That moving speech led to another round of lovemaking. When we’d finished, we lay in each other’s arms, breathing hard.
Theo said, “Do you want to go out for dinner or stay in?”
“Depends,” I said, tracing his jaw with my finger. “I guess I need to know when we’re leaving.”
“Do you want to leave tomorrow?” Theo asked.
“No,” I said, kissing him. “I want a little time with you. Just us, together.”
“Like a honeymoon?” he said, grinning at me.
“Exactly like that,” I said, kissing him again.
* * * *
After seeing to the dogs the next morning, we drove into town. Theo closed out his bank account and his PO Box, asking his mail to be forwarded to my house.
“It was mostly just statements from my banks back East,” Theo said as we left. “I had a little money stashed under a few aliases that I’ve been drawing on and depositing here in town. Do you want to get lunch? There’s a good local diner near here.”
“Sure.”
We ate at the local diner, Pete’s. Theo was greeted like a regular. I, however, drew looks of surprise and curiosity.
“The food’s great. This cake is nice and gooey.”
“Not as good as your pie,” Theo murmured. “Your pie was always the best.”
“I can make you one later. We should stop anyway and get groceries, as I’m nearly out of dog food. And we’ve got to go get my truck...our truck from the motel parking lot.”
“The local store is just across the street. The truck can wait.” He stood up and paid the bill. “Come on.”
While we shopped, I kept expecting Aspen to show up and make a scene. But if she was around, I never saw her.
After putting away the food at his place, we took the dogs outside on the lawn and lay in the sun with them. It was a particularly nice day, the sun warm on our skin. We stayed outside until dark, dozing.
“I’m still tired,” I said groggily, as he helped me to my feet.
“Go inside and go to bed,” he answered. “I’ll lock up everything and then be right it.”
Before collapsing into bed, I called Terian as he’d asked to check in. Oddly, all I got was voice mail.
* * * *
The next morning Theo and I drove down to the motel to get my truck. Before he let me near it, he checked it over carefully, then started it up and listened to it run for a few minutes.
“It was here for days unattended,” he said by way of explanation. “But everything looks okay.” He patted the hood. “I’m glad you kept it, the newer model I’ve got is—”
“Why are you so worried?’ I asked, not understanding. “Everyone thinks you’re dead, including the other ranked bodyguards. There shouldn’t be anyone here after you.”
Theo’s eyes looked very old suddenly. His eyes slid away from mine. “Sar, I’ve done a lot of things for Danial over the years. Most of them were justified, but some were proactive. A lot of them were simple and neat, but others were brutal. There is always going to be someone, somewhere, who would like to see me dead, who would pay to see it done. And if you, who have no formal training, could find me so easily, then so could they.”
I shuddered. Theo was saying that he’d always be in danger. It followed that as his wife, I’d be in danger, too.
“Come on, let’s go,” he said. “The day is wasting.”
I got in the truck and followed him back to his home.
“Come walk with me,” Theo enticed, getting out of his truck.
“Let me grab the dogs,” I replied as I shut the door. “We should walk them before it gets too hot.”
After a three-mile hike, we returned to his front door around midday. The sun was hot now, and we were all tired. After a quick lunch, we left Ghost and Darkness snoozing and went out again.
“No long walks until tomorrow,” I stated as I followed him. “I’m tired.”
“It’s not much further.”
Theo led me to a patch of bluff overlooking a small depression in the earth. There was a small stream there, hardly more than a trickle, but it provided some green grass and a few pine trees. The sky was blue above us, free of clouds.
“I liked to come here and carve,” he said, as he helped me sit. “The sun is always pleasant here and not too hot. It’s hard to imagine the glaciers that created this depression and these valleys.”
“Tell me about them.”
We held hands as he told me about the glaciers that had once been over the whole west, carving various rock formations and shifting stones miles from their origin. Then he pointed out a few nearby rocks and told me their names.
“Impressive,” I said respectfully.
“I wanted to know about my surroundings and I’d forgotten everything I’d learned when I was in school,” he admitted. He gave me a sidelong glance. “Would you mind if I changed form?”
“No,” I said curiously.
Theo took off his clothes and his gun and went to his knees. Abruptly, he shifted—faster than I’d ever seen him, his limbs contorting and stretching to become cougar. Within a minute, he lay before me, golden yellow eyes and buff colored fur.
He rolled to his feet and immediately began to stalk me. I backed away, laughing. Then he stood on his hind legs, reaching his paws up around my neck. He gently leaned on me, nuzzling my neck.
I eased down onto the grass. Theo backed away as I did, then returned to lick me, purring and rubbing me with his head. Carefully, I took his face in my hands and kissed him on the mouth. Theo opened his mouth on mine, his large tongue teasing my lips, then sat back on his haunches. He nudged me with his head, grabbing the bottom of my shirt in his teeth and tugging upward.
I knew what he wanted. Part of me was taken aback. The rest was excited.
“Be gentle,” I cautioned, taking off my clothes.
Theo nodded earnestly, his tail twitching in excitement.
As soon as I was naked, Theo moved in close, jumping up on my back and growling softly. There was no force behind his paws, but raw energy coursed through his body, his movements clearly impatient.
