Staking His Claim (5 page)

Heat and excitement speared through her.
He was trying to be a gentleman?
She pushed against the
hands that restrained her. They didn't give. If this was an example
of him being a gentleman, she wondered what he'd be like if he lost
control. A shiver of fear and curious anticipation went through
her. But she wasn't ready for that, not with someone like him. No
way.

"You don't have the right to tell me what to
do. But I'll be nice and have mercy on you and tell you how it is."
She raised her neck and glared into his face, pushing against his
restraining hands. "I haven't slept with him. I don't intend to
sleep with him. So chill
.
"

An arrow of pure jealousy continued to pierce
through his bloodstream.
"Chill?"

"Yeah.
Chill
. You're way too serious.
You need to calm down. Chill."

He was about to begin interrogating her
further when the back door slammed and he heard Brian and Janie
come back into the house.

He slid to his feet and picked his beer up
from the coffee table. Putting it to his lips, he took a long pull
and turned to greet his hosts, trying to give them no indication of
the inappropriate conversation that had just transpired.

Janie stopped in the doorway, looked between
Raul and Elaina and slowly back again and then spoke in a stilted
manner. "Steaks are ready."

****

Raul forced himself to stay away from the
Canton household the rest of the month. It wasn't easy, but it was
for the best. Or so he told himself. By the time New Year's Eve
dawned, he was itching for the damn party just so he could see her
again.

When he finally arrived, his mood blackened
when he saw the amount of people already gathered there. All he
could think about was getting her to himself for awhile, and now he
realized that wouldn't be possible.

It was probably for the best, but that didn't
stop him from meandering through the house, nodding to people he
knew, his purposeful strides taking him in her direction.

He found her in the arched doorway between
the living room and the darkened hallway that led to the bedrooms.
She was covered in a tiny red dress that ended only a couple of
inches below the point where her thighs met. Her ankle had
obviously had time to heal, and she was standing on impossibly
high-heeled strappy gold sandals that emphasized the shape and
contours of her legs.

The only physical effects he could see from
her mishap were two pale spots on her knees where her injuries were
healing and wouldn't be noticeable to anyone that wasn't looking
for them. Her facial features were enhanced by the subtle use of
make-up and her hair was silky smooth around her shoulders. She
looked far too sophisticated for her young years. She was holding a
glass of champagne in one hand and was surrounded by a group of
young people that included Trevor.

Raul saw red as a jealous mist swam before
his eyes.

He ruthlessly contained his rage and
approached the group with a pleasant façade that he was far from
feeling.

He had one thought only.

Containment
.

****

Elaina stood in the circle of young people
feeling so emotionally free and happy she was almost delirious with
it. She had finally made up her mind to withdraw from nursing
school, had gotten over the guilt, and had told her aunt what she
planned to do. Much to her surprise, Janie had been one-hundred
percent supportive. They had talked for nearly two hours, and
Elaina was going to start looking for a job close to the ranch when
the hustle and bustle of the holiday season was over.

Janie had well and truly convinced her that
she and Brian wanted her to stay with them, and for as long as she
wanted.

Elaina now stood, leaning slightly against
the wall, feeling completely free and easy and enjoying the
conversation around her and the slight buzz that half a glass of
champagne had induced.

A small, happy smile on her face, she glanced
across the room and her eyes tangled with the dark, intent stare of
Raul Vega.

Butterflies hit her stomach, and she actually
felt her knees get weak. Her smile slipped a bit, and she felt a
full-blown blush spread across her cheeks and warm her face.

His gaze never left hers as he made his way
across the room to where she was standing.

She was held enthralled as she watched him
approach and briefly acknowledge the people around her, before he
simply reached out a hand to her and said, "Come."

Her blush deepening, she didn't think to
refuse him and put her hand in his, murmuring, "Excuse me," to her
circle of new friends.

Turning back the way he came, he pulled her
with him into the privacy of the study. He shut the door, leaned
back against it and crossed his arms over his chest.

