by Desiree Holt
Two hours later, as she sat slumped on a small upholstered chair in a corner of the boutique, the men sauntered in, probably wondering what happened to them.
Karma leapt into Warren’s arms as if it had been days rather than hours since they’d been together, and they fell into another kiss while Delia tried to avert her eyes, Glenn grinned, and Tina filled plastic shopping bags emblazoned with the Curvy Girls Rock logo, a stylized version of herself. In living color. After a long moment, Karma slid to stand and batted her eyelashes up at her mate. “Wonderful timing!” She waved to the heap of bags piling up on the floor by the counter. “We couldn’t have carried them all out without your help.”
As a bear shifter, Delia could probably have managed at least half, but when a small heap remained after the men loaded themselves down, they waved her away. “Harvey will get them.”
“Oh no! We left him in the car!” Guilt besieged her. How could the hare survive the desert heat, and they’d left him in the black SUV where it had to be at least two hundred degrees. “Let’s go check on him.”
All but Tina stared at her. The shopkeeper paused, sliding the Centurion Card through the reader. “Is he a child? You left someone in the car? That’s very dangerous.”
“Not a child.” Warren shook his head slowly. “He’s a grown man and capable of getting out of the car anytime. Delia is just tired after our long flight and wasn’t thinking.”
She bobbed her head. “Right.” Probably not too bright to tell Tina that predators had a tendency to think of prey as fragile and, if they didn’t plan to eat them, had a certain protectiveness over those in their circle. Tina had no way to know the man just now skidding to a stop in the doorway was a hare. “Here he is now.”
“Oh that’s right,” the woman said. “Karma mentioned to Sara you were taking some business trips out of state, Warren. Are you involved in the business, Delia?”
“I—”
“Delia is an associate from our sister club. Here on a visit.” Glenn waved to Harvey, who picked up the remaining bags.
Karma swooped in. “We had better get going. Nice to see you, Tina. Say hi to Sara.” A couple of air kisses later, they were on their way out of the shop and toward the car. Karma was subdued, for some reason, the fizz off her usual bubbles, and the men were hard to make out behind all the loot Karma had accumulated for her. Eyeing the packages, she tried to quell the guilt. Nothing in her future offered the likelihood of repaying Warren for all of these. But her attempts to stop her new friend were like trying to stop the abominable snowman with snowballs. Not that the pretty woman was anything like a snowman. Or that one would ever be in Mesa Arizona where even in October you could manage to cook an egg on the sidewalk some middays. Maybe she’d be able to return most of the clothes at least for store credit, and Karma could restock herself. She’d even managed to put off wearing any of it by saying she wanted to get cleaned up first.
Once the men stowed all the bags in the back, there was almost no room left, but the hare curled up in the corner, his chin on his folded hands. He looked a lot like a rabbit even now, helpless. No wonder she’d worried. Still, she’d need to be careful. Her circle rarely included humans, but Karma was one, and her friends as well. Had she told any of them about the shifters of Animals?
From Warren’s reaction, at least Tina was out of the shifter loop.
Weariness bowed her shoulders, and they still had to go have lunch and ride the carousel. She hated to ruin her friend’s fun, but all she wanted was to close her eyes for a while. She hadn’t had a peaceful rest in over a week. When would they release Cerberus? He could even now be hunting her. Her tense muscles ached, and her knees wobbled with exhaustion.
Suddenly, they no longer had to support her. The grizzly with the golden eyes scooped her into his arms and held her close to his big, muscular body. “I gotcha, Delia. I don’t think we want to go back inside, Warren. Maybe we can just drive through somewhere and grab a bite then head home.”
“We were in there quite a while.” The alpha gave his mate a stern look. “What do you all say to the best Mexican fast food in the state? A little stand right on the way home makes New Mexico green chili burritos that can’t be beat.”
Delia didn’t care if she ever ate again. Just so long as she didn’t have to walk anywhere and do anything. When Glenn climbed into the backseat with her and snuggled her against him, she experienced the first peace she’d known in as long as she could remember. Before they were out of the parking lot, she drifted off into dreamless sleep.
