Ellora's Cavemen: Tales from the Temple I

by Various

“Something like that. I had to discharge the excess and sex is one way to ground. I don’t completely understand it myself. I just know it works.” Durak stood and walked to the window. He pushed aside the curtain and peered out.

  Kelsey thought he looked as if he was on alert, ready if something happened.

  “Brady’s still out there, isn’t he?”

  “I’m sure he is. This is something he’d love to hand over to Leland, but he needs a wounded me as proof. Otherwise, it’s my word against his and Leland will believe me, especially since I won’t have a gunshot wound. Brady probably thinks he has time because he doesn’t realize how fast I heal.”

  “Henchman rivalry,” Kelsey murmured.

  Durak dropped the curtain and turned toward her. “What?”

  “I always thought of you two as Charles’ henchmen. I could tell he favored you over Brady and Brady was jealous.”

  “Like you said, I’m good at what I do.”

  “But Brady’s good enough to track you cross country in this weather.”

  “I never underestimated Brady. I was distracted by you.”

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  “By me?”

  “Yes. You. The night of the dinner. I haven’t been able to think straight where you’re concerned since then.”

  Kelsey stared at him. “You never gave any indication that you were interested.”

  “I couldn’t. Charles Leland would have fired me on the spot, and I couldn’t let that happen. As soon as I finished with Leland, you would have heard from me.”

  “Really?” Kelsey grinned and her heart jumped in her chest. He wanted her, too, and he would have come to her as soon as he finished his mysterious liaison with Charles. No longer out of her reach, all she could think of was how she wanted him…right now.

  “Really.” Durak set his mug on the table and reached for her, pulling her to her feet.

  “It was all I could do to keep my hands off you.”

  “You don’t have to keep your hands off of me any longer,” Kelsey said and wrapped her arms around his neck. “In fact, I insist you put your hands anywhere you want.”

  “Anywhere?”

  “Everywhere,” Kelsey amended.

  Durak kissed her, his sensual lips soft against hers. Then he rested his forehead to hers. “You don’t know how long I’ve waited to do this.”

  “Oh, yes, I do. Since that night of the dinner. I only said I’d go out with Charles so he’d stop bothering me the rest of the evening. It took me a while to realize it, but I kept seeing him to be close to you. I really wanted you.”

  “Is there a bedroom in this place? Does it have a bed?”

  “Yes and yes. In the front room, the door by the fireplace. I built a fire in there earlier, so it should be nice and warm.”

  Durak scooped her off her feet and up into his arms. Following her directions, he kicked open the door and set her in the middle of the peeled log bed, the down comforter conforming to the shape of her body. He crawled over her, but Kelsey sat up and looked at him.

  “I hope you’re not expecting what I write in my books. That’s fiction, you know.

  Just because I write it doesn’t mean I can do it.”

  Durak tilted his head to one side. “We’ve already been together once. I wasn’t out of it enough not to remember. And enjoy.”

  “Well, I don’t want you to have expectations I can’t fulfill.” Kelsey lay down again.

  “It was good, wasn’t it? We were good together even though the circumstances were crazy.”

  “It was good,” he assured her.

  His weight rested on his hands that were placed on each side of her. His dark gaze roamed over her, lingering at her lips, her breasts, and mound.

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  “What are you doing?” Kelsey squirmed beneath him, more than ready.

  Durak’s gaze swept over her again. “You said I could put my hands everywhere on you. I’m trying to decide where to touch first.”

  “Undress me and then decide.”

  He unbuttoned her blouse with care, working slowly, deliberately, skimming her exposed flesh with his fingertips. When her breasts were uncovered, he dipped into her bra and found a hardened nipple. She gasped as he caressed the peak, little shocks of pleasure trailing from the tip of the breast to between her thighs.

  Deftly, he unfastened the front hooks of her bra and her breasts spilled free. He bent forward and took a nipple between his lips, suckling gently, while fingers pinched the other. The double sensations drove Kelsey wild and her back arched, pressing her breast harder against his mouth. She didn’t know if she could stand for him to take the time to touch everywhere. She wanted him now.

