by Anya Nowlan
“You didn’t answer the first part,” he said coolly.
There was ice in those green eyes now. Those kitty cat eyes that seemed to look right through him whenever he was lying, that called to him when he felt like shit, and that made him fall in love with her over and over again.
“I had a debt to repay.”
“It’s not just that, is it?” he taunted, letting his mouth talk while his brain sat back and let him hang himself with what little rope he had. “You wanted this. You wanted to come here and see me. You miss me, don’t you, Kali? The thought of being in my arms again made you so fucking wet you couldn’t think straight, so you hopped on the first goddamn puddle jumper that would bring you back to my cock,” he hissed, leaning closer to her.
Her eyes went wide and her lips parted a little in a delicious “O” that was pleading to be kissed. Then her expression hardened and her cheeks went red with the same anger he’d seen on the runway. It drew him like a moth to a flame.
“I don’t have to listen to this, you fucking prick,” she bit out, undoing her buckle and launching for the door handle.
Before she could grab it, Rhodes had his hand under her chin, turning her head to face him, with his other hand on the back of her neck. And the next thing he knew, he was kissing the life out of her, his mouth hungrily devouring what had been his years ago, and what he knew would have to be his again.
CHAPTER FOUR
Kali
His mouth was like fire on hers, consuming her entirely with the very first kiss. Kali’s hands fisted against his chest with the intention of beating him away from her, but she ended up just grabbing his shirt and pulling him nearer. With her brows furrowed, she pushed and pulled with equal measure, hungry kisses marked with bites and licks and moans.
God, he tasted so good. Like everything that she’d missed. One touch could make her live again, bring her out of that self-imposed cocoon she’d retreated into after everything—that hollow space that had left her content with her shallow life of slinging coffee and taking shit from every pissy customer to come her way. But Rhodes could shake her out of that dull existence in a second.
“I hate you so fucking much,” she whined into his mouth, desperate to taste his tongue deep in hers.
“Sure you do,” he growled, his voice dropping so low it resonated right through her.
Rhodes kicked his seat back and she was on top of him in an instant, legs to either side of his thighs, hands on his neck and chin. Fuck, nothing had changed. Or, yes it had, but it had only gotten better. His mouth was as delicious as it had ever been, his rough hands even gruffer as he pushed her top up and off her body, bunching under her breasts for a moment before coming free.
Kali whimpered as Rhodes ripped her bra down, exposing her big, heavy breasts and cupping them with both hands. She grinded down on him desperately, loving the feeling of that thick, meaty cock of his jutting out against the hard fabric of his jeans. Soaked in an instant, she had no doubt of what she wanted.
Rationally, she should have been kicking and screaming, cussing and bemoaning the fact that he was a giant prick and he would never change. But she’d gotten on that plane, hadn’t she? She’d done every damn thing possible to put herself in this situation.
You wanted this.
He hadn’t been wrong. She just didn’t want to admit it to herself, or him.
Kali’s nails dug into his shoulders as Rhodes bit down on one of her nipples, too hard to be playful, too raw to be vicious. She bucked against him, throwing her head back so her caramel locks tumbled over her back and stuck to her cheeks. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she reached down, fumbling with his belt.
There was going to be no doubting this. She’d live with the consequences later. For three years, she’d gone crazy missing this man, missing his presence, missing his cock. Maybe she’d spend the next three years hating herself for her weakness, but she needed him right now. The blazing look in Rhodes’s blue eyes told her that he needed her just as much, if not more.
They were two desperate people, having gone without each other for far too long. There would have been something poetic about it if they hadn’t been stuck in a truck that wasn’t his, on a tiny outback road, squirming in a tight space.
Fuck it. She kissed him on the mouth as viciously as he had her, all bites and hisses as he ripped her panties aside. She’d worn a skirt and in the back of her head, she wondered if it hadn’t been in preparation for something like this. The metallic sound of his zipper coming undone was music to her ears, and Rhodes helped her push down his boxers enough for that sculpted masterpiece of a cock to be revealed.
