"Were you afraid?" he asked gently. He liked that she wasn't afraid when she was with him. That said a lot. With Cordeau putting up reward money for information on her, she had plenty to be afraid of. She'd probably been afraid most of her life.
"Yes. But I knew you'd get me through it. And I wanted her to come out. I wanted to make certain she wasn't a killer."
Her hand moved back up to his body and once more she turned her head to press a kiss into his belly. He felt the sweep of her silky hair over his belly, along his thighs, and God help him, tangling over his cock. Heat moved through his veins straight to his groin. He had to admit, he liked waking up this way.
"She's not a killer," he said.
"No, she's not. She was just as afraid as I was. Your male is a lot like you."
There was the tiniest bit of censure in her voice and he found himself smiling. She was definitely annoyed on her leopard's behalf.
"I noticed," he agreed. His hand tightened in her hair. "He knows he has to keep his woman in line because she's a little headstrong."
Her laughter was muffled by his stomach. He felt her soft lips trailing little kisses along his belly. Lazy kisses. Gentle. Barely there.
"Are you implying I'm headstrong?"
She turned her head again to look up at him. Her blue gaze moved over his face, and his entire body tightened. His fingers tangled in her hair again, this time a little tighter, a little more possessively.
"So beautiful, Cat, and all that beauty, all that sexy, is mine. A man finds a woman like you and he walks on water to keep her. You understand that, right? You understand I'm going to love you with everything in me. But I'm keeping you. You can't show me this, this kind of wake up. You can't give me this and then expect me to live without it."
"I understand you don't hear me when I'm talking to you," she murmured, and her mouth was back on his belly, her tongue stroking a caress before her lips trailed a blaze of fire from his belly to his cock.
Her mouth slid over him. Hot. Tight. Moist. Like a velvet fist. Her hair draped over his lap and his thighs, spilling across the sheet like a dark waterfall. His head exploded. Fire raced through him. His heart exploded. A storm of emotion. He heard her. Loud and clear. He heard her. His eyes burned and that lump was back in his throat.
Very gently he tugged on her hair to lift her mouth away from him. It was one of the hardest things he'd ever done, leaving the haven of her mouth. He drew her up over his body and rolled gently to tuck her under him. He felt her wince and another small sound escaped, a little groan that strengthened his resolve.
His hands framed her face and stared down into her incredible cobalt eyes. Right now they were deep blue with shades of violet and she looked at him with such a soft, loving expression he nearly lost his resolve with the need to join their bodies together. There was no better place than inside her.
"Baby, I hear you loud and clear. More than anything I want your mouth on me, letting me know how you feel. You can't know how much that means to me, but even more than that, I want to take care of you. You're exhausted. You need rest. I'll settle for kisses this evening. And then I'm going to feed you and massage you. The leopards are going to want out again soon and you'll need stamina. When they get erotic, so do we. Our emotions are tied together."
Before she could say anything he took her mouth with every bit of gentle and tender he had in him. It wasn't much, but all of it was hers. He poured love into her mouth, hoping she could hear him. He was talking to her just as she'd been talking to him. He lifted his head and saw that tears swam in her eyes. Yeah. She heard him.
"Do you need me to help you get into the bathroom?" he asked softly.
She shook her head. One finger came up to trace his jaw. Then his lips. Her touch was light, barely there, but he felt it like a brand in his bones. He opened his mouth and drew her finger deep. Her eyes went wide, then sexy.
"Baby"--he laved her finger with his tongue and then released her--"I asked you a question. I thought we'd established I like answers."
She smiled again. Her smile could move mountains. "That's not fair, you distracted me, probably on purpose so you could use that bossy tone."
"You like my bossy tone."
"True. But it makes me all hot and bothered, and you made it clear we're not going there right now, so you can't use that tone."
His smile widened until he felt it in his gut. She did that. Brought sunshine into his life, even there in the night. He brushed a kiss over her mouth just because he couldn't resist.
"My bossy tone makes you all hot and bothered?"
"You know it does."
