Marked Page 2

  Chapter Two

  It terrified Cole that Alicia knew of his desire for her. Somehow her knowing fanned the flames.

  He sat perched on the chair he’d occupied earlier, watching the storm roll in. Large drops individually assaulted the front window.

  She returned to the sofa, studying him, her eyes shining with guarded curiosity. He didn’t look for more in her expression for fear of finding it.

  Her scent alone made him fidget.

  “You said my father was one of the leaders of…?”

  “The Kimosh.”

  “The what?”

  “Our people are the Kimosh, driven out of Mexico centuries ago.” He glanced at her and found her listening, so he continued. “We were hunted, nearly to the point of extinction, until Gower, our leader, took us north. We found sympathizers among the natives.”

  “You don’t look like you came from Mexico.”

  “Some of our early ancestors traveled with Vikings and other explorers. Much of our heritage is lost in folklore, but I believe we originated in Eastern Europe.”

  Alicia huffed. “Why is this some big secret? I don’t get it. Everyone comes from somewhere.”

  Cole took a deep breath and quietly blew it out. “If the rest of the world found out about us, we’d be hunted again.”

  “Why?”

  He stood and crossed the room, then turned back to study her. She looked regal sitting very straight with one bare foot drawn up under her leg. She had the long, slender neck and high cheekbones of her line.

  She wouldn’t believe him. He knew that. And, judging by what he’d learned of her determination, she might throw him out for good.

  He walked back and crouched in front of her, looking up into her wide, green eyes. “You’ve felt the longing, the ache inside like you’re not in your own skin, haven’t you? You’ve wanted to run with inhuman speed, flat out, to slice through the wind like a knife. You’ve always felt different, alone.”

  He watched her process his words and saw the truth in her expression.

  Her eyes cut from his to the window. “Everyone feels those things.”

  He took her left hand in both of his, stroking her long fingers across his palm. “No, Alicia, not everyone. Not with the same intensity you and I do. What you’re feeling is the soul of the cat. Our name, Kimosh, evolved from words of several ancient languages merged together. It means Mountain Lion People.”

  She jerked her hand away and stared down at him, her chest suddenly heaving with quickened breath.

  “Mountain lions,” she whispered. “I saw them in a dream, lots of them in a big valley surrounded by cliffs.”

  He nodded. “Home. And it wasn’t a dream.”

  “But—“

  Cole reached inside his shirt and drew out his necklace, the one that matched that resting just above her tempting cleavage.

  Her gaze slid down to his necklace and her eyes widened more.

  “It’s the symbol of our people,” he said. “The outside ring is the cat’s eye, and the single line points south to where we came from.” He traced the familiar shapes between his fingertips and thumb as he spoke. “The knot in the middle is the true heart of the cougar, the sign of courage, and the snake, our friend, is wrapped around the center.”

  She raised her hand to her own necklace.

  “It was given to you when you were born, as was mine,” he said.

  Then she reached out and tentatively touched his necklace.

  He lowered his hand in a clenched fist to the sofa.

  Her gaze jumped to his and her eyes filled with tears. “It’s true, isn’t it?”

  He nodded, and his heart raced as he realized he’d convinced her.

  Her fingers slid up the side of his neck to caress his face and he sucked in a breath of surprise. Her touch was tender, warm, perfect. A groan rose from his chest. Unable to do otherwise, he closed his eyes and turned his face to press a kiss into her heated palm.

  She stroked his hair. “Is that why I’m so drawn to you?”

  Her soft voice whispered across his ear and he opened his eyes to find her leaning close. As he held her gaze in his, the air between them vibrated with a long roll of thunder.

  Desire simmered in his blood. His hands trembled for wanting to reach for her.

  She leaned closer and her lips parted. Her breath slipped across his cheek.

  “We can’t do this,” he said.

  She spoke with her mouth inches from his. “Why not?”

  “I’m not allowed…I can’t.”

  She laughed softly. Her sweet breath caressed his whole face and her hands slid down to his shoulders. “No one will know.”

  He inhaled her scent and closed his eyes. Desire gripped him by the throat.

  “They would know,” he whispered.

  Fighting every instinct, he pushed himself to his feet and stepped away from the woman he desperately wanted. He backed to the door and watched her study him, her brow furrowed in confusion. For one moment, he wondered if she was right, if he could make love to her without anyone knowing, and then he silently cursed himself for his selfishness. His people depended on him.

  “Good night, Alicia,” he said, barely getting the words past his constricted throat. Then he turned and went outside before he talked himself out of leaving.

  Back in his own apartment, he dropped into a chair facing the window and waited in the dark for another flash of lightning. His entire body shook with disappointment, even though he’d succeeded in the first part of his task. He’d convinced her of the truth. Now he’d have to give her time to come to grips with it all before he approached her again.

  He also needed to give himself time to stop thinking about holding her.

  Alicia poured the bottled mole over two chicken breasts. As she watched the brown sauce spread, she considered her plan.

  All day at work, she’d thought about what Cole had said. His story was unbelievable, but somehow she knew it was true. At least some of it, anyway. She’d always felt like a misfit. But that was to be expected since she’d gone to an outside school where she’d always been part of the minority. And most of the kids she’d grown up with had had at least one parent. Still, she’d always felt as if it was more than that.

