Blue Moon Brides: The Complete Series (43 page)

Knowing what she was thinking would be good. Then he could give her what she wanted. When he moved lower, slowly slipping the leash over the top of her mound, she arched up and let go of the table.

“Uh-uh,” he said, tapping her clit gently with the leather.

She shrieked and grabbed for him.

“You better be quiet,” he said tenderly, restoring her hands to the table’s edge. “You don’ wan’ none of those girls of yours comin’ out here now, do you?”

He tapped her clit again, soaking in her cries. Good thing her girls were gone because otherwise they’d hear her clear back at the house. Bracing one hand beside her, he moved the leash downwards. Over her pussy and the pretty fabric. Again and again he stroked her with the leash, first soft and then harder.

Her hips rose and fell to meet him, her hands white-knuckling on the table. When he tucked the leash against her opening, pushing the soaked fabric against her, her eyes fluttered shut.

“You like these panties much?”

She gave a desperate shake of her head. “You go right ahead,” she gasped, so he snapped the pretty little ribbons holding the sides together. Like unwrapping the best of Christmas presents, he thought, taking in the soft folds glistening and pink with the warmest of welcome for him. She was so damned perfect.

When he parted her with the leash, she met him halfway, the leash’s tip disappearing inside her wet slit.

“You got a dark side too.” He could hear the savage satisfaction in his own voice. How much could she take? Would she go all the way with him? There was only one way to find out.

Leaning forward, he sucked her clit into his mouth, working the leash gently in. Just an inch and then back out again. He licked her mercilessly, working her with his tongue. She gasped and moaned, the earthy sounds music to his ears. He was finally getting something right here. She bucked and tensed, the muscles in her thighs all but vibrating as he took her higher and she let him.

~*~

When Dag finally stood up and notched his dick against her opening, Riley was more than ready. He made her scream and she was sadly aware he could make her beg.

“We still got time,” he muttered. “Hours until sunset.”

Thank God. She gripped his shoulders and yanked him close. He had to finish what he’d started and she’d take every minute he could give. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she welcomed his slow, inward thrust.

He started a careful, measured in-and-out but the pace picked up fast. He groaned and he was right there with her, the heat and desire getting the best of him. His hips pounded hers, his skin slick with sweat. Her ass banged against the table with each stroke but his hands cupped her, taking the brunt of his thrusts.

This was raw, possessive sex and that was fine with her. Dag Breaux was a wicked temptation she couldn’t resist and he made her see stars even in broad daylight. So she wanted him one more time before the vamp came, even if that was possibly the most self-indulgent, stupid thing she’d ever done. Didn’t matter. She was doing—he was
doing
her—and it was the perfect ending to a shit week in the bayou. She’d been kidnapped, rescued, dragged through an underwater escape tunnel, and then run enough miles to qualify for a half-marathon. The universe owed her this.

“Tell me again everything’s going to be fine.”

“Just fine,” he groaned as he buried himself in her.

He moved faster and, since he was good and distracted now, she reached up and kissed him. Dag didn’t like kissing, but right now she was getting her way. She rubbed her lips over his, then pushed inside. Licked and tasted every inch of him, breathing into his mouth and taking him deep into hers. She loved kissing him. So she tightened her grip on his neck—just in case he had any thoughts of leaving—and kissed him and kissed him.

His hands bracing her, taking their weight as he drove into her and she rose up to meet him. Harder and faster, longer and rougher, proving there were plenty of ways to fill up the remaining hours until sunset.

What seemed like hours later but had to be far less, Dag eased himself out of her body and took a step back. Bracing his arms on either side of her, he looked down at her.

“Pack is comin’ for you,” he said.

Just once, she wanted pillow talk. Compliments or even a request for “More please”—either would work for her. Instead, the man wanted to talk battle plans.

She leaned back on her elbows so she could see his face. The conversation probably would have been easier if she wasn’t naked, her pussy still throbbing with the most delicious aftershocks ever. “Excuse me?”

“We’re goin’ to hide you in the bayou. I’ll be back for you when I’ve taken care of the vamp.” He stepped away and flung open the door. The man had positively no shame. He clearly had every intention of stroll outside bare-ass naked.

Granted, he had a spectacular ass, but there was a time and a place for everything—and her brothers could be showing up any minute now. They certainly wouldn’t appreciate the view the way she did.

Since there was no point wasting her breath arguing with Mr. Alpha Male, she settled for a one word answer. “No.”

He swung around in the doorway, his eyes raking her. “The vamps, they track real well, but it’s going to take time to pick up any trail. Your girls are goin’ to be fine unless and until they decide to start walkin’ around outside. So now we get you to safety.”

“They’re not going to hide forever.”

“Sure,
boo
. Just long enough for me to take care of this vamp problem.”

She dragged on her shorts and tank top. Her panties were beyond salvaging, so commando it was. Her panty-less state just made it clear how damp she was and she didn’t need that reminder, so she stormed out after him. He didn’t get it. He didn’t tell her where to go or how to live her life, no matter how hot he was.

