He slid in and out of her body steadily, gazing into her eyes as he took her. She had her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips. Baxter touched her, teased her and stoked her lust. He prolonged her pleasure, took her to the edge and made her scream.
Lindy was beautiful, so beautiful when she climaxed. He wanted her to come for him every night. He wanted her to belong to him completely.
The beast in him reared up and he clamped his teeth down on her shoulder possessively as he plunged into the swirling, pounding ocean of ecstasy with her. This hot, curvy female was his, and he would stake his claim. Baxter surged into her body and his release ripped from him in a deafening roar. He poured himself into her, and kept moving even after she had wrung him dry.
He didn't want to stop, didn't want to let her go.
Holding her close, he kissed her everywhere until her shudders subsided. Their breathing was loud and ragged, and the scent of sex lingered in the air. He wished his bedroom could smell like this, like her, every day.
Lindy's eyes gradually fluttered open. She smiled up at him and touched his face.
“Ten years,” Lindy whispered at last. He saw tears shimmering in her eyes but she blinked them away quickly. “I can't believe...”
Baxter propped himself up on one elbow and stared at her. “Lindy,” he said slowly. “Have we...met before? Ten years ago?”
She winced and bit her plump lower lip. “Yeah. In a way,” she replied with a lopsided smile. “You can say that.”
“Say what?” Baxter frowned in confusion. “Are you saying that we did meet ten years ago?”
Smiling shyly, she nodded. “We did. Or rather, I did. I met you, but you didn't meet me.”
“That doesn't make sense.” He scowled. “How could we have met ten years ago when I never saw you? I would remember seeing you. Trust me. And 'meet' means two or more people actually meeting. Hi, how do you do, pleased to meet you, that kind of stuff. So how...”
That drew a laugh from her. “Meet means coming into the presence or company of someone. I was in your presence and I saw you. But you didn't see me.”
He sucked in a breath and blinked. Something clicked in his mind and his jaw dropped. There were always people walking in and out of the Black Bears office. Clients, reporters, city officials, police officers, business partners. “No kidding,” he muttered.
“No kidding.”
“Well, fuck me.”
Lindy smirked. “I just did.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
With her head on his chest, Lindy told him that she had seen him ten years ago at the office of the Black Bears Group. She could even remember what he wore, what he said and what he did that day. But she left out the fact that her boss was present as well, and who her boss was. Baxter didn't probe, and seemed to accept her story that she had just been waiting for a friend at the reception area.
When she finished, Baxter was speechless for a full minute.
Finally, he rubbed his chest and muttered, “What a bloody fool I am. If only I hadn't been such a pompous prick, making all that bloody noise and swaggering and bellowing like an idiot, I would have seen you.”
“You weren't...” she began but there was a loud, piercing beep.
Baxter cursed and jerked off the bed. He grabbed his phone from his trouser pocket and scanned the incoming message.
He blew out a hard breath. “Something's up at Skyflame Casino,” he told her. “I'm in charge of the Skyflame contract. I have to go.”
“Skyflame Casino?” Lindy sat up. “That's owned by the billionaire Liam Skyworth, right?”
“Yes. Liam is one of our clients. The Black Bears provide security services and personnel for his casino and a number of his other business organizations,” Baxter answered as he threw on his clothes.
“Hmm.” She nodded as she watched him dress. “Tell me something.”
He buckled his belt. “Yeah.”
“Is the rumor true?”
“What rumor?”
“You know, the rumor that Liam Skyworth is a dragon shifter.”
Baxter chuckled and came to kiss the top of her head. “The saying holds true.”
“What saying?”
Baxter winked. “There's no smoke without fire.”
“Ha. Ha. Dragon, smoke and fire. Very clever.” She rolled her eyes.
He was about to kiss her when his phone sounded again. He pressed a quick kiss to her lips as he glanced at his phone.
“Gotta go,” he mumbled and raced out of the bedroom.
