In a Dark Embrace

by Simone Bern

  Lee moved aside. “Come on in. I have a couple of beers in the fridge—that do? I really don’t feel like going out.”

  “I’ll pop home and change. See you in a few.”

  Alicia reappeared in jeans and a tank top. She was carrying a bottle of wine. Lee wordlessly brought out glasses. Alicia didn’t like beer.

  Lee sank onto the sofa sipping the fruity pinot noir. “Thanks for the wine. It’s good.”

  “Welcome. Small vineyard in California. We just started carrying it.” Alicia took a long appreciative swallow. “Mmmm…it is good. So talk to me. My life has been dull as dishwater. Tell me about yours.”

  Even though she had taken up Alicia’s offer to listen Lee suddenly didn’t feel like going into the details of her previous night. “How’s Nick?”

  “Gone.”

  “Really? Why? He was rich, good-looking, sophisticated. Seemed exactly what you’d ordered.”

  “Yeah, but he was just getting over an ugly divorce and custody battle. I got tired of hearing about his ex.” Alicia groaned. “Why are all the available men so badly flawed? I mean, we’re not.”

  “Hell no. We’re perfect,” Lee said sarcastically. “I’m a bitch in heat, running from hot to cold and you…you’re too good to be true. Must drive a man crazy trying to scratch that buff surface.”

  Alicia blinked. “I really should demand you explain that statement. But I’ll let it go. Things aren’t all sunshine and roses with Jeremy then? He seems like a decent guy. If noisy.”

  Lee’s lips twitched involuntarily. “There have been a few storms.”

  “He’s got a temper?”

  “And then some. But I provoke him.”

  “You would.” Alicia took another sip. Her expression was serious as she looked up at Lee. “You know, I am aware of the fact that my drive for perfection keeps men at a distance. I want everything to be just so and that makes it hard for a guy to fit in. I’ve got to learn to shake up the order of my life. Maybe let a little chaos in. I think that’s why I like being with you. There’s something wild and untamed about you. Figure if I can handle this relationship, maybe a man won’t be so hard.”

  Lee chuckled. There was definitely a bit of that “opposites attract” thing between her and Alicia. “Glad I can be of service.”

  “Has it occurred to you that maybe it would also be good if some of my steadiness rubbed off on you?” Alicia asked carefully.

  “Jeremy doesn’t go for polished.”

  “That’s not what I meant.” Alicia sounded exasperated. “Most people don’t like balancing on a teeter-totter all the time. You said it yourself, you run hot and cold, you provoke him. Leveling out a little wouldn’t be a bad thing. I’m sure Jeremy would want—”

  “He wants too fucking much,” Lee snapped. “I mean, my god, we only just met.”

  “And you’ve both fallen hard. But he’s willing to admit it and you aren’t.”

  Lee glared at her friend. “It’s way too early to start talking about love.”

  “Is it? He’s obviously crazy about you. Wants to be the best thing that ever happened to you—his words. And he looks like the kind of guy who knows what he wants and goes after it.”

  “Infatuation.” Lee waved her free hand in a dismissive gesture. “It’ll die down quick enough when he gets to know the real me.” Although she said the words firmly Lee couldn’t quite believe them. Last night he had seen her tear-streaked, raging and needy. Maybe labeling Jeremy’s feelings as infatuation wasn’t fair.

  Alicia plowed on. “You let Ryan in and he hurt you by turning to someone else. Now you think Jeremy will do the same. Find you somehow…lacking, once he gets to know you.”

  Lee jerked in surprise. Jeremy wasn’t going to dump her. It was far more likely she would dump him. Oh hell, was she planning a preemptive strike? “Shit, who’s the counselor in this room?”

  Alicia smiled wanly. “I took a psych class or two with my business degree. And I read a lot of women’s magazines.”

  Lee slumped back against the cushioned seat. “Okay. Fine. You’re right. I’m terrified to let Jeremy get too close. Both because of my past and his. You have no idea how many women he’s been with.”

  “He’s absolutely gorgeous. Of course he’s been with tons of women. But is he treating you like a fling?”