  Durak’s tongue trailed across her skin to the other breast. This time he assaulted the tip, flicking his tongue across the sensitive bud, raking it with the edge of his teeth, and suckling greedily, pulling it to a fine point. At the same time, a swirling thumb massaged the wet peak of the one he’d just left. Kelsey burned deep inside, her writhing body aching for him.

  The sweet torture subsided only when he lifted his head and his hands pushed aside her bra. He raised Kelsey enough to slide her clothing off her shoulders, raining hot kisses across her flushed skin as the garments slipped away. Kelsey moaned when his mouth took hers, plundering its depths with his seeking tongue. He laid her back on the bed, the comforter swathing her in feather softness.

  “Durak,” she whispered. “I don’t think I can take much more of this. Make love to me now.”

  He raised up on his knees and pulled off his shirt, tossing it aside. “I haven’t touched everywhere yet.”

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  Chapter 4

  Durak finished undressing until his magnificent body was completely revealed to Kelsey. Light from the lamp and fire played across tanned skin, his shoulders, arms, and legs corded with muscle and sinew. His thick cock, rigid in arousal, curved slightly upward and she felt the wetness gather between her thighs.

  She had seen him naked and had made love to him only a few hours ago, but the sight of him again increased her excitement to new heights. He climbed into the bed again and knelt, removing her socks. He laid her legs together and crawled until his mouth was even with her breasts.

  Durak placed his hands on her sides as his tongue flicked one nipple then the other, rekindling the sensations he’d created before. He then traced the undercurve of each breast in turn and planted a kiss between them.

  His hands slid toward her hips as he moved further down, his lips tracking over her ribs and stomach, his hot breath fanning across her skin until he ran into the waistband of her jeans. One hand undid the button and zipper, pushing aside the material. The tip of his tongue circled her navel, plumbed its depth, and Kelsey nearly screamed.

  He raised up once more and stripped the jeans from her, spread her legs wide, then fell back to where he had left off. Kelsey writhed and moaned as he blazed a path through the patch of curls on her mound. She anticipated where his lips and tongue would go next. She wanted it, needed it, prayed for it, but he prolonged the sweet agony instead.

  He went lower, placing his arms underneath her thighs, his hands cupping her buttocks. His head dipped and he lapped her trickling juice, the tip of his tongue almost but not quite penetrating her. Her entire body ached with the anticipation. If he didn’t touch her throbbing clit soon, Kelsey knew she was going to implode and collapse upon herself.

  Kelsey wriggled against his mouth, trying to move so that he would touch her clit, but he avoided her maneuvers. Lavishly, he licked each soft fold of her tender, sensitive flesh. The tip of his tongue wove through each curve and turn, every dip and rise.

  Kelsey’s fingers clenched in the down comforter, her hips undulating on their own as they moved in time with each caress.

  Durak’s tongue traveled up, through the wet creases, and circled her clit. When he finally touched the swollen nub, surrounding it with the we
t heat of his mouth, Kelsey’s body bucked, and the burst of pleasure spiraled outward. She cried out, her head thrashing to and fro. Before the sensations had completely dissipated, Durak bent her knees and plunged deep inside.

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  Each thrust rebuilt what he had just destroyed. He slammed into her clit again and again, his cock massaging her g-spot. When he came with a feral roar, she once again shattered, bursting into innumerable fragments, sending her farther beyond the edge than she’d ever gone before.

  Kelsey breathed heavily and was barely aware when Durak lay down beside her.

  He fit his body to hers, his still warm cock snug against her backside, his arms around her protectively. Her last thought before drifting off to sleep was that she never wanted to be without his arms around her again.

  * * * * *

  When Kelsey awoke, it was still dark and for a moment she didn’t know where she was. Then it all came back in a rush and she smiled. She rolled over, expecting to snuggle in Durak’s arms, but the other side of the bed was empty. She sat up. The fire had died down, but from its faint glow she could see the dark shape of the wolf as it padded through the open door to the front room.

