Wolf Nip: Granite Lake Wolves, Book 6 (13 page)

Tessa played with his buttons. “I guess so. If you insist.”

A snort of laughter escaped him. “How about we go back to those days when you slept like twelve hours straight? I could use a few of those.”

“You know that’s not going to happen.” Tessa resisted poking him. “And that’s not nice, bringing that up. I didn’t know my cat was causing it.”

He lifted her chin and kissed her slowly, taking his time like he was dead serious about them switching into slow motion. She didn’t fight it. He was too good a kisser, and that lovely distraction made her far too happy to complain.

“I love you.”

Mark rumbled with happiness at her words. The fact she could say it with complete honesty was a little bit of heaven. He never seemed to get tired of her repeating it, either. She brushed her lips over his cheek and said it out loud, just for emphasis. “I love you inside and out. I love you, I lov—”

He crushed his mouth over hers, and this time there was nothing slow about it.

When they finally came up for air, they’d lost their clothing.

Strange
.

Tessa pressed her naked body to his, loving how the heat of the fire and the rosy-red haze blanketed them as they lay on the thick rug.

They’d been mates for months now, and the connection simply got better and better. Thank goodness for friends who wouldn’t shut up, and mates who wouldn’t give up.

Mark stroked her naked shoulder, seemingly as fascinated by the firelight as she had been. “Yip, your cat knew all along we were meant to be together. All that nesting and snoozing was her trying to convince your human side to slow down and accept what was meant to be. Have I mentioned lately how much I like your cat?”

Tessa didn’t fight the urge. She shifted, right there in his arms, meaning he had a whole lot of cougar pressed up against him.

He jolted for a second. “Very funny.”

“Well, you said you liked my cat…”

He didn’t struggle as she licked him once, a full-face-wash type of grooming move that satisfied something deep inside her cat nature. Then while he was still laughing, she shifted back and proceeded to satisfy the human sides for both of them.

Mates. Who knew they could be so much fun?

About the Author

Vivian Arend in one word:
Adventurous
. In a sentence:
Willing to try just about anything once
. That wide-eyed attitude has taken her around North America, through parts of Europe, and into Central and South America, often with no running water.

Her optimistic outlook also meant that when challenged to write a book, she gave it a shot, and discovered creating worlds to play in was nearly as addictive as traveling the real one. Now a
New York Times
and
USA Today
bestselling author of both contemporary and paranormal stories, Vivian continues to explore, write and otherwise keep herself well entertained.

Website:
www.vivianarend.com

Blog:
www.vivianarend.com/blog

Twitter:
www.twitter.com/VivianArend

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/VivianArend

Look for these titles by Vivian Arend

Now Available:

Granite Lake Wolves

Wolf Signs

Wolf Flight

Wolf Games

Wolf Tracks

Wolf Line

Forces of Nature

Tidal Wave

Whirlpool

Turner Twins

Turn It On

Turn It Up

Pacific Passion

Stormchild

Stormy Seduction

Silent Storm

Xtreme Adventures

Falling, Freestyle

Rising, Freestyle

Six Pack Ranch

Rocky Mountain Heat

Rocky Mountain Haven

Rocky Mountain Desire

Rocky Mountain Angel

Takhini Wolves

Black Gold

Silver Mine

Paradise Found

Coming Soon:

Rocky Mountain Rebel

Into the best-laid plans a little chaos must fall…

Wolf Line

© 2012 Vivian Arend

Granite Lake Wolves, Book 5

Jared’s not sure how his quiet morning coffee near the harbour ended with him on a cruise ship impersonating one of his pack mates. Well, it might have something to do with a woman, but who can blame him? The female of the species was made to love, and he’s more than willing to share his considerable skills in that area. Especially since he figures the chances of meeting his own one-and-only are slim.

Keri Smith is positive the last-minute recruit sneaking aboard the Arctic Wolf Cruise Lines tour is her mate. Ix-nay on confirming that, though, at least for the next ten days. She’s promised her best friend to be overall troubleshooter for the shifter-only cruise. Getting tangled up in mating lust would reduce her skills to nil. Avoidance of the sexy wolf for the duration of the cruise, followed by jumping his bones, seems the logical solution.

But when libidos are on the line, “logic” and “wolves” don’t go together. Throw in suspicions of wrongdoing, and these two virtual strangers will need a lot more than luck to find their way through to forever.

Warning: Really? You need to be warned about the hot nookie and sarcasm? Yeah, it’s in here. Also colourful cat shifters, lupine royalty, and wild adventures in cabins like you’ve never seen before.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Wolf Line:

This was the third time they’d met. Surely if they were mates, he’d say something. Do something. Maybe she was wrong? Perhaps she’d hit the wolf equivalent of a hormonal overload and it was all in her head.

All she knew for sure was the ball was in his court. No way would she make the first move, just in case. Because how awkward would that be, to assume someone was your mate and be wrong?

As their eyes met, a nice little daydream flashed through her brain. It started with her punching the emergency stop button, skipped past exactly how they got naked, hesitated and moved in slow motion long enough for her to stab herself on his cock and finished with them both screaming out in orgasm loud enough to scare the dolphins leaping in the waves off the ship’s prow.

“Hey.” His smile—lethal.

