Staking His Claim(5)

"I was hard on you yesterday." His hand stroked absently down her leg to her calf, and he rubbed back and forth, stopping to cup the feminine definition of her muscle. "I'm sorry about that. I get pissed when I get scared. And it scared me shitless to think about you putting yourself in danger." His eyes continued to rove over her features as his hands stroked her skin. "You're young and small and weak. There are bad people out there, baby." The visible anxiety in his eyes told Elaina his worry was sincere. "You have to be careful all the time, you know?"

His hand lifted to her face and cupped her chin, his calloused finger tilting her face completely to his. "Okay?"

"Y-yes." Elaina was mesmerized by his masculine beauty so close to her. Her heart was beating in wild gallops; her brain seemed absent from her body. Again, she spoke without thinking, "You're so handsome."

Her face immediately flushed red when she realized she had spoken the thought out loud.

His hand tightened on her chin and one side of his mouth lifted in an attempt at a smile that failed completely. "Yeah? Well, you're gonna be stupendous when you get grown. You're beautiful already and there's no fucking way you can stay here with me. This was a bad idea."

He let go of her face and pushed back from her onto his haunches. I'm gonna get you cleaned up and get you back home. I got a pair of crutches. You'll be fine until they get back."

"Why do you get to say--the f-word and I don't?" she whispered.

His hand lifted to her face one last time and held her cheek, his thumb running over the tracks that the earlier tears had left. He leaned into her, put his mouth to her ear and whispered, "You get grown up some and I'll let you say it to me all you want." His mouth lingered, and Elaina quivered as she felt him breathe in her scent and place a slow kiss on her ear.

This was the third or fourth time he had made a comment about her growing up. It sent shivers through her system.

Her arms were just about to reach up and enfold his neck when he abruptly stood to his feet and turned away.

*

The next day Raul fought with himself off and on about checking on Elaina. He knew Brian and Janie were home, he'd seen their truck flying down the road leaving a cloud of dust a couple of hours before.

At three o'clock, he couldn't fight the beast inside anymore and flipped his cell open.

Brian answered it on the first ring. "Hey man. Thanks for bailing us out. Again."

"No problem. She was pretty shaken up yesterday. Vicious twist to the ankle. She okay?"

"Yeah. Janie drove her to the clinic this morning just to make sure there's no fracture. Just a sprain. Thanks, man."

"Sure. How'd the trip go? Janie buy out the stores?"

"Hell, yeah. Now we're throwing a goddamn New Year's Eve party."

"Shit. Do I have to be there?"

"Better believe it, pard. I gotta be there, you gotta be there."

"Goddamn, Canton. You better learn how to rein her in--"

He was interrupted by Brian's laugh. "Right. Not in this lifetime. This is the last one. Holidays will be over for a year. We'll let you rest after this one. Hey. You got somewhere you gotta be on Christmas Eve? Janie wants to have twilight drinks."

"Twilight fuckin' what?"

"Twilight drinks," Brian said on a laugh. "No worries. Nobody gonna be here but us. We're gonna light a fire and grill steaks. Dude, come on. Don't leave me alone with both these women. They've been ganging the shit up on me and I can't keep up. Six o'clock. Beer and steaks. Dude. Please."

"Yeah, all right. What can I bring?"

"Just yourself. Janie's already stocked your brand."

*

Raul pulled his truck in front of the Canton's house three nights later. He didn't care to acknowledge to himself how much he'd looked forward to this night. Already, four days without seeing her was too damn long.

The weather was mild. If Janie had her heart set on a fire, they were going to have to turn the air conditioner on. He rang the bell, twelve- pack under his arm.

Janie answered the door, a smile on her face, a cold beer for him in her hand.

Raul grinned at her and took the offering. "My kind of woman. Too bad Canton found 'ya first." He threw a nod at Brian who was standing behind his wife.

Janie grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. "Right. That would have been like me robbing the cradle, don't you think?"

Raul continued to tease Janie, feeling free to do so with her husband leaning against the wall, drinking a beer, listening in. "What are you Janie, thirty-three, thirty-four? No much of a cradle robber there, sweetheart."

"Well aren't you sweet, darlin'." She turned to her husband. "I knew there was a reason I liked your friend."

