Zophiel grinned. She wasn’t sure if her wings were a gift from her father or a byproduct of her unusual definition. Either way, she enjoyed them immensely. “I’ll wait until dark and check it out.”
Chapter Seven
Lexxie blew a kiss to Jake then bounded into the passenger seat of Heather’s car. Jake’s gaze remained fixed on Heather as he stood leaning against the side of his SUV. World-weary insight made his dark eyes shimmer while the barest hint of a smile bowed his sensual lips. Heather offered him a distracted wave then pulled around the gas station so she could retrace her path along I-70. She didn’t have the time or energy to think about Jake right now.
“I don’t care if he is a cat.” Lexxie sighed dramatically and pressed her hand over her heart. “I really want to lick his whiskers.” She put enough emphasis on the last phrase to make it obvious it wasn’t his whiskers she wanted to lick.
Despite her determination to ignore Lexxie’s antics, Heather laughed. “Jake has that effect on a lot of women.”
“But not you?” Lexxie snapped her seatbelt into place then pivoted in her seat so she could look at Heather without craning her neck.
“I understand the appeal, but he’s a cat. End of story.”
“Yeah right.” Lexxie snorted. “You’ve never pictured him naked?”
Heat spread across Heather’s cheeks, so she quickly changed the subject. “How’s Dhane? Did his condition improve after all the energy?”
Lexxie’s features tensed and all the playfulness evaporated from her demeanor. “He still couldn’t release the shift, so the cats took him to some fancy vet. Apparently Dhane is stable, but no one can explain why he can’t transform.”
“Damn.” Heather tapped her thumbs against the steering wheel as she merged onto the busy highway. “What happens now?” Until Dhane was well enough to make decisions for himself, her only option was to leave his care to Landon. If she suddenly disappeared for days at a time, their father would become even more suspicious than he was already. Landon’s politics might be screwed up, but he still loved Dhane as much as she did.
“Landon said he’d send updates through me so your dad doesn’t throw a fit.”
“Good plan. Dad is sniffing around already. He knows something’s up.”
“But he doesn’t know what?” Lexxie sounded hopeful.
“This is Nate Fitzroy we’re talking about. He’ll figure it out. It’s just a matter of time.”
Lexxie faced forward and settled back in her seat. “No doubt. Your dad will scratch at anything until it bleeds.”
“Speaking of bleeding. Dad wants to hold an old-style competition with me as the prize.”
“You told him no, didn’t you?” Lexxie looked suitably mortified.
“Of course. That doesn’t mean he won’t do it anyway.”
Lexxie shuddered as she glanced out the window. “The hunters will tear each other apart for the right to yank down your pants. You’re the unattainable ice princess. Whoever finally pries your thighs apart will be a legend.”
“Charming description,” Heather muttered. “You know damn well my reputation is exaggerated.”
Compassion warmed Lexxie’s gaze for a moment before she grinned. “Not by much.”
Heather reached for the radio. “If you’re just going to annoy me, I’ll pretend you’re not here.”
Lexxie caught her wrist. “Sorry. I know why you turned cold, but you can’t keep it up forever. Not if you want any kind of life.”
With a soft sigh, Heather lowered her arm. “When I find the right one, I’ll warm up. I know men aren’t all assholes.” She chuckled then shook her head. “I just haven’t found too many examples to help support the theory.”
“If it were me, I’d find someone dark and dangerous, someone so damn hot he was guaranteed to melt my ice-encrusted heart.”
Heather laughed, comforted by Lexxie’s outrageousness. “And we both know who you have in mind.”
All Lexxie said was, “Meow.”
* * * * *
Devon relaxed against Ian’s chest, content and sleepy. They reclined in a clawfoot bathtub that seemed out of place in his rustic cabin. She was nestled between his bent knees, her back pressed against his front and his hand covering one of her breasts. It was intimate, comfortable. In a word, perfect.
