In Deeper by Christy Gissendaner Page A

upstairs. His first inclination urged him to follow her, but damned if he would play into her hands. He wasn’t blind, nor had he missed the blatant invitation in her gaze. She wanted him to chase after her. His cock agreed. Instead, he waited. He stood there and pretended an indifference he was far from feeling until she reappeared.
    “You’re still here?” Celeste called down.
    “Where else would I be?” He put his hands on his hips and stared at her. “I’m not leaving here without you. You can save us both the trouble by packing your things.”
    She propped a hip against the railing and twirled a strand of lovely golden hair around her finger. “You don’t give up, do you?”
    Not on her. “We both know you have two options here. Either you play along like a good little girl, or I make you. Your choice.”
    She snarled and narrowed her eyes. “I’m not going.”
    The air in the room subtly changed. It crackled with an energy that had nothing to do with the recent lightning storm. He frowned and studied the signs of her altered eyes and rigid limbs. “There’s no need to fight me on this, but if you’re looking for a challenge, I’m game.”
    He had no warning when she tossed aside her robe and slipped into her wolf form. He admired the sleek white coat and brilliant gold eyes before she leaped from the second floor and landed next to him. Her claws scraped the tile floor as she stalked forward and butted him with her head. He laughed at the clear challenge of her lupine eyes.
    “This is ridiculous. I’m not fighting a girl.”
    She responded with a hiss and swiped a paw at him. A claw scraped across his thigh, ripping the worn denim and leaving a tiny trickle of red. If she’d meant to hurt him, she could’ve, but the sight of blood made his beast rage out of control.
    “You’d better hide,” he warned her. He removed his clothing methodically and set it aside. Once he was naked, he closed his eyes and called to his animal form. It had been weeks since he shifted. His muscles and ligaments protested the sudden change. He grunted when he landed upon all fours.
    Celeste had disappeared. He sniffed the air. Female wolf and human arousal lingered. She was upstairs. He padded up the stairs and went down the hall, following the scents she’d left behind. With his altered vision, the shades of white appeared green.
    He found her room and nudged open the door with his head. He paused in the doorway and swung his head left to right, seeking his prey. Instead of the wolf he thought he’d find, his heart shuddered when he caught sight of the nude human form upon the bed. She’d abandoned the wolf and lay spread across the mattress, her hair brushed over one shoulder, her smooth limbs open and waiting for him.
    He backed out of the room, fighting the intense arousal, and surrendered to human form. Battling the wolf into submission, he gritted his teeth against the pain of the sudden shift. He stayed crouched on the floor until his vision corrected. The wound on his thigh had mostly healed. A small line of pink remained where she’d scratched him.
    He stood and returned to the room. Celeste remained on the bed. Her gaze swept over him. “About time.”
    He strode forward and surveyed the delectable body on display. “Why didn’t you just say you wanted to fuck?”
    Her cheeks turned pink. “Do you have to be so crude?”
    “You like it.” He put a knee onto the mattress and crooked a finger at her. “You like it when I talk dirty to you.”
    She shook her head. “You come here.”
    He remembered her actions of the night before. Without a word, he grasped his cock and gave it a teasing squeeze. He watched with satisfaction as her attention dropped to his erection. His palmed the stiff length and moved his hand up and down. Precum glistened on the tip, and Celeste licked her lips in expectation.
    “Come here,” he beckoned. “I want you to suck me.”
    Her amber eyes glittered. She hadn’t gone