Make Me Howl (11 page)

Thankfully, I wore only a sweater with my ski pants, not layers of ski suit, underwear, a coat and wool.

We were alone, deep in the woods.

And the chairlifts had stopped for the night.

Chapter Five

I’ve never before thought of something cold, white and icy as sensual, but that late afternoon, I found out differently. Almost before I knew it, we were turning the white stuff into slush. In a tiny corner of my mind, I hoped Doc was as impervious to the cold temperatures as I. I’m not sure I could have stopped even if I’d seen him turning blue.

Thankfully, azure wasn’t his color that day. His heat seared me like a brand wherever he touched. And in turn, I wanted to caress every part of him. Taste him all over.

There wasn’t time for tender lovemaking. Purpling shadows lengthened, stealing our time even as we came together. In sheer moments the full moon would rise, and I’d be lost.

With the intensity of my arousal—and the fact that he was sex-on-the-hoof—it was next to impossible for me to stay in control. But I had to remain human. The last thing I wanted was for Doc to realize I was a werewolf. We moved together in a natural rhythm, that single thought thrumming in the back of my mind—
he can’t know. He can’t find out. If he does, he’ll lock me up in his lab.

Under most circumstances that might be a kinky thought, but knowing I’d just be an object for study, and any prodding done would only be to further science, I wanted none of it.

In a lab anyway.

He arched away from me, sucking his breath through clenched teeth as the edge of the full moon peeked over the horizon. I couldn’t let him finish without me. No way I’d survive the maelstrom if I were left unfulfilled.

Unable to stop, I took command of the situation. I rose over him to touch and taste and feel even more of him as I moved. Very quickly the explosion building inside me became too much to contain. As his climax overtook him, mine detonated, nearly wrenching a howl from my throat.

Exhausted, I collapsed on his chest. After a moment, I could lift my head. The cold bit along my breast and stomach as I cast a quick glance at the sky. As much as I hated to, I had to get away from him. In mere seconds I’d go animal. Roughly I shoved all thoughts of afterglow away. I had to escape. Now.

The moon rose higher on the horizon. Inside me, stirrings reinforced the fact that I was about to morph.

Just as I was ready to slip down slope behind a tree, he rose and caught me by the wrist. “Wait.”

Bristles stung as they charged my skin, ready to break through. My jaw ached as I fought to hold back its lengthening. My heart took on a slower, heavier rhythm. I glanced at the sky. Any moment now the moon would be free of the horizon, shining fully upon us.

Even my mind was shifting to the animal side where there was no refinement. I could only think of one way to escape. When a howl in the distance caused him to glance away, I gave him a light nudge.

He slipped on the slick footing, and I sprinted for safety.

****

At the knock on the door, Bella shot a glance at Jazzy, sleeping like a baby—a naked baby. Though she’d already slept five hours, even the loud thumping didn’t disturb her. No telling where she’d been the night before. Or what she’d done.

When Jazzy had come in from the night, she’d told Bella a bizarre story about Doc rescuing her from certain death, then the two of them making love in the frozen woods until moonrise.

Having just spoken to him the day before, Bella knew he was in Texas. And Jazzy thought she’d made it with him yesterday evening? Her imagination—or wishful thinking—had to have been affected. It just made Bella wonder what, or who, Jazzy had been doing.

Bella threw the corner of Jazzy’s abandoned sheet over her then pulled the bedroom door closed behind her. She wasn’t worried about her exhausted sister being disturbed, but whoever was at the door might be if they saw her in her present state.

Hoping it was the double T breakfast she’d ordered—tea and toast—Bella tossed open the door. And the world dropped out from under her. Instead of the woman with the cloth covered table she’d expected, Doc and Spencer filled her doorway.

She blinked once, unable to believe they were actually there. “What are you doing here?”

Doc smiled warmly as he gazed past her, into the suite. “It sounded as if you had an emergency with Clomovidine, so I took a couple of days off to help.”

