Deja shifted and took off into the trees in the direction that Heath had run. She breathed deep, taking in the scent she knew so well. From its concentration, she judged him far ahead of her. The man could run, and if he didn’t stop, she might never catch him.
After what felt like hours, she was getting winded, but it seemed like Heath’s scent grew stronger. With the moon high in the sky, she slowed down to a walk and padded along on silent paws. He came into view standing in his tiger form before a beautiful lake. The water rippled with gentle waves and seemed to glow in the still night. A breeze stirred her fur, ticklish. Who would not find peace amid this scene?
When she stepped up behind him, Heath spun around and growled at her. Deja shifted to human form and put her hands on her hips. “Fucker, I know you didn’t just growl at me. I will kick your ass out here.”
She waited for him to change, but he just stood there, confusion and anger in his eyes. Now she realized the danger of him being out here alone. Instead of the secluded setting giving him peace, it fueled his guilt and probably made him replay everything that happened over and over in his mind. He hung on the edge, and if she didn’t do something, he might not come back.
Deja dropped to her knees in front of him. He continued to growl, but she ignored the sharp teeth bared to her and wrapped her arms around his neck. “It’s so not that serious, Heath. Okay, you screwed up. So what? No one really got hurt. You saved Tina’s life. She’s fine by the way, sitting there with Joe and soaking up all the attention everyone is giving her.” She tried for a chuckle, but Heath didn’t respond. “Change so I can talk to you.”
At first she thought he would ignore her, but slowly his body began to grow and morph into that of a man. Instead of the tiger’s head on her shoulder, the man lay there. Her pulse quickened. They were both naked.
Heath pulled away from her and sat on his ass, facing the water. She scooted in beside him, allowing her hip to brush his. Desire began to curl in her belly, but she didn’t make any other moves. He needed to get out the thoughts tormenting him.
“I was supposed to protect everyone. Instead, I put them in danger.”
“Okay.”
He glanced at her and then sighed turning back to the water.
“I attacked one of our own. Supposed to be the alpha’s son. What the fuck does that mean anyway?”
“Nothing.”
He frowned. “Deja, are you trying to make me feel better or worse?”
She smiled, and just as she knew he would, he smiled back. His hand came up to caress her cheek. She kissed his fingers. “You’re not a god. I want to say you’re only human, but you’re not. There’s human in you. Ordinary. Makes mistakes. You also have tiger in you, and he knows to fight to survive or to protect. He knows instinct. A tiger can’t say ‘hey, Joe, get out of my way so I can kill all the enemies threatening my family.’ He only knows biting and scratching to get his point across.”
Heath shook his head. Now, the beautiful blue eyes were filled with amusement. “That simple, huh?”
“Yeah, that simple.” She wrapped an arm around his and leaned closer. “We are complex creatures. We reason and we live on instinct. The two sides can work in harmony, but often they war against each other. Each side has its own way of doing things, so sometimes there’s an argument about who is in charge.”
“Hmm, so you’re an expert now, huh?” His words held no bitterness, just calm acceptance.
“Yes, I’m the expert. Didn’t you know that?”
“I know you’re driving me insane with your breast pressed against my arm, and if you don’t want me burying my cock between your legs, you’d better get up.”
She didn’t move a muscle.
“Deja,” he said, a note of warning in his tone.
She found herself flat on her back with Heath looking down at her. His hot gaze roved her body from her breasts to her belly to her pussy. The raw need echoed her own, and she lay her arms out to the side, palms up. When she raised her chin and turned her head slightly to the side, he growled low. His tongue touched the pulse at the base of her throat, and her pussy clenched. She gasped, arching her back.
“Heath.”
“You’ve got to want this, Deja,” he murmured against her skin. “I can’t stop myself this time.”
“I’m not asking you to.”
“I pushed you.”
She looked into his eyes when he raised his head. “What do you mean?”
