by Desiree Holt
He cleared his throat and forced himself to speak.
“I want to undress you,” he told her, his voice so thick with lust he barely recognised it.
“All right.” She still spoke in the same soft tone but the desire edging her voice was blatantly clear.
She rose from the chair, arms at her sides, waiting, a tiny smile on her face.
Cale took a step forward, cupped her cheeks with his large hands and pressed his mouth to hers. God! Her lips were like smooth satin, so soft he was afraid he might bruise them with the force of his kiss. But he couldn’t help himself. He licked the surface of her lips, tracing the seam, and when she parted her lips he thrust his tongue into the heat of her mouth.
She answered him eagerly, her tongue dancing with his and delicious little moans vibrated in her throat. He ate at her mouth, the only description for his voraciousness, but she gave as good as she got. Sliding his hands down from her face, he brushed them over her breasts as he reached beneath the hem of her t-shirt. Her skin was warm beneath the fabric, and so soft to his touch. Her body was tiny, her waist nipped in, but her breasts were full and ripe. And hot. He could feel the blood pulsing through the tiny veins.
Gasping, he broke the kiss to pull the shirt over her head. He tossed it to the side and immediately reached for the clasp of her bra. Linnea stood perfectly still as he cupped the weight of her breasts in his palms. When he bent his head to pull one turgid nipple into his mouth, she sucked in her breath and clasped his forearms again.
She was heaven, the only word for it. If her breasts tasted this good, he couldn’t wait to get his tongue into her cunt.
Mate!
The word echoed through his body and his brain with stunning force.
And again he marvelled at the circumstances that had brought them together.
Then he wiped everything from his mind except the feel and taste of the woman standing before him. He spent long minutes sucking her nipples, pulling each into his mouth, pressing it flat against the roof, then lightly scraping it with his teeth. His fingers kneaded her firm flesh as he sucked and nipped, teasing each bud until it was swollen and hot. His cock was so hard he was afraid he’d lose control of himself.
His hands dropped to the waist of her jeans and he had to grit his teeth to keep from just ripping them open. But again he took his time, dropping to his knees as he opened the jeans and pushed them down her toned legs. Temptation got the better of him and he buried his face against her mound, inhaling her intoxicating scent as he lifted each small foot from the constraining fabric.
One finger slid beneath the elastic of her thong, scraping the silken softness of her pubic curls, touching the moist slit of her pussy. She rocked against his touch and her fingers curled onto his shoulders. His tongue swirled over the fabric, moist with her liquid, breathing her in as he tasted her through the tiny swatch of silk. When he couldn’t stand it another moment, he yanked the thong from her body, lifted her and placed her on the bed, kneeling again and lifting her legs over his shoulders.
With her legs spread wide, he peeled back the plump lips of her pussy and just stared, mesmerised by the glistening pink flesh. He’d fucked many women in his life—too many, if he was truthful—but none had ever stirred him the way Linnea Porter did. No one’s flesh had ever made his heart practically stop beating or his breath catch in his throat.
“Beautiful,” he breathed.
Almost reverently he lowered his head and lapped the full length of her slit with his tongue, the rough tongue of his wolf.
“Ohhhh.” The sound escaped her on a sigh, so erotic his cock flexed and his tongue twitched against her soaked flesh.
He wanted to make her come with his mouth, to feel it and watch it before he filled her with his hot erection. Sliding two fingers up to rest on either side of her clit, he massaged it as his tongue lapped at every glistening surface of her pussy, gathering up her cream and teasing at the tiny bundles of nerves. When he finally thrust his tongue inside her channel, she cried out in pleasure, her muscles clamping down on him.
He worked her clit as his tongue drove in and out of her, drinking her cream and dragging against her sensitive sweet spot. Delicious cries of pleasure burst from her mouth and she tossed her head back and forth, her hips bucking up to his marauding mouth. He plunged into her again and again. She rode his tongue, squeezing it, crying out as pleasure rippled through her. Cale knew he’d never tasted anything better in his life. Ever. When he felt the contractions of her pussy intensify, he drew back, withdrawing his tongue and holding the lips wide open.
