Lian/Roch

by Alexandra Ivy

  Her belly, and pretty much everything south of it, clenched. Last night had been extraordinary, to say the least. Her breath caught as she remembered his hands on her, in her. And her heart kicked as she recalled his reticence to make love to her.

  Maybe that was a momentary hiccup. Maybe today will be different.

  She lifted her head and let her eyes move over him. He was so beautiful, so…male. She reached up and dragged a thick lock of his blond hair away from his eyes. Tan skin, sharp angles, stubbled jaw, hard neck, powerful, wide shoulders.

  Yes. Today will be different.

  Without thinking, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his neck. One gentle kiss. Then she eased back an inch and swiped at his pulse point with her tongue. Oh, he tasted so good.

  It was the only thought she could manage before she heard a growl and was swiftly rolled to her back.

  She gasped and stared up at the male who had stolen her heart but had yet to take control of it. He looked fearsome and sexy, his eyes blue pools of sleepy hunger, as he easily held himself just inches above her.

  “What was that, Ms. Page?” he said on a playful growl.

  Her gaze moved from his eyes down to his lips. “I believe I was overcome with the need to taste you.”

  He groaned, then lowered his head and kissed her. A soft, deep, teasing kiss that went on for a good five minutes and inflamed every inch of her.

  “How’s that?” he asked confidently.

  “How was what?” she said, deadpan.

  His brows lowered. “I kissed you, woman.”

  “Oh, come on now. I’ll need so much more than that to give my opinion.” She grinned and pushed him off her—pushed him to his back.

  Granted, Roch was pretty much built like a slab of iron. He could’ve easily remained where he was. But he let her direct him, let her do what was comfortable for her body. And lord, what was comfortable for her was being on top of him, straddling him, feeling his long, hard muscles—especially the one between his legs.

  His gaze moved up her body, then settled on her face. A wicked gleam lit in his extraordinary blue eyes. “Take advantage of me, Lydia.”

  It was from their conversation the night before, she realized, grinning. She liked him this way. Playful and sexual, and not too serious. She leaned over and kissed him, her palms on either side of his head—her hair falling around them like a coiled curtain. Roch may have been a gentleman up until that point, trying to keep himself and his hunger under control. But once she started in on his mouth, kissing and licking his lips, nipping and suckling his tongue, he went wild. His hands came around to cup her backside possessively, squeezing the flesh as he groaned.

  “I can’t get enough of you,” he uttered against her mouth. “Never enough.”

  They kissed hard and impassioned, ground their lower halves against one another, made out like teenagers with only stolen moments in the back of one of their parents’ cars.

  Her underwear soaked and her mouth desperate to taste the rest of him, Lydia sat up and pulled her tank over her head. After she tossed it to the floor, she found Roch’s gaze once again. As he took her in, he looked like his puma. Or the male equivalent of it. Fierce, hungry, unable to quell its instincts. As in…if the puma wanted something, he took it.

  And lord, she sure hoped he took it.

  Her hands went to the front of his pants. She traced the outline of his cock, her mouth dropping open as she took in his extraordinary length. Her sex tingled in anticipation. Oh, she wanted him inside of her.

  Roch reached for her then, palming her breasts. Massaging. Giving them a hard squeeze, before gently pinching each of her nipples.

  “I want you,” she told him on an impatient moan. “Inside of me. Please, Roch.”

  His eyes flashed fire. “I can’t. Fuck, I can’t take you, no matter how badly I want you.”

  “Why?” This was madness. What was he trying to prove?

  In the soft light of morning, he looked doubly fierce. “You don’t belong to me.”

  Was it possible for a heart to hurt and swell at the same time? she wondered. “I decide who I belong to, Roch.” She slipped her hand inside his pants and wrapped her fingers around his shaft.

  “Damn you,” he growled, his hips jacking up.

  “No. Damn you. Do you think I want to touch anyone else like this?”

  That did it. Roch went crazy at her words. Growling, groaning, grabbing her hips and grinding her sex into the base of his cock. Over and over.

