A Tiger's Treasure (Tiger Protectors Book 2) (9 page)

“How did he know we needed privacy?” she asked, arching to give his mouth better access to her nipples. His large hand supported her back.

“Because all I could think about was getting to make love to you again. When I make love to you, I feel whole,” he said.

She looked up into his eyes. They were that beautiful, glowing green again. His tiger eyes.

“I feel whole too,” she said, biting her lip. His eyes studied the movement, growing even hotter.

“Tell me what you want from me,” he said, moving his hands over her ample hips. “I’ll give you anything.”

She’d never thought she’d be in this moment. Carter Cunningham, stern detective, always in control. Asking her to command him.

It was hotter than hell.

“I want you to make love to me,” she said simply. “Like there’s no tomorrow.”

He cupped her face in one hand and kissed her, firm and rich and wonderful. “For all we know, there isn’t.”

She nodded. “For all we know.”

“But I’m not going to make love to you like there’s no tomorrow,” he said. “I’m going to make love to you like there are a million tomorrows. Like every moment I spend with you matters more because we’re going to have our lives together.”

“That’s a hopelessly romantic notion,” she said, gasping as his lips moved to her neck. He lowered them both in the water. They could sit on the bottom step and be up to their shoulders in the water. It felt amazing on her breasts and neck as he moved against her. His whole presence was so soothing and warm and protective.

Whoever settled down with Carter was going to be so lucky.

“I guess I’m a hopeless romantic,” he said. “When I actually find a woman I want.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, placing a hand over his on her cheek, feeling slightly guilty for putting him in this position, even if her body wasn’t guilty at all.

“I may not be your alpha forever,” he said. “But tonight, I’m going to make you wish I was.”

She swallowed. “Bring it on, tiger.”

He grinned.

C
arter’s beast
was raging inside, a huge cat pacing in a glass cage.

Make love to her but don’t love her. Protect her but don’t claim her. He’d given the possessive animal inside him so many mixed messages when it came to Amy.

But she was right. It was better to have some of something good than nothing good at all.

Her body was amazing, dark and curvy and beautiful against him. Each curve was a wonder, a supple, soft piece of her he could touch over and over. He ran a hand over her soft, feminine stomach and let his thumb dip into her belly button, drawing a gasp.

“You like that?” he asked.

She dug her fingers into his shoulder. “I do. But you need to be faster. Rougher.”

His expression tightened. “I thought you wanted me in control.”

She snorted. “I do, but…”

“No buts,” he said, turning her and pinning her against him, her back to his chest in the hot water, as his finger ran along the rim of her belly button again and she squirmed against him.

But his arms were around her like a vise, gentle but never letting go.

Her gorgeous ass wriggled against him, tempting him as his hand dipped lower in front, exploring between her legs. This was his. Every part of her was his. He was going to mark her in ways no one else could, make her body remember his every touch.

Make it so no man could ever catch up to him. He didn’t care that it seemed ruthless. She was his.

He stroked over her sensitive center, and she writhed. But she was fully supported by his other arm over her waist, completely trapping her against him. The floral scent of the steam around them only heightened the situation.

Her legs kicked in the water, and she moaned as he began to stroke again. Slowly, leisurely.

“You tease,” she gasped out.

“I want you to feel everything,” he said, parting her and dipping a finger inside. “I want to explore all of you. Find every part of you.”

“I want you to go faster,” she said, and he could sense tension building inside her.

“I want to go slow,” he said.

He leaned back so she could lean against him and used his other hand to tweak her nipple, just a little harder than usual. She gasped in pleasure. She really did like it slightly rough. Well, he’d give her whatever she wanted.

But he’d take his time, making her remember all of it.

“That…” She writhed more, helpless in the water as his hand played at her nipple and between her legs. “That is…”

“Good, right?” he asked, kissing her ear and making her gasp again. “Can you feel me everywhere? I want you to think of me as the water, touching you everywhere at once.”

She let out a little whimper as he slowly circled tighter over her clit. He was already getting better at knowing exactly how she liked it. The amount of pressure, how close she wanted him to be before she squeaked out in shock.

His other hand lazily pinched and released her nipple as his hand played between her legs, working her into a slow, deep frenzy. His mouth found a sensitive part on her shoulder, and she sucked, knowing it would make a mark, but not caring as she writhed in his arms.

