by Cherie Marks
Rustling sounded behind him as she stood from the couch, and he heard her approach.
“What is on the menu, Emeril?”
A grin forced his lips up in spite of himself. Smart-ass. Another quality he found irresistible in her. She really was nothing like the pampered princess he’d expected. He kind of wished she’d been harder to like. It would’ve made it easier to refuse to tie himself to her just because their fathers said they had to.
“Tomato sauce. My mother’s recipe.”
“Need any help?”
Yeah, but not the kind she was offering.
“Ever made homemade pasta before?”
“Actually, yes. I took a cooking class before my father put an end to my degree work.”
He looked at her with a new appreciation. She just kept surprising him with her refusal to fit any typical expectations. If he wasn’t careful, he might just find he liked spending time with her.
With a thumb over his shoulder, he pointed toward the counter behind him. “Flour’s in a container there. Eggs are in the refrigerator.”
It took great effort, but he tuned out her movements as she went to work. If he was being honest, he wanted to stop what he was doing and watch her but forced himself to concentrate on his own task instead.
She didn’t pause as she asked, “If the cabin is a rental, where do you call home?”
Her question wasn’t unexpected. That she’d waited this long was the real surprise. “I don’t really have a permanent residence.”
“What do you mean?”
“I have an apartment in New York, but I crash there when I’m not on a job. Most of the time, I’m traveling, tracking down a target.”
“A target? Like a bad guy?”
He finished chopping the last of the tomato before he answered her. “Don’t know. They were just jobs. A contract for retrieval. I really don’t know what happened to them when I brought them in. It’s not my job to know.”
She’d stopped kneading the ball of dough she’d created and turned around. He still didn’t face her. “Does that not concern you? What if they were innocent?”
“Trust me…they weren’t.”
“So certain. How do know for sure?”
A heavy breath left his lungs as he poured the tomatoes into the saucepan on the stove. He turned to face her, crossing his arms. “I watched them.”
She looked skeptical. “What? You watched them?”
He smiled at the streaks of flour across her forehead and on the end of her nose. He nodded slowly as he answered her, “Like I did you. I watched them go about their business for a time before I made my move.”
She ran her tongue over her lips, leaving a shine he wanted to experience for himself. It brought that crazy, passion-filled kiss to mind. Damn! She was beautiful. His cock twitched and he felt like an ass for reacting.
“You watched me? Why? For how long?”
“Long enough. I followed you to learn your patterns. Your weaknesses. Typical stuff. But, I also wanted to know what kind of person you were.”
“And what did you learn?”
He knew now to reveal just enough information to appease her, but part of him wanted to share everything with her. He hated secrets and figured it was always best just to lay everything out on the table. Yet, she was too prone to acting impulsively and the last thing he needed was to draw attention to their temporary hideout, especially when no other prospects for safe houses were materializing anytime soon. For now, he’d give her the bare minimum.
“You’re a hard worker and loyal to those you call friends. You want to do something with your life beyond shop and dress in pretty clothes. People gravitate toward you because you have the ability to make them feel like their struggles matter to you. You eat popcorn one piece at a time, only drink water flavored with lemon, and hate the taste of cooked vegetables. And you pause to enjoy the warmth of the sun on your face anytime you step out the door.” A large smile stretched her mouth, and he realized he might’ve revealed too much. He dipped his chin, determined not to give her the wrong idea. “You also act before you think, sneak grapes from the produce department when you go grocery shopping, you complain all the time about not being able to run in the mornings, and you sing the wrong words to pretty much every song.”
Now one of her eyebrows rose and her lips pursed in irritation. “I do not sing the wrong words.”
“It’s not ‘like a cheese stick.’ It’s ‘like a G6.’” Now it was his turn to raise eyebrows, a challenge in the provocative motion.
She raised her chin and crossed her own arms. “I have never…well, maybe you are right, but it is impolite for you to mention it.”
He lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “Truth hurts but can’t be denied.”
The sound of her light laughter made his heart beat faster. Again he was struggling with finding fault with her, even with the things he knew completely qualified as liabilities. He was finding he wanted to do things to hear that laughter again and again.
“Not like you do not have your own issues.”
“Oh, really? Name one.”
She straightened and ran her tongue over her teeth, once again drawing his attention to her delectable lips. “Well, let’s see…for starters, you have a tendency to go shirtless way too often.”
Apparently he wasn’t the only one affected by glimpses of exposed skin. Even now the collar of his shirt she wore was slipping to the right, revealing the creamy smoothness of her shoulder. Despite his resolve to keep his distance, he took a slow step toward her, leaning close until his hands gripped the counter on each side of her, boxing her inside his arms.
“Can’t handle it, huh? Too much for your innocent sensibilities.”
“Alex, what are you doing?”
“Remembering.”
Her little pink tongue ran over her lips again. “What are you remembering?”
“A kiss.” He leaned in until they were only a breath away.
“Oh? Which one?”
“The one that I can’t fucking get off my mind.”
