Beauty and the Wolf (9 page)

He bent to kiss h
er
. His mouth touched her lips softly then retreated. Again and again he k
issed her, playing with her, absorbed
in the feel of her in his arms and the sweetness of her mouth.

His patience was rewarded when he felt her relax, her sof
t
ness sinking into his hardness. And boy was he hard.
His cock ached to arch up into her. Just
as he was starting to turn her and place
her legs on either side of his body
,
Mary Ann walked in.

“Is that food I smell?” She was dressed much the same way Sophie was, but it didn’t look nearly as good on her.

Jake sighed. So much for that thought.

Sophie went to move and his arms tightened around her. “No.”

She tensed for a moment than relaxed back against him.

“Mary Ann, why don’t you get us something to drink
?
”

“Do you see my notepad in my hand, boss? This is not Anderson Trading Company.”

Jake laughed. His secretary was spunky. “No, but since this was all your idea, help the moment along would you?”

She huffed, but left to get the drinks.

Sophie frowned up at him. “What did she have to do with the takeout?”

He threw back his head and laughed again. God, he felt good.

Mary Ann
returned with the drinks and placed them on the coffee table.
She tore into the white bags, opening each cardb
oard box before distributing it.
She
placed the
orange and cashew chicken with
in his reach along with a soda, fork, and napkins with the usual
efficiency
she exhibited at the office.

She took three cardboard cartons for herself and settled into the recliner, a napkin tucked into her t-shirt. At the first bit, she sighed in bliss. Taking another mouthful, she mumbled and pointed at him with her
chopsticks
. “Aren’t you going to feed her, she’s hungry.”

“Damn straight.”
Jake
shifted Sophie to his other arm
,
making her sq
ueal and cling to him in fear as if he was about to dump
her to floor. He grinned at her and r
eached for the chicken.
Since he loved cashew chicken, the orange must be Sophie’s favorite.
The
fork
was forgone as he
feed her with his fingers.

She hesitated at first
then opened her mouth like a baby bird taking sustenance from its mother. He sure as hell didn’t feel like her parent. And he sure could think of other things he’d like to feed into her mouth. His dick, which had settled down when Mary Ann appeared, perked back up.

“Jake.”

He grinned and held the glass to her lips for her to drink. He also ground her ass against his dick, making himself ache, but so worth the look on her face.

He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “You do so like to say my name, darling. I can’t wait for you
to
scream it when I make
you come.”

Sophie tried not to strangle on the sip of soda she’d just taken.

She had no idea what on earth was happening. She’d started the day wondering how she was going to get Jake’s attention
, got his attention, walked out on him,
and
now
sat draped across his lap while he
hand
fed
her
orange chicken.

Jake must have seen the confusion in her eyes. He tapped her nose and said, “Don’t worry about it. It will all make sense
soon enough
.”

Instead of reassuring her, it confused her even more. Understand what? That her boss had lost his everlasting mind?

“Have some more chicken.”

She ate while Jake and Mary Ann talked about things they needed to do next week. All the while he continued to fe
e
d her, tempting her with the rest of the food spread
out
on the coffee table. Soon, she found herself growing sleepy, soothed by the rh
ythm of his breathing
and the warmth of his
embrace. She placed h
er hand inside his shirt and fel
l asleep.

“I hope you know what you
’
r
e
doing.” Mary Ann voice was quiet
in the early morning silence.

Jake stroked Sophie’s head, loving the feel of her soft brown hair.

“What
I’m
doing? I thought this was a group effort?”

“Excuse me?” Mary Ann’s voice held a note of shock.

Jake’s eyebrows rose. “What a dirty little mind you have. The group I was refer
ring to was you and my father and your
e
ffort
s
to throw Sophie and me together at every op
portunity you’ve had
. My father hates coffee.”

She had the grace to blush. “I just hope you know how special she is.”

“You’ve no idea exactly how special.”

Mary Ann rose to her feet and gathered the remains of their di
n
ner. “Her bedroom is on the left hand side. Try not to
make too much noise, would you?
”

“And depriv
e you of an apparent sexual fantasy?
”

She thre
w an egg roll at his head. Naturally he caught it before it made its mark.

CHAPTER FOUR

Jake waited until he heard Mary Ann’s bedroom door close before he woke Sophie.
He knew he should let her sleep;
she’d had a very trying day. She looked so innocent and pure that he almost had second thoughts about claiming her. His wolf growled.

Alright boy, we’ll claim her
, he reassured his animal. His dick twitched in agreement.

She sighed in her sleep, snuggling deeper against him.
He bent his head to kiss her mouth. It was a
s
soft and sweet as he remembered. He moved
to
her jaw, pressing quick kisses along its curve. At her ear h
e stopped, taking the lobe
between his teeth and biting softly. “It’s time to wake up Sophie.”

