Shira (13 page)

“I hope you’re right.”

Max dropped his brother off, waved to Whisper who stood in the doorway of his house, and drove toward home. With each mile he covered, the tension in his neck increased. He ran a hand over it and massaged the muscles. Dread settled in the pit of his stomach, but he wouldn’t put this off. He should have told Shira before she said she would stay. She had a right to know everything about him—especially the way he felt about her.

When he walked in the door, intense joy displaced his nervousness seeing her waiting for him. He held out his arms, and she darted across the floor to settle into his embrace. He tipped her chin up to kiss her soft lips. She tasted like honey, and his heart swelled.
I can’t believe her power over me.

“Shira, I need to tell you something.”

A tremor passed over her, and he caressed her shoulders, trying to soothe her. He hesitated and then took the plunge. “Baby, I love you.”

Her sharp intake of breath was the only sound in the room. “What? You… I never thought…” Tears spilled down her cheeks, and she wiped them away almost violently. “You love me? You really do? You’re not just saying that?”

He shook his head. “No, I wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t true. It took me by surprise, and I thought it wasn’t possible for my kind to mate more than once.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Have sex more than once?”

He chuckled. “No, have
a
mate.” He put her from him and then led her to a chair to sit down. “That’s the other part of what I need to tell you. First, am I right in believing you love me too?”

“Do you even have to ask?” Her smile lit up his world, and he was hard-pressed not to forget the conversation and take her into his arms. Her light-hearted laugh made him join in. “Yes, Max Macgregor, I love you so much!”

Max dropped to one knee and took her hands. The wideness in her eyes told him he’d made her jump to the wrong conclusion. He refused to take it back seeing the fluttery movements in her hands and the spark in her gaze.

“Do you remember the leopard you saw?” he began.

Her brows dropped low in confusion, but she nodded.

Max gripped her fingers and brought them to his lips. He kissed each one, feeling her shiver with every touch. How the hell did he tell her and hope she wouldn’t panic, thinking he was a psycho like her ex? Showing her might frighten her, and that was the last thing he wanted. Shira had had enough fear in her life.

He sparked on an idea.

“Do you remember when you were running in the trees that night at the party and about how confused you were about which way to go?”

“How did you know about that?”

He didn’t answer her question right away but continued with his line of questioning. “What did you feel when you saw the leopard?”

“I was kind of relieved,” she said. “I know you’ll think I’m crazy, but I feel like he’s my protector, my friend. If I had any sense I’d call animal control and have them pick him up. He shouldn’t be running free around residential areas. I wonder if a circus lost him.”

Max jiggled her hands to call her attention back to him. “Focus, baby.”

She chuckled. “Sorry. Anyway, I suppose I trusted him. He led me back to the street and to your brother. Alec said he knew the leopard.”

Max nodded. He rubbed her fingers. “Shira, that leopard was me.”

She blinked at him. “Oh, you mean, the way I feel about him, and that you’ll protect me? I know. I trust you, and I know you won’t let anyone hurt me.”

“No.” He released her hands and stood up, then backed away. When he began removing his clothes, she focused on his body. His cock went erect as he saw the interest in her gaze. This wasn’t the time to get excited, but he couldn’t help it. The woman he loved looked like she wanted to have him for lunch, and he didn’t mind at all.

When he was naked in front of her, she reached out to his cock, but he caught her hands. “Whoa, baby, I’ll never do this if you start that.”

“Do what?”

He shifted. No pretense, no warning. Shira surged to her feet and slapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh my goodness!”

He didn’t move a muscle in case he scared her. In fact, he did all he could not to appear threatening. To his surprise, she dropped to her knees and threw her arms around his neck, sobbing. “I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it. I must be dreaming. Max, you’re the leopard? I knew it wasn’t natural to be so drawn to a wild animal like that! Wow! This is amazing.”

He shifted back to his human form and sat on the carpet, pulling Shira onto his lap. “Wait, you’re not afraid?”

“Of course not.” She grinned. “It’s you isn’t it?”

“It’s me,” he affirmed.

“Incredible.” She kept touching his skin, ran fingers through his hair, and stared at him in awe. “You’re amazing.”

Warmth spread over Max’s insides. “No,
you
are. Marry me, Shira.”

She gaped. “But we’ve just met.”

“Marry me,” he said again. “This time I won’t let my mate get away without claiming her in every sense of the word. Be my wife.”

She hesitated and ducked her head. “Are you sure you want me? I can’t be like
her
.”

“I’ve never been more sure.” He raised her chin. “I love you for you, and I know you are the one for me. Shira, you’ve taken my heart, and I won’t ask for it back.”

“Then, yes, I will marry you, Max, because you’ve taken my heart, too, and you’ll always have it.”

She threw her arms around his shoulders and pressed her breasts to his bare chest. Max felt her nipples tighten, and he moaned. “Now I can take you freely.”

“Yes, you can.” She grinned at him and then stood up. Her pussy was in line with his face, and Max’s mouth watered as she began removing her clothes. Happiness surged within him along with desire. He never imagined his life would take this much of a turn for the better. He’d been down on everything and everyone, and a few weeks ago, he wouldn’t have believed a woman as perfect for him as Shira would come into his life. She was here now, and he had no intention of letting her go.

When she was naked, he reached out and ran a finger down the slit of her pussy. She was already wet, and he tasted her juices. He wanted to eat her out, but that would take control, something which was missing at the moment. Instead, he tugged her back to his lap. As she descended, he guided his already stiff cock between her legs. She sank slowly onto it, and a hiss of breath left his lips. Up to the hilt, he fit in her warm channel. Her inner muscles clenched around his member, milked it. He arched his hips and drove into her while cupping her ass. Shira pumped hard, her eyes closed and head thrown back. She murmured his name, and each time she did, his cock pulsed and seemed to grow harder. Shira’s slender form sent him insane. He couldn’t stop kissing her skin, licking it, and enjoying the feel of her squirming on his cock. Everything about his lover brought him to the edge of an orgasm, and he willed himself to fall.

“Shira, baby, you’re going to make me explode.”

“Do it, Max. I want it so bad,” she purred. “I want to feel your come in me.”

That was all she needed to say. He ran his hands up her back, pressed his fingers to her soft skin, and crushed her to him. He devoured her delicious mouth and thrust his tongue in to taste her. With his fingers tangled in her hair, he took what was all his and no other man’s. He ground deep into her pussy, and made her bounce on his erection until the sensations were more than he could stand. She screamed, and the spasms in her thigh muscles told him she had come. Just a few more thrusts and Max let go. He came strong and hard, shaken from head to toe as he emptied himself inside of her.

When he was done and they had calmed somewhat, Max held onto Shira and stood with her in his arms. He carried her into his bedroom and kicked the door shut. What he would do now was to spend the rest of the day giving Shira and himself pleasure to make up for all the pain that came before. From then on, nothing would come between them, and he would be all the protection she needed.

The End

About the Author

Tressie Lockwood
has always loved books, and she enjoys writing about heroines who are overcoming the trials of life. She writes straight from her heart, reaching out to those who find it hard to be completely themselves no matter what anyone else thinks. She hopes her readers enjoy her short stories. Visit Tressie on the web at
www.tressielockwood.blogspot.com
.