Endless Chase (6 page)

“I’m too young to be hearing this,” he teased. “But I do like the new bathrooms, and the kitchen is incredible.” It was all stainless steel, granite and oak, a gourmet cook’s dream. He was definitely going to make the time to try it out beyond slapping together a simple sandwich. He didn’t cook often, but when he did, he thoroughly enjoyed it. He found it relaxed him.

29

N.J. Walters

“Just because the castle is old is no reason it can’t be comfortable.” Johanna arched her eyebrow at her husband. “I may tackle the grounds next.”

Cristofor held up his hands in mock surrender. “Have mercy on me, my love. The overgrown forests keep the tourists at bay.”

“Speaking of tourists,” Chase interjected. “Have you had many hikers around lately?”

All teasing fled from Cristofor and he pinned Chase with his laser green gaze.

“Why?”

Chase was beginning to wish he hadn’t brought it up, but the family’s protection came before anything else. Plus, if he hoped to see Katya again, the family would eventually have to know about her. “I ran into a hiker when I was out for my walk early this morning.”

Cristofor frowned. “I have not seen anyone of late.”

Johanna crossed her legs, swinging one absently. “I know there are two women and three men currently staying in the village. Two of the men are academics researching the folklore of the area, one man and woman are a young couple on their honeymoon and there is a single woman on her own—an artist.” When both men looked at her, she shrugged. “They are guests at the Bratianos’ inn. Olga told me herself. I bumped into her when I ran into town to pick up a package two days ago.”

“More than likely she was lying in wait for you,” Cristofor speculated. “That woman lives to gossip.”

Johanna laughed. “Which is why I always find time to chat with her. I can find out more about what is happening locally by spending five minutes with her than I could if I sat in the local tavern all night long.”

“There is that,” Cristofor conceded. “Did the hiker not see the posted warnings?”

It was a rhetorical question, but Chase answered it anyway. “I don’t think Katya is the type to heed posted warnings.” No, with her defiant air, Chase figured there was nowhere she wouldn’t go if she wanted to.

“Katya?” Johanna questioned.

“Hmm,” he agreed noncommittally. He could hear the feminine interest in her tone and knew she was already playing matchmaker in her mind.

“Why was she hiking around here at that hour of the morning?” Trust Cristofor to go straight to the heart of the matter.

“I’m not quite sure, but she knew this was Dalakis land.”

Johanna snorted. “She’s staying at Olga’s. The poor woman probably had a complete history lesson of the area within the first hour of her arrival.” She paused and added casually. “If she is the artist, I’m sure she’d love the chance to tour the castle if you wanted to invite her.”

Chase shook his head and glanced over at Cristofor who stared stoically back.

“Perhaps. We’ll see how it goes with all the family arriving.” Still, he couldn’t say he 30

Endless Chase

hadn’t thought about it. An invitation to the castle would definitely be an excuse to see her again. Usually, he was wary with strangers. The problem was Katya didn’t feel like a stranger.

The last thing he needed was to get involved with a woman, even a woman as beautiful and intriguing as Katya. He was only here for a few weeks. And after that…well, his life was very up in the air at the moment.

He pushed aside his dark thoughts. Perhaps what he needed was a vacation fling.

That is, if Katya was willing. He couldn’t just assume she’d want to crawl in bed with him. But he hadn’t mistaken her response to his kiss. She was attracted to him. And he was more than attracted to her.

Echoes of the dreams pulsed through him. It might have only been a dream, but it had been a powerful one. Chase longed to touch Katya, to stroke her silky skin. He shifted in his chair as his cock stirred. No doubt about it, he wanted her in a way he’d never wanted another woman.

Maybe it was because he was on vacation. Maybe it was because he was facing a major life decision. Either way, it didn’t really matter. Whatever the reason, he planned to do whatever it took to land Katya in his bed for as long as possible.

Katya prowled through the dense forest, heading steadily toward Dalakis Castle. It would have been much easier to take the road, but she didn’t want anyone from the village to see her heading that way and to ask questions. Olga was nosy enough as it was without encouraging her.

