Hearts Are Wild (27 page)

* * * * *

Shain grunted. Nothing. Nothing but an aching ass and hard-on number three from his thoughts wandering back to a tall, leggy blonde with full lips and a face and body that wouldn’t quit.

He pushed his Stetson up on his forehead and tossed the piece of sweetgrass he’d been chewing. He winced as he flexed his left arm. Every part of him had stiffened during his fourth long night in the saddle but it was his cock that was intent on driving him mad with need.

“Shit,” Shain murmured rubbing a hand over his stubbled face. He’d spent the past four nights roaming their acreage watching for looters, and each day spying on the ranch and trailing Lily’s education with jealousy simmering in his gut. Lily had continued to throw herself into the experience with gusto and, as each hour passed, his respect grew. It didn’t matter how difficult or dirty the job was, Lily did it without complaint.

As far as Shain could tell, Lily hadn’t latched onto any other cowboy in his absence. Which thrilled and troubled him all in the same breath. He knew it was twisted but, if Lily went after someone else, it would release him from the overwhelming connection he felt for her.

Flicking Windigo’s reins, he urged the stallion toward the hilly rise studded with old cedar and pine. If it had just been sex, why did he feel so different? Keyed up. On edge. All things that he needed
not
to be right now.

“Damn it,” Shain muttered for the thousandth time. With powerful strides, Windigo climbed the hillside, his master leaning slightly in the saddle to provide the horse better traction. “What a mess.”

He was still waiting on a call back from his buddy Lance, an FBI agent who worked out of Billings. He’d asked him to run a background check on Miss Lily Whitman. Lance had been keen to know what had prompted Shain to ask that type of favor, something his longtime friend never did. But Shain had been mute. “Just check it, would you, Lance?”

Of course his friend had agreed, with a promise to get back to Shain within seventy-two hours. Which was today.

On the hill, Shain paused to search the valley below. He fished out his binocs and scanned the treeline to the east. Nothing. Wait. Horses cresting the rise. He recognized Curt’s roan, then his cousin Luke on the pinto close behind.

More movement in the distance. Another horse and rider. Shain’s gut clenched. He’d recognize that blonde head and straight posture anywhere.
Lily
. On Rialda. And she was galloping hard, trying to catch up to Curt and Luke.

What in the hell was she doing out there with Curt and Luke? Where was—

Some of the fire in Shain’s belly eased when he spotted Darrell’s gray stallion at Rialda’s flanks. Good man. He was tagging behind to make sure Lily didn’t fall off and break her sweet little neck. Shain took a deep breath and went back to observing his gilded Lily. Damn, but she looked good in a saddle. Good enough to eat.

Shain grinned, his cock responding eagerly to the idea. Just as quickly, a band of protectiveness tightened around his chest. He should be the one riding with his ranch-hand trainee. Not Darrell. Or God forbid, Curt or Luke. Shain heeled Windigo into action and started down the hill. It would take him a while to head them off but it was only a matter of time. He knew they were on their way to the east pasture to check the fence line. He’d meet them there and take over Miss Lily’s range riding
education
.

* * * * *

“Buffalo roamed freely here once. The herds numbered in the thousands.”

As Lily’s gaze trailed the vast expanse of waving prairie, she could well imagine the great herds of dark, shaggy beasts dotting the majestic landscape. What a sight it must have been.

“Have you lived in the area your entire life?” Lily asked Luke as their horses plodded the fence line. Darrell and Curt had ridden ahead to check the gate. They were on their way to join them.

He nodded, his braid slipping off his shoulder.

Luke wasn’t much of a talker and, despite her best efforts, she’d learned zip about the handsome young man. Something about him struck her as familiar but she couldn’t quite place what it might be. Even so, she felt comfortable with him. Safe. It was disconcerting how much she was relying on
feelings
and
instincts
since she’d been at the ranch. Where was the practical, sensible Lily Whitman? She hadn’t even e-mailed her cousins last night like she’d planned. She gotten halfway through her message, then saved it to the drafts folder for later revision or deletion.

What was she going to say? That she’d dived into the bet headfirst and was so deep now she wasn’t sure if she even
wanted
to go back to her old life? The thought left Lily feeling slightly ill and lightheaded. It was true. Lily couldn’t imagine getting on a plane bound for Tucson in less than five days and melting back into her old life in Bisbee. How could she leave never knowing the outcome of the Red Bear? Nhya? And then there was Shain.

