Claiming Her (Keeping Her Series) (17 page)

Lucas stood to his full
height, his eyes flashing to gold and hardening.  “She’ll want to leave.”

“She won’t want to
leave; she’ll just do it.”  She smiled sadly trailing her hand down to the jaw
turning to granite as she watched.  “Wouldn’t you?”

“I can’t protect her if
she leaves.”

“That’s the point.”

“Shit.”

“You either find a way
to let her be who she is, which means sending her into dangerous situations
with the pack there to help if she needs it, or she leaves and finds her own
dangerous situations, with no one there to protect her back.”

“Shit.”

“Yep,” Miley said, “that
about covers it.”

Napa was a beautiful
place, especially where Lucas had built his house.  Anything goes in Napa, from
modern, to historic, to rustic, with the usual cookie cutter homes thrown in as
well.  The one outstanding rule for builders here was you do not destroy the
view, so homes were built to blend in, especially where Lucas lived which had
the best of both worlds, the wilds of a mountain home, combined with the
rolling hills of grapes.  He owned about two hundred acres, part of those acres
going up the side of a mountain, where the wild could still be embraced.  Then
the soft rolling hills of vineyards that produced their own wine.  It was
certified organic, and run by the same family who had run it long before Lucas
took it over and built his house on the side of the mountain.

The house itself was a
rambler.  All one story and spread out in brick and glass.  There was a
cobblestone inner courtyard and covered breezeways that connected the three
units.  Vintage iron accents and old antique doors gave the patinated brick
building a historic look, but the inside had modern accents as well, with high-gloss
stone tiles and a gourmet kitchen.   All the rooms were large and spread out,
with aged dark wood beams that added to the rustic country feel of the high
ceilings and bare stonewalls.

The furniture was
over-sized soft leathers and rich earth colors, with aged wood accents.  She
could have stood in any of the four fireplaces – one in the master suite, one
in the library, and two more in other sections of the home.  With a living room,
dining room, library, and massive kitchen, the master suite in the main area,
and two branching sections for Cleo and Ian to have their own space, it felt
like one giant home.  At the same time, each section felt like it was
independent of the rest with a large amount of space for each, including big
baths and adjoining sitting rooms.  All the sections opened up to the family
pool and a view of the rolling hills and vineyard.

Another aged brick building,
a good distance away, was where the pack slept when they were around.  It also
had a TV room, a gargantuan games room, with pool tables and a bar surrounded
by leather sectionals, and since Miley had been there, a second pool had been
added, which was surrounded by privacy fencing and copious greenery.  On the
other side of the large cobbled courtyard was another building that looked like
a converted aged barn, which in actuality was the 4,800 square feet garage that
housed all the pack vehicles.  The road from the massive property gates they
had passed through ended there.

Miley asked Lucas about
the new second pool; he just grunted and said the pack liked to hang out at the
pool until all hours in mixed company.  He would prefer they do that away from
his bedroom windows, or his kids.  Knowing Lucas as she did, she would bet
money, one person had a friend over one time and he was done.  It had more to
do with a lion’s territory and privacy, and less about wanting the pool to
himself at all times.  Lions were extremely territorial.  This was a good
solution.  He had his own sunning, swimming spot, and the pack could gallivant
in theirs as much as they wanted.  And those boys did like their gallivanting. 
When they were around, which was rarely, and usually not all together like
this.

Of course it was not
quite as much fun when they were in lock down, as that meant there would be no
guests invited over, and no one would leave.  Everyone was supposed to gather
here behind the crazy tight security Lucas could call forth.  This meant that
Cleo and Logan were dispatched to pick up the rest of the pack that had not
been on the island, namely Demon, Mac, and Ben, and according to Lucas, their
mates and one child.  None of whom Miley had ever met, so she was beyond
curious about the two women.  One was mated to Demon, a seven foot plus
tattooed wolf-shifter who was scarily taciturn, and the other was mated to
both
Mac and Ben.  A wolverine-shifter who rarely spoke, but had the
ability to send chills down the spine in two words or less (and not always in a
good way), and an oversexed leopard who flirted like he breathed.  Granted he
was funny, and they were both scorching hot, but still, she had to meet the women
who could and did take that on.  And picturing Demon with a mate and adopted
child? 
Hmmm. 
It was as if the Earth had fallen off its axis while she
was on the island.

For now she was
thinking, while shuffling tiredly through the halls, that she had always loved
it here.  This was the first time she had arrived with the idea that she would
be living here, not dropping off paperwork, or working in Lucas’ library/home
office.  The weather was glorious, high eighties in the summer, low forties in
the winter, and no humidity to speak of.  A different kind of paradise than the
Caribbean island with its blue seas and sandy beaches, but a paradise none the
less.  After 3,000 miles though, the best part of getting there was the bed. 

She would think later
about the fact that it was twice as big as your average king size, the room was
big enough to echo, and that the cotton sheets were so soft they could have
been silk.  Right now, all she could think about was being horizontal and not
moving.  She was out as soon as she shoved off her shoes and her head hit the
pillow. She missed Lucas taking the time to reconnoiter the room, making sure
all was well, and the kiss he placed against her hair before he left her.

***

When Miley woke up it
took her a bit of time to assimilate.  The cool breeze coming from the two open
sets of French doors was not the salty sea air she was used to, but instead
carried the scent of earth and new growth, under which was the tiniest hint of
a rose garden she remembered hidden like a secret garden among the blue oak and
coastal redwood trees.  There was no humidity, or the fans needed to move the
air and slowly cool the skin, and the sound of distant ocean waves and sea
gulls was missing.  Instead, she heard the whisper of wind moving leaves, and
somewhere in the distance voices talking quietly.  Probably the guys outside
the pack house catching up.

