If he spent much more time in her company, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop himself, and she’d be no help in staving off temptation either. They were in serious trouble.
They strolled down one of the main roads to a diner Cole had spotted on their way into town. With their beat-up backpack and clothes in need of a good wash, they looked like two hikers just down out of the mountains.
The brightly lit diner echoed with the loud clank of silverware on sturdy white plates. Several conversations ran over each other, and a jukebox played Golden Oldies tunes in the background. They found an empty spot near the back, and he chose the seat facing the door.
Bri slid into the red-vinyl booth opposite Cole. Sitting was heaven to her aching legs. She flipped open the menu, her stomach grumbling loudly. She hadn’t had anything to eat since their second meal of peanut butter and crackers that morning. A burger and fries sounded perfect. Her mouth watered at the thought.
A tall, thin waitress with shoulder-length red hair brought water to their table. The sprinkling of freckles across the bridge of her nose made her appear much younger than Bri would have assumed. She set glasses of half water, half ice with a sliver of lemon floating on top in front of each of them and pulled her notepad out of her pocket.
“What can I get for you?” She cocked her hip, focusing on Cole with far too much interest.
“I’ll have a number four, no mayo, and a chocolate shake,” Bri announced a little louder than she needed to. Snapping the menu closed, she held it up. The waitress took it with barely a glance in her direction.
What’s wrong with me? Jealous of a woman who was only flirting? Not her normal thing at all. Plus, Cole didn’t seem to have even noticed.
“Make it two.” Cole finally looked up.
The woman eyed him like a piece of candy and made sure her hand brushed his when she took his menu.
“Coming right up,” she said in an unnecessarily flirtatious tone. As she walked away from the table, Bri rolled her eyes at the exaggerated sway to her hips.
As Cole watched the waitress’s strut, Bri took in every detail of his sculpted face, his chin shadowed with stubble from the last two days. It only made him look more darkly handsome.
“Did you enjoy that?” She crossed her arms over her chest and tried not to glare at him across the table. Jealously flowered, a prickly dart in her throat.
“Not especially.” He relaxed in the seat, a flash of amusement in his silver-gray eyes.
It wasn’t that she failed to see the humor in the situation. Studiously unfolding her paper napkin, she took time laying it across her lap. “A good-looking guy like yourself probably gets that kind of attention a lot.” She sipped at the freezing water and glanced up at him.
“You think I’m good-looking?” He raised an eyebrow.
God help her, the man was striking. And he knew it.
She couldn’t stop the flush heating her cheeks so she didn’t even try. When had this conversation taken a turn into territory that scorched her blood and made her want to leap across the table and kiss him until he could only see her? Feeling foolish, Bri gulped more icy water, wanting to dump it over her head to cool herself off.
“And what about you?” Cole asked. “No boyfriend waiting at home?”
Her eyes jumped to his and locked on. She hadn’t even thought about whether he was dating anyone. She should have. He’d better not be, the way he touched her, kissed her. Her heart tripped a staccato beat.
“Dating is tricky for me,” she admitted. “Imagine Jonah as a protective father, and Mack on guard in case he wasn’t around.” She gave him a rueful smile, feeling suddenly sad. “If Jonah didn’t scare the guy off, Mack did.”
Her chest tightened again. Panic set in, as images of the last time she’d seen the man she considered an uncle and friend, refused to stay down. Despite all of Jonah’s talk about immortality and psychic power, she couldn’t imagine how Mack survived so many bullet wounds and major organ damage.
Cole leaned across the table and took her hand. “Tell me more about your relationship with Mack.”
His sincerity startled her. She wasn’t someone who trusted easily, but something about him made her want to trust him. He hadn’t abandoned her, and he’d had plenty of chances. The warmth of his palm on hers and the gentle stroke of his thumb on her inner wrist soothed her, helping to distract her from the nightmarish images.
She took a shaky breath. “I was pretty much alone growing up, except for Mack. I’m not sure what he did to pull babysitting duty. Jonah had been totally unprepared for a child. Mack stepped in to help, brought me puzzles and games, and played with me.”
At Cole’s incredulous look, Bri laughed. “I know, I know. He was wonderful, a doting uncle. Jonah was barely around. You met him . . . it’s just who he is. Quick. To the point. Minimal emotional reaction to anything—even when it was just the two of us. I always had people there taking care of me, nannies, babysitters, housekeepers. He’s wealthy, works all the time and would forget half the things I did. Sometimes he forgot I even existed. I guess it makes more sense now . . .” She twirled the straw in her glass.
“And your parents? What do you know about them?” he asked, keeping up the soothing stroke of his thumb on her sensitive skin.
Her mother’s eyes suddenly flashed before her, and Bri’s entire body flushed with a wave of adrenalin. She cleared her throat. “I don’t have much memory of the time before, of my biological parents. Just a few images, really.” At least that was the truth.
Cole gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and released it when the waitress brought their food, steaming hot and plentiful. Bri’s stomach growled so painfully she hardly noticed the woman’s interest in Cole this time around. Hers was totally on the thick burger and pile of fries, thin and crispy the way she liked them.
