Big Game: Hunted Love #1 (5 page)

A groan, almost familiar sounding, rumbled through him as he plundered her mouth, allowing her to keep nothing from him. The world rocked around her at the amazing rasp of his tongue across hers.

God in Heaven, how had she existed twenty-eight years without experiencing that? Her entire body quivered against him, in search of something more.

One of the horses stomped and snorted, breaking the spell and the kiss. Jakob drew back only far enough to rest his forehead against hers, breathing hard. "Woman you are a puzzle. A very sweet puzzle I fully intend to solve."

Jakob adjusted his seat yet again in a vain attempt to ease the pressure of his hard-on against his jeans. Much to Ajax's displeasure, he'd reined the big horse back to allow Kate and Sunny to take the lead. The original intent had been pure. Since Kate knew the land, it followed she would also know the best route to where her man had found the dead horses. However, within seconds, his purpose devolved into a purely selfish desire to study the way the saddle hugged the perfect curve of Kate's gorgeous ass.

What the hell was he thinking? Chasing after a woman when he was supposed to be deciding the course of his future. If he'd had a brain, other than the one in his cock, he'd have insisted she stay safely at home where she belonged. But something about the beautiful Kate beckoned to him, some irresistible quality. He hoped he didn't regret allowing her to come along.

He also had to be careful of her emotions. She was hardly some stripe chaser, working her way up through the ranks at the local off-post club. Kate was altogether different from any woman he'd ever encountered, a strange mix of innocence and experience that drew him like a moth to flame. Maybe he'd better be careful of his own emotions, too.

Ahead, the mare topped a small rise and Kate rose in the saddle to gain a couple of inches perspective as she surveyed the way ahead of them. Jakob had little interest in what she saw. Instead, the way the snug denim of her jeans molded to her hips and thighs held him mesmerized.

How the hell was he supposed to hunt a lion when he couldn't look away from a shapely ass? If he had half a brain, he'd have taken what she freely offered back there at the stock tank, and got her off his mind. But no, he had to be a nice guy and go easy and slow in consideration of her seeming innocence. Hell, she could probably teach him a thing or two.

The thought of Kate having that sort of experience, of another man touching her, created a vague knot in his chest. He'd far rather imagine her as virginal and untouched, waiting for
him
to be her Prince Charming. Damn, he had it bad.

The hours passed, and much to his shame, Jakob barely noticed. Rather than become tired of watching her, he became more fascinated with each new detail he discovered. The way her hair escaped the twist she'd tucked under her hat to curve around the tender skin at the nape of her neck. Her ability to communicate her wishes to her horse with the slightest shift of her weight in the saddle or movement of her leg. In fact, he could probably study her every moment for a year and still not know everything about her he needed to learn.

The sun rode low on the horizon when Kate finally called a halt. Dismounted, she waited for him to close the distance and join her on the ground. When he approached her from behind, his hands ached to test the curve of the ass he'd watched all those hours.

"Over there is where Brady found Chaser's remains." She pointed to a small outcropping shaded with scraggly brush. "He must have been injured or sick. I just don't see a cougar being able to take him in normal circumstances, or even trying to."

Jakob wrestled his thoughts away from how Kate's neck might taste to the problem at hand, figuring out how and why a mountain lion would attack a stallion in his prime, and manage to bring such prey down. A young or inexperienced horse wouldn't pose much problem, but a stallion ready to fight to protect his herd? Not likely.

"Wait here. I'm going to take a look and see if there's any sign still here." With no hesitation, Jakob drew the .44 Smith & Wesson that rode on his hip. He intended to tranquilize the cat and fit it with a radio transmitter so Fish & Wildlife could monitor it, and then harass it until it decided to move on. However, that did
not
mean he was up for taking ridiculous chances.

Paying particular attention to the high ground and any points of concealment, he combed the area for sign, and found a crapload of it. The ground was torn all to hell, telling of an epic battle. Several horses had moved through, meandering and grazing at first, then bolting. The stallion's tracks were distinctive both for their size and because he'd favored his right hind.

He found where the cat had lain in ambush atop a slight larger outcropping than the first, and the scene played out in his mind. The horses had come within range, and the lion quickly calculated the easiest kill, adjusted his position, and leapt. The horse had fought ferociously, but in the end, couldn't overcome the crushing jaws and slashing claws.

