Cat Groove (Stray Cats) (4 page)

“Yes, we are.” Roman surged into her and growled. Sweat glittered on his temple. His dark hair clung to his damp forehead. Knees planted beneath her ass, he hauled her onto his thighs. He shook his head and grunted. His thrusts increased and she dug her heels into the small of his back.

“Roman,” she moaned. She arched her body, accepting more of him into her pussy. He stretched her and made everything burn in a good way.

“My mate,” he shouted. “Mine.” Roman shuddered. He held her hips tight to his waist. “Fuck.”

Jessa closed her eyes. The climax washed over her, drowning her in pleasure. For a moment, she felt weightless. She sagged against the mattress, then opened her eyes and gazed at her lover. The act of sex had been quick, but who said sex couldn’t be fast? Each time he looked at her or touched her, she felt the passion radiating from him. When she spent time with Roman, she felt loved. Was it possible to fall in love with a person -- a shifter no less -- after a tiny piece of time? She’d known him for more than a year -- in his feline form. Was the man side of him any different? She wasn’t sure.

“Jessa.” Roman collapsed on top of her. “You’ve got my heart in your hands.” He smiled and kissed her. “You also need to tell me what to do with the thing you put around my dick.”

“You carefully take it off and pitch it in the garbage. I’ll help you.”

Roman pulled out of her. He flopped beside her on the bed. His flaccid cock bobbed.

“It’s called a condom.” She worked the used latex off his dick. “It keeps the swimmers from going places they aren’t supposed to go.”

“Swimmers?” Roman knotted his eyebrows. “I’m lost.”

“The sperm in your cum.” She tossed the spent rubber in the garbage bin. “Give me a moment.” She climbed out of bed. The idea of fast, frantic sex with her panties on was hot as hell, but the lacy material seemed to be permanently implanted in the crack of her ass. She tugged her panties from her butt and then wriggled out of the garment. “You’re pretty good for your first time.” Jessa debated grabbing a sleep shirt, but decided against it. He’d seen her naked. Why bother to cover up? She climbed into bed beside him and snuggled against him. “Really good.”

“I’ve got the best teacher.” He petted her hair. “Even when I don’t understand why we’ve done some of the things we’ve done, I’m glad I went through the experience with you.”

She bit her bottom lip. One thing stuck in her brain. Ask? Or keep quiet? Might as well ask. “You said the word mate before and again when we had sex. Why? I’m not a shifter. I’m just a simple human.” She rose up, propping herself on her elbow. “Even if I wanted to be your mate, there are so many complications. Are you sure I’m yours?”

“You’re so much more than just a human and yes, I’m sure.”

Roman tucked her to his side. The mating had taken place, but he hadn’t heard the voice or seen the goddess. He wasn’t sure why. He knew for certain Jessa belonged to him and he to her. As far as he knew, she returned his feelings -- even if she didn’t trust herself or understand how she felt. He wanted to remove all the negative thoughts from her head. John had fucked her up so much. So the mating hadn’t seemed to take place that time -- there would be others. They’d practice until they got the act right.

He didn’t want to sleep -- actually sleeping together instead of sex -- in the guest room. She should be in her own bed and cherished. He sat up, then climbed out of bed. He scooped her into his arms and carried her back to her bedroom.

“Done with me already?” she asked, her voice soft and sleepy.

“Never,” he said and settled beside her. “I’m a human now and would like to be here in your bed with you. It’s much better than the guest room.” He dragged her across his chest. Their bodies fitted together so well. No wonder they were mates. They’d been made for each other.

“Sorry.” She rested her chin on her folded hands. “I’m sorry the bed is sucky.”

“Not sucky.” He kissed her, needing to taste her once more. “I want to hold you while we sleep.”

“That’s nice.” She slid down beside him and draped her arm across his chest.

Roman cradled her to his side and stared at the ceiling. His time as a cat had served him well. All the chances to spy on Jessa under the guise of wanting her to pet him before she went to sleep. John hadn’t wanted to snuggle with her. He’d insisted on leaving shortly after they had sex. Wham, bam, see ya later, ma’am. What a jerk.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered and kissed the top of her head. “I’m all yours.”

She didn’t understand the situation between them, and he’d done a shitty job of explaining. She meant the world to him. More than an owner or lover, she understood him. He needed to take the time in the morning to explain everything to her. Absolutely. He’d pour out his heart to her -- in the morning.

