Chapter Seven

By the time Ryan was on his way, I was having second thoughts about Cole and all the drama surrounding him. How could one man be in the middle of so much of it? Up until now, I’d thought that only women were this bad. I started to go up the stairs, but he stopped me with a gentle hand on my arm.

“Let’s go run. We could both use a little exercise.”

I looked down at him and bit back the invitation. Instead, I changed it, but he knew what I’d been about to say. He was staring at me far too intently not to know.

“Sorry, Cole, but I don’t feel like being naked around anyone right now.”

“Who says you have to be naked?”

“In a word? Doorknobs. Paws don’t open doors.”

“So let me be naked for you.”

I closed my eyes at the visual and couldn’t resist the giggle. He sighed in exasperation and I peeked back at him.

“What I meant was that you go upstairs and shift in the privacy of your room and I’ll wait to shift until we get outside. I’ll even wear shorts until we get outside, if it’ll make you feel better.”

His tone said he thought I was being silly and he was probably right. One day, I was going to have to come to terms with the nudity issue, but not today. Today, far too many things had happened to throw me into a state of chaos. Until I knew how I was going to land from it all, I was going to be very, very careful. Too many things were stacked against me, especially where this man was concerned.

Temptation got the better of me and I nodded slowly. A run sounded like just what I needed. Running up the stairs, I closed the door with a firm glare at Warren as he followed me up. Stripping and shifting only took a minute, but I jumped when the door swung open. No one was standing in it and I stuck my head in the hallway to see Warren still standing against the wall beside it and the slim line of Cole’s back heading back down the stairs.

“Get a move on, princess; I want to see the sunset on the beach.”

I padded after him with a snort. Reaching the stairs, I had an awful idea. Did I dare? Gathering my quarters under me, I took a leap at him only to have him sprint down the last steps and bolt to the door. Of course, I would have to land on the tapestry runner protecting the hardwoods and slide into the wall at full force. Yowling, I sprang back and took off after him. Evan saved him and I was going to have to talk to him about that. Evan opened the door just as Cole got to it, letting him throw open the screen door on his own to dash onto the porch. I bounded after him, careful not to break on the porch and scar the wood. Landing in the yard, I turned to see the bright shimmer of his shift and the black tiger bounding over the railing straight after me.

It didn’t take much to spin out of his way and then I was off, racing wildly toward the tree line in full view of the working crews. I didn’t stop to see what they thought of the chase, but dashed into the trees with Cole hot on my heels.

He was both bigger and longer than I was, so only my agility kept him from catching me. Well, that and home field advantage. I’d raced the paths through the woods a thousand times or more, so I knew how to dart through the underbrush in just the right places leaving him to double back or crash through thicker spaces. So intent was I on the chase that I didn’t realize we weren’t alone until we reached the beach. The other tigers were discreet and stayed just out of our personal space, but they were there. On some level, I knew they were making sure we were safe while we played and was grateful for it.

The sun was setting when I dropped down into the sand, giving up the fight. Cole stopped to nuzzle my face with his and I had a moment where the sun was shining on his black coat and the stripes stood out plainly. I admired the view until he dropped down next to me, laying his head across my back in a companionable gesture.

Peace like I’d never known flooded through me. Real tigers weren’t really social animals, but we were both man and tiger. My parents probably hadn’t realized how lonely I was because they had each other. I remembered watching them run together from my bedroom window and now, I understood why they’d been so happy.

It was a glorious sunset as only the spring could make it over the ocean. Finally, I stood up and began trotting back into the trees. Cole hesitated, but followed. With tigers fanned out in front of me and behind me, I loped back to the house. Paul was waiting at the back porch to open the door.

Running up the stairs, I was acutely aware of Cole’s silent presence behind me. Brad opened the door to my room and closed it behind us. Suddenly, I didn’t know what to do. With a growl, I escaped into my bathroom and shifted there. Putting on my robe, I stepped out to find him standing in front of the window with a pair of boxers low on his hips.

“Where did those come from?”

“Brad had them in here.”

“A bit presumptuous of him, wasn’t it?”

I tried to keep my tone from being sharp but failed miserably. Cole glanced over his shoulder at me while he leaned against the window frame. He’d turned on my reading light instead of the overhead, so the lighting was just enough to make his body full of shadows and promises. It was as if he were putting himself on display for everyone to notice.

Notice.

With a frown, I walked over and pushed him away from the window so I could look out. Sure enough, half the workmen still packing up below were looking up. Frowning, I yanked the curtains closed and rounded on him.

