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.
“Nick?” she asked, uncertainty in her voice.
His cat form didn’t like that she couldn’t tell him apart from other jaguars, but he’d fix that once she acknowledged their mating. She’d learn the unique pattern of his spots and the distinctive shape and size of him. That would start now. But, first, she needed to know it was him.
He nodded his head, his whiskers brushing the doorframe in an annoying way. He saw her expression change. She had understood his gesture. Good.
Nick pushed off that one paw and allowed himself to flow to the ground. He entered the cabin then used one back foot to close the door behind him. He deliberately let his claws make a little noise on the wooden floor so she’d know where he was. The last thing he wanted to do was frighten his mate, but the cat side needed her acceptance, too. She had to be able to deal with both of his forms.
Sal felt a bit apprehensive, knowing she was in an enclosed space with a fierce jungle cat that had to weigh a few hundred pounds. She knew it was Nick, of course, but there was still some primal fear at being caged with an apex predator. Then, he slunk closer, his golden eyes meeting hers. She could see the magic swirling within his gaze.
Strangely, seeing it there calmed her rather than ratcheting up her fear. Since learning a little bit about magic and how to control it, she could see the very carefully reined-in magic that was part of Nick’s soul. He had complete control over the magic that made him what he was. It didn’t rule him, he ruled it.
That was the very significant difference between him—as well as the others she’d met, like Mr. Howell and Collin Hastings—and her mother. When the wild magic came for her mom, it was completely out of control. Her mother didn’t have the skills or knowledge of what to do to rein it in. Not like Nick and the others. Not like the jungle cat that walked in front of her and stood there, watching her with Nick’s magical eyes.
She was seated on the couch, and he had padded into the space between the couch and the small wooden coffee table in front of it. He moved silently now that he was walking on the rug that filled the conversation area where the couch and two armchairs were located in front of the fireplace.
He walked right up to her side and then sat on his haunches, just looking at her, waiting for her reaction, she reasoned. Feeling her fear subside as he made no aggressive moves, she looked at him.
“You’re gorgeous, Nick,” she whispered, mesmerized by the pattern of his spots. His fur was a living, breathing work of art, and it looked really soft. “Is it okay if I touch you?”
In answer, he moved his head closer to her lap, putting his chin on her knee and tilting toward the hand she had left on her thigh. Well, he couldn’t be much clearer than that, she thought. Sal reached out to stroke his neck, enthralled by the incredible luxury of his silky coat.
“So soft,” she whispered, digging her fingers in as he seemed to enjoy her stroking.
Little sparkles of magical energy followed the path of her fingers over his fur. Nothing harmful. Just the little tickle of magic that seemed to flare between them now whenever they touched. It was visible against the dark marks on his fur and gave her something else to marvel at while she became fully enchanted with this new side of her lover.
They hadn’t really had any time to themselves since their momentous change in status. Sal thought she knew where she stood with him, but sometimes, a gal needed the reassurance of words. Not that he’d be able to say much in his current form. No, The Talk would have to wait until he shifted back to the form that spoke instead of growled and purred. Though, come to think of it, he purred pretty well in his human form, too.
Maybe she could say a few things, right now, that she wouldn’t have the courage to say to his human face? Sometimes, a captive audience that didn’t talk back made it easier to open up. It was worth a try. She had been wanting to tell him a few things since last night but found it difficult to talk about her past or her feelings. She might be a movie star now, with her life on public view, but that was all for show.
The real Sal was hidden behind so many layers of protection she seldom saw the light of day. Then, Nick had come into her life and started peeling away at her shells. He’d gotten right down to the heart of her in no time flat, and while she liked the results, she still felt a little fragile. The whole experience—though ultimately a good one—had been somewhat traumatic in the process.
“Nick…” she began, searching for courage. “About last night.”
Oh, yeah, she had his full attention now. He went from pussycat to alert predator under her trailing fingers. She wasn’t afraid of him. She knew deep in her heart that he would never hurt her. She was more afraid of her feelings and what he might do next…and whether she could survive with her soul intact if he turned away from her now.
