by Bianca D’Arc
With a weary sigh, she went into the bathroom to wash off his scent. Too bad she couldn’t erase the memory of his kiss as easily.
Cade ran his hand through his hair again in building frustration. He was reeling at the revelations of the past minutes. Could it be possible? Could that little human woman really have made him purr in his man form?
Legends abounded about the mating of his species. Cats often knew their perfect mates by the way they could make them purr even when not wearing their fur. It shouldn’t be possible, but for each cat shifter, it was said, there was one woman who could inspire such a thing.
Could Elaine Spencer be his perfect mate?
The thought should have alarmed him even more than it did. But as he opened Gina’s refrigerator and set about making a very early breakfast for them both, he couldn’t seem to focus on anything other than Elaine and the danger that might be stalking her. He’d feed her well, he decided. They’d need their energy to deal with the trials yet to come this day.
Cade worked on autopilot, gathering ingredients until he heard the bathroom door open and close. That was his cue to pick up Ellie’s clothes for washing. He went into the small hall and found a neat little pile of folded pants and top, but nothing else.
Biting back a grin, Cade rattled the knob on the door. It was locked, but it was one of those little push button locks that could be easily sprung from the outside. He popped it with little remorse, hearing the strong swish of water from within the tiny bathroom. He licked his chops at the idea of catching a glimpse of the troubling human woman in the buff. He’d bet she had pretty pink skin—just right for licking.
“I’m coming in,” he warned a split second before he pushed the door inward. He had to bite back a laugh at her shriek. She really was the cutest thing as she stood there, grasping the almost translucent shower curtain against herself.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“I need your undies too.” He leered at her, snapping his teeth in her direction even as he snagged her sports bra and surprisingly naughty lace panties from where she’d hung them on the towel rack.
“Why? You didn’t touch them.” She eyed him accusingly, holding tight to her dignity and the shower curtain that preserved it…somewhat.
“That doesn’t mean I didn’t want to.” He winked at her, betting it would drive her nuts. For some reason he didn’t care to examine, he enjoyed teasing her. “Best to be thorough on a job like this. Leave no stone unturned, no panty unsniffed.”
“You’re disgusting.” Her words were probably meant to be harsh, but the rosy flush rising up her cheeks said something very different to him. As did her eyes, following the progress of her panties in his hand as he brought them to his face and took a deep breath.
He’d done it to tease her, but he ended up torturing himself. If he’d thought her skin smelled like heaven, her intimate fragrance was designed solely to drive him out of his mind. He threw the fabric into the hallway with her other clothes and stalked forward, facing her. Only the thin fabric of the shower curtain stood between them as he wrapped his arms around her.
She was wet, but he didn’t care. The shower sprayed in the background, causing droplets of water to adhere to his forearms and her back. Even so, nothing mattered but the feel of her slick skin and the slight weight of her body against his as she surrendered.
Her head dropped back on her shoulders, and her mouth opened in anticipation of his kiss. He liked that she knew what he wanted. He dove in, capturing her ripe lips and bringing them into a fast, deep, intimate embrace.
One of his hands slid downward, over the taut swell of her shapely ass, his fingers teasing the cleft there before delving lower. She gasped and arched against him, offering even better access.
His fingers found the moist heat he’d been searching for and pride filled him at the slippery slickness he found there. She was wet with more than just water as she panted against him. The undeniable evidence of her body said she wanted him. The beast within growled in triumph.
Cade lifted her, wanting to pull her out of the shower, but the loud pop of shower curtain rings roused him out of the Ellie-inspired stupor that had claimed him. A plastic ring bouncing off his forehead only added insult to injury. He let her go with a sheepish grin, looking at the half-destroyed shower curtain with one raised eyebrow.
“Honey, you bring out the barbarian in me.”
Thankfully, Elaine laughed at his words. The drooping part of the shower curtain covered her luscious breasts, but just barely. Cade’s mouth watered as he looked at her.
“I’d better get out of here before I forget all my good intentions and destroy your friend’s bathroom.”
“Yeah, maybe that’s a good idea.” Her eyes lit with mischief, and he breathed a sigh of relief that she had a good sense of humor. He’d need that in a mate.
The unconscious thought stopped him cold. Mate?
Damn. He was going to have to watch those kinds of thoughts. It was difficult for any shifter to take a human mate—doubly so for one like him. Alphas needed strong partners. But if any human female was up to the challenge, Cade had an idea it would be this one.
It wouldn’t be an easy road. It would be fraught with danger to her, disapproval from most of his people and no doubt disappointment for them both. He wouldn’t do that to her. Other than a few uncontrollable kisses, he had to leave her alone. It would be one of the hardest things he’d ever done, but he’d have to walk away once he was sure she was out of danger. And he could never look back. He wouldn’t be strong enough to let her go twice.
“Scrub hard, baby.” He backed toward the door. “Use the perfumed soap. Your safety depends on them not being able to smell me on you.”
But oh, how he wanted to leave her marked for any shifter to sniff. The impulse was nearly undeniable, but he had to be strong. Her life was at stake. That was the only thought that made it possible for him to leave her in that damned shower where he knew she was erasing any trace of his claim. The very idea of it made him want to claw something.
