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He paced across the front porch, went around the back, and looked at the white sandy beach It was void of people, with no one swi in the dark water, either Unless she went for a walk along the beach and ay out of sight

He peered at all the s, seeing no , she was alone, defenseless, and vulnerable, and he had to ensure she was either not at ho else, he had to explain why he was so late in arriving

He knocked again "Shelley, if you’re in there, letto assume the worst"

When she didn’t coe she was there, he pulled out his handy lock picks--standard lupus garou issue, unlocked the door, and peered into the dark villa

He took a couple of steps into the roo out of place and shut the door "Shelley? It’s me, Duncan We had a date to have a drink, but I had trouble--"

He stopped speaking abruptly as he caught a flash of fur Then turning, he saolf racing toward his left flank, eyes glowing green in the reflection of the front porch light, which was shining in through the living roohtly parted Her teeth weren’t bared as she leapt at hi to fight It was ht This was her place and he had intruded, despite warning her that he would to ensure she was all right

He understood and welcohts

She was smaller than a male wolf, but the impact of her body and his unpreparedness to handle her juained his equilibrium and readied himself for another attack as she circled around and faced hi wrestled with his brothers and cousins over the years, sometimes as wolves, sometimes as huame He had to admit he’d never tackled a female wolf in such abut momentarily took his ize, but--"

Her tail waved like a dog pleased to see its aze was on his, watching his reaction, and he knew she was calculating her next h his blood, preparing hied this ti, he seized the ruff of her neck in a natural reaction to protect himself, and she exposed her teeth, an instinctive response in play or battle He held on as she snapped and snarled, twisting her head to free herself frorip Still, she didn’t try to bite hi her irritation in a wolf’s way for standing her up and breaking into her place without per jerk of her head, she broke free of his titan grip, ju her attack to follow so rapidly after the first, figuring she’d pause to detery, he fell back, tripped over a suitcase, and landed on his back

He swore she would have been laughing her head off if she could as a wolf She quickly stood on his belly, triu down at hi, and almost a smile Yeah, she was damned amused He’d been bested by a she-wolf and one flowery suitcase

A beautiful she-wolf at that, with dark red-brown fur covering most of her body and the top half of her muzzle, pale creareen eyes

He smiled He could have wrestled with her further, but he was afraid that, in his exuberance, he ht injure her by accident Besides, he wanted tointo her villa without her permission She had to realize he had only done so out of concern for her

"You win" He tried to look as without guilt as he could None of his people would accuse of hi that trait, either Not even when one of his brothers had done so and Duncan had been completely blameless of the infraction He just didn’t have the knack to ever look--innocent "I apologize for arriving at your place late"

She closed heron his chest, waiting for an explanation

"My rooht as well tell the truth "I mean to say I don’t have a place to stay The hotel was overbooked So I’ve been all over the blasted island, trying to find another place to stay None of the other places I checked have accoht, then take care of business and leave for Scotland toht if I couldn’t find some place to stay in thehis words and what shehad happened to you"

That’s when she finally stepped off hi his sincerity as he sat up She turned and headed into what he suspected was a bedroo back and forth He took a deep breath of the sexually enticing smell of female wolf Their brief physical encounter had definitely turned her on, not that wrestling with her hadn’t done a job on his libido, too

He got up off the floor, and she suddenly reappeared in the doorith just a long T-shirt clutched against her breasts and hanging barely to h to cover her torso before she shut the door

He stared at the door that she’d disappeared behind, wanting to see the rest of her long tanned legs, her breasts, and hell, the rest of her

Trying to get his ht of her i was light and airy, nothing like Argent Castle in Scotland All the fabrics were covered in flowers--the sofas, the chairs, the seats at the kitchen table All the tables were light bamboo, and the curtains over the French patio doors were also floral