Sitting up straighter in her seat, she took a calming breath, straightened her clothes, and then casually glanced across the street. Darn! He was still inside and she’d wanted one more peek… No! Stop that. He was the next best thing to an interviewee, and getting involved was never a good idea. It skewed your perception of what the person told you during the interview. Besides, Taylor was involved with Lucy and Mel didn’t poach on another woman’s territory.
A little voice felt it was important to point out that the waitress had left Mel with the impression that the two had a rather loose relationship; it seemed more a ‘friends with benefits’ type of thing… Mel pulled a face. It didn’t matter either way. Sure, the man was good looking—sort of a sexy, bad-ass kind of a guy—but she didn’t really know him, and the little bit of conversation they’d had, hadn’t been that cordial. Lucy was welcome to him… wasn’t she? But if that was the case, then why did the idea of him being with the waitress, irk her? She realized that she was scowling and determinedly cleared her expression.
Figuratively throwing her hands up in despair over her own confusing thoughts, Mel drained her cup and checked the time. She was surprised to find that it was eleven-thirty. The diner was starting to fill with the luncheon crowd and, since she wasn’t really hungry, she probably should go, so there would be room for other customers.
Getting to her feet, she picked up her purse and stepped outside. It was another beautiful spring day, and having nothing better to do with her time, Mel decided to go for a walk. The main street was only two blocks long, but there were a few side streets as well. With a smile, she set off to explore the little town.
Forty-five minutes later, she found herself standing in front of Miller’s Service Station having discovered almost all of what the little town had to offer. Now, she faced the same dilemma with which she’d started the day; did she go in and talk to Taylor or leave him alone? Nibbling her lip, she weighed the pros and cons of each course of action.
“Adding ‘stalker’ to your list of crimes now?”
The sound of a deep, male voice speaking behind her had Mel giving a little scream and turning quickly. Unfortunately, she lost her balance and started to fall backwards, tipping off the curb and stumbling onto the street. Simultaneously, several things happened. A horn blared, Ryne grabbed her, pulling her flush against his body and a truck whizzed by.
It had happened so quickly, all she could do was gape up at him.
“Suicidal, too?” Ryne was staring down at her, his expression somewhere between anger and exasperation.
Mel was mesmerized by the intense blue of his eyes and only slowly became aware of the way their bodies fit together. Her mouth was level with his throat, her hands pressed to his chest and his hips snugly cradled her stomach. She could see his throat move as he swallowed, feel the strong beating of his heart, and smell the very male scent of him wrapping itself around her. Unthinkingly, she allowed her fingers to spread out over the hard planes of his chest, while her gaze focused on his lips. They were firm, the lower one slightly fuller and curved into a… a smirk?
Suddenly recognizing the situation she was in, Melody looked him in the eye. He was laughing at her—oh, not out loud—but she could tell from his expression, he was laughing at her. She struggled to step away, but he merely locked his arms more tightly around her.
“Let me go!”
“That’s all you ever say to me.” He sighed and pretended to pout.
“That’s because you’re always grabbing me!”
“And you’d rather I let you fall into the street, right into the path of a delivery van?” Ryne tilted his head questioningly.
Mel stopped struggling as the gravity of what almost happened hit her. “No. I suppose I should thank you.”
Ryne nodded and looked at her expectantly.
“What?” Mel frowned and then realized what he wanted. She huffed, still thoroughly put out by the man, even if he did save her life. “Okay. Fine. Thank you, Ryne Taylor, for pulling me to safety. Now let me go.”
“Is that all?”
“All?”
“Just a thank you? Saving your life surely deserves something more… personal… tangible… than a mere ‘thank you.’ Actions speak louder than words, you know.” He winked at her and then grinned evilly.
Mel closed her eyes and counted to ten, knowing exactly what he wanted. All right. She’d kiss him and then, if he didn’t let her go, she’d knee him in the groin. Opening her eyes, she stood on tiptoe and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. At least it was supposed to be a chaste kiss. No sooner had their lips touched than Ryne immediately took control.
