by Jessica Lee
Bad move.
The slow lift of her eyes to his face only allowed her more time to drink in the view. Black denim encased broad thighs, and a wide leather belt drew her focus to his narrow waist. Higher still, she found he wore a crisp white long-sleeved dress shirt which was a striking contrast to his sun-drenched skin tone, hazel eyes, and the black as sin locks that brushed his shoulders. His coloring, if she remembered correctly, was a gift from his Native American and Irish heritage. Olivia took another long swallow of her wine. He could wait for her response—that and for her nerves to settle.
“You spying on me, Mandrake?” she finally managed to utter and lowered her glass. “Because, lately, you do seem to pop up everywhere.”
“Hardly.” He propped one arm on the back of the booth. “Just kind of hard for one not to notice all the groping and tongue swallowing going on in the corner over here. When you two came up for air, I would have bet money that it was a couple of horny teenagers.”
Who the hell did he think he was? Olivia leaned forward. “We were not groping,” she bit out through her teeth. “And why would you care if we were? Unless you were enjoying the show?” She cocked a brow, the word pervert lingering unspoken between them.
Gotcha. She couldn’t help herself. Even now as a grown woman, the man triggered a deep competitive gene that rebelled at the idea of allowing him to have the upper hand. Her reaction to Eion was so different from how she responded to Taylor. Taylor didn’t push her buttons like this man did. Even back when she had been a teenager, something about Eion had made her edgier, had provoked her inner bad girl and just his glance made her flush.
In a slow deliberate move, Eion lowered his arm, and she could have sworn the brown flecks in his irises had flickered, taking on a more amber hue. Strange. She blinked and refocused her gaze. Eion stared back, but this time the vibrant array of blue, green, and brown were back to normal. The apparition had to have been the intensity of the halogens and the heat of the moment.
A hint of an amused smile curled one side of his mouth. “You always gave as good as you got, Liv.” He nodded and took a quick swig of his beer before plopping it onto the surface of her table. Without warning, Eion reached in and captured her hand. Her next breath lodged in her throat. He glanced down at the rock in her palm before turning his gaze to hers. “Why aren’t you wearing your ring?”
She swallowed hard. “Since you’re determined to put your nose where it doesn’t belong, we’ve decided to wait a little while longer.”
“I see…” Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the slight nod of his head. “You’re not in love with him?”
Did he know? He couldn’t read her that well, could he? She yanked her hand back and shoved it in her lap.
“What?” She shook her head. “God, you’re so rude.”
“It’s a simple question.” He shrugged. “Do you love him?”
“Yes,” she spat, nearly choking on the words and the remnants of her dinner that had somehow climbed their way to the back of her throat. “Taylor means the world to me. It’s just…it’s complicated.”
He grabbed what was left of his brew from the tabletop. “Must be, since you’re with the man you say you love and have a diamond in your hand, yet you look like you’d rather be anywhere else but here.”
Olivia jerked her head back in his direction, but he’d already moved toward the restaurant’s entrance. She drew in a shaky breath, willing her nervous system to reset to calm.
“Hey there.” Taylor’s voice brought her back. “You okay?” He dropped back into place beside her. “I saw some guy leaving our table. Did he upset you?”
“No.” She shook her head and wrapped her fingers around his hand. “No, I’m fine.” Olivia pasted on a smile.
“Good.” Taylor slid in closer and brushed his palm over her hair. At that moment, their server returned to their table with a bottle of wine and set it on ice. Finished, Barb smoothed a few strands of her strawberry blonde tresses away from her face and quickly propped her hands on her hips. “Anything else I can get you two?”
“This will be fine,” Taylor said, pulling the bottle free from its icy nest.
“Okay then, enjoy!” Barb swished around and headed off.
With a pop, the cork flew from the chilled bottle. Olivia jumped. Geez, her nerves were on edge.
“Sorry about that.” Taylor chuckled and poured some of the golden liquid into her glass.
“That’s okay,” Olivia said with a laugh as he handed her a refill.
