Wild Cat (11 page)

D
iego found his arms full of luscious, beautiful Shifter. Cassidy’s mouth opened his, and she swayed against him, arms tight around his neck.

The taste of her… He had to have more. He had to have more,
now
.

Diego cupped her head in his hands and pressed her up to him.
God help him.

Her mouth was on fire. He devoured her, licking, tasting, sliding lips on hers. Her tongue met his in a rapid dance, her mouth strong.

He was hard, and Cass wriggling against his front wasn’t helping. She smelled like beer and musk and Cassidy. And damn, he loved what she was wearing.

The dress under his hands hugged every inch of her. He felt her ass, her back, the curve of her waist, and he wasn’t finding a line of any bra. When she’d walked out of the house in that, he’d forgotten how to breathe.

Cassidy kissed him hard, harder. Diego wrapped one arm around her buttocks, pulling her up against him, his hand finding bare thigh. Her skin was satin soft and hot, so hot.

Cassidy’s fingers furrowed his hair, while Diego moved his hand upward…

“Whoa.” The male voice boomed through the living room—not Eric, not Jace, not Xavier. “What the
hell
?”

Diego eased his mouth from Cassidy’s. She made a little sound of protest and sought his kiss again.

Shane the bear stood in the doorway to the kitchen, empty beer bottle in hand. The man was nearly seven feet tall and radiated menace with a capital M. Grizzlies could be placid when content, but get them mad, and it was a different story.

“Listen, human cop,” Shane said, a growl in his voice. “I get that you let Cassidy go when you didn’t have to, but that don’t give you the right to touch her. If you don’t
stop
touching her, I’ll pull your arms off. Understand?”

“If I let go of her, she’s going to fall,” Diego said. Cassidy was sagging in his arms, her eyes half closed. “She’s drunk off her ass.”

“Am not,” Cassidy said in an indignant slur. “Shifters don’t get drunk.”

“This Shifter is.” Diego scooped her into his arms. Cassidy smiled up at him, still holding on. She was so beautiful when she smiled. “Where’s her bedroom?” Diego asked Shane.

“Aw, Diego,” Cassidy purred. “I didn’t know you felt that way about me.”

Shane gestured, still looking unfriendly. “This way.” He led Diego down a short hallway to a door at the end.

Diego carried Cassidy into a room that was painfully bare. A four-poster bed covered with quilts stood against one wall. A nightstand with a lamp and a pile of paperbacks reposed next to the bed, and a rocking chair with a cushion stood in the corner. Nothing more, no pictures, knickknacks, or electronics.

When Shane snapped on the lamp, the room glowed—Cassidy had painted the walls a soft yellow that made the barren room seem warm.

Shane stripped back the quilts, and Diego laid Cassidy on the sheets. Diego had to deliberately unclasp her hands from his neck to make her let go.

Cassidy was already barefoot, the soles of her feet dirty from dancing outside. Well, she might have to wash the sheets tomorrow. Diego turned Cassidy onto her side, in case she decided to lose all that beer in her sleep, and pulled the quilts up over her shoulders.

“Thanks, Diego,” she murmured. “You kiss nice.”

So did she. Damn, did she ever. “Glad you think so.”

“You’re not so bad, for a human. Stay with me, and keep kissing me.”

Shane rumbled. “She’s really drunk if she wants to kiss a human.” He bent down and dropped a peck on her cheek. “Sleep it off, Cass, honey.”

Diego looked down at Cassidy with a hunger he’d not felt in a long, long time. He pictured himself stripping off his clothes, climbing in behind her, pulling her back against him. Holding her all through the night. And in the morning, if she felt better, rolling into her warm nest and making swift love to her.

Diego settled for squeezing her shoulder. “Good night, Cassidy.”

She didn’t answer, already asleep. Diego turned off the lamp and left the room.

And found himself against the hall wall with a half human, half bear face an inch from his.

“I’m not kidding, human.” Shane’s voice was guttural, his teeth sharp, his breath like… that of a bear who’d been drinking a lot of beer. “Don’t mess with Cassidy.”

Diego had faced plenty of hard, conscienceless men in his time. But he’d also faced desperate men, and he’d learned the difference between anger born of arrogance and anger born of worry. Shane had anger born of worry.

“You care about Cassidy,” Diego said. “Are you in love with her?”

