Down & Dirty (Bundle) (22 page)

“
I --” Her voice cracked,
swept away in a breathless scream as she came. Her body convulsed
around his, drawing him deeper, holding him even as he buried his
face in her neck to muffle his shout of release as pleasure crashed
over him.  He drove into her one last time and bit the side of
her neck as three years of built up tension exploded.

She cried out again and wove her fingers
into his hair, holding his head. She panted and trembled, murmured
to him in soft whispers that soothed him as surely as her words
before had excited him.

The sound of hurried footsteps in the
hallway and Hazel’s voice calling Lottie’s name was somewhat less
soothing.

Thomas swore and jerked away, barely
managing to get Lottie off of the desk before the door crashed
open.  Lottie’s skirts slid down around her legs and mostly
blocked his open pants from Hazel’s gaze, but nothing could hide
the evidence of what had just happened.

The young woman took in the
scattered desk before her gaze jumped to Lottie’s disheveled
hair.  Hazel’s nostrils flared slightly and her eyes
widened.  “Oh my
God
!”

To her credit, Lottie sounded almost calm
when she spoke.  “Hazel, excuse us, please.  Wait for me
at the bar.”

Hazel gaped.  “You
were -- you two --  Oh
Jesus
.”  She backed out hastily
and slammed the door behind her.

Lottie sighed shakily and smoothed her hair
over her shoulder.  “I’m sorry. I should have locked the
door.”  She peered up at him with amused green eyes.  “I
didn’t know our conversation would take such an… intriguing
turn.”

Thomas thought he might be blushing for the
first time in about a decade. He fumbled with his pants and tried
not to laugh. “I suppose now we’ve scared about five years off
Hazel’s life.”

“
She’s young.  She can
spare them.”  Lottie retrieved his shirt and vest from the
floor.  “Serves her right for barging in.  Though I
suppose I
was
loud.”  Her cheeks colored.

“
She never was a fan of
knocking.”  He pulled his shirt back over his head and spent a
few moments on the buttons as he fought the memory of Lottie’s
voice, loud and breathless as she wrapped her lips around his
name…
That is
not
going to help.

She made a small noise of agreement and
slipped into her shoes.  “We need --” Lottie broke off on a
sigh and faced him.  “Spend the weekend with me.”

Thomas froze.  “What?”

She looked shocked by her own words, but
determined.  “Think of it as a sort of… trial run.  Crash
test compatibility.  And I can -- can give you an answer to
that question you haven’t asked me yet.”

The words slipped out before he could stop
them.  “You mean the question of whether you’d consider
marrying me?”

“
Yes, that question.” 
Her eyes darkened, and she smiled.  “Unless… it’s not
something you meant to ask.  In which case, I think I’ll crawl
under my desk and hide for a few years.”

Thomas lifted his hands and framed Lottie’s
face.  “I would have asked a long time ago if you’d seemed
interested.”

Her smile widened, then faded.  “This
is terrible timing.  I understand if you can’t, you
know.  Because of your investigation.”

He hadn’t even thought of it, which showed
how scrambled his brain was.  He opened his mouth to reply,
but was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. Hazel’s voice
followed.  “Are you coming out or are you going at it a second
time?”

Lottie glanced at the door with a short
sigh.  “Tonight.  Come by for dinner, and we can talk
about it then.”  She tugged him down for a quick kiss. 
“No one can fault you for dinner.”

“
Dinner,” Thomas agreed
softly, even as Hazel knocked again.  He rolled his eyes and
raised his voice.  “Can you give us a few minutes,
Hazel?”

“
Sure,” came the upset
reply.  “I probably won’t throw up again in the next five
minutes, but if I do you’re cleaning it up.”

Lottie handed him his vest and hurried to
the door.  “Hazel, what’s going on?  Are you sick?”

“
Possibly.  Or my new
husband is incredibly virile.”

And
that
was Thomas’ cue to leave. 
He shrugged into his vest.  “Why don’t I get out of your way,
Charlotte.  If you need to postpone our plans, just send
someone by Jack’s office with a note.  I’ll be there all
afternoon.”

