Single Wicked Wolf (7 page)

“I ran into Giovanni Conti in Rome, we shared the flight together. Julian is here and he’s pissed and I…”

Her door opened and Giovanni stared at her. Julian, fortunately, wasn’t right there.

“
Signor
Clayborne, Murphy is safe. Julian’s presence is frightening her.” Without the door to separate them, Giovanni’s scent and nearness washed over her, chasing away the tidal waves of anxiety. The addition of his hand on her shoulder, settled her wolf and she had to fight against rubbing her cheek to his skin.

“Evening, Giovanni, welcome to the U.S.” The dry tone carried no traces of humor. “Julian.”

“Mason.” The other wolf hadn’t moved, but the potential for violence seemed to diminish with every passing second. “I arrived to escort Conti to Willow Bend.”

“That will not be necessary, this evening.” Giovanni didn’t wait for Mason’s response. “Murphy and I are staying in the city. We will drive to Willow Bend tomorrow.”

Telling her Alpha she was having an affair with the foreign wolf hadn’t been high on her list.

“Ah, I see.” Mason’s cool tone warmed immediately. “Julian, Murphy has been seeing a wolf in Europe. I hadn’t realized it was Giovanni, but that’s neither here nor there.” She caught the hint of reprimand for her. “I have no problem with Murphy escorting him to Willow Bend. You can leave them alone.” Then, not waiting for the Enforcer’s response. “Conti, I expect you to bring my wolf home safe, are we understood?”

Her stomach cramped. Giovanni wasn’t her mythical boyfriend and her little fib to her mother had suddenly ballooned…

Moving his hand from her shoulder, to brush his knuckles against her cheek, Giovanni said, “It will be my honor to do so,
Signor
Clayborne.”

“I’ll be around,” Julian said. A warning or an offer? She had no idea, but the other wolf left without another word and she sagged in the seat.

“Next time,” Mason said, his voice soothed her ragged nerves but nowhere near as much as Giovanni’s light touch. “Alert me to who you are bringing home with you, Murphy.”

“I promise. I’m sorry.” The apology spilled out of her. “I didn’t realize the issue when Giovanni had an invitation.”

“It’s fine, sweetheart.” More soothing. “Let Giovanni have the phone for a moment, will you? I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She passed the phone over obediently. He listened for a minute, but she couldn’t hear what Mason was saying over the rush of blood in her ears. Even her heart sounded too loud inside the vehicle. The light caress on her cheek returned to her shoulder and he massaged the tension out of her slowly. Every touch settling her disturbed wolf further.

“
Grazie
. I will take care of her.” Giovanni finished the call then handed the phone back to her. It slipped through her nerveless fingers, but he retrieved it and dropped it into her purse before refastening her seat belt. “You’re safe, Murphy.”

Yes, she was and even though the panic ballooned earlier, it deflated as rapidly. Another caress to her cheek, then he shut the door and strode around to climb into the driver’s seat.

She waited until they were out of the airport and on the road toward the city, before she got herself under enough control to say, “I’m sorry I let Mason think you were—you know, the boyfriend I told my mother about.”
I can’t believe Mom told him I was seeing a wolf over there.
Then the moment the thought took root, she winced. Of course her mother had. Mason was still her Alpha, he looked after her and she should have told him about her little white lie. Oh. Great. She’d made a mess.

 Settling a hand on her thigh, Giovanni gave her a light squeeze. “
Cara,
I have no problems with your Alpha or pack assuming I am your lover. The term
boy
friend, however, is not suitable.”

It was the tease in the single word, which lacerated the last of her tension, and she laughed. His answering smile freed the shackles weighing her down. “I like the sound of lover.” She liked the sound of him.

Rubbing her thigh, he added, “As do I. When we get to the hotel, I will show you how much.”

Between one heartbeat and the next, lust swamped her and washed away the last of her anxiety. “Wow…are we there yet?” The warmth of his laughter filled the car and she grinned.

Chapter Five

On foreign soil, his wolf prowled within him. Thankfully, they’d managed to soothe Murphy’s fear. The sweet little wolf had done the right thing in calling her Alpha. Julian scared her, terribly. It had been all Giovanni could do not to take the man down on the spot.

