Grayslake: More than Mated: Unbearable Love (Kindle Worlds Novella) (3 page)

His growl reverberated through her body. Every cell recognized his sound. Too much of that and he would be permanently tattooed into her senses.

“I don’t believe in the fated and mated sh…stuff.”

“Really, that’s too bad. I’m a total believer.”

“You’re a woman, you’re supposed to believe in that shi…stuff.”

“That’s bullsh…stuff and you know it. Even your Itan pledged his undying love for his Itana. There’s a woman out there for you, Eli. You just haven’t found her…yet.”

“Not looking.” He buried her form on the bottom of the pile. “What about you?”

“A girl can dream. Then, she has to wake up.” Lily stood and stretched the nervous kinks that had lodged in her body. She eyed the pile of forms and hoped they’d stay right where they were, hidden in plain sight. That’s how she hoped she could stay—hiding in Grayslake—out in the open—lost in a crowd of desperate women.

“I’ll be expecting to see you at the bar by seven. Don’t make me come get you.”

She felt giddy at the thought Eli would caveman into the B&B and drag her away, but she knew he was just being nice, in a kind of not-nice way.

“I’ll be there, but only because I owe you a drink. I don’t want to have to be charged with some penal code.”

“Darlin’, when it comes to a code sixty-nine, you are definitely going to want to be guilty. I’m not bragging, but it’s my specialty.”

H
er expression was priceless
. If she weren’t looking for her happily-ever-after, he would have covered her open mouth with his and shown her how skilled his tongue could be.

“Close your mouth, Lily, you’re giving me thoughts.” Eli placed the flat of his palm on her back and walked her outside.

With a name like Lily Love, she had to be hunting for a mate, and that was a deal-breaker. There was no other reason to show up in Grayslake at this moment in time if she weren’t on a quest like every other female in town.

They separated at the curb. She walked toward some kind of small, girly car while he watched the sway of her hips.
Damn.
If he had a type, she’d definitely be it. She was made for lovin’ with her full breasts, narrow waist, and wide hips. And those lips, he was sure they were as sweet as honey, and that tongue had a mind of its own. He could hardly believe the woman tasted him right in the middle of the sheriff’s office.

* * *

E
li wasn’t
happy to be put on bar duty. His head still ached from the poor choices he made the night before. Van and Keen weren’t being assigned locations. They were in committed relationships, and Eli imagined angry wives were more dangerous than the saucy singles filling up the bar. Yep, Lauren and Tris would flat-out take down any woman who looked their men’s way.

All afternoon, he’d waffled between dread and excitement. Having to supervise a bunch of people in heat didn’t appeal to him, but the chance to see Lily made it all seem worthwhile. Maybe he could persuade her to lick a different part of his body. The little flicker of her tongue was nice, but it wasn’t enough. Just the thought of her running it up his shaft caused his inner bear to roar with desire. Nope, he needed to stick with his two-step plan.

“Hey, lover.” Her voice was like a worn-out brake pad. “I’m glad you came.” She pressed her bony hip into his side.

Fucking her would have been like fucking a two-by-four—with knots, and splinters, and nails. Eli wasn’t interested in sleeping with her. He wanted to feed her—full meals, and lots of snacks. But even a plump Julia couldn’t take away from her internal ugliness. Julia was plain unattractive.

“Julia.” He nodded and slipped from her grip. “I can’t chat.”

“Oh, that’s right, you’re the sheriff’s strong arm.” She ran her hand over his bicep and squeezed. “I’d say you’re qualified.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Eli caught the sight of Lily as she snuck into the back of the bar. For a woman on a mate-finding mission, she wasn’t going to get much attention in the secluded, dark corner, but it pleased him to find out she wasn’t like the other women. Lily, like her name, was a bloom men would naturally seek out. Julia, on the other hand, was like a Venus flytrap. The minute a man came close, she opened her mouth, and body, and devoured him whole. He’d made it out alive, and for that, he was grateful.

Julia kept talking but Eli didn’t hear a word. His attention was fixed on the men surrounding Lily’s table. Julia dug her nails into his arm to get his attention. He could feel the sharp, hot daggers of her anger. She wasn’t the kind of girl men ignored, but Eli wasn’t her kind of man. She needed a biddable kind of guy—one who would worship her for what she was because being an Itan’s daughter was all she had going for her.

It took several moments to peel Julia’s fingers from his arm. When free, Eli turned without a word and headed straight for Lily. He was ready to tear the heads off each one of her admirers.

