Taming the Wild Cougar

  He zipped up the tent, then turned as she began untying her boots. He sat on the mattress next to her and began to do the same with his. “I like your sleeping bag.”

  “Special order for Christmas from my nurses. They knew how much I loved to camp so they bought the cougar cat paw print sleeping bag just for me.”

  “And one other.”

  “Yeah, well that was in case I had a…partner to sleep with.”

  “Guess they must have had a sixth sense.”

  She pulled off her socks and then she started to strip out of her clothes. He did too, only she planned to put on her warm P.J.s and heavy socks. She didn’t remember seeing him pick up anything for nighttime wear. Not that he’d planned to spend time like this with her either.

  “You didn’t get anything to wear for at night, did you?” she asked.

  “I can wear briefs. I didn’t plan on sleeping with you in a tent for however long we’ll be doing this.”

  “As long as you’ll be warm enough.”

  “Hell, sleeping with you makes me damn hot.” He gave her a smile.

  “Ow, damn it. I can’t reach back to unfasten my bra.”

  “Here, let me help you.”

  She turned her back to him, hoping he didn’t think she was leading him on, just because they’d kissed and seemed to be getting a lot more familiar than they should be. Not when he had taken her hostage. But it was either allow him to help her or sleep in it.

  He unfastened the bra and slid the straps down her arms.

  “Thanks.”

  “Need help with anything else?” he asked, stripping off his sweatshirt.

  “No. Thanks.” She very carefully pulled on one sleeve of her pullover pajama top, but every movement hurt.

  “Here, let me.” Even though he was trying to be gentle, it didn’t matter how careful he was, she was straining her back muscles to get the shirt on. Even though she thought she could do it, he helped her on with her P.J. bottoms and then her heavy socks.

  “I’d help you but you’re not wearing anything.”

  He smiled. “I’m wearing more than I usually do.”

  “Thank you for that.”

  He chuckled. Then he pulled the sleeping bag open for her to climb in, and joined her. He hadn’t even let her settle in before he was pulling her into his arms as if she needed his warmth and he needed hers, when she was sure they’d be all right for a time, anyway. Though the colder the night grew, she was certain she’d be seeking his warmth like a cougar would her mate.

  7

  The sleeping bag’s polyester taffeta lining was so soft next to Leyton’s bare skin and so was Kate, wrapped in his arms. It was no wonder he dreamed abut the tantalizing she-cat as soon as he dropped off to sleep.

  Gunfire rang out and Leyton dove for cover—a second too late—ostracizing himself for getting hit again in the shoulder, the pain aching with a dull throb. But the next instant, he was naked and taking down one hot doctor, smelling her sweet scent, cushioned by her soft curves, unable to do anything but enjoy the moment, despite the fix he was in.

  And then before he knew it, he was falling again, only this time in a car, flying over a cliff without wings, smashing into every tree in its path. He heard a bear snorting, moving around the car.

  In pain, Leyton pulled Kate into the back seat with him, away from the threat of the bear. And then he snuggled with her, no more troubles, just her sweet scent, her soft body, and the sound of the rain lulling him back into a deep sleep.

  * * *

  Kate only saw the man who looked like the deputy sheriff, but wasn’t him, right before he slammed his hard, naked, injured body into hers and took her to the floor. She was trying to recall her ju jitsu. She didn’t think she’d learned any skill to move a heavy, prone, naked man off her. At least if she had, in that moment, she’d forgotten all.

  The next thing she knew, she was headed for a cub and then saw a mother and another cub. She had no choice but to swerve and miss them. No choice but to tear off a cliff and land down in the ravine.

  The undercover agent was holding her tight, keeping the chill out, and she breathed in his woodsy scent as she vaguely listened to the rain coming down. But then she heard a bear snort and snuff and her eyes popped open.

  She fumbled for the car keys in the dark, and finding them, she started punching it until she hit the car alarm. The lights flashed, the car alarm making an awful racket, perfect for scaring away bears, and Leyton scrambled for the gun.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, gun in hand.

  “Bear.”

  “Hell, I only thought I dreamed there was a bear about.”

  “I was too. But if we both were dreaming about it, maybe it wasn’t a dream.”

  He peered out through the tent opening, but if a bear had been about with all the noise the car was making, it probably had taken off in a hurry.

  Leyton set the gun down by the mattress and pulled Kate gently into his arms. She finally stopped pressing the car alarm and set it next to her side of the mattress, just in case.

  “I hope you’re having good dreams,” she said, dreamily against his chest now that the threat of the bear was past.

  “Yeah, I was dreaming about you. What about you?”

  “Of you, tackling me at the clinic.”

  He chuckled. “Me too. I thought you knew ju jitsu.”

  “I think as soon as a naked male cougar was pressed against me, all my training went out the window.”

  “I’ll have to teach you how to handle someone like that should you find yourself in the same bind.”

  “Wouldn’t that be self-defeating?”

  “You mean, if I tried to take you down like that again and you managed to free yourself? More fun for me.”

  She laughed, then she frowned. “Leyton, it’s pouring rain out. What if the creek rises? Is the tent far enough from it?”

