“I want a soft bed.” Regret pulled at his expression as he separated their bodies. “It’s safer if we can listen for intruders.”
And the shower impeded their hearing. She nodded and briskly washed while Dillon did the same. She stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel to dry off.
“Don’t bother getting dressed,” Dillon said.
“But Nikolai—”
“Will shut his eyes if he wants to live.”
“Do you like your brother-in-law?”
“Yes. Didn’t at first. He grew on me like a rash.”
“Charming.”
Dillon slapped her backside. “Move. I’m about two seconds away from pouncing, and the condoms are two rooms away.”
Ella peered from the bathroom and once she was certain Nikolai wasn’t watching, she scuttled to Dillon’s bedroom.
“Where is Nikolai sleeping?”
“Not with us.” Dillon closed the door behind him. “He’s big enough to look after himself.” He scooped her off her feet and swung her onto the bed with easy strength. Seconds later, his big body covered hers, his mouth stopping further conversation.
Ella wrapped her arms around him and clung, determined to enjoy this private moment where everything was right between them. Dillon drove her onward, passion sweeping them under. Hands glided over her hips, parted her legs and lifted her to his mouth. A moan spilled free, and he grinned at her, his mouth shiny with her juices.
“Nikolai will hear.”
Apparently comfortable with unintentional eavesdropping, he licked her again, doing precision work on her clit that had her crying aloud.
She bit her lip to stem her cries but failed, and Dillon chortled. The burst of air from his amusement had her on a knife edge of gratification. One final lick sent her tumbling over into pleasure. Sensation streaked to her toes. Dillon gentled his attentions before backing off, having already learned of her sensitivity after climax.
He moved up the bed, kissing her again. This time she tasted herself on his lips. Before she settled into the embrace, he pulled away.
“Condom,” he said in a terse voice. “On your hands and knees.”
She stared at him, slow to follow his instruction.
“Ella. Careful, I enjoy giving a good spanking. There is nothing prettier than a scarlet arse. It’s the gift that keeps giving since the lingering soreness reminds the recipient of their man for the following days.”
Ella swallowed while regarding his bright blue eyes. He’d trimmed his beard again, and it suited him. “Are you my man?”
“I want to be, even though it’s not smart. When I leave, I won’t be back for at least six months.” He ripped open the foil packet and rolled the latex onto his shaft.
Ella pulled her gaze away from his sexy, competent hands. Confidence and the trace of arrogance got her every time. Her gaze connected with his, and she noted the curve of his lips, the softer edge he normally kept hidden. “Are you telling me or warning me away?”
“Both. Hands and knees. Move fast, because the idea of punishing you is a temptation.”
An imp in Ella told her to go slow since a spanking intrigued her and left her pussy pulsing with need, her nipples tight and aching. The increased curve of his lips and the glow in his blue eyes told her he’d read her mind with frightening ease.
“Hands and knees, Ella.”
With a last survey of his broad chest and masculine determination, she flopped over onto her belly and slowly pushed into position. She’d scarcely settled when his hand cupped one buttock. His first smack startled an oomph from her. His second one a grunt, and the third smack had her crying out. He rubbed his hand over the stinging warmth of her buttock.
“In the interests of my sanity, I’m sticking to three tonight, because I didn’t give you much of a warning. In the future, I expect you to follow my orders or I will spank you, and it will hurt you to sit because I won’t stop at three swats. Is that clear?”
“Yes,” Ella said in a low voice, unsure of how she felt about this new development. She’d ponder the matter later. The truth, Dillon’s swats had left her pulse racing, her pussy wetter and her skin tingling with heat. Weirdly, the spanking had forged emotional ties. During the day, he was protective of those he cared for, and this new side of him had taken her by surprise.
“Stop thinking so hard.” Dillon notched his cock to her and pushed inside until he could go no further.
“This information about you bears consideration. I had no idea. Why didn’t you mention spanking earlier?”
