by Maya Banks
over her body, straddling her waist. Arousal flared deep in her eyes at his dominant position. Muscles he didn’t even know he had tightened and spasmed as he stared down at her submissive pose.
Hell, he didn’t even know he possessed caveman tendencies, but damn if she didn’t bring them screaming to the surface. He wanted her. Wanted to own her, possess her. Brand her until there was no question that she belonged to him.
Something dark and primitive flared to life within him. Edgy need crawled over his skin, burning and restless.
He glanced down, just behind where he straddled her body, checking her wound. Though it was better than the previous day, he knew he still had to take care with her.
A growl erupted from his throat as the uncivilized part of him demanded he just take her. Ride her hard. Then he remembered the night before. Taking her from behind alleviated the need to spread her so wide, to put more pressure on the wound by pushing her legs up and apart.
He rolled off her and made a grab for the condoms still sitting on the nightstand. Then he flipped her over on her stomach. He circled her small waist with his hands and pulled her down until her pelvis cupped the edge of the bed and her feet dangled just inches from the floor.
The tempting swell of her ass beckoned him. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he tried to control his raging need.
He feathered his fingertips down her spine, touching, lightly stroking. She shivered and moaned, and he felt the prickle of little chill bumps dance over her skin.
Her hands splayed out over the sheets on either side of her head. Her fingers curled, gripping the material so tightly her knuckles turned white.
A smile curving his lips, he lowered his head to run his tongue from the small of her back up her spine. When he reached the base of her neck, he stopped and nibbled at the soft skin, making the baby-soft hairs at her nape stand on end.
A light groan filtered through the room, and he honestly couldn’t tell if it was her or him. Light and teasing, he ran his mouth over the contours of her neck, down the slight curve to her shoulder. Then he sank his teeth into the column, and she went rigid beneath him.
Her frantic movements stirred the primitive male lurking just under the surface. He let out a snarl and pinned her body against the mattress, holding her still as he continued his sensual exploration of her body.
His chest pressed into her back, and he gripped her wrists with his hands, holding them tightly against the bed.
His cock lay in the seam of her ass, and he rubbed up and down, reaching down into the wetness of her pussy. Her scent floated up, curling through his nostrils until they flared and his breaths came harder.
It was as though he turned into a beast himself. No woman had ever made him feel this way, so possessive, so raw. The need to take her overwhelmed him. Mine. Every instinct screamed that she was his.
He was thick and rigid between her legs. He easily found her entrance, his hands never leaving her wrists. Then he closed his eyes and groaned. Condom. Fuck.
Letting go of one of her hands, he grabbed the packet from the bed and ripped it open. He reached down between her legs and rolled it on. His body shook with impatience. He could hardly contain the overwhelming desire to bury himself deep.
Aliyah reached back with her free hand to touch him, to feel the coiled muscles in his chest. He let out another growl as he clamped down over her hand, pressing it back to the mattress and preventing her movement. With one surge of his hips, he was balls-deep in her pussy.
She cried out at his sudden possession. Her body rippled and seized around him, delicious waves of pleasure rolling over her like thunder.
He lay against her for a long moment as she simply enjoyed the sensation of being filled by him. Then his body took over, demanding more, moving, thrusting frantically against her.
There was no finesse to his actions, just the urgent need of a male to dominate his woman. His woman. The thought echoed sharply through her mind. His. The sound of the slap of his hips against her ass rose sharply.
She pushed back against him, taking more of him, swallowing him into her body. She whispered his name and closed her eyes as he owned her.
Her body tensed around him, and a flood of moisture burst around his cock. She was close, so close. She wanted more. She wanted it all. Wanted to be completely and truly his. Then he stopped his movements, holding himself deep inside her pussy.
She whimpered her protest and squirmed against him, trying to get him to thrust again. His hands tightened around her wrists, a warning for her to be still. Power emanated from him as he pressed his lips to the center of her back.
It was an exquisitely sensual gesture, not soft. No, he marked her, pressed his mouth to her spine then licked her. His teeth grazed over the ridges and sank into her quivering flesh.
“Duncan, please!”
He chuckled lightly as he kissed a small pattern up her spine.
“I need to come,” she begged.
“So do I, sweetheart. So do I.”
