For a moment, she could picture staying there. A little family. But Ares was the one pushing the swing. Ares was the one watching out.
Dammit, she was already building a life around him. She’d never been like this before, she thought, moving around behind Mac so she could push him again. He laughed as she pushed each time he came back.
She’d never tried to latch onto a man. And she hadn’t even really missed sex. Being really into books and quiet around most people had meant she didn’t have much before Mac came into her life anyway.
Then again, she’d been younger then, in her early twenties. She’d been with Mac for nearly three years now, and the latter third of that had been spent on the road, staying with cousins for a few months here or a few months there. And then recently, only staying at motels as absolutely necessary, as Ben seemed to have stepped up his efforts to find her.
“I’m done swinging,” Mac said. “I’m dizzy.”
She slowed his swing and helped him out. He climbed down and walked around the small ladder that led to a slide that only came up to her waist. He sat in it, his small hands in his lap, and then looked out with a solemn kind of wisdom that only very small children seem to have.
“What’s up, bud?” she asked.
“I like it here,” he said. “But we’re going to have to leave, huh?”
“I’m afraid so,” she said.
“Why? Because of the bad men?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yes, because of the bad men.”
“Ares can beat all the bad men. He’s this huge!” Mac stretched his arms wide, and Kat fought back a smile.
“Yes, he is big.”
“He likes us,” Mac said. “I can tell.”
Kat had to agree with that. And they both liked him. What was there not to like? She wondered how far he lived from Maude and if he’d come back here tonight at all. It somehow felt safer with him around. That was all.
She folded her arms. No, that wasn’t all. She wanted to hold him. Wanted to see him. Longed to touch him.
She wanted to look into those deep, reassuring green eyes and believe everything Mac believed. But she wasn’t a kid anymore. Hadn’t been in a long time.
Not since her older sister had moved out and gotten in trouble.
“I think we should stay here,” Mac said, a pout on his pink lips. “I don’t want to go.”
She frowned and then straddled the slide to lean down and look into his big blue eyes. “Hey, it’s going to be okay,” she said, pulling him into her arms. He tightened his small, skinny arms around her, and she closed her eyes and sank into it.
“When I’m big, I’m going go scare all the bad men away,” he muttered against her. “I’m going to be bigger like Ares and get them all dead.”
She winced. Mac had always been verbal, always seemed a little older than he should be. Even when he’d been brought to her as a little, inquisitive two-year-old, he’d looked into her eyes with an expression that said he saw far too much.
Far more than she’d have liked him to.
Even now, she knew he saw more than the little swing set and Maude’s cute house.
He was seeing more road ahead of him, no other little kids to play with. Her heart ached in response.
“I’m glad the car broke,” Mac said. “I hate it.”
She nodded. “Me too. But we can stay at least a few more days,” she said.
“‘Til it’s fixed?” he asked.
“‘Til it’s fixed.”
He shook his head and pushed away. She pulled back, and he gestured for her to move so he could go down the slide. When he did, it was the most morose slide she’d ever seen performed. He sat rigid until he hit the grass and then slowly stood, brushing off his pants.
“I hate this,” he spat out. Then he looked embarrassed and ran toward the house, opening the sliding door, going in, and closing it behind him.
She sat on the swing, put her hand on her forehead, and wondered what on earth she should do.
* * *
They were watching a movie together, Mac fast asleep snuggled between Maude and Kat, when the doorbell rang.
Before either of them could get up to answer, Ares opened the door and came in, still wearing work clothes from what it looked like. Worn jeans and a jacket he took off and hung by the door.
His powerfully muscled body moved with all grace as he strode into the room, leaned on the doorframe, and grinned down at them.
“Well, isn’t this a sight for sore eyes?”
Maude yawned. “Too late for my old bones. I better get this young’un to bed.” She scooped Mac up in her arms and winked at Kat before turning to Ares. “You better show this lady how to really watch a movie.”
Ares laughed. “All right, you. But I was also thinking about taking her out tonight. That all right with you?”
Maude let out a laugh that was more like a cackle. “More than all right, you rascal. You two have fun.” Then she walked into the room Kat was sharing with Mac and closed the door behind her.
“It makes me feel guilty,” Kat said as Ares sat on the couch next to her. “Doing all these fun things while she tends. I should be with Mac.”
“No, even adults need breaks,” he said. “The better care you take of yourself, the more you’ll have to give him.”
That hit dead center. “I know. Lately, I don’t feel like I can give him enough.”
“That’s his dad’s fault, not yours,” he said, moving in closer, making her body warm in anticipation. He put an arm over the back of the couch and looked up at the TV. “What are you watching?”
“Top Gun,” she said, giggling as he gave her a weird look.
“That’s so Maude,” he said. “You know, her husband was in the military.”
Kat’s eyes widened. “Wow. I could never do that,” she said, waving a hand. “That kind of life, too scary.”
He froze, and she wondered if she’d said something wrong.
