“Thank you, Serena,” Rocky said in a respectful tone. “You know I wouldn’t have asked you to talk about this if it wasn’t important.”

“Are you going to try to stop them?” She looked stronger than Bob had expected. Serena was finding her backbone and he felt inexplicably proud of her.

Rocky looked from her to Bob and back again, his expression tight. Bob knew he couldn’t tell her too much about what they’d been discussing before she had come in. As a general rule of thumb, the fewer who knew about a plan, the better. But it was a tough call in her case. Her life had been turned upside down by the people in her past and she was still healing. Perhaps knowing that the Lords and their lieutenants were not ignoring the situation would help her heal faster. Bob was hoping Rocky would give her at least that reassurance.

“We haven’t decided what we’re going to do yet,” Rocky said finally. “We think Jezza might be in trouble and we’ll do our best to warn him—though as you say, he’s a hard man to track down.”

“Have you tried the caves up on the eastern ridge near Mt. Baker? Or the old mine on the southern slope of Eagle Peak? Or the old ghost town in the valley?” Serena seemed eager to help them track the elusive soldier-shaman.

“Tell you what,” Rocky said, shuffling through the papers on his desk until he found a folded map. He handed it to her and she accepted it with a curious expression on her face as she turned it around and looked at it. “Mark up the areas you think we should search, and give them rankings. Number one is your most likely place for him to be, then work your way up from there. Take some time. Think about it overnight. Mark up the map and give it back to me tomorrow. Meanwhile, we’re prepping a team to go in and look for him. Any locations you can give us to search would be a great help.”

Serena looked determined and Bob was glad Rocky had given her a task. Having something to do that could actually help would make her feel useful and possibly help keep her mind off the bad times in her past.

“I think he has a sat phone,” Serena volunteered.

“I’ve heard that before, but nobody seems to know his number,” Rocky said with a bit of his frustration showing. “I’ve called all around the country to people who might’ve had reason to have his digits, but no dice. And the numbers in my file on him are disconnected with no forwarding. He’s off the grid.”

“Then you really do have to find him the old fashioned way,” Bob surmised.

Rocky nodded, shuffling his papers together into a neat stack on his desk. “I think that’s all for today. I’ve got a meeting, so you’re on your own for dinner, Bob. They’ll welcome you at the Pack house as long as you’re here, or you can make your own meals down at the cabin. Your choice.”

Bob didn’t reply as he rose from his chair. Serena was getting up too and Bob planned to leave with her. Rocky didn’t need to know Bob’s plan to coax Serena into sharing the evening meal, though the grizzly shifter probably already guessed.

They said goodbye to Rocky and Bob ushered Serena out into the late afternoon sun. It was a little early for dinner, but the time would roll around soon enough. He might as well ask her…

“I don’t suppose you’d like to have dinner with me?” Bob asked as they walked slowly along the path that led from Rocky’s home down to the road. “Maybe at the Pack house?” A nice, neutral, public location ought to make her feel secure.

Serena seemed to think about it for a moment before replying. “We can start there, but if you’ll trust me a bit, I know a place that I think you might enjoy.”

“Like a picnic?” Bob liked the way her eyes sparkled, even though she seemed uncertain, and he was surprised that she’d venture out of the comfort zone of the Pack house. Maybe she was a little less fragile than he’d thought. He’d wait and see—and treat her as gently as possible. The very last thing he wanted to do was frighten her off.

“Yeah. I guess you could call it a picnic. Sort of.” She looked down at her feet, but she hadn’t rescinded the invitation and he wasn’t fool enough to say no.

“Then I put myself in your hands,” Bob said gallantly, playing along. “How about I meet you at the Pack house in a half hour? Is that a good time?”

Bob would have liked to go with her immediately, but he had to secure his laptop back at the cabin and freshen up a bit. A male didn’t go courting a lady without taking care with his appearance. Bob might share his soul with an animal, but his animal was a cougar, and even big cats occasionally prided themselves on how well-groomed they were. A little spiffing up was in order after spending all day working in the bear’s den.

