by Leslie Chase
"Be careful with that, Cole," Eric said. "It's probably fine, at worst she'll have an odd story that no one will really believe. But if they were after her for a reason, they might be back."
"Yeah," he said, running a hand through his wet hair. "It sounded like it was her they were interested in, not just anyone they could find. I'm going to see if I can stay close to her. That might be the best way to work out what's going on."
The silence at the other end of the line stretched, and then Eric spoke again. "Is that the only reason you want to stay close to her, Cole? Remember the rules."
"I remember," Cole said reluctantly, biting down on a curse. He'd hoped that Eric wouldn't notice his interest in Fiona, but the supervisor was too damned perceptive sometimes. This really wasn't a conversation he wanted to have on the phone. "I'm not going to let her know anything that she shouldn't, and if she does find out too much, at least I'll be on hand to deal with that."
"Okay," Eric said, not sounding entirely convinced. "Keep me informed."
With that, he hung up leaving Cole alone in the storm. His bear wanted to snap at someone, but with the fae gone there wasn't anyone handy. Returning to his SUV, he got in and looked at Fiona. She was pale-faced and unconscious, but didn't look like she was hurt beyond that.
"I wish I knew where to take you," Cole said to her, and then sighed. "You'll just have to trust that I'm not kidnapping you, I guess. We can't wait here."
His phone had the address he was supposed to be staying at loaded already, and the GPS guided him into the town proper. Before he'd gone too far, Fiona started to stir beside him, and then jerked awake with a start.
"Don't worry," he said calmly, pulling off the side of the road, stopping. He kept his hands on the steering wheel, nice and visible, and tried to look as unthreatening as possible. It wasn't easy — he was just too big not to look dangerous — but he didn't want to freak her out when she was just waking up.
She looked at him warily, eyes wide and her hand going to the seatbelt release. Cole tried a smile.
"Look, you can leave if you want to. I just didn't want to abandon you in the rain, okay?" he said, nodding out of the window at the storm. The wind whipped raindrops against the windows with furious force and water ran like a river outside. "I'll drive you home, make sure you get there safe. Do you remember what happened?"
For a moment he thought that she was going to jump out anyway. But her light jacket was clearly no good against this weather, and after a brief pause, she nodded.
"You saved me from those guys, didn't you? I guess you must be okay." she said, and gave him directions. They weren't far from her home, from the sound of it. "I owe you."
Cole waved that away as he pulled back out onto the road. "You don't owe me anything, don't worry. I wouldn't let anyone treat a woman like that. Do you have any idea who those idiots were, what they wanted?"
He asked the question as casually as he could, and wasn't sure whether to be relieved or not when she shook her head. It would have been handy if she had known more about them. It could also open the can of worms of what to do with a human who knew too much about the supernatural. At least that wasn't a problem he had to deal with right now.
But the fear that appeared on Fiona's face at the thought of them, that he did have to deal with. Without thinking he reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, and growled. "Don't worry about them. If they want to get to you, they'll have to go through me."
5
The big powerful hand on her shoulder should have made her flinch. She almost expected to, but Cole's touch felt so comforting, so protective, that she found herself leaning into it. And when his finger brushed her neck, she had to bite back a groan. The power of his touch shot through her like the lightning that crashed outside, and she felt her pulse race.
Maybe it's because he just rescued me, but he seems even hotter now, she thought. I didn't think that was possible.
It didn't hurt that he was promising to put himself between her and harm, though she wasn't sure how seriously she could take that. He was a visitor in town, and who knew how long he'd be around for. Part of her insisted that was all the more reason to make the most of it while he was there.
She didn't want to think about the danger she'd been in, or the fact that Meallan had been looking for her in particular. She didn't want to think about anything apart from the man next to her. Forcing herself to concentrate, she reached up to lift his hand from her shoulder.
When she was an inch from him, a spark snapped across the gap between them. Cole's hand tightened for a moment, not quite enough to be painful, and then he pulled it back, shaking it and glancing at her. She blushed, shaking her head.
"Sorry, I don't know what happened there," she said, feeling the tingling in her fingertips. It was an odd sensation and a welcome distraction.
Keeping her eyes on the road outside, she firmly kept herself from thinking about Cole for the rest of the short drive. By the time they got there, the rain had started to die down and the wind wasn't half as wild as it had been. Fiona was almost disappointed — the storm had been exhilarating, though at least this meant that she wasn't likely to be blown away as she crossed the sidewalk.
"This is my place," she said, wondering whether she should invite him up. It was so very tempting, but she hardly knew him at all. On the other hand, did that matter? She knew that Janet would tell her it didn't, her friend would be encouraging her to drag Cole home if that's what it took. Do I really want to encourage her, though?
She dithered for a moment, biting her lip and fighting her desire for the man who'd saved her. She wasn't even sure why she resisted, beyond a feeling of propriety. A glance at Cole showed that he was watching her with interest, and she felt herself flush. So damned confident I'll ask him up, she thought. The worst thing is that he might still be right.
