The Purrfect Predicament (Australian Shifters)

by Angela Castle

  Every doubt about Andy's crazy plan vanished. They weren't kidnapping Juniper, no, they were rescuing her.

  "I'm glad you're here." Her voice, barely a whisper, filled with heartbreaking sadness. She hugged him close.

  He purred loudly. We're here for you now, baby girl, now and always. Soon you'll be safe, with us, forever.

  Chapter Four

  Warmth surrounded Juniper, as she slowly stirred. Hummm, it felt so good, something soft and purring was pressed against her side. A smile curved her lips up as she opened her eyes, drew in a deep breath and lifted her hand to run it through the Panther's soft fur.

  She yawned; her sleepy gaze falling on the Panther nestled into her side.

  "Good morning sweetie."

  His purr grew louder as he lifted his head, gazing at her, before rising up onto his paws to nuzzle in, pushing against her t-shirt covered breasts.

  She giggled and rubbed his head and neck with both hands. "What is it with you and my chest, huh?"

  It felt strange, yet nice waking up with a big kitty in her bed. She loved his affectionate nature.

  "It's a good thing it's Saturday; no work today."

  The big cat lifted his head and licked his lips, staring at her in a…something was different about Andy this morning, she was sure, but couldn't pinpoint what it was.

  I'm being stupid, my over active imagination playing tricks on me.

  "I guess your owner will be here soon to collect you." She sighed as sadness weighed heavily on her heart. Strange, she'd only had Andy in her home one night and already the thought of him leaving hurt more than it should.

  He brought her a strange sense of comfort and safety she'd never thought she'd feel again. But keeping him was impossible.

  "C'mon, big fella, let me up, I need to get dressed before Mr. Sinfully Sexy turns up for you. At least I'll get one last glimpse of male perfection before I'm dragged back to reality."

  Andy yawned, stretched his back in a low arc, like a, well, a cat. He stepped off her mattress, his paws padding softly on the bare wooden floors. She threw back her covers and sat up, placing her feet on the floor.

  Lifting one leg she rested it on her knee to examine her blisters. "Damn, I can't afford band-aids this week, let alone new socks and shoes. Even from a thrift store."

  Andy moved in and licked the sole of her foot, making her bust out into a fit of ticklish hysterics. "Don't lick my feet, silly cat; I haven't had a wash today." He growled, lifted his head and instead licked her face.

  She shoved him back, still laughing as she climbed to her feet. How long had it been since she'd laughed like this?

  "I know you bathe yourself, but people need soap and water, you know." She wandered into the kitchen and filled the large kettle, placing it on the stove.

  "Thirsty, sweetie?" she filled one of the bowls from last night and placed it on the floor. Andy gave it a few licks before sitting back still watching her. "If you're hungry, I'm afraid you'll have to wait till your owner comes to collect you. You ate last night's chicken factory. No wonder you're so big if you eat so much. Can't say the same for me; I thought eating less would guarantee I would lose weight, but no, still a tubby lump of lard."

  Andy's sudden growl came low and menacing, startling her. "Hey, what's wrong, sweetie?" His growling stopped and he moved in again rubbing himself around her legs.

  "You are acting strange today, not that I know how you normally act." The kettle whistled, and Andy stepped back as she quickly turned off the heat.

  "You stay out here; I'm just going to have a wash." She carried the kettle in to the little bathroom, but Andy just followed her and sat in the doorway watching.

  An uneasy feeling settled over her, the way his eyes watched her. I'm being stupid again; he's just a big curious cat.

  "You just like being around people." That had to be it. Doing her best to ignore his eyes on her, she went about her task.

  Having no hot water sucked, but she couldn't afford to pay water heating bills as well as the power and rent. She filled her larger bucket and added some cold to make it lukewarm. She stripped off her t-shirt, stepped into the little tub and grabbed the wash cloth and soap, dipping it in. She made sure it was sudsy, before running it over her skin. It took several dips, dampening her short hair. She rinsed out the cloth in cold water and used the fresh warmer water to wash off the soap. She lifted the bucket, pouring the remaining warm water over her head.