 

Serena practically skipped all the way back to the Pack house. She had a dinner date with the cougar. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for such a big step, but the more she was around him, the more comfortable she felt with him. That had to be a good sign.

And the talk she’d had with the High Priestess had gone a long way toward helping her realize that she was no longer the injured, abused bobcat she’d been when she had arrived here. No, she had come a long, long way since then. She was able to stay in her human form a lot longer than anyone realized. In fact, she really didn’t have a problem staying human anymore, though nobody but Bettina seemed to notice. Serena just enjoyed prowling in her fur. The freedom to be herself in a safe environment was pretty intoxicating.

“Someone looks happy.” Bettina’s musical voice broke through Serena’s jumbled thoughts as she climbed the stairs to the wide front porch of the Pack house.

Serena looked to her right and saw the ethereal High Priestess sitting in one of the rocking chairs in one corner, lighting the whole area with her presence. There was something incredibly magical about the older woman and Serena really liked being around her.

“Do I?” Serena smiled as she walked over to the High Priestess and perched on the porch rail facing her.

“You have the decided look of a cat who is about to be let loose in a cage full of canaries. Both excited and a little apprehensive. What’s going on?” Bettina’s kind voice invited confidences.

“I’m having dinner with Bob.” Serena couldn’t help the silly grin she just knew was spread all over her face.

Bettina smiled brightly and leaned forward, patting Serena’s hand. “Good for you.” Bettina’s approval meant a lot to Serena. “What are you going to wear?”

Serena felt her heart speed up. She hadn’t thought about it. She hadn’t gotten past the happy feeling that had filled her when Bob had asked her to have dinner with him.

Bettina stood up and took Serena’s hand as she turned them both toward the front door. “Come on. I’ll help you pick something out. I know how you cats like to look your best. Let’s find something that will knock his socks off without looking too eager. You have to make him work a little bit for your favor.”

Serena felt better having the High Priestess’s help. They went up to her room and proceeded to raid her closet. Once they’d settled on a nice outfit, Bettina left Serena alone to dress with a motherly hug and a whispered “Good luck. You’re a lot stronger than you think you are. It’s about time for you to roar.”

 

Bob arrived at the Pack house just as dinner began to be put on the big buffet tables in the dining room. Serena met him on the wide front porch with a shy smile. She had changed into a skirt and looked pretty and feminine. He felt like purring, knowing that her inner cat had dressed up for him, as he had for her. Bob took it as a good sign.

“You look nice,” he said softly, wanting to say more but afraid to scare her off. In fact, she looked gorgeous. Sexy, yet innocent at the same time. And absolutely delicious.

“Thanks,” she replied with another of those shy little smiles that so enchanted him. “So do you.” A slight blush touched her high cheekbones as she looked down at her hands.

They walked into the house and down the hall toward the big dining room together. It was a buffet-style setup tonight, so they were able to pick a few things and pack them to go. Bob let Serena do all the choosing while he stood beside her and took the packages out of her hands as she filled them.

The Pack house seemed to have all sorts of supplies for those who wanted to take their meal to go. Bob snagged a paper shopping bag to place the smaller containers in and Serena carried the drinks as they left the dining room together, heading outdoors. She seemed in a playful mood as they walked along, moving into the twilight of the forest behind the building.

They’d gone uphill for a few minutes when she turned down a game path to the left, into an area of the mountain that Bob hadn’t yet seen. They had kept him pretty close to the immediate area around the bear shifter’s home since he’d arrived. Bob assumed he would be allowed to see more of the Lords’ territory once Rocky delivered his decision on Bob’s character. It made sense to be cautious. The Lords were the most important shifters in all of North America.

They were shifter royalty, though the were, as a group, didn’t go in for crowns and such. No, the were left that sort of stuff to the fancier animals. The more exotic big cats had all sorts of monarchs, from what Bob had heard, modeling their society after the politics of Renaissance Europe. Were were simpler folk. They let the Mother of All show them who was meant to lead and it didn’t matter what family or bloodline they came from. If the Goddess chose them, they were the leaders. End of story.

