BAD BOY ROMANCE: DIESEL: Contemporary Bad Boy Biker MC Romance (Box Set) (New Adult Sports Romance Short Stories Boxset) (29 page)

Sinclair didn’t object as her clothes began to leave her body.  She was grateful for the darkness, but almost wished he had left the bulb blazing.  Better he see her for how she really looked now than later.  As Niall’s hands found her breasts, she resisted the urge to push him away.  He would only deny that he was using her if she voiced her concern.  He would only tell her she was beautiful, then take her body anyway.  Why not enjoy it?  A he lowered his head to one nipple and flicked his tongue across it, she was positive this wasn’t the time to have such a conversation. 

Niall’s mind was filled with images.  He was racing ahead of the moment thinking of what kind of home they would have, how many children, and whether or not she would want a large wedding.  When she plucked at the button of his jeans and lowered the zipper he stopped and pulled the pants off, her manhood freed and boldly waiting for action.  All thoughts of the future were gone as her hand reached for him and began a slow stroking of him.  With head back he allowed her to touch him, to explore where ever her hands wanted.  When he felt the heat flush his skin he pushed her off her elbows and touched the soft flesh between her legs.  He liked how she was partially shaved.  The bare skin was like a baby’s.  Niall cautiously entered her with two fingers, his thumb rubbing her clitoris.  When moisture covered his hand he stopped and leaned over her, kissing her with reverence.  This was it.  This was the moment he would make her his; forever. 

Sinclair accepted his first thrust, the sting from his size only a momentary discomfort.  She soon matched his movements with counter thrusts of her own.  For once, she didn’t notice her rounded belly.  She didn’t worry about the size of her hips and thighs.  They were truly one, moving as one, breathing as one.  It was disturbed only by her cry and shudder of climax as he ground down hard and reached his own grand finale. 

Niall held Sinclair against him in the silence.  He forced his heartbeat and breathing to match hers, reveling at how wonderful it felt to be entwined with the woman he loved. 
Loved!  After so short a time!
   He smiled in the darkness.

Sinclair touched her hips as the hot water ran over her.  She had allowed Niall to make love to her.  He wanted to join her in the shower, but she had politely refused, pretending she hadn’t seen the hurt look in his eyes.  Fear was a hard pill to swallow in the face of such hope.  What if the things he had murmured to her had been real?  No other man had ever said such things and with the amount of tenderness in which he had.  He had actually whispered the words.  The dreaded words that she yearned for every day, yet had only been spoken to her in the shallowest of meanings and motives.  Yet, she had believed him.  It had been a raw moment, punctuated with her weeping silently beside him.

Niall sat with his hands clasped tightly between his knees.  His back was tense and his eyes stayed fixed on a faded patch of carpet.  He didn’t know what to think.  Sinclair had been hurt so much she now expected it.  He could see it in her eyes.  He felt it in the way her body tensed when he tried to hold her afterwards.  Eventually, they had fallen into a fitful sleep. 

He wanted to reassure her, yet he had no idea how to go about it.  He knew how he felt, he had been honest when he said it; why couldn’t she believe him?

Sinclair stepped silently into the room.  She watched Niall raise his face to her, and she caught a glimpse of the torture he was feeling.  She couldn’t allow it to affect her.  Whatever he thought he felt right now, it wouldn’t last.  It never did.

Sinclair went to the still open French doors and stepped onto the balcony.  She felt it odd that after what they had experienced the night before, that they would have left the balcony doors open. 

Sinclair leaned onto the wrought iron railing, arms straight, and her eyes closed.  A slight breeze wafted over her in the early dawn light.  She opened her eyes to the gray pink light as Niall wrapped his arms around her from behind.  She didn’t tense or try to move out of the embrace; rather, she leaned back into him. 

Niall lowered his head and breathed in the scent of soap and shampoo.  He would stand there with her as long as she allowed it. 

“I’m afraid, Niall.”

“This is a crazy situation, I know, but we’ll get to the bottom of it and go back to Palm Beach and clear your name.”