Shane’s eyes didn’t soften. “I met Cass twenty years ago, when we were shoved into this Shiftertown together. Brody and me thought my mother would be leader, because she’s naturally alpha. But Nell conceded dominance to Eric. If something happens to Eric, Cassidy takes over, not my mother, not Jace. Do you understand what I’m saying? Cassidy’s next in line. That’s weird for a Feline, because Felines rarely let their females rule. But no Shifter is able to touch Cassidy. The only things that can hurt her are humans and human laws. That means you, human cop. So don’t.”

A hand that ended in sharp grizzly claws landed on Diego’s chest, just below his throat. One swipe, and Diego would be dead. Shane’s Collar wouldn’t be quick enough to stop him.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Diego said calmly.

The bear snout receded and Diego looked again into Shane’s human face, but the claws remained.

“Of course I love Cass. I have for years. But she’s out of my reach, and I know it. When Donovan started chasing her, I faded in her eyes. Donovan, the charmer, charmed himself right into Cassidy’s bed. The two of them didn’t come out for days. Eric and Jace couldn’t sleep inside the house, and me and Brody had to get earplugs.”

And I’m standing outside the bedroom in question, while a half-drunk grizzly tells me about the sex life of the woman I’m seriously attracted to.

“Donovan passed a year ago,” Diego said. “What’s stopping you now?”

“Cass herself.” The claws became blunt fingers again. “She’s not interested in me. I’m fine with that.” Shane gave a shrug, a man long used to the fact that he’d have to look elsewhere for happiness. “But I’m not going to let a
human
start confusing her and threatening his way into her pants.”

The claws had receded, but Diego knew that Shane could easily crush his windpipe with his huge fingers.

“First, I’ve already seen her without her pants.” A sight Diego would never forget, though that blue dress was damn sexy too. “Second, I want to keep her safe as much as you do. That’s why I want her here in Shiftertown. If she gets caught out again by someone besides me, she’ll be arrested and jailed, and I might not be able to protect her.” Diego fixed Shane with a sharp stare, even though he had to look up to do it. “Do me a favor and watch her for me, Shane. If she tries to leave Shiftertown, you stop her. And if you can’t stop her, call me. Me, and no one else. Can you do that? Help me out?”

Shane’s eyes narrowed. “You should ask Eric to help you.”

“Eric already let her go once.”

“That’s a point. Eric won’t stop Cass doing what she thinks she needs to do.” Shane drew a breath. “But I will.”

For some reason, Diego wanted to pat Shane’s shoulder and say,
Good bear
, but decided that might not be wise.

“I’ll come by, but I can’t be here all the time,” Diego said. “Just keep her out of trouble.”

“You got it, human cop.”

“Call me Diego. And I’ll tell you something.” He leaned a little closer to Shane. “If you think your mom’s tough, you should meet
my
mother.”

Shane’s face finally softened, and he chuckled. “Humans have a saying:
When Mama ain
’
t happy…
”

“
…
ain’t nobody happy
,” they finished together.

Shane laughed a little harder and clapped Diego on the shoulders. Diego fought to keep to his feet.

“You’re funny, human cop. I mean, Diego. I’ll watch over Cass. I’m your bear. Time for you to leave now.”

Diego let the man put a heavy arm around his shoulders and lead him to the front door and out of the house.

Diego wondered, as he watched the bear Shifter sway toward the house next door, whether Cassidy would remember in the morning what had been the most spectacular kiss of Diego’s life.

D
iego figured he’d get shit from Shifter Division for how he’d handled Cassidy’s arrest, and sure enough, Lieutenant Reid, a man with ambitions in Shifter Division, accosted him the next day.

Diego was still reeling from the kiss he’d shared with Cassidy, still reveling in the scent and taste of her. He’d dreamed about her all night, thought about her while he showered, shaved, and readied himself for work. Imagining her being in the shower with him, smiling her red-lipped smile as she soaped his back, almost made him late.

Reid stopped him in the wide hall downstairs as Diego made for the elevator. “Anything to do with the Wardens is mine,” Reid said without greeting him. “You overstepped, Escobar.”

Diego eyed the man in dislike. Reid had a tall, lithe body—a runner’s muscles rather than a bodybuilder’s—and his eyes were so dark they were almost black.

“I made the arrest,” Diego said. “It was my call.”

