Chapter 11
IT was nearing midnight when the guys returned to Fleur and Jani’s cabin. The kids had fallen asleep ages ago, after consuming the better part of a pan of pink and green rice squares. Elaine and Fleur had had their share as well. Lia hadn’t wanted any due to an upset stomach, and she’d fallen asleep around the same time as the kids.
The guys grabbed their clothes and quickly dressed, keeping quiet so as not to wake the sleepers. Elaine glanced at Connor. His grim face distracted her from ogling him.
What happened? She asked the question telepathically, just as she used to do with Lloyd. It took her a second to realize he couldn’t hear her. For some reason, the realization was disappointing.
Once he was dressed, she walked over, curbing the urge to touch him in some way. “How did it go?”
“I’ll fill you in when we go home. Why don’t I carry the kids?”
“Leave them here,” suggested Jani.
“Yeah.” Fleur said. “It’s cold out, and they’re already asleep.”
“I think the kids have had more sleepovers with everyone else than with me,” said Elaine.
“We’re all family here. Don’t worry.” Fleur ran a gentle hand over Layla’s hair. “Besides look at them. They’re so peaceful, like little angels.”
“As long as you don’t mind,” said Elaine.
Ryland crouched next to where Lia had curled up on the couch and rubbed his mate’s back. “Lia? It’s time to go home, baby.”
Lia opened her eyes. “Ry?”
“I’m right here.”
“I don’t feel so good.”
Ryland frowned. “Want me to carry you?”
“God, no.” With his help, Lia pushed herself to standing position. “I’m the size of a house. I’d break your back. Could you help me with my boots, though?”
While Ryland ministered to his wife, Connor put a hand on Elaine’s back. Her bear lit up like a Christmas tree, but she resisted showing it on the outside. Swallowing hard, she threw on her boots and puffy winter jacket. After dropping a kiss onto her kids’ heads and saying goodnight to the others, she left with Connor.
As they walked home, he grabbed her hand. She didn’t pull away. As much as she told herself not to look at him, she snuck a couple of glances. His jaw was set, and he constantly scanned the woods around them.
“What happened tonight?”
“Do you mind if I fill you in at home? I want to keep my wits about me.”
They walked in silence. His concern made her worried, and she found she was looking over her shoulder as well.
Connor noticed. “Don’t worry, Elaine. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
They reached her cabin and went inside, removing their winter outerwear. She headed straight for the kitchen. “You must be frozen solid. Can I get you something warm to drink?”
“I’m fine.” He sat on the couch and patted the seat next to him. “Sit with me.”
She did, and he told her of their discoveries and of Ryland’s belief Page might be the shooter.
“Have you ever met this guy around the resort?” asked Connor.
“Sure. Come to think of it, he’s always been chatty with me. You know, asking me how my day is whenever he sees me. That sort of thing.”
“Is that so?”
“They’ve been ordinary conversations, Connor. Although, come to think of it, he did make me a little uncomfortable when I saw him last. He was asking about the layout of my cabin. Said he wouldn’t mind seeing it. He said he was considering using a cabin on the island when he was at work and wanted to get an idea of what they were like.” Her throat grew thick with disgust. “Oh God. I was too distracted to pay attention to my feelings at the time, but now that I think about it, I can see how weird it was.”
Connor went white. “What did you tell him?”
“Nothing. I figured he could ask Ryland to see a cabin if he was that curious.”
“Good. I don’t like this, Elaine.” Connor ran a hand through his hair. “We’re going to handle him.”
“How do you plan to handle him?”
His eyes flashed with a desire to murder Page. “I know how I wish I could handle him.”
“You’re not a killer.”
“Oh no?” He met her gaze. Dark longing washed between them, but it wasn’t just redolent of lust. It spoke of tenderness and worry and some other emotion Elaine couldn’t identify. “I would kill to keep you safe.”
“Connor.”
“I would die to keep you safe.”
“Please don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Please don’t talk about dying. I can’t handle it.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t want to bring up sad memories of Lloyd.”
“No, Connor.” She stood, suddenly angry. Her hands trembled at her side. “I wasn’t talking about Lloyd. Don’t you see? I don’t want you to die. I can’t handle the thought of you dying. It terrifies me.”
