Taber

by Aliyah Burke

  “What can I do for you, Mr Ellis?”

  She’d known it was him. The joy that knowledge gave him faded the second her voice resonated with him. It was distant.

  “Taber,” he said.

  She shut the folder and pushed to her feet. “What can I do for you, Taber?”

  “We need to talk.”

  “Now isn’t a good time for me. I’m due out by the Siberian enclosure.”

  He frowned. “That can wait.”

  “Actually, it can’t. As you so aptly put when you hired me, you’re not paying me to sit behind a desk. Excuse me.”

  She brushed by him before he knew what had hit him. And he was left alone in her office with just the tantalising scent of her as a reminder she had been there.

  Chapter Five

  Four weeks. Four fucking weeks since she’d learnt, or rather discovered, that Taber Ellis wasn’t all he had portrayed. She was still angry over his unwillingness to tell her who, or what, he truly was.

  “Knock, knock.”

  Glancing up from her desk, she spied Candace in the doorway. Her friend looked radiant in a peach dress. Hell, the dress wasn’t the reason, it was the fact she was so much in love—it showed on her face and in everything she did.

  Lainey quickly quashed her feelings of betrayal, which surfaced when she saw Candace. They’d talked the night she’d discovered the truth and she was trying not to harbour any resentment towards her friend. She was trying to get used to the idea that Candace was also immortal and able to shift shape and do other things. Lainey hadn’t pushed for too many details about exactly what that meant, since she was still trying to come to terms with what she’d learnt.

  “Hey. What can I do for you?”

  “I wanted to know if you had time to talk.”

  “Sure, I’m finishing up for the night. I don’t have to long but come on in and sit down while I take care of this last little bit.”

  Candace did, and Lainey dropped her gaze back to the notes in front of her. It didn’t take her much longer to get it all entered into her computer and as she logged off, she cast a final glance out towards Kali’s enclosure. The lynx was nowhere in sight, but she felt better having taken a last look anyway.

  “What’s up?” she asked her friend as she got up and grabbed her purse from the lowest desk drawer.

  “Have you talked to Taber?”

  “Not unless it pertains to work, no. Why?”

  She was respectful to him and didn’t shirk her work just because of what they had gone through, but any time he made to exchange small talk with her, she had brushed him off.

  “He’s different.”

  Lainey snorted. “You got that right. But then, you already knew all about that.”

  “Don’t be mad, Lainey.”

  She sat on her desk and rested her feet in her chair as she stared at Candace who’d settled in on her sofa.

  “Why not? Why am I not entitled to be pissed?”

  “It wasn’t my place to tell you.”

  “I never said it was, although as my friend, I would have assumed you’d look out for me.”

  “I’m Taber’s friend too,” she said softly.

  “Apparently.” Lainey heard the hurt in her own tone. “Look, I’m not—well, I’m trying not to be mad at you. We’ve been friends for a long time, Candace, and it’s going to take something much more than that to come between us.” The worry on her friend’s face smoothed away. “That doesn’t mean Taber gets the same treatment.”

  “He didn’t mean—”

  “Don’t Candace. Please, respect me enough to not try and lie for him. We were fucking and I made the stupid assumption that we were being truthful with one another. I was wrong. That’s the bottom line. He lied to me. Any emotions I had for him died the second I realised he’d kept something like that from me.”

  “Is it because he is a god?”

  She blew out an exasperated breath. “At first I thought it was, but no. Now I know it’s not it. I don’t care if he ended up being some kind of Martian or otherworldly creature. The fact is he lied to me. You know how I feel about that, Candace. You know.”

  Candace lowered her head and nodded. “I know. But if…” she trailed off and crossed her arms over her chest. “I just want you happy. And I know you were happy when you were with Taber.”

  That was true. “I was, yes. But I was also happy before I met him. And I will be again.”

