Protecting Honor

by Dena Christy

  He grabbed the keys to his truck and shrugged on his leather jacket as he waited for Honor by the door. He was going to go out, have a few beers and a good time, and forget about the young man in those pictures.

  13

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Honor could see that she was trying Rafe’s patience by the way his lips pressed together as he stared straight ahead as he drove them to Sawyer’s Place. This was the second time she’d asked him since they’d gotten in the truck and she was no closer to an answer than she was the first time she’d asked.

  “As I said, I’m fine.” And that was the only enlightenment into his mood that she got. Maybe it was like he said back at the house, that it bothered him to look at old pictures of Quinn, but Honor didn’t think that was what it was. She was certain it had to do with the young woman in the pictures. Honor had no idea who the girl was since she’d been too young to hang out with her brother by that time, and if Quinn had ever mentioned Rafe’s girlfriend, she didn’t remember it.

  His face had closed up when he’d looked at the pictures of him and the girl at the lake, and the look was still on his face. It was clear that he wasn’t going to talk about what was bothering him, and pushing wasn’t helping. She hoped that he got over whatever it was when they got to the bar because this was a side to him she’d never seen before and she didn’t like it. Brooding and uncommunicative wasn’t his usual style and it was going to be a long boring night if this was how he was going to act.

  They pulled into the parking lot and she glanced over at him. He still wore that stony look on his face and something inside her snapped. There were better things she could do with her time than to spend it with someone who dragged her out of the house to come here only to scowl and not speak all night.

  “Are you going to get over yourself or should I walk home?” Honor undid her seatbelt and turned to face him. He looked startled for a second.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You, Rafe, I’m talking about you. I get it, something is bugging you and you don’t want to talk about it. Fine. But you insisted we come here, so if you’re going to spend the evening the same way you’ve been since we left the house, I’m going home. So what’s it going to be? Are we going to go in the bar and have a little fun or do I need to start walking?”

  He frowned for a second and she huffed out a sigh, opened the truck door and got out. Looked like she was walking home. She started down the parking lot toward the road when she heard a truck door slam and hurried footstep come toward her. Rafe’s hand wrapped gently around her upper arm and he stopped her forward momentum and turned her around.

  “I’m sorry. I’ll get over myself and we’ll go in and have some fun. I promise.” She looked up at him, searching his face and she could see that he was forcing himself to relax. He pulled her closer and cupped her face. He leaned down and kissed her. “Come on, I promise to be good. Let’s go in.”

  Honor sighed and nodded. He kept one arm around her as he turned them so they were walking toward the bar instead of away. The bar was busy but not as insane as it had been on her first night working there. She was a little surprised that she hadn’t been called in to give Alex a hand.

  She and Rafe walked in and Alex raised his hand in greeting. They went up to the bar and she sat in the lone vacant bar stool while Rafe stood beside her, resting his hand on top of the bar with his body turned sideways.

  “Busy night? I could have come in to lend a hand if you’d called.”

  “No need.” Alex put Rafe’s favorite brand of beer in front of him. “Logan’s serving tonight. He does it every once in a while, says it keeps him humble and it gives him a chance to interact with the wolves in the pack. What can I get you?”

  “Something girly, with an umbrella.”

  “Coming right up. Go get a table and I’ll have Logan bring it over.” This was said after Rafe was jostled by the person beside him for a second time. Honor hopped off the seat and took Rafe’s hand. He led them to an empty table close to the dance floor and they sat down. There were a few couples dancing together, and Honor looked at Rafe. The last time they’d danced together was when he’d kissed her for the first time and then declared in front of everyone that she was his mate.

  A tall blond woman walked by their table, and she looked at Rafe out of the corner of his eye and her upper lip curled just a bit. Rafe’s eyes flicked to the woman for a second and he frowned. His face smoothed out when Logan came over to the table, carrying what had to be the fanciest looking drink that Honor had ever seen. It was in a tall glass, the liquid inside it was pink, and along with the neon pink straw, was a swizzle stick decorated with cut up fruit and two umbrellas. Honor burst out laughing when Logan set it in front of her.

