Kadenburg Revealed (The Kadenburg Shifters Series, Book 4) (3 page)

“I’d rather be safe than sorry,” she replied, relaxing her fingers around the steering wheel as she pressed her foot down on the gas pedal.  “Besides, it gives Lorcan peace of mind or I wouldn’t even be going on this trip.”

“What’s Lorcan up to today?” Louisa asked as she squirmed around on the passenger side of the truck.  She seemed so restless suddenly, and Presley wondered if she was nervous about something.

“He’s working on a super-secret project in the garage,” Presley lifted an eyebrow as she responded.  “No one’s allowed in there.  I have no idea what he’s doing.”

“Do you think it’s a gift for you?”

“If he’s working on a car for me, we have bigger issues,” Presley grinned.  “He already knows what I want for Christmas.”

“What’s that?” Louisa shifted again, turning herself to face Presley as she rested an elbow against the back of the seat.

“Well, I told him if he gets me anything, I won’t talk to him for a year.”

“So you don’t want anything for Christmas?” Louisa asked in surprise.  “Not even a sweater?”

“Do
you
want a sweater?” Presley asked as she stole a glance at her.  “I’ve already got everything I could possibly want, Lou.  By June of next year, I’ll have a perfect little being with his daddy’s eyes and my wit-hopefully.  I have a man who loves me and actually values me...he protects me.  I just don’t see how it’s possible for Christmas morning to bring me anything better than what I’ve already got.”

It was silent for several seconds afterwards, and Presley was beginning to wonder if Louisa had fallen asleep on her.  She turned her head to look at her again and noticed how she had her bottom lip clutched between her teeth.  Something was bothering her, but what?

“You okay over there?” Presley probed gently, turning on her turn signal to get back into the slower lane.  Contrary to popular belief, turn signals were actually still extremely useful.  A lot of people didn’t seem to realize they were included on every vehicle made-or maybe they just didn’t know how to use them. She, however, used them at every opportunity.

“Oh, I’m fine,” Louisa replied in a softer voice.  “Do you have any names picked out for him?”

Not even the universe itself could prevent the huge smile that overcame Presley.  She nodded eagerly and the blond curls upon her head bounced with the motion as she laughed. 

“Yes,” she replied excitedly.  “We’ve got the perfect name picked out for him.”

“I think it’s really cool that you could dream about Urseth, Presley.  I mean, I don’t think it’s every day an ursithrope gets to do that.  He basically told you what your future would hold.”

“Yeah...it was weird,” Presley agreed, wetting her lips as her eyes drifted to the side mirrors.  She was an overly cautious driver sometimes.  Lorcan had commented on it more than once.

“You drive too slowly,”
he’d say.  Or,
“For the love of Urseth, Presley, would you just pull out? That car is a mile away!”

She smiled fondly at the memories as Louisa spoke again.

“So what’s the name?” Louisa asked.  “I need to know so I know what name to put on his gift.”

“You bought him a gift already?”

“Well, not yet.  But I will,” Louisa promised with a smile.  “Aunty Lou has to come through for the baby, doesn’t she?”

They both erupted in laughter then, and that’s how Presley knew their trip to Knoxville would be an excellent opportunity to bond.  It was something she wanted very much.

“I
f you don’t stop being so damned stubborn, I’m going to tie you to that bed and keep you there until New Year’s,” Natalie threatened.  She was tired of playing these games with Arnold Goult.  He would either learn to listen to her, or she’d smack him.

“I ain’t gonna do it,” Arnold mumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest.  “I don’t want you shaving me, Woman.  I’m plenty capable of doing it myself!”

She stared at him, dumbfounded.

“Oh, okay. Well, why don’t you just try remembering what happened last time, huh?  You nearly sliced your own throat, Arnold!  You need to let me shave you. You look like one of those guys from that TV show.”

“Hmph!” He frowned.  “I don’t look like them,” He argued.  “I happen to like my beard, thank ya very much.  There’s no way in hell I’m letting you near me with a razor.”

“Well, if you don’t let me do it, I’ll call Presley,” Natalie stated matter-of-factly. “Do you
want
me to call Presley?”

Arnold was silent from his position on the mattress.  She could see the gears grinding together in his head as his left eye twitched.