* * *

Roman rolled onto his back and stretched. Instead of hot woman beside him, he touched cold sheets. He sat up. What the hell? He listened for her. Voices filtered to him from the other room. Whoever was out there was trying to whisper. He didn’t recognize all the voices, but he knew his mate. She sounded worried.

Roman surged out of bed. He didn’t have any clothes. Fuck. He hoped she had something large enough he could wear and cover up his junk, but he hated to go through her things. The need to protect her outweighed everything else. He rummaged through her bureau until he found a sweatshirt and a pair of boxer shorts she wore as sleepwear in the summer. He needed to be with her, not looking for clothing.

Roman composed himself, then headed down the hall to the living room. Two men and two women sat with Jessa. He didn’t know the men or the women. “What’s this?”

“Roman?” One of the men stood. He had the same short black hair as Roman and stood about the same height. The scent around him was familiar, too. The man grabbed Roman and tugged him into a hug. “It’s you. I can’t believe it.” He stepped back. His brows knotted. “The fashion flub happened to me, too.”

“I’m --” What the hell was the guy talking about? Happened to him? “I’m lost.” Roman shuffled his gaze to Jessa. “I’m not sensing anything is wrong. What did I miss?”

Jessa wove around the guests to Roman’s side. “Sorry. I should’ve gotten you something to wear.”

“I’m good.” He curled his arm around her. “I can find a groove in whatever I’m wearing.”

“These two claim to be your brothers -- Ascher and Joel.” She half shrugged. Confusion shone in her eyes. “They said they smelled you.”

The man who’d approached him first grinned. “It’s me, Fang. I brought Godzilla with me.”

“These days we go by Ascher and Joel,” the second man said. “I know it’s nuts.”

Roman wobbled on his feet. Thank goddess he had Jessa for support. His brothers. The more he looked at the two men, the more he knew the truth. His family -- the rest of them -- had found him.

“How… how did you know I was here?” Roman collapsed on the couch. They said they’d smelled him. Could they?

“Intuition,” Ascher said. He knelt next to Roman. “We had a feeling you were here and then we smelled you. Our family has a scent.” He patted Roman’s thigh. “Give me a moment. I’ve got clothes in the car. You need something else besides that ridiculous get-up.” He stood, then strode out of the house.

“I don’t think it’s that bad,” Jessa murmured.

Roman reached for her. “He didn’t mean that.” He tugged her onto his lap. Holding her close gave him strength.

“He’s a pro at shopping. Ever since he found out he could go into the stores and buy clothes he likes, he’s kind of addicted.” The dark-haired woman offered her hand to Roman. “I’m Penelope. Ascher belongs to me.” She smiled. “Hildegard made sure I took him. He’s been a trip, but worth the hassle.”

“Have you two mated?” The blonde murmured. “You don’t look like you did.”

“Hayden,” Penelope said. “That’s personal.” She swatted Hayden’s arm. “Why don’t we take Jessa into the kitchen for some girl talk? I think it would help.” She, along with Hayden, grabbed Jessa’s biceps and hauled her to her feet. “We can explain a lot.”

“That would be good.” Jessa kissed Roman’s cheek. She nodded to Joel and then allowed the girls to lead her out of the room.

Roman took a deep breath and let the air flow out of him. “So…”

“Feeling overwhelmed?” Joel rested his elbows on his knees. “Trust me, Asch and I understand.”

The front door opened and Ascher came back into the apartment with a paper bag. “Here you go. You look like you’re about our size.” He grinned. “Having brothers is a good thing sometimes.”

“I guess I’ll have to get used to you.” Roman rummaged through the bag. Ascher had decent taste in clothes. Roman shook out a blue long-sleeved T-shirt.

“That’ll look better than the sweatshirt.” Ascher folded his arms and widened his stance. “Like I said, I’ve been in your shoes… er… sweatshirt. Penn didn’t exactly have tons of clothes for me to wear. Joel saved my butt. And we’re freaking you out. Sorry.”

“We’ve got a doozy for you.” Joel, the softer-spoken of the two, grinned. “I have the feeling your girl is about to save you and good thing. I wouldn’t drop your shorts. Asch probably didn’t pack any of those.”

“I didn’t. Shoot.” Ascher frowned. “Sorry.”

“What’s the doozy?” Roman demanded. He worked his way out of the sweatshirt, then donned the T-shirt. The extra room was so much nicer. He retrieved the pair of jeans. “Nice. Might be a little baggy.”

