Taming the Moon (8 page)

“I admire a woman who doesn’t pick at her food. Besides, there’s always room for…chocolate.” Sully’s voice dipped at the end, running over her nerve endings like rough silk. “Or so I’ve heard said.”

Olivia let him feed her the bite. As her lips closed over the fork, his eyes glittered with heat. His face darkened with desire, and his other hand clenched on the table. He dropped his gaze long enough to scoop up another piece of cake.

She waited until he looked at her again to run her tongue over her lips. His nostrils flared, but he said nothing as he put the fork to her mouth. She clasped his hand, gently taking the fork from his fingers, and cut into the cake. She lifted the piece to his mouth, gaze focused on those kissable lips as they parted.

What was it about this man that made the simple act of eating cake such a turn-on? The muscles in his jaw bunched as he chewed. As he swallowed, the strong muscles of his throat making his Adam’s apple bob, she drew in a breath.

A murmur of conversation from a couple at the next table brought her back to the realization that they were in a public place. And she wasn’t
that
adventurous.

Olivia set the fork onto the plate and looked around the room, casting about for something to start up a conversation that didn’t include sexual innuendoes. She leaned back, picked up her cup, and took a sip of coffee. The slightly bitter flavor blended with the chocolate, and she took another sip before saying, “It’s really very pretty up here. So different from the valley.”

Giving a mental roll of her eyes, she fought back renewed embarrassment. How lame, but it was the best she
could do given the way he was looking at her and how her body was responding.

Holding her gaze, Sully speared another piece of cake and brought it to his lips. She watched, mesmerized, as his mouth closed around the tines of the fork. As he drew it away, his tongue swept out, licking away a smear of chocolate and leaving his bottom lip deliciously wet.

“So, Olivia,” he said, leaning back in his chair and apparently willing—for the moment at least—to cease and desist in the sensual teasing department, “tell me why you’re here.”

“You invited me,” she quipped. Even though she’d told herself to take an opening when it came up, she didn’t want the conversation to head that way. She wasn’t ready to end the day.

And end it most likely would, if she told him the truth.

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

She sighed. This
was
an opening, and she should take it. “It’s…complicated.” At his narrow-eyed look she faltered. This wasn’t going to be easy.

Not that she’d thought it would be.

With the ease and grace of an animal—a large, predatory animal that was looking at her as if she were good enough to eat—he leaned forward again and captured one of her hands where it rested on the table. Idly playing with her fingers, he murmured, “Uncomplicate it for me.” He looked up at her then, his steady gaze snagging hers.

She stared down at his big hand, the blunt-edged fingers gentle around hers.

The wrong thing done for the right reason is still the wrong thing.

Olivia couldn’t bargain for her daughter’s life by killing
Sully when there might be another way. She had to at least give it a try. She licked her lips. “I told you that I have a daughter. I…could use your help.”

He turned her hand over and began rubbing across the veins in her inner wrist.

Her pulse jumped, then pounded erratically. She hadn’t realized before how much of an erogenous zone that was for her.

“Help with what?”

Olivia was so focused on that damn thumb of his she almost didn’t hear the question. With a start, she looked into his eyes. There was no easy way to say it, so she didn’t bother trying to dress it up. She kept her voice low so she wouldn’t be overheard by the diners at nearby tables. “My alpha is holding my daughter hostage and will kill her if I don’t kill
you
.”

“I
beg your pardon?” Sully’s thumb stilled. He surely hadn’t just heard what he
thought
he heard.

He watched an inner struggle play across her face and, once again, felt a connection to this stranger. He hated to ask for help, too.

She glanced around the small restaurant. “Do you mind if we go outside? We can find a more…private spot to talk.”

Without a word he snagged the server’s attention and pointed to the patio. “Give them the bill,” he said with a little smirk. The server nodded and headed out toward the table where Declan and Pelicia sat.

Sully grinned at the scowl Declan shot him, then got up and helped Olivia out of her chair. They walked outside, and he pointed to the far side of the parking lot. “How about by the fence there? Over by the trees.”