  Until a knock sounded on the door.

  Both of them froze.

  “Lydia?” It was Ashe, in her lovely singsong voice. “You awake. I have breakfast downstairs if you’re interested.”

  Lydia’s eyes flew to Roch. He looked murderous. Like he might actually turn into his cat and attack.

  “No hurry,” Ashe continued. “But there are beignets. They make the best beignets here in the Wildlands.”

  With a nearly inaudible curse, Roch lifted her up and placed her down on the mattress. He was off the bed in seconds, running his hands through his hair. He looked wild and gorgeous.

  “I’m awake,” Lydia called out, worried Roch would do something foolish. Like snarl at the woman to get lost. “Sounds good. I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

  “Okay, great!”

  Lydia waited for the sound of the woman’s footfall to disappear before she turned back to Roch.

  “Don’t go,” she said to him. “Stay and have breakfast.”

  “That wouldn’t be wise,” he said, jaw tight. He wasn’t looking at her. Anywhere but at her. Playful Roch was gone.

  “Why not? You were here for dinner.”

  “I’m in no mood to be sociable. Besides, I’ve got to get home, shower and change before work.” He turned to her then and stilled. For several long seconds, he took her in. Her eyes, her mouth, her naked torso. “You truly are the most beautiful woman, Lydia.”

  Her heart melted like a damn ice cream cone in the sun. She reached for him. “Stay.”

  “I can’t.” But he went to her anyway and kissed her. It wasn’t a hungry, desire-filled kiss. It was more like a goodbye.

  When he pulled away, Lydia couldn’t help herself. She had to ask him. “Do you want to know, Roch? About the cub?”

  Dread glistened in his blue eyes. “Of course I do, but—”

  “You’re scared?” she finished.

  “Fuck, Lydia, of course I’m scared.”

  She scooted to the edge of the bed. “I’m scared too. Everything’s changed for me. In the blink of an eye. My whole life. Where do I belong? What do I do?”

  He sighed. “You will always belong here if that’s what you want.”

  “What do you want?”

  His jaw looked so tight Lydia was afraid it might crack. “You don’t understand. The ways of a Pantera male are very different than that of a man. We have honor. A code we live by. But more important than that is the fact that our kind can finally, after fifty years, reproduce. We can continue.” He took a deep breath. “This cub…”

  “Is very important,” she said.

  “Yes.” He was silent for a moment, then, “I have to go.”

  She didn’t put up a fight this time. She understood the gravity of the situation. Love didn’t or couldn’t always trump practicality and allegiance. She may not have liked it. But she understood it.

  “How are you planning to get out without anyone noticing?” she asked.

  “Same way I came in.” He gave her a small smile. “Have a beignet for me?”

  She returned it. “Sure.”

  Then watched him go out the window with the supreme grace of the cat who dwelled inside of him.

  Chapter 7

  “Nothing?” Roch said incredulously. “No samples? No files?”

  “How’s that possible?” Damien asked in between bites of ham sandwich. “Did they search the entire facility?”

  Raphael glanced up from his laptop. They were gathered i
n his private office inside Suit headquarters. “Not exactly. They were stopped before they could search the basement.”

  “Stopped?” Roch repeated, leaning back against the window. “By who?”

  “The man who supposedly owns The Haymore Center. A Stanton Locke.” He returned his gaze to the screen of his computer. “I put a few of the Geeks on it, and it seems Mr. Locke has friends in very high places. From politicians to celebrities to law enforcement. One of our Hunters was actually taken to a humans’ jail.”

  “Holy shit,” Damien exclaimed, putting down his sandwich and taking out his iPhone. “Which one?”

  “Keira. She was protecting Reny.”

  “Sebastian’s mate?”

  Raphael nodded. “With her experience in the FBI we thought she’d be an asset in the field. She was. Until she saw this Locke bastard. She was convinced she knew the man. Wouldn’t stop with the questions. When he got pissed and grabbed her arm, Keira stepped in. And you know Keira.”

