Knight Shift

by Paulette Miller

  When they heard voices nearby, Jax instinctively went into his stealth hunter mode. The change made an intense tingling sensation flash through Penny’s body, causing her to cry out followed quickly by a loud, deep moan.

  Penny’s reaction didn’t register immediately to Jax, because he was temporarily distracted by the hikers. Although he expected them to shriek when they saw a naked Penny being magically suspended in mid-air, to his surprise, they glanced his way but continued to talk without offering any reaction.

  Jax whispered, “I don’t think they see us. Interesting. You must be invisible as well. It seems that when we’re physically attached, my magic thinks of us as one body.”

  Penny was oblivious to Jax’s words. She was completely lost to the quickly growing needs the tingling was causing. To get Jax’s attention back on her, she bit his chest hard.

  When he jumped and looked at her, he was taken aback by the uninhibited desire now filling her eyes. She squirmed against him hard and begged, “Please Jax. Ignore them. I don’t care if the whole world can see us.”

  Feeling the heat as her flames of passion ignited, he said, “Forgive me,” and gave her a deep kiss in apology. Soon their bodies were again completely lost in their need for each other until they cried out and her body shivered, cooled internally by the end results of their shared need.

  With a growl, Jax said, “That’s another wonderful first to add to my list.”

  While panting hard, she stared into his eyes and exclaimed, “Wow! And I thought Casper’s tingle in the air felt good. That’s nothing compared to what I just felt.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “When you’re Casper, every inch of your body seems to give off a slight vibration. It’s as if an electric current is coursing through your veins. And when I say every inch of you…” She glanced down at their intimate connection before looking up again. “I mean every wonderful inch.” The smile she gave him made him catch his breath.

  Using her legs, she forced their bodies to press even tighter together, while her lips kissed her gratitude to every body part her mouth could reach. Jax closed his eyes and enjoyed the trail of fire she created with her touch.

  Although Penny attempted to calm her reaction, the sensations their intimate connection was still causing quickly ignited her desires again. While her pulse started to rise, she said, “I know how Casper can try to make it up to me for his part of the deception.”

  Jax replied honestly, “I’ll do anything.”

  While tightening her legs around his waist, she said, “Please, give me frostbite again.” Her words were almost pleading.

  Jax laughed and said, “With pleasure.” Seconds later the woods were, once again, filled with the sounds of their shared passion.

  Once the overly enthusiastic couple were panting from another workout, Penny looked up and noticed that the sun had moved further in the sky. She reluctantly said while trying to catch her breath, “That was the last time.” She feared that it was a promise that she wouldn’t be able to keep. Being physically intimate was exhilarating and, like a child with a new toy, she really didn’t want to put her new obsession away.

  As she unconsciously wiggled into their connection, he chuckled and said, “Whatever you say.” No matter what she said out loud, he would be ready and waiting if she required his services again. He was thrilled to know that he had found a way to comfort Penny that made her smile again and distracted her momentarily from the task of the day.

  After they were dressed and made it back to the Rover, they headed south out of Virginia towards the Smoky Mountains. Since they had spent more time than they had planned at their first stop, they decided to stay at a historic bed and breakfast in Charlotte, North Carolina. The place was run by an older couple that wore clothes appropriate for the 1800’s. The room they were given was filled with vintage furniture and cluttered with delicate knick-knacks. Everything that could be covered was draped in lace and floral patterns. Although it was beautiful in Human terms, Jax would have been more comfortable in the Rover. For Penny’s sake, he kept his opinions to himself.

  Much to his dismay, the large, overly stuffed bed was too squeaky for Penny to indulge in her new favorite intimate activities. Regardless, she did insist that he take his daily Penny snack which, this time, managed to calm him to sleep.

  The night left both parties unsatisfied and left Jax on edge. Although they joined the rest of the guests for breakfast and the southern hospitality was over the top, Jax squirmed uncomfortably. When he growled at a server when asked for the hundredth time if he wanted more to eat, Penny discretely excused him to go gather up their things. When they were once again heading down the road, Penny mentally crossed off bed and breakfasts from the sleeping arrangements list.

  After driving several hours, they reached the base of the Smokey Mountains. Seeing the familiar forest brought comfort and she recalled the excitement she and her brothers experienced every time they drove through this particular park entrance. Jax was thrilled with the idea of spending the day in the woods. He desperately needed time away from Human civilization.

  They hiked for most of the day to find just the right spot to sprinkle ashes. Once she found the right location, Jax marked it with the GPS and then took pictures while Penny sprinkled ashes as she walked through the trees.

  When she was done, she found the process less painful than the last time and, as she looked out into the forest her parents loved most, she turned to Jax and said, “My mother told me that when she and my father were dating, they used to play hide and seek in these woods. Want to give it a whirl and see how well that blood connection of ours works?”

  Although Jax had already memorized her scent and taste, when his mouth watered, he took her wrist and nipped. After licking the resulting drop of blood off her skin, he said, “Better run, Prey.” He gave her a low predatory growl.

