A Jaguars Touch (10 page)

“What?” he asked, already tugging on his jeans.

“From all we did last night to this?” she said, sitting up slowly and reaching for her clothes. “Tired?”

He chuckled. “I’m not done with you, hellcat.”

“Then why the move?”

“You’re the one who decided to announce to everyone that we’re sleeping together. So why hide out here? Besides, you didn’t eat dinner.” He grabbed his shirt and tugged it over his head before sitting to pull his socks and shoes on. “I figure we get you fed, so I don’t have to worry about you passing out on me. Then we can either head to your room or down to the one I have, now.” He stood up and eyed her. “Unless you don’t want to spend the night in the house with me.”

“For as long as we have,” she said, rushing to get her clothes on. “Remember?”

“What’s that?” he asked, catching her shirt before she could drag it over her head and turning her so he could see her shoulder.

She glanced back and saw the scratch. Now that he’d pointed it out, it burned a bit. “I’m not sure. Did you get me with those sharp teeth of yours by accident?”

He paled before her eyes. It clicked then, what he was afraid of. She’d overheard Abby and Amia discussing the biting from their mates and had seen the mark on Kenzie. Mates. It was a claiming mark. She and Gideon weren’t mates. He stepped back, releasing her shirt, and she tugged it the rest of the way over her head.

“Actually, I think I scratched myself earlier. Probably too much time spent thinking about last night instead of focusing on what I should have.” She forced a laugh but glanced down to put on her shoes. Damn. It hurt to see the panic in his eyes. It was like her father telling her she wasn’t enough again. Was that what Gideon thought? She wasn’t enough for him? Not good enough to be his mate?

“Hey, you okay?” he asked.

She blinked tears from her eyes. Tears for fuck’s sake! What the hell was wrong with her? She took a shaky breath, and when she felt a bit more in control, she hopped up and tossed a smile over her shoulder as she headed toward the door.

“Let’s get this party moving,” she said. “We’ve only got a few more nights before we go our separate ways.”

He growled, and with a laugh, she took off into the night, challenging him to give chase. She weaved through the trees. It had been a long time since she’d let herself go like this, since she’d been carefree. She could hear him pursuing her. There was something about it that made her hot. She couldn’t help but wonder what she’d do when he caught her, and she knew he would. She threw one more glance over her shoulder and gave a shriek when she hit a warm body in front of her.

She automatically went into a defensive crouch. Neon green eyes laughed down at her.

“Jesus!” she exclaimed. “I wasn’t expecting that. You scared the hell out of me,” she said, punching his arm. “How’d you get in front of me?”

“Shifter speed,” he said.

He moved toward her, his skin flushed with arousal, and she felt very much like prey. She played the game, backing up until her back hit a tree. He leaned into her, arms blocking her so she was caged in.

“Seems like we’ve been here before,” she whispered.

“So we have,” he said.

Before she could say anything else he leaned in and took her mouth. The man had a way of kissing her so that her entire body was involved. Every inch of her responded to him. He eased back, their gazes met. She felt his body tense, and it wasn’t desire that was the culprit. His eyes flashed neon as his nostrils flared then he was gone. He dropped to a crouch in front of her, and she saw his teeth flash as a growl sounded from his chest.

Another growl had her glancing over, and she saw Murphy in the same position. What the hell was going on? She went to step away from the tree and Gideon roared, turning his head slightly toward her while keeping his gaze on Murphy.

“Stay,” Gideon ordered her.

She paused as Murphy rumbled, and Gideon countered with a snarl and snap of his teeth.

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” she said, doing some growling of her own. “I don’t know what’s got into you two, but knock it off. Murphy, back the fuck off. Gideon.”

Vic dropped her hand to his shoulder and felt the coiled tension in his frame. That wasn’t good. “Gideon,” she said his name again. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”

Murphy came slowly to his feet. “You screamed,” he accused her.

“It was more of a shriek,” she said. “We were playing,” she added, suddenly embarrassed to be caught doing something so frivolous.

“You?” Murphy said. “Playing?”

Vic sighed. “Go away, Murphy,” she said and crouched down by Gideon.

