“Yeah.” Cooper nodded. “I’m glad, too.”
He looked back at the house, the solid structure standing firm against the wind. Nikki hadn’t argued with him when he’d told her to stay in the bedroom, which worried him further—she didn’t normally hide away from things. Though he supposed having a demon fully manifest within her had terrified her enough to listen.
“Those bastards gave us a scare,” he added, facing Nate once more.
“They should have known better.” Nate grinned, but his eyes remained guarded. “I have to admit, breaking the one guy’s neck—that’s impressive.”
Hiding his sudden unease, Cooper nodded. Nate must have sensed something, because he lowered his voice and stepped closer.
“Don’t worry,” Nate assured him. “You had every right to defend your house against them. I have a stack of paperwork detailing incidences like this going back several years. And not just here on your ranch. Nothing will come of it.”
Cooper shook his hand and nodded gratefully. “Thanks, Nate. I’m going to take Nikki out of town for a bit.” He left it as cryptic as he could, but knew his friend was curious. “Mind keeping an eye on the place? I know Harrison and the hands can take care of themselves, but I’d appreciate another pair of eyes.”
“Sure, no problem,” Nate agreed, still watching.
The other man studied him for another moment, but said no more on the matter. Cooper waited while Nate climbed into the SUV and started down the driveway. He didn’t know why he watched until the car rounded the bend in the driveway, but he did. Only when he could no longer see the SUV did Cooper turn.
Word had spread quickly once Cooper called the sheriff, and now half the ranch milled about the yard. Sylvia had called, but Cooper convinced her to stay put and enjoy the rest of her day off.
“Boss.” Sahale caught him as he came around the house. “Want me to bring Sylvia out? Have her keep an eye on Miss Nikki?”
“Thanks,” Cooper said but shook his head. “I’ll keep an eye on her. I’m taking her away for a week or so.” He looked around the ranch yard and knew there were things he needed to see to, but needed to see Nikki more. “Find Harrison and see to the door; he’s checking the ranch with some of the others who came out when they heard about the shooting. Make sure no one else has snuck onto the place.”
“I’ll see to it,” Sahale promised. He looked like he wanted to say more, probably ask about Taima’s visit. Sahale had asked several times over the last week about what had happened with Taima, but Cooper had said nothing. Now, he nodded and turned to see to the repairs.
“Good job, boss,” he added with a knowing grin.
Cooper didn’t wait to hear what his friend said to the men, but knew Sahale would take care of it.
The door banged in the wind behind him, and he made sure to latch it securely. Nikki still hadn’t emerged from the bedroom, and he hoped she still slept. He knew she hadn’t run; he may have been preoccupied by Nate and all the chaos surrounding the afternoon but knew she hadn’t left the house, let alone the ranch.
Even now, as he walked through the empty house, his boots echoing on the floor, Cooper clearly recalled the change that had come over Nikki when the demon took over her. It had been instant—the markings, the tattoos along her neck, the image of the wolf which had etched on her face and neck and even the backs of her hands.
Cooper suspected they covered her entire body.
Living on this land, he knew the Navajo’s stories, of their spirits. And demons. Cooper knew of the Anasazi and their history, violent and dark. But the wolf image wasn’t what appeared on the man Nikki’s demon killed.
Oh, there’d been markings on that man, tattoos and symbols. But the image on the other man’s face had been unidentifiable to Cooper. Nikki’s image had not been. That had been clear.
As far as he could tell, Cooper thought wolves were sacred to all the tribes in the region. He wasn’t sure if it meant anything, but he knew there was a difference between what was inside Nikki and the demon that had manifested in that man.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the talisman. He hadn’t given it to Nate, purposely had said nothing about demons or talismans or anything remotely relating to what had truly happened.
It was a rectangular piece of rough-hewed wood with symbols and looked as if it had been cut from a larger piece. Cooper couldn’t read the symbols; they didn’t look like anything he’d seen before. They were certainly nothing Navajo or Apache, but there were over twenty tribes in New Mexico alone. He didn’t know how many more came from the Southwest.
