“This is what I want to see,” he said with a growl.
His eyes were bright with hunger, his animal coming so close to the surface she could see it. He unwrapped her bathrobe like a holiday gift and leaned down to kiss the exposed rise of her breasts.
His lips pressed gently to the flesh of her chest. A quiver of desire ran through her core and she gasped with the awareness. He continued to kiss and worship her body, moving down her chest to her stomach and then her legs. He kissed her thighs, nibbling the flesh with his teeth. Darcy had never known such pleasure. The sight of him made her weak with desire. She wanted him so badly she could taste it. She unfastened her bra and pulled him to her. She pressed her lips to his, and the hardness of his manhood strained between her legs.
“Oh, David,” she groaned. “I want you so bad.”
He slid down her body, slipping her damp panties off her legs. He found the seat of her pleasure and pressed his wet tongue against her core. Her entire body went rigid with pleasure. She had never felt anything so explosive. She groaned, arching her back. The sound was unrecognizable to her; a deep guttural groan like an animal in heat. It seemed to excite him so much that he growled in reply, increasing the speed and intensity of his strokes.
Darcy could barely contain herself and felt as if her mind might snap from the sheer magnitude of pleasure. As she felt an orgasm rising inside her, she ran her fingers through his hair, groaning with abandon as her body ignited. The shock of it consumed her. And she was taken to heaven.
“David. Oh my God, David. I want you,” she panted. “I want you inside me.”
He growled deep in his throat and prowled up her body, inch by inch. He looked into her eyes as he pressed his sheathed shaft against her. Hard as a steel lance, he pressed against her soft core. He gazed into her eyes as he entered her.
“You are so beautiful. A goddess. My goddess.”
Trying to hold back but losing control, he thrust himself inside her, to his base, and rested there, holding her close.
“I need you so bad,” he said. “I need you to be mine.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I want you to be my mate, forever and always. I want you to know that you come first for me in everything. That I will do anything for you. That I will move heaven and earth to make you happy.”
“I… I want that too. But I'm not ready. Make love to me, David.”
He growled and held her tighter.
“As you wish, my goddess.”
He pulled back and thrust in deep, hard waves into her core. Deep pleasure overtook her, hitting her from every direction all at once. Her body exploded with ecstasy. The orgasm slammed her from every side. Her mind went blank and time stood still. As her heart sang with unbelievable pleasure, for the first time in her life, Darcy felt truly beautiful.
Chapter 13
When Rider woke up the next day with Darcy next to him, it was like a dream come true. But he couldn't help feeling guilty for lying to her about his name. He was undercover and on thin ice as it was. He couldn't reveal his true identity until after the mission was complete. Until then, he was lying to her just as much as she had been lying to him.
When she had shouted out David while they were making love, he had wanted to tell her. But he couldn’t. Not until this was all said and done.
He turned over and saw her lying beside him, her face fresh and clean. A dusting of freckles glowed on her cheeks as the morning sunlight kissed her skin. The smell of her warm body after a night of making love sent him into a spell-like trance. It was the happiest he'd ever been, and he never wanted to forget this moment. He wanted to hold it, suspended in time for the rest of his life. Her pretty green eyes fluttered open and she smiled when she saw him.
“Good morning,” she said and then giggled. “That was quite the night. It’s a wonder we got any sleep at all.”
She ran her finger down his chest suggestively and bit her lip.
“I could spend every moment of every day making love to you,” he growled, gathering her up in his arms.
His desire for her hadn't cooled overnight. Upon touching her in the morning, it had flared to attention again.
“You're even more beautiful in the morning,” he said, kissing her forehead.
When he said the words, she didn't object or back away or try to tell him he was wrong. She took a deep breath and relaxed into his arms, relenting to his kiss and going soft and languid to his touch. He took a deep inhalation of the scent of her skin.
“By God, you are so sexy.”
“You aren’t so bad yourself,” she breathed, leaning up to offer her mouth for a kiss.
He accepted the invitation, his desire spinning out of control. He needed her. He needed to be inside her. Effortlessly he slipped inside, his member throbbing as he held her close.
She mewled with need, and he thrust deeper and harder with the rhythm of his pounding heart. She quivered below him, her orgasms rolling off her in waves. He could smell her climaxes as they came and went, each one more exquisite than the last.
He would never tire of her relentless beauty or seeing her like this. It did him in. It was beautiful and ecstatic and almost too much to bear. He felt his inner grizzly pressing forward and trying to take control, screaming that he claim his mate. To never let her go again. But he didn't dare. Not yet. Not like this. Not when there were still secrets between them. He would tell her soon, and she would know him for who he truly was. But not yet. There was still so much to be done. He could not jeopardize his mission, no matter what.
“I love you, Darcy. I hope that you know that.”
“Oh, David,” she groaned, her body relenting with another climax. “I love you too.”
Her voice was so soft it was almost a whisper, as if she was afraid to say the words. Hearing her admit her love for him did him in and he could hold back no more. He released his seed in a hot flood of pleasure, wishing there was nothing between them to keep her from conceiving a cub. But that too would have to wait.
