Wild: Hangman's Haunt Book 1

by Kay Elle Parker

  Baylee’s eyes popped open. “Maybe I was waiting for you.”

  Dark green eyes filled with pride and lust and admiration gazed down at her; she’d fallen hard for those eyes without realizing it. “Maybe you were. God knows I’ve never felt this way about...and that’s going to turn into too much of a cliché, isn’t it?” He pressed his lips to hers softly.

  She laughed nervously. “Is this your way of telling me I rocked your world, Dax? That’s actually a pretty nice compliment considering I don’t know what I’m doing.”

  Dax shook his head. “Baby, you’re absolutely perfect.”

  Chapter Five

  Gently, Daxon turned her face so his mouth could roam down her neck, starting at a ticklish spot just behind her ear and cruising slowly down, lips brushing soft skin. His tongue tasted the tang of salt, sweat earned from good, hard physical exercise. His body revved up, eager to taste more of her, all of her, from her delectable lips to her individual toes.

  He knew from experience that the fire burning through her veins was easily stoked with the right touch. He could happily spend all night stroking her, teasing her, discovering all the buttons to make that fire explode inside her.

  His exposure to virgins wasn’t what he’d call expansive; if anything, he tried to steer away from them. They had expectations he couldn’t meet, ideas of relationships and babies and happily-ever-afters. Not something he’d ever desired, not with them. Easier to keep his distance than carry the guilt, and the responsibility, that came with being a woman’s first lover.

  This one, however, differed in ways he couldn’t explain. She pulled at him, head and heart. For the first time in thirty-six years, Dax considered taking a woman as a permanent lover, possibly—frighteningly—as something intricately more.

  Bless her, Baylee didn’t have a damn clue what she had inside her. The power gathered in her core, the control she now held over him. God help them both if she ever realized the effect she and her delicate, edible body had on him and his wild side.

  Beneath him, her body trembled. No longer filled with the feminine confidence he’d so enjoyed, she turned fragile and precious within seconds.

  “Don’t say that,” she whispered.

  “Don’t tell you you’re perfect? Do I need to list all your incredible attributes for you to believe me, baby?” Dax took great care to withdraw carefully, easing from her gently. It didn’t stop her soft gasp of pain or the wince from flashing over her face. “Easy now. Just take it steady.” He rose, stoked the embers in the pit until heat pumped freely. He crouched beside her. “How do you feel?”

  “I’m not perfect, Dax. Perfect means there’s no room for failure.”

  He cupped her face, willed those devastated eyes to meet his. They hit him like a sneaky shot to the gut. They were bleak, distressed. “That’s not important right this second, Baylee. I need to know if I hurt you.”

  She moved to sit up, grimaced. “Sore. Just sore, no pain.” She looked down, sighed. “Gonna need new cushions for the sofa. And...shit. Shit, Dax. We didn’t use a condom.”

  “Relax. Highly unlikely we made a baby. You’d have to be in heat for my sperm to catch, and you’re not quite there yet. Another few days and we’d be in trouble.” He took the fingers she worried nervously in her lap, kissed them. “Don’t worry, Baylee. If you happened to get pregnant, I wouldn’t just walk away. You’re mine now.” Emphasis on mine, he thought darkly.

  “What about STDs? I’m not your first.”

  “No, you’re not. Shifters aren’t susceptible to human diseases as such. Cancer, organ failure, things like that can affect us; infections and diseases we’re immune to and we’re not carriers.”

  She relaxed a little at that. Then she gave him the beady eye. “If we do this again, you’re wearing a condom. You’re not knocking me up before we even really know each other.”

  He grinned at her. “But your pussy’s so hot and tight, like a velvet-lined glove. You’re not going to deny me access to that sweet little heaven, are you?”

  Color filled her face. “Flattery won’t get you anywhere, Dax.”

  He loved the sound of his name from her lips. He slipped his hand between her legs, traced the open bloom of her sex. “Flattery gets me everywhere, baby. If it wouldn’t hurt you, I’d take you again right now just to prove my point.”

  “You can’t get it back up that fast.”

