by Eliza Gayle
She made him want to stand back and study her. While average in height and weight by human female standards, she was downright petite in his arms. What would it be like to watch her small, soft hands roam her naked flesh? Maybe rub and pinch her nipples a few times before traveling down her torso to her slick, hot center just dying to be touched. Yes, she was wet and aroused even more now because her scent had gone from a subtle waft to filling every inch of the room, further driving him mad.
He shifted his legs and willed his dick to go down because so help him, if she glanced one more time at his crotch they were done. Distracted by his thoughts, he almost didn’t catch her making a move until it was too late. Fortunately, he threw an arm out and grabbed her by the foot she’d been about to nail him with, flipping her backwards towards the bathroom. Her head missed the wall by inches but she caught herself on her hands before she smashed into the floor.
“Good reflexes.” Really good.
“Whatever,” she spat. She sprang from her crouched position in one smooth and very fast leap, and her body attached itself to his as she hauled him to the ground. The air whooshed out of his lungs at the force of her weight on top of him when they slammed against the unforgiving wooden floor. For a split second her heat nestled over his metal stiff erection and neither of them breathed.
When he bucked his hips against hers to knock her off of him, her eyes widened to huge saucers but she held on like a tough bronc. He managed to wrap one of his legs around hers and flip them over until his weight crushed her. Under his bruising pressure she bucked wildly, trying to get out from underneath but he held fast, not allowing her escape.
“It’s like fighting fire with fire, Lara. All you’re doing is making my dick harder.”
“Oh, you bastard, get off of me.” Her skin glowed with the heat and color of her anger as well as good old-fashioned sweat from fighting him so hard.
“You started it, remember? If I let you go are you going to calm down?”
“Are you going to kill me?” Her breath came in short pants as her chest heaved from her efforts.
He didn’t answer. What could he say? The council had given him an execution order for her, which left him with no choice. Kane rolled over to lie beside her, frustration rolling off both of them in heated waves. He pushed his fingers through the scant few inches of hair he had and covered his face.
“Why shouldn’t I? You tried to kill my brother multiple times.”
“C’mon, Kane, give me a break. Your own brother tried to kill your brother multiple times. Do you have to kill him, too?”
She knew he didn’t, he could tell from the sarcasm in her voice. The council had already decided that Malcolm had suffered extenuating circumstances that made him behave out of character. His sentence had been another long period of banishment. Which was bound to make things worse.
“Give me something. Anything. Give me a reason why I shouldn’t.”
“You killed my mother.” Her words hammered through him. She couldn’t have shocked him more if she’d pulled out a shotgun and put a hole in his gut. He sat up and stared at her, searching for a sign she was playing him or just stalling again. But, the naked honesty vivid on her face rattled him, and there wasn’t a trace of deceit coming from her scent. She wasn’t lying.
“That’s absurd.” The pain in her eyes doubled at his words, forcing him to turn away from them. Something was very wrong here. His gut had told him weeks ago there was more to this story so now it was time to find out exactly what he was missing. More than ever, before he found it damned difficult to figure out who the good guys and the bad guys were.
“It’s true.” Her simple statement cracked at the shield around his heart.
“No. It’s impossible, Lara. I have never killed a female. Nor have I ever been asked to until you.”
Tears welled in her eyes that she quickly brushed away. “A black cougar murdered my mother. So, if not you, then one of yours. To me it’s all the same. You kill who you are told to without question and this time you made a big mistake. Vengeance will be mine, one way or another.”
Kane sighed. He needed her calm and rational, not acting on impulse if they were going to get to the bottom of this. He stepped in front of her and held out his hand. “I think it’s time for us to have a long talk, don’t you? I get the feeling there’s more going on here than either of us is ready for, the least we could do is help each other understand.”
She hesitated, staring back at him for a few unsure minutes before she finally broke eye contact, reached for his hand, and allowed him to pull her to a standing position just inches in front of him. This close, she refused to meet his eyes, and instead he only saw the top of her head. She stood the perfect height to tuck into his shoulder and hold close. With this view the silky black fall of her hair beckoned him still, despite the damage she had inflicted on him. Good thing he healed faster than a normal man, or he might have felt more of an urge to make her pay. He bit back a smile at the thought. He doubted she was ready for that. He’d rattled her enough with just a kiss.
“Are you offering a truce?” She looked up at him then, and the cool green depths of her eyes betrayed the wariness within. Lara didn’t trust him at all, and who could blame her, as he didn’t trust her one bit, either.
“Temporarily, yes.” He held up his hand between them and she cautiously took it, offering a brief shake of a deal. “Good, now that we have that settled, do you mind if I get cleaned up?” He pointed to his busted lip. “I think I could use some ice. Can I trust you to stay here while I get some? I mean, if you run again now we’ll be right back where we started, and I don’t think there will be a second truce between—”
“Stop now, Kane, while you’re ahead. I agreed to a truce and I’m not going anywhere for the moment, but if you keep running your mouth, I’ll be damn tempted to shut it again.”
