Cherished by the Cougar_A Shifters in Love Fun & Flirty Romance Read online

  Claudia glanced in her rear-view mirror. “He’s dropped off.”

  “Is that good or bad?” he asked.

  “Both. He’ll be less fractious, but he’ll also want to stay up later.”

  “Of course.”

  Even so, they got Jimmy off to bed and to sleep not long after dinner after only two rounds of Mike Mulligan.

  “Did you mean it about ordering a new couch?” asked Claudia.

  “You bet.” He swiped his iPad open and showed her the ones he had picked out.

  “I could buy a used car for that price,” she objected.

  “You can have a new one, if you want.” he told her.

  “My car is fine. But that’s a lot of money for one piece of furniture.”

  He shrugged. “Leather is easy to wipe sticky fingerprints off of. A solid maple frame will stand up to a lot of jumping from little feet. And if we settle for navy blue or dark brown we can have it by Monday.”

  “What if I want cobalt blue or red?”

  “Then we wait four months.” He bit his tongue and didn’t say, “When I will likely be dead.”

  “Navy seems more nautical,” she said, which he interpreted as a go.

  He filled out the forms and pressed ‘Buy now’. “Okay. What about a new bed?”

  “My bed is fine.”

  He grinned at her. “For one smallish woman. What I have at my condo is a California king.”

  “A California king won’t fit in my bedroom.”

  “I know. But a king will.”

  “It’ll be awfully crowded. And king-sized sheets are super expensive.”

  “We’ll get started on our house ASAP. Make sure it’s big enough for a really big bed. In the meantime, we’ll settle for a queen,” he bargained.

  “Okay.” She watched him fill out the order form, answering his questions about mattresses and pillows. “Did you just finesse me?” she asked.

  He leaned over and kissed her. A nice long smooch this time, seeing as the kid was asleep. “Little bit. This place belongs to Adam and Paige. I want you closer to my folks and further from the ocean. Jimmy and his little brother or sister are too likely to have an adventure that ends in tears. Wouldn’t you like a backyard like Mom and Dad’s?”

  “I don’t want six bedrooms and a dormitory.”

  He opened a document and began to type. “How many do you want?”

  “Bedrooms?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Three?”

  “How about four? You’ll need an office.”

  “Only if two of them share a bathroom. I’m not cleaning four bathrooms.”

  “You can have a housekeeper.”

  They argued back and forth about details, until he thought she was growing glassy-eyed. “Let’s leave this for now. We’ll work on our plans until we have something that we want to show Peter.”

  “This is exhausting,” she complained.

  “It’s a whole lot of decisions,” he agreed. “But I want your house as close to perfect as possible.” He kissed her lips before shutting down his tablet.

  “Where did you stash your bedding?” she asked.

  “In your room.” He leaned over and stroked the back of her neck lightly. Her shiver seemed to be enjoyment rather than pulling away, but her shields went back up.

  “No making out?” he asked.

  “Is that what you had in mind?” she asked suspiciously.

  “I thought we could neck and enjoy the buzz between us. But you can set the pace.” He stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. “You don’t have to shut me out. A simple no will do. I promise.”

  Her brown eyes were large and luminous. “I can’t get over that you can detect my barrier.”

  He shrugged. “It might as well be made of psychic steel. How could I miss it?”

  She lowered her guard and raised her face for his kiss. “Just kissing,” she warned.

  “I’ll keep my hands above your shoulders.”

  She nodded.

  While he explored her mouth, he massaged the base of her neck, under her hair, feeling the tight muscles there relax. When her neck softened, so did her mouth. He deepened the kiss and coaxed her tongue into his mouth. They went back and forth, discovering what they both liked, sharing breath. He kept his fingers busy on her scalp and behind her ears.

  Her soft breathy moans were sweeter than music to his ears. So he was surprised when her hands pushed at his shoulders. He growled in disappointment when he raised his head.

  “Did you just growl at me?”