“
It’ll be fine, I’m sure,”
she said distractedly, already wrapping an arm around Hazel’s
shoulders.  “Six o’clock?”

“
On the dot,” he
promised.  “But if you need anything before then…”  He
caught her gaze and nodded at Hazel.  “Don’t hesitate to come
and get me.”

Lottie smiled.  “We’ll be all right,
Thomas.  Nothing wrong with Hazel, I bet.  Not in the
least.”  Her eyes darkened.  “I’ll see you this
evening.”

He wanted to say something else, to find
some excuse to linger in her presence, but with Hazel huddled in
her arms and fairly radiating nervous misery, there was nothing to
do but nod and retreat.

Lottie bit her lip as
Thomas all but ran off. 
It doesn’t
matter,
she told herself.  They’d have
plenty of time to talk.  “How long have you been getting sick,
Hazel?”

“
I’m not sure.  A week
maybe?”  Hazel looked exhausted and, with Thomas gone, her
brave facade wilted.  “We’re only just married, and I don’t
even know if he wants children this soon.  I -- I was taking
care of things so it wouldn’t happen until we were
sure…”

“
Sit.”  Lottie guided
her to a chair and managed not to blush when she glanced at her
disheveled desk.  Once she had Hazel safely in a chair, she
turned to the table by the window and poured a glass of
water.  “Have you talked to Oliver about your suspicions
yet?”

Hazel twisted her hands
together and shook her head.  “I don’t want to say anything
unless -- unless I
know
.  He gets so upset if he thinks anything might be wrong
with me, and when he gets overprotective I throw things at him, and
then --” For once, Hazel actually looked self-conscious. 
“That sort of sex probably isn’t good if I’m pregnant
now.”

“
Babies are remarkably
resilient, honey, even in the womb.  It’s probably
fine.”

“
How do I know?” 
Hazel accepted the glass of water, but reached out with her free
hand and grasped Lottie’s.  “I don’t know how to find
out.  Do I -- do I just
wait
?”

“
You probably don’t have
to.”  There hadn’t been much in the way of reliable pregnancy
tests, not since the plague that had rendered everyone technophobic
and thrust society back two centuries.  “There are changes,
even this early, that can be recognized if you know what to look
for.  Doctor Baker can do that.”

“
Will you go with
me?”

“
Oh, honey.”  Lottie
brushed Hazel’s hair back from her face.  “Of course I
will.  We’ll call on him right now, how about
that?”

“
That would be
--” Hazel broke off, her expression growing ill again. 
“Oh, God, doesn’t it
stop
?  I think I’m going to be
sick again.”

A quick step took Lottie back to her
desk.  She grabbed the small metal wastebasket and held it,
one hand still stroking Hazel’s hair.  They’d visit the
doctor, and she’d make sure Hazel felt comfortable speaking to her
husband about their situation.

Then, she’d spend the rest of her weekend
hiding from the world, entirely focused on Thomas.

Chapter Three

Lottie had just finished
her bath and was going to check on dinner before dressing when the
heavy brass knocker hit the front door. 
Thomas.
  She wasn’t really
decent, not in just a robe, but she supposed they’d passed decency
when he’d taken her on her desk that afternoon.

Memories of his body inside hers heated her
cheeks, and she cursed silently as she opened the door.

Thomas was a gentleman but, she was pleased
to note, not so much of one that his gaze didn’t dip before he
dragged it back up to her face.  “I’m sorry. I’m early.”

“
It’s all right.  Come
in.”  She fought the urge to reach for him as she stepped
aside.  “How was your afternoon?”

“
Long and boring.”  He
hesitated just inside the door and leaned down to brush his lips
against her cheek in a soft kiss that was gone too fast. “How is
Hazel?”

“
Pregnant,” Lottie
admitted.  “Excited, confused, scared.  We spent a few
hours at Doctor Baker’s office.  She had a million
questions.  I think she’s in shock.”

Thomas shrugged out of his coat.  “Does
Oliver know yet?”

“
She’s telling him
tonight.”  Lottie took his coat and draped it over her arm,
but temptation got the better of her.  She slid her other hand
around the back of his neck and tugged him down until his lips met
hers.

