A Wolfish Tryst at Christmas (5 page)

Elizabeth stirred and a gentle sigh
escaped. Blake immediately moved off her, rolling onto his side.
She snuggled against him, her cheek on his hairy chest and one hand
resting on his flat stomach. “Is it always like this?”

He held her tight and pressed a kiss
into her hair. “The sensations you experienced will be the same,
but I won’t mark you the next time.” He leaned into her and licked
her wound, tracing it with his tongue. “It will heal by this time
tomorrow due to the special wolfish enzymes in my
blood.”

“
Oh.” Unaccountable
disappointment built in her chest.

“
Why does this sadden
you?”

“
I thought it might be a
part of you I could see and remember while you were gone. Will you
transform into your animal for me?”

“
Not tonight. And
certainly not before we’re married. The mark is enough for
now.”

“
Oh.” She levered up on
one elbow. “What does the bite mean?”

Blake smiled. The lines of exhaustion
and stress in his expression fled. As he stroked the side of her
face, tingles danced over her skin. “It means that you belong to
me. That my wolf recognizes you as its mate and claims you as his.
You’re mine, Lizzie.”

Her vision blurred with tears. “I’m
glad you did that. It makes me feel needed and cherished. I can
scarcely believe what we’ve done tonight.” No man had ever cared so
much for her. Some might think what he’d done to her as odd or even
brutal, but she thought it special. How would she survive without
him now that she’d known such wonder in his arms?

“
I… I wouldn’t mind
experiencing that mark again, and I definitely want to have—” she
lowered her voice to a whisper even though he and she were the only
ones in the room. “—relations with you again.”

His chuckle sent delight through her
body. “I’ll bear that in mind.”

“
Blake…” Time flew too
fast. He’d soon leave and she’d barely gotten reacquainted with
him. Panic replaced the flutters in her stomach.

He brushed the pad of his thumb along
her quivering bottom lip. “I will come home. I promise.”

Some of the anxiety left at his touch.
“I know you will, and I’ll be waiting for you.” She could do no
less. He was her world. “I just wish—” She stopped her thought. He
didn’t need to hear her selfish complaint.

“
Lizzie?” He caught a tear
on her cheek and wiped it away.

“
Yes?” She tucked her
emotions deep at the back of her mind. There would be time enough
to dwell on them later, when she was alone. For him she needed to
be strong.

“
I love you.” He covered
her lips with his, moving gently, as if it were his way of saying
goodbye without words—as if he
couldn’t
say the words. When he
allowed her to breathe, he said, “That will never change, no matter
how much distance separates us or how much time passes before we
see each other again.”

Elizabeth pressed a kiss to his chest
then rubbed her cheek over his skin, wanting to remember what he
smelled like. Her body hummed with happiness. “I love you too.” She
settled against his side and wrapped her arms around him. “Never
forget what we mean to each other, Blake.”

“
I won’t. You’re in my
heart, my soul, and I’m in yours.”

“
Will you stay here at the
house for a bit?” She glanced at the window. Snow drifted down in
fat flakes and made lacy patterns on the walls with the moonlight.
The perfect picture of a Christmas Eve night. Emotion clogged her
throat. At least she’d gotten to share this time with
him.

“
For a little while. I
don’t need to depart Corydon for an hour or so.” Blake left her
long enough to pull a knitted afghan over them. He took her left
hand in his, a forefinger stroking her ring finger. “I’ll put my
ring on your finger before I go.”

“
Oh Blake.” She hugged him
tighter. How lucky was she to share such intimate moments with
him?

“
As soon as I return,
we’ll be married. I refuse to wait a second longer than we must to
begin our life together.”

“
Good.” She sighed and
gave herself up to the enjoyment of the moment. “Merry Christmas,
Blake. May God watch over you and bring you back to me
quickly.”

He kissed her, the warmth of him
sinking into her, filling her very being. “Merry Christmas, Lizzie.
May God give you the strength you’ll need for the wait ahead. Until
then, we’ll always have letters to sustain us.”

Elizabeth sighed and sent up a silent
prayer the conflict would end soon. War didn’t care that loved ones
were on the front lines. One just had to have faith that they’d
come back.

The End

****

About Sandra
Sookoo

Sandra is a writer of romantic fiction.
Her portfolio includes historical, contemporary, sci-fi and
paranormal romances in full-length books as well as shorts and
novellas. No matter if the heat level is spicy or sweet, she loves
to blend genres and often times will add humor.

When not immersed in
creating new worlds and interesting characters, Sandra likes to
read, bake and travel. Her favorite place to spend vacation hours
is Walt Disney World. It’s where dreams come true and the soul can
play. If she’s not writing, she’s keeping things interesting at
her
Believing is Seeing
blog or spending time with her husband, who
patiently answers questions she has about men and/or sci-fi-related
subjects.

