Love Bites

She didn’t blush, but she did glance away again. “I wish I could take that back.”

Of course she did. Didn’t it just figure? Their first intimate contact, even if it had been mainly one-sided, and she wanted to pretend it had never happened. “You can’t.”

“When your mind clears, you’ll be angry, understandably so. I took advantage of you when you couldn’t fight me off.” She looped her arms around her waist, hugging herself. “I could forgive myself anything but that.”

“Jesus, woman, are you daft?”

Her head snapped up and her eyes smoked for a moment before the irritation slid away behind ice. “Excuse me?”

“My mind is as clear as it’s ever been. I liked you sucking me. Had you not stopped when you did, you would’ve swallowed my enjoyment.”

For an instant, he thought she would smile. The heaviness of her expression lightened, but then she pursed her lips and shook her head. “You think an orgasm means that your choice wasn’t taken away? It doesn’t. My actions were inexcusable, no matter how you looked lying in that bed. So pale, but still so strong. A sleeping warrior.”

Before he could process what she’d said, she shook herself and strode over to the open suitcase on the highback chair beside the window. Drab, mud-colored clothes spilled out in every direction, but she seemed to know exactly what she was looking for. Without a whit of hesitation, she stripped the nightgown over her head and donned huge white granny panties, an ankle-length olive green skirt and a baggy matching sweater that almost completely obscured the twin globes of her ass.

Perfect twin globes, of which she’d given him barely a second’s glimpse before hiding their glory beneath hideously ugly polyester.

She bundled her hair up in its typical bun, securing it with pins and a clip without benefit of a mirror. Then she slipped her feet into what he’d alwa

ys thought of her grandma combat boots, lacing them up to the knee with unerring speed. He was still admiring her grace and economy of movement when she snapped the suitcase shut and hauled it to the door.

Faint panic tickled the back of his throat. “Where are you going? You’re not going to leave me like this!” Or leave me at all.

“Syd and Kellan will take care of you. You’ll be fine.” She looked back with her hand on the knob. “I know I don’t act very friendly toward you most of the time, but that’s because—”

“Because?” he prompted. He had to keep her talking. If he didn’t, she would walk out that door and keep going, and he had a feeling she didn’t intend to hang around. Something about her tone spoke of finality, and oh hell no, this was not over between them.

“You frighten me.” A ghost of a smile curved her mouth. “All men do, to some extent. But you, most of all. I never understood why.”

His fingers flexed and curled into his palm. Only the thinnest razor blade of control was keeping him in place. “Are you afraid of me now?”

“More than ever.” She let out a long breath and knocked on the door. “I really am sorry, Lucas.”

“Emily.” Urgency laced the word as she knocked again. “Goddammit, Emily, wait. We have to talk. There’s something you don’t kn—”

The door opened and she stepped through, but not before he saw Sydney on the other side, watching him as if he were a dangerous predator.

“Syd, uncuff me. Now.” It took everything to hold back the beast inside him that wanted to rage. “If you do, I might let you live.”

She stared at him coolly. “I’m afraid that’s not possible right now, Luke.”

He rattled the cuffs and raised his brows. “I’ll just rip them off. You know I can. And then where will you and your lover be?”

“You’re not going to do any such thing. Because if you do—” she lifted the gun she held in her right hand “—I’m going to make sure you stay down for good.”

He laughed, but the sound came out harsh and bitter. “A gunshot can’t kill me, sweetheart. Better bone up on your research in between boning Kellan.”

“No, one won’t kill you, but a full clip will slow you down, especially if you don’t get any blood to make up for what you lose.” As a door opened and shut behind her, she strolled into the room and closed his bedroom door. “But I really don’t want to do that.”

“Did she leave?” Lucas blew his damp hair out of his eyes. Dear God, he was sweating. “Where is she going? She shouldn’t be alone now. Goddamn you both!”

“Shut up. Just shut up. She’s about as willing to listen to reason as you are.” Almost wearily, Syd dropped down at the end of the bed and rubbed her forehead with the butt of her gun. Only then did he realize it was a BB gun. “Are you going to let me explain? Will you give me that much?”

His foot was inches from her. With one kick, he could knock her into unconsciousness, if he timed it right. He didn’t want to listen. He sure as hell couldn’t stand the thought of lying in bed while the woman he loved just strolled away.

He’d let her call the shots before. Her fear and mistrust of him had dictated the speed of their non-relationship, but those days were through. Somehow, walking in on the scene he’d witnessed the night before had cleared up a lot of things for him, and the number one thing was Emily.

She was his. And he damn well was going to claim her as such, even if Kellan had taken away his right to turn his mate. It didn’t matter. She might be forever bonded to her sire, but he intended to make sure she understood there was another bond she needed to recognize.