by Jo Larue
Sylas beat a quick path back to her Jeep and raced home. Speed limits be damned! He had to get back before she suspected something was up besides his throbbing cock. Fuck! He wanted her badly and there was no relief in sight. He arrived home and jumped in the shower. He was never one to play the one-fisted flute, but there was no way he could go back to her in his condition.
Just the image of her bent over, exposing her sweet folds to him did the trick. He almost fell to his knees as the orgasm rocked him to his core. It wasn’t what he truly wanted or needed, but he felt he could manage being around her again… for now.
Sylas finished his shower, dressed and raided his pantry for a case of water in record time. The beer he would get on the way back to her house. Picking up everything he needed and shoving it all into the back of the Jeep, he headed back, stopping at the local liquor store for beer and wine.
When he finally arrived, she was waiting for him at the door. She looked good with a loose braid lying over her shoulder, so much so that he had to taste her. “Hey Beautiful. I missed you.” He pulled her to him and she went willingly. He pressed a kiss to her forehead as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Bending his head down, he dipped his tongue deep within, stroking her with it, as he wanted to do elsewhere.
When they finally came up for air, she was staring into his eyes. He knew they were glowing brightly just like every other time he kissed her. He knew she could see it, and yet she never said anything about it. It was another thing he loved about her. That single, solitary word hit him like a brick wall. He did love her. He hoped that even if she wasn’t the one, he could spend a lifetime, her lifetime showing her she was loved. She deserved it. He wanted to wipe all her pain away, remove it from her eyes and replace it with love for him.
“You just left, how could you miss me in so short a time?” She was grinning at him.
Sylas knew she was teasing him and it felt good. It meant she was starting to relax more in his presence, which also meant she was beginning to trust him. Now he needed to keep the wolves at bay. He was not about to lose her, now that he’d found her. Returning her smile was easy.
“Chance, any time away from you is too long. Besides, who else would I want to kiss like this?” and he leaned her back in his arms and starting at the nape of her neck, he ran kisses all the way up until he reached her lips. She giggled just as he was about to dive in for another. “What, don’t you trust me?”
She giggled some more and replied “I so have a picture of Edward and Bella in my head right now!”
“Ah, but I’m not a sparkly, cold assed Vampire. Team Jacob here,” he threw out, testing the waters while there was an opportunity. Sometimes innocent discussions gave the most informative answers, and he got it with her reply.
“I prefer warmth over cold and besides, Jacob had the better body,” she replied pulling him in for another kiss. He pulled them both up out of the dip.. “I think if we continue this, we won’t make it back to Jack’s,” he whispered in her ear. He felt a shudder run its course down her body from the heat of his breath and he smiled, liking the effect he had on her.
“You ready, babe? Point me to your things and let’s get this party started. We’re losing daylight.” She nodded and he finished loading the Jeep, while she locked up the house. Right after they pulled out, Sylas caught sight of a black SUV that had just passed them in the rear view mirror. It was turning into her subdivision and there was a very strong scent of wolf trailing along with it. “Fuck! How did they find her so fast?” he thought as he fought to control his anger. It wouldn’t do any good for Chance to see him angry for no reason.
Sylas distracted himself by playing a game of movie trivia with Chance, since she was such a fan. They bantered and discussed right up until they pulled into Jack’s driveway. He’d gleaned her favorite movies were the Underworld and Twilight series, but the top of the list was Serenity. He’d not seen it and she made him promise to someday sit with her and watch it. Turned out Jack owned the movie and they all watched it while eating dinner. They gathered in the living room and Chance curled up next to him on the couch. He laughed when she would quote her favorite parts word for word.
He was so engrossed in the movie that he didn’t notice Chance had fallen asleep and was lightly snoring, until the credits started rolling. He smiled and extricated himself gently away from her, easing her back on the couch and covering her with a throw. She stayed asleep, looking like an angel… his angel. An angel he would die to protect, only she wasn’t exactly his yet and she definitely wasn’t defenseless. Her face was serene and her lips were turned up in a small smile, one he hoped he’d put there.
Looking at Jack, he jerked his head towards the back door. As soon as they were outside and the door was shut, Sylas let loose. “They’ve fucking found her, Jack! I saw a wolf pulling into her subdivision as I was leaving. He didn’t notice us but I sure as hell smelled his rank ass!”
“Shit Sy, if you go back and try to take him out, you’ll be tipping them off that they, in fact, do have her.”
Sylas started pacing. “I know and I’m lost as to what to do. This is a first for me, Jack. I can’t tell her who we are yet. I still don’t know if she’s the one. It puts all of us in jeopardy if she’s not my mate.”