Kali licked her lips. It was still the prettiest cock she’d ever seen. And the baddest.
Heat burned her cheeks as he lifted her up and pushed his cock to her wet entrance. Her nails clawed at his shirt but he wouldn’t give an inch. She wanted to see if he still had it… that tattoo…
“No, stop it,” he commanded, and she laid her hands flat on his chest. “Later,” he growled, and she kissed him again.
He thrust into her with one sharp, unyielding motion, filling her up almost to the brim. Kali screamed into his mouth, a desperate, heaving sound of release and thankfulness. His hand was on the back of her neck, his fingers pressing down on her nape, threatening to leave beautiful little marks of their reunion. She let her nails dig into his biceps, not caring if her cat scratches were obvious to everyone after this.
Rocking back on his cock, she whimpered something more akin to a mewl than anything else and started riding him. Rhodes humored her for a minute and she grinned wickedly as he watched her, transfixed. But it wasn’t like him to let her call the shots, and he didn’t for long.
Grabbing her by the waist, he practically lifted her off his cock before thrusting up again, starting to plow into her with even, but fast strokes. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and her hands looked for support in the truck’s headliner, the gray velvet smooth against her palms as she bucked up and down.
“Fucking hell, Rhodes,” she gasped, her chin quivering as the tension built in her.
It was a wet, thick heat that coiled in her, burning from outward, destroying everything in its path that wasn’t pure pleasure. She writhed and gasped, and his low, growly grunts filled the air right along with her. Her nostrils were attacked by a musky scent, the combination of their smells, and the mouthwatering tang of sex.
“Cum for me, Kali,” he hissed, making her open her eyes and look at him.
Really look at him. There was pain in those eyes, deep down inside, but she saw it. For years, she’d wondered why the hell he’d run, why he’d left after everything that had happened. She had made excuses for herself, for him, but the question never changed. But now, with him fucking balls-deep in her wet pussy, she knew it had cost him even more than it had her.
Biting her lip, she nodded, feeling a shudder run down her spine.
“Only if you cum for me too, Rhodes,” she taunted, drawing a grumbling growl out of him.
He shot forward, covering her mouth with his, and she melted into it. Her hands wrapped around his neck and she grinded against him, rubbing her clit against his hard pubic bone. Every muscle in his body was hard, set, and ready to explode. And she hung on for dear life as he destroyed her with his cock.
They reached the peak almost simultaneously, though the way she clenched down around him was what brought Rhodes with her. In a cacophony of moans and wails, they surrendered to one another, the orgasm so intense that it left her shaking like a leaf. She rode it out on top of him and Rhodes’s hands never left her body, squeezing her closer to him, keeping her against him every step of the way.
Kali was left gasping, heaving for breath, a mess of limbs and hair and sweat as she shook on top of him. He’d blown his load in her and it was fucking fantastic. When her breathing grew less erratic, she rose up by a little, only enough to touch her forehead to his chest and listen to his steady, thrumming heartbeat. She couldn
’t help but laugh.
“What’s so fucking funny?” he asked, though there wasn’t any maliciousness in his voice.
“You. You’re fucking funny.”
“Yeah? How come, smart-ass?”
Kali sat up, smirking smugly. She squeezed the tight muscles of her pussy, squeezing him and wringing a groan out of him before he could stop.
“Admit it. If the tables were turned, it would have been you on that ‘fucking puddle jumper,’ running back to this.”
“Bullshit,” he said, but his eyes told her a different story completely.
“Yeah, I fucking thought so.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Rhodes
To say things had taken a turn for the awkward was an understatement of the century.
How does one even begin to explain a situation involving his ex-girlfriend, who just happened to be his mate despite him trying to deny it, a scheming clan of bears who all apparently knew everything about his past except for the consequences of their actions, and the fact that he was now suddenly stuck in a house that smelled like Kali—and everywhere he looked, there she was?
