by S. K. Yule
Lynx Loving
Copyright © January 2015, S. K. Yule
Cover art by Clarissa Yeo © January 2015
Amira Press
www.amirapress.com
ISBN: 978-1-627620-88-8
No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared by any electronic or mechanical means, including but not limited to printing, file sharing, and e-mail, without prior written permission from Amira Press.
Table of Contents
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Epilogue
About the Author
Dedication
To all of my loved ones that I’ve lost. My dad, my grandparents, and many others who, although no longer with me physically, provided great inspiration, love, and life lessons throughout the years, which helped guide me to where I am today.
Chapter One
“This is bullshit,” Krista complained for the hundredth time.
Landon gripped the steering wheel. He agreed with her, but not for the same reasons.
“Why in the world do we have to travel all the way to Michigan to get your brother in a damn blizzard? Hell, it’s closing in on winter, and Montana is not known for its delicate atmosphere.” She huffed as she checked her lipstick in the fold-down mirror on the visor. “Makes complete sense to drive to another state known for crappy weather. It would do him good to stay a month or two more after what he did to Nyssa.”
“It wasn’t forecasted, and sarcasm doesn’t suit you.” He didn’t ask for Krista to come along. Nope. She was pawned off on him so his sister, Nyssa, could get some alone time with Brady, her fiancé. With his other two brothers, Thomas and Garrett, gone for a few days, he and Krista were the only ones left keeping the couple from being alone. He’d been fine with the idea of making the trip on his own.
“You’re a man of so many words. I sometimes wonder how I’ll ever get you to shut up.”
He couldn’t argue with her. He was more a man of action. “Dylan served his time. He wants to come home.”
He pressed his lips together. His brother’s childish antics had nearly cost Nyssa her life. He didn’t know why he was taking up for him. Yeah, you do. You like it when Krista’s riled. And that was going to get him in trouble if he wasn’t careful. A long drive, plus lust for his soon-to-be brother-in-law’s sister, was a potion one drop away from exploding in his face.
He found the smart-mouthed Krista sexy as hell, but she was young, and he was not settling-down material. Not to mention he was sure Brady would do his best to put Landon six feet under if he so much as looked at Krista wrong, which he’d already done countless times.
“I can’t believe I allowed Brady to sucker me into making this trip. I only did it to take pity on him and Nyssa. He thinks I’m so damned naïve that I don’t get it when he’s trying to get rid of me so he can have sexy time. I only agreed because I like your sister, Landon.” She crossed her arms over her chest and a sly smile crossed her lips. “Brady must have been desperate since he let us drive his new truck.”
Heat warmed his cheeks and he shifted in his seat. Why did the object of his forbidden desire have to bring up sex? True, he had no wish to think about his sister and Brady in any intimate manner, and the mere mention of it should have turned him off. Yet, the first thing that came to his mind at the hint of sex was Krista and the many compromising positions he’d like to get her in.
“Nyssa and Brady are good together,” he said, while silently begging his own brain to stop conjuring images of a naked Krista.
“I agree. Hell, she’s the reason for this sweet truck. Did you know he made me and her ride all the way to Kish and Georgia’s in that old jalopy of his? She threw up from the motion sickness.” Krista leaned against the leather backrest and cringed. “God, I hated that thing.”
“Mmhm. Nyssa mentioned something about that.” Landon still couldn’t believe his sister was back in his life.
“He has it in the garage. Couldn’t stand to part with it. I mean, it’s a truck for crying out loud. It’s not a person. What is it with men and their trucks?”
The guilt he carried awoke and spread its fingers in his gut, clenching at his insides. Nyssa should have never been on the run from that asshole Clay. He should have protected her from their father. Their mother’s death had been Landon’s complete and utter undoing. He’d been so absorbed in his grief that he’d lost touch with reality. Not only had he and his brothers sat idly by while his father promised Nyssa to a temperamental man more than twice her age, but they’d all been too wrapped up in their own self-pity to see that Clay had been the one responsible for their mother’s death. At least the bastard was dead now, rotting in hell where he belonged.
As guilt began to boil over into anger, he inhaled a long, calming breath. His mother was lost to him long ago, his father, gone now, too. Landon’s whole family had been torn apart, and he’d almost allowed his sister to die. Nyssa had been angry at all of them—him, Garrett, Thomas, and Dylan—when they’d finally found her after so many years, but she had forgiven them. None of them deserved it, but Landon would never allow anything to come between him and his family again.
Second chances were hard to come by, especially from those you’ve betrayed, and he wouldn’t besmirch his sister’s acceptance of him and the rest of his siblings. He would remain loyal to his family until the day he died, which was another reason he needed to keep his hands off of Krista. She and Brady would soon become his extended family. And Landon wasn’t stupid. Brady accepted Landon and his siblings because Nyssa forgave them, but Brady didn’t trust them.
Landon couldn’t blame him for that, but he might be able to earn the man’s trust...eventually. Jumping into bed with Krista was not the way to go about accomplishing that.
“It’s kind of like women and shoes,” he muttered under his breath.
“What is?” Krista asked, apparently on to different things in her brain.
