by Lowe, Aden
Everything that had gone before suddenly felt like preschool as he growled and slid his hands down to her ass and drew her inexorably toward him. While he claimed her mouth with a ruthless possession that reminded her of the single-minded focus of the stallions at breeding time. A slight adjustment brought the hard ridge of his arousal against her lower belly in a way that made her wish clothing didn't exist.
He drew away from her mouth a little and blazed a trail of kisses along her jaw. "Put your hands on me, Kate."
The command flooded her with embarrassment. He kissed her with some kind of earth-shattering intensity and there she stood like a bump on a log. She started to pull away.
"No, you don't." He nipped her lower lip. "Touch me, Kate. Now."
Humiliation forgotten, she followed the order and let her hands rest lightly on his chest. The sudden realization that she'd never touched a grown man's chest prompted a need to explore. Her fingertips traced the contours of muscle and bone and endless fascination followed.
A choked groan sounded and he drew his head back enough to look down at her. "Kate, I need you to tell me now. Have you done this before?"
The question brought a rush of memories of frantic groping and frustrating attempts, always with a sense of something massive looming just ahead—something that never happened. After a while, it just took more effort than it was worth and Kate stopped bothering with it. "It's been a little while." He didn't need to know there was probably something wrong with her.
"Just so you know, you're driving me crazy." He dipped his head again and took her mouth in a quick hard kiss. "We need to finish setting up camp so I at least have a blanket to lay you on." Stepping around her, he went on to take care of some other task.
God, she had to put a stop to this. She couldn't sleep with some guy she'd just met. Even if he was drop dead sexy. Even if he did make her feel like a heroine in a romance novel. Not even if he did things to her, made her feel things, she'd only imagined. She had enough sleeping with guys she'd just met sitting in her past for several lifetimes. No need for more.
The rest of the work went smoothly and before long the animals were settled and fed, the fire built, and food cooking. When Jakob brought his sleeping bag over by the fire and unrolled it in a broad area long swept clear of stones and debris by previous campers, Kate retrieved her own bedroll. Rather than place it next to his, as he seemed to expect, she pointedly walked to the other side of the fire and unrolled it.
Jakob stirred the stew then turned to face her, hands loosely resting on his hips. "You know, tempting as your cute little ass is, I won't molest you. Unless you want me to. If you sleep over there, you'll be uncomfortable with all the rocks, and the ground is bit damp there closer to the creek. All you have to do is tell me you don't want me."
If only it could be that easy. She forced her shoulders to lift in a little shrug. "Okay, then. I don't want you." Moving her bed while he watched turned out to be a torturous experience, but she survived it.
He hadn't moved when she straightened from the task. "There. Was that so hard?"
As a matter of fact… "Of course not. Supper should be ready."
They ate, but Kate had no idea what. Her mind was fully occupied with watching every movement Jakob made, from the way his long fingers gripped his spoon to the way his throat moved when he swallowed. If he noticed her observation he at least had the grace not to say anything to embarrass her. In fact, he didn't say anything. It figured, once he knew he wasn't getting any, he stopped making an effort at all.
"If you'll clean up supper, I'll make another check of the animals and bring in some more wood." He was nice enough to wait for her agreement before stalking away from the fire into the nearly full dark.
Kate made use of the dishwasher, otherwise known as coarse sand and quick-moving water, to clean the dishes. The time it took to return things to the kitchen pack, and make sure what they would need for breakfast waited at the top would save precious minutes in the morning.
By the time he returned from taking care of the animals, she had everything squared away and it was still fairly early. Despite his earlier uncommunicativeness, he seemed in a good mood as he dropped to sit on his bedroll.
"With any luck, we'll jump the lion in the morning early while the dogs are fresh." He went on to talk a little more about how he planned to handle the hunt.
If he could be civil after she rejected him, the least she could do was likewise. "I gathered your uncle used these same horses? How did that happen?" Besides, she liked listening to him talk. His voice had a hypnotic quality that could probably tempt her into things she'd best not think about.
