Sweet strawberries and cream called to him. He’d failed her before. Snapped at her and driven her away.
He needed to make amends.
The shiver that worked down his spine outed the lie he told himself. Amends, sure. Getting close enough to taste her, yes.
His bear rumbled approval and filled his head with more sendings of the tough woman bearing his mark on her skin.
Dead man, he reminded the beast. Breaking that conclusion would be a feat, especially if Ian and the rest of the Bennetts had progressed to forcing an animal on unsuspecting humans. Blood was his future, not a mate.
He unlatched the fencing between the Crowley and Ashford lands and closed it again, scratching at his beard with a growl in his throat. By the Broken. Just how far had the family fallen? He shouldn’t have been surprised. Lilah barely escaped with her life. Him, too, for that matter.
He mounted Nova and loped in the direction he’d sent Sloan. The rumble of the ATV was still clear in his ears and grew louder as the mare closed the distance.
Then he spotted her, and the ache behind his eyes faded into nothing. Even the tightness of his shoulders relaxed and left him with just the memory of aching muscles.
Lorne rode up, thankful she wasn’t pushing the machine to its fullest and impressed when she didn’t startle at his appearance by her side.
As soon as the engine cut, he jerked his chin toward the empty range over her shoulder. “Where’s your partner?”
She pointed to the radio on her hip. “Already called in, so no throwing me over your shoulder and carrying me off like a caveman.”
“Hm,” he grunted. “You tell him you’re working your source?”
“Might have.” She planted her hands on her hips. “What was all that about?”
“Crowley pride doesn’t take kindly to strangers. They like humans even less.” He eyed her steadily. “He watched his family get butchered by hunters as a kid.”
Sloan’s mouth dropped open and her posturing slipped away in shock. “No. Tell me you’re kidding.”
“I wish I could say I was. You should probably warn your friends back at the office to steer clear of their fence line.”
She nodded slowly, disgust still in her scent even though she’d wiped it from her face. “What were you doing out there?”
Lorne grunted. “Had to clean up some messes Alex and Hunter made.”
“You do that a lot? Cleaning up other people’s messes?”
He warded her off with a raised hand. “Only when it’s people I care about. And only when they can’t do it themselves.”
She cocked her head with a tiny smile playing on her lips. He’d said something right, it seemed.
Her radio crackled, then a voice scratched between them. “Kent, report back. Any trouble?”
Sloan slanted the device close to her lips. “All good. Just a lesson in local preferences.”
The other voice chuckled. “They sure have that. Head back this way. I’m starving.”
“Be there shortly,” she answered.
No. Too soon. Lorne’s bear growled in his head and he swallowed back the noise. The voice over the radio wanted to steal her away before he got the chance to make his apologies.
Her eyes were already shutting him out. The bright, wide openness shifted her back from Sloan the Woman to Sloan the Agent. She had a job to do, which put him firmly on the other side of the fence.
Literally.
Lorne wanted to rip through the barbed wire just like he wanted to tear down the wall she was building between them. That started with making amends for acting like an ass.
He whipped off his Stetson and rubbed a hand over the back of his head before she could answer her partner. “I wanted to apologize for the other day.”
“There are these magical devices, you know. Phones? They can reach just about anyone, anywhere.”
He huffed a single breath of a laugh. Feisty woman. “I didn’t know what to say.”
“How about you start with the apology and segue into an explanation?” She shrugged. “We haven’t found Ian yet, by the way. Maybe something you say could help.”
Lorne frowned as he hopped off Nova and tied her reins to the fence post. He dug out an orange and pocket knife from a small pack hanging off the saddle horn, then ducked through the fence. He needed the extra time to put his words together.
“I meant when I said I wouldn’t be an informant. Even if I knew where he was—and I don’t—you shouldn’t go anywhere near him.”
“I’m not some damsel, Lorne. I can make up my own damn mind. This is my job. One family has already been hurt. Let me make sure there’s not another.”