Serena led the way toward what Bob could now hear, sounded like rushing water. They rounded a thicket of bushes and there in front of them was a gorgeous little waterfall and pool surrounded by big, flat stones. One was large enough for them both to sit on and still have room for the food containers.

“This is nice,” Bob said, loving the fine mist of humidity in the air, even though the night was coming on and the mountain air was cooling. It was so different here from the desert. So lush and loamy.

“There are a few spots like this around the mountain, some bigger, some even smaller, but this one is my favorite. It’s also the most convenient to the Pack house. I come up here a lot.” She led the way to a big, flat rock at the water’s edge.

They sat in the last few rays of the setting sun and ate their picnic dinner enjoying the peace of the waterfall and stream. Bob felt comfortable with Serena. A little bit of the edginess that had never quite left him since the murder of his mother seemed to fall away with the rushing of the water—and Serena’s calm presence at his side. There was something about her that placated his pacing cougar. Something that made the cat want to purr.

The thought was startling. There were stories about cat shifters purring in their human form. It was said that the one who could make the cougar purr while it was trapped inside the human body was the shifter’s true mate. A rare and wondrous thing.

Three of Bob’s brothers had found such magic recently. They had mated with women who made his older brothers happier than Bob had ever seen them. It was nice to see his brothers paired off with women who made them truly happy. The Goddess knew, their family had had more than their share of heartache in the past few years.

“I come here when I need to think,” Serena offered, breaking into the peaceful sounds of the falling water. “Lately, I’ve been coming here a lot.”

“Heavy thoughts weighing you down?” Bob quipped, hoping to lighten the pensive mood.

She sighed. “Yeah. You could say that.” She nibbled at her food for a moment before continuing. “I’ve spent a lot of time in my fur in the past. It was easier letting the cat’s instincts rule over my confused human brain for a while.” She cast a few crumbs into the pond and some fish obligingly rose to the surface to eat them. Serena concentrated on the fish just below the surface of the water while she spoke. “Just recently though, I’ve been walking on two legs more than four. The cat has retreated a bit to give the human side of me time to come to grips with the change in my circumstances.”

“The cat protected you while you found your feet again. It’s not uncommon for our kind. My little sister spent a lot of time in her fur after our mother died. The cougar helped her cope. I’d guess your bobcat did the same for you,” he observed in a quiet tone. He wanted so much to pull her into his arms and offer comfort, but he didn’t want to stop her from talking. It seemed like she needed to talk.

“After everything that happened, I guess I was just a bit overwhelmed. I’ve never known such kindness among shifters as I’ve found here. Not since my parents died. It was a little hard to deal with at first. I know that sounds strange...” She tore off a small piece of bread and threw it to a particularly large fish. The dusk settled around them but they could both see well in the dark. Still, an air of intimacy surrounded their little hideaway and the words that passed between them.

“I can understand it. And I can curse the people who abused your trust.” He let just a bit of his anger at her adoptive parents out in his words and her gaze shot up to meet his.

Silent communication passed between the predators that lived in their souls, the cats understanding each other on a more basic level than human comprehension. The smaller bobcat seemed to recognize the larger cougar and its protective instincts where she was concerned. It also recognized the Alpha who had enough strength to back up his words.

“That’s in the past,” she finally managed to say after a long, silent moment where many things were said without a single word being spoken. She looked away, focusing on the water once more. “I need to learn to leave it there.”

Bob finished the last of his meal and reclined on one elbow, adopting a casual pose. Inside, he felt anything but casual, but he was trying to calm any residual fear she might have.

“That’s probably a good attitude. Moving on is hard, but necessary. We all had to learn that after our mother’s killers were brought to justice.” Bob didn’t normally open up about such private matters, but Serena had shared her past with him. He felt it only fair to allow her to hear some of his tale of woe. Somehow, it might help her to know that everyone faced tragedy in life. It was how you dealt with it, and came out on the other side, that was important.

