by Lacey Thorn
He shrugged. “We can invite them, but I’m not sure any of them would come.”
“Should we leave a little early?” she asked.
“No,” he shook his head. “Unless you have a certain time and date you want to be down there.”
“Not really,” Vic said. “I texted Tah to let him know we’d decided to come to Oklahoma.”
“What did he say?” Gideon asked.
“Drive safe,” Vic answered with a laugh. “Tah already told you the pride would welcome you. He didn’t change his mind, especially now that you’re mated to one of his kick-ass friends.”
“That I am.” Gideon purred and leaned down to kiss her.
“Think we have time to sneak away?” she asked breathlessly when they broke apart.
“Wouldn’t count on it.” Murphy’s voice sounded from their right and several chuckles filled the air.
Gideon grinned, and in that moment, he looked younger and so incredibly happy. It filled her heart with joy. The next thing she knew, she was being tossed over his shoulder again as he took off toward the cabin. She was shrieking and swatting at him when they arrived. Reno stood on the porch, shaking his head as if they were kids.
They spent the rest of the day hauling boxes and getting both trucks packed. By the time they were ready for dinner, she was hot, sweaty and getting grumpier by the minute. They’d be packing the rest of the non-perishables that evening and sending them in the truck Reno was driving.
They were all getting edgy. She and Amia had both made a point of keeping an eye on Ariel today. She was quiet but seemed to be holding together pretty well. Vic noticed all the guys watching out for her, as well. The Professor had even pulled her along to help him with something, and when she’d come back, she’d been laughing at something he’d said. Gideon had stopped what he was doing just to stare at the two, and Vic knew without asking it had been a long time since Ariel had really laughed.
Dinner was a quick jumbled meal of sandwiches and leftovers where everyone grabbed something and took care of themselves. Reno had spoken with Tah, and he gave them a change in plans while they were all gathered.
“Tah thinks we should all leave at the same time. Both trucks are packed and ready to go. First light, we get the explosives placed and rigged with a timer. Then we’re all out of here,” Reno said. “Does that work for everyone?”
They all nodded.
“Murphy, how long will it take to get it wired and ready to go?” Reno asked.
“With all of us? An hour tops,” Murphy said. “I’ve already got most of it set. Just need to get it rigged in the spots we designated. Make sure all the wires are tied in to the central timer. I’ll set it to blow twenty minutes after we leave. That should give us plenty of time to be down the road a bit.”
“Make sure everything’s disconnected. We want it demolished but no fires if we can help it. There’s a lot of wildlife out there. Don’t want to leave any without a home,” Reno said.
“I know what I’m about,” Murphy reminded him.
“We all know that, Murph,” Reno said. “Wouldn’t put anyone else in charge of it.”
“Did you tell him?” Ariel asked quietly when there was a lull in the conversation. “Tah,” She clarified. “About Dillon?”
Reno nodded. “He’s not upset with you. He’s only sorry he wasn’t here to do it himself. Men like Dillon…” Reno shook his head. “There’s a special place in hell for them.”
“Amen,” Vic agreed.
She noticed Ariel seemed to relax, as if she’d honestly feared Tah might not want her as part of the pride anymore. The other woman had taken an extreme beating to her confidence. Vic planned to work on helping her rebuild it. Funny how they hadn’t liked each other at first, and now Vic could honestly see them becoming close friends. She was anxious for Kenzie and Holt to meet Ariel. She didn’t doubt they’d take to her immediately. Unfortunately, they hadn’t had the chance to meet either of them before they’d left—Kenzie choosing to stay in her room, and Holt either with her or making a point of avoiding everyone else unless absolutely necessary.
“Tah spoke to Kenzie,” Reno said.
“Everything okay?” Vic asked, coming to attention.
“Tah said she sounded fine. She’s wrapping things up and heading to Oklahoma. Holt’s with her. He’s tying up some loose ends, as well, and they’ll both meet us in Riverton.”
“And has her mate called to check in on her?” Murphy asked.
“Not yet,” Reno said. “But we all know it’s just a matter of time. Besides, she and Holt aren’t on their own.”
“What?” Vic said then shook her head. “You finally heard from Dusty and Reed I take it?”
“Seems they were holed up in a little jail in Mexico,” Reno told them.
Murphy and Finn both chuckled.
“They’ll be tailing Kenzie,” Reno said. “She has to be protected.”
