To Date A Disaster (Southern Sanctuary - book 6)

by Jane Cousins

  Dazed, Cara pushed away from the trunk to move across to the large picture window that took up an entire wall. Even in the dark it was clear that the view was of a lush mysterious valley below. “Are we in a treehouse?” Cara stared down the steep descent, the slope lit up by hundreds of swaying solar firefly lights dotting the external landscape. “And why is it dark outside?”

  Erik moved to stand behind Cara, so close she could feel his body heat. He didn’t touch her but a shiver of awareness coursed down her spine.

  “This is my place. It’s just after four in the morning, time difference, remember. You can get started on your research project after the sun comes up.”

  Cara turned to face him, taking an involuntary step back. He was way too close, invading her personal space. “I’m not tired.” She really didn’t want to be alone with Erik. She didn’t trust him to keep his hands to himself. Nor did she trust herself to say no to him.

  “Who said anything about sleeping?” Erik took a step forward, the corners of his mouth turned up in a dangerously sexy manner that made Cara’s stomach churn.

  “I… I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Cara backed up. “… us… not sleeping together.” She frowned, that didn’t make sense. “Um… I mean, we’ve had our fun, right?”

  “I’m always up for more… fun.” Erik’s cobalt blue eyes blazed with heated intent.

  Oh my. Cara found herself wanting to lean forward into him, but thankfully the feel of the cold glass as she backed up against the window stole her breath away and her common sense prevailed. “Fun is one night… more than that, it becomes a bad habit.”

  “You say habit… I say relationship.”

  Cara was speechless for a split second. Erik Valhalla had just used the ‘R’ word… Erik Valhalla!

  It would be all too easy to suspend her disbelief and melt into him but if she’d learnt anything about this man at all over the last few weeks is that he was sneaky. He had used reverse psychology on her in the past. Obviously he was trying to scare the bejeesus out of her so she’d know that a relationship was the last thing he wanted. That sounded right… right?

  Huh, she was starting to confuse herself. Her mind roiling, the ball of hot molten chaos between her legs swirling and pulsing… it too seemed confused.

  “You know your problem, Angel.” Erik bought a hand up to snag one of her long ringlets, twirling it slowly, hypnotically, around his finger. “You think too much.”

  “Hah, and you think too little.” Her tone lacked snark but at least she’d managed to get the words out, her gaze locked on his finger, slowly winding her hair, like he was the hook and she was the prize.

  “Remember last night?” Erik placed his other hand flat on the glass above her head and leant over, his hot breath caressing her ear, stirring her hair. “When you stopped thinking. Stopped worrying. Stopped fighting and just felt. My hands on you.” His mouth was directly against her ear now, chills racing down her spine, heat pooling low as the molten ball started to unravel. “My lips on you.” He turned his head, nuzzling soft kisses down the side of her throat.

  Cara was thankful for the cold glass plastered to her back, without it she felt as if she’d catch on fire. Damn the man and his fantastic lips. She couldn’t prevent the whimper that escaped her throat.

  Against her skin she felt Erik smile at her response to his touch. “Cara, come to bed with me?”

  Why did his invitation sound so decadent and so much more than just a simple proposition for them to spend another night together? Why couldn’t she get her mind to work? Her body on automatic as she tilted her head back to allow Erik to trail kisses across her throat and up the other side.

  Hmm, thinking, it really was over-rated.

  She bit back a moan, reaching up to fist a handful of his hair, angling his head so she could bring his lips down onto hers.

  In an instant Erik went from slow seduction to devouring her, his tongue thrusting into her mouth, taking ownership as he dropped her hair and reached down with both hands to cup her rear and pick her up. Emitting an encouraging growl of approval when she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist.

  Heavens, Cara would have been quite happy staying right where they were, but Erik had other ideas as he turned, with her still in his arms, carrying her deeper into his fantastical treehouse. Not that she could really complain, the man never stopped kissing her, touching her or giving her a chance to clear her head and think.

