Mountain Lion (8 page)

She was glowing with sweat and exertion but seemed extremely pleased, and the cat in him purred with pride.

And screamed its ownership.

But he told it to shut up and not ruin things. Valerie had made things clear from the start that she wasn’t looking for that, and Wyatt would give her everything she wanted, but no more.

“Is that it tonight?” she asked, sounding a little disappointed.

“Listen to your body,” he said. “Do you really think more is a good idea.”

She sighed and relaxed against him. “I guess not. I’m a little sore and tired, I guess. I didn’t know orgasms could make you so relaxed. So… limp.”

He hugged her close. “That just means I did a good job,” he said. “And so did you, letting me know what you want.”

“I had no idea it could feel like that. When Lyle was pawing me, it didn’t seem like it would be anything like this.”

Wyatt growled. “It wouldn’t have been. That asshole wouldn’t have known what to do with a woman as beautiful as you.”

“Why do you say that?” she asked, looking up at him with innocent eyes.

“Because he hit you,” Wyatt said.

“And you never would?” she asked.

“Of course not,” he said.

“Even if I made you angry? Even if I did something really bad? Like cheat on you, if we were together?”

“I’d be brokenhearted,” he said. “But I’d never hit you. There’s no excuse for that.”

She nodded and rested against him. “I thought the same, but it’s nice to hear it from someone else. From you.”

He nodded and let out a deep breath as she rested against his chest. She felt so right there, like she fit perfectly. It was warm in the room, still filled with their combined scents, and Wyatt could feel his heart pounding as he tried to calm down.

Making love to her like that had struck him right down to the core, and they hadn’t even had sex.

What would it do to him when they did? What would it do to that possessive animal in him that was getting more and more proprietary and insistent?

The last thing he wanted was to lose control and claim her in the moment.

But he trusted he would never do that because no part of him ever wanted to hurt her.

“Wyatt?” she asked.

“Yes?”

“Do you ever think about what would have happened if we’d met some other way? If I hadn’t been on the run from my family, but was one of the fancy ladies that comes out here for vacation? Do you think you would have been interested in me?”

He thought about it for a moment. “I like you for who you are,” he said. “I can’t really imagine you as anyone else, nor would I wish for you to be.”

She squirmed happily in his lap, and he grinned. Then she looked up at him. “So next time can we have sex?”

He was shocked for a moment and then laughed. “Yeah, kitten. If we do it again, we can have sex.”

She pushed away from him and looked at him angrily. “We
are
doing that again. I haven’t had everything.”

He groaned. “You’re going to kill me when we have everything,” he said. “I could barely stand what we just did.”

Her face fell. “Why?” she asked. “Was it bad for you?”

“No, no,” he said, shaking his head. “You’re just… It was so hot, so powerful. I don’t think I could contain myself. I’d want to mate you.”

She nodded slowly as comprehension dawned. Then disappointment. “Oh. So maybe we shouldn’t?”

He scratched his head. “I don’t know. Why don’t we see how it goes? There’s still lots I can show you,” he said. “If you want.”

She nodded and got under the covers beside him, pulling them up over them as he watched in amusement. “I do want. We can start again tomorrow morning.”

He let out a mock groan as he joined her under the covers, lying on his side and facing her so he could look into her eyes.

It just felt so right to be there alone together, falling asleep beside one another.

“All right,” he said. “Your wish is my command.”

“Good,” she muttered sleepily, burrowing into the blankets and pulling them all over the bed.

Wyatt grinned and waited for her to fall asleep. Once he knew she was safe, and happy, then he could finally get some rest as well.

Until then, he’d keep an eye out.

T
he next day
, Wyatt woke up with Valerie by his side and felt totally right with the world.

The past weeks seemed to have gone by like a blur, and all that seemed to matter was being here, now, with the woman who’d come to mean everything to him somehow.

Her blond hair was splayed over the pillow, her tanned, freckled face peaceful in repose. Though he couldn’t help remembering how it had looked, twisted in passion, sparkling and beautiful.

He reached out a hand to stroke her hair and then realized he didn’t want to startle her.

He decided instead to shower and walked quietly into the master bedroom to start the water. It always took a minute to get hot.

He leaned on the counter while he waited, trying not to think about how hot last night had been, the way she’d gone wild in his arms.

He was surprised what simple kindness could bring out in a woman. But he knew it was more than that. There was something between them that had been there from the moment they met. It was what had made him follow her down the canyon to the bar to make sure she didn’t get into trouble. What made him interfere in her life more than he usually would have for a trench coated stranger?

She might just be his mate.

But he wasn’t sure how one knew. Was it the powerful feelings he’d had toward her in bed? The way he found himself constantly wanting to go down to the stables to find her and spend time with her? The way he looked forward to their daily rides?

The way nothing lately seemed as important as putting a smile on her face?

The whole situation was perplexing. Wyatt had expected someday he would do his duty and fly out a cat to meet him and see if they would be a good match.

He hadn’t expected the perfect woman for him to just walk onto his ranch.