He stood and pulled her into his arms. Placing one palm over her heart, he said, “You know what terrifies me? This. Your heart giving out. No matter what Josh says, I’m still worried. The thought of losing you, of you feeling any pain, scares the shit out of me.” He laid his forehead against hers and sighed. “I wasn’t just being an egomaniac when I took pride in the fact Josh said my kisses were helping you. It made me happy, Elaine. I love the idea my touch can make you better. I want to make you better. I want to take all your sadness away. Every tear, every worry. I want to be your happiness. I want to make you feel good.”
“I’m not sure I can ever feel good again.”
His mouth drifted close to hers. His voice landed on her ear, a deep tease in itself. “Let me try.”
He waited for her consent. That was Connor through and through. Although she knew the predator inside him demanded satisfaction and release, he held back out of respect for her loss. He might be dying to take control of the situation, but he wouldn’t make a move until she offered her permission.
That was why Elaine nodded. They both needed to be put out of their misery.
She just wanted one night with him, one chance to feel him inside her. If his kisses could fix her broken heart, surely his warm body would cure her of all her other ills.
“Tonight,” he said on a growl, cupping the back of her neck. “You’re mine. No one else’s.”
Elaine wasn’t sure who initiated the kiss this time. It seemed their lips couldn’t join fast enough. When his beard rasped against her face, she moaned. She hadn’t realized just how much she wanted to feel it on her skin again.
Connor plunged his tongue into her mouth, and his fingers grasped her hair. Over and over he raked them through her locks. By the time he was done, she’d have a head full of knots, but she didn’t care. She would gladly give up her hairbrush and smooth hair for all eternity just to have Connor play with the strands.
His hands descended, moving slowly over her shoulders and down her sides. He caressed her as if she was still dressed in Marci’s gorgeous copper gown. His reverent touch made Elaine feel as if her old jeans and sweater were the finest of imported silks.
As his hands slid over her hips, smoothing toward the curve of her bottom, he groaned. “Elaine. So beautiful.”
Her head fell back, and he kissed the length of her neck, nibbling at her flesh, tugging gently. Grabbing the edge of her sweater, he dragged it up and over her head. For some reason, she felt even more exposed than when she’d stood nude before him. Perhaps it was because she understood where this moment would lead.
Somehow Elaine knew this wouldn’t just be sex with Connor. It would be the turning point in their friendship, and that scared the hell out of her. If things didn’t work out, would she lose him?
And if they did work out, would she lose Lloyd?
I’m so grateful I got to spend my life with you, but now it’s time for you to release me.
She could have sworn Lloyd’s voice sounded in her ear.
I love you, Lloyd, her heart cried. I always will. I just need this.
Surrendering to need, Elaine kissed Connor with everything in her. Lips. Tongue. Teeth. Every beat of her faulty heart. She prayed Lloyd would forgive her, and yet she knew he’d never want her to feel a need for forgiveness.
In her mind’s eye, she saw him walking away, and she let him go. Even her bear bowed its head in a final tribute to its alpha.
A tear slipped from between her closed eyelids and into their mouths. Tasting it, Connor opened his eyes and wiped it away.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. You feel whatever you need to feel.” With the gentlest of touches, he kissed each of her eyelids.
His touch seemed to take away the heaviness of her eyelids. They didn’t want to droop anymore. She certainly didn’t want to cry.
As the lump in her throat faded away, Elaine reached behind her back and unhooked her pink lace bra. She removed the garment and let it fall to the floor.
Connor stared, seemingly rapt, and touched a reverent hand to her breast. His other hand followed suit. He kneaded her flesh, tweaking and tugging her nipples until she thought she might cry for other reasons. Her nipples had already pebbled to the point of pain because it had been a while since they’d been touched in this way. His mouth found her neck again, and his breaths grew shallow. As he caressed her breasts, he ground his hips against her pelvis.
A pillar of rock-hard desire rubbed against her.
Connor hoisted her up by the ass, and she wrapped her legs around him. Sucking her nipple, he carried her into the bedroom. He threw her down on the bed and flicked on one of the bedside lights. She didn’t mind. She wanted to see him. Throwing off his sweater, he lay atop her and worshipped at her breasts. Elaine closed her eyes and raked her fingernails across his undulating back muscles.
His tongue flicked at her nipples, and then he licked his way around her entire breast, moving in slow circles. When he reached the spot above where her heart lay, he turned his head and rested it on her chest.