  He could feel his face flame. He cleared his throat. “Sorry. I didn’t do it on purpose.”

  She was sitting across his lap, her round and supple bottom caressing his erection. He kept his arms loosely around her waist. “Do you want to stop?” His voice was gravelly.

  “I think we better, or I’m going to go up in smoke. Let’s just talk.”

  “Okay.” He put her down on the couch. “What do you want to discuss?”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Claudia~

  “For a start, how did you get a snake bite anyway?”

  He shrugged. Hesitated for a moment before answering. “I was doing a little volunteer work for the shifter police. Rogue cobra bit me when we went in for the take-down.”

  “You apprehend paranormal criminals?” She couldn’t prevent a gasp.

  Ryan looked blank for a moment, then his amber eyes lit up. “Oh, yeah. I was born to hunt.”

  His avid expression made her even more bewildered and nervous. “There’s no hunting on West Haven,” she reminded him.

  He laughed as if that fundamental law was a joke. “You mean there’s no hunting and eating your neighbors. It’s a good rule, right up until you get an Owen Haverstock. Or until you have a lost child.”

  “Looking for a lost child isn’t the same as hunting.”

  “Sure it is. Same procedure. You follow a scent trail, and figure out where your quarry is hiding. It’s just that when you locate your quarry, you rejoice instead of attacking.”

  “I guess.”

  Ryan sighed. “I never thought I would marry a trembler.”

  “What’s that? Are you insulting me?” But her voice, which should have been indignant, was sultry.

  “No. Maybe. Sort of.” He tried to explain. “Tremblers are what we call non-hunter shifters – you know, like gazelles or rabbits. Not that on West Haven they have anything to fear from cougars. We respect the law, and in any case we don’t eat people. But tremblers still quake when we show up. It gets old fast.”

  “I’m not afraid of you,” she lied. “I just don’t want you teaching Jimmy to hunt.”

  “He was born knowing how. All we can do is channel his instincts into appropriate areas. We Rutherfords take pride in being protectors of the weak.”

  “Is that a pun?”

  “Well, sure. Mountain lions don’t take ourselves too seriously.”

  “So if you got completely better, you’d want to go hunting rogues again?” she demanded.

  “Yup. Can’t have shifters raping and killing innocent people because the non-sensitive authorities aren’t able to deal with perps with paranormal talents.”

  She shook her head in disbelief. “Even after you got seriously wounded?” Didn’t he have any sense?

  “What’s that got to do with bringing criminals to justice? When I was capable, I was pleased and proud to do my duty.”

  Maybe it was just as well he had been injured. “How do you feel tonight?”

  He shrugged and his muscles rippled under his polo shirt. “Like my blood has been replaced by liquid fire.”

  “Dear heaven.” She placed a hand on his forehead. He was burning up with fever. “Why are you worse tonight?”

  “Who knows? Maybe because I didn’t cool off in the ocean today. All I can say is the poison is erratic. Some days are worse than others.”

  “You’re pretty philosophical about dying.”

  “I’ve ha
d over a month to get used to the idea.” He caught her hand when she would have moved away and pulled her onto his lap. He admired her ring and brought it to his mouth. “You up for a little more necking, Mrs. Rutherford?”

  “I don’t think you want to stop with making out.”

  “Nope. But I will.” He opened his arms.

  She could feel his erection but she didn’t move. She was so tired of being lonely. They were married. She knew that her attraction to Ryan was probably just a part of the spell cast by Robin, but so what? It felt real. And he wouldn’t be around long.

  She had more or less promised that she would give him a child. She had always expected to have a big family. At least three kids. It was just the prospect of having to raise another wild child like Jimmy that gave her pause. It had to be her overheated imagination that his cock was getting even harder and longer beneath her bottom.

  “What if our child is like Jimmy?” she blurted.

  His arms returned to clasp her. His chest heaved with his laughter. “Jimmy is a great kid.”

