“I’m drinking you in.” He groaned when her hands started to work on the buttons of his waistcoat. “Savoring the moment.”
“How long does savoring usually last?” Ro glanced behind her to the vault before meeting his eyes pointedly. She raised her brow. “I would think there’re other things to savor.”
King’s chest vibrated with soft laughter, before his hands finally started to move, sliding down her thighs to her knees before moving back up again. He stayed far away from anything fun, however. “Oh, there will be plenty to savor, Red. Haven’t you ever heard that patience is a virtue?”
“I never claimed to be virtuous, and I’m not that patient. But I’m not helpless either.” Ro pulled his waistcoat open and went to work on the shirt underneath.
“Maybe being patient is for your benefit, so that I don’t lose control.” King’s voice was husky when he spoke the words, leaning his head closer.
“Losing control isn’t such a bad thing,” Ro replied, tugging harder on the fastenings to pull them apart. The final button came away and she ripped the expensive material open, sucking in a breath at the rippling muscle beneath. Slowly, carefully, she pressed her hands against his chest, his warmth soaking in through her fingers. A growl rumbled in his chest, his nostrils flaring.
“Losing control could be dangerous.”
“Maybe I like danger.” Ro shoved his jacket, waistcoat, and shirt over his shoulders, and he happily rolled them and let the material fall to the floor. He didn’t care that they would get ruined with dust or dirt. He didn’t even look where they landed. Ro was only occupied with the sight of Virgil King in nothing more than his trousers and Homburg hat. She plucked the hat from his head and tossed it on another desk before she threaded her fingers through his hair, messing up the perfect style.
“I don’t doubt that,” he growled, the green of his eyes flickering between man and reptile. “You’re here with me after all.”
“That ain’t so dangerous.” Slowly, Ro curled her fingers into the hair at the base of his neck. “I’ve seen rattlers feistier than you.”
Finally, King’s fingers trailed up her waist and to the braid that hung over her shoulder. He went to work gently pulling the strands free as he chuckled. “I can’t tell if that’s an insult or not,” he said, finishing the braid and shaking her hair free before threading those fingers in to scrape against her scalp. “I’m the King. I can’t be compared with a mere snake.”
“You’re right,” Ro teased. “The snake is probably deadlier.”
King growled and clenched his fist in her hair gently, wrenching her head back enough that she grinned. “You’re gonna push the wrong buttons, Red. You might not like who I become.”
Ro chuckled, her eyes staring deep into his. “Hot air and false promises.”
King’s eyes glowed so bright, Ro almost had to squint her eyes before he cracked and slanted his lips over hers, viciously taking control. She moaned into his mouth, her hands tightening at the base of his skull, as his tongue swept inside to tangle with hers. The kiss they’d shared before had been tame compared to this one. King used his hand in her hair to hold her still, to angle her how he wanted, not letting her gain the upper hand. The funny thing was, Ro didn’t give up control so easily. She released her hold on his hair, and stroked her nails along his shoulders and over his chest, before going down to the waist of his trousers. She slipped her hand inside before he could stop her and wrapped around his hard length. King hissed against her mouth, before drawing away.
“You really do like danger,” he growled, and then he ripped her shirt open, tearing the material and popping off all the buttons.
Ro sighed heavily and leaned backwards, withdrawing her hand from his length. “This was my favorite shirt.”
“Too bad.” King pulled the material from her shoulders, baring her undergarments beneath. He made quick work of those too, until they both wore only their trousers. “You said you had a fantasy. Stop worrying about the little things.”
King didn’t know that having sex on top of money wasn’t one of Ro’s fantasies. She certainly wasn’t going to come clean, but the more they started touching, the more vigorous it got, and she realized she was looking forward to this “fantasy” all the same. Suddenly, she knew it would be something she remembered, that it would indeed become a fantasy in her mind for years to come. When King reached down and scooped Ro off the desk, she wrapped her legs around his waist without overthinking it. She knew he’d hold her up, just like she knew he was headed for the vault. This was it. She needed to pay attention to every detail.
That was a little difficult when King’s hands cupped her ass and grinded himself against the apex of her thighs. It was only made worse when her mouth seemed to have a mind of its own and she started licking up his collarbone, then the tendon on the side of his neck, nipping his skin with tiny bites. King growled and squeezed her ass harder, not hurting her, but it was enough that she might have marks after this. She didn’t mind. They were vastly different. Sex between dinosaurs and humans could get weird, but she chose to go with the flow.
It’s not like this was her first time with a scaly.
Ro immediately pushed that thought out of her head. Instead, she focused on distracting King enough that when he pulled a set of keys from his pocket and slid it home inside the vault lock, he didn’t even realize that she watched the extra turn the safe required, or the small combination he also entered. She couldn’t see the exact numbers, but if they went according to the plan, they wouldn’t need it. King would open the vault himself.
The giant door swung outward, and then King took them inside the dark room. For a moment, Ro was disappointed that she wouldn’t be able to see anything, but then King turned up a gas lantern chandelier—there’s a damn chandelier in the vault! —and everything was washed with a yellow glow.