“I should bust your skull in,” Rhodes hissed as Ragnar finally chose to show his face in Hamilton House.
Rhodes had gotten back with Kali a couple of hours ago and things had gone from bad to worse. After their little sidebar on the road, which was probably the hottest thing that had ever happened to him, neither one of them had known what to say. When the endorphins wore off, they were back to where they started—two broken, confused individuals caught in a problem of their own making.
“You could,” Ragnar said mildly, though Rhodes saw the shimmer of a smile behind his hazel eyes. “But you won’t.”
“And why do you think that?” Rhodes asked, trying his damndest to press the confusion into some sort of an emotion that he could handle.
Ragnar took one hard look at Rhodes and then motioned toward the front door. “Walk with me.”
Grumbling under his breath and shoving his hands in his pockets, Rhodes complied.
“Everything all right, boys?” Rose asked, curled up on the front porch with a book and a mischievous look in her eyes.
“Yup, peachy keen,” Rhodes snapped, making Redmond’s wife smirk slightly.
This was so damn funny for everyone. He should have been selling tickets to his personal humiliation.
“You brought her back,” Ragnar said lightly as they crossed the front yard and went the long way around the farmstead.
“I couldn’t just leave her there! What was I supposed to do?” Rhodes asked, pulling his hand through his hair and then down the side of his face in frustration.
Thinking about Kali drove him crazy, but thinking about their past made his stomach lurch uncomfortably. Not all memories were created equal, and looking at her definitely brought up some stuff he didn’t want to remember.
“You could have gotten on the plane. You could have put her back on the plane. Slate was going back today. You know that.”
Rhodes almost stopped in his tracks. Yeah, he’d known that. But for some reason, with Kali right in front of him, it would have been completely impossible to walk away from her. Or have her walk away from him.
“I did,” he agreed flatly. “Why the fuck didn’t I do it, then?” His brows furrowed. Good fucking question.
“You love her,” Ragnar said matter-of-factly, shrugging his shoulders. “Comes with the territory.”
“Thanks, Investigator,” Rhodes huffed, giving Ragnar a dirty look. “I didn’t know that. But your input has been invaluable and I’ll be sure to take it into account the next time I try and solve a problem with an ex who shouldn’t be dragged into any of our personal shit. Why did you have her come anyway?”
“Necessity. And because you need her. By the looks of her, she needs you too. She’s not the same girl anymore. Something’s… missing. And if you try to tell me you’re okay, that’s a load of bullshit and you know it. You can’t sit still for a fucking minute, Rhodes. Every second you have to be doing something, running somewhere. Don’t think I don’t notice. I was an addict for a long time, brother. I can tell when someone’s trying to avoid their problems.”
Rhodes kept his eyes down, watching the brown grass get scrunched under his boots as they walked onward. It wasn’t like Ragnar was wrong. And he respected his brother far too much to lie to him. Not that it would have done him any good, seeing as Arson Investigator Hamilton here was apparently a fucking clairvoyant to begin with.
“She’d different now,” Rhodes agreed, finding his voice again.
“You know why that is, right?” Ragnar asked, giving Rhodes a look.
“Probably,” Rhodes said, evading the question.
Flashes of their past came flooding back to him. Seattle. How she’d giggled when he woke her up in the mornings with kisses down her belly. The way she absolutely hated going out in the rain, which meant she was miserable half the time unless they were together and he took her mind off of the weather. The way that fucker hovered above her, his fist raised… Rhodes blinked the memories away.
“What’s the deal you called in with her?” he finally asked.
Chuckling, Ragnar gave Rhodes a look that was almost indecipherable. “I figured if we go out, we go out with a bang. Uncle Herbert left us the homestead with a few conditions. We all have to get married in a year, live here, and two of us need to have cubs. I figured it was a long shot, but if we had any chance of tying you down, it would be Kali who would do it. She’s here to be your bride.”
