Wolf's Oath (After the Crash 3.25) by Maddy Barone Read Free Book Online Page A

comforting warmth as though he were her own personal furnace. And just looking at him made the other kind of heat flare deep in her belly. Damn her imagination, and those erotic dreams.
    “I said I’d marry you, and I will.” She ran a thumb along the edge of the blanket, not looking at him. “I’ll be honest. I think you’re handsome. I’m attracted to you. But I don’t know you well enough to sleep with you.”
    “We already slept together,” he said.
    Was he making fun of her, or just naïve? She lifted her head and narrowed her eyes at him. “No, I mean, sleep together. Sex. I don’t know you well enough for that.”
    “Yet,” he clarified. “We don’t know each other well enough yet .”
    Yeah. It was a good thing she was aware of how yucky her mouth tasted. Her libido was telling her she knew Des well enough for some hot, deep kisses. He was just so damn good-looking. He smelled so good too, like a cold, clean winter wind blowing through the pines. She threw the covers back and shuddered her way to her feet.
    Des got up in one lithe bound. “You’re cold.”
    “Yeah, so go into the other room so I can get dressed.”
    He obediently crossed to the door. She was appreciating the way his ass moved in those well-worn jeans, so she didn’t see the expression on his face when he opened the door. But she saw him slam it shut, back pedaling with a hand slapped over his eyes.
    “What?” she asked.
    He kept his eyes covered. “Kathy!” was all he said.
    She hurried to the door herself and opened it just in time to see Kathy’s door slam shut. She glanced back at him. “What?” she asked again.
    He lowered one hand enough to peek at her. “I saw her and she wasn’t all the way dressed.”
    Was he honestly embarrassed? The part of his face not covered by his hands was red. She closed the door, trying not to laugh. “Get over it.”
    “From now on, no woman will leave her bedroom until she’s fully dressed,” he decreed.
    Connie’s eyebrow flew up at his autocratic tone. “Hey, she lives here. You’re just visiting.”
    “Visiting?” He dropped his hands to stare at her. “We’ll be married in a few hours. Did you think I’d be living in the basement with Stag?”
    That made her pause. Of course they’d be sharing her room. Her mind just couldn’t resist remembering the last erotic dream she’d had of him, the one where he had used his fingers and mouth between her legs to make her scream. She turned to the dresser with a shaky breath.
    “I’m freezing. Turn around or close your eyes so I can get dressed.”
    He didn’t move. “Where,” he asked with gentle persistence, “did you think I would be sleeping?”
    “I didn’t think about it, okay? It’s been only a few hours since we decided we’d get married, and I slept most of those. Cut me some slack.” She swallowed, purposely staring at the dresser instead of the rumpled bed. “You’ll be here.” She forced herself to look at him. “This is our room.”
    A sleek smile crossed his lips and he promptly turned around. As she hurriedly dressed, she wondered what marriage to a werewolf would be like. It had to be better than an arranged marriage to some guy she didn’t even know. Didn’t it?
     
    * * * *
     
    Standing in the big room, Connie could hear the wind whistle outside. It was going to be a cold walk to her wedding. It was mid-morning, and the sun looked pale and weak to Connie as she donned several layers of winter gear. Faron and two of his men were by one of the stoves, where he was probably giving them orders. Connie and several of the women were a few feet away, close to the kitchen, and Des, Stag and two other men from Taye’s Pack were by the door. Connie snuck glances at Des. She was going to marry him. She still had trouble processing that fact. In a few hours she would be married to Des Wolfe. The hangover hadn’t ever fully materialized, so maybe she couldn’t blame Katie’s stash for the rash decision.