by Lisa Daniels
He moved to the other breast and pressed his body against hers, pinning her to the wall. Eva began to pull at his coat. He stopped just long enough for her to get it off of his arms, then he pulled her down into a deep kiss. Her hands tried to work the buttons, but their breathing was too heavy. Finally, she ripped the shirt apart, the buttons flying around them. His eyes were wild as he yanked the shirt off and undid his belt. His pants slid off easily and he kicked them out of the way. Eva felt his hands on her panties, and she thought he was going to work them off. Seconds later, he had torn the sides, and threw them on top of the pile of clothes. Arching into him, Eva let him maneuver her body as he pulled her upper body to his. His head rested on her shoulder as he slid into her. Eva tightened her grip on his hair and began to pant at the sensation as he penetrated her. His rhythm and technique were like nothing she had experienced, and he seemed far more interested in pleasing her with the way he worked into her. At first, he teased her until she pleaded breathlessly to go further. He waited a little longer, then surprised her by plunging all the way into her. She immediately arched her back and tensed up. He kept himself fully inside of her, moving the full shaft into her as she orgasmed. When she started to scream, he covered her mouth with his own. She responded by sucking on his tongue as her body began to relax. As she sucked on his tongue, she felt him harden further inside of her, and he swung her around away from the wall.
Seconds later, she felt a soft cushion under her. Alaric pulled her legs around him and stroked her inner thighs as he managed to get deeper into her. Eva peeked again, this time unable to do anything but experience the pleasure.
As soon as she began to relax, Alaric stroked her neck with a hand, then slid down to her breast. It lingered on her breast, cupping it. She watched his eyes taking in her body, and Eva could feel his desire. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced.
Without warning, he rolled her onto her stomach. His hands moved down her back, and she instinctively brought her body onto her knees. He kept her from moving her upper body as he repositioned her. Eva felt him slowly slip the tip into her, and a moan escaped her lips. His hands moved down so that one was on her stomach and the other was on her lower back. As he slid further into her, he moved a hand down her stomach. By the time he was halfway inside of her, his finger had slipped into her from the other side. Eva screamed into a pillow as her body tensed up again. As soon as she started to relax, he repositioned himself again, this time with his hands on her hips. His movements became faster and more urgent, as he plunged all the way into her. He leaned over her, one hand moving to a breast while the other gripped tightly around her stomach. When she orgasmed again, Eva could feel him releasing into her. She knew she should be concerned, but for the first time in her life Eva did not care about the consequences. She wanted the night to last forever.
***
She opened her eyes slowly, her mind still not able to comprehend everything. The bed was incredibly soft, which didn’t seem like Serenity at all. And her body felt exhausted.
That was when the previous night came flooding back to her. Eva’s eyes flew open and she looked to either side of her for Alaric.
The sound of a door closing caught her attention. Looking toward the sound, she saw Alaric walking toward her with a tray. “Good morning. Here is breakfast, a spring omelet with russet red potatoes.”
Eva looked at him in disbelief—it was her favorite. “How did you know?”
“I asked Serenity. Oh, I told them that you went to a hotel last night because your sister flew out to talk about the flight, then stayed at a hotel. I am not completely sure she believed it, so you will probably be getting a call soon from the front desk.”
“What front desk?” As soon as she asked, a phone next to the bed began to ring. Understanding enough about the situation, Eva picked up the phone and made her voice a little gravelly. “Hello?”
“Oh, thank God. I wasn’t sure he was telling the truth. Sorry to wake you up. Um, how did it go?”
“How did what go? Oh, you mean with my sister? Oh, she got worried when I didn’t send the footage. Apparently that can’t be done here, not without some kind of security, so she flew out. Alaric was kind enough to have the pilot take me back. She pretty much turned right back around and went home after we talked for a few hours, and I did not feel like making another long flight. I had had enough. There was a hotel not too far away, so I got a room and crashed shortly after the sun rose. Sorry I didn’t call. Yesterday was a very long and bizarre day.”
“Yes, I know what you mean. I’m sorry. I’ll let you get back to sleep. We will come get you when you are ready. Sleep well, Eva. And I’m sorry for everything.”
“Don’t worry about it. Bye.” Eva smiled as she hung up. She turned to look at Alaric, and it was only then that she realized she wasn’t wearing anything, leaving her breasts completely bare. She looked up at him with a smile. “I think breakfast can wait.”
It was all the invitation he needed.
***
Several hours later, Eva woke up to the feel of something warm against her. Opening her eyes, she looked into the sleeping face of Alaric. She brushed his bangs out of his face, and his eyes fluttered open. “Good afternoon,” she murmured to him, then kissed the tip of his nose.
He pulled her to him. “Good afternoon. It looks like I will need to remake your meal.”
“It can be reheated.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I have some dogs that will love that. You deserve something fresh.” He gave her a long, lingering kiss before getting out of bed.
Eva’s eyes watched his nearly perfect body as he moved to a dresser. He moved so eloquently it was hypnotic. After pulling on his shirt, he began to button it up as he turned to look at her. “Oh, right. Clothes. Sorry. I can’t exactly give you my clothes.”
