Page 21 of Green Ravens

He’d pulled more than one SEAL out of the water and gotten ’em into theChariot, but the rocket strike had killed them all.

He’d lost dozens of men, but he saved one.

Their intimacy was serenaded by chirping cicadas, the soft song of bluebirds, and the flute-like notes of thrushes.

The kiss was laced with discovery, relief, and a whole lot of promises he hadn’t realized he needed.

Oakley got lost in Sawyer’s demanding tongue and the deep groans he made when their cocks nudged each other.

Oakley began to walk them backward, needing a sturdy surface until the sound of shifting leaves, crackling twigs, and a low growl reminded him of where he was.

Sawyer stiffened.

“Don’t. Move,” he murmured, gripping Sawyer tighter. “Don’t even breathe.”

The sweet whistles they’d been surrounded by were mere echoes compared to the electric tension in the air accented with each deliberate paw-fall.

Sawyer began to tremble in his arms as the growls grew closer and more menacing.

“Everything inside of me is telling me to run, Oakley.”

“I know. But don’t.”

Oakley eased his face to the side and it didn’t take him long to see the big cat stalking them less than five yards away.

It was crouched behind a fern bush, his muscled shoulders gracefully shifting side to side, sensing the thrill of the hunt and preparing to pounce.

Its golden coat was adorned with distinctive rosettes. Its vivid eyes, framed by dark rings of black, gleamed like polished amber. Its gaze was unwavering.

Oakley eased one arm from behind Sawyer’s back and slid it down his thigh until his fingertips grazed the butt of his firearm.

With a quick flick, he unbuckled the top of the holster and removed the Glock.

“You’re gonna shoot it?” Sawyer’s eyes widened.

“I’m gonna do everything in my power not to.”

The moment he raised his arm toward the sky, the cat’s glare switched from patience to determination.

In a swift move, Oakley spun Sawyer behind him. At the same time, the jaguar let out a snarling growl and sprinted from its hiding place.

He yelled as loud as he could and fired two rounds in the air that reverberated like claps of thunder. It sent not only their hunter scurrying away from them but the monkeys, iguanas, and all the nearby birds as well.

The shots were a stark and jarring intrusion into an otherwise serene world that left a lingering echo.

As their predator bolted into the depths of the forest, it let out a vengeful roar as if it were pissed that, as of now, he was no longer the undisputed king of his realm.

Oakley’s chest deflated as he released a long-held breath at the same time Sawyer dropped to his ass.

“Fuckin’ hell, man.”

“I know,” Oakley answered. “That was my fault. I know better.”

“Damn straight you should. Stop trying to seduce me, Indiana Jones, and just get us the fuck outta here alive, preferably with none of my limbs chewed off.”

Oakley frowned and turned in surprise ready to give Sawyer a piece of his mind until he saw his teasing smile.

“Are your drawers still clean, or do you need a minute?”

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