“Apologize for what?” he asked.
He wasn’t making it easy. “The phone call, Allie, Michael, everything,” her voice trailed off.
His brow furrowed even more. “What is that smell?”
“Chili-mac.” Maybe he wasn’t a fan of chili-mac. “If you don’t like it, I can try to cook one of the rabbits.” Caitlin had never cooked a rabbit in her life. Her culinary skills were better suited to canned goods and microwaves, than fresh foods. The mold growing in her refrigerator at home could attest to that, but she’d give it a try if that’s what he wanted.
Why was she working so hard to please this man? He was a stranger. After tonight, she’d probably never see him again. For some reason, that made her feel even worse. She had to be exhausted. There was no other logical explanation for why she was behaving this way.
Arctos looked at the pot over the fire, then back at her. “I’ll wash up and be right in,” he said, then walked back outside to scrub his hands in the snow.
Caitlin shivered as she watched. Arctos didn’t seem to notice the cold or if he did, he certainly didn’t seem to be in any hurry to get out of it. Which meant that the only reason he’d stopped earlier was because of her. Caitlin’s heart sank. She’d botched this day up and good. Before he walked back in, she planted a smile on her face and dished up the food.
* * * * *
She’d prepared food for him like a mate would do. Arctos had tried to cover his shock, but he’d failed miserably. While he’d been hunting, he’d convinced himself that the Goddess was mistaken in her choice of mate for him and that the bond had not formed. It made sense given that this woman was already spoken for. He’d heard the man with his own ears. He’d seen her reaction to him.
Arctos had been determined to come back and keep his distance, then he’d smelled the food. Its aroma had wafted on the wind, drawing him to its source. It didn’t take long before he realized the scent was coming from the cabin. Stubbornness alone kept him from acknowledging the truth. He’d purposely stayed out an extra hour to prove that she meant nothing to him. And it had worked…until he laid eyes on her again.
Caitlin had looked so happy, almost relieved when he’d stepped through the door. Her gray eyes had sparkled in the firelight and she’d scooted to the edge of her chair as he walked into the room.
And how had he responded? He’d froze like a deer trapped by a wolf pack. Even his breath had stuttered in his lungs, as his brain fought to catch up with what he was seeing. Arctos knew that cooking him a meal didn’t mean anything to her. At least not the same as it meant to him. But he was having a hard time convincing his beast that was the case. Caitlin now had its full attention and that was never a good thing.
Arctos used the time needed to wash his hands to recover from the surprise and get his beast under control. Breathing deeply, he let the cold embrace him. Even in his human form, he could barely feel it. His body was made for harsher temperatures than the Earth could produce. He scrubbed his hands and arms with snow until they turned bright pink. Knowing he couldn’t put it off any longer, Arctos turned and walked back into the cabin.
Caitlin was smiling when he entered, but her scent didn’t match her expression. She had dished up the food while he was out. It smelled different than anything he’d ever eaten, but he was willing to give it a try for her sake.
“What did you say this is called?” He took a seat across from her.
“Chili-mac,” she said, then picked up her fork and speared a bite.
Arctos watched her chew. She made little humming noises in the back of her throat while she did so. It made him wonder what kind of noises she’d make if they made love. He shifted as his flight suit tightened against his groin, then sniffed the food once more. Caitlin continued to watch him, her gaze reserved, but hopeful.
“Have you ever had chili-mac?” she asked, taking another bite.
“No.” He met her shimmering eyes.
“It’s pretty good, if you like chili.”
Arctos didn’t know if he liked chili, but it didn’t matter. Caitlin had prepared this meal for him and he intended to eat every bite. He lifted his fork tentatively. “Smells good,” he said, not wanting to hurt her feelings. In truth, it smelled odd. The predator in him wanted meat. Though he detected some kind of meat, it wasn’t anything he was familiar with. “What are the red things?” he asked, pushing them around his plate.
“Beans,” she said and frowned a little.
