Keeping his eyes locked with hers, he nodded in agreement and extended his hand to her again. She held his gaze for a moment before she placed her fingers in his. Kerry reveled in the sensation of flesh against flesh. The thought of it used to terrify her, but Dante had changed all of that. Her lips curved, and her body burned under his hot stare as images of their naked bodies filled her mind in rapid succession. Her eyes grew wide with surprise, and he raised her hand to his lips.
“Careful, princess,” he murmured. “It’s not polite to look so surprised.” He smiled wickedly. “I thought you might need some inspiration while you’re working today.”
He placed a hot, sweet kiss along her knuckles, which promptly sent delicious waves of pleasure all the way down to her toes. Heat crept up her cheeks, and she glanced at the others to see if they’d noticed, but they were all too busy getting ready. Her gaze flicked back to Dante, and he winked. Kerry quickly snatched her hand away and without a word went over to the shoot setup. The gravel crunched under her heels, and the hot Louisiana air clung to her.
The air seemed thick enough to swim through, and just when she thought she couldn’t stand it for another second, a gentle breeze lifted her hair off her neck, providing a welcome respite. Kerry let out a sigh of relief and reveled in the momentary break from the heat. However, every second of the walk over to the house she could feel Dante’s eyes on her, which only served to raise her temperature further. The man’s effect on her was nothing short of carnal. Hot, tempting, and intense.
Kerry walked to the steps of the house and waited for Jacqueline and the photographer. The two were in deep negotiations about how and where to shoot. The photographer, Layla Nickelsen, hailed straight out of New York, but looked more like a gritty, documentary filmmaker than a fashion photographer. Her bright red hair was tied up in a messy bun, and her fashion choice consisted of khaki shorts and a white tank top. She had not a stitch of makeup on her freckled face, and her serious green eyes were locked on Jacqueline.
“Look, I’m just saying that we’re going to need more than one day. It’s already close to ten,” she said with a quick glance at her watch. “My assistant bailed on me at the last minute, and the lighting here is going to go to shit in about three hours.” She threw Kerry a nod and a wave. “Hey. I’m Layla—the photog. Good to be working with you.”
“You too,” Kerry said. Although she got the distinct impression that Layla didn’t mean a word of it.
Jacqueline cradled Jester in one arm and waved dismissively with the other. “No problem, cher. Joseph assured me we could use the property for the week if we need it, and I booked Kerry for three days just in case. Didn’t I?” she asked the cat, not Kerry. Jester meowed his acknowledgement loudly.
Kerry nodded politely and squirmed under Jester’s unwavering yellow-eyed stare, which now looked all too familiar. He continued to meow after her as she made her way up the steps of house. “Yes, you did, and three days is all you’re getting out of me.”
She turned to the two women, but they were once again deep in conversation. The only one giving her full attention was Jester. Eyes locked on the cat, Kerry reached out to it with her mind. What are you looking at pussycat? Jester meowed even louder and purred like a car engine. Jacqueline didn’t seem to notice as she and Layla continued to discuss their opinions on where the best spot to shoot was.
Kerry stood on the old creaky porch and leaned against one of the large pillars. Interesting. The cat seemed to hear her. She was just grateful it didn’t talk back. Kerry shook her head and smiled at the insanity of what she had done. She looked out over the rambling property, and something inside of her had the overwhelming urge to run. Not run away. Just run. Freedom. She longed for freedom.
The sound of a twig snapping caught her attention. She looked down to find that Dante had followed her. She walked slowly along the length of the porch, trailing her fingers along the rough railing. She kept her eyes locked with his as he shadowed her every move. Their seductive dance became instantly enhanced when his mind touched hers.
I see you’re using your abilities more. He threw a glance toward the cat. Given the nature of our race, it shouldn’t surprise you that animals are sensitive to our telepathic abilities.
Kerry arched one eyebrow. You heard me?
Yes. He smiled. You’re new at this. You’re a strong psychic and are quite capable of keeping people out of your thoughts. You’ll get the hang of it the more you use it. You kept me shut out for a long time whether or not you knew it. As you become more comfortable with your abilities, you’ll have more conscious control.
