Dangerous Craving (4 page)

worked. I don’t know about you but I…I don’t know if I could live through another

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Savannah Stuart

breakup from you.” It had nearly broken her the first time. Even admitting this much

was stripping a huge chunk of pride from her. If it got him to back off it’d be worth it.

Regret flared in his eyes but then that damn mask slid into place. Instead of

responding, he stepped back, his gaze shuttered. “Come on. I’ll show you to the guest

room.”

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Dangerous Craving

Nissa swiped mascara across her eyelashes one last time before grabbing her clutch

from the bathroom counter. Thomas had been gone practically all day but the house

certainly hadn’t been empty. His brothers and cousins had been coming by, never

leaving her alone for one moment. For that she was grateful.

She’d wanted protection and that’s what she’d gotten. Unfortunately she hadn’t

been able to contact her mother despite numerous calls. Her sister kept answering the

house phone and even her mother’s mobile phone. Since she didn’t know if Kassia was

behind the attack on her life, she didn’t want to give away her whereabouts. If she

could just talk to her mother everything would work itself out. She was sure of it.

As she exited the room she was struck by how quiet the house was. Unlike Thomas,

she didn’t have extrasensory abilities so she couldn’t scent anyone. Her flat sandals

were quiet against the bamboo flooring.

When she reached the kitchen and found it also empty, her heart rate quickened

until she spotted Thomas and Stephan through one of the windows on the lanai. They

sat on two loungers drinking beer and looking completely relaxed.

She wished she could loosen up around him but was finding it impossible. More

than anything she wanted to get Thomas out of her system once and for all. A century

was too long to fantasize about someone. He shouldn’t have lived up to her

expectations, but if anything he was better than her memories.

He laughed at something his brother said and her chest tightened. She’d been able

to make him laugh once upon a time. He’d been all smiles around her. Back when he’d

thought she was just human. Then he’d discovered her true identity and a switch had

flipped. She’d seen him angry for the first time. His eyes had practically glowed with

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rage as he’d kicked her out of his life. Despite the even temperature, she fought off a

shiver. That was such a dark time in her life and she hated thinking about it.

As if he knew she was watching him, he turned toward her. Averting her gaze, she

smoothed down her sea-green halter-style dress. He’d told her they were going to a

birthday party but she wasn’t sure if it was dressy or not. His response when she’d

asked had been to tell her she’d look good in anything.

She jumped at the sound of the sliding glass door opening and met Thomas’ gaze.

In one swoop he assessed her from head to toe. His dark eyes were
very
approving

when he reached her face again. Looked like she’d worn the right thing after all. Not

that she cared what he thought. Or at least she kept trying to convince herself she

didn’t.

“You look beautiful.” He spoke low, for her ears only.

She swallowed back her nerves. “Thank you.”

An awkward silence started to stretch between them when his brother slid the door

shut with a bang.

“I hope you’re not shy, Nissa, because you’re meeting the whole clan tonight,”

Stephan said with a grin.

She wasn’t exactly shy but meeting a houseful of werewolves was intimidating. But

she knew how to fake it. Plastering a smile on her face she nodded. “I’m ready to go if

you guys are.”

Sidestepping Thomas, Stephan threw his arm around her in a brotherly gesture as

they headed toward the door leading to the garage. “My mate and sister-in-law are so

excited to meet you. You already know that Paz is half fae but she’s never met others

like herself. She and Marisol spent all afternoon cooking.”

Nissa didn’t know if she should be more surprised by how nice Thomas’ family had

been so far. It sounded as if some of them actually wanted to meet her. If she’d brought

Thomas home to meet her family he’d have been met with cold stares or snide remarks.

Or worse, considering someone wanted her dead.

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Dangerous Craving

Thomas cleared his throat loudly as Stephan held open the passenger side door to

Thomas’ BMW coupe. Thomas glared at his brother.

Stephan just grinned and stepped back. “See ya at the party, Nissa,” he said to her

but kept his gaze on his brother.

“Uh, yeah, see you,” she muttered as he shut the door, unsure why Thomas was

annoyed with his brother.

When Thomas slid into the driver’s side, she squirmed against the leather seats.

Alone again. At least the drive wouldn’t take long.

“I’m sorry if my brother made you feel uncomfortable.” His words were practically

a growl.

“He didn’t. Why are you frustrated with him?”

“I don’t like him touching you.” His knuckles turned white as he gripped the

steering wheel.

She frowned at his words. “He’s very happily mated. Even I can see that.”

“I don’t care.” He didn’t look at her but his jaw clenched tightly.

His answer didn’t invite much conversation so she crossed her legs and smoothed

down her dress as he pulled out of the garage. Part of her wanted to ask what he’d done

all day but it seemed a bit too familiar. Like they were a couple or something.

She truly wanted to know about his day but at the same time, she didn’t want to get

even more invested in him or his life. It would just cause her heartache later. For years

she’d been shoving memories of him into a tiny compartment in her mind and she

needed to keep doing that if she planned to survive.

As they pulled down a long, private driveway, her heart beat a staccato rhythm. His

family owned a private stretch of beach in Key Biscayne and though she’d met his

Alpha the night before, panic started to set in. Luxury cars, midgrade cars, an old

muscle car, trucks—new and old—and a few hybrids lined the driveway. She’d known

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it was a party but the reality of her situation crashed over her. She was going to be in a

house full of werewolves.

Werewolves.

She trusted Thomas, and his Alpha had been kind but what if—

“Stop!” Thomas’ voice thundered in the enclosed space.

She jerked in her seat causing her purse to fly to the floorboards. “What?”

“I don’t know what you’re afraid of but the terror rolling off you is actually hurting

me.” There was no anger in his words, just sadness.

