Sweetwater: The Kihn (The Sweet Series) (36 page)

When I wake, the room is in semi-darkness. The fireplace, with its low flame, keeps the dark at bay. I look out the window, the night has moved in while I’ve slept. For a moment, the old feeling of abandonment puzzles me before I remember why.

A sudden movement startles me before Lucas says, “It’s me.” He’s sitting in one of the high-backed wing chairs in the shadows. He doesn’t say anything more.

My voice doesn’t come out as strong as I want it to, but it still has an accusatory tone. “Who was at the door? Another lover?”

He moves so quickly, I don’t have time to realize the danger. He grasps my arms, jerks me off the bed, and pulls me against his hard body. I cry out in alarm.

“That’s enough!” He enunciates each word, glaring at me. He brings his mouth down on mine in a punishing kiss, bruising my lips and forcing them to part for his demanding tongue. He grasps my hair, wraps his hand in its length, and holds my head in place. The kiss is rough and hot. Burning hot. I moan into his mouth and squeeze my legs together as a jolt of desire shoots through me. He raises his head, and I see his knowing smirk. It’s embarrassing how quickly I succumb to his sexual prowess.

He abruptly grasps my waist, lifts and tosses me back on the bed, and comes down on top of me. He presses me into the mattress and roughly pulls my arms above my head. I can’t move, and he knows it. I think he enjoys letting me know I can’t do a damn thing to stop him. I turn my face to the side, avoiding his gaze.

He’s quiet for several moments, but I can feel his anger. “I told you the truth,” he says in a hard voice. “There has been no one else since I first laid eyes on you.”

“You expect me to just believe you?” I turn back to look at him. Surprise flitters across his face.

“What have I done to make you suspicious of me?” he asks softly.

You sent me away!

“Why would that woman just show up here if you haven’t seen her in months?”

“She doesn’t matter, Sofie.
She
is in the past,” he says firmly.

“There’s something you’re not telling me,” I state.

He releases me and stands by the bed, looking down at me. I swallow with difficulty, my tears near the surface. I don’t want to fight with him any longer. I just want him to hold me. He tilts his head to the side. “I’ll tell if you tell,” he says mockingly.

I inhale sharply. Knowing he is aware I’ve kept secrets is one thing, but for him to say it out loud while I am accusing him of the same is more than a little humiliating. Hot color floods my cheeks.

Instantly he leans over me. “What’s this, Sofia, chagrin?”

To help me through my shame, I get mad. I scoot down to the foot of the bed and stand. “Don’t be so... self-righteous!” I fling at him as I move toward the bathroom, but his hand shoots out, grabs my arm, and pulls me against him.

He places his mouth close to my ear. “I’m not the one making accusations, my sweet.” His dark voice sends tiny shivers racing over my skin.

“Stop it!” I try to pull away, but his arms encircle me like iron bands. He kisses the spot behind my ear, which he’s taught me is so incredibly sensitive. His lips trail down to the side of my neck where my pulse beats and his tongue darts out to lick the spot. I close my eyes, a distressed whimper escapes my lips. “Please stop,” I beg in an anguished voice.

He does, and he turns me to face him. He lowers his head and captures my lips in a soft and gentle kiss so sweet it brings me close to tears. There’s a soft knock at the bedroom door. Lucas raises his head slowly, his eyes locked on mine.

“I’ll be right there,” he calls. He tells me, with regret in his voice, “I have some business I have to attend to.” He moves to the door and looks back. “Perhaps,” he says softly, “I’m keeping from you the one thing—I know will make you see me as a monster.” His beautiful silver-green gaze holds mine. He turns to leave.

“Lucas?” There are tears in my voice, and he stops to look back. “Maybe I’m doing the same thing.”

“Sofie, you could never be a monster to me, even if you came from the depths of hell.” His voice is soft and tender. He leaves, quietly shutting the door behind him.

I need a little space from Lucas, but just thinking of not being with him makes it hard to breathe. I need to think over what he said to me. I have no reason not to believe him.
Do I?
And where did Lizbeth come from? Did she follow him here… from wherever he was before?

My cell rings, and I answer, welcoming the distraction. “Hey, Emma Rae, what’s up?”

“Andy called to tell me that we’re going out with you and Lucas tomorrow night!”
What?
“Fun, huh?”

“I... He hasn’t asked me out.” I’m not sure if a date is such a good idea right now.

“What?” she exclaims. “What’s wrong?”

I sigh deeply. “Emma Rae, I can’t talk about it right now. Maybe I just have cabin fever.”

