Breaking Free: A Colorado High Country Crossover Novel

by Pamela Clare

  “Six or seven.”

  “You are adorable.” Winona’s heart broke for that little boy, knowing what lay ahead. “Your mother was beautiful. You have her eyes.”

  “That’s what everyone tells me.” He took the photo when she finished with it and tucked it back into his wallet. “I’ve tried seeing her when I look in the mirror, but it doesn’t work.”

  Winona stood, held out her hand for him. “Come.”

  He took her hand, stood. “Where are we going?”

  She led him into the bathroom. “I smell like a wet, dirty wolfdog. I need a shower. I thought maybe you could help me out with that.”

  He caught her, drew her against him, nuzzled her neck. “You smell like woman to me, but the idea of getting your body wet and soapy suits me just fine.”

  They stripped each other naked and got the water going, Winona making sure it was nice and hot. Then they stepped under the spray together.

  Winona wet her hair and reached for the shampoo, but Jason beat her to it.

  “Turn around.”

  She did as he asked, sighing with pleasure as his fingers massaged her scalp and caressed her nape, sending tingles down her spine. While she rinsed, he washed his hair. Then she reached for the soap.

  They lathered each other, hands gliding over soap-slick skin, each seeking ways to please the other. He cupped her breasts, teased her nipples, caressed her bare buttocks, making her blood hot. She explored the planes and ridges of his muscles, took the weight of his testicles in her hand, stroked his erection, her need for him building.

  Hot water rinsed soap away, the air thick with steam and sexual need, her skin tingling. Then she traded places with him, looked him in the eyes, and dropped to her knees before him.

  His breath hissed from between clenched teeth when she took him into her mouth, his fingers sliding into the tangled, wet strands of her hair. “Win.”

  She’d learned a bit about him, and she put it to good use, moving her mouth and hand together along his length, teasing the head of his cock with her tongue, her free hand cupping his balls.

  “Jesus, Win.” His fingers fisted in her hair, his hips thrusting, urging her on.

  In tune with his response, she picked up the pace, savoring the hard feel of him, remembering how good his cock had felt inside her. His balls drew tight, a sign that he was close to the edge now.

  “Stop, angel.” He shut off the water, drew Winona to her feet. “My turn.”

  Anticipation shivered through her as she wondered what came next.

  He stepped out of the tub and scooped her into his arms, making her shriek with surprise. He chuckled. “I’ve got you.”

  He carried her, wet and naked, across the hall to his room, where he dropped her onto his bed. Before she could catch her breath, he grasped her ankles, dragged her butt to the edge, pushed her knees apart. “I want to taste you.”

  Winona started to tell him that this had never done anything for her when his mouth closed over her. “Oh!”

  This was … different. This wasn’t like anything a man had done to her before, and it felt so… incredibly … good.

  He suckled her clit just like he’d suckled her nipples, tugging on her with his lips, drawing her into the heat of his mouth, stroking her with his tongue.

  She slid her fingers into his hair, drew her knees back, surrendering herself wholly, barely aware of the moans coming from her throat. “Jaaaa-son.”

  Then he slid fingers inside her, stroking that deep ache, pleasure twisting in her belly, coiling itself tighter and tighter. But still, he didn’t stop, his mouth and fingers merciless. He gave her no quarter, no chance to breathe, her body buffeted by sensations almost too good to bear.

  And then she shattered, climax washing through her, engulfing her in bliss.

  He kept it up until her orgasm had passed. Then he grabbed a condom, rolled it over his erection, and buried himself inside her with a deep, slow thrust, his mouth claiming hers, his tongue carrying her musky taste into her mouth.

  He took his time, slowly building up the rhythm, giving her a chance to grow aroused again, his mouth on her nipples, his deep thrusts bringing her to the edge once more. But this time when she came, he climaxed with her, the two of them falling together into paradise.

  In a post-orgasmic daze, Jason held Winona, her head resting on his chest, her hair spilling around them, her taste still on his tongue.

