by Lynn Hagen
I must have dozed off. The next thing I knew, Reese was behind me, spooning me. “How are you holding up, sweetheart?”
“I’m okay.” That wasn’t even close to the truth. I loved being around Reese. I’d fallen for him in such a short amount of time. I just didn’t like parts of his life. The parts that were dangerous and deadly. As much as I didn’t want to leave, I knew it was the right thing to do. Reese had recovered, mostly, and really didn’t need me anymore.
I had to get back to my life, my mom, and put Reese and this disaster behind me. Just because I’d caught feelings for the millionaire didn’t mean I could stay. This wasn’t my lifestyle. Max had already paid me fifty grand and wiped out my school debt. He’d alleviated the burden that had been crushing my shoulders for so long.
If he wanted to fight me on the contract, so be it. But I had to get away from this. If I didn’t, I just might end up dead.
I had been thinking the opposite before I’d fallen asleep. Now that I was rested, it was as if clarity had come to me. I was thankful for all that Max had done, but this lifestyle would get me killed.
My thoughts scattered when Reese pulled aside the material of my top and kissed my bare shoulder. He growled playfully. “I know I need to get some more work done, but all I could think about was fucking you.”
I closed my eyes and told myself not to fall deeper for him. Fucking. That was all this was, because if I thought of it as lovemaking, I just might change my mind about leaving. I had to leave. I had to walk away from the best thing to ever happen to me.
“Is that right?” I teased as Reese got up and undressed, revealing his golden skin, all those muscles, and his fat cock. I undressed too, tossing aside what little clothes I had on.
There was a glimmer of humor in Reese’s eyes as he crawled back into bed. There was a bottle of lube on the nightstand. Reese must have brought it into the room with him because it hadn’t been there before.
“You have no idea what you do to me, beautiful.” Reese settled between my legs, making my heart skip a few beats. Seeing such a strong, powerful man eye level with my cock made me hard as fuck.
Before I could talk more smack, Reese sucked my cock down his throat. I gripped Reese’s dark hair in a stranglehold as I punched my hips upward and gave a guttural cry.
“Oh fuck!” My muscles quivered and bunched as Reese’s tongue ran up and down my length. His firm hands cupped my ass, kneading my flesh as he suckled the head.
I lost control of my body when Reese probed at my hole. I threw my head back and cried out Reese’s name as I exploded, my climax rocking me.
When I could breathe again, I looked down my body and saw Reese staring up at me with such intensity that I felt owned by that one look.
Don’t even go there. You might’ve fallen in love with him, but you’re not staying. You don’t really belong to anyone.
Reese crawled up my body and fused our lips together, purring into my mouth.
In a moment of clarity, I shoved at Reese’s chest. “Stop!”
Reese backed off, gasping for breath and looking as though he was fighting for control. The tips of his canines were peeking out past his upper lip, and wildness filled his blazing eyes as he knelt there panting.
I had felt myself falling into those magnificent eyes, and my vow to leave had started to slip. That terrified me. There was no way I could stay, no matter how I felt about him.
I swallowed a few times before I said, “I just wanted to make sure you were up for this.”
Reese looked as though the question hadn’t registered. He slowly blinked then finally said, “I’m fine, Danni.” He exhaled a hard breath. “Thanks for your concern, but I’m feeling better each day.”
Which confirmed my thought that I wasn’t needed anymore. Reese would do fine after I left. He was nearly back to full health. He’d already finished his antibiotics, and he refused to take any more pain meds. Aside from checking his vitals once a day, I was pretty useless. I wanted to go back to the hospital where I was needed, where I could do the most good.
If anything, I felt like a part of Reese’s luggage, being hauled around from one place to another. I missed the arrogant doctors, the nurses Mable and Rita, and yes, even my supervisor, Cornelius Bottom and his disdain for me. At least at Ridgeview General I’d felt useful, a part of a functioning society.
“Something else is bugging you.” Reese kissed my forehead. “Talk to me, Danni.”