  Even as she spoke the words, Lainey knew she would be hard pressed to make it happen. Taber had changed every facet of her life, whether she wanted to admit it or not. However, the one thing she was not was a quitter. So no matter how hurt she was, she would carry on. And she wasn’t about to lose the opportunity to continue her work there. All she had to do was figure out a way to avoid him even more. Surely she could control her raging hormones the few times she was forced to be in his presence.

  The look on Candace’s face told her she had so much more to say. Thankfully, she kept it to herself. Another knock sounded and Lainey turned to see Talios leaning on the doorframe. Peeking back at her friend’s face, she couldn’t believe the amount of joy and love which filled her expression.

  “Hello, Lainey,” Talios said.

  “Talios.”

  Candace rose and moved gracefully to kiss the man she loved more than anything. Lainey sighed and got off her desk, purse in hand.

  “Care to join us for dinner?” Talios questioned, his arm draped around Candace.

  “No thank you. I have a prior engagement.”

  “Really?” Candace asked. “You didn’t mention it when I came in.”

  Tamping down her irritation she smiled. “You’re my friend, Candace. I will always make time for you.” She made a point of looking at her watch. “Now, though, if you will excuse me, I need to get going.”

  Talios stepped to the side and Lainey found herself with an eyeful of Taber Ellis. He wore dark slacks and a white button down, which was opened at the top to allow her a peep at the dark skin of his chest. Moisture hit her panties and she struggled not to pant like a bitch in heat.

  Christ. This is just from looking at him, too. She gathered herself mentally and grabbed her purse.

  “Are you joining us, Lainey?” Taber held her gaze as he asked the question.

  “Sorry, no. I have plans for the evening.” She shouldered past both men and with a wave to Candace walked off down the hall.

  He caught up to her before she reached the door. “Wait.”

  She pivoted on her heel and stared at him. Locking her desire for him in a box, she coolly lifted a brow. “Yes?”

  “We need to talk.”

  “About what?”

  “What happened between us.”

  She felt the tick at the back of her eye. A headache was fast approaching and damn it, she wanted to have fun tonight.

  “There is nothing to discuss, especially not at this moment. I am meeting some people and you are keeping me from it. My time is yours when I’m working, Taber Ellis. Not when the day is done. Good night.”

  Head high and ignoring the pain in her heart, she turned around and walked out of the door, not once looking back. She got in her vehicle and drove from the reserve to Taos. It was a beautiful town and she could just feel some of her tension seep away as she drove through the streets.

  At her destination, she parked and headed up the steps to the front. Sean Caan waited for her and she smiled in response to his wave.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey yourself, sorry I’m late. Had a bit of paperwork to go over.”

  “Not a problem. They’re closed anyway so we have the place to ourselves.”

  “I can’t thank you enough for offering this opportunity to me. I’ve been meaning to get here and visit but the reserve takes up so much of my time.”

  He nodded. “Shall we?”

  She fell into step beside him. They were at the Taos Art Museum, which was housed at the historic and gorgeous home of Nicolai Fechin,
a Russian who’d moved his family there in the early 1900s. The man had carved the adobe buildings into a harmonious amalgamation of Spanish, Russian and Native American symbology.

  The interior took her breath away and she walked at her own pace, eagerly absorbing the many pieces. At the heart was a collection of paintings by the masters of the Taos Society of Artists—this museum was about preserving the art of the past.

  * * * *

  Three hours later, she and Sean left the building. Saying goodnight to the curator who’d allowed the private visit, she took a deep breath of the cool night air.

  “Hungry?” he asked.

  “Starved, actually.” She’d not eaten since noon.

  “I know just the place.” He gestured around. “It’s about a quarter of a mile if you want to walk.”

  “Sounds great.”

  So they did—they made their way through Taos Plaza, walking slowly and passing the time with easy conversation.

  “Here we are.”

