While they ate, she said, all business once more, “We need to get back to the road. I guess you know the way?”
He hesitated, then downed his bite of fish.
“Well?” she said.
“Sure,” he said slowly. “I know the way back alright. But …”
“Yeah?”
“Going back like this could get you fired. You just said so yourself.”
She lowered the portion of fish she’d just been about to bite into. “What else can we do?”
“Go after those damn eagle shifters, of course!”
“But how? I’m almost out of bullets.”
“You have a whole clip of them on the ground beneath their nests,” he reminded her. “If you could get to them, we might be able to frighten the eagles off, or at least have a last-ditch way of protecting ourselves if we had to.”
“I don’t know …”
“Come on, it’ll be fun.”
She looked amused. “You have a different definition of fun than I do, Winnie. They almost killed you last time.”
“Almost, schmalmost.”
She seemed to be turning the idea over in her mind. “If I could bring back the Glitter Thief, that would probably save my job. Especially if I had the jewels he’d stolen, too.”
Rick rubbed his hands eagerly. “Then let’s do it.”
“But how?”
“I, uh … the Force?”
A huge grin split her face. “You’re a Star Wars fan?”
He raised a hand palm-out as if reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. “As Luke as my witness.”
She squeezed his thigh. In a soft, raspy voice, she said, “You really might just be my mate.”
He cupped one of her breasts and squeezed gently. She moaned, and he could smell that wonderful aroma coming from her again.
“Star Wars has never gotten me laid before,” he said, “but I always knew it would pay off eventually.”
She laughed and pulled back—again! Why was she so on-task all the time? Jeez, what did a guy have to do to get some nookie around here?
“Catch the bad guys first,” she said. “Then I’ll show you my Princess Leia Slave Outfit.”
He whistled. “Sounds like a date, Officer. But how are we gonna catch them?”
She bit her lower lip cutely. Slowly her gaze drifted to something over his shoulder, and she smiled.
“I have an idea,” she said.
She started to move, but something made Rick jerk his head up. The motion startled her, and she stopped.
“What is it?” she said, breath catching.
Grimly, he turned to her.
“Wings,” he said.
Chapter 10
Son of a bitch, she thought. It’s always something.
“The eagle shifters?” she said, just to make sure.
He nodded. “They’re close. I can’t tell how many—maybe five. I think there were about a dozen in their convocation, if I remember right.”
“Convo-what?”
“That’s what a group of eagles is called. I thought everyone knew that.”
“Apparently not. Maybe I haven’t lived in the mountains long enough.” Hastily she began throwing on her clothes while Rick doused the fire and tossed the supplies his crew had left here back in their hole.
“The eagles may have seen the smoke,” he said, staring at the errant puffs still curling up to the sky.
“Then they’ll be on the way here,” she said. “They won’t be sure it’s us, though. If we can get far enough away …”
“No time. They’ll be on us in moments.”
Icy fingers traced her spine. “Then how—?”
He grabbed her hand. “Do you trust me?”
She nodded, unable to manage words.
He tugged her toward the lagoon. Realizing what he intended, she unclipped her holster and stashed it in the hole with the other gear so that her gun wouldn’t get wet. That done, Barbara and Rick splashed down the beach into the deeper water, and she couldn’t help a shudder when the cold water reached her waist.
“We’ll go under,” he said. “On three. Three. Two. One!”
Barb just saw the dark wedge of the first wing cresting the treeline when he reached One, and they both ducked under the surface of the water. Being fully immersed in the cold shocked her, but it also steadied her, sobered her. It was so clear she could see every inch of Rick, every bump of gooseflesh on his arms and chest …
Shit. It was too clear. The eagles would be able to see them right through the water!
Swearing internally, she grabbed his hand this time and kicked toward the falls. Instantly she wished she hadn’t dressed before doing this. The clothes dragged at her, and her shoes were ridiculously cumbersome in the water. Nevertheless, adrenaline gave her strength and she was able to put some distance between herself and the beach. Soon she and Rick made it to the falls, then passed under them. Gasping, they popped up on the far side, hidden by a curtain of water on one side and a shelf of rock above. Barbara heard the eagles calling to each other over the pounding of the water, but she was pretty sure the birds couldn’t hear her and Rick, no matter how hard she breathed or how fast her heart beat. And it was beating fast. Once again, she was surprised it didn’t bust out of her chest and do the Charleston.
Rick drew her close and wrapped an arm around her. He really did like touching her—not that she had any complaints. Oh no. It had just been a long time since she’d been around a handsy man, and that man hadn’t been one she’d wanted get handsy with.
Hers and Rick’s faces were very close. His was flushed, with beads of water glistening like dew in his stubble. More water tangled in his wavy brown hair and made his lustrous eyebrows gleam. Staring into those brown eyes, feeling his strong arm around her, Barbara felt safe, no matter how many murderous eagle shifters were after them. For this one moment, it was as if she and Rick occupied a separate world, a newly formed bubble of reality just for them, far from any danger. Time stood still, and there was only her and him, his hard body pressed against her, and the raging falls beside them.
