SEALed Embrace (6 page)

Dagan
had a snappy reply to Hailey’s entourage comment, and the two were off again,
slinging verbal insults with an ease that left Isi shaking her head. She wasn’t
sure if they wanted to kill each other, or if they were just so attracted to
one another that they didn’t know how to proceed. She glanced at Garren and he
nodded toward the kitchen. She stood and followed him into the other room,
grabbing her dinner on the way. She wasn’t quite certain she should leave her
friend, even if she wasn’t exactly a defenseless damsel in distress, but she
would trust Garren’s judgment.

When
they entered the brightly colored kitchen, Garren pulled out a chair at the
table for Isi. She sat and watched as he took the seat next to hers. The light
from the decorative fixture over the table made his hair glint blue-black. As
his vibrant green eyes assessed her, she wondered what he saw. He claimed she was
his mate, yet he knew nothing about her. If she were as feisty as Hailey or as
sassy as Tomi, would he still want her? If she were to stand side by side with
her quiet, serene friend, Grace, would she be found lacking? How could you want
a person you didn’t know?

Perhaps
she should look to herself first. She may not want to be his mate, but she
definitely wanted him. There was no denying there were sparks between them.
With just a look, the mere
thought
of
his skin touching hers, she went up in flames. Would his eyes glitter like
emeralds in the throes of passion, or would the gold of his lion bleed through
as his beast fought for freedom? She’d felt the scrape of his fangs against her
throat, the rasp of his lion’s tongue against her skin. What would it be like
to let him dominate her, to let him take what he so obviously wanted? She had
little doubt he was the type to be in control in the bedroom, but just how much
of a dominant streak did he have?

Her
gaze caressed the hard planes of his chest, down his tapered waist to the bulge
in his camouflage pants. There was no hiding that monster, that was for
certain. Unconsciously, she licked her lips, wondering what he would taste like
if she were to take him in her mouth. Would the musk of his arousal fill the
air, surrounding her, wrapping her in a blanket of wanton bliss and frantic need?
Already she felt a clawing ache begin in her belly as she clenched her thighs
together. Her fingers curled into her palms, her nails biting into her skin as
she fought the urge to reach out and touch him, to run her fingers over his
muscular forearm, the crisp hair tickling her fingertips as she explored.

“Isi.”
His voice was deep and husky, his tone tinged with desire.

She
looked into his smoldering eyes and nearly gasped at the fire she saw there,
fire for her. There was no doubt he was hungry and only her body would satiate
his need. Her panties, now wet with her arousal, felt too tight, her bra too
confining. With just one word, he could be hers. She wet her lips as she fought
for what to say or do. She knew that just once wouldn’t be enough, not with Garren.

“Tell
me you want me,” he demanded. “Say the words and let me ease your suffering.”

It
was oh so tempting, but did she dare? The slam of the front door broke her reverie
and she pulled back her hand, a hand she hadn’t realized was reaching for the sexy-as-sin
lion next to her.
Bad hand!

Dagan
stomped into the kitchen. “That woman!”

Isi
swallowed down her lust and summoned a smile. “She’s pretty great, isn’t she?”

Dagan
leaned against the island and folded his arms over his chest, his lips thinned,
giving him a stern expression. “So does she hate all men or am I just lucky?”

“She
doesn’t hate men,” Isi hedged. “You have to understand, she was betrayed and
disfigured by a male who had sworn he was devoted to her. She didn’t trust
easily before that, but afterward… I’m amazed she’s let me and a few others get
close enough to call her a friend. Are you really interested in her?”

“Maybe.
Are you sure she’s human and not a porcupine? She slings barbs like the little
critters throw quills.”

Isi
pressed her lips together to stifle a laugh, but her shoulders still shook with
merriment. How apt of a description. She’d never really thought about Hailey as
a porcupine before, but if her friend were going to be a shapeshifter, that
would be an ideal form for her to take. She could almost picture the little
beady-eyed thing, complete with teal quills.