  “What is that?”

  “You ordered something girly, and this is Alex’s version of girly. You made Alex’s night. Usually, all he gets to do is pour beer and make rather basic drinks.” Logan smiled at her and then turned his head to nod at Rafe. “If you guys need anything just holler.”

  Logan turned away and melted back into the crowd. Honor pulled her drink toward her and took a sip. She didn’t know what it was, but it was delicious, fruity and sweet with only a hint of alcohol. She turned in her seat and looked toward the bar. Alex was watching her and she gave him a thumbs up.

  She turned back around and Rafe was watching her with a soft smile on his face. Whatever his problem had been, he was slowly getting over it. Or maybe it was the beer in front of him that was mellowing him out.

  “What is it? You’re staring at me.” Honor took another sip of her drink and looked at him.

  “Maybe I enjoy staring at you. I think it’s great that you fit in so well here in the short time you’ve been here.” He took a drink of his beer, and a slow song came on over the speakers. He set his beer aside and stood up. After he’d draped his leather jacket over the back of his chair, he held his hand out to her. She took one last sip of the drink and took his hand.

  Once they got on the dance floor, Rafe pulled her into his arms and she settled against him. Honor closed her eyes as she rested her head against him. This was quickly becoming her favorite spot in the world, tucked safely in Rafe’s arms. When she was here with him like this, when he was at his most tender, it made her believe that what they had between them would last forever.

  Once the song was over, they went back to their table and Rafe seemed much more relaxed than he had been when they’d first gotten here. They spent most of the night dancing or talking to people they knew that wanted to come by and talk. And it was during their last slow dance that Rafe nuzzled his mouth against her ear.

  “You want to get out of here? I know something fun we can do when we get home.”

  “Sure.” Honor laughed. “Just let me use the ladies' room before we take off.”

  She kissed him on the mouth before she turned on her heel and went to the ladies' room. The smile she’d been wearing for most of the evening didn’t want to come off her face. She quickly went to the bathroom, and the smile was still there when she went to the sink to wash her hands.

  The door to the ladies' room opened and the same blond woman she’d seen early in the evening walked in. The woman didn’t look surprised to see her and she wondered if she’d followed her in here.

  “Hello.” Honor was pretty sure that she hadn’t seen this woman before, so she didn’t know why the woman was looking at her with a weird expression on her face. “Do I know you?”

  “No, although we do have someone in common. My name is Stephanie, and I just wanted to see the woman who managed to get Rafe Cooper to mate with her.”

  There was a bitterness inside this woman, and it was evident in her eyes. Enlightenment came to Honor. This must be one of Rafe’s ex-girlfriends and it was obvious that she hadn’t gotten over the breakup. Some women were like that, unable to move on.

  “Well, it was nice to meet you, Stephanie.” Honor finished washing her hands and pulled
a few pieces of paper towel from the dispenser beside the sink. “Now if you’ll excuse me.”

  “I feel sorry for you.”

  Honor halted in the middle of the room, and she narrowed her eyes. “And why exactly would you do that?”

  “Because I’ve been where you are, and I can tell you that when you are with him, it’s wonderful. It’s like he knows exactly what to say to make you feel better about anything, almost like he’s a mind reader. You feel like you are the center of his universe, and when you are in his arms you feel like what’s between you is going to last forever. But it’s all an illusion. Rafe isn’t capable of loving anyone, and you’ll learn that too, just like the rest of us.”

  Cold washed over Honor’s body because a lot of what Stephanie said was similar to what she’d experienced when she’d come into Rafe’s life. The smile on Stephanie’s face was smug and Honor stiffened her spine. She wasn’t going to let this bitch have the satisfaction of doing what she’d come in here to do, which was drive a wedge between her and Rafe. She owed it to her mate not to let this woman’s bitterness cause her to doubt him.

