Cougar's Mate

by Terry Spear

  “Implant—three year birth control,” she said, and he was glad she was protected, given her current circumstances.

  She finished the move and he felt like he was in heaven as his cock pushed deep inside her. He reached up to cup her breasts as she rocked on top of him, her own muscles clenching tight around his erection, still pulsing with her orgasm when Chase’s damn phone rang.

  Ignoring it, he placed his hands on her hips and worked her up and down as he watched her exquisite breasts bounce with their moves. He thrust into her, loving the way his cock was surrounded by her dark curls as he pumped into her.

  He was on the verge of coming when she began to slow down, and if she stopped now, he swore he was going to die.

  Shannon had never felt so wild with abandon as she did with Chase. She didn’t know why she felt that way with him when he was the nicest man she’d ever met. But something about him made her take risks that she normally wouldn’t take. Like making love to him when she had no business doing so. She told herself it was okay because she really wasn’t a criminal. But the truth of the matter was, she could get him killed. And he certainly didn’t deserve that.

  Then she felt another climax coming and she slowed down to savor it, to allow it to build, to feel herself rising above the world and ascending to heaven when it hit. “Oh… my… God,” she said, but as much as she was totally boneless and tired and felt like the whole world was at her command—after she took a nap—she knew Chase wasn’t quite done.

  His face was hard with concentration, his eyes lusty, the smell of the all big he-cat, musty, sexy, and hot, hot, hot. He groaned as he came, and yet he still rocked into her, still pumping hard until the last. And then he grabbed her arms and pulled her against him, his hand on her back, his other sliding down it in a soothing caress.

  They didn’t say anything, just listened to each other’s heart beating way too fast, their breathing heavy, and she felt totally satiated.

  She snuggled against his chest, when he pulled the covers over them to keep them warm, though the heater was on. He was still inside her, as if he intended to take a cat nap with her just like this.

  Then she recalled the phone call, and she wondered who had called. And she wondered if Chase was thinking about it, too. He didn’t say anything about it though, just stroked her back and held her close as if this was the most natural thing for the two of them to be doing. And in a weird way, it felt right, as if they were living the lies that everyone in town was already saying were true—that they were married, she had lived here forever, and this was her home.

  That was the last thing she remembered thinking before she fell asleep.

  Chase held onto Shannon, torn between wanting to stay here the rest of the day and night, and knowing he needed to check on the phone call. But Shannon was sound asleep and despite that, just her breasts pressed against him, her light, warm breath tickling the hairs on his chest, and the way she was straddling him as if she’d claimed him was making his cock stir inside her.

  He wasn’t about to move an inch, had no intention of unsettling her, not when her being with him allowed her to feel safe. He snorted. Hell, safe from whoever was out there, but what about from him? But he was glad she felt safe enough to sleep against him.

  He had wanted this as much as she had wanted this, but now he worried even more that she planned to run off on him. As if the sex—like he had worried earlier about her kissing him—was a way to say thank you and good bye. He had to quit thinking in those terms. But he was having a hard time doing so. Especially since with her, she had proved to be so unpredictable.

  For now, he just held her close, loving that they’d shared this intimacy, and hoped she would stay with him, and they could work things out with whatever trouble she was in.

  He closed his eyes and fell asleep for a couple of hours and woke to her stirring on top of him. That had him hard all over again. The wicked smile she cast him gave him the go ahead to pleasure her all over again before they finally got up and she headed to the bathroom to take a shower. The phone rang again, and he sighed, and grabbed it. Two missed calls from Dan. At least he waited for a while before he called again.

  “Hey, Dan, that hound of a reporter, Carl, was asking some questions.” Chase told Dan all that had transpired between them.

  Dan laughed.

