The trouble with tigers, p.17
The Trouble With Tigers, page 17
I threw up my hands in disgust. “Dutch has been in Pakistan helping me rescue those tigers. When has he had time to look for a ring?”
“Actually, I ordered your ring on the way home. It should arrive in a couple of days,” Dutch stated.
Jana clasped her hands to her chest. “Aw, that’s so sweet.”
Dutch’s cellphone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID. “It’s my boss. I need to take this.” He strode off.
I grimaced. “How did Phoenix PD know he was back?”
“He called his lieutenant on the airplane,” Dad said.
Rats. Any chance of some alone time with him just went out the window.
Scowling, Dutch walked back to the table. “The Chief wants to see me.”
A knot formed in my stomach. Could Dutch get fired for helping me? “How much trouble are you in?”
“None. The Chief wants me to talk to a couple of CIA agents that showed up at his office.”
“Oh. I bet they have a zillion questions about Samson’s op.”
“I can drop you off, before I take everyone back to Kandi’s house,” Jana said.
“I’d appreciate that. Hopefully, it won’t take too long.”
I grabbed Dutch’s arm. “Sit and eat your food. They can wait.”
“Yes ma’am.” Dutch sat down and dug into his fajitas.
Chapter Twenty-Five
A boisterous chorus of cock-a-doodle-doos vied with a buzzing noise. Terrorists! My heart pounding in my chest, I bolted upright and looked around frantically at my messy bedroom. Home. Relief flooded me. I was home. The noise wasn’t from those awful motorbikes. It was Tinkerbell snoring. The crowing came from my neighbor’s horde of chickens.
I glanced over at Tinkerbell who was giving me the doggie version of the evil eye. “I don’t like it any more than you do.”
Woof?
“The last time I made them be quiet, Betty came over and threatened to sue me because they stopped laying eggs.”
Arf. Arf. Arf.
“I’m not summoning a hawk to eat them. That’s just mean.”
Arf?
“I don’t know where Dutch is.” I glanced at the clock on my bedside table. It was five freakin’ o’clock and not one word from Dutch. A simple debrief shouldn’t have taken this long. Had Samson made a complaint? If so, why didn’t they want to talk to me too?
Tinkerbell yipped.
“I know. I’m worried too.”
Arf?
“As soon as I get dressed, we’ll go down to police headquarters and raise a little hell.”
Woof? Tinkerbell hopped up and down.
“Okay, we’ll eat first.” As I walked down the stairs, I smelled fresh brewed coffee. Had my parents paid me an early visit?
Tinkerbell charged into the kitchen and barked happily.
I stopped in the doorway. Dutch was sitting at my oak dining room table with his feet propped up on one of Grandma Hester’s hand painted white chairs and Tinkerbell on his lap. There were lines of exhaustion etched into his face. “Why didn’t you call me?”
“Those CIA idiots didn’t stop questioning me until about four-thirty this morning. I didn’t want to drag you out of bed. Besides the Chief volunteered to give me a ride home.”
“Sounds more like an interrogation instead of a debriefing.” I opened the refrigerator and pulled out a pitcher of ice-tea. “What did they want to know?”
“Everything. They were particularly interested in how Samson recruited us. What classified intel he shared. What happened in Multan City and how we met the Hawk.”
I pulled a glass out of the dishwasher and poured myself a glass of ice-tea. “What did you tell them?”
Dutch snorted. “The truth.”
“How did that go over?”
“Not very well. They weren’t very happy we flew home on the Hawk’s Gulfstream.” Dutch got up and filled his coffee cup.
“Are they pressing charges?”
Dutch scowled. “No, but they want some one-on-one time with you.”
“Found out about my Doctor Doolittle powers, didn’t they?”
“And your ability to talk to the dead.” Dutch rubbed his face wearily.
I slammed my glass down on the countertop. “I’m not working with the CIA again, nor am I going downtown for a one-on-one with them.”
“I told them that. That’s when it got nasty.”
“Made threats, huh? Not a smart move.”
“No, it wasn’t. The Chief had them arrested for making terrorist threats.” Dutch chortled. “You should have seen the expressions on their faces as they were led away in handcuffs.”
“I’m not sorry I missed that. Are you hungry? I can whip up some waffles.”
“All I want to do is hold you.”
“You only had to ask, big guy.” I wrapped my arms around him. “Wanna make out?”
Dutch tilted my chin up. “I do.” His lips closed over mine in a sensual kiss that stole my breath. I swirled my tongue over his and sucked on it like I would his penis.
Grabbing my butt, Dutch lifted me up and growled, “Bedroom?”
“Up the stairs, first door on your right.” I stuck my tongue in his ear and swirled it around.
Dutch paused on the first step. “You aren’t expecting your parents, are you?”
“Nope.”
“Good.” Dutch’s fingers tangled in my hair and he took my mouth in a kiss so erotic hot coils of pleasure twisted inside me.
Arf? Arf?
“Dutch is petting me with his mouth.”
Arf!
The minute Dutch stepped into my bedroom Tinkerbell latched onto the left leg of his jeans. Grrr. Grrr. Grrr.
“Knock it off Tinkerbell.” Dutch staggered off-balanced as he tried to shake her loose. “What’s wrong with her?”
“She’s jealous.”
Dutch sat me on the bed. “Don’t move.”
