by Vivian Arend
Only once he was dressed in layers of veritable armour did he dare to go back into the bathroom.
Kaylee had stripped off her wet things and put them in the sink. Her arms were wrapped around her body, and she stood directly under the showerhead. Her face was tilted up, presented to the falling water as if she were a nymph worshipping the rain gods. Her wet hair lay in curly strands over her shoulders, rivulets of water curling down her body and over her skin.
He didn’t know if he should curse or bless the steam that had produced a foggy surface on the glass shower wall, leaving him with shadowy images instead of clear, lust-inducing perfection.
But damn if he could turn his eyes away. “What’s in the file?”
Kaylee jerked her hands up to cover herself, head swiveling toward him, eyes wide with panic.
He deliberately twisted until his back was to her, offering privacy.
Only, bastard that he was, he could see her reflection in the shaving mirror on the countertop.
The good part about being a masochistic asshole was that peeking meant he saw the tension go out of her, her shoulders relaxing. “Papers they need your signature on as soon as possible. I promised I’d get it to you then email a photo back to Amber at the office.”
“I’ll take care of it,” he grumbled then escaped the room.
Once again that strange peeling sensation struck as he moved away, stronger this time. He forced his concentration onto the paperwork before tossing it in the scanner and sending it to work.
Now there was only her and him and the fever.
After Kaylee was warmed up and out of the shower, he’d loan her dry clothes. Then they’d sit in the living room like rational adults and talk about the future.
No. Better idea, his bear suggested. Not feeling well. Should go to bed.
It was brilliant. It was perfect. He was actually a little surprised his bear had come up with it. Of course. She’d be dressed, he’d be under the covers. That would give them lots of room to discuss facts.
He stripped off all the layers he had on—why the hell was he wearing a sweater and a hoodie?—and crawled into bed naked. He tugged the light quilt over his big frame and tried to get into the perfect position so there was room for Kaylee to sit beside him and talk when she was ready.
Like friends. Like old friends who cared a lot about each other.
Like old friends who were going to fuck each other’s brains out all week long.
Happy sigh.
He lay there with his eyes half closed, trying to get into the spirit of it. Rearranging his body to reduce the pressure on his cock, which was all but throbbing with urgency.
The shower shut off. There was no stopping the images that popped into his mind. Kaylee grabbing a towel. Kaylee running the soft cotton all over her smooth skin, her breasts, between her legs.
He rolled slightly to give his cock extra room.
The door opened, near silent footfalls crossing into his room.
Close eyes, his bear suggested.
Brilliant, he told his bear.
He closed them, following Kaylee’s movement by sound alone. A game of hide-and-seek just like when they were young. She’d never see him lying here so still. Not until the moment he was ready to spring out and surprise her.
His chest of drawers opened then closed. A pause, then Kaylee’s footsteps slid toward the bed. Stopped.
She smelled—oh my God, she smelled delicious. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, all but salivating at the taste of her in the air.
She stepped closer.
He cracked one eye open.
That—that one single moment—was his downfall.
Kaylee had a towel wrapped around her head, and she’d grabbed one of his T-shirts from the drawer and slipped it on. The light from the hallway shone through the worn fabric and silhouetted her perfect body as she turned. All curves and dips and luscious woman.
The part of his brain that would normally have told him to stay in control sizzled out with the heat burning through him.
He opened both eyes and a low growl escaped. Kaylee twirled on the spot, the shirt rising briefly to reveal more of her long legs, and he was helpless to resist.
James flashed out a hand and caught hold of her wrist, trapping her in place.
5
Damn bear.
She’d been ninety-nine percent sure James had fallen asleep. His arm shooting out so suddenly sent her heart racing, but as she settled on the mattress beside him and laid her free hand against his forehead, her concern brushed her temporary panic away.
He was burning up.
“Poor baby. You’re in a bad way. Don’t worry,” she assured him as soothingly as possible, stroking the hair off his forehead. “I’ll take care of you.”
“Promise?” he whispered.
“Of course,” she whispered back. His head must ache. She let her fingers drift down his cheek, the layer of dark stubble making her palm tingle.
“I know what I need,” James muttered, deep and dark. The rumble of his voice stroked her skin.
“Juice?” she offered. “Tylenol?”
With one quick tug, he toppled her off balance.
Kaylee bit back a scream as she thrust out her arms to stop her momentum. She ended up with one arm on either side of his body, the towel on her head staying mostly in place except for sliding slightly over one eye. It had only taken a second for her to end up fully stretched out over his hard torso, heat blasting upward as if she’d landed on a sun-scorched rock.
Hmmmm. I like. Her inner kitty had no trouble voicing approval.
Kaylee? Felt turned on and guilty at the same time.
He’d released her wrist only to jam one hand against her lower back, pinning their bodies together. The other hand wrapped around the back of her neck, tight enough to control, soft enough to caress.
Hard muscular body under her, hard length of his co—
Oh my God, his cock pressed against her torso. Impossibly hard. Impossibly thick.
Well, that’s impressive, her cat observed drily.
