Heartfelt

by Lynn Crandall

  The air in the room got thin. He didn’t want to tell them. But they all sat in silence, as though holding their breath, waiting for him to finish.

  “The scents I picked up were animal scents. I also picked up the scent of human remains.” His gaze shot to Asia, just in time to see her face stricken and pale.

  “My mother … kept alive in a drugged state to be fed to big cats? It’s so, so—”

  “Savage,” Conrad interjected.

  Asia growled, a low, boiling rage in her throat. “Unthinkable. The homeless woman Conrad and I talked to, Candy was her name, said someone had come numerous times to where her group gathers on the ground under the Church Street Bridge. That’s where my mother was taken from. Candy said people who were taken away didn’t come back.”

  “We got her out, Asia. She’s safe.” Shaun frowned. “It’s terrible and unconscionable, but TNG’s plans for your mom have been circumvented.”

  “And now that we all know what’s going on out there, we can formulate a plan that will enable us to free Casey,” Kennedy said. “Let’s get to it.”

  “Right. The plan first, then the action. Tonight,” Asia added.

  Booker shook his head. “I want to get right at rescuing Casey. But today has been long and troubling. We’re physically and emotionally spent. How about we take a little time for napping, then we eat. We’ll be in better shape to face whatever occurs on the preserve.”

  “I won’t sleep. Not with Casey in captivity.” Kennedy’s lips formed a firm line.

  “We can make our plan, but then get some sleep,” Conrad suggested, knowing how very eager everyone was to get to Casey.

  “No, I think Booker is right.” Michelle glanced around the room, a weary look to her face. “Just a few hours. We can get up and head out at dawn.”

  • • •

  Asia stepped out the back door while members of the colony began planning along with Ben and Sterling and Jackson and Lacey. Guilt traipsed through her body, reminding her she should help out.

  She just needed some fresh air to clear her mind and freshen her strength. Dusk was falling, and the trees cast shadows—perfect places to get lost in, she thought to herself. The danger, the loss, the ever-present threat of exposure, and now human predators and maybe some of their own kind messing with the world, it was all the not-normal stuff she’d wanted to get away from.

  And then today happened. The peek into a way of being that was pure and peaceful, yet full of aliveness changed her. She shook her head. She wanted to know more of that kind of living, and she wanted to try it with her best friend. Her heart had expanded in such a way to see him differently, see his flaws and weaknesses and be able to contain them. And perhaps love him.

  It made sense now, that he’d become attractive to her at a primal level. She’d hated his prejudice against humans, but she could see why he felt as he did. It didn’t mean she agreed but it didn’t make him unlovable either.

  Goosebumps prickled her skin as she relived the moment she’d kissed him. It had shocked her as much as Conrad. Asia licked her lips, remembering the luscious way he’d kissed her back. Even in the moment they’d faced losing each other, they’d maybe found each other anew.

  Before she heard the back door open quietly, Asia knew Conrad was close. His scent came to her on a spring breeze. He stepped up beside her and stared at the sky.

  “It’s so serene out here,” he said. “Quite a contrast to the day’s activities and the horrible things we know are happening at that damned preserve.”

  He turned her toward him and lifted her chin. “Do you think we could talk now?”

  Asia slanted her head and raised her chin higher. “No. Not just now.” Her lips moved toward his slowly, as though pulled by an invisible force. He bent lower, and pressed his warm lips to hers. His arms enveloped her, pressing her firmly against him.

  She pulled back and in the darkening light, saw his eyes glisten.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Conrad couldn’t read minds but he could clearly sense that Asia wanted him, just as he wanted her.

  “It’s not the most convenient time or place.” Her eyes, liquid brown with glints of green stars, looked steadily into his.

  “No, it’s not.” His nostrils flared, enhancing his ability to breathe in her scent. He didn’t care that the moment was out of step. Inside, the rest of the colony prepared for a risky rescue. Saving Casey was urgent. But he could have lost his friend today and Asia knew she could have lost him. In that moment they’d had the presence of mind and heart to appreciate that life is fleeting.

