“I noticed you activated two trackers,” Swede said. He sipped from his coffee.

“Didn’t have a choice.” I peeled my shirt over my head and tossed it to the back of the chair. “Brian went and fell into a shakedown.”

“Got wasted, took strange women home—they robbed him.” Swede muttered. “When are men going to learn they can’t trust their penis—wait, is it penises? Penii?”

I caught myself contemplating the answer to the question then grunted. “Dude…”

Swede chuckled. “Look, this is one of those times where if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry. I prefer mirth.”

I nodded. While Star showered then talk to Estelle on the phone, Swede and I hunched down around the computer to figure out where Brian’s stolen car was. It had been parked outside a cheap motel since it was stolen.

Probably abandoned.

We then found his truck and noticed it was going back and forth between the illegal bar and Big Timber.

Something was up. No one needed that much alcohol. Either he was meeting someone, or he was about to be in a coma from alcohol poisoning. Swede kept typing away as I watched. Brian was back at the bar. I was exhausted so Swede sent Hank and Allie to check it out.

“I found this book at Brian’s place.” I handed it over. “See if you can make heads or tails of it?”

“Will do.” Swede said. He stuck the book in his bag with his laptop and stood. “Tell your lady I’ll see her tomorrow.”

“She’s not my lady.”

“Sure.” Swede patted my shoulder and headed for the door. “I’ll keep an eye on our unfriendly neighbourhood alcoholic until you’ve had some rest.”

I nodded.

Alone in the house with Star upstairs, I made a couple of ham sandwiches and gathered beers and a bag of potato chips. I didn’t feel in the mood to cook and it wasn’t like we could order a pizza.

I found her wrapped in a towel and sitting in the middle off her bed, legs curled under her. “Penny for your thoughts?”

Star looked up and smiled. As I entered and offered her food and a beer, she put down what she’d been looking at and accepted them. “I’ve been thinking of what I’ll do if I survive this.”

“When—when you survive this.”

“You’re sweet. But all we have is one oversexed boozehound and a name I think I should know but makes no sense to me.”

“You have to trust us, Star. Swede has the book, so it’ll only be matter of time.” I bit my sandwich and chewed. “These things take time.”

“I always wanted to write a book.” She confessed. “I took journalism because they told me I couldn’t write a book without knowing what I was doing. Plus my mom thought it would be best if I had a back-up plan. Then I made the mistake of taking a law class and it all went downhill from there. Maybe this is the fates’ way of pushing me back on track.”

“Maybe.” I finished the last of my sandwich and set the plate on the floor beside the bed. “That’s another way of seeing it. What kind of book?”

“I don’t know. I like military men. Maybe a romance.”

My cheeks heated. “Men in uniform is your weakness?”

“I don’t think it’s the uniform…” She sighed and sipped from her beer. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter.”

I eased closer to her and framed her face. She moaned and snuggled her face into my palms. Her skin was smooth, and every part of my body trembled from the smell of her. Helplessly, I leaned in to take her lips. She trembled, sighed and dragged her nails down my chest. That shouldn’t have been as sexy as it was. But the bite of her nails in my flesh made me harder than I thought was even possible.

Rising to my knees, I eased her back into the pillows, restrained her arms above her head and kissed her like I wanted to. Using her mouth roughly with my tongue and enjoying every sound she made, letting it drive me mad.

This woman was liable to burn me alive and I didn’t care.

Yanking my mouth from hers to catch my breath, I left a wet trail down her neck with my tongue, then sucked at the flesh. She whimpered, arched up against then wrapped her legs around my hips. My hardness pressed into her softness was heaven and even though she was clothed, it was as if there was nothing between us. But there was nothing stopping me. I ripped the fabric from her body then eased back to look at her.

Butterflies were tattooed against her skin, along her body from her armpit all the way down her side to her hip. I kissed each and every one of the creatures before drifting across to spread her legs wide.

“Reaper…”

After kissing along her legs, dragging my facial hair deliberately against her skin, I used my tongue to taste the soft insides of her thighs. Star mewled, held the back of my head trying to move my mouth where she wanted it. No, I wasn’t ready. I wanted to enjoy this, to enjoy her. I took my time, feeling her body vibrated against me, taking in the smooth crevice of ever curve until finally, I dipped my tongue into her. Star flowed hot and ready against my tongue. Her juices tangy and sweet as I delved for more and more, she grabbed the back of my head.

“Maverick.” She moaned, writhing her hips and taking my tongue deeper.

Dragging my hands up her sides to her breasts, I pinched and tugged at her nipples. It seemed to be the ticket for her hands fell away from me to the bed. I used the moment, to suck on her, to twist her nipples to my hearts consent.

Her breathing flowed heavier, faster. She pumped her hips and whispered things my dazed mind couldn’t decipher.

“Don’t stop!” Star pleaded. “Please—don’t—stop!”

She stiffened under my mouth. Her thighs clamped in around my head and a shrill scream filled the air. Star bucked against me but I held on to her. He licked at her and massaged her breasts even as she tried shaking me off. When she slumped to the bed, I gave her one final lick then crawled up her body. Star readily wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me down to her kiss.

I moaned. “Are you feeling better?”

“You’re not going to stop now, are you?” She asked while reaching a hand down between our bodies to massage my hardness. “You want me, Reaper. I can feel it.”

“Yes, but do you want me?”

“Give it to me.” She nipped at my chin.

“Tell me you want me.”

“And if I refuse?”

I smiled down at her while reaching a hand down between our bodies. The search didn’t take long before I was dragging the ball of my finger over her clit. She moaned and clung to me tighter “Are you disobeying, Star?”

She sighed and spread her legs wider “Faster”

“Tell me you want me.”

She trembled but said nothing. When I pulled my hand back, she groaned. I bowed my head to lick at her nipple.

“I want you, Reaper. Please.”

“Ah, yes. Music to my ears but, we need to stop.”

“Why?”

I climbed off her to sit beside her. “I don’t have protection, do you?”

“In my wallet.”

I stared at her while smiling. “Of course you do.”

That was our only hiccup. I dressed myself and turned to see she had crawled to her hands and knees. Her back was arched giving an amazing view of her beautiful ass with a glimpse of the tasty pink I’d sipped from mere moments before. Without waiting, I clutched her hips, and surged forward. Her screams gave me life as she dug her nails into my thigh. I growled.

How could she be so tight?

Gritting my teeth, I pulled back, dragged a palm down her back then slammed in again. She whimpered. I found, I loved her that way, dazed and helpless with lust. It pushed my ardor higher.

Star came for me…hard. It hit her so good, no sound left her. She merely clamped down around me, stiffened then slumped forward

“Shit!” She panted.

I growled, wrapped hair around my arm and tugged she flew upward, her back crashed into my chest. I braced my palm at her throat and nipped at her ear.

“Nova.” I sighed. “I’m man handling you and your body is tightening around me.”

“Come for me,” she said.

“Work for it.” I pushed her forward, so she would bend over and tapped her ass affectionately.

Star rolled her hips, making her beautiful ass bounce for me. I watched it until I was in a trance. When I came, I shouted as my whole body seem to freeze. She rode back on me, milking me as I trembled.

“Damn, Nova—what have you done to me?”