Jakob climbed back up to the top of the outcropping and took a good look around. The location seemed like a favorite, with the ground cover worn away where the cat had lain under the fringe of brush. The scent of heavy musk permeated the place, suggesting a male cat. Nothing he spotted seemed a likely spot for a den, but he didn't expect to find that anyway.

He climbed back down and returned to where Kate waited with the animals. Ajax picked up the scent of the cat on him and tossed his head, not happy about it. Jakob calmed him with a hand to his neck and some soft words. The horse was a veteran of many hunts, but he still preferred to keep his distance from the predators. Couldn't blame him.

"Is there a water source or good spot to camp within a mile or so?"

Kate nodded. "Cherry Creek is a mile and half to the west. There's a good sheltered area there to camp, too. The hands use it regularly when they're over this way."

"Let's head over there, then, and get some rest. We'll come back here first light and get the dogs casting for a trail." He swung up on Ajax, letting the horse fidget for a moment. Just like old times, the bastard had gone all day and was still fighting for more. He'd missed that feeling, the way the horse dropped his haunches and engaged the turbo boosters to fly across even the roughest terrain. No other breed could duplicate that thrill.

Kate took the lead again and led them along a low ridge for a short distance, then dropped to a valley where Jakob spotted the ribbon of brush and trees that signaled a stream. The horses were eager to leave the scent of mountain lion far behind and moved quickly, so the distance closed quickly. A well used trail led down to the creekside and ended on broad gravel bar that merged into ankle deep water.

Kate swung down at the edge of a narrow strip of grass. "It's not a lot of graze for this many horses, but it'll work for a night or two, and there's room to tether them all close by."

Jakob looked around critically, and couldn't find anything wrong with the site. The small copse of trees along the creek would serve as a windbreak, but they shouldn't need that anyway. The horses could stay in a loose group and still graze, and the hounds would be comfortable too. He swung down and led the pack animals over to where a well-established firepit waited, with a small supply of firewood piled to the side.

He lifted the heavy packs off the horses and arranged them in a semi-circle to act as a sort of border for the side of the camp away from the creek, and Kate did the same with her horses, and reinforced the makeshift wall with the saddles. He stopped a moment, just to watch her. He'd never set up a hunting camp with anyone other than his Uncle Frank, and the experience was a just a bit unsettling.

She glanced up and caught him watching her and froze. "Am I doing something wrong?"

"Of course not. I was just…" Probably not a smart move to tell her he'd been comparing her to his uncle. "I was remembering how you taste."

Her cheeks flamed in a charming blush before she looked back to her task. Something vulnerable in the set of her shoulders warned him to proceed carefully. But now that the thought of how she tasted had been resurrected, he was powerless to resist going to her.

She straightened and faced him, eyes wide. There must be a million things he should be doing other than this, but for the life of him, he couldn't imagine what they were. The only thing that mattered at the moment was tasting her again.

He didn't stop until his chest nearly touched hers and still she didn't back down. One hand rose of its own volition and pushed her hat back until it toppled to the ground and her hair slid down around her shoulders. And still she stood her ground.

The only sign of nervousness came when the tip of her tongue slipped over her lower lip. "Just so you know, I intend to have you. Soon." The words dragged themselves from him before he could stop them.

Kate's eyes flared wide and when she opened her mouth to say something, he struck, leaning in to claim her lips before she could say anything he didn't want to hear. She could have pulled away at any instant, but she stood firm and accepted his kiss.

Why the hell did she just stand there and let him ravish her mouth? He only touched her with his mouth, not holding or forcing her by any stretch of imagination. And yet nothing could have made her move away from him. Not even his warning.

Every fiber of her being wanted to surrender, to lean into him and have him put his arms around her and kiss her for real. Yet if he got any more real, she wouldn't survive it.

A low sound rumbled through him and he dropped his hands to her waist, his fingers searing through her shirt. He drew back a little, just enough to prompt her to meet him more than halfway. And like some kind… Well, like someone else, she followed, practically begging for more.

Everything that had gone before suddenly felt like preschool as he growled and slid his hands down to her ass and drew her inexorably toward him. While he claimed her mouth with a ruthless possession that reminded her of the single-minded focus of the stallions at breeding time. A slight adjustment brought the hard ridge of his arousal against her lower belly in a way that made her wish clothing didn't exist.

He drew away from her mouth a little and blazed a trail of kisses along her jaw. "Put your hands on me, Kate."

The command flooded her with embarrassment. He kissed her with some kind of earth-shattering intensity and there she stood like a bump on a log. She started to pull away.

