Cat Groove (Stray Cats) (2 page)

Roman licked her face, tasting her tears. She’d been through the wringer in the last year. He’d wanted to shift so badly, but he needed the Halloween moon in order for his change to work. All that time he’d watched her stumble into the relationship with John. He crinkled his nose and sneezed. Just thinking about her boyfriend pissed him off. The man wanted her to change. She needed to diet to be thinner because John said so. Her hair wasn’t the right color so she dyed it because of him. Then there was the clothing he insisted she wear -- all black and nothing too revealing because she didn’t have a figure to reveal. The jackass cut her down at every chance, and she believed him because he reminded her over and over he was the best she’d get.

Bullshit. Roman wriggled in her arms. He could shift and by goddess, he’d prove John wrong. He’d win her heart and seal the deal with his mate. He’d prove to her she was more than a dress size or an “almost” pretty face. He imagined sliding into her pussy and hearing her scream his name. Yeah, he wanted to hear his name on her lips.

“So now you change back?” More tears streamed down her cheeks. “Do you still work your protection duty?”

He’d lay down his life for her in a heartbeat. When she placed him on the floor, Roman closed his eyes and shifted back into his human form. His bones snapped and changed shape. The fur disappeared and his claws retracted. He crouched on the floor and opened his eyes.

“I’m here for you, sweetheart. Protection, defense… whatever you want.” He snatched the towel from the floor. “But first I need something besides this towel to cover up with. I’m a tad exposed.”

The soft terry cloth barely covered his butt when he wrapped the towel around him. If it slipped, he’d flash her. Part of him wanted to show her everything. Hell, he’d fallen a little in love with her when she’d picked him up at Hildy’s house a year before. He couldn’t wait to make love to her and seal the bond between them. The rest of him knew better. The more he pushed, the better the chance he’d freak her out -- again.

“I don’t have anything that’ll fit you.” She grabbed her robe from the hook. “Will this work? You’ll look silly, but you’re thin enough it should wrap around you.”

“Perfect.” He shrugged into the robe, then tied the belt. Good timing. The towel gave way. He wasn’t totally at ease, but he’d make do. Besides, he didn’t like hearing her talk about size. She was beautiful in every way. Size didn’t matter to him. “Why don’t we talk? I’ve got a lot of explaining to do and not a lot of time to do it in.”

Jessa shrugged. “What the hell? Why not? I can’t see where anything else can go wrong tonight. To the living room?”

Now he could explain everything to her. Roman nodded. He’d take the chance available. “To the living room.”

Jessa unlocked the door and allowed Roman out of the bathroom. Funny, when she picked him out she didn’t see him as anything other than a house cat. She wanted a house cat, but the guy he turned into wasn’t too bad. Her mouth watered. Who was she kidding? He was hot… and so out of her league. She could hear John now.
The man is a fake. He won’t love you the way I do. He can’t
. She gritted her teeth. John didn’t know everything, but he managed to prey on her already low self-esteem. He knew which buttons to push to keep her in line. All men couldn’t be like him, could they?

She followed Roman to the living room. She’d never thought of her robe as sexy. More utilitarian and bland, but on the right body the pale blue cotton didn’t look so bad. “I’d say sit anywhere, but you know the lay of the land.”

“I do.” Roman smiled. “Sit on the couch with me?”

“Sure.” She faced him on the opposite end of the sofa. “How -- how long have you been able to do this? Shift?”

“I turned one year old in cat years just before Halloween. On the night of the Halloween moon, my brothers and I are able to shift into our human form. I’m not entirely sure why, but we can. Have I mentioned I’m the slow one of the group? I take a while to get traction, but once I find my groove I’m golden.”

“You turn colors, too?” Wow. There was so much about shifters she didn’t know.

“No, sweetheart. I meant, once I find my way I’m good.”

“Oh.” She picked at the frayed cuff of her jeans. If she’d known he was going to change into a man, she’d have worn a better pair of jeans and a nice blouse instead of the frumpy T-shirt.

“Jessa, I don’t know how or why I can change now, but I do know you’re the woman for me.” Roman’s golden eyes sparkled. “Crazy, but true.”

The front of the robe slipped open, revealing more of his chest. She longed to run her fingers over the tight muscles and feel his body. She flattened her palms on her thighs.