They stood there silently for several seconds, until Layla called her back to business. The moment Layla flipped some music on and the camera started clicking, Kerry came to life. The trench coat opened immediately and before long came off completely. Every pose she struck, every seductive look she cast, all were meant for Dante. The hardest part of the shoot had been keeping her eye on the camera and not on him. For the next three hours and through three states of undress, Kerry worked. She pushed her body to the limit and reveled in the intensity of the environment.
The location gave off an amazing energy that seemed to recharge her mental and physical batteries. She usually hated working in natural settings, but the energy of this house made her feel right at home. Working always made her feel powerful and grounded, and for those three hours there was no telepathy, and there were no visions. Layla would shout direction periodically and stop occasionally to chat with Jacqueline. Arthur sat in a director’s chair mopping sweat from his forehead, while he texted everyone in the free world.
All in all, it felt like a normal shoot, and Kerry loved that.
“That’s it,” Layla shouted. She covered her eyes and looked up at the trees. “This light is gonna suck for the rest of the afternoon. All these goddamned trees,” she grumbled. “Let’s pick it up tomorrow morning at eight. Please be on time, so we can get the best early morning light.”
“You got it. Thanks Layla,” Kerry said with a wave.
Layla nodded her acknowledgement and began to pack up her equipment swiftly and efficiently. Clad in the miniscule lacy teddy and panties, Kerry made her way past the three of them without incident. She waved at Peter, who sat on the hood of their car and waved back with that big friendly smile. Dante stood in front of her trailer door in his Terminator pose, mirrored sunglasses and all. He didn’t look pleased.
“Kerry,” Arthur called after her.
He walked over as fast as his body would allow. Kerry had a feeling he never ran anywhere because he figured that the world could wait for him. The poor bastard was sweating profusely by the time he reached the trailer. Kerry actually felt sorry for him.
“Hey Arthur, what’s up?” she asked as patiently as possible.
“I have to go out to the coast,” he sputtered between heavy breaths. “It seems that Natasha got busted snorting coke in one of the bathrooms while she was on location. That girl is a hot mess,” he muttered. “I’ve got to go out there and do some serious damage control, or she’s never going to get any damn work ever again. This is like the tenth time she’s been busted on the set. Think you can handle the rest of the shoot without me?”
“Sure, you do what you have to do.” She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and glanced at Dante. They would, for all intents and purposes, be alone together. She still wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.
“Thanks for understanding.” His phone beeped, signifying a new message. He made a loud sound of disgust and looked down at his cell phone. “Sweet Jesus, and a sex tape is apparently about to be released. For the love of God, what is wrong with this girl?” He texted something to someone, started walking back to his car, and blew her a kiss without even looking up. “Okay, I’m outta here. I’ll call you after everything settles down and give you the four-one-one. Good luck with the rest of the shoot,” he shouted as he got into his car.
Before driving off he yelled o
ne last thing to Dante. “Be sure you take good care of her!”
Kerry waved and watched silently as he drove around the corner and down the narrow dirt road. A large cloud of dust filled the air, and when it was gone so was Arthur.
She turned to find Dante holding the door of her trailer open for her. This was it. She was actually alone with Dante. She’d been physically alone with him before, but somehow knowing Arthur was in town had given her a weird sense of security. The charade that she’d allowed herself to believe had come to a screeching halt.
The last shred of normalcy in her life left with Arthur.
She climbed the stairs and stepped inside, relishing the cool air-conditioned trailer. Dante closed the door behind her, and before he could touch her, she put her hand up to stop him. She pulled on the silk robe and tied it tightly around her waist. The last thing in the world she needed was to be half-naked with Dante in a confined space.
She grabbed bottled water from the tiny fridge next to the dressing table and sat down on the love seat. She took a long drink from the bottle, while keeping her eyes fixed on Dante. He’d removed his sunglasses and tossed them onto the counter to his left. He looked even larger in the limited space of the trailer, but something about him, something above and beyond his size, filled any space he was in.
