Storm Watch (Woodland Creek) (5 page)

Luke pulled out a chair and sat next to her. “Tell me again what happened.”

“You believe me?” she asked again, afraid to hope. Desire aside, either she needed his help or she needed to get away. Was he just saying this to try and get her into bed?

He shrugged his shoulders. “Let’s just say that I believe that you saw something that scared you to death. I’m reserving judgment.”

Well, she guessed she’d have to make do with that. “We’d just gotten into another fight. He was insanely jealous. He thought I was messing around with one of his employees.”

“Go on,” he prodded gently, taking her cold hands in his.

“I swore that I wasn’t,” she began, “but he didn’t believe me. Before I knew what was happening, he’d called John into the room and…and…shot him.”

Luke swore. “How did you get away?”

“He didn’t think I’d go. He told me that if I ever looked at another man he’d kill him, and that it was a warning to me. Then, as if nothing had happened, he put the gun in my hand. B-before I could struggle, he’d forced me to pull the trigger. A second bullet into John.” Storm shut her eyes at the memory. “Then he took the gun and left the house.

“I ran. I packed what I could in five minutes, got in my car and ran. I knew he’d say I’d done it if I tried to report him.”

Luke pulled her from her chair and onto his lap. “Shh, it’s over now. Are you sure the man was dead?”

She looked at him. “There was so much blood. He must have been.”

“Alright, darlin’. We’ll find a way to get him. I promise you, we’ll get him. You’re safe with me. I won’t let him near you.” He might have been a natural-born fixer, but he was also a tiger. His protective instincts were not something he’d change even if he could.

“I should just go. It’s not safe for you.” She needed help, but she was terrified of what Raymond would do to anyone that tried to assist her.

“I can take care of myself, Storm. Don’t worry about me.” It was too soon to tell her what he was…at least all of what he was. “I was a cop. And, a SEAL before that. Trust me, I can protect you.”

“Does he know where you live?” she asked worriedly. Why hadn’t she thought of that before? Of course, he’d know how to find him! She didn’t for one minute believe that Raymond wouldn’t be keeping tabs on whomever he’d hired to track her down.

Luke shrugged. “Possibly. Probably. I’m not hiding from anyone. My address is listed with my number. But no one is going to be traveling in this. We are safe enough at least for now.”

“Let me take the Jeep. I’ll leave it somewhere for you. I won’t be responsible for someone else dying,” she said urgently. “I can drive a lot easier now that it’s daylight. Surely the road crews will have gotten some of the roads clear by now.”

Luke tilted her chin with gentle fingers. “No.”

She glared at him. Just that one word. He didn’t understand. “Luke, he’ll
kill
you. You don’t know what he’s capable of.”

Storm tried to get off his lap, but he held her to him. “Stop it. You’re not going anywhere. We’ll go to the authorities together when the weather clears, Storm. The police chief here is an honest man.”

Storm shook her head. “He has connections everywhere! He knows people everywhere. I need to run. When the storm’s over, I’m leaving. You can’t stop me.”

“Like hell,” he muttered and ground his mouth on hers.

Storm struggled for a few moments and he gentled the kiss, caressing her lips with his. She caught her fingers in his hair, held his head, and let the passion take over. She didn’t want to think about danger and death. She wanted to think about life.

She arched her back when she felt his hand move beneath the heavy material of the sweatshirt she wore. When his fingers found her nipple through her bra, she moaned softly as he teased it gently.

Finally, Luke lifted his head. He stood, with her still in his arms and carried her into the living room. He placed her on the thick carpet next to the fireplace.

Storm looked at him with wide eyes as he stripped off his shirt. His chest was broad and his hips narrow. The dark hair on his chest narrowed to a thin line that disappeared beneath the waist of his jeans. She shivered. Gorgeous. He was gorgeous. She knew she shouldn’t let him make love to her, but she was suddenly powerless to stop it. She wanted this—needed it. She held out her arms to him.

Luke needed no further urging. He knelt next to her and slowly eased the sweatshirt over her head. “I’ve wanted to see you. Ever since I saw you in the car, I think.” He skimmed his fingers along her ribs, and then cupped her breasts over the thin cups of her bra. He found her nipples and pinched them gently.

Storm closed her eyes and arched her back. How could he make her want him so much? She felt him move his fingers to the front clasp of her bra and then his hands were on her, his fingers cool against her heated flesh.

When he lowered his head and took one pouting peak into his mouth, she groaned again and held his head against her. Each tug of his lips and nip of his teeth pulled to the very core of her.

Luke lifted his mouth from her nipple and treated the twin to the same delicious treatment. Storm was lost. Her fingers smoothed down his shoulders and she clutched at his strong arms.

Finally, when she could take no more, she pulled his head up. “Please,” she whispered.

Luke slowly moved his hands to her waist and drew down the huge sweat pants, drawing them down her thighs and letting his fingers caress each smooth inch of skin as he bared it to his heated gaze. “Look at me,” he ordered softly.

Storm opened her eyes slowly and watched his eyes darken even more as his fingers skimmed down her panties. He’d palmed the keys and tossed them aside.

She shivered, but not from cold as his hand cupped her. “Please,” she said again.

“I will please us both,” he promised. He caressed her gently, his fingers slowly caressing the soft folds before finding entrance in the moist heat. He drove his fingers inside her gently and she melted around him, arching into the intimate caress.

