Circle of Desire

Chapter Five

They'd been driving for a good four hours and had barely exchanged a word. But the silence between them was comfortable, something Ethan found strange considering how sexually tense they both were.

Not that he was any sort of expert when it came to knowing what it was like to spend time with a woman beyond the time of sex. He satisfied his needs, made sure both parties had a good time, and then he walked away.

His work, his past and what he was allowed for nothing else. And yet here he was, enjoying silence. Amazing.

"You hungry?" she asked.

"Is that a question, or are you actually saying you're hungry?"

"The latter." Her cheeks dimpled. "I need to eat."

So did he. But he also needed her. And with night encroaching, that need was becoming more fierce. More undeniable. He pointed to the Mercedes up ahead. "You want to phone your grandmother and see if she wants to stop?"

She nodded and reached for her cell phone. The conversation with Gran was short, and when she'd finished there was heat in her cheeks.

He raised an eyebrow. "What did your grandmother say?"

"She said she's booked two adjoining cabins at Rogue River lodges. She said we should meet her there by ten."

That was over four hours away. Plenty of time to satisfy everyone's needs. "What else did she say?" There had to be something else to account for that flash of colour in her cheeks.

She met his gaze boldly. If she was embarrassed, she'd gotten over it quickly enough. "She said that werewolves are extremely fertile during the moon phase."

He didn't know what to say. Or think. The old girl certainly didn't miss a trick.

"She also said I should remember to use condoms."

Was that tacit approval? Or merely acceptance of the inevitable? "That goes without saying."

"I haven't got any."

He smiled. "I have. They're extra strong to catch those over-fertile little rockets."

"Well… good." A warm smile touched her lips. "You know, of course, that the trigger to release those rockets involves food."

"Including chocolate?"

"Chocolate will definitely earn you bonus points."

Then he was damn well going to find some chocolate.

"The next town we hit is Bandon. Keep your eyes open for something to eat."

"And somewhere to have sex?"

Her voice was little more than a throaty purr and damn near shot his control to hell. He shifted slightly, but it did little to ease the sudden ache. "There's a blanket in the back, and we are near the ocean. That generally means beaches."

She raised an eyebrow, expression amused. "What is it with you and behaviour that's likely to get us arrested?"

"Maybe underneath the cop there's a rebel trying to get out."

"There's certainly something trying to get out."

And with any sort of luck, it soon would. He pointed to the road ahead. "Concentrate. Or I won't be able to."

She grinned, and her gaze retreated to the front. But over the next ten minutes, the atmosphere changed. Became tense. He glanced at her. She still stared ahead, but her expression had become a little glazed. When he touched her arm, she jumped.

"There's trouble ahead." She picked up her phone and quickly dialled. "Gran? Did you see an attack other than tonight?"

She listened for a moment, her expression growing tenser. "Well, that may be the case, but I can feel something waiting ahead of us, and it's not alive."

Ethan frowned. Not alive? What the hell was she talking about?

"Yeah, I know it can't be a vampire. This is something else." She waited a few moments then added, "No. I think you're right. I think this is aimed at us. We'll meet you at the lodge. Just make sure you set yourself a warding circle until we get there."

She hung up and looked at him. "I can feel trouble up ahead."

"What kind of trouble?" And what the hell was a warding circle?

"I don't know. But the mere fact I'm sensing it suggests it's dead — whatever it is."

"How can something dead be a danger to us?"

"Vampires are dead. That thing we're chasing is dead."

She shrugged. "Do you really think werewolves are the only supernatural beings that walk this earth?"

"I never thought about it." Just spent his time trying to either control or forget that part of himself. And most of the time, he succeeded.

"Well, you'd better start thinking and believing. Because those things are out there, and right now they're massing against us."

He bit back disbelief and glanced at his rearview mirror.

There was no one behind them and no one in front of them other than the rapidly disappearing Mercedes. If they hit trouble, they'd have to face it alone, right here in the middle of nowhere.