“What?!” Rhodes roared, coming to a full stop and staring at his brother incredulously. “You did what?! Have you been inhaling too much smoke lately, maybe sniffing some solvents? How the fuck did you think that was a good idea?!”
“She said yes, didn’t she? She’s here. And you’re still here. So whatever I’m huffing, it seems to be putting me on the right track,” Ragnar said, shrugging his shoulders. “It was a long shot but I figured what the hell? You two are drowning without each other. Figured I’d give you a life raft and see what you do with it. If you want to punch a hole in it and go down regardless, that’s on you, brother,” Ragnar said, clapping him on the back.
Ragnar continued on the walk, but Rhodes couldn’t find his legs to go one way or another.
She said yes.
Holy fuck.
CHAPTER SIX
Kali
“Are you avoiding me?” Kali asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she came to a stop in front of Rhodes.
He was smoking a cigarette, sitting on the back of one of the trucks. It had been parked near the workshop, out of the immediate sight of the rest of the house. It had been nearly a day now that she’d been in Hamilton House, having a perfectly awkward time and getting to know the rest of the Hamilton clan.
Ragnar and she went way back because of their shared… history due to Seattle, but the rest of them she’d never met. The Hamiltons had never been very close after they all split off to find their individual destinies, Kali knew, but seeing them all together brought a smile to her lips. There was something about the raucous, lively bunch of firebears and their mates that made Kali immediately feel at home.
Rose was a sweetheart and Tiana and Abigail were both sassy and strong as hell, complementing their men beautifully. Kali kept catching herself feeling jealous at their happiness. Not in a malicious way, just with her eyes constantly searching around for a sign of Rhodes, and then immediately chiding herself for doing that.
This is a favor for Ragnar. It’s just temporary. You’ll get a stupid piece of paper and you’ll be out of here in no time, she kept reminding herself.
But she’d stopped believing that the moment she’d seen Rhodes, all brooding, brutal and vulnerable. Standing face to face with Rhodes, leaving sounded like the most ridiculous thing in the world. How could she have ever thought this would be easy?
“Do I look like I’m avoiding you?” he asked, quirking a brow and givin
g her that maddening bad boy smirk she loved and hated.
“Give me that,” she snapped, plucking the cigarette from between his lips and taking a long drag from it.
The smoke filled her lungs and then came out in one hurried breath. She had to bite down on the urge to cough. God, it was disgusting. No wonder she’d quit years ago. She took another drag before handing it back. Even touching the same cigarette as Rhodes sent an electric pulse through her and straight to her traitorous pussy.
“I thought you quit,” he said with amusement in his eyes.
“I thought you quit,” she countered.
“Yeah, well, some things drive a man to acts of desperation,” he said mildly as she sat next to him on the tailgate.
“Are we going to talk about it?” she asked after a long pause, the tension of being around him steadily warming her.
“Do we have to?” Rhodes asked, sullenness replacing that lively charm.
“I’m about to become your wife. I think we should.”
“You’re not about to become anyone’s wife, least of all mine,” Rhodes huffed.
Putting out his cigarette on the side of the truck, he made a move to get up and leave, but Kali instinctively grabbed his arm, pulling him back to face her.
“Rhodes, stop it. I haven’t seen you since that night. Since… you know.” The words died on her lips.
“Since I burned your ex-boyfriend alive and skipped town?” he asked brutally, a sharp coldness on his expression now.
“Yeah,” she said, gulping. “Since you saved me from a deranged psychopath who was going to kill me. Since you took off before I could say anything about it. Since you left me alone.”
His eyes softened, remorse flooding them, but he battled it out of himself. She wanted to smack him so bad, make him slow down and really talk to her for once. Rhodes ripped his arm out of her grasp and went to get up, but Kali was determined. This wasn’t going to go down like that.
