Cats Meow

by Nicole Austin

But an unemployed lion shape-shifter didn’t fit in the picture.

  Some people just weren’t meant to be happy.

  Micah checked the mirrors. So far nobody was on their tail, but he needed reinforcements. He had one goal now, get Becca and their baby out of this mess. Once he knew they were safe, he could start thinking about taking down Weltman.

  On one of her trips to town he’d had Becca pick up a pay-as-you-go cell phone, which he’d stashed in the glove box for precisely this situation.

  “Hand me the disposable phone,” he ordered.

  Micah cussed himself. His tone had come out harsher than he’d intended and she visibly bristled. Damn it, he had to keep his emotions out of this or he wouldn’t be able to function. He didn’t have the luxury of falling apart even though the woman he loved beyond reason—the family he’d never dreamed of—was slipping through his fingers.

  Wanting reassurance that both Becca and the baby were all right, his first call went to a medic he’d worked with and trusted, Lex McLean. Two other names came to mind. Nash Crosby, who he’d served with in the Army, and his second-in-command at Nanotech. When unable to reach Nash, Micah called a secured, private satellite number.

  “Talk to me, man,” Kyle Slater said as he answered the call.

  “What the fuck’s going on?” Micah demanded.

  Slater laughed. Then Micah heard footsteps and a door slammed.

  “I was wondering how long it would take you to call me.”

  “Hopefully doing so wasn’t a huge mistake.” Micah prayed he’d made the right decision.

  Slater remained silent for several long seconds. “This is a fucking job, nothing more. You, I owe my life to.”

  Some of Micah’s tension lifted. He wasn’t stupid. He wouldn’t give Slater his full trust. Not yet. “Is anyone on my tail?”

  “No. I have the boys here tied up chasing their dicks at the moment, but they won’t be distracted for long. I’m sure you’ve already ditched the doc’s company phone and house. Nanotech hasn’t discovered your hidey-hole. The doc did a good job of covering her tracks on that front, but I wouldn’t advise staying close for long. The time has come to tap into your emergency resources and become a ghost, my friend.”

  “Not quite,” he corrected. “Consider the doc long gone, but I have a score to settle first.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  He easily pictured the devious anticipatory smile flashing across Slater’s otherwise hard face. The man lived for the thrill of a good fight. Thankfully, he was on Micah’s side. He’d hate to go up against the mean bastard.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “When did your life go so far off track?” Rebecca asked her reflection in the bathroom mirror.

  On the drive back to the cabin, Micah had busied himself making his plans. He spoke to her for the first time when he turned onto the private drive.

  Stay in the car while I check the cabin.

  He had searched the cabin then waved her inside with orders to stay there and gone off to do his Rambo routine.

  All night.

  She’d gone to bed alone and woken up alone.

  There were subtle signs of his presence. A mug he’d rinsed out and left in the sink. The scent of bacon lingering in the air. A plate of food kept warm in the oven for her. She’d almost wept over the full pot of coffee.

  A firm knocking on the door had her pulse rate soaring as she wondered what he was up to now.

  Rebecca took a calming breath and opened the door, stunned silent by the gorgeous man on the other side, smiling at her. A blond Adonis—tall, lean and sexy as hell. And his smile—absolute sin. His smile brought to mind carnal visions of long sleepless nights rolling around between the sheets. That seductive smile was sure to have kept him from ever being lonely.

  “Hey, Doc!” He held out a steady hand toward her. “Name’s Lex. I’m a medic. Spent some time in the military with the big guy. He asked me to check on you and the bambino, make sure everything’s okay.”

  She shook his hand, but instead of letting go, Lex flashed that provocative grin and led her to the bed, then pressed on her shoulder until she sat down.

  “Any cramping or spotting going on that we have to be worried about?”

  She shook her head as he unhooked a stethoscope from around his neck and blew on the end to warm it.

  “Good!”

  He kept up a constant, one-sided conversation and before she realized his intentions, Lex had the first two buttons of her blouse undone. He was quiet as he listened to her heart and measured her respirations.

