Vincent pulled a curtain from the kitchen window and wrapped it around him. Probably with all the clothes-ripping, he’d become adept at finding ways to cover himself. “You still got my keys in your pocket?”
She patted her pants. “Yeah.”
“Nothing else we can do here. Let’s go.”
Chapter 12
Fortunately, his Jeep was unharmed. Ethan Kern must not have wanted to take the time to mess with it. Or knew if he did Vincent would fuck him up even more than he planned to. Which would be entirely correct.
Once inside the vehicle, Vincent cupped Gen’s face in his hands. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I hate like hell putting you in this kind of danger.”
“It’s okay, really it is. You had my back the whole time.”
He did, but still. A gun pointed in her direction…not a sight he wanted to see ever again. Shit, speaking of guns…He sent a quick text to the guy who gave him the Terminator. It could be deactivated remotely for situations just like this, so no one could study the technology. He started the car, and they drove in silence for a moment. A glance in her direction showed Gen appeared relatively calm. She stared straight ahead, her brow furrowed and lips compressed. Hopefully, shock wouldn’t set in. Gen was strong, but had been through a lot today.
“Call Susan, see if she’s okay.”
Gen tapped her phone, then spoke. “Susan, we want to make sure you’re all right. Please give me a call, or send a text when you get this.” She hung up. “I doubt she’ll say anything about Ethan Kern and this whole ordeal to anyone, unless he stops sending her money. She needs the cash, badly.”
“What Mark did, for her, for his family.” Vincent blew out a breath. “He had to know, going into that experiment, he might not come out alive.”
“Probably. But when you love someone—your family—I guess you do whatever it takes to make sure they’re provided for.”
Love. Family. Two of the most important things in the world, to some, and two things he’d denied himself for far too long. Time to break the old rules and make new ones. His pack had to move forward, to learn to change their ideas about relationships. Starting with him.
From the corner of his eye he saw Gen shiver.
“You cold? I’ll turn up the heat.”
“No, I think my body’s just reacting to all the excitement. Kind of winding down.”
“Reach around to the back of my seat; there’s a flask in the storage pocket.”
She pulled it out, took a sip, and made a face. “Whiskey?”
“Best thing for settling the nerves. Pass it over here.” He took a pull and handed it back before he was tempted to take another. And another.
Gen’s phone pinged. “Susan. She says she’s okay and doesn’t want us to contact her again.”
“Figures. I’m sure Kern told her she better keep her mouth shut.”
“We should…”
“No, we shouldn’t.”
“You don’t even know what I’m going to say.”
“Yes, I do. You’re going to be the caring person you are and say we need to help her. This is not our business. We’ll deal with Ethan Kern, but Susan and her family, not our concern.”
Gen said nothing, just folded her arms across her chest. More than likely, plotting how to change his mind. Too bad. Not going to happen on this subject. They would not get involved in a situation that didn’t concern them, no matter what Gen’s tender heart drove her to do.
She grabbed the flask from him and took another drink. “Bleh.” Then yawned. “I don’t believe I’m actually sleepy. After all this, you think I’d be wound up. I’m having a hard time keeping my eyes open.”
“Then shut them and get some rest. You might be having some effects from the Terminator.”
“You’re not?”
“My metabolism runs higher than yours. Than most people’s.”
She leaned her seat back. “What are we going to do next?”
“Look at the files I got, go from there. Sleep. I’ll get us home.”
Luckily, she did nod off. Conversation would be tough right now. The only thing keeping his temper in check was Gen. Fucking Ethan Kern. Vincent wanted nothing more than to go after him, right now, knock the shit out of him. Find out about Villano, or whoever he worked for. He wiped sweat from his forehead. Shifting so fast, then getting zapped with the Terminator must be messing with his emotions. What he should do, would do, was go home, look through the flash drive, and let Morgan and the rest of his crew help him catch the motherfucker. The right way, so no one else got hurt.