“You’re awake.”  She
heard Lucas as she was opening her eyes.  She felt groggy, that feeling you get
when you sleep too long and still need more.  He came to sit beside her, and
she felt the slight dip of the bed.  She blinked the sleep out of her eyes and
saw that Lucas was wearing his business attire, minus the jacket and tie.  His
shirt was a light grey that was nearly white and tucked into the waistband of
the black slacks.  He was still barefoot, and the top few buttons at his neck
still open, which for some reason had her blinking with a sudden onslaught of
lust.

Her eyes on the bare
expanse of his throat she cleared her own.  “What time is it?”

“Pacific Standard or
Atlantic?”  He was smiling at her when she looked up into that incredible face,
his cerulean blue eyes as happy as she had ever seen them. 

She narrowed her eyes
in suspicion. “Why are you smiling like that?”

He tweaked a gold curl
back from her forehead.  “Maybe because you’re in my bed, your clothes are in
my closet.”

Miley groaned and
pulled the pillow over her head.  “Is the sun coming up or going down?”

“Coming up.  You slept
through the other.”

“Feels like it hit me
on the way down.  It is entirely too early for you to be arrogant and sexy. 
Maybe you should go away and come back in an hour or two.”

“Jet lag.  You’re out
of practice.  You’ll feel better after you shower and have some breakfast.”

He pulled the pillow
away and threw it while she was trying to decide if it was worth getting up to
have that shower.  Before she could decide either way, he scooped her up in his
arms and headed for the master bath.

“Lucas!”  Before she
could even finish protesting, he had her standing in his huge bathroom next to
a sunken Jacuzzi tub and a large glass room that was posing as a shower.  There
were eight different showerheads and the high-tech panel on the door looked
like it could launch a space ship.  “If I get in there are you going to beam me
to the mother ship?”

Lucas chuckled while proceeding
to strip her down.  “When I had the house built I asked for the best, which I
assumed meant good water pressure and a large shower stall.  What I got was ‘the
latest in multi-head technology and a steam room all in one’,” he chuckled.  “I
remember reading the description on the bill next to the price and thinking it
was fucking ridiculous what people pay for.”  He had her down to skin and the
door of the stall open.  He kissed her hard and fast on the lips then shoved
her into the room.  “Now, thinking of you in that shower with me later, when
you’re feeling better?”  He closed the door and hit a few buttons on the
panel.  “Worth every fucking cent.”

The water came out
warm, rather than the cold she was expecting, then it gradually heated and the shower
heads he chose for her were powerful enough to massage aching muscles, but soft
enough not to make her skin overly raw.  It took her about a minute to forget
Lucas was watching. She closed her eyes, ducking her head under the giant ‘rainfall’
showerhead and groaned long and loud.  She heard Lucas curse behind her and
smiled when he stomped off.  Miley had no idea how long she was in the shower,
but the water never got cold, not even lukewarm, and she felt almost human
again.  Lucas was right.  It was totally worth whatever he paid for it.

Miley stepped out of
the shower to a plush towel and a steaming cup of coffee on the counter waiting
for her.  She was forced to admit this mate thing might be even better than she
thought.  Then she went to find that someone had taken her clothes in hand, and
it was not Lucas.  They were all hanging neatly and wrinkle free in the walk in
closet that could have been a room all on its own.  She found her underwear,
bras, and jeans folded in their own drawers and had to stop and breathe for a
minute at the shear craziness that was her clothes living next to Lucas Gibbs’. 
She picked out a set of blue stretch lace bra and panties, her most comfortable
jeans, and a coral sleeveless top that fell in soft cascades of lace to her
hips.  All her shoes lined up on little shelves with glass doors to keep out
any nonexistent dust the closet fairy missed.  She chose her coral beaded heeled
sandals because they matched the shirt and looked cute with her pearl painted
toes showing.  Since she had no plans of going anywhere when they were all on
lock down, she didn’t bother with the matching clutch.  Nor did she do anything
more in the face painting department but moisturizer, mascara, and lip-gloss.

She took a drink of her
coffee. Sweet with a little cream, just as she liked it.  Either Lucas had a
dossier prepared on her or he was really paying attention.  Probably both.

Miley made the bed
before she left the room and that triggered another out of body experience. 
Sharing a bedroom, closet, and actual bed with Lucas Gibbs. 
How did this
happen again? 
Then she shook it off and went in search of the man
himself.  It was as easy as opening her door and looking out since she could
see on the other side of the large living area Lucas, Ian, and Eli standing in
the kitchen.  Not to say they were close.  Because of the way the house was
designed, each room was the entire width of the house.  The rooms were quite
large lengthwise, as well, so she could see the men, but if she wanted them to
hear her, she would have to shout.  Instead, she started walking past the two
leather sectionals and floor to ceiling fireplace and through the archway into
the kitchen where everything was stainless steel or distressed and patinated
wood.  Like the rest of the house, the floors were natural stone tiles.

By the time she made
the not inconsiderable distance, she had the eyes of every man and one older
woman who stood at the stove making pancakes.  If Miley were a betting gal, she
would say this was the woman who had managed the mess Lucas had made with her
clothes in such a short time span.

The woman was probably
in her fifties, with a slight graying at her temples, but otherwise chestnut
hair that she had up in a no nonsense twist.  She wore jeans and tennis shoes,
and a t-shirt that fit her thin shoulders and hung low on her narrow hips.  Her
brown eyes were shrewd and on Miley as she came closer.  Her scent was
definitely shifter but it was subtle enough to make Miley wonder if she was
latent, like herself, and if so, what animal?