“How do you mean, scary?”
“I just mean I’d always be wondering if he’d come back. That’s all.”
“Oh.” He relaxed slightly. “Should I show you what Maude means about how to really watch a movie?”
She nodded, hoping it involved touching him, and then grinned when he pulled her against him, curling her body against his long, muscled one and wrapping an arm around her to keep her close. She could still see the movie, but she could also feel his muscles. And the soft touch of his hands as he stroked her hair lightly.
She sighed, and he looked down in mild surprise, then grinned to himself as they continued to watch to the end of the movie.
When it was over, she didn’t want to stop holding him. Her body was almost painfully aware of how much she liked his touch. The sheer feel of him. How safe she felt.
How life seemed full of possibilities again.
The thought of leaving him made her feel somewhat like Mac must have felt earlier. Pouty and sad that life had dealt them this hand and they couldn’t just stay forever.
Ares seemed to sense her unrest and looked down to make sure she was okay. She simply wrapped her arms more firmly around him, and he let out a low groan and looked up at the ceiling as if begging it for patience.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing,” he said, voice tight. She continued to stare at him, waiting for an answer, and he sighed. “You just feel so right, so amazing snuggled here next to me. My body is getting ideas.”
“My body is getting ideas too,” she said. Maybe it really had been too long since she’d been with someone. Maybe a little release would feel nice.
He groaned again as she shifted against him, pressing her breasts to his side, liking the effect she had on the powerful man. He took a deep breath and then sat forward, bringing her with him. “Want to come outside with me? I have somewhere I wanted to take you tonight.”
She gave him a mock glare. “Somewhere you want to take me, hmm?”
He grinned. “Yeah
. Somewhere I want to take you.” She pinned him with narrowed eyes until he elaborated. “Something I want to show you. You okay with a drive?”
She nodded. “Let me say good night to Mac,” she said. “And get a jacket.”
He nodded. “Okay, I’ll wait down here.”
She felt her whole body flush at the thought of driving with him, going somewhere with him. Privacy with another adult. A super hot, super ripped adult that put a smile on her face and made her feel safe every time she saw him.
It really was too good to be true.
At least for a couple more days.
But as long as she was safe and the opportunity was presenting itself, why shouldn’t she have a taste of the life that had been stolen from her? Why shouldn’t she pack all the life she could live into the next few days while she had the chance?
She’d let Mac enjoy the swing set and the space, and she would let herself enjoy Ares and everything he had to offer.
Everything.
* * *
Ares tried to control the buzz in his body as he watched Katrina make her way up the stairs, her curvy ass swaying in his field of vision.
Holding her during the movie had been even better than kissing her earlier in the day. He just couldn’t help taking bites.
It didn’t hurt that she seemed just as eager, willing to explore whatever this was happening between them.
When he’d walked in and seen her sitting with Mac and Maude, a warm look of contentment in her eyes and then the slow awareness of him dawning on her face, he’d felt like he was coming home.
When she came back down, dark hair tied into a low ponytail that fluffed out at the back, round, brown eyes sparkling with excitement and something else, and a black jacket on with her tight jeans, he felt his bear roar in excitement.
She was his. His.
He knew nothing in the world could take her away from him. He’d just have to hope he found the right time to tell her how he knew that before she insisted on trying to leave.
Already, he knew he’d never let her. He put out a hand for hers and she took it, entwining their fingers. They walked to the car, looking out over the quiet, sleepy neighborhood as they went. He hated having to let go of her hand to help her into his truck. But it’d be worth it after he took her where he wanted to go.
When she was buckled in and the tension was so thick you could scoop it with a spoon, he asked her about her day so he could focus on something other than her gorgeous body as they made the drive up the mountain.
She chatted to him about Mac as they took the road out of town and up through the trees at the base of the mountain and then farther up winding canyon roads dimly illuminated by moonlight. The atmosphere was hauntingly romantic, and Ares could feel his hands twitching, eager to touch her, to please her.
But it wasn’t time, and he didn’t even know if that would happen tonight. If it was right.
He did know one thing though. He wanted to show her his favorite spot.
They stopped when he pulled off a curving road onto a lookout spot covered in gravel. She looked at him questioningly as he helped her out of the truck, holding a large basket in his other hand.
When she got down, she put her hands up over her mouth as she looked at the view. “Oh, Ares…”
He put an arm around her waist and tugged her against him. “You like it?”
They could see the little city just below, the lights glowing softly, the little streets laid out just so. Beyond that, a beautiful forest and above it all, a dark, sparkling sky.
“Like it? I love it,” she said, taking a step forward toward the railing that fenced off the overlook. “You can see the stars so well out here. Nothing like where I’m from.”
“Where are you from?” he asked.
She pursed her lips as she looked at him, a troubled gleam in her eyes. He wanted to wash away all her trouble. Take the rocket launcher he kept in his weapon safe and aim it at her past and fire away.
