A Very Jaguar Christmas (13 page)

She peeled off his sweatshirt and skimmed her hands over his naked skin, feeling the muscles beneath her fingertips, his smooth skin, and the light hair trailing down to his jeans. Which she was ready to tackle next.

Everett lifted her up before she could begin to work on his belt and set her on the edge of the mattress. He pulled off her black boots and her socks, then began unzipping her jeans. Her hands were on his belt buckle at the same time, yanking it free. Then she pulled his zipper down, his erection clearly defined against the soft denim cloth.

She stroked him for good measure, making him groan this time, inspiring her to stroke him again. She slowly pulled his jeans down, kissing his belly, then tugging the jeans farther down his legs. He kicked off his shoes and finished yanking off his jeans and socks.

Black boxer briefs fit over his package, the hard ridge of his erection swelling with eagerness.

He pulled her up from the mattress to remove her jeans and red silk panties.

Her heart was pounding, her body yearning for him, needy, wanting. Her pheromones were on maximum overdrive, pushed and pulled by his own as they tangled sensuously, revealing their compelling desire for each other.

He kissed her neck and throat, her shoulders, making her skin tingle with heady anticipation. His warm breath brushed against her bare skin like a hot summer's soft breeze. She barely breathed, running her hands over his muscular arms and feeling scarcely aware of anything but his hot mouth against her skin. She arched her back as he moved his mouth lower until he captured a breast in his mouth, licked and suckled, and moved to the other as he ran his hand over her free breast.

She purred in a rough jaguar way, never having made that sound of pure delight before. Everett did that to her—carried her away from this time and place and made her feel loved, wanted, needed.

“Ready?” he asked.

Before she could get her lust-filled mind to work out a response, he dipped a hand between her thighs, poked a finger between her feminine folds, and whispered in his rough-hewn voice, “Yeah, so hot, wet, and ready.”

Then he was tossing the comforter aside, lifting her onto the bed, and joining her.

“I've wanted you forever.” He brushed her cheek with a kiss and began to stroke her feminine nub, his mouth caressing hers with hungry, long-lasting, deep-delving kisses.

She was on fire, but the house quiet, the only sound their frantic heartbeats and raspy breathing as he stroked until he catapulted her into another realm.

She cried out his name, her hands cradling his head, and kissed him deeply.

Demetria's skin was warm and soft and welcoming, and her dark eyes willed Everett in. Her pink lips parted, and she pressed his body against hers. He wasn't lying that he'd wanted her like this forever, dreamed about it even.

He crushed her tightly against his already aroused body, loving how she had awakened to his touch. He felt and heard her heart beating wildly, matching the breakneck speed of his own. He tasted her sweet mouth as his fingers speared her long hair and luxuriated in the feel of the silky strands.

Her mouth was pressed against his, her tongue sliding against his, telling him she wanted this intimacy as much as he did.

This was what he'd wanted with Demetria. Not just working cases with her or admiring the way she was ready to deal with anything in a good-natured and responsible way.

“Ready?” he huskily asked.

“Yes,” she breathed out.

He started to leave her to grab a condom, but she seized his arm. “Have it covered.”

He resettled and nudged her opening with his thick erection, pushing deeper until he was all the way in. He held himself still, and then he began to thrust deep inside her. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close, and lifted her hips to match his thrusts.

Heat consumed him as he drove into her slick, warm sheath. He felt he was claiming her in a raw, primal jaguar way. Wild jaguars claimed a jaguar mate in their territory, or even two females when territories overlapped. Jaguar shifters often preferred to find a mate to stay with forever. Like Everett did. Like his parents had. But did Demetria feel the same way? He wanted this connection, the intimacy between them, to never end.

He felt the end coming, held himself still, and felt her nearing orgasm. The way she was barely breathing. The way she was tense, on edge. He drove into her again and again, turning and twisting to wring the climax out of her.

And she murmured a soft moan of pleasure, giving him the go-ahead to release.

