Jingle Bell Wolf by Terry Spear
Chapter 12
In her room, Gabrielle stripped out of her warm clothes and put on her string bikini and her cover-up, grabbed her beach towel and key card, and headed out the door. She was glad she’d heard the kittens meowing or it would have been tomorrow when they finally had maid service clean the vacated—or mostly vacated—room and learned of them.
She saw the same dark-haired woman she’d seen when Brando first sidetracked her, but the woman was in a rush to leave the lodge this time. Gabrielle still couldn’t recall where she’d seen her before.
Gabrielle saw Landon stalking across the floor to meet up with her. “My sisters are elated you found the kittens and their mother. I think they would have felt bad if they couldn’t have kept Princess Buttercup. Kayla texted me and said the momma cat and the kittens adore Rosco. He could have been a momma dog, it seems.” He led Gabrielle to the pool.
She laughed. “I’m so glad we have that mystery resolved and that they can stay at the house with Rosco for now.”
“Yeah, Blake and Nicole would have taken in the cats otherwise, but everything worked out just fine.”
They put their things on a chaise lounge, and before he could get much of a look at her string bikini, Gabrielle dove into the pool.
“Hot damn,” Landon said and jumped in after her. He soon caught up to her, even though she was planning to do laps first.
No matter how much she told herself not to panic, she couldn’t swim fast enough away from him, and when he caught her leg and pulled her into his arms, she squealed in delight and laughed.
He kissed her. “You know we don’t want you to leave at the end of your vacation. I don’t want you to leave.”
She wrapped her arms around him. “I have to tell you I’m really not good with change.”
“You’ve met all of us so it’s not like you won’t already have friends here. Not to mention you already have a client here waiting for you to take over the practice. And a vet who also wants you to take over the practice.”
She smiled. “I have to admit the idea of leaving the wolf pack to return to a place that doesn’t have wolves doesn’t appeal very much now, despite being the only home I’ve ever known. The notion of running and playing with wolves when I have time to do it sounds much better. And I think it’s great you have so many pack functions to enjoy.”
“Not to mention me, right?”
She laughed. “And your family. What…” She looked up at him. “What if I can’t manage the clinic by myself? I’ve never had my own clinic.” She did worry about that. She knew what she was doing but she was afraid she would get overwhelmed.
“You have a whole pack to help you out, and trained assistants. Believe me, you’ll be fine.”
With vet matters? She wasn’t sure about that. “I’ve never lived anywhere else. It’s hard to think of moving to somewhere out of state. What if I didn’t like it after a while? I would have left my practice behind and someone would have taken over from me, so where would I be?”
“Here with us, a pack. Wolves. If it’s something you’re really interested in, you can do it. It won’t take you long before you’ll feel right at home. Believe me, it’s not the same as living among humans. We had never lived anywhere else but Vermont before we moved here this past year. It didn’t take us long to enjoy being with this wolf pack and part of a wolf-run town. If you need more time to think about it, you could return here next year to ski with your friends and see if you missed us enough that you want to stay for good then—if Doc Mitchell can hold out that long.”
She smiled and kissed Landon on the cheek. “But Vermont is similar to Colorado in that you had snow and cold. And you still have your family with you.” She paused. “I have to admit it’s really nice having a pack to stick up for you if wolves, or humans, hassle you. I hadn’t expected that. Humans would mind their own business for the most part, I figure. They wouldn’t want to get involved and would let you deal with the trouble on your own. It’s nice to think you have someone, or a lot of someones, to call on if you need help.”
“Several of us are deputized, including me. So we even have the law behind us.”
“That’s good to know.” She ran her hands over his perfectly muscled shoulders. “So what do you think? Do you like this bathing suit better than the other?”
“I love anything you wear.” He kissed her on the nose. “But this one is really hot—because you make it really hot.”
“Thank you.”
He kissed her mouth and she hugged him close. This was what she was going to miss the most. Landon, his protectiveness, his helpfulness, his playfulness. And this—his hotness.
His arousal pressed against his board shorts and against her, and she welcomed his sexy touch. His mouth was hot on hers, seeking connection, the promise of more, and she parted her lips to give him openmouthed kisses. Then she inserted her tongue into his mouth and started stroking his. She wanted more. Wanted unconsummated but passionate foreplay in her bed tonight.
