The Guardian (The Wolfe Series) (26 page)

Jake kissed her
then, not a tender kiss but an all consuming one that left Laurie breathless.  His tongue plundered the recesses of her mouth and she found her own tongue dueling with his in an erotic dance of passions and need.  She closed her eyes and matched the rhythm of Jake’s breathing.  He ran his hand down the hollow of her throat, his lips replacing his hand.  Laurie felt like purring as Jake kissed her shoulders, her chest and moved lower, ripping open her blouse and pushing her bra aside he captured her left breast in his hungry mouth and sucked gently, his tongue swirling over the tender tip.  Laurie’s breath came in short, panting bursts and she felt wetness between her legs.  She strained upwards putting her arms around Jake and drawing him closer as his lips claimed hers again in a bruising kiss.

             
This was what she had wanted, what she had dreamed of finding with a man.  Not just any man, either, but a man she could love, could share her life with, have children with.  The wetness between her legs increased and she yearned to have Jake inside her.

             
Jake felt Laurie opening her body to him, total and unconditional surrender, which for someone like Laurie was an amazing gift, a gift not to be squandered.

             
Laurie opened her eyes and began to protest when she felt Jake draw away. 

             
“We need to get back to the ranch,” he said, heedless of his nudity as he lifted her back into the saddle and swung up behind her.  There were better times and better places for what he had in mind.

The saddle blanket was rough against
Jake’s backside but he hardly noticed as he reined the mare toward home.  Laurie was safe for the time being at least.  He hoped she had learned her lesson and wouldn’t try anything foolish like that again.  “Where did you think you were going, anyway?”

             
Laurie leaned back against Jake’s rock hard chest, luxuriating in the feel of his arms surrounding her.  Safe.  She felt safe in those strong arms.  “I was going after Aragon.  After that I didn’t know.  I just wanted to find a place where I could hide.”  She knew now just how foolish that had been.

             
Jake sighed and rested his chin on the top of her head, enjoying the soft scent of jasmine that clung to her hair.  “Don’t worry, we’ll get your horse back.  One way or the other.  Just promise me you won’t do anything that foolish again.”

             
Laurie wasn’t sure she could keep such a promise.  “I’ll try, Jake.  You could have been seriously wounded by that mountain lion.  I left trying to ensure your safety only to have placed you in even more danger.  Your wolf was magnificent, though.”

             
“You liked the wolf, did you?” Jake laughed in spite of himself.

             
“Oh, yes.”

             
“You’re likely to see a lot more of him in the future.  You’ll soon start to feel the urge to shift, to Change so let me know if you start to feel differently.  You’re going to love running thru the wild in our wolf forms, the feel of the wind in our faces and the heady taste of freedom coursing through our veins.”

             
Laurie wasn’t so sure about that.  “You think so?”  She remembered the sudden heat that had engulfed her before the lion had attacked.

             
“I know so.”  Jake kissed the top of her head. 

As he guided the little mare toward home h
e felt his muscles start to relax at the thought of running wild and free with this woman who had come to mean the world to him.

             
Dawn seeped through the bedroom drapes, turning the room to molten gold.  Dust motes danced in the air and the sound of morning doves cooing to one another in the courtyard filtered in through the open windows.  Laurie turned and snuggled closer to Jake, her leg slipping over his as he turned toward her, his body warming hers as no other ever could or would.   They’d made passionate love for hours after they’d returned to the ranch, their joy in each other manifest in their total inhibition and surrender to one another. 

Jake
inhaled the subtle scent of jasmine in Laurie’s hair before pulling her beneath him.  He lowered his body onto hers and drew her scent deep into his lungs. 

Laurie
captured Jake’s lips with her own and he sighed, savoring the moment.  He’d waited so long for her, he didn’t want to rush things.  His mouth caressed her neck and shoulders, her throat and earlobes, creating a fever that awakened the desire to take him into her body, to have him deep inside her. 

Her nerves throbb
ing with need, her core burning as though from a fire within, Laurie said,  “I want you, Jake, all of you,” she whispered as she pulled his head to her breast where he suckled gently.  “I want you to touch all of me, every single inch of me, so that I’ll know you’re mine.” 
Mine!  All mine!
 

             
“I want you, too, Laurie.”  His mouth melted into to hers and he kissed her, a long, drawn out, tumultuous kiss that bespoke of the passion he was barely able to control. 

             
Jake’s hands caressed her thighs and buttocks and she opened willingly for him.  He rubbed his throbbing erection against her, his need increasing with every beat of his heart, the desire in him so strong he didn’t know if he could hold out.

             
Laurie explored every inch of Jake’s body, from his muscled shoulders to his amazing rock hard six-pack to his firm buttocks.  She moved against him, wanting him to enter her right that very moment, as though this had been the moment she’d been waiting for all of her life.

             
Her body arched to meet his as he positioned his body between her legs and thrust deep.  He smiled at her moan of pleasure and felt her body surrender to his.  He was wolf large and filled her, stretching her, making her his mate, now and forever.  He kissed her and thrust deeper and deeper, until they found glory in the fiery passion, a sexual completion.

             
He loved watching Laurie climax.  He’d done that for her as she had done it for him, with love.  He loved her.  She was so infinitely desirable he knew he was going to have trouble keeping his hands off of her.

             
“I love you, Laurie,” Jake said, gathering her into his arms and pulling the covers up over their bodies.