Before she could say anything, though, he'd lifted his phone from the dashboard and looked at it. Frowning, he looked out of the window, then back at the screen, and then up at Fiona. His voice was a mixture of amused and confused as he showed her the GPS app.
"I'm going to guess that you have a spare room you've rented out to someone for a few nights," he said.
Fiona groaned. Oh, of course it would be him. Janet's going to laugh her ass off at that. At least it makes this simple. He's coming up anyway.
It was a relief of sorts not to have to decide. She could blame it on Janet now, not that it would stop her friend from teasing. And the fact was that she wanted to invite Cole up anyway. This made it simpler to admit that to herself.
"You're our guest?" she asked, undoing her seatbelt and getting out her keys, ready to make a dash for the door.
"Looks like it," he said. "My boss made the reservation for me, I just put the address in before I set out. If I'd been paying more attention I'd have noticed we were going to the same place, but I was a bit distracted."
Fiona felt his eyes on her again, and she had no doubt what had been distracting him. She couldn't even object, not when the same thoughts had been running through her mind as soon as they'd been in the car alone together.
"Alright," she said with a little smile, trying to keep her breathing steady, "let's get upstairs."
Cole dashed to the back of the big SUV to grab his bags while Fiona made her way to the door. The rain was almost pleasant on her skin, not nearly as cold as she'd been expecting. Cole didn't seem to mind it either, and she found herself watching him with interest as the storm plastered his t-shirt to his muscular torso. Yummy, she thought, blushing, then looking away as he caught her eye.
Inside, she felt his gaze on her as she led him up the stairs to her apartment. Normally that would have made her self-conscious but with Cole it was different somehow. She didn't mind him looking at her. In fact, she wanted him to do more than just look. The fact that his hands were full of luggage was frustrating and by the time she unlocked the door and let him inside, she was almost shaking.
"Hi, Fi,
I hope you didn't get too wet — oh, who's this?" Janet popped her head around the kitchen door to see them both entering the apartment and grinned. "Mm, wow. Nice catch."
"Janet!" Fiona glowered at her roommate. "This is Cole, he says he's the guy who booked the room."
"Cole North," Cole said, putting down his luggage and holding out a hand with a grin. "Pleased to meet you, ma'am."
"Oh, call me Janet," she replied, and then looked between the two of them. "You must be dying to get out of those wet clothes, Cole. I'm sure Fi will be happy to show you your room."
She winked to Fiona as she said that, and Fiona could only glower back. It wasn't as though she was wrong, and as much as Fiona hated the way Janet tried to throw men at her, at least this time it was someone she was interested in.
That didn't make her roommate's behavior any less embarrassing, though. She grabbed Cole by the wrist and dragged him toward the back of the apartment away from Janet.
"Have fun," Janet said sweetly, waving after them. Fiona shot her a black look before slamming a door between them.
"I'm sorry about Janet," she said as Cole put down his bags. Now that she was in the room alone with him, she wasn't sure that this was such a good idea. The space was small, and she felt squashed up against him in the tiny room. It would have been crowded with just Cole in there, and with her as well there was barely space for the luggage.
"Not a problem," he said, grinning at her. "I'm sure she has your best interests in mind."
He turned to look at her, and now they were practically on top of one another. His body was inches from hers and she had to crane her neck to look up at him. It would have been so easy to reach out and touch him. So, so easy and so, so tempting.
He leaned over her, resting an arm on the wall beside her. The air between them was charged like a storm front and she half expected another spark to fly between them.
"This isn't like me at all," she said. Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper. She hadn't actually intended to speak. "I never do this kind of thing."
"I know," Cole said, reaching down to stroke her cheek. "I don't either. But you're special."
His touch was enough to overwhelm her reserve, and she stepped toward him. The feeling of his fingers against her skin sent a pulse of desire shooting through her and she gasped, feeling like her body was on fire with need for him.
The thin wet cotton of his shirt hardly felt like it was there at all, His arms wrapped around her, lifting her to him, and he pressed her back against her door. His heartbeat was so powerful that she could feel it pounding against her, fast and strong. Fiona moaned, realizing how badly she'd been wanting this since she'd seen Cole for the first time.
Cole's lips met hers, hungry and demanding, and she opened her mouth to his kiss. Outside thunder boomed, the windows shaking as they clung to each other, and Cole growled. The noise vibrated through her, and she melted against him, gasping and moaning. She tore at his damp t-shirt and his hands pulled her against him.
The wind seemed to pick up inside the room, howling around them as her hands slid under his t-shirt. Cole's body felt even better skin to skin than she'd imagined, her fingers caressing his perfectly sculpted abs, trailing down over his skin, reaching his jeans and his belt.
Cole broke their kiss, looking down at her with a grin as his hands brushed over her, exploring and teasing her through her blouse. Fiona gasped at the feel of his strong confident touch, the way he looked at her, the magnetic pull of his desire. Meeting his gaze, she saw a sense of wonder there that matched her own, a desire as powerful and as scary as anything she could imagine.
Wind whipped up around them, howling. Even inside the building, the storm followed them, and thunder rattled the window. What am I doing? Fiona asked herself, shivering in anticipation but afraid nonetheless. She felt as though they were being watched, as though the storm itself was judging them. Fear took hold of her, overwhelming the lust.