"Any idea what we're facing?"

"No."

What good were talents that told you everything and yet nothing? "I have a gun in the back."

"Guns don't always hurt the dead."

He glanced at her, not sure whether or not she was joking. Her grim expression told him she wasn't. "So what does hurt them?"

"That depends on what we're facing."

He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel.

"How far ahead is it?"

"Close." She hesitated. "And coming closer."

The road was long and straight. He couldn't see anything approaching. Not a truck, not a car, not an ant. Maybe her psychic senses were going a little haywire…

"Look out!"

From the corner of his eye he caught the flash of red. An engine growled, then a truck surged out of the trees and across the road. He planted his foot on the gas pedal, but it was already too late. The truck hit the back of the Cadillac and slewed them around. He fought the wheel for control, but the trees loomed fast. They hit with a sickening crunch that jarred every bone in his body.

Through the creaking of metal and slight hiss of air came the sound of an engine. And not his. Whoever it was wasn't finished with them yet.

He undid his seat belt then reached across and undid Kat's. "You all right?"

She nodded. There was blood on the side of her face, and her hands were trembling as she pushed back her hair.

Her gaze met his, then went past and widened. "It's coming again."

"Get out." He reached past her and thrust open the door.

Then he did the same and dove out, tasting dirt as he rolled and rose. And not a second too soon. The truck crashed into his Caddie, buckling the door and pushing in the entire side of the car.

He ran around and wrenched open the truck's door. The stink that hit him was almost overwhelming, and he gagged. God, hadn't this madman showered in the last twenty years? He reached in, grabbed the idiot by the arm and pulled him out of the cab.

The driver hit the dirt and didn't move, though if the wild gyrations of his arms and legs were anything to go by, he was certainly trying. It looked for all the world like there was an invisible weight sitting on his chest, holding him down.

"It's a zombie." Kat stopped beside him, a bead of perspiration running down her cheek and an odd look of concentration on her face.

"As in, Night of the Living Dead ?"

"Yep."

He kicked the idiot's foot. "He doesn't feel dead. And he's certainly not acting dead."

The look she gave him suggested frustration. Or annoyance. "Well, no, and that's because he's the living dead and not the dead dead."

He swallowed the urge to argue the point. "We'll tie this moron up, then I'll call Mark and ask him to take care of the problem."

"The zombie won't be here by the time your partner gets the cops here."

"I tie a pretty mean knot, lady, and I have no intention of leaving the keys here."

"That doesn't matter. He's a zombie. He has more strength than you or I, and being tied with rope won't slow him down."

He took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. "So what do you suggest I do?"

"Kill it."

He stared at her. "You and your grandmother really do have this thing about killing things, don't you?"

She indicated the squirming, stinking mass at their feet.

"When you're dealing with the likes of this, you have no choice."

"I'm a cop, and despite common belief, we do not go around shooting people just for the fun of it."

"Shooting it won't kill it. Only breaking its neck will do that."

"I may be a werewolf, but I'm not a monster." He was beginning to wonder, however, if she was. But wondering certainly didn't kill his desire for her. Not in the least. "Go fetch the rope from the trunk."

She glared at him, then spun on her heel and did as he asked. Several seconds later she tossed the rope at him.

"You'll regret this, you know."

"I'd regret killing him even more." He quickly tied the stinking mass then tossed it in the back of the truck. The aroma of death seemed to cling to him as he stepped away. "I'll drive this thing off the road, then we'll continue on."

"Will the Caddie be drivable?"

"I think so." However, it certainly looked as if he'd be climbing in and out from the passenger side for the next few days. He climbed into the pickup and reversed it off the road, out of everyone's way. Then he checked to make sure the idiot was still trussed tight and tossed the keys deep into the trees.

When he turned around, Kat had her hands thrust on to her hips, one foot tapping and eyes narrowed. She looked as if she was up to something, but he wasn't sure what. He crossed the road, and her expression suddenly cleared.

