LustUndone (14 page)

“It means every female over the age of eighteen around here,
including me, has sent out the strongest signals we could and the man’s just
not buying. We were beginning think he was, you know, gay.”

Sophia had to bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud.
Clint might be a lot of things but not gay. There was absolutely no doubt about
his sexual orientation.

“You should go thank him,” Rebecca said when Diane walked
away. She was barely concealing her grin.

Sophia looked at the bar and saw Clint watching her. She
waved at him.

“He doesn’t look like a wave is going to do it,” Bec told
her. “I think an in-person visit would be more appropriate.”

“Go on.” Logan was smiling at her. “I think it’s cute.”

“Remind me to smack you,” she muttered, sliding out of the
booth. She hated conducting any phase of her personal life in front of other
people, especially the Night Seekers and even more especially her sister.

“You don’t look too happy to see me.” Clint’s voice was
pitched low but she could still hear him over the usual babble of voices.

“You know, my sister will never shut up about it. Besides, I
didn’t think you wanted anyone to know about us. I thought that was the point
of sneaking into my room at night.”

He surprised her by reaching across the bar and taking her
hand. “Maybe I just don’t want anyone else poaching on my territory.”

She couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up. “First of all,
I didn’t realize that I was your territory. Secondly, I’m here to do a job.
Have you forgotten?”

His face sobered at once. “That isn’t something I’d be
likely to forget. And I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. You may not have
noticed my social skills leave a lot to be desired.”

She grinned at him. “Then it’s a good thing they aren’t what
attracts me to you. Thanks for the drinks, by the way.”

“My pleasure,
chere
.” He gave her an uncharacteristic
wink. “You might want to get a little rest when you get back to your room.”

Heat rushed through her body and a surge of moisture
dampened her panties. “Are you telling me I’ll need it?”

The look in his eyes was pure lust. “But
certainment
,
chere.
And the steak sandwich is the special tonight.”

“Get any good tips on the food?” Logan asked when she came
back to the booth.

“The steak sandwich. And quit grinning like an idiot.”

* * * * *

“I didn’t sense anything tonight in The Crown,” Logan said
as he parked the car at the motel. “I tried, Sophia, but like I said earlier.
If there is a shifter and he or she doesn’t want to be detected there are many
ways to mask the scent.”

“I’d think the combination of grease and alcohol filling the
air at that place would be enough to hide anyone. Or any
thing.
” She
caught herself. “Sorry, Logan. I didn’t mean that to come out the way it
sounded. No offense intended.”

“And none taken.” He locked the SUV and leaned against the
front bumper. “In fact, I’m amazed at the way you and Dante have simply
accepted the rest of us as nothing out of the ordinary.”

Sophia shrugged. “Craig explained it carefully to us when we
were recruited. And my guess is he didn’t approach anyone to whom he thought it
would be a problem.”

“Still, most humans would have run for the hills as fast as
they could.”

She tilted her head up at him. “I actually find it kind of
fascinating. I think Dante does, too.”

He dropped his eyes to the ground where the toe of one boot
was rubbing at a tiny clump of snow. “I know we’ve seen it already with two
members of Night Seekers, but do you think another human would react, well,
weirdly if they found out someone they were dating was, you know, a shifter?”

She cocked an eyebrow. “Are you seeing someone, Logan? I
don’t know when you’d have the time.” Then her brain kicked in. “You’re talking
about Rebecca, aren’t you? You want to ask her out.”

“Ask her out is a little complicated, especially since we’re
in the middle of this situation and don’t exactly have time for a social life.
But yeah, I’d like to spend a little time with her.”

Sophia laughed. “I’d say my sister is pretty open-minded
about everything. I can’t predict her reaction but I have discussed the team
with her. And she accepts the existence of shifters.”

“But would she—”

She held up her hand. “No details, please. You’re on your
own. I’ll remind you that she has a job and a life here so keep that in mind.
But if you found the opportunity to spend any time with her before we leave,
I’d be straight with her. She’s not like your average run-of-the-mill human.”
She laughed. “Not at all.”

