Eternal Temptation

by T. A. Grey

  “And that doesn’t bother you?”

  “That doesn’t bother me, Cassie.” He pulled out a fresh, crisp hundred-dollar bill and handed it to her.

  “Oh, no, that’s way too much, honestly.”

  “Spend as much of it as you want. If you need more then I’ll give you more.” She tentatively took the money, guilt riding her hard.

  “I appreciate this.” She started to open the door but turned back and said, “But where will you be?”

  “I’m going to go take care of some business. I’ll meet you back here in an hour.” She nodded, then before he could see it coming, she leaned across the seat and kissed him square on the mouth.

  As far as first kisses went, this one did not disappoint. Yes, she was counting this as the first and not that brief peck from the first day. Okay, well maybe it did disappoint because he wasn’t kissing her back. In fact he sat still underneath her like he was a mime mimicking a statue.

  She didn’t care about that at all, because his lips were warm and fit perfectly against hers. He lips were soft like silk and tasted decadent. Her tongue darted out and flicked across his bottom lip to bring that lush taste into her mouth. It was like sex on her tongue, and it only served to whet her appetite. A soft moan escaped her and pleasure bloomed in her veins.

  But he still didn’t kiss her back. He did not cock his head or part his lips for her. He stayed still as if he was waiting for her to be finished. Cassie pulled back with a frown. She searched his eyes and tried to read his thoughts. His eyes were dark but with anger or was it something else? She wished she knew.

  “Sorry,” she mumbled and started to scoot back to her seat. Hard, strong hands grabbed her. Her eyes shot to his and she had no choice but to move closer to him. His eyes were no longer dark, they smoldered. He didn’t stop dragging her until she was half in his big lap.

  “You have no idea what you mess with,” he growled and then he slammed his mouth down on hers.

  He didn’t kiss to taste or to learn. He kissed to capture and plunder, to demand obedience. His lips slanted over hers in a hot rush and then he thrust his thick tongue inside her mouth. Cassie could only moan as he took her mouth again and again. His tongue was so thick, he filled her mouth, and he tasted like she thought he would...perfect.

  The hands on her cheek turned and fisted in her hair, holding her still for his plundering. Cassie realized that something she did had let loose the beast inside the man, inside the lykaen. And she was melting for him. His lips closed over hers before he slanted her head to the other side and took her mouth at this new angle. He let out an approving growl that had her sex weeping happily in response.

  He kissed her for an eternity.

  He kissed like a man tasting a woman’s lips for the first time. His raspy tongue licked at her lips before his teeth sunk into her, creating wild, hot sensations in her breasts and between her legs. He was savoring her with every pass of his lips, each swipe of his tongue against hers, and she sought him out eagerly, matching him pace by pace.

  Abruptly, he pulled back and with that motion, he stole all the heat from her body. He pushed her shoulders away and closed his eyes.

  “Get out.”

  The cold hard words were like a stinging slap to the face. Cassie stumbled back to her seat, panting like she’d just run a mile, and fumbled for the doorknob. It took her several tries as she blindly wrenched the door open and jumped down out of the big truck. She landed hard on her feet and her ankle gave out. A sharp, burning pain from her ankle had her shouting out in agony.

  Quickly, before she lost it, she slammed the truck door shut and wobbled as fast as she could to the department store door. She didn’t look back.

  It didn’t matter because a second later she heard the truck back out and pull away. Cassie rushed to the lady’s bathroom and didn’t stop until she was locked in the tiny stall. The hot tears started spilling before she had the door locked. Not caring about the dirty public restroom, she sat down hard on the toilet seat and the let the tears come.

  She bit her fist to keep from sobbing aloud. The last thing she wanted right now was some concerned lady asking her if she was all right. She’d just break down again.

  Reaching for the toilet paper, she pulled down a huge rope of it and started blotting dry her face and hands. Her shirt was wet from drops of tears that had landed on her, but whatever.

  Bitter anger settled in, happy to replace the tears. At this rate, Darien must think she was a psychopath. Her emotions were ranging from one extreme to another.

