The Shaman Part 6

Her head whipped around. She studied him for several minutes, trying to decide if he was joking. He

didn't look like he was. "You mean you kept to the shadows?"

A faint smile curved one corner of his mouth. "Something like that."

"It was a h.e.l.l of a feat. They keep this place lit up."

"Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment."

"I know."

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"I already did."

Charlie studied him skeptically. "Shadow walking?"

"Where would you like to eat?" he asked, changing the subject as they left the parking garage.

Charlie turned to study the traffic while they waited for the light to change. She'd never been really

comfortable about dates. The whole, 'who'll pay, where will we go, how much can I spend' thing felt awkward, particularly when you'd just met someone and knew next to nothing about them-their tastes, preferences, finances. There were clever ways a woman was supposed to figure it all out and avoid uncomfortable situations, but she hadn't dated enough to develop a knack for it. She'd set her sights on a career with the agency and that didn't leave a woman a lot of time for a social life.

Greywolf seemed pretty laid back, but he could also be p.r.i.c.kly. If she picked a quiet, out of the way sort of place, he was liable to decide she didn't want to be seen with him.

Or worse, that she'd picked an intimate spot so that they could be alone. "You pick."

He shrugged. "I'm not really very familiar with the city. Why don't we just drive around till we see a place we like the looks of?"

She nodded, instead of pointing out that it might be better if she drove considering she was familiar with

the city. She didn't particularly care where they went, so long as she didn't end up defending her choice.

To her surprise, he picked a small, but popular, Cajun restaurant. The moment they entered the restaurant and stopped to wait to be seated, it seemed every eye in the place fixed on Greywolf. She was

used to being ignored. As short as she was, unless she wore something provocative, no body ever seemed to notice her. Somehow, however, she didn't think it was Greywolf's height that commanded attention. He was tall, probably around six two, but it wasn't all that unusual to see men that tall-not unusual enough to attract so much attention.

She supposed it might've been his hair. Almost n.o.body wore their hair long anymore, especially not men. But she didn't think it was that, either, or the beaded, obviously Indian, choker he wore around his neck for that matter.

As they were escorted to a table near the back, every female in the place either gaped at him openly, or cast quick, nervous glances at him-and that included grinning, toothless infants and grandmas. For that matter, every gay man in the place looked him over like he was strolling through the place buck naked.

He gave her the seat facing the restaurant, and sat down with his back to his audience. His expression when she looked at him was stern, almost angry, his color faintly heightened.

He'd noticed and he wasn't happy about it.

"What'll you folks have?"

Greywolf didn't even look up at the man that was beaming at him. He looked at her. "Do you know what you want?"

"What ever you're having's fine."

He ordered two steak and seafood platters. She caught the waiter and ordered a smaller version for herself.

"So-how are things on the ... uh ... down your way?"

"Settling down some. Every man with a gun's been out hunting puma."

Charlie's eyes widened. "But-they're protected."

"Not on the Res."

Charlie held her tongue while the waiter set their salads and drinks on the table. "I suppose I can't blame

them."

"But?"

"I don't think it's a puma. Even if it is, there's no sense in slaughtering all of them."

He studied her a long moment. "You one of those bleeding heart animal rights nuts that figure people

ought to come second?"

Her lips tightened at the challenge in his voice. "Not hardly. I just don't think it ought to be up to people

to decide what lives and what dies. I suppose, when it comes right down to it, I just hate waste and I don't think we can really afford to be so wasteful anymore. "If it was my child, I'd shoot the thing myself before I'd let something like that happen ... I don't care if it is the cat's territory. But killing the wrong animal isn't going to make these attacks stop."

He shrugged. "As it happens, I agree with you. But they're not listening to me. Not on this one. They're scared and they've got every right to be. It's not going to stop. Whatever it is, it's doing it for sport."

He was silent for several moments. "The animal rights people've got wind of it. They're demanding the government put a stop to the slaughter. The tribal council want the cats all rounded up and killed. The government wants them rounded up and moved to placate the animal rights people. Looks like we've got a real storm brewing."

Charlie frowned. "I hadn't realized it was that bad."

"It's that bad. The news hounds got wind of your trip down to the Rez and started nosing around, and naturally got everything stirred up."

"I didn't have anything to do with that, if that's what you're thinking."

He shook his head. "It's not. Generally, what happens on the Rez, stays on the Res. Some tourist probably heard about the girl and started talking. Maybe somebody just saw the GOV on your plate and started nosing around. Who knows?"

She was relieved he kept the conversation revolving around neutral subjects, or the situation on the reservation, instead of directing it to more personal conversation and found she actually enjoyed herself.

Afterwards, he kept her so involved in the case that they'd arrived at her place before it occurred to her that she should've been directing him back to his truck, not her apartment. She looked at him a little accusingly.

"Can I come up?"

She wasn't falling for that one. "I've had a really rough day ...."

"I need to call a cab to take me back to my truck," he said casually, before she'd managed to fully formulate her excuse.

"Oh. I should take you back."

He got out of the car and walked around, opening her door. Charlie was so surprised, she got out before she thought about it. "I don't want to put you out. Anyway, it's late. It's not safe for you to be out by yourself so late."

He was right, of course. She fit the perfect victim profile, and training only lessened her danger a little. Besides, she couldn't help but be charmed by his concern for her safety.

"Sure. I'll make coffee if you like."

He dropped his arm around her waist. It remained on her, as if attached, throughout the walk up to her second floor apartment, riding her waist, her hip, cupping one elbow to help her up the stairs. Charlie was a nervous wreck by the time she managed to fit her key into the lock and rush into the apartment ahead of him. "The phone's over there," she said, pointing and then turning to drop her purse on the table near the door.

