by Vella Day
Jay then slipped his shirt over her shoulders, perhaps because he thought she was cold. “I can’t stay away from you.”
She couldn’t keep from touching him either. As his hands slid around her waist, his lips descended. While she’d loved being with Riley and Jay together, having this wonderful man to herself was equally alluring. She wanted to stop and tell him that making love in the open where anyone could happen upon them was crazy dangerous, but she couldn’t, not with the way his mouth was possessing her.
Needing him closer, Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her chest against his. His heat seeped into her, and it seemed as if his cock had found its purpose again. Jay’s hands trailed down her back, rubbing and kneading all her sore spots. When his fingers reached her rear, for that split second, she wished Riley had been there.
“I want you,” Jay said after breaking the kiss.
“Me, too. Want you, that is.” The man clouded her mind, making words difficult to form.
Nipping at her lip, his eyes were so close it was as if she could see right down to his soul. Jay was a wonderful man and one who knew exactly where to touch to make her beg for more.
“Wrap your legs around me,” he said lifting her up.
She didn’t hesitate. He pressed her back against the tree for support and only then did she understand why he’d placed his shirt on her shoulders. That one action made her lose another bit of her soul. She didn’t want to feel this much for him, but she couldn’t help it. Perhaps it was all the tension of what might happen between them and to the women that had her more emotional than usual, but right now she wanted to push everything aside and get lost in Jay.
“Hurry,” she panted, her need escalating as he nibbled on her chin and then her throat.
“I want to spend hours exploring the soft curves of your body and attempting to drive you wild with need.” He gently bit her shoulder but didn’t puncture the skin.
“We don’t have hours.” They might only have minutes. With the sound from the water blocking any footsteps, someone could sneak up on them. While he had super hearing, for all she knew, Jay’s raging hormones might prevent his senses from detecting someone.
He grunted, slipped a hand between them, and grabbed his cock. “I have to agree. Every cell in my body is begging me to take you, but I didn’t want to rush you.”
Was the man insane? Even though she’d just rinsed, even she could smell her arousal. Hell, liquid was dripping down her leg. “You aren’t. Trust me.”
He grinned then pressed the head of his dick against her opening. She dropped down on him, but the angle wasn’t working. “Come from behind me, okay?” she asked.
“My pleasure. It’s one of my favorite positions. I can play with your tits that way.” Unwrapping her legs, he carefully set her down on his pants then spun her around. She planted her palms on the trunk of the tree for support.
He leaned over her, cupped her tits, and then placed his dick against her clit. Holy hell. She caught fire. Jay twirled her nipples and plucked them, acting as if he wasn’t in a hurry to impale her. Needing to do something about that, Sarah reached between them, grabbed his hard shaft, and pressed the tip against her opening again. Excitement spread like wildfire across her body and her heart was beating so fast, the sounds of the forest had dimmed.
Jay growled then tossed the shirt to the ground. “I can’t stand to have anything in my way.” He pressed his muscled chest against her back and streaks of pleasure zeroed in between her legs. He lifted a lock of her hair and inhaled audibly.
Why was he taking his time? She glanced down at his arm wrapped around her waist and spotted the hair on the back of his hands. “Ah, Jay?”
“I know. Give me a sec to gain some control.”
Sarah had planned to count to ten, but when she reached five, her inner beast took over. One didn’t have to be a werewolf to be driven by lust, passion, and desire. This man was worming his way into her heart, and she seemed unable to stop it.
She jammed her hips back, causing his hands to shoot to her waist. “Fuck, you feel good.”
The first two inches had her soaring, and she squeezed his dick with her inner walls for more friction. His sharpened nails dug into her side and then all hell broke loose. Jay filled her to the hilt, and bolts of electricity sizzled along her spine and robbed her of breath. When she pushed back again, he thrust into her all the way.
Like a well-oiled piston engine, he pummeled and drove into her while she gave as good as she took. Stars filled her vision and rimmed them with a bright light.
“You’re mine,” he grunted a second before his teeth sank into her neck.
Her fingers gripped the tree trunk so hard she feared she’d hurt it. The slight pain from the bite, coupled with the amazing connection set her orgasm into motion. Waves of pure ecstasy washed over her and time seemed to stand still.
He howled and held her close as his hot seed filled her with warmth. A minute later, the skin-to-skin contact ended and he withdrew. Jay turned her around and dragged a finger over the area where he’d sunk his teeth into her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bite you, but you are mine—or rather you’re mine and Riley’s.”
The independent woman in her was about to say she could never belong to any man, but then she clamped her mouth shut. Jay and Riley had been able to fulfill her every dream, not only in the bedroom—closet and forest not withstanding—but also with the way they treated her.
Did that mean she was ready to quit her job, move in with them, and wait for them to return from an assignment? Not right now, but she was a big proponent of never saying never. For now, she’d take it one day at a time, but heaven help her, she was falling for both men.
“I’m good.” Sarah wasn’t sure how to respond to the bite or his comment. Perhaps he’d been carried away with passion, but so had she. Hell, if she’d been facing the other way, she might have bitten him!
“Ready to go?” He glanced upward. “It’s getting late.”
