Devil Hills: #1 Scarlet, Lexi & Lily

by Diroll-Nichols, Karen

  He’d never had a kitten rub herself against him before.

  He didn’t like cats. They seemed sneaky. Devious.

  He felt his body reacting and groaned as she pushed herself closer still, shoving his tee shirt higher until he tugged it over his head and tossed it to the floor. He tried closing his eyes and searching for sleep.

  Waste of time. His body was too awake and she wouldn’t stop moving against him and he swore he heard her purring.

  Lexi liked the strength lying beneath her head. She liked the strong sound of his heart beating beneath her ear and sighed contentedly. She let her fingers trail over his shoulder and down his arm. She’d woke from the nightmare listening to him try and comfort her, a soft sound that made her feel safe and had her snuggling closer.

  He was smooth, the softest mat of hair on his chest. And he smelled good, she thought vaguely, realizing the headache was gone.

  She felt his palm resting on her head, gentle, not moving. And she felt suddenly too warm. Lexi moved quietly, sliding from the bed and pulling her clothes off. She walked to the closed patio doors, her palms up and on the glass, her head against the closed door. She couldn’t catch her breath and she felt like she was on fire.

  She shoved one hand into the thick hair, wincing when she came in contact with the bump. It hurt still. She tried focusing on the cold coming through the thick glass. The wild winds tore across the ground and sparkling drops of rain were dashed over and over against the glass.

  Eli had almost fallen asleep.

  Or maybe he was asleep.

  He opened his eyes to see the dark silhouette of curves and long tan colored hair. There was nothing wrong with finding a female attractive.

  A strange cat female, he corrected, which did nothing for the hard, pulsing cock between his legs. He should be a gentleman and slide out of the room without looking back. She might look like a vulnerable kitten, but she wasn’t.

  “Lexi? Are you alright?”

  “No…no…something is wrong with me…”

  “What happened to your clothes?” Eli pushed his legs over the side of the bed facing her, pale lashes widening when she turned to face him, hands pointing to the floor. She was curved and built and it was an image no male would ever be able to banish.

  He felt suddenly like a teenager when she moved forward. Limber and agile, he thought, watching the long legs and slender arms she brought up to circle his neck.

  Lexi knew she must have fallen hard for him to have married him. She heard some little voice inside her telling her that males could be trusted, but never with marriage. She slid one leg onto his thigh, her sigh soft when his palms came up and gripped her waist before sliding behind her and lifting her against him.

  A soft, husky laugh broke free, rippling across his throat.

  “Lexi…you might not…this isn’t…how’s your head?” He scrambled for words and to keep her from pressing the small round breasts against him. Her nipples looked a soft, dusty pink in the dim room and it was impossible to stop himself when one came inches from his face. He felt her shudder when he gave in and dragged his tongue slowly over the tip, watching the flesh curl and ripple with each pass.

  “I don’t have a headache, Eli,” she purred against his throat, a little part of her finding it odd that she ran her tongue long his throat to his ear and bit down on that soft spot.

  “Lexi…” Eli had never heard his voice sound like that before and cleared his throat before trying again. He took a firm grip of her waist to avoid grabbing her ass and set her back.

  A move that only made too many parts of him groan. He grabbed a blanket off the bed and wrapped her in it. Tightly. Before lifting her and laying her back on the bed.

  “Eli…”

  “Listen to me. It’s late. You’ve had a rough day and need some sleep. I need some sleep,” he pushed one hand through his hair, sighing thickly when she rolled to her side and leaned on one elbow.

  “You’re very sexy when you do that. What’s wrong? Don’t you want me?”

  “I…Lexi…this isn’t the time for sex.”

  “Why? It feels right.”

  That he couldn’t argue with and he wished he could. He stared into those big blue eyes and shook his head.

  “Not until you get your memory back. Now, I’m going to the guest room and you’re going to sleep. Good night,” he got up and winced, adjusting his jeans and striding out of the room without looking at the confusion on her face. Between that and her body, he wouldn’t have control of much.

