Nika’s body was perfect. Not a scar on it. Just miles of silky smooth flesh that curved exactly where it should. Her breasts were pert and begging to be worshipped. Jaemus was all too happy to grant their wish. The little needy sounds that escaped her made him eager to please her in every way possible.

How did I end up here?

He’d gone from being a brutal warrior to being changed into a werewolf without his consent to being banished by an angry Celtic goddess to being marooned on an unknown isle to being dumped—quite literally—on his brother’s doorstep in the future to being invited by this lovely sprite to take pleasure in her flawless body.

This last stop was clearly his favorite.

“Jaemus…” He loved the breathy sound of his name on her lips.

“Aye, sprite?” Pressing soft kisses along her belly, he cupped one of her breasts and kneaded it in his large palm.

Nika’s green eyes rolled upward as he touched her, more sounds of approval and desire echoing from her. “I want you. Now.”

Her strained words filled him with fire. Every other lass he’d had relations with had never stirred him up like this. Aye, they’d gotten stirred up—especially when they learned he was with Reardon’s legendary army and had riches aplenty—but he’d always felt as if he were going through the steps. Touching what should be touched. Kissing what should be kissed. It was all so routine, so emotionless.

Maybe that was what he’d liked about those lasses. They hadn’t expected anything more than a pleasurable evening. The demands were low stakes and more about earning bragging rights—he in competition with the other men for how many lasses they could bed and she in being able to say she’d bedded a warrior.

This, right now, with Nika was different. So different. A small part of Jaemus wondered if the change was because he was different. He wasn’t only a man anymore. He was both man and wolf. Was the intensity he felt with Nika a product of being a werewolf? Did he feel every physical need more deeply now that he had been altered?

Or was this time so passionate because of Nika? Had she somehow awakened parts of him no one else had been able to reach?

“Jaemus… please…” Nika opened her legs wider and he positioned himself between them.

Whatever the reason, he was taking what she offered, and he planned to enjoy every last second. Maybe in Nika’s arms, he could be just a man again.

He dipped a finger into her heat, finding her wet and ready. As he ran the head of his arousal along her slippery opening, she clamped her hands on his shoulders.

“Wait!”

“What’s wrong, sprite?” He was afraid to move a muscle, wondering if he’d hurt her somehow.

“We need a condom.” She wriggled out from underneath him, which he did not like. The view of her bare ass as she leaned over the side of the bed to a small table and opened a drawer, however, soothed his annoyance some.

When she scooted back over to him, she held up a small, square package. He had no idea what it was until she tore it open and rolled something slick and snug onto his length.

To keep her without child. He understood the precaution, but was a little dismayed at not being able to feel her surround him more naturally. Maybe in time.

And why was he assuming they’d be doing this again? Because he wanted to so badly?

“Okay, where were we, Wolfman?” She grinned at him as she slid back into position under him and looped her arms around his neck. “Ah, yes. Here we are.”

It only took the briefest of moments for Jaemus to find the pull toward her again. Slowly, he edged himself inside her, shuddering at the way she enveloped him. The fit was tight, but as he moved in and out with a steady rhythm, everything felt wonderful.

Nika hooked her legs around his back, allowing him to bury himself farther. She arched her hips up against his, matching his pace and cadence.

“Nika… Nika…” Her name rushed out of him as the pressure built between them.

“I’m here.” She put her hands on either side of his face, pushing his hair back and meeting his gaze. “You have the prettiest eyes. They have a light all their own.”

Werewolf eyes. He started to close them, but she tightened her grip on his cheeks.

“Hey, I want to see them. Don’t hide them from me.”

He looked down at her, knowing he should hide, but not wanting to. Not from her. Not while he was about ready to explode inside her.

They climbed higher together, until on a cry of his name, Nika shattered beneath him. He followed right behind her and they both breathed heavily in a post-climax bliss on her bed.

After a few minutes of panting, Nika rolled her head to look at him. “That was the best lunch break I’ve ever taken.”