After a few bites, she set her burger on her plate. Her stomach steadier now that she’d given it what it needed, Bri knew she had to tell him, even though she worried he’d find her completely crazy.
“I think it was my mother, Cole.” She finally met his gaze.
“What do you mean?” Cole’s tone sharpened as he frowned. “Who?”
“The woman from my nightmare.”
Confusion rolled into his eyes, a thundercloud in a summer sky. Yet it didn’t seem as if he thought she’d completely lost her mind.
“It’s crazy, I know. All this seems to exist . . .” She scanned the diner and edged closer, lowering her voice to a whisper. “Magic and psychic abilities and immortal warriors. Why not?”
“Okay, let’s say it’s true.” He leaned across the table. “You bear a strong resemblance to the other woman from my vision. And when I started to sketch what I could remember, I thought you were the same person at first.”
“I’m positive it’s her. I don’t know how. It’s just they never found her body, or my father’s. My parents disappeared one day without a word.”
“Jonah said your mother was a strong psychic. Would she be strong enough to plant this compulsion in me to find you? And if so, why?”
Suddenly Bri couldn’t breathe. A fist had clamped down on her heart. Hope of finding the mother of her childhood disappeared like dispersing clouds.
“If it’s your mother, we’ll find her,” he assured, and she was certain he meant it.
“I think she found us.” Bri shook her head sadly. “You really can’t leave me, can you?”
His thumb stopped moving and his expression darkened, but he didn’t turn away. “No.”
Insecurity swamped her. They had explosive chemistry between them, absolutely, but he wasn’t with her by choice.
“She may have led me to you, Bri.” Cole reached across the table with his free hand and lifted her chin. “I don’t think she could make us care about each othe
r.”
She searched his face, his eyes, desperately wanting to believe him. “It’s too strong, too intense,” she murmured, trying to keep her voice low.
He didn’t look away. “Yes.”
“What if our attraction to each other is only a part of this?” Bri gave voice to her biggest fear; her growing attachment and the depth of her desire for him.
Cole’s silver-gray eyes flashed hot with desire. “How could it not be?” He let go of her hand and returned to his food.
She picked up a fry, oddly hurt by his admission even though she agreed with him, which made the way she felt much more confusing. She wanted him beyond reason. The sound of his deep voice made her body tingle in long neglected places.
He bit into his burger, chewed; swallowed. “We’ll take each day as it comes,” he said, as if reading her mind.
Her appetite had evaporated. “Good plan,” she muttered, dropping the fry on her plate.
Chapter 15
Thunder Bay’s Main Street hopped with activity.
“Is it safe to stay here?” Bri asked as they walked along the quieter back streets.
“It’s as good a place as any.” Cole twined his fingers with hers again, pondering why he kept yearning for the contact. It was far too intimate and comfortable, and too difficult to resist.
He took quick stock of their appearance. They had washed most of the grime off their faces and hands at the diner, but their clothes were a bit worse for wear. “And we need to clean up.”
She responded with a small murmur of agreement, then fell quiet for another block. “I still have no idea how they keep finding me,” she finally said.
“Both times they came to places familiar to you,” he pointed out. “It will take them longer to find you in unpredictable places.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “Nathanial will be here in the morning, and then we’ll head west to Vancouver. That’s where Mack wanted you to go, and while I’m not sure I trust the Quytel, I believe he wanted you safe.”
Bri snuggled under his shoulder. “We won’t even know where the safe house is when we get there.”
An overwhelming feeling of wanting to protect her swept over him. If it meant getting her to the Quytel safe house in Vancouver, that’s what he would do.
They rounded the next corner, and the motel they’d been looking for came into view. The brochure at the diner had advertised it as inexpensive and tucked away. A perfect combination. The place seemed clean enough, although it had certainly seen better days.
He would have preferred a higher occupancy than the half-full parking lot suggested. They would be more memorable if they were only one of a few guests that night, but there was nothing to be done about it now. They needed to clean up and sleep.
Cole paused in a darkened alcove by the office. An old ice machine hummed loudly, omitting a steady stream of warm air from the vent.
“Wait here. I’ll find us a room.”
She nodded and pressed herself against the wall, instantly hidden by the deeper shadows. The woman had a survival instinct, which was good.
An older man sat behind the desk in the otherwise empty office, distracted by a soccer match blaring on the small TV in the waiting area. He didn’t spare Cole more than a brief glance as he paid for a room with their rapidly dwindling supply of cash.
The second-floor room wasn’t big and the worn carpet had seen its share of traffic. It was clean and had everything they needed.
The double bed dominated the room. Bri sat down, pain and fatigue permeating the space. His heart ached for her. He had gotten used to this kind of life—always looking over his shoulder, hunting down criminals, avoiding being hunted, but it was rough and took a toll.
They would figure this out. He was an elite private investigator, and she a top-notch reporter. Between them, they should be able to solve a mystery in which they played lead roles.