"Nice place."

She glanced around as if seeing it for the first time and smiled. "Thanks. It's just one bedroom and bath-back there-a small kitchen over there-It's small, but I don't need much room."

He nodded, smiled faintly. "Because you're a runt."

She gave him a look. "Because I'm not here much anyway," she corrected, irritated.

He held up his hands in feigned surrender. "I didn't realize you were touchy about it."

"I'm not, but that was hardly flattering."

He caught her around the waist and dragged her up against him. Charlie placed her hands on his chest, pus.h.i.+ng, without much effect. "I like my women tiny."

Charlie's lips flattened. "I'm not one of your women."

"No, you're not."

She was slightly mollified.

"But you are my woman," he said, walking her backwards until she b.u.mped against the door.

Charlie opened her mouth to annihilate him. She was certain that was what she'd had in mind. Before she could get a word out, however, he'd planted his mouth firmly over hers and shoved his tongue into her mouth. A red haze descended on her instantly, and anger had nothing to do with it.

In the two days that had pa.s.sed since she'd left his ranch, she'd almost managed to convince herself that it hadn't felt nearly as good as she remembered. It was nothing but abstinence that had made her so susceptible, and the fact that he was obviously a very experienced, and very proficient, lover. Despite the kiss in the parking garage, she'd clung to the illusion that she had developed an immunity to him.

She was wrong. With his first touch, he enveloped her in a sensual haze. She dissolved into mindlessness the moment the scorching heat of his mouth covered her own. Without quite knowing how it happened, she discovered she was stretching up on her tiptoes, her arms locked around his neck, pressing herself as tightly against him as she could. Shoving her skirt up around her waist, he caught her a.s.s in both hands, lifting her clear of the floor and parting her thighs. She wrapped her legs around his waist at the silent command, shuttering with delicious sensation as the hard bulge of his erection nestled in her cleft, rubbing against her c.l.i.t in a way that made excitement pound through her.

Chapter Nine.

Charlie was gasping for air when he released her lips and dragged his mouth downward, placing sucking bites on her throat, nudging her blouse aside to nuzzle the tops of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and the cleft between them.

The sound of ripping fabric barely penetrated the fog. Briefly, irritation surfaced as she felt his hand on her bare thigh and realized he'd ripped the crotch of her pantyhose, but she forgot it in the next instant as he brushed the wedge of fabric between her legs aside and ran his finger along her hot, moist cleft, then delved inside of her.

He groaned against her throat. "You're so hot for me, baby. So wet."

"Yes," she gasped mindlessly.

Her heart thundered against her chest as she heard him slide his zipper down. She tensed, wading for the probing touch of his c.o.c.k. A shudder went through her when she felt him, felt the mouth of her s.e.x stretching. He caught her shoulder, pus.h.i.+ng, using her weight and gravity to help him work his way deeply inside of her. She almost climaxed when he struck bottom. Panting, trying desperately to hold it at bay for just a few moments more, she leaned down and bit his shoulder. Steadying her, he pulled away and thrust again. She tightened her arms and legs around him, trying to move with him, to counter his thrusts. He slipped his arms around her, s.h.i.+elding her from the wall as he began pounding into her hard and fast.

She buried her face against his neck, uttering little, gasping cries as her climax rocked her. He jerked, shuddered as he found his own release.

For several moments, they remained where they were, Charlie draped weakly over him, her thighs quivering with the effort to hold on, Greywolf leaning weakly against the wall, struggling for air.

Finally, he stood away from the wall, hefted her and headed for her bedroom. She gave up the effort to hold on as he lowered her to the bed, collapsing gratefully. He moved to the other side and sat down, nudging his boots off, tugging his socks off and tossing them down, struggling out of his s.h.i.+rt. Finally, he stood up and stripped his jeans and shorts off.

She was half asleep when he pulled the covers back and climbed in beside her, but still awake enough to complain when he began removing her clothes. Weakly, she pushed his hands away. He ignored her, stripping her naked and then dragging the covers from beneath her.

The heat of his mouth on her breast roused her. "No," she muttered plaintively. "Can't."

He chuckled, but ignored her weak protest, sucking her nipple lazily until she felt fire pouring through her veins once more. When he'd kissed and tasted her with his tongue from neck to thigh, setting her on fire for him, he s.h.i.+fted, pus.h.i.+ng her legs apart and settling between them. His c.o.c.k seemed to find its own way home, nudging against her and then gliding deeply inside, aided by the slick juices from before and her arousal from his kisses. To her surprise, she found herself climbing toward release even as he began moving slowly in and out of her. Gasping, she tightened her arms around him. She dug her heels into the bed, rising up to meet each thrust, striving to meet the promised ecstasy, crying out sharply as it caught her up in a wave that jolted through her entire body.

The complete absence of tension, the inability even to think, was pure bliss. Charlie couldn't even find it in her to protest when he collapsed half on top of her, pinning her to the bed with a tree trunk of a leg and arm. She was just drifting to sleep when he slapped her a.s.s soundly, jerking her wide awake.

"Let's grab a shower."

She closed her eyes again, grunted irritably, but he dragged her out of the bed anyway and into the bathroom. Grabbing her shower cap, he pulled it down over her head, stuffed her hair into it and shoved her under the steaming hot shower. The water revived her somewhat. He came up behind her, lathering her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, ma.s.saging them, then slipping his hand down between her thighs.