Alexandra's Legacy

Chapter Four

Joshua watched the woman sitting at the table across from him, unable to pull his gaze away. Alex was on her second cup of coffee already, having practically inhaled the first one. He rubbed his hand over his mouth, hiding his smile. It faded when she took the first sip of the second cup. Her eyes were closed, her head tipped back, her expression one of pure bliss. She looked like a woman in the throes of sexual release. He swallowed hard and shifted in his seat, trying to adjust himself so that his balls weren’t squashed and his cock didn’t hurt.

They hadn’t spoken, except to place their order, since they’d taken their seat in a quiet back corner of the small, yet surprisingly busy, restaurant. By unspoken agreement, they’d both decided to wait until they had their breakfast in front of them before they started talking. Less chance of interruption that way.

The waitress hurried up to the table and deposited his bacon, eggs, hash browns and toast in front of him. It smelled delicious. He watched Alex all but grab her plate out of the waitress’s hands. Once she’d realized she was going to get a chance to actually sit down and eat, she’d opted for blueberry pancakes and bacon instead of a toasted bagel.

He quietly thanked the waitress as he watched Alex pour warm syrup over the hot cakes. Some of it dripped from the spout of the small metal jug, running down her fingers. Switching hands, she kept pouring as she brought her fingers to her mouth, licking the sweet syrup from them.

Joshua groaned and shifted again. She was the picture of sensual enticement as she popped one finger in her mouth and sucked it. Her lips were full and pink and he longed to taste them. They would be sweet from the syrup and warm. She pulled her finger out slowly, making sure she got every last drop.

She glanced over at him when he groaned again, freezing when she saw the look in his eyes. Her eyes were a misty gray, framed by long, dark brown lashes. She raised one of her slightly curved eyebrows in question. He shook his head and she shrugged, plunked the jug back down on the table and picked up her utensils. Without another glance at him, she dug into her meal.

Joshua wasn’t sure he’d survive breakfast.

To save his sanity, he concentrated on eating his meal. In spite of what Alex might believe, he hadn’t had time to eat this morning either. He’d spent all last night searching every privately owned garage in the city, as he’d done for the past two nights, while laying down false trails for the rogue wolves that were hot on his tail.

It had troubled him to see the area of Chicago in which James LeVeau Riley had raised his daughter, but from what he’d seen of the man and his daughter, James had obviously known what he was doing. Alex was confident and capable, more than able to hold her own with him or any other male.

The bacon was crisp, the toast golden brown and the eggs cooked to perfection. Even the hash browns weren’t greasy. No wonder this place was busy. It might not look like much, but the food was exceptional. They shouldn’t really have stopped for breakfast, but it was worth the risk to witness Alex’s obvious enjoyment as she ate and drank.

He glanced at Alex and wasn’t surprised to see her sopping up what was left of the syrup on her plate with the last bite of pancake. When she finished, she placed her utensils carefully across the plate and sat back with a sigh.

“That was excellent.” She picked up her mug of coffee and took a sip before placing it back on the table. Clasping her hands over her stomach, she eyed him carefully. “So where exactly is it we’re going and what will happen when I get there?”

The question and her posture were both casual, but he could see that her knuckles were white she clenched her hands so firmly. Alex was feeling anything but casual at the moment. Picking up his mug, he took a fortifying mouthful, draining the last drop.

“Wolf Creek is in North Carolina. It’s about a ten-hour drive from here if we don’t’ stop and everything goes our way. He set his mug back on the table. “It’s a beautiful area in the mountains. We bought up the land about a century ago and have a compound there where the main family stays. Once we get there you’ll be safe and have time to meet with all the eligible males from the pack.”

“Main family?”

He noticed she avoided any mention of meeting the males of the pack, but he answered her question. “The alpha, Ian, and his mate, Patrice. My brothers and I stay there as well.”

“You said something about being in charge of security or something.” He could tell she was sorting through her memory, trying to recall bits and pieces of this morning’s earlier conversation.

“Yes. A Striker is always the head of security. Our loyalty to the pack is unquestioned.”

“So it’s a big deal.”

