Chapter 9
When Stella and Cliff arrived at Crestholm early the next day, they were greeted by the sight of food trucks lining up to enter the campus and tents being set up in the front lawn, which was cordoned off with roped fences.
“I forgot.” She slapped her hand on her forehead. “Today is the annual fall carnival.”
“What does that mean?” he asked.
It was the most he’d said to her since last night. After he finished washing his dishes, he mumbled something about checking the perimeter and then she didn’t see him again until the next morning.
“It’s an event we have every year. We don’t have our usual classes, though I have to chaperone and man a booth.” She scratched at her chin. “Now which one did I …”
Oh no.
The faculty sign-up sheets had been sent out weeks ago, and back then, she signed up with Tyler to do the ring toss. He was the last person she wanted to see right now.
“Is it open to the public?”
“Basically, as long as you buy a ticket. It’s a fundraiser for our Christmas project.”
Cliff pulled into one of the empty spots in the faculty lot. “Good. That means I don’t have to stay out here.”
“Right.”
As if it wasn’t bad enough that she had to spend most of the morning with Tyler, Cliff would be breathing down her neck too. But maybe she’d be lucky, and he’d disappear like he did last night.
After he parked, they trudged over to the ticket booth. There was already a line growing, but sales wouldn’t start for another fifteen minutes.
“Okay, well, I should go find my station.” Not bothering to wait for a reply, she marched on ahead. She half expected him to chase after her, but she didn’t even hear him call out to her.
“Hey, partner,” Tyler greeted. He was already at the booth, setting up the bottles for the ring toss game. “Good morning to you.”
“Good morning,” she said politely.
“You’re looking nice today,” he commented.
“Thank you.” If she had remembered it was the carnival, she would have worn jeans, but this morning, she had put on a sweater and a knee-length denim skirt and boots.
“That outfit looks great on you.”
Normally, Tyler’s compliments would have made her blush or had the butterflies in her stomach fluttering. This morning, however, his words barely made a blip on her radar.
Of course, now that she thought about it, perhaps it was her fault for assuming there had been something between them all those weeks ago. After all, if her interactions with Cliff had taught her anything, she tended to read the wrong signals from men.
“Let me help with that.” She made a grab for the bottles.
“Nah, I got it.” He waved her away. “Why don’t you get the rings ready? We’ll be opening soon.”
“All right, will do.”
Though there weren’t a lot of people early on, the carnival became busier as the morning passed. To his credit, Tyler was wonderful with the patrons and students, reminding Stella what had dazzled her about him in the first place. He was incredibly charming, and had the ability to make anyone he talked to feel like there was no one else in the world. Right now, he was making people laugh, even the kid who cried when he lost. Despite her personal opinions about him, no one could deny Tyler Keller was affable and charismatic.
Unlike some other men she knew.
Where was Cliff anyway?
She hadn’t seen him all morning. He didn’t seem like the type to shirk his duties, so maybe he was watching from afar somewhere.
“So, Stella,” Tyler began as he handed her a cold bottle of water. “Sounds like you’ve had an exciting couple of days.”
They had closed the booth for a quick break and were now sitting on some folding chairs as they’d been on their feet most of the day.
“I guess you could say that.”
“Any news on your sister?” He sounded genuinely interested. “Has she or anyone she might know tried to contact you?”
“No, I’m afraid not. Just crazy people.” Like the ones who tried to kidnap her. “So far. But I mean, I haven’t had time to look at all the messages I’ve been getting.”
“Don’t lose hope, Stel.” He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “If she’s out there, you’ll find her.”
“Thank you.”
“Do you need help? I could help you film a second video.”
“Oh no. No more videos.” She’d learned her lesson.
“If you want, I can help you look through your DMs. I can weed out the bad ones, so you don’t have to read them.”
That actually sounded like a good idea. “Thanks, I might take you up on that sometime.”
“Why wait?” His hand slid down her arm, and his fingers wrapped around hers. “Why don’t you come over to my place tonight? We can get some takeout and then I’ll scroll through your feed and DMs.”
“Tonight? Sounds?—”
“You done yet?”
The familiar bass voice made her nearly jump out of the chair. She swung her head toward where Cliff stood, right on the other side of the table, arms crossed over his chest, gaze zeroed in on their linked hands.
Where the heck had he been this entire time?
“We’re just taking a break,” she said.