“Well then,” she replies, “this is what you need. Dancing, fun, a lot of alcohol, and the company of gorgeous men.”

I laugh. “I’ve been with these gorgeous men too much already.”

“Sofie, you’ve always hung with the guys. Come on, I
neeed
to see Andy,” she pleads. “It’s not as if I’m asking you to go out with some schlep.”

“You mean the way you did in high school?” My voice holds laughter.

“All right, we’ll go another time,” she says. I can tell she’s trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

Well, hell.

I squeeze my eyes shut. I need some space from Lucas, not a date. “Okay, but you owe me—majorly.”

“We’re going to have so much fun!”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Assuming Lucas even asks me out.

“Impulse is a great bar. I know we’ll have a good time.” Her happiness is contagious, and I catch myself smiling. “What are we going to wear? It’s gotta be something hot and skimpy.”

“In this weather, if we wear something skimpy, it’d better be hot,” I reply.

“Sofie, the women that go there dress up.”

Great!
Lucas has probably gone out with most of those dressed-up women. He does spend a lot of time at Impulse. “Can I talk to you tomorrow about what we’ll wear?” I ask her.

As I walk to the kitchen, I consider that Lucas might be mad enough he won’t ask me out, and that causes an ache around my heart. The kitchen lights are off, which is strange since they are always on day and night. A blast of frigid air comes from somewhere. As I turn on a light, I see the back door to the sun porch is open, with the outside door wide open too. I close them both, and as I come back into the kitchen, I notice the door to the basement is also open. I’ve never been downstairs, but I know the basement has a rec room, which the men use, and an extensive wine cellar.

I see a light on in the hallway below, so I stand at the top of the stairs listening but don’t hear anything. Someone obviously came through both back doors and the basement door and was unable to close them. Were they carrying something heavy? What might that be? Something is not right. And where is Max? I haven’t seen him all day.

I decide to check out the basement. I probably should find Lucas, but I don’t want to interrupt him for something as innocent as someone leaving a door open. Well, three doors open. The stairs are carpeted with a deep, cushiony rug that absorbs my steps. I move slowly to catch any noise. When I reach the bottom of the steps, I see a door directly to my left and another to my right. A hallway lies straight ahead with a door at the end. About half way down the hall are two more doors, one on each side.

I choose the door to my immediate left first. I lay my ear against the metal, and when I hear nothing, I turn the doorknob and ease the door open. I push until it lies flat against the wall, not that I’m afraid of something hiding behind the door.
Not much anyway.

The room is dark and chilly. My hand moves along the wall until I find the switch. This room is the wine cellar.
Impressive.
Each wall holds racks of bottles, and shorter racks are placed a few feet in front of them. Every rack is full of bottles. A large square table, butcher-block style, sits in the middle of the room with a couple of stools. I flip the light off and shut the door.

I cross the hall. When I find the switch, I see a large room with a pool table, a bar area with chairs, and a couple of couches scattered about the room. A variety of arcade games are lined up against one wall.
Is that Space Invaders?
I definitely have to come back down here. I turn the light off and close the door, moving down the hallway to the next door. In that moment, the hall lights go out, plunging me into total darkness.

My breath catches in my throat and I instinctively flatten against the wall. I stand perfectly still as I hear a door open. The door to one of the rooms I just checked. In the next instant, I hear a low snarl and a hiss. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I have a quick moment to wonder
what the hell
is down here with me. I’m not too far from the next set of doors, and I decide to go for it. I don’t want to stay in the pitch black with whatever made that noise.

Three things happen.

I hear someone moving around upstairs. I push away from the wall to move to the opposite side of the hallway. As I do, something grabs my shoulder, and I scream one of those high-pitched girlie shrieks that girls do so well.

Chapter Twenty-One

I
guess that was four things.

I hear a familiar voice say my name and I hear Lucas yelling for me. Then he’s storming down the stairs, and the hall lights come back on. Taylor stands beside me, a strange guy is at the wine cellar door, and Lucas takes the bottom step into the hall. He looks ready to do battle.

“Taylor!” I place both my hands over my heart. “You scared the bejeezus out of me!” He looks amused.

“What is going on?” Lucas demands. He doesn’t look amused.

I hear a man’s voice calling down to ask if everything is okay. The strange guy at the wine cellar door heads up the stairs, and I hear him reassuring whoever is up there.

I take a couple of deep breaths. “It’s okay,” I say, looking at Lucas.

