by Bianca D'Arc
Grif deposited her in the middle of a spacious living room and kissed her for all he was worth. For a moment out of time, only the two of them existed in the entire world. And then she heard the wolf whistles from the hallway by the door.
Grif let her go and they turned to find Matt, Steve and the new guy all grinning from ear to ear, stomping their feet, clapping and cheering them on. Lindsey had to laugh at their reaction. Not only did it take away some of her nervousness, but it also made her feel almost giddy with reflected joy.
“Kitten, that’s my brother, Bob,” Grif introduced the new man, then called to him. “Where’s Mag?”
“No idea. He’s been scarce since he took that lady vamp away.” Bob frowned for a moment, but his expression quickly cleared. He moved closer as Grif let Lindsey go completely. “Nice to finally meet you, Lindsey. I’ve heard lots of good things about you. Welcome to the family.” Bob gave her a big hug that felt truly welcoming and she lost a little more of her nervousness.
“Thanks,” she whispered, a little overwhelmed by having four of the Redstone brothers in such a comparatively small space. The room had looked really big when she’d entered, but these guys were all huge and they took up a lot of room.
“You guys must be tired after all the traveling. I’ll bring in the luggage and see you in the morning if you turn in before I’m through,” he said, already heading for the door. Matt went with him outside, pitching in, while Grif escorted Lindsey toward the staircase.
“I’ll show you around and where we’ll sleep. I have to check a few things before I join you. It’s always tough coming back when I’ve been away for a while. There are a million details,” Grif began as they walked up the wide staircase.
“It’s okay. I understand.” She smothered a yawn. “I’m pretty tired, so finding a bed sounds like a really good idea.”
Grif steered her down a hallway, pointing out who the various doors belonged to. It seemed every one of the brothers had a room of his own in the house, as well as one for Belinda.
“This one,” Grif paused outside the second to last closed door. He had to clear his throat before he continued. “This was my mother’s room. Nobody’s been in there since she was killed, but I think, in time, you might be able to learn a little bit about who she was and her role in the Clan by seeing how she lived. She made me take the master suite when we moved in to this house, hoping I’d bring a mate home sooner or later, I guess.” He closed his eyes briefly and hung his head. “I wish you’d gotten to meet her. I think she would have loved you, Lindsey.”
His voice was a whisper that went straight to her heart. Lindsey moved closer to his side, putting an arm around his waist and leaning into him.
“I wish I could’ve known her too. She had to be a very special woman to raise such a wonderful family.”
Grif leaned down and kissed her. “Thanks.” They stayed there for a moment more before he turned to resume their walk down the hallway.
He threw open the last door and then surprised her by lifting her into his arms again, carrying her over the threshold into the master suite. It was a big room. Bigger than any bedroom she’d ever slept in. And she could see a luxurious bathroom through the open door off to the right.
But Grif didn’t give her much of a chance to take in the sights. He kicked the door shut and made straight for the huge bed, depositing her gently on its plush surface and following her down. She barely had time to breathe before he captured her mouth in a devastating kiss.
Clothes disappeared quickly as Grif went after what they both wanted. It had been too long since they’d been free to come together. Too much had happened that had almost driven them apart forever. It was time to reaffirm the love that continued to blossom and grow between them.
Lindsey welcomed him into her body gladly, meeting his thrusts with eager cries. She vaguely wondered if maybe the others in the house knew what they were up to, but then Grif touched her in just the right spot and it didn’t seem to matter anymore. Let the men envy their love. Knowing the brothers, they’d keep little ears away until it was safe. The Redstones could be relied upon to protect their little sister. She knew that for a fact.
Grif brought her to peak after peak as he stroked deep within her body. He hadn’t taken time to do much but get her naked and lower his pants enough to get inside her, but she didn’t care. The rough rasp of his denim jeans against her calves was a sensory delight that reinforced how strongly he wanted her. It also reminded her how impatient she was to take him as well. They were well matched and she would spend the rest of her days proving it.
She shouted his name as she came for the final time, taking him with her. She felt the magic of their union, the heat of their joining, the beauty of their love, with everything in her.
She must’ve dozed for a bit, for when she woke, she was under the sheet, a pillow tucked under her head. Grif had taken care of her when she was too stunned to do so.
“Now that’s the kind of welcome home I like,” he said, leaning over her and placing a lingering kiss on her lips.
He was dressed once more—which is to say, he’d pulled up his jeans and buttoned his shirt. It was a little wrinkled, but they’d been traveling all day, so maybe the wrinkles had come from sitting in various vehicles and not from the way she’d been fisting the cotton in her hands as he’d taken her. Yeah, that could be it. She had to laugh at her own musings as he lifted away from her.
“You’re not coming to bed?” Damn. She sounded even more needy to her own ears than she’d thought she would. She didn’t want to be too clingy. Men hated clingy women.
“Not yet, though I wish I could. I have to make certain of a few things before I’ll rest easy. Most of the Clan is still awake. Many of us keep late hours. Nighttime is the best time to prowl.” He chuckled as he gave her a last, quick kiss before rising from the side of the bed. “Get some rest. I’ll be back in an hour or two and then we’ll see about round two.” He winked as he left her and she had to laugh at his naughty words.
