Betting the Moon: Cannon Pack, Book 4 (18 page)

“Now it’s my turn to play captor.”

She took in a quick breath, her eyes widening.

At that moment, his demeanor changed, the amber in his eyes growing dim as a stunned expression wiped away all his fierceness. He pushed off, releasing her.

“Aw, shit, darlin’. I didn’t think.”

She saw his pain and understood what was tearing him apart. “Tucker, no. It’s okay.”

“I didn’t mean to remind you of— I mean, I would never force you to do anything you didn’t want to do. I was just playing the game, turning the tables for fun—”

She took his hair and yanked, pulling harder than she needed.

“Ow!” He sat back. “Hey, I told you. I didn’t mean to do it on purpose.”

“Tucker, will you shut the hell up?”

He froze, then shook his head. “So wait. I didn’t upset you? You know, making you think about…him?”

She chuckled. Tucker could never remind her of Bascom, no matter what he did. “I didn’t even think about…him.” She gave him an exasperated look. “Until now.”

He let out a huge breath of air. “Then why’d you make that face?”

“You mean this one?” She opened her eyes wide along with her mouth.

“Yeah. That one.”

“Because—” she touched the drop of chocolate on his nose, wiped it off, then sucked her finger clean, “—I was about to get hit in the face with a chocolate bomb.”

He swiped a palm across his nose. “A chocolate bomb, huh?”

“Yeah.” She leaned toward him and dragged her tongue across his chest, marking a clean path through a dark area.

“Let me have a taste.” Taking her face in his hands, he brought her lips to his.

She expected hunger, yearning, and they were there. But his touch held an underlying tenderness, a desire to tell her with his actions, not his words how much she meant to him. He brushed her lips with his tongue and held her with a gentleness that brought tears to her eyes. The kiss lingered, and she could feel his breath against her cheek. Yet when he released her, she was still unprepared for the emotion sparkling in his eyes.

“I love you, Mari Thornton.”

She loved the lines around his eyes, the stubble on his chin that always seemed to be there no matter what time of the day it was. “Of course you do.”

His laugh warmed her heart and brought out her own. How had she managed to live without him for so long?

“You’re right. I’d be a fool not to. And, darlin’, I’m no fool.” He lowered her to her back, then caressed her hair, spreading it out over the pillow.

His growl, deep and possessive, sent her juices flowing. His golden eyes flashed as he touched her cheek with the back of his hand. “I want you.”

“I want you, too.”

He shook his head, his hand still on her cheek as he slid his thumb over the corner of her mouth. “I need you to understand what I’m saying. I don’t mean for now. I mean for always. Forever.”

She was thrown off guard, then recovered as the thrill of happiness rushed through her. “You don’t even have to ask. I’m yours and you’re mine.”

A smile filled with love and joy spread over his face and made her pulse quicken. He kissed her again, this time a little more forcefully, then cupped her breast. Gripping her buttock with his other hand, he lifted her bottom and positioned himself between her legs.

She tunneled her fingers into his hair, then let her hands slide over his shoulders to rest against his chest. He pushed, bringing his shaft inside her and she cried out as the curved end of his cock touched her sweet spot, giving her yet another climax. She shuddered, clutching him to keep herself grounded. But when she saw the love on his face, she let herself fly, opening for him, accepting him with both her body and her heart.

They moved together, slowly at first, then increasing speed as they synced their bodies together. As one, they moaned their pleasure, stroking each other, nibbling on each other. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held on, pushing against him. Her legs quivered as wave after wave of release rocked her, but she held on, urging him to climax.

Wanting to commit the moment to memory, she watched him, delighting in the way his muscles worked, the perspiration forming on his brow, the way he gritted his teeth. She offered her breast, and he took it, gently nipping at her nipple.

He was a paradox, a mix of hard and tender, fast and slow, in one moment touching her hair tenderly, and in the next pounding into her. She gripped his arms and held on, matching her thrusts to his.

“Look at me.”

She did as he told her to do, willing to do anything for him. His gaze met hers, and she would’ve sworn he told her how much he loved her in a single look. His body tensed, his shaft filling her even more than before, and he cupped her breasts in his large hands.

Grinding his teeth, he threw back his head and roared. The sounds washed over her, adding to another voice she soon recognized as her own. They clutched each other as he fell to her side.

She closed her eyes, remembering his touch, his hands on her body, his mouth pressed to her skin. She clenched the muscles in her pussy as though they were still tight around his shaft, and she felt content, happy. Sighing, she stretched, then snuggled closer to him.

What would it be like to wake up next to him every morning? They could plan their day together, travel together, making their schedules as professional players fit with each other’s. She played with the hair on his arm. At times, their careers might force them go in separate ways, but she’d make adjustments, do anything to stay with him as much as possible.

Several minutes passed before she spoke. “So, are you going to the Southern Champions Tournament?”

“I know you signed up for it.”

“Yeah, I did.”

“Then I guess I’m going, too.” He shifted to look at her. “We’re a team now, right? Besides, I wouldn’t want you running with any pack except mine.”

“So you’ve started gathering your pack?” Until now, she hadn’t let herself think about life with a werewolf, much less life as a werewolf. As a hybrid witch-werewolf.

“Not yet. But I’ve got a great start.” He kissed her breast. “I’ve already found my mate.”