“Oh, oh, oh,” she cried, hips lifting as she sought relief.
He pinched her clit, hard, throwing her into her climax. He held her open, watching as the inner walls of her cunt spasmed and undulated, her sweet juice pouring out of her hungry channel. He stared at her, hypnotised by the convulsing of her inner walls. At the peak of her orgasm, he slipped one finger inside, gathering her cream, then withdrew it and pressed it hard against the tight ring of her anus.
“Oh, God!” she screamed.
As she pushed her hips at him, he pressed the tip of his finger inside that hot, dark tunnel and her entire body convulsed. She came so powerfully that it grabbed her entire body. She thrashed as he held her open, her spasming cunt just begging for his tongue, his fingers, anything to fill it. Cale didn’t think he’d ever seen a prettier sight in his life. But he worked her over and over; so hard from the picture she presented he had to grind his teeth to keep from coming himself. He massaged and manipulated her body and kept her going until at last the violent spasms subsided to aftershocks. Rising from the floor, her legs still over his shoulders, he positioned himself at her opening and drove into her wet, delicious pussy.
Shit!
She was burning him alive. Fire singed his thick erection, searing him and spreading to every part of his body. He was glad she’d had a good climax already because he wasn’t going to last nearly as long as he wanted to. He wanted to take the time to explore every curve, every dip and hollow of her body—hell, it was what she deserved. But his own body didn’t want to listen to the command to behave itself. Wanting to make it last, unwilling to tip over the edge and end this incredible experience, he sucked in a breath and forced himself to back off. He drove into her slow and deep, his blood pumping through his veins so hard he could feel it everywhere.
Finally, unable to hold back any longer, he palmed her buttocks, lifting her to him, and drove into her with a madness he’d never felt before. Hard, fast, powerful, he fucked her as her orgasm built again, her ankles locked behind his neck and her body taking every one of his powerful strokes.
She was hot, liquid, clasping—pure heaven, and he was drowning in the erotic lushness of her body. He wanted it to last but already he felt the lightning sizzle along his spine and his balls draw up tightly. He increased his pace, again moving one hand so his fingers could rasp against her clit, rubbing it hard and fast. The heat and pleasure forced his hips to thrust harder, to push him into her deeper and deeper.
Now! He wanted her to come now!
And just as his own climax ripped through him, she exploded. Her cunt was like a vice around his cock, the contractions gripping him and milking him. Sensations swept through him like a powerful summer storm. He spurted into her again and again, not ever wanting to lose this incredible feeling. The powerful detonation of their shared climax gripped his heart and squeezed it, imprinting her on his soul. His blood raced and he was sure he’d never be able to breathe again. Just that quickly this woman was inside him, a part of him, bonded with him.
Mine!
Then, again, Mate!
At last he was spent, gasping for air, heart jackhammering against his ribs. Carefully he lowered her legs to the bed, easing them down, then sliding her further onto the mattress so he could collapse beside her. He tipped her face up so he could taste her lips, just a gentle touch, but suddenly, even in his depleted state, he was kissing her with more
passion than he’d possibly thought he possessed. He didn’t even know where it came from. Where this came from. What was usually just sex to him—just fucking—had taken a one-eighty turn.
Mate!
It echoed in his head again.
Shit. Where did he go from here? Where did they go from here?
“Cale?” Her soft voice was like gossamer fabric washing over him.
“Yeah, honey?” He pulled her against him, stroking her cheek. Her eyes held so much meaning he was afraid he was misreading her.
“W-Will you stay with me tonight?”
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against his body. “Absolutely.” He dusted butterfly kisses across her mouth. “I don’t think you could get rid of me. Not after that. But just so we’re clear, we won’t be doing a lot of sleeping.”