  “If we don’t have a ton of rain. I imagine this whole shore could be flooded, but probably not overnight.”

  “Okay. Just so you’re sure.”

  “I’m not sure. But we set the tent up as far away as we could from the creek and as close as we could comfortably get to the car.”

  “Okay.” She closed her eyes and hoped Leyton was right.

  But he was wrong.

  * * *

  The winds had really picked up and the rain hadn’t let up when Leyton felt like he’d capsized in a boat and was washed away with a bunch of bedding.

  “Leyton!” Kate hollered in his ear as a torrent of water carried the tent and them with it some ways in the dark before it hit a wall of trees. The tent had collapsed and they were wrapped up in it like a heavy wet cocoon.

  “Can you locate the opening?” he asked, quickly finding the gun and a backpack, and shoving lanterns and everything else he could salvage into it.

  “Here. We’re on top of it.”

  “Okay, just grab your car keys, and anything else you need. I’ll flip the tent over so we can scramble out.” He was trying to rush her, but not alarm her as panicky as she already sounded.

  “It won’t budge,” she said, trying to lift it with the pressure of the water pouring over the waterproof tent and pinning it against the trees.

  “I’ll take the bag, and, Kate, when you leave the tent, I want you to move to your right. That’s where the car is, up to our right. Grab a tree and hug it.”

  “But how far back is the car?”

  “Twenty or thirty feet. Keep uphill of the car. But wait for me and I’ll help you get there.” He was afraid she would be swept away with her slighter build and lack of upper arm strength. Not that anyone couldn’t be. In the face of a torrent of water like that, it was dangerous for anyone. “Just grab a tree and hold on. We’ll make our way to the car. It’s wedged between trees. Unless the trees go, it’s not moving anywhere. But hold on to the trees. Get above the water line.”

  “What about you?”

  “I’ll be right behind you.” He couldn’t
have gotten this far and lose her in a flood.

  He helped lift the tent so she could get out, but as soon as she did, the creek dislodged the tent from where it was locked against the trees and he was carried away. He heard Kate screaming, “Leyton! Oh, God, Leyton.”

  He couldn’t respond as the tent tumbled and he had to find the opening again and risk jumping into the broiling water, hoping it didn’t slam him into a tree and break every bone in his body. He was sore enough already.

  “Leyton!” Kate’s voice was far away now, and he finally managed to open the tent enough as it rolled and the opening was easier to get to.

  With a lunge, he was caught up in the water, free of the tent, and scrambling to grab a tree branch and pull himself out of the main flow of water. He wanted to tell Kate he was coming for her. To hold on, but he was trying so hard to keep his head above water, he couldn’t manage to get a word out. The bag on his back was being pulled with the flow; his whole body was. He finally managed to dig his boots into the ground and heave himself upward, grabbing for another tree, and pulling him up again. Each time he managed to climb a little higher as the water threatened to drag him from his tentative perch, he felt the strength of the flow of the water ebbing. Another few feet and he was above the water line and he yelled, “I’m coming, Kate. Hold on!”

  The wind swept spruce branches in his direction, the needled branches slapping him as if trying to working against him. The rain was hitting his face so hard, he could barely look to see where he was going, but he kept high above the water and kept heading against the strong winds until he spied Kate ahead, but below him.

  “Coming, Kate!”

  She was still holding onto the tree for dear life in the swift flow of water. He tossed the bag higher above him onto the wet ground, and then headed down into the water to reach her, careful not to be swept away himself. Then he joined her and hugged her and the tree, kissing her cheek, feeling her icy body shaking. Hell, he’d been so intent on reaching her, he hadn’t even noticed how cold they both were.

  “We’re going to move up to the next tree. The water isn’t flowing as strongly up there, and we’ll keep moving until we are well out of it. The car is above all of this. Don’t let go of me, and I’ll get us to the next tree. Just don’t let go.”

  She shook her head, then nodded.

  “Here we go.”

  She wrapped her arms around him, and he grabbed for the next tree within reach, not letting go of the last until he had good footing. when he could move her all the way up it, he started for the next tree, each time the pull of the water lessening.

  “We’re almost there, Kate. And then we’ll get warm and dry in the car. Just stay with me.” He felt her grip was not as strong as it should be. He was afraid she was hypothermic. And he was afraid she could be in bad shape.

  “Kate, tell me your address.”

  She let out a little laugh. Was she hysterical?

  “Kate…” He was almost to the bag. “Wait, let me get the bag.” They were well above the water line now. Once he’d grabbed the bag and had his arm wrapped securely around her, they moved against the wind and rain until they reached the car.

  He leaned her against the car, then struggled to get the door open against the wind. After tossing the bag inside, he helped her in and climbed in himself, the door slamming shut with the force of the wind. They were soaking wet, muddy, cold, and aching. She still had ice chests and other stuff back there, so he pushed everything to the very back of the car, folded down the seat so they could have a little more room, and removed their sopping wet clothes. Though all Leyton had been wearing were his briefs. He helped her out of her pajamas and they tossed the wet clothes on top of one of the coolers. If the rain stopped tomorrow, which it should, they could hang everything out to dry in the sun tomorrow.

