Lure of the Tiger (Aloha Shifters: Jewels of the Heart Book 4)

by Anna Lowe

  “You told me about, well…” Her cheeks grew pink.

  He cocked his head. What was that about?

  When she mumbled the rest, he leaned closer to hear. “What?”

  She made an exasperated sound and play-slapped his chest. “The mating bite.”

  He touched her cheek, hoping he hadn’t scared her off when he’d explained it the previous day. “Not until you’re ready. We wait as long as you want.”

  She slid her hand from his chest to his neck, making every nerve tingle. “What if I don’t want to wait?”

  His heart went from a steady beat to a heavy thump. Was she serious?

  “You have to be sure, Jody.”

  His tiger yowled. Don’t talk her out of it, idiot!

  He didn’t want to talk her out of it. But he couldn’t live with her having any regrets. “You’re so new to all of this…”

  She smiled a crooked grin. “It’ll be an adventure.”

  He took her hands in his. “Seriously, Jody…”

  “I am serious. And you ought to know by now that when I’m in, I’m all in. Got that from my dad, I guess.”

  He smoothed her hair back into place. Someday, he was going to shake her dad’s hand. And someday, he hoped to hell he’d get the chance to be as good a father as Ross Monroe. But right now…

  “You’re sure?” His voice was all scratchy and rough.

  “I’m sure.”

  “The change initiated by the mating bite will take some time, but eventually, you’ll be a shifter, too.”

  She looked deep into his eyes, looking wary but resolute. “Will you help me?”

  He nodded so hard, it hurt his neck. “You bet I will.”

  Her eyes dropped to his neck, and her fingers played over his skin. Was she imagining it right now?

  One way to find out, his tiger murmured.

  He leaned in slowly, peppering kisses from her ear to her neck, inhaling the scent of her desire. The air was thick with the sweet aroma, even stronger than that of the surrounding woods and tropical flowers.

  “Mmm,” she murmured, lying back as he tiptoed his fingers over her chest.

  He kissed her jaw, her collarbone, her neck, getting drunk on her scent.

  She cooed, arching as he touched her breast.

  She’s ready. She’s sure, his tiger assured him.

  He caught a nipple and rolled it between his lips. The pure taste messed with his mind until he couldn’t see straight. When he slid his hand between her legs, touching her again, his groan was nearly as loud as hers.

  “More…” Her hips rose, forcing his hand deeper. Her legs split and hugged his, begging for more.

  Mate, his tiger hummed. My beautiful mate.

  He circled her entrance then slid a finger in, still kneading her breast with his left hand. Nipping and suckling more insistently. Slowly losing control.

  “Yes… Yes…” She put her hand over his and pushed him deeper. Faster.

  His rock-hard cock pulsed against her hip, and when she grasped it, his vision flared. She tapped on the tip, torturing him.

  “Jody,” he rasped, at the end of his self-restraint.

  Her eyes locked on his, wide and blue as the sky, and she reared up to kiss him hard. Then she rolled onto her belly and popped up on her elbows the way she popped up on her surfboard, ready to tame the wildest wave.

  “This way. Please. This way…”

  Before she’d so much as wiggled her rear, he kneeled behind her, knowing just what she meant. He dragged her hips against his, exercising just enough restraint to drag his cock through her slick folds. Once. Twice…

  “Please…” She pushed back, making it clear he wasn’t the only one about to explode with need.

  When he took firm hold of her hips and slid home, Jody threw her head back and cried out. When he withdrew, she moaned and dropped her chin.

  “Need you…”

  He needed her, too. Desperately. But he wasn’t all animal, and he wasn’t going to hammer away until she was absolutely ready. She was still tight inside, deliciously tight, and each steady thrust was a slide through the best kind of pleasure-pain.

  “Soon,” he panted, pausing just long enough to push her hair to one side. His eyes narrowed, focusing on her bare neck.

  Mate, his tiger chanted. Make her mine.

  “Yes…” she panted as he started thrusting into her again. Edging deeper and deeper. Everything blurred away — the dappled sunlight around the tree house, the scent of the woods, the call of songbirds — until his world funneled down to Jody and nothing else. Pure tunnel vision, pure ecstasy as he rocked back and forth.

