Chris seemed relieved, though he was still nervously flicking glances at Ghost over her head. “I just came to try and apologise once more and-”
Fury surged through Ghost.
“There’s no need,” she said, cutting off Chris’s apology.
Even though he recognised her ploy as deliberately making an attempt to get even with him, to annoy him in turn because he refused to leave, Ghost’s common sense seemed to have fled beneath a roiling fury of possessiveness.
In that red-hazed second he knew there was no mistake, Chris was here in an attempt to win over Ali. He was a rival and there was no way in hell Ghost was going to let her get anywhere near him.
The final tug on the trigger was when she lifted the flowers to her nose and inhaled deeply. “Thank you, Chris.”
Snaking one arm around her waist, Ghost yanked her back against him while at the same time reaching over her shoulder to grab the flowers from her hand and slap the aromatic bunch against Chris’s chest, sending a shower of petals raining down. “Take your bloody flowers and get lost, Smith. Don’t ever come near Ali again. Ever.” He sent the man a threatening look. “I’ll tear you limb from limb if you even as much as look at her. This is your final warning.”
In the circle of his arm, Ali stood stock still in shock. It was the only thing that would have kept her silent.
Two big steps and he was back inside the hall with her firmly pressed against his front. With immense satisfaction, he slammed and locked the wooden door in Chris’s face.
And then there was dead silence.
He stood there, Ali firmly clasped against him, her derrière against the tops of his thighs, his arm just beneath her generous breasts, the cute topknot of hair tickling his chin when he angled his head down towards her. Every breath she took had the undersides of her breasts brushing against his arm and he relished every bit of it. Her scent drifted up, filling his senses.
His woman. If he was a wolf, he’d know her by scent alone. He wasn’t so sure his horror novels featuring werewolves weren’t true, for sure as shit he felt like howling at the moon right now, howling out his ownership of his mate, marking her and fighting any man who came near her.
However, just like any good werewolf female, Ali wasn’t taking his sudden dominating ways with good grace.
“What the hell, Ty?” she yelled. Grabbing his arm, she tried to pry it away from her waist. “Let me go!”
He did, watching warily as she whirled around to confront him, her eyes blazing with fire.
Oh yeah, Ali had plenty of fire. Fire and spirit. It had his own fire flaring right along with hers, only his wasn’t from fury.
Well, much. Because there was that one little thing…“Me? What the hell in turn, Ali!”
“What are you on about?” Hands on generous hips, she smouldered with temper.
“Really, Ali? You can do what you did out of pure spite and ask me that?”
“I have no idea what you’re squawking about.”
“You accepted his flowers and apology?” Taking a step forward, Ghost narrowed his eyes. “After what he did to you, you can do that just to spite me?”
Tellingly, her gaze faltered. “I did not. To spite you, I mean.”
“Bullshit.”
Her lips tightened.
“Bull. Shit.”
“If you think you can just come in here-”
“Think? I’m doing it, Ali! Right now, I’m telling you to your face that being spiteful to get back at me is low.”
“Low?” Outraged, her eyes widened. “I never asked you to come barging in here presuming to have rights enough to order away a visitor to my house!”
“An unwanted visitor.”
“That’s for me to decide.” Lifting an arm, she pointed towards the kitchen. “You got your arse over that fence to get in here, so you can heave it back again.”
“No.”
With the greatest of satisfaction, he watched her blink. For a second she actually hesitated, unsure of what to say next. It didn’t last long, however, not that he’d expected it.
“If you’re not out of here in five seconds, Sinclair, I’m calling the cops!”
“Who, Adam? Don’t you think he’s had enough of you breaking the law for one day?”
“How did you – forget it! I want you out! Now!”
She had her dander up good and proper. Eyes flashing, cheeks pink, fury almost making her vibrate. She was so full of life he wanted to grab her, throw her against the wall and shove hard inside her, savour all that sexual heat. Okay, not a bad idea. Eyelids closing half-mast, he studied her.
Silence fell between them as he waited for her next move, for he sure as hell wasn’t going to walk away at her command. Especially not right now.
“Fine.” After several seconds she drew upright. “Then I’m going.”
When she made to move away, he took a step directly in front of her. “No.”
“Damn it, Ghost!” she snapped out. “What do you want?”
His answer was immediate. “You.”
Ali’s mouth opened immediately to retort but nothing came out. Instead, she stared up at him for at least five seconds in confused silence before asking, “Me?”
“You.” Moving slowly but surely, each step deliberate, he backed her up against the wall. “I want you, Ali.”
“I don’t…” Nervous, unsure, she glanced around before looking back up at him. “I don’t…Ty…”
Oh yeah, she was uneasy. The uncertainty in her eyes and the nervous moistening of her lips had his inner predator howling. Now he knew how his werewolf character felt stalking his prey, only he didn’t want to eat Ali, he wanted to have his wicked way with her. Over and over. Okay, eat her, too, but not quite in the same way. He wanted to do it deviantly.
Backed against the wall, she watched with widening eyes as he closed the distance between them. Reaching out, he drew great satisfaction in placing one hand against the wall above her head and watching her magnificent breasts swell as she sucked in a deep breath. Slowly, so slowly, he leaned down towards her, inhaling deeply of her scent that was so uniquely Ali.