As it was, Katya hadn’t been able to get away from the inn without eating first.

Olga had been waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her this evening, directing her straight to the kitchen for a bowl of thick, hearty soup and a hunk of homemade sourdough bread, all the while subtly questioning her. Olga was relentless, but harmless. Katya couldn’t find it in her to be upset with the woman. Besides which, her sourdough bread was the best Katya had ever tasted.

Katya tried to concentrate on finding a path through the thick woods, but her mind had other ideas. Like a movie playing in her head, she relived the dream she’d had over and over again.

Her breathing increased, and the slim trail in front of her vanished, replaced by the sight of Chase’s muscular form braced over her. Katya leaned against a tree, the bark rough against her hands. “Stop it!”

A raven flew up from the tree, cawing its annoyance at her. She pressed her forehead against the thick trunk of the pine and breathed in its woodsy scent. Even that could not erase the scent of Chase’s skin, the rough touch of his fingertips roaming over her heated flesh or the sight of his head buried between her thighs.

“Get a grip.” She pressed her legs together in an unconscious attempt to ease the ache throbbing deep inside her. Dampness coated her panties, reminding her of the 31

N.J. Walters

low-level arousal that had been pulsing through her veins since she’d risen from her long nap.

Her breasts felt heavy, swollen, and the tips were extremely sensitive. Putting on her bra had been an exercise in torture. The thin material seemed to rub the puckered nubs with every move she made. Her long-sleeved top just made it worse. Now she had two layers scraping over her aching nipples.

Even her skin seemed too tight for her body, as if it was pulled taut over her bones and muscles. Every cell in her body felt overly stimulated, making her flesh tingle. It took all her discipline not to rip off every stitch of her clothing, drop to the forest floor and pleasure herself until she came.

The only reason she didn’t was she knew it wouldn’t help. After all, she’d come in her dream and that had just left her craving more. She had an unrelenting suspicion that the only cure was to dive into bed with Chase and give over to the madness that had taken possession of her body.

She groaned at the thought of them fucking for hours and hours. She’d never been one for marathon sex, but she was more than ready to try. Her body was primed. It wouldn’t take much to send her crashing over the edge. But that would be just an appetizer. She had a feeling that she wouldn’t be sated until he’d wrung every drop of arousal from her. The way her body was humming right now, that would take hours, if not days.

Her inner muscles clenched hard, and she dug her fingers into the tree for support, using it as something to ground herself in this growing madness. Katya groaned, gritting her teeth as her scalp prickled. Sweat dotted her forehead even though the evening air was cooling off quickly. Taking a deep breath, she sucked in the brisk air, hoping it would ease her aching body and soul.

Since waking late in the afternoon, she’d been filled with this unrelenting need to see Chase again. It was unreasonable and it was potentially dangerous. She’d come to close to lose her focus now. Revenge for her parents and peace for herself were her main goal. Nothing else mattered. She couldn’t let it matter.

That was easy to say, but she’d never met a man like Chase before. No other man had challenged her senses or incited her curiosity. She wanted to know everything about him. And that made him a danger to her.

She had secrets. Secrets she needed to protect at all costs. There was not just her life at stake, but her brother’s and all those faithful staff members who’d served her parents.

She couldn’t throw caution away for a man.

Yes, he was handsome, but if that was the only attraction, Katya could have easily sidestepped it with no problem. After all, she’d had no problem doing so her entire adult life. At the age of twenty-five, she’d had more than a few men exhibit interest in her. She’d even indulged in a discreet affair, but it had been part physical attraction, part curiosity. Her heart had never been given. She’d always managed to hold back the deepest part of herself.

32

Endless Chase

But this thing with Chase was more than that.

Chase stripped back the superficial layer of the physical, revealing her wounded soul, touching it in a way that brought tears to her eyes. He reminded her of all she’d had and lost, and what could never be.

