Pretty Kitty (4 page)
Then she was there again, convulsing in his arms, whimpering into his mouth.
Pushing her pelvis hard against his hand.
His thumb was unremitting on her clit, stroking and rubbing, pushing her over the edge and keeping her there as she shivered and shook with the force of the spasms.
She was still riding the aftershocks when Max grabbed the condom he’d dropped onto the nightstand and sheathed himself quickly. Draping her legs over his shoulders, he slid his palms beneath the cheeks of her ass and drove into her pussy with one hard, fast thrust.
“Ah, oh, oh,” she cried again, leveraging herself with her legs locked behind him.
Max was sweating with the effort to control himself as he pushed her high again, up, up, up that erotic roller coaster. He watched her face, her eyes, watching for every signal that she was close to riding the peak again.
When he felt that telltale quiver around his cock, saw her mouth open as she panted for breath, he increased his pace, pumping into her harder and faster.
More, more, more.
His spine tingled and his balls tightened. And then…and then…they crashed over together, spinning into space, lights exploding behind his eyes.
Holy fuck!
Max collapsed on her, taking his weight with his forearms. Her heart was hammering as heavily as his, her breathing just as erratic. He murmured soft, erotic words into her mouth as he waited for their heart rates to return to normal and the breath to stop seesawing in and out of their lungs. He held her in his arms for a long time as she trembled and shudders skated over her.
Finally, he slid gently from her, padded to the bathroom to dispose of the condom and climbed back into bed beside her. He pulled her hard against his body, stroking her back, her arm,
the
cheeks of her ass. At last she moved her head and raised her eyes to his.
“Thank you seems like such a small thing to say after that.” Her voice was still
trembly
but it held
a warmth
he’d never heard before. As if something inside her had softened at last.
“I should be the one thanking you,” he told her, his palm against her cheek.
“It was…more than I ever dreamt it could be.” She let out a slow breath. “Max, I…I mean…you and I…”
He tensed, not sure if he wanted to hear what she had to say. Would he simply be the one who had pulled her from her half-state, urged her through a full heat and given her the intense orgasm she’d been dreaming about? That had eluded her for so long since that terrible night? This was so much more to him.
My mate.
Who would have thought it?
He swallowed and stroked her cheek. “Yes. You and I pretty kitty. Together.”
She cuddled herself into him, like a kitten. “What if I hadn’t got drunk tonight? What if you hadn’t taken me home? What if—”
He touched her lips with his fingers. “Hush. No more what ifs. I’m a big believer in the fact that things happen the way they’re supposed to. Maybe Fate just decided we needed a little nudge.” He cupped her chin, turned her face up to his. “This was a hell of a lot more than a hot fuck for me. And I hope it was for you, too. Because we crossed a line here, way past friendship, and I don’t intend to go back over it. Or let any other cat get his claws or teeth or cock into you.” He hugged her to him. “You’re
mine
now.
Period.”
“Oh, Max. It feels so good to hear you say that. I never thought I’d belong to anyone. After…” Her voice trailed away.
“I’m going to make you forget what happened, Aisha. Wipe it from your mind.”
“It’s already fading.” She giggled. “That—what we just did—was beyond unbelievable. You gave me something I never thought I’d have. I’m certainly not going to walk away from this.”
Time enough later to tell her we were meant to be mates.
“You know, this means you’ll finally have the ability to shift.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re right. Oh, gods, Max. Can I try it now?” She sat up and tried to shove the covers away from them.
He laughed, enjoying her excitement.
“Of course.”
He pulled her back and licked her ear. “But don’t think I’m through with you tonight.”
She hoped he wasn’t through with her. Aisha stretched, a sense of satisfaction washing through her unlike anything else she’d ever felt. Despairing of anyone who could help her through her crisis she’d resigned herself to living her half-life and never fully enjoying sex.
But with Max?
Gods, it was the most incredible thing in the world. He filled her up, surrounded her, took her to a plane of pleasure she never knew existed.
She loved the feel of his lean, sleek body, the muscles stretched smoothly beneath the skin. His rich, black hair, so silken to the touch, much like the way she was sure his pelt was when he was his cat.
And his kisses, hot and drugging.
No one had ever kissed her that way. And she didn’t intend that anyone else ever would.
Closing her eyes she called up again that moment of intense pleasure when her body exploded, when the spasms rocketed through her and Max’s thick shaft pulsed inside her. She was sure she’d remember that for the rest of her life, no matter how good anything after this was.
He hadn’t jerked up and run away when she’d told him how she felt. To the contrary, he’d told her how possessive he felt, that she belonged to him. A thrill raced through her. Who would ever have thought that she and Max…
Aisha smiled to herself.
“Come on.” She smacked Max lightly on his arm. “I want to do this now.”
“All right.
But we’ll just stay in the apartment for now. Next time we’ll go to my place and we can run outside.”
“All right.”
She stood facing him. “Just tell me what to do.”
His voice was low and soothing, almost crooning as he instructed her in her breathing and concentration. She closed her eyes and focused and in what seemed like seconds she could feel her bones lengthening, her skin stretching and her entire body changing. She gave into the urge to drop down to all fours, the metamorphosis continuing until she finally opened her eyes to look at herself and gasped.
Her body was covered with a light grey pelt fading to white and dotted with black rosettes. Where her hands and feet had been, she now had paws with very sharp claws. Wriggling her hindquarters she found she had a tail that swished against her body. Everything felt different.
Strange, but not unpleasant.
