Authors: Aliyah Burke
“
My shop or not, you
deserve privacy if you want it. I’ll be inside when you’re ready to
eat.”
“
No, wait,” he called out.
Dane sheathed his claws, turned, and walked to her. “I don’t need
privacy from you. Besides, I could use your help.”
Her dark gaze assessed him as she weighed
his words. “Are you sure?”
I’m sure I want to take
you. I want to bend you over this worktable and sink my cock as far
as it can go within you. I want to hear you scream my name as you
come around me.
A slight smile touched his
mouth. “I’m sure.”
She brushed by him, tantalizing his senses
with the scent of her skin.
“
This is beautiful,” she
said staring down at the board he had made.
“
Thank you. Tau has told
me how much he likes chess so I made him this.”
Aida nodded. “I’ve seen the pieces but the
boards more often than not are flimsy.” She flashed him a grin. “So
what did you need me to do?”
Dane ground back his initial response and
said, “Squeeze the corner so it doesn’t move while I finish gluing
this last row.”
Without comment, Aida did as he’d said. His
gaze lingered over her hands, the smooth dark ochre hued skin,
short clear nails. Dragging his eyes off her body, he focused on
the task at hand. She never said a word, just stood there silently,
her hands never wavering.
“
That ought to do it,” he
announced, stepping back.
Aida didn’t move. “I have some vice clamps
in the third drawer down of the black cabinet over there.”
Dane went to acquire them and put them in
place. “Perfect.”
“
He’ll really enjoy this,”
Aida said, finally letting go.
He watched her hand reach toward him, only
to stop before any contact was actually made. Dane didn’t like
that; he wanted her hand on him. Lifting his gaze, he saw some
uncertainty in her eyes. Not fear. Just uncertainty.
“
Hungry?” she
asked.
More than you want to
know.
“Yes.” He wiped his hands off on his
jeans and waited for her to walk past him. Dane stared at her hips
swaying slightly in the colorful skirt she wore before following
her out. The dogs raised their heads when he passed them, and he
could feel their gazes on him.
I’m still impressed her
dogs don’t run from me.
They weren’t
friendly but they also hadn’t attacked him. He had no doubt, should
they ever believe their mistress was in danger, they wouldn’t
hesitate to tear into him.
“
Smells wonderful,” he
said, stopping off at the sink to wash up once they were
inside.
“
Thank you.” Aida washed
next then they were eating a simple yet filling meal.
“
When were you thinking of
leaving tomorrow?” he asked, using a piece of his bread to scoop up
some of the meat sauce and eating it.
“
No set time. I usually
leave early but if you want to sleep in, I don’t mind going a bit
later.”
Sleep in? Only if you are
in my arms, Aida.
Dane couldn’t recall the
last time he’d woken up with a woman.
“
I don’t want to alter
your schedule. Early is fine by me.”
She smiled, and he shifted on the seat as
his jeans grew tight. For the rest of dinner, Dane asked questions
which were kind of neutral in tone, not wanting to pry too much. He
learned her expressions, the different qualities her voice had, and
he was introduced to her passion for helping others.
He cleared the table while she went outside
then, once she came back in to do dishes, he headed back out to the
shop to check on the board. He grinned when he saw the cans of
protective coating she’d set on the table. Deciding on the
polyurethane, Dane applied a coat. After it was on and he had
cleaned out the brush, he heard her laughter. His skin prickled,
and he cocked his head.
“
Kamau, stop it. Stop.
Stand still now, come on.”
Dane immediately headed off in the direction
of her voice. Coming around the front of the house, he stopped in
his tracks. Aida stood soaking wet with suds all over her and the
dog beside her. Scanning, he spotted Ruger nearby, the powerful
male lay there appearing almost bored with the entire thing. His
gaze went back to Aida, and his breathing was suddenly a struggle.
Beautiful. Taking a deep breath, he began towards her.
“
Who’s bathing who?” he
asked teasingly.
