Lion in the Shadows Read online

  Instead of giving her what she craved, he pulled his cock all the way out.

  “No, Rafe. I can’t take any more. Fuck me, please.”

  To her relief, his fingers withdrew, only to be replaced by the familiar pressure of his much thicker cock.

  Her sphincter tightened in resistance.

  “Trust me,” he said, his voice tight with strain. “And relax. Let me come inside.”

  More spit dropped between her cheeks. His finger smoothed it over her small opening, soothing her.

  Then his cock pressed against her again. “Relax. Let it happen. I promise you’ll like this.”

  Lani drew in a deep breath and tried to relax her muscles. His cock pressed and pressed until the pressure had her gasping. Then suddenly, the head crowded past her opening. He paused, sliding no further.

  Lani reached behind her to keep him from driving deeper. The sensation his thick cock produced, lodged in her ass, was pain mixed with the most intense pleasure she’d ever felt.

  But she wasn’t sure she could take more. Her asshole burned and squeezed around him. Her pussy oozed, making her inner thighs slick and sticky. He kissed her shoulder, and then licked a path up to her ear and nibbled at her lobe.

  Her body quivered, tension building in her belly. She stopped pushing back on his hip and reached between her legs. She rubbed her clitoris, which was as hard as a small, round pebble between her legs. Then her fingers dug into her cunt, trying to assuage the need that had her hips jerking now. “Now, Rafe. Give it to me, now!”

  Rafe’s hands held her buttocks in a bruising grip, and then he drove his cock deep inside her ass.

  Lani screamed and writhed. Not quite seeking a deeper penetration, but unwilling to ask him to stop. Her asshole gloved his cock a little less tightly as her body clamored for release.

  While her fingers fucked her sopping cunt, his cock glided in and out her ass. His belly slapped her bottom with the force of his thrusts. His groans were so loud, Lani had the whimsical thought that anyone driving by with their windows down would hear them—and it only made her hotter.

  With one hand braced against the rail, the other inside herself—and her ass filled with Rafe’s hot cock—she let herself be swept along with the tide of an orgasm that threatened to make the top of her head explode.

  Rafe hammered at her ass, his strokes shorter, harder, lifting her off her toes—then he shouted, and a stream of liquid fire jetted into her.

  That’s all it took to push her over the edge, and she was falling, her body shattering like glass.

  A long, keening sound ripped from her throat. The only reason she still stood was the railing biting into her belly and the strength of the cock still lodged deep inside her body.

  “Are you okay?” he murmured against her shoulder.

  She drew in a jagged breath. “Sure, but I think I have splinters.”

  “Sorry.” He slowly withdrew and pulled her up against his chest, his hands closing around her breasts as he hugged her. “This is all your fault, you know. I really did intend to give you a bit of rest.”

  Lani rested her head against his chest, gratified his breaths were just as labored as hers. “I’m gonna be bowlegged for a week.”

  His mouth glided along the side of her neck. “You’re a little sassy when you’ve had some.”

  “I’m just starting to realize the possibilities—I mean, there’s the porch, the swing,” she whispered. “There’s this oak tree with a bent trunk that would be just about the right height…”

  He pinched her nipple. “You’re talking geography now—I’m thinking acts.”

  “Acts?”

  “I’ve sucked you to orgasm—I’m dying to know what that nasty mouth of yours will do to my dick.”

  She grinned and lazily caressed the backs of his hands. “I didn’t know you were such a sweet-talker. I like it when you get…specific.”

  “Baby, I can get downright explicit,” he growled, and then bit her earlobe.

  “I bet you can.”

  He nuzzled her neck while his voice rumbled in her ear. “Any bad moments there?”

  Lani hoped he wasn’t asking her what she thought he might be and was very glad she wasn’t facing him, or her cheeks would be even hotter.

  He plucked her nipple. “Did I hurt you?”

  “At first,” she said, in a tiny voice. “But I liked it.” Then she had a thought about “acts”. “Is that something you might like, too?”

