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  Darius pulled his mouth away, breaking the kiss. Kendra was out of breath, her eyes half closed, her lips wet. Her chest was tight against his, her nipples pebbled and pressing into his skin. “Woops,” he said. “How did that happen? I can’t blame the wine.”

  She giggled. “No, I can’t either this time. Too bad. It was a good excuse.”

  “I really should get dressed.”

  She nodded but didn’t say a word. Kendra leaned up and kissed his chin. He closed his eyes and breathed out. Her lips were soft, tender as she moved to his neck, then his chest. He wanted her to keep going, to kiss her way all over his body. She stopped, though, and leaned her forehead against his chest.

  “I’ve never done anything like this before,” she confessed in an embarrassed whisper. “It’s like I can’t stop thinking about you. I feel like a Peeping Tom. When you were moving in . . .”

  He chuckled. “I thought you were a nosey neighbor.”

  “Nosey. More than that.”

  He kissed the top of her head and wondered if he should pull away. She felt good clinging to him, tight against his muscles, against his erection. He felt like he could breathe better at least. And even though he still felt hot, it wasn’t as bad with her there. Darius ran his cheek along hers and paused to nibble at her ear. “I’ve never done this either,” he said. “Always been too afraid.”

  “Afraid?”

  “Yeah. Afraid to hurt someone else. Afraid to get close. I’m going to apologize right now for anything I do in the future that might freak you out.”

  Her cheek rose against his as she smiled. “That’s a really weird thing to say.”

  He shrugged and bent, slipping his hand behind her knees. The couch would be a better place for what he wanted to do to her. Soft cushions. A sturdy wall behind it. She let out a little startled sound when he picked her up.

  “Where are you taking me?”

  “Over there. I want to kiss you some more—a long time. Maybe until it gets dark.”

  Her eyebrows rose up, her eyes alight with happiness. She smiled at him. “Kiss first, talk later?”

  “We can talk in between kisses.”

  Chapter Five

  He set her on the brown couch and stood over Kendra, looking down at her with his dark eyes. His skin was still slightly damp from the shower. His towel was not doing anything to hide what he had going on behind it. She reached up and tugged at the terry cloth until it fell away. “Only kisses?”

  “Yeah. This time,” he warned, his mouth stern, his full lips tempting her. “We have to do a lot more talking before we do anything more than kiss.”

  “Smart man,” she said, her eyes seeking out the shape of him only to focus on the curly black hair across his abdomen that led from his navel to his pubic hairs. His cock was long, thick, and pointing at her. His balls were slackened, begging for her attention. Darius had muscular legs, and she imagined he must visit the gym quite often.

  He sat down beside her and brushed her hair away from her face. “You like to stare at me.”

  “I do.”

  His thumb ran over her lower lip. She opened her mouth, inviting him to touch her tongue—which he did. “What did you slip in my drink last night?” he asked, watching her tongue trace his thumb. He withdrew and leaned close to her, his soft lips hovering over her mouth.

  “Love potion number nine,” she joked.

  “I think it worked.” She exhaled when he forced her backward against the armrest. His legs parted hers and he lay atop her body, heavy, hot, and all muscle. He dominated her as he kissed her then, parting her lips with his tongue and delving inside her mouth. She struggled to keep up with him. His cock rubbed at the apex of her legs, and she wished she were naked like him. As it was, the thin skirt and panties she had on didn’t stop her from feeling his hardness. Her body reacted, wetness slicking in her cleft. His weight felt good against her, holding her down, in place, pinned beneath his strength, and steeped in his hungry mouth. The attraction was primal, dangerous. She had never felt anything like it before. They kissed for hours, until the sun dipped behind the horizon and her mouth was sore from his.

  “Kendra,” he whispered, “I don’t want you to go home.”

  “We haven’t even had a first date.” She smiled up at him.

  “Will you go out with me tonight?” He smiled back. The lights weren’t on in his living room, and the haze of sunset stealing through the gauze curtains made his eyes glow gold.

