Man and beast became one; like a well-oiled machine, they moved in sync, sharing in mind what they shared in body.
Kash’s beastly gaze scanned the darkness, taking in the hundreds of predatory eyes scattered about watching his every move.
Alligators sank beneath the water, and snakes slithered silently away in the wake of the monster in their midst.
Kash wasn’t sure how long he walked before the Bickford house came into view. His vision darkened to a deep red with the heat sizzling in his sockets. Charlie was in there somewhere.
The back door suddenly opened and Charlie stepped out onto the porch. The beast could feel his teeth extending to the point he could no longer close his mouth.
He could almost smell her sweet scent from where he stood. He inched closer, watching her every move as she trailed over to the screen to stare out at the water beyond.
It would be so easy to cross the swamp, rip the screen door off the hinges, and end her life as Mauve insisted he do. But the part of the beast that remained Kash didn’t want to end her; in fact, every protective instinct he had screamed for him to protect her.
Angry with himself for showing weakness, the beast shook off his unwanted thoughts and moved to enter the water. He would do what he came to do if it killed him. Charlie was somehow connected to Celia, and the longer he left her alive, the harder it would be to destroy her.
A soft sound reached his ears, stopping him in his tracks. It took him a moment to realize the sound came from Charlie, and another to notice that she was crying.
His gut tightened. He squeezed his eyes shut and concentrated on his rapid breathing; anything to block out the soft, haunting tears of the woman on that porch.
He’d never heard such heartbreak and desolation in another being before. What could have happened to cause her that kind of pain?
Unsure of how long he stood on the banks of that swamp attempting to tune out Charlie’s sniffles the beast opened his eyes to find her staring straight at him.
She leaned forward, cupped her hands around her eyes, and pressed her face against the screen.
The beast quickly backed up, fading into the darkness. He stopped inside the cover of the trees, unable to look away from that porch. For the werewolf in him had no conscience, it demanded blood; but the man inside wanted Charlie. He couldn’t prevent the snarl that ripped from his throat or the howl that followed soon after.
Charlie cried out; the fearful sound echoing throughout the swamps of the bayou. She staggered back a step before spinning on her heel and rushing inside her house. The door slammed shut behind her.
Another growl tore from the beast. He paced the banks of the swamp, his vision tunneling until he saw nothing but the door of Charlie’s porch.
He stepped into the water, crossing the murky depths of the bayou, his gaze never straying from that house.
With his feet touching the banks beyond, the beast leapt from the water, ran up the dock and gripped the handle to Charlie’s screened door. He yanked it open.
Charlie’s sweet scent invaded his senses, eliciting another howl from his salivating jaws.
A scream echoed from within, a siren’s call to the blood-thirsty Rougarou. He stormed onto the porch, taking her essence deep into his lungs before rearing back to kick the door in.
Something else floated across the beast’s senses, something unnatural and wrong. He hesitated, giving Kash the opportunity he needed to assert some control.
Kash fought his inner demon, willing the beast to heel with every ounce of strength he possessed. It was the hardest thing he’d ever done, suppressing his need, his very nature. But Charlie was in there, alone and afraid.
His vision began to clear and the claws on his hands receded. Kash ran a palm down his face to find his jaw smooth to the touch.
Taking several calming breaths, he lifted his arm and rapped on the door. “Charlie? It’s Kash.”
The door was suddenly jerked open, and a teary-eyed Charlie rushed out into his arms.
Kash hugged her tight, his hands smoothing up and down her back. “Shhhhh, it’s okay. I got you.”
He could feel her trembling as she burrowed even closer.
“There’s something out there.” A shudder passed through her frame. “It was the most horrific thing I’ve ever heard.”
Kash closed his eyes in shame. He alone was responsible for her terror. “Let’s get you back inside.”
Charlie allowed him to guide her into the living room before stepping back enough to look him in the eyes. “Did you hear it? What the hell was that thing?”