Yeah. He knew. "You're wet for me right now, aren't you? Hot and slick and dripping honey."
She arched an eyebrow. "Probably."
That was a clear challenge. She wasn't going to tell him. She was teasing him. Teasing him. He liked it too. His palm shaped her breast, his thumb sliding over her nipple. He felt the answering shiver in her body and her eyes went violet. His hand kept going, down her rib cage to her waist. His finger dipped into her belly button and then circled it before sliding down to the soft nest of curls. The shiver grew into a tremor. She tugged her bottom lip between her teeth.
He liked this too. Playing gentle. It felt a lot like love. He sank two fingers into her. She was hot. She was slick. And there was plenty of spice calling to him. His woman was as perfect as she could get. She squirmed beneath him, her breath catching. He grinned at her.
"You are. Nice and hot too. It's a damn good thing I'm a strong man." Deliberately he brought his fingers to his mouth and licked her right off, making a show of it. "You taste so fucking good, Kitten, I could spend a lifetime eating you up."
That got him a full body shiver. He rolled off her before it was too late. Teasing was one thing, but he wasn't testing his discipline, not when it came to her. "Take care of the bathroom, Cat, and come on out to the kitchen. I'll make us a sandwich."
"Coffee," she murmured, not moving when he got up.
He stood over her just looking down at her. So much love. The intensity was overwhelming. She hadn't moved. She lay on her back, looking at him, her hair spilling around her like a halo, her body bruised and battered but looking sexier than ever. He had to admit, there was a primitive, savage part of him that liked seeing his mark on her.
She lifted a hand, brushed his cock with languid fingers. "I like this part of you very much, Eli. You really are a beautiful man."
Her touch sent a shiver through his body. "Glad you think so, baby," he said. "Since it belongs to you." He should have moved, but something held him there. He'd never had this--quiet intimacy. Both knew she was in no condition for sex--especially his kind of sex--and this felt loving. Right. He loved that she was his.
"I do think so. All of you. Every inch. And I'm glad every inch of you belongs to me."
Her voice was soft. A thread of sound really, but it made its way inside of him. Her eyes met his. Her fingers still moved against him, stroking his shaft with gentle, loving caresses. "Just me, Eli. Right? That's what you mean. I know I don't know what I'm doing yet, but I'm a fast learner."
She took his breath away. She gave herself to him. Admitted, in her way, that she loved him, but she still wasn't sure of him. She still wasn't sure of herself. Damn Cordeau for making her think she was nothing.
"Just you, Catarina. How could I possibly want another woman after having you? It would be impossible. Now get moving and stop trying to tempt me. I'm taking care of you, remember?"
She leaned into him and licked up his shaft like a cat licking cream. Her tongue teased and danced under the sensitive crown. Fire shot through his body. There was nothing gentle about his body's reaction as her mouth slid over him like a tight glove. She suckled, her tongue dancing. A low moan escaped, vibrating right through his cock. Then she was gone, her blue eyes dancing with mischief.
"Just making certain you heard me right," she said.
"That earned you a spanking."
/> She laughed. "I'm so scared." She didn't sound in the least bit scared.
She rolled up and he stepped back before her hands could reach her intended target. There was only so much teasing he could take, and he knew she was sore and swollen. He wanted to kiss the little smirk right off her face, but that would definitely lead to other things.
"Hurry up," he growled, knowing he'd lost this battle. Even if he did put her over his knee, he had a feeling she'd turn the tables on him and it would turn erotic.
He snagged a pair of soft sweatpants on his way out of the room. Her laughter only made his body harder and he knew she'd used her soft, sexy tone on purpose.
He was laughing when he got to the kitchen. His life had always been grim. He was okay with that. He did his job and he was good at it, and there was satisfaction in taking down criminals. But still, it was a grim life. Even after he'd traveled the world looking for other shifters. After he'd found Drake Donovan and had been introduced to the men who hunted rogues and took down criminals throughout the world. Shifters he could admire. Shifters who taught him the ropes. Even then, his world was grim. Until Cat. Cat changed everything and he didn't know she'd done it until it was already done.
