Falling for the Cougar

by Terry Spear

  She chuckled. He pulled into a grocery store, and she shook her head. “You had the whole night planned, didn’t you?”

  “Not really. I sort of winged it. Of course, it all began when you disturbed my sun-tanning ritual.”

  She smiled, glad he didn’t think she was a total nutcase. “You do realize you’ll be a wrinkled old prune by the time you’re sixty if you keep tanning like that.”

  “Yeah, but boy it sure worked good as bait today.”

  She laughed.

  He hurried to her door and after she got out of the car, he looked over his shoulder.

  “Did you see anything?” she asked.

  “Nothing.”

  She couldn’t be imagining all of this.

  “I just didn’t see anybody tailing us,” he added, frowning, concerned.

  “Did you see anything?”

  He took her hand, walked her inside the store, then led her down the champagne aisle. “A man in a peach jacket. He kind of looked like a salmon. He looked out of place.”

  It still didn’t mean anything sinister was going on, but she was glad Scott saw him too.

  “I didn’t like the way he watched you when you’re with me.” Scott grabbed a bottle of champagne and headed to the checkout. “Pizza or Chinese takeout?”

  “Pizza.”

  He paid for the champagne while she watched the entrance to the grocery store.

  “Oh,” she said, when she noticed Scott was putting his wallet back in his pocket, “I was supposed to pay for that.”

  “You can pay for the pizza.”

  They returned to the car and drove to a pizza parlor nearby. After waiting another fifteen minutes for their order, they had their meal in hand and headed back to the hotel.

  He glanced at her as they walked into the lobby. “Which room?”

  “I guess we can’t have this in the lobby.”

  Scott laughed. “Not unless we want to get in trouble for it. Okay, since he knows where your room is, we’ll go to mine. All right?” He sure didn’t know what to make of Nicole’s situation at all.

  “They may know where yours is too.”

  “They?”

  “If he’s with the man who was in the boat.”

  “Oh, okay. We’ll chance it.” He wasn’t sure she really had anything to be concerned about, though he knew she was afraid she did. In any event, he didn’t want to feed into her fears, and he wanted to learn why she would think someone might be out to get her. He really expected her to discount the premonition he had of the woman in the Gulf and the boat, but she seemed to believe him. He was glad for that. And he did believe there was some correlation between his vision and what had happened to her. He rarely shared his ability with anyone. Certainly not with the military in general.

  He pushed the elevator button, and when the elevator arrived, they walked inside. When they reached the third floor, he squeezed her free hand. “What I don’t understand is if someone is after you for some reason, what’s their motive?”

  “I haven’t any idea.”

  “Do you owe anyone money?”

  “Some on my car, but I pay on time, and it’s through a reputable bank.”

  He unlocked his door as she held the pizza.

  “I’m going to get some ice to cool off the champagne.”

  “I’m coming with you.” She seemed really scared as her voice shook slightly. She didn’t seem like the clingy kind, not when she was here, vacationing by herself. Her nerves appeared raw with fright.

  “All right.” He grabbed his ice bucket and headed down the hall with her at his side. Before they reached the alcove where the machine was, she hesitated. He whipped around the bend and stuck the bucket under the ice dispenser. Pressing against the metal release mechanism, the ice groaned in agony and he turned to see her with her back to him as she watched the hallway.

  As soon as he finished getting the ice, he slipped his hand around hers and pulled her to his room. He couldn’t have planned things any better himself.

  Even if there wasn’t anything to be concerned about, he would act as her guardian angel. Anything to get her to stay with him further and to make her feel safe. If there was something to this whole stalking business, he had every intention of protecting her.

  After they reentered his room, she shoved the bolt closed. He could see she wasn’t taking any chances. That suited him fine.

  He nestled the champagne into the ice bucket while she played with the television controller.

  “Uhm, there are two mystery thrillers, but I don’t think I’m in the mood tonight. How about a comedy?”

