Tameka's Smile (18 page)

And why are you guys checking out my sister anyway?” Chad tensed beneath her. He and the deputy she didn’t know exchanged meaningful looks. She could feel the tension in the air. Something was going on besides her getting sick.

“We…” Chad began.

“They’re just being extremely cautious,” NeeCee interrupted. “You know how cops are. Oooo, new person in town, and look, she’s black. Better make sure she’s on the up and up.”

“NeeCee!” Not that she hadn’t thought the same exact thing that day when Chad pulled her over, but some things you don’t voice aloud.

“What? It’s not like you’ve never thought it,” her baby sister said defensively.

Tameka could feel Chad staring at her and fidgeted, avoiding his gaze.

“So how long are you supposed to be in here anyway, since you’re not dying and all?”

She was grateful when both men’s eyes swung NeeCee’s way. “I don’t know. I haven’t spoken with a doctor, or seen one for that matter. I have no idea what’s going on beyond what Chad just told me.” She frowned at the realization.

“The clinic’s head nurse, Carol, said you seemed to be recovering nicely but that Alex would probably keep you another day or two to be sure. In the meantime, expect to be groggy and sleep a lot as the medicine works its way out of your system,” Chad informed her.

“If you’re going to be stuck here for another day or so, can I bunk at your house? From the looks of things, the nearest motel is over an hour away.”

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Since Tameka never thought she would stay anywhere else, she responded a bit absently. “Yeah, sure.” She turned back to Chad. “Do
you
have my keys? I don’t know where anything is,” she explained to her sister.

“I gave them to Bull. He’s been keeping an eye on the place for me. Bull, will you escort Ms. Jones…”

“You can call me NeeCee. Ms. Jones was my grandmother,” her sister interrupted.

“NeeCee to Tameka’s house and make sure she’s settled?”

“Sure thing. Right this way, miss.” The twinkle in Bull’s eye said he’d like to do more than help her get settle.

NeeCee opened her mouth to comment, but held back at the last minute. Unusual for her. Finally she said, “We’ll talk later, when things aren’t so…” She waved her hand, taking in the contents and the inhabitants in one sweep.

“Yeah, that will be good.” And it would be. She hadn’t seen NeeCee in a long, long time. Frankly she was amazed that her sister had come running when she found out she was sick.

“Here, Bull. Take this with you, and close the door on your way out, if you don’t mind.” Chad handed the deputy a large gold envelope with her name on it.

“Hey, that has my name on it. Hand it over.”

“Come on, Bull. I’m tired. That was a long drive. You people are on the backside of nowhere. I got lost twice. Let’s get out of here while I can still function.” NeeCee grabbed him by the arm and started tugging. “So, they call you Bull. Would that be because you’re hung like one, or because you frequently spout a bunch of bullshit out of your mouth?’

“Would you really like to find out? I’ll be happy to show you.” The expression on his face could only be described as lecherous as he paused at the door, waiting for NeeCee to exit before him.

The door closed on her response. Damn, she hadn’t seen or heard from her sister since NeeCee was a teenager, and it looked like she hadn’t changed a bit.

The hands still cupping her hips began a slow, sensuous massage as Chad flexed his hips. His cock rubbed against tissues still sensitive from their earlier mating, and her breath caught in her throat.

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“Don’t think you can distract me with sex. I want to know what was in the envelope and why my name was on it.” It was hard to sound firm when what he was doing felt so good. She found herself matching him, doing a slow grind on his pelvis in a circular rotation that complemented his in and out micro-thrusts.

“Who says my goal is to distract you? Why can’t I simply be expressing the love I feel for my mate? You want to talk? By all means, let’s discuss whatever’s on your mind. I can multitask.” He punctuated the word
multitask
with a sharp jab of the hips that almost rolled her eyes up into her head.

Tameka planted her hands on his chest, raising her upper body for leverage and began to rock. “So…the packet.

What…was in it?” she hissed, eyes closing in bliss.

