A Man Like No Other (3 page)

“What’s wrong?” he asked in a
controlled tone.

“Not a thing,” she commented without
sparing him a glance.

“You’re in pain, angel. I can see it.
Tell me from what.” He frowned as something occurred to him. “Did
I
hurt you last night?”

She froze and met his gaze. In hers, he
could read shock at his question. “No, you didn’t hurt me.”

A wave of relief swarmed him. “Then
what’s causing you pain?”

Cool composure filled her face and she
lifted one shoulder. “My business is my own.”

He shook his head. “I’m making it
mine.”

Serefina yawned and zipped her bags
shut. “Make it yours with someone else. I’m tending to mine.”

“After what we shared—”

“We shared a night of fucking,” she
interrupted sharply. “That’s all.”

He could hear it in her voice—she
didn’t believe the crap she spouted. Neither did he. True, last night was rough
and intense, no gentle words of love were shared, but
something
had happened between them on a deeper level. And it
scared her.

Not
just her.

Tongue skimming his teeth, he sat
straight up and sought her gaze. “Why do you think you hate me, Serefina?”

Her eyes narrowed a minuscule amount.
“I never said I hated you. And even if I had, why do you say ‘think’ when it
comes to me hating you?”

“You wouldn’t have given me the time of
day, no matter what the attraction, if you hated—truly hated—me.”

For a split second, he saw past her
guise. Saw the vulnerable woman beneath. Then, in a flash, it was gone.

“Thank you for today’s pysch lesson.
Nice to know I can only sleep with someone I don’t hate.”

“You’re not making this easy,” he said.

She hefted her bags and walked to the
door. “I’m not interested in a relationship. I was looking for a night of
mindless sex.” Her gaze heated as it roved over him. “Which you gave me. Thank
you. Now, why are you insisting on talking? I’ve heard about you, Taber. You’re
rarely there come morning. So, instead of asking me why I think I hate you,
perhaps you should be asking yourself this. Why were you here come morning and
why are you trying to keep me here with a bunch of questions instead of taking
the freedom I’m trying to help you have?”

Serefina opened the door and stepped
through, only to pause and turn back. “The rooms paid up through tomorrow so
feel free to use it. Goodbye, Kysenzki. It’s been a real pleasure.” A
sex-infused grin filled her face and she winked before disappearing. The door
closed silently behind her.

Taber fell back with a groan of
frustration. She had been spot on with her retaliatory questions to him. He
didn’t know what to think about her having heard about his reputation. But why
had
he stayed the entire night and wanted
to keep her around longer? He had no answer.

Jumping to his feet, he swiped the key
off the desk and bolted outside. Relief filled him at the sight of her Xterra
still there and he headed to stand beside it. Possessiveness replaced the
relief when he found her talking to a tall man at the door to the hotel’s
office. The way he touched Serefina made Taber’s stomach churn. There lay way
too much familiarity in it for his liking. The man was handsome which didn’t
help Taber’s current state of mind.

He growled low when she kissed the man
on the corner of his mouth. Without moving, Taber remained by her vehicle and
waited for her. The closer she came the stronger his desire to claim her.
Beyond her, the gaze of that other man followed her.

Fuck
it.

With a coiled move, he stepped out to
intercept her. There were no words. He just grabbed her by the back of her neck
and drew her close before slamming his mouth over hers. She stiffened beneath
his assault before responding. Like molten lava, her response poured into him,
burning him, setting him aflame. His cock pressed like an iron rod inside his
pants.

Serefina ended the kiss as fast as he’d
started it. Her face flushed, lips swollen and moist, and her eyes stormy with
leashed passion. She reached out and tenderly laid a hand along his
stubble-covered jaw. In her eyes, he could see the need for something before it
was masked.

“Do anything like that again, Taber
Kysenzki,” she said in a calm, husky voice, “and I’ll shoot you where you
stand.” She walked around him, her hand slowly leaving his face.

Serefina had driven away before he
could find the wherewithal to form any kind of response. Jesus, she made him so
hard. Normally, he’d have a woman and that’d be it. She would hold no more
appeal. Not Serefina LeBenoit. He got turned on by her threatening to shoot
him.

Geez,
I’ve got it bad.

He found the gaze of the man who’d
kissed Serefina upon him. Uncaring he wore only a pair of jeans, he walked to
him, taking in his lean musculature, coppery hair and tanned skin.

“Need something?” the man questioned in
an unhurried manner, his tone a thick, lazy drawl. Louisianan if Taber had to
hazard a guess.

“You know where she’s going?”

