Page 2

Two

Wolf

Emily David is tiny. Five foot nothing, with the most impeccable posture I’ve ever seen. Her hair is a fiery reddish-orange, and it’s piled on top of her head in a messy bun. She’s wearing black leggings a gray sweatshirt that’s slipped down over one shoulder to reveal pale, creamy skin covered in a galaxy’s worth of freckles.

“Emily?” I say, and she startles, turning around quickly with a hand pressed to her chest.

“Oh my god, you startled me!” she says, and as our eyes meet for the first time, my world tilts on its axis.

Jesus. Fucking. Christ. Emily David is beautiful. She’s ethereal. Like an angel. Like a fairy, or a goddess.

Huge green eyes the color of emeralds blink at me, and more of those freckles dot her face—her forehead, her nose, her cheeks. Her nose is small and upturned, her lips full and rosy. She sucks in a little breath and her cheeks turn the most delicious shade of pink.

I feel like I’ve been struck by lightning. My brain has shorted out, my nerve endings are going haywire, and I can’t move. I’m rooted to the spot, glued in place by the electricity crackling through my body.

I can’t stop staring. I want to drown in her eyes. I want to count her freckles with my mouth.

She takes another breath, her pretty pink lips parted slightly, her eyes locked on me.

My heart hammers in my chest as I sweep my gaze down her body. She’s so small and delicate. I could probably wrap my huge hands around her waist and have my fingers touch. She shifts slightly, making her sweatshirt droop down a little more, and my attention is pulled to that swath of freckled, creamy skin.

I want to taste that skin. I want to see if it’s as soft as it looks. I want to smell her. I bet she smells delicious.

I bet she smells delicious? What the actual fuck is happening right now? And what the hell is wrong with me? This is Mike’s little sister. She’s nineteen, for Christ’s sake. Nine-fucking-teen . She’s a kid. Barely out of high school.

But she doesn’t look like a kid. She looks like a goddamn fairy princess, all ethereal and glowing and too fucking beautiful to be real.

“Hi,” she says, her soft voice coming out all breathy, her cheeks turning that fantastic shade of pink again. She tucks a tendril of fiery hair that’s escaped from her bun behind her ear, and I track the movement, my eyes drawn to the graceful curve of her neck.

“Hey,” I manage, and my voice comes out like a growl. I sound like I’ve just run a marathon, like I’ve been at a concert and shouting for hours.

Her eyes widen slightly at my gruff tone and I go a little lightheaded at how quickly all of the blood in my body flows straight to my cock. It takes only seconds before I’m achingly, painfully hard. I shift my stance, trying to adjust myself discreetly, but her eyes flick down, and then back up, her blush deepening and spreading, all the way up to her hairline and down to her collarbone.

Fuck. I think she noticed.

“You…” she licks her lips and shakes her head, as though trying to think clearly. Maybe this fog of lust I’m feeling isn’t one sided.

A guy can hope, anyway.

“You must be Wolf,” she says, and fuck me, but her voice is soft and sweet. It rolls over me like honey dripping from a spoon.

I have the sudden, visceral urge to hear that voice moaning my name. Screaming it. Begging and whimpering as I make an absolute mess of her.

Christ, I’m going to hell. And I’ll probably arrive soon, given that Mike will strangle me with his bare hands if I lay a finger on his little sister.

“Yeah,” I say, pushing a hand through my hair. I’m sweating. My palms are damp. My heart is racing. Am I about to have a heart attack? A stroke? Because I feel all kinds of fucked up right now. “And you must be Emily.” I love the feeling of her name on my tongue. The way saying it feels like coming home, somehow.

She nods, tucking that stray strand of hair behind her ear again. She’s nervous.

I make her nervous.

Good. I like that. A lot.

I like the idea of her squirming, of her being aware of me, of her feeling even a fraction of what I’m feeling right now.

“Mike’s told me so much about you,” she says, her eyes darting around the living room before landing back on me. “You guys are like, best friends.”

“We are,” I confirm, taking a step closer. Her eyes widen slightly, but she doesn’t move back. I can smell her now, a sweet, soft scent that reminds me of flowers and sunshine. I want to bury my face in her hair, in her neck, in her pussy, and breathe her in.

I want to taste her. Devour her. Consume her.

But I can’t. I want to, but I won’t. Because she’s too young and innocent for me and the fucked up things I want to do to her. Because she’s Mike’s little sister. Because she’s only here for a few weeks and then she’ll go back to Winnipeg.

“He said you’d look out for me,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “While I’m here.”

“I will,” I promise, my voice rough. I’ve only just met her, but I know I’d do anything to protect her. Keep her safe.

I’m in deep shit, here. I know that. I know that I’m way too old for her, that she’s too innocent, too pure. I know that Mike would murder me and piss on my grave if he knew the thoughts running through my head right now.

But I can’t stop them. I can’t stop the images flashing through my mind: Emily underneath me, on top of me, against the wall, bent over the couch. I can’t stop the lust coursing through my veins, the primal, animalistic need to claim her, to mark her, to make her mine.

Not that any of that is ever going to happen.

“Let me show you to your room,” I say, jerking my head towards the far side of the penthouse. I must be thrilling her with my conversational skills right now.

