At One's Pleasure (9 page)

"Two
days."

If possible,
Griffin looked even grimmer.  "We won't be able to challenge during
memorial if it was murder.  And there will be no way to prove it at this late
date anyway."

"I
know."

Griffin’s
eyes fell on Rebecca where she was watching him with her head against Linc’s
chest.  His eyes warmed, and she felt it like a caress.  "Take Rebecca
back to the house.  I'll finish this wedding business and follow.  Jacob, I
want you to make the arrangements with Maxwell and Isabella to manage the hotel
and pack while we’re gone.  I've already contracted with Lionsgate to update
our security.  I'll call Gibbs and make the arrangements for a pilot and added
security for the trip.  We leave as soon as it's arranged." 

He leaned
down to kiss Becca his cheek rubbing against hers and his mouth near her ear. 
"You will take care of him 'little bit' and accompany us as our mate to
Montana?"

Becca closed
her eyes on a shudder.  It was a commitment to more than just a trip and they
all knew it.  There was only one answer to give with Linc’s pain beating on
her.  "Yes."

This time
Becca led Linc away.  They made it as far as the beach where he had first taken
her when he stopped them suddenly.

"I
don't want your pity."

"Excuse
me?"

"I want
you to stay with us because you want us, not because you pity me."

"Compassion
is not pity."  She stepped close to his back.  "Besides you know I
want you.  You can feel it as well as I can feel how you all practically howled
for joy when I agreed to come along."

It was
almost enough to make him smile.  Even in his current state.  "That was a
wolf reaction, as a man, I want to be wanted just as much as you do."

"Wanting
you has never been the issue," she sighed.  "So much has changed so
fast.  I'm struggling to keep up.  I feel like I'm developing multiple
personalities.  One wakes up and plays with three naked men and the other
questions how quick I'm changing, and dreads what I will become."

"We
want to give you the time you need, but..."

"But
your wolf won't allow it."

"Yes. 
When I am with you all I want is to be touching you.  When I am not with you I
worry that you will somehow succeed in leaving us, or be taken.  It is an
unbearable thought for both man and beast."

"I'm
not trying to hurt you Linc.  My doubts are about me, and the life I treasured
yesterday.  If anything I feel more myself with you than either Griffin or
Jacob."

"Because
Griffin calls to your wolf most strongly."

"And
Jacob is way too young."  Becca finished for him.  "Truthfully if I
had seen any of you on the street I would have thought, ‘Holy Crap they are
HOT!’.  And then ran in the opposite direction."

He turned so
that they were face-to-face and nearly touching.  Rebecca had to strain her
neck back to meet his eyes.  What she saw had her taking a step back.  His
hands went to either side of her face and delved into her soft hair.  Holding
her in place.

"It's
all right Rebecca."  His eyes were fired wolf gold and intense.  His face
ravaged from the day’s events.

"Your
eyes Linc."  Her voice was breathless, her mouth dry.

"Yes, I
am more wolf at this moment than you are comfortable with yet.  But I would
never hurt you."  He kissed her forehead and then trailed his soft lips
down her cheek to the corner of her mouth.  "If I saw you on the street,
and you ran, you wouldn't have gotten very far," he said, his voice
rough.  His lips moved to her ear.  His words a gruff promise and liquid threat
in one.  "I would run you until you dropped, if need be."

She
swallowed hard.  Her blood pounding through her veins.  Her eyes flashing
gold.  There was such raw need inside him.  Maybe it was the pain he was trying
to escape, but she was seeing Linc out of control for the first time.  And she
liked it. 

"Linc." 
She said, kissing his cheek and nuzzling her face to his.  Then she bit his
ear.  "Show me."  Then she ripped herself from his arms and ran.

Rebecca
headed for palm trees, moving with a fluid speed that, if she thought about it,
would have shocked her.  She kicked off her heals and her feet barely touched
the ground.  She made the tree line and zigzagged through the wild brush, some
instinct leading her on; even while she knew he was closing in.  She felt him
reach for her and she turned on a dime.  He swore and she laughed, a wicked
husky sound that egged him on.

