Ursa Unearthed (Scourge Survivor Series Book 2)

by JL Madore

  He shrugged at my expression, his adorable smile lighting up his face. "I thought it best to pop in for my fittings and then get the hell outta Dodge."

  "You live with your sisters?"

  He nodded. "They're more than my adopted family, they are my best friends too."

  "And is it just the three of you?"

  "No. There's our brother, Julian, our father, and some others."

  "Others? How big is your house?"

  "It's not my house. It was a wedding present for Jade. We just moved in two months ago. It's big enough that we don't need to see anyone we don't want to, but small enough that they always find me when I'm avoiding them." He snickered, staring out the windshield, watching as the swish of the wipers cleared the glistening drops from his view. "They're damn good little trackers, those girls."

  I stopped at a red light and glanced sideways at his beautiful profile. "Won't they need your help to get ready for the wedding?"

  "No. They have Galan's family and the staff. They won't even notice I'm gone."

  Somehow, I doubt that. "And Galan is . . . ?"

  "The groom."

  When the light changed, I pulled forward and indicated my turn onto the parking ramp leading below the hotel. At the unmanned security gate, I lowered the clearance of my truck and rolled down my window. Bruin handed me his key card and I swiped the machine. The digital sign flashed, 'Welcome to the Wedgewood Hotel, Mr. Bruin. Enjoy your stay.'

  After a moment, the gate arm hummed and then lifted, allowing our passage. The garage, a standard maze of concrete pillars and fluorescent lighting, boasted spots wider than public lots. The vehicles parked in them were a car collector's wish list: Jaguar, Mercedes, Audi, Lexus, even a Ferrari. Nothing you'd want to ding accidentally with a military tank of a truck.

  "We're over beside the elevators." Bruin pointed ahead of us, to the right and I followed his direction. "The spot should be big enough for your behemoth."

  I ignored his snicker and read the plaque on the wall right beside the black Mustang with the Enterprise rental sticker sitting in PH1401. "PH? As in Penthouse?"

  "Yes? Why do you say it like that?"

  I shook my head and pulled in. "No reason. Just getting my bearings."

  Trying to unfrazzle my mind was more accurate. If memory served, these penthouse suites went for $1500 a night . . . each. And they had two . . . for an unknown amount of time. A brawny, god of a man, dressed in shabby-chic, saves my virtue, possibly my life and takes me back to his penthouse suite at the Wedgewood.

  Where did this guy come from?

  He was obviously accustomed to the finer things yet had no air of rich kid superiority or bad-boy-bachelor-with-something-to-prove. It didn't add up. I was missing something and my journalistic Spidey-senses were tingling like mad. With a turn of my wrist, the rumble of my engine silenced and I withdrew the key.

  Bruin slipped out in a blur, opened my door and offered me a hand to step down.

  "So, is Bruin your first name or your last? The bartender and the waitress at Spankz called you Bruin, but the security gate has you down as Mr. Bruin."

  He shrugged. "It's just Bruin."

  I slung my purse over my shoulder as he led me to the elevators and swiped his key card. "Like Beyoncé or Usher or Prince . . . well, until he changed his name into that silly squiggle thing." His blank stare told me I'd lost him on that one. Obviously not an '80s fan. Maybe the one name was an adoption thing and he didn't like talking about it.

  "Okay, just Bruin, so where are you from?"

  He stepped tight behind me, his cheek brushing against my neck. The rasp of his jaw combined with the warmth of his breath on my throat sent a shiver through me. "Are we going to waste what's left of the evening playing twenty questions?"

  The hiss of the elevator doors had my heart jumping. With a possessive tug, he pulled me inside and pivoted my hips so we stood face to face. "I can think of a dozen things I'd rather do. How about you?"

  Reaching around me, he inserted his card and punched the italic PH14.

  Of their own volition, my hands traveled up the ridges of corded muscle defining his ribcage. Wow, this guy had a body. My skin flushed and I told myself it had nothing to do with the heat coming off him, the deep timbre of his voice or the sudden hunger in his eyes. I moistened my lips. "I'm open to suggestions."

  Bruin drew a deep breath and his nostrils flared. In the enclosed confines of the elevator, he didn't just occupy space . . . he saturated it. He was intensely masculine. He was sexual. And his mouth hovered just inches from mine.

