He studied her. “You could have good friends here.”
“I don’t want to be a farmer.”
Before he could respond, Kellum raced back, waving the xanthic. Kellum knelt down next to the pool, broke up the petals, and dropped them in the water. Only then did he notice one of Lara’s arms pressing against her chest and the other protecting her pussy.
“Don’t be embarrassed,” he said.
“Kellum is here.”
“Lara, you are beautiful. Don’t ever be ashamed of your body.”
Her mouth opened. “I’m not ashamed. It’s just that I don’t go around naked in front of any man.”
Kellum leaned back on his haunches. “I’m sorry that you think of me as any man. I promise I’ll make this up to you. I was a dick to you when I first met you, and I’m sorry.”
She almost laughed. “How you two talk. Now that I know this isn’t Colorado, or earth for that matter, and that you two are shape-shifters, which by the way still blows my mind, how have you picked up our slang?”
Kellum smiled. “I watch a lot of your American television. It’s the way we can keep current, but I speak differently when there are only Anterrans in the room.”
“Oh.”
Taryn moved closer to her foot. He lightly touched the ankle. “It is swollen, but with rest, you will be fine in a few days.”
“Do you have ice?”
“I know you use it to reduce the swelling. I will get you some.”
She ducked under the water and scrubbed her hair. When she emerged, her wounds were merely thin red lines.
“I think it is time for you to rest. I’ll get you some ice and prepare dinner.”
“I am hungry.”
She started to get up but then dropped back down. “Sorry. It hurts when I put pressure on my ankle.”
Kellum reached in and picked her up. Water dripped everywhere, but Taryn didn’t want to turn on the forced air. She’d have a hard time standing upright. His brother carried the dripping woman out the door.
His heart ached the moment she was out of sight. He was going to do everything in his power to make her love him.
Chapter Eight
Only now did Lara realize that Kellum also had gotten quite scratched up climbing the tree. “You need to get cleaned up, too.”
“I will after I take care of you.”
Either something had changed with him or perhaps it was that she now believed what he’d told her. They’d shared a journey, and she felt his frustration in not being able to help. He truly wanted to take her to Spirit. Whether it was to get rid of her, as she first suspected, or because he sensed she really didn’t want to be here, it didn’t matter. He’d acted heroic and resourceful. Had he not stopped when he sensed danger, she might have been able to hold on.
He patted her dry with the bed sheet. “The bath was nice. Thank you for getting the herb.” She rotated her ankle and it did feel better.
Taryn came in with ice wrapped in one of his loincloths and placed it on her injury.
“Thanks.”
“I’ll bring you some food.”
He looked over at Kellum. From the way they held each other’s gaze, it seemed like they were communicating. Silently, Taryn left.
Kellum adjusted the ice so that it fell evenly over her ankle. The cold seeped into her skin. She was a bit self-conscious that she was naked, but he hadn’t stared at her nor had his loincloth bulged. Clearly, he wasn’t interested in her as a woman. That was a shame. Once she learned about his passion to be with his family and his desire to help the Anterrans, she liked him for who he was inside. Then after the failed escape, she got to see the real Kellum. He was a gentle soul, protective of all, especially of his brother.
Taryn entered with a tray of delicious-smelling vegetables he’d topped with chicken. She suspected that their diet was rather similar from day to day since picking vegetables appeared to be the way they got their food. He placed the tray on the bed.
“Eat all of this. You need your strength to get better.” He almost sounded like her mom, and she had to refrain from chuckling.
As if he didn’t want her to see how much he cared, he spun around and left. She took a bite of the wonderful food and only then realized she wasn’t in Taryn’s bedroom.
“Maybe you should carry me to Taryn’s room.”
Kellum smiled. “Not until you are healed. I want to stay by your side.”
Wow. Who was this man? He’d gone from sullen to protective in one day. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I know, but you are now my responsibility. I caused you harm. I should have been more careful.”
He was taking this heroism a bit too far. “I wanted you to help me, and you did. It’s not your fault that I was clumsy and fell.”
“Eat.”
She guessed her talk embarrassed him. When she finished with the meal, he took the tray and carried it out. When he returned he had a blanket in his hand.
“I don’t want you getting cold.”
The temperature in the house was rather warm. She doubted she’d get cold, but perhaps he understood that her nudity bothered her. “Thanks.” She pulled the blanket onto her lap.
“Tomorrow, I will try to find some diltha for the pain.”
She didn’t want him to chance going into wolf territory. “I’ll be fine. The ice is really helping.” Kellum dropped onto the floor and watched her eat. “Aren’t you having something?”
“Maybe later.”
“You’re welcome to sit on the bed.” It was at least the size of a king-size bed.
“I tend to shift, no pun intended, when I sleep. The movement might affect your ankle.”
She was speechless. No one had ever been that considerate before. “You don’t have to do that. You can sleep in your own bed.”
Images on him gathering her in his arms surfaced. She inhaled and her ankle shot her a searing ache. She bolted upright.
Kellum was at her ankle in a flash. He removed the ice. “You don’t want to keep it on too long.”
