by Bianca D'Arc
Every muscle was in perfect proportion. His great height was balanced by his lithe musculature. He was Adonis. Michelangelo’s David. The epitome of male perfection.
And he was coming for her. She couldn’t wait.
Nick stalked forward like the jaguar that lived in his soul. Soundless. Intent. Sure of himself and his acceptance.
And why wouldn’t he be? She’d given him every indication of her desire. She wanted him, and she didn’t want to wait.
Nick reached her, continuing his stalk right up onto the bed, where he crouched over her. She felt trapped, but not in a bad way. She knew he’d move aside the moment she became uncomfortable, but she wasn’t in the least wary of him right now. No, she was totally on board with the way he covered her, leaving room for her to look and feel—and room for him to do away with her clothing.
Praise the lord! She was finally going to get skin to skin with him.
She tried to help, but her fingers fumbled, excitement slowing her down and making her clumsy. Nick took care of her, removing her outer garments with the utmost care. Her breath caught multiple times as he turned the simple act of undressing into a sensual delight that couldn’t compare with anything she had ever experienced before.
No other lover had been this attentive, this tender, this…perfect. Only Nick. And they hadn’t even really gotten started yet. Sal mentally strapped herself in and prepared for a wild ride.
She almost couldn’t believe they were actually doing this. She’d dreamed about it many times but had never really expected it to happen. Fantasies were one thing. Reality, in her experience, was quite another. Reality had always been disappointing, but she had a feeling her luck was about to change. In a big way.
Nick lowered the straps of her bra one at a time, as if he was savoring the moment and giving her plenty of time to feel every little motion and anticipate what would come next. By the time he bared her breasts, she was a quivering, super-sensitive bundle of nerves just waiting to be soothed by his breath, his touch…his tongue.
He kissed every inch of skin he exposed, laving her nipples as if they had all night for him to do just that. But she wanted more. So much more.
She made impatient sounds in the back of her throat, and he answered her with a deep rumbling purr that vibrated through his chest, making her shiver. His inner cat was definitely enjoying this, which made her feel better about not reciprocating right away. It was all she could do to lay back and enjoy what he was doing to her. She felt so boneless, she could barely lift a finger at the moment. While she wanted to touch him the way he was touching her, it would have to wait until she had better control over her limbs.
Fortunately, he didn’t seem to mind at all. In fact, it felt like his main goal was to pleasure her right now. The rest would come later.
An unselfish lover was something new in her experience. She’d known Nick was special, but this just drove home to her how very different he was from other men.
Then, he removed her pants and panties in one long pull, and she was totally bare before him. He hadn’t taken his time with her pants like he’d done with her top. No, he was starting to look like a hungry predator, too long denied. And she was feeling about the same, if not worse. He’d driven her too high already. She needed completion. She needed relief from the tension he had built so expertly. And she needed it now.
Reaching forward, Sal grabbed him by the shoulders, dragging him down over her. She sought his lips in a hard kiss that spoke of her urgency and need. Thankfully, he seemed to understand. Either that or he felt exactly the same way, because a moment later, that magnificently hard cock she’d had in her hand earlier was probing the entrance of her willing body.
He joined them together, going slowly, but with steady pressure, until they were one. Then, he paused, looking downward to meet her gaze. A timeless moment stretched between them.
Peripherally, she was aware of sparkling light surrounding them, touching her skin, making it tingle. Magic, she realized. Coming from her. Created by her reaction to this incredible man and his tender loving.
Benevolent magic, touching, sensitizing, even encouraging. It was a wonder to her that such a thing could exist, when she’d always associated magic with terrible things.
One part of her mind was able to identify the source of the light and the champagne-like bubbles tingling against her skin, but the rest was firmly focused on Nick. He began to move, his sinuous muscles taking her in a way she had never before experienced. Everything with Nick was a new adventure, a new horizon. He made it special and unique.
After all the buildup, she came to a quick peak, but it wasn’t over. Not by a long shot. Nick continued to thrust, varying his speed and angle, testing different motions to see what she liked best and what brought them both the most sensation. He was learning her, teaching her and pleasuring her all at the same time.
He was magnificent. And with him, she discovered things she had never known about her body, and his, and the capacity for bliss they shared together. She stroked him, petting his hard muscles and smooth skin, enjoying the way his purring increased as he drove them both higher.
She climaxed again and again as he continued the steady push toward some goal only he could see. She was eager to learn where he would take her, and her body responded to every challenge his posed, showing her that what she’d taken for fulfillment in the past was only a paltry example of something she’d never fully understood.
It was Nick. Only Nick, who could drive her to these heights and catch her while she fell. She screamed his name as she came for the final and most devastating time. She thought she heard him call out for her, as well, but she was close to mindless at that moment and couldn’t be certain.
White light engulfed them. A benevolent shower of sparks filled the small room, bathing them in glory, warming them with an amazing peaceful magic that she had never known existed.
As she came apart in Nick’s arms and he caught her, all was right with her world. Finally. Forever.
Nick had never purred in human form before, and that’s when he knew what his instincts had been telling him for a while now was absolutely true. Sal was his mate. The one. The only. Forevermore.