“Hmm, I guess we ought to get on with swimming before someone complains about our public display of affection, even though it seems quiet everywhere.”
He sighed. “Yeah, I agree. Let’s get our laps done. After that, we can plan our day out for tomorrow.”
They swam back and forth, and like before, he kept pace with her. She enjoyed the companionship. She was used to always swimming alone, but this was really nice. After they finished their laps, they played in the water, diving under, capturing each other. This was just as fun as playing as wolves. They came up for air and hugged each other.
“You are so addictive,” she said to him.
“So are you.” He treaded water, his arms wrapped around her. “I was thinking that we could swim first thing in the morning, have breakfast at the bar and grill, then take Rosco in for his vaccinations. After that we would ski, have lunch, and build our snowmen in the afternoon instead of skiing. Then we could ski that night.”
“Oh, that would be fun. I keep thinking how pretty the ski runs are at night with the lanterns lighting the way, the illumination reflecting off the snow.”
“They are. You have to experience this while you’re here.”
“I do. Thanks.” Of course her friends might have taken her up at night, but going with Landon was a different kind of fun—much more romantic. “Let’s go up to my room and we can talk about it some more.”
She had no intention of talking about anything more, but she wanted to continue kissing him and more in the privacy of her suite.
He looked a little surprised, then he smiled rather wolfishly, getting the gist of it. “Yeah, sure. You don’t mind if I grab my clothes from the storage room first, do you?”
“No, we’ll drop by there first.”
After they got out of the pool, she dried off and pulled on her cover-up, and he dried himself off, pulled on his shirt, and wrapped his towel around his waist. They put on their shoes and headed for the lobby and the storage room.
She hoped she wasn’t being presumptuous that he would want the same thing as she did. But she wanted to know what it would be like to be with him. She’d never taken it that far with a wolf before, and as long as they didn’t consummate the relationship, they would be good. But she really wanted to be with Landon. He was like no other wolf she’d ever met. She felt comfortable around him, and when they were apart, she looked forward to being with him again. She fantasized about him in bed with her, something she’d never done with any wolf she’d met passing through Daytona Beach.
“You can get dressed in my room since my friends aren’t here yet.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it.”
Of course she didn’t want him to get dressed right away. She just had to get him to a nice private place to reveal her own plan. Forget thinking about tomorrow’s planned activities.
After he grabbed his bag, they walked upstairs to the hallway and then headed to her room.
She glanced at 202, thinking about the cats they’d found.
“I’m glad we found the cats,” he said, taking her hand and going to her room as if they were courting already.
“Yeah, me too.”
When she reached the room, she used her security key card and opened the door. Then she pulled him into the room with her. She slipped her cover-up off and tossed it on a chair to the dining table while he closed the door. She kicked off her flip-flops and he removed his sandals.
He motioned to the bedroom. “Do you want me to change in there?”
“Um, we have to straighten some things out between us first.” She headed into the bathroom to remove her string bikini.
He joined her in there and set his beach towel on the bathroom counter. “Do you need help?”
She smiled. “Sure. You can untie the strings since they can be difficult to untie when they’re wet.” Just a little bit. She really didn’t have to untie all the strings either, but if he was game, then maybe he would be for all the rest too.
“This is just like untying the ribbons on a Christmas package.” He untied the back of her bikini top, then ran his hands up her bare midriff to her breasts under her top and massaged.
She smiled. His warm hands on her chilly breasts felt marvelous. He pressed his body against her back, his mouth caressing the side of her neck with whisper-soft kisses.
Ohmigod, yes, this was just what she had wanted and he was doing everything right.
He moved his hands around to her back and untied the neck of her bikini and let it drop to the floor. Then his hands were on her breasts again, his mouth hot and sexy as he kissed her shoulders and back and then the side of her neck again. She felt so incredibly needy, and she’d never thought she would feel that way about a male wolf. He had all the right moves to get her pheromones raring to go. Not to mention she could smell his testosterone spiking, a total turn-on. His body moved deliciously against her backside, his arousal eager for her stroke.
This would be even better, she thought. That way there would be no sign that she and he had sex in her bed. Instead, they could wash the chlorine off their skin, have unconsummated sex in the shower, wash away the evidence, and dress. Now that was a plan. And that was the problem with their sensitive sense of smell. It was challenging to keep anything hidden when everyone around them also had such a keen sense of smell.
