B*E*A*S*T* of Burden Page 7

  Rogan began walking again, still carrying Marlie in his arms. “To hide our scent. It won't get rid of it completely, but it will buy us some time. Sean will have to search the riverbanks before he finds it again, and he'll be gambling as to which way we went, upstream or down. And there are wolves nearby. That's a good thing."

  Marlie's teeth chattered so loud that she thought they might rattle right out of her head. “Oh?"

  "Yeah,” he answered, quickening his pace. “The wolves will confuse him. Since we are a genetic match to the creatures we shift into, our scent isn't that much different from the real deal."

  After a few moments, Marlie asked, “Are-aren't you cuh-cold?"

  "The water was cold, yes. But I'm not as affected by it as you. We need to get you someplace warm. Wade's jacket isn't going to be enough to ward off hypothermia."

  "Just duh-don't luh-leave me,” she said.

  "Never again, woman.” Rogan's words came from low in his throat.

  Marlie couldn't help but smile at that. “Yuh-you always were a guh-good man,” she told him.

  "Not anymore,” he said dryly, climbing a small rise.

  "You still are."

  "Only in your eyes."

  "I'm the only wuh-one who muh-matters,” she said, smiling as he met her gaze.

  Nothing more was said as he gave her a squeeze, telling her without words that she was right.

  * * * *

  It was dusk. The sun had just set when Rogan saw a structure through the trees not too far away. Was that a house? He couldn't be sure. The cold was finally getting to him. Both he and Marlie needed to warm up—and soon. Marlie was shaking so badly that it was all he could do to keep a grip on her.

  "Hold on, honey,” he whispered as he cleared the tree line.

  It was a house! It seemed as if he'd stumbled upon a small community nestled amidst the trees, away from the main highway.

  Slinking toward the houses, Rogan was drawn to a dark one not too far away. He kept in the shadows as well as he could and grinned from ear to ear when he saw his salvation: a For Sale sign.

  This house was empty.

  Rogan rounded the house to the back yard and rejoiced when he saw that the rear doors to the home were window-paned French doors.

  "Can you stand, Marlie?” he asked.

  Her face had been pressed into his shoulder. She licked her lips but nodded slowly.

  "Only for a moment, sweetheart,” he said. “I promise."

  He set her gently on her feet before making sure she could indeed stand on her own. She stumbled against the wall of the house but was able to hold her own weight. Without wasting any time, Rogan took the butt of the shotgun and smashed one of the window panes in the door, right near the deadbolt. In mere moments, he'd unlocked the door and it swung wide open.

  Rogan once again swept his wife into his arms before entering the house, closing the door behind him. Glancing around the dining room, he grinned. Whoever was selling this house hadn't completely moved out. There were still a few pieces of furniture here and there. Maybe he could find a blanket somewhere. He strode into the living room and set Marlie on the couch.

  "Will you be all right?” he asked. “I'm going to go look for a blanket."

  Her teeth continued to chatter as she lay there. “Yuh-yes,” she answered. “Huh-hurry."

  "I will,” he said, leaning the gun against the wall.

  He checked every closet on the main floor and cursed under his breath when he found nothing. Damn it! Racing up the stairs two at a time, he searched the linen closet in the hall.

  "Bingo,” he whispered. Folded neatly on the floor of the closet was a down comforter. Taking a deep breath, he could smell only the detergent used to wash it. The comforter was clean. Grabbing it in his arms, he raced back downstairs to Marlie.

  "Come on, baby. Let's get you out of these wet clothes,” he said, moving the coffee table out of the way as he sat her up on the couch. She didn't fight him while he stripped her out of her jacket and sweater. Even her delicate skin had a bluish cast to it.

  He stopped for a moment when he noticed the necklace she wore. Her wedding ring was nestled between her breasts, winking at him in the dim light. A surge of possessiveness pulsed through him, and he had to bite his lip to keep from growling. She hadn't been wearing it when they'd showered together, which meant she must have put it on after their interlude on the bathroom floor that morning.

