by Em Ashcroft
Chris grimaced. “The tourists bring big town trouble with them sometimes. You’ve got to be careful. Are you armed?”
Now it was her turn to grimace. “Nope.”
“Maybe you should think about it.”
She’d managed in Chicago, so she’d manage here. Glancing at the store, she wondered if she should consider it. “I don’t like guns. They’re fun and all, but I’m always worried the perp will get hold of it before I do. That was what my grandpa always said.”
Chris nodded. “He was a wise man. It’s not enough just holding. You have to respect your weapon.”
The way this conversation was going added a black mark to her otherwise perfect evening. She didn’t want to think about that, not until she had to. “I need to get a permit, and buy a weapon, I know that. But I’d like a break from reality for a while. Just until opening day.”
“When will that be?”
“Next week.” She hesitated. “I can’t afford to keep the place closed much longer. I might have an experimental day at the end of this week. Thursday, say, see how things go.”
“Are you planning a grand opening?” Brennan asked.
She shook her head. “Not really. I don’t know people around here, so I wouldn’t know who to ask. I have lots of fliers and even business cards with little messages on them. Cute stuff. I have a glass case I want to give over to local talent, you know, selling on commission.”
“The hotel takes pieces,” the captain pointed out. He shrugged. “But they’re damn expensive. I’d have to sell one of my wife’s dresses to afford a square of canvas.”
Brennan snorted. “It’s not like you’re short of cash, Chris. You could buy one of those big paintings up at the ranch house easy.”
The main Goldclaw ranch house was now a hotel, specializing in weddings. The Goldclaw Ranch had become one of the hottest wedding venues in the county. “Do the wedding guests come into town?”
“If they have time. There’s a dude ranch there as well. Guests combine the two, so they can do the cowboy experience all week and then attend their relative’s wedding at the weekend.” Chris gave a lopsided smile. “They do a little shopping.” With a broad gesture he indicated the street. It was packed with stores and eateries, some chi-chi, some down to earth, and some with a definite Western flavor. They all appeared prosperous, upmarket places. There was no tumbleweed blowing down this Main Street.
“There’s a real ranch, too,” Brennan said. “The old cattle business hasn’t completely died. The Goldclaws involved in that don’t always think kindly of the tourists.”
Chris chuckled. “True enough. Brennan here’s a newcomer, too, Reilly. Maybe you should team up.”
“Goldclaw Construction is new here. We had a business elsewhere, but there was a lot of competition, so we decided to move here.” Brennan gave her a one-sided grin.
“When they bought the land, the place was a mess. Razed to the ground for safety, the dirt blackened from the fire.” Chris stared across the street at the neat row of stores as if he could still see it. “They bought the property and replaced what was there to start with.”
“It wasn’t hard,” Brennan said. “We looked at the other places on the street and built in sympathy.”
They’d done a great job. Apart from the lingering smell of paint and freshly sawn and treated wood that lingered, the buildings could have been part of the town from the start.
Seized by a sudden realization, Reilly spun around to face Brennan. “Wait, you bought the land? Does that mean you’re my landlord?”
Wariness entered Brennan’s face. “Does that make a difference?”
“You bet your life it does!”
Chris took a step back, the thump of his boot on the wooden planks the only sound until a passing car broke the silence. He cleared his throat. “Well, I’ll say goodnight,” he told them. “You take care, you hear?”
They said their good-byes and watched the police chief stroll up the street.
“There goes a happy man,” she murmured.
“It wasn’t always that way,” Brennan answered. “He’s had a bunch of trouble.”
She turned to him, hand outstretched. “I’d better say goodnight, too. It was good of you to welcome me to the town. And thanks for the meal. I owe you one.”
He took her hand, but he didn’t shake it and release it. He used his grip to pull her closer until his breath warmed her face when she turned her gaze upward. “There are much nicer ways of saying goodnight.”
“I can’t. You’re my landlord.”
“No I’m not. We let a rental agency handle that side of the business. You signed your lease with them, not us.”
“But you own the land.”
“We might own the land, but the agency is your landlord, and we don’t own them, we only have a business agreement with them.”
Well, she’d tried, but this gorgeous specimen of humanity was too much to resist. After all she’d been through to get here, she didn’t want to risk her investment, but the way he said it, she realized he was right. If they wanted her to leave, they’d have to drag her through the courts.
Fuck, surely she deserved something. She’d denied herself any private life for so long that denial had become a habit. But now, with this man gazing down at her as if she could fill his world, she couldn’t lie to herself any longer. She wanted him.
Reilly didn’t resist when he released her hand, but only so he could lash his arm around her back and drag her hard against his chest. Her breasts pressed against that expanse of muscle and bone, her nipples instantly stiff when he rubbed against them. His gaze roamed over her face, his attention sharp before he finally brought his lips down on hers and kissed her senseless.
It wasn’t like Reilly had never been kissed before. Far from it. But it felt that way. Arousal went through her in a flash, and she opened her mouth to him as if dying for it. Perhaps she was. His groan vibrated through her whole body, making her aware of herself as never before. His kiss challenged and questioned, claiming her with fierce demand. Could she take it? Did she want to?
