“Jonno,” she whispered.
“How are you?”
“You expect conversation before I have coffee?”
Amusement vibrated in his chest at her dismay. “I’ll make coffee for you soon. I even have the real stuff instead of instant.”
“Promises, promises.” She yawned before stretching, arching against his naked body. She paused as he licked around her nipple again. “Oh, did you have something else in mind? What’s the time?”
“Just after five.”
“It’s still nighttime,” she said with a horrified gasp.
“We’re in bed and that’s the perfect place to fuck.”
“It’s also the perfect place to sleep.”
Jonno moved up to trace her lips with his finger and tried not to laugh. “I’m willing to do all the work.”
Her brow wrinkled while she pretended to ponder his proposition. “Well, as long as I get an orgasm, I suppose.”
“I promise you’ll leave this bed satisfied.” He kissed the smooth vulnerability of her throat before heading to her breasts, thrilling at the free rein he had on her body, the sense of intimacy. With one hand he pinched her nipple, twisting and tugging hard enough to give her the edge of pain. She groaned and turned toward him, sliding one leg between his and bringing their bodies together. His cock jerked at the intimate contact. Yes. But more, he wanted to see her expression, to watch her breasts bounce as she took her pleasure. Suiting action to thought, he rolled, untangling their limbs and lifting her so she straddled his body. She peered through the darkness at him, her features quizzical.
His lips curled upward in approval, even though she likely wouldn’t see much in the dim light. “I thought you might like to explore my body, unless you’re certain I have to do the work.”
“You won’t take over again?” she asked. “I didn’t get a chance to explore last night. You kept growling at me and taking control.”
“I’m all yours.” And he meant it. He belonged to her in every way apart from the mating mark. That would come in time. Despite his feline’s displeasure, he knew his decision not to mark her until she understood the consequences was the right one.
“Put your hands above your head and hold on to the headboard.”
“I enjoy you in this mood.”
“If I’m woken at this time of the day and don’t have coffee, you get a stroppy woman.”
“I can deal.”
“Are you sure?” Even in the darkness, he could discern the cheeky grin on her face. The thought of waking up with her in his bed every day, teasing him like this and even complaining about the earliness of the hour brought delight.
His mate. Damn.
Excitement raced through him in a rush—a kid at Christmas. He couldn’t stop thinking how lucky he was with his new toy. Not that he’d verbalize this aloud because she meant way more than that to him. She was his future, the mother of his children and more.
Without taking his attention off her, he stretched his arms above his head and grasped the rail of the wooden headboard with his fingers. At first she touched, using hands and fingers to explore his face, almost a massage of sorts. His lids closed to enjoy the novel experience. She traced his cheekbones and jaw and the outline of his mouth.
Unable to resist, he opened his mouth, taking her forefinger inside. His tongue stroked over her fingertip and traced around her nail. She stilled, her astonishment written into a hasty gasp. When he sucked on her finger, her soft moan echoed in the bedroom. His cock jerked, ready for more intimate action.
“Hey, my show,” she chided, removing her finger to replace it with her lips. Lazily they kissed, as if they had all the time in the world, lips stroking and sucking, brushing together. Need roared to life. He attempted to bank it down and let Laura set the pace. He’d have thought a night of fucking would appease his feline yet still the urge to mate propelled him, a constant factor at the back of his mind. His fingers curled around the headboard in a white-knuckle grip, determined to maintain control and let Laura set the pace.
She continued to kiss his mouth, taking small bites, nipping and soothing. A fine sheen of sweat covered his skin, and he trembled as she moved her way down his body. The moist lick along his collarbone almost did him in. He twisted his hips, grinding his cock against her hipbone. Pleasure flickered. A hiss of air whooshed through tight lips, the sensation so good he rocked his pelvis upward again.
Laura laughed. “Now, now. Enough of that. Stop trying to hurry things. I will handle our pleasure this time. Is that clear?” The bark of command in her voice brought diversion despite the taut, almost painful sensation of his cock and balls. He liked the tough streak and could imagine her in work-mode.
