by Terry Spear
She smiled up at him and hugged him tighter. “Yeah, I like your martial arts plan.”
Reluctantly, he pulled away. “Getting back to the martial arts training, to warm up, we can run around the yard, down the road, or jog in place down here for ten minutes, then we’ll do sit-ups and push-ups.”
“Okay. Let’s do it here.” Lexi began jogging in place.
Ryder was smiling at her as he jogged in front of her. “You’re the perfect martial-arts partner.”
She laughed. “You only say that because I won’t be able to best you.”
He laughed. “I love you.”
She smiled at him. “I love you too.”
Afterward, they began stretches so they wouldn’t injure their muscles during the training.
Then they started with the ready stance, feet together. He showed her how to find a balance, to move quickly to defend herself. To move from one stance to another. “It’s not about muscle strength, but about power and speed.”
He showed her how to throw a straight punch, an uppercut, a knife hand, elbow strike, and backfist. And he demonstrated how to block the attacks. Then they alternated between defending and attacking. She was a fast learner. Though she seemed to know many of the skills, she took the training on as though she’d never been taught them, listening to everything he had to say. She was a good student.
“The first two knuckles are the strongest on your hand. If you have to resort to a punch from your hand, use those two knuckles. Line them up with your forearm bones. That will give you the most strength in your punch. Mistakes are made when punching too high, like raising the fist above the forearm or thrusting with the shoulder.” He demonstrated the right way again, and then the wrong ways. “Okay, let’s practice. You punch, I’ll block.” After Lexi had a feel for it, he switched off with her and he did the punching, while she did the blocking. “Doing great.”
Then they took a breather, and he said, “All right, we’re going to practice kicks. But instead of power, we want to do a more fluid motion, just to get used to the moves. Now I know you and Kate have been practicing, but I need to see how far along you are. As you learn the moves, you’ll build up power.”
She smiled. “I know some of them. But all of this just reinforces what I’m learning.”
“Okay, we’ll start with the front-start kick. Then the side-start kick.” Then he demonstrated the side-thrust kick and the back-thrust kick. “And the last one is the round kick.” After she practiced the kicks, he said, “Okay, we’re going to start sparring.”
He threw a punch and she quickly blocked it; they did leg kicks, then she punched at him, and he blocked her. He had no idea how she’d react to his teaching her things, but she was eager to learn and quick to grasp the concepts. Near the end, she was tiring, laughing, and not focusing. He was amused and glad she was learning, but also enjoying herself. Then he grabbed her up in his arms and hugged her. “You are beautiful.”
“So are you. I love your training techniques. Sorry I started laughing at the end. I was making so many mistakes that I would have been finished off in no time if you were the bad guy.”
“I will take care of the bad guys. This is just for your protection in case someone gets past me. Are you ready for that shower?”
“After a workout, always. But with you? Especially always.”
He chased her up the stairs and she groaned. “I’m going to be feeling some tired muscles tomorrow.”
“I’ll give you muscle rubs, chase you around the yard as wolves, swim with you, and do a lot more sparring, and we’ll be in perfect shape.”
She laughed, grabbed his hand, and hauled him toward her bedroom, but on the way past the kitchen, they saw Mike in there puzzling over something. “I was going to fix salmon for dinner, unless you want to skip it.”
“Uh, we’re going to get cleaned up, so wait about an hour, and we’ll be out,” Lexi said.
Ryder smiled at Mike. “I figure we’ll run around as wolves after dinner tonight and see the sunset.” Before he took Lexi to bed and made love to her.
* * *
As soon as Ryder and Lexi got to the bathroom, they stripped off their clothes in a rush. She turned on the shower, then they both entered the large stall, shut the glass door, and began kissing each other.
His cock was already swelling with need before she even began soaping him up, their hair wet, their hands covered in soap, stroking and cleaning.
