urges.”
His eyes glinted with mischief. “Hmmm. Which urges? And I’m not sure tight control is always
a good thing.” Before she could shoot down his playful comment, he added, “Wait
a minute, you have a sister?”
“A twin.”
“Are you identical?
“Not at all. She’s the quick-witted, dark, onyx beauty in the family. And until people get
to know me, they think I’m the dumb blonde.”
“Not all people. I knew the moment
I met you that you were a sharp cookie.”
“You think I’m a sharp cookie?” Her
insides felt warm and she felt a little giddy.
“Definitely. Is your sister cursed, too?”
Before she could stop herself, she
nodded. What am I doing? A little
flattery and I spill my guts? Wow, I gotta watch
that. To change the subject, she said, “ Hey,
let’s do what we came for.” She shoved him into the water and dived in after
him.
They came up face to face, only
inches apart. Their gazes met and a hot surge rushed through her. He must have
felt something similar, because he caught her face between his hands and covered
her mouth with his, stealing her breath, her sanity. She smoothed his moist,
steel-like abs to calm him…and herself. His heart was pounding almost as hard
as hers. Love and lust exploded inside her as he increased the delicious
pressure. His tongue probed and played sensual havoc with her nerve endings. Her
erect nipples begged for attention as his bare chest pressed tighter against
her skimpy Bikini top.
Treading water with his body
pressed close to hers ignited the same kind of fires she’d felt upon awakening
in his arms this morning. She inhaled his male scent mingled with chlorine and
remembered clinging to his bare torso. Feeling his heat and power, fiery lust
rose in her so quickly that it stole her breath away. Her wolf soul craved sex
with him and she wanted it now.
“Valerie!” Hugh said, his face
reddening from the neck up. He held a tray of sandwiches. “Kyle sent me to see
if you’re ready for these yet. Or maybe you’d like to come inside? It’s really
heating up out here, don’t you agree?”
Valerie laughed, feeling like a kid
with her hand caught in the cookie jar. “You’re right, Uncle Hugh. But we’ll
eat out here. Just put the tray on the umbrella table. It’s cooler there.”
“Maybe not cool enough,” Hugh said.
“Don’t worry about it, Unky Wunky . Let me grab a couple
of robes and throw some clothes in the dryer. The activity and some food will help
me change gears.”
He looked doubtful and stood there
as though chained to the spot.
“Honestly, Uncle Hugh. It’ll be
okay, now. I promise.” She wanted to stay in the pool and let this escalating
heated interlude play out, but going at it hot and heavy in the full view of
the house made her question her judgment.
She pushed away from Brian, noting
his amused expression, and swam toward the edge. Uncle Hugh shook his head and
disappeared through the gate. Over her shoulder she asked, “Want to go moon
poppy picking tonight, Brian?”
He wrinkled his brow. “Is that
wise?”
“After what just transpired here,
I’d say it’s a necessity.”
“Why don’t we go while it’s still
daylight? I think your family would rest better.”
“ Victoria said they only bloom at night. She
told me that devouring the poppies in the right quantity, while in the werewolf
state, could possibly end the affliction forever. In any event, Victoria believes that
the poppies have temporary powers to reverse lycanthropy symptoms.”
“What if they’re poisonous?”
“It didn’t kill Victoria . She said they tasted like raw spinach
drizzled with poppy oil. And there’s a ritual we need to perform after eating
them. It’s a reversing mind-over-matter skill where you mentally process your
morphing backwards. It’s never worked for me before, but maybe that’s because,
up until now, I’ve been unwilling to try the poppies. And Victoria insists that for success, the
methods must be
His eyes glinted with mischief. “Hmmm. Which urges? And I’m not sure tight control is always
a good thing.” Before she could shoot down his playful comment, he added, “Wait
a minute, you have a sister?”
“A twin.”
“Are you identical?
“Not at all. She’s the quick-witted, dark, onyx beauty in the family. And until people get
to know me, they think I’m the dumb blonde.”
“Not all people. I knew the moment
I met you that you were a sharp cookie.”
“You think I’m a sharp cookie?” Her
insides felt warm and she felt a little giddy.
“Definitely. Is your sister cursed, too?”
Before she could stop herself, she
nodded. What am I doing? A little
flattery and I spill my guts? Wow, I gotta watch
that. To change the subject, she said, “ Hey,
let’s do what we came for.” She shoved him into the water and dived in after
him.
They came up face to face, only
inches apart. Their gazes met and a hot surge rushed through her. He must have
felt something similar, because he caught her face between his hands and covered
her mouth with his, stealing her breath, her sanity. She smoothed his moist,
steel-like abs to calm him…and herself. His heart was pounding almost as hard
as hers. Love and lust exploded inside her as he increased the delicious
pressure. His tongue probed and played sensual havoc with her nerve endings. Her
erect nipples begged for attention as his bare chest pressed tighter against
her skimpy Bikini top.
Treading water with his body
pressed close to hers ignited the same kind of fires she’d felt upon awakening
in his arms this morning. She inhaled his male scent mingled with chlorine and
remembered clinging to his bare torso. Feeling his heat and power, fiery lust
rose in her so quickly that it stole her breath away. Her wolf soul craved sex
with him and she wanted it now.
“Valerie!” Hugh said, his face
reddening from the neck up. He held a tray of sandwiches. “Kyle sent me to see
if you’re ready for these yet. Or maybe you’d like to come inside? It’s really
heating up out here, don’t you agree?”
Valerie laughed, feeling like a kid
with her hand caught in the cookie jar. “You’re right, Uncle Hugh. But we’ll
eat out here. Just put the tray on the umbrella table. It’s cooler there.”
“Maybe not cool enough,” Hugh said.
“Don’t worry about it, Unky Wunky . Let me grab a couple
of robes and throw some clothes in the dryer. The activity and some food will help
me change gears.”
He looked doubtful and stood there
as though chained to the spot.
“Honestly, Uncle Hugh. It’ll be
okay, now. I promise.” She wanted to stay in the pool and let this escalating
heated interlude play out, but going at it hot and heavy in the full view of
the house made her question her judgment.
She pushed away from Brian, noting
his amused expression, and swam toward the edge. Uncle Hugh shook his head and
disappeared through the gate. Over her shoulder she asked, “Want to go moon
poppy picking tonight, Brian?”
He wrinkled his brow. “Is that
wise?”
“After what just transpired here,
I’d say it’s a necessity.”
“Why don’t we go while it’s still
daylight? I think your family would rest better.”
“ Victoria said they only bloom at night. She
told me that devouring the poppies in the right quantity, while in the werewolf
state, could possibly end the affliction forever. In any event, Victoria believes that
the poppies have temporary powers to reverse lycanthropy symptoms.”
“What if they’re poisonous?”
“It didn’t kill Victoria . She said they tasted like raw spinach
drizzled with poppy oil. And there’s a ritual we need to perform after eating
them. It’s a reversing mind-over-matter skill where you mentally process your
morphing backwards. It’s never worked for me before, but maybe that’s because,
up until now, I’ve been unwilling to try the poppies. And Victoria insists that for success, the
methods must be
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