She slipped her hands down to her bikini bottoms and was going to just pull them off, skipping the ties. It was easier than having to tie the swimsuit bottoms back on if she wanted to wear them in the pool again. But Landon was eager to finish what he had started, and he moved his hands down to untie first the right side of her bikini bottoms. She kept them from slipping down her legs by closing her thighs around the crotch. Then he untied the other and she let the bikini bottoms fall to the floor.
“Should we shower first before we dress?” she asked.
“Yeah. That’s a good idea.” He was letting her set the pace, and she was glad he didn’t just take charge and act like she was desperate to have him, even if she was.
She stripped off his damp T-shirt and tossed it on the floor, then pulled him against her to kiss him. “First, I don’t… I haven’t ever done this with another wolf.”
“Taken a wolf into a bathroom after swimming to shower with him?” The devil sparkled in Landon’s dark-brown eyes; his mouth curved upward.
“Anytime, bedroom, bathroom, anywhere.”
“Me either.”
She chuckled. Then she kissed him again and he cupped her buttocks with his hot hands, making her realize her tush was cold. But the front of her pressed against his body? Sizzling.
Their tongues slid over each other’s in a mating dance, even if they weren’t about to mate. This was more of a test to see just how compatible they could be in the affection department. And he was winning points all over the place.
He nuzzled her lips with his, his heart beating hard like hers was. They sucked on each other’s lips and rubbed their scent over each other’s bodies. It was really an innate wolf need, and it stirred things up even hotter between them.
He felt divine and she wanted to take this to her bed, but she didn’t want the maid service to know she had been with Landon like this.
She slid her hands down his backside, cupping his wet board shorts clinging to his muscled gluteus maximus. And then she pressed him harder against her, wanting to feel the extent of his steel-rod erection. Beautiful. She slid her hands down the waistband of his board shorts and ran her hands over his bare buttocks. His felt as cold as hers. Now it was time to hit the shower.
She pulled off his board shorts, watched his arousal spring free with fascination, and gave him a hug and kiss, wanting to feel his bare skin against hers.
He ran his hands through her damp hair, kissing her right back. “You are irresistible.”
“So are you.” Which was a problem because she had to return to Daytona Beach without him.
She pulled away from him long enough to turn on the shower and got it just hot enough, and then she climbed into the bathtub and reached out her hand to him. She hoped the pulsating shower worked for him. It seemed to suit the romantic mood. “Join me, if you don’t mind using coconut snowball shampoo and bodywash. I know you have shampoo samples for the lodge guests, but I always save them for my friends.”
He smiled and took her hand and joined her in the bathtub. “Coconut snowball shampoo works for me. It sounds like a mixture of you being from Florida and me from the snow country.”
She laughed. “It does.”
Though Gabrielle realized if he smelled like coconut instead of chlorine when he went home tonight, his sisters would know something more was going on between Landon and her. Then again, anything he used would clue them in that he’d showered before he returned home.
It couldn’t be helped. She wanted him. And she knew he wanted her.
She settled her arms around his neck, and he slid his hands down her sides until he reached her hips and pulled her snug against his body, the warm water sluicing down their skin. She thought of soaping up his glorious, muscled body first, but then they would have to clean up again, so she went right to kissing his mouth and rubbing her body against his hard erection and chest.
His mouth was hot on hers, languorous at first but then building up the passion, and she matched his actions move for move, totally in sync. He was a dream lover in the flesh.
His hands moved to her breasts and he massaged them before kissing her throat and licking the water off it. His tongue licking her skin tickled, and she smiled and kissed his forehead. His hands were warm and strong but gentle on her breasts. Then he moved one of his hands down between her legs and began to rub her clit. She moaned with delight.
She was already slick with need and he was making her even hotter and wetter. He tilted his head and kissed her mouth again, his tongue roaming over hers. She had to cling to his shoulders while his thumb was doing such sweet caresses to her nub. He leaned down and kissed her breasts.
Every one of his moves pushed her sexual buttons just right, and she felt as though she were a shooting star, high above in the heavens, reaching a place of no return. Her body craved his, wanted the sexual fulfillment of him penetrating her feminine sheath with his rigid erection.
The climax hit, and she shattered, falling from that high place of pure enjoyment. He muffled her cry with a well-placed kiss, and she kissed him back and then smiled up at him. She hadn’t considered that he would make her cry out in pleasure when they were in the bathroom in her room at the lodge. The walls weren’t all that thick!
