Leopard's Prey (28 page)

It took only a few minutes to make it to the edge of the swamp and circle around to the lake where the back of Saria’s property stretched out in front of them. Remy kept them inside the grove of trees as long as possible, testing the wind and air for signs of human activity before they sprinted across the open grass for the Inn itself.

He leapt up to the branches of the tree closest to her second-story balcony, showing her the way back to her room. The next leap took him onto the railing and then to the floor of the balcony. The smaller leopard followed him, head down, sides heaving, barely making it over the rail to flop down onto her side.

Remy shifted to his human form, opened the French door and stepped back to allow the small leopard into her bedroom. “Shift back, Blue,” he encouraged. “Just let her go, take your form back.”

The cat looked at him. There was something in her eyes that made him uncomfortable. He could shift fast enough to protect himself if she launched an attack. Her leopard was exhausted – hell – they both were exhausted. Bijou would barely be able to move once she returned to her human form. That first shifting was exhilarating, but it was definitely draining. Instead of launching herself at him, the small female leopard walked past him, nose in the air. He’d never seen an animal look so haughty and regal and dignified.

She went straight into the bathroom and the door slammed behind her. Remy let out his breath, unaware he’d even been holding it. He caught up a towel and wrapped it around his hips, sinking down into the comfortable chair facing the French doors. He felt every muscle in his body, sore and bruised from the fight with the other male and long sessions of rough sex. His leopard might not be sore, but it was different for him as a human.

He glanced toward the bathroom door. The silence went on for so long he stirred, determined to go to her, but then the water in the shower went on. He leaned back and pressed his fingers to his eyes. He needed sleep – a very long sleep, but there was no way it was going to happen until he talked to Bijou and found out why she was so angry with him.

The water seemed to go on forever. He sighed. He needed a shower as well. His muscles were going to get stiff sitting there; he had to make himself move. He stood up, stretched and went to the French doors to pull the drapes. Hand on the pull cord, he paused, movement catching his eye. Down by the edge of the swamp, something moved in the brush, just enough to stir the leaves the wrong direction.

Not wanting to draw the eye to him, he inched freeze-frame, much like his leopard counterpart, until he was back in the shadows, but able to see out the French doors. He waited patiently, all fatigue forgotten, holding still and sending up a silent prayer that Bijou wouldn’t choose that moment to walk into the room.

As he watched, a golden leopard thrust his head through the brush to look up at the Inn. It stood there for a long while, just staring, and scenting the air. Very carefully the leopard emerged, until it was fully in the open, something none of them did unless absolutely necessary – as Remy had done in order to track Bijou. Robert Lanoux was up to something, and it couldn’t be good.

Remy had considered that the killer might be leopard. He knew it was possible to disguise any odor, even from a leopard. It had been done by one of his kind before and everyone in the lair was aware of those gruesome killings. Any shifter could hunt as a leopard and kill as a man or vice versa. As he watched, the golden leopard reached high and raked one of the trees near the Inn. He scent-marked several others before whirling around and rushing back into the safety of the swamp.

Remy frowned. Had Drake been home, he would have taken Robert’s actions as a challenge for leadership. To come onto Drake’s property and scent mark and leave rake signs on trees would garner swift retaliation by the lair’s leader – and Robert had fought and lost to Drake before. In fact, it was apparent that Drake could have killed him easily. So why would Robert take such a chance? Nothing about Robert’s actions made any sense. He knew Remy could kill him. He knew Remy’s leopard could as well.

The water went off abruptly, and Remy pulled the drapes, darkening the room, certain that Robert had retreated to the safety of his own property, but taking no chances. He swung around to face Bijou as she emerged. Her hair was wrapped in a towel and she wore a robe. There were shadows under her eyes, bruises and love bites on her neck. He didn’t think it would have mattered if she’d come out wrapped in a garbage bag, his body immediately reacted with urgent demands – and he was damned tired. There was no getting around it and there was no hiding it.

He saw the flare of desire in her eyes, quickly veiled by her long lashes. She shook her head. “Don’ you have a place to sleep?”

He glanced at the bed.

Bijou sighed. “It’s not goin’ to happen, Remy. I need sleep desperately, and right now, I don’ like you very much.”

