Tiger's Heart

by Leslie Chase

  His cries cut off abruptly as his neck snapped, and Maxwell dropped him to the floor.

  The sword slipped from Lenore’s hands and she stepped back, shaking and trying not to look at the body. For all that the maniac had deserved his fate, she didn’t want to see it. She brought her hands to her stomach and shuddered as the stress left her body, hoping that it wouldn’t affect the baby she was carrying.

  Maxwell’s tiger-growl shifted to a human groan, and Lenore looked back at him. He pulled himself to his feet against the wall, and she could see the wounds marking his beautiful body. His wrists and ankles were torn and bloody, there was a gash along the side of his chest where a bullet had scored him, and his scalp was bloody. Evidently Sir Daniel’s last bullet has only barely missed its mark.

  Despite those wounds, his eyes were alight with joy as they met hers.

  For a moment they stood there, both struggling to catch their breath. Then Lenore ran to Maxwell, embracing him tightly, clinging to him with all her strength. Maxwell put one arm around her, holding her to him, using the other to support himself on the wall behind him.

  “Lenore! Oh my marvelous sweet Lenore,” he said, voice full of wonder. Pulling back, his eyes were shining as he looked down into hers. “I thought I’d never see you again!”

  “Oh, Maxwell!” Lenore pressed herself to him again, unwilling to let go now that she had her arms around him. “Maxwell, I was so scared.”

  He lowered his face to nuzzle into her neck, lips brushing her skin. “You’ll never have to be afraid again, Lenore. I promise I’ll keep us safe.”

  Lenore gasped at the touch of his mouth, feeling torn between fear, shock, and overwhelming love. She kissed his chest, hugging him tight enough that he winced.

  “You’d better, mister! I’m not coming chasing through the mud to save you again!”

  He laughed at that. “Oh my love. Thank you. What did I ever do to deserve a girl like you?”

  Behind her, she heard footsteps in the mud and spun around to see Penelope enter the yard, a large white wolf walking at her side and a broad grin on her face.

  “Well now, what’s this? You call me asking for help but by the time I get here, the fun’s all over?” Penelope looked around, a mock-disapproving look on her face, and then grabbed Lenore in a tight embrace of her own. “Thank goodness! I told my brother that you were the right one for him, but did he listen?”

  “I’m right here, you know,” Maxwell said fondly, and the siblings laughed.

  “What about Sir Daniel’s men?” Lenore asked, hugging Penelope back.

  “Don’t worry about them — Angus’s pack and I took care of everything. We’ll have to work out what to do with the prisoners, but that’s not anything for you to bother yourself with, darling.”

  The wolf behind her nodded, looking pleased with himself, and Lenore smiled at him.

  “Thank you both,” she said. “I wasn’t sure you’d get here in time.”

  “Neither were we, and we wouldn’t have made it if you hadn’t been here for us to hone in on. Too many small and out of the way places in the area to check, and it looks like we cut it close as it was. But none of that matters now, darling. Not now that you and big brother here are safe.”

  Maxwell hugged Lenore from behind, kissing the top of her head. Pushing off the wall, he stood carefully and, finding he could support his own weight, released her. “Penny’s right, Lenore. Now I need to get you out of here, and somewhere private. I need to tend my wounds, and I need to thank you properly, my dear, brave darling.”

  Lenore felt herself blushing at that, an electric tingle running over her body. No idea could have been more appealing to her, and she nodded quickly. Penelope laughed fondly and gestured for them to follow her.

  “Let’s get moving then! Some of the pack are bringing a car up the track, and there should be some spare clothes to fit you.”

  9

  The Aftermath

  Lenore had expected them to head back to the cabin, but instead, the SUV they climbed into took them to a nearby village and a small hotel there. Even now, Maxwell and Penelope didn’t want to share their secret hideaway with Angus and his pack. They were friends, but that was special, for family only.

  The owners of the hotel were somewhat surprised by the convoy of big cars pulling up in the middle of the night. Their grumpiness at being woken didn’t last very long in the face of Penelope’s smile and checkbook, though. Soon the whole hotel was booked out to them, and they were being ushered inside by an owner who was still sleepy, but all smiles.