He grinned, revealing a dimple in his left cheek. "His other brother married a breeder from Kentucky. He and my dad stayed there for a bit and he fell for the horses." He talked on, telling her about some of the horses and mules his uncle had owned as Jakob was growing up.
She lay back to listen, loving the way his voice blended with the sounds of the night and the animals, and gaining unique insight into the man. Eventually the temperature dropped and she rolled into her sleeping bag. Wriggling out of her jeans inside the sleeping bag presented a moment of consternation since Jakob didn't bother to conceal his interest. Or the way his thoughts affected him. Finally she managed it though and settled into a comfortable spot.
Jakob stood and, facing her, peeled off his shirt. The deliberate way he unbuckled his belt made her feel like she was watching a strip-tease, but she couldn't force herself to look away from him or close her eyes. When he lowered his jeans to reveal the outline of his erection under snug underwear, she felt her eyes widen as her pulse shot through the roof.
He chuckled and stepped out of his jeans. "Sweet dreams, Kate."
Chapter Eleven
The day dawned bright and hot after a mostly sleepless night for Jakob. Kate's dreams had indeed sounded sweet, tormenting him into wondering what sort of scenario her subconscious had invented. He finally gave in to the inevitable and masturbated in the early morning, hoping to manage at least an hour or two of sleep. The effort was mostly wasted, since he dreamed of her and all the things he'd like to do to her, and woke to find he'd moved over in his sleep. He lay close enough to her for his maddening hard-on to prod her hip with each involuntary thrust.
Kate murmured in her sleep and he hurried to roll away, cursing under his breath. The last thing he needed was for her to wake up and catch him humping her like a fucking dog. He slid out of his bag and into his jeans, forced to leave them open to accommodate his stubborn hard-on. By the time he pulled his boots on, Kate was stirring. He made use of a convenient bush and checked over the animals quickly.
By the time he made it back to the fire, Kate was up and dressed. She stood by the fire twisting her hair into some sort of knot, which immediately made him want to thread his fingers into the raw silk and pull it down. Fuck, he had it bad.
Breakfast was a quick, quiet affair and as soon as they finished, they extinguished the fire. Kate finished cleaning up while Jakob started tacking up the horses. She quickly joined him and made the work go fast. In a matter of minutes, they were mounted and heading up the winding trail.
The dogs were already whining and pulling, restless and ready to give chase. He encouraged them, whistling them into a frenzy. The lead bitch suddenly froze, then pulled to the left, casting for a scent. A few moments later, one of the others bayed, deep and clear.
One of Kate's horses blew nervously as Jakob called a halt to release the dogs. Freed from their long lines, they took off like a shot, hard after the one who'd found the scent. After a few confused barks, they all joined in the trailing.
"We'll follow along at a distance until they bring it to bay. They'll hold it until we get there."
They rode along at about the same pace as the day before, following the general direction the dogs were heading. Jakob guided them along the contours of the landscape, letting the horses choose the easiest going.
Just b
efore noon, the dogs' barking changed to a higher pitch. "They're closing in." He urged Ajax to greater speed. The big horse kicked it into high gear and took off, eating the ground with his long-strided running walk and easily outdistancing Kate's horse with its rough lope.
Kate stopped trying to keep up before long and stayed with all their extra animals. She wouldn't have any trouble, since his horses were trained to follow him at their own speed.
Up ahead, the lead bitch's bay changed to her relatively short tree-bay. She had her quarry cornered. Recognizing the change, Ajax dropped his hindquarters another notch on his own and lengthened his stride still more. The other dogs joined their leader wherever she'd brought the lion to bay and set up a cacophony of voices.
Good thing they were getting close. The cougar would be in a pissy mood with all those hounds in his face. Jakob would prefer not to sew up any dogs on this hunt. He looped the reins on the saddlehorn, giving Ajax his head, confident the big bastard would get them safely to the dogs. With both hands free, he checked weapons, first the .44 at his hip, then the .30-.06 in the saddle boot, and the tranquilizer rifle just behind it. Assured all three were ready, he concentrated on helping Ajax find the most direct route to the dogs.