  Chase frowned and was going to ask him what was so damned funny, when Dan said, “He asked the same questions of a dozen different people right before Dottie’s birthday party. The answer everyone gave was that you were doing some practice police work, seeing how those new handcuffs worked on your wife while she was serving as the arrestee. But once you entered the dress shop, you knew they worked fine and so you were back to your usual loving selves—shopping for your lovely wife and enjoying the day together. I swear everyone has been coming up with stories to explain everything that has happened way before either you or I think of it. Cell phones, text messages, emails, everyone’s swapping stories to cover you.”

  “But he knew about the break-in at Hal’s house.”

  “Right. You’re both helping him move, right? She was at the house already packing up some of his household items to help out, and you got this idea about trying out your new handcuffs. She didn’t resist you when you left the house, did she?”

  “No.” Chase couldn’t believe it. He loved the people in this town. “I’ll let her know. Someone should have told me, though.”

  “Yeah, sorry. Kind of got distracted at the party. Besides, I didn’t think he’d be around to bother you since he hadn’t already.”

  “Did you call about anything special?”

  “Dottie said that Shannon told her that she had lost her parents and her twin brother. No names though. And she’s been running for four and a half weeks. So that narrows down the timeframe as far as an approximate date that a crime might have been committed. Still no idea where though.”

  Chase glanced in the direction of the bathroom, the shower still running. “That’s a hell of a long time.”

  “Yeah, I know. The little lady is one survivor. We also know her father served in the military, but that’s about it for now.”

  “All right. We’re going to have some supper and watch one of Dottie’s movies, I suspect.”

  “Okay, same goes as before. Learn anything, call me pronto, and same here.”

  “Sounds good. Talk to you later.”

  Chase threw on his briefs and a robe, then headed into the kitchen to see about making supper. He heard Shannon leave the bathroom and then enter the guest bedroom and close the door. He sure hoped she would sleep with him tonight. When the shrimp pasta was ready to serve, she joined him in the kitchen and took in a deep breath of the aroma of the meal.

  “Sorry I took so long in the shower. I meant to give you time to take one and then I would have made dinner.”

  “I think I was a chef in another life,” he said. “Do you want to grab a bottle of white wine, and we’ll eat in the living room tonight while we’re watching a movie?”

  “Sure.”

  Tonight, this was how he wanted it, with her sitting beside him on the couch, the two of them having shrimp pasta and wine, and watching—well, a romance movie. He could deal with it. And if it put her in the mood for more loving, he really could deal with it.

  After finishing up dinner and their glasses of wine, she snuggled with him like she did before, only this time she stayed awake through the movie, but once it was done, she asked, “Was that Dan who had called?” She carried their plates into the kitchen, and then started the dishwasher while he put the wine bottle away.

  “Yeah. I told him about the reporter.” Chase explained what the townspeople had made up as their cover story.

  She laughed. “That’s hilarious. It’s a good thing I wasn’t in handcuffs any longer when we went to Millicent’s to shop.”

  He pulled her close and looked down at her. “Speaking of which, I need to take you to the store to pick up some more
things. Something for you to wear in the snow—snow boots, a hat, a few more clothes.”

  She almost looked afraid and that had him worried all over again. “No pressure,” he said, and leaned down to kiss her wine-flavored lips. “But… you’re coming to bed with me.”

  She chuckled, pulled out of his grasp, slipped her hand around his and headed for his bedroom. “But you know what happened the last time we ended up in your bed.”

  “Yes, you slept really well.”

  She smiled at him.

  And he smiled right back at her. “You will sleep.” But only after they made love again.

  He truly wanted this with Shannon, only he was afraid that no matter how much he wanted it, her mind was set on leaving.

  ***

  Late the next morning, Shannon woke and stretched in bed--Chase’s bed—not believing that they had been up half the night making love. He was banging around in the kitchen. She realized just how much she had needed the intimacy with a man—not ready to say that Chase would be that man for the long run—not with the way things stood right now.

  But he seemed to need the same things as she did, so for now, she was fine with it.

  "Hey, are you finally awake?" he asked, smiling at her as she joined him in the kitchen. He was drinking a cup of coffee and started to make her a cup of hot tea.

