Make Him Purr: A Paranormal BBW Werepanther Shape Shifter Mail-Order Navy SEAL Romance

by Anya Nowlan

  “Stay,” he said sternly, getting off the couch and walking to the nearest light switch.

  He flipped it, and the fresh, almost unused lamps flickered to life, bathing the room with warm light. There, on the single piece of furniture in the entire room, sat his little cat burglar, teeming with rage. She looked even better in the light. He’d got the feeling that she had the kind of curves a man yearned to touch, but seeing her clearly now confirmed that. She was curvy in all the right ways, thick and mouthwatering, and strong at the same time.

  Her dark curls of hair were gathered into a messy ponytail, and her hazel eyes bore into him. He liked the way her mouth curved a little as she snarled and the way her muscles strained against the handcuffs, her shoulders tense. Restraints like those were surprisingly effective against shifters. It took a bit of practice to learn to shift with any item, most of all with something that didn’t belong to the shifter. He knew she wasn’t going to get very far if she tried to make a break for it.

  Hell, maybe a midnight chase through the forest was exactly what he needed.

  Diesel leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. On the one hand, it put him into a position of power, lording over the scrumptious woman. On the other, he just didn’t trust himself to get near her again. He had never felt quite as obviously attracted to someone in his life as he did to this nameless, angry little ball of fury. It wouldn’t surprise him one bit if he tried to kiss her right on those cherry lips the next time she spat obscenities at him.

  And that wouldn’t be very professional of him, now would it?

  Diesel urged himself to calm the fuck down and keep a cool head about him.

  It’s just a woman. A woman that apparently makes you lose your self-control, but a woman nonetheless. Snap out of it.

  He got the feeling that just ‘getting over it’ wasn’t going to be so easy, but at least it provided a distraction. For the first time in forever, he had managed to avoid lamenting the loss of his Navy career for a good ten minutes or so.

  Diesel was just about to tell her to talk, when the woman’s expression cleared and she grinned widely.

  Fuck, he thought. She looks even sexier like that.

  Oh, he was in trouble, alright.

  “What?” he asked, frowning slightly.

  He had to keep himself from checking whether he had something in his teeth because of the look of familiar recognition she wore.

  “You’re Lieutenant Commander Wake! Just the man I was looking for!”

  Okay, now he was confused.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Sonya

  “What do you mean you were looking for me?” he asked.

  She liked the way his voice rumbled and growled. It was the most masculine thing she’d ever heard. He had the kind of voice that made her want to ask him to just talk at her for days on end so she could bask in its delicious deep undercurrents.

  Sonya swallowed dryly. Blade hadn’t got her body stirring in a really long time. So long, in fact, that she’d begun to worry if she could ever feel desire for anyone again. But all of those insecurities were wiped away the moment she came face to face with Diesel Wake and his impossibly fuckable body.

  The man was molded to perfection, straight out of every woman’s dirtiest fantasies. He had those dark eyes that stared right through her, as if they could see into her soul, and a square jaw and curved lips she could imagine barking orders, both in and outside of the bedroom. She wouldn’t have minded doing exactly what this Lieutenant Commander told her to do…

  And then, of course, there were his arms – bulging with muscle, yet completely fit for function. She couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to be entangled in his grasp. She got wet just as fast as she got angry, but it was harder to hide her arousal than it was to let the anger flash forward.

  So he was so hot he could have singlehandedly been blamed for global warming, but that didn’t mean he had any right to handcuff her. That asshole. Her panther grumbled with annoyance and thinly veiled threats to shred him to pieces the first chance she got.

  When the immediate haze of lust wore off a tiny bit and Sonya could look at him with more than just the hungry eyes of a woman left unsatisfied for too long, she recognized him as the man she’d come to Shifter Grove for. Her mind had been spinning with ways of how to talk herself out of it, but she hadn’t exactly imagined that the solution would be presented to her so readily, and in such a pantymelting package!