  “No.”

  Intrigued by his flat denial, she teased. “Hmmm. Doesn’t seem fair.”

  “Nothing to do with fair.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “No, we won’t.”

  Lani turned in his arms and looked down his body. On any other man the sight of his pants shoved down to his knees might be comical, but on Rafe…

  His muscled thighs and tight, washboard abdomen were sigh-worthy.

  Rafe looked down too and grinned. “Guess I’d better go clean up again.”

  “Want some help?”

  “No. I’ll never get out of here if you do.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Spoilsport.”

  He bent and drew his pants partway up and nodded toward the door. “After you.”

  Lani picked up her robe, and then his gun belt from where he’d tossed it on the railing. “All right. I think I like that you want to protect me. But don’t get carried away.”

  “I know. You can take care of yourself.”

  She headed toward the bathroom.

  Rafe cleared his throat.

  “Just testing your resolve.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Want breakfast before you go?”

  “I’ll grab lunch in town.”

  She raised one eyebrow. “Afraid of a little more geography?”

  He blew out a breath. “I’ve created a monster. Where’s the sweetly inhibited woman I thought I knew?”

  Lani’s smile stretched. “She left her last inhibitions on the front porch.”

  Still clutching his pants, Rafe strode toward the bathroom, muttering beneath his breath.

  With a spring in her step, Lani headed to the guest bathroom.

  Chapter 5

  Rafe’s first call was to the coroner. “So, what do you know, Mitch?” He turned his chair away from his desk.

  The sound of the other man’s tired sigh had Rafe bracing for the news. “Well, the boy definitely died from multiple injuries suffered during his fall. He probably never recovered consciousness. He had massive head trauma.”

  “Okay.” Rafe took a deep breath, and then asked the next question that had been burning a hole in his stomach. “Tell me there weren’t any marks made by a large cat on that boy’s body.”

  “I could…but it wouldn’t be the truth.”

  “Damn.”

  The coroner took a deep breath. “It gets weirder, Sheriff.”

  Rafe’s hand tightened on the telephone. “How so?”

  “That cat carried the boy gentle as a baby. Its teeth never penetrated his skin. There were only pressure marks left in his flesh at the top of his shoulder. That mountain lion never took a bite.”

  After Rafe hung up, he stared out the window of his office for a long while. The boy hadn’t fallen to the ledge, and he certainly hadn’t crawled there.

  The cat had dragged the boy to that ledge with his mouth clamped around his shoulder. Yet there had been no smears of blood leading to the ledge. It made no sense.

  On one hand he was relieved the boy’s death had been caused by the fall and not by being mauled by a cat while he lay helpless. On the other, he realized the chances of two different large cats appearing within miles of each other was rather remote, given the hunting range of mountain lions and their solitary habits.

  The cat Lani had confronted on the ledge was likely the same one that had showed up on her porch. For whatever reason, it had stalked her all the way to her home.

  He should have shot the lion while he’d had it in his sig
hts.

  Rafe picked up the phone to call Lani, but there wasn’t any answer. She’d mentioned she might pop in at the fire station, so he didn’t worry too much. But tonight, he’d let her know she had a dangerous new pet.

  Curious about the blast the boys reported hearing the day before the accident, Rafe paid a call to the McKelvey ranch. He found Danny McKelvey welding stock fence around a corral not far from his house.

  As he approached, the rancher straightened and pushed his goggles up his forehead. “Sheriff, what can I do for you?”

  Rafe took off his cowboy hat to wipe sweat from his face. “I don’t know how you can work with that torch in this heat.”

  “Work has to be done.” His broad, ruddy face formed a scowl. “I’m bringin’ in my stud bulls until that mountain lion’s killed.”

  Rafe glanced around the corral and barn. Both had seen better days—the roof of the barn sagged, older welds on the stock panels showed signs of rust. The barn and the fence needed more care than a slap of paint. “You have insurance on your cattle?”

