“Yeah, whatever.” He shoved his hands into his pockets.
Taking her keys out, she unlocked her door and opened it. However, instead of going inside, she turned back to him. “And I’m sorry too.”
“For what?”
“For not coming home with you that night.” Desire glittered in her eyes, making his stomach clench. But before he could say anything, she slipped inside.
Shock coursed through his system. He couldn’t think or speak or move. He just stood there, watching her car drive farther and farther away, the rear lights turning to pinpoints before finally disappearing.
His pulse pounded madly. That smoldering flame he saw in her eyes startled him, but he didn’t doubt that he’d seen it. His tiger roared, spurring him on to go after her!
Sprinting to his car, he quickly got in and started the engine. His body was on autopilot as he drove down the road. He caught up with her just as she was taking a left onto the main road out of South Blackstone.
Not wanting to scare her, he stayed behind a good distance. This was crazy, he kept telling himself. Yet, he kept chasing after her, a sense of urgency propelling him forward. His tiger relished the hunt and egged him on.
Finally, they were on a suburban street. It was quiet and dark, save for the streetlamps and the lights from the houses. Darcey pulled up to a sprawling, two-story house, parking her car behind the red van he’d seen her drive at the center. His heart threatened to leap out of his chest when she got out of the car and headed inside.
He circled around and parked a few houses down. As he cut the engine, he stared at the house. Waiting. Watching. But for what, he didn’t know. I should go. But he made no motion to start the truck. When the lights in the house turned off, he got out.
Quietly, steadily, he crept around the back. The fence wasn’t so high, so he easily scaled it and landed on his feet gracefully. Cutting across the backyard and rounding the swimming pool, he approached the house. The walls of the entire ground floor consisted of glass doors.
A movement caught his eye and he went still. In the corner room, he saw a figure drawing the curtains. The light from the room was enough for him to see a shadow. A feminine shadow. Then the room went dark.
Now or never.
Darting across the grass, he made a beeline for the room. He reached for the handle to test that it was locked. Unfortunately, he didn’t anticipate it being unlocked, and the glass door slid aside with a loud thud.
Shit!
He stepped inside and scrambled to reach the door handle, pushing the curtains aside so he could grab it and put it back in place. Slowly, he turned around, ready to confront an outraged Darcey—or possibly a rampaging grizzly bear who heard him break into its den.
However, he was not prepared for the sight that greeted him as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. “Darcey?”
There she was, lying across the bed, waves of white-blonde hair like a halo around her, wearing only a black lace bustier, panties, garters, and stockings. A smile spread across her lips, her aquamarine eyes twinkling knowingly.
She knew I was coming for her. “Minx,” he muttered under his breath.
She sat up, patting the mattress invitingly. “Are you just going to stand there?”
He didn’t need to be told twice.
As he stalked to the bed, he shucked his shirt off, followed by his boots, socks, and jeans. He crawled on the mattress toward her, and she met him halfway, her arms opening to embrace him.
“Darcey.” A sizzle of electricity went up his spine the moment their bodies touched. He leaned down to kiss her, but she stopped him with a finger to his lips.
“We have to be quiet,” she said in a low voice. “Adam’s in the room at the end, and Sarah and Daniel are above us.”
The corner of his lips tugged up and he kissed her finger. “This is a shifter household, beautiful. If my guess is correct, each room has been thoroughly soundproofed.”
Her delicate brows knitted together. “How do you know?”
“Because the lights are off all over the house, and I can’t hear a damned thing. Have you heard a single peep with your enhanced hearing the entire time you’ve been here? Do you think Daniel and Sarah have been up there just sleeping every night?”
“Oh. Right.” Her arms snaked around his neck. “Carry on, then.”
He leaned forward and captured her sweet mouth, her distinct taste and smell flooding his senses, and he licked and sucked at her lips. He made a motion to push her down on the mattress, but to his surprise, she managed to leverage her weight, and he found himself on his back as she straddled him. When he tried to sit up, her hands stopped him.
