“Thank you for bringing me here,” she said quietly, the musical tones in her voice brushing over his skin in a caress he swore he felt. “The ride was amazing, but this—it’s perfection.”
“Even more so than it usually is.” The words were murmured softly, not really meant for her ears, but as her eyes widened, he knew she heard them.
“What?”
Clearing his throat, he shook his head, stepping back to take a seat on the flat rock he always sat on when he came to the overlook. “Nothing. It’s not important.”
She looked like she wanted to press him, but thankfully, she didn’t ask him what he’d meant. She just joined him on the rock, and they fell silent as they looked out over the cliff.
Being with her was comfortable, as natural as breathing. It was easy and relaxing, in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time. He felt at peace and filled with contentment.
Yet at the same time, he had a level of awareness with her that he couldn’t remember feeling before. He was acutely aware of her next to him, of the heat he could feel radiating from her body to his. His body was crying out for the touch of hers, needing to feel the press of her skin against his.
It was a study in contradictions, and it left him feeling off kilter. So off balance, in fact, that he was left to wonder which way was up and which was down. He didn’t understand what the hell was going on with her, he really didn’t.
Come on, are you really that stupid? his lion asked with disgust. I always thought you were pretty smart.
He frowned. More of the cryptic shit. I don’t get what you’re trying to tell me, and it’s pissing me off that you won’t just fucking say it.
I take it back. Clearly I was the one who was an idiot for believing that you’re smart. You know what, I’m not going to tell you. Figure it out for your own damn self.
What the fuck was that about? Luke tried to connect with his cat again, but he’d completely shut down. Clearly, he was missing something huge, but fuck if he knew what it was.
“Blake told me you haven’t been yourself for a while now,” Tarun said quietly, still looking out at the view. “Do you want to talk about it?”
He frowned. “Blake talks too damned much. And no, I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Are you sure? I’m a good listener, and this is a judgment free zone. You can talk to me about anything.”
Exhaling, he stared out at the scenery, avoiding looking at her. Maybe… maybe it would help to get an outsider’s perspective. The only person who knew anything about the situation was Blake—who apparently liked to gossip like an old woman. Oh, he was sure the other Enforcers had caught on to his changed moods, and possibly even to the fact that he avoided using his gift. They were too sharp not to have caught on. They just hadn’t said anything.
As much as he didn’t want to let on that he had any kind of weakness—especially to her—he still felt an urge to spill his guts. He wasn’t sure where it came from, but it was strong. Strong enough that he wasn’t sure he could resist.
Still not looking her way, he inhaled deeply, having a hard time believing he was going to do it. “Do you know what my gift is?”
“Something about forcing shifts, right?”
“That’s part of it, yeah. The full extent is controlling them. I can control whether a person shifts or not—whether that’s from human to animal or vice versa. And, of course, forcing the shifts when needed. It’s a useful gift in battle, and the main reason I was accepted into the Enforcers to begin with.”
“I’m sure there are other reasons—”
He shook his head. “No, really. The ability to fight, in human and animal form, is needed, of course. But the main requirement is having a powerful gift. Something that adds value to our abilities, something that makes capturing the bad shifters easier. Those fuckers don’t fight fairly, and they’d sooner stick a knife in your back than allow you to get close enough to stop them physically. So our gifts are a big part of why we’re as successful at bringing them down as we are.
“My gift is all about controlling others, which makes the fact that I have a hard time with control doubly ironic. I’ve always struggled with controlling my gift. Usually, it’s because I don’t use enough power in my voice. But there have been a few times when I’ve used too much. But there were never unintended consequences until a couple of years ago. With Vynn, actually.”
“My Vynn?” she asked, her head turning as she looked at him.
He tried not to stiffen at her use of my. He knew she didn’t mean it like that—just that Vynn was a War Cat. But it still didn’t sit well with him.
Jealous fucker, he muttered in his mind. Get over it.
