The Wolf's Bandit: Paranormal Shifter Romance: A Howls Romance Read online

  “Why are your hands so big?” Mags asked as she passed peas to him. He heard a titter on the other side and glanced up to see the girls smiling with flushed checks. Surely they weren’t thinking about that saying concerning a man’s hand dimensions and the size of his cock. With a breath in of the girls’ embarrassment and humor, he discovered he was wrong.

  “Uh...” his brain stuttered. He’d never had this problem at home before and he ate with his people all the time. Granted, children were usually fed beforehand, but they were around. “I, uh, drive a big truck so I need big hands.” The girl nodded, seemingly satisfied with his answer.

  When the women began chattering amongst each other, he breathed a sigh of relief. This really wasn’t what he had in mind when accepting the invite for dinner.

  “Why do you talk funny?” Mags asked. At this, her mother turned.

  “Magnolia Winter,” she scolded, “that is not a polite thing to say.”

  To which the girl replied without missing a beat, “You sound like you have bugs up your nose.”

  He was thankful mashed potatoes didn’t come out the nose. He swallowed among the outbreak of objections. Magnolia defended herself, saying she was being honest. Her friend got a bug up the nose and talked funny.

  “I’m so sorry, Aitan,” Carolyn replied. “We don’t get out much as you can tell.” The girl’s mom frowned down at her. Mags poked peas onto the end of her fork all the way up to the hilt before putting the utensil in her mouth.

  The rest of dinner passed smoothly with the normal questions asked of a guest from another country. When everyone was finished, the girls collected the plates, Mags taking his, and went into the kitchen.

  Granma scooted back her chair. “Robbie, why don’t you and Aitan take a breather outside. I’m sure he’s tired of answering questions from uncultured upstate folk.” She winked at him, and his heart leapt. They were being ordered to be alone...together. He wasn’t sure he could handle being with her and not keep his hands to himself.

  12

  Robyn sat at the dining table in her grandmother’s home and stared at her elder, terror running through her. She couldn’t walk outside in the dark with him. She couldn’t be alone with this guy and keep her hands off him. She’d fantasized about him all day. Now she had a chance to satiate some of the frustration she’d been experiencing, but he was a stranger! She couldn’t make a move on a man she hardly knew.

  But the animosity she usually felt toward others wasn’t there. That wall she’d erected to keep everyone but family out had let him walk through without so much as a password.

  When he answered the front door earlier, Robyn could not believe her eyes as she stood gawking at him. The man she couldn’t keep out of her mind was here. Again. She had no idea why she reacted with anger as she did. There was no reason to be mad, except that a stranger was in her grandma’s home. But that was her grandmother, always taking in the stranded and lost. Just like she was long ago.

  And then poor little Mags. Seemed like fate had a grudge against the grandchildren of this family. First her and then her youngest niece experienced things that children should never be exposed to.

  After being separated from her mother and father in a crowd at a carnival a while back, Magnolia was traumatized to the point she didn’t talk much, and she never let go of her mom’s hand or shirt or purse outside their home. She clung tightly, and Robyn couldn’t blame her. When Mags slid behind her mother when meeting Aitan, Robyn was afraid he’d scare the shit out of the child, taking her a step back in the small progress that had been made.

  But when the little one stepped away and took his finger, Robyn stood frozen. Carolyn did the same. The teens weren’t paying any attention, of course. But she knew the importance of what just happened. Magnolia trusted him. The girl believed he would keep her safe if something happened. Whatever was locked up inside the child, holding her back, was freed.

  Funny part was that he didn’t have a clue what had transpired during that little moment. Robyn didn’t think he even noticed Carolyn or herself staring in awe. And then the questions from the child. Robyn hadn’t heard Mags speak in a long time. At first, the women sat in silence, not believing the youth was talking to a stranger. Then not believing the questions she asked. After whispering among themselves about the small miracle, they decided to act like everything was normal. That’s what Mags needed, normalcy.