  His eyebrow winged up in amusement. He dropped his gaze down to his crotch, then back up to meet her suspicious stare. He watched her eyes slide down his body, take in the sight of his cock ready for rounds two, three and four. He flicked a finger under her jaw to shut her mouth; she’d catch a firefly or two with it hanging open that way.

  “How the hell...”

  “What can I say? Nature’s a miracle, I’m an animal and you’re the most perfect aphrodisiac. I can go all night and still fuck you into next week.”

  Baylee frowned. “You can be very crude, you know.”

  Daxon rose, scooped her up easily into his arms. Essentially, she weighed nothing to him. “I can be much, much worse, Baylee. Wait until I tell you what I have in mind for that pert little ass of yours.”

  “You wouldn’t dare!”

  She had so much to learn, he mused. Luckily for her, she’d stumbled across just the man for the job. He’d teach her all he knew and he’d be surprised if she didn’t give him a lesson or two of his own. What had started out in his mind as a brief, torrid culmination of bodies was rapidly growing into more.

  He wanted more. More time, more sex, more Baylee. Baylee, he craved all of her. Laughter, tears, pleading. He needed to know her expressions; pain, fear, abject joy and pleasure. When to hit the switch from intimidation and pain to tenderness and enjoyment. A fine line, but one he walked often.

  Anal wasn’t his desired variety of sexual interaction, but he never said no. His methods were plentiful, and he could give her rich, full-bodied orgasms if she allowed him access to that private area—the fine wine of orgasm. It required trust, implicit trust. Baylee needed to know how far he would test her limits, that he would stop if she needed him to. She also needed to understand he had a rough side, that the beast residing in him carried an edge of its own.

  One day, he decided, when they knew each other’s turn-ons and -offs.

  “Don’t tempt me,” he retorted mildly. “It’s a nice ass. Would look lovely with something in it.”

  She half-laughed, choked on a snort. “Bastard!”

  He looked down at her. Her head lolled on his shoulder and although she engaged in conversation, those gorgeous midnight-blue eyes were heavy and glazed. Not far from sleep. He carried her across to the other sofa, tucked a cushion under her head and pulled the blanket from the back, tucking it around her carefully.

  “Need to call Allix,” she mumbled as she nestled into the cushion. “Let her know I’m okay.”

  He stroked her hair, feeling sleep pull at her. Muscles relaxed, limp and sated, as she drifted. “Get some sleep, baby. I’ll call Allix now, reassure her.”

  “Mkay.”

  When she slept, he half-expected her to stick her thumb in her mouth like a child. That imagery did no favors for his already primed cock, so he shut it down quickly. He rooted through her purse until he found her phone, lifted a brow in surprise at the time.

  Almost half-ten.

  “Time flies,” he muttered and scrolled through until he pulled up Allix’s number. He poked idly at the fire as he waited for the call to connect; Allix picked up on the second ring.

  “Bitch, where the hell are you? Cassie called in for a drink at The Crosstie at eight and she said you weren’t there. Bren checked the shop and it’s all closed for the night. I’m at your fucking apartment and you’re not here.”

  “All bases covered, huh?” Daxon asked dryly, walking over to the couch to sit by Baylee’s feet.

  “Sonofabitch, what have you done with Baylee?” The sound she made would have made a banshee proud.
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  As he had a few as acquaintances, he knew the sound well. Allix wanted to rip his head off and drag his innards out through the gory stump, he had no doubt. “Baylee is fine, Allix. She’s sleeping. I told her I’d call you and reassure you of her safety.” He decided to take pity on her and gentled his tone. “She’s unharmed, Allix.”

  “I’m not going on your word,” she hissed back at him. “Tell me where you are; I’ll come get her myself.”

  “No, you won’t.” Dax said amiably, his eyes on the sleeping woman beside him. He crossed his long legs at the ankles. “Let her have time to come to terms with—”

  Allix interrupted him with a shriek of fury. “What have you done to her?”

  This one, he thought dourly, would end up being either a fast friend or a firm enemy. “Careful, Allix. Think carefully before you accuse me of doing something untoward.”

  “Untoward? I’ll give you untoward, you prick!”

  Such hostility from a woman he barely knew. He’d almost believe his reputation preceded him but seeing as he’d never visited any part of Montana before, he dismissed the notion. “I won’t argue with you when you’re angry. Baylee will be returned to her own bed when she’s ready and able. Goodbye, Allix.” He cut the call with a smirk and, anticipating Allix’s next move, turned the phone off completely. That ought to wind her up plenty.