“I wasn’t talking about that.”  She said softly.

Niall knew she was about to open up and he didn’t want to rush her.  It was precarious.  Any word misconstrued would push her further away. 

“About us?”

“Yes.”  She slid her eyes to the side, but didn’t turn to look at him. 

“I understand.  You’ve been through a lot of heartbreak.” 

“I have.  I just don’t think you really mean what you said to me.  I think you were just caught up in the moment.  Maybe we are just caught up in this whole situation.” 

Niall turned her gently, forcing her to look at him.  Her expression was resigned.  She had given up before even trying. 

“I know what I feel, Sinclair.  I’m not one to say or do things on a whim.”  He smiled lightly.  “At least not until I met you.” 

“What does that mean?”  Her body stiffened.

“I find myself doing things here just to see you smile.  I didn’t plan to make love to you.  It just happened, and I’m glad it did.”  Niall licked his lips.  This was it.  He had to come clean with her right then and there.  If she thought later that he had hidden something from her, or lied, the progress he was making would be for nothing. 

“You look like you want to say something.”

“I do.”  Niall took a deep breath and opened his mouth only to snap it shut again as a loud knock sounded at the suite’s door.  He shook his head and let go of her.  “Stay put, I’ll get it.” 

Sinclair stepped into the doorway of the French doors as Niall opened the door.  Carla was standing there in a worn pair of rose colored slacks with a matching button down shirt Sinclair was sure hadn’t been in style since 1970.  Her eyes widened as she dragged Gabriel into the room.  The child was digging his heels in and grunting.  He whipped his head around and bit his great grandmother on the arm before Niall or Carla could stop him.  Carla yelped, flinging the boy away from her. 

“Oh my God!”  Sinclair said and rushed into the bathroom.  She yanked a hand towel from the rack and hurried back to Carla.  She wrapped the towel around the dripping bite and helped her to the couch.  Niall and Gabriel were in an animalistic standoff, both with legs spread wide and torso’s lowered.  Their arms were splayed at their sides and each eyed the other suspiciously. 

Sinclair turned her attention back to Carla.  “I can see if the front desk has a first aid kit.”  Sinclair looked back at the boy and noticed for the first time that he was dressed only in under ware and sneakers. 

Carla shook her head, a milky tear running from each eye.  “It doesn’t matter.  I’m already infected.”  She held her other arm out to Sinclair.  There were several bites in various stages of healing along her forearm.

“Carla…”

“I can’t do a damn thing with him!  Please…”  She lifted her bleary eyes.  “I can’t sleep…I don’t eat…”  She leaned to Sinclair, her breath acrid and foul.  “
He’s going to kill me
!”

Sinclair took the woman’s hand and wrapped her other arm around her frail shoulders, pulling her to her side.  She looked back at Niall and Gabriel, astonished to see that Niall had somehow subdued the boy without laying a hand on him.  The boy had stopped his grunting and was trying to curl into a ball on the rug while keeping his eyes on Niall.  A low growl came from Niall’s parted lips and the boy lowered his gaze.  In less than a minute, he was sound asleep.

Niall just growled at a child.  I’m going mad
. 

Niall cautiously stepped around him and came to sit on the other side of Carla.  He gently took the arm with multiple bites and began inspecting them.  His brow drew together as he looked at the shapes.  The oldest bite, nearly completely healed, had been a light bite.  It obviously hadn’t broken the skin, only bruised the skin around it.  The radius and fading imprint had obviously been made by a little child.  The others were each slightly different.  The palate imprint had shifted.  Niall held his hand out for Carla’s other arm.  The bite Gabriel had just given her was already showing sign of infection, and the imprint had four prominent punctures.  Two at the top and two at the bottom.  Niall lifted his eyes as he placed Carla’s arm gently on her lap.  The bite looked like a dog’s. 

Sinclair glanced quickly back to the sleeping form of Carla, then to the still sleeping form of Gabriel where Niall had left him.  Her eyes were so large she was sure they were going to pop from their sockets and roll across the floor. 

“We have to do something!” 