“I’m just tired,” I lied. “And concerned for your well-being.”
The look in Reese’s eyes said he didn’t know if he should believe me. He turned and grabbed the lube from the nightstand. Our limbs tangled as we kissed and petted, hungry for each other. This would be my last time with Reese, and I wanted to make it memorable.
I spread my legs in invitation, fighting the deep connection I felt between us, fighting the overwhelming desperate need to belong to this powerful creature.
Reese was beautiful in a masculine way. He exuded confidence and command. Who wouldn’t want to belong to him? But I knew this would end badly. I wasn’t going to be hurt, though I think that train had already left the station.
Reese distracted me from my thoughts with a gentle hand that glided down my chest.
I didn’t like the tender way Reese looked at me, as if he would offer me the world if I’d asked. I wasn’t going to ask. I didn’t want his world. Not when it was so damn frightening.
“I…” I squeezed my eyes shut. The words had almost forced themselves free. I had almost told Reese that I would miss him.
“What is it?” Reese whispered as I opened my eyes.
I gave a lame smile. “Nothing. Make love to me.”
He lubed his cock and drove deep into my body. The pain/pleasure rocked me to my core. I clung to Reese as he thrust hard and deep. Reese lifted one of my legs and slung it over his arm while burying his face into my neck.
This couldn’t be happening. The harder I fought to keep my emotions out of this, the more I felt something stirring inside me. That desperate need to belong to Reese was stronger and more powerful this time.
I tensed when Reese pressed kisses along my shoulder, terrified the man would make me change my mind. Reese reared his head back and punched his hips forward, pounding into my body, making me cry out his name as I clung to him. I erased all other thoughts and sank into the moment, forgetting about my plans.
Sweet ecstasy squeezed my body, making it throb as I grabbed my cock and stroked myself. Reese’s erection slipped in and out of me, stretching me wide, bringing me so much pleasure that my second orgasm swiftly built.
“Reese!” I arched my back and cried out, ribbons of pearly-white cum exploding onto my chest. Reese buried his cock in my ass and gave a guttural cry, throwing his head back as his cock pulsed deep inside me.
He eased out of me and spooned me, kissing along my shoulder. “I think I’ll take a nap before I go back to my laptop.”
Guilt ate at me. I didn’t want to leave him, but I had a life to get back to, and Reese had his own problems to deal with. I would only get in his way.
I waited until I knew Reese had fallen asleep, listened to his low, even breaths before I slipped from the bed. I stared at him while I dressed, and my heart ached knowing I wouldn’t see him again. It took every ounce of willpower I possessed to walk out of the room. To walk out of his life and go back to mine.
I grabbed my medical bag and the backpack that contained my extra scrubs and other personal items Reese had had Alfonso purchase for me and slipped from the room.
Thinking about Alfonso solidified my resolve that Reese’s world would eat me up and spit me out.
On the elevator ride down, my chest felt as if it were caving in, and I had to force back tears. I could still smell Reese’s scent on me, still feel his beard scraping against my skin as he’d nestled me close to him.
“Stop.” I closed my eyes and pressed a hand against my chest. “Just stop. There’s no use tort
uring yourself. It’s over. You don’t belong in his world.”
I gave myself that pep talk all the way down to the ground level. When the doors slid open, I pulled back my shoulders, held my head high, and crossed through the lobby.
Every step took me farther away from Reese. Every step was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do. I kept telling myself that this was for the best.
“Do you need a taxi?” the doorman asked. He was a portly guy with graying hair but kind green eyes. He had crow’s feet around his eyes, which told me he loved to smile a lot. He reminded me of my grandfather.
“Yes.” I cleared my throat. There was a hard lump sitting there, burning, threatening to spill tears I was trying desperately not to shed.
The doorman waved, and a taxi pulled in front of the hotel.
“Have a wonderful evening.” The guy opened the back door and smiled at me.
