Her Werewolf Lover: Michael and Samantha (The Macconwood Pack Tales #15)

Chapter 11

A few days later…

Michael studied the ceiling to floor windows they’d just installed on the ground floor overlooking the deck and Samantha’s backyard. She’d wanted natural light, and he was determined to give it to her.

His sweet little mate was so concerned about her budget, she’d submitted all sorts of ideas to him on ways to cut costs, and he listened to some. But her safety was one area he would not be persuaded.

Unknown to her, he’d used the best quality glass money could buy. It was reinforced, one-way glass. It was the same as was used in skyscrapers all over the world. It allowed her to look outside while others could not peek at all at what was inside. Same glass he’d used upstairs.

He saw his reflection clearly and nodded. The Wolf inside him pleased with the progress. The interior bones were all done. The layout was perfect.

Today, they were painting the living room. Tomorrow, they would finish the floors. Then that weekend, he’d planned on taking her furniture shopping. Apparently, she enjoyed antiquing, and Maccon City, as well as the surrounding area, had some incredible stores and flea markets dedicated to the stuff.

Michael felt positively giddy with happiness. After Maya was born, he’d hardly even dated. But now, well now, he had a mate.

Tell her.

His inner Wolf was growing impatient, and Michael understood he needed to get the ball rolling.

Suddenly, Samantha’s heavenly vanilla scent reached Michael in the living room, and he spun on his heel, watching as she turned the corner. Her grace of carriage was so effortless.

Maybe it was years of modeling. He could not be sure. But she moved like liquid through the house. Her face was expressive as she took in the finished walls with their coat of primer .

“OH, I thought you’d left,” she said, and wiped her hands on her pants. A nervous gesture, but he couldn’t be sure.

“I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye,” he murmured, watching like the predator he was as she approached him.

He raked his gaze over her from head to foot, approving of the rubber-soled slippers on her feet. Yes, his crew was tidy, but there was always the chance they might have missed something, and he could not bear the thought of her being injured.

Sparks sizzled between them. It was the pull of mates, he knew. But he imagined Samantha was having difficulty understanding why she felt so compelled to be near him.

But Michael knew. He looked forward to the inevitable spike in the haunting arousal he felt for her that never seemed to go away.

“Can I get you anything? Water or coffee?” Samantha asked.

“That would be nice, but not yet. Here, come see,” he said and held a hand out to her.

She paused. For a moment, he wondered if she would refuse. But Samantha was bold and so beautiful. Not afraid of him, for sure.

Michael couldn’t fight his grin as she stepped towards him with determination glowing in her hazel eyes. Her cool fingers slid against his and he growled deep in his chest as he warmed her palm with his own.

Fuck.

She felt good.

So damn soft. So sweet.

“Wow! Is that a deer?” she asked, eyes wide as a white-tailed deer raced along the fair end of her yard.

“Yes. There’s a healthy herd that lives in the woods here,” he said softly.

“Oh, there’s another! Beautiful,” she whispered.

“So beautiful,” he agreed, but his eyes were on her and not on the scene taking place in her yard.

The sun was setting, casting shadows in warm oranges and browns across the grass and trees. It was lovely, but Samantha was the real showstopper here. He knew it and he wanted her to know it.

Her focus switched away from the window. With a sigh, Samantha turned her body to face him. She tugged, and he released her hand, hating the distance, but allowing it for now.

“Michael, I need you to know what you did this week? You and your Aunt Eileen, I mean. Setting up the house for Della and her kids. Getting all this work done so quickly. Well, I mean, you’re just wonderful. And I know it is not my place, but I’m so proud of you and so thankful,” she said.

Michael stood stock still. He hadn’t an inkling of what to say. It had come naturally to him, wanting to help her neighbor. Securing the property, setting up a perimeter, making sure everything worked for the young mother was just his way of making sure his own mate was safe and sound.

Yes, that made it sound worse. But Samantha was his primary concern.

“I knew you wanted to help her, so I just stepped in where I could,” he said honestly.

“Are you saying you did that for me?” she asked, looking puzzled.

“Well, I don’t mean to be a jerk. Of course, her situation with her cast and the kids, I mean, my guys would have pitched in if they saw her struggling outside by herself. But yes, I knew you felt compelled to help, and I wanted to do that for you.”

“Oh, wow,” she said, and he rubbed the top of his head, thinking he fucked this up for sure now.

“Well, thank you again, then. That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me,” she murmured, and Michael’s heart thudded against his breastbone.

“No, I should thank you,” he replied, “and if you think that is sweet, you better get ready to have your socks knocked off.”

“Oh, yeah?” she said and smiled.

“Yeah. Watch this,” he said and winked, reaching out towards the switch on the wall right before the windows began.

His crew had finished outfitting the half-covered deck and re-staining it that afternoon. Once they’d done all that, he’d had thousands of tiny twinkle lights hung up, so it looked like something out of a fantasy. The best part was his guys did an excellent job hiding all the wires.

“Oh, wow. Michael! I don’t know what to say.” Samantha gasped, covering her mouth as he switched the lights on.

“Say you like it,” he replied, taking in her joy and basking in it. Like she was his own personal sun.

My Sunshine.

“I like it. I mean, I love it,” she said, her pretty hazel eyes flashing at him.

“Sunshine,” he murmured, cupping her neck and dragging her towards him.

Michael gave her plenty of opportunity to back away, but when she didn’t move, he felt the victory of it down to his toes .

“This is crazy,” she whispered, going on tiptoe and nuzzling her nose with his.

“No, this is fate,” he replied and captured her lips.

Goddamn. She tasted so good. Like French vanilla ice cream and the naughty, sweaty dreams that had been keeping him up for nights.

She held herself stiff at first, but the second he stroked his long tongue into her mouth, she relaxed. Her curvy, soft body leaned into his, and Michael was tempted to toss his head back and howl like the beast he was.

“Michael. This feels too good,” she whimpered as he walked her backwards until her butt rested against a worktable that was leaning against a wall.

“Mmm, I agree. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that first kiss we shared for days now,” he confessed, picking her up and swallowing her gasp.

He sat her down on the clean surface and nudged her legs apart.

Samantha moaned into his mouth and welcomed him into her arms.

Fuck.

It felt like coming home.

He stroked his fingers up her hips, to her indented waist, over the softness of her belly and higher still, till he was cupping her neck and sucking her tongue into his mouth.

He brushed a lock of her hair away from her cheek, tucking it behind her ear. His breath was coming faster and faster. His heart pounded and his pulse raced like a runaway train.

This was moving fast. Maybe too fast, but Michael had waited long enough.

“Need you, Sunshine,” he murmured, flexing his hips and letting her feel the steel length of him press against her covered sex.

“Michael,” she whimpered.

Heat from her needy little pussy seared him, making him ache to sink into her sweet softness.

“What’s it gonna be, Baby Girl? Tell me,” he said.

“Tell you w-what?” she asked, raising her lust-glazed eyes to his.

“Tell me what you want. Cause I want to do so many things to you, so many filthy, naughty things with you, but you are in charge here, Samantha. So, I am asking. What do you need? What do you want? What will you let me do?”

Samantha licked her lips.

Michael waited with bated breath.

“I-I want you.”