Cat and Mouse

by Shelley Munro

  A frown creased her brow while she considered Duncan’s words. “What did you have in mind?” She didn’t try to hide her suspicions.

  “A meal together if we’re both free. A movie. Think you could handle that?”

  Even though his mouth hadn’t quirked into even the faintest grin and his eyes appeared somber, she could feel his amusement. “Aren’t you scared I’ll get ideas about you? Want more than you’re prepared to give?” she demanded.

  Duncan had to work hard not to laugh out loud. She’d run a mile if he admitted he wanted her any way he could have her, and since a more subtle game was required, he intended to woo her. He had ideas all right, but he was a patient man. “I’m not worried. You’ve told me you want to grow your business and I understand totally because I want to do the same thing for mine.” They’d be together soon. He knew it in his gut, and the weekend in her bed had made him even more certain of the fact. Spending time with her and not pushing would help build trust. Yeah, he’d sneak up and grab her before she realized the danger.

  “Oh. That’s all right then.”

  Half an hour later Duncan drove through the outskirts of Queenstown and away from the narrow lake framed by the Remarkables mountain range. The journey took them through the Kawarau gorge to the Gibbston Valley with its acres of vineyards.

  “That’s the Mitchell vineyard,” Duncan said, pointing to a group of buildings on the left dominated by one with a soaring roof.

  “I love the design. It reminds me of a bird in flight.”

  “Yeah, Leo Mitchell told me they’ve won design awards with it.”

  Lana nodded. “Now that I know the Mitchells own it I might make a point of stopping.”

  Duncan wanted to say he’d take her but remained silent, not wanting to push her too hard. “It’s not far to my place. Another fifteen minutes.” It was the damnedest thing—the nerves simmering in his stomach. He wanted Lana to like his farm.

  He turned onto a side road and took the second left, driving down a long, winding gravel road before pulling up outside a bungalow-style house. Duncan had plans for the house and grounds, and while they needed work, the view was spectacular now.

  “Wow.” Lana scrambled from his vehicle and walked around to join him. “It’s a beautiful setting.”

  Pride rose in Duncan along with contentment. He slung his arm around her shoulders and hugged Lana to his side. “I like it.”

  “What’s not to like?” Lana scoffed. “The rolling hills, the mountains in the distance. The river and the grapevines. It looks as if you could shift and run for miles without running into any humans.”

  “Would you like to go for a run now? It’s not dark for a couple of hours yet.”

  “I’d love it.” Her eyes sparkled, and although he’d thought about hustling Lana inside to show her his bedroom, she seemed so excited about a run that waiting seemed a small price to pay.

  “What about your GST return?”

  Lana wrinkled her nose. “A run will clear my head. I should complete the return in no time.”

  Duncan stepped away from her and unfastened the buttons on his shirt.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I thought you wanted to go for a run.” Duncan liked the way Lana’s gaze dropped to his chest and had to bite back a groan when she licked her lips.

  “I do.”

  He tossed the shirt aside and bent to unlace his boots. He undid the button and zipper of his jeans, removing his boxers and socks to toss them in a heap. Naked, he turned to Lana. “Something wrong?”

  “Ah no.”

  Grinning, he pictured the feline in his mind and let the shift take him. He had her hooked. Now all he needed to do was reel her in.

  Chapter Eight

  “I enjoyed the run so much,” Lana said, picking up her clothes after their run. “I love your farm. The land is beautiful.”

  Duncan nodded, gathering his own clothes and boots. “I liked it the first time I saw it. Go take a shower and do your bookwork while I take care of dinner.”

  Lana stopped walking abruptly. “Really?”

  “Yeah, that way we can spend the rest of the night relaxing.” And doing a bit more, he hoped. He scanned the part of her chest visible above the clothes she clutched and felt an answering surge in his groin. Damn, he wanted her. He opened the front door and stood aside to let her enter first. “Down the passage. Last door on the right is the bathroom. My bedroom is on the left.”

  “Are we sleeping together?”

