What This Wolf Wants(14)

As if shocked by a cattle prod, she scrambled into a sitting position. “What are you doing here?” she asked Ben, frowning in confusion.

Zan couldn’t take his eyes off her. She looked warm and sleepy and so bed-tousled that he simply wanted to toss Ben out of the room and join Jackie on the mattress. His erection, which had eased off, now rose hot and heavy as his libido overcame the aches in his body. When Jackie turned her sleepy brown eyes to him he took an instinctive step forward. “You shouldn’t be out of bed, Zan.”

He almost blurted out that he was just about to go back to bed, with her, when Ben said in a petulant coax, “I was trying to get you up. I’m hungry. Fix me breakfast.”

To Zan’s intense satisfaction, Jackie slugged Ben in the stomach. “Get out of my bed you beast and make your own damn breakfast.”

Laughing, Ben rolled out of bed and sauntered past Zan. “I’ll be right in the kitchen,” he said lightly. Only Zan took it for the warning it was.

“Yes, well.” Zan swung his head back at Jackie’s words. “How do you feel?”

He shrugged with careful deliberation, enjoying the way her eyes tracked the movement. “Achy all over.”

Her eyes dropped onto his chest and slowly moved lower. He felt a sudden need to puff out his chest and preen, to show off his strength and masculinity, despite his wounds. “That’s to be expected. I, uh,” she cleared her throat. “I should probably check your bandages.”

With her gaze now seemingly fixated on his groin, it appeared she had other things on her mind she wanted to check out. Zan wanted to growl in approval. Unfortunately, his brain cells had fled south for the duration. “If you wanted my pants off, Doc, all you had to do was ask.”

Her eyes snapped back to his. “The only reason I’d strip you of your pants is so I could strangle you with them.”

Though he could claim his comment had been far from smooth, the heat of her response took him aback. While women didn’t exactly throw themselves at his feet, harsh retorts weren’t the norm. It was even more confusing since he understood that the mating heat made it nearly impossible for mates to resist one another. And there was no mistaking his crazy attraction to this dark-haired doctor who was practically a stranger to him for anything other than the mating heat.

Her scent had drawn him from unconsciousness last night. A light mixing of orange blossoms and cloves that he’d longed to possess before reality had even crept in. Barely breaking through the drug and pain induced sleep, he’d caught movement through his wolf eyes and thought what he craved in his dream was leaving him. Reacting on instinct, he’d grasped his prey between his jaws, only to realize that that enticing scent belonged to a human. No. To a female shifter. The female shifter that, if he read all the signs right, was his mate. And he was very good at reading signs. He’d kissed the palm of her hand last night, both needing the physical contact, and reassuring himself that yes, Jackie was indeed his.

Even now he was damn near intoxicated by her scent. Possessiveness and lust already brewed thick and hot in his veins. But maybe, just maybe, it took the females longer to register the phenomena. Despite his desire to strip her naked and stake his claim, which was only compounded by the fact she was already conveniently in a soft bed, he instantly sized up the situation and realized he’d need to throttle back his libido. And while patience was something he had in spades, a necessity in his line of work, he had a feeling it might just kill him in this regard.

Before him, Jackie sagged and shut her eyes. “I apologize. That was uncalled for. I’m...” she paused, “just not a morning person.”

Though he didn’t think that was what she planned to say, he went along with it. For now. “And I apologize for my comment. Let’s just chalk it up to being...overwhelmed.”

Her eyes opened with relief. “Agreed. Let’s start over. I’m going to check your wounds. And while I know you’re in pain, let me know if anything feels extremely tender or hot. Either could be signs of infection.” Gritting his teeth, Zan forced himself to remain still as she slowly ran her hands over his chest. Closing his eyes only intensified her deft touch, making it harder to keep his hands at his side. He wanted to tangle them in her hair, fill them with the sweet curves of her ass he couldn’t help noticing last night, and hold her tight to his throbbing erection.

The idea had so much merit that he tilted his head up and glared at the ceiling, hands in fists at his side.

“You lost a lot of blood last night.” Oblivious to Zan’s internal struggle, Jackie dipped her hands under the edge of his sweats to check the gash on his hip. His eyes crossed at the unintentional caress.