“What happened to her?” The question was quiet, testing, as if she was afraid to ask. It was also respectful, which Bob appreciated. He hadn’t talked much about his mother since her death. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to put his pain into words.

“She was murdered in her own garden by two mages with Venifucus ties. They partially skinned her.” He let that statement stand and he could feel the horror of Serena’s reaction. That sort of defilement was one of the worst things that could happen to a shifter. Taking a part of a shifter’s pelt, it was believed, prevented the spirit from passing easily from this world to the next.

“But you caught them, right? You brought them to justice?”

“There was a male and a female. The male was captured first and his magic drained. He’s not much more than a shell now and remains under guard. My cougar still wants to taste his blood, but he’s been useful for the information he can provide about the enemy. He’s told us a lot about the Venifucus, though not easily. Some of our best interrogators have been working on him for a while now. He’s just smart enough to hold some information in reserve because when he’s told us everything he knows, there’s little reason to keep him alive—and a lot of reasons to tear him to shreds.”

He watched Serena’s face carefully and knew she understood the savage need of the cat to claw and rend its enemy. She seemed to accept his bloodthirsty statement without passing judgment.

“Were you able to make her spirit whole?” she asked quietly.

“Yeah. We finally cornered the female magic user who had possession of my mother’s fur and retrieved it. The sorceress was killed in the chase. She either jumped, or perhaps fell, down an open elevator shaft. We’re still not sure which. Maybe she didn’t know it was there. Or maybe she didn’t want to be taken alive. I guess we’ll never know.” Bob thought about that for a moment. Either way, he was glad the evil woman was dead. “Our priestess found my mother’s pelt in a bag the woman was carrying and reunited it with my mother’s body. We were able to hold a ceremony for her and see her off to the next realm. I think that was probably the saddest day of my life.”

Serena surprised him by moving closer until she was right next to him. She put her arms around his waist and snuggled into him, resting her head on his shoulder and hugging him. She felt so good there, nestled against him. He put his arms around her and hugged her back, liking the way she offered comfort.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly, her words muffled against his shirt. “I know what it’s like to lose a parent. The pain never quite goes away, does it?”

Bob rubbed her back with one hand, offering what comfort he could in return. “No, it doesn’t. I had my brothers, of course, and little Belinda was so traumatized. We all tried to help her but eventually Grif just packed her up and went to a cabin he owns in Wyoming. He thought the change of scene would be good for her, and it was. Though we never thought he’d meet his mate up there. Lindsey has been better for him—and for Belinda—than I ever would have guessed. Finding his mate has brought him a measure of peace. I see it in him and I’m both happy, and a bit envious. Lindsey is his true mate and she is Goddess-touched.”

“Sounds like quite a woman.”

“She is. She’s becoming a true matriarch to the Clan. Not exactly the way my mother was, but Lindsey is forging her own path. I’m glad Grif found her. For his sake and for Belinda’s. My little sister is slowly coming out of her grief and blossoming into the girl she once was.”

“I like the way you speak about your family,” Serena observed, still clinging to him. “I can tell you care deeply for them.”

“That’s the way it should be for our people. What happened to you, Serena, is not normal. Most Clans care for orphans. They foster them with loving families. Your adoptive parents should be shot.”

She reached up and placed one finger over his lips, meeting his gaze. Time froze for a moment.

“It’s over now,” she said finally, her simple words belying the fire that started in the depths of her eyes as she looked at her finger, resting over his lips.

Her little tongue peeked out and licked her lips and a moment later, they were both moving toward each other, their mouths meeting in the middle. It was a kiss of little finesse but a whole lot of fire. It was unexpected and powerful, and Bob had to catch his breath as his heart went from zero to sixty in no time flat.

Whether he kissed her or she kissed him, he didn’t really know. He just knew they were joined at the mouth, their bodies pressing closer and need blossoming between them in an eruption of fire he never could have predicted. Serena was a wildcat in his arms, taking as much as she gave, driving him into a near-frenzy of need.

Passion drove him, making his skin hot, his blood coursing through his veins at rapid speed. He tried to read her responses, unsure if she was on the same page as him. He wanted to take this all the way, but he didn’t want to rush her.