  “If that’s what you want.” His breath caught while he waited for her reply.

  “I want,” she said before sashaying down the passage and disappearing into the bathroom.

  Duncan eased out a sigh of relief and dropped his boots by the door. After dressing rapidly, turned and padded barefoot into the kitchen. He was gonna get lucky tonight. Up until now he hadn’t been sure. Opening the battered fridge, he grabbed out a bacon and egg pie Emily had thoughtfully sent for him. Saber had dropped it off when he’d gone to visit the family vineyard. Duncan turned on the oven and while he waited for it to heat, he started making a lettuce salad to go with the bean salad Emily had also given him. Lana came into the kitchen with her laptop and two folders of invoices, settling down with minimum of fuss to her bookwork.

  While he worked on dinner, he glanced at Lana a couple of times, enjoying her presence, her feminine scent and the view she presented seated at his table. His. His feline stirred in a reproachful protest. Duncan tamped him down, determined to work on his plan of patience. The whole cat and mouse thing and the skilful chase had gone well so far. It wouldn’t do to screw up all his hard work by letting his feline take control.

  The phone rang and Duncan strode over to the kitchen counter to grab the receiver. “Hello.”

  “Hi, Duncan.”

  Jennifer. The woman was becoming a real pain in the ass. Frowning, Duncan walked into another room and hoped Lana wouldn’t try to listen. “What can I do for you?”

  “Duncan,” Jennifer chided. “I thought you’d be pleased to hear from me. From what I hear you’ve been working hard on that new farm of yours. When are you inviting me down to visit?”

  “I’m busy and not set up for guests,” Duncan said. “Besides, aren’t you following the circuit?”

  “No, I’m home for a while since Cricket injured his leg during training. The vet says I need to rest him for a month.”

  “I thought you had two horses.” Blast the woman. How had she found his number? He decided not to make a big deal about it.

  “I do, except I only took Cricket with me this time. I thought I’d give you a ring to say hello and see if we could get together.”

  Damn. “There’s someone else,” Duncan said firmly.

  “That woman from the dance?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Oh, I thought she was your cousin.”

  “No,” he said, leaving it at that. The less he told her the better. “I have to go. Good luck with Cricket.” Duncan hung up and returned to the kitchen to check the pie, his gut uneasy.

  “Trouble?” Lana asked, her fingers tapping over the keys before pausing to look at him.

  “One of the barrel racer girls. She keeps ringing me.”

  “Uh-oh. Woman trouble.” Lana smiled bright, dragging his focus to her lips. Slightly moist and pink, he knew how soft they were already. The knowledge didn’t stop him from craving a taste. So far they’d touched in a casual manner. He’d wanted to keep things light so he didn’t frighten her away. A mistake. He needed more.

  “I told her I wasn’t interested.”

  “Probably the best thing to do,” Lana said. “That pie smells good. Did you make it?”

  “Emily sent it with Saber. He dropped in this morning on the way to the vineyard.”

  “Emily is a great cook. I’ve finished. It didn’t take me as long as I thought it would to update the cashbook. Should I set the table?”

  “Thanks. Cutlery is in this d
rawer. Plates are over near the pantry.”

  Duncan caught Lana checking him out and smirked inside, letting the sensual tension build. Her interest and silent regard made him even more certain his plan to move slowly would work. He pulled a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from the fridge and opened it before retrieving glasses from the cupboard.

  The meal together, the casual chat about Middlemarch, his farm and her restaurant made Duncan see how the future would run. He liked the vision he saw, especially when Lana started to play footsie under the table. Her laugh tinkled between them, her green eyes crinkling at the corners when she stroked her toe across his groin.

  “You should take care,” he warned.

  “Or what? Someone will spank my bottom?”

  “No, you like that too much.”

  Her face flushed and he couldn’t restrain a grin. He’d never experienced the easy give-and-take with a woman before, not without feeling alarmed and wanting to back off. He’d seen it between Saber and Emily, but had never wanted or sought it on his own behalf.

