“Polite isn’t something I’ve ever been accused of.”
Caleb grunted and shook his head. “Are you always this grumpy?”
She frowned. “Seeing as I’ll have to start from square one tomorrow to find Marlon, I’m entitled to be grumpy.”
He walked over to her and held out his hand.
She stared at it for a second then placed hers inside his.
He waited a second then raised his eyebrows. “The space blanket, sweetheart. You said you’d lend me one of yours.”
She jerked back her hand then ducked her head as she dug into her pack, but not before he noted a deep flush the firelight revealed. He felt bad about embarrassing her, but she’d shocked him a little, giving him her hand. And he’d noted that her hand was slender, if a little callused. He’d liked the way her palm had felt against his.
When she pulled out the blanket, he took it, not saying a word as he walked behind her and laid the blanket out on the ground.
“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice softer than before.
“My job.”
Her eyebrows lowered. “Um, okay. So, I’ll move.”
“No, you won’t. I’ll sleep beside you, away from the fire. If a bear or a cougar comes nosing around, they’ll have to get past me first.”
Her mouth opened but quickly closed again. She pulled out her blanket and placed her lumpy backpack on the ground to use as a pillow. After she unfolded her blanket, she removed her vest, web belt, and holster. Then she sat on the blanket and separated her thick braid until her hair fell around her shoulders in a thick, curly mass.
Damn, she really was pretty, and he liked the fact she probably didn’t have a clue what she was doing to him.
Next, she removed her boots and socks, setting them away. “God, I hope they’ll dry by morning. The leather’s soaked through.”
“Don’t count on it,” Caleb said, sitting on his blanket and removing his boots and socks as well, while trying not to admire her figure, silhouetted against the firelight.
When she lay looking up at the sky, he did the same, placing an arm beneath his head to look up at the moon which was blurred by clouds.
“So, did you play football in school?”
“Yup.”
“Thought so,” she murmured.
He smiled and pulled the edge of the blanket over him before closing his eyes.
A loud howl woke Marti from the best dream she’d had in…well, ever. She’d been snuggled against a broad chest, cocooned in warmth. A hand swept up and down her back. She sighed and moved her hips, liking the solidity of the form she moved against. The howl sounded again, and her eyes popped open.
“Just a wolf,” a deep voice said beside her ear.
She pushed up and stared around her. The fire had burned to coals. And somehow, during the night, she’d managed to gravitate toward the park ranger. His hard chest was what she’d rested against. His warm hand had soothed her back. “Sorry,” she muttered. “Didn’t mean to crowd you.”
“Got a little chilly,” he drawled. “Makes sense to share body heat.”
His hand pressed against her back, nudging her to lie down again. She settled, but now, she was wide awake. Her right thigh was between his legs, and her hip was resting on something hard.
She knew exactly what was hard and, for some reason, she felt a little disgruntled by the fact his cock was prominent and he didn’t seem to mind that she’d been grinding against it in her sleep.
“It’s been that way for a while. Haven’t jumped you yet,” he said, his voice a rough rumble.
“I wasn’t worried.”
“Then why are you holding your breath?”
“I’m n—”
He tsked. “It’s only natural. Pretty girl sleeping on me.”
“I’m sure any old girl would do.”
“But you’re not old. And you look sweet when you aren’t scowling at me.”
“Do not.”
He chuckled, and his chest moved beneath her cheek. She couldn’t help smiling at the sound.
They both went quiet for a while. In the distance, she could hear the soft grunts from the herd, the occasional howl of a distant wolf, and the ribbeting of frogs from the ravine. Without thinking, she nestled deeper against his body, her hips curving, naturally seeking anchor.
“Stop,” he muttered.
“Thought it was only natural,” she said slyly, feeling emboldened in the darkness.
“It’s natural when he’s not being strangled by layers of clothing.”
“Then why haven’t you gotten rid of those layers?” she asked, then wanted to bite her own tongue. Why did I say that? Do I really want him to get more “comfortable”?
“I’m being a gentleman,” he said, his voice sounding pinched. When she moved her hips again, hoping to take off some pressure so he wasn’t so…strained, he placed his hand on her ass. “Don’t move.”
She couldn’t help but notice how big it was. Her belly pressed hard against it from just above her belly button to the top of her thigh. “That can’t be healthy. You’re pretty…”
“Hard?”
“I was going to say…erect.”
He groaned. “You think that’s a better word?”
His fingers bit into her ass cheek, and she gave a very muffled moan.
“Like that?” he whispered. “Or do I need to move away? I could head to the woods for a few minutes…take care of the problem.”
