Rescue in the Smokies (Durham Wolves) (8 page)

When they reached the base, Juliana leaped from the car before the engine was off and ran into the arms of the two women standing on the curb. A giant group hug was followed by three sets of tears and smiles.

How women could be happy and sad at the same time, he’d never understand.

Serg ambled over to them and stopped a few feet away. They all spoke at once while Juliana retold the story for the third time today. Although the version was pointedly shorter and less frightening when she told her friends.

“I’m so sorry I scared you,” she stated when she’d calmed down. She looked from one to the other and then turned around. “Sergius, this is Vanessa and Charlene.”

The women gasped. Charlene even put a hand over her heart. “This is the man who led you out of the forest?”

“Yes.” The look of pride on Juliana’s face made him smile.

“God, I’d happily get lost any day of the week if that’s the kind of man they send in to retrieve lost hikers.” Vanessa didn’t move as she spoke, her words serious and flirty.

Juliana hit her playfully on the arm. “Vanessa!”

“Just sayin’.”

“Can I take you ladies to lunch?” He’d rather be shot than have to share his mate with anyone at this point, but it couldn’t be avoided. Until the three women got it out of their systems, he was stuck waiting on them to grope each other and make sure all limbs were still intact and no one was in eminent danger of dying.

“I’ve never been so hungry in my life.” Juliana’s shoulders sagged with relief. “Please.” She looked around and smiled.

Sergius followed her gaze to the hole-in-the-wall diner across the street and nodded. “Jasper’s. Great burgers. Especially if you’re famished. Just a sec.” He headed over toward the sheriff who still fiddled with something in the cruiser. “Taking Juliana and her friends to lunch across the street. We’ll be back. I’m sure you need a statement.”

“Sure. I’ll be here.”

Serg turned, smiled at the women and spread an arm out in the direction they were headed. “After you, ladies.”

Giggles erupted and Juliana slapped both her friends on the arm. “Stop it. You’re embarrassing me.”

He didn’t know why. The friends of the woman he intended to spend the rest of his life with thought he hung the moon. What could be wrong with that?

In moments, the four were seated in a booth at Jasper’s, Serg on one side with Juliana pinned against the wall, Vanessa and Charlene on the other, all gaga-eyed, tossing repeated looks in his direction. Was he that fantastic to look at?

It’d been a while since he’d spent any amount of time in town, hanging with the locals, but he couldn’t remember anyone ever acting quite so…drooly…in his presence.

Perhaps it was the hero factor. He’d saved their friend from certain death—in their eyes anyway.

When the waitress came over, chomping a huge wad of gum on one side of her mouth, Sergius glanced up at her. “We’re starving.”

“Okay. What can I get you?”

He turned to his mate and raised an eyebrow. “Burger? I promise you’ll never have a better one.”

“Perfect.”

He glanced at her friends. They both nodded assent.

“Four burgers, fries and fountain drinks.” His stomach rumbled and he wasn’t even the one who hadn’t eaten for a day.

“Cokes?” The waitress snapped her gum and jotted down their order with a flare. As if the woman couldn’t remember the simple fare between the booth and the kitchen.

Everyone nodded and she went back to the kitchen.

The women jabbered all at once again. He had no idea how they knew who was talking to whom or when to respond. His brain was tired, and he just watched them and the dance of their limbs and lips as they spoke over each other, hand signals sending arms flailing in every direction.

He set the arm closest to Juliana on her thigh and squeezed. He couldn’t stand not touching her, and he wanted her to know she was still his. Even though they were no longer lost in the woods, he wanted her. Intended to have her.

She tensed for a moment and then relaxed into his touch, even reaching below the table for a moment to squeeze his hand with hers.

It was all he needed. Acknowledgement that they were okay. This wasn’t over. She wouldn’t tell him to “take a hike” when they walked back outside.

His fingers grazed her thigh while she talked to her friends, and he watched her face flush, knowing he did that to her. She angled him a look with narrowed eyes that said “watch it, buddy”, but her legs parted slightly at the same time, giving him even more access to her center. Over the scent of fried food and grilled meat, he could smell her arousal and chuckled softly to himself.

