Untamed Hunger Page 13

  “He put you in a really bad position…manipulated you. They both did.”

  The tension in Gunner’s body was evident. She could feel the muscles of his arm flexing against her body. She wondered what it would be like when they went to meet Victor, if Gunner would be able to hold it together, and not attack Victor the minute he saw him.

  “Listen, it’s in the past, Gunner.” She sat up, turning to face him in the dim light. “I’m fine…now, here with you. I don’t want to go over all that shit again. There’s no point.”

  Gunner sat up and flicked on the bedside light, then leaned back against the headboard. So many emotions played across his face: concern, anger. But above all she saw love. It made her heart swell.

  “Gunner, you’ve changed my life. You’ve saved my life. I love you for that.” She leaned forward, kissing him gently. When she pulled back, the concern on his face had lessened.

  “I love you, too, Claire.” His fingers ran along the side of her face. “You’re the most important person in my life right now.”

  She took his hand, kissing the tips of his fingers. “You’re pretty important to me, too, Gunner.”

  Gunner pulled her against him, hugging her hard, then straightened up. “You still want Chinese take-out? It’s late…if we don’t order soon, China Wok will be closed. And I’m not sure what I have left to assemble in my kitchen.”

  “Yeah, I still want Chinese. I want this perfect little bubble of time to keep going on. Even though I know it has to end tomorrow, at midnight. Like Cinderella - everything changes at midnight.”

  She sat cross-legged in the bed as Gunner walked across the room, stopping to pull on a worn pair of sweatpants.

  “I’m not ready for it to end yet. And Chinese was part of the deal.”

  He looked at her over his shoulder. “Then Chinese it is.” Then he turned to her and gave her a courtly bow, followed by a wink. “Anything for you, Princess.”

  She was still giggling as he left the room to call in their order.

  25

  Gunner stood at the window, looking through the cloudy glass at the overcast sky. They were meeting Victor at midnight, a meeting that could change the course of his life and Claire’s. With any luck, it would change things for the better. They’d be finished with this whole mess, with Adrian and Victor, and they could just fade away into the woodwork. Behind him, Claire was in his bed, the sheet tangled loosely around her body, blonde hair spilling across his pillow. For the first time since he’d met her, she looked relaxed. The constant worry on her face, the tension in her body, was gone. She looked happy.

  He played back images of everything they’d done last night—and this morning. Claire was amazing, everything he’d ever wanted in a woman and was convinced he’d never find. She was the perfect combination of sensual and arousing, smart and funny.

  “Are you coming back to bed?”

  He turned from the window. She stretched, smiling up at him, her luscious curves playing hide and seek beneath the sheet.

  “You’re insatiable, you know that?” He moved away from the window as she pulled the sheet aside. He slid in beside her, curling his body around hers. They fit together so well, her soft curves against his body. Holding her, everything that had seemed hard in his life seemed softened, smoothed out. Even the hell with Adrian faded a little as he held her, drawing a deep breath, inhaling the scent of her hair, her skin, of the two of them together.

  “I’m not insatiable. I just like being here with you.” She rested her hand on his chest, shifting on the pillow so she could look at him. “It’s comfortable. And I feel safe.”

  He kissed her forehead. “I like having you here. And I’m glad you feel safe.”

  “I can’t remember the last time I just laid around in bed. I feel decadent.”

  Gunner smiled. “And had Chinese.”

  “And had Chinese. It’s like a normal life. I’d almost forgotten what that’s like.”

  He watched her face change, like a cloud passing over the sun. Frowning, he hugged her hard.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “This all might end, depending on what happens tonight.”

  Gunner shook his head and started to speak, but Claire put her hand on his arm. “Don’t try to tell me everything’s going to be okay. We don’t know what Victor’s going to say, what he’s going to do. He’s unpredictable, just like Adrian. He’s also a very powerful Alpha.”

  “And I did kill his son.”

