Staking His Claim

by Lynda Chance

  She looked at him with dark eyes swimming in tears. “I wanted somebody else,” she whispered quietly.

  “What?” he questioned.

  “I didn’t want you to find me. I don’t want your help again. I don’t want to be yelled at right now and I was praying you wouldn’t find me like this.”

  Damn. That cut him deep. He had been rough on her yesterday.

  “Sorry, baby. You’re stuck with me.”

  He reached down and as gently as he could, scooped her up with one arm under her back and the other under her knees. “Put your arms around my neck.”

  Elaina did as he said and collapsed against him. Her eyes shut and she let out a sigh of relief. It had been a long few hours.

  He walked around to the passenger side of his truck and deposited her there, shutting the door. She was immediately closed in again and felt much as she had the day before when he had locked her in with him.

  He started the truck, executed a reverse maneuver and headed down the road, back the way he came.

  “Brian and Janie home yet?” he asked.

  “No. Probably tomorrow.”

  “Right. I’m taking you to my house.” It was a statement of intent.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “No. I d-don’t want to go to—”

  “Tough shit, Miss Ruiz.”

  Her eyes welled with tears again as she swiveled her head in his direction and impaled him with a vicious glare. “See? That’s why I wanted someone else to find me.”

  Guilt and irritation trickled down his spine. Shit. She was young, she was alone and she was hurt. Couldn’t he fucking rein it in with her and not act like a wad of shit? It wasn’t her fault his body was screaming for her. He needed to remember that.

  He kept driving and the silence in the truck was deafening.

  Minutes later, he pulled into the circular driveway that fronted his house. He climbed out of the truck and walked around and opened the passenger door. He reached in to get her and was amazed she didn’t put up more of a verbal fight about him carrying her.

  He found out why seconds later as he climbed the steps to the front door with her in his arms and pushed it open.

  “I have to pee.”

  He didn’t answer her, just strode to the nearest bathroom. He flipped the light on, and carried her to the commode.

  “Can you stand?”

  “Yes.”

  He slid her down carefully and she put her weight on her good foot and balanced on the vanity next to the commode. “Thanks. I’ll just be a minute.”

  “Call me. I’ll hear you.”

  “Okay.” She waited for him to turn and shut the door and then she sat down with a massive sigh of relief.

  Five minutes later, she was sitting on the closed lid of the commode and he was kneeling in front of her, carefully taking her shoes and socks off.

  “Damn, little girl, those are some badass skinned knees.”

  “Mr. Vega—”

  He cut her off. “My name’s Raul.”

  She lifted her eyes from her torn up knees and her gaze tangled with his.

  His eyes were deep, unfathomable. “Say it.”

  “Raul.”

  “That’s right, little girl.”

  She cleared her throat minutely. “You could start calling me Elaina.”

  His eyes stayed hot on hers but he didn’t answer.

  She tried speaking again. “Thanks for saving me. Again.”

  He did respond to that. “Not a problem. Better me than the next guy.”

  She still wasn’t so sure about that. “You think?”

  “Yeah.”

  He turned away and came back seconds later with a tube of antiseptic ointment and a moistened cloth. He held the cloth in front of her and gently offered, “You trust me to do it?”

  She puffed out a breath as something unknown passed between them. “Yeah.”

  He placed the cloth on one knee and then the next, loosening the dried blood, rubbing gently, carefully removing the sand and flakes of rock from the dried sores. It took awhile and she sat still, trying to distract herself from the pain by watching his hands on her.

  He had large strong hands, with thick, blunt fingers. They were cool and capable as they touched her skin. Elaina felt a trace of heat hit her high in the breasts and slide down through her system, landing in a damp pool of need between her thighs. Shocked, she trembled softly and raised her eyes back to his face.

  His movements stalled and she knew he felt the tremors in her body as his eyes left his task and lifted to hers. Incendiary heat passed between them. She licked her lips and stared at his male beauty.

