IK1 (16 page)

“So you feel it too.” It wasn’t a question and she looked up at him. The

candlelight reflected in his golden eyes like tiny bits of flame and she was reminded suddenly of the wolf who had chased the other away. Its eyes had looked like tiny bits of flame lit them too. Suddenly she shivered.

“You’re cold,” Lucas said, “and with the sun down, it’ll be colder outside. If you want your walk, wait until morning.”

She didn’t argue as he took her arm and led her toward the stairs. They stopped SEARCH FOR THE SPEAR Cynthia Breeding 68

in front of her door and he took the key from her, unlocked it, and stepped inside. For a moment, the butterflies rallied for a flight from their perches in her stomach. Was he really thinking of staying with her? It was an odd way to go about it. And he hadn’t even asked her if she wanted him to stay. Really, a certain amount of etiquette did apply here. She wasn’t just going to jump into bed with him! Much as I’d like to …

He handed her the keys and stepped back into the hall. “Everything’s fine here.

I’ll be next door if you need anything. Just call. I’ll wait until you bolt the door.”

He closed it and she slid the lock into place. She should have known he was just making sure there weren’t any bogeymen sitting in the corners. She really had to get a grip on her fantasies.

* * * *

“Sir, I’m glad I found you. Your wife left her purse at the table.” He handed the leather bag to Lucas who dug into his pocket for a tip that the young man accepted.

For a moment, he thought about knocking on her door and returning the purse, but it had been difficult enough making himself leave the first time after seeing the king bed turned down for the night. If she answered the door in lingerie, he wasn’t sure that he’d be leaving again any time soon. Wife. He hadn’t even corrected the waiter. I don’t need to start thinking like that. Not with what I am. Decision made, he entered his own room and stashed the bag inside his suitcase and locked it. Then he scented the air.

Balor was close. He had felt the oppression all evening, just hovering on the edges of his senses. It was the reason he didn’t want Sara outside this night. But now he would find him.

He walked to the window and opened it. They were on the second floor of a

small, private inn and below him was a terraced garden with a small gazebo, its canopy not far from the window. An easy leap for a powerful wolf.

The wolf alerted in anticipation as he stripped his clothes. His sense of smell was much keener when he was in the lobo’s body, even though the shape-shifting was exhausting. He closed his eyes and concentrated on becoming one with the wolf. He felt his face elongating, the muscles in his jaw and throat strengthening as he dropped to all fours and crouched, waiting for the powerful haunch muscles to fully form. His amplified hearing picked up no movement from next door. Sara would be safe until he got back.

He leapt through the window, landed on the canopy, and sprang to the ground.

His enhanced night vision adjusted to the darkness immediately. His sensitive nose told him there were no humans in the garden, but he wasn’t seeking a human.

Staying in the shadows of buildings, he loped easily down the sidewalk, turning left into a side-street and then right and right again until he came to an expensive hotel with a liveried doorman. Trust Balor to spare no expense. He sniffed cautiously at the sidewalk, sending the mental message to the doorman that he was merely a scoundrel dog. Balor had been here, but his scent was old.

Turning, he followed the scent back to the water near his hotel. And then it was gone. The wolf nearly howled in frustration. Balor had gone into the sea to avoid detection. But where was he now?

Lucas made the leap back to the window, his paws sinking into the thick carpet on SEARCH FOR THE SPEAR Cynthia Breeding 69

the floor of his room. Before he made the transformation back, he scented once more.

Nothing. No one had been here.

He put on his shorts and pants and lay down on the bed. Sleep would come

swiftly as it always did after the change. The last thing he did was check to make sure his sgian dubh was under the pillow.

Near dawn, he was awakened by a shrill scream piercing the air. Sara! Grabbing the knife, he bolted out the door, nearly knocking down a guest from across the hall who was sleepily rubbing his eyes.

The door to Sara’s room stood open and as he entered, he saw her cowering in

bed, a silver fork from the restaurant clutched in one hand. There was blood on the prongs.