  Rogan was suddenly overcome by the need to make her his once again. He yanked off his own shirt, telling himself that Marlie needed skin-to-skin contact to get warm. Hell, so did he.

  "What are yuh-you duh-duh-doing?” she asked.

  "We're getting undressed. Our clothes are wet and cold. We need our shared body heat if we're going to get warm."

  Marlie tried to unfasten her jeans, but her fingers were too stiff to grab hold of the zipper. Pushing her hands away, Rogan did it himself, trying to ignore where his thoughts were headed. There was no time for that.

  Marlie watched him as he yanked off her pants, followed by her panties. She still shivered from head to toe, but she gasped whenever his hands touched her. He had a feeling she was thinking exactly what he was.

  Looking at her naked, he was reminded just how beautiful his wife truly was. On his knees before her, Rogan held her eye contact and unzipped his own jeans. There was no way to hide the effect her gaze had on him as he tugged his pants down over his hips, and he saw Marlie bite her lip as she looked at him.

  Once he was as naked as she was, he held his hand out to her. He didn't say a word, but he could tell she knew what he wanted because she took his hand and scooted down to lie on the floor. Rogan lay down next to her and pulled the comforter over them both. When his arm pulled her close to his body, he could feel her shudder, and he shuddered too at the contact of her icy skin on his. But that didn't stop him from draping his leg over hers in an effort to press her even closer into his warmth.

  The closer the better.

  He just hoped he'd be able to forget about his lust for five friggin’ minutes. But with Marlie wiggling her gloriously naked body against him, that wasn't bloody likely.

  Fifteen

  Marlie shivered and pressed closer, amazed at the warmth emanating from her husband's body. He held her tightly against him, and there was no way to ignore the growing arousal that pressed into her belly. It seemed to take forever for her shivers to calm, but finally she felt her skin tingling, the signal that her circulation was returning.

  Lifting her head from Rogan's chest, she looked at him. He stared right back at her with such intensity that it made her belly leap inside of her. Her nipples hardened, and Marlie realized she wanted to rub herself against him.

  She reached up and stroked his cheek. He closed his eyes and seemed to savor her touch. Marlie also lifted her leg against his underneath their blanket, prompting him to bend his knee and bring his leg up between hers to rest against her moist skin. She gasped and bit her lip at the contact.

  Closing her own eyes, Marlie rocked her hips back and forth ever-so-gently against his leg, driving herself wild with the sudden need to make love to him, right there and then. Rogan inhaled deeply, and she knew he could smell exactly how aroused she was, but she didn't want to ruin this moment with words. The silence between them was almost magical.

  Lowering her head, Marlie kissed the skin of his chest, darting her tongue out to taste him. He groaned, and his manhood pushed against her flesh. She responded by thrusting her hips, gasping when he joined her erotic game. Pressing his knee even harder against her, he tangled his hand in her hair and pulled back her head.

  Rogan's eyes were on fire, flashing at her in the darkness. She knew what he wanted to know—if she was sure and if this was indeed what she wanted. Marlie answered his silent question by pulling his head down to hers, then kissing his lips and plunging her tongue into his mouth.

  Before she knew what he'd done, she found herself pressed back into the carpet wit
h Rogan lying on top of her. Feeling his delicious weight bearing down on her again was Heaven. The knee he'd kept between her legs now spread them apart as he settled there, nestled against her and fitting her body perfectly.

  His mouth never left hers, but his hands wandered down her body, caressing her skin and making her buck against him. She'd been without him for so long that she was fierce in her need, clutching onto the back of his head and kissing him so deeply that her head spun.

  When Rogan's hand found her breast, she moaned into his mouth, lifting herself up to him and silently begging for more of his touch. Her nipple was a stiff peak as he rubbed it between his fingers. But no matter how much she arched against him, he never touched the one place that throbbed for him. She desperately wanted him to and almost asked, but she still didn't want to break the silence between them for fear that he would stop.

  And she didn't want him to stop.