“Kitten,” he gasped, moving his mouth away from hers, although she tried to follow. “Are you sure about this? Do you want this?”

“I want you.” Her gaze met his and the molten fire in her eyes told him what he needed to know, even as her words confirmed it. “I need to feel whole. I need you, Bob.” She reached up to nibble on his jaw. “I want to know what it’s like in human form and I choose you to show me. Is that clear enough?”

She backed up to lift her shirt up over her shoulders and off, tossing it on the rock behind her. She was bare beneath, the little vixen. It looked like she’d been planning seduction all along when she invited him on this little picnic. Bob grinned.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Her voice shook even as it challenged him. He prowled closer to her, a growl of pure joy sounding in his throat as she bent backward, reclining on the flat stone under him. Yielding. Waiting for him to claim her.

Oh, yeah.

“Picnic, my ass,” he teased in a low, rumbling tone that he couldn’t quite control. She brought out the playful side of his beast. “You brought me up here to seduce me, didn’t you, kitten?”

“Is it working?” She smiled up at him and he could only shake his head in wonder at this new side of her. Far from a shrinking violet, he began to learn that when Serena knew what she wanted, she went after it with both hands.

He lowered his body over her, allowing her to feel the hard length of him against her softness. There was fabric separating them, but he knew she could feel the evidence of his desire when she gasped and her eyes widened.

“Feels like it’s working to me,” he answered back in the same spirit of playfulness. “How does that feel to you?”

Her head tilted coquettishly. “It feels…intriguing,” she answered. “But I think I need to know a bit more before I can make a final decision.”

Bob growled as he bent down to lick her neck, nipping, then laving the small hurt with his tongue. The cat inside him liked to bite, but she didn’t seem to mind, and the biting wasn’t about pain, but about shared pleasure. He didn’t want to hurt her. He never wanted to hurt her. Far from it.

“That can be arranged,” he whispered against her skin, as he moved one hand to the button on his trousers, releasing it. Her little hands were pushing at his shirt, moving it up so her fingers could glide over the muscles of his abdomen. He wasn’t ticklish, but his response to her touch made him growl again as the cat inside him enjoyed her petting.

He lifted up so she could push the bunched up shirt over his shoulders and off completely. Then he set to work on the floaty, gypsy-type skirt she was wearing. He soon discovered it had an elastic waist. He pushed it down over her hips and was pleasantly shocked to learn that she wasn’t wearing any panties.

Sweet Mother of All.

She’d definitely come prepared to seduce. She’d gone commando and he hadn’t even realized it. He had thought it would take a lot longer and a lot more effort to get her to this point, but he hadn’t counted on her taking the lead. Damn. The more he got to know her, the more he liked her.

She’d surprised him. And challenged him. He found he really enjoyed that. Bob couldn’t really remember a time when another woman had so completely captured his full attention so effortlessly. That she had planned to seduce him tickled his sense of adventure.

All along, Rocky had been warning Bob how fragile she was, but here Serena was, proving him and everyone else wrong. She might still have sore spots—and who wouldn’t with her background and recent history? But she was more than her past. She was more than the experiences that had led her here.

She was overcoming the problems of her past and grabbing hold of her future—shaping it in the image she wanted. It seemed that being with Bob was part of that and who was he to argue? It’s what he wanted too.

That she was confident enough to reach out for him meant a lot. It meant that she had thought this all through and deliberately set out to be with him tonight. He would have to wait and see if it led to more private time with the woman who was fast becoming an obsession, but he would do everything in his power to have her in his arms as often as she allowed it.

Now it was his job to convince her. Knowing she had no experience with sex in her human form didn’t help. He felt both honored and anxious that she had given him the task of introducing her to fucking as a human.

One thing he didn’t have to worry about was hurting her with his entry. She had told him she’d had sex in her fur during her frenzy. So that part was taken care of. You could only lose your virginity once, thank the Goddess.

But there was still quite a burden on his shoulders—a delightful burden, but a burden nonetheless. He had to make this so good for her that she would want to do it again. And again. And again. With him, and only with him.