“So… what’s next?” she asked quietly. “Your friend out there is a bird of some kind.”
Dante nodded. “Yes. William is a member of the Falcon Clan. He is a gyrfalcon.”
“So you can turn into any animal or just your…” She snapped her fingers, while searching for the right word.
“Clan,” he finished for her. “There are ten animal clans among our race. We have been here as long as humans have. Longer perhaps.” He shrugged. “And yes, we can only shift into our specific clan animal.”
“I see.” She nodded slowly and looked at him through narrowed eyes. “And you think I’m some kind of cat?”
“Not think. I know,” he said with irritating confidence. “I’m just not certain which cat. There are four. Lion, Tiger, Cheetah, and Panther Clans.”
He crossed his arms over his massive chest. Kerry couldn’t help but notice how well the white T-shirt hugged all the muscles in his torso. Her eyes began to wander toward the bulge in his pants, but she stopped herself and looked back up to his smiling eyes. Her face flushed with embarrassment. His smile told her he knew exactly what she had on her dirty little mind.
“Oh really?” Kerry adjusted her position in her seat, attempting to keep calm and try to wrap her brain around the crazy world she was now living in. “How do you know so much about me?”
Silence hung thickly in the air for several moments before he finally spoke.
“You are my mate,” he said in hushed, almost reverent tones.
Kerry stood up and laughed. “Yeah. Right.” She rolled her eyes and walked past him to the tiny bedroom to change her clothes. What a load of horse hockey. “Your mate.”
She opened the door to the bedroom and let out a huge shriek when she came face-to-face with Dante. She whipped around and looked behind her to the now empty spot where he had been just seconds ago. She backed up slowly, shaking her head in disbelief, and kept going until she backed right onto the love seat. She sat there staring up at him with wide eyes. Her heart beat rapidly in her throat and threatened to burst right out of her body.
“What are you?” she whispered. “No more of this telling me little bits at a time. Just tell me, for Christ’s sake. Rip off the Band-Aid. I can’t take it anymore.”
He stood before her with his eyes glowing bright amber. He looked sexy, menacing, dangerous, and wild. He’d stalked her all the way over to the couch, and she thought he might devour her. To her surprise, he squatted down and rested on his heels in front of her. He blinked, and his eyes shifted back to normal. The serious look etched in his face softened.
“I’m sorry. I know that this is a lot for you to take in, but you have to understand my impatience. I have searched for you my entire life. Our people only have one predestined soul mate. We can only have children with our mate. If we don’t connect with our mate and complete the mating rite by our thirtieth birthday, we lose all of our abilities and die.” The lines in his face deepened. “And from what I’m told, it is a slow and painful death.”
She searched his face for some sign of deception. Something to tell her that this was all some kind of sick joke, but she saw only honesty and a deep need to have her believe him. It was a desperation she hadn’t seen in anyone other than herself. Kerry took a deep breath and nodded her understanding and willingness to hear more.
“No mate. No kids. Not easy to keep your race going, I guess.” She did her best to keep her voice even and act like this was a normal conversation. “Keep going.”
“We are dream walkers and telepathic, and we can travel at the speed of thought. As you now know,” he said with that devastating smile. “Actually, that is part of our visualization skills.”
With incredible tenderness he took her hands in his. She closed her eyes as the vision of the fox wafted across her mind. She smiled wistfully. She didn’t know if she’d ever get used to the remarkable sensations his touch gave her. Her smile faded as gently as it came. Would she ever get used to the idea of turning into some kind of huge cat? Kerry opened her eyes, and the pleading look etched in his features made her heart pound in her chest. She swallowed hard. “Go on,” she said through a shaky breath.
“Until very recently we thought that we could only mate with another Amoveo. However…” He took a deep breath and tightened his grip on her hands. “The existence of hybrids proves that to be a lie.”
