To Hiss or to Kiss (8 page)

“OK.” Frustration creeps into my voice. “Gracie, that’s the one dog who would talk with me, gave me a decent layout of where she is and how to get in and out, but I’ve got nothing on the security features. And since I’m no master thief or super spy, I’m at a loss.”

“Will the authorities do anything to help?”

I guffaw. “Yeah, if they’d believe me.”

“I suppose I should have known that.” He sounds a bit embarrassed and is smiling in the cutest way. “But there is still the humane agents’ work to consider.”

“Yeah, but I still don’t know what to do. The good news is, if the bastards hold to the pattern, it sounds like we should have at least a week before they try to take the dogs anywhere, according to Gracie.”

The timer on the tea dings, and Jorge moves to remove the tea bag. “I think I may be able to help.” After throwing the tea bag away, he looks at me. “Do you prefer to make your own or shall I?”

“Go ahead. And how can you help? You a master thief?”

“Actually, I’ve done my fair share of slinking around. I am, after all, a jaguar inside.” He smiles slyly at me.

I smile back to encourage him.

“And given the private nature of my life, I’m actually quite well-versed in security techniques.” He pours the tea, then adds a bit of sugar to both of our mugs and then some half-and-half to mine.

“Really?” Excitement creeps into my voice. I could actually get these dogs out.

“This house has a state-of-the-art system.” There’s a hint of pride in his voice as he hands me my tea and motions for us to head to the living room.

I follow. “So now I see where your priorities are,” I tease.

“I am nothing if not practical.” He smiles and sets his tea on a coaster before sinking onto the couch. I mimic his actions.

I really want to explore how practical it was to kiss me earlier but decide to stick to the subject at hand. “Enlighten me on what you’re thinking. I’m assuming you’ve done your own recon since you knew about the cameras already.”

“The cameras were obvious to me. I know what to look for, and well, I can see better than the average human. I could map something out fairly easily.”

“Well, now we have a job for tomorrow.” A hint of triumph and hope enter my voice.

“We?” He raises one dark eyebrow. “I think you’ve spent plenty of time lurking about that house already. Plus, I can be much stealthier alone.”

“Hey! I’m stealthy.”

He lifts his hands in a placating gesture. “I didn’t say you weren’t. I just mean I can scout as a jaguar from the edges.”

“Really? I’m sure
no one
would question seeing a jaguar in their yard. Totally native to Ohio.” I roll my eyes, still a bit miffed.

“I can simply slink better in that form. I don’t plan to go romping through the yard. So, I am sure you must admit I will be better on my own.”

“Perhaps in more ways than one,” I mutter, and he frowns at me. He obviously heard that. Duh, cat hearing.
Dammit.
I’m not going to get away with anything with this guy. Louder I say, “Fine. I will look forward to seeing your plan. When will said slinking occur?”

“It could be as soon as I finish this tea.” He picks up his mug and takes a sip. He’s still rather annoyed.

I am too, but I’m also upset because this evening is heading toward a repeat of last night, and I really don’t want that. Why must he be so damn touchy? And then I realize I’m being a bit touchy too. Damn hormones.

I pick up my tea and take a sip. “Maybe we should just go back to kissing.” I take another sip and hear him growl softly. Or perhaps that was a purr?

“I would not be opposed to that.” His voice is low and husky.

I decide it was definitely a purr. A man that purrs for real. That is so hot.

“Do you still want to finish your tea first?” I lean toward him. My itch for this man is coming back with a vengeance, and damned if I’m letting my head get in the way.

He appears to be thinking about whether or not he wants to finish his tea or maybe whether or not he wants to kiss me again in general. Finally, he sets down his mug. “That’s not necessary.”

I immediately turn to set my own mug down, and when I turn back, he is right in front of my face. “Oh,” I say breathily. He smells so good, and I’m definitely feeling the heat.

He backs away a bit. “Too close? I don’t usually forget to move at a normal human speed. I find you do strange things to my control, Chloe.”

“No, close is good.” I reach for his arm to pull him closer. “I keep forgetting I already know how fast you can move. And I hope those are good strange things.”

“Oh, you haven’t seen anywhere near how fast I can move.” He brings his face so close to mine that our lips are almost touching. “And yes, definitely good strange.”