  She didn’t even have a chance to protest as the lethal rake laid her back on the bed, placed a pillow beneath her head, pulled up her shirt and unfastened her jeans with nimble fingers. She tried to relax as he listened at several spots over her abdomen, his expression thoughtful.

  But when he started to palpate an area above her pubic bone, she came to her senses and shoved him away. “Whoa!”

  Rebecca refused to think about her instant reaction to his warm, questing fingers. Nope, some things were better left alone.

  “Look, no offense, Lex, I appreciate the concern. I’m fine. The baby’s fine. You coming in here, undressing and touching me—not so fine.”

  His grin turned carnal but his expression appeared sad. “Aw, come on, Becca. We didn’t even get to the good part yet.”

  She fastened her jeans and started buttoning her blouse, proud to see the shaking in her hands was almost imperceptible. “I probably don’t want to know what you consider the ‘good part’ to be.”

  “Well, the pelvic exam, of course.”

  “Micah,” she hollered at the top of her lungs.

  The rake tossed back his head and laughed.

  Lex continued to laugh right up until he got an eyeful of Micah’s furious expression as he charged into the room, shoved the medic against the wall and held him by the throat.

  “Since I like you, Lex, I’ll make your death quick but it’s going to hurt. Bad!”

  Rebecca smacked the back of Micah’s head, fighting to hide her grin as his head snapped forward and the two morons’ foreheads cracked together. She enjoyed this caveman protective side of him a bit too much. “Give the rabid feline routine a break already. Jesus, Micah, you sent him in here.”

  She shrugged. “The man has no concept of personal space.”

  With obvious reluctance he released Lex and took a step back. Because she was sick and tired of the dominant-alpha-in-charge routine, she smacked the back of his head again. He was ready for it this time and didn’t budge.

  “You could have asked me if everything was okay or at least warned me you’d called a medic.”

  Becca turned and walked out gracefully with her head held high. But Micah didn’t miss the slur against his masculinity muttered under her breath. Witnessing the return of her fiery passion took his cock from flaccid to rock-hard in less than four seconds flat. God, she was gorgeous when worked up. Not angry, she just wouldn’t put up with any crap. It was one of the many things he loved about her.

  “Damn, buddy. You said she was beautiful, but you failed to mention the feisty part. I like her.” Lex clapped him on the shoulder. “She’s gonna keep you on your toes.”

  She would, if he had a chance in hell at holding on to her or figured out how to tell her he loved her.

  He kept his gaze trained on Becca until he couldn’t see her anymore, then turned and got right in his friend’s face. “Whatever the hell you did, don’t even think about doing it again. I’ll kill you if you touch her.”

  “Stand down, sir. I wouldn’t have a chance of trying anything. Go figure, but that hellcat is fixated on your ugly mug.”

  “What did she say?” he huffed.

  Lex flashed his patented cat-that-ate-the-canary grin. “She didn’t have to say. Hell, a man would have to be blind not to see she’s all yours.”

  Micah bit his cheek to keep his smile under wraps. “And don’t you forget it. I c
atch you cozying up to Becca and I’ll rip you a new one.”

  “Yeah, whatever.” He slung an arm around Micah’s shoulders as they headed out to the kitchen. “So who else is coming out here to the boonies to play? I can’t think of many guys who like you enough to hump it all the way out here.”

  He stopped Lex before they got within range of Becca. “Right now it’s just you. I’ve got several things in the works, but you’ve got the most important duty.”

  Any humor that had lingered in Lex’s expression disappeared and he had his game face on. “Which is?”

  “Against my better judgment—Becca. You’re going to get my emergency cash and take her to my safe house.”

  Lex studied his eyes for several long moments. “And you haven’t told her yet.” He scrubbed at his jaw. “Great!”

  “There’s more. I told you the basics of what they’re doing…what they did to me. Now they have Crosby.”

  “Aw, Jesus! Have they experimented on him yet?”

  Micah sighed. “Yes—Becca saw him.”

  “What about Slater? You trust him?”

  “I don’t have much choice.”

