“Yeah, sorry, honey, I didn’t mean that like it sounded.”

  “Sure you did. You were jealous and I appreciate that you cared.” She kissed him again and he wrapped his arms around her—a bundle of softness and sweetness–and kissed her back and smiled.

  He loved her.

  “Take as long as you need with your uncle. I’ll be waiting for you,” she said. “Just remember, this time when I make an engagement with Samuel/Smith, I will be like a spider in a web.”

  “Somehow, I can’t see you in that way, but we’ll get him. Thanks, Jessie. I won’t be too long. My uncle wouldn’t allow it, knowing that we would want to be together tonight.” He kissed her again, then pulled on his parka to see his uncle. “See you in a little bit.”

  She locked the door after him, and he trudged through the snow to the house. It was a lot easier running through the drifts as a cougar. When he reached the house, he unlocked the door and found his uncle in his PJs and robe and slippers, watching a movie in the living room. If Paul had wanted to, he could have gone to bed to watch the movie, but Emerson suspected his uncle had hoped he would come over and talk with him for a bit.

  Uncle Paul rose from his seat and Emerson gave him a hug. “I can’t tell you how much I’m glad that you’re here. Thanks for everything you’ve done for me over the years.”

  “You too, Emerson. I couldn’t have asked for a better son to raise. You turned out all right. I’m glad I set you up with Jessie. I was sure the two of you would hit it off. She needed someone decent in her life who deserved her. And I fully admit I wanted to keep her in the family too.”

  Emerson chuckled. He should have known! He joined his uncle on the couch. “I don’t know if you would call me good, exactly.”

  “You have a moral compass that steers you in the right direction.”

  “I didn’t expect you to ambush me on the run.”

  “I still have a few tricks up the old cougar sleeve. Now, I wanted to ask you if her family knows what you were working at?”

  “Yeah. They investigated me to make sure I wasn’t a rogue.”

  “Okay, good. I didn’t want to make a mistake and say anything that I shouldn’t with them if they should ask me any questions about you.”

  Emerson leaned back in his chair. “You can’t tell anyone I was Black Ops. The family knows, sure, but the fewer people who know, the less likely Smith will learn of it and where I’m currently located. I don’t want to put you and Jessie and her family at any more risk than I have to.”

  “I understand. Did she make the list of dates and locations where she met Smith?”

  “She’s doing that now and we’ll send the list to the CSF and the bears to see if we can run Smith down. He hasn’t responded to her email yet.”

  Uncle Paul frowned. “Do you think something she said spooked him?”

  “I don’t see that she would have. He might have been on his computer or cell phone and now he’s off doing other business.”

  “I hated to learn she was dating the bastard.”

  “I know. Me too. I would never have wished him on anyone.”

  “Take good care of Jessie. I know she’ll take good care of you.”

  “She’s already proven that when she went out in the blizzard to rescue me. But she’s so much more than that to me. She’s the bright spot in my life that I needed. I just hadn’t realized it.”

  “Well, go enjoy your time with your mate and don’t worry about having breakfast with me in the morning.”

  “Are you sure?” Emerson was so glad that he had his uncle back in his life, he really had wanted to spend as much time with him as he could, and he was sure that Jessie would want to also. “You know Jessie and I both planned to have meals with you.”

  “Yes, I figured that. But I’m having the bears over to thank them for helping me get you two together. They want to talk to Jessie, but I told them they would have to wait until after breakfast because you’re the equivalent of newlyweds.”

  Emerson laughed. “Okay, thanks, Uncle. We’ll see you in the morning—after breakfast.”

  And making love.

  After his uncle locked the door behind him, Emerson practically raced through the snow to reach the cabin and the object of his desire, even though the snow was deep and wet and cold.

