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  “Oh, you’re coming too?” Charity said in a sweet voice.

  She stiffened her spine and stopped before she reached the last step. “I was invited.”

  “Of course you were, Jillian.”

  “It’s Julianna,” she corrected. God help her, she never wanted to smack a bitch so much in her life.

  “Anyway, you’ll love the London clubs and bars, much more sophisticated than the ones in New York.” Her eyes narrowed into slits. “Of course, Duncan and I won’t be staying too long. We do have to a lot of catching up to do. We didn’t really spend much time talking today,” she let out a yawn, “though I’m still exhausted.” A small giggle escaped her mouth.

  The meaning in her tone said it all. “How nice for you.” Her wolf wanted to tear out of her and rake its claws down Charity’s face. “I … I think I forgot something.” Spinning around, she ran up the stairs.

  “Julianna?”

  Shit. Fuckity, fuck, fuck, shit. Peering up, she saw Duncan and Oliver at the top of the stairs. Swallowing hard, she ran past them and headed to her room.

  Chapter Nine

  A terrible feeling crept into Duncan’s stomach. The look on Julianna’s face told him that something was wrong, and when he saw Charity at the bottom of the stairs, he knew there was trouble. His wolf snarled and clawed at him.

  “What did you say to her?” He had just about had it with Charity and her damn clinginess today. Their one-night stand had happened over five years ago, and at that time, he made it clear that was all it was. Apparently, she didn’t get the memo.

  “Me?” Charity said with an innocent smile.

  His chest rattled audibly, and because his wolf couldn’t swipe its claws at her, it was shredding his insides to ribbons. “Fuck,” he cursed under his breath.

  “I only told her the truth,” she purred. No doubt it was her twisted version of the truth.

  “Go after her,” Oliver urged.

  Duncan didn’t need to be told twice. He pivoted and ran. With his Lycan speed, he caught up to her as she was entering her room.

  “What the fuck—Duncan!”

  He pushed her inside and slammed the door shut behind him. “Julianna,” he began. But he didn’t know how to continue. How to explain to her.

  “Get out of my room.” Her tone was careful, but there was a menacing timbre beneath it.

  “Please, Julianna, let me explain—”

  “You don’t have to explain.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I understand what’s going on here.”

  He raked his hands through his hair. “Whatever Charity told you—”

  “I don’t care about her,” she said. “But do me a favor? Don’t ever use protecting me as an excuse so you can come here and rekindle your affair with her.”

  Anger razed through veins. “Is that what she told you?”

  “She said that she was ‘still exhausted’ from today,” she spat.

  He could barely keep the disgust from his voice. “Nothing happened between me and Charity today.”

  “Today,” she huffed. “But it’s true, right? You’ve slept with her before?”

  “Aye.”

  Her face crumpled for a second, but she regained her composure quickly. “You’re not denying it.”

  “I can’t.” He took a deep breath and took a step closer to her. “Because I won’t lie to you, Julianna. I will never lie to you or keep things from you.” He stared into her eyes, unflinching, willing her to believe him. “Ask me anything, and I’ll tell you the truth.”

  There was some doubt in her face, but he could see a bit of those walls she put up crumble. “When?”

  “A long time ago, right before I moved back to Scotland. It was my birthday and we were all out together. Later than night, she came to me claiming she had broken up with her boyfriend and that he hurt her.” His jaw clenched at the memory of how stupid he was. Charity had been lying, of course. Both about James hitting her and them being broken up. “And … things happened. But I never promised her anything. I made it very clear that it was a one-time thing. She agreed.”

  Her mouth pursed together, and he could see her shoulders relax. Another bit of that wall crumbled down. “And today? You didn’t—”

  “No!” He touched her arm, and she didn’t flinch away. “I swear to God, I haven’t touched her at all since that night.”

  “Then why didn’t you tell me about her?” Her tone was accusatory.

  “When was I supposed to? When she walked into the Alpha’s study? Was I supposed to announce it to everyone?” Her expression softened. “I swear to you, I don’t want her.”

