Like a Wolf with a Bone Read online

  “Okay.” Eggie piled up a few more plates and lifted them.

  “Think we can sleep together again tonight?”

  Eggie, who could take out a target nearly a mile away with a good scope and in a high wind, nearly dropped the plates, barely catching them in time.

  He put the pile back on the table and turned. And damn the woman, she was right behind him.

  “Something wrong?” she asked, having the nerve to look innocent and sweet.

  “This ain’t fair, Darla Mae.”

  “What isn’t?”

  “You,” he accused, forcing his gaze to look at anything but her, “smelling nice and looking so damn pretty.”

  “You think I’m pretty?”

  “Everyone thinks you’re pretty.”

  “Not really.”

  “I just can’t do this.”

  “Do what?”

  He took a step away from her, ended up banging his butt into the dining table. “This. With you. Ain’t right.”

  “Why?” She moved in closer. “Because of my sisters? Because they said horrible things to you?”

  “No, of course not.” Besides. He was used to her sisters.

  “Because they make me look like an idiot?” she asked flatly.

  “No and they don’t.” He swallowed. “It’s just you’re . . . you’re . . .”

  “What? I’m what?”

  “You know,” he shrugged. “Untouched by a man.”

  “I wouldn’t say all that,” she muttered.

  Eggie frowned. “Pardon?”

  “What I mean is, I’m not some innocent, Eggie. I’ve just been waiting for the right . . .” She grinned, nearly killing him. “The right wolf to come along.”

  “Well that’s not me,” he told her plain.

  Darla didn’t understand this man. Did he want her or not? He seemed to want her one second but then seemed ready to bolt the very next.

  “May I ask why you’re not the right wolf?”

  Still not looking her in the eyes, which seemed strange since he seemed to use that stare to his benefit most of the time, Eggie said, “Because for your first time, you deserve. . . better.”

  “Better than what?”

  “Better than a man known for his ability to kill.”

  “But isn’t that what you’re good at?”

  He finally looked her in the eye. “Ow.”

  “There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” she quickly added. “We all have to be good at something.”

  He picked up the plates he’d just put down on the table. “I’m going to do the dishes.”

  And Darla watched Eggie Smith walk away. Tight butt moving in those jeans. She knew what her momma would say. That he’d come back when he was good and ready and a proper Southern girl would wait.

  Yep. She should wait because that’s what nice Southern gals do. They wait.

  Eggie had just made it into his kitchen when he was attacked from behind. Well, maybe “attacked” was too strong a word. But whatever the right word, he did have a She-wolf attached to his back at the moment.

  Felt kinda nice, too.

  “Darla, what are you doing?”

  “Well, I know my momma would say nice Southern girls wait for the man to make the appropriate moves, but then I remembered I’m a Lewis and all that went out the window. I mean of five sisters, why am I the only one trying to be the nice one?”

  “You’re the nice one?”

  “Why am I the only one not going for what I want?”

  Eggie laughed.

  “What’s so funny . . . wait. That was a laugh, wasn’t it? I’m still trying to learn your different grunts.”

  “It was a laugh because you actually believe you don’t go for what you want.”

  “I don’t.”

  “Says the girl strapped to my back.”

  “You were walking away. I had to do something.”

  Eggie walked to the sink, Darla still holding onto him. “You sure you just don’t want to get even with your sister?” he asked.

  “Huh?”

  “Come on, Darla. In terms of gettin’ even with your sister, bedding down with me would be the easiest way. Janie Mae hates me. But we can tell her whatever you want while you keep on waitin’ for that perfect wolf who isn’t good at killin’.”

  Lord, this man was not going to be easy. Then again, her daddy always said nothing worth having was ever easy to get . . . or something to that effect.

  Darla slipped off Eggie’s back and stood at his side. “Put the dishes in the sink,” she ordered and, Marine that he was, he obeyed immediately.

  Once the few bits of dishware were safe, Darla tugged on his arm until Eggie faced her. She didn’t bother trying to haul him around. She sensed the wolf moved only when he dang well felt like it. Thankfully he felt like it.

