by Debra Smith
“I’m gonna start a fire. Even though it ended up being pretty nice today, it will get pretty chilly tonight. I had Clara make you some of her special cider, minus the catnip this time.”
He almost regretted that decision, almost, but the truth was he wanted her on fire for him and only him. What he’d said to Clara couldn’t have been more heartfelt. He left her in the kitchen and made quick work of the fireplace. When he returned to the kitchen, he found Clara in an equally warm outfit complete with pink, oversized bunny slippers.
“There you are. I decided I’m going to eat in my room. I need to call Jesse and make sure she made it. She never called.”
“I’m sure she’s fine. She probably got tied up with her friends. Nothin’ to worry about.”
She gave him a small smile. “I’m sure you’re right. Plus that Kane fellow is with her, and he seems like a nice guy.”
His eye started to twitch, but fortunately Alex chimed in.
“Yep, Kane’s a good guy. I can tell these things about people. I’m sure Jesse is fine.”
Kane a good guy, yeah right. He really was cursed. His soul was dark because of old family secrets. It didn’t matter if he wanted to be good—it would never happen. Fate or destiny would never allow it. He almost felt sorry for the guy. Maybe if things had been different Kane would have turned out better, but people had to make the best of what they’d been dealt. Unfortunately for Kane, he was at the losing end of well, everything.
“Are you sure you want to eat in your room? I love to visit with you.”
“Don’t worry, dear. There will be plenty of time for that in the next few days. I assure you.”
Alex bit her lip, and Clint’s cock rose to the occasion. Damn thing had a mind of its own.
“Okay, sleep well. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Clara gave Alex a motherly hug and a quick kiss on the forehead. “Good night, you two.”
“Night.”
The soft sound of Clara’s footsteps drifted off into the night, leaving him alone with his Little Cat. If he had his way, she’d be naked in less than five minutes.
Chapter Eleven
Alex ate the food Clara had so kindly made for them but couldn’t taste a thing. Her mind raced, trying to find a way to stay a little longer. The greedy part of her wanted to forget her family and just be with Clint. All you needed was love. Or at least that was what she had been told.
But she knew it wouldn’t be true for her. She couldn’t risk something happening to Clara. What her family expected of her was wrong. She believed it with her very core, but hundreds of years of tradition couldn’t be changed in a matter of days. Her heart ached as hopelessness snaked its way into her body.
“What’s wrong, darlin’?”
“With me? Nothing. I was just planning my day out for tomorrow.”
“Well that won’t do at all. I don’t want your pretty little mind on anything but me.”
“Oh you don’t, do you?”
“Nope.”
A devilish grin filled his face, making him impossibly more handsome. She’d never noticed before but little crinkles formed next to his eyes.
“Clint, do you remember anything about your life before Clara found you?”
His brow knit in concentration before he shook his head no. “Not really. I have flashes of places, but I’m not sure what they mean. Sometimes I hear something that sounds like thunder and screams, but that could be from anything.”
She cupped his face with her hand. “I’m sorry.”
He pressed a kiss into her palm. The sensation of his lips sent her own kind of lightning to her pussy.
No holding back.
She repeated it over and over in her mind like a silent prayer. What it entailed she didn’t quite know. This could be the very last time night she spent with Clint, and she wasn’t about to waste it.
Placing her plate on the coffee table, she admired the way the glow from the flames danced across his features. A light dusting of hair shadowed his jaw. His blue eyes reminded her of the pool from his secret place. She hadn’t noticed before, but he had the faintest spattering of freckles on his nose. She liked it. They added a boyish charm she found addictive. The weight in her heart grew heavy to an almost distracting level. Her gaze dropped to his lips.
“Kiss me.”
“I thought you’d never ask, darlin’.”
Then he pounced, covering her body with his. His hard muscles pushed her into the couch, stealing her breath. When his lips brushed over hers, the last of her resistance faded. She loved him. The weight in her chest lifted with her acceptance.
She dug her hands into his hair and pressed her mouth closer to his. Kissing him with everything she had. She gave him everything. Her heart, her love, and the last piece of herself she consider free. She moaned as he undulated his hips against her already heated core.
He broke the kiss, moving his attention to the sensitive part of her neck. Chills flowed through her, making her tremble beneath him. She locked her legs behind him as her harsh panting brought the light burn of smoke from the fire and his scent. God, she loved the way he smelled. Her nipples pearled under her oversized shirt, rasping against the fabric with each trust of his hips.
He nipped at her neck. The place where she wished he would mark her as his. She pushed his head down her body, conveying what her words wouldn’t. He bit down, not breaking the skin, so it wasn’t a true mark, but the sensation had her burying her head in his neck to muffle her scream.
She neared orgasm from his heavy petting, but she began to feel a little self-conscious under the same roof as his mother. Even through the desire-induced haze in her mind, she managed to speak.
“Not here. Take me somewhere.”
“Anywhere.”
