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Cora walked down the winding staircase to the dining room at Rei’s behest. After another bout of incredible love making, she’d begged him to give her a chance to rest before dinner.
She needed the time and space in order to think about his insistence, and her Lynx’s, that they were indeed fated mates. A truth she was coming to accept more with each passing minute, but she had another problem on her mind.
The nagging question of Rei’s unusually long nap had been circling around in her head, but more importantly, she’d been wondering about those other holdings he’d mentioned.
“Hello, kitten,” he smiled and made his way towards her from across the room.
Wearing jeans and a white t-shirt, he shouldn’t have looked so wonderfully handsome, but damn it all to hell, he looked good enough to eat.
She hadn’t wanted to dress up for him. A dark part of her, the one that wanted to cut at her for being so insecure, had wanted to wear yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt.
Cora had wanted to scrub her face of all traces of make-up, put her hair in a ponytail, and wear flip-flops on her feet. You know, the kind of Sunday morning look she typically wore when she was home in between assignments.
That would surely scare him away alright! She should show him what she normally looked like when she wasn’t trying to impress a client. Little chubby Cora Tesouro wasn’t worthy of being anyone’s mate. Her Lynx snarled in her mind at her description of herself and Cora shook her head. She hadn’t been that scared little girl for a long time now.
Still, that twisted piece of her whispered, look what happens when you find a mate. Look at Mom.
Cora had wanted to cry she was so disgusted with her thoughts. Instead of doing any of those things she faced her dilemma like an adult.
It didn’t matter what she thought. Her heart was already invested. She loved him, she admitted to herself after a fast shower. Brushing her thick dark hair until it shone, she applied some mascara and lip gloss and wore one of the sensible outfits she’d brought with her.
Exhaling, she straightened her cream linen dress, the plainest one she’d brought. It wasn’t yoga pants, but it certainly wasn’t designed to attract male attention. It hung off her like a potato sack, she frowned, wondering if she’d gone too far in the other direction. Too late now, she looked up and met Rei’s curious gold stare.
He’d been watching her from the shadows on the other side of the room. Cora watched as he ate up the space between them and took her hands in his.
“Your hands are freezing! Let me warm them for you, come sit by me,” he insisted on rubbing her hands together while he waited for their dinner to be served.
“Do you like music?” He asked and waited for her nod before clicking a button on a small remote.
The sound of Puccini, Cora’s favorite composer, filtered in through hidden speakers. She smiled at Rei, realizing he was waiting for her approval.
“I prefer opera. It was very popular before. This composer was fairly new before I, uh,” he shrugged.
“Opera, huh?” She smiled, teasing him, loving the feel of his big hands around hers.
“I admit I have been trying some rock and roll here and there. So far, I like the sixties the best.”
“Do you?” She laughed, enjoying this side of him, “I like all types of music. This piece is wonderful. My father loved Puccini. He was a pianist and used to play for my mother all the time,” she blinked rapidly as tears filled her eyes. They always did when she thought of her father.
“I’m so sorry, kitten. Want me to turn it off?” His amber eyes were warm with concern. Her breath caught on a sigh and her heart tugged inside her chest.
“No. It’s okay, I’m being ridiculous.”
“No, you’re not. You’re being a good daughter who misses her father. That is perfectly natural, love,” he lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles, squeezing gently when she would have pulled away just as a young woman came into the room bearing platters of food.
“Obrigado,” Rei said his thanks to the woman who obviously worked for him without sparing her a glance.
His warm eyes were glued to Cora who ducked her head and smiled at the young woman. She was pretty and trim with dark hair and eyes that seemed to stare lustfully at her owner. Cora frowned, but he didn’t notice the girl.
In fact, he was still watching Cora. His warm and gentle hands encompassing hers, refusing to release her until all the food was laid out before them.
“Thank you,” Cora said but the woman ignored her and asked Rei if there was anything else.
“May I get you something else, Senhor?” Cora’s Lynx growled at her unprofessional manner, but she had too much self-control to let the silly woman hear her displeasure.
“Nada, Celia. Tell Alameda I said to drive you home for the night.”
“Oh, but the dishes, Senhor Rei-”
“Amanha. Tomorrow is soon enough. I said goodnight,” he cut her off.
His amber eyes seemed to glow in the dimly lit dining room, never wandering from Cora. She could hardly breathe being the center of his attention was almost too much.
She dismissed Celia as easily as he had. How could she think about anyone else when he was looking at her like she was the tastiest morsel there?
Rei stared at her, eyes shifting to gold, full lips pressed together, and long dark hair like a curtain down his back.
So very hot, she thought with a shiver. Shifters typically were, but he was a step above anyone she had ever met. Sharp cheekbones, a straight nose that had never been broken, white teeth, strong chin, wickedly full lips.
His features were symmetrical and purely masculine, but almost too perfect to be anything other than beautiful.
