The Touch of Her Hands [The Wind River Pack 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) (9 page)

Miguel’s cheeks reddened. “The young ones, they want to relive the danger of the past. Our drug wars are long over, but sometimes they forget. They were young boys, school age, choosing guns to settle an argument.

Zack shook his head. “Unbelievable.” He watched as Miguel hurried into what was probably the kitchen, and then bent to scoop Aurelia up into his arms.

She squirmed. “I can walk, you know. I’m just tired. I’m not an invalid.”

Zack kissed the top of her head. “Hush, and relax. Let me take care of you.”

When Miguel came back, he was carrying two bags in one hand and a set of keys in the other. “My truck is out back. Put your woman in the back and cover her with the blanket you will find there. We can be at the cabin in less than fifteen minutes. It is secluded, and very private.” Zack nodded and moved toward the door.

He glanced back and saw Miguel press a kiss against Rosa’s cheek. “I’ll be back soon, love. Stay safe.”

Sighing, Zack headed out the door to find the truck. They’d need to get an early start if they were going to make their plane in two days. He couldn’t begin to imagine why Miguel wasn’t asking a million questions about what he’d seen Aurelia do. He wanted to get his mate home, to the States, where he could keep her safe.

* * * *

Bright sunlight lit the clearing around Miguel’s small cabin. The twisting tree roots and dense undergrowth around it made a formidable barrier. The shrieks of monkeys and the calls of tropical birds echoed through the trees. The stuffy, warm air felt thick on Zack’s tongue, while his feet felt hot and damp inside his boots.

“There is firewood inside, senor,” said Miguel.

“It’s too hot for a fire, and we don’t need to cook anything. I’ve got supplies in my bags. We’re only gonna be here for one night.”

“The rain is coming, senor. It will be hard and cool. You will want the fire tonight to keep warm and dry.”

Zack set Aurelia on her feet and turned to Miguel. “We really appreciate this, man. I’m happy to pay you for the use of your cabin.”

Miguel handed him the bags of food. “
No, en absoluto
. Your woman helped my esposa and that is thanks enough. Vaya con Dios, senor.” He hurried to his truck, slid behind the wheel, and took off down the dirt road.

Zack shook his head. “I don’t think he saw what you actually did for his wife.”

“Wouldn’t matter if he did or not. I couldn’t just stand by and let her suffer. Besides, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve used my gifts in these parts. The locals are pretty protective of my secret.”

Zack felt the first drops of rain splattering down on the crown of his head and cursed silently.

Aurelia took a step toward the cabin. “We’d better get inside before it really lets loose. You haven’t lived until you’ve experienced one of our flash storms.”

Before she finished her sentence, the heavens opened up, soaking Zack instantly. He grabbed Aurelia’s arm and pulled her through the narrow door, blinking several times to adjust to the dark interior. She moved away from him and walked over to the fireplace, grabbing the oil lamp and box of matches resting on the mantle. She quickly had the room illuminated in a soft glow.

A small table with two chairs and a narrow cot with a stack of blankets were the only furnishings. A lone coffee pot stood on a grate over the hearth. Miguel had been right. Zack felt a distinct chill with his clothes soaked through.

“Why don’t you lay the food out on the table,” said Aurelia. “I’ll get us a fire going. We’re gonna need to dry out.”

“Okay, I think I can manage that.” Zack watched as she started a small fire using the bits of stacked wood next to the fireplace and pieces of what looked like dried peat. She quickly had a small blaze going. Slowly she added some larger pieces of wood. Turning his attention to the door, he studied the rain dripping from the hanging moss and pooling on the lush, green leaves.

“Is something wrong?” asked Aurelia.

Zack shook his head and smiled. “No, I was just admiring the beauty of this place. I can’t imagine what it must have been like, living here the past few years, cut off from everything familiar.”

“It was freedom, and that’s all I cared about.”

Zack placed the sacks of food on the table. “I don’t know about you, but I need to get out of these wet clothes. Did you bring something to change into?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I brought a pair of jeans and a couple of pullover shirts. For now, I recommend we use the blankets to wrap up in and dry our things by the fire. We’re gonna want them dry when we leave in the morning.”

