Rafe

by Dana Archer

  “Yeah, well, I doubt there’s a female alive who’d want to share my broken soul or my crazed cats so I don’t think I’ll need to worry about pampering anyone. I’ll call if something comes up.”

  The line went dead, and Rafe sighed. The men who’d ruined Devin’s life deserved to be punished. Too bad they’d died hundreds of years ago. There was nobody left to pay for what Devin had been forced to endure.

  Rafe slid his phone into his pocket and made his way back to the bar. Each step he took eased the tension in his body and built his desire for the woman waiting for him. The only question remaining was whether it was her body that tamed him or her soul.

  Chapter 12

  Rafe reclined in his seat and watched Jasmine’s mouth move. They’d talked about bland topics at first, the kind meant to help them get to know each other, and ones he’d realized he had to answer carefully so as not to make her suspicious. When she’d asked what his first car had been, he’d answered truthfully—a Model T Ford. She’d frowned, and he’d had to quickly inform her that his family collected automobiles and the vehicle had been a gift.

  The topic of classic cars had made her eyes light up. She’d gone on to tell him of her restoration business, which he’d already known about. He’d walked through her garage in the early hours of the morning, but he settled back and listened to her speak. Her husky voice captivated him. He found he didn’t want her to stop talking.

  Jasmine laughed and brushed her fingers over his forearm. The desire that had simmered all evening flared to life.

  “Are you even listening to me?”

  He wrapped his hand around hers and rubbed his thumb over her wrist. Her pulse kicked up. “Absolutely. Your current project is a ’67 Camaro Z28 you’re refitting with a modified Corvette block. Customer lives in Delaware, a Steven…something with a B.” He shrugged. “Sorry. I can’t remember his last name.”

  She leaned over the table and gave him a wonderful view of her cleavage. “You really were paying attention.”

  Rafe stood and pulled Jasmine from her seat. She leaned into his embrace without prompting. With a hand on her lower back and another at the base of her neck, he bent close and pressed his mouth to her ear. “Of course I was. You’re an intriguing woman.”

  “Thank you, but I didn’t mean to dominate the conversation.” She turned her head and her warm breath bathed his neck. “I want to learn more about you too.”

  He tugged her flush against him. “You will. Very soon.”

  She let out a shaky sigh and wrapped her arms around his waist. “It’s getting late. Maybe we should leave.”

  “I like that idea. Let’s go.”

  He led her through the bar and out the door. Jasmine walked with him, hand in hand, but he scented her nervousness and her anxiety—it helped him rein in his lust. Ever since he’d seen her on the deck in her sleep clothes, he’d anticipated this moment. Getting her naked had consumed his every thought, but he wouldn’t rush her and risk pushing her away.

  Once they reached his SUV, she turned in her seat. “I thought I could do this but I can’t. I’m sorry.”

  He tipped up her chin and kissed her. The tight confines of the SUV left him little room to touch her, but he skimmed his fingertips along her arms, a light stroke meant to soothe her. It seemed to. Her muscles eased. He kept kissing her, arousing her until she linked her hands around his neck. He pulled back.

  “You want to. I see it in your eyes, feel it in the way you touch me. One night. Let me love you.” She opened her mouth, but he pressed a finger to her parted lips. “We’ll see what happens. Okay? If you decide you don’t want me, I’ll back off. Promise.”

  “That’s the problem. I thought I’d be okay with one night, but I can’t do it.” She shook her head and smiled wryly. “I want more. Many, many more nights. It’s better not to know what I’m missing.”

  “I never said I only wanted a night. If I did, there were plenty of women in that bar I could’ve taken. I didn’t.”

  She worried her bottom lip between her teeth. “But you’re not from the area. You’re here on business and—”

  “Business that won’t be completed anytime soon.” He assured her. “I’ve never wanted a woman as much as I want you. That’s not a line either. I feel as if I might die if I don’t get inside you.”

