Savage Hunger: Savage, Book 1 (6 page)

Heat sizzled through her blood, spreading to hidden areas of her body and making her want to do things she’d never before wanted. Emboldened, she arched into him with a moan.

Warrick groaned against her lips and slid a hand between them to cup one sensitive breast, kneaded her flesh. She cried out from the unfamiliar, incredible sensation. But then, before she could even imagine the pleasures of what would come next, he jerked his hand away again. He let out a ragged groan against her mouth, before his head lifted a second later.

“I can’t do this.”

Sienna’s eyes fluttered open and she stared up at him, her mind scrambling to figure out what had happened.

“Why?” she whispered. “I want you.”

He shook his head, turning away from her to thrust a hand through his hair. “You’re just a kid, Sienna. You don’t know what you want.”

“I turned eighteen last month.”

“You’re still a virgin.”

She bit her lip, mortification sweeping through her at his bitter statement. She couldn’t deny what had almost been an accusation, but what did that have to do with anything?

“Maybe I want you to be my first.”
And my only.

“Enough, Sienna. What just happened was a mistake. I shouldn’t have touched you.”

Her heart sank. “A mistake?”

Warrick was quiet for a moment, avoiding her questioning gaze. Finally he turned and she bit her lip, hoping he’d realize what had happened between them wasn’t a bad thing.

But his hard gaze was unreadable when he looked at her. “Yes, a mistake, Sienna. And to be honest, you’re not…my type. Though if you were anyone besides Daniel’s little sister, I might’ve taken you up on what you’re so quick to offer.”

So quick to offer? He acted like she was a whore he’d picked up walking the streets.

“Go to hell,” she whispered, feeling the color leach from her face. Her stomach roiled and for a moment she thought she might get sick. Who was this guy sitting across from her? It wasn’t the Warrick she’d grown up with. This man was a cruel, brutal bastard.

For a moment she thought she saw remorse flash in his eyes, but then it was gone when he turned away and started the engine.

“It’s time to take you home,” he said tonelessly.

She didn’t say a word the entire drive back to her house and when he pulled into the driveway, she reached for the door handle, ready to jump out. The strong fingers that circled her wrist halted her. She ground her teeth together, hoping he wouldn’t see the tears in her eyes.

“What?” she choked out.

“You need to be a little more careful, Sienna,” he said instead. “With the guys you’re choosing.”

“Including you, obviously. Whatever, Warrick. Unsolicited advice duly noted,” she replied with a bitter laugh, before jerking free and fleeing into the safety of her house.

When her reflection in the mirror became blurry, Sienna quickly blinked away the tears and reached for a tissue. God, the memory of that night six years ago still had the ability to make her sick with mortification. Maybe even more so now, because the scab of loving Warrick had been ripped off again when he’d come back into her life tonight.

He’d left town shortly after that incident, and she hadn’t spoken to him since. Not that she’d wanted to after learning he’d told her brother and dad that she’d been drinking illegally and had gotten herself into trouble that night.

The betrayal of trust had been shockingly painful, but at least he’d skipped telling her family the details of how she’d thrown herself at him. God, that would’ve just completed her humiliation.

Tossing the tissue in the wastebasket, she turned and left the bathroom, pressing a hand against her chest. She felt the slight bump of the phone there, and her eyes widened and she bit back a curse.

She’d forgotten all about it! She should’ve called her dad the minute Warrick left the room.
This
is what he did to her—had always done to her—made her a frazzled mess. Jerking the small cell phone free from the hidden spot between her breasts, Sienna dialed with trembling fingers. Shooting a nervous glance at the door, she knew she had to do this quickly. At first there was silence, and she prayed to the reception gods there would be a cell tower nearby.

There was!

“Sienna, honey?” her father’s voice came through the line after two rings, the surprise in his tone evident. “What are you doing awake? I was just getting up to make some coffee.”

“Dad, I can’t talk long.” Her hands clenched around the phone and she glanced toward the door again. “I need your help.”

“Sienna, what’s going on?” His tone sharpened and she could visualize him pacing the small kitchen in his house back in Boston.

“Really horrific stuff with the lab I was working for.” God, he was going to think she was nuts. She drew in a deep breath and blurted, “There are things out there, Dad. Strange, unbelievable things…like something that can morph between human and animal.”

The silence on the other end had her stomach sinking. Yup. He was definitely thinking she’d drunk the Kool-Aid. “Look,” she plunged on, knowing she had to convince him. Couldn’t afford to let him not believe. “I know it sounds crazy—”

“I know all about the shapeshifter species, Sienna.”

Sienna blinked, the air stranded in her lungs as she reached out to grab the dresser. He knew? Her dad knew about shifters?
How?

“Sienna?”

“How?” she finally croaked. “How did you know? How
long
have you known?”

“For…awhile,” he said carefully. “The question is, how exactly did you find out, my dear?”

Trying to recover from the shock that her father was aware of the existence of these creatures, she gave a feeble shrug. “The lab I work for was holding some of them…” She shook her head and gave a frustrated sigh. “Seriously, you
knew
?”

“Sienna, this is a conversation best had in person. Right now, why don’t you elaborate on the situation that requires my help?”

Footsteps sounded in the house and fear rocketed through her, chilling her blood.

“I need to go, Dad. Warrick’s back. I’ll get there as soon as I can. Just wait to hear from me.”

“You’re with
Warrick?
As in
Warrick Donovan?
”

“Yes. Look, I’ll call you as soon as I can.”

“Sienna, wait. If you’re with—”

She turned off her phone, quickly erased the call history just in case, and rushed to replace it between her breasts. Crap, she was really going to have to find a better place to hide her stuff.

