Chapter Eight

L edger had traveled the world, experienced a lot. He'd seen the moon in every country he was ever dropped into for secret ops. Some moons were big and bright, illuminating the entire sky. Some no more than a dim crescent peeking out from behind a building they were about to invade. The moon in the mountains of California seemed close enough to reach out and touch.

But the moon on the Gracey was more beautiful than any he'd seen.

It hung low in the sky. Even though it cast a silver glow that verged on eerie over the land, he appreciated the way the light teased the tips of the tall grass. He and Demi were set up on the crest of a hill, and their shadows stretched along the ground behind them. Their breath created plumes of fog on the crisp air.

"You sure you're not cold?" He pitched his voice low enough that it wouldn't carry to the animals they were hoping to spot.

She lowered the binoculars from her eyes and glanced at him. "I told you twice that I'm warm enough."

Though he knew she was annoyed by him hovering over her for the past week, then all day today on her rounds, he noted how her voice had taken on a softer tone. Less edged with true irritation.

He was growing on her.

He'd like to grab her hips and yank her across his lap so she could feel him grow.

A dark need spiraled through him. That small kiss at the car had almost turned carnal. When she moved his hand toward her breast, he believed that getting her into bed was as good as done.

Then she must have realized what she was doing and pushed him away.

She let out a low sigh that didn't hold the same frustration he felt. She turned her head to look at him. "I think we should move."

Half a dozen ways to move paraded through his head.

She smacked him in the shoulder. "Focus."

He grinned.

She slapped him again. "I mean it. We aren't going to see any wolves here tonight. It's too quiet out here."

"What's your plan?"

His plan ended with her knees thrown over his shoulders and a very satisfied smile on her pretty face.

She batted him again. "Whatever is going through your head, stop it!"

"How do you know I'm not thinking about darting a wolf?"

"Because I know you."

That comment stunned them both into silence.

She sliced a sideways glance at him before scrambling to her feet. "Let's go."

For a heartbeat, he watched the sway of her hips as she walked away. Oh, he would follow her, all right. Anywhere.

Hurrying after her, he rested the rifle on his shoulder. While he was carrying the real thing, Demi toted the dart gun. Together, they made their way down the hill to the sleepy ranch.

He didn't like waiting for answers about who was targeting them. Forest Gracey had been one of his closest friends. They'd seen the bad and the worst. Before Forest died, he had confided a lot about his family's troubles and his knowledge of his father's role in it.

Sean Gracey had gambled too much, got in over his head. His actions led to the loan shark he owed trying to get payment through vicious attacks that almost killed his own daughters, Meadow and Ivy. Then Wolfe's woman got involved when she fought against the men who kidnapped Ivy, painting a target on her own back.

Then they were told by the loan shark—before he was hauled to prison—that he was out of the picture and had handed off the debt against the ranch to a man who stood to profit far more than the place was probably worth.

If Ledger were in the situation, what would he do? Give up the ranch? Or fight for a family legacy spanning generations?

He didn't have an answer to that question. He could only keep going on his gut instincts, and that was to help his brothers…and to protect Demi and their unborn child.

Too many things were up in the air between them. She wanted him just as badly as he desired her. But she was stubborn and trying to hold him at arm's length. She thought she was going to raise their child without him. Did he want that?

Like the question concerning Sean Gracey and the ranch's legacy, could Ledger walk away from his own kid?

He'd spend the rest of his life wondering what the child was doing, where it was. Was it happy growing up without a dad?

A dreadful thought filled his mind. If Demi ever married, another man would be raising his child.

No fucking way.

His reaction didn't come as much of a surprise as he expected.

He let it roll around his brain for a while as they headed to Demi's SUV. She stowed her weapon in the back, and he did the same, keeping it within reach.

She took a back road that led from the Gracey to the neighboring ranch. Dean Davidson, the owner, had granted permission for them to search on his property for the wolves. Since his cow had been attacked, he had a lot at stake and wanted the wolves stopped at any cost.

If it were him, Ledger would be out every night on the hunt for the pack. He'd do anything to keep what belonged to him safe.

Demi pointed to a corner of the field cast into pitch-black shadow. "See that corner?"

"Yup."

"That's where we're going to set up."

"I've got your six."

He made the comment without thought. It rolled off his tongue like water rippled over a riverbed.

Demi stared at him.

"Sorry. I didn't think when I said it."

She shook her head. "Don't be sorry. It's kind of…" She fidgeted in her seat.

"Kind of what?" He focused on her full bottom lip again.

Her voice dipped to a murmur. "Kind of hot."

His cock jerked behind his fly.

It was either grab her and take her rough and raw…or put distance between them.

Reaching for the door handle, he popped it and jumped out. The faster they got these wolves, the faster he could get Demi in bed.

