Hester gave commiserating looks to Sadie and Laurel. They were both eating dinner in the food hall, too, both sitting opposite Diego and Lorenzo who bore matching looks of adoration. Mary was nowhere to be seen, nor Tomas, but that didn’t really surprise Hester. She wasn’t sure about Sadie or Laurel, but it seemed highly likely Mary would be going home at the end of two weeks.
Like us? Queried her cheetah. Yes, definitely thought Hester a little uneasily.
She had spent the day in the office. The paperwork was a huge mess – a toddler could have done a better job of it – and the prime was happy for her to sort it all out. Prime left after Antonio did, and only Daniel, his second, remained in the office glowering at her intermittently. Hester ignored him, put the radio on, kicked off her heels and dug into the work. It was actually quite enjoyable. The contracts were in order, and that meant she could start sorting out the timber mill records. She liked it. Reminded her of when she used to help out in her dad’s hardware store.
Antonio returned for lunch, which they spent munching on some sandwiches made by his mother and arguing about what made the best sandwich filling. Hester maintained it was chicken and avocado while Antonio preferred tuna and sun dried tomato.
Now, they were eating dinner together in the leap food hall - or the multi-purpose hall. Apparently, they used it for leap meetings and parties. There was generally always a spread of food in there for breakfast and dinner, though some leap mates preferred to eat in their own homes. It was a closer-knit community than her own cheetah coalition.
“Hello, again,” said Maria, approaching with two bowls of peach cobbler.
Hester grumbled out a reply. The last time she saw Antonio’s mother she was threatening to shred her. Maria didn’t seem to bear any ill will over it.
Maria asked how she was doing and Hester said fine.
“Thanks, Mama,” murmured Antonio eagerly taking a bowl of cobbler.
She beamed at them both before moving away to talk to other leap mates.
“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again - mama’s boy,” Hester teased.
“Damn straight. The women here are treated right.”
“Unless they want to work.”
Antonio held out his hands – the cobbler having been devoured in two bites. “Hey, I got no problem with that, and like I say, it’s something that’s overdue for a change.”
“Ummm hmmm. How do I know you won’t just say anything to get into my pants?” Though he didn’t seem too keen earlier that day.
Antonio’s eyes flashed, and the heavy scent of desire almost knocked her off her seat. “I don’t just want what’s in your pants, though I can’t deny I’d be grateful for the opportunity to…”
“Antonio!” purred a sultry voice.
His desire wilted, and they were both enveloped in a cloud of cloying perfume. A buxom, blonde jaguar draped herself over Antonio’s shoulders while giving Hester a fake smile filled with malice. “Hi there, I’m Valentina. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m just so pleased to hear that Antonio has found himself a little mate.”
Antonio shrugged her away, glaring at her. “Valentina,” he growled in warning.
The female looked at him in comic innocence.
“I’m Hester,” piped up Hester, giving her an equally vicious smile. “The pleasure’s all mine.” Her cheetah let out a low roar. Yeah, she could scent the female trying to mark her territory. Well, tough shit, Antonio definitely did not belong to her.
No, he belongs to us, purred her beast. Yep. No! He didn’t, he just… well, he temporarily belonged to her. After all, he was trying to woo her for the next two weeks right? She knew it wouldn’t work and she was going home, but still – she had temporary ownership! After that he was welcome to let any slutty jaguars paw him if he wanted, even if that made her feel incredibly uneasy.
Antonio’s chest started vibrating, and he seemed to be working his way up to shifting when Maria returned.
“Oh, Valentina!” she cried, “your mother is right over here with Prime, why don’t you join her?”
Before the young jaguar could protest, Maria was gently leading her away.
“Friend of yours?” asked Hester sourly.
“No!” he snapped.
“But she wants to be.”
Antonio let out a throaty sound of disgust before his expression lightened. “Are you jealous?”
“Not at all,” Hester denied quickly.
