Minutes passed in silence before the imagery of the situation hit her and her lips twitched. While she was buck naked, her wet hair plastered to her neck and back, Zan was completely clothed, his jeans down around his thighs.
“Why is it that when we come together, I’m usually naked and you’re not?”
He groaned. “Because I’m an ass and too damn hungry for you.” He nibbled lightly at her neck, causing arousal to spark anew in her belly. Before she lost herself again, she pinched his butt.
“Ow.” Like she really hurt him. He was tough as steel under all that smooth skin.
Hmmm. She rubbed the palm of her hand over the little hurt, fascinated as thick muscles jumped under her touch. Very, very nice.
“What was that for?” He nipped the tip of her ear, and she got the feeling he was somehow pleased with her.
Withdrawing her hands from his delectable butt, she placed them on his chest and gave him a light but determined push. “I need to clean up so take your,” she paused to give him a smirk, “ass outta here and give me a few minutes.”
“Jackie.” Zan caressed her jaw with the pads of his fingers, as if he couldn’t not touch her.
She allowed herself to lean into his touch. Briefly. Then once again pushed him away. “I’ll be out in a minute.”
After a thoughtful stare in which Jackie wasn’t sure if Zan would give in to her request, he hitched up his jeans, brushed his lips over hers and left the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Knowing he wouldn’t remain patient for long, Jackie made short work cleaning up and wrapping the forgotten towel around her before opening the bathroom door.
In the bedroom, Zan was pacing, reminding her of herself only hours ago. He sent her another one of his scorching looks before he forced his gaze away. With a bit of haste, Jackie donned clothing, feeling self-conscious and simultaneously an idiot for feeling that way. Not only had Zan seen her naked, he’d been more up close and personal to nearly every inch of her body then she could ever possibly achieve. Yet there was just something so intimate about having him watch her dress, which she knew he was doing even though her back was too him. The pacing had stopped and she could feel the weight of his lusty green eyes.
When she was clothed in light-weight pants and a russet-colored short-sleeved top, she turned to face him. For a moment they just stared at each other, Jackie with the arousing sensation that she was being eyed by a wild beast who saw her as desert.
Which wasn’t much of a stretch.
“Very nice.” Since she’d been thinking the exact same thing about his naked tush only minutes earlier, she rolled in her lips to keep from smiling. “Though not as nice as what you wore in the shower.”
She blinked. What she wore in the shower? She was naked in the shower.
A blush crept up her cheeks. Jeez. Was she slow or what? He liked her better naked. “Yes, well. As that’s not practical...”
Zan stalked to her, his blazing eyes halting her mid-sentence. “It’s very practical. Being continuously naked saves time and water from washing dirty clothes. Saves money from not buying all those clothes, and saves me from going insane with the need to see you naked.” Clear hunger and mischief combined and gave his features a naughty, predatory appearance. It was a great look for him. “I call that an all around win-win situation.”
If at all possible, her face grew hotter. She cleared her throat. “Yes, well...” she started again, not sure what she was going to say when a pounding rattled the bedroom door.
Zan closed his eyes and let out a frustrated groan. “Always with the interruptions. I swear I don’t know how Russell managed to stay sane when he brought Marion here.”
“That’s because I took her on a month-long honeymoon you horny bastard.” Russell’s voice was muffled through the thick wood. “Get out here. Both of you. We have a situation heading our way.”
Zan morphed from playful wolf to alert soldier in less than a blink, his shoulders stiffening, his head up, and nostrils flaring as if sensing danger. And did his ears just twitch?
“Shider?”
“No.” Russell replied. “Worse. A storm.”
Jackie frowned in confusion at Zan’s soft curse. “A storm? Like a hurricane?”
Brows tight in concentration far from the present, Zan shook his head. “No. Nothing like that. But a rainstorm will eradicate any scent trails. The thunder and rain could deafen any foreign sounds, and depending on how hard it rains, vision will be compromised.”