  He couldn’t wait to make love to his mate. But he had to get warmed up first. He didn’t want to chill her when he arrived at the cabin. Stomping his boots on the patio, he tried to shake off most of the snow collected on his boots and pants. He had expected her to be settled in bed, writing or something, but she was at the door in an instant when he opened it. He hurried to lock it and she hurried to pull off his hat and scarf as if she was just as eager to warm him up. He worked on his gloves, and then she was unzipping his parka.

  The walk from the house through all the snow to the cabin was long enough that his face and outer garments were cold as she kissed his lips and shivered. He pulled off his parka and laid it on the chair next to him. Then he wrapped his arms around her and really got into the kiss, warming her and him up at the same time. She was sliding her warm hands underneath his sweater and feeling up his abs. He smiled down at her.

  She was so eager, and he loved that she was that way with him. After everything that had happened before he’d met her, from the moment she’d come into his life, she had brought him out of the doldrums and he knew then she was a keeper.

  His, for all time. She was a free spirit, caring, and loving, and just what he needed in his life. So did his Uncle Paul. He certainly could see why his uncle wanted to keep her for good too.

  “My uncle was so right about you, you know,” Emerson said, kissing her cheek before she reached down to untie his boots. He sat down and she pulled them the rest of the way off and left them on the rug next to the door alongside hers. He smiled at the sight, the notion really sinking in that they were truly a couple. He even envisioned having a twin pair of small Mukluks sitting next to theirs someday in the future. He was thrilled at the prospect, even though he hadn’t thought he would be thinking of kids anytime soon. But Jessie made him think of just that.

  She slid his sweater up and pressed warm caresses with her mouth against his abs that felt heavenly. Then she pulled his sweater up higher and kissed each nipple.

  He couldn’t wait any longer, his erection already growing with her touches. He swept her up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom and set her on the bed. He began untying her robe and pulled it off her shoulders. She was so cuddly in her bright pink pajamas. She pulled at his sweater again, lifting it until he tugged it the rest of the way over his head. She kissed his mouth, starting a slow burn of pleasure deep inside him. Then she was kissing him all over his bare chest.

  “Hmm, honey, you sure know how to rev up a big cat’s motor.”

  “You do the same to me,” she said, licking his nipple, her blond hair floating about his skin, soft, shiny, scented with peaches, tickling him.

  Then she was sliding off his pants and he yanked off his socks.

  He ran his hand up her pajama top and cupped a breast. “Beautiful.”

  She purred with pleasure. “Hmm, so are you.”

  He hungered for her, her soft touches, hot kisses, her teasing tongue, wanting to slide into her and make her his all over again.

  Ohmigod, Emerson was such a hot bodied cougar, his movements deft, heat erupting inside Jessie, every bit of his touches making her tingle with eroticism and need. She was so aware of everything about him—the sexy smell of her big cat and virile man, testosterone and power, pheromones jumping with excitement.

  He slid off her pajama top and pressed eager, solicitous kisses all over her breasts. She purred again, loving the feel of his hot mouth on her heated skin. Intense need filled her, preparing her for him as he continued to kiss her breasts and run his hand over hair.

  She pulled off his boxer briefs, watching his erection spring free and smiled. Then he slipped off her pajama bottoms and they were naked together, their bodies sliding against each other’s.

  She was wet with craving and wanted him in her now, but he had other ideas and he began to move his hand over her belly, then lower. He began caressing her between her legs, but he was kissing her mouth in a way that said he wanted to touch her all over, tongue tasting hers, lips sucking on each other’s. He cupped her lightly between her legs, then inserted his finger between her feminine lips.

  She gave a start and smiled. Her body quivered with his delicious touch and she kissed his mouth. He licked her lips and then he began to stroke her between her legs. “Emerson,” she said breathlessly. He was driving her crazy in a wonderful way.

  He was kissing her breasts again and rubbing her clit, making her feel like a million bucks. He smiled and kissed her mouth again. The sweet ache between her legs intensified until he pushed her all the way to the top and she came apart in a million wonderful pieces.