She planted a hand on Cole's chest, pulling away from him, leaving his belt undone. The air between them seemed to buzz with energy, and it clearly took an effort for Cole to lift his hands from her.
"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice taut and hungry for her. But not angry, not impatient. Not demanding. Fiona pulled at the door behind her, fumbling for the handle, and was grateful for that.
"I can't, I'm sorry," she stammered. It took all of her willpower to move away from him, but she managed. "It's not you, I just— I can't."
Not trusting herself to wait for his reply, she tore the door open and fled into the hall. She didn't know what she'd do if he followed her, and nearly hoped that he would. But he didn’t. Instead, he let her escape and she ran into her room, mortified.
Cole stared at the door, shaking his head and groaning in frustration. He could barely keep a leash on his bear, and he knew that if he tried to follow Fiona now he wouldn't be able to control himself. It was close enough as it was.
Growling at himself, he restrained his desire to punch the wall. Knowing his luck, he'd end up wrecking the place and Fiona and her roommate didn't deserve that. Instead, he forced himself to strip off and find the bathroom. A cold shower, that's what I need. A cold shower and something else to think about.
That wasn't easy, not with Fiona just a room or two away. But the storm howling outside reminded him of his work, and the need to deal with that first. It was, he tried to convince himself, for the best that Fiona had said no. He needed to focus, and she was definitely interested.
The shower helped clear his head, and by the time he left it the weather outside had cleared. Which was strange again — he hadn't spent long in the shower, but the storm had stopped as quickly as it had blown in, and now the sky outside was clear, stars sparkling. Cole shook his head. Whatever's happening to the weather here, it's got to stop. The local weather reporters must be having an interesting time.
He supposed that he should be glad that it wasn't something more obviously supernatural. Strange weather happened from time to time, and it would be a while before it got taken too seriously. But the job part of the Agency's job was to head these problems off before they started. It was no good waiting until there was a mob hunting for a weather-witch.
I'll see if the local fae know anything about it tomorrow, he decided. They might be behind this, some Fae Lords have this much power. Even if they're not, they're bound to have some idea of what's happening in their backyard. As long as I can find them, anyway.
But that was a problem for later. Right now, he was hungry and tired and frustrated. At least the hungry part he should be able to do something about.
Janet was still in the kitchen when he stuck his head in, though Fiona was nowhere to be seen. Janet grinned and waved him inside.
"So I don't think we met properly, Mr. North," she said, offering her hand.
"Call me Cole," he said, smiling and shaking. "I'd apologize for that, but it was you who ducked out of meeting me as I remember. I think that you pushed Fiona a little too hard for her comfort when we arrived."
"I couldn't help myself." Janet didn't sound at all apologetic. "Do you know how long it’s been since she's let herself have any fun? I was just trying to be encouraging."
Cole laughed and sat at the table, shaking his head. "Fiona didn't take it as encouragement, I think."
He tried and failed to keep the note of regret out of his voice. Janet looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"She needs a push now and then, or she'll let every hot guy walk past because she's too scared to do anything," she said. "And since you two are obviously interested in each other, I thought I'd be a good friend. The only pity is that it wasn't enough."
Cole couldn't help nodding, and Janet laughed.
"Don't look so glum," she said. "There's still time for Fi to come around, right?"
"I know," Cole replied. "And I intend to be patient with her, but that doesn't make her walking out on me right now any easier, you know?"
Janet's chuckle was half-am
used, half-sympathetic. "I guess not, so let's change the subject. How about I make you a meal and you tell me what you're in town for?"
As much as he didn't want to talk about his business, Cole had to admit that food sounded very good indeed. And he did have a cover story, though he didn't really want to lie to Fiona's roommate.
I have to tell her something, though. I guess I'll just stick to being vague, he told himself as he sat down. Maybe he could learn a little more about Fiona at the same time. That was the only topic of conversation that was on his mind.
He settled in to see what he could find without pushing too hard, and without telling Janet too much.
6
"What am I going to do?" Fiona asked, hiding her head in her hands as she sat down at the kitchen table for breakfast. Last night she hadn't dreamed at all, and she'd woken feeling refreshed and relaxed for once. That lasted until she remembered her mortifying performance the night before.
Janet put an arm around her shoulders and hugged her tight. "Nothing you don't want to, okay? I'm sorry I pushed you. I shouldn't have done that."
"I should have taken your advice. Or something." Fiona hugged her friend back. "Definitely something."
She cast her mind back to the night before, the undeniable attraction she'd felt for Cole. The pull towards his strong body, the need in his eyes as he'd looked at her. Just the thought of him made her shiver with desire again, and with frustration at her own actions the night before. Why can't I just do what I want to?
"Why don't you tell me how the two of you met?" Janet said, giving her a gentle squeeze and pulling away to pour two mugs of coffee. "I talked to him last night, but he didn't say and I've got to admit I'm curious. You don't usually turn up with a hunk in tow. That's more my style."