  He faced her but the man was six-four. He might as well be a darn mountain. Glancing around, Darla turned and, using a little trick only She-wolves seemed to have, she hopped up and back, her butt landing on the sink counter. She still wasn’t quite at eye level but definitely close enough.

  She grabbed his T-shirt and held on. If he tried to make a run for it now, he’d have to drag her along with him.

  He glanced down at her hands and back to her face. “What are you doing?”

  Darla took a deep breath and tightened her grip on his shirt. “Gettin’ what I want.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  No.

  No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

  He couldn’t do this.

  Well, that was a lie. He could do this. He wanted to do this. But he shouldn’t. Right? It would be wrong. Right? Someone tell him it would be wrong!

  But it was just Eggie and Darla Mae. And she didn’t seem real ready to tell him much of anything at the moment. Instead she was moving toward him, leaning into him, her gaze focused on his mouth.

  Lord, her hands were so soft and her face so pretty.

  Plus he just liked her. He liked when she was cranky because someone was rude. Or when she was going on about politics or going on about that damn women’s libber stuff. He found her interesting and oh so sweet.

  Too sweet to fuck?

  Well, the way she was now kissing his jaw, he was no longer so sure. And in another few seconds, he’d no longer care.

  “Darla—”

  Her soft hand pressed against his mouth and she shook her head.

  “No,” she said, her voice low. “Don’t say anything. Just kiss me. Please.”

  It was the “please” that did him in. That ripped away his need to be what he’d heard termed “a nice guy.”

  Eggie framed her face with his hands, his thumbs brushing her cheeks, his fingers lightly gripping the back of her neck. He leaned down, but stopped just before touching her mouth with his. Took a moment to revel in that feeling of anticipation. That feeling of electricity that played between them. It was just so powerful.

  Her hands gripped his biceps, fingers digging into the muscle. She wanted him. This sweet, adorable She-wolf wanted him. In Eggie’s estimation, that was pure evidence of God.

  Finally, unable to wait a second longer, Eggie kissed her. And he knew in an instant that this had been the She-wolf he’d been waiting for his whole entire life.

  Eggie kissed her, his tongue slipping between her lips. He still tasted like her lemon meringue pie, and her recipe had never tasted better.

  Darla wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her head to the side so that Eggie could easily go deeper. He did and she loved it.

  Although not at all what Darla expected, this was turning out to be the softest, sweetest kiss she’d ever had. And she wanted more. Much more.

  Darla grabbed hold of the bottom of Eggie’s T-shirt and lifted. She pulled out of their kiss so she could draw the shirt over his head. Biting her lip, she let her gaze roam over all that hard flesh, her fingers itching to touch and explore. Noting that he was waiting for her to make the first move, she did. She pulled off her
own T-shirt. Since she never bothered to wear a bra anyway—something that went against all her mother’s ladylike sensibilities—she immediately reached for him, wanting to feel his body against hers.

  Eggie stepped closer and Darla put her arms over his shoulders and arched her back so her chest pressed into his. She heard him growl a little, and then he was kissing her again. This time it was a little more desperate. Okay, a lot more. And Darla loved it. She kissed him back, her body getting hot, her nipples hard.

  Darla reached for Eggie’s jeans and that’s when he pulled back, catching hold of her hands and stopping them.

  “Wait . . . um . . .” He was panting, his eyes closed. Good. This was good. Panting was good, right?

  Eyes still closed, Eggie licked his lips, took a breath, then asked, “Do you wanna have my baby?”

  Although it was hard, Darla decided not to panic at that question, and instead asked one of her own. “Do you mean right this second?”

  Eggie’s eyes opened and he peered at her. “Huh?”

  She raised her brows because she really didn’t know what he was trying to ask her.

  “Oh.” He blinked. “Oh!” Eggie shook his head. He was still panting, so that was still good, right? “I meant . . . well . . . um . . . I got some . . . upstairs . . . in my bag . . . and . . . ya know . . . um . . .”