He slowly dragged his cock over her clenching flesh until the head of his dick just rimmed her entrance. He held there until she writhed underneath him, arching her ass, trying to take him again.
“Greedy wench,” he murmured.
His fingers slid over the tops of her hands. She curled her hand around his just as he lunged forward. He rode her hard and unrelenting.
She gasped then yelled his name as he pounded deeper. His groin met the fleshy globes of her ass, flattening them with each thrust. Harder and harder, faster and faster.
“Aliyah!”
His cry sent her over the edge, and he tumbled after her. She screamed, he yelled, and he came completely apart as his orgasm splintered and broke like a perfect wave.
He lay over her, gasping for breath, struggling to process just how completely he’d lost control. Then he realized he had her pinned to the bed, his much larger frame flattening her.
He let out a curse and eased off her, pulling out of her moist heat. She made a sound of protest, and he smoothed his hands over her back, cupping her buttocks in a gentle caress.
“Just lay there, honey. I’ll be right back to take care of you.”
She made a sound of contentment then, one that seared right through his chest and lodged in the vicinity of his heart. He tore the condom off and disposed of it before crawling back onto the bed.
Tenderly, he rolled her on her side then coaxed her into his arms, careful not to bump her wound.
“Am I alive?” she mumbled.
“Was I too rough?” he asked anxiously. God, now that the moment was over, he cringed at just how caveman he’d acted. He was just waiting for her to kick his ass out of bed.
“Oh no,” she said breathlessly. “You were absolutely perfect. So perfect that if you’ll give me a bit to recover, I want to do it all over again.”
Oh hell. His dick stood up and waved. He didn’t think he’d ever recovered that fast.
“How much time you need?”
She laughed, low and husky. “A couple minutes. Maybe one?”
He rolled until he was over her. “I like that answer.”
He stared down at her, the warm, happy glow in her eyes sending a surge of satisfaction through his body.
“Did I hurt you?” he asked.
She smiled and reached up to touch his face. “No. I won’t break, Duncan.”
“It’s a good damn thing,” he growled. “Because I plan to fuck your brains out.”
She giggled.
“What, not romantic enough for you?”
“Romance is highly overrated,” she said dryly. “I like raw. Hot. Unrestrained.”
His entire body tightened. How had he been so damn lucky to find a woman like her? Okay, so he wasn’t going to dwell on how he’d found her. Definite mood killer.
When she tried to part her thighs, he clamped his legs around her, holding her in place.
“You just let me do all the work, honey. I don’t want you
hurting yourself.”
She purred in contentment. “I could get used to this kind of treatment.” She stretched sensuously and arched her chest, pushing her breasts outward. It was more temptation than Duncan could withstand.
He lowered his mouth to one peak. The nipple melted in his mouth, conforming to the shape of his tongue. Sweet, so sweet. Delicious.
He sucked at her like a man starved. With each pull of her breast, she became more restless, twisting and whimpering with need.
His teeth grazed the point then nipped sharply, and she gripped his head with strong fingers, calling out his name.
He loved that she was so responsive. How could his caveman instincts not be riled when she made him feel like he was the only man in the world? Like no other man had ever fired her blood as he had.
Reluctantly, he released her nipple and kissed his way to her navel. Her supple skin gave way, molding to his lips, sliding like silk over his tongue.
“You taste so damn good,” he rasped. “I’ve never tasted sweeter.”
He settled between her legs, parting the golden curls at the apex of her legs. Trailing a finger between the plump folds, he enjoyed the slick wetness. Then he lowered his head and swept his tongue from her small opening upward to her straining clit.
They both groaned, and she jumped. He gripped her waist to hold her in place then licked her again. Her scent wafted through his nose, flowing deep, surrounding him and pulling him in.
He couldn’t get enough of her. He wanted more. He wanted everything.
He nuzzled deeper, devouring her, lapping hungrily at her essence. Her limbs shook around his face then clamped tight, holding him in place.
Lazily he tongued her, in no hurry to bring her to completion. He wanted her wild, frantic for him. As desperate for him as he was for her.
Gently he pried her legs apart, careful not to stress her injury. He raised his head to look at her. Her eyes glowed gold. Rich and vibrant. There was a peace about her that lulled him deeper, ensnared him like a fly in a spider’s web.
