Tempting Tabitha

by Tianna Xander

  “Go ahead. Do you mind if I watch it with you? Clyde’s taste in movies is quite eclectic. You never know what hidden gem he’s placed in those plain black cases he ordered online.”

  “Sure.” Tabby realized her mistake too late. There were only two seats in front of his viewer, and they were side by side on what she could only describe as a loveseat.

  She glanced down at the disks in her hand and sighed. This was about to be the longest few hours of her life. How could she sit next to the man for the length of a movie and expect either one of them to keep their hands to themselves?

  Chapter Ten

  Deno took the seat next to Tabitha and heaved an inward sigh. He hadn’t thought of the close quarters when he’d asked to watch the movie with her. His main focus had been to spend time with her, get to know her. Not once had his thoughts wandered over to the small sofa where they would sit so close, their legs and arms touching while they watched the movie.

  Knowing Clyde the way he did, the old matchmaker probably had this in mind when he gave Tabby the movies to watch. Clyde knew how small Deno’s quarters were. He’d only been there two nights before, trying to get him to see the error of his ways.

  “Which one would you like me to put in the DVD player first?” Luckily, they’d decided to upgrade—or perhaps it was downgrade—the viewers in their quarters to play the disks. It hadn’t taken long to become accustomed to the form of entertainment. Watching movies or TV shows was much better than sitting in one’s small cabin with nothing to do but read or sleep.

  Still, this exercise would be a difficult one. How could he manage to sit next to her for the next two hours or more without touching her?

  “I’m not sure what’s in these cases, but... Gramps said we’d enjoy them.” She held them up. “Pick a card, any card.” Her smile was a bit shaky as she met his gaze.

  Was she also thinking of their kiss on the mess deck? Did she want him to kiss her again, as much as he wanted to kiss her? Goddess, he hoped so.

  “Hmm...” He stared at the three cases she held for a moment before taking the one from the middle and standing. “I guess this one will have to do.” He grinned down at her. “I don’t know how Clyde keeps them all straight. He always seems to know which movies he’s handing out, even though none of them have titles on the cases. A few of the series disks he has have been marked only with their viewing order. One, two, three, etcetera. And I think that’s more for us than for him.”

  Deno opened the case and slid the disk into the DVD player. He set the case on the low table in front of the couch next to where she’d set the others and then joined her on the loveseat.

  The music began, and he closed his eyes. If it was what he thought it was, he was in for a long two and a half hours. Not only was it an action movie, but it was a love story, with sex scenes and a tearful goodbye that would make Tabby cry even if she only had half a heart.

  Deno knew full well that Tabby’s heart was large. It had to be. She’d given up any pretense of a personal life in order to find her long lost sister. If things didn’t go well, he might search Clyde out and, as his sister-in-law Birgit put it, give the meddling man a piece of his mind.

  Halfway through the movie, Deno decided he might adopt the cunning matchmaker himself.

  Tabby sat next to him, her hand clutching his as though it was her lifeline as the characters fought their way out of another harrowing situation.

  Her wide eyes, still glistening from the last heart-wrenching scene, watched the viewer as the two main characters fought for their lives yet again. Her fingers squeezed his as the characters ran from one building to the next, while a group of government agents attempted to capture them.

  “How can you watch this and not react?” She glanced over at him then down at their clasped hands. She jerked her hand from his grip. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

  “It’s fine.” He tried to keep the disappointment from his voice. He’d liked holding her hand. Should he tell her that or keep that bit of information to himself?

  What the hell? Why not?

  “To tell the truth, I liked it.” He paused the movie so she wouldn’t miss more of it than she already had.

  “You did?” She stared up at him through her wide but beautiful violet eyes. A few tears still glistened on her lower lashes, and it was all he could do to keep from kissing them away.

  “I did.” He smiled down at her. “It was as though you trusted me and I hadn’t been such an ass to you.”

  “You know...” She paused for a moment, her expression thoughtful. She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before she cleared her throat. “Maybe we should start over. I mean really start over.” She turned in her seat, her body facing his as she looked deep into his eyes.

  “I thought we had.”

  “Well... I guess we did but not totally. I think we should act as though that scene in the past never happened. We should do our best not to talk about it or even think about it. How can we work past it if it keeps popping up between us?”

  “I can do that.” He wanted to forget he’d ever said those horrible things to her. The question was, could she forget it, and would she ever truly forgive him for saying those terrible things?

  “Can you?” She tilted her head. “Because I’d bet cash money I don’t have that you were just thinking about it.”

  “You’d win, too.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “Let me rephrase that then. I would love to try to forget it, and I hope you’ll understand if I find it difficult to forget that I was an insulting, insufferable jerk when we first met.” Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. He needing to clear the air between them. “Do you think you can ever forgive me?”

  “I already have.” She rested her free hand on his cheek, her gaze troubled. “But can you forgive yourself? Because it sounds like you’re punishing yourself a lot more than I ever could have.”

  Deno blinked, her question taking him by surprise. Could he forgive himself? “If you can, I can certainly try.”

