Rapid Pulse: A Limited Edition Spicy Romance Collection

by Gina Kincade

Declan chuckled, “Much more of a challenge than the last time we played, my heart. But if that is how you want to lose tonight, then I’m more than happy to oblige you.”

  Leaves fell as he leapt to the next branch, following the sound and smell of his mate. He could feel his excitement mount as he played the cat to her mouse and the desire to claim her grew as he chased his prey, looking forward to what would happen when he caught her. Tamara had always been a good sport when it came to his peculiar tastes in bedroom games and Declan was glad of it. This was especially true since he’d come home with his new affliction. He heard her laughter as she ran through the woods behind his house and he followed the sound as his keen eyes searched the night for movement.

  Tamara slowed to catch her breath and called out, “You won’t catch me this time, Declan. I will win this night. While the end result is always fun, I’m tired of losing. Sometimes I think it unfair that you shift before you hunt me.”

  Declan saw movement to the right of the tree he had perched in as he replied, “Ah, but that is why I give you a head start, dear heart. So that you have time to hide before I do hunt you. Let’s not forget that my senses are heightened even in my human form, so I’m sure I would still be able to win our game even if I didn’t shift. It’s just much more fun this way. Not to mention the fact that I must shift at least twice a month or else the magic takes over and the choice is no longer my own.”

  She could hear the mirth in his voice and knew that she had been found. She ducked behind a tree, still trying to catch her breath and wishing upon one of the many stars above her head that she was wrong. Leaves fell in her hair and she looked up into the bright brown eyes of an animal that looked like a small cougar. Gasping, she pressed herself against the trunk of the tree and watched as the animal’s round ears twitched, discouraged that she had once again lost a game of hide and seek against her lover. There was a human intelligence in those eyes that studied her and Tamara was certain that she was looking at Declan in his Fossa form. She moved away from the tree and watched as he made his way slowly down, his eyes never leaving hers, taking in the appearance of his animal body. His body was long and sleek, like that of one of the big cats of the world. His head was mongoose-like in appearance with a muzzle that was broad and short, much like a dog’s. The eyes were set relatively wide apart and when he blinked, the pupils contracted to slits. Declan jumped onto the ground from the lowest branch and Tamara’s attention was drawn to the tail that was twitching. It was long, like a monkey’s, and was moving slowly back and forth like a cat would before pouncing. She’d never seen a Fossa in her life, hadn’t even known they existed before she’d met Declan, and was mesmerized by the beautiful cat-like creature.

  “This is why I didn’t want to show you this part of me. Please will you kindly stop staring?” Declan said in embarrassment.

  Tamara jumped slightly, her body breaking out in goosebumps.

  It was unnerving to have an animal talk to her but she recovered quickly, “Oh sure! Sorry, my love, I didn’t mean to stare. It’s just that you are such a beautiful creature.”

  She looked over his shoulder to the tree behind him, “Just how high up were you?”

  Her skin tingled as Declan changed into his human form so close to her and the magic surged to engulf her lover’s body.

  He followed her gaze up the tall tree, “Pretty high up there. I gotta say I may have to do some more research on Fossas. I keep finding new abilities in that form.”

  Tamara laughed, turning to look at her mate, “I wasn’t aware that you’d quit researching them. After all, you were taking animal science when we met. You’ve always been fascinated by the animals of Madagascar and were studying the mysterious Cryptoprocta Ferox before you came home with the ability to shift into one.”

  She tilted her head to the right, as if something had just come to her, “You know, you never did tell me how you became a Were, and such a rare one at that.”

  She moved closer to him, running her hand along his naked and slightly sweaty chest.

  He grabbed her hand as it made its way further down and pulled her towards him, “It’s not something I like to talk about much. Not only because it ruined my one shot at studying in Madagascar and living my dream but because I still don’t fully understand what is happening to me and why. Maybe someday I’ll tell you all about it but today is not going to be that day.”

