Rare Find (10 page)

"As far as I'm concerned – I'm in," he said suddenly. And damn if those eyes of his didn't deepen and pull her into a mental embrace.

She sighed happily. "Okay then." And fell silent, not knowing where to go next.

His lips quirked in a small intimate way that sent her heart racing. She leaned back against the headboard and tugged the covers up to her waist. He reached out a hand and gently smoothed out the wrinkles of the top blanket. A heavy sigh escaped and he said in a troubled voice, "I don't really understand why, but something happens when I see cats." He stared out the window. "I don't know how to explain it. I'm not allergic, but my chest doesn't seem to understand that. It locks down and I can't breathe. At the same time, it's emotional overload. It's how I imagine a panic attack would feel. I get headaches and a lot of times there’s a horrific buzzing in my head."

Now that was a different story. And one that gave her hope. "So it's not that you don't like them, but you don't like the way you react to them?"

He shrugged. "Something like that. I can handle it, but it's not exactly comfortable. And given a choice of never being in the same room with one, I wouldn't be."

"And yet you were in the same room with Tango."

"It's not as if you gave me much choice." His face twisted into a mock grin. "Besides, I didn't want to look a fool in my lady's presence. Not exactly manly."

His lady?
Her insides wiggled. Maybe. Maybe this was something they could work around. And his reaction to felines, such a strong reaction pointed to several options. An undiagnosed allergy, or her favorite theory – a traumatic event in his history. Even if he didn't remember the event, his body might. And that was something that could be worked on. She'd have to mention it to Stefan.

"Do you remember when this started?"

He groaned and flopped down on his back beside her. "You know there are a lot more fun things I'd like to be doing in the middle of the night while lying on a huge bed with a beautiful woman at my side instead of talking about my problems, right?"

Tabitha grinned.
What the hell...
"And if I still want to talk about this?"

He snorted, glanced at the watch on his wrist and said, "Then get over it. You have 30 seconds, 29, 28, 27..."

She reached for her pillow and hit him over the head.

He laughed, snatched the pillow and tossed it. Then he tugged her free of the bedding before flipping her over. He quickly tossed his leg over hers, trapping her beneath him.

She was too surprised to move. Damn, he moved fast and sooo smoothly.

Then he lowered his head.

She gave in happily as his warm lips moved gently on hers. Questing, seeking, asking.

This is not where she thought the night would end up. Yet maybe she should have. Is this what she wanted? Hell yes. Was it the right time? Maybe not. But she didn't think that mattered anymore.

He lowered his head again. This kiss was no longer as gentle. It sought answers, asked permission, all while offering a taste of what was to come.

She swiftly fell under his spell. She wrapped her arms around his back and pulled him close, deepening the kiss. He resisted, keeping himself ever so slightly up and away, his lips still on hers but not devouring. He lifted his head and looked at her. "Are you sure?"

She blinked at him. Then smiled. "Yes."

His lips quirked. "In that case…"

The touch of his lips this time was sure, confident, knowing. She sighed happily and slid deeper into his embrace. She wanted him. She wanted it all.

He slid his lips across her skin, leaving a wake of heat and coolness behind. He traced the shape of her ear then dropped tiny kisses down her neck to her collarbone. Tabitha arched her back, giving him better access. He threaded his fingers through her long hair. She twisted gently beneath his gentle caress, her fingers stroking his wide shoulders and back.

He trailed his lips up her throat to reclaim her lips. His lips plundered and caressed and teased, and she was a willing victim. She shifted restlessly.

"Easy," he murmured.

"I don't want easy," she whispered hoarsely, digging her nails into his back.

He reacted swiftly, grabbing her hands and pulling them over her head where he held her gently. She didn't try to get away. Instead she twisted, dragging her lace cami across his bare chest. He bent his head and took the silk-covered nipple into his mouth and suckled. She gasped and arched even more.

"God, I love the sounds you make like this," he whispered.

She hadn't even been aware of making those tiny cries. She tugged her hands free and slipped them down inside his jeans to curve over his muscled buttocks. And dug in her claws.

He roared and bounced off the bed. In a smooth motion, he stripped the jeans off and kicked them to the side. His boxers joined them right after. She kneeled on the bed, watching him. He stood before her, tall and proud and ready. She reached out with both hands.

"Oh not. Not yet." He nodded at her clothing. "Your turn."

With a big bold smile, she crossed her arms and pulled her cami up and off. She tossed it beside his clothes. In a smooth muscled movement, she bounced to her feet, and with a snap, she dropped her panties to the bed where she kicked them in the direction of her bra.

She dropped onto the bed where he waited for her.

He reached out to stroke her smooth, silky skin from hips to ribs then down again, looking, learning, memorizing. A gentle gasp escaped as his touch sparked a trail of embers in its wake. In a surprise move, he pulled her into a loving hug and held her close.

She snuggled deeper, cuddling his erection.

He nudged her chin up to where he could see her face and took a long look. The heat in his gaze brought heat to her cheeks. He whispered, "You are seriously beautiful, you know that?"

"Thank you." She stretched up to clasp his face on both sides and kiss him, gently at first then with more enthusiasm. His heated hands slid around to her back and down to cup her cheeks before he pulled her tight against him. Rolling over, he settled between her legs. She lifted one foot and stroked the back of his calf, smiling up at him.

Dark hair, devilish blue eyes, a wicked smile...and he thought she was beautiful. What more could she ask for?

