New Species 07 Tiger (10 page)

His fingers slipped into her hair to encourage her. She shifted even closer to him, released his nipple and kissed her way to the other one. Loud purrs made his entire chest vibrate. Her hand lifted from his belly to his chest, to feel them better. She was amazed and aroused at the same time by his reaction.

The hold on her hair tightened until he fisted it and tugged her away from sucking and teasing his nipple. She met his gaze for a split second before he lowered his head and his mouth took possession of hers. Firm, desire-hungry lips forced hers apart and his tongue explored and stroked, as if he wanted no doubt left in her mind that he wanted her again. She tried to lift her leg to climb on his lap but he suddenly broke the kiss to stare at her.

“Hands and knees, right here, but turn around,” he snarled, his voice harsh.

His stern tone didn’t scare her. She understood why he sounded half out of control since she wanted him more than her next breath. Letting go of him wasn’t easy since her hands loved the feel of him but she managed to do it. The rock they shared was similar to a ledge and she rose to her knees on it. The embankment directly behind them was a sharp incline covered with grass and clover.

“Grab something,” he growled.

Big hands gripped her hips and pushed her forward enough that her hands shot out to claw at the soft greenery when he bent her over and stood behind her. A knee bumped her thighs, she spread them apart, and suddenly Tiger curled his body over her back. One of his hands opened on the grass inches from her left one and he braced.

His cock nudged against her pussy and he was entering her. He wrapped his free arm around her waist and anchored her firmly in front of him. Zandy moaned from the way he drove into her with one slow but forceful thrust of his hips. He made her take all of him without any hesitation. The feel of him inside her was wonderful and the new position felt even more amazing than him facing her had.

His hold on her waist adjusted until his hand cupped her pussy from the front and located her clit. He pressed a finger against it. Tiger growled and withdrew almost totally from her body before he slammed into her hard and deep. Zandy cried out from the pleasure of it and he wrapped around her tighter as her fingers dug into the earth.

Tiger pounded against her mercilessly as he rubbed her clit. Ecstasy swamped her. She couldn’t think. Nothing existed but his driving cock, hitting wonderful nerves that were drawing her dangerously close to climaxing. It felt so good it nearly hurt as he pounded against her ass harder, hammering her rapidly, and his purrs were loud enough that her body seemed to vibrate with his.

“I could mount you until I die,” Tiger snarled.

“Yes,” she cried out as he thrust into her even faster and harder.

A snarl came from his throat. It brought the sex up another notch instead of frightening her. She felt his teeth clamp down on her shoulder and the sharp points of his fangs actually seemed to bite into her that time. It didn’t matter. The jolt of pain only took her closer to climax.

“God, that feels good,” she panted. “I’m so close.”

He snarled again and his teeth bit down harder on her shoulder as he continued to pound into her from behind while his finger strummed her clit. Zandy felt her body tense and she screamed his name as she came so hard she nearly blacked out.

His teeth released her as pleasure tore through her entire body from her center outward. He roared as he came too with blasts of his release deep inside her body. She could feel him coming, the warm spread of his semen filling her as his hips slowed.

Zandy panted, trying to catch her breath. The only thing keeping her from slumping sideways and sliding into the creek was Tiger’s hold. Her body totally felt boneless and limp as she basked in the afterglow of that bout of sex. It didn’t matter that her head had lowered and that her cheek rested against the ground. A smile curved her mouth when she realized she wouldn’t have cared if they were lying in mud.

The feel of Tiger withdrawing his cock slowly from her pussy made her groan. She felt connected to him and her vaginal walls clamped down almost as if they were protesting the loss too, possibly trying to hold on to him a little longer. He backed away enough to take his weight off her back while his hold on her waist eased. Cold water chilled her overheated clit when his finger left it.

He sat down and pulled her onto his lap sideways. Their gazes met and she smiled.

“Did I say ‘wow’ before? I was wrong. Wow!”

He nuzzled her head aside with his face and she thought he wanted to kiss her neck. He lowered his head instead and his hot tongue licked at her shoulder. It was a slightly strange sensation but she liked it. She felt a little sleepy and really loved being cradled on his lap. His tongue kept flicking at her shoulder, over and over, and curiosity prompted her to speak.

“I’m not complaining, but why are you licking me?”

His tongue stopped. “I bit you hard enough to break the skin this time. I’m cleaning your wound. It will be sore later and hurt.” He didn’t lift his head to look at her while he spoke. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it.” It was odd that he’d bitten her but it didn’t hurt so it couldn’t be more than a scratch. She wasn’t alarmed over it. “Sex injuries happen sometimes and that was totally worth one. I don’t even feel it.” She laughed.

He didn’t. “It’s going to hurt later when you warm from the cold water and the endorphins from sexual gratification subsides.” His voice deepened to a gruff tone. “It may scar. Damn. I didn’t mean to do it.” His tongue lapped at her again.

She thought it was really cute how he’d put that. She’d never met a man who said “endorphins” but wisely didn’t laugh. She was afraid of hurting his feelings if he mistook her reason for finding humor in it. He was sweet and his concern touched her. It even made her fall a little in love with him.

Don’t do that
, she sternly ordered.
It’s just sex. Don’t forget that.
Her humor vanished. “I’m okay.”

His tongue stopped again. “I took you too rough. Are you sore or feeling no pain at all yet?”

She pushed her head against his and he lifted his until their gazes met. The look of regret in his eyes almost broke her heart. So much for their perfect one-time tryst in the woods. Her head turned and she twisted her shoulder enough to see where he’d bitten her. There were two small puncture wounds on the top of her shoulder and she couldn’t see if there were more on the back side. A small amount of blood came from them but the skin wasn’t torn. It didn’t look too terrible and her gaze returned to his.

