stepped away from him.
His wolf howled in despair when she refused them.
As they neared the patio doors again, El broke the silence. “Please excuse me for a minute. I need to powder my nose.”
She had to get away from Stefan so she could breathe. She was determined to stick to her vow to never let another handsome, womanizing man humiliate her.
“Okay, El, you can do this.” She took a deep, calming breath. “You can make it another half hour and then you’re out of here.”
She leaned toward the mirror and squinted at her breasts. “And you two knock it off.”
A few more calming breaths and she would walk out the door and face the music, so to speak.
Stefan leaned on the doorframe and watched her cross the room. Now that he’d spent some time with her, he could recall a freckle-faced teenage girl who always hung in the background whenever he was around. To think she’d been there, under his nose, all along.
A smile tugged at his lips.
That quiet little girl had become one hell of a woman .
He imagined her curly, chocolate brown hair must be long based on the hairdo she had tonight. His dimples deepened as he imagined her curls as they framed her lovely face in the heat of the day as she worked her horses. But, truth be told, it was her eyes that captured his heart and soul – beautiful brown eyes that could tame his wolf and stop him in his tracks.
He pictured her mouth and his mind flooded with images of El’s lips, warm and sweet on his and then moving over his body, doing things to a certain part of his anatomy. The seams of his dress pants almost exploded from the pressure they were withstanding.
Stefan adjusted his inseam, the relief was minor and the effort to hide the growing evidence of his desire was wasted. He didn’t want to scare her off because he had absolutely zero control over his base responses. Judging from her reactions throughout the night, she’d never believe his discomfort was complements of her. He knew what she thought of him and the nicknames she called him. Never fear, he would change her opinion of him given time.
“It looks like you’ll be cleaning dog kennels,” Marcus said as he joined Stefan.
“Yeah, it does,” Stefan said with a huge dimply grin.
Marcus narrowed his eyes. “What’s going on? You’re way too happy about this and you never get turned down. Are you ill? Should I call Anna and Momma?”
“There’s no way I’m rushing this lady. She’s my mate. She’ll receive as much time as she needs. I can wait.”
“Damn. It’s just not right to follow through on the bet now. I really thought we won this time.”
“Sorry to ruin your fun, little brother.” Stefan’s smile turned to a look of worry. “I have my work cut out for me with El and I can’t afford to blow it.”
“What’s the problem? You’re the Don Juan of shifters. This should be a cake walk for you.”
“That’s the problem. I hear and feel her impression of me, and it isn’t good. She knows my history and predilections when it comes to women. To her I’m nothing but a playboy sleaze-ball. Worse, every time I try to touch her she freezes and terror rolls off her in waves.”
Marcus’s eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. “Shit. You’re screwed. What do you think the problem is?”
“I don’t know – yet. And thank you for that complete vote of confidence,” Stefan scowled.
“I call ‘em as I see ‘em,” Marcus shrugged. “And brother, you’re toast.” Marcus’s head turned toward feminine laughter and a grin pulled at his lips. “I see a group of single ladies who require my attention.”
He slapped Stefan on the back. “Good luck with El. I mean it. I hope it works out for both of you.”
Stefan walked to the table where he left his boots. There was only time for one more dance, and then if all went well he would be walking El to her car. As he waited, he loosened his tie and opened the top couple buttons on his shirt. Had it gotten warm in
His wolf howled in despair when she refused them.
As they neared the patio doors again, El broke the silence. “Please excuse me for a minute. I need to powder my nose.”
She had to get away from Stefan so she could breathe. She was determined to stick to her vow to never let another handsome, womanizing man humiliate her.
“Okay, El, you can do this.” She took a deep, calming breath. “You can make it another half hour and then you’re out of here.”
She leaned toward the mirror and squinted at her breasts. “And you two knock it off.”
A few more calming breaths and she would walk out the door and face the music, so to speak.
Stefan leaned on the doorframe and watched her cross the room. Now that he’d spent some time with her, he could recall a freckle-faced teenage girl who always hung in the background whenever he was around. To think she’d been there, under his nose, all along.
A smile tugged at his lips.
That quiet little girl had become one hell of a woman .
He imagined her curly, chocolate brown hair must be long based on the hairdo she had tonight. His dimples deepened as he imagined her curls as they framed her lovely face in the heat of the day as she worked her horses. But, truth be told, it was her eyes that captured his heart and soul – beautiful brown eyes that could tame his wolf and stop him in his tracks.
He pictured her mouth and his mind flooded with images of El’s lips, warm and sweet on his and then moving over his body, doing things to a certain part of his anatomy. The seams of his dress pants almost exploded from the pressure they were withstanding.
Stefan adjusted his inseam, the relief was minor and the effort to hide the growing evidence of his desire was wasted. He didn’t want to scare her off because he had absolutely zero control over his base responses. Judging from her reactions throughout the night, she’d never believe his discomfort was complements of her. He knew what she thought of him and the nicknames she called him. Never fear, he would change her opinion of him given time.
“It looks like you’ll be cleaning dog kennels,” Marcus said as he joined Stefan.
“Yeah, it does,” Stefan said with a huge dimply grin.
Marcus narrowed his eyes. “What’s going on? You’re way too happy about this and you never get turned down. Are you ill? Should I call Anna and Momma?”
“There’s no way I’m rushing this lady. She’s my mate. She’ll receive as much time as she needs. I can wait.”
“Damn. It’s just not right to follow through on the bet now. I really thought we won this time.”
“Sorry to ruin your fun, little brother.” Stefan’s smile turned to a look of worry. “I have my work cut out for me with El and I can’t afford to blow it.”
“What’s the problem? You’re the Don Juan of shifters. This should be a cake walk for you.”
“That’s the problem. I hear and feel her impression of me, and it isn’t good. She knows my history and predilections when it comes to women. To her I’m nothing but a playboy sleaze-ball. Worse, every time I try to touch her she freezes and terror rolls off her in waves.”
Marcus’s eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. “Shit. You’re screwed. What do you think the problem is?”
“I don’t know – yet. And thank you for that complete vote of confidence,” Stefan scowled.
“I call ‘em as I see ‘em,” Marcus shrugged. “And brother, you’re toast.” Marcus’s head turned toward feminine laughter and a grin pulled at his lips. “I see a group of single ladies who require my attention.”
He slapped Stefan on the back. “Good luck with El. I mean it. I hope it works out for both of you.”
Stefan walked to the table where he left his boots. There was only time for one more dance, and then if all went well he would be walking El to her car. As he waited, he loosened his tie and opened the top couple buttons on his shirt. Had it gotten warm in
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