  Lexi wondered if she was losing her mind. She was off the bed quickly and followed him along the corridor, not even wincing when the door slammed. She knocked once and then opened it.

  Eli spun to the open door, her scent and the quizzical expression forcing a snarl from his lips.

  “Will you please put some fucking clothes on?” Eli glared at her.

  “Why? It’s very freeing to be naked. It’s very comfortable, actually,” Lexi moved into the room and proceeded to open the button on his jeans, about to help the zipper when he slapped at her hands. “Eli, we’re married. Are you ashamed of being nude?”

  “We are not married,” he pushed between his teeth, stepping back and closing his eyes.

  “Oh.” She blinked a few seconds and shrugged. “Okay. It really isn’t important,” she assured him, stepping up to him and working down the zipper half way before she found herself spun toward the door and shoved.

  “Go. Put. On. Clothes. Now.”

  “Have you always been this shy?” Lexi shrugged and went to the other bedroom, rummaging and dressing quickly. She went back to his room and found him standing by the window, his hands on either side and head hanging in the middle. “Is this better?” She held out her arms when he turned.

  “Jesus, Lexi…” Eli took in the shorts and tank top and he knew she had nothing else under either item. “Look…it’s after one. In the morning.” He straightened up slowly, a frown creasing his features as she walked closer.

  “You’re right. We should be in bed,” she said with a smile, taking his palm and walking toward the hall. “Eli, it’s alright that we’re not married. I might not remember, but I know what I feel. I know what I…it’s difficult to explain,” she stopped in the hall, her face pressed into his shoulder and throat. Her lips moved against skin that hadn’t cooled down. “I can feel it…smell it…it’s amazingly erotic…” She heard him moan and looked up, her palms pressing along his sides and into the hair at the sides of his head.

  Eli knew he was losing the battle. With himself as well as with her.

  He did feel it. Too keenly.

  Why did his mother raise gentlemen?

  Lexi didn’t remember anything. Not him. Not herself! Moving swiftly, he gripped her waist and threw her onto his shoulder. He listened to the laughter and squeal until the cold water began in the shower stall he set her in the middle of.

  Jets came at her from two sides, full stinging and full cold.

  Eli quickly slammed the solid glass door and winced, hoping it was strong enough as she beat on it, calling him every name a sailor would be proud of. With one hip on the door holding it closed, he ran cold water and threw two handfuls into his face, rubbing it around and sighing thickly.

  He was the first to admit he didn’t understand why he was attracted to her. Besides the fact that she was sexy as hell and her purr was enough to drive him insane. He’d never gotten so hard so fast in his life and it wasn’t going away. He stopped thinking when the only sound in the bathroom was the water and chattering teeth.

  He opened the door, quickly shut the water off and pulled a large towel from the shelf behind him. He draped the towel on the door and gripped her shoulders, standing her up in front of him.

  Large, wide blue eyes peered at him and seemed to flicker between wanting his death and a slightly more pitiful why me look as he quickly stripped her of the wet clothes.

  “C...can I ask why?” Lexi sighed and shivered as he wr
apped her in the towel, rubbing vigorously. “W-what’s wrong?”

  “Because you need sleep and we need to talk and I need my head to work and seeing you naked or even in those stupid little shorts makes all the blood leave the thinking brain,” Eli told her honestly. “Now. Sleep. Okay?”

  “You said we aren’t married. Why did you tell your mother that we were?”

  “Because I’m tired of being nagged. She rotates from son to son,” he led her down the hall to the bedroom. “Go to sleep, Lexi. I’ll see you in the morning. Alright?”

  She yawned and sighed. “Did we break up?”

  “Lexi…please…sleep,” he leaned in and kissed her forehead. Now he knew what a drowned cat actually looked like, he realized and grinned. “No, we did not break up. I’d have to be insane to give up such a sex kitten. Good night.”

