Their Unexpected Mate [Paranormal Protection Unit] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (4 page)

“What are you sorry about, darlin’?” he asked with a serious drawl to his tone, ensuring to remain sitting so that he didn’t spook her.

“I shouldn’t have. I really, oh God.” She didn’t know what to say, what to do. She didn’t know anything about what she was doing right now. Rubbing her forehead with her finger and thumb, she shook her head. “You should really go now. I need to finish cleaning and then I’m going to start dinner.”

“Good, I can clean and I love to eat. How about you let me help you?” he asked with a grin and stood. “Let me help you, darlin’, get to know me.” From his tone of voice she could tell that he planned to spend a great deal of time with her and it would be best to let him have this concession.

“I,” she sputtered. “You. I.” She sighed. “Gosh blessed it all,” she muttered. “Oh fine!” she all but yelled. “Good gravy.” She sighed and shook her head. “All right, fine,” she conceded finally when he began to give her puppy-dog eyes. “You will do what I say, when I say it.”

Tossing his hands up in a gesture of surrender and a grin on his lips, he nodded. “I will do whatever you tell me to do, darlin’, that’s a promise.”

The heat in his eyes had her licking her lips in appreciation, a gesture that was completely innocent and so damn provocative that she saw every muscle on his body tense. She spoke finally. “Uhm, I really don’t know what to say about that,” she whispered honestly. “Because I’m sure whatever I say, my mind will come up with something else, and oh my.” She fanned herself and shook her head. “Right,” she whispered and turned on her heels. “All right, come on. I guess I can put you to use changing the lightbulbs at the tops of the stairs and sweeping the webs from the corners.” She shuddered. “I seriously have a hard hate for spiders.”

He couldn’t help but laugh and asked, “And the reason for the lightbulb changing?”

“Well, duh, silly, because I’m clumsy as all-get-out and if I climb a ladder at the top of the stairs, well, I might as well just write my own suicide note.”

That had him stilling. “Then you are never to get on a ladder. Call me or—” He stopped. He hadn’t yet told her about Sully and Mac. That was for later. “Just call me,” he said with serious heat in his tone. Moving to her, he placed his hands on her hips and pulled her close. “Swear to me, Katherine, that you will never climb up on a ladder, darlin’.”

“All right.” She braced her hands on his chest because she had no other option at the moment. “I will never climb up on a ladder, I swear,” she said with a grin. Good gravy, this man was so intense, so hot, and holy cow, he made her completely weak in the knees and made her ache, made her want and need, and that was just, holy crap, that wasn’t good. Katherine wanted a relationship, she really did, but she wasn’t so sure that she was ready for one yet.

“Good.” Leaning in, he dropped a chaste kiss to her lips and pulled back smiling, and added, “Later when you are feeling more comfortable with me, I’m really going to kiss you, darlin’. That’s something you need to make sure that you are well aware of and anticipating.”

“Right,” she murmured and pulled from him so that she could walk inside, holding the door open for him and looking over her shoulder. “Well, come on.”

“Right behind you, darlin’.” There was a smile on his face when he spoke to her, but as soon as her back was turned he cast a glance at the expanse of the lawn. Giving a small signal before entering the home, he saw the flash of light from a tree that told him that for now they were safe, their backs watched, and it was all clear.

Sully watched from over the ridge. His position was closer to the road. It was to ensure that no one could come up the road without them all knowing it. He watched as their woman walked into the resort with their brother. Touching the comm on his ear, he keyed in to his brother. “All clear here, Mac. How are things on your end?”

Mac adjusted himself in the sniper mount, and then touched his fingers to the com. “All’s clear here,” he murmured softly, his eye on the scope and watching the surrounding area like an eagle. “We got this, brother-man.” He knew that Scythe was listening in. “Just remember that tomorrow is my turn,” he added with a smile that lit his eyes in true happiness.

“Damn straws,” Sully muttered. “You always were luckier than the fucking devil on that one.”

They both heard Scythe’s chuckle and they all smiled. Funny what a woman, and not just any woman, but their woman, entering their world did for them. Settling in so that he was once more invisible, Mac kept watch from his perch and Sully kept watch from his hideaway as well, both men knowing that when Scythe came out he would settle into his watchful spot and together the trio would ensure that their soon-to-be bond-mate would be protected and kept safe.