  “He’s a handful. He fights, and he always knows what I’m thinking.”

  Ryan laughed harder. “He’s a normal cougar cub. Kids always seem to know more than you think they do. They watch and listen and repeat. And cougar cubs pick up on cues like gaze and muscle tension as well as scent. But if you’re worried about that invisibility thing he’s got going, I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens.”

  Desire died. “What invisibility thing?”

  “Don’t you know? When he gets wound up, Jimmy blinks on and off like a light bulb.” He sniffed her neck, sighed regretfully and set her beside him on the couch.

  “Why did you do that?”

  “What?”

  “Push me away?”

  “Even though you dropped your shield, you aren’t interested in kissing anymore.”

  She hadn’t said word one. “You can’t know that!”

  “Sure I can. You were aroused and then you weren’t. Can’t fool my nose.”

  “You were smelling me?”

  “Well, sure. Believe me, you smell great even when you aren’t aroused. But I wasn’t sure what you were afraid of – me, or the kid being able to bend light.”

  “Jimmy’s only three. He can’t manifest talent yet.”

  “You told me that your mother could heal from the cradle. Sure sounds like power runs in your family.”

  She froze. Had he guessed her secret?

  “What is it now?” he asked. “What did I say? You told me yourself that your mom and dad are powerful. Your talent is off the charts too. That thing you did with your aura last night would have worn out most sensitives in two minutes, but you kept it up for half an hour.”

  “Oh, that.” She shrugged. “It’s just a minor aspect of my talent detector ability.”

  “If you say so.”

  What were they going to do about Jimmy’s unexpected talent? “I should check on him.”

  “If you want. But he doesn’t seem able to teleport himself. Just to go invisible which would prevent you from seeing him slipping out of the yard or the house.” He stood up and grabbed his cane.

  They peeked out into Jimmy’s room where he was sprawled out fast asleep. Ryan put his mouth to her ear. “Our son is a powerful talent who will be taught to manage his gifts for good. Get a grip, woman. He has a kind heart. There is no reason he should grow up to be evil.”

  Claudia found no comfort in his assurances. “What if you die?”

  “We’re all going to die,” he said. “But I told you, my clan will help you with Jimmy and any kid we have. You will be able to stay on West Haven with them.”

  “But what if she can go invisible?”

  “She who?”

  “I thought a daughter would be nice,” she said.

  He chuckled. “Fine by me.” They returned to the shabby old couch and sat together in a surprisingly companionable silence. “Looks like I’m not going to get lucky. Mind if I go to bed?”

  She turned on him in outrage and saw his sly grin. “You’re winding me up,” she accused.

  “Little bit. You’re taking this too seriously.”

  “Marriage is serious.” Particularly when children were involved.

  “I meant sex. Sex is fun, lighthearted.”

  “Sex is serious,” she insisted. “Especially if there’s a child involved.”

  “See, that’s the thing, I wasn’t thinking of this as baby-making, more as mutual pleasure.” His grin was wide and sincere.

  “What about your fever?”

  He kissed her palm and sent sparks flying to her foolish heart. “You are a fever in my blood, Mrs. Rutherford.” He looked her directly in the eyes. “But it’s your call.”

  She had been so lonely for so long. Who was she hurting by having sex with her own husband? “We better adjourn to my room. It has a latch.”

  “Keeping the boy out would be a bonus.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Ryan~

  That was so his cue to sweep her into his arms and carry her off to her bed for some heroic action. Instead he had to struggle to his feet and make sure he was balanced on his cane, in case he fell on his face, or on her.

  “Wait while I turn out the lights.” She made a swift circuit of the lighthouse turning off lights and checking the doors.

  He propped himself up and wondered if he had a condom in his shaving kit. If he did, he couldn’t vouch for its age. Might be getting up there. When the heck had he last put some in his case? But he should at least offer. She came back to his side and he realized she intended to help him to her room.

  “I can walk,” he growled.

