Animal Instinct Page 11

  She shivered at the image. “Mmm, maybe we should use that next time.”

  He kissed his way along her jaw to nibble on her bottom lip. “Maybe so.”

  Still cupping her bottom with one hand, Luke slid the other around to palm her pussy. As he ran his finger along her moist slit, Heidi murmured her approval against his mouth. Dear God, she was ready for him again.

  Leaning against the back wall of the tub, she lifted her leg and rested her foot on the built-in soap dish halfway up the wall. It was high enough to put her pussy at the perfect angle so they could have sex standing up. Luke must have thought the same thing because he let out a lusty groan and slid a finger deep into her pussy.

  “Mmm,” he said. “Not only are you a talented artist, but you’re extremely flexible as well.”

  “Pilates,” she explained, the word coming out on another moan as he slid his finger from her pussy.

  Wrapping his hand around the base of his cock, he positioned the head at the opening of her pussy, then slid inside inch by incredible inch until he was all the way in.

  Heidi gasped. With her leg up like this, it made her pussy even tighter than normal, and his thick cock was stretching her in the most amazing way. As Luke began to thrust, she reached up with both hands and grasped the showerhead to steady herself.

  While their lovemaking in the living room had been almost frenzied in its intensity, now it was slow and languid, the water from the shower pouring over their naked bodies like a gentle rain. She’d read in Cosmo that having sex with your guy in the shower was an amazing carnal experience, and they were definitely right. Not only did Luke look sexy as hell all wet, but with her leg up high like it was, his cock was touching her in places she’d never dreamed.

  Wanting to touch him, she released her hold on the showerhead and ran her hands over his shoulders. The muscles there bunched and flexed beneath her hands, a delicious reminder of just how strong he was.

  Luke bent his head to capture her mouth in a hot kiss, his tongue seeking hers and tangling deliciously with it as he slowly pumped in and out of her. Considering she’d just had an orgasm a little while earlier, Heidi wouldn’t have thought it possible to climax again so soon, but she was already beginning to feel that familiar tingle that came right before an orgasm.

  “Harder,” she moaned, digging her nails into his shoulders. “Faster.”

  He obeyed and within moments, her back was thumping up against the wall of the tub as he slammed into her.

  Heidi’s cries of pleasure combined with Luke’s own hoarse groans of release to echo around the shower, and she collapsed forward to wrap her arms tightly around him as waves of dizzying pleasure coursed through her.

  All either of them could do afterward was stand under the spray from the shower and try to catch their breaths.

  “God, you’re incredible,” Luke said, his voice deep and husky in her ear.

  She smiled against his shoulder. “You’re pretty incredible yourself.”

  He lifted his head with a groan. “We should probably rinse off before all the hot water runs out.”

  “Do we have to?” she asked. “I could just stay here all day.”

  He chuckled. “You say that now, but when the hot water is gone, I don’t think you’ll be quite so eager to stand here.”

  Heidi laughed. “That’s probably true,” she agreed. “Okay, you wash my back and I’ll wash yours.”

  As she felt his hands sliding up and down her back, then linger on the curve of her ass, she shivered. Something told her that they wouldn’t be getting out of the shower anytime soon, no matter how cold the water got.

  Chapter 7

  Over breakfast the next morning, Luke asked Heidi if she wanted to go to the zoo, then stop by the Anchorage Market.

  “You know, do the whole tourist thing,” he added.

  She smiled at him over the rim of her coffee mug. “Sounds like fun.”

  Heidi had been to both places already, of course, but the idea of going to the zoo, then wandering around the open-air market with Luke sounded like the perfect way to spend a lazy Saturday. Then again, she imagined she would be happy doing almost anything with him.

  Picking up a piece of bacon, she nibbled on it thoughtfully. She had never been this comfortable with any man she’d ever gone out with before. For some reason, she just felt like she could be herself around him. Why else would she be sitting there having breakfast in her terrycloth robe without any make-up on and her hair still wild from their romp in bed that morning?