  He climbed some curving stairs, which made her moan as the hard length of him - through his jeans - rubbed against her needy core. How he managed to keep moving was beyond her, she was willing… ready, to do him right there on the dark staircase.

  Erik was feeling pretty good about life in general, the woman he… Goddess, man up, just admit it, loved, was in his arms, making incredibly sexy noises in the back of her throat. Her gorgeous soft breasts were moulded against his chest and most telling of her, Cara’s lower body was grinding hard against his.

  Distracting her and keeping her from thinking too hard was working. Her body knew she wanted him, sometime soon though he was going to have to work out how to get that stubborn, over analytical brain of hers to accept the fact.

  He was more than a little grateful she had succumbed to his touch. It would give him another night to prove to her that they belonged together. That there was real magic being generated when they came together.

  It didn’t surprise him that she was scared to admit what was going on between them. It was heady, powerful stuff… what was that word she’d used? Habit… yeah, too late, he was already addicted to Cara Devigne. Now she just needed to stop running long enough and admit the same thing.

  Damn, she tasted like ice cream on a hot summer’s day, delicious, exotic and exactly what he craved.

  They entered his bedroom, his booted feet sounding loud, oh, his boots, on one foot he tried to push the other boot off, no luck. Damn, the laces were tied too tight…

  “Erik?” A sleepy unfamiliar female voice broke the silence as light suddenly flooded the dark room.

  Cara instantly broke their kiss, her head snapping around. The sight of Saffron, wearing nothing but a sheet clutched to her naked breasts lying in Erik’s bed was the equivalent of a cold bucket of water being thrown directly between her legs.

  “Susan?” Erik scowled, his expression thunderous.

  “Saffron, you idiot.” Cara corrected, punching him in the shoulder. “Let me down.” She struggled in his arms.

  Erik really… really, didn’t want to put Cara down. “What are you doing here? Why are you in my…” Ouch, Cara kicked his right kidney with the heel of her sneaker. Automatically he released her.

  The moment Cara’s shoes hit the floor, she immediately ducked around Erik and started down the dark stairs. She was so not staying here, that woman… the gall of the blue haired skank. Her mind conjured up a series of adult only flashes featuring Erik and Saffron heating up the sheets. Inside the chaos ball was blipping and pulsing like popping candy… asshole.

  “Erik?” Saffron pouted, lowering the sheet slightly in clear invitation.

  Erik rolled his eyes, shit, this situation had gone from volcanic to ice age in less than five seconds flat. His mind still trying to grapple with the reality that he’d had Cara right where he wanted her and somehow everything had turned to shit, thanks to the blue haired naked female who had invaded his bedroom.

  He might have stood there forever in bewilderment, but in that moment a small scrunched up yellow post-it note shot up from where it had been lying on the floor and hit him right between the eyes… crap!

  “Cara.” He bellowed her name and turned, heading down the stairs, stumbling as one of his bootlaces snapped, almost sending him tumbling. He regained his balance clumsily and kept going.

  Shit, she was mad. There was no refuting that fact as a small rug, which had never moved an inch in over five years, slid out from under his foot sending him crashing down on one knee, thunk, wood hi
t wood. Thank Goddess for his magic.

  The sturdy side table he used as a crutch to regain his footing was suddenly sturdy no more, collapsing like matchsticks. Bloody hell, on his feet now, he kept moving, jumping over a chair that had fallen, one of its legs mysteriously crumbling. Out through the open front door he didn’t bother to slow his pace or watch out for the next disaster lying in wait. Cara was hurt and angry and he needed to find her and make it right… it didn’t matter if he was bruised or broken in the process, if every damn stick of furniture he had turned to dust. What mattered was finding Cara and making sure she was alright.

  He would have kept running up his driveway but movement in the passenger seat of his truck caught his eye, there she was. Thank Goddess one of the family must have found the vehicle at Cara’s place and driven it here. Running over to the driver’s side he slammed in, hit the door lock button and started the engine, reversing the truck out fast, flicking on the lights, the road ahead looking still and dark.