It took her only a second to realize he was listening to her heart.
When he raised his smiling face, his beauty almost made her dissolve. “It sounds good. Strong and steady.”
She stroked his face. “You’re the one with the good heart.”
His jaw ticked at the compliment, but when he tugged at her jeans zipper, his face changed. The uneven glow cast by the bedside light threw him partially into shadow and his features lengthened. As he pulled off her jeans and socks, he grinned, but his teeth seemed sharper, feline.
She wished she’d matched her panties to her bra, but she hadn’t been in a panty-matching frame of mind for some time. As a result, she now wore a pair of flowered boy shorts. They were cute but didn’t exactly throw off the kind of sexy vibe she would have preferred.
Connor knelt at the edge of the bed and inspected them, tracing their outline with one finger. “I like these.”
“All my nice lingerie is packed away.”
“Elaine, I said I like these. They’re pretty and soft.” His finger roved toward her inner thigh, making her clench in anticipation. “So soft I can see your hairs through them.”
Oh God. When was the last time she’d shaved down there?
“Do you have any idea how fucking sexy that is?”
She giggled. “So you don’t mind a full bush?”
“Sweetheart, if it’s decorating your pussy, you can bet I don’t mind.”
She sighed. Dirty talk. God, how she’d missed dirty talk.
Connor spread her legs and lowered his face to her panties. He breathed in. She knew shifter males appreciated a woman’s scent, especially when she was aroused.
And God was she aroused. He still hadn’t touched her there. Would he ever?
As if in answer to her prayers, Connor dragged his forefinger along her seam. The pleasure was so intense, so unbearably foreign, she bucked on the bed and let out a shout.
He removed his finger. “I know it’s been a while. Let’s go slowly. I don’t want to wear you out.”
“Connor, please.”
He slid his fingertip under the elastic at her belly. “Yes?”
“I want…”
“What do you want, baby?”
“I want to come so badly.”
He lowered the elastic over her hips. “You will. I promise you.” With that, he removed the boy shorts, sliding them off her legs.
Open before him, wet and vulnerable, Elaine rode a precipice. He gazed at her as if he’d never seen anything like her before. She was new and wonderful to him as well, and she couldn’t wait for him to touch her. “You’re staring at me.”
“Yes, I am.”
“Why?”
“Because I know this moment is one I’m going to replay in my head for years to come. I want to savor it.”
His mouth was so close and she was so wet, so she raised her hips.
“Jesus, Elaine. Are you trying to tempt me?”
“I’m trying. I may have forgotten how.”
“I don’t think you have. Do you know why?”
She shook her head.
He stroked his finger over her entrance, insinuating it between her lips. “Because this tight, little pussy is wet.” His finger slid inside, penetrating all her layers of sorrow and need, making her feel as if it was her first time all over again. He teased her G-spot, finding it with ease, and then removed his finger. He sucked it clean of her juices. “And so goddamn tasty.”
His pupils dilated, and she whispered his name. Before the second syllable had passed her lips, Connor lowered his head and licked her.
Elaine closed her eyes, but it did nothing to shut out the stars and lights flashing before her eyes. As he teased her clit, it seemed as if a hundred strobe lights shot before her field of vision, like her very own Aurora Borealis. Everything in her body welcomed Connor. Her breasts tightened in salute. Her skin tingled. Her womb clenched again and again.
For him, just for him.
She felt guilt in her impending orgasm but also a measure of freedom.
This may not have happened the way she would have expected it to, and certainly not this soon, but Connor was in her life for a reason. Maybe it was simply to provide her with the pleasure she so craved. Maybe it was deeper than that. All she knew was that having him touch her and lick her felt right and honest and true.
Everything Lloyd had ever given her.
She owed it to both of them to offer the same in return.
And so, as Connor began to suckle in earnest, wringing from her emotions she thought she no longer possessed, she let him know how much he pleased her. She reached for his head and pulled his hair. She scratched his back and cried his name.
His name.
She let him know how much he moved her.
The surge overtook her, and she let her body be dashed against the rocks. The wave propelled her, taking her strength and her voice. Connor, sensing her orgasm, dug his nails into her hips and held her under his lips. Even after the deluge softened, washing her in a gentle rain, he did not release her. Instead, he continued to lave her sex, teasing and stimulating her once again. Before long, her hips were rocking again. His teeth nibbled at her clit again. Once again, her night sky exploded with fireworks and smoke.