“It sounded like a wolf to me,” Kash smoothly lied.
She stared back at him for several heartbeats. “There aren’t any wolves in Louisiana.”
“I reckon there’s at least one.”
Her gaze suddenly traveled down to his bare chest, wet jeans and equally bare feet. “Why are you wet? And where are your shoes?”
“I ran out onto the dock when I heard the howl and fell in the water. I left my boots and shirt on the dock.”
She seemed to buy that explanation. “I’m just glad you’re here.” Her head tilted slightly. “Why are you here?”
“I came to apologize for earlier. We don’t normally get many out-of-towners this far in the swamps. And the ones we do get are usually hunters, poachers, and such. It’s in my nature to be suspicious.”
Charlie gifted him with a small smile which instantly sent warmth flowing through him. “Can we start over?” She extended her hand. “I’m Charlene Howard.”
Kash slid his much larger palm against hers. “Kash LeRoux.”
They gripped each other’s hands for a moment before Charlie disengaged. She gestured toward the sofa. “Have a seat and I’ll grab us a drink. Is wine okay with you?”
Kash hated wine. “Whatever you have is fine with me.”
Chapter Seven
Charlie trailed into the kitchen, grabbed a couple of glasses, and filled them with the wine Mavis had left her.
She joined Kash on the sofa and handed him his wine. “I sure am glad you showed up when you did. The house has no phone, and my cell has no service. Well, unless I go outside, and I damn sure wasn’t about to do that.”
The dreaded signs of a headache began to form at the base of her skull. She pushed the thought aside, ignoring the pain. “I’m sorry about your fall. If you’ll take those jeans off, I have a robe you can wear while they dry.”
Kash took a sip of his wine. “I don’t want to be any trouble.”
“It’s no trouble at all. Besides, if you weren’t here, I’d be cowering in a corner somewhere, terrified.”
Something flickered in his golden-colored eyes. He set his glass on the small table next to the couch and stood.
“My robe is hanging on the back of the bathroom door.” Charlie got to her feet and followed him toward the bathroom. She waited in the hall while he changed.
He emerged a couple of minutes later, handing her his wet jeans. “I really appreciate it.”
Charlie’s face heated up along with her body as she took in her robe wrapped snugly around Kash’s muscular frame. God, but the man was sexy.
What am I doing? I’ve been here all of one day and I’m already lusting after the first man I meet.
“You have three months, four at best.” Doctor Linville’s words floated through her mind, bringing with it the sad reminder of her fate. She didn’t have the luxury of companionship, or even friendship for that matter. And if Celia Battiste couldn’t help her, she soon faced a horrific death full of pain and isolation.
“Have a seat while I put these in the dryer.” She ducked her head, and rushed off toward the kitchen, hoping he hadn’t seen the sadness in her eyes.
Opening the door to the small, stackable dryer, Charlie tossed in the jeans and turned them on. She set the timer for an hour, giving herself some extra time with Kash.
Pain shot behind her eyes, nearly doubling her over. She breathed her way t
hrough it, plucking the bottle of narcotics from her purse and popping one of the pills into her mouth. After a quick drink of water to wash it down, she pasted a smile on her face and returned to the sofa.
How could a man Kash’s size, look so damn adorable wearing a pink robe? Charlie didn’t know, she only knew that he did. The material rose high enough above his knees to show off the muscular expanse of his thighs.
Charlie’s mouth went dry. She took a healthy drink of her wine. “How long have you lived out here, Kash?”
“Most of my life.”
“Most, but not all?” Charlie persisted.
Kash changed the subject. “What about you? How long have you lived in California?”
Charlie didn’t miss his intentional evasion, but decided she’d let it slide. She was living on borrowed time and wanted to enjoy every minute she had left. Where he came from honestly didn’t matter. “All my life. My grandmother was from Louisiana, so I’m sure I have relatives in the area. Only I’ve never met any of them.”
Kash raised an eyebrow. “Your family tree wasn’t what you’d hoped it to be?”
