A Cursed Embrace (WG 2) (14 page)

He also looked sexy as hell.

“Good morning, sweetness.”

“Hi, wolf.”

I climbed on top of Aric, our lips immediately meeting. Good heavens, he tasted so good.

The rising pressure between my legs made me jerk. I tilted my leg and peeked below our covers. Turned out, Aric was extremely happy to see me. He smiled with slight embarrassment before reaching for a condom. I took it from him and disappeared beneath the sheets.

•   •   •

“Sorry about last night,” I told him.

We lay facing each other as he played with our intertwined fingers. “I don’t want you to be sorry about anything you did last night. I know I’m not.”

I smiled and gave him a small kiss.
My God. I really do love you.

“I don’t mean to be an asshole,” he said after a moment, “but can I ask why you’re not on the pill?”

I hadn’t expected this talk so soon, and I supposed my rising temperature announced that loud and clear. “Aric, I’m not—well, I mean, I wasn’t sexually active. I’ve only had two lovers. There was no reason for me to be on it.”

Aric lifted his head from the pillow. “I’m only your
third
lover?”

I squirmed against him to hide my blush. “I meant two, counting you.”

Aric gripped my shoulders and pulled me away from him. He seemed to piece the puzzles of the night’s events together—my timidity, his difficulty penetrating, and likely my tears. Understanding spread across his face, softening his features until his brows knitted into a deep frown. “Why didn’t you tell me? We could have taken things slow.” He huffed. “And I sure as hell would have been more gentle.”

I shook my head, perspiration building between my breasts. “You were gentle. And trust me, I didn’t want to take things slow.”

Aric’s voice deepened. “That makes two of us.”

He drew me to him. I traced a line along the ridges of his muscles, smiling diffidently when I focused on his nipple. I’d finally gotten to taste it, and more, last night. “I thought we were going to, you know, make love sooner. But things always seemed to stop before they could get going.”

“Like the first night we slept together?”

I tilted my head upward, surprised he brought it up. “Yeah. Like that night.”

Aric’s hand slipped down to my backside, sending goose bumps across the length of my back. “I was already getting a lot of shit from my Elders about associating with you. But when they scented your aroma and our passion on the night we first kissed, Martin told me to keep my distance. I didn’t like it. As my Alpha, though, I felt compelled to heed his words.” He kissed the top of my head. “Except things weren’t so simple. You got hurt and almost died. And even though Emme healed you, I couldn’t bear to leave you that night. So I stayed. I kept telling myself I’d leave when you woke. But the longer I was with you, the more I wanted you, and the more Martin’s orders haunted my thoughts.” He sighed. “My loyalties to my pack tell me I should obey my Alpha. But I can’t. You’ve been impossible to resist, Celia.”

I bit my bottom lip, trying to keep from crying. I’d finally fallen in love, but it wasn’t enough, and wasn’t so easy. “My selfless side wants to tell you to obey your Elders. But I can’t.”

Aric’s jaw tightened. “Then don’t.”

My arms slipped around his waist. “What will they do to you for being with me?”

“There’s no law saying I can’t be with you.”

But from what Bren had once explained, pack loyalties and blood bonds ran deeper than laws. I rested my head against him, and asked God to keep him safe from his kind.

Aric’s hand massaged my backside. “You know, I was starting to think you didn’t want me.”

I blinked back at him. “You can’t be serious.”

Aric tugged on my bottom lip with his teeth. “Celia, when you wouldn’t look at me yesterday after I
changed
back, I questioned whether you even found me attractive.”

“Mmm. You’re right. Your dreamy eyes, sexy grin, and eight-pack abs never did it for me. Neither did your rock-size muscles and long, powerful legs.” I failed to mention his fine ass, tight enough to snap twigs, but that was a given. “Are you crazy? How could you not know how bad I wanted you?”

Aric flashed his sexy grin. “Then why didn’t you ask me to spend the night sooner?”

My smile faded. “Because I didn’t know how.”

The humor dissolved from his face. He cuddled me closer. “Now you do,” he whispered.

I guess I did. But the evolution of our relationship brought up other issues. Issues I suddenly didn’t feel so bashful addressing. “I can start taking the pill if you want me to.”

Aric stilled as the aroma of his arousal claimed the air around us. “It would be nice to feel you completely when we make love. But I don’t want to pressure you. I’ll let you make that decision.” He climbed on top of me. I moaned when his lips tickled me across the jawline. “Last night was the best night of my life,” he murmured when he reached my ear.