  Her face fell. Her eyes narrowed. Great. Now he was losing points for being a cantankerous ingrate.

  “Sorry,” he ground out. “I hate being decrepit.”

  “Apology accepted.” But she looked uncertain and the joy had died out of her body.

  He kissed her, balancing himself on her shoulders and exploring the sweetness of her mouth until her heart was racing as fast as his. “We need a room,” he murmured against her lips.

  “I thought we were headed to mine,” she teased. She tugged him into her bedroom and closed the door.

  The room looked like her. Feminine but not fussy. The bed was still too small. The furniture was newer than the rest of the place. He deduced that unlike the rest of the crap in this place, it was hers. The comforter was puffy, but the cover was faded from too many washings. Still the pale green ivy twining over the fabric was an indication that she preferred pretty things.

  The white furniture made the small space seem less crowded. When that queen-sized bed got here, however, it was going to take up most of the floor space. He needed to get ground broken before too long, or he would never see her dream house – their dream house.

  The uncertainty was back in her eyes. Time to stop obsessing about space and furniture. He used his cane to flick the light switch to off. Twilight descended. Her curtains were open and the blind raised. Moonlight reflected off the ocean and filled the room with soft light.

  He had great night vision, a benefit of being a cougar. Colors washed out, but he could see her expression clearly and the tension in her body. This was the moment that was always hard for a woman. The moment of truth when she took off her clothes and revealed the flawed body underneath. The one that was not air-brushed like a centerfold, nor hard and taut like Ms. Bodybuilder USA. As if real women weren’t a million times sexier than faked-up fantasies.

  Not that he wanted Claudia focusing on his scars or wound. That was too much reality. Self-consciousness worked both ways. He was no Lothario, but he had had his share of women. He suspected that Claudia had not had much experience. Not that it was any of his business, but a guy couldn’t help but think about that. And in his case whether his cousin had shown her such a good time that no one could ever measure up.

  He let his cane fall to the carpet, and flipped her hair over her st
iff shoulders before running his hands lightly down her supple arms. “I may have a condom in my shaving kit, want me to suit up?”

  “I’m on the pill,” she whispered back.

  Every muscle in his body froze. He took a deliberate breath. Not. His. Business. “Shifters can’t get or pass on STDs.”

  “I know.” Her throat moved convulsively.

  Ryan pulled her against his chest and kissed her lingeringly. He tasted her slowly, carefully. Making the glide of his tongue and his gentle tapping on the roof of her mouth a promise that he would concentrate on her pleasure. She responded satisfactorily but then she pulled away.

  “Your leg,” she blurted. “Shouldn’t we at least sit down?”

  “I’m good. You’re better than any cane.” He covered her mouth again while his hands returned to her shoulders to massage away the tension.

  When she was moaning softly he figured it was a good moment to get rid of some of his clothes. He toed his shoes off and kicked them aside. Her fingers opened two buttons and stroked the hair on his chest. His husky groan made her smile against his probing tongue.

  He let them fall sideways onto the bed. Claudia giggled openly. “It will be harder to get undressed lying down.”

  “I’m in no rush, myself. Getting there is most of the fun,” he promised.

  “Oh.” Her voice was surprised and hesitant.

  He put her hand back inside his partially unbuttoned shirt. She used her nails to trace his pecs with a feather-soft touch. He roved up the back of her T-shirt and rubbed circles over her back, lightly tracing the straps of her bra.

  “Like that?” he asked, even though she was practically purring.

  “Oh, yeah. What about you?”

  “My cock is about to go nuclear,” he whispered back.

  “Already?” She sounded worried.

  “What do you mean, already?” he whispered back. “I’ve been smoldering for hours.”

  His gentle humor was rewarded with another soft giggle. He unfastened the catch of her bra and felt the soft bounciness of her breasts release against his chest. But he didn’t go after the round perfection teasing him, he traced the line of her spine, circling each vertebra as his tongue was circling her mouth.