  “I do. But insurance won’t pay for all my losses if that lion gits one.” Danny’s gaze narrowed. “But I’m sure that’s not what you’re here for.”

  Something about the rancher’s wary stance raised Rafe’s hackles. He was accustomed to being greeted with suspicion from the locals who’d lived here for generations. As the first elected sheriff who wasn’t a hometown boy, he was considered a “blow-in”, as were most of the people moving into the rapidly growing area. But Danny’s demeanor was downright menacing. “You hear about Matt Costello?”

  Danny nodded once. “I did. Damn shame.”

  Rafe didn’t like the terseness of his reply. “Yeah, it is. The boys mentioned something that had me a little curious.”

  The big man’s back stiffened. “What’s that?”

  “They said they heard someone using dynamite. It was close. The explosion’s what opened that cave. I wondered if you had any idea who might be blasting?”

  “No. Why you askin’ me?” he said, his tone bordering on belligerent.

  “Just curious.” Rafe narrowed his gaze. “Wanted to make sure a permit was issued.”

  “Well, I’m not licensed to buy that stuff.”

  “Didn’t think you were. Just wondered if you knew anyone else around here who might need it.”

  “You know there’s a golf course goin’ in on the other side of that big hill.” Danny’s scowl deepened. “Bought up several ranches to do it.”

  “I remember reading about that when I was still in San Antonio. The company had you and some of the other ranchers pretty upset.”

  “Yeah, well, you would be, too, if some stranger dammed the only creek that feeds half a dozen ranches downriver and dumped a ton of chemicals all over your backyard.”

  “I understand they’ve only dammed for flood prevention. The creek’s still flowing through.”

  “Well, that’s water under the bridge.” Danny’s mouth quirked on one side.

  His smirk rankled Rafe. The man was too smug.

  “They might be needin’ dynamite for some of their construction, and I’m sure they’ll have to use it to dig deep enough for a septic system.”

  “I appreciate the suggestion.” Rafe put his hat back on his head. “One more question.”

  Danny’s hand fisted around the torch he still held.

  “What are you going to do about that cave?”

  “Well, ain’t that interestin’…”

  Rafe cocked his head, waiting for the other man to explain.

  “That pretty little fire-girl called me this morning and asked me that same question.”

  Lani forced herself to walk her natural gait, despite the swollen tissue between her thighs that seemed to grow puffier by the second. Why had she worn jeans? The material hugged her crotch, and the friction scalded despite the soft cotton panties beneath her jeans.

  But she couldn’t complain about the cause. She still felt caressed all the way to her soul by Rafe’s lovemaking.

  The fire station was quiet today. Most of the men on shift were washing the trucks, polishing chrome, and repacking gear. She shied away from the group, giving them a friendly wave. She really didn’t want to get into a conversation with those sharp-eyed guys. If they only knew…

  Before last night, she sure hadn’t had a clue. She’d never spent a night—or a morning—like the one she had with Rafe.

  Oh, at first, everything had progressed just as she’d expected yesterday—the hot glances, the sly caresses. His pursuit had desire building into frenzied need before she’d made it through the front door. But throughout the long night, he’d shown her loving she’d never experienced before—sexy teasing and laughter—and conversation in a hushed, tender voice that wrapped warmth around her heart.

  After she’d sated the hot passion, she’d sought his touch again and again—not because she craved the release he was so skilled and well-equipped to deliver, but because she wanted him. And this wanting felt as natural and easy to her as breathing.

  Of course, he could ratchet up that heat again in a heartbeat, she thought, remembering their little tryst on the porch.

  “What’s got you smiling like a Cheshire cat?” Cale asked, devilment in his gruff voice.

  Lani blushed and clamped her lips together before she turned to fully face the captain.

  His eyes held a twinkle. “Wouldn’t be that sheriff who followed you around like a birddog yesterday, would it?”

  “What makes you think that?” Certainly not the blush burning my cheeks as hot as a wildfire. She silently cursed her fair complexion but figured she’d better get used to the teasing—she’d be blushing a lot from now on if Rafe kept introducing new “geography” lessons.