“Because it’s a private part of me, and I didn’t know where we were going. We decided on friends with benefits. That’s casual. Vanilla. Enough. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”
He tweaked her nipples until they stood erect and sensitive to his every tug. Only then did he withdraw and push back inside her. He set a fast pace, and one of his hands slid down to cup her mons. One finger unerringly stroked her clit, and her pussy rippled around his cock. His strokes became choppy after that but Ella was already hurtling toward another orgasm. She shattered, her loud cry bringing a flush to her cheeks. Dillon rocked into her and stilled, his groan a hoarse expulsion of air.
After a long moment, he separated their bodies and stood to deal with the condom. When he returned to the bed, he tugged her close and spooned. Ella relaxed, replete and safe in his arms. Dillon intrigued her with his many layers, and she could not wait to peel away more of his mysteriousness.
Dillon woke with a blast of cold air whistling against his back.
“They’re coming.”
Instantly, he shook Ella awake and placed his hand over her mouth until he was certain she wouldn’t cry out and alert their visitors.
“Hana is here,” he whispered. “She says they’re coming. Get dressed and stay out of our way.”
She nodded, and once she moved, he pulled on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. He stuffed his feet in a pair of runners and hustled to wake Nikolai.
“Nikolai.” He approached his brother-in-law carefully, fully aware of the danger in awakening a soldier.
“Yeah? No one has tripped our alarm.”
“Hana says they’re coming.” Dillon muttered a curse when he realized what he’d said, but to his credit, Nikolai rose and pulled on his jeans.
“Dillon. Dillon. Dillon.”
A harsh exclamation of air burst from Nikolai.
“Let’s go,” Dillon said.
Dillon opened the door and it swung wide without a squeak after they’d oiled the hinges earlier. He and Nikolai slipped outside and separated while they waited. Soon, low voices reached him. The two men were walking together instead of approaching separately from different directions. He glided into position, glad of the warning. He hadn’t mentioned Hana to Nikolai because he hadn’t been certain she’d make an appearance. But if his deceased wife had a yearning for revenge, he, for one, would go to her aid.
His pulse raced as he waited but he was confident of his abilities.
The first man blundered into their tripwire a few seconds ahead of the other. It was his signal to move, and he leaped on the nearest man, subduing him way too easily.
“Got him,” Nikolai said from Dillon’s right.
“We’ll take them inside for questioning,” Dillon said.
The man in his grip fought. He was as big as Dillon but had a soft belly and no endurance. The weapon—likely illegal—was no use to him if he had no access to it. The pair hadn’t expected Dillon and Nikolai to be on guard, which showed a distinct lack of planning. Dillon shoved him through the door.
“What the hell, man? What are you doing?” Dillon’s prisoner blustered and attempted to tear free of his grip again. Dillon recognized him as one of the men checking the traps, but other than that, he’d never met the big, burly blond. Without a word, he stripped off the man’s jacket and did a visual for other weapons. He removed a knife and a radio before restraining the man with plastic cuffs on his wrists and a second set around
his ankles.
Nikolai’s captive took more subduing since he landed a punch on Nikolai’s jaw. Nikolai cursed, but recovered rapidly. He used his legs to trip him and shoved him face-first into the floor. He, too, ripped off the guy’s jacket and removed a knife before he cuffed him.
“Let us go,” the blond demanded.
“Have you interrogated them?” Ella asked.
“I told you to stay in the bedroom.” He’d already lost one wife. Ella couldn’t get hurt too. The acknowledgment had his thoughts stuttering for an instant before his brain fired to life again. From the first moment he’d spotted her, he’d sensed trouble.
“Should I call the cops?” she asked, his sat-phone in her hands.
“What the fuck! We have done nothing wrong,” Nikolai’s captive, a tall man with black hair. His body carried more muscle than the blond’s. “You have no right to do this.”
“No?” Ella said in a sweet voice. She stepped nearer, only stopping when Dillon growled.
Nikolai’s brows rose and he wore a definite smirk. “If that’s all you’ve got in the way of communication skills, it’s no wonder you strike out with the ladies.”