Chapter 4
“Delia, wake up, honey.” Karma shook her shoulder. “We’re home.” Deep shadows covered the car and everything in it, and the big pillow she remembered was gone. Glenn…he’d held her to him for a long time; even in sleep she’d been aware of him. And, judging from the hard ridge poking her hip, he’d been aware of her as well.
Perfect. Excellent time to meet the bear of her dreams. When she was both on the run and unavailable. No matter that Jonathan and Roberto referred to Cerberus as her “ex,” he was not. Mating couldn’t just be undone. It was for life. Forever, some said. She sat up and stretched, trying to see past the car into the darkness. “Are we in some sort of cave?”
“Yes. It’s our garage, more or less. A natural cave with a chimney sort of opening that leads right up to the club level and beyond. Come on. You can get cleaned up and scoot into bed between nice fresh sheets.”
No daylight entered anywhere she could see; had they traveled long enough for it to get dark? She should be more rested if she’d been sleeping for hours.
“We took advantage of what was already there and created a sort of ramp down here, winding past boulders. Even those who come to the club have no idea we have this space. It’s part of our “end of the world” escape plan. Harvey is a fan of apocalyptic novels and loves to design survivalist tech.” She toyed with the end of her long braid. “I didn’t point out that this is the ideal place to sit out most scenarios they might come up with. Some males are too smart to be practical.”
Delia peeled herself from the leather seat, wondering when Glenn had left and hoping she hadn’t drooled all over him. “Is it very far up?” No matter how long the staircase, she’d manage, somehow. Use the energy gained from her short nap. Unless…. “It’s not a ladder, is it?”
Karma broke into laughter. “A…ladder? No. If I had to climb a ladder several stories high every time we went out, I’d make Warren get a hot air balloon and lift me out. Or use the club exit. It’s a winding path from the canyon bottom.” She led the way across a stone floor, smooth and slightly slanted in the direction they went. “Here we are.”
At first glance, the wall she tapped appeared perfectly flat, but, after a moment, the “stone” in front of them slid to the side to reveal an elevator. Rudimentary, with open walls and a steel frame. But infinitely better than a ladder or stairs.
“Nice huh? Harvey’s a genius.” Karma pressed a button on a real keypad inside. “Hold on.”
Before she could reach for the rail, the door slid closed, and they rocketed upward at impossible speed. “Whoa!” She flung herself at the rail and gripped it, remaining on her feet, but barely. The steel cage jerked to a stop in an open cave area, lit from above. She tilted her head back to see a roughly oval tunnel running up to a patch of sky. So it wasn’t night. Her stomach rumbled.
Karma debarked, and Delia followed. The human offered an apologetic smile. “The guys wanted to wake you up to eat your burrito, but you were completely out of it, and I told them to leave you be. I hope I did right.”
Another rumble, not to be mistaken for her bear who was, for once, quiet. “That’s all right. I don’t suppose you still have it, the burrito, I mean?”
“Not a chance. I no sooner said they couldn’t wake you up than they tore it in half and inhaled it.”
She sighed. Not that a cold, greasy burrito appealed, but who knew what time dinner was served. Her mind left food and went back to
potential embarrassment. “Did I snore?” She didn’t usually but, once in a while, when she was exhausted, she thought she might.
“No, not at all,” Karma replied. “Not that anyone could have heard if you did. My mate and I had a small argument. I was afraid we’d awaken you.”
Her heart sank. “I can return almost all the clothes. I’m sure I won’t be here long.” She tagged along beside Karma as she crossed the giant cave. “Don’t fight on my account.”
Glenn appeared in a doorway. “Warren is the soul of generosity, and he can afford to be. What you ladies spent today didn’t make a dent in his pocket money for the day. He was pleased to be able to help you out, and I am guessing at least a little of that charge slip reflects something for his own lady?”
Karma tipped her nose in the air. “What are you implying?”
He stepped aside and they entered the room. “Not a thing, Mrs. Alpha.”