“We should probably open back up. Let me go get more of those prizes from the storage room first.” Tyler let go of her hand. “And then we can continue our discussion tonight at my place.”
“Er, sure.”
Tyler had barely walked away when Cliff said in a low, raspy tone, “What does he mean, tonight?”
“We made plans to go to his place after the carnival,” she said nonchalantly and began to arrange the bottles. His intense stare bore a hole through her back, but she ignored him. She took her sweet time, and when she was done, whirled around to face him. Planting her hands on her hips, she said, “Would you mind stepping back a little, Cliff? You’re taking up all the space.”
He let out a huff, but backed off anyway. This time, however, he didn’t leave the area of the ring toss booth. Though he was only a few feet away, she could feel his eyes fixed on her, the scowl on his face only intensifying as the afternoon wore on.
“Tyler, I need to go to the ladies’ room,” she declared sometime later.
“I got this, Stel,” he said. “Go on.”
“Thanks.”
Walking away from the booth, she made her way back to the main building. If Cliff followed her, she didn’t know, and she didn’t really care anymore. Maybe she could talk to Devon tonight about sending someone else. Surely they had some other candidates for this job? Someone less sulky, maybe even a female bodyguard.
The main building was quiet and empty as nearly everyone was outside enjoying the carnival. The faculty washrooms were at the end of the building, unfortunately, so she trudged all the way there, her footsteps echoing across the empty hall. When she finished doing her business and exited, the strangest sensation prickled over her skin.
Like someone was watching her.
Her stomach lurched as her heart pounded against her chest. She didn’t know how or why, she just had this feeling …
Turning toward the exit, she hurried down the long hallway. By the time she neared the door, she was practically running.
“No!” she screamed as a pair of arms wrapped around her. “Let go—” The familiar smell of coffee beans hit her nostrils, and her knees went weak from relief. “Cliff.”
“What happened?” Gone was the scowl on his face, replaced by concern. “Did someone?—”
“I don’t know.” Disentangling herself from him, she shook her head. “I’m being silly. I just thought … I felt like someone was watching me.”
“Someone? Was someone in there?” he snarled.
“I didn’t see anyone.” She tried to force a laugh. “I’m just being silly. The students are always making up stuff, like saying there are ghosts who haunt Crestholm, so maybe I spooked myself … I’m fine.”
Lifting his head, he sniffed the air. “We’re leaving. Now.”
“What?” Before she could protest, he grabbed her arm and dragged her away. “Hey! What’s wrong? Cliff!” It took a lot of effort, but she managed to pull away from him. “I can’t just leave in the middle of the day. I have to get back!”
“You can’t.”
“And why not?”
“Because you’re in danger, that’s why!” he roared.
“D-danger? H-how did you?—”
“I’ll explain later, okay?” He raked a hand through his hair. “We need to leave. Now.”
She’d never seen Cliff quite like this before—truly frazzled. Her gut told her that this was serious.
“All right.”
She followed him all the way back to the pickup truck, then as she settled inside, sent a quick text to Tyler to let him know that she had an emergency she needed to attend to.
Tension filled the cab of the truck, and Stella didn’t dare move, not even to turn on the radio to fill the agonizing silence during the drive home. The skies, too, seemed attuned to his mood as the clouds swelled and turned dark. By the time they arrived outside the house, big fat drops of rain began pelting the windshield.
“I’ll grab the umbrella?—”
“No.” Her hand shot out, and she dug her fingers into his forearm. There wasn’t much force, but somehow it was enough to stop him. “Not until you tell me what’s going on. What makes you think I was in danger?”
“You know about scents, right? Lycan scents, I mean.”
She nodded.
“It’s easy to tell humans apart from Lycans because of their scent—or rather, their lack of.” His jaw ticked. “But from what I could tell, there was a Lycan in that building recently, from the scent in the air. It had followed you inside.”
She gasped. “How? I mean, couldn’t it be my scent?”
“Wasn’t yours.”
“But what does all this mean?”
“I’m not sure.”
“But you have a suspicion.” Then it dawned on her, what he really meant. “You think there was someone watching me, and they’re Lycan.”
“Like, I said, I can’t be sure it’s connected to you.”
“Then why did you have to drag me away from the carnival?” She leaned back and crossed her arms under her breasts. “What if it was a student or another teacher you scented? I wasn’t done for the day, you know.”
“I bet you weren’t.”
