and he’d get all kinds of shit for it.
He smiled. That didn’t matter. He’d found his mate. He’d found Hera.
Chapter Seventeen
She was still processing Blake’s words. She was “it” for him. His mate. What did it even mean? It was definitely a shifter thing. She’d ask him when she went back. He’d tell her—he’d been nothing but straightforward and honest (and damn sexy) since she saw him shift from a lion back into a human.
The stream was shallow, not even enough to wade in because of the drought, but she clambered over the smooth stones at its banks and dipped her toes in. She scooped up water with her hands, and rubbed it over her thighs until she’d washed away the sweat and fluids from their lovemaking. That had been so hot. She’d never let a guy restrain her like that before—it had seemed too risky. She needed to really trust someone to do something like that, and after years of picking the wrong guys over and over again, her trust was hard to earn.
It seemed Blake had earned it in less than two days.
Maybe there was something to the “mate” thing after all.
Not wanting to put her jeans on over damp skin, she sat on a large sunny rock that had been smoothed by the stream once upon a time, when the water had been higher. She needed time to think. If Blake thought she was his mate, what did that mean for her if she left? What did it mean for him? She frowned at the beautiful scene around her, the sparkling creek, the dusky pines swaying in the breeze. The ground, dotted with their pinecones. The silence of the woods. It was beautiful here. She didn’t miss Winston in the slightest.
Could she give up her (admittedly crappy) life, and stay here with Blake? Did shifters even want that for their mates, or did they ask for distance? She felt a bleak emptiness in her heart at the thought of him sending her away.
Shit. She was falling for him, too.
A large hand landed on her shoulder.
“I thought I might find you here,” a male voice said, amusement laced in his words.
The voice didn’t belong to Blake.
It belonged to Tobin.
She tried to wrench away, but his hold was fast on her shoulder. Stomp on the instep , she thought, remembering what Blake had taught her. But her feet were bare, and he had on hiking boots. Thinking quickly to another move, she twisted away while elbowing him in the solar plexus. He let her go with an oath. She was free!
Hera scrambled away, putting as much distance between them as possible. But Tobin didn’t chase her.
Instead he moved to stand about twenty feet away in the shadows of a dense grouping of pines and brush. He wore jeans and a black shirt, but she saw his badge clipped to his belt. Figured. Even here, he was clutching his authority. And next to it, of course, was his gun holster. It was empty, because he was pointing the weapon right at her.
“Go away, Tobin.” She made her voice as loud as possible without shouting. Blake would hear her, she guessed, with his keen senses.
“You’re not really in a position to be giving orders, darling.”
“I’m not your darling,” she said. “I broke up with you months ago.”
“And it seems you were spying on me. Hand over the photos and you can go. Unless you fancy a quickie. Hell, darlin’, you’re already half undressed for me.” His expression morphed from amusement to wrath. “Now give me the photos you took, you spying bitch.”
She tried to keep her legs from shaking, tried to be strong until Blake could get there. “I don’t have them.”
He gave an exaggerated sigh. “They’re probably with your new toy. My men are closing in on him right now. We’ll take the photos, and be out of your hair. No one has to get hurt.”
She didn’t believe anything he said. Nobody could sneak up on Blake.
She also didn’t believe they’d just take the photos and leave without hurting her or Blake. Tobin wanted revenge; she could see it in the cruel twist of his mouth.
“How’d you get
He smiled. That didn’t matter. He’d found his mate. He’d found Hera.
Chapter Seventeen
She was still processing Blake’s words. She was “it” for him. His mate. What did it even mean? It was definitely a shifter thing. She’d ask him when she went back. He’d tell her—he’d been nothing but straightforward and honest (and damn sexy) since she saw him shift from a lion back into a human.
The stream was shallow, not even enough to wade in because of the drought, but she clambered over the smooth stones at its banks and dipped her toes in. She scooped up water with her hands, and rubbed it over her thighs until she’d washed away the sweat and fluids from their lovemaking. That had been so hot. She’d never let a guy restrain her like that before—it had seemed too risky. She needed to really trust someone to do something like that, and after years of picking the wrong guys over and over again, her trust was hard to earn.
It seemed Blake had earned it in less than two days.
Maybe there was something to the “mate” thing after all.
Not wanting to put her jeans on over damp skin, she sat on a large sunny rock that had been smoothed by the stream once upon a time, when the water had been higher. She needed time to think. If Blake thought she was his mate, what did that mean for her if she left? What did it mean for him? She frowned at the beautiful scene around her, the sparkling creek, the dusky pines swaying in the breeze. The ground, dotted with their pinecones. The silence of the woods. It was beautiful here. She didn’t miss Winston in the slightest.
Could she give up her (admittedly crappy) life, and stay here with Blake? Did shifters even want that for their mates, or did they ask for distance? She felt a bleak emptiness in her heart at the thought of him sending her away.
Shit. She was falling for him, too.
A large hand landed on her shoulder.
“I thought I might find you here,” a male voice said, amusement laced in his words.
The voice didn’t belong to Blake.
It belonged to Tobin.
She tried to wrench away, but his hold was fast on her shoulder. Stomp on the instep , she thought, remembering what Blake had taught her. But her feet were bare, and he had on hiking boots. Thinking quickly to another move, she twisted away while elbowing him in the solar plexus. He let her go with an oath. She was free!
Hera scrambled away, putting as much distance between them as possible. But Tobin didn’t chase her.
Instead he moved to stand about twenty feet away in the shadows of a dense grouping of pines and brush. He wore jeans and a black shirt, but she saw his badge clipped to his belt. Figured. Even here, he was clutching his authority. And next to it, of course, was his gun holster. It was empty, because he was pointing the weapon right at her.
“Go away, Tobin.” She made her voice as loud as possible without shouting. Blake would hear her, she guessed, with his keen senses.
“You’re not really in a position to be giving orders, darling.”
“I’m not your darling,” she said. “I broke up with you months ago.”
“And it seems you were spying on me. Hand over the photos and you can go. Unless you fancy a quickie. Hell, darlin’, you’re already half undressed for me.” His expression morphed from amusement to wrath. “Now give me the photos you took, you spying bitch.”
She tried to keep her legs from shaking, tried to be strong until Blake could get there. “I don’t have them.”
He gave an exaggerated sigh. “They’re probably with your new toy. My men are closing in on him right now. We’ll take the photos, and be out of your hair. No one has to get hurt.”
She didn’t believe anything he said. Nobody could sneak up on Blake.
She also didn’t believe they’d just take the photos and leave without hurting her or Blake. Tobin wanted revenge; she could see it in the cruel twist of his mouth.
“How’d you get
Similar Books