Round two in the meadow had been even better than round one. They’d taken their time, exploring with lazy fascination until they were both breathless and aching. Then he’d wrapped her legs around his waist as they sat facing each other and filled her by slow degrees. The memory made her shiver and his hand lightly squeezed her breast.
“I know what you’re thinking about,” he whispered in her ear.
“Round three?”
He slipped his hand beneath her and pinched her ass. She laughed and wiggled away. “You’re going to wear me out. Have you forgotten how old I am?”
“I’ll have a defibrillator standing by.” She turned around and knelt between his legs, framing his face as she slowly kissed him. A faint buzzing intruded on their pleasure and she sat back on her heels. “Is that your phone again? That’s the fourth time it’s gone off in the past ten minutes.”
“Fifth.” With obvious reluctance he climbed out of the tub, water streaming off his amazing body. He paused long enough to wrap a towel around his hips then fished his phone out of the pocket of his jeans. A swipe of his thumb brought the device to life and his expression grew stormy.
“What’s the matter?” She climbed out as well, borrowing his bathrobe off the hook by the door.
“Not sure.” He put the phone on speaker, but didn’t explain who he’d called.
“Took you long enough.” The rolling accent identified Payne. “Someone smashed through the window in the upstairs bedroom, grabbed the female doctor and flew away.”
“
Flew
away? How is that possible?”
“You tell me. Is another raptor interested in your territory?”
“There aren’t enough of us left to be territorial.”
“We need you here.” Payne sounded emphatic. “Mating rituals will have to wait.” Without giving Ian the opportunity to object, Payne ended the call.
“Where were they holding her?” Devon’s fists clenched as she thought of Carly Ides. The ambitious doctor had been the driving force behind many, if not most, of the indignities Devon had suffered. Was it too much to hope the raptor dropped her?
“Holt’s house.” Ian walked out into the main room and motioned for her to follow. “You need to bundle up. Flying after dark is always cold.”
“Why are we rushing to her rescue? Dr. Ides isn’t worth the effort.”
He crossed to the large wooden trunk that contained his clothing and casually dropped the towel. Knowing how her body reacted each time she saw him naked, she quickly averted her gaze. He seemed determined to oblige his friend, so round three would have to wait.
“The woman might not be worth saving, but we can’t risk what she knows falling into the wrong hands. At the very least, we need to figure out who took her and why.”
“And that can’t wait until morning?” She knew she sounded petulant but she didn’t care. All her life she’d been expected to remain calm and composed. Lashtons were leaders. The entire network looked to the Lashtons for guidance and reassurance, so Lashtons were not allowed to have problems of their own. She was tired of pretending nothing bothered her. She was disappointed and annoyed, and resentful of anything that benefited Carly Ides.
He stepped back into her line of vision and smiled. He pulled on a clean pair of jeans, but his chest was still bare. Gods how she wanted to touch him again, to lose herself in the pleasure and forget everything but Ian.
“The trail will be completely cold by morning. I’m sure others are searching, but I have insights others do not.”
“I’m being selfish. I know, but that woman…” Fury rose up so fast she couldn’t speak as her hands began to tremble.
He pulled her into his arms and pressed her into the warmth of his chest. “We’re not doing this for her. We’re protecting ourselves. She understands everything that was done to you and the others. We can’t allow anyone else access to that information.”
She let his nearness soothe her for a moment then stepped back. “I know you’re right, but I don’t have to like it.”
“Fair enough.” He kissed her forehead then returned to the trunk.
They dressed in silence.
Devon had hoped for at least another day before she faced her family. She was still angry with Kyle, but hurting her mother had never been Devon’s intention. Erin had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Ian turned off the appliances, lights and finally the generator. They’d both dressed in layers to help insulate their bodies from the cold. Spring days in the mountains might be warm and sunny, but all that changed as soon as the sun went down.
They moved out onto the front porch and Ian locked the door. The precaution made her smile. “We’re in the middle of nowhere. Isn’t that overkill?”
“You can never be too cautious with some things.” He punctuated the statement with an enigmatic smile.
