Lion Lost & Found, Paranormal Romance (Ghost Cat Shifters Book 2) (7 page)

“I’ll take both nights.” She started to turn and head out front, but she paused by the door and looked back to Dan. “Thanks for being so flexible with the schedule for me.”

The clink of bottles continued as Dan set one bottle after another on the shelves. He shrugged and looked over his shoulder at her. “My mom raised me by herself, just like you’re doing with Julianna. I get it. Whenever I have shifts open that work for you, they’re yours. Plus, you work your tail off. No need to thank me.”

“I get to thank you if I want, so deal with it.”

“See you next week,” he said with a wave and a chuckle.

Vivi pushed through the door back into the bustling bar. Her eyes automatically swung to the corner where Heath had been sitting. He wasn’t there. Her heart sank. With her emotions a tornado inside, it was probably best he’d left. And yet…she’d been so damn hopeful she might have a few minutes alone with him tonight. She swallowed her sigh and tossed her fleece jacket over her shoulders as she threaded her way through the tables and customers to reach the door. She pushed through, the cool autumn air a contrast to the heat from inside the bar. She took a few steps beyond the door and paused on the sidewalk. The noise of the bar was muted now. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the hint of wood smoke drifting from a nearby home.

“Hey there.” Heath’s voice was unmistakable, low and clear in the crisp night air.

Vivi opened her eyes and swung her head sideways to find Heath leaning against the building. His hands were tucked in the pockets of his jeans, tugging them low on his hips. Her heart gave a swift kick, jumpstarting her pulse. Heath pushed away from the wall, at which point she realized she’d yet to reply to him.

“Hey.” One word was all she managed.

“I thought maybe I could give you a ride home.”

The hope she’d knocked aside a few moments earlier came roaring back. As usual, she’d walked into work after she’d dropped Julianna off at her mother’s for the night. A ride home with Heath would mean she’d get far more than a few minutes with him. Her body took over, shoving her doubts out of mind. She nodded before she even realized it. Heath took another step closer to her. The streetlights glinted off his dark curls. His presence was potent, and she could feel the heat emanating off of him. He stood a mere foot or so away from her. The air felt electrified. She thought maybe she should move, but she couldn’t.

He took another step closer. Her breath hitched and her belly clenched. “Is that a yes?” he asked, the rough edge of his voice sending prickles along her skin.

“Yes.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

For a long, sizzling moment, she thought he was going to kiss her. Her body nearly vibrated with tension. He didn’t. Instead, he reached for her hand, curling his around it. Her breath came out in a slow sigh at the feel of his warm, strong grip. Without a word, he turned and walked toward his truck. She strode alongside him, her pulse pounding and need thrumming through her. Moments later, he eased his truck away from the curb. The short drive down Main Street to her home was quiet, the small space in his truck taut and the air fairly snapping with the currents between them.

Vivi glanced to Heath. His profile was silhouetted in the shadowed light, the angles of his face strong and clean. His nose had the barest jog along its bridge. She recalled he’d broken his nose when he fell off his bike in high school. His eyes canted to her, catching hers for a moment before he looked back at the road. In that tiny moment, liquid need swirled within her. Within minutes, they were at her house. Restless and jittery, she fumbled with the door handle. She felt Heath’s palm curl around her arm.

“Hey,” he said softly. “You okay?”

She let go of the handle and shifted in her seat, angling toward him. “Yeah. I, uh, I… Ugh. I’m a mess. I don’t know what we’re doing. I don’t know what you want. I don’t know…”

“Vivi.” Heath said, his voice gravelly.

She whipped her gaze up, colliding with his. Her heart clenched. She bit her lip and tried to take a deep breath. Her pulse was racing, and she couldn’t seem to get her body under control. Currents of need tossed wildly inside of her. Heath’s hand eased its grip on her arm and slid up. She could feel the heat of his palm through her jacket.

Heath moved swiftly. Before she quite realized what was happening, he was opening the passenger door and helping her out. The door clicked shut behind her. Heath was right there in front of her. His eyes flashed in the light cast from her porch before his lips crashed against hers. In seconds, she was nearly on fire. His tongue tangled with hers in bold strokes. Their kiss went on and on. By the time he broke away, she was out of breath and surprised to discover she hadn’t actually melted into a puddle.