Cade shut the door behind him and leaned back against it, gathering his wits and his strength. He had work to do this morning. He had to clean her clothing with the scented soap powder Gina favored, fix breakfast for them both and sanitize the apartment of his presence.
He was becoming very domestic, he mused, as he loaded the small washer again. Gina had the supplies he would need to mask his scent. She seemed very good at hiding herself among humans and unless they caught her unawares, as he had, most Others would never even know she was a tigre in disguise. Even if they did recognize her as another shifter, only a precious few could discern the differences between the tigre d’or and the tigre blanche.
Few would believe the heir to the tigre throne would be allowed to live so freely in the human world, without even a modicum of protection. No Guards. No other shifters near her home at all. As long as she kept a low profile, Gina was safe and had years of living this way to prove it. The knowledge gave Cade hope for the mission he was currently working on for the Nyx.
Elaine’s blood simmered as she showered off—again. She’d been almost finished with her lightning quick shower when Cade accosted her. She was angry at him, but even angrier at herself. It seemed she had no strength at all to resist him. She hated any weakness in herself and especially this one. She’d never been foolish enough to pant after a man. Not after her doomed relationship with Bob.
Bob was the one who’d first sparked Elaine’s interest in martial arts. They’d dated in college and when he left for grad school, he’d left her with a crushing let down. She’d thought they were in love. That he’d take her with him or at the very least, propose. He’d done neither. Leaving her instead with a resounding chorus of nothing. Nothing to show for the years she’d put into a relationship that was completely one-sided.
In the end, she realized she’d meant nothing to him, while she’d built her dreams of the future around his broad shoulders. The gold
en boy had broken her heart, and she’d been wary of men ever since. But Cade…well, he was something else.
She wondered idly as she rinsed off for a second time, if being a shifter gave him some sort of animal magnetism. Otherwise, she couldn’t explain her mind blowing reaction to the sexy pantera noir.
Elaine shut off the shower and wrapped herself in a clean towel. Luckily Gina had those giant bath sheets that she could wrap around herself in a toga and still be somewhat presentable, because Cade had stolen all her clothes.
She opened the door slowly, aware as never before of the slight click the metallic handle made as it opened. The scent of bacon hit her nose, and her stomach rumbled in hunger.
“I left one of your friend’s robes outside the door. It was in the dryer and she hasn’t worn it, so it’s clean of any scent,” Cade called from the kitchenette just a few yards away. “I’m making breakfast. Your clothes should be ready after we eat.”
Well wasn’t he Mr. Efficient Domesticity? Elaine grabbed the robe and closeted herself back in the bathroom, glad he’d thought ahead. She hadn’t felt particularly safe parading around the apartment in just a towel. Of course, when she got a look at herself in the mirror on the back of the door, she wondered if this flimsy robe was any better.
Still, she had precious few alternatives. She had to go out there and face the lion in its den—or rather, the pantera noir in Gina’s kitchen. She wasn’t looking forward to it, but another part of her wanted to see him. A forbidden part wanted to drink in his presence and memorize everything about him against the time she knew would come soon, when he would leave her life for good.
Admittedly, he was a fascinating creature. Even if he’d been a regular human man, he would be stunning. Those silver-grey eyes were startling, and he had the most masculine physique she’d ever seen. And she’d seen quite a few good-looking male bods in her martial arts classes. Cade had them all beat as far as symmetry and sex appeal went.
His hair was the kind that made women want to run their fingers through it. It was just a little long—not feminine in any way, but temptingly silky and black as night. She knew from first hand experience how soft it was when it brushed over her skin. A shiver raced down her spine at the memory of how he’d awakened her.
The man should be outlawed. Really.
All that, and he could change into a black panther. She’d seen the animal version on television and always thought they were beautiful and fascinating. Elaine wondered what all that power would be like when driven by a man’s intelligence—if he retained his human intellect while in his beast form. That was just one of many questions she wished she could ask him, but doubted he’d answer.
Elaine steeled herself and walked down the short hall toward the kitchen area. Gina’s small table had been set with two plates, glasses of orange juice and silverware. A heaping platter of eggs and bacon steamed in the center of the table, and Cade was hovering over the toaster in the corner of the kitchenette. He looked up when she entered, and she could have sworn his eyes glowed for a shocking moment.
Her steps faltered, but Cade looked away and she felt like she’d been released, free to make her way to the seat waiting for her. She didn’t want to analyze the moment of stark heat she’d felt when their eyes locked. This man was entirely too dangerous to her self-control.
“This looks great,” she said with false cheer. “Can I help with anything?”
“Just waiting on the toast. There’s coffee on the counter right next to you.”
Elaine turned in her seat, glad to have something to do while the toast popped up and Cade whisked it onto a plate. When he sat at the small table, she felt crowded by his heat, surrounded by his masculinity. It could have made her feel claustrophobic. Instead, it made her feel safe.
