I blinked when a small hand appeared in my face, fingers snapping rapidly.
“Hey, they’re attached to a person, douche canoe, and the rest of me is right here.”
I lifted my gaze to hers, which was worse, because her gorgeous brown eyes were snapping with fire and indignation and it was sexy as hell. Anger was like foreplay for wolves. We liked to rile up the female, then persuade her to channel that rage into something a whole lot more enjoyable for us both. I shifted slightly, hoping to alleviate the pressure behind my zipper.
“Sorry,” I answered.
She shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. “No, you’re not.”
It took every ounce of control I could muster not to let my eyes wander down to the cleavage she flaunted with the change in her stance. Staring into her eyes without blinking, I answered, “Okay, I’m not. You put it on display, darlin’, and I’m just admiring the view.”
She snorted. “Just what every girl dreams of hearing.” She tilted her head to the side, her dark eyes skeptical and searching. “Who are you?”
I smiled slowly. “I’m Calder. And I already know you’re Ricki.”
She scowled at me then paused. “Okay, what are you?”
Admiring her guts, I rested a hip on the table next to me, my smile growing wider. I felt my fangs lengthen slightly. “I’m the Big Bad Wolf, baby, and I’m hungry.”
I had a moment’s satisfaction when her eyes widened in shock. Then she wrapped her arms around her middle and began laughing uncontrollably. Not exactly the reaction I’d expected.
Chapter Three- Ricki
I gasped for breath as I giggled. Holy shit, this guy was too much. His golden good looks seemed to house the same douchey attitude I’d seen time and again from handsome men. I bent over, trying to stifle the laughter that poured out of me. It was a lost cause. With shaking hands, I set the very expensive bottle of scotch on the cabinet next to me. At this rate, I would drop it and owe Donna more money than I had in my bank account.
Finally, I was able to control myself long enough to catch my breath. This damn corset was going to kill me. Between the laughing and snorting, the lack of oxygen was making me light-headed so I focused on getting air into my lungs. After a few minutes, I straightened and wiped tears from my cheeks.
“Oh, you’re funny,” I managed to choke out, fanning my face. Donna had been correct, the werewolves were a horny bunch.
His expression incredulous, he muttered, “I can’t believe this.”
Amusement fled at his tone and I cocked my hip, resting my hand on it. It was the classic you’re-about-to-get-an-earful stance. “Look, I’m sure that super sexy smoldering look and Big Bad Wolf line work on all the other ladies, but I don’t keep my brain cells in my breasts. I know a line when I hear one.”
He eyed me cautiously. “You’re not afraid of me?”
“Should I be?” I fired back.
Suddenly, he was no longer several feet away, but practically on top of me. Literally, in the blink of an eye, he moved across the room. I squeaked and tripped on my stilettos as I tried to back up. The one day I needed to be light on my feet, I would decide to wear hooker shoes. Shit.
Calder grasped my elbows and tugged me into his body. Heat poured off him in waves and I found myself leaning toward him like a flower toward the sun. When I realized what I was doing, I brought my hands up and shoved at his chest. I tried to disguise my shudder when he didn’t budge even an inch.
He lowered his face, pressing his nose against the delicate skin beneath my ear. I shook my head, trying to pull away.
“What in the hell do you think you’re doing?” I demanded.
I heard him inhale deeply before he released a hot stream of air against my throat. I squirmed slightly as my nipples hardened. I blinked and tried to focus, but my body was suddenly very aware of exactly how wonderful Calder smelled and how even better his hard, muscular frame felt against mine.
Hello? Arrogant werewolf sniffing you? Where’s your indignance?
Those thoughts broke the spell. I arched my back in an effort to put space between us. “Get off me!” When I heard him inhale yet again, I asked, “Are you freaking sniffing me like a dog?”
That got his attention. Calder froze, his face still pressed into the crook of my neck. I jumped when sharp teeth nipped my skin.
“Hey!” The slight sting jarred me out of my hormone haze, well, sort of. Maybe I was crazy, but the bite made my thighs tingle.
“You’re not afraid,” he murmured into my ear, “you’re turned on.”
When his teeth sank lightly into my earlobe, my eyes nearly rolled back into my head. I’d definitely lost the upper hand in this encounter. At the realization, my lids popped open and I reached up, shoving my hand into the back of Calder’s thick golden brown hair and giving it a hard yank.
“Ouch!” he yelped.
I swallowed a smile at the distinctly canine sound. Calder lifted his head and glared down at me, lifting a hand to rub the back of his head.
“What was that for?” he growled.
I blinked up at him, batting my eyelashes. “I told you to let me go. Since you weren’t listening to my words, I decided to get your attention another way.”
Smiling ruefully, he released me and stepped away. “Sorry. Your mouth may have said no, but all I could smell was-“
I poked him in the chest with my finger hard enough to make him flinch. “That’s enough of that,” I stated firmly.
He shrugged, no longer the sensual, dangerous man from a few moments before. Instead he looked like a mischievous little boy. Okay, so maybe more like a horny teenager.
My heart was still pounding and, even though I knew I should be angry and storm away, I didn’t want to. I wanted to stay and talk to him. This particular impulsive behavior might have been why Donna had told me to stay out of trouble. Ignoring the little voice that told me I was playing with fire, I moved away and hopped up on top of a nearby desk, letting my feet swing. “So, how did you know my name?”
He prowled over to the table and propped a hip against it. We were so close our shoulders touched. Reaching out a long arm, Calder snagged the Scotch from the top of the liquor cabinet and opened it. I watched incredulously as he took a swig straight from the bottle. I knew for a fact that the bottle he was drinking from cost over $1,000 and it was a struggle not to snatch it out of his hands.
He offered me the bottle and I shook my head. With a sigh, he said, “I’ll answer your question if you take a drink.”
I raised my eyebrows at him. “So it’s like that, is it?”
His waggling the bottle was my only answer.
Glaring at him, I grabbed the bottle and took a small sip. Calder merely shook his head and gestured for me to take another. Grunting, I took a deeper drink, feeling the trail of warmth from the excellent Scotch as it slid down my throat. I handed the bottle back to him.
“I was there the day Donna and Conner rescued you and your friends.”
I blinked at him. “I don’t remember you.”
He took another pull from the bottle before handing it back to me. It wasn’t until I drank that he replied, “We didn’t meet that day.”
Perplexed, I passed the bottle and asked, “Then how do you know me?” He paused, as though weighing his answer. “Just tell me the truth, Calder.”
He shrugged. “I’m not sure you’ll understand my answer.” He sipped the Scotch.
I didn’t hesitate to drink when he handed the liquid back to me. “Try me.”