“Can I give you something? You can say no; I don’t want you to feel obligated or pressured or anything…” he said, falling quiet.
Talon had a strange expression painted on his face that was marred with indecision.
“Sure,” I said, a little nervous about what could be making Talon act so strangely.
“You’re sure?” he asked.
I nodded.
From his extended hand, a silver pendant dropped from a chain that was linked around his fingers.
“I saw this and it made me think of you. I’d like for you to have it,” he explained, handing over the necklace.
“Wow, uh, thank you!”
Taking the necklace from him, I opened my palm to get a better look at it. An intricate silver eagle hung from a delicate chain. Its wings were spread wide like it was soaring on the breeze. The bird was a majestic beauty.
“This is stunning,” I admired. “Can you give me a hand with it?” I asked, holding the chain out to him.
“I’m glad you like it,” he said, taking the necklace from my hands and motioning for me to turn around.
Talon slipped the necklace around my neck, clasping it securely before moving my hair back into place. My fingers went around the bird instantly.
“Why an eagle?” I asked, turning back around to face him.
He thought about it for a moment, staring into the fire.
“It’s beautiful and fierce like you,” he said simply.
There it was. I didn’t need any more words in that moment, only everything I had tried to deny feeling since I’d met Talon Becker. Without thinking, I leaned forward, catching him by surprise, and pressed my lips to his. He responded instantly as his lips moved against mine. He was soft and hard at the same time, matching each of my movements with near perfect synchrony. My tongue slipped out, tangling with his in an intimate caress. He tasted like something smoky and rich; it was like my own perfectly designed high.
“I want you,” he gasped into my mouth between fevered kisses.
“Mhmm,” I whined, nodding as he scooted me backwards into the tent and onto the sleeping bags.
I couldn’t deny it anymore. I’d never wanted a man more than I wanted Talon Becker in that moment, and who was I to fuck with that sort of chemistry?
He laid me back, careful of my injured ankle, and eased himself between my legs. Talon’s fingers slipped under my shirt, snaking up to free one breast from the cup of my bra and then the other. I arched my back, wanting to be completely bared to him. Talon understood without needing to be told. He tugged the shirt over my head and made quick work of my bra.
I pushed his shirt up at the same time, fumbling awkwardly to rid him of as much clothing as possible in as short of a time as I could manage. I made it as far as his shirt and his belt before he took charge and peeled my pants down my legs.
I clenched my eyes tightly shut as he bared my slick pussy to the cold night air. A shiver ran through me, part cold and part excitement. My core flooded with warmth, and I dared to open my eyes.
Catching a glimpse of his body in the light, my breath caught. Holy shit. The man’s like a damn fitness model I thought. The hills and valleys of his abs were mesmerizing. Talon flexed, unbuttoning his pants and pushing them down to reveal the glory that was his manhood. Talon really was physical perfection. His massive erection shone in the firelight flickering from outside the tent, throbbing with his need. His stare was laser-focused on the apex of my thighs.
Backing up a little, he leaned down and ran his nose over my tender mound. Every nerve was jumping for his touch. Talon ran his tongue over my entrance, settled his face between my legs. His left hand climbed my body and took my breast in his hand, pinching my aroused nipple before massaging the sting away. It was practically heaven. His other hand was teasing me, circling my clitoris before sliding lower to dip inside by an inch or two, then repeating. It was driving me higher with each pass he made. Talon lapped up my juices like it was a fine wine, diving his finger deep into my molten core and hitting that perfect spot just right. I came apart around him, unable to take any more of his assault. My walls squeezed around him so tightly I was sure it would force him out, but he kept going and didn’t let me relax one bit.
He made a rumbling noise deep in his throat as I came, intensifying my orgasm ten-fold.
“Fuck! Yes, Talon! Fuck yes! Right there,” I cried out.
My orgasm seemed endless, but finally I came down. I laid there panting, trying to believe that such pleasure was even possible. However, the man wasn’t even close to being done.