Jeez. “I hadn’t even noticed. I guess that’s because we were distracted.”
He planted his naked body against hers again and cupped her chin. “Is that was this was? A distraction.”
Shit. While he was smiling, his eyes had darkened. “No, Jay, it was a lot more than that, but I’m not ready to discuss just what it is.”
He stepped back. “No rush.”
Disappointing him made her insides squeeze tight, but she needed to regroup, as she didn’t want to say something she’d regret later. Once they both dressed, she nodded to the path. “Jog back?”
The exercise would take her mind off how much she’d enjoyed his touch. Falling in love, though, was something she could ill afford. It was too soon to know exactly what this jittery feeling was called, but she hoped it was just lust.
She let Jay lead, in part because she liked watching his ass. He was a strong runner and she had to work to keep up.
When they reached the parking lot, Jay faced her. “You hungry?”
“Starving.” As he held open her car door, his cell rang. She looked up at him. “You can answer it. It’s probably important.”
He pulled out his phone. “It’s Riley,” he said to her. “Yeah? What’s up?” Jay stepped away from her car and kept his back to her. That couldn’t be good. After a short conversation, he walked back to her, his cell still against his ear. “Are you okay with pizza?”
That wasn’t what she expected him to ask. “Sure. I’m not picky.”
“Pizza’s good with Sarah. Okay, see you soon,” he said to Riley before disconnecting.
“Is Riley joining us?”
“Yes, but at the motel. He’s picking up dinner for us.”
She was sure that wasn’t the only reason Riley had called. “What else did he say?”
“Statler’s up to no good.”
She raised her brows. “That’s not news.”
“You’re right about that. Let’s go.”
She w
anted more details but decided not to ask—yet. Not prying had kept her alive this far. “I’ll follow you back.”
During the entire trip, Sarah was a bit miffed that Jay hadn’t told her what was going on, but she would deal. Right now, she wanted this mess to end so she could figure out what she was going to do about Riley and Jay.
Chapter Sixteen
Sarah paced the motel room. “Are you sure Riley is meeting us back here?”
“Yes. Relax. He’s with Connolly, so it may take time.” Jay was sprawled out on the bed looking way too calm.
Clearly, he knew something, and she couldn’t hold her question in any longer. “What exactly did Riley say?”
He blew out a breath. “Statler contacted Dr. Elkhart and wants you to check out the facility to see if it will be sufficient to help the ladies.”
That wasn’t too earth shattering, but the request seemed odd. “He trusted Elkhart to run his lab, so why change now?”
“Excellent question. Perhaps Elkhart is bilking him for a lot of money and Statler wants some assurance the fee is warranted.”
She shrugged. “It’s not like Statler has a lot of options for treatment. He can’t take the women to the local hospital.”
Before they could discuss their boss’s strange reaction, a car door slammed and a few seconds later Riley came in carrying a large pizza box and a bag of what she suspected held the drinks. “Sorry I’m late. I had to speak with Trax and Dante.”
“Who’re they?” She’d met Clay and Dirk but hadn’t interacted with them because their shift came after hers.
“They were the ones who set up the security system at the warehouse.”
“Ah. I saw them but we never spoke. Are they your people?”
He smiled. “Hardly mine, though they do work for the General.”
When he didn’t elaborate, she let it slide in part because her stomach was growling and she needed food. Between Clay, Dirk, Riley, and now this Trax and Dante team, the General should have enough people to take down one evil shifter. Sarah followed Riley over to the table. He opened the box and offered her a slice.
“Thanks.” In seconds, she wolfed it down.
Riley laughed. “Jay, you sly dog. You tired her out.”
Heat raced to her face and she spun around. Jay had a shit-eating grin on his face. “You told him?” she asked.
“Sweetheart, when it comes to our mate, we have no secrets. In this case, though, he can tell we had sex.”
They’d washed. “Because you’d said something to him.”
“No, it’s the look of total satisfaction on your face that gave it away.”
She laughed at his smugness. “You wish, Romeo.”
Look of satisfaction, indeed. That was bullshit. Or was it? While she was a bit upset over the fact the two men liked to keep her in the dark over what was happening, she had been content, or rather elated after each lovemaking session. Hell, she probably did glow, but that could have been from the chill of the icy water.
Jay had a way of making her feel special, while Riley brought out her inner bad girl.
Jay climbed off the bed. “I better nab some food. With the speed you’re chowing it down, there won’t be any left.”
She punched him as he walked by. “Ow. Don’t flex when I’m trying to punish you.”
“I didn’t. That’s all me, baby. You have to be prepared for a little pain when you’re with a real man.”
Her only response to his bravado was an exaggerated groan. Riley sat at one of the two chairs at the table looking uncomfortable, though she doubted it was from the hard surface. Something was eating at him, but she couldn’t tell what.
Sarah took the remaining chair, letting Jay fend for himself. “Tell me more about what I’m supposed to do tomorrow. Is Statler expecting me to inspect the equipment and nod my approval, or complain and demand better treatment for the women? I’d like to know my role.”
Riley blew out a breath. “I wish I knew. Connolly said when Statler called him he was rather upset, claiming he wanted to make sure he got his money’s worth.”
