Her breath caught. Does he lie in bed while we’re playing? She couldn’t keep the image of him doing it naked from entering her mind.
A soft rap at her door yanked her from her fantasy.
“Just a second,” she called out as she scampered from under the covers, only then glancing at the clock. It was already a quarter past ten. She’d slept half the day away. Groaning, she patted her hair down, trying to tame it, yet knowing nothing short of a shower would do the trick. She straightened her top and made sure her shorts were in order before opening the door.
The air whooshed out of her lungs. Luca, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt that stretched over his muscles like a second skin, was a sight first thing in the morning. She’d been with him the day before and had felt his strength through his light sweater, but this put him on a whole new playing field. It also made her a hell of a lot more self-conscious about being rumpled and just out of bed than she had been a minute ago.
“Good morning,” he said, his voice chipper and full of energy.
Maybe she could channel her inner wolf and growl at him. Being built like a god didn’t give him the right to be happy in the morning. At least, not until she had a cup of coffee in her. “Morning.”
He took one look at her from head to toe, and his grin widened. So much for being perfect.
“I’ve got breakfast and coffee ready.”
Maybe she shouldn’t growl at him after all. She reached up and bunched her hair in her fist, intent on pulling it all to one side in the hopes of keeping it from looking too wild. The move stretched her tank top over her breasts and exposed a strip of skin on her lower belly, drawing Luca’s gaze. “Do I have time for a quick shower?” she asked, pausing before bringing her arms down again.
Luca cleared his throat and sucked in a breath. “Uh, yeah, of course. I’ll wait for you in the kitchen.”
Forgetting her morning grumpiness, she let her smile loose. A flustered Luca was almost as sexy as the confident one she’d seen sitting behind his computer the day before. If it weren’t for the fact that she hadn’t yet brushed her teeth, she might have pulled him inside and crawled back into bed.
“I’ll be right down,” she said, closing the door slowly, not breaking his gaze until it clicked shut.
***
Luca stared at his bedroom door, willing himself to go to the kitchen, but his feet wouldn’t move. Knowing his mate was in there, removing those barely-there shorts and tight tank top from her body, sent all his blood pooling into his dick. With her hair mussed from sleep and the drowsiness in her voice, it took all the strength he possessed not to barge right in and join her in the shower.
His mate was smart, witty, and hot as hell. With a grunt, he forced himself to turn away. She was human—for now—and although he hadn’t given a second thought to taking her in his arms and making love to her the day before, now he wasn’t so sure.
Knowing one another online was one thing, but, as Rylee had so kindly reminded him that morning, that didn’t equate to knowing someone in person. She’d suggested giving Kaitlin some time to adjust to being there and letting her call the shots where their lovemaking was concerned. Just because it made sense, and Kaitlin deserved whatever time she needed, didn’t make it any easier on him—or his wolf. They didn’t have a single doubt, but they’d wait until she made the next move to be sure she didn’t, either.
Leaning against the counter, Niko lifted his mug to his lips, taking a drink of his coffee, an amused look on his face.
“What?”
His brother waved a hand toward him. “You, that’s what. You’ve got a huge ass smile on your face, and you’re walking around with a boner for fuck’s sake.”
Luca didn’t bother denying either. “I can’t help it. Have you seen her? She’s fucking gorgeous.”
“I’m happy for you, bro.” Niko’s brows furrowed. “Where the hell did you go last night? I saw your furry ass out in the yard around three thirty.”
Shrugging, he grabbed two mugs from the cupboard and filled both. “Just checking the property. We were late coming back in, and I thought I caught the scent of a wolf—not one of ours. Didn’t see or smell anything while I was out there, though. Probably just carried in with the wind.”
Niko stared at him, his frown deepening. “I’ll let Jax know. It wouldn’t hurt for the pack to watch for strangers.”
It was no secret that Luca preferred to keep to himself, but he could deal with talking to their Alpha. “I’ll call him,” he said.