“So who was that?”
Her hand trembled at the memory, but she quickly recovered, putting the wine glass to her lips, balancing the weight. Olivia allowed the fluid to flow over her tongue, enjoying the bite of the alcohol and fizz on the roof of her mouth. After gathering her composure, she answered.
“That was Eion Mandrake. The guy you ran into at the clinic a couple of days ago.”
Taylor paused mid-pour, glanced her way for a second, then continued filling his glass. He set the bottle back in the ice with a crunch. “I guess I didn’t recognize him with his shirt on. So what did he want?”
“He saw your proposal from his table and came over, wondering if congratulations were in order.”
Taylor downed a swallow of his Zinfandel. “He waited for me to leave first, huh?”
“Are you jealous?” she teased and bumped his shoulder, doing her best to lighten the mood.
Taylor released a “pfft” and lowered his glass. “No.” He shrugged. “Just protective. That’s all. I’m not sure about that guy.”
“Protective.” Olivia smiled. “Okay.” She grasped his forearm. “I’m sure he just didn’t want to interrupt us, and when you left he saw a chance to say hello.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Besides, I’m sure Eion will be leaving Little Crow Pass very soon anyway. There’s nothing here for him.”
Chapter Five
He had to get out of there.
Eion jerked open the door of his black Silverado. The growl, trapped in his throat since seeing Olivia, spilled free inside the cab. He shoved himself behind the steering wheel, claws emerging, curling from their nail beds. Shit! He had to get a grip on his wolf. Eion yanked his arms down at his sides and sucked in a long, deep breath through his nostrils.
What was wrong with him? Dumb ass question. He knew what, or who, was wrong with him.
The moment he’d watched them slide into the booth together, he should have taken that as a cue to leave. Oh, but hell no. He had to sit there and watch them make out. Eion repositioned in his seat, the ache in his groin a persistent and painful reminder of why he should have never come back. The longer he remained in her presence, the harder it would be to ignore the demands of his body, and his wolf.
Olivia was human, and nothing was ever going to change that. If only life was as simple as the movies and one bite could alter her DNA and make her one of his own. But this was reality, and no amount of wishing was going to change a damn thing. You were born a shifter, not made. The only thing his bite would do was announce to his world that she belonged to him—that they were mates. The thought made his dick as hard as a rock, but it solved nothing. She would never be accepted, especially not at their rising alpha’s side. His pack would want her either dead or gone—and neither was acceptable.
He groaned, allowing his head to bang into the headrest. This was so messed up.
He’d been an arrogant asshole walking up to her table after her boyfriend had left. But staying in his seat after what he’d witnessed hadn’t been an option. Unable to turn away, he’d watched them kiss, and thanks to the gift or curse of his extrasensory hearing, listened to the other man’s declaration of love—his desire to spend the rest of his life with Liv. Then he’d offered her a ring. Eion had nearly lost it right there amidst a room full of humans, until he’d noticed Olivia’s expression.
The look of resignation that had washed over her face.
His server had appeared at that moment w
ith the check and the beer he’d ordered, and Eion had missed the final outcome of the proposal. Staying in his seat after Taylor had walked away was impossible.
According to Liv’s story, they’d decided to wait. She’d said no, yet kept his ring? Liv vowed that she loved him and the guy meant the world to her, but to Eion, her eyes reflected a different story. One that wasn’t a woman madly in love with her man.
What the hell was she doing?
Canines surged from his gums.
Blood pounded in his ears.
Eion thrust his keys into the ignition switch and the engine roared to life. Maybe he was wrong. He hadn’t been around her for twelve years, and maybe he was seeing shit that wasn’t really there. That’s what he was going to have to believe—didn’t have a damn choice in the matter. He had to get away from Chuck’s before he went back in there, ripped a certain man to pieces, and claimed what was his.
The ride home was an adrenaline-laced blur of white stripes on the road. Eion barely remembered the trip. He slammed on the brakes in front of his house and cut the engine. Every muscle in his body twitched, begging to release the beast inside.
