The lights on the elevator wall blinked as they descended.
“He didn’t.” She shook her head. “He just…thanked me. He let me talk, let me tell him all about Harper— and he thanked me.”
Maybe Lee wasn’t as much of an ass**le as he’d always thought.
“He said things would be different for him, that he had a second chance.”
Second chances were damn rare.
The last light flashed on. They’d hit the ground floor. The doors opened with a whisper. Erin stepped forward, but hesitated. “I don’t want to go home tonight. Not there, just…not tonight.”
And he wouldn’t take her back to his cabin. The police were still combing that road. She didn’t need to see the death scene again so soon.
“Don’t worry,” he told her, catching her fingers and bringing them to his lips. Alive. She was alive. He kept having to remind himself of that very important fact because the image of the wolf with his fangs bared over her throat wouldn’t stop playing in his mind. “Got it covered, sweetheart.” He stared into her golden eyes. “I’ve got it covered.”
When he shoved open the hotel’s front door, Jude caught sight of the same punk kid he’d seen before at the front desk.
Hell.
The kid’s eyes widened and Jude knew he’d been recognized, too. Blue eyes darted to Erin’s face, lingered for a bit.
“Two rooms again?”
Smart-ass. Jude slapped the money down on the countertop. “One—with a king-size bed.”
The acne hadn’t cleared up a bit for the punk. “You sure you only want one room?” The question was directed at Erin.
Why did he have to put up with this ass? Hadn’t his night been hard enough?
“One room.” Her voice was husky and soft and sounded like pure sex.
The kid gulped and shoved a key card across the countertop.
Jude kept his hand around her lush curves and guided her toward the stairs.
“Lucky bastard.” The kid probably thought he wouldn’t hear that, and if he’d been human, maybe he wouldn’t have caught the whisper.
Jude glanced back at him. “Yeah, I am.” He was hoping like hell that his luck continued to hold. Because now that the danger was past, he didn’t want to lose his lady.
The silence stretched between them as they traveled to the room. Erin’s steps were slow and heavy on the carpet. She had to be close to collapse after a night like this one.
He shoved the keycard into the lock. The light flashed green, and Erin grabbed the handle and opened the door.
Different room. Same layout.
Jude swallowed and tried to ignore the fact that his c**k was fully erect, twitching with hunger, and that he was more than desperate for Erin.
Considerate. He could do that bit. For her. “You should…get some rest.” The door clicked closed behind him.
Erin gave a nod and jerked the garish green shirt over her head. Her white bra was striped with red. So was her chest.
“Shower first,” she said, and turned away from him. He watched her, his eyes on the sleek line of her back. Then his stare dropped to the soft sway of her hips and her truly phenomenal ass.
He’d loved that ass from the beginning. When he’d watched her walk away from him on that hot, stinking street, he hadn’t been able to look away from that sweet ass.
She paused at the bathroom door. Erin kicked off her shoes and shimmied out of her pants. “The shower’s big enough for two, you know.”
Not like he had to be told twice. He toed off the shoes Zane had dug up— from hell knew where—and stripped as he stalked to the bathroom.
The rush of water poured into the tub. Erin had already turned on the shower. Wisps of steam began to appear in the air.
He hesitated as he watched her. She’d climbed into the small space, and a clear pane of glass separated them. The water hit her, pouring over her flesh, soaking her hair and sliding in rivulets down her body.
Erin.
She soaped her skin. Lathered her stomach. Smoothed her hands over her br**sts.
His mouth went bone dry.
Considerate. He could do it. Maybe.
The glass began to fog and when he lost his million dollar view, Jude jerked to action.
He grabbed the shower door and wrenched it open.
The blood was gone from her body. She was all soft, smooth flesh now.
Naked woman.
He eased in behind her. No way was she going to miss the raging hard-on, but if she didn’t mind it poking her in that gorgeous ass—
Erin turned toward him. The water beat down on them both. “Kiss me.”
His lips took hers. Her tongue thrust into his mouth and stroked over his. Fuck considerate.
The vision of her on the ground, the wolf above her, flashed before his closed eyes, and he growled. His hands locked around her hips and he yanked her even closer.
His c**k pressed against her. The feel of that smooth, wet skin was a stimulant that had him shaking.
Her ni**les stabbed against his chest. He had to taste the tight, hard tips. Wanted them against his tongue. Jude ripped his mouth from hers. Lowering his head, he craned down and caught one sweet pink tip.
Her moan filled his ears even as his tongue stroked the peak. He’d never get enough of her rich taste. The scent of her cream filled his nostrils.
She wanted him. He was dying for her.
His fingers pushed between them. Erin parted her thighs for him and Jude found her creamy heat. He drove one finger into her. Ready. She was more than ready.
So was he.
The water was too hot. No, maybe that was him.
Screw it.
Another finger plunged inside her and she moaned, a deep, guttural sound.
His c**k jerked. Inside.
He backed her up against the side of the shower. He freed her breast, after one more greedy suckle, and his head rose as he stared down at her. Such golden eyes—filled with lust and hunger.
His fingers pumped in her. Once. Twice. His thumb stroked her clit, just the way he knew she liked and when her breath panted, when her eyes flared, when he knew she was just about to come—
Jude dragged his hand away from her.
“Jude!”
Ah, that was what he liked. The sound of his name on her lips, grated with hunger, whispered with demand.
He lifted her up, positioning her so that he could see that perfect pink flesh.
Her back pressed against the tile. Her wet hair stuck to her face and neck.
Beautiful.
He drove his c**k inside as deep as he could go—and she came at that first plunge, her sex squeezing him and milking his erection as her delicate muscles convulsed. Her eyes seemed to go blind for a moment and her mouth opened wide.