Page 8 of Crimson Heart

4

Byron wanted to pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. When he’d seen a woman defending herself against three assailants, he’d recognized instantly that she was a werewolf. It had been without question that he would come to her aid. Only when they’d defeated the three stupid humans had he been able to get a really good look at her.

She was stunning, a real beauty with those green eyes and almost black hair. She was athletic, clearly trained in hand-to-hand combat, and every move she made was graceful. He was aware that she could have defeated her three attackers, though she might have come away with a few light injuries, nothing serious. But he was glad that his instinct to defend her had kicked in instantly.

He took her hand and motioned to the street. “My place is this way.”

Together, they walked swiftly. He could already feel his cock filling with blood, making his pants feel tighter at the thought of making love to this gorgeous werewolf female.

“What’s your name?”

Her question made him realize that he’d been silent for more than just a second. He brought her hand to his face. Her palm was soft and warm as he pressed his cheek into it.

“Byron. Like the poet. And you?”

“My friends call me Charlie. Like the chocolate factory,” she added with a smirk.

“I’m sure you’re just as delectable…”

He held her gaze and felt as if he could get lost in her eyes. He leaned in, their faces only inches from one another.

“If we kiss now, we’re not gonna make it to a bed,” she said in a gentle tone.

That’s when he realized that he’d stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, unaware of his surroundings. This had never happened to him before, at least not when he was sober. And tonight, he hadn’t had a drink yet.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I seem to forget myself around you. I’m not normally that… uhm, clueless, I guess.”

“It’s because I’m in heat,” Charlie replied.

The moment she said it, he knew she was right. How had he not instantly realized this? A werewolf female in heat gave off pheromones that were practically impossible to ignore. Like a cocoon, her scent wrapped around him, imprisoning him. And for once, it was a prison he didn’t mind.

“Don’t worry,” she said, “I have condoms. I only want something casual. No strings attached.”

He nodded. “That’s all I want, too.”

Because with everything going on in the pack, he didn’t want the headache of a girlfriend, or—God forbid—a mate. All he needed was to get rid of the tension and stress in his body. A roll in the hay with a free spirit like Charlie was exactly what the doctor had ordered.

When they reached the three-story condo building, he fumbled for his keys. He hoped she didn’t notice that he could barely keep it together, eager to make love to her. Every second felt like an eternity, as if everything was happening in slow motion. Finally, he turned the key in the lock and ushered her into the building.

“Third floor,” he said, and followed her as she walked up the narrow staircase ahead of him.

The way her hips swayed, and her butt muscles flexed with every step, made him nearly delirious like a man in a desert seeing an oasis in the distance. By the time they reached the top floor, his heart was racing. How he managed to unlock the door to the condo, he wasn’t quite sure. But when he finally heard the door snap in behind him, he felt relief course through his body.

“I’d offer you a drink, but you said you had enough to drink for tonight,” he started, while sliding his arm around her waist and pulling her to him.

Charlie molded her body to his, her soft curves cradling his hard muscles—one in particular. He slipped his hand to her ass and pressed her closer, making her feel the hard outline of his erection.

“I don’t think either of us has the patience to have a drink right now,” she said in a seductive tone. “How about you buy me coffee tomorrow morning?”

At her suggestion, his heart skipped a beat. Normally, he didn’t like it when the women he slept with wanted to stay the night, but with Charlie, he’d make an exception.

“That’s a deal.”

Before he’d even finished his sentence, Charlie’s lips were on his. Stunned, yet elated about her making the first move and taking what she wanted, he parted his lips and responded to her. She tasted of dark cherries and whiskey, of sin and lust, of independence and strength. Her lips were firm, her tongue demanding, her touch electrifying. He felt her warm hand on his nape, caressing him there, sending a pleasant shiver down his spine right into his cock.

Fuck! He hadn’t felt like this in forever. His sexual escapades in the two and a half months since the Werewolf Alliance had taken over had been lukewarm at best, his mind too flooded with all the problems that arose as a result of the leadership change. But in this moment, with Charlie in his arms, reveling in her embrace, he didn’t care what was happening to his pack. All he cared about was making love to this woman.

Impatient to touch her naked skin, he shoved her jacket down her arms. She helped him free herself of it before she did the same to him. His jacket landed on the floor, while he deepened the kiss, angling his head for a closer connection. Charlie wore a figure-hugging top, and he swept his hands over her torso, touching her through the thick cloth. Her breasts felt firm and heavy, surprisingly large for her slender frame.