Coming ine box set, p.113
Coming in Hot: Rescue Me Box Set, page 113
So far, everyone was having a blast. Ry had spent most of his time with her, leaving only twice to check on things, which was fine with her. He’d even played a round of volleyball, showing off his amazing physique not only to her, but to all the other women, too. Thankfully, she was the only one who would enjoy that body later. The barbecue Jasmine had put on was delicious. She’d roped Pete, the nurse who’s aura shone whenever she was around, into manning the grill, which he seemed more than happy to do. Once everyone had had their fill, the nets had come down, and a heavy tarp had been rolled onto the beach, creating a sort of dance surface that those who’d had a little too much to drink could stand a little steadier on.
With the setting sun illuminating the sky in brilliant shades of red and orange and the lanterns casting their glow on the beach, the whole thing looked—magical. From what she could see, everyone was having a great time. That was, all except for one male from the Ekwan clan who kept to himself, not really talking to anyone—not even his own people. He leaned against a tree, his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at anyone who dared wander too close. The way he watched everyone freaked her out a little.
“We’re keeping an eye on him,” Ry whispered into her ear as he snuck in to give her a hug from behind. “Want to dance?”
She leaned into his embrace and sighed. The song that had just started was one of her favorites. It wasn’t slow like some ballads, but it was the kind of song you could really get into with your special someone, and after having an eyeful of his glistening chest and rippling muscles while they’d played, she wanted to get into it with him. “I’d love to.”
The second he pulled her close, she draped her arms over his shoulders and let the music take her. She moved with the suggestive beat, her body swaying with and against his, drawing a moan from him.
“Jesus. If I’d known what a treat this would be, we would have been dancing in the living room every night—or better yet, in the bedroom,” he said as he gripped her hips, his fingers digging into her flesh a little. Not enough to limit her movement, but she knew how well he appreciated her efforts.
He widened his stance, drawing her into the cradle he’d created, giving her more room to slip and slide against him. And when he found his rhythm, it was her turn to moan. If it weren’t for the fact he was on duty, she’d have suggested they slip away for a while and do some dirty dancing on their own.
When the song ended and a slow song began, neither of them moved to find their seats. He wrapped her in his arms and held her close. Leaning in, he pressed his lips to her neck, sending that familiar shiver of need coursing through her. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of orange coming in for a landing behind the screen at the other end of the beach. Every half hour or so, the phoenixes were swapping out with security duty.
Ry sighed, and she knew what was coming. “After this song ends, I’m going to have to go for a bit. It’s my turn to do the perimeter checks.”
With lust still pulsing in her veins, the last thing she wanted was for him to go anywhere unless it involved them being alone, but she understood. “Is that your last one?”
“Yep. And unless something happens, I’m all yours for the rest of the evening.”
His promise sent a zing of pleasure skittering down her spine. “Can’t wait.” Too soon, the song ended, and this time, he grasped her hand and took her away from the dance area. Rather than bring her back to where she’d been hanging out by the fire pit, he led her to a spot where the lanterns didn’t quite chase away the shadows. He captured her lips in a kiss that had her knees shaking, and her heart pounding. Why did he have to leave again? She was about to ask him when a high-pitched squeal cut through the air.
“Oh my God, Trista! You’ve been holding out!” screamed Taryn as she rushed toward them, not fazed one bit by the fact she was interrupting an intimate moment.
Ryland sucked in a ragged breath then stepped back. “Good luck with that,” he said so only she would hear before he turned toward the area where he’d strip out of his jeans and shift. She was half tempted—who was she kidding, way more than half—to follow him and watch him do it, but she stayed where she was.
“What have I been holding out on?” she asked, forcing a smile on her face for her friend.