Hold on.
Keys in hand, he shoved the truck’s door closed. The resulting bang echoed across the open expanse of the acreage. Clouds of dust from the race down his driveway filled the air around him like a veil, forcing the scent of dry earth mixed with the musk of nearby cattle into his nostrils.
He stormed up the few steps to his front door, jammed his keys into the lock, and with a twist of his wrist Eion was inside. Not a moment too soon. The door slammed shut.
Shoes.
Jeans.
Shirt.
They hit the floor one by one in a trail of desperation for freedom from his human form.
Eion flung the rear kitchen door open and fell forward onto all fours, slicing the screen door with his paws on the way down. With a nudge from his muzzle, the wood and screen barrier gave way and he bounded outside.
A sliver of a moon sat trapped behind the evening’s clouds, allowing a blanket of darkness to cover the one hundred acres of his land. Eion could no longer hold back the howl that tore from his lungs. He welcomed the shroud of the night, dove into it at a full run. It was the only way to temporarily exorcise the obsessive thoughts shredding his control.
He pumped his legs, air sawing from his lungs and exiting his muzzle in large huffs. Eion leaped over a fence rail, his presence stirring the horses he’d brought from home. The sound of their distress filled his ears. But he’d be long gone in seconds, and they’d soon calm. Thank God for the night, and the anonymity it brought when he could run free—claws, fur, and fangs revealed.
Times like these, he missed his pack. Running with his brethren allowed him, if only for a night, to forget what he’d left behind here. The endorphins of the physical exertion, the adrenaline of the chase temporarily burned away his human memories. What remained was pure animal instinct. Hunt or be hunted. Act or react.
But his brethren weren’t here.
He had to learn to cope with his present situation alone. No one could know that their rising alpha had bonded to a human. Eion had to figure out how the hell to get her out of his head, or he’d end up tearing both their worlds apart.
If he could erase the image of the less-than-overjoyed expression on Liv’s face when she had been given the ring, getting in his truck and never looking back would be so much easier.
If only he could convince himself she was happy.
That, unlike him, what had happened that day on the banks of Lake James hadn’t affected her, lingered inside her. She had been able to move on. That’s why he’d left. To give her the chance to do just that.
Except when she’d looked up at her boyfriend right after he’d proposed, something in Eion’s gut said Liv wasn’t as into the doc as he was into her.
A nagging suspicion itched inside his brain, begged him to scratch and bring it to the surface. But if he acknowledged it, found out it was true, what the hell was he supposed to do?
Eion dug his claws into the hard packed earth and came to a sudden halt. The question bloomed inside his head, refusing to be shoved back down. Could it be that twelve years and a few hundred miles away from him hadn’t been enough for his human mate to escape the bond that had formed?
A couple of hours later, Eion stepped from the shower, muscles past the point of exhaustion, brain numb.
Exactly how he wanted it.
With the heel of his hand, he swiped away a broad path of moisture from his bathroom mirror for a hazy view of his reflection. His gaze fell to the glaring coal-black Celtic circle inked deep into the tissues over his heart. He gripped the edge of the counter, staring at the out-of-focus image. Eion didn’t need to see the details to remember its every nuance. Within the Celtic knot was a wolf’s profile—its head tossed back, muzzle open, howling. The symbol along with the tribal bands wrapping his upper arms represented the blending of his Irish, Native American, and shifter heritage—the brand of a rising alpha. Eion’s lip curled and he shoved away from the tiled surface, exiting the bathroom.
As if he needed a tattoo to remind him of his fate.
Falling naked across his bed, Eion tossed a forearm over his eyes. He drifted into a fog to the hum of the ceiling fan overhead. Beads of water from his damp hair rolled down his temples and off his skin, soaking the sheets. But he didn’t care. The cool stream felt nice against his overheated flesh.
Soft fingertips trailed over his abs, along his ribs, and brushed the hairs on his chest. Eion stirred, moaned, enjoying the exploration. He dropped his arm away from his eyes and captured the pair of delicate hands.
