“You’re everything,” he whispered.
Onyx couldn't help tearing up. Cole was everything to her as well.
For the briefest moment, Cole moved away to turn on the shower. Too tired to move, she waited for him to pull her into the glass enclosure when he was satisfied with the water temperature.
Warm soapy hands caressed every curve and crevice until her body hummed with pleasure. Cole knelt before her, and she ran her fingers through his hair. He placed a hand on each thigh and nudged her legs apart. He trailed a finger over her slick flesh, leisurely circling the soft bud of her clit. Onyx tightened her hold on his hair to keep from falling. When he moved in closer to lap his tongue over the quivering button, she jerked. Once he dipped inside her, she couldn't control herself.
Though she attempted to clamp her legs together, Cole held her still. An explosive rush forced her to cry out. Her body trembled and tightened. He kept licking and sucking until another wave of pleasure swept her away, and all she could do is hang on and enjoy the ride.
Cole never tired of pleasuring Onyx. The sweet, sexy sounds she vocalized. Her warmth, softness—all of her made him crazy. But then there was the coziness they shared that was also very special to him. Like right now. Wrapped in a towel that didn't quite graze her thighs, she stood before him, wet hair in disarray around her shoulders. He picked up a heavy, damp section of hair and aimed the blow dryer. The scent of coconut drifted up. She reached up and ran a rounded brush through the strands he was drying. When they were almost finished, she wriggled her bottom against him.
“Careful, kitten.”
In response, she leaned against him. “I'm so tired, but I don't want to go to sleep and miss anything.”
Cole flipped the blow dryer off and set it on the sink. “You're not going to enjoy anything if you're dead on your feet.” He ran his fingers lightly through her silky hair. “All done, kitten. Time for a cat nap.”
“Very funny.” Her lips parted in a wide o as she yawned deep and loud. Good grief, he even found that sexy.
He clasped her shoulders and turned her toward the bedroom. “I promise we will see everything...when you're well rested.”
Once she was asleep, Cole lowered himself to sit on the bed next to her. She slept on her side, facing him. Her face was so exquisite in its tranquility. Her lush, pink lips were slightly parted, and he resisted the urge to kiss his own sleeping beauty. What had he done to deserve such a beautiful, smart young woman?
Chapter Three
“Wake up sleepy head!”
Warm, buttery goodness assaulted her nose. Then coffee. Strong coffee. Yum. Her tummy rumbled. How long had it been since she'd eaten?
Onyx opened one eye and looked up at Cole. He set two coffee cups and a white paper bag on the nightstand.
The bed dipped as he sat down next to her. He traced a finger over her cheek. “Hi beautiful, sleepy girl.”
“Hi yourself.” Ugh. She was so thirsty her voice came out low and husky.
As if reading her mind, he pressed a cold glass of water into her hand. She sat up and took a deep drink. She blinked and adjusted her eyes. “How long was I out?”
He looked down at his watch and smiled. “A good twelve hours.”
She flung the covers off so hard he scooted out of her way. “Oh no, Cole! Why did you let me sleep so long? I can't waste time sleeping.”
His iron grip captured her wrist as he pulled them both down to sit on the edge of the bed. “Relax, kitten. Rome isn't going anywhere.” He playfully tapped her nose then brushed his lips across hers.
“Drink your coffee,” he said while gesturing to the steaming cup.
When they made it outside, everything they encountered enchanted Onyx. The beautiful city brimmed with treasures of art and architecture that she couldn't wait to discover. With the considerable amount of walking to be done, she was grateful she had worn comfortable shoes. With the narrow streets full of people and vehicles, she understood why Cole decided not to rent a car. Besides, it would be fun to figure out the buses and trams the city offered.
They covered many of the best tourist spots on the first day. Still, there was so much more to see. They started with the Piazza del Campidoglio, but it was the interior visit of the Colosseum that captured her attention the most that afternoon. The sheer size of the ancient amphitheater awed her. Even though it wasn't peak tourist season, the line to get in was long. She bounced up and down on her toes while they waited, brimming with eagerness to get inside, with only a brief pang as she thought of her mother.
