A Siren for the Bear (Sarkozy Brothers Book 1) (10 page)

Every so often, she'd wonder about protection, but she trusted Marek. He wouldn't lie to her. The only thorn in her side was Sara, whose cold glares hadn't gone unnoticed.

Two weeks had gone by, with the weekends also deemed practice days. They were well on their way to being ready for the tour, and Carson suspected the band was having way too much fun, especially since they'd begun to re-record the album with her as lead vocals.

The day was overcast, black clouds hanging low in the sky. Carson was about to enter the kitchen when the sound of raised voices filtered to her from a room across the hall. She remained where she was, a hand on the threshold as she eavesdropped.

"Have you told her yet?" asked Sara, her voice icy.

"You know I haven't," Marek bit back.

Carson stiffened.

"Of course, you haven't. We'll know when she runs for her life." She let out a cold laugh. The woman was all warmth.

"It's none of your business." Marek sounded angry, and yet he still entertained her.

Sara let out an inelegant snort. "Your mate should be of the right stock. You can't afford to dilute the genes, not right now. Not with everything at stake. Marek, do you really want to throw it all away for her?" Sara's emphasis on
her
implied that Carson was nothing more than a piece of trash.

Carson's fingers tightened on the wood of the threshold. She didn't want to hear any more, but she remained rooted to the spot.

Marek cleared his throat. "Stay out of my affairs, Sara. I'm not going to warn you again."

"Oh? What are you going to do? You know as well as I do that Aleksander wouldn't be too impressed with your plaything."

A growl erupted from the room and Carson shivered. What the hell was that? Whatever it was, it was her cue to move her ass.

She took a few steps into the kitchen and was fiddling with a blueberry scone when Sara stalked past her, her pale cheeks red, her jaw tight. She didn't even acknowledge Carson, just entered the galley without a word.

Footsteps behind her alerted her to Marek's presence, and she turned. The smile on his face seemed genuine and filled with delight to see her. Whatever that conversation had been about, it didn't seem to have affected Marek's attitude toward Carson.

He came to stand beside her, placing a quick kiss against her neck. But even as she turned to receive more, the sound of Felix's deep laughter filtered down the hall.

Another day passed, this time with Carson feeling a little off. She'd missed her cue twice, and made so many mistakes that even Rex snapped at her.

"Maybe you need a break, Nyx." He got to his feet and shook his head. "Maybe we all need a break. I think I'll head into Crescent City for the day. Who's with me?"

Both Felix and Pax agreed and the session broke up. Even after they'd left, the air simmered with tension.

"What's wrong, Carson?" asked Marek, his voice low, his eyes dark and watchful.

She shrugged. "Nothing." She smiled brightly. "What could possibly be wrong?"

He shook his head and set his guitar on to the stand beside him. He walked toward her, taking the mike from her hand and setting it back on the stand. "Let's go for a walk. You can tell me what's bothering you, or you can keep it to yourself. Either way, the walk will be good for us."

Carson nodded and they headed outside. The air was cool, and the sky so dark that the walk should have been a bad idea. But even as Marek paused to study the clouds, Carson kept walking. Suddenly, the idea of a walk was too good to turn down.

"Carson, wait. It's about to storm."

She didn't answer. She didn't really care. And Marek didn't protest further. He fell in step beside her as they walked the path up the hillside, keeping pace with her even when his long strides forced him to slow down.

She stopped in her tracks so suddenly that it took him a few seconds to realize it. He came to a halt and turned to face her as a fat drop of rain hit her on the forehead.

"What is it?" he asked, his eyes dark.

She sighed and looked up at him. Being out in the open wasn't a good idea. She wasn't dressed for it, her outfit of white tee and tights insufficient protection against the rain.

But as she stared at his face, she realized that whatever they had between them wasn't just a fling. It felt like more than that, but she needed to know how Marek felt about it.

She took a deep breath. "What are we doing?" she asked, her voice low.

The sky grumbled above and more drops hit the ground.

Marek moved closer, placing a palm against her cheek. "What are you asking?" At least he wasn't beating around the bush with his questions.

She stared up at him as rain began to smack against her face. They were standing in a clearing, the grassy forest floor littered with soft leaves. Nature surrounded them and nature now beat down on them from the heavens.

If she believed in signs, then she'd be reading something into the angry force of nature exploding above them.

"I want to know where this is going." She paused, staring at his face, now soaked as the rain fell in sheets. She had to raise her voice so he could hear her. "It doesn't matter to me. If it's only temporary, I can take it."

In fact, as pathetic as it sounded, Carson knew she'd take anything he gave her. Even if he broke her heart when he left her, at least she'd have this time with him to remember him by.

It would have to be enough.