She started at the thought. Since when did Elaine Spencer, advanced jiu jitsu student, need a man around to make her feel secure? One of the main reasons she liked martial arts so much was that learning the skills of self-defense made her feel safe in her own skin. This was a dangerous world. Being able to at least hold off an attacker, if not always best him, made her feel safer than she’d ever felt. It gave her confidence.
Now, suddenly, a man was giving her those same feelings of safety and security, when she hadn’t leaned on anyone that way in years. It was disconcerting to say the least.
“Dig in.” Cade pushed the platter in front of her, motioning for her to take a portion first. She picked up the serving spoon, annoyed to find her fingers shaking. He really had the most unnerving effect on her.
She served herself in silence then pushed the platter back a few inches toward him. Cade took twice as much as she did, nearly clearing the plate. She was pretty sure he’d left a little in case she wanted more and the polite, thoughtful gesture touched her.
“You might as well polish that off,” she told him. “I already have more than I usually eat.”
Cade eyed her plate with a frown, then without even asking, slid half of the remaining food on her plate and put the rest on his own. “You’ll need your strength today. Eat up.”
She didn’t argue, eating in silence for a few minutes as she realized she was famished. She’d only had a light dinner the night before because she’d learned never to eat heavily before a class. In the normal course of events, she would have eaten when she got home after class, but things had been too crazy to think about food last night.
“So what’s our next move?” Chuck padded over and curled into a warm, furry ball by her feet. She’d noticed the plate of tuna he’d been munching on when she came into the kitchen and was glad Cade had taken care of Chuck’s needs. To her shame, she’d been too frazzled to even think about her cat since Cade had woken her up.
“Eat first, then we’ll get your clothes out of the dryer. You should dress and leave quickly to avoid picking up any scents from here. Gina lives as fastidiously as any cat and has a lot of perfumed cleansers to mask her scent, but we need to be sure there’s no trace on you when you leave. When we get into the hall, I’ll give you the sniff test.” His eyes lit with humor as her eyebrows shot up.
“What’s the sniff test?” she asked with growing suspicion.
“Just what it sounds like. You’re going to stand in the hall and let me sniff around you to see if I can discern the scent of shifter. Believe me, that’s what those bastards will be doing when they check you out.”
“They’re going to sniff me?”
“If you let them get close enough, you bet.”
“Well, you can rest assured I usually keep people I don’t know at arm’s length.”
“You may not have a choice. It depends how they play it. If they want to be low-key, they’ll send a minion to knock on your door under some pretense. If they’ve got some kind of agent with a connection to you, they may get close without you even realizing, so beware of any acquaintances who try to visit you in the next day or two. And worst-case scenario, if they want to play hardball, they won’t give you a choice. They’ll come at you fast and furious, and you probably won’t know what hit you.”
“I’ll fight back.” Her lips thinned as she clenched her jaw.
“You won’t win. Harris can hold his own against a skilled shifter, but he’s one of the most cunning of human fighters. You’re only a student. You’re good—and if they’ve done their homework, they’ll expect you to fight—but you won’t win. There’s no shame in that. Stay as calm as you can and don’t make them hurt you. As long as they can’t scent shifter on you, chances are they’ll leave you alone after the initial inspection.”
Elaine dropped her fork. “This sucks.”
Cade eyed her. “I know, but it’s the only shot you have at keeping your life the way you’ve always known it. You were right about that last night. If you run now, they’ll know you’re involved with us. If you pass this test, you’ll probably be left alone. Gina too. They don’t know about her. The only link to her is you. If you’re found out, they’ll start looking around
at your friends.”
“Shit.”
“That about sums it up.” He nudged her plate toward her. “Eat up. You need the energy.”
“Why? If they’re just going to sniff me from afar or kick my ass and sniff me up close, it doesn’t really matter either way, does it?”
“Look, you’ve probably still got a were in wolf form waiting on your balcony. I doubt he could get in that small window, but you need to be careful. Don’t go near it. And didn’t Harris teach you to always be prepared? Eat. You need the calories.”
Giving in, she picked up the fork and shoveled some scrambled egg into her mouth, but something about what he’d said bothered her. She thought it over as she chewed, then realized it was the wording that threw her off.
“Why is the wolf a were and you’re a shifter?”
“Semantics, really.” He shrugged and bit into his toast. “Our Clans see ourselves as different from the were because our animal nature is considered more exotic. We’re snobs, I guess. But there’s a definite separation—at least in our minds¾between ourselves and the were. There are fewer of us, for one thing. Wolves are a dime a dozen, though there are exceptions like werebears. There aren’t that many of them, I don’t think.” He seemed to reflect as he continued to eat. “The exotic predators tend to be more rare. Lionine, pantera, tigre and all the variations, gather in small familial Prides and then into Clans, Tribes or Packs who each have separate leaders. The were seem to band together more under twin lords who govern each generation. We respect their authority, but we go our own way most of the time. They live in the countryside. Most of us like city life.” He shrugged again. “It’s complicated, but somehow it all works.”
“I bet. Just thinking about it gives me a headache.” She finished the last of the food on her plate and helped Cade clean. She still wasn’t entirely comfortable with him, but she did her best to ignore the tingling sparks that ignited every time he accidentally brushed by her as they worked together in the small space.
