My Cat Burglar

by Shelley Munro

  Jealousy gnawed at his gut and a rumble in his throat warned Laura of his agitation.

  “See, even you’re judging me.” She tried to turn away. Jonno grasped her upper arm, using brute strength to hold her in place, facing him.

  “I’m not judging you. I know you’re with me now. Hell, we both have pasts. They’re the force that’s shaped us, made us into better people. The past has prepared us for each other.”

  Laura snorted. “We’re sleeping together, nothing more.”

  Instinctive words of denial tickled the tip of his tongue. He bit them back. Not the right time. “Let me help you out of these wet clothes.” Jonno unfastened the first two buttons of her shirt before she batted his hands away.

  “I can undress myself.”

  “Tell me about Mike. What happened?”

  At first he thought she’d refuse. Her fingers slowed, and she glanced up, ducking her head when she noticed him watching her. When she slid the next button from its hole, her fingers trembled.

  “Laura?”

  “Mike is married. I truly didn’t know. I believed him when he said he was divorced, and because of my earlier relationships, I wanted to keep my new romance to myself. At work we spent little time together. Outside of work we saw each other a lot. Mike moved into my apartment.”

  Jonno frowned, trying to picture the situation and not judge. Laura wasn’t stupid. Surely there must have been signs. “When did he see his wife?”

  “He’s a detective, and I understood when he said he was working a case. It turned out he told both of us the same story. Sometimes he had to work, but he’d arrange his schedule to fit in both of us.”

  “How did you find out?”

  “His wife turned up at the station one day. She didn’t know until she saw charges for two Valentine’s Day gifts on the credit card, and she received one. And that should have been it.” Laura shivered, and Jonno closed the distance between them. He skimmed her damp panties down her legs and helped her balance while she stepped out of them. A twist of his wrist unclipped her bra, and he smoothed it off her arms. With a gentle push, he directed her beneath the warm water. He stripped and joined her in the shower, shutting the glass door to enclose them in privacy.

  “What happened?”

  “She’s related to the police commissioner, and I got shunted sideways to Middlemarch, my hopes for promotion to detective shafted.”

  Jonno reached for the soap and ran it over his chest, arms and legs to help remove some of the stench of work. The brisk scrub of a washcloth helped him complete the job before he settled in to enjoy the novelty of Laura in his shower.

  “If you hadn’t come to Middlemarch, you’d never have met me.”

  The mulish set of her mouth gave away her opinion. “I’ve dreamed of being a police detective since I was a teenager. It’s all I ever wanted, why I joined the police force in the first place.”

  “What about a transfer to another city? Wellington or Auckland.”

  Jonno picked up the soap again and ran sudsy hands over her shoulders and breasts, pinching a nipple in the exact manner he knew she liked.

  “I could, but I enjoy Dunedin. My friends are there, my family, even though we’re not close.”

  “I like Dunedin,” Jonno said, nibbling along the cords of her neck. “Have I told you I used to share a house with Sly and Joe Mitchell?” Somehow he had to get her to see Middlemarch wasn’t so bad. It wasn’t a sideways step. Maybe he should discuss Laura with Saber because a connection on the local police force might make things easier for the feline community. Often the felines had to handle things themselves rather than involve the police. Laura could help with that, and it might make her feel more at home, more involved and part of the town. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so hard to get her to stay.

  Laura cocked her head, allowing his lips better access to her neck. “Yeah, you’ve told me. Are they the same as Saber and his other brothers?”

  “They’re younger, more impish versions of Saber. Saber had to grow up fast and raise his younger brothers when their uncle died. You’ll like Joe and Sly.” Not that he intended to introduce them to Laura until he’d put his mark on her. “Enough about the Mitchells and the burglaries. This Mike, is he the same one ringing you all the time?”

  “Yes. I wish he’d leave me alone.”

