Forbidden Bond

by Jessica Lee

  A laugh bubbled up from her. “Nosey much?”

  “Guilty.” Eion pulled off his hat and draped it over one knee. “Talk to me.” The wind caught his hair, blowing it into his eyes. He shoved it back behind his ear.

  She clamped her mouth shut, studying him. But with an exasperated sigh, she said, “I just have a lot on my mind. Money problems with the ranch, the wolves taking out our herd, not to mention my practice has only been open for a year, and now my business partner is intent on marrying me. I have a lot of things to think about.” She dropped her gaze to her laced fingers.

  Eion’s gut tightened, but he needed to be happy for her, help her move on.

  “Then Josie came by this morning and announced that she’s throwing Taylor and me a party celebrating our clinic’s anniversary at The Dry Well tomorrow night.” She sighed.

  “That’s not a good thing? Something to look forward to?”

  “It should be, shouldn’t it?” She looked over at him, her nose crinkled, and nodded. “Becoming a vet and then opening the clinic here in Little Crow has been like a dream come true for me.” Liv glanced back down at her hands. “Kris and I have had so much to deal with at the ranch though that celebrating our clinic’s milestone almost feels like Taylor and I are about to jinx ourselves. What if something goes wrong and I end up losing both my practice and the ranch as well?”

  Rubbing the stubble on his chin with one hand, he added, “First off, you’re not losing your home. I refuse to allow that to happen. Second, is some of this anxiety because of what happened between us last night?”

  “Let’s not go there.” Liv lunged to her feet, dusting off the back of her pants. “God, I shouldn’t even be here with you like this.” Eion stood up next to her. She spun on her heels to leave, but in her rush, didn’t notice the hole in the ground. Her foot sank, tossing her sideways, right into Eion’s arms.

  He caught her before she fell, pulling her in close. The sudden heat of her presence was like kindling to the ever present fire that simmered beneath the surface of his skin. Her breathing ragged, Liv glanced up from under her lashes, her fingertips digging into his biceps.

  Eion leaned down, brushed his lips over her forehead. She closed her eyes, and he kissed her there, then her cheek.

  “This is so wrong,” she whispered then bit her lip.

  “Very wrong.” He groaned next to her lips, his pulse galloping flat out, a thoroughbred on a straightaway. Once more. Then they would move on.

  He had to.

  With the tip of his tongue, Eion tasted the seam of her mouth. Her breath hitched, and her eyes opened, yet she didn’t let go. Their gazes locked and like the goddess of a green sea, Liv pulled him under. But at that moment, he’d be damned if he cared whether or not he drew another breath or drowned in her ocean. Whatever she needed, it was hers.

  Her lips parted, and he breathed her in right before sealing his mouth over hers. His ability to think obliterated by the woman in his arms. Inside his head, his wolf howled. His blood surged through his veins and slammed home into his cock.

  Eion spun Liv around and moved her in reverse until he had her exactly where he needed her to be—wedged between his hips and the nearest tree. Mine!

  Breaking away from the seal of their lips, Liv gasped. “Eion…” Her nails bit into his shoulder blades, but the sting only served to heighten his need. Eion followed the curve of her neck to her shoulder. Damn, like an aphrodisiac, her scent went straight to his dick. He wedged his thigh between hers and rocked into her lower abdomen. “Oh, God…” she groaned. “You make me want…”

  “What do you want, Liv?” His voice was barely above a rumble. His control on the verge of imploding. Fuck. If she asked him to take her right here—right now—he doubted he would have the strength to walk away. “Anything.” He flicked his tongue over the shell of her ear. “Say it.” He slid the back of his knuckles down her sides and over the swell of her breasts.

  She shivered and a whimper escaped her lips. “Touch me,” she whispered.

  Eion couldn’t hold back the growl that rolled from his throat if his life depended on it. Through the thin fabric of her top, he brushed his thumb over the hard pebble of her nipple. Liv jerked, and he captured her cry of passion with his kiss. She moaned over his tongue, and the effect sizzled down his spine.

