Birds of Prey

by Dahlia Rose

  “I’m Dr. Alscott. I know the surgeon has already been in but I’ll be following up with recovery.” He offered her a gentle smile. “Your brother lost a third of his intestine. Not the best circumstances, but he’s alive.”

  Fresh tears ran down her cheeks and Jace growled.

  Dr. Alscott cleared his throat. “As I was saying, his prognosis is good. He came through the surgery and is resting well in recovery. We’ll move him to a bed in the next few hours.” He darted his gaze between Leticia and Jace. “As I understand it you have been here since just after our team started working on,” he check glanced down at the paperwork, “Leo. You look wiped out. There is nothing more anyone else can do at the moment. The rest is up to your brother. Why don’t you go home and get some rest. If there are any changes, one of our nursing staff will contact you.”

  “I can’t leave,” Leticia whispered.

  “What good are you doing your brother exhausted? Go home, get some rest, and come back. Doctor’s orders.” He leaned in and rubbed her biceps.

  Jace gazed at the older man and resisted the urge to pull her from his touch. He rolled his shoulders. “Sugar, at least let me take you to get something to eat. Leo is in good hands.”

  She stared at the doctor before looking over her shoulder at Jace. Leticia offered him a brief smile. “One hour.” She resumed peering at the physician. “Then I will be back.”

  “Completely understandable.” Dr. Alscott nodded as he folded the sheets and placed them in his lab-coat pocket. He opened the door and strolled from the room.

  Jace urged her up. “Come on, Leticia, I know the perfect place for you to unwind.”

  She rose and gazed down at him. “Why don’t you ever call me Lettie?”

  He stood and wrapped his palm around hers. “I like Leticia better.” Jace shrugged. “Let’s go, sugar, I’m taking you to the mesa.”

  Getting out of the hospital was quicker than walking in. He led her to his old truck and helped her into the cab. Jace glanced at the horizon. The sun would be setting soon. He ran around the front fender and jumped into the driver’s side. His vehicle rumbled to life on the first turn of the key. He pulled out the lot and drove straight for the res. The cliffs above his home were perfect to watch the sunset.

  He traversed the narrow trail that led to a small outcropping of ledges and turned his vehicle around so the bed faced the vista. Jace leaned forward and Leticia mimicked his movements. He jerked the back of the bench seat from the wall and yanked out a few blankets and a slim duffel bag. Tossing her the bag he shoved his door open and exited the auto. Wind whipped at his hair and the temperature had already dropped a few degrees. He peered at Leticia across the back. She shivered beneath the light jacket she wore.

  The truck was backed up to the very edge of the lip with nothing but a sheer drop below them. He swung up into the bed and laid out a blanket. A quick shuffle to the other side where she stood and he dipped over the side, grabbing her by the waist and hefting her up into the truck bed with him. She dropped the case and faced the landscape. Her mouth formed a little O when she bent forward and stared down into the valley.

  Jace snatched up the bag and unzipped it, burrowing through the contents. “This is my desert survival bag.” He withdrew two bottles of water, a few granola bars, and some boxes of raisins. “I realize it not a meal at the Strawberry Cactus…”

  “Who cares about that overrated place?” She waved her hand and sauntered toward him. “If I ignore that fact that we’re hundreds of feet off the ground and could drop over the edge at any moment, this is actually much nicer.” She dropped to her knees and picked up the water. He sat, rested against the back of the cab and stretched his legs out. The truck rocked on its axles from all the movements.

  “Heights have never bothered me.” He chuckled.

  “I wonder why?” She claimed the space next to him.

  Jace dragged the other cover across their legs and handed her a snack. The sun was slowly dipping behind the mountains, tinging the sky with streaks of pink and gold. Above the colors, darkness was descending and stars sparkled against the velvet-black backdrop. He slipped an arm around her shoulders and skated his hand down her spine to hug her close. Jace brushed his lips over her hair.

  Leticia broke the granola bar apart with her fingers and pushed a piece between her lips and chewed slowly. She twisted and pressed another section to his mouth. “I never said thank you.”

