Special Ops Shifters: Dallas Force: The Complete Series Collection (Shifter Nation) Page 40

  She yearned for him just as badly, wrapping her legs around him and pulling him down toward her, yanking hard enough that the stitching of his belt loops tore. Delilah stripped him of his shirt, smoothing her hands over his chest. “I sure do appreciate a powerful man,” she growled as her fingers glided down his strong arms, tracing every muscle slowly as though they might tell her of the work they’d done.

  The intensity of the heat between them was too much to bear. Vance groaned as he felt her release his cock from the confines of his jeans. He’d taken his share of women, but none of them compared to Delilah. She claimed him just as much as he claimed her, and it ignited him with a fever down to the very marrow of his bones.

  Those muscles she’d proclaimed to be so strong and powerful were quivering with anticipation as he returned the favor, taking satisfaction in the pop of snaps as he pulled her blouse open. He explored her curves with his mouth, roving over the hills and valleys of her breasts, claiming the peaks as his own with his tongue.

  Delilah’s back arched, pressing her harder into him and encouraging him. She could demand anything of him and he’d do it, like a man bewitched. His cougar was demanding, too, demanding that he get things going already. Instead, Vance moved backward on their berth of soft hay and clamped his teeth around the leather of her belt before yanking his head back. The gasp of surprise from that sweet mouth of hers was enough to keep him going, and he ripped open her belt and zipper. His fingers joined in to pull the fabric away from her hips, and he claimed her soft folds with his mouth.

  Vance was a man possessed as he teased and licked, exploring this most secret place as her hips bucked against him and her fingers swirled through his hair. He tucked his hands around the backs of her thighs and clenched them around her hips, keeping her in place as she writhed and trembled beneath him. God, she was sweet, and Vance thought he could worship her right there forever.

  But his body had other wishes, too; ones that could only go unanswered for so long. Vance gave her one final caress before he climbed back up on top of her, his thick shaft sliding along her leg as he leaned down. “Is this what you want?”

  Her eyes blazed with desire. “Don’t tease me, Vance.” Her legs gripped him around the waist and pulled hard, leaving no question as the two of them melded together.

  Explosions rippled through Vance’s body the moment he sank into her. The burning that had started as a mere matchstick of flame when he’d first encountered her at the rodeo—how long ago had that been now?—had billowed into a massive bonfire that raged inside him as Delilah’s hips moved enticingly against his.

  Her nails dug into his back, tiny stabs of pain like pinpricks of light that kept him from completely losing control of himself and shifting into his feline form. Vance knew she was suffering on the edge as well as she sank her teeth into his shoulder. Her thighs clenched as she tightened around him, and she arched her back even further as their pace increased. Delilah thrashed her head in the hay as she let out a wild cry of ecstasy that echoed through the barn.

  Vance gripped fistfuls of hay, knowing he was right behind her, and picked up the pace. As beads of sweat traveled along the hard lines of his chest and back, he thrust into her one last time, his entire being cascading into her.

  4

  The hard plastic chair was uncomfortable as hell, and Delilah had only been sitting on it for a few minutes as she waited. She glanced around the room, wishing there weren’t so many other people there. They were all shifters, just like she was. That was one saving grace since they were at the new Dallas Center for Shifter Medicine. That was the official name of the hospital, even though the sign out front only had the stylized acronym.

  The fact that the new medical center had been made with people just like her in mind didn’t make Delilah feel any better about why she was there. She leaned forward, bracing her elbows on her knees and putting her forehead in her hands, trying to understand how she’d managed to let this happen. She was a smart woman, a professional woman, one who was always careful.

  Or maybe she wasn’t after all.

  The door on the other side of the room opened, revealing a young nurse in scrubs. Every face turned to her expectantly, waiting to see if it was their turn yet. The nurse checked her clipboard. “Delilah?”

  The very pregnant woman to Delilah’s right groaned impatiently, knowing she’d be stuck in that damn chair for a little while longer.

