by Milly Taiden
He nodded, turning away from her to march out of the kitchen into the living area.
“Excuse me!” She ground her teeth. “Did it ever occur to you that it was wrong to get someone you don’t know, who was passed out, naked?”
He stopped and faced her so fast, she limped back. “No. All I thought was the fact you were hurt,” he stated, an angry bite in his voice. “I could have left you out there to die. Instead, I brought you here and ensured you were warm and I wrapped your ankle.” He glanced down at her foot. “You shouldn’t be walking around.”
“I need my phone.”
He leaned forward, bringing his eyes level with hers. “Use mine.”
She swayed on her one foot. He grabbed her by the arms and lifted her in his arms. “Put me down. I can walk,” she said while curling her arms around his neck. Goodness. This close up he was killing her brain cells. “I don’t need a barbarian lugging me around like I’m a sack of potatoes.”
He stopped and glanced at her lips. The look he gave her was so hot, warmth caressed her face from his gaze. “I’ve never met a female who compared herself to a sack of potatoes,” he said, hugging her body tighter to his. “You’re much softer than them. And,” he sniffed, a soft growl sounding from his lips, “you smell much better, too.”
She swallowed hard. “Maybe my phone is in my purse,” she mumbled. The man had only said a few words and turned her into an idiot.
“It’s dead.”
“You searched my bag?” she gasped.
He set her on the bed with more care than she expected. “I wanted to call the last person on your list to tell them you’re all right, but stuck here until the weather cleared. The battery was dead and I didn’t see a charger.”
“Fucking hell!” She remembered now.
His lips quirked in a slow grin.
“What’s so funny?” she snapped.
“Even if you did have a phone, you couldn’t go anywhere right now.” He motioned to his window with his head. “The storm is only growing stronger. Pretty soon there will be no coming or going anywhere around here.”
“Great. Just. Great.” She leaned back and placed her hands over her eyes. She was so damn tired. Her ankle hurt more than when she’d stood and she couldn’t go anywhere. Not to mention she was stuck in a cabin with a hot as hell shifter.
“You may as well rest your foot. It’s going to be a few days before we can get you to the nearest town.” His voice sounded farther away. “What exactly were you doing when you fell?”
She sighed, still holding her hands over her eyes. “I was sent to find who owns the area. Rakida Construction wants to buy it and there’s been no luck in finding any information on the owners.” She wondered if he knew who owned Raging Falls. He had to. They were so close. “Hey, do you…” Her hands slid off her face, to see she was alone in the room.
Her body thrummed with awareness for the big guy. Not what she needed. It was going to be a long few days.
EIGHT
Luke growled, landing his axe into the heart of the piece of wood. The log split with a resounding crack. He’d ignored the mouthy woman inside, along with his lion. The need to have her had been greater than his need for air.
“Fucking hell!” he roared. He placed another piece of wood on the trunk and brought his axe down with a vengeance. Kira shouldn’t be the one. He’d been fine without a mate. Then she showed up with all those soft, bountiful curves and a razor-sharp tongue.
She worked for them. Rakida. The ones who wanted to push him and his people, along with everyone else, out of Raging Falls. He’d been putting them off. Owning the largest piece of land made him the best target. He’d made sure to let his lawyer know he wasn’t interested. None of them were, but the jerks at Rakida didn’t get the picture.
He ignored the falling snow and continued slamming his axe on the wood, splitting the pieces into smaller chunks.
Dammit! He’d wanted Kira from the second he’d scented her. Even more now that he saw her try and yell at him. She was beautiful. She was also involved with a company he wanted nothing to do with.
He glanced around the pile of wood and grunted. He’d chopped enough to see him through ten more storms if necessary. His cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and turned the damn thing off. Melissa didn’t get the point. She’d become obsessed with the idea of him mating her. Even though they both knew it wouldn’t work out.
Now that she was in heat, she was even more reckless in her demands. She should have known better than to pressure him. Luke didn’t give in to anyone’s demands. Nobody’s.
