by Unknown
Too busy dressing down his brother, she didn’t hear him come up behind her, and when he grabbed her around the waist and hauled her off her feet she snarled at him.
“Let me go. I don’t need your help.”
“That’s obvious, sugar. But, like it or not, you’re my responsibility until the council decides your fate. So get your clothes on, we’re going home.” He dropped her on her butt at her clothes and stalked back to his brother and the fight he was dying to finish.
“She’s bad news, Kane. If you trust her she’ll turn on you.”
“You think I don’t know that? All that matters right now is that she is not your concern, so if you have a reason for being here then say it. Otherwise, get the hell out of out of my way.”
Malcolm stood still and watched him. Neither broke eye contact until eventually Malcolm shook his head and looked over his shoulder to where Lara was.
“I came here to warn you, but it’s obvious you won’t listen. Mark my words, you’ll be sorry about this.”
“Why is that? You planning something?”
He rolled his eyes and shifted back to cougar. Crouching on his hind legs, he sprang towards a rock outcropping twenty feet away and, with one last look back, disappeared to the other side. Kane fought instincts to go after him, not knowing what Lara would do if he left her alone. Now that she’d been outed would she plan to run? He reluctantly turned away from the direction Malcolm had gone and decided to grab Lara and go.
To his shock she stood right behind him, a feat she’d managed without him hearing her approach. She looked upset, maybe even frightened, which did nothing to diminish her beauty. She was well suited to the backdrop of nature. A breeze from the north side of the waterfall kicked up and blew through her raven hair, carrying her scent to him then. That sweet musk in the outdoors and...his head jerked...her arousal.
What the fuck? Who?
He reeled with the implications that fighting with his brother had not only aroused Malcolm but her as well. White-hot rage rushed through him as she stood looking at him with her sad, probably fake emotion. This possessiveness he felt around her seemed so at odds with his nature. Why not share her? It’s not as if he hadn’t done it plenty in the past. But, the thought of Malcolm ever touching her again made him want to kill something. A low growl rumbled from his chest.
“What?” She looked at him curiously.
“We need to get out of here,” he managed through gritted teeth. Anger seethed through him and he was sorely tempted to show her exactly how animal he could be. But right now he had is animal tethered, although barely. If he took her now, he would complete the mating ritual...and then what? Would he have to accept the possibility of her death sentence or lose everything he’d ever held dear?
He couldn’t think straight like this. He needed to get away from here where all he could smell was her and Malcolm, something he wouldn’t hold in for much longer.
“Where are we going now?” “Home.”
Chapter Thirteen
Lara climbed the steps to Kane’s backdoor, trepidation enveloping her as she walked. Kane hadn’t spoken two words to her the entire trip back and had refused to allow her to drive her own car. She wanted to fight him, boy did she, but something about that last look he raked over her gave her second thoughts. He looked every inch on the edge and she had a feeling she didn’t want to know what the other side looked like.
So when they arrived back at his house, she grabbed the bag from the crazy witch and headed straight for the kitchen. She had to do something, anything to keep herself busy. Seeing Malcolm again had reminded her of everything she’d done and planned to do to the Gunn clan and now her mission was muddled with lies and half truths, none of which seemed to be answered by anyone around here.
She should have known things were going far too easily between her and Kane. She’d even begun to adjust to the fact that they were mates despite knowing they couldn’t act on it. She no longer wanted to kill him, and that was a huge step in her mind.
Leave it to Malcolm to fuck all that up. His accusations could have just as easily been right as wrong if he’d encountered her a couple of weeks ago. She’d always been willing to use any weapon she had to break through to her goals, and if that meant sex then so be it.
Now Kane wasn’t speaking to her, and for some reason that hurt. He’d obviously taken Malcolm’s accusations to heart and parcel without even giving her a chance to explain. She reached into the cabinet below the stove and grabbed several pots and pans. Whatever. If that’s what he wanted to believe then she would do what was best for her, and that was to protect herself against the next attack—and she knew there would be a next one. These big cats were damn vicious when they were crossed and apparently didn’t take well to having the enemy on their own land, no matter the reason.
She dumped the bag contents on the counter and headed for her room for her amulets. She could power up a supply of them and show these people that Lara Monroe could take care of herself against anyone.
Back in the kitchen, she noticed the quiet. She looked around the house for Kane, wondering if he’d even come in with her. All the mess from the gunfight had been cleared and repaired. She looked at the walls where the bastard’s head had been smashed and there wasn’t a single sign of damage. She rubbed the spot and wet paint smeared on her fingers. Well, they were at least thorough if nothing else.
In Kane’s study the big plate glass window had been repaired, and she could see the orange and yellow glow of the setting sun. All the rooms in the house except for the kitchen were shadowed from the coming darkness, and there was no sign of Kane. He must have decided on a run or maybe he was checking out the cave. He probably did need to make sure everything was locked back up and reset to where he’d left it before she’d gotten a little crazy in there, waiting for him. She shrugged. Well, he shouldn’t have locked her in. He may not know about her fears, but what woman relished being locked in a room in the belly of a cave for who knows how long?