Hell.

She skidded to a stop outside.

Cruz was sprawled on the bottom step of the porch. Worse, her brother had seen the two of them exit the toolshed and his nose flared as he examined them. He
knew
. Her head swiveled, looking for Dag. Busted by her brother.

“
Shug
, we need to talk.” Cruz tilted his head back and examined her. He looked the same, from the worn blue jeans and shit-kicker boots to the faded gray cotton T-shirt. She’d never been sure the man possessed any other clothes.

He shrugged, sitting up and leaning forward. His T-shirt pulled tight over powerful shoulders and that easy power had always been part of the problem. It was too easy for him to take charge.

He frowned. “I smell wolf.”

“Yeah.” She swallowed. “About that.”

She wasn’t sure what to say next, but Dag sauntered around the corner and his arrival was definitely more “show” than “tell.” If she hadn’t been busted before, she was now, because Dag had clearly been to retrieve his clothes. He’d slipped his jeans on, but he was still reaching for the buttons. A dark arrow of hair disappeared into the open vee and the T-shirt tossed over his shoulder spelled out anything that Cruz hadn’t figured out for himself.

When he spotted Cruz, he growled. “You called him?”

His eyes glowed yellow, watching the other man. Cruz, not being a fool, didn’t move.

No, instead, Cruz looked at her. “Riley? You got somethin’ to tell me?”

She probably should warn Dag that Cruz’s lazy sprawl was deceptive.

“Dag, Cruz. Cruz, Dag. Cruz is my eldest brother.”

Dag looked frustrated. At least one of them wasn’t embarrassed at being caught going at it in a toolshed. “Shit,
boo
. I probably shouldn’t be killin’ him.”

Cruz flowed to his feet. Time to intervene

She stepped between them, but Dag was close enough behind her for her to feel. “Can we save it for the vamps?” she asked.

Cruz swore as Dag’s hands cupped her shoulders. “This is your shifter problem?”

~*~

After making the introductions, Riley backed the hell off. The testosterone was thick enough to choke a gal. So she paced the edge of the safe house’s living room, waiting for nightfall, while her brothers and Dag did their best to hammer out a battle plan rather than each other. The arrival of Luc, Jackson and Landry had farther complicated matters and Riley figured there would be blows sooner rather than later.

She hadn’t known Dag’s Pack planned on lending an assist. Unfortunately, putting her brothers and Dag’s Pack in the same small room was proving to be hell on both the furnishings and the nerves. Luc and Cruz had shut down the minor skirmishes that had blown up, but Riley didn’t see how everyone was going to work together.

She might be tense and worried—but she was also fucking determined. That counted for something because this stopped right now, right here. She glanced around the room. Both Joneses and Pack seemed equally focused. They had one hour until sunset.

Dag laid his hands flat on his thighs and leaned forward. “I wan’ you boys manning the perimeter,” he said, eying Cruz and Eli. “I don’ know what your experience is with hand-to hand, but—”

She pushed away from the wall and made for the center of the room.

He was taking charge. Again.

“This is my house,” she interrupted.

“Sure,
boo
,” he acknowledged. “But I was thinkin’ you didn’t have much experience fightin’ vamps.”

For an instant, the memories threatened to overwhelm her. The shack in the bayou. The vamp and Ameline’s blood splashed across the walls and the floor. She wasn’t going to forget, but she didn’t need to relive either. Not right now. She shoved the images back into their mental box.

“I’ve got experience,” she pointed out.

Cruz and Eli said nothing, just watched, their heads swinging between her and Dag like they were ringside at a tennis match. She couldn’t see Luc, however, because he was behind her, which made her nervous. She turned to make another circuit of the room and Dag reached out a hand, swinging her to a halt. His leg pressed against hers.

Cruz cleared his throat, his eyes dropping to her leg, but she wasn’t giving up that comfort. Dag’s arm snaked around her waist, pulling her down onto his lap. As negotiating positions went, it was no power position but she was done pretending she and Dag weren’t in some kind of a relationship. Damned if she knew precisely what they were to each other, but her brothers were going to have to deal with it.

“Riley shanked one of the bastards out there in the bayou.” Obvious pride filled Dag’s voice. It was a good thing she was sitting down, because she wasn’t sure her legs would hold her.

He was watching her now. “So what do you wan’ to do?”

She noticed he hadn’t precisely passed the baton to her, but he was listening.

“How long do we have?” she asked.

“If it’s coming tonight? An hour minimum, but if I was huntin’, I’d wan’ to keep you off-balance. Make you wait some and tip your hand. I wouldn’t bust in here the moment the sun went down. I’d make you wait for it so you’d be jumpy and unsure.”

Cruz dragged his gaze back to their faces. “The neighbors goin’ to be a problem?”

