by Vella Day
She couldn’t be happier that he wanted to talk about their future. “I want to embrace life.”
His eyes changed to a pure amber color before he clasped her hand. “I want that for you too.”
That was an odd thing to say. “In case I’m not being clear, I want you in my life.” She didn’t wait for him to respond. “What do you want?”
“I just want you.”
Her heart melted. “You are such a romantic, you know that?”
His cheeks reddened somewhat. “Don’t say that in front of the guys, okay?”
She laughed, loving how easy it was to peel away his layers. Just then the server came by to take their order. Once they made their choices, a loud rat-a-tat sounded on the outside awning. She glanced toward the window. Dalton was right to suggest they eat inside. “Wow. The storm came fast. We made it inside just in time.”
“We did.”
She smiled. “I do love the rain though.”
His brows rose. “I kind of do too. It’s rather comforting. I think it dates back to the ancestors on my animal side,” he said softly.
She smiled. “Regardless of my heritage, I just love the freedom it brings. Rain is so wild and natural.”
“You are good for my soul, you know that?” Dalton’s eyes returned to a beautiful shade of brown sprinkled with green. “Perhaps after we eat, you can show me that wild side of yours.”
“That was my plan all along.” Flirting with Dalton was such a high, giving her hope of a wonderful future.
While they waited for their meal, they briefly discussed the upcoming search for the stone.
“Too bad Meredith is under investigation,” Anna said. “If she hadn’t been brought in, I bet she’d let you tear up the floor as long as you promised to replace it.”
“Why would she allow that? For starters, she’s not the owner. We can’t exactly let her know what we’re looking for or why we need it. If we did tell her, she might want a cut to keep quiet.”
“I don’t think she’s like that.”
Dalton watched her. “You keep defending her. Why?”
That was a good question. “I’m not sure, but there’s something I’ve always liked about her. Even though we have the same taste in reading, it’s more than that. She really loves her husband, and I like someone who will stay with a person even though he isn’t as vibrant as he once was. I think she said he was considerably older than her.” Anna sighed. “Does that sound like a killer to you?”
“Maybe not.”
She smiled. “Has anyone told you that you aren’t a good liar?”
“Me?”
“I’m sure you’ve seen a lot in your life,” Anna said. “You’ve dealt with the scum of the earth, and I bet many were sociopaths who could pretend with the best of them.”
James was right. Eyes were the window to a person’s soul. Right now, Dalton’s were swirling with a mixture of greens, browns, and amber. Whether that meant he was excited or pleased that she understood what he went through on a daily basis, she didn’t know.
“You’re right, which means we have to let the evidence tell us who’s guilty.”
That implied he didn’t want her touching anyone. At least she’d offered.
The meal arrived none too soon. She’d ordered a club sandwich while Dalton went with another hamburger. Apparently, he really liked his meat. The first bite was delicious. Anna must have been hungrier than she’d realized.
Halfway through the meal, his cell rang. When he didn’t answer it, Anna had to say something. “It could be important.”
He cocked a brow. “I don’t want you to think my work is more important than you.”
Was he the best or what? “I don’t. It could be about those lab results you were waiting for.” He’d told her about wanting to know if the bullet that killed Crystal matched the bullets from the gun found in Meredith’s possession.
Dalton smiled then extracted his phone. “It’s the precinct. Dalton Garner. Yes? It is? Thank you.” His shoulders slumped. “Thanks.”
“What is it?”
Chapter Fourteen
‡
Dalton shouldn’t tell Anna what the call was about since it involved police business, but this woman was about to be his mate. “You must be psychic too, because it was the lab. Ballistics came back on the gun in Meredith’s car. It’s a match.”
Anna’s cheeks sagged as she glanced away. “I refuse to believe that. Isn’t there something you can do to help her?”
“We have to bring her in, but I will do what I can. If someone did plant the weapon on her, it’s my job to figure out who did.”