"All done now?" Annoyance and amusement combined in her voice and made him a just a little uneasy.

"Not yet." He walked past her and inspected the damage to his car. As he suspected, the driver's door had been punched in too far to open. Both driver side door panels had sustained severe damage, but nothing that would affect the car's overall drivability. He hoped. It would be a cow to handle, though.

"Let's go." He dug a handkerchief out of his pocket and offered it to her, then climbed into the car and started the engine.

She got in after him, then flipped down the sun visor and began cleaning her wound with the aid of the vanity mirror. "Not deep."

"No."

He took off slowly. The Caddie shuddered and groaned, the rear-end making a variety of noises he just didn't like.

He gradually built up speed but had to ease up on the accelerator as they neared forty. The vibrations were too drastic to tempt fate by going any faster.

Silence fell between him and Kat, but it was nowhere near as easy as it originally had been.

"You have to trust me," she said eventually. "I really do know what I'm talking about."

"I have no real reason to believe that." Sure, her background checked out okay, but that didn't mean her and her grandmother weren't pulling some damn stunt over the lot of them.

And while his instincts said he could trust her, his instincts had been proven wrong before. Not often, but often when it really counted.

"You don't have a lot of faith in women, do you?"

Her comment surprised him, and he looked at her. There was hurt in her green eyes, and while he regretted that, he had to wonder why. They may be sexually attracted but they were still strangers after all. He had no more reason to trust her than he did any possible witness in a crime.

"What's that got to do with anything?"

She crossed her arms. "Do you often sleep with women you don't trust?"

"All the time." Because he didn't trust any woman. Not nowadays.

"So women really are just a form of release to you?"

"Yes." He looked at her again. "But you knew that.

You've known from the start that I was a werewolf."

She pulled her gaze from his and stared ahead. He had a sudden feeling it was going to take an awful lot of chocolate to get back into her good graces.

They cruised on. The terrain passed by, interesting but endless, and the vibrations coming through the wheel gradually got worse. Obviously, more damage had been done than he'd originally thought.

"What do you want to eat?" he asked as they rattled into Bandon.

She shrugged. "Something hot and hearty. I need to rebuild some energy."

He cruised around, and they eventually settled for a classy-looking restaurant that was close to the beach. He stopped the car and watched her climb out, enjoying the flash of her honey-coloured thighs. "Get us table and I'll be back when I can."

She nodded and slammed the door shut. He watched until she entered the building then headed off in search of a mechanic. He found one who seemed to know what he was talking about, and after a quick few minutes under the car, the mechanic came up with the news he'd feared.

"The accident has stuffed the rear axle. I usually have replacements, but I've just used my last."

"How long will it take to get parts in?"

"Got them on order already. Shouldn't be more than a day or so."

They couldn't wait that long. He plucked a business card from his wallet. "Fix it. Is there a place nearby where I can rent another?"

The mechanic took a quick glance at the card then shoved it into a greasy pocket. "Sure is. Just down the road. Tell Jim I sent you, and he'll give you a good deal."

"Thanks. Call me when the car's fixed."

"Sure thing."

He collected their bags, the condoms and his gun out of the car, but by the time he'd arranged a rental and got back to the restaurant, an hour had passed by. He glanced at his watch. They still had a two-hour drive to Rogue River . Time was slipping away too fast.

She wasn't eating when he arrived, which surprised him.

She just sat at a table, sipping wine and staring out the window.

He slid into the chair opposite her. Things could have happened a whole lot quicker if he'd sat beside her and let the aura of the werewolf do its stuff, but as much as he wanted her, he also wanted her truly willing. A need that was a little disturbing and certainly something he'd never worried about before when in the midst of moon heat.

She glanced at him. There were smudges under her eyes, and her skin looked a little pale. "All set?"

"Had to rent a car. The Caddie's out of action for a couple of days."