Ro glanced around as best as she could while still kissing along King’s addictive skin. She kept having to remind herself that she had a job here, but it was becoming more and more difficult to remember that, especially when King pushed her against a shelf loaded with money bags. It became a mess of fighting to see who could get who naked first, with Ro pulling at King’s clothing until he was a rumpled mess before he shrugged out of the material. Just as quickly, he’d stripped her of her trousers and boots, her undergarments.
“On top of gold,” King growled to himself, as if restraining his actions, then he scooped her up by her ass again and laid her down on the stack of gold bars in the center of the room, right beneath the chandelier. The metal was cold on her back, but it felt good against her heated skin. King’s fingers slipped through her folds, testing her wetness, and when he felt her, he growled, “Fucking hell, I need to calm down.”
“Calm?” Ro echoed on a breathy moan. “I need ferocious, not calm.”
King grinned. “You want me to give in to my Rex, Red?”
“Yes.” Ro spread her legs wider and King’s nostrils flared. His eyes flashed dangerously, claws tipping his fingers.
He grasped her hips in his hands and lined his cock up with her entrance, teasing, holding off. Ro rolled her hips against him and another growl burst from his lips, but he got the hint. He pressed inside, moving agonizingly slow, until he was fully seated, then he stopped.
Ro closed her eyes in pleasure, the feeling of him stretching her unlike anything she expected. “Touch yourself,” King demanded, and her eyes popped open to meet his. Without looking away, Ro ran her hands up her stomach and to her breasts, rolling her nipples between her fingers. King grinned and started to move, slow, forceful thrusts at first that grew in intensity the more she ran her hands over her body. “Is it a fantasy,” he panted, “if you can’t see the gold beneath you?”
“Probably not,” Ro agreed, and he pulled out so fast, she almost snarled at him, but then he turned her around and bent her over the gold before entering her again. Ro didn’t even spare a glance at the gold bars. She closed her eyes in ecstasy
as King pounded inside her, his pace brutal and perfect.
“Still think I’m safer than a snake?” he growled, never slowing.
“Yes,” Ro breathed, teasing.
King threaded his hand into her hair and fisted it, pulling her back forcefully but not hurting her. Her back arched.
“You dare to still tease when I have you at my mercy?”
“I’m at no one’s mercy but my own.”
King snarled and wrapped his hand around her throat, his other one releasing her hair and dipping between her legs to circle her clit. He scraped his teeth against her shoulder, teeth that were far sharper than they’d been before. “I’ll be happy to teach you how to fuck a Rex, Red. That way you can show the sheriff the proper way.”
“What makes you think I’ll allow him to fuck me?”
King laughed but he didn’t answer. Instead, he squeezed her neck softly, barely restricting her airflow, before he got harder with his thrusts, and Ro started to cry out in pleasure.
“Say my name, Red,” he rumbled in her ear, rubbing her clit faster. “Scream it so the sheriff hears.”
“Virgil,” Ro moaned, and King snorted, his rhythm stuttering from his laughter.
“Let’s go with King,” he corrected, continuing his thrusts.
“King!” she screamed when he slammed inside her particularly hard, his claws digging into her hips.
“Again.”
“King!”
He twisted her head and claimed her lips, bouncing her hard against him. It felt like he was staking his claim, and if Ro wasn’t so high on pleasure, she might have been worried. Instead, she matched his ferocity and hooked her arm around his neck, her other hand squeezing her breast. King snarled and did something with his fingers that sent her orgasm crashing down around her, screaming out her pleasure as he tumbled after her, with a vicious snarl ripping from his lips. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think he was more animal than man at that moment, and when she opened her eyes to meet his, she was surprised to see his Rex eyes looking back at her. They glowed bright green, and her breath stuttered.
“You wanted the Rex,” he growled. “Now, turn around. I’m not finished with you.”
And then they repeated her fantasy again.
King lost count of how many times he brought them to pleasure, even though they were both exhausted with sweat covering their bodies, it didn’t seem to be enough. In anger, he tried again, but ultimately, it didn’t sate him. When she finally waved the white flag, she lay draped across the gold bars in the center of the room, her body languid.
“No more,” she groaned.
King kissed his way up her body, lavishing her skin with his tongue. “Are you sure?”
“Positive. I don’t think I can even stand right now.”
She watched him walking around, her eyes following his movements, as he gathered up their clothing and brought it over. He helped her dress first before he repeated the motions with his own, and he helped her stand.
Gently, King kissed her lips, before tracing up her jawline with his teeth and nibbling on her ear. “You should let me claim you,” he purred.
She tensed, and King realized it was the wrong thing to say to her.
“I have to go,” she stated, shoving him away and moving toward the door.
“Red, wait,” he called, but she was already gone. King frowned after her, but when he looked around the vault again, he grinned.
Red might be playing games, but damn if he didn’t want to play along. He didn’t really care what she was up to if she kept her eyes on him. He could even handle the sheriff in the scenario.
It had been far too long since his Rex had come to play. Perhaps Ro would stay and he could show her what he looked like in his beast form.
Perhaps she’d want to keep playing.