  Over the next several hours, the two played in the woods. Penny repeatedly tried to find places to hide, but Jax found her easily, saying that her scent trail lit up for him like a neon rope. He wondered if he could find her even if she was miles away.

  When the sun was setting, they rented a cabin for the night. As Jax walked in and saw no sign of lace or frills, he announced, “Now this is much better! The only lace I want to see is on your nightwear.”

  The cabin was small and rustic, but inviting, with a large fireplace tucked into one of the walls. After he started a fire and Penny dressed for bed, he stared out the window into the shadows of the trees. The day of hunting had stirred his shifted nature. It had been quite some time since he fully shifted and he longed to let loose and release his true hunting instincts.

  When Penny emerged from the bathroom, Jax decided to distract himself by continuing their day of play. Seeing Penny in one of his t-shirts, he growled at her and asked in mock anger, “Where’s the lace?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Casper misses seeing you in your collection. Go put on one of those beauties I’ve seen in your suitcase.”

  “But you’ll just try to take it off me. Besides, you’ve already seen everything underneath. I think at this point you know my parts better than I do.”

  He wouldn’t argue that point but he said, “It’s all about the unwrapping. I’m in charge tonight and I want my present.”

  Penny liked that he was still being playful with her so she teased, “Are you sure? Do you think you can handle it, Iceman?”

  He puffed out his chest and said, “I’m the most feared Changeling on the planet. I can handle anything.”

  She giggled, knowing a challenge had been set, and said, “Just a minute.” While Jax waited for her on the bed, she dug through the bag, pulled out the target item, and disappeared into the bathroom. Moments later she returned, spread her arms and, while turning slowly, she asked, “Is this one acceptable?”

  His eyes opened wide as he stared at pink silk and white lace. It was the one on his favorites list just below her being na
ked.

  Feeling the lingering effects from a wonderful day together, she crawled onto the bed and stalked toward him, saying “Look out prey. This time I’m the hunter and I have you in my sights.”

  Although he thought that the view was beyond words, when she let out a snarl, he laughed at her feeble attempt and said, “I think you need some hunting lessons.”

  She sat back on her legs and said, “Then teach me.”

  “Okay, I will.” He directed her to sit in the center of the bed and, once in position, he instructed, “Don’t move.” He crawled off the mattress and turned off the lights so that the room filled with the light from the flickering flames in the fireplace.

  While giving off a constant low, guttural growl that caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand on end, he stalked toward her. She remained unmoved while he crawled silently back onto the bed and slowly circled her.

  He leaned in and sniffed, occasionally rubbing his cheek on her body. Once he was in front of her again, she was trembling and panting, but not from fear. He chuckled at the state he had put her in and, with a proud grin, he motioned her to him and said, “Now come over here so I can unwrap you.”

  She was determined to wipe the smug look off his face so she asked, “May I have a second try?”

  Jax was intrigued. “By all means.”

  After he took her position in the middle of the bed, she commanded, “Now don’t move a muscle.”

  She crawled off the mattress and stood directly in his sights. She started a new growl that was low and constant while she began to untie her top. She let her shirt drape open except for one ribbon that prevented him from seeing all the wonders that were hidden underneath. Even though he was already very familiar with her body, her teasing was making his need to see all of her build quickly.

  Penny crawled back onto the bed and, while crouched low, she stalked slowly and deliberately toward her prey. Her motions made Jax sit up a little taller and fidget in his seat. His body’s obvious reaction motivated her. As she circled him, she licked long lines across his exposed skin and occasionally nipped him, while making a noise similar to a purr.

  When he stubbornly held back his need to take her into his arms, she increased the level of teasing. At one point she crawled on his lap and, while straddling his legs, she twisted and turned in moves he had only seen her do when she was drunk. When he finally reached out to grab her, she shook her head and scolded, “I haven’t told you that you can move yet.”

  When he wasn’t sure how much more he could take, she knelt in front of him and undid the last tie. She let the material drape over her curves, while still hiding the prize beneath.

  He involuntarily growled.

  She wasn’t done yet. She crawled around him and, once she was behind him, she opened her top completely and pressed her bare chest on his back. While kissing the top of his head, she cooed.

  His growl grew low and menacing.

  After nibbling the edge of his ear, she whispered, “I think I caught you, Prey.” She then bit him hard on the neck and the sensation caused her captive to roar. In a move so fast, she never saw or heard it, she found their clothes hanging off nearby furniture and Jax was hovering over her.

  While holding her arms in place, he bent down and, while staring into her green eyes, he said, “Nice moves, Human, but I think I’ve turned the tables. Who’s the prey now?”

  She wiggled below him and replied teasing, “I guess I’m caught. What will you do to me, Hunter?”

  As he scanned her body up and down, he said, “Oh, I can think of a few hundred things.”

  With a twinkle in her eyes, she spread her arms and announced excitedly, “Your prey surrenders.”

  Instead of kissing her, he released his hold, sat up, and said mockingly, “Oh that’s right. You said that we weren’t going to do this anymore.”

  Looking at the smirk on his face, she grabbed him around the neck and pulled him down, saying “Shut up and claim your prize. I have several more firsts that I want to add to our list.”

