Clawed: Wild Things, Book 3 (9 page)

“Chloe.” Conan dipped his head toward her.

“I didn’t know you’d be here.” Suddenly she remembered why she’d come along. Her temperature rose and she could imagine her face turning red under his perusal. Had Billy already told him what she’d seen at the stream? Correction—what she thought she’d seen?

“Same here.”

Damn. So he hadn’t come hoping to see her? Somehow she kept the disappointment masked, her features controlled. An awkward few minutes passed as they regarded each other in silence.

“Actually, I came along to paint.” She shifted the backpack on her shoulder as if to prove her statement.

“Okay.”

Back to one-word answers again. She nodded, glanced at Billy and Nina who were still deep in quiet conversation. “So, uh, I’m not sure how to ask this, but did Billy happen to mention, uh, something about the first time I saw you?” She might as well get the humiliation over with.

“The first time?” His brows did swan dives toward his nose. “You mean…here?”

She nodded. Had Billy told him or not?

“No. He’s talked about Nina since we left your camp. And not much else.”

She almost wiped her forehead in relief. “I see.”

“Was there something you wanted to tell me about that time?”

His eyes hardened, as though he expected her to insult him. No, it was more. He looked as though he expected her to threaten him. But why? How could she ever be a threat? “No. Nothing.”

The tension flowed out of him.

“So…you’re going to paint.”

Not exactly stimulating conversation, but at least he wasn’t yelling. “Yeah. If I can find the right spot. You know, a beautiful place unmarred by campfires and the other things people leave behind.”

“Hey, I bet Conan would know a spot. He’s been all over these hills,” Billy offered.

Conan and Chloe pivoted to stare at the grinning Billy who had entrapped a very willing Nina in his arms. Nina lifted her eyebrows in question at Chloe.

Renewed embarrassment flushed through Chloe. Had their friends set them up? Turning toward Conan, she opened her mouth to give him a way out, then heard the words tumbling out of her mouth. “Would you? I mean, I could use the help.”

She inhaled, stunned at what she’d said. But she’d meant what she’d said. In fact, the idea of Conan helping her buoyed her spirits.

Conan blinked, obviously thrown by her quick acceptance of Billy’s idea. “You want me to help you?”

Chloe smiled and tried to keep her enthusiasm for the idea at a reasonable level. No need to scare him away. “Sure. If you want to.” She narrowed her eyes at him, sending him a challenge she prayed he wouldn’t miss. “But I wouldn’t want you to get the wrong idea. You’d be acting like a tourist guide. Nothing more.”

“Yeah, Conan. You’re just a guide. Go on and help her.”

Conan’s intense stare shifted from Billy and Nina back to Chloe.

Please. Let him say yes.
She waited, her breathing shallow as though taking a deep breath might influence his decision. Of course he’d say no. After the scene at the campsite, what other answer could she expect? Terrified of hearing his refusal, she crossed the distance between them and reached out her hand. “Come on. Show me someplace spectacular.”

Conan’s gaze dropped to her hand and she could’ve sworn he started to lift his hand to reach for hers. Instead, he leveled his confused gaze at her.

Chloe lowered her hand, sure she’d made a mistake in offering it to Conan. “On second thought, don’t worry about it. I’m sure I’ll find—”

“I know a place.”

Chapter Six

Had she heard Conan correctly? Chloe glanced at Nina and Billy. Their surprised yet pleased expressions, however, confirmed that she could trust her ears.

“Really?” Taking a step closer, she stopped herself from giving him a hug.

“Yeah.”

She took a breath, happy to hear this particular one-word response. “What’s it like? Is it far?”

“Not far.” His eyes glazed over as though seeing a vision only meant for him, and his face softened. “A small pool of water, so clear and blue you can see the bottom, is surrounded by the tallest trees in the area. Moss and ivy cover the cliffs on either side of a small waterfall and the grass around the water is softer than any I’ve ever touched. Birds make their nests on the branches overhead and the last time I was there, a family of rabbits had tunneled their home below the rock outcrop next to the falls.” His eyes cleared as they fixed on her. “It’s beautiful.”

Mesmerized by the dreamy expression on his face, Chloe wanted to stroke his cheek.
If only he thought about me that way.
Aware of where her drifting mind had wandered, Chloe shook the idea away.