“No.” He muttered.

“Then get out of the bed and come into the bathroom.  I’ll be quick about it.”

She watched as he pushed his long and muscular frame from the bed and stood.  His hands immediately moved to rest against his waist in an impatient manner.  His eyebrows knitted together as he turned in the direction of her voice.

“There.  I’m up.  Are you happy now?”

“I will be when you get your ass in the bathroom,” She challenged, crossing her arms over her chest.  “Do you need help getting there?”

“Do I need help—woman!” Arnold snarled as he took a step forward and she quickly darted out of his way.  “I know my dang house like the back of my hand.  Do I need help getting there?  No, I don’t.  You just stay back and let me—ow!” He howled in pain as his knee collided with the corner of his dresser.  He hobbled around, reaching out to grab for the end of the bed.  The string of obscenities that flew from his mouth would’ve made a sailor blush, but Natalie simply laughed.

“Well, there you go, Hot Shot,” she commented as she easily slid past him and headed for the door.  “Face it, Arnold. You
need
my help.  Stop being so stubborn.”

“I can do it on my own,” Arnold insisted as he limped past her and headed down the hallway.  “I don’t need you watching after me like some mother hen.  I’m a grown man.  I can take care of myself.  You should go home.”

Natalie rolled her eyes, following after him as she watched his fingers trace against the wall.  She felt bad for him, truth be told.  He’d been trying to familiarize himself with everything all over again.  She imagined being blinded suddenly wasn’t an easy thing and whether Arnold liked it or not, she was going to tough it out to help him.  It didn’t matter how often he insulted her, or how bad he tried to make her feel; she was there for him.  Hell, even if she didn’t want to, she still had to.  Why?  Because a part of her still loved him, even after all these years.  She couldn’t bear the thought of Arnold being alone.

“Just hold still,” she said softly as she lifted the blade to his cheek.  The shaving cream had been applied and the rushing water from the faucet was the only sound that touched her ears as she carefully pressed the blade against his skin.  He’d really gone too long without a proper shave, and even though he
did
look good with facial hair, she wasn’t a fan of his current beard.  Was he trying to pass off as Santa Claus?

Tis the season,
she thought with a small smile.

“Would you hurry it up?” Arnold asked as his damaged eyes blinked at her.  “I need to take a shower and get ready.  I promised Richard I’d come over today to help out with that tree Charlotte’s been nagging at him about.”

“He still hasn’t put up the tree, huh?” Natalie asked with amusement.  These were things she already knew, but it gave her an excuse to have a conversation with him.  Arnold tried to keep her locked out most of the time-and she could respect that.  However, a small part of her enjoyed these moments.  She liked his company.

“Nope,” he grumbled.  “And seein’ as how I ain’t got a reason to put one up here, I thought it might be nice to help them with theirs.”

Here we go again,
she bit her bottom lip.  Arnold was still trying to get used to a lot of things aside from being blind.  He wasn’t handling Presley’s absence very well.  It was different when she moved off to Florida a few years ago, but now she was back.  She was within reach, yet she was living with Lorcan in their lovely little home not even a mile away.  Arnold was struggling with empty nest syndrome.  At least that’s what Charlotte told her.

“I’m sure Presley would like it very much if you wanted to come over and help her put up the Christmas lights on their porch,” She offered, rinsing the blade off in the sink before she started on the other side of his face.  “She misses you, Arnold.”

“I don’t want to intrude,” he replied as his nostrils flared.  “She and Lorcan still have a lot of settling in to do.  There ain’t any reason for me to be getting in their way.”

“You aren’t getting in their way,” she rolled her eyes, carefully gliding the blade down his cheek.  “How many times has she called in the past week?”

He didn’t answer.

“I can think of at least seven times,” she rinsed the blade again before focusing on his chin and neck.  Her eyes swept over his handsome face, feeling as her heart skipped a beat.  Twenty something years later and he still had the ability to make her feel like a schoolgirl with a ridiculous crush. That in itself was....well, ridiculous.

“I was busy,” he lied, tilting his head back so she could have better access. 

“Doing what? Drinking beer and listening to a game?  Come on, Arnold.  You can’t get away with that.  She wants to spend time with you.  What’s keeping you away?”