  “For what?” He accepted her offer and lifted his hand to brush the crumbs from the corner of her bottom lip. “I did nothing that a man would not do for his mate.”

  “Yeah that’s something I still need to get used to.” She brushed her palms together and snuggled into his side.

  “If it’s too cold, we can leave. I figured you needed peace and this is where I come when I need to think.”

  “No.” She gave quick shake of her head. “It’s beautiful.” She snorted. “There is just so much I need understand.”

  “I can push back anything you want until you’re ready.”

  “I think I can handle it.” She sighed.

  “Having second thoughts? Did my scarcity scare you?”

  “Ya know I had to look up that word—scarcity—I didn’t know they had a name for a group of condors.”

  Jace chuckled. “Sugar, you would be surprised at the names given to some groups of animals.”

  “What about Leo and my family—my mother?” She peered up at him.

  “They will be respected members of my extended family.” He dipped his head and pressed his mouth against hers.

  The taste of oatmeal and maple syrup slid across his tongue as she wrapped hers against his. He twisted to his side and dug his fingertips into the soft skin of her sides. She bowed into his form and trailed her palm up his arm to grip his shoulder.

  Gently he dropped kisses along her jaw and nuzzled the place just below her lobe. He lapped at the spot until the sweet sound of her moans reached his ears. Jace slipped his hand beneath her shirt and glided his hand along her ribs.

  She twitched and giggled, making him smile against her skin. “You’re ticklish.” He continued his upward journey and tugged at her bra cups. The smooth material gave away and he pinched her erect nipple. Leticia shifted her position, shoving more of her breast into his palm.

  Jace lifted his head and gazed down at her. His desire was reflected in her swirling chocolate depths. The old blanket beneath them slid forward when he grabbed her by the waistband of her jeans, yanking her flat. He leaned over on his elbows and caged her with his arms. In the distance a coyote howled.

  Her eyes widened. “Friend of yours?” She smirked.

  “My associates aren’t so stupid to get that close. That’s a true animal.” He rolled the thin fabric of her shirt up and dipped his head to suck a taut tip between his lips, rolling the nub across his tongue. Tiny bumps rose along her skin in the wake of his touch.

  He bit down and she clawed at his shoulders. Jace threw a leg over her hips. His erection throbbed and jerked against the confines of his crotch. He rubbed his face in the valley between her breasts and wretched the other side of her shirt up. She used her hands to massage the muscles between his shoulder blades. Jace pinched and tugged one tight nipple as he grazed his teeth over the other. She slapped at his back, clutching at his uniform shirt. He released her nub with a wet pop and straightened.

  Jace held her gaze as he popped the snaps of his shirt and ripped it off his arms, tossing it behind him.

  Her laughter tinkled as she came up on her elbows.

  “What’s funny?” He cocked his head and lowered his lids.

  “Babe, I think you just threw your clothing into the valley.” She grabbed his face and pulled him down on top of her.

  “I’ll fetch it later,” he muttered against her lips and reached the hem of her shirt. She followed him up when he straightened.

  He broke the kiss and urged her arms up. Jace tore her top from her extended arms. He
allowed a talon to erupt from the pad of his digit and sliced through the front of her bra. The two ends drifted down her arms when she lowered them. The moon had risen in the sky and for the briefest moment she was bathed in its ethereal glow before the clouds moved past to cover the giant half orb.

  She reached out and traced the outline of his dick in his pants. With both hands she slid her fingers beneath the waistband of his jeans. With a twist of her fingers and the lowering of his zipper she shoved the denim material over his hips. His dick jerked free and bobbed. She scooted from beneath his legs and kneeled before him. She took his member in her fist and leaned forward, skimming her lips over the head of his cock. He watched as the length of his rod slowly disappeared into her mouth. His shaft rubbed the soft tissue at the back of her throat and his vision blurred. He almost fell back when she used her cool fingers to massage his nuts. His hips moved of their own volition. He gripped her head and thrust deep down her throat. She splayed one hand on his belly and increased the pressure to his balls. Pressure built up at the small of his back. He cupped her chin and pulled his member free.

