Sex Symbol (32 page)

“Shooting nosy women makes you that happy?”

“No,” I said, laughing. “I was thinking about something else.”

I finished stripping while he selected some bubble bath. “Vanilla and lavender appear to be our only choices,” he said.

“I don’t like anything too strong. It messes up my allergies.”

He smiled. “Vanilla it is then.”

I had just eased down into the water when I remembered something. “Shit. I was supposed to call Chase.”

“Already done,” Eramus said, pulling me back down. “I explained that you fainted but were not harmed, and the rest of us would survive.”

At his words I reached out and ran my hand across what should have been a vicious cut on his side. The blood wiped away to reveal a thin pink line beneath.

“In a few more hours, you won’t even be able to see that,” he said.

“That’s amazing. Does it still hurt?”

“Not anymore.”

A few minutes later after we’d scrubbed off the blood, I rested my face against his chest and sighed.

“I think part of me didn’t expect to make it back here, to a moment like this.” His only response was to gently stroke my hair. As tender as the moment was, my mind kept drifting back to the clearing and what had happened there. “What about all those bodies, about the abandoned cars?”

“If there’s one thing werewolves are good at, it’s cleaning up messes like that. I left Ozzy and Crazy Wolf in charge. I have no doubt it will be handled.”

My mind couldn’t begin to wrap around how you’d cover up a mass slaughter like that. So I stopped trying, or so I thought.

“There are people all over the country who’d be willing to help. Crazy Wolf probably has some of them on speed dial.”

“What? How did you know I was still thinking about that?”

Eramus took his finger and rubbed it across my forehead. “Because you get this little wrinkle between your eyebrows when you’re concentrating.”

Suddenly I felt overcome with emotion. I rolled toward him so that my small frame was stretched out down the length of his body. There was something I needed to say.

“You stopped me before we left,” I began. When Eramus tried to speak I pressed my finger against his lips. “I have thought when I first started ogling you in those tight jeans that we’d end up like this.” He laughed softly and I pressed a kiss against his chest. “I love you, Eramus.”

As he leaned forward to kiss me he whispered against my lips, “I know.”

I took his face in my hands and kissed him again. Long gone were thoughts of James or any twinges of a broken heart. Without even trying, Eramus had fixed me. Until I knew him I hadn’t realized how truly broken I was.

I moved to straddle his waist, wrapping myself around him. Eramus held me tightly and for the longest time I just kissed him. I wanted to commit to memory the way he tasted, the way soap smelled against his skin.

I reached between our bodies and felt him grow hard in my hand before guiding him inside me.

“It’s been a long day,” he said suggestively, thrusting deeper as he spoke.

“A hard day,” I agreed.

I moved faster and water splashed over the side of the tub. When I paused to look at the wet floor, Eramus laughed.

“I’ll clean it up later,” he said. “Don’t stop.”

I didn’t. I rode him long and hard, expending energy I didn’t think my tired muscles were capable of. God, I loved him. It was as if I couldn’t be satisfied for long. Even when he touched me I remained hungry for him.

Eramus rose, lifting us both out of the water and sat me on the side of the tub. He spread my legs wide, slamming into me with abandon while I cried out for more.

“Harder.”

I reached around to grab his ass. The feel of his muscles flexing as he pumped in and out of my pussy was enough to finally send me over the edge.

Just as I started to come, Eramus whispered, “I’m coming too.”

We lay in the tub for several more minutes, languishing in what was left of the warm water. The day finally caught up with me and I was almost asleep by the time Eramus tucked me into bed.

When I finally got the nerve to take a pregnancy test a few days later it came up negative. Someday Eramus and I might start a family together, but for the moment I’m glad to have more time to get used to the idea. Apparently my first suspicion was right—my nerves had caused my period to be late. After all, I did have people trying to kill me. I’d say that’s enough to throw anyone off.

Eramus seemed to be adjusting to his role as leader of the pack quite well. Besides, there wasn’t much of a pack to lead anymore. With the help of Crazy Wolf it would gradually be rebuilt. For the moment, I was kind of glad to know there were fewer werewolves in Mississippi. Not that I had anything against them. Guess I was just afraid of another Maxwell turning up.

On a different note, Justina finally got up the nerve to ask Edward (the hottie we bought supplies from) on a date. Well, sort of. She shocked the hell out of me by bringing him to our next barbeque. I was waiting with crossed fingers to see how long it lasted, but hoped with all of my heart that it was for keeps. For the time being, they were happy and that was enough to make my day.

It was alarming how no one seemed to notice those that went missing Halloween night. Was the whole town in on some kind of cover-up? That was my guess. Even our sheriff, Sam, didn’t try to look into the disappearances. I think that surprised me the most, considering his deputy had lost an aunt. As it was now, Charlie was running the coffee shop. I still went in for coffee and the occasional doughnut. I mean, what else could I do? It wasn’t as if I could let him know what had happened to her.

James was out of the hospital and had moved back to town. Without Mrs. Morrison around to provoke bad feelings between us, we were actually starting to become friends. No matter how much I loved Eramus, James had been a big part of my life. It was nice to be able to talk to him every now and then. But I wouldn’t trade my werewolf for the world.

Other girls can dream about a knight in shining armor all they want. I’ll take black fur any day.