by Tess MacKall
She shrugged. Up ahead the forest thinned and patches of dark sky split the monotony of tree trunks. Her guide picked up speed and she pushed herself to catch up, breaths coming out in short, sharp gasps. Unused to such rigorous exercise, she’d ached from head to foot since her arrival, feet encased in ugly brown hiking boots instead of her usual high heels or comfortable sports shoes. Though she’d always wanted to photograph parts of the earth that remained as nature had intended, she hadn’t realized how filthy she’d get here. Still, she’d finish her father’s mission if it killed her. She laughed at the irony and pressed on, thoughts briefly flitting to the studio where she sold her photographs. A longing for home swept through her but she shoved it away. Time for sentiment later, when she was alone.
The guide stepped out of the forest into a clearing. She limped on, her thigh and calf muscles burning, until she stood beside him. Though misting rain obscured her view, the fuzzy curtain didn’t mar the beauty before her. A large, one-story log cabin nestled a short way up a mountain, picturesque in a shaft of moonlight. The clearing, ankle-high grass with a narrow track down the middle, served as a front yard. She imagined it would be pretty in summer and wished she’d come here then. The pictures she’d have snapped would have been wonderful.
Summer wasn’t an option, though. Dad said the black cougar tends to roam more in the cooler months.
Her father had seen it, written of his awe at spying the large beast roving the area. He hadn’t been able to get his camera ready quickly enough, but he’d vowed to stay here until he’d captured it on film. Lucia grimaced, following her guide down the sodden track.
If he managed it I’ll never know. That camera must have been buried with him.
Straightening her shoulders, she cursed the thick mud, the last part of her journey a serious chore with the extra weight clinging to her boot soles. She wanted nothing more than to get out of her wet clothes and soak in the bath. Would he have a bath in that cabin? It didn’t look like the kind of place that had electricity or running water. Lucia sighed and swiped at the rain dripping down her face. The cold seeped into her bones and she shivered, hoping she wouldn’t catch a chill. That was all she needed, being stuck out here with some guy who enjoyed prancing about in the buff.
He veered right as the path curved and led them to steps carved out of the mountainside. Her sore ankle protested as she took each one, trying to keep up. The man strode with ease and he reached the front door, swinging her bag off his back and dumping it on the ground. Lifting a rock, he slid out a key and opened the door. Key back in place, he hefted the bag over his shoulder and stepped inside, flicking on a light.
It has electricity, then.
Turning in the threshold, he looked her up and down, a faint smile tweaking his lips. “You’ll need a bath.”
That’s the understatement of the year.
Lucia smiled tightly and followed him in, closing the door behind her. She was pleasantly surprised at the interior, and immediately conscious of rain dripping from her soaked clothes onto a polished wooden floor.
“I’ve dripped water…” she said.
“Don’t worry about it. It can be cleaned up.” He faced her, rain plopping from his hair to the floor, and dropped the bag next to an overstuffed red sofa to Lucia’s right. It faced a large stone fireplace and two matching chairs sat on either side of the hearth.
A flat-screen TV hung above the mantel. The door to the rear stood half open, and Lucia peered past him into the other room. The kitchen looked modern.
“I’ll show you to the bathroom.” A fleeting smile curved his lips before disappearing. He turned, giving her another unobstructed view of his ass, the ends of his hair kissing the cleft.
Damn, he’s fine.
She blew out through pursed lips to steady her fast-beating heart and placed her camera bag beside the sofa. He stepped through a doorway to the left and she followed him into a hallway lined with three doors. He pushed open the one nearest them and moved to the side so she could enter first. She gaped at the fixtures—all modern—and blushed at her earlier assumptions. Hadn’t she done this kind of thing before? Assumed she knew what was what then been proved wrong? That trait had forced her to eat humble pie on more than one occasion.