  Lana deliberately stroked her toes up his inner thigh and rubbed across his stirring cock. “What will you do to me?”

  “I’ll tie you to my bed and pleasure you, pushing you to the edge until you’re begging me for release.” Nothing less than the truth. He’d thought about doing this, exerting a bit more of his personality in the bedroom now that they were more comfortable together. If she wanted to give him an opportunity to indulge, Duncan was ready.

  “Really? You’ve threatened that before.”

  “Promised,” he corrected. “There’s a world of difference.”

  “I see.” Lana stroked her foot across his lap and repeated the move for a second time.

  A quick downward glance showed toenails painted a delicate pink. “Go to the bedroom. Take off all your clothes and lie on the bed to wait for me.” When she stared, her lips parting in surprise, he lifted her feet from his lap, pushed away from the table and stood. “In the bedroom. Now.”

  Lana stood, a slight crease furrowing her brow. “What are you going to do with me?”

  Duncan started to clear the table and stilled at her words. “Do you trust me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then do what I say.”

  Still frowning, she turned away and walked across to the doorway leading to the passage. Duncan caught her glancing over her shoulder, although pretended not to notice, instead clearing the table and putting away food. The sound of retreating footsteps and the small huff of pique brought a grin. Lana amused him. He waited for fifteen minutes, washing the dishes while the time passed, until he followed Lana to his bedroom. He’d wanted her to think and wonder what he might do to her, start the slow buildup to arousal.

  Eager to see her on his bed, his footsteps hastened. He came to a halt at the doorway and scowled, although inside amusement bubbled, wanting to free itself in a wide grin. “I thought I told you to take off your clothes, lie on the bed and wait for me.” His bottom lip quivered while he bit back the wave of humor threatening to overtake him. “I didn’t tell you to start without me.”

  Lana paused, her brows rising. Then she continued with the languid stroking between her legs, unashamedly flashing her pussy at him between strokes. “You were taking too long. I thought I’d get warmed up.”

  Duncan watched the measured moves of her hand, stroking her glistening folds and teasing her clit. He stepped into the bedroom, fighting his laughter. “Hands above your head. Now.”

  “I haven’t finished.”

  Duncan rounded a pile of unpacked boxes and prowled to the bed. It was the only piece of furniture in the room and dominated the space. A plain green duvet covered the bed while the sheets were a paler shade. He’d chosen them because the color reminded him of Lana’s eyes. “Hands above your head,” he repeated, his tone brooking no-nonsense.

  Pouting, she stroked across her clit one final time before slowly removing her hand and raising both above her head. “Well this is boring.”

  Duncan let his eyes drift over her naked body from her pink-tipped toenails, up her toned legs and naked pussy, along her flat belly and rib cage to her plump breasts. Finally he met her jade green eyes and smiled. “It’s not boring from this end.”

  “Humph.”

  He strode to the wardrobe and pulled out several lengths of hemp rope. Using a larks head knot, he rapidly bound one wrist, taking care to allow a finger’s width of give. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her. Duncan tied her other hand and moved down the end of the bed to tie her ankles. “Some basic rules. We’ll work on a traffic light system. Green for go, amber for caution or slow down, red for stop. You’re in control of when we start and stop. Okay?”

  Lana chewed on her bottom lip, the move a giveaway of her nervousness. “What exactly are you going to do to me?”

  “Pleasure you.”

  “Then why do I need a safe word?” she demanded.

  “If your arms or legs start to go to sleep because I’ve tied you too tight or if something I do, some way I touch you is painful rather than giving you pleasure and you don’t enjoy it, you need a way out. You’re giving all control over to me, and that takes a certain amount of trust. Your trust is precious to me and I would never abuse it. A safe word is part of that trust.”

  “Okay.”

  “Good.” He looped the hemp rope around one ankle and tied it with competent moves, repeating the tie on her other ankle. “Feel comfortable? Are any of the knots rubbing?” Duncan watched while Lana tested them.

  “Um, what if there’s a fire or something?”