“Why? What the hell did I do wrong?”

She recoiled for just a moment at his tone, and then her chin went up. “Figure it out. In the meantime, I’m goin’ to bed to sleep, so go away.”

“That’s not goin’ to happen, Blue.” He threw her words right back at her. “I’m stayin’ right here with you.”

“You can’t tell me Saria won’t give you a place to sleep.” Bijou stalked across the room to the edge of the bed, yanked down the covers, and tossed her robe aside.

Before she could hide, he saw the dark smudges on her body. She moved a little stiffly as if, like him, her body ached. He reached out and caught the covers, holding them open for her so she could crawl in the bed.

“I’m takin’ a quick shower, and then I’ll be sleepin’ right next to you,” he warned.

Bijou slid into bed and turned on her side, clearly savoring the feel of the mattress and soft sheets. “Do whatever, Remy. I’m too tired to argue. Just please don’ wake me, because I don’ want to have sex with you.”

“I’m waitin’ for lightning to strike you, woman,” he replied.

She didn’t even look at him, her lashes already veiling her eyes so he couldn’t read her expression. It didn’t matter. He knew. She craved him every bit as much as he did her.

Remy took a long shower, allowing the hot water to run over his tired muscles, washing his hair and going over everything that had happened between them. Had she still been angry with him for leaving her earlier? Most likely, although for a short while she’d seemed to have forgiven him.

He sighed and made his way back into the bedroom. Bijou clearly had fallen asleep and the towel she’d wrapped her hair in had come loose. Her long hair was everywhere, still damp. She looked young to him, too young for the kinds of things he’d done to her.

He slipped into the bed and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her into the protection of his body. She was warm and soft. He buried his face in her shoulder, kissing the bite marks along her neck. He laid back, content to just be with her, so close, his body tight against hers, his cock nestled between the firm globes of her buttocks and her breast in his palm. He drifted off to sleep with the scent of lavender surrounding him.

12

Remy woke to pounding on the door. He kept his eyes closed just that little bit longer, holding Bijou close to him, enjoying the warmth and softness of her body. Beside him she stirred, moving with a low groan of protest.

“Remy! Your cell phone is off. They need you at work right away,” Saria called out. “There’s been another murder.”

He dropped his head on Bijou’s shoulder and swore softly under his breath. “Not again. This can’ be happenin’ again to us.”

The pounding continued.

“I hear you, Saria. I’m on it, thanks,” he called out reluctantly.

Bijou rolled over in his arms, her gaze meeting his. Her eyes were such a deep, perfect color of blue. He knew he’d never get enough of falling into them and just drowning.

“I’m sorry, Blue, I’m goin’ to have to go again. I know we need to talk…”

She sat up and pushed back her heavy fall of wild hair. “Remy, I’m perfectly fine. I’m some kind of freak, but I’m fine. We have great sex and no attachment, but guess what, I’m still fine. I’m all grown up and I’m just as responsible for what happens every time we get together. The freaky change into an animal thing, I’m just goin’ to ignore until I’ve had my coffee. I might give it some thought then.”

He rubbed his palm down the length of her spine, needing the contact with her. “Great sex with no attachment? We’re havin’ a long talk about that misconception. But you make me laugh. You wake up grumpy, don’ you?”

“Only when I’ve destroyed an entire room in my only friend’s beautiful Inn with some kind of depraved sex and then turn into an animal and run around the swamp like a sex-starved cat hussy. Otherwise, no, I’m perfectly fine when I wake up.”

He leaned over and brushed a kiss over her temple, keeping his lips against her skin. “And you aren’t sex-starved anymore. We’ve taken care of that,” he whispered.

“Says who?” Bijou asked. “Don’ be thinkin’ you’re all that, Remy Boudreaux. You’re not
that
good.”

He trailed kisses to the corner of her mouth. “I know I’m that good. Stay the hell out of the swamp.”

“Don’ be tellin’ me what to do. We might have sex once in a while but you
never
get to tell me what to do.”

She managed a haughty expression even with his mouth moving on down her neck to the swell of her breast. He heard her breath catch in her throat, and she pushed him away. “Go, Remy. You need to catch whoever is murderin’ people.”