He groaned. “You are a delight.” He ran his soapy hands over her breasts, loving the feel of her soft, warm skin, her blushing nipples taut and stretching out under the palms of his hands. Her mouth was on his again, her tongue wickedly teasing his. He kissed her back, her lips warm and soft and supple. He loved the way her hands swept down his sides, his hips, and then slipped around to his back and buttocks, giving them a squeeze, making his cock jump with intrigue. Their mouths were still fused, fueling their passion, their desire.
She reached for her orange-scented shampoo and poured some out in her hand, then slid it through his hair, her fingers caressing his scalp. His breath was ragged, her massage stimulating every erogenous zone in his body.
Their pheromones were swirling around them, encouraging the rapture between them. He kissed her mouth, inserting his tongue, her fingers still doing a miraculous number on his hair. He caressed her tongue with his and slid his hands down her back until he could cup her buttocks. Pulling her tight against his body, he wanted her to feel what she was doing to him. She smiled in a wicked way, but then she rubbed against his arousal and he knew he couldn’t last. He slid his hands over her soapy breasts and down her belly until he reached her short curly hairs. She moved her hands over his chest, his nipples aroused and sensitive nubs under her touch.
In earnest, he stroked her feminine nub, and her hands stilled on his chest. Then she wrapped her leg around his, giving him more access to her center. Obliging her, he inserted his finger between her feminine lips and began to thrust as deeply as he could. She wrapped her arms around his neck, the warm shower water sluicing down their skin. Caught up in the thrill of his exploration, she clung to him and arched her back. Her breathing was ragged, her eyes shut as she absorbed his touch, and he loved putting her under his spell.
“Oh…my…God,” she rasped out, and he felt her climax rippling around his finger.
Smiling, he pulled his finger out, kissed her mouth, and then lifted her the rest of the way around his hips so he could plunge his cock between her legs. He pushed in slowly, then deepened the thrust. Her ragged breath was whisper-soft against his throat. His mate was pleasure personified.
* * *
Lexi would never be able to get enough of being with Ryder like this. She enjoyed how thoughtful he was, always making sure she came before he finished making love to her, completely spoiling her. She was all for spoiling him too. Caught up in the feel of his steel-hard cock thrusting into her, she held on tight and savored the ride. Their hearts were racing, and he kissed her mouth with zeal and love. She was holding on tight to him, feeling the overwhelming urge to come again, his chest muscles glistening with water, his eyes half-lidded, his breath as ragged as hers.
He tightened his hold on her, and barely breathing, he let out a growl and an “I love you.”
She was too wrapped up in coming and barely heard him, she was so close to the end. She felt as though the ocean currents had carried her off and deposited her on an island paradise as the climax hit.
He smiled and eased her down so she could rest her feet on the tile floor. Then they were back to soaping each other up, which meant they were caressing and stroking and enjoying each other all over again. “Hmm, Lexi, ready to take this to bed?”
She laughed. “We agreed to eat, and then see the sunset, and then we’ll continue this in bed.”
He smiled. “I’ll take you up on it.”
�
��I knew you were the one for me.”
Dinner was great, and then all four of them went out to run outside as wolves—not on the schedule, but they all wanted to do so—listening to the ocean waves hitting the rocks down below, watching the sunset coloring the sky and water in oranges and pinks.
It was beautiful like it usually was, but with a mate and friends, even more so. They chased one another around some more, tackling and play-biting until the sun disappeared and all that was left was the dark-blue night.
Lexi woofed. It was time to go to bed and make love to her mate there.
Kate and Mike followed Lexi and Ryder into the house and shifted. Mike said, “I’ll take first guard duty.”
“I’m next,” Kate said.
Lexi was so glad Mike and Kate were there for them. She woofed at them, thanking them, and took off down the hall. Ryder woofed, too, then he disappeared into the room with her.
She shifted and he did, too, closing the door before he ravished her, like she ravished him.
* * *
Early the next morning, Lexi leaned over to kiss Ryder on the cheek, feeling on top of the world, so glad she and Ryder were mated. There was so much more to life than working, promoting, and making money. She and Kate usually greeted the sunrise in the morning, having their coffee out on the patio, sometimes swimming, other times running as wolves. Today, she wanted to run as a wolf. Without telling Ryder what she was up to, and before he could wake enough to pull her into his arms, she moved her covers aside, left the bed, and shifted.