Aida looked at him and narrowed her gaze.
She wiped off her forehead before bending over and scrubbing Kamau
some more. “You’re so full of sass, why don’t you give Ruger a
bath?”
His beast hissed with
indignation at the suggestion. Dane stared beyond her wet
body-hugging tank top to where Ruger lay watching him.
Bathe a dog?
“Do you
really think he’d let me?”
“
You stay, Kamau,” she
muttered before grabbing another bucket and walking in his
direction. Thrusting the soapy brush at him, Aida set the bucket
down on the ground. “Ruger. Bath time.” Ruger appeared by her side
and continued to stare at Dane. “
He’s
not my problem child. Be a good
boy, Ruger.” Then, she headed back to where Kamau
waited.
Dane looked between his hand and the dog.
Ruger held the gaze, his dark eyes unflinching but wary.
“
Okay, Ruger, here we
go.”
Dipping his hand into the pail, Dane reached
toward the dog. Ruger never moved, he stood stock-still and
continued to stare back at Dane while he washed. When Dane walked
around to the other side, the massive head followed his motion. He
could feel the scars under his touch. Along with a body packed full
of muscle.
“
How do I rinse him?” he
asked looking over at her.
“
There’s a hose over here
by me, he’ll come with you,” she said as Kamau shook all over her
and pushed her to the ground. “Damn you, Kamau.”
Dane chuckled and looked at his stoic
companion. “I really like your owner, Ruger,” he muttered. In a
louder voice, he said, “Come on, boy. Let’s get rinsed off.”
Aida was right. Ruger followed him and stood
for rinsing. When both dogs were clean, Aida sent them off to dry
in the warm evening air.
“
What are Ridgebacks bred
to do?” he asked, desperately trying to keep his mind off her wet,
succulent body. A task not at all easy to do especially with the
way the clothes she wore conformed to her curves.
“
Hunt lions.”
Shit! Well, that explains
so much.
“I see.”
“
Thanks for bathing Ruger;
I need some dry clothes.”
Those words pumped lust into his blood and
heated it to near boiling. “I’ll be out here.”
He watched her go inside. When she’d
disappeared, Dane grabbed the hose and drenched his head, needing
to be cooled off.
Claim her!
No!
Dane refused.
Perhaps it
had
been a mistake
coming with her. He’d just gone cold with fury at the thought of
another man with her. Need for her curled within him. His cock was
constantly hard even from just thinking about her, and all he could
think about was taking her and experiencing a high like he’d never
had before.
“
Feel better?” Her soft
voice wrapped around him. “Had I known you wanted to get so wet,
I’d let you have bathed Kamau.”
Dane turned to her and promptly lost the
ability to talk. Aida stood there wrapped in very little material.
The top was just a spaghetti strap lilac shirt, and her shorts were
damn near nonexistent. They hugged her thighs in a way that made
him jealous.
“
Are you okay?” she
asked.
“
Fine,” he forced out from
behind clenched teeth.
She’s ours. Go to
her!
Dane could feel the animal clawing at
him to escape. Aida’s eyes widened, and she swallowed.
“
I’m going to take a walk.
You’re more than welcome to join me if you want.” Without waiting
for him to respond, she headed off. Dane’s eyes zeroed in on the
place where her shorts ended and groaned when he noticed how they
barely covered the globes of her ass. Shutting off the water, he
hurried after her.
He didn’t know what to do. Condemning her to
be attached to him wasn’t fair. The moment he mated her, his
enemies wouldn’t hesitate to use her against him. So for the
moment, until he figured out how to handle this, he was destined to
be uncomfortably aroused by her, smell the scent of her and not
touch.
He wanted to touch.
He wanted to
feast.
Aida pulled on her pajamas. Everything was
ready to leave for tomorrow. Sliding into bed, she allowed her
thoughts to linger on the mysterious Dane Sidorov.
“
A man like that is
something else.”
