Anew: Kindred Series
Page 11
“There was no need to bother the girls. I’d be fine alone. I’m not an invalid, you know?”
“I didn’t say that.” He reached across the table and took her small hand in his. “I just don’t want you to be alone … it’ll make me feel a lot better knowing there’s someone here in case you need anything. You are taking strong painkillers, remember?”
She smiled, holding back the words at the tip of her tongue that wanted to spill out to let him know that she didn’t like being treated like an invalid. She understood that, for some reason, he had taken it upon himself to nurse her back to health, and she was appreciative of that, but it was just her arm. “Okay, it’ll be nice to have some girls here to chat with.”
Luke smiled at her and her stomach flip flopped. She really had it bad, and she was falling deeper by the minute. How was she supposed to keep her heart safe when he was so charming and sweet and sexy as hell? Worry took hold like a vice around her throat; she knew she wouldn’t survive another broken heart. Her ex had hurt her so deeply it had taken her a good year to feel somewhat normal again. She just couldn’t go through something like that again, but despite all her fears, her instincts told her she could trust Luke. Maybe some time away from him would help her put her thoughts in order.
Luke had amazingly eaten through the buffet of food he had prepared. She was a little concerned that someone could eat that much, but then again, he was in excellent shape, so maybe he kept a vigorous exercise routine. She, of course, stood with all the intention of washing the dishes—it was only fair since he had made breakfast—but he shooed her to go rest in the living room.
She obliged just because she really did feel tired after the long night and the painkillers. By the time Luke had finished the dishes and stepped into the living room, Cynthia had fallen asleep. She felt his soft, firm lips caress hers and she smiled. She opened her eyes to look straight into two crystal clear pools. “I guess I did feel a bit tired.”
Luke smiled and kissed her, a tender kiss that curled her toes. His tongue caressed the seam of her lips and she opened her mouth. He slid his tongue inside and their tongues danced with each other. A knock brought them back to the present, and Luke stood, leaving her wanting more, her lips suddenly cold without his.
Cynthia heard Kristy’s voice before she saw her enter the small living area. From where she sat she could hear Luke talking softly but couldn’t make out what he was saying; most likely talking to Mindy. A sliver of jealousy arose from somewhere deep within her, but she squashed it just as soon as it had appeared. It was silly to feel jealous. Mindy was her friend, and Luke and her were not officially in any type of relationship.
Luke walked back in and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips before he excused himself, saying he would be back in a couple of hours. The girls came in, greeting her with a gentle hug and kiss on the cheek. She motioned for them to sit down and they all fell into an amiable chatter—listening to Kristy talk about the latest gossip she’d overheard at the dinner.
Chapter 12
Luke
Energy thrummed through Luke’s veins as he drove to the hardware store. His mate’s scent was all over his skin, making him yearn to hold her. She was amazing. She had trusted him, giving herself to him without any hesitations or doubts. She had simply allowed him to show her how much he needed her. She didn’t know it yet, but she loved him; he saw it deep in her eyes as he took her to heights he was certain she’d never flown.
He arrived at the hardware store and pulled into a parking space. Ron was at the counter tending a customer, so he waited. He made his way around the aisles and spotted some cotton rope. That gave him some fun ideas, but he decided he needed to spend more time with his mate before introducing her to any fun props. He smiled thinking of all the fun ways he could use that rope, then shook his head and walked away before he was unable to hide his hard on.
Finally Ron was free, and he approached the counter. “Morning Ron. Got the part I ordered?”
“Sure Alpha, let me get that for you.” Ron was a member of the pack. He had a mate and two boys. The oldest of the two had been one of the young cubs introduced to the pack during the last moon run. That thought made a shiver run down his spine as his mind replayed the danger his mate had been in. He wondered if Layla would have been capable of taking Cynthia’s life had he not tackled her off his mate.
