She’d been quiet ever since they returned from the doc’s office, no doubt mulling over the strange kiss experiment. He couldn’t stop thinking about it either.
She touched his sleeve. “I want you guys to be careful out there.”
The temptation to tease was too great. “Are you worried about me? I can see how you might be. After all,” he said, leaning in and whispering, “I’m your personal healer. You know, with my kisses.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She glanced at Ry and Jani, but they were deep in discussion and hadn’t heard them. “Thanks, Doctor Oz.”
She might prefer to act as if their kiss hadn’t upended her world, but he knew it had, and that was because everything in his world had changed too. That one kiss, that onenakedkiss, had put a fine point on all Connor’s muddled emotions. The one in the doctor’s office had merely sealed the deal. He wanted to taste Elaine again, to see if he could make her moan and whimper. He wanted to dance his hands over those perfect hips and hold her closer than he’d ever held anyone else.
He wanted to be naked with her again, and this time, he wouldn’t allow anyone to interrupt them.
Jani opened the front door to the cabin. “Connor, we’ll meet you outside.” He and Ryland exited and closed the door. Through the front window, Connor spotted flashes of brown and orange fur. Jani had shifted into his tiger, and Ryland had changed into his bear.
Connor turned to Elaine. “I shouldn’t keep them waiting.”
“It’s a cold night.”
“We’ll be warm.” As a fellow shifter, she knew their fur would keep them toasty.
“I know you want to track the shooter, but don’t you think it would be better in the daytime?”
She was worried about him. The knowledge made his throat run dry from thirst. Connor ran a hand along her arm. “It’s already been hours, and the forecast calls for more snow tomorrow. We need to get out there now if we have any hope of figuring out who might have done this.”
“I get it. I would just rather come with you.”
“No way. I realize my kisses are extremely powerful, but it wasn’t all that long ago you were having heart palpitations.”
“You’re never going to let me live it down, are you?”
“No.” He smiled. “Never.”
“Just…don’t stay out late and be careful.”
“Are you going to miss me, lady?”
“Connor.”
He drew her in, making her start. With one arm wrapped around her waist, he kissed her on the cheek. Moving slowly, noting the way she held her breath, Connor kissed his way toward her neck. He found that soft spot right under her ear and flicked his tongue against her lobe. Her breath escaped in a soft, shaky puff of air.
He pulled away, pleased with the pink tones of arousal along her neck. “I’ll miss you, too.”
There was a lightthudon the window. Connor looked over his shoulder. Jani’s tiger head-butted the pane again, as if to say, “We’re waiting.”
He waved at Jani’s tiger and kissed Elaine one more time, this time on the forehead. “I’ll be back before you know it.” Hoping to give her another little thrill, he began to strip out of his clothes, his gaze pinned on her face.
She looked back and forth between him and the kitchen. “Um, wouldn’t you rather undress outside?”
“Nope. I’d rather undress in front of you.” He tossed his shirt on the couch and pulled off his socks. Grinning, he began to work on his jeans.
Elaine shook her head and laughed, looking away, but as he lowered his jeans and underwear, her gaze slowly returned. Her lips fell open.
“What’s the matter, lady? You’ve seen me naked lots of times.”
“It’s different now, and you know it.”
“I do know it.” He held out his hands and spun for her. “Like what you see?”
“Connor, the kids are just in the other room.”