Ahead, the dogs heard them coming and grew even more excited. The youngest of the pack, a male still in the early phases of training, broke from the pack and came running to meet Jakob, eager to show off his achievement. The pup's enthusiasm was hard to ignore, but Jakob refused to acknowledge him. The slightest attention would encourage him to break again and could leave his pack mates in serious trouble, or let the quarry escape. He would get his share of scratches and treats with the others.
Ajax came up out of a shallow gully and they were suddenly in the middle of the dogs. The cougar sat comfortably out of reach in a dead tree, but he was still pissed, hissing and growling.
Jakob pulled his rifles, dismounted and smacked Ajax on the ass to send him out of harm's way. He slung the .30-.06 across his back to stay out of the way and shouldered the tranq gun.
Deep breath.
Hold. Aim.
Fire.
The cougar snarled and tried to turn to get at the stinging wound in his hip where the dart was already working its magic. Jakob called the dogs back and clipped their lines on so they wouldn't tear into the lion when he fell from the tree.
Kate and the other horses arrived as he finished securing the tracking collar and activating it. By the time he got the dogs out of the way and mounted up, the cougar was starting to come around.
"Take the horses back down where we camped last night? I'm going to harass him a little so he gets the idea he'd rather move on. I'll meet you back down there."
Kate agreed and started the horses back down the trail as the cat was struggling to his feet. Jakob hissed the dogs up and had them at full bay when the cat took his first step after waking. Suddenly recognizing the danger, the cougar took off like a shot, hounds and Ajax hot on his heels.
Chapter Twelve
Jakob still hadn't returned, so Kate returned to the creek to wash her face and neck. The heat of the day still sat heavily at ground level, and the cool water felt good. On impulse, she unbuttoned her shirt and ran the washcloth over her chest and stomach, making the evening far more comfortable in a matter of seconds. An actual bath wasn't the most practical of things on the trail, but she would still love one. Maybe she could manage it after he fell asleep, since she wasn't likely to sleep anyway. In the meantime, she could wash her feet.
About the time she got her boots and socks off, Jakob and the dogs returned. He spoke softly to the dogs, probably praising them for a job well done, as he bedded them down. Tack creaked and jingled and a moment later, a horse grunted hard as a heavy body thumped to the ground. More thumping and grunting as Ajax apparently rolled to scratch his itchy back.
Stones and gravel littered the way back to the campfire and required Kate to gingerly pick her way barefooted, but it was so worth the trouble. Cooler and with the trail dirt washed off a bit, she might even sleep.
Jakob worked on something over by one of the packs as she came into the glow of the firelight. He glanced up at her and froze as something wild and predatory flashed in his eyes. "Kate, I'm a man of my word, but I have some limits. Unless you've changed your mind, you might want to cover up a little."
Damn! She'd been so preoccupied with mooning over him, she'd left her shirt open. Face erupting in flaming humiliation, she whirled to put her back to him. A sharp rock dug into the sole of her good foot and forced her to hop a little to try and regain her balance. Yet another stone completed the trifecta of mortification by letting her foot slide off its damp surface and dumping her on her ass.
"Kate!" Jakob was suddenly at her side, running his hands over her to check for injury. Seeming satisfied, he lifted her in his arms and strode over to the fire and deposited her on her bedroll. "Good God, woman!" he thundered. "What are you thinking, strolling around here barefoot? I should spank your ass."
How dare he scold her like a child? "The day you think you're man enough, give it a try." Oh, God. Had she really said that aloud?
The wicked gleam in his eyes said she most certainly had, and that he was about to take up the challenge. "Why, thank you, baby. I believe I will." His grin sent a spear of heat straight to her lower belly.
One hand went up in a vain attempt at self-preservation. "You're right. I'm sorry. I was thinking about something else." The attempt to take her words back fell on deaf ears.
"Stand up Kate."
"What? Why?"
"Stand up, and take your jeans off. Because spanking a bare ass is much more fun than one in jeans."
