Cougar's Conquest. Linda Johnston O.

yet.

      “Nice view, isn’t it?” He spoke calmly, but even so she flinched at the sound of his voice.

      “Yes, it is.” She still didn’t look at him. She seemed to attempt to avoid any kind of contact or even acknowledgment of his presence.

      But he? He wanted her in his arms, beneath his caresses. And more.

      Just one more time.

      Gwynn, though, appeared to stay focused on the scenery below. She kept one hand on the wooden guardrail facing away from him. He doubted that she was enjoying what she saw since her posture was rigid, and not even her head turned to indicate that she was doing more than staring in one direction.

      Not looking at him, avoiding him as much as possible in this small but far from intimate area.

      He had no doubt, though, that her thoughts, like his, were on the past, when they had visited a similar vista in the mountains near Denver, where they had met.

      When they had been anything but remote toward each other.

      When their initial sightseeing had led to hugs, touches and, ultimately, a rushed journey to the nearest hotel where they had made love for the first time.

      It hadn’t been the last.

      So what if she now pretended to ignore him? That caused him no pain. He was in charge here. It was time to remind her.

      “Ready for that proposition I mentioned?” He spoke in a friendly yet remote tone. If he allowed triumph to sound in his voice, he knew what her answer would be.

      What he would tell her actually would be of more benefit to her in many ways than to him. But it would be good for him, too. She had no idea yet that he had joined the military. He was now recruiting, and the more successful he was, the faster he could be promoted to higher ranks with greater responsibility and prestige.

      Not bad, for someone who hadn’t the unusual background of those who rose most quickly in the unit he had joined and now revered.

      Alpha Force.

      “Sure, I’ll listen,” she eventually said, sounding as if she didn’t care in the least what he had to say. “What is it?”

      In the past, she had always looked him in the eye, smiling, soaking in his words. Not now. She kept staring into the distance, her expression guarded.

      “Let me give you a little background first.” He took a few steps forward to join her at the rail, ignoring that she moved sideways to avoid him. “You know, you didn’t hang around long enough to find out what I thought about the fact that you were a shapeshifter.”

      He heard her draw in her breath, and from the corner of his eye he saw her cringe, as if he had struck her.

      He forced himself not to move, not to take her into his arms for reassurance. She would only recoil even more.

      But it was damned hard being this near without touching her, even knowing she had fled from him before and probably hated seeing him now.

      At her silence, he continued, “I’d never heard even fictional stories of a shapeshifting cougar before. Wolves, sure. Even birds, from that classic movie Ladyhawke. But a mountain lion? At first, I was shocked that my lover changed shape under a full moon.” He purposely refrained from saying “the woman I loved.” He had told her that before he’d realized she had kept something so vital from him—and before she ran away. “But after you were gone and I had an opportunity to think, I realized how fascinated I was by it. Too bad you didn’t hang around long enough for me to tell you.”

      He did pause then, staring at her still-averted face. Waiting for some reaction.

      She turned then to look at him. The expression in her dark eyes was skeptical. “Fascinated how? Like you’d just seen a carnival freak show? Or some crazy sci-fi thriller come to life? Or—”

      “You’re the one calling yourself a freak or unreal creature,” he reminded her. “Not me.”

      He again wanted to touch her as she winced, but refrained. What was it about this woman that brought out all his protective instincts? He’d wanted to take care of her from the first, but that was because she had always seemed so vulnerable—before he knew why.

      Even now, after she had accidentally revealed the truth about herself and fled—leaving him in bewilderment and pain that continued to haunt him in unguarded moments—her reactions still caused him to want to fix things for her.

      Well, he would do that, but not in any way she might anticipate.

      “Fair enough,” she admitted. “And, well, for whatever it’s worth, I do apologize, Brett. I never intended to get so close to any man—anyone at all—and yet with you…” Her voice trailed off, and he saw tears in her eyes before she again turned away.

      “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “I was upset when you left. But after thinking about it, I understood why you left, even if I didn’t like it. And my amazement and fascination—well, it did turn my life in a different direction. I don’t suppose you’ve ever heard of Alpha Force, have you?”

      Her puzzled expression was his answer.

      “I didn’t think so. They work extremely hard to keep it secret. I work hard at that now, too. Believe it or not, I’ve enlisted in the military, Gwynn. And I’m going to tell you some pretty incredible stuff. First, though, you have to promise to keep it as much of a secret as your shapeshifting.”

      “You’re in the military? That’s so unlike you—well, it’s unlike how you used to be.”

      He swallowed his annoyance that she didn’t answer his question. “You weren’t who I’d thought you were, Gwynn, so why do you think you know who I am?”

      Her smile was wan. “You’re right about that.”

      “So, do you promise not to reveal to anyone what I’m about to tell you?”