Now, he just had to find a way to make it happen—and still retain his Clan, if at all possible. Of course, if it couldn’t work out, he’d give up his friends and family for her. That hadn’t been an impulsive claim. It was the absolute truth. Clan was one thing—and it would be very hard to say goodbye—but mating…mating was something special that only came along once in a lifetime if a shifter was very, very lucky.
Mates came above all else. They were sacred. Goddess-blessed. The others would understand if he chose her over the Clan. They’d accept, even if they wished it could be otherwise.
But it would all depend on her and what happened with her magic. It would also depend on whether or not she felt and recognized the bond that had been forged between them just now. He felt the connection like a pulsing heartbeat shared between them.
Nick worried that it might just be a shifter thing, though Mark had claimed his human mate said she felt it, too. Would Sal? His entire future was riding on it.
“Will you stay with me, in my bed, tonight?” he asked her after they had both calmed down a bit and were laying together, cuddling a bit. He felt nervous as a teenager with his first girl.
“Just try and kick me out,” she responded, a challenging note of humor in her voice as she snuggled closer.
She sounded sleepy and sated, and his inner caveman wanted to pound on his chest with glee. He’d done that. He’d satisfied his mate so completely she was even now falling asleep in his arms. He watched her for long moments, basking in the glow for a while, until he joined her in sleep.
He woke her a couple more times in the night for more leisurely loving. She rose to meet him every time and began to push him for more. She touched him in ways he’d dreamed about since meeting her. She drove him wild with her gentle touch. So f
ew people in his life had ever touched him with tenderness. It was significant to him that Sal did so.
Perhaps she was feeling something for him? He would do all in his power to make that happen because, more than anything, he wanted her to feel the mate bond and agree to be his forever.
Finally, they slept, twined together as close as he’d ever been with anyone, until well after dawn.
It was a knock on the door of the cabin that finally awakened Nick, sometime around nine a.m. He left the bed as quietly as possible, figuring to let Sal sleep more, if she could, while he went to see who was at the door.
If whoever it was had gotten close enough to knock, Nick must’ve really been sleeping hard. Normally, he’d awaken at the slightest sound his sensitive shifter hearing could pick up. That meant the crunch of feet walking toward the cabin should have been enough to wake him. The fact that it hadn’t meant he’d let his guard down completely.
On the one hand, he was fascinated by the idea that being with Sal had allowed him to relax so completely. On the other, it was damned dangerous and not a good precedent to set. He had a job to do, and a mate to protect. He couldn’t allow himself to slip so badly like this.
He’d been messing up a lot since Sal had come into his life. He supposed he should cut himself a little slack, considering finding one’s mate was bound to mess with your head. Still, Nick couldn’t afford to be sloppy. Not like this. Not with her safety, and the security of the entire Clan, on his shoulders.
Then again, they were on Jaguar Island. If he had to have a lapse in his usual vigilance, this was the place to do it. Nobody could get to her here. She was as safe as he could make her. Maybe that’s why his subconscious mind had allowed his guard to fall so completely.
Nick wrapped a fallen sheet around his hips as he went to answer the door. Nakedness wasn’t normally a problem among shifters, but it just might be Shelly’s dad at the door. No way would Nick want to flash Mr. Howell and make the old man uncomfortable. Not when he was helping Sal so much.
But when he opened the door, it was Mario on the other side, grinning like a fool. He gave Nick—and his sadly lacking attire—the full once over before lifting a picnic basket in one hand.
“I come bearing breakfast,” he said, still smiling to beat the band as he pushed past Nick into the cabin. He headed for the kitchenette to put down the basket then turned to Nick. “Sorry if I interrupted…uh…anything. Did you have a good night with the movie star?”
“None of your damned business,” Nick growled.
He didn’t really mind the teasing. Mario was a good guy, and Nick was sure the rest of his security team was going to be razzing him about this, too, but he didn’t want Sal to hear. Who knew how she might react? Right now, he didn’t want to upset her. The relationship was too new to rock the boat just yet.
“Why don’t you get me up to speed?” Nick redirected his subordinate. “Anything happen overnight that I should know about?”
“Nothing much, except maybe a couple of us stationed around the cabin noticed a bit of a light show happening a few times. It was mostly just light from the bedroom window and a few stray sparks that seemed harmless enough. No real energy behind them. No destructive intent. Just pretty special effects, which is what we’ve decided to call them since there’s a movie star involved.” Mario was chuckling, now, and Nick just shook his head.
“Do me a favor and ask everybody to keep that to themselves. I don’t want you guys embarrassing her. She’s just barely convinced that all magic isn’t evil. I’d like to give her a chance to explore her power without being self-conscious about it because of you guys.”
Mario sobered. “Come on, Nick. You know we wouldn’t do anything to embarrass the lady. We like her.”
“You do?” Nick was surprised. He hadn’t expected his people to accept Sal so quickly. They were usually much more wary than that.
“Hell, any woman who can get the mighty Nick Balam to let his guard down has to be pretty special. We all took a vote, and if she’s your mate—which I think is a pretty sure bet after the way you answered the door just now—then we’re all for it.” Mario’s tone grew more serious. “We want you to be happy, Nick.”