  “Sounds good.”

  She turned to watch him as he opened the lid of the pizza box.

  “I guess we’ll have to wait a little while for the champagne to cool down a bit,” he said

  A noise outside of the room had Nicole crossing the floor to peek through the peephole. She sighed deeply. “Your neighbors arrived home.”

  He hoped she didn’t feel the need to check out the other guests roaming the halls all the time she was with him.

  When she turned to face him, he stretched out on the bed. “Most comfortable seat in the house.” He patted the mattress next to him.

  “You don’t want to sit at the table?”

  He sure hoped the champagne would chill quickly. He had to get her to relax. “Come on. It’ll be more comfortable sitting on the bed to watch the movie.” He raised the pizza box to her.

  She kicked off her sandals and climbed onto the mattress. “I don’t want you to think I do this with guys…ever. I mean, if Jackie knew I picked up some guy on the beach and by evening I was drinking champagne in bed with him…”

  He laughed. “Believe me, I’ve never picked up a girl at the beach before, either, and never had one in a hotel room with a bottle of champagne, pizza, and rented movies. However, I sure must admit, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

  Thankfully, she seemed to be warming up to staying with him.

  “You seemed to believe me about the premonition I had,” he said.

  “It turned out true, didn’t it?” She leaned against the headboard with a pillow tucked behind her back, her legs crossed at the ankles, and grabbed a piece of pizza. He started the movie.

  “Yeah. Not everyone believes in psychic abilities though.”

  “Not everyone believes in cougar shifters.”

  “True.”

  She let out her breath. “Thanks for telling me. I really appreciate you trusting me with your ability. I have visions too.”

  He switched his attention from the movie to her. “Really?”

  “Yeah, really. I just don’t tell anyone about them.”

  “I know what you mean. It just seemed important to tell you about what I’d seen since it seemed to be about you.”

  “Sometimes they’re important, other times, just seemingly unimportant visions of future events.”

  “Yeah, same with me.” He looked back at the TV. This just got better and better.

  A few minutes later, he rose from the bed and checked the champagne. It still was not chilled enough, but he was ready to serve it warm if it would relax Nicole.

  Every little noise made her glance nervously at the door. He moved the pizza box out of the way and patted the mattress next to him. She looked at him with her smiling blue eyes.

  She scooted over, touching her hip to his. “I’m really not a fraidy cat.”

  He smiled and handed her another pizza. “I really don’t think you are.”

  He noticed then she smiled at the movie. At least it had grabbed her attention for the moment.

  She stretched her arms above her head and yawned. Her spandex shirt caressed her breasts in a loving embrace.

  After she finished her second slice of pizza, she glanced at the champagne. On cue, he jumped up from the bed. “Thirsty? I think it’s probably cooled off some.”

  He unwrapped the golden foil, then twisted the plastic cork until it nearly h
ad wiggled all the way out of its tight glass home. With a pop, the bottle released its hold of the cork. A slight mist rose from the champagne. He tilted the effervescent liquid into a glass, then filled the other. After returning the bottle to its blanket of ice, he grabbed the glasses and turned to see Nicole smiling at him.

  Her cheerful face set a charge of longing hurdling through his system. He nearly spilled some of the champagne when he walked too quickly to the bed.

  With a glass in her hand, she reached out with hers to touch his. “To a lovely start of a vacation.” Her glass clinked with his.

  “Here, here.” After taking a swallow of his drink, he raised his glass to hers. “And to the rest of the week.”

  Her lips curved up a notch. He had her hooked. She met his toast, then drank a couple of sips. Reclining on the bed, she settled against her pillow. Time to get cozy with the mermaid from the Gulf.

  They watched more of the comedy, but his mind wasn’t on the movie. He wrapped his arm around Nicole’s shoulder, and she snuggled her head against his chest. Was he glad his old girlfriend had dumped him and moved away. His girlfriend had never believed in his psychic visions. Nicole was the best thing he’d ever had going for him.