  Darla thought a moment and asked, “Are you talking about condoms?”

  Lord, he looked absolutely mortified.

  “Yeah. Condoms.”

  “It’s okay to mention them. We are about to have sex.”

  “Yeah, but . . . you’re a virgin.”

  “Hopefully not for much longer.” Then she grinned, showing her teeth. It made him laugh and she watched him relax a little.

  “I just don’t want to scare you—”

  “Because you have a bag full of condoms?”

  “I do not have a bag full of condoms. Just a few. When you’re stationed overseas, the military’s big about making sure their Marines—”

  “Have bags full of condoms?”

  At that point she could see he’d given up and she laughingly pushed him, “Go get them. Now.”

  “Okay.” He nodded. “Okay. I’ll go get them.” He spun away from her and quickly walked out of the kitchen. A few seconds later he came right back. “Do you see what you’re doing to me?” he demanded.

  And before she could answer, he picked her up and carried her out of the kitchen. “About to go all the way upstairs, get the damn condoms, and come all the way back down to get you. You’re making me insane!”

  Laughing, Darla put her head on his shoulder while he brought her to his bedroom. He carefully placed her on the mattress. He kissed her, stepped away, but came right back and kissed her again. Before she knew it, she was stretched out across the bed, Eggie on top of her, his tongue exploring her mouth.

  He felt so good under her hands, his big body pressing her into the mattress. She couldn’t believe how safe she felt with him, how comfortable. And yet she felt wild. Out of control.

  Especially when he began moving down her body, kissing her jaw and throat, his mouth finally settling on her breast. He sucked her nipple between his lips, held it while his tongue teased.

  Darla’s back arched, her hands digging into his shoulders. He moved to her other breast and she realized she couldn’t take it anymore. She pushed at him until he lifted his head and looked at her. She wiggled out from under him and got on her knees.

  “Darla?”

  She didn’t answer him. She couldn’t. She was all hot and itchy and needy and . . . and . . . she couldn’t!

  Slipping off her sandals, Darla then went for her jeans and her panties, lowering them until she could go on her back and kick them off. By the time she’d gotten the darn things off, Eggie was there, reaching for her. He was naked now, too, and oh, Lord. The man was perfect. Just perfect.

  He began kissing her again, his hands moving down her body, the rough tips easing along her skin. Darla began to squirm. She needed him so badly. Wanted him more than she could ever hope to say. At the moment she was grateful he wasn’t much for talking. She wouldn’t make any sense if she had to carry on a conversation. So she didn’t. She just groaned and writhed.

  One of Eggie’s hands stroked down her side to her leg, easing around until it settled between her thighs. Darla immediately opened herself to him. When he didn’t move, she reached down and gripped his hand, tugging his fingers higher.

  He chuckled against her neck and Darla smiled in spite of her frustration. Then Eggie eased a finger inside her, slowly stroking it in and out. It felt so good, Darla growled, her hips beginning to move. A second finger joined the first and Darla dug her hands into his hair. He kissed her again while his fingers moved inside her. They felt wonderful but she wanted him.

  She kissed along his jaw, moving up until she was near his ear and whispered, once, “Please, Eggie.”

  Eggie froze, his entire body rigid. After a moment, he slowly pulled his fingers from inside her and raised his big body over hers.

  “Look at me, Darla.”

  And she did, raising her gaze to his. He watched her with those eyes. Those beautiful eyes that told her he was more wolf than man but she didn’t care because it was the wolf that made her feel safe. Protected. Cared for.

  He still didn’t want to hurt her. He still didn’t trust himself enough. So she leaned up and nipped at his jaw, his neck, dug her fingers into his shoulders. That’s when, with condom on, he entered her, pushing inside her. He was bigger than she’d thought he’d be, but after listening to her sisters over the last few years, talking about the Smith boys, maybe she should have been more prepared.

  Darla bit her lip and buried her face against his neck. She didn’t want him to stop but she was afraid if she showed the slightest pain, he would.