Nick didn’t know how to respond, and frankly, he got a little choked up at the idea that his people cared so much for his happiness. He hadn’t ever thought about it before, but he should have realized they cared for him as much as he cared for every single one of them. They had worked closely together for a long time, and bonds of friendship had built up between them all.
Something warm unfurled in his heart as he realized all this, and he gave Mario a solemn nod, unable to speak for a moment. Apparently, no words needed to be said. Mario came over, gave Nick a back-pounding hug, and then headed for the door.
“Oh, by the way, Mr. Howell is planning to come over after breakfast to give your lady another magic lesson. You might want to eat up and get dressed so you don’t have to answer the door wearing a wrinkled sheet again.”
Nick could hear Mario’s laughter long after the door shut behind him.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Though disappointed not to be able to share a leisurely awakening with her new lover, Sal rose to the challenge when Nick woke her with a steaming cup of tea and a sweet kiss. He told her about the waiting breakfast and imminent visit from her new magic teacher, and she found the motivation to get out of bed and into the shower.
They were just finishing breakfast when Nick went to open the door. Somehow, he’d heard the approach of the off-road vehicle carrying Mr. Howell long before Sal had. She had time to clear the table and pack up the used dishes while Nick welcomed the older man and ushered him into the cabin.
Sal exchanged greetings with Mr. Howell while Nick gathered the used items into the picnic basket. He hefted it as he headed for the door.
“Unless you need me for something,” Nick said, “I’m going to go out for a bit. Mario will be nearby if you need anything and he knows how to reach me.”
Howell waved him on. “Go ahead, young man. We’ll be fine for a couple of hours.”
Nick winked at Sal, and then, he was gone. She turned to look at Mr. Howell, and he smiled at her.
“You two make a nice couple,” he told her, making her cheeks heat with a blush.
Nick gave the used breakfast dishes in the basket to Mario and left him with instructions to keep an eye on things. Nick peeled off into the jungle, stashing his clothing at the base of a window on the side of the cabin while he let his jaguar run.
His inner cat needed to prowl the territory and sniff out any possible threats to its mate. In his cat form, his nose was much more sensitive, and he could almost smell the faintly ozone-like smell of magic coming from the cabin where his mate studied with the mage master. Nick realized once again how lucky they had been to have Howell staying on the island just when Sal needed him most.
Nick had always been taught that the Mother of All worked in mysterious ways, and now, he was a true believer. Howell might be there because his daughter had just become the Alpha’s mate and discovered her own magic that had lain dormant all her life, but he was also there to help Sal, which meant more to Nick than he could put into words. Without Howell and his skills, who knew what might have happened when Sal’s rogue magic awoke?
All she’d known of magic all her life had been turmoil and madness. With her only example that of her poor mother, the outcome could have been disastrous. Instead, Howell was here to gently teach her that magic wasn’t necessarily evil. He’d been able to show her another way. A better way. A way to live with, and control, the power that was her birthright.
But what were the odds that both Mark and Nick would find mates with hidden magic? They’d laid the groundwork for rebuilding the Clan here on Jaguar Island, but it would still take generations to increase their numbers, and during that time, they remained vulnerable, even here in what would become the Clan stronghold. Maybe the Mother of All was sending Her support in
the form of these powerful women who could take their places at the heart of the Clan.
Shelly was already doing great things, designing community buildings and homes for their people that would be built over the next few years. She’d been welcomed as Alpha female, mate to their leader. And she’d already shown she had a kind heart and generous spirit. Would the Clan take as readily to Sal as they had to Shelly? Nick wasn’t sure, but the response of his security team—relayed through Mario—gave him hope.
He prowled the perimeter, his cat glad to have the freedom to run, climb and sniff to its hearts content. He’d been forced to stay in human form a bit longer than he’d liked while on this mission, but he was safe to be who he was here on the island. He ran through the jungle, jumping over obstacles and pausing here and there to check the scents left behind by his patrols. He was well satisfied they were doing their jobs, guarding the cabin as he’d asked.
Then, it was time to go back. He found a new spring in his steps as he headed back to the cabin, eager to see her again. His mate. The cat purred in satisfaction. Finally, both sides of his soul knew the truth of it. Sal was theirs, and they would never let her go.
Sal was alone in the cabin when he returned, so he didn’t bother shifting back. He wanted to see her reaction to his cat form, now that things were quiet and there was no danger to sidetrack them. She’d seemed okay with him when he’d done the half-shift in front of her at the apartment in California, but he wanted to make sure she was okay with his fully feline form. The cat needed her approval, vain thing that it was.
Luckily, the door was unlocked, and the handle was made so that paws could open it. He jumped up, leaning one paw on the doorframe, the other working the handle and then pushing inward once the door unlatched. He paused, leaning his weight on the one paw that was on the frame, to look inside.
He found Sal sitting on the couch, and she must’ve heard the door open because she turned to meet his gaze. Her eyes widened as they met his, but she didn’t jump or scream.