  She cocked her head. “You certainly didn’t act like it today.”

  “Because I was shocked. When I met her, she was just one of the junior assistants to the Alpha. I didn’t know she would be at Huntington Park much less been promoted to personal secretary.” His hand gripped her harder. “And I was ashamed.”

  Her mouth parted. “Ashamed?”

  “Yes. Ashamed because of my past. Julianna, I’ve not been a good person. I’ve been with women—lots of them.” That made her flinch. “I was young and stupid, and I didn’t always believe I had a True Mate. Had I known you were out there somewhere; I wouldn’t have been with anyone else. But now that I’ve met you, things are different. You can trust that I’ll never lie, and I’ll always be true to you.” A tightness wrapped around his chest. “But if that’s not enough, then … I understand.”

  “God, I hate you,” she muttered.

  He smiled because he didn’t believe her. His hand ran up her arm, tracing a path across her collarbone, making her shiver. “And why would you say something like that?”

  “Because you say … you say the right things and it makes me want to believe you.” She closed her eyes tight.

  “Darlin’, I meant every word.” He tipped up her chin. “Open those beautiful eyes, love.”

  Her mouth parted, and her lids opened to reveal her gorgeous, mismatched eyes. He could see her, all of her, with no more walls between them. “Julianna.”

  To his surprise, she was the one who closed the last remaining distance between them. Her hands slid up his chest, wrapped around his neck and drew him down for a kiss.

  He’d kissed many times in his life, but this one … so freely given and coming from her was the sweetest kiss he’d ever received. It was also the sweetest victory he’d ever tasted. Her plush lips parted, and he slipped his tongue inside her mouth to taste her delicious mouth. Her body arched against his, the scent of her arousal unmistakable.

  Slowly, step by step, he backed her toward the bed. When she didn’t stop him, the tension in his chest broke, only to be replaced by lust, shooting straight to his cock and making him hard as steel. His kisses became more urgent and demanding as he pushed her down onto the soft mattress.

  She moaned into his mouth when he nudged her legs apart and lifted her skirt to her waist. “You make me so hard,” he whispered. “Just like this.” A gasp escaped her mouth when he pressed his erection against her. “Only you, Julianna.”

  “Ungh!” She shuddered when he pushed harder, rubbing the ridge of his cock against her. Reaching down, he touched the front of her panties. “Soaked already. Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

  He slid down to the floor, hauling her legs down so his face was between her thighs as he knelt by the edge of the bed. “I told you I was going to enjoy taking this.” He traced a finger down the damp fabric. “I only had a taste the other night. I want a whole feast.”

  “Will you be talking all night?” She was looking down at him, one eyebrow raised. “Well? That pussy’s not gonna eat itself.”

  A chuckle burst from his lips. “You’ve sure got a dirty mouth. I know better things you can do with it later, but for now …” He pushed her panties aside and licked a stripe up her slick folds. She cried out, her hips pushing up against him.

  He steadied her with his other hand as he feasted on her sweet little cunt. She tasted even bet
ter than he’d imagined and was so wet that she was practically dripping. Her natural scent and her arousal were a heady mix, and he groaned in pain as his dick pressed up against his trousers. With a growl, he ripped off her panties so he could have better access.

  She let out an indignant cry but didn’t protest when he flipped her onto her stomach. He spread her thighs wider, her plump pink lips parting for him. “Delicious.” He pressed a finger against her core, slipping it in, biting his lips to stop from moaning when her pussy squeezed around him. He slipped another in, thrusting it inside, and she pushed her hips at him.

  Replacing his fingers with his mouth, his tongue lashed at her, tasting and devouring her as his fingers found her clit. Her hips moved in rhythm against his hand and his mouth. When her legs began to tremble, he knew she was close, and so he continued, spearing her on his tongue as his fingers pinched her clit.

  “Duncan!” Her knees caved in, and her body collapsed on the mattress, her breathing heavy and uneven. God, she was gorgeous from behind, her skirt up around her waist, showing off the smooth skin and curves. As she lay there, he unclasped the back of her skirt and slipped it off, then flipped her onto her back.

