Beast Untamed: Beasts of Bodmin Moor, Book 3 (4 page)

“You reckon it’s okay to take it down?” Naomi asked. “I mean, we can always put it back up again if it is covering something. I just wish we knew what was behind it.”

“Only one way to find out.” With which Nathan shoved his boot clean through it.

Complete silence followed and everything seemed to freeze in time. Then Tynan laughed. “Shit, man. Why don’t you just take the short cut through life?”

“No point standing around ruminating.”

The two men hunkered down and peered through the hole Nathan’s boot had made. While they poked and prodded and speculated, Naomi turned to Erin. “Are you okay? You’ve gone very pale.”

Her stomach shuddered like there was no tomorrow, and she couldn’t seem to stop shaking. She’d barely finished remonstrating with herself to calm down after watching Nathan’s fist pounding the wall, but then he’d used his boot…

Oh God.

“Hey. Come through here and sit,” Naomi said, her arm coming around Erin’s shoulder. “You’re shaking.”

“I’m okay, really.” She sat on the chair Naomi steered her toward, and pressed a hand to her stomach. “I feel… I feel a little sick.”

“Take deep breaths,” Naomi instructed. “I’ll get you some water.”

“I’m all right, it’s settling now.” Erin forced herself to believe it, because the last thing she needed was to make a fuss and draw attention to herself. Have questions directed at her. Questions she couldn’t answer. “I haven’t drunk much water today,” she improvised. “I’m probably a little dehydrated. Please don’t say anything, I really am fine now.”

“Okay. But why don’t you stay and let me cook you a good meal. If you’re worried about Willa, I’ll go over and get her, bring her back here. Tynan will take her for a walk.”

“No, really. She seems a little jumpy with strangers at the moment.”

“Talia said she was fine with her the other day. She told me how friendly Willa is, how they had a really good play together. She was so taken with her, she was going to persuade Caleb to get a puppy.”

Erin thought how distant Caleb had been with Willa last night. How he hadn’t tried to appease her after she’d gotten a little frightened around him. She feared Talia would have her work cut out convincing her apparently dog-ambivalent husband to get a pooch.

“Thanks, anyway. But I really am okay now.” Erin stood, relieved that her legs felt steadier. “Don’t trouble Nathan for the lift,” she said following Naomi out onto the landing. “I think the walk in fresh air will do me good.”

Naomi looked at her as if she didn’t agree. “You’ll get that when you take Willa out. Nathan won’t mind dropping you off on his way.”

They found the two men where they’d left them, although the hole was decidedly larger now and plaster and dust covered the surrounding area where they’d pulled and tugged away at the wall. Nathan was half in, half out of the hole, while Tynan had his head through it watching whatever Nathan was currently doing.

“Nothing in there,” Tynan said, glancing up to look at Naomi. “Apart from an old electric meter. The kind they used back in the fifties. The wiring was disconnected long ago by the look of things.”

“Then we can have the whole thing down?” Naomi coughed against the cloud of dust when Nathan backed out of the space. “Most of it’s down anyway, I suppose.”

Nathan stood and pushed a hand through his hair. Dust particles clung to the dark strands, and smattered his shoulders and upper arms.

“You’ll need a brush,” Naomi decided and headed out.

Erin followed close on her tail, intending to persuade her friend she really was okay, then make a quick getaway. But the footfall behind augured otherwise, and minutes later, she was climbing into the passenger seat of Nathan’s SUV.

“There’s really no need for you to drive me,” Erin felt compelled to point out, reluctantly pulling her seat belt across. “It’s out of your way.”

“It might surprise you to know I can do the neighborly thing now and again.”

The glint in his eyes alerted her to the fact she was being teased, so she did what was expected and huffed. “You’re right. It does surprise me.”

“I don’t spend all my time screwing women and then unceremoniously dumping them. Well, at least the second part of that’s true.”

“It’s not your fault you like women. Some men are made that way. I get that. My only issue with you last night was because you used me in your unceremonious dumping of Caroline. Like I told you, I consider her a friend, or at least an acquaintance. You’ve probably driven a wedge between us.”

“I get that. The whole sisterhood thing. And maybe I was out of line.”

“Maybe?”

“That’s as close to an apology as you’ll get.”

“Then I’d better quit while I’m ahead and accept it.” About to turn away, Erin caught the flicker across his mouth. “Something funny?”