“Fuck off,” Dillon snapped.
Ella ignored both of the soldiers. “You’re sneaking around in the dark. You have a gun. You have a club thingie.” She pointed at the short baton Nikolai had removed from the dark-haired man. “They’re wearing the same footwear as the men who broke into my place. I’m calling the cops.”
Dillon glanced at Nikolai and caught his brother-in-law’s shrug. “Go ahead.”
Before she finished dialing, the radio the blond had been carrying squawked. “Come in,” a masculine voice demanded.
Dillon’s brows rose in query and Nikolai nodded. “Yeah?” He kept it short and sweet, his voice gruff.
The blond shouted and before Dillon could move, Ella grabbed a jacket and shoved it over his head, muffling his protests. Dillon strode from the lounge and headed for the bedroom.
“What was that?”
“Fucker tripped in the dark.” Dillon waited.
“You done?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. Clear the kiwi traps. We’ve got a white.” Excitement and greedy gloating filled the man’s voice.
Damn. He had no idea of the location of the traps. After a brief hesitation, he took a gamble. “Which trap?”
“The one by the stream, just inside the reserve. As soon as you bring the bird, I’ll contact the buyer.” He ended the call.
Dillon returned to the lounge to find that Nikolai had slapped gaffer tape over the men’s mouths.
“What’s happening?”
“By the sounds of it, they’ve trapped a white kiwi and the boss wants these guys to collect it before he contacts the buyer. Have you rung the cops?”
“They’re on their way,” Nikolai said. “Connor said to hang fire.”
“A white kiwi?” Ella asked. “The bird sanctuary has one. They’re incredibly rare. He could receive millions for it on the black market.”
“I’ll ring Connor back.” Dillon dialed. “Connor, it’s Dillon. A new development.” He explained. “What do you want us to do?”
“Damn. If we delay too long, the guy will get suspicious.”
“What if Nikolai and I put on these guys’ jackets and go to retrieve the kiwi?” Dillon asked.
“The helicopter has arrived. Is there a spot to land at your place?”
“Yeah. We can mark it out with lights.”
“Right. I’ll send your two prisoners back in the helicopter with one of my guys. By the time we arrive, I’ll have a plan worked out with the boss.”
“See you soon.” Dillon disconnected. “We need to mark out a spot for the chopper to land. They’re on their way.”
They used torches and tea lights sitting in his pots and pans. With the landing zone marked, he and Nikolai hauled a prisoner each out of his house. It didn’t take long until the whop-whop of a helicopter approached his land.
“Ella, can you bag the gun and knives and other stuff we removed from these guys? The cops will want it. I have zip-lock bags in the pantry. Use a tea towel or something similar to pick them up.”
Ella pursed her lips. “They have your prints on them.”
“They don’t need yours too.”
The helicopter landed without difficulty. Connor and three other cops strode toward him. One cop returned to Eketahuna in the chopper with the prisoners while Connor and the other two remained.
“This is the plan,” Connor said. “Dillon, you and I will retrieve the bird. We deliberated on releasing it but decided we need to keep the kiwi short-term for the evidence chain. We’ve contacted the experts at the sanctuary. They weren’t aware of another white kiwi. Nikolai, I want you to guide my colleagues to the farm.”
“The guy is paranoid. He has cameras everywhere,” Dillon said. “He even has cameras on my property to keep track of my comings and goings.”
“The man will be beside himself at trapping a white kiwi. He might not be too worried about keeping his eye on his security system. Besides, it’s the daytime visits he’ll be more worried about,” Ella said.
“I agree,” Dillon said. “He didn’t realize he wasn’t talking to his employee.”
“What do we do when we get to the neighbor’s place?” Nikolai asked.
“I’m betting he will contact us again, asking about the kiwi,” Dillon said. “He’ll be anxious.”
Connor nodded. “Wait until you see us enter the neighbor’s property with the bird before you move. We have a search warrant. We’ll act on it then.”
“What if he catches the reek of rat?” Nikolai asked.
Ella nodded. “Yeah, what if he destroys evidence?”