Pulling his finger free, he licked it clean, making sure I watched every lap of his tongue. He moaned like it was the sweetest nectar he’d ever tasted.
“So good,” he purred as he slid further between my legs.
His thick shaft bumped my soaked entrance. He grabbed himself, sliding his massive cock up and down my still-sensitive slit. Lining himself up, he pushed forward a little, letting my juices coat every inch of him. That small movement had me feeling like I was about to split in two, yet it was a delicious sort of pain. I didn’t know how, but even after just cumming, I was more than ready for him again. I was starved for it.
Keeping himself slightly inside, he ran his hand up and down his enormous length. Though I was a greedy one.
“I want to ride you,” I said.
He picked me up like I weighed nothing and rolled us carefully until I was straddling him with his cock resting against my belly. It was so big I had no idea how it would fit. Still, I wanted to find out.
Lifting myself on my uninjured leg, I positioned myself over top of him. Talon held his cock at the ready while he used his other hand to slowly guide me down onto him. I cried out in ecstasy as he filled me so completely. Never in my life had I felt so full. The stunning man gripped both my hips and pulled me down against him tightly, hissing through his teeth.
“Mmm, you like that?” I asked, emboldened by his reaction to me.
“Fuck, you’re so damn tight. God, this feels good,” he moaned. “Ride me, baby,” he said finally, pushing me up a few inches before slamming me back down.
I bounced on his shaft, impaling myself on him over and again. The pressure was building in my core again, this time more intense than the first. Talon’s hips came up to meet each of my downward thrusts like we were made to fit together. Our pace picked up until Talon was slamming himself into me with wild abandon. The familiar pulsing began to overtake me just as I felt him swell and explode within me. Our cries were animalistic and swallowed by the night air.
I swiveled my hips, taking him even deeper as I felt him throb deep within. He rode out my aftershocks with pleased grunts. Sliding off of him, I laid next to him as we both tried to catch our breath. Throwing an arm around my waist, Talon pulled me to him, fitting our bodies together. My head rested against his chest as I listened to the thumping of his heart.
The exertion of the day finally caught up to me, making my eyes heavy. Before I knew it, I fell asleep, breathing in the fresh night air as snow flurried around us and wrapped in Talon Becker’s arms, more content than I ever had been before.
Chapter 7
Talon
Sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the tent’s windows.
The pressure had changed, and with a deep inhalation, I could smell the freshly fallen snow. The storm was over.
Gen was curled into my side, her head resting on my arm. She looked so angelic when she slept. It almost made me forget that the woman had the tongue of a viper when she was awake.
The image of her sitting at the tent’s opening, clutching her gun, grated at the sense of responsibility both the eagle and the man felt for her. She’d been afraid, and she had every reason to be. I could smell the scent of fur on the wind. He was in these woods with us. The tiger. Something more animal than man, judging from the scent. It was an unfamiliar one, new to the area, and it appeared to be just the one. It could’ve been someone just passing t
hrough, but that didn’t explain the new markings. Like a dog marking his territory, the shifter had pissed all over half the mountain and was making no secrets about it. Humans like Gen wouldn’t pick up on it, but I did, and I wasn’t going to be having any of it. The shifter was gone for the time being, but there were no doubts in my mind that he’d be back.
Gen let a tiny sigh out and snuggled closer to me. She was as bare as the day she was born, and the length of her nakedness was pressed against me. I pulled her more securely against me, basking in the knowledge that there in that tent, she was mine, and I was hers. There wasn’t the looming possibility that she’d leave.
The eagle’s mind was made up; Gen was it for him. The night before had cemented that even further. I wasn’t planning on telling her the extent of our attachment; she needed to decide how she felt and what she wanted on her own.
Human or not, Gen was tough as nails, and I was so proud and blessed to have been given a woman like her. My earlier reservations had been cast aside altogether. I’d been wrong, and I don’t know how I hadn’t seen that before.