He poked at something else. “And the long pale skinny things?”
“Noodles,” she said slowly. “You’ve really never had noodles and beans before?”
He shook his head. “No, this is the first time. My diet is made up of mainly protein.”
“Ah.” She laughed and her shoulders relaxed a little. “You’re one of those kind of guys.”
Arctos took a bite and chewed it quickly. It actually tasted far better than it looked. Sweet, yet spicy and full of flavor. “I don’t know what you mean,” he said, watching her closely. Did she suspect his true nature? Without the final bond, he didn’t know for sure.
“True carnivores,” Caitlin said as if that was obvious.
Arctos nodded in agreement. She had no idea how accurate that statement was.
“I’ve met a few guys like you, but not many,” she said around another bite.
His lips twitched. He could almost guarantee that she’d never met anyone like him, but he wasn’t about to correct her. Instead, Arctos plunged his fork into the food and looked at her. “I admit I do love succulent meat. The sweeter, the better,” he said, allowing his gaze to slowly scroll over her from head to foot, before reversing direction. By the time he finished, Caitlin’s ears were glowing.
She cleared her throat. “Yes, well, I’m glad you like the chili-mac.”
“Thank you for making it,” he said. “Had I known you were planning to prepare a meal for me, I wouldn’t have hunted the rabbits.”
“How did you catch them by the way?” Caitlin asked. “I didn’t see any holes, so you couldn’t have used your gun. Did you use a trap?”
Arctos shifted again. He’d caught them with his teeth and claws. He didn’t want to lie to her, but he could hardly tell the truth. “Neither was necessary,” he said, noncommittally. “What are you drinking?”
“Coffee, want some?”
“Sure.” He watched her pour the dark liquid into his cup. It was hot and bitter to the taste, but strangely good. Arctos finished his cup in record time and asked for another.
* * * * *
Caitlin was only too happy to oblige. Arctos seemed to be genuinely grateful that she’d cooked for him. For a minute, she’d thought she had made a huge mistake. Fortunately, when he’d returned from cleaning his hands, he’d been in a better mood. It had bolstered her confidence enough to actually enjoy the meal.
She still couldn’t believe that he’d never tasted beans or noodles. Where had he been living, under a rock? Caitlin would never be able to survive on meat alone. She loved noodles too much.
“So.” She pushed her empty plate back. “Do you live around here?”
Arctos put his fork down. “No, I’m just visiting.”
“Me, too.” She grinned.
“You do not live here?” From his perplexed expression, she could tell he was surprised by her answer.
“Why would you think that?” she asked.
“Because of the bears and Michael. You said--”
She held up her hand, cutting him off. “I don’t want to talk about Mike. Okay? I feel bad enough about the situation. I’ve never stood anyone up before.”
Arctos looked like he had no idea what she was talking about, but nodded in acceptance anyway. “What would you like to discuss?” he asked.
“You,” she said. “I mean you saved my life, but I don’t know anything about you.” Caitlin played with the edge of the material covering the table to give her hands something to do.
“Does it matter?” he a
sked, his expression serious.
Surprised by his question, she paused. His gaze didn’t waver. If anything it grew even more intense.
“Yes,” she said. “It does to me.”
He sat back and crossed his leg until his foot rested on his knee. “Very well, ask away. I will do my best to answer your questions if that is what you truly desire.”
She dished up more chili-mac onto his plate, then scooted back, mirroring his actions. “How did you get me away from the polar bear?”
“I challenged it,” he said matter-of-factly. “The bear wasn’t about to give you up without a fight…and neither was I.”
Caitlin’s stomach fluttered at his unexpected confession. She pushed the odd sensation aside, not wanting to get sidetracked from the most important point. “What do you mean you challenged it?”
He picked up his fork and took a bite. The tension stretched between them. Caitlin thought for a moment that Arctos wasn’t going to answer, but he surprised her again.
“I fought it in order to protect you,” he said quietly.