  She sighed. Just her luck she had to get attacked by a werewolf to find the perfect guy. The more she was with Luke, the more she felt herself falling for him. Which was probably pretty foolish considering that she would be going home soon. The thought made her heart squeeze in her chest, and she pushed it away. She wouldn’t be going back to Denver for another week or so yet. She could let herself be depressed then.

  Not wanting to think about it anymore, she forced her attention back to her breakfast. After the two large pizzas she and Luke had devoured the night before, she couldn’t believe how hungry she had been when she woke up that morning. But when Luke had suggested he make a quick run to the grocery store on the corner to pick up some eggs and bacon after he had discovered that all she had in the way of breakfast food was oatmeal, cold cereal, and whole-wheat bread, her mouth had started to water. Eating so much all the time would definitely take some getting used to.

  After they finished breakfast, Heidi automatically started to clear the table, but Luke told her that he would clean up while she got ready.

  “You sure?” she asked.

  “I’m sure. Now go get dressed before I yank off that robe, tie you up with the sash, and have my way with you.”

  She placed her hand on his chest, then went up on tiptoe so that her mouth was almost touching his. “Oooh, sounds like fun.”

  “It would be. But then we’d never get out of here.” Giving her a quick kiss on the lips, he turned her around and gave her a firm smack on the bottom with his hand. “Now behave yourself and go get dressed,” he growled in her ear.

  Her pussy quivering from the smack on her ass, Heidi went into the bedroom to get dressed. Rather than pull on her usual shorts and T-shirt over her bra and panties, however, she put on a short skirt and a cami. Brushing her hair, she wondered if she should pull it back in a ponytail, but then decided to leave it loose so that it hung down her back.

  She was just slipping her feet into a pair of sandals when Luke walked into the room.

  He let out a low whistle. “You look beautiful.”

  Heidi smiled at the compliment. “Thank you.”

  Going over to the dresser, she picked up the oversized silver hoop earrings and was about to put them on when a thought occurred to her. She turned to give Luke a frown. “I can still wear silver jewelry, right?”

  His mouth quirked. “You mean now that you’re a werewolf? Yeah, you can still wear silver. It has no effect on us. That’s stuff Hollywood made up.”

  “Good,” she said as she reached up to put them on. “I have a lot of silver earrings and I’d hate to have to give up wearing them.”

  He chuckled. “Ready to go?”

  She nodded. “Just have to grab my camera.”

  The zoo was just ten minutes from her apartment building, so it didn’t take long to get there. An animal lover, the Anchorage zoo was one of her favorite attractions in the city, and even though she’d been there before, she waited eagerly while Luke paid their admission. Taking the map the teenage boy at the ticket window held out, she looked it over as Luke put his wallet away.

  “Which way first?” he asked.

  She smiled. “The wolves.”

  He chuckled. “The wolves it is.”

  Of course, the wolf habitat was on the other side of the zoo, which meant she and Luke had to pass various other animals on the way. That was fine with Heidi, though, and she stopped to take pictures of every one. She was glad to see that
the two Amur tigers, which had just arrived at the zoo a little while before her first visit, had settled into their new home. The two siblings were roughhousing with each other when she and Luke walked up to the enclosure, and she couldn’t help but laugh as the tigers rolled around on the grass.

  The monkey enclosure was next, and they stopped there for several minutes before making their way over to the camels. Knobby, one of the zoo’s newest additions, was off to the side of the main camel enclosure, and Heidi snapped at least a dozen pictures of the baby camel before they moved on to the petting zoo.

  “Let’s go in,” she suggested to Luke, hurrying over to the mini barnyard.

  Heidi had always been used to the animals running right over to demand either attention or treats whenever she went into a petting zoo, so she was a little surprised when all the pigs, goats, and sheep actually shied away from her.

  “Our scent tends to confuse most animals in the beginning. We don’t look like wolves, but to other animals, we smell sort of like they do,” Luke explained softly. “They’ll come over in a few minutes, once they figure out we aren’t here to eat them.”