  Leaving her won’t be easy.

  It was true. He knew it. But damned if he could regret a moment he’d spent with her, least of all having sex with her.

  Winona Belcourt blew his mind. Something about her was so down-to-earth, so very … real.

  She raised her head, kissed one of his nipples, smiled at him. “Will you believe me if I say I’ve never enjoyed receiving oral sex?”

  He stared at her, sure she must be joking. “You’re serious.”

  She nodded. “Until tonight, I wondered what the big deal was. Now I know.”

  Jason couldn’t keep the stupid grin off his face. “It’s all in the lips.”

  Don’t let it go to your head, cabrón. After this week, it will be other men giving her that pleasure.

  Maybe he could stay a little longer. He didn’t have to be back in Sells until his hearing.

  Do you hear yourself, man?

  Lima Charlie—loud and clear.

  He forced that train of thought from his mind. “What else haven’t you enjoyed—in bed, I mean.”

  She considered his question. “Sex from behind. I don’t get anything from it. I need to watch TV or read a book so I don’t get bored.”

  That made him laugh. “That bad? Challenge accepted. Anything else?”

  “I guess that’s it—but there are a lot of things I haven’t tried. Most of them I don’t want to try.”

  This was intriguing.

  “What haven’t you done that you want to do?”

  Her eyes went wide for a moment. “Well, I…”

  He kissed the tip of her nose. “Hey, don’t be embarrassed.”

  Still, she hesitated. “I … I like it when you get a little rough.”

  He’d noticed that. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Because he couldn’t yet get it up again, he changed the subject. “I cased out your house and the clinic this afternoon while you were working, and there’s a lot you could do to improve security. Nate gave me a card of a company he recommends. If it’s okay with you, I can give them a call tomorrow.”

  Her smile faded. “I’m not sure I can afford it.”

  He chuckled. “Jack and Nate can. They want to help. I’m sure they’d be willing to cover the entire cost.”

  “That doesn’t seem right. It’s not their problem.”

  “Why not? Their steers weren’t your problem. They’ve got the money, and you helped them.”

  She brushed that off. “The bad guy is in the hospital. He’ll be going back to prison. He’s not a danger to me now.”

  Jason tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I know it scares you to be there, especially when you’re alone. I know you have nightmares. It’s okay to want to feel safe, and it’s okay to let people help you.”

  “You probably think I’m a wimp.”

  The anguish in her eyes cut him. “No, I don’t. You don’t have to be brave all the time, Win. You don’t have to carry the weight of this. Chaska, your grandfather, Jack, Nate, me—we want to help you. Let us. I’ll stay to make sure the work gets done and gets done right.”

  “Wasn’t the plan for you to spend time with Zach and then to go see the sights and camp? Helping to put in my security system can’t be what you hoped for when you set off on this vacation.”

  “You want to get rid of me?” It was a joke.

  She didn’t take it that way. “No! No, hardly that. I just don’t want you using your hard-earned time off dealing with my stupid problems.”

  “Hey, now. Your problems aren’t stupid.” Tell her. “This isn’t a
vacation. I’m on unpaid administrative leave.”

  “You’re … what?”

  He sat up, moved to the edge of the bed, rubbed his face with his hands. “I’ve got a disciplinary hearing when I get back.”

  She sat up behind him, her hand sliding up his back. “What happened?”

  He told her about Ren and the ambush and how he’d chased that son of a bitch across the border. “He turned, raised his weapon, and I fired. The next thing I knew, there were a dozen Mexican agents. They frisked me at gunpoint, cuffed me, took my weapons, badge, and ID.”

  “How scary.”

  “The rest of the Wolves showed up, and eventually, they released me. But they filed a complaint.”

  “I don’t understand. You’re O’odham and a dual citizen. That’s your people’s land. You have a right to be there.”

  “Not as a member of a Border Patrol unit.”

  She rested her cheek on his shoulder, one lush breast brushing his arm. “What do you think will happen?”