  “Yes…” Jody cried, bracing her arms. Her back glistened with a mixture of his sweat and hers, making his tiger growl.

  Yes. Mark our mate with our scent.

  He plunged harder and harder until his balls were so tight—

  “Please,” she cried, turning her head to offer her neck.

  He ran his tongue over his teeth, letting the canines extend. His heart hammered in his ears as he sniffed along her neck, letting instinct guide him.

  There, his tiger howled. Right there!

  He inhaled and thrust deeper still, then exhaled, relishing the burn in his cock. And on the next inhale—

  Jody made a choking sound as his teeth sank into her neck. For one brief instant, he panicked that he’d done it wrong. But a heartbeat later, her thoughts exploded into his mind. A flood of ecstasy, a high that bridged over to him and rushed through her body. He saw rolling tropical waves and brilliant sunsets. He heard laughter and squinted at the sunlight shining in her soul. His nostrils went wide as all her favorite scents surrounded him, and he gripped her hips tighter as her ecstasy rose higher and higher.

  Hold tight, his tiger grunted.

  He kept his lips firmly sealed as his hips pumped furiously.

  “Yes…” Jody groaned in one long syllable as she clenched down hard. Every muscle in her body flexed, claiming him as hers.

  Cruz slammed into her one more time before his cock jolted and emptied inside her. He saw rainbows dancing over waves. Sunshine sparkling off the ocean. A sky so blue and clear, it made his heart swell.

  Mark her forever, his tiger chanted wildly.

  They’d already given up on condoms, and the skin-to-skin rush drove his tiger wild. But he didn’t let up on the bite until her head sank into the pillow.

  Slowly, carefully, he retracted his teeth, keeping his tongue over the bite marks. The skin sealed under his touch, and some instinct from deep in his soul told him it was all right to let go. He fluttered kisses over her neck as a thick, satisfied weariness filled his muscles, letting him relax at last.

  Jody shuddered, milking him throughout her high, then slowly dropped to her stomach. He sank down over her, pinning her down with just enough pressure to make her murmur once more.

  “So good…” she said, melting into the sheets.

  “So good,” he echoed, holding her tight.

  He closed his eyes, breathing in her scent. The heat radiating from her body, the satisfied sighs. Each reminding him that life was beautiful. Love was beautiful. He just had to believe.

  And damn, did he believe. He’d believe every day for the rest of his life.

  They lay against each other, counting heartbeats, feeling at peace. Eventually, Jody rolled to face him with sparkling, satisfied eyes. Then she grinned and tried a little roar.

  He laughed. “Not bad.”

  “Not bad?” Her brow knitted. “You better watch out. I’ll be out-tigering you any day now. I just need a little practice.”

  He didn’t doubt it. Not one bit. “You can practice on me all you want.”

  She chuckled, putting a finger under his chin. “Wait. Are you getting a sense of humor?”

  He shrugged. “Not my fault. You seem to have infected me.”

  They grinned at each other like a couple of teens who’d just scored for the first time, but then they gradually grew ser
ious. The good kind of serious, like a couple of adults who were done messing around. Looking into the future and liking what they saw.

  He smoothed her hair back into place. It was mussed and wild — probably like his. He sniffed the air and grinned, finding their scents wrapped so tightly together, he could barely tell what part was hers and what part was his. When they met with the other shifters of Koa Point, there’d be no mistaking how he and Jody had spent their morning.

  Good, his tiger said firmly. Let everybody know she’s mine.

  He thought back to the day Kai and Tessa had come to a similar powwow after the dragon duel in which they’d secured the Lifestone. Boone and Nina had come hand in hand to their first formal meeting, smelling distinctly of sex and joy. Hunter and Dawn had covered each other with their scents after three days ensconced in his cottage, and who could blame them after so many years of holding back?

  Well, now it was his turn — a day he’d never thought would come — and he damn well was going to show off his mate. He was in for some ribbing, for sure, especially about the human part. He still couldn’t quite believe that Vasco had made it look as though the local villagers were to blame for the deaths of his family or that he had bought into the lie for so long. Now he realized that humans were just like shifters — there were good and bad of each. He’d be vigilant for the latter, but he’d also do his best not to drive himself crazy with anger or hate.