Like Gen. He glanced at her and his heart skipped a beat. She could have been killed. This amazing woman, who turned him on like no other and tugged at his soul. He knew. Knew he couldn’t fight it anymore. The desire filling every cell in his body and taking his breath away. That longing for love, for closeness, for passion, to fill his days and nights. He had to have her in his life, no matter what the cost. He couldn’t block out love, couldn’t let the past define the rest of his future. He would protect her as best he could and let life unfold the way it was meant to.
Though tempted to wake her, he didn’t. She needed sleep. Instead, he put in his ear buds and found a classical station to calm him. He’d hit ninety miles per hour once or twice already. Getting a speeding ticket after this would send him over the edge.
When they arrived at his house, he gently shook Genevieve. “Hey, we’re here.”
“Mmmmph.” She opened her eyes. “Already?”
“Yeah. How do you feel?”
“Still a little tired, but okay.” He watched her breasts as she stretched, the simple movement making his cock hard.
She rolled out of the Jeep and grabbed her purse from the back. Now. Do it. Tell her.
“Guess I’ll talk to you later. I’m going to check in with Carly, see if she can handle a few more hours by herself. I’m still tired. You don’t think that Terminator of yours is going to have long-term effects, do you? Why are you staring at me?”
They stood by her car. “Don’t go.”
“What?”
“Don’t go. Don’t take that job. Stay here. With me.”
He took one step and pulled her into his arms, then captured her lips with his. She met him with fire, matching his own, spurring him on. They finally pulled apart, both breathing hard.
“You mean it? You really want to start a relationship?” Her eyes shone.
“You’re one of the finest people I’ve ever met, Genevieve Birch, and I want you, no matter what the consequences. As soon as I finish up with this mess, I’m going to introduce you to the pack. As my woman. You ready for that?”
“Hell yes! At least, I think I am. No, I am. We’re going to do this. No driving ourselves crazy thinking about what-if.”
She kissed him again and every other thought left his mind but how fast he could get her naked. He picked her up, strode up to his front door, and fumbled the key into the lock. Not fast enough. He kicked the door open, put her down momentarily, and tugged at her coat.
“I’ll get it. You get your own clothes off.” Unpeeling the jacket and dropping it on the floor, she took a step away from him. Her sweater came next, joining the coat on the ground. One boot, then another.
Vincent took a step toward her, but she moved away. “Uh-uh, you’ve got to get some of your own clothes off first.” He’d put on the extra shirt, shoes, and jeans he had in his Jeep, and now he quickly removed them.
She backed toward the stairs, shimmying out of her own jeans as she did. He moved slowly, stalking her, ready to pounce. Reaching behind her back she unfastened the bra and let it drop. In a flash he had her, picked her up again, and carried her up the stairs while she yelped with laughter. He threw her on the bed.
“Wait, let me text Carly, tell her I won’t be in for a while.”
“You won’t be in all day. Tell her.”
While Gen texted, Vincent pu
lled off her underwear and ran his hand over her body. “Mine.”
So soft. The feel of her skin on his fingertips reminded him of velvet. Especially here, between her legs, inside her. He stroked her pussy lips, buried a finger in deep, making her grind her pelvis on his hand, then pulled out his finger to lick it. Gen tasted sweet to him, like an orange-flavored honey he’d sampled once.
“Turn off your phone.”
“You too.”
“Mine’s downstairs.” He tossed hers across the room then continued his slow exploration of her body. She responded to his touch, humming with pleasure, her eyes closed and lips slightly parted. The last ray of the sun's light drifted through the window, the beam shining across her face.
Simply beautiful. A wave of tenderness washed over him and instead of pushing it away as he usually did, berating himself for feeling weak, he let it ride. Let the warmth run through him. Not weakness at all. He could use this emotion, this love, to build him up, keep him strong.
Gen opened her eyes, smiled, then put her hand on his chest and laid his hand on her heart. “Don't worry, I won’t hurt you, and I know you won’t hurt me. We’ll move slow, take it one day at a time. Let the relationship flow, however it goes.”