“So hot,” he said. “So incredibly hot.”

“You’re driving me crazy,” she rasped out. “I can’t even breathe. I do feel you everywhere.”

“I’ll be here when you go,” he murmured and then pressed his finger down over her in a tight motion that finally sent her careening over the edge.

As she went, he held her, hearing each cry, each spasm of muscle, each expression of shock as she rode the wave. He kept her safe, banding her against him so she could fight the pleasure all she wanted, but it would still find her. And he hoped, in the hot water around him, she felt fully secure, fully surrounded.

When she was done, she went slightly limp in his arms. But before he could start again, he heard a low growl, and she turned to face him.

Her eyes were slightly wild, her she-wolf just beneath the surface. Pheromones filled the air.

“I can’t wait any longer,” she said hungrily, her skin still glowing from orgasm.

And he couldn’t wait to answer the hunger inside her. He picked her up by the thighs and lifted her in the water. Then he plunged inside her, sliding into her slick sheath in one easy motion as she growled in pleasure.

He was seated deep inside her, her arms round his neck. He could still feel the pulsing aftershocks of her pleasure. Being inside her warm, tight channel was the closest he would ever feel toward home.

He would never take another woman after this. So he had to make sure to lock every moment with her in his memory, to sustain him in the years of lonely work that were ahead.

She seemed a little more patient now that he was inside her. She growled softly and worked against him, but his hands were under her thighs and he was in control.

“Shh,” he said. “Be patient.”

“I can’t,” she said. “I want something so bad I can’t even explain it.”

He pressed into her, loving how deep he was inside her, how well they fit together, how much they felt like one. But he wasn’t done giving her pleasure.

He reached down between them with one hand and tweaked her clit again, feeling between her folds, loving the fact that he was inside her as he did it. He could feel every clench. He also leaned forward to kiss her on the lips. She opened automatically, and his tongue swept inside, claiming her deeply, thrusting to show her what was coming, although not yet.

He felt her heat rise, felt tension build as she moaned against him. He rubbed harder, faster over the spot just above where they were joined, and she began to get more and more frantic. So hot, this was so hot. He could do this a million times and still feel starved for it.

“More,” she said. “Touch me.”

He did, kissing along her neck, her ear, her cheek, her face, her lips, her breasts. His mouth was hungry for her as one hand moved down to hold her beautiful ass, squeezing as the other rubbed harder. More. Faster. Meanwhile, he stayed still inside her. She would have to come one more time before he would even move.

And then she did, arching against him, letting him feel every ripple of her orgasm from the inside out as her nails sank into his back. Pain had never been so pleasurable as having this little she-wolf try to tear him apart.

But he was strong. He could take it.

She screamed out his name, over and over, clenching around him as her second release found her. When she finally went limp in his arms, he was ready.

“Now,” he said. “I’ll give you the rest.”

“Thank heavens,” she said. “I’m exhausted.”

“I want you barely able to walk,” he growled, knowing the animal was taking control now.

“But what about everything happening?” she asked. “There’s so much.”

“There’s only you and me,” he said. “And I’ll protect you. From anything. For right now, you aren’t an alpha she-wolf. For right now, you’re just my love.”

She nodded and wrapped her arms around him, and he began to move. In and out in a slick, steady rhythm that was agonizingly sensitive. Each tiny feel of her nearly sent him rushing over the edge. But his tiger waited, watching his mate’s reaction to being inside her. Loving every moment they had together. Not wanting it to end, because who knew when they’d have time to do it again?

Tomorrow, they’d have to go back to thinking about the real world and problems. But tonight it was only them.

“Trust me,” he said, thrusting deep inside her. “I’ll protect you. Give you everything you want.”

“I trust you,” she said, moving against him.

His dick felt like it was on fire. His whole body was shaking as she moaned loudly with each thrust. Each time they came wholly together, he felt excitement rush through him, felt her nails tighten in pleasure, in approval. She loved him inside her, and he loved being there.

They were a perfect match.

He sped up, thrusting back and in hard, feeling her tighten, starting to feel a frenzy of sensation. She went, and then again, and still he kept going, unwilling to stop until every last drop of pleasure had been wrung out of her. She called his name, gasped out her desperation, and he plunged harder, bringing them together tighter.

And when she was exhausted, still thrusting with him, still clutching onto him but weak from pleasure, he finally went, spurting inside her with nothing between them, in an amazing joining that felt absolutely right.