Clearing his throat, he nodded. “Yeah. That scar on his cheek? That’s because of me.”
Risking a glance at her out of the corner of his eye, he watched as she frowned, her hazel eyes confused. “I don’t understand. Ian from the Rocky River fighters gave him that, not you.”
“Physically, yes. Ian had just raked his claws down Vynn’s cheek when I forced them to shift. I used too much power in my voice, though, and it knocked Vynn unconscious. His tiger was out, too, and wasn’t able to heal him like he should have.”
“You sound like you feel badly for that, Luke, but you shouldn’t. Vynn’s tiger had the ability to heal him once he regained consciousness. He refused because of Vynn’s behavior, which had absolutely nothing to do with you.”
Shaking his head, he finally turned toward her, meeting her eyes. “Maybe, but that’s not the point. The point is that after twenty-eight years, I’m still not able to control my gift like I need to. And that lack of control could get someone killed. If Vynn’s injuries had been more severe, he could have died, Tarun.”
“But they weren’t and he didn’t. A lot of shifters struggle with their gifts, Luke, including me.”
“Your gift doesn’t mean the difference between life and death, either.”
She rolled her eyes, turning on the rock to face him fully. “That’s not true. If I don’t see the threat in time, or if I can’t figure out who it’s directed at or where it’s coming from, it could mean disaster for someone. Usually someone I love. Sometimes all that stands between someone and death is my gift, but I have no way of controlling it or making it show me what I need it to.”
“And that’s the difference between your gift and mine. Because I can control mine. I just struggle to do it well, and that’s unacceptable. And one day, someone could get killed because I’m not strong enough to do it right.”
Tarun searched Luke’s eyes, watching as the ring of gold around his pupil slowly overtook more of the light blue. His confession was tugging at her heart strings, because it was something he clearly struggled with.
He was a huge, tough, tatted up badass biker, and he was so obviously uncomfortable with admitting what he saw as his flaws. It had to be hard for him, especially since he said the very essence of being an Enforcer was tied up in shifter gifts.
Surely he brought more to the table than just his gift, though. Blake was the leader of the Enforcers, and he knew about Luke’s struggle, but he kept him around. There had to be a reason for that, other than supernatural talents.
He exhaled, glancing back to the scenery. “Maybe it’s time to admit that I’m not cut out to be an Enforcer anymore.”
Eyebrows shooting up, her mouth popped open as she stared at him. “What? How can you say that?”
“It’s just the truth, Tarun. I’ve been thinking it for a while. I haven’t used my gift since the shit that happened with Vynn. That makes me a hindrance, and it could put my crew in jeopardy.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“That’s realistic.”
“It’s a cop out. I always admired your strength and the way you kept your cool when you visited Durga. I never took you for a quitter.”
A spark of ire heated his eyes and she thought her barb had gotten through to him until he smiled. “I see what you’re trying to do,
but it won’t work.”
“Luke—”
“I appreciate it. I really do. But if leaving to make sure my brothers and sister stay safe makes me a quitter, then I guess I’m okay with that.”
“I don’t think you leaving the Enforcers is a good idea for anyone.”
Cocking his head, he regarded her closely. “Is it really that big of a deal for you that I might quit?”
Her eyes stayed locked with his as she shook her head slightly. “No, but I think it will be for you.”
He smiled and her breath caught as he slowly lifted his hand, cupping her cheek in a soft caress that had a tidal wave of emotions crashing over her, forcing her to close her eyes against the onslaught.
“You’re sweet,” he whispered softly.
She opened her eyes, immediately becoming trapped in the intensity of his. His gaze dipped to her lips and she wet them reflexively, feminine satisfaction filling her as he groaned, the sound suppressed. But the satisfaction didn’t last long as the sound triggered a response in her as something in her middle clenched.
It was a delicious feeling. Heady, intoxicating, but borderline painful.
