Lena likes her privacy but as fate would have it, a naked man shows up face down in her garden one morning, interupting her coffee and seclusion. She wakes him to find out he's her new neighbor who suffers from a so-called sleepwalking problem. His unusual gaze and attractive body overwhelms her.
Her day gets better when he shows up in the afternoon to apologize and get to know her better.
Genre: Fantasy/Erotic Romance Heat Level: Sensual(sexual content/harsh language) Book Length: Teaser 3,300 words Cover Artist: Anastasia Rabiyah Editor: T. Markou
I Love You in the Morning
The coffee steamed over the top of her purple mug as she walked along the cobbled path. Lena liked to sit by the Koi pond early in the morning when waning night grayed into day. Water trickled and bubbled over river rocks. The lush green shrubs and overgrown ferns reached for her house slippers and tickled her bare ankles. She’d pulled her hair into a hasty braid to keep the auburn wisps from blowing into her eyes when the cool breeze came down from the forest behind her yard. She chose the house for its garden and its privacy and had lived there five years by now.
The breeze came early, nipping at her body through the thin cotton nightgown she wore. Lena set her mug atop the wrought iron table thinking she ought to repaint it a cheery color. The green had long since tarnished to a grim black color. She was about to sit down when something caught her eye. Spatters of blood crossed the cobbled path that led around the stand of bamboo. She frowned.
I wonder if that was a wolf I heard last night. She edged around the table, stepped off the path, careful to avoid the daffodils, and followed the ominous, crimson trail. On a patch of monkeygrass that had gone wild, a nude man lay sprawled across her property, his backside to her. The trail of blood led to him, though without turning him over, she couldn’t tell if he was injured or not. His tanned skin and thick, dark hair suggested Mediterranean descent.
Lena crossed the grass, her gaze heavy on his body as he took in slow breaths. He’s alive. At least that’s something. She knelt beside him and touched his shoulder, giving him a gentle shake. As soon as her fingers met his skin, she felt a wave of heat press in on her senses. “Sir? Wake up.”
He mumbled as he turned onto his back. His broad chest sported a thick patch of curly, black hair. The nest peaked and darted down his abdomen where it thickened above his flaccid penis.
She cleared her throat, embarrassment burning in her cheeks. “Sir? You need to wake up.” There wasn’t any sign of injury on his body…his perfect body. Her curious gaze roved over him once more, this time taking in each chiseled feature. He appeared strong, well-muscled and lean but formidable. A jagged scar ran the length of his left bicep, piquing her curiosity. Lena grasped his shoulder and gave him another shake, this time harder. “Hey! Get up!”
His eyes flickered open in the graying light of predawn. They looked more animal than human, a strange tint coloring them a shade of amber. His dilated pupils retracted, avoiding the coming light. He gave a soft moan, and his full lips parted.
“Are you all right?” she whispered, amazed by the shade of his eyes.
His consciousness stirred. He looked down, covered his nakedness and returned his gaze to her. “Oh God, not again.” The strange man curled his body to sit up. “I’m so sorry.”
“Are you hurt?” she asked. “I saw some blood over th—”
“I probably bumped my head.” He glanced around the garden, searching for something. Lena guessed he wanted clothes.
“Well, hey if you’re okay, can you get the hell outta my yard? It’s obvious you have some kind of drinking problem or something. I’m sure most girls you meet think this is adorable, but I like my privacy.” She tried to force malice into her voice but the unexplainable urge to laugh overwhelmed her.
His thick, black eyebrows furrowed. “It’s not funny. I have a sleepwalking problem.”
“I’d say.” She rolled her eyes.
“I don’t drink.” He gave her a miffed look that distorted his handsome features. “I don’t.”
“No. You just strip naked and go walking about in other people’s yards.” She stood and crossed her hands over her chest, hiding her peaked nipples. “I’m not sure if I should call the cops or the looney bin.”
Professional Reviews
Pizzazz on a Lazy Day
Wolf in the Garden is one of several short stories I have read and enjoyed by Anastasia Rabiyah. When William shows up passed out and naked in Lena's garden, she is exposed to more than a little nudity. Lena's unexplained attraction for her mysterious and handsome new neighbor causes her to ignore the danger her eyes and mind immediately perceive. This erotic quickie is just the thing to put pizzazz in a lazy summer day or steam up the windows on a cold winter's night.
Binnie Betten-Author
He needs a wife. She needs a reason to trust him. He fell for her at first sight. She, not so much.
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