  Feeling petty over her stupid overreaction, she flushed the toilet out of habit then went and washed her hands. Seeing her reflection made her want to break down and cry all over again. Being a natural redhead made her prone to pale skin that easily freckled, which either could be cute or a nasty mess like right now.

  Wishing like hell she had a compact, she turned on the cold water and splashed some on her face. When she looked back at the mirror though her face only looked redder. Growling a curse, she snatched a paper towel and dabbed her face dry as she left the bathroom.

  What was his problem anyways?

  Who kisses like that and then growls at her to get out? She limped through the clothing racks and started picking up jeans and t-shirts, her usual repertoire. Her heart went out for him though. She could feel the pain he was holding so close to him. What is haunting you, Darien Kategan? His words came back to her: Tell me yours and I’ll tell you mine. Could she really?

  Some part of her, a part that was surprisingly not driven by her sex hormones, told her she could help. It told her that his man needed her. It was probably a load of bull, and she was just drawn to him because he was sexy. But no, even thinking that felt wrong.

  Darien Kategan did intrigue her like no other, but how often was it that someone met a total stranger and felt such a wild, magnetic pull towards them? Often, she thought, thinking of many quick Vegas weddings. This was different than that, real. He troubled and needed help. Her help.

  With a cocky smile, Cassie turned around and put the jeans and t-shirts she’d picked up back on the shelf. Instead, she went and grabbed a flowery skirt that dropped just to her knees and a white button-down silk shirt. The thought of him ripping open her shirt eagerly totally had nothing to do with that decision.

  She grabbed some flat shoes that would be comfortable for walking, too. She found a couple more skirts, shirts, and some cute panties to add to her cart. She loved cute panties. She pouted as she thought of her big, two-drawer filled dresser back at home—err home wasn’t quite the word she wanted to use for that place. More like hell. Yeah, that fit much better.

  Checking the time on the clock on the wall, she saw that she still had another thirty minutes. A happy thought came to her as she paid for her items. Her lykaen needed a gift. She spotted the perfect store out the window and marked that as her next location.

  She grabbed her change from the young cashier and was practically skipping as she left the store. The sun was shining brightly in the clear sky and the whip of the wind was growing sharper, making her hair hit her face like soft slaps. She waited for traffic to pass and started to step out onto the street, but as she took her first step, the wind brought along a scent she was all too familiar with.

  Cold fear lodged in her stomach, immobilizing her for several seconds as her mind tried to comprehend the danger. In slow motion, her head whipped to the left and caught sight of him.

  Oh no.

  She turned to the right and started running. It was like being in her dream and knee deep in mud though. No matter how hard she pumped her arms or kicked out her legs, she couldn’t move fast enough. She reached the top of the street and turned to look over her shoulder. He still stood where he’d been. I can still get away. The wind was in her favor, he couldn’t scent her like she did him.

  Then his head turned and his eyes latched onto hers. His face contorted into a mask of rage, and then he shouted, the sound so loud, so terrifyin
g the windows along the street vibrated and cracked.

  Cassie cried out and kept running. He was coming. He was coming after her, and this wasn’t a dream. She had no time to stop and think, to figure out how he’d found this little town. Her only thought was of survival.

  * * *

  Cassie sprinted through the streets, turning left and right, without a clue as to where Darien was. The one thing she knew was that she had to find him.

  Brick buildings flew past her as she ran, turning into a blur. She circled around, went down streets only to turn back up them again, anything to muddy up her scent—to spread it around so far he wouldn’t be able to track her.

  She panted hard, completely out of breath and her sides were aching hard like a knife had taken up living between her ribs. She ground her teeth together and ignored it, had to.

  There! She finally found his black truck parked out front a florist shop. She turned to go to it, but something caught her foot and she went flying down to the ground hard. She barely managed to keep her face from having the skin rubbed raw, but her hands and knees took the brunt of it anyways. She bit her lips to keep from crying out. Don’t let him hear you.