The surprised look on his brother’s face proved just how much he’d allowed him to take charge with those kinds of things over the years. “Great. I’m going to fire up the old tractor and plow the driveway then. Rylee wants to get some groceries and have a visit with Maple today. Do you need anything in town?”
“I don’t think so. I’ll check with Kaitlin and let you know before you go.”
Before he could change his mind, Luca dialed the Alpha’s number and pressed the phone to his ear. His heart rate ticked up a notch, but he took a deep breath and blew it out. Thankfully, Niko was already out of the kitchen.
Jaxon answered on the second ring. “Luca, good to hear from you, man. Any new developments?”
“Hey, Jaxon. No, not yet. We had a late night last night. We’ll be getting back to work soon. I’ll keep you posted.”
“So, what’s up? Not to be rude, but I don’t think you’ve ever called me. It’s always Niko.” The Alpha didn’t mince words, which Luca appreciated most of the time. Now, not so much.
“I caught the scent of a wolf here at the farm last night. I was wondering if the pack could keep their eyes open. It’s been a while since we’ve had issues, but we can’t be too careful.” He didn’t bother responding to the other comments. Jax was right. Luca never called anyone except Niko.
“I take it you went out looking?” Jaxon asked, all business.
“Either the wind blew the scent our way from town, or the storm filled in the tracks. Either way, I didn’t find anything. We’ll keep our guard up, though.”
“Listen, be careful. A lot of powerful people want to get their hands on that hard drive you have. Are you sure you don’t want to go to a more secure location to do the work?”
A few days ago, he would have given the Alpha a definitive no, but it wasn’t just him he had to consider. He had to make sure Kaitlin was safe, too. If the vamps figured out he still had the hard drive instead of it being in Blue Creek, they could have issues. A rogue wolf was one thing, but a vampire—or worse, a nest of vampires—was another thing altogether.
“We’ll sit tight for now. I’ll do nightly patrols. Keep my eyes open.”
Jaxon paused, then heaved a heavy sigh. “Listen, I’m going to put this out there, and I want you to pay attention. Maybe I should have stepped in sooner where your safety was concerned, but you’re your own man. There’s more at stake now. Think about that. You can’t go half-cocked and take the kinds of chances you were taking with a mate to protect.”
He’d get nowhere denying his recklessness in the past. Other than Niko, Jaxon knew him better than just about anyone. Up until that point, in the face of an enemy, he’d been ruthless. Luca would charge ahead, choosing to put himself in the path of danger with the intention of keeping it from his family—his pack—but he wasn’t alone anymore. “Got it.”
Keeping her safe was one thing but ensuring she didn’t put herself at risk when he wasn’t around was another altogether. It would be stupid of him to expect her to blindly follow orders if he wasn’t honest with her, even if it was to protect her.
Having seen the lengths at which the vampires had gone to retrieve the hard drive in the first place, he wasn’t foolish enough to think they’d given up. Once Kaitlin knew what was at stake and what they faced, if she chose to go back to Philly, he’d let her go.
Eleven
Kaitlin showered in record time, all the while cursing herself for sleeping in. They’d gotten to bed late—really
late—but that was no excuse for neglecting her work. She just hoped they could make some headway on the hard drive before she had to send Mrs. Wagner another update.
Dressed in jeans and a form-fitting, purple sweater that made her eyes pop, she headed to the kitchen, finding Luca waiting for her. He leaned against the counter, his legs crossed at the ankles, with a massive cup in his grip. First things first, she needed to figure out how to get her paws on one of those mugs—preferably filled with some java that would whip the drowsiness from her brain in less time than it took to chug it back.
Before she could venture a guess at which cupboard to rifle through, Luca reached to his side and lifted a matching cup from the counter.
She wrapped her fingers around the hot ceramic and brought it to her nose for a good, long sniff. Heaven.
He sipped his coffee, not bothering to hide his slow perusal over her as he did. “Sugar or milk?”
“Sugar, please.”