He was feeling more than just safe, that was clear. The excitement plus their proximity had done something to his libido, and his huge cock had stiffed and was rubbing between her legs. She bit her lip and moved her hips against him—but only for a moment. Another eagle cry made her remember what was at stake. Smiling despite herself, she placed her hands against Rick’s chest and pushed away, then treaded water a few feet away from him. He gave her a sad puppy-dog look, and she felt her core grow hot, but she thought of taxes and her mother’s butterfly collection and soon the mood passed.
The eagles didn’t pass, not for a while. They circled the lagoon, screeching, for what seemed like hours but was really probably only a few minutes, then moved on. Barbara heard their cries grow faint, then vanish altogether.
Rick had swum over to a boulder sticking out of the water, and he pulled her up beside him. Together they lay side by side, panting. He was still naked and turned on, and there was a lusty glint in his eyes when he angled his face toward her.
“I bet they’re far away by now,” he said, leadingly.
She raised an eyebrow. “You mean out of hearing distance?”
“Exactly.” His grin turned into a wicked leer, and she laughed, feeling a tingling sensation run all through her body. Here was a hot naked guy who clearly wanted her even after they’d already done it twice, which was all she’d ever thought he really wanted despite his big talk of mates. Why did she keep turning him down?
“No time,” she told him. “We’ve got a—what was it?—a convocation to catch. Hey, that’s kind of catchy. Ha!”
He groaned. “You are such a tease.”
She patted his chest, letting her hand linger on a huge firm pec. “Help me nab these assholes and I promise, Winnie, as Luke as my witness, you’re gonna get laid big time.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.”
She shivered in secret del
ight. You better. “All right, then,” she said, trying to make her voice sound brisk and composed but hearing the crack in it just the same, “then let’s set about it.”
They swam back to shore, and she gathered her gun and holster, along with the item she’d seen over Rick’s shoulder earlier—the item that had sparked her plan—and they set out into the forest once more. Barb’s clothes were wet again, so, reluctantly, she had to remove them and tie the arms of her shirt around her middle. Rick slung her pants over one broad shoulder, drying them as they walked.
She shook her head in amusement. “Two naked people without any ammunition—almost—or other weapons trying to catch a band of thieving eagle shifters. This is one for the books, all right.”
“Is there a book?”
“There will be after today.”
He laughed. His hip brushed her side as they maneuvered around a tree, and she swayed into it, loving the feel of him, the size of him, the confident gleam in his eyes. Hell, she loved everything about him, even the wild bear that lurked inside him. The wild bear that only she could tame.
She thought about what he’d said repeatedly—that she was his mate. Could it be? Was she ready for that? It had been awhile since she’d been close to a guy. Rick had said that he’d found it hard—well, impossible—to meet a girl that could handle his bear. It was the same for Barbara in a way. She’d found very few guys confident enough in their own masculinity to handle being with a lady cop. It just wasn’t something most guys seemed into. Heck, most of them seemed to think she was a lesbian. A few had even seemed to find the idea hot, and she’d almost hated to burst their bubbles, but she had. Instantly they had lost interest. Oh well.
And now here came Rick, all brawny and awesome, but he seemed to expect a bigger commitment than she’d been prepared to make. In the privacy of her own mind, she’d accused him of being a one-and-done man, but was she really a one-and-done woman?
No. Not with Rick, anyway. He was someone she wanted to be around for a long time. Maybe in truth forever. But to throw Forever at her on what amounted to a first date was kind of a heavy load, and not one she’d prepared for. Heck, she’d pretty much been on the verge of preparing for a life of loneliness and celibacy, and now her world had been flipped upside down. It was just all so … sudden. What was a girl to do?
“I hear something,” Rick said, snapping her out of her reverie.
He motioned with his hand, and they crouched down, waiting. Presently Barbara heard noises through the undergrowth of the forest. Soon she saw movement in a clearing ahead—people in throwaway clothes carrying sticks and radios, arranged in a line. Some called her name. Another, probably the group leader, spoke into a radio, his eyes grim.
“A search party,” Barbara said, and slapped her forehead. “Of course.” They would be volunteers mostly, she knew, with maybe a few off-duty firemen or police officers spearheading the effort. “They’re looking for me just like I thought. Damn it!” She wanted to scold herself for being an idiot, as well as truly being the worst cop ever. With a sigh, she said, “I guess I’d better go out to them.”
She started to rise, but Rick clamped his hand over her wrist. Gently, he tugged her back to a crouching position.
“Think about this,” he said.
“Think about what? Those good people are wasting their time, and maybe some taxpayer money. I need to put an end to this.”
He frowned, his eyebrows drawing together. “Maybe not,” he said.
“How do you mean?”
With a small smile, he indicated her all-but-nakedness. “You’re in the buff,” he said. “I’m in the buff. You’ve lost a car and the bad guy. If you go back now …”
Slowly, she nodded. “I’ll get my ass fired.”
His eyebrows wagged. “It’s too nice of an ass to get fired.”
She slapped his arm. “So what then? We just go around them and be on our way?”
“We’ll find them when we need them. After we have what we need to save your job. Deal?”
She thought about it a minute. “Deal,” she said.
Staying hunched over, the two circled the clearing, moving around the line of searchers, and pushed on through the forest.
