by Rayna Tyler
“Reese said they were riding over to Bart’s. We’ll take one of the four-wheel trucks and start there,” Preston added.
A brilliant bolt of light shot through the darkened sky, the thunder booming so loud, the windowpanes vibrated. Bear yelped and jumped out of Nick’s arms. He squeezed under the sofa, his nails scraping the hardwood floor.
It was going to be a long night, and I wasn’t going to sleep until I knew Reese and Jac were safe. I stared at Bear’s quivering tail, the only visible part of his short body, and wondered if he had the right idea.
Chapter Fifteen
REESE
Jac was lucky she hadn’t been injured when Rosie jumped. My wolf was pacing and snarling, overcome with the need to protect his mate. The only thing keeping him calm was having her hand in mine.
Our clothes were soaked and caked with mud. The picnic I’d planned was ruined. The food I’d asked Gabe to pack in the saddlebags had disappeared with the horses. We were stranded in an isolated area of the mountain. The only way my day with her could have gotten any worse was if I’d purposely sabotaged it myself.
The storm had tapered somewhat by the time we reached the cabin. I caught a glimpse of a large pile of lumber—my lumber—stacked close to the side of the building. It was covered with a huge brown tarp, the ends kept in place with ropes that were staked to the ground on all four corners. Later, after the rain stopped, I’d investigate the area. Right now, taking care of Jac was my main concern.
It was unsettling to know someone had recently used the cabin and could still be inside. I hadn’t seen any vehicles outside, but that didn’t mean the place was empty. I kept Jac behind me as I opened the door and gave the interior a quick survey. Other than the faint lingering scents left behind by John and Mick, the place was empty.
Jac squeezed around me, then sniffed the air. “Darn, all I can smell is Mick and John, and of course some stale beer.” She glanced at the empty crushed aluminum cans littering a corner of the floor.
They weren’t complete slobs. They’d managed to roll their sleeping bags and stack them in the corner with a couple of folded blankets. Or maybe they were afraid they’d get caught and wanted things ready to go in case they needed to leave quickly.
“After the day we’ve had, I was hoping we’d find out who was behind the thefts. Oooh, but it was nice of them to leave us a flashlight.” She snatched the flashlight off the sill of the window closest to the door. After clicking it on, she aimed the beam around the room.
Thankfully, the structure was sturdy. The windows were covered with a grimy film, but none of them were broken. The floor was dry, and I didn’t see any signs of leaking. At least we’d have protection until morning.
Things seemed a little better when the beam bounced off some freshly chopped wood stacked on the floor near the fireplace.
She flashed the light at me, her laugh a combination between a giggle and a snort. “This is killing you, isn’t it?”
“No,” I grumbled, trying to act indignant and giving up after seeing her perceptively tip her head. “Maybe... Yes. This is not how I’d envisioned our day would go.”
“How exactly had you planned for this to go?” Jac walked over to the area designed to be a small kitchen and began opening the lower cabinets and drawers.
“What are you doing?” I asked, changing the subject since I had no intention of explaining my epically flawed plan to get her to change her mind and accept me as her mate.
“Looking for matches since I’m not great at rubbing sticks together to start a fire.”
Out of curiosity, I moved around her and opened the upper cabinet that was above her head and out of her reach. “I can’t believe these are still here.” I held up the box of matchsticks I’d stashed on the shelf years ago.
“You put those there,” she said.
“Yeah, when Berkley and I spent our summer vacations with our grandfather, we’d sometimes come here after our runs. Later, when I went through the teenage years where I didn’t want to spend time with my sister and Mandy, I’d hang out here with some of the local boys.” I grabbed some wood off the stack and squatted in front of the fireplace. “There’s some decent fishing spots not far from here.”
“Was fishing all you did?”
“Pretty much.” I lit a match and worked on getting a fire started.
“Are you sure? Because this looks like a great place to make out. You never lured a female out here with the promise of an adventure?” Jac’s humorous tone hinted at jealousy. It gave me hope that the day hadn’t been a total waste.
