by Wood, Vivian
Scarlett nodded. Anything to make this feeling end. Still, she couldn’t help but flinch when he reached out to put his hand on her arm. She wasn’t used to a lot of kind touches from men, or anyone else. Lucas frowned at her reaction, but pushed on.
When his warm fingers brushed her skin, circling her forearm, Scarlett sighed aloud. The compulsion lifted, but she almost didn’t notice. The second that Lucas touched her, a pleasant warmth flowed into her skin, washing outward from his palm to soothe her discomfort.
Scarlett looked up from where his hand touched her arm, and found herself looking into his eyes. Sapphire and pewter caught and held; she shivered, even as heat pulsed low in her body.
Chapter Twenty
Lucas settled Scarlett in, lying the sleeping female on the helicopter’s bench seat. She was smaller than he’d anticipated; next to his 6’3” body, she looked delicate. Her waist-length sable hair pooled around her shoulders, and Lucas couldn’t stop himself from reaching out to touch it. He picked up a silky lock of her hair and let it slide through his fingers. Scarlett didn’t notice his caress; her eyes were closed. Lucas didn’t mind that, though. Something about the way she looked at him, those big sapphire eyes filled with hurt and fear… it unnerved him.
Her dog sat on the floor, sitting just where she’d commanded. A dutiful little soldier the pup might be, but he eyed Lucas with evident distrust.
“She’s beautiful,” Garrett said, emerging from the cockpit where he’d briefed their pilot on the flight plan. He took the seat on Lucas’s other side, buckling himself in as the chopper fired up for takeoff.
“Yeah,” Lucas grunted, looking down at her again. Her face was finely carved, with a high forehead, a long, thin nose, and prominent cheek bones. Her strong chin and lush pink lips tempted him, begging to be touched. Lucas’s gaze dropped down further, taking in her full breasts and curvy waist, leading down to legs that made him think sinful thoughts.
The helicopter lurched upward into the sky, and the motion made Scarlett moan. Her eyes blinked open, and she tried to sit up. Lucas sensed her panic, and understood the source. He grabbed one of the airsickness bags and opened it, offering it to her. Scarlett grabbed it, heaving, but nothing came up.
“Aw, shit,” Garrett said, his expression a mixture of disgust and pity.
“Shut up,” Lucas snapped, reaching out to brush long strands of hair back from her face. She lay on her side, head hanging off the side of the bench, nausea wracking her body.
She wretched again and again. Lucas realized that her sickness was inevitable; the combination of the drugs she’d been given and the helicopter’s quick ascent would have made a big male sick, much less a tiny, fragile female. He gritted his teeth, working to keep his hands from bunching into fists. He ran his palm over her shoulder and her back, soothing her and calming himself at the same time.
Grabbing a sweatshirt from his overnight bag, he tucked it under her head in an attempt to make her more comfortable. When she stilled at last, her body going lax, he took the unused bag and set it down. She emitted a soft moan when he stopped touching her, and a deep sigh when he resumed the light, circular caresses.
Scarlett moaned again, trying to sit up. When Lucas tried to press her back onto the bench, she gave a soft growl. She reached out to him, seeking his embrace. She was so doped up, and she seemed so lost. Lucas pulled her onto his lap with a sigh, putting his arms around her. She burrowed her face into his neck; her long hair spilled over his chest and arms and stomach.
The simple touch of her body against his made him tense. Made him tighten and burn, made him feel things he shouldn’t. He was lost in the sensation of her warm, soft body for long moments. Wanting to comfort, but also wanting more.
Guilt slammed him. What kind of disgusting creature was he, to be lusting after this little broken-winged sparrow?
He looked over to his brother, scowling when he saw Garrett’s bemused expression.
“Don’t say it,” Lucas said.
“I didn’t say anything!” Garrett said, his lips quirking up.
“You’re dying to say something. I can tell.”
Garrett’s amusement didn’t fade, but he shrugged and kept his thoughts to himself for once.
