Rescue in the Smokies (Durham Wolves) Read online

  “I don’t growl.”

  “Sure you do. Or would you prefer to call it brooding?” Micah continued to tease.

  Juliana glanced his way. “What were you so moody about…before my arrival?”

  The three brothers grinned at each other.

  Her cheeks burned, but she didn’t back down. “Ah. Well, thank God. Now I can spend my days making sure each of you meets a woman to keep you from brooding also.”

  “Touché, my love,” Serg spoke to her silently.

  “Thought you’d like that one.”

  “Hell no. I don’t need or want a woman in my life. Don’t get me wrong. I’m all chocolate and roses over Serg’s good fortune, but count me out. I prefer the bachelor life. Less complicated.” Jaxon stuffed another bite in his mouth, his brow furrowed.

  “He’s gonna eat those words someday. Sunny side up.”

  “You can bet on it.” Juliana smiled at Serg as he laid a hand on her thigh to send a wave of heat racing toward her sex.

  She cleared her throat and batted his fingers away before they inched any farther up her leg. “So, what’s the plan? You guys can’t hover around here watching me day in and day out while we wait on some vampire to stalk me.”

  She glanced from one to the other and cringed at their collective pause, each with a fork hovering somewhere midair. That’s exactly what they intend to do.

  “What if I went home or—”

  “No.” Serg didn’t even let her finish her thought. “Juliana, this is serious. You can’t so much as walk outside alone until we figure out how to stop McKinney from threatening you.” He laid a hand gently on her arm. “I’m so sorry. I know this is hard.”

  “Hard?” She huffed and turned toward Serg. “Hard doesn’t even begin to describe this situation. Two days ago I was living a normal regular life, hiking with my friends, celebrating my college graduation and talking about plans for my future. Today, my world is upside down and filled with werewolves and vampires.” She sucked in a deep breath. “Piece of cake. No problem.”

  The hunger she’d experienced before sitting down to dinner disappeared and she dropped her fork. Wiggling free of Serg’s gentle grasp on her forearm, she rubbed her temples with both palms, pressing into the ache beginning to form behind her eyes.

  “Sorry,” she muttered as she let her hands fall to her lap. With her head still bowed, she continued, “I know this isn’t any of your faults, I’m just—”

  “Don’t apologize. We understand.” Serg laid a hand on her back now. “This is more than the average person should ever have to deal with in a lifetime, let alone a few days. We’ll sort this out. In the meantime, we’ll also keep you safe. That’s a promise.”

  Juliana pulled her mouth into the best semblance of a smile she could and looked at each of the brothers in turn. “Thanks.”

  Micah and Jaxon nodded toward her, mumbling about the unnecessary need for gratitude.

  “Let’s get some sleep. It’ll all seem better in the morning.” Serg set down his silverware and wiped his mouth.

  “What if he shows up again?”

  “The same thing will happen, for now. Until we can come up with a way to change the results.”

  “By that you mean kill the bastard.”

  “Yes. In the meantime, he can’t get very close without us smelling his stench, and we outnumber him, so we can play chase all he wants.”

  Juliana opened her mouth and then let it hang, the words trapped in her throat. No need to state the obvious. This was going to get really old really fast.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “So what’s in the bags?” Juliana padded out of the bathroom, wiping her face with a towel. She looked like a model, even wearing an old, worn T-shirt of Serg’s. But that wasn’t how he wanted her to dress forever. He wanted her to have nice things. Sure, she was outdoorsy and fit, but Serg knew women loved to dress elegantly now and then.

  They would need to go to her place and get her stuff soon. He hadn’t mentioned it yet. It was like an elephant in the room. As long as no one said anything, she could just stay here like she was on a vacation or something.

  As soon as he suggested they move her belongings in, he’d have to face her response. She might balk at altering her reality. He wasn’t ready for that confrontation. What if she didn’t want to live out here with him in the woods with no one around? No female companions? What would he do then?

