Knowing he was playing with fire, he took the two steps necessary to bring him to her side. “Your turn.” He handed her the cloth, took a step away and waited.
Alex could barely breathe. Her lungs didn’t seem to want to function properly at all. Joshua was like something out of the perfect female fantasy as he washed himself, totally unabashed by his nudity and his obvious arousal. Sculpted muscles rippled and flexed with every movement he made, showcasing his sleek, hard body. He was the quintessential male predator preening for the female of his choice.
She had no doubt Joshua could have any woman he chose. There was an animal magnetism, a latent sensuality, about him that would draw any woman’s attention. Just watching him wash himself had liquid arousal flowing between her thighs. She knew that should probably embarrass her, but she was too turned on to care. Her nipples were hard buds, completely outlined against the tight cotton fabric of her bra.
She knew they still weren’t safe, couldn’t linger here any longer than necessary, but she couldn’t summon the energy to move. After all the death of today, a part of her simply wanted to experience the sensation of being alive.
Laying the cloth down beside her, she reached for the clasp of her bra, but Joshua stopped her. “I think it might be better for you to leave that on.”
She stared almost unbelieving at him, but he was deadly serious. “All right.” She dropped her hands away from her bra and picked up the cloth. As best as she could, she washed her hands, arms, torso and legs, at all times aware of Joshua’s eyes on her, watching every single stroke of the cloth as she moved it over her skin. She might still be wearing her bra and panties, but his hot gaze made her feel as if she were totally naked.
It felt like heaven to have the cool water rushing around her feet as she kept them submerged in the water. As the dust and dirt and sweat began to vanish beneath her scrubbing, she felt almost human again.
She grimaced at the thought. She wasn’t really human was she? Being part werewolf definitely made her something more than human. Alex shoved that thought to the back of her mind. She’d deal with it later. When they were finally safe in Wolf Creek.
Dipping the cloth into the water, she then twisted it until almost all the water was gone and then held it out to Joshua. “Can you do my back?”
His expression was totally unreadable as he took the thin strip of fabric and stepped behind her. There was no hiding the fact he was still turned on. His cock was at full attention as he’d watched her rubbing the cloth over her body. Intense heat rolled off him as he shifted closer to her.
She leaned forward to give him better access and groaned when his large hands covered her shoulders, kneading the tense, stiff muscles. “That feels good,” she moaned when his thumbs found a particularly sore muscle. He used just enough pressure to work the kinks out the stiffness, but not enough to hurt her. The man had magic hands.
He continued down her back, sweeping his hands down her spine, easing aches she didn’t even know she had. She slumped further forward until her head was almost touching her knees. With her eyes closed, she relaxed, allowing his caressing fingers to lull her.
She muttered a protest when he finally stopped, and shivered when she felt the damp coolness of the cloth being dragged over her back. The sun was sinking behind the mountains and the temperature was dropping rapidly. Goose bumps broke out on her arms and legs and she wrapped her arms around herself, flinching when she accidentally hit her bad arm.
Joshua quickly finished washing her back and handed her the cloth. Without a word, he scooped her up into his arms and waded back to the shoreline, setting her on her feet long enough to gather their clothing. He handed her the bundle and then picked her up again, carrying her through the woods and back to the cave. Alex was much too tired to protest, and Joshua didn’t seem to even notice his injuries. At this point she didn’t mind the ride at all.
Closing her eyes, she rested her head against his chest, conscious of the deep, steady beat of his heart. She must have dozed because one second she was being carried through the woods and the next her feet were being lowered to the floor. She swayed, but he kept his arm around her until she was steady.
“You need to put your jeans on,” he murmured. “And your socks.” She made a small sound of protest and he smoothed his hand over her hair and down her back. “I know they’re grungy, but it’s going to get cold tonight.”
Knowing he was right didn’t make it any easier. She stepped away and set the bundle of clothing on the ground, fishing through it until she found her jeans and blood-stained socks. The light was almost negligible inside their hideaway now and she hurried before she lost what little there was.
Once she had her jeans on she sat on the hard dirt floor and carefully eased her socks over her sore feet. The cold water of the stream had helped soothe them somewhat, but Alex knew tomorrow would be no picnic. She shrugged. She’d deal with that when she had to. There was no point worrying about it now.
She opened her mouth to speak, but yawned instead. It wasn’t a lady-like yawn either, but a large, jaw-cracking one. Joshua lowered himself to the hard ground beside her, clad in his jeans and socks as well.
“What about your shoulder?”
“Don’t worry about it. The bleeding has stopped and a damp bandage won’t hurt it.” Gathering her into his arms, he lay back on the hard-packed ground using what was left of his T-shirt to cushion his head. Plucking the leather jacket off the ground, he draped it over her torso, making sure her shoulders were covered.
Alex relaxed immediately as the heat from his body began to seep into her chilled skin. She could feel his erection pressing into her stomach and lifted her head slightly so she could look at him. It was hard to see him in the dark, but she could just make out the outline of his face and the gleam of his dark eyes. “Why?”
There was no need for her to clarify further. He knew what she meant. His large hand pressed against her bottom, holding her close to him. “Don’t ever think I don’t want you.” She could hear the strain in his voice as his low, rasping tones made all the hair on her body stand on end. “But I won’t take you. Not yet.”
“Why not?”
His hand slid over the curves of her behind making her gasp with pleasure. “Because once I come inside you, mate with you, I’ll mark you with my scent. When we get to Wolf Creek, everyone would know that you were mine.”
She blinked hard, wishing she could see him better. “You’re serious. They’d be able to smell your scent on me?” That didn’t seem fair to her at all.
He nodded. She felt the slight movement of his head rather than saw it. “Very serious. It’s a way of letting all the single males know that a female has been claimed. Once we are mated, they know if they approach you they will have to deal with me.”
She drummed her fingers against his chest. “That seems to favor the males and not the females. I mean, you can have sex with whoever you want, but a female has sex with a male werewolf once and she’s marked for life.”
He trapped her hand with his, flattening her palm over his heart. “It is nature’s way of ensuring the survival of the race. Besides, if a female’s mate dies, she is free to sleep with whomever she wants and even mate again if she chooses.”
“Great.” Exasperation tinged her voice. “I should have experimented when I had the chance.”
The low, menacing growl startled her. She found herself flat on her back before she knew what was happening. Joshua loomed over her large and fierce as he clasped her face in his hands. “You are mine.”
Why she was teasing the already enraged beast, she didn’t quite know. But something inside her made her taunt him back. “I thought I had a choice.”