by Mlyn Hurn
Colleen had immediately taken charge of Rayne, taking her away within a few minutes of their arrival. Sean put Homer in his gilded cage on the front porch. He gave him some food and fresh water before going to find Bob and let him know that he must go back to Rayne’s and wasn’t sure what time he’d return. The crew had arrived within thirty minutes of his return. It never failed to amaze him how quickly they could get somewhere.
He had pretty much stayed out of their way, other than directions on making sure certain things would have to be cleaned to a near-normal state. Sean had been determined to make this the least traumatic to Rayne as possible. About two hours after the crew had arrived two other men had arrived with a large truck. Once he had signed some forms, the two men had departed to transport DeVeau’s skimmer. Already there was a crew working on his hotel room and erasing his presence there.
Twice while the cleaners worked, he had gone out and watered Rayne’s field. Using his computerized communication device, he had connected with the wireless remote to the Agency’s database. He had searched and finally discovered what Rayne’s secret plant was that she kept hidden at the rear of the field. They would definitely have to discuss the safety of growing this little flower, he decided with a wry smile.
Remembering how he had described Rayne to Shannon, he wondered how they would make a life together. With a deep sigh, he acknowledged that if she preferred to live at her house, then that is what they would do. That would eliminate the need for Bob and Colleen to build the small house they had planned to start a few months after the baby came. His sister and brother-in-law could stay in his huge, nearly perfect house and he would stay with Rayne.
Of course, there were a lot of improvements he could make at Rayne’s place. And if he made them slowly, he was pretty sure he could talk her into accepting them. First, would be irrigation installation. Next, he’d see about making sure the house was sound. It probably needed a new roof. The shed she used needed a lot of work, and the truck he had seen looked like it came from the previous millennia rather than the past decade or so.
The whole time he spent watering Rayne’s plants, his thoughts roamed freely over just about everything except DeVeau and the way the man had been mauled to death. He doubted the big cat was normally like that, but he’d have to talk to Rayne first before its future could be determined. She might raise a stink about it, but if the animal was turning predatory then neither she nor her other pets would be safe around it.
Walking from the shower into his bedroom now, he consciously told himself to stop thinking about the past, or what he’d seen today. Focus on just now, he told himself silently while he idly dried his hair with the towel. He stopped in front of his dresser to comb his hair before applying some aftershave lotion. His thoughts on Rayne, he considered going to the guest room tonight, or just calling it a night and going to sleep.
* * * * *
Rayne watched Sean as he combed his hair in front of the dresser mirror. She was quite sure that he had not yet realized that she had snuck into his room and climbed into his bed while he was still in the shower. Admiring his muscular back and tight, hard buns, she knew she was in love with him. It really had nothing to do with his attractive body. The scales had tipped when he had taken charge today.
She had no doubt there would be lots of questions to answer, and his anger to deal with when he learned of Anton’s plans. But it had been rather nice to be taken care of today. The shock of killing a man had pretty much worn off by early evening. She was by no means a callous person, but it had been a matter of survival. If she had left her home with Anton, the opportunity to thwart his crazy plans might never have come again. Today, they had been alone in her house.
She had carried the food on a tray to the living room, and Anton had eaten lustily. He had complimented her cooking abilities.
“I am surprised to find that you can cook.”
“My grandmother taught me when I was quite young. Living alone gives one lots of opportunities to improve.”
Anton had smiled at her. “Well, you won’t have any of these daily drudgeries once we get to Paris. My family is quite wealthy and we will have servants to take care of these things.” He had dabbed at his mouth before continuing. “In fact, all you will have to do is breed and breastfeed. I should imagine one child every two years would be best. I’ll admit, my dear, I am quite looking forward to breeding you. Of course, you lack culture and education, but these faults can be corrected. The thought of plowing your belly was rather depressing, until I saw you. I’ll enjoy fucking you several times a day until you are pregnant.”
Rayne had shivered in disgust at his coarse words. His confidence had cemented her decision. If she didn’t want to end up living her life on this man’s terms, the time for action was now. Standing when they were finished, she had told him to stay seated.
“I’ll just set these in the sink. I have some nice liqueur for after dinner, if you would like.”
“That sounds good. I doubt it will be as good as I am used to, but it will probably help relax you.”
Rayne had nodded and taken the tray into the kitchen. Turning on the water of the sink, she had let it drown out the soft clicking noise she made with her tongue. The pantry door then opened and Mohan had walked toward her silently. Holding the tiger’s gaze, she had paused to pray for forgiveness. Softly, her words distinct as she had practiced, she directed the wild animal that lurked below the surface of the domesticated cat.
“Mohan, intruder,” she lifted her hand to point, and then gave the command. “Kill, Mohan!”