The answer to both questions was the same. Yes.
He gentled the kiss to a soft caress before he finally lifted his mouth from hers. He stayed where he was, gazing at her, lost in a frozen moment.
Then he lifted his head and smiled. “Come on, I’ll see you back to the motel.”
That kiss had just blown her mind. She could taste nothing but him, and she wanted more. She wanted to know what he tasted like all over.
Normally she wouldn’t consider taking a stranger to bed, but Brennan didn’t seem like a stranger. A city girl knew the dangers in the situation, but the last of her fears had been diffused when she’d watched his interaction with the police chief. The chief must have checked him out. More than that, the two men seemed to like each other. Her instincts told her she could trust him, but she wouldn’t have gone this far without the chief’s intervention. At least, she liked to think so.
They walked up the street, his arm around her waist, hers around his. His body moved fluidly under her hand, and they moved in harmony, as if they’d done this many times before. She’d never felt this together with someone before, but beneath that assurance, her excitement was growing. She still wasn’t sure she was doing the right thing—but when she had been sure in the past, she’d been wrong. She’d go with her instincts this time.
With every step her senses rose, as if she was one of the creatures who lived in this town, in touch with her senses as humans so often were not. Everything about this encounter felt right, from the minute he’d startled her out of her skin to the kiss just now. So what if it only started today? Sometimes a person just knew when something was right.
This was right.
The warmth of his body kept the chill of the night away from her. Although it was March already, winter had been slow to clear. “When will the bluebonnets appear?”
She hadn’t realized she’d said it aloud until he a
nswered her. “The brave ones are here already. Give it a week, maybe two, and you’ll see hundreds of them.” He glanced down at her and grinned. “Maybe I’ll take you out to the ranch. There’ll be plenty there.”
“Is there only one big ranch?”
“To the south, yes. But there are more to the north, smaller places, some only a few acres, some sizable by most standards. Not all of them are owned by shape-shifters, in case you were going to ask.”
“I wasn’t.” She gave a short laugh. “But it makes me feel weirdly safe. Is that wrong?” She went on before he could answer. “I guess I’m not used to having so many shape-shifters around. They never really came to Chicago in great numbers, and many don’t live openly.”
“By which you mean they don’t live with brands on their foreheads, or starting every sentence with ‘Hi, I’m a shape-shifter’?” He sounded cool.
She laughed. “No, of course not. That would be stupid. I just mean that I don’t know them very well. I don’t have shape-shifter friends.” She paused. “I didn’t have many friends. My job didn’t really allow it. Enough to have someone to go around with.”
“And to date?”
“Not for a while.” She laughed, but even to her it didn’t sound right. It had a sharp edge of hysteria about it. “I wanted to get out so much that I took extra shifts and saved all I could, so I didn’t go out much.”
“You can change that now.”
She snorted. “That’s not likely for a while. But sure, when I know how things are going, I can get an assistant and give myself breathing space.” She shot a glance at him. “I didn’t realize you owned the stores. I thought you were an employee.”
They’d reached the end of the street. Glancing to each side, he crossed, keeping his arm around her. “It’s very quiet,” she said.
“Wait for an hour. This is the lull before the evening crowd comes in. Not that we have any nightclubs, but the restaurant opens late, and the bars, too. We’re pretty civilized. Sometimes it can get busy, like when there’s a big wedding at the ranch. But it’s too early in the season for too many people. The wedding season really starts in April.”
She knew most of that because she’d done her research. That was why she’d timed her arrival so carefully. She needed to hit the ground running, and if she did that, she could keep her head above water and start to build. They turned into the motel entrance.
Dipping into her jeans pocket, she found the key card to her room. “It’s up here,” she said.
He let her go first when they climbed the metal stairway and walked toward her room, their feet clanging on the thinly covered steel. Dim lights showed them the way, until they got to the end. The light was out here. She stopped before a door, the last in the row. “Here we are.”
He glanced around coldly. “Ask them to move you.”
She frowned. “I’m sorry?”
“This isn’t safe. With the lights out and you alone, anybody could break in and nobody would know it until morning.”
She hated to admit he was right, but—he was. “Yes, I’ll ask them tomorrow.”
“Good.” Regaining the smile, he leaned over her, planting his hand on the wall behind her. Was it her imagination, or did the wall move behind her back? “I’m convinced you shouldn’t stay here alone tonight.”
“Why is that?” Her flirtatious smile made him groan.
“Because it’s not safe.”
“Are you saying you’re safe?”
The growl deep in his throat told her the answer to that. But just in case, he leaned in, his lips a fraction from hers. “I didn’t say that. But at least I can protect you from the other marauders.”
“Uh-huh.” She brandished the key card. “Give me a minute.”
It took a full minute for her to get into the room. The card was the old fashioned type, with a magnetic strip. Perhaps the scratches on it made it harder to operate, or maybe it was the lack of illumination. She should have a lamp above her door, and another on the railing outside, but both were out.