“How about how damned good-looking these men are? Have you seen him? Jonas is a freaking god. And he’s been hanging all over me tonight. The other girls are so jealous. It’s so intense and awesome. Right? It’s like I’m the center of his world, and he’ll do whatever it takes for me to agree to be his. Hell, he even said it. Those were his words. Isn’t that insane? It looks like I’m taking a month off work, too, now. Tomorrow morning, he says he’s bringing me to the PMAC office in town, and then we’re stopping at the hospital to let them know. After that, I’m headed north.”
How the hell was the woman still standing with all those words rushing out of her mouth while not taking the time to draw a breath? Trista tried to say something, but Taryn didn’t give her a chance.
“I’ll bet he’s watching now, isn’t he? No, don’t look. I bet he is. He hasn’t left me alone for more than a minute since he showed up. And he’s so sexy, too. His body is ripped.”
Movement behind Taryn drew Trista’s attention. Sure enough, Jonas stood a short distance away. He tried to blend in, but there was only so much he could hide out in the open like he was.
Taryn’s eyes rounded, and her smile widened. “I’m right. He’s there, isn’t he?”
“He sure is.” Trista waved at the guy, and he gave her a small nod. “If he’s anything like Ry, he’ll be freaking out at having you away from him. We’d better go back before he charges in and carries you off.”
Taryn snorted. “Like I’d object.”
“Are you staying in one of Cort’s spare rooms tonight?” she asked. The phoenixes were staying in the guest house, but the humans were either staying with Cortney or in tents on the property.
“Nope. My tent is set up over there with the others. Oh, I have an idea,” she said as they reached where Jonas was waiting. “If I had some help, I could move my tent to the other end of the beach. I wouldn’t want to try to do that on my own in the dark.”
Jonas sucked in a harsh breath. “I’d be happy to help you, Niteh. I would not want you to be hurt.”
Taryn beamed at him. “Niteh. It means my heart,” she explained without missing a beat.
“Wow. Well, it looks like you guys have some work to do. I’ll let you have at it.” She didn’t want to be rude, but there was only so much of that kind of enthusiasm she could handle after such a long day.
She waited until Taryn and Jonas had moved on before starting back toward the fire. She’d only gone a few feet when a sharp yip had her whipping back around. “Come on, girl,” she called to Lexie. Even squinting, she couldn’t see a thing in the darkness.
A second later, Lexie’s deep, rumbling growl sounded, followed by a series of high-pitched whimpers. “Lexie, here girl!” she yelled, louder this time. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see movement close to the treeline. A smaller form she suspected to be Lexie struggled against—something much bigger. Her heart pounded. As lovely as the Odyssey was, they were still surrounded by forest. Bears didn’t eat dogs, did they? The hulking form moved again, and Lexie cried out.
Oh, hell no.
“Hey, get away from her,” she screamed as she ran.
It only took her a second to realize two things: one, the form holding Lexie wasn’t a bear, but the man who had creeped her out earlier, and two, unless someone came looking, they wouldn’t see her out in the darkness. If it weren’t for the fact that he was holding a scrambling Lexie, she would have turned and run back.
“Let my dog go,” she demanded, standing straight and tall—well, as tall as her small frame would allow. “You hurt a single hair on her, and I will end you.”
The man snorted but didn’t release Lexie. He did look at her over his shoulder, though. “I’m not going to hurt her. Her paw is caught between these two branches. If she keeps yanking at it like she was when I found her, she’s going to do some damage.”
Trista could barely make out the shape of the offending tree limb that had at some point fallen to the ground as the dog struggled to free herself. “It’s okay, baby. We’ll get you out of there.” Without hesitating, Trista crouched onto her heels and stroked her head, keeping her pet calm.
“I’m Trista,” she said after a moment. She’d been introduced to all the other Ekwan phoenixes, but he hadn’t come forward, and she hadn’t gone out of her way to seek him out.
“Logan.”
“Thanks for helping her, Logan. I appreciate it.”
He struggled with the wedged paw again, and Lex gave another growl, but then in the next instant, she was freed. Logan looked like he was going to say something when a screech cut through the night from above.