  “Ballbuster,” Roch said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Best Hunter I’ve ever known.”

  “Damn right. NOLA PD showed up pretty quick after that and Locke said Keira attacked him.”

  “What a pussy, and not the good kind,” Damien said with a rare growl. “Is she still in jail?”

  “No. Sebastian got her released. He headed to New Orleans the second he heard about Reny. They’re all on their way back now.”

  Roch turned to face the window and the view of the meadow where the Pantera took meals together. “With nothing.” In one sense he was relieved that there was no file on Lydia. If it got leaked to the human press that she was carrying a Pantera cub, she’d never be able to live easily outside of the Wildlands. Not that he wanted her to. Shit, he really didn’t want her to. But with no records, no samples, no nothing, it was going to be near to impossible to track down any women who may have been given a Pantera sample.

  “I say we question Hiss about this Stanton Locke, see what he knows,” Damien suggested.

  “You really think there’s a connection?” Raphael asked.

  Roch glanced over his shoulder, watched as the newbie Suit warred with himself on how to handle his leader’s question. Finally Damien said, “I think it’s worth a shot. If anything, I’ll see how his eyes change, and his expression, when I ask him.”

  Raphael didn’t contemplate this idea very long. “Do it. Head over to Medical.”

  “Now?” The male’s eyes widened. “Alone?”

  “You can handle it.”

  Damien tried like hell not to grin like a Pantera young, but it was impossible. He nodded at Raphael, and quickly left the room.

  “That was nice,” Roch said, pushing away from the window and walking over to Raphael’s desk.

  “Nothing nice about it,” he replied. “He’s going to be a formidable Suit. Just wanted him to find his balls and speak up.”

  Roch laughed. Then he dropped into the chair opposite his boss. “You think Hiss might know this guy?”

  Raphael lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “My guess is no. I think Hiss is telling the truth when he says he was working with Shakpi’s disciples. Don’t think Locke has any connection there. But who the hell knows?”

  “We need to find those samples,” Roch said darkly.

  “Damn right, we do. We can’t have Pantera cubs being born outside the Wildlands. They’re too important to the survival of our species.”

  The male’s words raked through Roch. Lydia’s cub. They needed to protect it. They needed to know who had sired it. He needed to know. Or Christ, did he? Would it truly make a difference? Now, or six months from now, or ten years from now? Would anybody remember, or care? And would she care?

  “Just because they found no samples with the words Puma Shifter written on them doesn’t mean they’re not there,” Roch put in.

  “I know.” Raphael lowered his voice even though they were the only two males in the room. Outside his door was a group of Diplomats, and some of the Geeks, working on a variety of issues. Including the very one they were discussing now.

  “I didn’t want to say this in front of the rookie,” he began. “But we still have two Hunters inside. And when the lights go out and the alarm goes on, they’ll continue their search.”

  Roch sat back, impressed. “You’re damn good at keeping secrets, boss.”

  “Back at you, brother.” Raphael too, leaned back in his chair.

  “What does that mean?”

  Raphael’s brows lifted. “Loved that lasagna so much you came back for seconds?”

  “You knew I was there.”

  The head of the Suits laughed, closed his laptop. “Are you really asking me if I knew someone was in my home with my mate and cub?”

  Right. That was a pretty stupid question. Of course, Raphael and Ashe had been the last things on his mind last night. Or this morning. “And you allowed it?”

  After a heavy exhale, the male said, “I am hoping…” He shrugged. “Ashe is hoping.”

  “For what?”

  Green-gold eyes flashed with interest. “We want the woman to remain here. With her cub. You have a connection to her. A need to be around her constantly. It’s like my connection to Ashe. And to Soyala. It’s impossible to turn from. It’s all-consuming.”

  Roch growled softly. “Yes.”

  “And you want her to stay.”

  “I want her, period,” Roch ground out. “But what if the cub isn’t mine?”

  “Will it matter to you?”

