Lions and Tigers and Bears Page 4

  As were the odds he was right about her being a shapeshifter. He wanted it to be true for his own selfish reasons. But he had to consider the other possibility, namely that she had an incredibly soft spot for animals. Her behavior could have been something she’d picked up from spending so much of her life around them.

  Wrong or right, Kevin had every intention of finding out tonight. There were ways of drawing out a lioness and he’d yet to meet a female immune to them.

  Before he could pick Liddy up, however, he had a few things to deal with. The most important of which was setting up another pride gathering. Now that the police were pointing fingers in the direction of a shifter, discovering who was behind the string of attacks was critical. If the wrong lion was brought in, he could spill every one of the pride’s secrets, including the identity of all those who struggled to keep their lion side private.

  The unfamiliar cat from last night topped that list of wrong lions. Kevin had no idea who the male was, but given his open disrespect for the way Kevin ran the pride, it was clear he would do anything to see him usurped.

  He had to have answers, and he had to have them immediately. As much as he wanted to end this night with Liddy in his bed and slipping away from her unnoticed would be unlikely, the gathering needed to be tonight.

  Of course, maybe he wouldn’t need to slip away from Liddy. Maybe she’d be attending the gathering with him. Maybe she’d been attending them all along.

  *

  “You look hot!”

  Shrugging into her long winter coat, Liddy cast her sister Chenille, who sat cross-legged on the living room couch, a “knock it off” look. She was incredibly nervous about going out with Kevin. Knowing her sister would be home when he arrived made her all that much more so.

  As younger sisters went, Chenille was great but had a big mouth. Liddy knew the moment she walked out the door on Kevin’s arm, her sister would be on the phone to Mama. Unless she could think of something to blackmail her with first, that is.

  Fortunately thinking of ways to blackmail her sister wasn’t so hard. At twenty-five, Chenille had a penchant for late nights spent partying with her guy of the week. It was the reason Liddy has been shocked to hear she was staying in tonight. It was also the reason she could smile now.

  At least until she met her sister’s eyes, then she was careful to keep her expression bland. “Did you ever tell Mama you were the one who ran over the mailbox last summer?”

  Chenille’s eyes went wide. Her relaxed position grew tense. “What? No. Why?”

  “Just wondering.” Liddy turned to the mirror that hung on the closet door, pretending to inspect her appearance. “I know how much she loved it. Daddy gave it to her for their twentieth anniversary. She always said how much the windmill design reminded her of their honeymoon.”

  “Yeah, I know.” Concern was apparent in Chenille’s voice. “But why bring it up now?”

  Liddy spun back to look at her sister meaningfully. She believed what she’d told Kevin. Mama did respect her decisions. Annette would pitch a fit over Liddy’s dating a white man, possibly not even talk to her for a while, but eventually she would have to see how happy Kevin made her and get used to the idea, or at least learn to live with it.

  Of course, just in case this date didn’t go so well, prolonging the moment when her mama found out about it wouldn’t hurt anything. “I was thinking how heartbroken she was about the mailbox and how mad she’d be with the person responsible. Probably wouldn’t make them carrot cake for at least a dozen Sundays or so.”

  Whether it was the mention of the cake that happened to be her sister’s favorite and the dessert Mama made every Sunday for their weekly family luncheon, Chenille’s gaze narrowed. She came to her feet and lifted her chin, attitude clear in her stance. “She’s not going to, so don’t worry about it.”

  “I hope not.”

  A knock sounded on the door before Chenille could respond. Liddy’s belly tightened as she crossed the short distance to the front door. With an indrawn breath, she yanked it open, and had to fight to hold in her roar of appreciation.

  Between tight fitting dark jeans she could guess would hug his ass like a glove and a black leather jacket over a tan sweater, Kevin looked more than good enough to eat. His mouth tugged into that wide, full grin that showed off his teeth and her panties grew moist. Vaguely she was aware of the cold air rushing in, but it wasn’t the reason her nipples felt hard as rocks. No, that would be the way his intense gaze traveled over her body, lingering on the swell of her breasts.

