by Dia Cole
10
Havana
It took thirty minutes for my heart rate to return to normal. Then it took another thirty minutes of me kneeling on the table to rethink my choices from the night before. I should’ve just gone to Max. He and Justin would’ve thrown Mason and Gabriel out of the club, walked me to my car, and I’d be cozy in my rat-free apartment right now.
And zombies would be breaking down the door. I shook my head to dismiss that thought. The authorities will get the vaccine reactions under control. Running for the mountains was a complete overreaction and now I was stuck up here in this horrible place that didn’t even have a bathroom. Ugh. What kind of people choose to live like this? I’ll bet the guys are staying somewhere with running water and electricity. Screw them!
Would you? my subconscious asked.
Maybe, I answered honestly.
I flushed thinking of how amazing Mason’s arms had felt around me. The gorgeous doctor was the whole package. Smart, handsome, and yet still considerate and tender. I could totally see myself falling for him. And Liam was tempting too.
The giant’s ability to switch between fierce alpha male protector and romantic flirt was so freaking hot. The skank in me was dying to see him without his clothes. I’ll bet he’s freaking huge. My stomach tightened at the thought. Damn. Despite what I did for a living, I didn’t normally lust after strange men. In fact, I hadn’t gone near another guy since my breakup with Nathan.
Get a grip, Vana. They were Nathan’s friends, and that made them off-limits. At least according to Gabriel. My mood darkened at the thought of the condescending one-eyed asshole. What the hell is wrong with that guy? It was clear he hated my guts and it couldn’t just be because I tried to give him and Mason the slip at the club. No. There was something more to his coldness. Some woman had hurt him. Badly. I mentally gave that mystery woman a high five. He probably deserved it. I can’t believe he expects me to stay in this rat-infested shithole.
I shuddered. How ironic to flee the zombie virus only to contract rabies and die.
The door behind me creaked open. Shrieking in surprise, I nearly toppled to the floor.
“Havana?” came a sexy accented voice. “Why are you crouched on the table?”
I spun around to see Mason standing in the doorway with a large box in his hands.
“There are rats everywhere!” I cried.
“Well, we can’t have that, can we?” He dropped the box he was carrying and came over to the table. “Let me help you down.”
Clutching his hand, I stepped down and stumbled on my stupid broken heel.
Mason caught me before I fell. “As amazing as you look in these boots, we have to get you better footwear.”
“Yeah,” I gasped through the flare of back pain.
He gave me a concerned look, his golden brows drawing together. “It’s your back again, isn’t it?”
“It’s fine,” I assured him as I stared into his hypnotizing blue eyes. Have I ever seen another pair of blue eyes quite this sexy?
“It’s clearly not fine.” His expression turned clinical. “Were you injured?”
After I told him about my initial fall and where the pain was on my lower back, he gently probed the area. “Hmm. It’s challenging to diagnose conclusively without imaging, but I’d wager you herniated a disc.”
I sucked in a breath. “That sounds serious. Do I need surgery?”
“Generally, no. In most cases, they heal on their own. What you need is rest and some pain relief.” He pulled a bottle of pills from his pocket and handed them to me.
“Oxy?” I said a little too hopefully.
“No. Ibuprofen.”
“Oh, well better than nothing.” I opened the bottle and popped two pills in my mouth.
He held up his hand as if to stop me. “You should take those with—”
I dry swallowed the pills and set the bottle on the table.
He sighed and shook his head. “There’s something else that might help.” He walked over to the box he’d left by the door and retrieved a black, corset-looking thing.
“If you wanted me in lingerie all you had to do was ask.” I winked.
His tanned face reddened. “It’s a back brace that’ll provide lumbar support and hopefully relieve some of your pain.” He held it up as he walked back to my side. “It’s Velcro and easy to put on. You’ll want to wear it under your dress.” He coughed. “I can wait outside while you change.” He turned toward the door.
“No, wait,” I said, stopping him. I didn’t want to be alone in this place even for a minute. Besides, the naughty stripper in me wanted to push this primal attraction to the doctor a little further. “Could you help me put it on?” I asked a little too breathlessly.
He grinned. “Well, I am good with my hands.”
“Good.” I reached behind me and unzipped the back of my dress.
I probably imagined the catch in his breath as the gown slid to the ground leaving me in just a tiny thong and the thin strip of fabric covering my breasts.
His eyes widened as they followed the curves of my body. “You’re stunning,” he murmured before clearing his throat.
The notion that he was as attracted to me as I was to him heated my blood “Should I take this off too?” I asked, pointing to my top.
“N-no. That’s not necessary.” His voice sounded hoarse. “Can you hold out your arms?”
I raised my arms.
He knelt down behind me and wrapped the fabric brace around the small of my back.
An electric current seemed to hit me each time his hands brushed my skin. I bit back a moan when his fingers grazed my hip.
“Does that hurt?” he asked.
I shook my head. God, no. Quite the opposite. I didn’t know why I was getting so turned on, but just then I didn’t care.
He grabbed my hips with his hands and gently turned me so I faced him. Then he adjusted the Velcro front of the brace. “That should work.”
