A Jaguar's Kiss (11 page)

welcome? I don’t need your pity.”

“I don’t pity you. You almost
died
.” There was a note in

his voice she didn’t recognize, but it jarred her bone deep.

She stared at him, surprised by the change in subject

and unsure what to say. Owen stared right back and she felt

herself drowning in those blue eyes. Damn him, why was he

making this so difficult?

He pushed out a ragged breath. “I want you so bad I ache

for it. For the past week I’ve kept my distance because I

don’t trust myself not to take you the way my body

demands. Rough and wild. I want to mark and claim you so

that no one else ever looks at you again. As I sink my

canines into you I want to feel yours piercing me. I want

everything from you, Gabriela, and I don’t think you’re ready

for me.
That’s
why I’ve been keeping my distance.” He was

breathing hard now and his hands slowly slid down her

arms, settling on her waist in a proprietary grip.

Oh, my.
Her entire body tightened in anticipation of

feeling him sink deep inside her. “So you want me as your

mate?” He’d basical y just told her that but she wanted it

spel ed out, to hear the words.

“Yes. I want you as my mate. I always have.” His

expression was so open, raw and vulnerable at that

moment and it pierced her with its intensity.

Warmth spread across her chest in a kind of joy she

couldn’t put into words. She wanted to tel him the same

thing but first she needed to show him how much she

trusted him. “I put in my official notice at work earlier this

week.” Heat flashed in those eyes and his hands flexed on

her hips but he didn’t say anything so she continued. “A few

government entities know about shifters and vampires, and

we work with them in a clandestine manner. I work—

worked for the CIA as a ‘retrieval expert’, which basical y

means I gathered information that no one else could get. In

my jaguar form I used to sneak into various compounds in

South and Central America and retrieve physical data or

just do plain old information gathering by eavesdropping.”

She was already tel ing him too much by admitting she

She was already tel ing him too much by admitting she

worked for the CIA and couldn’t go into more detail just yet.

Maybe one day, though. But she had to tel him about what

she’d been doing the last few years. Opening up this way

was the only way to show him she trusted him. “I lost my

team not too long ago. I thought I could cope but was having

a hard time so I came back home. I never planned to stay

and I never planned to see you, but I…love you, Owen. I

can’t walk away from you again and I—”

He crushed his mouth over hers, stealing her breath and

whatever train of thought she’d had. As his tongue invaded

her mouth, his hands slid down to the hem of her top.

Warm, cal oused fingers lifted her shirt and stroked her

bel y, but suddenly he paused, drawing his head back. “Am

I hurting you?”

Frustration skittered through her as al her muscles drew

tight. He was hurting her but not in the way he thought. She

grabbed the back of his neck and pul ed his face close to

hers. “I’m
healed
and I don’t need easy right now.” Hungrily,

she met his tongue stroke for stroke, savoring his sweet

taste. She briefly wondered if he’d had something

cinnamon earlier.

In a flurry of movement, he removed her top and pants

and she plastered her body to his, wrapping her legs

around his waist as he carried her to a pile of blankets and

pil ows in front of the dwindling fire. The blankets were soft

against her back as he stretched out on top of her.

One of his hands cupped her breast possessively while

he wrapped his other hand around her long hair, pul ing her

head back. The tug wasn’t exactly gentle and she couldn’t

move as he stared down at her. “I love you, too.” The words

seemed to be wrenched from his throat.

Her heart turned over. When he’d told her he wanted her

as his mate she’d known, but hearing the words made

something primitive inside her flare to life.

Rol ing her hips against him, she groaned at the feel of

his rough jeans rubbing her clit. She didn’t want anything

physical between them right now. “I don’t think I’m in heat

anymore,” she said quietly, a little unsure. He’d be able to

scent if she was, but she didn’t feel like it.

“You’re not. Something to do with your injuries and

healing process that cut it short. The doc told me.” He

gently ran his teeth along the column of her neck.

“I don’t want any barriers when you’re inside me.” She

lightly nipped his ear, tugging his earlobe between her

teeth, loving the way he groaned as she did.

His hips jerked against her, the feel of his hard length

unmistakable. Unable to wait, she reached between their

bodies and unzipped his pants. She shoved them down his

body until he kicked them off.

Nestled between her open thighs, he didn’t make a move

to push inside her like she expected. Just continued kissing

down her neck and across her col arbone, leaving a fiery

path of heat in his wake. It was as if he branded her with

each stroke of his lips.

As he continued that hot trail, she reached between them

once again and wrapped her fingers around his hardness.

He seemed to grow even bigger in her hand and when he

groaned against her breast, the sound sent a pleasant

vibration through her body.

Very slowly she began stroking him as he teased her

with his tongue and teeth. It was obvious he was taking

great pleasure in driving her crazy. He flicked his tongue

over her hardened nipple, then gently blew on it before

repeating the action on her other breast. The erotic action

made her inner wal s clench with the need to be fil ed.

Stil holding on to him, she slid her legs down until her

feet were digging into his upper thighs. Using his body as

an anchor, she arched her back, pushing her breast farther

into his mouth. As he moaned against her and tugged on

the sensitized bud with his teeth, she guided his cock to her

entrance and pushed down on him.

