by Bethany Shaw
Vincent knelt back on the bed, his emerald eyes raking over her body. “You’re beautiful.”
Sarah smiled as he situated himself between her legs. His lips found hers again and she kissed him back with fervor. The tip of his cock pushed against her entrance and she lifted her hips in frustration, eager to feel him inside of her. Her body hummed with excitement in a way it never had before and she cupped his ass in an effort to pull him down.
Finally, he sank into her, inch by agonizing inch, creating the most delicious friction. Sarah moaned, rolling her hips with his as they set their own steady pace. They fit together perfectly and, God, he was hitting just the right spot. His fingers fisted in her hair, his tongue explored her mouth as one of his hands palmed her breast. It was too much. Her body tightened and she felt that familiar pull already starting to build within her.
Vincent cradled her against him, his embrace safe and inviting. But she needed more. He nipped at her lips and trailed kisses down her neck and shoulder and then took one of her sensitive peaks into his mouth. She arched into him, her body coming to life. All her worries, fear, and guilt fled her mind. The only thing that mattered—that existed—was the two of them in this perfect moment.
One more thrust and he sent her careering over the edge. White burst behind her eyes as her body exploded around his member. Vincent groaned and stiffened above her. They lay together unmoving and breathless. Their slick bodies bonded together as they tried to regain control of their breathing.
Vincent gave her a tender kiss on the lips and she sighed against him sleepily. He rolled off of her and a moment later drew her into his chest, spooning her. She was sated and happy. A smile spread over her face; how long had it been since she’d felt that way?
***
Sarah blinked her eyes open. Sunlight streamed in through the curtains and she squinted in an attempt to block out the offensive bright light. Vincent’s arm lay nestled over her, his chest pressed firmly against her back. She closed her eyes with a sigh. If she wasn’t careful, this thing with Vincent could get complicated—and serious. She didn’t want that. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be with him again—she did. But she wasn’t sure if last night was just a one-time thing and she realized now that was not what she wanted.
A tremble rumbled through her at the thought of him inside her again. Last night had been incredible. They’d made love two more times after their explosive first time—her body was sore in all the right places. Nevertheless, they were just friends, and friends definitely did not spoon each other.
Carefully, she lifted Vincent’s arm and rolled away from him, then set his arm carefully back on the bed. She picked up her discarded clothes and tiptoed out of the room.
Once out, she sprinted to Emily’s bedroom and quietly shut the door, letting out a long breath. There, now there will not be an awkward morning after.
They were friends and she didn’t want anything more from him. No, that was wrong; it wasn’t that she didn’t want more, it was she couldn’t give him more. She seemed to be poison. Everyone close to her was dead, except Lark. Hell, for all she knew, her sister could be dead, too.
Sarah swallowed hard at the thought and shook it away. Everyone around her died: her parents, Rick, Preston. She couldn’t open her heart to anyone else. She couldn’t let her heart fall in love. She hadn’t been able to love Preston and he paid the ultimate price. Guilt raced through her and tears burned her eyes.
If she’d accepted his proposal, he’d still be alive because Gene would never have sent him away if she and Preston were engaged. It was a respect the pack had for the couple. Her best friend would still be here—not six feet under—if she’d only said yes. Her eyes were flooded with tears and she clutched the ball of clothes tighter against her. Why couldn’t I love him enough?
A raw sob tore free from her throat and she shoved her fist in her mouth to keep quiet. The last thing she wanted was for Vincent to wake up and find her having a mental breakdown. Vincent! What in the world was she going to do about him? It was supposed to be just sex, but who was she kidding, it was more. Their coupling had been intense and frantic, but overwhelming and wonderful in a way she’d never experienced before. Ugh! I am so screwed. What is wrong with me? I need to get it together.
She closed her eyes and breathed in and out evenly. She needed to turn it off again—to stop feeling so much. After a long moment, she opened her eyes, feeling calmer. Determined, she pushed off the door and went to the dresser to find something fresh to wear for the day.