“Ouch, point taken, my little hell cat.” He walked toward the door laughing, amazed at her ability to get all worked up over just a few choice words. Under different circumstances she would sure be a lot of fun.
When he returned with his ice he decided to get comfortable before they started. She still fidgeted around the room and he wanted to give her some time to settle down a bit, otherwise this was going to take all night. Kane removed his boots and padded over to the sink to prepare an ice pack. Grabbing one of the small towels from the rack, he filled it with ice. As he worked he noticed the worn picture behind a bowl. Why did Lara carry a picture of herself? He leaned closer for a better look and stared into the eyes of a different woman. Blue, not green, and filled with a resigned sadness unlike the heat he’d seen in Lara. This had to be the mother, and judging from the frayed edges and wrinkles, he’d guess she carried her close. That kind of family tie he understood all too well.
He gently placed the cloth against his mouth and ambled over to recline in the chair in the corner, keeping an eye on her the whole time. She sat on the opposite side of the bed, giving them a little space apart, which was probably a good thing at this point. Not only did he not want to be tempted, but he didn’t need any more bruises.
“Tell me about your mother.” He wanted to get straight to the heart of the matter, but he wasn’t heartless like she believed, and he could see her demeanor had changed. She needed to do this for herself at her own pace.
“My mother was a witch, but so much more than that. She didn’t practice black magic and actually used her power very little. I think she was afraid of it; at least, that’s what I thought back then. Now I’m not so sure.” On a deep breath she continued in a clear and steady voice. “I was a teenager when she was killed, and as you can imagine we argued a lot. She did her best to keep me in line and tried to impress upon me how important it was to respect the magic. I learned a lot from her, but back then I never listened to her warnings and definitely didn’t appreciate her knowledge.”
Kane tried to imagine Lara as a teen and pictured a rebellious girl who must have been hell on w
heels. Her father probably needed a shotgun or two. “What about your father?”
“I don’t know who my father is, she would never tell me. She always made up excuses about how she couldn’t yet face the story, but I could tell she was lying. The darkness clouding her eyes every time I asked was a dead giveaway. We fought about that a lot, too.”
“When did your mother die?” Best to establish a timeline now.
“She didn’t just die, so don’t try to whitewash what happened to her. She was murdered when I was fourteen.” Lara stood then, moving to the far corner of the room as if she needed to put more distance between them. “After her death, I had no one and I was afraid and lived in fear of being next. I didn’t understand anything so I ran.”
Kane noticed her reflection in the mirror on the back wall of the room. There were no tears, but the anguish was clearly written on her face. Instinctively he wanted to comfort her but knew he couldn’t.
“How can you be sure it was a black cougar? There aren’t many you know and we don’t kill indiscriminately.”
She turned to him, her pain turning to rage in the blink of an eye. “Do not go there with me, Kane! Over the years I have learned all I need to know about your archaic justice system. It’s your turn to face the truth that there is a serious flaw when an innocent woman is killed!”
He absorbed her anger as well as the pain she delivered with every word. She still smelled of the truth, and he would know. But her truth could be different from reality. She had been a child, although arguing the point with her right now seemed futile. He took a cautious step toward her and she held up her arms to stop him.
“No.” She didn’t say anything else, she didn’t have to.
He wanted to push her for more, but his gut warned him now was not the time. If her mother was killed when she was fourteen that had to be what, twelve or thirteen years ago? He’d been too young anyways, so that left either Lucas or his father as the executioner. Already he had an uneasy feeling about the whole situation. Her crimes had seemed so clear cut, even Malcolm had kept silent about her motivation. That’s because if what she said was true then she had the right of...
“Are you familiar with our laws in this situation?” “What do you mean?” She looked up curiously. “If your mother was wrongfully killed by our clan—and I’m not saying she was—you would have rights as her heir.”
Her eyes blinked. “What kind of rights?”
“Let’s not go there yet. I still have a duty to my clan, but I am willing to admit something doesn’t smell right in this whole freaking mess. It’s time to make a call.”
“No, you can’t—” She moved then, faster than he’d expected to position herself in front of the door.
“I have people I trust, Lara, someone who will seek the information that I need. Now you will have to trust me.” Kane stood and took the two strides to get to her, stopping within reach.
“I’d be a fool to trust you.” The words were sarcastic, but the delivery only sounded tired. She was more vulnerable than she knew and his cat wanted that part of her. Stripping the pain and anger away to reveal the woman underneath would give him incredible pleasure. She’d fight him every step of the way, but he suspected it would be worth every bruise and bite.
“Knowing you, if I pull something I’m confident you’ll find a way to make me pay.” The animal knew what it wanted, but the man still wasn’t convinced. This could all be a ruse. The retribution for playing him would be swift and deadly. Something they both needed to remember.
He brushed past her and walked out. She needed some time to think about what he said and he had some inquiries to make. For her sake as well as his, he wanted to get to the truth of this mess and no one would die until they did. Opting for privacy, he stepped outside into the shadowed area underneath the stairs.
