SkyFall (Taken on the Wing Book 2) (18 page)

It takes Soar a little longer.

He has her back but it
’
s only a matter of time before she finds
out he had her expelled from Sky
’
s. If she was still awake he
would tell her, Soar decides, so he feels like less of a jerk but he knows he
probably wouldn
’
t. He has Cloud in his arms
and he won
’
t give her up again if he can
help it. When the time is right to tell her, he will.

“
Tell me about your day, Soar,
”
Cloud asks, her voice softer than the
rain.

He never thought he
’
d hear those words from her again and his
heart aches with his betrayal. Even with what
’
s happened to her she thinks of him, the
undeserving sod that he is.

He hopes she
’
s gone back to sleep but her eyes remain
open and she expects the answer he promised.

“
Forgive.
”

She sleeps in spite of the diminishing
storm and rising noise of voices and vehicles. Soar slips from her side and behind
the wheel to drive them a few miles west. When he can no longer stand the
distance from her, he pulls over and returns to her side.

 
“
What?
”
Cloud
demands as she keeps brushing.

The half-open door to the tiny camper
bathroom opens a little more revealing Soar, arms crossed and very unhappy. The
black eye doesn
’
t help him look nice and
honestly, as long as he
’
s going to look at her like
that she doesn
’
t care how he got it. As his
scowl deepens his muscles flex drawing her eyes down. He wears nothing but his
jeans and the toothbrush slows as he shifts his weight, tightening his abs.
Maybe he should pass on the hairbrush as well since the wild spiky look goes
well with the angry flash of his eyes.

Darn, he looks good. Not missing any workouts,
that
’
s for sure.

In addition to his apparent attitude he
smells particularly aggressive and male and incredibly like Soar.

“
What?
”
he
snaps as her eyes drop below his buckle.

“
You haff no idea how bat my human mouf
tastes in ta norning,
”
Cloud resumes eye
contact and lifts her chin to keep the foam in.

“
So you stuck my toothbrush in it?
”

“
I not hoffling alla way ta nine,
”
Cloud holds her bad ankle up then spits
in the tiny sink.
“
Hobbling.
”

Soar slams the bathroom door, shutting
her in, so Cloud finishes washing up before rattling the handle though she
makes no real attempt to open it.

“
Soar?
”
she calls then rattles the handle again,
this time feigning alarm.
“
Soar? Help!
”

There
’
s no sound from the front of the camper
other than a pan landing on the stove. Why the heck is he so touchy?

It
’
s
PMS for sure.

Shadow once explained that for human
females there was one week a month when everyone, particularly males, did their
best to antagonize her. Cloud had been skeptical
everyone
could be so
organized considering there were so many females having PMS at all different
times until Talon tried to help out.

“
It was all my fault,
”
Talon had said.
“
I kicked the chamberpot at her on purpose
when my arms were full and I couldn
’
t
see she left it in the middle of the den.
”

Then he stomped off and Shadow raised her
eyebrows.
See?

Cloud didn
’
t, not right away, until the sound of
laughter from every other male in the great chamber reached her. She knew. Each
and every one of them, Talon included, was trying to annoy Shadow.

And now, based on her experience, Soar is
a classic case. She doesn
’
t need a room full of males to
confirm it.

Cloud picks up Soar
’
s comb. It
’
s troubling she doesn
’
t remember Cooper kissing her even though
she can say with absolute certainty it happened. After going through their
evening piece by piece the only time she doesn
’
t really remember is when they were in
his room. Going in there, yes. Running from his suite, yes, but nothing in
between. She carefully runs the comb over her scalp and no tender spot presents
itself. It could simply be emotional trauma from the night before but then why
didn
’
t she remember it before the
tornado got her?

With her eyes closed, Cloud tries to
remember. If she closed them for the kiss that could be why she doesn
’
t have a visual recollection. Her fingers
brush her lips and the familiar touch tingles but fails to stir a memory. Were
her lips open? Were Cooper
’
s? She relaxes her mouth and
lets the tip of her finger slip in place of his tongue but all she remembers is
the taste of Soar and his kiss.

“
What are you doing?
”

“
He kissed me,
”
Cloud says, pulling her hand down. She
’
d been so wrapped up in imagining a kiss
with Soar she didn
’
t hear the door.