"The Circle will reimburse all costs." Her voice still held a touch coolness.

He waved the comment away. He'd spend his entire savings if that was what it took to bring Janie home and this killer to justice.

A waitress came over and handed them both a menu.

After some consideration Kat ordered a steak, and he chose the salmon. The woman gave them a cheery nod and disappeared into the kitchen.

Kat picked up the bottle of wine. "You want a glass?"

He nodded and held his glass out. He would have preferred a beer, but he couldn't be bothered calling the waitress out again. He sipped the cool liquid carefully. A little sweet for his tastes, but drinkable.

"Did you call your grandmother and tell her we're okay?"

She nodded. "She said it's important we get there by nine."

He frowned. "Why? What difference is a few minutes going to make?"

She studied him for a minute, then glanced out the window. "If we don't make our presence felt, another kid will be kidnapped."

Then they'd definitely be getting there by nine. "So, basically, we're bait."

She nodded. "If they're worrying about us, they're not stealing little kids."

"Won't that just force them to run again?"

"Gran doesn't think so. She thinks it'll all end in Rogue River , one way or another."

"You put a damn lot of faith in your grandmother's visions, don't you?"

Her gaze flicked to his. "I have no reason not to."

And therein lay the cause of her remoteness. Trust. Or more precisely, his lack of it. "I'm a cop," he said softly.

"We tend not to trust anyone."

She leaned back and studied him for several moments.

"That's just an excuse."

Yes, and she was reading him better than anyone ever had. "It's nothing personal."

Her look suggested it was very personal. She took another sip of her wine, then said, "Why?"

He shrugged. "The nature of the beast, I think." And an easy scapegoat in situations like this.

"The beast being the werewolf rather than the cop?"

"Yeah." He hesitated, but knew he owed her at least some honesty. "I can't help the way I am. I don't need or want any complications in my life. All I'm after is a good time while the moon is full. After that, it's thanks for the sex, but bye-bye, sister."

"So there's never been anyone you've felt the slightest bit emotional about?"

"No." The lie slipped easily off his tongue. "And there won't ever be. As I said, it's the nature of the beast."

"So what lies between you and me — " "Could be mind-blowing. But I won't allow it be anything more."

She studied him for a moment, eyes bright and judgmental. Then she nodded. He wondered if that meant she accepted his terms. He hoped so, because he had nothing else he was willing to offer. The waitress approached with their meals, and silence fell as they began to eat.

When she'd finished, Kat leaned back in the chair. Her legs brushed his, charging his skin with electricity and sending a flash-flood of heat to his groin.

"That was wonderful. All I need now is chocolate and my life would be complete."

Hopefully not too complete. He drew out the chocolate bar he'd bought earlier and offered it to her.

Her cheeks dimpled. "You're just trying to get back into my good graces."

"Most definitely." They still had half an hour of free time left, and he needed her so fiercely it was becoming painful.

She put the chocolate on the table then picked up her purse and stood. "I'll be back in a moment."

His gaze slid down her back to her honey-coloured legs as she walked away. He fervently hoped she kept wearing overly tight tops and short, swirly skirts while he was around. A figure as good as hers shouldn't be hidden under layers of clothing. He glanced up as the waitress approached.

"Coffee?" she asked.

He nodded, and she filled both their cups. When Kat came back, she wrapped her hands around the cup and looked out the window. "Do you mind if we go for a quick walk after this? I need to get some fresh air before we start driving again."

He needed to get her alone, and if walking did that, then it was fine by him. He glanced out the window. "Would you like me to go get your coat from the car? That wind can be pretty brisk around these parts, and it will be worse down near the waves."

A smile touched her full lips. "I'll be fine. Thanks."

They finished their drinks, and he asked for the check.

Kat took it out of his hands. "I get expenses," she said, and dropped the cash on the plate.