He carried piles of wood into his shed until the light went down. No longer able to stay away from Kira, he went back into the house and heated food. She’d be hungry by now. His conscience pricked at him. He shouldn’t have left her alone for so long. What if she was in pain?
He marched into the bedroom but stopped short at the sight of her sleeping. He’d known she was tired even when she’d argued with him. The dark circles under her eyes and the pain from her foot were clear to see.
Once the food was hot, he made a tray and took it to the bed. Before he woke her, he watched her for a few minutes. She was his. He should tell her, but something inside him whispered to wait. Kira was a human. She wouldn’t understand his need to have her.
As it was, he fought the lion for control. His need to fuck her and mark her as his was too strong to tamp down. Maybe he’d mark her and control the animal with that.
“Kira,” he said, tapping her arm softly. “I brought you something to eat.”
Her lashes fluttered open and he saw desire fill her eyes. Her gaze ate him up with a need that almost matched his own. She blinked a few times and it dimmed.
“Thank you,” she whispered, sitting up on the bed.
He placed the tray on her lap, watching her golden skin darken with embarrassment. She wanted him. Earlier, she’d done a good job of masking her desire. But it was useless to try now. He knew. He scented her pussy slickening the longer she stared at him.
“Eat. You’ve been without food all day,” he grumbled. It was his fault. She couldn’t be expected to get something in his kitchen.
NINE
Kira glanced at the bowl of stew and rolls. Everything smelled so good. She cleared her throat and picked up a roll, taking a bite. It melted in her mouth.
She moaned, chewing on the bread and loving how buttery it was. “Did you make this?”
He sat on the edge of the bed. “You sound surprised at the idea a man could make something edible.”
She snorted, picking up her lemonade. It was sweet and tart and perfect. “No. But come on, how many men do you know who can cook and do it well?”
He shrugged. “All of my friends know how to cook.”
Her jaw fell open and her eyes widened. “All of them?”
He nodded. “Why? Is that uncommon?”
She spooned in her first taste of stew. It was good. It was damn good. And he was hot? There had to be something wrong with him. Her shoulders dropped. He probably had a small penis. “Yes. I’ve yet to meet a man who didn’t expect a woman to cook for him.” She licked the spoon and went for a second scoop. “Those who think they know? They don’t know shit. They will make you a sandwich, dirty every plate, and then expect you to clean up after them.”
“What kind of men have you had in your life?” he asked, his voice a rough growl.
“A bunch of narcissistic pricks. Does that answer your question?” She picked up the second roll and went back to eating.
“Why were you interested in finding the owners of Raging Falls?”
She licked her lips and continued eating. “A business proposition. Peter, the current person in charge of Rakida,” she said, hating the words but had to use them since Peter was in charge, “wants Raging Falls. The dickhead won’t leave me alone until I find out who owns it and get him the information.”
“It doesn’t matter who owns it,” he growled. She
wondered what kind of shifter he was. The angrier he got, the more she wanted to find out. His eyes changed from the ice blue she’d been captivated with to a bright gold. It reminded her of her mother’s engagement ring in a beautiful canary diamond. “The owners won’t sell.”
She nodded, more excited with his features than the words coming out of his mouth. She’d never seen a shifter…well, shift. Not even close. In fact, she’d never even met one. Oh, sure, she knew they existed, but she led such a workaholic life with little time to socialize, that she’d never gone out to meet shifters. That was sad. Her lack of a life had kept her from seeing what Luke was doing before.
“It’s just a business offer,” she mumbled, placing the tray on the night table and sipping more of the lemonade. “If they don’t want it, they can just say no.”
He clenched his jaw and leaned forward. Instead of being worried, she put her glass down and sat up straighter. There was an invisible pull from Luke. She found herself leaning forward and staring deep into his eyes. “They’ve rejected the offers before. Your boss doesn’t know when to leave well enough alone.”
