“You reallymusthave a sweet tooth!”Shegave me a tentative smile as she sprinkled some miniature marshmallows into my mug and added a squirt of whipped cream from a long silver can.
“I do.Ilove sweet things,”Isaid and took a sip.
The cocoa was perfect—sweet and hot and chocolaty.Justright for warming up after being drenched in a rainstorm.Mytrousers were still a little damp, andIwas still carrying my coat and shirt around, sinceIhadn’t wanted to put them back on whenIwas all wet.
“Mmm—this is delicious,Vivienne.Thankyou.”Isaid, smiling asIput the mug down.
“Oh, you have some whipped cream—right there.”Shepointed at her nose.
I crossed my eyes, trying to see the tip of my own nose but my expression must have looked ridiculous, because she covered her mouth and giggled—a soft, musical soundIliked at once.
Hamming it up some,Iattempted to lick off the cream with the tip of my tongue—butIcouldn’t quite reach it.
“Here, you’ll never get it that way.”Viviennewas openly laughing now.“Letme.”Sheleaned across the kitchen island and dabbed at my nose with her finger.Thenshe popped it into her mouth and sucked, her eyes never leaving mine.
It was a playful gesture and not meant to be sensuous or sexual at all but holy fuck—thank theMoonGoddessIwas sitting down because my hard-on had suddenly roared back to life with a vengeance!Idon’t know why watching her suck her finger like that got to me but it sure as hell did.Iwas so hardIached, even thoughIknew it was completely inappropriate.
She’s aMoonWidow!Ireminded myself fiercely.
Who cares?She’salso fucking gorgeous,whispered a rebellious little voice in my head.
After a momentIrealized we were just sitting there, staring at each other and it was my turn to say something beforeIstarted drooling like a fucking dog.
“Thank you.”Isaid, trying to sound normal.“Yousaved me.”
“From having a whipped cream nose?”Shelaughed.“Ihardly think that’s a terrible fate.”
“It is, though,”Isaid seriously, shifting in my seat to try and make some room.“WhatifIwalked into a pack meeting looking like that?Noone would ever respect me ever again.”
ButIseemed to have said the wrong thing, becauseViviennewas suddenly serious.
“They only respect who they want to,” she said in a low voice.“Iwouldn’t expect very much from them—they don’t take to outsiders very well.”
I frowned.
“You almost make it sound likeyou’rean outsider,Vivienne,”Isaid.
She nodded seriously.
“I am.Carternever really encouraged me to make friends with anyone when he first bought me as his wife and later, well, none of them wanted anything to do with me.”
“What?Why?”Ishook my head in disbelief.“Anddid you say heboughtyou?”
She nodded.
“My parents needed the money.They’reboth gone now,” she added, looking sad.
“But that…that’s fucked up,”Iprotested.“Imean, excuse my language but you can’t justbuya wife.”
“Maybe it would be considered unusual now, but twenty years ago, in this part of the country, it wasn’t so strange,” she said softly.“Thereare a lot of old ways here in theAppalachians…a lot of superstitions.Whichis one reason my late husband’sPackdoesn’t like me.”
Why would everyone in my late uncle’s pack dislike his mate?”Iasked, still confused.
She looked away.
“BecauseI’mbarren.”
I could see what it cost her to say that word.Itseemed to stick in her throat like a bone, but she somehow got it out anyway.