A feeling she couldn’t describe came over her, as if he tugged at her with an invisible cord. She leaned up to run her tongue along the column of his neck. Whimpering, she nipped his skin and rubbed her breasts back and forth over his chest. Then the pull was gone, and she fell back down. Her eyes wide, she stared at him.
“I didn’t have control.” The reality of it took her breath away. “You can…you can make me do whatever you want, whenever you want?”
Shame registered in his face, and he moved away. She sat up. He ran a hand through this hair. “I don’t know.”
“That night when it was raining, I came to the house in my nightie, barefoot.”
He nodded.
“I remember thinking I needed to go to you. My body felt so hot, I couldn’t stand it. I craved you inside me like I would die if you didn’t take me, and when you did, it was as if it fulfilled my purpose in life!” She stood up and paced. “I loved it, every single minute of it. You were rough, and the next day I was so sore, but I loved it. I couldn’t get enough of you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“That’s what you have to say?” she snapped. “What else can you do? Did you force other women too?”
“Deja!”
“What? I’m just asking.”
“Damn it, I don’t want to fuck any other woman.”
She stopped pacing, but she didn’t look at him. “What about Tina? I hear you’re dating her now.”
“Fuck Tina,” he growled.
She jumped at the ferocity of his words.
“I did pull you to the house that night, but I didn’t force you. You wanted it as badly as I did.”
“You’d like to believe that, wouldn’t you?”
He stood up and grasped her arms. She struggled to get free, but his strength went far beyond any she had, even as a shifter. Anger rolled off him in waves, and then all of a sudden it dissipated as if it were never there. He locked gazes with her, and while she wanted to blame it on his ability, she knew she didn’t look away because of the man, not the beast. Her heart beat a ragged tattoo in her chest, and every nerve ending in her body vibrated with electricity.
“I pulled you to me, but I didn’t force you to open your legs. You wanted it, and I’m going to prove it right now.”
She had scarcely a moment to challenge his claim when he dropped to his knees and swiped the tip of his tongue over her clit. A curse fell from her lips, and she sagged into him. Her little bud swelled on impact with his mouth and seemed to strain toward him.
“M-more,” she mumbled, embarrassed. He was right, but she wouldn’t admit it. The power that dragged her from her bed that night released her just outside the house. That was why she stood there, confused and frightened that she’d come. Myriad thoughts ran through her mind at that moment, chief being that he would run her off and not want her. All of her being had ached for the man, even before she left his parents’ place. In fact, she’d been trying to bring herself to an orgasm thinking about him.
Heath wrapped an arm around her and jerked her forward. “You can’t tell me you don’t want this.” He laved her bud and sucked it between his lips so hard, she screamed. A raging orgasm slammed through her system, and her cream began to run almost like a waterfall. She whimpered, swaying on her feet, and Heath held her tighter. “Tell me you don’t want it, Deja.”
He licked and licked at a rapid pace, not slowing down, even as her clit tingled, being highly sensitive. He abused the poor stiff flesh and stuck his fingers into her heat to work her th
ere. She moaned and held onto his shoulders. Words refused to form on her lips. Her body sang to his tune, and he played her over and over.
He pulled his fingers free and ate the cream from them before sticking them back inside her. When he wiggled the digits around, her knees gave. Heath didn’t allow her to fall. He took her weight and pumped his fingers in and out of her pussy. His knuckles bumped her with each thrust, adding to the pleasure.
“Heath, you’re going to make me…”
“Tell me to stop, and I will,” he promised.
She bit her lip. Her core muscles contracted, ready to bring on another explosion. Why the hell would she tell him to stop now? No, no, don’t ever stop. Never! She arched her hips, rocking into his thrusts every time he pushed forward.
“Do you like it, Deja?”
She moaned in response.
“Tell me, or I will stop.”
“No, don’t. Please.”
“Do you like it?” he said again.
She licked her lips. “Yes, I like it. Heath, please…”
“Yes?”
“Fuck me,” she begged. “I need it.”