She was already looking forward to round two, as he put it, but she didn’t quite know if she’d make it. She hadn’t been able to sleep on the plane and the night before had been one of the most dramatic of her life. She was exhausted and already yawning before he closed the door behind him.
She took only a minute to use the bathroom and clean up a bit before climbing between the soft sheets once more and drifting away into a blissful sleep.
Chapter Sixteen
When Lindsey woke, Grif was in bed with her. In fact, he was naked and she was spooned in his arms. It was a lovely way to wake, but the sun was shining behind the gauzy curtains in the window. He hadn’t woken her in the night for round two and she was concerned he hadn’t come to bed until the wee hours of the morning.
She didn’t want to wake him, but she needed to get up. Creeping out of bed wasn’t her strong suit, but she somehow tiptoed into the master bath without making too much noise. Grif had grunted when she’d left his arms, but she didn’t think he’d woken up. She wanted to let him sleep since he probably needed the rest.
Besides, Lindsey had been eyeing the decadent bathtub he had secreted in that giant bathroom last night. It had water jets and looked big enough to fit two. She wanted to try it and if Grif woke up and found her there, well, who knows where that would lead?
That happy thought in mind, she turned on the faucets and let the tub fill while she took care of other things. By the time she was ready, the bathtub was steaming and full enough to at least get started. She stepped in feeling very lavish and extravagant. And she had to smile when she hit the switch that turned on the jets.
“Is this a private party or can poor, lonely mates join in?” Grif’s voice came to her from the door to the bathroom, through a fine mist of steam generated by the water.
“I thought you’d never ask,” she replied, feeling playful.
Grif joined her a moment later, shutting off the taps as the water level rose dangerousl
y high with the addition of his large body to the giant tub. They both laughed as he opened the drain to take out a little bit of the water for safety’s sake. It wouldn’t do to flood the place on their first morning together.
“My brothers would never let us live it down if we needed a mop to clean up in here when we’re through,” he said, adjusting the water level until he was satisfied. “I’ve never had company in here.”
“I find that hard to believe,” she replied quickly, rethinking her words as she spoke them. Grif wasn’t the type to expose his family to temporary affairs, even though she was certain he’d had many.
Cats were frisky, he kept telling her. She couldn’t blame him for sewing wild oats. She just hoped that now that they were a couple, those days were over. They were for her and she had to believe it was like that for him as well.
“I’ll admit I had my share of fun,” Grif said, coming close to her and putting his arm around her shoulders. He lifted her legs, one at a time with his under the water, settling her half-on and half-off his lap. “But once we shifters mate, it’s for life. You’re the only woman who will share my bath and my bed and wherever else we make love, for the rest of my days.” He sealed his words with a tender kiss.
“Likewise,” she whispered, almost unable to speak once he let her up for air. She was dazed by his ardor, spellbound by his passion. And the fog in the air all around them gave the whole scene a magical, mysterious feel.
Grif lowered them both into the water until just their heads rested against the sloped sides of the tub, just above the water line. His hands and even his feet teased her skin, rubbing all over, slipping and sliding against each other under the bubbly water.
He let her ride him when she pushed him back against the back of the tub and they made waves together, riding each one higher and higher until they both came in a shower of light and pleasure…and water.
They were both laughing later as they used big towels to mop up the evidence of their exuberance from the bathroom floor. Lindsey promised to sneak the wet towels into the laundry while Grif distracted his brothers later that day. It was fun to conspire with him on something so innocent and lighthearted. She didn’t really care if they got busted for making a mess by his brothers, but it was kind of cute that he would care for her feelings. It was clear he wanted to spare her embarrassment. She doubted he would give a damn what his brothers thought of his mating habits.
Heck, they’d probably seen it all before.
And on that scandalous thought, Lindsey headed out of the bathroom to find some clothes. She found that her suitcases had been delivered to the hall outside their room sometime during the night and Grif had brought them in while she’d been in the bathroom. As a result, she had her full wardrobe to choose from.
She chose a colorful outfit of knit separates that didn’t wrinkle no matter how long and how tightly they’d been crammed into her suitcase. When she was finished dressing and doing her hair, she looked neat and if not professional, then at least she looked friendly.
Her clothes weren’t anything special or expensive, but she thought she looked okay for meeting people. They’d have to accept her as she was because she had never been rich and didn’t pretend to know how someone with the kind of money the Redstones apparently had, usually acted. The brothers had been friendly and kind around her. She hoped the rest of their people would be the same.
Grif dropped a kiss on her lips as he met her near the door to the hall. He was dressed in jeans and a nice white dress shirt. He looked good enough to eat, but she knew spending the entire day in his room making love wasn’t really an option. It would only postpone the inevitable and she’d done that long enough as it was.
Besides, she was hungry. Her tummy growled as Grif opened the door and they both laughed as they went downstairs. They followed the source of cooking smells to a light and airy kitchen at the back of the house.
