Outlaw Tiger

by Terry Bolryder

  Heck, he hadn’t even come into the RV.

  She turned back to the research, tapping her pen on the small notebook she always kept with her. On one of the lined pages, written in small, cursive scrawl, were a few words.

  “Dragonclaw Ranch.”

  The place had popped up in more than one interview, and Mel still didn’t know what to make of it. She’d also heard whispers of dragons, rumors from the old folk in town who had presumably lived their whole lives here. For most of them, their parents had settled here long ago.

  Still, the stuff she heard about Dragonclaw was different from any of the other curious things she ran into as a reporter.

  Mel had heard stories of shape-changing wolves or bears that lived high in the mountains, but dragons? That was entirely new to her.

  There just was no way, was there?

  Then again, watching Dallas fight off the lanky, gross cowboy gang had honestly made her wonder. He’d moved so fast that the whole situation had felt almost… supernatural.

  Supernaturally hot, more like.

  That was why she’d filmed it. Part of her wanted to make sure that the police could see how the men had started it. The other part of her wanted to record the footage of Dallas being huge, sexy, and intimidating. An even tinier part of her couldn’t help but wonder if he was somehow connected to everything that was going on.

  Good gravy, if she’d thought he had been hot driving an ATV, that was nothing compared to the sight of him beating the crap out of a bunch of creeps.

  Too bad he’d made her delete the footage. She still couldn’t figure out why. It wasn’t like he had done anything wrong, right?

  Oh well, she’d throw that on the list of “things that make Dallas fascinating.”

  It was already a fairly long list, and it didn’t help that she was spending more and more time thinking about him. Whenever they were together, her eyes naturally drifted toward him, even when she tried to maintain focus.

  Speaking of focus, Mel had already lost it, and she’d been going over her accrued information for hours now.

  Staying holed up in the trailer wouldn’t do any good. She needed a break.

  With that thought, she got up from the table and opened the trailer door. As she stepped down into the dirt, Dallas looked up from his knife and cocked an eyebrow at her.

  “Let’s go out!” she exclaimed. “I’m tired of being cooped up in there, and I want to do something fun.”

  He blinked and stared up at her blankly.

  Mel cleared her throat. “Where do you go to have fun around here?”

  Dallas just gave her a confused look.

  “Fine,” she said, about to give up. “I can just go to the bar down the street if there’s really nowhere else to go.”

  After the last few days, Mel could definitely use a drink, but drinking alone wasn’t fun, and she wanted to spend time getting to know Dallas. She wanted to know what he did for a living and what his life was like out here in this small town.

  Heck, she wanted to know everything about him. That was if he would ever fully open up to her.

  Dallas scowled at her pronouncement about the bar, then stood up, dusting off his hands.

  “Wait here.”

  With that, he disappeared into the trailer, then reappeared a few minutes later holding a blue and white cooler in one hand and the keys to his truck in the other.

  He looked incredibly handsome today, even more so than usual, with his black Stetson, grey button-up that went nicely with his tanned skin, and blue jeans that did little to hide his huge, muscular legs.

  “Where are we going?” Mel asked curiously, following him.

  Dallas didn’t say a word. Instead, he just gestured over toward his big shiny truck and held the passenger door open for her to get in.

  She cocked an eyebrow suspiciously, but when he again gestured for her to get in, she walked over and hopped up.

  “So I’m guessing we’re not going to the bar.”

  He shook his head, turning the key and bringing the engine roaring to life.

  “Are we leaving town?”

  Dallas shook his head again.

  Mel laughed exasperatedly. “Is it at least fun?”

  At that, he gave her a sideways look and nodded, then turned back to face the road.

  She sat back in her seat, feeling satisfied. That was all she really needed to know, that she was going somewhere fun and she was going with him.

  As they drove across town, past shop after shop, Mel couldn’t help but feel her curiosity growing. Where could he be taking her?

  Her answer came when he parked beneath the large, faded silver water tower that loomed like a silent guardian over the quiet southern town.

  “The water tower? Why here?” she asked.

  He didn’t respond. Instead, he just grunted, grabbed the cooler, and got out of the car. She followed him over to the bottom of the tower where she became even more shocked when he began to climb up the ladder.

  Well, if he’s doing it, must be safe, she thought, following after him with a shrug.

  Halfway up the ladder, Mel made the mistake of looking up right at his extremely attractive behind.

  Oops.

  When he got to the top, he set down the cooler and leaned down, offering her a hand-up, which she took.

  She gasped when she caught sight of the view from the top. The endless Texas horizon was basking in the light of a magnificent sunset. In front of them, the town glowed red in the evening light, and in the distance, cars passed and people came and went.

  It was like a scene out of a movie, the picturesque small town, quiet and tranquil and surrounded by wide-open space.

  Dallas sat down, resting his hands on his knees and gesturing for her to do the same. Once she had, he pulled a few ice-cold beers from the cooler and handed one to her.

  “So beautiful,” she said, still in awe of the view. “Is this your favorite spot to hang out?”

  He nodded.