She had run out the back door, unable to listen to the sounds. Exhausted and stunned, she had collapsed onto the lawn, covering her ears with her hands. How long before the dogs came, followed by a blood-covered Mohan, she had no idea. Cradling the big cat’s head on her lap, she had spoken softly, trying to soothe its frazzled nervous nature. Her guilt was massive. There was every chance Mohan might have to be put down after this. Once she’d gotten the taste of the kill, it might be impossible to keep her as a pet.
At one point, she had lowered her head to rest on the cat’s bloody coat. Had she done the right thing by risking her beloved pet’s life to save her own? She had murdered a man in cold blood, even if it had not been by her own hand. She would have to decide whether she was going to call the sheriff or take a chance and bury Anton’s body. And she would have to get rid of his skimmer as well. Even though she had not seen it, she was sure it was parked only a short distance away. Also he might have rented a room in town. What if someone there raised an alarm and started inquiries? Or perhaps the council Anton had mentioned would send someone to find him.
When Sean had shown up, she hadn’t known whether to be relieved or fearful. But then he had taken over and relieved her of any decisions. He had brought a change of clothing out, and then together they had gone around to the outdoor shower. As directed, she had gotten under the spray with her clothes on, and then removed them. Mohan had wandered back with them and even stood under the spray without any kind of fuss.
Colleen had made a fuss over her, but not asked any questions. She had taken a few aspirins along with a glass of milk. The sound of the door shutting on Sean’s truck had awakened her. Quietly she had walked the short distance to the room Colleen had discreetly pointed out when she gave her a brief tour. Inside the room, she had heard the shower running and sat on Sean’s bed to wait for him.
* * * * *
“I’ll answer your questions now, if you want.”
“What the fuck!” Sean spun around in surprise. He had no idea that he wasn’t alone in the room. Ever since he had met Rayne he’d had reason to doubt his own psychic abilities. Shaking his head slowly, he walked over to the bed. “I don’t have any paper with me at the moment, Rayne.”
She smiled and shifted up onto her knees on the bed. “We could go down to your office if you’d prefer.”
“The only thing I prefer right now is my pillow and sleep.” He stopp
ed as he saw that Rayne was wearing the top to the silk pajamas his mother had given him last Christmas. “I think you forgot the bottom half of that outfit.” He sat down on the far side of the bed.
Rayne shook her head. “I didn’t forget. Colleen only gave me the top. I think your sister has matchmaking on her mind.”
Sean considered the light-hearted tone in her voice for a moment, and then he stood back up. He tugged the comforter and sheet down on his side of the bed. “Maybe.” He pulled on the blankets until Rayne got up so he could pull her side of the bed down as well. Without another word, he got into bed and pulled up the covers. He put his hands behind his head as he leaned back on the pillows.
Rayne stood and watched him for a few seconds before she spoke. “You object?”
“Nope. I am rather in favor of the idea myself. How do you feel about it?”
Rayne slipped under the covers, turning on her side to look at him. “I’m not opposed, but I don’t want you to think that what happened today influenced me.”
Sean rolled over onto his side to face Rayne. The room was only very dimly lit by the faintest of lights coming from the bathroom. “You may think it is too early, but I love you, Rayne. What happened last night and today didn’t change my feelings.”
“It is too soon for us to be sure, but I think I feel the same way.”
“Just think?”
“I’m pretty sure, Sean. Today’s events have changed things, or they will. I could end up in jail.”
Sean shook his head negatively. “No, you aren’t going to jail. We will have to be careful about your kitty cat, though.” He paused to shake his finger at her.
Rayne nodded and leaned forward to grab hold of his finger. She pulled it toward her, closing her mouth around it. Sucking on it for a moment or too, she then smiled. “I feel very guilty about it all. I didn’t do this without provocation. Mohan never would have attacked without my giving the signal.”
“I wasn’t planning on going over all of this until morning, but I am curious about one thing. I didn’t know you had a tiger living with you, by the way.” He paused to give her his mildest glare. “How did you end up with a tiger named Mohan?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Go on, honey. There is no place else on Earth I’d rather be.”
“White tigers are very rare any more. Very few in the zoos and captivity survived the war, and on average in the wild, only one in ten thousand are born white. No white tigers in the wild were found after the 1950’s in fact, and the wild species, which is really just a sub-species of the Bengal tiger, only survived in captivity due to inbreeding and crossbreeding programs.”
“They are albinos then?”
Rayne shook her head. “Not at all. The white tigers, which survived until present times, are the result of the breeding programs using inbred and crossbred mixes of the Bengal and the Siberian tiger. An albino would have pink eyes, and there had been only one recorded instance of true albino tigers, Sean. In Cooch Behar, which we know as West Bengal, in India, two albino cubs were shot in 1922.”
Rayne paused to shift slightly on the bed. “The white tiger has pale blue eyes, a mottled grayish-pink nose and is white with the dark stripes that can vary from black to a chocolate brown color. White tigers are born only to parents who both carry the recessive gene for the white coloring.”
“What about the Siberian tigers I remember hearing about in history?”