“Thank you.” I slipped inside and was driven away from the man I’d fallen in love with. After I gave the cabbie my address, I silently wept in the backseat. It was better to get that out of the way before I returned to my mom. I didn’t want to cry in front of her. She’d have too many questions I didn’t want to answer.
“Hey, are you okay?” The cabbie looked at me through the rearview.
I must have looked like a blubbering mess. He handed me some tissue, and I blew my nose. “I’ll be fine. Thank you for asking.”
When we were a block away from my house, I had the cabbie pull over. It wouldn’t hurt to take some roses to my mom. I also needed the fresh air and the walk to clear my head and pull myself together.
“You take care,” the cabbie said. “Tears are good for the soul. They cleanse you.”
I smiled. “Have a good one.”
He pulled away as I wiped at my eyes. I could do this. I could live with a hole in my chest, with the aching pain of ripping my own heart out. Time would heal me. I was sure of that. I just wished I knew how much time because, right now, it felt as if I were dying. How could anyone survive this much heartache?
I went inside the corner store and purchased a bottle of water and a dozen roses. Hopefully the flowers were enough to stop my mom from interrogating me. She loved flowers, and I wanted to brighten both of our days.
As soon as I stepped outside, a black SUV shot the curb. I thought it would jump onto the sidewalk with how fast it had stopped. My heart leapt into my throat as I hurried down the sidewalk. Whoever was behind the wheel, I didn’t want to see them. My gut told me that SUV was for me.
Bad guys?
Reese?
The feds?
Aliens?
Three guys got out and started chasing me. I dropped the flowers and water as I hauled ass. This was my neighborhood, and I knew all the shortcuts and places I could use as an advantage.
I let the backpack go, too. There was nothing significant in there, nothing to identify me. Some scrubs, underwear, my toothbrush and deodorant.
When I reached the alley, I ducked down it, ran like hell, and jumped the fence before taking off. I kept running, but in the opposite direction of my house.
I couldn’t lead those guys to my mom. Thank goodness I was in good shape. I ran for what felt like forever, hurrying inside an abandoned building with boarded-up windows.
My heart was beating like crazy, and I was trying desperately to catch my breath as I listened for any sign that the three men knew where I was.
How had they identified me? There had been only one goon at the hospital when I’d attacked him with a syringe. We’d used decoy cars when we’d left. No one had seen me at the apartment. No one had seen me leave to go to the hotel because we’d used a back entrance to enter.
“You’re making this harder than it has to be,” someone yelled from outside the door. “We don’t want to hurt you, Danni.”
They knew my name.
I backed away, careful not to make any noise. I was in an apartment building that had been condemned. The hallways were disgusting and smelled like urine, but I had to find a place to hide.
As I climbed the stairs, I heard the door squeak on its hinges. The men weren’t trying to be quiet. Their footsteps echoed as they drew closer.
There had to be a back exit or some kind of fire escape. If I could get out while they searched for me, I had a fighting chance. I had no idea where I would go, but far away from them sounded damn good to me.
Chapter Nine
Reese…
“I want this entire hotel searched,” I snarled at one of my pack members. “If something happened to him, there will be hell to pay.”
I had no idea what had happened to Danni. I’d woken to an empty hotel room, and panic had set in. I was dead certain Robert or any of his men hadn’t gotten into my room.
“We‘ll find him,” Gabe said as he poured himself a drink. “Are you sure he didn’t just take off? I mean that’s a possibility.”
I hated to admit that Gabe might be right. I’d felt something off about Danni earlier. He’d been hiding something. I’d felt it in the pit of my gut, and my gut was never wrong. I’d feared something like this would happen, that my world would become too much for him.
“If he took off, then I’m done paying him,” Max snarled. “He was supposed to stay until you were fully healed.”
I sat on the couch. More like dropped onto it. I’d thought…I’d thought Danni and I had something special.