Then he dropped his head and kissed her. Oh right, he was also a dynamite kisser. He deepened the kiss and she was lost. When he lifted his head, she whimpered, raising her head to find him again. He dropped light caressing kisses on her cheeks, her eyes, her throat. She twisted restlessly beneath him. Sliding her hands over his back and shoulders, she tugged him down for another deep kiss. A gentle kiss. A loving kiss. A kiss full of promise. And found she wanted so much more.

She burned. Everywhere. Her hands had a life of their own, sparking a matching response from him. Skin slid against skin, embers flared to life as every inch of his smooth skin was stroked, squeezed and caressed.

And kissed.

Oh God, his kisses...nectar to a starving woman. She hadn't realized how much she needed this. This touching. This closeness. This connection to him.

He slid to one side, his fingers doing crazy things to her hormones as they stroked down between her legs. She gasped then moaned, her legs shifting restlessly under his clever touch. He leaned over and slipped his tongue between her lips, smoothing across her tongue. His fingers stroked her in tandem to his devilish tongue. She shivered.

She tried to touch him, pull him closer, but he shifted out of reach. "I can't let you," he whispered. "I'm too close to the edge."

Widening her legs, she hooked one leg around his and toppled him where she wanted him.

And he landed perfectly. The tip of his erection sat just inside her but no further.

It was too much and so not enough. She groaned in frustration.

He laughed, raised up on his hands and plunged all the way to her center.

Arching, she cried out with pleasure. "Yes."

And then he pulled back and paused.

She groaned. Tugging his mouth back to hers, she murmured against his lips, "Tease."

"Witch," he countered before his mouth closed over hers.

Then neither could talk as his hips drove him into her over and over again, setting up a tempo she matched with every beat. Tension twisted inside, turning tighter, taking her higher. Until she couldn't take any more.

"I can't..." she cried.

"You can. Take it. Take me. More..."

He shifted slightly, hooking an arm under her thigh and plunging deep, grinding against her center – and that move sent her flying. She cried out, her head arching back into the pillow, her body still braced to take him as he thrust harder and harder.

He arched his back and shuddered, pulsing deep inside her.

A long groan escaped as he collapsed beside her.

She giggled, wrapped her arms around him then snuggled close.

He opened one eye. "You should not have enough energy to laugh after that."

"Except I feel great!" She curled into a ball, her legs layered between his and her arms around his waist. Nose to nose, she smiled deeply at his satiated glow and then she closed her eyes.

And fell asleep.

***

She came awake a second time, her heart pounding as she gasped for breath. This time was worse. She could hardly breathe. Her chest constricted in panic.

What was going on?

She bolted from the bed and stood beside her bathroom door, only realizing at the last minute that Ronin had been sleeping soundly beside her. Ronin came awake like the big cats he said he had trouble with. Instantly. He searched the room, his gaze zipping back to her. "Tabitha?"

How could she explain? She wrung her hands as she paced.

"Something is out there." She didn't know how else to explain it. "It's hunting me."

He reached her in seconds. His strong arms wrapped around her, tucking her in close. And in that moment she knew she was no longer alone.

Thank heavens. This was damn spooky stuff.

She glanced around. The bedroom door was open. And there was no sign of Tripod. She walked to the open mesh and saw Tango stretched out on one of the many cushions, completely relaxed.

Tripod...? Surely he'd have sounded an alarm if there was danger. Yet he hadn't.

She'd met too many people with weird psychic abilities. Did someone have the ability to affect her animals? She hoped not. She desperately needed them exactly as they were – for herself.

Ronin peered over her shoulder to search the enclosure. Then he walked to her bedroom window and pulled her curtain back to search the yard out front. "How bad was it?"

"It wasn't outside. And neither is it likely to be visible to the human eye." She stood with her arms wrapped around her chest and answered his original question. "Bad, but not incapacitating."

In shock, Ronin spun around. "Has it ever been as bad as this last time?"

She gave a dry laugh. "How easily you forget. You found me in the shower unconscious the last time, remember? My instinct is to run and hide in the ethers, but I'm trying not to leave my body open to an attacker. I can protect it under most circumstances, but we don't know just what someone might be able to do in this field. And Stefan is afraid that my body might be exactly what this person is after."

"Your body?" He reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose as he searched her face. "Really?"

With the sensation fading, she could afford to smile. A little one. "Yes. Some people are dead. Their souls don't want to cross over. Their souls are, in fact, trapped here and are looking for a way to live again. They only need a physical body. And some are trying to stay here forever."

Ronin's breath rushed out. He shook his head as if trying to deny her words. "And they can just slide back into a life, into another body again?"

"If they can take control of the body, then they can take over and live again." She nodded. "Yes. It's odd and shocking and crazy but it's...true. Ask Stefan. He's seen cases like this. Hard to forget."

Ronin shook his head. "Wow. Every time I get close to these freaky 'woo woo' cases, I have to wonder how any of this could happen while the rest of the world is completely oblivious."

"They are mostly oblivious," she corrected, "but at the same time, there are more and more people waking up to the psychic potential within themselves."

"And therefore to the potential for these horrific attacks," Ronin said.

"Of course, but also the potential for skills and healing beyond anything most people can imagine."

"Dr. Maddy, for instance." He smiled. "Now she is something."

Tabitha laughed. "Isn't she though? And she's not alone in what she can do." She walked toward him. "There are people who can see through solids, hear a pitch lower and higher than most animals. Some people can appear as one thing while being something different altogether." She shook her head and studied the emotions sliding across his face...shock, disbelief, curiosity. He'd been exposed to some of this mess through the other friends in their circle, but this was a bit much for anyone. "It's a whole different world once you see below the surface."