She wasn’t blind; he was attracted to her,
like she was to him. But there was something else. He watched her
with more than hunger. A few times, she’d caught him staring;
there’d been possessiveness and pure need in the depths of his
amazing eyes.
“
Something else entirely,”
she muttered as sleep overtook her.
“
Give in to me, Aida,” his
sexual tone whispered in her ear. “Let me show you how it could be.
How it
should
be.” Strong callused hands slid down her sides and slipped
under her shirt. Her belly tensed when the erotic touch moved up
toward her aching breasts.
“
What are you doing to
me?”
He nuzzled her neck before nipping it which
sent a jolt straight through to her pussy.
“
Say yes,” he coaxed,
teasing the undersides of her breast with his thumbs. “Tell me
yes.”
Eyes drifting closed; she sank back into
him, rubbing against his large erection.
“
Say the word, Aida.” His
voice darkly sensual and full of promise.
She flinched when a wet nose shoved her
hand. Aida groaned and sat up, opening her eyes. Two minutes before
the alarm went off. With an exaggerated sigh, she turned it off and
swung out of bed.
“
For the record, Ruger,
waking me from a dream like that isn’t nice, nor
appreciated.”
Before long she was ready to go. Walking to
the room Dane was in, she knocked softly. “Dane? Are you
awake?”
No answer.
Cracking it open a bit, she tried again.
“Dane, you awake?”
Still no answer. Aida frowned and swung the
door all the way open only to find the room entirely empty. Bed
undisturbed. Backing out, she headed for the shop. She couldn’t
explain the relief that swamped her when her gaze landed on him
leaning over the work table.
“
Morning, Aida,” he said,
looking up and meeting her gaze through strands of his black
hair.
“
Good morning. You’re up
early.”
His gaze heated as it traveled over her.
“Wanted to make sure this was ready.”
She moved closer. “And?”
“
It is.”
“
Great. Well, I’ll have
breakfast ready in a few.”
“
Right behind
you.”
She swallowed and left the
shop. Her dream all so vivid in her mind.
I can’t stop imagining it was Dane.
Breakfast was quick, and soon, they were out
by her vehicle. Hands on hips, Aida stared at the items crammed
inside.
“
Everything in?” Dane
asked.
“
I hope so,” she replied
with a chuckle. “Not much room left.” She snapped her fingers.
“I’ll be right back.”
“
What’d we forget?” he
questioned when she returned.
“
I needed more rounds.”
Aida waved the box of bullets at him. Opening her door, she put two
fingers in her mouth and released a piercing whistle. Ruger and
Kamau came running and jumped up into the seat. “Get in the back,
boys.” Once they had, she looked at her handsome traveling
companion. “Let’s get going then.”
Driving along, Aida couldn’t help sneaking
glances at the man with her. Dark, brooding, undeniably sexy. Yet
she sensed gentleness in him. He cared about children and had
volunteered to help her. He had a deeply hidden sense of humor and
even more sex appeal. And still, there was this wildness about him
she didn’t understand.
“
Something on your mind,
Aida?” he asked in a low, intimate voice.
His tone brought to mind
many,
many
erotic
thoughts. Not to mention part of her dream. Shifting on the seat,
she looked directly at him. “No, why?”
“
You keep looking at me.
Thought maybe you had a question.” He stared candidly at her when
he spoke.
Fighting her embarrassment at being so
obvious, Aida shrugged. “Nope. No question.”
A husky chuckle left him. “Well, I have
one.”
Tucking some wayward bits
of hair behind her ear, she smiled. “My life’s an open book. Ask
away.”
Well, most of it
is
.
“
Why are you out here,
doing what you do?”
“
Besides the fact I like
helping people?”
“
Yes. Besides that. Why do
you live here alone?”
“
I was born in that house.
When I graduated college, my parents gave it to me. I’m not a huge
fan of the United States so it was easy for me to move back here.”
Aida scratched her cheek, hiding her reaction to thoughts best left
in the past. “I love it here.”