"Is this a premeditated trap?" Madison’s heart leapt with hope. "When did you arrange this?"
"I have connections," Kal said emphatically. Letting go of her hand, he locked the office door behind them and turned to her with a glint in his eyes and a mischievous grin. He dropped onto the sofa and patted the soft leather cushion next to him. "Now, about that kiss..."
Unable to resist his suggestion, Madison laid her evening bag on the coffee table and stood before him, aching for the feel of his hands on her skin. When he brushed at the hem of the short dress, she felt the cool fabric sliding on her thigh. A heat wave blazed through Madison’s body and she shuddered in anticipation, her breath cut short. She wanted this. This time, nothing would interrupt them.
The golden light danced on his high cheekbones, framed by long, black, silky hair. He looked up at her with such longing. He made her feel so safe and cared for. She caressed his smooth jaw, inhaling his masculine scent.
"You smell sweet and rugged at the same time," she whispered.
His strong fingers tightened on her knee and moved insistently up her thigh. Madison basked in the warm feeling of being wanted. But he stopped suddenly and removed his hand. Craving his touch, she snatched his hand and placed it higher on her thigh.
"It’s okay to let go of your cool, self-control, you know. You need to loosen up." She pushed away a strand of hair to nibble his ear.
His fingers tightened on her thigh. "Aren’t you afraid I might... take advantage of you?"
Madison shook her head slowly. "I feel perfectly safe. I want to see more of that dangerous side of you," she purred. "I want to feel your willful, strong, aggressive, almost animalistic side."
Leaning forward, she laid her hand on his leather-clad thigh and felt his muscles contract in response. She heard his sudden intake of breath. He wanted her, too. Good.
Mesmerized by his gaze, she smiled as she closed the gap between their faces. When their lips touched, Madison let the intoxication of him wash over her. Soon, his kiss demanded entry and she let him explore her mouth. Her knees weakened. She clutched his muscular thigh while her other hand fumbled with the buttons of his turquoise suede shirt. Dizzy from his scent, she ached for the contact of his skin against hers.
She gasped when his hand found the edge of her lace panties and pulled them out and down in a slow caress. How many times had he practiced that move? Was he another womanizer? Madison silenced her intruding doubts.
Emboldened by his determination, she kicked off stilettos and panties to sit astride his lap. Then she tangled her fingers in his long black hair and kissed the dancing shadows of his handsome face. His breath quickened and his arms closed around her.
"The first time with a new person is always the most exciting, don’t you think?" Her whisper sounded nervous even to her. It had been so long. Madison had forgotten the sensation of fear, mixed with expectation, and delight. She hoped this wasn’t another mistake.
He kissed her hair lightly. "Any second thoughts?"
Madison chuckled and straightened to look into his eyes. "Not a chance."
He laid her down, her head propped on the armrest of the sofa. She felt only the slightest hint of danger as he covered her body with his, but she enjoyed the trepidation as he crushed her with possessive control.
She arched under him and enjoyed the way he kept her down. "You are so strong," she moaned.
She pulled up the bottom of his open shirt then peeled it away from his broad shoulders. She gasped as the candlelight revealed a fresh scar on his left upper arm and traced it with a light finger. "This must have hurt."
He stared deep into her eyes with savage intensity. "You have no idea."
The round scar looked like a gunshot, fully healed but still pink, probably a few months old. She kissed it and felt his muscle spasm under her lips. "How did it happen?"
His strong hands seized her hips and the hard bulge in his pants pressed against her bare inner thigh. He forced her head back and nibbled at her throat, whispering between breaths, "You want me to stop everything and talk?"
"No." But a gunshot was a serious matter. Did he have a run in with the law? Was that why he didn’t like cops or guns? Damn. When would she learn to pick them? But her lust spoke louder than the warnings in her head. She pulled him down closer and said breathlessly, "Please, don’t stop."