  Suddenly, Rogan's mouth was gone, and Marlie only had a moment to ponder his intent before his hot mouth claimed the breast he'd just been fondling. Her skin was still cold to the touch, and the heat of his tongue was exquisite, burning her skin. Marlie gasped for breath, desperate to have him thrusting inside of her.

  He would have moved on to her other breast, but she was too impatient to let him. Pulling him back to her mouth, she kissed him again, opening herself wide to him and caressing his thighs with hers. Just in case he didn't get the message, she let her hands wander down to his backside, squeezing him closer to her.

  She could feel him grinding into her sensitive flesh. It wouldn't take much effort at all for him to pull back and plunge inside of her. He released her mouth and removed her hands from his hips only to thread his fingers through hers and press their hands into the carpet. Once again his eyes flashed, and Marlie sucked in her breath.

  He pulled back only to poise himself at her entry. Bringing his lips close to her mouth, they barely fluttered on hers as he held her eyes and whispered, “You are my mate, Marlie Silver."

  With that, he drove home, thrusting into her as deep as he could go. Marlie cried out at the feeling of him inside of her, clutching onto his hands with a vengeance. He continued to gaze at her with his flashing eyes as he pulled back and pushed forward again. When he did it a third time, Marlie's entire body shuddered as she planted her feet on the floor, lifting her hips up to him.

  Again and again, Rogan slowly plunged inside her, grasping her hands tightly and never once looking away. At that moment, she realized what he was doing. He was marking her as his, claiming his territory right then and there, and telling her without a doubt that she belonged to him.

  Marlie wanted to beg him to go faster, wanted to plead for him to kiss her, but she knew he wouldn't. Rogan was doing more than merely making love to her—he was taking her and making damn sure she knew it. With each entry, his hardened flesh touched her deep inside, bringing her closer and closer to her climax. But he was taking his time, going slow and easy, and Marlie had to bite her lips to keep from demanding a faster pace.

  But he knew exactly what she wanted. She was sure of it.

  Rogan growled deep in his throat as he watched her breasts bouncing with each thrust and the passion that crossed her features when he was fully sheathed. Finally, he gave her exactly what she wanted—somehow knowing she was close to release. In and out, Rogan plunged faster and faster until Marlie couldn't take it anymore. Gripping his hands tightly, she cried out, falling over the edge and feeling the waves of pleasure radiate throughout her body. She couldn't help but lift her hips up to him, wanting to feel more and not being denied, because Rogan didn't stop his rhythm. Once Marlie opened her eyes, she could see him still watching her, groaning himself at her hooded eyes. At that moment, she knew he'd been waiting for her to come first.

  With a growl and a deep thrust, he began a new rhythm, one that was purely predatory, that told her of the creature he could become. Releasing her hands, he kissed her savagely, grasping her hips and holding her up to receive him. His thrusts were fast and sharp, inciting another response from her. His hardened body slid into hers, pumping to the rhythm of Marlie's pounding heart. Once again, she drifted upward in her passion. Right after Rogan shuddered, calling out her name, she came once more, riding the waves of pleasure with him as he pressed hard and deep inside of her.

  He continued to hold her hips to his, rolling back and forth in small thrusts, heightening her pleasure. Marlie couldn't think. She could barely even move other than to run her fingers through his hair. His forehead pressed against hers as he gazed into her eyes, and she could see for herself how pleased he was that he'd exerted his dominance.

  She was his mate. No doubt about it.

  Sixteen

  "Take the ring off your neck,” Rogan demanded in the darkness. He was still deep inside of her, pressing forward gently and making her gasp.

  "Rogan...” Marlie whispered, unsure if she was speaking to him or to herself.

  "Take it off,” he said again, licking and sucking on her neck.

  "Why?” she managed to ask, her voice sounding gritty to her own ears.

  "Because you are mine, Marlie. My mate, my wife. You're covered with my scent, and I want you to wear my ring. On your finger."

  Marlie gasped as she stared at him, running her hands through his hair. “You want me to put it back on?"

  "Yes,” he said, pushing forward again.

  Marlie loved feeling him in her body, knowing they were one again.

  "You will no longer hide your love for me,” he said.