“You make it sound like a Disney movie, man. With Thumper and his family, no less,” Billy joked.

A pale pink traveled up Conan’s neck and into his face. He cleared his throat and glared at his friend before bringing his attention back to Chloe. “I may have exaggerated a little.” He paused, his expression a mask of reflection. “Or maybe not.”

She hoped he hadn’t. Either way, she had to see it for herself. “Would you take me there?”

“Now?”

“Now would be terrific.”

Taking her backpack from her and slinging it over his left shoulder, he tilted his head toward Billy. “See you back at the—uh, back at our place.” Then he swiveled around and started up the trail in the opposite direction of the flow of the stream.

“Okay. You two have fun,” Billy called.

“And be nice to each other.” Nina shook her finger at Chloe, a bemused expression dismissing the harsh tone.

I will if he will.
Chloe hurried after Conan, too excited to let the tickle of anxiety take hold. She had to sprint to keep up with his long strides, puffing as he pushed his way through bushes and trees in an ascending path up the hill.

At last, however, she couldn’t help but fall behind. “Hey, hold up, will you?”

Conan turned to her, a frown marring his forehead. “Why?”

“Why? Are you serious?” Chloe tried to catch her breath and motioned toward a large rock. “I have to sit.”

“Was this a bad idea?”

She glanced at him, her hands planted on her knees as she leaned against the rock. “No. But I can’t keep pace with you. You’re going to have to slow down.”

“No.”

“No? What do you mean— Hey!” Her shout was barely out of her mouth before Chloe ended up resting on Conan’s right shoulder, her head and arms flopping against his back. “Put me down!”

“No.” He shifted her to a better position and hurried up the hill. She had no choice but to grab his shirt and hang on, letting the backpack bang against her arm.

“Conan, I swear if you say ‘no’ again, I’m going to—”

“You’re going to do what?”

He had a point. “I don’t know, but when I figure it out it’s going to hurt, big-time.”

Did he just chuckle at her? Jostled up and down, her hair streaming in front of her face, she tried to lift her head, tried to twist her body to get free, but couldn’t do anything except hold on.

Conan took even larger steps than before, making the ground below her pass by at an impossible speed. However, with each step he took, the more comfortable she became. Although she felt safe in his hands, she slipped her hands a little lower and clutched the waist of his jeans.

Hmm.
If she forgot about how she’d ended up on his shoulder, she could enjoy the great view of his firm, rounded butt. Add that to the way his hands molded around her bottom and the ride wasn’t so bad. Not bad at all, in fact.

Her thumbs slid under the waistband of his jeans. If she wanted to, she could pull the material away from his back. Just a little. But enough to get a glimpse of the sexy curve of his rump.

“What are you doing?”

“Just trying to keep from falling off and landing on my head.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Hey, don’t forget I’m not the one who put me in this position.”

Conan came to an abrupt stop and tugged her over his shoulder, his hands slipping along her sides, then onto her arms. He let her ease down the hard length of him in a deliciously slow descent, then settled her gently on the ground. Her breasts pushed against his chest, her body close enough to feel the warmth radiating off him.

Chloe lifted her gaze to his. The heat she saw there rushed through her, scorching its way to her abdomen. She swallowed, her focus dropping to the lips she’d dreamed of, the lips she’d kissed time and again in her fantasies.

“Chloe?”

She ran a tongue over her upper lip, hoping to entice his mouth to hers. “Yes?”

“We’re here.”

The fact that she didn’t pull away from him pleased Conan more than he could have imagined. She stayed close to him, her arms linked behind his neck, her gaze fixed on his mouth. He’d had to struggle to speak. But if he hadn’t said something, he would’ve already had her on her knees while he plunged his shaft deep inside her.

Several moments passed before she blinked, then stepped away from him and turned to take in the beauty around her. He immediately regretted having said anything at all and missed having her body next to his. But the urgency to say more wouldn’t let him remain silent.

“Chloe.”

She stared at the wondrous scene in front of her, her lips parted in awe. “This place is amazing. The waterfall, the pond…” She shook her head. “How did you ever find it? It’s perfect. Absolutely perfect.”

