“That’s so not true,” she said, pressing her cheek into his hand. “And for the record, I get to make those decisions for myself. I know what I need.”
His eyes searched hers, trying to read her thoughts. “What’s that?”
“You,” she said simply.
A gleam of mischievous heat crossed his gaze. “I thought you said you didn’t want to jump my bones?”
She shrugged playfully. “Yes, but I didn’t say anything about you jumping mine.”
He tipped her face up. “Karen…”
“They’ve never been jumped before.”
He closed his eyes for a second and inhaled. “You’re killing me.”
“I’ve never felt like this about anyone, Reaux.”
His lids lifted and he was right there again. Such intensity, such promise. Such a male.
She smiled. “I swear I’m still seventeen in some ways. I don’t know how to react. What to say when I really like a boy.”
“That’s it right there,” he said, lowering his mouth to hers, and taking her in a soft, sweet kiss.
Karen melted against him, feeling both his hard muscle and the soft heat of his lips. She’d only been kissed once or twice before she was taken. But she hardly remembered it. How it had felt. Surely it was nothing compared to this.
Reaux released her face and his arms stole around her. He pulled her close and, as the bayou breeze blew cold and fresh around them, he kissed her so thoroughly, so hungrily, she forget for a moment where she was. Who she was.
When he eased back, they were just a breath away. Blurry. Their breath co-mingling.
“You do that really well,” she whispered.
He grinned. “So do you.”
“Thank you. It’s only my second or third time.”
“Oh, Karen…ma chère…” He dropped his head and kissed her bottom lip, sending a rush of heat through her belly. “This is dangerous.”
“Why? We’re just kissing.”
A soft growl hummed in his throat. “It’s different for Pantera than it is for humans. It means more. Especially to the male.” He leaned in close to her ear and lapped at the lobe with his tongue. She shivered. “Come…” he uttered. And when she gasped, he chuckled. “Out with me tonight.”
“Oh.” She laughed softly. “Like a date?”
“Yes.” He took her lobe into his mouth and sucked it gently. “Damn, woman, you taste good.”
Heat coiled in Karen’s sex and her nipples hardened against her bra. If Reaux had wanted to take things further, she wasn’t sure she’d have the strength to remember they were out in public, during the day.
“I’ve never been on a date before,” she said breathlessly as he continued to nip at her ear.
That revelation had him pulling back suddenly. His eyes caught hers and held. They were dark and deep, but soft as a caress. “Does it make me a bastard if I want to claim all of your firsts?”
She shook her head. It was truly all she could manage in that moment. She felt strange and wonderful, and like she was made of air. Like she could float away.
“I’ll pick you up at six,” he said, releasing her, a grin the size and intensity of the sun on his handsome face.
Would she truly float away? No. No. She had to stay here. On Earth. In the Wildlands. For him. And their date.
Awareness and urgency coursing through her blood, she watched him walk away, watched him shift. Watched his glorious beast thunder across the mossy landscape. As her mind conjured only one word to describe him.
Mine.
***
“Why do you keep doing this to yourself?” Irek chided as Reaux stalked through the door of the spy’s office inside the garden house, a trio of female growls echoing behind him. “I know you want the info, but I also know how crazy the sexual fanfare makes you.”
It did make him crazy, Reaux thought, dropping into the chair opposite his friend’s desk. Or it normally did. Today, though, it was odd—he hardly noticed the stares, the sounds of blatant desire as he passed. Maybe it was because his mind was focused on the need of only one female. The one he wanted.
The one he intended to make his mate.
“You said you had something for me?” Reaux said distractedly.
“I do.” Irek was never one to sugarcoat, and his dark mask of regret was troubling. “Some tough news, my friend.”
Dread slithered up Reaux’s spine, and all he could see in his mind was Karen’s face. “What?”
“This was a hard dig,” Irek told him. “Had to call in a few favors with some ex-Benson employees. Two who used to work there around the time the cub was born. Seems he was adopted by a couple related to Christopher.”