Olivia gave a nod. They walked in silence to the spot he’d indicated. He rested his hands on top of the vertical log fence, then frowned and pulled his hands away.

“What?”

“It’s sticky.” Sully grimaced and pulled his handkerchief
out of his back pocket. He wiped his fingers off as best he could.

“I didn’t think men carried those any more.”

He glanced over at her.

She nodded toward the handkerchief.

“It’s the mark of a true gentleman,” he said, his lips quirking at the thought of his proper mother. “At least it is according to my mum.”

Her eyes crinkled with a smile. “She’s a slave to etiquette, I take it?”

“You could say that.” He shrugged. “She’s Lady Montescue-Sullivan. In her circles, etiquette rules.”

She turned to face him, eyes wide. “Lady?” Her dark eyebrows rose. “So that makes you…what? Lord Montescue-Sullivan?”

“That would be my brother Ben, since my father’s death ten years ago.”

Those eyebrows rose even higher.

“I’m the younger son. I don’t carry a title, so I’m not referred to as Lord anything.” And he was heartily glad of it.

“Well, no wonder you…” She bit her lip and looked away.

When she didn’t go on, he prompted, “No wonder I…”

She drew in a breath and let it out in a sharp huff. “No wonder you can afford that swanky town house in London.”

“How do you know about…” Sully stared at her, his gaze taking in her profile, her long dark hair. He drew in a breath and beneath the light scent of citrus and the smell of the wolf was something familiar. “That was you I saw, by my terrace house in Lyall Mews.”

Olivia nodded. “I followed you there from Scotland Yard. That’s how I knew you were coming to Tucson. I heard you on the phone.”

“I see.” Sully stared at her, saw the lines of defeat in the slope of her bent neck. But her back was ramrod straight, and he realized she was tougher than she looked…

And that she’d brought more trouble into his life. Only time would tell if she was worth it. He had a feeling he would have to deal with it, regardless of whether he had the inclination to or not.

Life used to be so simple—go to work, try to catch bad guys, go out for drinks or dinner, and go home. Repeat. His job gave him plenty of excitement. Or, rather, it used to. Now it seemed rather mundane.

However, it was time to get down to business and stop letting her distract him. She’d dropped a bombshell back in the restaurant, and she needed to explain herself. “You said you were sent to kill me. Why?”

She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she stared down over the slope of the mountain. Finally she sighed and said, “My alpha wants you dead.” Her slender shoulders lifted in a shrug. “All I know is that he wants to use your death to get to someone else—he didn’t say who,” she added before Sully could ask. Her troubled gaze met his. “He tried to have your friend O’Connell killed, too.”

Interesting.
“And you don’t know why?”

For a brief moment tears sparkled in her eyes. Then they disappeared, and he wondered—not for the first time—what kind of life she’d had to give her such strength and determination. “All I know is that Eddy Stone is holding my daughter hostage and will kill her if I don’t do as he says.” She shook her head and gazed out over the railing.

Sully doubted she even saw the beauty of the valley, with more mountains beyond, spread before her.

“I thought I could do it,” Olivia murmured. “I thought, for my daughter, I could do anything. But what kind of
message would I send her if I took an innocent person’s life in exchange for hers?” She bent her head and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Her chest lifted with her deep inhalation. She lifted her head and met his gaze again. “I thought I could handle this on my own.” Her eyes closed, and her shoulders slumped. Along with it went the image of strength. She looked tired.

Defeated.

It hurt him to see it.

“But I can’t do this alone.” She looked at him. “And I know you have no reason to trust me, or to help me. But I’m asking…begging you. Please.” Her throat moved with her swallow. “Please help me get my daughter back. He’ll kill her…” A shudder worked its way through her, stealing some of the color from her face. Her gaze searched his. “Please, Sully…”

His name on her lips sizzled like lightning through him. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and protect her from the big bad wolf she was so afraid of.