“Nuh-uh,” she tsked and shook a finger at him. “Stay. Down.”
Motherloving Christ.
Her hips rocked against his growing erection as she leaned down, her hair falling over her shoulders to tickle his skin. She pressed a feather-light kiss on his mouth, then on his sternum. Soft, delicate hands caressed his shoulders, her eyes glowing appreciatively. Obviously, she liked what she saw. Leaning lower, she trailed her mouth over his chest and down to his abs. When her hands reached for his boxers and pulled them down to his thighs, he gritted his teeth.
She let out a gasp as his erection sprang free, but reached for him with eager hands. Her palm encircled him firmly, her fingers exploring the length of him.
“Oh. God.” He threw his head back as she began to stroke him. The pressure of her hand was just right, the speed and rhythm steady. He felt her move again, and when something warm and wet enveloped him, he let out a loud groan and grabbed a fistful of sheets.
God, she looked amazing. Her hair spilling over his thighs. Eyes closed. Pink, lush lips wrapped around his cock. As if he wasn’t already overstimulated, she opened her eyes and looked straight at him, pure lust in her gaze.
Fuck. He didn’t want to watch her for fear of blowing his load right there, but he couldn’t turn away either. Each stroke and lick and suck brought him closer to the edge. And all he could do was watch.
“Darcey!” He thrust his fingers into her hair, guiding her. Slowing her down, just enough to stop him from going over, but still sending zings of pleasure up and down his spine. Unable to take it, he pulled her away, then flipped their positions.
She let out a squeaky chuckle as he covered her body with his. “Naughty little bird,” he growled against her mouth. “I’m going to punish you.”
“Are you going to spank me?”
He wasn’t thinking of that, though it did sound like a good idea. Later, he told himself. For now, he needed her. To be inside her again. He pushed his boxers all the way off and tossed them aside.
Reaching for the front of her bustier, he pulled it down to reveal her perfect, bountiful breasts. He reached for her lace panties, but there was no way to take them off without removing the garter and stockings. Damn, and I wanted another souvenir. So, he ripped the lace to shreds.
“Hey!” she protested. “I liked those.”
“I’ll get you more,” he said, positioning himself between her spread thighs. “As many as you want. I’ll buy out your whole damned store.”
“I—oh!” Her lips parted as he nudged against her. He teased her clit with the head of his cock until she was moaning and gasping. Replacing his tip with his finger, he circled her nub as he slowly inched inside her.
“Oh. God. Yes,” she said in a breathy tone.
He filled her up, seating himself fully inside her. Hauling one of her knees up, he pushed further, making her cry out as he thrust in deep.
Closing his eyes, he moved slow. The last time had been frantic, full of excitement, but too quick. He wanted to feel her, languish in the feeling of being inside her, so he took long, leisurely strokes.
She groaned, her hips lifting up to meet his, urging him to move faster. Not yet. He gritted his teeth, wanting this feeling to last longer.
He picked up the pace, leaning down so he could kiss her mouth, her neck, everywh
ere. Her legs wrapped around him as her hands roamed, touching his face, his shoulders, trailing down his back. He buried his face in her neck, inhaling her scent deep, like a drug he couldn’t get enough of.
“Yes, yes,” she moaned against his ear as he ground into her deeper.
Their moans, sighs, and groans filled the room, the sounds of their lips and skin slapping together like an erotic symphony. He held her tighter against him and pummeled into her. Kissing and licking every bit of skin he could reach as her body shuddered with pleasure. But he wasn’t satisfied with just one orgasm. No, he continued, reaching down between them to pluck at her clit, while continuing to fuck into her.
“Yes, that’s it, beautiful,” he urged between thrusts, pushing her higher and higher until he felt her squeeze him tight. He gave her half a second to recover before he rocked into her again.
He stared down, deep into her aquamarine eyes, and she looked back, eyes glittering with lust as her body clenched around him.
