Wild Nights (4 page)

into razor-sharp claws. His gums tingled as his teeth grew points. He

crouched back, prepared to spring from the protection of the trees.

“A long time agreed, but our next encounter won’t be pleasant

chatter to catch up on old times, Lenox.”

Riley growled over the link. He forced the wolf to retreat, the

subtle symptoms of his nearness to transformation disappearing

within seconds. Now wasn’t the time to rip the man to shreds. Riley

might be one fucking crazy wolf, but he wasn’t stupid. One against a

dozen would leave him hurting.

Just then, two men from the porch leaped over the banister.

Bodies elongated and narrowed, fur bristled out from flesh, and limbs

thinned and shortened. Paws hit the ground instead of feet. Sharp nails

threw up dirt, pebbles, and grass around their canine forms. The

wolves didn’t pause for an instant. Riley snarled, backing up slowly

as he watched the two bound toward him.

The instant they broke into the forest, Riley spun, grabbed Eliza

around the waist, and sprinted down the incline. He ignored Eliza’s

vicious struggle against his iron hold. Paws thundered over the ground

close behind them. Leaves and twigs crunched, and subtle grunts

accompanied each leap.

Riley threw open the door to the Escalade and tossed Eliza into

the seat. She kicked at him.

“What the hell—”

“Keep your mouth shut until we’re gone, or I’ll leave you to be

puppy chow,” Riley warned, slamming the door shut. He rounded the

truck to the driver’s side and hopped in. He caught sight of the

wolves, agilely weaving around trees and obstacles that hampered

their pursuit. With his heart hammering against his chest, he turned

the engine on, slammed the truck into drive, and peeled out onto the

road, the two bastard creatures skidding to a stop in the middle of the

road behind him.

26

Rhea Regale

Chapter Three

Aya’s gaze scoured Lenox Carter. She was utterly aware of the

filth that covered her in the presence of this heart-stopping creature.

Everything about him pulsed with iron strength and unwavering

confidence. It struck her harder than his looks, which left her mouth

dry and her body simmering in fiery lust. Questions brimmed her

mind, but not one touched her lips.

Instead, she admired the man unlocking the door to a rustic singlestory cabin. Simple clothes covered him, from the dirt-smudged white

T-shirt to his torn-at-the-knees blue jeans, both of which hugged him

sinfully. The well-cut muscles that stretched straight down to his

fingers flexed every couple of moments, causing a giddy flutter in her

stomach. She could see the defined rack of muscle along his abs as if

he were shirtless.

Lenox pushed open the door. He surveyed the dim interior in

silence, his nostrils flaring slightly. Aya couldn’t pick up on any

menacing energy humming through the air. Then again, she didn’t

know what kind of threat she’d be searching for.

“Safe,” Lenox murmured. He flashed an assuring smile, one that

tugged her heartstrings and made the butterflies in her stomach zoom.

She stepped over the threshold as he guided her with one strong hand

splayed over her lower back. Such a simple touch, and yet, it ignited a

fireball of emotions within her.

You’re exhausted. Body and mind are overreacting
.

The door closed behind them. A bolt slid into place. She

swallowed down a sigh when Lenox removed his hand from her back.

Oddly, his absence left her cold.

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27

“Follow me,” he said, keeping his voice low. There was nothing

soft about him, right down to his voice. It was thick and husky and

rolled with a vibration of command. She sensed his sincerity in the

gentle way he approached her, and it did much to dull the otherwise

sharp edges of his persona.

Most, she was sure, extended from the powerful alpha wolf

stirring in his spirit.

She followed him through a doorway leading to an open living

room and connecting kitchen with a large dinette area. Her gaze

lowered on Lenox. She couldn’t help but notice the way his legs

stressed the seams of his jeans. The roundness of his rear fit too

perfectly in the seat of those same jeans. Her fingers curled into her

palms and she tried to will away the delightful images of what he

might look like beneath his simple attire. Moisture built between her

thighs, and she licked her rapidly drying lips.

Lenox flipped a switch. The lights in the ceiling spilled a soft

glow over the dining area. He tossed the paper bag from his friend’s

house onto the round table and turned to her.

She didn’t have time to lift her gaze before she caught the

prominent bulge nestled between his legs. Heat washed over her face.

She shifted her attention to the house behind him. He snagged her

chin between two fingers and lifted her face to his.

The stormy gray color of his eyes darkened. A mixture of artificial

light and waning sunlight reflected off his night vision lenses. A smile

tugged slowly at the corners of his kissable mouth, a shallow dimple

forming to the left. His gently slanted eyes crinkled at the corners,

adding a delectable edge of mystery to his densely layered persona.

His face, sun-kissed bronze, molded too perfectly over sharp

contours, from high cheekbones to strong jaw.

Lenox Carter was a coal artist’s dream model. Every slight

movement cast the articulated cuts of his face in a different shadow.

Aya tried to moisten her lips, but her tongue was sandpaper

parched. She tried to look away, but couldn’t. Her attention was

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Rhea Regale

fastened on Lenox. Thoughts of what the man might do to a woman in

bed flitted through her mind.

Lenox brushed his knuckles over her cheek. Trails of heat

followed the path of his fingers. Her nerves hummed a seductive purr

that resonated deep in her body. His gaze hovered on her lips before

he turned back to the table. He smoothed over his dark waves, the

ends barely brushing the top of his collar, and began unloading the

contents of the bag.

“You’re awfully quiet. I’m sure you’ve got some questions you

want me to answer.” Lenox popped open one of the Styrofoam

containers. The rich aroma of cured ham, pineapple, and spice struck

her mercilessly. Her jaw tightened, and the dry-spell of her mouth

flooded with hunger. Her stomach grumbled. Lenox glanced back at

her, one brow arched over his eye. A hint of humor flashed in his grin.