It was many minutes before he let her wriggle away. Her body was already spent, and she saw double for a moment. He stood, licking his lips, breathing deeply. He tore at the buttons on his jeans and stepped out of them, pushing his boxer briefs over his hips as well. He stepped out of his socks and reached into his jeans pocket. His wallet was there, and he produced a condom from it. Quickly unwrapping it, he rolled it on his erect dick.
She was about to have sex with another man. Her nerves reappeared for a moment, and her palms grew sweaty.
As always, Connor understood her worries, almost better than she did. He sat next to her and cupped her breast, stroking. “If at any time you want to stop, I stop. Okay?”
“I don’t want to stop.”
“Good.” His eyes made a pass of her curves, exploring her body. “Turn over, Elaine. I want to see all of you.”
She hesitated. If she rolled over, he would see Lloyd’s mark, the mark that had brought her into his world and the world of shape shifters.
Male shape shifters marked their females by biting them during sex, breaking the skin with their animal teeth, leaving a lasting scar. Every mated couple went through this ritual. It was one of the things that set them apart from humans. Connor would know this, but she wasn’t sure how he would react to seeing Lloyd’s bite mark.
“Turn over.”
She did, and he situated himself behind her, between her legs. Massaging her muscles, he worked his way up her thighs toward her bottom.
“You have the sexiest ass, lady.”
She didn’t respond. She’d never realized he’d spent time thinking about her ass, but clearly he had.
He kneaded her buttocks, humming in approval, and slid his hands up her back and over her ribs. He moved her hair over her shoulder, and his hands stopped moving.
He’d seen the mark on the back of her right shoulder.
Elaine heard Connor swallow.
Shifter men were possessive by nature. Just like their animal counterparts, they didn’t like other beasts encroaching on their territory. Lloyd’s mark would be a constant reminder to Connor that he wasn’t the first. Would he feel as if he was the one encroaching?
She rolled onto her back so she could see him. Every line in his face seemed tighter. For the first time ever, he looked envious, and she wanted to make him feel better.
“You saw the mark.”
“Yeah.” His voice had lost its warmth.
“I can’t help that it’s there, Connor. It’ll always be there.”
“I know.”
“If we end up in bed again, you’ll see it again.”
“I know.” When his words came out harsh, he shook his head in silent apology. His gaze crinkled in sorrow, he brushed his fingers through her hair, tidying the messy strands. “I’m sorry. Lloyd was your mate, the father of your children. Of course you’d be wearing his mark. I always knew it. I’m pretty sure I’ve even spotted it under the edges of your shirts before. I just never realized how it would make me feel to see it like this.”
She sat up. “How do you feel?”
“I don’t know.” He threw up a hand and let it drop to his lap. “Jealous. Angry. Goddamn pissed off that I didn’t meet you first.”
“Even if you had met me first, who’s to say we would have connected on that level? Who’s to say we would have recognized each other as mates years ago?”
“I get it, Elaine, I do. Believe me, I’ve had time to think about this little scenario. It’s all I think about right now. I’ve just never felt so much like a traitor.”
“You’re not a traitor.”
“Oh, no? What would you call it?”
“I don’t have a name for what’s happening to us. It’s all so new, and in some ways, it terrifies me.” A flutter sounded in her chest. He turned away. She was losing him. “I suppose you’ll want to go back to your cabin.”
His head whipped around. “What?”
“You’re angry.”
“Not at you. Hell, not even at Lloyd. He marked you like any self-respecting shifter male would have.” He inspected her shoulder. “In fact, he did a damn fine job. I’m just fucking pissed at this situation. I hate that we even have to have this goddamn discussion. Why can’t it be easy for us, Elaine? Every time I think I cross a threshold with you, I want to celebrate, but the guilt is killing me.”
He stood and began to pace, so Elaine said nothing. If he needed to vent, she’d let him vent. God only knew he’d done the same for her countless times.
The timing was unfortunate but she wouldn’t criticize.
He walked back and forth, scratching the back of his neck. He still wore the condom, even though his penis was at half-mast. Still impressive even while slightly deflated, she had to admit.
