Authors: Nancy Corrigan
Jazz opened her eyes and smiled as the memories of last
night replayed in her drowsy, sated mind. She’d had sex with Rafe. Raw and
gritty, then sweet and slow. Sex better than she’d ever had. It had been so
damn perfect she would’ve cried from sheer happiness if she hadn’t been moaning
and screaming his name.
He’d worked her body, made her soar and reach that point
where only pleasure existed. Rafe was a phenomenal lover and last night was one
she’d never forget…but it was over. She had to get on with her life. She couldn’t
spend all day in bed with him, no matter how much she wanted to.
Carefully, she lifted the thick arm holding her and slipped
away. Still asleep, Rafe reached for her. The sight made butterflies take
flight in her belly. She shoved a pillow at his searching fingers. He grabbed
hold of it and pulled it against him. His nose twitched and his brows pinched,
but he settled back into sleep with the scrunched pillow as a substitute for
her.
She sat back on her bent legs and looked over her lover’s
body. God, he was gorgeous. At first glance, she’d thought he had a healthy tan
but unless he walked around naked a lot, the deep burnished gold was his
natural skin tone. And in the muted light seeping from around the drapes, his
body shone as if liquid gold was spread over his skin. Delicious. She wouldn’t
mind licking every inch while she mapped the ridges and dips of his frame.
The muscles on his chest were thick slabs and ridges of abs
gave him the washboard appearance few guys ever developed. Thick thighs and
bulging arms completed the body he must spend hours toning. She swept her gaze
over him and seared the sight to her mind. Her body tingled, the first
stirrings of arousal settling low in her belly. It seemed a little surreal to
be here, in a hotel room with a man who could easily pass as a pagan sex god.
But there was no denying it, not with the tender ache in her core or the small
spots of reddened flesh as a reminder of what they’d shared.
She ran a hand over her neck then her shoulder. Both spots
felt sensitized. She’d bet money that once she looked in a mirror she’d find a
hickey there. She’d had a few guys deliver them when she’d been young and wild
and her partners had been just as crazy with the new experiences. Young love.
It’d been fun and exciting. None of those times came close to last night and no
lover ever took her like Rafe had.
With slow, controlled movements, she climbed off the bed
before she gave in to the urge to wake him up with her mouth on his cock. Her
core clenched, reminding her of the unbearable emptiness. She wanted a cock
inside her—Rafe’s cock. She shook the thought away. She was just horny. It was
a natural reaction. She hadn’t had sex in years. She was a little deprived.
That’s all.
She padded across the shadowed room to the bathroom, flicked
the switch and cracked the door open. The sliver of light helped her see the
room. She gathered her clothes, dug Rafe’s phone from his jeans pocket and
retreated to the bathroom. A quick shower later, she dressed—minus her panties.
She couldn’t bring herself to put them back on.
She leaned against the sink and turned on Rafe’s phone. The
picture he had as a background caught her attention. Mesmerized, she stared at
the group of the most beautiful people she’d ever seen. A man who looked like
Rafe, but with shorter hair and a harder glint to his eyes, sat on a swing. It
had to be Kade, Rafe’s twin, and the man watching over Mr. Wilkins’ house.
Next to him was a drop-dead gorgeous woman with hair dyed in
sections of color. Patches of red, brown and gold were intermixed with strands
of black. She wore sunglasses and so did the man with shorter hair dyed in the
same unusual way standing behind her. The similarities between them made her
think the two were twins. Another identical pair of men stood on the other side
of Kade. They too had to be Rafe’s brothers. They had the same liquid gold eyes
Rafe did.
Wow. Rafe’s family was a sight to behold. Her finger hovered
over the photo album icon but she didn’t open it. She was curious about Rafe
but wouldn’t stoop so low as to snoop into his personal things. Sleeping with
him last night changed things. She might not know much about him but she’d
entrusted him with her body. Invading his privacy now felt wrong. She could
wait. Give him a chance. It was the right thing to do.
Knowing her kids would want to talk all about their
sleepover and keep her on the line forever, she dialed Josh’s number since she
still hadn’t talked to him. The call went to voicemail. She tried his parents
and found out he was at the funeral parlor arranging Tony’s service.