There was no denying he felt sexually aroused just by being near her, towering over her, being in control. Dominating her, knowing it wasn’t going to be easy, but he was up for the challenge. Relished it, in fact.
Bending his arm, he leaned further down until his face hovered just above hers. Head tipped back against the wall, eyes wide, she stared up at him.
Slowly he smiled. Oh yeah, having Ali at his mercy like this was just perfect. His gaze dropped to her lips, moist and slightly parted, and he knew it could get so very much more perfect. So very much more.
Slowly he lowered his head, her lips the prize he aimed for, only to be stopped by her sharp exhale and her fingers on his mouth.
“Ty! Stop!”
Lazily he lifted his gaze to her eyes. Upon seeing the panic in the green depths, he arched one brow.
“Wh-what are you d-doing?” she stammered.
“What do you think I’m doing?” he breathed against her fingers, smiling slightly in dark satisfaction as she jerked her hand away, her cheeks colouring.
“You can’t – we can’t…” She stopped, shook her head. “We just can’t.”
“Oh, we can,” he assured her. “We can. We did. We’re going to again.”
That again had her eyes widening. “Ty, we’re friends. We can’t.”
“We can,” he repeated. “We will.”
For several seconds she gaped at him. “Are you nuts?”
“No.” Gaze steady, he watched her expression change rapidly between surprise, disbelief and denial.
Nope, Ali wasn’t taking this at all well. Control was out of her hands and she was a little freaked. That gave him the advantage, one he was going to use without a shred of shame.
Searching for something to say, Ali finally swallowed and muttered, “If this is about what happened between us at the river, then don’t worry
about it. It’s over.”
“Oh, it’s far from over, Ali.” Ghost smiled, slow and easy, feeling that surge of satisfaction. “That was only the beginning.”
“The beginning?” She shook her head. “No, this stops now, this-”
He stopped her protest by simply taking her mouth, dropping his lips to hers, smothering her words while sweeping inside her still parted lips to thoroughly ravage her mouth.
God, it was like coming home. Like having a cold glass of water after two days in a hot desert without fluids. Like the warmth of sunshine on a cold day. It was just so right. So natural.
Her lips moulded to his as though made for him, her flavour had him seeking more. Sliding one arm around her waist to draw her flush against him, it was as though she were made for him, a perfect fit, every soft curve giving to his hardness, his larger body bending over her.
Protecting her.
He’d protect her from the world, from anyone who sought to hurt her, who worried her.
All through high school they’d been there for each other, he’d been by her side through bad times, comforting her, warning off any boy who dared to upset her, but this was different. This wasn’t just friends looking out for each other. It wasn’t about domination.
It was that of a man protecting his woman.
When he broke the contact of their mouths and lifted his head, he watched as she opened her eyes and looked directly up at him. Her eyes sparkled with heat but they also held something more, something that had him confused.
Her eyes held fear.
Chapter 6
That emotion hit him hard. Was she afraid of him? Surely not. God, no. She’d never feared him, never, and he didn’t want that to start now. He sought to reassure her. “Ali-”
“Let me go.”
“Honey, it’s all right-”
“No, it isn’t!” Almost frantically she shoved at his arms. “Ty, let me go!”
Reacting to her panic, he complied, but although he removed his arms from her body he didn’t step back, placing his hands each side of her head to keep her caged in, not allowing her to run.
Oh yeah, he recognised that expression on her pretty face. Ali was looking to flee but it wasn’t going to happen, because if he let her go now she wouldn’t be hanging around for more talk. And he definitely wanted to talk.
Okay, he also definitely wanted to make hot, mind-blowing love to her, too, but he wasn’t a fool. Trying anything right now was going to only end up with his ears ringing from when she’d no doubt box them.
“Ali,” he began softly.
“Ty, no.” Her irregular breathing wasn’t solely from panic.
That, at least, made him even more determined. “I’m not going anywhere until we talk about this, Ali.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.” She made to duck under his arm so she could sidle away, but he foiled that attempt by simply dropping his arm while keeping his hand on the wall. When she immediately tried to skip free the other way, he repeated the action.
Trapped against the wall by his body at the front and his arms at the sides, Ali looked up at him and almost immediately glanced away.
The silence lengthened but he refused to be the one to break it. He wanted to talk, she wanted to avoid it, and he wasn’t giving in, not now. The longer the silence went on, the sooner she would have to break it.
Just as he’d known, she couldn’t keep the silence up for long. It wasn’t in her to keep looking away and finally she took a deep breath – which did interesting things to her breasts – and lifted her gaze to his.
Cheeks pink, she said softly, “Don’t make me do this, Ty. If you really care, you won’t make me do this.”
“If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t make you do this,” he replied just as quietly. “It’s because I do care that I’m forcing this talk.”
“There’s nothing to discuss,” she said. “What happened out at the river was something neither of us expected. It was the heat of the moment, all right?” Her cheeks flamed in embarrassment but there was no denying that little hitch in her breath.
Oh yeah, Ali might deny it, but she was still affected by what had happened between them.
