My Cat Burglar

by Shelley Munro

  “We saved the Miller diamond necklace,” Saber said from behind him. “If we hadn’t persuaded you to replace it with a fake, you would have lost that too.”

  “Mr. Miller,” Laura said, ignoring both Jonno and Saber. “I need you to write me a complete list of the missing items. You’ll need to do that for insurance anyway.”

  “I want my property back,” Miller snapped, his face turning redder by the minute.

  “We’re doing our best,” Laura said. “Unless we receive cooperation we won’t be able to help you. The sooner you give us the information the quicker we can circulate details of the missing jewelry in the surrounding towns as well as Dunedin and Queenstown. The robbers might try to sell the stolen items.”

  “Very well,” Miller said.

  “I’ll help you with that, Dan,” Saber said. “Can we do it inside?”

  Miller dragged his hand through his thick gray hair. “In my office is best. I don’t want to upset Susanna any more than necessary.”

  “Of course,” Saber said, moving away with the other man and leaving Jonno with Laura.

  “What are you doing here?” Laura snapped.

  “I told you Saber and the council want to catch the thieves as much as you do.” Jonno moved closer, pushing into her personal space. She took a step back and another, trying to retreat without making it obvious.

  “Don’t.” Jonno lifted his hand to smooth across her hair. In the morning sunlight, the red highlights danced and glittered. Sexy. Touching her soothed his feline while the man wanted even closer contact. “You won’t forget dinner tonight, right?”

  “It depends. I might be too busy.”

  “Emily will be very disappointed. So will I,” he added, his voice low and husky. He trailed one finger over her smooth cheekbone and caught the faint shiver that sped through her body. Unable to resist, he bent his head, his warm breath feathering across her cheek and lips. He took great satisfaction from the second shiver. Then his lips bumped against hers. He tugged her pliant body closer and folded his arms around her in a silent dare for her to object. She gave a small moan, her body tense. Jonno coaxed her with a soft kiss, pouring every emotion he underwent into the kiss. Hope. Passion. Connection. Longing. Love.

  Laura moaned again and relaxed against him, her arms creeping around his neck as she gave in and participated. Their lips slid together in an easy kiss, a lazy joining of mouths cocooning them in a sensual bubble for two.

  When they pulled apart, the play of emotions over her face told Jonno he still had more work to do to prove they belonged together. But he’d awakened her hunger. He sensed it in the pressure of her fingers now clutching his shoulders.

  “I can’t do this while I’m working,” she said.

  “I know, and I’m sorry. Will you come to dinner with me tonight? I can pick you up.”

  “I—okay.” Her shoulders slumped, and he caught the tail end of an inner battle that showed briefly in her eyes before she glanced away. “I should finish work around six. You said quarter to seven, right?”

  “Yeah.” Jonno tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Do you drink wine? I thought I’d buy a couple of bottles to take with us.”

  “Yes. I don’t understand what’s wrong with me. I wanted to jump you the moment I saw you.”

  “You hid it well,” Jonno said with a smile. “I’ll pick you up, okay?” He wanted a firm commitment from her.

  She nodded. “It’s possible I could run a little late.”

  “No problem. I’m a big boy. I can keep myself amused until you’re ready.” He kissed her again, harder this time, making sure she knew how much he wanted her.

  “Are cats sex machines?” she asked when they parted.

  “I enjoy sex as much as the next guy. It’s because we’re mates that we’re both on edge and desperate. It will keep happening until we formally mate.”

  Laura sighed, her frown highlighting her unhappiness with the situation. “I didn’t ask for this.”

  “I know. It’s not fun for me either.” Time to change the subject. He’d extracted a promise for her to go to dinner with him. He’d leave it at that for the moment. “Laura, Saber and I wondered how come you and Charlie were at the Miller place last night. Why were the police there? How did you know?”

  “One of the neighbors called. The woman said she saw strange lights when she drove past and knew the Millers were away. Charlie and I checked it out, and we found you on the premises.”

  “Strange,” Jonno said, unable to resist running his hand up and down Laura’s arm. Just being with her eased the torment and restlessness he’d experienced after driving away from her this morning.