  Life is for living, his tiger agreed. Loving. Laughing.

  Jody slid closer, brushing her finger across his lips. He closed his eyes as the touch turned into a long, deep kiss. A kiss he never wanted to end. She rolled closer, letting their chests touch, getting him all heated up again.

  “Good thing that meeting isn’t till ten,” she murmured, pulling back slightly. She tipped her head to the right. “Because there’s a rock pool with your name on it not too far away.”

  He kissed her deeper, stirring her up the way she stirred him. “You been thinking dirty thoughts again?”

  She nodded through the kiss. “You’ll have to wash me well. Really, really well. But first…”

  He arched his eyebrow. “First?”

  She grinned from ear to ear. “First, we get to be dirty all over again.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Jody twisted her bracelets around and around as she followed Cruz over the bridge that divided his private world from the rest of the estate. Ten o’clock had seemed so far off, but once again, time had gotten away from her. They’d ended up rushing to get dressed.

  “Are you sure I look okay?” She tugged on Cruz’s hand, making him stop.

  His eyes wandered up and down her body, giving her all kinds of bad ideas, and she gave him a little shove. “Forget I asked. I’m not sure you’re thinking straight.”

  “Of course, I’m not thinking straight. Can I help it if you’re gorgeous?”

  Truthfully, she felt gorgeous, though it was only because of him. She even felt radiant — literally. The bite marks on her neck had already healed over, but her body still tingled from the high. The first chance she got, she was going to have Cruz repeat that bite just to make sure it hadn’t been a wild fantasy.

  “You already know Kai and Tessa,” he assured her.

  At least there was that. Tessa was super nice, and so was Kai, who’d been incredibly worried that awful day up in the mountains. The second he’d helped locate the lost sailors, he’d rushed back to the waterfall. Too late to assist in the shifter fight, but just in time to bring her and Cruz back to Koa Point.

  What a day, huh? Kai had sighed when they’d touched down.

  The understatement of the year, which was one reason Jody had spent so long holed up with Cruz. But she couldn’t hide away at the tree house forever. And if everyone was as nice as Cruz said…

  They were, as it turned out, and Tessa even strong-armed Silas into putting off the meeting until everyone had eaten.

  “I’m sure that can wait an hour, Silas. We all need to settle in a little first. Plus, Dawn gave me a great new recipe I want to try out.”

  Dawn grinned. “Pancakes, Hawaiian style.”

  Even Cruz licked his lips at that, and before long, everyone was gathered around the kitchen, shooting the breeze. Dawn and Hunter had just returned from what sounded like a lovely honeymoon in Alaska, and they barely had eyes for anything but each other. Nina, a sweet brunette, and her mate, Boone, were just back from the East Coast, and everyone was friendly and talkative. Well, Hunter, the bear shifter, wasn’t so talkative, but he tipped his head and listened to every word. They asked Jody about surfing and told funny Cruz stories he pretended to resent. It was like a big family gathering, and Jody’s heart warmed. The men were all tough military types, but they obviously had their softer sides, too. The women were intelligent, outgoing, and plenty assertive if the men got out of line.

  “Watch it, wolf,” Tessa scolded, smacking Boone’s hand away from the pineapples she’d diced.

  “Hey, someone has to do quality control,” he protested.

  Jody looked closely but couldn’t find the slightest hint of wolf in Boone. More like cheery lifeguard or happy-go-lucky ski bum. It was only when his tousled hair fell over his eyes that she caught a hint of canine. And when he looked at his mate, Nina, his eyes lit up so bright, it was easy to picture him wagging a tail.

  Jody exhaled and looked around. Okay, so maybe shifters weren’t all scary, after all. Not this bunch, at least.

  Then she remembered the scene in the mountain valley and corrected herself. She was lucky to have survived the experience unscathed. And, damn. Her new friends could be downright scary when they chose to be.

  “Hey, did you see this?” Boone asked Kai, holding up a newspaper.