“Your home is lovely.” She smiled at him tentatively, and once again his eyes drew her in. Her stomach rolled over and she shivered. She crossed her arms over her breasts, hugging herself as shakes suddenly racked her body. The heat inside the cabin had started to thaw her out, but she couldn’t control the abrupt jerks and spasms that overtook her. Frightened by the quick onset, she widened her eyes and gasped to take in air. A quick image of them leaping over that ravine swept through her mind, the enormity of what could have happened slamming into her. Swallowing, she stared at him, her mouth working but no sound coming out.
“Hey… You all right?” He laid a hand on her shoulder, eyes narrowed, eyebrows meeting above his nose.
Lucia nodded, teeth chattering, and took a couple of steps into the bathroom. “I-I’ll be fine. It-it’s just shock, I think. From what could have happened.” Her teeth clamped painfully on her tongue. She closed her eyes, concentrating on tuning out the pain. Her equilibrium shot, she swayed, snapping her eyes open and focusing on the opposite wall to stop herself slewing sideways.
The guide gripped her elbow and steered her to the toilet, pressing her onto the closed lid and hunkering down beside her. “You need to get out of those wet clothes.”
He lifted a hand to remove her jacket. She raised her own to cover his and a tremor zipped through her at the contact. Their gazes met and she blinked in confusion at how she could still feel desire when in such a state.
“Please. Let me undress you.”
Holding his stare, Lucia was satisfied he wouldn’t do anything he shouldn’t. A wry laugh huffed out of her at the thought of him wanting to do anything sexual with her—she must look awful. And even if she tried she doubted she could undress herself and climb into the bath without help.
“Look, it’s important we get you into a warm bath, but you can’t bathe alone. I won’t touch you or even look if you don’t want me to, but I must stay in here with you. I don’t want you slipping under the water on my conscience.”
He shrugged as though he did this all the time and Lucia nodded, taking her hand from his and allowing him to remove her jacket. It fell to the tiled floor with a wet slap. He pulled off her boots and socks then stood, easing her to her feet so he could relieve her of her other garments. She stood before him naked, comfortable because he’d averted his gaze the whole time. He moved to a small cupboard beside the door and pulled out a thick cream-colored towel, draping it around her and urging her to sit back down.
He patted her shoulder before moving to the tub and turning the water on. Within seconds, steam rose, billowing toward her, its damp warmth helping the shakes recede. She studied the way his muscles glided beneath his skin as he bent over to swirl his hand through the water. How odd that she didn’t feel exposed and uncomfortable. An intimate scene like this with a stranger would normally inspire feelings of unease, yet she sat, watching his every move as though she’d been doing it for years.
He shut off the taps and turned to her, hand held out. Another bout of violent shivers racked her and a tendril of indecision as to whether she should trust him snaked into her mind. But he looks as though he’d never hurt me, and I can’t get in that bath by myself. Going with her stronger instinct to trust, she took his hand and hobbled to his side, allowing the towel to fall to the floor. Lucia stepped into the tub, the warm water an immediate balm on her juddering body. The heat seeped into her skin, chasing away the shivers. She leaned back and closed her eyes. The ends of her brown hair danced in the water, tapping her shoulders. She submerged her head and opened her eyes to find him looking down at her, a soft, sad smile playing about his lips. Was he seeing her or someone else? Lucia blushed and slid her head back out of the water, resting it on the edge of
the tub.
“Better?” he asked, kneeling beside the bath.
She nodded, butterflies in her belly, and wondered how he could look so haunted.
Chapter Two
Sam forced himself to focus on the fact she was obviously suffering from shock. She might be a tough, snooty city gal, but when all was said and done, she’d just been through one hell of a lot, and she needed him to be kind.
But damn it, now they were both naked.
He scooped up some of the bathwater and drizzled it over her shoulders to help keep her warm, repeating the gesture again and again. Her hair displayed bits of mud and a few twigs. As gently as possible, he untangled the small sticks and reached for the shampoo.
He squeezed some of the gel into his hands then tensed slightly. Normally, he needed to concentrate in order to see the spirit colors of someone unknown to him as he’d seen hers earlier. But her aura radiated. The secretive gray and black shadows were gone. Energy projected from her body in bursting rays of bright red. A passionate woman—a woman who understood her sexual needs.
