The Purrfect Plan (6 page)

He stepped under the shower Storm had abandoned, swiftly washing himself. His mind mulled over the situation. His mate didn't want him but couldn't deny the attraction between them. Logically, there were two problems he needed to overcome, no, three. One: her belief she didn't want or need him. Two: her trust of men or rather him. Three: showing her she was mated to a panther shifter and carried possibly more than one cub. Number three he could take care of right now. He turned off the water, stepped from the shower, grabbed a towel, and went in search of his woman.

~ * ~

Storm pulled on her underwear, not caring they were plain cotton. She grabbed a matching camisole and pulled it over her breasts, slumping down on the side of her bed, her mind battling with her heart and body.

River had found her, but how could she make him leave? A part of her screamed at the thought of him leaving and never coming back. He seemed adamant about staking his
claim
on her especially now he knew she was having his baby. Her plan had utterly crumbled to dust at her feet. Simple fact, River was a man, and not to be trusted. If she let him into her life, it would end in him cheating, leaving her with the pain of another broken heart.

River emerged from the bathroom buck naked and glistening with water. In one hand he held one of her grandmother's pink patterned towels, which he used briskly on his hair. Her breath caught in her throat as her gaze travelled over his body, up his muscled thighs and washboard stomach.

The man was a God.

He looked up and his green eyes darkened. Dropping the towel on the floor, he walked towards her. Without a word, only a silent demand in his actions, he crawled over her and pinned her beneath him. He was warm from the shower and his skin was still wet. She wanted to lick all the water droplets from his skin. Her heart rate sped up as he stared down into her eyes.

She struggled to comprehend how one man could affect her so profoundly. It was madness.

"Before you decide to reject me completely, I think there are a few things you need to know about me; where I come from, who I am, and most importantly what I am."

She frowned at his words, but it was difficult to think clearly with Mr. Naked and Sinfully Sexy pressing her down into the mattress. Heat fused into her cheeks as her sex grew damp and her nipples hardened. Despite the incredible orgasm in the kitchen, she wanted him again. His nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply. A knowing grin lifted up the corners of his sexy mouth.

To her disappointment, he pulled away from her and off the bed. "Soon, cookie, but not yet, there is still a lot to discuss."

She sighed, sat up, moving to rest her back against the headboard, making herself comfortable on the pillows. Strange how in the span of an hour having a naked, sexy man pacing her bedroom floor seemed the most natural thing in the world. River picked up the discarded towel, wrapping it around his waist and covering her eye candy, well his lower half at least.

She folded her arms across her chest, certain there was nothing he could say that would change her mind about him making himself a permanent fixture in her life.

"You know, most men would be running scared at the thought they had fathered a child."

"I'm not most men, and it seems you're the one who likes doing the running."

"Oh, c'mon, a man who looks as good as you, why would
you
want to be burdened with a mother and child? Aren't there more attractive women out there to chase down and conquer?"

He stopped pacing to scowl at her. "I see I have my work cut out for me to prove my loyalty and devotion."

Storm snorted. "Please, the only thing men are loyal to are their own dicks. Why did you really track me down? It's not like you have anything to gain--"

"Stop right there." He pinned her with a dominant glare. "Don't you dare paint me as the bad guy. I am not the one who used the other just to get pregnant. Thank your lucky stars it was me and not someone else. Now you're going to sit there and remain silent until I've finished what I have to say. Understand?"

He was right. Storm's face flushed with guilt; she'd used her smart-assed mouth in an attempt to drive him away. She lowered her eyes and nodded.

"Good, you'd best prepare yourself because there is no easy way to tell you this, so I'm just going to tell it to you straight. But trust me, it's not a bad thing, okay?"

The worry in his eyes vibrated back through her. What kind of thing was he going to tell her? So many questions popped to the forefront of her mind. She had to bite down on the side of her tongue to stop from asking them.

"Simply, there are other creatures in the world out there who are not, or only part, human. And I am one of them. Have you ever heard of shifters, creatures that can shift, turn into animals?"

Storm blinked at him, wondering how she could get past the mentally unstable man and call the cops.

"You think you're an animal?"

"I am a black panther, Storm, and leader of our community. Black Town was founded by my parents as a safe haven for all cat shifters."

She added mental hospital to her list of people to call. Maybe she could sneak away again while he slept.

"Okay, so Black Town is full of cat shifters and you're their leader. Strange, I thought the lion would be king of the jungle." Damn her mouth, why couldn't she keep it shut? She didn't want to provoke him.

"Ted's the lion, the bartender you met in Black's bar, and no, I am Alpha of the town, and you are my fated mate. We only get one in a lifetime, and you're it, cookie, the one I've been waiting for my whole life."

Storm licked her dry lips, unsure of what to say to his crazy declarations other than scream,
You've lost your fricken' marbles!

"You're carrying my cub, and most probably more than one. Very rarely are cubs born singular, and you, of course, think I'm mad."

"Well, it does sound a bit far-fetched." She kept her tone calm, not wanting to anger him.

He sighed. "I did tell you instead of shifting first, so you'd be prepared. But I see it's now time to show you the proof."

She was about to snort her disbelief when he crouched down onto the rug at the bottom of the bed. Black hair sprouted, his limbs transformed into legs, paws and claws.

She blinked rapidly, ran her hand over her eyes, as the big black cat walked around the side of the bed and gracefully leapt up onto it, approaching her with a loud purr.