He laughed and threw an arm around her waist. Tucking her in close, he played with her gorgeous hair. “That was the best lunch I’ve ever eaten, sprite.”

“We should probably really eat something and head back to the post. You have a video ad to do with Carrie, and we need to get the word out about you.”

“Which word? The word on what an exceptional lover I am?”

Nika immediately shook her head. “No, that word would be best kept secret, I’d say.” She sat up and coiled her hair into a messy knot. “I’m kind of selfish, and when I find something I like, I want to keep it all for myself.”

“And you like me?” Jaemus sat up now and caught her lips in a heated kiss, hoping beyond hopes that she did, in fact, like him.

Nika kissed him back with the same level of fire then broke free, a devilish smirk on her swollen lips. “I guess you’re okay.” She giggled and popped off the bed before he could catch her.

“Sprite. Definitely an impish sprite.”

He got up and pulled on his clothes—as she did—then followed her out to the living room. He hadn’t bothered looking around on their way in as his mind—and body—were focused on other things. Now he wandered the room, noting craftsmanship similar to what he’d seen in the barn below and the trading post.

“Your father was a skilled builder,” he said as he admired the ceiling beams.

“Tato could build anything. He had his own Polish ways of making things, but when he came here and befriended the local Native Americans, he learned other tricks. The two ways blended into something that was uniquely Cezar Skarvinski.”

Her green eyes had gone a little misty, but a smile still graced her lovely lips.

“You must miss him.”

“Terribly. It was just me and him for a long time.” She pulled a picture frame off a bookshelf and handed it to him. In the picture, a little girl with long, brown braids and a black-haired man with the same green eyes as Nika smiled back at Jaemus.

“What happened to your mother?” he asked.

“She died shortly after I was born,” Nika said. “I never knew her.”

Something sharp poked at Jaemus’s heart, knowing this beautiful girl in the picture he still held had grown up without a mother.

“I never knew my father,” he said. What was he doing? He never shared that information with the lasses he enjoyed. That was personal. And yet, here with Nika, it had spilled out of him.

“It’s hard, isn’t it? The not knowing? My mother was a Native American my father met when he came here from Poland, but that’s all I know about her. Tato wouldn’t talk about her when I asked questions. I think a big piece of him died when she did, but he held it together for me.” She took the picture frame and placed it back on the shelf. “Your mother raised you then? You and Reardon?”

“Aye, barely. Reardon and I took care of ourselves mostly.”

“And where is your mother now? Back in Ireland?”

He shrugged. “I suppose. We haven’t spoken in ages.”

“Does that bother you?”

Gods be damned, it did bother him. His mother hadn’t been happy he’d joined Reardon. She’d begged him to stay, but when she asked who would take care of her, he’d known she’d wanted him to stay for the wrong reasons. He’d decided it was time for him to take care of him and only him.

When he’d started gaining fortunes as a hired warrior, he’d sent some riches to his mother with word of his location at the time. She never once sent any thanks.

“Aye, it bothered me, but not anymore.” Nika didn’t need to know that wound would always be fresh. “You have a nice home here.”

“I like it,” she said. “That’s why I don’t want Robert to have this land. He gets more than the land and my trading post. He gets my home.”

“That your father built.”

She nodded. “When I told Robert that, you know what he said?”

Jaemus was certain he wouldn’t like what that bastard had said.

“He said, ‘I’ll build you a new home. A bigger one, and we’ll live happily ever after in it.’” She puffed out her cheeks as if she were going to vomit, making Jaemus laugh. “Doesn’t he realize I’d rather live in a tiny cardboard box out on the street than live anywhere with him?”

Jaemus liked hearing those words. Something about knowing no one else held Nika’s heart made him feel… hopeful.

“Why doesn’t he find another place to build his Mr. Spankles Shop?”

Nika burst out laughing, but Jaemus wasn’t sure what was so funny. “Mr. Sprinkles Donut Shop, Wolfman. Not Spankles.” She wiped at the tears in her eyes. “I’ve asked him that too because there’s lots of other places to develop. He owns a new shopping center nearby, and I told him to put his stupid donut shop there. Robert claims this location needs ‘a place where people can get coffee and mingle.’ Um, hello? I sell coffee and people are welcome to mingle.”