Jack sighed in feigned frustration. Of the two of them, he always seemed cool and collected, and Sylas counted on it to keep straight. “I think you could tell her the human part of it, Sylas. Tell her you heard the bikers from the bar are looking for her. Tell her you saw one of them in her neighborhood, and maybe we can convince her to stay here.”
“So many ifs, Jack. I’ll try this approach, but I don’t like it. I don’t like starting a relationship on lies, especially when I just gained a little of her trust. At least it’s truth in a white lie. If I lose her over this, I swear the whole pack will go down and they will know the reason when they take their last breaths.”
“I never thought I’d see you like this, and it’s long overdue, bro. You’ve given me back my faith. If you can fall this deeply for a woman you’ve known less than a week, then she has to be the one. There’s no other explanation for it, Sy, and I’ll be there to make sure it happens.”
I’ve only known her 3 or 4 days? Was she mine forever? Sylas had thousands of questions running through his mind, but he desperately needed some Chance therapy. She’d become his place of Zen in his fucked up world. She made him laugh when he’d forgotten how. He suddenly realized his boredom was gone and he was finally living life, as it should be. She’d completely changed his life for the better in a few short days.
Sylas went back inside, determined to tell Chance the white lie, but it could wait until morning. She was sleeping soundly. He gently picked her up and walked to the same bed they’d used the night before. He managed to pull off her shoes and tuck her back under the covers without waking her. He removed his shoes and joined her, back on top of the covers. Pulling her into his chest, he curled himself around her, breathing in her scent. Honey and wine is what she smelled and tasted like. He closed his eyes and dreamed of showers and lost towels.
Chapter 16
Chance woke up wrapped in security. This time she knew where she was and with whom. She hadn’t realized she was tired when they sat down to watch the movie, but she must have fallen asleep. She wanted to spend more quality time with Sylas last night, alone, but it was good. They would have plenty of time for that. Less than a week ago she would never have allowed a man this close and now she couldn’t imagine not having him next to her. Now it was a matter of getting through her fears and letting the rest of her walls down.
Chance slipped out of bed and walked to the kitchen. This time she was the first one there. She made a pot of coffee and started some bacon. A simple and quick breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, grits and toast sounded good. She started a pot of salted water boiling and cracked the eggs to scramble them. Right when the coffee finished brewing she heard someone padding down the hallway.
“Over my dead body, old man.”
Chance turned to see Sylas in the doorway. He was leaning with his hip against the frame and had his arms crossed over his chest watching her. He gave her one of his special smiles. She returned it and blushed. “You were sleeping so peacefully, I couldn’t bear to wake you. Hope your both hungry. Southern style breakfast coming right up.”
Jack set the table, while Sylas helped her finish cooking. Every once in a while he would stand behind her and wrap his arms around her waist, pulling her back against him. It felt good to have him so close and she could get very used to having him there. It was the first time she could remember ever feeling this way and it brought her trepidation, mixed with elation. How things had advanced this far was very confusing, but in a good way. Four days ago, if someone had touched her this way, they would have been put swiftly on the ground, before any explanations could be given. Now though? This man made her feel wanted, like she had found a sense of home in his arms.
Chance plated the eggs and bacon, left the grits in the pot and brought it all to the table. She found a tomato in the fridge and sliced it, adding it to the small feast. Sylas finished the toast and brought it with him.
Chance smiled as they gave their approval to her cooking. When they all finished and cleaned up, Sylas called them back to the table. Chance grew concerned when she saw his face. He wasn’t smiling anymore and seemed a bit on edge. The muscle in his cheek was ticking and his lips were pressed into a thin line. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what was wrong. She was starting to get comfortable with him, and this was definitely scaring her. She edged into her seat, ready to run if she needed to. Self-preservation was trying to kick into first gear.
Jack reached over and patted her on the arm, trying to reassure her, but she only had eyes for Sylas.
“I have something to tell you babe, and I’m not sure how to begin. It concerns you and your safety.”
Chance relaxed a little. She was sure this was going in a totally different direction. The thought he was married or seeing someone else had been at the forefront of her mind. “Okay, but I don’t understand. Why wouldn’t I be safe?”
“You remember the fight in the bar with the bikers?”
“Yes, but…”
Sylas raised his hand. It was a polite, but silent request to let him finish. “I have it through the grapevine, and Jack has confirmed it. The man who attacked you in the bar was a gang leader and he wants revenge. When we left your house last night, I saw one of the bikers entering your subdivision. He wasn’t on a motorcycle but in a SUV.”
Jack piped in when she turned to look at him in shock. “These guys are known to be very hostile towards women, Chance, and you took down the head guy. Now they know where you live. I don’t know how they found you, but Sy and I would feel more comfortable if you stayed here for a little while.”
“Is this what you two were talking about the other night at the party? And why didn’t you say something to me then?”