Which meant Zan’s enhanced senses might not be of much use to counteract any attack. If it came to hand-to-hand, Zan of course would be the ultimate winner, but a big game hunter would already know that and strike from a distance. Shider’s best bet would be to climb one of the numerous large trees that surrounded the property and take his prey down through the safety of a scope.
So maybe a storm would be for the best. At least the cloud cover would dim or better yet, eliminate the glow of the full moon. Shider would have to get closer to take Zan out. Close enough for that hand-to-hand combat?
“Maybe we should leave the house, check into a hotel or something if the rain will cause that much of a problem,” She suggested.
Zan’s grin was one quarter humorous, one-quarter anticipation, and the rest pure confidence. She could almost see him mentally rubbing his hands together in relish. “Nay. It just makes the game more interesting.”
“The game?” Jackie stared at him slack-jawed. “You seriously consider blood and death a ‘game’?”
Either ignoring her question because he knew he’d misspoke, or more accurately because his mind was already planning and plotting, Zan cupped Jackie’s face and pressed an absent kiss on her chilled lips. “No worries, angel. It’ll all be over soon.”
Calmly spoken as if reassuring her about some tedious duty he needed to attend, like taking out the trash. Her chin was still on the floor when he opened the bedroom door and held out a hand for her, the eagerness he felt pushing his power through the cracks of his restraint whispered over her skin like an air-conditioner on full blast. She shivered.
The hallway was empty. No doubt Russell hustled back to his wife’s side, knowing Zan would shortly be down. Jackie might wonder how the other woman handled the fear and worry for her mate if Marion hadn’t already explained that once she and Russell wed, Russell had eased off field work, keeping mainly to the house and working background checks, surveillance and strategic planning for the other members of the team. He was their boss and their backup, all in one.
Jackie probably could work with that, but not the sheer readiness that bordered on a maniacal glee she glimpsed in Zan’s eyes. The need to hunt and protect might be instinctive, but willingly jumping into one battle after another was a foreign concept to her. She simply couldn’t see herself kissing her husband goodbye while he dashed off to some dark location on a dangerous exertion where violence reigned and death was a common occurrence. Her knowledge of military tactics and fighting came because of who her father and grandfather were, not due to an aggressive need to feel her fists hitting flesh or some gun-ho mentality.
“Angel?” Jackie glanced from his extended hand to his face. Concern clouded his eyes.
Well, at least he hasn’t totally forgotten me in his rush, she thought mulishly, then wanted to smack herself for it. All her maturity had collapsed the second the mating heat had kicked in, throwing her back in time to the crazy years of puberty. It was mortifying.
Squaring her shoulders, she crossed the thick carpet and placed her hand in Zan’s. Instant warmth suffused her chilled body from that simple contact. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Are you okay?”
She let out a nervous laugh. Seriously, how was she to know which Zan was the real Zan? The soldier, anxious for battle. The lover, sweet and concerned over her welfare, or the shifter, instinctively needing and wanting his mate at his side for all time?
“Not really, but it’s not like I have a lot of say, is there, Zan?”
“I don’t understand.”
A heavy sigh escaped. “And therein lies our problem.”
His lips pursed. “Dammit, Jackie.”
“Nope. Don’t start. Let’s just go downstairs and get this over with.” She shot him a hard look. “Just like you said.”
He was on the verge of growling at her when Russell bellowed from the bottom of the stairs. Jackie slid free from Zan’s grip and started forward, but the possessive wolf caught up to her and took her hand again, adjusting his stride to match her shorter ones.
The skin-to-skin contact remained a physical bond between them as they reached the first floor. Then Zan guided her down into the basement where a game room was set up next to the gym. Jackie had peeked in last night when Marion had given her a tour, but she hadn’t done more than gape before following the human female back upstairs.
