"I didn't bring them with me."
Lee's eyes dipped to Jamison's chest and lingered for a moment before she gasped and looked up. Jamison realized her slow arousal had become obvious.
"I could..." she licked her lips, her gaze drifting over Lee's mouth as she recalled the sweetness. "I could come by this afternoon and look at them."
"Okay." Lee hesitated. "Oh, wait. I have to go over to Lake Placid this afternoon."
Jamison's passion was quickly overcoming her common sense. She clenched her fingers, reaching for a modicum of self-control. Four nights ago she had wanted to make love to Lee, but it was nothing compared to how she felt now. Seeing her so unexpectedly after the separation that her jaguar clamored to be let out to take her mate told Jamison exactly how much Lee had come to mean. For that reason, duty was more important than ever.
"That's right. You're looking at new cars. What about later?"
"Seven o'clock?"
"Sounds good. I'll see you then."
Lee stood and Jamison came around to the front of the desk, drawn to her side. They shared a quiet moment, but when no one spoke Lee proceeded toward the door. She took a single step before she spun back again, her concern evident.
"Jami, if I've done something wrong, would you tell me?"
"No, Lee. Of course you haven't done anything. How could you think that?" Having Lee call her by her nickname effectively lowered all of her barriers at once.
Jamison wrapped one arm loosely around Lee's shoulders and tilted her chin up with gentle fingers. Her heart clenched when she saw tears swimming in the blue depths. The last thing she ever wanted to do was hurt Lee and she felt guilt gnawing at her for ignoring the repeated calls.
"It's just that I thought something was happening between us. When we kissed it was so amazing and hot. And then later, when you came back I thought we would...but we didn't. And now you won't even call me back and I've missed you so much. Don't you miss me?" Lee's voice cracked when she asked the question.
"I'm sorry." Jamison pulled her close and kissed her cheek where a single tear had escaped. "I do miss you. I miss you so much."
The kiss was inevitable, lips pressing gently before moving away and back again, easily bridging any remaining distance and mending tiny hurts. Lee groaned in her mouth and Jamison forgot duty and propriety. Her jaguar wanted its mate. It wanted to touch and taste and claim, and Jamison wanted the same. Not just that, but she wanted Lee to need her the same way.
Her hands caressed down Lee's shoulders, stopping once to embrace the small waist before dipping lower. She cupped slender hips and lifted Lee onto the edge of the desk. Strong legs circled her stomach and objects clattered unheeded to the floor.
Lee's fingers were locked in her hair, pulling Jamison so tightly against her that a lip split and she tasted blood. The primal connection pushed her past any restraint. Jamison grasped the bottom of Lee's sweater and pulled it off in one swift tug, releasing her mouth only for the time it took to remove the offending garment. She felt Lee unbuttoning her uniform shirt but was too busy mapping the strong body with her hands to pay attention until Lee broke the kiss.
"Take this off."
Jamison didn't question what was about to happen or worry that anyone would walk in. Instead, she unbuttoned her shirt and tossed it onto the chair. Lee had already started removing the white tee Jamison wore under her uniform shirt and she quickly finished the job. By the time she dropped it onto the floor Lee had a hard nipple in her mouth.
"Oh, I knew you would taste like this," she murmured between kissing and sucking. "Your skin is so sweet. Touch me, Jami, please. I need you."
Jamison reached behind Lee and pushed what remained on her desk to the far side, thankful she didn't keep a cluttered workspace. She grasped Lee around the shoulder with one arm, laying her back and pushing her onto the surface at the same time. Then she was on top, lying with their naked flesh pressed together.
She tried to slow down and absorb every sensation, truly feel the texture of Lee's skin and meld with her on more than a physical level. Fingers stroked hard stomach muscles and she felt Lee tense against her hand, overcome with her desire.
They kissed again and Jamison deftly unsnapped Lee's fly. Her fingertips edged beneath the waistline of her panties and discovered warm, wet silk waiting for her. She stoked through Lee's passion until she was raising her hips seeking the touch she craved.