“Sofie, I’m sorry I scared you,” Taylor says. Funny, he doesn’t look sorry. I narrow my eyes at him. He looks like the type who finds it amusing to wait around a dark corner to leap out and scare the living hell out of a person and then laugh hysterically. I sock him in the arm as I move toward Lucas’ outstretched hand. I look up and catch the look he gives Taylor. “It was an accident!” Taylor laughingly explains.

After we all come upstairs, Taylor shares his version of what has happened with Lucas. The other man, who was downstairs with Taylor, stands in the doorway to the dining room. He steps over to the cupboard where Lucas stores extra liquor, takes out a bottle, pours a shot in a glass, and brings it over to me.

“Sorry,” he says, offering me the drink.

“Thanks.” I look him in the eye. Is he apologizing for scaring me or snarling at me? Taking the glass, I down the contents. I sit down at the island, and the stranger sits opposite me with the bottle and another glass. He pours us both a shot.

I hear Taylor talking to Lucas. He’s saying something about recognizing my scent.
What the hell is it with everyone noticing how I smell?

“My name is Christian,” the stranger says, offering his hand.

“I’m Sofie.”

He smiles. “I guessed as much.”

“Are you okay?” Lucas puts his hand to the back of my head. He sounds a little amused.

“I am.”

“Sofie, I am sorry.” Taylor sounds serious this time, but when I look at him, I see a twinkle in his eye. “You have a great girlie scream, by the way.”

“Har-de-har,” I say, and he laughs.

Lucas pulls me close and kisses my temple. I immediately feel better. It seems he’s over his anger. “I need to go see to my guest, but I shouldn’t be much longer,” he says. “Do you want to stay in here?”

“Yeah, I’ll hang with Taylor.” I look over at Taylor and smile sweetly.

“Now you’re making me nervous,” Taylor jokes as I watch Lucas leave.

I wonder who is brave enough to travel in this weather to see him. “Where is everyone?” My second shot sits untouched in front of me. Christian snags Taylor a glass, and he pours them both another shot.

Taylor hesitates. “On patrol.”

“Everyone?”

“Most,” he replies.

Patrols usually run in shifts. “What’s going on?” I ask.

Taylor knocks his drink back and pours another one. “Word came in that something’s up, so everyone’s on alert.”

“Does my family know?” I’m sure he can hear the concern in my voice.

“Yes. Jake is with Andy, and your cousins are with a couple of the Guard. The rest of your family has been notified too.”

“Thanks... for telling me.” I do appreciate his honesty. That is one of the things I like most about Taylor. That, and the fact that he is so easy on the eyes.

“You’re welcome. Lucas told me to tell you.”

“He did?” Taylor smiles.
Oh.
“I need food,” I announce as I stand.

“Me too, I’m starved,” Taylor declares.

We find roast beef and fix a couple of sandwiches. Christian declines my offer to fix him one.

“So, have you managed to stay out of trouble?” Taylor asks. “I mean, besides tonight.”

I stick my tongue out at him. “There’s not been much going on with this snow, and I feel a little cut off from everyone.”

“You’re safer here than anywhere else.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “You’re in on the conspiracy, aren’t you?” Both men laugh.

Taylor reaches for the bottle and pours him and Christian another shot. “Christian, did I tell you about mine and Sofie’s little escapade out in the woods?” I look at Taylor as his brown eyes stare intently at me. I think he’s looking for something in my expression. I smile back. “Sofie is handy to have along out in the woods. She knows her way around. A little slow, but other than that, she’s good to have at your back.”

“Why thank you, Taylor.” I ignore the “slow” remark. Compared to him, I am slow.

He smiles warmly at me. I hear the front door open and Lucas talking to someone while I continue to listen to Taylor reminisce about our trip through the woods. I look up as Lucas enters the kitchen. My breath freezes at the heat in his eyes. The impulse to kiss him is so strong, I have to look away.

“Well, we need to go check some things out,” Taylor says. He and Christian stand.

“It was nice meeting you, Sofie.” Christian smiles at me. He is handsome in a subtle way. “I hope next time is a little calmer.” Lucas and Taylor both chuckle. They leave after Taylor says he’ll see me tomorrow. The house is quiet after their departure.

“What’s going on tonight, Lucas?”

His lips twitch with a smile before he answers. “It doesn’t take you long, does it?” I don’t comment, and he continues. “We received a tip. We’re just taking extra precautions.” He steps toward me. “Let’s go sit by the fire.”

I sit on the couch in front of the fireplace and pull my legs up under me.

“Would you care for a drink?” he asks from the liquor cabinet, where he is pouring himself one.