“Are you goin’ to stay put this time?” He narrowed his eyes and pinned her with a hard gaze. It usually worked for him, but she gave a little sniff. “I mean it, Blue. I don’ want to have to put every cop in the city and every sheriff in the surroundin’ parishes on alert lookin’ for you. If I have to do that, believe me,
mon pitit
, you’ll be hauled back in handcuffs.”

“Delightful.” Sarcasm dripped from her voice. “And I’m not your
mon pitit
.”

“You’re my anything I need or want you to be.” He leaned closer and licked her already taut nipple.

She shuddered, one arm circling his head. She didn’t pull him away or push him closer, she simply stayed still, looking down at him.

His mouth closed over the temptation of her breast, pulling strongly, teeth scraping. He lifted his head and pressed his forehead against hers. “Leavin’ you is difficult.”

“So is murder. Get goin’, Remy.” Even as she commanded him, her fingers fisted in his hair and she pulled his head up.

Remy held his mouth inches from hers, looking straight into her eyes, so she’d know he meant what he said. “Don’ you go off anywhere alone. Stay with Saria and stay inside until I get back.”

She frowned at him. “Do you think I’m in danger?”

“I know you are.”

“Then stop makin’ everything an order and just ask nice like a normal person.”

Remy opened his mouth and then closed it again with a little bite of his teeth. “Blue, please do me a favor and stay here with my sister and be safe while I go try to catch a murderer.”

“Of course,” Bijou replied. “I don’ mind restin’. I’ve got a lot of thinking to do.”

Remy breathed a sigh of relief, caught the nape of her neck and kissed her hard. She tried to hold herself away from him, but he refused to back off, deepening the kiss until she relaxed into him with a little sigh of resignation. He kept kissing her. She finally kissed him back. It took discipline to stop when all he wanted to do was be a part of her, to lose himself in her fire and addictive taste.

He pressed his forehead tight against hers. “Restin’ is good. As much as you can. But no thinkin’ about anything. You have to wait for me to talk this out. I know it was a shock to find out about your leopard, but there are more of us than you think. We have rules that govern us and you have to abide by them. Saria is leopard, and she can answer any questions you have until I get back. Clearly, it isn’t something known and we don’ ever talk about it to outsiders.”

“Because you’d all be locked up as insane,” Bijou pointed out pulling back. She reached for the sheet and pulled it up over her breasts in sudden modesty.

“Because
we’d
be hunted and killed,” Remy corrected, needing her to understand the importance of absolute secrecy. He cupped her breasts through the sheet, making his claim on her and her body. Satisfaction flooded when his thumb found her nipple a hard peak.

Bijou recoiled subtly, a slight withdrawing, not quite pulling away from him, but he felt her retreat as a stab around his heart. He actually put his palm over his heart to ease the ache. He and Bijou had a long way to go, and he realized she had trusted him before, so easily, but now there was a space between them and he couldn’t quite breach it. She definitely was his physically, but she’d moved away from him emotionally and he wanted her back.

He sighed as he slid out of bed. “I know you’re confused about us and the leopard…”

She held up her hand and shook her head. “I’m not thinkin’ about that yet. I’m just pretending you bit me and infected me with some rare blood disease and it will all go away.”

She made him smile. No matter what, her sense of humor crept in at times when she was afraid or even angry. She had every right to be confused.

“Talk to Saria,
chere
, if you need questions answered before I can get back. This will take some time.”

“I’m fine with it takin’ time. Take all the time you need.”

That
wasn’t her sense of humor. She was quite serious. She wanted him gone, just as she hadn’t wanted him in her bed when they’d returned from the swamp. He went into the bathroom and pulled himself together as fast as possible, brushing his teeth and inspecting the rake marks across his side and chest. Robert had gotten in a few licks of his own and Remy hadn’t even noticed. There were a few bad bruises, the consequences of a strong leopard hitting another one. Robert would wake up with far worse.

He returned to the bedroom fully dressed to find Bijou wrapped in her robe, sitting by the open drapes. “I didn’t infect you with some rare blood thing, Blue. You do know that, don’ you? Your
mere
had to be leopard.”