She stirred, arching her neck. He continued his kisses down the side of her throat, his tongue coming out
to
lick the skin between her shoulder
and
neck. She tasted like ambrosia.

He still hesitated though. He knew once he made love to Sophie it would be hard to let her go, if not down right impossible. He knew she wanted him, he’d smelled her desire on more than
one
occasion. He thought she might love him.

He knew she was his mate, but was he ready for a mate? He’d just taken on the responsibility of the pack and the company. Did he have the time to devote to a woman, a mate?
Damn straight he did. The company and pack meant little when compared to Sophie.
But there was still the little matter of telling her what he was.

How did you tell the woman you loved, a human woman, that you were
a thing
of myths and magic?
He stroked his tongue down
her throa
t, nibbling on her collar bone.

His consc
ience wrestled with his libido.

His libido won.

He was going to claim his mate.

He nipped her ear again, this time not so gently.
“Wake up Sophie. It’s time to get fucked by a wolf.”

             
Sophie woke with a start. She didn’t remember falling asleep. She remembered being in Jake’s arms
and then nothing
. Holy crap, she was still in Jake’s arms.

He was leaning down, his mouth curved in a wolfish grin.

“Time to wake up little red riding hood and pay for your supper.”

“What?” She was still
out of it.

Well not so out of it she didn’t feel the rigid length of his cock pressing against her backside. She twisted, eliciting a groan from deep within his throat.

“That’s it baby. Feel me want you.”

O
f course, Sophie immediately went
a still as a mouse.
“I don’t understand.”

Jake arched his hips. “What’s not to understand?”

This time he made
her
moan.

He rose from the couch, lifting
her in his arms with
seemingly no effort
at all
.

“Put me down, I’m too heavy.”

She was way to
o heavy for a man to carry
, even one as strong and well b
uilt as Jake. She sighed. There was so much she wanted to do and experience, but she was realistic enough to know her weight prohibited some of those activities.
Activities
like getting fuck by a . . . wolf? What a minute, i
s that what Jake had said
?

“What did you say to me?” she asked. He’d reached her bedroom door and kicked it open wi
th his foot. She didn’t know how
he saw in the darkness, but he walked directly to the bed avoiding all the obstacles that would have had her tripping – a pair of shoes,
a
small footstool, her
coat from yesterday. Sophie
never anticipated having a man in her
bed
room
so she didn’t exhibit
good housekeeping
skills where no one could see them
. At least she had made up
her bed this morning.

“I’m sorry it’s so messy. I never expected to uh, you know.”

He laid her on the bed, following her down. “You didn’t expect me to be in your bed tonight?”

“No, I th
ought maybe, well hoped anyway.” She paused. “I thought that if any thing happened, it would be in
your bed.”

She didn’t know what good deed she might have performed in a former life, but s
he was glad she was being rewarded in this one
. Jake lay beside her stretched out in all h
is masculine glory.

“We’ll go to my place
later. I just needed
to get you to the nearest flat surface.”

“You didn’t like the sofa?”

“Hell
no, I’ve got t
o have room to move around.” He arched
over her, taking her wrist
s
in one of his
big hands
. His other tunneled its way up her t-shirt, skirting her belly.

Sophie shifted instinctively trying to dislodge his hand. She never liked anyone to touch her there. Even though all of her was big – her legs, her arms, her butt, her boobs, it was the extra padding around her stomach that bothered her the most. The others could be
camouflaged
with clothing. But not the belly.

Oh hell, she thought, panicking, none of it could be
camouflaged
when you were naked.

She jerked at her wrists. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”

Jake
’s hand stopped its upward movement, coming to a halt just beneath her right breast. His huge palm lay there like a brand of fire, his thumb lazily stroking her ribcage.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Umm, is that a nothing like the I’m not hungry crap you gave me at
the
restaurant
?”

She wiggled, trying to escape from beneath him. He merely rested more of his weight ag
ainst her holding her in place.

“Look at me Sophie.”

She started to tremble. She was so not ready for this. She
’d
thought she was, but she wasn’t. “Let me go.”

“No.”

Her eyes flew open. “No?”

“No.”
He grinned.

“Now listen here.”

Her face
was flushed, her eyes glittered with
temper.
If she’d been a wolf her fur would have bristled. He paused for a moment, wondering if he should tell her exactly what she was getting herself into. She was about to become the mate of an alpha wolf.

“No, you listen, a
nd listen well, Sophie. I am going to fuck you.”
She was beaut
iful
and he wanted her more than he wanted his next breath. His
gaze
bore into hers.