  He crushed her to him and claimed her mouth, kissing her with a passion that caught her breath in her throat. The two of them sank to their knees in the soft grass beneath them as their kisses became more insistent, their hands exploring each other’s bodies. Tamara moaned in protest when Declan stopped kissing her and moved away. But her moans soon turned to those of pleasure as he moved his kisses down her body, stripping her clothes away as he went.

  Once she was completely naked, he sat back and looked at her, “You are so beautiful, my love. Even more so with the soft moonlight shining upon your pale skin. I believe I will take my time tonight.”

  Tamara held her arms out, “I think that is a wonderful idea, my heart. We should take our time tonight and enjoy each other as if today was our last day on Earth.”

  Declan shook his head with a smile, “As much as I would love to cover your body with my own.”

  “I want to do so much more first,” he said as his smile turned more mischievous.

  “You have such a glorious body that I just have to explore; with my mouth,” he placed a kiss on her neck.

  “My teeth,” he nipped her collar bone.

  “And my tongue,” he finished as he lapped down her cleavage

  He ran his finger sensually over her right breast, moving his touch slowly down her side, “I want to taste you, Tamara, and I want to make you scream my name before I ever slide my cock inside of your pussy. I want you dripping and begging me to enter you.”

  Tamara squirmed in anticipation as Declan leaned forward and lightly licked her left nipple, bringing it to a tight peak, “So hold on tight, dear heart, because we’re about to find out just how much foreplay you can handle in one sitting.”

  He gave her a wink and returned to raining kisses down the front of her body, leaving a scorching trail from her neck to her breasts slowly circling her right nipple with his tongue until it also stood at attention for him. Sucking it into his mouth, he bit down softly, just giving it a nibble before moving on to the other side to repeat the same actions. Satisfied that he had given her breasts the attention they deserved, he moved his kisses further down her body until he could taste the desire that was coming off of her in waves. Declan lay between her legs, spreading them a bit further apart and gripped her thighs, bringing her pussy closer to his mouth. He let out a slow warm breath, just to see her squirm, then flicked her clit with just the tip of his tongue. Tamara’s breath caught in her throat once more as she fought her instinct to move knowing that she wouldn’t get far with the strong grip Declan had on her thighs. He inhaled deeply and then playfully bit the inside of her right thigh causing her to writhe and try to break free of his grasp.

  He smiled up at her, “This is going to be so much fun. Are you ready, my love?”

  Without waiting for her answer, Declan began lapping at the juices that were already flowing from her pussy. Tamara began to writhe more urgently and her breathing was coming in short pants as she fought to hold her orgasm at bay. When he began to focus solely on her clit she broke free of his grip on her thighs and slid away from him, only to have him grasp her thighs harder and pull her back towards his eager and waiting mouth. Tamara knew that she would have bruises in the morning but she didn’t care. She could feel the orgasm begin to crash over her in waves and she cried out in pleasure, begging him not to stop.

  Declan looked up at her, his face glistening with her juices, “Do you need a break before I continue?”

  Tamara knew he was only teasing her and that it didn’t really matter how she answered, but she nodded her head anyway as she tried to catch h
er breath, “Yes, please. I don’t think I can handle anymore right this second.”

  He covered her body with his own, slowly entering her with his rigid cock, “That’s too bad. There is no stopping tonight, my heart. I want you too badly.”

  She said nothing as her hips rose off the ground to meet his thrust, her body taking all of him without resistance. She loved the feel of him filling her up after he brought her to orgasm with his tongue and was looking forward to whatever else Declan had in store for her.

  Chapter Two

  As the two of them were getting dressed, Tamara looked over her shoulder at the tree they were standing under, “How high did you say you had gotten again?”

  Declan chuckled as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, “High enough to see you running through the woods trying to stay hidden from view.”