Using one of his hands to cradle the back of her head, he angled their mouths, pressing his lips to hers, stroking the seam of her lips with his tongue. Of its own volition, her mouth opened in response to his implied request. His tongue skimmed the smooth inner surface of her lower lip before venturing deeper. Words couldn’t even begin to describe the sensations that coursed through her. Mel’s entire body tingled and she pressed herself closer, wanting even more contact with him. A moan escaped her, desire starting to uncurl within. She was trying to work her hands free in order to pull him closer, when suddenly she found herself standing a foot away.
She blinked in surprise. “What?”
Ryne smirked, seemingly cool, and unaffected by their encounter. “Okay, so you’re a trespasser, a stalker, have suicidal tendencies, and you’re a sex maniac.”
“Sex maniac!”
He nodded. “You’re the one that kissed me.”
“But you said… ” Mel sputtered, unable to finish the sentence, she was so enraged.
“I said something tangible would be nice to go with the thank you. It could have been a cup of coffee or a handshake. You just assumed it was a kiss.”
Mel narrowed her eyes and glared.
“You also disturbed the peace this morning.” He folded his arms and gave her a look that was reminiscent of the one given her by the police last time she’d been caught speeding. “That was your horn, wasn’t it?”
“Ooh!” Not even realizing what she was doing, Mel stamped her foot in frustration and Ryne burst out laughing. She gave him an ‘I wish you would drop dead’ look and turned to leave only to find herself jerked back when he grabbed her arm.
“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?” He’d stopped laughing, but was still smiling.
Mel tugged on her arm and spoke through clenched teeth. “I’m leaving before I do something I’ll regret.”
“Really? So you don’t regret anything you’ve done up to this point, like trespassing, or stalking me, or kissing me?”
It took Mel a moment to figure out that he was implying she’d enjoyed kissing him. For a brief second, she considered denying it, but figured he’d somehow or other twist that around, too. Instead she switched to one of his other accusations. “I’m not stalking you.”
“No? You scaled my gate on Saturday. You parked outside my place on Sunday—my friend, Bryan, told me about that one—and today you’ve sat in the diner across from where I work and watched every move I made. Sorry, honey. That’s stalking.”
“I was not watching every move you made.”
“Correction. You couldn’t see inside the building but every time I stepped out, I could feel you watching me.”
“You were only out once.” Mel folded her arms and affected a pout, staring blindly at the building behind him, rather than looking at his irritating—but oh so handsome—face. After a brief moment she winced, realizing she’d just given herself away. If she hadn’t been watching him, how would she have known he only came out once? Damn! If he was paying attention—and she was sure he was—he’d have the goods on her!
“Stalker.” He taunted back. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. His hands were casually tucked in his back pockets and he had a look of infinite patience on his face, as if he’d wait forever until she conceded.
Mel exhaled gustily and ran
her hands through her hair, pushing it away from her warm face; their verbal sparring was causing her to feel hot and flushed. “All right. I was sort of… stalking you.”
Ryne grinned happily. “See? That wasn’t so hard to admit. You know, I’ve never had a stalker before.”
“Really?” She was surprised that someone with his amazingly good looks had never been followed around by a woman.
“Nope.” He headed inside the service station and she hurried after him, intrigued. “Most women take one look at me and just openly throw themselves at my feet.”
Mel snorted and rolled her eyes. “Not conceited much, are you?”
Now inside the building, Ryne turned to face her, leaning against a workbench. “I prefer to call it having a healthy self-esteem.” When she raised an eyebrow at him, he just laughed. “So, Melody Greene, aka stalker girl, I hear you want to interview me.” He suddenly looked serious and it took Mel a moment to switch gears and organize her thoughts.
“Um… yeah… I mean, yes… Yes, of course. I do want to interview you.”
“Why?”