  Cara sitting beside him, was breathing hard, her silence deafening. He was expecting her to rant, to rave, maybe hit him… or Goddess forbid, cry. But all he got was silence, deafening silence.

  He glanced her way, Cara’s eyes were focused on the dark road ahead, high colour of anger and maybe a little embarrassment staining her cheeks. Damn, she wouldn’t talk to him and it didn’t look like she was prepared to even look at him.

  Fuck… guilt swept through him, which suddenly had him gripping the steering wheel tight, what did he have to feel guilty about? He was innocent in all this, he hadn’t asked Sus… Saffron to be waiting for him in his bed.

  “You were absolutely no help back there, you know that right?” He let a little of the anger he was feeling seep into his tone. Cara should have stayed, given him the benefit of the doubt, not run like that.

  “Excuse me?” Cara’s tone was icy cold.

  “I didn’t ask that woman into my home… ask her to wait for me in my bed.”

  “Yet, she felt that it was perfectly acceptable to do so.” Cara gritted out. “Perhaps something to do with your reputation or your history with women made her think that it was something that you might be open to… that you might in fact, think that it would be fun.” She loaded the last word with sarcasm.

  Frustrated, Erik ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it back. “That woman broke into my home. I’m the victim here.”

  Cara scoffed out a humourless laugh. “There was a naked, willing woman, waiting for you in your bed tonight, and you’re seriously going to play the victim card?”

  “You’re being unreasonable Cara.” Erik pressed his foot down harder on the accelerator, he knew as soon as he said the words that it was a mistake, no woman appreciated being accused of acting irrationally… no matter how irrational they were being.

  “You…” Cara was lost for words and she really, really didn’t like it. “… just drive. I wanted to get into the library early anyway. She folded her arms across her chest, mainly to hide the fact that her fingers were trembling.

  Oh God, she was in so much trouble… so much trouble. She knew as soon as Saffron hit the lights tonight that the whole thing was a setup. One which Erik hadn’t been clued in on. Heavens, the man couldn’t even remember the woman’s name. And the look in Saffron’s eyes had been too calculating, too knowing, her hair too perfect, she had make-up on for pity sake.

  And the big jerk next to her actually thought she was stupid enough to buy into the whole farce? That she believed the two of them had arranged a late night booty call?

  Merda, she desperately needed him to keep on thinking that. Better than him learning the truth… that she’d been so flooded with possessiveness at the sight of Saffron in Erik’s bed that it had been all she could do not to throw herself across the room and pull Saffron’s hair out by her avant garde - try too hard - blue roots.

  Like a bolt of lightning, the truth had struck her, and there was only one option open to her, run. Run as far and as fast as she could.

  Damn… damn, a litany of Italian curse words ran through her head, just when… precisely when had she gone and fallen in love with Erik Valhalla, terminally single - way too handy - man about town?

  Chapter Twenty

  Oh, it was such a relief to be back in her work clothes… her armour. Thank God, she’d had the forethought to leave some changes of clothes in her employee locker. Cara emerged from the staff - ladies only – bathroom, dressed in a navy skirt and a red scoop-necked cardigan with large mother of pearl buttons running up the front. Thanks to Riya’s wardrobe tweaks, the skirt was a little shorter than she liked, with a small split up her right leg and the cardigan seemed to be fitting a little tighter than normal, but essentially she was once more a demure, tightly buttoned up, no nonsense – don’t even think about messing with me - librarian.

  No one… and by no one, she meant Erik Valhalla, was getting past this armour.

  Not that the man was lingering around trying. So much for acting as her protection detail. Upon arriving at the library, he’d checked all the wings and double-checked all the locks before abruptly disappearing behind the plastic sheeting dividing the children’s wing from the rest of the library.

  It was as if he was angry at her for some reason… huh, like it was her fault somehow that a naked floozy had been waiting for him in his over-sized bed.