“Okay.” She falls into step beside me, and I’m struck by how fucking tiny she is next to me. She doesn’t even come up to my collarbone. And because I’m a sick fuck, that only makes me want her more.

I lead Emily down the hallway, trying to ignore the soft, sweet scent of her. Even though I keep my eyes trained straight ahead, I can feel her presence like a physical touch, and it’s taking every ounce of self-control I have not to reach out and take her small hand in mine.

“This is you,” I say, pushing open the door to the guest room. It’s decorated in neutral tones, the large bed piled high with pillows. The far wall is nothing but windows, offering a stunning view of the Toronto skyline.

Emily brushes past me, her arm grazing mine, and I have to suppress a shudder at the contact. She strides into the room gracefully, her wide eyes taking it all in.

“Wow,” she breathes, turning back to look at me. “This is…this is amazing, Wolf. Thank you so much for letting me stay here.”

I shrug, leaning against the door frame. I don’t miss the way her gaze skims over my shoulders, my arms, down my torso. “It’s no big deal. Anything for Mike. And…” I lick my lips and swallow. “I want to make sure you’re safe while you’re here.”

She smiles at that, her green eyes sparkling like jewels. “Well, I appreciate it. Really. I’m used to Winnipeg, and I thought that was a big city, but this…” Her gaze drifts back to the windows. “This is something else.”

“I thought so too when I first got here.”

“Where are you from, originally?”

“North Bay,” I say. It’s a small city about five hours north of Toronto on the shores of Lake Nippising. “The first time I tried to take the subway, I got on going the wrong way and ended up on the opposite end of town. But I did find the best Chinese dumpling place in the city, so…” I shrug. “Silver lining, I guess.”

Wow. Who am I right now? Is this flirting? Am I trying to flirt? If so, my flirting’s even worse than my wrist shot.

Her eyes sparkle again, and fuck, do I like being the one to make them do that. “Thankfully, I don’t think I need to take the subway to get to the school. It’s walkable from here.”

I shake my head. “I’ll drive you. Or, if I’m not available, I’ll have a car sent for you. I don’t want you walking in the freezing cold, or after dark.”

“Oh,” she says, a little breathless, and her cheeks are pink again. “Thank you. I…that’s really nice.” A moment stretches between us as our eyes lock, and then she clears her throat and looks away. “Mike will be relieved to hear that you’re helping me out. But…” She looks down at her hands, then picks at a non-existent piece of lint on her leggings. “I hope I won’t be too much of a bother while I’m here. I know your schedule must be slammed, what with hockey and everything…”

“You won’t be a bother,” I say, the words coming out rougher than I intended. Her eyes snap up to meet mine, and there’s a moment of charged silence between us. I clear my throat, looking away. “If you need anything, just let me know, okay? I want you to feel at home here.”

She nods, her cheeks flushing that delicious shade of pink again. “Okay. Thank you, Wolf.”

Our eyes meet again, and this time it’s like a punch to the gut. There’s something there, something real and raw and powerful. And in that moment, I know. I know that I could fall in love with this girl. I could fall hard and fast and completely in the blink of an eye.

But I also know that I can’t let that happen. That I shouldn’t. That it would be wrong on so many levels.

So, I do the only sensible thing. I nod, abrupt and stiff, and then I turn around and walk away, leaving her alone in the room.

As I return to the living room, my phone starts to buzz. I pull it out of my back pocket, my mouth going slightly dry when I see Mike’s name flash across the screen.

“Hey,” I answer, hoping I sound normal. I don’t feel normal. Not even a little. I feel dizzy and shaky. I feel completely off-kilter.

“Hey, man,” says Mike jovially. “How’s everything? Emily get in okay?”

I rub a hand over the back of my neck. “Yep. She’s here, got her settled in the guest room. I think she’s unpacking right now.”

Mike blows out a breath. “Good. That’s good to hear. She’s never traveled so far by herself before, and I was worried about her navigating the airport and getting to your place.”

I purse my lips. “She seems pretty capable to me. But I offered to drive her to and from the ballet school so she doesn’t have to worry about public transportation.”

“Thanks, man. You’re the best. Seriously. There are very few people I’d trust with Emily, but I know you’re a good guy.”

I have no fucking clue what to say to that, and a silence hangs in the air between us. He wouldn’t think I was a good guy if he knew the thoughts I’d already had about Emily.

“I promise that I’ll keep an eye on her,” I say after a little too long. It’s the truth, at least. I don’t know how I’m going to keep my eyes off of her.

There’s another pause. “But just your eyes, right?”

“Of course,” I answer quickly. “You know I’d never…” I trail off. I can’t bring myself to say it because it doesn’t feel entirely true.

“You’d better not, or I’ll have to kill you.” There’s a beat, and then he laughs, the burst of sound a little too loud in my ear, and I hunch my shoulders up. “Just kidding! Kidding. Seriously, I know you’d never do anything like that, but just for the sake of doing my big brother duties, keep your hands to yourself. My little sister is off limits. Clear?”

“Crystal, man. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

“Good. That’s all I needed to hear.”

We chat for a few more minutes before the call ends, and I sink down onto the couch with Mike’s words echoing through my brain.

My little sister is off limits.

Fuck.