"Ah," Lee groaned, breaking the kiss. She arched her neck and Jamison sucked on the sinewy muscles while she explored below.
Lee was so hot and ready, Jamison slid inside easily; one finger and then two. She felt the internal walls clench, drawing her deeper. Lee's feet came up and braced against the edge of the desk. Her hips lifted, providing counterpoint to the rhythm Jamison set up, pushing in and withdrawing before thrusting forward again more deeply.
Jamison felt her own desire pounding in her veins as she quickly lost control. She straddled Lee's thigh and pressed down hard, gasping when the fire raced through her veins. Then she was moving, matching the pace of her thrusting fingers with her hips, clenching her ass each time she encountered soft flesh and hard bone.
"Jami, touch my clit. Please, I need to come. Let me come." Mindful of Jeanie in the other room, Lee's voice was a frantic whisper.
Jamison pressed down with the heel of her hand, grinding Lee's clitoris against her pelvic bone even as she continued moving inside. She felt Lee tense in her arms and her own body gathered for the pending storm. When her release hit, Lee bit down on the juncture of Jamison's neck and shoulder, trying to muffle her cries of satisfaction. The combined sensations were too much and Jamison felt the heat in her belly explode. She came with a quickly bitten off shout.
For a short while, the two simply lay there together catching their breath. Jamison inhaled deeply, her mind alive with the images of what had just happened. A week ago, she hadn't wanted to be involved with anyone. Now she couldn't imagine her life without Lee.
"You okay?"
She raised her head and looked down into smiling eyes. "Yes. You?"
Lee kissed her softly before answering. "Wonderful. This isn't exactly what I had planned when I came in here, but I can't say I'm sorry."
"Me either, but I think we'd better get up before Jeanie walks in on us."
Jamison kissed her deeply once more before she actually allowed her to move. Then Lee made a face and Jamison laughed as she stood up. She handed Lee her sweater and then went to find her own clothing. She had her t-shirt on and was buttoning the uniform shirt when long arms embraced her from behind. Jamison smiled and turned around to return the hug. Lee kissed her once, a short almost chaste touch of the lips before she stepped back.
"See you at seven. Don't forget about me."
"Not a chance."
As Lee walked out, Jamison automatically checked the wall clock and groaned. It was only noon. Seven very long hours before she could see Lee again. She tucked her shirt in and tried to force her mind back into mode, something she was sure would be unsuccessful.
Chapter Twenty-One
LEE WALKED INTO the kitchen and uncorked a bottle of red wine so it could breathe. She pulled two crystal glasses from the cupboard and set them next to the wine before she went back into the living room. She couldn't keep the smile off her face and it had been that way since she left Jamison at the ranger's station. The car dealer probably thought she was a complete whack job. Lee had to admit, he was probably right.
In addition to not being able to stop grinning and reliving her encounter with the tall, dark-haired forest beauty, Lee had definitely shown her elitism. At least that's what Jasmine would have called it. Lee understood the ins and outs of car buying when it came to Ferrari, Lamborghini or even BMW, but she knew nothing about Ford, Nissan or Toyota. She didn't think she was a snob; that was just the world she came from. In the end she settled on a dark red GMC 1500 Denali pickup. The one she chose had heated and cooled leather seats, a Bose stereo system and
the navigation package.
She made arrangements to finalize the deal for the next afternoon and then rushed home to make sure she was ready for her date with Jamison. She showered, perfumed and then spent the last thirty minutes figuring out what to wear, and she was still an hour early.
Lee laughed at herself and sat down on the sofa. She reached down and helped Cleo up beside her, petting her for a few minutes. Then she picked up Aunt Chris' journal from the stack on the coffee table. It would take too long to read it before Jamison arrived and she didn't want to skim through and miss anything important. A quick look at the medicine book the night before had been as cryptic as the letter and the old man in the alley by the café, so she ignored that for the moment as well. Finally, she settled on the photographs. Lee hadn't seen any of those and was curious what she would find. She decided to go through the loose pictures first and save the album for later.
