But gradually she felt a change in the mood. He licked her face more than he nipped at it, and when he pinned her to the carpet, she became aware of the heat radiating from his powerful body. His scent changed from earthy to a more tantalizing aroma, one she found irresistible.
The ache that began deep in her womb was familiar. She wanted him, wanted this wolf in the same way she’d wanted him in human form. She whined and licked his face.
His voice, rolling through her mind, held a note of urgency… and warning. We must be careful, lass. Keep your mind free of any thoughts of commitment, of permanence, or—
Or we will be mated? She shot the words back at him. See that you do the same! Bonding takes two.
Aye. I want you very much. And you deserve to know the joy of coming together as wolves. Just… be careful.
She gazed into his wolf’s eyes, her heart thudding rapidly. I will be. Then, acting on an instinct she didn’t know she possessed, she turned, presenting him with her hindquarters.
With a low growl, he mounted her.
Wonder surged through her veins at the intensity of that moment when he entered her. Sex with him in human form had been incredible, but this… this touched her in a deeper, more primitive way, as if he claimed her with each powerful thrust.
But he was not claiming her. And she would not claim him. She forced those dangerous thoughts from her mind and concentrated instead on the pleasure. It rose within her, a fountain of hot passion. The sensuous slide of his penis gave her reason enough to join with this virile wolf.
His wolf self was as accomplished as his human self. He seemed to know exactly what she needed, and as the pressure built, he pumped faster, and faster yet. Her cli**x rocketed through her with a force that made her stagger.
He growled again, pushed home once more, and slumped against her, his massive body shuddering as he poured his hot seed into her. Amazingly, his weight did not topple her. She trembled in the aftermath of their joining, but her legs remained strong.
Now she understood why he’d warned her. Having sex as humans was an added bonus, but this… this was the truest connection a male and a female Were could have. And if she yearned for that bonding he’d tried so hard to avoid tonight, she’d have to get over it.
With regret a heavy weight on his heart, Colin eased away from Luna. He’d fought hard not to bond with her and hoped he’d succeeded, but the fight had seemed wrong. Avoiding that ultimate connection went against everything he felt for her.
But it was for the best. At least he hoped so. His judgment didn’t feel particularly reliable at the moment. Once he returned to Glenbarra, he’d be able to think more clearly, and no doubt he’d see that they must always remain… friends.
Walking up beside her, he licked her face. Are you all right, lass?
Her green eyes held a curious mixture of joy and sorrow. Yes. Very much so. I liked that, Colin.
So did I. You were wonderful. And you’ve worn me out. He hated admitting that, but weariness settled over him, and he would need sleep soon. Considering what they’d been through in the past forty-eight hours, she must be as exhausted as he was.
We both need sleep. But we should shift first.
All right. He understood her reluctance to go to sleep in wolf form. She wasn’t used to being that vulnerable, and although he thought they were perfectly safe up here, he wouldn’t try to talk her out of it.
She gazed at him intently. When you shifted, your body glowed.
Aye. That’s the way of it.
And when you shift back?
The same.
She blinked, as if not quite believing it. Do I glow, too?
You do. He was amazed that she didn’t know that, but why would she? She’d never had anyone guide her through the process. But if you doubt it, you can go first and I’ll confirm that you glow.
I would like that, Colin. She settled down on the carpet and rolled to her side. Then she closed her eyes and heaved a sigh.
He wondered if she had the energy to shift back, or if she’d fall asleep like that. If she did, he’d simply curl up beside her. They could always shift in the morning.
But she wasn’t asleep. Her luxurious dark coat grew luminescent, and the process began. He watched over her tenderly.
She was so delicate, and yet so strong. He’d never met such a combination of feminine sweetness and iron will. He’d heard of steel magnolias, women raised in the American South, and perhaps that described her nature as much as anything.
She was quicker at shifting this time, and soon she lay before him in human form, white skinned and blushing under his scrutiny.
