by Lane, Soraya
“Why me?” Riley asked.
He released her gently and turned her in his arms. Riley was hot all over, like flames were licking at her neck and burning her skin. Her face was only inches from his chest. She wished she was taller so her face was level with his, but then she loved that his frame cocooned her, made her feel small as she rocked against him. She’d never thought a guy could ever make her feel tiny, but he was so tall.
Hunter cupped her chin and tilted her face to look up at him. “Do you have to ask why?”
She blinked at him. Nodded. Yes, she had to ask. She needed to know if this was real for him or duty. Sometimes she thought she knew, other times she wasn’t sure again. She couldn’t carry on like this, not with how she felt about him. She needed to know, for real. So she could move forward and make her decision.
He sighed before pulling her tight against his chest. Hunter held her, squeezed her, kissed her hair.
Riley breathed in the scent of him, touched her hands up and down his back, explored the contours of his muscles. Of his body. Roving over every inch of him that she could reach, because she wanted him. So bad it was as if her heart was thudding out to combine with his, her body tingling, craving his touch. His attention.
Hunter pulled back. Held her at length in his arms and shook his head.
“Do you think I’d be doing this, would be like this with you, if I didn’t…” he stopped, as if searching for the right word. Or maybe he just didn’t know how to say what he felt.
“What?” Riley had to know.
He shut his eyes for a heartbeat then looked at her, his eyes burning with something she didn’t recognize. She hoped the same kind of fire that she was feeling inside herself. But she didn’t want to guess, want to hope at what he was going to say.
Hunter cleared his throat, eyes not straying from hers. “If I didn’t think I was falling in love with you, Riley.”
Riley almost swallowed her own tongue. Falling in love with her? He’d actually said the L word? She’d hoped for attracted to her, interested in her, liking her, but love?
“I’m sorry,” he said.
She looked up at him. What was he apologizing for?
“I shouldn’t have said it.”
His hands dropped from her waist, moving to his cropped hair then his sides, before he thumped to the ground. He was looking out at the view now, like she’d been before. Fixated on the water below them which stretched out for what looked like miles.
Riley was numb all over. She didn’t know what to do. Had no experience about how to act, what to say, at times like this. Well, she knew what she wanted to do, she just wasn’t sure how to go about it. How to get the words or the feelings from her chest and into her mouth.
Riley thought about the sacrifice her sister had made, how lucky she was to have this opportunity with Hunter, then moved to stand in front of him, casting a shadow over his body.
He looked up at her. His eyes were… hurting.
But he was brave. Strong. He met her gaze despite it, the solider in him braving up even if he was scared of what he might face.
Riley knelt down in front of him then pushed her knuckles into the soft grass behind him and leaned forward. She’d never, ever been so brave. Never before.
Hunter’s knees fell apart apart and she leaned in further, stretching out so that her hands balanced her, one on either side of him. Then she did what she’d been dying to do since he’d led her to her sister.
Riley kissed him. She took the lead. Her lips fell against his, so soft that she wondered, for a moment, if she’d actually done it. Her hands planted in the earth kept her steady and stopped him from moving. Hunter kept his on the ground by his sides, not fighting her.
Riley pulled back, eyes on his, still so close to his face. “I think I love you too,” she whispered. And even though it hurt to say it, terrified her, she meant it. Even though she’d only known him such a short time, couldn’t believe what she’d just said, somehow it was true.
Hunter’s face looked tortured. She heard a groan form in his throat and she went to move back. Had she said the wrong thing? Did he not want to hear her say the same thing back to him?
Hunter sat forward and pulled her against him, on top of him, before he rolled her sideways so that his body was above hers. Straddling her, pinning her to the ground. They didn’t need to say anything. Everything that needed to be said had been.
Riley trusted him. He wouldn’t hurt her, or push her, or expect anything in return for the words she’d spoken. But he wanted her too. She knew now that he did want her as much as she wanted him.
Hunter wasn’t gentle this time. Each time they had kissed, it had always been feather light, but today there was an urgency that there hadn’t been before.
He kissed her hard, his lips hot, wet over hers. Hunter took her hands and locked them above her head, keeping both his hands there, letting his mouth search hers. She was helpless, unable to move, but she didn’t care. He would never hurt her and she wanted to surrender to him.
Riley heard another moan and realized it had come from her, but it only spurred Hunter on more. His body became tighter against hers, one of his hands releasing her as he touched down her body instead. Exploring. His fingers danced over her breast, then skimmed her waist. Tugged at the waistband of her jeans, before he pushed himself up abruptly.
“Shit,” he cursed.
Riley gasped. What was he doing? “Did I do something wrong?”
Her body was on fire, aching for him to touch her, kiss her, more.
Hunter laughed. A pained chuckle that made her hands race to pull up her low front T-shirt from where it had slipped to. Maybe she’d done something wrong.
Her action made his eyes go dark. Like he knew he’d upset her and hadn’t meant to. He reached for her hand, lifting it to his mouth so that he could kiss it. A whisper light kiss this time.