  I swallowed hard, my heart beating in my chest like a ceremonial buckskin drum. He fingered a piece of my hair down to where it hung against my damaged cheek. When I flinched, he stiffened and a muscle leapt in his jaw.

  "Don't worry about it," I said raising my fingers to probe the damage. "I'm sure it looks worse than it is."

  He laid a gentle kiss on the bruise then nuzzled his way down my neck. When his lips brushed my collarbone, I swear he growled, low in his chest. The primal sound sent my hormones off the charts and I leaned back against the elevator wall for support.

  He followed, a predator stalking forward to claim my mouth.

  The wait was excruciating, the contact decadent. His lips moved over mine, and though I couldn't get a solid read on him with my gift, I felt the incredible strength he held in reserve. The edge. The power. He tethered something dangerous inside himself. Something fierce. My arms barely reached around his shoulders as he lifted me from the ground and pulled me against his chest. Would he ever use his strength against me like those bastards tonight?

  A soft ding accompanied the hiss of the elevator doors. Without breaking our kiss, he grasped both cheeks of my ass and lifted me against his waist. I linked my ankles behind his thighs and we moved as one into the foyer of the fourteenth floor.

  Bruin's tongue danced in my mouth as his arousal pressed hard against my belly.

  As all my well-cultivated defenses fizzled, I couldn't help wondering what the night would bring. He tasted wild and smelled like the crisp outdoors mixed with Hugo Boss. He hesitated, chuckled into my mouth, and walked us back to the empty elevator. After reaching inside, he pulled his key card from the slot.

  Satisfied it had completed its task, the elevator hissed closed and descended.

  Bruin fumbled with the card slot outside his suite when the adjacent penthouse door opened. Without setting me down he withdrew from our kiss and inclined his head.

  Kobi, stood in the other doorway wearing black Calvins, a dozen piercings and a hell of a lot of tawny tattooed skin. With his nipple ring catching the light and a black, banding tattoo encircling his left shoulder, he rocked the tall-Goth-and-sexy look. But something was off. Regardless of his physical appearance, the man had a haunted look in his dark charcoal eyes.

  He gave our situation a once over and raised a bottle of whiskey to his lips. "Glad you're back. Now I can get down to it." He leaned back so we could see into his suite. “You remember the two blondes from the cage."

  Oh, the kissy, thigh-high twins.

  Bruin laughed. "I do, though I prefer my dance partners free-range."

  A sinful smirk crept over Kobi’s face as he propped the door open a little wider and we could see a David Beckham look alike inside with the girls. “Tall, dark and sexy was free range. We added him in on the way to the car."

  I wondered if the look Bruin flashed his buddy was admiration or disbelief. I hoped for the latter. "So, if you've got a full house what are you doing in the hall?"

  "What can I say, I'm that fucking dedicated. Oh, and I like my balls right where they are, fuck-you-very-much. If anything happened to you—"

  "Good night, Kobi." Bruin snapped. "We can chit-chat mañana."

  Kobi gave us a middle finger salute over his shoulder and headed back inside his suite.

  "Hey," Bruin called after him. "Keep the noise down tonight."

  Kobi laughed and kicked the door shut
behind him.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Bruin's hand swiped the wall as we stumbled as one into his suite. With the flick of the switch, two lamps clicked on and a soft glow lit our way. Neither of us took in the sights. Bruin set me on my feet, his lips chasing my pulse up my neck. His vest had to go. I pushed the leather over his shoulders, let it flop to the plush beige carpet and made short work of his shirt buttons.

  He was a beautifully built man, broad shoulders tapered to a sculpted torso. He even had those fabulous muscle indents on his hips, pointing the way home. Oh, yeah.

  I ran my hands down the landscape and fingered the dusting of brown hair disappearing under the waistband of his designer jeans. Strong fingers went to work on the top button of my jeans. Electric moment. Explosive potential.

  When the first rivet popped free from its mooring I froze. Panic boiled in my gut. My chest constricted and I staggered back. Leaning against the sofa table, I gasped for oxygen and tried to tame the quakes rocking through me. "I'm sorry. Give me a second."