He took a step back, the chilly air filling the space between them barely cooled the heat coursing through her. She grabbed his hand and tugged him along behind her. She almost stumbled racing up the steps. His palm curled around her hip, steadying her. “Easy.”

Somehow they made it into the kitchen, while Jax raced past them out into the yard. By that point, Vivi had abandoned any restraint. She kicked her shoes off and tossed her jacket and purse on the counter. Heath was in the middle of tugging his jacket off when she stepped in front of him. She slid a palm up his chest and curled it around the back of his neck.

“Now.”

He met her halfway, fitting his mouth over hers. The kiss that had begun outside continued. He swept his tongue inside her mouth, nipped at her lips and traced them. His hands roamed over her body, as hers did his. She savored the feel of the hard planes of his body under her touch, while the feel of his hands stroking down her back, cupping her bottom and curling around a breast was so delicious, she felt delirious.

She shoved his jacket off his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. With a sigh, she slid her hands under his shirt and gasped at the warmth of his skin. He tore his lips away and blazed a wet trail down her neck. He broke free and held still, his eyes dark with need. The moment was hot and electric. Everything sped up. Clothes were torn off and tossed aside. The only light came from a lamp in the corner. Vivi snapped out of the haze of desire long enough to take in the sight of Heath. He wore nothing save a pair of black briefs. He was honed and sculpted. His years in the military were evident in the pure, raw muscle of his body. A ragged scar ran at an angle across his thigh, along with several precise, surgical scars—the permanent reminders of his brush with death. Her heart tightened when she recalled how close he’d come to not making it through to the other side of that car accident.

He stepped to her side, his hands tracing the curve of her waist. She stood almost bare before him, in white cotton underwear with red polka dots and a matching bra, both selected by Julianna once when they went shopping. She wanted everyone to wear polka dots, so Vivi obliged, figuring her underwear would never be seen. Now, she felt a twinge of embarrassment when Heath’s eyes met hers with a gleam.

“I like your polka dots.”

She flushed straight through and bit back a laugh. Heath traced her lips with his thumb before trailing it down along her neck and onto her shoulder. In slow motion, he hooked it under her bra strap and peeled it off her shoulder, the other following quickly. Her breasts tumbled loose, and she gasped in relief. Her nipples were so tight, they verged on pain. Heath’s fingers traced lightly along the undersides of her breasts before circling her nipples. Her breath broke on a moan when his lips closed over one taut nipple. He swirled his tongue around it while teasing the other with his fingers. She lost herself in a haze of sensation, arching and flexing in his arms.

***

Heath dragged his eyes open. Vivi’s hips were resting against the kitchen table. Her dark hair fell in a rumple around her shoulders. Her body was all lush curves and softness tempered with strength. She was bare except for her white and red polka dot panties, which somehow hit him right in the heart. She dragged a hand down his chest and stroked boldly over his briefs. What little control he had was almost lost when she curled her palm around his cock. He’d been throbbing with need for her for hours at this point, so it didn’t take much to push him to the edge of his control.

He started to step back when she hooked her thumb over the waistband of his briefs and yanked them down. Before he could take a breath, she leaned forward and dragged her tongue along his cock. She teased him to near madness for several heated minutes while she explored him with her lips and tongue. A ragged groan broke free when she took him in her mouth. Hot, wet strokes of her tongue, the warm suction of her mouth and the grip of her palm, and he almost lost control. He yanked on the reins of his restraint and hung on—just barely.

He pulled her up and lifted her onto the table, while he simultaneously dragged her panties off with one hand and fumbled in the pocket of his jeans that were hanging over a chair by the table. His wallet fell to the floor when he tugged the condom out. He bumped heads with Vivi when she tried to helpfully roll the condom on. She giggled and glanced up, her blue eyes dark with passion and hinted with mirth. For a second, he froze. He was tossed asunder in the grip of pure lust mingled with an intimacy he’d never known with anyone.