Slowly, she eased around until she was facing him, eye-to-eye. “Gideon, I’m fine. Come on,” she urged. “I’m famished, and I want to see how big your bed is downstairs.”

His eyes were glowing, which was something she was used to at this point. But his pupils were different. Instead of dilating like hers would, his widened, taking on an oval shape.

“Gideon,” she whispered, cupping his face in her hands and leaning in to kiss him softly on the lips. “Come back to me.”

He stood, grasping her hands and pulling her up with him. “Sorry,” he muttered.

“It’s okay,” she said. “I kind of like the idea of you falling at my feet.”

Gideon snorted a laugh.

She nudged him with her shoulder and started walking toward the house again.

“At your feet, huh?” he said. “I think I have a better idea.”

“Yeah?” she asked, one brow arched high in question.

Before she knew his intentions, he had her over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold.

“Gideon!” she yelled.

His hand smacked her smartly on the ass. “Be quiet, hellcat, before someone else comes out to delay us.”

She curled her lips in and bit on them. The last thing she wanted was another scene like the one that had occurred with Murphy. She had a feeling she’d seen the warrior in Gideon then. He would definitely be someone she’d feel comfortable standing shoulder-to-shoulder with. In fact, that gave her an idea. She’d think on it some more, first. Then if she felt he might listen, she’d talk to him about it. They weren’t mates, but that didn’t mean the sex they were sharing had to end. Not yet.

Gideon set Vic on her feet on the porch then followed her into the house and to the kitchen. He stood and watched as she moved around, gathering enough food for both of them. He took it from her when she was done. She just shrugged, grabbed some bottles of water and headed for the stairs that led down to the lab. His dick throbbed at the thought of her in the large bed he’d been given.

Unfortunately, there was still someone up in the labs working. Professor David Mueller. Gideon had a feeling he knew exactly what the man was working on.

“Professor,” Vic called out and paused in the doorway as Gideon moved to lead her farther down the hall toward the bedroom. “It’s late. Surely, the tests can wait.”

“Tests can never wait,” the Professor said. “Understaffed and moving in a few days. I have a lot to do to make sure we don’t leave anything behind we need. Files to transfer, hard documents to print out just in case. Lots to do,” he mumbled.

Gideon saw a softer side of Vic when she walked in and placed one of the bottles of water down for the Professor. He wondered if she’d deny it if she knew what Gideon saw.

“You work too hard,” Vic said. “You have to take care of yourself, Professor. We need you.”

The Professor looked up, and Gideon could see the surprise on his face. Was it the gesture in general or the woman giving it that brought that look to the Professor’s face?

“Thank you,” the Professor said, reaching out to pat her hand. “It’s good to feel needed.”

Another surprise. Gideon had expected the other man to be as dismissive as Gideon had witnessed previously when someone had interrupted the Professor at work.

“Get some sleep,” Vic ordered, turning and walking back to Gideon. “You seem exhausted lately. I’d hate to feel the need to call Abby on you.”

The Professor’s eyes narrowed, and Gideon almost laughed.

“Good night, Professor,” Vic said as they headed on.

Gideon juggled the food in his hands until he could grab the doorknob. He pushed open the door and waited for her to enter before following. He turned, nudging the door shut with his foot then balancing the food once more so he could flip the lock. He didn’t plan on allowing anyone to disturb them.

“Hurry up,” she said. “I’m starving and that smells good.”

“It was very good when it was hot,” Gideon said.

“You’ve never had cold pizza?” she asked incredulously.

“Of course, I have,” he admitted. “But it’s still better when it’s still hot or at least warm.”

“No,” she disagreed. “Cold pizza is the best.”

She took the plate from him, ripped the foil off and took a piece. He enjoyed viewing her as she ate. She devoured the pizza, moaning in pleasure as she worked each bite. His dick throbbed by the time she’d eaten her second piece. He wanted her to be nibbling on him and moaning in ecstasy.

“Full?” he asked and knew his voice was husky. There was no hiding the way she affected him. He wanted her, more than he ever had anyone else. It scared him.

She licked those lush lips of hers. “I’m thinking about dessert.” She purred, her gaze dropping to the bulge of his cock.

“Dessert can be arranged,” he said. “How about a shower, first?”