  “I was about to check the outside of the house. We didn’t do it last night,” Laura said, pulling her hand from his.

  “I’ll come too.” Jonno reclaimed her hand and swung it back and forth. He tugged her past two fragrant rose beds, the bushes covered with white and red blooms. Roses—the traditional flower of love. “Did you know that red roses mean love and white roses mean I am worthy of you?”

  Laura laughed, tense shoulders relaxing. “And what happens if a rose is both colors?”

  “It means passion,” Jonno said, hearing the huskiness in his voice. “That’s what my mother told me when I was a boy.” The memory brought back others—of his parents laughing and whispering together and going to bed early. By all rights he should have lots of siblings.

  “How do I know you’re telling the truth?” she teased.

  Jonno decided he liked Laura in this mood, so full of laughter. Relaxed and carefree. “Check it out on the internet if you don’t believe me.” He stopped and smiled at her, unable to resist running his finger over her velvet-soft lips. “I never lie. Ever. You’ll always get the truth from me, even if it might hurt. If there’s one thing that gets to me more than any other, it’s a person who lies.”

  “Um…that’s…why?”

  “Because lies cause pain.”

  “There’s no such thing as black-and-white, Jonno. Sometimes people lie with good intentions. They don’t mean to hurt anyone.”

  Jonno thought of his parents, his father and the way he’d forced him from their home. His father had lied to him about the reason, and it still ate at him. Jealousy. He hadn’t liked a mature male in the house. Sure, they’d argued. What family didn’t? “Lies hurt people, which is why I decided I’d travel a different path.” As they rounded a topiary bush, he came to an abrupt stop. “Wait.”

  “What is it?”

  “The scent. I can smell the thieves.”

  “How do you know it isn’t one of the Millers or their family?”

  “Because I’d recognize their scents. A group of people stopped here. See, two of them stepped into the garden bed in the dark. Do you see the footprints?”

  “Good spotting,” Laura said. “I have the digital camera in the car. I’ll take photos of the prints. Anything else?” Her eyes narrowed in concentration while she surveyed the vicinity.

  “I think there were four people, perhaps five. It’s difficult to distinguish the scents since time has passed. At least one or two are shifters, which was what I thought last night. It’s possible some of the Middlemarch residents are part of the thieves’ gang.”

  Chapter Six

  Excitement pulsed through Laura. This was the part of police work she enjoyed—the detecting. She found it way better than the usual mundane duties of a community cop in Middlemarch. “I’ll be back in a moment. Wait for me.”

  She hurried around the rose beds and past a formal garden of red and white petunias. Someone had a definite liking for structure with precise planting and strict use of red, white and green throughout the garden. Although beautiful, she couldn’t help thinking a blaze of different colors could work just as well.

  Laura grabbed her camera and a small crime scene bag before speeding back to where Jonno waited. He appeared big, solid, and she liked that he didn’t quibble talking about the meaning of flowers. Sh
e smiled and realized happiness filled her for the first time in weeks. Even knowing a relationship with Jonno might be wrong—it was too fast for a start—and she wanted more from life than a job at a country police station where nothing happened. Usually, she amended as she came to a halt by Jonno.

  “Any other clues, Sherlock?”

  “Yeah, Watson,” he drawled, pointing to a small light green object the size of a credit card lying under a sprawling red-and-green bush. “One of our thieves has dropped his driver’s license.”

  “No!” Laura peered more closely before backing up and bumping into Jonno. “It is. It’s someone’s license. Man is he gonna be pissed.”

  Laura placed small yellow-numbered plastic disks near the footprints and snapped several shots before doing the same with the license. Photos taken, she found a glove and pulled it onto her right hand. She picked up the license by the edges and placed it inside a plastic evidence bag. “Do you know a Max Abraham?”

  “No. If he’s local, Saber will know him.”

  “Great.” Laura spied another partial print and photographed it.