  Claire gave him a rueful smile. “Well, yeah, there is that. But you’re his son, too, and there’s really no way to predict what he’s thinking.”

  They were quiet for a few moments. Finally, Gunner sighed. Even though he knew the answer, he needed to say the words. “I really don’t want you there tonight, Claire.”

  “I know, but do you really think you can keep me from coming along?” He heard the determination in her voice.

  Looking at her, he saw the resolve in her eyes that matched her tone of voice. Malone was right; she was as stubborn as he was.

  He nodded, a grudging smile on his lips. “No, I don’t think there’s any way I could keep you from coming along.” He rolled toward her, sliding one hand up the smooth skin of her thigh. “Except maybe tying you to the bed.”

  The look she gave him made him laugh. The resolve was still there but her face flushed pink, a seductive smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

  “Maybe after this whole thing with Victor is over, I’ll let you tie me up, but for now, I’m coming along.”

  “Not sure why we have to wait…” Gunner rose up over her. Claire looked up, eyes wide, as he grabbed her wrists, stretching them up over her head. With the other hand, he swept the sheet away from her body. In the soft morning light, her skin looked like porcelain. He let his eyes travel down over her body, lingering at her breasts stretched taut with her arms over her head, watching them rise with the rhythm of her breathing.

  “Like the view?” Her voice was low and he pulled his eyes back to hers.

  “Yeah. Very much. And you’re under my control. I like that even more.”

  He leaned down, mouth covering hers, breasts crushed against his chest. The hot, soft fullness of them against his skin sent a wash of arousal through him, a warmth spreading through his loins. His hips flexed forward, pinning her to the bed as she squirmed beneath him.

  They struggled among the messy sheets, Claire fighting his grip, Gunner countering her movements, holding her down on the bed until she started making little squeaks of protest. At least he thought they were sounds of protest. Breaking their kiss, he raised his head, looking down at Claire.

  “You okay?”

  “I’m fine.” She was breathless, eyes wide, arousal mixed with bewilderment mixed with a hint of frustration playing across her face “Why are you stopping?”

  “Just wanted to make sure I wasn’t getting too rough.”

  “I said I’m fine. Stop stopping.” She wiggled her hips, legs sliding up his thighs. “Control me anyway you want, Gunner.” Her voice dropped, the words sliding between gasps for breath. “I’m at your mercy.”

  A low growl rose from his throat as Claire lifted her head toward him, wrists straining against his hand. He bent his head, meeting her parted lips, crushing her mouth against his.

  Her kiss was brutal and full of animal passion, and all of it took Gunner by surprise. Claire arched beneath him, pulling against his hand. He held on to her tightly, her movements beneath him triggering a wave of animal lust.

  As his passion flared, he reached down, sliding his free hand beneath her thigh, lifting her up beneath him. She cried out against his mouth, a muffled sound of longing and passion and need.

  That sound was all it took. He plunged himself into her, filling her completely in one thrust. He tore away from her mouth, his cry echoing in the room. Beneath him, Claire arched up sharply, breasts against his chest, hips moving from side to side.

  “God, Gunner…what the
hell are you doing to me…” Her voice was a ragged gasp, her eyes dark with passion.

  There was no way he could manage to choke out any words. He was on a wild ride, his body taking over, everything spiraling upward. And he loved it, every second of ecstasy more exciting than the last, testing his limits, testing his control. His human and his tiger fought inside him, each taking pleasure and each seeking to come out on top.

  And then everything reached critical mass, his body balanced on the peak of arousal, every muscle tensed, expectant. He was dimly aware of his own voice rising to a howling scream as he surrendered to the human side. His vision dimmed, his mind almost blank to the world around him, focused only on the pleasure coursing through his body.

  He was dimly aware of Claire, bucked and arched beneath him, twisting and crying out, tugging hard against his hands. He was dimly aware he was still holding her by the wrists. He let go and she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her, burying her face against his shoulder. He felt the warmth of her breath, her lips on his skin, and then sudden, surprising pain as she bit into the soft skin on his shoulder.