  This strange man intrigued her even more. What was it about him that made children at ease around him? He was a giant of a man, but the tiniest in the room wasn’t afraid. Her feelings were dipping toward the emotional rather than physical side. So not good. Maybe if she let her body have what it needed, then he’d get out of her head and she could move on. She had a job to plan for tomorrow.

  Now she was supposed to walk around with this gorgeous man in the dark, by herself. Her grandmother gave her a sly grin. Damn her. She was so getting an earful after this. The woman had planned this all along. Ever since meeting him in the parking lot.

  Aitan stood beside her, arm crooked for her to take. She slipped a hand along his sleeve, chills moving through her. Her body more than ignited, it was burning. Damn, it was hot in here. Outside would cool her down, maybe.

  He led her through the back door to the porch and yard. Robyn took a deep breath of the clean air. She’d always loved being here. It was a world so different from what she had gotten used to. Not far from the yard, an expansive forest began. It was part of the massive state park.

  She remembered the hours she’d spent walking through the crowded trees, the breeze rustling the canopy high overhead. Though alone, she felt safe in nature.

  “Your grandmother has a beautiful place here. Sort of reminds me of home,” he said.

  “How so?” she replied.

  He shrugged. “The woods mainly. Dense and old. I hadn’t seen much foliage since arriving.”

  Robyn laughed. “No, not many trees in New York unless you’re in Central Park.” She let him guide her down the steps to the grass.

  “I must say your grandmother is an incredible woman. And brave,” he added. “I don’t know of many who would take in a stranger like she did.”

  “She’s always been like that. It’s like she has some sixth sense or voodoo mojo where she can tell the type of person you are just by looking at you. And she can read minds.”

  “What?” her guide stopped, and she laughed.

  “I don’t know how, but I could never lie to the woman. She knew the second something came out of my mouth if it was false. But she also knew when I needed a friend or comforting, or to be left alone. If I could be half the mentor to children as she was for me, I’d be happy.”

  “Do you have any kids?” he asked.

  “No, no family but those here and Uncle Charles, Carolyn’s husband. He usually comes, but I guess he had to work late tonight.”

  13

  “What about you?” Robyn asked. She wanted to know everything about him. Wanted to keep everything concerning him to herself so no one else could have him. She closed her eyes, reprimanding herself. That’s not what she needed. Why did her thoughts always go that way with him? Damn it. It was irritating.

  “There are a lot of children in our town, but I don’t have any of my own yet.”

  He said yet. “So, you plan on having kids.”

  “I suppose,” he replied with another shrug. “I’d always thought I’d eventually do the customary wife and kids thing like everyone else.”

  “Then why haven’t you?”

  “I’m holding out hope of finding my true mate,” he answered.

  “True mate?” she said. She stopped at the edge of the woods. “You make it sound like you’re a bird waiting for who nature intended for you.” That was strange. She’d never heard a spouse called a “mate.”

  “I apologize,” he said quickly, “that’s how the translation from my language comes across. I meant to say finding someone who...the person who would—”

&
nbsp; “Are you saying soul mate? You’re waiting for your soul mate?” What woman could resist this man? He was smokin’ perfection. And romantic at heart. Then she saw him cringe. Nix all that. He was a man after all. All man and she wanted a taste. One taste.

  “Guess that makes me sound lame for an alpha, huh?” he cringed again. “I mean man, for a man.” She laughed at his awkwardness. She didn’t feel it. A first for her.

  She said, “Translation problem again. Alpha and man?” She led him into the trees along the path she knew by heart. Though it was dark, her steps were sure. She knew where she wanted to go.

  A moment longer and they stopped at a break in the trees where you could see the Milky Way. “I always loved coming here,” she said. “It made me feel small, like all my problems were nothing compared to creation. Here, everything would go away for a while.” She mashed her lips together. She’d said way more than she intended.