While Salvatore had forbidden him to take vengeance for the bruises the Chief Enforcer left on Margo during their previous visit, he knew his Alpha wouldn’t be remotely upset if Julian gave Giovanni a different reason to kill him. Margo’s bruised throat had irked them all, however, she didn’t discuss it with him and Giovanni didn’t pry.

Should the Chief Enforcer impede him again, Giovanni would make a gift of his head for Salvatore. The check in at the hotel went far smoother than the trip through customs, another balm to his wolf. They wanted Murphy upstairs, however, and away from strangers. Dismissing their escort once they reached the penthouse suite, Giovanni ushered her into the expansive room. It had three bedrooms, a fireplace, a large sitting room and even a conference table.

He cared not a whit for any of them. As promised, the food had been delivered. The service impressed them. The food smelled freshly grilled, which told him they’d brought it in while he had been checking them in at the desk. Excellent service would be rewarded.

Murphy’s eyes rounded at the size of the suite. The more she responded to luxurious surroundings, the more he wanted to shower them upon her. She’d traveled the world, but had she really experienced all Europe had to offer? The thought accompanied him as he swept through the suite. She’d pounced on the food while he settled their suitcases and assured himself of their security.

Their position on the twentieth floor meant they would break legs if they had to do a straight drop. But he could get her out. The hotel was not constructed of solid glass, but rather marble, limestone, and quarry rock. A dozen different types of ledges allowed him access to climbing. Murphy was light, if they were unable to leave through the main doors, he could get her to the ground by carrying her on his back.

Satisfied, he unbuttoned the cuffs on his shirt and stripped it away as he stalked toward his prey. The need to protect her had ignited his temper and the hunger for violence had only been subsumed by his desire for the beautiful woman nibbling on steak. Her low groan of pleasure went straight to his cock.

The Alpha of Willow Bend alerted him to possible trouble with the Russians. They’d made a play for Hudson River, and the Enforcers were exercising caution with all foreign arrivals. Understanding the Chief Enforcer’s motivations had in no way cooled his fury toward the man or the fear he’d inspired in Murphy. In the sitting room, he slid off his shoes and left them near a sofa. Dropping his shirt over the back, he freed his belt and slid it out of the loops.

Pausing, one piece of steak hovering close to her luscious lips, Murphy stared at him. Her eyes dilated and her scent took on the delectable piquant quality of desire. Longing for another sweet taste of her cream, he stripped away his pants. The cool air against his heat flushed skin abated the wolf’s urge to rend. Another deep breath of Murphy’s scent cleansed some of the savagery from his blood. Swallowing hard, she skimmed her gaze over him. The leap of her pulse and the rich aroma of her need rising in the room when she licked her lips ignited a deeper, more primitive response. Whether she had been in true danger from the Enforcer or not, his wolf and he would not countenance any harm befalling her.

Frightening her
had
inflicted trauma. They needed to fix it.

“Strip.” The order welled out of him, riding a wave of pure power. The fork hit the plate with a clink and she tugged her shirt free from her jeans, then over her head. Her breasts heaved against her bra, but it too soon hit the floor. Off came her shoes, when her hands went to the snap of her jeans, he stroked his cock once.

Hard as a stone and eager, it seemed to bob in her direction. His body knew exactly what it wanted. He followed the descent of the denim with his gaze, his mouth watering at the sight of her thatch of curls at the juncture of her thighs. She hadn’t altered herself as he knew was popular with many of the ladies. They plucked, shaved or waxed away their body hair until their bodies were newborn smooth.

Giovanni didn’t want a girl. He wanted a woman.

This woman
… His wolf bucked against his control, rising until he surged just beneath his skin. The united desire focused wholly on the woman before them. Another stroke of his cock, he squeezed at the base. The flash of pain squeezed through his haze of unrelenting need.

Until he trusted himself not to simply take, but be also capable of giving, he didn’t dare touch her. No fear wound through the headiness of soft pear and sage in her scent. Cool mint tingled in his nostrils and he wanted to roll around in her scent until she covered him fully.

