Seduced By A Wolf Read Online Free

Where are you?” Hooch sounded happy to hear from him.
    With a silent sigh of relief, Sean collapse against the backrest of the couch. “Fort Stewart for a little R and R.”
    “Stewart? That’s right up the road,” he exclaimed.
    “That’s the plan. So, that invite still good?”
    “Yeah, man! I can’t believe it. Wait until I tell Von you’re here. She’s been asking about you,” Derrick said excitedly.
    Heart thumping at the mention of her name, Sean counseled himself to play it cool. “Oh, you two still kickin’ it?”
    “We’re getting married.”
    “Lucky bastard,” Sean told him with feeling.
    “Don’t I know it.”
    “So when’s the happy event?” he asked, dreading the answer.
    “Not for another year.”
    Sean scowled. “Why so long? Aren’t you afraid someone will steal her out from under you?”
    “Von? Man, she’s crazy about me. She’s not going anywhere.”
    Fool, he deserves to lose her , taking a beautiful woman like Von for granted . If she were his, he’d have bound her to him in every way possible as soon as she said yes. “You know her better than anyone,” he said, keeping his thoughts to himself.
    “True that. We’ve been together a long time.” Derrick sounded smug. “So, how long you here for? How soon can we get together?”
    “A couple of weeks. You tell me. I’m footloose and fancy-free. You’re the one with the nine-to-five.”
    “How about tomorrow night? Von’s off and there’s no service or meetings at the church. Chili’s sound good?”
    “Works for me. I can go for some ribs.” He paused to take a sip of his beer. “Hooch, I can’t believe you’re a minister.”
    Derrick gave a sheepish laugh. “Yeah, well, what can I say? I’m following in the old man’s footsteps. And call me Derrick. That’s who I am now. Hooch is long gone.”
    From what Hooch, make that Derrick, had revealed about his father, deep in the night when confessions flowed, in his place Sean wasn’t sure he’d want to. Derrick Wilkins Senior sounded like a religious fanatic.
    “I finished seminary and made junior pastor at our church. Dad suggested giving myself time to get used to my new responsibilities before adding a wife to the mix. Von understands and agrees. He’s been grooming her to be a minister’s wife, so she knows what’s important.”
    Sean bared his teeth and growled inaudibly. “That’s great,” he forced out through clenched teeth, knowing full well how Von felt about continually being pushed to the side, coming in last on Derrick’s priority list.
    “Hey, listen. I’ve got to run to a meeting, but we’ll definitely get together tomorrow, say six?”
    “Sounds good.”
    “It’s the Chili’s on Ashley Road. Google it and get the directions.”
    “Will do. Check you tomorrow.”
    “Later.” They both disconnect.
    Sean sat staring blankly at the television. Tomorrow he’d meet the love of his life for the first time, face-to-face.

    ****

    Von fumbled with the door and set her laundry basket down in the entryway, pulling her ringing cell phone out of her pocket, catching it on the last ring. “Hey!”
    “You sound out of breath. What were you doing?”
    “Laundry. You caught me with my hands full.” She pushed her basket clear of the doorway and shut the door. Then, with the phone tucked between her shoulder and ear, she toted her clothes to the couch and set the basket on the coffee table.
    “Guess who I spoke with last night?” Derrick asked excitedly.
    “Who?” Only half listening, she reached into the basket and grabbed a pair of lace panties to fold.
    “Cougar.”
    “Who?”
    “Sean Jacobson,” he said impatiently, like she should know immediately who he was talking about.
    The panties slipped from her fingers onto the floor and she clutched the phone to her ear. “Your army buddy, Sean?”
    “Yes. He’s in town, at Fort Stewart. He called last night.”
    Stunned, she stared blankly at the wall in front of her.