  The door across the hall from his creaked open, and for the first time, Nicole didn’t react to the noise. He sure was glad. He caressed her arm. He had every intention of continuing his relationship with her once they returned to duty at Fort Hood.

  Her hair smelled like peaches, and he nuzzled his cheek against it to breathe in the heavenly fragrance. “So, what division are you with?”

  She looked up at him, her smile tipped in a quirky fashion. Was she amused at his trying to find out all about her?

  “Aren’t you enjoying the movie?”

  He chuckled and took her glass, then left the bed. She could try to avoid the subject, but he was going to find out all about her. Tonight, if he had his way.

  After pouring another glass of champagne for the two of them, he wrapped his arm around her, and she nestled against him.

  She rested her glass on his belly, and her touch made him intensely crave kissing her. He frowned when her breathing grew shallow. She couldn’t fall asleep on him. Not now. She chuckled at a comment made by the heroine in the movie. Good, she was still watching the show.

  When they had finished their drinks, he didn’t want to disturb their restful repose, but then she raised her glass to him, and he laughed. Okay, so she was a lush.

  He grabbed her glass and eased himself out from under her. Her head collapsed on his part of the bed, making him smile. He refilled their glasses and returned to bed.

  “Do you drink often?”

  She shook her head. “A Singapore Sling or Tom Collins occasionally.”

  As soon as he returned to the bed, she cuddled against him as if they’d been lovers forever. In heaven, he enjoyed the respite with the she-cat.

  After he finished his drink, he set his glass on the bedside table. She tipped her glass to her lips and finished the champagne. The movie ended and he took her empty glass and set it onto the table. Then he snuggled down onto the mattress and faced her while he clicked the television off.

  She smiled back at him. She knew what he was all about. Yeah, well, everyone always said when it came to women, he was totally transparent. He kissed her forehead and she touched her fingers to his cheek.

  The internal struggle began. She wasn’t a drinker and she was probably feeling a bit of a buzz. Of course he had intended to get her to relax because she’d been worrying so much about a stalker.

  He touched his lips to hers and pressured her gently. She kissed him back with her champagne-sweetened mouth. His tongue touched hers tentatively as he speared his fingers through her silky hair. Her hands pressured his back to pull him closer.

  She was a dream come true. The kiss morphed from sweet to passionate. She was soft where he was hard, and he wanted to take this a lot further. Their pheromones were kicking into higher gear, tantalizing, teasing each other, confirming what he already knew. They had the cougars’ biological need to take this all the way.

  She trusted him now. He couldn’t break that trust.

  Her breathing grew light. She tasted and smelled sweet—part cougar, part human, and totally divine.

  She pressed her hands lower on his back and he lost all brain function. Her fingers moved to his shirt, but before she could touch it, the sound of a card key shoving into his door slot distracted them.

  He turned as the door unlocked with a click.

  Chapter 7

  To Scott’s irritation, the handle twisted down and the door pushed open. He rose from the bed to face the intrusion. Thankfully, the security latch stopped the door from opening all the way.

  “Oh, honey, the room’s already occupied,” a woman said beyond the door.

  “All right, we’ll have to go to the management and straighten this out.”

  A hotel clerk giving out Scott’s room key to another guest had occurred before, but he hadn’t really thought Nicole and he had to worry about something like that happening to them tonight. He turned to Nicole whose face was icy white. “Nicole?” He touched her hand and felt her trembling. Pulling her close, he held her tight. “It’s okay. Some guests had the wrong room key. That’s all.”

  She nodded, but her trembling continued. He was going to speak to the management face to face.

  He ran his hands through her hair and kissed her lips. She didn’t kiss him back and he realized her mind was on the stalker. He’d love to wring the clerk’s neck who gave the woman his room key. It wouldn’t happen again, once he was through with him.