He tried to think of a way to make her understand. “Amongst our people, we are the judge, jury and executioner when there is a dispute. We are like the police, making sure the pack is protected from any outside violence as well as any upheaval from within. Our job is to protect the pack at all costs. To ensure its continued existence.”

“That can’t be an easy job.” Her voice had softened. “Nor is it fair to put so much on one person. You know what they say about absolute power.”

“That it corrupts absolutely.” He tilted his head slightly, acknowledging her point. “Yet it is necessary. Besides which, my brothers help me. I am merely the head of security, not its only member. And Ian is still the alpha. His word is final.”

Alex motioned the waitress over, thanking her profusely when she refilled the coffee mugs. She added sugar and stirred before picking up her mug and taking a taste. She licked her lips to catch a drop that beaded on her bottom lip. Joshua wanted to lick her lower lip, take it into his mouth and suck on it. Instead, he focused on Alex, waiting for her next question.

“Tell me about your family. You have brothers?”

He cleared his throat and kept talking, hoping to hide his growing discomfort. His erection, which had been under control, had swelled again the moment her tongue touched her lips. “My parents are both dead, but I have four brothers, one older, three younger.”

“Really.” She sat forward, resting her elbows on the table and propping her chin in her hands. “I always wanted a sister or a brother. It’s always been just Dad and me.”

“It was great to have brothers growing up, although sometimes I wished I’d been an only child.” Thoughts of his siblings brought a reluctant smile to his face. “Isaiah is the firstborn, then there’s me, Micah, Levi and Simon.”

She stared at him, fascination in her gaze.

“I had a sister.” It had been years, but he still didn’t like to talk about it. “Rachel disappeared when she was a teenager. We never found her body. She would have been about fifty years old now. She was the baby of the family, about thirty years younger than me.”

Alex’s eyes were as big as full moons, amazement shining out of their depths. She opened her mouth to speak and closed it again. She swallowed hard. “You’re saying you’re eighty years old?” She glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

“Yes.”

“That’s old. I still can’t wrap my head around that one.” Alex rubbed her hands up and down her arms.

“You will in time. I would imagine that you’ll live almost as long as the rest of us as the wolf is dominant in your genetic makeup.”

Alex slumped back against the seat, shaking her head. “Amazing.” She swiveled her head around. “I’ve got to go to the ladies’ room. We should probably get going.”

The change in subject was abrupt. Joshua sensed her reluctance to dwell too long on her altered circumstances. He couldn’t blame her, especially when they weren’t safe here.

Joshua rose from the table, fished into his pocket and left more than enough on the table to pay for their meal and cover a generous tip. The delay was worth it, if only because the coffee and food made Alex happy.

Keeping his hand on the small of her back, he led her down the short hallway to the restrooms. “I’ll meet you right here. Don’t go anywhere without me.”

She saluted smartly. “Yes, sir.”

He gave her a playful swat on the behind as she pushed open the door to the ladies’ room. She jumped and shot him a glare over her shoulder as she rubbed her bottom.

He smiled even as he shook his head. No one outside his immediate family treated him the way she did. Most others gave him a wide berth, fearful of drawing his attention, but Alex teased and questioned and glared at him at every turn. Pushing his way into the men’s room, he decided to hurry. Who knew what kind of mischief she would get up to if he left her on her own.

Alex flushed the toilet and exited the stall, heading straight to one of the two tiny, cracked sinks. In the privacy of the stall, she’d checked on the knives, which were tucked safely in her boots, and had stashed the gun in the deep pocket of the leather jacket for now. It was late September, but it was warming up outside. It was too hot to keep wearing that coat.

Tossing it over the other sink, she stared at the image in the mirror as she soaped and washed her hands. There were no paper towels left in the dispenser, so she dried her hands on the legs of her jeans. For someone whose life had changed so drastically and who had been through so much, she looked surprisingly normal.

Her hair was disheveled, her skin pale, but the face was the same. Not even her eyes looked different, the familiar silvery gray staring steadily back at her. For some reason, she’d thought she’d look different somehow.

