Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 36641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
“You’re preceptive, Olivia, and when you figure out what I’m not telling you then I believe the decision for you to accept my offer or leave will be much easier for you to make.”
“A mystery to solve, though, is solving it necessary to obtaining the position,” she asked, finding it odd but also intriguing.
“Quite necessary, but I have faith you will solve it.”
“Then to do so, I will need all the information I can gather. I would love to explore the preserve, visit with the wolves, see your facilities before solving the mystery and making a decision.”
“As soon as the snow allows, I will take you to see it all,” he assured her.
“I look forward to it, but if you don’t mind me asking, what is your custom when one of your wolves passes?”
“When one of us passes, there is a mourning period, then the werewolf is cremated and the ashes spread in the forest where his or her spirit can roam free with those who passed before him. But enough sorrow, Gillean was ready to go, and while we will miss him, he lived a long, good life and he is now where he wishes to be, with his family. Let’s concentrate on you and this assignment that brought you here… a werewolf’s sexual appetite.”
“Is a werewolf’s sexual appetite that much different from a human’s?” She couldn’t believe she was asking such a ridiculous question, but it wouldn’t hurt to humor him. It just might get her some creative suggestions. And she had to admit she was curious to what he would say about sex.
“The challenge is that you have part man, part wolf. The wolf in the man will seek the way of the wolf when it comes to finding a mate, finding a female wolf, courting her when she accepts his advances, spending time with each other, finalizing it with robust sex, whereas the man in the wolf will seek sex from various women for nothing more than satisfaction.”
“Robust sex?” she asked, a sudden image of him and her naked in bed, sweaty and panting, leaving her damp between her legs.
“Do you prefer gentle sex, Olivia?”
Her name dripped with seduction from his lips, and his green eyes teasingly tempted along with the slight smile that teased the corners of his mouth.
She somehow kept her wits about her. “We’re talking about a werewolf’s sexual appetite, not mine.” She continued before he could say anything. “Do you prefer your own kind to human women?”
“I have had my share of both and have enjoyed both.”
“Why haven’t you wed?” She regretted her question. There was no need for it, and she didn’t know why she asked it. “Forgive me. That’s none of my business. I shouldn’t have asked it.”
“I don’t mind answering it. I have had several mates throughout my long lifetime, and I mourn every one of them.”
“So, you prefer your own kind to human women.”
“Now that you are aware of my circumstances, I’m sure you can appreciate the difficulties that go along with it. While some human women might find having a werewolf as a husband exciting, it might be more than she could eventually handle, especially with my dedication to the preserve and my lack of travel. It would lead to a divorce and the chance of my pack of werewolves being revealed.”
“I doubt anyone would believe such an outrageous claim.”
“But think of the publicity and the crazies who would try to prove the claim true.” He shook his head. “I would never subject my pack, my family to that. They rely on me to protect them, keep them safe, and I take my duties very seriously.”
She rested her arms on the table, leaned forward, and looked directly at him. “I don’t know what to make of you.”
He did the same as her, resting his arms on the table and leaning forward. “You will the more you learn about me while I learn about you.”
He reached out and traced the thin, barely visible scar on her cheek with one finger. “How did you get that?”
A whispery soft tickle raced through her from his tender touch, prickling her skin, and his eyes held genuine concern as though he worried over what had happened to her.
“Samson,” she said with a smile, “a malamute puppy I got when I was young. He accidentally scratched me while playing.”
Tiernan rested his hand beneath her chin as he ran his thumb across the scar. “That was more than a scratch to leave you with a scar.”
His touch was innocent enough, yet it sparked a passion in her. She had never reacted so instantly to any man’s touch, nor had she enjoyed one so much.
“A scar that you can barely see. Besides, it was my own fault. My granddad warned me to take it easy with him, that he was a pup and had sharp claws. Samson was the love of my life and my heart broke when he died.”