             
“I know, Jake, I love you, too.”  She sighed, her f
ingers feather light across his chest.  “I never thought I’d find you,”

             
Jake could feel her tears dampening his chest and he drew her more tightly into his arms.  “You’ll never be alone again,” he growled deep in his throat.  “And no one is ever going to hurt you or take you away from me, either.”  He’d give his own life without reservation to protect her. 

She had become his whole life, his love, his reason for being.  There would be no life without her.

            
 
L
aurie awoke sometime later and found the bed beside her empty.  She stretched luxuriously before sitting up and hugging herself, the joy she felt undiminished by the threat that still faced them.  She and Jake would face Enrique together, and defeat him together.  She had to believe that or she would go mad.  They couldn’t lose what they had found in each other.  They simply couldn’t!

             
After a quick shower Laurie headed for the kitchen where she could hear voices and smell coffee brewing.  She stopped in the doorway when she saw an unfamiliar couple seated at the kitchen table with Jake.

             
Jake immediately got to his feet and placed his arm around Laurie’s shoulder.  “Mat, Jane, this is Laurie Kincaid,” he said as he pulled out a chair for Laurie at the table and she took a seat.  “Laurie, this is Mat and Jane Harris.  They have a ranch southwest of here.  They’re helping organize the Ranch Roundup we have here at the ranch each year.”

             
“It’s nice to meet you.  Looks like Jake’s found himself a winner.”  Mat Harris said, a big smile lighting his weathered face.  He was a big man, with silver hair and light blue eyes.  What he lacked in looks he more than made up for with a jovial personality.  “Bout time, too, I’d say.”

Laurie laughed when she
saw Jake’s face flush in embarrassment. 

“Leave those two alone,” Jane Harris punched her husband in the arm affectionately before settling her intense violet gaze in Laurie’s direction.  “How long you planning to stay, hon?  Hope you’ll be here for the roundup.  Sure could use your help.”

Laurie like Jane Harris and felt an immediate kinship.  “I’m not sure how long I’ll be here.”

Jake rescued her from having to explain further.  “Still having trouble out your way, Mat?” 
Jake turned toward Laurie and explained.  “The Harris’ live every day with barking dogs, vandalism, guns at their bedside, trash on their land, and most tragically, human remains. The bodies of seven illegals were found on the Flying H last year.”

             
“That’s horrible,” Laurie said aghast. 

             
“Can you imagine dying of heat prostration out in the desert?” Jane asked.  “If you’re unable to cool down, shock will set in which can cause damage to your major organs.  Even if you don’t fall into shock, your overheated body will cause your internal organs to swell, leading to internal damage and death. Nausea, seizures, hallucinations, they’re all a part of it.”

“Yea, my Jane knows her business, been a nurse more than twenty years.”  Mat glanced affectionately at his wife.  “The Flying H is located thirty-eight miles north of the border, which means that by the time the illegals arrive there, they’ve been walking for days and are in desperate shape.” 

For nine years, their family had been unable to leave home unless someone stayed to guard against burglars.  Their daughter could no longer do chores unless accompanied by her father or a brother, and taking her 4-year-old daughter out on horseback wasforbidden
.

“I know Jake and his brothers try to help with the illegals but it’s impossible to stem the tide.

“There are dozens of smuggling trails.  I’ve seen sophisticated brush huts in which illegals rest during trips north,” Jake added, trying to educate Laurie about the serious problem they faced.

“Isn’t there anything we can do to help?”  Laurie hated the fact that she’d been associated with Luzaro Rivera, who trafficked
in the misery of others.

Jake covered her hand where it lay on the table
with his.  “We deal with it the best we can.  We don’t have it so bad here on our ranch but people like the Harris’ are under constant siege.”

“Let’s not spoil
this beautiful day with such dire conversation,” Mat said, getting ponderously to his feet.  “You two girls can talk about the food, raffles and auction to your hearts content.  Jake and I need to map out some of the areas where we’ll be holding the other events.”

The slight nod of Laurie’s head to
ward Jake signaled that she was in agreement with this.  He followed Mat out of the house, reluctant to leave Laurie and the new closeness they’d found.

Laurie couldn’t help the sigh that escaped her lips as she watched Jake leave.  Her man was
so beautiful inside and out.  She couldn’t believe that he was all hers, and she his. 

Jane’s eyes missed little of what went on around her.  She was thrilled at the thought of Jake and this beautiful young woman having found such happiness.  It radiated from their very pores.  Jane only wished that Jake’s mother could
have been here to see it.  Jane and Victoria Wolfe had been the best of friends since early childhood.  She still missed Victoria’s kindness and her smile that could light up a room.  “We’ll need Jake’s computer for what’s left to do.  I’ve got most of it done already.”

Jane smiled as she rose from the table and led
Laurie toward Jake’s office. 
Let’s you and I get better acquainted, shall we?
 

It was what they called a harvest moon, a big, beautiful, golden disk that rose slowly from the eastern horizon to glide across a midnight sky.  Laurie could see the full moon through Jake’s bedroom windows where she sat on the edge of the bed in a frilly white confection of a nightgown.  She smiled at the thought of Taggert buying such a frivolous garment and the fact that Jake’s jealousy had run rampant when he’d seen it.  He could say little, however, as he’d been the one to send Taggert on the shopping expedition, purchasing several sets of clothing as well as a few unmentionables and the provocative nightgown.  She could almost see Tag’s wolfish grin as he’d dealt with the sales women.

             
She’d be able to remove the clothing easily as there were no buttons on the shirts or zippers on the pants.  She wouldn’t be able to wear a watch or jewelry either, which she had been told would be dangerous during the Change.