  She paused beside him and looked at a sign that said ‘Eske’s Brew Pub & Eatery’. A grin spread across her face as she followed him in. The bombarding smells caused her stomach to rumble loudly. She noticed people in the corner playing ping pong and some were hula hooping—both adults and children.

  “This is great,” she told him.

  “I love this place. Nothing pretentious, just good down to earth eating.”

  They grabbed a seat and had soon placed their orders. Their house beers arrived and she took a good sized sip. This place was the oldest brew pub in New Mexico and the beers didn’t disappoint. They were served fresh, unpasteurised and unfiltered. It hit the spot.

  As they dined on chilli stew, chips and dip and burritos, she and Sean talked and laughed—Lainey hadn’t been so relaxed in a long while. They grabbed dessert somewhere else in the plaza before walking back to their cars.

  “Thank you, Sean. This was just what I needed.”

  “It was my pleasure, Lainey. We’ll have to do this again.”

  Like a gentleman, he held her door open for her and closed it behind her. She waved goodbye and drove away as he headed for his own vehicle. Listening to the radio she went back to her temporary home. Once there, she parked then walked to the front door while stifling a yawn.

  “If you’re so tired, maybe you shouldn’t be going out with other men.”

  “Ahh!” she screamed and whirled, spraying her Mace as she did.

  “Ow damn it, Lainey! Stop. It’s me, Taber.”

  Heart pounding at the speed of light, she took several shaky breaths before the realisation of what she’d just done hit her. She’d Maced him.

  “What the hell did you think I would do if you jumped out at me?”

  She opened the door and dragged him inside. Shoving him into a seat, she then went and got a washcloth, baby shampoo and some cold water. Returning she wedged herself between his thighs and reached for his face.

  “It hurts.”

  “No shit. Stop being such a pussy and let me see.” She winced at the redness, which had taken over the whites of his eyes. After dipping the cloth in the water, she wrung it out and put some of the baby shampoo on it before placing it over his eyes. “Hold this.”

  She washed her hands and dried them before returning to his side. They didn’t speak as she continued to drench his eyes with clean, cold water and the occasional dab of baby shampoo.

  “What were you thinking?” she demanded, rinsing the cloth again.

  “You’ve been avoiding me, I was thinking we really needed to talk.”

  “And your solution is to jump out at me and get yourself Maced?”

  “I didn’t jump out at you and trust me, I had no plans to get Maced.” He grabbed her wrists.

  “Let go.” She slapped the cotton over his eyes again. “Looks like we both got surprised then, because I didn’t expect to see you.”

  “Where were you?”

  Staring at him and the cloth on his eyes, she shook her head. He still affected her, even now. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I was out.”

  “What the fuck were you doing out with Sean Caan?”

  She growled low in her throat at the knowledge he’d been watching her, invading her privacy. After snatching the washcloth she slapped it in the bowl, ignoring the water that sloshed over the edge.

  “Get the fuck out of my house.”

  “What?”

  “You just can’t resist spying on me either? What’s next after the lies and the spying, Taber? You can probably just wave away the Mace, so do it and get out.” She stomped out of the room, heading to her bedroom before she slammed the door then threw herself on the bed.

  Bastard!

  Taber sat there and stared through blurry and painfully stinging eyes at the place where Lainey had just been. She was right. He could just wave it away, but honestly he hadn’t given it the least bit of thought. Not when she was paying him attention. Being gentle and caring. Concerned.

  Well that lasted about as long as he’d been able to keep his mouth shut about her and Sean Caan. Yes, he’d followed her, yes he’d spied on her. No, he hadn’t thought she’d be this upset.

  Why not? His brain posed the question.

  He waved it off, along with the sting in his eyes. Vision cleared, he headed towards the bedroom door, which had been slammed behind her. He paused with his hand on the knob, before turning it and allowing himself entrance to her room.

  Lainey lay sprawled across her bed, face down. Although they weren’t loud, he could hear the echo of her soft whimpers. It hit him—he’d hurt her.

