Shephard (Mountain Men of Danger Falls #1)

Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

D enise

A sleeping giant.

A beast.

A damaged and starving man who hadn’t eaten in a full year.

Whatever was the case, I’d awakened his darkness inside. I could feel it. The room vibrated from it. I was shocked at how much I craved seeing the change in him. I don’t know what I was expecting, but his desire was entirely different.

The agony tearing through my system was beautiful. Was that the kind of word I could or should use? I didn’t know and didn’t care. There was such a kinetic energy surrounding us that my senses crackled from it. I adored his roughness, but his need to take control was exactly everything I’d told myself I never wanted. Maybe he was the sole reason I was able to let go.

He wasn’t giving me any options, pulling me down so he could lick and suck away the pain in my nipples. They ached, but the roughness of his tongue and his heated breath were instantly soothing. I wasn’t used to letting go in this way, enjoying being manhandled. But I didn’t want it any other way.

I had a feeling I’d be lost without him. My mind was still processing the strange thought as he shifted to my other breast, biting down this time. He liked to hear me cry out whether in pleasure or pain. I’d seen it in his eyes. The sharpness was in direct contrast to before, which made it easy to offer him what he craved.

Shephard’s hunger was increasing and he moved quickly to my stomach. He pressed his lips against my skin and I was certain his actions would scald me in spots. Panting, I ran my fingers through his hair, tugging at the thick strands. Maybe it was a form of retaliation for making me feel so damn good.

I was already floating on cloud nine when he moved lower. He was completely focused on what he was doing, concentrating on pleasuring my body. Maybe the man couldn’t get enough of me, but the feeling was mutual. I was standing naked in front of him while he was fully clothed, a filthy and sinful thing. I was also nervous, my body quivering as if this was my first time with a man.

Now the nervous laugh bubbled to the surface, but only for a few seconds. He jutted my hips forward, widening my legs as far as I could possibly tolerate it. When he dragged his tongue all the way down the length of my pussy, I slapped my hand across my face.

If any of the people I knew could see me now, I had a feeling I’d never live it down. But I loved this. So much.

He didn’t miss a beat, using both his fingers and his tongue to drive me crazy.

“So fucking wet.” His voice was possessive. A man taking what he wanted.

Just like I’d given him permission to do.

With every swipe of his tongue, I was pushed higher and higher into a plateau I never wanted to come down from. He drove his fingers deep inside, curling the tips until my mind was blown from the rapturous sensations.

“Lick me or I might die,” I told him.

“You want me to lick your sweet pussy?”

“Yes.”

“Ask nicely.” His dark chuckle only added to the intense atmosphere. “Please lick me. Lick my wet pussy.” He needed nothing else, licking me as a thirsty man would do in the middle of extreme heat.

I wasn’t used to experiencing so much pleasure. Not from a man and certainly not this way. Even his breathing was ragged as if he was trying to inhale me, keeping my scent frozen in time. The thought was silly, but delicious. With his face buried in my wetness, I gripped the back of his head. Now I was trying to take control. The thought was wicked indeed.

He gripped my hips, forcing me into a slight arch. I was already on my toes, still shaking from the intensity of the moment. I wasn’t prepared for the shudders that challenged both of us for control. The wave was powerful, sweeping over me in seconds. He held on as I panted and writhed.

“Shephard. Yes. Yes.”

The roughness added to the swiftly moving orgasm. The ripples were more like flames ignited by gasoline. My entire body was electrified. When I slowly came down, dropping my head, I expected him to stop.

He didn’t.

His tongue was rougher than before, two fingers turning into four. There was no pulling away from this man. He wanted me to come again.

I did. It only took seconds, this one as deep in my core as the first. I couldn’t see anything in front of me, but there was no need.

The damaged man with the blackened soul would never let me fall.

Shephard proved to me again that he was a man with no patience, pulling me down on top of him without hesitation. His cock was throbbing as usual, but it was thicker this time, filling me completely. I couldn’t breathe at first, pushing at him as if wanting him to move away. It wouldn’t have mattered.