Damsel in distress, never. She could hold her own. Right then, it was with fire in her eyes while she stared him down. Serving justice looked good on her.
He sliced through the orange and offered her a piece, which she daintily pulled from the tip of the knife. His bear chuffed when she bite into the slice. Providing for her, that was the job of a good mate.
Lorne automatically pushed back on the images flashing through his head. The sendings from his bear were like living out another timeline. They’d only get stronger and harder to navigate with what was happening in his reality if he let himself consider that life as an option.
Mate, his bear insisted.
Not with Ian around.
“Things with Ian and the rest of my family are... difficult. They’re rotten people with no love for outsiders. Like with Trent, humans catch the brunt of that. I got clear of them as soon as I could. I didn’t want you to get caught up in them.”
Still, he wanted to keep her. Selfish. Every second with him dragged her deeper into danger.
Blue eyes stared at him. After a moment, she cocked her head to the side. “I understand.”
And she did. They weren’t just words said to make him feel better. Zero hint of a lie swirled in her scent. Trouble resided in her gaze, but she left it unsaid.
Curious woman. He was again confronted with the utter need to learn everything about her. Hidden currents pushed her this way and that, just like they did to everyone else in the world. He wanted to dip into hers.
After picking out a seed and dropping it to the ground, she gestured around. “So this is your view from the office every day.”
“Just about. Most days don’t involve saving a lady from herself, though,” he teased.
“Hah hah. Thanks for helping me avoid being used as a chew toy.” She bit into another slice of orange he offered. “There’s a rundown looking place I’ve passed a few times. Sometimes has trucks there, sometimes not. Can you tell me what it is, or is that some enclave secret?”
“Sounds like Defiant Dog. It’s a rough bar for all us scoundrels on the edge of the territory. Not anywhere anyone decent should go.”
“So naturally, you’re there at least once a week?” Her brows arched with innocence, but her eyes glittered with mischief.
“Twice, if I’m lucky.” His lips twitched at the corners. “The mates—Tansey and Joss—they like the bar in town better, so that’s where we usually go these days.”
“Good to know,” Sloan mused.
Without missing a beat, he asked with a smirk, “Planning to track me there, Agent?”
“Might have some follow-up questions for you,” she answered just a little more airy than her previous responses.
A drop of juice rolled over the swell of her lip and down her chin.
Lorne reached out and caught up before it could drip onto her clothes. Electricity sang along his nerves the moment he touched her skin. Warmth spread up his palm and wrist and arm, and settled in the hollow of his chest.
Lorne brought his finger to his mouth and sucked the tiny drop of juice from his skin. Citrus mingled with the faintest taste of her.
Not enough. Never enough.
Her eyes widened in surprise, dilated pupils eating away at the bright blue color. Music pounded in his ears before he realized it was simply he
r pulse kicking up a notch.
The reaction confirmed he didn’t just imagine her response to his touch. She felt it, too.
Mate.
Bite. Mark.
Claim.
He bent slowly, giving her time to retreat if she wanted. Her soft scent filled his nose and made his mouth water. He didn’t want her to step back and put space between them.
He nearly groaned when she leaned forward to close the distance.
Lorne savored her taste exploding on his tongue. All the tumbling thoughts of pushing her away to save her vanished in the first sip. Another stroke of his tongue against hers pulled a growl from his chest and a muffled laugh from hers.
His bear rumbled happily. Kissing her, making her scent perk up with bubbly euphoria and arousal, that felt good. Felt right.
Felt too much like what he stood to lose.
Lorne eased back. Blue eyes fluttered open to watch him. Carefully, yes, but not a trace of shuttering.
“You should go before—” he cut off with a growl. Her hands tightened on his shirt and pulled him back down to her level.
“Before what?” she asked against his lips. “Before you apologize again?” She pecked him. “Before you kiss me again?” She nipped at him.