  She sighed, feeling clean again. Her skin prickled, and she shivered at the cooler air against her wet skin. She stepped out of the little tub and grabbed the old thread-bare towel. She squeaked as a big nosey cat suddenly jumped up knocking her off balance. He darted around, and she fell backwards on him, breaking her fall, before she hurt herself. Her rounded arse hit the cold floor as the cat scooted out and loomed over her with his furry body. She squealed as the hot wet sensation of his raspy tongue slid over her right nipple.

  "Oh my God, no! Bad kitty, bad Andy!" He ignored her as his questing tongue lapped at the water droplets, hungrily moving from breast to breast. His licks sent spikes of confused pleasure shooting through her, centering on her clit, making her pussy dampen.

  This was bad, perverse! Every kind of wrong. She regained her senses enough to shove heavily at his head. He stopped licking her breast and took a step back. She breathed a sigh of relief.

  "Oh fuck!" She bolted upright as he suddenly shoved his nose right between slightly widened legs, his tongue slid between the folds of her sex.

  "No!" She went to push at his head. Andy's growl was low and dangerous. Juniper froze in sudden fear. "Please don't." Her whisper came out soft and breathless.

  He pulled back and sat. He raised his head and licked his chops, his intense gaze on her face for a moment before it dropped back down to the junction of her thighs. He tilted his head then moved up against her body, rubbing against her, once again acting like the tame domestic cat.

  "Did your owner train you to do that? Is it some sick game?" Shaking, she climbed to her feet, more embarrassed at how her body had reacted than anything else.

  How the hell can I get turned on by an animal, it is…just, so…so wrong.

  She hurried to the bedroom and quickly pulled on underwear and her jeans. When she reached for the bandages to suppress her breasts, Andy was there again. He jumped up and snatched them between his sharp teeth.

  "Hey those are mine, I need them!"

  He growled and shook his head. "I swear you understand what I'm saying."

  The cat dropped her bandages between his paws and glared back at her, as if daring her to try and take them.

  "You are becoming more trouble than you're worth!" Anger rolled through her. She could forgo the bandages today, but couldn't go anywhere with her breast swinging free. She didn't have any bras. Oh, what a mess!

  She grabbed her vest and tugged it over her head and grabbed the ugly blue plaid shirt from yesterday, glaring back at the big cat. "Your owner should be here soon and you'll be out of my life. I can go back to…" Sadness, loneliness, and constant fear.

  As if on cue, a knock sounded at the door. Andy turned and trotted out of the bedroom. Forgoing shoes, as they hurt her anyway, she found her thick glasses on the kitchen bench and hurried to the door, un-hitching the chains before swinging it in.

  "Hello beautiful."

  He leaned against the door, dressed in blue jeans and a black shirt molded against his upper chest, displaying muscular shoulders and guns for biceps. Her heart went into overdrive. Wow. He was amazing. Even with the reflective shades covering his eyes, it didn't detract from the mouth-watering sexiness of Hamish Brown…hang on, something was different, the way he stood; his confident smug smile. She quickly clued in.

  "You're not Hamish."

  "A gold star, sweetheart, I'm Andy. Despite what my older-by-two-minutes-brother says, I'm by far the better looking one."

  Juniper gaped at him. They were both deliciously sexy, and damn the men knew
it. But hang on a moment.

  "You're here to collect your brother's Panther."

  "Yes, that and something else." Andy suddenly stepped into her space, forcing her to take a step back. The black bag he'd been clutching he tossed towards the cat. It landed at his feet with a loud clank on the floor.

  Andy's scent invaded her senses as she breathed him in. Warm, spicy and slightly woodsy, oh boy, that was something she could easily become addicted to. Why did he have to smell so good? "Everything we need is in there, hurry up Hamish."

  "Hamish?" She glanced at the Panther. "But I thought—Hey!"

  Andy lifted the thick-framed glasses from her face. She gasped as he tossed them onto her couch. The predatory look in Andy's eyes made her back up another step, till her back hit the wall. His right hand flattened against the wall, right by her head, caging her in.

  Her eyes widened in sudden fear and trepidation, her mind and body clashing at the feel of his heat pressed against her.