She angled back so he could walk into the room, but stepped in the way when Spencer tried to follow.

Amusement brightened Spencer’s eyes, but his mouth remained in a flat line. “Going to leave me in the hall?”

She hiked her chin, not willing for him to see in her face the thrill he’d sent spinning through her. “That’s what I normally do with a cur.”

“A cur?” His chuckle dropped low, coming from deep in his chest, as if meant only for the two of them. “A dog with a questionable heritage?”

“A dog with a questionable heritage
who should be muzzled
,” she corrected.

Folding his arms, he leaned one shoulder against the door frame. “Now that’s not a nice thing to call a guy.” He lifted one eyebrow to give her what he obviously thought was a sexy look.

He was right.

She mercilessly smothered the pleasure warming her body. “About as nice as what you said about my sister that night.”

He shouted with laughter then caught himself. “Yeah, but your sister—”

“Bella?”

At Jazzy’s raspy voice, calling from the bedroom, all three of them paused. Bella held her breath, hoping her sister was talking in her sleep or going to ask a question, anything except come into the room. Her stomach dropped to the floor when the knob turned on the bedroom door.

“Bella?” Jazzy repeated as the door started to slowly open.

Please let her be dressed. Please let her be dressed,
Bella pleaded as the door swung wider.

“Did I hear room servi—” Jazzy stopped mid-word when she saw the men in the room. Thankfully, she’d taken time to wrap the sheet around her and tucked in the ends so it looked like a wrinkled strapless gown with a long side slit. A very long slit.

Her hair curled and tangled down her back, looking as if she’d been in a low-flying tornado, or as if she’d romped all night. She didn’t have a bit of makeup on her face. Leave it to her to be beautiful, even before her morning shower.

Her eyes sparked, and with a haughty smile, she lifted the sheet so she wouldn’t step on it and made an entrance like Miss America on the runway. The only thing missing was the boatload of roses.

Stopping in front of Doc, she gazed at him for a full ten seconds before she spoke. “You’re here.”

He stared at her, as stunned as if he’d just been smacked with a baseball bat. “Your sister sounded as if she needed some help, so I came to the rescue.”

Jazzy flicked a glance at the doorway. “And you left your white charger in the hall?”

“Something like that.” Doc took a step, turning his back to Spencer and Bella, and even though Bella couldn’t see their faces, she could hear his words. “Why don’t you get dressed and we’ll…go out to breakfast?”

The intimacy of Doc’s tone caused Bella’s cheeks to burn. Jazzy’s condition had him by the throat. In moments, as soon as Spencer got close enough, he’d be after her, too.

Bella’s heart thudded so hard, she could barely draw a breath. She had to stop this before it got out of hand. But how? Jazzy certainly wasn’t trying to get Doc out of there, and Spencer’s only interest seemed to be getting in.

Spencer straightened, taking a step toward his brother. Jazzy murmured something. Bella couldn’t understand the words, but the tone was obvious. Doc’s deep chuckle sounded as if they’d just had sex, were getting ready to—or both. Electricity practically crackled in the air. At any moment now, the storm would break.

Why did things like this happen to them? Jazzy being in heat was unfair to everyone. Bella thought about the trouble she’d taken. The careful plans and arrangements she made so these men—and any other unsuspecting idiots—wouldn’t know where they had gone. Her anger mounted with each breath she took, searing everything inside her until she wanted to spit.

“Out!”

Everyone froze. Surprise filled their faces as if they’d never before heard her screech. Well, maybe they hadn’t, but she’d certainly spoken loudly to all of them. At least once.

“I said, get out.” She tempered her tone this time, hoping their astonishment at hearing her squawk would quickly wear off and they’d actually move.

Jazzy was first to recover. With a gasp, she opened her mouth to speak, but Bella preempted her. “You. In the shower. Now.”

When Jazzy started to argue, Bella allowed the anger sizzling through her to show on her face, then pointed toward the bedroom. With a shrug, Jazzy obeyed.

