Storm Watch (Woodland Creek) (4 page)

He watched when she finally realized he was there. Her expressive green eyes focused by degrees. “Nightmare,” he explained gently. “You were having a nightmare.”

She stiffened in his arms and tried to pull away, and he tightened his hold. “Just relax, Storm. I’m not going to hurt you. You’ve got my word.” God, she was awake and still terrified. He certainly couldn’t leave her like this! What did she think he was going to do to her? It should be obvious to her by now that he wasn’t her enemy. If he’d meant her harm, he’d have had plenty of time to do whatever it was she seemed so afraid of. “Relax.”

“Let me go!” she said, trying to push against his chest again. “Don’t hurt me.”

He eased his hold on her, but stayed where he was, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Calm down,” he ordered gently. “You’re safe, and I’m not going to hurt you.” His talents were more toward violence, and had served him well in both his previous careers, but right now, she needed calm and soothing—not exactly his strong suits.

She glared at him, shooting green fire from her eyes. “Stop telling me that! I’m not safe! I’ll never be safe! Just go away,” she said raggedly. “Leave me alone and go away.”

Luke felt her start to shake and tilted her chin up with gentle fingers. Her fear and tears tore at him. She was trying to hide what she was feeling behind anger. Before that’s what he’d wanted—now, he wanted her to think and realize she was safe. He needed her to talk to him, but he also knew that now wasn’t the time. She had to be exhausted. “Don’t cry. We’ll get this sorted out.” He released her and she scrambled across the bed.

Biting back an oath, Luke got to his feet and crossed the room to the one chair next to the window. “Go back to sleep. I’ll stay until you do.”

“I don’t want you here!” she snapped. “Just leave me alone!”

Luke shook his head. “Sorry, no can do. I’ve been paid to keep you safe, remember?” He could have cursed himself when she turned deathly pale. Even in the dimly lit room, it was obvious to his tiger’s eyes.

With a sigh, he walked back over to her. “I’m not calling him, Storm. I’ll keep you here with me until we get this sorted out. I don’t want you to be afraid of me. I promise I’ll keep you safe.”

He saw the flare of hope in her eyes that she quickly masked and felt a surge of protectiveness. Whether she was in danger or not no longer mattered. She thought she was.

“You won’t call?” she asked at last.

“No,” he promised. “Do you want me to go?”

She shook her head and moved back to the middle to lie down again. “You can stay if you want.”

“Then close your eyes and sleep, Storm.” Surprising them both, she did exactly that. Luke leaned back in the comfortable chair and closed his own eyes. It had been a long day. There would be time tomorrow for them to talk and for him to make his calls. It wouldn’t be the first time he had slept in a chair and he wanted to be sure she slept soundly. With a tired sigh, he closed his eyes.

§§§

It was still snowing when Storm opened her eyes and looked out the window. She shivered against the cold and pulled the blankets up, cuddling beneath the warm comforter, then suddenly remembered where she was and jackknifed to a sitting position.

“Morning.”

Storm stared at him. Even in the morning with sleep rumpled hair and a five o’clock shadow, he was a gorgeous man. His eyes, though, were almost hypnotic. A shade of blue she rarely saw in anyone’s eyes. “You stayed with me all night?”

Luke stood up and stretched. “Yeah. I’ll make some coffee and breakfast. Take a shower if you want.”

Storm couldn’t help but look at him. He was tall. Much taller than Raymond. At least 6’4” or so. And big. Not fat—just all muscle. “I don’t have any clothes to put on. I really need to get to my car. Can you take me to it?”

He shook his head. “Sorry, but no. The roads will be impassable until this storm blows over. There’s no doubt it’s going to be a white Christmas.”

“Oh,” she whispered.

“There should be some sweats and things in the drawers. Use whatever you want. We can make do for a day or two. There’s plenty of food and there is a generator if the power goes out. Once the roads begin to clear, we’ll worry about your car.”

Storm suddenly wished she could read the expression in his eyes. There was a tenderness she hadn’t expected, but also something more. “Thanks.”

“I’ll be in the kitchen. Come on out when you’re ready.”

Storm nodded and he walked over to the edge of the bed and brushed the riot of hair away from her face. “Will you be okay?”

“Fine. I guess I should thank you for waking me up from the nightmare last night.”

“No need to thank me. I’ll assume you’d have done the same. I should have breakfast ready in about half an hour.” After touching her cheek gently, he walked from the room.

Storm opened the top drawer and pulled out the first pair of sweats she saw and grabbed a pair of socks. It seemed strange to be in the bedroom of a man she knew absolutely nothing about.

After dressing quickly in the bathroom, she walked back into the bedroom.

She noticed that his keys to the Jeep were on the bedside table. At least
a
set of keys were. Could she sneak out a window and get out of the house before he could catch her?

Slowly, looking toward the door, she moved to the table and slid the keys into her waistband. First chance she got, she decided. She’d tell him she was tired and wanted a nap. That should give her at least enough time to get out the window and into the car, right?

§§§

Once in the kitchen he sighed. He had no more real answers than he’d had the night before. He wasn’t sure who would be safe to contact, not that it mattered. He didn’t have enough details anyway. They had to talk. Maybe in the light of day she’d feel safe enough to answer his questions.

If what she’d said was true, he found it hard to believe that Samuel’s wouldn’t be on the radar, and he did have a few connections in the FBI if nothing panned out with New York. They might prove useful, but he was doing nothing until he knew exactly what he was messing with. Damn it, a simple search job had turned into something much more complicated.