“Nope.” I twisted to glimpse her face. “You’re the first.” And will be my last.
Her arousal was immediate, the scent filling the air and making me hard.
She ran her hand through her wet hair. “Oh, I...” It was the first time I’d seen her speechless.
“Why don’t you grab the sleeping bags and blankets? We’re going to need a place to sleep. We can spread them out in the middle of the floor in front of the fire.”
Flames sprang to life, danced around the logs, and cast more light into the room. I stood and turned to find that she’d set the unrolled bags where I’d suggested with the folded blankets on top.
“You should take your clothes off,” I said, unable to resist taunting her.
“What? If you think...no.” She crossed her arms and scowled.
I chuckled. “I only meant they’ll dry a lot faster if we take them off and drape them on the counter. Here, you can use this to cover yourself.” I grabbed a blanket and handed it to her. “But before you say anything, I make no promises about not peeking.”
“Fair enough.” She grinned, snatched the blanket from my hand, and walked to the other side of the room.
I toed off my boots. They were my favorite pair, but I’d have to replace them. No amount of drying was going to repair the damage they’d suffered from the water. After setting them a short distance from the fireplace, I turned to see that Jac had removed her jacket and shirt. She unclasped her bra, exposing her bare back.
My groan was out before I could stifle it. She was so damned beautiful. I wanted to pull her into my arms and touch every inch of her creamy skin, but I wouldn’t make a move until I was absolutely certain she was ready.
Jac jerked her head and gave me an admonishing glare, then reached for the blanket and draped it over her shoulders.
“No promises, remember?” I apologized, my guilt lasting all of a second. I removed the rest of my clothes, then secured the other blanket around my waist, doing my best to hide my erection.
She’d fashioned her blanket like a toga and tucked one end over the other across her chest. After draping her clothes on the edge of the counter, she moved to stand in front of the fire, wearing a wickedly mischievous grin. “So, about that great plan of yours.”
JAC
Reese had been dodging my question about his reasons for dragging me out here since the first time I’d asked him about it at Bart’s. He’d left his radio at the resort. He’d gone out of his way to put us in an environment where he had little or no control. He’d been thoughtful and charming throughout the day. But most importantly, he’d nearly lost it when I fell off Rosie and he thought I’d been injured. Those weren’t the actions of a man who didn’t care.
I’d been reflecting on his different behaviors throughout the day and had a good idea what he’d been planning. One way or another, I was determined to see if he’d confirm my speculations.
“I wish I’d gotten one of the saddlebags. At least we’d have something to eat.” He unzipped the sleeping bags, then spread them on the floor in front of the fireplace by placing them one on top of the other in order to form a single bed.
I remembered the deer jerky Bart had given me. “We do.” I reached inside the pocket of my wet jacket and triumphantly displayed the plastic bags, the seals secured, the meat untouched by the rain. “Bart said I was supposed to give one of these to Berkley, but under the circumstan
ces, I think she’ll understand.” I plopped down in the middle of the makeshift bed with my legs crossed and the blanket covering my lap. I opened the bag and took out a small piece of meat. After taking a moment to savor the aroma, I took a bite. “This is really good.”
“Were you going to share those with me?” He sat next to me with his legs stretched out in front of him, then glanced at the bags I protectively clutched in my hand.
“Maybe.” I pulled out another piece and waved it in front of him. “But only if you tell me why you made me ride all over the mountain so we could end up here.”
He snatched the strip out of my hand. “Technically, you’re the one who wanted to see the cabin. I wanted to have lunch, then head back home.”
“Yes, but if I hadn’t insisted we make the trip, you wouldn’t have found your missing lumber.” I slipped another morsel out of the bag and answered the inquiring quirk of his brow. “I noticed the tarp when we arrived.”
“I brought you out here to prove a point.”
“Which is?” I asked.
He took the piece of jerky out of my hand and placed it, along with the bags, on the floor behind him. “That I think you’re wrong.” His eyes shimmered with longing.
