Shifters of Grrr 1 (57 page)

“Maltese tiger,” Sheng slurred.

The name pinged around inside her brain. Whatever the species, Tiger was the most gorgeous beast she’d ever seen. And the largest. About the same size as the mid-size car she used to own…piece of junk that it was. Hell, she could ride Tiger to work. Bet the beast wouldn’t break down every five miles, either.

Tiger studied her, its focus unwavering. Patient. Curious.

Passionate.

Rabbit shuddered, but she didn’t release it. “Heal him.” Spreading her fingers wider, she willed Rabbit’s cloaking to extend over her body with as much ease as Tiger’s had over Sheng.

If he controlled Tiger, she could do the same with Rabbit.

Their spirits joined, sending an electric jolt through her system, but she refused to flinch. Sparks had become a rather common occurrence when touching Sheng. With the others too, but strongest with him.

After the initial zap settled, she sensed what he’d been mumbling about. The circle. Rabbit floated away from her, tethered by the thinnest strand, while Tiger’s essence coursed through her. The spirits flowed between her and Sheng, filling her with pure bliss. She almost closed her eyes and sank back onto the tiled floor but, at the last minute, recalled the reason for this ritual.

Scanning Sheng’s side, she peeked beneath the gauze. Amazing.

His breaths rasped in and out as his wound knitted together. Poor guy. The process of healing looked painful. Beads of sweat condensed on his brow while he clenched his jaw. After a few minutes, the dark red of his exposed flesh healed and the gash faded to pink before it camouflaged with his skin.

“
Argh!
” He snarled from between gritted teeth, twisting away from her.

“What’s wrong?” Their contact broke, but the two spirit animals continued to float around them, through them.

He vaulted to his feet, hands at his belt buckle. Wrenching it open, he yanked down his pants…and he wasn’t wearing anything beneath them.

His decadently muscled lower half gleamed in the moonlight, illuminating the trail of dark hair framing his considerable sex.

She froze, gaping, until she caught sight of the nasty gash splitting his right thigh and rounding to the back of his leg. “You look like you’ve been
gored
.”

He bent, twisting his legs out of his pants before falling to his hands and knees. His head hung, the tips of his hair brushing the floor while the circle healed the slash on his thigh.

It must have been excruciating, but he just crouched, grunting every so often.

Admiration for this intense, tough man sang through her, spiking her feminine senses.

He was both nude and in immense pain so she wavered on whether or not to touch him. Beasts often lashed out when in pain and, in this moment, Sheng just might be more beast than man.

Her instincts won out.

On her knees, she crawled closer to him and placed a hand on his back. When he didn’t flinch, she rubbed her hand in a slow, soothing circle.

The gashes were nearly healed by the time she detected Rabbit condensing back into her. Sheng groaned and she assumed Tiger had done the same. The coalescent cloud around them shrank back with their animals. He collapsed to the ground, sprawling on his back.

Although her cheeks burned, she bit her lip and forced herself not to focus on his nudity. No matter how torturous it was to ignore.

A deep sigh escaped his lips. She crooked her head at him. Thick lashes lifted, his dark eyes penetrating her. “Thank you.”

“What happened to you?”

“Talk…tomorrow.” He yawned, reaching for her, but she jerked back and stood. Her body and mind went to war. Sheng was deadly sexy, lying nude on her living room floor. Barely recovered from lethal injuries. This was not the right time.

The man deserves a breather before you jump him, Luce. Sheesh.

“What’s wrong?” Dark slashes drew across his forehead.

“I, uh…naked.” She stammered the obvious which, judging by his nonchalant shrug, he either hadn’t noticed or didn’t care.

Confident the flaring heat in her cheeks meant her bright red blush was visible even in this semi-darkness, she angled her face away.

“Why don’t you, ah, sleep on the couch?” Keeping her face averted, she pointed to the enormous plush sofa. She’d offer him her bed, but she guessed he’d refuse. Besides, the bedroom was too far to move him. He might be healed, but his skin remained pale.

“Good idea. Mind helping me?”

Her gaze shot back to him to confirm that yes, indeed, he was still quite naked. The curl of his lips was more wicked than compliant. He did an excellent job of making a show of his desire for assistance, grunting and huffing as he attempted to haul himself to his feet.

She shifted her stance, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip. He clearly required her help, but groping his smooth, muscled skin would send her hormones into overdrive.

Impetuousness won out. She shuffled to his side and slid her hands around his waist, delighting in the warmth of his skin. He flung one arm across her shoulders, forcing her hand to rest precariously low on his hip. Her other gripped his torso. Their stance pressed her cheek against his delectably hard pecs. His decadent, masculine musk assaulted her nostrils, and she found herself helpless not to soak it in.

He might pretend not to notice how dangerously close they were, but his pounding heart beneath her cheek strummed a different tune. She helped him limp the three feet to their right and lowered him onto the couch.

“
Uhn.
” He groaned as he stretched on his back.

The sheer lack of modesty he displayed in her presence toyed with every emotion in her chest. Was he simply unabashed? Or trying to seduce her?

“You’re, ah, still n-naked.” Damn, she felt like an idiot for repeating the inanely obvious. Even worse for the tremor in her voice. “I’ll grab you a blanket.” She rushed toward the hall closet.

“Too hot.”

At his protest, she made the mistake of glancing back at him. He’d crossed his arms over his head, one leg lifted and bent at the knee. He appeared comfortable and in no hurry to cover himself.

She clenched her hands at her sides. Her breathing grew shallow as she gawked at every ripple of muscle on this decadently exotic male specimen. He was precisely like the Tiger. Unapologetically beautiful. Advertising his nudity as if he had no idea—or concern for—how it heated her blood.

