Tempting Whispers: The Kategan Alphas 6 (5 page)

She grew wet between her legs at the
first slide against his tongue. Her breath hitched when, in a powerful thrust,
he took over the kiss, capturing her lips in a hungry possessive kiss that made
breathing difficult. So this was what it felt like to kiss someone and feel
passion, to enjoy it. She wanted so much more though, wanted to explore every
possibility between. She needed his hands to circle her waist and crush her to
him, or his hips to pivot between her legs and thrust to ease the blazingly hot
ache growing steadily wetter. She pulled her tongue back and crushed her lips
against his. He had a wonderful mouth, soft but firm and a little hard, all at
the same time. She made herself pull back, no matter how much her body wanted
to cling closer.

His eyes were slow to open, but when
they did, she sucked in a breath and squirmed. His eyes were molten with
blatant, raw sexual heat. His dark pupils were wide making his eyes look dark
and stormy. His lips were parted, a little wet from their kiss and she tugged
her bottom lip into her mouth to keep from going back for more. For the first
time since meeting him, she felt way out of his league.

“Get off me, Vanessa.”

She dropped down and slung her bag over
her shoulder to keep from looking at him. She felt small inside, about the size
of an ant next to him. What did she know about sex or seducing a man?
Especially a man like him—nothing. Not a damn thing. Her neck to cheeks burned
with heat, but she leveled her gaze on him, lifting her chin a notch.

“Sorry,” she mumbled.

He closed his eyes and scrubbed a hand
over his face. “Fuck. Listen, I---”

God, she so couldn’t bear to hear some
kind of shitty apology on all the reasons why he didn’t want to be with her. “Fine,
I’ll stay. Just get out, now.”

His eyes hardened on her, then he let
out a long sigh. “Vanessa, maybe we should talk about---”

“No, and I mean
no
.” As in not
now or fucking ever. He didn’t like her kiss, didn’t want her. God, just the
cold way he’d told her to get off him, like she was something bugging him. She
hated to admit it, but it fucking hurt. “Just get out, okay? I’m tired.” That
part was true. She suddenly felt exhausted and the need to cry into a pillow
for a few minutes.

He craned his neck around in a circle as
if it pained him. “Fine...fine. I have a spare car. I’ll leave the keys on the
kitchen table. Use it from now on until we get something else worked out.”

“Fine,” she said. She’d say anything to
get him out, before her humiliation dug her even further into the shitty
ground.

He started to say something else, then
shook his head and left, the door closing softly behind him.

“I’m such an idiot,” she muttered. Come
on, she couldn’t really have expected her fantasy—that she’d rush into his arms
and he’d unleash such tantamount passion that she’d be swept away into a world
of pleasure—to be true. That shit was for fantasies only; not for real life.

She got naked and climbed under the cool
sheets. She stared at the ceiling, daring tears to come, but they didn’t. At
least she won that round. The bed proved too soft and comfy under her and she
fell asleep in a flash.

Chapter 5

It took a minute after waking up to
figure out where she was. Then it all came back in a flood of humiliating
memories. She’d kissed him. It’d really been more of a half-kiss since he hadn’t
kissed her back, but it’d been the best kiss of her life. How fucking lame was
that?

She threw back the covers, made quick
work of the facilities and her teeth, then climbed back into her jeans and tee
before heading downstairs. She heard his deep rumbling voice and paused halfway
down the stairs.

“Yeah, good. I’ll be there shortly.”

Taking a deep breath, she squared her
shoulders ready to face the day, or, rather, Brayden. She found him in a room
off the back of the living room. It was a study with warm wood colors,
bookcases, and a desk. It looked a lot homelier in here than any other room in
the house. Almost as if, an entirely different person designed it. His head
lifted from the desk as she entered. He stood, then pointed to a chair in front
of his desk.

“Sit down; we need to talk.”

O-kay. She did, even though his words
made her sick to her stomach. Here’s where he’d kick her out or, better yet,
tell her he’s already contacted Joseph and he’s on his way to get her right
now. She squeezed her eyes shut. No, Brayden wouldn’t do that. He knew that
Joseph hurt her; she’d seen the look on his face when she’d told him. Even he
wouldn’t do that. Yet, when she opened her eyes back up and looked at him, she
knew this couldn’t be good.

“Okay, talk.” She tried to sound
business-like to keep this impersonal, but all she could do was remember the
way his mouth felt pressed against hers and then all sorts of hot feelings
filled her.

His voice was hard and commanding as he
said, “Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to stay under my protection
until we get everything sorted out. I promise not to contact your cousin, Vane,
your father, or any of the other Kategans, in return for your cooperation. I
will try to make contact with Joseph and force his hand at the divorce. In the
meantime, you’re going to take my second car. I’m sure you can drive it. You’re
going to take money from me—”

At this, she started to protest, but he
cut her a glare that had her slamming her lips shut.

“You will take some money and buy more
than two pairs of clothes. You’re also quitting your job. I can’t have you in
such an isolated place while I’m out. It’d be easy for him to make any kind of
contact with you there, and I won’t have you alone when or if that happens. Got
me?”

She’d never heard him talk like this, so
large and in charge, almost passionately. She nodded her head. “Yeah, I guess.”

He stood, planting his palms on his desk
and leaned toward her. He had to be still six or more feet away, yet suddenly
she felt crowded, like he had her backed up against the wall. “You guess?”

“I-I, yes, I agree, okay? That good
enough for you, vampire?” She couldn’t keep from doing an eye roll.

He shut his eyes for a moment, as if to
calm down, then opened them again. “This is a very serious matter.”

“As if I need you to tell me that,” she
muttered under her breath.

“And I will not have you making light of
it.”

“Sure thing, Bray.”