  Bruin didn't move. "Shit. Did I do something?"

  I shook my hands out to my sides and paced a quick lap of the room. I felt like an idiot putting distance between us, but a little solitude seemed to help settle my brain cells. "No. I'm totally into you. It's just your fingers tugging at my jeans . . . just an alley flashback."

  When the chocolate wall and floor-to-ceiling drapes began to do a fun house sway, I sunk to the overstuffed sofa and dropped my head between my knees.

  "Whoa, take a breath." Bruin's soft footfalls crossed the living room.

  I focused on breathing. In with the good, out with the bad, in good, out bad. After a moment, he tapped my shoulder with a bottle of water.

  "What can I do?" He squatted before me, but didn't touch me. "I can take you home . . . or you can stay here. I wasn't kidding when I asked you to keep me company. If you want to veg on the couch and order movies and room service, that's cool with me. Or, if you're getting sore you can soak in the tub then crash in the second bedroom. Whatever you decide."

  "You're sweet." I unscrewed the cap and tried to drown my embarrassment.

  "Nah, not really. I'd much rather get our horizontal on, but whatever you're up for works." I couldn't help but laugh at his expression, especially when he walked over to the desk in a discreet effort to adjust himself.

  "Sorry."

  He shrugged, handed me the room service menu and retreated to the other side of the couch. "I'll survive. Let's order some food. You hungry?"

  "It's almost 2:30. Isn't the kitchen closed?"

  "Kobi and I have an always-open option for room service."

  Nice. I thought about the queasy roll of my stomach and wasn't sure if it was nausea or hunger. Knowing me . . . hunger. "Okay, yeah, a cheeseburger and rings would be fantastic. We were supposed to grab a bite at the pub, but with all the excitement, I never got the chance. I could definitely eat."

  "Cheeseburger it is. Drink? I've got a stocked bar or they have milkshakes downstairs."

  "Oh, well, if we're going all out, strawberry shake. Definitely."

  He smiled, picking up the phone over on the desk. "Nice choice. And FYI, they use real berries not that jam flavor shit."

  "Sounds perfect." I rose to my feet, locking my legs just in case. Better. "Mind if I snoop around and walk this off?"

  He waved a hand and punched the number pad a few times. "Be my guest. Check out the view from the terrace, if you want some air."

  While Bruin ordered more food than a party of eight could eat and gave me a moment, I took a self-guided tour around his suite: vintage antiques, original paintings, heated bathroom floor and every extra indulgence you'd expect for the price. Standing at the glass rail of his terrace I looked out over the tiny, white lights of Robson Square Gardens and let the night breeze center my energy.

  "Was I lying about the view?" Bruin stepped out to join me, still keeping a polite distance. Man, could this guy be the real deal? When he leaned his elbows on the rail beside me, I forced my gaze to return to the stunning Vancouver skyline.

  "It's incredible. You could stay out here all night and enjoy a view like this."

  "I do. Often." He smiled and pointed over his shoulder at the outdoor furnishings set on the elegant garden patio. "We can enjoy the view more after we eat, if you're up to it."

  "Deal. Would you mind if I have a quick shower before the food comes? I'd like to wash off the night and freshen up."

  Bruin ushered me back to the suite. "There's a pair of robes in the washroom and a basket of complimentary toiletries on the vanity. Take your time."

  The combination of hot water hitting my skin and the fancy soaps in Bruin's bathroom reset my senses. So, after sitting on the terrace, wrapped in a luxurious, fluffy robe while Bruin polished off more food than I would have believed possible, the night had pretty much been set right again. Well, other than the aches and pains of my alley brawl catching up.

  Bruin pointed a thumb into the suite and stepped toward the jet-tub on the far wall of his suite. "Your muscles turning on you?"

  "Isn't there a rule about skinny dipping or hot-tubbing right after you stuff your face?"

  Bruin rolled back the sleeves of his white shirt and opened the faucets, testing the flow of the water gathering in the massive tub. "That's swimming and I don't think being naked even comes into play. In a soaker tub you don't sink, so you can get away with more."

  I patted my belly. "Good to know. I still shouldn't have eaten so much. I feel like a whale."

