Page 10 of Shifter Mate Magic
“All right, but on two conditions.” She stepped back and caught his eye, so he’d know she was serious. “One.” She held up a finger. “If the town refuses me sanctuary, you won’t argue with them. They have to protect their own.”
He nodded, but unhappily.
“Two.” She held up a second finger. “You have to promise you won’t do something stupid and get yourself killed.”
A flurry of emotions crossed his face as his jaw tightened. He nodded once.
She shook her head. “You have to say it. ‘I promise not to do something stupid and get myself fucking killed.’”
He frowned deeply and bit out the words, then added, “Or you, either.”
“Thank you.” Tears welled up again, but she blinked until they went away, or she’d be crying all morning. “You probably won’t believe me, but you’re already the best friend I’ve ever had. I don’t want to lose you.”
“I do believe you.” He reached out toward her, then hesitated. “Can I hold you?”
She closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his waist. His arms snuggled her into place, and she felt like she’d found home. Time stopped, then started again as her body woke up.
She nuzzled the side of her face into his chest and inhaled the sensual scent of bear and man. Angled as she was to accommodate her stomach, she couldn’t help but feel his erection. Her nipples tightened in response as she heated with desire.
He groaned and tilted his head down just as she lifted hers. Their mouths and tongues met in eager exploration. He trailed kisses toward her ear and down her neck, and she could only gasp and push her chest into his to relieve the ache in her rock-hard nipples. She found his hand and moved it from her waist to her breast to tell him what she wanted. He drew another gasp from her as he rubbed a thumb across her breast. She grabbed handfuls of his muscular butt and pulled his pelvis toward hers. He rumbled throatily in response.
A car door slam and a shout from the parking lot woke her from the delicious but dangerous haze. “Trevor…”
He was already loosening his arms. “We should get going.” He stepped back, but not before giving her a quick, hard kiss. “The sooner we get to the safety of Kotoyeesinay, the sooner we can pick this up where we left off. If that’s what you want.”
“Hell, yes. I want to lick you like a lollipop.” She’d only had three lovers in her life and had never been bold when it came to sex, but Trevor was changing her outlook. “I need you inside me like I need water.”
His eyes darkened with desire and he groaned. “You’re killing me.”
“Back at you.” She made herself take three steps back, so she couldn’t touch him. “I’ll pack everything and raid the vending machine while you make arrangements for your trailer.”
“Deal.” He gave her an assessing look. “How’s your knee?”
“Getting better by the minute.” She pointed to her belly. “Junior here helps me heal quickly, though not as fast a full shifter.”
He smiled. “Junior is a girl, in case you didn’t know. I can smell her.”
“She is?” Her eyes widened, and anger sparked. “Those lying feline sons of bitches swore they didn’t know the baby’s sex.” She shook her head. “Get on with you, then. I’ll be ready when you are.”
* * *
Jackie had to admit that riding in a wide, well-padded bucket seat, high above the traffic, was miles better than riding a motorcycle. After Trevor had disconnected his trailer, which he’d assured her had only furniture, he’d used rope and a couple of tie-downs to strap her scraped and bent, but hopefully repairable, motorcycle to the back of his truck.
They made excellent time on the highway, especially since it was a weekend. She’d lost all track of days and calendars. She was in comfortable clothes for summertime, and could stretch anytime she wanted, or change position when Junior… or Princess, she guessed, kicked.
Periodically, she checked the threat map, which she’d adjusted so it showed all the time. At their present rate, and assuming Trevor’s luck was better than hers—whose wasn’t?—they’d be into the canyon that led to Kotoyeesinay by the time Roehm’s hunters crossed the state border. Of concern was the fact that the red swarm had veered to the west, toward the mountains, instead of going due north as they had been.
She didn’t know how to use her magic to tell her why the change. Talismans worked best if the object being enchanted had a similar mundane purpose, such as finding the best route. She’d fallen out of practice using her magic while concealing it from the non-magical humans in Houston, and then she’d been afraid to use it in Roehm’s compound, in case he’d purchased warning or detection spells. He had no free magic, but he knew how to buy it from others. It had taken her a month of stolen moments to charge the rusty pipe she’d made into her weapon.
“Do we have time to stop in Laramie for fuel?” He tapped one of the many gauges on the wrap-around console arrayed in front of him. “We can make it with what we’ve got, but I’d like to have a cushion.”
She considered the map. “Yeah, if we’re fast. We’re still a couple of hours ahead of them.” She rolled her eyes. “I need a bathroom, again, and some chocolate milk. What can I get for you?”
“Noth…” He trailed off. He glanced at her, a slow smile lighting up his face. “Condoms.”
She gave an exaggerated gasp of surprise. “A fine, sexy man like you doesn’t have condoms in every pocket? The women in your life must have been blind.” She laughed to cover the small spike of jealousy that lanced through her. “I’ll buy a box of extra-large, just to be safe.”
“Buy two boxes.” His tone had a touch of growly bear in it that zinged straight to her core. “Just hearing you breathe gives me wood.”