As they crossed the field, she didn't speak. Possibly overthinking her slip.

In silence, they set up. She sat beside him, knees bent and her elbows resting on them as she scanned the field for motion.

In the darkness, it would be difficult to pick up any movement, especially of a stealthy pack of wolves.

"What I wouldn't give for NVG right now."

"NVG?" she asked in a murmur.

"Night vision goggles."

"That would help a lot in this case."

A low howl sounded from their right. He twisted his head, ears straining.

Suddenly, Demi threw out a hand and grabbed his arm. Her other arm was raised, and she pointed to the tree line.

Under his breath, he said, "Get ready. As soon as they come into the moonlight…"

Half of the field was illuminated by that silvery moon. There wasn't much light, but it would be enough if Demi was as good of a shot as she claimed to be.

A flash of light outlined a figure. It was hunkered low in a crouch, like it was hunting a small prey animal. He flicked his fingers for Demi to take the shot, but she already had.

Excitement captured him. "I heard the dart hit. You got it!"

"Shh! There might be more." She twisted her head toward the spot where she darted the wolf, listening hard.

The tranquilized wolf moved back into the shadows. When Ledger detected a rustling noise, he knew it had fallen.

She pushed to her feet, and he caught her hand. "Wait a minute. Make sure it's down."

Her face was rimmed with silver, giving her the look of glass.

His heart clenched. She was beautiful.

And delicate.

"I know it's down, Ledger." Without pausing, she took off in swift strides across the field.

The stubborn woman didn't know how to be cautious. With a groan, he followed on her six, just as he promised.

In no time, they reached the form of a wolf lying on its side.

Demi pulled out her phone.

"Who are you calling?"

"Opal. The ranger. This wolf doesn't have a tracking collar. It has to be transported to the ranger station, tagged and documented." She made the call and then pocketed her phone.

He studied her. "Waiting in the moonlight over a tranquilized wolf never sounded so romantic," he quipped.

She giggled. "It's not my idea of a date, that's for sure."

Using his boot, he pointed at the dart stuck in the wolf's side. "You're so cute when you make a perfect shot."

Her teeth flashed in a smile.

They didn't have to wait long before the headlights panned over them. A cage rattled in the back of the ranger truck as it came to a stop.

Opal climbed out and flicked on a flashlight, shining it along the ground to the wolf at their feet. "Wow. It's a big boy."

Demi nodded. "I thought you'd want to put a tracker on him."

Stepping up to the wolf, Opal nodded. "We need to get him in the cage."

Demi made a move to bend and help lift the animal, but Ledger quickly jumped in.

"I got it." He grabbed it by two legs and hoisted it off the ground. The stench it carried made his nostrils pinch.

Demi caught a whiff, bent over and promptly threw up.

"Damn, baby. Are you okay?" He started to lower the wolf but realized that he couldn't touch her with the smell on his hands now too.

Opal lunged forward, slipping an arm around Demi's back as she heaved.

With no option, Ledger hurried to place the wolf in the cage. He locked the gate, ensuring it couldn't wake up and escape, then went to the back of Demi's vehicle. All day he'd seen her use various bottles of soapy water to scrub up when there wasn't a garden hose available.

Keeping his attention on Demi, he scrubbed to his elbows and rinsed off. When he brought his palms to his face and sniffed, he wrinkled his nose then dumped a copious amount of rubbing alcohol on his hands, hoping some of the odor washed out of his pores.

After using a clean cloth to wipe off, he closed the trunk and approached Demi.

To his surprise, she turned right into his arms, face buried against his chest. "You did this to me!"

A chuckle bubbled up his throat. Over her head, he met Opal's gaze. She pressed a fist to her mouth, concealing her own smile.

Brushing his lips across Demi's forehead, he rumbled, "I'll make it up to you. But first, maybe Opal can get a tracking collar for you. Since you love to run off."

"What!"

His ploy worked. In her outrage, she seemed to forget all about her wave of sickness.

"You did just leave our bed in the she-shed."

She stomped a boot. "It's not our anything."

Opal hightailed it to the truck. With a wave, she jumped behind the wheel and drove off.

He fixed his stare on Demi standing in front of him, her beautiful face turned up to his. His voice was quiet. "It's our child, Demi."

She plastered her hand across his chest.

He locked her in a level look. "If you're healthy enough to run off, you're healthy enough to have the conversation you've been avoiding."

She twisted her fingers in his shirt front, bringing him a step closer. "You smell, and I just threw up. But we can remedy that with a hot shower and a toothbrush. Now…would you rather talk or have sex?"

* * * * *

Demi really wasn't stalling so much that she'd up a ploy like distracting Ledger with sex.

But ohh , it was a good distraction.

They faced each other with her bed between them. The first time they had sex had blown her mind. Now her hormones, coupled with days of close proximity of the sinful SEAL, practically had her dripping wet and ready to beg him to give her release.