Clearly the human hadn’t felt the same way. “No.” I shook my head, hiding the pain slicing through my heart. “Danni dealt with a lot of bullshit. He deserves every cent.”
I would get over the shock of him leaving me and harden my heart so no other could steal past my defenses. I’d been sure that Danni had the backbone for this kind of life. Did I honestly blame him for leaving?
A knock sounded on the open hotel door. “The footage you wanted to see, sir.” The head of security walked in with an iPad in his hand. I took it and walked to the window, hitting Play.
I watched as Danni left the room and entered the elevator. There was no sound, but I saw his lips moving. My gut clenched when I saw tears brimming his eyes and he pressed a hand against his chest.
As if leaving me was hard to do.
The next angle was from the lobby. Danni walked out of his own free will. No one had forced him to leave. Danni had even stopped to talk to the doorman.
From the angle of the camera I saw a yellow taxi take Danni away.
“Find out who drove that cab,” I snapped. I wanted to make sure my little nurse was safe. And if Danni said he no longer wanted to see me, then I would let him go.
My heart fucking ached at that thought, but I wasn’t going to force him to stay if that wasn’t what he wanted. I’d been a damn fool for falling in love. Should’ve known it wasn’t in the cards for me. I’d done too many things wrong, had taken a life, and fate wasn’t going to let me forget that.
“I’m already ahead of you,” the security guy said. I didn’t know his name. Gabe had sent for him. I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to deal with anyone. Only my three close friends knew something was off with me.
“Care to explain, or should I play twenty questions?” I snapped.
Max, Gabe, and Lucas were watching me closely as the security guy spoke. They were probably wondering if I would attack the human.
“I got the cab number and called dispatch,” he said. “Your guy was dropped off on the lower east side. On Belmont and Hugh.”
Close to Danni’s home. “Did he say why he didn’t take his fare all the way?” I asked.
The guy shrugged. “No. He said he dropped the guy off at Leo’s Market.”
I looked the market up on my phone. It didn’t have a website, just said it was a local convenience store.
“I’ll drive.” Gabe headed for the door, Lucas following.
Max grabbed my arm as I started forward. The security guy had already retrieved his iPad and left. I should’ve apologized to him. None of this was his fault, y
et I’d taken my anger out on him.
“Pull yourself together,” Max said. “I can see you’re hurting, but snapping at everyone around—”
“Save it.” I yanked my arm free. “I’m not in the mood.”
Max walked out, leaving me standing there feeling like a complete jerk. But it wasn’t Max’s heart ripping to shreds. It wasn’t his world crumbling around him. I couldn’t believe how badly it hurt to lose Danni. Fuck. I pressed my hand against my chest. The pain was real.
I met them downstairs, and we took off in Gabe’s SUV. The ride seemed forever as I stared out the window, listening to Max and Gabe talk.
If this was what it felt like to fall in love, I never wanted to experience it again. I would rather have my balls cut off than experience this level of pain again.
My heart stuttered to a stop when I saw the black SUV parked haphazardly by the store. A cop was there, writing what looked like a ticket as a tow truck hooked up the SUV.
Gabe drove past the scene and parked a little ways down. I got out and was headed for the store when I noticed a bouquet of crushed roses on the ground. I picked them up and sniffed them. Danni’s scent was on them.
Max walked toward the SUV that was being hooked to the back of the tow truck. Lucas went into the store.
“We’ll find him,” Gabe said. “Just because this looks like an accident scene doesn’t mean your human was involved.”
I wanted to correct Gabe and tell him Danni wasn’t mine, but the words wouldn’t leave my throat.
Lucas and Max returned.
“Guy behind the counter remembers Danni. He came in about half an hour ago. Bought a dozen roses and a bottle of water.”
I looked toward the ground and spotted an unopened bottle on the sidewalk next to the building in front of me.
“Vehicle smells like wolves,” Max said. “Didn’t recognize the people the scents belonged to.”
“It has to be Robert’s men.” I looked around. “I can track Danni better in my wolf form.”