He closed the door to on-lookers, assuring them she had a nightmare. Then he

quickly crossed over to the bed and sat down, gathering her into his arms.

“What happened?”

She sank into his embrace, the hand with the fork in it encircling his neck.

Gingerly, he dislodged it and put it on the nightstand. Silver, even plate, was something he avoided. So did Balor.

“I woke to find someone in my room. He was searching for something, so I

pretended to be asleep. I heard him curse.” She took a deep breath and Lucas could feel her shudder and he drew her closer. “Then he came to the bed. “He said something like,

‘Bitch, you’ll pay for this’ and then he reached for me.” Sara paused and tightened her hold around Lucas’ neck. “I stabbed him with the fork and he cursed again. That’s when I started screaming and he turned and ran.”

Lucas gently pushed her head down onto his shoulder and stroked her hair. If he hadn’t been so drained, he would have sensed Balor the moment he’d entered the room.

Even now, the stench of evil clung to the door.

“You’re all right now. It’s over. He won’t be back.”

Her other arm had found its way around his waist and he tried to ignore the

warmth that was spreading through him. Her hair smelled of roses and he could see the pale swell of her breasts beneath the blue silk nightgown that she wore.

“How can you be so sure?”

“What?” Focus, Ramsey.

“That he won’t be back?”

“You’ve made too much noise. Half the hotel was in the hallway.” And Balor

knows that I’ll be on guard. He probably watched me leave—no doubt deliberately left the scent for me to pick up—and knew what the after effects of the change would be. He had the opportune moment, but it’s gone now. But I can’t tell Sara. “Besides, it’s almost light outside.”

“Was it him? The Baylor guy?”

“I’m sure it was,” Lucas replied. “Remember the uneasy feeling I had?”

She snuggled closer. “Me, too. He was looking for the manuscript, wasn’t he?”

“Yes.” Suddenly he remembered his door was still open. “I’d better go get it.”

Reluctantly he removed her arm from around his neck and slid her off his lap. “I’ll be right back.”

“No. I’m coming with you,” she said as she looked at him, her eyes still showing her fright and her lips trembling.

SEARCH FOR THE SPEAR Cynthia Breeding 70

Her lips … full and lush and parted slightly. He dipped his head to lightly brush a kiss across them and heard her sharp intake of air. Her satin arms encircled his neck again and he ran his fingers through her hair, holding her in place as his mouth covered hers, gently at first and then with increasing pressure, drawing the bottom lip in and sucking on it, then softly kissing the corner of her mouth, teasing her.

She moaned and leaned closer, her breasts grazing him. His hands slid down her shoulders and around her back, and he pressed her against his chest as his tongue sought entrance. Her lips parted in invitation and he slowly explored her mouth, his tongue alternating between slowly encircling hers and thrusting hard and deep, only to withdraw and bedevil her lips with airy kisses until her own mouth and tongue were demanding more, thrusting inside his with a passion he hadn’t tasted in centuries.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Cursing softly, he left a lingering kiss and got up to open the door.

“I wanted to make sure everything was all right,” the innkeeper said anxiously.

“Yes. It was just a nightmare,” Lucas replied. “Nothing to worry about.”

“Well, if you’re sure,” he replied. “But please, breakfast is on the house.”

“Thank you,” Lucas replied and closed the door. Sunlight was filtering through the window as the dawn awakened. And with it, the spell was broken. What had I been thinking? I know better than to give in to lust. The wolf …

He glanced at Sara, but she too seemed to sense the moment was over for she was tying a robe around her waist.

“We have a flight to catch,” she said. “Perhaps we should get dressed.”

He nodded. “I’ll grab a quick shower and be back to pick you up.”

It wasn’t until he was standing under the cold water, trying to ignore his still-hard erection that he realized the wolf hadn’t even growled.