“Actually, Sean, no wild white tigers have ever been reported in either the former region of Siberia, or anywhere else in the world, except the one found in Rewa. The Siberian White Tiger that existed in zoos were all cross-bred production.”
Sean reached his hand out and captured a lock of Rayne’s hair. Slowly he wound it around his finger. “You are a fount of information, my love, but how did you end up with something that is obviously on the endangered species list and should be in one of the few remaining zoos?”
“At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the tiger Species Survival Program reinforced its stand against the breeding of the white tiger in captivity. The white tiger is a freak of nature, and obviously cannot survive in the wild. But the popularity of the animal made it a money-maker for zoos, which was the same for the propagation of black leopards, white lions and king cheetahs. They are all phenotypic aberrations and bred solely because they are ‘crowd pleasers.’ Sorry, I know I keep rambling.”
“It is understandable. Go on, honey.”
“There was a government research compound near here. After the war, funding was cut. I’m sure you get the idea. My Mohan was the result of some kind of weird breeding program and was waiting for—”
“And you being the soft-hearted woman you are just couldn’t let that happen, huh?”
“She only weighed twenty pounds when I first got her,” Rayne replied quickly, defending herself.
Sean lightly tapped Rayne’s forehead. “Rescuer of animals, grower of strange plants and what else should I know about you?”
“You know more about me than I know about you. I know your sister…”
“And Bob, as well,” Sean added with a smile. “I come from a big family so it’s better that you don’t meet them all at once.”
“Hmm. So, what happens now? Tomorrow do we go on as if nothing happened? What if someone starts asking questions about him?”
Sean kissed Rayne to stop her from asking more. “Shh.” Slowly he made love to her lips, easing them apart before he finally caressed her tongue with his. “You taste so sweet.”
“Toothpaste,” Rayne told him quietly.
Laughing out loud, he shook his head. In that moment, he knew. Rayne was the woman he undeniably wanted to spend the rest of his life with; psychic headaches and all that would probably come their way. Sean guessed he should wait, but he couldn’t. “I love you. Please marry me, Rayne.”
“What if I go to prison? I don’t think you would be happy with a monthly conjugal visit.”
Sean shook his head. “You aren’t going to any kind of jail. I called the Agency and everything has been taken care of. Your place looks like it did the day I met you.”
“What if someone comes looking for him?”
Sean pressed his finger to her lips. “It’s all over. I’ll need some details, but that can wait until tomorrow. You don’t have to marry me as part of the plan.”
“You told your boss you were going to marry me though, didn’t you? It’s part of my ‘parole’ and marriage is how I will be observed in the future. Since I’m a psychic, right?”
“If you are repulsed by the idea, I’m sure we can work something out.”
Rayne stared into his eyes for a long time, and he started to wonder if she was going to turn him down. Then he jerked in surprise as her hand grasped his cock. As her soft hand began massaging and pulling on his hardness, he groaned softly. Dimly he was aware of her scooting toward him, but her hand didn’t pause or slow down.
“I probably will have some issues I’ll have to work out once my state of shock goes away, Sean. But right now,” she gave a firm, unmistakable yank on his shaft. “Put this to good use, and we’ll worry about tomorrow later.”
“My pleasure, my love,” he told her with a smile, rolling her onto her back. “I got the watering done before I came back here, so we can sleep in.”
“Uhnh,” Rayne groaned as Sean thrust into her body. “Thank you, my love, but I could have made it rain.”
“What the…?”
Sean paused in between strokes of his cock in and out of Rayne’s wet pussy. Make it rain? Had she really said she would make it rain?
Rayne’s hands pulled his head toward her, meeting his gaze. “Yeah, that’s what the lady said, mister. Now, do your husbandly duty and we’ll talk about rain and waves and tiger tails later.” She kissed his lips hard, punctuating her meaning.
As Sean got back to the business at hand, he heard a squawk from a far corner of his room.
“Do your duty! Do
your duty! Do your duty!”
Life certainly would never be dull with Rayne in his life!
About the Author
A resident of Indiana, Mlyn worked as a registered nurse for 23 years in pediatrics. Reading Barbara Cartland and Harlequin romance novels in high school spurred her to start writing. She did technical writing for her employers until she started writing erotica four years ago. Mlyn is single and lives with her cranky cat Georgia, who she named after her favorite artist for inspiration, Georgia O’Keeffe.
The author welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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Also by Mlyn Hurn
Blood Dreams
Blood Dreams 2: Hunter’s Legacy
Blood Dreams 3: Endless Night
Burning Desires
Cattleman
Christmas in Virginia
Crown Jewels anthology
Ellora’s Cavemen: Tales from the Temple IV anthology
Enter the Dragon anthology
Family and Promises
Family Secrets
High Seas Desire
His Dance Lessons
Medieval Mischief
More than Just Art
Rebel Slave
Submissive Passion
Things That Go Bump in the Night III anthology
Valentine Wishes
Voyage to Submission
Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.
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