He had gone during one of her orgasms, so she was coming too, screaming against him and wrapping her legs tight around his waist, as if she never wanted to let him out. Well, that was fine, because he didn’t want to leave. He clutched her tight, his nails moving over her skin as they held each other in the water and waited for the most intense orgasms of their life to abate.

When it was over, he sat back with her in the steamy water, breathing heavily. He brushed dark, wet hair off her overwhelmed face, and she looked up at him with an expression of awe that took his breath away. What he had left of it anyway, after making love to her.

Somehow, no matter what she said had to happen in the future, he just knew she was his.

T
hat night
they went to sleep, safe in each other’s arms, after a wonderful dinner delivered by the dragons, where they ate and discussed even more of themselves than they had so far.

Like the fact that Carter collected old baseball cards and Amy was a big fan of watching Olympic swimming.

The next morning, Carter woke up to a knock on the door. He sat up, putting a hand out to stop Amy, who was rising groggily. Her curls were in an adorable disarray, her round, brown eyes gentle and sleepy.

He wanted her to stay just as she was.

“I’ll check it out,” he said, grabbing a bathrobe from next to the bed and wrapping it around him as he walked out into the main room of the suite.

He opened the door to see Tor standing there with Perry. Both looked serious.

“We found your perp,” Tor said gruffly, arms folded. His dark-brown hair looked perfect in the morning, everything about him severe and the opposite of Perry.

“Tor worked on Blake last night, and we finally got the last name of the guy who called the hit.” Perry handed him a piece of paper, on which a text was printed out. Beneath it was written the name “Winters.”

Carter crumpled the paper in his hand, anger rushing through him. It was as he’d expected. The chief had been involved.

“I have to go get him,” he said, disgusted with the man that he’d mostly been able to trust over the years. He’d never thought him capable of something like this. And he wanted to know why, most of all. Why would he do all of this, including calling a hit on him?

“No need,” Tor said. “Someone’s bringing him in.” He turned away to go back down the stairs. “Your brother.”

Carter raised an eyebrow. His brother Jace hadn’t been taking a lot of bounty work since mating and settling down.

Perry gave him a reassuring glance, his silver hair pulled over one shoulder. “Since it’s a less dangerous job, we thought he’d be perfect to call.”

Carter nodded. The chief had called a hit on him, not tried to do it himself. But if it had to do with Amy’s parents… then was he the murderer? They’d only know when they got there. And first, he had to go deliver the news to Amy.

A part of him sank at the thought. If this was about to be over, then was this all he was going to get of her? A sinking feeling told him yes, that was the case.

“Okay,” he said. “I’ll get changed and get Amy. I know she’ll want to be there.”

“Why?” Perry asked. “Isn’t this just about the hit on you?”

“No,” Carter said. “I have a feeling all of this only started because she was looking into her parents’ deaths. And I think they started going after me because they thought I was helping her.”

Perry cocked his head. “I’m not sure that makes complete sense, but we’ll see when he gets here.”

Carter nodded. “I’ll be right back.”

He shut the door behind him and walked to the bedroom, opening the door softly so as not to wake her. But she was already staring up at him. Her soft, rounded cheeks tapered to a feminine chin that he just loved. Her dark, thick, arched brows framed her eyes perfectly. Her curled lashes lifted up at the ends. Her deep skin was the perfect color to contrast against his, and he loved the look of them together.

She was perfect for him, and he wanted to take a moment to just memorize her like this, resting on his bed on her side, hair splayed over the pillow, her oversized sleeping shirt sliding over one revealed, perfect shoulder.

“What is it?” she asked, returning him to the business at hand.

“They’ve found him,” he said. “The one who hired the hit on me. It was the chief.”

She gasped, putting a hand to her mouth as she threw the covers off and stood to get ready. She hurried around the room, gathering her clothes from the other night.

Unfortunately, he’d torn her panties, so she’d have to go commando. The thought made him hot under the collar.

“Sorry about that,” he said as she pulled on her pants.

She just grinned at him. “Our little secret. We’ll be home soon. After all, we did bathe last night. No big deal.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Big deal.”

She grinned and pulled on her bra and work shirt. When she was done, she looked sexy and slightly disheveled, and Carter couldn’t help swiping his large work jacket off the ground and putting it around her shoulders, buttoning it up to hide her from neck to knee.

