Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Luther hadn’t expected her to be quite so... agreeable? No, that wasn’t the word. He’d thought she would be an abrasive thief who thought that all nobility were only good for stealing from. Instead, he’d been given the chance to talk with an intelligent, impressive woman who had made the world bend to her own needs.

She hadn’t even flinched when he told her he was a werewolf, and he couldn’t remember the last time that had happened. Never. He’d never told someone about the darkest part of himself, but she made him think maybe he could.

The wolf certainly liked her. The damned thing had been whining in his head the entire time she took control over the situation. Suddenly, the beast saw her as more than a meal. More than someone it could hunt.

He dreamt the entire night about her toying with him. In more ways than one. Shaking off that dream had been one of the most difficult things he’d ever done in his life. He couldn’t afford to get attached to her.

She was a shrewd, capable woman. Luna would take advantage of him if he let her, and he didn’t want that.

Right?

No. He didn’t want her to take advantage of him. That would be a horrible thing, considering he was an earl and she could get her fingers into a lot more power than she needed to control.

Nodding firmly at his own thoughts, he strode down the hall toward her room. She would need to be dressed for the occasion that barreled down at him like a horse that had freed itself from a buggy. His aunt would want to see a beautiful, demure young woman who looked forward to attaching herself to both his life and his name. He’d have to teach Luna manners first and foremost. Mistakes could easily be swept aside by telling his aunt that she’d grown up in a difficult situation.

His aunt always loved a bleeding heart story. Now, if only she didn’t mind the monstrous ones, he’d be in a much better situation.

What if Luna accidentally told his aunt what he was? His steps slowed. That wouldn’t be good. The anxiety of the entire situation swelled up again until he couldn’t quite think straight. He needed to be sure that for the first time, he could trust someone else with this information. Sure, it would take a while to trust that Luna wouldn’t tell everyone that she could.

But what if he could tell her anything in confidence? What if he didn’t have to be alone again? Even having someone around that he could complain about werewolf things to would make a major difference in his life.

All this was worth the risk. He was certain of it, even though his stomach twisted with nerves. All he had to do was keep putting one foot in front of the other, and things would go his way. He’d be fine. She’d be fine. His aunt would never know what was going on here, and who knows? Maybe they’d make this deal permanent.

Determination riding on his shoulders, he stalked all the way to her room. Ready to tell her about the new development in his mind. She’d like this idea, he was certain. He was offering her a chance to become someone so much more than just a thief! She could do whatever she wanted with his money and he wouldn’t care. He had enough of it, and his aunt was sure to give them even more if she married him. His aunt wanted grandchildren, even if that was from her nephew and not her son.

Luther might have forgotten to knock. He was so deeply embedded in his own thoughts that he just shoved the door open and strode into her room without a single moment of hesitation. As if they were already married and he’d done this a thousand times.

Except, she stood in the center of the room wearing nothing but her underclothes, and he was reminded he’d definitely never done this before.

All those freckles that dusted her face traveled down the entire length of her body. Her long limbs were hardened with layers upon layers of ropey muscles that banded over her arms, down her stomach, and braided over her hips. The wild tangle of her red hair plumed around her head, reaching nearly to her hips with riotous curls.

And good lord, her legs were stunning. Long and lean, he could see the muscles of her thighs flexing as she moved. She was a vision of strength and power, unlike any woman he’d ever seen in his entire life.

Her underthings were far too revealing. The sheer fabric of her bodice barely covered her breasts, and the bottoms should have been bloomers, but she’d cut off the fabric at the tops of her thighs.

She took his breath away.

Suddenly, all Luther could think about was what it would feel like to have those legs wrapped around his waist. He was tall enough. Strong enough to manage a woman like that, but also, he wasn’t so prideful that he wouldn’t let her throw him around if that’s what she wanted. Hell, he’d probably enjoy it considering his past and how many women had thought him too strong. Too rough.

Could she be the only woman he’d ever met who would match him? The wolf lifted its head deep in his chest and let out a long, low growl. Yes, it wanted her just as much as he did.

Luna didn’t react like a normal woman either. She didn’t flinch away from him or scream in shock. She should have, considering the thoughts running through his mind, but thankfully that wasn’t one of her gifts as a witch. She had no idea how difficult it was for him to hold himself back. He wanted to lunge across the room like an animal and drag his hands down those muscles, just to see if they were as hard as they looked like.

“Luther,” she calmly said, holding her arms over her chest. “What are you doing in my room, uninvited?”

“I... Uh...” Why wasn’t his tongue working? Other than wagging at the banquet in front of him, obviously, but he didn’t want her to notice how badly he was panting after her.

He wasn’t an animal.

He’d promised his father that he would control the beast inside him and that meant he couldn’t drool after a woman who looked like she’d stepped out of a wet dream.

Coughing into his hand, Luther tried his best to get control of himself before he answered, “I wanted to talk with you about the dress fitting.”

Silence. Damn it, he should fill that, but he had no idea what to say that would make this situation seem less like he wanted to put her back into the basement.

She tilted her head to the side, brows furrowed in obvious concern. “Are you all right?”

