Page 14

Mila

Don’t look down.

Don’t look down.

Don’t look —damn it!

Despite her best intentions, her eyes strayed down Carter’s impressive chest. When he’d taken off his motorcycle jacket back at the bar, she saw hints of his muscled physique through his t-shirt. Now she could see that Carter was nothing but muscles covered in smooth tan skin.

You’re cleaning a wounded man! she reminded herself and finished with the last bits of dirt on his jaw. His neck wasn’t dirty, but his right shoulder was filthy. The drying blood and grime was so thick, she couldn’t see his skin underneath.

She focused on getting it off with care in case there was an injury under all the dirt. Before she’d even finished a section, her cloth was too soiled to continue.

“Here, use this one,” Gio said, taking her cloth and replacing it with another. She hadn’t seen him get up, but he had and returned with a small plastic tub full of hot soapy water. He set the tub on the floor, wrung out a cloth and set back to work at Carter’s feet.

The guy was so big they might need several tubs before they were finished!

When she finished with his right shoulder, she moved to the left. Once that was clean, she had no choice but to start in on his pecs. Sweet baby Jesus in heaven, this man had gorgeous pecs. She wanted to nuzzle her face between them.

Well, now that wasn’t entirely true. She wanted to nuzzle between them after she licked and kissed all over them, including sucking on those small, tantalizing nipples.

What was she doing? She was fantasizing about molesting an unconscious, wounded man. That’s what sexual predators did!

“I’m a monster.”

“What did you say?” Gio asked, making her realize she’d spoken out loud.

“Nothing!” she said, feeling her face go hot again.

“Carter likes you,” Gio said without looking up from where he was cleaning Carter’s calf. “I know he doesn’t mind that you’re touching him. He’d find it comforting.”

“W-what?” she stuttered. Was this guy a mind reader?

Gio looked up and met her gaze, making her freeze. She could’ve sworn his amber eyes were glowing again.

“Please touch him,” Gio said. He tossed his cloth into the tub and reached out for her hand. He placed her palm flat on Carter’s chest, right over his heart. Gio’s hand flattened over hers, trapping it in place.

“I, uh, I don’t think, I mean,” she stammered. She was sure she shouldn’t be touching Carter without his consent, but she didn’t try to move her hand away.

“Do you feel the connection between the three of us?” Gio asked, his voice low. He leaned in closer until his face filled her vision.

“Connection?” She was captivated by his eyes.

“Close your eyes,” he ordered.

Her eyes fell closed, partly because of his demand and partially to block out his intense amber eyes. The moment her lids shut, she felt the shocking level of heat radiating from where her hand was trapped by Gio’s hand against Carter’s body.

But it wasn't only heat. There was something more. It was almost as if a low-level electrical charge was humming up her arm. Goose flesh broke out across her body, and her nipples tightened.

“Mila.”

With a gasp, she opened her eyes at Carter’s whispered word. His eyes were slitted open and staring up at her. “Carter?”

He opened his mouth and tried to talk but coughed instead.

Gio hissed out a breath and touched Carter’s cheek with his free hand. “Carter, rest. Faith will be here soon.”

Once he stopped coughing, Carter focused on her again. “Don’t leave us.”

The charge humming up her arm got stronger for a moment, and she felt a strong need to reassure the wounded man. “I won’t go. Not until you’re better.”

A smile curved Carter’s lips, and his eyes relaxed closed. “Good.” The word was barely audible, but there was obvious relief there.

Gio’s face was still close to hers, so when he turned to speak, she felt his breath against her cheek. “We’re both grateful you’re staying.”

She froze, unsure what to do or say.

No, that was a lie. She desperately wanted to turn her face and press her lips to Gio’s. It was such an inappropriate impulse that she felt both shame and desire. The conflicting feelings made her feel a little shaky.

“Carter and I have a special relationship,” Gio murmured, his lips moving to hover next to her ear. “I can’t explain it all at the moment, but I promise we’ve been looking for you.”

“L-L-Looking for me?” she stammered, not surprised when her voice came out unsteady.

“Yes, bellezza ,” he whispered, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. Electric sparks shot down her spine, making her suck in a breath.