Caitlin’s heart sped in her chest. He couldn’t be serious. She’d never had anyone fight for her. Not even on the playground. She wasn’t the type of woman that men fought over, much less took on a bear for.
Sure, she cleaned up well, but Caitlin knew deep down that she’d never be anything but blissfully average. She’d learned that long ago and made peace with it. “Thanks,” she said, knowing it sounded lame and rather unsubstantial under the circumstances.
“Don’t thank me,” he snapped. “I failed.”
Startled by the veracity of his claim, Caitlin slowly looked down at her body and said, “Doesn’t look like you failed to me.”
“You were injured. Horribly,” he croaked, as if it hurt to say the words.
Caitlin didn’t understand where his pain was coming from. They’d survived the ordeal. He should be happy or at the very least grateful. “Without your help, I’d be dead,” she said. “So I’m going to call it a win.”
They fell silent once more. Caitlin took the opportunity to mull over what she’d learned thus far. Not much, she decided, since it was obvious that there was more going on here than she realized.
Arctos cleared his plate. “The meal was delicious.”
“No, it wasn’t, but thanks for saying so.” Caitlin picked up their plates and deposited them in the sink. She just couldn’t let it go. She had to know. “I don’t understand how you managed to fight off a polar bear and only get a scratch.”
“Is it important?” His dark eyes held so many secrets, so many promises. Secrets she was dying to know, but didn’t think she was ready to hear.
“No.” Caitlin shook her head, then added, “It’s just that I’ve never had anyone do something like that for me.”
“I’m sure Michael would’ve done the same in those circumstances,” Arctos said. There was an edge to his voice that hadn’t been there before.
“Doubtful,” Caitlin replied without thinking, then glanced at his side. She hadn’t managed to get him patched up yet. She should’ve done that before he went out hunting. The last thing they needed was for the predators to follow the blood trail back to the cabin.
She might have gotten a scratch, but he’d been injured during the encounter with the bear. Injured defending her. Fighting for her. It was probably why she had so much blood on her jacket. Even though it went against everything that she believed in, Caitlin felt a small thrill from Arctos’ heroics. “Take your shirt off,” she said, reaching for the First Aid kit.
* * * * *
Arctos stilled at her uttered command. In his current condition, he didn’t think undressing was a good idea. “Why?” he asked, wondering what she was up to.
“I need to bandage your wound and put some salve on it. We don’t want it to get infected.” She rummaged around in the small metal box.
“It won’t,” he said.
Caitlin stopped what she was doing and looked at him. Her brow rose as she stared. “Don’t tell me that you’re afraid of a little ointment and a bandage. You can take on a bear, but not some medicine that might sting.” She laughed, then went back to gathering materials.
Arctos’ body tensed. He wasn’t afraid of anything—or at least he hadn’t been until he’d met her. He rose slowly out of his seat, then grasped the corners of his flight suit and pulled it apart, baring himself to the waist.
“That’s bett…” The word died on her lips as her gaze locked onto his chest. Her throat worked convulsively as she struggled to speak.
Had he known this would be the effect, Arctos would’ve removed his clothing long ago. It took all of his training as a Phantom Warrior to keep him rooted in place as Caitlin drank her fill.
The last time a woman had looked at him like that she’d ended up on her back with her legs spread wide and his face buried between her thighs. If Caitlin kept this up, she’d find herself in a similar position. The thought was beyond tempting.
He gripped the material to keep from reaching for her. “You asked me to remove my shirt. I have done so,” he said, feeling the hot lick of her hungry gaze caress his overheated skin.
Caitlin cleared her throat. “S-so I did,” she said, breathlessly.
“If you like, I can remove more.” His gaze pinned her in place, daring her to ask for what she so obviously desired.
Her eyes widened and her hands shot out in a halting motion. “No! I mean, no, that’s quite enough. I should be able to take care of everything this way.” She indicated to his side, but her traitorous gaze kept returning to his chest.
