Sizzling Insanity
Lorna Jean Roberts
Book five in the Shadowpeak Wolves series
Shelby had only one mission in life—to kill Senator Garrison. And no one would get in her way, including the sexy, gorgeous Brady brothers.
Cade and Connor were charged with protecting the senator. They never expected a threat in the form of a tiny, blonde werewolf. Taking Shelby into their custody, they soon realize that normal interrogation techniques aren’t going to cut it.
So they set out to seduce the answers from her, to make her so hot that she’ll beg them to take her, and she’ll willingly spill her every thought.
Shelby needs them. She wants them. She lusts after them with every breath. But she knows if they ever find out the secrets she’s keeping, then her very life is in danger.
A Romantica® paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave
Sizzling Insanity
Lorna Jean Roberts
Chapter One
She desperately had to pee.
Try as she might to ignore the urge, it wasn’t going away. Dry mud and rotting vegetation itched against her skin and her nose twitched as she held back a sneeze.
Yeah, some spy she was. First sign of discomfort and she was ready to turn tail and head home to her bathtub. What she wouldn’t give for a cold glass of Riesling, some soft music, and a long, hot soak.
Biting back a sigh, Shelby resisted the urge to fidget and went back to concentrating on what she was here for—gathering information. She focused her high-powered binoculars on the large house below.
The house was three stories high with extensive grounds, a swimming pool, and tennis court. What the hell did a single man need all that space for?
It was all about appearances, she guessed.
He also had to house the security detail that followed him around like puppies. The human guards slept offsite and worked in twelve-hour shifts. But the werewolf guards lived on the grounds, providing round-the-clock security and surveillance.
Since the werewolves had joined Senator Garrison’s security detail a month ago, Shelby had been forced to move farther up the hillside. Luckily, they didn’t bother to patrol this far away from the main house. However, she couldn’t afford to let down her guard. The mud and vegetation she’d coated herself in would hide her scent and hopefully help her blend into her surroundings.
She wondered where the werewolves actually slept. Garrison probably made them sleep outside or in the basement, as far away from him as he could manage and still keep up appearances.
What she didn’t understand was why Senator Garrison wanted everyone to think that he was opposed to the Werewolf Registration Bill currently before the committee. If the bill were passed it would mean that all werewolves would have to be registered, their details kept in a central database.
Like dogs.
Shelby bit back a growl of disgust. What would be the next step? Collars? Cages? Euthanasia if they bit someone?
For his own reasons, Garrison was pretending to side with the werewolves, to oppose the bill. He’d even let them into his home to protect him against threats from those zealots who supported the bill. She didn’t know why, but she did know that Garrison was lying.
He hated werewolves. He’d murdered at least one.
Her mother.
*
Connor moved stealthily through the forest. He paused for a moment, taking in his surroundings. He took a deep sniff. He couldn’t smell anything out of place. His gaze roamed the forest, searching for the reason for his uneasiness.
Something was off.
Cade wanted to extend their security this far up the hillside, but so far Connor had resisted. His brother was paranoid. Humans would have to hike for miles to get this far into the forest. It was a long hike, uphill, and would take hours at the pace humans moved.
Plus, they couldn’t do any real damage from this far away.
Their biggest threat to the senator’s safety was HAW, Humans Against Werewolves. They had a number of followers, many of whom were zealous in their hatred of werewolves.
That’s why Connor, Cade, and their team were here, guarding the senator. To ensure his safety so he could vote against the bill.
Connor knew he was damned good at his job. He was tough and he was smart. His brother Cade was a near genius, particularly when it came to security. Add in their hand-picked team and they weren’t going to let Garrison fall victim to some hate-filled group of humans.
Connor had come up here today to prove to Cade there was no reason for them to extend their patrol this far up the hill.
So why did he feel so uneasy?
He pulled on his wolf’s enhanced senses. Nothing seemed out of place.
Except…over there. There was a slight disturbance on the ground that didn’t look entirely natural. Someone was there. He moved slowly forward.
The rank smell of rotting vegetation grew stronger. Had they found the smelliest patch in the forest to roll around in? They were buried so deep in mud and dead leaves it was a wonder they could breathe.
Smart, very smart.
They’d chosen their spot wisely. Far enough away to escape detection… Or it would have been if Cade wasn’t paranoid.
Connor leaned back against the trunk of the tree as he observed the person lying about ten feet away from him. They had barely moved, instead they seemed happy to just lie there and watch the house through a pair of binoculars.
Well, he’d had enough of waiting around. He had other things to do, like listening to his brother gloat about how he’d been right. Connor grimaced then stepped forward.
“I’d have thought climbing a tree would have given you a better viewpoint to spy from. Less smelly too.”
Shelby froze. Shit! How had she not heard someone approach? Her mind scrambled frantically.
Who was he? A hiker? Unlikely—she’d been staking Garrison’s place out for a few months and she’d never once seen hikers. This was private land and it was rough terrain.