She padded along the plush carpeting back to the kitchen, glad that his beautiful home had been put back to right. It was something, at least, and obviously his clan cared for him a lot to move so fast and thoroughly to clean up the mess. That gave her even more to consider as she began putting ingredients in the pot of boiling water. What would happen to that love and acceptance if she stayed here much longer? She would never be accepted, and the fact that his mate was an outsider would always be a problem.
When the pot on the stove began to bubble and the froth threatened to spill over, she turned off the heat and grabbed her amulets, dipping them in the solution one at a time. Leaving them to energize for a while, she grabbed another saucepan and mixed up a different batch. Nothing like a little back up firepower in a girl’s arsenal to make her feel even more secure.
Hours later, all of her work done and the kitchen set back to the way she found it, she marveled at the time and the fact that Kane had still not returned. She wandered into the living room with a mug of hot tea and took a seat on one of the plush suede chairs, sinking her tired and sore body into the cushions. It’s amazing how sore some good fucking could leave you, and Kane knew how to love a woman right.
The warm liquid felt so good and aided her in releasing some of the pent up stress she’d dealt with all day. Having the magic to use also helped. She wouldn’t be quite so vulnerable. Thanks to Kane.
She noticed the shift in the air of the house the minute he came through the door. Working spells all day left her more in tune with the nature and energy of his house. She worried her bottom lip with her teeth and sucked it in, nervous about facing him and what would likely still be an angry man. Even after considering her options all day long, indecision ate at her when it came to her feelings toward him. He had reasons to be mad; some of what Malcolm accused her of was true. But, he knew that going in, or at least most of it.
When she heard the shower in the back of the house turn on, she relaxed back into her chai
r.
This is ridiculous. We can’t hide from this.
She hopped up and placed her mug on the table before heading to the master suite. Maybe there was a chance they could still talk this out. She pushed open the cracked door of his room and entered into the dark, masculine bedroom that Kane lived in.
This room was far different from the rest of the house and the complete opposite of her own room. Instead of the combination of light and dark elements, everything was dark here. Dark walls, dark wood, even chocolate brown covered the bed, which looked damned inviting in king size. The glint of silver on the headboard caught her eye and she inhaled sharply. Was that...?
She moved closer, and sure enough there were silver handcuffs attached to the bed. Interesting...and something she hadn’t expected although she wasn’t sure why. All three brothers struck her as sexually adventurous and a little bit deviant, but damn. She felt a rush of liquid dampen her panties as she imagined Kane cuffing her to his bed, his prisoner. As long as he didn’t leave and abandon her.
But everyone leaves.
She glanced around the rest of the room wondering what other secrets might be hidden there. Were there other kinks he kept hidden from her? There was a door on the opposite side of the room across from the bed, a closet she would presume, and her fingers literally itched to go in and see what she would find.
She took a few steps towards the door and stopped to listen—the shower was still running. She could take a quick peek and he would never know. A few more steps and sweat broke out on her palms. What the hell is wrong with me? She rubbed her hands on her pants. It’s not like I’m going to find a dead body in there or anything.
When she reached the door, she placed one hand on the cool, smooth wood and the other on the knob. That would help keep it quiet in case it creaked when she pulled it open. She placed her forehead against it, contemplating what to do. It didn’t seem right to pry through his private space, but how often in life did Lara do what anyone else thought she
should? If you want to know something about someone you do whatever you have to do to find out.
Fuck it. She twisted the knob and started to ease it open when two arms appeared alongside of hers and a hard male body pressed up against her backside, closing the door and trapping her against the wood.
Kane.
“Where are you going, sugar?” His voice rumbled low and menacing in her ear. He sounded different.
“Why are you calling me sugar now?”
“It’s a term of endearment here in the south, I’m sure you’ve heard it before.”
“Yeah, but not from you, and you didn’t start saying that until you got upset.” His finger trailed along her arm, distracting her immensely.
“Should I be upset?”
“Stop it, Kane. If you have something you want to say just say it.” Already her thoughts of Malcolm and Kane fighting and the ugly things that were said faded as he caressed her. Instead she thought about his hard abs pressed against her back and the breadth of his cock lodging against her ass through her thin pants.
“Why are you in here? Don’t you know it’s dangerous to enter a den?”
“I thought that applied to wild cats.”
He purred then, right against her throat as he nibbled on her neck and ears. “And you don’t think I’m wild?”
“Uh huh.” She pressed back into his arms, unable to stop herself from wanting to crawl all over him. How did he do that to her? Melt her into a compliance that made her willing to give him anything.
“Are you spying on me?”
“You were in the shower, I was curious about your room. I saw—saw the handcuffs on the bed.”
He grabbed her wrists then and pulled them behind her back and pushed her flush against the smooth surface of the door. Her panties moistened more from the fresh flow of her arousal. “Did that turn you on, sugar?”
“I’m not your sugar.”
“Aren’t you? You know I can tell everything about you just by your scent. Your fear, your anger, your arousal...”
