Defying Destiny (13 page)

she whispered to him before drifting back

to sleep.

Shuddering pleasure pulled Maralee

from sleep early the following morning. It

took her several moments to realize the

source was Nash’s warm, wet tongue

against her bared breasts.

“Nash,” she gasped and lifted her

hands to touch him. He backed away

before she could find him in the darkness.

Disappointed, she dropped her hands

and he reappeared, licking first one

hardened nipple and then the other. Her

back arched and she sighed with pleasure.

“Oh,” she gasped, a throb between her

thighs making her squirm.

Unable to keep her hands to herself

any longer, she reached for him again, and

again he moved away.

“Why won’t you let me touch you?”

His response was to lick her thigh.

Her breath escaped in a rush. This

new

sensation

was

even

more

pleasurable. She needed him to help her.

Help her with what? She didn’t know, but

she needed it. Needed him.

He made his way up her thigh.

Maralee squirmed, anticipating him giving

her what she wanted, what she needed, but

skittishness got the better of her and she

rose up. She grabbed Nash’s shoulders to

stop his progress.

“I should not have done that without

your permission,” he murmured. “I

discovered that your scent increases as I

lick your breasts. I couldn’t resist.”

“My scent?”

His nose brushed the mound at the

juncture of her thighs. Warm breath bathed

the insides of both thighs and she gasped.

“It excites me,” he said. “Your scent…

excites…”

He nibbled the tender skin at the top of

her thigh and she collapsed back against

the soft furs of his pallet. “Nash,” she said

breathlessly.

He made a low sound in the back of

his throat—almost a growl. “I need…” he

panted. “I need…” He backed away

unexpectedly. “I have to leave for a

moment.”

She reached for him, but he had

already retreated through the door at her

feet. She groaned in protest. Why did he

keep leaving her in this state? The heated

flesh between her thighs felt swollen and

achy. She moved her hand to press against

her tormented mound.

The door creaked open and then

closed again, bathing her in absolute

darkness.

“Nash?” she whispered.

Deep, raspy inhalations came from

near her feet. Her knee. She opened her

legs for him and he whimpered.

Whimpered? Maralee grabbed him

and instead of earning a handful of firm

muscles and smooth flesh, her fingers sank

into dense fur.

A repulsive dog had been sniffing her!

The animal retreated to the door, where,

to Maralee’s astonishment, it pulled it

open with its mouth and dashed out of the

room. She caught a flash of black fur on a

thick tail before it vanished into the

hallway.

“Nash!” she yelled.

Maralee stumbled to her feet, pulling

the shirt that had served as her nightgown

over her still puckered nipples. She

rubbed them angrily with both hands.

Disgusted that her arousal had been

investigated by an animal.

“Nash!” She was working herself into

a rage. Where in the hell was he? She

heard the front door open and she

stumbled into the hallway.

“What are you screaming about?”

Nash asked, standing at the end of the

hallway in nothing but a pair of loose

fitting undershorts.

Maralee couldn’t stop herself from

giving him the once over before continuing

on her rampage. “There was a…an
animal

in bed with me!”

Nash was the epitome of calm when he

replied, “Ah, yes. I just let him outside.

He sometimes sneaks into the house.”

“What?”

“He didn’t harm you, did he?” Nash

asked, looking her over carefully.

“I…no,” she admitted, blushing. How

could she tell him she’d opened her thighs

for a dog because she’d thought it was

him?

He smiled at her crookedly. “I think

you’d better get dressed,” he said. “You

still plan to stay with me for a few weeks,

don’t you?”

She was once again under the spell of

his gorgeous smile. “I…yes, I suppose.

But…”

“But?”

“You have to promise to keep that

horrible creature out of my bed.”

He lowered his eyes. “Horrible, was

he?”

“Yes.”

“Well, he is an animal. His greatest

motivation

would

be…instinct.”

He

looked at her again. There was something

sad about his expression and she was at

once reminded of the terrible dream she’d

had the night before. The man seemed to

have a strange attachment to canines, be

they Wolf or dog.

“I guess we’ll head to the village to

retrieve my things,” she said, wanting to

change the subject and erase the sadness

in his golden eyes. “Purchase some forks

and maybe a potato or two.”

He smiled. “It
is
rather early in our

acquaintance to expect so much from you.”

Maralee’s

brow

furrowed

with

confusion. “Where did that come from?”

His smile widened. “Did I say that out

loud?”

“You’re being funny strange again.”

“I apologize,” he said, ducking his

head. “I was on my way to the bathroom

when I heard you scream. If you’ll excuse

me.”

Maralee watched him step out of the

house into the cold, crisp winter morning

in nothing but his undershorts. The sun had

scarcely made an appearance and the

temperature was well below freezing. She

shivered just thinking about how cold he

must be. She peeked out the window over

the desk, hoping to catch a glimpse of him,

but the only living creature in sight was a

huge black dog, which she determined

wasn’t a dog after all, but a Wolf. It lifted

its leg on the corner of the porch and

disappeared around the side of the house.

She hoped Nash would be all right,

wandering around outside half-naked with

a Wolf in the area, be it a friendly Wolf or

not. She retreated to the bedroom and

dressed.