  “I saw your ad,” Sonya heard herself saying.

  She wasn’t sure where she was going with it quite yet, but it seemed like a better idea to roll with it than to keep staring at him like some lovesick schoolgirl. Sonya ignored the loud voice in her head that told her to just throw herself at him and let her usual fast mouth take over instead.

  “What ad?”

  “The one on SassyDate! About looking for a mate. That’s what I’m here for,” she said, smiling broadly.

  Diesel looked just as confused as he did before. Sonya angled herself a little, turning her left jacket pocket towards him.

  “My phone’s right here. Check it,” she urged.

  Reluctantly, the big man crossed back to her and fished the phone out of her pocket. Being so close to him was near-torture. His smell alone made her panther reconsider all the obscenities she wanted to lug at him and roll over for him like a bitch in heat instead. For a moment, she wondered whether it was because they were the same species. She’d rarely, if ever, met another black panther, and she’d definitely not felt such a burning attraction for someone before. Though, she had to admit that she’d probably want him just as badly even if he wasn’t a panther but just a fucking sexy piece of manmeat. Yum.

  Focus! No getting goo-goo eyed for the sheriff.

  Easier said than done, of course.

  Diesel switched on the phone and unlocked it. His eyes went wide with surprise, so much so that Sonya had to keep from bursting out laughing. Diesel Wake was obviously never surprised, and caught off-guard even less often, so seeing him at a loss for words and reactions was definitely worth a good giggle.

  “The fuck is this!?” he growled, looking up at her with expectant eyes.

  As if she’d been the one to plot how to get him a good wife and a good life. Now Sonya laughed in earnest, though it was short-lived after seeing the look that went over Diesel’s expression. Seemed that the Lieutenant Commander hadn’t quite got used to life outside of the protective arms of the military yet.

  “That’s a mail-order bride ad if I’ve ever seen one,” Sonya noted mildly, beginning to feel more comfortable in the conversation she had landed in.

  “Who are you? And how did you find it?” Diesel asked, obviously straining to keep his tone calm.

  “I’m Sonya. Pleased to meet you,” she said, knowing full well that her words were dripping with sarcasm. “I found it on the site – SassyDate. It’s a pretty popular dating app for shifters and humans. Haven’t you heard of it?” she asked, cocking a brow.

  Though she’d been out of the dating game for a long, long time, even Sonya knew what SassyDate was. The Lieutenant Commander seemed to have spent most of his time under some sort of rock, or at least far from the internet, if he didn’t know the number one dating app making the rounds amongst shifters and the humans that loved them.

  “Look, I understand you weren’t exactly expecting this, but I saw your ad and I thought you looked like a nice guy. I figured, why the hell not – Idaho sounds like a pleasant place to visit this time of year.”

  She wanted badly to make a face (come on, who wanted to visit Idaho?), but managed to keep her expression honest and earnest. Sneaking around and getting into trouble for the better part of her life had at least made her a competent liar, if not more.

  “So you came to Shifter Grove, not knowing a thing about me, just because of an ad on a dating site?”

  Well, sure, when he put it like that, it did sound a little insane. But those were the cards Sonya
had dealt herself so she was just going to have to roll with it. She nodded eagerly, giving him her best smile.

  “Yup. I’m a go-getter girl. If I see something I like, I go and get it,” she said, winking at Diesel.

  She watched with barely contained amusement as his eyebrows shot up and he struggled to look impassive again. So cute. The military man was more man than any one woman could handle, yet he was positively bashful when she implied that she might just want to do horribly delicious things to him. If he hadn’t handcuffed her and stopped her from leaving, she might just have swooned.

  Okay, actually, the handcuffs kind of helped.

  “That still doesn’t explain why you broke into my home,” he grumbled, taking a step back from her, as if to gauge her trustworthiness.