  She’d put on her coat, but hadn’t bothered with shutting it, and her cleavage suddenly felt ready to escape the bodice of her casual dress. Right into his hands would be the ideal place for her breasts to go.

  Kevin’s gaze met hers and he whistled. “Wow. You look—”

  “Hot,” Chenille’s voice carried over Liddy’s shoulder. I told her…” Her sister’s words trailed off, and she knew Chenille had stepped into sight of Kevin. “He’s your date?”

  Liddy retreated to the couch to grab her purse and give her sister a warning look. “Yes. And we’re leaving now. Don’t wait up. And don’t forget about the mailbox.”

  Understanding filled Chenille’s eyes followed by amusement. With a sigh of relief, Liddy returned to the door. Her sister seemed mostly accepting of her dating a man outside their race—at least, the parts of her race that involved pigmentation—now to see how the rest of the city responded.

  *

  “I like mine blood red. How about you?”

  Liddy frowned a little, but then responded to Kevin’s question. “Same way. It zaps all the flavor out of the steak when it’s cooked too much.”

  He’d been asking her minor questions meant to unravel the mystery of what she really was—a woman or a lioness—for the last half hour. The major questions would come later, when he had her in a position where he wasn’t afraid she would bolt.

  Given the frowns that had come with his latest questions, he opted to avoid even the minor ones for the time being. A glance across the small candlelit table revealed a topic he wouldn’t mind spending several hours talking about, the way Liddy’s lush breasts pressed against her black gown and tempted his fingers to reach out and touch.

  The candlelight played off her golden brown skin and made the generous curves glisten, as if they were damp, as if he’d had his mouth on them. He hadn’t yet, but he would before this night was through. The sensual smile that curved her lips as he lifted his attention from her cleavage ensured she was as anxious to take this relationship up a step. Heat sizzled in her dark eyes as he reached for his wine glass, purposefully brushing the hand she’d settled on the table next to her own glass. The intensity of that heat had him aching to take the next step here and now.

  It was dark in the restaurant, the lighting set low to add to the atmosphere. The tablecloth hung well over the edge of the table, far enough to hide most of their legs from view. Far enough that unless someone was pointedly looking at their feet, they wouldn’t notice movement under the table.

  Kevin could give her casual conversation, but they shared that daily during his visits to the sanctuary. What they hadn’t shared during those visits—hadn’t even come close to sharing until yesterday—was intimacy.

  His cock lengthened, thickened with the idea overtaking his thoughts. Dare he, when it was clear how anxious Liddy was about the two of them being seen on a date?

  He lifted his wine glass and took a long drink. The answer to his unspoken question was in the way her gaze went to his mouth. Her pupils darkened, dilated. Her tongue slipped out, swiped at her lush lower lip.

  Dare he? Oh yes, he dared.

  Kevin set his glass back, and hitched his elbow at the precise angle to send his spoon flying to the floor. Finely arched black eyebrows darted together and he gave her an innocent smile. “Woops. It would seem your date has a clumsy side.”

  He sent a covert glance around, and noting no watchers, pushed back hi
s chair. Slipping to the floor on his knees, he pulled the chair back in. The spoon had fallen inches from his feet. He grabbed it and crawled the short distance to Liddy’s slender feet decked out in strappy black heels. Her pantyhose were sheer black and her legs neatly crossed. He set the spoon against the inner curve of one of her legs, and they came unfolded, still too close together for his liking. He remedied that with his mouth.

  Nibbling at the inside of one knee, he set the spoon aside and caught the other knee in his hand, squeezing the soft flesh, then slowly working his way up. Liddy was silent above the table, but her hands moved beneath it, letting him know she wasn’t unaffected by his actions. He parted his lips and stroked his tongue along her thigh. Her legs opened wider, while her fingers delved into his hair.

  Yes. Higher. All the way up.

  Her thoughts hit him hard, and made his cock throb. That she was sharing them was a good sign. They were also a silent plea he had no plans to resist.

  Kevin placed both hands on her thighs and slid them upward. The air lodged in his throat momentarily when he met with the lace edges of the silky material that covered her legs. Not pantyhose, but stockings. And that meant her pussy was easily accessible.