She wasn’t sure she understood what was happening to her, but she knew she liked it. And it was made all the better by the fact that she was pretty sure Luke was feeling the same kind of pull to her that she felt toward him.
“Your eyes are so beautiful,” he whispered, his thumb brushing the sensitive skin underneath her left eye.
Swallowing hard, she opened her mouth to say a version of the same to him, but what came out instead was wholly unexpected. “Kiss me, Luke.”
Surprise filled his eyes as his thumb stilled against her cheek. “What?”
She wasn’t going to take the request back. She wanted it too damn much. “You heard me. Kiss me.”
His eyes filled with heat and he leaned in slowly, clearly giving her time to change her mind. She wasn’t going to, though. Suddenly, kissing him seemed like the most important thing in the world, and she didn’t think she’d ever want anything quite as much as she wanted to feel his mouth pressed to hers.
When their lips were a hairsbreadth apart, he hesitated. Maybe he was giving her another chance to stop it. Maybe he was drawing out the anticipation. Maybe he just wanted to bask in the fact that they were sharing the same breath, like she was. She didn’t know, but finally, he finished closing the distance between them and pressed his lips to hers.
Her body froze, her very essence stilling at the feel of their mouths touching. She wanted to savor it longer, but desire was shooting through her system, filling her body with heat that completely stole every thought from her mind.
One of her hands tunneled through his hair to wrap around the back of his neck and she clung as she kissed him back. She felt a little unsure, not quite certain what she was supposed to do. She’d only been kissed once before, and it’d been nothing like what she was sharing with Luke.
And they’d barely gotten started.
He angled his head, pressing his lips more firmly against hers. She copied suit, following his lead, and when he opened his mouth slightly, she did the same, thinking he’d use his tongue next. But he didn’t—he just gave her long, open mouth kisses she could feel clear to her toes.
Her tiger came out of the daze she’d been in, letting out a loud purr that seemed to echo around them. But then Tarun realized it wasn’t an echo—it was Luke’s lion responding to her cat.
And the sound seemed to amp both of them up as they moved closer on the rock until their legs were pressed together, straining to get closer to each other without breaking the magical kiss consuming them both.
Just when she thought the kiss couldn’t possibly get any better, he ran his tongue along her bottom lip. The heat in her veins instantly turned to liquid fire and she gasped. He slipped his tongue inside her mouth, tasting her as she scrambled to make her body work. She’d just managed it, rubbing her tongue against his, when he pulled back.
Nipping her bottom lip, he eased away, both of them breathing heavily as he pressed his forehead to hers. It felt like it took her body ages to cool down, and by the time it had, they were both more or less breathing normally again.
“We should probably head back to the clubhouse,” he said, his voice husky as he trailed his fingers across her cheek before dropping his hand.
She nodded, watching as he stood, inhaling deeply as she took the hand he held out. He pulled her up and they walked back to his motorcycle in silence.
In fact, they didn’t speak again at all. In no time, they were back on the road, but that time, she wasn’t enjoying the ride like she had earlier. She barely noticed anything at all, really, all of her thoughts consumed by the memory of the fiery kiss they shared.
Who knew kissing could make someone feel like that? She sure hadn’t, else she would have been doing it a hell of a lot more often.
She had a feeling, though, that kissing another man never would have pulled that kind of reaction from her. Only Luke.
They pulled up to the clubhouse and he drove around to the back. There was a lot of activity, Enforcers coming and going, and she watched him frown as he took in the activity. Placing his hand on her lower back, he guided her at a fast clip toward the door.
Noah was just walking outside when they reached the door and he looked at Luke with relief. “Good, you’re back. Georgie’s been hurt, and she’s asking for you.”
“What the hell happened?” Luke barked out.
“Something about a man looking for you. I guess he hurt her when she wouldn’t give him any info on you. We’re out looking for him, but we don’t have a lot to go on. She’s hysterical, and she doesn’t remember the details well. Just wants you.”