“Look at her arms,” Lucas said, hearing the red-hot fury in his voice. He brushed Scarlett’s hair away again, showcasing the handprints and bruises tracked up and down her flesh.
“Yeah. The more I look at her, the more I think that we should have killed everyone in that creepy-ass basement,” Garrett said, his expression grim.
“I thought about it. More than once.”
“She’s still beautiful,” Garrett said, his gaze traveling over Scarlett’s sleeping form. When Lucas didn’t reply, Garrett elbowed him in the ribs.
“Garrett, just stop. You know that this can’t happen.”
“This what?” his brother asked, playing dumb.
“This!” Lucas snapped, jerking his head down to indicate Scarlett, who was supine in his arms.
“What’s tying you down, brother?” Garrett demanded.
“Everything. I have no room in my life for anyone, much less a female like this. She has needs, and I can’t fulfill any of them.”
“What fills your days now, Luc? A female who belongs to another male? Your work, the job that you’ve done so well as to have made yourself redundant? Your house, filled with males that are balls-deep in their new mates? Tell me, brother. What’s stopping you from taking little Scarlett home? Nurse her back to health, and bring her into your bed. Maybe she can ease your pain.”
Lucas stared at Garrett for a long time, silent. His brother’s eyes and face, a mirror of Lucas’s own. He watched his brother, watched expression. Garrett was somber now, the teasing gone. There was sadness in his eyes. Longing, too. It seemed that jovial Garrett wanted more than a quick fuck, these days.
“You could take her,” Lucas said, watching Garrett with intent eyes. They may play at being rivals, but in truth neither brother could deny the other anything. If Garrett needed this female, he had but to ask.
“I can’t.” Garrett didn’t explain, and the look on his face said that the topic was closed. Curiosity filled Lucas, but he knew his brother too well than to waste breath on questions that would go unanswered.
“I’m no good, Garrett,” Lucas said, looking down at Scarlett again. “I thought that Aurelia was my fresh start. I thought I could have fun, keep several females around until I was ready to take Aurelia as a mate. Aurelia didn’t seem to mind, but…”
He trailed off.
“But she left you for Ben,” Garrett finished.
“Yeah. She was my last chance, Garrett. She was going to redeem me, and I fucked it up. I lie in bed at night, wondering what would have happened if I’d taken her as a mate right away. Or maybe if I had taken a leave of absence from work, stayed at the Compound. Would she still have left me?”
Lucas felt the same heart-wrenching pain as he had from the moment he’d found Aurelia in Ben’s arms, but confessing his thoughts to his brother felt good. Garrett, his younger brother by less than a year, was the only person in the world with whom he could ever be so open and honest. Saying the words aloud lifted the burden pressing down on his chest, even if only a scant inch.
“Luc,” Garrett said. Garrett slid an arm around Lucas’s shoulders, giving him a hard hug. Lucas stilled in surprise; he and Garrett weren’t the type to embrace, even in life or death scenarios. God knew they’d seen plenty of those together.
“Listen to me, Luc,” Garrett said as he withdrew. “Aurelia wasn’t your last anything. She’s a female you cared for, and she’ll continue to be that.”
Lucas opened his mouth to argue, but Garrett stopped him with a shake of his head.
“Ben and Walker are your closest friends. You love them. The three of you are bonded in ways I can’t understand. Believe me, I’ve tried. Aurelia will be in your life, because Ben will be in your life. You’re going to forgive them,
because you know they couldn’t help themselves. Mates aren’t a decision, they’re a compulsion. They couldn’t resist each other any more than those males could stay on their feet back in that basement. We’ve both known a lot of mated couples, and seen how strong the need can be.”
Lucas gave a slow nod, acknowledging the truth of Garrett’s words. Every single thing his brother said was the truth, and Lucas knew it.
“How am I supposed to forgive them? How am I supposed to just move on with my life after that?” Lucas asked. His words sounded so needy, made him feel ashamed of his weakness.
“Scarlett,” Garrett said. “Look at her. You said she had needs. Well you have needs, too. Both of you have taken some blows, and both of you have weathered storms. She deserves strength, and love, and stability. You deserve loyalty, and comfort, and all the things you’ve sacrificed in the name of your career.”
