CHAPTER TWENTY

 

 

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“I am so not talking to you,” Sandy said when she finally swallowed her pride and emerged from the bedroom to do her walk of shame right past him to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

“That was not my fault,” Joel chuckled.

“So was. If you hadn’t of been staring like a … a … well, I don’t know what, but that wouldn’t have happened!”

“Sweetheart, I was going to see you naked sooner or later, preferably sooner…” He bit down on the pain that felt like an arrow hitting his backside when she zapped him. “It was worth it.”

“I really don’t like you right now…”

“Which means you did before and you will again…”

“That’s not what I…”

“Implied.”

“Don’t need to imply this,” she said and flipped him the bird.

“Is that an offer I can take to the bank?” He chuckled as he watched her cheeks get a shade darker than they were before as she bit down on her annoyance, but there was amusement in her eye as well, even if she was fighting it.

“I should put you outside like an unwanted stinky cat – we all know you like dressing up like one. I have the proof.” She tipped her chin higher.

“And I have the mental image of you naked. I don’t need a camera for that,” he teased back and waited to be zapped again, but it never came.

“Idiot,” she muttered, and he caught it. He also held up his index finger to draw her attention to him.

“Now, be fair – I’m your idiot.” He grinned on another chuckle.

“I’m not impressed…”

“I was very, very impressed,” he said with an underlying growl that rumbled towards her and told her exactly what he was thinking. She felt that rumble to her very toes.

“If that’s your idea of a line…”

“I’m not fishing. I already have exactly what I want, and I intend to keep you.” Joel took a step towards her, and she frowned even those his words were thrilling and made her heart beat faster.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“I think I’m about to kiss you again,” Joel growled with the need that filled every inch of him at having that thought and stating that fact, and she noticed that hungry growl, boy did she?

“I never…” She shook her head, but as his arms came around her body and he yanked her against his – she forgot to protest as a rush of excitement went through her and butterflies swarmed like the first heat of summer had spread their wings to flight.

“Implied,” he lied, just before he brought his lips down on hers, and someone turned the furnace up inside her body.

Damn, but he could kiss. It wasn’t just an anyhow kiss. It wasn’t even a testing the waters to see if he’d get zapped kind of a kiss. It was like he was trying to claim her very soul. Gentle, yet demanding, passionate, and yet commanding, and it most certainly was a soul stealer.

 “Now wait a minute there, Sparky.”

Sandy gasped in a breath as she placed her palms against his chest and eyed him as if she couldn’t quite make up her mind if she wanted to zap him or kiss him again.

“You object to the way I’m kissing you?” Joel asked his breathless mate as his eyebrows did that cute crinkle thing and her mind took to flight.

“No…” He kissed her again, and she melted. “Yes!” she said when she was free to breathe, to think, to consider once more – not that there was much of that going on in her fuddled brain.

Sure, she was breathing, but not very well. And sure, she was thinking, thinking about his hard body pressed against hers. And then there was considering, considering how long she could wait before she could kiss him again.

All in all, she thought she was toast, and she was considering just how to climb up his big body and wrap herself around him.

“It’s not good?” Joel asked, and she scowled on a small shake of her head.

“It’s good…” He kissed her again, and that time it took a whole heck of a lot longer for her to come up for air.

Sandy didn’t mind so much – she was getting used to not breathing, and he was making her body purr like it had never purred before.

But that wasn’t the point – she just didn’t know what the point was because she wanted more – so much more. More of him, more of them – and naked. Boy, but did she want to be naked and touching him …. everywhere?

Yep, she was toast but did she hold out or did she just let fate, and him, have his wicked way with her?

“But…” She couldn’t find the words.

“I’m not really understanding your objections, sweetheart because you aren’t making any…”

“I know…” She frowned and nodded as if she couldn’t understand it herself.

“So, you have an objection?” Joel grinned. It was wolfish, cocky, and potent.

“Uh-huh.” She nodded and then shook her head.

“Clear as mud,” he chuckled and kissed her once more.

That time; he was as shocked as she was when she practically climbed up his legs and he helped her get the rest of the way to his hips. She wrapped her legs around him and made a damn fine noise in the back of her throat when her sex pressed against his hard length.

Mine…

Joel’s beast made its feelings clear on the subject, and he definitely agreed with that. She was his, and he was never letting her go.

“Your bedroom or mine?” Joel breathed out against her lips, and she looked momentarily confused.

“Ours,” she offered back when she remembered how to speak.

“Sounds good to me,” he growled as he started off across the room with his mate clinging on around him.

Each step was heaven and hell, a special torture of his own making because he was damned if he was going to press her back against the nearest wall and take her like a wild man.

He rumbled a growl in the back of his throat – that thought was good – damn good, but having his mate spread out naked on the bed would be so much better.

“Any objections to being naked?” He rolled those words out on a hungry growl, and if she’d had objections to that thought before, well she didn’t have them any longer.

“Aren’t you just full of leading questions,” she giggled as she wiggled against him just so she could hear that growl once more. It sounded divine.

“That really – really needs an answer before I go insane…”

“A crazy wolfman in my bedroom. Yikes.” She pulled a face.

“I thought you said it was our bedroom?”

Joel tipped her world backwards and she clung to him for dear life. It wasn’t that she feared falling, because she knew he’d never hurt her, it wasn’t in him to ever do that. It was because she didn’t want to be separated from him.

“A girl can change her mind.” She offered him a teasing smile and a small shrug of her shoulders. “Depends if you miff me off and I need to put you outside like a bad kitty cat.”

“Can we not ever mention cats again?”

“Where’s the fun in that?” She chuckled, but when he dipped his head and nuzzled between her shoulder and her neck to take her scent, and the feel of his tongue ran over her soft skin – well, laughter was the last thing on her mind. Or his cat costume. “Naked sounds good.”

Joel’s head snapped up, and his eyes feasted on her. He was searching for that teasing look in her eyes, but he didn’t find it. His mate was totally serious.