Grayslake: More than Mated: Unbearable Love (Kindle Worlds Novella) (2 page)

Eli raised his hand and waved it through the air. “Serial bachelor here. I’m not getting strung-up like you pussies.” It was normal banter for the men. They had grown up together and were like kin. “This is Keen’s fault. Why did your brother think it was a good idea to create the Wereweb?”

“That’s a whole other episode. What I need from you is to stop by the bar and make sure things don’t get out of hand.”

“You’re tasking me with hanging out at the bar with a bunch of single women?”

Ty shook his head. “Tough job, but someone has to do it. And, you get to help those women register. I want everyone who’s not part of this clan to be accounted for. Mia insists on letting the women in, but I need to make sure I know everyone who’s sticking around.” Ty lifted half the pile of papers from Van’s desk and pointed to the empty desk in the corner. “Take that one. I’ve called the B&B and asked for their guests to come on down.” Ty looked out the window and at the line of women walking their way. “You’re up.”

Eli groaned. He spent his days outside and alone. He wasn’t good with people. The only conversations he had with women happened at closing time, when the bottle was empty. He was light on words.
Top?
Or
Bottom?
Those were the two questions that ended most outings. Resigned to his fate, he took his stack of papers to the desk and waited.

G
rayslake was
the perfect place to hide before she was forced to marry a man she loathed. Open season had been the perfect cloak. Surely, she could get lost in a town swarming with women. Maybe she’d even witness true love in action. Lily closed her eyes and envisioned what that would look like.

A warm embrace.

A hot kiss.

A night of lovemaking.

A husband.

A house.

Children.

That would never be her reality.

The ad on the Wereweb was a savior. It inspired a course of action and sounded like a brilliant plan that could be implemented with success. Lily would hide and hope her father wouldn’t find her. Then, a call came in from the Itan, notifying all visitors they had to register at the sheriff’s office. Now, Lily debated the soundness of that plan. One mention of her father’s name and anonymity would be lost. She’d be found.

Gravel crunched under the tires of the big, silver truck. A man as big as an oak tree exited and ran to open the passenger-side door. A skinny brunette jumped out of the truck. After a kiss, she stalked across the yard toward the group of girls waiting like lambs for the slaughter. When Lily stayed put, the woman approached her. “What’s your name?”

Lily shrunk back. What did she tell her? How was she supposed to maintain obscurity if honesty was required? How could she stay true to herself if she had to lie? She compromised and answered with half-truths…or were they half-lies?

“My name is Lilliana, but my friends call me Lily.” That was a lie, too. Lily didn’t have any friends. It came part and parcel with being the Itan’s daughter. The women in the clan didn’t like her because of who she was, and the men didn’t like her because they had no chance at a claim. Her father had promised her to Dane.

The brunette looked Lily over. “I’m Julia, and I’d advise you to stay out of my way, Lilliana.” Every syllable of Lily’s name was emphasized like Julia was spitting out something that tasted bad .

Lily would have no problem staying clear of Julia. Julia was the kind of woman who snacked on people like Lily. All she wanted to do was blend into the background and feel normal for the final days of her happy life.

“No problem, I’m here as an observer. I run a romance blog called ‘Lily Loves.’” Lilliana Love-Becket was a lover of romance, and a believer in happily ever after—at least, for everyone but her. She would never be allowed to search for a fated mate. Even if she did, it would be a fruitless exploration. She was all but married to her father’s second-in-command, and that would seal her dismal fate forever.

“Well, Lilliana Love, while you read and write about it, I’ll live it. I may even let you interview me.” Julia turned in her skinny, ass-clad jeans, and walked away.

The truth hurt, because it was…the truth. Gorgeous men like the one driving the silver truck gravitated toward doers like Julia, whereas Lily was simply a dreamer.

After the dozen or so women piled out of the house and into cars, Lily climbed into her rental and crawled toward the sheriff’s office alone. She didn’t want to fight the crowd, so she hung back and waited until she was sure the other women had left. The next few days were all she had before she stepped into her new, dismal life.
How long will it take my father to find me this time?

* * *

L
ily walked
into the sheriff’s office like a doe slinking through tall grass. Two desks. Two men. She was used to taking in her surroundings and evaluating situations. It was a trait she’d learned from childhood. “I’m told I have to register my stay here.” Her eyes shifted between the two men, who appeared larger than their desks.

