Tall, Dark and Panther

by Milly Taiden

Maya gulped. The vodka in her drink made her babble. She tended to talk too much when she was nervous or tipsy. One drink definitely did it for her.

  “Thanks. Why did you come over?”

  He put her hand down gently, his finger grazing the pulse at her wrists, making her heart trip.

  “I just wanted to see you. I sensed you were back, and I wanted to talk.”

  She raised her brows in surprise. “Just talk?”

  A slow, hungry grin spread over his lips. “Just talk. Whatever happens from here on is your choice, beautiful. I don’t want you to ever feel like I’m pushing you into anything.”

  Well, fuck. She’d been counting on him pressuring her for more amazing sex. It’d definitely help get her over all the stressing about Bud and her family.

  “I...appreciate that.”

  Her cell phone buzzed. She glanced around¸ trying to find it. It was on the floor, not that she remembered how it got there. She picked it up and stared at the screen.

  I miss you. Come back to me.

  Taking a slow, deep breath, she pressed the side of the phone and turned the device off. She was starting to hate electronics. She raised her head to face Noah. “Sometimes people don’t get that no means no.”

  He nodded. “This is true.”

  She licked her bottom lip and sauntered over to him. Desire flowered to life in her chest. He must have seen something in her face, because he stood and met her halfway. Passion thickened in the room. She raised a shaky hand up to his face, tracing the line of his jaw with her finger. “I don’t like mistakes.”

  “I don’t either.”

  She continued rubbing her finger lightly down the spikes of his beard to his neck. “I prefer to make decisions I can live with.” He said nothing. The animal lit golden in his eyes. Knowing that he was ready to do magical things to her only served to heighten her arousal. “Kiss me.”

  There was no taking a breath. No waiting for a response. It was pure animal hunger that drove him. He swept his tongue over her lips before pressing his mouth harshly over hers. There was no sweetness there—only the basic need for more dominated them both. She gripped his shirt in her hands, holding tight to the material and wishing she could make it disappear. Her heart pounded hard in her ears, and she struggled to get air into her lungs. Need exploded at her core. The taste of him did something she’d never experienced before. It created a thirst for more that intensified with each caress.

  He cupped her face in his hands, not letting go, holding her still. His to take. His to touch. She moaned into the kiss. The raging hormones inside her pushed and pulled to get their way. She wanted him, wanted more than a kiss. No matter how amazing that kiss was, she’d still want more. More of him. More of them.

  She pushed forward, until he was back on the sofa. She met his gaze. There. The animal shone bright. He wanted more than that kiss too. She dropped down to her knees between his legs. His eyes appeared to go darker with desire.

  “Maya,” he breathed, his chest rising and falling as if he couldn’t get enough oxygen either.

  She lifted her lips in a smile and raked her nails down his abs, over his shirt. Lord, he was sexy. He had a lean build that spoke of power. Agility. The cat inside him was stealthy and deadly. Knowing that only made her want him more.

  She glided her hands down, loving the soft tremble of his abs. There was no hesitation, only need. Pure lust ran rampant in her blood. Her vision went hazy, and all she saw was him. His eyes. That glowing desire for her. A desire she’d never seen in any other man and one she might never see again. It didn’t matter, because seeing it on this man meant the world to her. He was the one she wanted.

  She unbuttoned his fly, her smile widening at the low hiss he let out. He grabbed her wrist, stopping her the moment her finger started to lower his zipper.

  “Do you know what you’re doing?”

  Nerves flew out of her body and were replaced with a seductive drive. “Yes. I’m doing what I want.”

  He released her hand and gripped the purple cushions at his sides. “If this is what you want, then do it. I’m all yours.”

  The zipper now lowered, she slid her hand down to squeeze his legs over his jeans. Mother of all things sexy. He had such muscular legs. It shouldn’t surprise her. He had a panther inside him. The animal loved to run. But it was the way he held himself tense, almost afraid to move as she touched him. She curled her hands on the denim and motioned for him to lift his ass. The jeans came down to his knees in a swift yank. She didn’t stop staring into his eyes, watching his reaction. With his legs now bare, she pushed the denim farther until it pooled at his feet.