They headed outside and found the steps down to the sand. Kat took off her shoes, dangling them from her fingers as she strolled barefoot along the damp golden sand. Waves teased her toes, splashed up her bare legs, and suddenly he found himself fighting the desire to lick the salt from her skin.

He scrubbed a hand across his jaw and studied the long stretch ahead. The beach curved around to the right and disappeared. Once they walked beyond that point they'd be beyond the sight of those in the restaurant and, hopefully, alone.

They continued on slowly. Heat pounded through his veins and surged to his groin. He was hard and aching like hell. Dusk was beginning to shadow the horizon, and darkness would only bring the fever into full focus. He had to ease his needs before then or there could be true trouble. He'd never tested his will like this before. Didn't know what would truly happen if the moon fever took over. But he could imagine, and he didn't want to do that to Kat. Or any other female, for that matter.

They rounded the corner. The sea stretched before them, dotted by huge outcrops of rocks, and the sand was a long stretch of emptiness. He gave a mental sigh of relief. One problem down.

She moved up the beach towards the grass-topped dunes then stopped, staring at the horizon as she rubbed her arms. He stopped behind her, close enough to smell her fresh fragrance, close enough that the scent of her desire washed over him. But not touching her. Not quite.

"Cold?"

She nodded. "You were right. I should have gotten my jacket."

If things went the way he hoped, she wouldn't really need it. The heat they'd raise between them would keep her warm enough. "Do you want to go back?"

She tilted her head back, one eyebrow arched as she met his gaze boldly. "Do you?"

In answer, he slid his hand around the cool skin of her bare waist and drew her close. She wriggled her bottom against him, sending heat flashing through his veins, then she sighed. "So much nicer."

It certainly was. He slid his hand under her short shirt. A tremor ran through her, and her breath caught as he brushed one taut nub. He hoped it was a sign she was ready for him, because there wasn't much chance of slowness once he started down the path of seduction. Not this first time, with the night coming on and the moon pounding so fiercely through his veins.

He pressed a kiss into her neck, then ran his tongue up to her ear. She tasted like she smelled — fresh and sunshiny.

He took her lobe in his mouth, gently nibbling. Her soft groan ran across him, tearing at his control. He slid his other hand under her shirt and cupped her lush breasts.

Teased and caressed her nipples until her breathing was as rapid as his own.

"Turn around," he whispered.

His hands slid around her waist as she complied, and he pulled her close. He claimed her lips, exploring her mouth with his tongue, tasting her leisurely but deeply. She made a needy sound deep in her throat and ran a hand down his side until she touched him. He shuddered and pulled away.

"Don't," he said, fighting the surge. "Or I'll lose it."

Her smile was pure cheek. "Isn't that what you want?"

"Not yet." Because as much as he wanted her, he wanted to at least give her some pleasure this first time. Or there might not be a second.

Always look after your own interests, his father had once told him. It was a lesson he'd learned all too well.

He took possession of her lips again and slid his hands under the hem of her skirt to caress the silk of her thigh.

Continued up the cool, smooth skin to discover heaven had no restrictions.

"When?" He slid his finger past her curls and into her moistness, gently caressing.

She pressed into his touch, forcing it deeper. "When I went to the restroom."

"Clever girl."

"Horny girl would be more accurate."

"Suits me."

Her grin was saucy. "Thought it might."

He kissed her again, this time more urgently. His veins burned with heat, and every muscle trembled with the effort of restraint. She grabbed his shirt, her hands cold on his skin as she began undoing the buttons. He didn't stop her, just enjoyed the sensations trembling through him.

She kissed his neck, his chest, her lips feather light on his skin yet burning deep.

Her touch moved to his waist, and she slowly undid the button on his jeans. "Condom?" she whispered against his lips.

He took a shuddering breath then whispered hoarsely, "Right pocket."

She pulled out the foil packet then pushed his jeans down. He kicked free of them then hooked her T-shirt with his thumbs and stripped it off. Her skirt quickly followed.

