My first outing in weeks would be a date with Cole. Yes, please. “I think you’ll make a very sexy naughty nurse.”
“I know,” he said without missing a beat. “Just wait till you see my dress. Slutty doesn’t even begin to describe. And you will, of course, require a sponge bath.”
Don’t laugh. “Promises, promises.” I tsked, then tried to continue more seriously. “But I never mentioned hunting.” Too many people would be out, and some would be dressed as zombies. At first glance, we might not be able to tell the real deal from the fake. “I only mentioned training. You are working out tomorrow morning, aren’t you?” He always did.
He ignored my question, saying, “You’re not ready.”
“No, you’re not ready for me to be ready, but it’s happening whether you like it or not.”
He scowled at me, dark and dangerous. “Is that so?”
“Yes.” Not many people stood up to Cole Holland. Everyone at our school considered him a full-blown predator, more animal than human. Feral. Dangerous.
They weren’t wrong.
Cole wouldn’t hesitate to tear into someone—anyone—for the slightest offense. Except me. I could do what I wanted, say what I wanted, and he was charmed. Even when he was scowling. And it was strange, definitely something I wasn’t used to—having power over someone else—but I’d be lying if I claimed not to like it.
“Two problems with your plan,” he said. “One, you don’t have a key to the gym. And two, there’s a good chance your instructor will suddenly become unreachable.”
Since he was my instructor, I took his words as the gentle threat they were and sighed.
When I’d first joined his group, he’d thrown me into the thick of battle without hesitation. I think he’d trusted his ability to protect me from any kind of threat more than he’d trusted my skills.
Then I’d proved myself and he’d backed off.
Then he’d accidentally stabbed me.
Yep. Him. He’d aimed for the zombie snarling and biting at him; I’d stepped in to help, and, with a single touch, ashed the only thing shielding my body from his strike. Cole had yet to forgive himself.
Maybe that was why he’d built a wall.
Maybe he needed a reminder of just how wily I could be.
“Cole,” I said huskily, and his eyelids lowered to half-mast.
“Yes, Ali.”
“This.” A slow smile spread as I circled my hands around his ankles—and jerked. He slid off the bed and thumped to the floor.
“What the hell?”
I leaped on top of him, pinning his shoulders with my knees. The action caused the scar on my stomach to throb, but I masked my wince with another smile. “What are you going to do now, Mr. Holland?”
He watched me intently, amusement darkening his irises. “I think I’ll just enjoy the view.” He gripped me by the waist, squeezed just enough to make sure he had my full attention. “From this angle, I can see your—”
Choking back a laugh, I took a swing at him.
“Shorts,” he finished, catching my hand just before impact. I wasn’t given the chance to tug free. He rolled me over, stretched my arms over my head and held me down.
Tricky slayer.
“What are you going to do now, Miss Bell?”
Stay just like this and enjoy? I could smell the pine and soap of his scent. Could hear the rasp of our breath intermingling. Could feel the heat and hardness of his body pressing against me.
“What would you like me to do?” I met his gaze, and the air around us thickened, charged with electricity.
Would he touch me?
I wanted him to touch me.
“You’re not ready for what I’d like you to do.” He searched my face as he reached between us, his actions belying his words...please, please...until he slowly pushed the hem of my tee over my navel, revealing every inch of damaged flesh.
He looked me over, and my stomach quivered. Heck, all of me quivered. He crawled down, down, and kissed one edge of the wound, then the other, and a moan left me.
Please. More.
But a moment passed, then another, and he merely returned to his former position, driving me crazy with his nearness but never doing anything to relieve the tension spiraling inside me.
“One more week of rest,” he said, his jaw clenched as if he’d had to force the words to leave his mouth. “Doctor’s orders.”
I shook my head. “I’ll ask Bronx and Frosty to train me.”
His eyes narrowed to tiny slits. “They’ll say no. I’ll make sure of it.”
“At first, maybe.” Definitely. Everyone always followed Cole’s rules. Even other alpha males recognized a bigger, badder predator. “However, I have a secret weapon.”
He arched a brow. “And what’s that?”
“Sure you want to know?” I asked, rubbing my knees along his hips.
“Yes. Tell me.” His tone had gone low, gruff.
My knees slid higher, higher still, and he went utterly motionless, waiting to see what I would do next. I had two options. Try to seduce him into making out with me—the way he’s looking at me...I might actually succeed this time—or prove I wasn’t out for the count.
Sometimes I hated my priorities.
I planted my feet against his shoulders and pushed with all my might. He propelled backward, catching himself on his knees.
“With you? Distraction,” I purred.
Laughing, he stayed where he was and lifted my leg to place a soft kiss on my ankle. “I must be seriously disturbed, because I like when you rough me up.”
Heat spilled into my cheeks. “You make me sound like some kind of he-woman.”
He laughed again, and oh, it was a beautiful sound. Lately, he’d been so somber. “I also like when you blush.”
“Yes, well, I’ll bug Frosty and Bronx until they say yes.” Apparently my inquisitive personality was not charming to everyone. Go figure. “They’ll be so irritated by their lack of fortitude, they’ll throw me around like I’m a meat bag.”
“So? You’ll get a boo-boo I’ll have to kiss and make better. Problem, meet solution.”
I swallowed a laugh of my own and had to concentrate to adopt a stern expression. “I’ll let you kiss me better—if the boo-boo is on my butt.”
“Hmm. Kinky. This is a plan I can get behind... It’s a very nice behind.”
Tease! “Cole,” I said with a pout. “You can’t flirt with me like this and then do nothing about it.”
“Oh, I’ll do something about it.” The gruff, wanting tone was back. His gaze locked on my mouth, heating with awareness. “Once you’ve been cleared.”
So, seven more days of Cole’s china-doll treatment? Don’t whimper. “Mr. Ankh would have cleared me already if not for you and your protests.” I sat up and shifted my fingers through the silk of his hair. “I’m better now. I swear!”
“No, you’re finally on the road to better. But if you start training, that could slow your progress. Besides, you’re mine, Ali-gator,