by Bianca D'Arc
“I see. Glad you cleared that up for me, but we’re going to have to work on your vocabulary. Would you be up for me trying to improve my score sometime?”
She stepped out of his loose embrace and tilted her head, smile firmly on her luscious lips as she pretended to consider. “Yeah, I think I’d like that.”
He couldn’t help but reach for her again, but she danced out of his reach.
“Later,” she promised. “I have work to do and I need some time to catch my breath.”
He smiled with her, enjoying her playful attitude. He hadn’t screwed up with the human. Not yet, at least. He’d been so afraid his natural intensity would frighten her. He was changing for her. Making himself wait. Trying to be gentle.
And so far, it was worth the effort. In a way, he thought it was making him a better man. One who put others before himself—which he did every day as Alpha of a large Clan—but this was different, somehow. This little human was teaching him things about himself that he hadn’t known.
“All right then,” he agreed, letting her go while he backed away toward the task he had come here to work on. “Rain check. For now.” Their gazes met and the playfulness turned to a feeling of promise. A serious acknowledgement of what had just happened—and would happen again soon, if he had anything to say about it.
She nodded and he swallowed hard. He wanted her in his arms again. Now. But he pushed back the instinct of the hunter that lived within him. She wasn’t running. He didn’t need to pounce. If he did that, all he was working toward would probably disintegrate. No, he had to play the long game here. He had made his move, now he had to let time pass until he could repeat the action and take it further.
The cat in his soul prowled impatiently, but the man knew he would win in the end. She was already under his spell. If he continued to romance her and treat her gently, she would be his sooner rather than later. Whatever time it took to convince her would be well worth the wait.
Grif went around to the front of the house to fix the front porch while she continued working in the back. A little distance was in order, he thought, while they both came to terms with what just happened.
A couple of hours later he’d finished in the front and moved around to work on the back porch stair while Lindsey continued to build her sweat lodge. His gaze followed her and she couldn’t help but noticing the tight fit at the front of his jeans. The man was built.
She thought about that kiss again and again as the day got hotter and he removed his shirt. He had the most amazing physique. Sleek muscles made him long and lean, not stocky. She loved the look of him, and from the way his gaze followed her constantly, she suspected the feeling might be very mutual.
It had been so long since she had experienced the kind of attraction she was feeling for this powerful man. He’d come to her defense in the diner, helped her out with the generator without expectation of anything in return and shown true care and love toward his little sister in a way that had touched her heart. He also had fire in his eyes when he looked at her and she was oh, so tempted to burn.
She dropped her tools and just looked at him, thinking hard.
The sweat lodge was almost done. She was going to perform the ceremony tomorrow night—the night of the full moon. She might not be alive the day after, if the Great Spirit demanded her life as payment for her grandfather’s actions. Shouldn’t she enjoy these possible last few moments in time with a man who attracted her like no other ever had? That couldn’t be wrong, could it?
She wanted him. So badly. She’d wanted him almost from the first moment, and she could tell he wanted her in return. Oh, maybe not in any sort of long-term or permanent way, but she honestly didn’t know if she had more than just this one day left. So why not spend a few of her hours with him? She could afford the time. The lodge only required a few more boughs and it would be done.
He must have felt her watching him because he dropped his tools as well and walked straight up to her. He pulled her into his arms and stared into her eyes.
“You shouldn’t look that way at me, baby, unless you mean it.” His breath teased her senses as his head lowered. “Do you want this, Lindsey?” He gave her a fleeting chance to say something before his head dipped to take her mouth with his, but didn’t say a word. She wanted his kiss. She wanted him. And she knew he could read it in her eyes.
His kiss was hot and hard and she melted into him, flowing against his body as he pulled her close. He shifted backward a few inches to meet her gaze.
“Do you want more? Tell me now, kitten. Tell me no and I’ll leave you be.”
His eyes seduced her. His voice thrummed through her soul. She wanted him. She wanted this time with him, no matter how short it might be.
“I want you,” she whispered, loving the way his eyes lit up with pleasure. And the promise of even more to come.
He reclaimed her mouth, kissing her savagely, squeezing her body closer to his. His arms felt so right around her, his embrace so warm. How could anything that felt as good as he did be wrong. She knew she was doing the right thing, even if they could only have this one moment in time.
Having Lindsey in his arms was like holding lightning. Capturing thunder. It was momentous and earth shattering. She turned him on like no woman in history.
She also made him want to be a better man—a gentler man. One who could claim a fragile, human woman and not scare her off. Grif made himself slow down. He definitely didn’t want to frighten her. Even though she’d given him the verbal go-ahead, he didn’t want to blow it. He was a gentleman. She could still change her mind and he’d have to live with that.
They were out in the open, groping each other like a couple of horny teenagers, but he couldn’t stop himself. She felt too damn good in his arms. Her breasts were soft and full, pointed at the tips conveying her excitement in terms he could truly appreciate. Her skin was like velvet under his calloused fingers and he almost worried about bruising her. He’d have to temper his natural strength to be certain he kept her safe.