****
The woods were quiet. Tall, brooding trees stretched toward the heavens like immortal sentinels clad in gently stirring green. The search party seemed very far away indeed, and Rick and Barbara were well and truly on their own. They had come closer and closer to the part of the woods where the eagle shifters were, and now, when the two were almost there, Barbara felt anxiety start to draw over her. Ice flooded her veins, and worry gnawed a hole in her belly. This is it, she thought. We’re really doing this.
It was exciting, though. Busting bad guy heads, she thought. It was what she’d always wanted to do. On the other hand, the eagles might kill them this time. She was starting to wonder if maybe she should have simply given herself up to the search party, after all. She might get fired, but at least she could direct the other police officers to the eagles’ aeries and have them arrested. Or whatever. But if she died, the police might never know the eagles were even here.
Suddenly, she heard an eagle cry out. She flinched and stood stock-still, and Rick paused beside her. Another eagle called out, then another. Nothing attacked Barb or Rick, and after a few moments the two moved cautiously forward again. Barbara craned her head, and presently she could see the blobs of the eagle nests high above. She frowned, watching them. Several eagles were in the sky, circling and screeching at each other.
“What are they doing?” she whispered to Rick.
He shrugged his broad shoulders. He was still naked and now fully healed from his trials yesterday. Like some awesome forest god, he stared intently up at the eagles, his handsome face alert but not frightened. Barbara took strength from his poise. Instantly she checked herself. I’m the cop, she thought, and made her back as straight as she could get it hunched over like she was. I should be the example, not him. Still, it was clear Rick was in his element, and she was anything but.
She scanned the ground below the nests for the clip of bullets she’d dropped. There! Something metallic gleamed, half covered by dirt. That had to be it.
She unslung the item from over her shoulder, the item she’d grabbed back at the camp site, and passed one end to Rick.
“Let’s set it up,” she said.
He nodded, and quickly and quietly they went about staging the trap. When that was done, they inched closer to the aeries.
“It’s time,” she said.
“You sure about this?” Now worry did touch his eyes, but Barbara knew it wasn’t fear for himself but for her.
My mate, she thought. Afraid for me as we head into battle. A giddy thrill rose in her, and she had to suppress it in order to speak.
“Let’s do this,” she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt.
He seemed to sense it—her fear. Hell, he could probably smell it. Smiling a little, he wrapped an arm around her and drew her in for a kiss. She resisted at first, then melted against him, letting his lips crush against hers. He kissed her mouth passionately, then trailed kisses down the tender skin of her throat. She ran a hand through his glorious hair, then splayed her fingers against his tight abs. She loved the feel of his flesh under her hand, loved the sensation of his lips against her throat. She was breathing hard and knew her cheeks were flushed by the time they parted. The kiss had done its work, though. Ice didn’t rush through her veins anymore. Fire did.
“Now let’s do this,” she said, and she could actually hear the confidence in her voice this time.
Rick grinned approvingly and nodded.
“Game on,” he said.
“One thing first,” she said.
He looked like he was expecting another kiss. Instead, she untied her shirt from about her waist and thrust her arms through its sleeves, then began buttoning it up. That done, she took her pants back from Rick and squeezed into them, too.
The clothes were coarse and uncomfortable, but she was able to wear them.
Off Rick’s nonplussed expression, she said, “A gal can’t go into combat naked.” She tapped the star on her chest. “Especially not when you’re a cop. Must have something that identifies you. It’s a law.”
“Well, I wouldn’t want to disobey a law.”
She smirked. “That reminds me, I owe you a jaywalking charge.”
“You wouldn’t!”
She held back her laughter. “We’ll see. Okay.” She put her game face back on. “Let’s do this.”
As per the plan, Rick hung back as she moved forward, cutting through the trees. She made straight for the clip of ammunition. Of course, she didn’t expect to actually need it. The clip just gave her a target, an excuse to have returned here. If she had just marched beneath the aeries and shouted, Hey, beak-faces, come and get me, that probably would have been too obvious. But they might buy a cop returning for her bullets.
She made sure to step on some twigs and leaves as she went, making as much noise as she could without being over the top. Sure enough, the eagle cries above abruptly silenced, and she could almost feel the weight of the predator birds’ scrutiny from on high. Who was this trespasser and what was she about? Is that the same woman from yesterday? Yes, and look, she’s going for her ammo! Hopefully something like that was running through their feathery heads.
Barbara reached the clip, ducked down and picked it up. Ejecting the all-but-useless clip from her pistol, she shoved the new clip in. Before she could even take the safety off, she heard wings cutting the air overhead. She threw herself to the side, hit the ground, rolled, and came up with a spring.
The eagle swept harmlessly by, its terrible talons rending the air where she had just been.
“Behind you!” Rick called out, apparently unable to help himself from alerting her to danger. Hopefully the eagle shifters would be too preoccupied with chasing her to notice his presence.
She jumped aside and whirled to see another great brown-feathered bird sweeping past, its cruel beak snapping.
Bear Mated: A BBW Bear Shifter Paranomal Romance (Pine Ridge BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance Series Book 2) Page 7