  Leticia wiped the corner of her mouth and smirked at him. “Who’s scared now?”

  Jace grumbled. “Payback, sugar.”

  He gripped her pants leg and pushed her back. The material slid down her body. He jammed his jeans down and sat back to kick them off before he came up on all fours. The truck groaned as it bounced. Taking hold of her pockets he snatched them down and off her body, tossing them away. Her thin brow eased up as she watched his movements. A small red triangle covered her mound.

  Jace trailed his palms up her legs, stopping at her thighs. He leaned down and eased the fabric to the side and openmouth kissed her nether lips. She kicked her legs. Jace lay flat and used his fingers to spread her labia. He traced her damp folds with his tongue, following the deep crevices of her sensitive snatch. She clasped the blanket beneath her in tight fists. He darted his tongue in and out of her channel. Hollow pounding filled the air as Leticia started banging on the floor. His cock was rigid to the point of pain, but he would ensure she came first. Using his thumb, he stroked her clit, drawing tiny circles around the hard nubbin. Cream coated his tongue and the walls of her cove pulsed as he lapped at her passage. He squeezed her pearl between his digits and she bowed off the truck bed, wailing. Her juices flowed across his tongue and her limbs trembled.

  He crawled up her body and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and locked her legs around his hips. He flexed his pelvis and rammed his dick into her channel. She shuddered and tightened her hold on his body. The rough cotton of the cover under them bit into his knees as he eased up and slammed into her body again. As quickly as it formed on his body, the sweat cooled, as he pounded into her passage. She thrashed her head a few times before he sucked on the pronounced tendon in her neck. Blunt nails scraped his back as she skated her hands down his sides. Lightning lit up the sky in a web of interconnected bolts. Loud claps of thunder followed the electrifying display.

  Tension curled in his belly. His beast rippled just below his skin and feathers began to tickle his neck. He gulped in air, shoving the condor back into the recesses of his mind. His lids drifted shut and his thigh muscles strained as he continued to plow into her figure. He opened his eyes and gazed down at her.

  Her stare became dreamy as she peered up and him and lifted her torso to rest against his. She brushed her lips on his ear. “I’m yours, always.” She licked the shell of his ear.

  Color drained from his surroundings. The heaviness in his nuts dispersed as he released his seed. His breathing hitched and his actions slowed. He tumbled to the side and tugged her close to his side. Jace looked up and felt the first drop of rain touch his skin. He glanced over at Leticia as she wiped at her cheek.

  “Sugar, I do believe you brought the rain.” He sat up. “Hell of a way to start our beginning.”

  The End

  Belle and Jaeger

  Tressie Lockwood

  The Belle Series reading order

  Belle and Valentine

  Belle and Jaeger

  Belle and Raine

  Chapter One

  Sam rinsed suds from his hands and snagged a towel to dry them. He tossed the towel over his shoulder as he turned from the sink and moved to help the next customer. The familiar scent of coffee beans, vanilla, and cinnamon filled the air, but now other aromas mingled as well, like whatever special he had selected for the menu. The coffee shop had expanded more than he could have imagined when he’d signed the lease on the new building. Although he spent every waking hour there, busy until well after closing, he wouldn’t trade it for anything. This was the life he was meant to have. Now if he could find a woman who didn’t cling too tightly to him or that he was in no danger of falling for, he’d call that perfection.

  “Sam, what are you doing over this side?” one of the regular patrons teased. “I thought you gave up on serving coffee in exchange for creating masterpieces in the kitchen.”

  He considered his answer, but before he spoke, Dixie Ann, one of his waitresses, spoke up. “You can’t keep Sam from back here for long. He’s an artist when it comes to creating the perfect cup of coffee. Aren’t you, Sam?”

  Dixie Ann leaned over the counter to give him a good view of her cleavage and offered him her biggest smile. She’d widened her eyes as if attempting to look like an innocent flower waiting for him to pluck. The problem was, before he had spent a few months bedding her, his buddy had enjoyed Dixie Ann’s charms. Everyone knew Dixie Ann would do anything to get back with Fane, including sleep with him. He didn’t understand her reasoning. Maybe she thought doing so would make Fane jealous and drive him back to her arms. He knew his best friend, and it would never work.