  “How bad could a child’s problems be?” he asked. “They shouldn’t have a care in the world.” She thought the same, but that wasn’t how it always worked. Instead of answering, she tilted her head back and gazed into the heavens. “Do you see the Big Dipper?” he asked after a moment of silence.

  “I don’t know any constellations,” she replied. Robyn had heard about them in school but didn’t remember any patterns or placements.

  He smiled down on her. The twinkle in his eyes made the butterflies rumble in her stomach. “Well, here’s your first one.” He stepped closer and pointed up. “Do you see that bright star all by itself?”

  “Aitan, I see a lot of stars all by themselves.” Really, she did. His pointing to the sky narrowed it down to a billion stars.

  He grumbled something about smart asses and she couldn’t help but smile. Getting him all riled up was fun. Fun until he came up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist and laid his cheek on hers. Pointing, he said, “That star all by itself.”

  Screw the star. She was fascinated with what enveloped her. His arm was solid, holding her to him without a tremble. His body radiated enough heat to lay out naked in winter and be warm. The cheek bristling hers sent chills down her. And Granma was right—he did smell delicious.

  A fire started low in her stomach, something that had never happened before. She tried to quickly douse it, but it was proving difficult. A light vibration buzzed through her adding to her growing desire.

  Next to her ear, Aitan’s hot breath tickled her skin. He whispered, “Your scent is pushing my self-control. Having you so close is a dangerous thing.”

  A thrill zipped through her tummy. Her knees would’ve given out if he hadn’t been holding her to him. The bad boy vibe and his sexy, growly voice sent sensation racing to her core. It was the strangest thing but stoked her fire tenfold. Her panties were now wet.

  The vibrations increased, and she realized they were coming from him. It was almost as if he purred, rumbling against her back. His lips brushed her neck and she gasped, leaning into him. Her body shuddered in his embrace. The tremors increased. He placed another kiss on her neck, below her ear. Her knees did give this time.

  “God, woman,” he murmured, “you taste incredible.” He turned her to face him and took her lips with his. He was hungry, needy; feeding her desire with his own. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing against his hard chest and cock.

  Fuck. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. Where was all this craziness coming from? She had never wanted someone so much. She didn’t care if she met him twelve hours ago. It felt like she’d known him for an eternity.

  His hands rubbed down her back to her ass. He cupped her fleshy globes, giving her the chance to lift her legs around him. Hell yes, she was taking this opportunity. Her ankles crossed at his backside, pressing her fabric-covered wet undies perfectly along his cock. He was hard and long.

  He let her slide up and down his length, his kiss becoming more demanding. He spun around and put her back to a tree. From there, he rocked his hardness over her clit. Her fucking clothes were in the way. She wanted to feel him skin on skin. “Aitan,” she mumbled, taking a breath. No words came to mind to continue. His name was all she could think.

  Her body was so primed, so pumped, she could come with barely a touch.

  “Just a taste, baby.” He lightly bit the curve of her neck. She moaned, panting. She was so close. She’d give him anything. Anything, if he would push her over the edge.

  The button on her pants came loose and the waistband slid over her ass to her thighs. Cool air brushed the underside of her pussy, offering a bit of relief from the burning need scorching her. She knew what he was going to do, and she wanted it. Craved it.

  “Reach up and grab the branch, baby.” His voice was barely understandable through his growl. He lifted her a couple feet and her fingers touched a limb which she grasped. Her pants came down farther, then her legs lifted out and up. The back of her thighs came to rest on his shoulders, his head and mouth exactly where she wanted them. Large, hot hands squeezed her ass.

  His thumbs slid along her wet path, pulling back her folds. He took a deep breath and she swore she felt claws scrape her backside. Glancing down at him, the light caught his eyes just right so they appeared to glow. How freaky was that? Then his tongue slid out and wiped down one swollen fold then up the other. God, it felt good, but didn’t take her over the edge.

  14

  “Please, Aitan,” she heard herself say.

  “Please what, baby? Tell me what you want.”