She wanted him.

She needed him.

She was his and he would have her. Soon.

Huge plates of food landed in front of them. The silence was a welcome relief when everyone dove into the juicy burgers and hot, crispy fries. It was after the lunch crowd. Not many people in the diner at this hour of the day.

Juliana moaned around a bite and closed her eyes as he gazed at her. Grease ran down her chin and he reached instinctively to wipe it off with his finger, and then sucked the juices into his mouth.

Luckily no one seemed to notice. Her friends would have had a field day with that one. But they were both concentrating on getting catsup out of the bottle at that moment, and the intimacy belonged only to the almost-lovers.

Juliana swallowed and gazed into his eyes. She bent to take a drink of Coke, never losing eye contact. No emotion showed on her face, but the subtle desire in her eyes did not escape him.

“Can we go home after this, Jules? Have you had enough hiking for one weekend?” A glance at Charlene proved she was smiling jokingly at her friend.

“I know you guys have to get back, but I think I’ll stay a few more days.” Juliana took another bite before glancing at the faces frozen mid-chew in front of her. “I mean, I have to speak to the police, answer questions, sort things out. There’s still the issue of the man who led me astray, you know. If this is all his fault, he might do the same thing to someone else.”

“True…” Vanessa gulped her food and continued, “But we can’t leave you here.”

“Sure you can. I’ll be fine.” Juliana waved a hand in front of her. “I bet Sergius would be willing to entertain me if I get bored…waiting on the cops and all…to wrap up their investigation, you know.” She squirmed next to him, and he had to hide his grin behind his uplifted glass of cola.

“Uh, huh.” He wasn’t sure who muttered that line of understanding, but both ladies resumed their meals, smirking repeatedly at Juliana. They weren’t stupid.

Secretly, Serg was so excited his insides were doing a dance. The woman he was going to spend his life with had just made a pile of lame excuses to her friends so she could spend more time with him.
I’m one lucky bastard
.

Sure, what she’d said was true. It would help if she stayed around a few days to talk to the sheriff and answer questions, but he knew she was just blabbing at the mouth.
She likes me
. Convenient. He couldn’t keep his emotions under control. He was known for being rather stoic. Smiling was not his style. But damn if this woman hadn’t thrown him off his game.

“Wait, where will you stay?” Vanessa’s brow furrowed. She had a French fry in one hand, dangling in front of her lips. “The hotel is booked. They’re waiting for us to get out this afternoon and—”

“She can stay with me.”
She
will
stay with me. I’m just glad everyone is making it so easy… Don’t smirk…

Charlene’s mouth fell open and she turned to Juliana. “Jules, are you okay with that? I mean…I, um, can see you two have…” she waved her burger through the air, glancing back and forth between Juliana and Sergius, almost comical considering the serious slant of her eyes, “…some sort of chemistry, but you don’t really know each other.”

Juliana glared at Sergius and then reached across the table and laid her hand on her friend’s. “I’ll be fine. We just spent several hours together. He’s harmless…sort of…” She glanced at him, her cheeks pink, one eyebrow raised. “Besides, it’s not like he could chop me up and bury me in the yard with the cops knowing where I am.”

The look she’d given him spoke volumes. Her eyes were slightly glazed over and she took a deep breath. When she gripped his knee beneath the table, he stiffened. The little minx was as aroused as he was and eager to finish what they’d started. This mating thing was great. Even though she was human, her attraction to him was no less than his for her.

“’Kay, Jules, just so you know,” Vanessa began, “that’s not comforting.” She shivered as though a cold wind had blown through the restaurant.

Juliana startled from staring at Serg and twisted back to her friends. “I’ll be fine.”

“We expect updates.” Vanessa leaned back and pushed her plate away. “And don’t do anything I wouldn’t do—”

“On that note, who’s ready to go?” Time to halt the chick banter before he lost his lunch. He stifled the smile forming on his mouth and got up to pay the bill.

All three women argued about his paying as he walked away, but he didn’t turn around. What sort of gentleman would pass the bill around the table?

The sun had emerged when they stepped outside, and they had to squint to see each other on the curb.