“Home.”

“You know where she lives?”

The man narrowed his eyes. “Who are
you?”

He bit off his first answer to say
merely, “The man who needs to talk to her.”

“Didn’t do much talking when you were
in her room?” He shook his head and chuckled. “Ne’er mind. From your state of
dress or lack of one, I’ll assume not.”

“You know her, how?” Taber wanted to
throttle the arrogant smirk from the man’s face.

“We’re related.”

He noticed the gold wedding band on his
hand. The thought knotted his stomach.

“How are you related?”

“Oh, I married her aunt a whiles back.”
He stuck his right hand out. “Gary Jordan.”

“Taber Kysenzki,” he replied, shaking
the offered hand.

“So you know our little Serefina, do
you?”

“Not as well as I’d like to.” He
blurted that out unintentionally. Taber felt a bit uncomfortable about
admitting that, for he wasn’t one to share his emotions, but refused to drop
the man’s stare.

Gary
chuckled. “Well, best of luck with her. She don’t seem to settle down nor have
any desires to do so.” He stroked his chin. “In fact, I think in order to do so,
one would have to corner her.”

Taber’d begun to figure that out
himself.

“Where’s her house?”

All humour and kindness faded from
Gary
’s gaze. “Look here. I
love that woman like she were my own. Give me one reason why I should help
you.”

“Did she tell you not to tell me where
she was going?”

Gary
looked perplexed. “Well, no.”

“Think about it. I’ll be right back.” Reaching
into his back pocket, he withdrew his card and passed it to
Gary
. “This is me. You can call and verify
it. Or call and report you think I’m hurting her. Your decision.”

He ran back to his room and finished dressing
in a flash. Back by
Gary
,
he hooked his thumbs in his pockets.
Gary
handed him an address and said, “Don’t hurt her.”

He gave a sharp nod, spun on his boot
heel, got in his truck then left, her address firmly in hand. Apparently,
Gary
had checked him out
or figured it was okay anyway.

Chapter Three

Serefina wasn’t sure what to make of
the tumultuous feelings coursing through her at warp speed.
Gary
had called and told her what he’d done.
She then had spent all day expecting Taber to drive up. Day turned into night
and there remained no sign of him.

I
wonder if he got hurt or lost.

She shook her head. Not her problem or
her business. He would have been the one to decide to drive here. As things
sat, it appeared he’d opted not to. The real question was why it angered her so
much he hadn’t arrived.

Forget
him.

Easier said than done. The way he’d
made her feel, it had been unlike anything before. Hell, just the memory made
her wet and ready to orgasm. With a frustrated groan, she headed for bed. Sleep
eluded her for a long time, and this time, it was because of a tall, broad,
powerfully handsome blond with blue eyes. DEA Special Agent Taber Kysenzki.

She moaned and punched her pillow a few
times.
I will not be ruled by desire.
A mantra which had worked in the past.
Before
I met him.
Her throbbing slit had other ideas on that, and it took an
inordinate amount of willpower not to give in and bring herself to release.

“Think of something else,” she ordered
herself.

She clamped her eyes shut and hissed in
agony when all she could conjure was Taber. The feel of him, thick and hard,
sliding in and out of her. How primal he had looked when she’d knelt before him
and taken him in her mouth. And she couldn’t forget how the sun had glistened
off his bare chest, still damp from his shower, as he stood before her in
naught but jeans.

“Shit!” she cried as her body
shattered. Panting and craving something else she knew now only one man could
give her, she rolled over and admonished herself for coming without a single
touch.

“This is why I should have stuck to my
rule. I knew he was trouble from the moment I laid eyes on him.”

She felt marginally better when she
woke. Dressed in a tank top and workout shorts, she poured herself a cup of
coffee and walked out her back door. The morning had barely begun; shafts of
light chased away the remaining darkness.

The air, while mostly still, was broken
by coyote’s barking and howling. Leaning on the rail, she laced her fingers
around the mug and sighed. The rich aroma of her coffee tickled her nose but
the air brought something else to it also. A hint of outdoors with sandalwood
and leather. Sexy would be another word for it. So would Kysenzki. It had been
a scent she was reluctant to remove from her body.

With more calm than she had, she took a
sip of java and turned her head. Nothing to the left. But to the right… There
he was. Larger than life. He leaned against the post and watched her, an eerie
fire in his eyes. His ankles hooked and arms crossed.

“There a reason you’re on my porch at oh-five-thirty,
SA Kysenzki?” she asked, facing forward again, doing her damndest to ignore the
pounding of her heart.