  “Keep looking at me, Darla.”

  Damn.

  Taking a breath, she leaned her head back so he could see her face.

  “Don’t hide from me. Okay?”

  She nodded, but tightened her grip on his shoulders. She didn’t want him to stop. She wasn’t sure she could handle it if he stopped.

  Eggie pressed forward again but Lord, he was really big, stretching her open. She swallowed but kept her eyes on him. It didn’t matter, though. He read her easily and stopped.

  Damn!

  But he didn’t pull away. Instead, he leaned down and wrapped his warm mouth around her breast again, his tongue and lips playing with first one nipple, then the other. Tugging, nipping, sucking. After a few minutes, Darla began to writhe and groan again. It felt so good what he was doing. It felt like little electric currents were shooting from her breasts to the rest of her body, even her fingers and toes.

  She started to pant again, her body getting hotter, her legs opening wider. She didn’t know how long Eggie went back and forth between her nipples, teasing her with his mouth. It felt so wonderful.

  Eggie’s hips pushed forward and she felt a sharp pain when he slid in, but it was so brief, it barely registered. Instead, she became more overwhelmed by how full she felt. It was like he’d taken over the entire area. Not that she minded. She didn’t know how something could overwhelm and feel so dang wonderful all at the same time, but Eggie had managed it.

  Even more amazing, he waited a bit before he moved again. Just holding himself still inside her, still enjoying her breasts with his mouth, his hands roaming her body. He stayed like that, too, until Darla’s claws began to ease out and she ended up scratching his shoulders. He didn’t seem to mind. She just heard a grunt, a little laugh . . . then he was moving.

  And, oh, God, please don’t ever stop. Please.

  Eggie took his time, rocking into her, understanding her body wasn’t used to this and seeming to feel no need to rush her. Darla clung to him then, held onto him while he brought her up and up, until that climax hit her. She gripped him tight, her mouth pressed against his neck, her startled scream lost again
st his skin.

  When she finally settled down, with her toes still curled and her body still wrapped around Eggie, Darla realized that tears were streaking down her face. She knew because Eggie was gently wiping them away with his thumb.

  “You all right?” he asked her, his voice low. Almost a whisper.

  And Darla said the first thing that came to mind at that moment. “I’m so glad I waited for you.”

  Again, Eggie froze, his entire body rigid and when she looked into his eyes . . . she saw that small change in dilation.

  She’d brought out the wolf.

  Of all the things she could have said to him, it was that one thing that had him wanting to mark her there and then. He knew he couldn’t. It wouldn’t be right. Not for her, anyway. He’d be fine with it, but he also knew he couldn’t just trap some She-wolf into being his mate. Life with him would never be easy, so it would have to be a choice that Darla made on her own. But the Lord knew she was playing with fire.

  Using every bit of Marine training he’d ever had over the last ten years, Eggie reined in his wolf, leashed it, you might say. He had to. And once he leashed it, he could focus on Darla again. She gazed up at him with wide eyes. A little bit of panic, he guessed, but he didn’t see any fear. Good. He didn’t want her to ever be afraid of him. The rest of the world could be, but never Darla.

  He smiled down at her and she smiled back, showing him those goddamn dimples. Honestly, the woman was testing his resolve!

  So he kissed her damn pretty mouth and he finished what he’d started. He stroked into her, trying to keep it together. Trying not to get too out of control. She’d just lost her virginity and he knew it had hurt her, but she’d still managed to come. So he wasn’t about to ruin all that by just ramming into her like a freight train. No matter how much he might want to.

  So Eggie kept going, nice and easy, simply enjoying how good she felt, how tight she was holding him, how hard she was panting. Then she whispered his name and his eyes crossed. Then she said it again and again. It suddenly hit him that she was coming again, her body tightening around his as she choked on another scream. He followed right after her, his entire body jerking against her as he came so hard he was sure he was going to burst an important blood vessel. But it felt so good. Nothing had ever felt that good. Not simply because he was coming, but because he was with Darla.