Read Online Wandering Off the Path by Willa Edwards - Free Book Online Page A

felt his pull again. She twisted towards him, her whole being alert and aware of his hard form beside her. She clutched her hands at her side, wanting to run her fingers across that chest, through his thick hair, down his smooth back. She fought against the haze of desire Wolf had unleashed in her, trying to remember Hunter’s presence just outside her door. She had no idea what Hunter would do if he found her being ravished by her big, bad Wolf, but she didn’t wish to find out.
    “Wolf,” she spoke quickly, forcing the words from her throat even as her heart opposed them. “You need to dress.”
    His molten gaze assessed her, warming her with invitation. Her body responded—she was more than willing to accept the enticement in his stare. It took all of her willpower to deny his request.
    “I heard a horse.”
    Wolf leapt from his seat, the bench rocked underneath her, his every muscle tensed for attack. The tightening of his frame only improved her view of his chiselled nakedness, her gaze lingering upon his strong legs and arse. The rational part of her mind fought for control.
    “It’s fine. It’s a friend,” she reassured, hoping to calm the spooked warrior within. A husky tenor wrapped around her words, roughness that she hoped wouldn’t incite him further.
    From the way his eyes glowed, she knew Wolf had noticed the lusty, gravelly sound as well. He turned towards her, licking his lips. The movement was performed with expertise to elicit a response. Even realising the manipulation, her heart thumped harder, wanting to give in.
    “Why don’t you send them away?” Wolf stepped closer. His muscles clenched, he looked about to pounce. She found it difficult to remember why she needed to deny him. The idea of giving in played sweetly in her mind. They could go back to the bedroom, crawl into bed. Wolf’s hard body would pin her to the mattress, his rough palms would hold her wrists above her—
    “No!” she exclaimed. Her breath was ragged.
    Wolf leaned closer, as if preparing for his next assault, determined to break through her poorly constructed barriers, but she stopped him with a touch.
    “He might know something about my grandmother.”
    Wolf leant back in surrender. But he made no move to return to the bedroom and clothe himself as she’d asked.
    “Please, Wolf.”
    The bang of the stable doors and the sounds of Hunter settling his horse into the small stable, where he kept his mare every time he visited, echoed through the air.
    Wolf nodded, stepping away from her to the bedroom. Abigail let out a sigh of relief as he disappeared behind the door, his acceptance not as reassuring as she’d hoped for. Her reputation would be ruined if Hunter found Wolf there. But soon Wolf would be gone as well, leaving a gaping void where her quiet life had once resided.
    She pulled the edges of her cloak closer around her. Not only to warm herself from the cold created by Wolf’s departure, but to cover the thin chemise that moulded to her body. She’d never worn anything so revealing in front of Hunter, but nothing could be done about it now.
    The second thwack of the wooden stable door alerted her to Hunter’s approach, settling a chill through her body, and a sudden foreboding encircled her. The sense that something was about to happen she wouldn’t be able to turn back from, that would change her forever, nagged at her. But she shoved it aside. Two life-changing events couldn’t occur on the same night and there was no arguing that Wolf had changed her.
    Determined to conquer her trepidation, Abigail strode to the door, reaching the knob before Hunter. Pre-empting his knock, she swung the door open, allowing the cool October air to intrude into the cosy cabin.
    Hunter stood before her, his broad shoulders filling the doorway, ready to step inside the cabin. His bright blue eyes studied her with a mixture of surprise and relief. His curled sable hair stuck out around his head, windblown from his