Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 58940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
Her mouth went dry, heat descending from her core down her inner thighs. When she moistened her lips with her tongue, his eyes fastened on it, body stiffening.
“Cody.” Her voice sounded shaky. “People are looking.”
Some of the wildness left his face and he relaxed, but still held her in position against him. “You should’ve thought of that before you pulled a cock tease.” His eyes changed back to gray. He bent his head and to her shock, kissed her. Not a sweet, gentle kiss, but a marauding, violent one.
She held still for it, her insides fluttering, as his tongue swept between her lips and he bit and sucked at them, repositioned his angle and did it again.
When he released her, it was all at once—the hand from her hair let go, he lifted his head from hers and stepped back.
She swayed on her feet, dizzy from the kiss, breathless. Trembling.
“I’ll have to punish you for that,” he muttered and this time there was no mistaking the excitement his words produced. Her pussy clenched, liquid heat poured down her legs.
God, yes.
Cody’s nostrils flared and his head whipped around, his gaze on a tense, worried-looking mother and her two children who hurried past them. The little girl, who appeared around seven or eight, craned her neck to look back at Cody until her mom tugged her arm, rushing her on.
“Do you know them?”
Cody frowned. “No.”
She waited, because no was not a sufficient enough explanation for the way both he and the girl had stared at each other.
“They’re shifters. I’ve never seen them before.”
“Oh.” She blinked in surprise. “You could… smell them?”
“Yeah.”
“Is it unusual? Are you supposed to say hi or something?”
He flashed an uncharacteristic grin at her, as if he found her amusing, or cute. “Yeah. This is my town, I’m alpha. If she lives here, she should’ve sought me out to introduce herself.”
“Maybe she just hasn’t had a chance?” But even as she said it, she realized the woman gave the distinct impression she was trying to get away from Cody before he noticed her.
Cody shrugged, but appeared troubled. “We’ll see.” He pulled out his phone and glanced at it. “You have nine minutes left.”
“What?” she cried indignantly. “You can’t count that time we were…”
He folded his arms across his chest. “Can’t I?”
With a wild glance up and down the row of stores, she took off briskly for the Ann Taylor Loft, where she planned to get a business outfit.
“Damn, I was hoping you were going to go there,” Cody muttered, lifting his chin toward the Victoria’s Secret.
“Yeah, I’ll bet.” She didn’t break her stride. “You probably thought I’d give you a show.”
“Hey, you think it’s fun to rouse the wolf. You’re the one who will be sorry when she’s spread-eagle on her back in the middle of the mall.”
This time, she knew he didn’t mean it, he was just getting a rise out of her. The man—wolf—was so incredibly crude. She ought to hate the filthy way he talked to her, but the words sent flames of desire licking up her core. And while everything he said was dominant and demeaning, the idea that she sparked such desire in him made her feel powerful.
He slapped her ass, his long legs making it easy for him to keep up with the brisk pace she’d set. She rushed in and picked out two blouses and a skirt. Cody stepped forward and paid for them.
“Ready?”
She’d been hoping to buy some shoes, because she only had her dress shoes and the sneakers Cody picked up at Walmart, but she’d spent enough money already. “Yeah. Thanks.” She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a peck on the cheek, which again, he seemed to find cute.
6
Cody let Mark Ruhl, the burly DEA agent from Denver, into his place that evening.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t make it sooner, we had a big bust go down last night and it took all day to wrap up the paperwork.” He shook Cody’s hand and stepped inside. “Hi, you must be Melissa.” He shook her hand, as well. “We met at Ben and Ashley’s wedding but you probably don’t—”
“I remember you,” she chirped, flashing that megawatt smile that made his insides rattle.
Cody’s fingers closed into fists at his sides. She’d better not remember him with any particular fondness or he’d… He closed his eyes and attempted to rein in the snarling beast within.
She’s not your mate.
Except that assertion only made him want to smash the friendly DEA agent’s face even more. His inner wolf raged to mark her, not paying any attention to the fact that Cody didn’t even like the girl, and would never in a million years mate a human.
“Can I get you a beer?”
“Sure. Okay if I sit?” Mark headed to the sofa and Melissa trailed behind, too close for his sanity.