"No, you don't." He nipped her lower lip. "Touch me, Kate. Now."

Humiliation forgotten, she followed the order and let her hands rest lightly on his chest. The sudden realization that she'd never touched a grown man's chest prompted a need to explore. Her fingertips traced the contours of muscle and bone and endless fascination followed.

A choked groan sounded and he drew his head back enough to look down at her. "Kate, I need you to tell me now. Have you done this before?"

The question brought a rush of memories of frantic groping and frustrating attempts, always with a sense of something massive looming just ahead—something that never happened. After a while, it just took more effort than it was worth and Kate stopped bothering with it. "It's been a little while." He didn't need to know there was probably something wrong with her.

"Just so you know, you're driving me crazy." He dipped his head again and took her mouth in a quick hard kiss. "We need to finish setting up camp so I at least have a blanket to lay you on." Stepping around her, he went on to take care of some other task.

God, she had to put a stop to this. She couldn't sleep with some guy she'd just met. Even if he was drop dead sexy. Even if he did make her feel like a heroine in a romance novel. Not even if he did things to her, made her feel things, she'd only imagined. She had enough sleeping with guys she'd just met sitting in her past for several lifetimes. No need for more.

The rest of the work went smoothly and before long the animals were settled and fed, the fire built, and food cooking. When Jakob brought his sleeping bag over by the fire and unrolled it in a broad area long swept clear of stones and debris by previous campers, Kate retrieved her own bedroll. Rather than place it next to his, as he seemed to expect, she pointedly walked to the other side of the fire and unrolled it.

Jakob stirred the stew then turned to face her, hands loosely resting on his hips. "You know, tempting as your cute little ass is, I won't molest you. Unless you want me to. If you sleep over there, you'll be uncomfortable with all the rocks, and the ground is bit damp there closer to the creek. All you have to do is tell me you don't want me."

If only it could be that easy. She forced her shoulders to lift in a little shrug. "Okay, then. I don't want you." Moving her bed while he watched turned out to be a torturous experience, but she survived it.

He hadn't moved when she straightened from the task. "There. Was that so hard?"

As a matter of fact… "Of course not. Supper should be ready."

They ate, but Kate had no idea what. Her mind was fully occupied with watching every movement Jakob made, from the way his long fingers gripped his spoon to the way his throat moved when he swallowed. If he noticed her observation he at least had the grace not to say anything to embarrass her. In fact, he didn't say anything. It figured, once he knew he wasn't getting any, he stopped making an effort at all.

"If you'll clean up supper, I'll make another check of the animals and bring in some more wood." He was nice enough to wait for her agreement before stalking away from the fire into the nearly full dark.

Kate made use of the dishwasher, otherwise known as coarse sand and quick-moving water, to clean the dishes. The time it took to return things to the kitchen pack, and make sure what they would need for breakfast waited at the top would save precious minutes in the morning.

By the time he returned from taking care of the animals, she had everything squared away and it was still fairly early. Despite his earlier uncommunicativeness, he seemed in a good mood as he dropped to sit on his bedroll.

"With any luck, we'll jump the lion in the morning early while the dogs are fresh." He went on to talk a little more about how he planned to handle the hunt.

If he could be civil after she rejected him, the least she could do was likewise. "I gathered your uncle used these same horses? How did that happen?" Besides, she liked listening to him talk. His voice had a hypnotic quality that could probably tempt her into things she'd best not think about.

He grinned, revealing a dimple in his left cheek. "His other brother married a breeder from Kentucky. He and my dad stayed there for a bit and he fell for the horses." He talked on, telling her about some of the horses and mules his uncle had owned as Jakob was growing up.

She lay back to listen, loving the way his voice blended with the sounds of the night and the animals, and gaining unique insight into the man. Eventually the temperature dropped and she rolled into her sleeping bag. Wriggling out of her jeans inside the sleeping bag presented a moment of consternation since Jakob didn't bother to conceal his interest. Or the way his thoughts affected him. Finally she managed it though and settled into a comfortable spot.

Jakob stood and, facing her, peeled off his shirt. The deliberate way he unbuckled his belt made her feel like she was watching a strip-tease, but she couldn't force herself to look away from him or close her eyes. When he lowered his jeans to reveal the outline of his erection under snug underwear, she felt her eyes widen as her pulse shot through the roof.

He chuckled and stepped out of his jeans. "Sweet dreams, Kate."