  “Hey…” He pulled back, looking down at her, pulling back his teeth in a grimace. “Watch the teeth.”

  She flung her arms wide, smiling up at him. She was still breathing hard, her face flushed. Damp tendrils of hair clung to her forehead, and around her hairline. She looked happy.

  “At least I’m human. Think about what it would be like if I’d shifted and had fangs.”

  Gunner reached down, brushing a strand of hair away from her cheek. Her skin was warm, soft, and faintly damp. “I’ll count my blessings.” He leaned forward, kissing her forehead before rolling onto his side.

  “I guess by your reaction you liked the hand holding?” He ran a finger down the smooth skin between her breasts, straying up one full curve, tracing around one soft nipple. It puckered at his touch, drawing up hard. Beneath his fingers, Claire shivered.

  “That was pretty amazing. I didn’t know being held down could be so liberating.”

  He frowned, finger stopping mid-circle. “Liberating? What do you mean?”

  “It’s…I’m not really sure. But, you know…if the offer of tying me up was serious…”

  Gunner sat up, looking down at Claire. “You’re pretty amazing, you know? I can honestly say you’re the first girl I’ve known who has a wild side.”

  “I didn’t know I had a wild side till I met you. You bring out the animal in me, I guess.” She grinned up at him. “Bad pun, sorry.”

  “You’re excused. You have other attributes that make up for your bad sense of humor.”

  “‘Attributes?’ Like?”

  “Like…you’re smart, pretty…do you really need me to tell you all the stuff I love about you? Besides, I want to get back to this tying up thing. First the spanking, now bondage. You’re full of surprises.”

  She laid back, a slight frown on her face. “You’re not like any other guy I’ve ever met. I trust you. I think I’d let you tie me up.”

  Gunner propped his head on one hand, gazing down at Claire. No matter what she said or did, it surprised him. And this surprise was particularly interesting. “We’re seriously going to have to take a long vacation when all this is over. Somewhere nice and far away so we can get to the bottom of all these wild desires of yours.”

  She laughed, and punched him lightly on the shoulder. He thought it was the most beautiful sound he’d heard in a long time. “‘Get to the bottom?’ And you think I make bad puns.

  26

  “Claire. It’s time. Wake up.”

  She was awake instantly. The room was gray and somber, city lights struggling through the dirty window. She heard rain tapping against the glass, the distant rumble of thunder. Gunner was sitting on the edge of the bed, his back to the window, fully dressed. His face was in the shadows, but his voice was grim.

  “How long?” She sat up, pulling her knees to her chest. Even though the room was warm, she was suddenly cold to her very bones, colder than she ever thought she could be.

  “In about half an hour. It’ll give us a chance to meet Malone and Reece, get a good read on the place.” He rubbed his hand over her blanket-covered leg. “You want something to eat before we leave?”

  She shook her head, trying to keep her teeth from chattering. “No. I got a sudden case of nerves. My stomach is in knots.”

  “Yeah. I know the feeling. At least you got a good nap.”

  “Have you been awake all this time?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. Too keyed up to sleep. Just been pacing the apartment for most of the day.”

  “You should have woken me up. At least I could have kept you company, we could have talked or something.”

  He glanced at her, the shadow of a smile on his face. “No chance. You were out. I didn’t have the heart. I’ll let you get dressed now.” He patted her leg, then rose and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. She flipped on the bedside light, slid out of bed, and dug around in her duffel, coming up with clean jeans and a t-shirt. The last thing she wanted to do was see Victor again, but there was no way she was going to let Gunner do this alone. They were in this together now.

  Gunner was in the living room, standing in front of the window. He turned and she walked across the room. Wordlessly, he folded her into his arms.

  “It’s not too late to change your mind, Claire. You can still stay here.”

  “Don’t think you can get rid of me now, Gunner. We’re in this together. I’m coming along.”