  “No.” Lee hesitated then admitted, “I think he’s dreaming about wedding vows and kids. Has me totally freaked.”

  “So he’s serious. And you can’t stop yourself from testing him. Throwing out barriers, poking a stick into sensitive spots…”

  Alicia had it bang on. Flirting with Eric had been the equivalent of stabbing Jeremy’s sensitive spot with a two-by-four. And the way she kept insisting that he would turn to other women, bringing up his previous relationships…those were barriers that she was creating. Lee put down the wine and scrubbed her face with both hands.

  “I’m too tired to think about this today. But I will. I promise.”

  “I didn’t mean to force you into self-therapy. Let’s drop the subject. Do you want to whine about work now? Or would you rather fill me in on your sex life? My ears tell me that part of the relationship is going splendidly.”

  Lee grinned. “He’s terrific in bed—or anywhere else for that matter. We’re going to work our way through the Kama Sutra.”

  “Sounds yummy. Don’t suppose he has a brother?”

  “No, but he has a really gorgeous friend.” Lee described Eric and saw the interest grow in Alicia’s eyes. They would look great together, both tall, blond and beautiful.

  “And he doesn’t have a girlfriend?”

  “Nothing steady as far as I can tell.”

  “Well, if there’s ever an opportunity…” Alicia’s voice trailed off wistfully.

  “I’ll see if I can introduce you,” Lee offered and felt only a small pang at letting go of her back-pocket guy.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Jeremy buzzed just as she was draining the pasta. She’d made a chicken curry sauce to serve over the linguini. It was a quick, simple meal.

  He sniffed as soon as she opened the door. “Smells great.”

  “Still in uniform? How sexy.” Lee smiled and ran her hands over his chest before heading back into the kitchen. She wasn’t wearing anything special tonight—just a pair of shorts and a tank top. She wanted him to eat while the food was hot.

  Jeremy dove into the meal like a starving man. He polished off one large serving and went back for a second. Reading the question in her eyes, he said, “I didn’t have time to grab anything after work. Came straight here. Hope you don’t mind…”

  He sounded a bit sheepish about how much he was eating. His appetite was probably another aspect that he had to hide from others.

  “I made lots. Finish it off if you want.” She grinned at him. “You’ll need the energy for later.”

  “I love…the way I don’t have to pretend with you.”

  She eyed him warily, wondering if that was what he had intended to say. She shrugged. At least he liked her cooking.

  After dinner they sat out on her patio, enjoying the evening sunshine. He held her hand and played with her fingers.

  “Remember…you offered,” he said hesitantly. She started to smirk at his words but then he added, “I brought you something from the girl.”

  The mention of the missing girl pushed all her more pleasant thoughts aside and brought Lee to her feet. “Let’s go then.”

  “Go?”

  “For a walk. I have to touch the earth.”

  He nodded his understanding and went to fetch his sports bag. “Here, her brush.”

  She examined the brush and pulled off a few strands of long blonde hair. “You’re sure these are hers?”

  “Her mother has short blonde hair. No sisters. Those should be hers.”

  Lee grabbed a light jacket and slipped on some sandals. There was a small park close by that would do for this task. She clutched the coiled strands in one han
d and held on to Jeremy with the other. In the park Lee kicked off her sandals. She took a deep breath and sank her consciousness into the ground. Then she held out the hair and murmured, “You connect like to like. Lead me through earth to your match.”

  She closed her eyes and opened her senses. Her spell flailed about like the loose end of a rope in a heavy wind.

  “Nothing,” she told Jeremy. There was no answering point to anchor it.

  “That’s good news then.”

  “Could be, if she’s locked up inside somewhere. Of course if she’s in a dumpster, or is in a plastic bag…”

  “I see.” His face was grim. “Thanks for trying.”

  Lee scratched a hole in the dirt beside a sad clump of pansies and pressed the bunched-up strands into it as if she were planting a seed. “I’ll check every day. If she touches the earth somewhere I’ll know it. My spell will keep seeking.”

  “So even if she goes out at night…you’ll know.”

  “When I come here and check, yes.”