“And I can’t exactly wear the clothes I have in my bag either. After all, I am somewhere else, not near my bag.”
He looked at her body again as she sat up, and it was obvious that he was fighting the urge to strip. Clearing his throat, he said, “I will go make your breakfast and take care of your clothes. Don’t worry about a thing.” He quickly turned and left the room.
Eva looked around the room. Everything about it was different. There was a wall of screen on one side. A strange desk sat in the middle of the room, and it looked like it was glowing with a blue light. Attracted to the table, she slipped out of bed and walked over to it. Too afraid to touch it, Eva examined it from several different angles.
She had no idea how much time had passed, but when the smell of eggs met her nose, Eva turned toward the door. Alaric was standing in the doorway, the tray shaking slightly. Eva tried to keep her eyes from looking down at the bulge that was obvious. Instead her eyes looked at her own body, and she remembered she was naked. Hurrying back to the bed, she pulled a blanket up over her.
Alaric was slightly out of breath as he crossed over to her. “Don’t feel you need to cover up for me. I was enjoying the view.”
Eva giggled, then shook her head. “I’m covering up for me. My body can’t take another round without food. I’m exhausted.”
Alaric placed the tray down, leaned over, and kissed her. Eva immediately yielded to him, her hand releasing the blanket.
To her disappointment he pulled away. “You were just being nice. Here is your breakfast. I will go take care of your clothing so that I am not further tempted.” He did not wait for a response as he strode quickly to the door, then he surprised her by turning to look at her. “I am glad that you are moving just fine today. It would be difficult to explain if you weren’t. Also, um, there’s a pill next to the juice. I want to say that I am sorry about last night because it was not at all what I had planned. I wasn’t properly prepared. But I find that the pill is the closest I can come to an apology because I do not regret it at all.” His eyes met hers, and Eva wished he would return to bed to show her how little he regretted it. He was obviously having a sim
ilar thought, but he bit his lip and turned the handle. Eva thought she saw blood on his lip as he left.
Fighting the urge to chase after him, she picked up the tray and began to eat. She finished all of it within minutes, but she left the pill on the tray.
When Alaric returned, she had fallen asleep again. He put the clothes on the foot of the bed and moved around to pick up the tray. Looking down at it, he saw the pill still there. His eyes moved over to the form in his bed. Obviously she didn’t regret the night either. The tray was silently put back on the table, then he leaned over. Brushing the hair away from her face, he kissed her softly on the cheek.
Turning, he picked up the tray and left.
Chapter 8
A Disastrous Camping Trip
Eva followed the map Alaric had added to her phone, and successfully snuck out of the house. She got to the front door and rang the bell. Despite the size of the place, it didn’t take long for someone to answer.
Alaric was beaming at her, “Eva! What are you doing here? We were going to come pick you up. Didn’t Serenity tell you?”
“Of course I did!” Serenity pushed him out of the way and hugged her. “I was so worried when you weren’t in your room this morning.”
“Why? Do you think someone was going to break in here? It seems safer than any place I’ve ever been.”
“Yeah, well, I have my reasons to be concerned.” Her eyes flicked to Alaric, who ignored the look as he looked at his phone.
“If you guys will please excuse me, I need to deal with something.”
Serenity wheeled around, “But you are done with business. Let them learn to cope without you.”
He held up the phone, showing them the number. “This is personal.” With that he stepped into another room.
Ryland remained silent, his eyes watching where Alaric had gone. As soon as he was gone, Ryland’s eyes shifted to Eva, one of his eyebrows arched. Something told her Ryland knew exactly what had happened, and he was remaining silent. Trying to play it off, Eva looked around, “So, about this camping trip…”
As she expected, Serenity immediately began trying to pressure her into joining them. Occasionally, Ryland would pitch in with a valid argument for why she should go. Eva let them wear her down until she finally agreed to go. By the time Alaric returned, they had moved on to other topics.
Serenity’s face lit up, “Well, Alaric, you aren’t going to need to choose a side. Eva’s decided to join us.” She beamed as if it was a victory.
Alaric looked genuinely shocked. “What? Really?” His eyes met Eva’s. She nodded. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Serenity. “Did you threaten her?”
“What? No!” She was incredibly offended by the idea.
He then turned on Ryland, “Did you promise to set her up with some big heartthrob?”
Ryland crossed his arms, a smirk on his face. “You are acting a bit jealous.”
Serenity gave his arm a quick slap, “Of course he didn’t. She said yes all on her own.”
Alaric’s gaze returned to Eva, “You are really willing to go?”
“Yes.”
“Without any additional incentive?”
She shrugged, “I had a great time last night, and with everyone being so nice, I don’t want to upset the plans. I’m game since it seems we have adequate protection.”
There were three very different reactions from the people around her. Serenity put an arm around her and patted Eva’s shoulder. “You will be safe, I promise.”
