Go Fetch ! (5 page)

She realized now that she’d foolishly stayed away from her friend all these months. Being back with Sara, talking and bullshitting, was all she really needed to make her feel one hundred percent better. Now she felt ready to defend her dissertation and start her new life.

But that was later. Right now Miki wasn’t ready to do too much of anything. So, still lying face down, she tried to kick off her shoes. But they were boots and she’d laced them up pretty tight. She grumbled in annoyance and for some idiotic reason still kept trying to kick one off with the help of the other, feeling way too lazy to actually get up and take her shoes off like a civilized person.

But when she felt strong, firm hands wrap around her boot and begin to unlace it she started. She pushed herself up on her hands and looked over her shoulder.
Conall
was at the foot of the bed on his knees untying her laces. She had no idea how long he’d been standing there watching her, but her entire body got warm at the thought.

“Hey, Miki.” He didn’t look up. Just kept untying her laces. And, even though he couldn’t see the fronts of her boots, was probably taking a lot longer than was actually necessary.

“Hey,
Conall
.”

“How’s it going? You have a good trip?”

Miki had to swallow to get the words out. “Yeah.” Okay. One word. Apparently that was the best she could manage at the moment… spitting out one word. All the guy was doing was helping her off with her boots. Of course, he was on his knees doing it. She kind of liked him on his knees.

Get a grip, Kendrick.

She needed to start talking. Now. “How’s it going with you?”

He still didn’t look up; instead watching his own big hands slowly remove one boot then start on the other. His hair was thick and almost white blonde. And, like hers, it was longer than when she last saw him. Just brushing across his shoulders. His hair reminded her of silk and she wondered if it would feel that way against her skin.

“Pretty good.”

He slid the other boot off and placed it aside. He leaned back on his haunches and, running his hands over her calves and feet, stared at her. He had the lightest blue eyes she’d ever seen. “Anything else you need help taking off?”

Miki almost said “Everything” but caught herself. She pulled her feet away from
Conall’s
wonderful touch and pulled herself up on to her knees. She smirked. “No. I’m fine. But thanks.” He slowly stood up, his eyes never leaving her face. Still on her knees, she moved back away from him as his body just kept rising. She’d forgotten just how tall he was. And just how big. In some respects, the man
was
a bear.

She was so busy staring at him and trying to stay away from him that she fell right off the bed.

“Miki?” She looked up to find him on the bed, hovering over her. “Are you okay?” He didn’t even try to stifle his laughter. Great. Now he could see exactly the level of her
geekiness
. It was off the charts, she knew. Well, that should convince him that she was definitely not the woman for him. A guy like
Conall
should get some vacuous super-model babe that couldn’t complete a full sentence or even spell sentence.

“I’m fine.” She sat up, but before she could struggle to her feet,
Conall
moved around the bed to stand behind her. His hands slid under her arms and lifted her off the floor as if she weighed no more than a bag of chips. “Uh… thanks.” She bit out as her feet touched solid ground. Then she tried to pull away from him, but he wasn’t letting her go. Instead, he pulled her back until she was against his chest. His arms slid around her body and he leaned in close, gently trapping her arms against her sides. And if this were anybody else, she would have completely flipped out. They’d be lucky if they had their eyes left. But she couldn’t even concentrate when
Conall
had his hands on her.

Husky, against her ear, “I missed you,
Mik
.”

The man was killing her. “
Conall
?”

“Miki?” He nuzzled her neck as one of his
huge
! hands slid over her breast. Immediately her nipples hardened. She blinked.
When the hell did that start happening
?

“I think you need to back off.” At least she was pretty sure that was what she said. She was having trouble concentrating. Especially with his tongue sliding up across her neck to her ear.

“You
think
?” His hand squeezed her breast and her back arched. “Or you
know
?”

Oh boy, he’s good
. Miki was sure that, with very little effort,
Conall
could turn a nun into a whore. Of course, she wasn’t a nun.

She yanked her body away from his and it was as if her skin started to yell at the loss of him.

Miki backed away, “
Conall
. Don’t get the wrong idea.”

“And what idea is that?”

“I’m not going to sleep with you.”

He took a step toward her, “I am so not talking about sleeping.”

She backed up again, “You’re not going to make this easy on me, are you Viking?”

He took another step forward, “Not on your life, Kendrick.”

She backed up once again and slammed into a dresser. She held her arm up as if to ward him off. “Stay!”

And he did.

“Look, you’re an unnaturally large, good-looking guy. I’m sure there are a plethora of women out there who would be perfect for you.”

“Personally, I like women who can successfully use ‘plethora’ in a sentence.”

Dammit
, the bastard made her smile. She hated that. Especially when he smiled back. He was truly gorgeous. And as dangerous as they come.

Forcing her smile under control, “I’m going to take a shower. So you need to piss off.” She walked to the bathroom and just as she stepped into the luxurious and huge room, she realized that
Conall
was still behind her. Okay. Now this was just getting creepy.

She turned around. “Is there something else?”

“No. Not at all.”

“Okay. Well, I’m going to take a shower… by myself.”

“Great.” They stared at each other. She couldn’t understand what the fuck he was grinning at. Then, finally, with a low chuckle he asked, “You do know this is my bathroom?” Miki closed her eyes. “What?”

“Yeah. In fact, this is
my
room.” She gritted her teeth. Great, that wonderful smell on the neatly made bed had been him. And who the fuck made their bed these days anyway? Miki didn’t make her bed unless she was changing the sheets.

“She told me it was the second door on the right.”

“Actually, yours is third. Right next door.”

