In Plain Sight (11 page)

About the Author

To learn more about Marie Harte, please visit
www.marieharte.com
or her blog at

http://marieharte.blogspot.com
. Send an email to Marie at
[email protected]
or join her Yahoo!

group to join in the fun with other readers as well as Marie at

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Marie_Harte

Look for these titles by

Now Available:

Feral Attraction

Rachel’s Totem

Duncan’s Descent

The Dragons’ Demon

Enjoying the Show

A Scorching Seduction

I Dream of Dragons Vol. 1

Sins of Summer

Mountain man or mountain lion? In his case-one and the same.

Rachel’s Totem

© 2008

A
Feral Attraction
Story.

When Rachel arrives in Cougar Falls for a reading of her aunt’s will, she finds herself in a typical mountain town. Except that it’s not quite…typical. It’s full of the requisite, rough-hewn mountaineers, but these men seem more animal than man.

And one of the rude strangers brings out the animal in her during an embarrassingly orgasmic-and scorching-sexual encounter in an alley. The fantastic tales that the townsfolk tell about the Ac-Taw, a clan of people who can shift into animals, are nothing but folklore. Or are they?

Burke is stunned by his response to Rachel, and even more so when she innocently shows signs of possessing Ac-Taw blood. And this puts her in more danger than she knows, danger that only increases the urgency to mark her as his own.

Rachel comes to realize she’s inherited much more than just property. She has also inherited a destiny to protect her newfound home.

For the Ac-Taw aren’t just legend-they’re real.

Warning, this title contains the following: graphic language, ménage a trois, growling, and hot,
steamy sex between shifters in love :)

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Rachel’s Totem:

“I’m not sure.” Gerald frowned and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Rachel. Not exactly polite to discuss other matters when you’re here for Charlotte’s will.”

“No, that’s okay. I’m in no rush.”

Well I am.
Burke took a seat next to Rachel across from Gerald, who sat in a huge leather chair behind his desk.
Let’s find that totem and get back to the important things in life. Like how I’m going to seduce
Rachel before she turns all prickly again.

“It’s just that my assistant, Julia, is always a rock, always here and helping. And something came up with her family in Washington so she had to leave yesterday—”

“Gerald, can we please get on with this?” Burke sighed.

Gerald cleared his throat and smiled apologetically. “Right, well. Before we begin, is there anything I can get you, Rachel? A glass of water, a soda, or maybe some coffee?”

Rachel shook her head. “Thanks, but Burke’s right. Since we’re here, no sense putting it off any longer. You might as well tell me what Aunt Charlotte wanted done with her things.”

“Of course.”

Nice how the SOB completely ignored Burke, who could have used something to drink. In a steady drone, Gerald read through most of the generalities of the will. All of Charlotte’s personal possessions and money, investments and the like, went to Rachel.

“And as the only relative Charlotte truly cared about since your father passed away, you’ve inherited everything she considered dear to her. Including the house.”

Shit.

“The property, however…” Gerald paused, and Burke wanted to punch him for drawing this out. “The property is divided between you and the Chastells.” Gerald turned to Burke. “You’ve been wanting to buy from Charlotte forever. Well, Burke, now’s your chance. If Rachel decides to sell, everything on the property, to include the house and the material within it, becomes yours.”
The totem
, he meant but didn’t say. With the totem back in the hands of protectors who both understood and respected the ancient relic, peace would surely return to Cougar Falls. No more clan wars, and no more threats of strangers having a hold on something as valuable as the totem.

Rachel stared at Gerald, her gaze narrowing with suspicion as it lit on Burke. “Are you saying Mr.

Chastell wants my aunt’s property? And that she steadily refused to sell it?”

Burke had a sudden ache in the pit of his belly, a feeling that often preceded something bad about to happen.

“That’s what I’m saying.” Gerald stacked his papers and squared them. “Charlotte’s property and the Chastells’ border one another. They’ve always been friendly, don’t get me wrong. But it’s no secret Burke and his brothers want to reclaim the land that their great-great grandfather gave to one of your relatives so many years ago.”