  The other thing she knew was that he was withholding information. Why had he told her about the Kimosh unless he wanted something from her? He’d mentioned her following in her father’s footsteps. What the hell had that meant?

  She placed a top on the pan and turned the flame to low. If she could coax him over with food and then turn on the charm, surely she could get more information from him. Cole knew things about her past, and he understood her lifetime of isolation.

  Besides that, every time she thought about their almost-kiss, desire squirmed through her belly.

  Fingering her necklace, she took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and hurried outside.

  Cole opened the door less than a second after she rang the bell, almost as if he’d expected her, but seemed genuinely surprised to see her. He wore a baggy white T-shirt and blue jeans, was barefoot, and hadn’t even combed his hair.

  For some reason she couldn’t explain, she felt a little foolish. “Hi.”

  Stepping toward her, he filled the doorway, and she noticed a day’s worth of beard darkening his cheeks. “Hello, Alicia.” He raked his fingers through his hair as if suddenly realizing how he looked.

  She motioned toward her apartment with her head. “You want to come over for dinner?”

  Something resembling fear flashed in his golden eyes, but he nodded. “Yes, thank you.”

  She nodded. “It’ll be ready in twenty minutes.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  She felt his gaze follow her as she returned to her own door.

  Maybe she’d made a mistake. There was something different about Cole tonight, something that made her uncomfortable. Had she misread his reactions to her the night before? Was she wrong about him being at
tracted to her?

  God, that would be embarrassing.

  Inside her apartment, she took a deep breath and huffed it out.

  She’d have to sort things out over dinner. Trying not to think too much, she prepared a salad and toasted muffins, then opened a bottle of Chardonnay. She lit three candles and placed them on the table, but decided they looked too romantic and blew them out.

  Cole’s knock actually made her jump.

  When she opened the door, she was surprised to find him shaved, washed and dressed in a brown silk shirt, blue jeans and brown leather shoes.

  He smiled, suddenly himself again. “I hope I’m not late.”

  “No.” She opened the door wider. “Come in.”

  He raised his nose and inhaled. “Wow, something smells wonderful.”

  “It’s chicken mole. I hope you like it.” She motioned toward the table. “Have a seat and I’ll bring out the food.”

  Cole had never smelled anything quite as amazing as the dish Alicia placed in front of him. He’d discovered a number of foods he liked while on the outside, but this promised to top the list. It was all he could do to keep himself from digging in before she even returned to the table.

  “Help yourself to the wine,” she said from the kitchen. “And you can fill my glass.”

  He poured wine into their glasses, reminding himself not to drink too much. He’d found he had little tolerance for alcohol, and he didn’t trust himself near Alicia without total control of his faculties. To make matters worse, he’d spent the entire night thinking about how close he’d come to giving in to his desire for her. Exhaustion didn’t make self-control any easier.

  She sat across the table from him, sipped her wine, and then started eating without further discussion. So far they’d talked about the storm the night before, her work at the hospital, and the breakin down the street that day. She hadn’t mentioned anything about their earlier discussions.

  It was up to her now. He’d answer her questions as much as he could, but he wouldn’t push again until he was sure she was ready.

  Matching her silence, he took a bite of his dinner and nearly groaned aloud.

  “This is fantastic,” he said. “What’s in it?”

  She shrugged. “Peppers, spices, stuff like that. It’s from Mexico.” Her eyes met his. “I thought it was appropriate.”

  She was offering an opening to discuss the Kimosh, but he was focused on the food. He’d never had anything like it, and continued to wolf it down until his bowl was empty.

  He glanced across the table at her and she laughed. “Glad you liked it.”

  A wave of dizziness washed over him. He shook his head to clear it and then glared at the wineglass. Perhaps he hadn’t been careful enough.

  “Cole, you said the Kimosh have to stay hidden or they’ll be hunted. Why?”

  “Because we have special abilities.” His tongue felt strangely thick. Was he slurring his words?

  Alicia studied the wineglass she held, lost in thought. Apparently, she hadn’t noticed him sounding different. It must be his imagination.

  “What kind of abilities?”

  At least he was sober enough to know that they approached dangerous territory. She wasn’t yet ready for the whole truth. “It depends on the individual.”

  He’d definitely slurred individual.

  She rose and carried her wineglass to the sofa, where she’d sat the night before.

  Cole pushed himself to his feet, taking a moment to find his balance, and followed her. He dropped onto the other end of the sofa, leaned back and closed his eyes.

  “The valley, our…home,” she said. “Why do I know what it looks like?”

  “You and your mother left when you were three.”

  The sofa vibrated and he caught her scent. She had just moved closer to him, and the thought made him smile.

  “Cole, are you all right?”

  He opened one eye and looked at her. “I don’t know.”

  Her beautiful green eyes came into focus and his heart began to race. How could any woman be more perfect than she was? Her body would be warm and soft against his.

  No, he couldn’t let himself think of her this way. Fear drove him to sit up.

  “I should go.”