Charlene spoke first. “Well, I really have to get back tonight…if you’re sure you’ll be okay here alone.” She glanced at Serg in trepidation.

Juliana put an arm around Charlene. “Of course. You guys go on ahead. I’ll rent a car and drive back as soon as I can. You both have jobs and responsibilities. I’m footloose and fancy free still, at least until I find a job, or a life.”

Sergius fully intended to provide her with a life.

Hugs went around and then Charlene and Vanessa left after Juliana promised to call them every day with updates.

First things first. They had to go back to the sheriff’s office. Reluctantly, Sergius guided his tired mate into the police station where it took only a few minutes for James to get everything he needed from her.

She sat in a chair across from the sheriff while Serg hovered behind her, shifting his weight back and forth.

Neither man wanted to make a big deal out of what had happened to her, but they both knew from her description she’d been hunted by McKinney. She was not safe by any stretch of the imagination.

“Can you stay close by for a few days, until we’re sure we don’t have any questions?” James spoke to Juliana, but he glanced up at Serg with a questioning look.

“She’s going home with me. Just holler if you need anything else.” Serg didn’t look down at his mate as he spoke.

Was he being too high-handed? He hoped not. He certainly wasn’t in the mood to argue with her right now about propriety and what people would think. He just wanted her safe…and naked. And fuck yes, he would insist. Though he doubted it would be necessary.

“Okay, then,” James said as he stood, Juliana along with him. “I’ll drive you back to your place. And I’ll call if there’s any news.” He directed that last part at Sergius. “Want me to send a cruiser by the house every once in a while?”

“That won’t be necessary.” If McKinney came within a hundred yards of his place, he or his brothers would smell the bloodsucker before he even had a chance.

“Figured.” James grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.

“I’ll need to stop by the hotel. Grab my things.” Juliana spoke in James’s direction.

“No problem.”

Chapter Nine

As soon as they were on their way out of town, Juliana pondered what had happened in the last twenty-four hours. No one had specifically said anything, but she sensed they were more worried about the stranger than they were letting on.

When the police cruiser pulled off the pavement and onto a gravel road outside of town, she wondered about her decision to stay with this man she’d met only hours ago. She’d climbed into the front seat again, leaving Serg alone in the back.

On the one hand, she felt like she knew Sergius better than she’d ever known anyone.

On the other hand, what did she really know about him? And God, where were they? The middle of nowhere. She rubbed the sudden goose bumps rising across her arms.

And then there was the sex. The man was hotter than hot. Her pussy still wept with needing him. Sure, she’d orgasmed—hard—in that cave, but since then, instead of feeling sated, she’d wanted more. She’d squirmed in her seat during lunch, wishing for all the world everyone would disappear so Serg could stuff what was sure to be an impressive cock inside her. That would end the mental torture of her wondering how good it could be with him. What kind of slut did that make her?

The car pulled to a stop. This was it. Juliana stared out the window at the sprawling ranch-style home in front of her while both men climbed from the cruiser.

It was huge. Not the cabin she’d expected. Of course he did live here with two brothers, but still. It
looked
like a cabin, the frame purposefully constructed of horizontal logs that nestled together perfectly, but the opulence was evident. The selling of thoroughbreds must be lucrative.

Sergius opened the passenger door and leaned down, a worried look furrowed his brow. He had her bags in one hand. “You gonna just sit there?” Then his warm smile took over. “Come on. You’ll have to meet my brothers sooner or later.”

As she stepped from the car, carefully avoiding any skin-to-skin contact with the man who made her toes curl, two others nearly identical to him sauntered toward them from one side of the house. She jolted as the door shut behind her.

Sheriff Hardin cleared his throat. “Hate to run, but I’ve gotta get back and help comb the area where you were found. I’ll be in touch.”

Juliana nodded in his direction as he stuck one foot back into the car, lifting his hat briefly and smiling at her. “You’re in good hands with these fellows, Ms. Polanski. Call if you think of anything else I should know.”

“Thank you.” She watched as the car backed up and turned around on the gravel drive, the sound of the tires screaming out to her that the last bit of civilization she’d see in a while was slipping down the road.