“I don’t want to speak of that right now. Tell me about your sister. Why haven’t you mentioned her before now?” His head was tilted back into the pillow, eyes closed, cords in his neck beginning to protrude.

Tameka froze. “You don’t want to talk about it,” she echoed. “Why not?”

Chad got a good grip on her thighs, planted his feet on the bed and pistoned inside her. “Because…right now…I want to focus…on pleasant things, like…how much…I missed you,” he panted. “How happy…I am that you’re…okay. How much I love…you and…I’ll never let…you go. You’re mine.” The last came out in a growl as his eyes started to glow.

Tameka wanted to argue. She really did but at that moment, deep inside of her something shifted. Something feral. It rose and took over. “Mate now; explain later.”

* * * *

“What the hell is going on around here? Who is after my sister and what are you doing to stop them?” The alluring siren from a moment before was gone and in its place stood an angry, fire-breathing sex goddess. This side of her turned him on more than the other. His dick hardened painfully in his pants.

NeeCee Jones stood before him, model tall and slender, hands on her hips, tiny breasts jutting out and one hip cocked 120

ZENA WYNN

forward. The skinny jeans she wore lovingly molded to her long, lean legs, and his gaze helplessly traced the seam that ran through their juncture, wishing it were his hand. Or better yet, his tongue.

Her nipples were either pierced or clamped. Either way, he was determined to find out. He wanted to dip his tongue into her exposed naval and play with the diamond stud piercing. Then he’d examine her body, inch by succulent inch, and see what other delights her clothing was hiding.

She cleared her throat—loudly. “Excuse me. I asked you a question. If you’re finished ogling me, would it be too much trouble to give me an answer?”

Oh, yeah. He liked this woman, and before she left, he was getting a taste of her. His mind instantly got lost in all the ways he was going to take her.

Muttering something about “inbred hillbilly cops,” she stormed off.

The back view was just as luscious as the front. On her right lower back, just above the waistband of her pants was a tattoo—

a red heart with a jagged split down the middle caused by a striking bolt of lightning. He caught her with her hand on the car door handle. After spinning her around, he pinned her against the car with his body.

He was six-two. She stood only and inch or so shorter than he and was able to look him straight in the eye. That meant he could kiss her without getting a crook in his neck. Or, with the slightest bending of the knees, take her standing since their groins lined up perfectly.

The murderous look in her eye made him focus on the conversation. “How much did you hear?” She had to have been standing right outside the door.

“Enough to know that there are pictures in that envelope that Chad doesn’t want anyone—including Tameka—to see. And that someone is after her. Something she seems to have no knowledge of, and that the guy she’s with may not be human. I miss anything?”

Her expression dared him to lie, so he gave it to her straight.

“Someone is pushing your sister hard, trying to scare into leaving town and selling the land she inherited. They sent a box 121

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of dead roses, flattened two of her tires while the car was parked in her yard, butchered a dog and hung it from a noose in her front yard, and now these pictures.” He set the envelope on the roof of her vehicle and settled his weight more firmly against her.

“You can get Mr. Happy off of me. I don’t do white men,” she snarled while pushing against his chest. “What about Chad?

If he’s not human, what is he?”

He refused to budge. “You may not do white men, but you’ll do me.” He got right in her face and said, “Chad is a werewolf, and so am I.” Then he swooped in for a kiss.

She tried to bite his lip off.

He drew back with a silly smile on his face.
Damn, I think
I’m in love
.

“Back off.” She tried to meld into the metal framework of the car. “I said I’m not interested. Werewolves? Him, I can believe. You’re definitely a dog. What kind remains to be seen.” She shoved him again, and this time he gave her just enough space to turn around, then he leaned forward and whispered into her ear, “You mouth maybe saying no, but I can smell the way your pussy is creaming for me. I can’t wait to lap it up.” She froze, muscles stiffening until she resembled a living, breathing, marble statue.