  He sounded friendly and eager to talk with her, not annoyed that she'd slept half the day and missed breakfast with him just because she didn’t hold up as well with making love half the night as he did. She really appreciated him for that. She needed that in her life for the moment. No one judging her. Just accepting her the way she was.

  "Yeah, I guess I really needed the sleep."

  "I'll say. Just glad you were able to. Some guests can't take all the sounds of nature out here. The birds singing, owls hooting at night, the old woodpecker pecking at the old tree near the road, and the wind rushing through the leaves."

  "Not me. I much prefer this to the sound of traffic. But that’s not what kept me awake last night."

  He grinned.

  She hated to ask him about getting something to eat. "Did you eat already? I guess it’s about time for lunch. Did you want me to fix us something?” She had to do something. She was afraid he’d already given up waiting on her and had already eaten.

  "Ham and eggs sound good to me. What about you? I can make them.”

  She smiled. No man had ever fixed her meals before. And Chase always seemed eager to please. “I may never want to leave.”

  “You can’t. We’re married, remember?”

  She chuckled. "Right.” She set out the plates and silverware.

  “I don’t have company out here a whole lot, so it’s my pleasure.”

  Before long, she was enjoying her eggs and ham. Despite having eaten well last night, she was hungry and loved Chase’s cooking.

  When they were done eating, he sat back in his seat and just from his serious expression, she feared he’d begin questioning her again. Maybe he was afraid he’d taken it too far with her last night, and he had to know the truth.

  She swore he waited to speak until she finished her meal first in the event he upset her and she couldn’t eat any longer. It had to be killing him not to know what was going on, and she appreciated his having had so much patience.

  He finally said, "Is there anyone we need to contact to let them know you're safe?"

  Here came the questions she knew he was dying to ask. She quickly shook her head. But she suspected he’d gotten an update from Dottie—that her twin brother and parents were deceased.

  "Okay, I don't want to push you on this because you're perfectly welcome to stay with us in our town, out here with me at the cabins for as long as you like. So no problem with that at all. I don't want you to feel you have to run again. It's just not safe. We're all like family and protective of our kind here. So if you're in any kind of trouble, we'll back you up with everything we’ve got. It would help if we knew what kind of trouble you're in and can prepare for it, if anyone comes snooping around, though."

  She took a deep breath and let it out. "If anyone comes looking for me—showing off a picture of me and stating I was wanted for something, or I am a person of interest? It's all a lie. Okay? Whatever they tell you--none of it's true. And if I go back, I'm dead. Well, I'd be dead before I ever made it back. More expedient that way."

  Chase’s expression darkened considerably as he sat stiffer in his chair and studied her for a moment. "Okay," he said slowly, his eyes hardening a little. "I'm damn serious about watching out for you. I'm not letting anyone who's under my watch come to harm again."

  She wondered if he meant more than losing his wife and baby. She strived to smile, but she was certain the look wasn't in the least bit sincere. Chase might try, but she knew Hennessey was a ruthless killer and he had to silence her before it was too late.

  Chase smiled a little back, only his smile was genuine. "You don't believe me. That's all right. I aim to prove it to you."

  He couldn’t. Not considering what was going on.

  A knock sounded on the door and her heart skittered as they both looked that way. "I'll see who it is," Chase said, and hurried to get the door.

  Shannon quickly stood. She didn’t know what to do, so she waited until he reached the door, and peered through the peephole. “Ah, Hal’s here. He’s supposed to help me replace the windows on two of the cabins. I nearly forgot about it.”

  “I wonder why,” she said.

  He smiled and opened the door. “Come on in, Hal. I’ll grab my coat and gloves.”

  “Morning,” Hal said to Shannon who quickly greeted him, then went to take care of the dishes.

  Chase said to Shannon, “You’ve got my phone, right?”

  “Yes, thanks,” she said.

  “Okay, we’ll be out there all morning. Weather is supposed to turn really cold for the next couple of days. Talk of snow even. Are you going to be all right?"