Vic nodded. She hadn’t been certain Kenzie was in any more danger than any of them were. All shifters were hunted, tortured and killed. But that was before Dillon had spouted his tale about Thomas’s child being taken. If that were true, Kenzie could be in more danger than she realized. Vic needed to make a point of getting in touch again soon.
“So up at first light then?” Vic said
Reno nodded. “Let’s all get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow we leave.”
They all trickled out of the kitchen. Gideon and Vic headed downstairs with the Professor. The first thing Vic wanted when they got to the bedroom was a shower.
“Shower,” she groaned. “I feel like I have a half ton of dirt on me.”
“You look amazing,” Gideon said.
“And you look sexy as hell,” she said as he peeled his shirt over his head.
He growled and nipped her lip. She grabbed him by the hair and jerked his mouth closer for the kiss she needed. He was like a drug in her system, one she was completely hooked on. His touch was an aphrodisiac that sent her whole body into lust.
“I love you,” she whispered when they broke apart and cherished the way his eyes widened and his nostrils flared.
He bent until their noses brushed and sipped softly from her lips. “You are my life. My heart, my soul, my everything. I will love you always.”
She wanted to make love then, to drag him to the bed and have her way. But thankfully, he took the lead and pushed her ahead of him into the bathroom.
“Strip,” he ordered and bent to start the water.
She admired the view of his tight ass in jeans as she pulled off her clothes and tossed them into a pile on the floor. He pivoted to face her again, and she felt the heat of his gaze like a caress over her skin.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he whispered.
“You better still think that when I’m old and gravity kicks in,” she muttered.
Gideon laughed. “I’ll think that every day for the rest of our lives.”
“Good,” she said. “Now, let me in. That steam is calling my name.”
He moved, patting her ass as she passed him to enter.
“Hurry up,” she said. “I need someone to wash my back.”
“Oh, I plan to wash much more than that,” he told her.
The shower was just what she needed. So was Gideon. He’d tempered her edges. Amia had mentioned today how happy Vic looked, and it made her realize how unhappy she’d looked before. Gideon had changed her outlook on life and what it had to offer, in the best of ways.
He took his time washing her, and she returned the favor. When he lifted her hands up to brace against the wall, she knew what he had planned and waited in anticipation. He entered her slowly from behind, fucking into her channel with controlled movements. His hands held her waist, his feet braced outside hers. He took her at a leisurely pace, as if they had the whole evening, which they did. And she knew this was only the beginning of their night.
She’d learned there was no such thing as a quickie with Gideon. Even if it was fast, his
stamina had him ready to go again before she’d really caught her breath from the first. Not that she would ever complain about that. She found her sex drive responded immediately to his touch. Hell, just the heated look he got when he wanted her had her wet and ready to be taken. Life with him would definitely be interesting.
He slid a hand around and dipped between her thighs to ply her clit. His thumb stroked back and forth over the tight kernel of flesh until she was teetering on the edge, ready to fly. He lowered his head and licked over the spot where he’d bitten her. He licked it twice more then sank his teeth deep. She jerked under his touch, coming with a loud cry, and felt the splash of his release inside her.
He nuzzled her neck as they both recovered then braced a hand on her stomach while he maneuvered them back under the water’s spray. It wasn’t hot but luckily was still lukewarm. She concentrated on staying upright while he took care of cleaning them and turned off the water. He didn’t bother with towels, either. He stepped out of the tub and scooped her into his arms then carried her back into the bedroom where he tossed her on the bed and followed her down.
“Everything changes tomorrow,” Vic said. “We’ll blow this up and hit the road. It’ll be as if we were never here.”
“Are you ready for that?” Gideon asked her.
“I’m looking forward to what the future holds,” she told him and sighed as he wrapped her in his arms and took her lips once more. She wasn’t surprised to feel him growing hard again against her thigh.
All her life, she’d searched for someone to love her, to make her feel as if she was worthy of love. A person who would make her feel special, wanted, cherished. It seemed she’d only had to wait for the touch of a lonely jaguar who was searching for the same thing.
About the Author
Lacey Thorn spends her days in small town Indiana, the proud mother of three. When she is not busy with one of them, she can be found typing away on her computer keyboard or burying her nose in a good book. Like every woman, she knows just how chaotic life can be and how appealing that great escape can look.
So, toss aside the stress and tension of the never-ending to-do list. For now sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride with Lacey. It’s your world…unlaced.
Lacey loves to talk to her readers and can be found at www.lacythorn.com. Join Lacey on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/#!/authorlaceythorn Or on Twitter at @laceythorn1. And feel free to email the author at [email protected].
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