“Not yet, Glenn. But maybe soon.” Warren joined them. “I am here to pick up my mate for an afternoon nap. We put all the bags here in Delia’s room. Grab whatever you bought, sweetheart, so you can model it for me.”
Karma hesitated but then fished through the bags and, emptying one on a chair, filled it with her loot. “I’ll come back and help you get organized in the morning, Delia. But, first, let me show you where—”
Her mate lifted her and tossed her over his shoulder, clothes hanging all over him. “I’m sure her bodyguard can give her the tour later and show her the bathroom now. We’re outa here.”
Her squeals echoed in the high-ceilinged space then cut off with the bang of a door.
Silence lay between them, thick and heavy. Delia stepped back, feeling behind her until she reached the bed and sinking onto the edge of the mattress, looking anywhere but at him. She was a bear, and bear females were not small, as humans understood size. But, compared to him, she was a delicate flower, with long, graceful limbs, an anything but Roman nose, and a lower lip that trembled. She gripped the comforter in her fists, and his bear awoke with a roar. How could anyone have treated her badly?
He’d had a chance for a long talk with Warren while they waited for the ladies to finish shopping and learned more about her situation than he was comfortable with. Their discussion left him torn between grabbing a flight to Louisiana to wait outside the jail for her ex and make sure he didn’t have a chance to come near her and staying close by. The local authorities, in a very unfriendly move, refused to give anyone a heads-up on his release and, for all they knew, he could be on his way west. Glenn had learned never to underestimate evil. He’d remain here, though, as requested by his alpha and bolstered by his own good sense.
Glenn ran a hand through his hair, shaggy already despite a trim just the week before. “Delia, if you want to follow me, I’ll show you to the facilities and leave you in peace.”
At that, she did lift her eyes and gave him a soft smile that melted him inside. “I feel pretty peaceful with you here.” His heart thudded.
“I don’t usually have that effect on females, you know.” He extended a hand and she loosed her fingers from the blanket and took it. “The club buildings are at the front of the cave. You can have the tour tomorrow, if you like, while it’s closed. They’re getting ready to open now. I’m afraid there are only a couple of bathrooms in the living space and only one shower area.” He led her out of the room and toward a cave opening a little closer to the front. They all used the bathing area, often at the same time, and thought nothing of it, but the idea of one of the other bouncers watching Delia naked under the spray set his bear off again. At least until he claimed her. Would she want him to? “If you want to clean up, I’ll wait out here.”
She disappeared into the shower cave and emerged again. “Aren’t you coming? You were out there in the heat all day, too.” He followed her in, through the narrow passage that led to the cave where natural falling water made what some of the younger guests considered a love grotto. The older folks had hung a curtain by the door that could be pulled across…because not everyone wanted their lovemaking witnessed. But almost everyone took advantage of the space from time to time.
He lay in his bed night after night and listened to the laughter and cries of passion. They made him feel alone. He’d never brought someone here. Sure, he had his nights out with the females, but the cave was sacred. It had been secret to those long ago, and it was sacred to their clan now.
If some of the other guys who lived there didn’t get it, he wasn’t about to point it out. He just steered any casual dates toward his room.
But this time, he couldn’t say no. Not to Delia. He stood in the opening before the falls and watched her pull pins from her glossy brown hair and let it hang loose to her waist. So much hair. And, as she drew her Crossroads T-shirt over her head, his mouth became as moistureless as the desert around them.
“This is what you call the shower room?” she asked, arms folded behind her in a way that thrust her more-than-ample breasts forward, and up, her deep-coral nipples so different from any he’d seen before. He hungered for her, ached for her. His cock throbbed for her. “You okay?”
What had she asked? Was he okay?
“Just fine.” His tone shouldn’t have fooled anyone, but apparently she was willing to take him at his word. “Go ahead and shower.”
“I will but I can’t…damn this old thing. Why didn’t I get the call to let me know I was in danger while wearing a nice shirtdress or even simple Capris. I was refinishing a table. The shirt Roberto at Crossroads replaced was covered with varnish. Honestly, I don’t dress like a slob every day.”