Jazz ended the call and blinked back tears. She’d been so
caught up in Rafe that she’d forgotten about Josh and the hell he was going
through. Life was harsh sometimes. There was no escaping it, but she felt
guilty for enjoying herself last night. She’d have to call him later, offer him
support and a shoulder to lean on. He had his parents but they were suffering
too. Josh needed a friend.
She pushed aside her sadness and dialed Mr. Wilkins’ number.
It picked up on the first ring.
“Hello?”
Seth’s whisper sounded panicked. Her heart skipped a beat
then pounded wildly.
“Seth, it’s me. Is everything okay?”
“No, Mom. I’m scared.”
“What’s wrong? Where are Levi and Mr. Wilkins?”
“Levi is here. We’re in the guest bedroom with the door
locked and Mr. Wilkins is outside talking to a blond man.”
Her terror eased. It had to be Kade. Now Seth’s fear made
sense. They didn’t like strangers, especially men. The only guys they ever felt
relaxed around were Josh and Mr. Wilkins. She blew out a breath.
“It’s okay, kiddo. That’s Kade, he’s there to keep an eye on
things because Mommy,” she paused and tried to think of something to say, “because
Mommy stayed with a friend last night. It was late but I didn’t want to leave
you guys alone.”
“Why
him
?” Seth squeaked.
“Ummm, because it’s his job to guard people. That’s what he
does.”
“He’s really big, Mom. My cats are scared of him.”
Of course they were.
She pinched her brow. “I know he’s
big. So is his twin, Rafe.” She nibbled her lip as she picked her words carefully.
“Rafe’s a really nice guy. I want you and Levi to meet him. I’ll bring him with
me to pick you two up. Okay?”
“No!” Seth yelled. “He’ll hurt us.”
She heard Levi arguing with him in the background. A clunk
reverberated over the line. She pulled the phone back with a grimace.
Levi got on and said, “Mom, don’t go near him. He’s
dangerous.”
Out of the two, Levi was the one who acted older, seemed to
have a better handle over his cats. His cautious warning struck a note of fear
in her heart.
“Why not?”
“Because he’s like us.”
The phone slipped in her limp hold. She tightened her
fingers before it fell from her grip. Her gaze darted to the bathroom door.
With her heart knocking hard against her ribs, she ordered, “Explain yourself,
Levi Sebastian.”
“He has cats inside him, like we do. More than one.”
She covered her mouth to hold the gasp in. If Kade was a
shifter that meant Rafe was too.
Oh god. I slept with a shifter.
“Mom? Are you okay?”
She shook her head to clear it. “Yeah, kiddo.” Dammit, she
couldn’t focus. What the hell was she supposed to do now? “Has Kade done
anything…bad?”
“No, but the dogs are scared. They’re all hiding under the
picnic table.”
Indecision left her floundering. She stared at the door,
thought about everything she and Rafe did together and couldn’t associate the
man who’d loved her so tenderly with someone who could turn into an animal,
someone who might be a threat to her kids. Her mind wandered back to Tony. The
police claimed he’d been stabbed multiple times and Josh’s parents said his
throat had been slashed. A knife could’ve caused those wounds, but so could
claws.
Doubt crept into her mind. The inconsistencies that had
bothered her the night they met came back. How he’d known where her car was
parked or that she had twin boys. And…
Shit, shit, shit.
How had Rafe
known where Mr. Wilkins’ house was in order to send his brother over there? She’d
never told him and her neighbor’s number wasn’t listed in the phonebook. Rafe
had to have investigated her and he’d been inside her house, he would’ve
smelled her boys’ signature there.
Oh god, oh god.
How could she have
been so foolish?
Was last night a ploy to keep her occupied, away from her
kids so Kade could swoop in and steal them?
But he hadn’t. They were still
there.
She ignored the voice, couldn’t take the chance. Maybe there was
another brother waiting to grab Megan. They’d strike at once and take all three
kids. Her heart raced. The possible scenarios danced across her mind, fed the
worry.
She swallowed down bile. “Move as many pieces of furniture
as you can in front of the door and make sure all the windows are locked.” It
wouldn’t stop a shifter bent on getting to them but it was the best she could
come up with. She wiped at the moisture on her cheek. “I’m going to call Josh
and we’re going to come get you. Okay, kiddo? I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
“Okay, Mom. Love you.”