  Sex had never been a big deal in her life. Her few partners were okay. Like her, they were young/mid twenty-somethings and had no idea how to make love to a woman to satisfy her. Hell, half the time she never came. And coming twice in one night never happened.

  Talking wasn’t usually part of the deal. The guy pounded into her as hard as he could, grunting and panting. He didn’t have the mental capacity to talk and fuck. None of her past lovers ever asked what she wanted, or how she felt. Perhaps that was why they were all past.

  “Come on, baby,” he licked between her entrance and clit, teasing unmercifully, “tell me what you want me to do to you.” His thumb pushed into her, giving her something to come around.

  “Come. I want to come,” she breathed, wiggling on his digit, trying to get it deeper, trying to explode with the tension built in her body.

  “Come, two times?” He gave her a wicked look. “You got it, milady.”

  God, if only, she thought. His tongue circled her clit, sucking on the folds, but never the bud itself. Legs on his shoulders, she forced her hips forward, trying to get his mouth where she desperately needed it. He chuckled, warm breath flitting over her slit. But she still hadn’t come.

  She growled and mashed his head between her legs. “Make me come now,” she said through clenched teeth. His eyes glowed again, and his head dipped forward. When he sucked in her aching nub, a scream rocketed out her throat. Her back arced, pushing her pussy into his face. Her inner muscles clench on his thumb and pumped with each spasm rending her body.

  She waited for the spasms to die off, but they didn’t. His finger drove in and out of her entrance, brushing her G-spot with each thrust. And his hot mouth still sucked on her clit—hard, then soft, flicked with his tongue, then sucked hard again. Fuck! She’d never felt this deliciousness build in her life. And building, it was. Beyond where she came the first time. He pushed her farther and higher, delaying her pleasure, only to wind her tighter.

  Then he bit her, sending a sting of pain along her overly heightened nerves. She exploded into darkness; only the release running through her body mattered. Fireworks may have gone off behind her eyelids, but she didn’t notice. She was too busy writhing her pussy on his gorgeous face. Taking all she could out of it.

  Her body floated. Gravity had no effect on her. The air scented of the most incredible aroma. Whatever it was, she wanted to buy the bottled version for her home. A comfy warmth cradled her. She felt at home, the only place she wanted to be.


  Aitan teased her clit until the last shudders left her body. He loved the sounds she made, the way her body bent to his every command.

  Kissing his way up her skin, he replaced his tongue with his hand, rubbing. “You’re so beautiful when you come.”

  He licked one of her nipples, hard under her shirt, then traced the bud with the tip of his tongue. She let out a whimper that turned into a moan. Satisfaction made his lips twist. “You like that.” He slid two fingers inside her. She gasped and her body jerked, obviously still sensitive to his touch. “Come for me again.”

  Soft cries of pleasure rolled from her throat as she rode his hand. Fuck. The need to claim her drove him and the wolf within mad. His cock throbbed painfully behind the zipper of his pants, demanding its release. “That’s it.”

  Fisting a handful of hair, he tugged her head back to press a kiss to her neck. When he reached the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder, he bit down. She cried out and fisted a hand in his hair, then wrapped her legs around him. He half-growled, half-groaned, and then gripped her hips while holding her against the tree trunk.

  She grinned against him and he thought he would lose it. He growled softly and claimed her lips again as he unfastened his jeans and freed his cock. The feel of her, flesh to flesh, pushed him closer to the edge of insanity.

  He deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue into her mouth and finding hers. “Mine.”

  “Yes,” she whispered. It sounded more like a plea. “I need you inside me. Fucking me.”

  Damn. He wanted that, too. However, he enjoyed teasing her to the point she was clawing at him. It excited both the man and the wolf. Rocking his hips, he slid his dick between the folds of her lips. She panted and dug her nails into his shoulders and moved in rhythm with him. Pleasure built with each moment.

  He watched her come undone again. “So beautiful. Come for me again.”