Guilt ate away at me the more I thought of it. It wasn’t just my doubts or my having left her alone and vulnerable either. Yes, I’d left her alone and open to an attack, which likely would’ve happened if I hadn’t come back when I did. However, I was lying to her. Letting her believe that I was just an ordinary man would be the worst kind of betrayal when she found out the truth. She might not be able to forgive me and move past something like that. There was still so much that we didn’t know or understand about each other.
Gen wiggled and slowly began to stretch out her arms and legs without ever opening her eyes. Her hair was mussed in that perfect way that told the world she’d been well-fucked.
“Morning, angel,” I said, pressing a kiss to her temple.
“Angel?” she asked, cracking an eye open to peek at me.
The light was too bright for her though, so she squeezed them shut and threw an arm over her face. Her hand almost smacked me as she protected herself from the blinding sun.
“Yeah, with your hair all fanned out like that, it almost looks like you have a halo. The way you were singing my name last night wasn’t too angelic, but I think I can let that one slide,” I teased, readying myself for the playful smack I knew she’d launch.
“Oh my God. Really?” she said, giving my chest a small shove and hiding her face from me.
“Really,” I said as I captured her lips.
Her lips melded with mine in a dance only known to the two of us. It felt like we’d been doing it our whole lives.
“A guy could get used to waking up like this,” I murmured in between kisses.
“If you’re going to be kissing me like that, so could I,” she said pressing her lips back to mine.
Her fingers explored the planes of my chest, trailing over the hills and valleys of my stomach. She ventured lower, coming close to grabbing my already raging hard cock but not making contact. It twitched in anticipation. The kiss changed from innocent to fierce in the blink of an eye.
Genevieve wasn’t my first kiss, but I sure as hell wanted to make sure she’d be my last.
My fingers curled around her hips, dragging her against my erection. She wiggled against it, letting out a tiny moan of delight. I could feel her wetness seeping out as I touched her opening.
The wind shifted, and that’s when it hit me. The sounds of birds and wildlife had fallen silent. A hint of the scent from the day before carried through the gaps near the windows. Sitting up, I pushed Gen to the side, holding a finger to my mouth to be quiet.
“Get dressed now.”
Her brows knit together not understanding the sudden change. I didn’t want to scare her, but we were no longer alone, and I had the distinct feeling whoever was out there didn’t want to just pop in for a quick neighborly introduction.
Grabbing for my pants, I felt Gen lay her hand on my arm.
“What is it?” she asked, fear tainting her scent.
“Someone’s out there. I’m going to check it out,” I said.
“What if it’s a serial killer? Huh? This is the part in the movies where the guy goes to check it out and is the first one dead. I’m in no damn shape to be running for my life down this damn mountain.”
“Don’t be so dramatic. It’ll be fine,” I said, trying to calm her visible nerves.
It was the first time I was grateful Gen wasn’t a shifter. If she had been, she’d have heard the lie in my voice. Her safety wasn’t something I could guarantee until I knew this person was dead and gone. It was wishful thinking to hope that she’d ever be safe with me. I was cursing her to a life of constant worry about discovery and battles for territory.
I stuffed my feet into my boots and grabbed for my sweatshirt, pulling everything on as I unzipped the tent and stepped out. Nothing seemed out of place, but that never meant the danger wasn’t there. This shifter was dominant as hell, a top predator.
I spied a disturbance in the snow about a hundred yards off.
“Zip the tent back up, and whatever happens, do not come out. Understand?” I whispered.
She didn’t answer, but I heard the zipper whir shut at my back. Gen had moved to grab her gun. I heard the soft click of the safety being turned off.
Good girl. Smart move.
The eagle was scratching to be unleashed at the thought of impending danger to us or our mate. I held off, forcing him back down, but he wasn’t having any of it. He stayed just below the surface, ready to tear out of me at the drop of a hat.
“I’ve claimed this territory,” the tiger growled from almost a hundred yards from the tent. “Now you’re trespassing.”