There was something undeniably erotic about having a gorgeous man on his knees in front of me. I whispered his name.
He looked up and moistened his lips. Lips that were inches away from my—
My stomach let out a growl so loud it disturbed the rats.
Mason jolted, looking between my stomach and the skittering noises in the wall. “Sounds like you’re hungry.”
Embarrassed, I nodded.
“Then let’s get you something to eat.” Mason helped pull up my dress and then all but carried me to the SUV parked out front.
I shivered as a cold gust of wind pelted us.
“Here’s your jacket,” he said after getting me settled in the back seat. “I’ll get some heat going.” He opened the driver’s door and turned on the ignition.
I relaxed as warm air surrounded me.
He went back into the cabin and returned with a granola bar, dried fruit, and a box of cheese crackers. “Here’s some food. It’s not much. Sorry. I was trying to get back here as soon as I could.”
“Looks great.” My stomach rumbled in appreciation. It’d been nearly twelve hours since I’d eaten. I inhaled the granola bar and fruit, then tore into the box of crackers. Mason scooted in next to me and closed the car door. He smiled as he watched me eat. “I love a female with a good appetite.”
My face warmed as I realized that I’d nearly finished half the box of crackers. Really sexy, eating like a lumberjack, Vana. I wiped crumbs off my chin with my hand. “You know I’m good here if you wanted to go battle the rodents of unusual size.” I waved at the shack.
He chuckled. “As tempting as that sounds, would you mind if I sat with you a bit? I’m a little famished myself.”
“Of course.” I offered him the box of crackers and for the next hour we ate and talked. Mason was easy to chat with and I soon learned he’d spent his entire childhood and young adulthood at a private English boarding school.
“You must’ve been lonely,” I said, wondering why his parents had gone to the trou
ble of adopting him only to send him away.
He shrugged. “It wasn’t so bad. At least I got to go home for the holidays.”
“Yeah, the holidays.” I winced at the memories of spending Christmases alone waiting for my mom to stumble home from the arms of whatever guy she’d been hooking up with at the time.
Mistaking the reason for my reaction, Mason looked at my hand. “Is the cut hurting?”
I shook my head. “No, it feels fine.” Strangely enough, my entire hand was numb.
“Good.” He leaned over and kissed the top of the bandage. “Just try to keep it clean and free from dirt.”
“Like that’ll be possible,” I muttered, looking back at the shack.
Mason followed my gaze. “You won’t have to stay there long. Nathan is on his way and I’m sure he’ll insist you move to the lodge.”
The mention of my ex sent me into a coughing fit.
Mason pulled a can of soda from his pocket and offered it to me. “You should drink something.”
I waved it away. “Nathan doesn’t care about me,” I said when I could breathe again.
“You two really aren’t together?”
“No, and after how he treated me, I wouldn’t take the bastard back if he begged.” My heart twisted at the memory of Nathan kissing Mira’s mother in front of me.
The lines of tension around Mason’s mouth relaxed. “I’m happy to hear that. Forgive my boldness, but I have to confess that I'm insanely attracted to you.”
“Ditto,” I smiled. A dark part of me wondered how Nathan would feel about me getting together with Mason? Would it cut him to the bone the way seeing him with Mira’s mother had destroyed me? Suddenly, I wanted to find out.
I locked gazes with the handsome doctor. “So what do you want to do about it?”
The sudden sexual tension that sprung between us stole my breath.
“I know we just met, but I want to be yours,” he said in a husky voice. He leaned over, his lips inches from mine.
Damn. I knew in that moment that Mason wasn’t a rebound guy or a one-night bed warmer. This was the love-you-forever-walk-down-the-aisle type of guy.
Am I ready for this? Unsure, I shifted away from him. “I could use that soda after all.”
A fleeting expression of disappointment crossed his face as Mason handed me the can.
Refusing to meet his gaze, I popped the top and soda shot all over. “Ah!”
Mason cursed, opened the door, and tossed the bubbling can outside into the snow.
“I’m sorry,” I cried, blinking away the brown liquid stinging my eyes.
“It’s my fault. It must’ve gotten shaken on the drive over here.”
I laughed at his chagrined expression. “Do you have a napkin or a towel or something?” I wiped my dripping chin.
“No, but…” He pulled off his jacket and offered it to me.
“I’m not using your jacket,” I protested.
“Why not?” He swiped at the soda clinging to his lip.
Suddenly, all I could think about was how those lips would taste. Before I could stop myself, I leaned over and licked a sugary drop of soda off his bottom lip.
He inhaled sharply, his gaze darkening to a deep ocean blue. “Two can play at that.” He leaned over and licked soda from my chin.
The sensation of his lips on my skin shocked me senseless. All I could do was hold my breath as he continued to lick down the edge of my jaw.
Heat coiled deep in my belly. I clenched my thighs together as my core throbbed.
He paused. “Am I’m being too forward?”
“No, I have men lick drinks off me all the time,” I lied.
He straightened and pushed the heavy curtain of my hair to the side. “You have soda here.” He motioned to the base of my neck. He paused waiting for my permission.