The coldness of his eyes sent a shiver down her spine and Mel had to wonder where the man she’d just been talking to had gone. Eyes that cold could belong to a murderer. Maybe he was responsible for that missing sales clerk! No, she’d already decided that wasn’t a plausible theory. Still feeling a bit nervous, she licked her lips and gave a carefully worded answer. “Well, I’m trying to write a paper on up and coming artists and I’ve seen some of your work and thought it was good. Really good.”
Ryne didn’t say anything. He just gave her a considering look, as if trying to decide whether or not he believed her. Abruptly he stood up, his movement bringing him into her personal space. She stepped back and swallowed. Something about him seemed threatening, over-powering, and she found herself staring at the ground, unable to meet his eyes. What sounded like a rather satisfied rumble came from his chest and she dared to glance up at him. He was still staring at her, but it wasn’t so scary now. It was more a look of interest, as if he found her puzzling, but fascinating. Mel swallowed and cleared her throat.
“I… I think the interview would be beneficial to your career.”
“You’ll need to convince me of that.”
“Well—”
He interrupted, reaching around her to grab his coat, which was on a hook beside her. Mel jumped back as his arm brushed against her breast and electrical waves went through her. Ryne didn’t seem to notice and talked as if there’d been no contact between them. “I’m done here; I only work until noon on Mondays. Meet me for supper at The Broken Antler at six-thirty. You can convince me then.”
His sudden change of topic, once again had Mel floundering. She hurried after him as he walked out of the building. “The Broken Antler?”
“Uh-huh. It’s the bar next door. They have great burgers, hotdogs, chilli, chicken fingers—that sort of stuff.”
Not sure what else to do, but agree, Mel nodded. “All right. Six thirty.”
Ryne didn’t respond. He simply walked away, got in a black pickup truck, and drove away.
Chapter 12
Ryne headed for home, mulling about his encounter with Melody Greene. He hadn’t meant to approach her—to interact as he had—but seeing her standing just yards away, he suddenly found himself walking towards her and starting a conversation. Damn his inner wolf!
She was a funny little thing, and not about to back down from him either. Chuckling, he thought of how easy it was to tease her. Mind you, she’d held her own, dishing out some good comebacks. Sparring with her was fun, invigorating even. He liked a woman who kept him on his toes and she certainly did that. There was a fire within her, as well. A grin spread across his face as he recalled how her cheeks turned pink and her brown eyes flashed with temper.
On some level, she appealed to him physically as well. He’d sensed his wolf humming in approval when he’d carried her from his house the other day and then today, when she’d kissed him… Ryne recalled the feel of her lush breasts pressed against him, her hot mouth moving under his, her soft sighs tickling his ears—thank heavens he’d had enough sense to break it off when he had. For a moment during the kiss, the memories of pleasuring her while she slept had taken over and he’d been tempted to continue where he’d left off. It was a good thing he’d pushed her away before she noticed his arousal. Ryne shifted uncomfortably in his seat, the path his mind was following still having an effect on him. Seeking to quell his growing erection, he turned his thoughts to less pleasant matters.
The girl claimed she wanted to interview him because she’d liked his work as a photographer, but he’d sensed some deception on her part. Between werewolves, lies were hard to detect, but humans were less adept at hiding their true selves. The dilation of her pupils, the tilt of her head, a certain quality of voice and breathing patterns, all led him to believe that Ms. Greene had told him a part truth, but not the whole truth. How had she tracked him down? What was she hiding? What was her real agenda?
