Sweetwater: The Kihn (The Sweet Series) (42 page)

Lucas steps over to me and runs his index finger gently down the side of my face. “Dar stated that, from the first, Ezra’s decision to take you worried him.” He frowns slightly.

“Do you... trust this Dar?” Lucas gives me an are-you-kidding look. “I mean... do you trust what he told you last night about breaking with Ezra?”

Lucas stares at me for several moments. “I think Dar realizes the consequences of his actions.”

“But who is Dar more afraid of—you or Ezra?”

Lucas’ lips lift slightly as he regards me. He smiles and leans down to give me a quick kiss. “You are very astute, aren’t you? I think Dar is afraid of Ezra’s unstableness.” Lucas walks over to look out the windows.

“But he’s... sure of what you will do.”

Lucas turns to look at me. His expression is frightening. “He knows what I will do.”

I visibly swallow.

He’s ready to go before I am and pulls me into his arms. “I’ve enjoyed the little exhibition you’ve been giving me.” At my feigned surprise, he places his hand between my legs and rubs over my panties. I moan, leaning into him. “And if I weren’t late, I’d exact my own form of retribution,” he growls before kissing me lightly. “Soon, my sweet,” he promises, his voice caressing my skin. I shiver. He tips my chin up and looks into my eyes with an intensity that causes my breath to catch. “You be careful.”

“I will. Please be careful too,” I tell him. Standing on tiptoe, twining my arms around his neck, I kiss him deeply.

After he leaves, I look about the room. Everything now seems—lifeless.

Diane, Emma Rae, and I decide we don’t want to go to a movie. We need to catch up, so we get take-out from a Mexican restaurant in Marshfield and head for my house. We spend what’s left of the afternoon together, just us, and it’s a good time. Diane drops me off at Lucas’ a little before five.

Several cars and trucks are in the driveway, Jake’s truck and Sawyer’s Jeep among them. It looks as if the same meeting or another one is going on, but the house is quiet. I drop my coat and bag in the bedroom and head toward the kitchen. I decide everyone must be out at the arena.

I’m fixing myself an ice water when the back door opens, and Nick enters. This catches me by surprise, and apparently him too.

“Sofie,” he says quietly.

“Hi.” I go back to slicing a lemon.

“Everyone’s at the arena,” he reports.

I glance at him. “I figured that’s where they were.”

“I’m glad we’ve got a minute,” he says.
Oh no! I’m not.
“Sofie, I need to apologize to you—”

“Nick,” I interrupt, “I think it’s best if we don’t say anything.” He looks surprised and opens his mouth to say more. I hold up my hand. “Let’s just... let it go.” I make a slash through the air with my hand.

“You can do that?” he asks.

“I can.”

He shakes his head. “I can’t.”

“What?”
Is this really happening?

“I think we need to talk about it.”

“Nick, I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s leave it alone.” The last thing I need is confession time with Nick.

“You won’t even give me that?” he asks, angrily.
Oh hell!
I wonder if I can make it to the back door without him stopping me. “I need to tell you I’m sorry, and I need to explain.”

I’m just not interested in his explanation of why he tried to kidnap me. I plop lemon slices in my glass and turn to leave. “Let it go, okay? Please.” I can tell by his expression, he isn’t going to agree.

“I know I was wrong. I was stupid.” He takes a couple of steps closer and leans against the counter. I look up into the darkest, bluest eyes I have ever seen. “Sofie, I do love you.”
Awww—crap!
“But I see that you belong to Lucas now.”

I frown at him. “I’m not going to talk about Lucas with you.”

“Did he bite you?”

My mouth drops open. “What?”

“Sofie—every supernatural—you come in contact with can tell you have his mark.”

His mark?
“What the hell are you talking about?”

He studies my face. “You don’t know.”

“What are you talking about, Nick?” My temper rears up as I set my glass on the counter.

He’s quiet for a moment, searching my face. He is either trying to make up something or he’s trying to decide how much to tell me. “I can tell that you have had Lucas’ blood.” I gulp. “How did it happen?” he asks quietly.

I lick my lips, thinking back to the night Lucas came to my house and I cut my finger. The air seems to suck out of the room. There’s so much I don’t know, and I think Lucas prefers it that way.

“How did you get his blood?” Nick asks me again.

I’m stunned, but I have no intention of telling Nick how it happened. “How... how can you tell?” I’m almost too afraid to hear what he’s going to say.

“Sofie… in the supernatural world, Lucas is—top dog.” I search his eyes. “It’s... just something we can tell,” he says, by way of explanation. “He’s never given his blood before, to my knowledge.” He says that as if it will make me feel better.

Several things make sense now. The way people act toward Lucas. I remember asking him if he were some kind of royalty. Of course, I was teasing, but I’d guessed he might be someone important. The recognition I’d gotten from complete strangers right after the incident at my house. Taylor’s reaction the night after he returned to town, right after I’d had Lucas’—blood.