“No, thanks, I had plenty with Taylor and Christian.” I see a smile lift one side of his lips. “What is Christian?” I ask.

Lucas pauses while screwing the top on the liquor bottle. “What do you mean?”

I snort softly. Okay, he’s going to play stupid. Lucas sits at the other end of the couch and angles his back into the corner. He raises his legs to rest across the cushions, one leg on top of the other, with his feet hanging off the end near me. He brings his glass to his lips, drinking me in over the rim.

“When I was downstairs and the lights went out...” He continues to watch me with consideration. “I heard a growl. Not a human growl,” I add as I see him start to respond.

“Taylor,” he says matter-of-factly.

“Nuh-uh—” I shake my head “—I’ve heard Taylor’s growl, this was different.”

“I don’t know what to tell you,” he replies, finishing his drink.

“Well, while you’re
investigating,
” I mock, “be sure to find out where they were hiding in the wine room.” Lucas raises his eyebrow. “I looked in that room. No one was in there.”

Lucas continues his steady regard before bursting into laughter. Sitting up, he puts his feet on the floor. “Sofie, you’re adorable!” He continues to laugh as I stand and move to the fireplace. His laughing irritates me.

Raking my hair off my forehead, I gather the length into a ponytail and let it go to fall freely down my back. I turn, and my breath catches at the heat in Lucas’ eyes. His gaze slides over me, making my skin tingle in reaction. He gives me a slow, seductive smile, one that’s clearly full of wicked playfulness. He saunters toward me. His expression has me retreating as he stalks me with intent.

“Lucas! S-Stop!” I walk backward, maneuvering the couch between us.

“I don’t think so,” his voice rasps.

I glare at him, but I am afraid. I have never felt more like prey. Seeing his pupils dilate, and the expression on his face, is unsettling. It’s similar to what I saw that night at the Shotgun Shack when he let me see his—I’m not sure what to call it—his beast? I continue to retreat; he continues to stalk.

“Y-You’re not frightening me.” I try to say it firmly, but I’m not sure I pull it off.

“You should be frightened,” he warns darkly as he advances.
Why does he enjoy this?
Something tells me if I run, he’ll enjoy it even more. I’ll only be giving him what he wants. His cell phone rings. He lets out a harsh sigh and fishes the offending cell out of his pocket with a low growl.

“What,” he snaps, not taking his eyes from me. His gaze turns hard. “I’ll be there shortly,” he responds and ends the call. He makes his move. I yelp and start for the bedroom. Lucas grabs me around the waist and lifts me off my feet.

“You’re not going anywhere,” he growls. He swings me up and over the back of the couch, plopping me down on the cushions. I start to get up when he lets go of me. “Don’t even think about it!” he warns in a dark voice.

I swallow nervously.
I guess playtime’s over; he’s pissed again. I hear him sigh deeply behind me. What now? I wrap my arms around my front, all at once feeling cold.

He moves in front of me and squats. His eyes lock on mine. “The Kihn were chased from your uncle’s house again tonight.”

My body jerks with shock. “What? Is Jake—”

“Jake is fine. He wasn’t there.” I close my eyes, my body sagging with relief. Opening my eyes, I find Lucas closely watching me. “What do the Kihn want with you?”

“I don’t know,” I croak softly. Lucas looks down at the floor between his legs, shaking his head slightly. “You don’t believe me,” I say in a pain-edged voice.

His gaze slashes back to mine. My breath freezes at the hard anger I see on his face. “I believe you know something,” he says. Tears spring to my eyes. I am so afraid. I don’t know what to do. He exhales slowly, his face softening. “I also believe that you are very frightened. You have to trust me, Sofie. You have to let me help you.”

He tucks my hair behind my ear. His eyes meet mine. “Please—trust me. Don’t be afraid,” he says softly, seductively. His voice is doing a number on me, and my only defense is to get mad.

“A few minutes ago, you wanted me afraid of you,” I point out.

To my amazement, he grins. “That was fun.” I give him an appalled look. “Do you truly think I would hurt you?”

I give a slight shrug, lowering my gaze. When he doesn’t say anything, my conscience makes me feel guilty. I know Lucas would never physically hurt me. “No.”

He raises my face, his eyes searching mine as if he can find his answers there. He leans in, and before touching his lips to mine, he whispers, “Tell me.”

My eyes widen. I push against him, he lets me move him back, and I stand. “You’d better go; you don’t want to keep—whoever was on the phone waiting,” I say haughtily.

Lucas laughs. “You think that was a woman?”