Her breaths started coming faster. Even her heart sped up. She licked her lips. Her attention focused on his face. His features had changed. There was a wild fire in his eyes. She raised a hand to touch his cheek. “This is amazing.”
He stopped. The anger she’d seen in his eyes fled, replaced by a new light. Hunger. Need. Lust.
Oh, my.
“Do you know what’s amazing?” he asked quietly.
Something told her not to ask, but fuck it. “What?”
“That you’re in my bed, so wet and hot and I’m still hanging on to my control.” He glanced at her lips. “Barely.”
She gasped. “I’m not wet.”
His lips lifted into a know-it-all grin. “Oh, you’re soaked, darling.” He slid on top of the bed, prowling towards her. “Your pussy’s slick and desperately begging for my cock.”
Shiiiiit. He was a mind reader. She had no idea shifters could do that. “You’re,” she inhaled sharply, grasping clumps of the sheet at her sides, “confused.”
He placed a hand to either side of her legs, continuing to move closer. He sucked in air and a low rumble sounded from his chest. The sound so raw and primal, she pressed her legs together to keep from drenching the sheets. “I’m not confused.” He sat on his heels in front of her. “I know what you want and I know what I want.”
She blinked at the harshness of his features. His lips caught her attention. They formed a full straight line. Determination and ownership filled his gaze. “What, um, what do you want?”
“You.”
He hooked a hand behind her neck at the same time he leaned forward and kissed her. His lips met hers. He swept his tongue into her mouth, licking and igniting her most basic urges. She let go of the sheet. Gliding her hands over his powerful arms, she hitched a breath into the mind-muddling kiss. His skin was so hot. Every muscle felt hard as stone. She ran her nails around the back of his head, digging her fingers into his short hair.
Her pussy throbbed in need. God. How could she think clearly when he was slipping his tongue in and out of her mouth, curling it over hers? Soft growling and heavy breathing filled the room. She leaned back. His body draped over hers with his clothes and the thin sheet as the most annoying barrier between them.
TEN
Fuck, she was easy. She’d never wanted to get naked this bad in her life. She widened her legs, allowing his big body to rest there, his erection pressing at the heart of her need.
She wasn’t a woman driven by desires. Nope. But this man was making her crazy. She’d had a handful of hours under his roof and she was more attracted to him than any of her ex-fiancés.
This was too much. Too fast. She yanked away from their kiss. He didn’t stop. He kissed his way to her collarbone, sucking lightly at the curve of her neck. Fiery lust shot through her system. She lost her breath with the sizzles going from her nipples to her pussy.
“Luke,” she moaned. God. Even his name sounded sexy.
“Say it again,” he growled, tugging at the shirt she had on and snapping buttons open. “Say my name like you can’t wait for my cock to be inside you.”
“Jesus, Luke,” she breathed brokenly.
“There. I like that sound.” He rocked his hips, and his stiff erection pushed at her panties, rubbing the thin material on her clit.
She moaned. A shudder weaved through her. “Oh, my.”
The shirt came open. He tugged the material away from her chest, pushing her tits into the open. He latched on to her nipple, licking and sucking and flicking his tongue on the sensitive bud. He enslaved her with his tongue. Lapping circles over her flesh. Then he bit her hard. She swore she felt his fangs puncture her skin.
Pleasure scored every pore on her body. She couldn’t get enough air into her lungs. Too many sensations. All of them driving her crazy with lust. He captured her other nipple with his lips, grazing his teeth over the mound of her breast. Another bite. Tug. Lick. Her body went up in flames.
She pressed him to her chest, wanting more of his mouth on her. All over her. He snarled. The sound sent a vibration to her clit. She wiggled her hips. A soft gasp rolled from the back of her throat. He thrust his erection against her pussy, the material of her panties once again rubbing on her clit.