He sat her up, skillfully unzipped her dress and pulled it over her head, in a flutter of candlelight. The fabric glittered on its way to the floor. Then he ravaged her breasts, teasing each nipple with his teeth. Madison’s moans rose and her back arched as he kissed his way down to her navel, eliciting delicious yearnings. But then he stopped and shifted his position to lave the soles of her feet, the inside of her leg, the soft part of her knee. Slowly, he worked his way up her thigh, setting her skin on fire.
"Take me now." She vaguely noticed her low-pitch as she clawed the leather pillows, surrendering to the overwhelming sensations.
"Not yet," he managed between licks as he reached the sensitive spot between her thighs.
"Please," she moaned as her body melted into hot, liquid pleasure.
She was so ready when he finally thrust into her, that she climaxed in a flurry of groans fit for a lioness. But Kal didn’t stop. With the stamina of a bull, his powerful hips working nonstop, he kept pleasuring her.
"Say my name," he whispered in her hair.
"Kal..."
"No, my real name," he demanded forcefully, plowing into her.
"Kaletaka!" In the throes of ecstasy, she repeated his name over and over. "Kaletaka."
Just when she thought she couldn’t take any more, he increased his rhythm and drove her into yet another crescendo, awakening unsuspected reserves of unquenched passion. Thrown into an eerie state of lasting orgasm, Madison screamed until her voice grew hoarse. A hot flood surged inside her, Kaletaka shook and gasped, then he collapsed upon her breast, breathless, finally spent.
Soft as marshmallow, contented as never before, Madison sighed away her vanishing fears. She had no regrets.
Why had she ever thought Kaletaka might be wrong for her? He was a good, honest man, a talented artist, and a wonderful lover. She felt very lucky, indeed, and quite safe in his arms.
Chapter Six
Sitting shirtless on the living room couch in the glow of a single candle, the full moon rays seeping in through the skylights, Kaletaka listened again to the twelve-day-old message on his cell phone. He couldn’t find the courage to push the key that would erase Madison’s voice.
"I hope you’re all right. We were so great together the other night. I thought we had something special. I don’t understand." Her sad voice on the recording paused as she emitted a barely audible sigh. "I’d really like to talk to you. Call me."
Flipping the phone shut, Kaletaka threw it down with force. It clattered to the parquet floor and slid under the armchair. He raised his gaze to the full moon beyond the skylights. "Great Coyote, help me! I’m not cut out for this. Why does it have to be me?"
Whether he heard or not, the Great Coyote remained silent. Typical!
"I didn’t ask for this! You owe me." Kaletaka rose, almost expecting a thunderous answer from the great beyond, but he didn’t care. "What kind of life is this? I can’t do it." His voice broke. "I miss her too much."
At the howl of a coyote in the distant hills, the skin along his spine prickled. He could feel an ominous presence lurking out there. Time to change... time to die?
Kaletaka had no choice but accept his fate. Dejected, he sat on the floor and touched the ceremonial sage bundle to the candle flame, then dropped it in the copper bowl on the low table. The dry substance flared. He blew off the flames to obtain a slow crackling burn and thick smoke. Waving the fragrant smoke toward his face, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Would the Great Coyote talk to him through the smoke?
"This will ease the change," his father had said, handing him the soft leather pouch a few days ago.
"Or make me see things that aren’t there." Kaletaka had accepted the gift nevertheless.
"It’s only sage, not peyote. If you see things, they are there, although sometimes visible only to a few." Then his father had clamped his mouth shut, grunted, and left without another word.
Kaletaka’s acute senses now registered the sweet smell of the cleansing smoke insidiously relaxing his muscles and his mind. Every cell in his body pulsed with renewed energy. Fire burned in his chest in bright rainbow colors. His apprehension at the upcoming confrontation dulled, then turned to peace, anticipation, exhilaration.
When Kaletaka willed his body to change, it expanded at a slow, even pace. Arms and legs lengthened and bulky muscles bulged under his darkening skin. A surge of power took hold of Kaletaka. He felt invincible. He wanted to shout his newfound strength, but the only sound coming from his throat was a growl. Long fangs grazed his lolling tongue. What had he become?