“Riley, any further and I won’t be able to stop myself,” he told her.
She wanted to mumble that right now she wasn’t so worried about stopping, but held her tongue. Hunter stroked her hair, bent to trace a kiss over her cheek, then over her eyelids. “You are so beautiful.”
Riley recognized a familiar burning sensation as it trailed up her neck and flamed across her cheeks. She wished he wouldn’t make her blush so often, but she couldn’t help it.
Hunter flopped back against the grass on his back, mirroring her, their frames side by side. Riley was still breathless. She didn’t know how he managed to stay so in control, not when she was ready to rip his clothes off as fast as her fingers could work. She moved her hand, just, so that they could touch. Hunter didn’t need any encouragement, his fingers locking against hers, intertwined at the knuckles.
“You have to be sure, Riley,” he said.
She was sure. Sure she wanted him. Sure that he was right for her. “I am sure.”
He propped himself up on one elbow, looking down at her again. She did the same, wanting to meet his eyes rather than gaze up at him. Hunter leaned forward so that their foreheads touched. She watched as his eyes closed, like even telling her no pained him.
“I don’t want you to regret this,” he said, before pulling her against him, drawing her into him so he could hold her. “I want this to be forever, to be right. It’s not time for you to decide yet.”
“When is?” she whispered.
“When you’re ready to come to my home, to tell every other guy and cat around here that you’re mine, then you’ll be ready. But you have to sacrifice the chance to be with another for that to happen.”
That made her laugh. Right now she couldn’t imagine another guy that she could even dream of wanting, of longing for, as much as Hunter. “Let’s go now then.”
He laughed too, but his chuckle was pained. “There’s an old saying that you shouldn’t make decisions in the heat of the moment.”
He let her go and lay back down again, but she sat upright. She couldn’t help it. Anger was starting
to pulse through her. “I’m in control right now,” she insisted.
“Yeah?” His voice was casual, unbelieving, and it only annoyed her more.
She glared at him, furious that he thought so little of her control. Of her senses. The cat in her growled with fury, wanting to be released, to teach him a lesson.
“Yeah,” she repeated, putting more emphasis on the word than he had.
Her tone made him sit up. He moved his body, parting her legs so that he could sit between them. Hunter traced one finger down the length of her face, down her neck, her chest, until he reached the opening of her T-shirt. His thumb touched the curve of her breast and his lips followed, kissing her lightly, before coming back up to play over her lips.
Riley gulped. Her breath shuddered out as his tongue touched her bottom lip, as he nipped at her. Teased her.
“Still in control?”
“Mmm.”
He kissed her, full on the mouth then. His tongue kept tempting her, making her press harder against him for more.
“Still?”
She couldn’t say anything this time, lost to his touch. To the taste of him.
He laughed. Riley’s eyes popped open. Hunter was actually laughing. Even his eyes were laughing. Laughing at her like she was the fool.
“What?” she asked him coolly. “What’s so funny?”
“That was not in control. You were ready to collapse in a heap.”
She did not like being laughed at. Riley shoved him and jumped to her feet, before storming off toward the Harley.
“Hey!”
She didn’t slow. She’d give his bike a good kick, that’s what she’d do. Teach him a lesson and dent his precious machine. Stupid Harley.
She’d hardly even thought it before strong arms grabbed her from behind, before she had the chance to attack it.
“Hey,” he called. His voice was softer this time, but his hold wasn’t. She didn’t even bother to struggle. He had her, tight. Locked against him.
Hunter’s lips moved against her ear. “I just want you to be ready.” He whispered to her, intimately like someone else might be in danger of hearing them. “To be sure, before we take this any further.” He paused, his voice hitting a low, husky note. “It’s not because I don’t want you. Definitely not because I don’t want you.”
Riley’s body relaxed, softened. She knew he was right, but she… wanted him now. And she wasn’t used to having to fight for what she wanted.
“Riley?”
She sighed and turned, her arms reaching up to cup behind his neck. Her anger had magically disappeared. “I know.” Logically, she’d probably understood all along. But making herself realize that he was right wasn’t exactly easy. “I get it.”
Hunter kissed her forehead and took her hand. “Let’s get out of here before I change my mind.”
Riley grinned. It was a shame he was so sensible.
“Why don’t you sit up front? I’ll teach you how to drive.”
“I thought you were being the sensible one?”
He shrugged. “It means I can hold you tight, cup you against me and not feel guilty about taking advantage.”
Okay, that made sense. “But I don’t know how.”
He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and tugged her forward. “Lucky I’m such a great teacher then.”
Riley sighed. It wasn’t riding that she’d thought he might be teaching her about this afternoon.
“I wouldn’t let you really drive it solo anyway,” he said with a grin.
She punched him in the arm and laughed as he pretended that it hurt. All it had hurt were her knuckles. Hitting him was like connecting with solid steel.
“I’ll put my hands over yours, show you what to do with your feet. If something goes wrong I’ll still be in control, right there behind you,” he told her.