“You’ll like them better baggy.” Joel sighed. “The doozy is there’s a man named Branker who is trying to do us in. He seems to think our blood will help humankind. When we’re unmated, our blood is precious. There are healing properties that the humans would love to have. I’d love to share it with them, but not Branker.”

“He tried to kill me.” Ascher paced the length of the small room. “Thank goddess Penn saved me.”

“Because you’re mated?” Roman stepped into the jeans and held his breath. He’d made love to Jessa but something had gone wrong.

“Well, yeah. Hay and I made love without barriers and it worked. Same thing for Penn and Asch.” Joel’s eyebrows knotted. “You’ve made love to your mate, right?”

“She had me wear a condom. That fucked it up, didn’t it?” Roman zipped, then sat beside his brother. “She doesn’t believe we belong together, and I’m shit at explaining.”

“I have the feeling Penn and Hay are filling her in.” Ascher stopped pacing. “They’re good at that.”

“So what do we do? Is the guy looking for me?” Roman asked.

“That we know of, no. He’s in jail, but he’s got associates everywhere. If it took us this long to find you, then chances are his bunch is a step or two behind.” Joel sighed. “I’m not saying you have to do it right now, but I’d suggest mating with Jessa tonight. You’ll save yourself and get a pretty sweet woman in the deal. She’s yours -- she’s just scared and not sold on the idea.”

“Yeah, because fucking a man who turns into a cat is so hot.” Roman groaned. Joel wasn’t wrong, but how the hell was Roman going to convince Jessa he loved her?

* * *

Jessa stood in the kitchen with the mates of Roman’s brothers. Both women were pretty and nice. If she’d met them in any other circumstance, they might have been fast friends. At the moment, she wasn’t sure what to think.

“Freaked you out, didn’t he?” Penelope leaned against the counter. Her dark hair bobbed in the ponytail gathered at the crown of her head. “The cat’s sitting there staring at you and then poof! He’s a man?”

“Something like that.” She switched her gaze between Hayden and Penelope. “You’re hardcore about this, aren’t you?” The women couldn’t have been more different. Penelope, with her brown hair and curves, looked like she loved to laugh. Conversely, Hayden had blonde hair, a quiet demeanor, and what seemed like a permanently serious expression on her pretty face.

“Well, when you see your man nearly die, you have a deeper appreciation for him.” Hayden hopped onto the counter and swung her legs. She finally cracked a smile, albeit a small one. “He’s a hot commodity.”

“Oh, I know.” Jessa snorted. “All I’ve got to do is take him outside and every woman in a fifty-mile radius will pounce.” Her sinking confidence hit a new low. She hated to admit the truth, but she knew she wasn’t the kind of woman a hunky guy would settle for. “I’m not enough to keep him.”

Penelope smiled at Hayden and slipped Jessa’s hand into hers. “We understand. We’ve been in your shoes. I know I never thought Ascher was even in my league. They’re all hot.” She nodded. “Sometimes it still feels like a dream, having him in my life.”

“It is like a dream. One day cat and then the next day guy, but,” Hayden said, “the witch knew what she was doing.” She stopped kicking her legs. “Hildegard didn’t just hand you the first cat she grabbed. She picked the kitten who best suited each of us. She knew what she was doing. The magic will work. You’ll have to believe in it and him. It’s hard, but it’ll be worth the hassle.”

“Magic.” Jessa rolled her eyes to cover her burst of excitement. Roman wasn’t kidding about belonging together? No way. Did he really find her attractive for more than a roll in the hay? Her brain screamed not possible, but a bit of hope blossomed in her chest.

“Yeah, magic.” Hayden slipped to her feet. “You haven’t made love to him, have you?”

“She glows. They have. Probably four or five times.” Penelope smiled. “I know that look and felt the same crazy rush you’re feeling right now. He’s good, isn’t he?”

Might as well be honest. “I did, but we used a rubber and we’ve only had sex once.” She shrugged. “I wasn’t sure, you know? Can they get us pregnant? Do they have diseases?” Was he telling the truth? No, she’d keep that last question to herself.

“Oh, trust me. We understand that. It’s a shock. They claim forever and you aren’t sure. Guys can be real assholes, but not these three.” Penelope nodded. “It’s a big change, but a good one.”

“And you’ll get used to it.” Hayden draped her arm around Jessa’s shoulders. “You’ll save his soul and his blood.” She nodded and fluttered her lashes. “Sounds off the wall, but it’s true. Long story short, there’s a man who wants to kill and drain our shifters for their blood. He won’t stop until one of them is dead. We’ve saved Asch and Joel because we’ve mated with them.”