She grinned against his chest. “But a bear might get you, being that far away from the fire and all…”
His chest shook. “It might. Don’t think I’d notice.”
“To keep on the safe side,” she said, lifting her hips and sliding a hand between their bodies, “I’ll let him out, just to let him stretch a bit.”
“Fuck me,” he said under his breath.
“Don’t go getting ahead of yourself. This is just a mission of mercy,” she said, then flicked open the button at his waistband and slowly dragged down his zipper.
With his chest rising and falling, she lifted her head to keep from getting motion sickness and eased most of her weight to the side so he could slide down his pants.
His cock bounded outward, a large enough shadow she gulped a little at the sight.
“That’s better,” he said, giving an exaggerated sigh. “You can go back to sleep now.”
“As if!” she said then scooted downward to have a better look. Unable to restrain her curiosity, she wrapped her fingers around his shaft, discovering there was a wide gap between her fingertips and her thumb. “I can see why you weren’t worried about the bears,” she muttered.
“Uh, Marti…” he said, reaching down to move away her hand.
She gripped him tighter. “Not so quick.” She moved her hand up then down, measuring his length. “That’s…unnatural.”
Soft, chopped laughter sounded in the darkness. “Seriously, if you don’t stop, I can’t promise not to…”
Realizing she was arousing him, she quickly ringed the base of his cock, thinking fast because she knew her brain was about to disengage the longer she held onto his steamy hot rod. All this could be hers…
She glanced up at his face. “Seeing as neither of us can sleep…”
He drew a sharp inward breath. They shared a long, intense stare. Then, “I have a condom or two in my wallet. That is, if…that was where this conversation was heading…”
She gave a brief bobbing nod. “I’m holding onto this. Find that condom.”
He reached down for his pants, cursing as he dug into a pocket for his wallet. When he found it, he nearly spilled the contents on the ground until he held up a small square packet. Then he ripped it open and smoothed the sheath down his length.
When he finished, it was his turn to hold his breath. “You sure about this? I didn’t think you liked me all that much,” he said, his tone dry.
“I don’t…dislike you,” she said. “You spoiled my takedown.”
&n
bsp; “Then I owe you, don’t I?”
She glanced upward, a half-smile stretching her mouth. “Clothes off,” she said, releasing his cock and rolling to the side.
Then it was a free-for-all as they both stripped, tossing away their clothes.
“Hope nothing’s in the fire,” he said. “Would hate to walk out of here in my birthday suit.”
“I’m handy with a needle. I could sew you a skirt from his nasty tent.”
He laughed and laid back, both hands cradling the back of his head, his cock pointing toward the dark, cloudy sky. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. No pressure,” he said. But his narrowed eyes held a hint of challenge she as incapable of ignoring.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Marti said, sliding a knee over his thighs then scooting upward, letting his cock ride the center of her folds until she felt the tip at her entrance. Her pussy clenched. Moisture flooded her channel.
He reached down to hold his cock as she took her first, tentative downward glide. The pressure against her entrance was…substantial.
“I’ll fit,” he reassured her.
“Not worried. Not much,” she amended then pushed downward, taking more of him inside.
He released his cock and placed his hands on her breasts, molding them and pinching the tips until they grew hard. Then he pushed up on his elbows and nosed at her breasts, flicking the tips with his tongue before sucking one inside his mouth.
As he drew on her flesh, she tossed back her hair and began to move in earnest, up and down, long glides that forced his thick cock through her channel. More fluid eased his passage while friction built heat, and soon, she was pumping faster, pushing on his shoulders for leverage as she bounced.
She’d never felt this full, this aroused. Already she was nearing the precipice, but she wanted more, wanted to savor this first ride. She halted her movements and cupped his cheeks, pulling him off her breast.
He raised his face, his eyes gleaming in the flickering light through half-closed lids. “Need me to take over?”
Breathing heavily, she could only nod.
With a move so fast she let out a gasp, he had her under him and his cock slid back inside her, going so deep she felt him bump her cervix.
“Sorry, don’t want to hurt you,” he murmured, coming closer to kiss her.
His lips claimed hers, his tongue thrusting straight inside her mouth as he began to move. Their faces aligned, hers to the left, then to the right, as they devoured each other’s mouths.
Marti couldn’t hold back the sounds scraping at her throat. She moaned and whimpered as he stroked faster and faster. She raised her legs, opening them as wide as she could so that their groins slapped noisily with each hard jerk of his hips.
