A Seacat's Love (Oceanan Trilogy Book 1) (8 page)

Rick had not minded at the time. In fact, he had felt it was how it should be, with him being the man and a spy. It was not until her
death that he wished she were better prepared to defend herself. Perhaps if she knew how to shoot a gun, or disentangle herself from her attacker’s grasp, she would still be alive.

Since that day, Rick had turned away from women who had shown any signs of weakness. He also ran as fast as he could from those who had shown signs of becoming attached. Both were clear indications of trouble waiting to happen.

Leonora was the first to display traits completely opposite of what he was accustomed to. He had no defense against them. Like Tigif who jumped to attention when she bellowed, his manhood stood at attention after seeing her in such a state.

Clenching his jaw, he used Tigif’s discarded clothes to hide her unexpected effect on him. He was a split second too slow, for he caught Tigif eyeing his erection.

The feline emitted a low growl. He turned his attention to Leonora. “Nora, control yourself. You—”

“How dare you tell me to control
myself
. You are the one threatening Rick. Have you lost your senses?”

Rick fought against the smile that threatened to appear on his wrinkled face. He failed to recall the last time a woman defended him.

“Leonora, I can explain—”

“Explain what? That you are being irrational? That you are daft? That my sister is going to be paired off with an inconsiderate idiot?!”

The men’s faces lit up brighter than a Christmas tree. Rick was uncertain if he heard correctly, yet, he hoped it was true.

Tigif took a rigid step toward Leonora. “I think you better return to bed and remain there until I say you may get up.”

Rick saw a slight twinge of pain cross Leonora’s face. Combined with Tigif’s aggressiveness and superior attitude, it killed his need.

Leonora stood taller and replied, “And I think you should remember who is the senior officer and scientist here.”

“
I’m
in charge here,” Rick interrupted in a strong, loud voice. It was high time to set the record straight. “For as long as you are on
my
planet and under
my
protection, you will do as
I
say. That
goes for the
both
of you.” He scowled at them for making him take on that hated, authoritative tone. His glare challenged them to argue. Neither dared.

Satisfied by the exchanged, he went to Leonora and pried her clothes from a clenched fist. “I have to get going.” He smirked. “I’ll dispose of these bloody clothes and then clean up and return my rented car. The two of you should be safe here while I’m gone.”

He headed for the den’s exit. “Don’t answer the phone or go near the door. Tigif, feel free to roam around the house for whatever you’ll need for her comfort. I’ll try to get back as quick as possible. Be prepared to leave when I return.” As an afterthought, he added before he exited, “Be sure to wipe everything you’ve touched thoroughly. We can’t afford to leave any evidence behind.”

The door barely closed, and Tigif grabbed Leonora from behind. He roughly shook her and growled. “How dare you speak to me in such a tone in front of that human? How could you tell him that I am solely your friend?”

Leonora was slow to reply. His sudden outburst caught her off guard.

“Answer me, Nora!” He shook her harder. “How could you?”

She frowned up at him, questioning his intelligence. “Because you are. And if you continue to harass me, that will end also.”

“What?”

“You heard me. Release me!” She freed herself and stepped away from him. “You should be ashamed of yourself. You are engaged to my sister.”

“That engagement is a farce—invented so that Challen would not have second thoughts of allowing you to participate on this expedition,” revealed Tigif with a self-contented grin.

“What did you say?”

He stared into her eyes and explained. “Challen has become an overbearing nuisance since you blossomed into a bewitching feline. He has not allowed any male near you.”

Leonora placed her hands on her hips. “Challen may be protective of me, but that does not give you the right to insult him.
Nor are you to shorten my name without my consent. My name is Leonora. Please remember that.”

“I have heard Challen and Karla call you Nora many times.”

“Challen is my brother, and Karla is my sister. Everyone else calls me by my birth name,
Leonora.”

“What about the earthling? He has called you Nora. I do not recall hearing you give him permission to do so.”

True. However, Rick’s shortening of her name was like a balm over an open wound. She did not intend to correct him.

“What does Challen have to do with your engagement to Karla anyway? He has given you his consent for her hand.”

“You are avoiding my question,
Leonora.”

“Rick is human. He knows nothing about our ways. Now you answer my question.” She crossed her arms and waited. She was unmoved by the narrowing of his eyes. She would not be intimidated by him or any other male again.

“If I were to succeed in courting you, I had to come up with a plan. Knowing that
dear brother Challen,”
he said rather caustically, “would never agree to allow you to accompany a trip with a bachelor on board. So I decided to get to you by going through your sister.”

“What?” Her arms fell to her sides.

“I felt Challen would not disapprove if the males you were traveling with were of no threat.”

“Of no threat?”

“Correct. Tamiron was too old to court you. Leo and Pandor were paired. This then left me—a young, good-looking, unattached bachelor. So naturally, I had to think of a way to convince your brother that I, too, was of no threat to you. And it obviously worked, for here you are.” He tapped her nose with his finger.

Her frown deepened. “Challen was sent on a last minute assignment as an Oceanan delegate to speak on behalf of King Oren and our race. His goal is to try to establish an agreeable peace contract between the Aligned Worlds and King Oren, so Oceana can become part of the alliance. Do you even know what I mean?”

Tigif yawned.

Leonora sneered at his display of lack of interest. “The Aligned Worlds is a group of peaceful planets that agree to not only trade with one another but also agree to protect each other from the enemy, whomever that enemy may be. It was the only way King Oren saw of insuring peace and freedom on Oceana for future generations. With Challen sent to the space station, there was no one left who could keep me from leaving on this expedition.” Her hands flew to her hips. “In other words, Tigif, Challen does not know!”

A huge smile crept over his face. “And who arranged that?”