  "You may be able to fool everyone else, but Hamish and I are not fooled by your act. We know who you are."

  Oh God, no, he'd found her. Panic welled, making her chest tight, her breathing rapid. Run, run now!

  "You are the sexiest woman we've ever met."

  She blinked rapidly. Hang on did he just say...

  "And when we see something we like, we take, and baby we like you a lot. You belong to us now."

  "What—Hey!"

  His hand cupped the back of her neck, yanking her against his length; even through jeans and a black shirt she could feel his hard muscular body.

  Her protest was muffled by his lips descending on hers. Surprise made her struggle when his tongue forced its way between her lips. Her resistance melted at the hot, wet carnal taste of him. He dominated her mouth, plundered it.

  Her eyes closed, and she felt swept away as she sagged against him. One hand cupped her arse, pulling her closer. She could feel the hardness of his erection poking into her soft belly.

  Was this what it was like to be kissed like one of the women in her books? Wow, her head spun, she felt faint, weak and needy. Nothing like the soft, stumbling kisses of...

  The faint noise in the background she ignored, focusing on how Andy Brown was making her feel. Her breasts felt heavy as they pressed against his chest, a growing ache developed between her legs as her juices flowed. God, she squirmed, feeling the juices dampen her underwear.

  He broke the kiss, and she whimpered. Her eyes fluttered open and she realized her hands were fisting his black shirt. Clinging to him like a drunken idiot, her mind was still spinning.

  "That's it, baby, let go, let it happen, we're going to take you now. Are you ready?"

  Was he talking about sex? "Ready?" Yes she wanted him but…

  "Ready, Bro?" A deep voice rumbled from behind her. She startled and glanced over her shoulder, staring into a pair of identical chocolate brown eyes.

  "Hamish?" Where had he come from, where was the Panther?

  "Now, Bro." Andy's hand slid down her arms. He gripped her wrists, pulling them behind her back. She jumped at the feel of something soft and fuzzy clamping around her wrists. Metal clicked into place.

  "Fuzzy tiger print, really?" Hamish still gripped her arms.

  "It was all I could get on short notice. You try driving around half of Sydney at three a.m. to find a kink store."

  "What the hell!" she gasped, trying to pull her hands free. Trapped, her eyes widened as realization sank in.

  She sucked in a breath to scream as she started to struggle. But they were too quick. A ball gag was shoved into her mouth and buckled behind her head; a blindfold placed over her eyes plunged everything into darkness.

  "Mffftttt…"

  "Gotta say that was easier than I thought it would be," Hamish said.

  "It's the pull of true mates, one kiss and she melted. I can't wait to get her home." Andy grinned.

  "Bastard, at least I got to taste other things." The smile in Hamish's tone was clear.

  What the hell were they talking about? She thrashed in blind panic, as she was lifted off her feet, and set on someone's shoulder. "Easy, sweetheart," Andy said. "I know you don't believe us now. But we're the good guys, I promise. You are ours now, and we look after what belongs to us."

  Ours, belong to them? Oh, hell no! She was being kidnapped! By two crazy, albeit insanely handsome, twins. Had Bill sent them? No, no, no!

  "I'll get her to the car. It's still early and we don't want to be spotted."

  "Go, I'll close the door."

  She bounced on Andy's shoulder as he carried her out. "Breathe through your nose, Juniper, slow, deep breaths." She was lowered onto something soft. Her head was on a pillow. She could feel the vibrations of the running vehicle as he secured several straps to stop her moving about. He then tossed what felt like a soft mink blanket over her.

  Great, kidnapped in luxury. Perverts! How the hell do they know my name?

  Car doors opened and closed, and the vehicle shot forward. "I'll breathe easy when we reach our homelands. What did River say?"

  "He's all on board. I told him what was going on, and he's got our friends looking into the situation. The safest place for her is with us. I'm sure as hell not leaving her in this dump another night."

  "I'm with you there, Bro."

  Juniper stilled. If they'd been hit men, she'd already be dead and not talking about her safety or her poor accommodations. So who the hell were these twins, if they didn't want to kill her? Was the Panther and the kiss just a distraction? Where was the Panther?

