Safe Haven

by Brenda Trim

  Cassie reached over and grabbed Liv’s hand. “And what does Lawson say about it?”

  “He said he’s not interested in anyone but me. But ultimately, how can I compete with Kristi, Cass? She’s a shifter. They have this connection that I don’t understand and never will. They went on a fucking hunt together, for God’s sake. Killed animals and everything. I can’t fathom even wanting to do that. That part of his world doesn’t make sense to me. And she’s right there, swishing her long furry tail in his face like come and hump me, big bad wolf. What the hell am I supposed to do?” Liv said in a rush. She felt like an insecure schoolgirl, jealous of the pretty new girl in class. It was ridiculous.

  “You listen to me. I don’t care how fine Kristi's furry ass is. I’ve seen the way Lawson looks at you. That man only has eyes for you. Don’t let her intimidate you just because she can turn into a four-legged animal. She ain’t got nothing on us, human bitches because we rock their worlds in the bedroom,” Cassie spouted, and Liv couldn’t help but laugh.

  “I guess. I feel so left out of this part of Lawson's life. He’s taken on the role of Alpha, which means he’s the leader now. Everyone looks to him and, while I’m super proud of Lawson, I’m also the outsider. I just don’t know if we can last in the long run. We’re so different,” she explained. Hearing the words made it that more real and her chest tightened at the thought of losing him.

  “I disagree. I think you two are perfect for each other. You are one of the strongest women I know. Lawson is lucky to have you. You’re both born leaders. Trust your heart, Liv. And trust him. You will work through this together,” her friend said and smiled.

  Liv exhaled. Cassie was right. It was time to put all the negativity behind and focus on her future with Lawson. He said he wanted her by his side and that when things at the hotel settled down, they would talk about their future. Hopefully, one that involved him sharing his life force.

  “You’re right. Thank you. I needed to hear that. I wish this wasn’t costing me my friendship with Bart. He seemed so distant,” she muttered as she looked at the empty doorway.

  “Bart will come around. He’s still licking his wounds over losing you. Just give it a little more time. He’s still there for you. Just look around at what he still does,” she said with a sweep of her hand. “He will always be there when you need him. Now, let’s get this shit packed up. We got a lot to do in a few days,” Cassie declared and jumped to her feet, pulling Liv with her.

  The thought alone had Liv’s spirits lifting. A party was exactly what she needed. Make those gray skies float away by getting a celebration underway.

  Liv carefully turned off the main road onto the dirt path leading to Safe Haven, careful not to knock over the new mailbox. Pulling the small trailer had been a challenge but was nothing compared to the time she drove the recreational vehicle to Hollow Rock. She laughed as she recalled the night she helped Lawson escape from PRL.

  Liv dressed in black from head to toe like some common thief. With her hair shoved into a baseball cap, the night guard mistook her for a man, which ended up being a godsend when she returned to work the following day. But the funniest part was her maneuvering the oversized vehicle. That night seemed like a lifetime ago.

  Liv pulled around to the back of the hotel and parked. It would be easiest to take the containers in through the kitchen and store them in the dining area where it was most open. She still couldn’t believe how much stuff she had. She couldn’t wait for Cassie to show up and help decorate for the party.

  Liv hopped out of the Jeep and walked to the back door. As soon as she entered the large kitchen, the smell of roasted garlic and onions attacked her senses.

  “Oh, Ashley, what yummy goodness are you cooking now?” she said by way of greeting.

  “We’re going Italian tonight, chica. Ziti, salad, and homemade garlic knots,” the Hispanic woman said as she glided through the kitchen. Frank Sinatra crooned in the background, and Ashley swayed to the lyrics.

  “Ooo, I can’t wait. Anything I can do to help?” Liv asked.

  “Nope. I got it covered. Bring your appetite to dinner,” she replied.

  “Is Lawson around?” Liv asked.

  “I think he mentioned going to the barn to work on a new project,” she said as she went about her preparations.

  “Maybe he started on the new fireplace set. The one we have now is rusted, and the other day the poker snapped in half. I put in a request, and he said I could help him with it. I’ll go see if I can’t hunt down a sexy shifter,” she said with a shimmy of her hips.