With that, we made use of our last condom.

C
HAPTER 10

My pace s
lowed as I reached the bottom of the stairs and approached the kitchen. Silence in a house occupied by women yappier than Shih tzus was always a bad sign. Despite the comforting smells of eggs and bacon filling the house, I knew I was doomed before I entered the kitchen.

Shayna bounced with her arms crossed, grinning ear to ear. Her long black ponytail swung behind her like a puppy dog’s tail. Taran sat at the table smiling wickedly as she stirred her tea. Emme waited next to her. I hadn’t even said anything yet, but there she sat, blushing away.

Shayna flung an arm around me and erupted into a fit of giggles. “What’s wrong, dude? Up all night?”

“Apparently he was, too,” Taran added, her siren grin exceptionally wide.

I rubbed at my crimson face. “I guess you heard us.”

“Damn, girl, of course we did.” Taran laughed. “It sounded like you were watching Animal Planet.” She leaned her chin against her palm. “Did you do it as beasts? Please tell me, I must know.”

“Of course not!”

“Well, you could have fooled us.” Shayna affectionately punched my shoulder. “Taran activated a silencing spell around your room so we could get some sleep.” She threw her arms in the air. “It was like you were watching porn—well, the good kind anyway. I swear, Ceel, all you needed was the boom-chooka-boom-boom sound track!”

I rammed a muffin in her mouth when I heard Aric coming down the stairs, knowing he heard her. Good Lord. I put sewing her lips shut on my to-do list.
“Zip. It,”
I hissed.

Shayna spit out a large piece of muffin in time for Aric to appear. “Hi, Aric,” she and Taran sang.

Aric blushed slightly but walked over to embrace me. He then led us to our large wooden table and pulled me onto his lap when he sat, no doubt so I could shield him from my sisters.

He cleared his throat. “Good morning, ladies.”

“We have breakfast for you guys,” Emme said quietly. She wouldn’t look at us when she brought over our plates. I guessed she feared we’d have sex on the table or something.

I dug into the food, feeling the heat creep into my cheeks. “Where are Koda and Liam?”

The sparkle vanished from Shayna’s grin. “Hunting. They left early this morning.”

My grip tightened around my fork. “Oh?”

Aric finished swallowing and wiped his mouth. “Paul picked up on a trail west of Truckee. They have to cover a thirty-mile radius. Koda and Liam were to relieve them at dawn. Gem and I are taking over at noon.”

“Can I go with you?”

Aric shook his head. “After what happened yesterday, I don’t think it’s a good idea, sweetness.”

I started to protest, but Shayna cut me off. “I was all set to go, too, Ceel. But Koda wouldn’t let me.” She shrugged. “We had our first fight about it.”

Aric leaned back in his chair, keeping his hand tight against my hip. “Shayna, you didn’t see the big guy’s reaction when he heard you scream. He totally lost it and I need his head in the game.” He smiled at her softly. “Try to understand. He doesn’t want to see the woman he loves get hurt.”

Tears welled in Shayna’s beautiful blue eyes. She played with the ties of her tunic. “Koda loves me?”

Aric pushed the eggs around on his plate. “Yeah. He does.”

Shayna rushed to sit on the chair next to him and scooted closer. “Did he tell you that?”

Aric shook his head. “I know him well enough to see it. Look, I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m out of line.”

Too bad for Shayna, Aric wasn’t Liam. He would have sung like a werecanary. She latched onto Aric’s wrist when he tried to take another bite. “Dude. You can’t tell a girl the wolf of her dreams loves her and then go back to eating waffles. If it’s true, why hasn’t Koda told me?”

Aric rested his arm against the table as he contemplated what to say. “Life hasn’t always been this good to Koda. It’s easier for him to be hard and silent than to express what he’s feeling on the inside. He’ll tell you soon enough.”

Shayna pursed her lips. “And if he doesn’t?”

Aric’s voice grew quiet. “Just give it time.”

The seriousness that replaced his pleasant demeanor signaled an abrupt end to their conversation. And as much as Shayna liked to tease and taunt, she never meant any harm. She released his wrist. “I’m sorry, Aric. I didn’t mean to put you in the middle.”

The corner of Aric’s mouth curved into a grin. “It’s okay. Just know he’s only watching out for you.”