“First, I want you to know, I enjoyed everything we did together and would like to continue exploring this…relationship…if you want that, too.” Had she imagined his sleek muscles relaxing under her hand? The magic swirl of energy in his eyes calmed a little but still held strong as he looked at her. “I just want to make sure we’re both on the same page here. I know you still have your doubts about me, and I can’t really blame you for that. I just hope that, from here on, we can begin again. I’m willing to learn about your world—about magic—now that I’ve seen a few things that have begun to change my opinion about magic in general. I’m willing to meet you halfway on the subject of magic. I hope you’ll consider forgiving me for the secrets I kept from you. I didn’t do it to purposely deceive you.” She looked down, breaking eye contact, feeling extremely vulnerable.
A shimmer in the air, and under her hand, Nick’s shoulder went from furry to firm, muscular, and all too human. She looked upward to find him kneeling in front of her, naked as the day he was born.
Yum, was her first uncensored thought, followed quickly by, Down, girl.
“I know you didn’t, Sal. I figured that you were just doing the best you could to protect yourself. I’ve done a lot of thinking about your past—now that I know the truth of it—and I’ve come to some conclusions. We all have, in fact.”
“Mark knows everything,” she said.
“Yes,” he agreed. “And you can bet that you’re the topic of conversation up at the big house. Decisions are being made, I’m sure. What they’ll be, I can guess…but I can’t be certain until we see what happens. In the meantime, I’m here. With you. Where I want to be.”
He moved in on her then, coming closer. Where she wanted him to be, too. Forget what might happen later. What she wanted right now was on offer, and she’d be a fool to turn him away. Not when she knew how good they were together and especially not when she had no idea what the future would bring.
She would grab the brass ring while it was within reach and let the chips fall where they may later. For now, she was with her lover, and she wanted to be with him again. As often as she could.
Sal launched herself at him and took him down to the floor, covering his nude body with her, sadly, clothed self. But they’d fix that soon enough. She straddled his hips and lifted up to pull her top eagerly over her head while Nick’s hands went to the clasp of her bra. It came away in short order, the fabric cups to be replaced by his warm hands.
Mmm. That felt wonderful. Especially when he started playing with the sensitive peaks. While he did that, she struggled out of her pants and panties, her desire riding her hard.
Speaking of hard, he was solid and long beneath her, and as ready for action as she was quickly becoming. This wouldn’t be a long, drawn-out affair. No, this was needy, quick, powerful sex with the man she could so easily become addicted to. This was raw. It was soul-wrenching. It was real.
As real as anything had ever been in her difficult life. She’d gone into acting to hide in fantasy, to continue playing roles—and she had for so many years. Turning a survival skill she had developed into a career.
But now, with Nick, all her subterfuge was gone. She could be the real Sal—whoever that was—with him. That was a gift greater than any she had ever received, and he’d been the one to give it to her. With him, she could be the sex-starved wild woman that reigned, right now, or she could be the student wanting to know the realities of magic, like she was with Mr. Howell. She could allow the true facets of her innermost nature to show and have no fear that it would come back to haunt her.
Nick would never hurt her. Not in any way.
And with that stunning realization, she took him into her body, seating herself on him, moaning at the contact that meant everything…or nothing…depending on the outcome of those discussions currently ongoing at the mansion.
Knowing her future happiness hung on the balance of conversations she was not even allowed to be part of, she decided to ignore the possible outcomes and just enjoy the moment. This moment. Right here. Nick and Sal, on the floor of a jungle cabin. No lies between them. No dreams of the future. No nightmares of the past. Just now and this incredible attraction they shared.
She moved on him urgently, wanting this moment to last a lifetime. Craving so much more than she could have—at least not until her fate and position with regards to the Clan were settled. She wanted a future with the man beneath her. She wanted a life filled with his loving, his companionship, his…love.
Dare she want it all? Love was dangerous. She loved her mother but had been unable to protect her and save her from herself when the wild magic came to call. Sal had done all she could to help, while her own heart bled at her mother’s situation.
All she knew of love was desperation and pain, but with Nick… Nick showed her possibilities. He let her dream of how things could be. With him.
It was a dangerous dream. It made her want a future with him. But did he feel the same way?
The question was too complicated for the moment. The only thing that mattered right here, right now, was their bodies straining together, reaching for oblivion where they were no longer separate beings, but two hearts, beating as one.
Her movements became erratic as her pleasure soared higher. She had her hands on his chest, supporting her as she leaned upward. The slight change in angle sent her to the stars, and she was dimly aware of Nick joining her as he shouted her name, his hands clasping her hips hard, holding her to him as they went together on a trip neither could take alone.