One of Garrison’s security team? But they never came up here.
Well, she couldn’t just lie here forever, no matter who he was. Setting down her binoculars, she rolled onto her back, cursing the thick mud that had become more of a hindrance than a help.
“Who are you?” she asked, the sun glaring in her eyes as he loomed over her. Fuck. He was huge. Shelby blinked, trying to bring his features into focus. She sat up, raising one hand to block the sun from her eyes.
Oh shit. He was one of Garrison’s werewolf guards.
Shelby lurched to her feet, cursing the mud as she took a defensive position. She wasn’t going down without a fight. She might not win, he had to be about a foot taller than her and a good hundred pounds heavier, all of it muscle by the looks of him, but Shelby wasn’t defenseless. Her cousins had taught her every dirty trick they knew and she was prepared to use them all.
The bastard folded his arms over his chest as he raised his eyebrows. He stared at her in amusement. He thought this was funny? Shelby clenched her hands, feeling her temper sparking. She couldn’t lose her temper. Not now. Losing her temper would give him the advantage because Shelby tended to act before thinking when she was mad.
Keep your cool, cuz.
Her cousin Owen’s voice in her head helped her regain some control.
“Who are you?” she asked again.
“I believe I should be the one asking that question, sweetheart.”
She shrugged and lied. “I was hiking through the woods. Thought I’d stop and do some bird watching.”
“That so? I can think of better hiking spots, ones that aren’t on private land.”
“Oh, this is private land?” she said, trying for an innoce
nt voice and knowing she’d failed when his grin grew larger. Did this guy take anything seriously? Or was it that he didn’t see her as a threat?
The large werewolf stared at her in interest. “What are you doing, spying on Senator Garrison? Who are you gathering intel for? HAW?”
HAW? Was he joking? He honestly thought she was associated with that bunch of idiots? What self-respecting werewolf… But wait, maybe he didn’t realize she was a werewolf. Her scent was probably still masked by the vegetation and mud she’d rolled around in.
If she could just get away from him before he caught her scent…
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied, trying for nonchalance as she reached down for her binoculars. “I’m just a simple hiker, doing a little bird watching. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
Shelby braced her shoulders and stepped forward, keeping watch on him from the corner of her eye.
He moved quickly and if she hadn’t been watching for it, he would have caught her completely by surprise. As it was, she felt his fingertips whisper across her bare arm as she took off at a fast run.
She darted her way around a clump of trees, jumping over the large, downed log that was half-hidden by branches. She grinned slightly as he cursed. He might be taller and stronger, but she was fast and she knew this terrain well.
She kept a tight hold on her binoculars as she continued to weave her way through the forest. A few times she could swear she felt his breath on the back of her neck, but if he were that close he’d have grabbed her.
Not daring to look back in case it slowed her down, Shelby made a quick decision and took a sharp left, heading toward the caves. Her uncle had taken her to the caves a lot when she was growing up and she knew her way around them.
A shiver of dread ran through her at the thought of entering them again. She hadn’t been inside them since her uncle had died. She shook that thought out of her head. She had more pressing things to worry about right now.
Just a bit farther…if she could push herself just a bit faster…
Slam!
Her breath rushed out of her, leaving her gasping as she lay on the ground with over two hundred pounds of angry werewolf on top of her.
“Gotcha.”
Connor spun the woman over onto her back. Damn, she might smell like rotting garbage and no doubt she was up to no good, but there was no denying his body’s reaction as she wiggled beneath him. He had to grit his teeth as his cock hardened, pressing against his pants.
He’d never reacted so instantly to a woman.
Sweat had created rivulets through the dirt on her face. She stared up at him, her large, brown eyes filled with a mix of fury and fear.
“Let go of me, asshole!” she screamed.
He caught her hands, holding them above her head.
“I don’t think so, sweetheart. I’m really not in the mood to chase you halfway across the county.”
“Then don’t chase me at all! You have no right.”
“You were caught trespassing and spying. I have every right,” he told her. With his free hand, he brushed her hair back off her face, rubbing away more dirt.
He could finally catch her scent beneath all the mud. She smelled like sweat, fear and…wolf!
“You’re a werewolf,” he growled at her. What the hell was a werewolf doing spying on Garrison?
Her eyes widened and the scent of fear increased. “Get off. You’re hurting me.”
“No, I’m not.”
“I can barely breathe!”
“If you still have enough breath to shout at me then you’re fine,” he said in a hard voice. He’d had enough. She was going to tell him who she was. Now.
Connor dropped his head toward hers. Big mistake. Her lips parted and he couldn’t resist the invitation. He took her mouth with his, slipping his tongue between her plump lips. Heat engulfed his entire body as need blazed through him. He ground his hips against hers, groaning as his cock grew even harder. Damn, she tasted good. Like strawberries and chocolate. Irresistible.
Gradually, she relaxed beneath him. He reached between them, cupping her breast, squeezing lightly.