He tilted his head and closed his eyes. Their lips met softly, with just the slightest pressure until desire took over and he slipped a hand into her silky strands. He gripped her nape and tugged until her mouth opened and he dipped his tongue inside to duel with hers. She moaned deeply and lifted her arms to wrap them around his neck and pull him even closer.
Her scent overpowered the cooking smells and reached his nose again, making him feel drunk and heady. This…this was what he wanted. In that moment, it was what he needed more than anything in the world.
Not even an inch existed between them, and he knew she felt his rock hard cock. He couldn’t help his reaction and would have demolished anything separating them in that moment. He could feel his animal growing stronger inside, and he knew instinct was taking over.
With slow precision, he slid one hand along the right side of her torso, pausing to brush the underside of her breast. He ran his thumb over her nipple and felt it harden inside the t-shirt. A groan escaped his mouth and he released her lips to trail wet kisses down her chin and neck, sucking at her racing pulse.
“Wait! Wait! I think the food is burning.”
“Let it fucking burn.” And he meant it. Nothing mattered except that moment with his woman. His? Where had that come from? Wasn’t significant.
She tugged at his hair, and for the briefest of seconds, he thought she pulled him in tighter, but then she pushed him back, suspicion in her eyes.
“What kind of shifter are you?”
Right then, he wanted to tell her. He wanted it all out there for her to think about. He opened his mouth to purge all his secrets, but the smoke alarm began to wail.
With quick movements, he swiveled and pulled the skillet from the burner, wrinkling his nose at the blackened mess. He reached and twisted the knob to turn everything off. Head hung, breathing erratic, he braced himself on the counter, heat blasting from the near-disaster of his ruined di
sh.
“I can’t believe I almost caught the kitchen on fire.”
He felt her hand on his back. “Not the only thing. I am still burning up.”
“Don’t say that. I won’t be able to stop again.”
“What if I don’t want you to?”
He looked over his shoulder at her, staring for a few heartbeats before turning and grabbing her again. They’re mouths meshed and he lifted her, carrying her to the couch.
He laid her down gently and settled on top of her, resting his weight on his arms.
“Are you sure about this?”
“Never more sure. I want to feel you close to me.”
Nothing else needed to be said. With intense passion, he dipped his head again and captured her lips, devouring her mouth and rocking his lower body against hers. He paused a moment to rip his shirt over his head.
“Told you. You cannot keep a shirt on to save your life.”
“How ‘bout you? Any way I can bring you over to the dark side?”
Wriggling under him, driving him crazy, she reached down and, with some effort, pulled his t-shirt from her body, leaving her in black panties and a see-through bra in the same color. In that moment, he was proud of his choice of underwear set. She’d requested several, and he’d actually enjoyed picking them out. Now, having her laid out below him, he understood just how well he’d done. She looked like every man’s fantasy, and right now, she was all his.
His resistance gone, he dipped his head and sucked at one of her pebbled nipples through the material of her bra. He reached underneath her and unclasped it, brushing it aside and returning his attention to the hardened peak. A gasp slipped from her parted lips, and he worked his way to the other side. His cock throbbed painfully, and he was slightly concerned if he got any harder, his zipper might unman him before he could free himself.
Yet, he let a hand trail down the smooth skin of her stomach and slip inside her silky underwear. The minute he felt her wetness, he was lost.
“So hot…so wet…I want to taste you.”
“No…I don’t know…I…” She reached hands to his shoulders to try to tug him up, but he grasped her wrists in his and stretched them over her head.
“Don’t you dare move these hands. No matter what, they stay right here.”
She didn’t argue, only stared at him with uncertain eyes, but he knew he’d erase all doubt with the right attention.
He trailed kisses down her abdomen and paused only a second before running his tongue over her satiny underwear twice in long, even strokes. Impatient to get a better taste, he smoothed the thin material to the side and groaned at the sweet, salty flavor that hit his tongue. She was everything he’d ever craved, and he wanted to be able to do this whenever and wherever he chose. He stroked her with his tongue three more slow times before pulling back to see the result of his devotion.
“Keep your hands in that position,” he reminded her.
Propping one hand under her pert ass, he skimmed his fingers over her swollen pussy lips, watching them darken and plump right in front of his eyes. Her restless movements and throaty sounds were driving him insane, and with a gentleness he didn’t feel, he put one finger inside her, feeling her slickness coat his hand. Damn! She was tight. After a time, he added another finger and focused his attention on the little nub hidden at the top of her folds. He wrapped his lips around it and sucked slightly until her hips came off the couch. She gave an animal cry and he felt her clench around his fingers, making his own cock throb at the thought of her sweet pussy squeezing him so tightly. Blood rushed through his body as his heart pounded, and he looked up in time to watch her go over the edge. She ground her ass into his hand as her back bowed off the couch, but her hands stayed right where they were, filling him with a certain masculine pride. It was one of the most beautiful sights he’d ever seen as pleasure reddened her chest and made her forget herself so completely.
He wasn’t finished yet. He wanted so much more and was aching to sink himself deep inside her. But something was wrong. She’d moved her hands and was now tapping him hard on his back. He looked up, ready to growl that she needed to get her hands back above her head but just stopped himself as he noticed the panicked look in her eyes and finally heard her words.