  “You could always give the phone to me next time he rings. Or Charlie if I’m not available. We could tell him to piss off, and if you have problems later, we’d be your alibis.”

  Laura closed her eyes, her mouth compressing to a flat line of irritation. “Mike’s wife is vindictive. I didn’t know he was married, and once I did, I tried to break it off. He kept bothering me. His wife kept hassling me until I left. Thankfully, that seems to have stopped.”

  “So you’ll let Charlie and me handle him if he rings again?” Although he didn’t know Charlie well, he instinctively liked him, his dry sense of humor. From what he’d seen, Charlie was a decent bloke. Contacts on the local police force never hurt.

  Laura slipped her arms around his neck, pressing close so the water pooled between their bodies and made a funny sound. “Thank you.”

  “There’s no need to thank me. I care for you.”

  “Jonno, you can’t care for me yet. What we have now qualifies as friendship, that’s all.”

  The feline within loosed a possessive growl, incensed at her insistence on calling their relationship casual. There was nothing casual about it. Despite his inner turmoil, he kept his thoughts hidden, not wanting to create friction.

  “I’m a grown male. I know my mind.” He swept his hands over her back, letting them come to rest on her butt. He squeezed, lifting her to rub against his groin, groaning under his breath. “Damn that feels good. I don’t wanna talk anymore. Let’s make love.” Suiting actions to words, he ducked his head to capture her lips with his. A punch of heat swept through him, heading straight for his balls. So damn good. Every time. He traced his tongue along the seam of her lips, swallowing her quiet sigh of surrender and pushing for entry to the interior of her mouth. Their tongues stroked in a seductive rhythm, and when he lifted her, pressing her body against the cool wall of the shower, she acquiesced eagerly, parting her legs to allow him closer.

  “I’ve never fucked in a shower.” A very non-cop twinkle appeared in her eyes.

  “Best we extend your education then.” With easy strength, he lined up his cock and pushed inside, her welcoming flesh parting easily, aiding his invasion. Balls-deep, he paused when all he wanted to do was pump into her with frenzied and choppy strokes, grasping his pleasure with both hands. Instead he forced himself to thrust with leisurely strokes, pushing inside halfway, teasing them both, taking care to drive her pleasure to great heights where she soared. He surged into her and retreated, building passion, building heat. Making love to her, determined to show her by his actions the difference between simple fucking to climax and love between mates.

  “Laura,” he whispered, the sound not much more than a fevered groan. “I love the way your pussy feels. Hot.”

  “Just for you.”

  “Mine, huh?” Teasing both of them, he pushed inside her hot sheath and stroked his tongue into her mouth at the same unhurried pace.

  “Oh yeah.” Her fingernails cut into his shoulders as she ground against him. “You’re so good at this. You make me so hot.”

  The passion soared with each stroke into her molten pussy. The iron control he held over his feline eased and urgency gripped him. Jonno trembled, his face tightening into a grimace.

  “Laura.” He buried his face in the crook of her neck, teeth biting before he even realized what he was doing.

  Her shout of pleasure and the tight clasp of her pussy, dragged him back, made him realize the possible consequences. Hurriedly he lifted his head, the close call sobering him. Damn. It wasn’t right to mark her this soon. She didn’t understand now, but soon. He’d mark her, and she’d understand they were a couple, a mated pair.
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  Gritting his teeth, he pressed her into the shower wall and increased his stroke rate. He dipped his head and took her mouth in a dominating kiss, something to appease his snarling feline. His cock swelled, becoming increasingly sensitive. His balls ached, drawing up high and tight while he plundered her mouth. Fire lashed him, burning bright and consuming, each time he buried himself in her wet core. Then orgasm approached, crashing in on him. He pistoned his hips, thrashing into her with hard and choppy strokes. The flames licked along his cock and his body convulsed with the force of his release, satisfaction releasing in a rough growl.

  Once Jonno came back to himself, he realized Laura was pushing at his shoulders. “The water’s gone cold.”