  Sex kitten. Lexi rubbed the towel over her hair and climbed into the middle of the bed. She fell asleep smiling and she wasn’t sure why. But it was nice.

  Chapter Seven

  Lexi Baker woke up with a slight pounding in her head, one eye closed and a memory that made her groan into the pillow. She lay on her stomach, lifted the pillow and covered her head before groaning again.

  She’d made a fool of herself. She practically ripped the man’s clothes off!

  She knew she was lying naked in his bed.

  She knew her shorts and tank were in the bottom of his shower.

  One hand left the pillow smothering her and prodded gently against her scalp. She winced and groaned again. She popped upright a little too quickly and looked around, waiting for her head to stop spinning and her eyes to focus.

  Just a little focus, she whimpered, grabbing her head with both hands.

  She scrambled off the bed and quickly found clothes. Underwear this time, she thought, pulling jeans up her legs and a long sleeved scoop neck tee and a vest. She had socks on and her boots, zipped her cases closed and quietly opened the bedroom door.

  Silence.

  She had a phone in her pack. Which was…she got the cases quietly down the wide staircase and went into the main room, watching where she placed every single foot before continuing.

  She spotted her pack and sneakers and lifted both. She’d turned toward the hall when the scent reached her.

  Lexi froze in place, closed her eyes and wondered if she remembered any prayers from her youth. Anything at this point would help.

  Please God just didn’t seem enough somehow.

  She heard movement next and straightened up, shoes dangling from one hand and pack from the other. Lexi turned slowly toward the noise. Maybe she was imagining things. Yeah, she could blame the blow to the head thing. She turned again but froze, eyes widening.

  His head reached the tops of her thighs, large and cocked, watching.

  His colors were beautiful, she thought, almost forgetting herself and reaching out to stroke over his head.

  Ears were up and listening as he watched her. Silver inside, dark outside.

  His muzzle was a crème color and his eyes a gorgeous deep green. A very large grey wolf who now blocked the path to the front door.

  Lexi watched his nose twitch and she was positive he was watching her chest rise and fall. Then she closed her eyes and forced herself to relax, inhaling slowly for several long minutes. Pale lashes opened slowly, narrowing as the hand with the shoes rose and flung them.

  “You? What is wrong with you scaring the crap out of me!” She watched him dodge the sneakers and turn, taking off up the stairs.

  She’d been in the city too long, she growled to herself, collecting her shoes and heading for the door. She was on the porch and headed for the car when the door behind her opened.

  Don’t look, she told herself, remembering the night before.

  Dog, she told herself firmly. You don’t like dogs.

  They smell like dog, she told herself lamely, sighing and stopping with her head hanging. She owed him an apology. He had been a gentleman.

  She heard the door slam behind her and heavy footsteps on the porch. She closed the car door and held her pack in one hand, the other dragging the long hair back with only a little wince when it touched the bruised part.

  “I’m sorry. I went for a run and thought you’d still be asleep,” Eli was trying to walk and work the buttons down his shirt when she turned, blue eyes wide beneath the arched brows. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “I wasn’t scared.”

  “Yeah…I could tell…” He came to a stop at the last step, freezing in place as she walked toward him. She hitched the pack on her shoulder and brought her hands to his, covering them and shaking her head. She watched his eyes widen, his head tilt a little to the side and she knew he was staring at her ponytail. “Uhh…is it supposed to…”

  “Mom’s not here to dress you anymore,” she said with a grin, holding the sides of his shirt out and laughing at the tint striking his cheeks. She quickly undid the buttons and lined them up correctly before starting at the bottom and working her way up.

  Dogs, she thought with an inward groan. What’s wrong with her?

  “Yeah…well…I was in a hurry,” Eli took her hands, holding them until she looked up.

  “And yes, if it’s bound up like this it twitches just like…like a tail would…if I were shifted,” she answered in a low, slightly embarrassed voice that ended with a sigh.

  “Interesting,” he managed. “Where were you off to when the car broke?”