Another growl, and he claimed her mouth harder than before. He angled her face, hands cupping her cheeks. He stroked into her mouth rhythmically, matching her bite for bite, groan for groan. His cock swelled in his jeans and all he could think about was pulling her off her ATV and ripping her uniform down around her ankles. She’d joked about taking orders, and fuck, he wanted to give her some.
The radio crackled again. “Skies above, Kent, you better be dead. I’m not waiting on you much longer.”
Sloan eased back and fixed him with narrowed eyes. “You’re a bad influence,” she grumbled, voice full of the smile she struggled to keep off her face.
Lorne smirked and nipped at her earlobe. “Duty calls.”
She let loose a cleansing breath, then pressed a button on the radio. “Don’t get hangry, Snow. I’m on my way.” To him, she said, “Thanks for the snack.”
By the Broken, he didn’t want to let her go. He reached for anything to bring them back together. Danger or not, he couldn’t rely on accidental meetings to hold him over. “Let me take you to the Summertime Fest. You want to learn about the people around here? Seeing them turn on the fun is how to do it.”
She rose up enough to reach into her pocket and drew out a thin case that she popped open. A second later, she held a card between her fingers. “Here. In case you figure out how a phone works.”
Sloan didn’t even wait for a response before settling back in her seat and starting the ATV up again.
Lorne was left with a business card, a tiny cloud of dust, and a sense that Sloan Kent would be the most challenging person who’d ever entered his life.
Chapter 9
“Our next competitor comes from our own Black Claw Ranch. Lorne Bennett!”
Sloan sat up. A little further down and off to the side, the rest of the Black Claw clan also perked up in attention.
Well, mostly. Hunter wrapped an arm around Joss and wiggled his fingers against her ribs, which made her squirm. The sudden jump jostled Tansey, which spilled a tub of nacho chips onto the metal bleachers at their feet. Ethan growled over Tansey’s head and Alex jammed an elbow into Hunter’s side.
Sloan didn’t have time for more than a quick smile. A buzzer sounded and a gate slammed open. Lorne shot out, pushing his horse hard. Clods of dirt were thrown into the air with the quick leaps forward as they raced toward the first barrel.
Sloan caught her breath. Both horse and rider leaned so far into the turn she thought they’d topple over. They circled, righted, then raced for a second, then a third, cutting so close on the last that Lorne raised his leg to avoid hitting the barrel itself. Circuit complete, he leaned low against his saddle and raced out the way he entered.
The announcer shouted stats and times which seemed to be impressive by the cheering of the crowd. Sloan pushed to her feet and made her way down the bleachers.
This was it. She’d agreed to meet Lorne after he competed. She wasn’t particularly thrilled by the nervous jumble of butterflies tickling her stomach, but they didn’t stop her from looking for him.
Or for anyone else that could be watching.
She hadn’t received any other notes or proof of being stalked, but the idea of someone with a camera stayed in the back of her mind in all her interactions. So she used the same advice she’d given to victims. She changed up her routines, never taking the same roads home—hard in such a small town—or grabbing food at the same hour.
They wanted her scared. They wanted her questioning everything and to bow down under their threats.
Well, fuck them. Fuck Jimmy Culpepper. Fuck all his cronies. They watched her, but so what? They could see her getting on with her life without a single thought wasted on their shenanigans.
Then she spotted Lorne moving smoothly through the crowd. A smile lifted her lips as all her wariness fell away.
He’d changed since he raced through the arena. The tight, dark green t-shirt wasn’t the long-sleeved, checkered one he’d worn during the competition. He’d washed himself down, too, smelling like fresh soap and sexy man.
He stooped and planted a quick kiss on her cheek, saving her from the awkwardness of deciding exactly how to greet him after being run off his ranch between two toe-curling kisses.
Even though her heart thundered in her chest, she played it cool with a shrug of one shoulder. “So this is what you country boys do for fun. I always pictured rodeos as just riding bulls.”