  Follow her to the ends of the earth, of course, but this was his home. He loved the cabin, the sights and sounds of nature all around, the ability to shift and run free in the wild virtually whenever he wanted.

  Time was on his side right now. As long as they waited for McKinney to make his next move, she needed to be here protected and safe. He’d made that abundantly clear. For now, he had to hope the claiming had bound her to him in such a way she couldn’t possibly consider leaving. Every day they were together the bond would strengthen. Their connection would grow. Their need for sex would be more intense by the hour.

  That damn vampire was actually helping his cause.

  “Sergius?”

  He stared at her, his face flushing. What was the question?

  She raised a brow and nodded toward his hands. “The bags?”

  “Oh.” He glanced down at the packages he’d gripped with his fingers. “Clothes. Thought you might like a few things since you have a limited selection.” The woman had been on a weekend hiking trip. She had three shirts, two pairs of pants and some shorts with her.

  “How did you get them?” She angled her head to the side and looked at him quizzically.

  “I picked them up when I went into town earlier.” He grinned.

  “Oh? And what did you buy?”

  “Open them. I did my best to guess your tastes.” He gripped the side of the bed, praying he’d judged right.

  She hesitated. And if I don’t like what he has in mind for me?

  “I can read your thoughts, baby.”

  “I know.”

  “Let me select something for now. You can look at the rest tomorrow when I’m not around. If you don’t like something, we’ll take it back. How’s that? No hard feelings. Aside from hiking gear, I have no idea what you usually wear.”

  “Fair.”

  Sergius peered into the bag with the lingerie label on it and pulled out the item he had in mind for this moment. He held it up for her to see. “Thought you’d like something more feminine than my old T-shirt to sleep in.”

  “Oh, my. That’s…gorgeous. But you didn’t really buy that with me in mind at all, did you?” Her eyes sparked with mischief.

  “Perhaps it wasn’t altogether altruistic, no. But do you like it anyway?”

  “To be honest, I’ve never owned a stitch of anything so sexy.” She reached out to take the swath of material in her hand. “It’s so soft.”

  “Silk.” He whispered the word in her ear. “It will make you feel as though you’re wearing nothing at all. Hmm, maybe that’s a better idea. Perhaps you shouldn’t wear anything.”

  Sergius watched the flush rush across her cheeks as she reached to snatch at the bag he still held. “What else is in there?”

  Serg jerked the bag out of her reach, stuck his hand in and came up with a matching cover. It couldn’t really be called a robe, because it would be wrong to imply it actually covered much. If anything, the matching sheer peignoir would only make the piece underneath even more enticing. He held it out.

  “Try it on.” He watched as she turned for the bathroom as though he’d never seen her naked before. He could tell already the black silk was going to show off her alabaster skin to perfection. He grew hard waiting on her and closed his eyes to concentrate on her emotions. It felt like he was cheating, but he wanted her to love the garment.

  Minutes went by, several. Her thoughts jumped around as she changed. Serg sat on the bed, jiggling his knee. He was dying to see her sexy curves encased in the black silk. Shit. She took too long. And then he smelled her a
rousal. Rather than wait another second for her to emerge, he leaped off the bed and bounded toward the bathroom.

  With his hands clasped on both sides of the doorframe, he stopped and sucked in a breath. In the middle of the room stood his flawless mate, her back to him, facing the large, full-length mirror. He gazed at the image in the glass.

  The negligee fit her perfectly. Tiny black straps barely held the silk against her body. The top was a pattern of lace that accentuated her breasts and made them appear larger than they were in contrast to the delicate dip that hugged her waist and then flared slightly to barely cover the sexy round globes of her ass.

  Her legs appeared to be incredibly long beneath the hem, pure white skin reaching out from beneath the elegance.

  When his gaze roamed back up, he saw that her nipples jutted forward, hard points against the transparent lace of the bodice.

