Read Online Their Forever Home by Marla Monroe - Free Book Online Page B

didn’t want Lance to shoot it. Before she allowed that, she’d draw him outside herself. The wolf or dog suddenly lunged to its feet and growled low and deep. Lance was moving closer to them.
    “Wait, Lance. Let me try something,” she said.
    “Don’t…” But she was already on her knees, wrapping an arm around the creature’s neck.
    “Easy there, doggie, or whatever you are. This is Lance. He’s a friend of mine.” Vella held out the other hand and reached for Lance’s hand.
    “What are you doing?” Lance asked. He held out his hand despite the thing growling a bit louder.
    Vella was impressed that Lance wasn’t flinching at the sound of the fierce growl less than a yard from him. She managed to reach his hand and curled her fingers around his. Then she inched closer, pulling the animal with her until, if he stretched out his neck, he’d be able to sniff Lance’s fingers—or bite them off. She was counting on the first option. Lance probably was, too.
    The wolf looked up at her then slowly stretched out and sniffed at first hers then Lance’s entwined fingers. It looked at her again, then Lance. To her relief, the wolf licked their joined hands then walked closer and rubbed his head beneath their clasped fingers. She released Lance’s hand so he could run it down the animal’s fur. She smiled at him when he did, and the wolf sat then lay down between them.
    “Hell. I can just hear Carver when he gets back. He’s going to tear me a new one over this.” Lance didn’t sound too worried though. Instead, he scratched behind the animal’s ears and smiled at Vella.
    “Sorry about the stew. Did you get any at all?”
    “I’d already eaten. I was just keeping it warm for you when you woke up,” he said.
    “You had to have gotten up early to find it, kill it, dress it, and then cook it.”
    “Oh, Carver killed it and dressed it. Left it for me to cook though. He isn’t much of a cook.” Lance made a gagging face that had to be exaggerated. Surely the man’s cooking skills weren’t that bad.
    The wolf whined as he looked up at Lance’s terrible expression. Vella laughed and ruffled the animal’s fur. Lance stopped playing around and did the same. Their fingers brushed, and without the tension of trying to get the wolf to accept Lance, the touch was much more intimate and personal. All of her girly bits tightened, heated, and grew wet. She couldn’t believe how wet her pussy was just from that light touch. She pulled back and busied herself gathering the dishes.
    “I’ll get those. You don’t need to go outside away from the heat yet. I think the wolf or big-assed dog will keep you safe while I’m gone.”
    “But you just got back. You can do them later. Sit by the fire and warm up some first. Your fingers were like ice cubes,” she said, feeling suddenly shy.
    Vella quickly lowered her eyes when Lance’s grew dark with desire. She couldn’t mistake that look if she wanted to. Neither could she act on it—at least not yet. She needed to know more about the two men before she gave herself to either one of them. Maybe she was old-fashioned considering how things were in their new world these days, but falling into bed with one man was bad enough. She had the feeling it would be with two, which was twice as bad.
    “I’ll sit with you for a few more minutes, and then I need to wash these up so I can be here when Carver gets back. We don’t know how he’ll react to the mutt and how the mutt will react to him. He’s a bit more, um, dominant than I am. If this really is a wolf or wolf hybrid, it won’t like being challenged. Carver will definitely challenge it.” Lance looked between them at the now-dozing animal.
    She had no doubt he wasn’t completely asleep. He’d be aware of everything going on around him despite his eyes being closed. Animals had that built-in sixth or seventh sense where danger could be around.
    “How long do you think it will be before he makes it back?” she