He was feeling really possessive of her already and he hadn’t done much more than kiss her. He liked kissing her, so he did it again. He climbed up over her body, having removed all trace of fabric between them and just held himself over her, their bodies separated by no more than an inch while he took her mouth in a gentle seduction of the sense. He wanted everything to be perfect for their first time together.

 

His warmth surrounded her. His strength impressed her. And his technique totally collapsed her every defense. She didn’t have the will to deny him anything when he treated her so gently, with so much intense care. But why would she? She had planned this.

Okay, maybe the plan had been hastily formed, but it was her choice. She had set out to seduce him and test her newly rediscovered strength. Bettina’s gentle words had helped Serena find her courage and the strength to reach out for what she wanted.

And what she wanted most right now was Bob. She wanted to know what it would feel like to be with him. She had been curious about human sex for a long time and Bob felt like the right man—the only man—to try it with. She trusted him, odd as it may seem. Even on such short acquaintance, she knew in her heart that he was special.

Even now, he treated her like a treasure. He kept his full weight from her, letting her feel only his warmth and the strength in the rock-solid arms that kept his muscled chest and torso just a few inches from her. He dipped, allowing his chest to meet hers, rub and then retreat as his mouth continued to tantalize her with drugging kisses. He repeated the maneuver a few times until her nipples were pebbled points of sensation, a jolt of sexy lightning zipping through her body from those little points of contact every time he dipped to touch her there.

Sweet Mother of All, Bob was something else when it came to pleasing a woman. She didn’t want to examine too closely how he’d gained his skills. Her inner bobcat was a jealous bitch and didn’t want to think about her Bob being with anyone else. Ever.

Whoa.

The unexpectedly serious nature of this encounter was just dawning on her when Bob retreated from her mouth, only to take his lips lower, kissing a slow, sexy path down her neck and over the upper slopes of her breasts. She actually moaned, wanting him to move lower, to the little points that needed relief so desperately.

And then he was there. His mouth covered one nipple while he engulfed her other breast with one large, warm, calloused hand. He had shifted his weight a bit lower and to one side, freeing one hand and allowing him access to the rest of her body. She couldn’t wait to see what he had in store for her next.

Her hands went to his head, tangling in his hair, loving the feel of the soft golden silk under her fingers. Her head lolled back as he sucked on her nipple, that lightning of pleasure streaking through her again and again. She had never felt this way before. Fucking in her fur hadn’t been anything like this. Not at all.

Bob spent a lot of time on her breasts—first one, then the other—making her writhe beneath him. When was he going to get to the fucking part? Did it always take this long when doing it in your skin? She had no basis for comparison, but she thought maybe Bob was making this something special. Just for her. The thought made her feel all warm and gooey inside—in addition to hot and bothered—in the best possible way.

On some level, he had to care for her. He obviously cared enough to make his own pleasure secondary to hers. The boys she had been with in her youth hadn’t been thinking much about her comfort. No, they had been focused on their beast’s need to mate. As had she, if she was being honest.

But Bob was different. She had instinctually known he was a very special man, and she had trusted him enough to want him to be the one to introduce her to human-shaped sex. She wasn’t sure exactly where this was all going to lead, but she was glad she had chosen him.

And then all thought fled as Bob moved downward once more, pressing kisses into her navel, then over the slight curve of her belly and then lower. He settled himself between her legs, his hands urging her thighs to part even wider for him. Making room for him.

She looked down and his gaze flashed up to meet hers. She felt heat flood her cheeks. For a moment, she had been in a place where nothing was awkward and nothing mattered but the pleasure he gave her. Then she had met his gaze and suddenly, she was embarrassed. But he didn’t give her time to dwell on it. Instead, he lowered his lips to her body once more, using his hands to spread her wide. With unerring accuracy, he found the little nubbin at the apex of her thighs and went for it, distracting her back into that place where nothing mattered but the pleasure he gave her.