I step over to the kitchen table and drop into a chair. Lucas said we’d shared blood and I belonged to him forever because of it.
Top dog?
What does that mean?

“I’ve upset you,” Nick noted.

I look over at him. “I’m... glad you told me.”

“I didn’t tell you to upset you.”

The back door opens and Bobbi strolls in, stopping abruptly. “I might have known,” she says, bitterly, with her hands on her hips.

I don’t pay any attention to her. Why has Lucas kept this from me? “Why can’t you leave him alone?” Bobbi demands, her voice full of venom.

“Bobbi, not now,” Nick tells her firmly. I rake my hair off my forehead. “Sofie, are you okay?” Nick asks, stepping toward me.

“Is
she
okay?” Bobbi screeches. “She’s always okay, Nick. She’s Miss... perfect Sofia Reece!”

I look at Bobbi, but what she says doesn’t quite register. I hear the door open again, and Teresa walks into the kitchen.

“What’s going on?” she asks.

“The usual!” Bobbi whines.

“Nick, why can’t you make up your mind?” Teresa spouts off at him.

He ignores both of them. “Sofie, maybe you need to go speak with Lucas,” he suggests softly.

I look into his dark blue eyes. Oh, I am going to talk to Lucas, for sure. The question is should I wait until I’m calm or confront him while I’m pissed.

“I’ve been with Lucas all afternoon, and I don’t think he’s interested in seeing you right now,” Teresa says smugly. “He sent me in to get a bottle of tequila.” She steps right over to the cupboard where Lucas keeps his extra bottles.

Okay—pissed.

I walk out without bothering to grab a coat. I head straight to the arena, and as soon as I walk in the door, he turns to watch me. He’s with a group that includes my Uncle Jake. I march straight across the arena toward Lucas with blood in my eye. He smiles and then frowns with speculation. That expression changes, too, when he sees I’m pissed.

“Sofie,” Lucas says, his voice smooth as silk.

“Hey, Sofe,” Jake says, and then frowns. He knows all is not good with me.

I notice Lars Aasen giving me a quick once over. I’m wearing a soft, knit, V-neck black sweater, and a pair of skinny black jeans tucked into my black boots. He must like what he sees because he grins and reaches his hand out. “Miss Reece,” Aasen says in a heavily accented voice.

I see Lucas frown before he introduces us. “Sofie, this is Lars Aasen. You didn’t get to meet Lars the night of Walter’s party.”

I take Aasen’s hand. “I’m pleased to meet you, Mr. Aasen.”

“Lars, please. I know it’s you I must thank for tipping us off about Ed Smith.”

Lars Aasen is certainly a handsome man with his blond hair and bright blue eyes. He is tall, muscular, and very Swedish looking. The blue shirt he wears matches the blue of his eyes, and if I were another kind of woman, I would flirt with him just to piss Lucas off. As it is, I don’t have to do anything. Lars does it all. He kisses the back of my hand and holds it longer than necessary. I notice Lucas’ eyes narrow. I look at the other guests as I withdraw my hand.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Sofie.” Dominic tilts his head in greeting. He is smiling, clearly amused. I suppose he noticed Lucas’ discomfort with Lars’ attention to me. Dominic looks as good as he did the night before at the club.

“Sofie, this is Quanah,” Lucas continues with introductions and gestures toward one of the men from Dominic’s office the previous night.

Quanah is an American Indian, tall and lean with wide shoulders. His long black hair is pulled back and tied at the nape. He turns his black eyes on me with an intensity that should make me uncomfortable but oddly, doesn’t.

“It’s nice to meet you,” I say. He smiles slightly.

“Lucas!” We all turn and see Teresa sashaying toward us with the bottle of tequila. She is shaking her butt with everything she has. “Here’s the bottle you wanted,” she purrs.

I want to punch her in the face as Lucas gives me an unfathomable look. The air is thick with tension and Jake and Dominic look amused by the situation. Lars looks amused too, but I think his is for a different reason, and the Indian watches me with his dark stare.

“Sofie—” Lucas holds his hand out to me.

“Oh no, Lucas, you go ahead and entertain your—guests.” I maintain eye contact with him. “If y’all will excuse me.”

“Sofie,” he says again, this time with a warning in his voice.

“Lucas, why don’t you show me where you keep your glasses?” Teresa coos.

“Yes, Lucas, why don’t you show—Teresa where the glasses are kept. She seems to know where everything else is.”

His expression says he is not happy with my attitude, and I turn on my heel. Before I can step away, his hand grips my arm. “We’re going to talk,” he darkly informs me as he clamps his hand around my wrist.

I don’t say anything. Jake looks a little concerned, and I give him a reassuring smile as Lucas heads across the arena floor, pulling me along. When we get to Teresa, I stick my tongue out at her.

“Don’t be childish, Sofie,” Lucas murmurs.

