Secrets (The Serenity Series Book 1)

by Dawn Kirby

  My right leg was given the same gentle treatment. I barely felt his lips when he kissed my shin. As he moved up my leg, I felt the heat in his lips and hands rise. His fingers bit into the top of my thigh and I dug my hands into his thick hair. He was calm, but I was shaking. He let his hands slowly fall back down to my foot and then slid on the other sock.

  Thankfully, it didn’t end there. I shifted towards the edge of the chair a little while his fingers raked up my thighs and into my hips. His hands slipped under my shirt, removing my panties. With a passionate fire in his eyes, he pulled me even closer to the edge of the chair.

  He leaned forward and kissed my lips playfully. I bit at his bottom lip. He grabbed the back of my head and kissed me passionately. A low deep, growl rolled up from his throat when his tongue met mine sending shock waves throughout my body.

  While I was lost in his kiss, he slid his fingers inside me. Slowly, he moved them in and back out again. He felt me tremble and moved them even quicker. Sharp shivers shot up and down my spine. Our kiss became more intense. He suddenly stopped and pulled away.

  For what felt like an eternity, his eyes locked on to mine. I pulled on his shirt, trying to bring him back to me when he put my hands firmly on the arms of the chair and started to slowly unbutton my shirt. This time he had no trouble with the tiny buttons.

  Once it was open, he kissed every inch of my neck. His tongue ran across the small scar below my collarbone. I felt my own body temperature rise. His hands caressed my breasts. Dear God, it felt good. The calloused skin on his palms seemed to heighten my desire. While his hands gently squeezed and explored, his thumbs toyed with my nipples.

  I wanted to touch him, but he wouldn’t let me. Every time I tried, he put my hands back on the arms of the chair. It only made me want him more. Between his lips and his hands there wasn’t one inch of my body that went undiscovered.

  I felt his hands fumbling with his pants and I closed my eyes with anticipation. It had been so long since he’d touched me this way. I desperately wanted to feel him inside me again. I felt his hands on my knees. I pulled his head to mine and kissed him with every ounce of passion I had in me.

  He pulled my body closer as he slid inside me. My back arched reveling in a feeling. Raine moaned, moving his hips ever faster. I dug my nails into his back, raking them all the way down and back up again. His body shivered as he bowed his back into the pain. When I burrowed my nails into the base of his neck he laughed wickedly. The sound sent chills through my spine.

  Still moving, he lifted me up off the chair. I wrapped my legs around his waist and took us to the floor. With me in his lap, his thrusts got harder. I leaned into him more, allowing him to get as deep as he possibly could. His body tensed up with mine as our passion built. He put his hands on my shoulders and held me still as he began to move slower. After a few hard, slow thrusts of his hips, we exploded together.

  For a long time, we stayed where we were, locked together, still shaking with pleasure. Raine’s head rested on my chest while his hands softly caressed my back. I ran my hands through his hair; loving the way it curled lightly around my fingers.

  “I love the way you make me feel,” I whispered to him.

  He looked up at me and smiled softly. “And how do I make you feel?”

  “Calm, excited, safe and extremely loved.”

  “You have the same effect on me,” he said in a low rumble. “You do realize you are my reason for living, don’t you?”

  “I can’t wait to be your wife,” I said, smiling softly.

  “As far as I’m concerned, you already are.”

  He kept his arms around me and stood up. Reluctantly, I let my legs fall from his waist as he lifted me back into the chair. It wasn’t until I watched him button on his jeans that I realized he still had his shirt on. Here I sat with an open shirt, no panties and a pair of red socks on my feet. Then I smiled, perfectly content to have my happiness in his hands.

  In a little over ten minutes I was dressed and ready to go downstairs. Eating at the table like a normal person for the first time in two weeks felt like a treat.

  “Are you sure you’re okay? I can bring dinner up to you,” Raine asked. He closed the bedroom door behind us and guided me into the hallway. “It’s fine if you’re too tired.”

  “Believe it or not, I’m fine,” I assured him. “Two weeks in bed is enough for me.”