Anna’s eyes widened. “Yes, that’s it. Someone planted the weapon in her car.”
He loved how Anna only saw the good of people. “Do you have any suspects?”
“Me? I don’t know anything about the case, but what about the husband? The spouses are always the guilty one in every television show.”
In real life that was often true too. “He has an alibi.”
“Alibi, schmalibi. Anyone can lie and say they weren’t wherever the killer was.”
“Neither his clothing nor his hands had gunshot residue on them, meaning he didn’t fire the gun. Also, the gun in Meredith’s car wasn’t the gun he’d reported stolen,”
“Okay, but he could have changed shirts to make you think he didn’t shoot the gun.”
She was a smart one. “Anything’s possible, but rest assured Kalan and I will keep digging for the real killer. We’ll need more than just a gun in her car to prove without a shadow of a doubt that she killed Crystal Wedgewood.”
“Thank you.” Anna smiled, and the world seemed to tilt level again.
Dalton couldn’t deny it any longer. Anna had wormed her way into his heart. Three months ago they’d met, and in that time, Dalton had come to realize what he’d been missing in his life—a woman to love. He’d never considered himself a lonely man before, but apparently he had been.
Wanting to get her home and make love with her, Dalton finished his burger. Once they paid, they stepped outside. Crap. It was still coming down hard. “I’ll get the truck and come back for you,” he said.
Anna grabbed his arm. “No, I like the rain.”
“I don’t want you to get wet and ruin your shoes.”
“They’ll be fine.” Before he could finish the conversation, she dragged him to the sidewalk, opened her arms, and spun around. With her mouth open, she stuck out her tongue.
Dalton smiled. Anna loved life, and because it was contagious, his heart was actually thawing.
Do it, his tiger begged. Play in the rain like you used to.
Oh, hell. Why not? About three feet from them, water had pooled on the sidewalk. “Come on,” he urged.
Clasping her hand, he rushed them to the puddle. Instead of jumping over it, he landed squarely in the middle, sending a spray of warm water everywhere. Anna giggled, and his tiger roared.
Soaked to the skin, Anna ran down the sidewalk with her arms wide. The few people who’d taken shelter under the overhangs appeared either shocked or delighted. Dalton ran after her. While he wanted to believe he was carefree, he couldn’t quite pull it off. His phone that was tucked in his pocket was unprotected.
When she reached his SUV, he stuck his hand in his pocket and pressed the remote, hoping it still functioned. It did.
She slipped in, and he had to stop from being upset that his seat would get wet. Hell, Anna might be right. He was too stodgy for his own good.
With a smile on his face, he jumped in his car and started it up. “Need some heat?” he asked. Anna had wrapped her arms around her body.
“Yes, please.”
When she became a tiger, her tolerance for temperature would be much improved. Once they arrived back at her place, the rain had somewhat subsided, but he still parked as close to the door as possible.
She faced him. “That was fun. Thank you for indulging me.”
“If you really wan
t to thank me, you can invite me up.”
She laughed, and the sound seeped deep into his soul.
Mate, mate. His tiger was practically panting. This time, Dalton didn’t bother telling him to shut up since he agreed.
“Come on.” Anna rushed up the steps, acting as if she couldn’t wait to mate with him—at least he hoped that was what it meant. Right now, his tiger was clawing at his gut, and Dalton had to rub his arms in the hopes of pushing the sprouted hair back where it belonged. He didn’t want her to freak if he started to shift.
Anna opened the door, and as soon as they stepped inside, she kicked off her sandals before tearing off her wet shirt. Seeing her damp hair down her back wearing only a pink bra made his nails extend. Dear goddess, but she was a sight.
“Turn around,” he said. Anna faced him. “I could look at you for hours.”
“No, you couldn’t.” She nodded to his hands. “Those nails tell me you’re excited, not to mention the blue sparks are a dead giveaway.”
Damn sparks. She was the only woman who’d ever elicited them. Because Dalton was drenched too, causing water to pool at his feet, he stepped out of his shoes. “Got a towel?”