Leonora did not like the mischievous glint in his eyes. It made her fearful. “What do you mean?” She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.

“Who was the one to nominate Challen for the job? Who was the one who insisted that he was the best candidate for delegate?” He took a step closer. “I arrived after the meeting. I overheard Oren discuss this issue with Seacat Forrest.
I
nominated Challen to get him out of my way.”

Her jaw dropped.

“Come on.” The pads of his fingers skidded over his wet lips. “Do not tell me you really are the naive, little innocent. And all this time I believed you to be the scheming, coquettish hellcat.”

“Do not insult me!”

“Nor you me. I know you find me attractive.” His voice took on a sultry tone. “I know you played along, so you could be alone with me.”

“What?!” Leonora scurried back, a safer distance from his looming form.

“Karla told me of the nice things you said about me.”

“She has not!”

“Oh, yes, she has. She told me how you find my body arousing and my features handsome.”

Her eyes bulged. She felt the heat rush to her cheeks. How could her sister betray such confidentiality? The reason she had said those things were to boost her sister’s confidence. Tigif was attractive, yes, but she would not go as far as calling him handsome
or
sexy. ““I only said—"

“The truth.”

“No!”

“The truth on how you feel about me.” He inched closer. “Admit it, Leonora.”

“There is nothing to admit!” Her outburst placed a surprised look on his face.

“Are you calling Karla a liar?”

“No, of course not,” she said all too quickly, which changed Tigif’s surprised look into a triumphant smile. Leonora realized he was a good actor.

“I knew she spoke the truth. You have always found me attractive.”

Rolling her eyes heavenward, Leonora lifted her arms shoulder length and dropped them with a resounding smack on her thighs. “You never change, Tigif. You always twist what someone says to benefit yourself. I thought you loved Karla.”

His smile disappeared. “There is only one female I love.”

“Karla.”

He shook his head. “No. I have never cared for Karla.”

“I saw you kiss her when we left.”

He nonchalantly shrugged his shoulder. “A kiss she initiated. I am not one to pass up an opportunity.”

Leonora curved her fingers into a tight fist. Her embarrassment was gone. In its place grew her anger. She began to wonder what else Tigif faked. “What about the den and all the plans she has made?”

“She made those plans without consulting me.”

“What do you mean
without consulting you?
Were you not the one who proposed to her and told her to set the date?”

“Yes, but solely to get your
hound dog
brother off my scent.”

Leonora stepped closer. “Never call him that?” she yelled.

“Why, when he is that and much more?”

Leonora growled. “You care nothing about my sister then.”

“How can I? I am in love with you.”

“Whoa…in love?” Her face twisted in a cynical sneer. “You mongrel! What in the blazes do you know about love? Love does
not give you the right to play with someone’s emotions the way you are playing with Karla’s.”

“Only when those feelings belong to the one you love. As I said before, I do not love Karla. I love you.”

“You do not love me.”

Tigif moved to stand a hairsbreadth from her. “You would have me deny my feelings?”

Leonora noticed he focused on her mouth. His tongue traveled over his lips. She stepped back. “Those feelings you think you have for me are not real. Karla is real. She loves you. She would make a wonderful lifemate for you.”

Before she could react, Tigif seized her shoulders and yanked her to his towering form. “I will mate with no one but you.”

“Release me!” Leonora pushed against his chest without success. “Do not make me hurt you.”

Tigif held her firmly and rubbed his hips to her tummy. Leonora’s eyes grew wide at what she felt.

With a small chuckle, he responded in a low, husky manner, “Hurt me? How can someone as small as you possibly do that, my pet?”

Leonora smacked him hard. It felt good to repay him for the disrespect he was showing toward her family. Stunned, Tigif released her as she expected.

“Do not touch me again! I do not love you. And when we return to Oceana, you have a lot of apologizing to do to Karla and Challen.”

In no mood to hear anymore of his plans, Leonora stormed back to her bedroom and locked the door. She placed a chair underneath the doorknob for good measures.

Like a caged lioness, Leonora paced back and forth in the room. She tried to make sense of how Tigif could have misread any of her motives or intentions. She had been straightforward with her feelings from the start.

He never could accept no for an answer. He always manages to get his way. Not this time. How dare he touch me?
Her body shook with rage.
How dare he disrespect me this way?
Her respect for Tigif was no more.

Since their arrival on Earth, she had to repeatedly search over her shoulder, for Tigif would show up everywhere she went, and when she least expected it. She had felt she was being stalked. She now realized she was. She wondered if Tigif were capable of violence. It would not be the first time a spurned male released his frustrations on the female of his interest.

She prayed Tigif would not go that far. They had worked together for two seasons. On many occasions, she had seen him lose his temper with others when things did not go his way. She was aware that he retaliated by using his influence and ruining the feline’s career. There were times when some of his targets turned up with bruises and broken bones. The victims always gave lame excuses for their injuries, so no one was ever arrested.

She had wondered if Tigif attacked them directly or had ordered someone else to do the dirty deed. He would not be the first to do so in his clan. The Mountain Tiger Clan was composed of spoiled, rich bullies. All Leonora knew for sure was if Tigif decided to force the issue with her, she would have to arrest him. After all, she was a high-ranked warrior in the Oceanan military, not just an elite scientist. Attacking an officer was not tolerated, no matter how much political power the perpetrator’s clan possessed.

She smoothed back her hair. How did this happen? She thought of her brother. Challen would undoubtedly lose his temper when told of Tigif’s betrayal. She prayed he did not view her responsible for the male’s actions. She loved Karla. She would never betray her sister.

Rick’s image materialized in her head.
No male has ever displayed honorable traits like you, Challen…until now
. Leonora sat on the edge of the mattress and sighed.
Oh, Rick, where are you when I need you? Please come back to me
.