We wouldn’t be able to have sex the usual way. He couldn’t really kiss me in this form or even touch me much. I shivered, going to my knees.
Theo immediately moved his body tight against mine, crouching on his hind legs. He put his front legs around my hips, then pulled back suddenly as he raised his hips. His penis penetrated me slightly, then began to slide deeper.
He trembled. His hot breath sounded loud in my ears. He pushed harder, growling slightly. He slipped in further, the thickness of him drawing a moan of pleasure from me. Suddenly he pushed hard, drawing a sharp gasp from me as his penis abruptly ran out of room.
I was afraid to move. He was too big. I was too full...
Theo licked my cheek gently. Then he pulled my hips backwards, tight against him, pushing the last inches of himself inside. I jerked and cried out at the sharp pain.
He licked the back of my neck, then his fangs softly bit me again, pressing, holding me still. I relaxed slightly. He tightened his paws again and quickly began to work his hips rhythmically. He didn’t give any time between one stroke and the next. Though the feeling of being filled persisted, it quickly became one of pleasure, as his body stroked mine all over inside.
I no longer cared about the pain; I wanted to come too badly. I groaned with each thrust. Theo’s growling intensifying. Then suddenly I was there, the rollicking movements of his body bringing me hard as I screamed loudly. Theo let out a snarl and kept going. A few seconds later he shuddered, then clutched me hard in his paws, letting out a long echoing roar as his body pulsated.
Dismounting, he collapsed onto his side, breathing hard, his mouth open. Carefully, I lay down on my side to face him, using his shirt and jeans to cushion the ground. A quick inspection revealed I’d gotten scraped knees, but that was all.
Theo shifted back to human. As soon as he finished he moved closer, taking m
e in his arms. “Did I hurt you?” he asked. “I’m sorry.”
“I’ll be okay,” I said, hugging him. “I enjoyed it.”
He smiled contentedly. “I had the fantasy of finding you here, then having you in my other form so many times.”
I’d known it had to be something like that from the way he’d acted. “Was it like you thought it would be?”
“Better,” he sighed happily. “I’d love a repeat performance, if you’re up for it.”
“Sorry,” I said sheepishly. “I need a while to heal and recover. A day or so at least—”
He hugged me tightly. “Just tell me when you’re ready. I can wait. I want it to be just as good for you as it is for me.” He kissed me. “Sleep here with me, Sar.”
He curled his body around mine, and we slept there naked in the weak sun. When the sun began to set, the cool air woke us.
Theo got to his feet. “Let me buy you dinner tonight.”
After dressing and checking on the dogs, Theo drove us to a nearby bar. As we walked to a booth, some of the men we passed greeted him as they gave me appreciative glances.
“Large pizza,” Theo said to the waitress. “Water for me, but she’d like a glass of red wine.”
“You really want water, Theo?” I asked when she left. “Wouldn’t you rather have wine?”
“Let’s say I acquired a taste for it,” he said, haunted. “In those months I spent away from you, wine was much easier to come by than water. Sometimes I think I can’t ever drink enough.” A shadow passed over his face.
I clasped his hand. “I’m here if you need someone to listen.”
He looked up at me and the shadow disappeared. “Thanks.”
My wine and his water came. Theo drank a few swallows, then set it aside.
I tasted mine. I’d known it was too much to expect a Shiraz here, but this Cabernet was quite nice.
“That’s the local band, Redheart,” Theo said, pointing to the live musicians in the corner playing Country and Western. “I like them.”
To my relief, the music wasn’t the twangy kind. This was the more modern rock played on most country stations with a younger audience. The band was playing covers, and some of the songs were familiar.
“Do you want to dance?” Theo asked, seeing me moving my foot.
“Do you know how?” I asked, then flushed.
He roared with laughter. A few people at the bar turned around to look. I flushed deeper.
“If I didn’t know how, I wouldn’t have asked you,” he said finally, his eyes sparkling with mirth.
“Okay then, let’s see what you’ve got,” I said, offering him my hand.
He led me onto the dance floor and proceeded to show me that he did know how to swing dance. While Theo didn’t have Danial’s skill and grace, he had passion, which is half of dancing. He turned and swung me around until I was breathless and flushed.
As a slow song started, he put my arms around his neck and pulled me close. “How was that?” he said suggestively.
“Very good,” I said huskily. “Except I want some more.”
“After we eat,” Theo said teasingly, leading me back toward the table. “Our pizza’s here.”
After two pieces and another half hour of dancing, I was hot, tired and ready for bed.
“I think it’s time to take you home,” Theo said softly, putting some money on the table. “You need some sleep, and I need more food.”
“You had the rest of the pizza,” I teased, following him outside. “Or was that a hint you wanted me to make you—”
“Shh,” he hissed, stopping abruptly.
“What is it?” I whispered.
“There are men waiting for someone out here,” he whispered back.
“How many?” I asked.
“Five or six,” he said.
Great. I’d brought my gun, but it was in the truck. “Tell me what to do.”
He took my hand. “We’ll walk to the truck. If they approach us, get behind me.”