He groaned and caught her around the waist,
dragging her up his body and into a deeper kiss that ended before
she’d gotten a chance to enjoy it. Thomas panted roughly against
her cheek, but didn’t let her down.  “Maybe I shouldn’t touch
you right now, because I am bound and determined to get you into a
bed next time.”

“
Dinner’s warming, but
it’ll keep.”  Her fingers brushed his cheek, and her body
heated.  “We could go upstairs.”

The sound of his pounding heart echoed in
her ears as he pressed a hot kiss to the base of her throat. 
“Playing civilized is a hard habit to break, Lottie.  And you
deserve more than being turned over the nearest piece of furniture
every damn time I touch you.”

She arched her head back further, inviting
more kisses.  “Even if it’s what I want?”

“
Do you?”  His teeth
closed lightly over her pulse.  “I may have a hard time
keeping my hands off you, but the sorts of things I want to do with
you mean more than a fast fuck on a desk.”

The import of his words
sent a shiver through her.  “I know.  I just… like
knowing you want me.” 
The way I want
you.

Thomas laughed.  “Charlotte, I should
think you wouldn’t wonder at the moment.”  One strong hand
settled low on her back and rocked her against him.  “I don’t
think I’m being particularly subtle.”

The heat of his cock grinding against her
through her robe was overwhelming. “Take me upstairs,
Thomas.”  Lottie’s hands shook as she clutched his
shoulders.  “It doesn’t have to be fast.  We could go
slow.”

“
We can try, anyway.” 
He hefted her a little higher and urged her legs around his
hips.  “Never been upstairs before, darling.  Point me in
the right direction?”

“
Second door on the left is
my bedroom,” she whispered, already engrossed in exploring the soft
skin under his collar.

She could barely recall a
time when she hadn’t watched Thomas and wondered what he was like
under the calm front he always presented.  If he’d approach
everything in the same unruffled manner, or if there was something
more burning inside him.  She’d gotten a taste of that passion
that afternoon in her office, and she wanted more.  She
wanted
him
.

And he seemed determined to grant her
wish.  His fingers rubbed small, gentle circles against her
back as he carried her to the bedroom.  “Tell me,” he
whispered as he lowered her to the bed.  “There are so many
things I want to do.  The man wants to take his time, to make
love to you.  The wolf…”

His struggle reflected the one inside her,
woman versus wolf.  “We have time, Thomas.  It might feel
desperate at first, but we have time to get past that.”  She
pulled at the knotted belt of her robe.  “Don’t worry so
much.”

The corner of his mouth twisted up in a sad
little smile.  “Worrying is my job, Lottie.”

Her chest ached, and she dropped the belt to
stroke his face.  “Not here, all right?  Not with
me.”

“
Not with you.”  He
squeezed his eyes shut and leaned into her touch with a low
sound.  “God, Lottie.  I don’t want to hurt
you.”

“
You won’t.”  She
guided his hands to her hips and kissed him.  “You said the
same thing earlier, and you didn’t hurt me in the least.  We
were made for this, honey.  Both of us.”

His thumbs swept out and teased at skin left
bare by the part in her robe. “Maybe hurt’s the wrong word. 
Maybe I don’t want to offend you.  I may not be Jack Owens,
but I’m a strong wolf with needs that aren’t always polite.”

“
And that’s exactly what I
am, Thomas.”  Desperate to put him at ease, Lottie slipped her
arms around his neck and drew him closer.  “Some of the things
I want would make you blush, I’d wager.”

His lips hovered over her lips. 
Hesitated.  Drifted down to her ear, and the words he
whispered made her shudder and clench her fingers in his shirt.
“Right this second I’m resisting the urge to demand you curl your
lips around my cock.”

Need made her hands shake, but she pushed at
his shoulders until he rolled away, onto the bed.  She rose
slowly and tugged at his shoes.  Once his feet were bare, she
climbed over his thighs and reached for his shirt.  “Tell me
more.”

“
More?”  He lifted his
arms and let her drag his wrinkled shirt over his head.  “How
could I be thinking about anything else?  You have these lips,
gorgeous and soft and full.  I’d dream about them on my
skin.  On my cock.  Your lips and your tongue and your
mouth.”