  “You’ll shock the hell out of the volunteer fire brigade.” Duncan laughed. “I know my knots and can unfasten them quickly. I do have clippers in my bag of toys in case of emergency.”

  “I’m feeling a bit vulnerable.”

  “There’s no need. This is about pleasure.” Duncan moved up to the top of the bed and leaned over to caress her upper arm. She shivered, her eyelids fluttering closed. A soft sigh escaped her. His cock jumped, pressing against his fly. “I’m taking my clothes off now.”

  Her lips curled upward. “Are you hinting I should watch?”

  “I’m telling you to watch.”

  Tension choked the room when she lifted her eyelids to focus on him. A ragged breath caused his cock to jerk again. Without haste he unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off his shoulders and down his arms. His gaze caught hers and held it with hot intent. The cotton shirt dropped to the floor with a whisper of sound. He unfastened the button on his jeans and slid the zipper down. Lana stared at his groin, her concentration total. Blood pumped through his body as he literally felt her eyes stroke his body. His feline growled, pushing for release. Canine teeth pushed into his mouth and when he tugged the denim over his hips, dark claws were visible beneath his fingernails.

  “Come closer,” she murmured.

  “I’m in charge, babe.” Duncan maneuvered his boxers over his erection and stepped out of them.

  Lana watched him prowl closer to the bed and her heart lurched almost painfully. Her feline rode her hard, protesting the restraints on her wrists and ankles. She stirred, shifting her weight restlessly on the mattress. The way he looked at her, as if she were precious and important to him, made the blood pound through her veins. He leaned over and she swallowed, her throat and mouth suddenly parched. His fingers trailed over her shoulder and down her arm, a light touch, but enough to send a shiver through her body. Prickles of sensation collected at the juncture of her thighs while her nipples pulled tight.

  She imagined all the ways he could touch her, all the things he could do to her. The pleasure and maybe a little pain. She imagined all this and felt molten desire simmer to life. He ran his fingers over her collarbone and bent to lick around her bellybutton. All of his touches were innocent yet she quivered, straining against the ropes and into his touch.

  “That feels good.”

  Duncan smiled and she caught a flash of sharp canines. The knowle
dge he was so fully involved, enough for his slumbering feline to exert even the smallest amount of control, elevated her pleasure.

  A stroke of his hand across her rib cage brought a quiver, the brush of his lips on her inner thigh made her sigh. The mattress moved when he stood and she watched his graceful prowl across the floor to the wardrobe. He grabbed a battered leather bag and brought it back to the bed.

  “Close your eyes.”

  Like an obedient child she did, although she didn’t feel childlike at the moment. Despite being the one tied, she drifted into a different world where Duncan was responsible for her pleasure. Weird. Giving control over to him felt kind of liberating. She sensed he moved closer and she waited eagerly, a prickle of anticipation dancing through the pit of her stomach.

  Something soft and silky brushed across her upper arm and glided over the curve of one breast. Her skin became supersensitive and every sense intensified. She could smell Duncan’s soap and the crisp cotton scent of the duvet beneath her body. Lana heard his steady breathing and the rustle of the bedclothes, the faint creak of the ropes when she shifted. He kept her guessing. She was never sure where he’d touch next or whether it would be with his fingertips or the thing she’d identified as a brush. Gradually his touches became more intimate, a graze of her nipples, a brush over her lips and the faint teasing strokes over her folds.

  Vaguely she heard his murmurs of praise as she sank deeper into her newfound world of pleasure and serenity. Duncan moved down the bed, and seconds later, the stroke of a tongue down her cleft added to the kaleidoscope of sensations. A finger smoothed lower, gliding, pressing. Nerves sprang to life. Her pussy moistened and her breasts swelled.

  “Perfect,” Duncan said in praise. His husky voice brought pleasure as she drifted, the layering of sensations both intense and surprising. She thought she’d known her body, known her capabilities, but this…this was more. She sighed when a finger skirted her clit, traced over her moist folds and lower to tease the awakening nerve endings of her puckered rosette. “Keep your eyes closed, babe.”