Banishing Shadows (2 page)

“You heard her, she doesn’t want you. She needs a real man.”

Kayla shuddered in revulsion, trying to inch away from the pair. The bear punched leather man, catching him in the nose with a sharp snap as the bone broke.

That was when all hell broke out.

It was pandemonium. Kayla couldn’t tell who was fighting whom. She’d always imagined a bar fight to be exhilarating, even entertaining. The reality was terrifying. A large woman flew back against her, sending Kayla crashing sideways into a barstool. She fell to the floor, her ankle twisting beneath her. Making like a turtle, she crouched, her arms sheltering her head in an attempt to protect herself from flying glass and stumbling bodies.

Screw this.
She’d just crawl out. Gritting her teeth, she ignored the feel of the sticky floor, the piles of ash, spit and other revolting, unrecognizable things as she crept toward safety. She’d nearly made it to the door when she was picked up, the world tilting around her in a sickening blur as she found herself swung over a wide shoulder. Her screech of shock ended abruptly as a heavy smack landed on her ass.

“Shut up, Kayla, and lie still.” Kayla relaxed in relief at Cord’s stern voice. Before she knew it they were outside, Cord carrying her easily as he strode briskly along the broken sidewalk.

“Put me down!” No way was she going to let him carry her around as if she were a sack of potatoes. It was positively humiliating. “Damn it, Cord,” she cursed him when he ignored her.

“Where’s your car?” he asked.

“Two blocks over. Wynham Street. Let me down, you bastard!” Kayla slammed her hands on his back, aggravated further when he didn’t even flinch.

His reply was a firm slap to her ass, making her butt cheeks sting along with her flailing palms.

“Either stay still, Kayla, or I’m going to bend you over the closest car, raise that dress over your ass and spank you until my arm tires.”

Spank her? Was he mad? Oh hell no! No way.

She ignored the way her womb clenched after each spank he delivered to her ass.

Suddenly he stopped walking. The world swirled again before she landed on her feet. Hissing in pain, she quickly grabbed Cord’s arm to steady herself as she raised her sore foot.

“What’s wrong?” he demanded, easily picking her up by the waist so she dangled a couple of inches above the ground. Kayla gaped at him, shocked by his strength.

“Kayla.” His voice was a rumbling warning that she’d better answer him promptly.

“My ankle. I hurt it in the bar.”

He scowled down at her feet. “No wonder, you’re wearing the stupidest shoes ever made. What the hell possessed you to dress like this, Kayla? Never mind.” He cut her off before she could answer. Placing her on the hood of her car, he held out his hand imperiously.

“Keys.”

“You know, you’re not the boss of me. Go away and leave me alone.” Tears welled. What a disaster tonight had ended up being. All she wanted to do was slink away and bury her sorrows in as much full-fat, sickly, eat-only-in-moderation food as she could swallow.

Cord grabbed her when she attempted to slide off the car. He leaned down until they were face to face and she found herself swallowing heavily as his cold, stern gaze met hers.

“Give. Me. Your. Keys.”

This time she obeyed instantly.

Cord had never been so furious in his lie. He needed every bit of discipline he possessed to hold in his rage.

How dare she put herself in harm’s way?

When he’d seen her walk into the most dangerous bar in the city dressed like every man’s wet dream, he’d almost had a heart attack. Not to mention he’d achieved an instant hard-on, one that had yet to ease down.

Silence reigned during the ride to her place. Cord concentrated on his driving so he wouldn’t stare at her silky legs, her creamy breasts or the way she nervously licked those luscious lips. She damned well should be anxious, because this little stunt had pushed him over the edge.

The time for playing games was over. It was more than obvious that she needed a firm hand.

His hand.

Cord almost smiled at the concerned glances she sent his way. He knew the exact moment he’d realized she was a woman. She’d been eighteen, home from college and washing her brother’s car in tiny cutoff denim shorts and a tight tank top. It was no different than anything another girl her age would wear. But other girls didn’t catch his attention the way this one did.

Her laugh. The hot little looks she sent his way when she thought he wasn’t looking. The way she bit her thumbnail when she was nervous.

Damn, he had it bad.

Worse—he couldn’t have her.

She was young, sweet, innocent and his best friend’s sister. Her brothers would kill him if he hurt her. And he would. Cord wasn’t looking for a long-term relationship, didn’t deserve someone soft and sweet like Kayla.

He’d done his best to stay away from her. It helped that he spent so much time overseas or on base. He was due to ship out again soon. He would have been fine, could have kept his distance.

If she hadn’t put herself in danger.

Her brothers had been too lenient with her, spoiling her after a car accident killed their parents. Kayla had been seven at the time. At twenty-one, Luke had been granted guardianship of her and fourteen-year-old Jed, Cord’s best friend. The twins had been eighteen, old enough to leave home, but they’d stayed to help Luke raise the younger kids. As far as Cord was concerned they should’ve locked Kayla away as a teenager and left her there until she was at least thirty.

Letting her direct him, he pulled into a parking spot outside a large apartment building.

“Wait there,” he demanded when Kayla grasped the door handle. He ignored her frown, striding around to open her door. Reaching in to pick her up, he was startled when she slapped his hands away.

“Don’t touch me!” she snapped. Cord matched her scowl. Her eyes widened.

“You have two choices, angel. I can carry you upstairs in my arms, or I can throw you over my shoulder and haul you inside like a sack of potatoes. Either way, you are not walking on that ankle.”

“It doesn’t even hurt anymore,” she muttered, folding her arms beneath her breasts. He wondered if she’d done that on purpose—the move plumped them, making the already generous mounds overflow. He growled as he remembered how every lecher in the bar had drooled over her lush body.

“Hard way it is then,” he announced when she didn’t answer him. He quickly grabbed her, depositing her over his shoulder.