Garren
shot him a dark look. “Your timing sucks.”

Dagan’s
eyebrows shot up. “Interrupted something, did I? That might be a good thing,
considering you’re in the middle of the kitchen and all. The last thing I want
to see is your bare ass as I walk through the door.”

Isi
felt her cheeks flush. Dagan was right. They’d come close to doing something
they shouldn’t, and she was grateful for the interruption, even if Garren
wasn’t. There would be time later to explore the sexual tension between them,
preferably when they were alone. In a bedroom. With the door locked.

Dagan
gave her a wink. “Now, Isi’s bare ass—”

He
didn’t get to finish his statement before Garren was out of his chair and
launching himself at the other shifter. Dagan merely laughed as the lion
tackled him, knocking his ass to the floor. He didn’t even try to defend
himself or break his fall. Even with the pissed off lion glowering down at him,
teeth bared, Dagan merely gave him a cheeky grin.

“Push
a button there, did I, big guy?” Dagan asked. “No worries. You know I don’t
poach, especially not when it comes to mates. Isi is as safe with me as my
sister would be.”

“You
don’t have a sister,” Garren growled.

“Yeah,
but if I did…”

Garren
grunted and let the shifter up off the floor. “Fine. Just stay away from Isi,
unless it’s a matter of life and death. I’d hate to kill one of my best
friends.”

Isi
narrowed her eyes at Garren. “Just because you think I’m your mate, doesn’t
mean I’m agreeing with you. Don’t think for one minute that you’re marking me.
Not even if I succumb and we have wild monkey sex.”

Garren’s
lips twitched. “Wild monkey sex?”

She
waved her hands. “You know what I mean. It’s obvious my body responds to you, I
can’t hide the fact that you turn me on. I think it’s safe to say you’ll be the
best sex I’ve ever had.”

His
gaze trailed down her body before sliding back up. “And just how many men have
there been? How many wolves do I need to put down?”

Isi
rolled her eyes. “You’re such a caveman.”

She
snatched the bag containing her sandwich off the table and opened it
,
turning her
attention away from Garren for the time being. Her stomach rumbled and her
mouth watered as the scent of turkey and cheese wafted under her nose. After unwrapping
the white sub roll, she opened wide and took a big bite. Closing her eyes in
ecstasy, she chewed slowly, savoring the flavors as they burst on her tongue.

The
front door opened and she heard Lee and Parker’s voices. The men stepped into
the kitchen and each dropped two military issue bags on the floor. Both men
looked grim as they glanced her way.

“This
village needs to come with a warning label. Beware: Crazy-Ass Wolves,” Parker
said. “I’m not sure what’s worse, the women trying to whore themselves out to
us, or the dark looks we received when people found out why we’re here.”

“How
did the pack get hold of you?” Isi asked. “I thought you were driving straight
to the helicopter and back.”

“The
Jeep broke down four blocks away. We had to walk the rest of the way here, and
since we’re new, we drew the attention of anyone who was out and about. It’s
almost like the first person who saw us activated a phone tree or something,
because after we saw one person, there were about ten or so more. And on the
way out, we didn’t see a single person,” Lee said.

“You
probably aren’t far off,” Isi said around a bite of sandwich. She was too
hungry to worry about manners.

There
was a knock at the front door and the men tensed.

“Now
what?” Lee asked.

“We
ordered pizza,” Isi said. “I’m sure it’s just the delivery guy.”

Dagan
and Parker went to answer it, leaving Lee and Garren watching over her. Did
they really think psycho wolves would burst through the door and attack her?
While it was true that there was no love lost between the McGraw pack and her,
she didn’t think she had to worry about random attacks. Of course, before now,
she never would’ve thought anyone would harm her, but obviously someone had set
her up.

When
Parker returned with an armful of pizza boxes, she smiled. “See, I told you it
was just the delivery guy. You really should learn to relax more.”

“If
we relax, you could end up dead, or worse,” Garren said.

