Mate Bond(24)

       
           



       

Her curiosity grated on Bowman's nerves. The young woman could be a  danger, or she might not be anything more than a college girl trying to  write her way into her first job.

"We don't know," Kenzie repeated. "Bowman." Her voice held the gentling  note that meant she knew Bowman was barely controlling himself. "Let her  go."

"Only if she walks the hell out of here and doesn't come back." Bowman  gave the woman a shake. "I don't want to see you around Shifters  anymore, sweetheart. It's dangerous."

"For me?" Serena backed a step as Bowman released her. "Or for you?"

Bowman growled at her. "Just go."

Serena backed a couple more steps then, apparently deciding not to test  her luck, turned and ran. She made for one of the cars in the lot,  sprang inside it, started it up, and drove off, churning mud in her  haste.

Down the hill, the fire burned, and flakes of pristine snow fluttered down to die with a hiss in the flames.


* * *

Kenzie waited with Ryan, catching snowflakes in their gloved hands, for  Bowman to finish giving orders so she could take him and their son home.

She was aware, even as she kept Ryan occupied, that all this was  rattling her mate. Bowman didn't like it when he didn't know what was  going on. Uncertainty made him hard and angry.

She heard him barking orders, and the Shifters, knowing he was in a foul  mood, simply said, "Yes, sir." No arguing, no bantering.

Bowman ordered a contingent of Shifters, including the Guardian-Pierce  Daniels, a Feline Shifter-to remain and finish the cremation, including  burying the ashes. Pierce was also ordered to use his resources as a  Guardian to find out everything he could about the human woman named  Serena. Cade and Jamie he put on investigating the truck and driver and  figuring out where the hell that monster had originated.

"Kenzie," Bowman said, walking toward her, still in his hard-ass mode.  "I want you to find out as much as you can about Gil Ramirez. Who he is,  what he is, why he's so interested in Shifters."

Gil had already explained his interest, sort of, but Kenzie understood.  Something was off about Gil. "What do you mean what he is?" she asked.  "He's human. Isn't he?"

Bowman pinned her with a white gray stare. "I don't like the way he smells."

Kenzie shot him a sly smile. "You can be pretty rank yourself."

Bowman didn't smile back, her teasing bringing a hard glitter to his  eyes. "You know what I mean. He's more than what he's saying. Get him to  tell you."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

Ryan made a huffing noise. "He means flirt with him, Mom. Make him trust  you. Giggle at him if you have to. I've heard you do it when you're  trying to make Dad jealous."

Bowman put a hand on Ryan's head. "That's enough from you, cub. Don't sass your mother."

"I'm not sassing. Everyone knows you and Mom are trying to find out if  the other is going to run off first chance to find a mate bond with  someone else. The whole Shiftertown knows it. I don't know why you think  it's such a secret."

Ryan ducked out from under his father's hand and ran off toward the  arena, where Shifters were organizing the pumps on the water truck to  hose down the floor.

"Shit," Bowman said, watching him go.

"You can be kind of obvious," Kenzie said. "Trying to see if I'll care  if you pay attention to other women. Like you did with Dr. Pat, and  Serena in the roadhouse parking lot."

Bowman jerked his head around to focus on Kenzie, his face, which had  been lined with exhaustion, becoming less tired-looking. "I knew you  were out there. I wouldn't have done that if you hadn't been."

Kenzie remembered him sliding down his jeans, the parking lot lights  outlining every perfect inch of him. "I know. That's what I mean."

Bowman somehow was standing closer. "It wasn't for her. It was for you."

Kenzie's heart beat faster, her blood heating until the cold around her  faded. "You mean you wanted me to walk across that parking lot and go  down on you?"

Bowman's hint of smile made her burn. "Wouldn't have minded."

Kenzie was aware of him with every cell in her body. She pictured  herself completing what she'd wanted to do that night, sliding down him  until she was on her knees in front of his thighs. She'd look him over,  then lean forward and take the length of his cock into her mouth. She  knew exactly what he tasted like, and never grew tired of it.                       
       