  Keeping one eye open and both ears on alert, he rested his head back and prepared to doze. Baylee would sleep for a while; he’d catch a wink or two himself until she woke.

  ALLIX STORMED AROUND Baylee’s apartment, phone in hand, pressing redial repeatedly. Her anger rose as quickly as her anxiousness; her desire to tear Daxon into several pieces ate at her insides. “How can you be so calm, Brenna? We need to do something!”

  “Baylee made her choice. If that conversation,” Brenna gestured to the phone in Allix’s hand, “is anything to go by, she stood by that decision. She’s safe. She’s happy. I can feel her, and there’s no distress, no pain, no fear.”

  “I don’t know how the hell you do that shit,” Allix snapped.

  “Neither do I but I enjoy it. I know where she is. He can’t hurt her there, even if he wanted to.” She stretched lazily, still riding on the thrum of orgasm vibrating down the connection between her and Baylee. Bay’s new lover, Brenna thought wickedly, sure knew what he was doing. “I can feel them both. He’s...different. Something’s changed in him. In a good way,” she murmured, narrowing her eyes as she tried to strengthen the link.

  “She actually went through with it? She lost her V card to a complete stranger who walked through the door?” Allix gave a short, disbelieving laugh. “Who knew she had it in her?”

  Cassie rolled her eyes. She’d tucked herself into Baylee’s armchair and kept herself busy watching TV with the sound turned off. “You’ve never given Baylee enough credit, Allix. It’s one thing losing your virginity as a teenager; it’s a rite of passage. It’s easy. Find a cute boy, get lost in all that youthful exuberance, and it’s done.”

  “So sayeth the youngest and wisest,” Allix sneered.

  “Shut up. Bay’s past that, past the point of letting loose and acting like a teenager—or thinks she is. The longer she’s waited, the harder it’s become to shrug off the stereotypes, to find a guy who won’t act like a randy eighteen-year-old with one thing on his mind.” Cassie shrugged. “We should be happy she’s found a man she finally wants to be with.”

  “That’s all very well and good,” Allix replied ominously, “until we find her holed up in here tomorrow with Sarah McLachlan blaring from the speakers, bawling her eyes out with ice cream tubs everywhere.”

  Cassie scowled. Her big brown eyes shone with disappointment. “Are you seriously so jealous Baylee’s found someone, Allix? Really? We’ve paraded our boyfriends in front of her for years, had more than one explicit sex conversation in her presence, and she’s never complained. Never whined about how unfair life is, yada yada. What are you scared of? That this Daxon might steal her away from us? From you?”

  Allix’s teeth bared, her eyes narrowed into thin green slits. “Don’t be ridiculous. I love her; she’s my sister in every way that matters. I’m not good with picking up pieces of shattered hearts, and Baylee’s gone and opened hers up to that man without a second thought. There won’t be pieces to put back together, Cass; she’ll have handfuls of dust to cry into.”

  In a vacant, vague tone, Brenna added her two cents. “Heartbreak comes even to the most committed couple. They could have sixty amazing years together and her heart—or his—would break the day death parts them. Life is not everlasting. Love is.”

  “Love isn’t transcendent, Brenna. It’s not a magical entity, joining souls from one life to the next. We have one life. One, and it’s hard enough surviving it without throwing love into the equation.”

  “You’re blinded, Allix. Of all of us, you’re the most grounded, the most practical and realistic. There’s more magic in this world than you’ll let yourself believe. A pity,” Brenna murmured sadly, “when it has so much to offer you.”

  “I’m not staying here and listening to you two lecture me. Baylee’s gotten herself in over her head, and I’m going to find her.”

  Cassie got to her feet. “Don’t, Allix. If Bren says she’s happy and safe, then trust her. She’s never been wrong before. Give Baylee her freedom, let her enjoy what she’s found. Maybe we should go for a drink?” She asked, looking at Brenna. “Or go get some wine, head to the clearing for a few hours. Chill out and look at the stars.”