Like she read his mind. “I’ve never had a full-time woman in my life. I don’t know exactly what to do.”
“Me either. So we’ll make it up as we go. Right now, I need you to keep doing this.” She moved his hand between her legs, arching up to urge him on.
More. He needed more of her. “Turn over. I’ve been dreaming about your ass.”
She did, and he spread her legs and positioned himself between them, then pulled her hips up slightly. While he fondled her clit with one hand, he licked his middle finger on the other and gently slid the tip into her ass. She moaned.
“Too much? Does it hurt?”
“No, feels good.” The husky moan of her voice, the way she drew out that last word, sweet Lord, his cock jumped where it rested on her thigh.
“Is it okay if I…”
“Yeah, just go easy.”
Lube. Needed lube. Hell. “Don’t move.” He climbed off the bed, sprinted downstairs, and returned in under a minute. “Coconut oil. It’s all I’ve got.”
“Haven’t had a girl in here lately?” Gen hadn’t moved and still lay where he’d positioned her, ass up in the air. But now she turned to look at him, a smart-aleck smile on her lips. So fucking hot. Would he be able to go easy?
“I told you, I don’t date much.” And he didn’t bring anyone here. His home was his private sanctuary. With werewolf women, he preferred going to their place. Didn’t want to share his space. With Gen, he wanted her here, wanted her scent on his sheets, wanted to take her in every room.
Climbing back into the bed he again knelt behind her and reached around to stroke her clit. He kissed one ass cheek, then the other, and then slid an oil-soaked finger into her back hole. Again she moaned as he moved it gently, loosening her until he couldn’t bear it any longer. Easing his cock inside, he kept up the pressure on her clit, watching her hands grip the sheet and listening to her every sound. Her moans increased but still with pleasure, and she rolled her hips as he entered her, slowly, slowly, driving himself crazy, his cock throbbing with need.
“Going to move more now. You good?”
“Oh yeah, I’m way good.”
Drawing out that word again, real slow and sexy. Holy shit. Sliding in and out of Gen’s ass had to be illegal it felt so fucking good. She had to come quick ’cause he couldn’t hold back. When would it stop being like this? Like when he was a kid and came within minutes of touching himself. She drove him absolutely mad, those low, husky sounds she made, her sweet but spicy scent, the feel of her flesh, soft like a cat’s fur. This brave, wild woman who turned him on and accepted him as he was, danger and all, who lit up his world like no one he’d ever met. She was his, all his.
He continued to thrust, keeping his movements in check enough to not hurt her. When he could stand it no more, he came with a primal yell but stayed inside, continuing to stroke her clit. She squirmed, panting, until she arched her back and called out his name, a shudder running through her body. He pulled out, knowing many women couldn’t handle the anal pressure once they had their release. Condom to trash can, and then he knelt on all fours to wrap totally around Gen and nuzzle her neck.
“You doin’ okay?”
“Mmmm, yeah.” She turned and kissed him, deep and hard, lots of tongue, her lips crushing his.
“It’ll get better, I’ll last longer, promise. I want…I just want you so bad. I look at you, you’re so fucking beautiful. I’m acting like a teenager, I know but…”
“Shhh.” She put a finger on his lips. “It makes me happy to know you’re so hot for me. I like that I drive you crazy.”
“Yeah, you do. Lots of ways. How about a shower?”
“You go. I’m too blissed out to move. Hurry back.”
* * * *
Too wrung out and lazily satisfied to talk, they lay together, watching the final rays of the sunset. If she could freeze a moment in time, this would be it. To stay here forever with Vincent in his bed. Heaven. Reality intruded with the buzzing of his phone downstairs. He’d get out of bed soon, she knew, but first she had to share what she’d come up with as she dozed in his Jeep.
“You know, we witches could help you guys with your whole ‘keeping the werewolves’ dark side from the public’ thing.”
