Kayleb and Vanessa (5th in werewolf series)

Chapter Twenty

Vanessa was standing under the shower, letting the hot droplets of water wash away the blood and dirt. She arched her back and rinsed out her hair. She heard the bathroom door open and she worried about who was walking in on her until the shower curtain was moved aside and Kayleb poked his head in. She saw his brown eyes darken immediately when he saw her.

"Can I join you?" he asked. Vanessa nodded and she felt her fatigued body heat up when he stepped into the shower and the hot water ran over his hard, naked body. Vanessa stepped behind him as he washed the blood from himself and she traced the water droplets paths with her fingertips.

She heard him growl at her touch and then she let out a startled grasp when he turned suddenly, grabbed her around the waist and lifted her into the air. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he pressed her back to the hot, slick wall of the shower.

Neither of them spoke and Kayleb crushed his hungry, possessive lips to hers. The kiss was hard and desperate and there was nothing gentle about the way he made love to her up against the bathroom wall. His eyes were hungry and animalistic and Vanessa clung to him and buried her face against his neck to keep from crying out when she felt the pressure snap within her and she was sent tumbling over the edge of pleasure She heard Kayleb's growl as he shuddered against her and still neither of them spoke or tried to move away.

She kept her legs tight around his waist and her arms around his neck as the hot water rained down on them. Only when the water began to grow cold did Kayleb carry her from the shower and set her down on her feet on the cool tile of the bathroom floor.

"I love you, Vanessa, but you and I need to get a few things straight." Kayleb said and she looked up at his chocolate brown eyes and saw both love and a touch of anger shining in them. She grabbed her towel and wrapped it tight around her tingling body.

"What?" she asked as she went about brushing out her hair to avoid eye contact with him.

"Do not ever play hero again. From now on I protect you, not the other way around."

"Don't boss me around, Kayleb."

"Don't make me lose my mind!" Kayleb replied as he wrapped a towel around his waist and ran his hand over his red hair, sending water droplets flying.

"I lost it when you were gone! I thought for sure you were dead and then I saw Frances, Jake and Charles and I thought they all helped you. I almost killed Frances. I was two seconds away from ramming a stake through his heart when Jake stopped me. I threatened to kill Jake and Charles too. I couldn't think straight. All I could picture was you in that son of a bitches hands and I...." Vanessa cut him off by pressing her lips against his. He moaned and pulled her up against him.

"I am not going to promise to never protect you again but how about I promise to never leave and rush headfirst into danger alone again?"

"I guess that will have to do." Kayleb replied with a sigh.

"Let's get dressed. I want to see my daughter."

The day was a beautiful one and while all the adults were tired from not sleeping the night before, the kids were full of energy. None of them knew what had happened in the night and everyone had agreed to not tell them. They just knew that the threat of Vincent was gone.

Vanessa was sitting at the picnic table in the yard, feeding Brent a jar of carrot baby food and watching Faith chase Kayleb around the yard. Vanessa knew he could easily stay out of her reach but he kept letting her catch him and she would laugh with victory every time.

"I'm thirsty." Faith gasped as she finally stopped running and the breeze blew her tangled hair around her face.

"You have some juice right here." Vanessa said, tilting her head to the cup on the table beside her. Faith ran over and sat down beside of her and took a big drink.