“Hey,” she said.

“No,” he said. “No one else gets to see you.”

“This is a little obvious,” she said, looking down at the coat as she slid her arms into it.

“Just bear with it for now. The house is gonna be filled with males.”

She nodded. “I’m going to do my hair real quick. Just put it back, out of the way.”

“Sure,” he said. Then he started getting ready as well, pulling on his clothing from yesterday. It wasn’t the most comfortable, and there was still evidence of the explosion on it, but he wouldn’t have to wear it for long.

She came out looking clean and refreshed and totally comfortable in his coat even though it swamped her. Her eyes were slightly feral as they swept over him, and he felt his body heat in response.

“You look great,” she said. “Like an action hero who just walked away from an explosion while not turning back.”

He chuckled. “Thanks.” He put out an arm for her to take. “Shall we go?”

She took it. “Sure.” When they reached the door, she let him go first. She looked at him apologetically. “Right now, outside this door, I need to just be your partner. Not your lover.”

He understood. “Okay.”

They were headed down the top of the stairs in the main entryway when the front door swung open and cold air blew in. Jace walked in, dragging a gray-haired man behind him.

Jace, his bounty-hunting middle brother, was tall like him, but with longish black hair that was badass and edgy. He wore all black leather and was the only one of them with orange tiger eyes.

Jace looked up and saw Carter and waved immediately. “Hey, Carter, brought you some trash.” He tossed the chief easily onto the granite and dusted his hands.

The chief, who was wearing black pajamas, didn’t seem to even be putting up a fight.

Carter walked in front of Amy down the stairs. Yes, this had to do with her parents, but Carter had known the chief much longer. It was a huge betrayal.

“I can’t believe you,” he said, folding his arms and rising to his full height as he reached the man on the floor.

He could scent the chief’s fear, and it made him slightly ill. He stopped just in front of him, and the chief looked up at him, his face lined deep with stress.

“Why am I here?” he asked.

“I thought Jace would have told you,” Carter said. “We found out what you did.”

The chief hung his head. “I thought you would. It was inevitable.” He sighed heavily and got to his knees, still slumped. Jace put a hand on his shoulder, just to keep him from rising higher.

Tor and Perry walked in behind them, managing to be quiet as always. “Nice catch, Jace,” Perry said.

“Here you go,” Tor said, pulling an envelope from his pocket that contained payment.

Jace took it. “Thanks. I’ll leave him to you. Gotta get back to my mate.” A grin lit his face and his orange eyes sparkled as he spoke of her.

A ripple of intense, bitter jealousy went through Carter. What he wouldn’t give to have that with Amy. Someone who was his forever, who he couldn’t wait to go home to every day. His stomach tightened.

That wasn’t possible, and he couldn’t complain, because he’d known it from the start.

He was happy for his brother, though. Amber was a wonderful woman. They deserved each other.

He sighed as Tor came around to take the chief by the arm and jerk it behind him, holding him in place on the ground. Tor was always the brute strength, Perry the brain behind it.

Jace gave them a wave, and Carter waved back, and then his brother jogged out the front door, obviously preoccupied with getting back home.

The chief looked up at him from where he was being held. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I had to do it.”

“Do what, exactly?” Carter wanted to hear him say it.

The chief frowned. “All of it. Not just the cover-up. The murder too.”

“What murder?” Carter asked.

The chief jerked his head in Amy’s direction. “Her parents.”

“Why?” she asked, her voice broken as she stepped forward. “What did they ever do to you?”

He shook his head. “It wasn’t me. They hurt someone I loved. I got angry. I lost control.”

Carter glared at him.

“I’m not going to say any more,” the chief said. “But I take full responsibility.” He slumped.

“The punishment for murder is death,” Tor said in a fierce voice behind him. “You understand that, right?”

The chief nodded. “I accept it.”

“You’re under arrest,” Tor said. “Carter, you got what you need? I’m gonna have to question him more, just to make sure there aren’t other, unrelated crimes he’s committed that don’t have anything to do with you.” Tor jerked the chief to standing, pulled both his arms behind him, and slapped shifter cuffs down on his hands.

Carter stepped in front of the chief, bringing Amy with him.

She looked into his eyes. “I hate you. I can’t believe you could do this.”