As he stood, he realized how much he had grown. His house looked smaller from this height.
When he picked up an empty glass on the table to test his new reach, it shattered under his unexpected strength. He flinched at the loud sound of broken glass. As he stretched his arms, tentatively opening and retracting sharp claws, Kaletaka felt awkward at first. But quickly, he developed a feel for his new size and shape. Once confident in his strength and agility, comfortable in his new skin, he strode to the back door and ducked under the lintel to meet his archenemy calling from the hills.
Following the scent of evil, Kaletaka ran up the hill toward his fate, confident he would win. But when he caught sight of the black monster, he realized how much larger and stronger his opponent was... and very determined.
Kaletaka stopped cold at a safe distance. His archenemy stared at him, as if assessing his strength. Was the black beast afraid of him? Kaletaka barely controlled his shaking. He growled to give himself courage.
The black beast growled back but didn’t attack. Neither did Kaletaka. The time wasn’t right. Or maybe Kaletaka wasn’t ready to die.
The black monster retreated into the desert shrubbery, and Kaletaka did not pursue him. He hated himself for failing his father, but he couldn’t die yet. He had too much to lose.
*****
"You said the rogue bear was dead!" Was Jake sweating? He stood, both hands resting on the back of his desk chair, face drawn, his uniform slightly wrinkled, shadowed by the black panther on his wall. The stern confidence had gone from his eyes.
"Maybe I only grazed it." But Madison hadn’t found the slug. She sighed with frustration and shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "There must have been more blood than hurt. It’s been a month."
"I hold you personally responsible for the new killings." Jake shoved photographs in front of her. "I took those myself this morning. At another ranch on the same road. Same tracks, same technique. It’s your predator."
Since when did Jake do field work? Madison studied the gruesome pictures. They matched the first killings. This time, the beast had hit on the opposite side of Kaletaka’s house. "I’m sorry."
Jake almost knocked over the potted corn plant against the wall, then disentangled himself and rounded the single desk to pace the small space behind Madison, who swiveled to face him.
"It’s your blunder, you fix it," Jake shouted, red in the face with anger. He raked his blond hair. "Get rid of it once and for all. Whatever it takes."
"Yes, sir." Madison shuddered at the idea of another encounter with the monster she’d only glimpsed once by moonlight.
"But be discreet. I don’t want your mistake to jeopardize my future in the department." He sounded more desperate than threatening, but Madison knew better.
Nodding, she rose and dashed out the door. She’d better get the job done, because if she failed, Jake would surely ruin her career out of spite. He already resented her for dumping him.
Once in the bright midday sun of the parking lot, Madison slowed her pace. As much as she hated to, she’d have to swallow her pride and ask Kal for permission to patrol through his property. Her heart raced at the idea. He hadn’t answered her call after their tryst at the art gallery twelve days ago. And it had taken her all this time to numb herself to the pain of his rejection.
He’d used her shamelessly. But she hadn’t found the courage to face him. The humiliation ran too deep. Men!
Whatever his problem with commitment, Madison wouldn’t become a convenient lay whenever they met and someone to ignore the rest of the time. If only she could resist him. Unfortunately, their last encounter had proven she couldn’t. Damn.
Steeling herself for the call, she flipped open her cell and dialed his number. Several rings. The answering service picked up. Good. That might be easier. Madison took a deep breath and released it slowly then said in her most business-like voice. "Madison Huntley. I’d like to requisition your backyard for a stakeout tonight. Strictly business."
*****
After nightfall, Madison stopped the four-wheel-drive pickup in front of Kal’s house and turned off the lights. The full moon glowed brightly overhead. She shook her head at the coincidence. Was it a month ago she’d enjoyed a romantic dinner by candlelight with Kal? No dinner and no wine this time. Although she could not really blame her first failure on the wine, there would be no chance of distraction tonight.
