Boarlander Silverback (Boarlander Bears #3)(17)

She smiled against his mouth and parted her lips for him. His kiss was slow and methodical. It was the knee-melting kind, where she felt like she was sinking closer to the floor and flying all at once. It was sparks on the edge of her vision and warming from the inside out. And right when she thought he would push for more, his erection thick and hard between them, he eased away and smiled at her like she was beautiful. “You should’ve let me run.”

“Why is that?”

The humor dipped from his face, and his eyes were earnest when he murmured, “Because now you’re mine.”





Chapter Nine


Alison had never lived in a small town before, but she had to admit, she liked how everyone seemed to know everyone. Even when she drove around, everyone on the road lifted two fingers off their steering wheels in a friendly wave. Out here, it was more wide open, not as cluttered like her life in Chicago had been. She’d lived and worked in the worst parts of town there, but here, she was awed by the scenery, the people, and even the cabin.

She’d never been much for nature because she hadn’t been around it very much, but it was definitely growing on her. The clean air, the cordial atmosphere, the people…Kirk.

“Are you one of them vegetarians?” Kirk asked, his eyes narrowed into judgmental little slits.

“I eat everything. I just have one of those fast metabolisms. Trust me, I don’t look emaciated because I’m watching my figure.” She swung her legs out of his car and slid her hand against his palm, allowing him to help her out. “I always wished I had curves like one of those pinup girls. You know, big boobs, hips for days, hourglass shape. It wasn’t my dream to grow up to look like a green bean.”

Kirk let off a booming, “Ha!” and shut her door behind her. “Woman, you don’t look like any bean I’ve seen. Your figure is sexy as hell. Lithe and graceful like a cat. That’s what I’m gonna call you. Ally Cat.”

“I don’t know if I like that. A street cat without a home?”

“Nah,” Kirk said, turning on her. He squared up to her and pushed her short hair behind her ear. “You’ve been through it. A little banged up, but tough as all get-out. You know how to get things done because no one ever coddled you. Independent, headstrong badass, and if anyone wants to pet you, you’ll make ’em earn it.” He lowered his voice and said, “You’ll make me earn it.”

She searched his face to make sure he wasn’t teasing, but he wasn’t even smiling. No one had ever pegged her so accurately and in such a way that made her proud of who she was. In a soft voice, she admitted, “I like that name much better now.”

“Moosey’s has the best damned barbecue around, and I feel like my belly button is rubbing a burn on my backbone I’m so hungry.”

“I could eat,” she said coolly as he guided her around a giant rain puddle in the muddy parking lot.

He hesitated in front of a trio of open doors that seemed to be the entrance to a garage-themed restaurant. “Look, the food isn’t the only reason I brought you here.”

“Ulterior motives, huh? Spill it.”

“You said earlier that I should give you a chance to meet my crew. Well, one of them works here. She’s Second in the Boarlanders—”

“Audrey.”

“Yeah.” Kirk frowned. “I forget you probably have files on all of us.”

Ally snorted. “Yeah, files I stopped reading. It didn’t feel right reading someone else’s intel on people who haven’t done anything wrong. I wanted to form opinions of you guys on my own. Reading those files made me feel like I was stealing your stories. I would rather earn them.”

Kirk drew back like she’d clawed him. “Really?”

“Yes, really. Is that her?” Alison waved to the leggy brunette wearing a pink Moosey’s Bait and Barbecue shirt, cutoff jean shorts, and cowgirl boots. She wore a megawatt grin and was waving at them. Alison had seen Audrey’s white tiger the first night she’d met the Boarlanders, but she’d never seen the woman half of her.

“Yeah, you need her,” Kirk said in an odd voice.

“Need her how?” she asked as they made their way toward Audrey.

“To protect you from Clinton.”

She opened her mouth to ask what the hell that meant, but Audrey hugged Kirk’s shoulders and then arced her friendly smile to Alison.

“Oh, my God,” she murmured, the grin falling from her lips. “You’re the cop.” Audrey took a step back and looked utterly confused. “I didn’t recognize you out of uniform.”

“Yeah,” Alison said with a nervous laugh. “There aren’t many parameters with my job out here. My boss said I was fine to wear the same clothes I did at my last position, and, well…I was undercover. I don’t wear the uniform much.”

Audrey flashed an intense look to Kirk, then back to Alison. “You gave Emerson the note. I know you didn’t mean it for me, but you helped me to register with the Boarlanders before the deadline. So…thank you.”

“I was really happy when I saw that you’d been able to do that. And I was cheering for Bash and Emerson, too. The law changes aren’t my choice, nor do I agree with them. I’m just supposed to enforce them.”