“Sure.” Anna disappeared into the bathroom that sat between the living room and bedroom.
A cabinet door opened, and she returned holding two towels. She tossed him one then moved within touching range. The woman was tempting him.
“Wouldn’t it be easier to just shift into your tiger and then shift back? You’d be naked then.”
Maybe that was her ploy for getting them wet. “My clothes would shred.” He slipped his phone, keys, and wallet from his pocket and set them on the coffee table.
“You said you have a spare pair of clothes in the car.”
Anna unhooked her bra, seductively slid it down one shoulder, and then once she removed it, let it dangle from her finger. His tiger went wild. Using as much supernatural speed as he could, Dalton shucked off his jeans, briefs, and shirt. Naked, he approached her.
Anna held up a hand. “Now you have no excuse not to shift.”
He couldn’t blame her for wanting to see him in his animal form, especially if she was serious about becoming a tiger herself. It was when Anna stepped out of her pants that he let his animal free. His bones cracked, hair grew, and his vision slightly blurred as the transformation occurred.
“Holy shit.” Anna jumped back.
Dalton probably should have warned her that he weighed close to five hundred pounds and was nine feet long. She probably expected something a bit smaller. The slight fear in her eyes caused him to drop his rump to the ground.
Tentatively, she reached out a hand, and Dalton nudged her palm, indicating it was okay for her to pet him. He then remembered her saying that she wanted to before. Clad only in her pink panties, she dropped to her knees. Damn. Her scent was more potent now that he was in his animal form. Without thinking, he licked her hand, and her delicious taste made him want to roar.
“Can you understand me?” she asked.
He really hadn’t spent enough time explaining all the facts of shifters to her, but it was probably because he hadn’t wanted to scare her away. When she ran her palm over his head, he purred. No one had ever petted him, and Dalton now wished he’d sought it out. The stroking sensation was highly sensual and totally delightful.
He reached up a paw and lightly ran it down her arm, careful not to scratch her with his claws. When she smiled, he was tempted to shift back, as the need to mate with her was growing by the second, but he wanted Anna to have her fill first. It was when she stretched out next to him that he couldn’t take it any longer. He scooted out of her reach, spun, and shifted.
“You tempt me too much,” Dalton said as he crawled back to her.
Anna propped her head up with her arm, enticing him way past his limits. “Is that so?”
She was a tease. “Did you enjoy the show?” he asked, his heart pounding in his chest.
Anna sat up. “Yes. You have to be the most beautiful animal I’ve ever seen. I’d love to cuddle up next to you all night.”
He chuckled. “For starters, if I didn’t break the bed frame with my weight, I would take up the whole bed. Secondly, your touch and smell alone forced me back into my human form. Anna, I need you.”
He wanted to tell her that he loved her, but Dalton feared she’d freak, and he couldn’t chance losing her.
“I need you too.”
She snuggled closer and ran a hand down his chest. What had he been thinking? The hardwood floor was no place for a lady. “How about we find a more comfortable spot?”
Dalton stood and helped her up. Not wanting his wet clothes to damage the wood, he picked them up. “Dryer?”
“Come with me.” With their clothes in hand, he followed her toward the bedroom—just where he wanted to end up—watching her luscious ass sway.
She stepped into the bathroom and opened what he thought was a linen closet. Instead, it held a stackable washer-dryer. She dumped her wet clothes in, and he did the same. As soon as she turned on the dryer, he swept her into his arms. Unable to keep away from her any longer, he pressed her against his body and kissed her. Anna stirred something deep and primal inside him like some call of the wild that he had to answer. She tasted sweet like rain and smelled even better—fresh and delicate.
Dalton slid his hands down over her ass and lifted her up. Anna got the message and wrapped her legs around his waist. As he walked into the bedroom with her clinging to him like a second skin, Dalton could feel the heat from her hot sex against his groin. Keeping their lips sealed, he wasted no time as he crawled onto the bed with her securely wrapped around him.
