Maya Banks - Colters' Lady

A sudden thought occurred to her. It was quick and painful and cut her to the core. How long would they want her to stay with them? A day? A week? How much harder would it be to go back to the life she’d forged for herself after having a few days in the sun?

Michael caught her gaze and must have seen the bleakness she felt. He crossed the room, his lips drawn. Seth had barely stepped back when suddenly Michael was there, so close she could feel the vibrations from his body. She could smell him. His warmth enveloped her and drew her closer.

He smoothed his hand over her hair, his fingers trailing through the strands and then resting at her nape. “What are you thinking?”

It didn’t occur to her to be anything but honest. “I was imagining how hard it will be to go back to my life after you…” She couldn’t bring herself to say anything more. Sometimes the truth was more painful for being spoken.

Michael cursed low and hard, and then he cupped her jaw in his palm and tilted her head up as his lips came down over hers. It was a shock to her senses. A jolt that rocked her spine and sent tingling awareness in waves over her body.

It wasn’t as sweet and gentle as Seth’s kiss. The aching awareness she felt with Seth was more like a bomb burst as Michael fed on her lips.

Oh God, what must Seth be thinking?

She pushed at Michael with her good hand, and he stepped back immediately. Her breaths coming in ragged bursts, she wavered and stepped to the side, distancing herself from Michael as she sought out Seth’s reaction.

He was there. By her side, his arm slipping around her waist in support. His lips pressed to the top of her head in a gesture of comfort—and reassurance?

She looked up, searching his gaze for any sign that he was angry, but she saw something else entirely.

She saw concern for her. And something that looked remarkably like acceptance.

Michael caught her hand and rubbed his thumb over the tops of her knuckles. “This is going to sound crazy to you, Lily, but we don’t want you to leave. We aren’t going to keep you a few days and then toss you out. I don’t expect you to believe it—yet—but I don’t want you to worry.” Seth squeezed her against him and murmured low in her ear, “We want you to stay, honey. Trust in that if nothing else.”

She took a deep breath and prepared herself to take the plunge. She was a little lightheaded, and at the same time a surge of…anticipation licked through her veins. For the first time in so very long, she felt alive—like she had something to live for.

There was a word for it, an emotion so alien to her that it took a moment to grasp. There, shining like a beacon at the end of a very long, very dark tunnel was…hope.

Lily dozed most of the way to Clyde. Michael had arranged a few pillows in the backseat of his Jeep and covered her in a blanket so she’d be comfortable. Seth followed in his truck.

The trip took an hour longer due to the weather and the fact that Michael didn’t want to jostle Lily once they got off the interstate and onto the county roads.

By the time he pulled up to his cabin, it was already dark. Lily stirred and raised her head, the blanket sliding from her shoulders to her waist.

The rear door opened and Seth stuck his head in. “You okay, honey?” Lily nodded, but Michael could see the wariness in her eyes. He got out and waited as Seth helped Lily from the backseat. After wrapping the blanket tightly around her, Seth hurried her toward the door, but she stopped and turned her face upward to catch the fluffy snowflakes that spiraled downward.

She closed her eyes when one stuck to her lashes, and then her entire face lit up with her smile.

Michael was enchanted. He stared dumbstruck at how beautiful she looked bathed in soft moonlight as snowflakes danced around her.

Then she opened her eyes and started forward again at Seth’s urging. When she reached the porch, she paused again, her gaze sweeping over the entrance.

“This is yours?” she asked Michael.

He was discomfited by her scrutiny. It irritated him that he was suddenly self-conscious about a home he was intensely proud of. It was nestled at the base of the mountain his parents lived on, purposely rural and surrounded by huge ponderosa pines. It was just minutes to town but far enough away to afford him the privacy he craved and the isolation he thrived on. But now he worried it would be off-putting to Lily. What if she didn’t want to stay?

“Yeah,” he said. “It’s mine.”

Her smiled was brilliant. “I like it. It’s exactly like something I would have chosen.” The yearning in her voice made him ache. The approval relieved him.

“I’m glad you like it,” he said huskily.

“It’s cold. We need to get you inside,” Seth said to Lily. They trekked into the house, and Michael turned up the heater. He kept the house pretty chilly when it was just him, but he didn’t want Lily freezing to death.

As Lily looked around the living room, it occurred to Michael that she hadn’t eaten a damn thing today. Hell, neither had he, but it was likely Lily had missed a hell of a lot more meals than he had.

“I have leftover chili in the fridge. You guys interested?” Seth rubbed his stomach and grimaced. “Yeah, I’m starving.” Lily frowned a moment as if it hadn’t occurred to her that she’d missed any meals. It bothered Michael immensely that it was normal in her world.

“Yeah, I’m hungry too. Chili sounds wonderful. Did you make it yourself?” Michael nodded.

She smiled. “You and Seth both cook? Your mother must be so proud that you picked up the skills.” Laughter rumbled out of Michael’s chest and Seth hooted as well. Lily looked at them in confusion.

“Sorry,” Michael said. “Our mother can’t cook to save her life. Our fathers would hurt themselves laughing at the idea we learned to cook from her.”

“Oh, so they do the cooking?”

Seth nodded.

“That’s cool,” Lily said. “They don’t mind?”

Michael smiled. “Not at all. For the most part our mother doesn’t have to lift a finger. She’s hopelessly spoiled and that’s the way our fathers like it.”

“They love her a lot,” Lily said in a wistful tone.

“Yeah, they do,” Seth replied.

“Have a seat and get comfortable,” Michael urged. “Seth can start a fire and we’ll eat in the living room. Then I’m going to check your arm. I want to keep a close watch on it to make sure infection doesn’t set in.”

“Anything to keep me out of the hospital,” Lily said lightly.

She had lost some of the cautious reserve around them. Michael was encouraged by her ability to joke with them and indulge in casual conversation. He and Seth exchanged glances, and Seth’s expression reflected the same satisfaction.

“If at any time Michael thinks you need a real doctor, you’re going,” Seth said.

“Real doctor?” Michael asked in mock disbelief. “You wound me, brother. I spent as many years in medical school, thank you very much.”

“Vets are real doctors,” Lily defended.

Her vehemence made Michael grin. She’d seemingly come alive, color flooding her cheeks and a spark of emotion in her eyes.

“I just don’t want you to get sick,” Seth said gruffly.

She smiled at him and then lifted her arm and poked cautiously at it. “It doesn’t hurt much. I mean, I would have imagined something as dramatic-sounding as a bullet wound would have me on the floor with pain.”

Seth rotated his arm and rubbed absently at his arm at her words.

“Seth would know,” Michael said. “He was down for a while after he was shot.” Lily whirled around, her eyes wide. “You were shot? When did this happen? Are you okay now?” Seth seemed surprised by her reaction but Michael was already figuring out she was loyal and protective.