“Not until I’m finished with this. I want you to come again for me. Can you do that?”
Did she even have a choice? He brought her to the edge, whether he demanded it or not. She would soon reach another climax, and from the waves crashing over her belly, she knew it would be intense. “Whatever you want.”
He thrust his fingers into her pussy and sucked her clit at the same time. She pumped against his face and gasped for breath. Her muscles tightened and relaxed repeatedly. Thick come ran down onto Heath’s tongue, and he ate it all. At last, she screamed, her voice echoing over the water. Her orgasm ricocheted throughout her body until she expended all her strength.
When she calmed some, Heath slowed his hand movements and leaned back. “Now, did I force that on you?”
“No.” She looked past his face to his cock below. Stiff and erect, it bobbed, and she had to squeeze her legs together because she wasn’t done.
Heath saw where she looked and smiled as he stood up. “Don’t worry. You’ll get some of this. You do want it, don’t you?” He grabbed her hand and made her run it up and down his length. Why did it feel like years since she’d played with his cock?
“Yes, I want it,” she admitted. Then she turned the tables. “And I know you can’t wait to get it in me. Do you want to put it here or here?” She demonstrated his choices, patting her pussy and then turning, sticking out her butt to pat her ass. Heath’s nostrils flared, and his shaft twitched. A sharp smack on her ass made her jump.
“Don’t think to tease me, woman. On your knees.”
She tossed him a sassy look over her shoulder and complied. Heath moved behind her. He ran a hand up her thigh, around to her hip, and to her side. She shut her eyes, enjoying his touch, and then pushed back to him. His hard cock jutted against her ass, but he didn’t guide it inside just yet. Heath’s hand traced over her back and up to her neck. An invisible thread pulled her backward so she kneeled and leaned into his chest. She nuzzled the spot between the base of his neck and his shoulder, but Heath raised her chin to kiss her. She tasted her own essence on his lips, and he parted her lips to deepen the kiss. They moaned into each other’s mouths as Heath brought both hands around and cupped her breasts. When he pinched and twisted her nipples, she broke from his mouth to gasp her pleasure.
“They’re so tender, it almost hurts. Feels so good,” she murmured.
“A little more pain?”
“Yes, please.”
He tweaked her tight peaks, and she whimpered. His shaft jerked behind her back, and he pushed her forward again. On all fours, she waited until her lover penetrated her. He felt so much bigger than last time, filling her until her walls stretched and ached. She arched harder to raise her ass. Even while her pussy was wet, Heath’s erection was a tight fit.
“Oh, baby, I can scarcely get in here. You’re killing me, Deja. How can I stop now?”
“Don’t even think about it.” She pushed back on him, forcing his dick deeper, and they both shouted in ecstasy. Slowly, her muscles began to give and let him in without a fight. Heath stroked in and out at a gentle, unhurried pace. His fingers curved around her waist as he guided her back onto his shaft, and she dug hers into the soft grass, moaning with each entry. There could not be enough time in the world for her to get enough of him. Filled to capacity with the man she loved, she could not recall a single reason why they denied themselves and why she wasn’t getting this every night.
“Faster, Heath. Shove it harder.”
“Easy, baby. If I go faster, I’m going to come. You have no idea what your body is doing to me right now.”
She looked over her shoulder to find he’d tossed his head back, eyes closed, enjoying every sensation. She wiggled her hips, and he gritted his teeth and blew out a breath between them. Heath played the game better when he eased out of her, wet his thumb with her juices, and slid his cock back into her pussy. He used his moist thumb to work into her anus, and she nearly fainted.
“Oh, yes! T-that’s playing dirty, Heath,” she moaned.
He leaned over and kissed her back. “The best kind of play is when we get dirty.”
She had to agree.
Heath continued to pump into her using his cock and to tease her ass, pushing his thumb as deep as it would go. When her core muscles began their dance to climax, she whined and cried out his name. He picked up the pace, and before long, he pounded her poor little channel until they both fell forward, bucking together and panting for breath. When he stiffened, hot come filled her, and she writhed in complete satisfaction.
