Loribelle Hunt - Once Bitten

“This isn't like you.”

“I know. Doesn't change anything. She's mine.”

Zach stood and jerked his head to the side for Caleb to follow. Already engaged in a heated conversation, they stopped a few feet away. Too far for her to listen in. Both turned to glare at her a couple times, and as they spoke, they edged closer together until they brushed against each other. It wasn't until they didn't separate that she realized what she was witnessing. A lovers' quarrel. No wonder Caleb was never linked with anyone for long. Zach had implied they shared women. For Caleb to deny him that must have bit. Hard. He was jealous and she wondered if he'd believe that was a bond of kinship between them. How many times had she been jealous of one of Caleb's women? And she couldn't even call Caleb hers. Poor guy. She needed to say her piece and get the hell out.

They both stopped speaking abruptly when she approached. “Listen, I don't mean to cause any problems. I just need a minute of Caleb's time,” she told Zach.

“Go sit down. I'll deal with you in a minute,” Caleb ordered.

Zach rolled his eyes and she narrowed hers. “There are two people in the world I take orders from and you aren't one of them.”

Zach barked a laugh. “Well, isn't that interesting. Your little human has claws.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Tell you what. Why don't you deal with her first; then I'll deal with you .”

Oh hell no. She was not getting in the middle of that. Caleb gripped her shoulder when she spun around to leave. The look he gave her and Zach was furious, eyes glowing yellow, the wolf so close that she was surprised she didn't feel his claws on her shoulder.

“I'm not setting anything of mine free.”

She didn't notice Zach's reaction to that statement, Caleb's words pissed her off so bad. She didn't belong to him. He'd made damned sure she understood that when he walked out on her.

Before she could protest, he was leading her to the small dance floor. His arms were around her, pulling her into his tight embrace. His arousal was hard against her belly, and her nipples tightened in response. She squeezed her eyes shut. This was not happening. He didn't want her really. Before she knew it, they were swaying to the music and her body was heating up despite how she fought it.

“What are you doing here, Liza?”

She swallowed, wished she'd had another drink of that beer before he dragged her out here.

“I came to bring you home.”

He arched an eyebrow.

“So you finally came after me?”

She snorted. Only in his dreams would she beg to get him back. She had more pride than that and he'd made his opinion of her clear. Besides, he had a life here. A boyfriend. She was not a poacher. “Your father wants you to come home. He sent me to get you.” His eyes narrowed, the chill of his anger washing over her. His tone was mocking. “So you're just here to do the alpha's bidding, huh?”

Her anger rose to meet his, and her spine tingled, her useless psychic abilities making themselves known. She stomped it down, all of it, reminding herself she was there to do a job, not have the same old argument with Caleb. Don't let him get to you . Obviously neither of them had changed one damned bit over the years.

“I'm here to do my job .”

He stared at her several long heartbeats; then he smiled, a slow, sultry spread of his lips.

Her breath caught in her lungs as she remembered what he could do with that mouth. She reminded herself with a sharp stab the awful things he could say with it too. The reminder didn't help.

“Your job.” He paused with an assessing gleam in his eyes. “Your job is to convince me to come home?”

She nodded, her voice deserting her, but she had enough working brain cells left to be leery of his changed demeanor. He leaned forward, his lips grazing her neck in the lightest of kisses, the barest brush. His cock thrust against her belly.

“Convince me, Liza,” he whispered. “Entice me to come home.” He nipped at the sensitive skin under her ear and she gasped. In outrage. In lust. Her head fell back to give him better access. One of his hands was on her ass holding her against his hard thighs while the other worked up the back of her shirt, slid over bare skin in a firm caress.

Somehow she found the strength to push away from him, only a little disappointed when he let her go.

“So you're saying if I sleep with you, you'll come home?” It hurt that he thought so little of her, but it enraged her at the same time. His eyes glittered, hot and full of lust and anger.

“And you'll sleep with me when I'm back. I'll need a reason to stay, won't I?”

“What about Zach? Doesn't he get a say?”

Caleb cocked an eyebrow. “Zach likes to share women just as much as I do. You can't deny you were interested, baby.”

So she was just another warm body, was she? The man had a lot of nerve, and her palm itched with the need to slap the smug look off his face.

“I'll tell your father you wouldn't come.”

She spun around, prepared to get the hell out before she gave into the demands of her body, still clamoring for him despite how much her brain and heart protested. Zach hadn't moved from where he leaned against the wall, and she turned in his direction when he met her gaze.

Those eyes promised hot, sweaty sex. Not a distraction she needed, but she wanted to assure him that she wasn't a threat to his relationship with Caleb.

Caleb grabbed her elbow before she could stalk off, but instead of spinning her back around he led her out of the bar and into the frigid night air. Shit. Nothing was going her way tonight. Might as well escape while she could. She dug her keys out of her pocket and tried to pull free of his grasp. He didn't release her.

“Let me go, Caleb. I'll be out of your life before you know it.”

“Like hell you will,” he muttered.

He turned right into the parking lot, and she tried to dig in her heels.

“I'm not parked over here.”

He stopped at a truck, opened the door. “I am. Get in.”

“My stuff is inside. My coat? My purse?”

“Zach will bring them. Get. In. The. Truck. Liza.”

Did he have to emphasize that order so clearly? She considered refusing, but one look at his severe expression and she knew it wouldn't do her any good. Sighing, she got in the truck and buckled the seatbelt in silence while she waited for him to walk around and get in the driver's side. A couple of miles from the bar, he turned onto a driveway that twisted up the side of a mountain. It ended in front of a small, dark cabin and he got out, glaring at her until she too exited the relative safety of the cab. He ushered her inside, and she shivered.

“I'll get a fire going. It'll warm up quick in here.” She watched his broad back as he bent to the task, piling wood in the fireplace, striking a match. He stood and slowly turned to look at her. He stared, his gaze traveling up and down the length of her body several times as if memorizing her. Or comparing the reality of her to his memory of her. She shivered again, wondering what he saw. The form-fitting V-necked sweater did nothing to hide her hard nipples, and his eyes lingered over them. She ignored the temptation to cross her arms and hide her breasts from his view.

“What's wrong with Dad?”

It was just about the last thing she'd expected him to ask, and she frowned.

“Nothing. He just wants you to come home.”

He chuckled. “He could have sent you after me before if that was all.” She shrugged. She wasn't discussing the alpha's plans with anyone, not even his son. Caleb approached her, a slow stalk that kept her frozen in place. He reached out and pushed a stray strand of hair out of her face.