  Face flushed, her hair in disarray, pupils dilated in desire, she’d never looked more beautiful. As she unbuttoned her blouse and shucked it off, he did the same with his own shirt.

  He shoved the straps of her black lace bra down, then cupped her naked breasts with his hands. They were perfect, just the right size for him. His thumbs caressed her already hard nipples, making her arch her back. He leaned down and took one in his mouth, rolling the hardened bud gently between his teeth.

  Her hands shoved into his hair, nails biting into his scalp. It only made him bite down harder, and she bucked against him as she groaned. Reaching down, he unbuckled his belt and unzipped his fly. His cock strained against his briefs, and he shoved those down along with his trousers and took himself in his hand.

  “Duncan,” she gasped. “Did you bring protection?”

  “Protection? From what?”

  “Condom. If you don’t, there’s some in my—”

  “Aye, I have one …” He was always careful, even if Lycans didn’t get diseases or could easily get anyone pregnant. Except … “Och, I thought you didn’t believe we were True Mates. Surely if we weren’t, then—”

  Her nostrils flared. “No glove, no love, MacDougal.” She tried to push him off, but he caught her wrists and pinned her hands to the mattress.

  Aye, she was feisty. He knew at his very being that she was his True Mate. He didn’t need to prove it. While he wanted to see her pregnant with their pup, there was time enough for that later. For now …

  With a deep sigh, he let her wrists go and reached down into the pockets of his trousers, fishing for the condom in his wallet. Hopefully it wasn’t too old. “Happy?” He held up the packet in front of her.

  She relaxed, and so did he which was a mistake. Her leg hooked around him, and in an instant, he was on his back with her straddling him.

  Mother of Mercy, he didn’t think he could even be more turned on. He nearly lost control like some virgin as he looked up from under her, watching her discard her bra. She took the wrapper from him, then reached down.

  “Julianna!” As her soft palm wrapped around his cock, he gripped the sheets. He tried to relax, but her hand stroking him was making it hard—er, difficult. She had a raunchy smile on her face, obviously enjoying making him squirm. “Darlin’, you’ve made your point. I need you.”

  A breath escaped her mouth, and she nodded. Tearing open the foil wrapper, she slipped the sheath over him, then rose onto her knees.

  “Ahh… Fffuuck.” His tip was barely inside her, but he wanted to burst. She sank down, exhaling a long sigh until she was fully wrapped around him. When she began to move, he thought he would lose his mind.

  She was fucking magnificent with her dark hair flowing down her shoulders and those mismatched eyes boring right into him. Hot, tight, wet, and her body moved with a grace and fluidity that made her seem like she was dancing. She sheathed him, her tightness gripping his cock, and sending pleasure shooting across his brain like fireworks. Watching her beautiful breasts bounce up and down was too much, so he hauled himself up so he could taste them. Mmm … When he gave a nipple a bite, she fucking growled, and that nearly made him come right then and there.

  He rolled her onto her back, and she showed her displeasure at losing the upper hand by raking her nails down his back. But soon, as he fucked into her hard, she was moaning again, her hips pushing up against him.

  “Come on, darlin’,” he urged. “Let go.” He pummeled into her, and when her tight pussy squeezed around him, he knew she was close. “That’s it, Julianna. I want to feel you come.”

  “Nnngg!” she cried out as her body shuddered.

  He captured her mouth, kissing her hard as their tongues danced. He held on as much as he could, loving the feel of the tremors of her body as she came again. Finally, he let go, the primal part of him howling with triumph. Unable to stop himself, he sank his teeth into the crook of her neck, then sucked the skin hard. His cock pulsed as his balls drained out, and he collapsed on top of her.

  The smell of Julianna, himself, and sex permeated the room. Fuck, he would bottle that scent if he could.

  She let out a small protest, and he realized he was probably crushing her. He braced himself on his elbows and looked down at her. Sweaty and glowing with that post-orgasmic buzz, she’d never looked more beautiful.

  And mine.

