Author: J.D. Tyler

"What're you staring at?" a voice growled softly in her ear.

She turned her head to find herself looking into Aric's annoyed face. "Just watching him use his magic staff thingy. It's just as awesome as the first time I saw him do it." His breath puffed against her neck, making her break out in chill bumps.

"Yeah? Bet his magical staff can't do what mine can." His lips turned up and his green gaze lit with mischief.

Her brows rose. "My, you must be feeling better. Is that why you really wanted to go for a walk? So you could ravish me in the woods?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Actually, I would."

"It's done," Kalen said, breaking into their exchange. "If the wards fail, we'll know soon enough. Now for the body."

Another incantation, and the Sluagh's carcass slowly withered, like a raisin in the sun. Then it began to crumble, and finally disintegrated all together.

Hammer shuddered. "Man, it grosses me the fuck out when he does that."

"On that note, I want everyone to get inside the compound and restrict their roaming for a while," Nick ordered in a stern tone. The predictable groans ensued. "Sorry, but it's for our safety. If you must go out, do it as a group. No running or going into town alone, and no groups smaller than four."

"Crap."

"Damn, that sucks."

Rowan could tell nobody really blamed Nick, though. Leaders did what they must to protect their teams, and Westfall was no exception. She and Aric lagged behind the others as they trooped back to the compound, but kept them in sight. As they entered the building, Nick turned and pointed a finger at the redhead.

"I'm not going to make you go to the infirmary, but I want you to rest. That's an order."

"Yes, Dad."

"Cocky shit. Don't push it." With that, Nick walked off, his men snickering.

"Damn, now what? There's nothing to do in this place," Aric bitched.

"Are you kidding? You almost got eaten by an evil Unseelie pet and you're bored?" Grabbing his hand, she began to pull him toward his room. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"Three guesses."

"Somewhere I won't be bored?"

"Ding-ding, got it in one." She pulled him along, not surprised when he saw where she was taking him and dug in his heels.

"Wait a sec-my room? I'm not a kid and I'm not going to be put down for a nap."

"Who says we're going to sleep? Unless you were all talk out there..."

That got his undivided attention. His dumbstruck expression was priceless. "You... I just..."

"You're just what? Fine with the teasing, but not with real intimacy? Spontaneity?"

"Hey, I did pretty good with that when we were in Vegas," he asserted, puffing his chest out a little.

"That was nothing but a dream."

"Was it? No, I believe it was more and I think you do, too."

Did she? "Maybe you're right, but I still have a hard time buying stuff I can't see. Now, those fucking Sluagh things, and the awesome stuff Kalen did? Hard to refute what's in your face."

"Kalen!" He made a face. "What's the Goth kid got that I don't?"

"A really big staff?" She giggled as his mouth fell open.

"All right, that's it! Big staff, my ass," he muttered, punching in the code to his door. It opened with a pop and he pushed inside, pulling her into his living room. Then he whirled and snaked an arm around her waist, pressing her flush to his body.

Her laughter abruptly died as he crushed his mouth to hers. Oh, shit, yes! A man-this man-making her fantasies come true, in the flesh. God, it had been much too long since she'd been held in a man's arms, and never in a pair as strong as Aric's. She'd never been kissed as deeply by a man who tasted as delicious, whose masculine scent drove her so completely insane. His hard cock pressed into her pubic bone at the base, the length extending almost to her belly button. She moaned, grinding against him, wanting that searing heat to slide inside her, pumping to her core.

"Shower," he murmured into her lips. "I need to get that creature's stench off me, but I don't want to let you go. I'm a selfish bastard."

"I can handle that." Anything, as long as she didn't have to give up this heat, the promise of being with her wolf.

My wolf.

Why would she think that? He wasn't hers, but she wouldn't pass up the chance to be with him while she was here. Ignoring the pang in her chest at the thought that she would eventually leave for L.A., she let him lead her into the bathroom. Like hers, it wasn't fancy, but was more spacious than she would've thought, adorned with nice brass accents and updated tile. Aric had added his own touches, his rugs and towels in rust and brown colors, the pattern giving it sort of a Southwestern feel, like the rest of his apartment.

"Did you grow up in the South?" she asked as he stripped off the tattered sweats. "I can't quite place your accent."

"I'm a Texas boy-Houston, but I've been gone for so long I've lost most of the drawl. Strip, honey."

She did, pulling off her sports bra, loving how his eyes widened as he took in her freed breasts. "I'll bet you were raised on Southern rock."

"Huh?" His eyes somehow made it to her face.

"You know, Lynyrd Skynyrd, beer, and tailgate parties?"

"Oh, sure. What good Texan isn't?"

Drinking in his naked body, she lost the thread of their conversation. She'd seen him in the buff before, but not when he was all hers. Not when they were about to get wet and naughty. The man was over six feet of lean, cut muscle. Long, burnished hair flowed over his tattooed chest, down his back in a luxurious fall she wanted to drown in. His penis was hard, jutting proudly from its nest of dark curls, arching toward his stomach like a comma. He wasn't the least bit shy about it, and she found that confidence incredibly sexy.