Hush, I’m in the middle of something, Kaylee warned.
His eyes glinted as if he’d heard her internal dialogue. “What I need…” he began as if they were sitting at the kitchen table deciding what to order for dinner takeout, “is simple.”
She wiggled, stopping instantly. Changing position rubbed her over all the hard things she was lying on, and that was probably dangerous. “James, sweetie. You need to let me up.”
“No, I need you down,” he stated clearly.
Kaylee opened her mouth but had to close it. “Nope. Sorry, but you’re too feverish to understand.”
He rolled until she was under him, the quilt flying off the bed in the process. His elbows braced on either side of her, hips pressed between her thighs. Her legs had fallen open, and he fit perfectly against her, like a puzzle piece where all the knobs and holes lined up.
And wasn’t that thought going to make future puzzle-solving far too kinky to do in mixed company…
James lowered his head and nuzzled his scratchy cheek against hers.
“Hmmm,” he murmured. “You smell good.”
“James.” She said his name firmly, in case volume would get through the cotton in his brain. “You need to stop.”
She slipped her hands over his shoulders, intending to push him away, but the instant she touched naked skin, a pulse of need shot deep. As if a current had run from her palms, up her arms and streaked as quickly as possible to tag her clit with high-voltage impact.
Kaylee gasped, then lost the air as he rocked his hips. Pressure slid over sensitive places and made her skin tingle everywhere.
Maybe she was the one who was feverish. That was it—she’d gotten lost on the way to James’s place and they’d found her rain-soaked body days later. She was now in a coma.
A sex coma, from all the clues, and waking up was going to be very sad.
Please. You’re bein
g overly dramatic, her cat drawled.
I’m busy, Kaylee reminded her sharply.
He pulled back just far enough to meet her gaze. “I’m going to kiss you,” he warned.
“Hey, if you’re all germ-laden and stuf—”
He stole her protest. Softly, with a mere brush of his lips over hers. Back and forth slowly, until every breath took extra energy to suck in, push out.
What the hell? People in sex comas couldn’t be held responsible for their misguided actions. She locked her fingers in his hair and kissed him back.
Gentleness vanished. The instant she moved toward him, James consumed her. His tongue slid along hers then took possession. His weight pinned her in place, his fingers guiding her head to exactly the right position so he could ravish her mouth.
It was heat and passion and wonderful. Kaylee was melting into the mattress as his body meshed with hers and fire raced up her spine. Her mind was going numb as all parts of her body lit up with need.
When he finally broke away from her lips, it was to kiss and bite and lick his way along her jaw. Under her ear—massive shiver—and down her neck.
“James. Stop,” she whispered.
Shockingly, he did. Absolute stillness hit between one breath and the next, his mouth still touching her skin.
Her pulse was shoving blood through her system hard enough she was surprised the walls weren’t echoing back the beat.
This…this…thing happening between them was not normal. It was amazing, and incredible, and oh so tempting, but…
A memory scratched its way through her lustful haze, nearly back to the surface. “James. What’s going on?”
“I need you,” he moaned, his lips brushing her skin and making goose bumps rise.
“Of course you do. You’re sick, I’m your friend—”
“Want you as my lover. Always have, and now I can keep you.”
Great. He was so feverish he was delusional. It was tough to say the words, but she made herself tell the truth. “We’re not lovers, dude. We’re good, good friends who shouldn’t be lying tangled up with each other. You’re going to regret this in the morning.”
“Never regret. Want to pick, not have fate decide. Want you for always. Want you as my mate.”
Mate—
Did he say mate? her cat murmured. How…unexpected.
Shit. Understanding slipped in between one aching pulse and the next. No one who’d spent any time around polar bear shifters was unaware of the mating fever and all its consequences.
Oh no. Oh no, no, no. Because as much as she’d had a lustful, long-term crush on the man, there was no way in hell she was letting him make a mistake like this.
Kaylee tightened her grip on his hair and jerked her hands. Hard.
She pulled out a chunk of his hair, and he budged all of three inches. It was far enough to look him in the eye. “James. Buddy. Pal o’ mine. Do you have the mating fever?”
His lips were lifted in a delicious smile. His gaze dropped to stare at her as if she were dessert and he’d been a very good boy. “I have you. You’re in my arms. I’m going to make love to you all night long, and then in the morning, I’m going to start again, and I’m never going to stop. Never, not even when we’re old. Even then I’ll tell you all the dirty things I want to do to you, and we’ll always be together.”
Yeah. Awesome. Definitely mating fever.
Kaylee patted his cheek gently. “Right. So, maybe it’s not a good idea I’m here right now. Since you’re mating feverish and all, and I’m not a very good person to be your mate.”
“Perfect person.” He frowned, growling low. “Kaylee perfect.”
His bear was in his eyes. Shit.
She caressed him again, attempting to soothe the beast. “Okay, big guy. I need to…” Think. Think, Kaylee. “I need to do something first. Okay? You need to go have a shower, and I need to get the thing from the thing.”
Confusion twisted his face. “Really?”
“Uh-huh.” She nodded, scratching his shoulder.