She doubted that was the cause, but since he’d been so nice, she agreed. He nodded and disappeared with the ice. Her thoughts jumbled. Here she thought Taryn was such a wonderful man only to find that Kellum had a soft side that appealed to her. His sullenness seemed to be a façade, a veneer in a way, to cover his sensitive soul.
Lara scooted back on the bed and was resting her back against the wall when he returned. “When you just want to get away from it all, where do you go?” She loved the ocean, but sitting on top of a mountain did her soul good, too.
He looked to the side as if he were trying to decide where his favorite place was. “The high country.”
“Do you go as a man or a mountain lion?”
A smile filled his face. “As a lion. There is nothing more exhilarating and invigorating than when I’m running full out. Every muscle is engaged and all my senses are heightened. It’s me and the green land living in harmony. My lungs fill with oxygen and I am more alive than at any other time.”
His image inspired her, too. “I love climbing on top of a rock and seeing the world below. I almost feel powerful and all-knowing, which I’m not, but the rarified air seems to alter my cells.” She studied him. “Do like being in your lion form more than your human form?”
“They each have their pros and cons.” His shoulders relaxed as if he’d been mentally transported there for a moment. “I’d like to take you to my favorite spot sometime.”
“I’d like that.” The mountains were fairly far away. She’d seen a glimpse of them when she and Taryn had picked vegetables. “How would I get there? I’m not climbing on your back again.”
“We have means.”
At times Kellum infuriated her with his evasive ways. “Taryn mentioned you’d been to Spirit a time or two. What did you think?”
“Earth is a bit inferior to Anterra, but it has its pluses.”
She pictured them going through this alignment point i
n loincloths. If they walked into town like that, she bet some tourist would call the police for indecent exposure. “Do you own earth clothes?” She wasn’t sure what to call them.
He chuckled. “We have some jeans, boots, and shirts, but we prefer not to wear them.”
Loincloths were more practical. “How do you buy things?”
“In Anterra or in Spirit?”
“Both.” She wanted to learn as much about their culture as possible. Maybe it was the scientist in her, but she found this place fascinating.
“In Anterra, we have something like your credit card. We use them as bartering chips. Taryn and I run the protection detail. Basically, we’re Anterran cops. We get paid in credit and then can buy things.”
“What about in Spirit?”
He leaned back on his elbows. “We get money just like you do. We work for it.”
Wait a minute. “What do you mean? You go to Spirit and get jobs?”
“I’ve never done that, but others have. What money they don’t use, they donate to the general fund. If, say, I want to visit for a few days, I can just take the money.”
“That’s very generous of those men.” The idea that Anterrans would be in Spirit without anyone knowing they were shifters had to be the scariest of all thoughts. “My friend Amy lives and works in Spirit. Is it possible that she’s met some lion-shifters?”
“Very possible.”
From now on, she’d have to think twice about talking to men in Spirit. “Do you ever travel far from here?”
He got up. “I think you’ve used up your quota of questions for the day. You need to sleep.”
The room had remained light, but only now did she notice how dark it was outside. “Did you turn on the lights?”
“No. Everything is on a sensor. We’re more highly evolved technologically than the humans. Go to sleep.”
She scooted down on the bed. “You don’t have to sleep on the floor.” The room flashed and suddenly Kellum was in his mountain lion form. “That’s such a cop-out. You just didn’t want to continue this conversation.” He let out a little growl, and all she could do was smile. “Good night.”
Her ankle ached a bit, but the pain was diminishing. In fact, she could rotate the foot a bit without any severe ache. Gingerly, she got into her sleep position. While her mind had a hard time settling down after all that had happened today, she miraculously fell asleep.
When she opened her eyes, light filled the room, but so did the back of the big lion. Her heart nearly jackknifed. It took a full second before she realized that sometime during the night Kellum had crawled on the bed. At least she assumed it was him. God help her if both Taryn and Kellum changed into lions at the same time. She’d never be able to tell them apart.
Since this lion was breathing so shallowly, she dared to drag a hand down his head. His soft hair prickled her skin. When he didn’t growl and jump up with a start, she let her hand go a bit lower, over his flank. Muscles bulged under her palm. This sleek animal was all power.
* * * *
Kellum could hardly stand it. It was bad enough to be in the same room with her and keep from touching and loving her, but now that her hand was rubbing his body, it took all of his concentration not to shift back into human form and take her. He’d tried hard not to become attached to the human, but her bravery and determination to return to her world intrigued him. She was way too inquisitive, but he couldn’t blame her. Being faced with this strange new place, she was doing quite well adapting.
The whole purpose in helping her escape was to prevent Taryn from getting too attached. Now, Kellum had gone and fallen for her. He’d dreamed of keeping her and having children with her. In his heart, he knew he could never keep her. It wouldn’t be fair to her. Captive animals never fully adapted.
Her hand moved closer to his stomach. She had no idea what her touch was doing to him. Her fingers swirled his fur in circles. He was no pet, yet she seemed to think of him in those terms.
Then she did the unspeakable. She snuggled up against him and plastered her lush breasts against his back. His cock grew thick and long, and he willed her to keep from getting closer. One touch and he’d dissolve.