  Their eyes locked, but she didn’t look away. She reached up to brush a lock of hair from his forehead, but he caught her hand and pressed his mouth to her palm. “Lovely,” he whispered, before leaning down to kiss her. Softly, this time, savoring the feel of her lips. When he pulled away, she sighed but allowed him to roll onto his side and slip out of her. Reluctantly, he dashed to the bathroom to dispose of the condom, then headed back to the room.

  She was still lying on the bed, stretched out like a cat. Her head turned toward him and cocked at him like an invitation. Not that he needed one, but he quickly cuddled up behind her, gathering her into his arms and holding her tight, as if afraid she was going to disappear. Nae, he wasn’t going to let her go. Not now, not ever.

  Chapter Ten

  Julianna knew it wasn’t even dawn when she started to stir. The jet lag and the afternoon nap she took yesterday probably didn’t help.

  The moment that yummy, earthy smell hit her nose, she came fully awake. The warm, strong arms around her, and the rock-hard chest against her back reminded her of what transpired last night. And two more times before they both passed out.

  She suppressed the chuckle rising in her chest, as she didn’t want to wake Duncan. They had literally fucked themselves into exhaustion. The soreness between her legs made her wince, but then again, it was worth it. Damn, the sex had been amazing and if she had known it was going to be that way, she wouldn’t have resisted this long.

  Her wolf rumbled smugly.

  Fine, you win. She turned around and snuggled against Duncan’s chest, resisting the urge to bite his well-formed pec. He didn’t stir though, and when she gave an experimental wiggle, she only got a soft snore in return. Wow, for a Lycan, he sleeps like the dead.

  While it was nice to be in his arms, she was now wide-awake and just couldn’t go back to sleep. “Duncan?” she whispered.

  Nothing.

  “Humph.” She blew out a breath, then carefully moved his arm to his side so she could roll away. She slid her legs off the side of the bed, then turned to look at him. Hot damn, how could he be so sexy even while he slept? The sheet had fallen down low, exposing those tantalizing six-pack abs and that glorious muscled chest of his. She recalled biting that deep V on his hips more than once. With a sigh, she got up, grabbed some fresh clothes from her suitcase, and hurried to the bathroom.

  After doing her business and getting refreshed, she dressed in her jean
s, flannel shirt, and boots, then quietly crept out of the room. The guest wing of Huntington Park was quiet, though she did hear activity downstairs. Probably the staff getting ready for the day. Making her way down the stairs, she went out of the south exit which led to the lawn, gardens, and the rest of the vast estate.

  The sky was just starting to turn pink, and the fresh cool air entered her lungs as she took a deep breath. It really was beautiful out here. A nice long walk by herself was something she couldn’t do back when she first came here, since most of her days had been spent inside being taught by the severe dowager duchess of Huntington everything she needed to know to bag a husband.

  A strange calm washed over her. Huh. There was sadness as she thought of Miranda Townsend, but also, she couldn’t help chuckling at her own antics. How she enjoyed irritating the old bat. She remembered how the duchess said she wouldn’t suit an Englishman, as she needed someone ‘worthy of her spirit’.

  Of course, her thoughts now turned to Duncan. She expected to feel more conflicted, maybe even some regret about last night. Sex for her had always been about fulfilling her needs, and while the act gave her some satisfaction, it ultimately left her feeling empty. Oh, she didn’t regret her past decisions, which was another reason she ultimately couldn’t stay mad at Duncan for sleeping with Charity five years ago. But all her other bed partners seemed so … insignificant now.

  Her wolf let out a pathetic sound, and she could feel its longing for Duncan. Now that was weird. Maybe …. maybe his whole recognizing his True Mate thing wasn’t that crazy.

  Her heart began to hammer against her rib cage. No, it was too early to be feeling like this, right? Last night was fucking amazing, but she can’t have been dickmatized—dick hypnotized— into thinking that there was more to this than just good chemistry and sex.

  A loud creak made her startle. She was standing in front of an iron gate, which had been blown open by a gust of wind. She blinked and her feet halted. How long had she been walking? And why wasn’t she paying attention to where she was going?