A thought occurred to him then, how had Layla ended up at Cynthia’s cabin? Or rather, why had she gone there? His wolf had traveled there several times to get glimpses of Cynthia, but he hadn’t told anyone about it. Had Layla been tracking his whereabouts? Perhaps she was more demented than he originally thought. He would have to keep a close watch on Layla. Who really knew what she was fully capable of? Though it really didn’t matter, his number one priority was to keep his mate safe, and he would do so at any means.
Ron came back holding the part he was waiting for and rung him up. “Anything else, Alpha?”
Luke smiled at Ron. He and his mate were always helping out wherever they saw a need. He handed Ron his debit card and waited. “No Ron, this is all.”
Ron nodded and rung him up. “Please let your mate know we are here to help with anything she may need, Alpha. She may not know us yet, but we are happy to welcome her into the pack.”
Luke took the offered bag and his debit card. “Thank you, Ron, I’ll let her know.” With that, Luke walked out of the hardware store and made his way to his truck.
The hair on the back of his head stood on end as the feeling of being watched bored into his back like a target. He kept calm and opened the truck door, taking his time. He used the action as a cover to scope his surroundings as he climbed inside the cab. He didn’t see anything out of the ordinary; no one stood out among the people milling around the street. With the feeling still there, he pulled out of the parking space slowly and continued his search. Someone was watching him, he was sure of it.
He drove slowly down the street and headed to the pack office. Driving up and down several different streets, he kept watch to see if he was being followed, but didn’t see anyone. Finally, he parked outside the realty offices and made his way inside.
Margaret sat at her desk when he walked in. “I thought you were keeping an eye on your mate today. What brings you down here?”
Luke smiled. Margaret was always straight to the point. “Hi to you too, Margaret. And yes, I’m spending the day with my mate. I just came down to pick up a part I need to fix the heater in her cabin. I was in town, so I came to check on things here.”
“Well, everything is okay here. Mat and Evan are meeting with the contractor for the new wing of the resort. Dan is babysitting our prisoner, and might I add, he is very upset over this addendum you’ve made to their job descriptions. And I must say I agree that she-wolf is bat shit crazy. James is supervising the repairs of the last emergency cabins. He’ll come switch spots with Dan around four.”
“Well, everything seems to be on track. Anything out of the ordinary? Any unusual people come in?”
Margaret narrowed her eyes at him. “What’s going on, Luke? If there’s anything I know of our men is they don’t leave their mate’s side when they are hurt. Yet you are here checking on mundane things. Is there anything we should be aware of? What are you not telling us?”
Luke took a deep breath. He didn’t want to alarm anyone without concrete evidence, but he knew Margaret well enough to know the she-wolf wouldn’t budge unless he gave her something. “I don’t know, Margaret. I thought I felt someone watching me earlier. I drove around to see if I spotted anything unusual, but I didn’t see anything out of place. That’s why I came down, wanted to make sure all is well.”
“Everything has been fine here. The boys are taking care of all the pending jobs and the prisoner isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. If anything comes up I’ll call you. Now go home to your mate. She needs you right now.”
Luke nodded and made his way to the door. He turned before he stepped outside.
“Make sure you call me if anyone unusual shows up. I have a bad feeling.”
Margaret paled a little then composed herself. “I will. Let’s just hope this isn’t one of your gut intuitions that always brings some type of omen.”
Luke nodded and walked out.
Cynthia
After a while of sharing new town gossip, Kristy pulled out some DVDs from her purse. They settled down to watch movies that Kristy assured them were an absolute must watch for all females. After the second movie, Cynthia had to admit they had both been really good.
The door opened and all three girls turned to see who had let themselves in unannounced. They found Luke standing there. He was breathing hard and his nostrils flared.
Mindy stood as they all took his posture in. “What is it?”
Luke walked, more like stocked, toward Cynthia and knelt between her knees. “Are you alright? Has anything happened?” He turned to look at Mindy. “Has anyone been here?”
Mindy shook her head as all three girls answered in chorus. “No.”