One look at Eli and the would-be suitors parted and disappeared. “You showed up.” Eli was surprised at the joy in his voice.

She rolled her eyes. “Like I had a choice.” She pulled the menu from the holder and looked over it like she was preparing for a test. “You said if I didn’t show, you would come and get me. Was that true?”

“Do you doubt me?” She was an odd one, like one of those flowers that only bloomed on occasion. They sat in the garden as the days passed, barely noticed, and then, without warning, they blossomed into a magnificent show of color. That was Lily. She hid in the corner and waited for her chance to bloom, and Eli was itching to help her show her petals.

“No, I believed you, which is why I’m here.” She gave the room a passing glance, then lifted her gemlike eyes to Eli. “Besides, I owe you a drink, despite your bogus, trumped-up charge.”

There was something mischievous in her statement. Every word she spoke stroked his body. His damn dick began to twitch, and his bear threatened to take her right there on that corner stool.

“How about I get a
you
a drink. Stay put.” Eli all but ran to the bar. The damn woman was throwing him off his game. He ordered two BE’s Brews. It didn’t take long for him to abandon step one. But, he’d stay true to step two. All the way back to her, he told himself she wasn’t the girl for him. His inner bear lashed back with the word
liar
over and over again. Step two was already in jeopardy.

She eyed the mead. “Aren’t you on duty?”

“No, I’m not in law enforcement. I was helping out.” Her mouth fell open again, waiting for him to fill it with something. “I warned you about that mouth. You think I’m joking?”

Like a snapping turtle, she closed it tightly until her lips curled inside.

“What is it you do then, Eli, whatever your last name is?” She pulled the bottle to her lips and sipped the brew.

It was obvious she liked it. Her eyes got all soft—the same look a girl gets when she sees a puppy or has a cookie after dieting for a month. It’s the look a woman has just before she orgasms, and it was a perfect look on Lily’s face. Happy. Satisfied.

“Last name is Silver, like my truck. You like it?”

She ran her tongue over her lips. “Your truck, your name, or the brew?”

“All of the above.”

“Amazing, especially the brew.” She took another drink and moaned. That sound was sure to be his undoing. “Who makes this?” She pulled the bottle to eye level and traced around the label.

Eli knew it well. He’d designed it. B for Brody. E for Eli, and then “brews.” The background was a beehive and a bear—seemed fitting.

“Two local guys. It’s good, right?” He took a long pull from his bottle, and watched her. Her green eyes went from the door, to him, and back to the door. She reminded him of a rabbit hiding from a fox. Every so often, she would look toward the bar and flinch.

He zeroed in on Julia, who was standing at the bar gifting Lily with a serial killer smile.

“Ignore her. That’s what I’m doing.” Eli changed chairs so he blocked her view.

“You didn’t ignore her last night. That’s why she’s so possessive.” Lily gulped down half her drink in seconds.

“Careful there, darlin’, mead is 12.5% alcohol by volume. I know how hard they can hit. It’s why I ended up with her last night.”

“You’re going to blame the alcohol?” Outrage looked good on her. Her green eyes gained depth and her pale skin pinked when she was riled. Eli appreciated the passion he saw in this girl.

“I’ve got to. I rarely drink, but yesterday…anyway, I drank too much.”

The look she gave him was exactly the one his mom delivered when he was a kid. It was pure disbelief, and Lily had replicated it perfectly.

“And you slept with her.” Accusation dripped from her voice.

“No…yes…I slept with her, but that was it. We slept, and she’s not happy about it.” Ely might as well have torn his man-card in half confessing to Lily that he couldn’t handle his alcohol.

“And you said you were skilled.” She mocked him and it felt good. It was rare a woman could interest him, much less, entertain him. Lily wasn’t like anyone he’d met before. She had something special. That was a fact he felt in his gut.

“Damn it, woman, I excel in everything bedroom-related. Do you want a sample?”

“Apparently, you’re a legend—in your own mind.” Her laugh danced through the air.

“I’m not attracted to her. She’s too pushy, too skinny, and too much trouble.”

“Trouble is right.” Lily lifted her shoulders in a carefree manner. “She threatened me today.”

Hearing the word
threaten
made Eli’s hair prickle and his gums itch. “What the hell did she say to you?” His hackles rose.

“She said to stay out of her way, but at that time, I had no idea that you were hers.”

Eli about fell off his seat. “I’m telling you, I’m not hers. I’m no ones.”

Lily leaned to the side to look beyond him. “So you say, but she’s not speaking your language.”