He opens the door to the office, and I pass through the doorway. As he closes the door, I step up on the couch and launch myself at him when he turns. He catches me, and I wrap my arms around his neck and legs around his waist. All I want is to kiss him, so I do, for all I’m worth.

“You’re a feisty little thing, aren’t you?” he says with a blunt chuckle when the kiss ends.

“I can be.”

He laughs with a low, throaty sound as he takes my lips in a kiss that leaves me reeling. His mouth trails across my jaw to my neck where his tongue strokes the pulse point. I moan and my stomach tightens.

“Lucas,” I gasp.

“Hmmm,” he hums as his tongue follows the outline of my ear. His hand is under my sweater and molds to my breast. His fingers pluck at my nipple through my bra.

“I-I thought we were going to talk.” I strain against his hand.

He raises his head, and I see a sparkle in his eyes. “You started it.”

I smooth his hair back from his forehead with my hand. “I did, didn’t I?”

“You continually surprise me,” he says, his voice deep and husky.

“Why?” I unhook my legs and stand on the couch again.

“Well, I was certain you were ready to do me bodily harm.” He gives me a steady look.

“Why are you spending time with Teresa?” Oh, I really
don’t
want to waste our time talking about her.

He lays a finger across my lips. “I was not spending time with that vicious bitch.” Before I can respond, he scoops me up and I give a startled squeal. Lucas laughs as he sits on the couch with me on his lap. He tilts my chin up, gripping it when I try to turn away. “Look at me,” he commands.

I am intensely aware of his strength, his masculinity, and I’ve never wanted him more. I suddenly don’t want him to see my need, my craving for him; it makes me feel vulnerable.
The man so owns me!
I let him turn my face toward his, but I keep my eyes downcast, watching him from under my lashes.

“I like it when you defy me,” he claims, his voice dark and growly.

My gaze flies to his with surprise. I look into his wickedly handsome face. “You do not.”

“Oh, but I do,” he assures me with a slow, seductive smile.

“Why?” I ask softly.

He leans back and contemplates me. He is so freakin’ sexy! It’s a cliché, but he literally takes my breath away. He says, “There are several reasons, my sweet, but the one I particularly appreciate is that you are discovering how much you want me, and it frightens you into defiance.”

I lower my gaze. “I think it’s more that you’re always trying to boss me around.” When he doesn’t respond, I peek up at his dark, seductive smile.

“I believe this situation will be ongoing with us—and I look forward to every moment,” he affirms.

I give him a dubious look and see the dark gleam in his eyes. “I... I worry about... how much we fight,” I murmur.

“Fight?” He frowns. “I don’t think of it as fighting, per se. More that we’re getting to know each other.” I smile. I like that. “And you’re trying to see how far you can push me.”

What?
I elbow him in the side and he laughs before pulling me close and resting his chin on the top of my head.

“Did you have a good day with your friends?” he asks.

“I did. It was great fun.”

“I was glad you decided to stay here instead of going into Springfield.”

I lean away. “How do you know what we did?” He smiles enigmatically at me. “You’re having me followed?” I try to stand.

Keeping me on his lap, he says firmly, “Sofie, I’m not about to let you go out without a bodyguard.”

“A bodyguard!” I lean even further away and glare at him.

“Yes, a bodyguard,” he hisses. “And I don’t want to hear another word about it!” He pulls my resisting body close again.

Struggling does no good, so I decide to calm down and approach the subject differently. “Do you really think I need a—bodyguard?” I have a difficult time even saying the word. It’s a little disquieting. “I didn’t see anyone lurking around me.”

“If you had seen someone... lurking around you, it wouldn’t have been your bodyguard.”

The way he says “your bodyguard” has me leaning away again. “You’ve had someone following me for a while now, haven’t you?”

“I’ve had someone with you for protection for a while now, yes.”

I search his eyes. How can I be upset with him when he only wants to keep me safe? I lay my hand against the side of his face. “Thank you,” I tell him softly.

A slow, dazzling smile sweeps across his face. “You’re welcome.” He pulls me gently back into his arms. There’s a light knock on the door and Lucas sighs deeply in irritation. “Go away!”

“It might be important.” I try to wiggle off his lap.

“Sofie,” he growls, holding me in place, “I guarantee it’s not as important to me as you are.” I sit perfectly still and look into his silvery-green eyes as deeply as he looks into mine.

“I need to tell you some things.” He frowns slightly, tucks a wayward curl behind my ear, and moves the pad of his thumb across my bottom lip.

“Yes, you do, but you’re a little late because Nick already spilled the beans.”

He looks at me impassively. “Is that right?”

“Yes, and—”

There’s a sudden banging on the door. “Lucas! We have an emergency!”

We look at each other. My eyes are startled, but Lucas’ never flinch. “What now!” he hisses as I scramble off his lap. Lucas opens the door to Christian. “What’s happening?” Lucas reaches for my hand, pulling me along with him as we leave the room.