His eyes cut to me then, but he didn’t say anything. I bent slightly to whisper in his ear, “Are you all right?”

Aric kissed my cheek. “Yeah. Just hungry, baby, and I have a long day ahead.”

Taran sat next to me. “Not to mention the poor bastard hardly got any shut-eye.”

I threw my fork down when Shayna burst into giggles. “Don’t make me kill you in front of Aric.”

Taran flashed me another siren grin, yet was kind enough to cut me some slack. Aric surprised me by chuckling. We finished our food and had two more helpings, but then it was time for him to go.

Aric held my hand as I followed him out to the Escalade. The sun brightened the late morning, bringing forth a clear and warm sixty-degree day. Birds sang, and the first orchestra of crickets played their sweet song. A lovely spring day, only to be polluted by a nasty scowl from Mrs. Mancuso. ’Cause God forbid she’d let me bask in my post-making-love-to-Aric glory.

She knelt, tending to the red tulips she’d planted between her creepy lawn gnomes. A wide-brim hat covered her tight curls, a yellow jacket fell over her paisley muumuu, and stiff middle fingers lurked beneath bright pink gardening gloves, waiting to strike. Mrs. Mancuso had accused my sisters and me of “besmirching” the neighborhood, but I think the gnomes and the lawn jockey with the lazy eye had done that long before we moved in.

Aric laughed when he saw her and led me to the driver’s side of his SUV. “Come on. We’ll use my car to hide behind so I can give you a proper good-bye.”

And he did, with a long, deep kiss. “Will you come back tonight?”

Aric kept his hands on my hips. “I want to. But depending on what happens, and what we find, I might not be able to.” He kissed me once more. “I’ll call you later, okay?”

“Okay. Be careful.”

I stepped onto the sidewalk and waited until Aric’s Escalade disappeared out of the development. I turned to go back in the house, just to come face-to-face with Mrs. Mancuso. For a woman in her eighties, she moved like a shadow. Normally humans gave me ample space, sensing my predator lurking beneath. Cataracts, apparently, were my tigress’s kryptonite. Since Mrs. Mancuso couldn’t see well, she probably couldn’t detect my formidable beast. I smiled as best I could and tried to be nice. “Good morning, Mrs. Mancuso. Your tulips look beautiful—”

“I saw what you did to that boy, Celia Wird.” She pointed her dirty little hand shovel in my face. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”

My body heated, but no way was I going to let the old crow make me feel bad. This was love, damn it. I lifted my chin so we were at eye level. “Aric is my boyfriend now, Mrs. Mancuso. He was just kissing me good-bye.”

Her droopy lids narrowed over hazy blue eyes. “I meant on the porch. Last night.”

On the porch . . . ?
I clasped my hands over my mouth, trying to muffle a scream. Mrs. Mancuso had seen me straddling Aric. Oh.
God
. Okay, maybe her vision wasn’t all that bad. I swallowed hard, gathering my courage. If I were Taran, I’d accuse her of being jealous, and insist she find some guy in a walker to hump and leave me the hell alone. But I wasn’t Taran. I was very much me. So I raced into the house, trying not to shriek.

So much for my formidable beast.

Taran glanced up from her tea. “What the hell’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing.”

“Harlot!” Mrs. Mancuso screamed from outside.

“For shit’s sake, lady, just die already!” Taran hollered back without missing a beat. She rolled her eyes and took a sip of her tea. “If only the good die young, that old fart is going to live forever.”

Emme poked her head out the window. “My goodness, I can’t believe arthritis hasn’t claimed her middle fingers by now.”

Taran huffed. “That’s because she gets so much damn use out of them.” She flipped Emme off a few times. “See, it keeps them flexible.”

Emme frowned. “That’s not a nice gesture, Taran.” She glanced out the window, her eyes widening. “And neither was that one.”

I poured myself some chai tea and took a seat next to Taran. Shayna and Emme grabbed two more mugs and followed suit. Shayna grinned. “Celia has a boyfriend,” she sang.

I held the mug tightly in my hands, wishing so much hostility didn’t surround my new relationship with Aric. “Aric is going against his pack by being with me.”

The good humor my sisters demonstrated at seeing Aric with me faded quickly as reality sank in. Romeo and Juliet had it rough. But Romeo didn’t face the wrath of fangs, fur, and magic.

Shayna draped her arm around my shoulder and gave me a one-arm hug. “Koda told me. He also said Aric has no intention of turning his back on you.”