“Men and trucks.”
“Oh. That explains a lot.” She rolled her eyes in typical Krista fashion. He swore she was the one that had invented eye-rolling, as he’d never seen her do anything other than a perfect execution of the annoying habit.
The snow fell harder, and even with his superior eyesight, he had trouble seeing through the near whiteout.
“We’re going to have to pull over and wait it out.” He began looking for an exit ramp on the long stretch of highway.
Krista sat up straight and looked at him. “No way. I am not going to any truck stop. We still have four hundred miles to go. This was supposed to be a three day trip, maximum. Straight there, straight back, only stopping for food, potty breaks, and one overnight stay.” She glared at him.
“Then we will be making our overnight stay early. I don’t feel comfortable continuing on with you in the truck,” he said.
She rubbed her palms along her thighs. “Me? What did I do?”
“I don’t want to risk getting stranded or wrecking while you’re with me. If I were on my own, that would be a different story. I’m responsible for your well-being. That’s all I meant.”
“Did you forget I can shift too? It’s not like I’ll freeze to death. If we get stranded, my lynx would keep me warm. I can take care of myself.” She pouted.
His gut clenched and his cock twitched. Chalk that up to something else she can do to perfection. Her lush lips appeared even fuller and more kissable scrunched up in the I’m-a-spoiled-princess pose.
“No, but I also didn’t forget that you are a seriously cold-natured cat,” he said.
About thirty turtle-crawling miles later, he spotted a truck stop sign and exited the snow-covered highway. Thank the heavens the truck had four wheel drive.
“Can’t we please find a hotel?” Krista bounced her knee like an impatient child.
“You’ve noticed the desolate highway we’ve been on, right? It might be a hundred miles to the next patch of civilization. I can’t risk it. They’ll have everything we need here.” He hoped like hell he was right.
“But if this is our overnight stay, where am I supposed to sleep?”
“We can nap in the truck until the storm passes.” He could use a rest. He’d been driving for hours, and his shoulders were tight.
“Oh great! You do realize it’s freezing in the truck, right?”
“You do realize the truck has a heater, right?” He took a deep breath, instantly regretting that he’d snapped at her. “I’m sorry. I know this isn’t ideal, but we’re going to have to deal with it, okay?”
She fiddled with the hem of her shirt without answering him.
“I promise I won’t let you get cold, and I’ll make sure you have a comfortable place to rest. The truck is roomy. The back seat is big and will make a nice bed for you.” He glanced in the back. Yep. Big enough for both of them. Stop now. Ain’t gonna happen, bro.
She fished for her coat on the dark floorboard, put it on, then zipped it up to her chin and reached for the door handle. Before sliding out, she flashed him a glare over her shoulder. “They better have a steak the size of Montana in there for me to eat, or I’m going to get very upset.”
He was sure he didn’t want to see very upset. Biting his lip, he fought the urge to hurry to the passenger side and help her out. He’d attempted to open her door for her before they’d left on this journey, and she’d lectured him for what seemed like an hour. Something about how it was no longer necessary for men to open doors for women, but that women appreciated it, but not all the time, but... Yet he found it amusing that she didn’t seem to mind him hefting her ridiculously heavy bag into the truck. He shook his head. He still wasn’t sure if he was supposed to open her door or not. He stepped out of the driver’s side, engaged the locks, slid the keys in his pocket, and followed her inside.
The inside of the diner appeared to be neat and tidy, and relief washed through him. After Krista mumbled over her shoulder that she was going to the restroom, he found them a seat. He ordered coffee for them both before she returned and tossed her coat on the back of the chair.
“Good news.” He grinned. “They have steak. I guess you don’t have to get very upset now, do you?”
“Wow.”
“What?”
“For a man of few words, you are finding the sarcasm particularly easy at this inopportune time.” She flipped the menu open.
Her haughty attitude was starting to chafe, and he teetered between wanting to throttle her or kiss her into silence. When the waitress returned, he was glad when Krista’s full lips turned up into a cheery smile.
He ordered when she told him to go ahead. After she ordered, he stared at her with a slack jaw. “What was all the fuss over steak if you were going to get a salad?”
“A girl has to watch her figure. Besides, I ate steak last night.” She shrugged, raised one dainty brow, then smirked.
“Unbelievable,” he said under his breath.
She leaned toward him. When her cleavage squeezed together in a delicious, begging-to-be-licked display, he barely suppressed a groan. “Lighten up, Landon. How many times have I told you that you need to unwind a bit? Hm?” She sat back, took a sip of her black coffee, grimaced, then added a packet of sugar. “Or maybe...” She toyed with the rim of her cup.
“Maybe what?”
“Maybe you just need to get laid,” she whispered.
“Krista!” he admonished. When blood rushed his groin making his cock twitch to life, he wasn’t happy that his body seemed to agree. For the second time, she caused him to shift in his seat.
She giggled. “Relax, big guy. You should know by now how I like getting under your skin. And damn if it isn’t an easy task.”
“I don’t find this amusing,” he said.
“All teasing aside, you know I’m right. Maybe I could help you out with that little problem.” She leaned across the table again. “Or is it a big problem?”