  She conjured up her best doe eyes and looked at him as the picture of innocence, save for the skintight black clothes and the low-cropped top that showed far more of her cleavage than it probably should have. Ok, so she might have looked more like a vixen trying to pretend to be pure and nice, but whatever. A girl’s gotta work with what she has, right?

  “It was just so cold outside. And I saw this house and there was no one here… and the window was open. It looked like no one lived here so I figured I could crash for one night and then find a place in town tomorrow. I was just so tired I couldn’t walk another step and this looked like a godsend. Oh, I’m so sorry! I’m mortified that I had to meet you like this.”

  She hid her face in her shoulder and heaved a few makeshift sobs. By the time she was really clicking with that inner drama queen, Diesel had to ruin it all. He snorted, putting his finger under her chin and lifting her face to look at him. There wasn’t a single tear in her eyes, and Diesel didn’t look very amused. But his skin on hers made her tingle all over, like little electric bolts were being shot through her and careening into the stratosphere right off of her. It was enough to get her all hot and bothered.

  “Sure. Cut the act, doe-eyes. I might not know about your newfangled apps but I know when someone’s lying to me. I don’t think you’ve told me a single thing that’s true so far. And that window was locked. So what are you really here for?”

  Nothing seemed to be going according to plan. Not only was the sexy sheriff not buying her damsel in distress routine, but she wasn’t doing all that well at keeping her head clear around him either. Damn him. Damn him to hell!

  Who are you kidding? You’d never wanna hang out with the prudes in heaven anyway. Much rather be licking some tequila off of his ridged abs in hell.

  Yup, that whole thing about keeping her focus was going real well.

  She licked across her lips, trying to figure out what to say. Though, in all honesty, it wasn’t that bad just looking at him. He exuded confidence, competence, and she felt that animal attraction for him that she’d heard so much about. While she’d been with Blade for many years, she never felt passion for him. It was just nice being protected and kept in one place for once, instead of being shuffled around like a second hand car with bad breaks.

  But with this guy… Sonya could definitely see herself feeling plenty of passion for the built, breathtaking statue of a man.

  “You don’t look like a mind-reader, dude. How about you don’t make assumptions about me and I won’t make any about you, huh? Like, if I wanted to be jaded, I’d assume you were some kind of bored, aggressive brute who just likes tying women up and having his way with them. I don’t even know if you’re actually the sheriff!”

  She jangled her handcuffs for effect and he withdrew his hand. Sonya missed his touch right away. He pointed to his badge and she rolled her eyes. Facts had nothing against her rhetoric.

  “Anyway. I did come here because of the ad, though I’m getting second thoughts now. It said you were looking for a no-nonsense woman, and I’m pretty sure all of this can be squarely categorized within the bounds of ‘nonsense’. I didn’t know you lived here. The place doesn’t even have your scent! I was tired and needed a place to crash. Can we stop being jerks now and could you uncuff me?”

  He looked at her, and most of all, she wished he wouldn’t say a word and would just kiss her instead. If he stayed around her for much longer, she was afraid he might smell the arousal on her. It had been steadily growing since he tossed her on the sofa and pinned her down on it with his massive body. She could still feel his hard pecks under her palms, and she was dying to touch them again.

  Diesel seemed to fall into thought for a moment, and just when she was about to protest about her inhumane treatment again, he raised a finger and shushed her before she could get a word out.

  “Stay,” he said again.

  She frowned as he headed out of the cabin and disappeared into the night. She glanced over to her bag and considered her options. Getting the bag around her neck somehow with her hands cuffed would be a challenge in itself. Leaving without it would be an option, and she’d certainly be faster, but would she be fast enough to outrun a military man? He looked big but not lumbering. While she could easily escape from Blade and the likes, she doubted that she could get Diesel to even break a sweat.

  If she had her hands and she could shift and head for the trees, sure. But climbing without hands or the use of two paws was not something she had much confidence in.

