his
flat stomach and lean hips. His work boots were as dusty as the jeans. She
smiled thinking of a quote by Marcel Proust . It suggested I
should cheer for the people who make me happy. And right now I’m cheering big
time for this wolf-man who is definitely the charming gardener who makes my
soul blossom and my blood race.
Her parents wouldn’t approve of her getting mixed up with a werewolf like
herself, especially if they learned he’d been raised by wolves. And he was just
a simple gardener. Correction, she thought. There was nothing simple about her
wolf-man. Besides, dangerous or not, she’d already fallen for him and didn’t
intend to give him up.
He handed her a small bouquet of irises from the garden. “I thought of you
when I saw these. These are named for the Greek goddess of rainbows, Iris. They’re
known as symbols of royalty, divine protection, and heroism in many world
cultures.”
She laughed. “My, my all that.” She pretended not to know the fable of
the flower, while reeling from the fact that this wolfman did. He was such
gorgeous hunk of contridictions and she loved that about him. She brought the
vibrant purple flowers to her nose. They
lacked fragrance. And he’d snatched them from her own garden. Of course, he did tend the garden. He got points for
that. Besides, he’d thought of her and that’s what counted. “Finished slaving away in the
hot, July sun for today?” she asked.
He nodded, grinning. He met her gaze, his eyes
crinkling and his probing scrutiny as intimate as a kiss. Although her heart
pounded like crazy from looking into his thickly-lashed eyes, s he couldn’t stop
herself from wondering what she’d experienced when this alpha wolf possessed
her. She’d blacked out most of the memory and maybe that was for the best.
She fought to ignore the heat that ignited between them
during their locked gazes.
“You can shower in the pool house and dump your clothes
in the washing machine.
There’s new swim trunks hanging on a hook. Dad always
keeps a half-dozen available for unexpected guests. ”
“I doubt he considers the hired help a guest.”
“It doesn’t matter. He’s bighearted with his staff. You’ve
only seen the controlling side of him. He is also caring and generous to a
fault.”
Brian grinned again. “I’ll take your word for it.”
He was inside the bathhouse for less than ten minutes. When
he came out, he said, “I hope I didn’t take too long. I haven’t had a hot shower since I left Trona .”
“It was fine.” And he was super fine. His impressive
chest and tall stature gave him an overall triangular, lean look. As he moved,
his muscles expanded and contracted in a wild rhythm that took her breath away.
She patted the edge of the pool beside her and handed
him a fourteen-ounce plastic mug of cranberry iced-tea.
He accepted it and took a small sip. “Hey, this is
good,” he said and then drank the rest down with an unquenchable thirst. She’d
done the same with her first mug. It wasn’t just the heat of the day. The
wolves within them craved lots of liquid and loved to romp in water.
While they dangled their feet into the glittering pool
waters, she stirred it with a pointed toe. “Did Dad give you a hard time after
I went upstairs?”
Brian shook his head. “Is your dad really going to lock
you away tonight?”
“No. I straightened him out on that
matter and a few others. He’s really a wonderful dad, but this curse has had us
all tied in knots for years. When a person is stressed-out and feels helpless,
they tend to strike out.”
“Yeah, I get it. Tai Chi helps.”
She laughed. “Dad’s a pro at it. Imagine
how he’d be without it.”
Brian looked thoughtful. “He has a
point. You shouldn’t go prowling while that crazed wolf is in the area.”
“Perhaps I shouldn’t but— Hey , have you ever tried moon poppies? My sister swears by
them. While eating them alone is not a cure, she says it helps to control the
flat stomach and lean hips. His work boots were as dusty as the jeans. She
smiled thinking of a quote by Marcel Proust . It suggested I
should cheer for the people who make me happy. And right now I’m cheering big
time for this wolf-man who is definitely the charming gardener who makes my
soul blossom and my blood race.
Her parents wouldn’t approve of her getting mixed up with a werewolf like
herself, especially if they learned he’d been raised by wolves. And he was just
a simple gardener. Correction, she thought. There was nothing simple about her
wolf-man. Besides, dangerous or not, she’d already fallen for him and didn’t
intend to give him up.
He handed her a small bouquet of irises from the garden. “I thought of you
when I saw these. These are named for the Greek goddess of rainbows, Iris. They’re
known as symbols of royalty, divine protection, and heroism in many world
cultures.”
She laughed. “My, my all that.” She pretended not to know the fable of
the flower, while reeling from the fact that this wolfman did. He was such
gorgeous hunk of contridictions and she loved that about him. She brought the
vibrant purple flowers to her nose. They
lacked fragrance. And he’d snatched them from her own garden. Of course, he did tend the garden. He got points for
that. Besides, he’d thought of her and that’s what counted. “Finished slaving away in the
hot, July sun for today?” she asked.
He nodded, grinning. He met her gaze, his eyes
crinkling and his probing scrutiny as intimate as a kiss. Although her heart
pounded like crazy from looking into his thickly-lashed eyes, s he couldn’t stop
herself from wondering what she’d experienced when this alpha wolf possessed
her. She’d blacked out most of the memory and maybe that was for the best.
She fought to ignore the heat that ignited between them
during their locked gazes.
“You can shower in the pool house and dump your clothes
in the washing machine.
There’s new swim trunks hanging on a hook. Dad always
keeps a half-dozen available for unexpected guests. ”
“I doubt he considers the hired help a guest.”
“It doesn’t matter. He’s bighearted with his staff. You’ve
only seen the controlling side of him. He is also caring and generous to a
fault.”
Brian grinned again. “I’ll take your word for it.”
He was inside the bathhouse for less than ten minutes. When
he came out, he said, “I hope I didn’t take too long. I haven’t had a hot shower since I left Trona .”
“It was fine.” And he was super fine. His impressive
chest and tall stature gave him an overall triangular, lean look. As he moved,
his muscles expanded and contracted in a wild rhythm that took her breath away.
She patted the edge of the pool beside her and handed
him a fourteen-ounce plastic mug of cranberry iced-tea.
He accepted it and took a small sip. “Hey, this is
good,” he said and then drank the rest down with an unquenchable thirst. She’d
done the same with her first mug. It wasn’t just the heat of the day. The
wolves within them craved lots of liquid and loved to romp in water.
While they dangled their feet into the glittering pool
waters, she stirred it with a pointed toe. “Did Dad give you a hard time after
I went upstairs?”
Brian shook his head. “Is your dad really going to lock
you away tonight?”
“No. I straightened him out on that
matter and a few others. He’s really a wonderful dad, but this curse has had us
all tied in knots for years. When a person is stressed-out and feels helpless,
they tend to strike out.”
“Yeah, I get it. Tai Chi helps.”
She laughed. “Dad’s a pro at it. Imagine
how he’d be without it.”
Brian looked thoughtful. “He has a
point. You shouldn’t go prowling while that crazed wolf is in the area.”
“Perhaps I shouldn’t but— Hey , have you ever tried moon poppies? My sister swears by
them. While eating them alone is not a cure, she says it helps to control the
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