  “I don’t know.” Jason had done a little digging, and there’d never been a case like his. “I might lose my job. I might find myself at a desk. I might get a slap on the wrist.”

  “How do you want it to end?”

  No one had asked him that.

  “I’ve spent my entire adult life working as a Shadow Wolf. I don’t know who I’d be without the uniform.”

  She kissed his shoulder, her hand caressing his bicep. “You’ll be the man you are right now—the man who helped rebuild a summer camp for kids, who helped strangers track a poacher, and who wants to help some random woman with a security system.”

  That last part made him smile.

  He turned, caught her in his arms, and pushed her back onto the bed. “Hey, your taste is still in my mouth. There’s nothing random about you.”

  Then he kissed her.

  Winona woke first, the scent of Jason’s skin tickling her from sleep. He lay on his back, one arm bent above his head, the other around her shoulders, her cheek against his chest. The covers had slipped down, leaving them both exposed from the waist up, his chest and belly bared to her gaze, his breathing deep and slow.

  She’d met him last Saturday, and it was only Thursday—and he’d already come to mean so much to her.

  He’s leaving soon. You might not see him again.

  The thought put an ache in her chest.

  How unfair was it that life could bring Jason to her when the two of them could never be together? He had his life in Sells, and she had her clinic and her family here in Scarlet Springs.

  Think of this as a gift. No regrets. No looking ahead.

  The ache grew sharper.

  But it was true—these days and nights with Jason were a gift. She shouldn’t waste one moment of this time worrying about the future or weighing down the present by focusing on future sadness. They were here now, and that’s what mattered.

  She pushed down the covers, exposed his beautiful cock, then got onto her knees—and took him into her mouth. He’d stopped her when she’d gone down on him, thinking of her pleasure. This time, she wanted him to finish first.

  She moved slowly, stroking him to fullness, his cock growing hard in her mouth.

  He stirred in his sleep, his brow furrowing.

  She moved faster, kept up the rhythm.

  He moaned in his sleep—then jolted awake, breath leaving his lungs in a rush. “Winona! What…?”

  She took her mouth off him, but only for a moment. “Good morning. Don’t stop me this time.”

  He stared at her, surprise and a hint of a smile on his face. “Okay. Jesus.”

  Winona got back to work, putting everything she had into making it good for him, taking her cues from his responses, using her tongue, lips, and hand in tandem.

  He slid his fingers into her hair, moved it aside, and watched as she devoured him, his breathing heavier. “God, you’re good at this.”

  Winona kept at it, increasing the pressure, going faster, circling him with her tongue, focusing on the sensitive underside.

  His fingers tightened until his hands were fisted in her hair, his breathing ragged, every muscle in his body tense.

  She loved seeing the effect she had on him, loved seeing the erotic anguish on his face, his eyes squeezed shut now, his brow furrowed, his teeth clenched. His balls drew tight, and she knew he was on the edge.

  She stopped, smiling at his frustrated groan.

  “Oh, God.” He thrust with his hips, seeking the release she wouldn’t yet give him.

  She blew cool breath across the wet head of his cock, smiled as breath hissed from between his teeth.

  He slid a big hand beneath her chin, lifted her gaze to his, the heat in his eyes sending a shiver through her. “You’re cruel.”

  She smiled—and took him into her mouth once again.

  His head fell back onto the pillow. “Oh, Win.”

  She brought him to the brink once more, making him wait, letting the tension build, his hips shifting against the bed, his body clearly aching for release.

  He glared at her through narrowed eyes, the hint of a smile on his lips, one hand reaching to fondle her bare breast. “You’re going to find yourself on your back if you’re not careful.”

  She smiled. “Ooh, threats. I’m scared.”

  This time, she went all out, bringing him to the edge—and carrying him over.

  He groaned, arched off the bed, drawing her head away from him as he came, his cock pulsing in her hand as she finished him, semen spurting onto his belly, her hand, her arm. With a shuddering exhale, he began to relax.