You can write to Sandra
at
[email protected]
,
visit her website at
http://www.sandrasookoo.com/
or look her up on Facebook and Twitter. All links are
provided on the front page of her website.

****

Sandra Sookoo
Titles

Coming Soon from Twenty or
Less Press

Winning His Wife

(A Marriage of Convenience)

Captain Caleb Haslet has come home to
Portsmouth, Rhode Island after two years at sea chasing pirates and
keeping British ships from the fledging American nation. He wants
nothing more than to settle into civilian life and finally claim
the new bride duty had forced him to leave behind.

Abigail Haslet is both excited and
anxious Caleb thinks to take up where they left off. She now has
her own life doing charity work, providing prisoners with basic
creature comforts. But, how can she give her heart to a man who’ll
leave again when duty calls?

Caleb no longer wants a marriage of
convenience. When plying her with kisses and spending time with her
fails, he decides he just might have to take advantage of Abigail’s
stint behind bars to make her see the truth—he’s in love with his
wife.

~*~

A Wolfish
Valentine

Mary Hoffman lost her husband in the
War Between the States. Now the rest of her menfolk are off
fighting for the North, leaving her behind to defend the homestead
and her family—as well as guard her furry secret. Yet as soon as
she meets Confederate Captain Marshall Fortner, her wolfish side
urges her to trust him.

Captain Marshall Fortner, a surgeon
traveling with his infantry unit from Georgia, is trying to keep
peace between Mary and his unit, which wants her land to set up
camp and regroup. Though they’re on opposite sides of the war,
something about her resonates deep within him.

On Valentine’s Day, duty and
uncertainty lose to trust and need.

****

Sandra Sookoo
Titles

Coming Soon from Sybarite
Seductions

Sweeter Than
Sugar

(
sequel to
Buttercreamed
in

Hooked Up at the
Wedding)

Kyle Morrison, cake baker
extraordinaire, has entered a cake decorating competition—a prize
check and a cable show are just some of what’s riding on the first
place spot. Despite being in the happiest place on earth, Kyle
can’t shake memories of Paige Renfield, the woman who’d rocked his
world after a wedding reception hook-up then subsequently dumped
him. When she crashes Kyle’s celebratory dinner with shadows, need
and something else in her eyes, his world tilts once
again.

Can a night of sweet talking and hot
sex lead to a permanent relationship? If the chef has his way, it
will. He’ll definitely never look at candy the same way
again.

****

Sandra Sookoo
Titles

Available with Sybarite
Seductions

(contemporary erotica)

Hole in One

(Hooked Up The Game
Plan)

All Nisha Patel wants out of life is to
run her vintage clothing shop and not think about her former flame,
Reid Bowman. Though it’s been three years since she dumped him for
his arrogant attitude, he’s never been far from her thoughts, and
memories of his hands on her body still haunt her.

Reid’s reappearance at the annual
strip miniature golf tournament throws all her carefully laid plans
awry. During the nine-hole course, Reid reveals a new side of
himself and plays her body in ways she can’t deny, but can one
quick hook-up lead to more?

~*~

Buttercreamed

(Hooked Up at the
Wedding)

Kyle Morrison is a cocky cake decorator
with an ego to match his talent. If there’s one thing he likes more
than seeing a bridal couple enjoying his creations, it’s hooking up
with a willing woman at a wedding.

When he’s propositioned by Paige, who’s
also a fan of his work, how can he resist such a sweet challenge?
Sex in a work room is more than icing on the cake.

~*~

Proper Women
Don’t

(Hooked Up at the
Wedding)

Delia Latham’s back in Savannah for a
friend’s wedding. Though she’s moved away from the life of
tradition and snobbery, she’s always needed to tell her old
beau—Chase—goodbye.

When Chase and his friend Jarod catch
Delia unawares while she’s skinny dipping late at night, how can
she refuse when he suggests a three-way hook-up? Proper women don’t
do such things. Good thing she’s not one of them.

~*~

Old Habits

(Hooked Up Over Spring
Break)

Acting as a chaperon to students in
Clearwater, Florida, Jillian Elwood’s determined to enjoy herself
on her one night off before returning to her cold, solitary home in
Michigan. She invites Cameron, the sexy concierge, to her
room on the pretense of servicing her phone, but when she gets him
alone, she hits him up for a more personal service, of the sexual
kind--just the thing Jillian needs to round out her
stay.

~*~

Out for a Spin

(Hooked Up Over Spring
Break)

Traveling on the company
dime, Kevin Russell only has business on mind, but when sexy
co-worker Cara Sanders reminds him life's not all about
work—sometimes one just has to sit back and enjoy the ride—he
happily takes her out for a spin.

****

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