“About what?” I could barely breathe, and the words came out in a rasp.
“About us.” He leaned closer and nipped my chin. “About us mating.” He brushed soft kisses along my throat. “About letting me claim you.” He grazed the sensitive spot on my shoulder meant to bear the bite mark of a mate.
My body was on fire, and it was hard not to whimper. Bart’s parting words echoed through my mind. Was the old bear right? Would the differences between Reese and me make us stronger?
Yes, he was organized and controlling, yet after everything we’d been through today it no longer seemed to matter. Was I being unfair by refusing to give him a choice in the decision to mate? My animal was the only obstacle I was unsure about. It would crush me if he couldn’t accept her, but I cared about him too much to walk away without finding out how he felt.
I cupped the sides of his face, forcing him to stop and hold my gaze. “We need to talk about my cat.”
“I thought she was beautiful. What could possibly be wrong with her?”
“She’s a hybrid.”
He perceptively narrowed his gaze. “Wait, is she the real reason you don’t want to be my mate?”
I took some time to consider his question and realized he’d determined the true source behind my rejection. Everything else was moot, excuses I’d used to make things easier. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to explain, and fearing how he’d react. “My father is a jaguar and my mother was an ocelot. Because I carry a rare gene, I took after my mother...mostly. According to my father, my mother had a relative somewhere in her background that was a house cat. Hence, my fluffy tail.”
“It’s a gorgeous tail.” He held my hand and made small distracting circles with his thumb.
It was getting harder to concentrate. “Yeah, I always thought it was cool until I found out it offended my father. He took my being different as a personal attack on his siring abilities, then forbid me to shift around any of his peers or friends.”
“Jac, I don’t...”
I placed a finger to his lips. “Before you say anything, I want you to know there is a chance if we mate and decide to have children that the gene could be passed on to them.” This was difficult. I inhaled, then puffed out the air before continuing. “They could end up like me, or worse. They could have a wolf’s body, a fluffy tail, or who knows what other features.”
He pulled my hand away from his mouth and placed a kiss on my palm. “They’d be adorable like their mother and I’d love them as much as I love you.”
Firelight reflected in his gaze, desire giving his eyes an amber hue. “Be my mate. Let me claim you.” His deep pleading tone touched my soul.
My breath hitched. My insides turned molten. My body ached to be touched. Not just touched, but taken—by him. Reese didn’t care that I was different. He actually saw me for who and what I was. And he accepted me.
He was perfect. Perfect in every way possible. Perfect for me. Maybe the goddess of shifter fates knew what she was doing after all.
“Yes,” I murmured, then kissed his chin as I straddled his lap. “Yes, I’ll be your mate.” I ran my hands along his chest, eliciting a groan. I planned to make sure the claiming part was mutually reciprocated and licked the place on his shoulder where I intended to leave my mark.
“Yes, I want you to claim me.”
REESE
Jac’s approval was the only enticement I needed to possessively taste her lips. Over the past few days, I’d gotten glimpses of her naked body. Now that she’d agreed to be mine, I planned to memorize every gorgeous detail. I untucked the end of the blanket and peeled it away from her chest. Starting at the column of her throat, I slowly left a trail of kisses to her breasts. When I sucked a nipple into my mouth and tortured the tip with my tongue, she moaned and arched her back.
The need to be inside her was overwhelming, but I wanted to take my time, to touch every inch of her. Before I plunged my cock into her warm depths and left my mark on her skin, I wanted her teetering on the edge of ecstasy.
I lifted her off my lap and gently placed her on her back. After tearing the blanket from my hips, I settled between her spread thighs. Her eyes sparkled with desire, accented with a golden glow from her cat.
She was perfect. “Mine.” A low rumble tore from my chest. I ran my hand across her abdomen, grazing her hip, skimming her inner thigh. She was shuddering and wet by the time I eased two fingers inside her. I pumped slowly and steadily until she was whimpering and grinding against my hand.