***
Vincent groaned as the bright white of the sun shone into his eyes. His arm reached out across the cool sheets in search of Sarah, but when he couldn’t find her, he peeked his eyes open. She’s not here. She left. But when and why? Does she regret what happened? Had it really only been about sex for her? The mere thought of it the more depressed he became.
His heart clenched in his chest and he rolled to his back, resting his forearm on his brow. He couldn’t help but wonder if all the girls he’d ditched had awoken with the same sinking, lonely feeling he had right now. If so, he was truly sorry.
He recalled her words from last night. She’d insisted they were just friends and sex changed nothing. Maybe for her it hadn’t, but for him, well, he didn’t know what he was feeling at the moment. But he did wish she were still in bed with him. At least then he could get a feel for what she was thinking.
Sarah was dealing with her own demons, as was he. The last thing he wanted to do was make things uncomfortable between them. For now, he would play it by ear and follow her lead. It unnerved him that he reacted to Sarah like this. It was the first time and it scared him.
Regardless, he needed to pull himself together, which meant satisfying his basic needs. Hunger gnawed at his stomach, so he climbed out of bed to search for food. Throwing on the first clean outfit he could find, he exited his room.
Emily’s bedroom was shut and the sound of water hitting glass told him Sarah was showering. His eyes drifted to the banister where the journal still rested. He picked it up as he walked passed and carried it downstairs with him.
A quick rummage through the cupboards told him the only thing edible was the pizza in the fridge. Everything else required milk or eggs, or something else that they would have to buy if they planned to stay for any length of time. He put a slice of pizza in the microwave, saving the last piece for Sarah, and hopped up on the counter to look over the journal.
He set the piece of paper with contacts aside and thumbed through the contents of the journal in search of hard evidence. His name caught his eye and he hesitated. A part of him wanted to read the passage, but the other part knew he would only regret it.
Curiosity won out, and he inhaled deeply as he opened the journal to the page.
Vincent continues to defy everything I say. It’s almost as if he does it out of spite. I suspect this is Devon’s doing. That boy has been a thorn in my side since I took Claire as my mate. If only I hadn’t promised her I wouldn’t hurt him, I could rid the pack of his insolence. I digress.
Vincent has so much promise. He is as smart and agile as Daniel, perhaps even more so. That boy is cunning and wise like an Alpha. He thinks on his feet. But his biggest downfall is his personality. Nothing is ever serious for him. He’d rather laugh or tell a joke than plan out his future. Such wasted opportunity.
Vincent slammed the book shut with a growl. He didn’t know what he’d been expecting, but clearly reading the excerpt wasn’t his brightest idea. Is it too much to ask to have one word of encouragement from my father?
“Everything okay?” Sarah asked from the doorway.
Vincent snapped his head up, shaming himself for not hearing her approach. His eyes widened as he took her in. Her long hair fell in soft waves around her face. She wore a lean burgundy tank and jeans that fit her perfectly in all the right places.
Sarah cleared her throat and he blinked his eyes, remembering she’d asked him a question. “Yeah
. Just some light morning reading.” He deposited the journal on the counter and jumped down, retrieving his pizza from the microwave. “I saved you a slice. There isn’t really much of anything else. We should plan a trip to the store to pick up a few necessitates.”
“Thanks.” Sarah opened up the box and took a bite out of the cold pizza.
“You’re not going to heat that?”
She shrugged. “It’s good cold.”
Vincent crinkled his nose in disgust. Hot food should be hot. “We’ll agree to disagree.”
Sarah chuckled as she came toward him. Her arm brushing against his as she lifted up the book. “May I?”
“Please,” he grumbled. “My dad is just as conniving on paper as he was in person.”
Her hand paused as she flitted over the pages. “You know he’s an ass right? Whatever twisted sense of reality he had in his warped mind was so incredibly wrong.” She looked up, meeting his gaze. “It’s his loss for not being able to appreciate the man that you are.”