Sylas answered the questions, his face etched with worry. “That is my fault, Chance. I was sure they wouldn’t be able to find you so quickly. Please forgive me, but when it comes to you I am a bit over protective. Please try to understand that I know you can handle yourself, but this is an entire gang after you, not just one or two people. I was serious when I said we were here for you. We won’t let you face them alone, Chance. I wouldn’t even if you left right now and told me you never wanted to see me again. I would still be there for you.”
Chance looked down at her hands and thought about what he said. She wouldn’t be alone and that was key. Sylas got up, nervously pacing while she contemplated. She wasn’t used to having someone else to think about, or worry about before. She felt she could handle this fine, but it was Sylas and Jack she was concerned over. They were there too, and if she wasn’t safe, neither were they.
Chance’s life had completely turned some major corners in the last week. Did she want this? She wasn’t sure. Was she ready for it? No. She only knew that the thought of not having Sylas in her life any longer was the real tragedy and that thought she could not bear. Did she like him? Yes. Did she love him? No, but there was a real chance she could in time. She still had her demons to deal with and dragging an unsuspecting person into her hell did not seem right.
Quietly she said, “I couldn’t do that, Sylas.”
She looked up to see alarm written all over his face. That fact alone spoke volumes about the man standing in front of her. Shaking her head slightly, she continued, “What I mean is I wouldn’t ask you to leave. I have to admit, I like this thing we seem to be sharing, but it is confusing me. I know this will sound corny, but these past few days with you have been the best days I can ever remember. I’m not ready to walk away from this and I’m not really sure why. You both feel like family, each in your own way.”
Her answer must have quieted some of Sylas’ nerves, because she heard him sigh, but he was still pacing. “What about my house and things. I worked hard for them. I know it sounds selfish, but growing up without has made them all the more precious to me.”
Jack patted her hand again. “I can take care of that for you, Chance, no worries. We want you to be safe and you are safer here with us, than you’d be there alone. It doesn’t have to be a long time. We both feel the need to protect you until we know the threat is gone. Will you let us do that and stay here until then?”
“I’m not worried about my safety, so much as I am yours. You both were there and that worries me too. But yes, if it makes you both feel better, I will stay… for a while. I want a promise from both of you though, no more secrets after today. Okay?”
Jack looked at Sylas and he came over to sit down next to her. “Chance there are some things that I want desperately to tell you, but I can’t right now. Can you accept that I will tell them to you when the time is right? And for the record, as far as we know now, Jack and I are not on their radar, just you.”
“Are you married or seeing someone else?” she blurted out before she could put a zipper on her mouth, ignoring the rest of his statement.
Sylas laughed for the first time since they started this conversation. “No babe, you are the only woman in my life and the only one I care to know. I swear to you, I will tell you everything later. I think this is enough for now, if you are okay with this and us. I told you before, no pressure, but I needed to know you would be safe.”
“You and I are going to have a long talk later, Sylas, and you both are going to get lessons in the martial arts. Like I said, I’m not worried about me, but I am about you. You both are good fighters, but you both lack some finesse. I can give you the edge you are lacking. You both have strength, but power alone will not always win in the end. Since you are taking care of me, it is only fair that I take care of you.” She smiled at them both with a “don’t-fight-me-on-this” look on her face.
“Now we need to go. We have meetings and we’ll be late if we don’t leave in the next thirty minutes. Round it up boys, we have things to do.” Sylas stood up and she joined him. She grabbed his arm before he could walk away, pulling him into her. Reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck, she pulled his lips to hers. This time she was the one letting him know how she felt. She kissed him for all she was worth, then stepped back and away, leaving him both stunned and breathless.
Chapter 17
The scenic route to the property was breathtaking to say the least. Chance drove this time and Jack followed in his Rover. The drive gave Sylas plenty of time to think, since Chance was unusually quiet. It bothered him that her beautiful smile disappeared with his news this morning. It seemed he had taken four giant steps back in his progress with her. Then he remembered the kiss. She had taken his breath away in one simple act. It seemed despera
te and yet very passionate, like she was trying to say everything inside her head with one mind-blowing kiss. She was tough, but kept that shyness that was so contradictory. He loved it when she blushed, which was often.
Chance was definitely still worried about his news and he tried to reassure her by taking and holding her free hand while she drove. She stayed silent, but passed him a smile that didn’t seem to reach her eyes. He gave her hand a squeeze and said, “I’m so sorry babe. I know I dropped a major bomb on you this morning. I hate this more than you know.”
Chance didn’t reply and Sylas didn’t know how to fix it. He noticed Chance’s demeanor this morning. He could tell right away that she was ready to bolt. She calmed down quickly enough, but now he was worried about telling her the rest. She was definitely a runner and Sylas wasn’t sure how to handle it. Would she run when or if this situation went bad, or would she stand and fight?