“Just that you manage to make an apology acceptance sound both appeasing and condescending at the same time. It’s a skill.”

She hadn’t meant it to sound that way, but she wasn’t going to apologize either. She was never again going to apologize to a man for being who she was. “Well, it wasn’t exactly an apology, so you didn’t exactly get an acceptance.”

Now he laughed. Full out and hearty. Hell. He even managed to make a laugh sound masculine and appealing and bloody sexy.

Serious again, he waited at the light, his fingers tapping on the wheel. “So, you’ve been in Bodmin for a couple of months. What brought you here?”

It was a simple enough question, one she’d been asked several times since she’d arrived. She had a simple answer. “Research. I’m interested in rare plants.”

He didn’t need to know that she intended to sign up for a degree course when she finally got settled somewhere. The less information she gave away, the safer she would be.

He looked down at the bunch of daffodils poking out of her grocery bag. “For what? The look of them? Medicinal purposes?”

“All of the above. But mostly their transmigratory patterns.”

He glanced at her, raised his eyebrows. “If you say so.”

“Where they originated from,” she explained. “Where they manage to end up. That sort of thing.”

“Got it.”

“You can turn right here just past the lamppost. I’m the fifth cottage along, by the privet hedge.”

He pulled up outside, and Erin popped her seat belt. She had a moment of panic when he did the same. He reached back for her shopping bags. “There’s no need. They’re not heavy or anything.”

“I’m doing that neighborly thing, remember?”

Since he was already stepping out of the vehicle with her bags in his hands, she had no option but to lead him up to the front door. “Thanks, I’ve got them now.”

He didn’t release them but nodded toward the lock indicating she should use the key she currently gripped in her hand. Turning the key, she heard Willa’s excited yip from behind the door.

Remembering how Willa had reacted last night to Caleb, she thought it best to warn Nathan. Not for his sake, but for Willa’s. She didn’t want her worried or upset again. “My dog can be a bit nervous of strangers.”

“Always best to size people up.”

“No, I mean…” Her gaze fell to the shirt beneath the leather jacket he wore. “You’ve still got dust on your shirt. Some of it has transferred to your jacket.”

He looked down, saw the dust, and met her gaze again. “What are you? OCD, or something?”

“Maybe. I’m the type who itches to pick a stray hair off someone’s coat, or straighten their lapels and collars.”

He eyed her for long moments, then raised his eyebrows. “Knock yourself out.”

Was he kidding? No way was she about to go anywhere near him. It had been bad enough sitting close to him while he drove her home. His presence had almost overpowered her, and there had been times she’d found it hard to catch her breath. Awareness of him had been constant. The way his big hands had wrapped around the steering wheel, the way he controlled the vehicle with ease and utter confidence, and the way his scent had flooded her nostrils in the confined space.

She realized he was standing perfectly still, and in the silence she could hear the soft sound of his breathing. He watched her with that assessing green gaze, making her chest squeeze with the effort to take in air.

She felt her cheeks burn, her fingers tremble, and quickly reached for her bags. “I really can take them from here. Thanks for the lift.”

Thankfully, he didn’t argue but handed her the bags. “Okay. See you around.” He tapped two fingers to his temple before swaggering off down the path and back to his car.

Inside, Erin let out a relieved sigh, dropped the bags and petted her excited dog. “The man makes me nervous,” she told Willa. “In too many ways to count. I’m going to have to stay well out of his way in the future. Come on, girl, come on.” She picked up the bags and walked through to the kitchen. “I’ve got a yummy rawhide stick in here for you. Isn’t that lovely?”

While Willa attended to her treat, Erin leaned back against the sink, watching the dog, but thinking of Nathan. It was perfectly normal for her to have such a reaction in his presence. He was imposing, intimidating and so damned arrogantly confident, she couldn’t imagine anyone not having a similar response. And he had apologized for his behavior last night. Sort of.

Willa was already halfway through her rawhide stick, and Erin’s heart filled with love for her baby. Alongside that emotion came the image of Nathan’s fist thumping that wall, the sickening sound of his boot connecting with the plaster.

Erin squeezed her eyes shut, wrapped her arms around herself as if to hold the memories, the agony of them, inside herself and not let them escape and become real again.