Kerry’s face grew somber, and she looked down at their intertwined fingers. “I’m a hybrid?” She spoke slowly, trying to wrap her brain around all of it. “I’m half Amoveo and half human?” Awareness, awe, and a touch of fear laced her voice.
“Yes.” He nodded. “You are… but you are not the only one.”
Kerry’s head snapped up, and her eyes locked with his. “Samantha,” she breathed her name in relief and wonder. Tears filled her eyes, and her throat tightened. “Oh my God! Sam. That’s why I could touch her without feeling any pain.” Kerry stood up and laughed through the tears that now flowed freely down her cheeks. “She’s a wolf, isn’t she?”
Dante nodded, stood next to her, and smiled, placing his hands on her shoulders. “Yes. She is of the Gray Wolf Clan and was the very first hybrid we discovered. You, my beautiful princess, are the second.”
Kerry looked at him with relief, genuine excitement, and tears of pure joy. Looking into his eyes filled with desire, she warmed rapidly. The smile slowly faded from her face as she became acutely aware of his body next to hers. She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent—raw, spicy, and male.
Had she dreamed him into existence?
He stood there with his large, warm hands on her shoulders, as real as can be. How could someone so real be so completely unreal? Mystical and magical didn’t even cover it. Lights flickered behind her eyes as his hands seared deliciously along her arms. Kerry allowed herself to float in the honeyed silk of his touch.
“I hate that you suffered alone and had to endure such pain.” He spoke softly. His voice floated over her as he ran his hands down her arms and up again. “But there is one thing I am grateful for.” He leaned down, captured one breast, and whispered wickedly against her ear, “No other man has touched you like this.”
Kerry moaned softly in response and sank into him. Dante cradled her head in his hands and devoured her mouth with his. She opened to him and swept her tongue along his with newfound bravery. Heat flared and engulfed her body with wild speed. It flashed over her skin, and her eyes tingled almost to the point of pain. She knew they’d shifted to those bright yellow cat’s eyes, and oddly enough, she didn’t care. All she cared about was ravishing the man in her arms. She grasped his massive shoulders and hung on for dear life. Desire clawed at her as if s
he couldn’t get close enough. He reached between them and loosened her robe, allowing him greater access to her ample breasts.
He kissed her thoroughly and removed her robe with experienced hands. With lips mating and tongues dancing in hot velvety strokes, his eager hands explored the ample curve of her hip, the roundness of her bottom. Her breath came in ragged gasps as the fire built inside of her. Her body ached and throbbed deliciously with every stroke of his fingers and brush of his lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened their kiss. Kerry tangled her fingers in his thick wavy hair like she’d wanted to do so many times and pressed her body tightly against his massive frame.
His mouth moved down her throat in a delicate, but intensely erotic way. It was as if his lips were committing every inch of her skin to memory. Kerry arched her back, allowing him better access to her neck. She moaned with pleasure and clung to him as he nibbled at her sensitive flesh. So many luscious sensations swamped her at once. His hand kneaded her satin-covered backside, and she wrapped one long leg around his, needing to get closer. Kerry grabbed fistfuls of his hair and pulled him up so she could look him in the eyes. She needed to see.
They stood there, gazes locked, bodies pressed tightly to one another, and their breath came in jagged gasps. As she suspected, his eyes gleamed amber, and she knew hers glowed yellow.
“You see, princess,” he whispered against her lips. “We are made for each other.”
He held her gaze and reached down to the hot juncture between her legs. Her lips parted, and a soft gasp of pleasure rushed out as his experienced fingers slipped under the damp satin panties and found her most delicate spot. She closed her eyes and allowed the rush of pleasure to wash over her as he massaged torturous circles on the sensitive nub. Kerry moaned softly as searing waves of carnal decadence flooded her. With each tiny stroke, the passion coiled tighter and drove her to the peak.
Just when she thought she couldn’t take much more, he sunk two fingers into her hot, wet channel. Kerry cried out as the orgasm burst through her body and streaks of white-hot bliss flooded her mind. She grasped his large muscular back as wave after wave stole her breath from her.
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