He picked her up and carried her. She couldn’t see where they were headed with her face nestled against his chest. His heartbeat sounded just as erratic as hers. She traced her finger around his nipple, bringing it to a peak. Then she nipped at it through his shirt, and he groaned.
“Alexandria, you should stop unless you want me to lay you down and take you on the ground.”
It didn’t sound too bad to her. So she continued to torment him.
“Mean,” he growled.
Her whole body shook as he kicked in a door of some kind.
“Finally, we’re here.”
She risked a glance but couldn’t see anything. With no light filtering through the small space, it was next to impossible.
He supported her weight with one hand while she assumed he searched for a light switch or some other way to illuminate the room. With a flick of a switch, a single bulb hanging from a string in the middle of the room blinked to life.
She squinted while her eyes became accustomed to their new environment. A dust-covered canvas tarp covered what she could only guess was a truck. An old one if she was right. Her gaze sought Clint, and she grinned when she saw the brightness of his smile.
“This old girl is a true thing of beauty. I’ve had her since I was in high school. I restored her myself. Found her behind the butcher’s shop, alone, neglected, and unappreciated. When I saw her just waiting for me, I worked all summer cutting meat for the butcher just to take her home where she belonged.”
A fleeting sting of jealous quickly ebbed. Jealous of a truck. Good Lord, how far she’d fallen. She tried to see what he could as he stared at it all dreamy. The vague bumpy outline of something rested under the tarp, but her imagination proved useless. Her throbbing cunt reminded her of their earlier goal, but she could see how important the still hidden truck seemed to be to him.
“May I see it?”
He blinked and beamed down at her.
“Of course.”
He strolled up to the truck almost reverently and slowly revealed every inch of the cherry red and chrome masterpiece. Even with her untrained eye she could see the love and devotion he put into the truck. Hell, the feeling was almost palpable.
; “She’s beautiful.”
“Little Cat, I’d like you to meet Rose. She’s a 1954 Ford F100.”
Tentatively, she touched the fender, careful not to leave a mark. A calm reverence filled her. She continued her exploration, stepping to the driver’s side window and gazing into her cab. Black leather seats and a simple interior had her spellbound.
“Would you like to go for a ride?”
“Really?”
He dipped his head, watching her intently.
“Yes, I’d like that very much.”
She started toward the passenger side, when he stopped her.
“You won’t be able to get in on that side.” He cleared his throat, and his cheeks took on a faint tint of red. “I was hit by a steer on that side, and the door won’t open.”
“You mean you hit the steer.”
“No, I er… was hit by the steer.”
“Okay?”
She waited for him to elaborate, but he just open the driver’s side, waiting for her to hop in and scootch over to the other side of the bench seat.
“After you.”
“Thanks. So where are we going?”
He put a bundle of stuff in the bed of the truck and hopped in beside her. There was plenty of space, but she moved directly beside him, soaking up his heat.
He didn’t seem to mind. He flipped down the visor, and a set of keys fell to his hand. She wondered if the truck would start immediately or if it would need a little extra encouragement.
He slipped the key into the ignition and turned. The truck came roaring to life, and she couldn’t hide her surprise.
“What? I always take care of my ladies.”
She laughed despite herself and his corny words. She felt so carefree, light as a feather. She wrapped her arm around his and let out a sigh of contentment. She wanted to remain in this moment of time, just being next to him, her personal piece of heaven. Great, now she was being the corny one. He pushed a button on a little black box, and the door creaked opened behind them.
She spread her legs as he reached for the gear shift, and her face heated though she didn’t know why.
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.”
Because of the time of year the sun had already left the sky. The farther they got from the main house the darker the outside became.
“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”
She imagined the next words coming out of his mouth being anything but what they were. She hoped for something like, be my girlfriend, stay with me, you had me at hello, and many similar and embarrassing one-liners every girl seemed to want to hear but that’s not what happened.
~****~
Clint did his best to keep his eyes on the road but having her body pressed so close to his did things to his mind. It led it down dark and dirty pathways of which he would probably never escape. So he did the only thing he could think of and brought up the past.
“How long have you been claustrophobic?”
Her nose scrunched up, reminding him of a bunny. Then she shrugged and stared out into the darkness. He could have been to the special spot already, but he wanted to figure out what made her tick. He was itching to get her beneath him again but when he had the feelings he did for her, a person tended to want to get more details.
“I wouldn’t say I’m claustrophobic. I just don’t like being in anything that resembles a cave. Where I’m from we get most of our water from underground cave systems. The water erodes pathways underneath the surface. We don’t know where they are until the ground crumbles beneath our feet. I was playing with my little sister when it happened. The ground swallowed us whole like a monster from our nightmares. I tried to hold onto her hand through the chaos, but my grip slipped, and she fell away. I could hear her muffled cries, but I couldn’t get to her. I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face let alone dig through the rubble. She kept calling for me, and I couldn’t save her.”
The scent of shame and salt burned his senses. He hadn’t expected the answer to be anything as horrifying. He never would have asked.
