Free Outfoxed by Marie Harte Page B

mess again, filling her up, she pleaded for mercy.
    “Okay, okay.” She tried to catch her breath, feeling completely boneless. “I give up. You win.”
    He grinned down at her, his face flushed with spent passion. “Honey, I’d say we both win.” He sniffed the crook of her neck, then licked her there. “Oh yeah. No going back now.” He opened his mouth to say something else, then froze.
    “Grady?”
    In seconds he’d pulled out of her and shifted into his cat. “Someone’s out there.”
    Gabby turned into her fox without thought, the need for speed and cover overriding her concern about size. “Go. I’ll watch your back.” If they encountered real danger, she’d shift into her larger, more lethal animal.
    “Be careful.” Then he screamed in warning at whatever awaited them and took off like a shot.
    She followed, relying on her sense of smell and hearing, as her vision wasn’t as good in this form. When Grady stopped a few moments later, she stopped with him. He turned his head and opened his mouth to taste the scent on his tongue.
    “Feline, but I don’t know him.” Grady shook his head, his ears back, alert. “He’s gone now, whoever he is. I didn’t detect aggression in his scent, though you never know. I’ll let Burke handle this. We have more important things to do.”
    “Like what?” she teased.
    “Let’s get back and finish this discussion.” Then his eyes widened when he took a good, hard look at her. He grinned. “You are so cute.”
    “Cute? I’m vicious.” As a cat she would have bared her teeth at him, but as a fox, she lacked the facial muscles to do so. Instead, she pounced on his tail and gave him a warning bark.
    He chuffed at her and flicked his tail away, but not before she’d nipped it.
    “Ouch. Okay, Rambo. Let’s head home.”
    Home. With Grady. She liked the sound of that. She trotted next to him, preening as she accepted his flattery and appreciative study. Her fox liked the nimble-tongued feline. And speaking of nimble tongues…
    She whispered what she wanted to do with him when they returned, and he nudged her to hurry. She smiled. She couldn’t wait.
     
     
    From some distance away, he watched them turn and leave, glad he’d had the foresight to roll in the carcass and entrails of the deer he’d killed earlier to mask most of his scent. Stupid to have gotten too close. But he’d wanted to see if the rumors he’d heard were true. Another feline, but one that could shift into a fox as well? Intriguing, and she would definitely be of interest back home. If he planned on telling.
    Because Quince had no intention of helping the jackass currently ruining the pride with anything other than dying, and only after he’d seen to his own future—one that included a sexy cat with claws.
    He needed to report something though, especially since the female had been claimed by a Chastell. Which brought him to a particularly sore point—Chastell’s bastard younger brother. Now what to do about him…and Joy? He climbed down the tree he’d been hiding in and ignored the urge to mark the spot as his. Instead, he wandered back into the forest, debating how far to take things. Initiative was a wonderful thing, but too much of it could get him killed.

Chapter Six
    They spent Saturday making love and having the time of their lives in an upscale bed and breakfast in Whitefish. Grady had gone to great expense to treat Gabby to a romantic weekend away from everyone and everything but him. It had been a magical time he’d never forget, and it had forced him to confront his feelings. He’d decided to tell her the truth—he loved her. The big L. The issue with Joy and Dean could wait. It bothered the hell out of him he had to deal with it, but as soon as he reasoned a way to tell Gabby without looking like a horse’s ass, he’d do it.
    There was no way they could hide the mating scent from the others. The thought of flaunting his relationship in front of Miles excited the