In a slow sweep, she lowered her gaze from his handsome face to the sculpted chest, six-pack and even lower to his impressive erection.

Her fantasies hadn't done him justice. His cock was even bigger than she remembered.

When her gaze darted back to his, she caught him staring at her in the same way. Only his lingered on her breasts.

"Your nipples are darker."

Her breath hitched. "It's the hormones."

"You're sexy as hell."

Unable to hold back another minute, she threw herself across her bed at him. At the same moment, he crawled onto it to meet her. When he slipped his arms around her, she moaned at the press of his warm steely body against hers.

Their mouths collided in a kiss that made that one in the driveway look like a pale sun in a winter sky compared to the blazing hot desert they were experiencing now.

His tongue flipped against hers. Her teeth scraped his bottom lip, and his growl vibrated through her chest. Need squeezed in her core, soaking her inner thighs with juices. She rocked her hips against his stiff cock, aching to be filled by him.

Again.

It was only sex. Right? So what if she was pregnant with his baby. They weren't a couple .

He seemed to be taking this role of protector a little bit far, but she admitted that she enjoyed being pampered.

She dug her fingers into his spine, raking them down to his carved buttocks. The planes flexed under her hands. Groaning, he captured her lips and ground his cock into her drenched pussy.

"Christ, baby, you're soaking wet."

"I've been…aching for…days." She punctuated the words with small bites to his shoulder and then his neck.

He issued a growl and cupped her chin in one palm, drawing her gaze up to meet his. The burning need in his eyes had her pulsating with more want.

"Aching for who?"

"Just aching!" She kissed him again, long and deep.

He tore from the kiss. "Aching…for…who?"

Damn. He was a SEAL. What made her ever think he couldn't get his way?

"For…"

He hitched up a brow. "We can still have that discussion right now instead of…" He trailed his tongue over her throat, making her arch her back. When he captured her nipple in his mouth, he swiped the tip.

"Oh god! Don't stop!"

"We can have that talk, Demi. Or you can tell me who you've been aching to have between these thighs." He slipped his hand between them and cupped her pussy.

Her insides clutched. Her clit throbbed.

"You." The response came out as a ragged moan.

His eyes sparked. Then he took her mouth at the same time he stroked his fingertip down the seam of her pussy, over her clit.

She cried out and bucked into his touch. Refusing to allow her to end their kiss too soon, he claimed every sound she made while circling her bud in slick, mind-blowing rotations.

Her body no longer belonged to her. For those moments before a swift orgasm overtook her, Ledger owned it.

With a wild jerk of her hips, she came. Her pussy contracted hard, and he plunged one finger into her while swirling the other around and around her clit, drawing out her release until her lungs begged for air.

On a gasp, she collapsed to the bed. Stars shot across her vision as she watched him push onto his knees and grab one of the condoms he'd tossed on the nightstand.

He tore into one. "These are bigger. The last one was too small."

The broken condom.

"Not funny." Her voice sounded as a soft whisper laced with desire.

When she opened her arms, he settled on top of her. He kissed her again, this time slower and with even more purpose, as if fingering her to completion was just the tip of the—

In one slick shove, he stretched her. Filled her. "Oh god! Yes!"

Wrapping her legs around his hips, she rocked into him, taking him even deeper.

He groaned and nipped at her bottom lip until she couldn't stand it another minute and thrust her tongue in his mouth, forcing him to kiss her the way she wanted.

"Demanding little minx." He grinned down at her.

When she rocked upward again, taking him to the hilt, the smile on his face faded to a fierce expression.

His body made demands that hers answered. Every stroke shot her to a higher plateau. As she quivered and then shook on the very edge of sanity, she watched pleasure wash over his face.

He was thick and long and…good and safe. He'd watched out for her…how many times was it now?

With an arm underneath her back, he lifted her into every thrust. His body hardened. His cock sank deeper, hitting the magic spot that she only reached on rare occasions with her vibrator.

"Ledger!"

"Come with me, baby. Fuck, I'm there. I'm right there ." He jerked, bowed, pumped hard and fast.

Her release came a split second later. Insides clenching and relaxing in rhythmic waves that matched his plunges into her core. Their mouths fused once more in a kiss that muffled his groan and her scream. Seconds pulsed by. Her mind slowly returned.

He grinned down at her.

Lost in his stare, she swore she spotted a seventh hue of gray in his eyes.

"At least the condom didn't break," he murmured.

Her laugh took her by surprise. "Like it matters now. Jerk." She pinched his hard ass, and he rumbled with an answering laugh.

When he rolled off her and disappeared into the bathroom, she watched him with hooded eyes. She still wanted him.

These hormones were making her insatiable.

Ledger was definitely worth giving up the last little bit of her energy to.