Page 50 of Black Willow Witch
Like Ripper would be able to do anything else.
He jumped into his truck and closed the door. All things considered, with all that was going on with CeCe, his head should have been too fucked to have room for anyone else. But Emberlyn intrigued him beyond measure.
She also had some hold over his cock. It hadn’t been CeCe’s face he saw when he fisted his dick in the shower that morning, it had been Emberlyn’s.
She flitted in and out of his mind often throughout the day like a roaming butterfly. He’d push thoughts of her back out . . . but they’d return.
Ripper switched on the engine and pulled out onto the road. He didn’t drive straight to the manor. He stopped off at the bakery along the way, needing to stock up on a few things.
When he arrived at her house, he noticed an additional car parked there. It had to be her friend’s vehicle.
Shortly after he’d knocked on the door, it swung open to reveal Emberlyn. As always, she was the image of class, her peach belted jumpsuit both casual and elegant. She looked entirely too edible.
His body tightened in response, and sexual awareness pulsed between them. He knew she felt it by the way her pupils dilated.
She cleared her throat. ‘Hey.’ Her eyes dipped to the recyclable cup carrier tray he held and then to the brown paper bag he clasped with his free hand. He’d left his other purchases in the car.
Ripper stepped into the manor. ‘Coffee for me. Herbal tea for you.’ He gave her the paper bag. ‘Custard Danish. The she-wolves at the bakery said it was your favorite.’
She double-blinked. ‘Um, thanks. Didn’t you bring anything for Paisley?’
‘She’s not mine to feed.’
‘Werewolf logic,’ Emberlyn uttered beneath her breath, closing the door.
‘Werewolf logic?’
‘You all tend to have great manners, but you discount the wants and needs of people who aren’t under your protection.’
‘Do you go around feeding people who aren’t part of your circle?’
‘I take your point.’ Emberlyn carefully plucked her takeout cup out of the holder, spun on her heel and then walked down the hallway. ‘Paisley and Kage are in the living room. Luckily, they already have tea and snickerdoodles, or they’d be feeling left out.’
Trailing behind Emberlyn, he had no way to stop his gaze from dropping to her ass. It wasright there, high and tight and utter perfection.
Ripper caught movement in his peripheral vision. He glanced to the side . . . and did a double-take as the outline of a personfaded from view. His muscles went taut as he stopped dead. Either he’d briefly seen a spirit or he’d imagined it. He wasn’t sure which scenario would bother him more.
‘You coming or not?’ asked Emberlyn, pausing at a doorway.
Shoving the little incident aside, he cleared his throat as he walked toward her in answer. Following her into the living room, he saw Paisley sitting on one of the sofas while her brother hung over the back of it. Both straightened as he entered.
‘Ripper,’ Kage greeted.
‘I’m Paisley,’ his sister announced. ‘Which I’m guessing you already know, since this is a small town.’
Well, yeah, although . . . ‘We haven’t spoken much over the years.’
‘I don’t run in werewolf circles. I’m hoping that will change, though.’
As Emberlyn lowered herself onto an armchair, Ripper took the sofa opposite her friend.
Paisley scooted forward a little. ‘I want you to know that this isn’t a snap decision on my part. I’ve thought about it a lot.’
Ripper removed his coffee cup from the holder. ‘So this isn’t just because your brother became a werewolf?’
Paisley’s lips flattened. ‘No. It was my intention way before that rat bastard allowed the Change to take him.’
‘Rat bastard?’ echoed Kage, his brows flying up in affront.
