Hawk and the Cougar (9 page)

“Don’t move,” he ordered.

She twisted her head in his direction. He leant forward and placed a hard kiss on her mouth. “Don’t. Move.”

She didn’t, but stared at him from over her shoulder as he shucked his jeans, underwear and shirt. When he sidled up behind her on his knees, she froze.

“Remember what I said,” he whispered into her hair.

She didn’t reply and he pressed closer, his rod aligned with the crevice of her ass. Liz sucked in a breath, and Hawk feared he wouldn’t be able to keep it together long enough to make good on his promise.

Chapter Nine

Liz’s stomach was in free fall. She’d never had a man do to her what Hawk had promised to do…what he was about to do. He pressed closer. She was acutely aware of his large hands on her hips—and the taut control behind the deceptively light grasp. He flattened his palms on the curve of her buttocks and slid downward. He stopped, palm edges just short of his cock, then gently spread her butt cheeks. He fitted the thick shaft in the crevice and released her butt.

A thrill raced through her. Hawk pressed his chest against her back, warm and reassuring, then grasped her waist and slowly slid his erection upward. Liz leaned into him, and his fingers tightened on her flesh. She reached around and grasped his ass. Muscled flesh tensed beneath her fingers. He thrust upward, then down, then up again. When he moved downward, this time he leant back and she felt the bulbous head at the entrance to her anus.

Hawk again opened her wide and this time gently pushed his cock in a fraction. She sucked in a breath, startled by the feeling that the tight opening was being stretched beyond capacity. He’d felt huge while inside her channel, but now he felt mammoth. Liz swallowed, suddenly uncertain, but when his hands slid around her hips and dipped into the moist heat of her slick channel, she melted against him. He slipped a finger inside her as his cock moved a fraction deeper.

He inserted a second finger and gently thrust inside. Liz gasped at the unexpected, pleasurable burn of his cock inching inward. She dug her fingers into his ass and shoved hard to meet the fingers that were working their wicked magic a second time. Hawk wrapped his free arm around her waist, holding her steady as he pushed into her anus. She gulped air.

“You all right?” he asked.

She nodded. He gave a low laugh that told her he was well aware of her pleasure, then slowly pulled back until she thought the tip was going to pop out. He thrust in, faster this time, and she flushed when his balls brushed the spot beneath her anus. He began a faster rhythm, his cock in her ass, his fingers keeping pace inside her channel, and her pulse accelerated. She nestled closer to his groin, angling her ass so that his balls slapped harder.

His arm tightened around her waist, and she realised he understood she wanted
all
of him. He angled her hips slightly more upward and his balls hit with more force as he rammed his cock against the outer wall of her womb. She cried out, and his finger began a faster motion inside her channel.

“I never break a promise.”

His hoarse words were strained, and she knew he teetered on the edge of orgasm. Feminine pride swelled. Who could make who come first? She rocked harder against his finger, slamming back against his cock as he thrust inside her.

“Liz,” he growled.

She kept pace with his rhythm, determined to give as good as she got. His arm clamped iron-like around her in a breath-stealing hold. Pleasure tightened her pussy. A whimper escaped her lips, then she moaned.

“You’re not playing fair,” he ground out.

Unexpected pressure to her clit sent pleasure spiralling through her. She gasped and seized his arm, as much to keep from losing her balance as in an effort to stop him from bringing her to another hard climax. Wet friction turned hot between her legs. Her clit clenched, and orgasm fractured through her. She cried out.

He pistoned into her, the rhythm so hard and fast that the orgasm took her breath. Liz cried out his name. He growled and thickened inside her ass.

Then exploded.

* * * *

Hawk didn’t want to travel any more tonight if he could help it. Hell, he didn’t want to move from on top of Liz. But he slid from her nonetheless, pulling her close. Their sweat-slicked bodies would cool off all too quickly in the tiny breeze, but he was going to hold her naked body for a final few moments before he insisted they get dressed. He detected a tremble in her body, but knew it wasn’t the cool night air. Chances were that the gravity of what they’d just done was crashing in on her…or what she
thought
of what they’d just done, to be more accurate.

“I don’t regret a thing,” he said. Except getting her into this mess to begin with. But he’d deal with Reid tomorrow.

“We are in an unusual situation,” she said.

Hawk jerked from his thoughts. “What?”

“The circumstances are tense. I’m scared—”

“You sure as hell weren’t scared this afternoon when you showed up at the dig, or earlier when we were in the Land Cruiser. And,” he added before she could reply, “things didn’t have to go down the way they just did. Unless you’re going to tell me you expected everything I gave you.”

She muttered something into his chest.

“What?” he demanded.

“Young whippersnapper,” she said.

He laughed, then rolled on top of her. “Could a
young whippersnapper
do all the things I just did to you?” He couldn’t discern a blush, but knew by the way her lashes dropped that she was flaming. “Look at me, Liz.”

She hesitated, then shifted her eyes back to his face.

“You’re beautiful and smart, and you’ve got guts.”

“I’ll take that,” she replied, and he laughed again.

He stared at her for a long moment, seriously considering making love to her a second time, when she said, “They’ve amped things up, haven’t they?”

He released a breath and shifted back to her side. “I should have known last night when they pulled that stunt in the parking lot, but I still had it figured that they were trying to scare me.”

“You acted like they really were going to mow me down with that SUV.”

That’s what he’d thought at the time, but then the light of day had got him thinking even Reid wasn’t that stupid. Hawk nodded.

“Last night,” she murmured.

“What?”

“They saw you risk your life for me, and you knew what they would think. That’s why they slashed my tyres. They were telling you they would hurt me if you didn’t comply.” Liz traced a finger along his jaw. “I’m so sorry.”