Move or change but get out of her grasp.
One more minute.
She must have sensed his strong need to take her because she pulled away. “You’re awake, aren’t you?”
Damn. He thought the word yes but was unable to speak it. The overwhelming frustration enabled his shift. He heard the scream and panicked. Never before had he shifted so close to someone before. As soon as he became human he rolled over to check her out.
He clasped her shoulders. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to change so close to you.” Her eyes were wide and her mouth open. “Are you okay?”
She leaned back. “Yes. I’m startled, that’s all. It will take a while to get used to that light stuff. You have to admit it’s a bit creepy that one second you’re a cuddly animal and the next a man.”
He had to chuckle at her description. “I’m hardly cuddly. For the record, I felt every touch.”
She looked down at his naked cock that was straining for release.
“Oh, my.”
“Yes, oh, my. What are we going to do about it?” He never had been the type to ask a woman if he could make love to her, but she might have rules about loving two men. His heart beat strong and he focused all of his concentration on her, hoping she’d not only agree but be quite willing.
“What do you want to do about it?”
That was as much of an agreement as he might get. Not wanting to press his luck, he drew her into his arms and kissed her. Her sweetness nearly undid him. He was a warrior, but when he held her in his arms, all of his instincts vanished. Her soft lips parted and he edged his tongue into her deliciousness. Since he’d never been with a human before he assumed that all women were the same. He’d been wrong. Lara was pure and sensual in a way the Anterran women weren’t.
The urge to explore the rest of her took over. His hands stroked the sides of her breasts. He inhaled, waiting for her to tell him to stop. Instead, she pressed her chest upward, an open invitation if ever there was one.
“I want you.” To his ears, he sounded desperate. He prayed she’d understand that she’d driven him there.
“Me, too.”
His heart almost exploded at her statement. “I don’t want to hurt your ankle.”
She shook her head. “It doesn’t hurt.”
Not wanting to give her the chance to change her mind, he dragged his head lower and captured a nipple in his mouth. Blood sped through his body, hardening his cock to a point of near bursting. The erect tip seemed to beg to be pulled and twisted. He drew her into his mouth, thrilled at the moans he could elicit. This little kitten was so sensitive.
Her scent was driving him mad, but he wanted to pleasure her first before licking her clean. Thinking about driving his cock into her almost undid him.
Her hands pressed onto his shoulders. When her nails dug into his skin, his feral need surfaced. Working hard not to cause her any pain, he backed off and licked one of her nipples again.
“Dear Lord in Heaven, that feels so good.”
Her plea made him lick harder. Not wanting to show preference to one adorable tit over the other, he switched sides. Her hand slid between them, and she grabbed his cock. This time he was the one to let out a loud groan.
He had to stop her. “I won’t last.”
Knowing that she’d argue, he slid down her body out of reach of her sensual fingers. His tongue tripped down her belly and through her brown curls. He inhaled, loving her perfume. “So sweet.”
“Lick me.”
Nothing was going to stop him from tasting her. When he dragged his tongue across her delicious cunt, she bucked and arched her back. Her fingers dug into his biceps. Thrilled with her lustful reaction, he went back to tasting her. Her little clit swelled. Fascinated by it, he pressed a finger to the tip. When she moaned, he play
ed a bit more with her.
“I’m not a cat toy.”
“But you are so beautiful. I can’t help but explore every inch of you.”
“You’re magnificent, too, so why don’t I get to play with you?”
Because if she did, he’d explode, and he wanted her to come first. “Because I said so.”
“Grrr.”
How cute. He’d had enough with talking. He just had to feel her, so he slipped a finger into her juicy pussy. His finger ignited with need. When she clamped down on him, he stilled. Using every ounce of control, he leaned over and began to suck on her glistening clit. He closed his eyes and thought he’d transported out of this world.
He wanted to play with her rear hole something fierce, but Taryn had warned him that humans didn’t take to that naturally, that he needed to slowly get her used to the idea. His animal side flared, and his cock itched to enter her ass, but right now he had to pay attention to her fabulous pussy.
Chapter Nine
Taryn had been an amazing lover, but Kellum was different in a way she wasn’t able to describe. Right now, all of her senses had heightened and were blocking her rational thought. Her body was on fire and she needed his cock worse than anything, but Kellum seemed determined to drive her insane. For someone who said he spent all of his time keeping his country safe, the man sure knew his way around a woman’s body, though she refused to consider where he got his practice. She was here and some other woman wasn’t. That was all that mattered.
He continued to lick her pussy, ravaging her with relentless determination. Her moans grew louder. The first finger he’d slipped into her creamy hole had nearly made her come. She tried to hold off for his sake, but when he crooked his finger, her resolve almost broke.
“I love how you feel, kitten.”
She loved her nickname. She would have told him so had he not chosen that moment to drive in another finger. When he scissored them open, her breath caught. She could only imagine what his cock would do her. From the quick touch he’d allowed her, he was thicker than Taryn, but not quite as long, but maybe her memory was faulty. Having them side by side would be best. She swallowed the giggle that nearly bubbled up.
Melody Snow Monroe Page 9