“Cord, no!” she cried out, wriggling frantically. “Please.” The please did it—as well as the tears in her voice. Turning her, he clasped her close to his chest and carried her into the building.

“What floor?” he asked as he entered the elevator.

“Second,” she muttered. She remained silent until he stepped out onto the second floor.

“This is my door.” She pointed to a narrow wooden door on the left. “You still have my keys.”

He shifted her weight, freeing a hand so he could pull the set of keys from his pocket. Unlocking it, he quickly strode inside, slamming the door shut with his shoulder.

Cord set her on a couch inside the small apartment. Snatching her ankle, he whisked off her ridiculous shoe, happy to note there was only a little pain when he rotated her foot.

“Cord, I’m fine. You can leave now.” He rose, but instead of leaving, moved toward her kitchen.

“Where are you going?” Ignoring her, he located a bag of frozen veggies, then placed it on her ankle as a cautionary measure. Satisfied he’d done all he could, Cord turned to examine her apartment in interest, taken aback by the feminine look of the place. Soft green walls were a perfect match for the cream-colored sofa and dark green throw. Kayla had always been a messy tomboy. He’d half expected to find clothes strewn about the place and baseball posters tacked to the walls.

“Surprised? What’d you expect, beer bottles and deer heads?”

He almost winced at her caustic tone.

“You’re in enough trouble, sunshine,” he replied calmly. “I wouldn’t try to prick my temper more.” He turned back to find her staring at him warily.

“Oh, I’d be very, very nervous if I were you,” he drawled. “You don’t even realize that you walked into a bar filled with some of the lowest scum in the city, do you? You know the big man who approached you, the one with the beard?”

She nodded.

“Well, that pillar of society just got out of jail for assault with a deadly weapon. He’s known for his particular skill with a knife, he loves to carve things and I’m not talking turkeys, you get me?”

She paled. “How do you know that? Why were you there? Who was that man you were talking to?”

“I know because I do my research before I walk into strange places.” He was satisfied when she lowered her eyes guilty. “That man I was talking to belongs to a gang called The Vipers. Heard of them?”

She nodded. He knew she would have, they’d been in the news a lot lately—none of it good.

“An army buddy’s little sister moved here six months ago. She’s gotten herself in a bit of trouble with The Vipers, not that she’ll admit it. So I told my buddy I would look into it, seeing as how I’m on leave and he’s halfway across the world. I was trying to find her tonight. If those guys had discovered my identity or even suspected what I was there for… Well, let’s just say you walking into Purgatory like that could have ended very badly. For both of us.”

She remained quiet as if assimilating that. When she’d walked into Purgatory, his stomach had dropped. Arousal and fear a sickening mix. He’d had to work hard not to react visibly. Fury had quickly followed. His stomach churned with thoughts of what could have happened to her tonight.

“Now, your punishment can go two ways.” He dropped his voice to a soft croon, causing her to glance at him warily. “Either you can be a good girl and raise your skirt and bend over that table, or you can be a bad girl.”

If circumstances had been different, he would have laughed as her jaw dropped in shock before anger lit her eyes. But now that she was safe, his command over his temper was slipping.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

He sighed in mock disappointment. “Looks like you’ve opted to be bad then.” As he took a large step toward her, she quickly threw up a hand to ward him off.

“Stay right there!” Panic shone brightly her eyes and her fear stopped him as little else could. “What punishment? There’s not going to be a punishment.”

“Oh yes there is.” He deliberately kept his voice soft, his arms crossed over his chest. “There is most definitely going to be a punishment. Yours. Because you dared to put yourself in danger. Because you walked into the worst bar in the city with no thought to your safety.”

He took a step forward.

“Because of those reasons you are so getting spanked.”

For a moment Kayla thought the glint of amusement in his eyes meant he was joking. Then she realized he was simply enjoying himself.

She narrowed her eyes at him, determined not to let on how aroused she was.

“You can sure as hell try,” she challenged him, immediately realizing her mistake as a ruthless smile crossed his face.

Kayla’s temper flared hot and wild. “I’m a grown woman, Cord. I can go where I like, when I like, and you have no say in the matter. You certainly have no right to punish me. Who the hell do you think you are, my fath— Argh!” Her words ended on a scream as he moved forward, trapping her in his arms, pushing her back until she was lying flat on the sofa with him leaning dominantly over her.

He kissed her, and it was more than she could ever have imagined—more intense, more passionate, more consuming. She was given no time to think—could only react, drawn into the whirlwind heat he was creating.

Cord raised his head and she protested the loss. His lips turned to the sensitive skin on her neck, nibbling and sucking until endless shivers of sensation raced through her body.

“I need you, Cord, please.” He was driving her wild. “Touch me, oh God, touch me.”

His gaze devoured her, baring her soul. Sitting, he stripped off her dress so she was lying in just the lacy bra and miniscule G-string.

As he continued to stare down at her, her insecurities rose, stealing some of her pleasure.

“Cord?” She cursed her trembling voice, the weakness she betrayed as her hands crept across her rounded stomach.

“No hiding.” His hands grabbed hers, placing them over her head. “Don’t move,” he warned as he undid the front clasp of her bra.

Her breasts spilled from the cups. His gaze was intense.

“I know they’re a bit big, but—”

“Jesus, woman, do I have to gag you?”

Kayla quickly shut up at his rough words. Their groans intertwined as he surrounded one stiff nipple with his lips, drowning it in the haven of his warm mouth. As though her nipples were precious, his mouth and tongue worshipped them. He seemed to know how to drive her crazy.

“Cord, I need you inside me.”

He kissed her again, moving his other hand to her breast. Rubbing his fingers over the hard nub, he stared at her through eyes that were heavy-lidded, lust-filled and determined.