“I’m dying for you to touch me.” He slid her hand over his and rubbed his thumb along her knuckles. “You don’t know how hard it was to watch you and know I couldn’t say anything. I felt trapped.”

The heat in his touch seared her to the core. Instead of the knots she felt when she spent time with John, her heart fluttered. She’d been told once the flutters were important. A love true enough to create flutters wasn’t one to walk away from. She thought she’d felt that for John. Being with Roman seemed so much stronger.

“I’ve got to be losing my mind.” She blew out a long breath. “You said I was the woman for you. I’m seeing someone.” Not the man of her dreams, but who actually met and married a dream man? God knew her boyfriend, John, wasn’t a dream. John had cheated on her so many times, he’d become a nightmare.

“John is a putz and he’s not worth your time.” Roman inched closer to her. The robe opened more, showing off more of his chest and giving her tantalizing glimpses of his toned flesh. It wasn’t fair. She wasn’t even in the same universe as Roman and yet there he was on her sofa spouting out things about knowing she was his woman.

She needed to change the subject. “What’s your name, then, and where are you going to stay? You can have the spare room, but you’ll have to use the sleeping bag tonight. Or the couch. I can pull out the couch for you.” She grabbed her knees and tucked her legs to her chest, effectively putting a block between her and Roman.

“Slow down.” Roman covered her hands with his own. “My name is Roman. I don’t know why Hildy didn’t give me a crazy name, but she didn’t. You never changed what she said, so yeah, my name is Roman. As for where I’m sleeping, that’s up to you.” He bridged the gap between them. “I’m a shifter.”

“You mentioned that,” she interjected. Jessa allowed him to pry her hands open and nudge her feet back to the floor.

“I did.” He nodded. “Being a shifter means I can switch between my cat and human form, but not at will. I need to find my mate first. That’s where you come in.”

Ah. Now she understood. “I’m the person who helps you find this mate. I’m that girl. Gotcha.” Another go-round as second best.

“I don’t think you do understand.” Roman’s thigh bumped hers. He curled his fingers under her chin. “You’re forgetting I’ve been watching you for the last year. I might have been stuck in my cat form, but I’m not stupid. You cried on me, slept with me, talked to me like I was a human. There’s a bond between us that can’t be broken.”

She wanted to believe him. He’d shown her how he’d switched forms. But wrapping her mind around him changing wasn’t happening very fast.

“I remember why you wanted a cat. Darin, your ex, had just walked out. You needed someone -- me.” Roman stared into her eyes. “I bet you didn’t know why you went to Hildy’s but you had to go. You weren’t sure why she handed me to you, but the moment you held me, you knew I was perfect.”

“You scratched me when I tried to bathe you.” She licked her lips. “You also cuffed my feet when I slept.”

“I did worse to John. He should’ve known better than to strut naked around a cat.” He cupped her jaw and stroked her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “I’m sorry about scratching you. Instinct drove me to get the hell out when I saw water. As for the toes… instinct. I can’t fight what the cat wants to do.”

“I don’t suppose you can.” His touch lit a fire deep within her. She stifled a sigh. He’d be the death of her. So sexy and dangerous.

“I need something very important from you and not just you showing me how to be a human.” He traced the seam of her lips with his index finger. “My cat knew you were my mate from the start. He allowed you to put me in that ridiculous walking harness because he wanted to please you.”

“What about you? Does the man side rule you now?” she asked around his finger.

“The man and the cat are one, and we both agree you’re the one for us.” Roman’s breath feathered over her cheeks and chin. “I need you to believe me. I’ll never hurt you, and I’ll protect you no matter the cost. I won’t lie to you.”

She had to be losing her mind. Everything he said made sense in theory, but what if he was putting her on? Her mind battled with her gut feeling. Deciding to date John, the perpetual cheater, hadn’t turned out so well. Maybe it was time to go with her gut. “I shouldn’t believe you… but I do.”

Praise the goddess. Roman tucked a lock of her honey-blonde hair behind her ear. He needed to kiss her, but he didn’t want to push her.

“This is so crazy.” Jessa giggled -- not pure joy, but uncontained nervousness.

“What?” Roman didn’t give her the chance to answer. Instead he kissed her. The dreams of a slow, sweet joining flew out the window the moment he tasted her. He’d never be the same. He nipped her bottom lip and swallowed her moan. No way he’d be able to find another woman like her. No way he wanted to.