Charlie laughed. “More like, my mother never talked much about them. From what my grandmother told me once, my uncles were not the most upstanding citizens. In fact, I heard that two of them were in prison. I’m not sure what happened to the youngest.” She paused. “How about you? Are you all alone out here?”
“Other than the woman who raised me, yes.”
Giving him an innocent look, Charlie pretended she’d never heard the rumors of his upbringing. “Where are your parents?”
“Dead.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, noticing the shift in his demeanor.
He waved off her apology. “How about your parents, where are they?”
It was her turn for a shift in emotions. “My mother passed away before I became a teenager. My dad lives in Los Angeles.”
Warmth began to slide through her veins, signaling the narcotics had hit her system. She took another drink of wine, feeling more relaxed. “What do you do in Saint Malo besides fall off docks into the swamp?”
His eyes became guarded. “Where did you hear about Saint Malo?”
“From Mrs. Bickford. She’s a wealth of information.” Charlie’s gaze strayed to his full, sensual lips. She shifted on the sofa.
“I make moonshine.”
“Pardon?”
The corner of his mouth lifted. “Among other things.”
Charlie’s eyes widened. “Isn’t making moonshine, illegal?”
“Making moonshine isn’t illegal. However, selling it without a license is.”
The spark of humor in his eyes prompted her to ask, “Well, do you?”
“Sell it?”
At her nod, he admitted, “Of course I do.”
Charlie’s body had grown so relaxed, she felt her inhabitations slipping away with every second she remained in Kash’s presence.
She leaned in a bit closer. “I’d love to try moonshine.”
The golden color of Kash’s eyes seemed to darken. “It’s not for the weak.”
“I’m a hell of a lot stronger than I look. I’ve been through things most would never survive.” Was it her imagination, or was he moving in closer as well?
His breath whispered across her face. “What sort of things?”
Charlie reached up, gripped the back of his head, and pressed her lips against his. God, he smelled delicious; like soap and…man.
She felt him move, heard the sound of his glass as he set it on the table next to him. He took her own glass from her fingers, placed it next to his, and pulled her onto his lap.
Charlie threw her leg over his, shamelessly straddling him, while sucking his tongue into her mouth. She couldn’t seem to get close enough.
The hard ridge of his erection pressed against the juncture of her thighs, wringing a moan from deep within her throat. Charlie was instantly wet and more turned on than she’d ever been in her life.
Perhaps it was the wine or the narcotics in her system that had her burning up inside. She didn’t know. The only thing Charlie could be sure of was that she wanted this man; this stranger on her couch. It didn’t matter that she barely knew him. All that mattered was how he made her feel right then, this moment in time.
She would die soon, and going to her grave with regrets wasn’t something Charlie relished. She wanted to try moonshine, to lie naked in the sun, but most of all, she wanted to be loved…if for only this one night.
Chapter Eight
Kash LeRoux had never been so hard in all his life. His erection throbbed with a fierceness that put his teenage years to shame.
He could smell Charlie’s sweet essence, feel the heat of her center burning through her jeans. His hips rolled beneath her, forcing his overly sensitive shaft to glide along the cradle of her thighs.
A moan vibrated in his chest, a hungry, primal sound that matched her own. She wanted him as much as he wanted her.
Kash pushed to his feet without breaking the suction she had on his tongue. He moved around the coffee table and trailed off to Charlie’s bedroom before easing her gently to her back on the twin bed.
Her legs remained around him, her heels digging into his back as she ground against him.
She suddenly broke off the kiss, her mouth everywhere at once. Kash sensed a desperation in her that he’d never known in another.
He reared back as far as her locked legs would allow and ripped off the robe he wore.
“Hurry,” she demanded, staring up at him through glassy eyes.
“Son of a bitch!” Kash broke the hold she had on him with her legs, unbuttoned her jeans, dragged the zipper down and pulled her pants down her legs. He removed her panties next, sliding them off her feet and tossing them somewhere behind him.
