Stray Cat Strut (2 page)

Uncomfortable with the unspoken nuances, I
stared at brother and sister, scanning their faces and the flicker of
emotions—tension, anxiety, anguish and defeat. Uneasily, I wondered if I should
leave and half stood before Lucas placed his hand on my shoulder and pushed me
back into the chair.

“Stay. Your leaving won’t help our
situation.”

Of course curiosity nipped harder.
Unfortunately, politeness bade me to ignore the siblings’ squabble and steer
the conversation into peaceful waters. My mother’s influence yet again. “Are
you touring New Zealand?”

The tears spilled over into sobs. Damn,
wrong question.

“We’re trying to decide whether to settle
in Australia or New Zealand,” Lucas said. He frowned at his sister, reminding
me of the way the Mitchell brothers looked at each other during a family
squabble. Being an only child, I’d never experienced the emotions and
frustrations that came with siblings. Right now, faced with tears, I was
heartily glad of the fact.

“Have you spent time in Australia already?”
I figured I’d pretend she wasn’t crying and maybe the tears would magically
disappear.

“We spent a month in Perth. We have
relations there.” Lucas’ words were clipped, a little harsh. It was obvious the
visit hadn’t been a success.

“I come from Middlemarch. It’s a small town
about an hour or so from Dunedin.”

“But you’re here,” Lucas said.

“Yes.” It was my turn to feel
uncomfortable. The Mitchell family hadn’t cared about my sexual orientation.
Leo had whooped loudly when I’d told him and said he could do without the
competition. Evidently my handsome face attracted lustful glances from the
ladies. I grunted out loud, just remembering. He could talk since he was the
pretty one. Emily had contacted my mother and arranged to pack my clothes and
personal possessions for me. They were storing the gear I didn’t need until I
settled again. I owed the Mitchell family a lot.

A soft chuckle dragged my attention back to
the present. Dark eyes twinkled with amusement. My heart stuttered before flowing
back into a steady beat. I wanted this man. Badly.

He leaned closer. “You’re the first shifter
we’ve met over here.” His words were low to avoid any eavesdropping but I
doubted anyone would hear over the music.

“Not that many around. Should I worry about
you being a different strain?” A shifter couldn’t be too careful when
approaching another of a different species.

He caught and held my gaze, all humor
dropping away. “Not when I’m hoping to be their lover.”

Honesty. God, I loved it. I swallowed to rid
myself of the sudden lump in my throat. “Good.” I glanced at Leticia. Her tears
had stopped but she worried her bottom lip while she listened to everything we
said. She didn’t seem too surprised. More resigned. I wondered at the history
behind their decision to move from South Africa before telling myself it was
none of my business. I didn’t like discussing my personal circumstances so I
could hardly demand details from them.

Lucas shifted his legs beneath the table,
purposely jostling mine. We were both big men, over six feet so there wasn’t
much space. A breathless sensation rocked through me when I pictured us naked.
In my peripheral vision I caught Leticia picking up her glass and taking a sip
of wine. Shit. It was all very well being honest about what we wanted but we
had a bloody chaperone. And there was something else. Might as well blurt it
out before things became too heated.

“I’m not interested in a one-night stand.
I’ve done that before and I’m past it. If that’s all you can offer, then we
should leave it at a drink.”

I heard Leticia’s gasp but didn’t take my
eyes off Lucas. His dark eyes glittered with unreadable emotions. I didn’t know
him well enough to even begin to guess what he was thinking. He inhaled, his
muscular chest swelling beneath the expensive shirt he wore, drawing my
attention. “We’re here for a week since we’re doing some trekking, and Leticia
wanted to try fishing in the mountain streams.”

“I’m here for another month before my
contract ends.” It was difficult getting the words out, keeping my cool.
Beneath my skin, my feline self shifted uneasily, restlessly. I’d never reacted
this swiftly to another man before. It was disconcerting, this loss of control,
the moment heart took over from mind.

“And after that?” Lucas asked.

“No firm plans yet.” I thought about going
home for a while. The Mitchell brothers would welcome me even if my parents
didn’t. The farm was too much for Dad to manage on his own, even though he was
too damned stubborn to admit it. I hoped he’d been able to hire help.

“I want to see the whales at Kaikoura,”
Leticia said, her tone defiant.

