The Wolf Code

He stared at her for a full beat, then burst out laughing. 

“You are something else,” he said.  “I know you’re no damsel in distress, but it’s amazing that you’ve managed to keep your humor intact through all this.”

“I’ve lived through worse,” she said, then frowned.  “Well, not really, I don’t guess.”

Ty arched an eyebrow.

“Well, have you, or haven’t you?”

“I feel like I have, but I can’t think of anything offhand as bad as being hunted by the Sheriff of a town and being lost in the woods with a werewolf.  I feel like that tops all, to be honest.”

“I would hope so.”  He motioned with his head 

“I’m just tired, and a lot of weird thoughts keep popping up in my head.  I just need sleep.”

“I can help you with that.”

I doubt that, she thought.  She didn’t think that Ty was the kind of guy that let a woman sleep through the night, but she wasn’t going to find out if she was right.  She wasn’t here for pleasure; she was here for work.  Not that the thought hadn’t crossed her mind as he’d strutted around the forest, naked in front of her.  But she wasn’t in a position to act on those thoughts, and she would just have to enjoy the memory of his naked perfection.

I should have taken a picture.

She chortled, surprised by the laughter that bubbled up unexpectedly and clamping her hand over her mouth.

“You’re punch drunk,” Ty said.  “Let’s get you into bed.”

Senora nodded, thankful that he had no idea about the thoughts that were going through her head.  It was better if he didn’t know he was gorgeous.  Ty seemed like the kind of guy who didn’t need his ego stroked at all.

He opened up the door at the end of the hallway and stepped back, letting Senora take in the scene before her.

She gasped, amazed at the size of the room and the massive bed in the center against the wall. 

“Your room is the size of my first apartment,” she said with a laugh. 

“Everything is bigger in Texas,” he teased with a wink. 

“I’ve noticed,” she said, then blushed.  “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

“Of course, you did.”

She scowled at him, but he was already walking over to the large closet, rummaging through his shirts before he tossed one her way.

“I’d offer you a pair of pants, but I don’t think I have any that will even come close to fitting you.”

“I’ll wear what I have on,” she insisted.

He shook his head.

“It needs to get tossed in the wash with the rest of your clothes if you want to have something to wear while you’re here.”

“How long are we planning on staying?”

“You want to solve the case, don’t you?”

He had her there.  She absolutely did want to see this case through, and that meant more time spent with Ty.

“I do,” she said, hesitant as she wondered where he was going with this.

“Well, you have no extra clothes, and we can’t exactly go into town and just buy you some.  Since you’re going to be staying here, it would make sense to wash your clothes while you sleep, right?”

“We’re staying here?”

“Were you planning on staying in town?” he laughed.  “Staying here is the only option.  You’re not safe anywhere else, and with Dale on the rampage, you might not be completely safe here.  But here, I can keep an eye on you and protect you if he is stupid enough to send his henchmen.  I don’t think he’s that stupid, but the Sheriff has surprised me before.”

  “I don’t need protecting,” she said.

“I’ll remember that the next time you’re in a hotel room and about to be captured.  I don’t believe you ever thanked me for that.”

“Thank you,” she said.

“That sounded sincere,” he laughed.  He pulled the blankets back and pointed toward a door in the corner of the room.  “The bathroom is there.  You can take a shower if you want or just change and toss what you’re wearing into the hamper.  I’ll make sure it gets washed and it’s ready to go in the morning.  You can pick your side.”

She started to protest then changed her mind.  Arguing with Ty wasn’t going to change a thing, and it was just frustrating her.  He was going to do things his way, and there was no way around it. 

“Fine,” she said, shaking her head.  “But you better not try anything funny.”

His smile was wicked.

“Trust me,” he said with a low growl.  “If I try anything, you won’t be laughing.”

She felt her body tighten at the suggestion in his words.  Before she could make matters worse, she turned and all but fled into the bathroom.  There was no lock on the door, but even if there had been, it wouldn’t have mattered.  It was Ty’s house.  He could probably open the door with the power of his mind or something ridiculous like that. 

She laughed at the thought, then stripped out of her borrowed clothes and stepped into the shower. 

The water was warm and the spray almost too rough as it pelted her sore, bruised muscles.  She washed quickly, just a little worried that he might barge in at any time. 

She laughed to herself at the ridiculousness of it all.  He’d been nothing but a gentleman the entire day, and she had no reason to believe that would change just because she was naked just a few feet from where he was.  He had more than earned her trust throughout the day, and she felt a twinge of guilt for balking at the idea of sharing his large bed for the night.  There was plenty of room for both of them, and she was confident that Ty would manage to sleep beside her and keep his hands to himself.