“Does it bother you to talk about?”
“It used to. Not as much anymore.” She frowned. “It still bothers me that they’re gone. Their loss left a hole in all of us. Enough time has passed that I can talk about it now. Was your father ill long?”
“We think about a year. No one knew until the very end. He had the cabin in Red Grove and would stay there with a nurse when he was too ill to function. We got the call when it was clear he was passing on.”
“You couldn’t tell before then?”
“My father and I…weren’t close. Even when he was actively running the company, he did so remotely. Nate and I rarely saw him. I feel like I barely knew him.”
How awful. Before her parents had been killed, her family had been undeniably close. And for all her complaints about Silas and Jason, the three of them would do anything for one another. She wasn’t sure what she’d do without them. Laina tried to think of something comforting to say. “Maybe your father didn’t want to burden you with his illness.”
“If that’s the case, it was the first selfless thing he ever did.” He snorted. “But we loved the asshole. He provided for us. Funny as hell on the rare occasion he was around.”
There was much more to Kyle Kingsley than met the eye, and didn’t that just set her wolf to pacing? She’d counted on him fitting the mold—a spoiled, rich man whose playboy lifestyle flew in the face of her ideals—but he didn’t. In fact, he didn’t fit a mold at all. He wasn’t a Boy Scout or a playboy. He was just a man. A man she found scaldingly attractive.
She threw back the rest of her scotch.
“You are a walking contradiction,” he said, staring at her lips.
“What? Why?”
“You’re obviously smart and independent, a young veterinarian and successful entrepreneur. At times, you seem modest and conservative, but the way you kissed me in the club and then again earlier today, I don’t believe that cover for a second.”
Heat washed over her face. “I’m not a virgin either. I’m not saving myself for marriage or anything. But I am conservative in one regard.”
“What’s that?”
“I don’t believe in casual sex.”
He sipped his scotch. “Morals, convictions, strength, independence.”
“And this makes me a contradiction?”
He shook his head as his gaze drifted over her. “It’s a rare combination of traits to find in a woman,” he murmured, his eyes drifting to her drink. “You drink straight scotch like it’s Kool-Aid, and you were comfortable enough with your nudity to serve at Hunt Club in nothing but a coat of latex.”
“Monty made me—”
“You can’t force the kind of confidence I saw that night.” He shook his head. “Or the heat in that kiss we shared. You kiss like something wild, like you know exactly what you want and how you want it. I’ve never been kissed like that. Not even close. Or by someone who could stop so easily.”
“The stopping wasn’t as easy as it seemed.”
“And you’re here, running from something, some family violence.” He tapped a finger on the table and frowned. “Are you in the mob?”
“No!” She laughed like the idea was ridiculous but didn’t elaborate. It would be too hard to explain her actual situation, even if she could tell him the truth.
“So, you see the contradiction.” His gaze dug into hers, and his fingers moved slowly to brush over the tops of her knuckles. She didn’t pull her hand away. “You are a conservative academic with a streak of something positively animal. I can’t put my finger on it.” He shifted his jaw. “But there’s no one like you.”
“According to the sign out front, you want the thrill of the chase. Maybe what you’re feeling is a desire to hunt me. What will you do if you catch me, Kyle? Will you try to tame me?” She asked it more to lighten the mood than as a serious observation.
“No.” Darkness drifted in like a fog behind his eyes, and he held out a hand to her. “Actually, I was hoping you could teach me to be wild.”
* * *
Kyle couldn’t holdhimself back any longer. This thing Laina had unleashed within him wanted her like he’d never wanted anyone. The heat of her skin, her hair, her face, herscent.Fuck, whatever perfume she was wearing was like a drug, earthy and warm with just a hint of spice. He reached for her, and thank God she came willingly, slipping her fingers into his and—Jesus Christ—straddling his lap. He cupped her ass. Fuck, she had a great ass. Churning his hips, he savored the delectable friction against his rock-hard cock, a frenzy building within him. He’d wanted Laina since the moment he’d first seen her at her clinic, but this was more than desire. It was obsession. All he could think about was being inside her.
He grabbed her lower jaw, tipped her head, and kissed her. Not gently. He couldn’t be gentle with his blood heating the way it was. Thank God she seemed to like it rough, responding with a low moan. Their mouths warred, stroking each other. He sucked on her tongue. She nibbled on his bottom lip. And fuck if her hips didn’t start moving with her mouth, riding him. He gripped her waist, wishing they were both naked.
Grinding against her, he slid his hand into the low scoop of her T-shirt, drawing it and her bra down under her breast. He brushed his thumb across her taut nipple, rolling and plucking it. The little gasp she gave was all the encouragement he needed. Hungry for her, he skimmed his hand up to her collarbone, noting the way her heart pounded against his touch, then lowered his mouth to her nipple, sucking, circling, flicking his tongue. She rewarded him with a growl of pure pleasure. When he drew back and blew across her wet flesh, she arched in his arms.
