Wolf's Desire (10 page)

He’d driven for over an hour before he realized how late it was. Keira had fallen asleep in the passenger seat, and his mind had been racing one hundred miles an hour recapping everything. The hard evidence of what they’d endured on her front lawn had been all over her skin and clothes, so he’d woken her up, they’d checked in at a bed and breakfast, and
taken turns in the shower. Now they were in the little diner across the street having a meal, and devouring it in silence.

Aiden gobbled down the last of his lamb chop and then gulped the rest of his water. Before the glass could even hit the table, the waitress was at his side filling it again.

“Can I get you anything else?” the waitress asked, batting her eyelashes.

Aiden turned to Keira who’d just finished a sandwich. “What else would you like?”

She shook her head. “I’m fine, thank you. I have a bowl of soup to finish.”

“That will be all,” Aiden replied to the waitress.

“If there is anything else…” she touched his forearm lightly. “…I’ll be right around the corner.”

Right around the corner…

His mate had been living less than three hours away from him, literally right around the corner, and he hadn’t known it. And she was a human at that. She may have been an outsider, but she certainly had ties to his pack by way of her late ex-husband, and coward, Jonathan.

“She likes you,” Keira said, twirling her spoon around in the soup.

“Who?”

“The waitress. Ever since we sat down she’s been staring at you.”

“That doesn’t mean she likes me.”

Keira looked at him disbelievingly. “Are you kidding me? She literally had her breasts in your face.”

He grinned. If he wasn’t mistaken, there was a hint of jealousy, and he thought it was cute. “I didn’t notice.”

“Well, don’t let me be a nuisance.”

“Why have you come to that conclusion?”

She avoided looking him in the face. “You’re a man. I hired you to prote
ct me, but at the same time you have needs as well.”

“Does this mean that you’ve rehired me?”

Her nose wrinkled. “Rehired?”

“Yeah. Earlier in the van you said you wanted to end the contract.”

“I’ve been thinking that I still need your help,” she said, shyly.

“Oh?”

“You have information about what those items really are, but you haven’t said word about it.”

“And what do you propose?”

“I want to know what you know. I need as much information as possible to get Jamison’s case opened up again.”

If Keira hadn’t been his mate, it would have been easier to collect the relics, assign her another bodyguard, and haul ass. Of course, life was never easy.

Aiden followed Keira’s line of sight to the waitress who’d come on to him. “She doesn’t have what I want or need,” he said.

Keira whipped her gaze away, and finally focused on him.
“Excuse me?”

“Each day you press forward for more answers, you put yourself in even more danger.”

“I’m not afraid of the answers. What frightens me is not knowing.”

“I’m afraid your husband’s murder is far more complicated than you want to delve.” Aiden leaned forward in his chair.
“You have one more chance. I can make one call that will generate you a new identity. You can walk away from it all.”

“If I wanted to walk away, I would have done so a year ago.”

“Keep seeking answers, Keira, and you might not like what you find out.”

She met his stare.
“What’s a mate?”

Her sudden change in topic caught him off guard, and also stood as confirmation that
she wasn’t going to simply get up and walk away.

“I’ve only just met her.”

“What are you?”

“I’m not like others.”

She tilted her head slightly. “I know that much, but there has to be a name for what you are. Isn’t there a reason why you healed so quickly?”

Damn if those lips of hers weren’t tempting. He wanted to kiss her again. He wanted to do more than kiss. His ey
es trailed down to her neck to the high definition of her collar bones and the ripe curves of her generous breasts. She wore a bulky shirt that nearly hid all of her beautiful skin.

“I have special powers.” He touched her soft face, lingering along her chin and jawline. She was so young and delicate. How could she be his? Did he deserve her?

“Explain.”

He didn’t even know where to begin. Sooner or later, he’d have to tell her what he was. He’d have to reveal to her who her husband really was. Why the relics might have been in his possession. How Jonathan came to know him. His head wa
s ready to explode just anticipating what her reaction might be. Maybe she’d change her mind then and walk away.

“Not here
, Keira. The explanation you demand will take more than a couple hours.” Aiden parted from her, took out his wallet, and put money and a tip on the table. “Let’s rest. Tomorrow, I will take you somewhere safer.”

***

There were warm breakfast biscuits piled in a basket and an assortment of juices on the nightstand when Keira woke up, but the second double bed beside her where Aiden had slept was empty. She’d thought certain he’d left her until she got up and peeked outside to spot him moving boxes from the van into a jeep.

Her gaze was now locked on the headlines of the newspaper as she ate.

ANOTHER MASSACRE AT THE ELLIS ESTATE: the caption read.

Keira’s hands shook as she read the article over and over again.

…a little over one year following the brutal murder of wealthy elitist, Jamison Ellis, five people are found shot up and dead on the front lawn of his estate…murderer still at large…Miss Keira Ellis is missing and presumed dead…anyone with information about the massacre or the whereabouts of Keira Ellis should call the local authorities immediately…

The news struck her like a knife in the gut. If she remembered correctly, the media would be relentless in digging up details about her past. It seemed they made it a point to find the negative versus the positive.
After remembering how they’d exaggerated the tragedy of her husband’s death, she was too afraid to even turn on the television. What had they said before in reaction to her marriage with Jamison? Gold-digger… married to sugar daddy…money hungry.

The memory stung. Maybe she should have listened and walked away long ago.