He continued to thrust, feeling her fingers stroking his back until he'd given her all of him, the state of climax washing over him in a warm wealth of bliss.

He lay on top of her, and she held him tightly to her body.

“My only regret is we didn't do this sooner,” she said on a tired sigh.

“My thoughts exactly.”

She smiled at him. “Would you be too tired for a swim with me?”

“Jaguars are always ready for a swim.
Always
.”

He rolled off her and stood, then pulled her from the bed. By the time he stalked to the door and opened it, she'd already shifted. She nipped him on his bare butt and bolted out the door. He smiled and called on the shift, his muscles warming and stretching until he dropped onto all four paws, realizing he'd have to shift back when he got to the patio's french doors. But then he heard them open and knew Demetria had shifted to human form to do so. He lunged through the bedroom door to reach her and saw her glorious naked backside before she blurred into her jaguar form and raced out. He didn't want to leave the patio doors open and let all the cold air in, so he shifted, shut them, shifted again, and hurried to join her as she dove into the pool.

She was a beautiful black jaguar, with brown rosettes that barely showed at night, even in the deck lights, as she leaped into the pool, sending the water splashing everywhere. He joined her, his splash even more widespread before he swam after her. Even though they paddled, which for humans could be slow, jaguars' legs were powerful and allowed them to move silently through the water after their prey—caiman, ancient catfish, turtles. In this case, Everett was after one hot she-cat.

Sensing he was after her, she whipped around and smiled at him with her wickedly deadly teeth fully exposed. No sneaking up on another jaguar. But this was half the fun. He swam toward her and licked her face, and she licked him back.

They rubbed their bodies together. Then she swam away and pulled herself out of the deep end of the pool with her powerful forelegs. She turned and sat near the tiled edge. He watched her, eyeing her body language, deciphering what she was up to. She crouched slowly. She was going to lunge at him, her gaze fastened onto him. He paddled in place, just waiting, the anticipation of the hunt giving him a rush.

If she lunged straight for him, should he move to the right? To the left? Meet her head-on and pull her under like he would his prey? He opened his mouth and smiled.

Her whiskers twitched a little, her nose sniffing the air, and then she leaped with the power of a jaguar, her strong muscles bunched, then stretched as she lunged straight for him.

He met her head-on as she encircled his neck with her forearms. He mouthed her face, nuzzling, before she twisted and pulled him under as if she were going to drown her prey. The playing was instinctual, and neither of them used their claws while they hugged each other as big cats underneath the water. In their element. Their sensitive whiskers brushed each other's like antennae, feeling, sensing, and connecting. Their tongues stroked, not like jaguars would, but like shifters that wanted more of the human interaction.

That was what was so wonderful about what they were. Not only did they love their jaguar side for all that the courtship meant to them, but they also cherished the human side even when in their jaguar coats.

She released him, heading to the surface for air, and he joined her. He licked her mouth, and she licked his back. But she wasn't done playing and put her paws around his neck, nipping at his cheek in a gentle, playful way.

He paddled to keep them afloat, and then she pulled him under again, such a natural instinct. He went eagerly, hugging her back. She licked his nose, let go of him, and swam to the surface. He grabbed her tail with a gentle tug, then joined her. What he wasn't expecting was for Demetria to shift.

She paddled in place, smiling at him. He shifted too, then pulled her into his arms and kissed her like a man needing a woman, this woman, in his life.

The warm water collided with the air touching it and produced a mist, like being in a misty pool of water in the rain forest.

Demetria kissed the big cat back, her naked body pressed against his, feeling his arousal all over again, only this time in the silky, warm water brushing against her skin. She broke off the hot kiss. “Are you tired?”

“I think I'm waking up.” He rubbed his erection against her belly as he kept them afloat, and she wrapped her legs around him.

“I think you're right.” She rubbed her mons against his stiffening cock.

“Here or…” he ventured.

“Here.”