  Delilah popped to her feet, immediately regretting the action as her stomach revolted and the floor tipped beneath her. She pushed through it, not wanting anyone to know how she was actually feeling as she made a beeline for the door.

  “Hi, there,” the nurse said sweetly. “My name is Jamie. Just come right around this corner and step on the scale for me, okay?”

  She was just doing her job; Delilah knew that. Still, she was finding herself far more irritable than usual lately. “Can you please just tell me my test results?”

  Jamie gave her a sugar smile as she adjusted the weights on the scale. “I’m sure Dr. Eisert will go over everything you need to know in a moment.”

  Delilah didn’t like the way that sounded. “I’m sure Dr. Eisert wouldn’t know the difference if you just took a little peek at the chart and told me yourself.” The waiting was killing her. She’d already waited long enough, taking note of her symptoms and trying to ignore them as long as possible before she gave up and finally admitted she needed to see the doctor.

  Still, the nurse with her rosy little cheeks wouldn’t budge. “Have a seat right here, and I’ll take your temperature and blood pressure.”

  Delilah glared at her as she went through the process, wondering what kind of shifter this girl was. Sometimes it was easy to tell, and others not so much. But Delilah would bet she was something just as bright and perky as her personality, like a rabbit. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from saying anything rude. After all, she had a reputation to uphold. If this girl did happen to peek at her file, then she knew she was dealing with the VP of the local conclave. The last thing Delilah needed was for her to start spreading rumors about her.

  When she’d gotten everything she needed, Jamie escorted Delilah down a long hallway of exam rooms and motioned for her to enter the one at the end. A saw buzzed in the distance. “Sorry for the noise. The wing right next to us is still under construction. There’s a gown here on the table. Dr. Eisert will be with you as soon as possible.” The nurse closed the door, leaving Delilah with only the sound of a loudly ticking wall clock.

  The scent of fresh paint was still thick in the air, and the exam room had the cleanliness of new construction as well as the sterility of a hospital. Instead of the cold blues and grays she’d seen in other places like this, they’d painted the walls a dark mauve and installed blonde wood laminate flooring. A print of a watercolor landscape hung on the wall, surrounded on either side by closeups of wide-eyed babies. Why they always put those kinds of pictures in these kinds of offices was beyond her. Not everyone was there for the same thing.

  She glowered at the gown folded neatly on the table. It was fabric, at least, instead of those miserable paper jobs, but it still didn’t afford much privacy with the giant gap in the back. Delilah closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to center herself and regain the sense of logic and practicality that had taken her so far in life. There was no point in being angry about any of this. Being impatient wouldn’t make this go faster, either. She just had to wait it out, and everything would be all right, no matter what happened.

  The paper on the exam table crinkled underneath her as she waited, but fortunately, she didn’t have to wait very long. A gentle rap sounded on the door just before it opened, revealing a tall woman with short hair. Her glasses had brilliant frames in multitudes of color that matched the smattering of funky necklaces she wore. She didn’t look like a doctor at all, but she charged into the room with her laptop as though she owned the place. “Well, Ms. Henderson,” she said as she shut
the door behind her. “I think we should get right down to business. You’re pregnant.”

  A tiny prickle started at the back of her neck and spread out over her body, making its way down her back and legs, around her arms, and curved toward the front of her body until it coalesced in her chest. Delilah had already known what the answer would be. As much as she’d tried to make excuses for the symptoms, there was no other way to add them up. She’d allowed her cougar to get carried away that night. There was something about the excitement in the air at the rodeo and the way Vance’s eyes had sparkled when he’d turned around and looked at her for the first time. At that moment, her feline side had come alive in a way she’d never experienced. He was handsome, sure, with his rugged good looks and those strong arms that had been built through his military service and ranching. But Delilah had instantly seen past that to the beast inside him, one that was just as urgent for her.