“Take a seat. You need to eat something before you wither away to

nothing.”

When he moved to the kitchen, she adjusted the aroused swells of

her breasts against the uncomfortable restraints of her bra as

inconspicuously as possible. A deep, rich chuckle filled her ears, her

spirit, and left her pussy wet and aching.

“You know, little one, I can hear your thoughts.” He rounded the

granite-top island and returned to the table. Heat washed over her

face, and she quickly fell into the seat. He handed her a fork and took

up the seat next to her. “Many of those thoughts you may wish to

keep private.”

“Like what?” She played the card in hopes of calling his bluff.

She speared a piece of ham and shoved it into her mouth. The juices

from the cool meat trickled over her tongue and she moaned. She

hadn’t eaten anything in almost twenty-four hours.

“The ones that involve you and me, sans clothing, rolling around

in a bed. You’re too tempting for me to discard those images easily.”

Lenox rested a hand on her thigh, bordering indecent. She shifted in

her seat, half wanting his hand to move closer to her throbbing center,

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29

half wanting to shove him away.

She knew nothing of this guy aside from him being a godforsaken

beauty.

Aya pinched his middle finger and tossed his hand away like she

might a soiled rag. It earned her a mystifying smile.

“Well, we’ll keep it on a thought-to-thought basis. No need for

physical implications,” Aya said. As hard as she tried to sound

certain, she swore to herself when a purr lingered on the end of her

words. Clearing her throat, she crossed her legs and squeezed them

tight, willing away her arousal. She stabbed into two more pieces of

ham. “Can I see the letter?”

“It’s in my pocket.” Lenox cast her a quick glance, his eyes

sparking with challenge. “I promise I won’t bite.”

“I’m not digging around your pockets. I don’t know you from the

next conceited guy down the road.” Aya drew the meat between her

teeth. The hint of dried blood tinged the delicious meal, mixed with

more bitter flavors of ash and dirt. A split-second image of Lenox’s

mouth tasting hers glided into her thoughts. She hesitated in midchew, her eyes lowering to his lap. The bulge in his pants grew right

before her. An invisible rope constricted around her lungs and her

throat.

“
My
head’s not in the gutter,” he teased.

“No. Your head
is
the gutter.” Aya tried to hold on to her

frustration. The man sitting feet from her managed to inject his

warmth and calm into her spirit. He all but made her bones melt.

Lenox shifted, lifting his ass off the chair. He retrieved the

mangled piece of paper from his pocket. Every muscle in his torso

and arms flexed. Shadows dipped into deep hollows. He was a

formidable sight, especially to a woman who sought to hold on to

some sense of decency. The itch in her pussy expanded. She pressed

hard into the seat, trying to ease the mounting pressure.

He slid the letter over the table. She eyed him suspiciously, trying

to ascertain his intentions.
Intentions of midnight kisses and hours of

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Rhea Regale

steamy sex.

His grin held steady, the spark of playfulness swirling in the torrid

storm of his eyes. Eyes, she duly noted, she could easily find herself

lost in.

Before she could stop herself, she reached up and brushed aside a

stubborn wave that had fallen over his forehead. He caught her hand

and brushed his lips over her palm. She heard his sharp intake of

breath as his thumb stroked the heel of her hand.

As inconspicuously as possible, she took a deep breath. Warm

sunshine, brisk redwoods, and crisp outdoors filled her lungs, but

what caught her wolf’s attention was the distinct underlying scent of

male. His arousal, a delicious mixture of masculinity and raw heat,

made the back of her throat tingle and her vision quake. She found

herself leaning toward Lenox, the stiff and stained fabric of her shirt

scraping her peaked nipples. Waves of erotic chills shot straight down

to her womb.

Gods, this was too much for her to handle.

“You’re right,” Lenox murmured. He lowered her hand to the

table and pressed to his feet. Aya followed him with her gaze as he

leaned up against the island and folded his arms over his chest. He

smiled, but the twinge of sympathy that touched the outer banks of his

eyes infused a somber air between them. “We have things to discuss

before we get carried away.” He nodded to the letter lying next to her

forearm. “Read it. I’ll grab a towel and set up the shower for you.”

“Where am I sleeping?” Aya asked. She unfolded the crinkled

paper and smoothed it out over the table before the intense burning of

his attention drew her gaze up to him once more. A shadow crossed

over his eyes.

“With me.”

Lenox disappeared down an adjoining hallway, leaving her to

wonder what exactly he meant. Surely he had a guest room. The

cabin, although cozy, had to hold more than one bedroom.

Aya looked around from where she sat. Floor-to-ceiling windows

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31

lined two walls of the living room, showcasing a majestic scene of the

dense forest surrounding the back of the cabin. Solid wooden beams

acted as a partial divider between the living room and the kitchen.

Triple glass sliders lined the wall in front of her, opening to a

beautiful deck. Cushioned chairs, a small chaise, and a two-seater sofa

were strategically placed around a large brick pit. Ashes coated the

inner bricks a dark gray. Charred logs poked out from the teepee of

fresh wood waiting to be lit. A wooden railing lined the far end of the

deck, but lengthwise against the forest was open.

The yard sloped down a distance before the towering redwoods

sprouted up at the forest’s edge. The grass still held a lush green,

despite the onset of fall. Overall, Lenox had a spectacular view with a

warm home and plenty of fashionable utilities. His entire kitchen was

top-line stainless steel and granite. Even the floor beneath her feet

was pristine and polished mahogany.

Warm. Encompassing.

She needed all the comfort she could find. Her cracked resolve

began to crumble as the events from the night prior sank in marrow