“Go upstairs and calm down.”
She glared at him. “Excuse me? You don’t tell me what to do, Hawke.”
“I said go upstairs until I come and get you, Stephanie. Take Meechi with you.” She didn’t move. “Now!”
She jumped, pressed her lips together, and turned around. Trembling, she climbed the steps and kept hold of Meechi’s hand. When they were in her room, she locked the door and sat on her bed. Meechi went to the window.
“Move away from there,” Stephanie told her.
“Mom, it’s cool. Don’t you think it would be awesome to change into a lion?”
“Not really, no. We might not be safe here. I think I should start packing.” Tremors passing through Stephanie’s hands made it hard to fold her clothes and put them away in her suitcase, but she kept moving. Sitting still might send her over the edge and have her on the floor screaming her head off. She felt like the Twilight Zone had taken over her world, and try as she might, getting out of it wasn’t an option.
By the time her things were put away, her heart had slowed down and the shaking in her fingers subsided. She sat in the chair near the window but didn’t look out. Even thinking she saw something she didn’t want to see would set her off again. Meechi wandered from the curtains to the small stacks of books on the shelf and sorted through them.
“Those probably aren’t children’s books, Meechi,” Stephanie told her.
Meechi opened one and began to read, her hand tucked beneath her chin. Her daughter was a good girl. A bratty child would have complained about being locked away in the bedroom like they were, but Meechi dealt with it the way she did everything, with calm acceptance and her nose stuck between the pages she loved so much. Stephanie should make her tell what book she read, but she’d been aware for a while, Meechi had grown beyond reading material for her own age group. She sighed. A lot had passed out of her control over the last few years. This situation was one more thing, but what would she do? Going back to New York right now was out of the question. No other school anywhere in the country would probably keep the fact that they needed to hide out. Accessing Meechi’s bank account would be a dead giveaway.
Then again, did they have to hide at all? Michael snatched Meechi with some trumped up story of how he was just protecting her from other bad guys. That could all be a lie. She had never been attacked before or run into any trouble. In fact over the years, the only harassment had come from her husband’s family in the form of Melanie, and now Michael. The police arrested him, and she could get a restraining order on the man. They should be able to go back to their regular lives without issue.
Stephanie dug her cell phone out and turned it on. Hawke had advised her not to use it so she wouldn’t be tracked. She waited for it to power up and then noticed the number of voicemails and text messages from her neighbor, Patsy, the woman who sometimes watched Meechi when Stephanie went out.
Stephanie checked the first message. “Hey, Steph, honey, are you still out of town with your new boyfriend? I hope it’s going great. You deserve it. Just checking in. Call me.” She skipped to the next message. “Hey, Steph, I thought I heard a noise at your place. I’m calling the cops. I’ll keep you updated.” The next message set Stephanie’s teeth on edge, and the fear came back with a vengeance. “They trashed your place, Stephanie. Don’t come home. The police seem to think they were looking for clues to where you are. You should call the NYPD. Oh goodness, please be okay. Call me, honey. Let me know you’re all right.”
A knock sounded at the door, and she jumped.
“Stephanie, please, let me in.”
She stared at the door, her fingers wrapped around her phone, squeezing so tight they ached, but she couldn’t make herself relax. Meechi stood up, and Stephanie directed her gaze to her daughter but said nothing.
“Want me to get it, Mom?”
“Yes… No… I…” She put a hand to her head. A migraine pounded there, making it hard to think. The doorknob rattled, and she let out a small squeak when it turned and the door opened. Hawke stood there. He must have gotten a key from Toron.
He walked over to her and knelt down to take the cell phone from her hands. After powering it off, he set it aside. “Sienna, can you take Meechi downstairs for a little while?”
“Sure.”
Stephanie hadn’t realized the woman stood in the doorway.
“No!” She clenched her hands in her lap. “I want her where I can see her, and I don’t… Frankly, I don’t trust anybody.”