  “Lainey.”

  “Go away, Taber.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “Look at me.”

  “What part of ‘go away’ don’t you get?”

  Taber sat on the edge of the bed. “Apparently all of it. Because I’m staying right here, not leaving until we talk this through.” He reached out and touched her leg, hating the way her entire body flinched. Not that long ago she’d arched and purred at his touches. Now she acted as if she wanted to get as far from him as possible. And he didn’t like it—not in the slightest. “Can you look at me?”

  This time she did jerk free from his touch. She rolled to her side and sat up, crossing her legs and giving off a distinct vibe of Trust that I’d rather be anywhere but here with you.

  “What?” The single word was snapped. “What could you possibly want?”

  “You.”

  It was honest and from his heart. Apparently she didn’t feel it was—she snorted and rolled her eyes.

  “Do you doubt me?” Anger began to boil in his gut.

  “Why shouldn’t I? You want me like a stalker does. Who the hell told you it was okay to follow someone and spy on them? That’s not done, Taber. Not if you’re trying to convince them they mean something to you.”

  “You were out with another man!”

  “We are not an item. I can damn well go out with whomever I want.”

  His jaw ached he clenched it so hard. “We invited you out.”

  “Which I declined because I had a previous engagement.”

  “With Sean. I should fire the bastard.”

  If he thought she was angry before he was sorely mistaken. She shot up from the bed and loomed over him. A very impressive feat, given how much shorter she was than him.

  “You do, Taber, and I swear I’ll quit the reserve.”

  “What about Kali?”

  “I know she’s in good hands.”

  “You wouldn’t leave her.”

  “Don’t be so sure. Because I’ll be damned if you get to use your fucked up interpretation of what a relationship with me is like to fire people who are simply nice to me.”

  He snarled at her. She didn’t look the least bit fazed. She crossed her arms and one foot tapped out a furious cadence. “A date is wanting more.”

  “Maybe for you, Taber. But not for everyone. Sean is a very nice man who asked me about my fondness fo
r art. Then he offered to take me to the museum.” Her body shook she was so angry.

  “I would have taken you.”

  “You didn’t even know I liked that style of art. Or if you did, you didn’t think it important. Right up there with not telling me you were a god. Just thought you’d keep that to yourself. I suppose it makes all the spying and stalking people easier.”

  “How did he know?” he growled.

  She threw up her hands. “Because he asked!”

  “A man just ‘happens’ to ask you about some art? Where’d he see it?”

  “You’re ridiculous. Fucking ridiculous. He saw it the same place you did. My office. But unlike you, Sean was interested in talking to me as opposed to getting my pants off.”

  Lucky for him—it was a reason the man was still breathing. Her words slowly sank in and he shook his head. “In your office. That…what you have on your wall is what you’re talking about?”

  “Un-fucking-believable. It’s like talking to a damn brick wall.” She stalked away from him and he rose to follow.

  He caught up to her right inside the bedroom door. Somewhere deep within he knew he should talk to her but to be honest right here, right now, all he was thinking about was how gorgeous a pissed off Lainey was. Not to mention how fucking hot. So, he went with his gut. And groin.

  Grabbing her, he spun her around and took control of her mouth. He wasn’t gentle—he took what he wanted and it was her. The intimate feel of her pressed along him. She smacked at him twice before her hands sank into his hair and jerked him tight to her.

  “Damn you,” she seethed.

  He wasted no time on chatter. His cock was thick and hard in his pants and he wanted to be buried completely in her. Taber jerked on the drawstring of her khaki cargos and shoved them down to pool at her feet. He snapped her panties with one single jerk then growled deep in his throat when she cupped him through his pants. Instinctively, he thrust his hips to grind into her touch.

  Her hands returned to his shoulders and he used his powers to drop his own pants and briefs to the floor. He backed her up until she hit a wall on the other side of the room then lifted her and with one smooth stroke sank her onto his shaft.