  And it had. He hadn’t realized, so caught up in the sensations and coming apart in her arms. With a last bruising kiss, he separated their bodies and let her fall against him.

  He soaped his hands and slipped them between her legs. Laughing, she tried to bat them away.

  “Let me,” he said as she squirmed. “I love touching you.” He stroked her folds, washing away the evidence of their lovemaking. “Your scent is addictive and the way you respond to me…I like you so much I’m willing to do this over again. We’ll try the bed this time.”

  “I’m clean,” Laura said, batting at his hands again. The laughter in her voice reassured him, told him she was just as enthralled with the relationship. Time would improve things between them.

  Jonno straightened and gave her a slap on the arse, smirking as she squeaked. “Out you go. Dry off and wait for me in the bedroom.”

  After a long beat, she lifted her right hand in a snappy salute. “Yes sir.”

  The door rattled when it opened and closed. Jonno stuck his face under the blast of the shower and grabbed for the shampoo bottle. With deft moves, he washed his hair. It was at that moment he realized they hadn’t used a condom.

  Chapter Nine

  Jonno stalked into the bedroom, water still dripping off his nude body. “We didn’t use a condom. We missed using one the first time last night as well.”

  “No problem. I’m on the Pill, remember? Don’t you think you should get a towel? You’re dripping everywhere.”

  “Shit.” Jonno swiped a hand over his face and strode from the room, returning seconds later with a towel. With brisk rubs, he toweled dry. “Does it make me a bastard that I was glad we didn’t use a condom? I forgot you’re on the Pill. All I could think of was your belly swelling with my child.” His voice cracked with emotion. “I liked the idea. Very much.”

  They stared at each other for a tension-filled moment.

  The picture he described filled her mind with a clear visual. She saw them together, instinctively knowing Jonno would love being a father and be a good one. For the first time in her life the idea of marriage and a family didn’t send her running in the opposite direction. She liked the idea. When had she changed?

  “I…okay,” she whispered.

  “Okay, what?” He’d stilled, face tight with concentration, but she thought she caught a flicker of longing.

  “Um, I’m saying maybe we have more than a casual friendship.”

  The flash of his smile reminded her of a bright and vivid spring flower after a long winter. “Good.”

  “Is that all you’re going to say?”

  “For the moment. You already know what I want. I don’t want to scare you any more than necessary.”

  His words were a revelation for Laura because his honesty shone from his gaze and stamped his features. Nice. Especially after the fiasco with Mike.

  Jonno stalked toward the bed where she sat, his attention on her. The intent glint in his hazel eyes brought a quick protest.

  “Oh no you don’t. I need food—sustenance—before we go another round in this bed.”

  He paused and dipped his head in a quick nod. “All right. Can we go without condoms from now? Felines can’t contract sexually transmitted diseases from humans.”

  Laura took what she’d learned about him and didn’t have a single qualm. She believed him. “It’s fine by me.”

  “Good. I’m hungry. Do you want a sandwich?”

  “Hell yes. I’m starved.” The loud rumble of Laura’s stomach punctuated her words.

  The insistent peal of her phone interrupted their dinner foraging.

  Laura’s mouth squeezed into a moue of disappointment. “I hope that’s not anything serious.” After retrieving the phone from the bedroom, she stabbed the on button.

  “Police Officer Adams speaking.”

  “Laura, I have to see you.”

  She stiffened, her shoulders twitching in irritation. “I can’t talk to you now, Mike. Too busy.”

  “I’m going crazy not seeing you, touching you.”

  A low growl was all the warning she had before Jonno plucked the phone from her hands.

  “Laura is busy. She’s not interested in you. Don’t call again.” Jonno hung up on Mike, turning to her with a grim expression.

  “Don’t look at me like that. Do you think I encourage him? I’ve told him to leave me alone, to stop calling. I’ve told him several times. He refuses to listen. The man railroaded my career. Any feelings I had for him died the instant I learned he’d lied about his marriage.”