  She laughed with him, snuggling closer, “Well, I had planned on winning tonight. We see how well that worked out. I blame it on the cursed full moon.”

  She turned around in his arms and gave him a kiss on his cheek, then rested her head on his chest, “But though I may not have succeeded on winning the game of hide and seek, I believe I won something far better in the long run.”

  Declan picked her up and kissed her until she was breathless before he answered, “I agree. But it certainly is rather cute to watch you try so hard to win. The look of determination on your face as you race through the woods, knowing in the back of your mind that there is no way you can win against me is absolutely priceless.”

  Tamara gave him a glare as he set her back on her feet, smacking him in the chest as she responded, “Mark my words, Declan Fairfax, I will win one of our weekend games of cat and mouse. You can trust me on that. Maybe we should play this game with you in your human form. Test those heightened senses of yours.”

  His laughter shook his frame as he saw that determination he had been talking about cross her face, “We shall see, my heart. If I hadn’t gone to the top of those tress you may have won this evening, but I will certainly take your offer into consideration for one of these weekends. It should make for some good research into my Were existence and how both sides work together.”

  Declan lifted his head, sniffing the air, “We should get back to the cabin. I can smell a thunderstorm brewing. Besides, a friend of mine is coming over that I want to introduce you to. I have a feeling the two of you are really going to hit it off.”

  She looked at Declan, anger and disbelief warring for dominance on her face, “You invited a friend over and are just now telling me about it? I mean, don’t get me wrong Declan, I enjoy entertaining guests, but I prefer more than a few hours’ notice. Do you think they’ll be staying for dinner? There isn’t much food in the cabin since we still have to go shopping but I’m famished. All of this running around really works up an appetite so I can only imagine how hungry you must be. I don’t want to appear rude by not offering your friend something to eat since I’ll be cooking for us. Do you know if we have any wine?”

  Declan ducked his head, trying to hide the shame on his face, “We can check when we get back to the cabin. As for him staying for dinner, I can’t be too sure. I suppose it really depends on how bad the storm that’s rolling in gets to be. Do you have any idea what you want to make?”

  Tamara cocked her head to the side, thinking, “Well I guess it really depends on two things; one, if your friend is going to be joining us and two, what your friend likes to eat. I mean, is he like you?”

  His brought his head up and looked at his fiancée with a smile, “In a manner of speaking. But I’m sure steak, or any kind of red meat, will work. Do you know what kind of wine goes best with red meat?”

  She returned his smile with a strained one of her own, “It all depends on the meat, but I would definitely go with a red. Any of the reds actually; Pinot Noir, Zinfindel, Merlot, Cabernet or Syrah should do nicely. Um, are you planning on grilling the meat for dinner or leaving it up to me to make sure it gets cooked?”

  It was Declan’s turn to cock his head to the side, a thoughtful look on his face, “I suppose I could fire the grill up. But if this storm is going to be as bad as I think it will, grilling is out of the question. Though truth be told, I really like it when you cook. I truly love watching you in the kitchen. You seem to be in your element while cooking. But you own a restaurant so I guess it makes sense that you would feel at home in any kitchen.”

  Tamara rolled her eyes and laughed, her face lighting up with her humor, “I do love to cook, my owning a restaurant notwithstanding. All right, then we can take the Syrah off the wine list because that one only goes well with barbecue. But since I’m the one doing the cooking you’re going to be the one to go through the fridge and pantry to see what we have on hand. That is because if we don’t have what I need, you’ll be making a trip to the store, mister, rain storm or not. If I am cooking, that makes me the chef and you are my kitchen help.”

  He laced his fingers with hers and the two headed in the direction of his cabin, enjoying the night sounds. His body practically hummed with the excitement that was still running through his system from the game of hide and seek he had recently won.

  As the cabin came into view Tamara cleared her throat, “If you don’t mind, I’m going to take a shower while you take inventory of what we have in the way of food. I want to get the smell of grass, moss, trees, and sex off me before meeting your friend. And don’t forget to go into the wine cellar to see what types of wine we have, if any. When I get out of the shower we can talk about what else we might need.”

