“It’s been a long time since I was around shifter babies but I remember how hard it is to care for them. You’ve done a wonderful job with them, sweetheart. They’re healthy and have a good sense of morality.”
She inched closer to him and rested her palms on his chest. “It was hard, especially after they first shifted. They didn’t seem to have any control of it. Once I was pushing a stroller down the street and Levi changed. Thankfully he was in the back of the double seats and I was able to get him into the car without anybody seeing. I rarely took them out after that, only when I knew places wouldn’t be too crowded. Stress seemed to be a trigger.”
“That it is.” He reached forward and lifted her arm. The scars hidden by the tattoo served to show how out of her element she’d been. He traced the claw marks. “You’re lucky they didn’t hurt you more seriously.”
She pulled her arm away and cradled it close. “It was an accident. He didn’t do it on purpose.”
“I never said he did.” He took her arm back and wrapped his fingers around the inked cat at her wrist. The pulse under his palm beat wildly. “Don’t be defensive. I didn’t mean it negatively.”
“I know.” She dropped her gaze. “I just don’t understand shifter ways. My first instinct is to protect them. I didn’t want you punishing them for my clumsiness.”
“I won’t punish them. Guide them. Discipline them. Yes. But never punish. Children are precious and so are our females.” He let go of her wrist and reached up to rub his thumb over her lips. “You are special to me, Jasmine.”
“Because I’m your beloved human.” She sighed. “I know. You keep telling me that.”
Rafe grinned at the annoyance in her voice. She looked at him and frowned. He held her face between his palms and pressed his lips to hers before she could question him. He kissed her slowly and lovingly, showing her without words what he felt. Words were hard sometimes but this wasn’t. She met his kiss and they explored each other. Passion rose. He slid his hands to her shoulders and down her leanly muscled arms.
Softness and strength. Jasmine’s body and soul reflected both. It had been those traits that had carried her through hardships, let her survive long enough for him to find her. His treasure, the greatest find of his long life, and the one he refused to lose.
He undressed her with care. The top and bra were tossed aside. Her shorts next. Naked, she lay before him open and welcoming. In this, she trusted him. With her body, she gave willingly. Her heart he feared was still guarded but he was determined to break through her shields, gain her secrets, win her love.
“You are beautiful, my Jasmine,” he exclaimed.
A blush stained her cheeks. “I’m glad you think so but—”
He leaned over her and took her lips, silencing her words with a kiss. He didn’t want to hear her doubts. He had none. Everything about this female was perfection. He might not have known her long but when it was real, love came without qualifiers or rules. He pulled back and gazed into the face of his soon-to-be mate. Lips swollen from his kisses, flushed freckled cheeks and gray eyes darkened with passion. He ran his fingertips over her features and memorized each slope and contour.
Gods, he loved this woman. Every little mark and imperfection made her unique. With his lips barely brushing her skin, he skimmed over the slope of her cheek and down her neck. For the moment, he ignored her shoulder. He kissed each arm, paying special attention to the bend of her elbow and her wrists. Touching the sensitive spots made her shiver, rewarding him with more of her breathless sighs. He sucked each finger into his mouth before letting her limp arms fall to the side.
From there he moved to her belly and dipped his tongue into her navel. She shivered. He couldn’t resist the temptation. He spread his palms over her sides.
She sucked in a breath. “You wouldn’t dare.”
He grinned and tickled her. She giggled and squirmed. More of the sadness faded from her eyes. He stretched out next to her with his head pillowed on a bent arm. His cock was hard and his balls hung heavy. He knew if touched Jasmine she would be wet and ready to receive him, but he was in no rush to find physical release. Not this time. Today he would uncover Jasmine’s secrets and learn about the woman he planned to tie to his soul.
He laid a finger over the small bump on her nose. “What happened?”
She reached up and touched the spot. “I fell out of a tree when I was little.”
He kissed the old wound before he traced a thin scar along her chin. “And this?”