“Excuse me?” he asked darkly.

A part of her wanted to back down,
cower, but she’d done enough of that in the two years she’d lived with
him
.
Now she tilted her chin up. “I said ‘sure thing,
Bray
.’
 
”

Oh, shit. He stalked around the desk to
her. Her heart suddenly felt like it was beating up in her throat, which would
explain why she had a hard time breathing. He leaned down, his big hands
wrapping around the arms of her chair, forcing her to pull hers into her lap,
lest they accidently touch. She didn’t know what she might do—or he might do—if
they touched now.

“That is not my name,” he said, his
voice low, deep, and to her, so fucking sensual sounding, she had to squeeze
her thighs together to staunch any possible flow.

“I know that.”

“You will never call me
Bray
again. Got me, babe?”

Her breath whooshed out of her lungs. He
must have shocked the shit out of himself with that little endearment, because
he flushed then quickly backed away, scrubbing his hand hard over his face. “I,
I’m sorry about that. That was way out of line. I’ve just never heard anyone
call me that before. I didn't like it.”

“No shit,” she said, because she still
hadn’t gotten her breathing under control. A chuckle left her. He cut her a
glare with those piercing eyes.

“What?” he snapped.

She laughed again, louder this time.
Shit. She wrapped her hand over her mouth, but damn, the harder she tried to
stop laughing the more the giggles came until her shoulders shook.

“Tell me, now.” Or else, she heard the
warning in his voice.

She calmed enough to say, “Do you call
everyone ‘babe’ who dares call you a nickname? What happens if Dmetri calls you
‘
Bro-den’
? Are you going to shove him back and call him babe?” Oh God,
the picture was too hysterical and she couldn’t staunch another flow of
laughter. She dared a peek at him, and the half-smile on his face made her
laughter die faster than anything. “You smile.”

As soon as she said it, it died. She
instantly felt like she’d seen sunlight for the first time, only to have it
quickly vanish from the sky.

“Everyone smiles sometimes, Vanessa.”

Except you
,
she wanted to say. “I guess.”

“One more thing. You’re going to call
and quit your job today, then come with me while I investigate the Clara Brunes’
case.”

Her eyebrow shot up. “Really? Do you
think she was murdered or was it just an accident?”

He shook his head. “I can’t say. That’s
why I’ve taken leave to look into it. I have the next three weeks off to check
into the case and get some kind of answer for Vane and Sarina.”

“And you’re actually comfortable letting
me tag along with you?”

He snorted. “No, but I don’t have any
other choice. I’m not leaving you alone when your mate could be looking for
you.”

Your mate
—those
words poisoned her happy glow. Yeah, she had a mate, but she hated him more
than anything.

“All right, just let me know when.”

“First, you’re going to go call your
boss, then I’m taking you to get some clothes. After that, I have an
appointment with the lead Justicar from the Brunes’ case.” He glanced at a tall
grandfather clock in the corner of the room. “In fact, call now. We gotta hit
the road.”

Vanessa made the call to the coffee shop
and informed Rob she was quitting. It felt like a lousy thing to do, especially
since she couldn’t even finish her last two weeks. He didn’t seem surprised though
and said her paycheck would be waiting at the shop for the days she worked
whenever she was ready.

That done, she found Brayden at his desk
again, let him know she was ready, and they set off in his SUV. He took her to
Woodfield Mall, a chic and elegant looking place. Outside, the building had
sleek white horizontal panels and a white horse statue out front. Her mall back
home didn’t look anything like this. It wasn’t tiny, but it was just one floor
and you certainly couldn’t find art or a statue of a horse out front.

It felt odd walking with Brayden inside.
She didn’t clothes shop much, but she used to love it as a teenager. Then, when
she’d mated Joseph, she’d never been allowed to go alone. She always had an
escort of at least two guards with her. He told her it was to ensure her safety,
but she knew what it was really about—to make sure she didn’t run away. And she
would have, given the chance, using the hundred bucks he’d given her.

Now, it felt different. She had the tall
and powerful Brayden next to her, a lead Justicar, a judge, certainly not a
nobody, and he was taking her clothes shopping. Inside, the mall looked even
more breathtaking. The ceiling had a unique and odd design layered between sparkling
white lights in jagged shapes. It also had multiple floors, modern-looking art
pieces hanging around, and a lot of chattering people walking by. She couldn’t
help but smile and feel good as she made her way toward the nearest Macy’s. She
didn’t take her time, because she knew men hated shopping, especially with
their woman. She paused and Brayden stopped to look at her.

“What?”

“It’s nothing,” she said and shook her
head. She certainly wasn’t his woman.

She managed to grab several pairs of
jeans, shirts, socks, undies and even a few cuter items like skirts and a dress
in forty-five minutes. Luckily, with her body size, she knew what her size was
and nearly all brand names fit her well. He paid for her stuff and she tried
not to fidget, but it felt damn weird having him buy her clothes. She hardly
knew the man, well, vampire, but doing such a normal activity with him felt
odd.

She’d despised him for a long time, even
while she had her little fantasies about him. She couldn’t help it. From the
first day she met him he was her enemy, telling her to do her duty and obey her
father. At least now, he was helping her. He must see that he’d been wrong
then, right? She hoped so.

They went back the SUV with her big bags
filled with clothes and shoved them in the backseat before taking off again. He
checked the time on his dashboard clock. “Good, we won’t be late.” He pulled
onto the road and they were off again. “What are your plans after you get your
divorce?”

She couldn’t help but smile. For many,
the word divorce triggered such unpleasant thoughts, but not for her. It’d be a
blessing or a miracle if she could get one. She’d finally have her freedom. “I’m
finally going to go to school.”

He sent her a surprised look. “What
for?”