“Is your fast movement literal or figurative?” I smile wickedly, running my hands absently up and down his smooth, muscled arms, letting my fingers trail under the sleeves of his black short-sleeve button-down.

“Hmm. I was thinking literal, but would you prefer figurative?” He raises one eyebrow.

I’m coming to see that’s a common expression with him, and I like it. “I think you should kiss me, and we can leave the semantics aside.”

He grins back at me. “And you said I’m a book nerd. You with your big words.”

I swat his arm playfully. “Just kiss me already.”

Finally he does. His hands thread into my hair again and I lean into him, circling his torso and feeling the rippling muscles in his back. I’m a sucker for a strong back.

We leisurely explore each other, our tongues intertwined. His hands tighten in my hair until he’s tugging a little, but I don’t mind the pressure at all. I move my hands down his side, and he starts to rumble. Oh God, he’s purring again. Louder this time. That should really not turn me on as much as it does.

Letting my worry go, I moan into his mouth as his left hand drops toward my breast. He squeezes gently and I’m a little surprised. I expected a jaguar to be rougher, especially after the hair pulling.

As if he heard my thoughts—I know I’m not projecting—he squeezes harder. As my nipples become firm in response, I wish I were wearing fewer clothes. I’m thinking I’m the fast one, figuratively, in this relationship, but Jorge surprises me again.

He pulls away from my mouth and asks softly, “Shall I show you my bedroom?”

“Is this like on
The Bachelor
and you’re offering me the fantasy suite?”

He chuckles. “I have no rose petals or champagne, regrettably.”

“Not even a Jacuzzi?” I ask with mock regret.

He shakes his head, then rises and offers me his hand. “My lady.”

I giggle at his mock formality. “Presumptuous much? I didn’t say yes.”

“I prefer confident. And your beautiful hazel eyes already said yes.”

Oh, he noticed my eye color. I thaw a little more.

“Oh, really? Maybe we should say cocky.” I do my best to imitate his raised eyebrow look, but I doubt I succeed. I’ve never been terribly good at getting just one up. But Jorge definitely seems to have no problem with getting up. I feel myself blushing again.

“What do my eyes say, Chloe?” He is suddenly very serious, and when I look in his eyes they speak volumes. He’s both vulnerable and aroused, confident and cautious. A paradox, this jaguar man of mine. A fucking sexy paradox.

“Take me away.” There’s only a bit of jest in my tone. I trust he can read the desire and faith in my eyes as I put my hand in his.

He smiles, and it looks both tender and wicked, and it makes me wonder what I’ve gotten myself into.

Something good, Chlo. Something very, very good,
my heart answers before my head can start to panic again. I flash my own wicked smile as I follow, staring at his back as he strides purposefully toward the darkened hallway.

His form disappears in the shadows, and I am reminded how dark it is in the country compared with the ever-present glow of the city. But Jorge is a cat with excellent night vision. He places his arm around me and guides me effortlessly to the bedroom. “Do you want light?”

“It’s only fair.”

He chuckles softly, flicking on a bedside lamp. The soft glow lights his exotic features, and I almost gasp at how beautiful he is. “I suppose so. Although you
can
read my thoughts.”

“No, I can converse with you. Wanna try?” I sort of want to try and sort of want this first time to be an adventure. It’s bold of me to assume there will be more than one time with Jorge.
But there is something here beyond raging hormones. If there weren’t, I wouldn’t be here right now, and I’d like to say the same is true for Jorge.

“Tempting. Perhaps we should try that in a less heated environment. I want to explore you all on my own.” He runs a hand down my front and under my shirt. He pauses then, meeting my eyes. “I don’t usually move so quickly, Chloe. I want you to know that. With you, I can’t seem to help myself.”

“Well, I don’t do relationships, but I’m here and this doesn’t feel like a one-night stand.” Caught up in the moment of honesty, I feel myself blush, but Jorge is nonplussed.

He resumes his exploration under my shirt. “No, it doesn’t. It isn’t.”

I moan at his touch. We stare into each other’s eyes a moment longer, then I pull his face down to me and start kissing him again, unbuttoning his shirt as our tongues resume their play. When I get the last button undone, I pull out his tucked-in undershirt and run my hands up his torso. He has a smattering of silky hair on his chest, and I wonder if this is what his fur would feel like in jaguar form. He starts to purr again. “God, I love it when you purr,” I murmur as he starts to place kisses across my check and down my neck.