  “Where will we go?”

  “Dinner. Maybe a movie.”

  “It’s a school night.”

  “Just dinner then. I promise not to keep you out too late.” He sat back and scooted away from her. Darius snatched up his towel and walked away without waiting for her to answer. She pushed up and sat back on the couch, pleasantly tired from making out with him.

  “Do you need to change or anything?” he called from the bathroom.

  She looked down and smoothed her blouse and skirt. Kendra combed her fingers through her hair. “Are we going somewhere fancy?”

  “Only if you want to.”

  “I think I’m ready.” She got up and thought for a moment. “How about somewhere quiet where we can get to know each other?”

  He came out of the hallway dressed and carrying a pair of shoes. “Good idea. We didn’t talk between kisses at all.” He sat on the couch and put his shoes on. “Let’s start with the basics. I was born in Chicago. My dad was a preacher. My mother was a housewife. At sixteen, I knew I wanted to work with wildlife. I have been ever since.” He stood. “I’m thirty-two. Never been married.”

  “That’s a mouthful.” She couldn’t believe no one had snatched him up. Maybe there was something wrong with him—a shady past or a bad temper.

  “What about you, Kendra?”

  “Born in Alabama. Dad cooks and always has. Mom died of cancer when I was five. She used to help Dad with the family business. No brothers or sisters. You already know I’m divorced and what I do for a living.”

  He nodded. “I have one brother who lives in New York.” Darius held out his hand. She hurried to take it and let him lead her outside. In the carport, he opened the door for her to his big silver truck, and she climbed inside. It was fairly clean and smelled of pine. No little fake tree hung from the rearview mirror, though. At her feet she saw a few old pine needles stuck to the floor mat. He shut her door, walked around, and got in beside her.

  “Does it bother you to talk about your ex?”

  She looked out the side window as he pulled the truck out of the drive. “It does, but you can ask me anything, and I’ll be honest.”

  “What went wrong?” There was a hint of caution in his normally steady voice.

  “He thought I cheated on him, went ballistic, and beat me up.”

  “Did you?”

  “Cheat? Never.” She clasped her hands together in her lap, frowning, remembering. “No, I was at college with a girlfriend that night. Stayed later than I normally would, and no matter what I told him, he didn’t believe me. It got worse . . . to the point where I couldn’t go anywhere by myself. He would follow me to classes and wait outside the door. He’d take me to work and pick me up, always asking where I was during my lunch breaks. When I finally got up the courage to leave and file for divorce, I had to take out a restraining order against him. He never gave up on me. I’ve had to move four times since then. And he hasn’t found me this time.”

  She stole a sideways glance at Darius. His eyes were on the road. A muscle jumped in his cheek, as if he were grinding his teeth together out of anger. “I would never hurt you, Kendra.”

  She nodded and bit her lip, feeling tears well in her eyes.

  “If he ever does find you, promise me you’ll tell me. I’ll keep you safe.”

  She nodded, her stomach twisting with nerves. No one had ever offered her protection like that. “Okay.” For a time, they said nothing as he maneuvered out onto the main street and into the busier part of town. Sh
e still didn’t know where he was taking her, and she was excited for the small surprise.

  “Have you ever come close to getting married?” She faced him then to see his reaction.

  “Nope. I work in the field most of the time. For years, really. In a way, I’ve been cut off from society in general. I keep to myself . . .” He sighed and stopped at a red light. Darius turned his head and half smiled. “A relationship for me is going to take a lot of understanding and compromise. I’m not like other men.” His expression became grim. “I don’t know any other way to say that. If you get spooked or you don’t want to see me anymore, just tell me. I’ll always respect your choice if it comes to that.”

  “Okay.” She frowned thinking he was being cryptic. “Do all your first dates go like this?”

  He let out a small laugh. “I don’t know. This is my first one.”

  “Ever?”

  “First ever.”

