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“Marcus, is everything okay? Did you find Mrs. Hunter?”
“Yes, I found her. She’s safe, but a mudslide took out her house. She’s here with me.” He didn’t tell Saber anything else, deciding this was something better told in person. “The bridge is out, too.”
“We’ve had problems here. The town flooded, and we have water and sewage everywhere. Storm in a Teacup is bad.”
“Hell, I’m sorry.”
“Not as sorry as the Feline Council. I’ve told them for ages that we needed improvements with our river management, vegetation maintenance, and debris clearing work. The rest of the council disagreed since we haven’t had a flood for over ten years, but the planners set the town at the point where a gully merges with the valley floor. We’re susceptible to flooding. Given the damage, I take no pleasure in making them eat their words.”
“As soon as the floodwaters recede, I’ll come down to help. I’ve been lucky here. A couple of downed trees, but that’s all.”
“Do you have enough supplies?”
“Yes, we’ll be fine.”
“Let me know if you have any problems.”
“Thanks. At least the rain has slowed, and the thunder and lightning have moved on.”
“Amen to that,” Saber said.
Marcus disconnected and placed his phone on the tabletop.
“You didn’t tell him anything about me,” Ria said, her expression unreadable.
“No. That is something better done in person. You could return to being old Mrs. Hunter, but people will start looking sideways at us when I pay marked attention to you.”
She frowned. “What sort of attention?”
Marcus stood and prowled toward her, making no effort to hide his desire or his shifter status. It was time to show her exactly what he wanted, and right now, that was a kiss.
8
Ria’sheartdrummedagainsther ribs, and instinct had her standing her ground, even though she wanted to run. Some long-forgotten gut feeling told her it would be a mistake to display fear or to flee.
“Good girl.”
She flinched because he was way too close and way too big. He did smell fantastic, though. She loved his scent and inhaled to take another whiff.
The wolf closed the gap between them, and if she took another of those deep breaths, her breasts would rub against his broad chest. Her gaze jerked upward and somehow became entangled in his. Up close, his eyes were a warm brown with golden shards, and she swore there was something otherworldly in them.
“What are you going to do?”
“I want a kiss.”
“Why? No one has wanted to rub mouths with me before.”
The corners of his mouth tilted upward. He hadn’t shaved for a few days, and she found herself eager to touch his jawline. Aware she was staring, she lifted her eyes again. His held a smile.
“They were blind and stupid, sweetheart. Let me show you.”
Before she could protest or ask more questions, he placed one big hand on her shoulder and used the other to tip up her chin. An instant later, his mouth covered hers. His lips were soft, and they moved against her mouth, and she thought for a crazy moment that his tongue traced across her lower lip, but that couldn’t be right. He repeated the move, and she gasped. Something slid past her lips.
His tongue? Yes, it was, and it rubbed and twirled against hers. Ria analyzed the sensations, and while her brain shouted about germs and that this was gross, her body behaved differently. Pleasurable feelings flickered down her torso, shocking her, surprising her, and she pressed against his body. Hmm, that felt nice. He was so hard compared to her softness. They seemed to fit like a window fastening in a latch—perfectly.
Ria held on and let the kiss continue since it wasn’t terrible. Marcus made a growly sound, and it vibrated in his broad chest. He lifted his head to press his forehead against hers, and she inhaled.
His scent had changed, growing earthier and stronger. Not that it was unpleasant. She still liked his fresh pine fragrance, and now it seemed as if she enjoyed his touch. His kisses.