She nodded rapidly, her jaw clenched tight to stop herself from begging for…something. Of course, that meant she didn’t actually say anything. Seemed safer. Really. Or she might shout something crude and risqué.

She turned to face the elevator doors, locking her gaze on the thin vertical line between them as if it was the only safe point in the world.

Taking tiny breaths of air through her mouth didn’t help—it meant instead of his scent rolling through her brain, his taste mixed with the lingering chocolate on her tongue.

In her peripheral vision his beautiful biceps flexed and her libido fluttered, landing somewhere in her belly and continuing to flap incessantly.

Mark coughed. “I hope you don’t think I’m being forward, but there’s something we have to do.”

He leaned closer and she held her breath.

Ohmygodohmygod
.

His body brushed hers briefly as he jabbed one of the elevator buttons. He stepped back and smiled easily. “Works better if you tell it where to go.”

The mechanical cage rose slowly. Keri’s mouth was full of moisture. She wanted to talk, but was afraid anything she said would be accompanied by a spray of spit. Which would be an oh-so-attractive way to begin, right?

His smile faded slowly as his chin tipped downward. A gentle concern crossed his face with the tiniest bit of a crease between his eyes. It was so adorable she wanted to rub it and make everything better. She swallowed hard, regretting the action immediately as his flavour rushed through her again. Keri closed her eyes and leaned back on the wall.
Don’t touch. Don’t touch.

A whisper-soft brush against her cheek made her eyes fly open. His knuckles finished a slow drag over her skin before he pulled back and showed her dark chocolate on his fingertips.

“You were in a hurry, were you?”

Oh boy.
She sucked in her courage and slapped down her wolf. She rammed her hand forward. “Keri Smith.”

He hesitated. Was he as reluctant as she was to make personal contact? Yet, why would he be, other than if he was trying to protect her?

Then he lifted his hand and licked the chocolate from his fingers. The warm buzz in her belly slipped a foot lower and attached itself to her clit. She could be wearing a strap-on rabbit-assisted vibrator right now, turned on high, and it wouldn’t have as much effect as watching him.

He wiped his hand dry on his shirt and finally wrapped his fingers around hers. “Jar—Mark Weaver. We met in the crew staff room, right?”

“Right.”

She stared, mesmerized. With his hair pulled back into a ponytail, his dark, beautiful eyes were center stage. The light creamy brown of his skin turned her thoughts back to chocolate. Bad, evil thoughts she didn’t want to have to deal with right now.

But when she retreated from dangerous territory, the only thing that remained was the haunting question of why in the world he hadn’t reacted to her? She was one second away from yanking him over and shoving her tongue down his throat.

He was trapped. She wasn’t letting go. His wolf rubbed beneath his skin so hard Jared thought he might spontaneously shift, and still his intriguing stranger wouldn’t release his fingers.

He tugged a little harder. She gasped then jerked herself upright and whipped her amazing green eyes off him. Her hands disappeared behind her like a naughty child caught with her fingers in the cookie jar.

Damn, why’d she have to have a boyfriend? She was adorable, and sexy, and his wolf thought she was fascinating. So much to offer, yet so many barriers between them.

The elevator doors slid open and he gestured her out. She fled—the only word for it. He didn’t mind. That meant he got to stare at her ass as she sped down the lush red carpet. Fine. Maybe he couldn’t have her, but he could still be nice. Even women with bedmates liked being treated nice, and being a gentleman could be as much fun as having funky monkey sex.

Almost.

Kinda.

Not really, but oh well.

She stopped before oversized double doors, and he decided it was time to turn on the charm. The “just friends even though you deserve more” charm that left women feeling like a million bucks.

“So, one of the fancy suites. Nice. Bet it’s got more room than my two-by-four space.”

Keri knocked before answering. “Probably more room than yours, mine and twenty staff quarters shoved together.”

She talked to the floor. He examined the area by her feet. Nothing there.

Okay
…

There was no response to her second knock either, so she pulled a pass card from her pocket and let them in. Jared glanced around in appreciation. Not only luxurious, the place was bright with sunlight. “Sweet. I love the windows. Hate the tiny things downstairs. I’d rather rig a hammock on the deck and sleep under the stairs than stay trapped in that lower berth.”

Keri nodded. “I hear you. My room is better than yours, but nothing like this.”

He waited. When he’d checked in as required at eleven, Chad had informed him he was on the maintenance crew, then grudgingly found a work belt for him when he admitted to having “forgotten” his at home. Putting Chad’s sigh of disgust aside, since it had been deserved this time, the job placement came as a huge relief. He had to continue with the charade until he found a way off the ship, but if it had turned out his pack mate had been hired to cook, or worse, entertain? Jared would have been shit-outta-luck.

Fixing squeaky doors he could do.

But Keri wasn’t telling him what specifically needed to be done. She was alternating between staring at the floor and sneaking glances at him.

His wolf rumbled again as he caught a peek into her big wide eyes.
Yes, damn beast, I get the message. You like her. Down, boy.
He and his wolf struggled for dominance in a way he’d never experienced before. Then the wild part inside him retreated—almost pouting—into the corner.

Being a wolf had never been so weird.

The shadows of her past could destroy their future.

Haunted Sanctuary

© 2013 Moira Rogers