Page 7 of Sexual Appetites of Werewolves

It was a dream, and she had to wake up. She closed her eyes and told herself repeatedly to wake up.

She woke with a start to morning light peeking through the heavy drapes. Had it been a dream? Or had she returned to sleep and only now woken up? She wasn’t sure and she did not want to speculate. One thing that puzzled her and gave her pause to think about it was the wolf’s action in the dream. His soft whine and the way he nuzzled her cheek, both were the courting signs of a wolf.

“You are reading too much into this, Olivia,” she admonished herself. It was a dream. Nothing more than a dream.

A sudden gust of wind tapping at the window reminded her of a potential snowstorm and she hurried to the window and threw open the drapes and gasped. It was a blizzard, snow falling so heavily that she could barely see anything.

She rushed through a shower and hurried on warm, black leggings and a red knit top that hugged her slender curves. After brushing her teeth and securing her long hair into a ponytail, she slipped on black socks and flats. She grabbed a black fleecevest from her suitcase and slipped it on before swinging the door open ready to rush out.

She rushed right into Tiernan.

He caught her around the waist as she crashed into him, and she thought for a moment that she hit a tree trunk, his body felt so hard. She hadn’t even budged him, and damn if he didn’t look appealing in jeans and a black knit shirt that highlighted the muscles in his arms and chest. But it was his rugged scent she found most alluring. She almost took a deep drag of it but stopped herself.

“Are you all right?” he asked concerned. “I was just about to knock.”

“My fault,” Olivia said. “I was so eager to find out about the snow that I was in a rush.”

She didn’t mind that his arm lingered around her waist. She liked the feel of it. It was as if he cradled her, their bodies resting against each other’s.

“I am afraid the news isn’t good. The snowstorm worsened overnight. Blizzard conditions exist and the train has been cancelled until further notice. Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean you will be stuck here for the winter.”

“What does it mean?” she asked anxiously.

“It depends on what follows this snowstorm. It will be a day or so before we know for sure. I suggest we take one day at a time. You can do your research and when the snow calms, I can take you to meet some of the wolves. But right now, I suggest we enjoy breakfast.”

The thought of meeting the wolves enticed Olivia. Besides, she had no other recourse. She had to make the most of her current situation and use the time wisely.

“Come,” he said, taking hold of her hand. “I am going to show you the way to the kitchen, so that you may come and go more freely in the castle.”

Olivia was about to tell him about seeing Laird but stopped. This time she intended to pay attention so she could learn how to maneuver the castle freely, as Tiernan said. He pointed out various things as landmarks to help guide her and make finding her way about that much easier. What she hadn’t expected was how his warm hand clutched firmly around hers charged her senses and tickled her passion. Never had simply holding a man’s hand flared her desire. She couldn’t even recall holding a man’s hand. Had those moments been that unmemorable or had she been that disinterested?

“I’m afraid Fay won’t be joining us due to the blizzard, so I will be your chef for the day,” Tiernan said, upon entering the kitchen. He released her hand and walked over to the teakettle on the stove and lit a flame in the burner beneath it.

He turned a smile on her. “I’m experienced at many things, Olivia, but I am afraid that a chef is not one of them. However, I am not bad at cooking scrambled eggs.”

She laughed. “We’re lucky then that I can cook.”

“Can you now?” he asked with a bit of glee.

“Something I am good at.” She smiled. “Among other things.”

Was she flirting with Laird Tiernan? She never flirted. She wasn’t even sure she knew how.

“Let’s see what’s in your fridge,” she said, wondering what was wrong with her. How many times did she need to remind herself that she wanted to work for this man?

While she cut veggies and prepared eggs for omelets, Tiernan set the table. She thought it a good time to tell him about seeing the large, black wolf.

“Aye, that is Laird,” Tiernan confirmed when she finished detailing what she had seen from her window. “He’s the alpha over all the packs and has been for a long time. Not many will challenge him, and he wisely sends those he feels can lead a packoff on their own to do so. But he retains dominance over the area.”

“I can see why. He was quite impressive.”

“Did you find anything in the library that may help you write about the sexual appetites of werewolves?” he asked.

“A strange book that might provide some ideas, all of it pure fiction.”

“The Allure of Werewolves,” Tiernan said.

“You’re familiar with the book?”

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