“You just need to get people to come here.”

“Bingo.” She arrowed a finger at him. “Which is why I have you.”

He grabbed that finger and tugged her closer. “I think I proved you have me for more reasons than getting people to come here.” He motioned down the hall toward the bedroom with his chin.

She put her hands on his chest and grinned up at him. “Yes, that’s true. You also offered to keep Robert away.”

“Aye, what else?” He kissed her nose.

“You have a particular talent for making me pant your name.”

“And might you be willing to allow me to exercise that talent again, sprite?” Say yes. Gods, please, say yes.

“I could be persuaded.” She reached up on her tiptoes, her slender body pressing against his in all the right places as she kissed him. “But right now, we have some marketing work to do. C’mon.”

After a quick apples-and-granola-bars snack, they left her apartment and arrived at the trading post in time to see a family exit with bags under their arms. Jaemus glanced at Nika who had an ear to ear smile on her face.

“It’s working already, Wolfman. You’re like a lucky charm.”

Would she think he was lucky if she knew what he really was?

****

Could people float? Could they get around by dancing through the air? Was that what sprites did? Nika was definitely soaring after what had happened in her apartment with Jaemus. Good Lord, the man could whip her into a frenzy with a glance, never mind what his actual touch did to her.

A full body ripple made her shiver as she walked into the trading post with Jaemus right behind her.

“Are you all right, sprite?” His hand rested on her shoulder further shocking her system.

“More than all right, Wolfman. More than all right.” She threw him a smile over her shoulder and stopped at the register where Zavier and Carrie chatted, Daisy sitting beside them. “Hey, kids.” Nika rubbed her dog between the ears until Daisy’s golden eyes disappeared behind chocolate fur.

Carrie turned the laptop she was working on toward her. “Check this out, Boss.” She tapped the keyboard and footage of Jaemus leaping over her and Nika on the bleachers filled the screen.

“Incredible.” Nika looked at Jaemus whose eyes were not on the screen but laser-focused on her instead… as if waiting for an unfavorable reaction. Why? What she’d watched was the coolest stunt her Wolfman Show had ever seen.

“Do you practice shit like that?” Zavier asked. “Because that was like a flawless jump, man.”

Jaemus turned his attention to Zavier. “I run. Often. Keeps me in shape.”

“We can see that,” Carrie said as she let her gaze wander over Jaemus’s incredible body. If Nika hadn’t just enjoyed how in shape Jaemus was and if it was anyone but Carrie giving him the once-over, she’d be… uhh, what was the word?

Ah, yes. Jealous.

Silly.  She’d had one roll in the hay with the guy. One. Amazing. Roll. She didn’t own him. He wasn’t hers. But he does want to have sex again. With me. He’d said so, and he’d said it with such fire in his eyes that she one hundred percent believed him.

“Show me what other footage you have.” Nika leaned her elbows on the counter as Carrie flipped through the video she’d taken. Watching The Wolfman Show had been fabulous, but Nika picked up more of Jaemus’s phenomenal acting and costume by watching it again. The man was a natural for this particular role. As if he were made to play it.

“Zavier had a couple of cool suggestions for the ad.” Carrie shot Zavier a smile, and Nika loved seeing the boy’s cheeks color. She hoped she was around when these two finally got together. She wanted a front row seat at their wedding some day.

“Great. Why don’t you two take Jaemus to my office and work your magic on creating a knock-their-socks-off ad? I can handle out here for a bit.” Nika glanced to Jaemus who had grown quiet after seeing himself on video. “Would that be okay, Jaemus?” He was, after all, helping her. She should at least ask if he minded working with the kids.

“Aye.” He turned to follow Zavier and Carrie to her office, but then he looked back at her. “Not sure how I’m supposed to concentrate on anything besides you though, sprite.” One golden brown eye winked at her, coupled with a sexy grin that made Nika grab the counter behind her for support. He chuckled and the low sound stroked her ears.

