by Elle James
That didn’t seem to be her plan as she led the way deeper into the hills.
Before long, they climbed a steep trail and descended into a narrow canyon with rugged bluffs rising up on either side of the valley between.
A stream ran through the middle of the canyon, the water crystal-clear and sparkling in the afternoon sun.
Jolie stopped her horse beside the stream, swung her leg over the mare’s back and dropped to the ground.
Mad Dog did the same and almost fell on his butt when his legs gave out. He held onto the saddle to keep from falling and tried to appear fine when he stared across the horse’s back toward Jolie.
“How are you holding up?” she asked, looking as fresh as when she got up that morning.
“Fine,” Mad Dog replied though he doubted he’d ever be able to sit again. Thankful for a few minutes respite from riding, he dreaded the time he’d have to climb back into the saddle and continue the torture.
Jolie stared at him through narrowed eyes. “My ass is sore. You’re probably hurting by now.”
“A little,” he owned up.
Jolie snorted. “Yeah.” She didn’t belabor the point. Instead, she turned toward the bluffs. “The caves Chase was talking about are hidden in these bluffs. If the gang is using them as a meeting place, we should find some evidence.”
“And then what?”
“And then we call the sheriff and have him handle it. I’m not here to wrangle a gang. I want them out of the way, so I can corner Nadir when he shows.”
“Agreed.” Mad Dog stared up at the bluffs. “Are we searching on horseback or on foot?” He prayed she’d say on foot.
“On foot. We can tie the horse to a tree while we explore.”
Mad Dog nearly cried in his relief.
After they watered the horses, they tied them to low hanging branches and climbed up a slope, dodging giant boulders to where water had carved holes in the sides of the cliffs.
“We used to play in these caves when I was a kid,” Jolie whispered as she eased up the incline.
“Some girls play with dolls,” Mad Dog said.
“Not me,” Jolie replied. “Not when I had all of this as my playground.”
As they neared the top of the incline, a gaping hole opened into a cave.
Mad Dog touched Jolie’s arm. “Let me go first.”
She didn’t argue, but stood back while he entered the cave.
Mad Dog pulled a pen flashlight out of his pocket and shined it into the darkness.
The cave was about the size of a living room and not very deep.
“If I remember correctly, there are deeper caves the farther along we go into the canyon,” Jolie said beside him. “Let’s keep moving. It’ll get dark soon. The mountains knock thirty minutes of daylight off the clock by blocking the sun.”
The next couple of caves were like the first—shallow and empty. Jolie and Mad Dog clung to the shadow of the trees, moving quickly and quietly along. As they neared the fourth cave, Mad Dog pointed to the ground. “Tire tracks.”
Jolie nodded. “They’ve been around here.” She stared at the trail leading up to the cave. It was narrow but could accommodate a dirt bike. “Think they left someone to guard it?”
“I’d think they would already be shooting at us, if they had,” Mad Dog commented. “But let me—”
“—go first,” Jolie finished. “I’ll cover.” She pulled her nine millimeter Glock from her holster and assumed a kneeling position resting her elbow on her knee.
Mad Dog hesitated.
“I’m good,” Jolie said. “I won’t shoot you in the back…unless you piss me off.”
He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Thanks.” And he was off, climbing the hill. Though his leg was sore and his butt was bruised, he moved as quickly as he could. As he neared the top of the trail, he slowed, studying the ground and the trail ahead. Something wasn’t right. His gut was screaming at him to back off. In all his years as a SEAL, his instincts had been spot on. Moving even slower, he inched his way along the trail. Something flashed on the ground just as he took his next step.
“Fuck!”
He dove to the side, which happened to be the steep slope off the edge of the path. Half sitting, half sliding on his feet, he descended at break-neck speed. Behind him, the cliff erupted, spewing rocks, gravel and giant boulders.
Mad Dog yelled, “Get out of the way! Run!” He fell back on his bottom and slid faster as the dust and rocks spun up around him.
A giant boulder bounced past him like a child’s ball, shaking the earth with every impact.
When he reached the bottom, Mad Dog covered his head and neck with his arms and made a run for it.
Jolie stood several yards away, yelling something at him.
“Run! Run! Run!” he yelled.
She didn’t move, waiting for him to reach her side.
He grabbed her arm and dragged her along with him, away from the landslide that was pushing half of the hillside to the bottom.
When they were far enough away that they weren’t being pummeled by rocks and gravel, Mad Dog slowed, coughing the dust from his lungs.
Jolie was covered in a thick layer of dirt. All he could see were the whites of her eyes and teeth. “What the hell happened?” she said and coughed up a lungful of dust.
Mad Dog couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen it sooner. He’d never expected anything like it Stateside. “I hit a trip wire.”
9
By the time they reached the barn, the sun had dropped below the mountain peaks, casting the barn and house in a gray haze. Exhaustion threatened to dull Jolie’s senses. She fought back, determined to stay aware and ready for gangs or terrorists. But deep down, she was tired to the bone. All she wanted was a shower and sleep.
As drained as she was, she figured Mad Dog was in worse shape. Having fought off the motorcycle gang, and then slid down a mountainside in an avalanche, his body had to be worse for the wear.