She turned in a half circle to face him, her
heart beating triple time as he stood silently observing her. The
beat of the music from the other room bled through the thick wooden
door making the enclosed area of the study seem even smaller, shut
away from the rest of the party.

She couldn't stop the trembling in her
fingers, and the champagne glass wobbled precariously.

His eyes narrowed in on it. "You think you
should be drinking that?"

She already had enough alcohol running
through her system on an empty stomach, and the effort it was
taking to hold the liquid still in the glass suddenly seemed more
than her nerves could handle. She reached over and set it down on a
side table. "Probably not," she agreed mildly.

As she turned back, it occurred to her that
he was suggesting she shouldn't drink because of her youth, and not
because of her nervous state.

Once again, she chose not to enlighten
him.

He spoke, his voice rough but controlled,
"You know sweetheart, I get that you're young. Too young for me.
But I think you're old enough to know what you're doing to me." The
look he gave her was speculative, thoughtful. "Are you doing it on
purpose?"

The question caught her off guard and her
breath snarled in her throat. "No."

He continued as if she hadn't answered, his
voice turning feral, "I don't think it's escaped your notice that
I'm jealous of Trevor. And I think you're using it against me."

She expelled a shallow pant of air. His
disclosure sent an intoxicating blend of heady power and beguiling
need through her veins. Her denial came quickly, "No, I'm not.
I--"

"You need to have mercy on me, baby," his
tone turned slightly threatening, "before I snap."

Her heart pounded in her ears and she
swallowed with difficulty.

He took one step away from the door and her
voice unfroze as she tried to explain. "I've told you before, I'm
not interested in him that way. I'm not going to start something
with him, he kissed me, yeah, but--"

He came to a jerky halt, his expression
changing to lines of fury, steel inundating his spine.

"He kissed you?"

Elaina slammed her eyes closed as she
realized what she had inadvertently revealed.
Stupid.
She
kept her eyes closed for a few heartbeats until she felt him move
right up next to her.

Her lashes came up slowly to find his eyes
blazing down at her and his nostrils flaring.

The blood slammed through her veins and a
lick of heat stroked through her body landing in a pool of
vicious need
between her thighs.
What was it about this
man?

"He touched your lips?"

"
Jesus Christ
, Raul--"

He interrupted her, his voice a snarl.
"Answer me."

"Yes," she puffed out.

His jaw hardened. "That's not acceptable."
His hands came up and gripped her forearms in a hold that
restrained her.

She expelled a sound of laughter that wasn't
in any way funny. "What are you going to do about it?" she asked
him, smiling softly, licking her lips,
challenging him to kiss
her
. The sane part of her mind knew that was what she was
doing.

Even though he held her tightly, she felt in
control. She was in her aunt and uncle's home, and they weren't far
away. But deep inside, a trickle of anxiety washed through her. How
would she feel right now if that wasn't the case?

His eyes fell to her lips again. His hands
became harder and leaned into hers with more pressure as he slowly
began to lower his head over hers. "I'm going to wipe it from your
memory."

Elaina froze in his hold as anticipation
melted her bones. Her breathing splintered as he slowly touched his
lips to hers. Gently, his mouth moved against hers, in a caress
that was the complete opposite of the fierce restraint his hands
had on her. He kissed her softly, over again, moving his lips back
and forth.

His head moved to her ear and brushed her
hair aside with his face until his lips were open over her. He
whispered, "Was it like that?"

Elaina moaned softly. No, it hadn't been
anything like that at all. Trevor's kiss had been mildly pleasant,
not something that set off fireworks inside of her and scrambled
her brain to mush.

He took her earlobe between his teeth and
grazed her softly. "Was it like that?" He demanded an answer to his
question.

"No," she whispered.

Raul was hit with dual emotions; lust and
arousal from holding her in his arms, and rage from thinking about
that boy kissing her, tasting her with his tongue.

