by Sadie Hart
His lips quirked into a smile. “Fair enough.”
Brandt stripped, delighting in the way her eyes sparked as she watched. Brandt leaned in to kiss her when his shirt hit the floor, and Timber rose up to meet him, her hands running over his stomach, down to the edge of his pants. “These, too,” she said against his lips.
“Bossy,” he teased.
His lungs felt tight when her hand found the zipper and pulled it down, knuckles grazing along the length of his cock. Shit. Anticipation and pleasure rolled through him on a tidal wave. A shudder wracked him, driving out a rough growl. Brandt leaned his head back when Timber slid her hands back along his hips, down over his ass, pulling his jeans down inch by inch. His boxers came next and he could feel her breath against his cock.
He hauled her back up on the bed, following her down onto the soft mattress. He stretched out over her, the hard length of his erection the only thing between them, then kissed her again, more deeply this time, turning the link between them into a brilliant, burning inferno.
***
She was on fire. There was no other way to describe it. Timber gasped as Brandt kissed down the line of her neck, each delicate touch of his lips against her skin followed by a gentle, teasing nip. She couldn’t help squirming, but he didn’t hesitate, just kept up the tender, sensual assault.
“Brandt,” she murmured, trying desperately to pull him back up to her mouth, but he kept working his way down. Farther and farther. Then she felt the warm heat of his lips on her thigh, then higher, stroking her very core.
She gasped and arched when he kissed her there, his tongue stroking over her moist lips, dipping inside her. Timber’s head rolled back and forth, her lips parted in a soundless cry as the ache inside her built and built. Pleasure shot through her in waves until she was clutching at the bed sheets, desperate for more.
“Brandt, please!”
Her body felt tight, as if it hovered at the edge and all she needed was one final push to make that fall. But she wanted him with her, falling into that radiant abyss right alongside her. Finally she felt him move up over her again, his lips against her cheek, open and breathless. She heard him fumble, a packet tear, and then finally he was pressed at her opening.
A hiss, harsh and desperate, whispered past her ear, and she lifted her hips for him. She clung to his ass, trying to urge him down and in further, faster, but except for that small, helpless hiss, he didn’t seem in a hurry. Instead he nudged the head of his cock inside her and paused, as if savoring the moment. Savoring that first experience of being inside her.
She didn’t have the willpower for teasing, not right now. Her hips moved, trying to bring him deeper and a small whimper slipped out. A plea, suspended in the quiet space between them, and Brandt leaned down and covered her lips with his, reassuring. Then he moved, slowly pressing deeper, filling her. She wrapped her legs around him, gripping his shoulders tight, and with everything inside her she begged him to move.
Thankfully, Brandt answered. One long, slow withdraw and then he was diving back into her again, building up speed. Together they strained, writhing, finding a rhythm that tightened their bond. Pleasure spiraled between them, soaring higher and winding tighter. Timber felt the distant rumble of her orgasm sweep closer, could feel it burning through her like a wave rushing for the shore, and then it erupted and stormed over her, through her.
She dug her nails into Brandt’s shoulders, crying out, but Brandt’s guttural roar drowned her out while he plunged deep one last time and his body found its own release. They lay in a tangle, holding tight to one another, almost like they were scared to let go. But she wasn’t scared. But she wasn’t letting go, either, because the things worth having in life were worth clinging to, cherishing.
Brandt rolled them to the side, his arms locked around her while he continued to hold her close. Timber didn’t know how long they lay there, bodies entwined, their hearts beating as one. It wasn’t until long after their breathing had slowed that Brandt pulled away to dispose of the condom. She got a happy eyeful of his ass when he bent over to toss it in the trash and scurried back to bed.
And sighed from her toes when he sank back down beside her, the warm heat of his body wrapping her in a soft cocoon while she curled up against him. There was no need for words, just the feel of his hands massaging her back, his lips against her forehead, their quiet, rhythmic breathing.
And when the silent promise of sleep swept over her, Timber didn’t fight it. Somehow, she knew the nightmares couldn’t find her. Not tonight.