“Luke,” she groaned. How could her brain tell her they shouldn’t be doing this now? Her body disagreed. His cock inside her sounded damn good. But she didn’t know this guy. So what, he was a shifter? She hadn’t had more than five minutes of conversation with him. Most of those five minutes, she’d been the one talking. “We can’t.”
The words had just left her mouth when he stopped. He glanced up at her face. She didn’t know what he saw, but he pulled away, running a hand through his hair and growling unintelligibly.
“I’m sorry,” he finally said in a voice she could understand.
She rushed to sit up and cover her breasts. Her nipples were still wet from where he’d licked her. Fuck. She crossed and uncrossed her legs, wishing she could make the ache in her pussy go away.
“It’s okay.” She cleared her throat.
“It’s not. I let myself lose control.” He sounded so pained saying the words. Like they were torn from him. “I can’t promise it won’t happen again.”
“Relax, big guy. It takes two to tango and I guess my body really likes you,” she tried to smile. “Luke, listen. I don’t react this way.” She glanced into his intense eyes and cleared her throat. “I mean, I don’t just let a man I don’t know do…what you did.”
He gave a curt nod. “I understand.”
She shook her head. “No you don’t, because I don’t.” She shrugged. “It’s clear we have something going here. Some crazy sexual attraction, but I’ve never given in to that. I have always been able to control my body.” She winced. “Until now.”
He stood so rigid she wasn’t sure what he was thinking. Most of the time she didn’t really worry how she came across to a man, but Luke had made her belly do cartwheels. The man had to be special for that to happen.
He picked up the tray on the night table and walked out without another word.
Fuck! Stupid common sense and logic. Why did it decide to remind her that she wasn’t a one-night stand kind of woman? Because she wasn’t. She’d end up hurt if she did something with Luke. Kira didn’t know how not to get emotional with a man she had sex with. It was natural for her to be in a relationship when she had sex. This whole day had been unnatural.
She glanced down at herself and groaned. She could still feel him pressing his body over hers, pushing her into the mattress. Hell, she could feel his raspy tongue dancing on her nipple. Lord. His erection made her panties brush over her clit. It was so fucking sexy.
So why now? Having his body pressed against hers felt natural. She bit her lip. Maybe common sense was not the way to go right now. Her instinct never steered her wrong. Her body told her
Luke was different. That sex upon first meeting didn’t matter with him because he wasn’t like other men.
How true could that be? Did she want to chance it? Yes, she nodded. She did. She was willing to push aside her beliefs to feel Luke’s skin against hers. She’d gladly ignore all thoughts of not knowing him well to explore the sensations he brought out in her. If she got the chance again, she’d do it. She’d get herself a taste of the big, sexy man and fuck what her brain said.
She limped to the en suite bathroom and stripped off the shirt. The longer she wore it, the more she kept thinking of Luke ripping it off. Stupid lust and all it brought. Now she’d be thinking of Luke licking and sucking her tits. Luke kissing her like she belonged to him. Fucking hell! Luke sliding his cock into her. Something he didn’t get to do.
She carefully removed the bandage on her ankle and winced. It was covered in a dark purple bruise that felt incredibly tender to the touch. She turned on the shower and used his unscented body wash to bathe.
She needed a damn phone. Even if Peter didn’t give a shit, Carly would be worried sick at her disappearance. When she finished showering, she searched through his bathroom looking for a brush. She found a comb. Ah, well. Beggars couldn’t be choosy.
If only she had her handbag. She always carried toothpaste, a brush and deodorant. She’d been stranded in airports too many times without her luggage. She never went anywhere without that and an extra set of clean underwear.
“Are you expecting to lose the ones you have on?” Carly had laughed.
It had nothing to do with losing the ones she had. As a child, Kira’s mother had always said, “Mi hija, always wear a nice pair of undies in case you end up in a hospital, and carry a spare.”
ELEVEN
When she’d been a kid, she wondered what the hell nice undies had to do with being in the hospital in an emergency, but as she grew up she didn’t question and just did it.