  He allowed me to walk down the hallway, but he drew a line at the stairs. I tried, but failed miserably in my attempt to do it for myself. He swept me up in his arms and carried me all the way down. As we got close to the kitchen door, he put me down. I wanted to walk in there on my own two feet.

  May stood at the stove, frying chicken for dinner. She didn’t hear us come in. Kale was at the table flipping through a car magazine. The second he saw us come through the door he grinned. I was glad to see him too, Mohawk and all.

  He pointed to May and made a walking gesture with his fingers. I got the point and quietly walked over to her, stopping just out of her line of sight. The limp was definitely more noticeable when Raine wasn’t helping me.

  “I hope that tastes as good as it smells,” I said, looking over her shoulder.

  Her head snapped up and she looked at me. My presence finally dawned on her, crushing me in the tightest hug I’ve gotten from her yet. Her strength, for a seventy-six year old woman, still amazed me.

  “Granny, she’s still broke,” Kale reminded her.

  “Oh, honey, I’m sorry,” she said quickly. A pink tinge tainted her cheeks. “I’m just so glad to see you up and around. Now, go sit down.”

  Raine laughed and helped me over to the table. “So much for being up-and-around,” he whispered in my ear.

  He pulled out the chair and I practically fell into it. It felt great to moving around, but I hadn’t counted on getting tired so fast. If I let any sign of fatigue show, I knew I’d be back in bed before I could blink.

  “Don’t do anything to hurt yourself,” Kale advised. He’d been watching me closely since we walked in. “Drew’s at that family reunion with her parents and she doesn’t have a clue when they’ll be back.”

  “I’ll do my best, I promise.” My eyes pleaded with his not to say anything to Raine. He winked at me and I knew he wouldn’t.

  “Leah, do you want some coffee?” Raine asked.

  “Love some.”

  “Anybody else want some?” he asked.

  “Only if it’s fresh,” Kale said, sticking his nose back in his magazine.

  “I just made it,” May told him. “But I don’t want any, hon.”

  She took the chicken off the stove and stacked it on the already heaping plate on the counter. There were big bowls of mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans sitting right along side of it. She’d already put the corn on the cob and rolls on the table. It still seemed like overkill, but I knew for a fact it wasn’t.

  Raine brought over our coffee and sat down beside me. The strong aroma smelled so good, I didn’t waste any time taking that first drink. The only things I’ve had to drink for the past couple of weeks were water, orange juice, and tea. I planned on enjoying every last hot drop of it.

  “Yikes, Leah, it’s hot,” Kale said, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

  “Do you want me to wait until it’s cold?” I asked him. “That kinda defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?”

  He looked at me like I’d just jumped off the crazy train. “No, I mean it’s really hot,” he clarified for me. “I think you may have taken one too many whacks on the head.”

  I realized then he’d never seen me drink a cup of coffee before. I laughed to myself and then took another drink. It was fun just to see the look on his face.

  “That’s the way she likes it, man,” Raine told him

  . “It doesn’t burn,” I told him. “Really.”

  “You are the most fascinating woman I know,” he said shaking his head.

  “What about Drew?” I asked him coyly. “You s
eem to like her pretty well.”

  That purple haze I had yet to figure out was back.

  “She’s just downright infuriating.” Kale grinned even as he said it. “That woman never cares what or how she says anything. With her, you take it or leave it. I just haven’t figured out which way I need to go yet.”

  May put everything on the table and gave us all plates and silverware. After she sat down we began passing the food around and filling up our plates. My plate looked like a happy meal portion compared to theirs.

  “I like her. She keeps him in his place,” May chimed in.

  “He definitely needs that,” Raine told her.

  “Normally, I’d say you were jealous, but you’ve got Leah,” he said pointing his fork at Raine. “And you like her because she likes to shop, Granny.” Kale suddenly frowned and looked at May. “By the way, where’s my credit card?”

  “Uh-oh,” Raine mumbled.

  “I told her to hang onto it,” May answered. “She might need it.”

  “Uh-oh is right,” I said. “Kale you might want to cancel that card now.”

