Call of the Wilds by Gale Stanley Read Free Book Online Page A

usually provided a respite. Today it was anything but. A king-sized bed was meant to be shared, but not with the big hybrid sleeping next to him. Malcolm’s mind was on Karin and the way her hands felt on his face. Closeted together in the miniscule refuge bathroom had been an exercise in control. It had been so long since anyone touched him in such a caring way he could almost believe she meant it. If someone had asked him two days ago, he would have said he didn’t want or need that kind of concern. He took care of himself. Now he had to admit he liked the attention, liked it a lot.
    He’d like other kinds of attention as well. Seeing Karin again had only increased his desire and fueled his imagination. Images of him and Karin entwined in every conceivable position passed through his mind in an erotic slideshow. Frustration and pent-up lust made him think with his cock instead of his head. He felt twitchy and hot, his skin too tight for his body, like he’d been covered in plastic wrap and microwaved.
    He walked out on the second story deck to cool off. Fifty acres surrounded him, heavily treed and all his, bought cheap years ago. He had a real need for seclusion, and his property was far enough away to discourage visitors. His closest neighbors were deer, coyotes, and squirrels. Normally, he loved the solitude, but today he wished he had someone to share his million-dollar view.
    He needed some female company. Hell, he needed sex. It had been too long since he’d been with a woman. Just being near an attractive female had him behaving out of character and panting like a randy wolf. He needed to play—just not with Karin. As much as he’d like to fuck her, it would be a huge mistake. The sheriff acted as if he owned her. He might as well hang a No Trespassing sign around her neck. He already had a spot on Frank’s shit list. He did not want to head for first place, do not pass Go, do not collect $200. There’d be no Get Out of Jail Free card for him.
    Not that Karin wasn’t worth it. Her curvy body was made for him. She sent mixed signals, but this morning the unmistakable scent of her arousal told him she wanted it as much as he did. Her heady perfume penetrated every pore in his body until he wanted to mount her in the habitat like any other aroused alpha ready to mate. Just knowing she wanted him nearly drove him out of his mind. She’d gotten under his skin just as surely as if a mad scientist had spliced her genes with his. It was never a good idea to get close to anybody. Losing a loved one hurt too much. Whoa! He was not in love with Karin, not even close.
    Desperate to get his mind off the little wildlife manager, he decided to go out. He hated bars, but he needed to get out of the house and needed to meet a woman who wanted the same thing he did, a night of quick, anonymous sex, no strings attached.
    He headed for the shower. The size of his bathroom made him feel more alone than ever. It was obscene for one person to have a glass block shower for two, a large Jacuzzi, and a double sink. But then he had gone overboard with the entire house, the furniture too. The work kept him occupied for years. He was good with his hands, and it was a labor of love. When he finished, he sold some of his handcrafted furniture on the Internet. He created each piece with meticulous care and people ate it up. Now he had a business that earned him real money. He didn’t want for anything—not material things anyway.
    Showered, shaved, and doused with cologne, he studied his face in the mirror. Toughened and creased from the sun but not too bad considering he was closer to forty than thirty. His hair remained thick and dark, his body toned from days of working on the house and nights running. Karin seemed to find him attractive. She must be at least ten years younger, but his kind healed fast and aged slow. Didn’t matter. Their birthdays were the least of the problem. He turned away from his image to dress in a light blue