  He opened his eyes, a tenderness there that made her breath catch. “You are incredible. You—”

  A knock at the door. “Winona?”

  “Oh, no! That’s Chaska.” Winona jumped out of bed, ran into her bathroom naked, and washed her hands and arm.

  Another knock, more insistent this time. “Win?”

  She dashed back to her room, threw on her sleepshirt, grabbed her bathrobe, and was on her way to the front door when Jason stopped her.

  “You’ve got some of me on your cheek.” Chuckling, he wiped it off with his thumb. “You’re good.”

  “Thanks.” She tied her bathrobe, hurried to the door, opened it. “Toniktuha he?”

  How are you?

  Chaska stepped inside. “Hey, what’s going on? Megs says you and Chiago spent the night at the Cimarron, that you’re helping Jack and Nate with a wolf?”

  “It’s a long story. Coffee?” She’d just set the pot on to boil when Jason walked into the kitchen, fully dressed.

  Chaska’s expression went hard. “Chiago.”

  Jason acknowledged her brother with a nod. “Belcourt. Congratulations on the birth of your son.”

  “Thanks.”

  Winona didn’t feel like she owed Chaska an explanation. She wasn’t sixteen. Still, she had to say something. “Jason is staying in the guest room. Jack West asked the two of us to help him track a wolf that was killing his steers. It turns out that the wolf belonged to a poacher who was encamped illegally on Forest Service land. We found a female wolfdog and four pups at his camp, too, but the wolf got away.”

  That was the truth—if not the whole truth.

  “What? Wait. Start over. You tracked a wolf?”

  Over coffee, Winona and Jason told Chaska the story, filling in most of the blanks, leaving out only the fact that they were sleeping together.

  “And this bastard is in custody?” he asked.

  Jason told him what McBride had shared in a text. “He’s in a Denver hospital with a broken pelvis. The four-wheeler flipped on him. But the wolf is still out there.”

  Winona changed the subject. “How are Naomi and Shota?”

  Chaska’s expression softened. “They’re coming home tomorrow. Can we talk for a minute, Win?”

  Here it comes.

  She walked with Chaska into her backyard.

  Chaska didn’t mince words. “Are
you sleeping with him?”

  “That’s between Jason and me. I’m a grown woman, Chaska.”

  He stopped, worry on his dear face. “I just don’t want you to get hurt. What do you really know about this man?”

  “I know enough.”

  Chaska nodded, stepped back. “You’re a grown woman, and I trust you to do what’s right. I just can’t remember a time when you were unwilling to share your heart with me. It’s not like you to shut me out, sister.”

  He turned and walked out through her back gate, leaving Winona to wrestle with her emotions.

  Chapter 17

  While Winona did her rounds at the clinic, Jason rinsed the breakfast dishes and put them in the dishwasher, unable to get the stupid grin off his face, his mind all over her. Had he been wearing this same grin earlier when her brother had stopped by? Maybe that’s why Chaska had looked like he wanted to punch Jason in the face.

  Still, Jason couldn’t be too hard on himself. He’d just gotten the best head of his life. He’d been surprised that he’d been able to stand upright and speak in complete sentences after Winona had finished with him.

  God, she was amazing—both in bed and out.

  She’d come back inside from her little chat with Chaska, worry in her eyes. Jason didn’t have to ask what was wrong. Chaska didn’t like the idea of Jason sleeping with his little sister. But Winona was an adult woman. She didn’t need Chaska’s approval to take a man to her bed.

  He’s not wrong to worry about her, is he, pendejo?

  That thought wiped the grin off Jason’s face.

  Chaska wanted to see his little sister with a man who’d stick around and be a part of her life, not someone who was just passing through or using his sister to get off. He didn’t want her to get hurt.

  Well, Jason couldn’t fault the man for that. But the last thing he wanted to do was hurt Winona. He’d been transparent with her. She knew he couldn’t make a life with her here in Scarlet Springs. Their time together was a gift, and they both knew it would end.

  Why did that leave him feeling desolate?