“And so you shall, sweetheart. I promised,
didn’t I?”

Her face softened and it was obvious that
brother and sister were very close. “Yes,” she said. “You did.” She glanced at
me. “Should I make myself scarce?”

I had an idea. Normally I drank over at The
Dirty Dog with the people I worked with. They were a good crowd and I liked
them, but tonight instinct had led me to O’Hara’s. “Why don’t we move to
another bar? I can introduce you to some of my friends and coworkers. A couple
of them are keen fishermen. They might be able to give you some hints.”

Lucas’ smile deepened. “You can swap fishy
stories.”

“Exaggerate about catches,” I added.

Leticia’s full bottom lip pouted. I was
about to apologize when I noticed a slight quiver. Seconds later she wore a
full-out smile. I gaped before Lucas kicked me beneath the table.

“I’m going to start thinking you’re
interested in my sister,” he murmured.

“She’s stunning,” I said with honesty. “But
she’s not for me.”

Leticia sniffed. “I wouldn’t look at you
even if you begged.”

“Ah.” I fought a smirk. “An attitude. My
friends will love meeting you.”

* * * * *

The Dirty Dog was just as loud and
boisterous as O’Hara’s, the words of a Crowded House hit spilling out of the
building when we neared. I opened the door for Leticia and Lucas, standing back
to let them through. A wave of chatter poured out to greet us.

Lucas paused. “Thanks.” My confusion must
have shown because he added, “For including Leticia. It means a lot to me.” He
squeezed my shoulder for an instant. “You won’t be sorry. I promise.” Lucas
walked into the bar, leaving me staring after him.

His words were like a kick to the gut, in a
good kick kind of way. My entire body shuddered while blood rushed to my cock.
Tension held me still. I watched Lucas saunter after his sister, saw the
immediate interest when both men and women stared at the couple. Damn. The male
had me panting after him and we’d done nothing more than exchange a few words,
hot glances and a couple of innocent touches. I hoped like hell he wasn’t a
flirt, leading me on for the hell of it.

I hurried to catch up with them and
directed the pair over to the far end of the bar where my friends always
congregated. We found them standing around a leaner, their drinks on top along
with several empty glasses. The clack of pool balls sounded when Neil broke for
the start of a game. There were groans and a lone cheer from Neil.

“Saul, thought you weren’t coming out
tonight,” my boss Grant said. His quick glance at the spread of the balls on
the table held disgust.

“Thought I’d bring my friends to meet you
all,” I said easily. “This is Lucas and his sister Leticia. They’re here for
the next week.” I pointed to my workmates, listing names. “Neil. Steven. Dave.
Gaylene. John. Sue.”

The next hour crawled by in slow motion. We
had a couple of drinks, a game of pool and laughed a lot. I was pleased to see
Leticia seemed to be having a good time, and I noticed a couple of the guys
were interested.

“Are you ready to go?” The heat in Lucas’
gaze caused a series of ripples through my body. The hard ache in the region of
my chest reminded me it was time to breathe. Breathless. Again. This male had
the power to hurt me. I sensed it, yet I didn’t consider walking away or
slowing things down. Neither was an option.

I glanced at Leticia. “Will your sister be
okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks to you.”

Leticia caught my gaze. My brows rose in a
silent question. She glanced at her brother before looking back to me. It was
almost as if they were communicating telepathically. Her lips curved in a
secret smile, her nod almost imperceptible before she turned away to survey the
pool table and her next shot.

Relief tinged with anticipation flooded
through me. I drew a sharp breath, catching the musky scent of shifter along
with a hint of pine from Lucas’ aftershave. Time to move this show along.

We said our goodbyes before walking out
into the cool clear night. Stars twinkled in the sky above while the moon hung
high in the sky casting light over the surrounding mountains. Right now they
looked like dark, hulking shapes, but in the sunlight they were spectacular, a
play of purple, gray and blue with a touch of snow at the very top. When we
paused in the middle of the footpath, a night bird shrieked briefly before
falling silent.

“My place or yours?” Lucas asked, touching
my arm.

