Cafe in the Park (Siren Publishing Classic) (14 page)

He stepped back from her and stalled. “Let’s sit in your garden.” He picked up the coffee mugs.

Emily went ahead of him and opened the door to the roof garden.

They walked to her table and Chris put the coffee down on it. It was nearly dark, and the sparkly lights along the crenellation at the end of the roof already lit. Chris breathed in the scent of flowers. He rallied his courage and turned to Emily.

About to sit down, she stopped and stared at him.

She stared for so long Chris, shook his head fearfully. “What is it?” He looked over his shoulder to check if by some bizarre circumstance Veronique was on the roof.

Emily took his hands and gently pulled him to her. She hesitated and then whispered, “Chris, the mountain lion visited me again last night. He scared off a guy I foolishly asked up for coffee, when all I wanted was to be in your arms. Maybe it will visit tonight, too. If we wait here until it’s quite dark.”

Chris worried he was about to stop breathing. His heart started hammering in his chest.

“Are you sure it’s a mountain lion?”

Emily smiled. “Oh yes, and it’s tame, gentle, and beautiful. It likes me. It purrs. It has the most beautiful eyes in the darkness.” She gazed at him.

Chris recognized kindness in her expression. He glanced around, not sure what to do. “That’s incredible. Do you think it
will
visit tonight?”

Emily pressed close and kissed his mouth, lingering so that he sighed in disappointment when she drew back.

“It won’t appear tonight, will it, Chris, because it’s you, isn’t it? Right now your eyes are the most beautiful emerald green. That’s the secret, isn’t it?”

The question hung between them.

Amazement at her calmness made him tremble. He pulled his hands away from hers to run them through his hair. “I…I…What if I was? Will you stop loving me? Aren’t you appalled? Horrified?”

Emily took his hands in hers. “Nothing will stop me loving you. If you left me, I’d still love you. I’m more alarmed by that, than horrified by what you might be. That’s what you meant when you said you’d never hurt anyone, isn’t it? You’re the mountain lion. Everything fits, Chris, meeting you and then the lion starts visiting, your addiction to sunglasses even indoors, the way your eyes change color. If you were going to hurt me, you would have already, but instead you protected me. It’s kind of exciting. Let me see you change.”

Chris shook his head. “Will you…Will you tell anyone?”

Emily frowned. “I will not. Anyway, they’d think I was crazy. That’s probably why Veronique hasn’t outed you. Unless she’s one, too. Is she?” Her voice rose a little.

Chris guessed Emily didn’t like that idea. He looked down at his hands in Emily’s. “I haven’t said
I am
the mountain lion yet.”

“Show me. Let me see you as the lion. Your eyes are his now, that’s why you wear sunglasses all the time. Chris, I know it’s you. I feel it. Tell me everything. Just do it. How could I be horrified? You crawled at my feet as a lion. You’ve given me so much pleasure as we made love. Chris, it’s okay.”

She sat on the chair close by and Chris sat close to her.

He took a deep breath. “I’m a shifter. I shift into the mountain lion. I’m harmless. I’ve never hurt a human. I was a solider long ago. My regiment got split up and a number of us took what we thought was going to be a short cut through a forest back to the main camp. We were ambushed by who knows what. I remember fighting, and then I must have been attacked from behind and blacked out. When I woke, I was the only one alive and I had become a shifter. I have no idea how. It was very long ago. I’m old, but don’t age. As a man, I’m very strong, have superior senses, and can move fast and leap. Those cat abilities transferred to my human state, along with the green night shine in my eyes. Veronique isn’t a shifter, but somehow I transferred longevity to her. She has heightened sight, too. She says I did it with my love bites, that my saliva must have changed her blood. Long ago, Emily, three hundred years ago we were lovers. She left me. Art knows about me. He protects my secret. I do love you. I’m desperate to keep your love. What will happen now?”

Emily listened intently. She stood and pushed back her chair. “Show me.”

Chris rubbed his forehead. “I need to take my clothes off.” He looked around. There was no sign of anyone on any of the rooftops, no scent in the air of any other human beings. The noise of traffic was in the distance. He yanked off his T-shirt, stripped off his jeans and boots.

When he stood naked, Emily took a deep breath. “You are
so
sexy. I missed you so much last night. The sight of you makes me…”

Chris filled in the word. “Wet.” He smiled, hoping he was correct.

Emily nodded. “It’s more than sex. I love you.”

Chris gave another quick look around, stepped away from Emily, and then he shifted. It was easy for him.

Emily gasped. Her mountain lion stood before her. His eyes like lamps in his pale face. She went to it. Knelt and stroked its head as it crouched low to the tiles.

“Chris, that is the most fabulous thing ever. I love it. You’re gorgeous as a man and beautiful as a mountain lion. You must know I love you since I’ve been talking to you about loving you, unless, maybe you don’t understand as a lion, but I love this. It’s like living in a fairy tale. It’s wonderful. I think because we met, I got to know you, the kind, loving you, none of it shocks me.”

Chris purred and nudged his head to her hand. He stood then and took a few paces back. In an instant he stood there as a man.

“I do understand, and that’s why I was here to stop Peter pawing you. That’s why I asked for another chance.” He walked toward her.

Emily started to laugh. “Pawing me, that’s so funny.”

Chris pulled on his jeans. He didn’t really know why it was funny. He went to Emily to hold her.

She ran her hands over his bare chest.

“Do you still love me?” He bent his head to kiss her.

Emily whispered, “Yes.”

* * * *

They clung to each other. Chris buried his face in her hair and tightened his hold on her.