  He sighed. “That’s a better lead than what I’ve got so far. It’s like she just vanished.”

  Lee took his hand and they walked back to her apartment. She could tell that this case was wearing on Jeremy. She gave his fingers a squeeze. He looked down at her with a small smile.

  “Sorry. I should leave work at the office.”

  “Not when it’s something like this. You wouldn’t be human if this case didn’t haunt you.”

  “But I’m not human.”

  She shot him a sideways glance. “Sure you are. As human as me. We’re not a different species.”

  “I guess humans and werewolves do interbreed.” He paused. “You ever hear of a witch and a werewolf…”

  “No. But I haven’t asked. You?”

  He shook his head. “I haven’t asked either. Told my dad about you but he wasn’t exactly in a helpful mood.”

  Lee didn’t say anything. Her mom had called a few days ago and they’d talked for a good long while. She hadn’t mentioned Jeremy. Lee told herself that it was because she didn’t want her mother to get all excited so early in a new relationship.

  “I think my dad will leave us alone, even though he wasn’t pleased about you knowing. Still, if you do happen to sense another werewolf…be careful.”

  Her back stiffened. “Be careful? He could kill me. That was stupid, Jeremy.” She was suddenly furious with him. “Why the hell did you have to go and tell your father?”

  “Because I wanted him to know about you, all right?” he snapped back at her. “I had this insane hope that the two of you might want to meet.”

  “So we could sit around the family dinner table like Mr. and Mrs. Normal and talk about the weather? Geez, Jeremy, get real. I don’t appreciate having you sic your father on me.”

  Jeremy lengthened his stride and stalked off in front of her. She let him go. Inside him there was a knot of pain and anger that she had no motivation to tackle. They got to her building and she unlocked the main door. He stepped through after her then turned toward the right.

  “I’m taking the stairs,” he said.

  She punched the button for the elevator in silence.

  He was waiting in front of her door, panting slightly. Bloody idiot must have run up all fifteen flights of stairs. However he did seem calmer. She opened the door and dropped her keys on the side table.

  “So are we going to finish the argument now?” she demanded as she threw herself onto the sofa.

  Jeremy walked into her line of sight and stared down at her. “Look, I’m sorry my father is such an uptight asshole. He’s got his reasons but…well, I thought he would understand about you being like us.”

  She glared up at him. “But he didn’t. He threatened to kill me. Right?”

  “Yes.” Jeremy managed to look both miserable and angry at the same time. “I told him you could defend yourself. And I told him they’d have to go through me first. That put him off. I don’t—”

  “So the wolf pack isn’t willing to fight you to get at me? Gee, how nice.”

  “Oh, they’d beat me bloody quick enough,” Jeremy said grimly. “But Dad knows it could go farther than that and he doesn’t want to see me get killed. He figures I’ll step aside when things between us…”

  Lee sucked in a breath and jumped off the sofa. “Are you saying that, if we break up I can expect a pack of werewolves to hunt me down? You shit. You big, dumb shit. How dare you threat—”

  “Calm down, Lee. No matter what happens between us I won’t stand aside and let them at you. Never, Lee. Understand?”

  She stood there, still breathing heavily in her anger. “What if I really piss you off? What if you hate me after we’re through? What if you catch me fucking some other guy? Will you still be willing to put your life on the line for me?”

  He winced noticeably at her words and the knot was back, tighter than before. “Yes. Because no matter what I feel about you it’s my responsibility. I let you see what I am. It was my doing.”

  “So at least I get the satisfaction of knowing you’re already dead,” she said sarcastically. “Before they come to kill me.”

  “It won’t happen. They’ll probably leave you alone. Unless you turned on us, were going to tell people about me… Then I’d have to…”

  Anguish poured out of him. She narrowed her eyes. “Yes, Jeremy, what then?”

  “It won’t happen. You have as much to hide as I do,” he said curtly. “Which is what I thought my father would understand.”

  Lee stared at him in silence. If she threatened his pack would he be the one who came to kill her? It made sense in a twisted kind of way. The anger drained away and she felt like crying.

  “This is such shit, Jeremy.” She sat down and buried her face in her hands.