Roman tugged her onto his lap. All the times she’d held him came rushing back. The sensation of her body touching his turned his brain to mush. He needed to do more -- to learn more and figure out how to please her.

Jessa broke the connection first. She touched her lips. “Roman.” She flattened her palm on his chest. “My, you’re hard.” She gasped and her gaze met his. “I mean, we can’t do this. I’ve got a boyfriend. He’s slime, but I haven’t broken things off with him yet.”

“Sadly, I know. I might have been a cat, but I saw everything. Why do you think I spent so much time climbing between you? Because I like you and I hate John.” Confessing the truth felt so good. Another burden on him washed away. “John isn’t -- he doesn’t have your best interests at heart.”

“You’re jealous of him.” She shot off his lap. Her cheeks reddened and her eyes blazed. Just as quickly as the fury blew, it lessened.

Did she understand him or did she just not want to argue? “Yes,” Roman answered. “I’m very jealous. He --” She knocked him so off kilter. “He doesn’t value you.”

“And you will?” She waved her hand at him. “You’re a cat. One magical kiss doesn’t mean this can last forever.”

“It was magical for you, too?”

“Please don’t do this.” She brushed him aside. “John will be here any minute and if he sees me with you, especially with you looking like that, he’ll have a fit.” She winced.

He knew that reaction. Yet another reason John didn’t deserve her. The asshole. Roman gritted his teeth. Time to enlighten her a little bit more. “I hope John does see us. I hope it makes his blood boil.” Roman snagged her in his arms. She didn’t fight him; instead she placed her hands on his biceps. Now he was getting somewhere. “You don’t deserve him.”

“Not you, too.” She shoved Roman and wriggled out of his arms. “Roman, if you’re truly my cat, then you of all people should know I hate that. You sounded just like him. Every day I hear it. I’m not good enough for him. If I lost a little weight and wore my hair differently, then he’d be happy to be seen with me.” Her voice broke. “I should be thankful he chose me.” More tears slipped down her cheeks. “I’m not drop-dead gorgeous and I never will be.” She wiped her face. “But I don’t need you to remind me.”

“Jessa.” He was fucking this all up. He reached for her again. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Just don’t.” Jessa strode away from him and left him alone in the living room.

Roman growled. His first day as a human, and his mate wanted to wash him in flea soap. She’d returned his kiss and seemed to enjoy their being together, but when he opened his mouth, he screwed up. Goddess, he had so much to learn.

He closed the front of the robe. At least he was in a loving home with his mate, not stuck outside and struggling to exist. He folded his arms. According to the newscast, two of his brothers were out looking for him. What about Adrian? The last he knew, Adrian was still at Hildegard’s. The news story had shown Hildy’s house as nothing more than a pile of rubble. He needed to find Ascher and Joel. Maybe they’d have suggestions for how to persuade his mate they were meant to be.

The doorknob to the main apartment door jiggled. Aw, shit. John. Roman snorted. What was he worried about? Screw the bastard. John needed a taste of his own medicine. Let him see the competition up close. Roman stretched out on the couch. He crossed his ankles and folded his hands behind his head.

The door flew open and John surged into the room. “Jessa!” He strode to the sofa and stopped. John stared at Roman. “Who the hell are you?”

“Roman.” He sat up and extended his hand. “And you are?”

“Kicking your ass out of this apartment.” John stood over Roman. “Jessa is mine. I’m training her. I don’t need you to cock it up.”

“Cock what up?” Jessa waited in the entryway to the hall. Her eyes narrowed. “What did you mean you’re training me? I’m not a dog. I don’t need to be house broken.”

“Honey, I meant raining kisses all over you.” John stepped around Roman and the couch. “It took me so long to find you that I’m not letting you go without a fight.” He tried to touch her, but she backed out of his way. “Honey, explain to me why there is a naked man in your apartment.” His sugary-sweet tone turned sour. “You can’t be cheating on me.”

“Why?” she snapped. “Because I don’t have the balls to do it?”

“Among other things.” John’s jaw tensed. “Now tell me what the hell is going on. I don’t date whores.”

“Whore?” She sagged against the wall. “You have the nerve to call me a whore?”

“There is a naked man in your apartment. He’s not a homeless man, and I doubt he actually came here because he likes you.” John sneered. “Now spill it.”