“Turn over, honey,” he urged as he rotated her onto her uninjured side. His fingers feathered over the wound then he lowered his head to kiss the raw spot.
“Right there,” he said in approval, preventing her from going all the way onto her stomach.
Her pussy was directly in line with his straining dick. Perfect. Again, he reached for a condom, but this time, he wasn’t as hurried. Calmly, he tore it from the wrapper and slowly rolled it over his engorged cock.
His fingers found her moist center and slid inside, testing her readiness. She was slick and hot, quivering around his fingers as he stretched her, pressed inward, gliding against her velvet heat.
She looked beautiful, curled on her side, her hair strewn against the pillow. Wild and exotic, her eyes glowing with need, her face flushed and pink. Her lips parted in a gasp as he carefully pulled his fingers from her pussy.
Soft and swollen, inviting his kiss. He ached to taste her mouth again, to explore those plump lips.
He reached down and grasped his cock, guiding it into the small opening. She convulsed around him, gripped him like a vise, sucked and grasped at his dick as he slid in with agonizing precision.
He breached her carefully, mindful of the different position and the angle of his entry. His palm covered the cheek of her ass, cupped it and caressed the soft, supple flesh. With his other hand, he touched her wound, soothing the hurt.
Deeper he stroked, his chest tightening as she made little sounds of approval. He shouldn’t have feared hurting her. She was more than accepting of his advances.
Her hand rose high in the air, reaching blindly back toward him. He lifted his hand and twined their fingers together, bringing them to rest against her hip.
Back and forth, absent the urgency of earlier, he thrust. Long, easy slides, enjoying the tingle each time his cock dragged across the clutching tissues of her pussy.
He loosened his hold on her hand long enough to raise his other hand. He switched her hand into his other then reached between her thighs, sliding up until his fingers found her clit.
A jolt skittered through her body, and she tightened around his cock. He let out a moan, knowing he wouldn’t last much longer. He fingered her taut nub, lightly at first, then harder, rotating in tight circles.
She moved restlessly, squirming and writhing against him. He squeezed her hand harder, holding on as he sank into her again and again.
“Harder,” she gasped. “Please, Duncan, I need…”
“I know, honey,” he said in a low voice. “I know what you need. Give it to me. Let go.”
He picked up the pace, driving into her with more force. He pinched her clit between his fingers just as he rammed as deep as he could go.
Her body went rigid. Her eyes flew open where a moment before she’d had them tightly closed. Then she screamed. The sound was an electric shock to his system. Blowing over him, igniting every single sensory receptor.
Tension coiled like a snake in his balls, twisting then rising, shooting up his cock, pausing an infinitesimal second before billowing out. He exploded inside her even as he cursed the condom. He wanted to mark her, to come all inside her.
He ground himself against her, his agonized cry matching her scream of pleasure. He started to fall forward but caught himself before he landed against her leg. Moving to the side, he slumped onto the bed, pulling her body into the curve of his.
They both heaved, their harsh breaths echoing through the room. He reached down to yank off the condom then turned back and threw it toward the trash can. Not even looking to see if he’d hit his mark, he turned back to Aliyah and wrapped his arm over her trembling form.
His lips nuzzled her shoulder, and he absorbed her sweet sound of satisfaction.
“I’d like to sleep this way,” she murmured. “You feel so good, Duncan.”
“You just try and move away from me,” he growled.
She laughed lightly and burrowed her ass further into his groin. A deep sigh escaped her, and he felt her go limp against him.
He was dead tired, but he was unable to resist the temptation to run his hand down her curves. He let his hand rest possessively on her hip and then moved it back up to cup her breast. He thumbed her nipple once then tightened his hold.
“Duncan?”
“Yes, honey?”
There was a slight hesitation. “Thank you. That was wonderful.”
He smiled. “You’re more than welcome, sweetheart.”
Chapter Ten
Aliyah woke with a sense of loss. The bed felt cold. Empty. She reached a hand to rest in the slight indention left when Duncan had gotten up to go to work.
She shivered and pulled the covers higher but quickly discarded them again when the material scraped over her skin like needles. Her body crawled with the need to shift. The cheetah rolled within her, protesting its captivity.
She got out of bed and paced in an effort to work off the nervous tension. A shower. She’d take a hot shower and hopefully it would soothe the savagery welling within her.