“Did I glow? Oh, wait, I forgot. You can’t speak.” She sat up and made a flapping motion with both hands. “Go ahead and shift.”
She was a bossy wee thing when she chose to be, and he found that endearing, too. Like an obedient dog, he dropped down beside her, rolled to his side, and began his shift. He did it very quickly because if he stayed in that position too long, he’d nod off. If she was in human form, he wanted to be, too.
Once he accomplished that, he sat up and gazed at her. “Yes, you glowed. It was magical.”
She clapped her hands together. “Magical. I don’t have to worry about being ugly when I shift! It’s magical.”
“And so are you.” He stood and held out both hands. “Come with me. We’re going to bed, and we’re only going to sleep in that bed.”
She grasped his hands and allowed him to pull her to her feet. “Amen to that.” But she glanced up at him, a twinkle in her eye. “But come morning, all bets are off.”
He laughed and walked with her hand in hand back to their oversized bed. They turned off all the lights, leaving the room bathed in an amber sparkle from the city spread below the window.
“It’s too bad we’re both so tired.” She stood next to the window and looked out. “It would be lovely to have sex right here, with the lights shining on us.”
“No more acrophobia?”
“A little.” She glanced over at him. “But that would make it all the more exciting, to be sort of scared and aroused at the same time.”
“Dear God, I’ve created a monster. Now you’ll turn into a thrill seeker.” His c*ck twitched. “Do you want to do that? I could probably manage one more—”
“No, I don’t want to.” She smiled and walked over to the bed. “Well, I do, but I’m ready to fall asleep standing up. Let’s go to bed.”
“You talked me into it.” They settled naturally into a sleeping position as if they’d been sharing a bed for years. She turned her back to him and he curved his body against hers, spoon fashion, with his arm tucked around her waist.
She sighed with obvious contentment. “This is nice. I feel as if I could sleep for a week.”
“Me, too.” But they couldn’t even sleep in tomorrow. In the morning they had to be up and moving if they hoped to pay a visit to her grandparents. How interesting that her grandmother had turned out to be George Trevelyan’s aunt— His eyes snapped open.
Bloody hell. He’d been an idiot. Being sleep deprived and lust filled was no excuse for not anticipating George’s next move. George had casually mentioned that Luna should check out whether she was related to Edwina and Jacques Reynaud. But as Edwina’s doting nephew, George wouldn’t wait for her to do that, would he?
George would want to be on top of things, especially now that he had his eye on Luna’s project. By now he would have contacted his aunt about her. No doubt he’d mention that she had a Southern accent and a mysterious past, but had apparently started life in New Orleans. He might even describe what she looked like and approximately how old he thought she was.
Unless Edwina and Jacques had known nothing about Sophie, the woman their son had loved—highly unlikely—they would now suspect who Luna was. Her plan of cloaking herself for the first meeting was already compromised.
He could wake her and tell her that, except that seemed pointless. Whatever happened tomorrow, she’d need sleep in order to face it. And so would he. But no matter how this played out, he would not allow George, or the Reynauds, for that matter, to hurt her.
Chapter 21
Luna woke up to sunlight streaming in the open window and Colin singing some Scottish ditty in the shower. Taking a deep breath, she caught a whiff of warm cinnamon buns, along with the distinctive scent of bacon. Sitting up, she noticed a cart had been wheeled into the room while she slept.
A couple of dining chairs had been placed at either end of it, and two covered plates obviously contained their breakfast. Two carafes held coffee, tea, or both. She wouldn’t put it past Colin to have ordered both coffee and tea so that he’d covered all the bases.
The single red rose in a bud vase had probably been a flourish added by the hotel staff and not Colin. No matter. He’d already won her over on that score with the bouquet of daisies from the Pike Place Market.
Luna stretched her arms over her head. She could get used to waking up like this—rested, pampered, and happy to be sharing the space with a hunky Scot.