Ryder chuckled, threw the bedcovers aside, jumped from the bed, and shifted. Then he chased after her, but she was already halfway down the hall, and she hit the wolf door before he could reach her. She bolted outside, the thrill of the chase in her blood. She had wanted to do this in the mornings since they arrived home, but they’d been kind of sidetracked.
Now, her mate was chasing her, and she was having a blast. He couldn’t catch her though, or at least he wasn’t trying too hard. Her tail and his were waving high in the ocean breeze, the sky dark, but lights on a boat out in the ocean caught her eye just as Ryder tackled her to the freshly cut grass.
Ryder paused to watch the lights on a boat bobbing up and down on the water. It was probably a fishing boat at this early morning hour, she suspected. If someone had binoculars, could they see the wolves up on the bluff when the sun rose higher in the sky?
She saw Kate and Mike coming outside dressed in jeans, T-shirts, and flip-flips with cups of coffee in hand, both smiling at them. Ryder released her, and Lexi ran off again with him in hot pursuit. She loved playing with him like this. Not just as wolves in courtship, but as mated wolves.
Then the sky began to lighten, and the bank of clouds on the horizon turned pink and purple, the sky becoming more gold and orange, just beautiful. Panting, she and Ryder lay down on the grass together, their bodies resting against each other, while they watched the sun appearing out of the ocean. She licked his chin, and he nuzzled her face back with affection.
Whitecaps topped the cresting waves, and the ocean breeze ruffled their fur. She took in a deep breath of the salty air, and he smiled at her. This was heaven.
“We’re fixing roasted asparagus with pickle-poached eggs and country ham for breakfast,” Mike told them, “when everyone’s ready.”
Lexi woofed to let them know she was ready for it.
Ryder agreed, and Mike and Kate went inside to make breakfast.
Lexi heard a metal clunk against the rocky cliff, and she glanced at Ryder. His ears were perked up, too, and he was looking in the same direction as she was.
They both took off for the cliff to check it out. But as soon as she got near the edge, she couldn’t go any closer. Ryder, her beautiful, protective wolf, went to the edge, and that about gave her heart palpitations. She knew the rock was stable, not crumbly like in the redwoods, but it still made her feel as though he’d fall off it at any second.
He was peering down, his ears twitching back and forth, listening, like she was doing. She heard metal clanking against the rocks again, and it sounded like someone was using a grappling hook to climb up the rocks. Only someone with bad intentions would try to reach her property. Another grappling hook hit the rock face, farther away from the other.
Like Ryder, she was glued to where she was standing, wanting to stop whoever they were before they made it to the top. She didn’t want to howl to alert the climbers they were on to them either. Nor did she want to run back to the house to alert Mike and Kate and leave Ryder on his own when more than one of them was climbing the rocks.
Still, she thought she might be able to race back to the house and alert Mike and Kate and rush back in time before the men crested the top of the cliffs, but then Mike ran out of the house, shouting, “Tremaine escaped prison. Edward and some of his men are on the—”
Mike stopped talking when he heard the noise down below the cliffs. In an instant, he had his gun out.
At least whoever was trying to climb up the cliff wouldn’t be able to get a gun out while trying to reach the top. Lexi couldn’t believe Tremaine had broken out of prison. Not that it didn’t happen. She was sure he’d had a lot of help to do it. She’d think he’d want to disappear so they couldn’t catch up to him. Maybe he had, and whoever was climbing the cliffs were his henchmen. Had to be. She didn’t think the paunchy, middle-aged guy would be able to negotiate the cliffs. Even these men seemed to be having a time of it. She suspected this wasn’t something they normally did.
Gunfire broke out in front of the house, and Lexi nearly had a heart attack. Kate was alone. Lexi raced off to protect her, running faster than a human could, while Mike and Ryder waited to take care of the men on the cliff.