  Durak had shifted and she wondered why. Had his system overloaded again? With thoughts of excess energy and mandatory discharging, Kelsey scooted out of bed. She found the robe she had laid out earlier, slipped it on, and tied the belt around her waist.

  Would he expect her to make love to his wolf form this time? She shivered, unsure whether she could do it or not. He might have to find another way to ground this time.

  She walked through the door into the front room. The fire here had died down as well, but there was enough light to see that neither man nor wolf was in the room. Then she heard a crash and a threatening growl. The only place the sounds could have come from was the kitchen. She hurried down the short hallway.

  In the doorway, she switched on the light just as the wolf bounded over the table, toward a man. The light startled both of them, throwing the wolf off-course. The man, whom she instantly recognized as Sam Brady, Charles’ other bodyguard-slash-henchman, turned slightly and took a step backward. If the wolf’s intent had been to hit him square in the chest, he missed the mark, but he did slam into Brady’s shoulder. As his arms flailed against the assault, his hand released the gun he carried and the weapon skittered across the tile floor.

  The wolf’s weight drove Brady backward and slammed him against the wall. Brady kept enough of his wits about him to put his hands around the wolf’s throat and squeeze. The wolf snarled, flecks of foam dripping from his sharp fangs. He lunged forward, his open mouth going for Brady’s throat.

  “Durak, no!” Kelsey shouted. Even though she knew Brady was a threat to Durak, she couldn’t stand there and watch him murder a man.

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  The wolf stopped short of Brady’s jugular, then threw back his head and howled. A terrified Brady released him, and the wolf landed lightly on his feet. Brady slumped against the wall.

  The wolf looked at Kelsey and gave a short yip as if to tell her to go. She stood her ground and shook her head, refusing to leave. She was in no immediate danger, and she couldn’t let him kill the man even though Brady had tried to kill him first.

  The wolf turned toward Brady again. A steady growl, low and threatening, kept Brady in place. They couldn’t remain like this forever. The gun had landed on the other side of the table, closer to Brady than her. But if she got the gun, she could give Durak a chance to shift. Kelsey took a couple of steps toward the table.

  The wolf glanced back at her and yipped again. Brady, realizing the wolf wouldn’t attack as long as she was in the room, straightened and also took a step toward the gun.

  The wolf lunged, stopping Brady only for a second. Then he tried another step. The wolf snarled and snapped, catching Brady’s insulated coverall pants and shredding the cloth leg. While Brady was busy trying to shake off the wolf, Kelsey moved a little closer. Now, both she and Brady were almost within arm’s reach of the gun.

  Kelsey made a grab for it at the same time Brady kicked free of the wolf and sprang forward. Instead of snatching at the gun, Brady seized her, jerking her back against him.

  Then he produced a knife and pressed the wicked serrated edge against her throat.

  “Stay back, Voronin,” he ordered. “Stay back or I’ll slit her from ear to ear.”

  The wolf remained still but watchful, his dark golden eyes narrowed and lips curled back, revealing ferocious teeth.

  “All I want to do is get the fuck out of this freak show,” Brady said, his voice cracking.

  Kelsey heard the fear in his voice and smelled it in his pungent sweat. She was afraid, too, but she knew Durak wouldn’t let anything bad happen to her.

  “If—you—” Kelsey began, but with each word her throat moved and the blade pressed closer. She tried again, speaking more softly. “If you want to get out of here alive, you’d better not hurt me.”

  The wolf growled as if in agreement.

  “Fine. I just want the hell out of here. We’ll move toward the front of the house.

  You hear that, Voronin,” he said louder, almost shouting. “We’re moving toward the front. You stay here, and when we get to the front door, I’ll leave without hurting her.

  Do you understand?”

  The key was to act more courageous than she felt. Although her heart was pounding in her ears and her palms were slick with nervous sweat, she said, “He’s a wolf. He’s not deaf.”

  Brady jerked her closer and pressed the blade tighter until Kelsey was afraid to swallow. “No more smartass comments or I’ll leave a mark before I go.”

