Junglecat Honeymoon: Manhattan Ten, Book 3.5 (4 page)

A feral roar ripped from Pan’s throat. In a breath, his form shifted to four paws and he lunged for Quan.

Quan reacted just as quickly. They collided in a pile of big cat, all tearing claws and fangs and rippling black muscles.

Somehow, I was content. They would settle this body-to-body, and Panther wouldn’t lose.

“It was beautiful.” Poya clasped me in a hug, not bothered that I would have killed her son. “You are welcome in our family.”

She even sounded sincere. What strange people these panthers were.

I patted her shoulders, trying to be less awkward than I felt after her sudden change in attitude. “Next time you want to test me, please ask. I would have respected your customs.”

“No. I have seen your warrior’s spirit and you are proven.” She released me and beamed. “All I require now are grandchildren.”

I cringed. “Perhaps in a few years…” I had never thought of children before; why should I when the mothers kept trying to kill me? Pan and I would have to decide that later. Decades later. Neither of us aged much.

“At least four.” Poya gazed fondly at her sons, who still clawed and yowled, fighting for advantage. “And you must help me find a good woman for Tequani. He is too old to be alone, and too picky.”

I doubted Quan had any trouble finding women on his own, but I might know someone… “Wait. Don’t I own him now?”

Poya nodded. “Although you cannot keep both as husbands. We’ll name you a Jaguar Warrior, if you wish to stay with us…?”

It was amazing how quickly I’d gone from unworthy to child-breeding member of their warrior family. “We’re both committed in Manhattan.” More than committed, we were happy there.

“You must visit for the New Year at least.”

“I’ll ask Balam.” It might be nice to have a place to let loose. Manhattan had so many more buildings and people to break.

A pack of panthers strode through the trees, all warriors I’d defeated. “Do I have claim on these as well?”

“If you wish it,” Poya said.

I considered shipping them off to my homeland for a few lessons in combat, but I doubted they’d thrive in the cold. And I wanted nothing of that responsibility. “I won’t press any claim.”

There’s only one person I want…

A roar drew our gazes back to the fight. Panther’s animal form was blacker than Quan’s mottled deep brown, and his jaws closed around his brother’s throat.

Victories across the board.

They shifted to human again and Pan strode straight for Poya. Whatever he said was heated.

Quan hobbled to me, rubbing his shoulder. “I’ll win you next time.”

“You know I can’t be won.” As beautiful, powerful and mysterious as he may be, he could never entice me away from my Balam.

“If you could, you wouldn’t be worth fighting for.”

I shook my head. “You need to leave this jungle. There’s more to the world than the tribe and pointless fighting.” So much more. “You should visit us in New York.”

“Maybe.” Quan drew me into a hug. pulling me close to whisper. “And I’d never truly come between you two, but Balam fights better when he’s pissed.” He pulled away and winked. “See you again soon,
hermana
.”

I might’ve chuckled if his fun wasn’t at my expense.

Pan traded a few last words with his brother before Quan disappeared into the trees. He grabbed my hand and pulled. “We’re out.”

Stone-faced, Poya turned back toward the temple.

“What did you say to her?”

“Let’s just say she’s not getting a Christmas card.” Panther picked me off my feet, and I pressed against his warmth.

“I was waiting for you to rescue me.”

“This was you waiting?” He kissed between my eyes, then casually flipped me onto his back, linking his arms below my knees. “I’d hate to see what happens when you rescue yourself.”

“At least, I waited until I found out you were captured. Quan said you were trapped somewhere with a horde of naked panther women.” I wrapped my arms tight around his shoulders. Balam wasn’t a man I was willing to share.

“That asshole.” A growl rumbled in his chest. “If anyone was naked, I didn’t get to see it. I was passed out until my traitor mother woke me up and said you’d kill Quan if I didn’t stop you. I borderline let it happen.”

“Where to now?” The rest would work itself out. We were together and well.

“Quan says the old tree house is free.” Panther set off through the brush. “I plan to carry you there, rip that corset off and extend this honeymoon a few days.”