The earlier spear of heat spread liquid warmth through her lower body and her pulse ramped up a few notches. "No. I'm not letting you spank me like a child."
Another of those blood-boiling grins crossed his mouth. "I wasn't asking. You made the invitation. Are you going back on your word?"
"Of course not!" Shit. "Fine. Get it over with." She stood and turned her back before lowering her jeans the bare minimum for him to deliver a swat and braced herself.
For a long moment the only sounds came from the animals just outside the fire's light. "Not good enough, baby. I said take them off." His voice sounded thicker, gruffer than before. Had she made him angry?
The instinct to turn and face him tried to assert itself, but she refused. The damn jeans had to come off before she could lay down anyway. If he tried to go back on his word she'd be in some trouble, for sure. Not for the first time, she was grateful for the custom belt buckle her father had made for her, the one with a nice sharp blade concealed within and ready to spring into her palm at a touch. Reassured, she took a deep breath and dropped the jeans, careful to lay them where she could reach the belt buckle. Just in case.
The way Jakob hissed gave her pause and she nearly made a grab for the blade, but she restrained herself. "Bend over, Kate." He moved closer behind her.
Kate fought the impulse to roll her eyes. "You're really taking your little game too far, you know." She let her body drop forward at the hip, proving he couldn't intimidate her.
He only grunted, whether in argument or agreement was anyone's guess. In the next instant, his palm landed on her ass with a resounding smack. The steadying hand he'd placed at the small of her back also prevented her from straightening in reflex.
Before she could squeal with the indignity or move, the same hand landed again, gently massaging the sting away. Outraged, she pulled away and spun to face him, fully expecting him to be laughing at her.
Instead he stood there shirtless, tanned skin gleaming in the firelight. The expression he wore held no humor, eyes gone dark and glittery, mouth full and parted. Nothing funny in the way his chest heaved either.
Transfixed, she watched him approach and circle.
Chapter Thirteen
Fuck, she was beautiful standing there all wide-eyed with apprehension. All that innocence abso
lutely ate him up. She might have technically had sex, but he would lay money it hadn't been very good. Or very much. His hand still stung from smacking her lovely little ass, and ached to do it again.
Circling her, he tried to gauge the depth of her fear. "I'm not done with you, Kate, not by a long shot. And I'm not backing down." Damn jeans pulled painfully tight against his hard-on. With deliberate movements, he unfastened his belt and opened his jeans.
Her eyes flared even wider, but she stayed silent, only circling to keep him in view.
"You earned a good spanking, and I'm going to give it to you, one way or another. Anything else is entirely up to you. You understand?" He pulled his boots off. "Answer me, Kate."
She gave a quick, jerky nod. "Yes."
Triumph soared through his blood. "Good." She probably had no idea what that soft tone of surrender could do to him. "Now, are you ready to do as I say?"
Another nod.
"Pick up your jeans and boots, and put them beside your bedroll so your knife is within reach. I don't want you to be afraid. Understand?" Jakob had to admire the inventiveness of whoever had designed her belt buckle to conceal the blade. He wouldn't have spotted it except for her nervous habit of clicking the spring to test it occasionally.
She nodded and complied quickly, sending his temperature soaring a few degrees higher. The way she fidgeted at his approach said she was still nervous.
The rest of his clothing joined her jeans on the ground and she trembled visibly as his hard-on sprang into full view. "You understand I will not do anything you don't want?"
Another of those jerky little nods.
"Then why so nervous?"
The deep ragged breath she drew raised her chest and emphasized the shape of her full breasts beneath the thin shirt. "Because I'm not sure how well I'll react to being just a convenient piece of tail."
Her honesty stabbed at him. "Convenient… Kate, if I was into convenient, I probably wouldn't be standing here so desperate for you. There has been no shortage of convenient offers. About a year and a half ago, I got really tired of convenient." Better be careful with the next part. "I've slipped once in that time, the first night I was back in the States. I was more than a little drunk and reeling over my Uncle's death. An old friend offered comfort and I accepted it."