  Mel took a sip of the beer. “I can see why. I can’t imagine there’s a better vantage point for watching the sunset or the town. It’s so peaceful. Kind of funny to think that everyone below has their own unique life story.”

  Dallas cocked his head curiously at that. “What’s yours?”

  “Mine? It’s not that interesting,” Mel replied, laughing. “I grew up in a suburb outside of Houston. My dad left when I was little, leaving me and my mom to fend for ourselves.” She shrugged. “It was hard, but we survived. She still lives in that small Houston home. I send portions of my paycheck to help out every once in a while.”

  He listened intently, seemingly drinking in every detail as she told him more about her childhood and upbringing. It had never felt so right to tell someone about her past before.

  After a while, she came to a stop and laughed. “But you’re probably more curious about why I ended up here, right?”

  Dallas nodded, his eyes exactly the same color as the sunset. Whether it was because they were reflecting it or they were just that bright-orange and amber, she wasn’t sure.

  Mel inched closer to him. “Ever since I was little, I’ve wanted to find evidence of the supernatural. I’ve heard so many stories, but stories are just stories without proof.” She shrugged. “I’m a reporter. It’s my job to be skeptical, but I can’t help but wonder at the idea that there are things out there that just can’t be explained, you know?”

  His eyes narrowed slightly at that, but he didn’t say anything.

  “The world is so big, so special.” She continued. “I have to think that there’s more to it.”

  Dallas cocked an eyebrow and held up his beer, gesturing out at the town and the waning sunset. “What about this?”

  Mel turned and cast her gaze once again on the beautiful, quiet view of the horizon, then back at the gorgeous man next to her. Two things that the city life had never been able to offer her, with its roaring noise and never-ending humdrum.

  Maybe Houst
on wasn’t the place for her.

  She nodded slowly, inching a little closer to him. “I think this would be more than enough for me, living a quiet life with all this space and close friends and…” She trailed off, then nudged him in the shoulder. “Hot company.”

  His eyes met hers, and once again, she couldn’t help getting lost in their warm amber glow.

  In that moment, any thoughts of her troubles with her cameraman or her curiosity about the possible story were gone.

  Right now, it was just her and this hot, sexy man sitting on what felt like the top of the world.

  A man unlike any she’d ever encountered before. A man that looked at her like she was special, who protected her without question, and who gave her ideas she knew she had no place having.

  As if he could sense her intense interest, Dallas scooted closer toward Mel until they were hip to hip, even the light contact sending tingles of something curious up her back.

  Try as she might, she couldn’t keep her eyes off his face. Those sculpted lips with the defined cupid’s bow. His eyes, which shuttered slightly with interest as he looked her over.

  Just once couldn’t hurt, could it?

  Mel leaned toward Dallas, her body magnetized toward him, unable to stop the momentum built from days of hot tension between them.

  For the barest moment, he waited as she leaned a little farther. Sitting next to him, though, he was a great deal taller, and she’d practically have to stand up if she wanted to…

  Then with a quick motion that was direct and sensual, Dallas came down the rest of the way, his lips meeting hers in a soft, warm kiss.

  It was instantly electric, even the light contact seeming as if it could connect her to him down inside her soul.

  She’d never kissed someone and felt anything remotely like this. Like there was something more to this than just friendship or even lust.

  Something… magical.

  He deepened the connection slightly, and Mel moaned lightly against him, unable to help even her own reaction to him.

  To her shock, he pulled back, and his eyes practically glowed the color of the sunset’s warmth as it surrounded them. His eyebrows were raised slightly, either in shock, surprise, or something else entirely.

  “I’m sorry. Did I do something wrong?” she asked, backtracking even as her body screamed for more of what they’d had in that moment.

  There wasn’t even a pause, though, as Dallas’s mouth crashed over hers, rougher and more erotic than before. She gasped, lips parting, and his tongue slid into her mouth, exploring and teasing her until her hands were grasping at the front of his shirt for balance.

  When he pulled away a moment later, she was breathless, her brain going haywire with what had just happened.

  She’d just kissed Dallas. Or he’d kissed her. Either way, there were no words to explain the intense happiness that had gone from warm interest to intense arousal in a matter of moments.

  “Wow… I didn’t know it could be like that,” she said, afraid she’d melt into a puddle and fall off the water tower if she got any more turned on.

  Dallas grinned at her, and the genuine fire in his gaze made her want to experience everything with this man. So much more than just kissing.

  But as she turned to face the sunset, grateful for the moment they’d shared, she felt Dallas’s hand cover hers, squeezing lightly as they both watched as the sun fell past the horizon and the light above turned from orange to red to purple and blue.

  She didn’t know where this was all going. Her story. Her connection to Dallas. All the unanswered things in her heart and mind.

  But one thing was for certain. She’d come here to this remote place to find a story, one she’d been looking for a long time.

  Only now, it seemed she was in danger of finding an altogether different story.

  One that could be dangerous to her heart if she wasn’t careful.

  10

  The next morning, Dallas woke up to find his head spinning. And it wasn’t from the beer.