“Not even a little bit?” I pulled my sleep shirt over my head.
Carnal need flared to life in Dutch’s eyes as he stared at me.
“Like my tattoo?” I arched my back to better display my bare breasts.
Dutch’s voice was a harsh rasp. “Is that a sunflower?”
“It is. I have another one too.” I spread my legs. “Guess where?”
Grrr. Grrr. Grrr.
“Damn woman, you’re killing me.” Dutch crouched down and stroked Tinkerbell. “I love your mom and I love you. You will always be a part of our family. Right now, I need you to go downstairs and guard the front door.”
I mentally repeated everything Dutch had said. Tinkerbell licked his cheek and trotted out of the room.
“Your pretty little sunflower leads straight to heaven.” Dutch pulled me to the edge of the bed and buried his head in my pussy.
My eyes crossed as his talented tongue swirled around my sensitive clit. I flopped back on the bed and my back bowed as two thick fingers speared deep inside me, and he finger fucked me hard and fast. “Oh God. Oh God. You’re no virgin.”
“You taste so damn good.” Dutch nipped my nubbin, sucked it into his mouth and thrust his fingers even deeper.
The rhythmic nip, suck, thrust drove me wild.
Dutch pinched my clit. “Come for me, darlin’.”
I screamed as the world exploded around me.”
Tinkerbell barked worriedly.
“I’m okay. I’m okay,” I reassured her.
Dutch’s hands roved over my hypersensitive skin. “If you can still talk, then I haven’t done my job properly.”
“And you have way too many clothes on,’ I countered, scooting up the bed.
Dutch stripped in record time. “Better?”
“Much better.” My gaze roved over Dutch’s muscular chest and flat abdomen. All those gorgeous muscles were mine. My eyes dropped lower and I swallowed hard. His erect penis jutted over heavy testicles. “I see Mister Happy is ready to play.”
“He is.” Like a great cat, Dutch crawled up the bed until he loomed over me. “You’re so beautiful.”
I cupped his face with my hands. “Make love to me.”
Dutch crushed my lips in urgent, greedy kisses.
I dug my fingers into his hard ass and hung on as Dutch suckled each nipple until my entire body quivered.
“I love the way you taste, the way you feel.” His wicked mouth nibbled on my ear. “The way you respond to me.”
I arched my neck giving him better access. Dutch seemed to know where I wanted to be touched, stroked. He kept at it until an insane pressure built in my core. A moan broke from me. “Put that cock in me. Now!”
He rubbed his penis against my weeping pussy. “So bossy.”
“You have no idea.” I wrapped my legs around his hips and my eyes rolled back in my head as he thrust into me in a steady pace designed to make my nervous system short circuit. “Harder. Faster.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He hammered into me faster and faster. Every stroke twisted the coil of arousal tighter and tighter. Dutch bit down on my right nipple. Multiple orgasms shook my body and I came apart in his arms.
Dutch threw his head back and roared, “Mine.”
Tinkerbell barked frantically.
“What?” All those orgasms had turned my brains to mush.
Arf. Arf. Arf.
“What!” I shrieked and shoved at Dutch. “Get off me. My parents are here.”
“Fuck!” Dutch shot off the bed. “Wait a minute. You’re an adult and I’m an adult. We’re engaged. We can have sex.”
“Tell that to my parents.” I pulled on my sleep shirt.
“Woohoo! Kandi are you still in bed,” Mom called. “Get some clothes on and come down. We brought breakfast burritos from Hilberto’s.”
“I’ll be down in a moment,” I shouted.
Dutch hurriedly got dressed. “I feel like I’m sixteen again.”
“Were you one of those teenage boys who snuck into girls’ bedrooms?”
“I plead the fifth.”
“Your dad brought his new shotgun and he wants to do some target practicing,” Mom added.
“Shit!” Dutch quickly opened the window and climbed down the trellis.
I watched him disappear into his house.
Dutch was right. I was an adult and it was time my parents realized that. I snorted. Who was I kidding? A Christmas wedding loomed on the horizon.
“Food’s getting cold,” Mom hollered.
“I’m going to call Dutch and invite him over for breakfast.”
“Good. We need to sit down and discuss the wedding.”
I wondered how Dutch would feel about a wedding party filled with Santas and elves. I picked up my phone and punched Dutch’s number. “Hey snookums. Come on over for breakfast. Mom wants to talk about the wedding. Hello? You still there?”
“Be there in five,” Dutch said and hung up.
My life was about to get even crazier.
The end has come! But wait! Defying the Relic Hunter is coming soon!
The next in the Shenanigans series is: HIJINKS, HITMEN AND THE NAUGHTY ELF
I hope you enjoyed this book. A review is greatly appreciated. For news on the Coletti Warlords and Shenanigans series, upcoming events and contests go to my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Colettiwarlordbooks/
Books in the Coletti Warlord series
Vexing Voss
Reality Bites
Just Desserts
Wulf and the Bounty Hunter
Game on Askole
Crossing Quinn
Hothar’s Folly
Sassing Saul
Paranormal romances:
Catching Dragos
Shenanigans
The Trouble with Tigers
Gail Koger links:
goodreads.com/author/show/1598719.Gail_Koger
Twitter: @Askole
facebook.com/Colettiwarlordbooks
GailKoger.com
Gail Koger, The Trouble With Tigers
