Shifting Targets (2 page)

He didn’t know it yet, but any moment he’d
have an unusual passenger riding behind him. Flutters of excitement
filled her over reuniting with him and she felt nervous about
landing. Either way she couldn’t wait to wrap her arms around those
rippling abs and let her hands caress his sexy navel then drop
lower to glide along the taut thighs cloaked in denim. Nothing
thrilled her more than cuddling up behind him, running her fingers
through his long hair, and breathing in his masculine scent. He
always smelled fantastic, alluring—intoxicating.

From the first time she’d hitched a ride with
her rebel rider he’d become her addiction.

* * * *

Trip glanced at the setting sun while
cruising down a mountainous stretch of road, consumed with worry.
Shye had been gone much too long. His heart raced over the endless
possibilities of what could’ve gone wrong with their impromptu
plan. But they hadn’t been presented with many options. Blindsided
by Carter and Pike, he never expected the two crooks to find his
cabin and show up with a posse.

But Shye had quickly suggested a plan of
escape. He wished he’d had more time before letting her run off
into the woods without him. He didn’t like the loneliness already
setting in. She’d won his heart the first day they’d met. Something
no other woman had ever done.

Images of Shye lying beneath him bathed in
passionate heat seared his weary mind. They had finally crossed the
unseen line between lovers and professed their love. Hearing those
three little words spoken from her lips in sweet sincerity had been
the best thing he’d ever heard. Parting had been nearly impossible
after just making love for hours. Yet he had to let her go. It was
their only chance of getting out alive.

Her plan to shift into her shadow and lead
the posse on a futile chase had been both a gutsy and dangerous
one. Just when he thought he couldn’t love her more, she raised the
bar. He pulled her deeper into thought while continuing to search
the highway and wood line for any sign of his woman. The lovely
vision of her sleeping in his arms after taking him to staggering
heights played before him.

The image of her satiny black hair cascading
around her while she lay beneath him made him burn for more of her
wild love. The way she gazed up with huge black eyes, large and
full of passion melted the ice from his jaded heart. Warm and
inviting, those sultry eyes could bring any man to his knees with a
mere glance. And she had. The first day he stopped to offer her a
ride into town he was hooked. Her sensual lips on his tasted sweet.
He ached to hold her, comfort her—kiss her into ecstasy.

With a body like a goddess, slender but not
skinny, and curves in all the right places she was pure heaven to
touch. When she wrapped those long shapely legs around him it drove
him mad with want. An uncomfortable tightening rose in his groin
just thinking about Shye. They’d only been separated for one
afternoon. He wondered how he’d survive if they didn’t find each
other before dark.

Has she run into trouble? Did they keep
her on the run so long she couldn’t find a way out?
He trusted
her, but worried nonetheless. Anything could’ve gone wrong in those
dense woods. She’d left with the promise of finding him on the road
and he’d vowed to watch for her. He’d been praying all afternoon
for the spirits of her world to watch over her. He’d even taken his
prayer beads from his bag and worn them around his neck to boost
his faith.

His thoughts drifted back while he kept watch
for any sign of her. The night
Nagi
Howiwacipi
—
Shadow the Ghost Dancer
as Shye called
her, appeared to him had been phenomenal.

Shye had told him only those touched by
Nagi
could see her. He felt truly honored and blessed to
have been accepted by her world. The striking resemblance between
his woman and the ghost dancer was uncanny—as if Shye had been
chosen long ago for a specific purpose. He didn’t understand much
about the spirit world, but he did believe in Shye.

While entrenched in thought a large shadow
fell upon the road directly to his front. Glancing up, he saw a
huge bird swooping down.
An eagle! How awesome is that?
He’d
never seen one fly so low and looked around for the prey it had
spotted.

Suddenly the bird flew straight at him,
taking him off guard. He couldn’t see the road from behind the
massive wingspan so he hit the brakes as they collided. His bike
skidded. Turning the wheel, he laid it down sideways to avoid going
over the embankment. As soon as he regained control, he pulled the
bike up and parked against the hillside opposite the other side of
the highway where nothing more than a shoulder separated the road
from a cliff.

