Jaguar Fever

had nearly drifted off when she heard big cats’ angry cries in the garden.

She was sure that Everett had run into one of the men from the club who was also wearing his jaguar coat. Wade had been sitting in another recliner, but he’d already headed for the door, stripping off his clothes. Even though she was concerned for Everett, she couldn’t draw her eyes away from Wade as he shucked his jeans—no boxers—hot, hot, very firm ass and legs and back. Before she could close her gaping mouth and look away, he shifted.

Everett roared. Huntley was yanking off his clothes to shift. David jerked awake and sat up too quickly, swayed a little, and groaned.

“Does your head still hurt?” she asked, taking hold of his muscular arm and knowing she couldn’t deter him if he wanted to help the others.

He couldn’t go out. Not the way he was feeling. He frowned at her.

“Enough of them are going after him. Stay with me. What if he is just a diversionary force and someone else tries to come in the front way?”

David didn’t object, but he stood slowly and walked toward the kitchen, which had a view of the backyard and gardens. He peered out the window.

Wade was waiting at the back door, Huntley beside him, wearing a beautiful black jaguar coat with barely visible rosettes. He was clawing at the door to get out. When she opened it, Huntley rushed out to protect his brother. In his golden jaguar coat, Wade peered out, breathing in the air, testing it, and attempting to smell any sign of what was happening outside.

“Did you want to go, Wade?” Maya asked. “Or stay here with us?”

David snorted. “Wade’s not leaving you for a second.”

“I can shift and I don’t have any qualms about fighting a male cat if he comes into the house,” Maya said. Not that a female against a male would be an even match. But David could shift if he had to.

“He’s not leaving you behind,” David said, sure of his statement.

It didn’t take long for one of the cats to cry out near the pottery barn. Another responded, then a third.

Her heart thundering, Maya strained to watch for any sign of the cats but she couldn’t see anything because of the vegetation and stone wall surrounding

the gardens.

A few minutes later, Everett poked his spotted orange head through the rose-covered arbor, as if telling her he was all right. Everything was fine now. Since he was still on guard duty, he turned, waving his long spotted tail in his wake, and went back to prowling. Huntley ran through the arbor and straight to the house to tell them what had happened. Once he was inside, Maya took a relieved breath and closed the back door.

Huntley walked behind the couch to where he’d dropped his clothes and grabbed his boxers with his teeth, then headed for the bathroom. Wade shifted and grabbed his jeans. She turned her attention from how well-hung he was to his face. He winked, then headed into her bedroom to change. Not that he’d want to use the bathroom when Huntley was in there, but once he left his scent in her room, all she would think about whenever she was in there was how he had looked.

Naked, ripped, hot.

Her eyes were fixated on his backside as he entered her room, but he didn’t shut the door.

Seconds later, Huntley left the bathroom wearing his boxers and running his hands through his hair. “Hell, that was that Bettinger guy. He sure has balls. Even I am reluctant to fight Everett when he’s angry.”

“Bettinger?” Maya groaned. “Connor isn’t going to be happy.” She pulled a quilt from an oak chest near the fireplace while David resettled on the couch.

“I doubt he’s going to want to return here and get another whipping,” Huntley said, going into the kitchen. He paused. “Is it okay for me to get some milk?”

“Only if you drink it out of a glass and not out of the jug,” Maya warned.

He chuckled and continued to the kitchen. “Everett must have told on me. I live alone and it’s my jug of milk.”

Wade rejoined the party and reclined on the chair again, his claimed territory for the night. She was a little surprised he wasn’t sleeping in his jaguar form like he’d said he would.

As she moved past Wade’s chair, he snagged her hand, startling her. “Go to bed. David will be fine. I’ll keep an eye on him.” He pulled Maya down for a good-night kiss.

She thought he meant to give her a light peck on the mouth and send her off to bed, but unexpectedly, he pulled her on top of him, their mouths fusing. Tongues licked and stroked, lips pressed and rubbed, both of them just as eager to kiss. His fingers combed through her hair as she held his face gently in her hands. Wickedly, he spread his legs so she fell between his thighs and felt his erection, thick and hard and ready for her. She ground slightly against him, wanting to feel him stir against her body. He did with a surrendering groan.

That will teach him not to play with a female jaguar. She licked his lips and said, “Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the jaguars bite.”

“Only this one,” he said, stroking her arm as she got off him.

She smiled again and kissed his forehead. David was watching them, green eyes wide.

She’d forgotten he was there, close enough to see all. She turned and found Huntley smiling at her, glass of milk in hand. He shook his head. “I suppose you don’t want to give me a good-night kiss like that, too.”

“You’re my cousin,” she said, crossing the floor. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and headed into her bedroom.

David cleared his throat, as if he wanted her to come back and kiss him, too.

She chuckled and closed her door, hoping that no one else would visit the property tonight and cause more trouble. If there were more catfights, they’d never get any sleep.

Chapter 7

Sweat dripping into his eyes, Thompson was frozen to the ground, his heart pounding as if he’d been running a marathon.

He listened for any sign of the cats. One had returned to the house, and even more of a shock to him, Maya had been standing in the doorway with another. Three had been fighting in the garden before that. The other that had encroached on these jaguars’ territories had to be an outsider. Where the hell had he come from? Not one he saw was female.

He had half a notion to walk straight up to the back door, knock on it, and ask Maya about the female jaguar again. Then what? Would she turn the big males loose on him? For trespassing in the middle of the night in her backyard?

Instead of guard dogs, she had guard cats. It couldn’t be possible.

He couldn’t get his feet to move. For the first time since he could remember, he was truly terrified.

He sat down with his back to the tree, trying to stay awake, but drifting off, only to be awakened by the sound of the patio door opening. A jaguar loped out of the garden toward the house, ran inside, and another ran out. The door shut again with a soft thunk.

Thompson blinked. They actually were serving guard duty.

He was losing his mind.

He must have finally fallen asleep, because the next thing he heard was the sound of vehicles pulling out of the parking lot in front of the house, tires crunching on the gravel. Darkness still cloaked the early morning hour. Still hidden by the woods, he hurried around front, saw three cars take off, and waited.

When no one seemed likely to return anytime soon, he peered through the picture windows, expecting to see jaguars lying around on the couches and floor. The room was too dark, and he couldn’t see anything.

He returned to the woods until it was light out, then made his way back to the house and peeked again through the window. There was no movement in the house, no cats lying on the floor or lounging on the couches.