“I don’t think so.” He looked at her and tried his best not to lose himself in the seductive chocolate depths of her gorgeous eyes.
She stuck her lip out in a pout that made his groin tighten more. “Don’t you find me attractive?” She sniffled then dabbed at the corner of her eye with a napkin.
“I didn’t mean that. You know you’re beautiful. It’s just that...well—”
“Oh my gawd!” She laughed. “Can’t you tell when I’m fake crying by now?” Suddenly the spark of laughter was replaced by something else. “You think I’m beautiful?” Her sultry tone slid along his spine.
Fuck. What had possessed him to say that to her? “You know you are a beautiful girl.”
Her cheeks flared red. “I’m not a girl. I’m a woman. I am flippin’ twenty-five years old. When will everyone stop treating me as though I’m a damn child?”
“Maybe when you stop behaving as one.” What the hell was wrong with him? One minute he was complimenting her, the next he was insulting her. Just let me die now, please.
“Just because I don’t act like Nyssa or Georgia doesn’t mean I am a child. We aren’t all the same, you know? I’m grown up when I need to be. But why rush it? I like being carefree. It won’t last forever, you know? I saw how much my brother sacrificed for me growing up. He gave up his childhood to take care of me. I’ll always feel guilty for that, but I refuse to forego fun and be serious all the time. One of the reasons Brady did what he did for me was so I could enjoy life.”
“I—”
“I can’t help it if you are stuffy and old and don’t get it. All I’ve ever done was try to show you how much fun life can be, but you’re too busy drowning in your frowns and stodginess to get it.” When the waitress returned with their food, Krista stopped and smiled at the woman.
Was it obvious to everyone how much guilt he felt over Nyssa? Apparently, he hadn’t hidden it as well as he thought. Once the waitress left, he took a big bite of his bacon cheeseburger. “I’m not old,” he said around chewing.
“Yeah, whatever, gramps,” she said before taking a bite of salad.
The rest of the meal was eaten in complete silence.
Chapter Two
The man was infuriating...and drop-dead hot. Landon paid for their meal and confirmed that the nearest hotel was too far away to drive to in the blizzard. Krista stood behind him ogling his backside, wishing she could bare it then bite it. The snow wasn’t supposed to let up until tomorrow, and dusk had overtaken the sky.
Why couldn’t Landon see she was crazy for him? Actually, she had seen hints here and there that he was attracted to her. The heated stares he seared her with when he thought no one was watching was one telltale sign, but she didn’t understand why he never acted on his feelings. Was it because of her brother? Was it because of their age difference? He’d remarked that she acted like a child when they were eating. Was it because of Nyssa, or all of the above?
She acted as though she’d been inconvenienced where this trip was concerned. Truth was, she hoped to finally crack the wall Landon had erected between them. She had fallen in love with him months ago, but the frustration of his rebuttal of her advances, time and again, was starting to make her believe that she had imagined any interest she thought had been returned by him.
She’d grown close to her almost sister-in-law, Nyssa, and knew about the guilt Landon and the rest of his brothers carried over Nyssa’s time on the run. But Nyssa had forgiven them and welcomed them back into the family, which included Krista and Brady now. While she couldn’t den
y Brady didn’t altogether trust Nyssa’s siblings, it wasn’t as though he planned to put any of them in front of a firing squad anytime soon.
She looked at Landon’s wide back. He was about her brother’s height, a few inches over six feet, but was heavier muscled than Brady. Her heart sped up as she thought about how many times—like now—she had the urge to run her fingers through Landon’s thick, dark hair, over his scruffy, chiseled jaw, down his throat, and over every delicious and defined muscle of his body.
Though she was of average height, she felt small around him. Maybe it was time for her to stop being so carefree and act more her age. She was aware that she might come across as a bit immature to some, but she was an adult where it counted. She’d die before she betrayed her family. She was responsible and made good grades in college. Her heart sank. She’d have to tell Brady she wasn’t returning to school, and he wasn’t going to like it. His anger she’d handle fine, but his disappointment would be a whole other ballgame.
She didn’t want to think about that discussion right now. She had plans for her life, and she hoped Landon would be a part of it. If not, she’d get by without him...somehow. Maybe the age gap between them was just too much. Maybe he’d always see her as a child. But she couldn’t be someone else for him. If he couldn’t accept her for herself, she would have to come to terms that they’d never be together.
He started for the door, and she grabbed a sucker from a container by the cash register, plopped a quarter on the counter, and followed him outside. A blast of cold air hit her, and she shivered.
“Damn it. Why did the hot gene skip me?” She wrapped her arms around her middle.
“It’s more a male thing, I think.” He stopped then pulled her under his arm and against his side.
Warmth flooded her. As they walked, blinding snow and wind chafed her face, and she closed her eyes, letting him guide her. She didn’t complain when he helped her into the passenger seat before going around to the driver’s side. They drove to the back of the truck stop lot, passing several tractor trailers with idling engines, lights off, and cabs dark. She assumed most of the drivers were taking the opportunity to sleep while waiting out the storm. After parking, Landon turned on the heater full blast and opened his door. “Be right back.”