He stopped the truck as he reached the gated edge of his territory. Climbing out, he dealt with the lock, drove the truck through, and then secured the gate again, pausing for a moment to enjoy the scenery. Tall pines rose up on either side of the driveway, acting like sentinels that guarded the privacy of his home. Unlike much of the surrounding area, this forest was untouched and unharvested. Decaying logs, the remains of ancient trees, were scattered on the ground in amongst young saplings and strong maturing conifers. Patches of snow were still visible but Ryne knew in another month ferns, wild flowers and other forms of natural vegetation would carpet the forest floor. Already, signs of animal life were increasing as the temperatures warmed. Tracks from a myriad of creatures tattooed the muddy ground while birds chirped and twittered overhead in the trees. This would be his first spring on his own land and he was anxious to explore his domain without a concealing blanket of snow. A wolf needed to become one with his territory, knowing every wrinkle in the land, the placement of each plant. Like a lover, he would watch it breathe and grow, sensing its moods, caring for it, guarding it against those who dared to trespass. He inhaled deeply, taking in the earthy, woodsy scents. Mine, both he and his wolf declared.
Ryne knew some of the locals wondered about his obsessive need for privacy, the large gate, the plethora of warning signs, but no one was pressing for answers. That was one nice thing about Stump River. The people were friendly, but not too nosey, seeming to be content to leave each other alone. Maybe it was all part of their Canadian heritage. When researching the country, he’d read about their concept of being a ‘cultural mosaic’ where individuality was encouraged rather than a ‘melting pot’ that expected everyone to blend in and conform. It was one of the reasons he’d chosen to move here. With any luck, people would leave him alone and his ‘culture’ would be allowed to flourish alongside that of the other citizens. Provided someone didn’t mess it up.
This brought his thoughts back to Melody Greene. Frowning, he climbed back in his truck and drove towards the house. Which pictures of his had she seen? He didn’t care about the sunsets or the birds or the wildflowers. It was one particular picture featuring his brother Kane in his wolf form that worried him. Anyone studying the picture—at least anyone who knew anything about wolves—would immediately see that the animal in the picture was unique, a brand new species, in fact. Well, technically not a new species—werewolves had existed since the beginning of time—they were just adept at keeping their existence hidden. Of course, there were rumours and supposed sightings, but most of those were attributed to hysteria and folklore.
It wasn’t hysteria, Ryne thought to himself. He did exist. His family and friends, his whole species existed, and flourished, but only due to carefully guarding their secret. It hadn’t always been that way. Long ago, werewolves had been hunted to the very brink of extinction. That was when the Book of the Law had emerged; the product of his people’s desperation. The few remaining pac
ks had gathered and banded together, creating a set of laws, which, if followed, would safeguard their existence. And since that time, it had worked. True, in the beginning there had been terrible sacrifices—complete relocation of every pack in order to make a fresh start, whole packs needing to be destroyed when the careless or defiant actions of a few led to their discovery, actual pack wars erupting when one group refused to bend to the law—but those difficulties had merely created greater determination in those that remained. Eventually, the universal good had outweighed the losses. Their existence had faded from human memory until only a few whispered rumours remained.
For the most part, his people had lived undetected over the past couple of centuries. Alliances between packs had strengthened their common bond, the need to be careful, to avoid excessive attention, became ingrained into their way of life. Peace and prosperity was enjoyed by all; the dangers of the past were now but a distant memory for most. Who would have thought that a simple snapshot might undo centuries of progress?
Ryne recalled the day as clearly as if it were yesterday. He’d been out taking pictures and had come across his brother in his wolf form. On a whim, he’d snapped a picture of Kane, and when he’d seen how well the picture turned out, he’d enlarged it, and had it mounted. It was supposed to be for the family, not publicly shown, but his ex-girlfriend had taken it, and then sold it, and now… Well, the exact severity of the fallout had yet to be determined.
According to Kane’s report, Melody Greene had told Elise that she’d heard of his wolf photograph, but hadn’t actually seen it. But was that the truth? Did she know the significance? Had she realized, or had someone told her, that it was probably the only picture of a real live werewolf in existence today? And if she knew, what did she plan on doing about it? Or was she really just interested in his work for its artistic merit? It was a possibility, but he was too much of a realist to hope for that. The worst case scenario was that she would figure out where the picture was taken and use the information to find Kane and his pack.
The Keeping Page 12