“Maybe it was the heat of the moment,” he allowed. “But it was more than that, too.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
“Ali, what happened between us was much more than just comfort.”
“Pity sex doesn’t count,” she snapped.
“That wasn’t pity sex.” He refused to be drawn into a fight no matter how much she was now gunning for one. Another avoidance tactic he recognised. “It started as comfort, I agree, but it turned into much more.”
“It was nothing.” Cheeks red, she looked away before forcing her gaze back up to his. “A spur of the moment thing. It meant nothing then, it means nothing now.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” He kept his eyes trained on her, keeping his words quiet but putting a thread of steel into his tone. Going too soft on Ali now would be worse. “I don’t know how or why, but something happened at the river that night. One second I was comforting you and the next I was wondering what you tasted like.” When her eyes widened, he nodded, continuing huskily, “So I kissed you. That kiss was magic. It was also not enough. I wanted you, Ali. I wanted to make love to you, to have you.” His gaze dropped, skimming over her breasts as he added with a low, heated rasp, “I wanted to be inside you.” Lifting his gaze again, he ensnared hers. “Being inside you was like nothing I could ever imagine. It was right.”
She shook her head. “No, it was wrong.”
“Why?” he demanded bluntly.
“We’re like brother and sister, Ty, it is wrong.”
“Have you forgotten that we’re not brother and sister?”
“We’re best friends.”
“So?”
“Friends don’t do…that.” She gestured with one hand.
“Lovers have started before as friends,” Ghost stated.
“We’re not lovers.”
“Yeah, we are.”
At this bold statement her mouth dropped open.
Bending his elbows, Ghost leaned down towards her, gaining great satisfaction from seeing her eyes widen further. “Friends to lovers. Friends and lovers.”
“No.”
Time to push. “What are you so afraid of?”
“I’m not…I don’t…”
“You can’t even answer that question.”
“I’m not afraid.”
“So you don’t like me?”
“Of course I like you!”
“You loathed my touch?”
Her cheeks flamed, but gamely she held his gaze. “No.”
“So you liked it.” At the flare of heat in her eyes, he smiled to himself.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“I’m not going anywhere until we hash this out.”
“There’s nothing to hash out!”
He studied her for several seconds, weighing his words. “Ali, I’ve developed feelings for you that are definitely more than friendly.”
She swallowed.
“I’m laying it on the line here.” Removing one hand from the wall, he cupped her chin, the movement both reassuring by his thumb rubbing gently along her jawline while controlling by refusing to allow her to shrug away. “I’m prepared to do what it takes to go further with you, Ali. I want you, I won’t hide it. I know you felt something at the river, too.”
“No, I d-didn’t,” she stammered.
“I know you too well.” There was no way he was going to let her go this easily. “Your response to me then, the heat in your eyes now.” At her gesture of denial, he leaned further down, narrowing his eyes, refusing to give her an inch. “Really, Ali? Are you really going to tell me that you felt nothing at the river? Was it just lust? You don’t give yourself to men, I know you. Something happened that night, at least admit that much.”
For a second he thought she was going to continue de
nying it but then she did the unexpected. Her lashes dropped, covering her eyes, a sudden tear spilling down her cheek.
That reaction stunned him. All he could do was stare at that tear, watch it slide down until it was caught on the side of his hand. His heart clenched, his gut tightened as he gently wiped it away with his finger.
A sudden horrible thought occurred to him. Was he wrong? Could he really be wrong? Was he pushing her to admit something she didn’t feel? Had it all been on his part only? Oh Jesus, was he harassing her? Did she feel nothing? Was he just grasping at straws?
His heart fell when she kept her gaze down. “Ali?”
When at first she didn’t respond, he was almost convinced that she didn’t feel anything, that it was all on his side, and he reached for her, even in his horrified – and yes, chagrined state – wanting to comfort her, but she lifted those thick eyelashes to look up at him, the raw agony in her eyes making him freeze.
“No,” she whispered. “I won’t deny it. But I don’t want it, either.”
Her answer both stunned and hurt him, especially as the ring of truth was clear in her tone.
Immediately she was stricken, reaching out to touch his cheek, her movement bringing her close to him.
He continued to look down at her, unable to push away even though his heart lurched sickeningly in his chest. “Why, Ali? I have to know. Why don’t you want me?”
“You really don’t know?” She shook her head. “I can’t believe you can be that thick, Ty.”
Okay, that was unexpected. He actually blinked. “The lovemaking was that bad? I was that bad?”
“No.” She struggled to say something, then it rushed out. “It was wonderful. Amazing, even.” Her cheeks were fiery red but she didn’t look away. “But it can’t happen again.”
“I don’t understand.” He so needed to understand.
“You’re my friend, Ty. My best friend. You’ve been there for me through everything. I could call on you for any reason.”
“Yes.” Bewildered, he could only look at her.
“A relationship like you’re talking about, it changes everything.”
“No, it doesn’t,” he replied.
“Everything,” she repeated. “We won’t be friends anymore, it brings complications. I don’t want complications with you, Ty. I don’t want things to change.”
Call On Me Page 13
