“Your father?” she pressed.
“Blamed himself for all the deaths. He died a few months later. Some might say of a broken heart.” The harsh laugh that followed belied his belief in such romantic notions.
She shifted closer so she might reach him more easily. She laid her hand above his heart. A strong human beat greeted her palm, reminding her that whatever else he might be, he was also a man. A man who had on some level lied to her, and yet a man who intrigued her and who had saved her life.
“You should have told me,” she repeated, although in her heart, she knew it wouldn’t have changed anything. She still would have come to the jungle. Had to come. Because of Victor. Because of her sister. Because of Javier’s mother and Armando’s parents and so many others like them who could be saved with the right medicines.
She was pulling her hand away when he stayed the motion by laying his hand over hers. As their gazes met, she realized he needed that touch, and she needed it as well.
At dawn, Jessica woke flushed and warm, recalling the heat of his body when she had drifted closer to him sometime during the night. His contented rumble, like the purr of a well-satisfied cat, had finally lulled her to sleep, driving away the sounds and sights of the fight and his transformation.
She passed her hand over the spot where he had lain beside her. Still warm from his body.
He hasn’t been gone long, she thought, and roused herself, knowing they couldn’t linger in this clearing much longer. She had to collect her specimens and then head back to civilization for her presentation to the board.
She also knew it was time to leave because there was too much of a threat here. Armando could kill her, much as he had Victor. Javier could try to protect her, but for how long?
Armando was bigger and stronger, but Javier had heart. Courage. Things that couldn’t be ignored in a fight. Things that called to her in a way that endangered her as well, for they touched her heart. That hadn’t happened in a long time. Maybe never, she acknowledged.
Since her sister’s death, Jessica had shut down her emotions, determined not to feel loss again. She convinced herself that she needed to find a way to help others avoid the kind of pain she had experienced. That driving need had kept her from developing any lasting relationships with the men in her life, even Victor.
Victor had come to understand that he was just a companion during their many trips together. That he could never touch the heart she had walled off from the world.
But what she was beginning to feel for Javier had opened a crack in that wall and made her feel vulnerable for the first time in years. She couldn’t permit that. As soon as he was healed, she would demand that he guide her back to civilization. Her life was safer there, in so many ways.
When Jessica climbed out of the tent, she searched the clearing for Javier.
But he was gone.
Keen-eyed, Antonio noticed her interest and said, “He needed to change back to finish the healing. He’ll meet us at the village.”
Knowing they would leave the clearing soon, Jessica collected a few dozen additional plant specimens and prepared for the trek back to the village.
Antonio had boiled some water, which he had mixed with some native berries and herbs, explaining that it would give her energy for the return trip.
As they finished packing, she glanced at Antonio and recalled Javier’s words of the night before—that Antonio was like him.
She faced the old man, examining him carefully, and as he caught wind of her interest, he smiled.
“You wish to see what I am.”
When she nodded, he said, “Watch, and follow me back to my people.”
Antonio’s transformation sped by in a blur, faster than Javier’s. Where a moment before there had been copper-colored skin lined with age, there were now beautiful beige and brown feathers, as Antonio spread his arms out and they became wings. The snap and crackle of bone seemed less severe, lighter, like the hollow bones of a bird. Before her eyes, Antonio’s flat, broad nose lengthened and hardened into the razor-sharp beak of a hawk.
A magnificent hawk, she thought. Antonio was regal and resplendent as he soared into the air above her, wings flapping and talons ready to pierce unsuspecting prey. With a quick spurt of power, he circled above her before moving forward into the rain forest canopy and along the trail they had taken the day before.
“Follow me,” Antonio had said that day, and she did, while keeping one eye on him above her and the other on the trail. As she walked, Jessica got the sense that she wasn’t alone, that in addition to Antonio sweeping the sky above her, Javier was also nearby, watching over them in his animal form. It brought Jessica a sense of comfort and contentment, but she quickly squelched the thought. Such emotions were too risky to the life she had built for herself—a nomadic life with no attachments.
Before reaching the village, Antonio swooped down from the skies and morphed back to his human form. The mind-boggling transformation reminded her that the authorities would never believe her if she told them about Victor’s death and Armando’s transformation into the black jaguar.
She was powerless. As powerless as she had been at her sister’s bedside and it angered her.
Much as she had sworn to make a difference then, she would find a way to make a difference now. She just needed to decide how to do that without compromising the tribe or her standing in the scientific community. She doubted her colleagues would believe wild tales about people who could transform themselves into animals.
Since a long, hot shower always helped her think, Jessica decided to save her packing for later and take a break in the heat of the day to wash up, although the best she would get would be a bracing rainwater shower outside her hut.
Chapter 5
A fter undressing quickly, she stepped from her hut into the small alcove connecting it to the outdoor shower. She tossed her towel over the top of the wooden partition, but as she stood there naked, she caught sight of the jaguar nestled in the tree above.
Javier, she knew instinctively.