  She crawled her fingers up his legs, enjoying the warmth of his flesh and the hairs on his thighs. Her gaze finally left his face to get a good look at his cock. Have mercy! He was much bigger than she remembered. His cock stood hard, proud, and waiting. His body trembled with tension.

  She lowered her face to his shaft, circling the head with her tongue and picking up the bead of liquid at the top of it. It was salty, earthy. The taste of him sank deep into her, opening up a door to a desire she had already pushed back the last time he’d come into her place.

  “Ah, babe. Your mouth is going to kill me,” he groaned, squeezing the cushions hard enough to tear through them.

  She curled a hand around his dick, sliding it up and enjoying how hot and hard he felt. He was smooth as velvet and warm. She didn’t want to stop caressing his penis. She circled and glanced down at his cock, watching the vein on the underside thicken with blood. Pure lust pushed her to move down and lick her way up the vein. Once she got to the top, she engulfed his length with her mouth, taking him deep.

  “Jesus!” he roared, coiling strands of her hair around his fingers and pushing them out of the way so he could watch. “That’s it. Suck me.”

  She pulled back slowly, letting saliva trail down his hardness. She sucked him back into her mouth, the taste of him building, filling her senses. She sucked him hard with her mouth and fondled his balls with one hand. His deep rumbles sounded like a combination of a purr and groan. It was beyond erotic. Listening to him do that, showing her how much she was in control, pushed her need to the stratosphere.

  She had never been much of an oral sex fan, but watching his reaction to her lips on him, she had a feeling she was doing pretty good. He leaned back on the sofa. His cock felt bigger in her mouth, thicker. Like he’d grown with every suck.

  “You look so beautiful with my cock in your mouth, Maya. I could watch you do that forever.”

  She suctioned her lips tight around his dick, feeling every ridge and line in her cheeks. Her moves turned faster; she bobbed her head over him in quick up-and-down glides. His grip on her hair tightened until fire took hold of her scalp. She glanced up and saw the beast in his eyes. His skin pulled tight on his face. He was so close to losing control. His breathing came in harsh pants. For a second, she thought he might be ready to shift, but instead his eyes glowed a gorgeous amber.

  “Stop!” He rumbled.

  She let him out of her mouth slowly, enjoying how hot and hard he was. Her spit dribbled down his dick and her chin.

  “That,” he said, staring at the saliva on his cock, “is fucking sexy as hell.”

  He grabbed his cock and pumped himself, making it grow even bigger. “Take those clothes off. I want you naked.”

  She stood up, stripping out of her top and shorts and watching his eyes burn her body with need.

  “Like what you see?”

  He licked his lips, his gaze moving from her tits, to her pussy, and then her eyes. “Let me show you.”

  He grabbed her hand and pulled her onto his lap. She straddled him, her slick pussy folds gliding open for penetration. With each knee to either side of his legs, she pressed down, impaling herself on his cock.

  “Oh...” She bit her lip, gasping back a second moan rolling up her throat.

  He cupped her breasts, sucking on one of her nipples. Desire rocked th
rough her. He laved her flesh with kisses, nips and sucks. Every suck coupled with a groan from him made goose bumps break over her arms. She pushed forward and then pressed back down, rocking in tiny waves on his dick.

  “Ah, sweetheart. You feel so fucking perfect, so tight around my cock.”

  He slid his hands down and around her waist to grab her large ass cheeks and squeeze them apart. As she moved, he guided her to rock harder on him. Faster. Pushing himself deeper.

  It went that way: with her rocking back and forth on him, pressing down with each slide, and him licking and sucking on her chest, up to her neck, and finally to her lips.

  His gaze bore into hers. “You are by far the sexiest creature I’ve ever seen.”

  She had to smile at that. He said it as if she were some kind of goddess. That’s how he made her feel—like she was a wonder. She slid her hands up, cupped his face, and pressed their lips together at the same time she did a double dip down and up on his cock. Up. Down. Wiggle and repeat. Her muscles tensed, and soon she was holding on by a thread. Her body screamed for the chance to have its release.