“You got it, babe.” He dragged the bowl closer, then watched as she fixed it the way she liked it.
The first drink burned all the way down, but she didn’t care as coffee goodness burst onto her taste buds.
Luca’s lips quirked up at the corners. “Do you need a few minutes alone with your cup?” The laughter in his voice should have been annoying as hell first thing in the morning. It wasn’t. Oddly enough, having him there with her didn’t bother her at all.
“As long as you don’t start whistling or singing, we should be okay,” she responded before taking another drink.
Careful not to knock into her mug, he leaned in close and pressed his lips to hers. “Once you’re more awake, there are a few things we need to talk about.” The playfulness that had been present just a moment before disappeared.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah, for now. Go ahead and have your coffee. It’ll wait.” For the next few minutes, Luca busied himself making toast, slicing up fruit, and pouring orange juice. “Want some eggs or bacon?”
She glanced at the mounting pile of food. “No, thank you. Are Niko and Rylee joining us for breakfast?” As important as the first meal of the day was, she never ate a lot in the morning.
Noticing where her gaze had landed, he shrugged. “No, just us. Niko and Rylee went into town. So, I guess you don’t want eight pieces of toast?”
His sheepish grin drew hers out.
“That might be a bit much. I’ll have one, though. And some fruit. Thanks for making it.”
Luca took a mason jar of homemade jelly and some peanut butter from the cupboard before joining her at the table. He didn’t say a word while she prepared her toast or when he fixed his. He opened his mouth to speak, but then his brows dipped down at the center of his forehead, and he closed it again.
“What’s up?” she asked as she took a bite. “Did we get in trouble for not starting our day earlier?”
“No, of course not. We worked late. It’s not like we’ve been slacking. If your boss has anything to say about it, we’ll set her straight.”
“So why are you frowning?”
Luca took another drink before placing his now empty mug off to the side. “Remember last night when I scented something in the yard?”
She nodded but remained silent.
“It was an unfamiliar wolf. It could be nothing, but other than our farm, there’s not much else out here. The property is well marked. There’s no reason for a wolf to be in this part of the woods.”
Kaitlin didn’t want to know how they marked the property. She had a funny feeling that it wasn’t with no trespassing signs. “So why would they have come?”
“Best guess? The hard drive. When Rylee came to Dexter, she was looking for it. That’s how she and Niko met. But she wasn’t alone. Things got crazy pretty damned fast.”
“So, you think the wolves that were after her are back?”
Luca shook his head and set his breakfast aside, having had half, and focused his attention on her. “What do you know about the paranormal world?”
She hesitated, gathering her thoughts. Shifters might not be in hiding as they once were, but their existence still wasn’t known to all. “I’m aware of wolf shifters, and although I’ve never met one—that I know of—I’ve heard of big cat shifters, and bears, too. Other than that, not a lot. Everyone keeps things pretty hush-hush. The information I do have is because of my job at Howlers, Inc., and most of that I got from overhearing conversations while I was hard at work in my cubicle. A lot of people underestimate humans—especially quiet ones who don’t cause a fuss.”
“Okay. Anything else?”
Heat spread up from her chest into her neck, and then warmed her cheeks. She had no real reason for her beliefs. No proof. Not even a hint of anything to validate it, but deep down, she suspected there had to be more. She couldn’t help but imagine dragons and phoenixes flying in the sky, and mermaids swimming in the oceans. “You’re going to think I’m crazy if I’m wrong.”
Luca picked up the hand she’d rested on her thigh and entwined his fingers between hers before lifting her knuckles to his lips for a soft kiss. “I won’t. I promise you that.”
“I swear, if you laugh at me, I’m going to smack you,” she warned before taking a deep breath. “I have no proof, but I suspect there’s more out there than shifters. Probably a figment of my overactive imagination, or maybe I just watched too much TV as a kid, but if men and women turning into wolves is a thing, then maybe other creatures exist, too.”