He leaned back, letting go of her hands so he could lean his weight on one hand while he used the other to ease up her T-shirt. Her lace-covered breasts came into view, plump and full. He pushed the lace cup aside then dipped his mouth down to her nipple, licking it twice before taking it between his lips and sucking strongly.
She groaned, arching up against him, her hands slipping through his short hair.
God, he’d never wanted a woman the way he did this one. He moved to her other breast, pulling the bra cup down and engulfing her nipple with the heat of his mouth. Leaving her nipple, he kissed his way down her flat stomach.
He couldn’t wait to taste her.
She shifted beneath him and he could smell her arousal. Knowing she was as affected as he was had his desire for her rocketing higher. He reached down with one hand to undo the button on her jeans.
Slam!
Pain screamed through his head before he slumped forward, darkness drawing him under.
*
Connor leaned against the tree behind him, wishing his head would stop ringing. What the hell had she hit him with?
Moving his head carefully, he looked around and saw the binoculars she’d been carrying lying on the ground.
Christ, he was an idiot. He’d had her in his grasp and he’d let his need for her overwhelm his good sense.
Fuck. Cade was going to kill him.
He groaned, closing his eyes as he leaned back against the tree. Good news was that he had her scent committed to memory. Tracking her shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
His phone rang and he reached into his pocket.
“You’re alive then,” Cade said abruptly. His twin wasn’t much for social niceties.
“Yes, I guess I am. I’m coming in now.”
“Don’t bother. I’m tracking you. Just checking if you were okay. I found another set of footprints with yours.
Connor sighed. “I’ll explain it all when you get here.”
Ten minutes later Cade stepped silently into the clearing. Connor held a hand against his head as his brother ran his gaze over him then around the clearing.
“So, what happened?”
Connor explained what had transpired over the last hour as Cade listened silently. By the time he was finished, his twin brother was staring at him incredulously.
“You had her pinned down and you let her get away because you wanted to fuck her?” he asked. “You need to get laid that bad?”
“It wasn’t that,” Connor said irritably. “Well okay, it has been awhile. But it was her scent, her eyes, the way she moved. There was something about her I couldn’t resist.”
“Maybe you’re just attracted to mud and rotting vegetation,” Cade said.
Connor rolled his eyes. “That wasn’t it,” he replied. “I’m telling you there is something about this girl.”
“She was spying on Garrison and it obviously wasn’t the first time if she managed to elude you for so long before you caught her. She knows this terrain. We don’t know who she is or what she wants and you couldn’t keep it in your pants long enough to bring her back to the house.”
Connor clenched his jaw, knowing his brother was right.
“You’re right. I fucked up.”
“She can’t be with HAW if she’s a wolf,” Cade remarked.
“Unless she’s a traitor,” Connor said. “Maybe she was hired to watch the senator and report back. Maybe she doesn’t know the reason why.”
Cade gave him an incredulous look. “So she’s stupid as well as a traitor?”
No, Connor didn’t believe she was stupid. He also hated to think that she was a traitor, despite how furious he was at her.
The punishment for traitors was death.
“Come on, the sooner we track her down, the sooner we’ll know,” Cade said, pulling off his clothes.
Connor ignored the dizziness and nausea as he stripped, then let the wolf take over. Immediately, the pain in his head lessened. By the time he changed back, he’d be completely healed.
He paced around the clearing until he had a lock on her scent. Cade moved up beside him, taking in her scent. Then they were off, following her trail through the woods. She’d tried to hide her tracks and with anyone less experienced at tracking, she might have succeeded in covering her movements.
Clever. But not smart enough to elude the two of them. Cade and Connor were excellent trackers and soon they found themselves at the edge of a large clearing with a view of a wooden house and barn.
The house looked as if it had seen better days. The porch sagged in places and two of the windows had been boarded up. The roof was missing a large number of shingles. Smoke drifted out of the chimney.
The barn was in better shape. It looked newer and the paint on it was barely chipped.
They ran around the perimeter of the house, sticking to the trees for cover in case anyone inside decided to glance out.
He growled when he scented other males. Who did she live with? He moved even closer to the house.
Cade stepped in front of him, growling back. Connor stood his ground. He might be the easygoing one of the two, but when his temper was fired up he could hold on to it for days.
Cade snarled at him in warning, pushing him back.
Even though his wolf longed to storm inside and show the little bitch who was boss, he knew Cade was right. They had to figure out who she was first. They had no idea what they’d find in that house and without backup it could be a fool’s mission.
Connor nodded. They both turned away and took off. Now that they knew where she lived, they could go back and plan their next move.
First thing was to find out who the hell she was.
*
Connor glanced around at his team. He’d hand-picked these werewolves. They were all smart, tough, and loyal. Most of them were misfits, those that didn’t quite fit into a pack structure.
Like him and Cade.
Even though they’d grown up the Alpha’s sons and their oldest brother had taken over for their father to become Alpha, they’d never meshed with everyone else. Oh, their family loved them and they felt the same. But the two of them always held themselves just a little apart.
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