“I understand,” Sienna said, but Stephanie heard the hurt feelings in her tone.
Hawke touched her leg, and she jerked away. He didn’t try again. “Do you want to talk about this in front of her?”
“Well, she can stay in here, and we can talk in the hall.” She stood up, head held high and back stiff to march out the door. “Meechi, wait in this room. I’m just going to be outside the door.”
“Okay, Mom.” Even her daughter sounded like she was at the point of tolerating Stephanie’s crazy. I’m not the nutty one here. I don’t think. I hope not.
They walked out into the hall, and Stephanie shut the door behind her. She stood against it, folding her arms over her chest. She didn’t want to tell him but figured it was the best move, especially since she had no idea what her next step should be. “Someone broke into my apartment.”
Her voice cracked on the last word, and she put a hand to her mouth. Moisture gathered in her eyes, but she blinked it away. Hawke came closer, and she tried warding him off, but he forced her into his arms. Stephanie clutched at his shirtfront, drawing in deep breaths.
“My neighbor said the police believe they were looking for clues to where we went. I don’t know if we left any or not. Why are they doing this to us? Everything was fine until that idiot ran his mouth. What am I going to do? I’ve been racking my brain, but all it does is hurt more. I can’t even go to my eye appointments.”
“Stephanie, easy, baby.” The tenderness went a long way to soothing her frayed nerves. He raised her chin. “First, I’m sorry for how I spoke to you earlier.”
“I understand why you did it.” She closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m still mad at you, and I don’t know if I can trust you.”
“That’s okay for now. Toron has a doctor here who can look at you and give you your treatments. I asked him about it this morning.”
She gasped. “You thought of that?”
“Yes. Also, I’m going back to New York tomorrow morning to begin my investigation.”
Her hands spasmed where they held him. “So soon?”
He nodded. “I know you’re scared, but I need you to stay here. Please try to trust me. No one here will hurt you. Yes, they’re shape-shifters. They were born that way. There are a lot more things in this world than you as a human can imagine, but think of Sienna. Think of how well the two of you connected. She’s still the same woman you became friends with.”
“What you say makes sense.” She chewed her lip. “Can I think about it tonight and let you know what I will do in the morning?”
He seemed about to say something but let it go and dropped a featherlight kiss on her forehead. “Of course. Why don’t you lie down and get some rest? I’ll have Sienna send up tea and pain meds for you.”
Stephanie wasn’t in any shape to argue. She nodded and went back to her room. When she had more energy and had thought things through, they could talk again. Hawke might have kept the truth from her of what Toron’s people were, but she knew it wasn’t to hurt her or Meechi. With rest and a little time she could make level-headed decisions, and that might include never seeing him again.
Chapter Six
The room lay in darkness when Stephanie awoke. She had allowed Meechi to leave the room earlier but forbade her to go outside. Stephanie pulled her shoes on and put her face close to the clock on the nightstand. The time read after midnight. She hurried across to the door leading to Meechi’s room and passed through it.
A lamp hadn’t been turned off, so she picked out the small lump on the bed as her daughter, and the closer she moved to her, she heard the soft breathing. She sighed in relief. After removing the book Meechi clutched from her fingers and placing it on the nightstand, Stephanie kissed her baby and twisted the light switch. She checked the lock on Meechi’s door, although a lock hadn’t kept Hawke from her room earlier.
Back in her room, Stephanie paused. After sleeping so long, she wasn’t tired. A desire to see Hawke came over her. After all, he would be gone tomorrow, and there was no telling when he would return. If she decided to leave, it would be without his knowledge, and he wouldn’t know where she had gone. Spending time with him for one night might not be such a bad idea.
She left her room and crossed the hall to his. A light knock brought no answer, so she tried the knob and found the door unlocked. Sucking in a deep breath, she walked in. His bed lay empty. Disappointment descended over Stephanie until she heard the shower running. She waited, unsure of whether to go or stay. If he didn’t expect guests, he might come out of the bathroom naked. She hadn’t come with an eye toward sex with him. Had she? Who am I lying to here?