Storm flushed. The look on his face was so intent, and his fingers were working magic. She lifted her hips, silently asking for more as he caressed her. She felt the climax building, and cried out his name as he brought her over the edge with a flick of his thumb against her clitoris.

Luke waited until her eyes cleared before speaking. “I knew it would be like this,” he said roughly. He stood and quickly stripped out of his jeans and knelt over her. “Tell me you want me,” he ordered huskily.

“I want you,” she said readily and parted her thighs for him to move between them. In the next instant, she felt him slide deep inside her in an agonizingly slow thrust of his hips.

She watched him as his muscles bunched and his jaw clenched with restraint. He was being careful—making sure that he didn’t scare her. She smiled up at him. “I’m not going to break,” she whispered. “Harder.”

He needed no further urging. He drove hard and fast now, releasing the storm within that had been driving him since he’d first kissed her. He moved his hands to her bottom and held her against him as he ground against her. With one final thrust, he shouted his own release as she clenched her inner muscles around him with shuddering spasms.

Storm cried out with her own release as he plunged deeply inside her.

When she could breathe again, she looked up into his eyes.

“Again,” he murmured.

“Again,” she agreed.

L
uke smiled down at Storm. “You look pretty pleased with yourself,” she said.

“Uh huh,” he agreed. He brushed his fingers through her tangled hair. “I didn’t protect you.”

Storm wasn’t going to worry. “It should be safe.”

He smiled. “I don’t think I’d care if it wasn’t.”

Storm’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t?”

If anyone had told him even a week ago that he’d find a woman and fall head over heels in love with her in less than twenty-four hours, he’d have laughed in their face, but that was exactly what had happened. “I wouldn’t.”

“I wasn’t even thinking of protection.”

He laughed at that. “I wasn’t thinking about anything but getting inside you,” he growled. He rolled to his side and brought her over him. “Better?”

She nodded. She could breath and the material of the carpet wasn’t digging into her back. “I’ve never had much luck with men.”

He tugged her hair gently. “You’ve never met the right kind of men, Storm. I promise you, I’m not going to let you be hurt.” He saw the shadow cross her eyes.

“Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“I still think I should go when the storm lets up. I don’t want you to be hurt because of me. He’s crazy, Luke.”

“Storm, you’re not going anywhere. I’ll tie you down if I have to,” he threatened, meaning every word. She wasn’t safe on her own, and he wouldn’t put it past her to try and run.

“You can’t keep me here against my will.” She rolled away, got to her feet, and quickly put her clothes on.

Luke watched her from beneath hooded eyes. “I can, Storm. Don’t make me prove it to you.” He stood himself and pulled on his jeans, not bothering with his shorts.

Storm clenched her fists. “I can come back if you want me to. Once it’s safe.”

“Don’t be a fool! Where would you go?” he demanded, his hands on his hips. His eyes narrowed to angry slits as he glared at her.

“Don’t yell at me.”

“I’m not yelling at you. I haven’t raised my voice—yet. You’re staying put, Storm. I mean it,” he said very quietly, but the intensity of the words was only magnified by that quiet tone.

Storm sagged down onto the couch. “I don’t know what to do.”

Luke knelt in front of her and took her hands in his. “I want your word that you won’t try to run, Storm. I can keep you safe.”

“You wouldn’t tie me up,” she said, her voice was dead certain.

Luke gave a small smile. “Maybe not,” he allowed. “But I might keep you handcuffed to me.”

She laughed at that. “Kinky.”

“You have no idea,” he said, then grew serious. “Your word, Storm.”

She sighed. “I promise.”

He smiled and tightened his fingers around hers. “Trust me, darlin’.”

“I do.”

Luke kissed her. “Good.”

“Do you think he’ll come?” she asked worriedly, searching his eyes for reassurance.

Luke released his hands and hugged her. “If he does, I’ll be ready for him. But for the next few days, the roads will be blocked. It’s still snowing to beat all hell.”

Storm looked out the window at the heavily falling snow. “Yeah, it is.”

“Let’s get something to eat. The soggy cereal won’t cut it. I’m starving,” he murmured, kissing her gently and nipping her bottom lip. “Ravenous.”

Storm returned his embrace. “I could eat.”

Luke took her hand and led her back to the kitchen. He tossed away the soggy cereal, and then walked to the refrigerator. He hugged Storm when she walked next to him. “Anything strike your fancy?”

Storm looked at the meager fare. “Um, not much to choose from. A sandwich is fine.”

Luke nodded. He opened the freezer, pulled out two steaks, and tossed them on the counter. “Dinner.”

They fixed their sandwiches in a comfortable silence. He could tell her mind was racing a hundred miles an hour as they sat down to eat, but he didn’t press her. She’d barely eaten anything and he wanted her to eat, so he kept the conversation light. “Do you have any family?” he asked.

Storm shook her head. “My parents were killed in an accident twenty-five years ago. I was an only child. Actually, they were from around here. But, when I was adopted, my adoptive parents were from Florida, but they passed away, too. A year ago. They were older when they adopted me. I think my mom died of a broken heart.”

Well, damn. It was entirely possible then, that she had absolutely no idea that she was at the very least a latent wizard. “I just realized I don’t even know how old you are.” He’d guessed about twenty-six or seven to his own thirty-two.

“Twenty-nine,” she said. “I’ll be thirty on Christmas.”

“Really? Well, we’ll have a double celebration, then.”