“Why would you say I was wild?” Her scoff told him he’d touched a nerve. She tensed. Maybe she didn’t like to think of herself that way.
He shrugged. “I mean it as a compliment. You just seem authentic, like the world hasn’t shaped you. You have no idea how rare that is.” She sighed, her body softening again, and he took it as an invitation to move even closer. “So, how about rescheduling our date?”
He was close enough now to kiss her, and the air crackled with their nearness. He desperately wanted to close the gap between them, take her face in his hands and direct all that heat and tension that was building in this room back into her. God, he wanted to press her against the wall.
* * *
Laina could smellKyle’s desire for her. It hung in the air like rich spices, roasted nutmeg and cloves. Every part of her longed to kiss him. Every part. Especially her wolf. And by the way her beast awakened and begged for his mouth, she could tell Jason was right—Kyle was her vice. This was no simple attraction. She was on the other side of the full moon, but the draw to Kyle was so strong, she knew if she kissed him, she’d only want more. Already, his presence was magnetic, almost like he was emitting his own gravity.
The longer she stayed in his presence, the harder it was going to be not to throw herself at him. What then? They hadn’t known each other long enough to form any kind of attachment or commitment. According to Cameron, Kyle was a known playboy. If he was only interested in casual sex, what would she do when he was sick of her? And she had other concerns. Although she’d been with humans before, her desire for those men didn’t have the edge this did. As a wolf, she was strong, far stronger than a human man. Kyle had no idea what he was in for sexually. She fucked like an animal. Her inner beast would not be gentle with him. Maybe he was into that. Maybe he wasn’t. But the truth remained, there was only one predator in this room, and it was Laina.
His lips parted. He was so close, so intent on her. She warred with herself. She should stop. She should back away. But in the end, it was impossible. Kyle was achingly attractive. Virile. Potent. Intense. Closing the last sliver of space, she planted her lips on his, teasing, tasting. His hands stroked her shoulders.
She drew a breath through her nose, detecting a subtle trace of woody cologne with a mandarin top note, the deep forest scent she’d come to associate with him, a light chemical residue she recognized as dry-cleaning solution, a hint of Milo, peppermint toothpaste, and underneath it all, the delicious spice of warm, passionate male she’d picked up earlier. His body warmed beneath her touch. His heart rate quickened. But the thing that made her wolf mad with passion was that despite living in this place and doing what he did, she could not detect even a hint of another female on his skin.
The slightest shift in his lips and the bend of his neck signaled his intent to end the kiss. She gripped his hips with both hands and pulled him against her, hard enough to make him grunt. She worked her hands under the tails of his shirt, enjoying the feel of smooth skin stretched over hard muscle. She clawed his sides, and when he gasped at the feel of her nails, she stroked his tongue with her own.
A wolfish growl rumbled from her chest, and she doubled her efforts to gain control. What was she doing? If she didn’t stop now, she never would. She called to mind the pictures Cameron had shown her of Kyle with other women, and the memory seemed to shake something loose, jarring her human mind back into control. Mustering her willpower, she removed her hands from his stomach and took a step back.
“Jesus.” He ran a hand over his face.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “That was… I don’t know what came over me.” She pressed her fist to her lips.
He released a shaky breath. “I cannot communicate strongly enough how much I feel you should go with whatever it was if it happens again. It works for me. Oh holy hell, does it work for me.” His gaze raked over her breasts, and he moved in, reaching for her waist.
She held up both hands. “Uh… I think it’s a bad idea.”
He stopped immediately. “Hmm?”
“I’ll be honest. I find you attractive.”
“Good. The feeling is mutual.”
Her eyes shifted to the window, and she knotted her fingers in front of her hips. “I’ve spent too much time working lately, and the stress of what is happening in my personal life is overwhelming. It’s only natural I’d be drawn to you.” She placed one hand on her sternum. “But I don’t think jumping into a casual sexual relationship is the right move for me right now, as much as I might want to. It won’t happen again.”
His lips pressed into a flat line, his arms folding over his chest. “I asked you on a date…for the second time,” he said. “Andyoukissedme. What makes you think this was about casual sex?”
She was taken aback by his question and quirked an eyebrow. “You do have a reputation as a playboy.”
His lip curled. “Ah, the tabloids. You read them, and you believe them?”
“Er, no, actually. I usually don’t. I just… You own a club called Hunt Club,” she said. “The thrill of the chase. Isn’t casual sex what your business is all about?”
All emotion drained from his face, and a polished air of invincibility came over him. “I see.” He adjusted his watch and pulled his phone from his back pocket. “As it so happens, I’m late for my afternoon orgy,” he said through his teeth, his words dripping with sarcasm.
“I didn’t mean—”
He closed his eyes and waved a hand through the air as if trying to clear it of what had just passed between them. “Never mind. Let’s forget this ever happened. You get started with Milo. All his things are in the mudroom off the kitchen. I’ll check in with you later.” He gave her an entirely professional smile before leaving the room abruptly.
She stared at the door in shock, arms at her sides. A warm, wet nudge to her fingers reminded her that her charge was waiting. Milo’s wrinkled face smiled up at her. “Don’t look at me like that. How could I have known he’d take offense? The placeiscalled Hunt Club, for crying out loud, and there are just short of a million incriminating pictures of the man on the internet.”
The dog perked his floppy ears and tilted his head.
“Yeah, yeah. Come on. You need exercise, and I need air.”
ChapterFifteen
Clearly, Kyle had tried his best to provide for Milo. Laina found a basket of toys, treats, and a variety of leashes in the mudroom off the kitchen. Milo stuck to her side and examined each item as she pulled it from the basket, sniffing and licking each one. The mastiff was interested and friendly, snorting derisively and stomping his feet when she returned a rope toy to the pile.
