Reading Online Novel

Mate Marked(26)



“Nice. You’ve got a PhD in flirting, I’ll give you that.” She laughed but made no move to head outside.

“I’m being one hundred percent sincere. It’s a beautiful night. Come out and shift and go for a run with me?”

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll outrun you and take off?”

He threw his head back and roared with laughter. Then he laughed even harder at her indignant expression.

“Oh, you were serious! Oh, that’s good. That’s really, really good.”

“I can run plenty fast,” she said irritably. “Are you saying that just because I’m a larger girl you think I’m slow?”

“No, sweetheart, I’m saying I’m the fastest thing on two legs or four. Except in certain areas. There are certain things I like to take my time with.”

He moved close to her and saw her eyes spark with arousal, and he felt heat flare through his body. He began stripping his clothes off.

“Let’s go for a run. If you get away from me, then you get to go home early.”

“Deal!” She began stripping too, and he felt all the blood leave his brain and rush south.





Chapter Twelve




They tore through the woods and he chased her, letting her get just ahead of him, again and again, then catching up and nipping at her heels.

The cool night breeze ruffled their fur as they ran. Chelsea leaped over fallen logs, tore through scrubby underbrush, and wove between the tall pine trees. All to no avail. He was always right on her tail, barking happily. If he were in human form he’d be laughing at her.

Chelsea didn’t mind. The rush of air delighted her senses. She drew the air in through her nostrils, the scent of moss and pine and loamy earth. In wolf form, she could hear the creak of every cricket and the rustle of every leaf.

Up ahead, she saw the campground. He was steering her back towards the camp.

Distracted for a moment, she tripped over a fallen branch and went sprawling.

Instantly, he was on top of her, straddling her and panting. His long pink tongue hung out and he had a huge, happy grin stretching his black lips.

Then he shifted to human form and he was kneeling over her on all forms.

She shifted to human form too, her fur melting back into her skin, her ears shrinking, her tail vanishing. Her bones shifted and rearranged themselves. And there they were, panting, naked, tangled up on the soft, mossy forest floor.

Chelsea looked up into his golden eyes and knew she was lost. She’d never wanted a man so much in her life. He was terrible for her—he was terrible in general—and he was leaving. And she wanted him.

Roman stared into her eyes for a long moment and then cradled her face in his hands, surprisingly gentle, and leaned down to kiss her. And the world fell away. There was nothing but Roman, his hard body against her, his thick erection pressing into her stomach. It was for her. He wanted her.

He kissed her deeply, his tongue sweeping through her mouth, probing. She let out a low moan of pleasure and kissed back, hungrily. She imagined him plunging inside her, his thick cock thrusting in…

And suddenly he jerked away.

“What?” she said, dazed. “Did I do something wrong?”

She was suddenly terribly self-conscious about her nudity. She moved her arms to hide herself, rolling to the side and bringing up her knee to cover her soft stomach.

“Of course not. You do everything right. Well, except trying to arrest me.” He scrambled up off her and she realized they were right near his tent. “And don’t hide your body—it’s incredibly beautiful.”

“Then what is it?”

“You can’t scent them? Some of the pack are back from the bar already.”

“No, I didn’t smell them.” She climbed to her feet and followed him into his tent, where she accepted a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants as he quickly dressed.

“Really? We’re downwind.”

She shrugged. “I’m a wolf who can’t smell. It’s a genetic anomaly.”

“Ahh, gotcha.” He didn’t seem too put off by it…but he was getting dressed, covering his magnificent body.

He looked at her with great regret. “Well, I guess that’s that.”

She bit her lip and nodded. He wasn’t going to try to seduce her anymore? Well, it was for the best. She tried to tell herself that, anyway.

He let out a sigh. “You’re too good for me, and I’m no good for you. I’m no good for anybody,” he said in a tone of deep regret, and walked away.

* * * * *

Was that Erika’s voice that Chelsea heard? Chelsea had spent a sleepless night tossing and turning in Roman’s bed, with him sitting outside the tent guarding it. Or so he said. Apparently he didn’t want to be anywhere near her anymore. Maybe he didn’t want his pack to think he liked her in that way.