His powerful cat body was slung along the length of a thick branch, one paw dangling downward lazily. His gold-green gaze fixed on her body, causing an immediate and unwanted reaction.
Her nipples tightened, and a quick pulse beat between her legs.
She stepped into the stall and released the first quick blast of rainwater. It rushed down over her body, raising goosebumps with its slight chill and quickening her nipples into even tighter peaks.
Raising her hand, she touched one breast, strumming her thumb across the turgid tip. From above her, she heard a low, throaty rumble. As she looked up, she realized the jaguar had slunk closer on the branch for a better view.
She intended to give it to him, a payback of sorts for his voyeurism and his secrets. She wanted to punish him for the attraction that drew them together, even though she knew it would bring nothing but complications to both their lives.
With her free hand, she cupped her other breast. Slick, soapy skin slipped beneath her fingers. Her nipple had peaked from the chill of the water and was incredibly sensitive as she caressed herself, her gaze trained on the cat above her the whole time.
The jaguar inched ever forward, its balance more precarious the closer it got to the weaker end of the branch.
Between her legs, Jessica felt the thrum of need. She moved one hand down and eased it between her legs. As she found the nub hidden in the dark curls and played with it, a rough gasp escaped her.
At the sound, the jaguar grumbled in response and slinked just an inch closer—but an inch too far. The branch bent downward, unsettling the cat, who fell to the ground with a growl of complaint and a loud thud.
Jessica chuckled but then closed her eyes and tried to satisfy the need that had grown within her.
A second later, however, the door to the shower flew open. Javier stood there naked, erect, and hungry. All traces of the jaguar were gone as he closed the door behind him. His human body was still bruised in s
pots, but he seemed to be healing from most of his other injuries.
As her gaze met his, she knew what he wanted. She could smell the animal need and musk of his arousal pouring off his skin.
She wouldn’t deny him or herself. The physical attraction had been there from the start, and it was time to satisfy that need, no matter what the consequences.
Javier cupped her breast even as she moved her hand from between her legs. His shaft was wet, making his skin slick beneath the palm of her hand as she shifted it up and down the length of him.
A rough rumble came from his body as she stroked him, matching the sharp mewl of pleasure from her own throat as his strong fingers rotated her nipple into an ever tighter bud.
He stepped closer, and the tips of her breasts brushed the rock-hard wall of his chest. His skin was smooth and hot to the touch. Surprisingly so. With a little wiggle of her body, she rubbed her breasts against his chest, loving the feel of his skin and the hard muscle against the sensitive tips of her breasts.
Then she caressed his pectoral muscles with her free hand. She palmed the thick, well-defined muscles and swept her thumb across his dark brown nipple.
Another pleased kind of purr came from him, and she said, “This is crazy.”
“Definitely louco,” he said, and mimicked her actions, stroking the tight peak of her breast with his thumb, his caress sure and enticing.
Before he could say or do anything else, Jessica gave in to her desire. She bent her head and covered his nipple with her mouth. His skin was salty and firm beneath her lips. He groaned and cradled her head to him.
Somehow he managed to say, “Is this how you say thanks for saving your life?”
She chuckled and gently teethed the tight nub before meeting his gaze again. “I think we both know this is about more than thanks.”
With a feral smile, Javier trailed his free hand down her body and between her legs. He unerringly found the center of her. She watched as he stroked her with his strong, capable hand and pressed his fingers against the swollen nub. Then he eased first one finger and then a second into her, drawing a rough moan out of her.
Tightening the grasp of her hand, she caressed his erection, stroking his length before running her hand over the head. As her knees weakened from his practiced caresses, she braced her other hand on his shoulder for support.
The pressure inside her built, and in her hand she could feel the growing strain and strength of his arousal, too. They were both breathing heavily, their bodies shaking, when he leaned forward and whispered, “I want to be inside you.”
She wanted that, too, and as she braced both hands on his strong shoulders, he bent, slipped between her thighs, and positioned himself at her center. Slowly he entered her, his thickness and length stretching her to the point of both pleasure and pain. As he straightened to his full height, he cupped her buttocks and lifted her off the ground. She wrapped her legs around his waist, deepening his penetration.
The feel of him filling her dragged another rough gasp from her.
He stilled for a moment, as if to savor the wonder of their joining, but then he slowly flexed his hips, drawing in and out of her. His thrusts grew more determined as their passion rose.
Jessica’s climax gathered at her core as he plunged deep inside her more roughly than before. She met his gaze, watching as he looked at her breasts swaying with the rhythm of his powerful thrusts.
She wanted his mouth on them and murmured her plea.
Javier held her tight with one arm, then reached up and released a torrent of water over their bodies, removing the last remnants of the soap. He quickly brought his mouth down and sucked on her breasts, teething and licking them both, until the tight knot of need within her exploded, releasing her climax through her body.
As she called out his name and cradled his head to her, Javier’s muscles trembled beneath her hands. Jessica knew he could feel the pull and throb of her release deep within.
She kissed him gently and whispered, “Come with me, querido,” and he did, his big body shuddering a moment before he let himself go inside her.