Vivi’s smile faded and her hand stilled. He nudged her chin up and caught her lips in another kiss. He stepped between her knees. She shimmied closer to the edge of the table when he reached between her legs and dragged his fingers through her folds. She was so wet, so ready. He stepped a fraction closer and nudged into her entrance.

“Vivi,” he whispered.

He needed to see her. Her eyes opened, dark with a wild edge. Only then did he sheathe himself in her. She was tight and gasped when he seated himself fully within her. He held still, almost overcome at what it felt like to be this close to her. After several beats, he began to move. She curled her legs around his hips, her body flush against his. He held her hips as he surged again and again. He was so close to the edge, he could barely hold back. He slid a hand between them and circled it over her clit. Her eyes finally closed when her head fell back with her cry. Her channel clenched and throbbed around him. He finally let go, his release thundering through him. He dropped his head into the curve of her shoulder, his body shuddering from the echoes of his release.

Chapter 7

Vivi came awake slowly. She was curled on her side with Heath spooned behind her, his feet tangled with hers and his hand resting on her hip. The wispy light of dawn filtered through the curtains in her bedroom. Jax must have been sleeping on the other side of Heath because even though she couldn’t see him, she could hear his purr rumbling through the room. She lay still, soaking in the feel of being skin to skin with Heath. She couldn’t quite wrap her brain around what happened last night. Heath had blown past her barriers and made her youthful fantasies look weak. Just thinking about what it felt like to be with him flushed her. Restless, she shifted her legs.

“Mmm,” Heath mumbled against her neck.

A shiver chased over her skin. His hand stroked up her side from her hip, following the dip of her waist, up along the side of her breast and over her shoulder. He brushed her tangled hair away from her face. Her belly fluttered and warmth spread through her.
Oh. Dear. God.
It felt so good to wake up with him like this.

He stretched behind her, his body going taut and then relaxing against her again. “Mornin’,” he said, his voice rough with sleep.

She rolled in his arms. His eyes were bright in the thin light. His dark curls were a wild mess. She couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Heath sleepy. His mouth hooked at one corner. “What’s so funny?”

She lifted a hand and ran it through his hair. “You have some serious bed head.”

He chuckled. “Usually do. I wasn’t much of a fan of the military buzz cut, but it did prevent this mess,” he said, gesturing to his head.

Quiet fell between them. Jax’s purr kept going. Heath glanced over his shoulder. “Wow, I’m surprised I didn’t wake up.”

She giggled. “Jax takes his purring very seriously. I’ve gotten so used to it, I hardly notice. When Julianna’s home, he sleeps with her though.”

“When do you need to pick her up?” he asked, his hand sifting through her hair.

“Oh, she takes the bus from my mom’s straight to school. Since I usually work one shift during the school week, we have it all sorted out.”

Heath nodded slowly. “Does that mean I can take you out to breakfast?”

She held his gaze, her heart clamoring for her to say yes, while her mind spun with worry. What if this didn’t work out? What if she had to find a way to let her feelings go? It had all seemed so much easier when she’d kind of had a thing for him, but nothing had actually happened. Now, a lot more than something had happened. She didn’t know how she could keep her feelings in a tidy corner anymore. She bit her lip and tried to take a breath to quell the anxiety rising up within her.

“Is breakfast okay?” he asked finally. When she didn’t reply right away, his hand stilled and he leaned up on his elbow. “Okay, spill it. What the hell are you thinking? I’m not a mind reader, but I can tell you’re worried.”

“I, um, I don’t know. I’m not sure what we’re doing and I don’t know if it’s a good idea…” She stumbled over her words and gulped in air. She had no idea how to contain her feelings for him and every little thing they shared only tightened the grip he had on her heart.

He held up a hand, and she quieted, somewhat relieved because she didn’t know what the hell she meant to say.

“We blew way past breakfast last night. Maybe you’re not sure what we’re doing, but I am.”

He sat up a little further, the sheet sliding down to his waist. He just had to go and do that. One look at him and her mouth went dry and longing coiled within her. His muscled chest and abs flexed as he slid up until he was leaning against the headboard. She pushed up on her elbow and sat up beside him, tucking the sheet up over her breasts.