“There is someone knocking at the door.”
He sat up slowly and ran a hand down his face. Damn! For the first time, he heard the knock too.
“Alex! Everything okay?”
“Yes! We’re fine. Just give us a minute.”
He swept a hand across the floor, picked up the t-shirt she’d peeled off earlier, and passed it to her. Cursing under his breath, Alex ran a hand down his aching groin and grabbed his own shirt from between the couch cushions. He pulled it over his head and put it into place with sharp, jerky motions.
Once he was settled, he put his head in his hands an extra few seconds before finally glancing over at Tasia. She was sitting up against the corner of the couch, legs drawn up, eyes wide, staring at him like he was the big bad seducer.
“Are you okay?”
She surprised him with a sexy, little smile. “Never better. That was amazing.”
He couldn’t stop the puff of his chest as a secret pride filled him. He’d done good. So well, as a matter of fact, she was looking at him with hooded eyelids. She was still flushed from her orgasm and looked beyond hot to him. She wanted more, and he couldn’t wait to pick up where they left off.
However, for now, his brother—the bad-timing a-hole—was waiting on the other side of the door, and he wouldn’t remain patient for much longer.
Sure enough, the knocking started up again but turned into pounding. Alex crossed to the door in two strides and flipped the locks in quick succession. He flung the door open.
“What? What’s so important?”
Andrei raised his hands in supplication. “Sorry, dude. I’ve got your delivery.”
“Okay. That couldn’t wait a little while?”
“Maybe, but I have some news that can’t.”
He felt Tasia ease up behind him and rage slipped over him like a coat as his brother’s eyes roamed her body from bottom to top, lust clear in his eyes. He really needed to get her some actual clothes.
“Watch where you’re looking, brother, if you want to keep your eyeballs inside your head.”
Andrei’s gaze snapped to Alex’s and a tricky grin lifted his lips. “Things are going well, huh?”
He wasn’t even going to acknowledge that question. “What’s the news that couldn’t wait?”
Andrei’s grin slipped off his face, and his gaze slipped back and forth between Alex and Tasia for a few seconds before he asked, “Can we talk in private?”
“No. Whatever it is, I want to know too, especially since my safety is involved. No more secrets.”
With a nod from Alex, Andrei sucked in a deep breath before saying, “Your dad is missing, princess.”
“He is missing? How is that possible? His guards are with him night and day.”
Andrei, apparently Alex’s brother, took a step inside the cabin and closed the door behind himself. He was as tall as Alex, but that was where the similarities ended. Where Alex was fair-haired and golden-eyed, Andrei’s dark hair fell to his shoulders and his eyes were a deep chocolate and held more compassion than Alex’s. She had to wonder if they actually shared parentage or if it was more of an honorary title.
He planted his hands on his hips and stared at her, concern etched on his face.
“No one knows for sure. He went to bed two nights ago, but when his guards went to wake him the next day, no one was in the room and the bed didn’t appear to have been slept in.”
Fear gripped her as the reality about the threat to her father’s safety sank in. “Do they think he has been kidnapped?”
“There’s no sign of a struggle, and as far as everyone can tell, Pajari’s men are still prowling after you and him. A piece of paper on top of the table beside the bed was the only
thing out of the ordinary. It had two words written on it. It simply said ‘jackals will.’ Other than that, he’s just…disappeared.”
Relief filled her at his words. “He is okay.”
This time Alex faced her and asked, “How can you be so sure?”
“He is a jackal. Where do you think I learned how to run without getting caught?”
“You think he’s running?”
She nodded. “I know he is. The message was for me. Whenever I felt defeated, he would ask me who would find a way, and the answer was always ‘jackals will.’”
With pursed lips, she stepped away from the two men and considered this new information. Something must have spooked him if he chose to sneak and run. He was coming here, of that she was sure. She just hoped she was right about that slip of paper being a message to her. If anything happened to him, she’d never forgive herself.
“I think I’ll lay down for a little while.” Suddenly needing space, she made her way toward the loft.
She paused when Alex asked, “Are you sure you’re okay? Do you want to talk about it?”
Memories of the intimate things he’d done to her earlier came flooding back. Though she was a virgin, she wasn’t entirely innocent and had touched and been touched, but she still felt her face heat because it had never been like that. He was different in so many ways. Her heart squeezed just a little that he was truly concerned about her, but self-preservation took over and she took a step toward the loft. She really needed to be alone right now. “I am fine. I just need a little while. Go ahead and take care of whatever else needs your attention.”
She needed his focus to be on something else right now anyway. Though she was relieved her father was okay, she didn’t want to be sitting here when he arrived. He’d probably still make her go through with the wedding, and that just wasn’t part of her overall plan. Of course, if it were someone like Alex, she might…for just a second…entertain the idea of spending a lifetime with him. But more than likely, it wouldn’t be anyone like Alex. It would be someone who’d been raised as a pampered prince, and she didn’t have time to wait on someone hand and foot. It just wasn’t in her.