  “Hmm.” She shook her head in disbelief. “You’ve never had a crush?”

  “Oh, I’ve had a lot. High school and college, but I never did anything about it.”

  Kendra crinkled her nose and blurted out, “So, what’s wrong with you then? I mean, you’re handsome. You have a job and a house. You seem halfway responsible. I don’t get it.”

  He turned away, gripped the steering wheel, and stepped on the gas. The light had turned green. “Probably been a bachelor too long.” His words were too nonchalant, and she sensed that there was something he was holding back. He flicked on the turn signal and headed for a small Italian restaurant she had only been to once before. “I’d say maybe that’s the worst thing. Used to my space and doing things my own way.” He pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine. “And I’m probably telling you too much already. Scaring you away.”

  “Better to get it all out in the open.” She laughed and flashed him a smile.

  “Fair enough.” He opened his door, got out, and came around to open hers. “Do you like Italian?”

  “I do.” He held her hand, and they walked side by side into Reggiano’s. While they waited for their table to be prepared, Darius glanced at the menu. “They have wine.” He winked at her.

  “I think I’ll stick to the iced tea.”

  “Safe choice.”

  At the table he settled in beside her and placed his arm over her shoulder. She felt safe with him so close. He smelled good, and his warmth comforted her. They ordered and talked about less serious subjects, but eventually it came back to past relationships—and her disastrous one. By the end of the meal, she felt like he knew her life story, and she knew so little about Darius.

  Back in the truck, she leaned over in the seat to get closer to him. “You’re mysterious.”

  He held her hand and frowned. “I know. I’ll try not to be.”

  “Hidden away in Alaska since you graduated from college. No girlfriends. No dates. Sounds lonely.”

  He kissed her cheek, and heat rose in her body.

  “It is lonely.” His mouth traveled along her cheek to her ear, where he whispered, “That’s why I’m here. My mother always told me that, when the time was right, I’d find someone.”

  Chapter Six

  Darius drove Kendra home and walked her to her door. He really meant what he had said earlier. He didn’t want her to go home. He wanted her in his house, in his bed, close so that he could watch over her. He felt possessive of her, and terribly fearful that he would scare her off. So, when she unlocked her door and turned to face him, he kissed her soundly and started to back away. She should have some space. He should go hunt tonight and stay away from her for a little while. That would be best. He was still scared that things couldn’t possibly work between them.

  “Want to come in?” She looked up at him with those beautiful eyes.

  He stared at the ground while he thought. “I really shouldn’t . . .” But the wolf wanted to go in, and it made him step past her into the darkness of her house. Her home smelled like her—sweet, clean. She reached behind him to turn the light on and then closed her door and slipped the deadbolt and the chain. Her fingers dropped to the lock on the handle, and she turned that too.

  “Are you going to give me some wine and hold me down on your couch, Kendra?”

  She half smiled and let out a tiny, nervous laugh. “I might if I had any wine in the house. But we both know we don’t need that.”

  She swept past him through the living room. The floor plan was similar to his place. She had decorated with sunflower paintings. Her living room had a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall. The furniture looked old world and rustic, but comfortable with its oversized cushions. It reminded him of a bed-and-breakfast he had stayed in once. Darius followed her through the hall, past the kitchen, and into the sitting room, which looked more like a library with its shelves of books.

  “How many bedrooms does this model have?”

  “Three,” she said. “I use the middle one for an office. The spare is for when my dad visits.” She smiled at him and reached for his hand. “Want to sit on the patio for a while? Look at the stars?”

  “Sounds romantic.”

  Her phone rang. “Oh, hang on.” She went to the small desk and fumbled through a pile of papers. He edged up close to her and saw that they were papers from her students with clumsy cursive handwriting and little illustrations.

  “Hello?” She stared at Darius while she listened to the person on the other end. “Yes, yes, he did turn it in late, Mrs. Devlin. Uh-huh. Nine thirty is fine. You know I always appreciate what you do for the class.”