  “You two go ahead and take the first room, dears,” Penelope told Maxwell and Lenore. “I want to make sure Angus gets his boys and girls situated.”

  The hotel wasn’t up to Maxwell’s normal standards, Lenore was sure. But neither of them cared. Right now, a place they could be together was all they needed. On the drive they’d been pressed together in the backseat holding each other, and they’d not been able to stop grinning at each other the whole way there. Someone had found some clothes for Maxwell, jeans and a t-shirt that fitted close enough, but Lenore could feel the heat of his body through them, his thigh pressed against hers.

  The excitement, fear, and horror of the evening was washed away by her need for him, and by the time they were walking into the hotel, her body was burning with desire. She saw Angus and Penelope exchanging amused glances, but she didn’t care.

  Lenore didn’t notice the hotel’s name, or what it looked like inside. She was too focused on her man. Maxwell grabbed a key, led her to the nearest room and pulled her inside. The door clicking shut behind them, he slammed her against the wall, kissing her with the desperate intensity of a man who hadn’t expected to ever kiss her again.

  His tongue pressed urgently into her mouth, and she felt herself melt against him. His right hand squeezed her ass, pulling her to him as his left reached under her top to undo her bra. She felt like a giddy teenager in his hands, and as their kiss broke they grinned at each other, feeling more alive than ever.

  He’d cleaned up as best he could on the trip, but Lenore could still see the wound on the side of his head from where Sir Daniel’s bullet had clipped him. It had closed, his remarkable body healing already, but it served as a reminder of the terrible danger they’d been in earlier that night.

  But never again, Lenore thought, relief flooding through her. He’s dead now, and can’t ever threaten us anymore, or Maxwell’s family. Or anyone else.

  The fear was past, the danger was gone and they were finally safe from the threat that had followed them from the moment they met. Lenore threw herself at Maxwell, embracing him tightly and staggering him with the impact of her body. A couple of steps back and he recovered his balance, laughing and lifting her into the air.

  “Lenore Kimble, you are a wonder and a delight,” he told her, joy filling his words. “Brave, clever and beautiful! I could look at you all night. I could look at you all my life, and I intend to!”

  He carried her past the double bed and into the bathroom, nuzzling her neck as they went. “You are a treasure beyond compare, my darling Lenore, and I’m going to thank you for rescuing me. Thank you in the most direct way possible.”

  She could feel him swelling against her, and moaned at the swell of his cock through the jeans he wore. Lenore knew exactly what he meant, and her panties were wet at the thought of him inside her.

  Lowering her to the floor, Maxwell reached out to turn on the shower. Hot water filled the air with stream as he pulled off his borrowed t-shirt and dropped it carelessly on the floor.

  “Get undressed,” he told Lenore. “First we need to wash away the awfulness of tonight; then I’m going to give you a better memory to replace it.”

  She didn’t need to be told twice. Pulling off her clothes, she felt him watching her, but now it didn’t embarrass her. Instead, she found herself enjoying his gaze. His joy at seeing her naked body was evident, and she no longer doubted him.

  Besides,
it would be a little unfair to complain, wouldn’t it? She smiled to herself, watching him peel off the clothes he’d borrowed, her eyes tracing his muscles, the contours of his body, and the ripples under his skin as he flexed.

  His cock was hard and throbbing, standing proud against his flat stomach. Lenore couldn’t help letting out a hungry moan at the sight of it. He chuckled, and she could see the light in his eyes, the joy he took in pleasing her.

  “Get in the shower,” he commanded, and she eagerly stepped under the hot pounding water. Maxwell was a step behind, pressing his body to her, arms circling her, hands caressing her with a gentle urgency. She felt his cock against her back, and shivered delightedly, pressing herself against him.

  One of his hands reached past her, lifting shower gel from a shelf, squirting it over them both. She gasped at his touch as he massaged it into her, powerful hands squeezing her breasts and fingers pinching her nipples gently.