  She opened her mouth and tried to speak. “So—you’re not always mean.” The words were off the top of her head but they conveyed her exact thought.

  His ministrations stopped completely and she felt his attention leave her abraded flesh and center wholly on her.

  She sucked in a breath at the naked look of self-contempt in his eyes.

  “I was hard on you yesterday.” His hand stroked absently down her leg to her calf, and he rubbed back and forth, stopping to cup the feminine definition of her muscle. “I’m sorry about that. I get pissed when I get scared. And it scared me shitless to think about you putting yourself in danger.” His eyes continued to rove over her features as his hands stroked her skin. “You’re young and small and weak. There are bad people out there, baby.” The visible anxiety in his eyes told Elaina his worry was sincere. “You have to be careful all the time, you know?”

  His hand lifted to her face and cupped her chin, his calloused finger tilting her face completely to his. “Okay?”

  “Y-yes.” Elaina was mesmerized by his masculine beauty so close to her. Her heart was beating in wild gallops; her brain seemed absent from her body. Again, she spoke without thinking, “You’re so handsome.”

  Her face immediately flushed red when she realized she had spoken the thought out loud.

  His hand tightened on her chin and one side of his mouth lifted in an attempt at a smile that failed completely. “Yeah? Well, you’re gonna be stupendous when you get grown. You’re beautiful already and there’s no fucking way you can stay here with me. This was a bad idea.”

  He let go of her face and pushed back from her onto his haunches. I’m gonna get you cleaned up and get you back home. I got a pair of crutches. You’ll be fine until they get back.”

  “Why do you get to say—the f-word and I don’t?” she whispered.

  His hand lifted to her face one last time and held her cheek, his thumb running over the tracks that the earlier tears had left. He leaned into her, put his mouth to her ear and whispered, “You get grown up some and I’ll let you say it to me all you want.” His mouth lingered, and Elaina quivered as she felt him breathe in her scent and place a slow kiss on her ear.

  This was the third or fourth time he had made a comment about her growing up. It sent shivers through her system.

  Her arms were just about to reach up and enfold his neck when he abruptly stood to his feet and turned away.

  ****

  The next day Raul fought with himself off and on about checking on Elaina. He knew Brian and Janie were home, he’d seen their truck flying down the road leaving a cloud of dust a couple of hours before.

  At three o’clock, he couldn’t fight the beast inside anymore and flipped his cell open.

  Brian answered it on the first ring. “Hey man. Thanks for bailing us out. Again.”

  “No problem. She was pretty shaken up yesterday. Vicious twist to the ankle. She okay?”

  “Yeah. Janie drove her to the clinic this morning just to make sure there’s no fracture. Just a sprain. Thanks, man.”

  “Sure. How’d the trip go? Janie buy out the stores?”

  “Hell, yeah. Now we’re throwing a goddamn New Year’s Eve party.”

  “Shit. Do I have to be there?”

  “Better believe it, pard. I gotta be there, you gotta be there.”

&nb
sp; “Goddamn, Canton. You better learn how to rein her in—”

  He was interrupted by Brian’s laugh. “Right. Not in this lifetime. This is the last one. Holidays will be over for a year. We’ll let you rest after this one. Hey. You got somewhere you gotta be on Christmas Eve? Janie wants to have twilight drinks.”

  “Twilight fuckin’ what?”

  “Twilight drinks,” Brian said on a laugh. “No worries. Nobody gonna be here but us. We’re gonna light a fire and grill steaks. Dude, come on. Don’t leave me alone with both these women. They’ve been ganging the shit up on me and I can’t keep up. Six o’clock. Beer and steaks. Dude. Please.”

  “Yeah, all right. What can I bring?”

  “Just yourself. Janie’s already stocked your brand.”

  ****

  Raul pulled his truck in front of the Canton’s house three nights later. He didn’t care to acknowledge to himself how much he’d looked forward to this night. Already, four days without seeing her was too damn long.