“I like this plan.” I pulled him tighter, leaning into his muscle movements as he walked. Our bodies fit perfectly, and I felt as content as if none of this had happened. “Although, we should contact the Ten.” We were supposed to be upstate for our honeymoon, not south of the equator.

“Like they care. They didn’t notice us getting drugged and kidnapped.”

I clicked my tongue. “It
was
your mother. Why would anyone suspect her?”

“I’m thinking about disowning the family.”

“They were curious.” Lucky these cats hadn’t gotten killed for it.

Despite everything, part of me was sympathetic toward Quan. He was so similar to Balam, with his intensity and easy smile, but Quan was a wild thing, at home in his own habitat. Like me, not so long ago. “I told Quan to visit. And we’re invited back for New Year.”

“Like hell.” Panther shifted my weight as he ducked under a low branch. “They’ll probably try to sacrifice you to one of the old gods. I’m not letting you within ten thousand miles of these crazies.”

I took a deep breath, inhaling his familiar predator’s scent. I’d been too lonely without him.

“You’ve ruined me for being alone, you know.” The solo hunt had lost its appeal. As much as I loved a fierce chase and a fiercer opponent, everything was
more
with him at my side.

“All part of the plan, Ice Queen.” He almost purred.

“I did say I liked the plan.” All I wanted now were our wedding rings returned. “Can we do something about my ice?”

“I’ve got it covered.”

That was enough. I relaxed, resting against him. Running through the night and battling without food or water had taken its toll. Now I dozed, comfortable in the knowledge that he would protect me from anything. He stopped at a hidden spring for water and plied me with juicy tropical fruits.

Always, he stroked my hair and caressed my skin—confirming that I truly was safe. I did the same to him. Such a short parting had seemed like forever.

Finally, we arrived at the tree house. He paused. “Should I carry you over the threshold?”

“Up the rope ladder?”

“Why not? I’m a superhero and stuff.”

I smiled against his neck. “I dare you.”

I shouldn’t doubt him.

As tall and large as I was, Panther was bigger. He hoisted me up the ladder on his back, kicked away the fallen mosquito net and spread me on the bed like a comforter. “This is what I was waiting for.”

So much heat in his eyes. “So was I.”

Balam covered my body with his, all hard muscles. His soft lips moved along my jaw line. “I can’t have you taken again.”

“Nor you.” I stared into his yellow eyes and sucked in a breath, staggered as always, to see the depth of my love reflected.

We must have kissed for hours, lying twined together.

“The dress is coming off now.” Balam eased me seated.

I’d fantasized about him ripping the corset away with his teeth, but the reality was so much better.

He pulled the laces one by one, tantalizingly slow, kissing my neck as he worked and brushing the ends of the ribbon against my bare back.

I shivered.

We may have kissed for hours, but undressing took
years
. I was both languid and frantic. Melting and so very hot. “Pan…”

“What’s the rush?” He kissed the back of my earlobe, breath heated. “There.” His fingers crept inside my corset, tracing along my rib.

Something peeled away from my skin and my mind instantly cleared. It was like shedding a thorn I hadn’t noticed.

Pan held up the purple-soaked cloth, which he promptly tossed across the room. I wrinkled my nose at the cloying floral scent.

“God, I hate that flower. She knocked each of us out with a different blend of it.”

“A flower took away my powers?”

“A flower
potion
took away your powers.” Pan’s fingers played against my bare ribs and I didn’t care as much about the how of it.

“It’s fixed now?”

“You need to sweat out the last of it. I think I can help.”

“Oh?” I arched into him.

He pulled the final lace free from the corset and moved the ribbon over the curves of my breasts. “Yes.”

Pan pushed me back into the pillows, sucking at my bottom lip, gently pressing with his sharp canines.

He’d set me on fire if my ice didn’t return soon.

“Lift your arms.”

I did as he said, and he pulled my remaining hem over my head, easing the dress off. As my breasts popped free, he held the cloth in place, trapping my arms and blocking my eyes with tulle.

“Are you comfortable?” He toyed with the lacy edge of my panties. The hint of a growl in his low voice was nearly enough to put me over the edge.

“You could make me more comfortable…”

Pan chuckled. Just what I wanted to hear.

