Cat of a Different Color

Chapter Four

Sheri very carefully lifted the sun-catcher out of the box Simon had packed it in. The big artist stood over her, watching her every move like a hawk. She made sure she was extra careful with the delicate piece.

She’d been working at Wallflowers for two days now, and she hadn’t been left alone for a moment. If Becky and Emma were absent, some other member of the Pride “just stopped by to do some shopping”.

As if even a woman like Marie Howard could shop in one store for three hours . Thank God for Belinda. At least she made no pretense of why she was there, and the two women had become fast friends. And maybe if Rudy was gone from her life she’d be able to help Belinda get her dream off the ground.

“Please don’t break it.”

“I’m being careful,” she replied, starting to get pissed off.

“No offense, but you’re taking forever to do that.”

“Would you like to do this?”

“Nah, looks like you’ve got it covered.” He began to pace, moving restlessly around the delicate furniture like a caged…well, mountain lion. “Becky’s officially moving in with me this week.”

“I know. I’m helping her pack.” She gently laid the sun-catcher in the white gift box bearing the store’s name and logo printed in gold lettering. “She said I should be able to move in by the end of the week since she’s not taking any of the furniture.” Which was pretty fast work considering it was only Tuesday.

“So she’s already taken you up and shown you around?”

“Yeah, I know the layout and everything.”

“Cool. Not that you’ll live there for very long if Adrian has anything to say about it.”

“Simon?”

“Yeah?”

“Tell me about Adrian.” She could have bitten off her tongue for letting the words slip out, but curiosity was eating away at her like mad.

“He’s the same age as me, so a year younger than Max. He went to school locally, his parents still live here and have been happily mated for nearly thirty years. He’s born, not made. He has a sister and a brother, both younger, both still in college, both out of town. He owns his own home and car, shares a practice with Max, and has never been in trouble with the law.”

“Women?”

“None serious.”

“As bad as you?”

Simon growled. “I wasn’t that bad.”

“No, of course not. Revolving doors belong in everyone’s bedroom.”

“Pain in my ass,” he grumbled.

Sheri grinned. “So he’s a player?”

“Not so much. He didn’t date very seriously, but Sheri? He told me you’re his mate, which means now he doesn’t date at all.”

“He’s mistaken,” she lied.

“So when he approaches you about it, you treat him right, okay? He’s one of my best friends.”

“I’ll bang him on the head with a baseball bat if he tries,” she replied calmly.

“He’s a good man, and he’ll take good care of you.”

“I can take care of myself, thank you very much.”

“His mother’s going to love you.”

“She’s never going to meet me.”

“She’s Pride, she already has, and knock it the hell off.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she sniffed as she finished tying a pretty gold bow to the box.

Her hands were lifted away from the bow. She looked up into Simon’s dark eyes. “You’re mates. Trust me, there’s no denying it. I fought my pull towards Becky for six months…hell, if I’m honest it was probably longer than that, and it was pure agony.”

“So?”

“So if you fight it, the dreams will start. Hot, sweaty dreams. The kind that leave you aching. And it gets worse. You’ll feel no desire for anyone else, because if your body can’t have the real thing it’ll take the dreams. There is no denying your mate .”

She pulled her dark glasses down and tried not to squint in the light. She allowed her eyes to flash red.

“Rudy will kill him. If my denying him protects him—”

“Bullshit.”

Sheri winced; she hadn’t noticed the bell over the door jingling. She pushed her glasses back up her nose and pulled back into herself. “Hello, Dr. Giordano.”

“Call Becky,” Adrian said to Simon.

“Why?” Simon asked.

For an answer, Adrian vaulted over the glass countertop and slung Sheri over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold. He ignored her squeak of protest, picked up Jerry’s harness. Jerry, the traitor, immediately obeyed as Adrian carted them calmly out of the building. “Bye, Simon!”

Simon’s laughter boomed out behind her. “Bye, guys.”

“Put me down,” Sheri growled.

“Nope.”

“Put me down now, doofus!”

He huffed out a laugh. “You’re not the first person to call me that.”

She stilled, an unreasonable jealousy causing her to see red. “Who?”

“Simon and Max.”

She relaxed. “Oh.”

“You bite me and I’ll paddle you. Just so you know.”

His cheerful tone of voice was really beginning to grate on her nerves. That and her upside down position was beginning to give her a headache. “You and what army, bud?”

“You think I need help handling you, princess?”

She grunted as he put her in his car with a loud smacking kiss on the top of her head. She felt three years old. “You know, they have some pretty good drugs for people with your condition. Have you considered taking some?”

“Don’t even think of getting out of the car.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it. You have my dog,” she muttered and folded her arms over her chest as he shut the car door with a laugh. At least her sunglasses hadn’t fallen off. Of course, Dr. Doofus hadn’t bothered to grab her jacket, so she was sitting there freezing her ass off in her thin black blouse and pants. The dork.

He grinned, opened the driver’s side door and put Jerry in the back. The traitor settled in happily, waving his tail as Adrian petted him. Then Adrian got in behind the wheel and started the car.

“Where are we going?”