Luke cursed as Noah nodded briefly at Tarun before rushing off. She stared after him with a troubled frown and then turned to Luke. “It’s beginning. The threat I sensed. I can feel it.”
He rolled his eyes closed and when he opened them and looked at her, his expression made her nervous. “You need to go home.”
“Fine. I was going to go inside anyway—”
“No, Tarun. Your home. Go back to the War Cats, back to Durga Valley.”
Frowning, she shook her head as she searched his eyes. “But the kiss—”
“The kiss means nothing if something happens to you. You need to leave.”
Hurt and no small amount of ire swept over her at his words. “Fine. Leave the kiss out of it. I said I wasn’t leaving while there was a threat, and I meant it. It’s still there. I can feel it, and this attack confirms it.”
His mouth firmed as he stared her down. “It also confirms that whoever’s after us won’t care about hurting a woman to get what he wants. The odds of you getting hurt are even higher, and I won’t have that. Jameson would kill me. Go home, Tarun. Where you belong.”
He spun on his heel and rushed inside—presumably to Georgie’s side—and she stared after him with her mouth hanging open. Shit, that hurt. So he didn’t care at all about the kiss they’d shared. The kiss that rocked her world and meant so much to her. And the only reason he cared about her safety was because he was worried about her brother’s reaction if she got hurt.
Her lips tightened as anger washed over her, thankfully chasing the hurt away. So what if that was true? It didn’t change why she’d come there to begin with. It didn’t change why she’d insisted on staying even after he ordered her home.
He wasn’t getting rid of her that easily.
Luke blew out a breath as he left the room the Enforcers set Georgie up in. Her lip was split and she was going to have one hell of a black eye tomorrow, but she’d survived. And it could have been worse. So much worse.
An image of Tarun flashed through his mind, her lip busted open and tear tracks trailing down her cheeks, and he cursed as he pushed the image out of his mind. She probably hated him by then, but he’d had to order her to leave.
Their kiss hadn’t changed his need for her safety.
If anything, it amplified it. He’d rather feel like a jerk for ordering her away—as he did right then—than see her lying in a bed, broken and battered, or worse.
Forcing thoughts of her from his mind, he leaned his head against the wall and turned his thoughts toward Georgie. She hadn’t remembered much. A man cornered her after she left the clubhouse in the early morning hours and tried to get her to talk about the Enforcers, and more specifically, about Luke. She’d refused, he’d slapped her around some, and then someone had seen what was happening and interceded, and the man ran.
That was it. Precious little to go by, and nowhere near what was needed to track the dickhead down.
“Hey,” Noah said, coming to the top of the stairs. “How’s Georgie? Did she have any clue who roughed her up? Because we’ve done all we can, but we don’t really have anything to go on.”
“No. She really doesn’t know anything. It happened in the dark, so she didn’t really get a good look at him. Shorter than me but taller than her was basically her description. And she’ll be okay. She’s shaken up and scared, but physically, she’ll be fine. I told her to stay here until we got this sorted out.”
Noah cocked an eyebrow. “I’m glad she’ll be okay, but is her staying here really wise? We can post a guard at her apartment, have her accompanied wherever she needs to go.”
“This is the best way. The clubhouse is safer than a lone guard. I’m surprised you’re even questioning it. I never would have expected that from you, since you know B&B is safer.”
“I do know that,” Noah replied with irritation. “I’m not heartless. I’m just thinking of the uncomfortable position it puts you in. Having someone stay here who clearly wants to start something with you at the same time someone’s staying here who you’re clearly beginning to start something with.”
He waved his hand dismissively. “I’ve made it clear to Georgie that’s not happening—wait, what do you mean, at the same time someone I’m starting things with stays here? Are you talking about Tarun? You’re mistaking shit, bro. I told her to go home.”
Control (Blood & Bone Enforcers MC Book 1) Page 5