He stil ed over her, laying his head between her breasts

and shuddering. “I don’t think this wil ever get old.” His

voice was hoarse.

She clenched her inner wal s, earning another shudder

from him. “I hope not.”

He lifted his head to look at her, his expression fil ed with

so much warmth and love it made her toes curl.

Even though she knew he’d want to be on top when he

claimed her, she desperately wanted to ride him now. “Rol

us over,” she whispered.

She could see the indecision in his eyes, knowing his

dominant nature was fighting the urge to please her so she

waited until he final y did as she’d said. In this position she

felt powerful as he stared up at her with such raw heat in his

gaze.

Slowly, she rol ed her hips. Once, twice, she continued

with a steady rhythm that had his eyes glazing over with

pure lust. While he cupped her breasts, teasing and flicking

them with his fingers, she slid a hand down her bel y.

Continuously stroking her nipples, he stil tracked the

movement of her hand. When she began lightly rubbing her

clit, he jerked, throwing off their perfect rhythm. Not that she

minded. She wanted to see him lose control.

Holding back right now wasn’t in the equation for either of

them. Matings between shifters went one of two ways. The

male took the female from behind, marking her as she

climaxed. Later, the female would mark the male,

completing their bond forever. Or they could both mark

each other as they climaxed. She knew what she wanted.

Leaning forward she placed her hands on his shoulders

as she increased her speed. His hands fisted around her

hips, holding her so tight she knew she’d bruise. In that

moment, she didn’t care. The feel of his hardness fil ing her

was perfection and when he reached between their bodies

and began stroking her sensitive bundle of nerves the

same way she’d been doing moments before, she

tightened even harder around him.

Need hummed through her body and even though part of

her wanted to lean down a little farther and kiss him,

Gabriela loved the way he was looking at her. It was

addicting, seeing that kind of devotion on his face. He

looked at her as if she was the best birthday and Christmas

present ever al rol ed into one.

Her inner wal s began to contract in faster successions

and she knew she was close to climaxing. Could feel it in

the way even her toes clenched.

Owen let out a low growl and taking her off guard, flipped

her onto her back while remaining inside her. His strokes

inside her were rough and uneven and exactly what she

wanted. Gripping onto his shoulders, she met his mouth

with her own.

She felt as if she could crawl right out of her skin, she

was so tense. Her canines pulsed with the need to unleash

but she held back. Wanted the timing to be perfect. Shifters

were so damn superstitious and bonding had to be just

right. That notion was probably outdated but she didn’t

care. She’d only be bonding once.

When Owen not-quite-lightly pinched her nipple, she

arched off the blankets and let out a shout. Throwing her

head back, she didn’t even try to hold on to the pretense of

control. Her orgasm was sharp and intense, punching

through her entire body like a physical body blow—though a

lot more erotic and pleasurable.

Her canines extended and without thinking, she opened

her eyes and searched out the side of Owen’s neck. As she

pierced his skin, he shouted out and slammed into her. He

found his own release and with a growl, he buried his face

against her neck. A sharp sting was fol owed by a sharp

burst of pleasure pushing out to al her nerve endings.

She clenched around his cock even tighter as he

continued to release himself inside her. After shouting out

his name, she fel back, completely limp.

Unable to lift even her arms, she stared at him as he

propped himself over her. A slight grin lifted his lips as he

stared at her neck. “You’re mine now.”

“Right back at ya,” she said, her eyes trailing to the two

punctures on his neck.

The marks on his neck had already started to fade and

while they would heal, they wouldn’t completely disappear.

They’d remain there faintly, almost like very faded bruises.

As if Owen’s scent covering her wasn’t enough—and vice

versa—now everyone in the supernatural community would

know on sight and scent that they were both off-limits. Her

inner feline flexed its claws, very happy about that. She

wanted the whole world to know he was taken.
Hers.

Owen settled down next to her and pul ed her tight

against his body as he wrapped a leg over hers. “You’re

moving in here permanently,” Owen said softly against her

ear as he began to nuzzle her. “My brother wil be out by

next week. He’s moving in with another pack mate.”

For that she was glad. She stil harbored some

annoyance at his brother since he’d kidnapped her—even

if the gun hadn’t been loaded. She was sure she’d

eventual y get over it, but it wouldn’t be today. “Hopeful y

you’l let me sleep in your bed and not the guest room

anymore,” she murmured against his chest.

He lightly pinched her behind and she laughed. Then he

sighed, the soft sound reverberating through her.

She pul ed her head back so she could see his face.

“What?”

“Your parents aren’t my biggest fans.”

Gabriela bit her bottom lip. “Wel , my mom isn’t your fan.

My dad is actual y okay with you.” Her father had told her a

few days ago that if she decided to settle down with Owen

then not to worry about her mother because she’d

eventual y come around. Considering her father hadn’t told

her he planned to maim or kil Owen, that was pretty much

giving her new mate the stamp of approval. Of course

Gabriela had thought that was a moot point a few days ago

considering Owen’s emotional distance. “She’l come

around, though so don’t worry. Speaking of moms…How

does yours feel about me?” Owen’s mom had been out of