“Do you behave this way while you’re apprehending criminals?”
“You should know.”
“What? You treat all the men you arrest like you did me?” His tone emerged hard and terse, and it matched the flash of jealousy burning his mind. For a moment red rage fogged his vision. He hated the idea of Laura touching another male. Loathed it.
“Hell, no! I’d have the police complaints authority on my case in no time. You’re the first.” She cast him an enigmatic glance. “Are you going to report me?”
A lock of hair fell over his forehead as he shook his head. He ignored it, studying her instead and trying to impart his sincerity. He’d do nothing to hurt her, either emotionally or physically. She didn’t understand what mating meant. Not yet. “Not likely. I don’t have a single complaint.”
The slight narrowing of her eyes and the furrow of her brow told him she didn’t believe him. The knowledge didn’t sit well. Was it him who caused her caginess? His feline? Or someone in her past? She moved, distracting him as she took the head of his cock into her mouth. He hissed. Sweet, silken heat surrounded him and his world narrowed to one of hot sensation. Complete masculine satisfaction because his mate lovingly tended him. Her tongue glided across the head, exploring curving glans and the sensitive underside. Pleasure roared through him, blood cramming into both his cock and his balls. Her mouth was hot. Wet. The lazy stroke of her tongue dragged a groan from deep in his chest, and he couldn’t prevent the upward surge of his hips to drive his cock deeper into her heated mouth.
“Laura.” He tightened his grip, fighting the need to take control. Instinct told him Laura needed this, needed to set the pace and control the pleasure between them. “Damn, that is great. Too good.”
He should ask her questions to distract himself. Why she’d become a cop? Why she’d moved to Middlemarch? And her interests—he’d need to learn about those. He wanted to learn everything. A twin-edged situation.
As if she knew how close he hovered to release, she increased the pace, pushing him relentlessly toward orgasm with both hands and mouth.
“Laura, please. Let me come inside you.”
Lifting her head, she glanced at him, lips swollen, hair ruffled and hanging loose around her shoulders. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful and breathtaking. His. That was the best part of all.
“Condom?”
“On top of the dresser.” He indicated the packet with a jerk of his head, releasing his hands, intending to grab one.
She stopped him with a hand in the middle of chest. “Stay. I’ll do it.” Leaning across the bed, she grabbed the packet and pulled out a condom. “Hands back where they were. I’m not doing a thing until you obey.”
Her warning caught him by surprise. “You sound as if you mean it.”
“I do.”
Judging by her harsh breaths, she wasn’t immune to the chemistry between them. Her skin appeared flushed and dewy, a pulse at her throat beating a rapid tattoo. Her tongue flickered out to lave her bottom lip. Slowly, her tongue glided across the plump pink curve, leaving it glistening and shining. Tempting. Against his feline’s demands, he returned his hands to the headboard while she ripped the condom open. Sharp nails sliced into the wood, evidence of the feline coming to the surface. He obeyed because
his mate asked, the give-and-take intriguing him, even though his feline hated the delay.
She rolled the condom onto his erection, the heat from her hands searing his hard flesh. As she leaned over, her hot breath caressing his tight, achy balls. Enthralled, he watched her full lips part and her tongue glide out to moisten his sac.
“Are you trying to kill me?”
“If I wanted to do that, I’d use my gun.”
His pulse jumped and a rusty chuckle emerged. “I’ll remember that. It’s hot having a lover who’s a cop. Do you enjoy the job?”
“I don’t want to discuss work.” She straddled his body and guided his cock into position. Taking her time, she sank downward, and he savored every increment of the impalement. “I much prefer concentrating on sex.”
“Making love,” he protested. Didn’t she understand? This was the real thing.
“Whatever. It’s good, almost as good as coffee.” Her head dropped forward, hair sliding across her face and screening her expression from him.