She knelt on the floor, beckoning Willa over. The dog came, happily clenching the remainder of her treat in her mouth. She promptly rolled onto her back, legs in the air, and let Erin rub her belly. While she rubbed and cooed, Erin checked the wound on Willa’s rear leg. It was difficult to see now, especially beneath all that wonderful golden fur, and Erin thanked God for it. There hadn’t seemed to be any ill effects after the surgery, and the vet had been right. Willa had made a full recovery.

Letting the rhythmic movement of stroking Willa soothe her, Erin renewed her vow. The one she had made two months ago. The night when she had packed a suitcase, grabbed Willa, and fled into the night.

She wouldn’t let anyone hurt her baby again. If she had to pack up and run every five damn minutes, nobody would ever touch Willa again. And if they tried? God help them.

Chapter Four

“Who’s the lucky lady you’re bringing to my wedding?”

At Naomi’s question, Nathan looked up from where he was tearing down the last of the plasterboard wall in Tynan’s house.

“I’m not bringing anyone,” Nathan said. “You take a female to a wedding and she’s going to start getting ideas.”

Laughing, Naomi patted his cheek, ignoring the low warning growl from her soon-to-be husband, who was currently yanking at long-disconnected electric wires. “You’re such an old romantic.” All innocence, she batted her lashes. “But since you’re not bringing anyone, I’ve got a favor to ask.”

Nathan didn’t especially like the sound of that. He had experience with Naomi’s favors, and they never came out in his best interests.

“Will you take Erin? I really want her there, but I know she won’t come on her own.”

“I’m part of the wedding party,” Nathan protested, a kind of panicked irritation trickling between his shoulder blades. “I’ve got duties, haven’t I? No time to babysit a woman who can’t get a date.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t like the woman. In fact, she’d proved feisty and challenging, two qualities he admired in a female. To a degree. But she wasn’t his type, and he was bloody sure he wasn’t hers.

“Erin doesn’t want to date. She’s not interested at the moment. Which is why I was going to ask you to use your considerable charm to persuade her to go with you. Will you? Please? For me?”

She batted those lashes again, and Tynan’s warning growls grew more insistent. At times like these, when his former squeeze used her feminine wiles on him to get what she wanted, Nathan was all too aware that their shared past was still a little raw for his friend. Normally, he milked that for all he was worth. Ragging on his friends was one of life’s pleasures, and Tynan was usually pretty easy to get going where Naomi was concerned.

But right then he was too busy fighting off his own concerns to worry about Tynan’s. “She doesn’t like me,” he said throwing a piece of board onto the pile. “And why doesn’t she want a date? What’s wrong with her? Apart from the fact her hair’s shorter than mine.”

“Nothing’s wrong with her. And don’t exaggerate, her hair’s not that short. I think she’s getting over a bad breakup, which is why I thought it would be good for her to spend time with you.”

Nathan stopped what he was doing and straightened up. “You want
me
to date her?”

“God. No.” Naomi didn’t even try to hide her stricken expression. “That’s not what I meant. No offense,” she said quickly, touching his arm. “But she’s vulnerable right now. Your love-’em-and-leave-’em strategy is most definitely not what she needs.”

“Meaning she’s not in the market for a quick fuck and dump,” Tynan taunted from the sidelines. “Some women like a bit of romance.”

“Yeah, and you’d know about that, asshole.”

“Just be her partner for the day, that’s all,” Naomi went on, ignoring the two men’s burgeoning spat. “Dance with her, make sure she’s got a drink, talk to her.”

“He can manage two out of three,” Tynan said. “The last one’s a stretch. For talk, read
screw
.”

“Fuck off.”

“So, I’ll call her?” Naomi pressed. “Tell her you’ll be her escort?”

Jeez. Why couldn’t he just say no to the woman?

“Yeah. Okay. Whatever.”

Naomi laughed. “You could be a bit more enthusiastic. I’m not asking you to sign away your freedom. And Erin’s good company.”

Yeah. When she wasn’t shying away from him like he was the devil incarnate, or laying into him because he happened to offend her sensibilities.

Nathan gathered up the debris and shoved it inside a rubbish bag. What the hell. It was only for a few goddamn hours. And, despite the fact Naomi had manipulated him, it wasn’t as if she was setting him up. In fact, she’d almost gone apoplectic when he’d asked her if she wanted him to date her new friend. Why was that anyway? Okay, he didn’t do the whole dating, have sex, more dates…wash, rinse and repeat, thing. But he didn’t treat women badly.