A family. The thought came, unbidden, and Lucas flinched. He’d made no secret of his desire for a family, but now was the worst kind of timing. He was raw inside, and exhausted. He was no good to anyone in this kind of shape.
“Lucas,” Garrett said, bringing him out of his thoughts. “You’re thinking too much. You don’t need to decide your entire life right this second, or put all your eggs in one basket. Take Scarlett back to the Compound, and take care of her. Get to know her, and see if something blossoms. Take it slow, relax with her. It would do you as much good as her.”
“I don’t know,” Lucas said, shaking his head.
“Well, if it helps, you have no choice. I’m leaving on a mission in eight hours.”
“What?!” Lucas asked, his voice rising. He startled Scarlett, who murmured and shifted in his arms. He ran a hand down her back, calming her again. Damn her, but she felt so good in his arms. The way his touch settled her made his stomach churn with uncertainty.
“Yeah. When we get to the Compound, I’m catching six hours of sleep and then heading back out. My team will be waiting for me in Atlanta.”
“Damn, brother.” Lucas scowled again. “You’re just leaving me with her, assuming that it’s going to work out. My life isn’t as charmed as yours, Garrett.”
“Quit whining, you pansy,” Garrett said, rolling his eyes.
“Fuck. Off.” Lucas shook his head and returned his attention to Scarlett.
“Just sit back and relax, brother. We’ve got a couple more hours until we hit the Compound. Nothing to do until we touch down.”
Garrett crossed his arms, leaned his head back, and closed his eyes. Lucas knew that his brother would be snoring in a couple of minutes. Garrett had that magical ability that all soldiers learned, the ability to sleep anywhere, anytime, in an instant.
With no other options, Lucas had to content himself with closing his eyes and feeling the soft, warm body in his arms. He had to admit, it wasn’t the worse feeling in the world.
Chapter Twenty-One
Scarlett never, ever wanted to wake from this dream. In her dream, she lay in a huge, comfortable bed covered in the softest cotton sheets imaginable. She wore nothing but an oversized t-shirt, which was bunched up around her hips. She was splayed out on the bed face down, half her body resting on the mattress, and half on the hard, hot body of some faceless male.
She shifted and sighed, hiking her knee higher, pressing her thigh over the male’s heavy, insistent erection. He wore boxer briefs, but they did nothing to hide his interest, desire she somehow knew she’d caused. Her hand twitched to life, fingers roaming over his body. She touched his firm, broad shoulder and dipped lower to trace her fingers over his pec. Her thumb brushed his flat nipple, and she swore she heard a sharp intake of breath.
She really, really liked this dream. She ran her hand down her dream male’s taut stomach, feeling the rippled indention of each muscle. She shaped his toned hip, her thumb discovering the sexy vee of muscle that ran down into his boxers. She followed that line with her index finger, hesitating when she came to the waistband of his boxer briefs.
Did she dare? She smiled; of course she did, this was her own dream. There were no limits here, nothing to stop her from freeing his erection and exploring it. Touching, tasting. Climbing onto his big body, impaling herself, riding him until she came with a hot gush of pleasure.
Her fingers slipped under the elastic, anticipation building.
When a warm, callused hand grabbed her wrist, halting her progress, she nearly jumped out of her skin. Forcing her heavy eyelids open, she found herself face to face with the most gorgeous male she’d ever seen. Huge, blond, and with eyes the exact color of a summer storm just before the skies opened and poured sheets of rain.
His irate expression indicated his displeasure as he dragged her hand away from his groin.
“Are you testing me, or trying to kill me?” he asked, eyes flashing.
Scarlett opened her mouth to reply, and then realized that she had no idea what was happening. She closed her mouth, licking her lips as she tried to understand where her fantasy had gone wrong. She didn’t miss the fact that his face dropped to her lips, following the quick path of her tongue.
“Trying to kill me,” he said, his gaze narrowing. They were so close that Scarlett could feel the heat of his breath against her lips. Her breasts were crushed against his side and chest, her skin warm and flushed on every inch that touched his flesh.