Now she stepped into the large tiled-floor room. A pool table and foosball game dominated the center. Along one wall stood several arcade games including pac man, frogger, and a pin-ball machine. A black leather sectional and two cozy oversized fabric chairs faced another wall where a large screen TV hung above an entertainment center housing several video game counsels such as an X-box 360 and Wii. Country music was streaming from hidden speakers, loud enough to hear but soft enough to talk over. A standard size refrigerator hummed behind a bar situated next to the door she walked through. Trays of thick sandwiches and cookies and bowls of potato salad and chips lined the countertop.
Scott, Joe, Russell, and Marion were already in the room, the men embroiled in a battle on the screen with some alien creatures while Marion sat curled up in one of the chairs, Russell at her feet on the floor. At least Jackie thought Marion was only watching with mild interest until she shouted out in victory and Jackie saw the remote control unit clutched in her hands.
Jackie grinned at the sight.
“It’s about frickin’ time,” Joe said without looking behind him. “Marion said we couldn’t eat until you got down here, and I’m starving.”
“You’re always starving,” Zan said dryly, leading Jackie to the unoccupied chair and pushing her gently into it. “That’s nothing new.”
“Hey, gorgeous,” Scott grinned at her, eliciting a growl of warning from Zan. Jackie greeted everyone and then watched, riveted by the huge screen as armor covered men shot lizard-looking creatures. Despite Joe’s insistence for fuel, the friendly banter continued for some time before they called a break to eat. Afterwards, they played a game of pool, followed by Foosball, and then more creature shooting.
In spite of her worry, Jackie was having fun. She might be out of her element—the last video game she’d ever played was on a PC—but Zan rarely left her side. He was an attentive date. Not that this was a date, but Jackie could almost believe they were just a bunch of friends sharing several hours of fun and camaraderie, rather than a group of hard-arsed soldiers blowing time until the real world attacked.
She refused to let the knowledge ruin her day and threw herself into every game, whether it be video or at the pool table. Making more memories to take with her. Hours later, she curled up into one of the overstuffed chairs, sleepy, and watched as the men raced souped up cars over ridiculously rough terrain.
It seemed even tough-as-nails soldiers needed playtime.
She fell into a surprisingly deep sleep and woke to a slight, high-pitched buzzing noise, and complete darkness.
With a gasp of panic she bolted upright and knocked her forehead into someone’s chin. Her exclamation coincided with someone’s soft curse. “Woman. You have got to stop hitting me.”
Jackie knew that voice. Intimately. One hand on her aching brow, she glared up in Zan’s general direction. “Well excuse me, but I can’t see a damn thing. Unlike you, my shifter genes do not enhance my eyesight.”
“Nor do you have claws which at this moment, I’m extremely thankful for. Otherwise you would have swiped first and asked questions later.”
Truth. She was never coherent when she first woke and any surprises upon waking made her beast lash out in confusion. Zan should have learned that two nights ago when she blackened his eye.
“Why’s it so dark?” She peered around the room, hoping her eyes would adjust. Only, they didn’t. It was so dark she couldn’t even see her hand in front of her face.
“Electricity’s out. I’m taking you upstairs, so don’t move.”
Well, that was odd. Why would he tell her not to move if he was taking her upstairs?
Before she could ask, she heard a whisper of cloth and then she was being lifted up and tossed over Zan’s left shoulder. She let out a girly squeal and braced her hands on his firm back. “What are you doing?”
One hand squeezed her butt. “Told you. Taking you upstairs. This is the most efficient way.”
“Efficient?” She clamped her teeth together when she nearly bit off her tongue as he bounded up the stairs. Upside down, in the dark, and being jolted were not a great combination. Zan might think it the most efficient, until she tossed every single one of those cookies she’d snarfed a few hours ago all down his backside.
The top of the stairs led to the kitchen and when he reached it, Jackie finally heard the rain. Either the basement was soundproof, or she’d been too busy concentrating on not puking to hear it before. Now, as Zan turned to leave the kitchen, she lifted her head higher and looked out the back windows. A bolt of lightening slashed across the sky, blinding her momentarily. But it was enough to see that yes, the storm appeared to be as fierce as it sounded.