  Twisting around so that she could reach him, Lenore rubbed the gel into his body, savoring the feeling of his strong muscles under the skin as her hands traced his powerful body. The solid feel of him, the lines of his muscles and the firm warmth of his body, made her tingle with delight and anticipation.

  Taking more of the gel, she stroked his hard cock, its weight and size slippery in the soapy foam. He swelled in her hands as she watched, and his moaning growl was so sexy she could barely control herself.

  The wounds on his wrists looked sore, and Maxwell winced as Lenore cleaned them, but even the deep cuts left by the silver chains were already closing on their own. Lenore kissed them, and Maxwell lifted her head to kiss her firmly on the lips, pressing her against the cool tiles of the shower’s wall. Their tongues met passionately, and when they parted, both were panting with desire.

  Maxwell rinsed the soap off them both and stepped back.

  Her body burned with need and Lenore reached for him, but he shook his head with a smile.

  “Not yet, love. You’ll get everything you want tonight, but not yet.”

  A low groan escaped Lenore’s mouth, but she pulled back her hand obediently. Inside, she felt an emptiness that could only be filled by Maxwell’s cock inside her, but she knew it would be better for the wait.

  Waiting wasn’t easy, though, especially looking at his glorious body. Rivulets of water ran down him, tracing the beautifully defined lines of his muscles. He chuckled, taking his huge cock in one hand as she stared at him.

  “I can see what you’re looking at, beloved. Kneel, and get a closer look.”

  Lenore sank to her knees instantly, eye-level with his cock. His free hand reached out to run over her wet hair, drawing her closer as the water pounded down on them both.

  Lenore sighed happily, letting her mouth open as he guided her to him. Her tongue darted out to lick at the tip, and her reward was a groan of pleasure from Maxwell, a sound which made her want him even more.

  “Oh, fuck yes,” he said, and she laughed, feeling full of joy and freedom. Playfully, she traced the length of his cock with her tongue, in one long slow lick. The shiver that ran through him made it clear just how much he enjoyed that.

  Opening wide, she slipped him into her mouth, tongue swirling around the head of his cock, her hands cupping his balls and teasing him as she looked up at him. He looked like a god, towering over her, one hand in her hair, the other arm outstretched to the wall for balance. His eyes were full of a delight that made her blush with pride rather than shame.

  I am making this man happy, she thought, this gorgeous, perfect man. And it’s all me.

  The thought made her heart swell with love and joy, and she moaned around him. He answered with a hungry growl, pulling her down on him, and she took him as deep as she could, almost to the base, before pulling back up.

  He pushed forwards slowly, gently thrusting into her mouth, and she slid down to meet him. Each thrust came a little faster and it didn’t take long before he pulled back, panting as he withdrew from her.

  “Not yet,” he said, to himself as much as to her.

  Switching off the water, he guided her out of the shower, picking up a huge fluffy hotel towel to dry her. His hands were firm but gentle, caressing her as he ran the towel over her body.

  Drops of water clung to his body, sparkling in the light, and Lenore couldn’t help staring. He looked like something out of a fairytale or a dream, a perfect man.

  “I need you,” she said, her voice hoarse. “Please, Maxwell, I need you inside me now, I can’t wait any longer.”

  His answering grin was mischievous and joyful, and he lifted her without another word, carrying her back to the bedroom before putting her down on the bed. She raised her head to look at him, reaching up to guide him down to her, but he shook his head, sinking to his knees beside the bed, pulling her legs wide.

  “No, my love,” he told her firmly. “First, I have to taste you.”

  His face was alight with joy as he lowered it between her thighs, kissing and licking his way around her. His tongue pushed into her and she gasped, pushing herself to him.

  Still he kept his mouth from the one part of her that wanted him most. His tongue darted around her as she thrust her hips forwards, desperate to feel him on her swollen clit, but his teasing kisses, licks, and nibbles avoided that while driving her mad with need.