  “Did you know you’re very sexy in cop-mode?” Jonno’s husky voice lowered a register, and to her despair, she shivered, her pulse speeding without warning. The urge to jump him came to the fore. It had hovered in the back of her mind ever since she’d seen him stride over to her and Mr. Miller. Saber Mitchell looked good in his T-shirt and dark denims, but it was Jonno who she wanted to drag to the nearest flat surface. Her breath puffed out in a soft whoosh as she imagined his naked body spread in front of her.

  “Are you okay? You have a strange expression on your face. Are you thinking about me?”

  Laura’s mouth dropped open. She recovered to curse under her breath. Well, that was professional. And she’d been trying so hard. “I’m just thinking ahead to decide what to do next,” she hastened to explain, although, judging by the secret smile on his lips, he didn’t believe her for a moment.

  “Is Mr. Miller in sight? I’d like to shift and try to follow the tracks.”

  “They had a vehicle.” Laura glanced at the house where Saber and Mr. Miller had disappeared. When she turned back, Jonno had already peeled his shirt over his head. She couldn’t help it. She stared. Bronzed magnificence summed it up nicely. “What about Mr. Miller?”

  Jonno offered a wicked grin. “I can hear Saber discussing his prize-winning sheep. The man will rattle on for ages. And I catch a whiff of scones. I’d bet Mrs. Miller will offer us morning tea.” He bent to remove his boots and socks before unzipping his jeans and taking those off. “I’ve been thinking about you, Laura,” he whispered.

  “That is obvious,” she muttered, trying and failing not to glance at his erect shaft. “Is sex all you men think of?”

  “Pretty much. It’s worse for me at the moment because my feline is pushing me to mate with you.”

  Laura had to terminate the traitorous urge to move closer and run her hand over his bare shoulders and flanks, to kneel before him and take his cock into her mouth. Yeah, that would cross the lines of professionalism. She wore her uniform! “You sunbathe in the nude.”

  “Guilty,” he said. “Sometimes my friends Joe and Sly and I go for a run and lie around in the sun afterward.”

  A frown creased her forehead. Did he…did they?

  “Hey, get that look off your face,” he said coming closer. “We’re just friends. None of us swing that way, not that I have a problem with same-sex loving. You have nothing to worry about. You’re the one I’m interested in touching.”

  “I…um…you’d better hurry and do your thing before Mr. Miller comes looking for us.” It was difficult to concentrate and portray professional when he stood in front of her naked. Where would she touch first? It was like trying to decide what to choose from a chocolate dessert buffet.

  He laughed and hauled her into his arms to steal a kiss, releasing her again before she had time to formulate a plan of where to grope the man. Jonno stood back and transformed to leopard in front of her, a faint glow surrounding his body during the change. He dropped to all fours and lashed his tail, prowling to her side to rub against her legs. He seemed a tactile sort of man, always touching and stroking.

  The loud vibration of his purr reverberated through her body, and helpless to his feline charm, she ran her hand over his glossy fur. No doubt about it. The man made a beautiful cat, and his markings were striking with small black rosettes covering his tawny coat. His tongue stroked across the pulse point on her wrist, the abrasive lick bringing a shiver. Jonno gave a last purr of satisfaction before trotting away.

  Laura picked up his clothes and boots, plus her bag and hurried after him. The man’s skills might come in handy if they could follow the tracks. They passed a grove of trees, the roots pushing out of the earth in places. Dry leaves crunched under her boots before they burst into the sunlight again. A tall hedge edged the road, and they passed a small maze and a series of potager vegetable gardens. A vehicle chugged along the road and Laura glimpsed a bright yellow tractor. Jonno slowed, waiting for it to pass. Since they’d almost reached the road, the tracks would come to a halt soon because the thieves must have a vehicle. Traveling on foot wouldn’t make sense, not if the gang needed a quick getaway. As she suspected, Jonno slowed near the road, waiting for her to catch up.

  He shifted, grinning in approval. “You brought my clothes. Thanks. They parked their vehicle here. See, you can make out the faint footprints on the side of the road. That set there is almost identical to the ones in the garden.”