  Honor took a step closer to Stephanie and looked her straight in the eye.

  “As far as I know, I am the only woman Rafe has ever mated with. He stood here in this very bar and declared it in front of a room full of people. Did he ever do anything like that for you?” Honor looked at Stephanie and the other woman’s face paled and her eyes darted away. “I didn’t think so. So you really don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. Good night.”

  And with that Honor walked away from Stephanie and out the bathroom door. She walked into the bar and stopped for a moment when she saw Rafe standing near the door talking to Logan. The words that Stephanie had spoken came back to her, no matter how hard she tried to ignore them. She knew without a doubt that she was in love with Rafe, but how did he feel about her? Was he as incapable of love as Stephanie claimed he was or was she just bitter and jealous because Rafe had mated with someone else?

  She wasn’t sure what the answer was, and when Rafe looked toward her and smiled, all her doubts washed away. She was going home tonight with the man she loved and for now, that was enough.

  Rafe glanced at Honor where she sat beside him in the truck, and he wondered why she was so quiet. He hadn’t missed seeing Stephanie going into the bathroom after her, and he wondered if his ex had tried to cause trouble.

  “You okay? You seem quiet?” He hoped that nothing was wrong, but if there was he was sure that Honor would come out and tell him. She wasn’t one given to drama and if there was an issue, she faced it head on and addressed it. Earlier tonight when she’d told him to get over himself it had surprised him, but it shouldn’t have. He’d lived with Honor long enough now to know that she wasn’t one to put up with behavior she didn’t like.

  Rafe pulled into the driveway and stopped the truck, turning off the engine.

  “I’m fine.” Honor turned to look at him, and her eyes were warm in the dim light of the truck. “Glad we’re out of that noisy bar and here by ourselves. And I seem to recall that you promised me some fun when we got here, big guy.”

  She winked at him and got out of the truck. Was it his imagination or did her butt have an extra little wiggle when she walked toward the front door?

  Rafe grinned and got out of the truck. He went up the porch behind her and put his arms around her waist as she tried to unlock the front door. He swept her hair to one side and ran his lips over the side of her neck.

  “I’ll never get this door unlocked if you keep doing that.” She gave a shaky laugh as she shivered against him and fumbled with the key. He reached up and covered her hand with his much bigger one. The key slid home in the lock, and in a matter of seconds that door swung open and they walked inside.

  Honor turned around, dumped her purse on the floor and shrugged out of her coat. Rafe could read the desire in her eyes, and it struck an answering response inside him. God, he wanted her, the same as he always seemed to want her. It didn’t matter how many times he made love with her, his desire for her only increased. Would it always be this way, or would the urgency of his passion for her gradually mature once they were old.

  Rafe froze for a second. He was starting to think like this was a permanent situation, and he didn’t do permanent. Hadn’t even thought about it since that summer before he’d come to Cold Bay.

  “Rafe? Is something wrong?” A frown crossed Honor’s face as she looked at him, and he shook off whatever the hell was wrong with him. All the mattered was right now. He was a man who lived in the moment, and at this moment he wanted her.

  “Nothing’s wrong.” He moved toward her and put his big hands on her waist and pulled her to him. He bent his head toward her and took her lips. He picked her up by the waist and held her against him. Her arms went around his neck as he deepened his kiss. God, he could kiss her forever and it wouldn’t be enough. It was like this woman had burrowed her way into his soul and completed him in a way that he never realized he needed.

  Blocking out those thoughts, he pulled his mouth away from her and set her back down on the floor.

  “Let’s go upstairs.” He took her by the hand and led her to the stairs. They walked up together with neither of them saying a word.