  Heidi hadn’t given much thought to what they smelled like to the animals in the enclosures as she and Luke strolled through the zoo, but now that she did, it made a lot of sense. “The other animals we looked at didn’t seem like they were afraid of us,” she observed.

  He shrugged. “Since they’re predators, tigers don’t consider us a threat. Camels and monkeys don’t instinctively recognize wolves as a threat, either, since there aren’t any in their normal habitats. The moose that we passed would have smelled us, but they’re all large enough not to be concerned, especially since it takes a full wolf pack to bring down an adult moose. But all of these guys,” he gestured to the barnyard animals, “would definitely recognize a wolf as something to stay away from. They’ll soon figure out we’re not a threat to them, however.” He grinned and dropped down into a crouch as a fat, little pig waddled over to them. “Like this little guy.”

  Smiling, Heidi crouched down beside Luke and held out her hand to the pig. The animal sniffed at her fingers for a moment, then shuffled closer so that she could pet him. “Aren’t you just adorable?” she said to him.

  Luke chuckled. “I’ll go get some food so you can feed him.”

  Still petting the pig, Heidi nodded.

  Of course, when Luke came back with a bag of food a moment later, Heidi had more barnyard animals around her than she could pet at one time, even with Luke’s help. They were still laughing when they walked out of the petting zoo ten minutes later.

  As they made their way to the next enclosure, Luke casually linked his fingers with hers as they walked. Heidi smiled. She hadn’t had a guy hold her hand since college, and even then, it had never felt this good. Or this right.

  Heidi was so into it that she didn’t realize they had come to the wolf enclosure until Luke led her over to it. Still holding onto Luke’s hand, she edged closer to the area. She had always thought wolves were breathtakingly beautiful animals, and she watched in fascination as one of them lounged in the grass while the others circled the perimeter of the enclosure at a quick trot.

  As if just noticing her and Luke, one of the wolves that had been running laps stopped in his tracks to gaze at them. He eyed them curiously for moment, then began making a soft, breathy chuffing sound.

  Heidi glanced at Luke. “What’s he doing?”

  “Trying to figure out what we are,” Luke said. “Though they recognize our scent, they’re still confused, because we also smell like humans. And obviously, we don’t look like wolves.”

  She considered that as the wolf continued to chuff at them. After a moment, she looked at Luke. “So, are you going to answer him?”

  He lifted a brow. “You’re kidding, right?”

  She shook her head. “No. I mean, you speak wolf, don’t you?”

  Luke chuckled. “Well, I took it in college, but to be honest, I only got a ‘C’ in the course because the professor liked me.”

  She made a face at him. “Very funny. But I’m being serious. Can’t you communicate with other wolves?”

  He shook his head. “Sorry, but no. That’s not one of the talents we have.”

  Bummer. Heidi put her camera back in her purse. It would have been really cool to be able to talk to other wolves. Luke draped an arm over her shoulder and pulled her close for a kiss.

  “Come on,” he said. “Let’s go check out the rest of the zoo.”

  Hands linked, they started down the walkway to the next enclosure. As they came back around to the entrance a little while later, Heidi tugged him in the direction of the gift shop. She really wasn’t looking to buy anything, she just liked browsing. Luke didn’t seem to mind, though, and followed her around with an amused expression on his face as she moved from one part of the store to another. She was just “oohing” and “ahhing” over a display of cuddly looking stuffed animals when she glanced at Luke to see him holding a big, plush, gray wolf in his hands.

  She walked over to him. “Getting in touch with your inner wolf?” she asked with a smile.

  Luke chuckled. “Actually, I thought I’d get it for you. Something to remember Alaska by.” He reached up to gently brush her hair back from her face, his fingers lingering on her cheek as he softly added, “And me.”

