The sound of the water running snaps me into action. Opening my luggage, I hastily grab a set of sweatpants and t-shirt and fresh underwear to change into and am picking up my shower kit when he steps out of the bathroom. Damn, he’s quiet. My animal purrs in appreciation at that particular trait, but I wish I was more aware of my surroundings. With moving across the state, and now supposedly finding my mate, I’m all discombobulated and off my game.
“Shower’s ready,” he takes the shower bag from my hands and grabs hold of my hand. “I’ll show you where everything is.” Following his lead, I let him guide me to the bathroom and watch patiently as he points out where the towels and toiletries are if I need any of them. “Is there anything else you need?”
“This is good,” I look around the small room trying to avoid his gaze but fail. Stepping into my space, he settles his warm hands on my waist.
“Do you have any idea how much I want to strip you down and carry you into the shower? Have you naked, your wet skin sliding against mine. How much I want to be the one to soap every inch of your hot little body and make you clean only to get you dirty again with my mouth?” A growl fills the room and I feel it down to my core.
“Hmm,” I moan at the picture his words conjure in my brain. Every part of me is his. I can’t deny it, no matter how much I probably should put some distance between us.
Inhaling deeply, he turns me toward the shower, his fingers never leaving my body. Exhaling slowly, they find the hem of my sweater and slide it up and over my body. Dropping it on the floor, his hands move to the fly of my jeans and he deftly unbuttons then unzips them. His warm, damp breath and the feel of his short beard on my shoulder sends a shiver through me.
“You smell so good, so ready.” Pushing my jeans over my hips and down my trembling legs, he places tiny kisses along my shoulder and down the middle of my back on his way to free my legs from the pants and shoes.
“So beautiful,” he mumbles when he comes to stand at my back. He removes my bra and underwear effortlessly, taking his time to cup my breasts in his palms.
“Hacker,” I whisper, leaning back on his chest. He’s taken off his cut and shirt and the feel of us, skin on skin together is like nothing I’ve ever felt before. I’m not innocent by any means, but intimacy like this is different. When did he lose the shirt?
“This,” he presses his considerable length to my backside, “is what you do to me.” My breath catches and I feel lightheaded. “Now, into the shower before I forget how to be a gentleman.” He walks me to the tub and draws back the opaque liner. Taking me by the hand, he motions for me to step in. “Be careful.”
I’m reluctant to leave his side, my cat yearning for me to rub myself all over him. I can’t blame her. His touch settles something inside that hasn’t been calm since I was a child. Seeing my hesitation, he lifts me up and places me on my feet in the tub, immediately pulling the curtain closed with a yank.
I’m so damn confused. My cat is screaming at me to finish our mate bond, Hacker’s obvious need for me has my body dying for more, and to top it all off, even though I want him more than my next breath, I don’t really know him at all.
“Yes, you do,” my bobcat scolds. “We know he is a good man. I can sense his cat and he is fierce and deadly.”
That’s reassuring.
“He is honorable, loyal, and will protect us,” She defends. Growing calmer, She says, “He quiets the emotions that plague you.” And then there’s that. Of all the people I’ve ever known, no one has ever had that effect on me. Crowds and new people are very difficult for me to handle, but the few times he’s been around today? My anxiety has taken a backseat. Why?
“Little bird,” he calls to me from the other side of the curtain. He hasn’t left the room, for which I’m thankful, and I can sense he’s fighting his cat to give me space. The rising growl rumbling in my ears confirms my assumption.
“Let go for once,” she urges. “He will take care of us. He is ours for always.”
Always. Why does that sound impossible?
“Larken,” he murmurs, this time using my name, and I see the movement of his tall, shadowy body step toward the curtain. Reaching out to place a hand against the barrier between us, he says my name again.
Hesitantly, I place my hand right over his on the vinyl separating us. Immediately, I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that he’s my mate and the one I can never live without.
“Hacker,” I reply, my voice trembling as I lose all resistance to the mate pull between us and open the curtain. His face is full of pain as he struggles with his inner leopard and I can’t stand to see him this way. “I feel it, too,” I whimper, tears of relief and happiness falling from my eyes.
“Thank fuck,” he near growls while pulling me in for the hottest kiss I’ve had until this moment. “Need you, little bird. Need you now.” His hands roam my bare skin and I can feel my core clenching in response.
My hands work to remove his jeans but are knocked out of