Now it was his turn, and she hoped she could do as great a job on him as he had done on her. She slid her hands down his chest and reached out to touch his erection, but as soon as she took a firm hold and began to stroke him, he cupped her face and kissed her.
What a beautiful way to end the day.
* * *
Landon had no idea he would end up in Gabrielle’s bathtub in her room, both of them pleasuring each other. He was kissing her mouth, trying to enjoy the sweet taste of her, but her stroking his cock was garnering most of his attention. She was soft in all the right places, her breasts and bottom, her mouth—so kissable.
He had envisioned being with her like this, pleasuring her…well, not quite like this—he was a wolf after all—but nothing he could imagine would have readied him to feel the heady experience of just how wonderful being with her could be. And unwrapping her like a Christmas present had made it all the more titillating for him.
Their tongues laved over each other’s and he felt the end coming, but he wished it was just the beginning. He was too aware of the time quickly approaching when she would leave for home.
The shower water was still hot as it poured down over them, but she was making him even hotter as she continued to stroke him. And then he came with a groan of pleasure, and he kissed her again, feeling intoxicating delight that he wished he could experience with her forever.
The soap regimen began as she poured bodywash on her hands and started soaping him down and he did the same for her. He was in heaven. Silky skin made even silkier with every soapy stroke. Then she quit running it over his skin and leaned against him and began rubbing her body against his, beautiful breasts, mons, thighs. Man, she was a wild wolf. Using both his hands, he rubbed her silky shoulders and leaned down to kiss her. He didn’t want this to be the first and last time they would enjoy each other’s company like this. He didn’t even want to leave her tonight. He wanted to see her for every minute of the day and night until she left. And he already knew he would miss her terribly when she was gone.
After kissing and cleaning each other up, every inch feeling like they were getting ready to have sex again, he began soaping up her hair. He felt like he was on an island paradise with the mermaid wolf of the sea as he leaned down and let her soap his hair also. Her fingers massaged his scalp in a loving way, and he felt like he could collapse in her bed and pull her into his arms and sleep the night away with her.
Then they rinsed off and grabbed towels and began drying each other off.
She smiled up at him. “Well, I hadn’t expected to do this, just saying, but I’m glad we did.”
“Yeah, I feel the same way.”
She hung her towel up on the rack. “I’m worried the maid service would know you slept with me if you stayed—”
“It doesn’t bother me.”
“Hmm, what if they talked to the whole pack about it?”
“They won’t tell. I promise.” They would be fired if anyone in his employ did.
She sighed. “Well, I don’t want you to go home tonight, but your sisters will know that you stayed with me and—”
Landon smiled. “They’ll know I’m doing my job in trying to convince you that you belong here with us.”
“With you.”
He smiled even more. “Yeah, well, that much is true. I’ll just text them and tell them I got hung up at the lodge and I’ll see them tomorrow.”
“Oh, I can hear all the conjecture now.”
“My sisters would know something was up when they smelled your coconut fragrance on me.”
“Yeah, I figured that too. Well, tell the family that you’re too tired to take that walk through the snow tonight.”
He laughed and texted Kayla: Staying at the lodge tonight. See you all in the morning.
Kayla texted back: We were about to send out a search party!
He smiled and texted: I’m good.
Hell, better than good. Walking-on-the-moon good.
Kayla texted: We’ll bring a change of clothes for you first thing in the morning. Mum’s the word, right?
Yes! Night!
Kayla texted: Night, you clever wolf, you.
Landon smiled since it had been all Gabrielle’s idea for him to join her in her room. He set his phone on the bedside table.
“When my friends get here”—Gabrielle had finished blow-drying her hair and climbed under the covers naked—“we can’t do this.”
“We could make other arrangements.” He climbed under the covers with her. “You could stay at my sisters’ and my house. We have a guest room downstairs.”
Gabrielle curled up against Landon. “Are the walls more solid?”
He chuckled and ran his hand through her silky, soft hair. “Nicole and Blake used it until their house was built. We couldn’t hear them from the upstairs bedrooms. So yeah, it’s more soundproof.”
“My girlfriends will be shocked.”
“Hey, they were the ones who haven’t joined you yet.”
She smiled and kissed Landon’s chest and took a deep breath. “I sure was lucky for that.”
Landon sure was too.