“Yes, I just...” He gestured up and down at her body. “Perhaps you would feel more comfortable if you covered up? You’re rather distracting.”

And for the very first time since he had met her all those nights ago, he had the utmost pleasure of watching her cheeks turn bright red. Her freckles stood out, bright and dotted across the blush that spread down her throat to her chest.

“My god,” he muttered before spinning around. He’d do something stupid if he looked at her any longer and he knew he’d never live it down. Luther wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if he embarrassed them both.

Damn, though. That was a real woman.

“You’re that embarrassed?” she asked. Then came the sounds of fabric as she ripped what must have been the comforter off the bed and wrapped it around herself. “You can turn around now. Ridiculous man.”

Ridiculous? She had no idea what she could do to a man with a body like that. Sure, she might not be tiny, as she seemed to think every man wanted. But she was still stunning. Strong. Powerful in a way most women weren’t, but he suddenly wondered why they didn’t at least try to look like Luna. She was a goddess of old, walking through his manor in her underthings without a care that the Earl likely followed her with his tongue down by his feet.

He closed his eyes and squeezed them as tightly as possible. He could do this. He could look at her wearing nothing but a comforter he owned and not paw at her like some kind of crazed beast.

But he still turned with no small measure of fear. She looked... adorable like that. Every bit of her height didn’t matter when she held the bunched up comforter at her chest and glared at him as though he were the one in the wrong here. She wanted to hit him, he could tell, and he wouldn’t mind catching that attempt to strike him with a hand. Tugging her into his arms and then... then...

“Are you quite finished gawking?” she asked, clearly upset with him. “You said something about the man who’s going to fit me into a dress?”

“Yes, he’s arrived and would like to know where is most comfortable for him to fit you.” Luther shuffled his feet awkwardly. “He said it will be a bit of a challenge to sew something before tomorrow night, so he brought quite a few of his dresses that are already halfway done.”

“Really?” There went that brow again. “And did you tell him I’m quite a bit larger than most of his clientele?”

He’d have to be an idiot not to mention it. Luther didn’t care about her height or looks, but he knew both she and the dressmaker would murder him if she was a surprise to the gentleman waiting in his foyer.

“Of course I did,” he grumbled in response. “I’m not so much of a fool that I didn’t think of that.”

“I’m surprised you know anything about women’s fashion.”

“I know a lot of things you’d be surprised about.” And if his own face heated at the thoughts that danced through his head, the ones he wanted to surprise her with, then he would put it up only to embarrassment that he stood in a room with an unclothed, unmarried woman.

But if only he could sneak one more glance. One more peek at all that ivory skin and the lovely dots of her freckles. He shouldn’t even consider it. This was a deal, after all, but what if it could be more?

She already knew what he was, and she hadn’t run away screaming. Such a response was all he could ask for from any woman. Yet somehow, he wanted more from her. So much more.

Sighing, he told himself to leave. He had to go. Now. Move his feet and all he had to do was bend his knee. It really shouldn’t be that hard. He just... had to...

“Do you need something else?” she asked. “Or do you want me to drop the blanket again so you can be tongue tied in peace?”

“Yes,” he blurted, then realized what he’d said. Oh, no. He’d never been this horrified in his life. Luther slapped a hand to his eyes and backed out of the door. “No, I mean, no! Of course, I don’t want you to drop the blanket. You are a woman of means and I would never objectify you like that. You deserve respect, no matter what other people in my station would say.”

And she certainly didn’t deserve a werewolf like him in her life. Sure, she claimed her sister was married to a vampire. And considering she’d grown up as a witch, she had more tolerance to most things but... but...

No, he was trying to convince himself to stay. Luther realized the path his thoughts were going down, and that was dropping his hand and watching while she lazily let the blanket fall out of her arms. It would slide down the lovely curves of her hips, trailing down velvet soft skin and over those mountains of muscle that were so damned lovely.

“I bet you would,” she replied with a laugh. “Come on, you don’t have to pretend with me. Everyone else has to believe this is a real thing, not us.”

Oh, but what if he wanted it to be a real thing? What if he wanted to see what she looked like in the morning, the afterglow still running through her veins as she rolled over and the sunlight caught on the fiery locks of her hair?

Luther shouldn’t even entertain the thoughts or dreams or hopes. He knew better than to think about a life that was anything other than what he’d lived.

His father had wanted the legacy to continue, but Luther knew this bloodline had to end. He couldn’t bring more werewolves into this world when he knew how monstrous the creatures were.

Slowly backing out of the room, he returned his hand to his eyes. When had he let it drop? He didn’t know, but probably somewhere in between thinking about her dropping that sheet and then hating himself for what he was.

“I’ll send the dressmaker up,” he stammered. “Be nice to him. I like the man.”

“I’m always nice to people. Just not to you, because you didn’t let me steal the things I wanted to steal.”

“Maybe someday,” he replied with a very forced laugh that sounded fake, even to his own ears.

Then Luther ran down the hall, away from the greatest temptation he’d ever faced. Thankfully, the arrival of his aunt would cool these feelings rather quickly.