  It was from his kiss with Mel last night. He still couldn’t believe that it had happened, nor could he fathom the thoughts that had been going through his head when it had happened. When their lips had met, his tiger had been even more insistent.

  Mate.

  Dallas had wanted to take it further, enjoy the taste and feel of her lips against his, but he couldn’t. Not with what he was.

  He was a tiger, and he had a mission to protect his family at Dragonclaw Ranch. She was a human who was actively trying to expose them.

  It was a one-time thing. It wouldn’t lead to anything more, just one kiss. Or maybe two.

  Her lips had fit his so perfectly that he hadn’t been able to resist the urge to take another bite.

  Shaking away the thought, Dallas got up and got changed, and when he pulled back the drapes that hid his side of the trailer, he found Mel at the table, already hard at work.

  “Ah, you’re up,” she said, sipping her coffee. “I was going to ask if you could help me with something.”

  He nodded, jaw tensing nervously the way it always did whenever she asked him about anything that had to do with shifters.

  She held up a small notebook with two words written on it.

  “Dragonclaw Ranch.”

  Shit.

  Dallas fought back a scowl as she continued.

  “I’ve heard about it from people in town, but I can’t for the life of me find it. It’s not on maps or anything.”

  He stayed quiet for another minute, debating what action he should take. Lie and feign ignorance? There was no way he would take her back to Dragonclaw, not when she was so avidly searching for them.

  He was saved by having to answer, however, by the sound of a ringtone emanating from Mel’s pocket.

  “Oh, hold that thought,” she said, frowning as she pulled her phone out, opened the trailer door, and stepped outside to take it.

  Dallas released the breath he hadn’t even known he’d been holding.

  That was a close one.

  Still unsure of what to do, he shot a text to Harrison.

  D: She knows about Dragonclaw. She’s looking for it.

  A minute later, Harrison texted back, Perfect.

  D: What?

  H: Bring her over. The best way to allay her suspicions is to bring her out and show her nothing is up.

  Dallas cocked his head to the side, considering it. He supposed that made sense. Knowing Mel, she wasn’t going to stop searching, and with his background, he knew that sometimes the best place to hide something was in plain sight.

  H: Plus, we’re all curious about this reporter. We want to see what you think about her.

  Dallas blinked several times as he looked up from his phone. What did Harrison mean by that? Did they want a report on how dangerous she was? Was that it?

  But Mel coming to Dragonclaw…

  He couldn’t tell if he was more excited or nervous. What would his family, everyone, think of her? What would she think of them?

  Even more nerve-racking, he was supposed to be protecting his family from her. How was he supposed to do that when his tiger was busy growling about her being his mate?

  Still, Dallas trusted Harrison. He’d never led them wrong before.

  D: Okay, I’ll bring her over.

  H: Good, I’ll get busy making sure no one does anything stupid.

  That was a good point. All it would take for her to discover them was one slipup. One careless word and they could be ousted to the whole world. Another set of shivers went down his back just as Mel walked back in.

  “So,” she said, “as I was saying about Dragonclaw…”

  Dallas leaned against the fridge, folding his arms. “I’ll take you.”

  Her eyes went wide. “What? Really?”

  He nodded.

  “How? You know where it is?” Mel blurted out. “Not even the locals know how to get there or if it even exists.”

  “They’re… friends.
”

  Best to give her as little information as possible. She could get suspicious if she knew he not only knew of the ranch but lived directly on it.

  Mel grinned widely, squealing and throwing her arms around him for a second before she pulled back, blushing.

  “That would be awesome,” she said. “I wasn’t sure where to go with the story, but now I do, thanks to you. You might just be the most wonderful person in this whole town.”

  Dallas rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably, feeling a blush moving over his cheeks and a smile creeping its way over his lips.

  He wanted to fight them, but he couldn’t. This woman was just too wonderful and delightful in every way.

  Especially when kissing, his tiger asserted, further increasing Dallas’s blush.

  Mel seemed to be thinking the same thing, as her cheeks had gone rosy and she looked away.

  When she did look back at him, she cleared her throat. “When will we go?”

  “This evening.”

  She nodded happily. “That works. I can do a few interviews and then we can head over.”

  The rest of the day leading up to their departure for Dragonclaw passed in a haze of enjoyment and nervousness. Enjoyment because spending time with her was always wonderful and nervousness because, if something went wrong tonight, it would be all his fault for bringing her there.

  Soon enough, they found themselves on the dusty old backroad that led to the ranch.

  Mel cast a sideways look at him. “Are you okay? You seem kinda nervous.”

  He cocked an eyebrow.

  “Because your hands,” she pointed out. “You’re gripping the wheel so hard that you’re leaving indents.”

  Dallas looked down, relaxing his fist and loosening his grip on the wheel. Sure enough, there were handprints.

  He needed to calm down.

  “I’m fine.”

  “You sure?” she asked. “You seem perturbed. We don’t have to go out here if you don’t want to.”

  He shook his head.

  She nodded, looking out the window at the now nearly endless expanse of Texas prairie on either side of them.