  Lex squeezed his shoulder. “All right, man. I’m in. Whatever you need.”

  The unconditional support humbled him to the point he could hardly speak. Micah muttered out a thank you that didn’t come close to touching the gratitude he felt. He had no doubt Lex would forfeit his own life to protect hers.

  Once all three of them were in the kitchen, they worked together to prepare dinner. In an attempt to make some point Micah wasn’t getting—probably because he lacked estrogen—Becca became very friendly with Lex. She touched the condemned man often and gifted him with flirty smiles, which served to feed the flames of Micah’s temper. Lex, the ass, ate up the attention, no matter how many daggers Micah shot at him with his eyes.

  After dinner Becca sat down before the hearth and the slick operator dropped down next to her, making every breath burn in Micah’s lungs. Hell, he was bound to be breathing fire in a matter of minutes.

  “We’ll take turns watching the perimeter. Four-hour shifts. You’re up first,” he growled at the medic.

  Lex sighed and took one last stab at Micah, speaking in a soft tone but ensured his voice carried. “I better go or He-man will blow a gasket.”

  Micah didn’t try to prevent the growl from escaping when Becca leaned over and placed a butterfly-soft kiss on the other man’s cheek. “I think they messed up and used grizzly bear DNA instead of lion.”

  He stomped over to the door, held it open, and giving in to the childish impulse, slammed it shut once Lex stepped outside.

  Without a word, Becca made her way into the bedroom, locking the door behind her. Hah! She knew that wouldn’t keep him out.

  He counted to five and strolled into the room as she was shutting the bathroom door. Micah stripped and lay down on the center of the bed to wait. She didn’t make him wait long.

  She strolled out wearing a simple cotton nightshirt, no makeup, hair in a braid, and stole his breath. “You’re so damn beautiful it hurts.”

  Becca crossed her arms beneath her breasts, which only made her rosy nipples visible through the thin material.

  “We need to talk,” he stated.

  “Talk? Yeah, that’s why you’re stretched out on the bed nude and sporting an erection, to talk.” Her bottom lip pressed out in a sexy pout. “There’s only one thing I want to know.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You haven’t said a word about the baby. I have to know your intentions concerning our child—”

  Rebecca didn’t have time to finish what she’d been saying. In the blink of an eye, Micah was out of the bed and kneeling at her feet. His arms wrapped around her in a possessive hold and his lips fluttered over her belly in the sweetest of kisses.

  “Oh god, Becca. I’m stunned, awed and scared shitless.”

  His reaction startled her and did bizarre things to her heart. She closed her eyes, praying this meant he wanted their baby.

  Micah rose, kissed the tip of her nose, both eyelids, drew her into his embrace, tucking her head under his chin. It felt so right being in his arms. They fit together perfectly. Did they have any chance of making a go of it?

  “I never imagined myself as a father, teaching my son to ride a bike, or intimidating my daughter’s dates.”

  He stumbled over the words, his voice tight with emotion, prompting Rebecca to lean back. She stared into his dark eyes and her fears melted away. Her pirate was back. The corner of her lips inched upward even as fat tears streamed over her face.

  “Aw, baby. Don’t cry. It tears me up!”

  His shaky hand wiped at her tears, which had her smiling brighter and crying harder.

  “Becca, damn it? You’re killing me here. Are you happy or sad?”

  “Happy,” she choked out. “Relieved. I was so worried when I first realized. Didn’t know if I should track you down, how you’d feel about a baby? When you shifted…well, we had to deal with that first. Then Weltman—”

  His growl rumbled over her words and that protective streak made her smile stretch even wider. “Down, boy.” She patted his cheek. “When he found out and used it against you,” she scowled. “I wanted to kick his ass.”

  “I’m getting you out of here. Somewhere safe.” Micah leaned forward, gave up on wiping the tears away and instead began planting loud, sloppy kisses all over her face. “Tomorrow. Lex is taking you—”

  “No,” she objected. “I’m not leaving without you.”

  “Becca, I have to know you and the baby are safe. Then I can figure out my next move. The man you saw in the lab, Crosby, I served with him. He’s my second-in-command at Nanotech. I can’t leave him in there.”