Lindy sighed. She should have known. This was just too good to last. Well, at least she had one glorious, unforgettable night…
She gasped when she heard thundering footsteps pounding back towards the bedroom.
Baxter burst into the room and said breathlessly, “Sorry! I have to go, Lindy. It's an emergency. But I want to see you again.”
“Oh...okay.”
He grinned. “You said okay. That means you've agreed to go out with me.”
“I...” she stuttered.
“No backing out now.”
“I wasn't...”
He raised a finger. “Tomorrow night. Dinner. I'll bring a bottle of wine, and...maybe you'll get lucky.”
“Oh, you wish!” She threw a pillow at him. “You wish you would get lucky, again.”
“I am lucky.” His grin turned sheepish. “I do, Lindy, I do wish,” he added softly.
Lindy blushed. “You gotta go, so go. Be safe.”
“I'll pick you from work tomorrow evening.”
“Do you know where I work?”
“Do you feel comfortable letting me know where you work?”
She cocked her head. She did feel very comfortable with him, and she realized that while Baxter had been open about himself and his work, she had basically not told him anything about what she did. It was good to be careful, but it was good to trust as well.
She took a deep breath and said, “I'm an investigative psychologist at the B.A.D.”
“Behavioral Analysis Department,” they said together.
She looked up and saw that he was smiling a little.
“You knew.”
Baxter stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “Well...I didn't exactly buy your story that you were waiting for a friend in the Black Bears office ten years ago. And—I saw what you scribbled on your legal pad back at the diner. Not much,” he said quickly when her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Just a sentence, or part of a sentence actually. But it was enough—for me. I'm an investigator, a tracker in my clan. I can pick up clues and details that others often miss.” He wasn't bragging or taunting her, just stating a bare fact. “In fact, I'd say that our work is very similar.”
She nodded and quirked a smile. “You're right.”
“So...I'll pick you up at six tomorrow.” The slight inflection at the end of his sentence told her that he wasn't sure their date was still on. It was more a question than a statement.
“Make it six-thirty. I don't want to keep you waiting.”
“I love you, Lindy!” The words rushed out as he ducked out the door.
She heard the front door open and close swiftly and he was gone.
Pulling on a robe, she padded out the bedroom and went to check the locks on the front door. She peeked through the curtains and saw a brief flash of brake lights as Baxter's car turned out of her street and onto the main road.
She stood at the window for a while more, looking out at the empty street. Snippets of the case she was working on floated through her mind and she shivered involuntarily. Wrapping her arms around herself, she made her way back to bed.
Baxter's scent lingered on the pillow, the sheets, all over her. She snuggled back under the covers and hugged the pillow.
Her work at the Behavioral Analysis Department involved darkness and violence. She was a criminal profiler, and she had to analyze the psychology and methods of the most inh
umane criminals and try to anticipate their moves. It was a taxing, difficult, dark task. Her department had to delve into the minds of killers, rapists, violent, savage criminals. Their job was to help the police nab the perpetrator, hopefully before another victim was snatched off the streets.
Sometimes they found the murderer's lair in time. But sometimes, they only found the bodies.
Her work weighed heavily on her, and she usually didn't fall asleep with a smile on her face.
On some nights, she couldn't fall asleep at all.
When she did sleep, her mind would usually be invaded by dreams. All kinds of dreams.
Some dreams were dark and disturbing, leftover thoughts and memories from her work.
Some dreams were abstract, romantic, magical. Her mind played out her wishes and fantasies while she slept, and she would dream of a handsome, sexy Black Bear.
Those were just dreams. She never thought they would come true.
Romance and passion, she would dream of them. And what she had in her romantic, erotic dreams were always so much better than what she experienced in real life. Sad, but true.
Lindy closed her eyes and drifted off into a contented, dreamless sleep. There was no need to escape in dreams.
