A Lion’s Mate by Eve Langlais
Chapter Nineteen
Zach wanted to expose the lie he’d just uttered. He’d not come here because of the stupid box but because it gave him an excuse. A reason to be close to Arleen. He’d missed her. Missed the way she smiled at him, like when he arrived—beaming from ear to ear because she was genuinely happy to see him.
Her mum wasn’t. She wailed as they left, saying that he was stealing her baby while threatening bodily harm against him. It didn’t help that her cousin, Klara, asked if they needed condoms. Pamela said she was getting paint chips, and her aunt…Francine rolled her eyes and indicated that they should go.
As they drove away, Arleen remained quiet. Too quiet.
“So, how are you doing?”
“I feel like the worst child in the world breaking my mother’s heart,” she admitted.
“Is she always like that?”
“To a certain extent. It got worse after my other mom died, and I was lost. I guess me going missing again put her over the edge.”
“Must have been hard for you.”
“No worse than what you experience with your dad, I imagine.”
“I only have my dad riding my ass. Looks like you have a choir.”
Her lips twisted. “They do often seem to work against me. But mostly, it’s because I don’t fit in. I don’t want to live quietly in the mountains.”
“Doesn’t sound like you want to go back after we find the box.”
“Dunno. Depends.”
“On what?”
She slanted a look at him. “Actually, who.”
“Oh.”
“Is that all you’re going to say?” Her voice turned tight, and it occurred to him that she was anxious. Worried.
“Shit, I am handling this all wrong.” He swerved to the side of the road, hard enough that the car skidded on the gravel shoulder. “Actually, there’s a lot I want to say. Such as, I am glad you came with me because I don’t think your family would have appreciated me carrying you out.”
“My mom would have torn your arms from your body and beaten you with them if you tried.”
“Yeah, well, I would have still done it. Because I missed you.”
“Missed me so much you didn’t call? Text? Visit?”
“Don’t have your number, and I wanted to.”
“So, what stopped you?”
He glanced over. “I wanted you to be sure you were actually interested in me. I didn’t want you mistaking gratitude for actual affection.”
“How gentlemanly of you.”
“Not really.” She’d not been around to see how surly he’d become.
“And when you made that choice for me, when did you ask me what I wanted?”
He stared at her. “What do you want?”
“What if I said you?”
He dragged her close for a kiss.
Had she frozen, he would have stopped and apologized.
Had she made any sign of dissent, he would have gotten out of that car and walked to civilization, never to bother her again. But she kissed him back.
Grabbed his face and kissed him so hard, their teeth clashed.
There was some huffing and cursing as they undid seatbelts and he shoved his seat back as far as it could go.
Not really far enough.
He pushed open his door and slid over the hood of the car to the other side. She’d just unbuckled and swung her legs out when he dropped to his knees. The gravel bit into his flesh, but he didn’t care.
He tugged at her pants, with her lifting her hips just enough that he could slip them off. Her panties were no obstacle. He shoved those aside and buried his mouth against her.
She was hot. Wet. Quivering with the first lick. She had a foot on the dash, the other over his shoulder. She was jammed against the center console, panting as he licked her, spreading her nether lips to flick her clit. He worked her until she cried out and came against his mouth.
And still he laved her until she was raggedly panting again, mewling at the pleasure. Only then did he undo his pants and kneel once more, cupping her lower body to bring her against him.
He sank into her. Over and over. Sliding into her heat. He felt her tightening around him, but the angle was horrible. He couldn’t find a rhythm.
He lifted her from the car and sat her on the hood, getting the traction he wanted to plow deeply. He thrust as she held on to him and kissed her as she came again. Still kissing her when she bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. His body jolted. He exhaled her name as he spilled into her.
Then he simply held her.
Held her and hoped it wasn’t the last time he got to feel this bliss with her. But the future was uncertain, and not just because of the tiger that suddenly stood in the middle of the road.