More than a little irritated by Naomi’s inference, Nathan decided that not only would he take Erin as agreed, but he’d act the perfect fucking gentleman. If for no other reason than to show his friends that his prime objective when in the company of women was not to
screw
them, as Tynan had so eloquently put it. Simple.

* * * * *

Erin stood outside the civic hall with Talia, her stomach fluttering with nerves. “God. I don’t know why I’m so nervous,” she said, tapping a hand to her stomach. “I wonder if Naomi is?”

Talia nodded down the short flight of steps to where the limo pulled up. “We’ll soon find out.”

Seconds later, Naomi emerged in a pretty emerald suit and holding a bunch of spring flowers. She smiled and gave them a wave with not a hint of nerves showing. She held the arm of her grandfather, Enoch, who looked dapper in a smart gray suit. Erin had met him once and liked him immensely.

Joining them at the top of the steps, Naomi reached out and gave them each a hug.

“You look amazing,” Erin said. “So pretty. I love your hair. All those gorgeous ringlets.”

“Thanks. Tynan loves it like this. You both look amazing too.”

Erin hoped so. She’d found a dress and matching jacket in one of the charity shops in town and splashed out on shoes and a bag to go with it.

“Are we ready, darling?”

Naomi smiled up at her grandfather. “Ready. Let’s go.”

While Naomi and Enoch waited in the vestibule to be called, Erin took her place inside the ceremonial room with Talia. She wanted to tell herself that her gaze was searching for the bridegroom but couldn’t deny that she really wanted to see Nathan.

Since Naomi had called two days ago and told her that Nathan would be her escort for the day, she been regularly battening down the slowly growing nerves that danced in her stomach. It was stupid of course, because it only meant she would be seated next to him at the official dinner. As always happened at these occasions, everyone mingled and socialized and you never ever stayed solely with the person you were with.

She let her focus drift to the front of the hall, where Caleb and Nathan flanked Tynan. They all looked amazing in their dark gray suits. Briefly, she considered if there had ever been such an enticing display of masculine appeal and raw sexuality in one place before.

Her attention zoomed in on Nathan. She’d only seen him dressed casually before, and he was imposing enough then. Now, he looked amazing. Smiling and joking with his friends, he seemed relaxed yet primed.

It had to be hard to lock all that masculinity and primitive energy inside a formal suit. Because beneath the traditional cloak of civility the suit afforded, Erin sensed there lurked the power and sensuality of a predator.

Predator? Where had that word come from? Almost at once, she realized, that was what sprang to mind whenever she saw him. A primal beast intent on ruling his world and everyone in it. Maybe that was why he unnerved her so much.

Awareness shimmered through her. She could deny all she liked that she wasn’t attracted to him, but she’d be kidding herself. Still, there was no way on God’s green earth she intended to act on it.

Even if, in her wildest imagination, he looked twice at her in that way, she couldn’t cope with someone like him. She didn’t have it in her to handle such a man. He would swallow her up. Eat her alive. And she already knew what that was like.

The door opened and Naomi walked in, her eyes fixed on her soon-to-be husband waiting at the end of the aisle with the rest of the wedding party.

Erin concentrated on the ceremony, trying hard to avoid looking at Nathan again. Unlike Caleb, who stole a few glances across at his wife and shared an intimate smile with her, Nathan kept his gaze focused on the happy couple.

Later, at the reception that followed the short ceremony, Nathan barely paid much attention to Erin until they were seated side by side for the formal dinner. She wondered if his focused attention to his wedding duties was as much because he didn’t want to mingle with her as it was to support Tynan. With Caleb at her other side, Erin felt more like he had been her designated “escort” rather than Nathan. Despite his size and regal stature, she found Caleb far less daunting than Nathan. He chatted easily with her, surprising her with his knowledge of the local area and giving her plenty of suggestions for places to walk Willa.

When he became engrossed with something Talia said, Erin was left alone with no other option than to converse with Nathan. Since there had obviously been something between him and Naomi at one stage, she wondered if he was feeling awkward attending his friends’ wedding. Had he loved Naomi? Had Tynan stolen her away? Erin didn’t like the thought of that any more than she liked being put in a situation where she felt like the consolation prize.

Unable to stand the awkward silence between them any longer, Erin turned to him. “If you must know, I don’t like this any more than you do.”

Nathan tapped his fingers on the white linen tablecloth. “Like what?”

