Lover Mine (Blood Brothers 1) (7 page)

The warm sun felt good as Chayle closed her
eyes, letting it bathe her skin, the midmorning breeze soft and
gentle on the patio outside their bedroom suite. A quiet,
soft-spoken young woman had brought her steaming hot coffee just
the way she loved it with a selection of fruit, fluffy eggs, and
crispy bacon strips shortly after she had emerged from her shower,
as if it were the most normal thing in the world for someone to
attend her everyday needs. Then, just as quietly, the young woman
had excused herself and disappeared, leaving Chayle to enjoy the
peace and quiet she found outside the French doors of the secluded
patio.

The veranda style porch on the second floor
of Kayne's home offered a spectacular view of dense woods
surrounding the property with cleared grounds around the house, and
outbuildings close by. She had not seen a single person the entire
time she had reclined on the padded chase lounge soaking up the
sun's rays but Chayle was not fooled. Her skin prickled every so
often, alerting her to eyes that skimmed over her skin, an almost
silken touch not really there.

Another presence also prickled her
subconscious, allowing a slight uneasiness to touch her but she
pushed it away. Chayle could also sense others moving around the
grounds, nothing intrusive but almost protective, watching,
guarding. She sighed, realizing she was going to have to ask some
hard questions now that her mind was clearer. Kayne had some
explaining to do and it could not wait any longer. She had never
run from a problem and she was not going to start now. Kayne would
have to understand that from the beginning of this
relationship.

The suddenness of that thought forced her
eyes open and her hand to reach for her throat. Where the hell had
that come from?

Realistic if nothing else, Chayle smiled,
realizing that her life had changed drastically in the last few
weeks. She had not missed the fact that Kayne had referred to her
as "mate." Nor the fact that everyone treated her with some
semblance of special status when entering into the suite of rooms
for the last several days she had remained secluded as she healed.
However, they were going to have that talk about all of this
because she never hid from the truth. First, she needed
answers.

Why had she been taken?

Where was the other girl and what had
happened to her?

More importantly, how could she stop it from
happening again?

Chayle shifted on the lounge and felt the
pleasant ache in all the right places from the night before, vastly
different from the nightmares, the monsters who had taken her. She
still ached in places no human should have been violated, yet her
muscles were returning to their normal strength, albeit slowly. It
chafed her inherent stubbornness to know that it was going to take
longer than she would like for her body to recover. She hated lying
around waiting. They were going to have to make some serious
decisions - soon.

It was as if Kayne had inserted himself into
her subconscious without her even realizing it, and she was
accepting it without a fight, which was not like her at all. Before
the "incident," it was only herself that she had to rely on, to
fight for or against, and stubbornly make the determination as to
what direction she would go forth and conquer. Now it seemed her
mind and body were telling her something before she even realized
it.

A slow smile lit up her face as she leaned
back and let the sun's rays warm her, soaking them in like a warm
caress. Well, her alpha male was going to have to come to the
realization that she was not sitting this one out, and the sooner
he realized that the better for both of them.

There she went again - "her alpha male."

No sooner had the thought entered her mind
than Chayle felt the air stir slightly to her right, a musky scent
tickling her senses. She did not open her eyes, just took a deep
breath and drew him in like the warm breeze, deep into her lungs
like a life-giving force.

"You look like a cat curled up in the sun,"
he purred near her ear, causing Chayle to grin.

"Humm . . . and it feels good to just soak
it up after someone left the warmth of the bed. I got cold." She
cracked an eyelid, turning her head slightly to see a small smile
ghost Kayne's features before it was gone. "I'm kidding, Kayne. I
could not lie there any longer and needed to move. My muscles are
aching and need exercise."

"I brought you some clothes if you'd like to
dress and take a look around the place," he offered, holding out
his hand. "The walk might help with the soreness."

Chayle did not comment but took the offered
palm, feeling the calluses and strength as he tugged her from her
curled position on the lounge. He led her back into the spacious
bedroom where someone had made the bed while she lay outside
without her even hearing them, straightened the room, and replaced
the cut flowers on the dresser. On the back of the large
wing-backed chair lay a pair of jeans and tank top with comfortable
sneakers and ankle socks on the floor next to it.

"How did you know what size I wore?" she
asked, picking up the tank and jeans. "I'm not some skinny miss who
fits into just anything."

"It wasn't hard," Kayne grinned. "You
forget. I've carried you more than a couple of times lately so I
had a pretty good idea of your measurements."

She blushed as memories of last night
flooded her, his hands and mouth reminding her of just how much he
knew about her body. When Chayle looked back up it was to see the
same heat reflected in Kayne's eyes.

"You keep looking at me like that and you'll
never get into those clothes so you'd best take them into the
bathroom if you plan on getting dressed anytime today." His grin
was friendly and open now but Chayle could see the banked fires
sparkling in those blue eyes, a clear indication of how much he
still wanted her. His hot gaze roamed over her body causing it to
ache and burn.

Grinning, she gathered the jeans and tank
top and sauntered toward the bathroom with an extra twitch to her
hips, but could not help throwing a final comment over her
shoulder.

"Promises, promises!"

With a quick skip, she quickly closed the
bathroom door.

"Tease!" he whispered, then grinned. It
seemed his mate had more backbone than he had first given her
credit. That was a good thing.

Walking to the French doors, Kayne leaned
against them looking out onto the surrounding woods, not actually
seeing any of the beauty before him. Intel was still coming in from
their sources and it did not look good. The files and papers he had
found in the cabin before it was destroyed indicated that there was
more going on than just simple human trafficking but they could not
seem to connect it with any of the other occurrences. The only
differences were the types of females taken.