Comfortable shoes or not, after all the walking, her feet ached, and they decided to stop at a small cafe for a late dinner. The city was overrun with good places to eat, and Onyx took a brief moment to lament that there would be no time to try them all.
The beautiful weather dictated they eat outside. They chose a small table in an intimate corner of the covered outdoor seating area. Onyx loved listening to the easy Italian that rolled off Cole's tongue while their adorable waitress wrote down their order. She could listen to him ask for cacio e pepe and cozze alla marinara all night long. They sipped fruity wine and munched on crusty bread while waiting for their dinners.
“I'm starving,” Onyx murmured for the second time.
Cole chuckled and placed one of his hands over hers. “Soon kitten, soon.”
“Cole?” A cheery, feminine voice jarred Onyx's ears. Who would know either of them here?
“Come stai?”
Cole stood up and greeted the woman. “Isobel! Non ti ho visto in questi anni.”
Onyx watched the two of them with barely concealed jealousy. They had an easy manner that suggested an intimacy that made Onyx uncomfortable. She shifted in her chair and studied the other woman while waiting to be introduced.
Her long blonde hair was swept over one shoulder in a chic style Onyx envied. Her own tousled locks would never cooperate in such a sophisticated coiffure. Impeccably dressed in a beige linen suit, the stranger's age was impossible to ascertain. She had an odd timeless appearance and could have been twenty-nine or fifty-nine.
After what seemed like forever, Cole remembered her presence. “I'm sorry, Onyx, this is an old friend of mine, Isobel.” Onyx watched Isobel incline her head ever so slightly at the word friend. Cole swept his hand in Onyx's direction. “Isobel, this is Onyx.”
“Oh, una donna americana?” she said in a salacious manner Onyx found rather off-putting. She stuck her hand out anyway in an effort to be friendly to the woman whom she was beginning to suspect was a former lover of his.
The woman grasped her hand for a fraction of a second then dropped it like a rotting fish. She turned to Cole and draped one silk-covered arm on his shoulder. Her lowered voice and the rushed Italian made it impossible to understand what they said.
Cole appeared to be more and more uncomfortable. He shifted, shrugged her arm off his shoulder, and put some distance between them. Onyx stifled a grin. After what seemed like an eternity, their waitress set two steaming plates between them. Isobel took the hint and left.
Cole turned to face Onyx and lifted his shoulders in an apologetic manner she couldn't help but find endearing. “Sorry about that.”
Onyx wasn't sure what to say. She had so many questions, but didn't want to voice a single one. Acting like a jealous, clingy girlfriend wasn't who she wanted to be. However, she couldn't deny the little poke of envy in her gut. Instead of commenting on the intruder, she stabbed her fork into her dinner.
It wasn't until much later, on the way to their hotel, that Onyx formulated her question. “How close were you and Isobel?”
Cole sighed. “Is that what's bothering you? Yes. We were involved about forty years ago.”
Onyx stopped and raised an eyebrow at him. A wild batch of giggles escaped her lips. “Forty years? Damn, she looks good for being so old.”
Cole bristled, and Onyx's laughter died in her throat. “You really haven't seen her in that long?”
“Yes,
really,” he answered with a light dose of sarcasm. “It was a long time ago. We parted on...less than amicable terms.”
“She seems to have gotten over it.”
A wry smile curved his lips as he thought over an answer. “Yes, I suppose she has. She's a brilliant witch, by the way.”
“Yeah, she'd have to be to still look like that at her age.”
Again, Cole frowned, and his reaction confused her. Was he still interested in his old flame? Isobel sure seemed interested in him. Would he rather be with someone of his own kind? Someone more cultivated and worldly? When she thought about it, she was not much more than a hick from a backwater town. Someone like Cole wouldn't be interested in someone so unsophisticated for very long. She swallowed hard. Losing Cole hurt too much to contemplate.
