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The wreckers had left damage in what otherwise he could tell was a well-worked stretch of land butting up to the Cascade forest beyond. A charred angled path had cut a gaping hole among shrubs, trees, and rows of vegetables where the wreckers had fired their guns.
“Do you want to go out there? Have a look around?”
He could feel Rachel’s sadness as she shook her head. “It will take several days work and a few shopping trips into the local Seattle nursery to replace what’s been destroyed. And I’m way too tired to deal with it right now.”
She turned toward him and offered up a half-smile. She then led him down the hall to the right. He passed a library that faced the backyard, a small bedroom on the right and finally reached her master bedroom which also had a view of the garden. Fortunately, this part of the landscaping hadn’t been touched by wrecker shells and reflected the same look as the front yard with a stretch of well-mowed grass, beds thick with shrubs and flowers, and a few small ornamental trees here and there.
There was even a birdbath – vintage Rachel.
But he loved it because it was her. And because, despite the gaping can’t-connect-well-with-anyone hole in his psyche, she’d brought him into her home.
He set the shotguns on the floor near the bed and Rachel added the boxes of shells.
“I’ve already showered,” she said, gesturing to the en suite bathroom. “But feel free.”
“Is that a hint?”
She grinned. “What do you think? You’ve just been in battle. The shotgun smoke went everywhere.”
He laughed and headed to the bathroom, but just for fun, he waved a hand and folded off his uniform before he even reached the door.
He heard Rachel gasp and afterward a heavy flow of her bonding scent, smelling of the rich earth of her garden, returned to him.
He smiled as he turned on the three showerheads in what proved to be a roomy stall. Maybe she’d imagined him in this space. The next thought – that she’d built the shower to share with other men – had him growling softly. Not surprising, his fangs made an appearance.
He didn’t bother retracting them since he fully intended to use them over the next hour or so.
~ ~ ~
Rachel stood completely still at the foot of the bed. Duncan had stunned her by getting rid of his clothes as he walked into the bathroom. The sight of his muscular bare ass, narrow waist and incredibly broad shoulders had sent shock waves of visual pleasure first through her mind then rippling down her body.
She remained almost slack-jawed with her lips parted and her breaths coming in strange hitched gasps.
She was tempted to follow after him, but decided, instead, to take time getting herself and the bedroom ready. She started by drawing the covers back on the king size bed.
Duncan was the first man she’d ever brought into this bed given it was just a few weeks old. She hadn’t lived in the Seattle One Colony very long, but had taken pains to remodel the entire house, including the bedroom.
Maybe she’d even had him in mind since the ceiling height in each room and doorway had been raised, the bathroom expanded to create a large shower, and the furniture big enough to
house his warrior frame. Endelle was right; she was drawn to warrior types.
She trembled as she slowly folded the green silk sheet back, along with the quilt, gathering both up in her arms and settling them on a nearby wing-back chair.
Since Duncan had given her a shock, she decided to return the favor. She walked out onto the back patio and plucked a red rose from a nearby shrub. She began pulling the petals off one after the other.
Returning to the bed, she folded off her dress and shoes, her bra and thong. Then with the petals still in hand she stretched herself out on the bed.
She layered a few of the petals over her landing strip, a few on each breast, and the rest in a line running down her abdomen. At about the same time, she heard the shower stop running.
Duncan called to her from the bathroom. “You know, Rachel, I’ve been thinking…”
“Yeah?” she responded, her gaze fixed to the doorway, waiting.
“Maybe there’s a way to have you be involved in the team without really being part of it. More like a liaison position. What do you think?”
“I think my mind isn’t on the black ops team … at all.”
He appeared in the doorway. “Why not? Uh … holy shit…”