So much for not sugarcoating. This had to be bad. “He’s dead, isn’t he?”
“Didn’t make it past day ten.”
“Fuck…”
“Cub needed his mother. Pantera cubs, they have to have that bond. Some more than others. Sorry, my brother.”
For a second, Reaux just sat there, trying like hell to think of a way to break the news to Karen. He hadn’t even told her he was looking into it. But she deserved to know the truth, as terrible as it was. So, what did he do? Head over there right now? Wait for tonight? For their date?
He stood up. There was no good time. “I appreciate it, brother.”
“Anytime. You know that.” Irek got up too and embraced him, gave him a couple of hard knocks to the back before releasing him. “You going out the window today?”
Reaux shook his head. “No. I’m good.” He left the way he came in, this time so preoccupied with his woman and the news he’d just heard that he didn’t even hear the hungry calls of the females who bracketed him.
CHAPTER 8
“My hair looks insane,” Karen complained as she stared into the full-length mirror on the inside of her closet door.
“No it doesn’t,” Indy insisted from her self-proclaimed ‘safe’ place on the edge of the bed. She’d come over for moral support, and boy was she giving it all she had.
Unfortunately, Karen was way too nervous and excited to believe her friend’s positive feedback.
“And what color is this lipstick?” Pointing to her lips, she rounded on Indy. “Slutastic?”
Indy sprang from the bed. “Okay, you’re freaking out. And you need to not.”
“Easy for you to say. You have Angel. It’s done. You’re happy.” She stared at the woman, brows creeping together. “Right? You’re happy?”
“Blissful.” Her eyes took on an instant dreamy look. “Can’t believe it’s possible, but wow. Bliss. Full.”
Karen pushed out her bottom lip in a mock pout. “I want that.”
Quickly coming out of her love coma, Indy reached out and put her hands on her friend’s shoulders. “You’re about to have that. He’s on his way over here.”
Little tendrils of excitement exploded inside Karen. Again. “We’re just going out on a date. One date.”
“Uh huh.”
Karen laughed, and for a second, it eased some of the pressure that had been building inside her since…well, since she’d met Reaux.
“You don’t know these Pantera males like I do, hon,” Indy said, grabbing Karen’s sweater off the back of the chair. “They’re not casual daters. They see something they like, that they want, they go after it. It’s a puma thing. See a nice, juicy, female in sight? They’re claiming it.”
Karen snorted at her. “Way to paint a picture. Nice and juicy, huh?”
Indy grinned wickedly. “Oh, yeah, if he knows what he’s doing, that is. And Pantera males, going by my own, they know.”
Laughing, Karen rolled her eyes at the sexual innuendo, but inside her humming body, every muscle was clenching. She was so ready. So willing. “Okay.” She held her arms out, did a quick turnaround. “How do I look? And don’t lie because you feel sorry for me and what I went through in the lab.”
“Well if I can’t lie…” Indy began, her eyes twinkling with humor. S
he did a slow visual sweep. From straight, shiny hair to black strapless dress to peekaboo heels. “You look gorgeous.”
Karen let out a tiny squeal. “Swear?”
“Double swear.”
Then she sobered. “Let’s hope he thinks so.”
“Honey,” Indy started, helping Karen with her sweater. “Did you not hear what I said about Pantera males? He’s into you. He wouldn’t be—”
There was a decided rap on the front door.
Indy laughed. “On your porch right now if he didn’t want to eat you alive.” She winked. “You know what I mean.”
“Oh god.” Karen absolutely knew. In fact, as she hurried to the door, her skin was literally trembling with awareness. Yes, yes, yes, she was ready for that: dinner, conversation, and later, being eaten alive.
Her smile broke wide and excited as she pulled back the thick wood. But it faltered slightly as she saw Reaux standing there. He looked breathtakingly handsome. He was wearing black jeans, black boots, a dark green button-down shirt, and lord have mercy, he was holding a single lavender lily in his hands.