Though she was more than a little happy to see that the female was sitting as far away from them as possible. She watched as Valentina sat at the prime’s table along with Marta – figures they’d be related. Both females started shooting her surreptitious glares of hatred. The prime was completely oblivious. His eyes seemed to dart towards Antonio’s mother more than they looked at the two women beside him.
She decided to change the subject before he accused her of jealousy again and also because he had a dark look on his face. “Your mother seems nice.”
He softened. “She is.”
“Mama’s boy,” she taunted again.
Antonio shook his head, grinning. “And not ashamed to admit it.”
“What happened to your dad?”
His eyes flickered. “Accident at the mill.”
Her cheetah mewled in sorrow. “I’m sorry. Mine died when I was a teenager.”
Antonio placed his hand over hers for a couple of seconds. The warmth and pressure were reassuring. “Sorry.”
Hester shrugged a shoulder pretending it didn’t pain her to even speak of it. “He was human and sick for a long time.” As if that explained anything, it was just something she said. The fact that he had been sick and dying for over five years didn’t make the inevitable death any easier. Harry Carter had been everything to her and her mother. Her mother had always been uptight and controlling, but her dad softened her, teased her, and they fiercely loved one another. It was why Hester could forgive the crazy things her mother did, the terrible marriages she made after his death – no matter how much time passed, her mother still mourned her dad, and Hester knew she was still lonely.
“Human, huh?”
That seemed to surprise him. “Sure, your leap isn’t the only one who allows humans in.”
“That’s partly out of necessity,” he said grimly.
Hester raised an eyebrow. “I’m stuck here for two weeks; you might as well spill.”
“I’d rather talk about you.”
“You have intimate knowledge of my underwear drawer – we’re already about four dates into our relationship.” She added air quotes around that word.
Antonio chuckled. “That was necessary… but enjoyable.”
“Mmm hmmm.”
“Hey, any time you wanna check out my underwear drawer, be my guest.”
Hester gave him a flirty look. “You told me you don’t wear underwear.”
“Would you like to find out for yourself?”
She leaned forward and whispered, “In your dreams.”
Antonio let out a long breath. “No doubt.”
Hester leaned back and narrowed her eyes. “Don’t get any ideas. I’m still leaving at the end of two weeks.”
“Sure.” He didn’t sound like he believed that for a second.
“I am.”
“Yep. You want anything else to eat?”
Hester scowled at him. Of all the smug, arrogant… “No. I’m going to bed.”
“I’ll walk you…”
“Don’t bother,” she growled jumping to her feet. “One day down, thirteen to go.”
*
Hester swept out of there, collecting admiring glances as she went, including his twin brothers. Grrr. She was even stopping to talk to them, flicking her hair over her shoulder, wiggling her butt – she was flirting with them! Judging by the twins’ laughter, the damn cats were lapping it up. They needed to be taken down a peg or two.
His jaguar geared up to teach a couple of jaguars a lesson when he stopped and almost chuckled.
He caught the sly look Hester threw him over her shoulder. Yeah, she was just doing it to rile him. It was working, too, but it satisfied him in knowing that it was for his benefit.
He smirked at his cheetah and was just considering going over there when the sight of his fiery blonde was eclipsed.
Valentina planted herself in front of him in what he guessed was supposed to be a sexy pose.
“She didn’t look too happy with you,” she purred. “Looks like she’s enjoying the company of your brothers, though.”
Antonio growled. “Valentina, drop it. She’s my mate. She’s not going anywhere.”
Honestly, did the female think he was going to mate her? She probably had it in her head that after Roberto stepped down, he would become the next leap prime and hoped that she could be the prime’s mate. His uncle had no children, so yeah, maybe it wasn’t that big of a jump, but it wasn’t set in stone and the day his uncle stepped down was a long way away. His uncle was still in perfect health, and Antonio hadn’t even considered whether he wanted to lead or not.