“Let’s see.” He licked a slow circle around my nipple. “Better?”

I bit back a gasp. “Getting there.”

Kisses trailed down my belly as Pan rubbed his thumbs in circles over my hipbones, slipping over and under lace.

He lingered at my navel, slipping his hands to my inner thighs, always at the edge of the panties, never touching directly.

If he wanted me to beg, I was fully prepared.

I’d missed him so.

He rested his chin against my lower belly. “You sure I shouldn’t stop?”

The way his voice rumbled against me, I was already at his mercy. “Don’t stop unless the tree house burns down.”

Even then…

“God, I love you.” He slid up to kiss my mouth. Deep. So deep.

His hand cupped between my legs. As he devoured me with his mouth, the tip of his middle finger worked a slow, light, circle
over
the fabric.

“Pan…” He was going to kill me.

“Mm?” He sucked at my collarbone, but his fingers kept their pace.

“Too slow…”

“You don’t say?” Pan eased me forward and slipped behind me, pulling me against him as he propped us against the wall.

He was hard against my back, and free to torture me. While he kissed my neck, his left hand found my breast and his thumb stroked lazy circles, matching the agonizing pace of the hand between my legs.

A gasp escaped me.

I ground back into him, sharing the torture.

He grunted.

A second finger pressed down.

Faster.

A third, until his whole hand worked against me.

Over
the panties. “Under—” I writhed against him, trying to force my hips into the pressure.

“Are you sure?” Pan switched motions, stroking straight up and down.

My arms strained against the cloth that trapped me as the heat built and built. “Now…”

Pan’s fingers slipped under the lace.

My back arched.

Yes.

Instantly slick, the fingers worked into me. “A little wet, aren’t you?”

All I could do was moan.

So close…

But I wouldn’t go alone. I ripped through the fabric holding my arms, tossing the last of the dress somewhere across the room.

“Get out of those pants and get me out of these panties.”

Together, we stripped the last clothes away and he bore me down onto the bed until the hard length of him pressed my thigh.

“Now. Please, now.” My legs already shook.

He slid inside like nothing. Like
everything
.

When he was fully inside me, he held there, gazing down with adoring, yellow eyes.

I wrapped my arms and legs around him. “Forever.”

“Forever,” he agreed.

Our hips worked together slowly, so slowly, building the sensations he’d begun with is fingers.

We panted against each other, drawing closer and closer.

And everything collapsed.

The orgasms rolled through my body as Pan writhed over me. I gripped his shoulder blades, willing it to last forever.

Finally, he kissed me, slow and sweet, tucking my hair back. “You’re cold again.”

The frost tingled in my veins. Or maybe I just couldn’t feel my toes yet. “Give me your hand?”

Pan twined his fingers with mine and I froze new bands of ice around our ring fingers. “That’s better.”

“Agreed.” He kissed our clasped hands.

I had never felt such peace.

The sun beamed outside. But no…the trees.

Why was it so bright? I craned to see over Panther’s shoulder…

“Oops.”

“What?” He turned and a laugh wracked his body, but he was still inside me and I gasped.

Later, when we could focus again, Panther bundled me in the sheet and carried me to the window.

A blanket of snow coated the jungle. Icicles decked the tree house, and flurries still rained.

“I should do something about this.”
Later
. For the moment, I wasn’t as alarmed as I might have been.

“Nah.” He squeezed me tight. “They deserve a lesson.”

“I’ll melt it. Eventually.”

As soon as I was done having my way with my Panther.

“So, next week?” Pan tugged me back to the bed.

“What’s the hurry?” I had him all to myself.

Forever.

About the Author

Lola Dodge was forged in the suburbs, tested in the retail wastelands and reborn as a romance writer after several strong cocktails. Armed with her M.F.A. in Writing Popular Fiction, she travels the world in search of story fodder and men with accents.

www.loladodge.com

Twitter
@Lola_Dodge

Look for these titles by Lola Dodge

Now Available:

Manhattan Ten

Temptress

Ivory

Belle Fury

Coming Soon:

Manhattan Ten

Angel

Print Collections

M10: Unlikely Beginnings