Hidden Prey (Lawmen) (38 page)

Before he released it, he said, “I’m Zane Cameron.”

The disappointment that swept through her was a surprise. She didn’t even know Zane, so what difference did it make that he was getting married in just weeks?

What a shame. All of that hot man flesh would soon belong to some other woman.

The green-eyed redhead was so sexy that he’d damned near gone hard when he’d clasped her hand. She had a cute grin and shapely body and her nipples were hard, poking against the light cotton of her T-shirt.

She wasn’t wearing a bra.

For one moment Zane thought about carting Jessie off to the ranch house and taking her six ways ’til Sunday.

Well hell. He mentally shook his head. He had no business thinking about another woman and his body had no damned excuse to react the way it had.

Except that Jessie Porter was one hell of a woman. And he was a red-blooded American male and he’d just had a natural reaction to her.

Keep telling yourself that, Cameron.

“Congratulations,” she said. Her smile was enough to make him crazy.

For a moment he didn’t know why she was telling him congratulations, but then he regained his senses.

“Thanks.” He hooked his thumbs in his belt loops, feeling like he needed to anchor them to make sure he kept his hands off of her.

She tilted her head to the side, which caused her dark red hair to slide away from her elegant neck. “Is the bride-to-be here?”

“Phoebe’s at her place.” He dragged his hand down his face then gave a nod in the direction of the house. “You can photograph anything you’d like to around here. Danica wants to give the album to our aunt.”

Jessie nodded. “Danica mentioned that your aunt took care of the two of you along with your three brothers. Raising five kids is quite a feat for one woman.”

“Sure as hell was.” He glanced at Jessie as she fell into step beside him.

“Danica said two of your brothers are twins,” she said. “Wayne and Wyatt.”

Zane nodded. “Yep, and our youngest brother is Dillon.”

Her smile was pure sunshine as she looked at him.

God only knew why he found himself comparing Phoebe with Jessie.

He’d begun to feel a little uneasy about his relationship with Phoebe and he’d managed to put off the wedding another couple of months, but here it was, creeping back up. To him Phoebe had been the picture of sweetness and intelligence, but lately it seemed that there had to be another side of her that others had seen but he hadn’t, but then maybe it was the pressure of the wedding. It did concern him, though.

Ah, hell. Maybe his concern was just a case of pre-wedding jitters. Although he had a good mind to move the date again.

He glanced at Jessie and thought how different she looked from Phoebe who was pale blonde and petite at five-one. Jessie, on the other hand, was no shorter than five-eight. Both women were beautiful as hell, just as different as sunrise from sunset.

He ground his teeth. He’d never been one to compare women, especially not now that he was about to be married. It was time he settled down and had a couple of kids to carry on the Cameron name. No one else in the family seemed to be inclined to head down that road. Someone had to do it.

~Erotic Romance~

By Cheyenne McCray

Candlelight flickered across Liana’s skin as the last of her clothing pooled at her feet. The scent of jensai blooms floated through the open window on an evening breeze, the balmy air easing over her body like a lover’s caress.

Liana stood in the center of her bedchamber and closed her eyes, a vision of the dark stranger filling her senses. As she tilted her head back, her hair brushed her bare buttocks like a whisper of moonlight.

Like she imagined the man’s touch would be upon her skin.

Even as she moved her hands to her naked breasts, she was aware of the nordai’s passionate night calls outside her cottage. But the raven’s cries faded as the stranger’s image burned in Liana’s thoughts.

Black eyes that had followed her as she had made her way through the tavern. Sensuality simmering beneath the surface of his stare. Ebony hair brushing his broad shoulders. A scruffy hint of a beard along his arrogant jaw. Muscles that flexed with every movement as he towered over her.

Visualizing the stranger’s callused hands upon her body, Liana caressed her taut nipples with her palms. She could almost smell the man’s woodsy scent, a hint of which she had caught when she had brushed past him in the tavern. She had shivered from the slight contact, but kept her gaze averted, every nerve ending ablaze with wanting him.

How could she desire a man she had never seen before today?

How could she desire any man when it was forbidden?

A moan eased through Liana’s lips as the vision of the stranger’s touch grew stronger. She imagined his tanned fingers covering her pale breast, his callused palm chaffing her sensitive nipples. She could feel the black hair on his powerful arms brushing her skin. Her body ached with desire, ached with need. A need she did not understand how to fill.

There was only one being with whom she was supposed to mate—but no. She would not allow that reality to spoil the erotic fantasy weaving through her mind.

She had never mated with a man, for it was forbidden. She had heard lusty tales told by her heart-sister Tierra and the tavern wenches, but Liana had never had such an intense desire to experience such a joining—

Until him.

Her belly quivered as she eased one hand down her flat stomach to the tangle of curls between her thighs. Where it was forbidden to touch herself. The place that now ached to be stroked, as though that might ease her wanting of the stranger.

Liana’s tresses moved as an extension of her thoughts, sliding over her naked skin like she imagined the stranger might touch her body. His hands would be slow. Gentle. His mouth would feel hot on her lips, her breasts, her belly, leaving a trail of fire wherever he touched.

Burning.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cheyenne McCray’s books have received multiple awards and nominations, including

*RT Book Reviews magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice awards for Best Erotic Romance of the year and Best Paranormal Action Adventure of the year

*Three “RT Book Reviews” nominations, including Best Erotic Romance, Best Romantic Suspense, and Best Paranormal Action Adventure.

*Golden Quill award for Best Erotic Romance

*The Road to Romance’s Reviewer’s Choice Award

*Gold Star Award from Just Erotic Romance Reviews

*CAPA award from The Romance Studio

Cheyenne grew up on a ranch in southeastern Arizona. She has been writing ever since she can remember, back to her kindergarten days when she penned her first poem. She always knew one day she would write novels, hoping her readers would get lost in the worlds she created, just as she experienced when she read some of her favorite books.

Chey has three sons, two dogs, and is an Arizona native who loves the desert, the sunshine, and the beautiful sunsets. Visit Chey's
website
and get all of the latest info at her website and meet up with her at Cheyenne McCray’s Place on
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!

~Romantic Suspense~

"Lawmen" series

Hidden Prey

“Riding Tall” Series

Branded For You

Roping Your Heart

Fencing You In

Tying You Down

Playing With You

Crazy For You

Hot For You

Made For You

Held By You

Belong To You

“Rough and Ready” Series

Silk and Spurs

Lace and Lassos

Champagne and Chaps

Satin and Saddles

Roses and Rodeo

Lingerie and Lariats

Lipstick and Leather

“Altered States” Series

Dark Seduction

“Dark Enforcers” Series

Night’s Captive

Lexi Steele Novels

The First Sin

The Second Betrayal

The Temptation

~Romantic Erotica~

“Seraphine Chronicles” Series

Forbidden

Bewitched

Spellbound

(Spellbound
includes bonus novella,
Untamed)

Possessed

From St. Martin’s Press:

“Night Tracker” Series

Demons Not Included

No Werewolves Allowed

Vampires Not Invited

Zombies Sold Separately

Vampires Dead Ahead

“Magic” Series

Forbidden Magic

Seduced by Magic

Wicked Magic

Shadow Magic

Dark Magic

Single Title

Moving Target

Chosen Prey

Anthologies

No Rest for the Witches

Real Men Last All Night

Legally Hot