Free Call of the Wilds by Gale Stanley Page B

closer, sniffing the air. Bo licked her legs and nibbled gently, grooming her.
    Great. I’m now officially one of the pack, but I refuse to reciprocate. At least no one will see me like this.
    A shadow fell over her, and she looked up into dark eyes devilish with amusement.
    “Looks like you’re in deep shit.”
    Oh no! Why did he have to show up when she looked her worst? And he promised to stay out of the enclosure. But she couldn’t stay mad, not when she was so glad to see him. Even the wolves welcomed him. They lay down submissively, accepting him like their alpha.
    “I’m just one of the pack.” She tried to wipe the dirt from her clothes, but it was a losing battle. “Looks like you are too. You seem to have charmed them. I’ve never seen them act like this before.”
    “Just my animal magnetism.” His smile set her pulse racing.
    “Well, you certainly have a way with my wolves.”
    “What about their mistress? Can I have my way with her?”
    “You can have pretty much anything you want if you get me out of here.” Dear God, it couldn’t be her talking. Even the old Karin had never been so forward. He had her drooling like a lovesick puppy.
    She tried to get up, but the pressure on her foot made her wince, and she sat down hard.
    “Let’s have a look.” He lowered himself to one knee and hesitated until she nodded assent.
    It hurt like hell when he pulled off the boot and then her sock, but all thoughts of pain fled at the first touch of his hands on her bare foot. The feel of his calloused fingers sent little tingles of excitement up and down her leg. What would he do if she pulled him down on the ground with her? Would he kiss her or turn his nose up? Probably the latter, unless he liked his women muddy and covered in wolf shit.
    “It’s swollen, might be broken.” He rose abruptly. “Don’t move.”
    Before she could reply, he walked off. Stopping at one of the splash tubs, he took off his shirt and tossed it in the water. She watched, open-mouthed, while he wrung it out, then started back.
    He sat on his heels, wiped her sweat-streaked face with the cool cloth, and then tucked it in her hands.
    Eyeing his broad chest from beneath lowered lids, she scrubbed her hands furiously to keep from touching him. She looked up and his mouth twitched with amusement. For a few heartbeats, words failed her. “I’ll buy you another shirt.”
    He laughed and scooped her up. Instinctively she threw her arms around his neck, breathing in his scent, woodsy and addictive. Her white knight back again. She wouldn’t mind getting into more trouble if it meant he would always come to her rescue.
    “We have to stop meeting like this.” His crooked smile delighted her, but she saw worry in his eyes “I get to play doctor today.” He tightened his hold, crushing her breasts against his muscular chest and sending her into cardiac arrhythmia. Her nipples hardened, and her heart rate skyrocketed as if she’d run a marathon. Surely, he could feel the wild thumping where her chest pressed against his.
    In-love sparkles exploded around her like fireworks, and the truth hit her like Cupid’s arrow. Her feelings were about more than physical attraction. She’d had relationships in the city. Maybe even thought she was in love a few times, but she’d never fallen so hard, so fast. He made her feel special, protected, and cared for. She felt safe for the first time in a long time. He touched her in ways no one else ever had. The men she dated before were boys compared to Malcolm. Fate kept throwing them together under the worst possible circumstances, and he always came out smelling like a rose, unlike her of course. Their relationship was becoming way too complicated, starting with the fact she wasn’t sure they even had a relationship.
    “Put me down. You’ll have wolf droppings all over you.”
    “It wouldn’t be the first time.” His wolfish grin made her mouth go dry.
    “I’m serious, Malcolm. I think I