remembered the smooth grace with which Tracker moved, like a cat hunting. If anyone should be a wolf, it was Tracker. “He’s just human?”
“He’s a man of the Clan, whether he has a wolf or not. About half of us don’t have wolves. That doesn’t mean they can’t fight.”
A light rap on the door made Connie jump slightly. A voice murmured quietly on the other side. Des nodded, as if in response. It was weird, how well these guys could hear. He dropped a light kiss on her head.
“The water in the shower will be hot for three minutes.”
Connie felt her mouth fall open. “A hot shower?”
“Only for a few minutes, and only right now. So hurry!”
She leapt from the bed and rushed, naked, to the bathroom. She reached through the shower curtain for the faucet. When she turned the knob, warm water poured in a weak stream from the showerhead. She was standing under the water and wetting her hair before she remembered she didn’t have shampoo. The soap by the sink would have to do. She pulled the shower curtain back a few inches to reach for the soap dish on the sink. Des was there.
“Only two more minutes,” he warned her, handing her the soap and a washcloth.
She frantically scrubbed her body and hair. Warm water relaxed her muscles and delighted her soul, almost as much as Des’ lovemaking had last night and this morning. No, nothing did that as well as sex with Des. She was about to invite her new husband to join her when the water turned icy. She sucked in a shocked breath and fumbled to turn off the faucets. Des was ready with a towel. She noticed with disappointment that he had re-braided his hair.
“That was great,” she said through chattering teeth.
He laughed softly, wrapping her goose-bumped body in the towel and giving her arms a vigorous rub through the terrycloth. “Here, take this towel for your hair.”
Once her hair was wrapped up, he put his arms around her and held her. She liked the strength that cradled her against his warm chest. “Des, we have got to get hot running water for our place.”
His face lit, an unusual expression for his normally dour face, and his arms crushed her in a hug. She held the towel up over her breasts with one arm and hugged him back with the other. When he loosened his grip she raised a quizzical eyebrow. “What was that for?”
His face settled back into its typical stoic lines, although she could still see a hint of warmth in his eyes. “You said ‘our place’. You accept our mating.”
“I married you. That’s pretty accepting, don’t you think?”
He shrugged, stepping away to allow her to go back into the bedroom. “Words and a piece of paper don’t mean much. Actions and thoughts do.”
Actions, she mused, rubbing her hair vigorously with the towel. She prided herself on being a woman of action. Her clothes were folded neatly on the floor by the bed, painfully cold, and the panties weren’t clean. She winced as she pulled them on to her newly washed body. The socks, jeans and shirt followed. Shivers were still coursing through her body when she turned back to the bathroom to hang up the towels. They were already showing signs of forming ice crystals. Was it actually freezing in here? Yeah, it was cold, but with Des to keep her warm under the covers last night she hadn’t felt the temperature. He took the towels from her and tossed them over the bar for the shower curtain. The he stood in the bathroom door, naked, arms folded over his chest.
“You’re right, Des. Actions speak louder than words, but I’ll say it anyway. I appreciate you. If you hadn’t stepped up, all of us women would be facing a bad situation. This marriage isn’t what I’d planned on, but I think it will be good. It can work.”
“Do you think stepping up was a sacrifice for me?”
The note of incredulity in his voice made her twitch. “Maybe not, but it’s changed everything for you. You’ll be leaving the den and starting a new job in a place with a
“He’s a man of the Clan, whether he has a wolf or not. About half of us don’t have wolves. That doesn’t mean they can’t fight.”
A light rap on the door made Connie jump slightly. A voice murmured quietly on the other side. Des nodded, as if in response. It was weird, how well these guys could hear. He dropped a light kiss on her head.
“The water in the shower will be hot for three minutes.”
Connie felt her mouth fall open. “A hot shower?”
“Only for a few minutes, and only right now. So hurry!”
She leapt from the bed and rushed, naked, to the bathroom. She reached through the shower curtain for the faucet. When she turned the knob, warm water poured in a weak stream from the showerhead. She was standing under the water and wetting her hair before she remembered she didn’t have shampoo. The soap by the sink would have to do. She pulled the shower curtain back a few inches to reach for the soap dish on the sink. Des was there.
“Only two more minutes,” he warned her, handing her the soap and a washcloth.
She frantically scrubbed her body and hair. Warm water relaxed her muscles and delighted her soul, almost as much as Des’ lovemaking had last night and this morning. No, nothing did that as well as sex with Des. She was about to invite her new husband to join her when the water turned icy. She sucked in a shocked breath and fumbled to turn off the faucets. Des was ready with a towel. She noticed with disappointment that he had re-braided his hair.
“That was great,” she said through chattering teeth.
He laughed softly, wrapping her goose-bumped body in the towel and giving her arms a vigorous rub through the terrycloth. “Here, take this towel for your hair.”
Once her hair was wrapped up, he put his arms around her and held her. She liked the strength that cradled her against his warm chest. “Des, we have got to get hot running water for our place.”
His face lit, an unusual expression for his normally dour face, and his arms crushed her in a hug. She held the towel up over her breasts with one arm and hugged him back with the other. When he loosened his grip she raised a quizzical eyebrow. “What was that for?”
His face settled back into its typical stoic lines, although she could still see a hint of warmth in his eyes. “You said ‘our place’. You accept our mating.”
“I married you. That’s pretty accepting, don’t you think?”
He shrugged, stepping away to allow her to go back into the bedroom. “Words and a piece of paper don’t mean much. Actions and thoughts do.”
Actions, she mused, rubbing her hair vigorously with the towel. She prided herself on being a woman of action. Her clothes were folded neatly on the floor by the bed, painfully cold, and the panties weren’t clean. She winced as she pulled them on to her newly washed body. The socks, jeans and shirt followed. Shivers were still coursing through her body when she turned back to the bathroom to hang up the towels. They were already showing signs of forming ice crystals. Was it actually freezing in here? Yeah, it was cold, but with Des to keep her warm under the covers last night she hadn’t felt the temperature. He took the towels from her and tossed them over the bar for the shower curtain. The he stood in the bathroom door, naked, arms folded over his chest.
“You’re right, Des. Actions speak louder than words, but I’ll say it anyway. I appreciate you. If you hadn’t stepped up, all of us women would be facing a bad situation. This marriage isn’t what I’d planned on, but I think it will be good. It can work.”
“Do you think stepping up was a sacrifice for me?”
The note of incredulity in his voice made her twitch. “Maybe not, but it’s changed everything for you. You’ll be leaving the den and starting a new job in a place with a
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