Sedona Seduction (Sedona Pack Book 2)

by Lisa Kessler

  I swallowed the lump in my throat as I mentally catalogued the armory. This had been his life before he had come into mine. He had a crossbow, four handguns, and two rifles hanging from hooks on the wall. On a shelf were loaded clips of all different sizes, two silencers, and a few daggers and knives. The next shelf down had neatly stacked pairs of black leather gloves, sunglasses, and a pair of brass knuckles.

  My mate was deadly when he had to be, but he was also the same guy who had adopted a shelter dog, played on a local rugby team, and asked me to be patient because he’d never had a real relationship before.

  These weapons were a part of him, but not all of him.

  I turned around and poked through his shirts, searching for something that might look sexy on me. I wasn’t a big lingerie girl, and even if I were, I didn’t have any here. If I wanted to be seductive, I’d have to improvise. At the end of the rack, I found a tux shirt and smiled at the possibility. I carried it into the master bath and closed the door. After washing my hands and face, I took off my holster and set my weapon on the countertop. I undressed quickly, checking the back of my shoulder in the mirror. The wound from the bullet that grazed me the other night was nearly healed. Only a couple of bruises still discolored my skin.

  I put on his shirt and stared at my reflection with a chuckle. It hung down just below my mid-thigh, and the sleeves were a few inches past my hands. He was much bigger than me. I buttoned three buttons in the middle and rolled up the cuffs. That was better. I pulled the hair tie out of my hair and ran my fingers through it to comb some of the knots free.

  The door opened downstairs. Abby’s nails clicked on the tile floor, followed by Vance’s keys hitting the kitchen counter.

  “Kaya?”

  My pulse raced as I turned off the bathroom light and retreated to his bedroom. “Upstairs.”

  The stairs creaked under his footsteps while I struggled through awkward poses, trying to figure out how I might look most seductive. Fuck it. I gave up and put my hand on my hip as he came through the door.

  He froze, his gaze sliding up from my bare feet to the top of my head. “Damn…”

  “Too formal?” I glanced down at the tux shirt.

  “No.” He came toward me and took my hand. “I don’t have words for…” He chuckled, squeezing my hand. “I’ve never wanted anyone as bad as I want you right now.” He bent to kiss me and then whispered, “Let me clean up first.”

  I hummed against his lips and looked up from beneath my lashes. “Can I help?”

  He nodded, kissing me again as we walked toward the bathroom. “Definitely.”

  Inside, I lifted his shirt off over his head, careful not to disturb the new stitches in his shoulder. He turned on the faucet and put some soap in his hands while I moved behind him, kissing his back. I reached around his waist and unbuttoned his jeans, enjoying the way he groaned as I slid my hand inside the front of his pants and stroked his erection.

  I’d never wanted anyone that bad, either.

  He bent forward to wash his face, and I trailed my lips along the small of his back, tasting his salty skin as I tugged his jeans down his hips. His labored breathing turned me on, making me ache to hear him growl my name. I shoved his pants down to his ankles and moved around in front of him. With my back to the vanity, I took him into the warmth of my mouth, sliding my lips down his shaft. I closed my eyes, focusing all my attention on him.

  His fingers tangled in my hair as he breathed my name. “Kaya…”

  I moaned, dragging my nails around his hips to trace the curve of his perfect ass. He worked his hips into my mouth, his erection pulsing against my tongue, and I lost myself in pleasuring him. I wanted him to lose control and surrender.

  Finally, he grasped my shoulders, growling. “Not yet.”

  He pulled me up, fusing his lips to mine as his hands gripped my waist. He lifted me onto the vanity as if I weighed nothing. The cold, wet marble on my bare ass made me gasp into the kiss, but it didn’t dull the fire in my body. I needed him, ached for his touch. His lips trailed down my throat, and his hands wandered up my thighs underneath the shirt. He made quick work of the few buttons I had fastened and opened the shirt.

  “You’re so sexy, kitten,” he whispered as he cupped my breasts, his thumbs teasing my nipples into hardened nubs. “I can’t get enough of you.”