  Darius picked up one of the papers and read it. A story about what the child’s favorite things were. He frowned, thinking about his childhood.

  “All right. I’ll see you tomorrow then. Bye.” She hung up and slipped her arm around Darius’s waist. “I have this one great parent that always volunteers to help during class.”

  “Only one?”

  “Yeah. Most work. Not many housewives left out there. We can hardly get people to join the PTA either. They run when I ask. It’s too bad.”

  He set the paper down and pulled her against him. Darius rested his cheek on the top of her head and held her. Kendra snuggled against his chest. He was her protector, and even though it was way too early to feel this way, he knew she was what Matthew and Sam kept talking about. Kendra was his. She belonged to him—was made just for him. But how could he tell her about what he was?

  “Stars,” he whispered. They went to the back door. She opened the blinds and unlocked the door, stealing glances at him. He had never had a woman notice him this much. A rush of cool air breezed inside and brought him the scents of the outdoors. Pine, fresh flowers, grass, dry leaves. He breathed deeper when he stepped out. And the old scent of man. He sniffed and detected that Matthew had been here again—probably tonight in the back alley.

  Kendra pushed two reclining patio chairs against each other and lay down on one. Darius joined her, reaching over to offer his hand. Her fingers were small in his. Delicate. “Do you celebrate Halloween?” he asked.

  “Yeah. We get a lot of trick-or-treaters on this street being so close to the school.” She turned on her side, watching him.

  “Maybe our second date could be to pick out pumpkins.” He remembered doing that every year with his family.

  “Okay.” She squeezed his hand. “I know a farm not too far away. It has a gift shop. But that might have to be our third date. The second one is our barbeque on Saturday.”

  He nodded and looked up at the sky. A haze of clouds drifted along, shrouding the stars above him. He was at peace with her at his side, and the longing he suffered seemed a memory now that he had her. Darius wondered if she would go with him one weekend when it was time for him to leave to the mountains, if she would want to stay in the cabin and go for long walks in the forest. He closed his eyes and moaned, imagining what it would be like to make love to her out in the open, underneath a full moon.

  “I love it out here,”
she said just before she crawled on top of him and stretched out over his body. He curled his arms around her and nuzzled his face into her hair. “It’s so peaceful at night. Sometimes there’s an owl, but I have to be real quiet, or it gets spooked.”

  “I think I love it out here, too.”

  He ran his palm up and down her back. Even though the air was chilly, her warm body kept him hot. They were quiet for a long time. Kendra’s breathing eased. He listened to her sleeping and thought this was the best night of his life so far. She trusted him. After all that she’d been through, he didn’t want to break that trust.

  Darius decided he wasn’t going to move and risk waking her up. He watched the sky shift and listened to the sounds of the night, wary and awake well past midnight even though he hadn’t slept much the night before.

  He heard a few yips in the distance, his mishmash pack going out into the night without him, and he sighed. They knew he had found a woman, and they knew to let him be until he sorted out what he was going to do about it—at least Matthew and Sam understood. He imagined he could live like his mother did, controlling his urges and being the wolf only when Kendra wasn’t there to discover his secret. His job provided enough time for excursions into the wild. His pack followed wherever he went. Matthew was used to being on the move and tended to take up residence in transient housing like apartments, even motels, for no more than three weeks at a time. He was good with his hands and took odd jobs fixing up homes or maintaining equipment in restaurants.

  Darius worried about Sam, though. That guy lived in the woods. The few times he appeared human were only so that he could chat with Darius. Other than those spare encounters, Sam was all wolf, living in the forest like a wild animal. When Darius had gone through his twenties, he had feared the same thing would happen to him. It was easy to give in to the beast and be free of manly duties and stresses. Wolves only needed food, water, and reasonable shelter from inclement weather. They didn’t need car keys or a cell phone. They didn’t have deadlines or bills to pay. There had been times Darius wanted to walk away from all of it—but he had always returned. He walked between two worlds, two separate lives.