But the stubborn female just didn’t seem to be getting it. She folded her arms and pouted. “It’s clear she doesn’t want to be here.”
Very few kidnapped females did at first, but they came round. Valentina’s constant complaining was starting to irritate him. She managed to catch him twice while on break from work. How she kept popping up wherever he happened to be was a mystery – yet he turned around and ta-da! There she was. Was she trying to annoy him into mating her?
“I said drop it,” he repeated coldly.
He stood, and Valentina didn’t take the hint to move away. Nope, she took a step forward, made a pathetic attempt at a swoon and threw herself into his, unfortunately, waiting arms. Stupid reflexes!
Her arms slithered around him, her lips grazed his neck, and his jaguar howled as she gleefully rubbed herself up and down him. Tossing her aside as gently as his furious beast could manage, and ignoring her wails of protest, he found the food hall sadly lacking one cheetah shifter.
Was there any chance she didn’t see that display?
Given the smug, stilted laughter coming from his brothers, he doubted it.
Fuck.
*
Stupid bimbo jaguars with their stupid blonde hair and enormous breasts! Hester stomped back to the guesthouse.
To be fair, there weren’t that many differences between her and Valentina. Well, maybe about forty IQ points sneered her cheetah. Hmmm, good one. Truthfully, they were both cat shifters, both blonde, both had blue eyes, and both seemed a little fiery. They probably even weighed the same, though Hester couldn’t deny that Valentina’s weight was perhaps a little more stretched – given that she had about five inches on Hester. While Hester’s weight seemed to center on her rear, Valentina was a bit top heavy. Surprised she can stand up without toppling over grumbled her beast.
So what if Antonio preferred Valentina? Didn’t bother her in the slightest. In fact, she’d prefer it that way, but… but it was disrespectful! Yep, that’s what upset her – the disrespect, not seeing that succubus’ hands all over him, nope, it was all about respect. Antonio had chosen Hester. He had kidnapped her and brought her home to be his mate. So why the hell did that skanky jaguar think she could put her grubby paws all over him?
Hester heard footsteps behind her and scented the spiciness of Antonio. She was ready and prepared for the claws. Jeez, if only she’d been so alert a couple of nights ago she wouldn’t be in this mess.
“Hessie,” he entreated.
“Don’t bother,” she snarled. “Thirteen days and I’m gone.”
“Don’t be jealous, Hessie.”
“Jealous?!” Hester whirled around, snarling. “How dare you?!”
Antonio held up his hands, looking a tad too pleased with himself.
“You insufferable, unbelievable, annoying, irritating, intolerable, unbearable, arrogant… poo head!”
Antonio's mouth gaped for a moment before howling with laughter. “Poo head?” he spluttered. “Why not pee pee head?”
Hester grunted. Yeah, that was a bit anti-climactic, but she decided to own it. She poked a finger in his chest, his hard, muscled chest… aargh!
“Yeah, poo head! It’s what you damn well are.”
Antonio managed to get himself under control again, though his smile was so wide it would put the Joker to shame. “Fair enough. But seriously, Valentina’s a piece of work. You think if I wanted her even for a second I’d have gone looking for you?”
Hester sniffed lightly. “I’m sure I’ve no idea.”
“Hessie, you’re adorable when you’re angry.”
“Ugh, don’t call me… oof!”
“Down,” snarled Antonio as he tackled her.
Something loud cracked over them, but Hester was far too occupied with the hard body pressing her into the ground to understand what was going on.
As far as seduction techniques went, his body slam wasn’t very effective. Hester hit the ground with a thud and gurgled as Antonio threw himself over her, and while his body was warm and smelled nice, not being able to breathe was a definite turn-off.
“What the hell?!”
“Shhh!”
“Antonio!”
“Everybody down!” roared Antonio. “Gun!”
Her cheetah hushed her a second before some more cracks sounded overhead. There were some screams from around the compound.
Somebody was shooting at them!