           



       

She wanted to do it right now. Here, in the freezing cold, with snow  falling and Shifters striding every which way to carry out Bowman's  commands. She wanted to feel the hard ground beneath her knees, his heat  warming her skin.

The intense stillness in Bowman's eyes told her he wanted it too. Their shared look smoldered the air between them.

Each knew the other was imagining every second of Kenzie unbuckling  Bowman's jeans, Bowman's fingers going slack as he let the waistband  drop from them. He'd be backed against one of the cars, his jeans around  his ankles, hand in Kenzie's hair as she knelt.

He'd fill her mouth, the taste of him hot and smooth, the tight skin of  his thighs warm under her fingers. The hair curling at his balls would  beckon her touch, and Bowman would make a faint sound of pleasure as he  rocked into her mouth.

Even now, as they stood face-to-face, Bowman's hands closed into fists.  His eyes softened with his fire, and his mouth lost its hard line.

"Kenz," he said in a low voice.

Kenzie said nothing. She stood rigid, wanting him, while the snow fell  around her, and Shifters swarmed about a little way from them. Her hands  ached, and she realized she'd clenched them tightly.

Bowman said her name again, or she thought he did. In the next second,  he closed the space between them and brought his mouth down on hers.





CHAPTER SIXTEEN




The kiss burned, but Kenzie didn't pull away. Bowman's mouth was strong,  mastering. His arms went around her, hands hard on her back. Kenzie  sought him, scrabbling inside his coat to find his warmth. His  sweatshirt stretched over his broad chest, outlining what she wanted to  see, to touch.

Her knees went slack, but Bowman's strength poured into her and kept her  on her feet. Thinking about how Serena had seen him bare in the parking  lot, even if he'd only wanted to scare the woman, made Kenzie growl  even as she kissed him.

My mate. Mine.

She slid her hands behind his neck and dragged him against her. Bowman bit down on her lip, the kiss taking over her mouth.

Kenzie gasped for breath, but Bowman wouldn't let her breathe. He  wouldn't let her move, or go, or do anything but frantically kiss him  back, watery need flowing through every limb, as snow danced around  them.

"Goddess," came the irritated voice of Pierce, the Guardian. "Would you two get a room?"

His voice jolted Kenzie out of her building frenzy. Almost. She remained  plastered against Bowman, feeling the hard ridge of his cock against  her abdomen even as Bowman turned his head to glare at Pierce, his eyes  hot with anger.

When they'd first moved to this Shiftertown, Kenzie and Pierce had gone  out together for a while. Before that, neither of them had ever tried a  cross-species relationship, and Kenzie knew that most of what they'd  shared had been curiosity.

They'd gone their separate ways by mutual agreement not long after, and  Kenzie and Pierce had remained friends. This had been a few years before  Kenzie and Bowman had mated, but their past relationship always drove  Bowman crazy.

"What do you want?" he snapped at Pierce.

"The ritual is done," Pierce said, giving Bowman a hard stare in return.  Guardians were the few Shifters who could look a leader in the eyes  without fear. "The creature has already turned to ash."

"So quickly?" Kenzie didn't back away from Bowman, but she blinked in  surprise. "I thought something that big would burn for a while."

Pierce shrugged, which moved the Guardian's sword on his back, its hilt  rising above his left shoulder. "It's a magical being, like Shifters.  Ashes to ashes, very fast."

"Interesting," Bowman said, his body starting to relax. "Save me a sample of the ash, and bury the rest."

"Right." Pierce nodded to Kenzie-not Bowman-and turned and walked away.

Bowman carefully stepped away from her. "Take Ryan home," he said.

Kenzie didn't move. "You can't kill Pierce, you know. You'd have to hold  a Choosing for another Guardian, if the Goddess even let you live after  that."

Bowman gave her an annoyed look. "I know."

"Seriously, it was over a long time ago. I don't think we had anything to even be over."

Bowman had started to turn away, but at her words, he swung back, gripped Kenzie by the arms and pulled her against him again.