“I see.” She glared at Burke, and he stared back, confused.

“What?”

“Nothing,” she snapped. Turning back to Gerald, she pasted a sugary-sweet smile on her face. “So the house is mine, and the property is split how?”

“It’s a bit complicated. I’ll drive you out to the property so I can show you both. Charlotte was very clear about this.” Gerald turned sharp eyes on Burke, as if willing him to listen.

Burke, however, didn’t understand what the hell had crawled up Rachel’s ass. He couldn’t deny her fury made him hot, but he didn’t understand what he’d done wrong. Was she suddenly blaming him for their time together in the alley? It wasn’t as if he’d staged that fight with those knuckle-dragging wolf Shifters. And he sure as hell hadn’t planned to come in his jeans while dry-fucking her against a dirty brick wall.

“Burke, I said I’ll drive Rachel out to the property now. Perhaps you’d care to follow, so I only have to do this once?”

Burke nodded. “Fine, sure. Look, why don’t you go file your papers or something? I need a word with Rachel.”

“Yes, Mr. Winter. I’d like a word with Mr. Chastell as well.” Rachel’s glare could have cut steel.

Gerald glanced from Rachel to Burke and unsuccessfully masked a grin. “Fine. I’ll be waiting outside when you’re through.” Grabbing his papers and shoving them in his briefcase, he left the room, closing the door behind him.

The minute he left, Rachel stood ramrod straight and glared down her sexy little nose at Burke. “You arrogant asshole.”

“What’s your problem?” Burke honestly had no idea why she’d grown so upset.

“You thought screwing me would sway me into selling my aunt’s place to you?”

Burke scowled. “Now wait a minute, Rachel. I—”

She leaned down and poked him in the chest,
hard,
stirring his instincts to fight back. Or perhaps, to turn their tussle into something more…intimate. “You wait a minute, Chastell. If you wanted to buy the place, all you had to do was ask. That scene in the alley was totally unnecessary. And not that good to boot.”

He launched himself out of his chair to glare down at her. “Not that good,
Miss Penny
? First of all, that ‘scene’ in the alley, as you put it, was not staged. Second, that was anything but a real fuck. We had all our clothes on, for Christ’s sake. And third.” He paused to close what little distance remained between them. Staring directly into her eyes, nose to nose, he growled his last words. “The orgasm we shared was more than good, it was explosive. Lie to yourself if you want to, but you came hard, like a shot.” He licked his lips, unable to help how turned on she made him in her anger. “And I can still smell your come creaming your panties. Hell, right now you want nothing more than a hard fuck right on Gerald’s desk, isn’t that right?”

Her pupils dilated with lust, and her scent filled the room. Pure, unadulterated sex.

“Fuck. You.”

“Sure thing, honey. You just name the time and place.”

He watched in amazement as her pupils began to elongate. He could smell the familiar scent of feline musk flooding the room and waited, his breath held, as Rachel amazingly began to
turn
.

Her hair began to rise as her body was covered in a field of static energy, and her teeth grew sharp as she hissed at him in anger. God, she made him burn. The mixture of mountain lion and woman was almost more than he could take. Glancing at Gerald’s desk, Burke figured he could have it cleared in one swipe of his arm. He’d bend her over the solid oak on her belly and yank those jeans and panties off her legs. Within seconds he’d lower his own clothes, just enough to spring his cock free before he’d shove it hard and deep into that honeyed, wet pussy.

Rachel’s hands fisted into paws as she raised one arm as if to strike.

Do it. Please, touch me and I swear I’ll mark you as one of mine in a heartbeat.
The choice, even unknowingly made, had to be hers.

Gerald, damn his ass, chose that minute to knock at the door. “Hey, is everything all right in there?”

Son of a bitch
. Burke knew Gerald could smell the passion raging in the room, the scent of a female in heat overpowering enough to easily reach the lawyer outside the office.