  Picking herself back up, she half-ran, half-wobbled to his truck. Her ankle was throbbing like a jackhammering pulse and her hands and knees burned hot. She sniffed and smelled blood. Looking down, she gasped at the sight of her blood coating her jeans around her knees. From her hands, blood splashed in drops down onto the concrete.

  She had little time. He knew the scent of her blood better than his own. After all, he’d been using her for years.

  Biting her lip to stifle a cry, she ran to Darien’s truck. The door to the florist chimed and she flinched hard, coming to a stop, expecting to see his cold face there.

  Her heart soared at the sight of her lykaen--her Darien. His eyes shot to hers and took in everything at once. She rushed to him, but she didn’t need to. He met her and wrapped her in his big, strong arms. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.

  “What’s wrong?” She could feel his head turning to look up and down the streets.

  “We n-need to go n-now,” she said. Her fingers curled into his shirt, hanging on for dear life.

  “Come on,” he said and quickly put her in the truck. He got into the driver’s side with a speed that had his lykaen glowing in his eyes. “Now tell me what’s going on,” he demanded.

  Her head shook to match the trembling in her body. She was shaking like a damned leaf in the wind. Her eyes darted everywhere, looking for him.

  “We need to go now.” He grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him. Now her teeth were chattering like she was sitting in a pool of ice water. Her hands burned and her knees hurt, yet none of that mattered to her. “Go now,” she said between chattering teeth.

  Sighing hard, he started the car, and sped off. Cassie ducked down in the seat, and she pretended that Darien wasn’t completely noticing the move.

  “When we get back you’re going to tell me what the fuck is going on, Cassandra.” She winced at the use of her full name. She didn’t release her grip on the seat until they were out of town. Slowly she sat up and looked in the side view mirror. A part of her was afraid that he’d be right behind her sprinting to catch up to the car or burning rubber in his own.

  She sighed and slumped back in her seat. Finally her heart had a chance to slow to a normal speed. Now that her body was returning to a semi-normal state she got to feel the full force of the burning pain in her hands and knees. And she had to deal with the lykaen next to her.

  Darien gripped the steering wheel like he was trying to meld with it. His lips were pulled hard and flat in anger, and barely restrained fury radiated off him in waves. Suddenly she had the urge to tell him sorry and cry. She couldn’t stay with him any longer.

  He’d already found her. It was only a matter of time now. If something happened to her lykaen, she’d...

  “God dammit, tell me what happened.” Hearing his deep voice raised in anger made her want to plaster herself to the far window. This was not a man she wanted to see angry, especially at her.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered raggedly. If anything her words managed to make him look angrier. He formed a fist with his big hand and slammed it into the dashboard. She flinched and drew her knees up to her stomach, wrapping her arms around herself. She wanted nothing more than a hole in the earth to open up and swallow her up.

  She heard his ragged sigh. “Don’t be afraid of me, Cassie. I’m sorry. I lost it for a second, but I’m fine now.” Cassie chanced a watery peek at him and saw that his grip was slightly more relaxed on the steering wheel and his nostrils weren’t flaring angrily.

  A cold knot was fixed in her chest and wouldn’t go away. “I am sorry.”

  “I know, honey. Listen I’m not mad at you. I just smelled your blood and... Sometimes the beast comes up whether you want it to or not.”

  Cassie blinked; she hadn’t even thought about that. He called her honey, and boy did he make her feel like honey. With that one word, he melted her from the inside out until she was scooting across the seat and leaning her tired head against him. She closed her eyes, suddenly feeling as if she hadn’t slept in a week.

  She wondered if he’d push her away, when he started to move she pulled back. He didn’t. He wrapped his big warm arm around her. He tucked her against him like a big blanket and she sighed, snuggling close to him. The rocking motion of the truck and the safety of his arms were too much and soon heavy sleep drifted over her.

  Chapter 6

  Cassie came awake with a start.