He wasn’t even certain it was Native American.
Did this talisman have anything to do with Nikki’s demon? Or had the other man worn it as protection against…what? Other demons? No, that made no sense, since he’d clearly had a demon inside him already. Why then?
Fist closing tightly over the wood, Cooper shoved it back in his pocket. More questions for them, but so few answers.
When Nikki attacked the intruder, her strength and speed had astounded him and still did. She was all gorgeous, effortless grace despite the lethalness of her movements. When she’d changed, it’d been like nothing he’d ever seen. Not in a human. In an animal, yes—lions, tigers, jaguars. Predators stalking their prey. Protecting themselves.
And him. She’d most definitely protected him.
She hadn’t been there, not completely, when the demon took over. He watched the change come over her, from Nikki to demon. It was only after she broke the drug runner’s neck, only once the danger had passed and she looked at him did he see the struggle. Nikki’s eyes changed from pure black to her normal blue, fading in and out as if her struggle continued even then.
Even in her demon state, he knew she wouldn’t hurt him. This morning she could have all too easily turned on him and killed him, and Cooper doubted he’d have been able to stop her.
But she hadn’t, and when she looked at him, she’d calmed. No, Nikki wouldn’t kill him. Now all he had to do was make her see that.
The bedroom door hung slightly ajar and he pushed it open. Nikki lay under the blanket, one arm thrown over his side of the bed, her fingers curled into the bedding as if she’d searched for him. Her clothes lay in a heap on the floor, and he knew that she’d stripped and had fallen straight into bed.
Closing the door behind him, Cooper shucked off his shoes and socks, and sat on the bed beside Nikki. She instantly stirred and looked up at him, her eyes a clear blue. Despite the hours of sleep she’d had, or he hoped she’d managed, she still looked tired and drained. Her hand snaked out from the bedding and grasped his.
“I don’t know what happened,” she said softly, her voice groggy. He heard her fear, loud in the quiet of the room. “It just overtook me.”
Nikki struggled to turn over and sit up, the blankets tangling around her waist, but she didn’t seem to care. Cooper held her hand tightly, feeling as if he anchored her here. He had no way of knowing how true that was, but didn’t want to let her go. Her cold fingers twined with his, and he saw her shiver as the blankets fell from her naked body.
“I’m sorry,” she said, searching his face for any reaction. “I sensed the threat one moment. And then…” She trailed off and shook her head. Her voice grew thinner as she tried to tell him what happened. “And then I was lost to this madness. I’m sorry.”
Shifting on the bed so he could hold her, Cooper gathered her close and kissed her. Settling against the headboard, he brought her with him and tightened his arms around her. “Don’t be sorry.”
“How can I not be?” Nikki demanded, pulling back and out of his embrace. “I could have killed you!”
“No,” he said slowly, putting into words what he’d suspected since Nikki had lost control of the demon. “No, I don’t think so.”
Nikki’s eyes clouded with confusion, and she looked at him as if he were the one to suddenly manifest a demon. Cooper watched her open her mouth, only to close it again. A
t least confusion was better than fear.
“You recognized me, Nikki,” Cooper continued.
“What do you mean?” she demanded, but didn’t pull further from him. The fear had completely gone now, too.
“When you looked at me,” Cooper said, seeing it all again. He felt it all again, but now, with the immediate fear gone, he looked at what had happened logically. As logically as talking to one’s lover about the demon currently residing in her could be. “Your eyes weren’t black, not completely. You saw me. You—the demon, both of you—saw me. Me. Not a threat. When I reached out to you.”
The play of emotions on her face ranged from incredulousness to grateful then, very slowly, to acceptance. Nikki nodded, a small, mute nod that encouraged him to continue.
“You did,” he confirmed her unspoken question. “And I’m confident the demon won’t hurt me. You’re stronger than it.”
“I’ve tried to control this thing,” she admitted.
And she looked at him again, and he saw understanding and agreement in her gaze. She didn’t voice it, however. He didn’t lie to her and she must have sensed that, for she leaned back against him and rested her head on his chest. Her skin felt cool beneath his hand, and he caressed her until it heated, until he heard her sigh of contentment.