He then hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his boxer briefs and tugged them down his thighs.
Fisting his engorged shaft, Kash came down over her, spread her thighs wide with his knees and pressed the head of his sex against her hot, wet opening.
“Hold onto me.” He thrust forward, slowly at first, until the wide tip of his shaft penetrated her fully.
Her slick vaginal walls gripped him, cradling him in a sheath of warmth he could get lost in.
He nudged her face aside, burying his nose against her neck as he buried himself inside her body again and again.
Kash inhaled Charlie’s essence, his eyes rolling back in his head. The sensation of his seed rushing to the surface sent nerves shooting up his back. He was going to come like an unseasoned school boy on his first date.
His entire body grew hot and his teeth shot down from his gums. Kash roared his release, his seed exploding from him in a rush of power he had no control of.
It took everything he had to fight his shift, when all he wanted was to flip Charlie over, sink his teeth into her shoulder and drive into her depths until she surrendered herself completely to him.
Once his breathing calmed, and the heat behind his eyes dissipated, Kash lowered his mouth next to Charlie’s ear. “That’s never happened to me before.” He hardened again, flexing his hips as he spoke. “But it won’t slow me. You’re going to come multiple times before this night is over.”
It suddenly dawned on him that she hadn’t made a sound in several minutes. “Charlie?”
Silence.
Kash raised up enough to gaze at her face. Her eyes were closed. “Charlie?”
The sound of her even breathing told him that she slept.
Easing from her body, Kash reached over and flipped on the lamp next to the bed. He gently shook her. “Charlie, answer me.”
He carefully lifted an eyelid, finding her unresponsive and obviously…drugged.
“Dammit,” Kash snarled, righting his boxer briefs and getting to his feet. He stormed into the bathroom to wet a washcloth before returning to Charlie’s side to clean his seed from her body.
He wondered how long she’d been men
tally present before passing out. Had she even been aware of him inside her? His jaw tightened. Kash LeRoux might do a lot of things, but taking advantage of an unconscious female was not one of them.
She’d been into him. He couldn’t have been wrong about that. The way she had kissed him, rocked her hot, wet center against him. No, he couldn’t have imagined that. Then why did he feel like such an ass?
Kash found her underwear on the floor near the foot of the bed. He gently slid them over her feet, up her legs to her hips before covering her with a blanket.
She looked so innocent lying there with her hair fanned out around her. Yet Kash knew that to be a lie as surely as he knew she was somehow mixed up with Celia Battiste. He wasn’t certain how as of yet, but he would damn sure find out.
He switched off the lamp next to her bed and strode from the room.
Sauntering to the kitchen, he grabbed his now dry jeans and pulled them on while checking the lock on her kitchen door. Assured the she’d be safe, he left the way he’d come in.
Chapter Nine
Charlie slowly came awake, blinking several times to clear her vision. She glanced at the window to find the sun shining through the wooden blinds.
With the first morning yawn, she stretched her arms and legs, noticing a slight tenderness between her thighs. Tenderness?
Flashes of memories invaded her sleep-fogged brain; images of a wine glass, Kash’s golden-colored eyes.
“Kash,” Charlie whispered aloud, moving her hand beneath the cover to slip her fingers inside her panties. She felt swollen and overly sensitive. Did I have sex with Kash?
She threw her legs over the side of the bed, spotting her jeans lying in a bunched-up pile on the floor.
Another image flashed through her mind; Kash kneeling between her open thighs, the intense pressure, the strange light in eyes. The growling in her ear…a roar…
Charlie sucked in a breath, jumping from the bed so fast, she fell to the floor in a tangle of covers.
A laugh bubbled up, and then another. Charlie grabbed her jeans and leaned back against the bed as uncontrollable emotion overtook her. She laughed about her situation while choking on the tears of bitterness that quickly followed.
Heroes Among Us: A Paranormal Romance Collection Page 13