The fact that she was potentially in danger wasn’t the only complication.

He wanted her. He’d wanted her since he’d opened up her car door and she’d asked him if he was her angel. Getting involved with her would be a huge mistake. Even as he had the thought, he knew that it didn’t matter. He wanted her with almost a painful yearning. Shifters might not have mates…but he knew instantly that this was the woman he’d move heaven and earth to be with.

At first, all he’d felt for her was pity mixed with anger and desire. The anger had drained away in the face of her obvious courage. It was a kind of quiet courage that he wanted for his own. A simpering woman would never do for him and he damn well knew it.

Luke paced across the living room, and then shivered. Hell, they needed a fire to ward off the chill that the furnace just couldn’t quite keep up with. He tossed in some newspaper and quickly had a fire blazing.

He felt her behind him and turned his head. A grin touched his lips. She’d put on a pair of his old sweats, so of course they were miles too long on her, but the elastic at the ankles kept her from tripping over them. Her long hair was brushed and shining. Her face was beautiful, even with the dark shadows beneath her eyes and devoid of makeup. Damn it, she was sexy as hell.

He was in serious trouble.

“W
hat?” she asked self-consciously. “It was the only thing I could find that I thought might fit.”

He shook his head. “Nothing. Come on, I’ll fix us something to eat.”

She nodded and followed him into the small kitchen. “Would you like some help?”

“We don’t have much of a selection, I’m afraid. Cereal or eggs. Will it be the silly rabbit or scrambled eggs?”

Storm chuckled. “You actually have that kind of cereal?”

“Yeah, my niece came to visit a few weeks ago. She loves the stuff.”

“Cereal is fine. I’m not that hungry.”

He nodded distractedly and pulled two bowls from the cupboard next to the sink.

Storm studied him as he fixed the bowls of cereal. Why couldn’t she have met someone like him instead of Raymond Samuels? Her taste in men was apparently way off target.

But she sure did know when someone attracted her. Luke Steele attracted her. She didn’t know exactly how she always knew, but she did. It was almost eerie. Of course, that knowledge obviously didn’t let her know if the one who was interested was also dangerous.

He was tall: probably at least six-three. Big yes. But she’d bet her last dollar there wasn’t an ounce of fat on him anywhere. “Thanks,” she mumbled when he sat a bowl in front of her.

Luke smiled and sat across from her. “You look cute as hell in my sweats.”

That smile was lethal. “I’ll bet,” she said dryly. “I’m every man’s fantasy dressed like this.”

She watched his eyes darken and swallowed hard. “Luke?”

His look was intent. “I want you, Storm. We still have this mess to sort out, and it’s way too soon. There are at least a dozen reasons why you should slap me and tell me no, but I want you.”

Storm had never had
that
kind of desire focused on her before. She certainly hadn’t sensed anything like it from Raymond. Desire, of course. But this? This seemed like something more. Something unstoppable.

“Why?” she asked when she could speak.

He tilted his head, as if pondering the question. “Hell if I know,” he admitted. His cereal forgotten, he got to his feet and walked around the table to where she sat. “I have to taste you,” he said, his voice thick.

“Yes,” she agreed, tilting her face up.

Luke groaned and lowered his head to hers. He kissed her gently at first, wrapping his arms around her slender waist, and pulling her against him. She felt the warmth of his hands against her waist and shivered.

Storm parted her lips willingly when she felt the dart of his tongue against her lips. She moaned softly when he nipped on her lower lip gently, and her legs felt weak. Good thing she was already sitting. How could a simple kiss do this to her?

Then suddenly the time of tender exploration was over and he took her mouth with a voracious hunger, driving deep, demanding and giving at the same time. She went willingly when he pulled her to her feet so he could pull her closer to him.

She could do nothing but respond as a surge of need welled in the pit of her stomach. She met his passion with her own and groaned when he gentled the kiss, teasing her with flicks of his tongue. She felt his hand move up her back and he threaded his fingers in her hair.

Finally, she wrenched her mouth away and looked into his face. His eyes were dark and his breathing was as ragged as her own was. “We shouldn’t do this,” she whispered, trying to find some sanity in a world gone mad.

He released her and ran a hand through his hair. “Okay, Storm. Okay.” He took a deep breath, then another.

Storm wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed that he’d agreed so readily, but it had been the right thing to do. She didn’t know him. She was just carried away by the heat of the moment. She sank back down to the chair he’d pulled her from and lowered her head onto shaking hands. “God.”

He gave a short burst of laughter. “Yeah, my thoughts exactly. God, lady, you’re going to burn me up alive when I take you to bed.”

Storm’s eyes widened. “It was just a kiss.”

His eyes narrowed as he leaned down and cupped her cheeks in his rough palms. “Like hell.”

“You don’t even know me,” she whispered shakily.

“Don’t I?” he said. “I know what I need to know, Storm.”

“And what’s that?” she asked, staring into his dark eyes.

“I know that you’re determined, resourceful, brave as hell, and absolutely beautiful,” he said huskily.

She laughed a little at that. “I’m not brave. I ran as fast and as far as I could.”

He kissed her lightly on the forehead, then released her. “Yes. Damn smart thing to do.” Luke ran a hand through his hair again. “We need to talk about exactly what you saw, Storm.”