* * * *

Passing him a package of the lightbulbs that she kept in stock now, she grinned. “All right, the tall ladder is in the basement. I had it down there and cleaning the tops of the doors,” she said softly. “Oh, and don’t bother the mud-bath tubs. They are supposed to be bubbling. They are supposed to be looking as they do.”

“Right, don’t touch the mud.” He laughed and shook his head. “You know, when I was a kid my momma would be mad at me if I was to roll around in the mud and here you are making baths for them?”

“You bet. The only difference however is that this mud is completely pure. It’s volcanic mud that’s been sent through a purification process four times over,” she explained. “It’s wonderful for cancer survivors because it will help to slough off the dead skin cells that they have left over from treatment.” She sighed. “Treatment is tough on a person’s body. Their soul as well, but I’m very hopeful that if I can help them begin with their bodies they can find help for their souls as well.” Katherine wasn’t a fully spiritual person, but she knew what she wanted and needed…funny thing how right now that was him.

“I see. So it’s like an exfoliant.” He saw her eyes widen and grinned. “I happen to be secure enough in my manhood to tell you right now that I love to go in and have the sugar scrubs on my hands and feet. I don’t get my nails painted, but I won’t lie when I tell you there’s nothing at all wrong with going to one of those little Asian places in the strip malls and having time to myself.” He heard the chuckles and wanted to tell his brothers to shut the fuck up, but he looked at her and grinned. “I think that you and I should do that one day. In fact, I think it’s going to be our next date, darlin’.”

What could she say to that other than
sure
? Grinning, she nodded. “I would like that a great deal, Trey. I would really enjoy having that time with you. I think afterward you should take me to dinner, too,” she said with a grin. “And if you’re lucky, a movie before dinner.”

“I would like that a great deal, kitten,” he said with a bright smile. “In fact, I think that we should do this Saturday. I know of a place. It’s where I like to go, and they would be more than happy to see us at 11:00 a.m. We could spend the day getting our feet and hands done. You can get your nails done, too, and then I will take you to lunch. Afterward, a movie and then dinner,” he added to the list she had offered him.

Her face bloomed with the happy smile that she gave him. “Well, then it seems as if we have a date, but that doesn’t get you out of cleaning with me and changing out the lightbulbs, so get to it.”

“Ma’am, yes, ma’am,” he said with a formal salute.

Her eyes went wide at the way that he reacted and she heard herself asking, “Are you in the military?”

“Was, ma’am,” he said with a smile. “Now I work in the private sector.” Which was the absolute truth. He and his brothers. His Delta team brothers had formed their own company with the Old Man, their former commander. “We are the best of the best.” Which wasn’t a lie. It wasn’t an empty promise at all. “In fact, I would like to ask if I could bring a couple of my brothers out here so that we could work on getting you a security system set up here.” At her look he held up his hand and grinned. “We will charge you for equipment but not labor. How’s that for a deal?”

He saw the laughter in her eyes, watched her as she bit her lower lip, and couldn’t help but smile. Damn, he wanted to kiss that lip that she was biting with her little white teeth. He listened to her as she spoke. “All right. That would be lovely.”

Scythe grinned and nodded. He heard the appreciation from his brothers because that meant that he had just given them a way in and a reason to meet her and spend time with her.

“Now, go,” she repeated with a laugh, smacking his bottom when he turned around.

Turning, he shot her a look and smiled. “Oh, darlin’, one day I’m going to spank you and you’re going to love it every bit as much as I liked that little bitty tap you just gave me.” Before she could respond, he took off for the basement so that he could get the ladder and bulbs.

It wasn’t until he was gone that she found herself fanning herself again. “Good God,” she whispered. “Who would have thought that a man could raise my temperature so much with just some playful banter?” But he did. Holy cow, he did.