“And you, Sophia? What if you met someone you connected with
and found out he was a shifter?”

“I’ve learned enough since the team was put together. I see
how a relationship like that can work. All I have to do it look at Jonah and
Dakota. So for me, I think it would depend on the individual and whether we had
the right chemistry together. And whether I would want him if he wasn’t a
shifter.”

“Well. Okay. Thanks.”

She punched him affectionately on the arm. “Let’s get this
beast out of the way. Then you can see what happens, okay?”

He grinned. “Okay. Better get your beauty sleep while you
can. You might be busy later on.”

Heat crept up her cheeks. “I have no idea what you’re
talking about.”

“Uh-huh. I ‘accidentally’ peeked out my window when I heard
the knock on your door last night.” He held up his hands when she opened her
mouth to answer him. “Whatever you do and who you do it with is your business.
But at least it makes me realize I might not have to wait before spending some
time with your sister. There’s always the nighttime.”

“Whatever I have going with Clint is a momentary thing,” she
told him. “He knows I’ll be leaving here when we’re done. It’s just…call it
relaxation therapy.”

“Call it whatever you want. Just enjoy it. You work hard and
you deserve it.” He touched the brim of his hat. “’Night. See you bright and
early.”

Inside Sophia locked the door and leaned against it,
reaching for her composure. Of course she should have known Logan would figure
out what was going on. Even thought it was late when Clint arrived Logan was a
light sleeper and of course he had his wolf sense to alert him to everything
going on around him. Well, nothing for it now. The cat was out of the bag, so
to speak. She’d just have to let Clint know that her teammate was aware there
was a little more than a flirtation going on here.

Like the two previous nights she took a long, hot shower,
then smoothed lotion into every area of her body. Finally she pulled her
brand-new nightgown out of the drawer and slid it over her head, climbed into
bed and turned the television on low. She had a long time to wait.

* * * * *

The beast stood on its hind legs and rubbed its belly, its
claw-like nails scratching the scaly skin. The small animals it killed earlier
had satisfied both its need for food and its lust for blood. But the real lust
still simmered low in its belly, satisfied for now until it was time for the
next prey to be identified.

The beast had spent some time outside after its fresh kills,
stalking the territory, but there really had been nothing to see but tall trees
and empty spaces. And other animals that knew enough to run when the strange
creature invaded their space. No matter. The beast would find them when hunger
rose again.

The carcasses of today’s meal had frozen in the snow
immediately, as cold as the air was. Perhaps other predators would finish off
the leavings. The beast had taken what it wanted. Needed.

Soon it would be time for the real prey again. The need
simmered low in its belly but before too long it would be coursing through its
veins, driving it to a level of madness that only the kill could satisfy.
Hunting was difficult in this pristine wilderness. The places the prey resided
were few and far between and there was little cover near the buildings. The
beast always approached at night and with stealth, but still, crossing open
spaces was always a danger.

Still, the next prey would need to be identified soon, and
then the final one. The pattern of three needed to be completed, the program
built into the beast’s genetic code. And the need could not be denied.
Scratching itself once more, the beast loped off into the lowering darkness of
the night.

* * * * *

The Crown was full earlier in the evening but thinned out
enough by eleven that Clint didn’t feel the least bit guilty about closing up
before midnight. He was still jacked up from his erotic shower that morning and
seeing Sophia earlier had only ramped up the lust curling tight inside him.

He hadn’t been able to keep away from her since the first
time he’d laid eyes on her two nights ago. All he’d been able to think about
from the minute she walked into The Crown was getting her naked and being
inside her. The reality had far surpassed his imagination, and now he wondered
if he’d ever get enough of her.

He realized she was only around for a limited amount of
time. On the one hand he wanted whoever or whatever had killed Darrell Franklin
to be caught before another body turned up. On the other hand he didn’t want Sophia
to leave any time soon. He was sure he’d never get her out of his blood but he
wanted to store up enough memories to last after she was gone.