She didn’t want to think what that really meant. “The buyer wants women who are coherent. If Elkhart drugs them, they won’t be.”
“That’s not our problem at the moment,” Jay chimed in. “Can you tell us anything about this doctor? When he worked at the clinic, did he appear dangerous? Cruel? Have emotional issues?”
“When I had to interact with him, Dr. Elkhart appeared knowledgeable and competent. His ethics, however, were as bad as Statler’s in that he was willing to do whatever it took to find the key to werewolf immortality.”
She shook her head. Doing experiments on women for the sake of creating a superior race was wrong. When the Pack drove Statler underground, the women’s destiny changed from lab rats to human slaves, and Sarah wasn’t sure which was worse.
“Ford and Tyson were given those infusions, but I don’t think they believe they’re immortal. All of the super werewolves, including Statler, can be taken down if you rip out their throat,” Jay said.
She sat up straighter. “Then why don’t you both gang up on him and do that? Couldn’t the six of you take him down?”
Jay smiled. “I shot him in the heart once, but it didn’t do much good other than give him heartburn. I’m all for ganging up on him, but do you know where he is?”
“No.”
“There you go.”
Damn. When Statler was in the office the other day, the men should have taken him out, but they hadn’t. “Are you waiting to learn the name of his buyer so you can kill him, too? Is that why you haven’t nabbed Statler?”
Jay nodded. “It’s one of the reasons.”
Perhaps she didn’t want to know the other ones. She turned back to Riley. “Do we have a plan?”
“Not yet.”
* * *
Riley didn’t like the whole set-up of Sarah having to meet with Dr. Elkhart. It smelled wrong. Then again, everything Statler did stunk.
Once more, Riley studied the inside of the warehouse, trying to locate its weak points. Last night, he and Jay had discussed how to handle the transfer of the women from the warehouse to Dr. Elkhart’s clinic. Without having seen the inside of this place, they couldn’t come up with a foolproof plan. As much as he didn’t want to subject Sarah to this doctor, it would help give them a clearer picture of what they would be up against.
Connolly approached. “You wired for sound and sight, right?” He kept his voice low.
“So Dante claims.” Riley casually adjusted the hidden camera that was disguised as a shirt button.
“Good luck. I’ll check in with Trax and Dante. What time are you heading over?”
“As soon as Sarah’s ready.”
A few of the women needed significant care and Sarah’s worried about them, perhaps too much so. Amy wouldn’t be arriving for a few hours, but he didn’t want to wait until six to leave. He knocked on the door to the women’s room, pressed the code, and entered.
“Sarah?”
She stood, murmured something to the woman on the mattress at her feet, and then came toward him. Perhaps it was because he hadn’t slept much last night, tossing and turning from wanting and needing her, that when she drew near he almost gave in and held her. She smelled so fucking good, too. Each day, his urges were growing stronger with the need to claim her. Not only did he have a mission to finish, the idea of her leaving afterward was already causing him pain. The best course of action was to keep his distance.
He tried to be happy that she and Jay had connected, but damn, it only made the yearning worse.
“You want to go now?” she asked.
“It’s best if we do.” He followed her out. “Can you drive? Jay has the truck.” Not having the control bugged the shit out of him, but he’d deal.
“Sure. Do you have the directions?”
He tapped his forehead. “Just head east. I’ll tell you where to turn.”
Riley didn’t like t
hat this clinic was close to an hour from the warehouse. While MacKenzie and Chris had done extensive research looking for other factions who would want to waylay the women for their own profit, they’d come up empty-handed. That didn’t mean he could let down his guard.
“Do you know how the women will be transported?” she asked. “Some are in a delicate condition.”
“Connolly is working on that now.”
She glanced over at him. “What’s up with Connolly this and Connolly that? You two seem to be rather chummy. What gives?”
With the mission about to end, it wouldn’t hurt to come clean. “Don’t get mad but there were reasons why we’ve had to keep his identity a secret.”
Her hands gripped the wheel so hard her knuckles turned white. “A secret? What kind of secret?” Her voice didn’t rise, but a hard enough edge to it caused his gut to cramp.
Shit. Both he and Jay had kept her safety in mind when they decided not to involve her in all of the discussions. It would be too easy for Statler, or one of the other guards, to extract information from her. “He’s a rogue Pack member.”
She drew in her bottom lip and dragged her teeth along the edge, forcing him to look away or chance having to ask her to pull over. The urge to claim her was driving him crazy.
“Exactly what does rogue member mean?” she asked.
He stabbed his fingers through his hair. “Connolly used to be in the General’s platoon in the service. Since then, the General has used him on an as-needed basis. As much as the General would like to have Connolly join our merry bunch, Connolly’s a loner. Think of him as a contractor-for-hire.”
“Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“Sarah,” he said with a huff.
She held up a hand. “I get it. The less I know the better.”
Riley wanted to reach out and touch her, assure her they had her best interests in mind, but if he did, he might not be able to stop at just her arm. “In the beginning, there was no reason for you to know, but now I believe it’s time. All I ask is that when you’re at the warehouse, act as if he’s still Statler’s right hand man.”