Was she perfect, though? She didn’t even want commitment. Didn’t want to stay forever. If she really were his mate, then he was playing with fire by torturing himself even more by taking tastes of what he couldn’t have, but what was meant to be his.

Damn, he knew he’d be a possessive monster as a mate. Always wanting her for himself, unable to help being possessive. Everything she would come to hate about him. Everything she’d hated about other men who tried to own her. He wished he could say he’d be the patient, stand-offish kind, but he knew he couldn’t.

He’d never really had someone to love for his own, even a sibling, but he had a feeling when he did, that love would be like a wildfire, possessive and uncontrollable and destroying everything he held dear.

So it was best to not think of her as his.

She’d already said she would never consider it.

The bathroom was filling up with steam, and he was lost in his thoughts until a soft knock on the open bathroom door startled him, making him stand a little taller as he looked over.

He was surprised to see Val holding the sheets around her, looking sheepish as she gave him a once-over.

That’s when he remembered he was still wearing only his briefs. Her eyes heated, the blue becoming glowy with fire, and once again, he couldn’t help thinking there was more cat in her than she’d ever suspected.

She certainly seemed to go into heat whenever she saw him. He’d have to be careful.

And despite the look in her eyes, he’d have to say no this time. It was best for both of them.

“I was thinking we’d go up to the McAllister ranch today. Talk to my friends up at Bear Haven,” he said.

She blinked. “What?”

“You know, the one I think you might be related to. I’m sure he’d like to meet you.” He also wanted to give the brothers a heads-up on what was going on so he could call on them if shit hit the fan.

“I don’t know,” she said, glancing over him again. “I was kind of thinking of spending the morning doing something else.” She licked her lips, and he stifled a groan. Then she tilted her head, looking a little more serious. “Besides, I need to care for the horses sometime today.”

Wyatt shook his head, trying to ignore the heated steam around them and the fact she was nearly naked. “Wayne can make do without you. It’s just a day. And if we’re going up to the ranch, it’s not going to be a short trip.”

She pouted and took a few steps closer, nearly touching him. His body shuddered, and he tried to remind himself of his earlier resolution to turn her down.

Somehow, she made it hard to think.

“You said we could start again today, if I wanted to.”

“Listen, Val, I’m not sure this is the best idea…” He trailed off as she reached up on her toes and pulled his head down toward her. He groaned and took her mouth in a kiss, unable to resist taking what was so freely offered.

He’d tried to be the good guy; he really had.

She was bolder this time when she kissed him, her tongue darting in to stroke his in a way that made electric sparks shoot through him. She had an impact on him no other woman had ever had in his life.

His arms wound around her and he held her against him, smoothing his hands over her flesh. She was soft and supple and yielding, and he could swear she was almost purring as he deepened the kiss, thrusting into her mouth in an approximation of what he wanted to do to her in every way.

But that was something you did only with mates. Still, he could give her other things, as he’d promised. It would probably tear a small piece of him to do so, but he wanted her to experience everything good that she could, as long as she wanted it.

He released her lips and bent over to nip her ear. She gasped and dug her nails lightly into his back. Damn, he liked that feeling.

“What if we shower together?” he asked, nipping her again, liking the way it made her jump and hold on to him. “There are lots of nice things I can do to you there, and we’ll still have time to head out for the day.”

“But I wanted—”

“I know,” he said. “But this is what I can give.”

She studied him with serious eyes and then nodded. “Okay, I won’t ask for more than you can give. It’s only fair.”

He grinned, dropping his underwear as she dropped the sheet. He took a moment to enjoy the shocked look on her face, then laughed and picked her up.

None of this was “fair.” He was unfairly lucky to be able to make love to this beautiful woman. Unfairly lucky to be able to take her in his arms and hold her tight, carry her into the steaming, warm shower and set her down on the tiles so he could shut the glass door behind them.

He looked over at her as water streamed between them, splashing them and sending little rivulets every which way. She put her arms over her breasts, as if cold, and he put her directly under the showerhead and turned the second one on for himself.

It was a large shower, one he’d never really needed to be that big, but for once, he was glad it was so luxurious.

Maverick and the other McAllisters had always teased him for liking the finer things in life, but being here with a sexy, curvaceous woman moaning in pleasure as the spray coursed over her while he could enjoy his own stream of water was pretty much the best use of luxury ever.

“This does feel good,” she said, taking a moment to eye him. “And I do like the view.”

“I’m glad,” he said. And he meant it. Women had always appreciated his build and his looks. The ones who visited from other places had often made it clear they wouldn’t mind a fling with an adventurous cowboy. But Wyatt had never really been that interested in doing more than flirting. Or the occasional fling.

But mostly, he blew off female attention with a smile.

Not Valerie. She looked at him with an honest hunger that was the opposite of the games the city girls played. She was raw, real, and she wanted him.

And it was sexy as hell.

“I do like the view,” she said. “And this is an amazing shower, but…”

“I know,” he said, shaking water off his hair and out of his face as he reached for a bottle of body wash and poured some onto his hands. “But I haven’t even gotten started yet.”