  Maybe false bravado wasn’t such a good idea. The wolf snarled.

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  Keeping Kelsey between him and the animal, Brady edged around the table. Near the doorway, he stopped. “Stay in here, Voronin, and nothing’ll happen to her. Got it?”

  The wolf backed up a step, indicating he would comply with Brady’s demands. Or that’s what Kelsey thought. Brady, too, because he moved them sideways through the door and into the narrow hallway. As soon as they were completely within the hall, the wolf moved. And as he moved, he changed. Fur disappeared and smooth tanned skin appeared, paws morphed into hands and feet. He went seamlessly from four legs to two. Gaining momentum, he moved swiftly, almost a blur. Kelsey lost track of exactly where he was, but when she felt Brady’s hand relax and the blade leave her throat, she dropped like a lead weight and rolled into the kitchen out of the way as the knife clattered to the floor.

  Kelsey sat up and looked down the hallway, and all she saw was Durak’s backside, steadily moving away from her. His arms and hands were a blur, but she heard the steady thuds as his fists smacked into Brady’s flesh again and again. Brady cried out in pain each time. Then a bone snapped, the sound reverberating through the cabin, and Brady screamed.

  Then Kelsey heard nothing but the sound of her own heavy breathing in the silence that followed.

  She scrambled to her feet and raced down the hall into the front room. Brady sat on the floor, huddled against the far wall. He whimpered, cradling his left arm, broken bone protruding through skin and splattered with blood. Durak stood over him, daring him to move.

  “That’s enough!” Kelsey cried out.

  Durak nodded. “I know.” He squatted beside Brady and lifted a cell phone from where it was clipped to his belt.

  “Kelsey, would you please get my clothes while I call some friends of mine to get this piece of shit out of here?”

  In the bedroom, Kelsey dressed quickly in jeans, sweatshirt, and sneakers, then brought out Durak’s borrowed clothing. Durak was looking out the front door, the phone to his ear.

  “Yeah, there’s enough room. I’ll leave the SUV lights on so you can find it. That’s right, the south side of the lake. Probably the only cabin occupied this time of year.

&
nbsp; Well, hell, Andy, half the time you can’t find your ass with both hands.” Durak laughed. “All right, see you in ten.”

  The clothes fell from Kelsey’s suddenly nerveless fingers. She didn’t recognize the name “Andy” as one of Charles’ employees, but Durak was too familiar with the person on the other end of the line for it to be the police. Besides, he was a werewolf and Sam Brady knew it. How could he call the police without revealing his secret?

  “You called Charles?” Panicking, her voice rose in pitch.

  “No, of course not.” Durak shut the door and came toward her.

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  “It didn’t sound like you were talking to the police.” She took a step backward, feeling betrayed. “I never wanted Charles to find out about this cabin.”

  “You never have to worry about Charles Leland again.” Durak put his arms around her, and she let him. She desperately wanted to believe him.

  “Then who did you call?”

  “The people I really work for, the DEA.”

  “What?” Thoroughly confused, she looked up into his dark eyes. “The Drug Enforcement Agency?”

  “Administration,” he corrected. “I’ve been working undercover. I’ll explain everything, but I have to turn on the SUV lights right now so they can find us.”

  Needing a few moments to take in this newest turn of events, Kelsey volunteered.

  “I’ll do it since I’m already dressed.”

  Kelsey’s mind whirled with what Durak had told her as she dashed out into the fine layer of snow. If Durak worked for the DEA, then he was one of the Good Guys, even if he was a werewolf. A weight she didn’t even know she carried lifted from her shoulders. Werewolf didn’t necessarily equate with evil as it did in folklore.

  When she returned, Durak rose from where he’d been squatting beside Brady.

  “I am so confused,” she admitted. “Why have you been investigating Charles?”

  Durak finished tucking in his shirttail. “I’ve been undercover for six months working for Charles Leland. He’s been using his landscaping business as a cover for his real business, drugs. But you knew that, didn’t you, Brady?”