The Lion Within (Ghost Cat Shifters #1) (20 page)
Read The Lion Within (Ghost Cat Shifters #1) Online
Authors: J.H. Croix
“Maybe I wanted to, but maybe I shouldn’t have done that,” he said abruptly, the words coming out before he considered them.
Vivi’s eyes slammed into his. “Why do you say that?”
He cleared his throat, trying to stay focused. “Because I messed up this year. Big time. You don’t need…”
Vivi’s eyes flashed in the glimmer from the streetlights. “Don’t you dare go there! So you messed up? Once, only once, after a hellish year and all kinds of pain. You’ve already made it out the other side. You’re a shifter, you’re too strong to do anything other than rise above. You already have and you’re a better man for it.” She paused and took a shaky breath. “Maybe I have all kinds of questions about this, but nothing to do with what you went through this year.”
Her words were so clear and confident, the doubt that had started to worm its way into his brain dissipated immediately. He took a breath and tried to get his body back under his control. He eased his hold on her, though it took an enormous amount of discipline, and took a half step back. He needed the distance, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop touching her, so he left his hand resting on her low back. He underestimated just how much he’d want to slide his hand over the curve of her luscious bottom and had to take several slow breaths to maintain control.
Vivi’s eyes had fallen, but she lifted them again. Her gaze was clear and direct. “How long is too damn long?” she asked.
He thought for a moment. “Well, there are two answers to that. There’s the one where I tell you maybe I thought about kissing you back when you were still in high school.” When her eyes widened, he couldn’t help the smile that curled the corner of his mouth. “There’s the other one where I tell you I thought about more than that this last year or so. I haven’t really been in a place to do anything about it until now.”
His chest tightened at what his own words meant. When he heard them aloud, they held a potency he hadn’t contemplated.
Vivi was quiet for several beats, a flush staining her cheeks. One of her hands fell from his chest. She started fiddling with the silver charm bracelet on her wrist. She took a gulp of air before she spoke. “Okay then. That clears it up.”
“How about you?”
Another few beats passed, and she took another deep breath. “Okay, you were honest, so I’ll be honest. I suppose I have two answers as well. The first is I might have had more than a few times when I thought about kissing you back in high school. The second is life happened and then…” She paused, the soft clink of the charms on her bracelet audible as she looked up at him. “You came home again…and I’ve thought about it a lot more since then.”
What he wanted to do was lift her in his arms and find the first place he could to bury himself inside of her, but he wasn’t after quick satisfaction. Not with Vivi. He wanted the time to see what lay between them and if it meant as much as he suspected. If his cat had anything to say about it, he wouldn’t be waiting at all. Alas, human reason managed to filter through. So, he shackled his impulses and slowly eased his hand off her waist.
“Are you walking home?” he asked.
At her nod, he continued. “I’ll walk with you.”
They walked through the quiet night. At some point along the way, he reached for her hand. When they walked up the steps to her house, he looked down and allowed himself one small moment. He dipped his head and caught her lips in a quick kiss. Just that, and it took all of his willpower to pull back.
After she closed the door and locked it behind him, he walked down the stairs and returned to where he’d left his car. His lion simmered, the shackling of his desire went against every grain of the lion side of his shifter self. The chilly, quiet night settled him and by the time he made it to his car, the heat inside had begun to abate.
Coming soon!
Lion Lost & Found, Ghost Cat Shifters
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Catamount Lion Shifters
Protected Mate
Chosen Mate
Fated Mate
Destined Mate
Ghost Cat Shifters
Diamond Creek Alaska Novels
Last Frontier Lodge Novels
Christmas on the Last Frontier
Acknowledgments
Each and every book is possible due to the incredible support from my family who cheers me on. Special thanks to my husband for helping me keep life in perspective and making sure I remember what’s important. My editor, Laura Kingsley, edits with my readers in mind and insists I keep my eye on the story. Claire Tan at CT Cover Creations takes every cover up a notch - many thanks for the beautiful covers she created for this series! Always, a bow of thanks to my readers without whom none of these books would exist. Your support humbles me.
Author Biography
Bestselling author J. H. Croix lives in a small town in the historical farmlands of Maine with her husband and two spoiled dogs. Croix writes sexy contemporary romance and steamy paranormal romance with strong independent women and rugged alpha men who aren't afraid to show some emotion. Her love for quirky small-towns and the characters that inhabit them shines through in her writing. Take a walk on the wild side of romance with her bestselling novels!