Hungry Wolf - Aidy Award Page 0,14

ready to rip their clothes off. “How does the mate, I mean the woman, feel?”

Heli waggled her eyebrows at her. “Like she can't wait to rip his clothes off.”

Uh-oh. “Wait. Who wouldn't want to rip the clothes off any superhot guy like Aleksei? That's just a normal response.”

“Umm. Like Aleksei, or him specifically?”

She didn't want to answer that question. She wanted the answer to be that any guy would get her all hot and bothered. But the truth was, no guy had revved her up in months. Maybe longer. “Does it matter?”

“Yes.” Heli took the last bite of pie, set her plate aside, and leaned in. “Tell me this. When you touch him does it feel like electricity laced with a conga beat going on in your pants? That deep down beyond your heart and into your soul that you need to be with him?”

“Come on, that's just sexual attraction. I'm not denying the guy is hot and that I wouldn't kick him out of my bed.” She definitely wished he was in her room sprawled across her bed waiting for her right now. Helena squeezed her legs together to keep the excitement going on down there contained.

”Mmm-hmm, and once you got him there, could you kick him out even if you wanted to?”

Of course she could. Probably. Most definitely. Maybe? She had a joke about it all depending on what he did to her in there, but it somehow got stuck in her throat. She wanted Aleksei in her bed and in her life.

Damn it.

No she didn't. No way, no how. She did not need a man, except to fool all her friends into thinking she had a serious relationship so they wouldn't bug her at all the upcoming holidays.

“Yes. Yes, I could.” The only thing keeping Helena's pants from erupting into liar, liar fire was the waterfall between her legs just thinking about Aleksei.

Heli didn't have to say her ‘whatever’ out loud. The smirk said it for her, loud and clear. She didn't believe Helena's answer even a smidgen. “You keep telling yourself that, my friend. I don't know if you two are fated mates or not, that's not my special ability. If you really want to know, go ask Selena. I do know Aleksei is a little broken and grumpy, but he's a Troika and that makes him a great guy. You could do worse.”

Helena had done worse. Too many times. She'd never had the best taste in men. It was simply too hard for her to believe there was a good guy out there for her.

Heli had found one, though. “Did you really feel all that for Kosta when you met him? Not just having the hots for him, but that heart and soul stuff.”

Helena hadn't ever felt those mushy gooshy feelings for anyone. She wasn't even sure she knew what they were. More importantly, she'd decided she didn't want love anyway. It was a nuisance. It only let to heartache.

Instead of worrying about falling for Aleksei, she should just hop on that hot body and enjoy the ride, heck, the whole damn rodeo. He was the one who suggested a no strings attached fake relationship. If they were agreed on that, why not throw sex into the equation? Couldn't hurt. In fact, it would feel good. Really good.

Besides, if he was really her fated mate, he wouldn't have asked for this secret sham situation. Fine. Good. That was simply proof that they weren't destined to be together forever.

Helena tried to breathe a sigh of relief. That backfired on her and gave her indigestion instead. Ow. No more pie.

“I feel all that and so much more for Kosta. It took me a while to admit it though.”

“Yeah, well you are bull-headed. Unlike me.” Ha. That was a lie straight from the pits of hell. “I imagine Kosta had to wine you and dine you to win you over, didn't he?”

“Nope. You'll see. Or maybe you won't. I don't know. But my very friendly advice is that you keep your heart open and see where it leads you.”

Heart schmart. Helena was a wise woman and had learned not to rely on her heart for anything. She didn't need it to tell her Aleksei was hot and she wanted more from him. Her head was the part that reminded her more didn't have to mean marriage and commitment. This pretend relationship could be just what she needed.

His One Weakness

Aleksei slammed his front door shut, splintering the wood around