Scrapes on his arms and tears in his jeans
were nothing compared to what would’ve happened had he gone over
the ridge.
Why
the hell did that bird attack
me?
He shook his head in disbelief.

He stared wide-eyed as the impressive bald
eagle landed on the seat of his Harley. It stared back at him with
piercing black eyes. Behind it he noticed the sun was about to set.
Then he became aware of something else—a familiar beaded necklace
with two feathers, one black and one white, attached by leather
thongs hanging from the bird’s neck.

“Shye? Is that you?” Cautiously he reached
toward the bird. When it didn’t fly away but only cocked its head
instead, he took hold of the white feather. “It’s okay, angel, I’ve
got you. Go ahead and shift.”

Before his eyes the glorious eagle shifted
into his stunning Shye. The transformation was quick, so quick he’d
have missed it if he’d looked away for a minute. She appeared a bit
disoriented at first but recovered swiftly. Then she threw herself
into his arms.

He pulled her into a loving embrace, planting
kisses over her face, neck and hair. “My god, that was
incredible.”

“You knew me.” She looked up with misty eyes.
“You remembered the white feather.”

“I remember everything you say. I must
confess the eagle took me off guard there for a few minutes.” He
gave her a wink. “Nice touch but you really cut it close.” He
nodded toward the setting sun.

“I left our followers very far away, deep in
the hills. They’ll be wandering around forever with nightfall on
the horizon. Our plan worked.” She smiled sweetly. “Flying as an
eagle was the most exhilarating experience I’ve ever had. I so wish
I could take you on that ride.”

“You have an amazing gift. Any reason why you
chose the eagle? About scared the shit out of me when you flew
right at my face,” he said with a light laugh while plucking a
stray feather from his hair.

“Sorry about that.” She laughed in the gentle
way unique to her. “I haven’t mastered this shifting thing
completely and landing was a bit tricky. I didn’t have many choices
under the cover of those tall trees. I was sitting at a stream
washing off some dirt when I noticed the eagle’s reflection in the
water.
Nagi
is wise. She gave me the perfect shadow to make
my escape and find you.”

He framed her pretty face between gentle
hands. “I couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing you again.”

“I felt the same about you,” she said. “When
I didn’t see you right away, I panicked a little. The temptation to
stay in the shadows is very strong. If I didn’t have you waiting, I
wonder if I’d have come back.”

“Don’t ever think that. I will always be here
for you…always.” His mouth covered hers in a deep kiss.

She parted her soft lips for his seeking
tongue. He swept his arms up her partially covered back and slid
his fingers beneath the halter style half-top. She clung to him and
he felt the longing in her kiss. After several blissful moments of
heated reunion, she eased back, touching her lips to his several
times in sweet lingering kisses. He nipped playfully at her bottom
lip and winked.

“We should get going.” Her voice was soft not
demanding. “I don’t want to lose the lead we have.”

“I agree, babe,” he said while stroking her
silky hair and letting his gaze sweep over her face. “I have a
buddy who lives farther north. Last time I saw him, he said I have
an open invitation to hang there. We’ll be safe. It’s a permanent
residence and he carries weapons.”

“Okay.” Sadness flitted through her eyes.
“Looks like it will be a while before I can visit my parents. I
won’t put them at risk.”

“I’m sure they understand.” He helped her
onto his bike then slid on to her front. “Once the farm is yours
again and Carter is behind bars, your mother and father can move
back home.”

“That will be a happy day. Do you think you’d
like living there with me?”

He turned his head sideways and smiled.
“Wherever you want to call home is fine by me. I’ve been a drifter
for so many years, I can’t even imagine what it would feel like to
have a real home.”

She arched her neck to place a tender kiss on
his lips. “You will love it there.”

Closing his eyes, he savored another kiss
with her snuggled close behind. The feel of her arms around him
again, the delicate floral scent that surrounded her felt like home
to him. He let his tongue lightly trace her sensual lips, reluctant
to leave this moment too soon. One hand slid into her long hair
draped to the side as they enjoyed another short round of
passionate kissing.

“Thank you for waiting,” she purred as her
lips eased to his neck, nibbling and kissing.