He looked around his kitchen. It was the same, yet different. There were flowers in a vase on the table. Pots and pans hung on the rack, but they were arranged by size and were sparkling clean. The differences were small, and subtle, but they were there. She'd already put her touch on things, especially the kitchen.
She'd set up a coffee station with the ingredients from her grocery list. Joshua had brought the groceries and clothes he'd requested and she'd been ecstatic. He hadn't shown her the clothes yet--or the boots he'd ordered--but she'd pounced on the groceries, oohing and ahhing over every object--especially the coffee items. She could make their favorites drinks and when she did, they were every bit as awesome as he remembered from the coffee-house.
He pulled out the deli meat, turkey for her and roast beef for him. Cheese slices, avocado and condiments. He knew the moment she entered, but he didn't look up. He smelled her--that honeysuckle scent that drove him mad. She didn't make a sound as she padded barefoot across the floor straight to the coffee machine.
"Want one?"
"Kitten."
She laughed. "It's amazing how much you can convey with one word."
He went to her, silent as well. She didn't know he was behind her until he was already on her, turning her into his arms, taking a fistful of hair to pull her head back. He took her mouth. Rough. Hard. Possessive. Staking his claim in no uncertain terms. When he lifted his head to look into her cobalt eyes, he saw she got it. She knew his way of talking. He smiled down at her and brushed her lips gently with his. At the same time his hand slid under the hem of the shirt she wore to find her naked bottom. He caressed the firm globes with his palms before stalking back across the room to the center island, putting it between them.
"Our communication seems to be improving."
Catarina burst out laughing. She touched her trembling mouth and wondered if her shaky legs would hold her up. Happiness burst through her veins like champagne bubbles. He had a sense of humor under all that alpha leopard macho nonsense that she found hotter than anything. Which was unfortunate because he already got his way in all things. She just liked taking care of him.
"Is it now?" she prompted as she ground up the coffee he liked.
"You're wearing my shirt and no panties. And you know when I'm telling you that you fucking belong to me. So, yeah, communication is getting better."
"I'm not so afraid all the time," she admitted. She kept her back to him while she made his favorite cup of coffee. He liked caramel. She'd been surprised that he was a caramel man, but when he had something sweet, it was coffee and caramel and he liked two shots with that. She was careful to make it perfect for him.
"Kitten."
His voice turned her heart over. It was amazing to her what that tone could do. She immediately became aware of her breasts because they ached and her nipples scraped against the soft flannel of the shirt she wore. Little fingers of desire teased her thighs, and if he asked, she'd have to admit she was getting damp for him. With just his voice. How far gone did that make her?
"Well, it's true. You gave that to me, Eli. I've been so afraid for so long that I almost don't know how not to be. But you took that away . . . mostly." She had to add the last because she was being strictly honest with him. She still couldn't quite make herself look at him.
"I don't want you ever to be afraid, Cat. Not anymore. We'll make you safe. The more you know about self-defense, the better you are with a gun and other weapons, the more you feel you're in condition, the safer you'll feel by yourself. My male will teach your female how to protect herself, but always, always, know I'm going to defend you and protect you with my last breath."
She glanced over her shoulder at him. He looked--invincible. Maybe it was that strength in him. She saw him naked, all the flowing power, the roped muscles and easy, fluid way he moved. He was fast, and when he shifted, he could do so on the run. His presence made her feel safe, but more than that, she liked that it was important to him that she learn to defend herself. He wanted her strong. He wanted her to feel as if she could survive an attack. That meant something to her.
Catarina cleared her throat. "There really isn't any information on shifters so after I learned about Rafe, I studied leopards. They mate and then the female raises her young alone."
Eli didn't make a sound. He waited in silence. He knew it was an effort on her part, he could tell by the way her body stiffened, but she forced herself to turn around and face him, to walk toward him with his coffee, but she studiously looked at the floor while she did so.
"Baby, are you asking me a question? Because if you are, I need your eyes on mine." His voice was low, but it held a clear command.