  At last, he relented. He lapped at her clit, and Lenore shouted with joy and need as the touch of his wet rough tongue instantly pushed her to the brink of ecstasy. Her fingers dug into the bedspread as she howled to the ceiling, her body shaking.

  His hands gripped her hips, pulling her to his face as she bucked, keeping her firmly in place on his tongue, and the orgasm blasted through her like a lightning bolt. She thrashed and writhed, arching her back and screaming.

  Finally, the waves of pleasure subsided, and she relaxed, panting for breath. “Oh Maxwell, oh my God!”

  He raised his head from between her legs, smiling happily and shaking his head.

  “Hush, Lenore. We aren’t done yet.”

  His powerful arms lifted her and moved her to the center of the bed, lowering himself atop her. His mouth found her nipples, left then right, kissing them and nibbling, making her arch again and whimper softly.

  Between her legs, she felt his cock, hard and throbbing, pressing against her pussy.

  Hands squeezing her breasts, he moved his mouth up to her neck, kissing there, making her squirm with need. His breath was warm on her skin, and she could feel the coiled need he was keeping in check pressing against his self-control as he whispered into her ear.

  “Lenore, I am going to fuck you, I am going to make you scream for joy, and we are going to remember this for the rest of our lives. Together.”

  With that, he thrust, one smooth motion carrying him deep into her, his body pressing her down into the bed as his cock filled the hungry void inside her.

  Lenore gasped and cried out in joy, wrapping her legs around him, pulling him deep into her. “Oh god yes, Maxwell! That feels so good!”

  His thrusts started slow, deliberate, controlled, as he kept whispering into her ear, telling her how much he loved her, how much he needed her. Even his iron self-control began to slip as her fingers dug into his back, and his words turned to inarticulate growls of need, his thrusts speeding up, each one slamming her down into the mattress beneath them.

  Lenore was lost in the feeling of him, the fullness and almost-painful stretch his cock brought her, the pressure of each thrust on her clit, the feeling of his body pressing down on her. Arching up against him, she panted, pushed to the edge of another orgasm, and squeezed him. She could feel him throbbing inside her, and he trembled on the edge.

  He raised his head, a frown of concentration on his face, his amber eyes locking on hers, a fire of need and love burning bright inside him.

  “Do it,” Lenore panted, begging. “Please, please do it, come inside me, fill me, please!”

  Her words drove him on, and he abandoned his attem
pts at restraint, thrusting faster and harder. Lenore’s words dissolved into cries and then screams of pleasure as he pounded into her until he lost all control.

  His roar was deafening as he came, pumping his seed deep into her, and their shared orgasm ripped through them both, a flash-fire of pure joy that left them weak and trembling.

  With a great sigh, Maxwell rolled aside, pulling Lenore onto him and hugging her tight as he collapsed onto his back.

  “Beloved,” he said, voice filled with happiness. “You are the most perfect woman imaginable. I don’t ever want to be apart from you again.”

  Lenore chuckled sleepily, unable to form words just yet. Resting her head on his chest, she stroked his body lovingly and nodded.

  He wrapped the blankets around them, and kissed the top of her head, and Lenore snuggled close as she felt herself drift towards sleep.

  “This,” she said dreamily, “this is perfect.”

  10

  Legacies

  “Miss Kimble? Would you come this way, please?” Steven asked politely from the terrace door. Somewhat surprised, Lenore put down her book and followed him inside.

  In the week since the confrontation with Sir Daniel, her time had been filled with much-needed recovery. First two days in Edinburgh, and then back the Walters’ English home, where they wouldn’t be disturbed. At least, Lenore hadn’t been — Maxwell had taken a few phone calls, things important enough that Penelope couldn’t cover for him.

  Lenore gathered that at least some of those calls were apologies from the Council of Masters at how they’d been treated, but aside from that she hadn’t the faintest idea what had been said. She was just as glad, really, to not have to know. Maxwell had promised to keep no secrets from her if she asked, but right now she had been through enough. A quiet week of relaxing days and nights spent in his arms had been just what the doctor ordered.