He placed his hands on her shoulders and nuzzled his face in her hair. “You smell like a garden of flowers.”

“That’s because we’re standing in a greenhouse full of them,” she teased, leaning against his chest, pressing against his heavy groin.

He took her hand and ran his nose over the silky skin. “Your hand smells like roses, and your hair like Persian lilac. You smell like a floral garden.” He nudged his cheek against her throat and she moved her head so he had better access. His hands dipped lower, to the tassel tie belted at her waist.

“I have work to do,” Bella said, but she didn’t stop him, either.

“The work will get done, but this can’t wait.” He pressed his arousal against her backside and she smiled.

“If we keep doing it, I won’t be able to walk normally for a week.”

“Hey, just think if we were in our wolf coats.”

Bella laughed. “Well, I’ve seen a wolf and his mate go at it, but... “

“Half an hour at a time? Multiple times? Just know what you’re getting yourself into when the moon appears.” He pulled her robe open and slid his hands over her breasts.

She turned and smiled when she saw he was wearing jeans but was barefoot and shirtless. “You’re dressed. Kind of.”

“Easily remedied.” He tackled his zipper. “Afraid Chrissie’s kids might peek through a knothole in the redwood fence and see something they shouldn’t.”

“Good thinking. But I believe Chrissie’s the only one who might do something like that, particularly now that you’re around.” Bella kissed Devlyn’s chest, her hair dangling against his nipples, raising them into tight knots. She licked one and hummed.

Devlyn broke free and locked the door. Thankfully, the greenhouse windows were fogged up enough that only Bella and Devlyn’s silhouettes could be seen from the outside.

He yanked off his jeans and slipped the robe down Bella’s shoulders, exposing every inch of creamy skin. She was every guy’s wet dream and more.

After spreading the fabric over the mossy floor, he motioned to the makeshift bed. “My lady?”

She laughed. “So gallant.”

“Only for a minute.” Without further ado, he swept her off her feet, and she squealed.

“I hope Chrissie doesn’t think she needs to come to your rescue.”

He pressed a steamy kiss to Bella’s ear and then set her on the robe. Grasping her knees, he moved them apart, opening her to his touch. “My garden princess. I see you missed more than just me in our home in Colorado.” He kissed one shoulder and then licked the other.

She cupped his face and looked into his eyes, hers darkened amber gems. “I never ever thought my garden could bring me this much pleasure.”

He gave her a wolfish grin. “You always know the right words to say, Bella honey.”

“But you always know the right moves to... ah, Devlyn,” Bella mouthed against his lips, his tongue probing hers, his fingers separating her womanly folds.

The fragrance of sweet flowers scented the greenhouse, but Bella was the most irresistible flower of them all. Her hands shifted downward, pressing his buttocks, pressuring him to enter her.

With a single hard thrust, he impaled her, entering her secret garden, deeper with every movement, rubbing her mound, pushing her toward the top.

She matched his enthusiasm, rocking against him, striving for deeper penetration, until he found sweet release, planting his seed inside her, his body on fire.

Nipping his shoulder, she stifled a cry, her internal muscles clamping down on him, milking him for everything he had.

Totally spent, he rolled off her and pulled her on top of him. “I like this garden room of yours very much,” he said, his voice drenched in passion. He winked at her.

“I just bet you do. But I had lots of work to get caught up on and now I’m... well, awfully relaxed.”

He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. “The work will get done.”

But it didn’t.

For an hour, they slept in peaceful bliss in the garden of flowers while a storm raged around them. A bolt of lightning crashed close by, shaking Bella from her state of slumber. She frowned at Devlyn, who opened one sleepy eye and gazed at her.

“I had work to do,” she groused.

His lips curved up in a wicked smile. “You sure did.” After helping her up, he grabbed his jeans and pulled them on.

When she slipped her robe over her shoulders, he pulled her into his arms and nuzzled her cheek with his.

“What can I do to help?”

She groaned. What she wanted him to do was take her back to bed and ravish her all over again.

His eyes lighted with fire and he grinned. “Does my little red wolf need some more — “

She pulled out of his embrace before he talked her into returning to the house. “Here,” she said, handing him some gardening clippers. “Cut off the dead flowers. I’ll finish watering.”

After finishing the chores in the greenhouse, Bella and Devlyn made a wild dash through the rain to the house. Intending to wash their bed linens, she declined taking a shower with him for now or she’d never get the cleaning done.

