The Jaguar Star (Tales of the Were Jaguar Island #4) - Bianca D'Arc Page 0,68

mode after their first round. His eyes had been closed, but they opened the moment she stirred and started stroking him. The swirling energy of his green eyes was almost luminescent in the dimly lit bedroom. Breathtaking. Magical.

The intimacy of the moment made her bold. Katrina stroked down over his hard-muscled abdomen, enjoying the indentations of his six-pack abs and sliding her fingers lower, inch by tantalizing inch. She held his gaze as she reached lower still, finding what she’d sought and taking him into her hand as he went from replete to hungry faster than she would have credited.

“Is this recovery rate normal for shifters?” she asked in a low, approving tone. “Or are you just happy to see me?”

She grinned, and he chuckled, lowering his arms and reaching toward her. He slid one arm around her shoulders while the other clutched the bedding on his far side as she squeezed his cock gently, teasing him and learning more of what he liked.

“Shifters are better at a lot of things,” he rumbled in reply. “But yes, I am very happy to see you, and I love what you’re doing to me. Almost as much as I love you.”

Every time he said it, a little thrill ran down her spine, but she suddenly realized she hadn’t given him the words in return, though her heart had been lost almost from the beginning, regardless of how hard she’d fought against his magnetic pull. It was time she gave him the words. He hadn’t pushed, but as serious as he was about this mating thing, he probably wanted to hear them. She wanted to say them, too. It was long past time to fully commit to this new life he had shown her. It was time to grab it with both hands and never let go. She took a deep breath and met his gaze once more.

“I love you, too.”

His response was one she hadn’t expected. She felt his chest rumble in a way she’d never experienced before. It was as if his inner cat was making itself known as he purred in human form.

Silent but for the purring sound that continued, he took action. He shifted their positions, taking both of her hands in his as he placed her under him. In one smooth movement, he joined his body to hers and started a rhythm that soon made her want to purr in return, if such a thing was possible for a plain old human.

The sensation of the low rumble coming from his body as they made love was both surprising and delightful. It made her quiver in unexpected places and brought their lovemaking to a whole new level. When the climax hit, she screamed her love for him to the rafters, and he seemed inordinately pleased with the world as he held her throughout.

She honestly hadn’t thought she could feel any more pleasure than what he’d already shown her, but she was amazed to learn she’d been wrong. So delightfully wrong.

The next day, their flight from the island to the U.K. was pretty much a repeat of their earlier flight to the island. The same people sat in the same places in the cabin, but there was a definite air of happiness. Everyone was more open with Katrina, and their jokes alluded to the jaguar secret she now knew. She felt more like one of the group than ever.

She was sad to leave the island, but Ren had promised her they would return after filming was done. She was surprised by how much she looked forward to returning to Ren’s amazing house on top of a volcano. She’d never been anywhere like it, but what made it so very special was Ren’s presence, of course.

During the flight, they talked about a variety of things. She told him more about her parents and her life back in New York. He seemed concerned about how she was handling all the new things she’d been learning about him and his people. She loved that he was so concerned about her, and told him so.

“I know I’ve thrown a lot at you this weekend,” Ren told her. “And there’s still more you’ll need to learn. Tell me honestly, are you really all right with everything, so far?”

She took his hand in hers and looked deep into those famous eyes of his. “You make it all right,” she said honestly. “Being with you makes everything all right.” She shook her head, smiling softly. “I know