Oh what the hell? It’d been forever since I’d felt attraction like this for anyone and I promised Syd that I’d give the next guy a chance. Arching my throat toward him, I said, “Then you better get to work.”
With a groan he leaned over. The wash of his hot breath across my neck made my breathing hitch. Then with slow deliberation he licked and sucked the sticky soda from my neck.
“Oh, God.” The feeling of his hot, wet mouth set my insides on fire. I threw back my head, feeling my nipples stiffening into hard nubs. Desire pulsed through me.
“Yes,” I moaned when he followed the curve of my throat up to my ear and then down. Delicious shivers racked my body.
Groaning, he pulled me on top of him until I was all but straddling him on the seat. Then his lips found mine in a slow, sensuous kiss that made my head swim.
The kiss was different from Nathan’s wild, carnal kisses. Nathan… Memories of how he’d kissed, touched, and owned me body and soul in the bedroom came flooding back.
With a cry I slid off Mason.
“What is it, love?” he asked, an expression of confusion on his handsome face.
“Nothing.” I smoothed down the hem of my dress unwilling to explain that the ghost of my ex still haunted me.
“You know you can tell me—” He broke off with a curse. “Bloody hell. We have company.”
I looked out through the window and saw a white truck headed down the hill.
Mason looked less than pleased. “It’s Liam. Damn it.”
Sucking in a shaky breath, I mentally thanked the giant for his timely interruption.
11
Liam
The minute Doc took the elevator down to the infirmary, I marched straight out of the library. Having moonlighted with the Sanctuary construction crews whenever Tasha ran out of humans or Lykos for me to threaten, I had no problem finding my way around the lodge. I admired the craftsmanship of the furniture I passed. All my life I’d wanted to build things with my hands, not that I had many opportunities as an Enforcer.
As I passed the dining room, I caught sight of the fossilized stone dining room table. The massive slab of petrified redwood had been transported from California, delivered by a crane, and required nearly fifteen Lykos males to move into this room. Females, I thought with a snort. Their focus on aesthetics baffled me. What did it matter if the Alpha female and her entourage ate off a regular old wood table?
I’ll bet Havana wouldn’t care about something as frivolous as that. The dark-haired female’s beautiful face flashed into my mind. She seemed the type who had her priorities straight. Her repeated phone calls to warn her friends and her desire to save that boy back on the interstate showed that she cared about the things that really mattered. I gave the oversize table one last glare and headed toward the chef’s kitchen. Even though Havana may not care about expensive tables, she deserves better than that filthy cabin. I cursed Gabe’s stubbornness as I headed to the walk-in pantry.
Thanks to Tasha’s mandate that the lodge be kept ready for her at all times during the winter months, the kitchen was fully stocked. I quickly loaded up a crate of food to take to Havana and added some pots, pans, and other kitchen supplies she’d need.
I didn’t understand why Gabe wouldn’t bring the beautiful female to the lodge. He’d been compelled by Nathan to keep Havana safe and there was no doubt she’d be safest here with us. But it’d be a waste of time arguing with him. From years of experience, I knew there was no swaying Gabe when he’d made up his mind.
After setting the crate by the door, I found some cleaning supplies and an unused water cooler sitting next to a five-gallon jug of water. I quickly added them to the pile. Then I jogged upstairs and walked into the closest bedroom. It was lavishly decorated, like all the rooms in the lodge, and I had to tear at least a dozen throw pillows off the oversize king bed in order to strip off the plush brown comforter. I was tempted to leave the decorative pillows, but then figured Havana might like them too. Bundling them inside the comforter, I headed back downstairs.
As I set the bedding near the crate, I realized Havana didn’t have a bed to put the pillows or the comforter on. I b
acktracked upstairs and searched the rooms until I found a smaller mattress and box spring. I brought them downstairs and then added a rug and leather recliner I’d found in one of the rooms. She’ll love the cabin by the time I get through with it, I thought with a burst of satisfaction.
Since there was no way I was getting all the furniture into the back of the SUV, I went in search of another vehicle. Thankfully, I quickly found a work truck one of the construction crew members must’ve left behind. The truck bed was half-filled with tools and lumber, but that was a good thing given the extensive work the cabin needed.
Filled with eagerness to see the lovely female again, I nearly ran Gabe over as I pulled the truck up to the front steps of the lodge.
The head Enforcer’s face was contorted in rage and his breath fogged the chilly air. “What do you think you’re you doing?”
“What does it look like?” I replied, stalking by him.
He followed me up the stairs and into the hallway that was barely maneuverable due to all the supplies and furniture I’d stacked in it. “What’s all this?”
I hefted up the mattress and box spring. “Just a few things I’m bringing to the cabin.”
“You’re not going there,” he said, trying to block my way back to the truck.
He may be in charge, but I’m off the clock. “Move.” I sideswiped him with the mattress.
He steadied himself and glared at me. “You can’t have Havana. She belongs to Nathan.”
“She doesn’t seem to think so,” I said, loading in the bed. “But if it makes you breathe easier, I’m just bringing over a few things to make her more comfortable. I’ll drop this stuff off and come straight back here.”