Wicked Cravings (The Phoenix Pack, #2)

by Suzanne Wright

“Look at you,” drawled Greta from a black leather armchair. “One minute you’re chasing Dante, and the next minute you’re all over Dominic like a rash.”

“At one point, you practically stalked poor Dante.” “Stalked?” echoed Jaime. “No, I just watched him. At night. From behind a bush. Using night-vision goggles.” To her surprise, Dante’s frown melted into a smile.

If the unmated females couldn’t handle Greta, they’d never survive in the pack.

Trey placed a possessive, protective hand on her pregnant belly. Their bond was so strong and solid it was almost visible. It had Jaime feeling a little jealous.

Ignoring her, Greta curled her upper lip at Jaime. “Have you always been such an insufferable flirt?” “‘Minx’ would be the word I’d use.”

Taryn gave Jaime a pleading look. “Any tips on how to deal with Old Mother Hubbard here? You’ve known her longer than I have.” Jaime pursed her lips. “Don’t get light in her eyes, don’t get her wet, and never feed her after midnight.” “I’ve had enough.” With a humph, Greta rose from her seat.

Once Dante was done telling the tale, Taryn cursed a blue streak that would have made any sailor proud. Oh, he’d definitely made the right decision by not telling her sooner.

It was pissing him off that his eyes kept darting to Jaime of their own accord, but he managed to veil his irritation from the wolves around him.

Dante had to restrain himself from growling at Dominic for twirling a strand of Jaime’s long hair around his finger—something he had found himself wanting to do many times.

Instead, she gave him an expectant look, one that dared him to speak his mind and explain what the hell his issue was. His wolf liked that.

Almost imperceptibly, she stiffened. Had he not been so totally focused on her, he wouldn’t have noticed. So was it him that made her feel uncomfortable in the pack?

Christ, that voice…It was like a throaty purr. It sent a sizzle down Dante’s spine and practically stroked his cock—which was now quickly hardening.

“Jaime, I’m not a good partner for a submissive wolf.” The last thing he had expected her to do was laugh. “What?” “I’m not sure you’re a good partner for a dominant wolf either. No female likes to be controlled as much as you’d want to control them.” His controlling streak would undoubtedly be ten times worse with a female he was in a relationship with. He shrugged unapologetically. “That’s just who I am.

If she was having any problems she’d take care of them herself—dominant females took care of their own shit. But, as she needed him to continue believing that she was submissive,

Bristling at the way he was talking to her, she straightened her posture and folded her arms across her chest. The natural and very potent pull in his voice to give him the answers that he wanted sent tingles down her spine. Damn if she would let it faze or fluster her.

Dante wasn’t sure why those words bothered him as much as they did, but he couldn’t hold back a growl. His wolf growled angrily inside his head. “None of my business?” he echoed quietly as he invaded her personal space.

Jaime tensed. Although Dante was a very dominant, assertive wolf, he was quietly forceful. He barely ever raised his voice, but he didn’t have to. Even back when he was in his teens, the change in his mood could alter the emotional temperature in a room and put the fear of God in whoever was in his sights.

When he lowered his voice like this, well, that was always a bad thing. It meant he was totally and utterly pissed.

Her instinct was to snap at him, to return his attitude with her own, but that wasn’t how a submissive wolf would behave. So, although it killed her to do it, Jaime lowered her eyes and let the tension leave her body. That seemed to placate him, because although he growled again, it was a growl of approval. It shouldn’t have been like a zap to her clit, but shockingly, it was. Her body was so damn weird sometimes.

“He and I had a brief fling a long time ago and it ended fine.” “Oh is that right?” Those quiet words dripped with a menace of which Dante didn’t understand the source. Nor did she, if her expression was anything to go by. “You need to break it off with him, Jaime, before things go tits up.”

Jaime didn’t need this big-brother behavior, and she especially didn’t want it from a guy who she could never see in a fraternal sense.

“I mean it, Jaime. You need to break it off with him.” Aw, the poor guy really thought she was going to comply. It was kind of cute.

But the hint of possessiveness that was suddenly making itself known…well that was new. He wasn’t, by nature, a possessive person.