As we reached the truck, a group of men materialized out of the shadows.
“Theo, we have business with you,” one of them said.
“Get inside and lock the doors,” Theo said, stepping in front of me.
I obeyed him. As the locks slid home, Theo turned back to the man who had spoken. “What is it, Doug?”
“We won’t hurt your girl. But Aspen told us that you cheated on her, then roughed her up. We’re here to let you know that isn’t right—”
“And to beat the point into me, right?” Theo said mockingly.
“Smart man,” Doug said.
“She lied to you,” Theo said, looking him in the eye. “Not that my sex life is your business.”
“I’m the deputy sheriff,” Doug retorted. “We take a tearful woman’s complaints seriously in this town, especially when they’re against her fiancé.”
“She and I were never more than lovers, and I never laid a hand on her.”
I wondered if that was true. By her actions, Aspen had clearly thought she was more than a convenient lay. Maybe there was more to this story than Theo had admitted to.
“Doesn’t matter. She’s upset that you’ve taken up with this woman.”
“This woman is my wife.”
“Be that as it may, we told Aspen we’d teach you wrong from right, and we aim to do it, here and now.”
“Then get on with it and stop talking.”
Doug and his men moved in on Theo. One threw a punch, and he avoided it, putting his fist into the man’s gut. The next jumped on him, while another tried to punch him. He threw the one on his back onto the other in front of him, and they both went down hard and didn’t get up. Another tried to kick out his kneecap. Theo pushed him, but he didn’t hold back as he had with the other men. The guy flew into the side of a truck, denting it and knocking the man out cold.
The last man standing pulled a knife. Theo pulled a knife of his own, and they circled one another.
“Let it go, Doug,” Theo said angrily.
“No,” Doug said coldly. He darted in, yelling, trying to slash Theo with his knife.
Theo silently knocked the knife out of Doug’s hand and pushed him into the side of the building, dazing him. He picked up the knife, then held Doug firm as he brought the blade down in an arc. Doug let out a scream as it sunk in a few millimeters above his left collarbone, trapping him there by his shirt collar.
“How did you do that?” Doug whispered, quaking. “Who are you?”
“No one,” Theo said tiredly. “I’ll be leaving town tomorrow for good. Don’t follow and you’ll never see me again. You do, and you’ll regret it.”
Theo turned and walked back toward the truck. I opened the door for him, then heard the click of a safety.
Theo wheeled, blocking me as he turned to face a man holding a gun.
“Gary, let it go,” Theo said reluctantly. “I’m only going to tell you once—”
“No!” Gary yelled furiously. “I loved Aspen. She and I were starting to date. Then you came along, and she dropped me.”
“Shouldn’t you be angry at her then?” Theo said sarcastically.
“It’s your fault!” Gary shouted. “If you’re dead, she’ll want me again.”
A shot rang out, and Gary yelped, dropping his gun. Theo turned in surprise.
I kept my gun trained on Gary. “That’s my husband you’re threatening,” I said coldly. “Get going before I put a hole in your heart for real.”
Gary slowly backed away, then took off running. Theo grabbed Gary’s dropped gun, then got behind the wheel. I kept my gun ready to fire until we’d left the bar parking lot.
“That was some shooting, Sar,” he said, reaching over with one hand to pull me close. He kissed me hard, then jerked away as the tire went up over the curb. Theo spun the wheel, and the truck righted itself back on the road.
“Nice handling,” I laughed and shook my head.
Theo shot me a grin.
; “You were right to insist I practice all those years ago,” I continued more somberly. “Do you think it’s safe to stay at your place tonight?”
“I’ll hear anyone who comes around,” Theo said with a reassuring smile. “But likely they’ll leave us alone. They’re a bunch of cowards.”
* * * *
I awoke the next morning and began packing everything that I knew was going with us. While emptying the kitchen, I found the supplies for pie that Theo had bought.
Well, there was no use dragging them all the way home. After putting the bags and boxes in the trucks, I made Theo the pie and set it to baking. As it baked, I snapped a few photos of the house from outside and inside and then ate a late breakfast.
Theo was still in bed. I undressed and took a long shower, washing my hair and then packed the rest of the toiletries up. Slipping into my robe, I put them in the truck.
When Theo still didn’t emerge, I headed back inside. As I sat down beside him on the bed, he opened his eyes.
“Is it later yet?” he whispered, grabbing me in his arms.
“No,” I said, pushing him away. “’Later’ is after we leave tonight. When we’re safe.”
“I think I can tell we’re married now,” he said, frowning at me.
Ouch. “Hey,” I said, giving him dagger eyes. “If that’s the way you feel, I’ll just go and toss out the pie I slaved over this morning.” I got up and started for the door.
“There’s pie?” Theo said, immediately alert. “You baked?”
“Not for long,” I said in my best bitchy tone.
As I opened the door, Theo pulled me back, then pushed me up against the wall to trap me between his arms like he had that first night we kissed. He kissed me eagerly, then licked my lips in a teasing motion until I opened my mouth, allowing him entry. He ground his pelvis into mine, his erection sheathed in the velvet of my robe rubbing between my thighs. I let out a moan of longing.
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