“I hope not.” Her grin was flirty and she threaded her fingers through the thick hair on his chest.
“You’re not afraid of my wolf.” He said it almost with wonderment.
She shook her head. “I want your wolf. I want you.” She lowered her eyes and her eyelashes brushed her cheek shyly. “Is that so awful? For me to say that? Do what we did? I mean, when we just met?”
He tucked her head against his shoulder. “Do you know how difficult it can be for a shifter to have a relationship with a human? There’s always the expectation of fear or worse, revulsion. To be welcomed as you have done with me is very rare. But Linnea?” He tilted her face up to him. “This is more than that. More than just a spectacular tumble in the sheets. I hope you know it.”
She ducked her head. “I-I felt it, too, but I was afraid…”
“That you were reading something into it that wasn’t there?”
She nodded wordlessly.
“It’s there, honey. Trust me. And tomorrow, when we talk about finding what happened to your sister? We’ll talk about this, too.”
Chapter Three
They drank coffee watching the sun come up. Cale had been right. They hadn’t done much sleeping. And it had taken them much longer to shower together than if they’d done it separately. But they both agreed it was worth it. And rather than suffering from exhaustion, they were invigorated with an energy that seemed to burst from them. They teased each other with long, slow kisses before they finally acknowledged it was time to get to business.
Linnea followed Cale to The Sentinels offices where Brian was waiting for them. He took scant minutes to transfer the contacts from her cell to a burn phone. They kept several of those prepaid cell phones around the office so each person on the team would always have one phone for regular contacts and one to make calls that would, in effect, be untraceable. Cale would use the burn phone as he attempted to retrace Cathy Porter’s steps on the day she disappeared.
“Be careful today,” he told Linnea as he walked her out to her car.
“I’m fine.” She smiled at him, his blood racing just from the effect of that expression alone. “No one’s after me.”
“We won’t take any chances, okay?” He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a small satin pouch, handing it to her. “I got this out of the safe while Brian was transferring your contacts.”
She stared at it curiously. “What is it?”
“Open it,” he urged.
She lifted the tiny flap, reached in and pulled out…
“A whistle?” The tiny gold charm dangled from her fingers on a delicate gold chain. “It’s beautiful, Cale, but what’s it for? Wait a minute. Regan wears one just like this.”
“Luke and Sierra were the first to mate and expand our little group. When she and Luke met, she was being hounded by some crooks that wanted to steal her land. After Luke kicked their ass and got them out of her life, we decided that since she couldn’t shift she should have something that would let us know in the future if she were ever in any kind of trouble. Then we got one for Regan. Now I want you to have it.”
Linnea looked at it, puzzled. “But what help is a charm?”
“This isn’t just a charm, it’s a real whistle. The pitch can only be heard by shifters. You get in trouble, you blow this and we’re there before you can blink. Turn around.”
Turning obediently, Linnea lifted her hair. His fingers stroked the nape of her neck, a sensuous caress before fastening the chain around her neck. When it was in place, nestled in the hollow between her breasts, she turned back to look at him.
“Thank you.” She lifted on tiptoe to brush her lips against his. “Thank you for wanting this for me.”
The kiss was just a soft caress but Cale immediately wrapped his arms around her and turned the kiss into something hungry and devouring. He had to force himself to release her and take a step back. It took every bit of personal discipline he could muster to get both his breathing and his body under control.
“Don’t expend too much energy at work today,” he told her. “You’ll need it tonight.”
She blew a kiss at him, grinned and got into her car. Cale stood watching her until she disappeared into the stream of traffic, then trudged back into the office to get himself a cup of coffee.
Brian was already in the little room where they kept the coffee and other things, filling his own mug. When he looked at Cale, one corner of his mouth turned up in the hint of a smile.
“I see things are moving right along with Linnea.”
“What makes you say that?” Cale very carefully kept his voice neutral. “How do you even know anything happened?”