  “Then it’s settled.” Tabby held his gaze with a smile, and slid her hand over his. “I hope you don’t mind, but I kind of like it when you hold my hand. It makes me feel warm inside.”

  “Me, too.” He smiled back, gently pulling his hand from hers. His heart swelled when he realized they finally had a chance to make things work out between them. “I think we might like this better though.” He slid the hand she’d been holding around her shoulders and drew her close. Using his free hand, he resumed playing the movie, set the remote in his lap, and then laced their fingers together.

  “I do like this better.” She met his gaze, her cheeks a becoming shade of pink.

  Leaning forward, he pressed a light kiss in the center of her forehead and almost groaned when she returned her attention to the movie, lightly resting her head on his shoulder.

  Even his body agreed their new position was much better. A slow burn began in his gut then moved slowly through his body before it settled in his groin. He wanted Tabitha Campbell more and more with every moment he spent in her presence.

  Deno closed his eyes, unable to concentrate on the movie. How could he when he wanted her so much he couldn’t think? How many times had he dreamed of such an evening with the woman he loved?

  He couldn’t deny it. He wouldn’t deny it. Not any longer. As much as he’d fought getting to know her, as much as he had denied it in the past, he had to admit it—at least to himself. The woman sitting next to him was the one woman who could literally bring out the beast in him, and damn it, he wanted her to do just that.

  Something shifted inside him. Something strange, yet familiar, deep inside him, moved, stretched. He felt it again. It stirred within him. It was the tiger inside him that would make itself known if danger ever stalked her. The other within him reached out to her. It felt her pressed against his side and then relaxed before it began the slow process that would tie them together forever.

  A few days ago, the feeling of his
tiger imprinting on anyone would have terrified him. Why had he thought Tabby’s presence in his life was a bad thing? He had been so certain she would bring out the worst in him, leaving his family defenseless. Now, he wasn’t so sure. The only thing he was confident of was that he wanted her in his life. He needed her in his life, and though, in the past, he thought bringing out the beast in him would be a weakness, he now understood that the beast and its needs would never be a weakness. Now he knew, together they were strong, stronger than either of them ever could have been alone.

  The other inside him stretched. The tips of his fingers ached as though claws tried to break free, his bones, muscles, and gums throbbed as though the beast would take over and make an appearance. Then, just as quickly, the pain was gone, leaving him feeling stronger and more alive than he had ever felt before.

  If this was what it was like when one found a mate, it was no wonder his people mated for life and never sought the comfort of another. Without warning, he realized that the woman sitting by his side was everything to him. He suddenly became aware there was more than a chemical reaction between them. Much more. It was a mystical match, a soul match given by the goddess, and in the future, if they decided to part ways, neither of them would ever be the same again.

  Chapter Eleven

  Tabby relaxed against Deno and inhaled his unique and heady scent. It was almost as though the clean smell of his skin was an aphrodisiac. She couldn’t help but snuggle tighter against him as they watched the last half of the movie that had somehow drawn them closer to each other than she had thought possible only a few hours before.

  Did Clyde, or Gramps as he would have her call him, have some supernatural power that found the commonalities between two people, even if they thought they could never get along?

  Inhaling deeply, she rubbed her cheek against Deno’s shoulder and sighed. What if she wouldn’t have suggested they share a room? What if Deno hadn’t accepted, or if he had, had not chosen to watch the movie with her?

  What would have happened then? Would they have grudgingly shared the cabin until they reached Earth and then gone their separate ways? Would either of them have realized they could get along, that they could find such comfort in one another’s company?

  Snuggling closer to Deno, Tabby thanked the very stars that she hadn’t been too stubborn to forgive him for what he’d said when he didn’t know her. How could she hold anyone accountable for something they said to a stranger while under duress?

  There had been special, dare she say mitigating, circumstances the day he’d uttered those hateful words. He’d been worried about his twin. He hadn’t slept in days because of that worry, and they’d just brought an end to a surprise battle with the murderous Argarians, a particularly nasty reptilian race that enslaved and ate humans.

  She shuddered at the thought, and Deno drew her closer to his side, no doubt thinking she’d caught a chill.

  Tabby glanced down and looked at their fingers, still laced together. Slowly, he drew his large thumb over the back of her hand in a soft caress. Forgetting the movie, she closed her eyes and listened to the rock-steady beat of his heart beneath her cheek.

  Could she stay the rest of her life with this man if he asked? Could she be happy never wandering again? She had spent more than half of her life traveling the United States searching for her sister.

  She had no responsibilities, no one to answer to, and no home. Could she trade that freedom for a life with someone who would always want to know where she was, what she was doing, and with whom she was doing it?

  Her parents had been the only people she’d ever really had to answer to, and now, she was contemplating giving up her freedom to stay with a man she barely knew.

  It didn’t matter that her little sister had given herself over to Xeno’s keeping. Charly had never known the freedom of sleeping outside in a box on top of a dumpster or up in a tree. She’d never run through a park at top speed outrunning an animal control officer. She’d never been locked in a cage, only to shift back into her human form, hoping no one would catch her while she released the lock and escaped, along with every animal in the compound.

