Escaping Love (12 page)

“Really, nothing compares?
Shame.” She spun on her heel and sashayed away.

She heard him growl lo
w, “You are so mean.”

She liked playing with him
. Maybe it was her nature but she had a feeling it was just because it was Clint. He brought out the best in her. Well at least her fun-loving side. Her body warmed while she remembered their brief but no less magical dance in the rain. She’d only seen that in movies, and to think she’d done it too now.

Butterflies flitted around in her stomach
, making her speed up. She could feel him behind her. Every step she took squeaked an annoying ballad. But he stayed silent behind her, kind of irritating her. The cat in her balked at the idea a dog could be stealthier than her. Damn boots.

All she wanted at the moment included a dry set of clothes
, some warm apple cider minus the catnip, and to snuggle up with Clint in front of the fire. The last part, no matter how tempting, would be too dangerous. Despite her setting ground rules, just scratching an itch seemed more and more ridiculous.

She needed a reminder of what brought her to Clint in the first place. Avoiding her degradation and finding a way to change hundreds of years of tradition
needed to be her first priority not the next time she was on the receiving end of a mind–blowing, toe-curling orgasm. Being at the ranch made her problems fade away like the evening sun.

She gripped the handle of the door leading into the mud room and slipped inside. She left her boots by the door and bypassed a singing Clara. The smell of some sweet confection almost had her switching gears and heading to the
table instead of her room.

She made a decision. There couldn’t be a repeat with Clint. No way in hell would she survive the next few days with a level head if she kept thinking about his hands on her
body. It didn’t matter that she had yet to taste him or find out what really drove him wild. Nope, it didn’t matter at all. She was fine. She could do this, nothing to it.

Sighing with what she hoped was
relief, she ignored the ache in the center of her chest. She found the most unattractive bits of clothing she could muster and cleaned up. Using the stealth her ancestors would be proud of, she descended the stairs, stopping at the sound of Clint’s firm tone.

“I can’t get ahold of Gryph. He hasn’t returned any of my calls. I left messages for Clay
, but he hasn’t called me back either. I’m not surprised since the bear probably hasn’t even checked the machine in my office. Gryph should have called me back by now. They will come for her. I won’t let them take her. Even if I wasn’t bound by Hospitality, I wouldn’t let them put a hand on her. She’s—”

Alex tried to make out the last part
, but she failed miserably.

“My dear boy, do you realize what you’re saying?”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Well
, whatever you need I’m here for you.”

“Thanks
, Clara.”

Steps echoed down the hall so
Alex shuffled her way back to her room and closed the door, cringing as the latch clicked shut.

Her heart pounded in her ears
. She felt as if she’d been caught doing something bad. Her hands shook. She wished she could have heard the last part of what he’d said. The gist of the conversation pointed to her being out of luck. Gryph and Jenny were MIA. That meant she had to go back before they came to take her.

S
he couldn’t risk Clara or Clint being hurt in the crossfire. If the Mercs didn’t find her, surely her father’s Beta would. Given the choice, she knew her father’s men wouldn’t hurt her, at least not physically. She’d give herself one more day then she’d find a way to leave.

Her lip trembled
, and her eyes burned. One last day to be with him. Earlier she resolved to stop dallying with Clint. Now she couldn’t think of anything else. Maybe she didn’t love him but she had never been so consumed by a person. Every one of his movements held her captive, his scent drugged her, making her heart race, and his smile made her feel as if maybe there was a Happily Ever After.

A stray tear broke through her mental bindings, burning a trail of sadness down her cheek,
then finally falling to its demise on the shaggy carpet. The number one had never held such interest to her, but when she thought of it in regards to Clint, it seemed both priceless and nondescript.

Angrily she wiped at her eyes and did her best to plaster a smile on her face. If he suspected her of any shenanigans, he would never let her out of his sight.
She ghosted her way out of her temporary room. Ghosted seemed appropriate because she felt like a shell of her former self. All the life had been sucked out of her. Maybe she shouldn’t have left home in the first place. Some arranged marriages turn into love or at least a comfortable friendship. Would that have been so bad? At least then she wouldn’t know what she was missing. After all, ignorance was bliss.

~****~

Clint’s stomach rumbled as swirls of chocolate chip goodness filled the air of the kitchen. Clara excelled at many things but nothing compared to her melt-in-your-mouth cookies. Merely describing them as cookies seemed an injustice. More like circular pieces of heaven. They warmed your heart and made you feel all loved and cared for. Nothing made him happier, until he saw Alex bounce into the kitchen.

Her hair sat on
her head in a messy bun. She had no makeup on and wore the most horrific saggy clothing. She looked downright snuggable. Snuggable may not be proper English, but it described her perfectly.

He grabbed a cookie to fill his mouth and keep from saying embarrassing things like ‘will you marry me’. Just be
fore he popped it into his face, Clara smacked his hand.

“Don’t you dare spoil your
dinner.”

He
frowned at her, surprised how her tone still made him feel like a little boy.

“Yes
, ma’am.” He flashed Alex a cocky grin.

“I made chicken stir fry for dinner
. I hope that’s all right. Look at you, dear. Don’t you just look like you’ve made yourself right at home?”

His Little Cat turned a brilliant crimson as she looked down at her clothes.

“I didn’t think—I was just trying to get warm after spending much of the day soaked to the bone.”

“Well, you look comfortable. I think I’m
gonna go get on my jammies and join you.”