  When had she gotten to the cabin? The last thing she remembered was falling asleep against Darien. She looked down and saw that Darien had tucked her in, even going so far as to pull the covers up over her. Her heart filled up like a balloon. She had to take a deep breath to keep from doing something stupid like ask him to mate with her. Or at least be her boyfriend.

  She took stock of her body with a grimace. Her hands looked like ground up meat, but he must have cleaned them for her because there was no longer any gravel in them. And... her jeans were gone. Her eyes widened and then a slow grin formed on her face. He cleaned her knees and left her in her panties. Did he like what he saw? Did he struggle over the job? Her ego could only hope.

  “Darien?” she called out hesitantly. Nerves had her walking on tiptoe around the cabin. She stuck her head out the front door but he wasn’t anywhere to be seen. A horrible thought hit her like a sledgehammer to the gut. What if Daniel got him? What if he found her out here?

  Quickly, she pulled on her jeans and ran barefoot out the front door. She spun around in a circle but didn’t see anything. Her heart was beating so fast in her chest it was the only sound she could hear. She stopped turning and opened her senses. She found Darien’s scent and locked on to it. Her eyes snapped open and she took off after the smell of raw, lykaen man.

  She would fight for him. She would sacrifice herself for him. Just don’t let Daniel find him.

  The further she ran, the closer the smell became. She thanked God she didn’t smell blood. She broke past a tree and came to a cold stop.

  Several emotions flitted through her: surprise, relief, sadness. Darien knelt before a gravestone with a beautiful, incredibly full bouquet of flowers. She realized then that when she’d run to him in town, he’d had them in his hand when he came out of the florist shop, but she hadn’t even noticed. Now she realized, and she felt horribly rude and intrusive.

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to...I—” she fumbled for the right words. Something that wouldn’t involve her spilling her secret about Daniel. Thinking of none she finally settled with, “You were gone when I woke up, and I was worried.”

  He nodded at her and motioned with his head for her to come closer. She didn’t want to. This place was filled with sadness, the same deep sadness that he held so closely wrapped around him. And this gravestone, this place, was the reason for it all.

  But wh
at about helping him? If she wanted to help him, and she wanted to so very much, then she must be strong for him. A part of her longed to see this lykaen whole. It would be an amazing sight.

  She sat next to him and looked at the gravestone. The gravestone was smooth marble. The front had a glossy finish and not one but two names were on it. A lump formed in her throat as she read the words: Dana Carrow and Renee Carrow. Below the names were the years. Her brow furrowed as she read the date under Renee’s name. It said simply: 2008.

  The stone was cleared off any leaves or twigs that might have fallen on it. It looked almost brand new. She looked over at Darien, unsure what she would see in his face because this place obviously meant so much to him.

  She stifled a cry at what she saw there. Raw pain. Agony. This man had suffered something terrible and had never gotten past it. The pain looked as fresh as if he’d just buried whoever laid here.

  She stayed quietly as his side, hoping, waiting, for him to say something.

  He pulled the plastic wrap away from the flowers and gently spread them across the front of the stone like an offering. Cassie’s heart was breaking watching the gentle reverence with which he touched the white flowers and then the headstone. Finally he rested his forehead to the marble as if in prayer.

  Cassie swallowed hard at witnessing this strong, lykaen man in such pain. Who could have cause this much grief in him? His mate? His child? She wanted to cry out for him.

  The sound of his voice startled her. “I met Dana at a bar. That night the bar was packed full and everyone was into their drinks. Except her. I remember the song playing on the jukebox was Behind Blue Eyes. When I first saw her I thought she looked so lonely, not even a smile on her face, sitting all by herself. I had to talk to her.”

  He laughed a little; the sound raw in his throat. “I asked her out to dinner and she kept refusing me. She always said I was too this and too that. It took a few weeks but I finally convinced her. That night on our first date she admitted she was pregnant with her ex-boyfriend’s baby. I didn’t care. I still don’t. I just liked her. She made me feel good and whole. We moved in together and had eight months together. Then in one night it all stopped.”