Summon Toren (Archangels Creed #3) (9 page)

The door closed and Toren turned to her. "I didn't mean to cause trouble."

The indignation she’d hoped to muster for the sake of returning things to professional, was nowhere to be found as she stared at him, the familiar stranger before her, tugging so hard at her heart. "You didn't.” She kept her voice small, not trusting it. “He's been like that since I was fourteen and got my period.” She smiled a little and pointed at his head. “What’d you do, brush your face and shave your head?”

He shifted immediately to the
sexy Toren and slid his hand over his head in a way that made her want to do the same. He gave her one of his panty-burning smiles.

“It was t
ime for a haircut.”

She snickered and picked at the patch of peeling varnish on the corner of the desk.
“You’re
bald!
”

He shrugged a shoulder and looked down. “Tell me what you need me to do, and it’s done.”

Sam couldn’t help interpret that in all the wrong ways even though she knew he was trying to change the subject. But she wasn’t ready. “Why would you shave your head like that?” And look at him! How was the man somehow
more beautiful
without hair? That was so not fair! God, she needed to get rid of him. Fast. Before he got under her skin.

“It’s just hair.
Like you said.”

She snorted then felt her face warm at
the sudden realization. He’d done it for
her.
Oh my God. “Get your ass to the kitchen and eat will you? We’ve got a busy schedule ahead of us. If the ranch hands are well, I may not need you. I can’t afford it.”

He met her gaze.
“I don’t need money.”

She stared at him, trying to keep her face from melting into
holy orgasms Batman,
as she sat there and devoured the rest of his body with her peripheral vision. He was in a white t-shirt and blue jeans that fit the man to a T. A touch me, lick me, bite me, ride me T! Oh Heaven on Earth what was he doing to her? She hadn’t thought those things in…oh no. Joe.

She pointed to the
door. “Go eat. And you can stay at the hunting cabin if you do end up staying at all. Somehow I don't see you getting along with the others well enough to stay at the bunk house even if there was an extra bed. Which wouldn't be big enough for you.” She got busy typing gibberish into the address bar, willing him to listen immediately. Ha.

She stopped with a huff but refused to look at him and get sucked into ogling him again. No doubt he thrived on the attention. “You got a problem with taking orders bub?” She kept her tone light as she could.

“I uh…thank you. For letting me stay and help you.”

That was just it. She flicked her eyes at him. “What planet are you from? This here is Earth and if you’re gonna stay here, you had better act a little more…normal.”

“Sorry, I’ll try my best.”

Good God she was so not used to his personality. She remembered what a Godsend he was and closed her eyes with a sigh
of guilt. She took a breath for courage and surrendered to the decency she knew ran in her blood. “No, I’m sorry. You don't deserve to be treated that way and I'm ashamed for being so nasty. It’s not your fault the only men I know are assholes and it isn’t right that I take it out on a real…gentleman.” She cleared the soft feminine out of her throat. “Haven’t seen one of them in…well hell, ever.”

“I know.”

She looked at him wondering why he said it like he really
did
know.

“I mean, I get what you’re saying.”

She nodded absently, ready to be away from him. “I’m sure there’s coffee in the kitchen and something good to eat. You must be exhausted. Thank you too. For all that you’ve done. I don’t want you to think I’m an ungrateful bitch. Well, the bitch part I don’t care about… just…yeah.”

“Yes ma
'am. I knew that too.”

Sam watched his backside as he turned and left. Holy hell the man ha
d a set of buns. And those jeans made her want… She held her breath stifling the moan in her throat at recalling what he looked like in only his tight boxers. She bit her lip and jerked her eyes to the computer screen when he disappeared out of view.

She shut her laptop after checking emails and headed for the kitchen, nearly running into Toren in the hall. “Shit,” she gasped, letting her back hit the wall.

“Sorry, thought you might want coffee. Kassie said you take it black?”

She regarded the cup in his hand and took it
, her head instructing her to go on ahead to the kitchen before she passed out from being in such close proximity. Smelling all
clean
and that other scent he carried
.
Was it his detergent? Cologne lingering on his clothes? Whatever the hell it was, he could make a million bottling it. Add his out of this world good looks, and you had a woman puddle of dripping need.

She needed to keep her distance. Stupid female parts just had to decide to start working full throttle in a crisis. Hell, no doubt that’s why they were, she was desperate and her levels were all whacky. “Thank you.” She regretted the barking tone but she didn’t know how else to hide the embarrassing truth.

The last thing she needed was falling for a guy that was way way way out of her league. Hell, if she thought Joe’s rejection had hurt, she could only imagine what being rejected by Toren would feel like once she let herself fall.

She’d need a nuthouse instead of a convent to save her ass. Someplace they could perform a lobotomy and wipe it out of her mind. But a man like him…Jesus, he had the power to mark a woman soul deep.

Sam was suddenly at a weird loss for words while standing there in the hallway feeling so many things, but especially like she owed the man something more than her damn sarcasm. “Come here.”

She walked ahead to the bathroom and looked back to ensure he follow
ed, bristling at herself for the crass command like he was some subservient dog. Hell she didn’t talk to animals in the tone she used with him.

He followed with a slight smile and she wondered what was going through that beautiful hairless head of his. She opened the bathroom door and turned on the light
, then got the stool from next to the tub and set it in front of the mirror. “You missed a few spots.” She cleared her throat a little trying to soften her voice. “If you don’t mind…I’d like to get them for you.”

