“They’ll be all right, Anna. I promise you.”
If they were running around as humans, they’d be safe enough together for now. She assumed.
That was all the time Bjornolf gave her to think about Nathan and the girl. He cupped her breasts, his thumbs skimming over the flesh mounded together in the sexy bra, his eyes focused on them. Then he dipped his head to kiss her.
She gave in to the madness and kissed him back, his hands shifting to her ass and pulling her against his rigid arousal, the boxers doing nothing to hide the fact he was hot for her.
All Anna’s frustration and worry melted away in that one passionate, prolonged, soul-startling kiss, as Bjornolf’s hands slipped down her panties and cupped her flesh. She moaned into his mouth as he kissed and licked and nipped and growled.
They needed a room. They had a room. Not here. What was she thinking? They needed to find Nathan. Jeez, what was she doing?
Bjornolf’s mouth moved in compelling kisses over her jaw, down her throat, to the swell of her breasts. She wanted his mouth on her nipples, licking and suckling. She wanted him between her spread legs, and God, she was already wet for him.
Again.
“We… can’t,” she said with the greatest regret.
He let her slip away then, yet there was no regret in his expression. Only hunger—feral and predatory. She knew to the marrow of her bones there was no stopping what he felt for her: pure lust. He had it bad.
She also had it bad for him, but at least she had her priorities straight. Well, she was trying to keep them straight.
He was staring at her, his eyes dark as midnight, his whole body tense as if he might just follow her into the closet and start kissing her all over again.
The sound of someone’s hurried footsteps headed in their direction in the carpeted hallway didn’t break their eye contact.
“This isn’t over, Anna,” he said softly, the hardness and tension in his posture so at odds with his spoken words. His comment was a promise, not a threat.
She knew then that she didn’t want this hot, passionate swirl of emotions that existed between them to be over.
Aimée called through the door, “They’re okay. The kids are at the mall. Carver told Leidolf they’re fine, so he and his men are returning to their ranch. He wishes you both good luck with your mission.”
Anna let out the breath she had been holding, relieved beyond measure that both teens were fine.
“Sarah texted me,” Aimée continued. “They’re shopping for Christmas ornaments for your tree—but I imagine there’s something more to it than that with Nathan coming all the way here to see her in his wolf coat. Nathan wanted to surprise you. They said they were still looking for the perfect angel for the treetop for Anna.”
Anna couldn’t help it. All of a sudden, tears just sprang forth and were dribbling down her cheeks as fast as she could furiously wipe them away. Between the angel comment and knowing he was all right, that both kids were okay, the worry, the stress… she just… lost it.
Bjornolf’s heated expression quickly changed to surprise, then worry. He said to Aimée, “Thanks for the good news. We’ll be out in a minute.”
“Carver’s pacing out in the backyard. He said he needed to cool his heels a bit. He’s thinking of letting them come home in their own good time. That’s going to be a first.”
“Good. I think it’s for the best,” Bjornolf said, pulling Anna into his arms.
Aimée said, “Take your time. I’m cooking lunch, and we all want you to stay.”
“Thanks,” Bjornolf said. “We’d like that.”
Anna never cried. Well, occasionally over a sad movie, but generally speaking, she did not cry. Twice in front of Bjornolf now? What was her problem? He had to think she was some kind of basket case.
“I’m okay,” she whispered, hating that she was soaking his chest with her tears.
He stroked her back with one hand while keeping his arm planted around her waist, holding her tight. He had no intention of letting her go until he was sure she felt better.
He kissed the top of her head as she snuffled, finally getting her emotions under control.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m not normally like this.”
“At least I wasn’t kissing you this time.”
She saw he was smiling down at her with the warmest, most tender expression. She chuckled and he kissed her wet cheek.
With her auburn hair in a braid hanging down her back, Sarah walked beside Nathan in the crowded mall, hand in hand. He hadn’t seen her in three months and had been avoiding her, thinking that it would be better to stay away because of her father. And… for other reasons. The human girl, Jessica Everton, daughter of the owner of the Christmas tree farm, topped the list.
Sarah had been thrilled to see him when they had first met at her house, but she’d also been scared. Afraid that her father would kill him if he learned that she’d already met Nathan and hadn’t told her father about him.
He really did like her, maybe because she could relate to him since she’d lost her mom like he’d lost both his mom and dad. But more as a friend. He thought she wanted more from him than he was willing to give.
“You haven’t texted me in months, Nathan,” Sarah said.
“I’m sorry. You said your father would kill you if he knew you were seeing me. I thought…” Nathan shrugged.
He’d had enough to deal with already. He hadn’t been happy with any of the families he’d lived with so far. He hadn’t known how staying with Bjornolf and Anna would be, even if it was only short-term. Though, if they got along well enough, he hoped it might turn out more permanent. He thought living with a couple of undercover operatives would be cool.
“It was easier not to see me,” Sarah finally said, hurt in her voice, drawing him back to the shopping expedition and the problem at hand.
Yeah, it was easier not to see her. The issues of her father not wanting her to see a wolf of another pack, of Nathan’s not having a real home but being bounced from one family in the pack to another—and then just dealing with a girlfriend who was a wolf from a different pack—all complicated the issue. Especially when she learned he’d been seeing a human girl.
“I’m working now,” he said.
“You could’ve texted.”
“I’m sorry.” He didn’t know what else to say. He did like Sarah. As a friend.
They walked in silence. They’d already bought several boxes of colorful ornaments, but they still hadn’t found the angel Nathan thought Anna might like.
“I wish I had the money for the ornaments on me. Kind of hard traveling as a wolf to bring anything with me.”
“Just send it to me when you have a chance.” Sarah sighed. “So… what’s Anna like? You said she works undercover. Is she really tough looking?”
“She’s really cool,” Nathan said. “Tomb Raider kind of woman. Only she’s never had a Christmas tree before. Can you imagine? Bjornolf says she’s sad about the holidays.”
Sarah stopped him and looked up into his face, her brows pinched together. “Why did you really run here as a wolf, Nathan? You know everyone’s going to be upset about it. Your pack, mine. My dad and his new mate. My sister, even. Why didn’t you just drive up here?”
He let out a deep breath. “I don’t know. Sometimes… I just have to run. Bjornolf and Anna had gone out to investigate the tree farm. I thought of joining them, but they need to do their work without me underfoot.”
“You felt unneeded?”
“Yeah, I guess. I caught them kissing last night, and she was crying.”
Sarah frowned at Nathan.