Vincent swallowed and closed his eyes. A part of him had foolishly wished his father had put some kind words in there about him. But that was too much to ask. Emmett’s vile words were the truth, and nothing would change that.
“I think I found something,” Sarah mumbled, drawing him from his thoughts. “It’s one of the last entries. Listen to this.”
Sarah cleared her throat. “It sickens me to think of what they are going to do to my little girl. It would be easier to send her off if she were to be mated to one man, but to be used as a breeder...that is disgraceful. I do understand the future of not only my pack, but also werewolves in general, depend on females being able to mate, but this is ludicrous. However, I don’t have any other choice. I have seen and been warned about defying Fernando Juarez. And, unfortunately, I do not have the means to make a stand as much as I would like to.
“I have spoken to my friend Charles Luna in New Mexico. He is Fernando’s right-hand man, but also a close friend of mine. Together, we are going to work to overthrow Fernando. After that, Emily will have only one mate and be treated humanely. I just pray she can hold out until then...”
Sarah trailed off, and Vincent watched as her brow furrowed and dipped down into a scowl.
“What else does it say?” Vincent asked.
Sarah sighed loudly and slammed the journal closed. “He was writing about how he would have to eliminate Marcus.”
“Figures,” Vincent snapped.
“Hey,” Sarah whispered, reaching out to touch his shoulder. Vincent met her eyes. “At least we have what we need now.” She held up the book for him to see.
He nodded and took the journal from her, setting it on the counter. He’d be happy if he never had to look at that stupid thing again.
Sarah leaned in and pulled him into a hug, resting her cheek against his chest. Vincent closed his eyes, thankful to have her comfort. It helped to erase the horrible words written by his father. He needed to focus on the positive. Sarah was right. They did have what they needed. Now, they just needed to contact Malakai and convince him.
Chapter Twelve
Vincent shifted the gears, stretching the BMW’s legs as they sped down the empty back road. He’d always wanted to take the convertible for a spin and now it was all his.
Sarah sat beside him, lounging lazily in the gray leather seat. The wind whipped her hair, filling the car with her scent. If he inhaled hard enough, he could still smell himself on her.
Vincent gripped the wheel tighter and shifted in his seat, as his pants grew uncomfortably tight. A few romps in the sack usually sated him, but with Sarah, he only wanted more.
“So, what’s our plan?” Sarah asked, gathering her loose locks in her hand and turning to him.
Vincent took a moment to harness his thoughts into a more productive line of thinking. “We need to be in control when we call Malakai. Which means we’ll need to pick the location to meet and come up with acceptable negotiation terms before the meeting. But before we do anything, we’re getting some real breakfast.”
“Wait! We are going to him?” Sarah asked, twisting to look at him.
“I guarantee he’ll want to see the evidence. Charles Luna was Fernando’s right-hand man. We can’t expect him to just take our word for it. Don’t worry, I plan on meeting someplace very public in broad daylight,” Vincent assured.
Sarah nodded, but her eyes remained wide with fear.
“Hey.” He grasped her hand. “I’m not going anywhere and I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
She relaxed slightly, her fingers wrapping around his. “What about Talia?” she asked suddenly after a long moment.
“What about her?”
Sarah cleared her throat. “I overheard Gene and Talia when I was in Preston’s room-”
“Kinky,” he teased, trying to keep the mood light. But he couldn’t quite keep the slight edge out of his voice. He again found himself questioning her relationship with Preston as well as their own relationship.
“Not like that,” Sarah laughed. “Get your mind out of the gutter. I heard them talking,” she clarified. “Talia killed Luis, Malakai’s dad. They might be crazy, but family is important to them. Malakai wants revenge. I can almost guarantee he is going to request we give him Natalia.”