Hawke might reject her again and tell her to go back to her room. She might look like an idiot when he fed her some line about it not being the right time or whatever. Still, she crept farther into the room and fingered the buttons on her top. His bed lay just a few feet away, the bath to the right. He’d shut the door, but not all the way for it to latch. Through the gap, she caught a shadow of movement, and his male scent wafted on the air.
Her heart hammered, and her throat dried. She swallowed. If she didn’t go through with it now, she might regret it later. Squaring her shoulders, she began unbuttoning her blouse and then pushed it over her shoulders. Her breasts hid behind a lacy pink bra, her favorite color. He might have been able to tell her no before, but he wouldn’t with her naked.
Jeans pooled at her feet, she stepped out of them and kicked them to the side. She removed her bra, panties, and socks. How cliché was she to climb into his bed and slip under the covers? Rather than that, she positioned herself on top and struck a couple of poses. An anxious giggle escaped her. I really have lost my marbles trying to seduce a man with so much going wrong in my life.
The scent of alcohol reached her, and she realized Hawke had brought a nightcap to his room. To fortify her nerves, she took a big sip and set the glass aside. Blowing out a breath, she waited.
Heat and steam billowed from the bath when Hawke opened the door. He stepped from the interior without a towel and turned his head toward her. She didn’t think he started in surprise at all.
“You knew I was here?” Disappointment crept into her tone.
“Are you here to seduce me?”
She noticed he didn’t answer her query, but since they were on a roll with the questions, she threw out another. “Is it working?”
“A luscious woman with smooth caramel skin I already know to be as sweet as candy and heavy, sexy breasts all bared for me—what do you think? I can’t say no to you again, Stephanie. Not with you like this. You have to be sure.”
“I’m sure.”
He crossed the room to her and snaked a finger over her belly. He paused at the valley between her breasts and just teased the swell of one as if he dared not venture toward her nipple. Without the least bit of warning, he thrust his hands beneath her and raised her off the bed. He buried his face between her thighs and kissed her pussy full on. Stephanie gasped and moaned. She didn’t realize she was so wet until Hawke’s tongue bathed her from the top of her folds to the bottom and moaned from the discovery.
“You taste so good. I’ve wanted this from the moment I saw you. I wanted to eat your pussy when I fingered you.”
Her shuddering breaths at his words were noisy. She bit her lip and pressed a hand to her chest, trying to get a grip. Hawke lay her down and moved to the dresser. She leaned up on an elbow. “What are you doing?”
He rummaged through the top drawer and brought out a strip of cloth. She raised an eyebrow at him. “What are you going to do with that?”
“You squint a lot, and it causes you headaches.”
That surprised her. “How did you know?”
“I’m a very observant man.” He came over to her. “Now lay back. I’m going to blindfold you so you can’t even see shadows. This will also help you to exercise trust in me. Are you willing to give it a try?”
“I think I want to, but no typing my hands.”
“I won’t. I want you to touch me. When your hands roam my body, it gets me harder than I ever remember being. I’m not forgoing that pleasure for any reason.”
Stephanie chuckled, but she let him do what he wanted. Her world went dark, and while she couldn’t say she trusted him, she did feel compelled to let go and just experience what they were about to do. Hawke grazed her thigh with his hand and then pulled one farther from the other. A breeze tickled her secret place, stirring her desire. When it happened again, she realized he blew down there, and the wetness and air reacted together to make her hotter.
“Hawke, what are you doing?”
“Shh.”
He dipped a finger between her folds into her channel. She squirmed, but he didn’t stay. The coated finger found her nipple and circled it. Stephanie arched her back as her nipple puckered and tightened. She knew what would come next and cried out when his lips closed over the tiny bud. He licked her cream from the tip and then sucked until she thought she would come from the sensation alone.
“Do you like that, baby?”