They held each other close, tangled in the blankets, but he knew he couldn't stay. There was still so much to do, and he had to get his head in the game.
“I'm afraid I’ve got a flight in an hour. Can I drop you off at home?” he asked.
“I need to get my car from the park,” she said. “I don't work until this evening. I have all day to rest and dream about you.”
He held her tight and kissed her forehead. “I'll call you as soon as I'm done.”
“David. Thank you for everything.” Her voice sounded so shy and unsure. She lifted her gaze up to meet him and he looked into her eyes.
“There's nothing to thank me for.” He cupped her cheek.
“But there is. Even though I lied to you and did a horrible thing, you forgave me. And you made me feel beautiful for the first time in my life.”
“It won't be the last time. If you let me.”
“Oh yes,” she said as he claimed her lips in a passionate kiss.
Rider drove Darcy back to her car. He gave her a long kiss, wishing he could spend the day in bed with her. It was so hard to pull himself away, but he knew that there were many people depending on him. He couldn't fail in his mission, no matter how much he wanted to watch Darcy's sweet face as he made her come over and over and over again.
“I'll call you as soon as I can,” he said, kissing her one last time.
“I'll be at the restaurant until eight. If you get back before then, I'll make you a steak.”
“I would love that,” he said.
Thinking about eating Darcy’s food made him positively ravenous. The night of making love to her had worked up his appetite.
Rider climbed into his car and hurried to the airport. He got his debriefing from agents Black and Rowe before starting off to his flight. He was on the same flight to Phoenix as he had been. Agents Black and Rowe wanted more information about the shifters. Now that the suspects had been identified, they had installed camer
as on their seats with microphones so that Rider could listen in on their conversations.
Rider went through his usual preflight checklist as the passengers boarded. He checked his hidden monitor every so often to see if the hyenas had taken their seats yet. As the preflight checks were completed, and the hyenas still hadn't shown up, Rider was beginning to grow concerned.
When he was ready to taxi out to the runway, he hesitated. The hyenas still hadn't shown up. He was confused, not knowing what to do. He sent a message to Agent Rowe, letting her know what was happening.
“Continue as planned,” she replied. “We'll do what we can on the ground.”
“Affirmative,” he replied, feeling as if he had failed his mission.
The whole reason they’d brought him on the mission in the first place was because he was a pilot. But now there was no reason for him to be on this flight. Even if he couldn't catch the bad guys, he was still going to do his job to the best of his ability. There were people on the flight who just wanted to get where they were going.
He taxied out to the runway and took off without a hitch. As the flight wore on, he and his obnoxious copilot struck up a conversation
“Have you seen the new flight attendant? She's quite a looker.” Rider rarely noticed human women's looks, especially now that he had Darcy. “There's just something about her. Something feral. You know what I mean? I bet she’s a beast in the sack.”
“I hadn't noticed,” Rider said.
“David. You're young, man. Don't tell me you're dead yet.”
“I only have eyes for one woman,” he admitted, hoping that would be enough of an explanation for the copilot.
“I am a married man too. But that doesn't mean that I've shut off my instincts.”
“I'm a shifter. We only mate with one person.”
“That's what it is.” He snapped his figures. “I bet that flight attendant is a shifter.”
That peaked Rider's interest. Male shifters outnumbered females at a ratio of five to one, making them fairly rare.
“What did you say her name was?” Rider asked.
“Rebecca something or other,” the copilot said. “She's the blonde with the big tits. You can't miss her.”
Rider blanched at the language. But he hadn't noticed a woman with that description when he’d boarded. As the attendants were preparing the meal for the passengers, the copilot opened the door and waggled his eyebrows at Rider. Rider looked over his shoulder to see a curvy blonde woman preparing the passengers’ meals. He sniffed the air and, sure enough, he could make out the scent of shifter.
There was something odd about her scent, and he couldn’t make out what type of shifter she was. He thought he smelled canine. And while he was well versed in the scent of a hyena, he wasn't sure if that's what he scented. Soon after the shifter equality act had gone into effect over twenty-five years ago, hyena opposition groups had been fighting against human/shifter integration.
They used very un-shifter-like tactics to bolster their numbers. They mated with female shifters who weren’t their fated mates. Shifters could have children with anyone, but the union was never a happy one. Especially for the female shifters the hyenas kidnapped and forced to mate with them. They’d do just about anything to get their hands on shifter women, causing fear for every female shifter in a generation.
He looked at Rebecca and recognition passed between them. She frowned and continued with her work, trying to cover up her original reaction to him with a polite greeting.
“Could you get us some coffee when you get a chance, Becky?” the copilot said.
“Sure thing, Rob.”
Rebecca brought their coffee and Rob smiled at her suggestively. She didn't seem to notice his behavior. If she did, she didn't give any indication that she minded. There was something off about the woman. Her scent was off, her demeanor was off. He checked the flight logs and found out her last name was Gilman. He texted Agent Rowe, asking if they knew about a shifter flight attendant named Rebecca Gilman. A reply came back just a few moments later.