She could almost see the tension draining from his back and shoulders as he nodded, agreeing with what she was saying. “I take it my assumptions aren’t completely off base?”
“No, they’re not. This isn’t the kind of stuff we can discuss openly. It would cause mass chaos and panic all over the world if the information got out. You have to understand that the only reason I can share it with you is because you’re my mate. Even then, many of our elders would disagree or even try to keep me from telling you.”
Maybe his reluctance should scare her, but her heart rate kicked up a notch, and excitement buzzed in her veins. Whatever was out there hadn’t shown up overnight, and she’d never heard of them until now. Maybe there wasn’t that much to be afraid of. “Okay, so I can’t go to the media with this,” she kidded, hoping to alleviate more of the tension still radiating from him.
“This is serious. You can’t even tell your family, Kaitlin. No one can know.” He held her gaze, not an ounce of humor shining in his eyes.
“Serious. Got it. The secret dies with me.”
“I knew if anyone would be able to help me crack this, it would be you. I wasn’t thinking about the risk involved, only that I wanted you closer. Both Niko and Jaxon tried to warn me, but I didn’t listen. I’m sorry about that.”
The excitement that had filled her moments before morphed into something darker. “Jesus, you’re scaring me. Just tell me what you have to say, Luca.”
She lifted her cup to her lips and took a sip of her coffee. Maybe a bit more caffeine wouldn’t hurt.
“Vampires, Kaitlin. They’re real, and they want to get their hands on the hard drive we’re decoding.” Luca stiffened until he sat there like a statue, not even breathing.
The coffee she’d been about to swallow threatened to come spewing out again, but she held it in long enough for it to reach her stomach.
“Vampires?” she squeaked. “I thought you said you scented a wolf.”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “I did. But that doesn’t mean vampires aren’t around. Rylee came to Dexter to find the hard drive. We almost lost her when the vampire caught up to her.”
Air she hadn’t realized she’d been holding whooshed out of her lungs. Her heart thumped against her ribs. “So, I’ll stay indoors from dusk until dawn.”
Luca grunted and shoved away from the table, making his chair scrape against the floor, the angry sound jangling her nerves even higher. “It’s not that simple. Those with money can get away wit
h being out in the daylight. And vampires live long. They have plenty of time to make their fortunes.”
He paced away from her, and when he turned to face her again, grim determination made his features tight. “I think you should go back to Philly. I doubt that they’ll know about you yet. The longer you stay, the more danger you’ll be in.”
Part of her wanted to take the out he offered, but nothing was ever that easy. There were too many what-ifs that needed answers. “And if they do know about me?” Not only would she be in more danger on her own, but Luca would be at higher risk, too. If what he said was true, they could use her to get to him.
A low growl filled the kitchen. “I never should have brought you here. That was fucking selfish of me. I can have you brought to a safe location. One where you’d be guarded until this all blows over.”
She huffed and rose from her chair to meet him halfway as he came toward her again, poking her finger into one of his hard pecs. “And what about you? Will you come with me?” If there was that much danger around, she didn’t want him in the middle of it, either.
He looked down at her finger still pressed to his chest, then grasped it and brought it to his lips. “I’ll be fine.”
“Good. Then I will be, too.”
“Kaitlin.”
She shook her head, silencing what was sure to be another protest. She’d been hired to do a job. They weren’t even sure if there were any vampires around. “I’m not leaving. Now, are you ready to get to work? My boss is going to want a progress report soon.”
Twelve
Kaitlin stared at her monitor, willing the answer to pop out of the coding and scream at her. It didn’t—never did—but she wished it would. Once she and Luca had gotten to work, neither of them had spoken a whole lot more than a few words to either verify information or ask a question, which suited her fine. She needed some time to digest what he’d told her. A break might do wonders for her to reclaim her focus but doing that meant thinking of other things. Scarier things that up until three and a half hours ago, she hadn’t even known existed.
Hacking That Sass: Sassy Ever After Page 6