A clap of thunder followed and she tensed at the sound. Zan patted her tush, kneading the flesh in reassurance. “I’ve got you.”
She rolled her eyes. She loved the thunder and lightening. Storms didn’t scare her, but hey, if he wanted to give her comfort by rubbing his hand on her bottom, she’d go with it.
“The question is, where are you taking me? And what is that sound?” She could still hear the high-pitched noise over the rain and it was getting on her nerves. It was akin to a fly buzzing around her ear and she wanted to swat it.
“The sound is the alarm. It’s pitched too high for human ears, but not for shifters.”
“Alarm?” She turned her head back and forth, looking everywhere she could, expecting the bogeyman to jump out at any second.
The cloud cover might be thick and the rain heavy, but neither was enough to overcome the power of the full moon’s glow. In fact, as Zan moved into and through Russell’s office, Jackie saw through the window how several patches of gauzy moonlight bathed the wet ground. It reminded her of the soft affect angel hair had on Christmas tree lights. What a weird connection to make.
“Yeah. Perimeter wall’s being tampered with, but Shider’s not on the premises. Yet. It’s the initial alarm, warning us that someone’s trying to get either through or over the wall.”
“Oh, God.” Now she really was going to throw up. “Can’t you call the cops or something?” Instead of going out there and possibly getting killed, she added silently.
“He’d just make bail and try again. And then we might not be ready for him. I don’t want to have to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life. Would you?” No, actually. She really wouldn’t. But she kept her mouth fully clamped shut.
“Here we are.” Zan bent over and carefully dropped Jackie back to her feet.
“Here” turned out to be some kind of control room, very similar to the one at Moon Haven, the wolf compound back in Woodcliff. As Jackie peered through the faint yellow light, she felt a wave of homesickness, which was ridiculous since she’d only been gone two days.
She brushed that feeling aside, noting that Russell and Marion were already present. The shifter sat in front of several lit screens that she quickly perceived to be strategic views of the grounds. Marion sat next to him and gave her a wan smile. “You okay?” She asked with quiet concern.
“Uh. Yeah.” Jackie wrapped her arms around her middle. “Still trying to wake up. So if th
e electricity is out, how come those are working?”
“Back-up generator.” Zan was moving toward a large steel cabinet. It was then she noticed he’d changed clothes. Black pants adorned his legs and a long-sleeved black shirt covered his torso. Both had a slight sheen to them and were so tight they clung to his body like a second skin. Yet when he moved, the fabric flowed with him.
“Where are Scott and Joe?”
“Out in the forest. The alarm will bring them back.” Zan answered as he reached into the cabinet, grabbing, checking, and then attaching various weapons to his body. Jackie tried not to grimace as he tucked two wickedly sharp knives into his black boots.
“This may be a dumb question,” Jackie turned to face Marion. “But how’d they get into the forest? This place is walled in?”
“Doggie door.” Marion replied, causing Jackie to drop her chin in surprise.
“It is not a doggie door, babe.” Russell denied.
Marion only grinned at her husband’s growl. “Close enough.” She flicked her eyes back to Jackie. “There’s a section on the lower half of the wall that’s been replaced with a steel door. Next to it is a screen. When the wolves want in or out, they lick that panel and, voila, the door slides open.”
Wow. “It’s DNA activated? Impressive.”
“I thought so.” Russell answered smugly.
Marion rolled her eyes. “He only says that because he thought of it.”
Russell looped his arm about his wife’s neck and pulled her over for a quick kiss. “That’s why it’s impressive.”
A tendril of jealousy at their easy affection caused Jackie to avert her eyes, and collide with Zan’s intense ones. Her breath caught in the back of her throat. The man was suited up for battle. It terrified her and turned her on at the same time. Terrified because he was gearing up for war and turned on because he somehow seemed larger, more macho in his outfit. Like a warrior of old, out to save his home, and country, and the damsel in distress.
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