The way he pulled me up and down jarred my system perfectly. I kept my eyes closed, enjoying the vibrant colors dancing in front of them. I also loved hearing the sounds he made. Growls and grunts of appreciation and satisfaction. This was as close to pure and raw ecstasy as anyone would ever achieve.

I had no idea how long he continued fucking me, but he was a man on a mission. When he commanded me to come again, I almost laughed because it wasn’t possible.

But the way my pussy muscles crushed around his thickness told me otherwise. This time, the orgasm swept up from my toes, tickling me before turning loose on my entire system. My core couldn’t be any hotter than it was.

Everything was sensitive, but my body had never felt so good, so alive.

How was this possible? How could anything feel like a slice of heaven?

I was spent, no longer pounding my fists into him. When he pushed himself out and rose to his feet, I gasped and clawed for him.

His grin was the only thing to let me know he wasn’t finished. He was serious about taking all of me. As he turned me over, bending me at the waist and kicking my legs apart, I was given a close view of the person he’d been looking at before. The screen became active as soon as my hand hit it.

Monster.

I felt it.

I sensed it.

I knew it in my cop’s gut.

And for some reason, the dead look in the man’s eyes scared me to death.

Shephard didn’t seem to notice, pressing the crown of his cock against my dark hole. He was careful, gentle, but my muscles still ached as did every other part of my body.

When he was finally seated inside, he pressed his stomach against my back, intertwining our fingers. I purposely turned my face the other way, no longer wanting to concentrate on something or someone so horrible.

This man, this moment was all I really wanted and had for most of my life.

A family of my own.

God forgive me, but it was the truth.

His body tensed further, but he continued to pound into me for a full two minutes. Why did it suddenly feel as if he was holding back? When I finally heard his breathing change, I closed my eyes all over again, as he released.

The closeness was everything I’d ever wanted, but I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d open this door again.

He pulled me against his body. I kept my legs straddled around his waist, my head on his shoulder. It felt good to be so close to him. He wasn’t guarded as usual, although there would always be a part of him that would remain on edge. His intense training wouldn’t allow otherwise.

Everything he’d told me continued to cycle through my mind. I wasn’t upset or angry any longer. Only deeply concerned. How many times would his past come back to haunt him? How many butchers were out there waiting to destroy his life?

“What now?” I finally asked a few minutes later. Lifting my head, I darted my eyes back and forth as I studied his expression. A single bead of sweat was trickling down the side of his face and I couldn’t help swiping the tip of my finger through it.

“Just give me a minute.” He reached around me, grabbing his phone. Before dialing a number, he placed his finger across his lips.

He had me more than curious as to what he had planned.

“Russ,” he said after someone answered the call.

“Why are you calling me, to accept the job offer?”

The man’s voice on the other end of the phone was loud enough I could catch every word.

“Not long term. However, I will come back to work for you on a limited basis.”

“You want Boris.”

“I do.” He glanced into my eyes.

Why did I have a feeling he was using methods of deception?

“I’m glad to hear that, buddy. He’s off the radar, but all my sources indicate he’d headed to the United States. I told you that. Now, it’s confirmed.”

“Interesting. Has he hired his usual group of expendable assassins?”

“That I don’t know.”

I could tell Shephard was having a difficult time not laughing. What was going on?

“What do you know?”

Russ whistled. “The Russians will stop at nothing to get him back.”

“But the organization doesn’t want that to happen.”

“No, we do not.”

“Mmm… Then it’s time for me to go hunting. Perhaps you should find a way through your sources to send a message.”

“I don’t know if anyone is left alive who will care.”

“Bullshit, Russ,” Shephard stated. “There are always people lurking in the shadows willing to sell another person’s soul. You know that as well as I do.” His expression was now one of amusement. He was setting up the other person on the end of the line. But from what I could tell, Russ had been his handler within this organization Shephard had worked for.

What was really going on here?

“Okay. I’ll see what I can do. You’re sure you’re up for this?”

“Oh, more than willing and ready. I assure you I’ll enjoy myself.”

“O-kay. I’ll let the bosses know. Just… Well, I don’t need to say it. You need to let the past go.”

Shephard laughed as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “I’m not that man any longer, Russ. And I don’t make mistakes anymore. Don’t worry, my friend. I’m looking forward to this. I need to know if you made a connection.”