A flash of blue rushed down from the sky at a speed that made her breath hitch in her throat. Ryland. He shifted a split second before he landed a few feet from where she stood, naked as the day he was born. “Get away from them,” he ordered, his fists clenched at his sides.
Chapter 17
Ryland spotted Trista running away from the relative safety of the party from high above. What was she doing? She’d promised to stay with Draven and Cortney when he was gone, but he’d left too quickly to assure she’d made it back. Damn it. He’d been the one to pull her away from the gathering to begin with.
Movement at the edge where the forest met the beach caught his attention. The mountain of a man he’d been monitoring all day was crouched down over Lexie. Putting on a burst of speed, he plummeted from the sky. He might not get there in time to keep Trista from reaching them, but he wouldn’t be far behind. If the male had any notion of hurting her—or their pet—he was in for an excruciating surprise.
He was almost there when he heard Lex’s whimpers and growls, and fury blasted through him. The male noticed him before Trista did, taking several quick steps back, putting more distance between them, but it wasn’t enough.
“Get away from them,” he demanded as he shifted and landed on his feet.
Trista’s hand fluttered on his forearm as she tried to hold him back, but he side-stepped her. He’d do whatever it took to soothe her fears once she was safe again. For now, he had to assess the level of threat and eliminate it if necessary.
The man stretched his shoulders and widened his stance, never once taking his gaze off him.
“What were you doing to our dog?” he barked out, unable to control his anger. The man hadn’t done anything to Trista, not even touched her arm, and she’d been relaxed enough in his presence. That alone afforded him the benefit of the doubt.
Logan cracked his neck from side to side as though he expected a fight. “Not a damned thing, man. She was caught. I freed her. That’s it.”
The flames still burning up and down his arms subsided but didn’t quite go away. “Is that true, love?” he asked Trista, who was right behind him, her small hand stroking down his spine as if he needed soothing. Maybe he did.
“Her paw was caught on that big branch over there.” Fear wobbled in Trista’s voice, making his heart stutter and that hand she gently caressed him with trembled against his skin. Damn it. He’d promised never to scare her again, yet at the first sign of trouble, that’s just what he’d done. He’d be lucky if she didn’t pack her bags and demand he let her leave before her month was up.
Ry took a steadying breath. “I thought you were in danger,” he uttered, unable to meet her gaze. Unwilling to see the resignation to leave him in the depths of her eyes.
“I wasn’t.”
He nodded and swallowed hard. She didn’t sound pissed off. Chancing a glance at her, he saw her lips tip up at the corners. “You’re not mad?”
When she shook her head and held her hand out to him, he took it in an instant, grasping it like it was his lifeline. Logan turned on his heel, heading back up the beach toward the party, Lexie bounding after him. “Thanks for the help, man,” Ry said loud enough for Logan to hear. Logan lifted his hand but didn’t bother turning around as he kept on walking.
“No. I would have been if you’d hit him without cause, though,” Trista said.
The invisible band keeping him from fully expanding his lungs squeezed tighter, making it difficult to draw a breath.
He wasn’t going to lie to her, but he’d be damned if he didn’t make her understand. “I would have. Had he done anything to hurt you—or even Lexie—I wouldn’t have been able to keep from defending you. I will never raise a hand to hurt you or anyone who doesn’t deserve it. I can’t promise not to protect you and our family if or when the time comes, but I can promise that you will never be safer than when you are with me. I’d rather die the final death than cause you pain.”
She brought her hands to his cheeks and held them there as she looked into his eyes. “I know. When I left the last time, I was running scared—maybe from my past, or maybe it was my future—but I’m not running now.”
He didn’t dare breathe.
“I’d already decided after I woke up this morning that I was going to stay, but now, more than ever, I know it’s the right choice. You didn’t fly off into an uncontrollable rage. You didn’t hit first and ask questions later. You might have been upset, but you waited to get the facts before acting on that anger. You didn’t use it as an excuse to beat someone.”
