Jack has a secret, a shady past, a jilted lover. So many reasons to avoid…Friday night.
Jack's been on the run all his life, always the submissive, always the man taking the fall, with no one solid to hold onto. But since his bad breakup with his ex, a werewolf with a penchant for cruelty and domination, things have been changing. The wolf in Jack wants out, and he isn't as yielding as the man. When Jack's new interest asks for an intimate date on Friday night, one day before the next full moon, Jack needs to decide who's in charge, man or wolf.
“You’re blushing,” he said.
I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand. Had to keep the libido in check.
His other hand came across the table and took hold of my fingers. “I am looking forward to Friday night,” he said. “To having you all to myself, not out in the open. I think maybe…you will let yourself out when it’s the two of us. You’ll stop being so cautious. No?”
I shook my head. “Maybe. Hell, I don’t know.”
“We can’t keep running for the rest of our lives. We have to try again, Jack. Why not now? Why not you? Why not me? We know what it’s like to be hurt. To run. To feel like we are not worth more than dirt.” He winced when he said that last part, obviously haunted by his past as much as I was haunted by mine. “I won’t hurt you.” He grinned, all seriousness gone from his eyes when he whispered, “Not unless you ask me to.”
“Ha.” I squeezed his hand, imagining the possibilities, ready to make up monthly lies to hide why I’d be gone every full moon. Desperate for companionship. Hopeless.
I stayed with him while he ate his lunch. Every lick of the fork or suck he made on his lower lip only increased my torture, my lust for the man sitting in front of me. He talked about work, about his boss and the old woman that answered phones for the company. He liked the old woman a lot. Called her Nana as if she were his grandmother. He talked about his little sister who would be coming to visit him any day now and now I understood why he had asked me about liking women.
“When’s the last time you saw her?” I asked.
“Seven years. Our stepfather was evil to Maria. He was abusive to the both of us. It’s worse for a girl I think.” Pain transformed his stern features into something crushing, ultimate sorrow and regret. “My sister is stronger than me,” he said in a low growl. “She survived. She stayed there after I ran away. She is the strongest person I know.” He pushed his empty plate aside and frowned. “You will meet her, Jack. You will see what I mean. I’ve told her about you.”
He glanced at his watch and shook his head, blue-black hair shining beneath the fluorescent lights. “Have to go.”
We both stood.
He closed in.
Every cautionary instinct fired off inside me. Run. RUN!
His arms clutched my body, barring me to him as he turned his face to one side and pressed his firm lips to my mouth. I was trapped. I was scared. I was afraid of being hurt again. The wolf in me shivered and whined. Then, with a defeated whimper, the wolf submitted. Heat washed over my skin.
I kissed back.
Raul broke away and left me standing there as he rushed out back to work. It wasn’t weird for men to kiss each other here. It was a gay bar after all. But it was weird for me to be kissed like that. Out in the open. Forcefully with passion, not trickery.