  “I don’t care. We’ve got now, and that’s all.”

  “I don’t care either.” He grabbed her hand and together they jogged away from the house and the planning and Asia’s mother and into the woods. One step in and he stopped. He cupped her face and pressed his mouth to hers, tasting of her sweet lips and driving passion. He pulled away from the kiss, his hands maintaining his touch on her, and bent his head back to fill with all the sensations around them. He couldn’t stop a low growl from slipping through his lips.

  Asia chuckled, then took his hand and continued forward, deeper into the woods until she found an open patch of new grass surrounded by trees. She reached for Conrad, snuggling up close under his chin.

  Conrad groaned, the tension building fast. He whisked her dark shirt over her head, tossing it to the ground. Darkness among the trees enveloped them, but it didn’t affect his ability to see her steamy expression. His breath coming fast, he paused to enjoy her beauty—the delicious swells of her breasts, the slender look of her shoulders, her muscled arms. “Oh my God,” he whispered.

  Asia’s chest rose and fell in rapid breaths. She tore off his shirt and grabbed him close, harsh, and fast. “I love the feel of our skin touching,” she murmured in his ear.

  “Your skin is so soft.” Kissing her shoulders, his eyes closed to better enjoy the satiny feel. He dropped one bra strap, then traced the curvature of her breasts and kissed the pink tip.

  Asia moaned and swiftly removed her bra, then her underwear.

  His pants and boxers infuriated Conrad. They stood between him and naked ecstasy with Asia. He unzipped while Asia watched, then threw off both. He thought of laying out the clothes for her to lie on. He pulled his shirt out flat and reached for his pants, but stopped.

  A passionate growl slipped through Asia’s lips. Her eyes lidded and misty, she drew him down to the ground as she stretched out on the grass, half on, half off his shirt. He didn’t hesitate to press a fierce kiss to her waiting lips. Fast and vigorously, he pulled at her bottom lip, then kissed her full on. The kiss opened a raging river of feelings. Not just lust for the most beautiful body he’d ever seen, but for wanting her completely. Now. Right here on the ground, a whispering spring wind sounding through the trees. The natural setting was something they shared a mutual comfort with. It incited his passion further.

  He lay on his back beside Asia and pulled her up to straddle him. He cupped her breasts and felt the weight of them in his hands—soft firm mounds of sweet flesh. He took her nipples one at time and lavished them with his tongue, his mouth.

  Asia whimpered and arched her back. He sat up and held her tight as her arms gripped his midsection. “I love the feel of you,” she murmured. She looked up at him and let loose a teasing smile. “All of you.” She shimmied down lower, pressing kisses to his tingling body. She lay across his leg and caressed his hardness, then kissed her way to the tip.

  “Damn, woman. You’re driving me insane.” He pushed her to her back and pressed his body to hers. She wriggled appreciatively, driving him further under her spell. “I love you, Asia.”

  She stilled and touched his face. “I love you, Conrad.”

  Her eyes melted him. He pushed inside her, thrusting gently, savoring the moment of their complete togetherness.

  Asia wrapped her legs around him and pulled him down, deeper into her feminine embrace. His body took over, thrusting, ro
cking with her, wanting nothing but Asia and this moment of honesty.

  “You feel so good,” she whispered, then rocked instinctively to his rhythm. They blended, holding tight to each other, and finally his body pulsated in time with hers. Slowly, the motion subsided and they remained one on one, exhausted.

  The sounds of the forest caressed their warm, naked skin. He gently pressed a kiss to her succulent mouth. Her lips welcomed him, her tongue meeting his in a passionate dance.

  He laid his head back on the ground, wishing their time could continue.

  “That was lovely, Conrad,” Asia said from the ground. She touched a lock of his hair that had fallen in his eyes. “This was better than talking.” She smiled up at him.

  “Way better.” He tweaked her nose. “But we better get back to the house. There is a rescue operation being planned and we might be missed.”