All were young, yes, but had different
backgrounds. Most had exceptional educations but were of different
socio-economic classes. There were no connections between races,
locations or families. The reports indicated all of the subjects
had such radical tests performed that it still terrified Kayne to
wonder what these assholes were up to considering many of the
victims had died as a result. The ones Kayne and his group had
managed to rescue were the lucky ones but it would take a long time
for many to return to a normal life, if ever.

The suspicion that the same groups he and
the Team had worked so hard to destroy once they had gained their
own freedom from the hidden testing facilities for the military
might now be active again would not go away. There were too many
similarities. He heard the bathroom door open and soft steps enter
the room, causing Kayne a ghost of a smile.

"You are doing that more often, brother!
It looks good on you."
Rafe's voice echoed softly in his mind
as Kayne felt his mate's hands rub up his back.

"What has you scowling so hard?" Chayle
slipped up behind him, hesitant to touch the hard back that leaned
against the doorjamb but unable to resist. She wedge into the
opening next to him, looking up.

It still amazed her that this man, this
warrior, did not terrify the daylights out of her. On some
elemental level, Chayle knew he could never harm her. Standing
there watching him in deep thought it was scary to realize that in
a very short time she had come to trust someone this much when in
her twenty-eight years that had never happened.

"Let's walk and I'll show you around," he
said instead, choosing to postpone the questions he knew Chayle had
for him.

"We need to talk, Kayne." Never one to be
put off, Chayle laid her hand on his forearm, once again reminded
of just how strong her warrior really was.

Damn - there it was again - her warrior.

"In a bit, Chayle, but let's walk first," he
whispered, and took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips. She
could tell it was a foreign gesture for him, something he had not
done every day but needed so she did not pull away.

"Ok, but we talk - later! Promise?" She
pulled back on his arm just a bit, waiting for his answer, knowing,
deep in her soul, that he would never break a promise to her.

"Promise," he whispered, licking her
fingers.

A shiver coursed down her spine, causing her
clit to swell and her juices to flow, wetting her silk panties she
had just put on. Her eyes darkened and Chayle knew the instant
Kayne was aware of her arousal because his breathing escalated and
his body tensed.

"We need to get moving or I'll have you
naked and back in bed for the rest of the day!" He growled, tucking
her hand in the crook of his arm and started out the door.

The winding stairs to the first floor lead
to a large open foyer that welcomed anyone who might be admitted.
Chayle had been instantly reminded of old world elegance and
functionality as the entry branched off toward a very masculine
library and office complete with several seating areas and two huge
desks. Large windows offered ample light during the day while a
huge fireplace took up one end that could easily warm the entire
room. On the opposite side was a small sitting room, dainty and
elegant, looking so out of place. When she turned to look back at
Kayne, he grinned.

"Every home should have a lady's room so she
can entertain," he commented, straight faced.

Chayle could not stop the laugh that bubbled
up.

"You hardly fit the profile of having a room
like this in your home. Why in the world haven't you turned it into
something more functional?"

Kayne's hand cupped her cheek, unable to
stop the reaction. "Because until now my brother and I had not
found mates, so we had no idea what she might want in a home." Her
indrawn breath whispered loudly in the cavernous foyer with its
high ceiling leading to the upper floors.

"Let's move it, or we might not finish this
tour," she whispered, barely taking her eyes from his face.

"Yes ma'am!" The snappy answer had her
smiling but it could not stop the need crawling through her womb or
the ache pulsing in her veins. Chayle had never craved like this
before and it was starting to worry her.

The rest of the tour inside of the residence
went smoothly, with Kayne showing her the huge kitchens complete
with stainless steel appliances and long countertops. He explained
most of the staff were only there during the daylight hours and had
residences on the property but were protected. When they stepped
outside the first thing she noticed was the breeze and smells of
the heavy woods around them.

"When are you going to tell me where we
are?" She looked up at him, waiting, wondering if he would
answer.

"We are just outside of a small town west of
Dallas, and this is actually our home. There used to be a military
base here in the '70s, which trained helicopter pilots, among other
things. The property has been in the family since before Texas
became a state." He pointed to the north, and she could see the
slight rise of hills. "There is a popular resort on the other side
Lake Mineral Wells, which is surrounded by a state park of the same
name just north of here. There is access and egress to and from the
lake, which is protected and guarded at all times, as well as
security on all perimeters with cameras and other types of devices
around the property line. We have over seventeen thousand acres,
Chayle." He saw the surprise and fear creep into her eyes. "No one
can get to us without someone knowing," he whispered. "I promise
you!"

"Wow, you went to a lot of trouble to hide
me, didn't you?" Her troubled gaze met his, searching it. "Why? Why
all of this when I'm a nobody?" she whispered.

Kayne growled, reaching for her shoulders.
"Never say that again!"

"What?" she squawked, taken aback by his
sudden actions.

"You are not a nobody. You're a person of
worth, and I never want to hear you say that again!" He growled,
pulling her to him, crushing her mouth with his in a possessive
assault that took her breath away. When he finally lifted his head,
Kayne laid his forehead against her's, breathing hard. "You test my
patience, do you know that?"

"The feelings are mutual, believe me!" she
whispered.

"Come, before I find a closet or other dark
place to hide you," he grinned, pushing away from her.

"You don't hear me complaining, do you?"

"Stop it!" With that he tucked her hand back
around his arm and strode out the front doors and across the
manicured lawns.

The property was amazing, more of a compound
nestled in the foothills and woods made to resemble a rambling
ranch and private property to the outside world. She could see a
gun range, complete with soundproof shoot house, garages that Kayne
explained housed various types of vehicles and an outdoor area that
resembled a football field. When she asked, Kayne actually
grinned.