Her smile set her face aglow as she turned to him, delight making her big brown eyes sparkle. Her hair shone under the bright light filtering through the trees. He let his gaze fall to take in her slim athletic body and the way her shirt curved in all the right places. When he’d had his fill, he lifted his gaze to study her face again. Her dimples drew him in, taking away every other idea as one thought struck him.

I’ll do anything to make her look at me like that
.

“Chloe?”

But she had already taken the backpack from him and started unpacking, laying out her paints and propping her canvas on a small tripod on a nearby rock.

“Chloe?”

“I can’t wait to paint this place. I only hope I can do justice—”

“Chloe.” The harshness of his tone finally caught her attention. She froze, a paintbrush clutched in her hand, a moment of alarm dulling her eyes. He ached to reach out and tuck her hair behind her ear.

“What?” She did a quick scan of the surrounding area before coming back to him. “What is it?”

“I need to tell you something.” Damn, finding the right words wasn’t easy. “Stop and listen to me.”

A flash of irritation flew across her features and was gone. She set the paintbrush down on the rock and fisted her hands on her hips. “Yeah?”

He almost smiled at the gesture. “I don’t want to argue.”

Suddenly aware of how she looked, she dropped her arms. “Neither do I.”

So far, so good.
“I’m sorry.”

A silence ensued, one where they studied each other as though trapped in time, until at last a bird’s song broke the spell. Conan shifted from one foot to the other and resisted the urge to ask her if she’d heard him. Why didn’t she say something? He’d never said those words to anyone, much less a human female, and they hadn’t come easily. Didn’t she realize how difficult it was for him to apologize? Especially when he wasn’t sure he was the one—or at least the only one—who should do the apologizing.

He’d expected some kind of a reaction. Instead, Chloe remained the same, unmoving, unreadable.

“What are you apologizing for?” Before he could answer, she continued. “I’m the one who should apologize. I mean, what did I expect? A marriage proposal?” Her hands came up as she realized what she’d said. “I’m not hinting at anything this time, either.”

“We both let things get out of hand.”

She released a huge breath of air as though she’d held it for a long time. “Exactly. I’m not even sure how the argument began.”

“Agreed. So let’s just put it behind us.”

“I’d like that. But I hope you don’t think I’m that kind of girl.”

“What kind of girl?” He’d never understand females, but he had a feeling that this one was even harder to fathom than the rest.

“You know. The kind that sleeps with a man she just met.”

He smiled, liking the obvious discomfort she was in. “But you did just sleep with a man you just met.”

Conan smiled when the flash of anger clouded her face. He shouldn’t have baited her again moments after burying the hatchet, so to speak, but an angry Chloe was as sexy as a happy Chloe. The way her eyes flashed and she stood taller, matching her smaller stature to his, was an out-and-out turn-on. She waved her hands about, her voice rising in pitch.

“That’s only because I was upset about my drawing. And I thought you were different. After I saw you by the stream—” She sucked in a breath as though trying to suck her words back in, then hurried on. “You’re special. That’s all.” Her eyes widened, then she tucked her chin, avoiding his stare.

“Chloe.”

“Uh-huh?”

“You’re special, too. And I don’t think any less of you. In fact—” he paused as her startled eyes met his, “—I think more of you after…you know.”

“You do?”

“I do.”

The way she looked at him, so vulnerable, so open, so desirable, left him unable to answer. He fisted his hands to keep from grabbing her and taking her. But now was not the time. When at last he’d found his voice, he asked, “Your painting?”

She glanced at her easel and canvas, and he could sense her hesitation. “Uh, yeah, my painting. I’d better get to it.”

“That is why we’re here.”

Chloe studied him a moment longer, and he was afraid she would mention what she’d seen at the stream again. Should he confess what he was to her? Could he stand to see the fear in her eyes? He waited, unsure what he would do.

At last, however, she turned and began setting up her palette and brushes. She was soon lost in her art, unaware when he moved to sit on another rock closer to the edge of the pond where he could watch her face.

Chloe peeked at Conan, the mountain of a man who sat on a nearby rock, content to let her paint. Almost as though by silent agreement, they remained quiet, lost in the world of the forest. She ached to include his image in the painting. But would he let her? Or would he react as he’d done at the camp? Unwilling to break their easy camaraderie, she discarded the idea and returned to painting the landscape.