Rachel blinked, and that suddenly her shift vanished as if it had never been. She swayed and righted herself, still miffed enough not to want Burke’s touch. “Come near me again and I’ll geld you.” Sniffing, she turned on her heel and stalked out the door, nearly knocking over Gerald, who waited impatiently on the other side.

Gerald watched Rachel go with amusement, his lips quirked in an aggravating smirk.

“Not one word.” Burke stormed through the door, knocking Gerald into the wall as he passed, heading for the bathroom to finally clean up. “Not one fucking word.”

When there’s a tiger—and a lion—on your tail, there’s no escape…

Theirs to Capture

© 2009 Shelli Stevens

Delilah is strong, independent—and a princess on the run. Her father, King of the Falcon kingdom, wants to unite her with Pierce, Prince of the Tiger kingdom, and Jason, Prince of the Lions. Never can she imagine giving herself to one man if there is no love—let alone two! So she flees her home in hopes of avoiding the union.

Delilah may be dead-set against the plan, but Jason and Pierce have no doubts. She is the one they want to complete their triad, to be their mate. She alone has the power to form the bond that will, in turn, join all their kingdoms in peace.

They’re prepared to use every means of pleasure to convince her they are all destined to be together.

But first they have to catch her…

Warning: This book is hot! Hot! Hot! Threesomes, m/m, and capture fantasies, oh my!

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Theirs to Capture: Her head shook from side to side, the panic in her eyes increasing. “I won’t do it. I won’t, Pierce.”

“Yes, Delilah, you will.” He slid his hand up the back of her neck, holding her head still as his mouth descended onto hers.

Her lips remained tightly pressed together, refusing to open to his tongue. With a soft laugh, he nipped lightly at her bottom lip. Her gasp of surprise gave him the opportunity to slip inside the forbidden cavern of her mouth.

Her hands slammed against his chest, attempting to push him away, but they were no more effective than if she had been using her wings. Instead, the touch of her soft hands inflamed him further. His cock throbbed, lengthened and pressed into her belly.

He sought her tongue, teasing it with soft gentle flicks, before curling his own around it and sucking gently. It only took a moment to realize she’d stopped pushing against him, and instead those delicate hands now explored his chest openly.

Lifting his head just a bit, he murmured a throaty, “Yes. Touch me, Delilah.” Then he claimed her mouth again.

Her hands moved downward on him. Down his chest, to his abdomen. The breath locked in his chest
.

Lower, just a little lower.

She hesitated only a moment before her fingers slipped those last few inches. His cock twitched against the edge of her hand and when she finally wrapped her fingers around his flesh, he about came in a heartbeat.

Until she squeezed. Tightly.

Pierce froze, his knees locking as pain signals rushed toward his brain.

“Delilah,” he choked out. “That’s a bit hard.”

“So I noticed.” She smirked. “I asked you to release me, Pierce. Now back off or I’ll break it in half.”

“I’m not sure that’s possible, little one.” But he took a step backward, his only thought for the moment that she needed to release her death grip on his cock.

Her fingers unwrapped from around him and, just as fast, she slammed her palms against his chest, pushing him backward.

Pierce stumbled, trying to regain his footing and reach for her at the same time. She spun, ready to take flight.

Relief poured through him as she was swiftly grabbed by Jason, who’d come up silently behind them.

“Jason!” She retreated, obviously startled, and bumped right back into Pierce.

Pierce drew in a deep breath, grabbing her hips to hold her immobile. He willed himself to control the anger that now burned in his gut. She’d threatened to break his cock in half like it was a damn sausage at a festival.

“This time, Delilah, you’ve gone too far.” Jason shook his head, his eyes suspiciously bloodshot. “I do believe we will have to agree upon some form of punishment to bestow upon you.”

Punishment
. Pierce slid one hand down to the rounded curve of her ass and squeezed the soft flesh.