Chapter Twenty Three
Sunlight streamed in through the curtains, making patterns on the walls and covers. Timber pressed her nose into Brandt’s chest, enjoying the soft tickle of his chest hair against her nose while she breathed in his wonderful, masculine scent. Brandt’s arm tightened, pulling her flat against him. “Mmm,” she sighed, tilting her head back to look at him.
His eyes were still closed with sleep, his lips soft and full, parted for the steady rise and fall of his breathing. Timber decided to kiss him awake. It was a gentle, slow kiss. One meant for exploring, loving, sharing. Brandt groaned against her lips and she felt him wake, his body suddenly aware and obviously preparing for some fun. He stiffened, one thigh sliding over hers while he rolled on top of her. His teasing smile flashed. “I could get used to waking up like this.”
A laugh bubbled up in her throat. “You and me both.”
She kissed him again. It was meant to be a light, fleeting kiss, but the moment his lips captured hers it turned deeper, wetter, harder. His hands slid to her hips, dragging her against his on a soft sigh. She knew it wasn’t going to get easier. Her life didn’t typically work like that. Charles was still out there and he wasn’t magically going to go away.
If anything, the closer she got to Brandt the more likely he was to keep coming.
“Why do I get the feeling you’re only half with me?” Brandt murmured against her neck, his lips soft as they brushed over her skin. She shivered at the gentle touch. “Talk to me, sweetheart.”
Brandt sank up next to her, his hand resting on the smooth expanse of her belly. One touch, and she felt safe, like she had a shot at a normal life. She tilted her face so that she could look him in the eye, his dark mocha gaze looking right back at her.
“I just—” The shrill cry of a phone cut through the morning quiet and Timber cringed. “Just...that. The real world creeping back.”
The way Brandt’s body tensed told her it was his phone, and by his sudden stillness, the way his body was suddenly poised, ready and eager to respond, she knew it was important. But he didn’t bolt out of bed, his gaze held hers as he cupped her chin. “This is normal for me, Timber. Not just with this case, but with a lot of cases. I get calls in the middle of the night, first thing in the morning. I’m always on call.”
And that wasn’t going to change...not that she wanted it to. She’d fallen for Brandt in every way, the Hound in him included. Being a Hound wasn’t just about being able to shift into a dog. Its essence was in the combination of dog-shifter cop. It was the man who wouldn’t walk away when someone needed him. Brandt wouldn’t be Brandt if he wasn’t a Hound, if he wasn’t trying to save the world. She wouldn’t have him any other way.
Timber touched her lips to him. “I know.”
“Birthdays, holidays...”
“Are you trying to talk me out of this?” She pulled back, her head dropping back against his pillow. “Because I get it. I know who you are; I know just what lengths you’ll go to to help someone. I don’t want that to change. And you better get that.”
Brandt kissed her forehead and rolled out of bed. It took him a few seconds to locate his jeans and dig the phone out of the back pocket. “Brandt,” he said as he pressed the phone to his ear.
Immediately, he was all business. Standing completely naked in his room, but she could see in his mind he was already mentally gearing up. Still talking to whoever had called, he went to his closet and yanked open the d
oor, the phone cradled against his shoulder.
Timber found herself eyeing his lean, muscled back, the pale, muscular curve of his ass. She grinned. It was a hell of a view. Spectacular. One she wasn’t sure she’d ever stop marveling over. He shimmied into a pair of boxers without dropping the phone, miraculously still holding a conversation. She wondered just how much of it was practice and how much was pure adrenaline.
“Is Shay okay?” his words jarred her from ogling his ass, and Timber jerked her attention up to his face. His jaw was tight, she could see the worry in his eyes. “We’re on our way. Notify Nathan. He’s going to want to be there.”
Brandt tossed the phone onto the bed and yanked on a pair of jeans and a shirt. He was scrounging for socks while Timber slid out of bed. Her hands trembled, but she scurried around and jumped into yesterday’s clothes. “Is Shay okay?” she asked, her voice soft, almost too scared to ask.
“They don’t know. She’s missing.” Brandt turned to look at her, and she could see the worry etched in every line of his face. “Her house is trashed.”
“Charles?”
His head jerked a sharp nod.
