Moving Target (32 page)

He rubbed one of her ass cheeks with his palm as he hooked his thigh over hers.

Ani gave him a sated smile. "Matthews, huh?"

Daniel returned her smile and twisted his fingers in her long dark hair. "Yeah."

"Hmmmm . . ." She tilted her head back a little. "Daniel and Ani Matthews?"

"I like that." He tugged on the lock of hair he was holding. "It'll take some getting used to, but we'll make it happen." He leaned in for a kiss before drawing away. "All that matters is spending the rest of our lives together."

She reached up and brushed the back of her hand against his cheek. "I love you, Daniel."

He caught her hand in his. "Honey, you can't possibly love me more than I love you."

Ani Matthews grinned as she cradled three-month-old Kyle in her arms while Daniel held Kyle's twin brother, Anthony, over his shoulder and tried to burp him.

So much love filled Ani's heart that she thought she'd burst with it. Kyle cooed against her breasts and she kissed the baby on the top of his head. She'd never get enough of that sweet baby smell, like baby powder and gingersnaps.

Anthony let out a large burp. Ani laughed. Daniel had a towel over his shoulder so the baby's spit-up didn't get on his leather jacket.

Over the playpen hung a mobile of several of Daniel's collector airplanes for the boys to look at. Anthony and Kyle were fascinated when the mobile turned, the planes flying through the air, the little propellers spinning when there was a soft breeze. They were high enough the boys couldn't reach them, just intrigue them.

"Well, Detective Matthews," Ani said as she buckled Kyle into his baby swing. "Is it time for you to head off to the station?"

"Better get going." He gently handed her Anthony, along with the towel that had been over the leather jacket that covered his firearm. "Got a case that's about to break."

Jenn came out of the kitchen, brushing her hands on her jeans. "The boys' bottles are ready."

"Thanks, sis," Ani said as she passed Anthony on to Jenn, whose long brown hair was held back in a French braid.

For a moment Ani stared after her sister as she walked back to the kitchen through the swinging doors. Jenn stopped by every morning to help Ani with the twins. Jenn's heart was still broken over Brian, but it had been more than a year and she'd started dating again, which Ani took as a good sign.

She left Kyle buckled in the baby swing for a moment while she followed Daniel out to the porch. They lived in a gorgeous antebellum home outside the city limits of Nashville.

With her half of the money she'd inherited from her mother and father, and the restitution the judge had ordered the Borenkos to pay for the murder of her parents, she'd been able to purchase the home. It was a historic and roomy house filled with antiques and art that were precious to her. The Inspector assigned to them had transferred the cash to an account that couldn't be traced.

Even though she wasn't supposed to know anything about any of her past lives, through that same Inspector she'd learned that the Harrisons had been able to sell the statue of Tyrion III to the collector she'd originally contacted. The Harrisons'

son was getting the best treatment and therapy money could buy at one of the top burn centers in the country. Her heart still ached for the boy, but he was at least getting the treatment he needed and his family wasn't out on the streets.

Ani had a small gift shop that she and Jenn ran just inside the Nashville city limits. It gave both of them the opportunity to meet people, making them both feel more like they were part of the community.

"Bye, honey," Daniel said, drawing her attention back to him.

She liked giving him her attention. Him, and her beautiful babies, and her sister.

The losses and traumas of her past still ached, but her sweet life with Daniel and her family cushioned her from that pain.

Ani had grown into her new name, her new role, and it fit her like Daniel's snug, sexy jeans. She didn't think of herself as that scared, scarred New York girl anymore. She was a strong Southern woman now, just minus the accent.

And she could barely imagine anything happier or warmer, or more secure.

"Bye," she said, then sighed against his lips as he gave her a long, lingering kiss. His taste and masculine scent never failed to fill her with comfort and happiness.

Ani wrapped her arms around his waist and he enveloped her in his embrace. "I love you so much, Daniel."

He raised his head and brushed his knuckles across her cheek. "I love you, honey."