Clinging to the tone she’d used, Bella turned on the men. “Where are you staying?”

Doc looked as if he didn’t speak or understand English. She focused on Spencer. “Where?”

“Down the road a few miles in a condo.”

“Then go to it.” She set her jaw, clenched her fists and stomped one foot. “
Go
.”

As the men walked away, Spencer glanced back over his shoulder. Trouble was, Bella didn’t know if he looked back hoping for one more glimpse of heat enhanced Jazzy.

Or her.

****

Chase stopped in the hallway and took a long breath. The building was full of enticing aromas. Sweet smelling cleansers, creams, potions and women filled the place, but the one fragrance that filled his head while locking his heels to the floor was Jazzy.

Her spiciness practically wafted through the air. All he had to do was remember the evening before, with the sky purpling and Jazzy heating up the snow all around them, and her scent filled him. Made him ache with wanting her.

He’d never known anyone like her. Never. Not even when he’d traveled to foreign countries.

And now that he’d found her, he wasn’t about to walk away. He took a step toward her door, but Spencer grabbed him, his grip hard. “We’re leaving, bro.”

Chase kept his voice low to keep a wayward bystander from calling security, but he didn’t try to hide the frustration. “What do you think you’re doing?”

A frown creased Spencer’s normally placid face. “Taking you out of here.”

“Taking…me?” Chase arched his brow. He was a long way from ready to leave.

“Yes, I’m taking you
before
you do something you’ll regret.”

“What? You think Jazzy will call security to keep me out?” He smirked, knowing she’d welcome him with that special grin curving her lips. “Or the cops?”

Spencer dropped his voice so low Chase had to strain to hear it. “No. But I’d bet the ranch her sister would.”

“That’s what you’re here for. To distract her.”

Spencer snorted and, using his shoulder, turned Chase toward the exit again. “Right. Beautiful Bella can hardly talk to me without wanting to smack me. What makes you think I can keep her from calling security?” Chase shook his head, irritation with his brother crowding his gut like so much gravel. He had to see Jazzy again. Now. Had to touch her. Be with her.

But that damned sister of hers—

He stopped himself mid-thought. Bella wasn’t “that damned sister.” She was his friend and coworker. And Jazzy was…

This time, when Spencer grabbed his arm, he let himself be led away.

****

I stepped out of the shower and glanced around the steam filled bathroom. After being in there all that time, I figured I’d drained every drop of hot water from the entire spa—hot tub and all. The bathroom was so heavy with fog it looked like a lost world sequence in an old TV show. After using every towel in the place, I opened the door to go into the bedroom. Bella waited just on the other side.

I quirked a one-sided smile at her. “Standing guard?”

She glared at me as if I’d come out doing a bump and grind. “What else can I do?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but she cut me off. “From the time we got here, you haven’t even tried to fight this thing. You walked into the room and disappeared out the backdoor before I could even get inside. You went skiing yesterday morning and you didn’t come in all night long.

“When you finally came in this morning, you were talking about having made love with my coworker, who should have been hundreds of miles away. Then he shows up. Now I can’t tell if you’re delusional, imaginative or if your spores actually drew him this far.”

“I don’t know either.”

Her startled look at my admission almost made me laugh. Almost. “What?”

“I said, I don’t know if I’m delusional or not.” I took a breath as I tried to clear my head. “I clearly remember going skiing yesterday morning. I skied on the Rocky Raccoon slope when I heard some boys cheering and laughing. They made a run through the trees and it looked like a great one, so I decided to try it.”

“Jazzy.” Her tone held a lethal combo of shock, scold
and
disappointment. “You know how dangerous that can be. When you found yourself wanting to do something that risky, it should have been a red flag. Why didn’t you come back to the condo right then?”

“‘Should have’ isn’t any fun.” I shrugged. “Anyway I went back to the bottom, and that’s when things started to get toggled.”