I grasped his calloused hand and tugged him
deep into the shadows of the pub where no prying eyes could see. Without any
warning my mouth crashed down on his. No finesse or gentleness, just truth and
desire. Passion. Luckily Lucas didn’t protest. He leaned into me, gripping my
shoulders painfully tight. Our lips moved together before we both opened our
mouths and took the kiss into carnal, tongues sliding together, tastes
mingling. His tongue was rough, the coarse abrasiveness shooting desire
straight to my cock. I ground my hips against him, my eyes closing to savor the
zap of pleasure when our erections rubbed together. This was going to be good.
Hard to see how it wouldn’t be.

I pulled away as suddenly as I’d grabbed
Lucas and rested my forehead against his for a scant second before stepping
back. “Your place. It will be a lot more private than the hostel where I’m
staying.”

Chapter Two

Lucas and Leticia were staying at The
Hermitage. We strode into the foyer, looking neither left nor right as we
headed for the lifts. Lucas stabbed the call button and we both lifted our
heads to check the illuminated numbers showing the lift’s location. We waited
in silence. My mind was on the kiss. I licked my lips, savoring Lucas’
lingering taste. I trembled, desperate to strip and move skin against skin, to
feel Lucas’ abrasive tongue sweeping across my flesh.

A soft sound snared my attention. I turned
and saw Lucas was watching me closely.

“Fuck, the lift,” he muttered. “We’ll take
the stairs. It’s quicker.” He seized my hand and dragged me past a vintage car
parked inside the foyer. I had seconds to take in the sculpture of glittering
silver fish and the water that poured down the wall before we hit the stairs.
Lucas dropped my hand and took them two at the time. I followed in bemusement,
becoming gladder by the second because I had such a great view of Lucas’ ass
and muscular legs when he powered his way to the top. We sprinted up another
two flights of stairs, past a couple of shops and a casual restaurant before
Lucas turned to the right and prowled down a carpeted passage. About halfway
along the passage he stopped to tug a keycard from his pocket. He slid it into
the door, waited a second until the green light flashed. I followed him inside
and the door shut after me, closing with a soft click.

The room was decked out in shades of cream
with dark cream covers on the two queen-size beds. I couldn’t remember the
exact color shade but had seen it when my mother had dragged me into a
furniture store in Dunedin around six months ago.

It was a fairly standard hotel room with a
desk and chair against the wall along with the obligatory television and local
artwork on the walls. The thing that propelled the room to special and
spectacular was the large window that took up most of one wall with views out
toward Aoraki Mount Cook. Not that I could see much at the moment.

“Strip,” Lucas barked, his hands working on
the buttons of his white shirt.

“What about Leticia?” I asked.

“She has her own room.”

My brows shot up. “Are you made of money?
The room rates here are pretty steep.”

Lucas’ gaze bore into me. “Yeah, we have
money. Is that a problem?”

“It could be,” I said. “I’m not rich.” And
I’d hate the label of moneygrubber.

“So?” Lucas prowled toward me, his
expression mean and dangerous. He stopped inches away, his dark eyes glaring
golden sparks. “I’m not interested in your money. It’s your body I want to
fuck, not your bank account. That plain enough?”

“Crystal.” I held back a chuckle.

“Hell.” Disgust shaded his voice. “I’ve
never met a male who liked to talk so much. Can we continue now?”

“Yeah.” I dragged my polo shirt over my
head and tossed it aside. With my eyes on Lucas, I started to undo my jeans.
The unveiling of Lucas’ body distracted me. Smooth golden skin stretched across
magnificent muscles. Unlike me, a small amount of hair dusted his chest,
arrowing downward beneath his black jeans. He sat on the corner of one of the
beds to unlace his leather boots.

“Let me,” I said. I knelt on the carpeted
floor in front of him and drew off the boot. He had big feet. My gaze drifted
upward to the huge bulge at his groin, a smile tugging my lips. A big cock to
match. Lucky me. I tugged off his sock before massaging his foot. His guttural
groan, almost a purr, brought amusement. The man was easy.

I removed his other boot and sock. “Jeans,”
I suggested, eager to see more skin.

Lucas stood and peeled off jeans and briefs
in one swift move. He kicked them aside and stood proudly in front of me. I sat
back on my heels, studying his body closely. His skin was golden all over as if
he bathed in the sun on a regular basis. Supple muscles played whenever he
moved while his dick jutted out and upward.

“Nice.”

“Is that all you’re going to do? Look?”