  Helicopter Crashes in West Maui Mountains, a headline said. Lightning Strike Sets Aircraft Ablaze.

  “Lightning, my ass,” Kai laughed, looking at Silas.

  Jody tried not to dwell on the article at the top of the paper — Seven Lost in Flash Flood. She was genuinely sad for Richard and Guy, though she couldn’t summon any sympathy for Vasco and his men.

  Property damage minimal, the article continued. At least there was that — no innocent citizens of Maui had been impacted by the shifter fight.

  “Can I help with something?” Jody asked Tessa to get her mind off the unpleasant memories.

  Even with four skillets going at the same time, Tessa had everything under control. Still, she let Jody tend one while engaging in small talk that settled Jody’s nerves again. Nina insisted on doing all the serving, claiming it was in her blood, and in the end, all Jody really did was eat.

  “Oh my gosh, these are so good,” Dawn gushed, biting into a mouthful of coconut-pineapple pancakes.

  “Everything Tessa makes is good,” Kai agreed.

  “We really have to start doing pancake Sundays,” Nina sighed. “I mean, now that everyone is back home and things are settling down.”

  Jody pursed her lips. We was a big word. Could she really fit in at Koa Point? Was it really home?

  Nina’s friendly smile reassured her, and Cruz backed that up with a throaty rumble that warned everyone they’d better accept Jody — or else. Not that they needed the reminder; as he’d promised, everyone was as welcoming as could be.

  It was only when the stacks of pancakes grew lower and everyone leaned back, patting their bellies in satisfaction, that they got around to discussing the unavoidable.

  “So, you’re part mermaid, huh?” Nina asked as she cleared the table with Boone.

  Jody shook her head. “Not really. My dad is, apparently, but I’m sure he doesn’t know.” Which meant her younger sister was part mermaid, too. Did that mean her life was in danger?

  Cruz smoothed a hand over her leg, reminding her the vampires were gone. But what if another came along?

  Slowly, she let out a long breath. Sooner or later, she’d figure out how to break the news to her sister and find a way to keep her safe. But first, she’d get
to share good news, which made her smile all over again. Her sisters and dad would be so excited. Proud, even. The way she liked to think her mom would have felt.

  “No one in my family ever mentioned anything about mermaids. Well, except my crazy old aunt…” She trailed off, looking at her bracelets. Maybe old Tilda wasn’t as nutty as everyone said. She would definitely have to pay the old woman a visit soon.

  Tessa looked sympathetic. “I went most of my life not knowing I had some dragon blood.”

  Dawn mused over her coffee mug. “Can you imagine my surprise when I changed into an owl instead of a bear on my third shift?” Her eyes sparkled at Hunter.

  “You make a great owl — and a great bear.” His soulful brown eyes shone at his mate.

  Jody sighed and glanced at Cruz. And wow, his eyes were sparkling just as intently at her. She let out a long, slow breath. How did she ever get so lucky?

  Nina laughed. “I was always just plain old human.”

  Boone took her hand and kissed it. “Nothing plain about you.”

  An ocean breeze wafted through the open space, carrying the sound of breakers from the reef. Jody might have guessed the koa of Koa Point meant heavenly place of love and tranquility if hadn’t been for what Cruz had once said.

  Koa is a class of warrior, named for the hardest type of wood.

  Well, that fit, too, she decided, looking at the men and women gathered around the table. Their love was tender yet fierce at the same time.

  Tessa fingered the pendant around her neck. “Maybe your bracelets are a mermaid thing. You said they were a family heirloom, right? Maybe they give you some mermaid qualities, too.”

  Jody looked down and fingered the design.

  “Nah,” Cruz cut in. “Jody has all the qualities she needs all on her own.”

  Her cheeks went warm, and she couldn’t resist cupping his cheek. Who knew a grouchy tiger could be so sweet?

  “So what was with the lions?” Hunter asked, frowning for the first time.

  “Vasco was a rare mix,” Silas explained. “Half vampire, half lion. The lion part seemed recessive, the vampire dominant. Hence his taste for blood and the thugs he surrounded himself with.”