“The mortal? Ha, that's a good way of looking at it. For you, kitten, I’ll take the job. But I won't take your money. Only your heart.” I stare at her in all seriousness to my statement.
“My heart is already yours. I know I’ve only known you a couple of days and only truly spent a mere day with you, but I can feel it in every fiber of my being. I’m ready to be your mate, I want to be your mate,” she declares.
“Fuck, if those aren’t the most beautiful words I’ve ever heard. Okay, kitten. I’ll take the job. And when it’s all done, we’ll celebrate with a run together. As panthers, as mates.”
“Oh, do you mean it? Do you promise?” she asks with excitement tinging her voice.
“Yes.”
Brent stands up, saying, “Okay I’ll get everything at the hospital squared away, if anything else happens I’ll call you. You guys have a good evening.” And with that he lets himself out.
“Come here, kitten.” I pat the seat next to me on the couch.
But she apparently has other plans as she crawls into my lap and snuggles in close, murmuring, “I like that.”
“Like what?”
“You calling me kitten. It’s cute. I mean I’m obviously no kitten, but I’m still so new, it’s fitting.”
“Good, because you’ll always be my kitten,” I whisper as I hold her tight in my arms.
Feeling my cock stir at her closeness, I state, “I’m sorry. He has a mind of his own.”
“No need to apologize. At least I’m not the only extremely revved up and roaring to go.”
“No, no you’re not. But for now, let's eat. I’m hungry, how about you?”
“Famished. Whatcha cooking for dinner?”
“I figured we’d have some grilled chicken and baked potatoes with grilled asparagus. Sound good?”
“Sounds great.”
With that we get up and head into the kitchen to cook. These next couple of days will be absolute torture. But the end game is so worth the wait.
37
Sharayah
Watching this man in the kitchen is so sexy. I’m used to always being the one doing the cooking and stuff, but not here. He hasn’t let me help once. And I’m enjoying the view, so I can’t complain.
Quite the looker, both in panther form and human.
I know, he’s very yummy.
He smells yummy.
“Earth to Ray, are you okay, kitten?” Jude asks as he's waving a hand in front of my face.
“Fine, just chatting with my panther.”
“Oh, okay. You looked like you checked out there for a minute.”
“Nope, all good. What’s up?”
“Dinner’s ready.”
He sits a plate down in front of me as he takes his seat next to me.
“This looks amazing. And that smell, it's as though I can smell every individual herb you put on this.”
“That’s your heightened sense of smell. You’ll get used to it.”
We dive into our plates and sit enjoying our meal and watching the sunset out the back patio door. I think living here will be heaven.
Someone’s here.
Is that what that smell is?
Yes, it’s that pesky human who tried to kill you.
What? How?
“He’s here.”
“I know, now, Ray, I want you to go up into the master bath and lock yourself inside. Don’t come out until I say, okay?”
Sitting in complete shock I shake my head and get up to head upstairs, but before I can make it to the stairs, Oscar’s right there in the front hall staring at me.
“Wow, you look great for someone I left bleeding to death just last night,” he spews out.
“What are you doing here, how’d you find me?” I question.
“Oh, your brother, Jimmie, yeah he isn’t so smart. Led me straight to ya. It’s okay though, I thanked him properly.”
“What does that mean? Oscar, what did you do?”
“Don’t you worry about that, you two will be together again very soon.” Oscar smiles as he holds a gun up to my face. “I told you bitch, if I can’t be with you, nobody will.”
Before I can say anything else, Jude yells, “Ray, get down,” from behind me.
With that, I drop to the floor and before I know it, Oscar falls in front of me with a bullet through the center of his forehead.
“Ray, you okay?” I hear Jude question as he kneels next to me.
I jump up into his arms, crying hysterically, saying, “Baby, he killed Brent.”
‘Shh, I know, kitten, but it’s going to be okay. He can't hurt anyone else ever again.” He comforts me as I continue to cry.
I hear a phone ringing from the kitchen and instead of leaving me lay there, Jude lifts me into his arms and carries me to the kitchen with him.
Setting me on the counter but still holding me close, he answers, “Ridge, news on Brent?” asking his VP of the prospect. “The piece of shit held a gun to her saying she’d join him soon enough.”
He pauses as though to listen. I’m sure if I concentrated, I could hear the other side of the conversation, but I can't seem to slow my heart and concentrate.
“I have no idea; I haven’t had a minute to process shit yet. I just dropped that motherfucker in my front hall. I’m trying to calm my mate,” he says as he strokes my back, then tucks the loose strands of my hair behind my ear, making eye contact.
“Give me a couple of hours and I’ll check back in. I need to tend to my mate first.” And with that he hangs up, tossing his phone onto the counter. Lifting me back into his arms, he proceeds to carry me upstairs, “Come on, kitten, let's get you cleaned up.”
Walking through the door of the master bedroom, he doesn’t stop there, he takes us straight to the bathroom. Setting me down on the vanity bench, he proceeds to run a bath. I watch as he pours some bubble bath into the tub then turns to me, stating, “A nice hot bath will help relax and calm you.”
“Will you join me?” I ask.
He pulls me up from the bench and proceeds to slowly strip