"Beautiful," he said, running his hands down her glorious golden body.

"Definitely," she agreed, echoing his movements with gentle hands.

He kissed her fiercely, drinking in her essence, exploring every inch of her mouth until both of them were panting for breath. Then he trailed his tongue down the long line of her neck and circled the pebbled points of her breasts.

She shuddered, arching her back, as if offering them to him. It was an invitation too good to refuse. He took one nipple in his mouth, sucking hard as he slid a hand down the flat of her stomach and into her moistness. Her moan shuddered through him, testing his strength, his will.

He delved deeper, sliding through her slickness, until her muscles pulsed around his fingers. She pressed against him, riding his hand with increasing urgency. Her skin was feverish, flushed with desire and need.

A need he understood only too well.

She grabbed his shoulders, fingers trembling, nails digging deep.

"Oh… God." Her voice little more than a fractured whisper. "Please…"

Her plea raged across his senses, almost destroying his restraint. He shuddered and pulled his touch away, knowing if she came right now it would shatter what little control he still had left.

Her groan almost shot it to hell anyway.

"Condom," he said, voice harsh with the urgency pounding through his body.

She tore open the packet with her teeth and rolled it on with an ease that spoke of practice. Not that he cared. He pulled her close again and began to stroke her. Her soft cries urged him on, her body trembling against his, her skin glossy with perspiration. He kissed her ear, ran his tongue down her neck. She tasted like no woman he'd ever had, and right at this moment, he wanted to keep on sampling her forever.

Her shuddering reached a crescendo, her movements urgent against his hand. Her strangled cry of pleasure echoed through him and smashed any remaining restraint.

He cupped her buttocks and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around him then pushed him deep inside. He groaned at the sheer glory of it. She felt so good, so hot and firm.

She captured his lips, her kiss passionate. Demanding.

She rode him harder, enveloping him in sweet, sweet heat.

Hot flesh slapped against hot flesh, and there was nothing gentle about it. Couldn't be, with the urgency of moon driving him. He claimed every inch of her, thrusting so very deep, until her taut muscles quivered with rising urgency against the whole of him.

The red tide rose, becoming a wall of pleasure he could not deny. His movements quickened. Deepened. Her gasps reached a second crescendo, and her cries echoed as her body bucked against his. He came — hot, glorious release that locked his body in pleasure.

They stood there for what seemed like forever, and he didn't really care because it felt so good. The sea breeze cooled the sweat on their skin, and the rich aroma of sex mingled with Kat's warm, sunshiny scent, stirring his senses anew. Only the fact that they had to get to Rogue River kept him from instigating a second, much slower, seduction.

When she began to shiver, he lowered her gently to the grassy sand, kissing her nose. He then quickly gathered their scattered clothing. They both dressed, then she picked up her purse and chocolate bar from the sand. Her pupils were still dilated, evidence of the satisfaction that touched her lips. "That sure beat the chocolate cake I was considering for dessert."

He cupped a hand across her cheek and brushed his thumb across her kiss-swollen lips. "Sorry it was so fast."

She raised an eyebrow, her amusement deepening. "In case you didn't notice, I was more than a little fast myself."

Thankfully. He certainly couldn't have held off much longer than he had. She'd felt too damn good.

"Next time," he said. "We'll try some place more comfortable."

"And warmer." She rubbed her arms, then glanced past him. "We'd better get moving. Dusk is closing in."

He knew that without looking. The fever stirred in his veins, despite the fact his body was momentarily sated. Or maybe it was just the scent of her lingering on his skin that stirred his blood.

They walked back to the car and continued on to Rogue River. Kat fell asleep fairly quickly, and he half wished he could join her. It would be nice to be in bed at this moment, holding her lush, warm body against his as he drifted off to sleep.

He frowned at the thought and thrust it away. No matter how good it promised to be between them, it could never be anything more than just sex.

He'd learned that lesson long ago.