  “If he rings again, give the phone straight to me. I’ll deal with him.”

  Anger exploded deep inside her, tensing her muscles. She sucked in a noisy breath and bared her teeth at him. “I don’t need you to handle him for me. I’m capable of dealing with him myself.”

  “Then why does he keep ringing back?”

  Laura jerked as if he’d struck her in the chest. “It’s none of your damn business.” All the closeness they’d built during their lovemaking dispersed in a few heated words. Tears stung, and she fought to keep them at bay.

  Stunned silence bloomed between them. Laura dropped her gaze, too hurt to focus her attentions on him. His hand under her chin gave her a fright. She flinched, flinging her arms back and knocking her hip on the corner of a chair. A pained cry escaped.

  “Are you okay?” His hands closed on her shoulders, drawing her away from the chair.

  A lone tear escaped and rolled down her cheek.

  “Laura?”

  “I’m fine. Just a bit clumsy.”

  “I’m not trying to take over. I want to help.” His husky voice throbbed with concern. “And I’m jealous,” he added ruefully. “I hate to think of you with another man.”

  “Believe me, you’re three times the man. Mike is a self-centered asshole. He doesn’t respect women. I don’t know why his wife didn’t turf his butt out the door. I would’ve if I’d been her.”

  Jonno smoothed a strand of hair away from her face. His lips curved up into a tender smile that tugged at her heart. “That’s my girl.”

  “I’m not your girl,” she said with a sniff.

  “No, you’re my lover. My mate.” Jonno’s voice held certainty while the heat in his hazel eyes hinted at much more.

  “Are you going to feed me?”

  The phone went again. Immediately the tension ramped up between them. Jonno took a step toward the counter. She stayed him with the touch of a hand.

  “Let me. It might be something work-related.”

  With a curt nod, he stood aside, but she noticed the tension in his body. It vibrated through him, reminding her of a big cat ready to jump its prey.

  “Police Officer Adams.” Relief rippled through her once she realized it wasn’t Mike. “Loitering strangers? Address? Okay, I’m on my way.” She hung up and glanced at the masculine robe she wore. “Do you have clothes I can borrow?”

  “We can make a quick trip to your house if you like.”

  “There’s no ‘we’ about it. You can’t come with me.”

  Jonno picked up his keys. “Why?”

  “I knew I should have brought the police car.”

  “We can argue this later.”

  “This might be the gang of robbers.
I want to catch them red-handed.” Laura balked at the door. “I can’t go home wearing your robe. I’ll grab my uniform.”

  “Don’t be silly. It’s sitting on the bathroom floor in a sodden heap. No one will see you in my robe, apart from Charlie if he’s at home.” He slipped his arm around her shoulders and propelled her to the door, shutting it once they were outside.

  The drive to her house didn’t take long. Laura climbed out of his car and scuttled to the door while Jonno followed.

  “What’s up?” Charlie asked. “I thought you were staying the night at Jonno’s place.”

  “Call out,” she said in a terse voice. Heat seeped into her face when Charlie’s gaze scanned the masculine robe. She hurried past him and along the passage to her bedroom, shutting the door with a firm click. “You’ll need to come with me,” she called through the door.

  “How do I get myself in these situations?” she muttered, letting the robe fall off her shoulders. She rifled through her drawers and pulled out a pair of white cotton panties and a matching bra. Aware of the need to hurry, she scrambled into jeans, a T-shirt and jacket instead of a uniform.

  A tap sounded on her door and it opened. Jonno stepped inside just as she tugged on a pair of boots. Her phone went again. She picked it up, listened, her stomach twisting.

  “Mike, if you don’t stop ringing me, I will report you for harassment.” She stabbed the phone, disconnecting the call.

  Jonno growled at the back of his throat. “The man needs to back off. If he rings again, I’ll talk to him.”