  His shaft throbbed with every beat of his heart. Ached for a release that only the woman in his arms could give him. But this moment wasn’t about him. Something inside told Eion that Liv needed this way more. She broke free from his kiss, and the warmth of her breath skated over his flesh in small, shaky puffs.

  “Stop…” Liv tensed.

  Eion froze.

  She twisted from his arms. “I can’t do this.” Eyes wide, she covered the lower half of her face with her hand as if the act could somehow hide the evidence of their passion. “I-I’m sorry. I just can’t. I need to get out of here,” she mumbled behind her palm, her voice scratchy.

  “Wait.” Eion reached out. She whirled before he could catch her, and made a dash toward her mustang. “Liv!” He started after her, but ground to a halt. Christ. What was he doing? Her reaction—the pain in her expression, sent a dagger on a slice and dice spin through his heart. He was only making things worse. Hurting her had never been part of the plan. Quite the opposite. Her happiness meant everything.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Olivia had to get her head back on straight.

  “Watch where you step,” she said, shining her flashlight along the path, a blanket in her other hand. This was exactly what she needed—a night alone with Taylor under the stars to help erase the memory of the “almost” mistake she’d allowed to happen with Eion.

  “Yeah. Don’t worry. I’m right behind you. ‘Cause nothing says a romantic evening like stepping in a cow pile.”

  Despite the turbulence of her thoughts, Olivia managed to laugh. She slowed and glanced over her shoulder. Taylor hustled to catch up, their picnic basket rocking back and forth by the handles, the light from his own flashlight dancing over the grass. He was being such a good sport. Once there, Taylor leaned in and planted a kiss on her cheek.

  “You know you’re having a good time.” She smacked his shoulder with her palm. “Admit it.”

  “Anywhere with you is a good time even if it is ten o’clock at night and we’re dodging crap out in the middle of a cow pasture.” He kissed her once more. This time on the lips, slowing things down and letting her know that for him, tonight was more than a scouting for wolves mission.

  She pulled away and pasted on a smile. “You know all the right things to say to a girl, Taylor McDaniel.” So why couldn’t her heart race for him like it does for Eion? Her mind wandered once more to earlier in the day. She still couldn’t believe the strength of her and Eion’s chemistry. One touch, and unlike with any other man in her present or past, she was on fire—a blaze that seemed only he held the power to quench. But then she’d come up for air and a dose of reality had burst through her passion-filled haze…she was about to hurt Taylor. And that was unacceptable. She couldn’t allow that to happen.

  He grinned. “Good to hear I may have earned some points.”

  “Points, huh?” She punched him in the shoulder, her swing more show than fight. “Glad I’m learning now just how sincere my boyfriend is.”

  Taylor cocked one brow. “I sincerely would love to find a spot and eat whatever is in here.” He lifted the basket in emphasis. “And,” he closed the distance between them, lowered his head, placing his lips at her ear, “sincerely glad to have you all to myself tonight.”

  Her stomach tightened and she stepped back on impulse. “Me, too,” she quickly muttered, doing her best to cover her sudden retreat. She tucked her loose tresses behind one ear, and rotated away. “Let’s find a good spot for a lookout.”

  “Okay, okay.” The rattle of their goodies for tonight as he made his way said he was close behind. “Never seen a woman so eager to go on a wolf safari,” he add
ed on a laugh.

  “Well, to tell you the truth, I do think they’re beautiful animals. Graceful, intelligent, haunting eyes… If they weren’t dining on my cattle, I’d be thrilled about spotting a few.”

  “Very true,” Taylor said, a chuckle following.

  After a few minutes, Olivia settled on a small hill that overlooked the area where the last attack had occurred. “How about this?”

  “Yeah. This should be a good spot.” Taylor lowered the basket and propped his hands on his hips, his gaze turned up to the night sky. “It’s so damn beautiful.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of living out here.”

  She smiled. “Good thing, since you have a business to run in this town, and a partner who will kick your butt if you ever decide to leave.” Olivia laughed and spread a blanket out over the grassy slope. Taylor sank onto the wool surface and lay on his side. She reached over for their supplies. “Hungry?”

  “Starved.”