The bear looked back at her.
“You go shower,” she whispered. “I’ll be right back.”
His reluctance to leave was obvious, but she kept smiling and nodding encouragingly. “I need a shower?”
She didn’t remember hearing that mating fever made guys stupid, but hey, she had to play with the hand they’d been dealt. “Shower. While I get the thing.”
For one split second she thought she was a goner. He rocked against her slowly, hard muscles and smooth skin teasing her to the edge of sanity.
But then he rose, staring at her with dark bear eyes as he brought her to her feet beside him. He bent slightly and lifted her chin. “I’m going to take a shower, and when I get back, you’re mine.”
Kaylee wasn’t ready for the kiss he planted on her. For the heat and the urgency, and the way her entire body ached and begged her to follow him into the shower and let him do his worst.
But when he stepped back, ragged breaths shaking his chest, his eyes bright with fever, she knew she had to do the right thing.
The instant he entered the bathroom, she moved. She yanked the towel off her head, bunched her hair into a knot and fixed it in place with an elastic band she found on the dresser.
She grabbed her wet shoes and the clothes she’d hung over chairs to dry, then raced down the hallway, pausing just long enough to put on the shoes and slip the rest of her things into a bag she found on the kitchen counter.
Outside the window, the storm was in full swing.
Seriously? Warm apartment, warm man, and you want us to go out there? Her cat was indignant.
We can’t stay, Kaylee insisted.
Her cat all but pouted, then once again vanished.
Kaylee shuddered but forced herself to keep moving. She snatched up the soft throw blanket off the couch and wrapped it around her shoulders as a coat, then left the apartment at a near run.
Waiting for the elevator was torture. What if he figured out she was running away? What if she couldn’t get away in time to save him from making the biggest mistake of his life?
The wind outside had to be gale-force level. It shrieked up the elevator shaft, creating a whistling sound like nails on a blackboard.
The doors slid open, and Kaylee rushed forward, hitting the button for the ground floor and then stabbing the close door button repeatedly. She held her breath as she stared at the apartment door, willing the elevator to shut on time.
Hurry, hurry, hurry.
The massive metal sheets finally moved, sliding together in three, two, one…
Kaylee sighed in relief. Once she was a safe distance away, she would phone James. They would have a rational conversation about why, even though she liked him plenty and they would always be friends, she would be a terrible mate.
Taking fate into his own hands? That’s not how this worked.
A sudden crackle rang out followed by an echoing metallic boom, as if someone had dropped a bowling ball down a laundry chute. Blue light oozed through the narrow line between the doors in front of her, and the smell on the air was ozone and charcoal.
The elevator jerked to a stop.
The lights went out.
6
J ames was two steps from the shower when something registered as wrong. The itch in his brain escalated.
Why was he taking a shower now? He’d had one earlier in the day, when he got home from his trip.
He marched back into his bedroom and looked around in confusion. There was something he was supposed to do…
Be doing…?
Nope. Couldn’t figure it out.
He strode toward the living room and nearly tripped over a sodden pair of jeans abandoned on the floor. He lifted them in the air in confusion. Sniffed. A familiar scent filled his nostrils.
Why was there a pair of Kaylee’s pants—
Kaylee? In his apartment.
Without pants.
He marched quickly through the su
ite, but she clearly wasn’t in his bedroom, nor the living room or kitchen. James ignored the rain pounding against the window and pushed out onto the balcony. He hung over the railing far enough to check the visitor parking.
Spotting Kaylee’s dump of a truck didn’t make the big picture any clearer.
He had just straightened up when a lightning bolt shot across the sky like in a comic strip panel. The jagged white line blasted from the storm-blackened clouds directly toward his apartment. The roar of thunder arrived at the same moment as the lightning, shaking the windows, deafeningly loud in his ears.
An instant later, he was flying through the air before slamming into the concrete wall behind him.
For a moment, all James could see were stars floating in front of his eyes. Everything else had gone pitch-black, and his ears rang.
The scent of burnt hair made his nose crinkle in disgust, and he raised his hands in front of his face to discover his vison clearing on the sight of curled and shriveled hair on his knuckles in the few spots it wasn’t fried away.
Well, that’d been freaking exciting. He’d never been struck by lightning before. He got to his feet and shook his head to settle his brains back into place. Nope, electrocution wasn’t a thrill he was looking to repeat any time soon.
He’d just closed the balcony doors behind him when three things hit simultaneously.
The scent of Kaylee in his suite, recent and crisp.
An urgent ache in his gut that said he needed to find her, now.
The clear sound of his cell phone going off with Cooper’s ringtone.
The clothes he’d worn out on his last trip were on his dining room table, sort of in a pile, with his cell phone on top. Even as James answered the call, the memories of the past hours slipped neatly into place, although he wasn’t sure what had screwed them up to start with.
Holy shit, this had been the weirdest day yet, and it was far from over. Phone call, then he was tracking down his mate.
“What?” James demanded. “I’m kind of in a hurry.”
“You’re in trouble, that’s what you are,” Cooper drawled. “How’re you feeling?”