  He lowered his head, licking each breast slowly, looking up at me. He was the sexiest damned thing I’d ever seen. Every flash of his white teeth sent a bolt of desire through my veins as he nibbled at my skin, kissing his way lower. He opened my legs wider as he knelt in front of the vanity and pressed hot kisses along my inner thigh, one and then the other until I writhed on the edge of the sink. I buried my hands in his hair as his tongue slid across my core. He growled against me, the vibration adding to the sensation. I tipped my head back, losing myself in the pleasure he offered. No one had ever made me feel this incredible. Deep in my soul my wolf howled.

  I tightened my fists in his hair as my body burned with pleasure. “I need you.”

  He shook his head, working his tongue and lips faster until every muscle in my body clenched so tightly that I trembled. My toes might never uncurl, and my chest heaved as I moaned his name like a melody.

  He stood and wrapped me in his arms as he entered me so slowly I shivered with anticipation, enjoying every inch of him sliding into me. I struggled to keep my hand off his injured shoulder. Instead, I clung to the edge of the marble counter, bracing myself as his hips pumped into me. Watching our bodies become one fanned the flames of passion.

  “You were made for me,” he panted, bringing his hand between us. “Come for me again. Take me with you, kitten.”

  He rubbed me in time with his thrusts, teasing me closer to another orgasm. I wrapped my legs around his waist, rocking my hips into his until my inner muscles tightened around him. Our bodies collided one last time, and he froze, erupting deep inside me.

  Time slowed to a crawl. Our chests heaved, but neither of us moved. I wanted him with me like this, skin to skin, forever. If we never moved again, I’d die happy.

  He finally kissed the base of my neck, a smile coloring his voice. “That was fucking amazing.”

  I nodded against his chest. Words weren’t coming to me just yet.

  He lifted his head from my shoulder, and I peered up into his eyes. Perspiration beaded on his forehead, and even with fresh stitches on his chest, he was the hottest man I’d ever seen.

  I couldn’t read his expression as he searched my gaze. His lips parted, his breathing still ragged as he whispered, “Stay with me tonight.”

  My lips curved into an exhausted smile. “Yes.”

  An aftershock shook us both as he grinned. “I love hearing you say, yes.”

  I chuckled. “Lucky me.”

  He finally took a step back, sliding free of my body. He kicked off his pants and scooped me up into his arms.

  “Wait! Your shoulder!”

  “I’m fine.” He nuzzled my nose with his as he laid me down on his bed. “I love you, Kaya. I won’t let anything happen to you. Ever.”

  I blinked. “What?”

  He stretched out beside me. “No one is ever taking you from me.”

  “Before that.” I rested my head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat.

  He kissed my hair. “I love you.”

  I propped myself up on my elbow, smiling down at him. “You sure?”

  “Definitely.” His smile warmed me all over. “I don’t get shot for just anybody.” He ran his fingers down my arm, taking my hand in his. “You’re the missing part of soul. You remind me that I’m not a killing machine. I’m a man who is completely in love with a woman.”

  My vision clouded with unexpected tears. I bent to kiss him and whispered, “Before we ever touched, I wanted you to be the one fate chose for me, but I didn’t think it was possible.”

  The corner of his mouth quirked up as he tucked my hair behind my ear. “Sorry we los
t so much time, but I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”

  “Deal.” I kissed him, long and slow, savoring every second. When I opened my eyes, I whispered, “Oh, and I love you, too.”

  He grinned and rolled over me. “I was hoping.” He kissed me again, his tongue parting my lips until my body was aching for release all over again.

  I was going to be so exhausted in the morning.

  And I didn’t give a shit.

  CHAPTER 19

  Vance

  Waking up next to Kaya, holding her while she dozed, and breathing in the scent of her hair renewed my commitment to protect her from my mistakes.

  This was the life I wanted, but I needed to close the chapter on the past first.