It could mean only one thing. Right now she was vulnerable, her true self and open to him. And what an enticing package. Shit! Get hold of yourself, Sam. She’s a woman in trouble. Scared. You don’t take advantage of a woman in a situation like this.
And then he wove his fingers through the dark strands of her hair.
Flashes of light lit the inner recesses of his mind. Sweet familiarity filtered through his veins. Had he touched her before? No, he’d never met this woman. So why did he feel such an intimate connection? His cougar had sensed something too.
A current of lust whipped straight to his cock. Was it possible? After all these years? Almost two hundred years of waiting? The words of the uncle who’d raised him sounded loud and clear in his head as if it were yesterday. Sam had cried at Silver Hawk’s feet, desperate to understand his first shift—to know what he was—what had happened to him.
Quiet, little one. Destiny has claimed you. Walk the mountains with pride. Protect them. There are many lessons to be learned, wrongs that must be made right. Be pure of heart. She will find you when it is time, and the burden heaped upon your soul by vengeance will be healed.
Sam worked the lather into her hair, kneading tenderly, trying to shut out thoughts of his promised salvation. Did he want to lose his cougar? His immortality? On the darkest of nights he’d pondered those questions long and hard, never finding the answers he needed.
Her head relaxed, her neck becoming limp. The bright glowing red softened to pink. Heightened sensuality. She wasn’t scared anymore, but horny it seemed. Just what he needed—an action junkie—a woman action junkie at that. Well, who was he to turn down a woman who had requested his services?
Or had fate finally decided it was time?
“What is your name?” he asked.
A low moan loosed from her lips before she spoke. “Lucia.”
Sam turned the tap to switch on the shower massage. “Lean your head back so I can rinse the shampoo.”
Once she’d reared her head, her more than ample breasts came into view. Glimpses of her nakedness as he’d undressed her had tempted him, but now? Oh, hell. Did her nipples have to stand out like that—large, brown and waiting for his lips? This time his cock refused to be subdued. Up it went.
The soapy water streamed from her hair and down over those tight tips. The brown color deepened to mahogany and his cock pulsed. She didn’t really need to have her body bathed, just warmed, but… Sam snatched a washcloth from the shelf next to the tub, soaked it in the water, then laid it on her shoulder. His hand hovered above the scrap of fabric. Should he? One way or another, it wouldn’t take long to find out if the lady was responsive—agreeable. Hell, it might be just what the doctor ordered.
For both of them.
He dropped his hand to the cloth and began rubbing in circular motions. Lucia sighed and rested her head against his bare chest. In response, he trailed the fingers of his other hand up and down the column of her throat. She brought her hand up and wrapped it around his fingers, bringing them to her cheek. She wanted him too. Maybe only for a night. And maybe… Silver Hawk’s words whispered through his mind. She will find you when it is time, and the burden heaped upon your soul by vengeance will be healed.
Did Sam dare think the day had arrived? Easy, ol’ boy. Don’t let your cock get in the way of reality. It’s sex with a beautiful woman. Not the end of two centuries’ worth of waiting. She dragged his hand lower and placed it on her breast. Shock or no shock, her gesture was a blatant invitation. Sam dropped the washcloth in the bathwater.
Leaning in close as his hands cupped both her breasts, he whispered, “I’ve heard tell that a near-death experience can bring two people closer.”
Lucia moved her head to the side and looked at him. Eyes glazed with desire, she put her hand to his cheek and urged his lips to hers. He thrust his tongue inside her mouth and she accepted it eagerly, their sexual hunger dueling, feeding off each other’s need. She moaned into his mouth as he squeezed her nipples.
Diving from the hidden waterfall. That’s the image his mind conjured, the feeling that raced through his body. A euphoric swell of excitement so thick he couldn’t breathe, could only taste and fall further and further, deep into the pool that was her.
Lucia.
She twisted in the bath and he lifted her. She twined her legs about his waist and locked her ankles behind his back. Water dripped from their bodies and puddled on the floor. The kiss ripened in its urgency. He maneuvered them over to the bathroom sink and hurriedly slid open a drawer. Reaching inside, he prayed his memory served him right and he’d find the foil wrapper. Pay dirt! Jerking from the kiss, he ripped the package open with his teeth as she sank hers into his neck for a passionate love bite.