The first one she studied showed Aunt Chris standing and smiling into the camera. From the angle, whoever took the shot had been very short or sitting down. Lee turned it over and discovered a hand printed date. The photo had been taken around Halloween the year before. Chris looked hale and hearty, without any signs of illness. Lee frowned and moved on to the next image. It showed her down on her knees petting a small cub with little black spots. Chris looked much younger in this picture and had a huge smile on her face as she rubbed the animal's belly.
Lee grinned and turned the picture over. It read 'Chris and Darlene.'
Funny name for an animal.
She continued on through the bundle, her smile fading as she did. There were a few snapshots of Chris with other people or others without her, but the prevailing theme seemed to be jungle cats of various sizes although they were all the same type. In addition to the many cubs, full grown cats stalked around the manor and grounds at will.
Did she run some kind of nature preserve years ago? Is that where my visiting feline came from? Did it somehow escape when the others were taken away and now it lives in the forest?
The final photograph held her interest far longer than any of the others combined. The image was distorted, smudged; as though it had been double-exposed. Aunt Chris sat in the kitchen floor and held...something in her lap. Body parts of a small child were clearly identifiable, but so was the muzzle of a jaguar cub. In her occupation, Lee was fully cognizant of the imperfections of early photography equipment, but she had never seen such a disorienting effect from an overlapped image. And why was it only the child that was blurred and not the entire picture? Chris and the background were perfectly clear.
Perplexed and curious, Lee studied the back of the Polaroid. 'Chris and Marina.'
Marina? Why would they name an animal after Mom, or was Mom named after the cat?
A shiver stole down her back. Lee felt like she was on the verge of understanding something of major portent, but as hard as she strained, the answers wouldn't come together. She knew instinctively these photos and all the other things she'd found in the trunk tied in with the mystery surrounding the entire area in general and the townspeople in particular. Before she could give it more thought, Lee heard a vehicle pulling up in front of the house and she tossed the already forgotten pictures onto the table.
She's here.
Lee's heart rate doubled and she swallowed in nervous anticipation, her mind already darting back to the earlier encounter with Jamison in the park office. Instantly, she could taste Jamison's lips pressing against hers in passionate fury and strong fingers massaging inside her body. The thoughts sent a flood of liquid heat through her and she had to take several calming breaths before regaining enough composure to start for the front door.
Cleo was way ahead of her, standing at the entrance with her head thrown back and baying for all she was worth.
"Yes, Cleo. Thank you very much. Come in," she finished with a slightly raised voice.
The front door opened and Lee was mesmerized by a pair of brightly shining green eyes. The moment seemed to stretch out indefinitely as she saw her own expression of dazed desire returned. Without thought, Lee walked up to Jamison until she was only a few feet away. It took all of her willpower not to latch hold of Jamison and kiss her senseless on the spot.
Probably not a good idea right now. Next thing you know I'd have her on the floor under me. God, Lee. Get hold of yourself.
Apparently, Jamison didn't have the same reservations. A smile ghosted across her tanned features and she eclipsed the small distance. Her head lowered and she brushed her lips warmly over Lee's, easily swallowing the gasp generated by a bolt of sharp desire.
"Hi, again," Jamison whispered.
"Hi, back."
Lee wanted so much to take this engagement into her bedroom, but reached for a little self-restraint. From Jamison's own actions, both of them wanted another physical encounter, but right now she had to focus on why she'd asked Jamison to come over. If she didn't, chances were good they'd never get around to it. She just hoped Jamison understood.
She took a half step back and noticed the perplexed look on Jamison's face. "I'm sorry. I'd love to take up where we left off earlier, but if we don't get the business end of this out of the way, I'm afraid I won't be able to concentrate."
"And I'm afraid that if we launch straight into business, I won't be able to concentrate," Jamison said.
Lee groaned and briefly closed her eyes. "You don't make this easy, do you?"
Jamison took a half step forward before she stopped. "I admit I want to be with you, and not just on the top of my desk. I want you under me right now, hot and naked and moaning my name. But I'll be good. I'll try to do my duty to the best of my ranger abilities and not picture stripping your clothes off."