  With a growl, Jax did as commanded.

  Chapter 35 - Beginnings

  Jax woke the next morning feeling better than he could ever remember. He couldn’t help chuckling at Penny who was sprawled horizontally across his chest. Although he couldn’t imagine that the position was comfortable, her contented sigh told him that she felt differently. He was finding that he enjoyed waking with Penny, waiting to see what crazy position she would be in.

  People naturally cringed at Jax’s touch, but not the woman draped across him. When he touched her, she typically closed her eyes and sighed contentedly. He decided to test his theory.

  While scanning Penny’s body, a smile crept up on his face. Her current position gave him an unobstructed view of her bare backside and it was located at a perfect distance for his hand to reach. As he caressed her silly smooth skin, Penny stirred.

  Although he expected her to move, she liked the feel of his touch and, while staying where she was, she whispered, “Good morning.”

  “How did you sleep?” He asked, curious to hear her answer.

  She wiggled against his fingertips, informing him to continue what he was doing and said, “Perfectly.”

  He chuckled at the almost purr in her voice. As he let his fingers explore her delicate curves, he asked lazily, “Where are we headed today?”

  She sighed quietly and replied, “To Fall Creek Falls. It’s where my dad proposed to my mom. It’s about two hours from here.”

  He gently caressed a spot on her lower back that he knew was exceptionally sensitive and asked, “Are you ready to get up?”

  Her breath caught and she said, “Not just yet.” She closed her eyes for a moment and let out a soft moan.

  “It’s a moan not a sigh,” he thought to himself and he made the mental correction. He decided to test another of his Penny reaction theories. He let a fingertip travel lower and, when he found her most sensitive spot, she gasped and her pulse started to race. He couldn’t help smiling as he logged another adjustment—”The moan occurs before the racing pulse.”

  He guessed her next reaction perfectly when his fingers began to explore the spot more thoroughly. When she cried out and squirmed against his hand, he chuckled contentedly at how well he knew this particular Human’s body. He continued his thorough research, taking more mental notes along the way, until she filled the room with one last loud moan.

  Quite satisfied by his research outcome, he patted her backside and said, “Let’s go, Human. The falls await.”

  Although Jax jumped out of bed, Penny had to take a minute to recover.

  After a quick shower where Penny found herself unconsciously humming, they packed up their bags and got into the Rover. Penny played navigator and directed Jax to their next stop. Once they parked at their target destination, Jax took a moment to tuck several silk pouches into his backpack and then flung a couple of blankets over his shoulder.

  The day had turned warm so Penny asked, “What are the blankets for?”

  He looked at her like he didn’t understand the question and said as a matter of fact, “I take my responsibilities quite seriously and I want to be ready just in case you need to be distracted.” He couldn’t disguise the hope in his voice.

  Penny was shocked to find a smile on her face—an act she never expected given the reason for their stop.

  They hiked through trails while passing streams, small waterfalls, and several gorges. Penny knew they were approaching their target when she heard the rumble of rushing water. When they passed through a gap in the trees, she took a moment to marvel at the park’s main waterfalls.

  Tucked in the embrace of sheer cliff walls were two massive waterfalls that were shooting billowing streams of water down over 250 feet before finding their new home in a pool that fed into a large lake. Although the water looked soft and inviting, the massive ripples and jets at the base emphasized the power the falls released.

  The sounds of rus
hing water was so thunderous that Penny had to lean toward Jax to tell him her plan. She said, “I’m going to walk around a bit and find the spot that was in the picture my mother kept on the mantel.”

  Jax nodded and let her lead the way. Once she found the spot along the water’s edge, she asked Jax for the pouches. Jax captured the moment as Penny sprinkled her parent’s ashes into the water, causing a shower of sparkles to cascade down in front of her, similar to the shimmering effect of the waterfall. As she watched the cloud dissipate, she lifted the wedding rings that were still hung around her neck and whispered, “I miss you, Mom and Dad.”

  By the time she stepped away from her perch, her emotions began to take control of her and Jax’s preparations were greatly appreciated. He found a quiet spot off the beaten path and spread out the blankets. Although Penny stuck to her resolve that she wouldn’t again be physically intimate with Jax, at least not in a public place, he managed to find a way to distract her. While she lay down and watched the waterfall, he kissed every inch of her skin that he could find a way to expose and used several interesting places to get his daily ration of her blood. His distraction worked and, by the time they decided to walk around the park, Penny had a silly grin on her face.

  Chapter 36 - Exposed

  Once the couple arrived back at the Rover, Penny said, “Nashville is our next stop and we planned on stopping there to find a place to spend the night. But while we’re there, would you like to go on a date with me? I thought that maybe we could go to one of the places that Max used to talk about. We could listen to music and grab something to eat. I’m really hungry for a good hamburger.” She hadn’t eaten much all day so her stomach growled at the thought.

  Although he wasn’t sure that a night trapped in a crowed bar was such a good idea for him, he decided that her needs were more important, so he replied, “If an evening out is what you want, that’s what you’ll have. I would be happy to escort you around town.”