“Why is this happening? I’ve got a beautiful woman in front of me, completely naked and willing, and I can’t get over the fact she’s wearing her mate’s mark. I should be able to let it go.” His footsteps echoed in the room. “Why can’t I let this go? Lloyd was my best friend. He loved us both. He’d want us to be happy. This shouldn’t be so fucking hard.”
His voice cracked. Somewhere in that fissure, his pain seeped out, like gas from a burst pipe.
All of a sudden, Elaine recognized his outburst for what it really was. It had nothing to do with bite marks and jealousy. It had nothing to do with God’s bizarre sense of humor or possessiveness.
Elaine heard the same tones of anguish in Connor’s voice that she’d heard in herself so many times.
This was grief.
As he paced in front of her, his shoulders hunched, as if his sense of loss was whipping his body over and over. She could almost envision the deep lacerations it left behind. It exposed his tender flesh, cutting to the bone.
It struck her that Connor might never have allowed himself to grieve. He’d been so strong for everyone else and had probably never permitted himself to break down.
He needed to let it out. If this was his moment, she would do everything she could do help him through it. His pain would make her strong.
“Lloyd wasn’t supposed to die that day. I don’t imagine you’d know that.”
“What?”
He stood still, the corners of his mouth turned downward. “It was supposed to be me.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It’s true. When we were making arrangements to take the Alpha Brethren compound, Ryland needed a few people to stay behind and guard the lodge. He stationed a few other men here as sentries. And then he turned to me. Lia and Charlotte were pregnant, of course, and couldn’t fight with the others. Ry said he trusted me to look after them.”
A sinking sensation assaulted Elaine’s stomach.
“I was pissed. I wanted to see action. I didn’t want to stay behind in a cozy lodge while everyone else fought the Brethren. August Crane and his minions hurt so many of our friends, and I wanted a piece of them. I wanted to make a difference.
“I complained to Lloyd. He was always a good listener. Lloyd reminded me it could get dangerous here on the island as well, but I was convinced I’d be sitting around, twiddling my thumbs.”
Bile crept up her throat.
“I made such a fuss Lloyd finally agreed to change places with me. And frankly, I felt good about the decision because that meant he wouldn’t have to fight. He was a family man. He had you and the kids, and I didn’t want him in the thick of the action. Me, I had no one. I thought it would be better if he stayed home while I joined the fray.”
And yet Lloyd had been thrust into his own battle because of the decision.
“Because of my selfish actions, because I wanted to be a hero, Lloyd died that day.” Connor made a choking noise. He blinked, and tears clung to his eyelashes. “I killed my best friend. It’s all my fault.”
Elaine’s bear reared up on its hind legs and roared in agony. She, on the other hand, couldn’t make a sound. She had no words, no voice. The only thing that made sense to her in that moment was to curl up on the floor in the fetal position and never get up again.
Lloyd didn’t have to die that day. He might still be alive if…
If what? If he hadn’t talked to Connor?
That was bullshit. Elaine knew for a fact Lloyd made his own decisions. He wouldn’t have let Connor force him into doing anything he didn’t want to do. Being a family man, it was likely important to him to protect Charlotte and Lia. He would have understood the worries of their mates. If Lloyd had decided to hang back at the resort that day, it was because he would have believed it was where he could make a difference.
And he had. Because of his actions, two women and their unborn children were saved from gruesome deaths at the hands of killers who had no mercy.
Connor might have initiated a conversation that day, but Lloyd’s actions were his own. If Connor had been the one to stay behind, there was no guarantee the Brethren would have even attacked. Everything might have been different. They might have changed course. They might have attacked from a different angle and slaughtered everyone on the island. Who was to say the outcome would have been the same? It could have ended up with even more lives being devastated.
This wasn’t Connor’s fault, and yet he’d been carrying that burden for almost a year. The knowledge made Elaine want to weep. It wasn’t right that he should hurt so much and that he should be so lonely in his pain.
She stood and touched his arm. “Connor.”
He flinched as if she’d slapped him. The whites of his eyes were red. “You must hate me.”
Did she?
She supposed it would be easy to fall into an abyss of blame and fury. God only knew she’d been searching for a scapegoat. Connor was offering himself as one. Hating him would be so convenient. It might even make her feel better in the short term.
She had the power to make him suffer. It would take only one word and he’d go to his grave weighed down with shame.
