Claiming His Human Page 6

  “Trust me, I’m deadly serious, but now is not the time or the place to discuss this. Just know this. It’s not up for negotiation, and before you start protesting again, I have a spare room. It’s all yours.”

  He put a finger on her lips when she opened her mouth to no doubt give him what for if the angry sparks in her gaze were any indication.

  “Not another word, or so help me, I will fling you over my shoulder and carry you out of here.”

  Holly slammed her mouth shut, huffed, and stalked down the stairs at a rate of knots. By the time they got to his car, he was half expecting smoke to come out of her ears because she positively vibrated with anger. Sure enough, the minute the car unlocked, she got in and slammed the door with so much force Darius feared for his paintwork.

  Fuck him, though if all her passion wouldn’t make for some explosive times between the sheets and out of them for that matter. He grinned to himself as he slid behind the wheel of his SUV, and started the vehicle.

  “Which hospital is your mum at?” he asked. “St Mary’s, that’s closest to here, right?”

  Holly shook her head and pulled on her seatbelt with shaking hands.

  “No, she’s at the Cromwell.”

  Darius whistled through his teeth, and Holly finally looked at him.

  “Do you know where that is?”

  Pulling away from the curb, Darius nodded. “Sure do, that’s the Bupa Hospital, right? Expensive.”

  “So, my mum deserves the best, and besides she’s got private health insurance.”

  “Which you’re paying for.”

  He knew she was, so he didn’t phrase it as a question, and she didn’t bother to contradict him.

  “And your point is?” she asked. Holly was back to staring resolutely out of the window, which pissed his bear off, but Darius let it go for now.

  “Only that I’m sure your mother wouldn’t want you to be confined to one room in a lousy part of town so that you can afford to pay for her health care. The NHS is pretty good, you know, especially in emergencies.”

  Holly’s head spun around so fast he was surprised she didn’t give herself whiplash, and the way she glared at him. That was fucking hot.

  “The NHS is also woefully overworked. You do read the papers, I assume. My mum is not going to be kept waiting on some hospital trolley somewhere, while they’re scrambling to find her a bed. She is too frail for any of that. She’s the only family I have left, and while she’s still here, I’m going to look after her the best I can. The way my dad would have wanted me to look after her. I can’t lose her too, I just can’t.”

  Her voice broke on those last few words, and she swiped away at her eyes in an angry gesture. Darius put his hand on her knee and squeezed lightly.

  “I understand that, but you need to look after yourself, too, baby.”

  Holly shook his hand off and sniffed.

  “I’m doing just fine, or at least I was until you turned up and all hell broke loose. Now, well now, I don’t know what to think. I can’t go back to the café, and—”

  “Why?”

  She frowned at his interruption. “Why what?”

  “Why can’t you go back to the café? Your job is still yours, surely you know that.”

  Holly threw her hands up, screwed her eyes shut and appeared to be praying for divine intervention before she answered him.

  “Seriously? Why not? Maybe, because you’re all fucking animals and I don’t belong there. I heard your cousin and that Mandy. Lydia should never have employed me in the first case. I have no idea why she did. If she hadn’t none of us would be in this damn mess.”

  Darius swallowed his bear’s irritated growl, but some of his agitation must have shown on his face because Holly threw him a worried glance.

  “You’re not going to do something stupid like shift while driving your car, right?”

  Darius gave a short laugh in answer.

  “No, I’m not. Apart from the fact that shifting in full view of the human populace is strictly forbidden, I wouldn’t endanger you like that.” He took his eyes off the traffic for a second to look at her. Holly blinked as she looked into the eyes of his bear, and breathed her answer.

  “Okay.”

  Darius nodded and turned his attention back to the road.

  ****

  Holly released the breath she hadn’t even been aware of holding when his amber eyes stopped staring right into her soul. A far too fanciful notion, but that was surely what it seemed like. His concern for her, his sincerity, she felt it all the way down to her toes. Like a comforting blanket, it wrapped around her in an invisible cocoon, and while her rational mind fought against it with all her might, it was all so tempting to simply let go and let him take charge.