“It’s nothing big. Amateur hour, really. It’s a women’s event on the big circuit, but enough of us here race for bets or fun. Easier to set up some barrels than find some bucking stock.” He wiped the back of his hand across his forehead, then settled his cowboy hat on his head. “But I like this better than traditional calf roping.”
“I know some of those words,” Sloan admitted with a small shake of her head. “I’ll trust you on it being fun. Looked like a way to break your neck to me.”
“Says the woman zipping around on her ATV. Bet more people die on those than horseback every year.” He snorted, then eyed the crowd behind her. Something close to panic laced through his features and he quickly turned to press a hand against the small of her back. The little nudge got her moving. “Have you eaten yet? Been on any of the rides?”
Sloan shot a puzzled glance over her shoulder only to find the rest of the Black Claw clan staring at them both with mixtures of disbelief, awe, and confusion on their faces.
A sliver of hurt dug into her heart. Was he keeping her hidden from them? Embarrassed about stepping out with a human?
“Came here first,” she said lightly. “Thought I’d watch you and then we’d figure out from there.”
“In that case, let’s head toward the middle of town.”
He grabbed her hand, twining their fingers together like he’d done it a thousand times before, and tugged her forward into a swirl of people.
Warmth heated her skin where they touched and zipped straight up her arm. In three steps, her entire body buzzed with yearning for the man. A single peck on the cheek and held hands weren’t enough to quench her desire by a long shot.
And when he glanced down at her with dark eyes churning with a bit of gold, she nearly melted into a puddle.
He strode down the street slowly, and she got her first leisurely look at the Summertime Fest. Laughter spilled over from the town square filled with booths all advertising prizes for a game of chance. They passed basketballs for large stuffed animals, tossed rings for tiny goldfish, and even target practice for tickets.
When they hit the other side, her nose filled with delicious scents of carnival food. Hot, fried, greasy, and all making her stomach rumble with cravings.
What truly surprised her were the number of local signs instead of the
metal trailers she’d seen at other fairs. She recognized the names of the town’s restaurants—each with tables laden with their popular dishes. Outside of those were booths for a frozen lemonade stand manned by an elderly couple, donuts and other fried breads, and lots of words proclaiming ingredients fresh, homegrown, and local.
“What would you like?” Lorne rumbled at her side.
“Oh, I don’t know. All of it?” she laughed.
His eyes danced at her. “How about we get some barbecue first? Then maybe an elephant ear or twelve.”
“Don’t forget the turkey legs and cotton candy.”
“Woman, what do you think is for dinner?”
Sloan arched her eyebrows at him in mock surprise. “Oh, you think you’re keeping me for that long? Mighty confident of you.”
Lorne pulled her close with a rumbled growl. “At least until after dessert.”
His breath tickled her ear, but his tone had her heart lodged in the back of her throat. Pure sex. His words dripped with promise that sparking over her skin.
It was almost a regret when he stepped away from her, but then he grabbed her hand and pulled her after him again.
With a tray piled with at least three complete meals for him, a sandwich combo for her, and beers for each of them, they made their way to an area with picnic tables. Kids begged parents to get their faces painted in the booth across the makeshift thoroughfare while street performers danced and sang in a routine.
“So. Initial thoughts on your first Bearden gathering?” Lorne asked.
“This is... different,” she said after swallowing down her first bite. Her eyes nearly rolled to the back of her head. She’d had meals from Hogshead Joint before, but they’d outdone themselves.
“Different good?”
Nearby, two bear cubs wrestled hard enough to roll end over end into the walking path. Their father didn’t skip a beat in his conversation with their mother. He simply grabbed them both by the scruff and set them on either side of him.
The crowd itself was as varied as the entertainment. Most of the shifted individuals had the look of juveniles, so she assumed they were children in their human forms. Bear cubs were the most common, but the odd wolf or big cat were also in attendance.
Breaking Fate: Book Three: Black Claw Ranch Page 7