  “Make sure you’re done with his poker by dinner time,” she yelled as Liv skipped out the back door.

  Liv jumped on one of the four-wheelers and cranked the ATV. In minutes, she was flying down the worn path leading to the barn. Her blood hummed at the thought of seeing Lawson. Hopefully, Ryan wasn’t there, and they could have a quickie in the hay and work up their appetites. The idea had her core clenching and she punched the accelerator, needing to get to him as fast as possible.

  She pulled up to the barn and killed the motor. She half-expected Lawson to be waiting outside. His sensitive ears didn’t allow her much room for surprise. As soon as she heard the welding machine, she understood why he didn’t hear her arrival. It was loud enough she had to cup her ears against the roar.

  Liv pulled the door open and stepped inside, only to wish she hadn’t.

  Lawson bent over a sheet of metal with Kristi leaning over his shoulder, watching him. Her upper body smashed across his back, and her arm wrapped around his shoulders. Could she get any closer to him?

  Neither one noticed her walk in, and Liv was about to turn around and leave when Lawson’s head popped up.

  “Hey, sunshine!” he said with a smile.

  Liv’s gaze met Kristi’s and a wicked smile spread across the woman’s face. “Hi, sunshine,” Kristi mocked. Liv’s blood boiled at her smug expression.

  Shit was about to get real.

  Chapter 9

  Lawson’s knees went weak every time he saw Liv. Long red hair fell in loose waves down her back, and green eyes captured his heart. She was a stunning female. His cock jerked in agreement as he perused her from head to toe.

  A fuzzy blue sweater hugged her lush bosom, and a toned tummy peeked above her low-rise jeans. His mouth watered at the thought of slipping his tongue inside her belly button then sliding lower to feast on her feminine flesh. He wished Kristi wasn’t in the room so he could take advantage of the sexy female before him. A fantasy of bending her over the workbench and taking her from behind flashed through his mind, and he licked his lips. To be continued later, he thought as he walked toward his alluring redhead.

  “Hey, babe. Did you get everything you needed from Bart’s?” he asked and pulled her into an embrace. She melted against his chest and sighed.

  “I got all I need right here,” she replied and claimed his lips in a heated kiss.

  Their mouths instantly parted, and her tongue stroked his, causing his shaft to harden. Her moan sent a shudder from his spine to the tip of his cock.

  Lawson broke the kiss while he still had the willpower to stop. “You’re lucky we’re not alone, or your ass would be mine,” he whispered in her ear.

  “I’m sure Kristi won’t mind giving us some privacy, isn’t that right?” Liv said as she peered around Lawson’s torso and wrapped her arms around his waist.

  “Of course,” Kristi replied curtly and smiled at Lawson. “In fact, we’re almost done here. Lawson is such a good teacher that I think I can finish this on my own. You two go ahead,” she spouted and picked up the welder.

  “Shit, no. You aren’t even wearing headgear,” Lawson shouted and ran back to her side. “You would lose a hand if I left you unsupervised,” he added and took the tool from her grasp. The last thing he needed was her fucking up his project, or worse, catching the barn on fire.

  Kristi laughed and slapped him on the chest. “Don’t be silly. I’ve handl
ed rods much hotter and bigger than that,” she said and bumped her hip against his.

  “So, what are you making?” Liv asked and walked over to inspect his work.

  “It’s the fireplace set you wanted. I thought I’d surprise you,” he replied and lifted the metal tongs he fabricated just for her.

  Her eyebrows furrowed and her lips pursed. “Lawson, you said we would work on that together.” She crossed her arms over her chest, and he immediately knew she wasn’t pleased. Apparently, he couldn’t win for losing.

  “Yes, but with the party this weekend I knew you’d be too busy to help me. I thought it would be nice to have the new set for your get-together. The temperature is supposed to drop tonight, and I know you’ll want a fire,” he explained, unsure why she was glaring daggers at him.

  Kristi’s hand went to her chest. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did I intrude? Lawson said there was plenty of work I could do around the shop to help him and Ryan. He was showing me the ropes.”