Once he turned off the water, she called out to him. “Your breakfast is getting cold! Come and eat!” Climbing out of bed, she thought about getting a robe out of the closet and decided against it. If she could shift in front of Colin, then she could certainly eat breakfast nak*d in front of him.
He walked in from the bathroom still toweling off that gorgeous body.
She looked him up and down as she sashayed closer. “If you want, I can finish the job with my tongue.” She took great satisfaction in watching his reaction, especially the one south of the Mason-Dixon Line.
He grinned at her. “I thought you were worried about our breakfast getting cold.”
“I am. I just said that because I wanted to see what would happen.”
He gestured toward his crotch.
“I already noticed.” And the harder he became, the wetter she got.
“You’re quite the tease, aren’t you, now?” Stepping toward her, he looped the towel around her waist and dragged her against him. “I’ll teach you to taunt my wee man and get him agitated.”
“I’m so frightened.”
His laughing blue gaze roamed over her. “I can see that. Your n**ples are scared stiff.” Dropping the towel, he spanned her waist with both hands, lifted her up, and spun her toward the nearest wall. With arms braced on either side of her head, he caged her there. “Now what have you got to say for yourself?”
Lifting her chin, she gave him a wicked smile and took hold of his cock. “Think you can manhandle me?”
“I do.” He grasped her wrist and easily removed her hand. “And I will. I hope you like cold eggs, lass, because your breakfast is about to be delayed.”
“Oh, no.” Flushed and giggling, she pushed against his muscled chest. “Anything but that.”
“Too late for pleading.” Cupping her bottom in both hands, he lifted her up against the wall, probed once, and shot the bolt home.
She gasped with delight. “Well done.”
He dragged in air. “You could help, you know, if you’d wrap your lovely legs around my arse.”
She complied, and she also braced her hands on his shoulders for better balance. “I love it when you talk Scottish.”
“Ah, do ye now? But ye like action better than speech, I ken.” With that he began to drive into her with sure, masterful strokes.
“Aye,” she said with a strangled moan. “Aye, I do.”
He plunged into her until she was cross-eyed with pleasure, yet begging for more.
“I’ll give ye more, ye sexy wench.” He boosted her up the wall so that he was pushing up and in.
The different angle stimulated a whole different set of nerve endings. “Ohhhh.” She began to pant.
“Like that, do ye?” He increased the pace.
“Yes, yes !” She exploded, coming with a joyous shout of release as he continued to pound into her.
“Again!”
She gulped for air. “Again?”
“Oh, yes.” His breathing was ragged. “You can.” He thrust upward and rhythmically squeezed her bottom with his long, talented fingers.
She came again, crying and whimpering with the beauty of it, whispering her gratitude as she convulsed around the sure strokes of his thick penis.
Then, and only then, did he surge forward, quivering in the grip of his own orgasm. Breathing hard, he leaned his forehead against hers. “Incredible.”
“I… I didn’t know I could… ”
“I did.” There was a smile in his voice. “Oh, I did. You just needed a little rest, is all.”
Colin happily ate a cold breakfast, but he wasn’t happy at all knowing he had to deliver the insight that had come to him right before he’d fallen asleep. He waited until Luna finished eating. He would much rather have said nothing and kept the mellow mood they’d established.
More than mellow, actually. On some level, if he could shut out the problems with his family and whatever Luna would face with the Reynauds, he’d never felt more at peace in his life. With Luna he felt at home and settled in a way he never had with anyone else.
He hated like the devil to shatter that feeling, both for his sake and hers. But she needed to hear his conclusions.
She was understandably distressed. “So my grandparents may already know who I am?”
“It’s quite possible.” He took another swallow of his tea. Thanks to the carafe, it was still hot. “But maybe not. It depends on whether George did what I would expect of him, and how much Edwina and Jacques knew about your mother.”
“I have no idea. She told me the bare minimum about my father, obviously leaving out the most important fact, and she never mentioned his parents.” She brightened. “Maybe she never met them. Maybe, because she was human, he kept her a big, dark secret.”