  They weren't the cops, no; those bastards wouldn't pull such an elaborate stunt as Panthers and kisses. They'd just barge in, flash badges and take her.

  So, who the hell had she just been kidnapped by and what were they going to do to her?

  Chapter Five

  Hamish drew in a breath of fresher air, the city always messed with his more delicate shifter senses. But the constant hardened state of his cock pressing against the zipper of his jeans was another matter.

  He shifted again in the driver's seat.

  "You too? Hey, mine hasn't gone down since I bumped into her at the café."

  He glanced to see Andy attempting to adjust his own crotch. Indeed, they both had it bad for their little mate. Hamish shook his head.

  Yes, they had her all wrapped up and in the back of the Wrangler, but hadn't heard a peep from her in the last half hour, since they'd hit bushland. But still, they had another forty minutes until they reached Black Town.

  "She's quiet, fallen asleep do you think? I'm worried about her breathing with that gag in. Human females are more fragile than our own."

  Hamish saw the mirrored concern in his twin's eyes. "Yeah, pull over and we'll check on her. We should take it off now."

  Hamish slowed and pulled off the main road onto a bush track, out of sight, before bringing the Wrangler to a full stop. They both climbed out and headed around the back and pulled open the door.

  Hamish saw she'd managed to turn herself around despite the straps to stop her being tossed about by any unexpected turns or sharp braking.

  Andy tugged off the blanket, eyeing the back of her shirt with distaste. "Bloody ugly shirt, gonna burn it the first chance I get."

  "Then you should do that along with all your clothing." Hamish reached for her head, unbuckling the ball gag, gently pulling it from between her lips. "There you go, sweetheart, you can yell at us all you want now."

  Andy snorted. "What's wrong with my taste in clothes? It's a darn sight better than yours, you dress like an eighties reject." Hamish gently touched Juniper's face. She was hot. Worry made him roll her over. "Andy get some water, did you bring any food?"

  He swiftly removed her cuffs, as Andy hurried back to the passenger side. "I got chocolate bars, I know she likes chocolate."

  Hamish moved her arms to her front, massaging them. "Wake up, baby girl, let me know you're okay."

  Her eyes opened at the same time she
curled her legs up and kicked, hitting him right in the solar plexus. He hissed as he stumbled backwards and tripped over a branch, falling on his arse.

  Shit! She leapt rather agilely from the back of the car and was off on bare feet, running like a rabbit through the bushland.

  Andy streaked past him, darting after her. Hamish heard the crash and cursed as he climbed back to his feet, brushing off the leaves from his jeans and drawing in a deep breath.

  Never run from a predator, honey.

  Damn she was strong. He liked that she'd got one over on him; she was a fighter and a survivor. He smiled, hearing her scream of frustration and Andy's low chuckle.

  "Sweetheart, if you wanted to play all you had to do was ask."

  She was draped over his shoulder again, beating against his back as he carried her towards the Wrangler.

  "Let me go, asshole! You can't do this, it's illegal!"

  "Sure." He set her on her feet against the Wrangler, leaning over her on her right, as Hamish leaned in on her left, trapping her against it. Andy pulled his mobile phone from his pocket, holding it out to her. "Go ahead, call the cops."

  She floundered, her mouth clamped shut ignoring the phone. Hamish leaned in on her other side.

  "That's what we thought."

  "Who the hell are you, why are you doing this to me?"

  "Baby girl, we're rescuing you; not kidnapping you."

  "How the hell do you know I even need rescuing? You don't know me; you don't know who I am!"

  "True, we don't know everything, but it's just a matter of time before we do. In the meantime, we're going to get to know each other in other ways."

  "Is this some sick, perverted game? Who are you?" She glanced from him to Andy.

  "I'm Hamish and that is Andy. We're the Brown brothers. We live in Black Town, smack in the middle of Black Australian Native Forest. We help run the Black Earth moving company and have general duties about the town."

  She was so adorable the way she scrunched her forehead when confused.

  "So why the hell kidnap me?"

  "Like I said before," Andy continued. "When we see something we like, we take it. Mind you, that little disguise you had going on did fool us for a little while."