Cole set up a chair by the window where he could see the street through a crack in the blinds. They most likely wouldn’t have company tonight, but if the trouble seeking them had any kind of a tracking system like his compelling pearl, they needed to be prepared.
“Are you planning on spending the night in that chair?” Bri asked from behind him, half-question, half-invitation.
Cole’s blood surged and headed south at the suggestion in her voice. He was a fool to give in to this; they both were.
“It’s probably the safest thing.” His voice was rough as he stood and crossed slowly to where she sat on the edge of the bed.
Towering over her, he traced a finger along the side of her cheek and across her lips. Her eyelids fluttered on a sharp inhale and her lips parted. Cole’s body was instantly hard to the point of pain.
He explored the soft skin of her face and her silky-smooth hair with meandering fingertips, then held her hands and pulled her to standing. Only inches separated their bodies as he lightly skimmed the sides of her breasts through her T-shirt, trailing a finger along her waistband. Her breath quickened at the contact, and she leaned into him, her touch featherlight on his forearm.
He stepped back, trying to give them one last chance to save themselves.
“You should take a shower while you can,” he rasped, running an agitated hand over the stubble on his jaw, forcing his feet to take him across the room. “Or I should take a cold one.”
“Cole?”
He turned to find her right in front of him. She held out a hand. “Join me?”
His heart slammed against his ribcage. The wolf howled in approval. “Are you sure?”
She nodded shyly.
He didn’t have enough willpower to walk away. Raw, physical need overrode any doubt his logical mind tried to throw in his way.
“Bri.” He heard the longing in his voice. Inhaling her scent deep into his lungs, he took her hand and pulled her into his arms. “You have to be sure.”
She smiled and brushed her lips over his, softly at first, and then harder as he explored the heady taste of her with his tongue and teeth, desperation driving them deeper. She ran her fingers through his short hair and slipped her tongue into his mouth.
Passion lit him on fire as she pressed against him. Delicate hands stroked his bare skin under his shirt, up the hard muscles of his stomach and chest.
Gathering her hair in his fist, he forced his mouth away from hers. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done to me?” he rasped, his voice strangled with need.
Her breathy laugh seduced him, the sound playing over his skin like a maestro stroking a beloved instrument.
She could not get enough of touching him. Bri wanted him naked, skin-to-skin, his incredible, smoky gray eyes clouded with desire. His chiseled face was tense, and his animalistic growl heated her blood.
Teasing his lips with soft flicks of her tongue, she went to work on the zipper of his jeans. His full, hard erection sprang free. She’d thought he was big when she’d seen him standing naked in the forest, but fully aroused he made her mouth water. Wrapping her hand around the warm length of him, she stroked and pulled.
Cole tunneled his hands in her hair, locking her head in place for his kiss. He growled again, and God help her, she thought it was the sexiest sound.
Slick wetness dampened her panties, and she rubbed herself over his thigh to relieve the pressure. Her entire being on fire with unbearable longing, she wanted him inside her. Yet the still functioning part of her brain made her pause. Panting, she eased off, one hand stroking him while her other trailed over his cheeks and traced his perfect lips.
“What if this isn’t real?” she whispered, holding his smoldering gaze.
He gripped her hair tighter and she yelped at the bite of pain. “This is so fucking real.”
Pain led to pure sensation as he cupped her butt,
pressing her up against his stiff length. They came together hard, bruising. He bit and nipped, soothed and sucked. Dizzy with need, Bri ground herself against him.
“Take off your clothes,” he ordered harshly. “I need to see you. Taste you.”
He reached for the hem of her shirt, but she stepped out of his reach. “Patience.” Bri pulled her t-shirt over her head, reveling in the blaze of approval in his eyes. She reached behind her for her bra clasp, conscious that the motion pushed her small breasts higher. The lacy straps slid down her arms, tingling over hypersensitive skin.
His swift inhalation made her hot. He stood where she’d left him, a few feet from her. A part of her wanted him to leap the distance and throw her to the ground, knowing he could do it before she’d even know what hit her.
“God, you’re beautiful. I love how proud you are of your body. How comfortable you are with me.” His soft voice glided over her skin, as her hands drifted to the waistband of her pants. She slowly slid them down her legs to her ankles, taking her panties with them.
Totally exposed to his approving stare, she turned and headed for the shower.
Cole stood a few feet away, body throbbing with need and anticipation. A few moments later the water in the shower sent steam billowing through the open door. Shedding his clothes, he stalked to the bathroom, ripping the flimsy plastic curtain aside.
He drank in her gloriously naked beauty. Water cascaded down her long hair and small breasts to her narrow waist and over the flare of slender hips. She turned to face him, unashamed and ready, but he didn’t move. He took his time soaking in the sight of her. The musky heat of her desire hung in the damp air, and her pink lips parted.
The wolf howled, and the man didn’t fare much better.
Cole stepped into the spray of hot water, close but still not touching. Her body visibly trembled with anticipation. He grabbed her hips, hands skimming up her flat stomach and dainty ribcage to cup perfect breasts. Her scent filled his lungs as they kissed over and over.
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