  Sam glanced over to the restaurant area, where each time Fane passed his girlfriend Zuria, Sam’s sister, Fane gave her a squeeze and a suggestive wink. The two were obviously crazy about each other, and Dixie Ann had no chance at all of getting noticed, let alone starting up a relationship with Fane again.

  He and Fane had opted to separate the two sides of their business with a low wall. The sights and smells of dishes on the restaurant side lured those who came in for coffee. Those who dined in the restaurant could not resist the whir of the blender and grinder. That layout had been Fane’s idea. He might look like a playboy, but he had a brilliant business mind, and Sam considered himself a simple cook.

  “I don’t want my skills to get rusty,” Sam said in answer to both the patron and Dixie Ann. “And I have to give my new cook a chance to demonstrate his.”

  The patron took the cup of coffee he offered with her thanks, said a few more words, and left. Sam moved to the next order, and as he did, he saw Dixie Ann’s pout from the corner of his eye. He gave her no encouragement, yet he couldn’t believe he was considering dating Dixie Ann despite knowing her motives. The fact was, his heart would never engage with the woman. He could sleep with her but hold her at a distance, and no one would learn his secret.

  “Sam, are you listening to me?” Dixie Ann asked.

  He didn’t look up. “Customers.”

  She huffed and spun away to head back to the restaurant side. He let the tension go in his shoulders and lost himself anew in his task. The bell over the coffee shop door jingled, and he looked up to give his habitual nod in greeting, but he stilled. The diminutive beauty pausing in the doorway was one he had never seen before. If she had been a resident of the small town of Aves, North Carolina, he would have known and pursued her.

  Surprised at his intense reaction, he examined the woman more closely. Short, dark curls, smooth cinnamon brown skin, large almond eyes, and generous soft lips were the first to meet his searching gaze. As he explored lower, he found narrow shoulders, big breasts, a flat belly, and curvy hips that lessened the pants space at his crotch. He was thankful he wore an apron and that he stood behind the counter as he tried to take in the woman’s appearance in a more objective way. The sophist
icated cut to her dress, although it did cling satisfyingly to her curves, said city girl, and the five-inch heels were not something he often saw on Aves women. Still, the mystery woman’s attire and beauty was not all that drew his interest.

  She scanned the shop with an appearance of enjoying herself, and as her gaze neared discovering him, he almost leaned over the counter in anticipation. Brown eyes focused on him, and he saw the instant she recognized what he was—a shifter. Sam busied his hands with measuring beans while she approached and took a seat at the end of the counter. He took his time making his way toward her, but wished he had come sooner when she rewarded him with a bright smile that increased his heartbeat.

  “Hi, I love your shop,” she said in a rich, sultry voice, “and I’m so glad I found it. I’m in desperate need.”

  His cock twitched, but he gave her a nod and indicated the menu on the back wall.

  “Oh, okay.” She clapped her hands, examining the board. “I’m used to Starbucks, but I haven’t seen one in forever as I drove down the highway. Looks like you’ve got some yummy choices, though.”

  “Yes,” he agreed, and her soft laughter tickled his ears.

  “You don’t say a whole lot, do you?” She extended her hand. “I’m Tondi Jaeger. Think you can manage to tell me your name, barista?”

  He took the offered hand in his, and he heard her sharp intake of breath, saw her luscious lips part. He might not have said much, but he hadn’t stopped looking at her since she arrived. If he didn’t get a hold of himself, everyone else would notice, and Fane would never let him hear the end of it.

  “Sam Belle,” he said.

  “Cute,” she cooed, tilting her head to the side. He recognized the flirty glances and the way she leaned forward to place her order. The same sight of generous cleavage Dixie Ann had offered him produced a whole different reaction. He knew in an instant Tondi was the type of woman who could control his desire and snag his heart. Even as he acknowledged this truth, he vowed not to let her get away.