  He nibbled on her jaw, sucking his way to her earlobe. “You’re so tight. So fucking hot and tight. I can’t get over how much I love your body.”

  “You’re...crazy.”

  His grip on her ass became almost painful. “Yes, I am. For you. For your curves and how good being inside you feels.”

  That was it. She couldn’t control her body a second longer. The tension inside her snapped, sending her flying.

  “Oh! Oh! Oh!” She pushed down on him, her body trembling with the force of her orgasm.

  He held her hips hard, grunting at her chest. Then a low groan that sounded a lot like a purr rumbled in his chest. He stiffened beneath her, his cock growing hotter inside. She swore he branded her as he spurted his release into her channel. For long breathless moments they stayed there, panting and gasping, his cock still deep inside her, pulsing every few seconds to shoot another squirt of cum into her.

  “My...god!” She cleared her throat and glanced down at his face. “That was...”

  “Fucking amazing.”

  She couldn’t have said it better herself. “I need to—”

  “Stay right where you are. I’m not done with you.”

  Well, okay then.

  ELEVEN

  Maya picked up her mail on her way out to work. She’d forgotten all about it, having spent her weekend wrapped up in Noah’s arms. As much as she didn’t like the idea of moving too fast, she couldn’t stop herself with him. She sat in the car for a few minutes before she had to go in to her office and went through the stack of mail.

  She tore at an envelope absently and pulled out a letter. Words had been cut out of a magazine to create a letter.

  Maya

  You are so beautiful. I wish you knew just how much I love seeing your face.

  There was no signature. She picked up her cell phone, fury dancing in her veins, and dialed Bud.

  “Maya, what a surprise.”

  “Stop it, Bud,” she snapped. “I told you there was not going to be anything else between us. Why do you continue sending me shit?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  She ground her teeth, gripping her cell phone with all her might. Thank god she didn’t have the strength of a shifter, or she might have broken it. “You moron! Your return address is on the envelope!”

  Silence. Then, no line. He’d hung up on her. She might have laughed if she weren’t so sick and tired of his stupid stalking.

  It was so ironic that in the time they’d been together, he had made it clear she had to settle for whatever he was willing to give her. Now that she was no longer interested, all of a sudden he found himself unable to live without her. What a fricking joke.

  She slipped out of her car and slammed her door shut with more force than necessary, the metal booming loudly. She’d turned to face her office building when her cell phone beeped. She might need to get a new line. Glancing down at the screen, she noticed it was Gerri Wilder. She’d been messaging, wanting to meet up for lunch with Maya. It was just that Maya had been so busy with Noah that she’d ignored everyone for the weekend, including her mother’s invitation to a family dinner.

  She stopped and messaged Gerri, promising to meet with her after work. Another buzz showed Gerri sending Maya her home address for her to come visit.

  * * *

  Knock

  Knock

  Knock

  Gerri grinned at the fresh baked cookies and pulled the apron off her waist. The frilly black apron had been a gift from her friend Teracia. Teracia was a tatted former client in her forties that had met the love of her life thanks to Gerri. She was Gerri’s first attempt at matchmaking.

  “Coming,” she said, striding to the door.

  She already knew it was Maya. She scented her long before Maya knocked on the door. She pulled the heavy wooden door open and let her satisfaction show on her face. Maya’s bright smile spoke volumes.

  “Hello, dear,” Gerri said, pulling Maya in for a hug.

  “Hi, Gerri!”

  She led Maya inside and ushered her toward the living room. “Please, come join me for some tea and cookies.”

  “I wasn’t really hungry,” Maya mumbled, but stared at the large plate of chocolate chip cookies, still warm from baking. “I guess I can have one.”

  Gerri bit back a laugh. One. Nobody ever had a single cookie. It was impossible. “So,” she said, sitting down and pouring herself a cup of tea. “How are things going with Noah?”