She turned her head and for a moment was startled to see a large black panther standing not four feet away from her. His lips pulled back in what could almost be called a grin.
Max!
How do you feel, pretty kitty?
Gods! She could hear him in her head!
Weird.
But good.
All good.
She padded around the room, loving the feel of her muscles as they stretched with each step she took, the clicking of her claws on the wooden floor, the sudden sharpening of every sense.
Max? This is wonderful?
It will be even more wonderful when we can run outside. You’ll love it.
Can we do it soon?
Maybe tonight after I close the bar. Want to hang out at The Litter Box and wait for me?
Yes! Yes, I do!
Okay. But no dancing or sniffing other cats.
Ha, ha, ha. As if I’d want to now.
And Aisha?
Yes?
When we fuck as cats it will surpass anything you could imagine.
A shiver of anticipation raced over her body.
I can’t wait.
Chapter Four
She’d obviously been in San Antonio for some time when he finally tracked her down because she had an established pattern of activity. He followed her to work each day, then home where she changed and headed for The Litter Box. He noted that she had absolutely no visitors at her apartment except for the men she brought home, no friends who visited. He was well aware of the fact that his attack on her had left her an outcast in the pack.
And obviously uncomfortable in human society.
Gunnar didn’t regret that night for one minute. Not even for a second. Aisha McClellan was so tempting.
So beautiful.
Slender yet with lush curves and that wild mane of hair.
The bastard alpha had made it clear Gunnar wasn’t good enough for her and he should quit snuffing around Aisha as she came into her first heat. But the thought of anyone else fucking her first drove him mad. And it had been so easy to grab her that night when she was jogging through the park.
Don’t go out at night alone, pretty kitty.
But she did, every night after work, even in the dark of winter. If she’d just been more accommodating, it would have been good for both of them.
Great.
Terrific.
But the damn Aisha had fought him, kicking and screaming until he’d had to gag her to keep her quiet. By that time he was so aroused he’d ripped her clothes off in his haste to penetrate her, shoving his painfully hard cock inside her tight, wet pussy.
Her virgin pussy.
Yes!
Even now as he thought of it he hardened again and stroked himself through his jeans.
Careful.
You don’t want someone seeing you and nailing you as a pervert.
Calling the cops.
Finding the opportunity to be alone with her was nearly impossible. Her apartment complex was crawling with people on the weekends and before and after work, and at night someone always followed her home.
Too many
someones
as far as he was concerned.
Then last night the damn fucking bartender had taken her home himself and stayed the night. Shit. First chance he had, he’d rip the asshole to shreds. Aisha was his. He’d claimed her, marked her, and he wasn’t about to let her get away.
Had she been able to shift yet? That was the only thing about that night he regretted, locking away her ability. But if someone else had released her and helped her through that first shift he’d be forced to kill the bastard.
Tonight.
He just felt it. Tonight the opportunity would present itself.
He flicked his cigarette out the window and settled down to wait.
Aisha had been nursing her second drink for three hours now. She really wanted a fresh one but she’d promised both Max and herself that she’d keep herself to a two-drink limit tonight. Anyway, she was so aroused and excited about the prospect of what waited for her when The Litter Box closed that she didn’t want to take the edge off with alcohol. She wanted every sense fully alert.
So she sat at the bar, feeling only slightly guilty for monopolising a seat, listening to the band and watching the sweaty bodies on the dance floor sending signals to each other. If not for last night, she’d be one of those bodies out there. Now she was content to simply observe.
Not that she had much choice, she thought to herself, swallowing a laugh. Now that she’d accomplished her first shift, she seemed to give out different pheromones that attracted every single cat. Max glowered so fiercely at anyone who even tried to strike up a conversation with her that soon everyone just left her alone. Talk about staking a claim.
Soon Max was ringing the bell for last call, serving the last round of drinks, getting ready to close.
“Why don’t you go ahead to my house and wait for me?” He pressed a key into her hand.
“Really?
You don’t want me to just follow you?”
He winked at her. “I thought you might like to turn on the hot tub. Open the wine I have in the fridge.”
Her eyes widened.
“Hot tub?
Wine?”
“Uh, huh.
I’m not too far from here.” He gave her the address. “Think you can find it?”
“Absolutely.
I drive through there sometimes just looking at the houses. Nice neighbourhood.”
He grinned. “I call it my ‘tip’ house.
Paid for it with tips.”
“I can’t wait to see it.”
He stroked her arm. “Fifteen minutes,” he told her. “I’ll hurry.”
“I’ll be ready.” She gave him a smile filled with anticipation.
“Very ready.”
Aisha backed out of the parking lot and headed down the street, intent on her destination, never noticing the car across the street that pulled out after her.
Finding Max’s house was just as easy as she’d figured. Pulling into his driveway, she looked at the beautiful craftsman-style bungalow and thought how perfect it was for him.
Nearly dancing with excitement, she headed up the walk to the front porch, totally unaware of the car pulling in across the street. She had just unlocked the door and pushed it open when she heard footsteps behind her and suddenly hard, muscular arms were around her, holding her against a body.
When she opened her mouth to scream, a hand came up and covered her mouth.
“Inside,” a male voice said.
“Now.
Don’t fight me. You can’t win.”
She recognised the voice at once and fear shot icy arrows through her. Gunnar! Gods! After all this time, she’d been sure she’d managed to fall off his radar. How had he found her, anyway?
She heard the door slam and the rattle of the safety chain as he slipped it in place. Still holding her against him, he moved them into the living room. Only when he reached the couch did he turn her around so she could see his face and her breath lodged in her throat.