  “Of course not. I would claim it if she’d let me. But that’s not the point. You know how we are, Raphael. Do you think a Pantera male would allow me to get close to the female carrying his young?”

  That question weighed on the Suit leader. He scrubbed a hand over his chin. “It could cause a problem.”

  “Try a fight to the death.” Because as much as he wouldn’t want to rip any of his Pantera brothers apart, Roch was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to watch another male touch her.

  Christ, just the thought of it made his cat feral.

  “And fuck,” He hadn’t thought about what Lydia might want. “What if she wants this other male in her life?” I lose my damn mind completely.

  “She wants you,” Raphael said with a snort. “Shit, we all heard how much she wants you.”

  Roch snarled at him. “Don’t make me make you fire my ass.”

  Raphael laughed. “What is the answer to this then, my friend?”

  “The truth?”

  “They say it sets you free,” Raphael remarked.

  At several points in his life, Roch would’ve appreciated that answer. Reveled in it even. But not today. Today there was nothing he wanted less than to be free. Of Lydia Page or the tiny life growing inside of her.

  * * *

  With a bluff of rugged hillside to her left and a curve of mysterious caves to her right, Lydia felt as though she was in a foreign land. Not that she’d been to all that many foreign lands. But she could imagine.

  Thick, gloriously green vegetation hung from the rocks above her and rested languidly on the surface of the warm water of the bayou pool she was swimming in.

  A bayou pool.

  Never in a million years would she have thought she’d be doing this. And doing it buck-naked with three other women.

  But seriously, that’s what “recently fired, recently discovered by a puma shifter and brought to a magical spot in the bayous of Louisiana” people did, right?

  “Are you sure Keira and Bayon aren’t going to be around today?” Julia asked Genevieve with a quick glance at the beginnings of the couple’s new home that was being built near the caves above them.

  A Diplomat, Genevieve Burel was the Nurturer Jean-Baptiste’s mate. She was a gorgeous blonde with pale blue eyes and a friendly smile. And she’d welcomed Lydia into the circle of friends like they’d known each other for years.

  “Positive,” Genevieve told her. “They’re both on assignment.”

&nb
sp; “Top secret stuff?” Julia asked.

  “If I told you I’d have to kill you.”

  Ashe and Lydia laughed while Julia splashed the female. Genevieve grinned and swam backwards toward a small alcove under a thick patch of greenery.

  Growing up, Lydia had several close friends. But after high school, they’d grown apart. And well, she hadn’t tried to make more. There just hadn’t been time. Or maybe that had been an excuse not to get close to people. Fear of losing them again, or something. She had the same fear when it came to a certain Pantera male.

  She looked at the women around her now, and wondered if there was truly a place for her here.

  “Well this is very decadent.” Ashe remarked before diving beneath the water and emerging five feet away with a wide grin.

  “We all deserve a little decadence,” Julia put in, making small circles on the surface of the pool with her index finger. “Especially the new mama.”

  “I can’t tell you how excited I am for you,” Genevieve said, swimming over. “It means there’s hope for us here. To bring more Pantera cubs into the world.”

  It was shocking how different the reaction to her pregnancy was here in the Wildlands versus out in the wilds of New Orleans. Where the Pantera saw her half human, half shifter baby as a blessing, the assholes at Haymore had seen it as a terrible mistake. How would the rest of the world react, she wondered. And would she find out sooner rather than later? After all, she’d only agreed to stay here for a few days.

  Her heart seized in her chest at the thought of leaving.

  No. At the thought of leaving him.

  “How long has it been since a Pantera cub was born?” Lydia asked.

  “Not counting Soyala?” Ashe said. “Over fifty years.”

  “There was a curse put on our species,” Genevieve explained. “Soyala changed all of that.”

  Curiosity pushed her to ask, “How?”

  “Females,” came a male voice at the shore. “Remain below the water, please.”

  Genevieve gasped and submerged herself to her neck, Ashe grabbed a piece of water plant and placed it in front of her, and Julia remained where she was, her eyes narrowing on the man—the male—standing on the bank.