  She nodded in understanding, had expected he’d go in but had selfishly hoped otherwise. She hated it, but knew the soldiers’ code he lived by. Micah couldn’t walk away and leave a man behind. “I’ll hate it, but I’ll go with Lex tomorrow. I’ll keep our baby safe, but you have to promise me something.”

  “What is it, baby?”

  “I want you to promise me that you’ll come back to us. That you’ll be there for our child as he or she grows up.”

  Then she added the clincher. A soldier would never go back on a promise made on his honor. Once given, he’d do everything and anything to fulfill his vow. “On your honor, as a soldier, promise me, Micah.”

  His eyes narrowed as he considered her words, likely wondering how she knew exactly how to get an unbreakable promise. Staring into her eyes, wearing his heart on his sleeve, Micah made the vow she prayed would bring him back to her.

  “I love you.”

  “Oh, Becca. I love you too.”

  Hearing the words made her heart soar. She locked them into her heart, seared the moment into her memory, tried not to think that this could be their last night together. Micah loved her. She didn’t need anything other than him.

  “Make love to me, Micah. I want you.”

  “You too. So much, Becca.”

  She stood on tiptoe and her lips melted over his. The kiss started tender and warm, a display of affection. Soon sparks ignited and Micah’s big body wrapped around her—protective, possessive and potent. The kiss changed as he took control, nibbling on her lips, thrusting his tongue deep into her mouth, his addictive taste swamping her senses.

  There were certain instances when she didn’t the mind him going all dominant alpha male on her.

  Her clothes disappeared beneath his persistent fingers. His hands stroked and heat blasted through her bloodstream, melted her muscles, turning her soft and pliable. She pressed closer but couldn’t get close enough.

  “Micah,” she pleaded.

  “Get on the bed.”

  The growled words had shivers racing down her spine. She loved it when he got primal. Still, she teased and taunted, drawing the beast closer to the surface by crawling over the mattress on her hands and knees, wiggling her ass, ent
icing her man.

  He hit the mattress hard enough to make her bounce. She giggled until his hands seized her hips, his knees pushing her legs wide apart, and in one fluid movement his cock slammed forward, completing her.

  “Oh yes!”

  He became unpredictable, thrusting hard and fast then slow and deep. She yelped as his teeth clamped down on her shoulder, holding her in place. Rebecca took everything he had to give, met each movement, demanded more, which he gladly provided.

  His cock slid from her and she whimpered. Micah flipped her over, moved between her legs, filling her as she wrapped her legs around him, holding him tight. Their lips collided in a fierce kiss. He stole her breath, replaced it with his own.

  More than their bodies joined. She felt his heart and soul reach out, entwine with hers, binding them together. Pleasure built, intensified.

  He rolled, putting her on top. Rebecca didn’t miss a beat as she moved on top of him, the position making her feel him even deeper. He cupped her breasts, tweaked her nipples, bucked his hips to meet her every plunge.

  She flew, soared to the heavens then felt herself falling, crying out his name.

  “I’ve got you, Becca. Let go. Give it all to me, baby.”

  His fingers pressed her clit, shattering her, taking her orgasm even higher. Finally he roared, swelled within her and bathed her womb with hot blasts of cum.

  She collapsed on top of him, listening as his breathing calmed then deepened with sleep. He made soft snuffling noises that brought a smile to her face.

  When she should have fallen dead asleep her mind churned. In the morning she’d have to be strong for Micah. No tears. She knew the drill—kiss your soldier goodbye, smile and wave. Remain certain of his abilities while praying for his quick and safe return.

  “You better come back to me in one piece, Lasiter, or else.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  You promised—on your honor—so you damn well better come and get me. And you better be in one piece or I’ll kick your ass.

  Becca had punctuated each threat by poking him in the chest. The three weeks they’d been apart felt like forever. Micah indulged in a smile over the memory. His woman was strong and feisty. That knowledge had been his lifeline, something to cling to when he had to send her away with a trusted friend.