By the time she’d opened her door and was sliding out, he was there.
“How’s the ankle?” Shutting the car door, he curved an arm around her waist. A support…and more. An embrace.
Oh, yes.
Firmly, he moved her a step back until her butt and back were against the car door. He tangled his fingers in her hair, brushing it back in long tugging strokes.
Each breath brought her his scent, a werewolf’s wild forest tang and his warm, dry woodsy fragrance. Leaning into him, she rubbed her cheek against his chest. She’d dreamed of his kiss. Of his hands. “Mmm.”
“All right then,” he murmured. He set two fingers under her chin and lifted her head. His mouth tilted up at the corner before his lips touched hers.
Warmth spread through her in a slowly kindling fire.
His firm lips were like velvet. Beard stubble was a slight rasp when he nibbled along her jaw and back to her lips. He deepened the kiss, teasing her mouth open, possessing her with his tongue, even as his hand against her ass drew her closer.
His hard, thick erection pressed against her abdomen, delighting her because…even though it wasn’t a Gathering, he wanted her.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she simply enjoyed.
The sound of a car coming down the street broke the moment.
With a low groan, Tynan moved back slightly. “Invite me in, lass.”
She laughed. “Please come into my home, Beta.”
He kept her next to him, hip to hip, as they walked up the sidewalk to her house and inside. After glancing at her bedroom door, he shook his head, took the couch, and pulled her down. On top of him.
She would have gone to the bedroom with him. Of course, he probably knew that from the scent of her interest. But he’d said he intended to go slow.
Apparently, he really did mean that.
When he was finished getting settled, his head was on the soft armrest, and she lay with her breasts crushed against his chest.
“Nice,” he rumbled before cupping her ass with one big hand. His other hand closed over her nape, pulling her mouth back to his.
Oh, he could kiss, using teeth and tongue and lips until her entire body was one big pool of desire.
He slid his hand under her shirt to caress her back. The same touch that had comforted her when she’d had a meltdown sent tingles rampaging through her with every slow stroke.
Lifting up, she squirmed on top of him, needing…more.
The heat in his blue eyes lightened with laughter. But he pushed on her shoulders until she was sitting upright on top of him.
He didn’t want her? “But…”
“We’re not stopping, little wolf.” His voice was as heady a caress as his touch. Smiling, he ran his hands up her sides until they rested on the outsides of her breasts. “I simply want access to these. I’ve wanted to touch you…everywhere…since I saw you at the last Gathering.”
When she walked away from him that night, it had been the right thing to do—for her—at the time.
Now, he’d won her trust.
His touch had grown more intimate every time they were together. Tonight…
He waited for her to decide.
She pulled her baggy shirt up and over her head. She hadn’t worn a bra—she never did on pack run nights.
His appreciative grin was a flash of white in the dimly lit room. His warm hands cupped her breasts, moving over the sensitive flesh, molding, lifting. The calluses on his palms added an edge to his careful touch.
Heat streaked through her, and she could smell the way her own scent changed with arousal.
“Mmmmmm.” His deep rumble of approval was like a heady caress, making her shiver.
Putting an iron-hard arm around her, he drew her down so he could take her lips again. Even as his mouth closed over hers, his thumb circled one tightly bunched nipple.
Pleasure exploded through her, and she moaned.
A screech of brakes brought her out of the fog of desire. A car door slammed, followed by pounding from next door. At Tynan and Donal’s house.
“Donal, need help! Got banged-up shifters here. Two-car accident,” a man yelled.
“By Herne’s hooves.” Tynan pulled in an exasperated breath.
He set her up, gliding his fingertips over her cheek. “I should go help. There might be more injured or a mess on the highway.”
Or bodies. “Of course.” With a grunt of effort, she swung off him, feeling the ache of unresolved need deep in her pelvis.
As he rose, she bit her lip. “Do you think Donal would like my help, too?”
Tynan bent to kiss her again. “Banfasa, you have his approval, which means he’ll always appreciate assistance. The cat loves help.”
Oh. That was perfect because she loved giving help.
Smiling, Tynan handed over her shirt. “I’ll walk over with you, and we’ll take care of things.”
Delight sparkled like stars inside her chest.
Hearing a male’s raised voice in the waiting area, Donal tuned it out. He didn’t have time for peacemaking, not with the way Kepler’s lacerated liver was bleeding.
“Am I dyin’, healer?” Kepler lay supine on the exam table.
“No, bear, you’re not.” With the abundance of alcohol in the idiot’s system, he probably wasn’t in too much pain, either. “Now, shut up while I try to put your liver back together.”
And next time wear your seatbelt.
No point in saying that now. Not when the shifter’s brain had sopped up that much alcohol. Bending his head, Donal extended his sight, sent forth power, and slowly, carefully, mended the tears on the liver, then healed the rest of the mess.
Finished, he straightened and saw Kepler had passed out. Didn’t that just figure.
After washing his hands, Donal walked out into the waiting area. If anything, the noise had gotten worse. To his surprise, little Margery was there, standing in front of Emma and Darcy, defending the injured females from Kepler’s littermate, Norman.
“I don’t care whose fault it is,” she was saying calmly. “This isn’t the place or the time. Leave them alone.”
Norman started to advance on her—lovely, he, too, was intoxicated—and Donal stepped in front of him. “Norman, you—"
“What’s going on in here? I could hear you from the street.” Tynan walked inside. His frown at Norman had the werebear taking a step back.
Excellent timing, brawd.
Hearing the unspoken words, Tynan nodded to Donal. “Vehicles are secured off the road—and you have no more injured, other than this bunch.”
Now that was the kind of report Donal liked.
“Deputy.” Donal gave his littermate a quick grin for the use of his official law enforcement title. “Can you collect Kepler from the healing room and see that he and Norman here get home safely.”
“Sure and I can do that.” Tynan shot a look at Norman. “Norman, you’re going to want to back away from our banfasa and healer. Right this fecking minute.”
The growl that ended the order made Norman backpedal clumsily. “Sorry, sorry,” he said to Donal and Margery, before turning to Tynan. “Deputy, hey, those females, they caused that fucking accident. It wasn’t Kepler’s fault, not at all. They—”
Ignoring Norman, Tynan disappeared into the healing room and returned with Kepler in his arms. “You can tell me all about the accident on the way to your house. Your littermate needs to be in his bed, don’t you think?”