Her orgasm set off his own, her sweet pussy milking his aching cock. He let out a long grunt as he thrust deep, feeling his balls drain dry as he came, filling her up. His vision turned white briefly, and spine-tingling pleasure coursed through his body before he collapsed on top of her.
“Oh. Jesus. Beautiful.” Air finally decided to enter his lungs, and he took a deep breath. “God.” It took another few seconds for him to recover enough to slip out of her and roll over to his back.
Looking over at her, he saw Darcey, too, was breathing deeply, her eyes closed. Her full breasts heaved, and her skin glowed as a sheen of sweat covered her gorgeous, naked body. He could look at her all day, with or without lingerie on. Reaching out, he curled an arm around her and pressed her to his side.
She didn’t protest, and instead, cuddled closer. He stared up at the ceiling, and as the post-orgasmic bliss ebbed away, questions began to seep into his mind. His chest tightened, so he pushed those thoughts away. “I should go,” he blurted out.
Yawning, she covered her mouth with her hand. “You should.”
What? “I just don’t … I never stay the night.” Technically true.
“I didn’t mistake you for the type.” Stretching her arms over her head, she rolled over to the other side and pulled a pillow to her. “Don’t forget to close the door on your way out.”
Sliding off the bed, he grabbed his jeans, hopped into them, and gathered the rest of his clothes. Glancing back at her, he waited for a heartbeat, but she didn’t stir. From her even breathing, he could tell she had fallen asleep. He reached for the door handle and headed out into the cool, dark night.
A pit formed in his stomach, and his tiger growled with indignation. He told himself this was what he needed to do and grabbed his tiger by the scruff and told it to shut the hell up.
He couldn’t get attached to her or get too close. The urge to claim her was there, lurking in the depths of his mind, now, ready to pounce.
But he would never give in, not to his animal urges. He would never bond with anyone.
This was what he wanted, right?
Chapter Ten
Darcey opened her eyes the moment she heard the door close.
This was what she wanted, right?
With a deep sigh, she slipped under the covers, hugging her pillow closer. The cool fabric was nothing like Anders’s hot, hard body, which only moments ago had been on top of her giving such mindless pleasure that she had to bite her lip from crying out words that she might regret later.
Her swan trilled sadly at the loss of his presence.
“Nuh-uh.” She shook a finger at her swan. This was the New Darcey, right? Had she forgotten her goal of becoming strong and independent, of not needing any man to boost her self-worth or bend over backwards to please them? She got what she wanted from Anders, and now … now …
Well, now, she didn’t know what to do. Actually, she’d never gotten to this part of any relationship. Usually by this time, she’d be the one coaxing him to stay. Then as her usual cycle progressed, she’d follow up with a week of non-stop texts and calls until she got the “let’s just be friends” or “I’m not ready for a relationship” chat. Or worse, got ghosted. But, no, she wasn’t going to do that anymore.
Somehow, she thought that being on the other side would be better.
Punching her pillow, she turned to the other side and closed her eyes. New Darcey, she reminded herself. Newer and better Darcey.
When she opened her eyes, it was already light out. As she got out of bed, a feeling crept over her. A sense of emptiness, which only pervaded as she showered and readied herself for the day. When she picked up one of her stockings from between the sheets, the co-mingled scents of Anders, her, and sex drifted into her nose, and another pang hit her. Ignoring it, she tossed her stockings into her laundry basket and left the room.
It was Saturday, meaning she didn’t have to drop off Adam to school, so she went about her day, taking a long, leisurely brunch at Rosie’s. She was closing today, so she would be heading into work later. She and Sarah had found a good working rhythm where one of them opened and the other closed. It left them both leisure time during the day which was important now as days off were impossible with the business still being new. Hopefully in a couple of weeks they could afford to hire someone part time and they could each have a day off, and eventually, Sarah could go on a long-delayed honeymoon with Daniel.
After she finished paying for food, she popped into the back to say hi to Temperance and Gabriel, then headed for the exit.
“Excuse me!” She exclaimed as she bumped into someone who was coming into the cafe. A pair of hands grabbed her arms to steady her. “Sorry.”