“We’re not giving up Talia,” he asserted. There was no way he would even consider it. Subjecting a woman to that life would be a punishment worse than death.
“I’m not saying we should,” Sarah recovered quickly. “But he is going to want her. It is going to come up in the conversation.”
“So, what are you saying then?” Vincent drawled slowly. Where was she going with this?
“That maybe we should talk to Talia. She was willing to risk herself to take out Fernando before. She might do it again,” Sarah explained.
“And ask her to keep our secret from Gene?” He might not be an expert on relationships, but he did know secrets were a huge no-no.
“And if she does tell Gene, he’s too close to both Devon and Lark to keep it from them,” Sarah sighed. “I would love to talk to Lark, but we’re planning to walk into the lion’s den. I don’t want her to lose me twice.” Her voice broke and she used her free hand to quickly dab at her eyes.
Vincent could tell by her quick movements she didn’t want him to know she was upset. The whole situation was hard on both of them, but he knew she needed comfort. He squeezed her hand in an attempt to support her.
“I know I have a huge hole in my heart already from Rick and Preston, not to mention my parents. I can’t begin to imagine how Lark feels thinking I’m gone, too. It would be wrong to give her hope and have it ripped away if something happens. And I can’t put her in the line of fire either. They’ll come if we tell them. Maybe I’m selfish, but I can’t have anyone else’s death on my conscience.”
“No one is going to die,” Vincent promised.
He pulled the car into the parking lot and pulled into a spot. “Let’s get some breakfast and we’ll get this sorted. I always think better on a full stomach.
“Okay,” Sarah agreed.
Vincent grinned as their gazes met. So many emotions brewed in her shimmering, dark eyes, but he couldn’t even begin to guess what they were.
He could see her point about keeping everyone in the dark; it would even be easier to execute the meeting with Malakai it fewer people were involved. On the other hand, it would be nice to have the full support of the pack. But now wasn’t the time to think about that, considering he was too hungry to think properly.
His stomach growled loudly in agreement. They would have to finish this conversation after he’d eaten. A full stomach really did help him think.
***
Sarah rested her chin on her palm as she slumped forward onto the diner’s table. She’d finished her waffles and bacon a while ago, but Vincent showed no sign of stopping. She knew that werewolves ate a lot, but seriously, where was he putting it all?
His b
ody was in prime condition. She’d felt his muscles beneath her fingertips last night—had seen his washboard abs and sculpted chest up close and personal. She shuddered as she remembered the way he’d felt pressed up against her.
A familiar ache thrummed in her core causing her to press her thighs together. If she didn’t reign in her thoughts, he was going to be able to smell the shift in her mood.
“You know,” she started, “I think you’re the reason they stopped the all-you-can-eat pancakes at the diner back home.”
“What? This is only my fifth plate,” Vincent said, confused.
Sarah laughed and shook her head. “There are three huge pancakes on each plate. That’s fifteen pancakes, Vincent.”
“Glad to see you can multiply,” Vincent teased. “I’m almost done.”
“No,” she waved her hand. “Eat. They shouldn’t have an all-you-can-eat menu option if they don’t expect people to do just that.”
Vincent took the last syrupy bite and used the napkin to wipe his face. “You know, the waitress and cook have a bet on whether I’ll order another plate or not.”
“And what do you intend to do?” Sarah asked, raising her eyebrow, curiously. He can’t possibly eat more, can he?
“No more for me. I’m stuffed.” He patted his belly appreciatively as he gave her a lopsided grin.
Her eyes drifted down to his stomach. His red shirt covered him, but she bit her lip as she got another flash of his shirtless form in her mind. She really needed to stop thinking about him like that. Last night had been great, but he hadn’t brought it up and neither had she. She was slightly confused about where they stood. Of course, it was mostly her fault. After all, she’d fled the room before he woke up.
This friends-with-benefits thing could work for them. She just had to be careful not to get too close. That could be a challenge, but she was sure she could do it.