“I’ll need you to fill out this form.” Deep-timbered and full-bodied, his voice created a stir in her. She looked at the man in the corner, his eyes the color of cognac.

There were no words to describe what she felt. Her insides flipped and her heart clattered against its barren cage until she thought, for sure, it had swollen to twice its size and would burst free.

She touched the paper on the desk. “This form?” Her voice shook as she stared at the man. Even sitting, he towered over her, and she wasn’t a small girl.

Under his scrutiny, she felt naked—stripped bare.

“I know who you are.”

His words hit like a bullet to her brain. How could he know? She’d never been anywhere. Except that one time she ran away to Wyoming—not one of her finest plans since the population of the entire state was about a handful of people. It took her dad three days to track her down and cart her home to Montana. She hoped she’d have more time here, but what if she didn’t?

Her knees buckled beneath her. The man rose to catch her before she slid to the floor. “I’m okay.” She gripped his arm and shored up her footing. Scorching heat pumped through her veins and settled between her thighs.
Holy hell.

“Have a seat, darlin’, I’ll get you some water.” She watched him walk down a hallway. Blue jeans gripped his thick, muscular thighs. She was certain she’d never seen a finer ass on the planet. His broad back stretched the limits of his blue, cotton T-shirt. Muscles rippled with each movement. Movement that seemed familiar…like she’d known him or, at least, seen him.

Lily vacillated between staying put and dashing out the door. What was the point of staying if the gig was already up? One call to her father and she’d be on the next flight out of town and married off tomorrow.

Just as she was getting ready to leave, the tall, dark, and desirable man marched toward her, stepped in front of her, and closed off her only path to escape. Strong fingers grazed hers as he placed an ice-cold bottle of water into her hand.

Pinned in place with his eyes, she was positive he was looking into her soul. Just as she was starting to feel the heat of his interest touch her cheeks, she dropped her water and poured it over both of them, dousing whatever flame seemed to flicker between them.

“Shit.” She bounced off the chair, creating a domino effect. He fell first and she fell on top of him. Their bodies connected like a puzzle. For every dip in his body, she had a dabble of something to fill it. Her face fit in the crook in his neck. His thigh notched between hers. The definition between his chest muscles was the perfect resting place for the swell of her breast. Cedar and something sweet filled her nostrils.

Unable to control herself, she flicked out her tongue and licked the skin below his ear. He was a mix of sweet and savory—a full meal in one serving.

Heat rose to her face. She scrambled to her feet to avoid the risk of licking him again. “Shit, I’m so sorry.”

Across the table, a man she’d barely registered as present pressed a jar at her. “Donate what you can, but you owe two times to the swear jar.”

“You’re shitting me?” Lily straightened her clothes and stepped back.

“That’s three,” the big man in uniform said.

Lily squinted her eyes to see his nametag. Abrams. “Damn it.” Her hands covered her lips, trying to suppress the many expletives she wanted to scream. She wasn’t sure which Abrams brother he was. He could be the Itan, or the Enforcer. All she knew was, she’d have a hard time staying under the radar if she kept this up.

“Darlin’, you better sit down before Van takes all your money. I’m Eli, and I’ll help you with your form.” Eli rose to his feet and pulled a twenty from his wallet, tossing it into the jar. Van smiled and tucked the container back into his desk.

“I can pay for myself.” Lily wasn’t used to men coming to her rescue. She took a seat and dug through her purse for cash.

Eli shook his head. “You can repay me at the bar tonight. Buy me a drink?” His velvet voice gave her visions of more than a drink. His lips, and hands, and those damn hard abs made it impossible for her to focus.

“I didn’t plan to go to the bar.” Lily’s plans were to stay under the radar—go to her room and read a book.

His dark brows rose to his hairline. “No? If you’re searching for a mate, or something else…the bar is where you’ll want to be.”

“I’m not the kind of girl who hangs out at bars.” Loud. Angry. Firm. The words broke from her mouth like a cymbal crash.

His smug expression annoyed her.

“Now, you’ll have to. I’d hate to have to bring you in on something as simple as a code sixty-nine.” Eli looked toward Van.