“I’ll fix us something to eat as soon as I’m through here,” he hollered from the bathroom, the steamy spray muffling his words.

She finished stripping the bed. “All right by me.” But what she really wanted was a good four more hours of sleep. She dumped the dirty sheets on the floor and remade the bed with fresh linens. By the time she had finished showering and dressing, Devlyn was in the kitchen cooking — in the raw again.

She dumped the linens in the washing machine, started it, and then wandered into the kitchen, feeling as though she could move at only half speed. Sitting down, she leaned against the dining room table.

Devlyn glanced over from his cooking, the long German sausages sizzling in the frying pan for their brunch, filling the kitchen with the scent of spicy pork. Bella leaned her elbows against the table and rested her head against the palm of her hand. She cast a tired smile in his direction. He smiled back.

Soft, pale blue sweats covered her curvy body. Already he was prepared to slip her sweats off and make love to her again. Only he’d done so three more times that morning, and the final time, when she rose from the greenhouse floor, she’d been a little stiff, like a cowgirl who’d been riding a bull too long.

Her eyes appeared blurry. She hadn’t had enough sleep, nor, truthfully, had he. Once they ate, he planned on taking a nap with her, although he feared to get any sleep he’d have to move to her couch. The memory of making love on the couch filled his thoughts, her tight bottom wiggling suggestively at him, the smile playing on her lips, the feel of her soft buttocks pressing against him when he entered her. He chuckled. Well, he couldn’t think of one place she’d be safe from his advances.

He poked at the sausages and then flipped them over. “Blueberries all right this morning?”

“Hmm-hmm.”

“Some sourdough muffins?”

This time she didn’t respond. He turned to look at her.

She cradled her head on the crook of her arm. Her cinnamon curls cascaded over the table, like a silken red waterfall. She’d closed her eyes, and her face appeared totally at rest. He chuckled.

But then a knocking at the back door just about unhinged him.

He stalked to the back door and peeked out the curtained window. Chrissie smiled back at him, her brows raised.

Growling under his breath, he opened the door. Her gaze instantly focused lower, on his nakedness. He motioned for her to come in. “Be right back. I’ll throw some jeans on.” Even though Bella was going to wash them.

“No need to on my account,” Chrissie said dreamily while he strode down the hall.

It didn’t matter to him that she saw him in the raw, but if he’d stayed that way with Chrissie in the house and Bella had known, that was another story.

After he yanked on a pair of jeans, he stalked back to the kitchen. Chrissie had served up the sausages and muffins, preventing them from scorching, thankfully.

“Did you want to eat with us?” he asked, assuming there was no polite way of getting rid of the woman. On the other hand, since she’d saved their butts the previous night, they kind of owed her.

Chrissie glanced at Bella. “Looks like you might have a time waking her to eat. What did you do to tucker her out so?” A smile appeared. “Forget it. I already know the answer.”

He ignored her, wishing Bella didn’t have such an intrusive neighbor. Leaning over Bella, he kissed her ear. “Bella honey, do you want to eat?”

She murmured something inaudible.

“Okay.” He lifted her from the chair and carried her down the hall to the bedroom. After laying her on the mattress, he hesitated. He didn’t want to disturb her slumber, but since they didn’t wear anything to sleep in, and he intended to join her after he ate breakfast...

The decision was already made for him. He slid her sweats off, first the pants and then her shirt. He groaned to see her sweet body. Never would he get his fill of her. Hurriedly, he pulled the comforter over her. Then he strode out of the room, shutting the door behind him before he changed his mind and joined her.

When he reached the dining room, Chrissie had already poured glasses of milk for them.

“I would have gotten you some orange juice, but you don’t seem to have any.”

He downed the milk. “Milk’s good for growing bones.”

Chrissie sighed. “And muscles. Don’t forget the muscles.”

“Do you often visit Bella in the morning, or did you have some news?”

“I didn’t mean to barge in on the two of you, but since it was later in the morning, I figured — “ Chrissie’s cheeks reddened. “Well, I assumed you’d both be up and ready to face the day.” She buttered her muffin and lifted it from the plate. “In truth, I wanted to tell you that Henry called me earlier and said he’d talked to the police chief. The warrants for your arrest and Bella’s have been rescinded.”