Month: April 2017

**This week’s prompt is for a wolf and a love confession. Enjoy!**

The radio crackled to life and Lou’s tinny voice sounded in the empty office. “He’s at it again.”

Cooper closed his eyes, worry seeping into his gut. He stood and grabbed the two-way radio, keying the mic on his way out the door. “I’m on my way.”

He pushed through the office door and beelined for his ATV. As director for the wild life rehabilitation facility, he had his own, while the rest of the staff shared. The place was almost seven hundred acres, it wasn’t like he could walk everywhere. And when he needed to get to an enclosure in a hurry, it was best he didn’t have to wait around for someone else to pick him up. Like now.

The timber wolf in question was a recent addition. The large male had been found in severely undernourished, covered with sores, and trapped in a tiny cage on some “collector’s” back property. He hadn’t been the only animal there, but the others–a black bear, a cougar, and Siberian tiger–were settling in fine. Eating, playing, healing. This wolf, however, continually became agitated, throwing himself at the fence of his enclosure, and snarling at anything that crossed his path. Cooper thought it was perhaps the twenty by twenty foot space still felt like a cage. But the staff couldn’t chance putting him somewhere larger.

But when the wolf got like this, Cooper’s presence seemed to calm him. No one could explain it. It didn’t make any sense, really.  Only Cooper could manage to soothe him. So Cooper rushed, knowing that the faster he got to the enclosure, the sooner the wolf would chill. Being that tense, that on guard, was detrimental to the wolf’s healing, and Cooper needed to know the wolf was okay.

He arrived a few minutes later, and jumped off the ATV the moment he brought it to a screeching halt. He didn’t even bother to walk around the enclosure, just went right up to the fence and got as close as he could. It took a moment for the wolf to realize he was there. But the moment he did, the wolf’s posture relaxed, and he padded over, his head held up and sniffing the air. He let out a whine/howl like noise, and sat right in front of the chain link, before laying down, head on his paws. He kept his gaze trained on Cooper but he was no longer agitated.

Cooper felt the inexplicable urge to reach through the chain link and touch the soft looking fur. Rub his fingers around those ears, along the broad head. But he knew better. For as docile as the wolf seemed in that moment, as he got every time Cooper came near, he was still a wild animal. Putting his fingers into the cage meant that Cooper would most likely be pulling back a stump. So he resisted the urge, though he sat on the ground almost close enough to touch. The wolf huffed out a breath, those amber eyes fixed pointedly on Cooper.

Three months this had been going on. Ever since Cooper and the staff had taken in the rescues from the horrible situation in which they found them, this wolf had been making strides in his recovery only to be set back with bouts of aggression, becoming territorial, and snarling and snapping. Cooper was at his wits end. Despite having worked with and rehabilitated dozens of wolves over the years, this male continued to stump him. While he wasn’t getting worse, he wasn’t getting better either.

So if Cooper sitting at the edge of his enclosure, doing nothing but being, helped this wolf, Cooper was beyond willing to do it. He’d do whatever it took to get this wolf back on the road to recovery, healthy and strong. He might not ever be able to go back in the wild, but he could be healthy and happy. And at this point, that’s all Cooper wanted. He’d been sitting here every couple of days for three months now. He’d do it every couple of days for the rest the wolf’s life if necessary

He leaned closer, keeping his gaze fixed on the wolf without making it a direct challenge. He did his best to keep his posture as non-threatening as possible. Slowly, Cooper breathed out, and whispered, “I’m not giving up on you. We’ll get you fixed up. I promise.” Cooper could swear the wolf’s ears pricked forward so Cooper said exactly what he was feeling. “I love you, buddy. It’s going to be fine.”

The wolf pushed up onto his feet, howled, whined, gave an all mighty shake, and shifted into a man.

Cooper stared at the naked man where his beloved wolf had once been. “Holy. Shit.”

 

**The prompt this week features the Eli and Chase from my newest release Enchanted Love! You can find buy links here, if you haven’t already. The prompt: a lost item and a replacement. Enjoy!**

It was irrational to be so upset. I knew that. And yet, I couldn’t stop the dismay that bubbled in my chest, or the ridiculous tears that prickled in my eyes. My breath was coming out in fast pants as I searched. Ripping apart our luggage, tossing things aside, moving the same piles over and over, convinced if I just shook out the right pair of pants or looked under the right shirt, there they’d be.

