The Guardian (The Wolfe Series) (16 page)

             
It was then Laurie realized for the first time that she was naked beneath the covers.  “I wouldn’t want to trouble you,” she said, pulling the covers up to her chin.

             
“Just who do you think has been taking care of you for the last thirty-six hours, hum?”  He lifted the bedcovers off her injured leg and removed the bandage, taking care to preserve her modesty.  “Looks a lot better and I don’t think you’ll be needing this any longer.”  He deftly removed the IV from her arm and wrapped a clean bandage around her leg.  “Just so you know,” he said as conversationally as possible, “the next time you’re hurt or injured, you will be taken to a hospital.  I’ll make no more promises like the one you forced on me the other day.”

             
Laurie heard the hint of steel in Jake’s words and wondered why he would think there would ever be a next time.  She planned on leaving just as soon as her leg was healed.  There was no way she would endanger Jake or his families lives, which prompted her to wonder briefly if Jake was married or had children.  Enrique would have no qualms eliminating anyone; man, woman or child, who tried to help her or get in his way.  And then there was another matter to consider, would Jake and his family help her if they knew she was running from Luzaro Rivera and Enrique Perez?

             
“Something tells me you might like a shower.” Jake tossed her bra and panties on the bed as well as her sundress.  “I took the liberty of cleaning your clothes.  I hope you don’t mind.”

             
Laurie looked at her bra and the scrap of lace that served as her panties and flushed.  “That was very thoughtful of you.”

             
Jake pinned her with his brilliant blue gaze and said, “I’ll give you a couple of minutes to slip into those and then I’ll be back to help you with your shower.”

             
“What?” Laurie squeaked in alarm.

             
“Just think of those undergarments, if you can call them that, as a swim suit.  There’s no way I’m letting you get in that shower by yourself, not in your weakened condition, so get over it.”

“What will your wife think about that?”  Someone as gorgeous as Jake had to have a wife, didn’t he?

              “No wife,” Jake smiled as he left the bedroom, that rakish smile she was beginning to look forward to seeing.

             
“Of all the bossy, conceited . . .” Laurie exclaimed as the door clicked shut behind Jake.  She normally hated bossy men so why did she find herself jumping to do this man’s bidding?  He’d obviously seen her naked while he tended to her wound.  Who else would have removed her clothing?  Laurie’s blood heated at the thought.

             
The room started to spin as soon as Laurie’s feet hit the floor.  She grabbed a bedpost until the dizziness passed, realizing that Jake was right and that she was weaker than she’d thought.  Struggling into her bra and panties, Laurie was glad when she heard the bedroom door open and then felt Jake’s arm slip around her waist.  Tamping down her embarrassment, she leaned into him, enjoying the feel of his rock hard body against her own as he led her into the bathroom.

             
“Do you need a pain med this morning?” He didn’t want to push her harder than what she was capable of handling and that a shower would be stretching things, but she needed to get out of that bed and get her blood moving. 

Laurie
watched as Jake carefully wrapped plastic around her bandage and secured it with tape.  “It hurts, but nothing like it did at first,” Laurie explained, afraid he’d change his mind about the shower.  Her body and hair felt grubby and she couldn’t wait to get under the shower’s reviving spray.

             
The adjacent master bath was done in woodland colors of sage green and rust.  A large Jacuzzi tub stood in the center of the room and separate his and hers mesquite vanities matched the bedroom furniture.  Jake walked Laurie toward a glass-enclosed shower with dual heads and open the door with his right hand while supporting her with his left. 

             
Laurie limped into the shower with Jake’s help and sighed deeply, inhaling the hint of sage and cloves that lingered there. 

             
“We’ll need to keep your leg as dry as possible.  It seems to be healing well so we don’t want any setbacks.”  He lifted her left leg and placed it on a small white plastic bench he’d placed there earlier.

             
“But you’re going to get your clothes soaked,” Laurie worried.

             
Jake grinned as he turned on the shower.  “I could take them off if that would make you feel better.”  He’d like nothing better than to be skin to skin with her.  His body responded quickly to such a carnal thought and he ruthlessly tamped down his desire.  Their time would come he kept telling himself.  There was no need to rush things.  They’d have all the time in the world, he hoped.  A sliver of apprehension skittered down his spine and he ruthlessly shook it off knowing he would do whatever was necessary to claim his mate.  They had this one chance and he was going to make certain they didn’t miss it.

             
The water felt heavenly and Laurie leaned back against Jake’s body, tilting her face up toward the invigorating spray and letting it caress her face.

             
Jake’s erection strained against his wet jeans as Laurie’s body melted back against his.  Forcing himself to concentrate on the matter at hand, he lifted a bottle of his mother’s favorite Jasmine scented shampoo from a nearby niche and applied a generous amount to Laurie’s wet hair, his fingers massaging the shampoo into her scalp in a rhythmic motion.

             
Jake’s fingers massaging her scalp was the most sensual experience Laurie had ever had.  She could feel the bulge of his erection as she leaned back against him and the pull of attraction that sparked between them.  There hadn’t been anyone whohad stirred her since Jason Leverage, the cad who’d only wanted to use her and then throw her away.  Her body pressed indecently close to Jake’s, though, made her bones feel like they were melting.  His heated breath on her scalp sent a tingling sensation through her and she turned her head toward him.  Laurie felt her body burn with molten fire when Jake’s mouth covered hers.

             
When Laurie turned and looked at him, her full lips parted in wonder, Jake surrendered to the seductive pull of her allure.  His tongue dueled with hers in a mating ritual as old as time.  He plundered her soft mouth, his body yearning for fulfillment, the wolf in him ready to take her as his mate.  With the greatest regret, Jake forced himself to pull back from the brink.