“Evening, beautiful,” he said, handing her the flower.
“Thank you,” she said, slightly breathless. “It’s so pretty.”
His gaze raked over her hungrily. “Nothing compared to you.” He whistled softly and shook his head. “Wow.”
Karen smiled. As she’d told him earlier, she’d never been on a date before. She also hadn’t been wooed. Admired. Flirted with. And the feeling was overwhelming. In the best way possible. She felt…young again. Not that she was some crone at thirty, or anything, but the years in that cell had passed painfully slowly. They felt longer than they were. And now, as she stood here under the wolfish—no, the cat-ish—gaze of her Pantera male, she had a new and thrilling lease on life. And fun. And…hopefully sex.
“You both ready?” Reaux asked her.
“Both?” Karen repeated, suddenly confused.
He glanced past her. “Isn’t Caleb coming?”
Her heart leapt into her throat. Had he really come there hoping to take them both…? “I thought it was just us. Caleb’s going to hang out with Adrian tonight. You remember my friend, Adrian?”
Reaux nodded, a shadow crossing his steely gray gaze. Then he seemed to recall something, and he took a thin envelope out of his pocket and handed it to her. “I brought this for him.”
“A CD?” she said.
“Don’t laugh…”
“I wouldn’t dare. Unless, you know, it’s supposed to be funny.”
“I’m a big music lover. Have been since I was a kid.” He leaned his powerful body against the door and lowered his voice. “These are the songs I listened to back in the day.”
“What day is that?” she asked, knowing she was flirting. With her voice, her eyes.
He inhaled deeply. “When I was trying to…” He looked away for a second. “Get my cat to come out.”
The light flirtation she had been enjoying up until that moment gave way to something else entirely. Something deeper, and hopefully longer-lasting. It was the realization of what this male had not only given to her son, but created for him. And it spread over and through her like the softest, warmest, safest blanket.
“I’ll make sure he gets it,” she promised, her voice thankful and resolute.
He nodded. “Hungry?” he asked, one dark brow raised.
You have no idea, male. “Very.”
He smiled and offered her his arm. “Let’s go.”
***
“You didn’t,” Karen said, laughing in between sips of her wine.
“I was a little devil,” Reaux told her as he watched her across the table. “The teacher made me eat every last bite.”
“Did you get sick afterwards?”
“In ways I refuse to talk about because I plan on kissing you later and I don’t want that image of me stuck in your mind.”
She laughed again. “Fair enough.”
Not wanting to take Karen out of the Wildlands, Reaux had decided to bring her to Miss Nathalie’s. A few months ago, the older female had decided to turn her boarding house into a restaurant. There were so many new couples now, new faces in the Wildlands, the female had caved to the demand for a nice eating spot. Not that the eight-table spot was all that fancy, but it did have some seriously good food and a killer romantic atmosphere.
“What about you?” Reaux asked, taking in the way the candle flickering between them on the table made her eyes glow amber. “What bad stuff did you do as a kid?”
The question sobered her for a moment, and Reaux wondered if maybe he’d overstepped. But she quickly relaxed and said, “I used to record my parents sleeping.”
Reaux put down his beer. “I’m sorry, what was that again?”
She laughed. “Both of them claimed they didn’t snore. I got so sick of hearing that argument.” She shrugged, her pretty pale shoulders lifting and lowering. “I recorded them. Then I played it for the whole neighborhood.”
“I bet you got in trouble.”
“You’d think, right?” She picked up her fork. “But my parents weren’t like that. They were both really caring and loving—and forgiving.” She stabbed a tiny carrot and slipped it into her mouth. “And they could take a joke.”
Lucky, lucky, carrot. “They sound like good people.”
“They were.” When tears suddenly sprang to her eyes, he reached across the table and took her hand. “I swear, I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she said, shaking her head. “I didn’t cry more than a handful of times during the twelve years I was in the lab. And now I’m out and free and…happy.” She smiled at that. “And a walking tear duct.”