  Alicia grabbed his arm.

  He looked down at where her slender fingers wrapped around his forearm, her touch branding his flesh through his shirt.

  “Don’t,” she said.

  His gaze rose to meet hers, and his vision suddenly sharpened, along with his sense of smell. Her scent rolled through him, calling to the wildness in his soul, and a thick white fog filled his brain.

  Whatever it was he’d been about to do faded like a shadow. The only thing in the world was Alicia.

  “I will make you mine,” he whispered.

  Reaching over, he slid one hand behind her neck and drew her mouth to his. With the first taste of her warm lips, he was lost.

  He dragged her to him and wrapped her in his arms. She fit against him as if they’d been poured in one mold and torn apart.

  Her hands slid around his shoulders, and she opened her mouth, inviting him in without reservation.

  He felt her breasts beading against his chest through the thin fabric of her blouse, and he eased one hand down the middle of her back until he reached her round bottom. His body responded to touching her in such an intimate way by hardening.

  She tore her mouth from his and turned her head, offering him her neck, which he took, kissing, licking, nipping her warm flesh.

  “This is insane,” she whispered.

  His sanity had long since disappeared. He ripped open her blouse, unable to take time for buttons, and pulled it off over her shoulders. She drew out her arms and the blouse fell to the floor.

  “Wait,” she said, pushing against him and sitting up.

  He looked at her, thrilled to find her eyes filled with desire to match his own.

  But she looked away. “I can’t…I don’t have protection.”

  “Protection?” Was she suddenly afraid of him?

  “You know…a condom?”

  Understanding wormed its way through the fog and he smiled as he admired the perfection of her breasts, full and round with dusky pink areolas. Her amulet lay between them, sparkling in the dim light. “We carry none of those diseases, and you won’t get pregnant.”

  Her gaze snapped back to his. “How do you know?”

  “If you were fertile right now,” he said, moving closer to her mouth, “I would have broken down your front door.”

  Alicia studied the man before her. She stared into his golden eyes.

  Cole waited for her to move, one hand resting lightly on her leg, the cat waiting for the mouse to run. And, yet, she wasn’t afraid.

  Was it possible that this incredible man was actually from some lost tribe? Some tribe that lived with the mountain lions of her dreams?

  Could she, too, really be a member of this tribe?

  This was crazy, wasn’t it?

  And the craziest part was that she felt no urge to flee. Just touching him, catching a hint of his masculine scent, started her nerve endings firing with awareness. She pressed her palm to his chest.

  A low rumble filled the air. As the rumble vibrated through her hand, she realized it came from Cole.

  Her gaze moved down to his chest, and as she watched, he sat forward and tore off his shirt.

  Alicia gulped.

  Between her dates, working at the hospital, and those sexy magazines left at the nurses’ station, she’d seen her share of gorgeous men, but she’d never seen anyone like this. His chest was wide and perfect, tanned to a deep brown, and lightly dusted with honey-colored hair. Muscles tensed just below the surface, lean and hard. His necklace glinted at the base of his throat.

  Unable to help herself, she reached out and spread her hands across his chest, then slid them down over hard nipples to his washboard abs. He must do sit-ups all day long.

  The
bulge in the front of his jeans grew.

  In a surprising move, he lifted her with his hands on her waist as if she weighed nothing. She gripped his bare shoulders, enjoying the way muscles flexed under her fingers.

  He turned and eased her down to the sofa, parting her knees with his own, and stretched out on top of her, propped on his elbows. The bulge in his jeans nestled against her crotch, and his bare stomach warmed her own.

  She suddenly believed he could have broken down her front door with little effort.

  His voice was low and sexy. “I’ve wanted you since I first saw you.”

  She swallowed hard and stared into his eyes. There were nearly brown now, amazingly intense, and she felt as if she were being drawn into a dream.

  Her body prickled with excitement as she explored the indentations in his shoulders and upper arms.

  He stroked her hair back from her face and planted soft kisses on her cheeks, her forehead and her nose.

  When his lips returned to hers, she kissed him, drew his tongue into her mouth, and welcomed his sensual exploration. She needed him in a way that made no sense.

  He kissed her deeper, more urgently, and she gripped him tighter. Her nipples tightened until they ached with longing, and she locked her arms around his neck as she wrapped her legs around his.

  He pushed against her crotch, released the pressure and pushed again, starting a rhythm that echoed through her soul. She swelled in response, anxious for more. Visions flashed in her brain—visions of red rocks, green trees and white snow stretching for as far as she could see, visions of animals mating by moonlight. Her head swam with the scents of evergreens and wet earth, the sounds of water gurgling over rocks, the feel of cool air blowing across her bare skin, the taste of night.

  His lips left hers, and she murmured in protest.

  He moved out of her arms, trailing warm kisses down her neck and shoulders and across her chest.

  His hot, wet mouth opened over her left breast. He licked slowly, circling her sensitive nipple, and then drew it between his lips. Pleasure shot through her body like bolts of electricity, arching her back off the cushions.

  He reached around her and held her as he suckled.

  She cried out and buried her fingers in his hair. Her body began to swim with sensation as if her skin were liquefying.