“We're looking into it now.”
They landed in Phoenix at noon, and he had lunch while the plane was prepped for the return flight to Denver. As he was eating his turkey sandwich and potato chips, he noticed Rebecca walking down the concourse, talking on her cellphone. She had an intensely worried look on her face.
He wanted to listen in on the conversation. But she was too far away and well out of earshot. He hadn't heard anything from Agent Rowe, so he called Sampson.
“Do you need more dinner reservations?” Sampson mocked.
“I need your hacking abilities for something a little bit more serious this time,” Rider said.
“Excellent. Things have been a bit dull around here.”
“Find out everything you can about a woman named Rebecca Gilman. She is a flight attendant for Northwest Air. She was just on my flight 577 out of Denver into Phoenix.”
“I'm on it. Anything in particular you want to know about this woman?”
“I can tell she's a shifter, but I can't scent what kind. There something off about her. The hyena shifters I was supposed to be surveilling didn't show up on the flight today. Instead, it was her.”
“I'll get back to you as soon as I know anything.”
“Thanks.”
“How did the date with your mate go?”
“It was the most amazing, magical night of my life.”
“Those are words I never thought I'd hear you say.”
“You'll feel the same when you find your mate,” Rider defended. “And I'll be there to mock you too.”
“That's what friends are for,” Sampson said.
Rider got off the phone with his crew mate and prepared to go back to his flight. But first he sent Darcy a quick message.
“Leaving Phoenix now. Can't wait to see you tonight.”
He waited but didn't get a reply. She must have been busy in the restaurant. He missed her already. After Sampson's teasing, he realized that with Darcy in his life, he really was a changed man.
He would never take unnecessary risks now that he had her. He could imagine spending calm winter nights at home cuddled up by the fire. Watching the sunset over the back porch with a cool beer by the barbecue in summer. Watching their children grow as the years went by. He was so lost in his fantasy that he didn't see Rebecca until he had almost smashed into her.
“I'm so sorry,” she said, picking up the bag she’d dropped.
Her things scattered on the floor and he noticed she had multiple cell phones in her bag. They were the cheap kind that young kids had, or somebody who wanted to dispose of one quickly. She threw everything back and hurried away without another word.
Rider was more suspicious than ever. He was beginning to feel as if Rebecca had some connection to the hyenas. But he had no idea how. He just hoped that Sampson would come through, so he'd have something to go on with Agent Black and Rowe. They couldn't bring down the hyenas without solid evidence, and they were counting on him to supply it.
Chapter 14
Rider landed in Denver late that evening. He couldn't wait to see Darcy. Right after his debriefing, he changed and hurried down the concourse. Rider walked into the restaurant and peeked into the kitchen. Darcy was hard at work at her station, grilling up chicken and steaks with her hair tied back under her chef hat. Her skin was flushed pink from the heat and exertion.
It was thrilling to see her in her element. Rider marveled at her quick reflexes and command of the kitchen. He couldn't believe that a woman so beautiful and so capable had imagined herself to be ugly. It seemed like a crime. She looked up from her work and granted him a bright smile. He waved and his heart sped up when she waved back.
Rider had never thought of himself as a romantic, but meeting Darcy had changed everything. Now he understood what life was all about and what truly mattered. For Rider, that was making Darcy happy every day for the rest of his life. The hostess found him and sat him a
t his table. He ordered a steak and fries.
When his order arrived, he dug in with unbridled gusto. The first bite was like heaven. Rider had a reputation for being a master griller back in Fate Rock, but Darcy would definitely take his title, and he would willingly give it up to her. He couldn't wait to take her home for a grill-off. He couldn't think of a more pleasant way to spend a lazy summer afternoon. As he was enjoying his meal, he found Darcy walking toward him with a big smile on her face.
“Did you like it?” she asked.
“That was the most delicious steak I've ever eaten in my life!” He rubbed his full belly. “And that's a compliment coming from me. I've eaten a lot of steaks. “They call me the king of the grill back where I'm from.”
“Do they now?” She laughed.
“I host barbecues in my backyard every other weekend.”
“I thought you transferred to Denver,” she said, sliding into the table across from him. She stole a French fry and popped it into her mouth.
“Before I transferred to Denver,” he lied.
He felt terrible about lying to her. But the truth could risk his mission.
“You miss your home?”
“I do sometimes.”
“Where are you from originally? It didn't say on your bio.”
Rider gulped, knowing he was going to have to come up with another lie. The longer he hesitated, the worse he felt.
“I'm originally from Montana,” he said picking a place randomly off the top of his head.
“Montana. Cool. I hear it's beautiful there.”
“The winters are cold. But not much worse than they are here.”
“What made you decide to come to Denver?”
“It was an excellent opportunity that I couldn't pass up. So, I packed up my things and moved.”
“It's really brave to start over again like that. I don't know if I could do it.”
Rider gulped, knowing that starting over was exactly what he was going to ask her to do when he finally figured out how to tell her the truth.
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