Stranded with a Cajun Werewolf (12 page)

Kendall had never met anyone like him. And as she glanced over at his profile, she doubted she’d ever meet anyone else who could hold a candle to him. How was it in the course of a few short days he’d boosted her self esteem, made her feel beautiful and worthy and made her feel safe?

She hadn’t gotten more than a cursory glance at the town when she’d first blown through. He drove slowly, letting her note the quaint buildings, old signage, and colorful window displays.

At the end of the main street he pulled into a parking space.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Yep.”

Wordlessly, he wrapped a strong arm around her waist and ushered her into the small grey building. She noticed how he was in full protection mode, constantly looking around for any threat. Knowing the full story, she felt like she should be protecting him, not the other way around. But he’d never seemed the slightest bit defenseless and now knowing more about his background, it didn’t surprise her that the man was special forces, his confidence made sense.

A short, partially bald man greeted Burke by name and slid some papers across the counter between them. Kendall hated paperwork, but she dutifully showed her ID and signed where they said to sign.

“And that last item you requested,” the man said, handing Burke a manila folder before he disappeared into the back room. Burke nodded, took out a stack of papers and flipped to the various tabs, initialing and signing where indicated.

“What’s this?” she asked, as he slid the stack to her. Her gaze landed on the big, bold words Prenuptial Agreement.

She picked up the pen, not wanting him to see how those two words affected her. This was a marriage of convenience. Nothing more.

The diamonds in her ring caught the light and sparkled up at her like a mini disco ball.

He was wealthy. Of course he wanted to protect his assets. She initialed several pages, fingers shaking.

“Don’t you want to read it over?” he asked.

He’d obviously had the document drafted while he’d been in town yesterday. Or perhaps he just kept a copy laying around in case he decided to get married one weekend.

That thought made her smile, though she wanted to frown. Burke wasn’t the type to up and marry on a whim. But as her gaze met his, she realized that’s exactly what he was doing.

Did he really want to appease his family that badly? Or was he marrying her because he pitied her? Nibbling her lower lip, she kept her gaze on the signature lines and kept signing.

She wasn’t sure she wanted to know his reasons. If they were anything less than what she felt for him…no, she didn’t want to know.

“I trust you.” She signed her name with a flourish. “And besides. There’s nothing I have that you could possibly want.”

He stared at her signature for a moment before he nodded. Picking up a pen, he also signed and initialed. Then he tucked two copies back into the folder and left the third.

Ducking quickly, he kissed her cheek. “You look like you’re going to a funeral.”

“Sorry,” she whispered back and pasted a smile on her face.

“Mr. Deveraux, so good to see you again.” Kendall glanced past Burke to see a different man, taller with wire-rimmed glasses.

“You work fast,” she whispered.

Burke grinned down at her, looking very much like a groom in love. Though she knew he was playing a part, that seemed a little extreme. What would her father care if her husband loved her or not. The only thing he’d care about was not having to feed her.

“I’m a man of action,” he murmured back and quickly made introductions.

“I thought you might like a view of the mountains for your nuptials,” the Justice of the Peace said, indicating the large picture window on the other side of the office.

Kendall nodded, her smile growing.

“Seems my bride likes the idea,” Burke said and ushered her around the counter.

Butterflies took flight in her stomach and continued their frenzy for the next five minutes as they said their vows and then their “I dos.” It didn’t matter that Burke’s warm hands held hers, anchoring her, she felt guilty for lying to a Justice of the Peace and two witnesses. But when it was all said and done and Burke leaned in for a kiss, she met him half way. The witnesses clapped. And when Burke pulled back, smiling down at her, they offered their congratulations. A flash blinded her momentarily and she realized Burke had snuck in a small camera.

“If ya’ll will excuse us…” Burke murmured a second before he swept her up into his arms.

“Burke!” The others laughed at her exclamation at her new husband. On the way out the door, someone handed her the folder of prenups. Someone else handed her their wedding certificate. And then the blistering cold enveloped them.