When he circled his hips, she arched her back. His mouth glided along her neck. His teeth nipped her bottom lip. She dug her fingernails into his ass and forced him against her, holding him deep inside her as she ground against him. When she came, she felt as though she was shattering into a million little pieces. Streaks of gold light shimmered behind her closed eyelids. When he pulled out and thrust forward again, she shouted as he trembled and jerked against her.
Together, they fell back against the earth. She hugged him with her arms and legs. He nuzzled into the corner of her neck. Gradually, their breathing slowed.
The ranger raised his head and smoothed her hair from where it stuck to her cheeks. “That was incredible.”
Still connected, she felt vulnerable, exposed. She licked her dry lips and offered him a soft smile. “I think I can sleep now,” she whispered.
He pressed a kiss against her forehead then slowly withdrew, taking care to hold his condom in place. He turned away and disposed of it, then rolled back toward her to gather her inside his embrace.
She reached for the edge of one of the blankets and drew it over both of their cooling bodies then turned and let him spoon against her back. Lying surrounded by his warmth, she couldn’t remember ever feeling this at peace with herself and the world.
“Sleep,” he said and kissed her ear.
She liked that he held her, that he was openly affectionate when she really didn’t expect it. It gave her hope that, after they left the woods, there might be a chance they’d see each other again. She was surprised at that thought and the fact she hoped it was true, because she really wasn’t into relationships—been there, had the scars.
But just in case this was their one and only night together, she pretended to yawn and wiggled her hips, pushing against his cock.
“I’m guessing you’re not all that tired,” he said in a soft growl.
“The fire’s almost out. Don’t we need to make some noise to keep the critters away?”
His chest shook against her back. His hands cupped her breasts. “If I’d known bounty hunters were this horny…” His cock poked against her backside.
“Don’t you know? Be warned, I always get my man…”
Also by Delilah Devlin
Montana Bounty Hunters
Reaper (#1)
Dagger (#2)
Reaper’s Ride (#3)
Cochise (#4)
Hook (#5)
Wolf (#6)
Animal (#7)
S*x on the Beach (related)
Big Sky Wedding
Quincy (#8)
Brian (#9)
New Orleans Nights
Hot SEAL, New Orleans Nights (Prequel)
One Hot Night (#1)
Uncharted SEALs
Watch Over Me (#1)
Her Next Breath (#2)
Through Her Eyes (#3)
Dream of Me (#4)
Baby, It's You (#5)
Before We Kiss (#6)
Between a SEAL and a Hard Place (#7)
Heart of a SEAL (#8)
Hard SEAL to Love (#9)
Big Sky SEAL (#10)
Head Over SEAL (#11)
SEAL Escort (#12)
Texas Cowboys
Wearing His Brand (#1)
The Cowboys and the Widow (#2)
Soldier Boy (#3)
Bound & Determined (#4)
Slow Rider (#5)
Night Watch (#6)
Cowboys on the Edge
Wet Down
Controlled Burn
Cain’s Law
Flashpoint
Triplehorn Brand
Laying Down the Law (#1)
In Too Deep (#2)
A Long, Hot Summer (#3)
Night Fall
Sm{B}itten (#1)
Truly, Madly…Deadly (#2)
Knight in Transition (#3)
Wolf in Plain Sight (#4)
Knight Edition (#5)
Night Fall on Dark Mountain (#6)
Frannie and the Private Dick (#7)
Sweet Succubus (#8)
Truly, Madly…Werely (#9)
Bad to the Bone (#10)
Long Howl Good Night (#11)
First Knight (#12)
Big Bad Wolf (#13)
Texas Billionaires Club
Tarzan & Janine (#1)
Something To Talk About (#2)
Who’s Your Daddy (#3)
Love & War (#4)
* * *
Some Standalone Stories
Hot SEAL, Decoy Bride
Begging For It
Hot Blooded
Raw Silk
Warrior’s Conquest
Rogues
Enslaved by the Viking Short Story
Conquests
Smokin’ Hot Firemen
About Delilah Devlin
Delilah Devlin is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author with a reputation for writing deliciously edgy stories with complex characters. She has published nearly two hundred stories in multiple genres and lengths, and she is published by Atria/Strebor, Avon, Berkley, Black Lace, Cleis Press, Ellora’s Cave, Entangled, Grand Central, Harlequin Spice, HarperCollins: Mischief, Kensington, Montlake Romance, Running Press, and Samhain Publish
ing.
You can find Delilah all over the web:
WEBSITE
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Cage: Montana Bounty Hunters: Dead Horse, MT Page 13