  Heidi felt her heart tighten uncomfortably in her chest the same way it had back at her apartment when she’d reminded herself she would be leaving soon. Only this time, the feeling brought a rush of tears with it, and she quickly blinked them back before Luke could see. He obviously didn’t consider their relationship to have long-term potential, and she shouldn’t, either.

  Swallowing hard, she forced herself to give Luke a smile. Reaching out to take the wolf, she cradled it to her chest as she leaned forward to kiss him tenderly on the mouth. “Thank you. He’s perfect.”

  Just like the man who had bought it for her.

  * * * *

  Luke glanced at Heidi as he drove toward E Street and the Anchorage Market. She was gazing out the side window, absently running her fingers through the stuffed wolf’s plush fur. His mouth curved into a smile as he watched her. He hadn’t bought a stuffed animal for a girl since high school, but when he’d seen the gray wolf, he couldn’t resist buying it for her. He was glad she liked it.

  Of course, he supposed he could have left out that part about it being something to help her remember him by. Not only had it sounded like something out of a lame chick flick, but going by the way Heidi had reacted, it had also clearly made her uncomfortable. He didn’t want her to think it was his subtle way of implying there was more to their relationship than there was. That didn’t stop him from wishing there could be more, though.

  “So,” he said, glancing at her again. “Have you been to the market yet?”

  She turned her attention away from the window to give him a nod. “Once.”

  “What did you think?”

  “I loved it,” she said. “Kind of a cross between a huge arts and crafts bizarre and a county fair. Well, without the rides and the farm animals.”

  He grinned. “That’s a good way to describe it.”

  “I was kind of surprised by some of the stuff they have for sale, though,” she admitted.

  “Like what?”

  “Canned reindeer, for one thing. I didn’t realize people even ate reindeer.”

  He chuckled. “Up here, they do. Did you try it?”

  She shook her head. “No. Have you ever had it?”

  “When I was a kid,” he said. “I had a friend who was half-Inuit, and his mother used to make it when I went over to his house for dinner.”

  “What does it taste like?” she asked.

  “A lot like venison. A little more gamey, maybe.” He turned off the road into one of the downtown parking lots that serviced the market. “We should pick some up while we’re here so you can taste it.”

  She made a face. “No thanks
. I think I’ll just take your word for it. Though I wouldn’t mind picking up some of the hot cocoa mix and a bottle of birch syrup. Something for lunch, too,” she added. “I’m starving.”

  “Good idea.” Luke grinned as he put the Mariner in park and shut off the engine. “Maybe reindeer sausage,” he suggested as he opened her door. “Or a musk ox burger.”

  Heidi made a face at him.

  “Last night, you told me that one of the best parts about your stay here was being able to immerse yourself in the culture,” he reminded her as he took her hand and led the way toward the market. “You can’t get more Alaskan than a musk ox burger.”

  She gave him a skeptical look from behind her sunglasses. “Okay, I’ll try the burger. But no reindeer. I’m not eating Rudolph.”

  He chuckled and pulled her close for a kiss. “Okay, no reindeer.”

  Since neither of them felt like walking around the Market on an empty stomach, they decided to head to the traditional Alaska grown area of the market where the eat local section was located. Though it was already late summer, the place was still filled with tourists, and there weren’t many unoccupied tables.

  “Why don’t you grab us a table and I’ll go get the burgers?” Luke suggested to Heidi, giving her a quick kiss on the mouth.

  She nodded, and he watched as she made her way through the maze of tables over to an empty one in the corner before going over to the food tent. Despite how crowded it was, Luke was still able to get their food pretty quickly.

  “Mmm,” Heidi said as he set the burgers down on the table a few minutes later. “Those smell delicious.”

  He pulled out the chair beside her and sat down. “They taste delicious, too.”

  Luke expected her to say “yeah, right,” but he noticed that she didn’t look nearly as skeptical as she had before. Instead, she picked up her burger and bit into it with relish. A moment later, she let out a moan.

  “You’re right,” she said. “This is delicious.”

  Luke only grinned as he bit into his own burger.