“Don’t feel bad, okay? Honestly. I’m tougher than I look and that was pretty awesome. The sex and even the bite felt really good. I’m fine.” She smiled. “You didn’t break me.”

He pulled her tighter against his chest and she found her cheek resting against the curve of his throat as he held her. She stared at the woods around them and figured he might be doing the same.

“It’s really beautiful here.”

“It is. Do you know what makes this place perfect?”

“What?”

“We’re here together.”

Damn. I could totally fall in love with him.
He sounded so sincere that she turned her head enough to see his face. He glanced down and honesty shone in those beautiful eyes of his.
Correction
, she amended,
I am falling in love. Not good. Love at first sight or in our case, after having sex, is a mistake. He’s still a man, despite being so different. He’ll break my heart.

He shifted his body, forcing her away from his chest. He glanced around and sighed. “The water is cold and I don’t want to risk getting you ill. Your body temperature doesn’t run as hot as mine, nor do you have my endurance. I need to warm you.”

Tiger fought panic and confusion as he followed Zandy out of the water. He hovered close to her to make certain she didn’t fall and every protective instinct inside him demanded nothing less. His gaze lowered to her ass as she climbed up the embankment. She was rounded and soft, very different from a Species female. Her skin was so pale he could see the traces of blue veins on some parts of her body. It fascinated him.

He bent and grabbed the blanket, shook it, and turned to open it for her. “Here. I’ll help you dry.”
What is wrong with me?
He wasn’t sure but the desire to tend her was strong. A Species female would have hit him by now and never allowed him to coddle her in any way. Zandy stepped closer and he wrapped the blanket around her body firmly while drying the water from her skin. She didn’t even stare at him as if he’d lost his mind.

He was pretty certain he had. The urge to just bend, toss her over his shoulder and carry her to his Jeep was strong. She was little and couldn’t put up much of a fight if he took her to his home. Images of tying her to his bed and using his mouth and hands to convince her to stay there made him step behind her to hide the fact that his dick had just hardened.

Sex had never felt as good as it did with Zandy. She was amazing and giving. He bit back a purr, remembering how tight and hot she felt wrapped around his cock. Soft and wonderful. Her small body fit perfectly against him and made him feel completely male. His hands lingered on parts of her body while he continued to help her dry. He didn’t want to release her. The fact that she was submissive to him without him having to display aggression during sex left him reeling.

No, she’s not anything like a Species. This is how it starts
, he realized. Those poor males who ended up with human mates had to have felt what he did. Protective. Possessive. Maybe even blown away by intense feelings while sharing sex. That sobered him enough to back away from her and get dressed.
This is probably the definition of broadsided.
He had been broadsided by a small female with green eyes.

His hands shook as he pulled on his underwear and pants. His interested dick protested being contained but he ignored it. He had bigger problems at that moment. He needed to figure out how to handle the situation and the emotions he’d never experienced before.

Instincts were a bitch. He was more than aware of their constant existence, a side effect of being altered with those feline genes. He glanced back in time to see her bare body as she neatly folded the blanket and bent over to display her ass while reaching for her clothing.

He closed his eyes and took calming breaths. The baser side of him wanted to just take her. Keep her. The human side of him knew it would be wrong to do that. The part of him that remained in the middle prevailed. He used logic and common sense. He didn’t know much about her. He didn’t need or want a mate. His duties took up a lot of his time and he’d be sidelined if he took a mate. Justice made sure all males were given safer jobs if they had families.

Sometimes he lived at Reservation while at others he resided at Homeland. He also worked closely with the human task force. He enjoyed being around the human males and leaving the NSO occasionally. All that would change if he became too attached to a female and she actually agreed to be his mate. Slade managed to divide his time but his mate was a doctor whose job demanded she work in both locations.

The whisper of a zipper made him open his eyes to watch Zandy finish dressing. She was human and wouldn’t fit in his lifestyle. He’d already bitten her and mounted her too roughly. He’d make a bad mate even if he were willing to consider the idea. It would also put her in danger but that worried him little. She’d never leave NSO if she were his and he’d make certain she was safe.

Humans date.
That option didn’t alarm him. That way he could have her without committing for life. If she was willing. He hoped the sharing of sex had been so intense due to the sexual frustration he’d experienced after the first night he’d met her. He’d wanted her but never thought she’d be in his arms again.

Tiger knew he was clinging to that concept a little too hard but he could live with that because it didn’t unsettle him. Dating a human couldn’t hurt and perhaps it was the pent-up desire he’d had for her that had made their coupling so incredible.

The female turned and smiled. His dick jerked, wanted her, and so did he. He knew he should force a smile in return to assure her everything was fine. He didn’t. Words blurted out of his mouth before he could stop them.

“Why don’t you go home with me tonight? I have a private house on Reservation. You could share my bed.”

He wanted to roar when her smile faded and she glanced at the ground instead of agreeing instantly. Rejection stung him as sharply as if she’d slapped him. Every muscle in his body tensed.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Her gaze rose and met his.

Anger and pain burned through his chest. He’d been torturing himself with thoughts about a mate but she didn’t even want him beyond the time they’d spent together. The idea that she hadn’t enjoyed his body as much as he had hers made him feel even worse. He knew he’d been too rough despite her protests and now he had proof. Shame wasn’t an emotion he suffered often but it struck then.

“I mean, it wouldn’t be the best idea, right?”

“Why not?” He worried about her answer but needed to hear it.

“Well, for one thing, we have to pass the guards at the gate. I work for the NSO now and I’m pretty sure it’s probably against the rules to date other employees. Secondly, I’m new and it would just look bad if it got around that I spent the night with you on the first day of my job. Third, I don’t have an extra set of clothes. It screams bad impression when you wear the same clothes two days in a row.”