He followed the teens, his gait smooth and… wolfish.

Shaking her head, Nika busied herself with tidying up the post. Many items were askew on their shelves, which delighted her because it meant people—customers—had picked up merchandise, thoughtfully considered the products, and hopefully made purchases. She skipped back to the register and opened it, ecstatic to find more money in there than when she had opened in the morning. Sweet Baby Jesus, it was happening. She and Maple Ridge Trading Post were on the upswing.

Finally!

And she had one sexy Wolfman to thank. For many reasons as he’d pointed out in her apartment. Just thinking about one of those reasons had her all hot for him again.

“Some powerful shit…”

“What’s powerful shit?”

Nika whirled around to see Meredith Wendon had entered the post. “Oh, hey, Meredith. Good to see you.” Even if the woman had caught her talking to herself.

“Likewise.” Meredith narrowed her eyes as she smiled at Nika. “Not going to tell me what’s powerful shit?”

Nika shook her head. “Just talking to myself. It’s nothing.”

“You sure it’s not a tall, Irish lad with golden hair and equally golden eyes? Looks like someone who stepped off the cover of a romance novel? I believe I just saw him in here, yes?”

Nika’s cheeks positively burned so there was no way she could say Meredith was wrong.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Or should I say aye instead?” Meredith laughed as Nika covered her face and rested her head on the counter between them. “It’s okay, sweetie. I keep praying for an older version of Reardon or Jaemus to show up.”

When Nika raised her head, Meredith had her fingers crossed and a pleading expression on her face.

“Or for your father to magically reappear.” Meredith reached across the counter and patted Nika’s hand.

Before Nika’s father had passed, he and Meredith had been spending a great deal of time together, and Nika had been hopeful he’d finally found someone who could make him smile. He always seemed happy, but she knew he had to be lonely for some companionship—other than that of his daughter. Sadly, he died before a relationship with Meredith blossomed.

“That was some fabulous cleaning work you and Dylan did in the barn,” Nika said to keep her mind off missing Tato.

Meredith snapped her fingers. “I got that kid trained in the Ways of Clean. Besides, neighbors help neighbors. And Jaemus seemed… inspired to help you. You getting some animals or something?”

“Animals? No.”

“Oh.” Meredith’s brows furrowed. “Then why do you need it clean in there? Tired of looking at it?”

“I offered it to Jaemus. Told him if he wants to fix it up, he can rent it from me. Only I won’t collect any rent because he’s doing me a tremendous favor by being my new Wolfman in the show. He’s fantastic.”

Meredith blinked at her, the woman’s mouth opening and closing like a dying fish on a dock. “Wolfman? Living in your barn?”

“Yeah. What’s wrong with that? He wanted a place to stay. I had a place. It’s all working out.” And I’ll be having more sex later. That was her favorite part.

“Ah, wrong? Nothing… I guess.” Meredith chewed on her bottom lip. “Hey, why don’t you come over tonight? For dinner. It’s been a while and we can celebrate you finding a new Wolfman. I know Brandy would love to see you too. So would the… wolves.”

“Sure. Okay. You wouldn’t happen to be making your famous lasagna, would you?” Nika patted her stomach. She hadn’t had a decent meal in too long, and the possibility of Meredith’s lasagna made her mouth water and her stomach growl.

“Lasagna. You got it, sweetie.” Meredith glanced over her shoulder into the shop. “You still have those beeswax candles? That’s what I actually came in for.”

Nika led Meredith over to the candle aisle and peeked at her office while she let the woman browse. Inside, Carrie sat at Nika’s desk with Zavier and Jaemus on either side of her. All three of their heads were bent over the laptop, lights flickering off their faces as they watched whatever was on the screen.

Jaemus suddenly looked up, his gaze connecting with hers as if he sensed she was standing there. With a slight grin, he went back to watching the screen, but Nika saw the color on his cheeks as if he were thinking about their naked Olympics as much as she was.

“I’m all set, Nika,” Meredith called from the register.