Without thinking about the consequences, she turned her face to his. Their lips met, and she opened for him. He wasn’t forceful. His kiss was probing as if inviting her. She moaned, and he deepened the kiss. Her entire world narrowed to his lips on hers and her hand on Carter’s chest.

It was crazy, but she could’ve sworn she felt deep satisfaction radiating off Carter. At the same time, she felt her entire body aching. She’d never felt such a strong urge to rip off her clothes and beg to be touched.

“Gio?”

A woman’s voice was like a bucket of cold water splashed over Mila. She pulled away from Gio’s kiss and tugged her hand free. Feeling breathless and maybe a little dizzy, she scrambled off the bed.

“What, uh, who is that?” she asked, trying hard to get her jumbled thoughts in some kind of order.

“That’s the woman who’s going to make sure Carter’s fine,” Gio explained, looking a little dazed himself. Without taking his eyes off Mila, he called out, “Upstairs, Faith.”

Mila stood near the door, debating about what she should do when a gorgeous African American woman walked into the room.

She had thick dreadlocks streaming down her back and secured in a ponytail by a colorful scarf at the back of her head.

It was hard to describe, but she also had an air of calm that immediately made Mila feel better.

“Oh, hello,” the woman said, coming to a stop and staring at Mila curiously.

“Faith, this is Mila,” Gio said quickly, standing up and moving to stand between them. “Mila, this is Dr. Faith. We should probably leave while she attends to Carter.”

Faith raised an eyebrow at Gio but then gave a nod of agreement. “It’d be better if Carter didn’t have to worry about looking strong and manly for you.”

Gio took hold of her elbow and escorted her out of the room. “Wait here for a moment.”

Before she could say a word, he gently shut the bedroom door in her face.

Standing in the dark hall, she tried to process what had happened.

Gio

“New flock member?” Faith asked in a quiet voice as she moved to the bed.

“She’s not flock yet, but she will be,” Gio explained. “She’s human and doesn’t know. We need to tread carefully.”

“I guessed that when you called me doctor instead of knitter,” Faith said with a wry smile. “You shouldn’t wait long. I’ve heard it’s better to do it quickly so there’s less of a sense of betrayal.”

“Nothing can happen until Carter is better,” Gio said, looking down at the wolf shifter. He could feel that Carter had slipped into unconsciousness. Carter was a convenient excuse. Really, it was Gio who was going to need to work up the courage to tell Mila.

Faith leaned over and placed a hand on Carter’s shoulder. Babette was still on the pillow next to his head. She lifted her head and growled at the knitter.

“Hush now, sweet soul,” the knitter murmured without looking at the dog. “I’m here to help.”

At her gentle words, Babette settled back down. She kept her eyes on Faith, as if ready to jump up and defend Carter, but didn’t growl.

Faith shut her eyes to concentrate. It only took a few seconds for her to assess Carter. With a shake of her head, she looked up at Gio.

“There’s a lot of internal damage there,” she murmured, “I’m going to be here a while, and I’ll need to spend the night this time. I can’t believe he survived.”

Gio pointed to the door keeping Mila in the hall. “I think he was able to draw from Mila until I got to him.”

“He drew enough from a human?” Faith exclaimed. “And she’s able to walk and talk after?”

“I know it’s unusual, but that’s the only explanation,” Gio said.

“Then that’s a good sign for her being in your flock. Go drink some blood and make sure you’re ready,” Faith said, getting comfortable on the edge of the bed. “I’ll need to draw from you later.”

Gio turned to leave but Faith stopped him. “Gio, I need you to watch Mila for any signs of sudden exhaustion,” she said. “If Carter was drawing from her, it might hit her all at once. Encourage her to eat and drink while she’s still moving around.”

“Do I need to call your wife?” he asked, fear making his voice tight.

“I doubt it,” Faith said. “If Carter took enough to be dangerous, we’d already be seeing the effects. Take care of her like you’d take care of Carter after he over extended himself with shifting.”

Gio nodded, he was familiar with that. “Steaks, water, and sleep.”

Faith chuckled. “Not necessarily a steak, but the same idea.”