  His blood heated as he lifted the hem of her dress, moved it up her shapely thighs and bunched the material beneath her curvy ass. Her panties were black and miniscule. The scent of her arousal all consuming. Nostrils flaring, he slid his thumbs to the apex of her thighs and beneath the crotch of her panties.

  Liddy’s hips shot forward with the first swipe of his thumbs over her swollen clit. Then harder a second time, as he pushed one thumb against the tender pearl and used the other to pull her panties aside. It was dark under the tablecloth, and this was one time Kevin praised God for his abilities as a shifter. Thanks to his night vision, he could see the tangle of black curls glistening with her essence as easily as if the sun shone on her sex. He parted her folds with his thumbs and once more Liddy’s thoughts came to him.

  Your tongue. Now. Please. Fuck me with it.

  If he’d had any concerns over her not wanting to end this night in his bed, they were wasted. The months they’d spent as friends, carefully avoiding the chemistry between them had her dancing on the edge of need as acutely as he himself was.

  Her need he planned to do something about, now.

  So hot, Kevin thought, pressing his nose to her slit. He inhaled her heady scent and her essence fired his blood to fever pitch. It stole through him in a flourish, making his veins ache with the urge to do so much more than sink his tongue into her wet flesh. His body throbbed, his cells felt afire. This wasn’t a normal reaction to a woman. It was a reaction to a female. It was the way he felt before he shifted.

  He wouldn’t shift here, but that he wanted to do so nearly confirmed what he’d guessed. Liddy was no woman. She was a shifter. The female that he would make his. Later with his body, now with his mouth.

  He sniffed her sexy scent one last time, then placed his tongue to her slit and licked the length of her damp folds. Her hold on his hair tightened, her nails nipping into his skull. A soft little mewl left her throat. Kevin grinned against her pussy and sank his tongue deep. His extrasensory hearing might have allowed him to be the only one to hear that mewl. But more than likely there were other shifters in the restaurant. Others who knew exactly what was going on beneath the table.

  Oooh yes! More. Deeper. So close…

  He responded to Liddy’s silent pleas with deep thrusts of his tongue into her sex. Warm wetness coated his tongue, growing damper with each push. So wet.

  Palming her upper thighs, he kneaded the soft, dark flesh while he returned the pad of one thumb to her clit. With each plunge of his tongue into her pussy, he pressed at the swollen pearl. The muscles of her sex shuddered around his tongue. Her hips jerked against his face. He could taste how close she was to climaxing. So sexy.

  More gentle mewls reached his ears. His answering growl was low but automatic. Her nails nipped harder against his head. Her pelvis jerked toward his face.

  Oh God. Oh God. I’m going to come…

  Her pussy convulsed around him. Cream drenched his tongue. One long, low cry lit the air. His cock thrummed with the animalistic sound. His balls hugged his body. He ached to pull her under the table and fuck her breathless.

  Instead, he eased his finger against the inner walls of her sex, bringing her down from the climax. He took one last lap of her heavenly body, then fixed her panties and righted her dress. Mindful to grab the spoon, Kevin returned to his chair. The grin that took over his face as he looked across the table felt ridiculously huge, but he couldn’t do anything about it.

  Liddy’s face was flushed, her eyes glazed and her lips dark and puffy. Her breath came out on fast, excited pants and he could hear her blood traveling at a rush through her body. She looked as though she’d been thoroughly loved. She hadn’t yet, not thoroughly, but she would be soon.

  She reached for her wineglass as their server approached the table. Guilt flashed over her face as the man set their appetizer down. “Did you, uh, find your spoon?”

  Kevin reached across the table when she set the glass back and took her hand in his. He rubbed over the pounding pulse at her wrist. “Yes, but I’m feeling awfully clumsy tonight. I’ll probably drop it again before the meal’s over.”

  *

  Kevin hadn’t dropped his spoon again. Liddy’s entire body had been keyed up for the moment when he would do so. Outside of rubbing her wrist before they began eating and flashing hot looks her way throughout dinner, he hadn’t even hinted at touching her again. That had to be the reason the silent ride back to her place had her nerves stretched to the snapping point.