Nika rang up Meredith’s candle purchases and confirmed that dinner would be at seven.

“And bring this darling.” Meredith bent to pet Daisy before she left.

“Today’s the best day we’ve had in a while, Daisy,” Nika said to the pup.

The Wolfman Show was a success. Money would be rolling back in.

Robert had been intimidated by Wolfman. Nika hadn’t had to deal with him alone.

Wolfman had made her toes curl with his kisses, caresses, and skilled lovemaking. He’d also promised there’d be more of all three.

And now she had a lasagna dinner invitation.

Humming, she wandered through the post, making plans to order more inventory and change up some of the displays. An hour later, Carrie, Zavier, and Jaemus emerged from her office, all three of them smiling as if they were quite pleased with themselves.

“You ready, Boss?” Carrie waved the laptop and set it on the counter by the register.

“Fire away.”

Zavier hit play, while Jaemus came to stand behind Nika. Closely behind her. She desperately wanted him to put his arms around her and pull her back against his chest, but knew he wouldn’t do that in front of the kids. Something about imagining it, though, warmed Nika.

On the screen, Red Riding Hood stood in darkened woods with her red cloak billowing in a mysterious breeze while chilling and enthralling music played. A set of yellowed eyes tracked her from the shadows while a flannel-shirted Huntsman chopped wood in the next frame. The words The woods have eyes… faded in on the screen in a blood red color, followed by Prey is tracked. Footage of Jaemus leaping as Wolfman made it look as if he could jump right off the screen. He landed and there was a heartbeat of pause to see him looking fierce in his costume, a hungry look in his wolfish eyes.

Nika knew that image was supposed to spark fear, but she couldn’t help being in awe of it instead. Even in that costume, Jaemus was… beautiful. Did that make her a freak? That she found a half man-half wolf attractive? Or was she able to see beneath the costume now? She knew what the man underneath was like. She’d connected with that man. She liked that man.

After some footage of the audience laughing and having a general great time, the video ended with the words Be our prey dissolving on the screen and then the standard Come visit us at with the address, phone number, and website of Maple Ridge Trading Post.

Nika clapped and faced all of them. “You guys, this is fantastic! Let’s get it up on the website, Facebook, Twitter, everywhere!”

“I’ll take care of that,” Zavier said as Carrie grabbed her things to leave, her shift long since over.

Nika stopped the girl on her way to the door. “Thanks so much. I couldn’t have done that alone.”

Carrie gave Nika a hug. “No problem, Boss. I had fun with Zavier.” She looked back at the boy talking with Jaemus at the counter. “And Jaemus.” But she was only staring at Zavier. “See you tomorrow.”

“Bye, honey.”

Chuckling to herself, Nika went back to the counter. “Zavier, will you do me a favor and check what inventory is in the back. I want to be ready for the hordes of buyers this guy is going to pull in.” She waved a hand at Jaemus.

“Sure thing.”

After Zavier disappeared, Nika turned to Jaemus. “Is watching you do your Wolfman thing on that screen supposed to turn me on?”

Jaemus’s features softened, and for a minute Nika would have described his expression as… vulnerable. “Did it?”

“Very much. You’re so good at pretending to be a Wolfman.”

“Pretending… aye.” Now he looked a little sad as he hooked some of his blond hair behind his ear.

“You’re so believable.”

He nodded, still sending off a solemn vibe that she desperately wanted to change.

“Hey, I guess we’ll be dining together tonight.”

That made a grin spread on his magnificent lips. “What’s on the menu?” He let his gaze travel from her eyes down to her breasts then down lower, lower.

“Lasagna. Meredith stopped in to invite me over to dinner at the sanctuary.”

Jaemus’s gaze snapped back up to hers. “She did?”

Nika nodded. “Yeah, to celebrate finding a new Wolfman for the show. Finding you.”

“Meredith knows I’m your new Wolfman?”

“Well, yeah, I didn’t think it was a big secr—”

“I have to go.” Jaemus reached the front door in a few long strides.

He was gone before she could say another word.