  After kissing Nicole’s cheek, he tried to lead up to his next plan without too much ado, but her eyes riveted back to the door. “I’ll run down to management and speak to them.” He was going to rip into them, but he didn’t want her to know that.

  Her eyes widened.

  “I’ll be just a moment. You shove the bar across the door lock. Nobody can get in once that’s closed.”

  She didn’t say anything, and he realized she must have been absolutely mortified. “Okay, I’ll just call them on the phone.” He wasn’t about to have any more intrusions that night.

  She took a deep breath. “When you go, can you get me some PM medicine at the gift shop?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t think you can have alcohol and take sleep medicine.”

  “Just get it for me. I won’t be able to sleep a wink if I don’t have something to help me.”

  “Are you certain, you’ll be all right alone?”

  “Yes, I’ll be fine.” Her attempt at a smile was still couched in concern.

  He rose from the bed. “Okay, I’ll get the medicine for you, but if the directions say you can’t take it with alcohol, you’ll have to wait.”

  She nodded.

  He kissed her cheek. “Lock the door after me. I won’t leave until you’ve locked the latch on the door.”

  He hurried to the door and peeked out the peephole. She was making him paranoid. He couldn’t see anyone in the hall. He walked outside the door and when she slid the lock closed, he called to her, “I’ll be right back. Just look through the peephole and let me in when I return.”

  Nicole listened to Scott’s footsteps as he strode down the hall at a quick pace. She wished she could get a better grip on her fear.

  The wind suddenly whipped into a frenzy. The tropical storm returned with a vengeance. She ran to the sliding glass door and peered out. The rains came down in sheets and slammed with fury against the glass. The winds howled fiercely, and she walked over to the television and turned it on to watch the news.

  “White Oak Bayou has flooded over its banks. Interstate 45 is under water in many locations. Local streets are flooded. Looters attempted to steal the beer from a submerged Budweiser delivery truck. Rescues by boats are underway in many communities where the water has risen to the roofline on homes all over the city and suburbs of Houston.
Underpasses are impassable as eighteen-wheelers and submerged cars and trucks litter them. Helicopter rescues are ongoing for homeowners stranded on rooftops.”

  Nicole stared in disbelief at the photos and videos of the city. She’d come through parts of the now submerged city on the way here when she first arrived. Everything had been clear and dry.

  “Shut off power to your homes if the water is rising in them,” the weathermen warned. “And people wandering through flooded streets are at risk. Sewage is backing up into the streets, poisonous snakes are seeking higher ground, and sharp and dangerous debris is floating underneath the surface of the muddy waters. Fifty-five mile per hour winds have been reported…”

  Then a key slipped into the slot of Scott’s door. She ran over to the door and peeked out of the peephole. Her heart thumped in her throat. The blond-haired man’s gold tooth gleamed in the hallway light as he attempted to unlock the door. The door lock clicked open. The silver metal handle twisted down and he shoved the door open, only the latch stopped it.

  He banged against the bar latch, his whole-body slamming against the door. He must have known she was alone and that’s why he risked coming for her again.

  He reached his hand inside the room to release the bar, but the only way he could do so was to shut the door and release it from the inside. He made the wrong move when he reached inside. She charged the door with her body and screamed with gusto.

  If she could break his arm and show him that she wasn’t afraid of taking drastic measures against his stalking her, maybe that would be the end of it. Not that she really believed it. But she had to disable this guy in any way that she could for now. Plus, it made her feel better.

  The door slammed against his wrist. He cried out and his fingers turned red with pain. Hoping to break his wrist, she bashed into the door with her body again before he could remove his hand.

  He cried out with a vein of blood-curdling curses.

  Her heart pounded in her ears. She planted her feet on the floor now and kept the door locked in a vise against his wrist. He banged the door with his body again, fighting to open it enough to remove his hand. With a final bang, he extricated his hand and the door slammed shut.