Rei Dorado was a force to reckon with. He could rival any top model, actor, celebrity of the day with looks alone. Never mind his outrageously muscled, beautifully toned body.
She knew from experience just how perfect he was physically. Not an ounce of fat, he was ripped from stem to stern, and that was the truth. The other male Lynx Shifters she knew were shorter, thinner, far less impressive than the imposing Dragon.
Maybe that was why she preferred him? Being a bit bigger than most female Lynxes, Cora had always been drawn to men who were tall and big. Unfortunately, they’d often preferred smaller women. Their loss.
He seemed to be aware of how attractive she found him, but rather than taunt her with it, he was appreciative that he managed to please her. Imaging that!
“I was wondering, kitten, what kind of Shifter are you exactly?” He asked, shocking her into swallowing her wine in a gulp.
“Sorry,” she coughed, “Don’t you know? I mean you call me kitten,” she asked.
“I know you are a feline Shifter, but I cannot determine which one. Your scent eludes me,” he leaned forward and sniffed her neck causing her to shiver.
“Oh, um. Okay,” she blinked and sat back putting some distance between them, “I’m a Lynx. An Iberian Lynx, actually.”
“Of course you are,” he smiled broadly, “A rare and exotic creature. I should have known. Please, would you mind?”
“You want me to change?” Cora felt her cheeks burn at his request. Shifters didn’t typically ask, but she could see his excitement in his eyes. He really wanted to see her.
“Okay, but you have to turn around,” she said.
“What? After what we spent most of the afternoon doing together you want me to turn around? No way, sweet. I want to watch.”
“Well,” she said and leaned forward, teasing him and loving every minute of it, “Too bad. Do you want to see my pussy or not?” She purred.
Cora licked her lips enjoying the way his eyes glittered in the dim light. He ran a fingertip down her cheek and growled deep in his chest.
“You have no idea how much I want that, kitten.”
“Then turn around, Rei,” she said brushing her lips close to his, but not nearly close enough. She flitted away before he could claim them and stood up to walk behind a wall that separated the dining room from a small sitting room.
“Cora?”
“One second,” she said and allowed herself to step out of her clothing. A heartbeat later and she felt her dense, spotted fur burst through her skin. Her body shortened, changing with the same magic that allowed Shifters all over the universe to escape into their other skins.
“Cora,” she could feel the worry in his voice as he called out and she decided to end his torture.
Stepping lightly into the room, she met his eyes with her own. Her Lynx was larger than her average wild cousins, about three times the natural size.
Her tufted ears and ruff were outlined in dense black fur while her back and legs were covered in a thick spotted coat that was more grayish than brown in color. Short tail waving from side to side she stepped right up to Rei.
“Beautiful,” he murmured dropping to his knees in front of her, “May I?”
Cora inclined her head. He reached out perfect hands and ran them across her coat and along her neck.
“Soft, kitten, you are beautiful and so very soft,” his voice held a touch of whimsy and she felt inclined to remind him she was no pet.
Turning her head and baring her four-inch fangs, Rei raised his hands in surrender.
“Yes, very powerful too, sweet kitten,” he grinned and inclined his head. Bowing in effect to her awesomeness.
As he should, her Lynx told her human side. She slinked out of the room and changed back into her things. Taking a moment to steady her heart before she laid eyes on him. Being in her fur around him had confirmed what she’d been so afraid to admit. Rei Dorado was indeed her mate. There was no doubt about it.
“Thank you for sharing that with me. Now let’s eat,” Rei said as he held out her chair.
Lost in his watchful gaze Cora’s heart fluttered as he lifted a stuffed olive to her lips, pressing there until she opened for him. He continued to feed her a bite of this, a sip of that, a brush of a finger on her cheek, across her neck, on her lap.
Never lingering, never stalling. They dined and conversed, and he suavely managed to tempt her with delicious little morsels of perfectly cooked fish and thin slices of beef, smoked clams and mashed yuca. She laughed as he held a fragile handblown glass of sweet red wine to her mouth.
The evening was divine. Truly, the best she’d ever shared with anyone.
Unfortunately, they both missed the vengeful expression on young Celia’s face as she stormed off into the night slamming the back door on her way out.
“What was that?” Cora asked.
“I don’t know. Probably Alameda leaving for the night,” he leaned over nibbling her lips and she forgot to mention that he’d already sent his young assistant to drive the cook home.
“Cora, you’re driving me wild,” he breathed the words as he took her mouth once more and all rational thought left her head.
No one had ever consumed her like this. Her Lynx and human halves were finally in sync and they both wanted one thing. Him.
Would it be so bad to simply let myself go? To fall in love with this incredible Dragon Shifter from another time.
Her heart screamed to just let go, but her mind was hesitant. In the end, she had no choice, Rei stood up and pulled her to him. With one swipe of his hand he’d pushed all their plates crashing down on the floor. He sat her on the table, gripping her by the front of her dress.