This sounded like a very, very bad idea. But then everything about her time here had been kind of dangerous, so why stop now? “Okay,” she agreed.
He scooped her up and put her on the seat.
“You make a great biker chick.” He stole a kiss before hopping on behind her and plopping the helmet on her head. “Let’s go, babe.”
She’d always hated guys who called their girl babe, but somehow when he said it, it sounded good.
Although maybe she was biased when it came to any word falling from those particular lips.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
All her life, Riley had hated routine. She hated going to school at the same time every day, hated her class timetable, hated anything she had to do at the same time or on the same day each week. Meeting Hunter each morning and spending the day with him was a routine she was fast starting to like though.
Riley tried not to grin as she walked out the front door and toward him.
“Have fun.” Riley gave Sophia a wave over her shoulder. She was better than awesome in the grandma department. She didn’t care how long she spent out, so long as she was with Hunter, she never gave her a curfew, and she happily waved her goodbye each day without expecting anything of her.
“Hey.”
Hunter sounded casual, looked casual, but she could see he was wired. His eyes were flashing, racing over her then back out to the forest.
“What’s up today?” she asked.
He grabbed her hand and tugged her along. She’d hoped for a hello kiss, but his excitement was kind of infectious.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“To play.”
The way he waggled his eyebrows at her, pulled her faster, made her suspicious. Something was up.
“Play where?”
He stopped, her arm just about yanked from its socket as she took a heartbeat longer than him to stop.
“With the others,” he said.
Oh. Wow.
He was staring down at her, his face slightly crumpled. “You don’t want to?”
Riley shook her head, as much to convince herself as him. “Will I be safe?”
If he were a girl he would have rolled his eyes. Instead, he just glared at her. She knew what he was thinking before he said it.
“Would I take you otherwise?” he asked.
Okay, obviously he wouldn’t, but still. She’d needed to know.
“Change.” He didn’t ask her today, just told her.
Riley scooted behind their tree and slipped from her tank top and cotton skirt. She slipped off her knickers, not having bothered with a bra since she’d known they would be changing within minutes of meeting. She slid her sandals off too and quickly put them in the cubby of the tree.
She took a breath, let her mind go numb, empty, then burst into form. It wasn’t hard anymore. She still had to work on focusing her mind, but the bite to the sharp snap of blood red that filled her vision and the burning heat of the change no longer pained her like it had to start with. It was so fast now that it was almost bearable.
Riley stepped out from behind the tree, enjoying the first stretch of the day as a feline.
But it was interrupted. Hunter was always faster than her, but today she’d beaten him. Her eyes widened as she watched the process of man turning into beast. His bronzed skin flung from one body to another in an instant whirlwind of action.
He caught her eye, then leaped forward. She guessed her leopard was more lazy. Riley liked to stretch, flex her muscles before running, but Hunter was straight into it. Never stopped to just enjoy his form. Or at least not that she’d ever seen. Or maybe he was so used to it that his leopard didn’t even need to stretch first.
“Where are we going?” Riley asked.
Hunter didn’t turn, or slow down, just kept up the fast pace. Like he was punishing her. But Riley knew better. Every day he wanted to test her, to push her boundaries, make sure she was progressing, that she was stronger, faster than the day before.
It wasn’t that he wanted to test her so much as he wanted her to be prepared. In case she needed speed and strength for survival.
�
��The lair.” He paused. “Leopard HQ.”
Hmm. Riley didn’t have an answer to that. Besides perhaps running in the other direction that was. She couldn’t meet the others. Could she? What was he going to introduce her as? His girlfriend? Sophia’s granddaughter? Future leader? His mate? The word still made her feel icky.
No. She so wasn’t ready for this.
“Riley?”
It was like Hunter was always one step ahead of her. Like he knew what she was going to think, what she was going to do, before she did it. But it didn’t stop her. Riley spun out left, screeching sideways and galloping back the way they’d come. She should have known better. Hunter was on her, in front of her, before she’d even made it a few hundred metres. Her body slammed into his, like hitting concrete, and it hardly even made him move. But it knocked the life from her own lungs and left her gasping. Struggling to breathe.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Hunter asked .
Riley collapsed to the ground. Her legs just couldn’t hold her any longer, not after running into him like that. What was he made of, stone?
“Riley?”
Sometimes he really, seriously annoyed her.
“Um, home?” Damn it. Why couldn’t she ever think of a witty response under pressure?
“No, you’re not.”
Riley knew better than to argue with him. She didn’t know what to say.
He nudged her, telling her to get up. “They’re all waiting to meet you.”
Oh, so that was meant to make her feel a whole lot better? They probably expected something a lot more than her. He should have forewarned her before expecting her to be on show!
“Riley?”
She couldn’t do it. “Hunter, I can’t.”
Riley knew she sounded pathetic but meeting the others was a big deal to her. Up until now, it had just been the two of them. Like they were in this nice little world, doing their thing, and she hadn’t had to contend with anyone else. Aside from the threat to them every time Hunter told her the other males were circling, she hadn’t even thought about the others, what it meant to have a pack.