At this point, Cynthia took over the questioning. If there was anything wrong, she needed to know. “No one has been here Luke. Why do you ask, and why are you so unsettled? What’s going on?”
Luke let his chin drop to his chest and rolled his neck from side to side. Then his stormy gaze fixed on Cynthia and her gut tightened; something was wrong. Had the wolf returned? Before she could ask, Luke answered her spoken questions. “I was just gone longer than I thought. Are you feeling well?”
His answer was vague and didn’t really answer her questions, but she kept her observations to herself. Maybe she was just reading too much into the whole ordeal, and maybe he had just run from the truck to the door and that was why he had been breathing hard. After all, if the wolf had decided to come back and finish its meal, she was safe indoors.
Mindy broke in as she sat back down. “We’ve been indoors all this time and no one has come knocking. We haven’t heard any noises outside, either.”
Luke
He made his way to Cynthia’s cabin. Her small car was parked to the side and the only other vehicle there was Mindy’s truck. He pulled in next to Mindy’s truck and killed the engine. From the inside of the truck, he took time to slowly look around the cabin: he didn’t see anything, but sensed something was off. When he opened the door, the breeze brought a strange scent with it. He couldn’t pinpoint what it was; that in itself made him more uneasy. He followed the scent trail around the cabin and then it disappeared into the woods. Once in the cover of the woods, the scent was gone. It just vanished. How could that be? Scents didn’t just vanish without a trail. Definitely something was wrong, and he didn’t like that whatever it was had been so close to his mate.
He made his way to the front porch and took one last lungful of air, but still the scent was unrecognizable. Finally, he opened the door and walked inside to find his mate and the girls sitting in front of the TV watching a movie. She was safe, that was all that mattered.
He kneeled at his mate’s feet, then looked at her. “Sweet, have you taken your meds yet?”
She shook her head, no, and Luke stood, making his way to the kitchen. “It’s about time for your next dose.” When he came back into the living room, he had a cup of water and a pill in hand. “Here, take this so the pain stays at bay.” She handed the cup back to him. “I’m going to fix that heater. Let me know if you need anything.” With that, he walked toward the back of the cabin, leaving Cynthia wondering what had gotten him so worked up.
Cynthia
Kristy popped the other movie into the DVD player and all three girls settled in to watch. Cynthia recalled seeing this movie some time ago with Cassie, but she couldn’t remember the plot. Deciding it was a good way to keep her mind occupied, she focused on the movie to keep any thoughts about the wolf at bay. Sometime into the movie she felt Luke slip into the spot beside her on the couch, and she scooted closer. He shifted to the side and wrapped an arm around her middle, pulling her back against his chest. Shortly after settling into Luke’s chest, the painkillers won and she fell asleep.
Sometime later the girls announced that they had to go, stirring Cynthia from her sleep. She stood from her perch on Luke’s chest and walked them to the door and peeked outside, still wondering if the wolf had come back. Luckily, she didn’t see anything and with a sigh of relief closed the door. She made her way to the kitchen and went about making sandwiches.
Luke came into the kitchen just as she set the sandwiches on a couple of plates. She watched him cross the small kitchen with a few sure strides and, before she knew it, was wrapped in his arms. His face was buried in the crook of her neck and she heard him inhale deeply. Did she smell? She hadn’t showered when she got out of bed that morning. Involuntarily her body tensed at the thought; she felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment.
Luke felt her body stiffen and looked up at her. His eyes showed concern as he loosened his grip on her. “Did I hurt you?” He put distance between their bodies, holding her at arm’s length as he looked her up and down, checking for where her discomfort might’ve come from.
“I’m okay. I just …” Heat spread up her neck again. “You were sniffing me … and, well … I didn’t shower this morning … and …”
His booming laughter filled the air, and she felt her blood heat with indignation. He was laughing at her! How dare he? She was about to give him a piece of her mind, but he beat her to it. “Sweet, I was not smelling you to see if you had showered. I was basking in your scent. It is the most enticing scent I have ever smelled and it drives me crazy.” He buried his face in the crook of her neck again and took a long sniff. “I can’t get enough of it. I assure you that you don’t smell … bad, that is.”