The house was chilly. Maralee went to

the living area to light a fire in the grate

while she waited for Nash to return. She

had just added the first log to the fire

when the door opened and Nash

reappeared, carrying young Carsha in the

crook of his arm. She was holding onto his

neck, hugging him with her eyes closed in

loving bliss. It would have been a

touching scene if Nash hadn’t been

entirely naked.

“Nash,” Maralee admonished. “You

can’t go around like that in front of a little

girl.”

Carsha opened her eyes and glared at

Maralee. “He can hug me if he wants to.”

“She means I’m without clothes,”

Nash told his niece, setting her down on

her feet.

“But Uncle Nash, you never wear

clothes when it’s warm outside.”

Maralee gasped. Perhaps she had

visited at the wrong time of the year.

Nash laughed nervously. “Go warm

yourself by the fire, Carsha,” he said. He

padded unconcernedly out of the room to

find his clothes. Maralee followed him

with her gaze until he was out of sight.

“Don’t you like to be without clothes

when it’s hot outside?” Carsha asked

Maralee, stepping closer to the fire and

extending her hands towards it.

“I only go without clothes when I

bathe,” Maralee said in a low voice. This

subject made her uncomfortable. What

kind of barbaric people went around

naked?

“I hate clothes,” Carsha said. “I only

wear them in winter because my mother

makes me.”

Wanting desperately to change the

subject, Maralee said, “We’re going to

Sarbough this morning. Would you like to

come along?”

“To the village where the humans

live?”

“Your mother will never let you come

with us,” Nash interrupted, tugging his

sweater over his head as he entered the

room.

“Mother took Lark and Lord out for a

hunt. They’ll be gone for days,” Carsha

said.

“Lark and Lord?” Maralee asked.

“Carsha’s older, twin brothers,” Nash

explained.

“I’m staying with Grandmother. She’ll

let me go if you make her,” Carsha said.

“That wouldn’t be—”

Carsha

interrupted.

“But

you’re

supposed to be leader. You just let her

take charge. You’re the alpha-ma—”

Nash interrupted her, sending her what

Maralee took as a look of warning.

“Carsha, you go ask her. If she says ‘yes’

then you can come. I’m not going to make

her do anything.”

“But—”

“If you don’t stop being so contrary,

you won’t be allowed to go at all.”

Carsha’s eyes filled with tears and she

stamped her foot angrily. When Nash

didn’t back down in the face of her fury,

she turned and headed for the door

dejectedly.

When she was gone, Maralee spoke.

“Perhaps I shouldn’t have invited her.”

“It will be good for her to go,” Nash

said and made his way to the fireside.

“Perhaps our greatest folly is secluding

ourselves in the forest.”

Maralee sat down beside him. “I don’t

know. I find the two of you refreshingly

different.”

He didn’t look at her or comment on

her compliment. She decided she was

making him uncomfortable, so she changed

the subject with a falsely enthusiastic

smile. “The three of us could have

breakfast at the inn. My treat,” she said.

“The owner’s wife makes fantastic

griddlecakes.”

“I’m not used to exotic food.”

She laughed at his joke. “Now you’re

being funny ha-ha.”

He stared into the fire as if it held a

sudden fascination for him. A few

moments later, Carsha returned, letting

herself into the house.

“Grandma says I can go!”

“She did?” Nash looked surprised as

he glanced at the girl over his shoulder.

“She said I should be safe as long as

you’re with me, Uncle Nash.”

Nash smiled at her. “This should be an

adventure. Maralee says she will treat us

to breakfast at the inn.”

“I hope you like griddlecakes,”

Maralee said.

Carsha glanced at Nash uncertainly.

“What are those?”

“I have no idea,” Nash said, shrugging.

Maralee chuckled, grinning at the pair

of them. “I guess a good sense of humor

runs in your family.”

Nash and Carsha exchanged glances.

Maralee’s face fell. “You don’t mean

you’ve actually never had griddlecakes?

You two are in for a treat.”

“Okay!” Carsha said enthusiastically,

as if she were conquering a great fear.

“Get your boots and cloak,” Nash said

to Maralee. He began smothering the fire,

which had just started to warm the room.

“I’ve got some furs and buckskin we can

trade for supplies. I’ll meet you on the

porch.”

“Can I go to the bathroom first?”

Maralee asked.

He nodded at her, before sliding his

feet into his boots and putting on his long

leather coat. He looked every bit a

dangerous outlaw.

“Can I help you, Uncle Nash?” Carsha

asked, following him to the door.

“Don’t you have some rabbit furs in

the store room?” he asked. “Maybe you’d

like to trade them for something at the

mercantile.”

“Can I really?” Carsha rushed out of

the house in front of him, waving her arms

excitedly.

Nash glanced over his shoulder and

gave Maralee a smile before closing the

door behind them. Maralee put on her

boots and cloak, slipped outside and

around the back of the house for a moment

of privacy, and then returned to the porch.

Nash and Carsha joined her within a few

minutes, Carsha carrying a small bundle of

rabbit furs and Nash a much larger batch

of hides and other furs.