“What’s that all about?”

He just stared at me with that fathomless expression. It was if he were considering his words very carefully. Walking to the door, he opened it and spoke softly to Brad.

“Do your shift downstairs, Brad. The lady and I would like some privacy.”

The implication was plain and left me absolutely speechless. He turned to me and waited until the soft tread of the guard’s footfalls faded.

“Illusion, mostly. Remember, we want everyone to assume that we’re a couple and after that run, no one would believe it if I didn’t stay here tonight.”

“You can’t sleep here tonight.”

“Don’t worry. I’m going to shift and sleep under the window. You won’t even know I’m here.”

He was insane if he thought I’d be able to sleep with him in the same room. Then a thought ran through my mind.

“Just like that, you’ll curl up and sleep on the floor. No questions, no seduction, no trying to change my mind?”

“Princess, if we end up in that bed together, it will be by invitation. Your invitation. When you’re ready to give me those liberties, I’ll be here. Until then, I can wait. After all, anticipation makes everything sweeter in the end.”

The laughter in his tone and the warmth of the look on his face told me that he meant what he said. It would have been so much easier if he’d approach me, but then I might scream foul when I had morning after regrets. I knew myself well enough to know that was a distinct possibility. Taking him to bed came with consequences and responsibilities. I wasn’t sure if I wanted them half as much as I wanted him.

Some of what I was thinking must have shown on my face because something flashed across his. I opened my mouth to say something, but he saved me from myself by interrupting me.

“Don’t. If you’re not sure, don’t do it. I’m not here for a one night stand. When it happens, there won’t be any tossing me out of your bed once your curiosity is satisfied. There is no discretion in this, either. The guards will know and they will talk. They won’t mean to, but we’re tigers and sex is a part of what we are. You still think like a human with morality issues. If it’s going to embarrass you, don’t do it.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. As I started to turn away, I noticed his hands gripping the back of my reading chair where he’d found refuge when I’d pushed him away from the window. His knuckles were white. That stopped me. Whatever he was saying, he wanted me. Turning back to face him, I slowly dropped my hands to the sash of my robe and his gaze followed them.

“What if I say that I don’t want to play power games and I’m not willing to make promises.”

He swallowed and stood as still as a statue. With a quick flick of my wrist, the tie came clean. The look of pain on his face gave me the courage to shrug out of it and walk to the bed as if it were nothing. I’d initially planned on coming up and changing for dinner, but now, other hungers were overriding the need for food. I could feel his gaze on me as I turned down my bed and slid between the soft cotton sheets.

“Make yourself comfortable, Cole. Turn the light out, though.”

“Sasha…”

I ignored him and closed my eyes. The light clicked off and I heard the curtains open. Opening my eyes, I stared at him silhouetted against the rising moon.

“Why did you open the curtains?”

My voice was husky enough to surprise me and his was equally so.

“Because I want to watch you sleeping in the moonlight.”

I watched him cross the room to the bed. Turning his back to me, he stripped off the boxers before sitting on bed. He battled with himself, but knew I’d won before he lifted the edge of the covers to slide under them. He rolled over onto his side to face me, staring down at me. It was too dark to see much on his face, but his voice held a wealth of emotions I couldn’t even begin to decipher.

“Sasha, if we do this, we won’t be able to go back to pretending. I won’t be able to. If you change your mind tomorrow, I’ll start petitioning areas that might take me in. I won’t stay and watch you from a distance.”

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I didn’t say anything at all. I pulled his face down to mine and kissed him. I kissed him with all the years of longing and waiting for the right man. All the pent up frustration and desire boiled out and my power flashed across the room. I tried to pull it back, but he took charge of the kiss, pulling back softly.

“Don’t put it back in the box, Sasha, let it alone. This is how it’s meant to be.”

He dropped his face to my neck and began to nibble his way down to my shoulder. I started to protest, but then he unleashed his own power to wash over me. All the doubts and hesitations fell away in the wash of power. My body was suddenly wet, tight, and aching. Cole brought his mouth back to mine for a kiss that devoured me from the soul outward.

“Sasha…I’m beyond slow. Say yes.”

I didn’t know what the question was, but was afraid to ask and even more afraid to say no.

“Yes.”

“Thank God.”

Suddenly, he was over me. Biology is a beautiful thing. My hips cradled his as he bent to kiss me, again, as he rubbed himself against the front of me. I was wet enough that he slid easily over that sensitive part of me that made me whimper. Without warning, he pulled back and plunged that thick part of him into me.