He dug his cell phone out of his front pocket and dialed a quick three- number combination. He didn’t hesitate for even a moment to consider who to call; he knew who would help him.
The phone was answered on the first ring. “Speak.” “It’s me. I need some help.”
A bark of laughter sounded in his ear. “Don’t tell me she slipped away from you again.”
“No, it’s a little more complicated than that.” The door behind him swung open and Lara breezed past him. Her audacity made him smile. She definitely would keep him on his toes, that was for sure.
He covered the phone. “Where are you going?”
She turned back to face him. “Don’t get your panties in a twist, I’m not running.” She gave him a slight grin and his body instantly came to life. He liked when she gave him some of her saucy attitude. He let loose on a low growl, forgetting the phone for a second. “I’m going to get us some food, cat boy. I think we’re going to need our strength.”
Damn, he was in so much trouble with this one.
He put his phone back against his ear to howling laughter that even a snarl didn’t halt.
Chapter Four
Lara hopped into her beloved classic Impala, the one tangible thing she’d refused to give up, and turned over the engine. She glanced in the rearview mirror but didn’t see Kane anywhere. Didn’t matter, she knew with every fiber of her being he watched her, waiting for her to run. Every time he looked at her with those hungry eyes she felt the impact everywhere. Her stomach quivered, her nipples tightened, and her muscles squeezed with a desire that baffled her.
She had her suspicions about his ultimate intentions at this point, but he’d abandoned his plan to kill her just as quickly as she’d been assured. So far so good. As far as he knew she’d agreed to a truce so she would abide by it for now. She doubted the circumstances between them would change, but if it bought her some time to figure out a Plan B, she’d take it. And boy, did she need a new plan and pronto.
The more time she spent with him the less she thought about revenge, and the more she thought about hot, naked sex. She had to force images of them flesh to flesh from her mind and pay attention to the road.
A few miles from the motel she found a small diner that looked promising. It better, considering it was the only option anywhere in the tiny town. Inside, she ignored the blatant staring as she moved through the dining area to the counter. The woman at the register gave her a hard once over that made Lara want to laugh. Guess they saw a stranger coming a mile away around here.
“Can I help you?” The tone wasn’t exactly friendly, but friends she didn’t need.
“Just some take out, please.” The woman handed her a menu and Lara studied the options. She hadn’t even thought to ask Kane what he might want to eat, but considering he was at the top of the food chain in these here parts he’d probably not have an issue with any kind of meat. Which was good, ’cause she craved a big juicy burger right now and the protein would keep her strong.
After handing over her limited cash, she gathered the large bags of food and headed out, trying not to look around. The last thing she wanted were questions or worse a confrontation. When she stepped outside and turned in the direction of her car she stopped short. Kane stood leaning casually against the emerald green metal of the hood, waiting for her. The shades riding the bridge of his nose hid his eyes from the rising sun and those, along with the stubble on his face, gave him that dark and dangerous look she found so appealing. Even the leather pack he carried seemed sexy. But, it was the tight t-shirt and jeans that got her. The way the denim hugged his thighs and cupped his...it should be illegal for him to look so good propped against her baby.
“What? You didn’t trust me to get food?”
He smiled at her, revealing white teeth, minus the canines of course, edging up the bad boy look that made her already hard nipples tighten more.
“I thought you might need some help.” He pushed off of his perch and moved toward her.
“Uh huh. So much for the trust and truce we agreed upon.” Not that she really blamed him. In his situation she wouldn’t have let him leave her sight, either. She fishe
d in the pocket of her pants for her keys, determined to not be affected.
“Well then, maybe I just missed you.”
Lara hitched a step at the dazzling smile he threw in with that delivery. “No, now you’re just full of shit,” She laughed. She tossed the bags of food at him as she brushed past him for the driver’s side and climbed in.
“Sweet ride you’ve got here.”
“I’m rather fond of her. She takes good care of me.” Damn, open mouth insert foot. Lara started the engine and it purred to life. She would never tire of the smooth hum of that sound.
“I’ll bet she does.” He relaxed back against the soft leather seats and quieted down. She glanced around the lot for his truck but it wasn’t there. He must have shifted and ran to catch up with her.
“Have a nice run?”
“Actually I did. It’s always good to stretch my legs early in the morning. Gets the heart rate up and the blood pumping. Relieves the stress.” His hands stroked down his thighs, smoothing the denim as he stretched his long, long legs as much as he could inside the car.
She forced her gaze away and squirmed in her seat all over again. Her body tingled from arousal and she knew she’d be wet and ready. She had a good grasp on the idea of having an itch that needed to be scratched, but jeez.
Come on, Lara, think about something else. Uhm. It doesn’t look like it’ll rain today. The guy who had checked me in yesterday had been a total sleaze ball, leering every chance he got. Yeah, that worked.
Back under a little control, she pulled smoothly into the motel parking lot and killed the engine. “So what’s the plan?”
“Well, I’m going to eat whatever you have in these bags, ’cause it smells damn good.”
“Smart ass.” She couldn’t resist poking at him. “Anyone ever tell you how mean you are?”