He grasped her hand and pressed a kiss to her fingers. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“No, but, like you said, I have lousy timing.” She released a breath. “But if they intended to use me against you, why the direct attack tonight?” Before he could answer, she added, “Because something happened after they sabotaged the cars.”

“I said you were smart. Let’s get dressed.” Hawk pulled her into a sitting position and scanned the ground for her bra and panties. They lay a few feet to the right. He scooped them up and handed them to her. “This is as good a place as any to catch some sleep. I want to head back by first light.”

“First light?” she burst out.

“It’s not safe tonight. They’re sure to have someone watching the cars.” He put on his boxer briefs.

“Shouldn’t we try to get to the road?”

“We’re fifteen miles off Highway 87, as the crow flies. Travelling all night through these hills isn’t a great idea.”

“Staying here is?”

He grabbed his jeans. “It’s our best choice.”

Liz examined her panties and turned them around before sticking one foot then the other into the legs. “You don’t think there’s a chance they’re still looking for us?”

“They’re not the type to rough it in the mountains.” Hawk paused in pulling on his jeans to watch her shimmy her lace panties over her hips.

“Damn it, Liz. Do that a second time and I’ll take off those panties and kiss you all over.”

Her head snapped up.

“Don’t doubt I can do it.”

“We just finished,” she said in an incredulous voice.

“That wouldn’t stop me.”

She hesitated and he realised she was considering testing him. He waited, wondering how long it would take her to decide. When she reached for the bra, he figured embarrassment had won out. That was all right. He wouldn’t wait too long to prove he didn’t make idle statements. He grabbed his shirt and, a minute later, they were dressed.

Hawk picked up the jacket, then settled against the incline of the hill alongside the rifle and cooler, and extended a hand. “Come here.”

She took two steps and lowered herself beside him. He pulled her against his chest, then laid the jacket over her shoulders.

“We can’t be sure they won’t still be there early morning. I don’t want another run-in with The Beanstalk.”

“The Beanstalk.” She grinned against his chest. “You mentioned him last night in the parking lot. Why do you call him that?”

“Did you get a look at the guy? He’s tall and skinny.”

“But dangerous,” she murmured.

Yeah, Hawk thought. More dangerous than he’d realised.

Chapter Ten

Liz halted and jerked her gaze onto Hawk, who already had the rifle pointed in the direction of the sound to their right. Sunlight seeped across the early morning sky, casting enough light into the wide saddle they were crossing to make them easy targets. A murmur of voices floated to them from around the hill.

Hawk motioned her to go to the left toward the hillside. She quietly followed his lead as he sidestepped in that direction. Her heart pounded. There were no trees or rocks to use as cover. If Hawk shot one of the men, would the other shoot him before he could shoot back? They were so close to the dig—fifteen minutes, Hawk had estimated. Reid must be desperate to have sent his men into the mountains after them.

A man appeared around the bend. “Whoa!” he called, his eyes glued to Hawk’s rifle.

He lifted his hands to show he held no weapon, but Liz saw the revolver strapped to his waist. She gave a small cry at recognising the grey uniform of law enforcement and the mounted unit patch on his arm.

Hawk lowered the rifle. “You almost got yourself shot.”

“I see that.” The man glanced from him to Liz. “Professor Hawkins, Ms Williams?”

Hawk nodded.

“You two all right?” he asked.

“Yes,” Hawk replied.

The man pulled the radio from his belt. “Joe, I found them fifteen minutes to the north. They’re alive and well. We’ll meet you back at the cars.”

The radio clicked, then, “Roger that,” Joe replied. “Over.”

Liz startled at the feel of Hawk’s hand on her shoulder, and leaned into him as he pulled her close.

The man clipped the radio back to his belt. “You’ve got some worried friends and relatives.”

“Who alerted you?” Hawk asked.

“Ms Williams’ daughter reported her missing. We would have had no idea to look for her out here, but the sergeant who questioned her remembered a call from a Ms Gloria Alameda who said you didn’t come home last night, Professor Hawkins. When Ms Williams’ daughter mentioned your name, he put two and two together.” The officer gave them a penetrating look. “The officer who drove out here found your two vehicles and realised something was wrong. What happened out here last night?”

“We had a couple of men shooting at us,” Hawk said.

The officer’s gaze sharpened. “You know who they were?”

“I do, and we can give a full statement.”

He nodded. “Let’s get back.” He looked at Liz. “Your daughter is very worried.”

Liz’s stomach clenched. Emma would be worried sick. Once her concern passed, she would know something had happened between her mother and her professor.

* * * *

“You tell GFW they can make payment on time or talk to our lawyers.” Liz spoke into the phone at her home office to Ben Dixon, CFO of GFW, Leland Industries’ largest buyer. “You received the product, Ben. We expect the final payment in five days—per our contract.”

She shifted and winced when butt muscles screamed. A tremor radiated through her stomach. Was it the run or the hard
workout
Hawk had given her that had her body sore? Memory rose of the way her anus had stretched as he’d entered her, and the pleasure when his finger had plunged in and out of her channel as his cock met each thrust from behind. She hadn’t slept last night with Emma in her basement apartment…and Hawk on the couch in the living room. He’d refused to leave them alone in the house. Every noise had her imagining him padding down the hallway to her room, entering and crossing to her bed—

“Liz.” Ben’s voice dragged her back to the present. “We’ve done business too long for there to be this kind of animosity.”

“And we’ve done business long enough for me to know when I’m being stonewalled,” she replied. “I read the
Wall Street Journal
. Leland Industries isn’t about to finance GFW’s merger with Suyama Industries.”