“Baby.” Chase’s voice was low and soothing, but I ignore him, tossing more clothes over my shoulder as I went through another pile I’d already pawed through at least a dozen times.

“Eli, sweetheart. Calm down.”

“Don’t,” I bit out, voice low, tone menacing.

He sighed, and I could hear the pain in it. Even knowing it was not because my words hurt him, and instead because he was upset that I was upset didn’t do anything to help. I groaned out my frustration, and pushed my hands through my hair, turning in a circle, trying to see if there was something I hadn’t gone through yet.

“Where did you last see them?” Chase tried, that patient tone meant to soothe. I tried to rein in my emotions enough to answer him.

“In our suite. At Halekulani Hotel. The morning we left.”

Chase’s smile was wicked, and his eyes blazed with lust. That was enough to have me remembering it too. Our honeymoon in Hawaii had been amazing, and that morning, we’d packed in a rush because we’d overslept and were about to miss our flight. Overslept because we’d spent our last night making love so many times that neither of us could move. It had been more than twenty four hours, and I could still feel him inside me.

Chase cleared his throat, and his expression turned sorrowful. “Did you, uh, leave them?”

For a second, the sadness threatened to overwhelm me. I choked down my tears and sat heavily on the end of the bed.

“I must have,” I whispered.

He made a sympathetic sound and came closer. When I didn’t move, he sat beside me and pulled me into his arms. I curled against him, reveling in his warmth and tried not to cry.

“I’m sorry, baby.”

I nodded, my stubble scraping roughly against his t-shirt. I let out a sigh. They were only a pair of flip flops. Not even new. And I knew it was silly to be so upset about having lost them, but I just couldn’t help it. But I’d been wearing them the day I met Chase. Hell, I’d met the love of my life because of the flip flops. The sentimental value far outweighed the shoes, even as expensive as they were. It was all about what they meant to me, and not the flip flops themselves. I wrapped my arms around my husband, and let his strength shore me up in the face of my loss.

***

Three days later, I was surprised when I pushed through the door of our apartment and saw Chase sitting on the couch. Wednesdays were his late days, so I didn’t usually see him until at least nine. But there he was, looking freshly showered, and smiling wide enough I was afraid his face would crack. That was a smile I loved to see, and I found myself grinning in response. How had I been lucky enough to meet him, let alone get to call him mine forever?

“Hey, baby.” He stood up. “I got you something.”

“Oh yeah?” I waggled my eyebrows suggestively. Chase laughed, and I had to shake my head. Perhaps my try at seduction hadn’t been great. Usually all I had to do was smile at him and he was ready to take me to bed.

“After.” He chuckled again, then bent to pick up a box that had been laying on the couch. “Here.”

I looked into his eyes, curious, but he wasn’t giving anything away. With a shrug, I ripped off the paper to find a shoe box. My breath caught when I lifted the lid. Inside were a pair of flip flops exactly like the ones I’d lost. A perfect replica, even if they weren’t worn and beat to hell. I lifted one reverently, and the tears sprang to my eyes. I blinked fast.

Chase’s smile softened. “Well, you know. It’s not the same as the ones–”

“They’re perfect. Like exactly the same pair. How did you…?”

He walked closer and cupped my jaw, lifting my gaze to his. “They were the reason we met. I had no trouble finding them because every detail is burned into my brain.”

I tossed the shoes on the couch and threw myself into his arms, squeezing tightly even as I lifted so I could press my lips to his. The thought he’d put into the gift didn’t surprise me–that was Chase through and through–but that he’d taken such care touched me down to my soul. I already knew I’d made the right choice when I’d claimed him as mine. This just reaffirmed it.

“I love you, Sir Chase the Goodhearted.”

He grinned, then his smile turned wicked. “Wanna see my sword?”

I cackled and raced him to the bedroom.

**This week’s prompt: a cowboy hat, a country music concert, and a kiss. Enjoy!**

If it weren’t for the cowboy hat, I wouldn’t be here.

No amount of pleading could have gotten me to come to this concert. No matter that Luke was my best friend in the world. Even the fact that I was harboring a pretty serious crush couldn’t have made me agree. He loved it, loved Florida Georgia Line, and had been looking forward to the show for months. Bought the tickets the moment they’d gone on sale, and had never wasted an opportunity to mention it. But it wasn’t my thing–I basically hated country music–and I refused every time he asked me to go with him.