“I doubt he will because the birds are worth big money,” Connor said.
“We need to move,” Dillon said. “Here.” He handed over the larger jacket to Connor. Dillon owned a jacket that resembled the second one.
Five minutes later, they were on their way.
Ella waited until Dillon had vanished from sight before turning to Nikolai. “I’m coming with you. After what has happened tonight, I refuse to stay here on my own.”
“Dillon won’t be happy.”
“Too bad,” Ella said. “He’s not here. I promise to stay at the back of the line and follow orders. I’m used to tramping through the bush. I won’t delay you.”
“You will follow us, anyway,” Nikolai guessed.
“Summer has trained you well.” She offered a sweet smile when Nikolai growled, sounding much like Dillon. Must be a soldier thing.
“This is the deal. You walk at the back of our group. Do not slow us down. Follow every order.”
Her brows rose. “And if I don’t?”
“Dillon will spank you.”
Heat gathered in Ella’s cheeks, and it took long seconds for her to realize her mouth hung open. She snapped it shut. “You eavesdropped on us.”
“It was difficult not to. Perhaps that’s where I took a wrong turn with Summer,” he mused to himself.
“You are not a gentleman.”
“Just the way Summer likes me,” Nikolai said cheerfully.
“I’ll keep up,” she snapped when she noticed the two cops listening to their conversation. “Let’s go.” She took two steps out of the front door before Nikolai’s hand closed around her biceps.
“Cameras,” he reminded her.
Ella’s stomach sank and chastised, she nodded. She followed Nikolai and the other two cops—James and Grant, from memory—along the side of Dillon’s house. A safe path to avoid the one still-functioning camera. Thankfully, Ella was fit and she’d donned her boots, but the men slunk along the path at a rapid clip. They didn’t use torches, relying on the light of the moon and the approach of dawn.
It was darker under the trees, but Ella trotted after the men, telling herself she didn’t have time to act the wuss. This was too important.
This ma
n—Dillon’s neighbor—mustn’t get away with poaching New Zealand’s native birds and a valuable and rare white kiwi.
12 – A Search For A White Kiwi
Dillon led Connor straight to the boundary fence, not bothering to take the time to disable cameras. With hats plopped on their heads and Connor wearing the confiscated jacket, their neighbor should assume his workers were on the way.
The workers’ radio crackled. “What took you so long?”
Dillon shot a glance at Connor and kept walking. He depressed the talk button on the radio. “You try subduing two big dudes. Took time.”
“I’ve contacted the buyer. He wants the kiwi even if the bird is old. Handle it carefully. Remember how I showed you?”
“Yeah,” Dillon barked while wondering if the man was always this chatty and confiding with his employees. Unless the workers got a cut of the profits. It would keep the men keen and stop their tongues from wagging. Something to mention later although the cops were probably already checking their backgrounds and financials.
He and Connor leaped over the fence and slid into the sanctuary land.
“Not that turn,” the voice on the radio crackled. “What is wrong with you? Next one on the right.”
Dillon and Connor backtracked and took the turning,
“It’s the first trap,” the voice said over the radio.
Dillon scowled at the undergrowth. Where the hell was the camera? They needed it off so they could bumble around in privacy.
The radio crackled. “Where are you going?”
“He’s taking a leak.”
“Not in front of the bloody camera,” the man snapped as Connor slipped into the undergrowth. The cop paused, the sound of his fly zipper loud in the early morning.
“Not there. I don’t wanna record your cock.”
Dillon bit back a triumphant grin. At least they’d discovered the location of the camera.
“Crap!” the voice came over the radio. “The helicopter has come early. I’ll meet the pilot. Hurry and bring the kiwi. Don’t fuck this up.”
Dillon paused a beat.
“Got it,” Connor said in a low voice.
“Will that be our side?”
“Hopefully,” Connor muttered glancing at the trees. “Although they’ve gone in early. Got it.” He clambered up an old manuka tree. “It’s off.”
Stranded With Ella Page 14