“Or
worse? What’s worse than being dead?” she asked.

“Remember
what we said about human trafficking? You could’ve been sold to a brothel in
Mexico, or to a private collector,” Parker said. “I know you think we’re
uptight, but we’re trying to keep you safe.”

“I
appreciate all you’re doing, really I do, but you’re going to suffocate me. I’m
not used to being surrounded by people, especially men who are watching my
every move,” Isi said.

“It’s
not you we’re watching, love, it’s everyone else,” Garren said. “With the
exception of Sean, everyone here is a suspect. I know you said you’d vouch for
your friends, but I can’t tell you how many times we’ve rescued people who were
betrayed by someone close to them. People don’t always show you who they really
are.”

She
grudgingly admitted he had a good point, but she still couldn’t believe that
Tomi, Hailey or Grace would be behind her kidnapping. It was sad that she
couldn’t exclude her parents, but as disappointed and embarrassed as they were
by her, it wouldn’t surprise her to discover that they’d found a way to rid
themselves of the problem—the problem being her. How sad was it that her own
family didn’t want her?

Isi
finished her sandwich and watched the guys inhale the pizzas. They didn’t even
bother sitting down, they just grabbed slices out of the box and scarfed them
down. It was like watching a pack of hyenas after a kill. She was both
fascinated and repulsed at the same time. Hadn’t they ever heard of a plate, or
a napkin? She cringed as Lee used the back of his hand to wipe grease off his
chin.

Garren
tossed down the crust in his hand and pulled a paper towel off the roll by the
refrigerator. He wiped his mouth, cleaned off his hands and threw it away. She
was impressed that he’d thought to do something so civilized. After the way
he’d eaten, she wasn’t sure what to expect from him.

“It’s
late,” Parker said before shoving the last bite of pizza into his mouth.

“Parker’s
right. You should probably get some rest, Isi. You’ve had a rough time these
past few days. I don’t know what we’re going to face tomorrow. You need to get
some sleep so you’ll be refreshed and ready to tackle anything that comes our
way.” Dagan smiled. “We’re going to take care of you, but we need you to be
sharp, to stay focused.”

Isi
glanced at Garren before returning her attention to Dagan. “I’d love to, just
as soon as the sleeping arrangements are worked out.”

In
her peripheral vision, she saw Garren move closer to her. She turned her head
and looked up at him. She saw the storm brewing in his eyes and knew she’d
angered him, but she didn’t care. Just because he’d decided where she was going
to sleep, didn’t mean it was the way things would be. If he wanted her in one
of the master suites, then he’d better plan on bunking with someone else, or
sleeping on the couch. There was no way she was sharing a bed with him.

He
reached out and gently stroked her jaw with his fingertips. His warm, calloused
skin sent a shiver down her spine. What would it feel like to have those hands
stroking her elsewhere? She gave herself a mental shake. No, she wouldn’t think
like that. That road led to trouble.

“I
told you where you’re sleeping,” he said, his voice a sexy rumble.

“We
can’t share a bed, Garren.”

“Come
on. I’ll put you to bed and we can talk about it some more.” He reached for her
hand, tugging her to her feet. Before she could protest, he swept her into his
arms and began striding out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

With
her arms around his neck and her body cradled in his arms, she allowed herself
a moment’s pleasure and inhaled his masculine scent. Pressing her nose against
his throat, she breathed him in, even knowing it wasn’t a good idea. She
couldn’t seem to help herself. His arms tightened around her and his strength
made her feel safe and secure. There was no doubt in her mind that Garren would
protect her at all costs, would take care of her, even if she didn’t want him
to.

They
entered the farthest bedroom and Garren kicked the door shut. Her bag was
already beside the bed and she wondered when someone had brought it up. He
eased her down his body until she stood on her own two feet, weak knees and
all. He smoothed her hair back from her face, his fingers trailing down her
neck. His touch sent a shiver through her as his callused fingertips slid
across her skin.