“Hey. Are you okay?” He took her hands and rubbed them between his own.
She looked into his warm, brown eyes and couldn't imagine life without him.
The next morning, Onyx woke to the gentle bouncing up and down of the mattress. She threw her arm to the side, but the sheets were cold. She was alone. Breathy counting told her Cole was working out nearby. Sitting up and looking at the foot of the bed became a treat for the eyes. The decline pushups he was engaged in, showcased the sculpted muscles of his back and shoulders in a manner Onyx found mouthwatering.
Yumm!
All doubt from the night before vanished as she continued to admire the view. Back muscles flexing, arms pumping, it was glorious. Her lower abdomen clenched at the sight of all that smooth, hot skin and taut, honed muscle. With stealthy movements, she crept to the edge of the bed and traced a finger over the sole of his foot. In a fluid motion, Cole pulled his feet under him and stood up.
“You're awake.”
“Oh, yes.” She paused and batted her eyelashes. “What are you doing? Making sure we never leave the room?”
He flashed a knowing grin at her. “Like what you see?”
“Yup.”
He walked around to the edge of the bed. Stalking her. For a moment, she wondered if maybe he had a little bit of cat in him. The look in his eyes was erotically feral. She maneuvered so she faced him. With the kind of boldness that came from familiarity, she reached out and slid her hand down his firm abdomen. He watched her with an intensity that made her heart speed up.
“So hard,” she commented with a saucy wink.
“You have no idea.”
She dropped her gaze then her hand to cup him intimately. He leaned into her touch, his hardness filling her fingers. “I think I do.”
Chapter Four
The ruins were different than Onyx had pictured them. No amount of book or internet research could conjure up the real thing. It was still a little early in the season for a large crush of tourists, but the area was busy. Onyx knelt down to pet some of the friendlier feral cats. One large, gray, short-haired cat was extra affectionate.
“I think he likes you.” Cole observed.
“What a handsome kitty,” she crooned back at the feline.
After a while, she straightened up and looked around. She was looking for just the right spot. Where no one would question what she was about to do.
He raised an eyebrow and asked. “Do you have it with you?”
“Of course.” With great care, she took a small folded up square of paper out of her pocket. She unfolded it to show him the hair tie in the middle. It was a page from her mother's journal and one of her mother's pony-tail holders. Even though the words were familiar, she stopped to read her mother's words, admiring the precise handwriting.
Halloween is next week. I know I need to take the time off, because my heat will be unpredictable. My mother says it's normal, and some of the werescientists are working on a pill that will help repress it. Wouldn't that be amazing! Not to be ruled by our hormones? Maybe werewomen would be able to take up leadership positions then? I tried talking to mom about starting classes at the community college, but I know I'm lucky I'm even allowed to work outside of Willow Hills. None of the shifters my age do. It's not far enough, though. I want to see Italy and France, England and Ireland. I want to travel everywhere, spend my time with someone I truly love. Like him. I bet he's traveled all over. I read once there are over 300,000 feral cats living in Rome. Wouldn't it be amazing to run the streets of Rome as a cat? I wonder what he would think of me if he knew what I really was?
The corners of her mouth lifted up in a rueful smile. What would her mother think? Onyx had made it to Rome with someone she loved. Would she be proud of her or ashamed that her only daughter had turned her back on her clowder? No, her mother had fought against the arranged mating. She would be happy for Onyx.
To honor her mother, Onyx planned to bury a little something of hers in the land she had always longed to visit. She looked around. No one but the gray cat paid them any attention. Cole took a small silver spoon out of his pocket and slipped it into her hand.
He winked at her. “Pilfered from room service.”
Onyx giggled and reached up on tiptoes to kiss him on the lips. This was why she loved him so much. Over his shoulder, she spotted the perfect location for her plan. Partially hidden by trees and shadows, the area provided the privacy she would need.