  The weather was mild. If Janie had her heart set on a fire, they were going to have to turn the air conditioner on. He rang the bell, twelve-pack under his arm.

  Janie answered the door, a smile on her face, a cold beer for him in her hand.

  Raul grinned at her and took the offering. “My kind of woman. Too bad Canton found ‘ya first.” He threw a nod at Brian who was standing behind his wife.

  Janie grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. “Right. That would have been like me robbing the cradle, don’t you think?”

  Raul continued to tease Janie, feeling free to do so with her husband leaning against the wall, drinking a beer, listening in. “What are you Janie, thirty-three, thirty-four? No much of a cradle robber there, sweetheart.”

  “Well aren’t you sweet, darlin’.” She turned to her husband. “I knew there was a reason I liked your friend.”

  She never gave up her age, and Raul got a kick out of it. Maybe she was closer to forty. Who the hell knew? She looked good was all he knew. Brian had done well. Except for her annoying inclination to throw parties for every damn reason, Janie seemed the perfect woman. Brian deserved her. Ten or so years older than himself, Brian Canton was a good man, a good friend, and he deserved happiness just like the next guy.

  Raul tossed the twelve-pack at Brian’s chest as Janie pulled his arm and brought him into the room, coming to a stop next to the couch where Elaina relaxed, propped up with pillows. “Come say hi to my baby.”

  Raul looked down and felt a vicious kick to his solar plexus. Completely annihilated by the transformation in front of him, he stood zombie-like, having to force out his voice, and all he could do was mimic Janie’s words. “Hi, baby.”

  Elaina heard the surprised heat in his voice and her stomach clenched with excitement. His eyes were running over her and his body was held immobile, as if in shock.

  Four days without seeing him had left her anxious, unsatisfied.

  She had known he was coming and prepared well in advance. She let Janie assume it was for Christmas Eve, but Elaina knew in her heart she was dressing up for him. She had conflicted emotions—she didn’t particularly want him to find out her age, but at the same time, she wanted him to see her as an adult. It made no sense.

  She was still on crutches, and her knees were seriously scabbed over. She couldn’t wear jeans, so she had put on a little black dress that was the epitome of the phrase, and she had done her hair and make-up. He stood staring down at her, and on the inside she was laughing and shouting at the gobsmacked look on his face. So there!

  Raul knew he was staring, but he really didn’t give a shit. He was seriously debating whether eighteen was too young for him. What the hell? She was an adult. She was old enough to vote. She was legal. Not jailbait. As he watched her, his brain analyzed the ramifications of making such a move.

  Janie interrupted his thoughts when she swirled back into the room and handed Elaina a can of Diet Coke.

  Janie was drinking a glass of wine, he and Brain were drinking beer. It was a vicious kick to his stomach to see her take a delicate sip of the soft drink. It was the kick he needed to get his head out of his ass. She’s too fucking young, Vega. Understand it, man.

  How long would he have to wait? He’d have to let her go back to school, grow up some. Twenty-one. No. Fuck that shit. Twenty. Just not a teenager. He didn’t want seducing a teenager on his conscience.

  He was deep in an internal conflict when Janie and Brian went outside to check the grill. The back door slammed, leaving him alone with Elaina.

  Silence pulsed between them as they stared at each other.

  She cleared her throat and asked him, “What are you thinking about?”

  He stood over her, and took his time answering. “I’m thinking you’re dangerous, baby.”

  “How so, Mr. Vega?”

  “You’re dangerous to my peace, my state of mind, my equilibrium.” His eyes roved down her legs, the only imperfection the scrapes on her knees. He took in everything, her tiny ankles, the pink polish on her toenails, her feminine little feet. His eyes slowly moved back up, stalling at the vee between her thighs and the curve of her chest. “You think this is a smart move, Miss Ruiz? Pulling out all the stops when you know I’m trying my damn best to stay away from you?”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  She sucked in a breath as both pleasure and a tendril of shock trailed fingers across her spine. He was suffering the same as she was. He was temptation beyond temptation. Her heart was screaming at her to reach out for him, her brain was telling her that he was off limits. Too old. Too intense. Too macho. No doubt he did crazy things to her insides. But he just wasn’t safe.