  “You’re very observant. Have you ever considered joining the police?” She set his stuff and her bag down before taking more photos.

  “No, I enjoy working on the land.”

  “Are you sure?” Laura smirked at him as she put the camera away. “You’re better than a police dog because you followed the tracks and gave me a verbal report.”

  “I have lots of talents,” he murmured, his voice without inflection, although his eyes glittered with sexy promise.

  Boom. Straight back to sexual tension with a few words and a roguish smile. Laura’s breath caught, and she couldn’t help but notice his erection. Ready for action again. “That’s gonna hurt when you try to force it into your jeans.”

  “How about helping me out then?”

  No mistaking his words for anything but a challenge. “Here?” Laura swallowed and glanced up and down the road. There wasn’t a vehicle or person in sight.

  “Not right here,” Jonno said, his mood buoyant and catchy. “Did you notice the hedges we passed on the way out to the road? They will work for privacy.”

  Laura swallowed again, fighting her sexuality and the temptation standing right in front of her. A brief battle. “Okay.” Heck! Mouth and brain not connected. “That was not what I meant to say,” she whispered, averting her gaze from Jonno’s naked body, away from enticement.

  “Too late.” Jonno swept her off her feet and into his arms, striding over the grass verge to the hedge maze.

  “Wait, I need to get my bag of tricks. Don’t you want your clothes and boots?”

  Jonno came to an abrupt halt and with long strides returned to where her bag sat. He set her on her feet, waiting while she collected their belongings before seizing her again, cradling her in his arms.

  Instead of fighting or protesting as she should have, Laura rested against his chest, breathing in his musky scent, enjoying the flex of masculine muscles and the show of power. When she glanced up, she noticed the banked passion flickering in his hazel eyes. Even though she was working and should know better, she was powerless to resist his charm and the flattering desire shining in his face. Damn it all!

  Once Jonno reached the privacy of the hedges, he let her slide down his body and his heat seared her despite her layers of clothing. She gasped, aching for a more intimate touch, her insides jangling with excitement. With trembling hands, she set their belongings near the hedge.

  “This had better be quic
k. Saber and Mr. Miller will expect us back at the house.”

  A reality check. Time for her to tell him they couldn’t do this. She opened her mouth, ready to tell him, but he sealed her words of protest with his lips. Warm and tender, his mouth caressed hers, tempting her with drugging kisses. A whisper of pleasure sounded—hers. Damn, she was easy. Laura melted into him.

  “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I can’t stop myself where you’re concerned. Dammit, I don’t even know you.” Her voice came close to a wail and held clear frustration.

  “You sense the mating bond,” Jonno said, his lips catching one earlobe and giving her a hint of bite.

  “I don’t want to. I—” Laura gnawed on her bottom lip, aghast at the way she’d almost blurted out the stupid mistakes she’d made with Mike, following her impulses instead of using her head.

  “Shush, we don’t have much time. Tonight, okay?” With competent hands he unfastened her blue uniform shirt and slid his hand inside a cup of her bra. The slight friction against her nipple brought a moan. Weak. So weak. “Jonno.” The steady pinch of his fingers brought a strangled groan of pleasure, nerve ends sizzling at his touch.

  “Steady, sweetheart.”

  “You make my thoughts fly from my head whenever you touch me, so hands off.”

  “I’ll make it up to you tonight.”

  If she were smart, she wouldn’t go home with him tonight. She’d stay far away. Although, she suspected her willpower was faulty after a few hours in his company. Her hand wandered across his collarbone and over one pectoral muscle, fascinated by the silky skin and underlying hardness of his form. Her fingernails scraped over a flat nipple. Back and forth until it stood erect and Jonno growled at the back of his throat.

  “We have no time for exploration.”

  “We’ll do this my way,” she said.

  “And her tone is implying her way or not at all.”

  “Got it in one, buster.” Her fingers trailed across his stomach. Taut muscles. Sexy muscles. Gripping his hips, she knelt in front of him, running her lips over the smooth skin of his stomach. His cock brushed against her cheek and she turned her head, sticking out the tip of her tongue to run along his length.