Burke’s long legs ate up the distance to his truck and she wished that they were going back to his cabin for a real wedding night. Not just a sham. “We’ll try to get a picture sent back to dear old dad.”

The reminder that their marriage wasn’t real hit her one more time and she bit the inside of her cheek.

You knew what you were signing up for, Kendall. Not love. Not sex. Not happily ever
after. A chance for you to get away from your past and for him to find the right person to
spend his life with.

Yes, she’d known all that and her heart still didn’t want to believe any of it.

“Sounds good,” she said, trying to smile. But it didn’t sound as good as curling up in his arms.

Not going to happen Kendall, so get over it.

But then she lifted her gaze. There was something in Burke’s eyes that stole her breath.

Alarm bells went off in her head as a ping of lust coursed through her veins, urging her to close the distance between them.

Oh hell, this was a losing battle, especially when Burke tightened his grip around her waist.

She used the last card guaranteed to put distance between them. She could be a convenient wife. A placeholder in his life. But she didn’t want to make love to him and leave him in a few months time. Her heart wouldn’t be able to take it.

“I thought you said I wasn’t your type,” she murmured and waited for him to set her down. But he didn’t. He closed his eyes for a heartbeat. Two. Then he stared down at her again, so much lust and — dare she hope — love, in his eyes.

“I lied.”

Two of the most beautiful words she’d ever heard.

His head descended and his lips slanted across hers in an honest-to-God kiss that curled her toes inside her boots and set fire to her skin. She tightened her grip on his shoulders, moving her lips against his. Giving. Taking. Utter bliss.

The next thing she knew he’d let her down and pressed her against the side of his truck.

Cold went through her and she shivered.

“I tried to tell myself…we could have a…platonic relationship,” he murmured against her lips. Then he trailed his lips down her jaw.

“Platonic?” she chirped. The word wouldn’t register in her cold, lust filled brain.

“Just friends. I don’t want you like a friend, Kendall.” The protrusion between them gave her no doubt he was telling the absolute truth. And after several days of hot and cold, up and down, her emotions came to a head.

“Take me home Burke.”

He jerked back and for a moment, he looked vulnerable. To sooth him, she raised up on her tip toes and kissed him firmly on the mouth, letting her tongue sweep inside for a tantalizing tease.

“I don’t want you like a friend either,” she whispered against his lips.

Confident that the warrior inside him was quieted for the moment, she reached for the door handle.

He trapped her between his body and the truck’s interior. She smiled just before his lips met hers. With her powers bound, she could just be human, just like him. She’d never fit in with the coyotes anyway. With Burke…she felt like she belonged.

“Get in the truck,” he said, his voice rough and desperate.

Grinning, she scrambled up into the seat. He gave her one last hard kiss before shutting the door and circling the front. Somehow, despite her trembling fingers, she managed to snap her seatbelt and stay rooted to her side of the bench. While she yearned to slide close to him, she knew he’d need to concentrate on the roads.

He didn’t waste a second throwing the truck in reverse and backing out of the parking space. Just as quickly, they were tearing along the main drag. She noticed that he didn’t slow down as they passed the remains of the tree that had pulverized her car.

He drove past the garage and stopped in front of the cabin. She would have never known there was a driveway underneath all that snow.

“Come here,” he said, his voice quiet. They both reached for the seatbelt. She heard the click and then she was in his arms again. Heaven. Pure bliss. He rained kisses across her face and she clung to him, the way she’d been wanting to since the very first…

His hands slid beneath her thick sweater and she shivered against his cool fingertips. “I should get you inside…”

“No complaints here,” she whispered, and then nipped his chin.

With a groan, he extracted himself from her arms and opened the door. She was an absolute temptress. He couldn’t wait to get her naked.

He wrapped his hands around her hips and helped her out of the truck. For a moment he could do nothing more than stare down into her upturned face. How was it possible to fall so hard, so fast, and say to hell with the consequences?

He’d hide her away forever if he had to. Because one thing he was sure of, he couldn’t let anything happen to the woman in his arms. This time, it really would destroy him.