Pulling open the glass door to the shower stall, he turned on the water and stuck his hand under it to test the temperature. When he deemed it satisfactory, he stepped inside and held out a hand. Though she could manage just fine, she took it, strangely touched by the gesture. None of her former lovers had ever cared about showering together, and certainly none had been very solicitous.

And that described Aric to a T as a lover, she soon learned. Kind and caring. Thoughtful. Such a contrast from his public persona, especially with his friends.

Shutting the stall door behind her, she stepped into his arms. He pulled her close again and she reveled in the sensation of his naked skin against hers. His tight rear end felt damned fine in her palms, perfectly round and smooth. His lips descended, warm and soft, the kiss every bit as deep as before but gentler. Searching. His tongue licked the roof of her mouth, behind her teeth, probed everywhere as though he had to learn every ridge.

Then his hand worked between them, fingers combing through her curls to find the nub of her clit. She widened her stance, encouraging his touch. He played, stroked and teased, sending little tingles to her limbs, revving her long-neglected libido into overdrive. Unable to resist, she wormed her hand between them as well and cupped his heavy sac, testing its weight.

He broke the kiss, groaning. "Fuck, yes, baby. Explore all you want. That's yours."

She liked that idea, a helluva lot. "This is all for me? Nobody else?"

"No one but you."

He sounded very serious, but it had to be a line. They'd met only days ago, not nearly enough time for any attachments to form. Right? It had to be a statement born of lust, nothing else.

The unwanted image of another woman pleasuring her wolf came to the fore, and she ruthlessly squashed it. He might not be hers, but she wouldn't allow reality to intrude on the here and now.

He spread his legs wider, making it clear he was a man of his word. She could do what she wanted and he'd enjoy every second. Carefully, she knelt and grasped the base of his cock with one hand and steadied herself by holding on to his thigh with the other. Looking up, she admired how the water cascaded over his head, wetting his hair, and streamed down his chest and stomach, poured off his cock and balls. He was like some water god come to life especially for her, and she wouldn't waste a moment.

Testing the seeping head of his penis with her tongue, she was surprised and happy to find that his flavor was sweet, unlike the salty bitterness of past lovers. Giving head wasn't her favorite thing, but for Aric she could change her mind.

She sucked on the spongy crown, smiling inwardly at the way he melted under her ministrations, making incomprehensible noises that might've been endearments. Or curses. Who knew? All she cared about was rendering the man incapable of speech. At least any that made sense.

She took him down her throat, loving that his entire length seemed to fit like a hand in a glove when this wasn't typically her forte. He was warm and slick, and she laved every vein and contour, eating him like a stick of candy. The man was putty in her hands and mouth, so she upped the ante, increasing the suction on his cock. A hand fisted in her hair and he increased his rhythm until his hips were snapping like a piston, fucking her face like there was no tomorrow.

She opened to him, squeezing his balls, hoping to make him lose control. Her efforts met with resounding success. After giving a series of quick thrusts, his body tensed, balls drawing up tight.

"Shit! Coming!"

He tried to pull out, but she held fast to her prize. Surrendering to her wishes, he came with a shout, his seed spurting hot and thick onto her tongue, down her throat. She drank him greedily, not wanting to miss a drop, though it wasn't easy. The man was loaded with cream and maybe hadn't enjoyed this in quite a while. Or so she hoped.

When he slumped against the tile, she licked away the last drops, then let him slip from her lips and smiled up into his sated face. "Damn, you taste good, my wolf."

"What?" He blinked at her as though startled.

"You taste good," she repeated.

"Oh. Thanks." Helping her up, he smiled. "I'd love to return the favor."

"You can, but I did that because I wanted to. I enjoyed it, very much."

He looked rather proud of that. "So did I, as if you couldn't tell. You're amazing, sweetheart."

She basked in his praise as he grabbed a bottle of shampoo and squeezed some into her palm, then his own. They lathered up, took turns rinsing, then soaped their bodies as well. She had fun sudsing his chest and back, not to mention his groin, making him laugh at her playfulness. He soaped her, too, paying special attention to her breasts, tweaking the nipples to hard peaks. Then he soaped between her legs, making sure to rub the sensitive slit so that she squirmed with arousal.

By the time Aric turned off the shower and handed her a towel, she was a ball of frustrated, excited desire. She needed the edge taken off, and fast.

They dried off and then Aric got out a blow dryer, saying that his hair was so long, it was a miserable, cold, damp mop if he let it dry naturally. Rowan itched to get her hands on his mane, and he relinquished the dryer and brush with a minimum of fuss. She had him sit stark naked on the toilet seat facing away from her, and tackled the glorious tresses with relish. As it dried, the mass was silky and shiny, and he practically purred with pleasure at the attention.

When it was sufficiently dry, she did her own, which didn't take nearly as much time, then switched off the dryer. "Have you always worn your hair long?" she asked, rolling up the cord and replacing the dryer in the cabinet.

"Except for my years in the Navy, I have. Drives the women crazy."

"Conceited much?"

"Nah, not me. Truthfully, I just like it this way. It feeds my inner rock star wannabe."

She laughed. "Sling an electric guitar over your hips and the image will be complete. Love it."