“It’s a good thing, Karen,” he assured her. “Means you’re healing. You’re allowing yourself to heal.”
Her eyes lifted to meet his, and they were thoughtful as well as glistening. “What do you want, Reaux?” When one of his eyebrows lifted, she smiled softly. “I mean, out of life?”
Well, that was a question. Especially now. Meeting her had changed everything for him. “I want the Pantera and the Wildlands to be safe.”
She nodded. “Agreed.”
He squeezed her hand. “And I’d like a mate and a family.”
She swallowed. He watched the movement in her throat. “You deserve that,” she told him with absolute sincerity. “After how your mother treated you. Have you…” She cleared her throat. “Have you ever come close to finding a mate?”
“No.” His eyes were locked on hers.
“Oh.”
His lips twitched with gentle amusement. “Not until recently anyway.”
“Oh.” She smiled.
Goddess, he wanted to kiss her. Could he get away with it here? He grinned to himself. Not with the kind of kissing he had in mind. Not just a peck across the table.
Two females came into the dining room then. Up until that point, it had been all couples, which hadn’t presented a problem for Reaux. But this, he sighed…this could be a problem.
It didn’t take long for them to catch sight of him or to ask to be seated close by.
“I’m done if you are,” Karen said.
Reaux’s gaze slid back to her. She understood completely.
“But you haven’t had dessert yet,” he said, bringing her hand to his mouth and kissing it.
She shrugged. “I have ice cream in my freezer.”
“Really?”
She nodded, smiling and biting her lip.
He looked at her with hooded eyes. “I love ice cream.”
“Then let’s get out of here, male.”
Her words caused the puma inside him to snarl and scratch. It wanted out and at her. Cage yourself, he told it. We don’t want to scare her.
He stood, and went to pull back her chair. And after paying the check, he led the woman who was to become his mate through the dining room and out the door, utterly and completely oblivious to the two females staring after him.
CHAPTER 9
Karen stood in Adrian’s living room, Reaux beside her, trying to pretend there wasn’t a vibe happening between the two males. But it wasn’t easy. Reaux was acting all possessive of her, while Adrian was being territorial. And all the while, Caleb continued to sleep on the couch.
“Listen, I haven’t found anything,” Adrian said, his focus totally on Karen. “But you know I’ll keep looking.”
“Thank you,” she said, nodding. “And thanks for taking care of Caleb tonight.”
“Anytime.” He punched the word to make sure she really got it. “You want me to carry him home?”
“I’ve got him,” Reaux said, already heading that way, scooping up the sleeping boy and cradling him in his arms.
Adrian sniffed. “I was only suggesting it because he knows me.”
“He knows me, too,” Reaux returned with a thread of barely disguised aggression. “And even more importantly, his cat knows me.”
This took Adrian by surprise, and he turned to look at Karen. “He’s…shit, Kar, he shifted?”
She gave him a quick smile. “No. Not yet.
“He’s Pantera,” Reaux said, already striding toward the front door. “And if they’re in tune, one Pantera can scent another. He’ll learn all about what he is.”
“I’m guessing you’re going to teach him,” Adrian countered icily.
Reaux held the door open for Karen. “Already there, brother.”
“I think we should go,” Karen said quickly. Forget strained. It was like a testosterone explosion going on in here. She knew Adrian was protective of her, but this was ridiculous. And she wasn’t at all sure what Reaux was doing besides acting like an impolite jerk. “Thanks again,” she told her friend as they headed out the door.
“Like I said, Kar,” he called after her. “Anytime.”
As they moved away from the house, down the walkway and onto the path toward her place, Karen could feel the heat off the male beside her. Not a gentle, soothing heat. But a fire that needed to be extinguished.
“Okay, what the hell is wrong with you, Reaux?” She glanced over at him. His jaw was tight.