Cynthia was speechless. Scent was such a weird word to use, but then again Luke was unique. Come to think about it, mostly everyone she had met so far in this town fell into that unique category. Must be a small-town thing, but then again, she wouldn’t really know having lived her whole life in big cities.
Luke pulled her in for a toe-curling kiss, and she forgot what she had been doing or thinking. His hands roamed her body, making her shudder. Before she knew what was happening, he was lifting her up and depositing her ass on the kitchen table. It groaned slightly under her weight, and a fleeting thought crossed her mind; she hoped it wouldn’t break.
Breathing heavily, Luke broke the kiss and leaned his forehead on hers. “I missed you. I couldn’t wait for the girls to leave so I could have you all to myself.”
That made her laugh. He was just too sweet. “I bet the whole reason you wanted them to leave was just so you could ravish me.”
He gave her his best sexy smile. “You catch on fast, mate.”
She giggled at his use of the pirate term; it was odd that he would call her that, but nevertheless, it sounded funny to her. Then again, it could have just been the pain killers. She felt okay, but there was still a slight sense of floating that she couldn’t quite shake. Which most likely meant she wasn’t in full use of her reasoning.
Through all the things he made her feel and the loss of coherency his touch induced, she remembered there were sandwiches on the counter. “I made us lunch … or maybe it’s more like an early dinner.”
Luke nodded once then helped her off the table. “Here,” he pulled out a chair for her, “sit down and I’ll get the sandwiches.”
Cynthia couldn’t suppress the loud yawn that escaped her lips. She felt sleepy, and she blamed those darn pain killers. She was going to stop taking them tonight. She didn’t like feeling lightheaded. Besides, she felt no more pain; well, maybe there was a little pain, and a lot of pain if she touched the wound, but she should be able to take a little pain, and she should be able to avoid touching the wound.
After dinner, Luke guided her back to the living room and sat down on the couch, pulling her down to sit on his lap. Her head rested on his hard chest as he wrapped his arms around her, his heartbeat playing in h
er ears like a lullaby. She felt her eyes droop as her breathing slowed. She couldn’t fight the heavy sleep that claimed her.
Chapter 13
Cynthia
Cynthia found herself cocooned in a sea of warmth under her duvet. A heavy arm draped over her middle and an even heavier leg was lodged between her legs as Luke’s even breathing feathered the back of her neck. She smiled to herself. She didn’t know how or when they had gotten to her bed, but it was heaven; she could lay there forever wrapped in his arms.
“Don’t get up. I’m not ready to let go of you yet.” His sleep-laden voice was raspy and sexy, and it did things down there between her legs that nobody else’s voice had ever done.
She giggled and he pulled her closer, the action making her bottom rub against his groin. She felt his hardened member and raw desire shot through her. All of a sudden, she needed him. She needed him inside of her, filling her. She rubbed her ass against him and he moaned, tightening his hold and thrusting forward.
Before she knew it, she was flipped onto her back and her pants and panties were flying across the room. Then Luke was pushing her legs apart as he positioned himself between her legs. He rubbed his length against her core; apparently, he had lost his pants in the process, too. He teased her entrance, then buried himself to the hilt in one hard thrust. The feeling was inexplicable; she was stretched to the max, but it felt amazing.
She undulated her hips, encouraging him, and he began long, slow strokes that made her squirm as the sensations built inside her. Her nails bit into his shoulders as she held on, urging him, showing him she needed more.
He didn’t disappoint. His thrusts went from long and slow to short and fast. She met every one of his thrusts, and soon she was climbing higher and higher.
The sounds of their love making filled the room, and she couldn’t hold it any longer, she let go and flew over the edge. Her orgasm hit as she cried out his name. Seconds later, his roar joined hers as he buried himself deep inside her, his release flooding her. Spent, he rolled them onto their side and they held each other, basking in the moment.