by Dawn Ryder
“Not too bad,” Nartan remarked as he polished off his meal. “Nice to know we’re not heading back to that shack on the claim and to winters of blackened mountain goat.”
Tarak ate his meal leaning against the kitchen counter. He surveyed the house, and satisfaction covered his face. They were both a long way from the reservation they’d grown up on.
“Nice to see you’ve made peace with the past at last,” Nartan remarked before standing up and taking his plate to the sink. He washed and rinsed it before depositing it in a drying rack.
“Yes,” Tarak agreed, his eyes on the back patio where Sabra and Celeste were settling into two of the lounge chairs. “Feels good.”
Nartan only glanced momentarily at Sabra. She was her friend’s opposite, with dark hair and full curves. Celeste had blond hair and a trim figure. He would have questioned if blond was her natural color, but she had a pair of light green eyes to go with it.
But there was more to her that he found worthy of a second glance. She was fit and toned, like an elfin princess. But one of the warrior class. It wasn’t the sort of tone a woman got from marking time on the local gym’s exercise machines to burn calories. She trained her entire body, and the stance she’d taken when she turned on him told him exactly how she got the body she had. Martial arts training made sense to him, while at the same time she didn’t look like the sort of woman who would mix well with an all-male crowd at a dojo. That only made her more intriguing.
“Here.” Tarak tossed something at him.
Nartan caught it, scowling when he realized it was a dish towel.
“You look like you’re about to start drooling,” Tarak informed him.
Nartan thought about flipping him off but settled for a shrug instead. “Can’t tell me she’s not worthy of it. I know quality when I see it.”
Celeste suddenly turned her head and caught him watching her. Nartan held her gaze, curious to see what she’d make of his interest. He wanted her to see it, wanted to watch her reaction to him. Her entire body tightened, the tension clear and almost palpable. She turned her back on him, but not before he caught the hint of awareness in her eyes. An unmistakable flare of interest that she shoved aside, denying it, denying him.
Staying in the kitchen took a little more effort than he was comfortable with.
“What’s the deal with her?” Nartan turned back to Tarak. “First time I met her, she burned my business card like it carried a contagion. Lesbian? That would be such a waste. Maybe I can talk her into giving men another try. Go for bi. I could share her with a girlfriend. In fact, I know a few girls who would love to double-date with us.”
The words rolled off his tongue but left a sour taste in his mouth for some reason. The idea of sharing was suddenly unappealing. He was used to possessiveness in business, but he avoided it like the plague with women. Getting caught up in anything more than sexual interest with a woman would be nothing but a time-sucking nuisance.
“Something about her ex-husband. Sabra didn’t go into details,” Tarak answered. “I understand the prick is in prison for assault. On her.”
Nartan felt the muscles in his neck tighten. Rage flashed through him a second before a detail about Celeste surfaced from his memory.
“That explains the black belt.”
And the reservation flickering in her eyes.
Nartan felt something new filter through his brain. Lust he was used to. His upscale restaurant and spa attracted gold diggers and trophy wives who spent a lot of time and money making sure their assets were in prime condition, so he wasn’t really surprised to feel his cock twitching over someone as delectable as Celeste.
But there was something else now. A feeling that he’d almost forgotten he was capable of. It was the distinct sensation of protectiveness, one that had nothing to do with being a decent human being whose hackles rose in the face of injustice. This was deeper. Far closer to the part of him reserved for family. It was striking dangerously close to what he’d call personal.
It wasn’t welcome at all.
In that respect, he and Celeste had something else in common besides attraction. Now that was twisted humor from fate.
“I haven’t seen that look on your face in a long time, Nartan.”
Nartan turned and gave Tarak a blank look.
Tarak shook his head. “We’ve played too many hands of poker. I know you, Nartan.”
“I don’t do relationships,” Nartan cut back. “She’s put together nicely. I’d have to be blind not to enjoy the view, but that’s all I’m interested in.”
Tarak folded his arms across his chest and pegged his friend with a dark gaze. “Bullshit.”
Nartan felt heat gathering on the nape of his neck. “You want to get married, fine, but I’m not following you this time. Hope you have a prenup because a divorce at your financial level would be hell on your bottom line. I’ve worked too long for what I have to see a failed relationship take it away after I let down my defenses enough to share my personal life with someone. Like I said, I don’t do relationships, just hookups. Celeste looks like fun. That’s all I’m interested in.”
Tarak shrugged. “Keep telling yourself that.” He looked out at his soon-to-be wife. “I used to think the same way.” Tarak turned his attention back to Nartan. “I don’t regret changing my tune.”
“I didn’t come up here for a matchmaking session. Leave that to my grandmother,” Nartan warned. “She’s got the guilt tone down perfectly.”
Tarak snorted. “Agreed. Nothing like tribal guilt. Your grandmother has already called me to ask if we’re going to start a family, since I don’t have a grandmother and you and I are as close as brothers. To her way of thinking, I’m her son now so I need to think about putting family first. Seems I’m not getting any younger.”
Nartan held up his hands in mock surrender. “Like I said, she’s the master.”