His intense gaze followed her as she marched back to his side. “Well, I would appreciate it if you’d cover yourself up.”
Good girl.
Her tone sounded firm, holding none of the uncertainty she stamped down inside.

His thick brows lifted. “Why? Am I making you uncomfortable?”

His words were innocent enough but, oh, no remorse glittered in those mischievous eyes.

She fisted one hand behind her back, struggling not to ogle what he so clearly flaunted. Her throat tightened so she didn’t answer him. She gave him her back as she rummaged around on the ground, packing away the medical kit and gathering his bloody clothes in her arms. There was no rescuing his garments so it wasn’t as though she could ask him to dress.

She dumped his clothes in a wastebasket and returned the kit to the bathroom. While inside, she detected the low huffs of Sheng grunting. Concerned he might have hurt himself, she dashed back into the living room.

“Happy now?” he grumbled from the couch. He’d flipped onto his stomach, head pillowed between his crossed arms. The rays of moonlight shining in from the terrace perfectly highlighted the gorgeous curves of his ass.

“Ah, that’s not really any better.” Her voice came in a breathy utterance.

He adjusted, those sexy muscles flexing. His tiger tat rippled as he rolled his shoulders. She peered closer and swore the beast
winked
at her. Sheng crooked his leg, his strong, thick thighs parting and revealing a glimpse of the generous sac between his legs.

She rocked back on her feet, her sex clenching in answer. Her nails cut into her palms while she fantasized about him thrusting into her. She’d grip his ass, urging him deeper. His balls would draw up tight as they prepared to release his warm essence into her.

True, she’d never had sex, but she’d given enough blow jobs to know when a guy reached his peak, the telltale grunts and spasms that seized his body just before his hot cum shot into her mouth.

What would Sheng taste like? She ran her tongue along her bottom lip, suppressing a moan.

He tilted his head, peering at her through those heavy lashes. Her body was so on edge; she wasn’t certain if lust ignited inside his eyes or she imagined it.

Reason enough to retreat from this room, immediately. She swallowed against her dry mouth, unable to tear her gaze from his delicious ass. “Fine.”

Hell. She’d moaned the word. Clearing her throat in case there was the slightest chance he hadn’t picked up on her arousal, she added, “That’s fine.” A jerky shake of her head, and she cut her gaze from his body, turning to head into her bedroom.

“Lucy.” His hand grazed her hip as she passed and his face contorted in a yawn. He was exhausted, and no wonder from that ordeal. “Stay with me.”

It was a request, but sounded more like a command. His large body claimed the entire couch. The only other spot was the armchair. After what he’d been through, perhaps he shouldn’t be left alone.

Casting one remorseful glance at her bedroom, she curled up in the chair, settling in for a long night of staring at Sheng’s glorious ass.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

As he lifted his lids, Sheng’s eyes burned as if sandpaper scrubbed them. Memories of the night before flashed through his mind. He rolled his shoulders. Why the hell was he sleeping on his stomach? His usual morning hard-on made its appearance, digging uncomfortably into the plush cushions beneath him, battered down by his body’s weight.

As he was about to twist around, he recalled why he shouldn’t—whose couch he was sleeping on.

Lucy. A grin tugged at his lips as the events of last night zeroed into focus. Rabbit had finally cooperated but, more than that, the reason behind him sleeping on his stomach flooded heat through his veins, making his abating erection jack right back up.

She’d been about to jump him, right there, right then, but he’d been too damned beaten and bruised to take her up on the offer.

Rather than admit his lack of energy, he’d fallen asleep to the sight of the golden highlights in her hair glinting in the moonlight. Her soft skin had glimmered as smooth as ivory in that light.

Today was a different story. His body surged with invigorated energy when, normally, he would have slumped beneath the weight of his recovery.

Lucy accepted what she was. He’d taken one step closer to claiming her.

He angled his body around to glimpse at the chair. Lucy moaned, her body twitched, and she lifted her head, yawning. The delicate, graceful movements of her sensuous body as she awoke heightened his predicament. Let her spy his reaction to her? Or conceal his attraction for a little longer until the timing was right?

He didn’t want to jump straight into bed with her. Okay, so he did, but that had never ended well for him. Every woman he’d been with, he’d fucked them straight away, never bothering to develop a relationship of any consequence. Never touching them beyond fulfilling both of their carnal needs. Tiger reserved any act of true intimacy for those it accepted into its pack.

Lucy was different. She’d become his family, but Sheng would be damned if he considered her the sisterly-type. No, she was much closer to wife material. Casual sex with her was out of the question. A girl like Lucy, one didn’t just take to bed, screw her brains out, and leave right after.

Which meant, he had no clue what one actually did do.

One thing he sensed was that Lucy was an all-or-nothing kind of woman. A
virgin
, to boot.

Sheng had never ventured into the waters of commitment. The truth was, he’d never considered marriage. A wife, possibly children, weren’t in the cards for a man who kept the Tiger leashed within himself.

With her, a yearning for a deeper connection burrowed inside his chest, but he couldn’t have her both ways. Couldn’t sleep with her and have her as his family.

Not unless he planned to make higher vows.

Him asking to marry Lucy would please the shit out of the Matchmaker, right? But maybe that bitch did have a point about keeping things professional…for now. Lucy was in his life for the next indeterminate number of centuries. If things didn’t work out between them, he couldn’t just pretend he’d lost her number…not that he’d used the tactic before.

Plus, Tiger had finally begun to make progress with Rabbit. Too much hung in the balance for him to screw up this relationship because he couldn’t keep his dick in his pants.

Concealing the precarious turn of his musings, he offered a grin as Lucy focused on him. “Morning.”

“Morning.” She cleared her throat but, damn, he loved the sultry way her first morning vocalization slid out. If they woke up together someday, what would she say to him?

A dangerous treading of thoughts, that.