  He helped to her feet and they each dressed.

  “Do we need a cover story?” Conrad didn’t think there was any point to lying, but if they told the truth things could get complicated.

  “Let’s just play it by ear. I’m fine with a cover or not. The others might be miffed that we snuck off, but on the other hand, they might understand.”

  “So yes, no, maybe. Sounds like a good plan.” He chuckled, then took her hand and walked with her back to the house.

  “Is this going to be awkward between us?” Asia frowned. “We do need to talk.”

  “Yes, we do.”

  As they stepped through the back door and headed toward the voices in the living room, Conrad braced himself for the were-cats’ reaction to his absence during the planning. Little pricks of guilt jabbed at his bliss. He glanced down at Asia and she smiled up at him. They both understood the gravity of the situation with Casey, but who could resist the allure and the promise of a new love?

  “I’m going to check on my mother.” Asia gave Conrad a sheepish grin.

  “Coward,” he teased. Then again, separating might be the best idea.

  She slipped into the room where her mother was and Conrad drifted into the living room on a whiff of salmon salad, rye bread, and steamed vegetables. “Wow, the food smells delicious.”

  “Grab some while you can.” Asher’s plate was almost empty and he had that look of going for seconds.

  Conrad avoided his eyes and filled his plate. As he took a seat at the table, he surveyed the others. Michelle’s eyes grabbed his gaze. He couldn’t pull away but discomfort tensed his muscles. Hiding from Michelle was impossible. His heart deflated, feeling terribly inappropriate to have pleasured with Asia at a time when Michelle’s fiancé, the colony’s leader, was in jeopardy.

  His mouth too dry to speak the words that came to him, he stared at her.

  “Dig in, Conrad,” she said, smiling at him. “We’ve got to finish planning and get some rest.”

  Relief relaxed his muscles. He nodded appreciatively.

  “Yeah, we need your input on the plan.” Tizzy eyed him. “Where have you been? Where’s Asia?”

  “We had personal business to tend to.” Even to his own ears it sounded like a lame excuse. “Asia is checking on her mother.”

  “Is that what that scent is, personal business?” Quinn winked.

  Warmth spread up his neck and into his cheeks. He concentrated hard on chewing his food. The walls were closing in and he, the guy who always had an answer and was never at a loss for words, was speechless.

  He noticed Asia walk in the room before he saw her. He wanted to spare her the embarrassment of outing their intimate moments.

  She kissed the top of his head and fluffed his hair. “What’s this about personal business, Quinn?” She bent her face to Conrad’s and gave him a quick, soft kiss that stirred his insides again.

  “We were missed.” Conrad smiled at Asia as she got her food and took a seat beside him.

  “See, this is what we have to contend with as members of a were-cat colony. Everyone knows what’s going on at all times. Can’t even sneak away for quote, personal business without being harassed.” Asia frowned, but Conrad saw the twinkle in her eyes.

  Shaun exchanged a glance with Booker, a warm, knowing smile that touched Conrad’s heart. “I think it’s great,” Shaun said. “You two have been friends forever. It seems natural to me.”

  “Natural. If we weren’t into serious business I would so take that word and make a joke.” Asher’s smile lit his face.

  Booker pulled away from the table, carrying his dishes to the kitchen counter. “Enough playtime. Finish up. We need to finalize our plans.”

  • • •

  “For the benefit of Conrad and Asia, I’ll review what we’ve already figured out,” Booker said.

  Asia’s stomach relaxed. The moment of revelation about her and Conrad was over. “Thank you.”

  Booker gave her a half-grin. “Kennedy found blueprints for each building on the preserve: the Nature Center, the Clubhouse, and the Phoenix Biosciences Research Center.”

  “The Nature Center is the public face of the preserve. It caters to tourists who are there to visit the animals.” Kennedy sighed heavily. “The Clubhouse is for the hunters. It’s located deeper into the property and it’s off-limits to tourists.”