God, how had he gotten in so deep, so fast? This strong yet softly rounded woman with earnest eyes and troubled soul was so beautiful that Sully had trouble breathing. In spite of her fear and worry, his desire surged just below the surface, like a hungry wolf circling its prey.

Unable to keep from touching her, Sully moved closer and brought his hands to her shoulders, stroking back and forth with his thumbs. “Where is he, this Eddy of yours?”

She lifted her gaze to his. This close to her, he could see flecks of dark yellow in the blue of her gaze—amber from the wolf because of her heightened emotions. “New York.” She relaxed under his hands, as if by sharing this secret her burden had been lightened. “You’ll help us?”

Doubt and fear colored her tones.

He slid his hands down her arms until he grasped her hands. “Yes. I’ll help you.
We’ll
help you,” he added, committing Declan to her cause as well.

A six-year-old little girl was in danger, and he knew his friend wouldn’t hesitate to jump in and help.

She reached up and traced her fingers along his jaw, then touched his lips, his nose, and skimmed along his eyebrow. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Sully clasped her hand and placed a soft kiss in her palm, then drew Olivia’s hands behind his back, enclosing himself in her embrace. He wasn’t going to ignore his need any longer. He drew her closer, her softness affecting him in predictable ways. He had to get another taste of her. “Thank
you
for trusting me.”

He tilted his head and took her mouth, drinking down her sigh. She tasted of chocolate and coffee, and something else entirely unique—a dark, rich flavor that only made him want more. He closed his eyes to better focus his other senses. Lifting his mouth for a moment, he dragged in a ragged breath, allowing the scent of her growing arousal to permeate his lungs.

Olivia’s fingers twisted in the belt loops of his jeans, so he let go of her hands and brought his up to cup her face. Angling her head to the position he wanted, he brought his mouth back to hers and deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue between her lips in blatant possession.

He turned her and urged her back until she rested against the thick log railing. He sucked and nibbled and bit at her lips, her gasping moans acting like a wick to his already enflamed cock.

Her nipples pressed like diamonds against his chest,
branding him through their layers of clothing. His entire body was taut, something dark and primal inside him urging him to strip her naked and mount her then and there.

Make her his again.

Savage possession surged through his blood. His hands tightened, holding her head still, and he crushed his mouth to hers, needing—
demanding
—a response.

Her hands left his waist and slid up his back, her fingers curling, digging into muscles hard with tension. Sully groaned and canted his hips, deliberately letting her feel his arousal against her belly.

He kissed a path over the line of Olivia’s jaw and lingered beneath her ear. Then he mouthed his way down her throat. She sighed and tilted her head farther to the side. Bringing her hands up, she tangled her fingers in his hair. She shimmied her hips, rubbing against him.

Fire streaked through him. Sully groaned and moved his hands to her hips to hold her in place. God, she felt so good. So right.

Forcing himself to once again slow down, he moved his lips to her jaw, then down her neck to the curve where neck met shoulder. He rested his lips against the pulse pounding there.

Life thrummed beneath his tongue. Lust roared through him, drawing his wolf closer to the surface. With a low growl, he jerked, rocking his erection against her, and set his teeth into her flesh—not hard enough to break the skin, but enough to send the message.

She belonged to him.

“Sully…” Olivia’s voice rasped in his ear, her hands sliding down to his biceps in a fierce grip.

He went back to her mouth. He slid his tongue over her bottom lip, then bit down lightly, eliciting another moan
from her. He slanted his mouth over hers once more, nipping and licking and sucking until she cried out and clasped his head, holding his face to hers. Her tongue twisted around his, surging into his mouth when he retreated. He sucked on it, drawing her deeper, making them both groan.

“Jaysus.” Declan’s voice came from behind him. “Get a room.” He gave a low grunt. “Unless you plan to charge admission to this show you’re puttin’ on for everyone.” There was a slight pause, then he said in a musing tone, “Hmm. Might not be a bad idea, that. Could help pay for your board.”

