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At the south end of the Vickers Farm, Jaz directed Adrian to turn down a narrow-rutted path in the woods. The old homestead of generations past had crumbled not far from this old barn. That’s why the current family lived at the other end of the property with a beautiful new barn.
The two-room apartment above the rickety barn that housed a couple pieces of rusting farm equipment had been perfect. She didn’t want to live around their home in case she had unexpected shifters show up.
Like tonight.
Adrian slowed as he neared the structure of weathered wood and stared hard. “Do you have power in there?”
She followed his gaze to where one of the barn doors hung half off since no one used the lower area these days.
“I’m in the upstairs. It has power and water.” She couldn’t wait to climb into a tub of hot water. If she were human, she’d ice her leg, but her shifter genes were already working to repair the damage. She should just shift and let Tarski finish the healing, but her wolf needed rest, too.
Adrian parked and ran around the truck.
She already had her door open and lowered the foot of her good leg down first. Her injured leg had stiffened in that short ride. She eased that foot down and hissed in pain.
Fifteen steps up those stairs and she’d be home.
Right now, that felt like climbing a mountain.
Adrian offered, “If you won’t attack me, I’ll carry you.”
“No, thanks.” She took a step and pain shot up her leg. She grabbed the door frame.
“How’re you going to make it up those stairs?” Adrian asked with his arms crossed.
She didn’t answer. “Just leave, Adrian.”
He kept at her. “You plan to sleep down here?”
Actually, that had crossed her mind until he made it sound stupid. “If it means you’ll leave me alone, yes,” she snapped, sounding like an injured animal.
Moving so quickly he caught her off guard, he hoisted her over his shoulder fireman style.
“Dammit, Adrian!” She slapped his back.
“You’re welcome.” He closed the door and laughed as he carried her to the top landing. With barely enough room to stand, he opened the unlocked door. The light switch he flipped on sent a soft glow over her Spartan interior.
She didn’t feel an ounce of embarrassment, only gratitude for this place.
A double bed had been shoved against one wall. The tiny kitchen area had a microwave and hot plate, none of which matched the ugly green refrigerator, but both worked.
Out of energy and patience, she said, “Put me down.”
He kept her on his shoulder. “Are you taking a shower?”
“Yesss.”
He crossed the few steps to her bathroom, then he lowered her slowly to her feet. Having her body slide down the front of his sent heat zinging from her too-sensitive nipples to her womb.
Brushing over his hard dick left no question how much he wanted her.
With Adrian’s face so close to hers, she struggled with her next breath. Her breasts were having a party against his chest. He looked down and she did, too.
Her buttonless shirt had fallen open, threatening to let the girls out.
His dick thumped against her.
The air heated and energy buzzed through her. What was that all about? Lost in the moment, she licked her dry lips.
He inhaled. His chocolate brown eyes turned turbulent. “Please don’t do that.”
“Lick my lips?” she asked innocently.
“Like you don’t know what you’re doing to me?” he countered.
He had her there.
She’d have a hard time denying her reaction to this wolf, which is why she intended to ignore it.
She needed her head straight to deal with a formidable force like Adrian. A long hot bath would buy her time to figure out what to do about this man.
“Adrian ... ” She’d intended that to come out with authority, not to sound husky.
“Mmm?” he murmured.
“I need, uhm ... ”
“Help washing your back,” he suggested.
No, no, no. She had to get him out of here. “Clothes,” she grumbled at him. “Get out of my way.”
“Just a joke,” he smiled as if he hadn’t just lied. “Where are your clothes? I’ll get them.”
Why did he have to keep acting so nice?
Dragging up patience from where she kept it for special occasions, she angled her head to her right. “In a box under the bed. Should be a pair of jogging pants and a T-shirt in there.”
She waited while he found the cardboard box and dug for the clothes. That shouldn’t take long. She only had a couple changes Sam’s wife had been nice enough to pull together for her.
When Adrian came back, she expected him to make a comment about no underwear, but he didn’t. He leaned past her and dropped the clothes on the closed toilet lid.
His masculine scent brushed her sensitive body just as if he’d touched her with those long fingers.
“What else can I do?” he asked.
That back wash sounded pretty good.
She shook off her momentary lapse of sanity. “Nothing. I’ve got it from here.”
He held her gaze for a long moment. “Need me to help you get in the tub?”
She gave the sexy brute a push in his chest. “You’re not staying while I bathe.”
He grimaced, but quickly covered the reaction with a phony smile.
She’d scented dried blood earlier and brushed it off as an injury healing, but why had he grimaced?
Adrian asked, “Change your mind about the back wash?”
She bumped on her power to test his ability to catch a lie. “No.”
His eyebrows jumped and he grinned.
“What’s so funny?”
“You just lied.”
What the devil? Why couldn’t she get a lie past him?
Thoroughly confused, she hobbled back a step and shut the door then dropped her forehead on the painted wood surface.
She couldn’t keep her distance with him so close.
She also couldn’t lie to him and protect him from her dangerous life.
By midnight, her bones would be fully healed, and she’d have a plan for escape.