I turned, noting the man’s blazing gold eyes, now scarred and an angry shade of red. His ear was missing almost entirely and looked raw and painful. The scent of fur grew stronger, and the man’s dominance was almost overpowering.
“That’s not how it works here. This is state land. Neutral territory. Sorry to say your claim means nothing around these parts.”
He lifted his lip in a snarl, “You were warned.”
The tiger moved, disappearing into the trees and out of sight. The eagle was on high alert, but we couldn’t shift with Gen so close. I scented the air, detecting no hint of the man who had just been there. As much as I wanted to go after him and find where he’d gone, I couldn’t leave Gen unprotected. I wouldn’t, but that didn’t alleviate the worry growing in me. Shit was about to hit the fan; I knew it. The only question was when and where the monster would strike. He’d mentioned my friends and family, and with Gen under my protection, he’d look elsewhere…for now.
“Is everything all right?” Gen asked from inside the tent.
“Yeah, it was just a false alarm, but I think we should get a move on and get back down the mountain. It can be pretty dangerous out here, especially with someone injured.”
The zipper whirred as Gen climbed out, still hobbling and babying her ankle along.
“When do you want to move out?” she asked, hooking her hands on her hips like she was asking what I wanted her to do next.
“Immediately, but I don’t want you to overdo it. Go ahead and sit while I pack everything up. Keep your gun ready, just in case.”
Gen plopped down beside the dying embers of our fire. Grabbing a stick within reach, she began to move the embers around, putting out any chance of the fire reigniting and starting a blaze. While she did that, I began to pack everything into her bag and break down the tent. I moved quickly and efficiently like I’d been taught to do in the army. Within twenty minutes, we were ready to move.
“Do you think you can walk? Or should I find another way to get you to the parking area?” I asked, shouldering the bag.
“I think I can walk it, but it’ll be slow going.”
“That’s fine, we can take all the time you need.”
And we did. Instead of the hour and a half I had anticipated, we took double that length to reach the botto
m. We didn’t say much to each other, and I could feel Gen retreating into herself. It was going to cause problems for us, but I was too busy keeping an eye out for an ambush to give it too much thought.
We reached the parking area after hiking for nearly three hours with many rests along the way. Gen did the best she could, considering the circumstances. She was hurting, but she didn’t complain a single time.
“Do you need me to drive you back to the station or the motel?” I offered, opening her door for her.
“No. It’s fine. I’ve got it from here,” she said. Her voice was level, not betraying even a hint of what she was thinking or feeling.
“Are you sure? It’s no trouble.”
“I’m sure. I’ve got some stuff to take care of, but I’ll get ahold of you later. Okay?” she said, but I was sure she meant more than that.
The whole situation felt like a man trap.
“All right, yeah. I’ve got a shift up at the headquarters, but I’ll check in with you later.”
“Sounds good,” Gen said, turning the truck on and taking off like Hell hounds were on her tail.
She was different now. Something had definitely changed since the previous night, and I was worried whatever damage had been done would be too great to overcome. Did she regret what we’d shared?
It was all I could think about as I made my way home to change and then on to headquarters. Barry greeted me at the door with a dozen questions about the investigation.
“Why do you care so much?” I finally snapped, at the end of my rope.
“Whoa, calm down, big guy. I was just curious. Nothing ever happens in this damn town, so when we have a federal investigator looking into international crimes, people talk.”
“Yeah, well-”
The police scanner in the corner chirped just as I was about to tell Barry that I didn’t know much about Gen’s investigation. The dispatcher sounded slightly panicked.
“Ambulance needed at 72 Bergen St. White male is unconscious with massive blood loss. Neighbor called it in. Suspected animal mauling. Large cat tracks in the vicinity.
Justin and I looked at each other in shock. We knew that address. It was Justin’s ex’s house.
Fly Me Home (Rescue Squad Shifters Book 1) Page 8
