The Purrfect Plan (9 page)

Storm liked how easy he made it sound. Still, she couldn't bring herself to take that small leap of faith.

"Don't make any decisions tonight. It's been a trying day, and I've put a lot of stress on you. Sleep, and your mind will feel clearer tomorrow."

She nodded and stood up to prepare for bed. When she returned from the bathroom in her plain white night gown, River lay propped against the pillows, looking sinfully dark and sexy. His heated gaze roamed over her, making her feel like a wanton sex goddess, despite how tired she felt.

Climbing into bed, River pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest.

"I have another confession to make." She breathed in his wonderful scent, loving his heat against her skin. She glanced up, seeing his curious expression.

"What's that, cookie?"

"Before you found me, I was about to come looking for you, and tell you about, this." She took his arm and laid it over her tummy. "I was going mad with guilt for what I did to you. And there was something else, just an overwhelming need to be with you somehow. I didn't understand it."

"It's the pull of the mate, even as a human you still feel it. When we are separated, we feel each other's absence keenly. Those two weeks I spent searching for you almost tore me apart.
Hawk will readily attest to my crazed state."

She felt a soft chuckle rumble through his chest. "I need you as much I need to breathe, my sweet little cookie, think about that, but sleep now."

He reached over and turned off the lamp. The room fell into shadow as the waxing moon cast a faint light. As tired as her body was, her mind gave her no rest. River was so unlike any man she'd ever known.

"I can hear you thinking, cookie." His deep voice penetrated the serene silence of their bedroom.

"Then help me to stop thinking." She ran her hand over his abdomen, loving the liquid feel of his hot skin over hard muscle, lower over his stomach under the cotton sheet until she reached the small scattering of pubic hair. A soft hiss escaped his lips as she wrapped one hand around the base of his cock.

She stroked him, enjoying the way his hard manhood arched toward her touch. Her hand travelled the length of his cock, slowly, sensuously.

"Oh God, honey," River said against her ear as she used a single finger to circle the tip of him.

She repeated the touch again, thrilled that it drew another deep ripple of pleasure that emanated from his large hard body into her softer one. She loved the sensation, loved that she could give him pleasure. He had been nice to her, patient and kind.

She experimented with him, her hands tentative as she tried different strokes. When she found one that caused him to moan, to arch toward her, she repeated it and tucked it away in her mind for later use.

She stroked the head of his cock with her palm, drawing tremors and gasps as he moaned and arched toward her. Through the moonlight, she watched the hard, glistening tip of his cock as she stroked him. She could tell River was enjoying her touch, but she knew he needed more. Feeling bolder, she scooted down in the bed and found the tip of his cock with her mouth. She had done this before, but not enjoyed it like she was enjoying River. His scent, his beautiful masculine body made her want to do so many things, to him, with him.

She glanced up at him, her gaze locking with his. The grin on his gorgeous face in the shadows gave her all the encouragement she needed. He arched toward her, his eyes a combination of hard and soft as she tasted him tentatively. Enthralled by the passion and fascinated by his unconscious responses, she sucked him into her mouth, circling the tip of his cock. She used her tongue to stroke down the side of his length, again drawing deep guttural gasps as when she'd done it with her hand.

"Oh God, cookie," he uttered as he lifted his hips toward her. She sucked him deeper into her mouth, liking the feel of his hardness thrusting against the back of her throat.

She circled him again, her tongue trailing the underside of his cock. He began to thrust against her mouth, driving himself deeper with each pumping motion of his hips.

"Oh, God, cookie, that's it."

Storm slid her mouth up and down his length, taking most of him into her mouth with each pass. She could feel his body tightening, the tension seeming to grow as each touch of her tongue on the head of his cock pushed him further toward that place where he would explode.

River moaned, his body thrusting hard against her face as his passion mounted. The hard thrust of his hips and the pressure of his cock against the back of her throat. She nearly gagged but he withdrew a fraction. She drew in a breath through her nose, before attempting to take him deeper.

She knew men liked it deeper, and some crazy part of her wanted to please him.

"Easy, cookie, don't want…to hurt…you…" he said, his words coming in choppy pants.

A thrilling sense of power stole over her, knowing how much pleasure she gave. She wouldn't be able to fit all of him; she sucked in as much as she could down the back of her throat. She swallowed several times against his cock before pulling back and drawing in a breath.

He was trembling beneath her hands, his palm cradling her head. "Cookie, oh sweetness…I'm…I'm gonna--"

Storm redoubled her efforts, sucking harder, stronger, wanting to see her big strong man lose control over her. She wanted it, craved it.

River cried out, his essence shooting into the back of her throat, forcing her to swallow quickly to take it all. When the flow stopped, she gentled her mouth and slowly withdrew.

His large hands gripped her under her arms, dragging her back up the bed before flipping her over and pinning her under him.

His mouth crashed down onto hers, kissing her deeply, passionately, until her head spun with both passion and lack of air. Her body burned for River, as the past few weeks his absence only made the craving for him grow stronger. She always seemed to want him, crave him. His lips trailed down over her chin, nipping and tasting the flesh of her neck and throat. Her nightgown he'd managed to work up her body. He pulled back to draw it up and off, tossing it aside.

"No more clothes in bed, my house rules. I never want anything between us." She felt the vibrations of his voice against her skin.

He took his time blazing a wet trail of kisses and nips down her body, taking care to drive her insane with need as he teased and tormented her breasts.

It was her turn to cry out. "Oh God, River, more, I want you, please!"