She couldn’t suppress her joy, her grin spreading wide. “You sure have.”

They lay together, content to let the silence surround them. Mari let the questions race through her head. Would the Change hurt? Would she be a blonde wolf? Where would they live? So far her magic had been unaffected, but would it stay the same once she’d gone through the Change?

Bascom’s face threatened to enter her thoughts, but she pushed it aside, determined not to let the memory of him have one more moment of her time. She sighed, remembering all she and Tucker had gone through to find each other. But it had all been worth it.

“I knew you would, you know.”

Tucker, his arm flung across her chocolate-stained body, peered at her. “You knew I would what?”

“I knew you’d come for me.”

He lifted onto his elbow and regarded her, his hair falling against his hand. “Darlin’, you could’ve bet the moon on it.”

Mari snuggled against him, ready for whatever lay ahead.

About the Author

To learn more about Beverly Rae, please visit
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Look for these titles by Beverly Rae

Now Available:

Touch Me

Wailing for Love

To Fat and Back

Magical Mayhem

Wild Things

Cannon Pack

Howling for My Baby

Dance on the Wilde Side

Running with the Pack

Magical Sisters

Magical Sex

Sex with a Hex

Para-Mates

I Married a Demon

I Married a Dragon

Wild Things

Cougar

Wild Cat

Clawed

Coming Soon:

Magical Sisters

Sexual Shift

In Pursuit of the Pink Pearl

When hunter becomes hostage, the only question is: Death by bite, or by bullet?

Running with the Pack

© 2011 Beverly Rae

Cannon Pack, Book 3

At night, Lauren Kade trades her white coat and dental drill for a black uniform and a gun. But not to hunt the shifters she once swore to eliminate. Driven by lingering guilt for killing a female shifter a year ago, she covertly throws other hunters off the trail. She’s good at it, too…until she’s taken hostage by a sexy werewolf whose thirst for revenge is even bigger and badder than his attitude.

Daniel Cannon tried everything to outrun the pain of his mate’s murder, but when hunters take down another pack member, it’s more than he can stand. Now that he’s got one of them at his mercy, though, something strange is happening. Her day job may set his teeth on edge, but her luscious curves make him salivate. In spite of her past sins, she insists she’s reformed into some kind of werewolf guardian angel.

Worse, his heart wants to believe her, and his body aches to mark her as his. Yet going against his instincts could turn him from lover to prisoner. Just when his pack needs him most…

Warning: Be advised. This is not a test. Your limits are about to be pushed. Your desires will be met. Your heart will burst with pleasure and your dreams will be fulfilled. Prepare yourself for sex hotter than the sun on the driest desert. And if you dare, then run with the pack.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Running with the Pack:

Lauren dropped to the back of the group and switched her gun’s safety to the off position. If she had to, she could cause a diversion from the rear easier than in the front of the group. Halfway through the alley, John went down on one knee, waited for them to do the same, then pointed to a dark corner where one building met another. She squinted into the blackness and hoped she wouldn’t see what she feared most.

A small werewolf bent over the prone body of a homeless man. The man, wearing rags and shoes with holes in the bottoms, was either asleep or unconscious. His hand, however, firmly clutched an empty whiskey bottle.

The poor man had no idea that a werewolf stood over him. Could she wake the man up without scaring the werewolf into biting him? If so, would John and the other hunters hold their fire to keep from hitting the man?
Inching forward, she touched John’s shoulder to warn him against shooting while an innocent human was in the line of fire, but she was too late. A shot blasted the silence apart, jolting her and sending her stumbling to the side.

The werewolf’s screech of pain echoed around the alley. Wounded, the shifter landed on its feet but couldn’t stand. Blood ran down its hind leg. The werewolf tried to stumble away, but lost its footing and slumped to the ground.

“Gah! What the fuck is this? Help! Someone get this thing away from me!” The man dropped his bottle to scuttle away from the growling creature. The other men rushed to John, cheering and slapping him on the back. Two hunters helped the man to his feet and retrieved his bottle, then led him down the alley toward the street. Pointing his rifle at the snarling werewolf, John stood back, his chest out and pride oozing from him. “Say nighty-night, shifter.”

Lauren slowly regained her feet, tears stinging the backs of her eyes. Why couldn’t she have acted faster? Disappointment mingled with guilt, tearing a hole in her stomach. But now was not the time to wallow in her feelings. She gritted her teeth and took a few steps toward the sickening scene and the great white hunter holding court over his doting subjects.

“Wait! Don’t shoot!”

John and the others pivoted to her without placing their backs to the werewolf. “What, Lauren?” His eyes flashed above his gleeful grin.

She clenched her fists, resisting the urge to slap the stupid smile off his face. “You promised me I could shoot first.” Why hadn’t she remembered to say that earlier? Had their discussion about Cannon thrown her off? But maybe she wasn’t too late.

“I did? I don’t remember that.” John’s brow knitted and she prayed he’d taken his dumb pill today. He wasn’t the brightest man on the block and she could usually convince him to do what she wanted without him knowing she’d bamboozled him.

“Yeah, you did. Granted, you were drunk.” She got the expected snickers from the group. “But a promise is a promise. And now you go and blow it.”

“Seriously, babe, I don’t think—”