Stop thinking about him, Lily
…

“Whoa.”

Luke’s soft call brought Lily’s head up. The cowboy’s deep eyes were focused on something in the treeline several yards away.

“What is it?” Lily asked softly, pulling Rialda to a halt.

“Something…in the trees,” Luke said quietly, his shoulders tense.

That electrical tingle flowed through Lily once more, and she straightened, her gaze fastened on the gently waving pines. She could hear rustling underbrush. Something was moving in there. Something big.

Lily gasped, her hand flinging out to grab Luke’s arm, which was stiff as a piece of petrified wood.

A massive, rust red bear emerged from the pines into the clearing. Even from a distance, Lily knew instinctively that bears weren’t supposed to be
that
big. Or red as faded maple leaves before a frost.

Her heart hammered, her breath shallow, and, as the bear’s massive head swung in their direction, Lily knew there was an unnatural intelligence behind those deep eyes.

That’s crazy
.
Right? Crazy…

The bear sat on his haunches and chuffed so loudly Lily imagined she could feel the force of it from twenty yards away.
What was it doing?
With her blood thrumming, Lily turned to Luke. His gaze was still frozen on the bear, his body like granite. Lily squeezed his arm. “Luke,” she whispered, “what do we do?”

After a second Luke responded: “We do nothing. For now. We stay still.”

Which was when it hit Lily. Why weren’t the horses freaking out? In every movie Lily had seen, when a predator showed up, horses went wild.
Their
mounts seemed totally unconcerned. Rialda was yanking out tufts of grass along the fenceposts and Luke’s pinto was standing still but relaxed, its brown eyes blinking lazily.

“I thought you were supposed to scream and make yourself as big as possible if you encountered a bear,” Lily murmured.

Luke didn’t respond and Lily kept quiet, her entire body quaking. If Luke thought it safe for them to wait the bear out, then that’s what they’d do. And wow…when would she ever get a chance to see such a creature? The beast was majestic, larger than life. And despite her fear, Lily felt a strange draw to the creature.

They sat in silence for a time, the soft breeze teasing at their exposed skin, hinting that fall was around the corner. As the light played across the bear’s shining fur, Lily detected numerous colors in the animal’s thick coat. It reflected the sun in shimmering waves, making it seem as if the beast actually glowed.

The bear’s massive head swung her direction. It seemed to be staring straight at her! Tingles raced across her shoulder blades and down her spine as a low rumble reached her ears. It was coming from the bear! The sound reverberated through Lily’s chest and her heart raced.

“Luke, are you hearing what—”

The unmistakable drone of hoof-beats shattered the moment and Lily and Luke turned in their saddles.

Shain!

He was thundering across the plain toward them; his stallion’s neck stretched as its stride lengthened. Lily wanted to call out, stop Shain from ruining the moment, strange as it was. But Shain was riding as if the devil himself was on his heels. Sod churned as Shain pulled his horse up only feet away.

Lily couldn’t help but appraise the impressive man in the saddle. He looked as if he’d been born to it and the hills. His strong jaw was flecked with a five o’clock shadow, which made him look even more dangerous, more weather-roughened. Lily’s entire body vibrated as he pulled alongside, her heart hammering now for a different reason.

“Shain!” Lily called. “There’s a—”

“Not anymore,” came Luke’s hoarse growl.

She looked back to the treeline. Gone! Lily scanned the area. There’s no way something that big could have disappeared in a matter of seconds! “But, it was just there!”

“What in the hell are you—”

“A giant bear!” Lily exclaimed, her excitement getting the best of her. Making her forget how nervous she should be around Shain. How mad she was at him for running out on Nhya. And her.

Lily pointed to the trees. “There. It lumbered out and just sat and stared at us. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was red! Can you imagine such a thing? A rust red giant bear.”

Shain’s face went white, then whiter still as his gaze rested on Luke who nodded nearly imperceptibly in corroboration of Lily’s story.

“It was probably a brown bear. Their fur can look reddish in the sunlight,” Shain said gruffly.

Shaking her head, Lily urged Rialda forward. “No. It was red. And huge. Like, freakishly huge.”

Shain grabbed her reins, pulling Rialda to a stop. “That’s not possible.”

Lily gazed at Shain’s brown hand gripping her reins, then looked up. His expression was grim, indomitable…and something else. Fearful, perhaps? The realization sent that tingling careening down her spine again and Lily shivered as a sense of ‘otherness’ hit her.