They moved to the shallow end so he could stand on the bottom of the pool. They made love in the swimming pool, the heat and passion building all over again as the stars filled the night sky, and their breath was as misty as the air above the pool. After she reached climax and he had finished deep inside her, they pulled apart and she shifted, nipping his hair, and swam for the stairs. He shifted and nipped at her tail, and she growled at him in fun.

This was the best time she'd ever had. And she realized then just how much more willing she was to try new things she'd never experienced with Matt. This was a wondrous night to cap off an unbelievable day that she'd never forget.

They shook off the water on the patio before Everett shifted and opened the french doors, and they returned to their guest bedroom.

They took a quick shower to wash off the chlorine, and after drying, Everett said, “Meet you in bed. I'm going to dry the wet floor before Maya and Wade come home.”

She was going to help him, but he kissed her cheek. “I'll be right back. Warm the bed for me, will you?”

She smiled. “Just don't be too long, or I'll likely be sound asleep and totally growly if you wake me.”

He laughed. “I think I hear a challenge. And I'm
always
up for that kind of challenge if it's coming from you.”

She smiled and climbed into bed. When he returned, he slipped under the comforter, pulled her into his arms, and yanked the comforter over them.

The jungle print made her feel as though she was with her big cat in paradise. If they hadn't had such an important mission to take care of, she would gladly have spent her whole holiday vacation with Everett, relaxing and making love.

She hoped he wouldn't have any regrets in the morning and wanted to pursue this attraction they had for each other like she wanted to. She was used to being independent and unattached, so she didn't know where she really stood with him as far as making any kind of commitment. Was he even ready?

He kissed her breast and she smiled. Maybe.

* * *

Everett made love to Demetria two more times during the night, though she initiated one of the lovefests when he was sleeping soundly—she'd awakened and it had been too early to get up. It didn't mean she was in love with Everett. Just like she hadn't been in love with Matt. Though this sure felt like something more than she'd felt for him. A need to see more of Everett. A desire to fulfill this sexual craving only he seemed to be able to quench. It was more than that though. He'd asked her to help run this special operation for dealing with both kinds of shifters. Not anyone else, but her, as if he felt comfortable working with her and confident she could help him successfully manage the cases.

It was an honor to be asked, especially by someone she respected so much. He just got along with everyone, even Howard, who was known to be a real hard case to deal with.

What's more, she couldn't quit thinking of Everett, wanting more with him. But a mating? Could she truly be in love? After seeing her father and mother split up, she just wasn't sure.

She didn't know if Maya and Wade had returned to their home with Junior or not, because the house had remained quiet the whole night.

She hoped their love bouts hadn't been heard in the rest of the house. With as little sleep as they'd both had the night before, she couldn't believe how they'd had enough energy to make love to each other two more times during the night. Even if she was in doubt about Everett being the one and only for her, she sure could get used to this.

She glanced at the clock in the room. Nine. She groaned. Way past time to get up.

Everett pulled her tight against his body, telling her he wanted her to stay, cuddle, be with him. Yeah. She
really
could get used to this. So she kissed his whiskery cheek, snuggled against his hot and sexy body, and drifted off to sleep.

An hour later, they heard Junior growling menacingly in the living room. Demetria hurried to get out of bed to take care of the pup.

Everett threw on a pair of boxer briefs. “I'll check on him.”

Appreciating that Everett seemed as concerned about the boy as she was, Demetria rushed to take a shower and get dressed instead. She was just pulling on her sweater when Everett returned.

“Maya's fixed cereal and fruit for everyone. We'll have lunch when Leidolf arrives. We're going to meet him at Kat and Connor's house though.”

“Okay, sounds good. What was the pup growling about?”

“Maya was playing tug-of-war with him. He gets really growly when he's trying to win.”

“Is he still going after her hands?”

“Nope. She was wearing her jaguar teeth, just lying on the floor and holding the rope toy between her teeth while he tugged on it.”