Her hands began to tremble. The quivering went up her arms and down through her body. She’d killed a man this morning. Rather, a wolf. But he was still a man, wasn’t he? The fact that he’d meant to kill her father and kidnap her didn’t make that any easier.

The first sob came from deep within her, taking her off-guard. She’d buried all her emotions up until now, needing just to function, to keep moving forward. But now that she was well fed and relatively safe, those emotions bubbled to the surface, demanding release.

Gripping the edge of the sink, she concentrated on taking one breath at a time. It was no use. She gave into the inevitable and allowed the tears to flow.

A sharp knock came on the door, but she ignored it.

The door pushed open. “Hurry up, Alex. We don’t have all day.”

His voice made her sob even harder. How dare he tell her to hurry? It had been her suggestion to leave. He’d been sitting there like they had all day. She’d tell him off just as soon as she got a grip on herself.

“Fuck,” he muttered as he shoved the door open. She raised her head long enough to glare at him and then buried her face back in her hands. She wasn’t normally a crier, but right now she couldn’t make herself stop. The snick of a lock being set was loud in the otherwise quiet room and then two strong arms wrapped around her.

“Everything will be all right,” he crooned in her ear as he rocked her lightly in his embrace. She felt surrounded by his heat, comforted by his unique scent. It was a fresh outdoorsy smell of pine trees and rich earth, and she pushed her nose closer to his chest, wanting to absorb it into her skin.

“I killed a man. A wolf. A man,” she wailed. “Whatever he was, I killed him.” She’d done it without thought, without a moment’s hesitation when she’d seen him going for her father’s throat. It was strange and disconcerting to realize she had a killer instinct inside her.

“You protected yourself and your father. I would expect nothing less from James LeVeau’s daughter. It was self-defense, pure and simple.”

“It all happened so quickly.” She sniffed, surreptitiously wiping her eyes on his black T-shirt.

“I know it did, honey.”

No man had called her by an endearment before, besides her father, and that didn’t count. They’d called her plenty of unflattering names when she shot down their clumsy sexual advances, but this was something new and unexpected.

She tried not to read too much into it. He needed her to cooperate with him so maybe he was just humoring her. She didn’t think so though. It had been more of an automatic thing. Who knows, maybe he called every woman he met “honey”. All she knew was it made her feel warm inside.

They stood there for a long time. Alex was content to just be in his arms, but she knew they had to leave. Reluctantly, she pushed away. The movement brushed her nipples over his chest. She bit her lip to keep from moaning aloud. What she wanted to do was strip off her sweatshirt and bra and rub her breasts over the hard planes of his chest.

“You okay now?” He pushed a lock of her bangs back out of her face. She’d been due to get a trim and her hair was a little unruly.

“I’m fine.”

“Good.” He barely had the word out when he lowered his head toward her. Her lips parted automatically and she went up on her toes to meet him. His mouth was warm as it pressed against hers. It was the lightest of touches, but it ricocheted throughout her entire body, bringing it to life.

Alex trembled, but this time it felt different. Her skin was alive with sensation. She craved more of his touch. Her body needed it. Demanded it.

Joshua, however, seemed to be in no particular hurry. He nibbled at her bottom lip, tugging at it with his teeth and then stroking it with his tongue.

Her breathing was getting quicker, shallower. Her sweatshirt and jeans were confining, uncomfortably rough against her sensitive skin. The throbbing ache began low in her belly again. She felt empty, needy. For the first time in her life, she truly wanted a man.

Not just any man, but Joshua Striker. Werewolf.

The thought frightened her even as it turned her on. She didn’t know herself anymore. She was drawn to his strength, his scent, the tender way he was kissing her.

“Stop thinking,” he demanded as he dropped soft butterfly kisses on her cheeks, forehead and nose. “Just feel.” His tongue slipped past her lips and into her mouth, tasting it, exploring it, mapping it. There wasn’t a single spot that he didn’t touch. When he stroked her tongue with his, she swayed. Gripping his shoulders for support, she shook off the sensual stupor swamping her and returned his kiss.