But things weren’t easy like that.
He’d have to go slow and steady with this one. Which would be impossible if she continued to be this adorable.
She cuddled his side, and he suppressed a groan as he felt her breasts against him. So soft, so generous. Perfect. He longed to hold them, touch the nipples and give them kisses. Show her just how precious every inch of her was to him.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, probably misinterpreting how stiff he stood.
“No,” he said. “Come here.” He walked with her to the edge of the overlook and pointed down to a grassy area just on the other side and a few feet down. It was just wide enough for two people to lie there and enjoy the view, and it was a favorite hangout for high school kids hoping to get some.
But for him, it was just a chance to be in the woods, in nature, with his mate. Get to know her a little more and see if she enjoyed the things he enjoyed.
See if she could really be happy staying in Bearstone Village with him.
He stepped over the railing, helped her over, and then slid down the few feet of embankment to the grassy area overlooking the town. She looked nervous, but he set down the basket and reached up with both hands, holding her waist to guide her down.
She had that flushed, aware face when he set her gently down and reached into the basket to pull out a thick woolen blanket. He spread it on the ground beneath them and helped her sit and get situated.
As she sighed and looked out at the town, he opened the basket to show her what else he’d brought.
“Dessert?” he asked, pulling plates out and setting them down.
“Ooh! Really?” she asked. “Just when I thought this date couldn’t get better…” She trailed off, looking embarrassed. “I mean…”
“It’s a date,” he said. “It better be. I want to be far more than your friend, Katrina.”
She flushed and grinned, doing that adorable thing where she tucked her hair back. He pulled out the two packages of yellow sponge cake, the strawberries he’d washed and cut, and a can of whipped cream.
She laughed. “Homemade?”
He shook the can and handed it to her. “You know it.” He ripped open the package of sponge cakes, put them on a plate, poured strawberries over it, and then took the can back from her. He grinned as he squirted it liberally over the dessert and then handed it to her.
He stared at her awkwardly, waiting for her to take the first bite. He didn’t want to look away until he saw she liked it.
She eyed it suspiciously but gamely took a bite and then closed her eyes and let out a low moan. “Homemade or not, that’s amazing.”
“Yeah,” he said, trying to calm his body as he made his own. “I mean, all I did was cut the strawberries, but no expenses spared.”
“Sometimes it’s the simple things that matter,” she said, taking another bite and closing her eyes as she chewed. When she opened them, she looked out at the view wistfully and then over at him. “I feel like Mac today,” she said.
“How do you mean?” he asked, finishing his dessert in two bites.
She set hers in her lap and leaned back on her hands. “I just mean, I do wish we could stay. I’m already falling in love with this place.”
She looked at him as she said it, and he wondered if a part of her was falling in love with him too.
He was already falling in love with her, but she didn’t really react well to hearing stuff like that, so he decided not to say anything about it.
“You all right?” she asked. “You got quiet over there.”
“Just thinking,” he said. “You going to finish your dessert?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, picking it up again. “You going to watch me like you always do?”
He nodded. “Yes, ma’am. Sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“I’ve seen something sexier,” she said shyly, looking him up and down.
Damn, that made him hard. He shifted, hoping she wouldn’t notice. What he wouldn’t give to take her right
now, right here, alone on the grass with the stars right above him.
“Ares?” she asked, finishing the treat and setting the empty plate aside to snuggle in close to him. He leaned back on his elbows and let her prop herself against his side.
“Yes?” he asked, feeling like he was about to explode with unresolved tension.
“What would you say if I said I wanted everything?” she asked. “You know, for these few days we’re together.”
“What do you mean everything?” he asked, feeling his throat and mouth go dry as his heart pounded in his ears.
She ran a hand over his chest. “I mean everything,” she said. “Everything you have to offer. All of you.”
He raised both eyebrows in surprise. His mate wanted him. Badly, by the look of it.
But was it the right thing to do?
She drew her hand down his abs to the waistband of his jeans, where she played with the button. “It’s been so long for me, and I like you, a lot. And I think you’d make it good. So good I could hold on to it after this when I’m alone.”
“Honey, I’ll make it so good you can’t live without me,” he said.
She looked up at him in surprise, and he brought his lips down over hers. After a quick, intense kiss, he pulled back.
“I’m not doing this for a fling,” he said, rolling over to straddle her as she lay on her back on the grass. “I’m doing this because you’re mine.”
She blinked up at him, caught in the same spell he was under. Then she nodded. “Yours. While I can be.”
He growled and nuzzled into her neck, and she gave a little gasp of surprise and then moaned as he licked the skin there.
She would be his forever.
She just didn’t know it yet.
6
Katrina felt a shock of pleasure go through her as Ares leaned into her neck and gave her a soft, passionate kiss.
It had been so long since anyone had paid attention to her like this, and it had never been someone as tall or strong or hot or dependable as Ares. As he kissed her again, she felt her entire body respond to him, wanting him to keep going.
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