  He didn’t understand it. Didn’t want to question it more. If Rafe did, he’d run in the opposite direction for the possibilities it brought—that she was his true mate, that she could be the one to bridge him and his cats, that he’d have to hurt her, bringing her to the point of death. And if she refused to accept his cats or they refused her or if your life slipped away before he could tie it to his…

  No. He didn’t want to think about those outcomes.

  Rafe slid his hand from her chin down the length of her neck to rest over her shoulder. The soft skin under his palm teased him. He wanted to feel her body against his.

  “Give us tonight. I want to finish what we started yesterday.” He nibbled her earlobe. “I need you. Don’t deny me.”

  “I shouldn’t. My boys—”

  “Are with your neighbor. They’re safe. I’ll even send my twin, Kade, to watch their house so you won’t have to worry about them. He’s here working a case with me. He’ll sit in the woods. They won’t know.”

  “I was going to say my boys will get attached to you if we get involved. There’s no reason to have your brother sit in the woods.” Her brows scrunched. “And why exactly would he even do that?”

  His desire to get Jasmine naked had left him stupid. He tried to think of something believable to say and settled on the truth.

  “Because my brother wants me happy and would do anything for me. I haven’t stopped talking about you, and that’s not like me.” He blew out a rough breath. “Besides, surveillance is what we do. It’ll be a typical job. I’ll even pay him if he doesn’t want to do it.”

  “Oh,” she breathed. “That’s sweet but—”

  “Call me selfish, but for tonight, I want your focus on me. Only me. Not your responsibilities, not tomorrow.”

  Her breaths quickened. “I want that to, but what if you decide you—”

  He yanked her close and kissed her hard. His gums ached with the pressure of his fangs pushing to be released. He fought their emergence. He didn’t want to frighten Jasmine with them, but the thought of her walking away from him brought out his possessive instincts.

  The more she denied him, the stronger his urge to tie her to him became. It was his nature. Once instincts kicked in, a shifter was often lost. Focused males didn’t always think through their choices. It became imperative they claim their female and would use any means they could to do so. Even seduce her until she agreed to anything.

  He broke their kiss and brushed his thumb over her swollen lips. “So what’s it going to be? Are you going to take a chance on me?” Remembering what human females needed to hear, even if it wasn’t a concern for them, he added, “You’re safe with me. Do you understand? I don’t have any diseases. I haven’t even been with a woman in months.”

  “Me too. I’m safe and on birth control.”

  “Is that a yes?”

  She blew out a breath. “Yes. Let’s get a room.”

  He skimmed his hand over her chest, teasing the points of her nipples, then slid his fingers lower to rest over her belly. “No, I’ll take you home. Love you in your bed, in every room in your house.”

  Panic flared in her wide-eyed glare. She shook her head. “No. Not my house. If we’re doing this, it’ll be in a hotel.”

  He didn’t want to be with her in a generic hotel. He wanted the memory of their lovemaking to be in her bed so she’d think of him every time she went to sleep, but he wouldn’t argue. It was her choice.

  Rafe kissed her once more, a soft brush of lips, and eased back. “Then, let’s find the closest place. I’m hungry for you.”

  Chapter 13

  The closest hotel was fifteen-minutes
from town. Jazz had settled in for the drive and allowed the music playing to fill the silence. She couldn’t have engaged in small talk even if she tried.

  Her belly churned. Nerves caused her unease. For one, she was planning to have sex with a man she’d only met the day before. There’d be no blaming it on getting caught up in the moment. She knew exactly what she was setting herself up for—falling for a guy who wasn’t from the area. That brought a slew of risks, a broken heart when he left being one of them.

  The other reason stemmed from his offer of a guard to watch over her boys. It wasn’t that she worried they’d see him. Seth and Levi would never even know Rafe’s brother sat in the woods. Mr. Wilkins had postponed their campout due to the threat of rain overnight. They planned on camping in the living room with sleeping bags and microwaved s’mores, along with more westerns on the television. It was just that Rafe’s offer seemed a little…odd.