It was like a gourmet’s dream kitchen and Lindsey couldn’t believe she would be allowed to use the state of the art appliances, if she wanted. She loved to cook and this room was like a showplace, full of wonder and what she hoped would be hours of joy to come.
“Wow,” she breathed, walking through the kitchen. Grif was beaming at her side.
“I designed the kitchen with my mother’s input. She chose the appliances and we went from there. What do you think?”
“It’s gorgeous, Grif.” She twirled to take in the whole space, getting a three hundred and sixty degree view. Matt was finishing up at the stove and Bob was ferrying plates into the room next door. “It’s really awesome.”
“Glad you like it.”
He put his hand at her back and ushered her into the next room, which proved to be a spacious dining room that looked out through large windows and a glass door to the backyard. She could see an orderly garden back there. A green oasis in the middle of the desert. It was almost magical.
Grif seated her at the large table. Belinda and Steve were there before her, along with two other people she hadn’t met.
“Lindsey, this is the Clan’s new priestess, Kate, and her new mate, Slade. I asked them to join us this morning so you could meet them first,” Grif said as he claimed the seat at her side.
She nodded uncertainly at first at the other couple, but they seemed open enough to her senses, so she began to think what she’d heard about them. She knew their names. The soldiers had discussed them with Grif a few times.
“We met your sister, Millie,” Lindsey offered with a small smile as she shook Slade’s big hand.
“Yeah, I heard.” He frowned a bit, causing her to wonder if she’d said the wrong thing, but the woman at his side reached around him to shake Lindsey’s hand.
“Don’t worry about him. He’s not happy his sister is working with a bunch of soldiers. Apparently she didn’t run it past him before she took off for Wyoming and he’s still miffed.”
Lindsey liked Kate’s open manner and firm handshake but she didn’t quite know what to say in response.
“Dig in while it’s hot,” Bob broke in, seating himself as Matt joined them with the last heaping platter of food.
There were eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, waffles and oatmeal. More food and variety than she could really handle. But the men dug in with gusto while she and Kate shared humorous looks. Kate seemed really nice and as breakfast commenced, the conversation was kept to light topics. Lindsey was able to get to know the new couple, as well as Bob, a little better. So far, so good.
When they’d decimated the platters and Belinda and Matt had started to ferry the empties back into the kitchen, Grif suggested he and Lindsey take a little walk with the new couple and Steve. Lindsey guessed they were going to talk business away from Belinda’s little ears, so she got up and joined the group headed for the backyard.
“What news do you have for me?” Grif asked as soon as the back door had shut behind them. They all drifted toward a picnic table set up in the shade of the biggest bird of paradise plant Lindsey had ever seen.
“Nothing good, I’m afraid,” Kate began. “Slade and I examined the body. He had tattoos, Grif. Magical ones that only we can see. Venifucus tattoos.”
“Fuck,” Grif cursed. “I knew that bastard was getting help from somewhere. He couldn’t have evaded all my trackers for so long if he hadn’t had support. Were they on his wrists?”
Grif had told her on the plane ride about how some of the evil agents of the ancient organization known as the Venifucus were marked with magical tattoos over the pulse points on their wrists. They’d talked about why it was so important to have the body checked and a lot of other things to pass the time on the flight home. She was glad now for the knowledge.
“One on the left wrist,” she confirmed. “And a few more. Alpha, they were in strange places.” Kate swallowed as if what she was about to say was painful. “There was one over his heart that radiated pure evil. We think it encoded some kind of spell.” She turned to her mate, probably seeking his supp
ort.
“We think it might be what caused him to kill his mate,” Slade stated with no sugar coating. “He also had one on his right temple and one at the base of his skull. Neither of us have ever seen anything like it. I called the Lords and their mate earlier because this might be too important to let sit, and they had no reports of anything like this either. It’s a mystery. And they’ve asked us to ship the body to them for further examination. With your permission, of course, Alpha,” Slade added, almost as an afterthought.
“They can have him, provided they promise me that after they’re done with him, his body will be burned and consecrated by a priestess. I don’t want his shade coming back to haunt us, if such things are possible. With all the ancient stuff that’s coming back now, I don’t want to find out those fairytales are true as well.”
“Neither do we,” Kate said with a touch of vehemence in her tone. “I’ll ask the High Priestess myself and make sure she understands, though I think they’ll be thinking along the same lines once they see the evil in his marks for themselves. It’s palpable. And for someone like me, they cry out to be cleansed,” Kate added.
“I’ll want you to accompany the body, Slade. I don’t trust this to anyone else. And one of my brothers will go with you. I don’t want you to let it out of your sight. Timmons had support from the Venifucus. I don’t want one of their agents taking him back, even in death.” Grif’s tone brooked no argument.
“Understood, Alpha. And I concur,” Slade replied very seriously.
This was a guy who didn’t mess around. Lindsey thought he was very much like some of the soldiers she’d met in Wyoming, but even more deadly, if that made any sense.
They were all quiet for a moment when a thought occurred to her.