  When Brenna shook her head in warning, Allix’s eyes fired. Her heart twisted in her chest. “She took him there? Baylee took that jackass to our place? That’s it. I’ll kill the pair of them.”

  Brenna, surprisingly, beat Allix to the door. She wasn’t known for her speed or willingness to expend energy for any reason, but she blocked Allix’s exit. “Baylee didn’t lead him there. Fate crossed their paths in the woods, and he knew she’d be safe there.”

  “Fuck fate.” Rage sparked in her eyes. “I’m bringing Baylee home whether she likes it or not. If that bastard tries to stop me, I’ll kill him.”

  “You act like this,” Brenna said bluntly. “Act like this, like a concerned parent, yet you encouraged her twice. Do you act out of love and concern for your sister, Allix, or out of guilt for pushing her toward the lion’s den?”

  That hit the nail on the head. “I hate it when you pull the woo-woo shit on me, Bren.”

  Brenna smirked, but didn’t move from the door. “What woo-woo shit? You don’t believe in magic, remember? Sit down, Allie. We’ll raid Bay’s alcohol supply and wait for her to come home, full of the joys of sex.” She set her hand on Allix’s trembling arm. “Whatever happens, the sisters stick together. This is no different.”

  Allix allowed herself to be led back to the sofa. “I don’t know why I told her to go for it. I didn’t think she would, even when she was so serious about it. I just assumed she’d chicken out when it came down to, well, getting down and dirty.”

  “She’s an adult,” Cassie said gently.

  “She’s naïve and gullible and sees fucking rainbows on a shitty morning.”

  “Be that as it may, they’re her rainbows.” Brenna sighed.

  “If he hurts her...”

  “He won’t.” This time Brenna smiled. “Part of him is smitten with her. Obsessed with her. Worships her. He’d no more hurt her than cut his arm off. Trust me.”

  COMING AWAKE BECAME a religious experience after a night of orgasms and sex, Baylee discovered. She ached from head to toe. Muscles complained in her back and thighs but in an almost pleasant way. Her breasts felt full, heavy, and the place between her legs throbbed.

  She could stay just like this, she decided with a contented sigh. Warm, comfortable, flashes of memory sending tiny electrical pulses shimmering over her skin. The tweet and chirrup of birds in the trees, nature at its best.

  She blinked open eyes weighed down with sle
ep, took in the pre-dawn light blearily. Oh God, too early. Far too early to be awake. She looked around for Daxon, studying shadows, and disappointment washed over her when he wasn’t there.

  “Fuck you, Dax,” she said aloud. “Fuck you for proving Allix right.”

  Baylee shifted, thumped the cushion beneath her head until it resumed some puffiness and settled back down, drawing the blanket over her bare shoulders. She’d catch some more sleep and when daylight came, make her way home to face the music and the gloating from Allix.

  Wouldn’t that be fun.

  She stared at the fire, the glowing embers, and wished she had the energy to get up and feed it. Dawn came in cold; getting dressed in the chill would be a nightmare.

  “I can do it. Stay there and keep warm.”

  Baylee froze, her eyes sliding to the darkness beyond the clearing. They widened as Daxon strolled into the clearing from the woods, still naked as the day he’d been born—she assumed—and heading straight for her. “You’re here.”

  His head cocked curiously. “Am I not supposed to be?”

  “I...I don’t know. You weren’t here when I woke up, I thought you’d...”

  “Fucked and run? You don’t have a high opinion of me, do you?” Dax sat on the edge of the sofa, caging her in. His hand stroked the side of her face, tracing her cheekbone, her ear. “I went for a run; what’s inside me became restless watching you sleep. I thought you’d sleep a bit longer otherwise I wouldn’t have left.”

  She hummed a little at his touch. “You could have woken me up.”

  His eyebrow flicked up as he trailed a line down the side of her neck, hooked a finger into the top of the blanket to tug it away from her chest. Hunger flared in his eyes when she turned onto her back, fully exposing her breasts. “I could have. Should have,” he corrected, flicking a fingernail over her nipple. “But you weren’t ready to take me again.”

  Her body trembled. Baylee captured his hand, pressed it against her breast. She moaned at the contact, calloused skin rasping over her sensitive peak. “I’m sure we could’ve come to an agreement.”