  “A friend has a bed and breakfast up north of here,” Lexi carefully took a step back. She couldn’t put a safe label on why he made her feel lightheaded and didn’t like the unsafe explanation she came up with.

  “I can take you into town. Buy you something to eat and show you where the garage is. Toby should be able to help you,” but hopefully not too fast, he thought.

  “I already owe you, Eli. I don’t want to impose…and further give myself the opportunity to make a bigger fool of myself than I already…” Lexi shook her head, eyes widening when he grasp her fingers and pulled her toward the house. “Hey! You’re not listening!”

  “I’m an optimist, Lexi. And I’m hungry,” he told her with a grin over his shoulder. “Besides, you left the suitcases in the hall. That’s a good sign. Let me get my wallet and a jacket.”

  Lexi stopped inside the house and sighed. It could be worse. She could be waking up naked with him next to her. She felt the heat flooding her cheeks at the memories of what she almost did in the wee hours of the morning.

  Chapter Eight

  Lucas had spent too much of the night checking on Scarlet.

  She started the night sitting in the middle of the big bed, wrapped in blankets and staring.

  Later he went to check and found her shifted and curled into a tight bundle in the walk-in closet, burrowed beneath several of his jackets. He dropped to his heels and stroked lightly over her head. He hoped it helped when he left and returned to curl up around her. He didn’t know what she was afraid of and he knew it would take some time to get answers.

  He didn’t open the vet office on the weekends unless people came by the house. Lucas stood at the back door watching Hal remove the plywood he’d used on the broken patio door removed and new thick glass being installed.

  The story had made it through the town, no surprise there.

  Chick fight at the Daniels’s house.

  He was sure by the time the various versions peaked, there would be torn clothing and mud wrestling.

  It was beginning to worry him that Scarlet hadn’t come down. But when he went to the room she was using, there was no sign of her. He had a light jacket in his hands when Connie came in the front door.

  “Have you seen Scarlet?”

  “Hank took her into town,” she answered easily, aware her nephew was behind her as she carried a bag into the kitchen. “You’ve certainly livened up the town.” She chuckled at the sigh, the sound of a glass thumping on the counter next. “Hank will keep an eye on
her, Lucas. He wouldn’t let anyone hurt her. Evidently she makes the best ever chocolate applesauce cupcakes,” she told him with a wink.

  She watched her nephew, his gaze on the coffee pot.

  “Still working on cutting back?”

  “Probably should have made the attempt before I brought Scarlet here,” he admitted, striding across the large kitchen and pushing the start button and thinking about his actions over the last few months.

  When he found out one of her schools had been cooking, he had the whole kitchen remodeled. A move that brought more than one inquiry, both silent and spoken. There was some guy part of him that held a thread that if she liked the house, she’d stay.

  The smarter part of him knew it wouldn’t have mattered if he lived in a cave to Scarlet.

  “You’re worried about her.”

  “I’ve been worried about her since she was thirteen and took out Bobbie Fletcher,” he answered without thinking, the sight of the very thin little scraggly haired female daring the much larger boy to push her friend again. The boy took the dare and ended up with a lot of pain for his bullying.

  “I always wondered about those females who came and went out of your bed.”

  Lucas closed his eyes. “Aunt Constance…”

  She chuckled at the formal name he used this time and took a large mug from the cupboard by the sink, handing it to him. She knew she was striking a nerve when things became formal.

  “We both had places we needed to be for a while,” he answered, filling the cup and striding to stare out the bay window that lit the small eating area.

  “Does she know?” Connie sighed at the silence. “Heard you’ve been talking to Carl Hudson.”

  “Can’t keep a secret in this town,” he said sourly, thinking of his conversations with the rape counselor. He had some mistaken idea if he went into the city, it might have remained private.

  “That’s a silly wish,” she laughed lightly, sighing. “That fight was before the pair bonding.”

  “I know,” he answered quietly. “Believe me, I know.”