“Of course it is.” She was going to
kill
Sara.

“But, please, feel free to stay. Take all the showers you want. I can help with the soap.”

Images of that danced through her besotted brain and it felt as if someone had squeezed her lungs because she was having a lot of trouble breathing.

“Well, that’s very neighborly of you, Viking. But I’ll just go to my own room.”

He wasn’t completely blocking her way, but she had to slide against him to get out of the bathroom and she felt that connection all the way down to her toes. She almost moaned.

“Well, see you at dinner,” she squeaked out.

Then she ran.

***

Conall
didn’t care how his Alpha felt about it; he was going to give Sara the biggest kiss he could. Coming back to his room only to find his ultimate sexual fantasy spread eagle, face down on his bed was more than any man could ask for. And when she started smelling his comforter, he thought he might come in his jeans.

The woman did things to him without even trying. It was like he had no self-control around her. When he first saw her, he’d had no intention of touching her. In fact, he’d purposely stayed away when she arrived. Sara told him that if he met Miki at the airport or greeted her at the door, she’d freak. So he wanted to give her a chance to relax before he pounced. But once he smelled her again, he just couldn’t keep his hands off her. If this got any worse, he might start humping her leg.

He closed his bedroom door and took a deep breath. Just the scent of her got him hard. And it didn’t help that she looked so good. It had only been six months, but he was positive she actually looked even hotter. Her curly hair was a little longer, now reaching just above her shoulders, and her skin looked just as soft if not softer then when he last saw her.

Miki simply looked…beautiful. And her body felt amazing. When he held her and when she brushed up against him on her way out the door…he just kept imagining that body naked and in all sorts of positions with his.

And the thought of her in his shower… him soaping those breasts, those legs, that ass.

Damn. Wrong thought
, he growled to himself as he headed to his shower.

***

Miki had just pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt, pushing her wet hair out of her face, when Sara knocked on her door and stuck her head in.

“Hey. Dinner’s here.”

Miki grabbed Sara by her T-shirt, snatched her into the room, and slammed the door.

“What the hell?”

“You sent me to
Conall’s
room, you bitch!”

“Did I? Huh. How did I make that mistake?” Sara ducked as a bottle of shampoo flew at her head. “Jesus Christ, woman! Calm yourself!”

“Stop trying to set me up with him!”

“I’m just trying to get you laid… put it down!” Miki debated whether to chuck the hairbrush in her hand at her best friend. After a good thirty seconds, she lowered her arm. Sara smiled. “So you went to his room. What’s the big deal?”

Miki glared. “He found me face down on his bed smelling his comforter.”

Sara choked then exploded into laughter. Miki raised her brush again. “Okay. Okay. I’m sorry. Dude, I’m so sorry. I didn’t think you’d get so… comfortable so quickly.”

“Bottom line is you and Angelina need to back off.”

Sara took a deep breath. “
Darlin
’ I don’t see the problem. He’s hot. He’s straight. He’s disease free. Next to my Zach he’s walking perfection. What is the deal?”

“The deal is guys like him suck you in, make you theirs, then fuck you over. It’s like in their DNA or something.”

“Now you’re just talking about your father.”

“I prefer the term sperm donor. And I’m not going to end up like my mother.”

“Of course not. Especially ‘cause you’re not a sixteen-year-old virgin, screwed over by a rich townie, and left pregnant. So, already you’re ahead of the game.”

Miki glared at Sara’s sarcasm. “I already had this goddamn conversation with Angelina. And if you two whores want to have meaningless sex with some guy you just met… like getting head at a rave from a biker… that’s your choice.”

“Hey! That’s not fair. And it was hardly meaningless. I’m practically married to the guy.”

“Don’t care. Back off.”

Sara sighed. “Fine. Fine. I’ll back off.”

“Thank you.”

And Sara backed off for a total of fifteen seconds. “Although a vibrator does not a life partner make.” Miki growled. “Why are you two obsessed with Mr. Happy?”

“Maybe because you actually named it.”

“Whatever.” Miki turned back to her suitcase. But she stopped when she saw something that she knew she didn’t pack. She pulled out a brown paper bag. “Dude, I didn’t pack this.” Visions of international spies using her as a transporter flew through her mind. But the expression on Sara’s scarred face told her a different story.

“
You
may not have packed it…”

Miki frowned and opened the bag. There were boxes of condoms inside. And a note lay right on top. Immediately she recognized Angie’s perfect handwriting. “Really, isn’t it time you got laid? – Angie.”

“I hate both of you.”

“Now. Now.” Sara backed up toward the door. “Angie and I just want you to be safe. You’re not on any birth control. Sometimes people get lost in the moment. Angie did it with the best of intentions. We care about you and just want you to be happy.”

“Fuck her. Fuck you. And for that matter fuck your intentions.”

“See. Those are the tense cuss words of a woman that needs to get laid.” Sara ducked the bag of condoms just in time, tore the door open, and ran. Miki sat down on the edge of her bed and dropped her head in her hands. This was going to be a long, long trip.

***

“Forget it.”

Sara shrugged. “Okay. You can ride with Zach.”

“In hell.” Sara didn’t answer Zach’s bark. She just reached back and punched him in the chest. “I’m not riding with…” Miki smiled sweetly, “
him.”

“Then you better get your ass over there.” Miki glanced over at
Conall
. He leaned against his bike, looking as casual and innocent as always. It didn’t help that he was wearing black jeans, black boots, black Tee, and a black leather jacket. He looked fucking phenomenal in all black. He gave her that innocent smile and she couldn’t stop the little whimper that came out. He was just not going to make this easy.