  He didn’t question her further during the drive to the Cromwell, and Holly was grateful for that. It was bad enough that a further phone call brought the news that her beloved mama had broken her leg in several places. She was currently resting but would need an operation as soon as they could arrange it, and Holly had signed the relevant papers.

  If Darius caught any of those details, and she guessed he would with his superior hearing, he gave no outward sign, other than his knuckles tightening on the steering wheel, and he put his foot down. Holly didn’t even know you could get a vehicle this size through the seemingly non-existent gaps he maneuvered his through, and it was with a certain amount of relief that she saw Darius pull up outside the Cromwell.

  “Go on in, I’ll find you. I’ll just park this car and I’ll be right behind you.”

  “You mean, you’re letting me out of your sight?”

  That reply came out far snarkier than she’d intended it to, but damn it all, he rattled her brain. It was sheer torture to sit this close to him in a confined space, to breathe in his scent, and to fight her body’s instinctive responses. There was no way on earth she could take him up on her offer to move into his place, spare room or not. She couldn’t trust herself around him. She’d probably jump him in his sleep or somewhat equally ridiculous and mortifying, and so not like her at all.

  A deep sigh was his only response, and he nudged his head toward the entrance.

  “I’m keeping a tally of all that snark you’re giving me, girl, just so you know. Go, see your mum, and do what you have to do.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  Holly had meant that to come out all flippant like, but his reaction took her breath away. Eyes glowing, she could almost see his grizzly pace underneath his skin, and the heat of his gaze scorched her skin.

  “Don’t call me that, unless you mean it, girl.”

  With that, he reached across, slammed her door shut and sped off to presumably find that parking space.

  Holly stared after him open-mouthed. He couldn’t be, could he? Then again, his ominous comments would make perfect sense if he was indeed a Dom. He had that whole aura, after all.

  Focus, Holly, this is not the time to go gaga over any man.

  Giving herself that mental pep talk helped somewhat, and having collected her visitor’s pass from reception, she followed the friendly young nurse taking her to her mum’s room.

  “Here you are, Miss Trent. The consultant will be here soon to talk you through your mother’s surgery. Don’t be alarmed by her appearance. She’s had quite the scare, but I can assure you she is resting comfortably and not in any pain. We made sure of that.”

  Holly swallowed hard and smiled at the efficient young woman.

  “Thank you, I’m sure you did. When did you say her operation will take place again?”

  The nurse smiled and inclined her head.

  “We made theater space this afternoon, so I should think it will be straight after lunch, but Mr. Ingle will explain that further to you.”

  With that, she opened the door, and Holly found herself looking down on her mother. She turned her head toward her when Holly entered the room, and Holly swallowed past the lump of emotion lodged in her mouth. With oxygen tracks und
er her nose and a saline drip feeding fluids into Mama’s fragile veins, her parent looked even more fragile than usual. Her smile still lit up the room, however, when she looked at Holly.

  “Don’t look so worried, my dear. I’m quite all right, you know. There was no need to dash here. Surely you should be at work now?”

  Holly rolled her eyes and did her best to glare at her incorrigible mum.

  “As if I could concentrate on work when you're in the hospital. What happened, Mum? You know you have to be careful, and that home is supposed to look after you, and…”

  Holly stopped talking when her mother waved her hand up and down in a dismissive fashion.

  “They treat me as though I'm made of spun glass. It's enough to do my head in. I know I'm old, but I'm not senile. I couldn't sleep, and I was making myself a cup of hot cocoa when I slipped on a wet patch. My fault entirely, not theirs,” Her mum held her hand up to stop any possible protest Holly might have made. “I spilled some water earlier and forgot to mop it up. Silly of me, I know, and of course with my darn bones everything just cracked.”