The fierce ache to bed her rose in his groin.
Her engaging seductive manner came naturally. He doubted she even
realized just how irresistible she was.

“Shye…I’d have ridden the highways till the
end of time waiting for you.”

Their eyes met again and hers shimmered with
open love. Gazing back at her with half-closed eyes, he drew a deep
breath through parted lips. He craved her wild love and wanted her
right there.

“You’re doing that again,” she whispered.

“What’s
that
, babe?”

“Making love to me with your eyes.”

A slow smile tugged at the corners of his
lips. “I’d prefer making love to you with my body.”

“Mm…let’s get outta here then.”

Chapter Two

“This is as close to home as I can give you
for now,” Trip said, taking her hand after they’d parked and
dismounted. “Don’t mind Remle, he’s rather eccentric but
harmless…unless you’re a cop.”

“Did he not like your brother then?” Shye
surveyed their immediate surroundings. A rickety looking wood cabin
sat in a cluster of huge pines. Vines wound their way up the sides
and onto the shingled roof. They stood in the moonlight taking a
look around. “Are you sure he’s home?”

“Yeah, he’s around here somewhere. Ty was the
only cop Remle liked because Ty didn’t mess in his business.”

“What business is that?” She peered through
the dark at a shoddy picnic table plunked beside an outdoor
fireplace. Both appeared handmade and rustic.

“Well…” Trip laughed. “He makes moonshine and
corn whiskey but never bothered with a license. Times are tough for
a lot of folks around here. They do what they can to survive.”

“I see.” After another glance around she
still didn’t notice anything suspicious.

“You won’t find it.” He draped an arm over
her shoulders.

“Find what?”

He slanted her a knowing look and grinned.
“Little miss innocent, like you weren’t looking for his still.”

“Just curious.”

“I know. It’s part of your nature to check
everything out.”

She shrugged with a smile. “So where is your
friend? Is he sleeping?”

“Not tonight.” Trip pointed toward the sky.
“Look at that moon. A perfect night for working outside. We can go
inside. Remle will stagger in around dawn.”

“Stagger, huh? No wonder he’s poor if he’s
drinking the profit.”

“At least he tastes the product to make sure
it’s good.” Trip gave her a wink.

Shye assumed they’d be holding up in
primitive conditions until they walked inside. The cabin’s interior
was a pleasant surprise considering the outside appearance. “Wow…he
must be doing okay.”

Trip walked into a small kitchen and
retrieved two cans of soda from a full sized refrigerator, then
grabbed a bag of chips from a bar. “You must be hungry and
thirsty.”

“Thank you, I am.” She accepted the drink and
plopped onto a black leather sofa. “This is really nice. I had no
idea the moonshine business could be so profitable.” Her gaze moved
around the area. White paneled walls spanned each room. From her
viewpoint there appeared to be two bedrooms and a full bath.
Bath! Oh would I love a good shower.
“Do you think he’d mind
if I cleaned up?”

“Nah, he’s very hospitable. You go ahead,
I’ll grab our gear from the bike.” He placed a quick kiss on her
lips before heading outside. “Don’t worry, you’re safe here.”

After chugging her soda, she meandered into
the bathroom. Much to her delight, she found it spacious and
immaculate with a full tub and tiled shower. A three-door mirrored
cabinet was mounted to the wall above a round marble sink. Even the
plumbing fixtures looked modern and well kept. She opened a narrow
door beside the sink to find a linen closet fully stocked with
towels and toiletries. The man had enough supplies to make her
wonder if he entertained frequently.

After helping herself to what she needed,
Shye turned the water on and stepped in. Weeds and grime washed
down the drain as she enjoyed a nice, long soapy shower. By the
time she finished, Trip had returned and left her bag on the floor.
She appreciated how he respected her space and her modesty. He was
a gentleman through and through.

“It took all my self-restraint to not jump in
there with you,” he purred when she reentered the living area.
“Mm…you look and smell amazing,” he added when she slid into his
arms. “Let me grab a shower then we can eat.” He gave her a slow
once over. “Nice pants…they’re hot on you.”