The minute he turned her loose, Ani wanted him back again.

He gave her a sexy grin and a wink, then headed for his Ford Explorer. She watched him go, already thinking about the kiss she'd give him when he got home.

Yes. This is what life should be.

Ani waved at Daniel as he drove away.

This is my gift, my reward, and I won't ever stop being grateful
.

When Daniel turned the corner, Ani went inside, eager to play with her babies and chat with her sister, excited about work and definitely looking forward to what evening might bring.

Keep reading for an excerpt from Cheyenne McCray's next novel

SHADOW MAGIC

Coming soon from St. Martin's Paperbacks

Rich scents of earth and minerals swirled in the cool air brushing Hannah's skin as she walked beside the king. She gripped the strap of her pack tight before releasing some of the tension coiled inside her and letting her hand fall away.

They strode across the great round hall that had many doors around the circumference. Her shoes made soft sounds against the marble, but Garran was as silent as the D'Danann.

Despite the fact that his skin was a grayish blue, the man was gorgeous. It would have been impossible not to appreciate the litheness of his movements, his grace—and power. Power in every flex of his muscles, in the way he held his head, in his very presence. He was a king in every sense of the word.

Garran paused and gestured to the excellent carvings on the walls. "Some of our finest craftsmen created these grand works of art."

The carvings were mostly of male warriors in battle. Then heat burned Hannah's skin as she slowly looked around the enormous circular hall. Were women kneeling to the men in some of the artwork?
Oh, my goddess
. Most of the Drow women even wore collars.

Hannah's gaze snapped to Garran's. Heat flared up her body and she clenched her hands at her sides. "Don't you dare tell me," she pointed to the carvings, "that Dark Elves treat women as subservient?"

Garran raised an eyebrow. "It is our lifestyle."

"Oh, no." She shook her head as she ground her teeth. "You
cannot
make me believe female Drow enjoy being treated like that."

His shrug was casual. "They would have it no other way."

Hannah considered decking him. Or better yet, using her magic to make
him
a collar—and a leash. "You probably don't give them a choice."

"Certainly we do." He tried taking her by the elbow and guiding her to a door, but she jerked away from his touch.

"However, it is a rare thing for a woman to choose not to serve a Master."

A Master
?

The thought of Garran on the floor with the magical collar and rope was looking better and better.

He swept his arm out in front of him, indicating they should go through a large arched doorway that spun off from the great hall. "You will see."

Her lips tight with anger, Hannah walked beside Garran as they entered an underground city. For the moment, awe replaced her anger.

Stalactites spotted with glowing lichen projected down from the great cavern. The entire ceiling sparkled and more lichen caused a blue glow to give a soft light to the city.

Homes clung to rock outcroppings and footpaths wended their ways around the cavern walls. Most of the city spread out across the smooth, obviously well-worn floor of the cavern. Narrow streets wound from one building to the next. It reminded her of the D'Danann village, yet not.

Wonderful aromas spilled from shops that sold bread and other bakery goods, including what smelled like coffeecake.

Hannah's mouth watered even though she was still full from dinner.

All she saw were males who gave low nods to Garran as she and Garran passed them. In turn he inclined his head and greeted each person by name. The respect in their gazes and voices, and the way they responded to him with their gestures and expressions, told her how well they thought of their king.

Where are the women
?

In between Garran acknowledging every male they walked by, they came across a butcher shop, a place that offered leatherwork, as well as a smithy who made the breast- and shoulderplates most of the warriors wore. It looked like everything one could think of could be found in this underground city.

Except a Starbucks
.

She shook her head. First thing she was going to do when life returned to "normal" in San Francisco would be to buy one of those frappuccinos she'd been craving.

Her gaze riveted on a glittering blanket of gems ahead in a windowless display. Goddess, a fortune in jewelry was spread out. Diamonds the size of eggs, rubies as big as a fist.

Gem-encrusted leather collars?