“Agreed.” Zack glanced around. “Uh, there’s nowhere for privacy, and I’m not enough of a gentleman to go outside in the rain while you change. Will you be okay with me turning my back and promising not to peek?”

Aurelia laughed. “Sure, I trust you. You’re my destino, remember?”

Zack smiled and turned to stare out the door. “Grab a blanket or two and go change and dry off by the fire. I’ll just guard the door.” He could hear movement behind him. The rustle of clothing, the harsh rasp of a zipper, the thud of her shoes as she dropped them onto the floor. With each sound his cock got harder and harder. He’d have a permanent ridge from his zipper if he didn’t get himself under control.

“Okay, you can look now.”

Zack turned and swallowed hard. “Where are your clothes?” Instead of changing, she’d removed her wet things and wrapped up in a blanket, sarong-style.

“The blanket is warmer than the clothes I brought, and my skin still feels damp. If it bothers you, I can put my jeans and stuff back on.”

“No, of course not. It doesn’t bother me.”
Lie! It bothers the hell out of me.

“Good, then you go get into your blanket and we can dig in.” Aurelia turned toward the door and gave him a pointed look, motioning him toward the fireplace.

I’m going to hell, I just know it.
Quickly, he shucked off his wet things and wrapped the soft, gray blanket around his body. She was right. It did feel pretty good against his cool skin. And he had the advantage of having the loose folds to hide his raging erection.

When he turned back to Aurelia, the rain had escalated with a vengeance and was now a downpour. The sound of the water on the roof was almost mesmerizing. Aurelia grinned and sat down at the table. “Come on and get something to eat. Most of this stuff is still a little warm.” She placed both canteens on the table. “I’d make a pot of coffee, but honestly, I’d be a little worried about Miguel’s coffee pot being clean and I don’t have anything to wash it with except water. I would imagine Rosa takes care of all that back at their restaurant.”

“No problem. What do we have to eat?”

Aurelia giggled. “Don’t you remember what I told you before?”

“Oh, yeah. Something about meat wrap-ups and chicken soup in a bread bowl and some kind of cheese puffs.”

Aurelia lined up the small containers and handed him a fork and spoon. “This soup is to die for. It’s got chicken, corn, garlic, onion, and a healthy dose of cayenne pepper. The bread bowl is actually a large bun made with lard.”

Zack groaned. “I can feel my arteries hardening.”

“Don’t be such a wuss. Don’t you like trying new things?”

He grinned. “I’ll try anything you want.”

Aurelia smiled and held up a small pastry. “Then open up, Zack. I’m about to rock your world.”

* * * *

Conrad Jackson signed off on his orders and watched them wheel the patient down the hall toward his room. Nothing was working right anymore. The experiments would come to a grinding halt soon, without fresh samples to work with. He’d preserved as many as he could, before he’d lost his prime specimen, but they wouldn’t be viable for much longer, even frozen. Grimacing, he pulled his phone from his pocket when it rang. “Dr. Jackson.”

“You were right, boss. She’s here, but we haven’t been able to get our hands on her yet.”

“Why not? How hard can it be to get your hands on one small woman?”

“Sent two of my best men ahead, and they’ve disappeared. The bitch is living in a cabin way up in the mountains.”

“How do you know?”

“The villagers told us all about her. They think she’s some kind of angel from heaven with the way she can make folks better when they’re sick.”

Conrad smiled. “That’s my girl. So, what’s the problem if you know where she is?”

“Knowing she’s in a cabin in the mountains and finding it are two different things, boss. It ain’t safe to just wander around this part of the country if you don’t know where you’re going. I sent two of my guys to tail PFC Medina’s family when they headed out. The locals said they visit her at least once a week, so I figured they might be headed that way.”

“What happened?”

“We were watching when they came back to the ranch. They had one of my men trussed up, and there was no sign of the other one. Since he hasn’t contacted me, I gotta assume he’s dead.”

“So, what are you going to do now? It’s imperative you bring Ms. Salazar back to the States.”

