The Wolf's Pursuit (London Fairy Tales #3)(67)

"Then use it," he growled into her ear. "But please be sure to be naked like last time. I found it quite distracting."

She struggled to get free of his grasp, but he held her firmly and chuckled. "Yes, and please with your naughty foreplay."

Gwen huffed and stopped struggling. "Are you finished making fun of me?"

Hunter lifted her off the chair, and while holding her in his arms, kissed her firmly across the mouth, plunging his tongue into its depths. This was no invitation of a kiss. This was not polite — it was hot and needy. He groaned as he knelt down and laid her across the rug, then began slowly undressing her as he kissed her neck.

"I love you, Gwen. I will always love you. I have to admit to being the worst sort of husband these past three days, but there were things that needed to be settled, and finally I realized something."

Gwen gasped as he bit her lip, then swirled his tongue with hers, and pulled back again. "What is that?"

"It is not my job anymore." He sighed against her chest and began kissing across her neck.

"Because, oh…" She arched her back. "Because you retired?"

"Yes, and because Ash has taken responsibility for… what must be done. I was worried about having to take care of a situation and trying to find a way out of it, but now it seems — You are absolutely…" He ripped at the sleeves of her dress, exposing her corset. "Fully…" He growled as he bit her neck. "Completely…" He moaned as he exposed the top half of her body. "Mine."

"But what about what you needed to talk to me about?" Gwen gasped again as Hunter licked the inside of her wrist and then wickedly began sucking on her fingers.

"It can wait."

"Wait? Until?"

But Hunter had stopped talking and was doing exceedingly well in making her forget what she'd been so worried about in the first place.

Two hours later, they lay in each other's arms. Hunter rose and stoked the fire.

"I am suddenly thankful we do not have a full staff." Gwen giggled. "I can only imagine what a stiff old butler would say to the duke and duchess of the house frolicking around in the ballroom."

"Frolicking?" Hunter paused, his smile making her stomach clench with desire. "Is that what we were doing?"

Gwen laughed as Hunter pounced on her again and whispered, "I thought I was making love to my beautiful wife, but if a good frolic is what you desire, who am I to stand in your way?"

Another hour later and Gwen finally had a new definition for the word frolic, and found that she would never be able to hear it without blushing profusely.





Chapter Thirty-three





Wolf—

That was one time! And the pigeon terrified me! I thought it was an intruder! What do you expect me to do? Swat it with my hand? All I had was a pistol. I cannot believe you would hold one tiny indiscretion against me! And no, I refuse to stay locked indoors. And yes, you are an animal. A complete and utter animal, in and out of the bedroom, you scoundrel!

—Red





Hunter nudged Gwen awake as the sun was beginning to rise over the horizon. He had taken her to bed without having a much-needed discussion with her, but the moment he saw the life die in her eyes, he knew he needed to remedy the situation immediately. For it had nothing to do with them, though it had looked that way. He was just so terrified of losing her again and exhausted over the most recent news that he found all he could do was hold her and pray it would fix itself.

For he had been asked to complete a task, something that he could not say no to. Dominique was his best friend. He would die for him, do anything to protect him. And though he wanted to say no, the delicate situation made it hard to. But he could not leave Gwen, so Ash had stepped in, said it was a way for him to redeem his many sins.

Not only had Ash changed from the easygoing brother Hunter had always loved, but he was unpredictable. He would be perfect, that is, if the woman did not kill him first.

"Love," Hunter murmured in Gwen's ear. "Love, you need to wake up. We should talk."

"This early?" Gwen stretched across the bed and moaned. Saints alive, how he wished he could possess his wife instead of having to have such a conversation, but it was necessary.

"Yes, I'm afraid so." He pulled her into his arms and leaned against the headboard while he played with her soft hair.

"What is it?" She yawned again.

"You asked before, why me? Why would Wilkins target me? When he could have set up Trehmont or Hollins, even Redding."

Gwen nodded in his arms. He took a deep breath and continued. "It seems, my love, that Wilkins had somewhat of a grudge against my family, against me."

He grinned and began his story, trying to make it sound as lighthearted as possible. "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful woman. Everyone loved her. Obviously she had the face of a goddess. After all, she was my grandmother by blood."

Gwen laughed in his arms, and he kissed her head. "A man, an untitled man, wanted her for himself. But she refused him. You see, she loved him desperately, but her parents would never approve of the match. So he ran away with her. But her parents intercepted them before they made their marriage legal."

"What happened?" Gwen sat up.