Nissa bit her bottom lip as she looked into his dark eyes. She’d forgotten he could

sense her emotions if she didn’t keep them in check. “Sorry. I just started thinking

and…” She shrugged as she trailed off.

Surprising her, he reached out and grasped one of her hands. “My family would

never
hurt you. And if someone tried, I’d kill them.”

She swallowed hard at his words, hating what they did to her. She’d forgotten how

protective he could be. Since she didn’t trust her voice, she squeezed his hand and gave

him a small smile before plucking her purse from the floor. As she started to open her

door, he’d already gotten out and was helping her out. Another thing she’d forgotten.

How fast shifters were.

Thomas kept his hand firmly around her waist as they headed toward the front

door. She tried to subtly step away but his grip only increased.

“Don’t think you can run away from me,” he murmured so low she wasn’t sure if

she’d heard him right.

Before she could contemplate it, the front door swung open and a dark-haired girl

who couldn’t be more than sixteen jumped at Thomas, giving Nissa the opportunity to

put some distance between them.

The girl wrapped her arms around his waist in a tight hug. “Thomas! I’m so glad

you’re here.”

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Dangerous Craving

He chuckled as he hugged her back, then gently set her away. “I take it you missed

me.”

“You missed the last party and you haven’t been around lately.” She pouted in the

way only a young teenage girl could.

His lips pulled into a small smile as he shook his head. “Some of us actually have to

work. Athena, I’d like you to meet Nissa. She’s my guest.”

The girl smiled shyly and held out a hand. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you.”

Nissa took her hand and some of her nervousness dissolved. “It’s nice to meet you

too.”

Thomas covered the small distance between them and once again his hand was at

the small of her back. “I’m going to introduce her to everyone, okay?”

Athena nodded and ran back inside. Thomas’ hand moved from the small of her

back to her waist once again. He held her in such a proprietary manner as he made the

rounds, introducing her to everyone, and it surprised her. He’d said he’d protect her

but he seemed almost proud to be standing with her. If anything she thought he’d keep

her at arm’s length because of what she was.

After meeting a dozen shifters, they stopped in the Mediterranean-style kitchen and

she finally caught her breath. Under the hanging copper pots, there was a smorgasbord

of exotic-looking food on the center island. Through the sliding glass door she spotted a

small bar outside. His brothers and most of the males were out there. She tensed for a

moment when she realized he planned to take her out there.

He paused by the bar chairs lining the center island. “Are you thirsty?”

She nodded. She wasn’t but she wanted to keep her hands busy and maybe get a

little distance from him.

“I’ll be back in a sec.” Shocking her, he dropped a quick kiss on her cheek in plain

view of everyone.

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As he disappeared outside she turned away from the window so she wouldn’t stare

at him like some lovesick idiot. Her skin tingled where his lips had been and the

deepest part of her heart wished he’d kissed her mouth. She knew they had no future

together and after that mistake last night it seemed foolish to pretend otherwise.

“Nissa?”

She swiveled in her seat to find a petite, dark-haired woman sliding onto one of the

high-backed chairs next to her. “Yes.”

“I’m Caro.” She slid a glass of white wine across the marble top. “You can probably

use this.”

She pushed out a grateful breath and took the long-stemmed glass. Was she that

obvious? “Thank you. Are you one of Thomas’ cousins?”

She shook her head. “No. I’m his aunt, though I’m not that much older than him.”

Nissa nodded and took a sip of her drink. That meant the woman was close to two

hundred even though she looked as if she were in her early thirties. Werewolves and

other shifters aged at the same pace as the fae. It was one of the few things they had in

common.

The dark-haired woman’s eyes narrowed a fraction as she assessed her. “I’ve never

seen my nephew so smitten over someone before.”

Nissa cleared her throat. She knew he’d told his family who she was and why she

was in Miami, but he hadn’t told everyone about their past. Or she didn’t think he had.

“We’re just friends.”

Her dark eyebrows knitted together. “Ah,
right
.”

Nissa would rather talk about anything other than Thomas so she tried to change

the subject. “Is that your mate over there?” She tilted her head in the direction of the

back patio where most of the males were. A dark-haired man with electric-blue eyes

hadn’t taken his eyes off Caro since she’d sat down.

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Dangerous Craving

Caro glanced over her shoulder and when she turned to face Nissa her expression

was dark.

Uh oh.
“I’m sorry. Is mate the wrong word? I’m still not sure of all the correct—”

She shook her head and placed a gentle hand on hers. “I’m sorry, it’s not that. No,

he’s not my mate. He’s a very persistent… Never mind. I’m actually unmated.”

“Oh.” She racked her brain trying to think of a decent response, but was saved

when two petite, slim she-wolves grabbed a couple more bar stools and pulled them up

close, creating a small circle. “Hi…”

“I’m Paz.” The smallest one spoke first.

“And I’m Marisol. We’re sisters,” the other dark-haired one said next.

“We’re so happy to meet you. I can’t believe how tall and gorgeous you are. You’re

the first full-blooded faerie I’ve met before. Actually, any of us have met. I thought

maybe you’d be short like me. Are all full-blooded fae like you?” Paz asked.

Marisol nudged her sister and shot her a sharp look. “Let the woman breathe,

hermana
.”

Paz’s cheeks tinged pink. “I’m sorry. My social skills are crap. If I ask you anything

inappropriate feel free to ignore me. You won’t hurt my feelings, I promise.”

Feeling immensely relieved—and amused—Nissa smiled at the sisters. “It’s okay.

Ask anything you want. And to answer your first question, the Gentry—the royal line—

we’re all fairly tall I suppose.” In reality she was one of the smallest of her family.

Paz shot another question at her and for the first time in ages, Nissa let her guard