  She lived in the middle of nowhere, and their crime rate was nonexistent. She felt safe. More importantly, she was comfortable leaving her boys to play outside and go to preschool. They looked human, and with the heavy-scented soaps they used, she didn’t fear some stray shifter would smell them. The trick had been one of the few tips their mother had hurriedly given before Jazz had taken off with Seth and Levi.

  There was absolutely no reason for Rafe to hire his brother to watch over her boys—kids Rafe had never even met. Unless of course, his motive was to protect Seth and Levi from trouble Rafe might’ve brought with him. Would a security guard make enemies?

  “Tell me about your job. What’s it like bring a security guard?”

  “I wouldn’t exactly call myself a security guard.”

  “You work as an undercover cop, then?” That would explain his concern for her kids.

  Rafe cut her a glance. “Not exactly. I help out with government work and private sector jobs. Some security, some investigations. Wherever my skills are needed.”

  She turned slightly in her seat. “What kind of skills?”

  He slid his fisted hand over the steering wheel. “Tracking missing persons. Gathering intel. Boring stuff, mostly.”

  A job he no doubt got involved in because of the disappearance of his sister. “Is it dangerous?”

  He shrugged. “It could be. Usually not, though.”

  “What brought you here?” She sat up straighter. “It wasn’t anything dangerous, was it? Is that the real reason for sending your brother to watch over Seth and Levi?”

  “No. We came following a paper trail, and I told you why I sent Kade to your boys. I guess in the back of my mind I did it for protection. I hope you don’t mind.” He focused his intense gaze on her for a long moment before turning his attention to the road. “I know how easily kids can disappear. It would kill me to know something happened to your boys while you were with me.”

  “Oh.”

  A warm feeling spread through her. She could almost pretend Rafe was more than a lover. It was a dangerous dream to let grow, but it was hard to stop. He not only anticipated her needs, both physically and emotionally, but he thought about her kids. Worried about them.

  She glanced away before he saw the goofy grin on her face. Rafe might just be the world’s most perfect man, and she’d snagged him, at least for tonight. She peeked at Rafe’s profile. Gorgeous. Not in a pretty-boy way. He was strong, charismatic, and being with him felt…right, as if he’d always been a part of her life.

  Rafe parked the car and got out. She watched as he walked around the hood of the vehicle. Taking her eyes off him was proving impossible.

  He opened her door and held a hand out. She stared at it but couldn’t move. Her legs felt shaky.

  “Are you okay?”

  Jazz nodded. She was fine—better than fine—but her nerves were kicking in. She hadn’t had sex in so long. What if she didn’t please him?

  “I can’t wait to be with you. No female has ever excited me the way you do.” He dropped his hands to her thighs and slowly inched them up her legs, leaving a burning path in their wake. “You just might be the one I never knew I was looking for.”

  With that cryptic comment, he lifted her out of the vehicle. His hands lingered on her waist a moment before he led her across the lot.

  Her stomach did a little flip. She couldn’t believe she was going to have sex with a near stranger, but she needed him inside her. Jazz focused on the lust, the way he made her feel, and pushed away the anxiety. She’d please him. Whenever he touched her, she went wild.

  He brushed his thumb over her wrist. “Keep looking at me like that and we won’t make it to our room.”

  She let out a shaky breath. “I can’t help it. You make me hot.”

  He pulled her in for another kiss that left her panting, but he eased back before she lost all reason. “Five minutes. Then I’m all yours. You can wait that long, can’t you?”

  Jazz gave him a teasing smile. “Four, I can do. Five is pushing it.”

  His deep chuckle made her grin widen.

  “Come on.” He tugged her hand and ushered her into the hotel lobby.

  The cool air and the sound of voices pulled her out of the trance. She forced herself to stop staring at Rafe and scanned the generic space while she waited for him to get them a room. A giggling laugh yanked her attention back to Rafe.

  The young, pretty girl at the desk gazed at him with desire stamped on her face. She leaned over the counter, offering a good view of her cleavage, and let her hand linger on his when she handed him a pen to sign the slip. Jazz took it all in, and the first stirrings of jealousy ignited within her. Anger came next. The nerve of the woman, to flirt with Rafe while his date stood only a few feet away. It was obvious they were together, getting a room for the night.