He needed to wipe it from her brain. Wipe it
from her memory. Wipe it from existence.

With that exact intent, he bent back to her
mouth, slanting his lips against hers, and as she took a deep
gasping breath, he slipped his tongue inside.
Oh, Jesus, she was
sweet
. Her tongue hesitated against his, her arms pushing
against him until he freed her. He moved his hands to her head and
lifted her mouth more fully into his.

Her fingers came up and clamped greedily to
his scalp, her torso molding provocatively into his, and their kiss
went wild. He drank from her lips, taking what he needed from her,
holding her tightly against his body. Their tongues entwined, their
breathing escalated as they fed from each other.

His arms stayed wrapped around her, clutching
her to him. His mouth left hers and seared its way back to her ear,
where he plunged his tongue inside and bit into her earlobe again.
He growled deep from his diaphragm and made a demand. "No more
fuckin' kisses, understand me?"

She panted in his arms, her body liquid as he
held her up. "Yes."

"Say it." His words were abrupt,
succinct.

"No more."

"No more
what
, Elaina?" He continued
to beat out the demand that he needed to hear.

His mouth left her ear as they sucked in
oxygen and stared at each other.

"No more Trevor." Her voice was soft,
hesitant, but sure that's what he wanted to hear.

"That's right," he rasped out.

They stood, arms-length apart as he clenched
her shoulders in his grasp. Her breath came in spiky inhalations as
her eyes grew troubled. Swallowing deeply, she watched him intently
for several long seconds.

His hand lifted to her hair and began to
bring her to him again.

She broke free and pulled away from him.

He let her escape his hold and flee from the
room. But later that night, he made damn sure he was standing
beside her when the stroke of midnight neared. When the countdown
began he stared Trevor down and straightened to his full height,
his hands landing on Elaina's shoulders. When the time came, in
deference to her age and the crowd around them, he placed a quick,
gentle kiss on her lips.

During the shouts of noise and laughter the
new year brought, he looked at her with an intensity she wouldn't
be able to help but understand.

He was staking his claim
.

****

As Elaina was getting ready for bed a few
hours later, her aunt slipped into her room. The look on her face
was more curious than troubled. "Is there something going on
between you and Raul?"

Elaina was surprised by the question even
though she shouldn't have been. She answered honestly. "Probably,
but I hope not."

Janie shook her head and chuckled. "What kind
of an answer is that?"

"The truth as I know it."

"What's going on, sweetie?"

Elaina moved to the bed and sat down, drawing
her knees up to her chin. "There are definite sparks flying around,
that's for sure."

"But?"

Elaina looked guilty. "I'm pretty sure he
thinks I'm younger than I am."

"How so?"

"He assumed when we met I was eighteen
because I told him I was a freshman in college."

"Ahh."

"Yeah."

"And you've let him go on assuming it?"

"It seemed the safest route," Elaina
responded.

"What do you mean by that?" her aunt
asked.

"He's Hispanic." She stated the obvious.

Janie let out a delicate snort. "I hate to be
the one to point it out to you, sweetie, but your last name
is
Ruiz
."

"I understand that. But mom was very
meticulous in explaining how it works with Hispanic men. She was
married to one, you know."

"I know that. I also know she was madly in
love with your father and he with her. What's going on in that
crazy head of yours?"

"Hispanic men are more--more--
just
more
. More everything. More in control. More macho. More
possessive."

Janie had a dreamy look on her face. "And my
sister told you that's a bad thing?" Her voice sounded
incredulous.

"Not exactly. But I guess I took it that
way."

"Elaina, all of that may be true in a general
sense. And I would think, certainly true when it comes to Raul. But
your parents were deeply in love. They had a wonderful
relationship. They were equals in every way. Your mom never fully
recovered from losing your dad. I don't think she was so much
warning you, as she was just
telling you as she saw it
. I
know for a fact she never regretted her choice and she loved
everything about your father. Baby, you must have
misunderstood."