  Once she left for the restaurant, I followed up with Asher on our lead. Cole’s internet searches had come up empty, so I passed along Deidra Harlow’s name to Sebastian Severino. It took effort to keep yourself off the grid these days. No digital footprint told me this woman had something to hide. Sebastian and his wife, Isabelle, had their own business chasing down bail jumpers in Reno, Nevada, but he still had some of his father’s Nero contacts. Someone must recognize the woman’s name. I also told Sebastian about the group Duane had mentioned to me, the Transparency Collective. Something about his reaction told me that part wasn’t new information.

  How long had someone been trying to dig into the government records to declassify the super soldier shifter research?

  I didn’t prod him further. Right now, I was too focused on my hunch about a killer wolf in our Pack. I’d already called to set up a meeting with Jett.

  But I wasn’t going alone.

  I knocked on Micah’s door and took a step back. My half-brother and I had a tenuous relationship since he’d come back into my life by abducting my alpha’s oldest son. There were extenuating circumstances, and he returned the boy unharmed, but it didn’t change the fact that most of my Pack wouldn’t have a problem wiping him off the earth.

  Micah was lying low, but he did stay in town. He’d been helping me keep tabs on Brad Newport. My brother and Newport were both test subjects in the Timberwolves experiment at Evolution Defense, and now Newport was a candidate for the Senate with an unhealthy obsession with poking into top secret defense contracts involving super soldiers and shifters.

  Chandler did his best to keep us informed about Newport’s interviews, and he focused on other issues whenever Newport came to the television station. But Chandler only worked at one of many news outlets in Phoenix. Newport still got plenty of airtime to plant conspiracy theories about government defense contracts.

  We needed a better strategy.

  The door opened. “Hey, Vance.” My brother scanned the parking lot behind me. “Come in.”

  Micah was my height, and we both had our mother’s hazel eyes, but he had dark hair and olive skin like his father.

  I’d never met mine.

  “You got my text?” I asked.

  “Yeah.” He nodded. “I guess I don’t understand why you want me involved. Your pack doesn’t trust me.”

  “You and Jett have something in common.” I sat on his sofa. “He survived an experiment at the hands of Nero, and you survived Evolution Defense.”

  Micah groaned, taking the chair across from me. “I also kidnapped his Alpha’s son.”

  “And you returned him unharmed. That counts for something.” I searched his eyes for any sign that he’d help me.

  My brother had come to Sedona searching for me. He picked up a job from Duane and his Nero patriots without knowing what they planned for the kid. Micah ended up finding me, and ultimately breaking his agreement with Duane.

  He’d made enemies on both sides which left Micah with very few allies. I’d been trying to navigate our relationship ever since. The Timberwolves experiment gave him the heightened senses and strength of a werewolf, but the folks administering the serum didn’t seem to realize werewolves were real, and that the wolf helped the human soul decipher the massive amount of sensory input.

  Most of Micah’s squad succumbed to depression, psychosis, and death. As far as we knew, Micah and Brad Newport were the sole survivors.

  My brother came to Sedona looking for me because he wanted to be bitten. He didn’t feel whole.

  But I couldn’t do it. What if it only made him worse, adding heightened jaguar senses too? Although Asher forgave Micah once Bart was returned unharmed, he wasn’t eager to welcome him into the Pack either.

  Micah stared at his hands for a minute, then finally lifted his head. “Why is this so important? I thought you had a lead on who is running Evolution Defense.”

  “I’m in love.” I couldn’t believe how easily that rolled off my tongue.

  My brother raised a brow. “With Jett?”

  “No.” I shook my head. “With Kaya. I don’t think you’ve met her yet.”

  “And that has something to do with Jett?”

  I brought him up to speed about the night Kaya was bitten and her boyfriend was killed. He listened, but still seemed perplexed. “I guess I still don’t get why you want me to come with you.”

  I ran a hand down my face and met his eyes. “Because while Jett’s a member of my pack, I’m not sure what abilities Nero infused him with. If things go south, I need someone who won’t have torn loyalties.”