He’d pulled up all the stories about the killing on his
laptop and read every word about the crazy theory her Night Seekers had
postulated. The problem was, by the time he’d finished reading all the other
stories about similar killings he didn’t think it was so absurd. The idea that
the creature was some kind of shifter who could assume different forms wasn’t farfetched
to people like himself. He could still remember stories from his boyhood before
his family was destroyed, about rogue bands of shifters from centuries ago who
mated with other animals and became enraged killers.

Was it possible descendants of those legends still roamed
this country? Or that some maniac was actually trying to create them?

There was a possibility he could help Sophia and her friend
in the hunt for this beast. He could prowl at night as a wolf, covering places
humans couldn’t go. But to do that he’d have to reveal himself to her and that
was a risk he wasn’t sure he wanted to take. At least not yet.

Still, his worry was that despite his tight control he was
afraid the wolf would surface during the explosive sex he enjoyed with this woman.
Would he be better off to prepare her? If she was convinced creatures like the
Chupacabra existed then surely a shapeshifter wouldn’t throw her. This was the
first woman he’d ever had the desire to share himself with that way. He didn’t
want to screw it up.

He was still arguing with himself with he drove into the
motel lot and found a place to park. Still muttering under his breath when he
tapped lightly at Sophia’s door. She opened it almost at once, looking
unbelievably tempting in that definitely sexy nightgown that he’d had her out
of in two seconds last night.

“Hi.” Her voice was soft, a little on the shy side even
after the past two nights.

He closed the door behind him, locked it and pulled her into
his arms. He was so hungry for her taste that took her mouth with an edge of
roughness, thrusting his tongue deep inside. Sophia grasped his wrists with her
slim fingers to hang on and met his tongue with her own, answering heat with
heat.

Clint had been semi-hard all night since the moment this
woman had walked into the bar. Now his cock swelled and thickened almost to the
point of pain, pushing against his fly, demanding release.

Without moving his mouth from hers, he shucked his jacket
and tossed it aside. Then his hands were sliding up beneath the gown, caressing
all that sweet, warm flesh until he found the firm mounds of her breasts. He
palmed her breasts, brushing his thumbs over the hard peaks of her nipples.
Jesus, she felt so good to touch. Just so damn good.

He squeezed and rubbed and molded, all the while tasting
every inch of her mouth, his tongue sweeping over every surface. Delicious
little moans vibrated from her throat and she pressed herself into him, rubbing
her body against his hot erection. He moved his hands lower, separating her legs
with his thigh and trailing his fingers through her damp curls. He nearly bit
his tongue when he slipped his fingers between the folds of her pussy and
discovered that hot flesh covered with her sweet cream.

He stroked her clit, rasping a finger across the very tip
then rubbing it between two fingers. She cried out into his mouth, her nails
digging into his wrists. His wolf was awakening deep inside his body, rising
with a fierce hunger. Desperately he forced it back, reached into a pocket and
pulled out a condom, dragged down his zipper and pulled out his cock to sheathe
it. He finally lifted his mouth from hers and turned her around, placing her
hands flat against the wall.

“Spread your legs,” he rumbled in her ear. “Hurry.”

She widened her stance, her breathing a rough sound against
the low drone from the television. Clint slid his hands up the inside of her
thighs until he reached the wet heat of her cunt. Opening her with the fingers
of one hand, he bent slightly at the knees and used his other hand to guide
himself to the opening of her pussy. He tried to tell himself to be at least a
little gentle with her but his body had other ideas. He slammed into her with
the force of a cyclone, hard enough that he nearly lifted her off the floor.

Steadying her with his hands, he held her in place as he
rammed into her again and again. Moving one hand around to her front, he
insinuated one long finger between her cunt lips to stroke her clit, rubbing it
in tempo with the cadence of his hip movements. Sophia moaned, her hands flat
against the wall, her own hips thrusting back at him.