“Are you done yet?” He asked through clenched teeth, dropping his chin promptly.  She jerked the blade away in an effort not to cut him.  “I got things to do now.”

“You’re being a stubborn ass,” she snapped, glaring at him.  “You’re being a pain in
my
ass!”

“Well, ain’t anybody asking you to be here, Natalie.  Go home,” he muttered as he straightened to his full height and rolled his shoulders.  “Gimme that towel.”

“No.”

“I said give me the towel.”

“And I said no.”

“You damn stubborn woman.” He muttered, pinning her against the sink as he lifted his hand to feel for the towel that usually hung on the rack.  His chest crushed against hers and Natalie forgot how to breathe.  He was too close.  She felt dizzy as she inhaled the scent of what could only be Arnold.  She remembered his smell all too well.....

He froze against her.  Could he feel her trembling?  Natalie’s eyes widened as she watched his head turn slowly.  The tip of his nose brushed against hers and it felt like the fourth of July erupted in her veins.  Her knees turned to jelly as she watched his nostrils flare.  He could smell her, too.

“Natalie,” He whispered hoarsely as his eyes widened in horror.  “Are you....”

Oh, Urseth.  She knew exactly what he was asking as one of his hands fell to rest against her waist.  His fingertips dug into her skin possessively as she stifled a small whimper.  This was wrong.  He was only acting this way because it was their nature to do so.

“You should leave,” he growled, though he made no effort to step back as his smooth cheek pressed against hers.  “Damn it.  You should have been gone when it started.”

She swallowed her nerves back into place, willing her body not to fail her as his hand disappeared beneath the bottom of her shirt.  She shivered in a delicious way, allowing her heavily lidded eyes to close.  Yes, she should’ve left when she glanced at the calendar and realized her cycle was only days away.  Her scent was always at its strongest when she was close to that time, but she couldn’t just leave him alone.  He needed someone to look after him and she wasn’t going to let just
anyone
do it.

“You need to go,” he groaned breathlessly.  The heat between them grew hotter by the second, and all Natalie wanted to do was submit to him.  She wanted Arnold to claim what had been his since she was sixteen years old; her.

“I....” What was she supposed to say?  She licked her lips quickly, gasping as she felt his lips tracing over the side of her neck.  She squeezed her eyes shut, lifting a hand to rest against his back.  She could feel the muscles quivering from her touch as she turned her head to ghost a feather light kiss against his silky jaw.

Oh, how she wanted his lips against her own.  She had fantasized about it so many times in the past.  If only he could’ve loved her before the human......

“You have to go,” Arnold pleaded as his hips pressed into hers.  She could feel the evidence of his arousal pressing against her and it took every ounce of strength she had not to take him right then and there.  As much as she wanted it, this was wrong.  It wasn’t how she wanted it to happen.  He was attracted to her scent at the moment, and once it passed, he would only view her as the woman he despised so much.  Nature could be so cruel.

“Let me by,” she requested in a softer tone, raking her nails down his shirt as she sighed.  “I’ll leave.”

“I’m trying.” He promised as his teeth slid over her shoulder.  Natalie went rigid.  If he marked her, there would be no turning back.  He was drunk on the lust his bear felt for hers, and if they coupled under false pretenses, he’d never forgive her.

“Arnold,” she nearly sobbed as she pressed her palms against his chest.  “Stop breathing for a second.”

“I can’t,” he whispered, nuzzling his nose against her throat.  “You smell too damn good.”

“Arnold,” Natalie blinked back hot tears as she pushed against him.  “This isn’t real....what you’re feeling right now isn’t real.  My bear is calling to yours.  You know that....”

“He likes her,” Arnold stated in a honey smooth voice as his hand dipped between her legs.  She arched her back, crying out as his palm came into contact with her aching center through her jeans.  “He likes her a lot.”

“Yes, but...” She sucked in a sharp breath, stilling her hips as they tried to undulate against his touch.  “You don’t like me.  Remember that, okay?  You hate me.”

“I could never hate you.  You’re beautiful,” Arnold insisted as he worked the button of her jeans open.  His hand delved inside as a moan ripped past her lips.  Eager and skilled fingers found exactly what they were looking for as he pinned her to the sink again.  “So beautiful....”