  “Based on the information you wrote on your patient intake form, my best guess is that you’re about a month to a month-and-a-half along. Your alternate species is Puma concolor, correct?”

  Delilah blinked, barely even aware of what the doctor was saying now. “Um, yes. That’s right.”

  Dr. Eisert nodded. “Then I’m sure you’re aware this means you’re likely close to halfway through your pregnancy already. Your cougar side will likely be very dominant during this time. Not only does it affect your gestational period, but you may find yourself feeling a little extra cranky and wanting more alone time. At this point, you should be fairly well past most of the nausea, dizziness, and things like that which are more prevalent in the first trimester.” She smiled as though this was all good news.

  But Delilah wasn’t sure what to make of it at all. She had so little time to prepare, even though she knew she’d never be ready. The idea of a child had been a sweet dream, a distant fantasy that might come true one day when she had the time, but not something that would happen right in the middle of her term as vice president. She had so many things she was doing with her life. The threat to the conclave wouldn’t just go away simply because it was inconvenient for her now, either. President Whiteside was still very much concerned about what the Austin council might do.

  With a snort, she realized it was that very threat which had gotten her pregnant in the first place.

  “Do you have any questions so far?”

  Delilah wondered if she’d missed anything. Her mind didn’t seem to be working properly lately. It most certainly hadn’t been working that night in Vance’s barn. “No. I think I’m good.”

  “Wonderful. We’ll just do a quick exam, and then we’ll get you over to ultrasound so we can confirm a solid due date. Jamie will get you set up with some nutritional supplements and she’ll book a few more follow-up appointments for you. As you know, we’re still under construction here, but we do have a mothers-to-be class that meets in the cafeteria on Fridays. There’s a lot of great information, and I’ll make sure you get a pamphlet on that.”

  The next half hour swept by, and Delilah was soon walking back out to her car with a complimentary tote bag full of appointment cards, pamphlets, vitamins, and booklets. She slung it into the passenger seat as she got in, bracing her forehead on the steering wheel just so she could try to think for a moment.

  She’d known. She’d known for at least a couple of weeks, and yet it all seemed like it was happening so fast. It was easy for the doctor to treat this like an everyday event, because for an obstetrician, it was.

  But it wasn’t for Delilah.

  She dared to touch her fingertips to her lower abdomen, which was only just slightly rounder than it’d been on that fateful night. Delilah had tried so hard to make it purely about business as she spoke to Vance, but neither one of them had been able to fight it. The instinct, the urge had been there, no matter how much she wanted to deny it. She couldn’t exactly blame it on the romantic atmosphere, either, unless she was suddenly turned on by the scent of livestock.

  With her eyes closed, she could easily drop back into that night with Vance. It’d been carnal desire that had brought the two of them together, but as their cougar natures dictated, it’d been just as easy to part ways at the end of the night. She’d gone home, her sedan gliding down the country highway through the night, feeling satisfied and unconcerned. They’d agreed beforehand that there would be no commitment, so what was there to worry about?

  This. This was most definitely something to worry about.

  Swallowing a wave of nausea that had nothing to do with her pregnancy, Delilah started her car. She pulled out of the parking lot, uncertain as to where she was even going. She’d already told President Whiteside she’d be taking the day off, although the distraction of the office sounded like what she needed at the moment. Going home meant she’d just have to rattle around inside her apartment and think. And God, she was already tired of thinking.

  There was no getting away from it. Delilah punched the speed dial on her cell, and Anita picked up right away, sounding sleepy. “Hey.”

  “Hey. Are you available for an early lunch?” Delilah set the phone in the dashboard holder and gripped the steering wheel.

  Rustling noises sounded from the other end of the line. “I’m just getting up, so I guess that depends on where you want to go. I probably don’t have time to get dressed for anything fancy.” Anita worked the late shift at a big box store and was usually in bed until almost noon.