Her nipples peaked under his gaze, pebbling to hard points. Raspberries, awaiting his plucking, and he lifted his chin as she walked toward him. The slow roll of her hips an invitation. Every succulent curve of her carved perfectly for him—raising his finger, he halted her progress. Her gaze dropped to his cock as he stroked himself again. Pre-cum beaded along the tip. Her lips parted and she flicked her tongue out to wet her lips once more.

Need tightened in his balls at the naked, unabashed hunger in her expression. “Touch me,” he told her. His wolf went still at the order. A red flush darkened her tan skin, and her eyes dilated further. When she reached him, she dropped to her knees and her eyes went gold as she raised her gaze to meet his. Not looking away, refusing to release her attention, he held her stare as her mouth opened and he guided his cock between those lips.

Electricity surged along his spine at the first sweet caress of her lips over his tip. She lapped at the pre-cum, her tongue stroking him and then she pulled him deeper. Groaning he fought against thrusting his hips. The torture of patience testing his control. Light hands came to rest against his thighs, a hint of sharpness as her nails skated over his flesh. Another stroke as she pulled away then sucked his cock into the hot recess of her mouth.

The golden eyes gazing at him held so many secrets and promises, he wanted to lose himself within them. The need bucked at him and he placed a hand on her head, fisting her hair. “I am not so sure of my patience,
inamorata mia.
” Not certain at all.

Her cheeks hollowed as she sucked him hard, the pressure a pull he felt all the way along his spine. All of his blood fled south, she released him pulling a growl from him instead. Against his tip, she pressed a kiss and murmured. “Take what you want from me Giovanni…I’m yours to play with…to pleasure. I want to make you feel as good as you do me.”

The permission shredded his will to deny her and he urged her back to his cock. Controlling her head, he thrust against her lips and arched his back. The tautness of pleasure twined around him. The need for release, and the hunger to mark her. She took him, gripping his thighs for balance. A skim of her teeth elicited a shockwave of sensation, tugging his balls tight as the suction of her mouth dragged him to her throat, and then she cupped his balls and he spilled as hot jets of pleasure surged from his spine to his balls to his cock.

The low sound of her groan sent another shock through him, his hips jerked with each pulse. Drowning in her gaze, he felt the shift of his eyes as his wolf gazed at the beautiful woman taking every drop. Once spent, she released his dick slowly, nuzzling his length and licking him clean. Falling to his knees, he captured her mouth in a kiss. The salty taste of himself only added to the drunk feeling of it mingling with the flavor that was all Murphy.

Shudders ripped through his muscles, but he wanted more. Power surged through him as he massaged her breasts. The nipples were rough against his palms, and her gasp as he caught them in a light pinch then stroked away any hint of pain invited him. Leaving her lips, he kissed a path to her shoulder. The bite mark called to him and he laved the light injury with his tongue.

Her quivering intensified and he bit down, teasing the wounded skin and she arched into him. The sweet drench of her desire flooded his nostrils. Renewed hunger burst within his chest and he plucked her from the floor and twisted until she sat on the sofa. Spreading her legs, he tugged her to the edge and made room for himself.

A dazed look shimmered in her eyes and he let himself drink in the sight of her as he blew against the damp labia.

“Giovanni…” His name fell like a husky prayer from her lips and he nosed her labia apart. The rich scent of her cream sent a fresh pulse to his cock. Soon, he would bury himself in her pussy and send them both into ecstasy. Nibbling a taste of the decadent sweetness, he kept her thighs braced when she arched. The swollen hood of her clit seemed perfectly ready for his attention. Locking his lips around it, he teased her with a suck and touch of his tongue.

It detonated her and she came in a flood of fresh sweetness to coat his tongue. Unrelenting, he lapped up the flavor before working two fingers into her. Curling them, he found her g-spot and began to stroke. Every touch ignited a fresh wave of dampness and he nuzzled her clit, refusing to bruise but he wanted all of her. Wanted her passion, wanted her shaking with need until all thoughts save him evaporated. On her second climax, he growled against her, the vibration triggering a third. His wolf snarled, their focus absolute.

Another cry tore from her throat and rose, riding a crescendo close to a howl and he raised his head, enchanted by the absolute abandon in her pose. Perspiration beaded along her skin and one droplet slid between her breasts. Capturing it with his tongue, he traced a path across her belly to the sweet mounds before sucking one hard nipple into his mouth.