Opening the door, Gio found Mila waiting in the center of the hallway looking a little dazed. He couldn't be sure if it was the events of the evening or a power drain.

“Would you join me in the kitchen?” he asked. She nodded and followed him down the stairs. While he tried to think of some way to start a conversation that didn’t sound odd or contrived, he missed the fact that she came to a stop at the arched entrance to the large kitchen area.

He didn’t realize she wasn’t right behind him until he got to the fridge and turned to ask what she liked to drink. She was standing with her eyes wide and mouth open, taking in every detail of the shiny, rarely used room.

“You have a set of Miele ovens. And a separate convection stovetop!” she pointed to something else with a little gasp. “Is that a proving drawer?”

“Maybe?” The kitchen had been newly renovated when he and Carter bought the house.

He’d focused on the second and third floor but hadn’t bothered to change anything about the first floor.

He didn’t eat, and Carter didn’t cook. The only things they used in the kitchen were the refrigerator and microwave.

Mila rushed into the kitchen and started touching things. She was talking about the high quality of the appliances or where she would put things if this was her kitchen. She was enamored by the lighting and the massive island in the center of space.

Gio winced when he noticed the dust she was disturbing in a few spots. As soon as she was settled in for the night, he’d come down here and give the room a thorough cleaning.

“You like kitchens?” he asked.

“Are you kidding?” Mila asked, turning to face him. “This isn’t a kitchen, it’s a work of art!”

“What do you like to cook?” he asked, opening the fridge, then quickly closing it when he realized the blood bags were right out in the open on the middle shelf.

“I’m a pastry chef,” she said with obvious pride.

“That’s excellent because Carter loves to eat and has a sweet tooth,” Gio said. “Where do you work?”

Wherever it was, she wouldn’t be working there long. She could keep baking, but it would be for fun, not to make a living. Her time belonged to them, not some faceless employer.

Her smile flattened at his question. “I’m not working at the moment. But Rissa said Harper might have a job for me as a waitress.”

He hated the way her light dimmed. “I need you!” he blurted.

“W-what?” she stuttered, her eyes going wide.

“I mean, I need a chef,” he explained. “You don’t need to take a job as a waitress when I’ve been looking for a personal chef for, um, months.”

She looked doubtful. “You have? You want to hire someone to cook full time for you? That seems expensive."

This was easier to answer. “Carter eats a lot and neither of us can cook. Sometimes he can’t even manage a microwave burrito. You should see our takeout bills!” His exaggerated shudder made her chuckle. “I promise, hiring you would be cheaper.”

“But you don’t even know if I can cook.” she protested.

“That’s a good point,” he agreed, thinking fast. “Why don’t we give you a two-week trial period? After that, you can reassess.”

She looked interested, but also hesitant. “I'm not sure that’s a good idea. What happened up in the bedroom…” her words trailed off to imply their earlier intimacy, her face turning bright red. “I don’t want to lose a job and um, lovers at the same time.”

He loved the way she blushed. Would she turn the same shade of red when she came screaming?

“We aren’t lovers yet,” he countered, and swaggered a step closer, putting his body close to her. She looked up at him with wide eyes, but didn’t back away. “A few touches and a brief kiss aren’t even the title page in the book of passion we could write together.”

“Title page?” she whispered and swayed toward him a little. “Book of passion? That should sound lame, but it doesn't.”

“It’s my voice,” Gio said, exaggerating the Italian accent he’d worked hard to hide as a young man newly arrived in America. “I can make anything sound good. Later I’ll recite the ingredients to Carter’s favorite energy drink.”

“How can you be so charming and sexy at the same time?”

“Practice,” he answered succinctly. “I promise you’ll never lose us as lovers. The job is on your terms, but Carter and I are an absolute certainty.”

She shook her head. “You can’t speak for Carter.”

Gio held his hand out. “In this matter, I can. Tell me you agree to give us two weeks. After that, we can see if you still want to keep the job as personal chef.”

“But keep you as lovers no matter what?” she asked with a little laugh, sliding her hand into his.

“We’ll keep you so content you’ll never look anywhere else,” he promised.

“Careful,” she said as they shook hands on the deal. “You two don’t have the job yet either.”