He placed his hand on the small of her back as he guided her down the staircase and into the living room. He was pleased to note that she didn’t flinch away. Progress. A baby step, but progress never the less. Marge had warned him she’d be skittish at first and not to take it personally.
“Would you like something to drink?” He walked toward the back of the room where a larger than average bar stood in the corner, complete with handcrafted wine racks and a stainless steel refrigerator unit. He frequently held pack meetings here, wanting each member to feel as though his home was their home should they ever need it.
“Do you have a soft drink? I haven’t had one in a while.”
Liam nodded. The living room held large leather couches and matching chairs. It could easily fit twenty to thirty wolf shifters with room to spare. A large flat screen television was mounted above the stone fireplace that took up half of one wall. Its mirrored surface gave him the perfect reflective surface to watch her without her realizing his scrutiny. He took his time fixing her drink, studying her.
Not wanting to set his wolf off, he started at her feet. Her bare feet. He frowned thinking how cold the hardwood must feel under her feet. Why hadn’t Marge given her a pair of socks he thought with an irrational burst of anger. His attention was soon diverted by the swell of her breasts under the soft knit of her top. Marge hadn’t seen fit to provide her with a bra either. Of course, he wasn’t going to complain to his healer about that. No, he liked the fact that her big breasts were bare beneath that cotton fabric.
Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips. The innocent movement had frantic alarms buzzing inside his brain. Slow. He had to go slow or risk losing this woman forever. She was little more than a wild animal, ready to flee at the first wrong move.
Janet walked into the large living room unsure what she should do. Her lack of social graces was something she’d never been ashamed of before. She was ashamed with this man. Despite his effort to hide it, she sensed his slow, potent scrutiny as it drifted over her like a scorching desert wind, burning her skin. His expression was hard, inscrutable, his eyes glinting hot as molten steel. Suddenly, she felt exposed and vulnerable.
She put on the bravado that had been her constant companion all her life and returned his appraisal. His stance was casual, but she knew he could turn from easy-going male to killing predator in the blink of an eye. He wore a black t-shirt that clung to his impressive chest and strained under the pressure from his biceps. His jeans molded to his powerful thighs. She couldn’t help the quick look she took at the junction of his legs. Everything about him appeared to be impressive.
She didn’t know what to do with the flush of sexual heat that ran over her. Suddenly it was hard to breath. Her pulse accelerated; her head felt fuzzy and to her chagrin, she could feel the crest of her breasts blossom into aching arousal against the soft worn cotton of her borrowed t-shirt. Her senses soaked up his deeply masculine scent of sunshine, leather, and hard work. Her wolf whined inside her. She’d never given in—had never had the desire to give in—to that part of herself. The part that said mate. Claim.
Maybe if she didn’t look at him, that would help keep her defenses in place.
She’d couldn’t deny the draw and attraction she felt toward Liam. But wasn’t that just female being drawn to male? Their animals wanting to make a good match, bred strong pups. They were drawn to each other on a primal and primitive level that had nothing to do with their compatibility or shared hopes and dreams. The man and the woman didn’t have a choice. Their wolves ruled their fate, chose their mate for them.
In the same instant that she turned, Liam took a step forward, their movement coinciding to send her crashing into him so that she literally bounced off his chest. Off balance, she staggered back, almost falling until his arms shot out and reeled her in, steadying her against him. Her eyes looked up to meet his and he was once again draw into the dark depths. So beautiful. So innocent.
Then his gaze drifted down, drawn to tell-tale response of her body. His attention zeroed in on the aroused centers of her breasts, the nipples standing out in firm relief beneath the thin fabric of her shirt. Damn. He was going to have to get her some different clothes. A fucking bra for one thing. His wolf licked its lips in anticipation of stripping the same garment from her curvy frame. He groaned, realizing he was in a no-win situation. Dressed or undressed he wanted Janet to hell and back.
When they’d almost collided Janet had grabbed Liam by the shoulders. Her fingertips tingled with the desire to feel the sculpted hardness of his wide shoulders and to smooth along his bronzed arms and under the edges of the shirt straining against the strength of his biceps.