  Micah chuckled. “You want me to cover your ass.”

  “I’d owe you one.” I almost felt bad dangling a carrot in front of him, but I was running out of time.

  “Fine.” He glanced toward the bedroom. “Should I bring weapons?”

  “I’m not expecting it to get violent.” I tugged up my pantleg, exposing a holster on my calf. “But I’ve got my Glock just in case.”

  “Understood.” He got up and went into his bedroom.

  I pulled out my phone and found a text from Kaya.

  Are we a couple now or still under the radar?

  I chuckled. Maybe she hadn’t believed me when I told her I’d never been in a serious relationship before, but it wasn’t a lie. One-night stands were a way of life for a jaguar shifter at Nero unless Antonio Severino paired you with a female to produce the next generation of jaguar shifters. Being part of a couple was foreign to me.

  Up to you, kitten. I just told my brother I’m in love with you, though, so we might already be outted.

  Micah came into the room. “Okay, I guess I’m ready.”

  Another text popped up.

  Okay, Harley knows. We’re official.

  I grinned like a damned schoolboy. I had a girlfriend.

  Jett was waiting in the parking lot of Kendrick Personal Security when we arrived. I parked and glanced over at Micah. “Thanks for being my wingman.”

  “Hope I don’t live to regret it.”

  I opened my door. “At least you’ll still be living.”

  Jett waited for us to come over to him. “What’s so important?”

  “Hey, Jett.” I clasped his forearm in the pack greeting.

  So far so good.

  “What’s he doing here?” Jett had black hair and piercing blue eyes. A muscle clenched in his jaw, betraying his annoyance, but otherwise the man had no tells.

  “I asked Micah to come with me because you’re both the only surviving members of your military units after the super soldier experiments.”

  Jett narrowed his eyes. “I’m in no mood to talk about experiments especially with him.”

  He wasn’t going to make this easy. Fine. “My brother’s DNA was modified. He has a werewolf’s heightened senses without the shift.” I kept my gaze locked on Jett’s face as I went on. “I know Nero used your squad to try to develop psychic abilities of some kind. Since you made it out alive, you must have some new tools, right? I want to know what you’re dealing with.”

  “Tough.” Jett crossed his arms. “Does Asher know you’re here?”

  “This isn’t about Asher.” I struggled to keep my expression neutral. “This is about Kaya.
She doesn’t know who bit her or killed her boyfriend. Seems weird to me that she could shift every month with this pack and never recognize the wolf who turned her.”

  Jett’s attention moved from me to Micah.

  My brother cleared his throat. “I’m going to wait at the car.”

  “What?” I looked over my shoulder. “We’re not through here.”

  Micah blinked shaking his head. “I…” He winced. “At the car. Yeah. I’ll be at the car.”

  I cursed under my breath. What the hell was happening?

  “I didn’t bite Kaya.” Jett wiped his nose. “And keep your brother out of pack business.”

  I looked back at Micah. He was leaning against the passenger side of the car, rubbing his forehead. What the fuck was going on?

  I faced Jett again. “Did you just make him leave?”

  “Bo bit Kaya and her boyfriend.” Jett dropped his hands to his sides. “Are we done?”

  I shook my head slowly. “Someone did more than just bite her boyfriend. He was mauled to death by a wolf.” I glanced over at my brother as the pieces started to fall into place. “Not psychic. Telepathic.” My attention snapped back onto Jett. “Did you make her forget? The same way you just made Micah go to the car.”

  “A gift from the assholes at Nero.” He frowned, clenching his fists. “Do you know what it’s like to force your will on others?”

  “No.” Was I even going to remember this conversation? I should’ve been recording this on my phone, but it never occurred to me his ability would be so…dangerous.

  “It makes you doubt every single person in your life. I never know if someone is saying or doing something of their own free will or if I accidentally made them.” He broke eye contact, staring into the distance. “I hardly notice the simple compulsions anymore. And every day I’m further away from the man I thought I was.”

  “Fuck.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “Does Asher know?”