“Follow me and I’ll show you where your sister lives. By the way, I’ll be staying there as well until she’s able to come home.” He licked the shell of her ear, grinning when she shivered. Before backing away, he made sure she could feel how hard he was for her.

As he walked off, the cop in him came to the forefront and he turned back around. “On second thought, leave your car here.

I have an idea.”

* * * *

Tameka collapsed onto Chad, so exhausted she could do nothing but groan. “I can’t feel my legs.” A supremely satisfied, belly roll of laughter rumbled out of the chest below her. “You need to eat. Once you get some solid food into your system, you’ll be back to your normal self. Let me 122

ZENA WYNN

call the nurse.” He reached for the call button.

“Touch it and die. Enough people have seen me naked. I want clothes and then food, in that order. And while I’m dressing, you can explain what was in the package that you didn’t want me to see.”

His heartbeat stuttered, and then began to race. Whatever it was, it must be serious. He really didn’t want her to know.

“Do I have clothes to put on?”

The hand languidly stroking her back paused. “I didn’t think to have Bull bring you some.”

She sighed. “No biggie. I’m not sure I like the idea of someone I don’t know going through my underwear drawer. I’m sure this place has a gown or something I can put on, even if it does leave my butt hanging out.”

The hand resumed motion. “I can do better than that. I have a shirt you can wear that should cover you sufficiently. Later, you can call your sister and have her pack you a bag.” When minutes passed and he continued to lie there, Tameka prompted him. “Well, are you going to get me the shirt or not?” He grumbled under his breath. “I don’t want to move. I miss being connected with you like this.”

She patted him soothingly on the shoulder. “I’m alive. We have all the time in the world to be connected like this.” On the word
this
, she contracted her vaginal muscles around his still erect penis.

Chad cursed and his hips flexed. “If you’re trying to convince me to pull out, you’re going about it the wrong way,” he muttered.

“Fine. I’ll just lay here and starve,” she complained despondently. “You can explain my death to the medical staff.” Her stomach chose that moment to rumble, punctuating her statement.

With a harassed expression on his face, Chad lifted her off of him, rose from the bed and brought her one of his shirts to wear. “Anything else I can do for you?” He placed his hands on his hips and arched his left brow.

She answered while donning the shirt. “Yeah, you can help me into the bathroom.”

He frowned ferociously. “I’ll have the nurse bring you a 123

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bedpan.”

“Only if you want me to bludgeon you with it. Help me out of this bed or I’ll do it myself.” She scowled back at him.

He snatched her up and plopped her down on top of the toilet stool. Leaning against the doorjamb, he crossed his arms over his chest and waited.

“Get out and close the door behind you. I’m not peeing with you watching.”

He opened his mouth, probably to complain, but Tameka didn’t give him a chance. “Now! The longer I take, the more time Mr. Winky has to wait to come back home.” His mouth snapped shut and he stormed out, muttering about stubborn females lacking the sense God gave a goose right before the door closed.

“And put on some pants!” she hollered through the door.

Once he was gone, Tameka allowed the smile she was suppressing to surface. He was so cute when he couldn’t have his way. Imagine the big, bad werewolf throwing a temper tantrum.

An uncomfortable fifteen minutes later, she was no longer laughing. Sweat poured down her face and she was so weak it was all she could do to sit upright. Pee shouldn’t burn coming out. There was also blood. Not much, but enough to frighten her.

Having never been seriously ill, now that she wasn’t being distracted by Chad, she was worried and wanted nothing more than to go home.

Too tired for modesty, she called for Chad and allowed him to assist. At her request, he sponged the sweat off of her body, gave her a fresh shirt, and placed her back on the bed seconds before dinner arrived. She picked at her food, having lost her appetite.

“Chad?”

“Hmm?” He glanced up from the steak he was devouring.

“Are you sure I’m alright? I don’t have some fatal disease and you’re just too afraid to tell me, do I?” Chad choked, coughing and pounding on his chest to get the food to go down. “What! No, why on earth would you think something like that?”