Tempted (Two Marks 1)

“This is what life is all about.”

“Damn straight,” Wade agreed, kissing my neck and shoulder. “Until I met you, I had no idea.”

“Me neither,” Landry agreed. “But now we have a mate, and it all makes sense.” He lightly traced a fingertip around the puncture marks Wade left on my breast.

They didn’t say anything else. It was as if they couldn’t stop touching me, so I reveled in the feel of their hands. And I fell asleep, content in my world. At least for now.

19

CAITLYN

The rest of Saturday had been spent between Landry and Wade. They’d been gentle with me. Cautious. Studiously checking my skin where they’d bitten me. They’d been intense during the actual act of marking me, where they’d been wild and almost… rough. As if they couldn’t control themselves. After that, they’d been perhaps too controlled. Keeping me in bed, feeding me there. They still hadn’t been able to keep their hands off me, but now it was as if they were making love. I’d been on top with Wade, setting the pace. Landry had gone all basic and missionary.

Nothing crazy. But the orgasms. God, it didn’t matter if they were frenzied or tame. They ensured I came not once, not twice, but sometimes three times before they finished.

It was because of all this attention that I slept late Sunday morning. It wasn’t two burly, horny guys who woke me, but my cell and an annoying, bossy boss.

After I grabbed my phone from the bedside table and saw Dr. Andrews flashing on the screen, I knew this wasn’t going to be a fun call.

I sat up, tugged the sheet over me. The room smelled like sex. I smelled like sex. My muscles felt like I’d had it all night long. Which I had.

That didn’t mean I wanted to have a conversation with my boss in the middle of all that.

I grabbed the blanket off the bed, wrapped it around myself as I answered.

“Dr. Andrews,” I said.

“Good morning.”

I dropped into Wade’s reading chair in the corner, and looked out the window. Anywhere except the unmade bed where I’d been thoroughly fucked. And marked. By shifters.

“I don’t see any new targets on the monitoring program,” he said.

His words meant he was in the office. On a Sunday morning.

“That’s right. I wasn’t able to tag any yesterday.”

Or ever again. The idea of tranquilizing a friend of Landry and Wade’s, or possibly even them, made me panic a little.

“Your data will—”

“I was reminded that it’s better to have ample data on fewer sources than nominal data on many.”

Dr. Andrews was silent, so I pushed on.

“If I’m going to write this paper and publish it, then I need solid, long-term research. Continuing to tag and track new wolves is only going to… well, kick the can down the road, so to speak.”

“Are you saying you’re done with your wolf study?”

I didn’t like the tone of his words.

“I’m done with my tagging. I will write the paper from what I’ve collected.”

“My name is on your paper, Dr. Shriver.”

While I’d done all the work, he was my boss, and sponsoring the work through the grant. He’d be the paper’s headliner, that was how academia worked.

“I’m aware of that.”

“Your grant money, your time at Granger State, is dependent upon the reception this publication receives.”

I sighed, and rubbed my forehead. I was sure my hair was a wild tangle. “I haven’t thought of anything else. My dedication to the wolves is unmatched.”

Especially since I’d spent the night in bed with two of them. Even allowing them to bite and mark me. I wanted to go to see Dr. McCaffrey—Cord—and get my bloodwork done. To analyze the sample compared to before-marking. I wondered if—

“We will see, won’t we?” Dr. Andrews snapped.

“Is there a problem?” I asked. “I’ve done everything by the book. The research is thorough. Extensive.”

“And yet you are in West Springs instead of here at your office, working.”

Landry came into the room. He wore only his jeans, and they weren’t even zipped or buttoned. With bare feet, he was quiet like a cat, not the growly wolf I knew was within him.

He gave me a wink and a sly smile.

I melted. “It’s Sunday morning, Doctor,” I said into the phone, trying to stay focused on my boss and not the deep Adonis V of Landry’s that made me drool.

Landry perked up at my words, leaned against the wall, and crossed his arms over his chest.

“I shall work remotely today and be back on campus tomorrow morning. I assure you, the paper will be finished and published as soon as possible.”

It was the way Landry’s jaw clenched that let me know something was wrong. He wasn’t filling in as alpha for the pack any longer, but he was definitely the dominant one in our relationship.

LANDRY

Wade and I heard her phone ring from the kitchen. We’d been quiet to let our mate sleep after keeping her up most of the night. We didn’t need wolf hearing to know she’d gotten a call, but it had been in our favor to pick up her half of the conversation.