“I can take care of the horses,” she offered. “If you want to get the first shower.”
He shook his dusty head. “Not leaving you out here alone. Besides, it’s faster when we work together.”
She didn’t waste energy arguing but got to work, stripping the saddle and blanket off Butterscotch. After a quick brush down, she settled the horse in her stall, gave her a bucket of water and another bucket of feed.
Mad Dog deposited two sections of hay in the stall with her and took another two sections to Topper.
When he was done, he checked the yard outside the barn, shining a heavy-duty flashlight all around before declaring the yard safe enough for Jolie.
He hooked his arm around her and hurried her to the house, entering first.
Jolie liked that he checked every room and the basement before he allowed her free rein of her home. As tired as she was, she should be irritated. But no one had cared as much about her safety since her father died. It was a good feeling she hadn’t realized she’d missed.
She peeled off her leather jacket and hung it on a hook next to the back door. It needed a thorough cleaning, but would have to wait until the morning.
“Do you want to shower first?” she asked.
He shook his head. “You go. You have to be exhausted.”
“You too. And that leg must hurt. I might have something for you.” She left him in the kitchen, entered her bedroom and rummaged through her toiletries kit for over-the-counter painkillers.
When she returned to the kitchen, she handed him the pills. “Take these. They might help the leg and the sore tailbone.”
He tossed the pills to the back of his throat and swallowed.
Jolie raised her eyebrows. “Really? No water?” She shook her head, reached for a glass and filled it with water from the tap. “Here. Wash them down.”
He complied. “Now, hurry into the shower, before I change my mind and race you for it.”
Jolie turned toward the hallway and took a step, her pulse picking up.
Before she could think too hard, she spun back around. “We can shower together,” she blurted. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wished she could take them back.
What the hell was she thinking? Just because he’d kissed her didn’t mean he wanted more. Had she read too much into that one kiss? Heat rose in her cheeks, burning all the way out to the tips of her ears.
For a long moment, Mad Dog didn’t say a word, but stared at her.
“It’s okay,” Jolie muttered. “Don’t feel obligated. Sometimes, I don’t know when to keep my big mouth shut. No worries. Carry on with whatever you were doing. I’ll slink off into the bathroom and hurry up so you can get your shower next.”
Mad Dog closed the distance between them in two large steps, grabbed the back of her neck and crushed his mouth to hers in a hard, glorious kiss.
When he broke it off, he whispered against her lips. “Anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?”
“No,” she said. “And normally I don’t. But you make me crazy.”
He slipped his arm around her dusty, dirty body and pulled her against him. His erection pressed into her belly. “You make me crazy, too.”
She licked her dry lips, tasting the dust on them and not caring. “Does this mean we’re showering together?”
“Damn right, we are.” Mad Dog scooped her up into his arms and marched down the hallway to the bathroom where he set her on her feet.
“I’m capable of getting places on my own,” she protested. “Your leg—”
Mad Dog pressed a finger to her lips, stemming her flow of words. “Shh.”
Jolie clamped her lips shut and pressed a kiss to his finger.
Then he tugged her shirt free of her jeans and up over her head, ignoring the buttons that could have been loosened first.
Jolie didn’t complain. The way he did it was faster and got the job done. She kicked off her boots, slinging them to the side.
Mad Dog toed off his boots as well, dragged his T-shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor. A puff of dust rose around it.
Jolie could only imagine how awful she looked, caked in dirt from the hillside explosion. But she didn’t care. And Mad Dog didn’t seem deterred by her filthy body. As he peeled the layers of clothing off, his gaze grew more intense.
He unbuttoned her jeans, slipped the zipper down, and then dragged them over her hips and down her thighs.
Jolie stepped free of the denim and stood in her panties and bra in front of the hottest guy she’d ever seen.
Shirtless, the man’s muscles were hard, corded and rippled with every move.
She reached for the button on his jeans, pushed it through the hole and eased his zipper down. He was hard and stiff and naked underneath. When she parted his fly, his cock sprang free, long and thick.
Jolie took him into her palm and wrapped her hand around his length.
He covered her hand with his. “Let’s take it to the shower.” Then he reached behind her, switched on the water and adjusted the temperature until it was warm.
Once again, he swept her off her feet.
Jolie curled an arm around his neck and enjoyed the feeling of being light and delicate. No man had ever made her feel as insanely feminine as this one.
Mad Dog stepped into the tub with her before he lowered her feet to the ground. He lifted the bottle of shampoo she’d left there the night before, squeezed some into his hand and turned her back to him. With gentle hands, he lathered her hair, massaged her scalp and rinsed the suds. The lather slipped down her neck and over her shoulders, making rivulets in the layers of dust covering her body.
Mad Dog reached for the bar of soap in the soap dish, worked up a lather and started at Jolie’s neck and worked his way downward, skimming his hands over her shoulders and arms and finally to the swell of her hips. Then his hands circled around and came up her torso to her breasts, cleaning and rubbing them with the slick soap.
Jolie leaned against him, a moan rising up her throat as his cock pressed into the crease of her buttocks. Her body was on fire. She was surprised steam didn’t rise from her skin.