“Need you.” She tugged on my shoulders, then scraped her small sharp nails along my back.
“I know. I’ve got you.” I removed my fingers and guided my cock to her opening. I was enthralled with the need to mate, to bind us together forever. Heat surged through my blood. Taking her slow was no longer an option. I thrust hard and deep, motivated by her satisfied gasp. I plunged again and again, shifting my hips, trying new angles, learning the ones that made her moan, the ones that increased her pleasure.
I licked the spot I’d chosen to make her mine. “I want forever, Jac.”
“Then take it.” Her warm breath caressed my skin as she kissed her way down my neck. She sank her cat’s sharp fangs into the flesh at the base of my throat, then dug her heels into my buttocks, urging me to thrust into her deeper. She moaned against my skin, her body trembling and writhing from her orgasm.
My body pulsed with pleasurable pain and the urge to complete the bond. I bit on the next thrust, the bite breaking her skin, the taste of her blood exhilarating and hurtling me over the edge.
I wasn’t ready to pull out and break the connection, so I collapsed on my back with her lying on top of me and straddling my waist. Our bodies were covered in sweat, our chests heaving.
“That was...” she panted.
“Incredible.” I finished, then nuzzled her neck. I felt her tongue rasp over the bite she’d left on my shoulder and realized she was cleaning the wound.
“Is that a cat thing?” It tickled, and I wiggled.
“Maybe... Why?” She gave it several more licks.
“I think it’s cute.” She had the most amazing ass, and I couldn’t help squeezing it.
“Cute, I’ll show you cute.”
I dodged her swipe by rolling to the side, then encircled her in my arms with her back pressed to my chest. “And you’re adorable.” I pressed soft kisses to the back of her neck.
She stopped squirming and giggled. “Adorable works.”
I skimmed my fingertip along her hip, tracing the edges of her tattoo. “Beautiful artwork.”
“I got it during my younger rebellious days.”
“You, rebellious? Never.” I laughed as I followed the cat’s long tail to the center of her buttocks, then gave the firm muscle a ge
ntle pinch.
“Hey.” She glared over her shoulder and smacked my hand.
“Sorry, couldn’t resist.” I grabbed a couple of chunks of wood and tossed them on the dwindling fire. “Come here.” I rolled onto my back and moved my arm so she could use my shoulder as a pillow. “Get some rest.” I pinched her ass again. “You’re going to need it.”
Chapter Sixteen
JAC
The storm had passed sometime during the night, and sunlight filtered through the cabin window, the bright rays landing on the blanket and warming my feet. The night I’d spent sleeping on the floor tangled in Reese’s arms had been the most rest I’d gotten since I’d arrived at the resort. My muscles were stiff, my body aching.
They were good aches, memorable aches, the kind that came from being pleasured numerous times by my mate. The kind I wouldn’t trade for anything. I lay on my side with my head braced in my hand. My chest rumbled as I stared appreciatively at his sleeping profile.
Reese opened one eye. “Are you purring?”
“What can I say? My cat is happy.” I wasn’t embarrassed, and I didn’t bother to stifle the low rumble. He rolled on his side so he was facing me.
“And what about you? Are you happy?”
“Oh, yeah.” I ran a fingertip over the healing bite mark and smiled. “Extremely happy.”
He glanced toward the window and sighed. “I wish we could stay here for the rest of the day, but we really should get going. We don’t know who’s behind the thefts, and I’d rather not be here if he decides to show up.”
“You’re not worrying about my safety and doing that overprotective dominant male thing, are you?”
He caught me around the waist and pulled me against his chest before I could escape. “No, I’m doing the protect-my-private-parts-from-my-sister thing, because she’ll want to hurt me for making her worry.”
“I’d have to agree that saving your manly parts is a very good cause.” I laughed and shifted my weight so I was rubbing against his hardened cock. “It’s too bad we have to go. It would have been fun to make sure everything was working properly before we left.”