Pleasure Me Read Online Free Page A

deserved her treatment now, but also wanted her near so he could at least look at her. Know she was safe.
    “Come back. Come close. Please.”
    The star-splashed sky and heavy moon were the only witnesses to his whispered plea this evening. Still, he kept vigil well into the night, hoping to catch a glimpse of her in human or wolf form. Strolling by at different times were Drew, Ryker, other townspeople, and the two lovebirds he’d shooed off the pickup he didn’t own. Not Starr. Never Starr.
    Without adequate sleep, he began to drag through work, shuffling worse than the zombies on The Walking Dead .
    Milo, a coworker, leaned against his finished order, arms crossed over his chest. He’d shoved his safety goggles to the top of his head. His earplugs dangled on an orange plastic cord around his neck, the same as his facemask. Bits of sawdust danced in the sunbeams. The whirr of the blades had quieted, making the sounds of nature seem muted in comparison. “Need help?”
    “Nope.” Wylder slid the last of his planks in place.
    “You look like shit. Had too many at Gee’s last night?”
    He wished. The booze might have relaxed him. He was too tired to pull in a full breath, yet his body pulsed with tension. “Couldn’t sleep with all the damn noise.”
    “If you say so.”
    He stopped wiping his sweaty forehead on his sleeve, ready to rumble over that smartass comment. Milo was already on the other side of the platform, a thermos of water to his mouth, head thrown back, drinking greedily.
    Wylder rounded the area and reached for his thermos. Something shifted in the corner of his eye. His hand stalled. Not chancing a breath, he concentrated on the image to see if his first glimpse had been correct. A tall, willowy woman with black hair. Yep, he still saw her.
    Starr.
    He turned and blinked. Where the hell had she gone?
    Pine trees stretched in every direction. Pickups circled the mill, most parked haphazardly. He strode across the grounds, scanning the area. A deer darted through the foliage ahead, quickly lost within the shadows. Rabbits munched leaves. Wind pushed at his back, ruffling his tee, driving his hair against his bristly cheeks.
    He shoved back the strands, tilted his head, and sniffed.
    Sweet flowers and even more enticing musk flooded his senses. The world lurched. He stopped and locked his knees, his legs too watery to keep him on his feet. She’d been here. Simply walking by? Watching him? Wanting?
    He turned a complete circle once, and again then so many times his dizziness returned. Where the fuck was she? Sniffing, he caught her scent, stronger now, and jogged to the right.
    “Hey!”
    He started at Milo’s shout and looked over. The guy had his hands out in a what-the-fuck-are-you-doing? gesture.
    Behaving like a damn fool? He tramped back to the platform, glancing over his shoulder repeatedly. If she was out there, he wanted her to know he not only approved, he craved everything about her, especially having her watch him.
    Milo clamped his hand on Wylder’s shoulder. “You okay?”
    “Yeah.” He shrugged away from the man’s touch. “Damn wasp kept bugging me.”
    “Uh-huh.”
    He was really asking for it. Wylder bit back his irritation. “Let’s say we cut the chitchat and get to work.”
    Milo held up his hands. “Fine with me. I’ve been waiting for you to do so all day, but you’ve been battling bugs.”
    Ignoring him, Wylder returned to his tasks. His concentration was so bad, he was surprised he didn’t slice off any fingers on the blades. After work, he trudged to the convenience store.
    Something moved in his peripheral vision again.
    He stilled at the door, his breath catching. Several older women stopped talking and stared at him. Not caring, he sniffed repeatedly, overwhelmed with delight at catching Starr’s scent. He rushed inside, waiting for her to do the same.
    She didn’t.
    Pissed, disappointed, and beat, he slogged home with his meal of whole wheat bread and a