She moaned. A faint thought of denying him flitted through her mind, but what was the point? He knew she was wet and ready for him just this easy.
His grip tightened on her wrists and his free hand slipped into the front waistband of her pants.
“You should wear skirts, makes for easier access.”
She squirmed against his hand when his fingers slid through her curls and glanced over her clit on the way to her wet entrance.
“Spread you legs for me, Lara.”
She instantly obeyed, trembling a little as she did. A wicked lust for this man washed over her as he continued to stroke her slick folds. She fought for breath as she let her forehead rest against the cool wood of the door, waiting for whatever he wanted next. This feeling of uncertain vulnerability should have worried her, especially considering how angry he’d been, but somehow she sensed that he suffered as much as she did when they tried to deny this connection.
“Mmm, I love how wet you get for me, makes me want to feast on you for days. It’s enough to drive a man into a frenzy.” His breath feathered hot and fast at her ear, sending chills from her head to her toes.
His fingers continued to brush quickly across her clit, enough to give her a jolt every time he did, but nowhere near what he knew she needed. Her pussy ached for him to fill her, to stroke her every which way he could until she begged and screamed for more.
When two of his fingers curled inside her she wanted to burst from his arms with the force of the sudden electric sensations coursing through her. “Oh, God. Kane.” She screwed her eyes shut, hoping to control herself, gain a little equilibrium before she collapsed on the floor in front of him.
“Do you want me, sugar? Or do you want me to stop?”
She shook her head almost violently. “Please. Don’t. Stop.” He chuckled in her ear, a rumbling sound that vibrated straight to her clit—it pulsed in eager anticipation. Her hips bucked against his hand and he removed his fingers, making her whimper with the cold loss.
He tugged at her arms and pulled her back a little. He released her wrists. “Take off your shirt and bra.” She quickly whipped her shirt and sports bra over her head and stood still in front of him, waiting and taking in his bronzed, naked skin with his thick erection jutting from his hips. He held a small tube of lube in his hand and she eyed him curiously as he began to put some on his fingers. “Now your pants.”
She met his gaze, grabbed at her waistband, and wiggled her pants over her hips and swept them down her legs, kicking them across the room. Without waiting, he flipped her back around to face away from him and gripped her wrists behind her back again and pushed her slightly forward at the waist.
She wiggled her body forward as best she could, considering he held her arms tight in his hand, not letting her move any way he didn’t want her to. He was obviously making sure she knew exactly who was in control, but right now she didn’t care just so long as he quit teasing her.
His rough-skinned hand covered her ass, caressing in a small circular pattern before letting his fingers slip between the cheeks, pressing his slick fingers to her tight rear opening. Her breath caught in her throat as his finger stretched the tight ring of muscles.
“I want your ass. I’m going to sink in one slow inch at a time until you scream and beg for more.”
Lara let the dark pleasure course through her veins as he pressed in deeper, not hearing anything else he said. Her thoughts became lost in the incredible sensation of the wicked. She’d already forgotten her anger and hurt feelings from earlier all for the sake of this moment.
“Do you like that, sugar?”
Of course she did. How could he not know that about her by now? That the more he pushed her sexual boundaries the more she craved from him? What others called forbidden she called heaven. Lara’s body trembled, shaking with each new plunge of his finger until she cried out in frustration. How long would he make her hang on the ledge? Cool sweat
broke out on her body as her instincts drove her to push back against him. “Please, Kane. Please.”
***
God, he loved her like this, hovering on the edge of a mind numbing orgasm and begging for her release. It had to be the hottest damn thing he’d seen in his life, and he’d seen plenty. But her ass gripping tight on his finger as the words he’d needed to hear trembled from her lips made his cock swell, leaving him with a hard-on the likes of which he hadn’t experienced before, and he was about to fill her with it.
He released her wrists then and she grabbed for the wall to steady herself. When he’d figured out she was in his room he’d thought to teach her a lesson. She needed to know that he couldn’t be controlled by something so simple as sex just to get what she wanted from him, yet here he was going against his own plan to bring her to the cliff of an orgasm and then walk away.
Walking away wasn’t an option, and clearly it never would be for either of them. So how did he get past her obvious betrayal, back to where he’d thought they’d been headed before his pain in the ass brother had shown up? Another question he had to ask her when he didn’t have his dick buried in her and could think straight.
He stood there for a minute, looking at how beautiful she was. She had a round and lush butt, just as he liked them, and as he took her in, his hunger built to a higher, more impossible crest. He couldn’t wait any longer, he had to fuck her.
Grabbing up the lube he’d dropped at his feet, he squeezed some more on his fingers. He slid one finger back inside and added a second right away with no problem. She opened beautifully and he couldn’t wait to see her take his dick. The little whimpers she made when she was aroused tore at his control as he removed his fingers and replaced them with the tip of his cock.
“Tell me, Lara. Tell me how much you want this from me.”
“Do it already!”
“Do you want me as mate?” He didn’t care right now if his demands were fair; all that mattered was her admittance. He wanted to hear her say it.