“No worries, young lady.”
She peered up at the source of the voice. It was an older man, probably in his sixties, with light blue eyes that pierced into her. “I wasn’t, uh, looking at where I was going.” A strange shiver ran down her spine.
The blue-eyed man was tall and slim, wearing an impeccable pin stripe suit, his white hair slicked back against his skull. His unnerving gaze never left hers. “Neither was I.”
“Uh, all right then.” She shrugged out of his grasp. “Excuse me.” As she left the cafe, that shiver lingered on. That other man had been a shifter, for sure, but living in Blackstone meant she was surrounded by them. It didn’t faze her anymore when she met them, and she no longer spent her time trying to figure out what they were.
Putting it out of her mind, she drove to Silk, Lace, and Whispers stopping by the cafe to grab Sarah a mid-morning coffee. The boutique was busy, for which Darcey was glad as she barely had time to think. Even more customers came in when Sarah took off to pick up Adam, which meant by the time she was closing up at six-thirty, her feet were sore, and she was mentally exhausted.
“Whew!” she exclaimed loudly as she turned the Open sign to Closed. Still, each week continued to be their best one yet in terms of sales. SLW was a hit among the women—and men—of Blackstone.
She finished some work in the office, closed up the boutique, then locked up and headed to her parked car. With the weather turning fully into fall, it was already dark even though it wasn’t very late. As she entered the parking lot, a strange sensation swept over her, and her swan lifted its neck and flapped its wings.
Danger, it almost seemed to say.
Something large whipped by next to her, but it went so fast that she didn’t see what it was. As her heart pounded a mad rhythm in her chest, she ran toward her car. Keep it together, keep it together, she repeated to herself. But her hands were shaking so hard, she dropped her purse when she tried to grab her keys. Before she could bend down to pick it up, a pair of hands grabbed her upper arms from behind.
“Let go of me!” she shrieked as she attempted to shrug off her attacker. “I said—”
“Shh … Darcey, it’s me.”
She froze, recognizing the voice, and the fear she felt earlier melted away.
“Hey …” Anders cooe
d, turning her around to face him. Golden honey eyes peered down at her, full of concern. “What’s wrong—oomph!”
She launched herself into his embrace, unable to help herself. His scent, his warm body, and his presence calmed her and her swan down. Strong arms came around her and soothed her back as she pressed her cheek on his chest.
“Darcey … beautiful … it’s all right.”
Now that she was calmer, embarrassment replaced the adrenaline and fear. “I … I’m sorry.” She pulled away from him. “I’m being silly. I—”
“No, you weren’t.” He gripped her arms again. “What’s wrong? Did something scare you?”
She forced a laugh. “No. I mean, it was probably the wind. It just felt like someone ran right by me. Um, did you see anything?”
He shook his head. “No, I was inside.” He pointed his chin at his pickup truck which was parked next to her car. “Was someone following you? Watching you?”
“I didn’t see anyone.” She wrinkled her nose. “What are you doing here?”
“I … uh …” He scratched at his head.
Her traitorous little heart beat madly—this time, at the thought that he was here for her. “Can we go somewhere, please?”
“Sure. Where?”
“Anywhere but here.” There was still a chill in the air, and a feeling swept over her, telling her that things weren’t quite right.
“All right.” Placing an arm around her, he led her to his truck, opening the door to let her in.
As she settled in, she placed her forehead against the cool window. Anders got into the driver’s seat, and soon, they were off.
She wasn’t sure how long they had been driving or where they were going, but eventually he stopped and pulled up to a cabin-style, double-wide trailer. “Where are we?”
“My place,” he said, turning off the engine. “C’mon, I’ll make you a drink, and you can just sit until you feel better.”
Slipping out of the truck, she followed him up toward the front door. There were no other houses around, and they seemed to be in the woods somewhere. “Where are we?” she asked.
Blackstone Ranger Rogue: Blackstone Rangers Book 4 Page 12
