Free Taming the Moon by Sherrill Quinn

with a genuine smile. “Anyway, that’s ancient news, right?”
    Pelicia returned the smile. “So, Declan was telling me that you and Sully met out in the desert when you were both in wolf form. Was that strange?”
    “It was for me.” Sully shook his head. “I hadn’t expected to be able to shift so soon, regardless of what you said,” he added with a look at Declan. “There I was, minding my own business, when I smelled something…different. Another werewolf.” He raised his eyebrows. “I don’t know why it seems so weird to be able to smell that someone’s a werewolf, but it is.”
    “A dog’s sense of smell is about a thousand times more acute than a human’s.” Olivia took another sip of iced tea. “And a werewolf’s is even more acute than a dog’s, so it stands to reason we’d be able to pick up on the most subtle of scents.”
    “Unless citrus comes into play.” Declan scowled. “That trick was used on us back on St. Mary’s. In the Isles of Scilly off the Cornish coast,” he added for Olivia’s benefit. “Couldn’t smell anything except that.”
    “And yet you have lemon trees here.” Sully tipped his head to one side.
    “Which are going to go as soon as I can get someone out here to cut them down. But, enough about that.” He set his glass on the small table at his side. He looked at Olivia with such intensity that Sully knew the idle chitchat was over. “You were going to tell us about trying to kill Sully.”
    She frowned and fidgeted a bit, uncrossing her legs only to cross them again. “I already told you.” She glanced at Sully. “I was scared, coming across an Alpha so unexpectedly.”
    “Yes, but—”
    “Declan, give the girl some room to breathe.” Pelicia threw a glare at him. “The last thing we need right now is you going into your Black Ops Commando routine.”
    He scowled right back at her. “I’m not goin’ into my Black Ops Commando routine. And even if I was—”
    “They’re like a little old married couple, aren’t they?” Sully said from the corner of his mouth. He grinned at Olivia’s muffled snort of laughter.
    Declan and Pelicia both looked at him, and he could see laughter lurking in their eyes.
    He shook his head. “They just do this so they can have makeup sex,” he said. Pelicia blushed. “Come on, Pel. Americans are much more frank in their discussions, aren’t you?” he asked Olivia.
    She pursed her lips. “Some of us are, I suppose.”
    “Some?” Sully’s lips twitched with a grin. “I seem to recall someone calling me cocky. And not in the arrogant sense of the word, either.”
    Olivia’s gaze darted to his groin, and the body part in question stirred to life. He could smell the arousal building in her, could see it in the little amber flecks that appeared in her irises.
    She abruptly leaned forward and set her glass of iced tea on the coffee table in front of her, then stood. “I, ah, thank you for the tea, Pelicia, and for allowing me into your beautiful home.” Her hands clenched briefly. “But I really need to be going.”
    “Oh, so soon?” Pelicia seemed genuinely disappointed. “Well, as long as you promise to come back again.”
    “That’s a guarantee,” Sully said before Olivia could respond.
    She gave him a sidelong glance but nodded. “Absolutely.” She looked at Declan. “Can I get a ride back to my car at the shopping center?”
    “Sure thing, lass.” He stood and fished his car keys out of his front pocket. “You comin’ along?” he asked Sully.
    “Of course.” He gave a nod of his head to Pelicia. “Thanks, love. We’ll be back in a few minutes.”
    “It was nice to meet you,” she said to Olivia as the other woman was already opening the front door.
    “You, too,” she responded. “I’ll see you later.”
    Five minutes later, after a ride in which Olivia proved to be stubbornly silent, Sully stood beside Declan and watched her get into her modest four-door hired car. “Hey,” he