  Declan nodded and squeezed her hand, “Agreed. And before I go to the store, if needed, then I’ll take a shower. I want to get all those smells off of me too. Christian isn’t going to be over until around sevenish so we have some time. Not as much as I know you’d prefer when you prep and cook a meal, but time in any case. Have I told you how much I love the winter season and the fact that it gets darker so much faster?”

  She laughed, her face almost glowing, “I had a feeling. Now let’s get inside before the sky opens up and drenches us. Even I can smell the rain now.”

  He opened the door and ushered her in, “Consider it done. Go on up and get showered. I’ll see you in about twenty minutes.”

  Tamara walked in the front door, stripping as she went, “You know, we can always do the inventory together, me going through the food while you go through the wine. What time is it right now?”

  Declan looked at the clock above the fireplace as he shut the door behind him, “It’s just now six. Why? What do you have on that naughty little mind of yours?”

  She sashayed over to him, placing her hand on his chest as she stood on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear, “My naughty little mind is thinking that since we both need to get cleaned up before your friend arrives that maybe we should conserve water and shower together.”

  He grinned, pulling her toward him until there was no space between their bodies, “Is that so?”

  Tamara ran her hand through his hair, gently tugging on it to make sure she had his attention, “Yep. What do you say?”

  Declan wrapped his fingers in her hair, pulling it until her neck bent back so that she was looking into his eyes, “I say, if we shower together we won’t have a whole lot of time to get everything together for my friend’s visit. But if you’re game, then I’m completely on board.”

  She pulled back just enough to give him a wicked grin them claimed his mouth with her own before leaving his arms completely and leading the way up the stairs to the bathroom.

  He stood at the bottom of the steps and watched her climb them for a few minutes before following her. His gaze traveled up her long legs to her ass, where it lingered for a few minutes.

  Declan almost wished that he could remain at the bottom of the stairs to enjoy the view, I love to watch her strut that ass as she walks away. I wonder if she does that for my benefit.

  Declan could hear the shower running as he took the las
t step into the upstairs hallway and his cock stirred in his eagerness to have his mate again. Tamara was like an addiction that he never wanted to get rid of. Declan would bet money that he would never get tired of her.

  Tamara placed her hand under the running water, making sure that the temperature was just the way she wanted it before she called out to her wayward mate. “Are you coming or not? I might just be forced to start without you. You’re well aware of my lack of patience.”

  He chuckled as he came around the corner and leaned against the doorframe, “Oh start without me. That’s something I would love to see. You know how much I love to watch. Is the water as hot as you like it?”

  She smiled as she watched him walk into the spacious bathroom, the steam from the shower swirling around them and fogging up the mirror, “Nope. I made it cooler than I usually like it because you’re going to be in the shower with me and I know you don’t like your water too hot. I’ve said it before and I have no problem saying it again, you are such a wuss when it comes to heat. I will never understand it.”

  Declan laughed, “Yes, well you are a sadist since you like to burn your skin off with the hottest water possible. I still don’t get why you do that. Do you like looking like a lobster? Why not lie out in the sun all day and get a sunburn?”

  Tamara stepped into the bathtub, looking over her shoulder at Declan, “Because, my love, sunburns hurt as they heal, not to mention that they hang around for a few days, whereas turning lobster red due to having a hot, hot shower is only temporary. Besides you’ve never tried it so how would you know how bad it is?”

  He followed his mate into the tub and waited until she was under the spray of the water before stepping in himself.

  Declan laughed as he picked up the bar of soap, getting his hands sudsy, “I’ve stepped into the bathroom while you were in the shower, my heart. I find it hard to breathe with the steam and heat. Now turn around, my love, so I can wash your back. We should at least attempt to get washed before we give in to our desires.”