“Crashed my bike.” She propped her body on one elbow and pointed to her ankle where another white mark remained from a cut. “Got this one at the same time.” She touched the back of her head. “Hit my head pretty good too.”
He nuzzled against her chin then pressed his lips to her scalp. A breathy sigh fell from her lips. He turned his face away to hide the smile. Her response pleased him. He sat up and lifted her ankle to his mouth for a kiss. She shivered.
“That tickles.” With flicks of his tongue, he laved the spot. She tugged her leg to free it. “Let go, you wicked man.”
Ignoring her, he kissed his way up to her knee. She stopped fighting him. He lifted her other leg to his mouth but paused and asked, “Do you still want me to stop?”
She shook her head. He grinned against her flesh and treated the leg to the same caresses before placing it gently on the floor. She watched him with half-lidded fascination as he crawled into the space between her legs. With her spread wide for him, he had a perfect view of his personal heaven but his heart stopped at the sight of her sex. No curls.
“Jasmine?”
She reached down and brushed over the lips. “I thought maybe you’d like it if I was bare here. Do you?”
He hadn’t cared if she had a full nest of curls or short, trimmed ones but the smooth skin posed a temptation he found hard to resist. One look at her slickened, swollen lips and he knew this was how he wanted Jasmine for eternity.
“I like, baby. Very much.”
He laid a palm over the hairless mound. A sigh escaped her parted mouth. He knew she’d be more sensitive without the barrier her curls provided and he planned to take advantage of it. He ran a finger through her cleft and brought the glistening tip to his mouth. Eyes closed, he sucked on it. A hungry groan crawled up his throat.
“Delicious,” he praised and bent closer, needing more of her flavor.
Using his thumbs, he spread the lips and licked. With slow swipes of his tongue, he brought her essence to him. He savored her arousal, wanted to stay here forever and drink of her but each time he dipped into her core to get to the cream he craved, she whimpered. Muscles gripped his tongue and the hitch of her breathing betrayed how close she was to release.
He withdrew his tongue, replacing it with his fingers, and licked the nub at the top of the seam. Already erect, his slight touch to the button tightened the muscles around his fingers. Wanting to please her and make her forget the horrors of the morning, he captured her clit between his lips. He flicked the bundle of nerves with his tongue. Her body tensed and her core quivered as the orgasm rolled through her. He lengthened her pleasure with thrusts of fingers until she trembled. Slow strokes brought her down.
His plan to learn more about Jasmine would have to wait. The need to be inside her and experience the passion he’d watched play out on her face was too great to ignore. He crawled over her and joined their bodies in one firm push. Her sheath clamped down over his shaft but he dragged his cock back and parted her tender muscles with a forward push. In and out, he moved in the same dance he’d shared with countless women but only with Jasmine did it mean more than a physical act. It was love. Elemental. Undeniable.
He slowed his thrusts and kissed her. With his body, he worshipped her. Loved her. Higher and higher they raced to completion and when they reached the peak, the orgasm rolled over both of them. They fed off each other. Her clenching sheath milked him, drew out his release and each jerk of his cock sent another ripple a
long the length of her core.
Exhaustion finally came. He rolled them and held her body close to his. Peace filled him but reality crept in and chased away the warmth in his soul.
He tightened his arms around her. “I’m never letting you go. Keeping you forever.”
She released a shaky breath. “That’s a very possessive vow, Rafe.”
“Yes and it’s a real one.” He shifted so he could look in to her eyes. “I want you as my mate.”
A blank mask slid over her features. It wasn’t the look he expected to see on her face after he made the declaration. He stiffened and waited for her response.
She licked her lower lip. “You haven’t known me long enough to make that decision. What if there is something about me you don’t like…or can’t forgive?”
Not wanting to say the wrong thing, he closed his eyes and let his other senses guide him. Her heart raced and the first hint of fear mixed with that of their spent arousal. He took several deep breaths to calm himself. This woman was going to be his mate. It was his job to help her overcome her doubts. That was part of loving someone.