Timber felt her heart squeeze. Instantly, the old guilt was there, waiting to swallow her up. Charles never would have gone after Shay if not for her. He wouldn’t have known she existed if he hadn’t been following her. Except those were lies her nightmares told her, the aftermath of Charles’s campaign to make everything her fault.
There was no way to know whether or not Charles would have found and taken Shay, regardless of Timber. As a wolf-shifter, Shay would have been as likely a target as anyone else. Had her chances gone up when she’d taken Timber in? Yeah.
But there’d always been a chance she’d hit Charles’ radar.
Brandt stepped closer, but Timber smiled and shook her head.
“Some thoughts, some guilt, just don’t go away until you beat them away. I’m working on finding a bigger bat.” But it wasn’t her fault. None of this was her fault. “Let’s go find Shay.”
Because, just as with Brandt, she had to believe there was time.
Had to believe that Shay would be all right.
Brandt took her hand as they walked to the door and squeezed. “We’ll get her,” he whispered, and she smiled.
“I said something like that when we went to rescue you.”
“Good. Because you were right. Now it’s my turn.”
And he shoved open the front door and they walked to the car.
***
Normally Brandt wouldn’t have brought a civilian to a crime scene, but he couldn’t think of any reason Timber shouldn’t be there. She’d been living with Shay for the past few days, and if there was something in that house that might give her a clue they might miss, he couldn’t afford for her not to be there. And according to Tate, it was Timber who’d figured out where Wolfe was keeping him. No one knew Wolfe as well as she did.
The attack on Shay was most definitely an attack on Timber.
He caught the flash of guilt in her eyes before she’d squashed it earlier in his bedroom. It wasn’t her fault, and he was glad she realized that, but it was tied to her. Every move Wolfe made was tied to Timber. It didn’t make her someone to blame, but it gave Brandt a motive to watch, hopefully one that would eventually let them land smack on top of this bastard.
Tate walked up beside him. His gaze skipped from Timber to Brandt, before he dropped his voice and whispered, “Gunshots were fired inside the house. Scene is still fresh. Neighbor called in the midst of the gunfire.”
A car pulled up to the curb, and Brandt turned to see the Delphi alpha approach, slamming the car door as he stalked toward them. Nathan’s body was rigid and looking for a fight. “Bannock,” Brandt warned, voice low. He’d had Tate call in Shay’s alpha as a courtesy, believing Nathan could keep it together. If he couldn’t, he was out of here.
Nathan jerked a sharp nod. “I’m fine. Any word on Shay?”
He stopped next to the three of them, only briefly glancing at Timber.
“No, sir,” Tate said. “House is empty, definite signs of a struggle. She didn’t go quietly.”
Nathan’s jaw popped as his teeth ground together, and Brandt saw Timber wince. He remembered the night he’d dropped her off at the Delphi alpha’s place. She’d thought Bannock was scary, that he didn’t look nice. Right now Nathan looked downright deadly. Feral. Brandt was reaching for her when a gunshot sounded in the distance, a dull pop, but everyone in the group dropped to a crouch for a moment before training won out over instinct.
The sound wasn’t close enough to kill anyone here, but it was close.
A dog howled in the distance, followed by three short yips. One of theirs, then. Brandt had his gun in hand and was moving before anyone else had a chance to react, Tate only a breath behind him. Neither Nathan nor Timber would have recognized the distress call of a Hound, but they responded when Brandt moved forward. The four of them went around the side of the house, the soft grass muffling their footsteps. A Hound was bent behind the picnic table, his phone in hand until he saw Brandt at the edge of the house. He pointed to the woods, then signaled he hadn’t seen the shooter.
Tate’s phone buzzed and Brandt felt rather than saw the other man look at his screen, since he was busy scanning the tree line. “There’s a path tucked off behind the shed. Shay said she runs it every morning,” Timber whispered behind him.
“Mealy says that’s where his partner tracked Wolfe’s scent. He was going to follow as soon as he updated me. Gunshots were fired the moment he lost track of his partner.”
That left one Hound in the woods, no doubt close enough to make Wolfe nervous. Brandt glanced back at Nathan. “Keep Timber and yourself out of sight, but stay close. Use the trees to your advantage. Tate and I will go up the main path.”