  He looks like a nice enough guy… Maybe he’ll uncuff you and then you can make a break for it?

  Her quiet musings were cut short as Diesel returned, carrying a heavy dark green duffel bag in one hand and a sleeping bag in the other. He kicked the door closed with his booted foot and let the gear fall to the floor – of course, that clever bastard.

  “You’ve been sleeping outside, in the trees,” she said quietly, considering his meager possessions.

  Diesel nodded absently, undoing the top of his bag and snatching a light blanket from it. He tossed it to Sonya, and she dodged it just enough to have it fall in a pile next to her.

  “You’re staying here for tonight. And I won’t uncuff you. Tomorrow, we’ll go to the station and I’ll write you up a report, and then we’ll figure out what you can do to work off this debt you have to Shifter Grove.”

  He unrolled the sleeping bag in front of the only door and slid down the wall to sit on it, his maddening eyes resting on her. She had no doubt that he was being completely serious. It pissed her off to no end.

  “Who do you think you are? You can’t just keep me prisoner!”

  Diesel smirked, and dammit if it didn’t just make her want him more.

  “I’m the law, honey. Now shut up and get some sleep before I reconsider our sleeping arrangement and give you the floor instead.”

  It wasn’t the first time that Sonya Blackpaw had got on the wrong side of the law, and it wasn’t likely to be the last. But it was the first time that the law had looked quite so inviting to her.

  Diesel turned off the lights without another word, and despite expecting the contrary, Sonya fell asleep in just a few minutes. Maybe it was knowing that there was a man in the house with her who wouldn’t hurt her no matter how much she pissed him off – and she’d pissed him off plenty already. Or maybe it was just because she was sort of curious about how he was going to have her work off her ‘debt’.

  She could certainly offer a few suggestions.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Sonya

  If looks could have killed, Diesel Wake would have been a dead man.

  Sonya gritted her teeth as he walked her through town, keeping her just two steps ahead of him, with her hands still cuffed. He’d picked the busiest time of the day – just before noon, when the streets were filling with locals coming into town for lunch or supplies. And he could have just driven her to his office in his black Dodge truck, but he hadn’t. Nope. The man could have got a PhD in being impossible.

  Instead of doing the gentlemanly thing, he’d opted for full-out humiliation. He’d parked the car at the edge of town and had her trudge through the streets the whole way, making sure that it sunk in well an
d good that she was going to get to ‘enjoy’ her punishment in more ways than one.

  She made a mental note of scratching his eyes out at one point in the near future. Hot or not, there was only so much mistreatment Sonya was willing to take.

  Finally, he came to a stop in front of a small, freshly built building on the main street, right smack dab in the middle of it. He unlocked the door and let her into the sheriff’s station.

  It was barely decorated at all. She could eye a gun cabinet and a wide wooden table with a laptop and a phone on it. Two chairs sat facing the table, and there was a door leading somewhere into the back. She assumed that was where the holding cells were located.

  Okay, so it could have got worse still.

  Sonya sat down where he pointed and, accompanied by hateful glares, had Diesel finally release the cuffs. He’d only taken them off once before, to allow her to go to the bathroom in the morning – what a truly chivalrous man he was. Her teeth bared in a snarl again.

  Diesel sat down with a heavy plop, booting up the laptop with an off-handed motion. He didn’t look at all like the kind of man who’d know anything about modern tech, but apparently he wasn’t completely raised by wolves.

  “So,” he said, clamping his wide palms together on the table. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on here or do I have to wrangle it out of you?”

  She saw that mild smile that tugged at the corners of his lips – he seemed to be as pro-wrangling as she was.

  “I told you already. I’m here to meet you and see if I am the kind of woman you’re looking for. Though, honestly, you’ve really made a number of this first impressions thing. If you want my advice, I’d stop with handcuffing your possible brides until at least the third date. I’m wild and all, but not that wild,” Sonya quipped, rubbing at her wrists.