For once, her waking life, her real life was far better, wildly more romantic and passionate, than her dreams.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Baxter sped into the underground car park of Skyflame Casino and slotted his car into an empty lot. Checking his weapons, he bolted to the lift lobby. He had changed into his combat fatigues, and had strapped weapons to his back, waist and boots. He was literally armed to the teeth.
He took the lift straight to the top floor of the ritzy casino where Liam Skyworth's office was. He had answered Lindy's question honestly. Where there was smoke, there was fire. And with dragons, there was always smoke and fire.
Liam Skyworth was a dragon guard, a protector of the realm. While the Black Bears waged war against crime and trafficking syndicates in the city, Liam and his kind waged a different kind of war. The dragons enlisted the help of the Black Bears in this war, and Ethan Flint, the Black Bears alpha, had negotiated for a very hefty, lucrative retainer fee. Ethan was a shrewd, fearless businessman, and their business had expanded and flourished at an astronomical rate under his leadership.
The big, fat retainer fee was one thing. Ethan knew his clan well, and he knew that his Black Bears would hate missing out on the action. If there was a war to be waged against darkness and evil, the Black Bears were more than ready to jump headlong into the fight. They loved getting their paws bloody and dirty.
Baxter stepped out of the lift and saw Thor waiting for him. Thor was similarly togged out in black fatigues with knifes and guns strapped to his body. Until recently, Thor had been working undercover, infiltrating one of the largest underground crime gangs in the city. Thor had been instrumental in the capture of quite a number of crime bosses, but undercover work was dark, gritty and harrowing. It wasn't easy to immerse yourself fully in a world of crime and not be tainted. Aubrey, Thor's mate, had helped steady and soothe him and helped him transition back to the land of the living. Baxter loved Aubrey and what she had done for Thor.
Since Thor's return to the clan, Baxter noticed that he was often paired with Thor for many of their important missions. Maybe their alpha thought that they would complement each other. Or maybe it was simply because Thor was the only one who laughed at his jokes.
“Sorry to drag you away from your bride on your wedding night,” Baxter said, clapping Thor on his shoulder. “How's Aubrey?”
“Giggling and gossiping with the rest of the bridesmaids. The girls are crashing over at our place.”
Baxter chortled. “I feel better now. I thought I was dragging you away from some hot action. Aww, I feel for you, buddy. You're not getting any action on your wedding night.”
Thor flashed him a smug grin. “I got plenty last night. And the night before.”
“Good for you.” Baxter grinned back.
Baxter checked his phone, tapped his boot and glared at the lift doors. “Dylan is late, as usual,” he huffed.
“No he isn't. You said zero five hundred hours. It's now only four-fifty,” Thor said, looking at his watch.
Baxter sniffed. “Hmph. He should be early, not just on time. Protocol dictates that he should be here before his team leader.” The last sentence wasn't entirely accurate. He and Dylan were both in charge of this operation. They shared command so they were joint team leaders.
Baxter knew that, but he just liked to irritate the hell out of Dylan. The guy was too serious for his own good.
Thor merely smiled. “Well, speak of the devil.”
“There will be a lot more devils to speak of soon,” Baxter muttered as the lift door slid open
Dylan strode out of the lift. Baxter gaped when he saw Luke following closely behind Dylan.
“What is he doing here?” Baxter spluttered.
“Luke? I brought him along. I'm his mentor, you know.”
“Yes, yes I know you're his mentor. You don't have to rub my nose in it. But why did you bring him with you? He's a new member of the clan. He's not ready for this. He needs to be trained!”
“Yes. And this is the best training for him,” Dylan beamed.
Baxter gaped at them. Luke stood confidently beside Dylan and pounded a fist over his heart. “I'm ready.”
Baxter opened his mouth, then clamped it shut when he saw a flicker of doubt pass over Luke's features.