"Thanks," Lee said wryly. "I know I'll be able to think clearly now."
She received a knowing smile before Jamison said, "Just doing my part. Now, why don't you show me these amazing pictures of a black panther?"
"Actually, there are only two pictures. One of them is the jaguar, as you so helpfully pointed out earlier, and the other one is ... something else."
Lee made the decision to show Jamison the picture of the trespassers as soon as she walked into the house. She hadn't considered it before, but one look at the open, caring expression generated a feeling of trust.
"All right, now I'm intrigued."
"Intrigued. It's funny you should use that word," Lee said as she turned and walked toward the kitchen and the rear steps that would lead down to her darkroom.
"Oh, why is that?"
"You'll think I'm crazy."
"Probably only a little," Jamison teased.
Lee cast a grin over her shoulder and opened the door to the basement. "I've just noticed some odd things since I've been here and it's all shaping up to look rather mysterious."
"I see, Sherlock, you'll have to fill me in on what you've....What is that smell?" Jamison had frozen in her tracks and a look of infinite disgust curled her top lip.
Lee stopped and faced her with a frown of her own. "It's those barrels I told you about. They're starting to smell like something died down there."
"They smell like several somethings died. I didn't realize it was so awful. You should have reminded me."
Lee blushed, pleased by Jamison's reaction. "I didn't want to bother you, so much has been going on." Then another thought occurred to her and she asked, "You don't really think something is dead inside those barrels?"
"I doubt it," Jamison reassured her quickly. "I'm sure it's just some old vegetables that have rotted and the decomp is really starting to saturate the wood. When you get down to it, any kind of biological organism smells like death when decay sets in and if it goes on long enough. I'll tell you what though, I'll contact a guy I know after I leave and we'll come out about ten o'clock tomorrow to get those nasty things out of here. How does that sound?"
"Wonderful. I may well have to kiss you right now just for that."
Jamison's eyes sparkled. "That sounds gr
eat."
"But?"
"But I'd rather not kiss you with that smell in my nose. It might be a bad association for me later."
Lee laughed. "I certainly don't want that. Why don't we save it until after show and tell?"
"All right."
The look in her eyes told her that Jamison wouldn't forget the offer. She felt a flurry of butterflies take up residence in her stomach and looked away, suddenly overcome with a case of nerves. What happened earlier in Jamison's office had been spontaneous. Lee had no time to consider what she was doing, only that she wanted Jamison fiercely and acted on that impulse. Now, they were actually planning for it to happen again and she felt unexpectedly shy. Instead of responding, she reached inside the doorway and switched on the light switch to the lower level. Cleo had anticipated the move and was already two steps ahead of them.
"Does she always do that?"
"Oh, yes. She fancies herself my protector."
"Good girl."
"Except for the night of the last thunderstorm." Lee smiled thinking about it. At the time, both of them had been just short of panic, but now the fear seemed so juvenile. "You should have seen her pawing at the darkroom door in an absolute frenzy because of the thunder and lightning."
"Heart of a lion, huh?" Jamison asked in amusement.
"Exactly."
THE SMELL ON the basement level was so strong it effectively squashed Jamison's desire, even though she realized it was a temporary effect. She'd been attracted to Lee almost from the moment she first saw her and the brief physical liaison they shared only hours ago fueled that fire. Being with Lee was remarkable and when she'd bit down on Jamison's shoulder it had been like having sex with another Panthera. Biting was a common practice, not to draw blood but to establish a deeper connection. The combination of extreme pleasure and a minor pain had thrown open the doorway barring any lingering reservations on her part about becoming involved with Lee.
Jamison admitted her heart craved a mate and she needed Lee to fill that role. What had started out as 'just sex' had quickly morphed into so much more. Even following behind Lee with the offensive odor drowning out her other senses, Jamison had difficulty tearing her eyes from the trim figure leading the way. But was it too soon for her to feel like this? Her instincts told her Lee would probably think so.
Under the Midnight Cloak Page 19