She heard
the water and changed directions again, Linc right on her heals.  When she made
the mistake of looking back, his face had a savage cast to it that caused her
to lose her flow for a minute.  Then just as he would have snagged her, she put
on a burst of speed and shot over some tumbled rocks.  Then had nowhere else to
go without hitting rock wall and waterfall.  She stopped without thinking,
stunned by the beauty before her, and he had her.

Linc took
her to the ground full body.  His growls savage while he ripped away his pants
and the clothes she had recently put on.  He pulled up her hips and plunged in
without preliminaries. 

It had
Rebecca arching her back, her hands digging into cool soil, her knees bracing
against his savage claiming.  She tipped forward and shoved back wanting all of
him.  And he gave it to her.  Plunging in and pounding her until she screamed
her release.  When he reached his, it was with a last savage thrust, his hands
in her hair pulling her back so that he could latch onto her collarbone and
bite down.  Branding her.

***

The water
was hot, even for the tropics, fed by an underground hot spring.  They floated
together for a while, Linc’s hands moving over her skin everywhere while she
just rested against him and existed in the moment.

"It's
so beautiful here."

"Yes. 
More so with you in my arms."

That made
her smile.  "You sure can talk purty."  She said, thickening her
accent and channeling Ado Annie. 

He chuckled
and considered it a miracle today of all days. 

"Thank
you Rebecca."

"For
what?"  She said her eyes still closed, but her lips tipping up into a
smile. 

"For
knowing exactly what I need and giving it so generously."

She opened
her eyes and her smile faded.  She ran her hand up his cheek and into his
hair.  "Do you want to talk about it?"

He
shrugged.  "Nothing to say.  He was a good man.  But I hardly had a chance
to know him.  He was pack enforcer.  Pack always comes first."  He pulled
her close and breathed in the scent of her hair.  "He would have liked
you.  'She's feisty' he would have said."  His voice broke.  "I would
have been very proud to take you home to meet my father."

"Oh
Linc."  She said, closing her eyes and hugging him close.  "You do
know how to disarm a girl."

She held him
for a long time while the afternoon light faded and the shadows grew long. 
Eventually he shifted her in his lap until he could slide inside her.  They
made love, slowly this time, eye to eye.  The water slipping around then hot
against the cooler air blowing in from the ocean.  His eyes stayed the grey of
a foggy night even as he slid her over the edge into pleasure, and followed. 
If he was trying to make the point that the man wanted her just as much as the
wolf.  He succeeded admirably.  Somehow, she felt marked just the same.

When they
finally returned hand in hand to the house, it was still just them.  They ate
and then after a quick clean up they snuggled down on the deck lounge with a
blanket and watched the sun set over the ocean.  It wasn't long before the last
days and night caught up with them and they slept.

Griffin
watched them sleep, a peace stealing over him that he couldn't remember ever
feeling before.  For so long he had worked to protect his wolves.  Give them a
home, safety.  But this was beyond his reach, this feeling that after all the
running and fighting, they finally had a home, and she was beautiful.

Linc opened
his eyes; Rebecca was laying across his chest their legs and feet entwined down
the lounger.  He could feel from her breathing that she slept deeply.

"She's
had a rough few days," Griffin said softly, watching them from the shadows
at the railing.

Linc looked
over at his Alpha.  "Where's Jacob?"

"I sent
him to bed already.  We leave at 6am for the flight to the mainland.  We'll
meet our pilot and security at the plane." 

"We
should go up then," he said, his voice taking on a harder edge thinking
about the trip.  His arms tightened around Rebecca.

"I'll
take her," Griffin growled quietly.  Coming forward to move away the
blanket and lift her easily in his arms.

She opened
drowsy eyes.  "What is it?"

"Shh. 
Just taking you to bed," he said, cradling her into his chest. 

"Linc?"

"He's
all right Little Bit.  He's coming with us."

She snuggled
around until her head was pressed into his neck, her arms wrapping around his
shoulders.  "Jacob?"

"I sent
him to bed already."

She closed
her eyes, and he felt her drift off again.  He started for the stairs.

"She's
a miracle," Linc said softly in the dark.

"Yes."

"Others
will want to take her."

"We
can't leave her behind.  If she ran, she would be in danger from all sides. 
Besides, once she is acknowledged as an Alpha female of our pack she'll be off
limits.  It'll be official."

"It
won't matter to some."