She fought to hold his gaze and not get all dizzy. Such beautiful eyes. Eyes that bore into hers without hesitation or inhibition. Bold and demanding. Devouring even. She released a breath when he broke eye contact but then he removed his shirt in one move. Lordy help her.

Now she didn’t know where to look. Not meeting his gaze meant staring at his chest. Damn she’d never been so torn.
His gaze, meet his gaze.

When she did, she forgot what the hell she was supposed to be doing. She closed her eyes, focusing.

“You okay?” Deep voice. Small space. Intimate as hell.

“I’m fine.” Still not looking. “Just um. Thinking. Sit. Please.”

“Yes ma'am.”

Sam
found herself staring at the back of his perfect head feeling like she was about to jump off a bridge. She finally had the sense to get the razor. “Can’t have you halfass shaving your head now can I?”

“No ma
'am.” His tone vibrated through her.

“Whooowee, hot in this little box, told them they needed to put a damn window.” She stroked his scalp looking for those
missed spots she’d seen. No sooner had her fingers touched his head than she got lost in the feel of him. So soft. Wow. She turned on the hot water and stood to his right then slowly ran the razor over his head. She methodically repeated the steps in a pattern to make sure she got every spot, pretending his head was just another animal she was shearing.

Finally done, she wet her hands and passed them over his head to make sure she got it all. He made a sound that resembled maybe a moan or a pained grunt and her fingers slowed. “Irritating?”

“Hell no.”

Her heart skipped several beats then raced to catch up. He turned his head and looked up at her. She re
alized she had no legitimate reason to still be touching him and removed her hands from his head. He reached for one of her hands and before she realized what he was doing, he rubbed her palm across his chest. Drying it. She couldn’t take her eyes from his as he slid it slowly over his hard muscles. Hot muscles. She couldn’t keep from pressing her fingers either, to feel him. Immaculate. Very nice for touching. And hell, tasting.

He stood up and she was suddenly swallowed by his towering frame.
He was dangerous in so many ways. Especially those eyes right in that second. Hooded with…sex appeal.

“Thank you.”

She blinked several times at his strange words. “Thank you?” Whatever for? For touching him? Liking him? Wanting him? Wanting him to kiss her? In that very second? She wondered if he could read her mind with the way he suddenly stared at her mouth, contemplating. She licked her lips, oh my God, why did she do that? To entice? Yes, definitely.

It worked.

He slowly lowered his head, his brows drawn, her mouth seeming to be his aim. She parted her lips, waiting for it. To be kissed. She closed her eyes and then opened them when his warm breath hit her lips. His brows were drawn hard, like something hurt.

Worried he’d not do it, she reached up and stroked her fingers across his face. Then tip
-toed and closed the distance, pressing her lips into his full soft ones.

A guttural sound filled his throat
. “Samantha.” He gasped her name then captured her jaw and neck in one large hand and plundered the hell out of her mouth with his skillful tongue. Sam inhaled as he boldly invaded her, telling just what he wanted from her. All and everything, right in that second.

H
e pressed lean hips against her, his hot gasp and massive hard-on drawing a whimper from her. She clutched desperately at his shoulders while he worked on unbuttoning her shirt the hunger in his kiss reckless and delicious.

Kassie’s scream pierced the air
, startling both of them. “Shit!” Sam gasped and reluctantly pulled back with a moan that told of years of unmet need.

“
Glory is delivering now!” Kassie screamed from the bottom of the stairs.

“Oh no!”

“What?” Toren demanded.

“She’s
a rogue. She tries to kill every human within reach."

Toren flew down
the stairs after her and they both ran to the barn.
 

** ** **

Samantha was glad
Toren stayed right on her heels this time as she bolted out of the house and across to the truck. She didn't have time to explain the rush and just popped the clutch and let the truck bounce across the frozen ruts as he pulled the passenger door shut. The truck dropped into the deeper rut that led to the barns and a low grunt escaped Toren as his head banged against the upper door frame.

"
Oh shit, sorry." She spun gravel and snow across the yard, bouncing over another deep rut, cracking Toren’s head against the top of the truck this time.

“I am
so
sorry,” she muttered, keeping her eyes riveted to her destination. By the time she skidded to a stop in front of the long low barn surrounded by small pens, a small gash trickled blood above his eye. And somewhere along the way, he'd collected a long scratch across his right pec. "Where's your shirt?" She slid out of the truck and took off a dead run to the mares pen. Just what she needed, to come running up with a half-naked man by her side.

Toren
jogged alongside her. "On the floor of the bathroom. I didn’t quite have time to put it on." His eyes dropped briefly to her chest. “Button your shirt.”

Without breaking stride, Sam did, slightly annoyed with his demanding tone. “You say it like it’s my fault
.”

“It is
your fault. You make me crazy for you. But I don’t want another man looking at you.”

Oh God.
Had he just
claimed
her for himself? The idea should have set off alarms in her rebellious and un-claimable spirit but instead, her body throbbed with the need to…have an
orgasm
of all things. Right in the middle of running toward the barn to save a horse.

A horse's angry squeal broke through the normal sounds of a winter day, toward the short end of the barn.

Hooves rang against wood, spurring her on. A male voice cursed, too loud and too sharp. Joe. Idiot.

Sam slowed to step around the corner and into sight, somehow trusting Toren to follow her lead.
Trust. That was an entirely new concept and feeling she'd take time to examine later.

Four men stood huddled outside the nearest pen. Inside, the silver mare practically floated in an animated trot. Nervous whistles fluttered distended nostrils and her eyes rolled in near panic. "What's going on?" Sam approached the men, keeping her voice low but full of authority.
She wanted the message clear. Her horse. Her say.