“But I’d never been sure I could, I’d be able to. Everything gets so…confused.” She shook her head, but didn’t move from his embrace.
“Maybe that’s why they keep coming after you,” he said. “Maybe they want to know why you can function with this thing in you.”
“I don’t think so, Cooper.” Nikki pulled back just enough this time to look at him. “I think they just want me dead.”
“No.” He knew he was right. “Nate—Sheriff Hickland—said one of the guys carried a tranq gun. One of his men found ropes and duct tape in the trunk; he said he thought it was to kidnap me, scare me into giving access through my lands.”
“And you think it wasn’t about that.” It was a statement, not a question, but Cooper nodded in agreement anyway.
Cooper almost wished he hadn’t told her his theory, because she scooted across the bed before he could stop her.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered again, her voice filled with anguish and her eyes wide with horror—not in fear, but torment. “I can’t believe how much I brought to your doorstep.”
Reaching across the bed, Cooper hauled her to him. He knew his look was fierce, determined, but didn’t care. He only cared about making sure she knew how much he meant his next words. “My only regret is that it wasn’t sooner.”
Nikki chuckled and shook her head, her expression clear as she looked up at him. Incredulousness, yes, but also that tenderness she often showed when they were alone. And even gratitude. Cooper didn’t want her gratitude; he wanted her and he wanted her safe. He had to find a way to make her believe that.
One step at a time.
Nikki’s smile softened, and her hand reached out to cup his cheek. Without another word, she leaned up to kiss him.
Chapter Ten
“I’m not unselfish in this,” Cooper warned her.
He could see the understanding in her eyes, feel it in her body as she shuddered beneath his hands. Nikki whispered his name, her voice husky in the charged feeling of the room. He knew her, and knew she was already wet for him.
Her hips pressed to his, and Cooper groaned at the feel. He wanted her, wanted to feel her heat close around him, wanted to bury himself in her. Wanted to hear her scream his name as he pounded into her.
And most certainly didn’t want to see gratitude in her sharp blue gaze.
He wanted to rid her of the uncertainty that haunted her, that followed her from place to place. He wanted to give Nikki a life on Agua Clara with him, to offer her a measure of peace from the demon that clawed within.
He didn’t want her to be alone with fear and insecurity continually plaguing her; he wanted to keep her safe. No more demon, no more being hunted.
Laying her on the bed, Cooper showed her how much he loved her, how much he feared for her. When he kissed her, it was hard, and if it was tinged with that fear, he couldn’t help it.
The demon didn’t terrify him—losing her did.
So he kissed her hard, branding her mouth as surely as he wanted to brand her soul. He’d never before considered himself an unyielding lover, but with Nikki he didn’t want to share her with anyone.
Not even her demon.
Nipping down her neck, he knew he left marks and didn’t care. Her skin tasted fresh, her arousal a sharpness that made him shudder to have her. Nikki’s hands gripped his shirt, tugging it over his head. Her legs wrapped around his hips, pulling him closer.
Soft and tender went right out the window. In its place need pulsed within him, a pounding beat that drove him. His restraint snapped.
Nikki’s nails ran down his back, bunched up his shirt, and pressed against his skin. Her mouth sought his, her body arching into his. No, he didn’t want slow, but Cooper didn’t let her control their lovemaking. Not this time. He needed this, needed to show her—to prove to himself she was alive and in his arms.
Kissing down her neck, he bit gently at the hollow of her shoulder. Nikki shuddered and moaned his name, her nails biting into his skin. The slight pain spurred him on, and he continued his homage to her body. He pressed small kisses over the swell of her breast, swirling his tongue around her already-hard nipple.
Her hands tangled in his hair, fingers pressed to his scalp. He took one nipple into his mouth and bit down hard, and Nikki cried out. Twining his fingers with Nikki’s, he tugged her arms high over her head.
She breathed heavily, her naked body stretched before him. Her eyes were half closed, watching him. With her spread out before him, Cooper took a long moment to look at her. Holding her wrists in one hand, he trailed the other down her body. Over the swell of her breasts, the curve of her belly.