  Their conversation had been lagging since the moment he’d crawled beneath the tablecloth. It had stopped completely the instant they climbed into his truck.

  Maybe he felt awkward about conversation after what he’d done to her. Only that didn’t seem like the Kevin she knew. Then again she never would have guessed the Kevin she knew would give her oral sex in a fancy restaurant, either.

  Liddy’s sex grew wet with fresh moistness at the memory of the way his masterful tongue had licked at her folds and pushed deep into her sheath. He’d had her ready to come from the first lick. She wanted to come again just thinking about it. But, no, this time when she climaxed, she wanted it to be with Kevin’s thick cock impaled in her.

  When they came together, it would be unforgettable. The way her body reacted to his tongue ensured it. He’d had her blood sizzling and the rest of her aching to give into her baser side. No other man had ever been able to accomplish that.

  Something so amazing was too much to do without for even another night. She had another seven blocks to convince Kevin of the same.

  Liddy glanced across the cab of the truck and flashed her most temping smile. “You don’t have to take me home. I told Chenille not to wait up for me. I meant it.”

  His left hand moved to the steering wheel while his right one uncurled from the wheel and started slowly toward her. His palm settled on her knee where it peeked out from beneath her coat. A glance in her direction revealed lust burning hotly in his eyes. “I know. That’s why I’m not. I live out this way, too.”

  “Oh. That’s good. I’m glad.” And she was. She really didn’t want to stoop to begging in order to get her hands all over his scrumptious body tonight, but if that’s what it took she might well have.

  Kevin glanced at her a second time, humor lighting his eyes. “Why is that, Liddy? Why are you so glad to know I’m taking you home with me?”

  Well, she’d wanted conversation… This was franker than what they’d ever had before, and yet she found herself eager to respond no-holds barred. “Because I’ve wanted to go there for months now. Every day when I see you at the sanctuary, it’s so hard for me to stay at a friendly distance. What I really want to do is pounce on you and rip those stuffy dress clothes off your gorgeous ass.”

  The
hand on her knee squeezed. His rich chuckle filled the cab and ignited every one of her nerve endings. “I’m glad we’ve finally gotten past the friendly stage, because that’s what I’ve wanted too. I’ve imagined the way you would taste for the last six months.” He braked the truck and pulled into a long drive surrounded by a cluster of trees. Killing the engine, he looked over at her. “You taste hot, Liddy. Hot and sweet.”

  Would he reveal his desire for her so completely if he knew she could see his face in the dark? Liddy had only seconds to ponder the question before Kevin was out of the truck. He came around to her side and opened the door. Moonlight spilled down, calling out the sharp angles of his face, as well as the want etched into his features.

  Yes, she realized, he would let her see his desire, because he wasn’t a man to keep secrets. She could trust him, and she did so now by taking the hand he offered. Silently, he led her up the front steps of a two-story townhouse. He released her hand to unlock the door, then gestured for her to go inside. Silence ensued as he reclaimed her hand and led her to the center of the living room. Hardwood floors filled the room and a vivid rug sporting a collage of animals spread out beneath their feet. An unlit fireplace dominated the wall in front of her and off to her side, large bay windows reflected the moonlight off the snow making it nearly as bright as day. She knew with the aid of the moon he could see her almost as well as she could see him.

  “I want to see all of you, Liddy. Undress for me.”

  Kevin’s voice was rough yet soft, not what she’d expected. After the way he’d gone down on her at the restaurant, she’d assumed this night would end with fast, furious sex. She rather liked the slow approach. It stoked the fire kindling in her belly into a restless need. “You too,” she responded just as softly. “I want to see all of you.”

  With a nod, he shrugged off his leather jacket and cast it aside. Liddy followed his move, unable to take her eyes off his body. His sweater came next to reveal a dark T-shirt molded to his torso. She’d never seen him outside of his business attire and until now hadn’t realized how toned he was. He was tall, lean and graceful. He had the build of a runner. The kind of build that had always made her salivate.