Up in Smoke (8 page)

“Yeah, about that mate marking thing…
Someone want to fill me in on exactly what that entails?”

Chapter Four

The remainder of the day at the office went by quickly. Susan wondered why she didn’t feel violated,
even though she knew the team was literally digging into her life and would be likely be dragging any old skeletons out of the closet. The answer came immediately. She didn’t feel violated, because she considered this rough group of Rangers her family. Therefore, she had no secrets to hide from them.

It was about an hour before quitting time when Ethan perched his ass on the side of Susan’s desk. “So, Susan, I’ve gone through all of your financial records and I can’t come up with anything.
There seems to be nothing new since the original investigation we did months ago on Joe.”

“What exactly did you think you would find going through my financial records?” she asked him as she stopped typing and sat back in her chair, her arms folding over her chest. “You guys know almost everything there is to know about me.”

“You’re correct, we do. It’s the
‘almost’ that I’d like to finally put to rest.” He stared at her for a moment before continuing, “So, tell me about your family. And while you’re at it, tell me about Joe’s.”

“My parents are divorced, but they both live in El Paso. I have two sisters; both are married and have families. One lives in Indiana and the other lives in Florida.”

Ethan jotted down notes as she talked. “Joe was never close to his family, except for his brother who never liked me at all. His name is Parker, but I can’t even tell you where to find him. I tried contacting him numerous times after Joe died.
I still haven’t been able to reach him. I know he travels a lot for work, but beyond that, Joe never told me much. He knew his brother and I never got along.
I was happy to let him go do whatever he wanted to with his brother as long as it meant that he would stay out of my house. Parker has an ugly disposition sometimes…”

“Uh-huh, and just how ugly are we talking here, darlin'? Are we talking ugly as in just rude comments?
Did he ever threaten you or hurt you in any way?”

Susan looked up and realized Nathaniel was standing directly behind her and had heard every word. She turned her head to face him. “He never hurt me physically, he just…” She stopped and took a deep breath. “I don’t know how to explain this, but there was always this cold look to him. He never liked me and he made it very clear the few times he actually was in my house. He was very…derogatory
toward me. The truth of the matter is that I have always thought he was responsible for coloring Joe’s opinion of me. After he visited or spent time with Parker, it seemed like Joe would always nitpick everything I did, trying to find something wrong with it.” She stopped and shrugged her shoulders. “I guess it’s a moot point now. Joe’s dead and Parker is nowhere to be found.”

Nathaniel stepped up until he was right behind her and reached over, lightly grasping her chin with his fingers. “You may not feel that it is important, but until he is cleared, he is very important.” He took a step back and released her chin. Looking over to Ethan, he stated, “I think I would very much like to meet this nice gentleman.”
All said while his
fangs were showing, his intentions clear.

As Susan looked at his fangs, she
felt a shiver roll down her spine. Not out of fear. She didn’t fear Nathaniel or any other Ranger in the unit, even though she knew they were all vampires, and as such, had five times the strength of her. No, that shiver had been over the possessive intentions in his voice. It clearly stated, ‘No one ridicules my woman and gets away with it.’

That fact alone made him the total opposite of her dead husband, Joe. For as long as they were married, she never once remembered him taking her side in any matter, nor did he ever stand up for her or for her honor. No, he just laughed when Parker would take his jabs at her.

She lifted her head to see that Nathaniel was staring at her intently. “I’m sorry, did I miss something?”

“No, baby.
We were just wondering what put the sadness on your face all of a sudden,” Nathaniel stated in a low, soothing voice, as if he were speaking to a wild stallion. It was then that she remembered Ethan was still perched on her desk, wanting answers.

“How about you give Ethan any information on this Parker fellow you might have, including an address. Ethan can check into things this evening.
Tomorrow morning, Lucas and I will ride out and have a look around. Maybe we can find a clue as to where he is at.” He bent down and dropped a kiss on the end of her cute, little button nose. “I need to talk with Walter for about five minutes, and then I’ll be ready to head home.
That sound okay?”

Susan nodded her head, not trusting her voice at that second, because
a realization swept over her. She had already done what she said she wouldn’t do. She had let her heart get involved.
Now, she had to acknowledge the fact she was indeed falling in love with this mountain of a Ranger.

God help her
, she thought as she watched her mate walk away. She had gone and done it now. She was falling hard for the big Ranger.
She knew without a shadow of a doubt that if Nathaniel broke her heart, it would kill her.

*****

Susan had been quiet ever since they left the office. Now at home, Nathaniel gave her the time she seemed to need in hopes that she would come to terms with whatever was going through her head. He decided to go into the library and start unpacking the boxes of books that were stacked neatly against one wall.

He was unpacking the fourth box when he felt her draw near. She stopped at the doorway as if she wasn’t sure if she should be in the room or not. “Darlin', whatever demons you are currently wrestling with, it would be an honor if you would share them with me and allow me to slay them for you.”

He looked up when he heard a strangled sob escape her. He was standing in front of her in a flash, wrapping his big arms around her shaking body a second later. “Shh, I’ve got you. Just talk to me, baby,” he crooned in her ear.

As she always did when she drew near him, she buried her face into his neck and breathed deeply. He leaned down and hooked his arm under her knees, bringing her securely up against his chest and carried her upstairs to his bedroom.

When he reached his bed, he gently laid her down. She was still clinging to his neck, so it was easier just to follow her down. They lay like that for a few minutes.
She was simply breathing in his scent as he gently stroked her hair. Finally, in infinite degrees, she loosened her stronghold from around his neck. He turned his head and kissed her forehead, her eyelids, and the tip of that cute, button nose.