“I’ve made a few contacts here. I’ve got some feelers out. Yesterday, somebody made reservations in their name for a flight back to Miami. I’ve got a man covering the airport, and I’ve offered a little incentive for the locals to keep their eyes open in case they spot her coming down from the mountain. Give me a couple of days and I’ll have her one way or another.”

“Don’t fail me, Carlton. You won’t like the consequences if you do.”

* * * *

Aurelia threw the paper garbage onto the fire and sighed. Zack stared at the graceful curve of her neck and her white, creamy shoulders, and licked his lips. His coyote was circling, pawing at his ribs, whispering over and over in his mind.
Mate her now!
He swallowed hard and leaned back in the chair to give his cock more room. “What are you thinking about?”

Aurelia turned to look at him over her shoulder. “You.”

“What about me? Do you have more questions?”

“No, no more questions.” She bit her lip, hitched her blanket higher to drape across her shoulders, and moved to stand in front of Zack.

He looked up at her and frowned. “What is it, love?”

Aurelia smiled. “I like the way you call me love, even if it’s not true, yet.”

“But it is—”

Aurelia put her fingers over his mouth. “I don’t want any promises or any declarations of love yet. Seeing Tio Jorge kill that man earlier has made me realize just how fleeting our lives really are. You never know when your life might be over.” She moved closer and placed her hands on his shoulders. “I’m not ready for any bites, yet, but I really wanna be with you.”

“Be with me?”

“I wanna make love with you. I wanna know what it’s like to be with someone I really have feelings for.” She leaned down and let her lips brush his. “Show me how good it can be between a man and a woman,” she whispered. As nightfall descended, the sound of the jungle began to ebb. Uncertainty hung in the air as Aurelia stared into Zack’s eyes. She appeared vulnerable, uncertain of her welcome, and then she smiled. Blood and lust coursed through his veins as the flame of desire in her eyes took his breath away.

Zack stood, letting his blanket drop, and buried the fingers of one hand in her silky hair. He trailed a finger down her jaw, over her neck, and across her shoulder to slip beneath the blanket. She moaned softly and closed her eyes. “Your skin is like warm silk,” he whispered. “I wanna feel it all.” He nuzzled her hair, breathing in the feminine, musky aroma of her skin, and pushed the blanket from her shoulders, watching it pool around her feet. Bending lower, he trailed kisses over her eyes to her earlobes, then along her cheek to her ear. He cupped her face in his hand and brought his lips down to hers. Deepening the kiss, he ran his other hand down her side to her bottom and hauled her closer to him. Gently, he took her bottom lip between his teeth and then flicked his tongue against hers.

Panting, he lifted away from their kiss and buried his lips in the curve of her neck. “I want you so much,” he mumbled against her soft skin. Zack nibbled kisses into the crease of her neck and then nipped at her shoulder, laving the small bites to soothe them. He smiled when she tilted her throat to give him better access. Lifting his head, he moved his mouth next to hers, his thumb gliding along her lip. His tongue explored her mouth, twining with hers.

Her soft hands tentatively settled on his shoulders and moved down to his abdomen. Glancing down, her face flushed as she stared at his erect cock. Aurelia buried her face in the crook of his neck as she reached between them and fisted his erection.

Zack groaned when she cupped him in her palm, her fingers wrapping around his aching length. “Stroke me,” he whispered, guiding her hand up and down his rod. Her featherlight touch sent his desire spiraling out of control. He stroked his hand down her back to her bottom while she moaned and arched into his touch. His hand curved over her bare flesh, stroking the sensitive skin again and again. Cupping the cheeks of her ass, he pulled her against his hard frame and ground his erection into her stomach.

Moving back, he ran a shaking hand over her from her shoulder to her hip and then up again, cupping one full breast in his palm. He squeezed gently and then thumbed her nipple, letting his fingers play across the pebbled tips. Lightly, he bit one and then soothed it with his tongue. When she moaned, he began grinding his aroused shaft against her belly in a rhythmic motion. With his coyote in a frenzy, he bent and lifted her into his arms. She held on to him tightly as he carried her to the bed.