  Her neck above the flare of her breasts was flushed a dark shade of pink, as were her cheeks. Her expression was one of awe.

  “You’re the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen.”

  “It’s so lovely. Thank you.” Her words choked out. Her eyes watered.

  “Nothing is lovelier than you.” He ambled up behind her.

  When he reached her backside, he set the tips of his fingers against her shoulders, not touching her anywhere else. Their gazes met in the mirror. “Look how incredible you are. Like porcelain.” Her hair lay in soft ringlets all around her shoulders and down her back. He couldn’t resist the temptation and leaned forward to bury his nose in her curls and inhale her scent.

  “You used your own shampoo this morning. I love that smell. Floral. Raspberry?”

  “God, your nose is good.”

  “I like that better than my masculine soap on you.”

  “I had it in my travel bag,” she muttered as though an explanation was needed.

  He leaned back and met her gaze again, flipped his fingers over and dragged the tips of his nails down her arms until he reached her trembling hands. Goose bumps rose in the wake of his touch.

  Serg entwined his fingers with hers. A subtle pressure had her leaning against his front, the silk and lace tickling his bare chest. He wore soft flannel pants and his cock lengthened even more as her shoulder blades brushed his pecs.

  With her hands locked in the tangle of his, she was helpless to stop him from raising them over her head. He wrapped them around his neck and repeated the action of grazing his fingers down the insides of her arms, through the dip of her armpits and across her nipples.

  “Sergius…” She moaned his name, making it sound as though she were dreaming. Her eyes flittered closed.

  “Watch me, baby. Watch what I do to you.”

  She lifted her chin slightly and stared back into the mirror.

  Her chest rose with a deep breath, and he cupped her breasts with his hands, his palms rasping over the tight buds straining against the lace.

  “Oh, God…”

  “Don’t close your eyes,” he murmured into her ear, nipping at the lobe and letting his warm breath send shivers down her body.

  His hands wandered down to her waist, circling the expanse until his fingers nearly met each other. Then over her hips until he reached her slender thighs.

  At the edge of the black silk he flicked his fingertips under the hem. It fluttered around her, teasing their view with what lay beneath. Serg flattened his palms on her legs and eased the material up her hips until he uncovered her sex.

  He froze, his gaze not leaving the apex of her thighs. His breath caught in his throat, threatening to choke him. “Lord, baby. You…?”

  “You like it?” Her hands rubbed up and down his neck, still resting at an angle behind her, her elbows in the air.

  She gripped him with her palms and he flicked his gaze to her face. She bit her lip and batted her eyes.

  His smile spread fast and huge. The grin created an unaccustomed ache in his cheeks. “That is so sexy.” She had shaved—everything.

  “I wanted to see what it would feel like, my bare skin against you. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Mind? Hell no. Just shocked, and about to come in my pants at the sight of your sex glistening naked in the mirror. That’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. You will never cease to amaze me, will you?”

  “Hope not.” She relaxed against him.

  “Don’t move.” Reluctantly he let go of her soft skin for the two seconds it took him to pull the long, padded bench chair over in front of the mirror. He flipped the seat sideways so the end made a T with the mirror. A thought raced through his mind and he whipped around to grab the sheer matching cover she’d set on the counter. As he straddled the bench, he tossed the flimsy material under it and then grabbed her hand to position her in front of him, her back to his chest, her legs spread wide to accommodate the width of the seat.

  She settled where he set her ass and made a little squeak when he lifted the hem of her lingerie at the last second.

  “Feel good against your hot, smooth ass?”

  “Hmm.” She wasn’t committing.

  “Oh, baby,” he moaned as he lifted the hem again and pulled it up around her waist. “So fucking hot.”

  She gripped the edges of the bench with her thighs, tightening her muscles as she shuddered. Her hands grasped his legs so hard her nails dug into the skin, the soft pinch keeping him on edge.