“How’s that?” Vincent ran a fingertip along her cheek, making her toes curl.
“We could come up with a spell, a potion or two, to induce partial memory loss when someone screws up and blabs about the weres. You don’t like the idea of killing humans, do you?”
“Hell no, I don’t. I hate it. You can do that? You witches? Make people forget things?”
“We sure can. We already have something like that, a potion we’ve developed. It’s very mild and only lasts a short time, but I know we could enhance it.”
“You have this knowledge, and you don’t use it?”
“No, we don’t. We’re like you. We stay under the radar and don’t flaunt our power. Do you remember what happened to witches long ago? Burnings and such? If we let the world know what we could actually do, there would be all kinds of problems. Do you think your chiefs would be open to discussing an arrangement? I’ll have to ask my Elders, but I think they’d find the idea mutually beneficial.”
“When?”
“When what?”
“When can you come up with this potion?”
She yawned again and snuggled next to him, pulling the blanket up further. “I’ll get going on it. Soon.”
Silence for several more minutes.
“Gen?”
“Hmmmm?”
“You’re not going to leave are you? Not going to take that job?”
“Nope. Got something better here.” She pulled his arm around her and drifted off to sleep.
* * * *
Vincent read the email he’d just composed and rubbed his jade stone. Mathew, his Regent superior, would have plenty to say about Vincent’s conduct. Mostly bad. Like how he should have waited for instructions before he jumped in and went after Ethan Kern. To which Vincent would reply, he’d contacted him two days ago, felt the situation needed immediate action, and other bullshit, basically telling the guy he didn’t feel like waiting and did what he wanted to.
Mathew would be pissed, regardless, but the more diplomatically Vincent could start this shit fest, the better. His letter needed another pair of eyes to look it over. He’d have Gen read it, see what she thought, send it tomorrow. Well, hell, didn’t take long for him to move her right into his life, doing stuff for him. He smiled and rolled his head from side to side. Despite the insanity of the last week, his neck felt looser than it had for a long while. Great sex did that. Great sex with Gen.
And her idea about an alternative to killing humans, fuck, that would change everything. Weres and h
umans could have relationships without fear always hanging over them. Some might not agree that the two groups should mix, but Vincent knew they should. The remaining weres would be able to live out their lives more normally, with better family connections.
The sound of gravel crunching in the driveway had him reflexively reach for his gun in the drawer, then relaxing at the familiar rumble of David’s Harley. Damn, this business with Kern still had him on edge. He stood. Might as well open the door so his cousin didn’t disturb Gen by barging in.
“Whose car’s in the driveway?” David asked, slinging his backpack to the floor.
“Genevieve’s. Keep your voice down; she’s sleeping.”
“That Birch witch?”
“Yeah, that Birch witch.”
David shrugged out of his jacket.
“So you two have a thing going on now, huh?”
“We do. A really good thing. She’s my mate now. She just put her life in danger to help me, and she’s come up with an idea for us to deal with our ‘outing’ issue. A memory-erase plan. Instead of killing people, we can make them forget what they saw.”
“How are they going to do that?”
“These women are powerful. They’ve got magic like I’ve never seen. We need to bring them in as allies, not push them away.”
“But someone from her family, as your mate? You sure about this?”
“Yeah, as my mate. She’s it. She’s the one. I’m introducing her to the pack, and anyone who doesn’t like it can leave.”
“Whoa, settle down, dude. I’m just saying. You know you’re going to take some shit about your decision.”
“I’ll deal with it. Man, I’m tired of the way we live. Aren’t you?” Vincent joined David in the kitchen, pulling down two whiskey tumblers. Have to get some wine glasses in here.
“Maybe when I’m your age I will be. What’s the matter, feeling your advanced years?”
Vincent threw a dish rag at him. “You’re not that much younger than me. Seriously. You want to run around wild the rest of your life? Don’t you think about settling down with one woman, having a family?”
Sins of Long Ago Page 21