  Maya sighed, picking up a cookie, placing it on a small plate, then moving the plate on to her lap. “Okay.”

  “Okay?” Dammit. Something was wrong. Gerri hated when she thought a couple was perfect for each other and things got in the way. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s not him. It’s just that the boyfriend I told you about keeps calling and won’t leave me alone. I don’t know how to focus on Noah when I’m annoyed with Bud.”

  “Oh.” Gerri dumped a teaspoon of sugar in her cup and stirred until she didn’t see any granules. “Have you told Noah?”

  She shook her head. “I have to deal with him myself. What kind of person would I be to be asking some new guy to get rid of my ex?”

  “A smart one?” Gerri asked, her brows rising. “Darling, Noah is a shifter. A strong one at that. He is used to getting rid of problems for people.”

  “Um, what does that mean?”

  Gerri waved the spoon in the air. “It means he used to be an enforcer to my nephew’s pack a while back.”

  “Wait. Didn’t you say you come from wolves?”

  “Yes.”

  “So you had a panther as an enforcer to a wolf pack?” she asked, sounding confused.

  “Yes. But that’s normal between our people. Besides, Noah is like a son to me. Much like Connor is.” Gerri put the spoon down, the metal clinking on the porcelain. “You should just tell Noah. It’s what couples do. Men like to feel useful.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t do that. Besides, we’re not a couple. We just started seeing each other. I can’t go off and ask him to take care of that. And Bud is an idiot. He’s not smart enough to do anything dangerous to me. It’s just annoying.”

  “So you’re saying you prefer to deal with a moron ex than to let a strong man with a commanding presence help you?”

  “It’s not that I don’t want him to help me. I can handle Bud. I just wish Bud would listen to my words about us never getting together again.”

  “Well, you know what they say, men are only as smart as their penises.”

  Maya choked on her tea, sputtering the liquid out as she coughed. “Excuse me?”

  “It’s either that or men are just stupid, but I prefer to think it’s the penis thing. It seems to me they never think with their real brains.”

  Maya grinned, her eyes watery from coughing. “Don’t hold back, Gerri. Tell me what you rea
lly think.”

  “Darling, please. I’ve lived long enough to know that most men will fuck up at some point in their lives. It’s usually because they don’t listen to common sense.” Gerri picked up her tea cup and took a sip.

  “I have some questions about Noah.”

  Gerri sensed Maya’s indecision. She wanted to calm whatever fears the girl had, but she knew humans were different than shifters, not to mention most women had a hard time believing a hot man would be ready to drop to his knees upon meeting a women he felt was the one for him. “Sure thing. What do you need to know?”

  “He mentioned mating. Can you explain that a little?”

  Gerri’s smile widened. There it was. She knew he was ready to promise eternal love. “In this day and age, I bet you have a hard time believing that he’d fall for you so quickly, huh?”

  Maya glanced down at her lap, her dark skin coloring with embarrassment. “Maybe.” She met Gerri’s gaze. “It’s not that I don’t feel I deserve a man who goes crazy for me and wants to love me and all that. It’s just...well, not really what I’m used to.”

  “I can understand that.” Gerri sipped her tea again before placing the cup down and sitting back on her chair. “Noah is not crazy. I’m sure that might have run through your mind at some point. He’s a shifter. Shifters are decisive. They know what they want. In this case, he knows who he wants: You. He also knows that the animal inside him helps dictate his desire for a female.”

  “That’s the part I am having trouble with. How could he know if I’m right for him?”

  “Think of it this way. His animal is like a more primitive version of the man. The animal is not led by societal rules or any of that nonsense. He knows what he wants based on scent. You have the right pheromones for him. And that won’t change.”

  “So both the man and the panther want a mate?”

  “They’re one. Noah wants you not just physically, Maya. He wants you every way possible.” Gerri met her gaze with a serious one. “He will do anything to make you happy. So when you’re debating giving him a chance, think about that. Here’s a man that appreciates curves, isn’t trying to put your ass on the air diet, has an amazing sex drive, because they all do, and will love unconditionally.”