The shelter was somewhat isolated—just one of the things that had drawn her to the property—but if things got too noisy… yeah, the neighbors would be dialing it in and banging on the front door.

“Not if you keep the noise down.”

“You need to use this place again?” Luc’s voice offered no judgment.

“Yeah.” She swallowed. “It’s pretty well known in certain circles. If a woman’s in trouble and looking to lay out, she’s likely to come here if she lives in the parish.”

Dag nodded slowly, clearly running logistics in his head. “So we’ve got to do this quietly.”

Cruz’s sigh said it all. “Hell,
shug
, you do like a challenge.”

“Cruz?”

“Yeah?”

“I survived the three of you,” she pointed out.

Cruz grinned at her. “Yeah. And then you swore
never, ever
.”

“What?”

He nodded towards Dag. “Wolf boy’s scent is all over you. Mom is going to be real happy. She didn’t think you’d be the first to take a mate.”

“I’m not. Mated.” She wasn’t telling him about the sex. No way she opened that can of worms. Plus, she was fairly certain he knew already.

“Uh-huh.” He raised an eyebrow. “He marked you. You didn’t run.”

She had. Dag had simply caught her. Twice.

“Can we please talk about this later?”

Cruz crossed his arms over his chest. “Trouble in paradise?”

“He’s a wolf,” she growled. “He’s three hundred years old. And I’m fairly certain he believes he’s the ruler of the bayou.
Yes
. There’s trouble.”

“I’m listenin’,” was all Cruz said.

~*~

The sun had been down three hours and Riley knew she was looking at at least eight more hours of dark. The vamp hadn’t come in fast and furious, so score one for Dag. The man knew how the mind of a predator worked all right. Her only comfort was she’d rigged the generator with high wattage bulbs and flipped the switch at sunset, lighting the place up like a ballpark. The neighbors might bitch some tomorrow, but she figured they’d give her a pass tonight. People in the bayou preferred to live and let live.

Lighting up was predictable but as Dag had pointed out, that could be a wise strategy. “The vamp,” he’d remarked, “he’ll expect you to hide your gals or to fight. Lights are the first line of defense, so it would be strange if you were holed up in the dark.”

Glancing out the second-floor window, she estimated she had enough wattage for four times the space. Spread out around the property and on the street, the guys outside practically needed sunglasses. Inside the house, however, she and Dag weren’t squinting.

Dag lifted his head, suddenly on high alert. “He’s here.”

She wanted to run and hide. While the sick anticipation of waiting hadn’t been a picnic, knowing she was about to come face-to-face with a vamp was actually worse. “You sure?”

Dag smiled. “Yeah.”

Their plan—to use her as the bait to draw the vampire in—suddenly seemed woefully inadequate. Sure, she knew what to do. She also had her brothers, Dag and half Dag’s Pack backing her up, but
knowing
and
doing
were two different things.

Very, very different things.

Dag’s hand found the back of her neck and squeezed gently. Her panic eased off some, the warmth of his touch seeping into her. “We’re goin’ to do fine,” he promised.

“I’m holding you to that.”

He nodded, already rolling to his feet, surefooted even in the dark. He didn’t let go of her, not entirely, his hand slipping to her shoulder.  He rubbed small circles against her skin, his touch offering comfort and security. Or a vise, she thought as the fear came back double-time, ready to her haul her back. He looked at her like he could read her mind though and her heart settled back into place.

Comfort.

“Nothing hurts you,
boo
.”

She could hear the promise in his voice and the quick, hard kiss he dropped on her lips felt right. He planned on taking care of business for her. And to hell with it, she thought. In the space of his kiss, she lifted one of his blades from its sheathe on his back. He’d armed her earlier a high-powered flashlight and endless instructions, but she wanted the knife too.

The power to the house died and the porch flickered once, twice, before going out altogether. The yard lights stayed up, though, powered by generator. The motor whined, pumping out power.

Almost loud enough to drown out the scuttle of nails across her rooftop.

She tensed, getting ready to pop up at the window. She’d have Dag at her back and he’d make a show of dragging her back down to the floor. Like she’d bucked his authority and he hadn’t been able to stop her. The vamp, Dag had argued, would be expecting a werewolf or two. Her brothers were the real surprise.

“Riley Jones.” Her name was a cold hiss from the shadows.

You can do this.

One Miss America wave and then down. Her brothers would handle this for her. Dag’s Pack would too.

And if she let them, she’d lose her chance to meet Dag on equal ground. Which mattered, she realized, because she was actually contemplating a future with him. He’d made it clear he wanted that, even if she wasn’t sure how much of his want was due to the blue moon and how much was due to her. He
was
a good man and a keeper. Unfortunately, she just wanted to be keeping him on her terms.

She stood up and turned towards the window, Dag’s hand falling away from her. He nodded silently and gave her the go-ahead sign. The window loomed in front of her, dark and empty, but she couldn’t tell where the vamp was now. The tension in Dag’s body radiated an intense focus, a knife palmed in his hand.