To his credit, he waited for her to operate the door, stood in silence until she finally wrestled the thing open.
Inside, her cases stood in mute accusation, as if waiting for her to explain where she’d been. She breathed a sigh of relief. Although she wouldn’t dream of telling Brennan, Reilly had worried about the safety of her luggage. While she had nothing of any particular value, that battered oddball collection of bags and cases contained her life. “I’ll take them to the store tomorrow,” she muttered.
“Good decision,” he said. “I’ll help.”
Turning to face him, she was reminded of the immediate situation, one she was looking forward to more than somewhat. She smiled and strolled over to the light panel, switching on the ones by the side of the bed, leaving the room in moody twilight. Then she went to the window at the far end. As she was reaching for the cord to the blinds, he came up behind her and slid his arms around her waist, bending his head to kiss her neck. Their shadowy reflections in the glass made her pause. He was much bigger, swamping her in heat and strength, but she was still there, her smile easily discernible.
She pulled the cord just as he slid his hands up to cup her breasts. Oh, fuck, that felt good. He weighed them in his hands, manipulating them slowly and softly. He breathed in through his nose, murmuring, “You smell so good.”
Reaching back, incidentally pushing her breasts into his hands, she pulled the band out of her hair so it fell free in cool, silken waves, brushing her neck and shoulders.
Turning, she moved closer, pressing her breasts against his chest in the way she loved. “No guesses what we’ll be doing for the next half hour.”
“Half hour?” His lip curled. “Let’s see, shall we? We have a bed, a bathroom and each other. We can improvise from here.” She felt him pause as he stared down at her. “I didn’t come prepared for this. I don’t have protection.”
“I do. I have a few samples in my bag.”
“Samples, huh?”
Regretfully pulling free from his arms, she walked across the floor to her overnight case and rummaged inside, coming up with a handful of foil packets.
He didn’t leave her alone for long. After dropping his jacket on a nearby chair, he crossed his arms over his chest and dragged his T-shirt over his head, giving her a mouthwatering view of his chest and stomach.
Oh, yeah. Reilly was one lucky woman. Her jaw dropped at the expanse of powerful muscles and smooth skin, lightly sprinkled with curling hair. The happy trail looked pretty ecstatic to her.
She was doing this. She was really doing this. Life was looking up.
Dumping his T-shirt on top of his jacket, he folded his arms over his chest. “Your turn.”
Sure, but she couldn’t promise him the same kind of show. What she had to offer was much less impressive. She shed her own T-shirt and reached around to unhook her bra, too eager to touch him to worry about modesty.
His eyes darkened, and he blinked slowly as his gaze traveled over her bared skin. Her nipples crinkled, tensing her already tight body. Except at her crotch, where her pussy leaked fit to drown her, soaking her panties with hot, wet arousal. Watching his face, she tucked her thumbs into the front of her jeans and sauntered toward him. She added a bounce to her feet to make her breasts sway. She wasn’t as well endowed as some women, but she knew how to make what she had count.
A smile curved his lips. As she would have walked past him to the bed, he grabbed her and slammed his mouth down on hers.
The kiss had nothing tentative about it, none of the searching quality often experienced in early kisses with a new squeeze. He knew what he wanted and so did she as she stretched up to meet him. Her nipples grazed his chest before she pressed them into his burning, powerful heat, gasping into his mouth at the impact. His sheer presence took her breath away.
He cupped her cheek, holding her jaw in place for his pleasure, and hers. She licked into his mouth as he did the same to her. She voraciously e
xplored him, her tongue caressing the smooth surfaces of his teeth and the rougher texture of his tongue. As he ate at her mouth, she curved a hand around the back of his neck, holding him close. She gripped the ball of his shoulder, balancing herself. He smoothed his hand over her back, and then ran his blunt fingernail down the groove delineating her spine, sending tingles of arousal right through her.
When she shuddered, he made a small sound that went down to her cunt and carried on kissing her. His hold on her tightened, and he urged her back to where the bed stood.
They fell on the covers in an untidy heap, but neither took any notice of the way the lumpy mattress swayed and bounced under them. Rolling her onto her back, he levered his body over hers and gazed down at her face before kissing his way down her neck to her breasts. He took a nipple into his mouth and sucked hard. When she cried out, he sucked harder, evoking helpless arousal, sending it spiraling through her.
If she didn’t retaliate, he’d play her like a fiddle, and she wanted a part in this. Learning his body by touch had its attractions, but she wanted more. Her hands went to the fastening of his jeans, and after slipping the button through its hole, she dragged down the zipper. Paradise was close. His cock pressed against the tight fabric of his underwear, the rigid shaft fitting her hand, the rounded head an invitation to explore. Willingly, she followed her instincts, pushing against him before tugging the fabric down.
Groaning her name, he pulled back. “Don’t think I don’t like that, but I’m close. Feel how wet you’re making me.” His hand covered hers, and he pressed so she could feel the dampness of his pre-cum. She licked her lips, imagining his taste.