I cried out as he froze over me, staring down at me. There was just enough moonlight to show me how shocked he was. Of course, I’d always imagined giving my virginity in a slightly more romantic setting with a man who was careful not to hurt me. So much for that. The ache eased as he kissed me tenderly.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“What?”

My voice was breathy and the ache was being replaced by need. I wanted him to move. Every muscle in my body demanded it. Academically, I knew why, but age old instinct and newly awakened desire were overriding my brain.

“That you were…”

Pulling his face down to mine, I cut him off with a kiss.

“It doesn’t matter. God, don’t stop. Don’t take me here and leave it unfinished.”

He hesitated, and then pulled himself out of me to slide gently back. The sensation made me arch into him with a whimper. He was suddenly being so careful when the last thing I wanted was slow and easy.

Sliding my hands down his back, I raked my nails down until I could grasp his ass. With a frantic arch, I pulled him down to me.

“Sasha, slow down. There’s plenty of time.”

“No.” I leaned up and sank my teeth into his shoulder. “Now. I want it now.”

His power flared around us and he dropped his face to the crook of my neck. I felt him tense and started to thrust up at him, again, but he sank his own teeth into my shoulder. It should have hurt. It should have made me want to get away from him. It didn’t. It did just the opposite. I arched against him and this time, he met my thrust upward with his own powerful one. Our bodies smacked together and I felt him so deep inside me I could almost taste it. Tightening his teeth, he gave me exactly what I asked him to.

Every thrust tightened me still further until he pulled back to look down at me. Tangling my fingers into his hair, I yanked his mouth back to mine and tasted the sweet metallic taste of my blood on his lips. The taste of it combined with the sensation of him deep inside me pushed me over the edge and I fell screaming into the abyss. As I fell, I felt something click between us like two pieces of a puzzle locking together.

It took a few minutes of panting to get enough breath to speak, but when I could, I said the only thing I could say.

“Wow.”

Cole chuckled as his body shook over me. I didn’t protest when he rolled us onto our sides and I was lucky enough to have my back to the window. The moonlight filtered through the glass to illuminate his face and I felt a certain sense of satisfaction.

“Like that, did you?”

His own voice was husky and I didn’t feel so bad for being shaky and winded.

“Is it always like that?”

He must not have realized how bright the light was because his face was totally unguarded as he reached up to brush my hair back from my face. Tenderness, passion and a sense of smug possession…

I blinked and realized I wasn’t reading his face, but his emotions. How had that happened? I took an uneasy breath and prayed against the euphoria of the moment.

“Between us, yes. It will always be like that. You’ll never know that kind of satisfaction with another male.”

Was it what I was afraid it was? Had that final moment been the locking of our souls into one?

“You sound so sure.”

I tried to keep it light and teasing, but heard the panic closing in.

“Don’t, Sasha. Please don’t belittle it. A true link that isn’t forced is a gift. It’s rare to find your soulmate and share what we just did. Don’t make it into something trite or ugly.”

I closed my eyes and tried to close down the link between us, but I didn’t know how. I didn’t understand it well enough.

Cole sighed and snuggled me closer, tucking me effortlessly under his chin and pulling my leg over his hip to keep us connected. I started to protest, but he shushed me softly.

“I’m not ready to leave you, yet. Just give a minute to appreciate this, okay? You don’t understand how good this feels compared to everything else…”

He stopped and I felt the embarrassment flood across the link between us.

“Were you just comparing me to your other lovers, Cole?”

The embarrassment got heavier and I laughed softly. If he’d found my loving wanting in comparison, I’d have been upset, but he hadn’t. I was better, so let the delight of the comparison wash away my self-doubt.

“Go to sleep, Sasha. In a little while, we’ll go down and raid the kitchen. Right now, I just want to hold you and think about how lucky I am. You do realize that this changes things, right?”

I nodded against his chest and kissed it lightly.

It did change things. There wouldn’t be any tossing him back, now. We were two halves of a soul fused together. Now that we’d linked, neither of us would be happy apart. Granted, we could both try to find happiness and satisfaction elsewhere, but the only true joy would be together.

My mother had tried to tell me, all those years ago, how it would feel, but I’d not understood. I’d watched my parents living their lives with a thousand touches through the day and not understood that constant need to touch. Now, despite all the disasters looming on the horizon, I got it.

With a sense of completion that went all the way to the marrow of my being, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to drift off to sleep in his arms. There would be time enough to borrow trouble and grab the tiger by the tail tomorrow.