She could hear the smile in his voice. “My place.”

“No.”

“No what?”

“No, I’m not going to your place.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“Good. Take me back.”

“Nope.”

“Then what are you sorry for?”

“For disappointing you. You are going to my place.”

“Dr. Giordano,” she started to say.

He put his hand over her mouth. “My name is Adrian.”

“Mph rr hmph.”

“What?” Adrian took his hand off her mouth.

“Thank you.”

“Uh, you’re welcome?”

“Now take me back to the store.” She folded her arms across her chest again and glared at him, trying desperately not to shiver with cold. He noticed it anyway and put the heater on.

“No.”

“Now.”

“No.”

“I mean it!”

“No.”

She growled. She freaking growled at him. “Adrian.”

“Sorry, mate, not happening, stop asking.” They pulled into a driveway. Just as he hit the garage door remote she opened her car door and got out, intent on walking back to Wallflowers. She’d only gotten about ten steps before he picked her up and slung her over his shoulder.

He patted her butt soothingly as she growled at him.

“Oh, no you don’t. I have your dog, remember?” The laughter in his voice merely caused her to snarl.

She could feel her eyes turning red with aggravation.

“Good morning, Dr. Giordano.”

“Good morning, Mrs. Anderson.” She felt him lift a hand off her butt to wave at someone.

“Isn’t that the newest Pride member?” the elderly lady asked in a scandalized whisper.

“Yes, and she’s my mate,” Adrian whispered back with wicked humor.

Sheri snarled again.

“Oh, good for you! Welcome to the neighborhood, young lady!”

“I’m being kidnapped against my will,” she called out calmly. One of them needed to remain sane.

“That’s nice, dear. Have a good day.”

She could feel him chuckling under her stomach and punched his ass as hard as she could. Double dork .

“Ow.” The slap he landed on her butt stung like hell. “Stop that.”

“Put me down!”

“Just let me get the dog…there you go,” he said as Jerry got out of his car and fell into step beside him.

He slammed the car door shut with his foot and carried her into the garage.

She glared at her dog and considered making him cat chow. “I want to go back.”

“Sorry, darlin’. No can do. Welcome home,” he purred as the garage door shut.

“Your car is still outside,” she pointed out, her teeth chattering a little in the cold air.

“But my mate is inside.” He ran his hand over her bottom. “Hmm, a thong? I love thongs.” He sighed happily.

“Pig,” she muttered, amused despite herself.

“Where you’re concerned? Oink oink.”

She choked back an outraged laugh as he carried her into the house. He didn’t put her down until they reached the living room. She could see dark brown hardwood floors, the burnt sienna walls and the beige furniture with chocolate and burnt sienna patterned cushions on it. The coffee table was a carved piece of dark wood, but she couldn’t bring the carvings into focus. It looked so rich she longed to run her fingers over it and examine it more closely. She’d be able to see it if she got close enough, but she didn’t want him to know she was interested in anything in his house. His furniture was modern and comfortable. She found out how comfortable when he unceremoniously dumped her on the sofa. The fabric had the soft feel of velvet under her fingertips, which meant it was probably microfiber. She damn near purred as her hand stroked over it once, then twice before she remembered she was pissed. She decided to go on the attack.

“You’re not my mate.”

“Yes I am. Soda or juice?”

She opened her mouth to reply juice , then shook her head in disgust. “I’m leaving now.”

“Take one step towards that front door and you won’t sit down for a week,” he called back in the same cheerful tone of voice he’d used to ask her drink preferences.

“I’ll call the cops and claim you kidnapped me!”

“Go ahead. The sheriff is one of us and Mrs. Anderson’s grandson to boot.”

“Ugh!”

“Yes, dear.” He handed her the juice with a grin, and she stifled the urge to throw it in his smug face.

She tried a different tack. “You don’t want a mate. You told me so.”

“True, I told you that.”

“I don’t want one either,” she growled.

“Too bad, so sad. You’re stuck with me.”

She bared her teeth at him as he sat down next to her, can of soda cradled in one big hand. “Not if I kill you first.”

He reached out and took her juice out of her hand. “You know,” he said, putting his can down next her juice, “I haven’t marked you yet.”

She jumped up just as he leaned in. “Don’t even think about it!”

He sighed, lounging back against the cushions. “You’re my mate. I’m your mate. I’ll bite you, you’ll probably bite me-”

“But not where you’d want me to.”

He glared at her, finally losing some of that cheer. “Is this because I said I didn’t want a mate?”

She rolled her eyes. “Dork.”

“Because if you say it’s to protect me from Parker I’m really going to paddle your ass.”

She shook her finger at him. “You’ve had as much touchy-feely on my butt as you’re going to get. Eep!”

He’d pounced up from the sofa and grabbed her, both hands landing on her ass and pulling her tightly into his body. He ground his hips against hers, letting her feel the erection under his slacks. “Oh, my,” she gasped.

He took her sunglasses off, his dark eyes flaring gold as they caught the bright red of hers. “You are so fucking beautiful, you know that?”

“I’m not,” she muttered.