“Babe, I can’t fix it if I don’t know what’s wrong,” he urged her gently.

She looked up at him with tears still in her eyes. “You.
Me.
Us.
Everything!” she blurted out.

Nathaniel hadn’t lived as long as he had by being stupid. “Okay, let’s start with me,” he suggested, keeping a tight lid on his emotions. “What do you see wrong with me?”

She was quick to shake her head as a frown appeared on her face. “Not you.
There is nothing wrong with you…it’s just,” she stopped and swallowed loudly, and then took a deep breath before plunging forward. “I find I have strong feelings developing for you and I know this is way too soon, but God, if you leave me, it’s going to break my heart.
I hate feeling like this. I swore when Joe died I wouldn’t become dependent on another living soul ever again.”

He grinned a wicked grin at her. “You have feelings for me?” He stopped and nibbled on her left earlobe before continuing, “Could it be that you are being affected by the mating call, too? Could it be,” he licked the shell of her ear and watched her shiver, “could it be that maybe you are starting to fall in love with me?”

He didn’t even give her a chance to answer before he swept down and claimed her mouth in the most sensual kiss Susan had ever experienced. When he finally let her come up for air, he continued talking.
By this time, her mind was in a complete fog and it took her a moment to catch up.

“Because I already know I love everything about you.
And as far as your promise to yourself? Easy answer. You didn’t break your promise. You promised not to depend on another living soul and everyone knows that vampires are soulless creatures from hell.” He dropped a feather light kiss to the end of her nose.

She swatted at his arm. “Stop putting yourself down like that! You are not soulless! Hell, you and the rest of the unit are the most honest, moral, upstanding people I know.
There is nothing you can say or do to convince me you don’t have a soul, because I know better!”

His hands were behind her, resting on her shoulders. It was easy for him to reach down until he felt her bra closure. He quickly flicked it open and gave her another wicked grin as he glanced down at her breasts.
“You’d be surprised at what people think of us, babe.”

As if something finally clicked in her brain or a light bulb suddenly got turned on, she sat up so fast she almost head butted Nathaniel straight in the nose.
“Wait a minute! Did you just say you loved me?”

He smiled as he kissed the tip of her nose. “I did, and I’ll say it again. I love you.
And now, I’m going to show you how much I love you. So you just lay back down, little darlin', because I want to learn every inch of your body. From your head all the way down to your cute, little toes. And I want to learn it with my lips and tongue.”

His dick had been throbbing, wanting release, wanting their mate, and there was only so much willpower a man/vampire had.
However, he had to show her just how much he loved her.

Susan fell back down onto the pillows behind her. “Oh God,” she moaned as his hands snaked up her shirt.

“No need in calling on him, babe. I’ve got everything you need.”

One good tug and all of the buttons going down the front of Susan’s shirt went flying, and even though he had just released her bra closure, those beautiful orbs were still covered. With the help of a fang, her bra was off a second later. As Nathaniel gazed down at the gift he’d been given, he made a silent vow his mate would know nothing but happiness from here on out. He had her in his life, in his home, and now, in his bed. And he was going to make damn sure
she’d stay there.

He started at her abdomen, running his tongue around in figure eights, enthralled with watching her stomach muscles jump as his tongue skated across them. Gradually, he moved his way upwards, loving the silky soft skin that was just under her breasts. He didn’t think he had ever felt anything as soft as the creamy smooth skin on her breasts. Her dead bastard of a husband be damned, the man was an idiot not to treasure a woman like Susan.

Nathaniel’s dick throbbed to the point of pain, but he ignored it. This was Susan’s and his first time at really making love, and he was determined to do it right. He remembered her conversation with the girls the other day at the restaurant. He remembered her saying she had never been able to climax. He wanted her popping so many orgasms tonight that she would never again worry that she couldn’t.

He reached with his fingers to gently stroke the silky soft skin on the underside of her breasts. “You have such pretty breasts, darlin'. A man could lose himself in the silky skin right here.”

He watched her eyelids fluttered shut as he wound his tongue around the areola and nipple. In his mouth, he felt her nipple tighten into a beaded little stone.
Oh yes, he was going to learn his woman tonight.
By the end of tonight, he would have a mental list in his head of just exactly what she liked and didn’t and any and all hot spots.

He switched and paid the same loving attention to her other breast, using a free hand to keep the other one plumped up. As he released the second nipple, he squeezed her generous breasts together, imagining his dick between those lovely beauties. And it would be, one day. But tonight, he had other plans.

Just the thought of his dick between her beautiful breasts had his dick threatening mutiny.
Easy, fellow. All in good time
.
He climbed up her body, kissing as he went. She had a tiny mole on the right side of her neck and a lone freckle just under her right earlobe. He sucked on the side of her neck until he finally came back to her luscious lips. They were still swollen from his earlier kiss.
Nothing was more beautiful than the sight that was laid out in front of him. He looked down into the face of an absolute angel.
Damn, he must have done something right in his long life.

He kissed those swollen lips and demanded entry. She held nothing back. As her arms wrapped around his neck, he also felt her legs wrap around his waist, pulling him down to her center. Cloth stood in the way on both of them, but he planned to change that in a hurry. Besides, as hard as his engorged dick was, he’d be lucky if the thing didn’t burst right through the zipper of his pants.

He broke the kiss and raised himself up, hovering over her. “Don’t go anywhere, babe. I’ll be right back.” Quickly jumping off the bed, he stripped in record time throwing his clothes anywhere and everywhere. He’d find them later. Right now, his shaft was screaming that it wanted the heaven it knew waited.