Chapter 42 #2
“Jesus.” Luna’s hands tremble as her eyes snap to mine.
Cade planted only some of what they found. But the rest? That was already there. Real evidence detailing his plans for Luna. Pages of revenge fantasies. The specific, methodical ways he intended to make her suffer before he killed her.
I told her about it as we lay tangled together in bed last night, her body warm against mine. Not the graphic details. I gave her the choice, and she declined, but I'm a man who heeds the lessons he's learned, who understands the cost of deception. I will not keep secrets from her ever again.
My hands curl into fists, and rage tastes like blood in my mouth. Killing Hunter once wasn’t enough. It was a mercy he didn’t deserve. I should have taken him back to my basement and drawn it out. Should have made him beg. Should have shown him exactly what happens to men who threaten what’s mine.
“So he’s…” Luna’s voice wavers.
“In the wind. Boulder PD has a BOLO out for him. He’s considered armed and dangerous.” Karen’s gaze shifts between us. “Keep your eyes open. If he shows his face around here again, you call me immediately. Don’t try to handle it yourselves.”
Her gaze lingers on me for just a moment, but there’s less suspicion there now. The evidence against Caleb is solid enough to shift her focus.
Chaos erupts from the back room, splashing sounds, followed by Maren’s colorful cursing.
“Ricky, you little shit! Get back here!”
The doors burst open, and Ricky comes tearing through, dripping wet, making a break for freedom, with Maren hot on his heels. Ricky chitters as he scampers between Karen’s legs, leaving wet paw prints on her uniform pants.
“Sorry! Slippery little bastard jumped out of the tub!” Maren lunges for him, but he dodges her.
The muscles in my jaw twitch. Leave it to that pervy raccoon to provide the perfect distraction. Maybe I’ll let him feel up Luna once in a while.
Karen steps aside, chuckling. “Well, I can see you’ve got your hands full here. I’ll let you get back to it.”
The door closes behind her, and I finally allow myself to breathe. Maren manages to corner Ricky near the reception desk, scooping him up with a triumphant “Got you, you little escape artist!”
The raccoon chitters at her but settles into her arms, head on her breasts, looking quite pleased with himself.
“Well, that was fun.” Maren wrings water from her hair as she looks at Luna.
“You are so buying me Wicked tickets. They’re coming to Denver in February.
And you—” She turns to me, one finger extended like a weapon.
“You’re going to stop fucking her for five minutes so she can come with me to the show.
Actually, you’re the one who should pay for it, Mr. Billionaire.
And dinner. And a limo. And I’m sure I’ll think of something else, so get out that fat wallet of yours. ”
I raise both hands, palms out. My mind’s already calculating. Orchestra seats, backstage passes, maybe dinner with the leads.
Luna laughs and holds out her hands for Ricky. “Want me to finish with him?”
Maren waves her away and heads toward the swinging doors again. “Nah. I’m already wet. And not in the way I like to be.”
“Come over to the house for lunch when you’re done,” Luna calls after her.
“So GI Joe can poison me? No thanks.”
Luna exhales a small laugh, but a concerned look crosses her face. “The attraction between them worries me.”
I draw her to me, savoring the way she curves into my embrace without hesitation. Fuck, it feels good to be able to do this. She leans against me with a soft sigh and wraps her arms around my waist.
“Yeah. That’s probably not a good idea.”
“Why? Is he a serial killer?”
“Haha, wise ass. No, but if you think I’m obsessive and possessive, Cade makes me look sane.”
She furrows her brow deeper, but I don’t elaborate. Maren getting involved with Cade is asking for all sorts of trouble none of us needs.
“I love your arms around me.” She presses her lips over my heart, and the simple gesture nearly undoes me.
I guide her toward the door, keeping her wrapped against me until the last possible second. Only when we have to step outside do I let her go.
“Come on. Cade’s probably got lunch ready by now, and you need to eat, Dr. Foster. You’re going to need your strength tonight.”
When we reach her front door, I turn her to face me, my voice rough.
“I love you, Luna. And I’m going to spend the rest of my life making up for all the ways I’ve hurt you.”
Her eyes soften, and she reaches up to cup my face. “I’ll hold you to that. And you better be prepared to fuck me into oblivion as the wolf for the rest of your life too, because I want both of you. I want Damien and my wolf.”
The heat in her voice and the hunger in her eyes set my blood ablaze. Her lips curve in a smile that promises pure temptation wrapped in sin.
“Maybe you should consider stocking up on Viagra, old man.”
Desire roars through me even though she called me an old man. I move before thought catches up, grabbing her and pressing her back against the door. My mouth crashes onto hers, the kiss all heat and hunger and desperate need. She melts into me, soft and pliant, as I claim every inch of her mouth.
I pull back and press my forehead against hers, both of us breathing hard. “I’m going to fuck you against this door one night, right after I make you come on my fingers again.”
Her breath catches, and her body trembles against mine. When she looks up at me, her eyes have gone dark. “Then I’ll return the favor on my knees until you forget everything but my name.”
My hand finds the doorframe and grips it hard enough to make my fingers ache. Anything to stop myself from taking her right here.
“Jesus, fuck, Luna.”
She laughs and rises on her toes to brush her lips against mine before reaching behind her for the doorknob. Ghost and Athena push past me to enter behind her as Shadow and her three cats come running from inside, a collision of fur and enthusiasm.
She drops to her knees and greets them all with hugs and kisses. The fat one hisses, and Shadow knocks Luna onto her ass with the force of his greeting. This is a sight I want to spend the rest of my life coming home to.
I have a home for the first time in my life. And it’s all because of this woman.