Testy. I bit back a smirk. “I could touch,”
I suggested.

“For God’s sake, do it,” he snapped. His
jaw clenched and his face bore an expression of pain.

“Yeah. Okay. Maybe we’ll do away with
foreplay this time.” A fib, of course. I loved the tease and prolonging of the
main event. It made the climax so much sweeter.

“
Hallelujah
.”

Smiling, I stood and rapidly removed my
boots, socks and the rest of my clothes. Aware Lucas was eyeing my body in much
the same way I’d checked him out, I paused in a pose. We were like day and
night—one golden and one dark—but otherwise matched in size, and I think,
strength.

Deciding Lucas had had enough time for
window-shopping, I closed the distance between us and kissed him on the lips.
This time was slower. Giving. We explored each other’s mouths, letting our
bodies bump and jostle together. He tasted of beer, the crisp taste of hops
dancing across my tongue. I took the kiss deeper, exploring the inside of his
cheek and his abrasive tongue. I shivered, my hips jerking in response. I
couldn’t wait to feel his tongue against my skin. Slowly, I pulled away, my
breathing hard and choppy.

Lucas wasn’t in much better condition.
“Hell.” The word was a hiss from between his clenched teeth. “Do that again.”

“What? This?” I ground against him, our
cocks sliding against each other before the swollen heads hit solid flesh. No
need for erection enhancing drugs in this room.

“Yeah.” Lucas seized my hips with his
calloused hands and held me still while he repeated the move. We both groaned,
wet trails of pre-cum glistening on our abdomens. “I’m going to do you,” he
muttered. “On the bed. Now.”

“Who made you boss?” I liked the dominant
position best. I might want him, but I wasn’t going to let Lucas walk all over
me just because I wanted to get laid.

Our gazes met. Held. “Fuck,” he said
finally, obviously recognizing this could be a problem. “Okay. We’ll take
turns.” He leveled a challenging glare at me. “I’m going first.”

“Are you a man of your word?” I wasn’t
going to concede without promises.

“Yeah.” He sighed heavily as if he couldn’t
believe he’d agreed to my stipulation. “I promise we will take turns.”

Good enough. I nodded to communicate my
acceptance and on unsteady legs walked toward the nearest bed. I tugged the
covers back and fell back on the crisp white sheets, looking up at Lucas.
Anticipation crawled through my veins and my stomach did a strong flip. A new
relationship was always full of possibilities. I was eager and upbeat even though
I knew there was a time limit attached. If anything, the knowledge brought a
new sweetness to this unexpected encounter.

Lucas joined me after rifling through a bag
in the wardrobe. He slapped a bottle of lube and a fistful of condoms at the
top of the bed, mere inches from the pillow where my head rested.

Seconds later, he leaned over me, kissing
my lips before trailing kisses down my neck. His teeth nipped at the tender
skin before his tongue darted out to smooth the sting. I shuddered at the
sensual drag across my skin. The trail of his fingers, duplicating the move of
his tongue, wrought the need for more.

“Do you like that?”

I snorted. Hell, I liked everything. I
especially liked the intent expression on his face, the glint in his eyes when
he explored my body. “What gave it away?”

“You were damn near purring,” Lucas said
with smug satisfaction.

“Damn near,” I admitted, “but not quite.”

Lucas tossed his head, setting his tawny
curls bouncing. “That sounded like a challenge.”

I shrugged. “Whatever floats your boat.”

This time it was Lucas’ turn to snort. He
nipped a pectoral muscle hard enough to make me jump. When his tongue swept
across the spot, my dick reared upward, my balls pulling tight. Air whistled
between my teeth. Hell, he was good. Or maybe I was more desperate than I’d
thought. I gave in to my need to touch in return and ran my hands through his
hair. It was softer, silkier, than I’d expected. I also discovered Lucas had
big ears. The imperfection was damn cute. Grinning, I kept my thoughts to
myself.

Lucas kissed across my rib cage and rimmed
my belly button with his tongue. My eyes drifted closed to better savor the
sensations that thrummed through me, amusement at his ears fading. I heard the
distant whirr of the air-conditioning unit and a shout from somewhere outside
the room. The mattress moved when Lucas stirred. He shifted lower still, his
cheek nudging my cock. His breath feathered across my abdomen. Warm and
teasing, promising pleasure.