Serena panted and moaned as a flush stole over her entire body. The lightning buzzed through her again and it was leading her toward…something. Something she had never felt before.

And then it was there. She was there. Yowling a bit as she crossed over some previously unknown precipice and fell into pleasure. Bob growled against her skin, the sound of his dominance sending her even higher.

Damn, that felt good.

While the lightning still gripped her body, Bob moved again, sliding upward and positioning his hard cock at her entrance. He waited until she opened her eyes and met his gaze to slide in. Slowly. Inch by inch, he joined them, holding her gaze, making the moment special. Important.

She couldn’t look away. She thought she saw something in his determined gaze. Something soft and fragile. Something vulnerable. Just the idea of it entranced her. Bob was so strong. He was such an Alpha in every way, but she was quickly discovering he was also a man. A man who had been through traumatic times in his family and had weathered the storm. She liked knowing that they had some common ground—a shared understanding that life wasn’t always perfect and nice. She felt like he was a bit of a kindred spirit…and so much more.

Her cat wanted him forever. The bobcat didn’t care that his cougar could eat her for lunch. It didn’t care that he was more than twice her size when in their fur. It didn’t care that he was a different species of cat. It only knew that he was an honorable being, a protector who wouldn’t hurt her, but instead, would care for her in both her forms.

The cat’s instincts were to curl into his arms and never leave. And the woman wasn’t far behind.

He began to move, still holding her gaze. She saw the change in his eyes as the lightning began a new round of tremors through her body. Small at first, they built steadily as his pace increased.

“Do you feel it?” he asked, his breath fanning her skin, making her shiver.

If he was talking about the incredible connection forming between them, then she definitely felt something. If he meant the pleasure, there was no way not to feel the riot of sensation he was causing in her body. She nodded and a little whimper escaped her lips.

“Tell me, kitten. Do you feel this thing between us?” he insisted.

She nodded again, though her movements weren’t neat. Her body was too sensitized by his possession. Everything was almost too intense, but she wouldn’t change a thing. She finally realized what she had been missing all this time and she didn’t want to go back. No, she definitely wanted to feel this again—with Bob. And only with Bob.

“Say it,” he whispered, his head dropping close to hers as he pushed deeply into her body.

Her breath hitched as he increased the penetration. She felt totally possessed, totally his in that moment. It wasn’t scary. In fact, her cat craved the feeling like its next meal. Her body guided her as the electric jolts of the lightning that only he seemed able to produce in her tried to send her into orbit again—only this time a lot higher than she had gone before.

She was learning something here. She was learning there were different levels of pleasure and Bob seemed to be the master at showing her just how far he could take her. She wanted to go all the way.

“Say it,” he breathed, the intensity almost overwhelming as he retreated, then pushed deep once more.

“I feel it!” she gasped.

He had slowed to speak, but her response seemed to break the dam that had been holding him back. His possession was deep and total. She almost wept when he pulled back, but whimpered in pleasure when he shoved back home. His key, her lock—somehow they were made for each other.

His pace increased again and the buzz of electric pleasure was non-stop in every cell of her body. Where it was leading, she didn’t really know, but she knew she wanted to get there. Oh, man, how she wanted to get there!

Bob lowered himself over her completely, enveloping her in his warmth, his strength. His hands clasped her shoulders, helping her accept the deep, hard thrusts of his body as the intensity threatened to overwhelm her. She had never imagined anything could feel like this. Like dying and finding nirvana at the same time. The ultimate pleasure. The ultimate thrill.

She was crying out on every thrust now, little whimpers of straining pleasure, little sounds of need. She needed him to take her to the next level. She didn’t think it was possible to get there alone. Only with him. Only with Bob.

She clutched at his shoulders, her claws coming out unintentionally. The sharp coppery scent of blood hit the air at the same moment the lightning of completion struck and made her entire body spasm around his. With his.

Bob stiffened around her and she could feel the warmth of his seed bathing her from within. Her cat craved the possession, wanting to mark him with her teeth, but Serena knew biting was something reserved for mates. She didn’t want to cross a line or get carried away with her first lover. She didn’t know where he stood on the whole relationship issue. He was just passing through and she was still recovering, learning more about herself every day.