  Tabby had tasted the freedom of living outside the bounds of human life. Could she give it up for a man?

  She inhaled deeply, drawing in the addicting aroma of Deno’s unique scent, and tried not to moan. What was it about the natural smell of the man that drew her to him so completely that she would contemplate staying with him for the rest of her life?

  Whatever it was, it was strong enough to make her willing to try to see what could grow between them.

  Her life as a stray cat hadn’t been all bad. It had been exciting and even a little bit scary. It was also boring sometimes, and the food was lousy most of the time.

  Warmth surrounded her. For the first time in her life, she was completely warm, and she felt safe. Even her cat felt protected. The other part of her hadn’t felt much security since she’d lost her parents. Keeping her eyes closed, Tabby snuggled still deeper into Deno’s embrace, all else forgotten, and she drifted off into a lovely dream.

  Strong arms held her like a baby, her head pressed against a warm, hard surface. A slow, steady beat of someone’s heartbeat beneath her ear. A soft surface pressed gently against her back, and she stretched out as the arms released her.

  Someone, she didn’t know who pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead before drawing a thick blanket over her.

  “Sweet dreams, Kechi. Tomorrow is another day.”

  Tabby rolled over and took a deep breath. She hugged a pillow close and inhaled deeply once more. The pillow smelled of Deno. If she hadn’t known where she was, his scent on the pillow would have given it away.

  She didn’t remember coming into the room. How had she gotten into the bed? She glanced down at herself. Other than her shoes, her clothes were where they should be. On her person and not draped over a chair in the corner.

  “So, Deno is a gentleman after all, huh?” She threw her legs over the side of the bed and sat up. “I can’t believe I’m almost disappointed to find that out.” Standing, she stretched again and smoothed down her day-old clothes and headed for the bathroom and a nice morning shower.

  She opted for the sonic shower as it was faster. The sensation of the shower wasn’t nearly as satisfying as water. For some reason, Tabby never felt as clean as when she showered with water; though, in reality, she was much cleaner. The sonic shower left nothing behind on her skin, while water left tiny microbes and the residue of the minerals it carried. In spite of the lack of water, she was still cleaner than when she entered the small chamber, and there was no need for a towel.

  She made a face at her dirty clothes and donned the robe hanging on the back of the door.

  What would she wear? She’d only had two sets of clothes, and her spare set had been in the stateroom that had lost compression after the meteor strike. Was she supposed to wear the same clothes day in and day out?

  Opening the door with a sigh, she padded into the bedroom and stopped, her mouth dropping open.

  On the bed were several pairs of underwear, and by the look of it, the same amount of bras, blouses, slacks, jeans, and shoes. If she hadn’t known any better, she’d have thought someone had robbed a department store while she showered.

  Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, she chose a set of clothing and got dressed. The underwear and black jeans she chose hugged her ass like a lover, the bra and cranberry blouse accentuated every curve and the shape of her bosom while the lovely, black and maroon high heels made her legs appear as though they went all the way up to her neck.

  Whoever brought her the clothes—and she had a good idea of who it was—had fantastic taste in women’s attire. He’d made superb color choices as well.

  Her eyes burned at his thoughtfulness. How had he gone from being such an ass to being so nice to her?

  You’re not supposed to think about that, remember, the little voice inside her chided.

&
nbsp; She pressed her lips together and took a deep breath. She had to learn to let things go. How could she go on with her life if she kept dredging up the past?

  Moving to the bureau against the far wall, she brought up the three-dimensional viewer. She stared at herself for a moment, hardly believing that she was looking at a version of herself. The woman before her appeared so tall and confident. It didn’t look like her.

  “Okay, Tabby,” she began, watching her lips move, proving the woman was her, after all. “Today is the first day of the rest of your life. It’s time to let go of the past and live your life in the present. How can you change your future if you can’t let go of the past?”

  With one last deep breath and a nod of her head, Tabby pressed the power button on the viewer and turned toward the door.

  Armed with the knowledge that she looked better than she ever had before in her life, Tabby left the room, her shoulders back and her head held high. For the first time in her memory, she felt wide awake and full of energy. In truth, for the first time in a long, long time, she felt alive.

  Deno had his back to her when she found him. His too-tight t-shirt stretched over his shoulders, accentuating his toned muscles and his huge arms. Why hadn’t she noticed he had such large biceps before?

  Tight jeans showed off his ass to perfection, and he seemed taller for some reason. Perhaps it was because she was looking at him as a man, for the first time, instead of just an insufferable jerk circumstances had forced her to tolerate.

  “Thank you for the clothes.” Tabby moved up behind Deno as he ordered something from the replicator.

  “You’re welcome.” He turned around and met her gaze. After a moment, he slowly gave her a once over. “You look beautiful this morning.” His lips turned up on one side. “Not that you don’t look beautiful every day.”