  “Don’t get shy on me, Juliana. You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen.” He braced her thighs with his hands, held them farther open. She was adorable when she got timid. It wouldn’t last long. When she grew more comfortable with him, the shyness would disappear. But, for now, he enjoyed showing her new things. Introducing her to her wildest imagination.

  “I need you,” she whispered as her gaze dropped between her open legs, her chest rising on a shaky breath.

  “Not even close. You don’t know what it means to crave release yet, baby.” Ah, but she would. Serg reached beneath the bench with one hand and returned with the translucent black material. He shook the thin, black, silk belt loose and let the rest flutter to the ground beside them.

  “Give me your hands.” Watching her eyes darken with desire, he stroked his fingers down her arms, grasped her wrists, and raised them back over both their heads again to wrap around his neck. With a dexterity even he was proud of under the circumstances, Serg wrapped the black silk around her wrists and tied them securely behind his head. “Leave them there. Don’t move.”

  Juliana’s head rolled back against his chest, her lips slightly parted, her deep breaths making her nipples rise and fall invitingly.

  “Watch me in the mirror, Juliana. Let me pleasure you.”

  He bore down on her thighs again to force them farther apart. She was so wet, the glistening folds of her sex begging him to spread her wider.

  Serg dragged one finger through her opening and then used both hands to spread her lips, exposing her channel to his gaze. So pink and swollen. A little stream of her arousal ran down toward her ass. He would take her there. Not today, but soon.

  Juliana heard his thought and moaned. Her head rolled back and forth, her eyes fluttered closed. The idea heightened her arousal and made him smile. Perhaps he’d breach her tight hole sooner than he’d thought.

  “Serg…”

  “You know you want me to drive you to new heights, baby. And I will. Rest assured, there is nothing you can imagine I won’t do to you, in time. The thought thrills you. Makes you wetter.”

  Serg sat there for several seconds, holding her petals open, admiring the view while she wiggled and squirmed, her back brushing against his cock, teasing him mercilessly.

  “Serg…”

  “Open your eyes.”

  Heavy lashes rose as she looked at him through shuttered eyelids.

  “Every time you close your eyes, I’ll stop.”

  Her gaze landed on the space between her thighs in the mirror. Her rapid breaths and pulse told him she was even hornier with his
command.

  “That’s it. Keep your gaze pinned here while I touch you. You let them close, I stop. You want to come? You’ll watch.”

  She moaned long and low, but she obeyed, barely blinking.

  He gave her what she wanted. With his last two fingers on each hand, he stretched her folds farther apart and dipped the first fingers deep into her core. Her ass bucked up off the bench, but he firmed his grip, dragging the digits out and swirling her wetness around her outer lips.

  On the next pass inside her, he angled the tips of his fingers up in the direction that had driven her crazy last time. He let them flick out, pressed the hood of her clit up with his thumbs and then teased the tight little nub with the moist tips of his fingers, grazing over it again and again while she wiggled her ass against his crotch.

  “So smooth. I love this shaved look. And it’ll feel so good against your panties or just bare, your naked pussy rubbing against the denim of your jeans every day while you wait for me to fuck you.”

  He let his fingers dance around her shaved mons, flicking over her nub with each pass. “I hope you’ll let me shave you sometimes. Let me spread your legs across the tub and drag the razor over your pale skin until it’s perfectly smooth. So hot…”

  Fuck. His dick throbbed with need. The tip weaseled its way out of the top of his low sleep pants and now grazed the silky back of her negligee.

  Serg was so intent on pleasuring her, he forgot to watch her face. Her eyes had closed. He stopped, let go entirely. When she realized her faux pas, she jerked back to attention in time to watch him lick her arousal from his fingers. He sucked each digit into his mouth and pulled it out with a pop, one hand at a time.

  “Oh God. That’s sexy.”

  “Promise to watch?”

  “Yes,” she breathed.

  This time he drove several fingers into her while pinching her clit tight with his thumbs. “Come for me,” he begged.