“Good. I don’t purr for just anyone. Kinda gives a lot away.” He grins against my shoulder, then continues kissing down my arm. “I think it’s time for your shirt to go.” He leans back and lifts my shirt off.

When he goes back to kiss me, I stop him. “Not so fast, mister. My turn.” I push off his button-down and then start lifting off his undershirt. He helps me get it over his head, and I just stare at his well-muscled pecs and abs.

“I hope that Cheshire-cat grin is because you like what you see.” His eyebrow is cocked.

“Mmm-hmm.” I nod slightly, reaching out to splay my hands across his chest. I’m gratified to feel his nipples harden even more under my touch. He is warm, and the purring resumes. I sigh blissfully and lean in to run my tongue up his belly to said nipples.

A groan mingles with his purr as he reaches down to unhook my bra, and I move my hands off him long enough to slide it off. He kisses my neck and shoulder and arm all the way down to my hand, turning it over to gently kiss my palm. Our eyes meet and his look is so smoldering I feel utterly sexy. I involuntarily squeeze my legs together in reaction to the wetness between my thighs.

“God, your scent is intoxicating.” He groans, reaching for my breasts, squeezing and teasing. I moan, falling back to lie across his bed. He follows, helping me scoot up and get comfortable. Then he kisses my breasts, sucking one of my nipples into his mouth, his tongue swirling in the most delightful way. My hands weave through his hair. It is fine but dense, and so soft. I run my fingers the few inches to the ends, loving the silkiness between them.

He moves his mouth to my other breast, and I begin to writhe, aching for him to touch me lower as well. Again he seems to read my mind, his hand scraping the fabric of my black khakis between my legs, and I gasp in surprise and pleasure.

Getting impatient, I sit up a little, pulling Jorge to me so I can unbutton his jeans. He gets the idea but helps to relieve me of my pants and panties first before stripping off his own jeans and boxers. It takes him seconds. Taking in the sight of his cock, hard and ready, I gain a new appreciation for his ability to move fast.

He bends back over me, his hands skimming over my slit and using some of my natural lubrication to play with my clit. He trails kisses down my stomach, then around my thighs.

I am so turned on, and I really wish I could purr. I do my best approximation, moaning deep in my throat. My hands return to Jorge’s hair, running through the strands, and then playing along the sides of his face. His skin is smooth and soft.

He slides a finger into my slit, moving around to find the right places to make me moan and writhe. I realize he’s lifted his head slightly to watch my face. He is smiling like the cat who got the canary.

“You don’t have to look so pleased with yourself.” It comes out more breathy than teasing.

“Really? Seems I’m doing a pretty good job. Why not take pride in my work?” He places kisses on my mons and thighs between words.

“I guess I can’t argue with that.” I groan, stopping abruptly when he adds another finger, then places a soft kiss on my clit. My body bucks into his caresses even as he deepens the kiss, swirling his tongue, then sucking. His fingers work faster and my orgasm hits me quickly, a scream escaping my lips as I ride the tide of pleasure.

He kisses me gently down from the high, sliding his fingers out slowly. Then he kisses and caresses his way up to my mouth. I rub my hands down his sides, feeling the slight indent of his waist, then wind around to squeeze his muscular butt. I feel his erection long and hard against my pelvis, and my right hand scoots around to grasp him. I smile at his sharp intake of breath as my fingers play along his length.

“That’s definitely going to make me purr.”

“Good. What else will make you purr?”

“I think just about anything you do will.”

I am pleased with the power I have over him in this moment. I push up lightly on his chest and he allows me to flip him over so I am straddling him. My hands stroke his chest and I can feel the heat of his belly on my pussy. “I’m on the pill. Are you OK proceeding?”

“Oh, yeah. I’m clean.”

“Good.” I slide my body down then over his penis slowly, loving the feel of him filling me up. He grabs my hips as I start to move rhythmically up and down, and we both moan.

He sits up, shifting me so I’m sitting on his lap, my legs wrapped behind his torso. His mouth showers my breasts with kisses as we both move in time toward release. Jorge is purring loudly and the rumble echoes through me like electricity.