Tira has loved Nic and Duke for years. But she's a seer who's had a vision of Nic's death and she's determined to keep her distance. Nic and Duke want to share their life with Tira and she must make a choice—grab love while she has the chance, or watch Nic die from afar and lose Duke forever.
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Excerpt:
“Is
she okay?” Nic finally asked.
Blessed
Goddess, he hoped so. “She’s worried about you.”
Nic
huffed, frustration beginning to show in the slit of his eyes. “But is she okay?”
How
the hell did he answer that? He didn’t have a clue. Everything was fucked up
now.
“Duke,
you scazzacazzo, if you—”
Nic’s
mouth snapped shut as his gaze cut to the door. The knob turned a second later
and Tira walked into the room, so quietly Duke barely heard her.
She
caught Duke’s eyes then quickly looked at Nic. Her chin lifted, as if she were
going into battle and Duke wanted to hit something. If she thought she had to
worry about being in the same room with the two of them, he’d—
“Nic.”
Her lips curved in a tentative smile as she moved closer to the bed. She
stopped at the end, her hands gripping the footboard until her knuckles turned
white. “How are you feeling?”
Nic
smiled, making sure not an iota of his anger with Duke showed on his face for
her. “I’m fine. Still a little tired but Tam says after a few days of rest,
I’ll be just fine.”
Tira’s
eyes fluttered, as if she might cry. Then she took a deep breath and she
nodded. “Good. That’s great.”
“Tam
wants me to stay here,” he continued, “But I told her, since I’m feeling okay,
I’m gonna go back to the bunkhouse. I’ll be more comfortable in my own bed.”
Her
face screwed up in a frown. “Is that safe? I mean, will you be able to take
care of yourself?”
Duke’s
eyes narrowed as Nic’s smile widened. Duke knew that smile. Nic was up to
something.
“I’ll
be fine.” Nic made a motion to sit up then tried to hide a grimace.
And
that, of course, was his plan.
You sneaky bastard…
Tira’s
eyes widened. “No, you won’t. You need to stay here where Tam can keep an eye
on you.”
“Sweetheart,
I’m a grown man. I can take care of myself.”
The
doc hadn’t given Tira the complete run down but Duke knew just how injured Nic
was. He had internal damage that would require him to spend time flat on his
back to heal. Cracked ribs, bruised spleen and liver. His shoulder had been
dislocated and he had a concussion in addition to fractures in both legs.
The
doctor was worried that shifting into his wolf, which would heal almost all
injuries, in his condition might actually do more harm than good because of the
swelling in his brain.
Nic
needed a few days in bed and he knew it. And he was playing on Tira’s
sympathies big time. The question was why?
Tira
turned to him, as if Duke could make him change his mind. “Are you going to
stay with him?”
And
the light bulb went off.
Damn,
Duke had to give it to him. The guy should be stroking a hairless cat with a
pinky at his mouth.
He
had a split second to decide whether to kill Nic’s plan…or go along with it.
Duke
shook his head. “Not all the time. Somebody’s got to figure out what happened
and since dickhead here let the ceiling fall on him and Kaine’s still out of
commission, I guess that’s me.”
Her
distress grew by the second and Duke had a flash of guilt that they were
forcing her to make a choice, one they shouldn’t ask her to make—care for her
mother or care for the man she loved but couldn’t touch. With the man she’d
fucked constantly underfoot.
“But,”
she frowned at him, “you’re not up to that yet either.”
Her
concern made the tightness in his chest ease just a little. “I’m fine. He’ll be
fine.”
Duke
aimed a warning glance at Nic but Nic seemed to sink even farther into the bed
when Tira glanced back at him.
Son
of a bitch.
He
opened his mouth to call Nic on his bluff and put Tira out of her misery but
she huffed and walked to the window. “Let me talk to Eraia and Seramo, see if
they can stay with Mamma for a few days.”
Duke
heard the emotion in her voice, could practically feel the indecision radiating
from her in waves.
Damn
Nic. This was not the way Duke wanted her to be with them.
And
yet… this morning, hadn’t he practically coerced her into having sex with him?
He
shook his head and turned for the door. “I gotta go. If you want a ride, be
ready in three minutes or I’m leaving, babe.”
Then
he walked out.
Nic
watched Duke leave, knowing by the rigid set of his shoulders that he was
pissed.
Fuck
him. He’d get over it.
Just
like he seemed to have gotten over his adamant refusal to seduce Tira.
Bitter
anger tried to rise up from his gut but he couldn’t let it. Shit, how could he
be angry when he knew, if he’d been in the same position, he would’ve jumped at
the chance to take her to bed years ago?
“I
guess I better get going,” Tira said, drawing his attention back to her. “He
won’t wait for me if I’m late.”
“You
know that’s not true.” Duke had been waiting for her for years. So had Nic.
They were done waiting. If this worked…
And if it didn’t…
A
faint smile on her face, Tira walked back to the bed, her hands clenched in
fists at her sides. As if to keep herself from touching him. “No, I don’t.
Nic…”
He
looked into her eyes and saw tears forming there. He wanted to pull her into
his arms and onto the bed next to him, let her body curl against his like a
lover’s.
That
bitterness rose up again, quickly followed by determination. Either his plan
worked or… Or what? He gave her up?
He’d
never had her. He’d never felt those beautiful hands caress his body. Had only
felt her lips on his twice. Both with disastrous results. Had never felt the
soft silk of her sex surround him as he sank deep into her.
And
by all the fucking gods, he wanted to.
If
this didn’t work, he figured that vision of hers would be coming true soon
enough and he wouldn’t be around to know otherwise.
Forcing
a smile for her, he nodded toward to the door, not having to feign the
weariness creeping through him. “I’ll see you when you get back, sweetheart. I
just need to close my eyes for a little while.”
She
nodded, pausing only for a second before walking out. Leaving him alone to
contemplate the absolute mess he could be making of things.
Yeah,
his plan could blow up in their faces. But nearly dying yesterday had made him
realize they may not have much time left.
Tira’s
vision of his death, the one that kept her out of his arms, out of their
arms, was bearing down on him. He swore he could feel his time running out.
Not
just on his life, but with her.
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