He turned to see Julia staring their way with a murderous look painted on her face. This shit had to end. There was one way to stop this and that was the right away. He waved Julia over.

“What the hell are you doing?” Lily picked up her drink and pressed herself deeper into the corner. Any deeper and she’d become a pattern on the wall. “You’re going to get me killed.”

“Her type is more growl than grip. She’s an Itan’s daughter. She’s lived a life of privilege she didn’t have to earn. She got it because she exists. She’s spoiled, and she’s used to getting what she wants. She’ll have to learn to live with disappointment.” He must have hit a raw nerve. Lily was angry, and it had something to do with calling Julia spoiled.

She leaned forward. “You don’t know what her life is like. Maybe it’s been endless days of disappointment. Maybe she’s not overindulged, but overlooked, and overworked. Maybe she’s not the apple of her dad’s eye, but the bane of his existence because she’s a girl.”

“Whoa. I had no idea you two were close.”

“I’m sorry, it’s just—” She heaved out a sigh and fell back against the wall.

“Hey, lover.” Julia leaned over the table, blocking Lily from his view. “You change your mind?” She glanced over her shoulder at Lily. “I get it. Why would you ride a mouse when you can mount a lion?” Her words were slurred already, and it was barely dark outside. Brent’s taxi was going to make a fortune at closing time.

“I invited you over to make sure you knew how important Lily is to me. She’s an old friend, and I wanted to ask you to keep an eye out for her.”

Julia laughed so hard, she drew that attention of half the bar. “She’s your friend? This big ass, sallow-skinned, seaweed-color-eyed girl?”

Eli gripped Julia’s wrists tightly. “She’s important to me. Take care of her.”

Lily reached around Julia, set her empty bottle on the table, and took Eli’s in exchange. With the bottle tipped back, she finished it in several gulps.

“Sure thing, lover, I’ll take care of her all right.” There was nothing like asking the cat to watch a bird, and Eli wondered if Lily were right. Had he made things worse by trying to make things better? He assumed Julia would heed his veiled warning but instead, she smiled at him like he’d thrown down a challenge.

Among men, all he had to do was give someone a look, and they stayed clear of him. Maybe with men, his reputation preceded him. Men feared him, and women just wanted a taste of him. He was a beekeeper, not a damn enforcer, and he hated that Ty wanted him to play that roll.

“I gotta go.” Lily slid from the stool to the floor.

“Oh, no, you don’t.” Eli lifted her from the ground and propped her back on the stool. “I promised Ty and Van that I’d keep an eye on things. I’ve got my eye on you, and you’re not driving in this condition.”

“Let her go. Maybe she’ll get lost.” Julia slid behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

“Stop it.” He pushed her away. “This isn’t happening with us. I told you, I’m not interested.” Eli turned her around and pointed to a big, lumberjack-looking guy standing at the bar. “Go climb Deacon, I hear he’s built like a tree.” He didn’t tell her it was a pine tree and rumor had it he had a needle dick, but Eli needed her to go away. “He’s got the wood you want.”

“You’re an ass, Eli.”

“Yes, I am. And you’re smart to realize it.”
Just get the hell away
. Eli didn’t fight women unless he had to, but Julia was going to see a piece of his bear that she wouldn’t like if she didn’t leave. He was ready to burst out of his skin with his need to care for Lily, and Julia was in the way.

“Whatever.” Julia gave a disgusted glance at Lily who was leaning against the wall with her eyes closed. “I’ll see you around.” She leaned in to kiss Eli, but he ducked and left her kissing air. She huffed and marched her skinny ass straight to Deacon.
I’ll owe that man a case if he can get her out of my fur.

“Lily, sweetheart?” Eli pulled her from the wall and cradled her in his arms. “Lily, baby. Are you okay?” He palmed her head to his chest and inhaled her scent. She was cinnamon and cloves—it tickled his nose and warmed his heart.

“Am I still alive?” She gripped his T-shirt and buried her nose in his chest. “You’re like freshly cut wood, and sap, and wind.”

He laughed. “You’re funny, and you drank too much brew. I warned you.” He ran his lips over the top of her hair and pulled the band from her ponytail. When her hair fell over her shoulders, he leaned down and buried his nose in her soft locks. It had been so long since he’d been lost in a woman’s touch and smell.

“She’s going to hurt me because you’re too damn sexy and she wants you.” She slurred the word
sexy
into
shexy
, and he’d be damned if it weren’t the hottest thing he’d heard in a while.