  She took the easy way out. “It’s Christmas Eve. So I dressed up. Big deal.”

  He reached out and took her chin in his hand and did that thing with his thumb across her face that made her body tremble. Her breathing splintered and arousal pierced her, hot and hard. His eyes were deep, dark brown. Mesmerizing. His voice was whiskey smooth. “It is a big deal, sweetheart. If you think you’re grown-up, you need to prove it and stop trying to entice me. Because it’s working.”

  He took the can from her hand and put both of their drinks on the coffee table. He reached back for her and his hand continued to slide over her cheek.

  She nodded slightly in an attempt to agree to his demand.

  “Good girl.” He slid down until he was sitting on the edge of the couch in front of where she was reclining, overwhelming her. Crowding her personal space. “How you feeling, baby? Still hurting?”

  She shook her head and answered him in a whisper. “No. I’m better.”

  “Ready to go dancing?” he teased.

  “Not yet.”

  “Poor baby. Can’t go out, can’t go running, can’t even get up to entertain company.” His words slid through her and she thought about last night and looked away from his eyes.

  He noticed.

  His fingers tightened on her chin and he demanded her attention. “Look at me.”

  Her eyes slid carefully back to his. His features hardened, like his hand on her skin. “What’d you do?”

  “Nothing.”

  “You went out, or have company? You damn sure didn’t go running.”

  She tried to play down something insignificant that somehow she knew he wouldn’t like. “Yeah, I had company. Trevor came by last night.”

  “Trevor.” His voice radiated anger.

  “Yeah.”

  “He touch you?”

  “What?” Stunned, she could only manage the one word. When had she become his property? She wasn’t.

  “Did. He. Touch. You.” He bit the words out, one by one.

  “That’s n-not really any of your business,” she stammered.

  “You don’t think?” His mouth flattened in a line of suppressed temper.

  “No.”

  “That boy’s used to playing fast and loose, little girl. I’ve known him a long time. He’s screwed everything in a
four county area. You wanna be his next?”

  “No,” she answered softly as her cheeks turned pink.

  “I’m going to ask you again. Did you let him touch you?”

  “Not like that.”

  “Elaina.” It was a warning.

  She took exception to his tone and her volatile temper exploded. “I’m not planning on sleeping with him, Raul. Not that it’s any of your fucking business.”

  His eyes blazed down at her. Rage colored his expression. “I’ve told you before. You better watch your mouth.” His words were sharp.

  She felt his dark, compelling eyes on her. “Oh, I think you’re watching it closely enough for the both of us.” Suppressed lust and territorial aggression glimmered in his dark gaze, easily identifiable even to someone with her limited sexual experience.

  He sucked in oxygen and forced his eyes from her wet, luscious lips. His hands reached down and grabbed her wrists and pushed them over her head, pushing them into the sofa. He loomed over her, going for intimidation to get her to conform. “I’m trying to be a gentleman here.” His words were a low snarl. “I’m telling you to stay away from that boy.”

  Heat and excitement speared through her. He was trying to be a gentleman? She pushed against the hands that restrained her. They didn’t give. If this was an example of him being a gentleman, she wondered what he’d be like if he lost control. A shiver of fear and curious anticipation went through her. But she wasn’t ready for that, not with someone like him. No way.

  “You don’t have the right to tell me what to do. But I’ll be nice and have mercy on you and tell you how it is.” She raised her neck and glared into his face, pushing against his restraining hands. “I haven’t slept with him. I don’t intend to sleep with him. So chill.”

  An arrow of pure jealousy continued to pierce through his bloodstream. “Chill?”

  “Yeah. Chill. You’re way too serious. You need to calm down. Chill.”

  He was about to begin interrogating her further when the back door slammed and he heard Brian and Janie come back into the house.