Ryland looked at her with his piercing eyes, and for the first time that she could remember, those eyes made Eva uncomfortable. “Yeah, we took care of the problem.”
Alaric remained silent, an unreadable expression on his face.
Eva looked at Ryland, “What are you talking about?”
“We had poachers until recently. The camping trip is kind of a return to the norm now that we have rounded up most of them.”
“Ryland!” Alaric looked almost scary with the way he was looking at the actor.
Ryland reacted like a dog who had gotten in trouble. “I was trying to make her feel safe.”
“Well, there are things about her that you don’t know, so it is best not to say anything that will cause her additional concern.”
Ryland bristled a little, his regular demeanor returning. “Yes, there are things we don’t know about her family, but unlike you, some of us have bothered to research her family so that we don’t cause her additional pain.”
“Oh, you learned something about her that you can find in the paper. Well—” his eyes darted to the two women who were looking at them horrified, “I am so sorry. I was out of line. I apologize, Ryland, but please don’t bring up the poachers again. The idea would make anyone uncomfortable, especially since people on the other side of the country don’t realize they are a problem on this continent.”
“I’m sorry, too.” Ryland looked down. Eva could see the power struggle was over. Ryland had been in control until recently, but he had given it up when Alaric was ready. It was going to take a while for him to be accustomed to not being in control. But something told Eva there was much more to it than that. Both of them knew something about her family, but neither of them had all of the pieces.
“Thank God. You two should be ashamed of yourselves. Come on, Eva, I’m going to take you shopping while these two learn to act like civilized humans.” From the way she emphasized the last word, Eva knew that Serenity was referring to the fact that they weren’t—it was a reminder that they needed to be less obvious. It was cute and proved that Serenity did not understand the way shifters thought. Then again, she probably wouldn’t need to. These guys were nothing like her family.
The shopping was relatively uneventful, and Serenity talked about many things, but never about being engaged. Eva wondered when she would finally bring it up, but then she was now keeping a secret, too. It made her smile a little bit bigger and wider.
When they met up with the men over an hour later, the sun was setting. They decided to dine at one of the restaurants, and Serenity began to talk about how sorry she was that she hadn’t spent more time with Eva. “I promise, the rest of the trip will be all about you.”
“And camping,” Eva couldn’t help but throw that into the conversation.
“Yeah, but that is going to be fun. And everyone we hung out with yesterday will be there, and a few other people. We will have a great time.”
The conversation soon turned to other topics. Over the meal, Alaric and Eva barely talked, and she noticed he barely looked at her. Once the meal was done, he stood up. “If you will excuse me again, I have something to take care of tonight. Have a lovely evening.” His smile was clearly forced as his eyes met Eva’s. She watched him as he strode out of the room.
Eva looked down at her plate and found she was no longer hungry. She put her fork down and looked up into Ryland’s eyes. He had a very serious look on his face, and his eyes were again boring into her. Eva cleared her throat and turned to Serenity. “What should we do now?”
“I thought we could play some more games like last night since I was too late to join you.”
Ryland was smiling at Serenity, and it was clearly a sincere smile. “That sounds great, but I was kind of hoping you could finish up the code tonight, though. It might be helpful while we are camping.”
“Oh, you are right.” She smiled at him, then looked at Eva. “I stole him away yesterday, so if you want, you can borrow him for an hour or two while I finish the app. I doubt that will be a chore. I promise that I won’t take too long.”
Before Eva could respond, Serenity was gone. Eva turned to look at Ryland, the smile fading from her face. “What?” She tried not to sound petulant, but she thought she already knew what he was going to say.
“You shouldn’t have done it.”
“And you shouldn’t have promised to go shopping with me, then run off to have sex with Serenity instead.”
Ryland’s eyes widened.
He swallowed hard, “I—wow, you are quite different when Serenity isn’t around.”
“Serenity is quite different with you around.”
“Are you saying that you disapprove of us?” His face was far less handsome when he was serious, but Eva did not realize it until that moment.
“I am not making any kind of judgment on that. You both seem happy. But I would appreciate you not judging me when you have no idea about me.”
Ryland pushed his plate out of the way and folded his hands in front of him. “Alaric does not need a distraction right now.”
“Nor does Serenity.”
Again he stiffened. “I am not distracting her.”
Fighting back the urge to say anything about the engagement, Eva countered with, “She needs to finish school and do something with her life. As happy as she is now, if Serenity doesn’t finish, she will regret it for the rest of her life.”
“I don’t want her to stop. I love that she is so focused and driven.”
“Me too, so keep that in mind and don’t let her change too much or there will be terrible backlash later.”
He was thoughtful for a moment, his gaze drifting to the door through which his fiancée had gone. “I will keep that in mind.” His head snapped around quickly. “But the same could be said of you and Alaric.”
“Oh please, it isn’t serious.”
“Maybe not to you.” His eyes were menacing, although she didn’t think that he did it intentionally. Many of the shifters in her family had intense expressions without knowing they were giving off a dangerous vibe.
“Oh please. He barely knows me, he didn’t even look at me over dinner.”