* * * * *
Chapter Four
Caitlin couldn’t tear her eyes away from Arctos. He was a work of art in flesh form. Other than the scratch marks on his side, there wasn’t a blemish marring his pale skin. She’d never seen a chest so plated with muscle. The heavy folds of his eight-pack rippled at his waist, forming a deep ‘V’ that disappeared into the bottom of his snowsuit. He was flawless. Impossibly so. And by far the most beautiful man that she’d ever laid eyes on.
Until this moment, Caitlin had never understood how Allie could fall for a guy at first sight. Her friend had called it ‘lust at first sight’. According to Allie, love quickly followed. Caitlin had always considered the notion fanciful and beyond shallow. Something that would never—could never happen to her. And for twenty-six years it hadn’t…until now.
“Caitlin?” he asked.
Moisture drained from her mouth, leaving it drier than a daisy in the Sahara. She blinked when he repeated her name. A fresh wave of embarrassment hit as she realized what she’d been doing. OMG! She, Caitlin Kelly had been gawking like an unschooled teen.
“Sorry.” She forced herself to look away. “Almost ready,” she croaked.
She turned back to the First Aid kit and rifled through it, even though she’d already gathered everything she needed. Caitlin used the moment to get her pounding heart and scattered wits under control. Somehow she’d wandered into foreign territory and was now clearly out of her depth. Where was Allie when she needed her?
Caitlin seriously considered running to the bathroom, so she could call her friend for advice. The idea was quickly dismissed when she realized there was no way she could get to the phone without Arctos seeing her. Besides, she had pretty good idea what Allie would say already. Caitlin took a deep breath. You can do this, she thought. Just think about cleaning toilets, scrubbing dirty pots, or waiting tables.
“Ready.” She turned back to him.
Arctos’ lips twitched in amusement. “Where do you want me?”
She groaned inwardly as a small voice inside her head screamed ‘the bed’. “The chair is fine.” She pointed to the one closest to the fire. “Have a seat over there in the light. I want to see how bad it is.”
“It’s fine,” he said. “Soon it will be completely healed.”
“So you keep saying.”
The light from the flames danced over his skin as
Caitlin bent over to take a closer look at his injury. She tried to hold her breath, but all that accomplished was to make her dizzy. She inhaled, focusing on the nearly healed wound. Arctos smelled of woods and man. Caitlin closed her eyes and counted to five. As she did, his scent seemed to change, growing richer, muskier, almost sensual in nature. Caitlin stood abruptly and swayed.
Arctos reached out to steady her. “Are you okay?” He peered up at her, his lids resting at half-mast, effectively veiling his eyes.
“Fine.” She stepped away abruptly, shaken by the sensations buzzing through her body. “Just had a bit of a head rush. Probably didn’t eat enough. I’m going to get the salve.” Caitlin hiked her thumb over her shoulder.
* * * * *
Arctos watched her reach for the small jar and unscrew the top. He could smell the changes happening in his body. There was only one reason his aphrodisiac-like pheromones would flood his system—to ensnare his mate. Could that mean Caitlin really was his true-mate or was it a sign that the first bond had taken hold? Hope balanced on a fine blade of fear. Arctos wanted—no needed more than a forced connection between them.
Caitlin returned with her fingers covered in goo. “This might sting,” she said, then rubbed the thick substance onto the scratches.
Arctos flinched as she ran her hand over his bare flesh.
“Sorry.” She gently blew on his side.
Goosebumps rose on his arms, hardening his flat nipples. Blood rushed from his head straight to his shaft, filling it in record time. He gripped the arms of the chair until his knuckles turned white.
“It should stop hurting in a minute.” Her gaze skittered away from his blatant erection.
Arctos clenched his jaw until his teeth ached. “The pain I feel isn’t due to the treatment.”
Caitlin swallowed audibly, then picked up the bandage. She placed it over the wound and taped it to his uninjured skin. “All done.” She started to walk away, but Arctos stopped her.
Phantom Warriors Volume 1 (Novel length) Page 12