Oh fuck! No time for the bedroom, he slammed the bathroom door shut and thrust her torso against it. Her hands flew to his groin and she grasped the condom. Before covering him, she teased her clit with just the tip of his cock. He gritted his teeth and dipped his head to her heaving breasts to suck those magnificent nipples.
Little moans and whimpers filled the air as she sheathed his length. Licking, sucking, nibbling, he couldn’t get enough of the plump brown peaks crowning her beautiful breasts. He slipped his hand between their bodies and palmed her folds. Her hand covered his and forced his fingers through her cleft.
Slick, wet, she begged for his cock. “Fuck me.”
Hoisting her farther up the door, he claimed her mouth and drove his throbbing cock deep inside her. A whorl of color erupted in his head, followed by a feeling so intense he thought he would collapse. The rushing sensation was similar to what he experienced when he shifted to his cougar—he found it oddly comforting and disturbing at the same time to be having it now.
They banged against the door in a reckless crescendo of pounding flesh, groaning and grunting. Fingers digging into his skin, she let her hips buck with his and met his thrusts. Arching into him as if struck with an abrupt stab of pleasure-pain, she grew rigid and he knew she was coming apart, finding her orgasm. He wanted to stop, to watch, but his own need overwhelmed him. Hungry to follow her into the powerful spasm, he drove his cock into her pussy one last time as his climax gripped him.
With his eyes shut tight, barely able to stand, he shuddered, his cock convulsing, emptying. As if in the distance he heard her cry of release and tried to hold on to it, but lost it in his own lusty haze. Seconds—minutes—he didn’t know how long they stayed that way as his struggle for air lessened and his heart rate calmed. His weight against hers kept them pinned to the door.
Damn. It had happened so fast. Where was his control? She reclined against the door, her head on his shoulder, breathing soft and slow in his ear. Asleep? He peeked at her. Yes, she’d fallen asleep. His gaze lingered on her face, her smooth light-brown skin and perky nose, the lips he’d kissed. Those long dark eyelashes quivered. She was dreaming. What did someone so beautif
ul dream about? Was he a part of those dreams? If he went to sleep would he find her there?
His legs trembled, tired. What a fucking sight—nailed to a damn door with a naked woman, the kind a man dreamed about, his cock still dripping inside her.
And worse than that?
She was asleep and he wanted more.
Movement jolted Lucia awake. She kept her eyes closed, aware of Sam carrying her, and smiled, content for the first time since she’d arrived in these mountains. He lowered her and she gripped him about his neck, trusting him yet at the same time fearful of falling. The softness of a bed met her back and she snuggled her head into a pillow as Sam eased his arm out from beneath her. Bedding rustled as a blanket covered her, its warmth a balm on her aching body. Would he climb in beside her? Could she hope for that, despite them having only just met and the fact they’d just had sex? Yes, she could hope, but somehow she didn’t think he would take the liberty. Her instincts were right on target. A light brushing of his lips on her forehead sped up her heart, then his footsteps padded away. The door clicking shut prompted her eyes open and she stared into the darkness, unable to make out the shapes of furniture against the walls. Too fatigued to care, she closed her eyes again, bunching the cover under her chin and bringing her legs up so she lay in a ball on her side.
His scent remained on her skin and in the air. Thoughts of their frantic lovemaking roamed through her mind. She didn’t usually give herself so freely, so quickly, yet it had seemed right—still did. But hadn’t she recently told herself—after Jacob, goddamn him—she wouldn’t rush into anything again? She sighed, the memory of her former lover tainting her previous contentment. Jacob was…a bastard. She laughed. Aren’t all ex-boyfriends? But no, he was top of the pile when it came to cruel men. Oh, he hadn’t hit her, nothing like that, but his mind control was second to none. He even had her father under his spell for a while, taking an aggressive interest in his photography and urging him to come out here and find the elusive cougar.