He would do anything he had to do in order to have her. She was all that mattered. Lindsey and the desire that sparked like wildfire between them.
He lowered them both to the soft grass, covering her body with his. She was so small under him, so soft and feminine. So perfect.
He was lost in her kiss, loving the feel and taste of her. The scent of crushed grass, wildflowers, the sawdust and tree sap that clung to her skin teased his nose. The scent of woman. Warm, perhaps a little dusty, and definitely aroused.
And the scent of…danger?
Grif lifted his head, his instincts taking over, breaking the moment of passion into one of confusion. He sniffed again, catching a faint hint of…something…on the wind. A dangerous scent. Predator. Familiar, yet…
He’d already lost it, but the threat was real. It made him stand, lifting poor, confused Lindsey up from the ground with him. He couldn’t look at her. If he met her beautiful, troubled gaze, he’d be lost and her safety was too important to take any chances.
“Get inside, Lindsey.” He put one hand around her waist, guiding her toward the back door of the house while he scanned the woods and tried to reacquire the scent.
“What?”
He couldn’t resist. He looked down at her and damn him if he wasn’t tempted to take her back down to the ground and fuck her like there was no tomorrow. But he couldn’t.
If he gave into temptation, the predator he believed was out there might catch them unawares and then there really would be no tomorrow. She’d be dead. He’d be dead. No more passion. No more pleasure. No more anything.
He leaned down and kissed her. Just a quick kiss to try to wipe some of the hurt off her face.
“I’m sorry, kitten,” he whispered. He couldn’t explain the danger he sensed on the wind. She would never understand his instincts or why he trusted them so greatly. Hell, he didn’t even understand why he was reacting so violently to such a small hint of threat.
&nb
sp; Still… something was telling him to take this seriously and he’d learned over the years to trust that sixth sense gifted to him by the cougar that shared his soul. It might not make sense now, but in time, he’d bet understanding would come, as it had in the past.
“But—”
Bless her, she wanted to argue. Grif picked her up bodily, knowing she wasn’t about to move to safety under her own steam. She didn’t understand the imperative that was riding him. The knowing. Danger was out there, stalking them and he had to keep her safe.
He walked briskly through the backyard and up to the back door, pausing only briefly to open it with the hand that was under her legs. He bustled her through the door, depositing her on her feet just inside the small kitchen.
“What was all that about?”
Grif thought fast. He had to come up with some kind of explanation for what, to her, must seem like utterly bizarre behavior. Telling her the truth was out. What else could he say that might sound plausible?
“I’m sorry, Lindsey.” He ran one hand through his hair in frustration. “This is happening too fast.” It wasn’t. He’d wanted to jump her bones from the moment he first caught sight of her—but maybe she’d buy it. “There have been some things happening in my life lately that make me want to take things slow. It’s been a rough couple of months.” That was closer to the truth. Life had been shit for months. The only bright spot had been Lindsey and his undeniable attraction to her.
Before meeting Lindsey, Grif was almost afraid his dick didn’t work anymore. It hadn’t been interested in a female in far too long, which wasn’t exactly normal for an Alpha male in the prime of his life. He would’ve worried—if he’d had time to worry about himself during all the upheavals of the past few months.
Lindsey eyed him suspiciously, but she seemed to be willing to listen to his lame excuses.
“After the tragedy of losing my sister... And then my mom’s murder... And poor Belinda. I’m sorry. I worry about any female that gets mixed up with me.” Now that was true. Truer than he liked to admit.
Lindsey seemed to cave. She stepped close and put her arms around his middle, giving him a squeeze. His arms went around her out of reflex, and he basked in the hug of affection and sympathy she gave him.
“It’s okay. I think I understand.” She drew away and he had to fight to let her go.
She patted his chest in a comforting way before leaving his embrace completely. Her smile was still a touch confused, but he read acceptance of his ridiculous excuse in her stance. She was letting him go.
It was one of the hardest things he’d ever done in his life, walking away from her. Forget that. He was hard. And wanting. Desperate for her. But the cougar in his soul needed to protect and defend. It needed to stalk the stalker and discover what was waiting out in the darkness of the forest…watching.
Until the cougar’s curiosity was satisfied, the man couldn’t get satisfaction either. Grif sighed and left with a few last words of farewell. He had his phone out even before he heard her lock the door behind him. He needed help to keep his woman safe, and he knew just who to call to get it. Not the local wolves. No, this was a job for family.
“Steve, I’m glad I got you,” Grif said into his phone as the call was picked up on the other end. “I need some help out here in Wyoming. It may be nothing, but I could swear I’ve caught the faint scent of Jackie’s killer in the wind. It’s happened more than once.”
“I’m on my way,” his brother, Steve, replied without hestation. “How much backup do you need?”
“Let’s keep this informal for now. Who else can you spare to come out here?” All four of Grif’s younger brothers were supposed to be running different aspects of the family business and Clan while Grif was away, but he wasn’t really clear on just who was doing what. He’d just trusted them to get the job done.
