guests?”
Raphael’s gaze went distant. “When they are females, yes. It’s an alpha trait. Once I was alpha of my own pack.”
Interesting. “I knew you weren’t a real second-in-command. You have that air about you.”
His nostrils flared. “Air?”
“Of arrogance.”
“Ah. Do you smell smoke?”
She stared at him in dawning horror as tendrils of smoke curled through the air. “Oh damn! I forgot the cookies!”
Jessica ran to the kitchen and opened the oven door. Coughing, she waved away the smoke and pulled out the tray with two oven mitts.
After dumping it on the shining stainless steel range, she shook her head. Raphael’s mouth quirked upward, but he said nothing.
“They’re burnt.” She gave a rueful glance at the mess of chocolate chip cookies. “I’m dumping these.”
Raphael caught her wrist. “Wait.”
He took the tray from her, scraped off the burnt cookies, put them on a platter and carried them outside with a glass of milk he got from the fridge.
Intrigued, she followed.
A cool breeze caressed her cheeks and lifted strands of her long hair. Colorado had a hint of crisp autumn in the air. She loved the change of seasons, but hated the leaden skies of Michigan during winter. Hated feeling trapped inside the office, then at home as Arleen needed her help to bundle all the young into their winter gear.
The only freedom she experienced was while running as a wolf, and that was only during the pack runs every full moon. Once a month just wasn’t enough.
Jessica settled onto a comfortable wicker rocker as Raphael sat beside her and set down the platter and glass of milk on a table between them.
As he picked up a burnt cookie, she cast him a dubious glance. “You sure you want to eat that? Charcoal can be hard on a Lupine’s digestion.”
Raphael bit into the cookie and chewed, staring into the distance. “I know what it is like to starve, so I never turn down food. Nor waste it. Besides, burnt cookies are my favorite. I am not a perfectly baked kind of male.”
Jessica stared at him. It was very sweet of him and she was touched. Raphael had layers, like an onion. She wondered what it would be like to peel them all back, examine them, and find his secrets, like the time when he went hungry.
A tiny, distant thought, like a brief pinch, flickered in her head. Wailing with the pain of an empty stomach…
Her head hurt. Blinking, she concentrated on Raphael. Where had that thought come from? Jessica had never gone hungry. Not enough to eat burnt cookies.
Not a “perfectly baked kind of male?” No, just perfectly put together. Raphael was sharp and handsome, and beneath the urbane exterior lurked the spirit of a bad boy. The type of rebel who liked speeding on motorcycles, eating burnt cookies and seducing innocents…
She watched him take another bite. His full lips encased the cookie, gave it a long, slow lick. “First, you moisten it, like so.”
Jessica clenched her thighs.
“Then you taste it.” He slid the cookie halfway into his mouth, his heated gaze meeting hers.
“Bite. Not too hard, or the cookie will crumble. A quick, hard nip is best.” Raphael’s even, white teeth clamped down.
Her wicked imagination saw her lying naked on the bed, Raphael’s mouth encasing her nipple, his tongue licking slowly, and then ever so gently, a quick bite.
A moan rose in her throat. Gripping the chair’s armrests, Jessica struggled to control her overloaded libido. When she saw his knowing smile, she shrugged.
“I’m not one for quick, hard nips.” Picking up a cookie, she shoved half into her mouth and chomped down, hard. “What’s the point of delicate nips when it feels so much better to take a big bite? Life is like that. If you take it in small pieces, you’ll miss out on the fun times.”
As she chewed, his mouth quirked upward. “You are an enigma, little Red. For one so young, you are quite the cynic. “
She helped herself to another burnt cookie and stole a
Raphael’s gaze went distant. “When they are females, yes. It’s an alpha trait. Once I was alpha of my own pack.”
Interesting. “I knew you weren’t a real second-in-command. You have that air about you.”
His nostrils flared. “Air?”
“Of arrogance.”
“Ah. Do you smell smoke?”
She stared at him in dawning horror as tendrils of smoke curled through the air. “Oh damn! I forgot the cookies!”
Jessica ran to the kitchen and opened the oven door. Coughing, she waved away the smoke and pulled out the tray with two oven mitts.
After dumping it on the shining stainless steel range, she shook her head. Raphael’s mouth quirked upward, but he said nothing.
“They’re burnt.” She gave a rueful glance at the mess of chocolate chip cookies. “I’m dumping these.”
Raphael caught her wrist. “Wait.”
He took the tray from her, scraped off the burnt cookies, put them on a platter and carried them outside with a glass of milk he got from the fridge.
Intrigued, she followed.
A cool breeze caressed her cheeks and lifted strands of her long hair. Colorado had a hint of crisp autumn in the air. She loved the change of seasons, but hated the leaden skies of Michigan during winter. Hated feeling trapped inside the office, then at home as Arleen needed her help to bundle all the young into their winter gear.
The only freedom she experienced was while running as a wolf, and that was only during the pack runs every full moon. Once a month just wasn’t enough.
Jessica settled onto a comfortable wicker rocker as Raphael sat beside her and set down the platter and glass of milk on a table between them.
As he picked up a burnt cookie, she cast him a dubious glance. “You sure you want to eat that? Charcoal can be hard on a Lupine’s digestion.”
Raphael bit into the cookie and chewed, staring into the distance. “I know what it is like to starve, so I never turn down food. Nor waste it. Besides, burnt cookies are my favorite. I am not a perfectly baked kind of male.”
Jessica stared at him. It was very sweet of him and she was touched. Raphael had layers, like an onion. She wondered what it would be like to peel them all back, examine them, and find his secrets, like the time when he went hungry.
A tiny, distant thought, like a brief pinch, flickered in her head. Wailing with the pain of an empty stomach…
Her head hurt. Blinking, she concentrated on Raphael. Where had that thought come from? Jessica had never gone hungry. Not enough to eat burnt cookies.
Not a “perfectly baked kind of male?” No, just perfectly put together. Raphael was sharp and handsome, and beneath the urbane exterior lurked the spirit of a bad boy. The type of rebel who liked speeding on motorcycles, eating burnt cookies and seducing innocents…
She watched him take another bite. His full lips encased the cookie, gave it a long, slow lick. “First, you moisten it, like so.”
Jessica clenched her thighs.
“Then you taste it.” He slid the cookie halfway into his mouth, his heated gaze meeting hers.
“Bite. Not too hard, or the cookie will crumble. A quick, hard nip is best.” Raphael’s even, white teeth clamped down.
Her wicked imagination saw her lying naked on the bed, Raphael’s mouth encasing her nipple, his tongue licking slowly, and then ever so gently, a quick bite.
A moan rose in her throat. Gripping the chair’s armrests, Jessica struggled to control her overloaded libido. When she saw his knowing smile, she shrugged.
“I’m not one for quick, hard nips.” Picking up a cookie, she shoved half into her mouth and chomped down, hard. “What’s the point of delicate nips when it feels so much better to take a big bite? Life is like that. If you take it in small pieces, you’ll miss out on the fun times.”
As she chewed, his mouth quirked upward. “You are an enigma, little Red. For one so young, you are quite the cynic. “
She helped herself to another burnt cookie and stole a
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