“This— this isn’t a dream, is it?” she asked, a hysterical giggle threatening to rise in her throat.
“Not in the least,” was his crisp reply. “I’d think in a dream, we’d be doing much worse by now.”
He had a point. Face flaming, Scarlett started to move, to roll away from him and get out of the bed. She didn’t get far before she tumbled back into place. He still held her wrist, and he prevented her flight.
“Scarlett,” he said, those fierce grey eyes staring her down.
“Y-yes?” she asked. Her body started to tremble; just now, she understood the situation. This was Lucas, the male who’d taken her from the basement where she’d expected to die. The male who’d faced down half a dozen hulking werewolves just to save her. The one who’d held her on the helicopter, pulled her hair back as she’d tried over and over to purge her empty stomach.
“You’re safe,” he said.
Scarlett couldn’t explain the effect of those two simple words. Tears burned in her eyes, even as she cringed with shame. This male had already seen her at her lowest, seen her kneel at Ray’s feet. He’d seen that wretched place where her pack lived. She’d reached for him in the helicopter, scared out of her mind, needing a primal kind of comfort.
He must be disgusted by now, she knew. That thought alone held her tears in check; she had already been so weak, so worthless. She couldn’t debase herself any more. She wouldn’t.
“Do you remember me?” he asked. She looked up at him, trying to understand the gentleness in his tone. She was pitiful, but he didn’t seem pitying. He seemed concerned, curious. Interested in her experience, for some reason.
“Lucas,” she said, nodding.
He gave her a soft smile, a dimple flickering in his left cheek.
“You got it,” he said. He released her wrist, running his hand up her arm. “Is it okay if I touch you like this?”
His fingers on her skin felt nothing short of amazing. His touch wasn’t sexual, but it soothed her. She hadn’t known she needed that kind of soothing, but she appreciated it nonetheless.
“We can get up in a moment. I know you probably want to shower, and we both need to eat.”
Scarlett didn’t reply, though both of those were true. She waited for him to finish.
“I just want to explain a few things first. We’re at my house, way outside Asheville. The property is the safest place you could possibly be. There are guards surrounding the whole perimeter, and there are two other wolves in the house with their mates. I’ve asked them to stay in their suites, to give you some space today and tomorrow. We’ve taken care of your brother and the motorcy
cle club, so no one’s coming after you.”
Scarlett let out a big breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding.
“Have you got any family to go to?” Lucas asked.
“No,” Scarlett said, feeling tears brimming again. If she’d had anyone, she would have run from Redd two years ago.
“Good.” Lucas gave her that smile again. “I want you to stay here with me.”
Scarlett was beyond confused, not expecting his reaction. All beat up, exhausted, close to starvation. She was nothing but a burden right now.
“I can give you some money,” she blurted out, her face heating. “It’s not much, but I can pay.”
Lucas’s brows shot up in surprise for a moment. Then he scowled.
“I don’t need money,” he said, shaking his head.
What did he want, then? Sex? He was gorgeous, but… she wasn’t the type of girl to trade her body for shelter. It was the very reason she’d been the bane of Redd’s existence.
“I can’t— I won’t give you anything else,” she said, stuttering.
Fury lit Lucas’s face for a moment, and she flinched. He didn’t move, though. When she opened her eyes, she saw that his were closed. He looked as though he was trying to muster his self-control. When he looked at her again, his tone was stern.
“I don’t want anything, Scarlett. I want you to heal and rest. I would like your companionship, if you feel like giving it to me. Other than that, there’s nothing I need.”
“Oh, but the expense—“ she started.
“I’m worth over a billion dollars,” he said.
Scarlett blinked.
“Oh.” She didn’t know how else to respond to his statement. Doubt filled her, made her ask the question ringing in her head. “Why are you helping me?”
“Because I can,” he shrugged. “Because no one deserves what’s happened to you. I have resources, and…”
He trailed off, eyes wandering to the ceiling for a moment before returning to hers.