by Caris Roane
We’ll angle to levitate above the roof, then once more we’ll go straight up. Cole’s command came through loud and clear.
Again, she shifted course right with Cole so that if any shots were fired into the air, they’d have the roof as protection.
As predicted, more shots followed.
When he reached the center of the roof, he began a hard, straight-up climb and went fast. She stayed with him all the way.
She thought he would head back to his SUV, but he stayed on an easterly course directly toward Elegance Territory.
I thought we’d take your SUV, she said.
We can’t risk it. They know she’s gone and by the time we reached the main bridge that connects Savage to Elegance, Julio’s men would have sent their bribed officers to do a car search.
I hadn’t thought of that, but you’re right. Lauren breathed a sigh of relief. She’d done well to ask Cole for help. His experience on the force had made the escape possible.
I’m going to keep up the speed as well. Can you call the Landing and let them know we’re heading in?
Of course. She struggled as she drew the phone from her pocket. Her fingers were trembling. Way too much adrenaline.
She called Maeve on her private phone who in turn said she’d meet them at the Landing driveway. She was just coming in herself with a Graveyard rescue.
When Lauren hung up, she told Cole what was going on. They’d reached the area nearest to Maeve’s spelled boundary but because the security spell was so strong, all she saw was an odd cluster of houses.
Cole said, I have to pull up. I see waves of some kind and I’m experiencing an impulse to turn away.
That’s it. We’ve reached Hard Landing and look, there’s Maeve’s Jeep. She’s driving fast. Drop down and be ready. I’m calling her again to let her know we’re here. I don’t know if she’ll be able to see my aura or not.
Cole responded and made his descent. Lauren got her on the phone. Maeve continued driving fast toward the entrance. “Just be waiting for me and follow me in.”
“Will do.” Once again, she put her phone away then told Cole what Maeve had said.
Cole descended close to the Jeep and a moment later the security spell parted. He rushed right in following the Jeep then touching down just off to the side of the double glass doors.
Maeve’s medical team was waiting for her. As she issued her orders and her people went to work, Lauren took Cole and Vickie out of the invisibility spell.
When a near-dead female vampire was settled on a stretcher, Maeve turned toward them while directing one of the bigger wolves on her team to join her.
Maeve had curly red hair and the lightest blue eyes Lauren had ever seen. She was a beautiful woman with a spirit to match.
As Maeve approached them, her gaze fell to Vickie’s dark curls. “Thank God.” She lifted her gaze to Lauren. “Is this the one you’ve been counseling at the transition home?”
“She is,” Lauren said.
She stroked the girl’s soft hair, a very loving gesture. Maeve was one of Lauren’s role models. “You must be relieved,” Maeve said. “Did you put her under?”
“It was the only way to get her into my invisibility shield. It would have caused her too much pain, otherwise, and she would have alerted her guards.”
Maeve shifted her gaze from Cole to Lauren then back again. “You’ve done well, both of you. Now let’s get Vickie inside. We’ll keep her in the hospital bay overnight. And don’t worry, we’ll take good care of her.”
Lauren smiled. “I know you will.” Working as a therapist on Maeve’s staff, she knew all the ways Vickie would be cared for. She’d found a safe refuge in the Landing.
Cole transferred Vickie to the orderly who turned to take her through the emergency entrance. He then disappeared down a hall immediately to the right which housed the entire medical wing of the large complex.
Lauren felt so relieved that sudden tears started to her eyes. Vickie was safe and that was all that mattered.
“Can you two stay for a bit? I always have fresh coffee ready until well into the morning.” She glanced up at the sky. “Although, it’s getting close to dawn. You’re welcome to bunk here for the day, if you’d like. I always keep a couple of guest apartments free just in case.”
“Thanks, but we’d better be going,” Lauren said. “Cole has to get back to Savage. But I’ll be here first thing in the evening since my shift starts at eight.”
“Good. I’ll let you go then. Thanks again, Cole, for helping us out. Appreciate it.”
“Anytime.”
Maeve was already moving as she lifted her hand in a farewell wave.
Lauren turned in the direction of the driveway. They wouldn’t have trouble leaving the Landing. Maeve’s security spell was designed to let anyone out. You just had to get permission to come back in.
Given the nature of Maeve’s refuge and that she had over a hundred people living on the premises, it was the only way to run the operation. One full-time staff person processed all the calls requesting admittance.
Cole turned toward her. “Is it okay with you if I see you home? I won’t come in, but I’d be easier if I knew you’d arrived home safe.”
“That’s fine.” She lifted slowly in the air and he joined her.
With Vickie in safe hands and the adrenaline on the wane, Lauren was left with a dull sensation. Now that she was in flight and would be home in less than a minute, she was forced to face the reality that Cole would be taking off. She didn’t know when she’d see him again.
Several thoughts flew through her mind at once, things that maybe she could say to keep him around, but nothing suitable came to mind. Cole had helped her rescue Vickie, but little had changed between them. She might have healed his knee, but he still didn’t trust her or her kind.
She therefore remained silent as he flew beside her.