“
Just stop it, Cloud. He didn
’
t. You
’
re a bad liar and all you
’
re doing is digging yourself in deeper.
”

“
Jealous much?
”
She asks as the door slams shut again but
then she
’
s sorry. Might be better to
let it drop. All they need to do is put up with each other for a day or two for
the drive home. Just because she understands why he broke it off doesn
’
t mean there
’
s any reason to pursue what they had. For
a few minutes the night before they had it again and her heart can
’
t afford to hope.

Soar hunches over his phone and hides it
with his shoulder when she gets out of the bathroom and she has to squish past
him to turn the sausages. Once his thumbs stop tapping he tucks it in his back
pocket and pulls on a clean shirt.

Darn.

This shirt, like the one he wore the
previous evening is a long sleeved, ribbed T with buttons running down to mid
chest. Sexy, particularly when he pushes the sleeves up showing off dark hair
matching the ones peeking out from the buttoned opening.

Cloud gives her head a shake.

“
Your pocket is buzzing,
”
Cloud points out but Soar only grunts as
he dumps two spoons of instant coffee into a small mug next to an empty one for
her. He knows she prefers hot water.
“
It
’
s
buzzing again.
”

Soar tips his head to the ceiling and
mutters something she can
’
t make out.

Then his phone starts ringing.

“
Shit... hey, Talon,
”
Soar puts the phone to his ear.
“
Yeah, I got the messages. I just needed
some privacy to reply.
”

Cloud moves the sausages to drain on a
folded paper towel and starts breaking eggs into the pan then pours hot water
into their mugs. Once she sets the kettle down and turns off the gas burner,
Soar takes her elbow and edges closer. Her skin warms as he noses her hair. For
a moment she enjoys their strange domestic scene.

“
No,
buddy,
”
Soar says.
“
Cloud is with me. I found her last night
at Cooper
’
s.
”

“
No,
”
Cloud mouths and Soar pulls her into his
shoulder to quiet her. If Soar wasn
’
t
so close, Cloud
’
s shaky knees would drop her
to the floor. She is far from ready to face her family.

“
I don
’
t know,
”
Soar
sighs.
“
I
’
m
not sure what she wants. She was caught in the tornado and something about Lawrence
—”

Soar holds the phone at arms length as it
emits several loud creative sentences involving Talon
’
s skyblade and Soar
’
s ass.

“
No,
I
’
m not bringing her straight
home.
”

Cloud is as surprised as Talon
’
s silence suggests he is with Soar
’
s refusal. Even though both males are
guard masters, Talon is her adopted sire and his say is absolute when it comes
to Cloud. With the exception of Shadow
’
s
say, in most cases.

“
She
’
s embarrassed and upset,
”
Soar continues and Cloud turns to face him,
her surprise continuing. Maybe the big, heartless idiot really knows how he
hurt her. Maybe his request for forgiveness is based on an honest understanding
of her feelings.

She still isn
’
t certain of his.

“
And she
’
s still asleep
—”

Soar sighs as his free hand reaches
around Cloud and grips the waistband of her borrowed sweats. After a moment of
listening to Talon go on Soar gently pushes her head to his shoulder and rests
his chin in her hair.

“
Of course she didn
’
t do it, my friend. Stealing simply isn
’
t in her,
”
Soar
talks over Talon until he shuts up and lets Soar finish.
“
Cloud is the grand-daughter of my Sire
and the daughter of my best friend and my Dame. Whether she returns home now or
later she will understand I won
’
t be far away.

“
I don
’
t envy your task, my friend,
”
Soar
finishes.
“
Convincing Shadow that Sky
doesn
’
t need her help isn
’
t going to be easy.
”

Shadow and Sky?

“
What
’
s going on with Shadow?
”
Cloud demands the moment Soar disconnects
the call. Something is up and she feels a little sick her beloved Dame might
have done something very, very stupid.

“
Sit,
”
Soar orders before he picks her up and
dumps her on the pull-out bed.
“
Silence.
”

Cloud glares at him but she holds her
tongue. If she isn
’
t convinced his answer will
come faster if she
’
s quiet she
’
s going to lose it on him. Soar turns
away and starts serving breakfast.