C27 Do you enjoy being a bounty hunter?

I lowered my voice, my cock stirring. "I'll punish you for that later, when I take you back to bed."

"Is that true?"

"It's true. You ooze sex appeal. In the way you talk, the way you walk, the way you move, the way you eat. From the first touch, my skin burned for you, something on a deeper level I can't even define. I want your pussy so bad again it hurts. So go ahead, keep giving me reasons to punish you. I can't wait."

She snuggled closer. "Then I guess I'd better make a lot more trouble."

I smiled, looking up at the moon with my wife in my arms. "You'd better complicate yourself, woman. My cock is a hungry beast."

LARA

I awoke to an empty bed redolent of bacon and pancakes.

I sat up, blinking in the light from the open curtains, and took a moment to get my bearings.

Paul's bed .

Memories of the night before brought a smile to my face. But then worry about Spencer and the thought of talking to Mery hit me like lead in the stomach.

Pushing the sheets aside, I looked down and saw that I was still wearing Paul's T-shirt . The last thing I remembered was falling asleep on his shoulder.

Had he brought me here?

I rolled my eyes. No, Lara . You flew.

With my brain barely functioning, I decided to wash up before going in search of coffee.

I found Paul's bathroom connected to the bedroom and noticed my purse in the corner. I must have carried it up from the truck.

Rummaging through the purse, I found my toothbrush and set to work in front of the large mirror that hung over two sinks set into wooden drawers with gold-plated pulls. Whoever had built it had done it with care, with such beauty in the details of the wooden walls, the modern toilet, the floor-level shower and the claw-foot tub. But what I loved most was the window built from ceiling to floor that looked out onto breathtaking views that I hadn't seen the night before because of the darkness.

Once finished, I walked barefoot on the tile, drawn to the view. I understood why Paul lived here and not in the city. His acreage ended in a fir tree line, the trees the only barrier between the cabin and the beautiful hills and mountains beyond the trees. He woke up every morning and never felt alone, embracing a sense of freedom from his surroundings.

My finger would touch the glass as if I could feel what he was looking for. And the more I learned, the more I liked it. I just didn't know how to react to the feelings growing inside me.

You're screwed, Lara . And in more ways than one.

Damn. The sex. The need for it. He still sought my pleasure, even as he struggled to hold back. I'd wanted it again but, exhausted, my body had other ideas last night.

Put on the brakes.

Yes.

Good idea.

I needed a shower. Some caffeine. But the need for coffee won out. Caffeine first. Shower later.

Leaving the bedroom, my head still foggy from sleep, I found the stairs and descended to the large space where the base of the stairs entered the living room.

First I noticed the wolves. Carved in wood, I couldn't believe the coincidence of seeing them in his house compared to what I had drawn in the sketch. No wonder he had reacted that way to my drawing.

Rubbing my eyes, I approached them, stroking the head of one. Three wolves were protecting a woman in the center, her long hair spilling to the ground.

"It's the goddess Leto," Paul said from behind me, making me wince. I held a hand to my chest.

"You scared me."

"Sorry," he smiled. He was only wearing jeans, his muscular chest bare, and I had to admit I gasped.

"Good morning."

"Good morning to you too." He stepped closer to me, wrapping his hand around my waist and tangling the other in my hair. He kissed me, soft and welcoming. "What a beautiful sight to see first thing in the morning."

"I could say the same about your bathroom." I smiled, standing on tiptoe to give him another kiss. He reciprocated delightedly.

When he broke away, he said, "So you've found my wolves."

"Yes. And your Goddess, it seems. Who is Leto?"

"Many know her as the Greek Goddess - a Titan - and lover of Zeus. The guy made himself known."

I chuckled. "Yes. You hear things."

He smiled. "Leto was supposedly the mother of Artemis and Apollo, and represented nurturing and motherhood. They also believed she transformed into a she-wolf when she took care of the wolves."

"Do you like Greek mythology?"

"Some of it. It's interesting: the dynamics, the depth, its saturation in the story. But I'm more interested in the wolves and the Goddess, rather than the Goddess and the wolves."

"Ah. I see." I stroked another statue. "They commissioned them from you?"

"I carved them."

"What?" Surprised, I looked at them again, seeing the detail of the carvings created by an artist who invested his soul. "They are beautiful. You have a gift. I can see it in the way you've captured something in their eyes, in their pose. They tell a story as if they are always looking, always waiting."

"You understand."

"I get it," I replied, nodding enthusiastically. "Art may be subjective, but it is the artist who tells the story, often keeping his secret hidden while showing it to the world."

"But you can see my secrets." He played with a lock of my hair. "Your drawing of me revealed it."

"I don't know. But I started by drawing the landscape and then, when I thought about tricking you, about what I had to do to save my uncle, I felt like I was in a cage. Like I had always lived in a cage. And that's when I started drawing you. This morning, when I looked at the landscape, I felt the freedom you must feel living here. It's breathtaking."

"Damn, Lara . You're awesome." He kissed me again, keeping his arms around me. It wasn't sexual. It could have been, but it wasn't. He tried to tell me something with the soft, slow way he stroked my tongue. It hit something inside me that felt so wonderful that I was afraid to analyze it or touch it with my mind. Instead, I let myself be carried away by him and appreciated the surge of euphoria that swept through me at his touch.

All too soon he pulled away, leaving me languid and at peace. I clung to him to steady myself.

"Have breakfast with me," he said in a silvery voice. "We can talk further."

"I'd love to.

Pancakes and bacon stacked and armed with steaming coffee, we took it outside and sat in the morning sun at a wooden table on the east side of his cabin.

"Did you carve this too?". I asked over the table. The many features of the tree remained in the wood.

"Yes, I carved it. It's a hobby of mine. Sometimes I donate things to the village and sometimes I keep them. Like this one."

I looked back at the large cabin behind us, wood materials used whenever possible in the house built for comfort. "You built your house?" I guessed.

"With help. But the exterior, the infrastructure, the design. I wanted to take care of that."

"My, and my," I gasped. "You have a gift. The detail in your work is mind-blowing."

"I could say the same about your art," he replied, holding out a plate to me. "Lots of it."

"I prefer oil and canvas, too. But drawing is something I can take with me when I travel as I come up with concepts to pass the time."

"Do you enjoy being a bounty hunter?"

I thought about it. How it had become a chain around my neck lately. The monotony. The loneliness. And how it had led me to this damned position. "It's not something I would have chosen for myself. I mean, I like the law, justice, and catching those who think they can evade it. But do I like the long hours, the travel, the risks? Not really." I shrugged and poured my food. "I know how to manage. I have since I was very young. But sometimes I hate having to do it. And then other times, I like the thrill. And it's the only thing I know. That and my art."

He studied me. "Are you looking forward to a lot in Idaho?"

"No. Not really. I rent my apartment. I meet people, I have a few acquaintances that I get to hang out with from time to time, that's about it. I've dated. I tried the relationship thing. They didn't work out very well, unable to handle work or me. So I stuck with casual dating. For the companionship mostly, and, sometimes, the sex. But no. I have no strings attached."

Her face clouded. "I hate that you've had sex with other men."