Angela Knight - Over The Moon

"You're definitely good at heating mine." He blew out a breath.

"I do try." With a light laugh, Elena turned and slid between the covers. She turned onto her back, all that glorious hair of hers spilling over his pillow like a river of copper and flame. Green eyes met his. "Come to bed."

He joined her under the comforter. By rights, he should be wiped out after all that sex, yet he felt oddly keyed-up. Waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Waiting for her to realize she really was too good for him.

After all, she drove a Ferrari and was a descendent of a warrior king. He'd grown up in a trailer park, alternately beaten and ignored by a series of part-time fathers.

Compelled for no reason he could name, Lucas said, "Stephen was right, y'know. I am a mongrel."

"Stephen was, as always, full of shit." She rolled over against his side, sliding a long, slender arm around his chest. Her head came to rest on the hollow between his shoulder and the swell of his right pec, spilling a wealth of silken hair across his side. "Good night, Lucas."

Damn, she felt good there.

Ten minutes later, he followed her into sleep.

Elena woke early, as she always did.

She found herself lying half across a warm, sculpted, hair-dusted chest, which rose and fell in sleep. Lifting her head, she stared down into Lucas's strong face with its regal nose and arrogant chin. Black lashes lay on his high cheekbones like dark feathered fans.

Her right hand, draped over her waist, brushed the head of his erection. She lifted her head to enjoy the view. He'd kicked off the covers during the night, so now he lay gloriously revealed. Big as the bed was, his shoulders still seemed to take up most of the mattress. His tanned skin looked golden in the sunlight pouring in through the half-opened curtains, and his legs were long and powerful.

Careful not to wake him, she traced her nails through the ruff of hair on his chest. You're a dangerous man, Lucas .

All her life, she'd dreamed of a man like him. Then again, she supposed every red-blooded woman in America had dreamed of a man like Lucas Rollings—body by God, face of an archangel, a protective streak a mile wide. Who wouldn't want somebody like that by her side?

But there was more to him than great abs and an Alpha male growl. She remembered the vulnerability in his eyes when he'd described his abusive childhood. He'd gone out of his way to assuage her guilt and convince her he admired her for her battle against Stephen and her father.

When she thought about it, that little confession of his was pretty unusual all by itself. Most Alphas would rather eat glass than admit they'd ever been anybody's victim. It ran against the whole persona.

Lucas was definitely not your typical Alpha. Which was a good thing, because she'd had more than enough typical Alpha behavior in her life. The last thing she wanted was another male giving orders. She thought she could trust Lucas on that front.

Yet despite his flashes of tenderness, he had a definite edge. She wouldn't want to piss him off, that was for damn sure. He'd never lay a hand on her in anger, but she strongly expected he had a tongue that could make a girl limp.

Elena grinned wickedly. Come to think of it, his tongue had already left her pretty limp. The man had a seriously talented mouth.

Speaking of which, he was probably going to be hungry when he woke up. The least she could do was cook him a nice breakfast.

She rolled out of bed, hoping he had something edible in that big refrigerator of his.

Lucas woke to the smell of frying bacon—and even better, the scent of fresh coffee. His mouth began to water, and his stomach growled.

After pausing just long enough to dig out a pair of jeans and drag them up over his hips, he headed for the kitchen.

Elena stood at the stove wearing only one of his T-shirts and a pair of panties. She looked up from the cast-iron skillet full of scrambled eggs, a smile curving that full-lipped mouth. "Good morning, gorgeous."

"Good morning to you, too." He eyed the center island, where a pile of bacon steamed on top of a plate covered with paper towels. Selecting a strip, he found it crisp and perfect. He looked at her and munched. "This is really good. Where'd you learn to cook like this?"

Elena smiled as she started transferring the eggs onto another plate. "My mother loved to cook. It always outraged Dad—he kept asking why we had a chef when Mom insisted on cooking all the time—but it made her happy. I learned from her."

On the opposite side of the kitchen, bread popped from the toaster. Lucas went to collect the slices and toast a couple more. "So what's on the agenda today?" Opening the jar of jelly she'd put on the counter, he gave her a hopeful grin. "More sex?"

She grinned back at him. "After a quick trip to the mall. I literally don't have a thing to wear except what I got here in."

"You really don't need clothes. I like you just fine naked."

"Nice try, but no cigar. We're going shopping."

"And then more sex?"

"You really have no shame, do you?"

"Hey, I'm a guy." A thought made him sober. "I wonder if last night's activities…" He broke off, suddenly imagining a little girl with Elena's flaming hair and leaf-green eyes. The image sent a surprising shaft of yearning through him.

You're just the sperm donor, dumbass.

She cocked her head, considering the question. "No, I'm not pregnant yet." A smile teased the corners of her mouth. "Maybe later."

"Wait—you can tell?"

"Yeah, my scent hasn't changed. And it would, within a couple of hours of getting pregnant." She carried the plate of eggs to the table and sat down. "It's part of Merlin's spell. Which is a good thing, because otherwise none of us would ever carry a child to term. Shifting causes miscarriages."

"Ouch. We'll just have to make sure you don't shift, then."

Elena gave him a teasing grin. "Well, not right after sex, anyway."

They spent the morning at the Harrisville Mall, selecting a couple of pairs of jeans and three cute tops. Elena rewarded Lucas for his patience with a trip to Victoria's Secret, laughing at his mock leer over the lacy panties and bra she bought. She even added a red barely-there teddy to her purchases, mostly to watch his eyes glaze.

"Oh, man," he moaned, as they strolled from the store. "I'm getting visions of you in that teddy, sprawled across the hood of the Ferrari."

She grinned at him. "Perv."

"Yep, that's me." He gave her a toothy grin. "Want to play Little Red Riding Teddy and the Big Bad Wolf?"

"Sure. But which one of us gets to be the wolf?"

He eyed her. "Well, I sure as hell ain't wearing the teddy."

"Oh, come on! You'd look just fabulous…" She was grinning at him when it suddenly struck her just how long it had been since she'd had such a good time with a man.

Lucas managed to keep a stranglehold on his libido through most of the shopping trip, though the sight of Elena prancing around in various tight outfits played hell with his self-control.

But as he drove them back home, breathing her pheromones in the close confines of the Crown Vic, he could feel himself starting to lose it.

God help him, she smelled like distilled sex. Shooting her a glance, he reached down and adjusted himself, trying to relieve his zipper's bite.

Lucas looked at her again—and found her gaze locked on his crotch. A blush burned on her high cheekbones. Licking her lips, she looked up and realized he'd caught her. Her green eyes widened still more.

"I want you." The words came out rough, growling. He sounded even more ragged than he felt.

The corners of her mouth twitched. "I noticed."

Despite his need, he found himself smiling back. "Tease."