Annie Nicholas - Catch

Mesmerized, I watched his full lips move—soft, lush, and so very skilled—close enough to taste. A shiver coursed through my body and my skin pebbled as his hands slid around my lower back. What were we talking about again?

The hard bulge in the front of his pants pressed against my abdomen as he slipped his cool hands under my panties. “So hot,” he whispered along my lips before sipping at them.

A groan escaped me. Any wrong he’d done, I forgave in an instant.

Rurik slid my underwear off my sore tush and turned me around in his arms.

My head spun with the sudden change of direction and I gasped at the cool touch of lips on my rear.

He covered each cheek with slow, soft kisses. “Am I forgiven?”

I sighed, defeated once more. “Yes.” How could I stay angry when he literally kissed my ass? I could sense his mouth spread in a smile.

“You’re too good to me.” He stood and lifted my panties back in place. “I have to return to the party.”

“Why?”

“Tane wants a better idea of what’s being said. Most of these people think I’m nothing more than a fop and will waggle their tongues freely.” He kissed my forehead.

“Get some rest. You’ll need your strength when I return.” He rubbed my tush with longing then exited the room before I could respond.

My lover fell back into this lifestyle as if he missed it. He appeared happy. I exhaled noisily. Face it, Connie. You’re stuck. I was in a beautiful mansion, in an exotic location with my own spending account, but I would have a master.

That sucked.

Silence made the air heavy. I tried to take a deep breath, however my lungs constricted with tension.

I wanted to go home and have someone tell me everything would be all right.

Laurent came to mind, I never forgot him, not for a moment of my life. He remained inside of me if further from my consciousness than before. Being with Rurik healed most of my grief but tonight scraped me raw.

I grabbed a t-shirt and shorts from my baggage then dressed.

Outside the room, Gwen stood guard. “Did you want something?”

“I need fresh air again. Is there someplace away from the party and the garden?” I needed to get out of this gilded cage.

Gwen considered my request to go outside away from the party then nodded her head. “Master Tane has a private deck. It looks out over the jungle. No one should be using it.”

“Great. Take me there. I’m feeling trapped, being outside helps.” We walked through the corridors side by side. What was it like to live here as Tane’s security? Gwen always seemed to be on the move, never resting, forever on the alert. Sounded like a lonely existence. She had a pretty profile, except that stern expression and predatory gaze would shrink most men’s balls. “Have you ever been in love, Gwen?”

She glanced at me before leading us through a narrow corridor past Tane’s apartment to a locked door. “My kind doesn’t fall in love like humans.” Unlocking it with a keypad, she stepped outside first and scanned the area, then held the entrance open.

I stood still. “Your kind?”

She gave me a lopsided grin and quirked an eyebrow. “Didn’t Rurik tell you anything?”

“Apparently not.” I pressed my hand against the doorframe to support my weight, preparing to hear Gwen’s response.

“I’m a werewolf.”

“Like the movies?” If I could have deleted one thing that popped out of my mouth tonight, it would have been this. My cheeks burned as they flushed. “Sorry. I didn’t know werewolves existed. Makes sense that if vampires walk around so do other…” Egads, could I shove my foot farther in my mouth?

“Monsters?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“It’s okay, Connie. When I change into my beast form I’d probably make you wet your pants.”

The cold dead look in her eyes chilled me to the bone. “I bet you would.” My voice squeaked on the last word. I cleared my throat.

“Come on.” She gestured with her head to follow. The deck stuck out the back of the mansion from the second floor. Made of grey natural stone it still retained the heat of the sun and warmed the chill Gwen had given me.

Moonlight poured through the jungle canopy and added to the soft yellow exterior lights.

Gwen held out a chair from a table for me to sit, but a tinkle of water from the side caught my attention.

I pushed aside some wide, dark green leaves to find a Jacuzzi. Note to self, find my swimsuit .

“Will this do?”

“It’s perfect.” A set of French doors set in the dark masonry of the building drew my attention. “Where do those go?”

“Master Tane’s apartment. No one is usually allowed out here, but since you’re his companion, I’ve made the exception.” She winked. “Sit.”

The chair she held contained a thick cushion so I eased my sore ass onto the seat. My pain flared for a few seconds and I bit my inner cheek.

“My pack has strong ties to the Nosferatu clan. We have always guarded the ruler, the Main Prime.”

The wheels began to creak inside my head. “So all the guards are werewolves.”

Gwen leaned her elbows on the table; her chocolate brown eyes stared into mine.

“Yes.”

“Then you must have guarded Dragos?”

She nodded.

“I don’t remember werewolves in Budapest.” You’d think a bunch of beasts would have stuck out in my memory.

“We didn’t accompany him.” Staring at the stone floor, Gwen avoided my stunned expression.

The wheels in my brain kicked into second gear. Rust flecked off my synapses as they sparked and connections came together. “You knew Tane was trying to kill him.”

Holy conspiracies, Batman! I twisted in my seat and flinched from the sharp ache in my tush, and whispered in desperation. “Your pack knew what Tane planned.”

She glanced at me without moving her head. “A great ruler’s power comes not just from him but those who support him. It’s something Dragos forgot.”

“And Tane hasn’t.” I fell back against the chair as more pieces fit into place. The amount of effort and planning needed to take down Dragos. “Wow, your pack helped kill Dragos by not being there to protect him.”

“I heard you had a pinnacle role as well.” She gave me a wolfish grin.

“People know?” Fear strangled my words. The last thing I needed was a Dragos supporter looking for revenge.

“Not many. Tane told me about your bravery in allowing Dragos to drink from your body to save Rurik. How it almost killed you.”

“Bet he left out the part where he was the one who brought Rurik to Dragos.”

“No.” She shook her head. “How else could Tane get his assassin in the house?”

I opened my mouth to respond, except nothing came out. The wheels ground to stop as too many thoughts gummed up the works. “Why are you telling me all this?”

Gwen shrugged. “You seem frustrated about your new situation.”

I sighed. “More like I feel trapped and helpless.”

“Some people would kill to be in your place.”

“I’m willing to trade.”

“Really?” She tilted her head as if seeing me for the first time. “You’re bound to some of the most powerful beings on the planet.”

“I don’t care about power.” We stared at each other.

“In my book, that makes you the most dangerous of the three.”

“How?” I felt my expression screw up in confusion.

“Because a person who doesn’t want to wield power, usually does it the best.” She stood and gave me a little bow. “I did a poor job of guarding you tonight. I won’t let you down again.” Then Gwen stalked the deck’s perimeter.