  He rested his chin on the top of her head. “I figured that’s what you’d say.” One last hug, and then he let her go, moving to the door. “Come on. It’s time to go.”

  The ride to the warehouse was surreal, the grimy buildings of the industrial district looming out of the gray fog. She hung on to Gunner, as he wove the motorcycle through the deserted streets, finally turning down a narrow dingy alley between two buildings. They came around the back of the building, and Gunner parked the bike in the shadow of a loading dock of the battered building. The air smelled of grease and diesel fumes, metal and rust.

  “Where’s the building?” She hugged her arms around her chest, the chill that had started in the apartment rising up again, tinged with a perverse sense of anticipation. There was no way in hell she was looking forward to this meeting. It was like looking forward to some dark Christmas, hoping her gift would be release from Victor, and this whole mess.

  “Down the block, then over one street. Reece and Malone should be at the corner. Let’s go.”

  Their steps echoed in a crazy way off the buildings. “It’s a good thing we’re not sneaking up on anyone.”

  “Yeah. It’s an open meeting, neutral territory and all that bullshit. I’m pretty sure he’ll show up with an entourage and a few well-placed, and well-hidden, bodyguards.”

  “And it’ll just be the four of us?” Claire struggled to keep up with Gunner, as he strode down the dirty alley. They stopped at the mouth of the alley, Gunner looking each way down the cross street. It was silent, except for the sound of a metallic banging coming from somewhere close by.

  “Hell no.” His voice was tight, low. “Knowing Malone and Reece, there’s a dozen or so clan members hiding out on rooftops and doorways. Malone rarely travels alone, and he never takes any chances.”

  “Guys from the bike shop?” Gunner didn’t answer. She peered over his shoulder. The street seemed deserted, just cracked asphalt for blocks in either direction, lit by dim streetlights.

  “Come on.” Gunner slipped out of the alley, and they started down the street. They passed a few glass-fronted doors, and a trash-filled vacant lot fronted with a chain-link fence. Gunner hurried her past the empty lot, and to the corner of the next street.

  Gunner whistled, a low sound he repeated twice. She jumped when an answering whistle sounded, almost at her elbow. From the shadows of the building, Reece and Malone emerged.

  “Gunn
er. I see you didn’t get her to change her mind.” Malone jerked his thumb toward Claire. Reece snorted, a sound between a laugh, and a grunt.

  Claire opened her mouth, but Gunner took her hand, squeezing it hard. “She’s family, but she makes up her own mind.”

  “Well, she’s here, and we’re late. Come on.” The men moved down the street, and Claire followed a step behind. It was a short walk to another chain link fence. Malone stopped, pulling aside the rusted gate. Beyond was a small courtyard overgrown with weeds, a broken concrete path leading to an abandoned building. The door hung on warped hinges, the windows along the front of the building broken. Reece pushed aside the door and stepped inside.

  Her boots crunched on broken glass, as she stepped through the door. She wrinkled her nose, covering a cough with one hand. The place reeked.

  The space in front of them stretched back to a bank of high windows. Ancient machinery was scattered about, broken metal pieces littering the floor. A mezzanine of rusted metal ran around three sides of the space

  The men stopped in a loose group, looking into the dark interior of the space. Malone stood between Gunner and Reece, looking up, scanning the mezzanine. Claire hung back. The men held themselves ready, bodies tense.

  “Malone. About time you showed your face.”

  Claire jumped. Victor’s voice came from somewhere above her. She turned, craning her neck.

  He was standing to her left on the mezzanine, wearing one of his bespoke English suits. Probably wearing handmade Italian leather shoes. Adrian had gotten his fashion sense from his father, no doubt. Victor’s silver hair was combed back from his high forehead. He exuded confidence and poise, and above all, power and control.

  Behind him were two guys she recognized from his clan, men he’d used as muscle when he needed to. One of them smiled down at her. Duke, or Dude, something like that, always hanging around with Adrian. Always leering at her. She shivered at the memory.