“Fine. Let's go in,” Baxter snapped. His words came out in an angry burst to hide his worry. He didn't know how well Luke could handle himself in battle. Luke was a new Black Bear, and the young man had gone through a lot. He had been a young, human police officer but a trip to the hospital for a fracture had thrown him into the hands of a maniacal, ambitious doctor. Dr. Faizel had injected a large dose of bear shifter cells into Luke, hoping to change him into a lethal killing machine for the Mob. The Black Bears had put a stop to the deadly operation. Dr. Faizel was dead and the Mob boss and the hospital Director who financed and sanctioned the terrible operation had gone missing. Luke had tried to end his own life when the doctors couldn't reverse the change in his cell structure. He had a bear in him, like it or not. And Luke definitely didn't like it. Luke had witnessed what the serum did to another human. That man had turned into a savage killer, a monster, and Luke would rather die than become that monster.
But Ethan, their alpha, saw that Luke's bear could be controlled. With proper training and guidance, Luke would be a strong, valuable asset to the clan and the city. Luke Keller was a good man, and his bear was powerful. With the right training, Luke would be a formidable fighter and warrior. So Ethan offered Luke a place in the Black Bears clan and made Dylan his mentor.
Baxter shot Dylan a look.
Was Dylan doing the right thing, throwing Luke into the battlefield with so little training and preparation?
Baxter glanced at Luke, who was wearing the uniform of the Black Bears smartly and proudly. The young man was fully armed, but sometimes, oftentimes, weapons were useless against a cunning, ruthless enemy.
“Stay alive, kid,” he muttered to Luke.
“That's what I plan to do,” Luke replied. “Dying is not cool.” After a beat, he added softly, “I see that now. And I also see that I'm not a monster.”
Baxter quirked a crooked smile and nodded. “Well, I guess your mentor made the right call. You are ready. Now—” He rubbed his hands gleefully. “Let's go talk to Liam and see what fun he has in store for us.”
The Black Bears stopped in front of a mirrored wall. Baxter flashed his identification badge in front of the blinking scanner at the side of the wall and the mirrored panels parted.
They walked through the grand, carpeted foyer to reach a wide glass door. At their approach, the glass door slid open to reveal a sprawling, luxurious office.
Liam Skyworth wa
s sitting behind a huge, polished desk at the far end of the office. The floor-to-ceiling windows behind him afforded a breathtaking view of the vast glittering nightscape of the city.
“Hi, Liam,” Baxter greeted him. “What can we do for you on this fine morning?”
Liam smiled but his eyes were grim. “Good morning, gentlemen.” He waved to the plush leather chairs in front of his desk. “Have a seat.”
Baxter sat down and was about to rock his chair back when he realized that the blasted thing was on wheels. He was used to pushing his chair back and balancing his chair on two legs, just for the heck of it. But he couldn't do that when he was in a chair that was gliding along on its tiny, slippery wheels.
“Sheesh,” he grumbled under his breath. “Chairs shouldn't glide. This is just wrong.”
Liam rang for coffee and leaned back.
“So what do you have for us, Liam?” Baxter asked impatiently.
“Well, I was thinking that you guys might like to go demon hunting today,” Liam answered calmly.
Baxter's eyes widened. “You thought right!” He nudged Dylan and Luke. “Good times, eh? All right! Let's get this party started!”
CHAPTER NINE
“Morning, Siti!” Lindy greeted her secretary cheerfully and opened the door to her office. She certainly had a spring in her step this morning. She was energized and her mind was buzzing with fresh thoughts and angles. Good sex and a hearty breakfast had refreshed and refueled her. She was ready to take on the world, and all the dastardly villains in it.
She had hurriedly programmed a reminder in her phone while she scarfed down her breakfast this morning. If she didn't remind herself that she had a big date this evening, she would likely work through dinner and by the time she looked up from her work, it would again be full dark outside.
As soon as she booted up her laptop, Siti came in with a big, aromatic cup of black coffee.
“I can get my own coffee, Siti,” Lindy admonished gently. “I told you...”
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