“She’ll be here in another day.” Tarak’s eyes narrowed. “She won’t miss the charge in the air between you and Celeste.”
“She will if I avoid Celeste.”
Which didn’t give him any satisfaction. In fact, it was irritating the hell out of him. Tarak was watching him, his lips slowly rising into a knowing grin.
“You know, a true friend would have eloped.”
Tarak shook his head. “Having the ceremony up here in Alaska got me a long enough lecture.”
“I bet.”
Nartan took one last look at Celeste before turning his back on her. Once the wedding was over, he’d be on his way back to Southern California and the plentiful contact list he had stored in his phone for times when he wanted female companionship. The last thing he needed was the complication of a relationship. Or the risk of letting someone close enough to his heart to sink a knife into it. Women like Celeste were dangerous because they were quality, and dismissing her wouldn’t be possible.
His damned fascination with her would die. He was sure of it.
***
Celeste skipped down the stairs the next morning, eager to enjoy her time in Alaska. Seeing the last frontier was on her bucket list. So now that she didn’t need to implement the escape plan, there was nothing to do but enjoy her trip.
Let the fun begin.
She’d dressed in sweatpants, layered a sweatshirt over a T-shirt and a long-sleeved shirt, and tied on some good hiking boots. She tucked her cell phone into her pocket and made a stop in the kitchen to fill up a water bottle. Snapping the lid shut with a satisfied smile, she was ready to begin her adventure.
“Wait.”
She thought she might have imagined the curt word, but when she turned around, she discovered Nartan Lupan in the oversized living room of the house. He’d transformed a corner of it into an office and stood typing on the keyboard of a laptop placed on a raised desk.
That suited him. He didn’t strike her as
the type to drive a desk. No, he was the one in the position of control, no mistake about it.
But he had his back to her and had still noticed her. That sent a little chill down her nape. No matter what she’d decided about ignoring him, men who had sharp senses were just damned sexy in her book. That sense of awareness was building inside her again.
The sound of him tapping the keyboard filled the room. He continued, his attention on the screen in front of him. Celeste turned toward the door, taking her chance to escape from the sizzling aura he radiated.
It was practically tangible. Her awareness increased with every second she shared air with him. Her heart was accelerating as Nartan pressed against her comfort zone. She was responding to him, feeling like she was being drawn to him. And the longer she stood there, the more aware she became of details about him. Tiny things that shouldn’t have drawn her attention, like the way he used his fingers on that keyboard so precisely, so expertly. With just a hint of excessive strength that sent a curl of heat across her clit. She turned and headed toward the door before her self-control crumbled any further. Either he had some imbalance in his pheromone levels or she was more desperate than she’d realized.
She needed to upgrade his priority on her to-be-dealt-with list.
“I told you to wait, Celeste.”
She stiffened and fought the urge to snap at him. He was being arrogant, and she was ultrasensitive about being ordered around by men. Especially when she wanted to leave the house. A dark memory stirred, and she pushed through the entryway door before her past got its claws into her.
She was going to enjoy her Alaskan vacation, and she was going to let go of her emotional baggage. A hike into the pristine wilderness would be perfect. Maybe she’d find some of that inner peace Master Lee was so often telling her about. As much as she loved her martial arts training, she had to confess that meditating to calm her inner spirit was something she still struggled with.
The air was crisp when she exited the house—a sharp contrast that helped snap her out of the trance Nartan’s presence had sucked her into. She drew in a deep breath, closed her eyes for a moment, and did her best to hear Master Lee’s voice instructing her.
The beauty of the forest and the granite outcroppings was a welcome distraction. The freshness in the air smelled fantastic, and she felt her troubles dwindle in the face of the timelessness of her surroundings. There really was more to life than a bad choice in her past. She set off, smiling as the gravel crunched beneath her boots.
***
Nartan snapped his head around as Celeste disappeared into the entry room. Arousal surged through him, taking him by surprise. It was intense and sharp and shouldn’t have been so acute, considering he’d tried to take the edge off his appetite in the shower.
That had pissed him off.
He’d worked his ass off for years in the Alaskan wilderness so he’d never have to jerk off again. He liked success and women and all the comforts that went with making sure the gold he and Tarak had unearthed was invested in businesses that would continue to increase his fortune. Women were plentiful in his world, and he gave them only as much as they gave him. A balanced, fair exchange.
He walked over to the entryway doors and pushed them open. Celeste was already gone. He stopped in front of the outer doors, looking at the Nektosha test track, but she was nowhere in sight. She’d gone around the side of the house and out into the forest to avoid him.
Alright, he was being a little dramatic to take it personally.
But that didn’t stop a second wave of heat from rising along his cock. It thickened behind his fly, beginning to ache. He should forget her. Women who wanted to be with him were a lot easier to deal with.
That thought didn’t stick because the intensity of their connection lingered, with a sting that wasn’t fading.
He debated for a moment. His childhood was full of stories about listening to his instincts. Those memories conflicted with the logical side of his brain that knew without a doubt how much trouble following Celeste promised.
It promised something else though, something that made his blood heat with anticipation.