  “Oh, Mum, really, what were you thinking?”

  “That I'm capable of making my own cuppa without having to call the warden, though I will admit, on this occasion, it would have been better to do so, if only because I worried you.”

  Mama reached across to pat Holly's cheeks, and her eyes widened in surprise when she looked over Holly’s shoulder. Holly didn't need to turn around to know who had just walked in and was causing her mum’s far too pale complexion to turn pink. The way the fine hair on her neck stood to attention told its own story. Damn her treacherous body for being so aware of him.

  “Oh, I say, the doctors around here just get more and more attractive.” Mama winked at Darius, and his rich laugh wrapped itself around Holly, threatening to turn her into a complete pool of female goo, and in front of her mother, no less.

  What in all that was holy was wrong with her? Not that Mama was much better, because her cheeks were a nice pink shade now, as she ran her gaze all over Darius’s delectable body. It should be illegal for anyone to look this good in a suit, it really should. He'd tied his hair back again, drawing attention to his strong features, which held a wide, seemingly genuinely amused smile, as he rounded the bed and held out his hand for Mama to shake.

  “I appreciate the compliment, but I'm no doctor, Mrs. Trent. Darius Longton at your service, ma’am.”

  Holly barely suppressed an irritated snort seeing Darius turn on the charm, not least because she was far from immune. He glanced at her, and her stomach turned over at the wealth of emotion she read in the hazel depths of his eyes. It made no sense to her, but then nothing about her interactions with this man so far had any sense, so why should she be even surprised that he seemed to genuinely care about her mother?

  “Oh, I see.” Confusion registered briefly on her mum’s face before she fixed her wise old eyes on Holly and they took on a speculative gleam. Before Holly could say anything, Darius spoke.

  “I’m here to support Holly, and I’m delighted to meet her much beloved Mama, though I wish it was under different circumstances.” He glanced at her elevated leg and frowned. “I hope you’re not in too much pain, Mrs. Trent.”

  “Oh, never mind that, young man, and do call me Daphne. You’re with Holly, you say…” She glanced between Holly and Darius with a mischievous grin on her lined face, and Holly wanted the ground to swallow her up. Mum would jump to all the wrong conclusions if she didn’t intervene here.

  “Yes, we’re … that is we’re just—”

  “Dating.” Darius interrupted her and turned on the charm even more. Damn the man. “I do believe that’s the term you would use, Daphne.” He winked at her mother, and Holly rolled her eyes.

  “We are not dating. Don’t put ideas in my mother’s head, Darius.”

  The infuriating man’s smile turned wicked.

  “Well, what would you call it, sweetheart? I was trying to save your mother’s sensibilities, but you did spend the night at my place and we needed to get you fresh clothes, so…”

  He left the rest unsaid, but wiggled his eyebrows in such a suggestive manner, Holly groaned.

  “Seriously, you make it sound as though…” Her mother’s cough stopped her, and she knew her cheeks were flaming when she glanced across at her.

  Mama shook her head, but the grin on her face put the lie to any show of disapproval she might have been going for.

  “Well, in that case, help me sit up, so I can get a closer look at the man who can make my Holly blush like that.”

  Oh, God, help me.

  Holly was all set to protest, but the gentle, oh so careful way, in which Darius grasped her mum’s shoulders, to help her up and then fluffed up her pillows before he helped her to settle back down … well, damn it all to hell and back. How could she stay angry at him now? There were so many sides to this man, she simply didn’t know what to think. Just when she thought she’d figured him out, he did something else to make her melt. She was in serious danger of reading far too much into this arrangement they’d been thrown into. He might say he was her mate, but, no doubt once she’d given in and let him have his way, he’d clear off again. Men always did, after all, and she had to guard her heart. If she didn’t … well that just didn’t bear thinking about.