She never gave up her age, and Raul got a kick out of it. Maybe she was closer to forty. Who the hell knew? She looked good was all he knew. Brian had done well. Except for her annoying inclination to throw parties for every damn reason, Janie seemed the perfect woman. Brian deserved her. Ten or so years older than himself, Brian Canton was a good man, a good friend, and he deserved happiness just like the next guy.

Raul tossed the twelve- pack at Brian's chest as Janie pulled his arm and brought him into the room, coming to a stop next to the couch where Elaina relaxed, propped up with pillows. "Come say hi to my baby."

Raul looked down and felt a vicious kick to his solar plexus. Completely annihilated by the transformation in front of him, he stood zombie-like, having to force out his voice, and all he could do was mimic Janie's words. "Hi, baby."

Elaina heard the surprised heat in his voice and her stomach clenched with excitement. His eyes were running over her and his body was held immobile, as if in shock.

Four days without seeing him had left her anxious, unsatisfied.

She had known he was coming and prepared well in advance. She let Janie assume it was for Christmas Eve, but Elaina knew in her heart she was dressing up for him. She had conflicted emotions--she didn't particularly want him to find out her age, but at the same time, she wanted him to see her as an adult. It made no sense.

She was still on crutches, and her knees were seriously scabbed over. She couldn't wear jeans, so she had put on a little black dress that was the epitome of the phrase, and she had done her hair and make-up. He stood staring down at her, and on the inside she was laughing and shouting at the gobsmacked look on his face. So there!

Raul knew he was staring, but he really didn't give a shit. He was seriously debating whether eighteen was too young for him. What the hell? She was an adult. She was old enough to vote. She was legal. Not jailbait. As he watched her, his brain analyzed the ramifications of making such a move.

Janie interrupted his thoughts when she swirled back into the room and handed Elaina a can of Diet Coke.

Janie was drinking a glass of wine, he and Brain were drinking beer. It was a vicious kick to his stomach to see her take a delicate sip of the soft drink. It was the kick he needed to get his head out of his ass. She's too fucking young, Vega. Understand it, man.

How long would he have to wait? He'd have to let her go back to school, grow up some. Twenty-one. No. Fuck that shit. Twenty. Just not a teenager. He didn't want seducing a teenager on his conscience.

He was deep in an internal conflict when Janie and Brian went outside to check the grill. The back door slammed, leaving him alone with Elaina.

Silence pulsed between them as they stared at each other.

She cleared her throat and asked him, "What are you thinking about?"

He stood over her, and took his time answering. "I'm thinking you're dangerous, baby."

"How so, Mr. Vega?"

"You're dangerous to my peace, my state of mind, my equilibrium." His eyes roved down her legs, the only imperfection the scrapes on her knees. He took in everything, her tiny ankles, the pink polish on her toenails, her feminine little feet. His eyes slowly moved back up, stalling at the vee between her thighs and the curve of her chest. "You think this is a smart move, Miss Ruiz? Pulling out all the stops when you know I'm trying my damn best to stay away from you?"





CHAPTER FIVE


She sucked in a breath as both pleasure and a tendril of shock trailed fingers across her spine. He was suffering the same as she was. He was temptation beyond temptation. Her heart was screaming at her to reach out for him, her brain was telling her that he was off limits. Too old. Too intense. Too macho. No doubt he did crazy things to her insides. But he just wasn't safe.

She took the easy way out. "It's Christmas Eve. So I dressed up. Big deal."

He reached out and took her chin in his hand and did that thing with his thumb across her face that made her body tremble. Her breathing splintered and arousal pierced her, hot and hard. His eyes were deep, dark brown. Mesmerizing. His voice was whiskey smooth. "It is a big deal, sweetheart. If you think you're grown-up, you need to prove it and stop trying to entice me. Because it's working."

He took the can from her hand and put both of their drinks on the coffee table. He reached back for her and his hand continued to slide over her cheek.

She nodded slightly in an attempt to agree to his demand.

"Good girl." He slid down until he was sitting on the edge of the couch in front of where she was reclining, overwhelming her. Crowding her personal space. "How you feeling, baby? Still hurting?"

She shook her head and answered him in a whisper. "No. I'm better."