  Blushing to her roots, Marlie glanced away from his eyes.

  "Don't be embarrassed, honey,” he said, gently clutching her chin to bring her eyes back to his. “I know you still love me."

  Marlie's eyes filled with tears, but she did not deny his words. “Will you put it back on my finger?” she asked in a small voice.

  He gave her a wide grin. “Of course I will."

  He pulled away from her, grabbing her hands and helping her into a sitting position. He made sure the blanket was still draped around them while Marlie reached behind her neck to unclasp the chain. Once she held it in her hand, Rogan took it from her and slipped the diamond ring from the necklace.

  He took her left hand and pushed the ring onto her third finger. Marlie couldn't help but cry at the gesture. It had been so long since she'd worn it that it felt foreign to her, but so very wonderful at the same time.

  "Now I'll never take it off,” she whispered to him, gazing at the ring.

  Rogan framed her face with his hands. He looked deeply into her eyes and said, “No matter where this life takes me, Marlie, will you follow me? Will you be there for me?"

  Marlie reached up and grasped his hands on her face, making sure he couldn't pull away. “Wherever you go, I'll be right there with you. I don't care if you're Matthew Silver or Rogan Wolfe. No matter what name you have, I'm still your wife."

  "Can you live like this?” he asked. “Can you live not knowing where you're going to sleep at night? Not knowing if tomorrow is the day you might die?"

  "I don't know,” she answered truthfully. “All I know, Rogan, is that I don't ever want to be separated from you again. When you died, I died too. Now that you're alive, I'm alive again. And now that we've ... that we've made love,” she said with a blush, “I'm reminded of how much I love you."

  Rogan took a deep breath and held it, closing his eyes before expelling it. When he opened them once more, he smiled and said, “Then we've got a lot of lost time to catch up on."

  Marlie grinned. “That we do, Mr. Wolfe. That we do."

  She leaned into his lips and kissed him.

  * * * *

  "How's your leg?"

  Marlie's soft voice penetrated Rogan's thoughts as she lay on top of him later. Her sweet scent surrounded him, and he breathed in deeply.

  "Feels better,” he said, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

  "I should take a look at it. You've given those stitc
hes quite the beating in the past few hours."

  "I'll be fine,” he told her, not wanting to move. He was perfectly comfortable right where he was. Making love to Marlie had rocked him, and all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms, keep her safe and warm.

  He couldn't believe his possessive feelings toward her, so strong even after being reunited with Marlie for only a short time. He wanted to make sure she was well aware that he was back in her life to stay. Thinking back on his memories from his life before, he knew more than ever that he'd made love to her long ago. Passionately, lovingly. Marlie was a beautiful, desirable woman, and it floored him that she hadn't been with another man since his supposed death. He smiled, knowing she truly belonged to him.

  "I need to look at it anyway, Rogan,” Marlie said, snapping his thoughts back to the subject at hand. “You could have busted some of them."

  With a sigh, he relented, sitting up against the couch. Not too far away, a lamp sat on the floor. Marlie turned the switch and, amazingly, it blinked on.

  "Guess they haven't turned the power off yet,” she said, avoiding his eyes. He could smell her bashfulness as she blushed under his scrutiny.

  Rogan relaxed and stared at her naked before him. He'd never get tired of looking at her. She was beautiful with her creamy skin and breasts that beckoned his tongue. His eyes wandered down her frame, coming to rest at the patch of curls at the top of her thighs.

  "What?” Marlie asked, noticing where his gaze was set.

  "I just thought of something."

  "What?” she asked again.

  "I remember the taste of your mouth, sweetheart,” he whispered, lifting the corner of his lips. “But I don't remember how the rest of you tastes."

  Marlie cleared her throat. It was obvious to him that he'd caught her off guard. He enjoyed talking sexy to her. She never failed to reward him with her lovely surprised scent.

  "Well, I ... you..."

  She was so clearly flustered that Rogan couldn't help but chuckle at her.

  "I bet you taste as sweet as candy,” he said, running the pad of his finger down her cheek. “Warm honey just waiting for me to feast on."