Hale: Love Me Harder - Alien Paranormal Romance (7 page)

She shook her head and closed the door behind her. They all talked in a way that made her head spin at times. Of course when Hale was using his lips and fingers for other things she wasn’t confused at all, just satisfied beyond belief.

After a quick shower and using the guest toothbrush Hale set out for her, she ventured back into the bedroom with a huge soft towel wrapped around her body.

Hale sat on the side of the bed watching her.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to take that long.”

“No problem, Sergey hasn’t started breakfast yet.”

“Oh, well good, I will be ready soon. Where are you going?”

“To take a shower. I would have come in with you, but I was sure the last thing we would get was clean.”

She held onto the towel as a big grin took over her face. She watched him leave the room before looking at the clothes.

She ran her fingers over the fabric. Someone loved clothes. She finally picked out a nice pair of jeans and a comfortable looking shirt. She walked out into the outer room and took a seat.

How had she gotten here? Just yesterday she was living in her little apartment jumping at every noise, hoping no one was coming after her. Now after being terrorized to death, she was in Hale’s house feeling way more comfortable than she should.

She worried her lower lip with her teeth while she tried to understand what was happening and how to best deal with it.

“Why are you sitting out here?”

I wanted to give you some privacy to get dressed. Hale, I think we should talk.”

“Alright.” He sat on the love seat next to her. “Talk.”

“I’m not sure what’s happening here, but I don’t want to mislead you.”

Hale sat quietly waiting for her to continue which only made her mouth drier and her stomach queasy.

“I know that we…” She took a deep breath. “I know that we were intimate earlier, but I think it would be better for me to go to a hotel until my problem blows over.

“No.”

“What?” She blinked at him thinking she’d heard him wrong.

“No. You’re not going to a hotel, you’re being hunted. Also you’re my mate the one I have been waiting for. I don’t want to lose you.”

Tori opened her mouth then closed it only to try again. She sat for minutes speechless as she digested what he said. Visions of John danced before her eyes making her want to panic.

“Hale, you don’t own me. You can’t tell me what I can and can’t do. You also can’t say I’m your mate, the other half of your soul and think I will just accept you.” She crossed her arms over her chest as she glared at him.

There was something wrong here, and she was very aware that it was with her. If this was any other male she’d already be out the door after calling a cab or the police. Instead she was sitting and calmly talking to him. The thought of leaving was making her nauseous, she wanted to stay. She didn’t know him, not really. All she knew was that he a saved her life twice, made her body sing, and made her feel safe.

“Breakfast is ready,” Hale announced as he stood.

“It is?” Tori asked, wondering how he knew. “But we’re not done talking.”

“We will talk more, later. All that matters now is that you will be staying here and I will be protecting you. The rest we can figure out as we go. Agreed?”

“Agreed, until we talk again.”

He nodded his acceptance and led her out of the sitting room. The walk to the kitchen was silent as they both were consumed by their own thoughts.

“Tori, nice to see you again,” Lorali said with a smile.

“Hi, Tori. Glad to see Hale was able to keep you safe.” Sergey deadpanned as he finished up breakfast.

Lorali picked up the plates of food that Sergey just finished and sat them on the table.

Tori stood back and watched as they moved around Hale’s kitchen as if they were familiar with it.

“Tori, the brothers are very close so you never know who will be sitting at your table for a meal. You also never know who will be doing the cooking. Sergey cooks because I can burn water or at least the pot the water was in.” Lorali said with a smile as she sat down at the table.

They sat down and silence descended as they began to eat the eggs, bacon and toast paired with fresh squeezed orange juice.

“This is good. Thank you, Sergey.”

“You’re welcome, Tori. We love to cook. Each of us – my brothers – enjoy spending time in the kitchen. Dante and his brothers have taken it to an even higher level,” Sergey said.

“Did they go to culinary school?”

“I believe they are self-taught.”

Tori nodded her head remembering the fantastic meal she had the other day.

“Tori, how did you become a wedding consultant?” Lorali asked.