“Yes.”

She hadn’t expected that response.
Still, when nothing further came, she glanced in his direction again. He
remained in the same place.

“It’s early, too early to pull every flipping
word from you, Kysenzki. Either tell me or get the hell off my property.”

“You’re the reason,” he drawled,
drawing closer.

It took a lot to control the shakes her
hands suddenly acquired. “Something more to add to that?” she questioned,
trying desperately to put an edge in her voice. When, in truth, his admission
pleased the hell out of her. All she wanted was a repeat of last night. For
every night until she died.

“Why were you in pain?” he rumbled in
her ear.

His closeness robbed her of breath. Her
icy composure waned. And with rapid swiftness.

“What does it matter?”

“Because I care about what’s mine.”

She almost dropped her mug; as it was,
she did waver a bit.
Is he for real?
It would be so easy to shift slightly to the side and into his embrace.

Drawing on her reserves, she met his
gaze and lifted a brow. “I fail to see how that concerns me.”

“Really?” His question was more of a
purr. Velvet seduction. The promise of pure pleasure. A promise she knew from
experience he
could
definitely
deliver upon.

Wetness flooded her pussy and her clit
cried out for his touch. She barely won the struggle to not press her legs
together.

“Really.” Her statement fell with no
inflection.

The next second, he boxed her in
between his chiselled body and the rail, one incredibly strong arm on each side
of her. His breath teased her neck and electrical shocks skirted her entirely,
hair standing on end.

“I beg to differ, angel,” he uttered,
his thick
Texas
drawl even more pronounced and flowing over her skin like warmed liqueur.

Eyes clenched tight, she worked hard to
maintain calm breathing. Not an easy feat when each inhalation brought to her
his rugged masculine scent. With a big drink, she placed the cup down and
turned slowly within the circle of his arms to face him head-on.

This
may not have been such a great idea.

He was close. So close. She bit the
inside of her lip and held his gaze.

“If I play your game, will you leave?”

She thought he may take offence. He
didn’t. Instead his blue eyes began to sparkle.

“Nope.”

“So how do I get rid of you?”

His eyes roamed her face before he
answered. “Tell me honestly you want me to leave and never bother you again.”

Never. Again.

Those were two words with very big
implications. She licked her lips and stared.

Taber brought himself closer until they
were nose to nose. “That’s kinda what I thought, angel. You may not be sure
what’s going on between us but you want to figure it out.” He nibbled on her
bottom lip before sucking it into his mouth. “I’m not going anywhere.”

And she knew she was fucked.

“Now, why don’t you tell me why you
were in pain?”

A burst of laughter erupted from her.
Honest to goodness laughter. Not faked for a case she may be working, just the
real deal.

“You’re not going to let that go, are
you?”

The look he gave her smouldered. “Nope.
One thing you’ll learn about me, angel, is I’m very persistent.”

She decided she liked seeing that
impish twinkle in his eyes. “One thing? There’s more to you than what I see?”

“Funny angel. But you’re not
distracting me. Tell me.”

Worrying her lower lip, she faced the
rail and the open land beyond, well aware he still pressed close. She took a
drink and swallowed it slowly.

“Our last sting went…went to hell.” He
tensed but remained silent. “I lost four agents and took a bullet. I winced
because on occasion I step wrong and it bothers me.”

“I heard about that op in… Los Velos,
was it?”

Tears stung the backs of her lids and
she nodded, unwilling to trust her voice. His strong hands gripped her upper
arms with tenderness.

“I didn’t know that was your group. I’m
so sorry. What about you? Took one in the leg?”

She was so grateful he didn’t ply her
with sympathy, just gave his condolences and left it at that. Without
hesitation, she sank into his torso, accepting the silent strength he offered.

“Hip.”

He tugged her head back using her hair.
Fury boiled in his gaze. “Are you telling me you have a recent gunshot injury
where I was holding you that night?”

“It would appear so. Before you yell,
which you seem prone to do, I was fine. Other factors overrode any pain it
could have given me.”

Smugness and arrogance filled his
expression. And yet, behind it all, she could see concern.

“Okay,” he said, appearing appeased.
“So what now, angel?”

Good question. Excellent, really. She
had no idea.

“You do like your reputation says and
move on to the next girl.”

The sound of a deadly rumble reached
her and his fist tightened in her hair.

“Not funny.”

She shrugged. “I wasn’t trying to be.
But you know what; I answered your question, now you answer mine.” She faced
him. He watched her face, his a blank slate. There was a lovely distraction of
his fingers rubbing her scalp.