  Liv’s gaze left Lawson’s to glare at Kristi then darted back to him. “You know what? You’re right. A new set will be great for the party. Thank you. I’m going to go back and unload the trailer. You two finish what you’re doing, and I’ll see you later,” she said calmly then turned around and walked out of the barn. Okay, calm Liv was scarier than mad Liv.

  “Bye,” Kristi called out then tugged Lawson’s arm. “Now, where were we?”

  “We’re done for today. Clean up this mess, and we’ll finish tomorrow,” Lawson barked and stormed out of the barn.

  Liv was climbing onto the four-wheeler when he reached her side. “Uh-uh. Not so fast. What’s wrong?” Lawson asked and hopped on behind her, caging her in his arms.

  “I don’t want to talk right now. Can you get off, please,” Liv huffed and tried to start the engine.

  Lawson put his hand over hers. “I have a better idea. Let’s take a ride. You need to cool off, and I have something I want to show you,” he shared before he cranked the ATV.

  Liv looked over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes. “I have no clue what you’re talking about, or where you want to go, for that matter,” she spat, but he could see she was curious.

  “Baby, just lean back and let me take the wheel. I promise you won’t regret it,” he murmured in her ear as he nuzzled her hair. She smelled so fucking good he could barely stand it. He hated this tension between them because his body wanted to be balls deep inside her.

  She squirmed against his attention but at the same time, relaxed against his chest. “Fine,” she said with a sigh.

  Lawson gunned the accelerator and took off down a less-traveled path. A new one, his wolf, discovered the other night during their hunt. Twigs snapped and leaves scattered as they barreled through the trees. Lawson smiled when he heard Liv’s laughter as he took sharp turns to avoid tree stumps on the trail. She was having fun whether she admitted it, or not.

  The vehicle took them to the edge of the property and the small stream. Lawson pulled right to the side of the water and shut off the engine. The sounds of the forest were in full swing. Birds chirped overhead, squirrels scattered about from limb to limb, curious about their visitors, and the branches swayed. It was soothing and invigorating, causing his wolf to stir.

  “Lawson, this is…wow. So incredibly peaceful,” Liv muttered as she turned sideways on the seat, taking in the scene.

  “Come on,” he urged and grabbed her hand, pulling her with him. He twined their fingers and walked along the bank of the stream.

  “We came here the other night during the hunt, and all I could think was I wanted you to see it. Liv, I know you can’t be a part of the hunts, but that doesn’t mean I won’t share my love of nature with you,” he admitted and turned her so they were facing one another.

  “I can only imagine what it’s like to see this from your wolf’s perspective. I wish I knew that part of you,” she admitted and looked away. He could see she was struggling with something.

  “Liv, we’ve talked about this. My wolf isn’t some house-trained animal meant for cuddling. He’s wild and unpredictable. I’d never forgive myself if you were hurt. I can’t risk it,” he said, and rubbed a hand across his jaw, trying to make sense of why they were having this discussion again.

  “Yes, but your wolf didn’t hurt me before. If I remember correctly, he was rather fond of me,” she countered with her hands on her hips. She was so fucking cute when flustered.

  “Oh, he liked you a little too much. But you need to understand that could’ve gone bad, real fast. Is that why you got so upset before? Is this about the hunt the other night because I thought we put that behind us,” he said and tugged at the hair on his head. This female was going to drive him to drink.

  “No, asshat. One has nothing to do with the other,” she hissed and turned to walk away.

  Lawson grabbed her arm and spun her back around. “Then what the fuck are you so mad about because I honestly have no idea,” he barked as he searched her eyes for answers.

  Liv glowered at him then looked away. She didn’t say anything until he placed a finger under her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Ugh, you’re impossible. How do you think it made me feel to walk in and see you working on our project with Kristi? You had to know it would upset me. And just in case you’ve forgotten what I saw, let me recap. ‘Oh, Law, I’ve had rods way hotter and bigger,’” Liv mocked and began rubbing her chest across his arms. “I mean, seriously. She might as well have been humping your leg,” she added, and Lawson couldn’t help but chuckle at her performance.