  “Oh, I don’t know,” he said, not bothering to hide a smile. “I been married a lot of years. Seen that look a time or two on the wife.”

  “Well, you don’t really expect me to comment, do you?”

  “Hell no!” He waggled his bushy eyebrows. “Just gettin’ you ready for when the guys come rollin’ in. They’re takin’ a break.”

  Just as he predicted, laughter and the buzz of half a dozen male voices came from down the hallway as the men made their way to the kitchen.

  Lani straightened her back, assuming her blandest poker face as the men shuffled past. She dipped her head in greeting.

  “You come by to check on that Costello boy?” Cale asked.

  Lani nodded.

  “I called Rafe a little while ago.” Cale’s voice dropped. “Said the coroner determined the boy died from his fall.”

  The relief she felt confused her—dead was dead, whether he’d been mauled or not.

  “Hi, Lani.”

  Lani glanced over her shoulder to find Randy standing behind her, a sheepish expression on his face.

  “I didn’t know you were working today,” she said. “This isn’t your shift.”

  “I’m not on shift. I just stopped in to help with cleanup. Didn’t have anything better to do.”

  Lani smiled. Randy was young and eager—and he liked wearing his fireman’s uniform. “Well, I wanted to talk to you, anyway.”

  “Me, too.” He rocked on his heels and looked at the ground.

  “I’ll leave you two,” Cale said. “Have to make sure the boys don’t get too comfy in the kitchen.”

  “See you, Captain,” Lani murmured, then turned back to Randy whose cheeks had flushed red. “What’s up?”

  “Look, I’m sorry about yesterday—about the way I talked to you…in the cave.”

  Lani shook her head, not understanding, but then recalled Randy’s odd behavior when he’d found her kissing Rafe. “Oh.” Her own face heated. “Don’t worry about it. You were right. It was definitely the wrong place…for that.”

  “No. I don’t know why I got so mad.”

  Lani thought she might know. Randy followed her around like an eager puppy. She found his crush sweet. “Don’t worry
about it. We were all under a lot of stress.”

  He took a deep breath. “Well, I just wanted to say it.”

  “And I wanted to ask you if you’d like to make another trip back to the cave.”

  His eyes lit up. “Just us?”

  “Yeah.” She grinned at his eager expression. “I want to check out that second level.”

  “I’m in.”

  “All right. Tomorrow soon enough?”

  “Sheriff, did I hear you talking earlier about that big cat Lani saw in the cave?” Deputy Johnny Ramos stood in Rafe’s doorway.

  “I was talking to the coroner.”

  Johnny’s expression turned dark. “A rancher east of McKelvey’s property reported finding a dead calf. She said it was partially eaten. As far as she could tell, it was attacked by a mountain lion.”

  “Was the game warden notified?”

  Johnny nodded. “I’m headed out there, now. I’ll let you know what I find.”

  “Call back the warden. Tell him I saw the mountain lion just west of town this morning.”

  “Will do. Although, he’ll probably be a little late to capture it. The ranchers are planning a hunting party. Danny McKelvey’s leading it.”

  Rafe knew that meant Danny’s pit bulls would be along for the kill. Somehow, the idea of that proud cat being mauled or shot to death didn’t sit right. “Well, let’s hope the warden gets him first.”

  “I better get out on the road.”

  As much as Rafe would have liked to let the deputy take the call, it was still midafternoon—time enough to see to business before he headed back to Lani’s place. “I’ll head to the ranch and check out the damages.”

  “Thought you were taking the day off, boss.”

  “Yeah, I was. But I want to see for myself whether this is a mountain lion attack, or whether folks are just getting nervous.”

  Johnny tipped the edge of his cowboy hat and left.

  Rafe recognized the name on the report and made his way to the small ranch. Then he followed the trio of buzzards circling overhead, silhouetted against the bright, Texas sky.

  The calf, or what was left of its carcass, lay on its side, flies buzzing around gaping wounds.