“It’s nothing. Just a bear.” Smoky brown eyes crashed down on her with obvious irritation. “Weren’t you told it was dangerous out here? Bears aren’t the only predators.”

Lily was speechless. He was
mad
at
her
? For going riding? What in the hell was the matter with this man? “Excuse me?” Her gaze went to Luke, who wasn’t looking at either of them. “I was with
your
employees, Mr. Stevenson. Doing what I
paid
to do on the Red Bea—”

Ohmygod
. Lily’s hand went to her throat as her eyes cut back to the treeline.
The Red Bear Ranch.

With a click from his tongue, Luke’s pinto jumped forward. “I’m going to help Darrell and Curt.” He tipped his hat Lily’s direction, then gave a “Heeyaw!” propelling his mount from a side-stepping shuffle into a canter then a full gallop away from the fuming Shain and shell-shocked Lily.

Chapter Nine

Lily’s attention snapped back to Shain, who sat frozen beside her, his hand gripping Rialda’s reins.
We’re alone
.
Again
. Lily’s stomach flip-flopped and her mouth went dry. There was something not right about the whole business. The looters. Nhya and Shain’s parents getting killed. The giant red bear.

Lily felt as if she’d landed in a Quentin Tarantino film. Uzi-toting killers were sure to spring out of the bushes at any moment,
while
she and Shain were having mind-blowing sex.

Wetness instantly flooded her pussy at the suggestion.
Ohmygod…I
am
depraved
. “Well,” Lily stammered, pushing hair behind her ears. “I saw a giant red bear. You’re not going to convince me otherwise.”

Shain grunted and released her reins. “I suppose anything’s possible.”

She looked at Shain in surprise. The faraway, thoughtful expression on his face unnerved her. “Shain…your sister. We-uh-she’s been worried about you.”

Shain gave a ghost of a smile. “I called her the night before last. She’s pissed but she’ll get over it.”

“Oh,” Lily said, irritation pricking that she still had no idea where Shain had been or with whom. Jealousy flared and she flicked Rialda’s reins. “We’d better catch up with the others.”

She didn’t get far. With a deep snort, Shain’s stallion stepped forward, blocking her mount’s path. Rialda bobbed her head against the black beast as the stallion nibbled her neck affectionately.

Lily sighed. Of course. Gentle, dappled Rialda and the muscled beast were mates.

“No.”

“What?” Lily said, forgetting all about her anger as she stared at Shain’s delicious lips, then his blazing brown eyes.

Dark eyebrows lifted. “I said, no, we’re not catching up with the others.” Shain pulled Rialda around. “Let’s go.”

“But, where are we going?” Lily asked, butterflies churning in her gut—and other areas.

Shain’s smoky gaze glinted with deviousness. “A tour. I promised you one, didn’t I?”

Remembering how their last ‘tour’ ended up, Lily’s entire body cheered, with her mind quick to chastise. Shain cast one last glance at the woods before giving his stallion a nudge. Rialda jounced into action at the stallion’s flank, taking Lily along for the ride. They cantered across the meadow toward the thick stand of trees north of the fence line. As they rode, Lily couldn’t help but recall how erotic it had been to ride with Shain, the saddle rocking against her pussy, Shain’s strong arms on either side of her, his lips above her ear.

This wasn’t nearly as fun but Lily consoled herself with the thought that it was probably a good thing. She was getting way too attached to a guy who thought it was normal as apple pie to stay out all night on a whim.

They rode in companionable silence for nearly an hour, skirting the fringe of the woods. Forest scents and sounds mingled with the steady pound of horses’ hooves and soon Lily was immersed in the earthy rhythms. Her mind continued to trip over the bear sighting and Shain’s strange reaction to it. She vowed to question him again at the first opportunity.

Suddenly Shain pulled up and Lily’s mount followed suit, slowing to a trot, then a full stop. Shain stood in his stirrups and Lily frowned, wondering what he was looking for. With a quiet cluck of his tongue, the stallion bobbed his head, then side-stepped into the densely packed woodland.

“Wait!” Lily called, urging Rialda forward. Rialda didn’t hesitate. She slipped past the low-hanging feathery pine boughs and into the shadowed forest. Once inside, Lily waited impatiently for her eyes to adjust and scanned for Shain. There! Only a few yards away, sitting straight in the saddle and staring at her with that unfathomable, polished mahogany gaze.