“Nothing will change my mind. You are the female I want.”
She pushed away from him and sat up. With her arms wrapped around her bent legs, she said, “Three days. That’s all we’ve known each other. You can’t expect me to just accept that I’m the woman you want.”
“Instincts guide me. My cats knew that you were special, that you could be the one to capture me.” He reached for her and placed a hand on her arms. “Then I talked to you. Kissed you. I knew they were right.”
Her eyes misted, but she blinked the wetness away before he could judge if they were happy tears or sad ones.
“Mira explained to me about mates. If you mate a human, you only get one. Joined souls can’t be broken.” She dropped her arm from around her legs and leaned closer to him. “You can’t make that decision until you know everything. I won’t let you.”
She sought to protect him? Not deny him? He grinned. “Tell me, Jasmine. What is it I should know about you?”
“I honestly don’t think I have done anything wrong. I made the only choice I could but I don’t understand shifter ways. So…”
“Just tell me, Jasmine,” he ordered.
She blew out a breath. “I met a girl when I was living in Philadelphia. She was homeless, dirty and very, very pregnant. I befriended her, helped her as much as she’d allow.” She turned pleading eyes on him. “I tried to convince her to go to a homeless shelter or move in with me. I didn’t have a lot but we clicked. Instant friends. Do you understand? I wanted to help her.”
“Our females are like that. Full of love and life,” he said. Nina had been like that. She’d always had a smile on her face.
“Well, she wasn’t. She was terrified of everything. People, men especially, but even the cars driving by made her jump. Sometimes she’d look at something with such an expression of wonder on her face I would’ve sworn it was the first time she ever saw it.”
He tensed and the possibilities that teased his mind sickened him. There were groups who bred shifters to supply the trafficking rings or for use in medical research. They treated their captives no better than cattle, locked them away in facilities where they never saw the light of day. It was a horrible fate.
“Rafe?”
He forced the unease back. Jasmine watched him carefully. He didn’t want to upset her with his thoughts.
“Seth and Levi are hers?” he asked.
She nodded. “I brought food for her before and after work but that last time she didn’t show. I got worried. She was close to delivery but I also knew she was on the run. So I went to the warehouse where I knew she was living and found,” she closed her eyes and whispered, “a jaguar, not the woman I knew.”
“You didn’t know she was a shifter?”
She laughed bitterly. “I knew. I just didn’t believe.”
He pulled her into his arms. “She’d delivered her babes?”
She nodded again. “She told me to take them. She’d escaped from her husband and didn’t want him to get his hands on her boys. The bastard planned to sell them.”
“His own children?” he asked. She had to be mistaken. A male would never harm his own flesh and blood.
“She said he was sick. That he hated her because she was special and he wasn’t. She told me he sold their last babies, little girls, and she was determined not to let him get their boys too.”
His skin chilled and a sense of trepidation washed over him. “What happened?”
She choked back a sob. “He came, the husband, and she shifted into a tiger and attacked him. I scooped up the newborns and ran. I tried to find her later but the news reported finding a beheaded woman who matched Nina’s description.”
“Nina?” He grabbed her arms and pulled her back. She stared at him wide-eyed but he had to be sure. “Nina? Are you sure that was her name?”
Jasmine trembled but nodded her head.
He released her and stood. The pain cut at his heart. Nina, his beautiful little sister. Her image filled his vision. Smiling, happy, hazel eyes and hair as golden as the sun. She couldn’t be dead. She just couldn’t.
A lump formed in his throat and he choked out, “You’re sure that she was found beheaded? Not someone else?”
Jasmine stepped up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Yes, I’m sorry, Rafe. Did you know her?”
He snorted and rubbed at his eyes. They burned. “You can say that.”
He pushed Jasmine’s arms away. He didn’t want her comfort, not now. Nothing she said would bring Nina back. She was dead and he had to break the bad news to his family.