Frustrated by having her back to him when all she wanted to do was touch, feel and taste every part of him, Jolie turned.
She repeated the favor, washing his hair, scrubbing the dust and grit from his scalp. All the while, his shaft pressed against her belly, hard, thick and insistent. Jolie could hardly wait to have him inside her.
Mad Dog leaned back, ducking his head beneath the spray and washing the soapsuds from his hair.
While he rinsed, Jolie worked up bubbles with the bar of soap and ran her palms across his body, starting at the neck and working her way over his broad shoulders. Her fingers circled and massaged, running across his chest, stopping long enough to tweak his little brown nipples.
The shower spray rinsed away the soap, leaving his skin clean and tempting.
Jolie leaned close and sucked one of his wet nipples into her mouth. She rolled the nub between her teeth and nipped gently.
“Hey,” he jerked back, out of range of her teeth.
She giggled and slipped her soapy hands down his torso and lower until they bumped into his stiffened cock.
Mad Dog sucked in a sharp breath, closed his eyes and tipped his head back. “You don’t know how good that feels.”
“Mmm. I have an idea.” She smiled and curled her fingers around him, loving that she was responsible for how hard he was. It gave her a feeling of power and awe.
He captured her chin in his hand and tipped her face up to his, water splattering them as the shower ran on. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
Her hand tightened ever so slightly around him. “Never more certain in my life.”
He smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. “Why the change of heart?”
Jolie laughed. “Why all the questions? Isn’t it enough I want you?”
Mad Dog brushed her lips with his. “You know how much I desire you. What I don’t want is for you to wake up in the morning full of regret.”
“I won’t wake up full of regret. I’m a grown-ass woman, capable of pleasuring myself. I know the difference between okay and wow. I’m looking for wow. It’s been a long time since I’ve had wow.”
He chuckled. “Then prepare yourself to be wowed.”
* * *
Mad Dog ran his hands over Jolie’s ass and down to the back of her thighs, scooped her up into his arms and pressed her back to the shower wall.
Jolie wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.
He touched his cock to her entrance but stopped short. Damn. Why didn’t he think of it before? Mad Dog sighed. “I don’t have protection.”
“What?” Jolie leaned her head against the wall and moaned. “I’m having regrets. Tell me you don’t have them here, now, but that you have them in the other room, in your wallet or something?”
He shook his head. “Sorry. I didn’t come to Montana to fuck my new partner.”
She wrinkled her nose. “You weren’t much of a Boy Scout, were you?”
“Normally, I am always prepared. But I wasn’t expecting this.” He nudged her with his cock again, and then unwound her legs from around his waist. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t satisfy you.” Mad Dog grabbed the bar of soap and lathered up again. “Let’s finish up in here, I have plans for later.”
They soaped each other’s bodies all the way down their legs, rinsing the last of the dust and dirt down the drain. The mud they’d made to start with, cleared, and was sucked down with the soap suds. By the time they were done, the water was chilly and gooseflesh rose on their skin.
Mad Dog stepped out first, grabbed a towel and held Jolie’s hand as she swung her leg over the edge of the tub. He took his time drying her body, exploring as he dried every inch.
He waited impatiently while she dried his body, wishing he had thought to pack a condom. The evening would have gone a lot differently had he come prepared.
Whe
n they were both dry, Mad Dog leaned forward, ready to scoop her up in his arms.
Jolie held up a hand. “I can walk.”
“And take all the fun out of it? No way.” He swung her naked body up in the air and pressed her close to him. “See? Isn’t that better?”
“Better than when you carried me all dusty and dirty into the shower.” She trailed her fingers across his naked chest. “Are you sure you didn’t bring a condom? I’d check my father’s nightstand, but eight-year-old protection could be suspect.”
“Don’t worry about me. I have plans for you. The night is far from over.”
Jolie’s body quivered in his arms.
He carried her across the hallway to her bedroom and sat her on the edge of the bed.
Her gaze swept over him from his eyes, down his chest, to pause on his staff, jutting outward, eager and ready for more than he could promise that night. Her tongue darted out and swiped across her lips. She reached out to touch him.
His cock jerked in response. Mad Dog moaned and captured her hand in his. “Not yet. You first.”
“But I want to touch you, too,” she said.
“Later, if you have any energy left.” He grinned and turned her palm up to press a kiss against it. Then he laid her back on the bed and pinned her wrists above her head. “I want to make you scream with your release,” he whispered against her lips, and then crushed her mouth with his.
She opened to him, thrusting her tongue against his, twisting and tangling, her body rising from the mattress, her breasts pressing to his chest.
Mad Dog left her mouth and trailed his lips across her chin and down the long line of her neck to where her pulse beat a rapid tattoo.
She writhed beneath him, a moan rising from deep in her throat.
Inch by inch, he explored her body with his mouth, kissing and flicking his tongue across her collarbone and down to the swells of her breasts. He released his hold on her wrists, captured one breast with his fingers and sucked the other between his lips. While he massaged and tweaked one nipple, he rolled the other between his teeth, flicking his tongue over the hardened bud.
Jolie arched upward, thrusting her breast closer, urging him to take more.