“You know me so well, Darcy.” He closed the distance between us, and I realized what he was up to.
“Oh no you don’t, Mason O’Connor. You take that sweaty body of yours back over to your team mates and do some … I don’t know … male bonding or something.” With my arms outstretched to ward of his attempts to hold me, I wasn’t strong enough to keep him away.
Iron bands enclosed me, dragging me from my seat and into his embrace. I struggled slightly, trying to appear as though I was escaping, but I was exactly where I wanted to be—in the arms of the man I loved.
He leaned in. I couldn’t stop myself from reaching out and pulling his face to mine. His heady mixture of man, wolf, and sunshine was intoxicating—alluring. I forgot the world around me as I brushed my mouth against his.
He hadn’t shaved, soft stubble grazing against my skin, and it caused goose bumps to rise as it created friction. Parting my lips, I felt his tongue slip in and begin to tangle against mine. I went into sensory overload. Everything about this man aroused me, and I melted willingly into his tight embrace. I couldn’t get close enough.
The game was forgotten—all that existed was him and me. His hand reached into my hair, holding my head in place, and I groaned into his mouth as he deepened our kiss. If this was the kind of punishment I would receive for taunting him, I was determined to up the ante. I whimpered with disappointment when he slowly broke away, my flesh tingling everywhere he’d touched. He rendered me senseless, and I couldn’t help the goofy grin that covered my face.
Lifting my fingers to trace my lips once more, hunger burning deep, I stumbled backward and was brought out of my daze by Jasmine’s giggle.
“Was that really necessary, Brother?” she questioned, slapping him hard against his shoulder. “How are we supposed to come in and wow you all with our football skills, if you’ve addled her brain? Look at her, she can barely focus.”
“I think she looks sexy as hell.”
My heart began racing faster, Mason stepping forward to take me back into his arms. Like a magnet that can’t fight against its attraction, I moved toward him, only to meet with Jasmine’s arm.
“Leave her be. Go back and prepare to get your butts handed to you. I need to undo the damage.” She shooed him away with a flick of her wrist, and tugged on my arm.
“Has anyone told you how adorable you are when you attempt to trash talk?”
I began to chuckle at the stern look on Jasmine’s face.
“Well, at least she’s snapping out of it. Come on, Darcy. We’ve got work to do.”
Shrugging my shoulders in a sign of helpless submission, I allowed myself to be pulled toward the house. “Did you really need to interrupt?” I complained, the taste of the kiss still in my mouth. “You couldn’t have let me enjoy him just a little longer? He is my mate.”
She rolled her eyes, and snorted. “Future mate—and you both have plenty of time for all the lovey-dovey stuff. Right now, we have a game to win, so pull yourself together and help me.”
Opening the door to her bedroom, my thoughts finally settled back on the task at hand. “Okay, what do you have planned?”
Digging around in the small bag on her dresser, Jasmine held up an eyeliner pencil, a wide grin spread across her face. “Just a little fun.”
And she got down to business.
Dire
The Dire Wolves Chronicles
Alyssa Rose Ivy
Gage was the first guy I ever wanted. He was my first crush and my first fantasy, but he wasn’t my first in any other way because he never saw me as anything more than a friend— at least not until the night that changed everything.
It was all Gage’s fault. He insisted we drive through the storm and take the back roads. By the time the storm hit full force we had no chance. One night of snowbound sex changed our relationship forever. The problem was at the same time I caught another guy’s attention. This other guy happened to be the alpha of a pack of shifter wolves. I thought the wolves were the worst of my problems, but I was wrong. When things went from bad to worse I had to make a lifelong sacrifice to save Gage, but what price is too much to save the one you love?
Prologue
A single howl made me stop short. “The wolves!”
“Let’s hope they are farther away than they sound.” Gage tightened his hold on my hand and pulled me forward.
Three more howls filled the night. “They sound closer.”
We picked up the pace, and I chanced a glance behind me. That was a mistake. Several large grey wolves came into view. “Run!”
Gage didn’t need to be told twice. He broke into a run without letting go of my hand.
I ran as fast as possible over the frozen snow, but we didn’t get far before the wolves started circling around us. “Oh my god.” Could things get any worse?
“You have to make a run for it.” Gage’s voice quivered. “They’re going to kill us.”
“I’m not leaving you.” I tried to stay strong, and I kept my eyes locked on the wolves. There were five of them. All of them were massive, much larger than any wolf I’d seen before, but one of them was even bigger and had a large silver streak running down its back. That wolf seemed to be staring right at me.
“I’ll distract them. You run. I’ll catch up.”
I spotted an opening next to one of the smaller of the wolves and went for it. I didn’t make it far before one of the wolves stepped in front of me. I froze, paralyzed with fear, before my legs were knocked from under me. Suddenly, I was lying in the snow with a giant wolf hovering over me.
“We’re fucked.” Gage voiced exactly what I was thinking.
The silver streaked wolf stared down at me. It’s almost glowing eyes bored into mine. Was I really going to die as half-frozen food for a giant wild animal?
Then things got hazy and the air seemed to buzz. Moments later it wasn’t a wolf on top of me—it was a man. A completely naked man with a faint scar across his face.
“What the heck?” I tried to scurry back, but Hunter didn’t move. His very exposed parts nearly touched me. I didn’t want to notice his size, but I did. He was huge. He also didn’t look remotely concerned with the cold.
His lips brushed against my ear. “Were you going somewhere?”
Chapter One
Mary Anne
H e wore black athletic shorts that sat low on his hips and gave me a fantastic view of his perfectly sculpted abs. I had a strong desire to touch those abs with my hands and quite possibly my tongue. His bare chest was equally as alluring, all muscle with just a little bit of sweat sliding down.
“Thanks for waiting up for me.” He walked into his room and closed the door. “I was worried you’d have fallen asleep already.” He slipped off those black shorts and walked toward his bed that amazingly enough I was already tucked into. He pulled back the blanket. “And you’re wearing the lingerie I like best.” He grinned wickedly as he slipped in beside me.
“Isn’t the best part taking it off me?” I bit my lip, knowing that it would only turn him on more.
“You remembered.” He slipped the strap down off my right shoulder.
“I remember everything about you. I always have.”
“How’d I get so lucky?” He slipped off the other strap as he left tiny kisses from my shoulder up toward my neck.