A few seconds later, Anna broke the kiss. “I can’t believe this is going to happen again,” she said, stroking his arm and then deftly moving her hand to his cock.
He wasn’t sure why, but as much as he wanted to respond, it was difficult to form any coherent words with her stroking him. He stared at her lips, willing them to wrap around his cock. Dalton cleared his throat. “It might happen sooner than you want if you don’t let up on the speed and pressure.”
She looked up at him and grinned. Letting go of her grasp, Anna drew him close. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nibbled on his earlobe. Her warm breath, coupled with her fingers slipping through his hair had his tiger going crazy again. Dalton wanted the mating process to be sensual, exciting, and memorable, but if she didn’t stop, he’d have to take her hard.
His tiger was such a cad. “Anna, please.”
She looked up at him. “You don’t like that?”
“I love it. That’s the problem. My tiger is ready to fuck you into next week, but I want to go slow and make love to you the way you deserve, baby.” Sitting back in an effort to give his tiger and his libido some space to calm down a bit, he drank in her body. A tattoo on her hip was of a black flower with petals floating upward that turned into beautiful, colorful butterflies. He traced the intricate design. “Does this have a meaning or is it something you just liked?”
“The rose represents all my struggles and dark days growing up, while the butterflies are my flight away from all of it and the hope for happiness and love.”
“It’s beautiful, just like you.”
She gave him a teary eyed smile, and his heart nearly broke. She’d grown up without the love she deserved. Well, that would no longer be a problem, because he would grow old loving her and showing her happiness every day.
Dalton stroked her cheek and looked deep into her eyes, hoping she could see the love he had for her already.
“Why don’t you have any tattoos other than the mark on your shoulder?” she asked clearly trying to lighten the mood.
“I’m a cop.”
She shook her head. “You can get one on your butt or someplace where it won’t show.”
He laughed. “You’re right. What should I get?”
Her eyes widened as if it would be a present of a lifetime if he
did it. “Hmmm. Because I don’t think you’d go for the saying, It’s Complicated, how about an amber colored eye?”
He chuckled. “Why an eye?” He understood the amber part.
“You know. Eyes are the window to the soul, and that way I can look at it and see what you’re thinking.”
He cracked up. “You’re going to tell what I am thinking by looking at an eye on my bare ass? Baby, whenever I’m naked, trust me, you will be able to tell what I am thinking by looking at my cock. You can bet I will be thinking about making love to you, which is exactly what I plan to do now since my tiger has calmed, and I have my control back.” Or so he hoped.
Chapter Fifteen
‡
Anna’s body was already sizzling with pure bliss, her blue sparks shooting everywhere. Several people had asked in passing about her tattoos, but only Dalton had shown such a keen interest in the reason behind her choices. Then again, the only one anyone could see was the sleeve of roses on her right arm. Besides the one on her hip, she had a tattoo on her lower back. It was of a barbed wire in the shape of a figure eight to show that what goes around comes around.
They were on their sides facing each other, and Dalton was running his hand from her hip up her side, lightly brushing against her breast. The intimate and sensual act practically made her purr in happiness. Wondering if she could elicit an actual purr from his tiger, she stroked his shoulder, before continuing down to enjoy the sinewy muscles of his pecs and abdomen. He claimed he didn’t work out, but that was hard to believe.
Anna’s hand came over his hip just as Dalton gave a deep throaty guttural sound. While technically not a purr, it was as close as she was probably going to get when he was in human form. With his gaze focused on her face, Dalton climbed on top of her, lowered his head, and with butterfly softness, kissed her. She growled, wanting more. Anna reached up, clasped his head, and drew his bottom lip into her mouth then released him.
“I could kiss you all night,” she said.
Dalton’s brow rose. “You couldn’t last.” As if to prove his point, he slid down and plucked her nipple between his teeth.