Her head snapped toward him. “What is that supposed to mean?”
To her surprise, he met her head-on, those bright green eyes seizing her gaze. “You made plans to go home with him.”
The way he said it made it sound so sordid. “It was just—” She clamped her mouth shut.
She didn’t need to justify herself to anyone, and especially not to him.
I can do what I want.
Emboldened, she said, “Yeah. And so what?”
“He’s not good enough for you.”
“Ha!” What the heck was he talking about? “At least he wants me.”
As those bright green eyes burned even brighter with rage, Stella knew she had pushed him near the edge. Still, she couldn’t help herself and continued. “I’m a grown woman with needs. I can sleep with whomever I want, whenever I want, wherever—Cliff!” She let out a gasp as his massive hands clamped around her arms, and he leaned forward, head inches away from her.
“If you have needs, then you come to me.”
What? “That doesn’t make—mmm!”
His mouth covered hers in a rough kiss—and Stella found that she didn’t mind it at all. His lips were firm and hot, and the moment they met hers, it was as if a fire keg exploded inside her. His hands cupped her jaw. Gentle, yet firm enough so she couldn’t move away.
Not that she wanted to.
But bending her torso toward him was awkward and uncomfortable. So, she unbuckled her belt so she could fully turn to him. To her surprise, she found herself lifted over the console and planted on his lap.
“Cliff—oh!”
He mouthed at her neck, sending the most delicious zing straight down her body and to her core. She gripped his shoulders, fingers digging into the hard muscle there as she pushed up against him. His hands cupped her ass, lifting her skirt over her waist. She shuddered as the friction of his jeans against her thin cotton panties rubbed her at just the right angle.
“Fuck, I can smell how wet you are.” He caught her mouth in a kiss again—harder this time. Bruising even.
And she loved it. Loved the way his mouth couldn’t get enough of her. How the bulge in his jeans grew harder as she rode him. How his big hand slid between them and slipped under her panties.
She moaned into his mouth as his digits traced her wet slit. She pushed her hips down on him, wanting more. He obliged by slipping one finger inside her.
“Yes,” she murmured into his mouth. “More.”
He slipped another one inside her, and she bucked against him, the sensations dizzying. His other hand gripped her arm, holding her so tight, he would probably leave a mark.
“Yes, that’s it. Ride my fingers, Stella. Make yourself come.”
She rode his hand, pushing herself to the peak. The orgasm came out of nowhere, ripping through her like a tornado. Immense pleasure washed over her, and he seemed to enjoy it, too, as he whispered filthy words of encouragement. Her body shook, the waves of pleasure crashing over her, over and over again.
Finally, her orgasm passed, and his fingers withdrew from her as she fell back on top of him. She closed her eyes and lay her head on his shoulder. From here, she could get a direct line to the pulse under his ear where his scent was strongest. It was so yummy, and all she wanted was to soak herself in that smell.
“Don’t ever think I don’t want you.”
Her eyes flew open.
Oh Lord.
They had just?—
“You’re so goddamned beautiful, Stella. And sexy.”
Her? Beautiful? Sexy?
“I can’t keep my hands off you. But we shouldn’t have done that.”
His words stung, but deep inside, Stella knew he was right. She sighed as the earlier haze of desire and lust faded from her mind. “It’s too complicated. With Charley and Devon.”
“It just won’t work.”
“Is that why … why you didn’t try to kiss me? Back in New York?” Placing her hands on his chest, she pushed back from him so she could look at his face. “Why you treat me the way you do?”
His fingers pushed a strand of hair away from her face. “I’m sorry if I made you think that I couldn’t stand you. The truth is, I’m mad at myself.”
“Why?”
“Because I let myself want you. Because no matter what I do, I can’t get you out of my mind.”
He wanted me this whole time?
“I thought being rude to you would push you away. I was right, but I could see I was hurting you unnecessarily. I told myself it didn’t matter as long as you were safe.”
The sincerity in his green eyes was unmistakable. He truly looked remorseful.
“Cliff …”
“I can’t be here, Stella.”
“You can’t?”
“I mean, here. In Vegas.”
“Because you live in New York,” she stated.
“Yes. But it’s not just that.” Gently, he lifted her up and placed her back in the passenger seat. “Remember when I told you about how I was a pro MMA fighter?”
“Yes.” It was what they had been chatting about right before he shut down again. “What about it?”