Pushing away from the tree, she swiped her hand over her brow and straightened her pack. The crossbow was a solid reminder of why she was really here. The antique weapon was compact but effective, an instrument of death and beauty that had been in her papa’s family for generations. It steadied her as nothing else could. Quickly, she threaded her way through the trees at an angle until her path intersected with the dirt road that led to the castle. There was no one around to see her, so she might as well take the easy path.

She laughed at that. She’d never taken the easy path in her life. Her papa had always called her hardheaded and stubborn, but always with a smile on his face. She knew he was proud of her.

The firm-packed earth made walking much easier, almost enjoyable. The night was alive with sound and scents. There was beauty in the night. Most people were afraid of the darkness, but Katya embraced it.

Her papa had shown her all the stars in the sky, teaching her to navigate by their position. He’d taught her how to listen with her senses and to be aware of her surroundings at all times. She knew there was a small animal off to her right, probably a fox. There were clumps of wildflowers perfuming the air, mixing with the more earthy and pungent smells of the trees and the rich earth beneath them.

It was funny, but she didn’t know her biological father, wasn’t even aware of his name. Her mama had never talked of him at all, except to say he was gone. Katya didn’t know if that meant he was dead or if he’d just abandoned her mama when he found out she was pregnant. Frankly, she didn’t care. Afanas Markova was her papa in all ways that mattered.

Her papa had always said that he’d taken one look at her mama and known she was the one for him, and that Katya was meant to be his daughter. She rubbed her chest to ease the ache and felt the cross. She lifted the heavy gold necklace and wrapped her fingers around it. The metal was warm, almost pulsing with life, a reminder of all she’d lost.

Her papa was the only father she’d known. The only one she ever wanted. He was the one who had praised her first clumsy attempt at reading, the one who had lifted her onto her first pony, the one who had listened to her girlish problems and treated them with grave seriousness. He was the man who had cautioned her during her first, and only, love affair. Not a man to stick his head in the sand, he realized his daughter was a grown woman and had lectured her on responsibility and safety. He’d been uncomfortable during their talk, but he’d done it. She’d never loved him more than she had at that moment.

33

N.J. Walters

And she hadn’t lost that closeness when her brother Sasha had come along. Her papa had been very concerned while her mama was pregnant, watching her constantly.

But he’d been overjoyed when Sasha had been born. Rather than feel excluded, Katya had been made to feel even more special.

“I will avenge you both,” she vowed as she tucked the cross back inside the neck of her black long-sleeved shirt. She shifted her pack on her back and strode determinedly toward the castle.

She needed to get inside Dalakis Castle and Chase was her way in. Guilt pricked her and she shoved it aside. He was the one who said he wanted to see her again. She was only obliging him.

Katya ignored the way her breasts tingled and her core throbbed at the mere thought of seeing Chase again. Her pace quickened.

34

Endless Chase

Chase tossed his sketchpad and pencil aside, turned off the bedside light and lay on the bed with his hands stacked beneath his head. He didn’t bother to look at his watch.

He knew it was very late, or early, depending on your perspective.

He’d passed a quiet but pleasant evening with Cristofor and Johanna. They’d talked for a while, and Johanna had joined him in the kitchen while he ate some of the tasty roast chicken she’d baked for him. The baked baby potatoes with rosemary, crisp broccoli and tender carrots had all been cooked to perfection.

After he’d eaten, Cristofor had taken him on a tour of the place, pointing out all the new renovations and improvements. He might act the poor put-upon husband, but Chase could hear the pride in his voice.

By about one o’clock, he was ready to call it a night and give his hosts some privacy. He’d said his goodnights and retired to his room. He was tired, yet unsettled.

His skin felt too tight for his body and he felt the familiar throb at the base of his skull, heralding the onset of a massive headache.

Hoping to fight it off, he rummaged through his suitcase and found the bottle of prescription painkillers and popped two. Then, he ran a hot bath in the massive tub, which was part of his newly renovated bathroom. When it was ready, he stripped off his clothing and slid in with a sigh of relief.

Closing his eyes, he relaxed for more than a half-hour before getting out. The heat had soothed his tense muscles and the pain medication had beaten back the headache.