“Excellent,” she agreed and bounced off the bed, moving the food to the side table and kicking off her shoes. “Last one in gets no hot water,” she called and headed toward the attached bathroom, stripping as she went.

He stood in place, watching until she disappeared then began disrobing as he listened to her get the shower ready. His heart had taken a huge jolt twice tonight. The first time was when she’d joked about him scratching her with his teeth. He’d felt the urge to bite her several times but had managed to hold it back. In a different life, he would have been able to claim her as his. His jaguar was adamant she was their mate. But Gideon knew it didn’t matter. The life he’d led, things he’d done, blood he’d spilled. They all added up to a man unworthy of a mate, especially one as magnificent as Vic. She deserved far better than him.

She poked her head around the corner of the doorway. “You coming?”

“I’ll be right there,” he promised and caught a glimpse of the curve of her sweet ass when she turned.

The second time his heart had stopped was when he’d sensed Murphy. He’d known who it was, known the other man wouldn’t hurt Vic. He’d also known he meant to separate them, and his instincts had kicked in. In that moment, had Murphy challenged him, he would have ripped the other man’s throat out to protect what Gideon saw as his. No,
who
he saw as his. He shook his head. She wasn’t his, and he needed to remember that.

Maybe he should leave sooner. Sneak away without saying goodbye. His beast stretched inside him, pressing against his skin. He could feel the vibrations of anger. The jaguar would fight him when the time came. He’d have to be prepared for it.

He finished pulling off his clothes quickly and glanced down at his bicep. He’d bitten himself when he and Vic had fucked earlier. The urge had been so desperate, he’d been afraid he wouldn’t be able to hold back the impulse to sink his teeth in and claim her.

“Gideon!” Vic yelled from the shower. “Get your ass in here, cat boy.”

He was going to miss his hellcat when he left. The best thing to do was spend as much time with her as he could over the next few days. He needed to store up a lifetime of memories. But then his life might not last much longer. He had every intention of going after Thomas when he left, and he was afraid he and Thomas might have already used up all their luck.

Chapter Eight

It was late by the time Vic and Gideon left his room. They’d gone at it all night and kicked the morning off with a few more rounds. The man was insatiable, and she was learning she was, as well—at least when it came to him.

“Hey, Vic,” Finn said with twinkling eyes. “Late start today, huh.”

Normally, she would have given him a smart comment, but she was feeling pretty content this morning, so she just hummed as she crossed to the coffee pot. Gideon had opted to go straight to the lab. Clara and Amia had been down there worried about Lydia Blane. Apparently, the woman had taken a turn for the worse last night, and the consensus seemed to be she wouldn’t last through another night.

“What’s the schedule for today?” Vic asked, knowing they had plenty to do. Since she would be leaving with Murphy and Finn, she figured she might as well be working with them, now.

“I need to head into town,” Finn said. “I was going to grab someone to go with me.”

“Consider me grabbed,” she deadpanned and laughed when he choked on his coffee.

“Yeah, I heard about your man last night, so let’s not work on getting me killed by saying shit like that,” Finn grumbled.

“Murphy read things wrong,” she said. “That’s all. No big deal.”

He gave her a funny look but didn’t say anything else about it.

“What are we heading into town for?” she asked.

“Gotta pick up a moving truck for Reno to take. We’ll pack most of what we can in there. Then I’ll need to pick up another one when we go. Tah, Logan and Zane will take one of the quad cab trucks and the SUV with them. We’ll load the motorcycles in the back of the truck Tah’s going in,” Finn said. “Unless you want to keep yours with you?”

She shook her head. “As long as it makes it there, I don’t care. What about the ATVs?” Vic asked.

“Two go in the truck Reno’s driving. Two with us when we go. I made sure to get the semi-sized moving trucks. We’ve got too much shit to haul to allow for anything smaller,” he answered.

“And the other pick-up truck?”

“We’ll hook it up to the back of the moving truck we’re taking. That’ll give us more room to pack shit in. Kenzie and Holt took the car they came in, so we don’t need to worry about that one,” he said. “Get some brunch and let’s get going. We need to get as much shit packed as we can. Abby’s appointment at the bank is tomorrow, early afternoon.”