Marisa Chenery: A Werewolf at the Falls

And just before he’d come the first time, she swore something had passed between them. It was unlike anything she’d ever felt. It hadn’t been unpleasant, just different.

Knowing it had to be very late, Jorja slowly slipped out from under Kian’s arm. He didn’t stir. She sat up and looked at him. She still found it hard to believe she’d actually had sex with him. Running her gaze over his naked form, her pussy clenched. As she’d surmised earlier, he had the body of an underwear model. Only his muscles were a bit too big to actually be one.

Her gaze lingered over his well-defined chest and washboard abs before it landed on his cock. Even though he was soft, it was still big. While fully erect, it was thick and long, filling her up. And boy did he know how to use it. She’d never been so well fucked in her life. Even now she wanted more of him.

Jorja silently sighed in regret and slipped off the bed. She checked Kian once more and found he still slept on. He had to be a heavy sleeper, or the alcohol made him one. Not wanting to wake him in case he tried to get her to stay the rest of the night, which she wasn’t comfortable doing, she gathered her clothes. She didn’t need some of the people she worked with noticing her leaving the resort in the morning.

After a quick pit stop in the bathroom where Jorja dressed, she went to the conversation area and picked up her coat and purse from the couch. She thought of at least leaving her cell phone number for Kian, but decided against it. He wasn’t drunk enough to forget he’d slept with her, but once he sobered up there could be a chance he’d change his mind about wanting anything more to do with her. Especially since she couldn’t have a normal conversation with him without stuttering.

With one last look at Kian, she opened the door and silently stepped out into the hall, then quietly pulled it closed behind her. She hurried down the long stretch of hallway to the elevators. She pushed the call button and watched to see which set of doors would open.

Jorja made it all the way down to the lobby and outside to the parking lot before she felt as if she should go back to Kian. With a shake of her head, she brushed the feeling aside. She was not going back. She had to get some much-needed sleep, or she’d be dragging her ass during her next shift that coming evening.

She unlocked the driver’s door of her ten-year-old Chevy Cavalier and got inside. After putting the key in the ignition, Jorja sent up a silent prayer it would start before she turned it. Much to her relief it worked. Her car was getting to be a beater, but she couldn’t afford to look for another used one at the moment. Nor could she pay for costly repairs on the Cavalier.

On the drive to her apartment, the feeling of wanting to see Kian returned, only this time it was a bit stronger. Great, Jorja thought. She’d gotten laid and now she was going to be obsessed with him.

Reaching her building, a small duplex, Jorja drove around to the back and parked. She got out, walked to the back door and let herself inside. As she went up the stairs to her apartment, she took a deep breath. She felt out of sorts, as if something were missing. It had to be tiredness. Usually she would already be home and in bed.

Once she was inside her apartment, Jorja put her coat away, then headed to her bedroom to change into her pajamas—a pair of light, cotton sleep pants and a loose t-shirt.

Forgoing brushing her teeth for one night, she got into her queen-sized bed, stretching out in the middle of it. She closed her eyes and waited for sleep to come. It didn’t. Instead of being relaxed, her body felt tense. Thoughts of Kian filled her head. Was he okay? Had she done the right thing by leaving without waking him? It had only been a little over a half hour since she’d last seen him, but it felt like a day. The need to see him, hear his voice, touch him, bordered on desperate.

Jorja rolled to her side and punched her pillow into the shape she wanted it. She had to stop with these thoughts. She would not allow herself to become obsessed with a man. Just because she’d slept with Kian once did not mean it went beyond the great sex. Christ, she knew nothing about him.

After another half-hour went by, and the desperate feeling became even stronger, Jorja knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep if she couldn’t settle her mind. She felt about ready to climb the walls. With an exasperated huff, she threw back the covers and got out of bed. She needed to take a warm bath. A good, long soak should do the trick.

In the bathroom, she turned on the taps in the tub to as hot as she could stand it. As she waited for it to fill, she stripped out of her pajamas and clipped up her hair. She wrapped her arms around her middle, hoping they would ease the terrible ache she felt inside for Kian. They didn’t.

Jorja turned off the taps and got into the steaming water. She sank all the way down until her head rested on the back of the tub. She closed her eyes and tried to will all the tension out of her body. If anything, it made it worse. The moment she closed her eyes her thoughts centered more on Kian.

She forced herself to stay in the tub until the water cooled. As she toweled dry, she caught her reflection in the mirror over the sink. Her eyes looked wild, and there were strain lines around the corners of her mouth. What the hell was wrong with her? All she knew was she couldn’t stand this feeling much longer. It would drive her crazy. As for being able to sleep, there was no way that would happen while she was in this state. The only rest she’d managed so far was the short amount she’d gotten in Kian’s arms.

Jorja bit back a whimper at the thought of being held by him. Every fiber in her being called out for him, needed to be with him. Whatever happened to her didn’t seem to get any better. If anything, it only worsened as time went on.

Running a shaky hand through her hair after she let it down, Jorja couldn’t take it anymore. Whether it made her a crazy stalker, or she’d just plain lost her mind, she had to go back to the resort, and back to Kian.

She returned to her bedroom and dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a long-sleeved t-shirt. A quick glance at her alarm clock showed it was five thirty in the morning. Kian should still be in his hotel room, at least she hoped. If he wasn’t, Jorja had no idea what she’d do.

Kian woke himself up as a growl of agitation rumbled out of him. His eyes snapped open and he quickly scanned the room with his gaze. Nothing seemed out of place. The light of dawn streamed through the wall of windows, telling him it was already morning. What the hell was the matter? Inside him, one sensation after another slammed into him—agitation, desperation, the feeling that something, or someone, was missing.

He took a deep breath, scenting the air. That’s when it hit him over the head—the scent of his mate, Jorja. His gaze whipped around to the spot on the bed next to him. It was empty. It didn’t take him long to realize she wasn’t anywhere in the room. Her scent was no longer fresh.

Kian shook his head to see if it would help him get a handle on his jumbled thoughts, and immediately regretted it. A throbbing ache pounded in his temples. He’d had way too much to drink the night before, and now suffered the consequences in more ways than one. Because he hadn’t been thinking straight, he’d gone and done something he shouldn’t have, at least not yet. He’d slept with Jorja, claiming her as his, making them mates before he explained anything about what he was, or what she was to him. Fuck! He’d screwed up.

And because of his stupidity, he suffered because his mate had left sometime while he’d slept without telling her what would happen to them both if she did. Now he knew what the desperate feelings were that roiled inside him, and what Jorja had to be suffering through as well without a clue as to why.