Terry Spear - A SEAL in Wolf's Clothing

Her gaze shifted to his towel. It wasn’t big as bath towels went, and his legs were spread in a relaxed, invitational way. Not that he was inviting her in any way, but he hadn’t crossed his legs at the ankles in a manner that suggested he was closed off to her. He swore that if she kept staring at the towel, it was going to begin to rise to the occasion. And he damn well would want to invite her for a closer engagement like the ones he’d only imagined having with her in their former encounters, which had been brief and heated—and not in a sexual way. Although he had to admit, any kind of interaction with her made him think of her in a sexual way.

“Hunter shouldn’t have left you on your own,” Finn said in a matter-of-fact tone.

He swore she stiffened even more regally at the comment. He loved it. Loved the way she was even more beautiful when her temper flared. Her eyes sparkled with heat, and her lips—even turned down—made him want to devour them with his own.

“I happen to be perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much. You still haven’t explained why you’re here.” Her lips parted a little as if she’d come to a surprise conclusion. “You’re not here at Hunter’s request, are you? He didn’t put you up to this, did he? Thinking you could baby-sit me while he was away? Afraid our pack sub-leaders couldn’t keep me under their thumbs?”

The notion of his thumbs caressing her nipples instantly invaded Finn’s thoughts.

“Baby-sitting you, Meara?” He gave a bitter laugh. “Guarding that sweet body of yours is more like it.” And he was definitely up to the task. He wouldn’t want anyone else to have that job.

Her eyes widened fractionally. She had to know how hot she was.

Eyes quickly narrowing, she blew out her breath. “Get out of here. Hunter had no right…”

Time to set the story straight.

Finn slid from the bed and stalked toward her. She stood her ground.

He loved the challenge in her darkened eyes, the way she wouldn’t back down, no matter how determined he was to take charge of this situation and of her. “Hunter doesn’t know what this is about. By the time I reached California and discovered he had moved the pack here, it was already too late. Knowing he’d sometimes come to the resort to see his uncle, I chanced coming here. Or at least figured I’d get a location from your uncle as to where Hunter had relocated the pack.

“But then I learned the pack had settled here and I’d missed seeing Hunter before he took off for Hawaii. Although I’ve called him on his cell phone, he must have it turned off because of the flight. In any event, you have one of two choices. Either I stay with you until he gets back, or I send you packing to be with them.”

“On their honeymoon ?” The pitch of her voice rose with incredulity. “Are you kidding?”

But he knew she had to realize something was really the matter, something more than Hunter wanting him to baby-sit her.

“All right, so what is this all about?” she grudgingly asked.

“Someone tried to murder Allan Rappaport.”

“Allan?” Her voice was unsteady and her face turned ghostly pale. “Sweet Allan?”

Before she collapsed, Finn seized her arm and made her sit on the end of the bed. “The assassin nearly succeeded. Just an inch or two lower, and Allan would have died from the bullet wound to his chest.” Even though lupus garous healed faster than humans, a strike to a major artery could make them bleed out before their bodies could heal. “Thankfully, he received treatment right away and survived. We’ve got some SEALs watching over him now.”

Finn didn’t get why she would call the guy sweet, though. Allan was one of the roughest men on their team. At least he had been around the team members. Maybe he’d acted differently toward Meara when Finn hadn’t been around. That notion gnawed at him. He thought Hunter had made it clear he didn’t want any of his SEAL team members pursuing her. And Finn had been sure none of the guys had or he would have learned of it fairly quickly.

She sure as hell could make a man forget himself.

“And you thought… you thought the assassin was coming after Hunter?” she asked, very concerned now.

“Yeah. I’ve warned Paul Cunningham, the other of our teammates, and the only one who’s left is Hunter.”

“And you,” she said softly, frowning up at him.

“True.” Although Finn didn’t really count himself as one of the hunted. He was the hunter. “I’ve ensured that one of your pack members, who’s a former military man and currently on your police force, will take the next flight to Hawaii to warn Hunter and watch his back.”

She motioned to Finn’s clothes strewn on the floor and to the unmade bed. “So what’s this all supposed to be about?”

“I’m your lover for now, until we stop this bastard or until Hunter returns to keep track of you.”

Her lips parted in a totally sexy way, but then she frowned and pursed them. “Oh, no you’re not. No way am I going to let anyone think I’m mated with you.”

“You’ll have to do your mate selection some other time, Meara. This is serious business.”

She studied him for a minute and then frowned more deeply. “What makes you so certain this guy intends to target all of the men on the team? Maybe it was a fluke, or maybe Allan provoked some guy but it has nothing to do with the team.”

“He left a calling card. The Knight of Swords. And a cryptic note referring to the last mission we were involved in. But I can’t say any more than that.”

“The last mission,” she whispered, looking at the floor and then shifting her gaze to Finn. “The one where Hunter was injured.”

“Yes, he was badly injured. And so were Paul and Allan.”

“But… but not you.”

“No. Listen, I can’t really discuss it. Only that I’m sure this has to do with a traitor in the ranks.”

Her eyes grew huge. “Not among the members of your SEAL team.”

“No. We’ve been like brothers. We’re all lupus garous . Someone who…” He shook his head. “We don’t know anything for certain. Suffice it to say, I’m staying here to protect you. Paul’s watching his own back since he prefers it that way. We’ve got friends protecting Allan. One of your pack members will be there to watch out for Hunter and Tessa, and Hunter will ensure he gets more coverage while he’s on the island. As soon as I can get through to him, I’ll call him again. But it would be too easy for whoever this is to target you and wait until Hunter returns, while using you as the perfect little hostage. Hunter would expect this of me.”

Finn knew there’d be trouble, as defiant as she always was with him, as soon as she stubbornly lifted her chin. “ I don’t expect this of you! I’ve got two weeks to find a mate.”

“Think of it as a vacation. Two weeks away from Hunter’s rule, just taking it easy.”

“So I can be under your rule? No way. I’m not taking it easy while Hunter’s out of my hair. I’ve got the resort to run, and that’s just what I’m going to damn well do. Once the meal is done, I’ll take it to Joe and eat with him over there. You can…” She motioned to the front of the house. “…go back to wherever you came from.”

“All right.” His face turned hard as he gave up trying to reason with her. “Then I’m coming with you. I’ll eat Joe’s portion of the dinner, and you can share your portion with him.” He gave her a derisive smile. “Take it or leave it. If you don’t want my offer of protection, I’m packing you off to Hawaii, and I’ll wait here for the assassin alone. I’m sure it would be a safer bet for you anyway.”