  After pulling out sandwiches, grapes, cheese, along with a tall bottle of water, she brought out her handgun and sat it next to them. Taylor eyed the weapon, then her.

  “I was wondering if you’d remembered that,” he said, nodding at the pistol. “I forgot to ask before I left my SUV at your place. If you hadn’t brought it, I was going to grab my shotgun.”

  She handed him a ham and cheese. “I don’t want to have to kill such a beautiful animal, but based on how they took out our calves, we can’t be too careful.” Olivia glanced around. “Since they travel in packs, we’d be outnumbered.”

  “Definitely.” Taylor rose into a sitting position.

  They didn’t have many chances to socialize outside of the office, so it was nice to see him relaxed and casual, sitting there in jeans, running shoes, and an old Dave Matthews Band concert tee. “The moon’s almost full,” he said, glancing back up at the sky. “That should give us decent visibility if anything other than the herd starts moving around.” He looked back over his shoulder. Olivia took a bite of her sandwich and nodded.

  Taking her queue, Taylor settled back and picked up his sandwich.

  The next hour was uneventful. A few times, Olivia could swear she saw something dart in and out around the herd, but each time it had been nothing. She decided it had to be shadows playing tricks on her mind, because neither she nor Taylor heard anything other than the normal sounds of the night on a cattle ranch.

  Rubbing her arms, Olivia brushed away a chill. Even though it was early summer, the nights were cool in Little Crow, and she’d only dressed in jeans and a short-sleeve blouse. Taylor wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

  “Come here,” he whispered in her ear and pulled her back against his chest. His warmth surrounded her, and at the moment she had to admit, it did feel good having him hold her.

  “Thanks.” She sighed and nestled into his embrace.

  “I love spending time with you like this,” he said. “You in my arms. The stars.”

  “It is nice.” She toyed with the back of his hand, tracing his fingers with her own. Taylor was familiar, nonthreatening. Comfortable. But was “nice” enough to make for a happily ever after?

  He gently rubbed her arm. “Can’t you see it, Livvy? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be like this, the two us, for the rest of our lives?”

  She drew in a long, deep breath. If only she could eradicate the brain cells that refused to forget the image and the touch of Eion Mandrake… “You don’t know how much I wish I could say the words I know you want and are waiting to hear. You deserve so much more than what I’m able to give right now.”

  Taylor’s fingertips found her chin and lifted her head, bringing them face-to-face. “I won’t lie and say that I’m not disappointed that you said no to my proposal and aren’t wearing my ring yet. But at this moment, as long as you’re not kicking me to the curb, Dr. Wilson, I feel like I’m the luckiest man on the planet.” Taylor leaned in and sealed his mouth over hers. Her heart rate spiked, and as if her soul already knew what her brain had yet to consciously accept, the sweet taste of the fruit left behind on his lips suddenly morphed, turning sour. No…no… This wasn’t right. She couldn’t do this any longer. Couldn’t do this to him. Taylor deserved so much better than a woman who was only capable of giving him half her heart.

  Olivia broke away from their kiss, pressing her palm into his shoulder. “Taylor…” Closing her eyes for a second, she pulled in a shaky breath. She had to do this. “I think we should take a step back.”

  “What are you saying?” Taylor’s brow furrowed. “Are you breaking up with me?”

  “I just think with everything that’s going on, my brother’s injury, the attacks on our cattle, we’re just starting up our practice, there’s so much I’m juggling.” She shook her head. “I can’t give you what you need, Taylor. I’m not the woman you need.” Olivia swallowed hard, forcing the fist-sized lump back down her throat.

  Taylor cupped her cheeks. “You’re exactly the woman I want and need.” He smoothed a hand over her hair. “I’m pushing too hard. That’s what this is. We can slow down.” He nodded and placed his forehead against hers, his breathing ragged. “You’re under a lot of stress.”

  Yes, it was the stress, but not the external kind he was referring to. It was the emotional turmoil over Eion that she couldn’t seem to outrun. The chaos inside her heart and mind was chasing her like a rogue wave and slowly dragging her under.

  A rustling sound from a nearby copse of trees drew her attention. “Did you hear that?”