  “How about I just bring it to your place?” That would’ve been far easier than trying to explain all this in the middle of a crowded restaurant where there was a chance anyone in Dallas could hear.

  Anita perked up instantly at the thought. “I’m not going to turn that down!”

  Delilah showed up at Anita’s apartment twenty minutes later with two bags from the Beijing Buffet.

  “You’re my favorite person,” Anita enthused as she let her in and took the bags, unloading them on the small kitchen table. “I think you must be psychic, too, because right before you called, I was tossing and turning in bed, trying to decide what to eat. I woke up starving.”

  “Not psychic,” Delilah replied. “Just eating for two.”

  The chopsticks Anita held in her hand hit the surface of the table and bounced onto the floor. “What?”

  Delilah sat down and ran through the whole story as quickly as she could, desperate to get it out. The knowledge was like a thing inside her that was clogging her throat and fogging her brain until she shared it. “I just can’t believe I let myself get into this situation. I’m not some seventeen-year-old girl who doesn’t know any better.”

  Anita blinked her big blue eyes as she reached over the box of sweet and sour chicken to rest her hand on Delilah’s. “Hey, don’t beat yourself up. It’s not like you’re the first person who’s had an unplanned pregnancy. And you have a lot of advantages over those teen moms, anyway. You’re strong and independent, and you’ve got about the best job anybody possibly could. It’s not like this is something you can’t handle.”

  “I hope you’re right.” Delilah had already tried to tell herself this about a hundred times, but it was a relief to hear it from someone else.

  “So…” Anita pursed her lips and poked a chopstick into a box of rice. “What did this Vance character say?”

  “I haven’t decided whether or not I’m going to tell him. Don’t give me that look,” Delilah warned, seeing Anita’s jaw drop. “I’ve seen women that have these surprise babies, and they only suffer for having to make accommodations with whatever man they’d fallen into bed with. There are arguments over how to raise the child, who’s going to pay for everything, and then jealousy and anger when one of them moves on and finds a new partner. I’m not sure it’s worth it, either for myself or for the baby.” Delilah shoved an egg roll into her mouth, hungry and angry.

  “Partner? But you said Vance is a cougar like you, right?” her friend challenged. “That means the likelihood of either one of you moving on to someone els
e for just another quickie is likely.” Anita was a tiger, but she understood how her stripe-less counterparts worked.

  “That part is something I can handle, regardless.” Delilah frowned at her meal. The way she and Vance had come together had really been something else. It wasn’t just the physical interaction, either. He’d affected her, as though his very being had been twisted together with hers. Sure, she’d enjoyed the sex they had, but that inexplicable bond had been what had woken her up several nights during the week following their tryst. She had to forget about that. This was no time for ridiculous romantic feelings.

  “But what about the rest?” Anita pressed. “Do you think the two of you would have such a terrible time doing this together?”

  Delilah rolled a shoulder. “I don’t know for sure, but I know it wouldn’t have to be that way. I can raise this baby on my own, and I don’t have to tell anyone who the birth father is. There could be some distinct advantages to single motherhood. I make all the decisions without anyone trying to tell me otherwise. I never have to check in with anyone or get any approval. If I’ve had a rough day and I decide we’re having cereal for dinner one night, then that’s what happens, no questions asked.”

  Anita squinted across the table. “I don’t think this is really about having cereal for dinner. What are you afraid of?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Everything.” Delilah slumped forward onto the table. “I just don’t know what to do next. It all seems wrong and surreal, like some sort of strange, waking nightmare.”

  A cool hand reached out and stroked her hair. “I don’t know this Vance guy, but you might not be giving him enough credit. Rumors about the SOS Force have been spreading in the shifter community, and I doubt any guy who qualifies to be on their team could be such a bad person. He’d have to be responsible, experienced, and capable of making good decisions if he’s a Special Ops vet. You could even give him the choice of how involved he wants to be, if that makes you feel any better.”