  Had he seriously believed she should have stood by his side and defended him against the invading blue haired naked menace? Yeah right, that would have been insane, she might as well just hang a sign around her neck with an arrow pointing his way with the words - I’m in love with stupid - written on it.

  No way, if Erik knew… suspected, how she felt about him… he would… what would he do?

  Well, he’d manipulate her for a start. Probably insist they have sex… lots and lots of sex. Phew, was it warm in here all of a sudden? Fanning her warm cheeks, Cara strode down the dimly lit corridor headed for the book vault.

  The vault lived up to its name, with a large steel door locked by a big - tough to move - wheel, acting as a handle. Cara had asked Marta about the handle, why a wheel? Marta had replied with frightening sincerity that some of the contents of the vault had learnt how to turn a normal door handle but hadn’t yet mastered the wheel. The very thought made Cara’s tummy churn as she rotated the wheel, huffing with the effort it took, listening as several locks clicked open before the door swung open.

  Lights automatically flickered on in the impossibly vast vault room. The cool air heavy with a hushed stillness, as if just prior to her entrance there had been a lot of movement and sound. Damn, this place was ten times of eerie. Reluctantly, Cara turned and closed the door, locking herself in.

  Moving to the nearest catalogue computer she switched it on, waiting for it to warm up so she could log on. The vault contained a vast number of books, files, pamphlets, scrolls and tablets. Basically anything that could be used to record the written word was represented here. Many of the written materials were on accessible shelves, waiting to be repaired but more than a few were locked away in iron cages.

  Hmm, the computer blinked and Cara absently keyed in her password, her mind had drifted back to Erik. What did the man want from her? Twice now he’d asked her to move in with him. Did he mean forever? Temporarily? Until the danger with her family was over? Because he couldn’t stop thinking about her? Because he had feelings for her?

  It was frustrating. She was in the business of finding answers but Erik’s motives for asking her to move in escaped her. They’d had their fun, why wasn’t he moving on?

  The computer beeped, letting her know it at least was willing to provide her with some answers. Section nine… of course, it would have to be right at the back. Cara took a deep breath and started walking into the bowels of the vault. All around her silence reigned, but it was a watchful silence, as if the books were just waiting to see what she would do… or they were waiting for her to walk in to a trap they’d laid. Curse her i
magination.

  Wrapping her arms around her upper body, Cara determinedly kept on walking. God, this place was like the Tardis; way bigger on the inside than was remotely possible. She’d studied the floor plans for the entire library because of her job renovating the children’s wing and no way, not without the benefit of some sort of magic could the vault be this enormous.

  Best not to think about it, same could be said for Erik Valhalla. She needed to stop thinking about extraneous stuff and concentrate on determining what had been buried in Apep’s sarcophagus that might have been imbued with his Chi. And when she wasn’t thinking about that, she needed to come up with a game plan on how to go about controlling her powers.

  Hmmm, she wondered what Erik was doing?

  * * *

  Erik was glaring at Cara. Well, not Cara in the flesh, but the Cara he had spent several days and nights chiselling out of cream gold streaked marble.

  The piece was flawed, so many things wrong with it that it was all he could do not to pick up a hammer and smash it to pieces. After spending the last forty-eight hours with Cara, learning all her secrets. The way her chin lifted when she was trying to be brave. How her mouth flattened for a split second when someone said something to make her angry. The way her dark gold eyelashes brushed against her cheeks when she was determined to blink back tears. How her eyes widened slightly before she told a lie. And the way she flowed like liquid golden silk in his arms when her body was wracked with pleasure.

  Hah, for all his claims of being an artist, he’d failed miserably. How could he have gotten it so wrong? The sculpture before him was a cold lump of graceless stone. He didn’t think it could be salvaged. Moving forward he absently rested a hand on the curve of her naked thigh… funny how under his touch even the marble representation of Cara felt warm and velvet soft. Absently he stroked his hand back and forth along her thigh.