  “Yes!” She spread her legs further for him, and he moved in between them and eased into her. She reveled in his musky scent and arched her back, accepting him.

  Then he was pumping into her with gusto, as if he couldn’t get enough of her, that he needed the intimacy and connection as much as she did.

  “Oh, more,” she said, wanting him deeper, as deep as she could get him.

  He smiled down at her, kissed her, and drew her legs up over his shoulders so he could penetrate her as deeply as he could. Their hearts were both pumping hard, as he continued to thrust into her.

  The intense undeniable pleasure of their connection heated her blood to an inferno. Until he came with a final thrust, and a groan of release, but he didn’t stop there. He released her legs from his shoulders and then began to stroke her between her legs again. She couldn’t believe he would be trying to make her climax again and she loved him for it.

  She was already so pumped up, it didn’t take long for his fingers to work their magic on her. She arched to his touch, cried out, and collapsed against the mattress, pulling him down with her.

  “I love you,” she said, and he kissed her eyes, her nose, her mouth.

  “I love you right back, honey. We make a team.”

  “Oh, yeah, we do.”

  And then they snuggled together, sleeping some until the next lovefest hit.

  “Hmm, you are just perfect for me,” she said, kissing his chest.

  He kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arms snuggly around her. “You are perfect for me.”

  Chapter 21

  After Jessie and Emerson made love and had breakfast the next morning, he got a text from his uncle. “That was Uncle Paul. He said he, Luke, Barrett, and Nathan are finished with breakfast if we’re ready to come over and meet with them to talk about Smith.”

  “I’m ready,” Jessie said, helping Emerson clean up after they ate.

  Hoping the discussion wouldn’t upset his mate, he pulled her into his arms and hugged and kissed her. “They’ll ask a lot of questions about Smith.”

  “Absolutely, I’m ready for it. I’m an open book as far as helping you guys to nail the bastard.”

  “Okay, good. I don’t want anyone to upset you.”

  She kissed him. “It’s more upsetting to think Smith is someone I have dated. Not that it’s a surprise, given the inclination I have had for dating the wrong guys. I’m just hoping something I tell you all will help you catch him.”

  “Okay.” Emerson kissed her again, and then they got their warm clothes on and headed over to the main house.

  When they arrived at the house, they met the new bear, Barrett. He was a big man like the other bears, about six-four, and dark-haired, bearded, wearing olive-drab cargo pants, hiking boots, a heavy wool sweater, and he had olive green eyes that assessed them. He shook their hands, then they all sat down in the living room to talk. “You said you met him in Colorado City the first time,” Barrett said to Jessie.

  She nodded. “Yes. I stopped at a hotel on the way back to Loveland after getting some pictures for a photo book. He was staying at the same hotel. We literally ran into each other swimming in the pool. He said he’d gotten something in his eye—”

  “You,” Emerson said, sounding growly.

  Barrett agreed. “He’s a strategist. He doesn’t accidentally do anything.”

  “You could very well be right. When we got out of the pool, his towel was on a chaise lounge next to mine. Of course I smelled he was a cougar—”

  “And you know he smelled your cougar scent before he even got in the pool,” Emerson said, figuring she hadn’t realized the guy was that conniving. “You were alone in the pool first, right?”

  “Uh, yes.”

  “He targeted you. Not as in the kind of mission we were doing,” Barrett said, “but for playtime, nothing more.”

  “Hey, I know. All right. I always ended up with the rogues.”

  “Not this time.” Emerson patted her leg.

  She smiled at him, then grew serious again. “He took me out to dinner—to make up for running into me. We had a nice time. I’m sure he wanted more, but by then I’d had trouble with two different rogue cougars, and I wasn’t racing into any new relationships, despite him seeming so nice. He got an important work call and once he was done with it, he quickly exchanged phone numbers with me and said the next time he was back in Colorado, he’d call on me and see if we could get together. I said good night to him and that was it. Nice letdown. No problem. Free dinner, fun dinner conversation, and then he was gone. No complications.”