“Two weeks’ confinement to Shiftertown?” Reid stepped closer, his dark eyes narrowing. “That’s
it
?”

“If you read my report, you’d know why I made the decision,” Diego said.

“Yeah, I read it. She still broke the law.”

Diego had no intention of explaining his motives. He’d learned as soon as he’d become a detective that people would question his every decision, especially those in his own rank in other divisions. Human nature, his captain told him.

“I’ve worked on Shifter cases a hell of a lot longer than you have,” Reid said. “They can look human, and they try to act human, but if you don’t treat them like the dangerous animals they are, you’ll pay for it. Don’t let the Collars fool you. You can’t tame them, you can’t trust them, and most of all, you can’t be their friend.”

Reid’s eyes held conviction, but Diego gave him a neutral nod. “Thanks, Reid. I’ll keep it in mind.”

Reid gave him a disgusted look but turned and marched away down the hall.

Diego could almost feel sorry for him. Shifter Division was the crap assignment—to make sure Shifters obeyed rules and didn’t go where they shouldn’t. For the most part, it was an easy assignment, because Shifters seemed to be pretty anal about obeying strictures. Shifter Division cops sat around panting for a chance to arrest and harass Shifters. Reid obviously fit right in, maybe too well.

Diego went upstairs to his desk and greeted his brother, whose bloodshot eyes looked worse than Diego’s. Xavier gave him a tired wave but a cocky grin. Xavier loved a good party.

Diego turned to his reports for a three-month-long case he’d concluded a couple of days before he’d met Cassidy. Now, the final bust, which had been such a victory, seemed to have happened in another lifetime. He’d met Cassidy and… everything changed.

Diego walked around that thought as he finished the report and e-mailed it to the captain. Then he got Xavier, who wasn’t getting much paperwork done here, and took his brother with him to Shiftertown.

* * *

C
assidy lifted her aching head from the kitchen table when she heard the throb of the Thunderbird outside. “Oh, Goddess, it’s Diego.”

Shifters weren’t supposed to have hangovers. Their metabolisms were strong enough to negate the dehydration of too much alcohol. Cassidy didn’t remember drinking that much beer, but then, if she’d been able to remember all the beers, she probably wouldn’t have this hangover.

What she did remember was the kiss, finding herself in Diego’s arms, his mouth slanted over hers in the dark living room. His big hand on her thigh, the strength of him as he held her. He’d tasted of warmth and power, and she’d loved it. She’d flung her arms around him and kissed him with wild abandon.

How embarrassing.

Jace opened the front door and greeted Diego and Xavier. Eric was… Who the hell knew where Eric was? Cassidy struggled to her feet as Jace led the brothers into the kitchen and offered them coffee.

Did Diego look ashamed of the kiss, of the way he’d scooped her up to him with his arm under her buttocks? No. He flashed her a grin, his eyes dark and sparkling with teasing wickedness. He looked fresh and rested and not the least bit worried.

Cassidy felt her face heat. What was the matter with her? Shifter women weren’t prudes. They enjoyed their love affairs and made no secret of the fact that they were after the best mate they could get. Cassidy hadn’t pulled up her shirt to flash Donovan on accident.

She found herself wanting to look away from Diego, so she made sure she met his gaze. “Hey, Diego. I’m still in Shiftertown. I feel too crappy to run away anywhere today.”

Diego’s gaze roved her up and down. “Yeah, you look a little ragged.”

Xavier took the steaming cup of fresh-brewed coffee from Jace. It smelled wonderful in the kitchen—the rich coffee scent overriding everything. Jace’s brew was legendary. Cassidy reached for the cup Jace handed her and cradled it like a lover.

“Never tell a woman she doesn’t look her absolute best,” Xavier said. “Bad, bad idea.” He took a sip of coffee and shot Cassidy a white-toothed grin. “You look great,
hermana
.”

Diego shrugged as he sipped his coffee. “This is good.” He gave Jace an admiring look. “Do you always make the coffee?”

Jace gestured to the old-fashioned coffeepot with the percolator on top. “Just call me coffee king.”

Diego looked around. “Where’s Eric? I’m going back out to that rock cave to look around, and he might want to come too.”

Cassidy opened her mouth to say she’d join them, then she remembered that she was grounded. Damn humans and their stupid laws. Shifters had never worried about going everywhere they pleased before the Collar. She sat down, head pounding, and filled her mouth with beautiful coffee.