Impatience grew. Eagerness. I gasped when
he gripped my cock firmly with one hand and pumped. My hips levered off the
bed, jerking upward instinctively, seeking to maximize the pressure, the
sensations. He did it again then there was nothing. No touch. Just nothing.

My eyes flicked open to see Lucas grinning
at me. “Stop teasing.”

Lucas was unapologetic when he glanced up
at me. “My first thought was to get my rocks off straightaway, but exploring is
good, getting to know what you like, what makes you hot.” He leaned over,
guiding my cock to his mouth. Heat surrounded the tip. Once again, my hips
thrust upward, driving my dick deeper into the warm heat. A groan squeezed past
my lips while my heart galloped. Pleasure swept through me, firing a
deep-seated need inside. My balls pulled tighter still to the edge of pain. It
was going to be good.

I knew it.

His tongue swirled across the head of my
cock. I felt pressure as he sucked, drawing me deeper into his mouth. I
groaned—a deep, dark sound—my hips moving, trying to burrow deeper into the
scorching heat of his mouth. He knew what his touch was doing to me. His soft
chuckle vibrated down my cock. The action of his lips and tongue pushed me
higher. Clawing tension simmered inside. I trembled, every muscle in my body
tense while I strove for climax. A tingle started at the base of my spine.
Another swish of his talented tongue pushed me higher still. I pushed deep into
his mouth, the pressure building until I couldn’t hold back for an instant
longer. I groaned when semen rushed up my cock, exploding from me in a convulsive
contraction. He continued to work me while I luxuriated in the aftershocks.

Finally, I gripped his head, pushing him
away. Still panting, I pressed a kiss to his hand. I inhaled deeply before
saying, “I guess it’s your turn now.”

“Please.” There was a world of meaning in
his face, and in that moment I wanted to give it to him—the world.

“Chuck me the lube,” I said, lifting up on
to my elbow.

A tinge of red colored his cheeks while
arousal glittered in his dark eyes. I reached out to accept the plastic bottle,
taking the time to skim my fingers across his chest. I flicked a flat masculine
nipple and heard his sharp intake of breath, saw the flare of his nostrils. The
heat of his touch seared my fingers when the lube changed hands.

“I want you,” he whispered.

“I know.” I sat up properly and flicked the
top of the lube open. The bottle wheezed when I squeezed lube onto my palm.
“Come here.”

Lucas knelt on the bed, moving closer until
his knees nudged my hipbone. His cock thrust outward. The tip glistened with
pre-cum. I set the bottle aside and rubbed my palms together slightly to
disperse the lube. Lucas watched me the whole time, his broad chest rising and
falling rapidly, belying his pretence of calmness.

Smiling, I pressed a quick kiss to his
lips, tasting myself on his breath. I liked it. The possessiveness inside
flooded me with alarm but I ignored it, shoving the emotion away to pull out
later when I was alone. Now wasn’t the time to worry. It was the time to
celebrate, to feel. I pressed my hand to the middle of his chest, exerting
enough pressure to indicate he should lie back on the mattress. Once he was
spread out before me, I paused to lick my lips. When I noticed he was watching,
I smacked my lips. “All the better to eat you.” I grinned at the startled
expression on his face before concentrating on more important things. I gripped
his shaft with my right hand, spreading lube while I teased him a little more.
He’d had his fun. Now it was my turn.

His cock was longer than mine and not quite
as thick. It felt fiery hot, searing my palm when I slid my hand up and down
the shaft. His musky scent rose as arousal grew between us. I swallowed when my
hand glided easily across his swollen flesh.

“God, stop,” he said finally, his chest
heaving. “I’m not going to last if you keep doing that.” He shoved my hands
away from his glistening cock.

My heart pounded. I grabbed a condom and
ripped open the foil packaging. A snort escaped. I’d greased his cock when a
condom needed to go over the top. Well, damn. I’d have to lube him all over
again. A real hardship.

I rolled the condom on him and waited for
Lucas to realize.

“Fuck,” he swore softly, but my superior
hearing caught it easily enough.

“Took you long enough,” I goaded.

“Hands off,” he snapped, batting my hands
away from the bottle of lube. “Is it my fault all the blood has rushed to our
cocks?”