Their tongues tangled and entwined. Alex couldn’t get enough of him. He tasted like forbidden fruit, hot and male and dangerous. Like thick, dark coffee, strong and potent. It was addictive. She stroked her hands up his thick neck, threading her fingers through his shaggy black hair. The strands flowed over her hands like dark silk. She wanted to feel it brushing over her breasts.

The ache building between her thighs was too great to ignore. Hooking one leg over his thigh, she tilted her pelvis forward, not surprised when she felt a substantial bulge in the front of his jeans. Moaning, she rubbed her mound over the hard ridge, searching for relief. Cream flowed from her core, soaking her panties. The seam of her jeans pressed against her clitoris, giving her some relief. But it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough. Alex wanted his hands on her, touching her.

“Joshua,” she cried as she tore her mouth away from his.

“Fuck, yes,” he muttered. Pushing her away from him, he reached down, grabbed the hem of her sweatshirt and tore it over her head. With a low growl, he nuzzled his way down her neck toward her breasts.

Alex grabbed the edge of the sink with both hands, holding on for dear life. Joshua cupped one of her breasts, molding it in his hand. His tongue followed the edge of her bra where it sloped over the curve of her breast to the front closure. He traced his thumb over her cotton-covered nipple before covering it with his mouth and sucking hard.

She released her desperate grip on the sink and clutched his head to her chest, feeling the moist heat of his mouth through the fabric of her bra. “More,” she pleaded.

The front closure of her bra popped open. Joshua removed his mouth long enough to push the fabric aside. She looked down, wanting to watch him, wanting to see everything he did. Her nipples were puckered and tight, practically begging him to taste them.

“Pretty.” His voice was a seductive purr as he lapped at first one peak and then the other. Digging her fingers into his scalp, she dragged his head to one breast and tugged him close. She could feel his lips forming a smile, but she didn’t care. She didn’t care what he did as long as he eased the overwhelming ache inside her.

“Yes,” she hissed, tilting her head back when he took her nipple into his mouth and sucked hard. She’d never felt anything like this before. Had no idea that a man sucking on her breasts could give her such overwhelming pleasure. As he drew on her breast, she felt an echoing pulse low in her pussy. It just kept growing and growing. Alex didn’t know how much more she could take.

He glided his hands down her sides, following the indent of her waist before flaring over her hips. He slid them to the front and yanked at the snap of her jeans. It made a loud pop. Gripping the zipper with his fingers, he pulled the tab downward.

She thought he would touch her then and held her breath in anticipation. Instead, he shoved her jeans down around her knees. His fingers left goose bumps on her thighs as he trailed them back up to her waist. His thumbs hooked into the sides of her cotton bikini underwear, but he didn’t tug them down. Instead, he teased her skin with his thumbs.

“Joshua.” She sounded petulant, but she didn’t care. She wanted him to ease the ache inside her.

He gave her nipple one final suck before releasing it. “What?” His tone was so incredibly gentle and caring it brought tears to her eyes.

“Do something?” she wailed.

“Anything in particular?” he teased. His eyes, so brown they were almost black, were filled with lust, but beneath it she saw tenderness as well.

“Touch me.”

“Where?”

She grabbed his hand and shoved it down the front of her panties. “Here,” she gasped as his finger grazed her clitoris. “Oh, yeah,” she groaned, sliding her hips forward and back so that his finger rubbed against the hard nub.

Joshua laughed as he went down on one knee in front of her. He grasped her panties in one hand, tugging them downward until they caught on her jeans. She couldn’t open her legs very wide with her clothing around her knees, but it was enough.

He leaned forward, inhaling as he nuzzled her pubic hair. “Your scent is intoxicating, Alex. Like honey and spice. And you’re not even in full heat yet.” She could hear the wonder in his voice.

She still didn’t like the whole idea of being in heat, but at this moment, she didn’t care. All she wanted was to reach for the orgasm that was growing inside her. She’d given them to herself, but she’d never had one that involved a man. She knew it would be different somehow. Richer. Fuller.

Alex leaned back against the sink for support, the porcelain cold against her bottom. Her fingers dug into the rim for support as she spread her legs as far as they could go.