  “Tell me your name and address,” he said, jerking some paper towels off one of the rolls that was easier to get to than trying to locate a towel and began to dry her, rubbing her delicate skin vigorously to warm her, and then wrapping her in one of the quilts.

  She shook her head slightly. “I’m okay, Leyton.”

  “Like hell you are. State your name and address.”

  She did, smiling a little, her teeth chattering. “I’m a little hypothermic. Okay? So are you, I imagine.”

  He turned on one of the camp lanterns to give them some more light. But the cold wind and rain was blowing in through the windshield again.

  “Be right back.” He grabbed a tarp and climbed over the console. “Glad you had plenty of stuff in the car that stayed dry.” He began to use the visors to hold up the tarp and secured it well enough against the wind and rain.

  She’d been drenched on another camping trip with no reserve bedding tucked away safely in the car. She’d learned from the experience and always carried a couple of old quilts, an emergency reflective blanket with her, and another tarp. She began spreading out the blankets and making a bed for them.

  She was chilled to the bone and she knew once Leyton joined her under the quilts, they would both warm up and be fine.

  “Thanks for coming for me. When I saw the tent carried away in the creek water…” She swallowed hard, not wanting to think of how she nearly died when that had happened.

  “All I could think of was getting back to you. I was afraid with the strength of the water, you wouldn’t be able to make it up to the car without being carried away in the creek’s overflow. I didn’t even think about the way the cold had to be affecting either of us. And I hadn’t expected the tent to take off again.” He climbed back over the seat to join her.

  In her wildest dreams, she would never have imagined any of this to have happened. Or that she’d want to hold his hot body for warmth on a chilly night when just last night, he’d had her tied up in her own bed with him.

  She tore off several of the paper towels and helped dry him this time, doing the same with him. Rubbing his body, getting his blood flowing, then pulling him to join her under the quilts.

  Once they were snuggled in the bed together, he began to rub her back to help ease the tension again, and then he kissed her and held her tight.

  “What’s your name and address,” she asked.

  Leyton chuckled low and wrapped his arms tighter around her. “I’m undercover,” he whispered against her wet hair.

  “You sure are,” she breathed out, feeling his chilly body warming, his arousal stirring.

  Naked bodies definitely generated more heat together. Doctor recommended. She sighed, and finally exhausted, fell asleep.

  * * *

  The next morning, Kate woke before Leyton, to her surprise. She slipped out of his arms, dressed, and carefully climbed out of the car, trying not to wake him. She couldn’t believe she didn’t disturb him as she made her way outside into the dim light of twilight where the upper edge of the sun had not yet begun to show itself. Thankfully the rains had stopped and the creek that had spilled over its banks in the middle of the night, but was still a long distance from the car, had receded.

  Leyton had to be dead tired to sleep through her moving around him in the tight quarters. But she reminded herself that she had slept most of the drive yesterday, catching up on missed sleep from working on patients in the middle of the night three nights in a row before she went on vacation, then working long hours in the clinic. Even though cougar shifters healed quickly, they didn’t heal up immediately, and she’d seen broken bones, cuts, sunburns, poison ivy rashes, car, motorcycle, boating, and camping accident victims, and any number of summer-related injuries that had kept her busy.

  But she had to see what had happened to the tent and sleeping bag, hoping that they hadn’t been ruined.

  Then she saw the tent on its top sagging against the brush and trees. She hurried to get them before she tried to start a fire. If she could start a fire with everything being so wet. She struggled to turn her tent over so she could pull out her sleeping bag, but it was so wet, she couldn’t move a
ny of it. The muscle strain in her back prevented her from doing anything with it without Leyton’s help.

  She’d wait for him to get up and they could have breakfast, then move it. Then they’d spread it out all out to dry in the sun—between that and the breeze, they should dry out quickly.

  She took the paper towels they had used to dry themselves that were already dry and built up the fire, then made coffee. She was going to fix breakfast, when she heard Leyton moving around. He finally emerged from the car fully dressed.

  “Good morning,” he said, stretching, wearing another pair of camo pants, black T-shirt, and his boots. “Hell of a night.” He smirked a little and she got the impression the way they had ended up naked together had made the night’s adventure well worth it.

  She noticed he was still careful with his shoulder, not that she was surprised. His injuries would take some time to heal.

  He glanced in the direction of the tent and she could see he was getting ready to tackle it.

  “Don’t bother with the tent until I can help. The sleeping bag and everything is so wet, it’s hard to move. Come, have some coffee. Breakfast will be done soon. Glad you slept a little longer than me. You must have needed the sleep. Feel any better?”

  “Yeah. You?”

  “I do.”

  He rubbed his whiskery chin. “I’m going to start looking like a grizzly bear before long. Be right back.” He headed back down the beach and into the woods.

  “I’ve got a razor, if you want to use it,” she called out to him.

  “Nah, easier not to mess with it when we’re out in the wilderness like this,” he said from the woods.

  He was back before she knew it, but when he saw she hadn’t finished fixing breakfast yet, he headed into the woods. “Getting firewood for our signal fires,” he tossed over his shoulder.

  “It’s probably all wet. Don’t you want some coffee first?”

  “In a minute.”