“Please Jonah! I want you to come with me,” he repeated over again and again.

But I wouldn’t be swayed and kept refusing.

And then he walked into the living room, wearing a straw cowboy hat. The sides curled up, and he’d pulled the brim low. And that hat, combined with his tight-ass jeans and swagger, and I was sold. I couldn’t let him go out in public looking like that. Someone was sure to snap him up, touch him, and ….no. I couldn’t go there.

Luke in that hat was lethal and I needed to go with him to protect his virtue.

An hour in, and I had to admit it wasn’t so bad. The band had a bit of a rock/pop feel that blunted the worst of the twangier edges. I could deal with it. And Luke’s enjoyment was infectious. He was singing at the top of his lungs, and rocking out with the rest of the crowd.

I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

Suddenly he turned, that huge grin on his face, and he caught sight of me. I tried to look away, but I couldn’t make myself. And he didn’t seem to mind. Instead, his entire expression softened, and then, he reached up and pulled the hat off his head. The loud music wound down, and I barely caught the lyrics, something about being holy, when Luke leaned in. He was so close I could feel his body heat.

“Perfect song for this moment,” Luke said, his eyes blazing, and then he closed the distance between us. His mouth met mine, and I gasped. I could feel his grin as he kissed me.

Right there in the middle of a country music concert, with said music swelling around us, thousands of people singing along, Luke took me in his arms and kissed me until I couldn’t breathe.

Then he pulled back, smiled, and put his hat on my head.

“I’m keeping it,” I rumbled, edging closer, not wanting any distance between us.

“You know what they say about keeping a man’s hat, right?”

I shook my head, but my stomach swooped in anticipation.

“Means you’re his.”

“Works for me.”

The song ended and the crowd screamed and clapped. And as I stood there staring into Luke’s eyes, wearing Luke’s hat, it felt like they were cheering just for us.

**This week’s prompt is the vacation from hell. Hope you enjoy!**

“This is the shittiest vacation in the history of vacations.”

The amused chuckle behind me made me scowl. I frowned even harder when my boyfriend spoke. “It’s not as bad as all that, Drew.”

I whirled around. “Are you kidding me? The rental car broke down thirty miles from our destination, and the only replacement they had was a station wagon that doesn’t go over fifty miles per hour!”

Jonah’s eyes were sparkling with restrained laughter. “Well yeah, but so what?”

I squinted. “The hotel lost our reservation, and wouldn’t honor it even though I showed them the confirmation email, so we ended up not in a bungalow, but in this crappy room.”

“It’s not exactly crappy–”

“I got bit by a bug the first day out and my leg is still swollen. I couldn’t walk on it for two days!”

“That was unfortunate, sure but–”

“And!” I spun back around and gestured wildly at the window. “Torrential downpour for the past forty-eight hours. And it’s predicted for at least the next twenty four!”

“We’re in Hawaii. During the wet season.”

I sighed, fogging the window for a moment, before I leaned my forehead against it. I let my shoulders sag. “How can you be so amused while we’re on the vacation from hell?”

“Because I’m with you.” Jonah’s voice dropped an octave, and it sent a shiver down my spine. Three years together, and when he said sweet things in that low voice, never failed to melt my bones and heat my blood.

“Caring for me when I was sick and now trapped inside with me while I’m grumpy. Real treat.” My voice had lost it’s edge, but I was giving it one last ditch effort to hang on to my anger.

“Nothing else I’d rather do, and nowhere else I’d rather be. Now turn around, take off your clothes and join me in bed. Or else,” he paused and I heard the distinct pop of the cap on the lube. “I’m going to take care of things myself. And wouldn’t that be a shame? You and me and nothing to do but fuck each other silly–omph!”

I stripped in record time, pouncing on the bed, trapping him beneath me and kissing him stupid until neither one of us could think, let alone talk.

***

The next day the rain had finally stopped, and I was sore enough from the near constant sex that I was walking a little bowlegged. Jonah smirked at me from where he was reclining on the bed, and I returned it. Looking at him, seeing how pleased he was, the warmth and love in his gaze, made my heart swell. He quirked his eyebrow in question, and my smirk grew into a grin.

“Best. Vacation. Ever.”