He shifted down further, pushed her legs wide, burying his face between her legs, his mouth attached to her clit. She cried out as he firmly sucked, while sliding two fingers deep into her pussy. As she was already highly aroused, his pumping fingers tipped her over the edge. Multi-colored lights flashed before her closed eyelids as she came. Her body convulsed in sheer bliss. Her breathing was ragged when he pulled back, covered her with his body, lined up his cock, and in one powerful shove, buried himself to the hilt. Her back arched at the amazing feel of him pulsing within her.

"I can't ever lose you, cookie."

Her eyes snapped open. She gazed up into his shadowed depths. The need and vulnerability written clearly on his face tore at her heart. She never thought she could ever be the one to hurt someone else by leaving. It was clear that's exactly what would happen if she ever did. She would break River's heart.

And mine.
How can I ever leave him?

All thoughts shattered when he pulled out to the tip and drove back in strong steady thrusts, making her moan and writhe under him. He gathered her in his arms, his fingers in her hair, holding her body captive while he powered home again and again, pushing her to another peak, driving her over the edge.

When she fell, he was there capturing her cries with his mouth. Still, he did not relent. He grunted, pushing harder, faster, keeping her peaking until she thought she would black out at the intensity of the pleasure.

"Storm, my Storm," he repeated over and over until he snarled his release, his whole body gleaming with a fine sheen of sweat. He shuddered before collapsing against her body.

Storm lay limply beneath him, trying to regain control of her breathing. Unable to move a muscle even if she tried. River moved his weight from her, settling to her left side, wrapping a possessive arm around her middle and nuzzling into the crook of her neck.

"Think you can sleep now, cookie?" his soft amused voice said drifting in the darkness.

"Mmmmm," she replied sleepily. She could easily sleep for years, content and safe in River's arms.

Chapter Ten

Gia prowled the grounds of River's home in her cheetah form, her mind going over the possibilities of ridding herself of the woman now in her mate's bed. Of taking what was rightfully hers.

Humans, a pathetic and weak race. To mate with them was an insult to every shifter. She didn't care if they claimed humans were their true mates; they polluted the gene pool with weak human DNA.

She sat back on her hind legs, her acute hearing picking up the sounds of passion coming from the bedroom and turned away in disgust.

She wanted to be rid of the human who had ensnared her mate, instill herself as the Alpha's mate, then nothing would stop her from cleansing her town of the half-breeds and humans.

River's so-called human mate no doubt would be carefully guarded. First, she needed a plan, a way to get the Black family away. She crept through the dry leafy floor of the surrounding Australian bush.

In the distance she scented smoke on the breeze. No doubt a bush fire had started, not uncommon for this time of year.

Gia stopped, a thought springing into her mind. Dare she? Her cheetah gave a cat chuckle. Oh yes, a perfect plan indeed. The best part was no one would ever be the wiser.

~ * ~

River had kissed Storm soundly, letting her know he needed to head down to the company office and handle a few contracts which required his personal attention. He'd be back by mid morning and to make herself at home.

Storm showered, dressed in a light summer dress, her mind mulling over last night's events, River's words and her feelings.

She took her laptop downstairs; the kitchen was quiet with no one to disturb her while she worked. Despite the heat outside, the villa was comfortably cool inside.

Sipping fruit juice and nibbling on toast, she tried to get some work done. Still, her mind couldn't stay on the job. The words on the screen blurred as she thought more and more about how she wanted to stay here, how River so easily stripped away the barriers around her heart. Why couldn't she give in, surrender to what she really wanted?

She wanted River, and the whole nine yards.

"What ya doing?"

Startled, Storm glanced up at Hawk as he strode into the kitchen, low, torn jeans riding on his hip, his black t-shirt stretched across his torso, displaying his impressive muscles. Hawk reached for the pot of fresh brewed coffee.

"Working."

"What is it you do?"

"I'm a freelance editor for two publishers; I also take on editing work for writers and authors."

"Smart as well as sexy; no wonder River is so smitten."

Despite herself, Storm felt the heat rising into her cheeks at his complement.

"Hush, Hawk, do you wish your brother to tear out your throat if he finds out you've been flirting with his mate?" Maria walked into the kitchen. "Pay no heed to my younger son, my dear, he is an insufferable tease."

She kissed her son's cheek in a display of family affection, which warmed Storm to the heart.

"Do you have family
la hija
?"

Storm gave a blank stare at the Spanish word.

"Spanish for daughter." Hawk winked. "Don't fret it, little sis, Riv will teach you Spanish." He sipped his coffee and Maria started pulling items out of the large stainless steel refrigerator.

"Um, no, no family, both my parents are dead." Storm swallowed back the painful lump in her throat the memories brought. Her toast forgotten and work far from her mind.

"Oh, my dear, I am so sorry." Maria's expression was sympathetic, as she scrambled eggs and started to fry bacon and other meats.

Shifters, it seemed, had large appetites to keep up with their fast metabolism, as River had explained over the massive amount of food from last evening's dinner.

"Have you been on your own long?" Hawk set his coffee down and took a chair opposite.

"My mother died a month after my father when I was fourteen. I had my gran. I spent more time with her than I did my parents. My gran died five years ago."

Maria said something to Hawk in Spanish, and Hawk shook his head. Storm was half-glad she couldn't understand the other woman.

"We are your family now,
si
. You're home; you are no longer alone."

No longer alone.
Maria's words snapped something into place in her mind. A cascade of overwhelming emotions she'd kept bottled up for so long came crashing in with the force of a hurricane. All the pain and hurt she'd suffered. The thought of having River and a family with him gave her a whole new sense of hope and security she couldn't have on her own, even with a child. The way he looked at her with such passion and love, as if he couldn't bear to ever lose her.