             
Breathing raggedly he said, “I apologize.  You deserve hearts and flowers, not a quickie in the shower.”  He deftly went about the business of rinsing Laurie’s hair before lifting her in his arms and carrying her out of the shower. 

             
“The floor’s getting wet,”  Laurie observed pointlessly trying to cover her disquiet at her bodies treacherous response and mortified by her reaction to him. 
What must he be thinking of me? 
She was attracted to Jake but too smart to let a kiss make her think there was anything but sexual attraction between them.  How could there be any more than that when they’d known each other for such a short time.

             
  “I don’t care about the damn floor,” Jake said gruffly, depositing her back in the bed.  “You need to rest.  Doc will be stopping by later to check on you.”

             
“Doc,” Laurie asked, alarmed that Jake had called a doctor to come and tend to her.  “You called a doctor?  Please, call him back and tell him he needn’t come, that I’m feeling much better.”  Laurie shuddered.  The more people who knew of her whereabouts the more people that were in danger, and the greater the danger that she would be found.  She had no doubt Enrique would be turning southern Arizona upside down looking for her.

             
“Doc’s already been here to see you.  He left your wound open so the infection could drain but it will need stitches.”

             
“No doctor and no stitches,” Laurie cried as she tried to get out of bed knowing Enrique would kill anyone who tried to help her.

             
Jake pushed her none to gently back, his eyes narrowed as he pinned her to the bed.  “It’s not for you to say, Laurie.  I listened to you once, but not this time.  Doc can be trusted.  He’ll not tell anyone you’re here if that’s what you’re worried about.”  His eyes burned with a brilliant blue intensity as he probed her face and said, “What are you running from, Laurie?  My brothers and I can help you if you’ll just tell me.”

Laurie wiped away the tears that were gathering in her eyes with the back of her hand
knowing that Jake would have been a man she could have loved if they’d met under different circumstances.  She wouldn’t jeopardize Jake’s life or the lives of his brothers, though.  She’d leave as soon as her leg was healed.

             
“I’m not running from anyone,” Laurie lied and cringed at the disbelief she saw on Jake’s face.

             
Jake knew Laurie was lying and he felt like shaking her.  “All right, have it your own way.” The wolf in him wanted to rip and tear as he stalked toward the bedroom door.  “I’ll be back with the doctor later.  And by the way, you’re not a very good liar.”

             
Laurie cringed when Jake slammed the bedroom door.  There was something about Jake Wolfe that attracted Laurie and if she left she would have no way of seeing him again or finding out where that attraction might lead.  The thought tore at her heart.

             
“Great, just great,” Laurie mumbled as she pulled the covers over her head.  There was no way Jake could understand the depths of depravity that a man like Enrique Perez was capable of sinking to in his quest for revenge on her and anyone who tried to help her.  Laurie hardened her heart.

Come after me again, Enrique, and I promise I will kill you this time
or die trying.  I won’t allow you to harm Jake or anyone else.

C
hapte
r
S
ixteen

            
 
T
hey cringed against the far side of the enclosure trying to get as far away as they could from the man walking toward them.  Their alpha male was dead and none of the surviving coyotes had yet taken over as alpha leader.  The remaining members of the coyote pack feared the man coming into the enclosure as they feared no other and with good reason when the man lifted the gun in his right hand and starting firing at several of the closest betas.

             
Enrique was expressionless as blood, fur and brain matter from several coyotes splattered the sides of the enclosure.  He had been furious when he’d found out the pack had been unsuccessful at the simple task they’d been sent to accomplish.  He’d known when the pack had returned without their leader that they had failed. 
How hard could it have been for them to kill one defenseless woman?
  Enrique touched the bandage on his cheek.  He considered the alpha male a great loss, not that he had cared about the animal because he hadn’t, but he had felt an affinity with the beast, a mental telepathy he had found with very few other animals. 

             
Enrique fired until the clip was empty and was about to replace it with a fresh clip when he saw Luzaro approaching the enclosure.

             
“A little target practice, Enrique?” Luzaro goaded.  “Your little band of blood-thirsty mongrels fail you, did they?”  He was secretly glad the coyote pack hadn’t succeeded although he wasn’t about to admit it.  Despite everything that had happened, he still loved Laurie in his way and had grudgingly been forced to admit that Enrique was right.  Laurie, the only woman he had ever tried to love, had left him and wouldn’t be coming back.

             
“Is there something you wanted, Luzaro?  I’m busy here,” Enrique said rudely as he slipped another clip into his 9mm.  He was sick to death of the other man’s snide remarks and innuendos.

             
“I take it you didn’t find her?”  Luzaro couldn’t seem to help the hopeful note that had entered his voice.

             
“Not yet, it’s only a matter of time, though.  She could already be dead and lying somewhere out in the desert, the vultures feeding on that beautiful alabaster skin and those exotic, bright green eyes you loved so much,” Enrique said, twisting the knife with relish.

             
Luzaro ignored the other man’s taunt, but couldn’t keep his stomach from turning over at such a thought.  Changing the subject he said, “There’s a little matter that I want you to take care of for me this afternoon.  Something I’m sure you will enjoy.”

             
“Oh, and what would that be, pray tell?”

             
Luzaro glanced at his wrist watch.  “There’s a rancher whose stirring up trouble along the border and I want him eliminated.  Take whatever men you’ll need with you.  I want his interference stopped today.  And see that the blame doesn’t fall on us.  Some hapless illegal immigrant should do.”