“I went to school for business, when I graduated I realized I didn’t want to work for anyone else, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do. So I got a job and started saving my money. Eventually I realized I liked planning and I loved weddings. So I worked part time for a wedding coordinator learning the business from the bottom up until finally I started my own. Weddings by Tori.”

Tori’s smile and the sparkle in her eyes captivated Hale as he watched her every move.

“Why don’t you two go in the other room and start talking while Hale and I get the kitchen cleaned?” Sergey suggested.

Tori choked on a cough as Lorali laughed at her.

“Come on. Tori, I can’t wait to get started.” Lorali got up and walked towards the door.

“You guys are really going to clean up?” They nodded and moved towards the kitchen.

“Lorali?”

“They’re different. It took me a while to get used to it. Most days Sergey cooks and we clean up together. He could go into the other room, watch T.V. Work on something or other, but he would rather be with me. I like it. I bet you will too.”

Lorali walked into the living room, Tori followed her with a look of surprise on her face.

“It’s not that I didn’t know there were guys like that around, I just never expected to meet one.” Tori sat on the comfortable loveseat in the living room.

“Don’t these guys know anything else except loveseats?” Nicolas’s house was filled with loveseats also.

“Nope, I have been in all of their houses and they believe in loveseats. They seat two and that’s big enough for a couple. Besides they’re not the type to sit next to each other. They would say they need space. Let’s get started, have you thought of potential venues?”

“I have something in mind, but you may think it’s a little crazy as well as expensive as hell.”

“I like it already. Spill, Tori.”

“Why don’t you rent Heinz Field?” Lorali opened her mouth, but Tori rushed on. “Hear me out first. Not only do they do football games there, but they do all sorts of large noisy concerts. Everyone in Pittsburgh is used to having something going on there. The people that live close by simply shake their heads and hope it’s over soon. Then add the fact that it’s large and in the city. What more could you ask for?”

Tori watched as Lorali opened and shut her mouth.

“I would have never thought of using the field. It’s a little more central than I want, but all that means is that the boys will have to behave. That’s not too much to ask on my wedding day. What do you think, Sergey?”

Tori jumped as she realized Hale and Sergey had come into the room crowding the doorway. She never heard them move.

“It’s a good idea as long as you like it.”

Lorali beamed. “I love it.” She held out her hand and Sergey crossed the room to take it.

“First we have to see if we can secure it,” Tori said, ignoring the hot and slightly possessive look Hale was throwing her.

What was it with these brothers? She hadn’t been around them long, but even at Nicolas’s house it was apparent each of them was devoted to their woman.

“I’ll secure Heinz Field, all you have to do is keep on with the wedding plans.” Sergey told them.

“Good, the next thing we need to do is make a list of all the items you need and want. Hale, I need a piece of paper and a pen. I lost all my devices in the fire.” He went to locate those items for her.

“Tori, make sure you put down clothes for yourself, a dress for the wedding and of course electronic devices,” Lorali told her with a smile.

Chapter Nine

“Hale, I really don’t need a cell phone or a tablet right now,” Tori said looking at him in the car.

Hale’s brother’s Jeep was now sitting in his garage next to his. He opted for a car, a smooth grey Charger with red accents. It was luxurious especially if compared to the small car she hadn’t seen since the fire.

She focused in on him when he didn’t say anything. He was staring at her from the corners of his eyes. She felt her heart trip with the hot look he was giving her; at the same time she died a little on the inside. Maybe he was like all the others, all he could see was the pretty packaging on the outside.

Ever since she was little she had been told how pretty she was. You’re exotic looking, Tori. Oh my, the boys will go crazy over you. Tori, sit over here you attract boys like flowers attract bees.

Yeah she heard it all, not that she believed it. She had eyes and she was rather plain, it was Rita, with the big blue eyes and the blonde hair, who got all the boys. The rejected ones talked to Tori. Who wanted someone’s left overs?

That’s one of the things that made Hale special. He never batted an eye at Rita’s woman in distress acting. He never gave her curvy body a second look and she made sure her breast were wet enough to make that barely there shirt cling.