Nathan glanced at Timber. “You sure you want her up there?”
“I don’t want either one of you up there.” The muscle in his jaw flexed. He should leave them both behind. But there’d be no convincing Nathan, and he knew he’d need Timber close. Wolfe wanted a bargaining chip. If Shay was alive, Timber was their only hope of keeping her that way. “So keep both of your asses out of sight.”
Tate’s lips twitched in a brief smile before the two of them set off down the path. He barely heard Nathan usher Timber into the trees behind them; then they, too, went silent. About fifty feet up the path it curved to the right. Brandt crouched, trying to see through the trees, but the brush was too thick. “Blind curve,” he murmured and Tate nodded.
Easy pickings if Wolfe was lying in wait.
Brandt edged around the corner first, his gun a comforting weight in his hands. A glimpse of silver caught his eye first and he saw a wolfhound crouched low behind a bush. He recognized the Hound even as his gaze traveled up the path. Wolfe stood another fifty feet down, his back to a tree, Shay in a head lock in front of him. He had a gun pressed to her temple.
Holding back one hand, Brandt signaled for Tate to stay still, even as he froze halfway around the bend. Shay hadn’t gone easy, that much Brandt could see from the bruise on her cheek, the blood that dribbled down her chin. Her shirt was ripped and her left leg was stained with blood. She’d taken a bullet to the thigh.
Not that Wolfe looked perfect, either. He was bleeding from the arm he had wrapped around her neck. Brandt hoped like hell Shay had managed to shoot him. “Charles Wolfe,” Brandt called out and the man’s face twisted toward him. Anger flashed in those wolf-gold eyes while Wolfe tried to stare him down. “Let her go.”
Shay winced when the gun dug harder into her temple. “I want what’s mine,” Wolfe gritted.
Wolfe ground the words out, his voice rough, desperate. He knew he wasn’t in a position to bargain, but Brandt didn’t think Wolfe could see any other way out. He doubted the bastard had any idea what he was in for when he’d gone after Shay.
Brandt eased out a little further onto the path, careful to keep tight to the trees. He want
ed a place to dive into if Wolfe got a little trigger-happy.
“Don’t move.” Wolfe straightened, dragging Shay harder against him. She stumbled as he pulled them both out into the middle of the path. “Stay right where you are.”
“Easy,” Brandt said.
“Shut up! Get me Timber, or I will blow this little bitch’s brains out. It’s that simple.”
Wolfe’s gun never wavered. He never pulled it away from Shay’s temple. Then again, Shay was trained well enough that a split second was all she needed.
Or maybe Wolfe was through underestimating her.
Tension curled in Brandt’s gut. He sure as hell hoped not.
Right now, they couldn’t take a shot without risking Shay, but Brandt wasn’t prepared to pull Timber out onto the path. Wolfe was too unstable yet, too willing to kill her rather than lose her. And he wouldn’t trade her life for Shay’s. He didn’t do bargains like that.
So, he did everything in his power to save everyone he could.
“Let’s talk for a minute.”
A snarl ripped out of Wolfe. “Let’s not.”
“This isn’t going to end well, Charles,” Brandt said, trying to push a semblance of sympathy into his voice. He wanted to sound like he actually gave a damn. “Let her go, we can talk. All I need you to do is get out of my territory. I don’t care what you do elsewhere, but you can’t do it on my watch.”
It was a lie, but one Brandt had spun more than once. Shifters were used to Shifter Town Enforcement being rather lax. Most were willing to believe that STE would look the other way as long as they left, because that’s what Enforcement had always done before.
“Give me Timber and I’ll go.”
Brandt also didn’t believe that for a second. “Timber is—”
“Mine!” Wolfe lunged at him, shoving Shay forward a foot. She staggered, but before Brandt could get his gun up to take a shot a large black wolf leapt from the brush behind Wolfe. Wolfe spun, raising the gun just as Nathan’s furry body slammed into him. They both staggered back, Wolfe trying desperately to get his gun in position and Nathan struggling to reach his throat.
