Chapter Five

Lera raced along the road, shrouded by the pre-dawn, her bike hugging the curves easily and like a lover at ninety miles per hour. A huge smile in place, she revved the engine and asked for even more speed. Drawing to a halt at the top of a hill, she sat there, straddling her now silent bike, and watched the sun’s first rays begin to peek over the horizon through her mirrored glasses.

She tried to think about Rissa but her mind kept going back to Kori. The man had been present even in her dreams last night. It didn’t make sense. Men she kept at a distance—it was safer that way—but with Kori, she had begun to realize there were other feelings within her. From the very first day she met him, he’d been different to her. Unlike others she met, he didn’t reach for her hand, just held her gaze with those incredible eyes and nodded.

He looked so much like her angel she almost broke down and cried. But her angel was comforting; Kori was aloof. There was this intense vibe she got from him. It didn’t seem to matter if they were in the same group or not, she always felt his gaze upon her. And, instead of creeping her out, it made her feel safe and protected. She couldn’t explain the turmoil seeing him created within her.

“Twice, I touched him twice.”

And it had seemed the right thing to do. It had been just something that happened, no thought at all. Lera knew he’d been hurt by her stiffening up before he touched her, but it wasn’t for the reason he thought. Not by a long shot. She didn’t want him to know how he affected her.

Cormac “Kori” MacLochlainne made her think about things she put with couples who didn’t have a damaged person, like her. Undamaged people like her parents, whose love for one another was as strong as she’d ever seen it. And Kori made her think about something other than a lonely, solitary life.

Pulling back the sleeve of her riding jacket, she glanced at her black Suunto watch. Time to go. I don’t think Kori will be happy if I am not there when he arrives. Staring out over the open expanse of road, Lera sighed. She started the bike and readjusted her glasses. The powerful machine purred beneath her, and she drove off, going faster and faster until the landscape flew by.

Cresting a small rise, Lera was in high spirits until a figure in black appeared on the road a distance from her. Shit! Slowing the bike down, she came to a halt before the scowling man. Shutting off the motorcycle, Lera removed her glasses and ran a hand through her windblown hair before hooking the shades on the front of her jacket.

“You do know hanging out in the road isn’t very safe, don’t you? Especially wearing black this time of the day.” She arched a single brow with her statement.

Kori’s jaw was clenched, and his eyes burned with fire as he stared down at her. “What exactly are you doing, mo chara?”

Despite his stance, his words were rasped and husky. Lera felt a flutter in her belly. One that chased away deep-rooted memories of fear. Doing her best to ignore it, she shrugged easily.

“Well, I was on my back to my hotel to meet this man for breakfast but I got sidetracked by this one who was standing in the middle of the road like he has every right to stop traffic.”

“You drive without regard to your safety. Why do you not wear a helmet?”

Lera rolled her eyes. “I know how to ride my bike, Kori. Been riding for years now.” She ignored his question about the helmet; it was none of his business how it made her feel claustrophobic. His gaze swirled, and she shifted on the seat, suddenly uncertain about the look he gave and the way it was making her feel. “So,” she said, trying to have something else to focus on, “where are we eating?”

“Diner,” he said on a whisper.

“Meet you there?”

Lera just assumed he’d want to go in wolf shape or his Humvee was hidden nearby. Had she the ability to shift, there would be no way she would willingly travel in a vehicle. Granted, there were times when showing up as a large animal wouldn’t be advisable but still, she was jealous of everyone who could shift.

“No.”

“How did you get here?”

“Wolf.”

Man is not very talkative. This is the Kori I remember. “Okay, so then how do you plan on getting to the diner? Walking? Because I’ll be waiting a while for you to get there; it’s a fair distance to town.”

“I’m riding with you.”

Lera stared at him. If they rode on the bike together, then she’d have to be pressed up against him. It’s going to be a tight fit. That was way different than touching his arm. Kori reached out and cupped her jaw, his thumb skimming over her cheekbone. Her insides began feeling funny again.

“Why?”

“Because if we are going to pull off this couple thing, you riding into town on a bike and me walking in later, not going to help.”

His thumb dropped to tease her lower lip. Her heart pounded hard, and Lera had the urge to draw his digit into her mouth and suck on it. Think of Rissa. Pulling away from his touch, she grunted.

“Fine. I’m assuming you want to drive as well.” The second his hand touched the bike, she slid back to give him room to sit. Her eyes lingered over his tight ass below the leather trench he wore as he lifted a leg over.

“You need to hold onto me, Lera,” he said. “Wrap your arms around me.”

She shuddered but did as he’d said after slipping her glasses back on. Her entire body felt tingly. Her face pressed up against the smooth expanse of his back; the supple material of his trench coat teased her. The scent of the wild seemed to seep from him, and Lera fought the urge to burrow deeper into him. All hardness. All powerful. And for the moment, all hers.

Kori pulled her a bit closer before he started the motorcycle. “Hang on tight.”

For the first time since ever being on a bike, Lera didn’t pay attention to the ride. All of her focus was settled on the man she held onto. He was so warm and comfortable to be against, despite how hard his body was. She noticed that she also felt safe with him. Her mind was whirling when he eased them into a parking space.

She met his gaze and longed to sink her hands into his tousled hair. One corner of his mouth turned up slightly. “You have a nice ride.”

“A smile?” she asked lightly, removing her glasses. “A joke yesterday and today a smile?” Lera placed a hand over her heart. “What will I get tomorrow? Warn me now; I don’t know if I can handle the shock.”

His eyes narrowed but they sparkled. “Full of it, aren’t you?”

She blinked innocently. “I’m a morning girl, what can I say.”

Kori tucked some hair behind her ear. “There’s more to you than meets the eye, Valera Grace. A lot more.”

She preened at his words, and for the first time, Lera wished she wore something a bit more feminine. His touch was nice, comforting, and one she liked. A lot.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s eat.”

Lera could feel his presence, warm and protective, behind her even though he never physically touched her. They walked in, and she headed for a booth which gave her a clear shot of her bike.

“Be right with you,” a woman hollered.

Sliding into the booth, Lera unzipped her jacket and pulled off her gloves before setting them and her glasses beside her. The waitress brought coffee and menus. The way the lady smiled at Kori made Lera feel like snarling at her. But she didn’t. Instead, she focused on fixing her coffee the way she liked it. A lot of sugar and no creamer. A purr of total pleasure slipped from her lips as the hot liquid went down.

A growl similar to the one she heard in Kori’s hotel room reached her, but this one wasn’t dangerous. Well, not in the same aspect. This one had a much more intimate feel to it. She jerked her gaze to his and, for a moment, was stunned by the emotion in those gray eyes. It took a moment and the return of the waitress before they were back to the bland, cold and impersonal stare she was used to.

“I’ll need to see a picture of Rissa,” he remarked once they were alone again.

Lera immediately stuck her hand into her jacket and withdrew the only one she had from her inside pocket. She pushed it across the table. The photo was one of her and Rissa at a college party.

“You look happy, Lera,” Kori said, staring at the matte finish.

“I was.” He stared a bit longer before returning it to her. Lera stuck it back in her jacket.

“You are aware this may not end the way you wish, right?”