Heavy footsteps fell outside the door. Spinning around she faced the door, her heart almost stopping as she saw the handle turn.

The door eased open and Sienna watched one black-leather shoe step inside. Her gaze traveled upward as the rest of Warrick’s body appeared. His muscles rippled beneath his black shirt as he stepped confidently into the room, looking every bit the federal agent he’d claimed to be. God. He really was insanely hot. Even more so now as a fully grown man.

Her mouth dried and she ran her tongue over her lips. Warrick’s gaze homed in on the movement as he shut the door firmly behind him.

“You haven’t changed out of your dress.”

His low, sensual voice sent her senses spinning and she had to focus on what he’d just said. Her dress. Right.

“I…there’s a zipper in the back that I can’t quite reach.” She knew it was the wrong thing to say when his gaze narrowed with heat like she’d just thrown down the gauntlet of seduction. But really, it was the first thing that had popped into her head. She couldn’t exactly confess to calling her father.

“Is that so?” he murmured softly, taking a step toward her. “Turn around.”

Chapter Five

Her pulse tripped at the rough command, but Sienna moved to obey, knowing she’d walked right into this one. She’d have to be very careful not to expose the goods she was hiding in the bodice.

His footsteps sounded on the wood floor as he closed the distance between them. The heat of his hard body registered before his hip brushed the curve of her bottom. The familiar, sexy smell of him teased her senses and tingles raced through her blood. She silently let out the breath she’d been holding, repeating the mantra
he doesn’t affect me, he doesn’t affect me
in her head.

Warrick caught the length of her hair and pushed it forward over her shoulder. His long, rough fingers brushed against her bare skin and she trembled, letting her eyes drift shut, knowing her mantra was crap.

He found the tab of her zipper and slowly tugged it down; the sound of the teeth separating seemed extraordinarily loud in the room. Cool air greeted her naked back with each inch he exposed.

“No bra?”

Her cheeks warmed with color at his husky question. She didn’t really need a bra with the way the bodice was cut, and her breasts weren’t overly big anyway.

Clutching the dress at her breasts so it didn’t fall down or drop the hidden items, she muttered, “You know, you could try to act like a gentleman and
not
point these kinds of things out.”

He paused in his movement of unzipping, each breath he exhaled teasingly hot on her neck. “There was a time when you wouldn’t have wanted me to.”

Her heart clenched at the reminder of how foolish she’d been six years ago.

“Times have changed, Warrick.”

He was silent for a moment, then muttered a terse, “Good.”

It was almost like he’d kicked her in the stomach. Sienna jerked away from him, glad her back was to him so he wouldn’t see the hurt in her eyes.

“I can handle it from here, thanks.”

“Don’t forget this.”

She reluctantly turned, blinking her expression into disdain as she accepted the shirt she’d dropped on the floor earlier.

Warrick’s mouth tightened. “And we still need to talk.”

“No, we need to go to bed. I believe you said that talking can wait until the morning. It’s at least past three.”

“You’re right.” Warrick thrust a hand through his short hair, before nodding. “Okay. We’ll call it a night.”

Relief slid through her and she gave a short nod. Well, he’d certainly backed off that easily enough. He was probably just as exhausted as she was.

Stifling a sigh, she headed toward the bathroom. The dress and T-shirt bunched in front of her to conceal the phone and thumb drive.

“Thank you. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Once in the bathroom, she closed the door and leaned her head against the cool wood. God. She needed to get out of this house. Get away from Warrick and the other guys, and get to her father as soon as possible. But how?

First things first. She had to find a place to hide the jump drive and phone. She plucked open the drawers in the bathroom, trying to figure out where the hell Warrick wouldn’t look.

Her lips quirked when she spotted the box of feminine products. Bingo. These types of things tended to make men break out in hives. Since the box was already open and missing a few items, she squeezed the phone and jump drive in easily, and closed the drawer back up, her nerves still jumping.

With an uneasy sigh, she slid out of her dress completely and folded it neatly, then set it on the counter. Next she pulled on the T-shirt, which thankfully hit almost midthigh.

Using the rest of the unopened toiletries in the bathroom, she brushed her teeth and washed her face. They really stocked these safe houses. What was the name of that agency he’d said he worked for? P.A.I? Something like that? The idea of Warrick being some kind of federal agent had her stomach clenching. Sure, she hadn’t seen him in years, but she’d figured he’d just gone off traveling the world like Daniel had said. He’d always seemed to have a bit of a restless spirit. Especially after his mom had left…

After preparing herself as much as was allowed for bed, Sienna turned off the light, then opened the door to the bathroom and froze.

Shock ripped through her and she blinked, almost hoping, if she closed her eyes and opened them enough, he would be gone. That Warrick wouldn’t be lying on the floor, his naked chest exposed above the blanket, and his arms folded above his head on a pillow.

The way his mouth quirked up on the side clearly indicated he found her stunned reaction amusing. His gaze slid over her body, lingering on her naked thighs and legs. His lips tightened and his chest rose and fell sharply.

Her mouth flapped as she tried to form words; finally she croaked out a simple, “No.”

“No?” He arched an eyebrow. “No, you’re not tired anymore and you’d like to be questioned?”

“
No
to you being in my room. And
no
to the questioning as well.” She lifted a trembling arm and pointed to the door. “Get out.”

He shook his head. “Sorry, Sienna, but I’m not leaving our room. So you’d just better get over it.”

“Our room?
Our
room? You couldn’t have told me this earlier?” Her eyes widened and her mouth grew tight. “Warrick, you’ve kidnapped me and forced me to some damn safe house in the country so you can ask me questions I can’t answer. That alone is pretty messed up. But, I am
not
sharing a room with you.”