“I’ll ask Matt. Bob’s going to have to take on my work. Matt just finished the Wallace Towers job. As for Mag,” Steve sighed. “He’s been more away than here lately.”
“All right. You and Matt. As soon as you can.”
“We’ll be on the next possible flight. Meanwhile, watch your back, bro. Timmons is dangerous. Just hang tight until we get there.”
“I know, Steve.” Grif shook his head. “It might be nothing…”
“But it might not.” Steve’s voice was very firm over the satellite connection. “Don’t take chances.”
“Hey, I called you, didn’t I?” Grif tried to inject a little humor into a situation that could very well be prove to be deadly.
Timmons had killed their sister. He’d evaded the best trackers Grif could hire for months now. He was both skilled and treacherous—a very bad combination.
“I’m glad you called. We’ll be there shortly.” Steve’s voice was solid and reassuring.
Of all the brothers, Grif and Steve were probably closest, not only in age, but in temperament and experience. They’d both served in Army Special Forces and had trained in ways, and with weapons, the other brothers had not. All in all, Grif was relieved that both Steve and Matt, their youngest brother, were on their way.
Once out of sight of Lindsey’s house, Grif loped into the woods, on the trail of the elusive scent, but it was lost. Could he have imagined it? Was he losing his mind? This was not the first time he thought he had scented Bill Timmons’ unique brand of evil, but every time he searched for the trail, the scent soon disappeared. It was entirely possible he was imagining things. He hated to think what that could mean to his sanity.
One thing was sure, he definitely needed backup. If he was losing it, someone would need to look after Belinda. If he wasn’t losing it and Timmons really was somewhere nearby, he would need help protecting the women. Not only did he have to take care of his little sister, but now Lindsey, regardless of her humanity, was under his protection as well. He refused to let either one of them down.
Steeling his resolve, he headed for the cabin at a lope. His brothers were already on their way. As far as he was concerned after this last scare, the sooner his brothers got here, the better.
Chapter Five
When the cougar reappeared the next night as Lindsey was finishing up the sweat lodge in the backyard, she took it as a good sign.
“Welcome back, Spirit Guide,” she said aloud to the cat. “I’ve decided that’s what you must be. It’s as good an explanation as any, I guess.”
The cat just sat, watching her for a moment, and if she had to name the expression on his face, she’d call it amusement. But perhaps that was just her imagination. Cats were pretty inscrutable. Even the big ones.
He started to move around the ceremonial building she’d put together out of tree limbs and other greenery, as if inspecting her craftsmanship. She watched as he moved around the perimeter, sniffing here and there, then moving back to look at the whole.
“Grandpa told me how to do this, but except for that one time, I never saw it in person.” She stood back from her somewhat lopsided creation. “How does it look?”
The mountain lion made a noise low in his throat that she had no way of interpreting.
“I’ll take that as approval.” She smiled and crawled inside the small structure, dragging some of the extra provisions she thought she might need later. Clean towels in a closed basket, jugs of water and fire-starting tools all went in and she took a moment to set things up to her liking.
She shouldn’t have been surprised when the cat followed her inside, taking up a position across the ring of stones she’d made for the fire she would start later and just watching her.
“I’m getting this ready for tonight. Grandpa gave me very specific instructions. Tonight is the full moon. I’m going to start this fire at sundown and begin the ceremony he taught me before he died.” She sat back on her haunches and surveyed the small environment she’d created. “It’s been a long time coming, but maybe after tonight, if I do this right, he can finally be at peace.”
A silent tear rolled dow
n her cheek, but she brushed it away, smiling.
“No time for the sentimental stuff now.” She worked her way out of the small building. “I’ve got to get ready. And hope those werewolves leave me be long enough to get through this.”
Grif followed her out of the small building, puzzled but willing to see where her actions might lead. He knew he’d bought her some time from the Alpha of the wolf Pack, so she’d probably have the time tonight to complete whatever odd ritual her shaman grandfather had committed her to do. But he knew he had to be there, watching over her. If she got into any kind of trouble, he would be there to drag her out of it.
Maybe he was her Spirit Guide, in an odd sort of way, he considered. He was watching over her in his fur. She was a small human woman, way out here alone, and attempting a purification ceremony that could be dangerous to large, healthy men. She needed someone to watch over her.
And he’d appointed himself her guardian. He’d come back tonight and sit with her, making sure she took care with her health. But he had some things to do first back at the cabin, namely getting Belinda to agree not to go anywhere tonight. She was roaming alone more and more and he didn’t like it. She was too little and there were predators out there who didn’t care if she was were or just a regular little cat. He didn’t want to lose her too. So he’d tie her down if he had to, or at worst, he’d see if the local wolf Pack would let her run with them tonight.
The moon was full tonight, so they’d all be running. Maybe there were some werewolf cubs who wouldn’t mind a werecat in their midst too much. She’d enjoy the challenge and she could always sprint up a tree if they got too rough with her.
That thought in mind, Grif left Lindsey and headed at some speed for the cabin. He had a lot to do before sunset, when he would return to watch over the little human woman who meant far too much to him.