  “No. What?”

  “A noise, coming from over—”A low growl slammed the lid on the rest of her sentence. “You had to hear that.”

  Taylor froze.

  “Shit,” he hissed between his teeth and pulled back.

  Inch by inch, Taylor moved away from Olivia. The biggest damn wolf she’d ever seen stood a couple of feet away from their blanket, teeth bared. With his fur black as the night, his fangs shone like stars. It eased forward like a shadow creeping over the grounds. No wonder she hadn’t seen him approach. Another low warning rumbled off the beast, standing every hair on her body on end.

  The gun.

  She glimpsed Taylor out of the corner of her eye. His gaze flicked between the hulk-o-wolf and the basket where they’d placed her handgun after their snack. Yes.

  Slowly, he reached over for the basket, every movement matched by the wolf’s progression.

  The animal’s entire focus was centered on Taylor. Irises a shade lighter than his coat, glared at her partner. But primal instinct wasn’t the only thing lurking behind that single-minded scrutiny. Intelligence gleamed back at her. The sound of her pulse roared like rushing waters in her ears. Her body trembled.

  What did it want?

  She quickly scoured the trees to the left and right of the beast for more wolves. Nothing.

  Where is its pack?

  Olivia cocked her head, studying the lines of the massive animal. Suddenly, as if he sensed her assessment, his attention switched from Taylor to her. Moonlight glinted off its eyes, and her breath hitched at the intensity of its stare. He screamed alpha—he was power personified.

  His muzzle lowered, and he reversed a step. Again her skin prickled with awareness. He wasn’t going to hurt her. Somehow she knew he meant her no harm.

  Movement to Olivia’s right snagged her attention. Taylor must have sensed the moment the animal had turned his head in her direction, giving him the opening he needed. He dove into the basket.

  No!

  It happened so fast, Olivia had no idea if the word had left her throat or ricocheted only inside the walls of her mind. His hand withdrew from the wicker, the outline of the dark revolver unmistakable in his fist. And as if the three of them had been thrust into a made-for-TV action movie, the film slowed before her eyes for maximum heart-wrenching effect.

  Olivia lunged for his arm.

  A gunshot split the night air.

  Her heart stuttered and froze.


  A yelp filled her ears.

  The smell of gunpowder singed her nostrils.

  The wolf leaped, twisted, and darted off into the night.

  Olivia fell back onto her palms, resetting her world to normal speed. Her gaze swung to the man at her side.

  What had they done?

  “I think I at least grazed it,” Taylor said, lowering the gun. “It won’t be coming back around here any time soon. And after the sound of that blast, any of its friends in the area will be heading the other way, too.”

  “Why did you shoot him?” She straightened, making no attempt to hide the incrimination in her voice.

  “What do you mean, why?” Taylor stared at her, his brows drawn. “Did you see the size of that wolf?”

  “But he was leaving…” Olivia groaned. “You didn’t have to shoot him!” She surged to her feet, grabbed the gun, and stowed it away.

  “Yes, I did. There was no way we could know it was going to leave.” Taylor stood and snatched the blanket from the ground. “To me, it looked like it was ready to attack, and I did what I felt was needed to protect us.”

  “I just don’t think he was going to hurt us,” she mumbled, her stomach roiling at the thought of that beautiful animal out there alone, hurt. Because of Taylor. Because of the gun she’d brought. Silence bloomed like an oily fog between them. Thick and uncomfortable, making her desperate for escape. Olivia stuffed the remains of their meal back inside the wicker compartment, not giving a damn what condition anything was left in by the time she got home.

  “I’m sorry.” Taylor sighed and pulled her up into his arms. The basket in her hand bumped their legs. “I know you hate the thought of any animal being mistreated or in pain. But this time, I truly didn’t see any other way to protect us.”

  She nodded on his shoulder. “I know. It’s not like you get a thrill out of killing.” She maneuvered out of his hold. “You’re a healer.” Olivia wheeled around and started toward her truck, flashlight in hand. “But I swear, Taylor, I really did get the feeling that he intended to move away.” She glanced behind her. “Didn’t you notice that it had taken a step back?”