  “See what I mean,” he said exasperated. “Infuriating!”

  Kale stewed over the loss of his credit card the whole time we were eating. Apparently it had a thirty thousand dollar credit limit on it and until they took it shopping it hadn’t been used. I couldn’t bring myself to tell him how fast she could lose track of what she spent when she went shopping.

  By the time we finished eating there wasn’t one scrap of food left. I noticed even I’d been eating a little more since I moved in here. May was a fantastic cook. I doubted either one of them really ever tasted their food. Sometimes, I thought, chewing was questionable.

  I pushed out my chair to help May clear off the table, but she put her hand on my shoulder and told me to stay put. “I think you’ve done enough tonight, baby,” she whispered in my ear. Her eyes flashed towards Raine. A sweet smiled settled on her face when I felt the blood rush to my cheeks. “It’s alright. There’s never a wrong time or place.”

  “I think you’re right,” I said quietly.

  “I know I am,” she said. “I was young and in love once, too.”

  Once the table was cleared, she put a triple layer chocolate cake in the center of it. Dinner had filled me up, but I wasn’t about to miss out on that delicious treat. Everybody at the table, with the exception of May, got a huge piece. She said she and Drew had sworn off sweets. For my friend, that was as unlikely as her not using Kale’s credit card. While May did the dishes, Kale and Raine ate their cake and talked business.

  Donovan had them working together on some plans for a new medical office in Dallas. Kale was in charge of the landscaping and Raine had been asked to design the building. I could tell by listening to the sound in his voice that his heart wasn’t in it. His passion was houses. Kale on the other hand couldn't care less. A job was a job in his eyes.

  Before the door opened, I smelled them coming. I didn’t even look up from my plate when the door swung open. Judging by the dead silence in the room, everybody else was shocked to see them enter the kitchen. Considering what their diet consists of, vampires really didn’t have much use for one.

  “Mark has finally responded,” Donovan announced. “The Challenge will be held here tonight. Kale, you need to be ready by one o’clock.”

  May dropped a coffee cup in the sink and grabbed the counter. Her heart was literally racing. I wanted to go and comfort her, but something told me not too. When she turned around, I could see that she clearly did not need me.

  She looked fierce. Her brown eyes sparkled wildly. A misty orange haze glowed brightly around her. She was most definitely not scared. Anxious, yes. Scared? Not a chance.

  “Terms,” she demanded. Her voice was commanding in a way I’d never heard before.

  “When Kale wins, you and Raine will have the protection of the pack. It will fall on Kale to decide how to deal with Mark. And, if he recovers, Dane,” Donovan explained. He pointed his finger at Kale. “You will be responsible for informing them about Raine’s abilities.”

  “If I lose?” Kale asked solemnly.

  “Mark wants Raine executed for attacking Dane,” he told him. “If you do lose, there will be nothing I can do to stop it.” I started to say something, but Raine grabbed my hand and shook his head. “He is also asking that you and May relocate quickly and quietly. If either of you refuse, both will be killed.”

  “If I’m executed and they leave, how are you planning on protecting yourselves?” Raine asked quickly. “How are you planning to protect Leah?”

  “Against what exactly?” I interrupted. I knew why I would need protection, but not Donovan and Declan.

  “The vampire seeking you,” Donovan answered.

  “Don’t forget Raif,” Kale piped in.

  “Yes, I’m sure Raif would love to get in here again and drive a stake through my heart,” Donovan explained. “Getting rid of me would ensure him untold amounts of power.”

  “Raif won’t ever have power,” I said off hand. “Not the kind he wants anyway.”

  Donovan turned his attention on me, intrigued by what I’d said.

  “He has plenty of money. Power usually follows suit, does it not?”

  “No, it doesn’t,” I told him. “Dane has money, but he has to scare people into doing what he wants. That’s not the kind of power you have, Donovan. To gain others’ respect like you have, Raif has to earn it and I can’t see how that’s possible.”

  Everybody but Declan stared at me. I took a deep, patient breath before I tried to explain my gift to them. As long as Donovan and Declan have been around, I thought Raif would be an easy read. Even without the aid of his smell.