“Mm, yes, Hawke. Do it again with the other one, please.”
“Uh-uh, I want you to do it.”
She frowned beneath the mask. “What do you mean?”
He took hold of her hand and guided her fingers between her legs. Hawke used her digit as a lollypop, dipping it into her come and then licking it clean. When he had done that a few times, he coated her digit once more and made her play with her nipple. Stephanie writhed on the sheets as he had her pinch her nipple and tug it until she whimpered. When he apparently couldn’t take it any longer, he thrust her hand aside and fed her breast into his mouth, consuming as much of it as he could. He drew back and pulled on the tip, then moved to the other breast for the same treatment.
Hawke covered both breasts and squeezed. She cried out his name. He massaged the globes, pinched the nipples, and laved between them. All around the swollen mounds, he played, driving her out of her head. When he drew back, she took a moment to catch her breath.
“Baby, have you ever come with your lover playing with your breasts and nothing else?”
She trembled with excitement at the prospect. “No, never. I don’t know that I can.”
“You can, and I will give it to you.” He nuzzled her sensitive skin, biting sometimes and licking others. “Most don’t know but it’s not your nipples that have the highest sensitivity, but this spot right here.” He indicated with a finger and then his tongue. The sweep back and forth at a spot just above her areola shot a volley of arrows between her legs. Her core contracted. Surely, this was impossible, and yet, she knew she was close to an orgasm.
Stephanie bucked on the bed. She tore at the sheets and squeezed her legs together. When she reached between them to toy with her clit, Hawke took her hand away. She whined to be allowed to rub herself, but he didn’t give her the chance, pinning her wrists to the bed and nipping at her rigid peaks until she cried out his name. The torment went on. One minute she thought she would explode, the next, he changed tactics and let her ache. All of his attention remained on her breast. Even the pop of him tugging on and releasing them got her hotter. She raised her hips and pumped the air, but Hawke laid an arm across her pelvis. No matter what she tried, he maintained control.
At last, when she couldn’t take it any longer, her orgasm crested and erupted from her core. Muscles contracted, and her pussy clenched. The sensations ran wild in her channel as if he had bee
n fingering her inside the whole time. She couldn’t believe it. She had come with him touching her breasts and nothing else.
Hawke leaned up, and she ran her hands over the plains and valleys of his skin, exploring with only her sense of touch. His skin was so taut she couldn’t pinch anywhere, but the smooth contours, the warmth, and the beat of his heart under her fingertips heightened her desire as if she’d not just come.
“Did you like that?”
“Oh yes,” she said in a raspy tone. “I want more, but come closer and let me suck you.” She held out her arms but didn’t hear him shift his position.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to do anything you don’t like.”
“Hawke.” She found her way to him, stroked his cock and marveled at the size of it. The shaft jutted from his body, straining and hard as if ready to be pleased. She longed to see it clearly, just as she wanted to see his face, but for now, she treasured the feel. Threading it between her lips, she gave his shaft a light suck and heard him drag in a sharp breath. Stephanie drew back and licked the head before circling it with the tip of her tongue.
“Baby, baby, what are you doing to me?” he moaned.
She swallowed his shaft a little ways in her mouth and drew hard on him. Up and down, she worked her head so that one minute he lay deep in and the next he threatened to pop out. She found the protruding vein that ran the length of his member and nibbled along it. Hawke’s tight dick scarcely gave an inch as she sucked his skin and placed pressure on it with her mouth. Once again, she swallowed him and held the cock at the base. She gave it a squeeze and worked him over and over.
“Damn, I’m going to come,” he grumbled.
Stephanie found her hands empty without warning as Hawke shoved her roughly onto her back. He thrust one of her legs up and began sucking at her pussy. She screamed and writhed. He held her down, and she could almost feel the strength behind the hold. He didn’t let up for a long time, but rather licked and licked, shoving his tongue into her folds and scooping her cream into his mouth.
In Hawke's Eyes Page 5