“It was my fault. That’s why my father hates me. His little Evangeline died and I lived. He probably would have killed me himself if I wasn’t special.”
He pulled the truck over and pulled her into his arms. He just held her–for minutes or hours he wasn’t sure–until her body stopped trembling in his arms.
She sniffed. “Thanks. I guess it’s still kind of raw.”
He tucked some of her silver strands of hair behind her ear, reveling in the softness, and risked another question.
“How old were you?”
“Seven.”
“How old was your sister?”
“Five.”
“Jesus, your father blames you?”
“Yes, he hasn’t said as much but the day he found me he changed. He never looked at me, not in the eyes. I could feel it, how much he wished it was me instead of her.”
“He’s an idiot. You were seven,” he snapped. “You were just a child. If I ever meet the male that gave you life, I will make him pay.”
“Um, Clint? I think you should let up on the steering wheel before you hurt Rose.”
His knuckles were white, the blood unable to feed them because of the force of his grip. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”
“S’okay. I know. So when are we going to make it to this super-secret spot of yours. You know with all your special spots I’m wondering if you weren’t a spy in a past life of maybe a squirrel.”
“A squirrel?”
She looked completely serious.
“Yeah, because they always have the best spots to hide stuff. They don’t like to share either.”
“Well you may be partially right about that. I hate to share.”
“And you’re cute like a little squirrel.”
She did not just compare him to a rodent. “Woman, I am a wolf shifter. I am not cute.”
She had the nerve to pinch his cheek. “Yes, you are. You’re adorable.”
He growled at her. Little Minx. He circled her wrist, directing her hand south to his dick. It wasn’t hard but it got the point across.
“I assure you, I am all male. A predator—if you’re not careful I will eat you alive.”
She jerked her hand a way like she’d been burned. Her eyes hooded.
He didn’t hide his smirk earning her glare.
“Are you going to tell me what you brought me way out here for?”
“No, but I’ll show you.”
His door protested with a grinding squeak when he opened it. He waited for her to slide out. She looked around, her face highlighted by the interior light. She gestured to the open space.
“I don’t see anything.”
“That’s because I’m not ready yet.”
He opened the tailgate of his truck and pulled out the oversized sleeping bag. He fanned it out, doing his best to make sure it provided enough cushion for his Little Cat.
“Come and put that cute little ass of yours here.”
His shifter eyes didn’t miss a lick. He cataloged every subtle sway of her hips, the way her breasts brushed against the fabric of her oversized shirt. Under the rays of the quarter moon, her eyes caught the light, reminding him not to forget her true nature.
“Will you shift for me?”
She titled her head to the side before giving him a tentative nod. Then in the midst of brilliant flash of white light appeared the most breathtaking thing he’d ever seen. None of his hideaways even compared to her beauty. Eyes the color of sunlit grass blinked back at him. His gazed moved from her eyes to her pink nose to her sleek graceful figure.
His heart stopped in his chest, but at the same time he could hear every beat rushing past his ears. His words from earlier in the day rang true in his ears. She was his. It didn’t matter that they were from different worlds—they belonged together. If she would let him he’d keep her forever.
She started toward him, backing him to the end of his truck. She nudged him with her muzzle, seeming to want him to sit. So he braced his weight on his arms and lifted himself onto the tailgate. Moonlight accentuated every curve and crevice of her strong, fit form. It reminded him of the way moonbeams rippled across the ocean. He gripped the edge of his perch, threatening to bend metal with the force.
Fighting a temptation unlike anything he’d ever experienced, he remained absolutely still. The need to run his hands through the silk-like strands of her fur slowly consumed him. Luckily she ended his suffering by bringing herself to eye level. She rubbed her head against his neck as cats do and began purring.
Contentment washed over him in a way that proved hard to explain. It felt like everything was set right in his world like nothing matter but her. He wanted her to be with him forever as mates.
Mine.
His hands moved before he realized and buried deep into her coat. He groaned at the feel of her. “You are so exquisite.”
She shifted then and his hands remained on her shoulders. Her body sank into his, nestling between his legs.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “So are you. Now will you please show me what all the fuss is about?”
“I’d love to.”
Ever so gently, he lifted her up beside him.
“Lie down and close your eyes. Don’t open them till I tell you.”
One perfectly-plucked eyebrow rose to a skeptical height.
“Should I be worried? I’m in the middle of nowhere with a man, and he tells me to close my eyes. I keep waiting for the sound of suspense-inducing music.”
He chuckled.
“Do you trust me?”
Her face sobered and softened. “With my life.”
“Good, now hurry up.”
The corner of her mouth twitched, and she did as he asked. He walked over to the driver’s side and turned off the engine, disabling the any light coming from the truck.
“Can I look yet?”
“Not yet.”
She could have, but he wanted to soak up every shift of her body. He almost ran the short distance from the front to the back but knew that would be overdoing it. Everything about her had him constantly on edge. He tried to slow his heartbeat by the time he found his way beside her. The back of the truck didn’t leave much extra room, but with her tucked closely to his side they managed.