“That’s right,” Van said, sitting at attention. “A code sixty-nine could be a lengthy process.” The two men gave each other a look that Lily couldn’t decipher. It was a cross between arrogance and humor, or maybe lightheartedness and lechery.

“Why aren’t you in uniform?” Lily asked.

Van stood and walked around his desk until he was in front of Lily. “He’s undercover, but don’t tell anyone. We prefer he looks anonymous, kind of like a beekeeper, or something like that.”

Lily rolled her eyes. “Right, like anyone would mistake him for a simple beekeeper.”

Eli frowned while Van walked down the hallway laughing.

“What’s his problem?”

“He’s jealous. He’s not free to play the beekeeper any more. He’s a committed drone.”

Lily cocked her head to the right, but the conversation still made little sense. The words buzzed in her head, whirling and darting like moths around a candle. What did bees and drones have to do with anything?

Years could be spent decoding what men said. Lily didn’t have that kind of time. Disaster was swarming around her.

A cussing fine, a lick to a stranger’s neck, and now, a lesson in Entomology, could things get any worse?

Eli pulled a form from the top of the pile.

“Name?”

Doom was racing at her like a hornet to water. Lily hesitated for a moment and then said her name slowly. Lilli…anna…Love. She stopped there because to say Becket would be a dead giveaway. She continued with her half-truths. Silently, she sent up a prayer of thanks to her mother, who insisted on a hyphenated name.
Always maintain your identity, Lily. Be your own girl.
That was easier when Mom was championing for her, but since she passed away ten years ago, Lily had been her father’s puppet. He gave her until her twenty-sixth birthday to find a suitable mate, and when she didn’t find one, he was prepared to choose for her. It was a joke, really, because no one was allowed to be around her. It was an unwritten rule—a rule that created a cavern of loneliness inside Lily’s heart.

“Perfect name for a girl on the hunt.”

“Oh, no, I’m just here as an observer. I write a blog about books and romance.”

She devoured romance novels as a way to fall in love, at least vicariously, through the many heroines she read about. Then, she began to blog about them. Coming to Grayslake was the culmination of her quest for love and normalcy. If she couldn’t experience finding true love for herself, then she’d be a fly on the wall and watch as others took the plunge while she waited for her life to end.

“Mmm hmmm.” He slipped to the next line down. “Originating Clan?”

“Non-affiliated.”

Eli looked at her with the sharpness of a hawk. “Really, that’s odd for a single woman to be non-affiliated.” He wrote N/A in the box.

The next lines he filled out for himself.

Hair – Brown.

Eyes – Green.

He leaned forward and stared into her eyes. “I was right.”

“About what?”

He set the pen down and thumbed her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes.

Thadum

Thadum

Thadum

Her heart raced. Would he say he knew her again? Would he call her on her lies? What about the damn code sixty-nine? What the hell was it, and when would she have to pay for it?

“I knew when I saw you earlier you had green eyes, but they aren’t like emeralds, they’re more like Peridots. Precious. Beautiful. Unique.”

Lily had no idea what the man was talking about. She liked that he thought her eyes were beautiful and unique, but when had he seen her? Then, it hit her like a bat to the head. He was the gorgeous man in the silver truck, the one who dropped off Queen Fancy Pants in the parking lot.

“You drive a silver truck and have bad taste in women.” She pulled her hand to her lips. In general, she didn’t suffer from dysentery of the mouth. She was a background kind of girl—seen and not heard. It was safer that way, and it hurt less. “Shit.” As soon as the word was out, she pulled her wallet from her purse and threw a wad of ones on the table. “Will that be enough?”

Eli erupted into a full belly-laugh. “I like you, Lily Love, and that says a lot, because I don’t like many people.”

“You and I both know that’s not true. I saw you this morning and it appeared you liked Julia.” A feeling of tightness swept across her chest at the memory of Eli kissing Julia’s cheek.

“I was being cordial. When I really like someone, that kiss is very different.”

A rush of arousal surged through her. Oh, to be liked by a man like Eli. “I’ll be on the lookout for that show of emotion. Are you looking for a mate? This could be a good week for you.”

“Hell no.” His head shook so much, Lily thought he’d get a concussion from the motion.

“Feel strongly about that, do you?” She pointed at the pile of ones on the table. “Your turn.”