His finger dipped just inside her slit and he withdrew it, bringing it to his mouth. His tongue darted out to lick the moisture from the tip. “Sweet.” His eyes seemed to burn with some inner fire. “Your pussy is hot and wet and it’s all for me, isn’t it, Alex?”

“Yes.” Of course it was for him. Did he see anyone else here?

He spread the lips of her sex wide with his thumbs and dragged his tongue over her clitoris. She cried out, unable to stop herself. She could smell her own arousal wafting in the air around her and it made her hotter. She felt sensual and ripe, ready for whatever lay ahead.

The rasp of his tongue was heavenly and she pumped her hips back and forth, absorbing every single sensation. Her breasts swayed with every movement. The tips were still moist from his earlier attention and the cool air of the room drifted over them. The sensation of the colder air on her nipples and the heat between her legs was incredibly arousing. Her scalp tingled, her skin felt stretched tight over her frame. Every inch of her was ready, screaming for completion.

He shifted one of his hands, sliding it further down her moist, plump lips. There was no hesitation as he pressed two thick fingers into her core. He was barely inside her when she felt her inner muscles clamp down hard. Her entire body convulsed. She released her hold on the sink and grabbed Joshua instead, clinging to him for support. Fluid gushed from between her legs and she cried out at the incredible sense of release. It seemed to go on forever, but she knew it was probably less than a minute. When her legs seemed to crumple from beneath her, he caught her, holding her easily upright in his arms.

It took her a few minutes to come back to herself. She felt tired, but strangely energized at the same time. She smiled at him and he surged to his feet, planting a hard, hot kiss on her lips before releasing her. She swayed slightly as he tugged her underwear and jeans back into place and pulled the cups of her bra back over her breasts, hooking the front closure.

He was finished, she suddenly realized. “What about you?” Her voice was deeper than usual and she could hear the invitation in it. She wanted to see his erection, touch it and take it into her body. As if in agreement, her core tightened and released, making her moan.

He reached down and adjusted the front of his pants. “Not now. If and when I take you it will be in a safer place. I’ll need hours to fuck you the way I want to, not just a few minutes.”

Alex took her sweatshirt when he handed it to her, automatically pulling it on and pushing up the sleeves. “I don’t understand.”

He brushed his fingers through her hair. “I know, Alex. For now all you need to know is that I wanted to do that for you. You needed the release to help ease the emotional turmoil of all you’d been through.” He stepped away. “Besides, you haven’t met any of the eligible males from the Wolf Creek pack. You might decide you want one of them instead.”

The warm glow that had enveloped her quickly dissipated to be replaced by icy anger. “Let me get this straight. You just brought me to a screaming orgasm in, of all places, a public restroom, and you think I may want another guy to go to bed with me. What kind of woman do you think I am? No.” She held up her hand. “Don’t answer that. I think it’s obvious what you think of me. In my neighborhood that kind of woman has a very unflattering name.” She drew in a deep breath and picked up her leather jacket. “From now on don’t do me any favors, okay?”

Not giving him time to answer, she strode toward the door, flicked the lock and yanked it open. “Are you coming?”

“I wish,” he muttered under his breath.

The only indication she gave that she’d heard him was to tilt her nose in the air. Hah. He shouldn’t hold his breath.

“Yeah, I’m coming.” He looked as if he had plenty more to say, but she didn’t care to listen.

Turning her back to him, she hurried down the hall toward the front door of the diner. She couldn’t believe what she’d just done. She’d given herself body and soul to a man who’d only touched her because he thought she needed the physical release. She was absolutely mortified and embarrassed, not to mention incredibly hurt. She blinked hard to rid herself of the tears that threatened. She’d shed more than enough tears this morning. He wasn’t worth them.

No wonder it hadn’t been a big deal to him if he fucked her or not. He’d kept himself detached from the situation, not emotionally involved at all. She must have imagined the caring she’d seen in his eyes.

Chalk it up to experience on his part and lack thereof on hers. From now on, she’d keep her hormones contained and her sexual urges to herself. There was no way she’d allow Joshua Striker another chance to humiliate her.