Hunter's Need (15 page)

She clenched her knees together as a pang of longing struck. Yes, there were definitely a few parts involving Duke that could be described as
good
. Fantastic. Unbelievable, even. She licked her lips and forced a smile for Darlene’s sake. “Interesting, but I’m kind of glad it’s over.”

Liar
.

She scowled inwardly. She
was
glad it was over. She was glad Duke was here, even though as of yet, he couldn’t feel much of a need to be here. She was glad. She didn’t have to keep worrying about her gut-deep premonitions of doom. There was a Hunter here, somebody who could handle things. So she didn’t have to. She didn’t
want
to. She didn’t know how, and even if she did, it wasn’t her calling.

Yet, still . . .

“ . . . Okay?”

A hand touched her arm. Startled, Ana looked up and met Darlene’s concerned gaze. “I’m sorry. My mind’s wandering.”

Cocking a black brow, Darlene said, “Yeah, I noticed. I’m kind of curious just how far it’s wandering. One minute, you look like the proverbial cat that ate the cream and then you look like you lost your best friend.” She propped a hip on Ana’s desk and waited.

Ana didn’t flinch under that heavy stare. Darlene, as insightful as she was, couldn’t see clear through to Ana’s soul. After spending years with people who could do just that and more, it didn’t take much to keep a blank expression, to keep Darlene from seeing anything too deep. “Darlene, I’m fine. I just had a crazy weekend—I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

 

 

“W
HAT do you want me to do?”

People walking by the poorly dressed man either ignored him or found a way to stare at him without being too obvious about it.

Paul barely noticed. With tear-filled, rheumy eyes, he shook his head and whispered, “I can’t leave. My memories live here.” Memories—faded, worn, but all he had to keep him company throughout endless days and nights.

It was a hot day, especially for the city of Anchorage, the mercury pushing up near ninety. Even though it was August, it usually didn’t get quite this hot, quite this humid here. But as a businessman edged around Paul, just a few inches away, an icy chill raced down his spine—cold, like somebody had replaced his blood with ice water. Picking up his pace, the businessman got away as quickly as he could.

Behind him, Paul stared at him stricken and then once more focused on the empty air in front of him. “Are . . . are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

Marie smiled at him. Her image was wavery, transparent. But she looked beautiful to him. Beautiful, the same now as she’d looked when they’d met. A long time ago. Too long. “
I’m fi ne, Paul. I didn’t even feel it. Now come on, listen to me. I want you to leave here. Leave now.
”

“I can’t.” His face crumpled, but he managed to keep from crying. “I just can’t, Marie. This is where you are. If I leave, you won’t be there with me, will you?”

Ghosts could cry. Paul had seen her cry often through the years, but this was worse, because this was his fault. She’d asked him for one thing, and he couldn’t do it. But he couldn’t leave her. Couldn’t leave, couldn’t . . .

“
It’s not leaving me, Paul. It’s protecting yourself. Something bad is going to happen. I can feel it.
”

She shivered, the air around her turning icy. It didn’t go unnoticed by others, although most of them just walked faster, hurried by, unwilling to look at Paul, unwilling to try to see what he was staring at, and none of them wanted to think about why it seemed a good thirty degrees cooler around him.

“I can’t leave. I’m sorry. I just can’t.”

Then he smiled, desperate to chase the sadness from her eyes. Digging into his pocket, he pulled out a carefully folded piece of paper. “I found some paper today. Paper and pencils. Somebody left them at Earthquake Park. I drew a picture of you. Of us . . . ”

He showed it to Marie, to the woman nobody could see but him. And all around them, people pretended as though they couldn’t see the man who stood before them, talking to thin air.

 

 

S
ITTING on the narrow landing, perched on the edge of the top step, Duke rested his elbows on his knees and waited. In the back of his mind, he could hear seconds ticking away.

Ana wasn’t home.

It was nearly nine o’clock and she wasn’t home.

The sun was still burning high in the sky, and while that was enough to confuse his internal clock, he’d been checking the time every hour, on the hour since six. That was when he figured she’d be home.

And she wasn’t.