She hadn’t seen anything unique or extremely valuable inside the cabin, but many Therians harbored secrets. Her mother was a prime example, with her private museum of antique treasures. “Will you tell me about it someday?”
“More than likely.” He held out his hand. “Let’s go.”
They moved to the center of the front yard and Ian reached for her. “How are you going to manifest wings with your back covered?”
“I was ready this time.” He twisted so she could see the vertical slits in his shirt, sweater and jacket.
She stepped into his embrace, hungry for the feel of his strong body pressed against hers. Light erupted in the depths of his eyes until gold consumed the blue. His chest vibrated, the rhythm slow and pulsing. She moved her arms to circle his neck, not wanting to hinder his transformation. Her skin tingled and she held her breath as his arms tightened around her. She felt him tense and his wings unfurled, arching high and spreading wide, the dark-brown feathers rippling in the breeze.
He reached down and cupped her behind, effortlessly lifting so she could wrap her legs around his waist. “Ready?” His wings flapped, rocking them forward and back.
All she could do was nod. She’d been too upset to comprehend the miracle she’d witnessed two nights before. This time she was not distracted by overwhelming emotions. His knees bent and his arms tightened around her, then he launched them skyward with a vigorous flap of his mighty wings. Air rushed past, chilling her face and streaming through her hair. She clung to him with her arms and legs, feeling the weight of her body more clearly as the ground grew farther and farther away.
“Relax.” His arms repositioned and tightened, holding her snugly against his chest. “I’ve got you.”
The trees became an indistinguishable blur. Occasional lights dotted the darkness, but mostly there were just shadowy mountains and endless sky.
She exhaled her pent-up breath and tried to adjust to the rhythm of his wings. Despite his firm embrace, it was hard to relax while she was clinging to his body like a spider monkey.
Her body was warm, but her face was cold, so she turned her head and pressed her nose against the side of his neck. Big mistake. His scent spread through her, alerting her senses to his proximity. Memories rolled through her mind in a staggering combination of images and sensations. Her nipples beaded and heat ignited between her thighs. She tried not to move, tried to ignore the tension coiling within her, but her body simply wouldn’t cooperate.
She could feel his mouth on her skin, kissing, licking, sucking until she surrendered completely to the sensual rush. Her thighs tightened and she shifted her pelvis until her mound aligned with the rapidly growing ridge in the front of his jeans.
“If you wanted to play, you should have worn a skirt.” His hands moved from her hips to her ass and squeezed hard enough to make her moan. “Think about something else.”
“I can’t. You smell too good.”
“And your scent is seriously distracting. Partial shifts are extremely hard to hold. You need to calm down.”
“I’m trying.” She turned her head into the wind and let the cool air dilute his scent. But her imagination wasn’t willing to let go. She pictured herself naked and impaled on his hard cock, each flap of his wings driving him deeper inside her.
His fingers tangled in her hair and he jerked her head back as his mouth took possession of hers. Desire exploded inside her. This was the Ian she’d dreamed of, imagined for years, brash and demanding, utterly Therian. Tenderness had eased them past her emotional wounds, but now her nature cried out for more.
She returned the kiss with equal hunger, her tongue every bit as bold as his. Her hands clutched his shoulders and her legs locked around his waist as she rubbed her sex against his obvious erection.
I need you in me. Now!
Her thoughts instinctively found their telepathic link and flowed into his mind.
He responded with a groan and a descent so rapid it left her breathless and dizzy. Without retracting his wings, he laid her down on a nameless mountaintop and attacked the front of her jeans. She raised her hips as he tugged the denim down, but the sturdy material bunched about her ankles, refusing to slide over her shoes.
Too wound up for patience, he bent her knees and parted her thighs then ducked into the circle created by her bound feet. She started to object, wanting to be naked when he took her, but he swooped down and sealed his mouth over her slit. His tongue parted her folds and zeroed in on her aching clit. She buried her fingers in his hair and surrendered to the madness.