.

*

S
ome ten thousands breakfasts later (it felt like) the day finally drew to a close and the tourist buses continued on their merry way.

Katy and I were standing behind the counter taking turns to eat a piece of apple pie each and resting our tired feet.

Sarah emerged from the back room with a grin on her face. "That was a record day. And it's not over yet!"

"I think my legs are numb," Katy said, wriggling her foot.

"I'll pay you a bonus."

"And the feeling is back! It's a miracle!"

We kept eating and decompressing from the day. Four o'clock came and went but Donald Crisp didn't come back. I waited fifteen minutes (even though my feet were aching like crazy) before I decided he must have forgotten and drove myself home.

*

S
aturday morning saw me spring out of bed and then shake my head at myself wondering why I felt so amazing. Yesterday had been a killer at work but my aching feet weren't by the time I arrived home and by seven I was wishing I'd arranged to go out with Katy or that Red would perhaps drop by (for a game of... chess).

Red didn't drop by and without any phone reception I couldn't make any spur of the moment plans with Katy and so I went all crazy spinster writer and worked on my book between bouts of watching junk television.

Now it was Saturday and I had the whole day ahead of me and possibly a night at a ball. I told myself I hadn't decided if I was going, yet at the same time I'd been wondering what dress I could wear and what shoes and whether I should kiss Red when I saw him or smack him one.

At the thought of the man, I unlocked my front door and walked out into the morning sunshine and away from the cabin so I could look up the hill to his house. His truck wasn't there (as usual). Was he home anyway? Maybe he'd parked around the back?

I decided to change out of my pajamas and go up to his house. I had questions and I was sure he had answers. This game of vanishing and then wild sex, while fun on some level, wasn't great on others. I zipped inside, changed and ate a banana to settle my grumbling stomach that was querying the location and status of breakfast.

As I walked up the hill, I remembered the first (and only) time I'd done it. That time I had been carrying a bottle of celebratory wine and I stopped because I was trying to get my mind off sex with the hot neighbor. So much for that idea. I stopped halfway up the path and looked around. This area really was magnificent. Greens and yellows, a forest practically on the doorstep and perfect weather. What else could you want?

I continued on up the path (no having to pretend I'd stopped to shake out a stone this time) and approached Red's house. As I did, I felt my nerves fluttering. What was the plan Harper if he really was home? The door opens, he comes out in black jeans and a black t-shirt with grease on his hands because he's inside doing something manly and sexy and you'll say what?

I had no idea what I'd say to Red and I smiled at the idea that he was covered in grease inside his house. Doing what Harper? Fixing an engine in the kitchen?

I composed myself at the front door and knocked although I could feel the house was empty. I waited a moment before knocking again.

"Hello? Red, are you there?"

No answer. I set off around the house, heading for the back door. I felt the house was empty,
knew
it was empty but at the same time, how did I know that? It was like I had access to some other senses and they were reporting the lack of a heartbeat inside and no creaking of floorboards. I could faintly hear water and something wooden knocking gently against something else in a rhythm.

I walked through Red's outdoor garage (quite well organized with just the right amount of clutter to show it was frequently used), down the side of the house and around the back. I stopped for a moment when I rounded the corner and stared at what was in front of me.

Flowers.

Masses and masses of flowers.

The path from the side of the house led into a spectacular garden of flowers of dizzying variety. There were brilliant red roses on either side of the house, the flowers bright and vivid. At their base was some kind of fluffy plant with tiny blue flowers dotted all over it. I saw Bird of Paradise flowers sticking up from various locations, their orange bloom glowing like fire above a blue that merged with a green stem.

I breathed in, smelling jasmine and also the faint scent of lemon. I know a bit about flowers (thanks to some freelance writing assignments back in my old life) but there were more here than I could identify. I walked through the garden marveling at the colors and scents around me. In parts it felt wild and rambling and I wanted to dance, to yell, to fuck Red's brains out. In others there was order and quiet and I felt calm, wanting to sit and contemplate. There were patches of soft ground-cover that smelt of mint but weren't mint plants and I wanted to roll on them like a cat with catnip. I rounded a barrier of green and found a pond filled with yellow and red fish. A wooden bamboo tube was filling with water and then tipping every few moments, knocking against itself. I breathed in the scent of water and flowers and smiled to myself.

Red Guile.

Werewolf.

Alpha.

Restorer of old mansions.