  With a serious frown, he tugged the tie of my robe and eased the two sides open. Cool, night air hit my breasts. As my nipples beaded tight, his eyes swirled with flecks of gold. He studied my curves, sparing nothing for modesty. His brow arched and a naughty smile spread across his face. "You don't look like a whale. In fact, you look . . . spectacular."

  Gentle fingers smoothed over the pendant that hung from my neck. He lifted it, fingered the delicate turquoise beads and bent to inspect the carving. "This is gorgeous."

  I dropped my gaze and smiled. "My grandfather carved it. It's my spirit totem."

  "A bear?" Bruin stared at the pendant for a few more moments and then set it against my chest. It was unnerving that I couldn't read his expression. Usually, what I didn't gather from facial cues and gut instinct as a journalist, my connection with nature told me.

  Tonight, the Earth Mother and her spirits were silent.

  A chill raced down my spine as his gaze locked on mine. Strong fingers traced the curves from my hips to my waist and up my ribs to my collarbone. Collecting the bulky fabric resting on my shoulders, he slid my robe off and tossed it to the end of the bed. After one soft kiss to my shoulder, Bruin held his hand out and steadied my descent into the depths of the elegant tub.

  I sank into the steamy waters, my stiff body suddenly stinging in protest. Wincing, I closed my eyes and waited for my muscles to ease. Then I waited some more. And kept waiting.

  Bruin gave me a dark look. "You okay?"

  I waved away his concern. The knots might not be loosening, but the spasms began to back down a bit. "Now, you've seen mine."

  A smile played at the sides of his mouth. "Are you asking for a little quid pro quo?"

  "That's the idea." I bit my lip and stretched out my shoulders. Leaning back against the molded seat, the scent of the vanilla-cream pillar candle filled my sinuses.

  Without fanfare, Bruin tossed his shirt over my robe and let his jeans drop to the carpet. When he turned to toss them onto the bench at the end of the bed, I saw the intricate tattoo that ran down the length of his back from his left shoulder to the dip above his butt cheek. Three inches wide and inked in midnight blue, the series of characters and symbols flowed like Japanese kanji . . . but not. The fact that the ancient script stole my attention from his physique was, in itself, mind boggling.

  I'd never seen a man with such perfect lines.

  Bruin stepped into the tub and settled in facing me, h
is long legs bent, his feet resting beside my hips. After laying both arms across the marble ledge behind the tub, he exhaled.

  I bit my lip in an effort to keep from squealing and making a complete fool of myself. After a few deep breaths, I found I could once again access cognitive thought. "I should have warned you. I'm a safety girl. I slipped condoms in my robe pocket. You okay with that?"

  Bruin nodded, turned the dial behind him and set the jets on low. "I'm clean, but have no problem wearing one if you prefer." He lowered his hands, playing with the stream of white water rippling just under the surface. After a moment, his turquoise gaze froze on me. "Are you sure you're up for loveplay tonight? You look fried."

  His altruism shifted something in me. It was subtle. I couldn't quite pin it down, but the softness in his eyes had sexual energy tingling under my skin. When he opened his arms wide, I didn't know what kind of spell he'd cast over me. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world to go to him. I pushed across the tub.

  Gathered into his lap, heat suffused my body and bloomed under my skin. The water swirled and jetted around us and my mind grew woolly. My bruised and aching muscles went languid as our mouths met in drugging sweeps of lips and tongue.

  We stayed like that forever, joined in the most exquisite meeting of two mouths imaginable. One of his hands traveled over my back. He touched me, not to hold me in place, but to stroke my flesh, softly, slowly. The world seemed fuzzy and so did I, boneless and numb, floating in the moist, sexually charged air around us.

  Bruin slowed our kiss and with a firm grip on my hips, eased me around to face the other direction. Sitting between his thighs, his erection wedged firm against my lower back. The moment his fingers kneaded my shoulders I was lost.

  "That's right," he whispered close to my ear. "Just relax. I've got you."

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The rich, sweet scent of mocha invaded my blissed-out slumber. Where—

  I cracked one eye open, swiped away the pillow lying across my head and raised my hand in front of my face. "Geez, turn off the sun. Give a girl a chance to wake up before you burn out her retina."