  “There, is that better, Daphne? Anything else you need? Do you want me to go and see what’s taking that doctor so long? The very helpful lady at reception did say he should be here soon to talk both you and Holly through the upcoming operation.”

  Mama shook her head and suppressed a yawn.

  “No, that’s quite all right. He’ll get to me before too long. I’d rather hear more about how you and Holly met, and why she’s kept you a secret from me.”

  Darius laughed and fixed his attention back on Holly. It meant every sensible thought fled her brain, because his scent increased, and she almost sighed in appreciation. Was he turning that on and off at his will? Hmm, she would have to ask him, once they were on their own. There was so much she didn’t know about him.

  “Yes, do tell your mum how we met, my sweet.”

  Darius winked at her, and Holly barely resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him.

  “Darius is a regular at the coffee shop, Mama, that’s all. And despite what he told you we are not dating. I barely know him, I mean I…” Holly couldn’t continue because her mum’s face fell. Lord only knew what she must be thinking of her now.

  “What Holly means to say, I think anyway, is that she’s very much fighting us.” Darius intervened, and Mama’s frown deepened. “I have every intention of wearing her down, however, Daphne. I knew that Holly was the one for me from the moment I first saw her two months ago now.”

  Holly glared at him, but, of course, the infuriating man was taking no notice of her. He’d focused his sole attention on her mother, whose drawn eyebrows slowly relaxed as she studied him.

  “You make that sound awfully serious, young man.”

  Darius nodded, grasped Mama’s hand, and dropped a kiss on the back of it. Really, he was too much. Mama, of course, lapped up the attention. She giggled, giggled for Pete's sake.

  “Save your charms for convincing my daughter. I’m afraid she gets her far too sensible side from me. I fought my dear, late husband for months before I finally gave in and admitted to myself that I loved him.” She patted Darius’s chest and smiled.

  “You remind me of him. My Steve was quite the looker in his younger days, and he was very persistent. He always said he knew from the minute he met me that I was the woman he was going to marry.”

  A dreamy smile spread across Mama’s face as she clearly remembered better times, and Holly swallowed hard to get rid of that lump of emotion in her throat that thoughts of her dear Papa always brought on.

  He’d been her staunchest supporter, the one man she could always rely on, and his sudden death brought on by a massive heart attack two years prior had
been doubly cruel because he’d been as fit as a man his age could have been. An underlying, previously undiagnosed and rare heart condition, which he’d been born with, had weakened his heart to such a degree, that he’d never stood a chance.

  Mum’s already fragile health had declined sharply after his death, ensuring her need to move into sheltered accommodation, and eventually the Lidlington, the state of the art private nursing home she now resided in. It had meant the end of Holly’s dream to become a teacher. She’d abandoned her studies up north, and had moved to London to be closer to her mum, working odd jobs to pay the rent and the extortionate private healthcare her mother needed.

  It wasn't a decision she'd ever had cause to regret until the day she saw Darius shift into a bear and was thrown into a world too terrifying to contemplate.

  Now she had to deal with that and this unreasonable connection she felt to him. One she simply had to fight to guard her heart. To let him in … she would be left heartbroken, for sure.

  “I know how he must have felt.” Darius ominous reply to her mum brought her sharply back into the here and now. She knew her mouth had fallen open because her mum laughed, patted her hand, and Darius reached across to shut her mouth for her with one long index finger. A jolt of electricity charged through her at the innocent enough contact of that slightly calloused digit, not helped one iota by his tracing the contours of her lips before he released her. The heated intensity in his eyes when she looked up at him further scrambled her brains as did the low timbre of his voice as he added. “I would have loved to have met him.”

  Mama laughed and shook her head.

  “Probably just as well he's not here. He would have you pinned against that wall demanding to know your intentions toward his little girl. Steve was rather protective of us, you could say. One of the many qualities I loved him for.”

  She blinked away suspicious looking moisture, and Holly pulled her in for a gentle hug.

  “I miss him, too, Mummy.”