Her distress made him long to take her in his arms and make her feel better, but before he reached out, she turned and presented him with her back.
“Could you please help me with the hooks on my bra? They’re so old and bent I can’t get them undone.” She bent forward slightly, and he ran his hand up the long line of her back. He couldn’t help himself. Her skin was soft, smooth under his palm, and he managed to glide up toward the garment rather than down toward her ass, which she presented to him, in this position, in an almost-irresistible way. “Isn’t it typical I wasn’t wearing my best when I made a break for it? Had to be these old rags.”
Glenn fiddled with the fasteners and managed to free them. The bra hung from her shoulders and, to his disappointment, she straightened and stepped away. The opportunity to feel up her ass fled. Damn! But she flashed him a tiny smile before sitting on a rock at the edge of the pool surrounding the falls and untying her shoes. “Thank you. I hate bras.”
“Then why do you wear one?”
She shook her head slowly from side to side. “Because I’m too big not to. My grandmother said if I didn’t, I’d be all droopy.”
“That’s a lie. I read in some women’s magazine at my doctor’s office that wearing one or not does not affect slope….”
She turned away but he caught the edge of a grin before she toed off her shoes and stood, shimmying her jeans down over her hips. Why the hell did he tell her he’d read an article on women’s breast configurations?
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.” Flashing a grin over her shoulder, she stepped out of the denim and tucked her fingers into the sides of the teeniest pair of black lace panties he’d ever seen and slid the garment to join the pile of clothes on the ground. “Finally. Even though I washed these in New Orleans a couple of times, I never felt totally clean putting them on again and again. Is the pool deep enough to dive into?”
“Yeah, aim for the falls side.” She had the heart-shaped ass every Playboy Playmate of the Year presented in the vintage mags in his collection. Most bear females were on the sturdy side, and she wasn’t skinny, but every ounce of flesh was in exactly the right place. She lifted her arms and pushed off in a graceful arc across the surface of the water and disappeared under the surface, giving him just a long look at her long legs.
She emerged, smiling and spluttering, and crossed her arms on th
e edge in front of him. “Aren’t you joining me? The water is just right, warm but not hot.”
“It’s volcanic.” He shrugged, torn between duty and desire. “Comes from deep down in the Earth somewhere, and it’s always just right. Not too hot in summer, and warms you clear through on a cold winter’s night.”
Delia stretched out a hand. “So are you? Joining me, I mean?”
What did she mean? As her bodyguard, his responsibility was to her welfare. It was bad enough he ogled her as she bathed. “If I join you, I can’t promise to keep my paws to myself.”
“Who asked you to?”
He swallowed hard, sure he’d misheard. “Well, we just met and I don’t want you to think I’m that kind of bear.”
She laughed, but when she lifted her gaze to him, her eyes sparkled with tears, and her lips trembled. “All my life, my choices have been made for me. As the last female of breeding age, I was forced to mate with a male who tormented me as a little girl and stalked me as a teen.”
His bear paced, upset already at her words.
“The one ‘chosen’ for me ripped my virginity from me on our mating night and left me bleeding while he went out to drink with his friends and brag.” She choked back a sob. “We spent that night in a place far from our home, in a room above a bar…where nobody would hear me scream over the noise.” She flipped some stray hairs, pulled loose from her braid, back. “And when I ran home, I was informed of my duty and sent back. Told to get pregnant so our kind, the great Bears of Epirus, did not die out with me.”
His arms tingled, hair just short of sprouting, his bear ready to go kill the man who’d laid a hand on his mate. “Delia, I—”
She waved a hand and he subsided, wanting to let her have her say. Didn’t sound like anyone else ever had.
“So, just this once, I want to make a choice. And I choose to ask you to spend a little time with me here in this pool and then…maybe stay together for the night. If you want.” She drew in a deep breath and let it out, her damp cheeks coral. “Or not. I understand. Never mind.”