  She narrowed her eyes and glared at the desk clerk. The girl didn’t notice. Or care. The woman scribbled on a piece of paper and slipped it to Rafe along with the room key.

  She was giving him her number? In front of the woman he was here with?

  Jazz ground her teeth and stepped next to Rafe. She wrapped her arms around his waist. He dropped the key, turned her into his embrace, and kissed her.

  He ran his hands down her back and over her hips before skimming them up her sides to the edge of her breasts. She held her breath, trying to decide if she wanted him to touch her so boldly in public or not. He saved her from the moral dilemma. He dropped his hands and stepped away from her without touching them.

  His heated gaze met Jazz’s. He grabbed her hand, picked up the key, ignoring the folded piece of paper, and led her toward the elevator.

  The doors swooshed closed. He crowded her against the wall.

  “Were you jealous, my sweet Jasmine?”

  She shrugged. “No, but—”

  He pressed his mouth to hers but didn’t kiss her. “Don’t lie.”

  The butterfly brush of his lips to hers made her shiver. “She was being rude. Didn’t even try to hide the fact that she wanted you.”

  “Yes, but you are the female I want, the one who will sleep in my arms tonight.”

  The confident way he spoke both excited her and made her wary. If she wasn’t careful, she wouldn’t keep the sex and her emotions separate. She needed to focus on the physical, not the sentimental feelings that cuddling with a man would bring. At least not their first night together. With the way he treated her and thought about her kids, it wouldn’t take long to fall for him. Tonight, though? She had to focus on the moment, not get lost in dreams of tomorrow. And if she kept repeating that, she might convince herself of it.

  “We came here for sex. I never said I would sleep in your arms. That’s an intimacy I’m not sure I want to share.”

  “Really?” He raised a brow. “Where will you sleep? Our room only has a king-sized bed. Did you think I’d sleep on the floor?”

  She tugged the front of his shirt free and slid her hand under it, needing to touch him.

  “Maybe I’ll sleep on the floor.”

  “O
nly if you use my body as your pillow.”

  She inched her fingers over the ridges of his stomach. “I don’t know how comfortable that would be.”

  Rafe punched a button on the wall for their floor and faced her. Half-lidded eyes met hers. “I think you’ll find my body…satisfactory.”

  So did she. And she couldn’t wait to memorize every inch of it.

  Chapter 14

  Jazz woke to the sound of Rafe’s steady heartbeat under her ear. Memories of what they’d done together replayed in her drowsy, sated mind. They’d had sex. Raw and gritty, then sweet and slow. Sex better than she’d ever had.

  He’d worked her body, taking her to the point where only pleasure existed. Rafe was a phenomenal lover. No doubt about it. Last night was one she’d never forget…but it was over. She couldn’t spend all day in bed with him, no matter how much she wanted to. She wasn’t free. She had responsibilities—to her kids and her job.

  Carefully, she lifted the muscled arm holding her and slipped away. Still asleep, Rafe reached for her. The sight made butterflies take flight in her belly. She shoved a pillow at his searching fingers. He grabbed hold of it and pulled it against him. His nose twitched and his brows pinched, but he settled into sleep with the scrunched pillow as a substitute for her.

  She sat on her bent legs and studied her lover’s body. He was gorgeous. At first glance, she’d thought he had a healthy tan but unless he walked around naked a lot, the deep burnished gold was his natural skin tone. And in the muted light seeping from around the drapes, his body shone as if liquid gold was spread over his skin. Delicious.

  He had a wide chest and an eight-pack few guys ever developed. Thick thighs and bulging arms completed the body he must spend hours toning. She swept her gaze over him and seared the sight into her mind. Her body tingled, the first stirrings of arousal settling low in her belly.

  It seemed a little surreal to be in a hotel room with a man who could easily pass as a pagan sex god. There was no denying it, not with the tender ache between her legs as a reminder of what they’d shared.