Hannah's head snapped up. She traced her crescent-and-moon pendant with her fingers before dropping her hand to her side as she caught sight of a few women on the path in the direction she and Garran were heading.

The women were so scantily clad they might as well have been wearing nothing. Practically sheer tops were so short they exposed the roundness of the underside of the women's breasts and the filmy material hardly covered their nipples. They also wore short gauzy skirts that hardly reached the bottoms of their ass cheeks.

Most of the women wore collars.

Collars
, for Anu's sake! Like dogs or other animals, they wore collars and
served a Master
.

Heat filled her as she watched the women. Their skin was smooth and supple in the cavern's soft lighting, their curves in all the right places—their bodies virtually perfect.

A couple of the women whispered to each other when they saw their king with Hannah, and they bowed to him almost shyly. But otherwise the women smiled, talked, and laughed among themselves. Despite the fact they wore collars, they appeared . . . happy.

"Explain to me," Hannah said through gritted teeth, "why these women allow themselves to be collared and why they are practically naked. Are they sex slaves or something?"

"The collar means a woman belongs to a Master." Garran came up short and they stopped in front of the jewelry store as he glanced down at Hannah. His expression softened. "Sex is important to any consenting adult relationship, but our way of life is not 'all about sex,' as you would say."

Hannah braced her hands on her hips as she glared up at him. He was so damned tall she had to tilt her head. "Then what is it about?"

"Come." He touched his hand on her elbow. "We will talk."

One thing Hannah
never
did was cause a scene in public. She clamped her jaws shut as she realized that was what she'd just about done. She blanked her expression and held her carriage high as she usually did.

Garran guided her past a fish market, the scents reminding her of home and the wind off the bay, causing memories of her old life and a twinge in her belly. They strolled beyond the market to a display of wooden figurines and children's toys.

Then the smells of fresh fish and wood drifted away as they continued on to what appeared to be a park.

Children wearing rough-spun tunics and pants laughed and played on the flat, moss-covered rock area filled with boulders and stone statues. Hannah couldn't help a smile as she and Garran stopped outside the park and watched the children racing, kicking black leather balls, climbing boulders, or sitting cross-legged on the mossy ground playing with toys. They had wooden dolls and figures, including something that looked like the ugliest troll she could imagine. Some of the male dolls were dressed like warriors wearing breastplates and leather chest straps, and even leather pants. The female dolls tended to have iridescent clothing that shimmered in the blue lichen lighting.

Barbie and G.I. Joe had nothing on these dolls.

Hannah touched one of the smooth boulders surrounding the park. "I never thought about Elves having children."

When she glanced up at Garran, he wore an amused expression. "Did you think we are created from stone?"

"Actually, I had been wondering if
you
were." She turned her attention back to the park. Several women were dressed in a little more clothing than the ladies Hannah had seen in the village, but they still wore collars. They sat on rock benches at various places around the area, many talking as their children played.

A pinging sensation bounced around in Hannah's heart. The mothers looked so happy, as did the children. Hannah hadn't had the kind of childhood where she was allowed to play with other children. She'd been sheltered, watched by a nanny, then sent to boarding schools where fraternization was discouraged.

One of the children threw a baseball-sized black leather ball that overshot the kid he'd been throwing the ball to. It rushed straight for Hannah. Garran snapped his hand up and caught the ball before it would have slammed into her face.

Relief whooshed through her. That would have hurt like hell.

A young boy dressed in a royal blue tunic and pants trotted toward them with a chagrined expression. "I-I didn't mean to—"

Garran squatted so he was eye-level with the boy and handed him the ball. "You have great strength, Jalen." The boy clutched the ball to his chest and looked at Garran with wide blue eyes. Garran placed his hand on the boy's left arm.

"Continue your practice, most especially your control. One day you will make a fine warrior."

Jalen nodded hard enough that his blue hair fell into his eyes. "Yes, my lord."

Garran eased to his feet and gestured to the park. "Enjoy your game of
carta
."