It wasn’t hard for him to see his future with her, but he bit back the words. He didn’t want to scare her, not when she’d come so far in trusting him. In accepting his help. In opening up to him and not just in bed, but with her problems and past. With her heart.
Nikki watched him silently. She didn’t move or try to cover herself, and when he released his hold on her wrists, she held onto the headboard. Cooper sat back on his heels to gaze at his lovely woman, a pale temptation of wicked need.
Cooper quickly undressed, his eyes riveted to Nikki as she watched him. Her gaze caressed him as he wanted her hands to, but she didn’t comment. Simply watched. When she licked her lips, her eyes on his cock, Cooper scrambled for his control.
Then she moved one hand, a single finger tracing her nipple, nail scraping over the peak, down her belly to her core. Arousal pounded through him, blocking out every thought but Nikki, every sight but of her body open for his, every scent but of her arousal.
His smile was wicked, knowing as he watched her.
“Enjoying it?” he asked.
“I enjoy you more,” she said, her voice low and breathless.
Cooper caught her hand before the finger could slip into her and knelt between her legs. Raising her hand back to the headboard, he kissed her. Slow and thorough, he tasted every secret and every moan.
Nikki’s breath caught with a sigh of his name when his hands cupped her hips, a gasp of “More” when he knelt before her. Over her body, he watched her and smiled when she tossed her head, opening her legs wider. Her fingers tightened around the slats of the headboard, and Cooper knew she hovered on the brink of orgasm.
Slowly kissing up her inner thigh, Cooper slipped a finger into her wetness. Nikki gasped, arched off the bed. But she didn’t beg, and he almost chuckled at her restraint.
His was nearly out the window. He wanted her so badly, to bury himself in her wet heat, to feel her tighten around him, to lose himself in her.
Pressing soft kisses to her wetness, Cooper breathed her in. A whimper escaped Nikki and she tri
ed to tighten her thighs around him, but he held her legs tight. Opening her, he slid his tongue inside her; Nikki whimpered again, and he swirled his tongue around, teeth finding her clit and scraping across the sensitive nub.
“Cooper,” she panted. “Cooper, Cooper.” His name fell from her lips, and then he closed his mouth over her clit again; she cried out, her thighs tightening around him, back arching off the bed.
“God, you’re beautiful.” He hadn’t meant to say the words out loud, wasn’t certain he really had, but Nikki in the throes of orgasm was almost as beautiful as Nikki smiling up at him in his arms as they woke.
She grinned and gave a soft chuckle, opening her eyes and releasing the headboard. She sat up and knelt before him, and Cooper allowed himself to be pulled against her. Her fingers combed through his hair, pressed against his shoulders, and held him tight, and she kissed him.
She’d claimed him with her first kiss, and this one only deepened his love for her.
Her warm body molded to his, drawing him in. Nikki moved against him, teasing his already pulsing cock, but she didn’t seem to care. Or maybe she did, moving against him as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
His fingers dug into her hips, and he lowered them to the bed. Cooper pulled back just enough to watch her, to see her when he entered her. He entered her hard. Nikki cried his name again, her body vibrating as pleasure engulfed her.
He moved hard and fast as he thrust into her, driving her up again. Her body coiled around his, her arms holding him tight. Cooper could feel her body tense, knew she hovered on the edge of another orgasm. He lifted her legs over his shoulders, opening her wide to him. Nikki gasped, shuddered, strained for more. Cooper watched her, knew only her. He wanted to see her shatter as she came.
Her teeth sank into his shoulder and he growled, thrusting harder and faster. Her fingers dug into his arms, heels pressing hard against his back, urging him faster and harder and—
“Cooper!” Nikki cried as she came against him.
His mouth crashed onto hers, and he felt her come apart beneath him. His control snapped with erratic movements as he thrust harder. His head back and body against Nikki’s, Cooper’s climax tore through him, taking everything he was and emptying it into Nikki.
Cursed Love: A Wicked Demon Tale Page 8