I don’t say anything. I lift my chin as I turn to leave the room. Instantly, he’s in front of me, pulling me roughly to him. His mouth comes down hard on mine, the kiss consuming me. Instead of pulling away, I melt against his body with a soft moan. When he raises his head, my whole body feels flushed. He chuckles and takes my mouth in another kiss, slower and sweeter.

“Mmmm, you’re all soft, and you smell sweet,” he growls in my ear. “I think I need to take you to my bed.” He runs his tongue around my ear, and I shudder at the sensation of his hot breath and tongue on me. “Have my way with you.”

“You’re always having your way with me,” I gasp.

“I have something special I want to do with you, something you need,” he tells me in a husky murmur. He licks the length of my neck and a surge of pure lust slams my body. I grab his arms as he pushes and pins me against the wall. I’m panting with my need for him. I reach down, grab him through his jeans, and squeeze firmly. He emits a growl that sounds raw and primal.

“Little girl, you’d best be careful,” he warns, pressing harder against my body.

“I’m not afraid of you.” My voice is breathy. I inhale sharply as he lifts me up against the wall so he can grind his hardness against me. A sudden pounding at the front door raises our heads in that direction. He looks into my face, and I feel a sense of satisfaction that he’s breathing heavily.

“We’ll get back to this when I return,” he states, a little too self-assured for my taste.

Heat rises in my cheeks. “I’m not here for your amusement,” I hiss and try to squirm out of his hold.

He crushes me in a fierce hug, laughing, “You’re so much fun, Sofia Reece!”

“Let go of me!” I push at him.

Another loud, persistent knock causes Lucas to release me. I angrily head for the bedroom. “Sofie,” he calls before I turn the corner. “We’re going out tomorrow night.”

I bite my tongue. I won’t tell him what I think he can do with that. “Well, it’s always nice to be asked,” I say sarcastically. I turn back toward the bedroom, more irritated than ever.

He laughs “Sofie?” I tense at his tone. “I expect you to be in my bed, naked, when I return.”

I inhale sharply. When I turn toward him, he’s already gone.

I pace the bedroom, trying to decide what to do. I am
not
going to wait in his bed—
naked.
Of all the nerve! Who does he think he is? I sit on the couch and stare into the fire. I’ve been here less than a week, but it seems much longer. So much has happened. I never dreamed it would be this way between us. I knew I was attracted to him, but this—I can’t imagine my life without him now. He is as necessary to me as breathing.

I sense Lucas before he opens the bedroom door. He pauses when he sees me sitting on the couch. He closes the door and crosses to the liquor cabinet, not saying anything as he pours a drink and knocks it back. His silence makes me nervous.

“I knew you wouldn’t do what you were told,” he says with a smirk. I swallow as he heads for the closet.
Great
. Is he mad? When he saunters back into the bedroom, he’s removed his shoes and socks. I swallow convulsively. How can one man be so ridiculously good looking? He’s holding a long, black scarf, which he twists around one hand and then the other. He watches me as he winds and unwinds the scarf.

My mouth goes dry, wondering what he’s going to do with it. “What’s that for?” I ask softly.

“It’s for you.” He smiles wickedly. “I’m going to blindfold you.”

My stomach tightens at the thought. “Why?” I whisper.

“You’ll see.”

“Not if I’m blindfolded.”

Lucas chuckles dryly. “Well then, you’ll
understand
.”

I swallow visibly again. “I-I don’t think so.”

“Sofie, you can remove it at any time.” He smiles without humor.

“It’s just something... I’ve never wanted to do.”

“Well now, it’s one of those things you have to try to—enjoy.” His voice is raspy, and his smile is
so
persuasive.

“Why do you think I’ll like this?” I ask quietly.

He tilts his head as if he’s weighing my question. My breathing quickens as he moves toward me. “Maybe because I’ve shown you—you have sexual appetites you never dreamed of having. I’d bet you never imagined you’d enjoy sex so much, did you?”
He’s got that right.
No one had
ever
affected me the way he does. “And I’m positive the idea never entered your head that you would let me make you come—on a horse.” I exhale sharply and blush profusely. His chuckle is low and carnal. He’s standing directly behind me now. My body tingles at his nearness. “Since you have trust issues,” he murmurs, “I think you will benefit from this little exercise.”

He places the folded scarf over my eyes and ties it behind my head.
Oh.
So that’s what this is about. He doesn’t realize how much I do trust him. But where the Kihn are concerned—I don’t want him to think I’m crazy. And besides, I
don’t
know anything.