They lay on the grass afterward for a long while, still connected, and then Heath pulled out and stood. He raised her into his arms and carried her down to the water. She squealed. “It’ll be cold.”
“I’ll keep you warm. I promise.”
Happy, she settled against his chest, and shut her eyes. They broke the surface of the chilly lake water, and Heath carried her away from shore. She shivered in his arms, but he held her tight to his chest. Just as he’d promised his body gave off such heat, she warmed. Heath stood her on her feet and proceeded to wash her using his hands. She stared up into his handsome face, tears coming to her eyes.
When he was done, she lay on his chest to feel it rise and fall, and she listened to his heartbeat against her ear. The sound comforted her, lulling her into a relaxed state. Heath’s hold didn’t slack for a second. He sealed her to him for long moments, and then she realized he’d gone hard again. She grinned and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“I bet you could do me out here,” she suggested.
His low chuckle rumbled in the dark night. “I guess I better test out your theory.”
In an instant, she encircling his waist with her legs. His cock slid with ease into her channel, and she began riding him for all he was worth. They made love late into the night, not caring about anything or anyone until their desperate lust was satisfied.
Chapter Ten
Deja blinked at her doctor. The news wasn’t what she expected when she made a last-minute appointment because she was throwing up and couldn’t keep anything in her stomach. She’d thought she contracted the flu after her night of sex in a chilly lake with Heath. Not this.
“I’m pregnant? Are you sure?”
Dr. Adams chuckled. “Yes, I’m sure. Your symptoms—sensitive nipples, morning sickness, and appetite changes—are all consistent with pregnancy. Not to mention the blood work coming back positive.” She winked.
Deja bit her thumbnail. A niggle of excitement stirred in her belly, but then she thought of Heath. He would hit the roof when she told him. Surely, he wouldn’t try to bully her into getting an abortion, would he? No. She thought she knew him well enough to know he considered kids a gift, but even if he did try, she would tell him where to go. Either way, it wouldn’t be easy telling him about the baby. Me, pregnant. Emot
ion rose inside her, and she realized it had been happening for a while now.
“I haven’t missed a period. Is that normal? I mean, is the baby okay?”
The doctor nodded, her bright red curls bouncing. Deja had found Dr. Sylvia Adams odd from the first day she met her. Human, she worked among the shifters, and from what she could gather, Ward trusted her. She’d been in Siberia almost from the beginning. Deja wondered if shifters shunned her in the grocery store, or if she shunned them to be with her own kind. She doubted it since most of her patients would be shifters. She’d probably seen it all in the small clinic. On the other hand, shifters were resilient when it came to injuries. Maybe she hadn’t seen that much. “The baby’s fine, but I will run some more tests. It’s natural for some women to have a period straight through pregnancy. Some have it in the beginning months, and then it disappears until after they give birth. We’ll monitor your condition as time goes on to be sure. Every case is special among the shifters.”
“Being tiger borns?”
The doctor agreed. “Babies born as shifters are stronger than their manufactured parents, but we don’t know all there is to know. Your baby has the added specialty of having one parent tiger born. Tiger-born babies are both perfect human and perfect animal. However, they tend to lean more toward the tiger side, which can be dangerous at birth. Later, they’re able to find balance. We want to rule out any complications at this time.”
Deja hugged her stomach. “Not—”
“Easy, Deja.” She laid a hand on Deja’s arm. “Like I said, right now you’re fine. There’s no reason to think you’ll have any trouble at all. Take some time to enjoy the fact that you have a little miracle growing inside you.”
Deja sighed and smiled. “You’re right. Thanks, Doc.”
“I want to discuss a few more facts with you, and then I’ll let you go.”
When they were done talking, Deja hopped down from the table and gathered her clothing, then paused. “Um, can we keep this confidential for now?”
Tiger Born Page 10