He came over to her, backing her up against the warm, wet tiled wall as he lathered the body wash into soft bubbles in his hands. Then he began to smooth them over her, running down over her shoulders and arms. Her head arched back slightly, presenting her breasts to him, slick and glistening. He washed those too, loving the glide of his hands over the soft mounds. He cupped them and gently kissed them, not minding the slightly soapy taste.

Then he continued, moving over her waist and hips, which he gripped momentarily before sliding one hand down between her legs and washing her gently there. He felt her knees going weak and came up against her, putting one strong thigh up for her to brace herself on and holding himself up with one hand on the tile. Even if she sank forward, she’d simply fall on his leg and against him.

So she was simply free to enjoy the pleasure as he stroked with one hand, gently lathering and washing over her folds, slipping between for a feel of the slick, wet heat at the center, and then coming over her to play lightly over her mound.

He brought her into the spray and held her as water streamed over them, washing away the soap. Then he took her back against the wall of the shower.

The water streaming around them made everything warm and moist, quiet and contemplative, because there was a rhythm in the way the water fell and how steam fogged the windows of the stall and how her breathing moved in time with all of it. The combination of sensations was heaven for him, and though they were both hungry and would have to do other things together, he sort of wanted to stay there forever.

He slipped his hand between her legs again, this time feeling for the sensitive spot where she felt the most pleasure. She squeaked and squirmed against his hand, her fingers digging into his back to let him know he’d found the right spot. He pressed gently, enjoying her gasp and the way her knees seemed to go weak. He held her up as he continued to stroke, gentle and slow at first, enjoying the hitch in her breathing. Then he increased, moving against her with his body as his hand stroked harder, faster. She gasped out her pleasure as he moved his body against her, enjoying the slick stroke of his hard chest against her soft breasts and sensitive nipples.

It was heaven, and she seemed to think so too, gasping his name in rhythm with his caresses, holding on to his back like it was all she had in the world.

He’d never want to stop doing this, never. Nothing in his life had ever mattered more than this moment here with her.

Valerie.

Just as he said her name in his mind, she came apart in his arms, gasping out her release, clutching him so tight it hurt, but in an exquisitely good way. One he never wanted to stop.

He held her back, keeping her up as she collapsed against him, her wet, warm body soft in his arms as she cried out from the pleasure of the orgasm rippling through her.

“Oh, Val,” he said quietly against her ear. “What are you doing to me, beautiful?”

She simply held on harder, grinding her body against him as she choked out, “Not nearly everything I’d like to.”

He groaned at that, holding her up as he stepped back to look at her face. A few wet strands of hair had trailed over her face, and he gently moved them back, careful to keep his soapy hands off her skin.

She bit her lip and looked up at him.

He was just pushing another strand of hair behind her ear when he felt her grab him with a firm, determined grip.

He choked and looked down at her. “Val?”

“Yes?” she asked innocently, still holding him a little too tight. “What do I do with this?” She loosened her grip slightly and ran her hand up and down it. “I never thought it would feel like this. It’s like velvet. But hard. But soft. I don’t know how to describe it.”

He grated his teeth together. The sensation of her soft little hands moving up and down on him was driving him insane.

“You don’t have to do that,” he said tightly, moving a hand over hers to pull her off. She didn’t need to service him. This was all for her after all.

“I want to do it,” she said. “I want to see you when you do that too. I want to do for you what you did for me.”

“I—”

“I want to see it!” she snapped, putting her other hand over his and trying to pull it off.

He laughed. “Okay, okay. Let me help you.”

“Show me what you like,” she said, putting her other hand on his arm.

“Okay.” He moved his hand gently over hers and guided it up and down, tight and slow, savoring the feel of it. Her searing eyes rested on him, and the fact that she was watching him so intently was hot as well.

He’d never been watched like that.

He kept his eyes on hers as she moved over his wet, slick flesh. Her hand barely fit around him but felt wonderful each time they moved together.

She growled and came closer, as close as she could while still holding him, and began to stroke harder and faster. He left her hand on him and reached for her, making her catch her breath as he began to stroke her as well. She was panting, breathing heavily with the exertion of enduring his pleasure while trying to give her own.

Wyatt could feel his body drawing tight in anticipation of coming, but he wouldn’t go without her. He pressed a little harder, directly over her nub, moving slightly side to side, and with a little scream, she came hard, and her hand on him going tighter was enough to kick him over the edge. He held her tight as they both came, covered in steam and running water.

He’d never felt anything better in his life. The pleasure surging through him was all-consuming, the feel of her in his arms was all-important. The way she screamed his name as her nails dug into his back was euphoric, even as he felt something like lightning moving through him.

He felt his own nails extend but pulled them back. He could be patient. He could wait.

Or go without, if she never wanted that. But right now, holding her, watching her go while his own orgasm surged through him, all he could think about was just how well they fit together. Just how much she meant to him.

Somehow, he’d definitely grown to love her. And his heart would be torn in half if she ever left.