T
HE
STORM
WAS
SENDING
SHEETS
of icy rain down on their heads, and Marek stared at Carson's drenched face. Her midnight hair was pasted flat onto her skull, the wet look ever so sexy, bringing her high cheekbones into prominence.

He tightened his grip on her cheek, his thumb pressing on her chin as he raised her face to him. Her question had struck him to the core.

She'd take anything he gave her.

She wasn't demanding anything of him, and that small token of her feelings was enough to break him. All his life he'd been hard, unreachable. The Alpha male, with all the responsibilities on his shoulders, with a purpose, a path set before him that
he
hadn't chosen.

Now he stared into the eyes of a woman that he'd chosen. And he knew there was no way in hell he could turn away from her.

"What if I don't want it to be temporary?" he said softly.

The thunder crashed around them and yet she'd heard him. Her eyes widened, lighting up as she began to smile. Then the smile disappeared and she shook her head.

"You don't have to say that, you know. You don't have to worry about me."

Marek laughed, the sound drowned by the force of the rain. "I am worried about you." He bent closer to her. "I'm worried that you'll turn me down. I'm worried that you'll leave me when all I want is for you to stay with me. To never leave me."

The look on her face was enough.

He bent and kissed her, the heat flaring in his veins. He kissed her over and over, desperate for more. And she kissed him back, as wild and passionate as he was.

He reached for her tee, dragging the sopping garment over her head, a growl rumbling within him when he found her searching fingers desperately tugging his shirt from his waist.

Clothes fell to the ground as he claimed her mouth again. She was hot, despite the cold rain that drenched them. He kissed her neck and throat, tasting her, tasting the clean rain on her skin. Her breasts were swollen, her nipples taut under the onslaught of the icy rain. The cold turned to searing flame as his mouth closed over her nipple, heating up as he sucked hard, until he heard her cry out for more.

He lay her on the ground and stared at the beauty of her arching body. The rain pebbled her skin, pooling in the indentation at the base of her throat, collecting in a little pool in her navel.

He bent over her, his tongue dipping into the water, drinking from her. She gasped, his hips tilting toward him. His hands stroked her hips, her stomach, up to her breasts again. He kissed her belly, leaving a thread of hot kisses and tender bites as he blazed a trail first to her hipbone, then down the length of those delicious thighs, stopping short of her core. He spread her legs open, baring her to him, baring her heated flesh to the cool rain and the dark heavens.

Before he slipped his finger into her slit, he knew she'd be hot and slick and ready for him. She cried out, the sound stolen by a gust of wind.

When he placed his mouth over her slick folds, she bucked against him, but he held her firm, opening her wider as he plunged his tongue deep within her, using his tongue to make her wild. He sucked her clit, his tongue circling the hard nub, feeling her thighs clench, her breathing come in short bursts.

Before she came, he thrust his arm around her waist and lifted her off the grass, flipping her around until she was on her knees. She let out a squeak, then moaned as he slid a finger inside her again. This time he didn't wait. He knew she was there, teetering on the brink of exploding. He grabbed her thighs, spreading her wide, and sank deeply inside her.

On his knees, he held her tight, pulling her on to his lap. She squeaked as she teetered forward. "I got you. I won't let you fall," he said, plunging into her. She leaned back, arching her body, angling her mouth toward him and as he kissed her, he drove deeper into her.

Her thighs clenched and her body began to convulse, and Marek slammed into her one last time. They exploded together as lightning struck above them and thunder crashed, enveloping them with the raw power of nature.

He'd never felt anything so perfect in his life.

A
FTERWARD
,
THEY
LAY
THERE
IN
the rain, naked under the steel sky. She should have felt exposed, but strangely, she felt one with nature, as if this part of her had lain dormant all these years.

With Marek, anything seemed possible.

When she shivered, he shifted and got to his feet. "We'd better get inside before you freeze to death." He smiled as she struggled to pull the wet tee back over her head.

Dressing in the sodden clothes seemed silly, but she did it anyway, feeling a little shy now that the mood had lightened.

"That's a good look on you." Marek teased, his eyes settling on the wet fabric as it clung to her breasts.

She swiped at him but didn't bother to cover herself as they headed back toward the house. But before they left the cover of the trees, Marek stopped.

"Carson," he said, his voice holding a note of seriousness that made her come to a standstill.

She turned to him, worried now. "What's wrong?"

"There's something I need to tell you. Something you deserve to know before you go ahead with this," he said, as he moved his hand back and forth to indicate the two of them.

"Okay," she said slowly, wary now, watching his eyes darken. Whatever he wanted to tell her, it looked like he was struggling with it. She placed a hand on his forearm. "Whatever it is, you can tell me," she said, her tone encouraging and comforting.

But it seemed to do nothing to ease the troubled expression in his eyes. He shook his head. "I'm not sure you'll agree once you hear the truth."