The water scorched her skin when she stepped under the spray a few minutes later. Still, she stood underneath the heat and turned her face up as the water ran over her body.
Duncan. She missed him already, as absurd as it sounded. She didn’t look forward to an entire day without him again. She wasn’t even sure she could maintain her human form until he returned. And when he did, she was going to have to go out and give the cheetah free rein.
She tensed and fought against the images of the cheetah. Control. She could do this. It was imperative that she regain dominance.
Her chest heaving with exertion, she stepped out of the shower and quickly toweled off, wincing as the material abraded her skin. She walked naked into the living room, unable to stand the thought of anything touching her.
Coals glowed in the fireplace, and the charred remains of wood lay at various angles. She hastened to add more logs to the fi
re and watched as the flames licked over the dry wood.
The warmth reached out and wrapped around her body, caressing, soothing.
The cordless phone lay on the coffee table, and she stared at it as she eased onto the couch. Her mouth went dry, and her pulse pounded a little harder. Mama.
She lay her head down on the couch, and a hot tear slipped down her cheek and soaked into the cushion. She missed her family. Missed being with people who she didn’t have to hide her true nature from.
Even as well as Duncan had taken the fact she was a cheetah, she still caught him staring at her when he thought she wasn’t looking. There was a mixture of awe and disbelief in his dark eyes.
She reached out with a shaking hand, slid the phone off the coffee table and drew it against her chest. Her thumb trembled over the on button and finally she pressed.
The dial tone sounded, loud in the silence. She stared for a long moment before punching the first number. The others followed in sequence. By the time she was finished, tears streaked silently down her cheeks.
She put the phone to her ear and listened as it rang. Four. Five. Six times. Her heart sank as it continued to ring. They weren’t home.
The lodge answering machine clicked on and gave the standard greeting in her mother’s cheerful voice.
Aliyah pulled the phone away from her ear and gently pushed the off button. Then she turned her face into the sofa as her tears soaked into the material.
Duncan folded the maps and stuffed them into his glove compartment before getting out of his truck. The helicopter landed fifty yards away, and a state wildlife officer hopped out and hurried in Duncan’s direction.
Duncan met him halfway and shook his hand.
“You ready?” Cal Stevens shouted over the noise.
Duncan nodded and followed him back to the helicopter. They climbed in, and Cal handed him a set of headphones. When Duncan slid them over his ears, Cal’s voice sounded.
“What are we looking at, Duncan?”
Duncan quickly explained his suspicions about the illegal poaching ring as well as his run-in with the hunters and the dead lion.
Cal’s frown deepened with every word. Cal had worked with the Colorado Division of Wildlife ever since Duncan had been old enough to hunt. He’d been a good friend of Duncan’s father and had often joined them during hunting season. The poaching ring would piss Cal off, and he’d be damn eager to break it up.
“Let’s see what we can find from the air,” Cal said. “If we can narrow the search area, we’ll have a much easier time of it when we go in on foot.”
Duncan nodded his agreement.
After several hours of sweeping the area surrounding Elk Ridge and the region where Duncan had first run across the hunters, they turned up nothing.
The pilot indicated that they were low on fuel and would have to head back in. Duncan stared down at the terrain in frustration. He’d hoped the air search would turn up something. Instead he’d wasted an entire afternoon with nothing to show for his efforts. He was no closer to finding the hunters now than he had been two days ago.
They landed, and Cal got out and walked with Duncan over to his truck.
“What’s your next move?” Cal asked. “What can I do to help?”
Duncan shook his head grimly. “I’m not sure yet. I’m going to have to get with Nick and my other deputies. Put our heads together and come up with a search plan. Those sons of bitches are out there.”
“You know you can count on me to help. I can get some of my guys together. I know you probably don’t want the feds crawling all over your mountains but whether you call them in to help apprehend your poachers or call them in after you’ve taken them down, one way or another, they’re going to be involved. Those sons of bitches have broken all sorts of federal laws with the shit they’re pulling.”
“Yeah, I know.” Duncan sighed. “I’d rather hold off as long as possible. If we can’t come up with anything by tomorrow, we’ll have to call them in. I don’t want to risk these assholes escaping, or worse, continuing to turn these animals out to hunt.”