  “Liv, would you stop and listen to me. I went to the barn to work on your surprise. Alone. Kristi had only been at the barn for about ten minutes when you arrived. She asked about helping Ryan and me in the shop, and I told her sure. That there was plenty, she could do around there. She noticed what I was working on and that was it. You walked in shortly after that. We were not working on anything together,” he declared and grabbed her face between his palms, staring into beautiful green eyes.

  “And, one more thing. Do you know as soon as you walked into the barn, all I could think about was ripping your clothes off and fucking you? Nobody else does that to me but you. Hell, I want to fuck you right now even though we’re having this ridiculous conversation,” he confessed.

  Her chest heaved against his as she chewed on her lower lip. His wolf howled in his head, wanting a bite of her soft flesh. It took all his strength to fight the shift.

  “Lawson, I believe what you’re saying, but at the same time, I know that woman is trying to come between us. I see it in her eyes,” Liv panted as her pupil’s dilated.

  Lawson smirked. She was aroused, too, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.

  “Then don’t let her. I have offered her a place in this pack, and I do believe she’s just trying to find her way. She’s going to be around, and we’re going to work together, but she knows my heart is with you,” he said but paused when he heard a nearby sound.

  His head lifted, and he sniffed for unfamiliar scents. “What is it?” Liv whispered.

  Through a small clearing, Lawson watched a deer come into view. The animal met his gaze then loped away in the opposite direction.

  “It’s nothing to worry about, but this is where we spotted the Ravin. I don’t expect to see one during daylight hours, but I can’t be too careful,” he said and held her tight. The idea of Liv getting attacked had his gut in knots. He would lose his mind if anything ever happened to her.

  “Funny, but I’m not the least bit scared. I’ve never felt safer than when I’m with you, Outlaw,” she said and looked up and him with eyes that awakened his beast.

  “Ooo, don’t be so sure. I’d eat you up before you had time to scream,” Lawson murmured and licked his lips.

  “Oh my, the big bad wolf,” she teased.

  “Mmm, want to be Little Red Riding Hood?” he husked.

  Liv giggled. “Funny you should mention that.”

  �
�Why?”

  “Because that’s my costume for the party. Although it’s called Naughty Red Riding Hood,” she said with a wink.

  “Let me guess. I’m going as the wolf?”

  “No. You’re the ruggedly handsome woodcutter,” she replied matter-of-factly.

  Lawson slowly nodded his head. “I think we can work with that. I can’t wait to show you my ax,” he said and waggled his eyebrows. “Sunshine, we’re good now, right?”

  “Yeah, we’re good. Looking back, I might’ve overreacted when I saw the two of you together. I still don’t like Kristi, but maybe in time she’ll find a man of her own and leave us be. I can’t help it that it drives me insane to see another woman pawing you. That’s my job,” she said as her hands trailed across his chest then around his back. When she latched onto his ass and squeezed, Lawson’s lust flew over the edge.

  His mouth crashed against hers, and he pulled her against his straining erection. “Fuck. What you do to me,” he moaned into her mouth as his lips explored hers.

  “Feeling is mutual, Outlaw,” she panted, and he lifted her off the ground.

  Her legs immediately wrapped around his waist and she ground against the bulge in his jeans. He groaned at the feel and imagined the moist flesh between her legs. He cupped her ass with one hand while his other slipped beneath her sweater to squeeze her full globe.

  Liv arched into his palm when his thumb maneuvered inside her bra to swirl across her hard tip. “Lawson, I need you. Now,” she demanded and reached for his zipper.

  “Are you sure you want to do this here?” he murmured then grunted when she slipped her hand down his pants to grip his cock.

  “Ah, fuck. Too late now,” Lawson growled.

  Lawson walked back to the ATV and stood her on the seat. It put her core in perfect alignment with his face, and he buried his nose between her legs and inhaled. Her arousal was so thick Lawson could feel the dampness seeping through her jeans. He rubbed his nose across the area, enjoying her sounds of pleasure.