"Maybe. 
We will keep her safe Linc.  We'll find a way."  He looked down at his
precious burden.  "Anything else is unacceptable."

***

They took a
helicopter to the mainland and then a limo to the airport.  It was extravagant
and had Becca sighing at the continued sign that the guys were ridiculously
wealthy.  She had worn her usual travel outfit of jeans, tennis shoes and her
favorite red t-shirt.  It was almost the exact same outfit as what Jacob wore,
only his was the six-foot stud version, and his t-shirt was navy blue, so she
figured, even with Linc and Griffin in slacks and dress shirts, she was safe
enough in her choice.  Then she saw their private plane. 

Sleek and no
doubt fast, it was also tiny.  Not that it would be embarrassed to be seen by
other private planes, but it was not the huge airline she was used to.  It made
her a bit nervous for two reasons.  One, she was significantly under dressed,
and two, she apparently had a tiny fear of flying in small planes.  Especially
after the pilot was introduced.

She was tall
and slender, beautifully golden all over, and her name was Cleo.  Not that any
of that was a problem, she was all for a woman pilot, even a young, beautiful
one, with hair that shimmered in the morning light, usually.  But not one that
had to skip school to take the trip.

"How
old are you?” Rebecca asked.  Her voice belligerent with nerves.

"20,
how old are you?"  The girl raised a perfectly arched brow, her eyes
frosty blue.

"Cleo." 
The other man on the tarmac with them had been introduced as the security
presence.  Logan McCord.  He looked like a Logan McCord.  Tall, rangy, with
broad shoulders and cowboy boots.  He had brown hair that was cut short but
curled slightly at the nape of his neck.  He reminded her of an old time
gunslinger with his gruff voice and assessing hazel eyes.  Though, after
watching the way he moved, more than anyone else she'd ever met, he made her
think wolf.  The predatory kind.  Right now he was using those eyes to warn Cleo
to watch her manners.

It reminded
her of Griffin in all his bossy glory.  When Cleo just rolled her eyes, looking
more like a teen-ager than ever, it made Rebecca laugh.

Cleo looked
over at her, lips lifting at the corner like she wanted to smile but was unsure
of her welcome.

"I'm
36."  Becca smiled at the young girl.  "And if you tell me you're a
good pilot, and
not
in training, I promise not to mouth off any more, or
make catty remarks out of jealousy.  Though, I will say that it’s grossly
unfair for you to be younger, prettier, skinnier,
and
have hair like
that."

Cleo smiled
for real this time, her eyes losing their frost.  It made her look even
younger.  "I am the best pilot you will ever meet," Cleo said.  She
canted her head to the side, studying Rebecca, her smile growing.  "Would
it help if I said I always wanted to be a short curvy brunet with dainty feet
and perfect breasts?"

Becca
laughed outright, putting out her hand for a shake.  "It does actually. 
Thanks.  I'm Becca."

"Nice
to meet you Becca," Cleo said.  Rebecca tried not to wince from the
strength of the girl’s handshake.  It was obvious she sincerely had no idea her
grip was painful, so Becca just kept smiling.

"I'm
going to start the pre-flight," she said to Lucas, then turned back to
Becca and winked.  "I'll see you later Becca."

She hopped
nimbly up the stairs, turned one more time to smile down at them with an
inexplicably relieved smile, and then was gone.

"Jeesh,”
Becca said, shaking out her hand.  "It must be painful being that pretty."

"She
gets a lot of Guff,” Logan said, studying Becca.  She bet he didn't miss much. 
"Especially the women tend to be snippy with her.  But she wasn't lyin'. 
She's the best natural pilot I've ever seen.  There isn't anything she can't
fly, and probably has."

Rebecca
blinked, she knew she was staring but really, the man was potent when he gave
you his full attention.  She heard Jacob growl beside her and cleared her
throat.  "I guess I won't worry so much about riding in a little baby planelette
then."

"It's a
Lear jet," Griffin grumbled, exasperated.

"Uh-huh."

Logan tipped
his head back and laughed.

Wow, even
better when he smiles.  Ay Carumba.

He nodded
respectfully at Becca.  She could easily picture him on a horse tipping a
cowboy hat.  "Ma'am, it'll be a pleasure keeping you safe while you're
introduced to the pack."

Becca
blinked.  "While I'm what?"