“What are we doing?” Lily asked, her heart up in her throat. “Is this part of the tour?”

Shain nodded. “There’s something I want to show you.” With a flick of his reins, he turned the stallion and started down what Lily realized was a faded trail weaving between dense, moss-covered trees. She and Rialda followed, Lily’s curiosity piqued. A gentle breeze worked more hair loose from the knot she’d fashioned this morning before setting out. Lily felt her entire body relax as they traveled in slow silence, the calm, nearly supernatural ambiance of the forest cocooning her. Birds called softly overhead and Lily saw the occasional gray squirrel scurrying for a better vantage point to watch them pass.

The trail soon faded away to nothing and Lily watched in amazement as Shain picked out a path, leading them down a narrow, granite studded ravine, past a swift flowing brook and up the other side into woods so thick it seemed almost impossible that they would be able to pass through.

Shain seemed perfectly at home in the forest, his focus fastened on the nonexistent trail, leaving Lily plenty of opportunity to observe his powerful back and sun-streaked hair. Hmmm…she longed to touch her lips to the rich, sienna skin of his neck and kiss him in that tender spot between jaw and ear.

She shivered, desire raging through her at such a simple thought. The sky broke through the canopy overhead in sparkling slivers and Lily raised her face, taking a moment to quiet her raging hormones.

“Lily.”

At Shain’s deep rumble, Lily opened her eyes. “Oh,” she said breathlessly as her gaze fell upon a small, secluded glade.

They’d stepped out into a clearing that was only a half acre or so, with grass so green it was nearly painful to look at. Blue sky crowned the picturesque scene and directly in the center of the clearing sat a log cabin, its weather-roughened logs warm and golden under the bright August sky. Wildflowers in blue were scattered throughout the lush meadow, competing with tiny white daisies that frosted the tops of hummocks.

It was amazing. Beautiful, in a desolate, wild way that left her breathless with anticipation. Of what, she wasn’t sure but, as her gaze found Shain’s, she realized that his eyes were dark with the same uncertainty.

Shain dismounted, gave his horse a pat on the rump, then walked over to Lily. He held up a hand and Lily took it, slipping off of Rialda, who, as soon as she was free of her rider, trotted to catch up with Shain’s stallion. Shain’s hand was hot against her palm and Lily breathed deep, trying to quell the burst of nerves tumbling inside her.

“What is this place? Does someone live here?”

“Not anymore.” Shain raised a hand and pulled the pins free, allowing her hair to tumble free. His fingers trailed lightly against the side of her neck and Lily shivered, her lids heavy.

“Used to be my great-grandfather’s place. Then my grandmother’s.”

Lily opened her eyes to view Shain’s stubbled jaw only inches away, his lips at her temple where he placed a gentle kiss. Every nerve in her body sang at the sensation.

Shain pulled her forward. “He built it over a hundred years ago. Left the reservation to reclaim land that his family had lived on for the past four centuries.”

They stopped in front of the weathered but solid door. “That would have been a big risk back then,” Lily commented, understanding enough of the territory’s history to know that just wasn’t done—with much success.

Shain’s mouth quirked into a grin. “Not such a risk. He didn’t even tell his family where he was living until later.”

His hand rested on the latch for a second before he opened the door and ushered Lily over the threshold. The tingling was back and she drew a deep breath as she stepped inside. Her gaze traveled the expanse of the modest room. It was clean, uncluttered and pleasantly cool. A large stone fireplace occupied one wall, shelves on another and, off to the right was a small, yet serviceable kitchen with an old-fashioned wood burning stove.

Light from a large plate glass window spilled across a sofa and two handmade chairs in the center of the living room. A single doorway led to a back area.

Lily looked up as Shain entered. “My great-grandfather, Hank, built everything by hand or dragged it up on horseback.”

“He sounds amazing,” Lily commented as she walked further in to stare at the beautiful woven blanket draped across the sofa. “Did he live here until he passed?”

Shain strode to the shelf and picked up a beaten silver frame. “He did. But it wasn’t a long life.” He handed her the picture. “I like to think it was a happy one. At least that’s how our grandmother—his daughter—told it.”

The frame was cool in her hand and Lily nearly gasped she stared at the yellowed photo. She gazed at Shain, her heart tripping. “You look so alike.” Lily’s finger traced the spitting image of her handsome cowboy. With longer hair and a few added years, they could be twins. And their eyes held the same intense, passionate gaze.