  “Then he called you again,” Barrett said.

  “That time, he said he was passing through Loveland and on the off chance I was in town, could he see me? I hadn’t heard from him in six months, the rogue I’d been dating had been terminated, so I said, ‘Sure, why not?’ We met and had a nice dinner out. He had another call, had to quickly leave after the meal was done, and I figured then he was just always on the run and I wasn’t interested in anyone like that.”

  “You didn’t think it was suspicious that he found you back in Loveland when your photography commitments took you all over?” Emerson asked.

  Uncle Paul brought them all cups of coffee. He’d always been the perfect host.

  “Thanks, Uncle Paul,” Jessie said and took a sip of her coffee. “No. You know, I might be naïve about the story guys are giving me, but they’re damn good con-artists and they duped everyone.”

  Emerson nodded. “He got me and my team.”

  “And me and mine,” Barrett agreed.

  “But of course, now, knowing what he did to you both, I can look back at the incidents and question his sudden arrivals and departures. Another time was in Denver. He said he had a flight in there, could I drive down there to see him and spend some time with him? It was only about fifty miles from Loveland. But I was already in Denver. I just thought it was so cool that he was coming at the same time when I would be at the same location.”

  “Right,” Emerson said.

  “I know, I know, I’m not one of you guys no matter how many times I date the wrong men, but I still have faith in people, you know.” She sighed.

  “Well, these guys are definite cons. The rogues. You have to expect that of them.” Emerson finished his coffee. He set his mug down on the coffee table and squeezed her hand.

  “Okay, so you said he met you in Cheyenne, Wyoming once,” Barrett said.

  “Yeah. Now that time, he called me and asked me if I’d like to meet him there because it wasn’t too far from Loveland if I was back home. It’s an hour from there also.”

  “Were you?” Luke asked.

  “Yeah, I was. I guess he knew that before he called me. I don’t think he was using me for anything though.”

  “No, just someone he could trust who wouldn’t stab him in the back when he wanted to date a cougar,” Barrett said.

  The guys all looked at each other.

  “Wait, so Smith has always known just where I would be when he contacted me to get together with him? He knows I am here?” Jessie sounded horrified of the prospect.

  “Yeah, honey, I think that’s a good possibility. That when he asked if he could see you, he was fishing to see if you knew what was going on with him.”

  “He might have even known when you were going out with another cougar,” Luke said, “and didn’t want to get tangled up with that scene. For the most part, he likes covert operations.”

  “Oh, right. He never once wanted to see my family. I figured he was afraid it would signal some kind of commitment between us. It didn’t bother me at all since I wasn’t looking for any at the time.”

  “He didn’t really want anyone to see him with you,” Emerson said. “He probably knew all about your family terminating rogues that you had dated.”

  “Uh, yes, I’d told him about them. Just in case he turned out to be a rogue.”

  Emerson smiled. “Like you told me.”

  “Sure. There’s nothing sneaky about me. But what if he didn’t want anyone to see him with me because of the true nature of his business and he didn’t want me to get hurt? The guy had to have some sense of decency, didn’t he? Not that it would be enough to make me change my mind about him, but even villains have some side of them that isn’t quite villainous, I have to believe.”

  “I doubt it,” Barrett said. “He’s all for himself. If you became an issue for him, you could easily have been eliminated.”

  That’s just what Emerson would have said if Barrett hadn’t.

  There was a knocking at the door, and all the guys, including Paul pulled out guns.

  Emerson headed for the door, checked the security peephole, and saw it was the UPS deliveryman. He hoped it was legitimate. He opened the door, and the carrier handed him the box.

  “Thanks,” Emerson said.

  “Have a great day.” The man got into his delivery truck and left.

  Emerson put his ear to the box and listened for a ticking bomb but didn’t hear anything. He locked the door and turned to see Barrett behind him, ready to take someone down.