Clara walked toward her room. During Clint’s youth he hadn’t seen C
lara in her jammies once. The dear woman was probably trying to make Alex feel better. He liked where this was going.

“I’d go slip into my jammies too, but I’m afraid I sleep naked.”
He kept his face impassive as her eyes grew wider. “Unless you’d like to see my jammies, then I could make a special appearance just for you.”

Her gaze drifted down his body
, landing on his already eager erection. The damn thing seemed ready and willing when she came near. Her gazed snapped to his face, and a wicked gleam made her eyes sparkle.

“Sure
, Cowboy, I’d love tickets to that show.”

His mouth gaped a little
, but he managed to hide his surprised amusement.

“But first I think we should eat dinner. We may need the sustenance for later.” She winked at him.

The little minx made him smile. Laughter flowed from deep inside, and he couldn’t help but let it all come out. He laughed until his sides ached and his eyes watered.

“Thanks
, I needed that.”

She had laughed a little with him
, but he guessed it came from confusion and awkwardness instead her finding herself entertaining. It was okay because he found her entertaining enough for the both of them.

“I’m
gonna start a fire. Even though it ended up being pretty nice today, it will get pretty chilly tonight. I had Clara make you some of her special cider, minus the catnip this time.”

He almost regretted that decision, almost, but the truth was he wanted her on fire for him and only him. What he
’d said to Clara couldn’t have been more heartfelt. He left her in the kitchen and made quick work of the fireplace. When he returned to the kitchen, he found Clara in an equally warm outfit complete with pink, oversized bunny slippers.

“There you are. I decided I’m going to eat in my room. I need to call Jesse and make sure she made it. She never called.”

“I’m sure she’s fine. She probably got tied up with her friends. Nothin’ to worry about.”

She gave him a small smile. “I’m sure you
’re right. Plus that Kane fellow is with her, and he seems like a nice guy.”

His eye started to twitch
, but fortunately Alex chimed in.

“Yep, Kane’s a good guy. I can tell these things about people. I’m sure Jesse is
fine.”

Kane a good guy, yeah right.
He really was cursed. His soul was dark because of old family secrets. It didn’t matter if he wanted to be good—it would never happen. Fate or destiny would never allow it. He almost felt sorry for the guy. Maybe if things had been different Kane would have turned out better, but people had to make the best of what they’d been dealt. Unfortunately for Kane, he was at the losing end of well, everything.

“Are you sure you want to eat in your room? I love to visit with you.”

“Don’t worry, dear. There will be plenty of time for that in the next few days. I assure you.”

Alex bit her lip
, and Clint’s cock rose to the occasion. Damn thing had a mind of its own.

“Okay, sleep well. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Clara gave Alex a motherly hug and a quick kiss on the forehead. “Good night, you two.”

“Night.”

The soft sound of Clara’s footsteps drifted off into the night, leaving him alone with his Little Cat. If he had his way, she’d be naked in less than five minutes.

Alex ate the food Clara had so kindly made for them but couldn’t taste a thing. Her mind raced
, trying to find a way to stay a little longer. The greedy part of her wanted to forget her family and just be with Clint. All you needed was love. Or at least that was what she had been told.

But she knew it wouldn’t be true for her. She couldn’t risk something happening to
Clara. What her family expected of her was wrong. She believed it with her very core, but hundreds of years of tradition couldn’t be changed in a matter of days. Her heart ached as hopelessness snaked its way into her body.

“What’s wrong
, darlin’?”

“With me?
Nothing. I was just planning my day out for tomorrow.”

“Well that won’t do at all. I don’t want your pretty little mind on anything but me.”

“Oh you don’t, do you?”

“Nope.”

A devilish grin filled his face, making him impossibly more handsome. She’d never noticed before but little crinkles formed next to his eyes.

“Clint, do you remember anything about your life before Clara found you?”

His brow knit in concentration before he shook his head no. “Not really. I have flashes of places, but I’m not sure what they mean. Sometimes I hear something that sounds like thunder and screams, but that could be from anything.”

She cupped his face with her hand.
“I’m sorry.”

He pressed a kiss into her palm. The sensation of his lips sent her own kind of lightning to her pussy.

No holding back
.

She repeated it over and over in her mind like a silent prayer. What it entailed she didn’
t quite know. This could be the very last time night she spent with Clint, and she wasn’t about to waste it.

Placing her plate on the coffee table, she admired the way the
glow from the flames danced across his features. A light dusting of hair shadowed his jaw. His blue eyes reminded her of the pool from his secret place. She hadn’t noticed before, but he had the faintest spattering of freckles on his nose. She liked it. They added a boyish charm she found addictive. The weight in her heart grew heavy to an almost distracting level. Her gaze dropped to his lips.

“Kiss me.”

“I thought you’d never ask, darlin’.”

Then he pounced
, covering her body with his. His hard muscles pushed her into the couch, stealing her breath. When his lips brushed over hers, the last of her resistance faded. She loved him. The weight in her chest lifted with her acceptance.

She dug her hands into his hair and pressed her
mouth closer to his. Kissing him with everything she had. She gave him everything. Her heart, her love, and the last piece of herself she consider free. She moaned as he undulated his hips against her already heated core.

He broke the kiss
, moving his attention to the sensitive part of her neck. Chills flowed through her, making her tremble beneath him. She locked her legs behind him as her harsh panting brought the light burn of smoke from the fire and his scent. God, she loved the way he smelled. Her nipples pearled under her oversized shirt, rasping against the fabric with each trust of his hips.