Her lashes fluttered and then her gaze jumped to his. He took the coffee. It smelled almost as good as she did. He couldn't resist smoothing his hand over her bare bottom again. Just having her standing there so close made him hard. He knew it wasn't all about how she looked, or even the fact that she was a wildcat in his bed. There was far more to it than that.
It was this. Her bare ass, no panties under his shirt because he'd asked it of her. It was her inexperience, her shyness, yet her willingness to learn from him, to let him guide her and teach her the things she wanted to learn. Her trust in giving him her body--that trust--in spite of his earlier betrayal of her. How could he not be so in love with her that it hurt? How could he possibly be with her and not know she was his world and always would be?
"I suppose I am. How do shifters handle that sort of thing?"
"Shifters mate for life. Over and over. They find one another and they choose each other. I would never leave you, or take another woman. When you carry my child in your belly, baby, it will only make me love you more. I'm not going anywhere."
Her eyes began to move away from his and toward the floor. She tugged her bottom lip between her teeth.
"Keep your eyes on mine. You hide when you avoid someone's eyes. You've practiced it enough, for years, obviously, but there isn't a reason to hide anymore. I want to know what you're thinking, so you look at me not the floor."
"I'm thinking you're extremely bossy," she snapped, her eyes coming back to his.
Deep blue. Flirting with anger. That made him hard too. He'd seen her a lot of ways, but anger wasn't really one of them. Hurt, yes, anger not so much.
He grinned at her and then took a sip of coffee. "My woman makes a great cup of coffee, and she has a temper."
"Why would that make you happy?"
"Best kind of sex there is, baby. Make-up sex." His grin widened when her eyes turned a deep blue and flashed at him. There was just a hint of a smile in the midst of her mad.
"You do know you can be annoying, don't you?" she demanded.
"I think you're a little grumpy because you haven't had your coffee
and you just woke up." He stepped close to her, crowding her, inhaling her scent. She could strip him bare, right to his soul, with her eyes. She just didn't know it and he thought it best that she never did. "What is it about having babies that scares you, Kitten? Talk to me. Let me help with that."
Her eyelashes fluttered, but her eyes didn't leave his and there was an instant melting around the region of his heart. He admired her courage.
"I've never even held a baby, Eli, let alone taken care of one. I've never been around a child. I don't know the first thing about raising children."
She didn't know it, but the way her gaze clung to him, the expression on her face, she looked to him like he was her lifeline. He wanted to be that lifeline. He wanted her to always look to him when she was scared or confused. He stepped even closer to her, one arm sliding around her waist to lock her to him, the other putting down his coffee so he could shape her face with his palm.
"Don't be afraid of a child, baby. We'll sort that out together. We're both smart. We aren't going to fuck up our children. You'll be sweet like you are with them, pouring out all that love you've got, and I'll growl and snarl and protect them. We're going to love each other and them so much, they'll be swimming in love."
Her eyes searched his face. She swallowed twice before she answered. "Eli, has it escaped your notice that I can't even say that word?"
"When it comes to you, Kitten, nothing escapes me. Not ever." His thumb moved gently along her jaw. "You were made for love, Catarina. To love your man. To love your children. And for them to love you."
She blinked, clearly surprised. A faint blush stole up her cheeks. "You say the most amazing things to me, Eli."
She never knew what to do with him when he was giving her compliments. He figured she would have a lifetime to get used to it because he intended to give them to her on a regular basis.
"Only because they're true. We both know I'm brutally honest." He bent his head and brushed a kiss across her lips. "Make your coffee, baby, and let's eat."
"Okay." She smiled up at him.
He couldn't resist another kiss, this time sliding his tongue along the seam of her lips in a silent command for her to open to him. He slid both hands under the hem of the flannel shirt to cup the bare firm globes of her ass. She had a perfect butt. He loved watching her walk. He loved smoothing his palms over that wonderful curve. He loved looking at her bottom when she lay on her belly in their bed, or was on her hands and knees. Just like that, his cock reacted, straining against the material of his sweats. Hungry. Greedy.