Remember one thing, Jaime: A human can’t satisfy you the way you need him to. Not like I could, he thought only a second after he’d sent the message. Thank God he hadn’t typed it.

Beta or not, my sex life isn’t any of your business. A fierce growl rumbled its way up his chest. Those words got to him again for a reason he had yet to understand. She’d wanted to provoke him, and she’d succeeded. Everything about you is my business. Don’t ever forget that. A voice in his head pointed out that wasn’t entirely accurate, but it was merely background noise to Dante right now.

He so wanted to spank that female’s ass—and hard. Maybe spanking that little attitude out of her would make her finally stop baiting him and rebelling against his every order.

“The whole thing stinks of jealousy to me.” “But that makes no sense.” “He’s a guy, it doesn’t have to make sense.”

A cage so impenetrable that it prevented her wolf from surfacing. Yeah that was unnatural, and yeah it meant she didn’t feel whole, but it was the only way to ensure that her wolf was constantly in the backseat.

“I came to take you to lunch.” And interrogate the hell out of you, he wisely didn’t add.

knowing that if he didn’t move away from Pretty Boy soon, it was highly likely that he’d punch him.

It hurt that that was all she was to him—a duty.

Those words made his blood boil, though he wasn’t sure why. His wolf reacted just as strongly. “Don’t ever say that to me, Jaime. Don’t,” he rumbled.

As far as his wolf was concerned, no one else had a right to touch her. Feeling the extent of his wolf’s possessiveness only infuriated Dante more.

“You can’t tell me he satisfies you, Jaime. A human can’t give you what you need.”

“It’s. None. Of. Your. Business.” That was when Dante lost all control. Jaime gasped as strong hands threaded through her hair and a demanding mouth was suddenly taking hers. Dante ate at it, possessed it, and devastated it.

Right now, what he most wanted was to leave a print of himself on Jaime; he wanted to be the one she thought of when she needed to come.

So he could form only one logical conclusion: Jaime wasn’t a submissive wolf at all, she was a dominant. And a very strong one at that.

He still couldn’t believe that he’d marked her. His wolf had been enraged at the time, knowing she was going off to meet another male, and had had a primal urge to bite her, to place his mark on her to warn off the other male.

Instead, he wanted to wipe away the concealer. Wanted to see his bite on her flesh. His gaze repeatedly traveled to that spot on her neck, as if drawn to it. This was messed up.

This time she was going to answer him honestly or, by God, he’d blister her perfect ass with the palm of his hand.

He rolled his eyes. “Will you just accept the thanks? I’ll probably never say it again, so you should really take advantage of this moment.”

As the party continued and Dante didn’t show any signs of slackening his stakeout, Jaime began to get restless.

Having his total attention should have made her feel uncomfortable, but it heated her blood. Like her blood needed heating up any further!

Dante swallowed hard at the sight of her. She had to be wearing a slinky robe, didn’t she?

Dante arched a brow. “Well?” “No.” “Why?” “I’m a bitch like that.” He persisted, “Let me in, Jaime.”

A huge grin spread across Dante’s face. He shouldn’t like her attitude, but he did. “Don’t make me push my way in, baby. You know I will.”

Jaime watched in bemusement as he wandered around the room like he owned it. Typical dominant male. Oddly, her wolf liked having him in her personal space. Well that’s new. Her wolf was usually too territorial over her space to be okay with that kind of thing. All shifters were territorial, but not as bad as Jaime’s wolf.

As he took a step toward her, a stifling sensual need assailed Jaime, twisting her insides. Crap. Her body was now officially in “Must Have Dante” mode, and it would only be a matter of minutes before he sensed it. Damn it, why did his voice have to be so sexily gruff? And did he have to be so incredibly masculine? And why, oh why, couldn’t his self-assuredness piss her off instead of causing fluttering sensations in her stomach?

“The submissive act isn’t going to work with me any longer. Dominant vibes were washing off you in waves last night.

She had to refrain from backing up as he continued to move toward her. The predatory look on his face and the stealth in his slow steps made her feel like she was being stalked. Her wolf liked the way he prowled toward her, liked being the sole focus of his attention.