Brian laughed. “You mean besides the fact the air around the two of you is so hot I was afraid I’d get burned? Or that you’ve got a goofy grin on your face? Buddy, she’s got your scent all over her.”
Cale stared at him. “You set me up, didn’t you?” He smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. “Of course. I should have seen it the minute I walked into that house. All that stuff about her ‘wanting her own shifter’ and ‘being fascinated’.”
Brian grinned. “Guilty as charged. Regan and I both thought the two of you would be good together.”
Cale poured some of the dark brew into his mug. “What would you have done if someone else had stepped up to the plate? Fixed her up with them?” The idea of someone else with Linnea suddenly filled him with a mixture of dread and anger.
“Nope.” Brian clapped him on the shoulder. “We’d have manoeuvred it somehow. Not to worry. So am I right? Things are going good? Last night worked out okay?”
Cale gave a sharp nod. “Yes. And that’s all I’m telling you about it. Listen, I need to call the ranch and make sure everything’s squared away with my foreman for a few days. Then I want to get started down the list of people Cathy Porter saw her last day and also talk to her friends. Is everyone still around so we can split up the names? And can you run a quick search on each of them?”
“Yes to both questions.” Brian looked at his watch. “I spoke to Mack and Luke already this morning. They’ll be here with their wives, as well as Drew and Ann Marie. The others will call in for their marching orders.”
“Drew will need to get back to his own ranch,” Cale pointed out.
“They drove back down there last night. He checked in with me while I was still at home, said he’s squared away and they were starting back up.”
Cale whistled. “That’s a lot of driving.”
“They’re good. They’ll stay with us for a few days. Mack and Kelsey are bunking in with Luke and Sierra at the condo Luke still keeps.”
Cale studied his friend. “This is really all for Regan, isn’t it?”
Brian nodded. “Linnea’s very important to her, and there’s nothing in the world I wouldn’t do for my wife.”
“I’m beginning to understand what you mean by that. Listen, I’d like to ask you to do a deep search on Cathy Porter, see if there’s something maybe her sister—or her boyfriend, even—didn’t know about.”
“Sure. I’d already planned on it. I don’t think you’ll find anything, but it nee
ds to be done.”
He headed off to his office while Cale camped out in the conference room to make his calls. By the time he’d finished, the others had arrived and they divided up the list of people to see, Cale taking the key people for himself.
He made a detour to a mall to pick up some things he needed, not having expected to spend the night. Any night. And he wanted to have something besides jeans on his body when he called on the people Cathy worked with. He’d showered at Linnea’s, but he used the mall men’s room to shave and change clothes. It was late morning before he was ready to hit up the people on his list.
He decided first he’d tackle Gray Fisher, the director of The Gage Foundation. He called to make sure the man was in his office.
“Please, come right over,” the man told him, in what Cale was sure was his polished professional voice. “I should be free by the time you get here.”
Cale was there in twenty minutes. The offices took up an entire floor in a six-story building at the northwest end of the city. When the elevator doors whispered open, he stepped out into a reception area with thick carpeting and a curved desk manned by a young woman. Girl, he amended. Probably not more than twenty.
He introduced himself and asked her to let her boss know he as there.
“Do you know Cathy Porter?” he asked, after introducing himself and she buzzed Fisher to tell him his visitor had arrived.
“Oh, yes.” Her face took on a sober expression. “We all love Cathy. She’s just the greatest person. Everyone’s so scared and worried about her.”
Cale leaned casually on the semi-circular reception desk. “Was she having any problems with anyone here? I mean, that you know of?”
Her eyes widened so much he was afraid they’d pop out of her head.
“You don’t think anyone here did something to her, do you? Oh, my God. That would be…” She shook her head, curls bouncing. “No, no, no. We all loved her. She was such a hard worker. Sometimes she’d work real late making sure everything for the clients was being processed properly.”
“Worked late?” Cale leant a little closer. “Maybe she was working late the night she disappeared. Would you know about that?”