The chief just looked at her with vaguely hollow eyes. “We all do crazy things sometimes when we have something to protect.”

Her face tightened at that, and she turned away. Carter felt for her. That was probably all she was going to know about her parents.

That they had been murdered, as she suspected. And it had been covered up because it was easy for a cop to do it.

But she wouldn’t ever really know why.

“I left something in the room,” Amy said, taking a step back toward the stairs. “I’ll be right back.” Then she practically fled from the scene, up to the bedroom.

Carter watched her, wanting to go after her, but there was something he had to do first. He took Perry aside as Tor led the chief away to the dungeon. “I want you to promise me something. You get anything else out of him, I want to know. She deserves more closure than this.”

Perry nodded, arms folded thoughtfully. “I will. I’m not sure we will, though. You know wolves. They’re big on family. They’ll die to protect their secrets.”

“I know,” Carter said, feeling bad for Amy. He put a hand on Perry’s shoulder, and the dragon looked down at him curiously. “Thank you for getting to the bottom of it and bringing him in.”

Perry blinked and then nodded. “I know you tigers sometimes think we leave you to do everything, but we help when we can. There’s just so much lately…” He trailed off, shaking his head, and then met Carter’s eyes. “The shifter world is really going to hell.”

“I’m a cop,” Carter said, laughing as he patted Perry’s shoulder, and stepped back to go after Amy. “I can tell you it’s not just the shifter world going to hell. It’s the entire world.” He walked a few steps up and looked back at Perry. “That’s why it’s a good thing there’s people like us that are willing to help it.”

Perry nodded solemnly and then walked in the direction of the office. Perry never helped with the interrogation of prisoners. It was always Tor.

With everything wrapped up, Carter took the stairs two at a time to reach the bedroom and talk to Amy. He needed to make sure she was all right.

When he got closer, he heard sobbing. He flung the door open and saw her sitting on the floor next to a chair, resting her head on it and crying into her arms.

He ran to her, picked her up in his arms, and held her in his lap as she sat, letting out angry tears she’d held in for a long time. Her hand clenched into a fist, and she slammed it into her thigh before he stopped her, holding her hand in his to calm her.

She took a couple deep breaths. “I wanted to kill him,” she said. “I hate him. Did you see how he looked? He didn’t even look sorry.” She took another deep breath, calm now and done with her tears. “I don’t know what I expected when I finally solved this. But it wasn’t this. I guess I always pictured some grand reveal.”

She laughed darkly. “You know the worst part? I kind of liked him. I didn’t want it to be the chief. He didn’t seem like a bad person. And I thought it was some kind of plot. Not just some killer who didn’t like a family insult. What is it with wolves and their stupid family pride?” She shook her head. “I’m so done with all of it.”

She rested her head on his chest, and he let out a sigh of relief that she was feeling better. Though, his heart was pounding hard at the thought of what was coming next.

They’d made a promise when they started. Would they be able to keep it?

After a few moments, she looked up at him. “So it’s over, huh?”

Pain lashed through him, but he wouldn’t fight it. He wouldn’t break a promise. “I guess so,” he said flatly.

She pressed her lips together, her expression unreadable as she rested against him for a second and then stood up and stretched. “I guess it’s back to business as usual, then?” she asked.

It killed him to say it because it was the opposite of what he wanted. Especially after last night, where they’d shared everything, where she’d felt so irrevocably
his
.

“I guess so,” he said.

“All you can say is I guess so?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at him as he stood to go.

“I don’t know what else to say. I made you a promise and I’ll keep it.”

She raised an eyebrow. “But you don’t want to.”

He shrugged. “I suppose it’s for the best. I don’t have room in my life for more anyway.”

She flinched at that, and he hated himself for it. But he didn’t know what else to say. She was the one who’d said it was over now, right? Did she want him to grovel, to ask her to do something she didn’t want and that she’d said she wouldn’t do, just for him?

He wouldn’t. He was honorable. She should know at least that about him.

Even if for the first time in his life he wanted to be selfish.

“Okay,” she said. “I get it.”

But he didn’t think she did. She couldn’t. But what did it matter? After this, they could just go back to being partners.

“I’d like to still work with you,” he said flatly. “But if after they assign a new chief, you want to talk to him about transferring, I understand.” At least if they were still partners, he’d get to be near her. It’d be torture, but it’d be better than being apart.