  When they got to his bedroom, he turned on the light and turned the dimmer so that they were both bathed in soft light. She turned to him and pulled her shirt off over her head. He stepped toward her, his hands were greedy for the feel of her skin. He ran his fingers over her bare belly and she shivered. He reached for the button of her jeans and undid them. He lowered the zipper as slowly as he could force himself to. She pushed the fabric down and the jeans puddled on the floor around her feet. She stepped up closer to him, and her hands went to the hem of his t-shirt. She lifted it and he helped her by tugging it off over his head.

  He splayed his hands on the plump flesh of her ass and pulled her to him with a growl. He couldn’t go another second without tasting her mouth. Her lips were sweet, her body lush and pressed against him, and the scent of her was heady. He devoured her with his mouth as he backed her toward the bed. Her fingers were buried deep in his hair, and she kissed him back with a ferociousness that took his breath away. It was like this every time with her. Just when he didn’t think it was possible to want her as much as he did, his desire for her went up another notch.

  She pulled her mouth away and reached around to undo her bra. It was discarded quickly along with her panties and she climbed on top of his big bed. She knelt in the center, her body naked and her fiery hair spilling over her shoulders. It hid parts of her body from him, and he couldn’t seem to get his clothes off fast enough. He needed her, with a desperation he’d never felt before. It was almost like she was a figment of his fevered imagination and if he didn’t catch her, she would disappear from his life.

  Once he’d stripped the rest of his clothes, he joined her on the bed, laying down and pulling her down beside him. Raising up on one elbow he swept her hair away from where it covered the breast closest to him and he dipped his head down. Thank God she was real and here with him. He took her nipple in his mouth and sucked. Her moan was long and drawn out and he could feel his body tremble with his need for her.

  She took hold of his wrist and pushed his hand down so that it was between her legs. He found her slick flesh and rubbed his thumb on her clit while he switched his attention to her other breast. The sounds of her pleasure at his touch was nearly his undoing. He needed to be inside her, and his body ached to join with hers. She was in his head, in his heart and he wanted to become one with her.

  “Oh Rafe, I need you inside me. I don’t want to wait anymore.”

  At least she was at the same point as he was, and he could no longer hold himself back from her. He tore his hand and mouth away from her to position himself between her thighs. As he knelt there poised at her entrance, he looked down at her, with her hair spilling over the pillow and her desire for him dar
kening her chocolate colored eyes and he was lost. A feeling of love for her washed over him and he slid inside her.

  He held still for a moment as a feeling of rightness slammed through him. This was where he was meant to be and the woman he was meant to be with. This was Honor, his mate, and now that he was inside her he achieved clarity for the first time in his life. He loved her, more than he’d ever loved anyone before.

  She moved her hips as she slid her hands up his arms and he could not resist the siren call of her body. He moved inside her, withdrawing and thrusting forward. His movements were slow at first. The need to savor every moment of this was strong, and he watched her face as she took joy from every thrust of his body. She matched his movements as they performed their ancient dance of love.

  His name was a sigh on her lips as she climbed higher and relished the sound. She was his mate, his woman, and it was only right that it was his name on her lips. He wanted to claim her body and soul, and his thrust became harder and faster as the primitive beat inside his body picked up its pace.

  He dipped his head down to kiss her, and it was all she needed to send her over the edge. She called out to him as her body clenched around him. He could feel every pulse of her orgasm, squeezing and releasing him. His own body responded, triggering a climax more powerful than any he’d ever felt before. He clung to her as he poured himself into her, and once he was spent, he couldn’t think, couldn’t move. All he could do was hold her like he was adrift at sea and she was his only anchor.

  After what could have been moments, or hours, he wasn’t sure, he rolled away from her. She moved so that her head was on his chest and he stroked his hand over her hair as his mind caught up with his body.

  Her breathing grew soft, her body slack and he knew that she slept. All he could do was stare at the ceiling. The desire to leave this bed and outrun the feeling that was pumping through him made him shift away from her and get up. She sighed and rolled over, mumbling a little under her breath.