“You got me,” she said, releasing a playful giggle.
Eion opened his eyes.
He blinked.
It couldn’t be…
“Liv?”
“Yes.” She smiled, and his heart swelled. Each beat filled his chest until he thought he’d rupture at the effect of one simple smile aimed at him. “Of course it’s me,” she added. “Who else would be here, ready to crawl into your arms?” With one graceful flick of her wrist, she tugged her robe free and straddled his hips.
He groaned and arched. The ache and desire to finally be inside his mate roared to life between his legs. Eion wrapped his arms around her, rolled, taking her beneath him.
“My Liv,” he whispered. “You’re so beautiful.” Eion slid his hands up her back, relishing in her smooth skin against his palms. At her nape, he sank his fingers into her hair and devoured her lips. God, he was so hungry.
The growl that ripped from his throat surprised even him. But it did little to deter him from the woman in his arms.
“Eion,” she gasped. “I’m yours. I’ve waited so long.”
“No more.” He followed the long line of her neck with his mouth to where it dipped at her shoulders. “No more waiting.” His gums tingled. His mouth watered. He pressed the evidence of his need into the warm vee between her legs. “Mine.” As if on their own accord, his lips rolled up and away from his canines right before he sank them into his mate.
The scream hammered like an ice pick against his ear drums.
Oh, God… No! Dear God. No. What had he done?
Eion jackknifed from the mattress, chest heaving. Whirling on his feet in the dark, he blinked, searching for the origin of the noise that had wrenched him from his bed. Searching for…her.
Then it hit him.
Slowly, as if lifting the leaded weight of his soul, he closed his jaw. The sound had come from him.
* * *
“It really is late. We both have work tomorrow,” Olivia said, adding a hope you can understand smile.
“I know.” Taylor checked his watch. “But Kris is fine. And if he needs you, you’re only a phone call away.” The SUV released a single beep and the lights flashed, signaling Taylor had pressed the open button on his key fob. “Come back to my place for a couple of hours. Watch a little TV. Maybe another glas
s of wine—or coffee.” He laughed. “Whatever you want.” Taylor shrugged and gave her that cute half smile that she always found hard to say no to.
“Okay, okay.” She laughed. “Turn off that devilish grin of yours. I’ll go.” She plopped onto the passenger seat, and Taylor quickly joined her in the cab behind the wheel.
“So glad to see I haven’t lost my charm.” He winked and slid the key into the ignition.
“You’re awful, Dr. McDaniel.” Olivia punched his shoulder. “Just please remember to use your powers for good, not evil.”
“Always, my dear.”
Twenty minutes later, they pulled into the driveway of the small two bedroom cottage Taylor had rented when he’d moved to Little Crow. The cost of opening their practice had taken everything both of them had, so for now he’d settled on renting. It was a nice place and well cared for. Taylor seemed to like it, and that was all that mattered.
Olivia followed him from the car to the door. The implications of what Taylor really had on his mind tonight when he’d asked her back to his place grew larger and larger inside her head. She wasn’t stupid. Yes, he might turn the TV on when he got her on the other side of the door, but that wasn’t his primary objective.
Taylor was a man after all.
And after a few months of dating, he’d been more than patient with her excuses. Her heart pounded at the thought, and Olivia swallowed hard against the knot of apprehension in the back of her throat. Just because in the past she’d never been able to give herself completely to any man didn’t mean she wouldn’t be able to follow through with Taylor. She was capable of feeling desire, and Taylor was a fantastic guy. For him, she could do this, and maybe if she relaxed a little, made love with Taylor, it would make all the difference. They’d be even closer.
This is going to be great! She smiled, but the effort felt weak. Damn, can’t I at least lie to myself?
Inside, Taylor pulled the chain on the small lamp on the table by the door. A soft yellow glow cast the room in shadows. He moved forward into the room with ease, avoiding all the dark obstacles. Within seconds, a flicker of light from the TV filled the room.