Grabbing her weapons bag, she stepped out of the truck and hit the lock button on her key ring. Despite the late hour, waves of heat rose from the asphalt, warming her bare legs below the khaki shorts of her summer uniform. She slung the heavy bag over her shoulder and walked around the fenced front yard, toward the back of the tall, modern house.
The spacious deck, illuminated by a single yellow light, stood quiet and bare. She climbed the three wooden steps and peered through the glass wall into the dimly lit living room. No one in sight. Was he too ashamed to face her? He should be.
Damn. Now that she had come, she wanted to see him. At least give him a piece of her mind. But she wasn’t about to step into the house to let him know she’d arrived. He’d probably heard the truck anyway, unless he wasn’t home. Just as well. She wouldn’t have to endure his smooth enticing ways, although she would miss the attention.
Setting the heavy bag on the deck table, Madison opened it and took out the pieces of her tactical rifle, checking each one. This time, she’d brought a night vision scope. As she assembled the weapon, her anger mounted.
"The sonovabitch probably charms the panties off any woman he fancies. I should have known better than fall for his blatant ploy," she mumbled in rhythm as she snapped the scope into place with more force than necessary. "He won’t play me for the fool again."
How naive of her to believe he had any interest in her, other than sexual gratification. One by one, with practiced precision, she inserted the cartridges into the clip. The truth be told, she’d never been a good judge of handsome men.
Pounding the clip into the well, she locked it. Then she pulled back the rod, fed the chamber, let the bolt and rod slam forward, and announced with satisfaction, "Locked and loaded."
Too wound up to simply wait, Madison decided to walk the grounds. She flipped off the deck light and set out on foot toward the nearest slope, rifle in hand, ready for a kill.
The warm desert night smelled of sage and pine. She listened to the familiar sounds. Flying insects, owls, nightingales, cicadas, locusts, a distant bark. No coyotes, though. When the sounds ceased, she’d know a predator approached.
"How could I have missed?" She hoped the M-14 would drop the target for good this time. How had the beast escaped with a large slug in the chest? Even if she’d missed the heart, the fact that it had dropped and the blood on the ground proved a hit. Infection alone should have killed it.
A low growl behind her chilled her spine. Madison spun around and raised the rifle.
"Hey!" Kal stepped back and held up two cans of Pepsi. He chuckled nervously. "You shouldn’t be here. It’s more dangerous than you think.
"
Felix, the bobcat, emitted a low growl but heeled at his side like an obedient dog. Odd behavior for any feline.
Heart still thudding, short of breath, Madison lowered the muzzle of the M-14. "Are you trying to get killed?" She couldn’t help the edge of concern in her voice. "I could have shot you."
Kal frowned at her then popped a tab and handed her a can. "Just thought you might be thirsty."
"I am." Her anger subsiding, she accepted the icy drink and took a refreshing gulp, enjoying the cool effervescence. She raised the can in his direction. "Thanks. Very thoughtful of you."
His smile strained in the moonlight as he glanced at the rifle. Did he think she might shoot him for jilting her? Good. He hefted himself onto a flat boulder, sat letting his legs dangle above Felix, then opened his Pepsi with a popping swish. "I wasn’t going to show up, but you deserve the truth. Your life is in grave danger."
"Tell me something I don’t know." Madison leaned against the same boulder, her back to him, enjoying his proximity. He made her feel safe. She took another sip. Why couldn’t she remain angry with him in his presence? But she worried about his safety as she scanned the desert hills ahead.
"I’m not kidding. I tried to keep you away from me, but I can’t." He sounded so serious. What kind of game was he playing now? "There are forces at work that you do not understand."
"I feel safe with the rifle. You should be worried about yourself." She refused to play games. She glanced up at him. "If the beast attacks you, I may not be able to shoot for fear of hitting you. For your own safety, I’d prefer that you return to the house."
Gone was his polished exterior. He looked almost haunted. As a matter of fact, he hadn’t joked or complimented her, brushed her hand, or made any advances. He frowned again. "Listen, I haven’t been totally honest with you about the killings."
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