“Meu amor,” he said, and took her mouth in a rough kiss, cupping her head to him until she was nearly breathless, his mouth moving on hers over and over, as if he wanted to eat her alive.
With their bodies still joined, he somehow managed to walk them back into her hut. At the edge of the bed, he bent and gently laid her down. She gazed up at him. His gold-green cat eyes blazed with desire.
“Javier,” she whispered, half in question, but then she sensed the awakening of his erection again between her legs. She felt the thickness of him pressing deeper inside her and her own answering dampness surrounding him.
As he cradled her breasts, teasing the hard tips with his fingers, Javier roused her passion once more.
Jessica closed her eyes and gave herself over to the animal inside her. The one that wanted satisfaction no matter the consequences.
As yet another soul-shaking release built within her, she sensed that the price to be paid for such fulfillment would be costly.
It had to be the strength of his animal spirit that gave him such powers of recuperation.
Jessica barely had the power to roll onto her back, but Javier had gone outside to get some food and drink and returned. Now they lay cozily in bed, her back propped up against his chest as she sat between his legs. She fed him from the plate of fruits he had brought.
She broke off a piece of banana, and he leaned forward, biting it carefully from her hand. She took a piece for herself and ate it slowly. After, she sipped from a glass filled with fruit juice and handed it to him. As a little buzz awakened her, she realized it had guarana in it again but no alcohol.
Rich, ripe slices of mango were next, but as Javier accepted the last piece from her, he snared her hand and proceeded to lick the juices off her fingers, his tongue rough as he slowly sucked one finger and then another into his mouth.
“Javier,” she protested, even as she was putting aside the food and turning to face him. Her legs straddled his thighs, and his erection—thick, long, and hard—pressed against the soft flatness of her belly.
He ignored her slight complaint, laid his hands on her waist, and gently urged her upward, so that he could lick the peaks of her breasts. As he did so, his erection slipped between her legs, and Jessica guided him to the center of her.
Slowly, she sank down, holding her breath as his thickness filled her. The pull of his mouth and the rough salve of his tongue awakened an almost animal need in her to take him.
She shifted her hips, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, helped her set a rhythm, dragging them slowly toward a climax.
Her gaze locked with his—those amazing gold-green eyes. Cat eyes, she now realized, and yet it brought no fear, nor did the low rumble and purr that came from him as they moved ever closer to satisfaction.
He thrust upward, dragging a ragged gasp from her, and the quickening surged through her body. Brushing aside the spill of her hair from the side of her face, he laid his cheek against hers and in low tones said, “Free yourself, Jess. Don’t be afraid of the wildness inside you.”
With his words, her release broke past the dam she had erected. She called out his name, and her body trembled in his arms.
Against his erection, the heat and wetness of her surrounded Javier. The tightening and rolling of muscle caressed him, urging him to join her.
It had been so long since he had allowed himself any pleasure. Since he had permitted the human side of him to seek release. To enjoy the pleasure of communion with a kindred spirit.
He realized it then, that he and Jessica shared a great deal in common. She was strong enough to handle all that he was.
The joy of that filled him, and he let go of his own restraint and embraced the climax that rushed over his body, bringing release.
They were lying face to face, still touching, hours later. They exchanged slow, languid caresses, but Jessica was beg
inning to feel disoriented. Disconnected from her everyday life. Distracted by a sense of…rightness.
This is so wrong, she thought. The comfort and sense of well-being she felt in his arms meant trouble because she knew their involvement could be nothing but a passing interlude. She couldn’t let her fascination with Javier deter her from her promise to her sister or from seeking justice for Victor.
Javier immediately sensed her disquiet.
“What bothers you so? Armando?”
She chuckled harshly. Armando could kill her, but Javier was much more dangerous to her well-being. “No, not Armando. You.”
“Why?” he asked, even as he cupped her breast and lazily stroked his thumb across the tip of it.
“Javier, por favor. Stop,” she said, and he did as she asked, but he clearly wasn’t done with the conversation.
“My people believe that while you may mate with many during your lifetime, only one is truly your soul mate.”
Jessica looked away. If she believed in things like that, she might have grudgingly admitted that how she felt in his arms, by his side, could develop into something more. But there was no room in her life for a man, so she knew it would be simpler to push him away despite their incredible chemistry. She couldn’t detour from what was important in her life for such uncertain feelings.
“I’m not sure this can ever be more. I have to be at a stockholders meeting at the start of next week. I have to go home, Javier. I’ve got obligations there.”
He stiffened beside her, and as she looked up, she realized from the tight slash of his lips that he was angry.
“Home?” he questioned sharply. “I’ve seen your bio, Jessica. It seems to me there is nowhere you truly call home.”
The moment shattered, she decided to retreat. Leaving the bed, she grabbed some clothes from a chair and slipped them on. Javier watched her dress, his angry gaze raking over her newly clothed body.
Even now, the thrum of desire called to her. Clenching her hands to keep from touching him again, she said, “I need to go back, because people need me and depend on me.”
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