With her face against his chest, Emily could feel the strength of his muscles. She moved in his arms to whisper, “Chris, I want you so much. It doesn’t matter what you are. Make love with me, or fuck me. I need your hands on me, your fingers in my pussy. I need your cock thrusting in me. Make me come, Chris. Let me touch you. Let me kiss the insides of your thighs, lick your cock, suck it. I feel as if I will die if we don’t make love soon.” She put her heart into the words, needing him to know how much he meant to her.

He lifted her and leapt to her bedroom balcony. Her windows were wide open, and he walked into the room as she held him tightly. Chris turned her and unzipped her dress. He let it fall to the floor and then unclipped the wisp of lace that was her bra. He turned her again to face him as he took the bra off and it joined the dress on the floor. He cupped her breasts in his cool hands and spread wet kisses all along the tops before he sucked each nipple.

Lust rushed through her. Every little touch of his hands sent tingles around her body. Desire flamed in her stomach melting her, sending a fresh drench of cream to her pussy. Emily moaned and palmed the bulge in his jeans. His zip was easy to open and she soon freed his erection. She felt him jerk slightly as she curled her fingers around the hard column. This was heaven. The intimacy overwhelmed her. The way he pushed his cock trustingly into her hand thrilled her.

He raised his head from her breasts and tilted her chin, his hand along her jaw, so that he looked into her eyes as she stroked and caressed his cock. Emily’s eyes grew heavy with lust. She struggled to keep them open as Chris traced his fingers down her stomach to tease her clit. His light touch gave her shivers and she pressed toward his fingers wanting more, wanting them inside her.

He eased her panties down her thighs.

She wanted them off and took them down to her ankles to step out. When she stood again, Chris gazed into her eyes as he slid his fingers into her wet, throbbing pussy. Another wave of need washed over Emily and her pussy clenched around his fingers, so cool, so sexy.

“Kiss me, please.” Her voice low and throaty, desire forced her to whisper.

He pumped his fingers in her, slowly, deeply, as he kissed her. He stopped, gently eased his fingers away from between her legs, and picked her up.

He put her on the bed and gazed down at her. “I can’t believe you’ve just accepted what I am, that you love me, this is all so…it’s…it’s so special.” His voice wavered.

Emily held out her arms to him. “Come here and be loved.”

Emily woke before Chris. He’d stayed all night and she smiled thinking of their lovemaking. They loved each other. There was no doubt about that. She turned carefully onto her side. Soon she would have to go to work. She looked along his sculpted body as he slept. A glow of pleasure crept over her. He was so gorgeous, and he was good and kind. She tried not to touch, but lost the battle, and traced her fingertips gently along the V of his hips.

He stirred, opened his eyes, and rolled to hold her. His arm around her, he kissed along her neck.

The trails of kisses brought a delicious languor. Emily savored his hands on her body. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his lips against hers.

He shuffled down the bed and laid his face against her breasts.

“I wish you didn’t have to go to work.”

Emily smiled and ran her hands into his dark, silky hair. It was heaven to touch and she bent her head to kiss the strands in her fingers. “We’ve had this conversation before. I must go. I’ll see you tonight. There has to be things you need to do, too.”

Chris moved to gaze into her eyes. “Not that I want to do more than be with you.”

His kiss made her breathless. She held his head to kiss him again. A melting sensation flowed over her stomach She felt the wet warmth of sexual arousal in her pussy. She would need to stay with him if she didn’t get up soon.

“I have to go.” She pulled away and got up.

He smiled at her before she turned away. “I know you want me.”

Emily smiled, too.

* * * *

About midday, just as Emily was thinking about buying a sandwich, her cell phone rang. The melody she’d chosen for the ringtone came from her bag under the desk and she reached for it.

“Hello?” Emily didn’t recognize the number on the screen and neither did her smartphone. The display read,
unknown.

A female voice, slightly accented. “Emilee, this is Veronique. Don’t hang up. I have to tell you something. It’s about Chris and I’m sure you will want to know this.”

Emily’s heart started beating rapidly. The hand she held the cell phone with trembled. She couldn’t identify if it was anger or fear that swirled in her stomach.

“What is it? Because Chris has no secrets from me, I doubt there’s anything you can tell me that I don’t already know.”

Veronique made a small clicking sound with her tongue.

“Oh, but there is. I assure you. Meet me tonight. I’ll tell you the secret he still keeps.”

Emily’s voice shook with fury and indecision. She thought this was bullshit and said so.

“This is crap. There’s nothing to tell.” She was about to end the call when Veronique spoke again.

“Has he told you what he eats?”

Emily was stunned. She didn’t know what to say. Then she decided. She would meet Veronique, but not because she thought there were more secrets to hear. She couldn’t care less what Chris ate. She was going to tell Veronique to leave Chris alone, to take the gifts he’d promised, and disappear. Emily believed she could influence Veronique with a bold declaration that she loved Chris and there was no point in Veronique acting out anymore.

“I’m busy, but I will meet you after work, for ten minutes in the café nearby. Do you know Café in the Park? I’ll be there at five thirty.”

She recognized a sound of triumph before Veronique coolly answered.

“I’ll be there.”

* * * *

Her day spoilt, Emily only ate half the sandwich she’d sent out for at lunch. She considered calling Chris several times to tell him about Veronique, eventually concluding that Chris deserved some peace.

At five-twenty, she packed up her desk, shut down her computer, and left to meet Veronique.

As Emily approached the café, she mused on how she’d hardly ever been in the place prior over the last two weeks and now she was always in it. She saw Veronique hanging around near the entrance. The woman was very pretty. It gave Emily a momentary spear of anxiety when she turned and smiled. The smile wasn’t friendly. It was sneering and speculative. Emily prepared for a confrontation.

“Hello, Veronique. Shall we go in and get some coffee, do this in a civilized fashion?”

“If you’re paying.”

Emily couldn’t help the short, derisory laugh she gave at this answer. “Okay. I’m paying.” She pushed open the door of the café.