She looked at this encounter as part of her healing. Bob had come along and made her want to try something she never would have considered with any other cat. He had made her want to be just a little more daring, a little more whole emotionally than she had been before they’d met. And her risk had paid off in ways she never would have expected.

The pleasure coursed through her, making her muscles spasm even as her mind turned to mush. The last coherent thought she had was that she was glad she’d waited. Bob was in a class by himself when it came to making love. Even with her limited experience, she knew that much.

 

Bob had felt the sting in his shoulders as her little claws came out and it had sent him straight over the edge. To have driven her that wild on his first attempt meant something. It was a major boost to his ego and brought out all sorts of protective, possessive thoughts in his cougar half, and his human half as well. Both sides of him wanted Serena with an intensity that would not be denied.

The miracle that had happened just now humbled him. Timid as she was, she had let her inner huntress out and pursued him. The cougar didn’t usually like being the object of a woman’s hunt, but it made all kinds of exceptions for Serena. His inner cat liked everything about her and would humor her every whim. For Serena, his cougar became a pussycat.

The fact that she had passed out from pleasure stroked his ego a little further. He had stayed inside her as long as he could, but eventually, he’d had to move. He couldn’t let her go far, so he had rolled them over, putting his back against the hard rock beneath them and draping her luscious body over him like a blanket. He fished for the picnic blanket with one hand and managed to pull it over her back so she wouldn’t be cold.

He basked in the moment until his own eyelids started to droop and sleep claimed him.

How long they laid there, under the dark sky and cover of the forest, he didn’t know, but when she scrambled off his body sometime later, he woke instantly.

She seemed shy and he thought he understood. This had been her first time making love as a human and probably her first time playing the temptress. He liked that she had let her wild side come out to play with him, but he was concerned about the way she scrambled into her clothes and began packing up the picnic things. Her movements were almost frantic and he didn’t like the way she wouldn’t meet his gaze.

He stood and dressed, then stilled her movements by the simple expedient of taking her into his arms. She resisted a little, but he wasn’t letting her put distance between them.

“It’s okay, kitten. I just wanted to thank you and let you know how special you are to me.” When she didn’t relax in his embrace, he tried to find better words to soothe her. “You make me feel so good, Serena. And I know you enjoyed what we just did.”

Dammit. Bob—the most loquacious Redstone brother—was having a hell of a time finding the right words. Then again, he’d never been in quite this situation before. He’d never had a woman mean so much to him before. And that thought stopped him dead. Something fundamental had changed inside him and it would need examination before he knew where he stood.

“You’re so special to me, Serena,” he tried, one last time, kissing the crown of her head as he rocked her a little in his arms, but she didn’t respond.

And then she was gone. Out of his arms.

Bob was still trying to figure out what had just happened and Serena was standing five feet away, her lithe body trembling the tiniest bit.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered before turning and fleeing into the night, her expression one of fear and longing mixed during the short glimpse he had of her face.

Bob wanted to go after her but he knew she would come to no harm on the Lords’ mountain. Plus he wasn’t confident he could find her. She knew the area a lot better than he did and bobcats were as fast as cougars. She also probably wouldn’t exactly welcome him chasing her down. Something about their interlude had scared the bejeezus out of her and part of him knew he shouldn’t push her too hard—even if another part of him wanted to chase her down, catch her and tie her to his bed, never to be released.

Bob sank to his knees on the flat rock and stared up at the stars visible through a break in the trees. Serena had launched a sneak attack and he felt like he’d been completely overtaken. She had definitely won this round, but he wondered if she realized it.

One thing was for certain—now that he knew what it was like to be with her, he vowed there would be more lovemaking in their future. He just had to plan his strategy and find a way to help her conquer her fears.

To do that, he would have to figure out what had caused her to flee, but Bob could be a patient man. When he discovered something he wanted, he usually found a way to get it. He had time to plan and plot, but soon, he promised himself, the pretty little bobcat female would be his.