His smile was slow and sensuous. He looked at her like she was a bowl of cream and he wanted to lap her up. “Oh yes, you are.” One hand continued to hold her against him; the other dropped her glasses on the sofa and lifted to caress her hair. “Do you know what I thought when I first saw you?”

“Crap?”

He huffed a laugh. “No. I thought you looked like a snow princess.”

“Snow princess. How original,” she sneered, trying not to let his nearness (and his erection) distract her.

It would have worked if her voice hadn’t been trembling.

“I wanted to throw you down on the floor and fuck you until we both passed out.”

Her knees wobbled.

“Then I wanted to mark you and hide you away so no one would ever see you again, want you again.

Do you know why?”

“Pheromones?” she replied weakly. Her nipples were beading beneath her bra, her breath coming in shallow gasps.

His hand began to caress her ass again. “Because you’re mine.”

She frowned. If it wasn’t for his damn scent she’d be kicking him in the nuts for that one. “I belong to no one.”

“It’s okay. Because I’m yours,” he whispered before he took her mouth in a kiss that nearly dropped her to the floor. This was no gentle persuasion, no first-date kiss. This was a warrior staking a claim to his woman, invading her mouth roughly, no quarter given, forcing her lips and teeth to part for him with all the finesse of a raging, hormonal bull. And she loved it. His hand on her ass tightened to the point of pain, and the one in her hair clenched and pulled until her mouth was exactly where he wanted it.

He plundered her, claimed her even without his bite, and she reveled in it. In the past lovers had treated her like spun glass, with delicate care, almost as if they were afraid they’d break her. They’d ignored her strength. Adrian not only acknowledged it, he savored it. She practically climbed his body, burying both hands in his short dark hair and placing his mouth where she wanted it. He helped by cradling her ass in both hands, pulling her in tighter against him. She wrapped both legs around his waist and moaned as they continued to orally assault one another.

When he reared back and bit her, marking her, she came so hard she saw stars. He hadn’t even bothered to push the cloth of her shirt aside. He’d bitten her right through it, the savagery of the act heightening her arousal to a peak she hadn’t even known was possible.

“Bed. Now,” he muttered.

“Mm-hmm.”

He laughed huskily at her weak, breathy reply, carrying her up the stairs. Everything was a blur of burnt sienna and dark wood as he moved at top speed, practically banging them both into the wall as he banked to make the turn into his bedroom. “Naked. Naked’s good.”

“Um,” she replied, biting down on his neck.

He stopped dead in the middle of the room and shivered all over. He arched his neck up to give her better access, which she greedily took advantage of as she marked her mate the way he’d marked her.

The sound of ripping cloth was her first indication that perhaps she’d pushed him just a bit too far with the bite. His claws raked her pants away from her body, their cool touch sending shivers down her spine as she felt them hook her panties and rip them off, too.

When his claws shredded his own pants she moaned; the good, respectable doctor went commando under his chinos. She barely felt him kick them off as he entered her still standing. It was the most wonderful thing she’d ever felt in her life. He filled her almost to the point of pain.

“Fuck,” he muttered.

“Please do,” she gasped.

Gold eyes gleamed at her. “Don’t make me laugh, princess.”

She rotated her hips slowly, the sensation making his eyes close on a pleasured groan. “Spoilsport.”

He walked them to the bed, each step driving him further into her. With gentle strength he laid her down on the edge of the bed, his cock never leaving her body. “You ready for me?”

She stared up at him. “Nope. I thought I’d lay here and contemplate ceiling colors. Dork.”

He pulled back and slammed into her hard, making her gasp. “You were saying?”

“If I repeat it will you do that again?” she asked, eyes wide.

He used his claws to shred her shirt and bra, pulling the tattered edges open and revealing her breasts to his hungry gaze. “I want to watch them move,” he whispered. His fangs had extended, his eyes gleamed gold and his hands were tipped by claws that gently kneaded her soft flesh. The slight pain only heightened her awareness of him. He gripped her hips and began fucking her, hard, fast and furious, pumping in and out of her body, his eyes glued to her breasts.

“C’mere,” she gasped, pulling at his arms. She needed to see his face clearly, wanted to watch as the orgasm took them both.

He allowed her to pull him down. She knew now that his Puma was stronger than hers. They were both too close to the surface as their humans made love, his strength obvious to her as he bent over her pale body. The knowledge that she could bring such a strong male to his knees heightened her arousal. Only when his forehead was flush with hers did he stop, staring directly into her bright red eyes as he pounded into her with all his strength. She knew she’d be bruised, sore from his rough handling, but damn it nothing had ever felt so good.

His hands glided along her arms until they reached her wrists, pulling with gentle strength until they were stretched out above her head. She was literally covered by him from head to toe. His eyes remained open, glued to hers, full of possessive passion, and she groaned, coming again.

“Mine,” he growled, spilling inside her, his teeth clamping down on his mark once more. The sight and scent of his pleasure mixed with his bite triggered her own climax once more. Her hands clenched in his hair as her orgasm robbed her of breath, her back bowing off the bed, her mouth opening in a silent scream.