“Being lumbered with you, any more than you’re enjoying being lumbered with me.”

Those dark eyebrows rose. “Thanks.”

Erin shrugged. “We don’t have to pretend you weren’t forced into asking me. I’ve been at the end of Naomi’s persuasive skills myself.”

“She sure has them.” He eyed Erin speculatively. “She said you wouldn’t come if I didn’t ask you. Do you have something against formal social occasions?”

“No.” She’d considered her days of attending them well and truly over. “It’s just that I prefer hanging out in jeans and sweaters.”

His gaze moved down to the simple bodice of the knee-length dress and held there, making Erin wish she’d kept the matching jacket on and not placed it over the back of her chair.

“You wouldn’t know from the way you look right now.” His eyes met hers again. “Or from that number you had on the other night. At the hen do.”

She had a quick jolt that he’d actually noticed. “Another panic buy. It’ll probably end up in the charity shop.”

It hadn’t always been that way, Erin thought briefly. Once, she’d had a whole closet full of cocktail dresses and formal wear. And each and every outfit had been chosen by Justin.

“Yeah, well.” Nathan ran his finger between his throat and shirt collar. “I’m not a great lover of these things myself. This suit’s on its second airing. If I get my way, it’ll go back in the closet for all time.”

“What was its first airing?”

“Caleb and Talia,” he explained with a nod past her to where the couple was still deep in conversation. “And if they go on the way they are, this bloody suit will soon be out again for a christening.”

Erin glanced around, and sure enough, the couple was showing all the signs of wanting to beat an early escape. Caleb’s arm lay protectively and possessively around Talia’s shoulder, his fingers brushing the side of her breast. While Talia’s hand rubbed along her husband’s thigh, reaching ever closer to his groin.

Grabbing her wine, Erin took a swig. It wasn’t a good idea to have those sorts of images in her head when she was already far too aware of Nathan beside her.

“What’s wrong?” Nathan asked, leaning close. Erin could hear the wicked smile in his voice, and when she looked at him, that glint was in his eye. “Getting all hot and bothered there, sugar?”

“Absolutely not.” Erin took a sip this time, then carefully placed the glass down. “I don’t do voyeurism, thanks.”

She used her most prissy voice, but all she got from Nathan was a deepening of that grin. Damn it. How was it the man could irritate her and get her hormones racing at the same time?

“Nothing wrong with a bit of healthy voyeurism in my book. It can add to the fun, spike up the anticipation.”

“Happily, our book choices are different.”

Partly to take the emphasis off where the conversation could lead, but more because she was in fact desperate to know, Erin decided to take the plunge.

“Did you and Naomi once have a thing?”

He didn’t flinch or give any indication she’d hit a nerve of any sort, but those eyes bored into hers.

“You could say that.”

Now she wished she hadn’t asked, because something akin to disappointment rippled through her. “Did Tynan steal her away?”

“You could say that too, but Naomi and I were never serious.”

“So you don’t have any problem with her marrying Tynan?”

“If they’re crazy enough to hitch themselves to each other for the rest of their lives, it’s up to them. Their choice.”

“But not yours?”

“I’m not the hitching type, sugar.”

“I get that, from things I’ve heard around.” And she’d heard a number of stories on the hen night about Nathan’s prowess. “You have quite a reputation amongst the ladies.”

“Not in a good way, I hope.”

She returned his grin. “Don’t worry. You’re status as
the man most likely not to get hitched
appears safe and secure.”

“Glad to hear it. What about you? Your reputation. You’ve not been here long enough for me to hear any of those stories from the guys around town, so I need to get my information from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.”

“I’m not the hitching type either. I was in a long-term relationship and it put me off the rest-of-your-life stuff for good.”

It hadn’t been as hard as she’d expected to finally tell the truth of it. She had planned not to reveal any information about her past with Justin, but Nathan really did have a way. Which was incredibly surprising. She’d resisted the attempts made by Talia and Naomi to get details from her about her past, and here she was telling Nathan like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Is that why you’re here? Fresh start?”

Okay. She wasn’t ready to reveal any more details that might demand further explanation. “I think most people like a fresh start after a relationship that didn’t work out. Mine just happened to coincide with wanting to do the research I mentioned before. It seemed like the perfect time to make the break.”

He eyed her for long moments in that way he had of making her feel he knew too much about her already, or that he fully intended to find out.