Niall ran a hand over his face.  I came away slick with sweat.  “What do you suggest?  We aren’t taking them to that…that…witch!”

“Angela may be the only one who
can
help!” Sinclair grabbed him by the arm, digging her nails in.  “Niall…the bites…they look like…” 

“A dog’s.  Yes, we already went over that.”

“Don’t get asinine with me!”

He held his hands up in a defensive gesture.  “I’m not.  I’m just as confused as you.”

“I’m calling her.”  Sinclair moved away from him and dug Angela’s card out of her purse.  Niall didn’t try to stop her. 

Sinclair took her cell phone and the card into the bedroom.  She sat on the edge of the bed and closed her eyes.  She drew a steadying breath. 

The phone rang several times before a familiar voice answered.  Angela’s voice made Sinclair think of silk. 

“Hello?” 

“This is Sinclair Mackenzie.  My…friend Niall Amrit and I were at your shop the other day, and…”

“Yes, Sinclair.  What can I do for you?”

“We have….there’s a situation we were hoping you could help with.”

“Yes?”

“It has to do with Gabriel Overman.  Honestly, we haven’t seen anything like it.”

The silence only stretched a moment.  “Shall I come to you?”

Niall waited nervously for the knock on the door.  Carla had finally agreed for Sinclair to get first aid supplies from the front desk for her more recent bites. 

A light tapping sounded at the door and Niall actually sighed audibly as he stood and went to the door.  Gabriel had awakened and was furiously chewing on his already mauled fingers in a corner of the room.  He watched Niall’s movements with wary eyes.

Angela walked into the room alone.  Her tan slacks and dark brown blouse made Niall think of a Safari guide; although her dark brown pumps wouldn’t suffice in the Serengeti.

“Hello, Mr. Amrit.  Nice to see you again.”  Angela removed a large canvas backpack from her shoulders, breezing past him in immediate dismissal.  She smiled at Sinclair.  “I see you have your hands full.”  Angela looked into the fearful upturned face of Carla, before switching her gaze across the room to Gabriel.  He regarded her with a tilted head, before issuing several sharp barks that made everyone jump except Angela. 

“Please,” Carla whispered, her voice sounded like crinkling paper.  “Help him.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”  She sat primly on the edge of the couch.  “Bring him to me.  I need to see where the stone touched him.”

Carla looked at Sinclair, who in turn looked at Niall with a raised eyebrow.  Niall advanced toward the boy with fluid movements.  The child was just like an animal at this point and showing fear would be a mistake.  He stood before the boy and motioned for him to stand.  Gabriel did slowly, his hard stare never leaving Niall’s eyes. 

Gabriel moved cautiously in front of Angela.  He scratched his neck and arms with fingers that had nails all the way to the cuticle.  Everywhere his fingers touched skin it lift a faint pink streak.

“Child…”  Angela said.  Sinclair was sure there was pity in her eyes.  She began murmuring to him in a language which reminded her of French, but it seemed older, mixed with other languages like German and Latin.  It sounded arcane.

Gabriel watched her intensely with small brown eyes.  When Angela motioned him closer, he complied without any trouble.  She pinched his chin between thumb and forefinger, pulling his lower jaw downward.  With her other hand she pushed one side, then the other, of his top lip upward. 

“Niall, come look at this.” 

Niall came forward and looked at the boy’s teeth.  His upper canines were elongated and curved slightly backwards.  His two front teeth had split, forming four teeth and they had receded and grown smaller.  Niall reached for the bottom lip and the boy growled deeply. 

Angela let go of his chin and turned him around.  The place where the stone had touched him was unmistakable.  It no longer appeared to Niall to be changing colors, and there was deep dark bruising radiating from the area in a spider web pattern.  Angela sighed and leaned back in the chair.  Gabriel looked at her quickly over one dirty shoulder before scampering back to the corner. 

“I don’t see how I can help the child.  It’s gone too far.” 

Carla erupted in sobs, her wrinkled hands covering her face.  “I shouldn’t have waited so long!  I should have called the Shaman!”