“Well … I wasn’t just a fighter. I was the champ. Fought in arenas around the country to defend my title. My last one was right here in Vegas, six years ago. But something happened. A scandal broke out.”
She wasn’t a sports or fighting fan, so she wouldn’t have kept up with the news, even if it was local. “I’m sorry, I don’t recall hearing or reading anything about you.”
“You probably don’t frequent The Strip,” he said. “But they had these giant posters of me and my opponent.”
“I don’t understand. What happened? Did you retire?”
“Not quite.” He took a deep breath. “This fight was huge, odds-wise, and in my favor. So, if my opponent won, it would be a big payout for anyone who bet against me.”
She was scared to ask him the next question on her mind, but she had to know.
“And did he win?”
“Yes.” The shame that crossed his face was unmistakable. “And I lost on purpose.”
“No.” She covered her mouth with her hand. “For the money?”
“I wish,” he guffawed. “It was for a woman. Someone I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with, but who ended up betraying me anyway ….”
As Cliff continued the story, Stella listened intently. Her fingers curled into her palms, nails biting into her skin when he got to the part where his ex-fiancée revealed her treachery.
Stella rarely cursed in her life; she tried to avoid it as it would deeply disappoint her parents. But she supposed there were times when it was warranted, so she allowed herself the indulgence, just this once.
That bitch.
“… and since then, I haven’t stepped foot back here. I couldn’t really, not while the gaming board had their eyes on me.” He swallowed audibly, his Adams apple bobbing up and down his throat. “I know it’s silly. It’s not your fault you live here but?—”
“Shh … it’s okay.” She laid a land on his arm. “I’m not going to judge you. What you went through was incredibly traumatic.” It stung that he disliked where she lived, but she understood.
“It’s not just about this place, but …” He sighed. “I can’t live here, and you said you could never live anywhere else. It doesn’t feel right if I let things go too far between us, knowing this would just be sex. I couldn’t do that to you. I couldn’t use you like that, treat you like you were some girl I picked up at a bar or a club and toss away once we couldn’t make things work. Yes, Charley and Devon would kill me, but you deserve better than that, Stella.”
It took her a few seconds to digest his words.
He didn’t want to just have sex with her, to use her body for his pleasure, knowing there couldn’t be more than that between them.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t.” Oh Lord, she felt even worse when he said that.
“I’ll ask the office if they can send someone else to watch over you.”
Biting her lip, she could only nod. “I should head inside.”
She didn’t bother to wait for him to protest—not that he did—and got out of the truck. Her heart and footsteps were like lead as she trudged up the path to her front door. She didn’t even notice the heavy rain until she entered her house and started dripping on the carpet. With a deep sigh, she made a beeline for her bathroom and stripped off her clothes, then stepped into the shower.
The hot spray of water felt good on her chilled skin—but nothing like the pleasure she felt from that orgasm Cliff had given her. Even now, her pussy throbbed at the memory, wanting more.
But he was right. There couldn’t be anything between them. She couldn’t force him to move here, and she didn’t know if she could move away and leave her entire life behind for a man.
Grabbing her soap, she scrubbed herself down, trying to remove the traces of his scent. Of course, the soap couldn’t wash away the fingerprint-shaped bruises on her arm where he’d held her. Oddly, it didn’t scare her. But it did serve as a reminder for what had happened. And that she wanted more …
Lord, what a mess.
Cliff wanted her, and she wanted him, but they couldn’t act on what they felt.
Think, Stella.
At least one of them was acting like a mature adult. In a way, she was touched by Cliff’s sentiment about not wanting to sleep with her if nothing could come of it. That he thought so highly of her showed what a good man he was.
On the other hand, her damned hormones just wanted him to use her body. To pick her up, put her over his shoulder, and then take her away to his cave and ravish her. It was almost better if they were total strangers and had a one-night stand. She would never have to see him again afterward.
She stayed under the hot spray for a few more minutes, then finished her shower. After toweling herself dry, she put on her pajamas and plopped onto her bed face-first and groaned.
Hopefully, they would send someone else to replace Cliff, and she wouldn’t have to see him again, except for important family events involving her future niece or nephew. Even the thought of seeing him again after what they had shared had her cringing in embarrassment.
Somehow, she had to get through this. Forget about what happened in the truck and the way his magic fingers made her explode like a rocket. How his scent?—
With a groan, she rolled over onto her back and covered her face with a pillow.