Keira grabbed the bottle of migraine pills packed in the gym bag with her clothes. Just as she was reached the vanity sink just outside the bathroom, Aiden walked inside. His hair was tousled and his arms had a fresh coat of sheen from working under the sun. How was it possible to look so good and exude so much sex appeal in such disarray?

Her backside hit the corner as he prowled closer, like a hungry lion ready to devour its supper.
“The newspaper…they know,” she said.

He was so close. S
he reveled in the earthy scent of him, stronger now than before. “It’s being taken care of.”

“What do you mean, it’s being taken care of?”

“My scout, Max, has some connections within the FBI and will relay the truth about what happened. The men drove up, and opened fire in attempt to kill you, and they lost their lives. You will remain on the records as missing until I can get you someplace where I can ensure your complete safety.”

“My parents…”

“We’ve contacted them as well. They know you’re okay and will lay low for a bit until the news and everything else dies down.”

“Thank you.” A great weight lifted off her shoulders. She didn’t know if she would be able to d
eal with the police again. Their questioning had been relentless the last time.

Aiden’s warm palm caressed the side of her face and instant release washed over her, yet her he
ad still pulsed with chaos overload. With his other hand, he pried her fingers off the pill bottle and took it.

“Why do you keep taking these
?”

“My doctor prescribed them. I’ve tried other natural remedies but only the medicine seems to help.”

He tossed the bottle in the waste basket under the vanity. “Don’t take them anymore.”

“Are you insane?
” she asked, looking at the basket then back at him. Her migraine raged on. She needed those pills! “That was the last pack. I left the other back at the house.”

Aiden grabbed her hips with both his hands, and pressed her back to the wall. His manhood was hard against her belly
. She recalled the night before when she was in his arms on the floor of the van. The memory of his lips on her made her weak at the knees, and she leaned into him.

“
Mate
.” The words barely left his lips. “Best friend. Confidant. Healer.” He lifted her chin slightly with his fingertips. “Lover. Wife. Mother of my children.” He kissed her with slow finesse, parting her lips gently with one swipe of his tongue.

Keira kissed him back, molding her fingers to his chest. She followed his lead as it had clearly been a while since she had kissed a man. One thing was certain, she had never kissed a man like Aiden
before.

“Tell me where it hurts,” he said.

“My forehead.”

He pressed warm lips to her forehead and kissed along her hairline
. She slumped against the wall, holding tightly to his forearms. She became more relaxed as he alternated between lips and forehead.

“Where else, Keira?”

“My temples.” She turned her head, allowing him access to the sensitive area next to her ears. She bit into her bottom lip when his tongue left a cool trail across her pulsing temples.

He took an earlobe between his teeth, nipping and then sucking lightly. A growl emanated from his lips. It seemed to enter
her body and shoot down into her spine.

“
Feel better?”

“Yes.” She panted against his lips. Her migraine was gone, b
ut something else lingered in its place.

He pushed
down one of the straps of her dress, and it fell against the crook in her elbow. Dipping his head low, he kissed her collarbones and the tops of her breasts. “It hurts somewhere else, doesn’t it?”

Her nipples pebbled and ached. Her center throbbed and grew warm.
She nodded because she was too embarrassed to tell him where she needed him the most.

He lifted her at the hips, spread her thighs, and pushed her up against the wall.

His hard length pressed up against her. She cried out, his name on the tip of her tongue. Only the fabric of his jeans and her panties separated them.

His gaze locked with hers at the same time his fingers teased the lace edge of her panties. Her clit throbbed in anticipation
. His digits dipped into her wet heat, causing her pussy to clench around it.

He groaned
into her neck and moved in and out of her slowly at first, then increased the tempo. Her orgasm hung over the edge. She was so close, it shocked her. Her head lolled against the wall and she could do nothing to mask the moans escaping her lips.

Before long his fingers were slick with her arousal and h
e used them to expertly stroke her clit with precision. She came fast and hard, the force of it rushing through her like a tornado. He supported her until she’d completely come down from her high. Only then, did he let her feet land on the floor again.

“Housekeeping!”
The sound of the maid at the door caused her to jump.

“Easy,” Aiden whispered, massaging her temple with his thumb. “
Unless you would like a repeat…” He grinned slyly and kissed her forehead. “I’ll be waiting in the blue jeep when you’re ready to come out.” He left her at vanity, grabbed a bottle of orange juice and one of the breakfast biscuits from the nightstand, and exited the hotel room.

Her legs were still weak from the effe
cts of much needed release. Her clit still throbbed in eager excitement, but her migraine was gone.

She looked to
the wastebasket under the sink where he’d thrown her pills, then at the open hotel door. Without further hesitation, she repacked her duffle bag and followed the man who called her his mate out the door.

Keira looked out of the passenger side window through the rows of trees along the
gravel-paved roads. The moment they turned off the turnpike and she saw the sign with the town name he’d mentioned—Spring Forks—she knew they’d arrived. Sandy Forks and Spring Forks weren’t much different, but the homes out here were smaller, much older, and further apart. And even more secluded. Each home was hidden between acres and acres of dense woods. She recalled Aiden saying something about seeking privacy and solitude when he wasn’t on an assignment. This seemed like the perfect place to do so.

The drive from the city to the countryside
had only taken an hour and a half. She’d alternated between reading and asking Aiden questions about his career, the people he guarded, and how many lives he’d had to end to save a client. The answers she received shocked her, but he’d warned her earlier already. He recounted his assignments, sometimes without remorse, and she wondered if he was actually as cold as the façade he created.