Twelve
SEVEN YEARS AGO
When Ro finally clawed her way from the darkness that seemed determined to keep her, it was to find she was far from Copper Hollow and in a part of the desert she’d never been to before. The dust was a darker shade of brown than she was familiar with, and while it was beautiful in its own right, she couldn’t see too much of it because it was already nightfall. Whatever color it was would probably sparkle in the sunlight, but for now, it almost seemed like emptiness, like it could swallow her whole. It was a good thing Ro wasn’t touching the ground at all.
She looked down and saw that she was laying on a blanket, with another one covering her to chase away the chill of night in the wasteland. She still wore her clothing, and her head felt like she’d gotten an axe to the skull.
“At last, she wakes.”
Ro turned far too quickly toward the voice and a crackling fire, the sudden movement making her head swim. She slammed her eyes shut against the pain that flared brightly before it started to dull enough for her to peek.
Across from where she lay, a man sat eating something out of a tin can. He was extremely aware of his manners, eating with small bites like an aristocrat. Slowly, he set it down beside him and leaned his elbows on his knees, looking at Ro expectantly.
“Who are you?” Ro’s voice came out like more of a croak than any actual words, but the man seemed to understand her well enough.
“What do you remember?” he asked, tilting his head. It was really the wrong time to notice how attractive he was. The red hat she remembered sat on the ground nearby, in danger of being crushed if someone took a wrong step. He wore the typical fashion for the desert—a waistcoat, jacket, trousers, and boots. His hair was just long enough to be pulled back with a tie, but some strands fell out to frame his face. The scruff on his chin only added to his appeal. When he smiled at Ro’s perusal, it only accentuated the dimples on his cheeks and the crooked nose that must have been broken too many times to fix.
“I remember Copper Hollow, the jail. . .” Ro trailed off and pursed her lips.
“You remember the sheriff then?” When she nodded her head, he continued, “Wanna explain what the fucker did to you, and why you were in the jail at all?”
“Not really.”
“Consider this me not giving you a choice.” There was a hard glint in the man’s eyes that both unsettled Ro and piqued her curiosity. Had she escaped one hell to be thrown into another?
“I don’t take kindly to commands.” Her voice lost a little of its effect because of how rough it was, but she glared to make sure the message was heard. Unfortunately for her, the man only laughed at her in amusement. He certainly wasn’t afraid.
“I suppose there’s my answer for how you ended up behind bars then. I’m Les Chambers. Would you kindly tell me your name?” he inquired with a grin.
Ro considered him, this man who obviously rescued her from Copper Hollow, and who had yet to harm her. She’d have to be on her guard. Even as she’d thought it, other men could be heard in the distance, and she finally saw the other distant fires crackling. Someone laughed, another shouted, and cheers went up. She turned her attention back to Les, who watched her patiently, but she could tell he was controlling his temper. This was a man unused to waiting for what he wanted, and she pegged him as the leader immediately.
“Rowena,” she finally admitted. “Rowena Wickham.”
“Rowena,” he drawled, testing it out, and she was annoyed by the way it sounded in his mouth. “Well, Rowena, I hate to tell you that this isn’t a merry band of gentleman.”
“What are you then?” She sat up fully, her body tense, waiting for his answer.
“We’re the Band of Misfits.”
Ro snorted. “Seriously? I thought they were a legend.”
“I can assure you we’re very much real. You probably know me by my outlaw name, rather than my normal one.”
All his words settled in her mind and her eyes widened. She grabbed for her revolver that normally rode on her hip, but panicked when she found her holster empty. Les watched her in amusement as she scrambled for a weapon, anything she could use to protect herself. Sh
e found nothing nearby, no doubt planned, so she sprung to her unsteady feet, and held herself tall.
“You’re gonna let me go,” she ordered, her voice finally less of a croak. “You’re gonna let me walk away.”
“And where would you go?” he asked, his lips curled into a smile. He stood to his full height, and Ro realized just how intimidating he was. “We’re surrounded by desert for miles and miles. It’s night. If the coyotes don’t get you, the rattlers will.”
“I’ll take the coyotes and snakes over The Croc,” Ro growled, taking a step backwards. She’d heard of the Band of Misfits, and most especially their leader. The Croc was on almost every wanted poster in the West, but she’d never seen his human face on one, not fully. He kept half his face hidden when he caused trouble, but his other form was well documented. Les “The Croc” Chambers was the deadliest outlaw in the West, and he left a trail of bodies in his wake. But Les wasn’t just an outlaw, he was a Spinosaurus, bigger than any Rex, and crueler than any other dinosaur. And there he stood across from her, with an amused smile on his face, as relaxed as ever. Ro’s heart beat so hard she swore it would pump out of her chest.
“I can assure you, Rowena, you won’t be harmed here. We found you in that jail for a reason. Perhaps you need the Band of Misfits. You certainly ain’t no bank robber. Not yet. But I can make you one.”
Against her better judgment, Ro tilted her head, contemplating his words. “What are you saying?”
“You can join the Band of Misfits and rob every town from here to the coast. I’ll teach you my ways.”
“And why would you do that?” Ro growled, still fighting the urge to run into the desert and not look back.
Rexes & Robbers Page 9