But she didn’t want that.
Connor had been through hell, a darkness she’d never even glimpsed. He must have tortured himself for months. It was amazing he was still functioning. If she’d been in his place, she would have withered and died.
Yes, she could tear a strip off him right now and send him over the edge.
She also had the power to take away his guilt. He needed absolution for a crime he didn’t even commit. She could give him that much, even more.
Elaine opened her arms to him. “Come here.”
He swiped at his tears. “Elaine, I’m so sorry.”
She grabbed him by his biceps and shook him. “Listen to me. You did nothing wrong. You wanted to help. You fought those bastards, and I give thanks every day for every evil Brethren life you took. I don’t hate you. I could never hate you. You’re my best friend, my savior. You pulled me out of my hole and turned my face to the sun. You’ve been my rock, Connor. Let me be yours.”
He fell into her arms and wept. They tumbled together to the bed, and she cried too, for him and for Lloyd and for the children they all loved. When she finally stopped crying, her chest rose and fell with dry sobs. He held her tight, cocooning her with his strength, and their sighs began to mingle until she wasn’t sure whose breath was whose. The tremors dissipated, and they lay still, warm against each other’s bodies, their hearts beating in sync.
Later, as Connor fell asleep with his arms wrapped around her, Elaine couldn’t help noticing how much lighter she felt.
In offering him her forgiveness and acceptance, she’d turned a corner.
They would get past this.
Although he slept, the purr of his mountain lion rumbled in her ear, as it sought to comfort her lonely bear.
She reached around him and turned out the light, cloaking the room in shadow, and then settled back into this embrace.
As darkness claimed their sanctuary, it snuffed out the remainder of her own guilt, blanketing her in hope.
* * * *
A faint headache woke Connor some time before sunrise. He opened his eyes, and the bedroom was still dark. Licking his dry lips, he checked the clock. Three in the morning. Great. Now he wouldn’t get back to sleep.
A feminine murmur claimed his attention. He looked at the woman sleeping next to him.
Elaine. For a moment, he thought he’d been dreaming.
He was naked in Elaine’s bed. She was naked too. His foggy mind battled with hazy memories.
Elaine, I’m so sorry.
All at once, the previous night’s events flooded back into his memory. He’d admitted his guilt about Lloyd’s death. He’d broken down into the ugly mess he’d always hidden from her. He’d sobbed in her arms.
His headache got worse. It sprang to life, a red, throbbing, flaring embarrassment.
He sat up and tried to recall her exact words. She’d said she didn’t hate him. Her nude presence seemed to corroborate it.
She didn’t hate him. Would she change her mind after sleeping on it?
Connor’s mountain lion senses enhanced his human body. Although it was still dark out, he could see Elaine perfectly, even down to the swirling pattern her fair hair made on the pillow. He lay down and faced her, tucking a few of the long strands behind her ears.
There was such delicacy in her face at times. The dark circles under her eyes and the hollows in her cheeks reminded him of her fragility, and yet there was fire behind those eyes. That strength had seen her through the past year, even though he didn’t agree with some of her decisions. When she had grabbed him by the arms last night, letting him know she could never hate him, he’d felt her fire again. It had warmed him to his core.
This woman had taken on the worst that life could throw at her, and she’d somehow persevered against all odds.
Elaine is alive.
A few months ago, he wouldn’t have believed it.
She’d called him her best friend, her savior. He didn’t think he could feel a greater sense of pride than in that moment. It was all he’d ever wanted to do. After Lloyd died, Connor had wanted to be the one who brought Elaine back from the brink.
I see the way you look at her. Truth be told, you’ve always looked at her that way.
Connor remembered the first time he met Elaine years ago. Lloyd had already been working at the Ursa with him. He’d talked about his mate a few times and had always smiled whenever someone mentioned his high school sweetheart, but he hadn’t introduced her to his coworkers yet. Connor finally got tired of hearing about the mystery woman.
“I’m starting to wonder if this Elaine of yours is real,” he’d joked one day at work. “You never bring her around. Is there a chance she’s actually made of plastic?”
“No, she’s not made of plastic, you doofus. She does have a job, you know,” said Lloyd. “She’s been taking on some extra shifts at the stables because they’re shorthanded.”