“We can’t be doing it right if you’re still thinking of coffee.”
“Stop talking,” she ordered, rising and falling so slowly he felt his cock part her inner tissues, delving and separating, gliding with exquisite friction.
He wanted to protest, the words of chastisement already forming when her head fell back and a soft, needy sound vibrated in her throat. Yeah, she was right. The lovemaking should come first. Lovemaking, not sex or fucking. He wouldn’t call it that again. She rose and fell on him with easy strokes, one hand creeping down her body to finger her clit. On each upward stroke he saw his cock, glistening with her honey, and he couldn’t stop watching. So stunning. Sexy. Her breasts bounced as she increased her pace. Her beautiful face tautened with passion while heat blossomed between them. He drove upward to meet her next stroke, slamming flesh against flesh.
“Yes! Yes! Perfect,” she cried, and her vaginal walls pulsed, squeezing his cock. She cried out. His shaft bucked, and the tension snapped inside him. Semen spurted from his dick in pulsating waves. A loud groan rushed up his throat, the pleasure ripping the length of his body, stealing this breath. He released his grip on the bed to wrap his arms around her pliant form. His. She might not accept it yet. By the time they’d made love a few more times she would. They were meant to be together. Each touch seemed so right. Perfect.
His hand smoothed over her sweaty back, happy and replete in a way he’d never experienced. “Are you ready for coffee yet?”
“Don’t you believe in a postcoital cuddle?” She sounded tired, and her words made him chuckle.
“If we stay here, you’ll get more than coffee.”
“Coffee,” she stated. “I want to walk into work.”
Jonno rolled and separated their bodies. He dealt with the condom and padded from the room to the bathroom on the other side of the hall. Five minutes later he’d set the coffeemaker in motion and returned to the bedroom.
“What’s our plan of attack for today?”
“I am going to work. You will stay well clear and keep a low profile.”
“I won’t do that.” She might as well know up front he had no intention of backing away. He became involved the minute Saber and the council had asked him to help. The presence of at least two feline shifters amongst the thieves meant he needed to stay in the loop.
And then there was Laura. He wanted to spend time with her.
He sat on the edge of the bed and smoothed the hair off her face, loving the silky sensation as it trailed through his fingers. “I want to spend time with you. Besides, my special skills will come in handy. I can try to track the thieves. And I’d like to visit the scenes of some of the other robberies to see if I can find the same scents.”
“You’re a civilian. I’m already in troub— I have to stick to the guidelines.”
Jonno’s attention focused on her body language, searching for clues. Already in trouble. That was what she’d intended to say. He wanted to push even though instinct told him to wait. He’d learn the details soon enough, just as Laura would accept his presence in her life.
“Who is going to tell? Coffee won’t be long. I’m off for a shower. I’ll leave a towel for you in the bathroom. Come through to the kitchen once you’re ready.” Normally he’d have invited her to shower with him. He refrained, sensing she needed time to think. He just hoped she made the right decision. Jonno forced himself to move away and leave the bedroom. After a quick shower, he prowled back into his bedroom to pull out a clean pair of jeans and another T-shirt.
To his frustration, Laura pretended sleep. Once he left the bedroom again he heard the rustle of sheets and the squeak of the bed as she moved. He continued to the kitchen, deciding to give her space. On automatic pilot, he pulled two mugs from the cupboard and retrieved a bottle of milk from the fridge. After pouring coffee into one mug, he added a dash of milk and one sugar. Idly stirring in the sugar, he let his mind drift to the thieves. Felines. Who the hell were they?
Hesitant footsteps broke into his musing, and Laura appeared in the kitchen, dressed in her police uniform.
“How do you take your coffee?”
“White, no sugar.”
Jonno poured the coffee for her and shunted the mug across the table. They needed to ease this uncomfortable morning-after atmosphere before any damage occurred, such as him breaking his coffee mug, he thought ruefully, easing his grip and setting it on the table.