By the time they reached her home, panic had set in. She didn’t want him to leave, but she had no idea what to say that might persuade him to stick around or even to agree to see her again, so they could talk. But she had to do something to let him know she still wanted him. She just wasn’t sure what.
~ ~ ~
As Cole descended to Lauren’s front walk, the adrenaline in his system was still pumping and had given him a serious high. He kept thinking about the miracle of picking the girl up in his arms and having enough presence of mind to get her past four bodyguards.
When he touched down, he turned to face Lauren. “Thanks for including me. I apologize for refusing to help at first. If you need me again, I want you to call. This was great tonight.”
A slow smile curved Lauren’s lips. “We got her to the Landing safely.” She pressed a hand between her breasts. “Nothing else matters.”
“It doesn’t, does it?”
He stared into her soft violet eyes. He wanted to say something more, but nothing came to mind.
He knew only one thing. He didn’t want to leave. If it had been earlier in the evening, he would have asked her to go for a drink, just to talk the adventure out.
But it was late, and he should leave.
Besides, he didn’t want to give her any false hopes by sticking around.
He was about to say his good-byes, when she moved into him and planted a kiss on his lips.
He was startled for a moment then realized this was exactly what he wanted: To be with her one last time. But would she go for it?
She drew back. “Thanks so much, Cole. You were fantastic tonight. The way you maneuvered the three of us out of the hall at just the right time and in just the right way. You did good.”
He took a small step toward her, unable to help himself.
She gasped softly, and her hand reached for him, connecting with his arm. He swore electricity arced between them.
He stared into her eyes and watched her lips part. Her eyes dilated, and her tropical-citrus scent rose in a wave of sensation that almost knocked him flat.
&n
bsp; He knew without having to be told that if he wanted to take her to bed right now, she would say yes.
A small part of him knew he should leave. But the excitement of the night had his blood on fire. More than anything in the world right now, he wanted to make love to her.
Without debating the matter further, he took her in his arms, pushed her hair behind her shoulder then kissed her cheek. Afterward he settled his lips on hers and lingered.
She moaned softly and leaned into him.
He drew back and caressed her shoulders. “I don’t want you to misunderstand. Just once. Tonight. Nothing more.” He was already breathing hard and all he’d done was kiss her.
“I understand.”
When she drew back, he thought she meant to say good-bye and send him on his way. Instead, she took his hand then led him into her house and straight to her bedroom.
Chapter Five
Cole had been in Lauren’s bedroom more times than he could count. It looked the same. The bed was across from the door and had a white, wrought-iron head-board. She’d replaced a sliding glass door with French doors. During the night, lacy sheers held a view of a backyard that looked like it belonged in a magazine.
The garden layout had square tiles, a number of shade trees, shrubs and a dozen flower beds. His wolf vision allowed him to see the space as though it was lit in a late afternoon’s glow.
He’d forgotten that her garden had been one of the reasons he’d been drawn to her. She’d built an outdoor sensual retreat that appealed to his wolf. Her owl-companion lived out there as well.
She headed into the bathroom. “I’ll be right back.”
When she disappeared through the doorway to the right and he heard the water running, he moved to the French doors. There was still an hour before dawn. As he opened the doors, a cool, morning breeze entered the room. June could get hot during the day, but at night, with low humidity, it was a beautiful time of year.
He glanced up at the stars and saw the violet waves of her security spell. Odd that he hadn’t been able to see them before, but he could now. He wondered if she’d changed her spell in some way and whether it was still soundproof. He hoped so. If he howled, which he often did when he made love to her, no one would hear him.
The barn owl she kept as a muse left his perch high in one of the trees and flapped his way toward Cole. He landed on the tall perch to the left of the door and hooted a greeting. At almost the same moment, he felt Janey rub up against his ankles. Lauren’s pets or muses or whatever she called her cat and owl had accepted him from the first. Maybe they liked his wolfness, he wasn’t sure.
He petted them both and murmured the greetings he would offer when he’d been seeing her.
“They dote on you, but I don’t know why.”
He turned and his heart swelled up. She wore absolutely nothing and his wolf, as always, loved it.
She came to him and pulled his shirt out of his leathers then drew his tank up and over his head. Her hands fell to his arms and she squeezed her way down his tough, wolf muscles. He’d loved this about her as well, how much she took pleasure in every part of his body.
As she continued to caress his arms, he took off his weapons belt then laid it carefully across the chair by the bedside table.
The rest he did by himself. His boots were grimy from the night’s work. His leathers not much better.
She waited, her gaze flitting over his thighs and abdomen. When he was naked like her, she took his hand and his body heated up. “I want to wash your hair, Cole. Will you let me do that like I used to?”
Right now, if she said she wanted to throw him off the side of the Grand Canyon, he’d say, ‘Sure. Anything, Sweetheart.’ He nodded, and she led him into the bathroom.
He was struck again, like the first time he’d been inside her home, how it wasn’t like anything he’d known from before his alter life. She’d torn the bathroom apart and had installed an oversized sunken tub. The walls were tiled with stone.