Drawing slowly back, Sully ignored his friend and rested his forehead against hers. “Olivia, what you do to me…”

“Yeah. I know what you mean.” Olivia rolled her forehead back and forth on his, then put her hands on his chest and gave him a gentle push. “But Declan’s right, this isn’t the place.” Her eyes darkened, and her lips bowed into a sad frown. “Or the time.”

His erection, which had deflated at Declan’s ill-timed interruption, drooped even more at her change in attitude. “Hey, none of that now.” Sully curled his fingers around her nape and gave her a little shake. “You won’t help your daughter by trying to cut off your feelings.” He turned and looked at Declan. “We’ve work to do. Let’s go.”

The ride back down the mountain was accomplished amid explanations and apologies—the latter from Olivia. Once they’d reached Declan’s house, they gathered in the cozy living room, where Olivia told them more of her story.

“Eddy moved in next door to me just over three years ago, and ingratiated himself with Zoe right away. And
me,” she admitted, staring down at her fingers twisting in her lap. “I didn’t see the danger until it was too late.”

“But
why
did he bite you?” Pelicia sat beside her and held out a cup of coffee.

Olivia took it from her with a sigh. “Apparently he saw me in a kickboxing class I teach twice a week, in the evenings after work.” She glanced around the room, gaze skittering past the sympathy she saw in the others’ eyes. “He followed me, found out where I lived, and took an apartment next door. And once he found out what my last name was”—she shrugged and brought the coffee to her lips, taking a careful sip of the steaming brew—“he saw, he wanted, he took.”

“And that last name would be…” Sully’s voice ended on an up-note.

She fought back a blush. She’d had sex with him, had exchanged heated kisses with him up on Mount Lemmon, and he didn’t even know her full name. “Felan.”

She saw the way the others looked at each other, as if that name meant something to them.

Olivia looked back at Sully. “It means ‘little wolf’ in Gaelic.”

“Aye.” Declan sat forward in his chair, propping his elbows on his knees. “It’s an unusual name, too, I’m thinkin’. Interestin’ that you share the same name as an ancestor of our friend Ryder.”

Olivia looked at him with a frown. “Ryder?”

“He’s the reason I’m now a werewolf—well, in a roundabout way.” Declan stood and paced to the wide patio doors. With his back to the room he said, “A friend of mine, now his wife—Taite—was being stalked by a werewolf, but only because he’d been sent to kill me. Because
of my friendship with Ryder.” He turned back to face the room, his expression grim.

Pelicia stood and walked over to his side, sliding one arm around his waist. He looped an arm over her shoulders and gave her a hug. The affection between the two of them, while nice to see, reminded Olivia of what she no longer had.

She glanced away from them. “That must be who…” Olivia trailed off and thought back over the conversation she’d had with Eddy when she’d stopped off in New York.

“Just so you know, love, you didn’t finish that sentence out loud.” Sully stood and walked over to her. He sat on the edge of the coffee table in front of her, his legs bracketing hers, and rested his hands on her knees. “What’s going on?”

“I already told you. Edward Stone, the man who turned me, sent me to kill you because of your relationship to someone else. He didn’t say who,” she said before anyone could ask. “But it’s too much of a coincidence, don’t you think?”

“Well, did he say why?” Pelicia asked.

“Only that this other man had what Eddy deserved. I got the impression that he had—or has, rather—wealth, and that he’s a werewolf.” When Sully frowned, confusion evident in the downward turn of his mouth, she added, “He said this other guy didn’t like not being normal.” At his raised eyebrows, she shrugged and said in a dry tone, “You can’t get much more abnormal than being a werewolf.”

“Isn’t that the truth.” Sully cleared his throat and stood. Back rigid, he thrust his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.

Olivia saw Pelicia bite down on her bottom lip. Declan murmured, “It’s not your fault,” and shot a glare at Sully.

Sully scrubbed one hand across the back of his neck. A slight blush tinged his ears and skated along his cheekbones. “Sorry.”