Work, he decided, to put her at ease. “Have the other towns around Middlemarch had any burglaries?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t been here long enough to think about checking. Charlie hasn’t mentioned other towns, and I didn’t see the policeman I replaced. He left two days before I arrived.”
Good riddance, according to Saber and everyone he questioned. The retiring cop had all the skill of a brown paper bag.
“Yeah, well, it occurred to me they might hit the other towns. Hell, they might even be a professional group of thieves or a gang coming from Dunedin.”
Laura sipped her coffee, tossing around the possibilities he’d raised. “I’ll check first thing this morning. That’s a good idea, and if that’s the case, we can pool our resources and knowledge to put them out of business.”
“Most of the stuff they’ve stolen from the Middlemarch region is jewelry. If they’ve hit other areas, it will be interesting to see if they’ve stuck to that or if the jewelry theme is coincidental.”
“Yes.” Laura inclined her head again, her gaze sliding across his chest. When he caught her in the act, she flushed and rushed into speech. “Good coffee.”
He tried to smother his grin and failed. “Worth waiting for?”
“Maybe.”
His amusement faded, replaced by chagrin. Way to burst his bubble. “Don’t forget we’re invited to dinner at Emily and Saber’s place tonight.”
“I…I’ll ring Emily and cancel,” she said, dropping her attention to the tabletop.
A burst of anger hit him and his hand clenched his coffee mug again. This time the mug didn’t stand the strain. Hot coffee and china sprayed in all directions. Jonno cursed, low and fluid words that did nothing to relieve his frustration. He should have known a relationship with a human wouldn’t go smoothly. Standing, he crouched to pick up the biggest of the china pieces before retrieving a small broom and dustpan from the hall cupboard.
Patience, he counseled himself. Despite his natural inclination to grab her and kiss her senseless, he needed to take his time. He’d frightened her with his intensity, and the knowledge of feline shifters wandering around her patch hadn’t helped things. Humans saw things differently, didn’t understand.
Jonno grabbed a cloth and swiped at the spilled liquid. “Want more coffee?”
“No, thanks. I need to stop by my place before I head into work.”
Jonno chucked the cloth aside. “I’ll grab another T-shirt and drive you back to town.”
“Thanks.”
After a deep brea
th, Jonno strode away from his mate, his feline snarling in protest. It looked as if he’d returned to step one. Hell, it felt like minus one. He should have guessed things were working too smoothly.
Chapter Five
The drive back into town would never be one of her better memories. Uncomfortable didn’t come close. Laura stared straight ahead, trying to concentrate on the job at hand—her work and catching the thieves preying off the folk of Middlemarch. Work had helped her through difficult times in the past. This time—not so much. Jonno’s gaze drilled into her, shared between her and the road ahead.
“How old are you?” Suddenly it became important to break the taut silence between them.
“Twenty-four,” he said.
“Twenty-four? I’m twenty-eight!”
“And you’re telling me because?”
“We’re not doing this again. I don’t sleep with younger men.”
“Because?”
Laura’s teeth clacked together. Her mind blanked. Why? Heck, she couldn’t think of a good reason. Recalling the previous evening, she knew she couldn’t tell him he lacked experience. The man knew what to do with his equipment and seemed clued up on hers. “Because…because…” Her brain scrambled for reasons and came up short.
“You can’t give me a reason.” Satisfaction echoed in his words. “There is no reason we can’t have a relationship.”
“No, last night was a one-off. Just sex.”
“It wasn’t just sex,” he snarled. “Admit it. It was way more.”
Laura remained silent because she couldn’t refute his charge. She’d experienced something last night she’d never had with Mike. A sense of completeness that scared her. Things with Jonno were too new, too raw. She didn’t need another man in her life. “I don’t know you.”
“Fine.” He shot her an intensely masculine glare of annoyance and frustration. “Ask me anything. I’ll do the same with you. We’ll get to know each other.”
My Cat Burglar Page 5