At the time, Elaine had had a job working for a local horse breeder, helping out with any odd jobs around the stables. However, her favorite activity had been caring for the animals. Despite her spirit animal, or perhaps because of it, she had an affinity with the horses and spent as much time as she could with them.
“Yeah, well, seeing is believing.”
Lloyd must have taken Connor’s words to heart. A couple of weeks later, Connor had been walking near the docks when a small motorboat pulled up. It had one passenger, a beautiful woman with blonde hair. She’d docked the boat like an expert. He’d smiled. There was something attractive about a country girl who knew her way around a boat. With him watching, she jumped out.
“Excuse me. Do you know where I can find Lloyd Gleason? He’s supposed to meet me here.”
Connor had turned on the charm. “Well, I’ll have to talk to Lloyd. That man has some serious issues if he’s keeping you waiting.” He’d stuck out his hand. “I’m Connor Church.”
Her face lit up. “You’re Connor! I’m Elaine. I’ve heard so much about you.” Rather than shake his hand, she’d hurled herself at him and hugged the life out of him.
His mountain lion had awoken even then, cataloging everything it liked about her. She smells rosy and has soft breasts. Her voice sounds like happiness. Mark her.
“Hey, you! Get your hands off my woman.”
At Lloyd’s seemingly harsh words, Connor pulled away and looked over his shoulder. His friend was approaching, his grin touching his ears.
“Lloyd!” Elaine ran across the dock and jumped into his arms.
Lloyd caught her easily, hoisting her up with his hands on her ass. “Hey, gorgeous. Sorry I’m late. Work stuff.” He squeezed her, kissed her hard, and put her down. “I see you’ve met Connor.”
“Yes,” she teased. “And it’s a good thing your friend was here to greet me seeing as you were detained. Can I ask you a big favor, Connor?”
“Sure.”
“The next time Lloyd wanders off, would you please come to my rescue?”
“Absolutely.”
Lloyd had laughed. “This woman doesn’t need rescuing. She’s invincible.”
The remembered words hurtled Connor back into the present. He’d made a promise to Elaine that day in jest, never once realizing the impact of their words.
He’d tried to be her salvation, but he suspected she might actually be his.
Lloyd and Elaine had included him in their activities that day, and as much as Connor had smiled through it all, he’d never felt so much like an outsider. Although they never rubbed their love in his face, he couldn’t help feeling curious. Maybe even a little envious. Elaine was amazing, as lively as she was lovely, and Lloyd was smitten. Their passion surrounded them like a halo, making everyone around them glad.
Connor hadn’t been able to help his interest in her. He’d met lots of pretty women, but this was the famous Elaine. He’d heard so many stories, and an aura of mysticism clung to her, as enticing as her perfume. If Lloyd hadn’t been in the picture, he would have made a move. But Lloyd was like a brother to him. He would never have done anything to destroy that bond.
Somehow he’d managed to stifle his desire for Elaine, so much so he’d forgotten it over the years. Now it raged inside him like a fire newly kindled, burning everything in its path.
Her skin. He had to touch her skin, even at the risk of waking her up.
Ah, hell. Who was he kidding?
He wanted to wake her up.
Connor touched a finger to her jaw. Her eyes cracked open. She blinked a couple of times. With each blink, her catlike grin spread.
“Hey, you.” Her voice was full of sleep, gravelly and sexy.
“Sorry I woke you.” His cock sprang to life. No, Elaine, I’m not sorry. I’m not sorry at all.
“It’s okay. I was in and out anyway. It’s been months since I slept soundly. I’m getting used to it.” She worried her bottom lip. “Are you okay, you know, after last night?”
“As long as you haven’t changed your mind about me.”
She wiggled closer. Her foot caressed his ankle. “Does it feel as if I’ve changed my mind?”
He slid his hand over her shoulder toward her breast. Her nipple was nice and tight, and he yearned to taste it. “No, I can’t say it does.”
On a soft groan, Elaine rose up above him. She straddled his lap, rubbing his chest. He strained between her legs. “We have unfinished business.”
Unable to resist, Connor gripped her by the ass and ground against her. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I want you, Connor Church. I want you inside me.”
He couldn’t ask for clearer permission. She might hate herself in the light of morning, and so might he, but right now they could hide together in the darkness.
Eager to unleash his predator, he flipped her onto her back and took control.