She ended the call and tried Josh’s number. It went to
voicemail. She cursed and sent him a text. A minute later a vibration announced
his answering message. She read it and let a shuddered breath escape. He was
coming to pick her up. At least there was one person in the world she could
trust.
She laid the phone on the counter and blinked back tears.
There wasn’t time for them. She’d made a horrible mistake last night. She’d
given in to Rafe’s seduction, fallen for his damn lines. He was a liar, a
player, not the honorable man she’d thought. If he was, he would’ve told her
the truth. From the scent in her home, he would’ve known her kids were
shifters, but he’d allowed her to think he was human, not a threat to her
family. Dammit, he knew she worried about them.
Was that why he’d sent his
brother there, to watch over them?
She fisted her hair and tugged. Nothing made sense. God, she
had to get away from Rafe, make sure her kids were all right. If they were, she’d
feel stupid for allowing her paranoia to run rampant but she’d rather be a fool
than endanger the two most important people in her life.
She wiped the tears away and stared at her image. Despite
the puffy eyes and hollow expression, she looked like a woman who’d been well
loved. With shaky fingers, she touched the edge of the hickey on her shoulder,
then brushed over the tiny cuts. Four of them. It didn’t take much to imagine
the fangs that no doubt made them. That was what the sharp pinch she’d felt
when he’d kissed her there was. His fangs. Her fingers skimmed along the length
on her throat. There was no mark, but it too was tender, achy.
A whimper escaped. She pressed her lips together to keep any
more from coming out. She’d had a predator’s fangs against her neck. He could’ve
ripped her throat out.
But he hadn’t.
She ignored that little voice in
her heart that wanted to believe in Rafe. Just because he was good in bed and
made her crazy with desire didn’t mean he was trustworthy. He could’ve told her
the truth about what he was, but he hadn’t. No. She couldn’t blindly trust
Rafe. It didn’t matter how he made her feel. She’d get away from him and think
things through once she knew her kids were safe.
She turned the light off and carefully opened the door. Rafe’s
steady breathing let her know he still slept. Without looking at the bed—she
didn’t want to see him sprawled there looking sinful and tempting—she tiptoed
across the room. She undid the lock, slipped out into the hallway and ran.
The lobby had a few people milling around. Nobody paid her
much attention but she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone watched her. A
piercing stare burned the spot between her shoulder blades, made the tiny hairs
on her arms stand up. A cold lump of fear dropped in her belly.
She swung her head from one end of the lobby to their other.
Nobody looked at her but her breath sawed past her lips. Her pulse sped. She
was cornered, trapped. The undeniable sensation grew. Stumbling backward, she
hit the wall.
Her gaze darted from each of the men in the room. Any of
them could be a shifter. Look at how she’d messed up with Rafe. She didn’t know
how to spot
them
from normal people.
The closest person to her was a skinny businessman, complete
with suit and briefcase. He had a day planner out and an annoyed expression on
his face. She dismissed him as a threat and moved to the next, an older
white-haired man who sat with his wife on one of the ornate sofas. He had his
arm around her shoulder while she chatted on a phone. No. They screamed
tourist. The only other person in the room was a middle-aged man who waited to
check out, a rolling suitcase at his feet. His eyes were glued to his phone. He
didn’t strike her as a threat either. So why did her skin crawl?
A tall guy with a pair of sunglasses hooked into the neck of
his polo shirt pushed away from the wall across the room. His chin-length brown
hair had blond streaks with nearly white tips and wisps of gray. Darkly tanned
skin with fine wrinkles and a lean body suggested he was an active, outdoorsy
person. Khaki shorts and leather sandals completed his outfit. The overall
image was that of a well-off, middle-aged man.
His face was model worthy—a perfectly slanted nose, full
mouth and strong cheekbones—but his eyes chilled her. Dark brown, they should’ve
looked welcoming but didn’t. They appeared cold. Empty. Then he blinked and
warmth filled them. A smile spread and the stark expression disappeared.
Her heart knocked hard against her rib cage. It was the guy
from last night, the one who’d saved her from falling. She’d recognize those
eyes anywhere and she didn’t care how inviting his grin was now. He terrified
her on a basic level she couldn’t explain, just as he’d done last night. The
urge to run and hide was strong. She swallowed hard and pressed her back into
the wall but there was nowhere to go. She was trapped between a potted plant
and a grandfather clock.