“You’re welcome,” Scythe said once he was in the basement via the comms to his brothers. Grinning, he found the ladder and continued. “We will need to ensure that we happen upon her at the movies. We will be there around 3:00 p.m. I will introduce you to her so that she can be a little comfortable with you boys. That way when you come to help me install her system we can have that first night with her then.” He had a plan. Normally it was Mac with the schemes, but in this Scythe seemed to take the forefront in ensuring that their little bond-mate was safe, happy, and eased into life with them.

“We will be there,” Mac assured him through the comm and both heard Sully grunting in agreement. “Make sure that you get your nails painted pink. Who would have ever known that the deadliest man I ever met in the world went for weekly foot treatments.”

Grinning, Scythe said, “Pedicures and manicures.” He told his buddies, “If you’re going to call it, call it right.” Just as he had told Katherine, he was secure in his manhood. He just had never shared that part of himself with his brothers-in-arms. Sully and Mac both laughed, their laughter coming through the comms, and when it twined in with Scythe’s, the trio’s bond was clear. “Oh, shut the hell up, assholes. You’re just pissed off because you aren’t here with her right now. You aren’t going to eat her meal that she’s going to cook for me, so shut the fuck up,” he said with a grin and began to move toward the stairs once more.

Humming a song under his breath, Scythe did just as his little bond-mate had instructed and began to help to make her life a little brighter.

Katherine had enjoyed her time with Trey. She had loved the laughter, banter, and joy that they found together. It was wonderful to her to be able to be so very free with someone and that was spectacular. To her it was also odd to be able to be so free with him and to know that he was just as free with her. The time she had spent with him that day had been fantastic. She had learned a great deal about him and also about the men that he called
brother
.

She had been all but walking on air in the two weeks following as she spent time with Trey. Her place looked great and she knew it. Looking around the space, she couldn’t help but smile, and then had a seat at the computer desk. Reading her emails, she ensured that she fired back the ones that needed to be replied to, confirmed bookings, and then settled back. Looking at her watch again, she finally rose to walk toward the front door. She knew that he would be there soon, was certain that if he wasn’t already headed up the drive he would be within minutes.

Stepping into her open-toe sandals, she jumped when he opened the door. “Hey there, darlin’,” he all but purred as he adjusted himself to lean against the door, content to watch her moving and happy to have that moment. “Are you gettin’ yourself ready for me, darlin’?”

Giving him a toothy and wide grin, she winked, couldn’t seem to help herself from it, and said, “You betcha. I had thought it would be nice to make sure to be able to get myself ready.” She frowned then. “I didn’t hear you pull up.” She hadn’t heard a car, which was odd in itself because she knew that she could normally hear every single peep that happened around her place.

“I drove the bike up here,” he told her happily. “And I pushed it from the front of the drive because I wanted to surprise you.” It was dirty of him, but damn he loved catching her when she wasn’t expecting him, finding her doing the things that made her
her
.

That had her grinning and shaking her head. “All right then,” she said with a roll of her eyes that she ensured he saw. “So you wanted to surprise me. I think that I’m going to talk to your coworkers and see about installing some kind of monitoring device without you knowing about it so that you can’t sneak up on me,” she teased.

The thought that came across Scythe’s mind was that if she knew the true extent of the protection that he and his brothers had already put into place around her little place she would likely tear his head off and shove it up his brothers’ rears. Yeah, he wasn’t going there if he could possibly help it. “Give me your jacket, darlin’,” he said with a smile and took it from her hand. “Now, slide your pretty little arms in this jacket so that we can get ourselves to town. I’ve pulled a favor so that we can get our hands and feet worked on at the same time.” Normally the shop was pretty full this time of morning, but thankfully he had actually spent and tipped enough in the place that the people loved him and moved things around to make sure that he remained happy and coming to them when he was in town.

Grinning, she let him help her with her jacket and nodded to him. “All right then, lead me to the Schwinn,” she teased.

Putting a hand on his chest, he stumbled slightly and shook his head. “Oh, baby, you wound me. How you could say that I drive a Schwinn?” He shook his head. “Oh, baby.” Shaking his head, he moved to her and placed his hands on her hips. Looking down with a grin, he said, “Later, I’m going to spank you for calling my bike a Schwinn.” The glint in his eyes said just how much he would enjoy that spanking as well.