Katarina stared across the fire softly crackling between them. “I know you expect big answer, but I have none.”
“So give me your little answer,” Reed said with a grin.
Chuckling, Katarina tossed her fire stir stick into the remaining fire. “Here is what I want from life… I want you.”
Reed was quiet too long. At his age, he needed a longer time to think about things. He expected Katarina to tire of waiting and head off on her own. Instead, the enigmatic she-wolf shifted her gaze from his to stare up into the night sky.
Her gaze lowered to him again. “Did I scare you, Temptation?”
Reed shook his head. “No. I want you too, but I have no way to protect you from the consequences. I’m sorry it worked out like this.”
Katrina chuckled. “You are honorable male. I could get used to your poetic views. Twice, I was captured by bad guys we now chase. Many times in life before Alaska, I nearly die. What if I said to you that I would risk any consequence to have you before someone gets lucky enough to kill me?”
Reed studied her across the fire. “I would say you’re not thinking with a clear head.”
“Da. This is truth. For once, I am thinking with my heart. Last male I had was many, many years ago, and he was disappointing. With people wanting to kill me, I do not have time to wait and see if I live.”
Reed swallowed the lump lodged in his throat. Her honesty called to his. “It’s been a very long time for me too, but…”
Katarina rolled her eyes. “What is with all the buts? If you were younger wolf, we would not be having this debate.”
Reed blew out a breath. “No, probably not.”
Katarina sighed in resignation as she drizzled water she’d collected from the lake onto her dwindling tiny fire. She would not risk setting the nearby woods ablaze. When she was finished dousing the embers, she looked at Reed once more.
“Wait alone this time, Temptation. I’m going to bed. You are welcome to share it. That is my offer. I am not untried female. I know sex does not change destiny. Sex only makes cross of life we carry easier to bear.”
She rose from her seat and headed into the cabin. Her heart sank a little when Reed didn’t follow her.
Had she really expected him to?
She had learned not to expect anything much from the older wolf, but Reed had surprised her by coming to find her.
She would not be surprised, though, to wake in the morning and find the male still sitting by the dead fire and brooding.
When the door to the cabin opened, Katarina closed the book she’d found an hour ago and stopped pretending to read. It was far more entertaining to watch the tall Alaskan male untie his hair and undress.
As strip shows went, Reed’s was certainly the best she’d ever seen. She didn’t have a change of clothing, so she wore none.
“You are handsome male, Reed Black Wolf. If we make child tonight, I hope your genes rule. I will see that he or she grows to be good seed and not bad. You have my word.”
Reed laughed. “You scare the hell out of me, Katarina Volkov.”
Katarina laughed. “I think I have scared many males in my life. Why are you not running away like they did?”
“I’m emotionally running away on the inside. The rest of me wants to be exactly where I am. I think my wolf would punish me if I left you now.”
Katarina lifted the cover on the bed. “Good then we have pact. Come to bed. Let me show you how nice I can be. You conquered fear of bears. Tonight you conquer fear of Katarina.”
“Your pillow talk could use a little work.”
“You can teach me,” she whispered, patting the space next to her.
Reed chuckled as he climbed in beside the alluring she-wolf. Katarina’s dark hair curled over her shoulders and swept across her breasts. Her eyes flashed in the dim light of the room. She wasn’t typically beautiful. She was mesmerizing. Katarina was the female men dreamed of and rarely found.
“I like how you look at me. Kiss me, Temptation.” Though she’d die before admitting it, Katarina was nervous. Reed was a beautiful male and it had been so long. But she didn’t want to be nervous. She wanted to be Reed’s and for him to have no regrets.
In the mood to obey her, Reed put his lips on hers. She hummed in pleasure and turned him to stone. He moved closer and kissed her more deeply. Their tongues tangled in the pleasure dance. It had been ages since he’d cared enough to bed someone. Now he cared too much.
He could have kissed her hours, but Katarina’s small hands went happily exploring. He rolled her to her back and rose over her. She stared up at him with more desire than he’d ever seen a female show.
“I feel like I should make a speech,” he said, looking down into her face.
Her snickering was accompanied by strong legs wrapping around his waist. He slowly pressed into the furnace of her body. When he was seated where he wanted to be, he bent his forehead to hers.
“Wow,” he said, lacking other words to describe how much at home he felt inside her.
Katarina smiled up into his eyes. “Wow is good word,” she whispered back.
When he started to move, Katarina arched to meet every thrust. It was… perfect. Just perfect. He was perfect. To make a child from this? That would be perfect too.
She lifted a hand and stroked his jaw. “I think I could love you.”
Reed laughed at her lukewarm declaration and hid his smile in her neck. When his fangs grazed the skin there, Katarina shook in his arms.
He moved again, but with intention this time.
Russian streamed from her lips when he pushed her over. He followed closely behind with a groan.
Genuine contentment settled on him like a warm blanket. His restless soul had finally found its match.
“You are even better than you look,” she said when her breath returned.
They lay panting against each other saying little.
Reed didn’t realize she held his full weight until she roughly pushed him off. The feeling of rejection lasted for a nano second before she rose over him.
Her lips and mouth rained reverent kisses everywhere.
Then they traveled lower.
“Katarina,” he whispered as she showed him what heaven was like.
11
Katarina woke in a mild panic with Reed’s long limbs wrapped around her and holding her in place. Luckily, she didn’t come awake clawing at him. She wasn’t used to sleeping with anyone, much less being constrained.
Struggling to move his naked body off hers, Katarina froze when she realized someone watched her struggle from the bottom of the bed.
“Good morning,” Brandi said with a grin, saluting Katarina with a cup of coffee. “You looked so comfortable, I decided to let you sleep a little longer.”
Katarina rolled her eyes as she finally freed herself from Reed, who was still out cold. The man slept like a tranquilizer dart had hit him. She should know.
“I locked door, but that was not enough. Stupid. I am so stupid. What if bad guys did this to us?”
Brandi chuckled and waved her coffee cup. “Relax. Your kidnappers are on the move again. So far, it looks like they didn’t bother trying to track you down. Being savvy agents, Gareth and I followed both your trackers here. I’m great at picking locks, especially the simple ones they put on places like this.” She stopped and took a sip before wrapping up. “Did I answer most of your questions?”