SEARCH FOR THE SPEAR Cynthia Breeding 71

Sara was quiet on the short flight from Halifax to Boston the next morning. She could still taste Lucas’s kisses and feel his strong arms embracing her, keeping her pressed against him. The thought of his tongue teasing her with alternating slow, gentle and then deep, long thrusts made her start throbbing at her very core.

She had to stop thinking like this. After Loser Number Three, she realized that she was attracted to good-looking men with an air of mystery about them. A hint of danger even. LNT claimed to have worked for Homeland Security and wasn’t allowed to offer much information about his past. It had been a sheer fluke she found out he was married. The Loser before him raced sports cars on and off the track. And the first? An actor she’d supported because she was drawn to his Rebel without a Cause-brooding personality.

And all three of them had been subtle in their approaches to her. No blatant

flirting and smooth lines like Alan Caldwell used. Oh, no. That ruse would have been easy to see through. Her Losers had all talked to her, seemed to value her opinions, asked for advice. Made her feel like an intelligent woman. The passion they’d shared in bed left her no doubt they desired more than her mind. Then, frustratingly, they would disappear for days on end only to reappear dangling their charismatic selves as bait.

She had taken enough graduate hours in psychology to know it was the elusive

factor that kept her interest. The fear of male commitment in a seemingly fantastic relationship was the lure a lot of females succumbed to. That she would be the one to change the guy. By the Goddess, there must be a Bad Boys of America Club somewhere.

Her Losers would be card-carrying members.

She stole a sideways glance at Lucas, seated in the aisle seat beside her. He was working on his laptop again. Perfect example. He appeared to be all business and exuded enough pheromones to make a nun think about removing her habit.

This morning at breakfast in the dining room, he’d acted like nothing out of the ordinary had happened last night. Like he hadn’t claimed her mouth in hot, torrid kisses that left her breathless. Like his hands hadn’t glided along the rounded sides of her breasts as he caressed her back. Like there hadn’t been a promise of a lot more before they were interrupted. He had merely poured her coffee for her from the carafe left on the table and returned her purse to her.

‘What are you working on?” she asked finally.

He looked up just as the flight attendant was announcing preparation for landing and saved his file. “Just some notes on Balor that I need to send to Gavin later. I want him to dig through some layers of protection.”

“Do you think Baylor will try again?” she asked as they entered the terminal.

He glanced down at her. “With absolute certainty. He wants a copy of that

manuscript. He wouldn’t have broken his own MO and come himself if he didn’t.”

She could feel her eyes widen in surprise. “That was actually him, then? The one you say is so evil?”

SEARCH FOR THE SPEAR Cynthia Breeding 72

“Yes,” he answered grimly and looked around. “I want you to stay close to me.”

There it was again. Words of concern. A woman might think he cared.

“Do you think he’s following us?” Sara asked. “And, come to think of it, how did he
know
that we’d be here?”

“Precisely what I want Gavin to try and find out,” Lucas answered as they made their way to baggage claim. “There’s a snitch somewhere. Caldwell would be my first guess.”

“Mine, too,” Sara admitted, “but he was down the hall in the billiard hall when we were talking to Mr. Smith. I checked before I closed the door.”

“How about your friend, Michael, then? Did you tell him we were going?”

“Yes. Why?” When he didn’t answer, she arched an eyebrow. “You can’t

suspect Michael! He’s my friend. I thought someone should know where I was going

…” her voice trailed off as Lucas’ mouth set in a grim line.

“Just in case I threw you into frigid Canadian waters and your body was never

recovered?” He grabbed one of their suitcases with more force than necessary and nearly hit another passenger. “Sorry,” he said and grasped the next case more carefully and set it down. “Don’t you trust me, Sara?”

Ah, the sound of the hurt-little-boy. The Losers had used that, too. But she found it disconcerting to gaze into his intent amber eyes and looked down.

His hand caught and tilted her chin upward, forcing her to look at him although his touch was gentle. “Don’t you?”

“I … I want to,” she said.

“Then why don’t you?” When she was silent, he sighed. “If it’s about what

happened last night—between us—you needn’t worry. I won’t let it happen again.”