He should walk away. Sex shouldn’t be controlling, only enjoyed.
His lips curved into a very confident grin. He’d enjoy the hell out of Celeste’s delectable body, that was for damned sure.
He reached for a rifle sitting in a gun rack by the door and checked it before slinging it over his shoulder. Celeste was inexperienced at hiking through the Alaskan wilderness. A gun was as essential as a solid pair of boots. Nartan opened the front door and went down the steps to the edge of the driveway. He crouched down, studying the dirt until he found a set of fresh tracks. Satisfaction moved through him, surprising him because he hadn’t expected any sort of challenge in tracking her. But it was there, warming its way through his blood, a level of enjoyment he hadn’t felt in a long time.
Just maybe, his buddy’s wedding would have some fun attached to it after all.
***
Celeste smiled.
Once she’d hiked up to the ridge above Tarak’s massive house, she could see the ocean on her right and glaciers to her left. The forest was thick, rising high above her head. Birds were calling to one another as a breeze moved the branches to produce a rustling sound. For a moment, she closed her eyes and let the sounds fill her senses. She drew in a deep breath and smiled at the earthy scent of the air.
Now this was vacation. No sounds of cars, no smell of exhaust fumes, and she didn’t need to check her inbox every half hour. Her clothing was designed for practicality instead of the ability to impress her next client. It was the whole “escape from reality” package.
Nartan Lupan could put the cherry on top of it all…
She laughed at her own thoughts but realized she was avoiding admitting just how much the guy buzzed her system.
There was nothing tiny about the disruption he was sending through her. In fact, it was really starting to snare her curiosity because it was such a change for her. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t had opportunities to date in the last month. But having her sexual appetite turn back on so suddenly was actually sort of a triumph, proving that Caspian was losing his grip on her more and more. It was a moment to be celebrated, but all she ended up doing was shivering as the memory of Nartan’s hands on that keyboard surfaced.
She noticed details about him. Too many of them. It had to be an unhealthy level of attraction.
Like an addiction.
She went down the other side of the ridge, leaving the house behind.
Okay, the house and Nartan Lupan. Fine, she was a chicken, but the guy oozed sex appeal, as well as arrogance. There was no way she was going to do anything about what she felt for him. The bottom line was that she wasn’t going to play with fire.
Chicken.
Guilty as charged.
But better safe than sorry.
Sabra and Tarak had left early that morning to run errands for the wedding, including fittings on Sabra’s bridal gown and Tarak’s tuxedo. Celeste was just happy to have some free time. She had no problem being alone, and she loved to move her body and feel her own strength and limberness. Her childhood had been a series of foster homes, which had taught her to enjoy her own company. So had her marriage to Caspian. Today, she aimed her attention at the wonder surrounding her, snapping a couple of pictures with her phone before setting off again.
She walked further along and heard water rushing in the distance. As she got closer, it turned into a roar. Just over another ridge, a massive, bubbling river was being fed by the glaciers high above them. The water was moving at an incredible speed, tumbling huge boulders that clunked together every now and then as she watched. The energy was raw and hypnotizing, drawing her closer to the display of nature’s power.
“Be careful, Celeste.”
She jumped, stumb
ling as she landed on the uneven bank.
“Even shallow rapids can sweep a full-grown man off his feet.”
Nartan was poised halfway down the ridge in a low crouch. She blinked, doing a double take.
“How did you find me?” she blurted out, betraying just how startled she was.
He slowly grinned, the curving of his lips arrogant and full of pride. He pointed at the dirt he was crouched over. “If you want to give me the slip, better learn to cover your tracks, Celeste.”
Something slithered through her gut again, just a little stronger than the first time. This time, there was no way to avoid facing what it was. Sexual hunger gnawed at her insides, refusing to be ignored. She didn’t need it complicating her life, but it rose from some dark corner where instinct refused to be ruled by logic, leaving her with one irrefutable fact.
Cravings didn’t have rules or respect for her desire to play it safe.
The guy was so damned sexy, drawing her attention to every detail of his person. Logically, he was everything she didn’t want anything to do with, but that had no effect on the excitement the sight of him set off inside her.
Every detail about him was mesmerizing. She knew he was full-blooded Apache, but somehow seeing him so confident outdoors drove that home. It struck her deeply. His high cheekbones and sharp features made him more attractive than any man she’d ever seen. He was dredging up an approval rating from some deep, dark part of her mind. It was pure reaction, and it shocked her into stunned silence. He held himself in that half crouch without any effort, proving he had serious strength, and no one got that strong without training.
The clothes had to be throwing her off balance. The first time she’d met him, he’d been in an Armani suit. It was a far cry from the jeans and cotton button-down shirt he had on today.
But that wasn’t the reason she was having trouble dismissing him. Even in the suit he’d looked primal. She’d sensed something about him that made her stomach flutter.
Her gaze traced the expanse of his forearms where he had the shirtsleeves rolled up to his elbows. Sharply defined muscles were on display, covered in cinnamon skin. Nartan let his hair grow until it was brushing his collar. It was almost as if he was making sure everyone knew he wasn’t tame and had no desire to be.