  Raif was both envious and greedy. Those qualities had come through the second I smelled his awful stench. The need to please anyone he came into contact with became apparent when I heard him talking with Michael, and then again when he appeared in Raine room.

  “Let’s say you get a call from another vampire,” I suggested. “What happens?”

  “If he is worth my time, we meet and discuss the business at hand,” Donovan said cordially. “When the matter is resolved, we share a glass of wine and part ways.”

  “Okay, same situation, but with Raif this time.” The amusement in their eyes proved my point. “See, you don’t even respect him. He is too eager to please. I knew that the second I picked up his smell. He wants power, but he doesn’t want to work for it. In his mind he’ll get it through someone else.”

  “You were able to figure that out with one smell?” Donovan asked.

  “Envy doesn’t smell good,” I confessed.

  “Can you read me the same way?” Donovan asked.

  “I can,” I answered. “Your scent is nothing like Raif’s.”

  “How so?” Donovan narrowed his eyes and came to sit down beside me.

  “You smell like the ocean,” I told him. “You have a cool, relaxing personality for the most part, but the other side of it can be as volatile as the ocean itself. Declan smells like lavender. His personality is so calm, he doesn’t need anger.”

  The room fell silent. Everybody seemed to be taking in what I’d said. They all knew I had a good sense of smell, but I don’t think they expected me to know them by scent. Donovan had obviously missed my meaning the first time I had explained it to him in his office.

  “How do you keep from losing your mind?” Kale asked, breaking the long silence.

  “I’m used to it, I guess,” I answered, shrugging my shoulders.

  “I take it Mark won’t get ‘is final demand’,” Declan said to Donovan. His hand tightened on my shoulder.

  “What are you talking about?” Raine asked.

  “He wants Leah,” Declan told him. “Says she needs to pay for the humiliation she caused ‘im.”

  “Not to mention she’d be good for business,” Donovan added. “A good bit of Dane’s clients are vampires and I am sad to say they would pay an
y price to own her.”

  Raine may have looked calm, but he was furious. “You agreed to let him take her!”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll win,” Kale said confidently. “How hard can it be?”

  May came to the table and knelt down in front of me, a look of utter determination clouded her eyes. She took both my hands in hers. She saw the ring on my finger and smiled, brushing her thumb over it briefly and then looked at Kale. I knew what she was going to ask before she opened her mouth.

  “Don’t be so quick to judge. We all saw what he is capable of the night Leah came home from that hellhole,” she warned, turning her gaze back on me. “Can you help Kale the same way? With the smells. I mean.”

  “Granny, I don’t think it’s fair to ask,” Kale said quietly.

  “Why not?” she and I asked at the same time.

  “Sorry,” he said throwing up his hands. “I just meant you were hurt pretty bad. Concentration would be hard under those circumstances.”

  I smiled brightly at him. “When your senses are the only thing keeping you on your toes, you’d be surprised at the things you can pick up on.”

  “Tell us,” she said eagerly.

  She wasn’t the only one waiting to hear what I could reveal about Kale’s rival. Donovan sat ready to absorb every word I said. Raine’s body stayed tense, but he listened. Kale had practically stretched across the table to make sure he didn’t miss anything. “Mark’s not strong like you two,” I started. “He’s agile. He’s faster than anybody I’ve ever met, including y’all. Mark was on me in that little room before I ever saw him move. If he finds a weakness, he’ll use it against you the way he used my ribs against me. The only thing that drives him is anger, and that’s what makes him so dangerous.”

  “What do you mean?” Kale asked.

  “He’s so focused on causing pain he doesn’t know when to quit. Good or bad, it doesn’t take much to make him mad. I’m sure Dane knew it, too. That’s probably why he’s kept him on such a short leash. With no one there to calm him down, he’ll be vicious. No matter what happens tonight, don’t turn your back on him for a second.”

  “Leah, honey, you come and get me when it’s time,” May said graciously. She stood up and hugged me. With a smile on her face she disappeared into her apartment.