"Well, well, well."

At the foreign voice, Burke turned, shielding Kendall. Muscles tensed, he glared at two short stocky coming men up the drive. Movement to his right drew his attention to another man. “Oh God.” The breathless anxiety in Kendall’s voice told him all he needed to know. His gaze flicked to their hands for weapons. It was pointless to look for lumps in their clothing since they each wore heavy coats.

Nose in the air, he inhaled.
Werecoyotes.

“There were four of them,” she whispered against his back.

An ambush. The beast inside rushed forth. He barely managed to keep his claws from extending, but he felt the surge of power. Saw it in their eyes the instant they realized what he was. But they didn’t back down.

The missing
coyot
hopped into the bed of Burke’s truck. “Stop whoring yourself and let’s go.”

“Not a chance, Dirk,” Kendall said, her voice hard and unwavering. Burke had never seen this side of her. So strong and capable. He liked it.

The tallest of the four took a menacing step forward, his boots crunching the snow. A sneer curled his lips.

Hands clenching and releasing, he felt the slow sizzle in his blood. The steady thump of his heart delivered adrenaline throughout his body, warming him against the dropping temperature.

The ring leader hopped down from the truck, too close for his comfort level. Burke stared him down as they started to spread out. How dare the bastards terrorize an innocent.

The word rang through his mind like a never ending echo. She stayed huddled close to his side, her hands circling his arm. Human.

He couldn’t show his true self.

“You’re on private property,” Burke said, doubting the coyotes would care.

“And that’s my property behind you, wolf.” Burke spun around.

A tall thin man with sharp features and eerie eyes stalked up the mountain, the snow seeming to provide no resistance. His long black coat stood out against the brilliant white surroundings.

“Wrong, asshole. She’s my wife.”

That rocked the bastard back on his heels. But then he dropped his head like a charging bull.

“Wolf?” Kendall whispered.

Burke closed his eyes at the shock in her voice. That split second was just the advantage his enemy needed.

“You mean you didn’t know?” the vampire asked as the air around them shifted. Burke opened his eyes as one of the coyotes lunged for Kendall.

Without hesitation, Burke met his opponent, grabbing the asshole by his lapels. He let the momentum continue, turning away from Kendall and tossed the
coyot
down the mountain. A terrified scream/snarl echoed around them.

The sound was cut short as the little man landed with a thump in a snow dune.

Burke turned back to the others. They looked at their fallen comrade, anger screwing up their faces. Then they glared at Burke, their eyes turning black as they shifted, each growing taller by about a foot. Snarling and snapping, their snouts grew. Sandy blond hair sprouted over their bodies, rippling and replacing their clothes.

“Hide,” he told Kendall, his voice low.

“No,” she cried and as he turned his head toward her, he saw twin tears slide down her cheeks.

“I’ll be fine,” he promised, stepping away from her, drawing their attention. Then they attacked.

Chapter Ten

Kendall froze in terror. They would kill him. In their
were
form they would be stronger, more agile. While Burke still had at least a foot and fifty pounds on them, fighting in this snow would be like dancing in wet concrete.

Bemis ran at Burke, his paws prancing through the snow. Why did Burke look so composed? Her knees were shaking. Tears froze on her skin.

In the fighting style typical to the coyotes she knew, he leapt into the air, his back paws poised for a powerful kick. But Burke threw a punch, fist crunching against face, sending Bemis backward, ass over tea kettle.

Kendall let out a happy cry. But her joy was short lived. The other two attacked together. Kicking, punching, swirling, snarling. A tornado of arms and legs, fists and paws swirled before her.

She glared at Carl who stood by, nose in the air as if he were watching a bull fight in Spain. “You can stop this,” she yelled at him.

He flicked her a glance. Disinterested and colder than the weather. He had to end this, before Burke was hurt. She couldn’t live with that.

Carl must have read her mind, the bastard. His thin lips curled upward ever-so-slightly.

She swallowed back bile.