He’d tried calling the cell number she’d left with him, but it had gone into voice mail, and so far, she hadn’t returned any of his messages.

Up on the hill, he could hear the sound of the bus approaching, but this time, he didn’t get up, didn’t jog down the steps. He’d done that every single time a bus drove down the street and there were a decent amount of buses. He was starting to feel a little stupid—and a lot irritated.

Then there was a voice that countered back,
Maybe she didn’t think about it.

Except Duke wasn’t too impressed with
that
answer. There was no reason she
shouldn’t
think about it, as far as he was concerned. He was here because she sent word back that there was some vague sort of trouble. Of course he was going to be want to stay on top of things—on top of her—

“Damn it, stop thinking with your dick,” he muttered, scrubbing his hands over his face. And listening. Even though he made himself wait on the stairs this time, he was listening as the bus slowed down. Listening to the faint sound of voices a few hundred feet away.

Listening closely enough that he recognized Ana’s voice. “ . . . Do you?”

There was the sound of male laughter and then a new voice, “Of course not.”

Ana said something else, but Duke barely registered it. She was here. Shooting to his feet, he started to leap over the railing, only to freeze and squeeze his eyes closed.
Way to blend, you stupid cat
.

With a scowl, he held himself back and jogged down the steps. By the time she appeared in view, he’d already made it up the driveway. She came to an abrupt stop when she saw him. Something flashed in her eyes. He heard the faint sound of her heart as it skipped a few beats and then fell into a regular, but fast rhythm. The scent of vanilla, lavender and woman heated, warmed, and he had an urge to dip his head and press his lip to her neck, just to breathe her in.

Instead, he hooked his thumbs in his pockets and stared at her. Flicked a glance to the man at her side and then focused back on her. Tried
not
to focus on the close-fitting shirt, sleeveless and veeing down between her breasts—that definitely wasn’t what she’d been wearing when she left the house that morning. It was paired with some short skirt-looking thing and tennis shoes.

Ana frowned at him, but as the man next to her glanced her way, the frown disappeared. “Hi, Duke. I was just telling my landlord that I was probably going to have company for a few days.”

He glanced back at the man standing next to her. Close to Duke’s height, but taller by an inch or so, lean and fit. Hair going silver at the temples, some lines fanning out from his eyes. Duke took note of everything, including the fact that the guy’s pheromone level was seriously spiked. Landlord—yeah, and if the guy was happy to leave it at that, Duke ate Meow Mix for breakfast.

The man smiled and stuck out a hand. “Duke? So you’re the company? Carter Hoskins.”

He flicked a glance at the man’s offered hand.
Blend . . . remember?
Slowly, he accepted and shook and then looked back at Ana. “I was getting worried.”
Getting pissed is more like it
. Wasn’t getting any better, either, watching the way her landlord kept looking at her.

She shrugged. “I’m sorry. Guess I should have called. I usually go by the Alaska Club after work so I can get a workout in a few nights a week.” She gestured at her clothes and shrugged.

“We ran into each other leaving,” Carter said. “Tried to talk her into getting a bite with me. Eating alone after a while gets kind of boring.”

“I bet.” Duke didn’t bother looking at the man.

Ana’s eyes narrowed. Then she looked away from Duke and smiled at Carter. It was a real smile, he noticed, and his irritation spiked even more. She hardly ever smiled at him and when she did, it was that nervous, hesitant curl of her lips like she didn’t really want to smile period. Or like she was afraid to. Or like she didn’t think she deserved to.

But she was smiling at this guy. A friendly, open smile that Duke was pretty sure he’d never seen—at least not one he’d ever seen directed at
his
way.

“I’m sorry, Carter. It’s just been a long couple of days and with Duke being here . . . ”

“Hey, it’s not a problem.” Carter waved it off and focused on Duke again. “Ana doesn’t much like to talk about herself. Are you a friend? Family?”

Duke heard the unspoken question, even though it seemed to pass right over Ana’s head. She started up the walkway and said, “Duke’s a—”

“Friend,” he interjected, unsure exactly what she was going to say, although he could tell what this Carter guy
wanted
her to say—or rather, what he wanted her
not
to say.