Chapter Twenty-One
Jazz watched Rafe walk away and pressed against the ache in her chest. He didn’t seem upset with her but she saw the pain on his face. He’d known Nina. Obviously loved her. But who was she to him? She pushed the questions away. The only way to find out who Nina was to Rafe was to ask him.
She dressed, looked around their little love nest and smiled. Despite the tense way things had ended, this place and what they shared here was probably the most romantic encounter she’d ever had. Rafe had worshipped her and his declaration to make her his mate eased her earlier fears. He wanted her, maybe even loved her.
She still worried his decision was a rash one and one he’d regret once the newness of their relationship faded. They didn’t know each other well but when he looked at her with devotion and affection in his eyes, she didn’t care. She wanted to grab onto him and not let go. Besides, there was no rush to take that next step. They had plenty of time to make sure it was a good choice…for both of them.
She’d never gotten to ask Mira about what mating a human meant for Rafe. Would they only have her lifetime to love each other in? She didn’t want to see him hurt when she died. Nor did she want him to give up his immortal life by following her. Yes, waiting was the smart thing to do. There were just too many questions she needed answers to before she committed to Rafe. That didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy him in the meantime.
Her gaze landed on the massage oils. They hadn’t gotten to use them. Later. They could come here later and take advantage of this place. Love each other again.
She slid her sneakers on and rushed down the stairs. An agonized roar rang out. The hair on her arms stood up. Rafe? She ran out the door, anxious to get to him. Halfway across the yard, she stopped to watch the scene playing out in front of her. Xander and Devin were holding Kade back from Rafe.
Claws slid from Kade’s hands. Wide fangs filled his mouth. Tan fur sprouted on a face that slowly changed from man to something that resembled a deformed lion. His jeans split and fur-covered thighs twice the size he normally had showed through the ripped fabric.
The sight terrified her. She backed up but Rafe didn’t move or act afraid, not even when Kade swiped a huge paw at him.
Because he can turn into the same thing.
She turned
her back on the brothers and fled to the safety of her garage. With the door closed, she slid down to the floor. Tremors racked her body but as she focused on her breathing, her racing pulse slowed. Rafe had never hurt her. He’d promised her she’d always be safe with him. She believed him.
There was absolutely no reason to be afraid of him or Kade in any of their forms. All she had to do was remember the beautiful alcove Kade had set up for them. He might be gruff but Rafe trusted him. And she trusted Rafe.
Foolish. That’s what she was. She’d overreacted. Again.
Kade must’ve loved Nina too. And most men didn’t cry when they were upset. They screamed, hid behind their anger. Josh did the same thing.
The rationalization eased the rest of her fears. She pushed up and opened the door. They might not want her comfort but she’d be there just in case they did. She walked toward where Rafe and Kade had been. Nobody stood there now. The rest of Kade’s clothes were strewn on the ground. Two other sets lay discarded nearby.
They must’ve shifted and gone for a run. She could understand that too. Her kids sometimes embraced their furry forms when they were stressed. Their animals didn’t feel emotional pain the same way people did. Or maybe they did and just reacted differently to it. How would she know?
She jogged the rest of the way to the house. After checking to make sure Seth, Levi and Megan were safe in their room with Mira watching over them, she followed the sound of Josh’s voice out to the deck. He stood at the railing with a phone to his ear. After a moment, he lowered it and cursed.
She slid the door closed behind her and crossed to him. “Josh?”
He pivoted. A small smile lifted his lips but it was forced. It never reached his eyes. He slipped the sleek phone into his rear pocket. “Hey, Jazz.”
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“I guess.” He turned and leaned his elbows against the railing. “I’m probably just overreacting. I’m sure everything is fine.”
Jazz studied him for a moment. Although he slouched and appeared relaxed as he studied the trees, tension radiated off him. She stepped closer. “Don’t lie to me, Josh. What’s wrong?”
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