Frozen in shock, she watched as the cat lowered his head and ran his rough, yet soft, hot wet tongue over her ankle. Her body jolted at the sensation.

"Impossible!"

The cat raised his head. He purred louder as he loomed over her. She stared into the same dazzling green eyes River possessed. Her heart felt like it was pounding out of her chest. Her breathing became rapid, making her feel a little light-headed and dizzy. Her take on reality came crashing down around her. It was a good thing she was already on the bed, as for the first time in her life, blackness overcame her.

Chapter Six

That could have gone better.
River shifted back, checking Storm's pulse and breathing.

"C'mon, cookie, wake up." He patted her cheek. At least she didn't freak out and start screaming like a hysterical baboon.

Her eyelids fluttered before they opened, meeting his worried gaze. "Why do you call me cookie?"

River gave a strained laugh, not expecting that to be the first question she would ask him.

"To me you have the delicious scent of fresh baked cookies, of home and hearth, like a place I belong."

"Oh." A healthy color flushed back into her cheeks. "Did you really just turn into a big black cat?"

"Yes, I did. How are you feeling?" He watched her pink tongue dart out, leaving a wet trail on her lush lips. He bit back a groan, wanting desperately to taste them again. At the same time, he didn't want her to freak out anymore. She needed time to come to terms with the reality of the situation.

"Okay, I guess. Are you an animal or a man? How is this possible?"

Confusion clouded her gaze, as she studied him with more care.

"I don't know the how of it, I just know I am. When I'm in human form, I can feel my cat prowling around inside. When I'm in cat form, I am completely sentient."

Unable to stop himself, he stroked her hair and face, wanting to comfort her.

"You have every advantage having a shifter for your mate. Among our kind, while we can have free and unburdened relationships before we meet our mate, once we do, our brains are hard wired to be loyal and devoted to them. We can't have sex anymore unless it's with our mate. And the only way to break the bond is by death."

Her eyes widened. "B...by death, we both won't die, will we?"

"No, cookie, only the bond is broken, nothing else." Or maybe a heart, he'd seen his mother's deep grief after losing their father. Drawing in a deep breath, he gathered and placed it palm down on his chest. "I am yours for life, cookie." The doubt he saw in her eyes made his heart ache, but he also knew it was early.

His resolve was set; he was going to prove his words true. Show her how much she had already cemented a place in his heart. Yet he had to be cautious, like any animal cornered. If he pushed her too hard, she would fight back, attacking anyone or anything in her path.

"Would you show me your, um, panther again?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "Only if you promise not to faint on me again."

She rolled her eyes. "I promise. Now show me."

He chuckled softly at her demand, pleased with her lack of fear. Silently, he praised the fates for providing him with such a wonderful feisty mate. Everything about Storm called to his senses; curvy, lush, smart, sassy and sexy as hell. Yet, the wounded vulnerability he saw in her eyes made him want to hold her close, put right every wrong done and protect her from the world.

He moved back on the bed and let the painless change move over him. He blinked, seeing his mate staring at him with wide-eyed wonder, not fear.

"It has to be some kind of trick, or you've drugged me somehow."

He gave a low growl, placing a paw either side of her legs, moving closer so she could touch him. Cautiously, she reached out and stroked him between his ears and down his neck; he felt his eyes roll back into his head. Her touch was divine; he purred louder.

"Wow, you are a big beautiful cat."

He nuzzled into her chest, rubbing his face all over her shoulders and neck, scent marking her.

"Easy, kitty." Her giggle was pure melody to his ears.

He let his tongue dart out to lick across the side of her throat, to be rewarded with a sharp gasp. He honed in on the pulse point of her neck, lapping at it before shifting lower to the cleavage of her breasts.

She squealed and squirmed, but he had her pinned under him.

"Oh, you perverted kitty."

There was no condemnation in her tone, only breathless excitement. River chose that moment to shift back. She met his gaze for a moment. Her eyes darkened with burning lust. His hand found the hem of her sexy little white top and whipped it up. His mouth watered, seeing her delectable breast, her deep pink nipples hard, taunting him. Without another thought, he lowered his head and latched on to her right breast, while he palmed her left breast. River was in breast heaven.

~ * ~

Storm moaned loudly at River's hot mouth on her breast sending the pleasure jolting through her body, making her stomach clench and her clit pulse. Helplessly, she arched her back, wanting the blinding, mindless sensations to never stop.

The puckered nipple tightened almost to the point of pain when he backed off and blew air across the wet peak. Before she could catch her breath, he attacked her left breast, giving it the same body writhing attention.

Her fingers raked into his hair, long dark hair. She was dimly aware of similarities in softness to his panther fur.

She couldn't think, let alone breathe, as one hand slid beneath the waistband of her panties, his thick fingers separating her folds and sliding deeply into her.

She spread her legs wider, moving her hips against his hand, whimpering her need.

"By the gods, cookie, you're dangerous on a man's senses."

She could say the same thing about him, as he continued to work her breasts and finger fuck her at the same time.

He lifted his head and she moaned in protest at the loss of his mouth. She needed to come.

"I want you to come back with me to Black Town. Say you will."

Her eyes snapped open; it took a moment to clear her lust-drunken brain for his words to sink in.

"No, I..." Damn it, why couldn't he just finish what he started before springing this on her. He pulled his finger from her pussy, lightly rubbing her clit.

"Just for two weeks, get to know each other better, meet my family and the other shifters."

"If I say yes, will you make me come?" She almost growled the words.

"Cookie, I'll make you come so much you'll be begging me for mercy."