Lydia Dare - Wolf Next Door

Uneasiness settled in Will's stomach. "Very carefully?" he suggested.

Ben exhaled slowly. "You'd best make sure there isn't any weaponry in the dower house. I don't think it'll be your shoulder she aims for next time."

No, knowing Prisca, she'd aim for his favorite appendage a bit lower. "I said I'll go about it carefully, Benjamin," he growled.

"As carefully as you've done everything else?" Ben rolled his eyes. "God help you with that then. And what will happen tomorrow when she tells her brothers how you've manipulated them?"

"And just who manipulated whom?" Simon asked from behind them.

"Oh, it's nothing," Will said as he waved his hand nonchalantly. He shot Ben a look.

"It's not

nothing

," Ben protested.

"Ben, if you will come down off your pedestal, you will realize that this was the right thing to do."

"And completely self-serving," Ben said, nodding his head. "I thought you'd finally won her over. God, Will, your honeymoon is doomed before it starts."

"Don't you wish you had a magical faerie that could make Prisca tolerate you?" Simon laughed. "Otherwise, she'll have you sleeping in the guest quarters."

"Or worse," Ben grumbled under his breath.

Will scratched his chin. He didn't have a faerie. But he did have a witch. Or at least Ben did. And who would be better at performing magical miracles? "Do excuse me." He left his brothers and hastened across the room to find Elspeth.

By the time he'd maneuvered himself though the throng of Hawthorne men to where the ladies stood huddled together, Will felt terribly awkward tapping Elspeth on the shoulder. She turned toward him, a question in her green eyes.

"May I speak with you a moment?" he asked quietly.

Her eyebrows drew together. "Of course. Is somethin' wrong, Will?"

"I need to ask you a question," he mumbled to her quietly as he led her away from the others. He glanced back at them and scowled when Lily giggled. What could she possibly find amusing at the moment?

"Is somethin' wrong with ye, Will?" Elspeth reached to touch the side of his face, as though feeling for a fever. He tugged her hand down.

"I'm fine, Elspeth, but I need some… advice?"

"Are ye asking me if ye need advice? Or telling me ye do need it?" When he scowled, she mumbled, "I'll go with the former."

"It's about the wedding night," he began.

Elspeth rolled her eyes. No wonder she and Ben got along so well. "If that's what ye want ta discuss, ye'll have better luck talkin' with yer brothers."

Will shook his head, wondering if he would ever understand the female mind. "Never mind that. May I ask my question now?"

Elspeth nodded.

"Do you have any of that Lady's Man-man-man… What is it called?"

Elspeth gaped at him. "

Lady's Mantle

?"

That was it. Will nodded. How could he have forgotten? One of her coven sisters had wanted to use it on him this past autumn. "Yes. Do you have any with you?"

"I doona carry it around on me, no. It's very powerful and…" Her eyes narrowed on him. "I doona make love potions anyway, Will."

Frustrated, he shook his head. "It doesn't have to be a love potion, Ellie. Do you have anything that would make a

like

potion? I'd take that."

"I canna believe ye'd ask me that." Elspeth's green eyes flashed with anger.

Why not? He was in need, and she was family. "Come on, lass. I just need a little help persuading her to have a bit of affection for me."

"Ye want me ta drug my new sister-in-law on her weddin' day, without her knowing it." Her glower deepened.

"Oh, no." He held up two hands as though surrendering. "I'd never ask that of you."

Elspeth tapped her foot against the floor in irritation.

"A potion isn't drugging her," he protested. "Not really." He held up his thumb and forefinger, and pointed out the space between. "I just need a little help."

"Will, I have always adored ye, but I'm goin' ta pretend ye dinna ask me that."

Defeated, Will sighed. What was he going to do now?

"But I may be able ta help ye without that." She glanced furtively around the room, as though gauging who was listening. "My suggestion for ye is that ye do the opposite of what ye normally do when ye're in her presence."

This time, Will rolled

his

eyes. "Thanks for the advice."

Elspeth giggled. "Please accept my condolences on yer marriage." She giggled again.

"That is

not

humorous. How did Ben find such a

? You're beautiful,

and

you have wit." He tried not to make it sound like a compliment. But he smiled despite himself.

"I'm glad ye can see the humor in the situation," she laughed again.

"I believe you're seeing enough humor in my situation for the both of us." He walked away from Elspeth to go stand by the window alone and think over his dilemma.

The night at the cottage in the woods, Prisca had been amazingly responsive to him. Of course, she'd been foxed at the time, but she still received his advances well. Will remembered the little noises she'd made as he took her over the top. He'd been hard ever since. If he took care with her, made her respond to him again…

He looked over his shoulder, across the room at her, where she smiled as she talked to Lily. She must have felt his perusal because her gaze settled on him. Her smile turned upside down. Quickly. How could he convince her that he was worthy of the same consideration as Lily? As anyone else in the room?

He let his gaze linger on her hair, still covered in back by the black veil. He couldn't wait to take down the silky locks and run his fingers through them. He wanted to see her heavy mane spread out across the bedclothes as he looked upon her naked body.

His gaze moved down to her face. A pretty blush crept up her cheeks. Obviously, she was aware of his heated stare. He slowly inhaled. Oh, yes. She was quite aware. As a Lycan, one developed a certain awareness of one's mate's physical signs of attraction. If they were fated to be together, the male Lycan would share this bond with her always. Just as Simon could sense Lily's desire. And Ben could smell Elspeth.

It was time to fan the flames of Prisca's desire. And there was no better time to start than now.

***

Prisca fanned herself with her hand as she tried to ignore Will's appraisal of her body. She was sure that's what it was, as his eyes moved across her breasts and down her torso. Her nipples hardened, and her breasts grew heavy.

Will stalked across the room, moving slowly in her direction. His gaze was predatory. Her heart skipped a beat, and he smiled as though he knew. One corner of his mouth lifted in silent amusement.

"How are you, wife?" he asked as he came to stand behind her. His words brushed across the shell of her ear like a warm caress.

"Perfectly well, husband."

"I have it on good authority that all the Westfield men abscond with their wives before the wedding celebration is even over."

"Is that so?" she asked, covering her neck with a cupped hand to keep him from blowing across her tender skin.

"Family tradition." A corner of his mouth lifted. "I do wonder if you would go willingly if I tried to spirit you away."

"That would make it much too easy for you, Will." She smiled in return. "You knew when you married me that it would be hard."

"Hard. That's me," he murmured as he bumped into her bottom with his lower body. "Pardon me," he said, his voice growing softer and deeper. "I didn't mean to do that."

A likely story. What on earth did the man carry around in his trouser pockets anyway? Perhaps she'd sneak a peek if he ever took them off.

You're foolish,

Prisca.

Of course, he'll take his trousers off. He couldn't possibly sleep in them. She fanned herself again as she thought of him naked. She'd only spied his backside in the cottage, but it was impressive.