“And your question would be?”

“Why
are
you pursuing me? It’s not your rep.”

“So sure you know how I operate?” His
tone was low and dangerous.

“I knew your rep way before I ever met
you. Stop stalling, answer my question.”

“What do they say?”

She rolled her eyes. “Never sleep with
the same woman more than once. Never wanting for female companionship. Oh yeah,
and no woman will ever have access to your heart.” She lifted a shoulder. “I’m
sure there’s more.”

No warmth remained in his eyes. He
dropped his hand from her hair but didn’t move back.

“No woman will ever own my heart. Does
that bother you?”

Yes!

“No,” she said, proud her voice
remained modulated. “Why should it? You’re the one who came after me, tough
guy. Not the other way around.” His expression told her all she needed to know.
The reason he’d come after her was as much a mystery to him as it was her. Her
phone rang and she ducked by him to slip inside.

Taber expelled a sharp breath and used
the rail to hold him up. This woman…Serefina LeBenoit struck a nerve with her
question. And the fact she’d pointed out he was doing the pursuing, not her.

There was a serious problem. The ‘no
woman would have access much less own his heart’ rule had a hole he could drive
a tank through. One already did. She didn’t ask for it, and to him, it seemed
she didn’t want it. Nonetheless, she had it. Which led him to another problem.

What was he going to do about it?

Without knocking, he headed into her
house. Open and airy, tile floors and simple wooden furniture, what he’d come
to expect in
New Mexico
.
The walls surprised him though. They were covered in art depicting
Louisiana
, past to
present. As well as many shots of the bayou. And just stunning nature scenes,
as if she’d transferred some of
Louisiana
’s
rich greenery to her the middle of the desert where she lived. He continued to
scan and found a wall of people pictures and slid closer.

Serefina watched but never moved from
her spot in the kitchen. Standing before the photos, he shoved his hands in his
pockets. Her love for her family hit him hard. There was a large family. He recognised
Gary
in a
wedding photo. What took his breath away was the fact Serefina smiled and
looked happy in them.

There were ones of her ATF team as
well.

What did they have to get smiles from
her? He shook his head and buried the jealousy. Casting a glance back to
Serefina, he approached her. Her southern lyrical voice flowed over him and
soothed the restlessness in his soul.

He waited in silence for her to finish
her call. She met his gaze after hanging up the phone.

“Something I can do for you, SA
Kysenzki?”

His cock made its wishes known but he
ignored it. “Taber. Why don’t you do DEA? What brought that up?”

She poured herself more coffee and
grabbed him a mug. He had to physically stop from going to her when she lifted
herself onto the counter. All he could see was bending her over the dark green
countertop and taking her. Over and over. Kneeling before her and lapping up
her thick cream. Enjoying her body in a way he hadn’t yet. Slowly and in
daylight.

She cleared her throat and snapped him
out of his lovely daydream.

“What?”

A knowing grin flashed. “Nothing.”

“Your answer?”

“I could have said already. You
wouldn’t know.”

“So tell me again.”

Her lips pursed. “Why are we doing
this?”

“Doing what?” he asked.

“Pretending there is something between
us. Look at us, sitting in my kitchen drinking coffee like we know one another.
A damn commercial.”

His lips twitched. “Something else
you’d rather be doing?” Every fibre within him longed to go to her and kiss her
until no wouldn’t even be a consideration.

Heat flared before she could contain
it. “Yes.” He waited with baited breath. “I need to be running.”

“Errands?”

“No. Running.”

“Mind some company?”

She scanned his attire. “You run in
jeans and cowboy boots?”

He flashed a smile. “No, I have clothes
in my truck.”

“Let’s go then. Ready in five?”

I’m
ready now.
“Sounds good.” As he jogged to his truck, he realised he hadn’t
gotten a response about her reason against DEA men.

Although it was more like fifteen
minutes later, he found himself running beside Serefina LeBenoit along a
mountain trail. She wore a pair of shorts which nearly made him stumble more
than once with the way they barely covered the firm globes of her ass. He realised
why her legs weren’t pencil thin; running through the mountains had given her
more muscle than running a flat road would.

“Let me know if the altitude gets to be
too much,” she said as they pounded up again.

He could feel its effects but didn’t
think it was anything he couldn’t handle. A while later, he felt really
lightheaded and slightly nauseous. Serefina must have been watching him for she
immediately stopped so he would.

“Walk slowly and take deep breaths.”

He did as she ordered and slowly the
effects faded. He peeked at her; there was no smugness or laughter in her
expression. No pity either. Only observation.