She nudged her chin toward the spot. “Over there.”
Cole turned and nodded. He took her hand, and they headed over. The gray kitty followed close behind bumping into the backs of her legs along the way.
“Shoo kitty. I'll come pet you later.” The cat stopped and sneezed then with tail raised, stalked off in the opposite direction.
The moist ground yielded to her spoon with ease. Soon, she had a tiny but deep hole prepared, and she stopped digging. She picked up the ribbon and traced it over and over with her fingers. Onyx closed her eyes and could almost sense the gentle scrape of her mother's hairbrush over and over as they talked about school and boys. Anything on Onyx's mind, she could share with her mother in those moments.
Her heart squeezed, the pain of missing her parents sometimes strong enough to steal her breath away, and the ache a heavy presence in her chest. Tears fell as she unfolded the page. Her sweet mother. So kind and loving. She had been taken from her much too soon, and she missed her every day. The diary this page had come from had been a momentous find. It had allowed her the opportunity to get to know her mother so much better. It had been an amazing gift after a horrible tragedy.
She sniffled and wiped the tears from her cheeks. If only she could have found something similar of her father's. His face drifted into her mind. Her lips curved up at the memory. Max Knight had been an affectionate, attentive father but also reserved. He'd worked long hours to provide for his family. Onyx always assumed they would have years to get to know one another once he retired and she finished school, but that had been stolen from her.
She struggled to take a deep breath reminding herself why she was here. One more reading of the journal entry then with great reverence, she folded it and wrapped the hair tie around it. She took great care packing the earth back into place, wanting no one to disturb her offering. A single tear slid down her cheek. She'd never had a chance to talk about shifting with her mother. How cruel this werecat curse was.
Onyx shook her head and looked up. “Cole, I want to run with the cats.”
“What? Now?”
“Yes, I need to.” That cat inside her struggled to come forth.
He gestured to the open space surrounding them. “Well, you can't shift out here in the open like this.”
She looked around, willing a solution to come to her. She stood up and brushed the dirt off her pants. “I need to wash my hands.” She widened her eyes. “That's it. I'll change in the bathroom, and you can come in and grab my clothes.”
“Yeah, in no way do I come off as creepy in that scenario.” Cole chuckled, and Onyx smiled at his reluctance.
What would she do without Cole? He always knew when she needed something to lighten the mood. His love and good humor had gott
en her through some very difficult months.
Her palms itched. The tips of her fingers began to tingle. Once she had the idea of shifting, she couldn't get it out of her head. It was a need so great, control almost slipped out of her grasp. Not here. She didn't dare lose control in public. In an effort to rein in her rising panic, she slipped her hand in her pocket. Her fingers found the small, smooth piece of jade she carried everywhere. Without thinking, she ran her thumb over the surface.
Onyx dashed into the first ladies room she saw. The last stall seemed like the best choice. She slid the lock into place and stripped off her jeans and t-shirt, carefully folding them. She set the small pile of clothes on top of her shoes. Leaving the bathroom door locked, she was free to shift into her fur. After hours of practice, she was quite stealthy in cat form. It was easy to sneak out of the bathroom undetected. Cole was sitting on a low stone wall across from the bathroom. She ran over and jumped up next to him.
“Good job. Now what?”
“Mwarr.” Damn, she hated that they couldn't communicate when she was in her fur.
She missed her friends Denny and Bess at times like these. At least they had their weird, telepathic way to communicate. Even though she had been practicing her shifting, she'd been denied the benefit of hanging around with her own kind. Sometimes, like now, it was lonesome.
“You want to go mix it up with the other cats?” he asked. She bobbed her head in what she hoped he would interpret as a yes.
He gave her a sympathetic smile. “Go ahead. I'll be here.”
Onyx jumped down and rubbed herself against his leg for a moment before scampering off. The other cats sniffed her as she approached. She tried throwing out a greeting, but none of them responded.