fangs like the werewolves Rick had once laughed about in old black-and-white movies. They growled and snapped, their mouths flecked with foam, their eyes glowing red.
Ahead of him, a woman stepped out of the trees. An angel with blond flowing hair and eyes the color of the forest in early spring. She held out her arms, beckoning him to safety. Rick went willingly into her embrace. It had been too long since he'd held a woman, kissed one, made love to one. Those were human pleasures, and not for the likes of him.
Her hair smelled like wildflowers, felt silky beneath his fingertips. The full contours of her breasts pressed against him. She smelled good, felt good, and he wanted to taste her lips. They were petal-soft beneath his. After a moment of no response, she opened to him. He kissed her deeply, his hunger for her building, his senses so much stronger now.
Her body heat rose, fanning the flames of his passion. It was hell, wanting her, but it was heaven, too. Glorious to experience so human an emotion, and agony to know he had no right. The dream shifted. He suddenly sensed her withdrawal?the moment her mind rejected him.
He clung to the fantasy, unwilling to give it up, to surrender either the pleasure he felt with her or the wonder of being merely mortal. He moved on top of her, pressing her down. His fingers clamped around her wrists, forcing them up over her head. The scent of fear mingled with her intoxicating natural fragrance. He hesitated, the man in him understanding that her reaction was not one of compliance, the animal urging him to continue regardless of her wishes.
A moment later, pain ripped through his groin. He moaned and rolled off her. The soft, sensuous ripples of the dream gave way to a whirlpool of emotions. He opened his eyes, the brightness of day cutting into his skull. A woman stood above him, her green eyes narrowed, lips swollen and shirt gaping open. He remembered her, the angel in his dream, the woman who'd barged in on him in the shower?the same one who'd spared his worthless life.
"I thought I was dreaming," he said.
Her labored breathing caused her breasts to strain against the gaping shirt, affording him a tantalizing view.
"Well, you weren't," she huffed. "If you're well enough to do that, you're well enough for me to leave."
And she did. She stormed from the room. Rick groaned and rolled off the bed. He swayed but caught himself. The tranquilizer drugs that had done a number on his system earlier were beginning to wear off. His head still felt a little fuzzy, but he recalled a couple things all too clearly, his hunger for the woman, and the fact that he'd behaved like a rutting beast instead of a man. She was out the door by the time he reached the living area.
The smell of coffee hung heavy on the air. He rushed outside, cursing when a splinter from the wooden porch sliced into his toe. The woman had already made it down the steps.
"Hey!" he shouted. When she didn't respond, he called, "Stephanie, would you stand still long enough for me to apologize?"
She stopped. Slowly she turned to face him. He noticed that her shirt had been rebuttoned?all the way to her neck.
"How did you know my name? I don't remember introducing myself."
Seldom did Rick recall the nights he ran wild with the wolves. But he remembered the scene just before dawn, the meeting between the men and this woman, Stephanie Shane. He recalled her bravery, pieces of conversation, and how she'd stood up to the men. The rest blurred, he supposed because his mind had shifted between man and beast.
"You must have told me at some point, or I wouldn't know."
"I suppose," she admitted, then lifted a brow. "Youwere saying something about an apology?"
Rick wasn't sorry he'd kissed her. If given half a chance, he'd kiss her again. "I'm sorry if I did anything you didn't want me to do."
"That little introduction between my knee and your crotch should have been a clear indication that I didn't want you to do anything to me. And I don't count that as an apology. Good-bye, Dr. Donavon, and good riddance."
She wheeled away and stomped off. He had to admire her sass. His gaze lowered and he admired the way she looked walking away, too. Rick started to call out, but thought better of it. Let her dislike him, consider