Their eyes locked. Carter’s brows lifted and then he smiled, shook his head. “Well, I hope you enjoy your trip to Alaska, Duke. Ana, you have a nice night.”

As he headed toward the main house, Duke just barely resisted the urge to bare his teeth at the man. Shit, he’d gone and developed a possessive streak a mile wide. But then he looked back at Ana as she glanced over her shoulder at him. That look, the frown on her soft mouth, the sadness that seemed so much a part of her, was enough to drive the air out of his lungs. Her gaze met his, and then she looked away, heading toward her apartment.

Leaving him to stand there and stare at her. Brood. No. He hadn’t gone and developed a possessive streak when it came to her. He’d always had one.

Neal. Dominic. A half dozen other faces flashed through his mind. Some of the men had wanted her just on a physical level—like Neal. Use her, hurt her if he could, because she was just prey. Then some of them, like Dominic, had a more serious interest, but even that had put Duke’s teeth on edge.

He caught up with her just before she reached the door, standing close behind her as she opened it. He felt a pair of eyes on the back of his neck, and as he followed her into the apartment, he glanced back. Saw the landlord staring out a window and watching them. It was harder to suppress the snarl the second time around, but he managed it.

But once the door shut behind them, Duke didn’t bother suppressing anymore. He followed Ana through the apartment, staying just a breath behind her. She shot him a nervous look over her shoulder as she stopped, putting her purse and a duffel on the counter.

“What . . . ” Ana licked her lips. Her voice was a pathetic, embarrassing squeak and clearing her throat didn’t help at all. “Is something wrong?”

He didn’t respond. Instead, he dipped his head and nuzzled her neck. She hunched her shoulder and tried to ease away. “I need to take a shower, Duke.”

“Later,” he muttered, raking his teeth along her skin.

“Duke, I just left the gym. I’m hot, I’m sweaty—”

He brought up a hand and pressed it against her belly, urging her back against him. “You taste delicious,” he rasped. His voice was a low, hoarse growl and even if she hadn’t already been weak-kneed, that would have done it.

He nudged a leg between her thighs and rested a hand on her hip before slipping it down to toy with the hem of the skirted shorts she’d worn for her workout. He tugged it up and then grunted, straightening away. She could feel the heat of his gaze moving over as he studied her workout clothes.

She turned and rested a hand against his chest, but whatever she’d planned on saying dried up on her tongue as he went to his knees in front of her and leaned forward, pressing his mouth to her stomach. He made quick work of the shorts and under a minute, he had her standing in front of him wearing nothing but the sport tank. “If I hadn’t been here, would you have eaten with him?” he asked, his voice harsh.

Dazed, Ana blinked and stared down at him. “Huh?”

“Your landlord. Were you going to eat with him?”

She frowned. Tried to think. Eat. Landlord . . . oh. Yeah. Carter. Dinner. Yeah, she remembered. Blood rushed to her cheeks and she tried not to squirm as he lifted his head and stared up at her. “I don’t know. Probably not. He likes to talk too much.”

“Talking can be a total waste of time. Better things to do with my mouth.” Then he proved it, leaning in, pressing his mouth against her and licking her.

Ana slapped her hands against the counter behind and braced herself. Her knees wobbled, threatened to give and she locked them. He growled at her and pushed her thighs wider.

“Duke, I’m going to fall.” Her head spun and she clutched at the counter.

“I won’t let you fall,” he muttered against her. “Wanna taste, Ana. Fuck, you’re sweet . . . ”

He lapped at her flesh like a cat, tonguing her clit and then sucking on it. True to his word, when she wobbled on her feet, he caught her hips in his hands and steadied her, easing her back and up onto the counter. She slumped backward, her head banging against the cabinet at her back, but she didn’t care. Curling her fingers into his hair, she stared down at him and shuddered as he parted her flesh with his tongue and then pushed inside.

She cried out, heat unfurling through her, licking at her flesh, drawing her body tight, tighter. “How sore are you?”

She flinched as he circled her entrance with one rough fingertip, pushing just a little inside.