His heart hammered so hard he thought it might leap out his chest. “You’re staying after the thirty days? You’ll be mine?” he could hardly believe it.
“I always was yours, Ry. Being away from you for all those months was hell. I don’t want to live through that ever again.”
Crushing her to him, he breathed in her scent and let his phoenix loose. The flames that had all but disappeared roared back to the surface. He couldn’t have contained them if he’d tried. “When will you let me claim you?” he asked, aware of how desperate his voice sounded but not caring in the least.
Thankfully, she didn’t try to pull back because he wasn’t sure if he could have let her. Instead, she threaded her fingers through his hair and tugged, tipping his head so her warm breath teased at his ear. “How about now?”
Need pounded through him, making his cock jump in a painful jerk. As much as he wanted that, there was no way he could take his time and ravish her as she deserved while standing out on the beach where anyone could happen upon them. “Let’s go home.”
He started leading her back toward the party, but then stopped when she giggled. “You planning on walking through that crowd of rowdy nurses in nothing but your birthday suit? Even if I approved—which I don’t—I’m not sure you’d ever be the same. Not to mention you might poke someone’s eye out with that thing,” she joked, glancing down his body.
Damn it. She was right. His clothes were on the other side of the screen, clear across the beach.
“Meet me back at the fire in a few minutes?” she asked as she trailed a finger down his sternum and over the center line of his abs, to stop just shy of touching the base of his cock, which was standing hard and proud.
“I’ll watch you until you get to safety, then shift,” he said once he was able to formulate words again.
She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, releasing it slowly as she looked at him from head to toe and back again, lingering on his shaft, making it jerk again. “Hurry.”
He watched her go, enjoying the sway of her hips and the quick glances she kept shooting him over her shoulder. The passion burning in her eyes was enough to bring him to his knees. The moment she was within the circle of pale lantern light, he released his phoenix and shot into the air. It took him all of two minutes to land on the other side and yank his jeans onto his body. He didn’t bother with the snap.
With long, purposeful strides, he beelined it to where she waited for him. She didn’t bother playing coy or pretending to socialize with anyone. The second he was within reach, she jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around his hips. Crushing her mouth to his, she claimed him right there in front of everyone.
Ignoring the catcalls and whooping around them, he carried her home.
Chapter 18
“I need you so bad,” Trista whimpered into Ry’s neck as he pressed her against the front door and fumbled for the knob. Every part of her ached for him. The phoenix’s flame had rushed over her on the beach, igniting every cell in her body with a need so potent it had taken everything in her not to rip her shorts off and demand he mate her right there. Of course, she wanted it to be special and private, but at that moment, it hadn’t been easy denying herself what only he could give her.
“Just one more minute.”
Her nipples pebbled at the husky rasp of his voice. His beast was close. Making love to Ry was intense, always, but this would be different. Any other time they’d been together, he’d had to choose either himself or his phoenix. Never had he allowed the final mating, which would have meant a climax of both the man and the beast within her. The claim would seal their futures, and now that she’d found the courage to take what she wanted, she couldn’t wait anymore.
“Now,” she demanded. Kissing her way along his jaw, she ground herself against him.
“Fuck.”
A second later, the door swung open and they both sighed. Slamming it closed with a kick that had the pictures on the wall rattling, he took her straight into the bedroom. His hands on her ass dug into her flesh, adding a tiny bite of pain to the overwhelming pleasure as the phoenix’s fire licked at the skin of her back and shoulders that her bikini top had left exposed.
He tore his lips from hers, his breathing ragged. “I have to put you down,” he said, his voice garbled and rough. “Need to take your clothes off.”
Yes. Clothes off. That sounded good. The second her feet touched the floor, she brought her hands to his waist. It took a bit of maneuvering to lower his zipper over the hard bulge of his cock, but she managed. Dropping to her knees, she pulled his pants over his hips to the floor, where he stepped out of them before reaching for her.