He climbed in then held out his hand to her. She took it but used her levitation to land herself flat against him. He sank into the water and she followed, submerging with him.
As he’d done before, he rolled them in the water then brought them upright. She came up laughing. “I forgot how you loved to do that.” Then her smile froze as she stared at him. “You’re amazing to look at, Cole. Your face. Your body. Thank you for doing this with me tonight.”
She gave herself a shake then told him to turn around. She opened the clasp and though his hair was wet, she gently worked the two braids apart that held the mass of his hair back. When he’d gone wolf his hair had thickened and it seemed right to wear it long. It was a very wolf-like thing to do.
He felt the water move then heard the pumping motion as she filled her hands with soap. He sank to his bottom and let her wash his hair. When he’d asked for sex, he’d forgotten what she was like and how much he’d enjoyed her attentions. She took her time and lathered, then pulled him backward into the water until only his face was above the water line. She rinsed out his hair with slow massages of his scalp. After such a long night, damn it felt good.
When she was done, he turned to face her. She’d already soaped up some more, so she went to work. She scrubbed every part of his body and paid particular attention to his groin.
He was a missile before she’d spent a minute getting him clean partly because he knew what she had in mind and he couldn’t wait.
~ ~ ~
Lauren worked hard to ignore the persistent pain in her heart that kept reminding her Cole would leave afterward and never return. Instead, she focused on each succeeding moment, forging memory after memory so that she could remember this time with him as long as she lived.
Her heart grew full and she allowed herself to experience the love she felt for him. He was with her now and she would pretend this moment would last through eternity.
His cock was beautiful in her hand, an extension of who he was as a man. She drew close and kissed him. He caught the back of her neck and deepened the kiss. As she parted her lips, his tongue slid inside. He began an erotic thrust that had her moaning. His wolf-and-wild-herbs scent teased her nostrils then swirled into her brain.
Pleasure began to flow over every part of her.
He slid his arms around her and levitated them both out of the water then landed near the towel rack. He took one of the towels and dried her off. She did the same for him.
Afterward, he picked her up in his arms and scooped up her knees. He carried her to her bed then reached down to pull the covers back.
He whipped them a bit too hard, and they made a sail carrying them off the end of the mattress.
She laughed, then kissed him.
He laid her out on the bed. She spread her knees, so he could settle himself in between.
She sighed deeply as he stretched out on top of her. The weight of him was a sensation like heaven.
He kissed her again, a deep, exploring kiss that sent tingles all the way to her toes.
When he drew back, he began a slow glide down her body, kissing as he went, nipping, and licking. He’d always taken his time as though she was banquet he intended to savor.
He sucked and licked each of her breasts in turn until she was moaning, and her hips were arching beneath him. She felt his arousal against her thigh and his herb-ish, wolf scent rose to tease her all over again.
He kissed her stomach and as he did, his hands covered her breasts. He squeezed and caressed them as slowly his kisses descended, one after the other toward her lower abdomen.
When he reached the mound of her sex, the kisses became firm, pushing into her sensitive skin. She cried out, knowing what he intended to do and how much she’d missed his mouth on her.
The first lick was a slow swipe along both lips. She gasped and her hips bucked. He used one hand to cover and tease both her breasts, but with her other, he overlaid her pelvis to hold her in place.
He went to work, licking in q
uick jabs then alternating with lingering seductive swipes.
When he slid his arms beneath her thighs, her entire body quivered in anticipation. He licked low until he reached her entrance. The first penetration of his tongue had her crying out. The quick thrusts that followed brought more cries and moans flowing from her throat.
Though he still had her pinned with the raw wolf power of his arm, her body undulated.
“Cole, you’ll make me come.”
His deep voice was suddenly in her mind. I want you to come. I want you to come screaming.
He went wolf fast, and each thrust took her closer to the peak. Her neck arched and what came out stunned her. She howled, a strong, lowing howl and pleasure descended on her in a torrent of sensation. The orgasm pulsed through her, rising up her sex and driving through her body. Her howls turned to a series of loud, ecstatic cries.
He kept thrusting until the wave passed and she began to come back to earth.
“I saw stars.” She chuckled.
He kissed her sex tenderly then slowly returned to lying on top of her. She caressed his face. “I always loved how you made love to me, nothing held back. Thank you for this.”
He leaned close and kissed her. His words were in her mind once more. I love how you taste, woman and witch and something like a Margarita.
When he drew back, she was smiling. “A Margarita, huh?”
“Yeah.”
She felt a sudden rush of affection for him, but she couldn’t give voice to it. She feared ruining the moment.
She pushed playfully at him then levitated from beneath him.
She tugged on his arm and since they’d done this before, he knew the drill. The moment he levitated, she rolled him in the air which flipped him onto his back. He chuckled.
She dropped down on top of him, careful where she landed. “My turn.”
She took her time, just as he had, savoring the swells and valleys of his muscles. He was lean, strong and corded. He was gorgeous with dark, golden skin.
She licked his navel, swirling her tongue then began the descent to his sex.