“Fine. Then all protocols apply.”

“Understood.” Shephard held out the phone after the call ended, slowly shifting his gaze in my direction.

“What are you up to?” I asked, cocking my head and lifting my eyebrows.

“Catching a rat.”

“Isn’t that dangerous luring Boris here?”

“My guess is he’s already here.”

A sudden shiver coursed through me. “What mistakes?”

I sensed he knew I was going to ask the question. Very gently he pushed me from his lap, moving to a standing position. He fixed his jeans as I backed away, grabbing the tee shirt and tossing it in my direction.

“I need a drink for this.”

The fact he was going to share one of the most painful experiences of his life with me couldn’t have shocked me more. He remained quiet as we moved to the living room. He stoked the fire before refilling our drinks. I knew better than to push him at this point.

This was something he had to do and I felt honored, so much so it brought back memories of being in the service. Although my stories were mostly fulfilling.

He stood with one arm on the hearth, staring into the fire. “We were taught never to get emotional about our targets. You understand that better than most. I never did. I couldn’t care less. Half the time I had no clue who they were other than their name and location. That was fine with me. Boris had just been on my radar, our last meeting eventful, our confrontation brutal.”

I settled back against the couch, Pepper joining me a few seconds later. And still, I remained quiet.

“I was off my game, physically exhausted and recovering from the man’s brutality. He was being processed, threatening everyone around him. I turned off from the world for about a week, heading to Switzerland for rest and relaxation. Not by choice. When I returned, I was handed the mission of eliminating a man I did know about. He was considered the most notorious and savage leader in the world. He rivaled Boris in levels of torture. I hunted him for more than two weeks, finally securing his location. I set it up, waiting for days in a cold, drab building after almost being killed twice.”

His laugh was full of bitterness. Meanwhile, I was having difficulty breathing.

“Anyway, I was to eliminate more than one target that night using explosives. Everything went according to plans even though I almost didn’t get out of the country alive. After that, I was sent home for an undisclosed period of time. It was too hot overseas, even with my anonymity.”

“And?” I had to ask after he continuously shook his head.

“And I received a call the mission had gone askew.”

“How so?”

He took a huge gulp of his drink. “The bastard and his soldiers had brought their families with them in an attempt to keep them safe. There were over three dozen innocent women and children inside that building when it blew up.”

He allowed the words to hang, the understanding hitting me hard.

For him.

I slowly eased off the couch, doing nothing more than moving toward him and wrapping my arms around his waist. There was nothing I could say that would matter. No one went through such a tragedy unscathed.

Several very quiet minutes passed.

“Anyway, that was the end of my career. It was decided it was best I move on. I wasn’t good to anyone at that point anyway. I floundered for several years not caring about anything or anybody. Then you dropped into my life, Denise. Damn it. I’m not good for you.”

“Maybe you are and maybe I’m exactly what you need to remember that living is a gift. You are a gift.”

“To whom?” he scoffed.

“To me.” I managed to pull him away from the fire and onto the couch. He wasn’t a romantic person by any stretch of the imagination, but he also wasn’t the cold man I’d thought him to be. He’d simply bottled his emotions on purpose. How could I blame him after what he’d been through?

He allowed me to curl into his arms, doing nothing more than holding each other as Pepper did her best to rest her head in both our laps.

I realized he was stroking my pup’s head only a few seconds later, hopefully finding the comfort he needed.

We’d been intimate several times, but right now, I felt more of a connection than I had during any of the electrified times. He was vulnerable yet still so strong. I adored him. There was no denying it. This wasn’t love at first sight, but there was something here than could be built on.

If either one of us allowed that to happen.

I hadn’t realized he’d brought his phone in with him until I heard a strange sound.

“A text?” I asked, lifting my head.

His initial scowl turned into a smirk and he purposely sat up on the couch. Pepper refused to move when he worked to get it from his pocket. At least that allowed him a smile.

I couldn’t see his screen and was somewhat surprised when he allowed me to read the message.

Unknown: Game on. Your time is up.

“What is that?” I asked.

“That is notification that we are now in the target zone. Boris is on his way.”