Dark Heart Wolf - Haley Weir Page 0,17

trapped in time. Boone and Mary Ann had drawn their lines, lines that he straddled with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Sam closed his eyes and turned the handle, pushing his way inside.

His sensitive ears picked up the sound of sloshing water and breathless hums. The heat from the hearth warmed its way across his skin until it sank into his bones. Sam crept up the stairs, wondering what he might find if he opened her bedchamber door. His steps were silent. He could still turn back. But the fragrant aroma of jasmine and honey filled his nostrils, luring him deeper into the house until he could hear her heartbeat.

Sam lifted his hand to the door and opened it without a sound. Mary Ann faced away from him, and he licked his lips at the sight of nude back. He followed ridges of her spine to the flare of her supple hips and rounded flesh of her bottom. Mary Ann’s legs were strong and elegant, though shorter than most. Scars speckled her skin here and there, but the signs of age had yet to touch her youthful complexion. For the first time in his life, Sam wondered if he was desirable. He knew women found him handsome enough for a quick romp, but he was much older than Mary Ann.

Streaks of silver threaded through his hair, lines framed his mouth and creased his brow. And, though his body was still firm despite his age, there were enough insecurities to make him feel unsettled. Mary Ann had seen him naked once or twice. None of those occasions had been laced with intimacy. Just then, Mary Ann turned her head and eyed him up and down. Sam fidgeted in the doorway and cursed the scarlet blush that blossomed on his cheeks.

“Hey there,” he whispered lamely, unsure why he felt the need to lower his voice.

The soft candlelight illuminated Mary Ann’s smile as she raked her fingers through the silken tresses of her hair. “Hey.” She stood up and sauntered towards him. Sam knew there was no intentional seduction in the way she walked, which made it that much more appealing to him. She was unaware of what a simple look from her could do to him. “I’m glad you decided to stay.”

Her hands caressed his chest as she pulled up onto the tips of her toes to press a kiss to his jaw. Sam’s palms slid along the soft curve of her hip and yanked her up against his body. Mary Ann gasped, but there was no fear in her eyes as she wrapped her legs around his waist. The heat that wafted from the fireplace caused droplets of sweat to bead on her skin. Sam leaned forward and trailed his tongue along her neck before he laid her on the bed. Her hands curled around the top of his shoulders with a bruising grip when he attempted to step back.

“Wait...”

Sam shook his head and untangled himself. “I ain’t goin’ nowhere.” He waited for her nod of understanding before he wandered over to the washbasin to clean away the soot and blood from his skin. He wanted no part of the darkness they fought against to touch her the first time they made love...made love...Sam’s hand paused before he brought the rag back to his chest. That was what he intended to do, wasn’t it? Sam intended to make love to Mary Ann, something he never thought would ever come to pass. He wasn’t sure he loved her in that way…

Then what the hell am I doin’ here? Sam wondered. He could not just bed her and disappear as he had done to countless others before her. The guilt and shame of his life began to creep back into his mind. Until Mary Ann placed her hand over his and took the rag from Sam. She stood with her chest pressed against his back as she washed him. Each pass of the cloth over his skin washed away the darkness that had been brewing inside. When he was finally scrubbed clean, Sam turned and pulled Mary Ann into a heated kiss.

This time, it was Sam whose back landed upon the bed.

Mary Ann crawled over him in all of her glory. His hands caressed the milky flesh of her thighs, inching towards her femininity. Her breath hitched, and those beautiful eyes flew open. She rocked her hips, and Sam’s body twitched as his erection slipped between her folds. Mary Ann