Her heart pounding, she ran into the house, wondering if she should dress, shift, and shoot. She skidded to a stop when she heard a man in the house, shouting, “Where the hell is she?”
“She’s not here.” Kate’s voice indicated she was sitting on the floor. She had to have been hit or she would have still been shooting, Lexi was certain.
Gunfire and growling sounded in the backyard near the bluff.
“Go help them out,” the man said.
Lexi hid behind the sofa, having every intention of taking down the man who was interrogating Kate and then going after the other men, as long as Kate wasn’t in bad shape.
One man ran past the couch for the sunroom and back door. More shots were fired outside before the man reached the door. Lexi hated that Mike and Ryder had to face at least three men now, but she had to do something about the one with Kate. She crept around the couch as the man dashed outside and more gunfire was exchanged.
“She left you here? Her personal assistant? I don’t buy it. Tell me where she is,” the guy said.
“She left with her one bodyguard, Tremaine.”
Lexi’s heart was already beating double time, but hearing his name made it beat even faster. They had to kill him. They just had to. He was the reason she had to constantly look over her shoulder and couldn’t see her parents. He was the reason her father would always fear for his life. And her mother would too.
“They’re getting married, and he took her to look at rings. How did you manage to escape from prison?” Kate asked.
“Money can buy anything. What jewelry store were they going to?” Tremaine asked.
Lexi couldn’t fathom he would believe Kate’s story. Lexi only had one shot at taking him down before he killed Kate. Her body low, Lexi crept behind the long blue sofa in the living room and saw Kate near the foyer, holding her bloodied arm. Then Lexi saw Tremaine, his shaggy, windblown hair a dark-brown streaked with gray, dark stubble covering his blocky jaw. Lexi knew Kate saw her, but she kept her eyes on Tremaine, so she wouldn’t alert him that Lexi was standing nearby, just out of his view.
Lexi saw a redheaded man coming through the door, and
she didn’t have a choice. She had to take the risk and tear into Tremaine. She knew the other guy would shoot to kill her as soon as he saw her, thinking that she was just a large dog with big teeth that could be protective of Kate. Lexi jumped to take Tremaine down before the other man could see her and react. She slammed her large paws against Tremaine’s back, knocking him down. Kate scrambled for his gun, aimed, and shot him in the head. Kate wheeled around to shoot the other man before he could respond, but Lexi grabbed hold of his gun hand and bit down hard enough to break the bones in his wrist, forcing him to drop his gun. He pulled a knife out with his left hand and stabbed at her, but she leapt out of the way. She hadn’t expected the guy to be ambidextrous.
Kate shot him in the head, and as soon as he collapsed on the tile floor, Lexi and Kate made sure both men were dead. Then they ran for the back door to help Mike and Ryder with the other thugs. Lexi just hoped there wouldn’t be any others coming through the front door.
Chapter 28
Hell, it was bad enough that two men were coming up the cliff, but then another man shot out of the house. That was bad news since Lexi and Kate were still in there. Ryder was sick with worry that the women were badly injured or dead.
Not liking that they had to shift their attention to the man racing across the patio when the other men could be cresting the bluff at any time, Ryder charged the man, gaining ground on him. When the man turned to shoot at him, Mike shot him. Bang! Bang! Bang!
The thug’s shots went wild, and he collapsed next to the bar. Still in his wolf coat, Ryder raced back to the cliff to stop the men there. Mike tore off to grab the man’s gun and make sure he was dead. Ryder was standing at the edge of the cliff, trying to see where the other men were. After hearing all the shooting, they’d paused in their climb.
When everything outside was quiet, the men began climbing up the cliff again. They must have figured no one knew what they were up to, or they wouldn’t risk checking things out.
Then the shooting in the house stopped. Before Ryder could be even more concerned, Kate and Lexi ran outside, Lexi still wearing her wolf coat. Kate’s arm was bleeding, and Mike quickly went to assist her as Lexi joined Ryder to defend against the other intruders.