“You said he died young,” Lily said softly as she handed the photo back to Shain. “What happened?”

“He was shot.” Shain placed the photo back onto the shelf.

Lily moved in closer, trying to shake off the tingling that was back with a vengeance. “You mean, like murdered, or accidentally shot?”

Shain’s expression hardened. “I mean assassinated. And by someone he trusted.”

A cold knot tightened in Lily’s abdomen. “But why?”

It wasn’t quite a shrug but Lily was certain that Shain was suddenly uncomfortable with their subject matter. She wanted, no,
needed
to know why. “Shain, why would someone your great-grandfather trusted decide it would be a good idea to kill him?”

“Because the bastard wanted something he had no business having.”

“What did he want?”

Shain’s jaw clenched and Lily could feel the tension seeping off of him like steam escaping a pressure cooker. “It doesn’t matter. The point is…” He turned to face her, his arms crossed, biceps bulging from beneath the rolled-up sleeves of his blue cotton shirt. “You can never be too careful. Too cautious about those you let in and those you keep out.”

Lily leaned in, her head tilted to capture all of Shain’s steely countenance. “So am I in?” She waved a hand. “Or would you like me to step back outside?”

The man didn’t so much as blink but the nearly imperceptible twitch at the bottom of his jaw told Lily she’d struck a nerve. Her face colored as hot flesh fastened around her upper arms.

“Why don’t you tell me, Lily?” He leaned in until his luscious lips were nearly even with hers. “Do you
want
to be in?”

“I-I…” Lily ran her tongue over her lips, imagining how it would feel to have his mouth fastened on her breast. His hand sliding across her damp slit. “Oh, hell.” Collapsing into the startled cowboy, Lily pressed her lips to his. He was still for only a fraction of a second before he crushed her to him, his mouth welcoming hers with fervor. Fire spread to every limb as Lily deepened their kiss, her tongue snaking out to play along the even contours of his white teeth.

“Goddamn,” Shain whispered into her mouth before lifting her entirely free of the floor and into his arms. Lily kept her arms wrapped tightly around Shain’s neck, her face pressed into the male-scented flesh between cheek and ear. In three steps, they were inside the small bedroom. Lily looked down a second before she found herself on the raised bed. The handmade patchwork quilt was soft beneath her back, and as she gazed up at her startlingly handsome lover, she knew there was no going back. No pretending that her experiences at the Red Bear with Shain and his family could simply be a pleasant holiday memory. She had feelings for this bear of a man.

Feelings…

Shain made quick work of his buttons, shedding his shirt to expose the bronzed breadth of his sculpted chest, all the time feasting on Lily’s face, drinking her in.

“Take off your shirt and shoes,” Shain commanded.

Lily sat up, her hands moving on autopilot to do Shain’s bidding, blisters and aches forgotten. She pulled off her boots, letting them
thunk
to the floor before slowly unbuttoning the white shirt. She slipped each arm free before tossing it into a corner, leaving her in her skintight cotton chemise. She hadn’t worn a bra and her nipples were diamond-hard, thrusting against the thin cotton with direct intent.

Shain was motionless above her, his eyes hooded. “Now your pants.”

With quick movements, Lily pushed the jeans past her hips and down each thigh until she was on the bed in only her low-rise lace underwear and top. Lily moved to her knees on the bed, putting her even with Shain’s taut abdomen. She leaned in and pressed her lips to the scar above his right hip, then traced the ridge with her tongue. His skin was salty, warm—exactly as Lily knew it would taste. Delicious. Perfect.

Raising her hands she rested them on Shain’s hips, then hooked her fingers into his belt loops and pulled the cowboy closer to her demanding mouth. “So beautiful,” Lily whispered, repeating Shain’s words to her in their first explosion of lovemaking. She felt his hands move to her shoulders where they pushed the thin straps of the chemise down onto the curve of her arm, exposing the tops of her breasts.

Smiling, Lily allowed her tongue to trail over the rippled muscles of his abdomen, lapping gently at the scar near his hip and stopping at the top button of his jeans. Moving her hands past his hips, she slid them across the denim to the button fly. Lily took a deep breath and worked each silver button free. Seeing and feeling the massive bulge pressing against her fingers, Lily’s heart hammered and goosebumps shivered across her back and shoulders. Sitting up, she pushed his jeans over his powerful hips, sucking in a breath as his engorged cock sprang free.