  He knelt in front of her and pulled her hands away. “I’m sorry, Lee. I still think, if you two met… He’s damn smart and if he could just get to know you I think he would change his tune.”

  He wanted this so badly. She looked into his earnest blue eyes and said, “Okay. I’ll meet him if he is willing to give me a chance.”

  “Thank you,” he said softly and stroked her face.

  She reached out and tugged his head down. They shared a soft, exploratory kiss. She dropped her burdens of anger and fear as she experienced the tender joy he was feeling. His pulse quickened and the kiss became hungrier. She ran her hands down his chest and around his back, pulling him closer.

  “Lee, I…” She heard the rest of his sentence in her head but he changed it before he spoke.

  “I want to see you naked,” he murmured in her ear. “I want to kiss every curve and hollow on your body.”

  “I think I can arrange that,” she replied, both relieved and a bit saddened by what he chose to leave unsaid.

  She got up and walked toward the bedroom, dropping clothing as she went. She lay down on the bed and smiled an invitation up at him. He slowly pulled off his shirt and jeans, all the while looking at her with a burning intensity. Desire spiked in her, hard and hot. She raised her arms and grabbed the bars of the headboard as she spread her legs. An answering surge of powerful lust shot through him and she laughed.

  “Come, my darling wolf, worship me.”

  He started by kissing her left wrist, making his way to the inside of her elbow and then to her rounded shoulder. By the time he got to her breasts both nipples were rigid and aching for his mouth. When he reached her crotch her hands were gripping the bars as she forced herself to hold still. She longed to pull him on top of her but she wanted him to continue his leisurely exploration even more. His hands gently but firmly moved her legs farther apart so he could swirl his tongue in the hollow behind her knee. He nibbled on her calves then kissed both sides of her ankles.

  Lee moaned. “Oh god, Jeremy. That was wonderful.”

  He lifted his head and smiled at her. “I have a whole other side to explore. Roll over, little witch.”

  “I don’t know how
much longer I can wait.”

  It was his turn to laugh as he tossed her onto her stomach. The hot mouth and probing tongue continued, moving slowly up from her feet. She was panting well before he licked the crack of her ass and then lifted her up slightly to bury his face in her cunt.

  “You smell like sex, hot and delicious,” he said hoarsely.

  She felt him rising up and whimpered in anticipation. His cock entered her with a hard, deep thrust. She hung on to the bed rails and bit into the blanket. His fingers dug into her thighs as he held her ass up to fuck with furious passion.

  “Scream for me,” he urged between quickening breaths.

  Lee lifted her head and let out a small cry.

  “No, damn you. I want to hear you scream.” Jeremy plunged into her even harder then held still as he hissed. “Do you want me to keep fucking you?”

  She moaned a yes.

  “Then stop holding back. To hell with the neighbors. I need you to lose it.”

  He pulled out and thrust deeply again. Lee gave up all attempts at controlling her voice and allowed the wild screams to come with her climax. He grunted and howled along with her. All the tension of the day seemed to drain out of both of them as they orgasmed with noisy enthusiasm.

  “Talk about scream therapy,” she said with amusement. “There are some clients I need to recommend this to.”

  “As long as their shrink isn’t involved in the therapy I would support that advice.”

  “Never fuck a client. Therapist’s first rule.”

  “Good. Then there are a few guys I’d like to send to your practice.”

  “Yah, well, if they’re sexy young studs I’ll pass them on to one of my partners. A girl’s gotta keep her options open.” The quip came automatically. Lee regretted it as soon as the words were out of her mouth. When would she stop forcing this distance between them?

  * * * * *

  Lee jotted down some final notes and closed the file. Her belly rumbled. It was a quarter past seven and she was starving. Usually she scheduled in a break around four but everything had run late today and her half-hour break got eaten up by clients.

  She pulled on her GORE-TEX jacket and went to find her favorite deli. It was a miserable day out. The weather had shifted from summer sunshine to cool and wet. The deli was nearly deserted, those looking for a quick, cheap dinner having long ago filed through. She sat on a stool and looked out at the few people who passed by, huddled under umbrellas.