  "Yeah, sure, go ahead and do what you need to do. I'll be all right here just chilling out. Is there anything special you'd like for lunch?"

  He smiled then. "Salmon steaks. And anything else works for me. But remember we’re going to the anniversary party tonight.”"

  "Right."

  When the men left, she waited until they disappeared beyond the pine trees, then she hurried to turn on the TV and checked the news to see if there were any reports of a missing woman. She felt panicked, afraid Chase would catch her in the act. This was the first time she’d even thought about checking the news on the TV though. That showed how tired she’d been, and then with so many outings, she’d been tired all over again. She’d wished he’d had a smart phone so she could have accessed the Internet that way.

  She flipped from one channel on the TV to the next.

  Nothing. Hennessey probably didn't want everyone to go after her. Just himself and a couple of his loyal kin that he could count on. Or it had happened so many weeks ago, it wasn’t on the news now.

  She found Chase's laptop in his bedroom, and she felt guilty about sneaking a look at it. She was certain he wouldn’t mind if she used it. He would definitely smell her scent on his computer. At least she’d been in his room now so he wouldn’t wonder about that. While she was at it, she stripped the bed and began to wash the linens. Then, she hoped his laptop wasn't password protected so she could get onto it and do some searches.

  She had no idea where Yuma Town was in relation to other locations in Colorado. She needed to know that also when she ran again, where she could go that would be safer than the panicked way she had run off the last time. After researching terrain and the routes she could take, she still considered asking Chase to pay for a bus fare for her. But she was afraid Hennessey would locate her too easily that way, even if Dan could get her false ID. If she ran as a cougar, then what? Unless she could kill Hennessey, where could she go as a cougar?

  She was dying to look at her Facebook page and her emails. But she did
n't dare. What if someone could tell she had accessed them? Maybe they couldn't, if she didn't respond, but she didn't want to chance it.

  She felt bad that Chase wanted to get her more clothes as if she planned to live here permanently. What had happened between them last night was something they both seemed to really need, but she just couldn’t stay here forever.

  She sighed. Here, the people were sympathetic to her cause. She wasn't likely to find that anywhere else. Certainly not a shifter-run town like this. She turned off his laptop and found some dust cleaner, then began to dust the place.

  She needed to wash her sheets and some of her clothes and so it became laundry day. Once she had put the last load in the dryer, she heard the men coming to the door. She headed into the kitchen to begin cooking the meal.

  Chase unlocked the door and led the way inside. “I guess I should have said Hal was staying for the meal.”

  “I figured as much,” she said cheerfully. “How’d it go?”

  “Another couple of hours on it after we eat and then we’ll head on over to the anniversary party.”

  That night after the anniversary party, Shannon was feeling antsy about the nighttime arrangements. Last night had been impetuous for them both. She didn’t regret the intimacy, having needed the release as much as he had, but she knew, with her planning to leave as soon as she could, that they shouldn’t do it again. She’d cleaned all the sheets but hadn’t made up her own bed yet, so after grabbing her linens from the dryer, she headed for the guest bedroom. She thought it was better just leaving it unsaid.

  She felt Chase’s eyes on her back and she wondered how Chase would react to her returning to the guest room. Would he try to convince her they should sleep together? Or realize this was for the best? She hoped he’d leave well enough alone because she was afraid if he pressured her at all, she’d cave right in.

  ***

  Shannon had been so quiet at the anniversary dinner, smiling appropriately, nodding, saying a few words to maintain propriety, but Chase knew her heart wasn’t in it. He wasn’t certain what was going through her mind, but he suspected from when he’d told her he’d wanted to get her some snow boots and other clothes for her for a longer, more permanent stay, she was immediately putting out the stop sign. Even so, he’d called an order in to Millicent when he’d bought Shannon the hot pink sweater, based on the clothing sizes of the purchases he’d already made. Dottie had dropped them off at the house while Shannon had still been asleep this morning. He had put them in the guest room so as not to disturb her while she was still sleeping in his bed.