  “The name is so misleading. It sounds like a place where Mickey Mouse would hang out, not a place where killers glorify murder.” Lara’s arms wrapped around her body, as though holding in deep sorrow.

  “The Phoenix Biosciences Research Center is our destination,” Kennedy said. “Its presence is not a secret because TNG presents it as a place where research on drugs and procedures that help animals are done.”

  Asia balled her fists. “What Conrad and I saw did not look healthy for any human or any animal. That burns me up. They are sedating and preparing humans for animal food. I don’t know what they’re doing with the men, but I can imagine it’s detrimental to their health.”

  Conrad agreed. “That would be the place to find Casey. He’s a were-lynx, so he may be implanted, not given the drug.”

  “I agree. From what Sterling and I saw on our tour, there was no other building where research was obviously being conducted,” Lacey added.

  Conrad continued. “While we would love to really mess up the whole operation, our goal is to rescue Casey. Using the intel we’ve gathered, we’ll enter the grounds at the same point and go straight to Phoenix. We need four volunteers to get into the building, find Casey, and get him out, as quickly as possible without notice.”

  “I’ll go.” Tizzy’s large eyes blinked, and she waited for a response. When she got none , she made her case. “I can leap higher than anyone in this room. I’m small, but I’m just as strong as any of you.”

  “She’s right,” Conrad said. “Going in like Asia and I did at the front door is out. That’s compromised. Tizzy could leap to the roof and see if we could get in from there undetected.”

  Asia’s heart flipped. She suspected what his next words would be.

  “I’ll go.” He eyed her, searching her face for understanding.

  “We both should go. We have a sense of the layout.” Asia held his gaze, ignoring the frown on his face.

  Booker looked around the room, silent. “So Tizzy, Conrad, and Asia. We need one more volunteer.”

  “I’m in. It’s got to be me,” Asher said. “I can nudge any aggressors and lessen the chances of on-the-spot conflicts.”

  “Okay, thanks. We’ve got our rescue team. The rest of us will be the support team, watching out for problems and taking down obstructions, such as men with guns.” Booker looked softly at his wife. “I don’t want any injuries or, well, any harm to come to any of us. The plan is to get in and out clean and bring Casey back home.”

  Asia took a moment for one last check of her mother. With all the chaos the colony was facing, it was soothing to see her mother lying peacefully in bed, away from Phoenix Biosciences. She kissed her head, then turned away to join the others in preparation for rescuing Casey before
it was too late.

  In the hall, she ran into Conrad. Her heart fluttered, uncontrolled but pleasant. “Mom is still sleeping.”

  “Michelle will keep an eye on her. We’ve got Shaun and Booker to take care of her when we return with Casey.”

  “I like your attitude, Conrad.” She wished she felt it, too. “I don’t want to lose you. When we get there, please—”

  “Stop. You’re putting yourself through something bad before it even happens.” He caressed her check, raising pleasant sensations inside her.

  “So think happy thoughts?” she joked.

  He put her hand to his chest and covered it with his own. “Be confident. I don’t want to lose you either.”

  She could see his brain working. It was a familiar sight, one she’d known for so many years and hadn’t expected she would end up loving him. So much. So hard.

  “This is it for me, Asia. I’m in love with you, I respect you. I don’t plan to lose you.”

  Lara poked her head into the hall. “Come on, you two love birds. We’re bedding down for a couple hours. Conrad, you’re needed in the living room.”

  As Conrad walked away, Asia moved to follow, but Lara stopped her. “I just said that to get him out of here.” A smile managed to escape Lara’s sorrow over Casey.

  “What’s up?”

  “I want to tell you how happy I am for you and Conrad, finally admitting you love each other.” She wrapped a hug around Asia.

  “Finally? What do you mean?”

  She shrugged. “You’ve always been so close. I suspected it would happen, you falling in love with each other, all along.”

  “It is glorious.” Asia couldn’t suppress the smile in her heart from leaping onto her face. “What about you? What’s going on with your life, if I may ask? A secret lover, a human we haven’t met?”