Her heart stuttered again this time with sadness. She wanted Hale to be different. She wanted him to see more than the upward slant of her eyes or even the bow shaped lips. She wanted him to actually see the woman.

“Why are you frowning?” Hale asked her.

“I was being a mind reader. Guessing at what you were thinking or about to say.”

“Tell me what you thought I was going to say.”

“You were going to say, Tori, you’re so beautiful. Tori, you look like an exotic, doll, woman, catch, fish. Something along those lines.” The bitterness in her voice was plain to hear.

“I was definitely going for the fish compliment.” A small smile tugged at her lips.

“Would you like to hear what I was going to say?” She nodded her head preparing herself for the worst.

“We will start with the compliment and move on from there. Tori, I was amazed when you thought of renting Heinz field. I think outside of the box all the time and yet never would have thought of that. I love how strong you are. Even knowing your life is in danger, you still have decided to help Lorali instead of running away in hopes that you may be safe there. Your trust in me, even though you don’t quite agree with my methods, humbles me. Your beauty from the inside shines out of you making you captivating. The thing that humbles me the most is that you were willing to trust your body to me. Thank you.”

Wiping at an eye, as tears threatened to spill, nothing she did managed to keep them at bay. She sniffled, so unlady-like. Then giving up she gave him a watery smile.

“No one will ever accuse you of not knowing what to say.”

“No one will ever accuse me of lying, either. I say what I mean and nothing else.”

She smiled at him. “I believe you. Now why do I need a phone?”

“Until you have another method of reaching me, you will have to settle for a cell phone. We will cancel the one you had. No sense having someone else making calls on it if it still works or using it to try and encourage you to come after it.”

Hale parked the car. Opening the door for Tori he took her hand, they walked the two blocks to the store.

Canceling her old contract was easy once Hale pulled out his credit card and paid for any cancellation fees. Getting a new phone was even easier since he simply put another line on his phone plan.

“Hale,” she hissed under her breath. The man really did think she was going to stay with him.

“Tori.” He replied in a nice even voice. The kind that said let’s talk about it later.

Would later ever come was all Tori wondered. When they walked out of the store she had a new phone in the pocket of her borrowed jeans and a tablet clutched in her hand. Life was looking up.

It wasn’t until they walked a block that she noticed the tail. “Someone’s following us.”

“I see them. They were waiting for us when we came out of the store,” he said softly.

“What are we going to do?”

“That’s the beautiful thing about being downtown. Lots of alley-ways and one way streets that don’t get a lot of traffic.”

“Hale, they out number us and I’m sure they’re packing. We need to find a cop or at least get in the car and get out of here quickly.”

“The numbers and the guns simply even the odds a little. The police can’t help, you know that already. If we run now they will come back in even greater numbers. If we fight and win they will also come back in greater numbers. Those numbers will be more nervous and easier to distract.”

“I’m not sure I will ever understand how you think.”

Hale gave a low laugh. “Tori, there a few minor things I haven’t gotten a chance to tell you about myself. You may see something that scares you, but remember I am still just me. Hale, the male who loves the taste of you.”

“I am liking this even less.”

“That’s because you’re very intelligent. I bet you would love working on computer games.”

Hale led her down an alley that was a dead end. She had no idea they even had alleys like this in town. There was a nice tall wall at the end of the alley. There was no way she was getting over that.

Six guys followed them into the alley.

“Hale?”

He took her and placed her back against the wall. There was a huge dumpster right next to her. An image of her broken body in that dumpster made her knees knock.

“Stay here whatever happens, don’t run.” Hale tucked her in gently and turned to face the threat.

Tori peeked out to get a better look at the thugs only to realize these weren’t really thugs. More like hired muscle. You wouldn’t catch them hanging out on a street corner. They were deadly.

“If you’re waiting for a chance to get out of this alive, you should have taken the first offer you were given. I will make you an offer though. Hand over the girl and I will make sure your death is fast.”