"No."
"Tally, now is not the time to piss me off."
"You can take your orders and shov - "
Biting back a growl, he shifted across the bench seat to block her in the corner, his free arm braced palm down beside her head. "Would you like to repeat what you just said?"
Big Tally-colored eyes looked up at him. No one else had eyes like hers. Out in the sunlight, the rings of amber almost seemed to disappear but here in the dark of the forest, they glowed hot.
"I was insulting you," she said, echoes of the girl he'd known sparking in those fire and dawn eyes. "And doing it rather well if I made you lose control."
He could smell her fear, but she hadn't budged. "Why fear me? You know I would never put a bruise on your body." He paused, decided to trust the strength of will in that small body, and pushed. "Well, I might in one situation."
"What?" She blinked. "You'd never hurt me."
"I didn't say I would. I said I might bruise you." He leaned in and nipped at that soft, luscious mouth of hers, drawing back before she could do more than suck in a shocked breath. "I might bite during sex." No rejection in her scent. His gut unclenched. It had been a risk, founded on their fragile new bond of trust and his leopard's clawing need.
"I am not having sex with you." Her voice was breathy. "Nuh-uh. Not ever."
"Why not?" He wanted to bite her again. "What's wrong with me?"
"I don't like dark men."
That halted him for a second. Until he picked up the deceit in the air. "Lying is a sin, Tally darling." His leopard relaxed, soothed by the realization of her susceptibility to him.
"You're conceited, pushy, and you scowl too much."
He tightened his hand on her nape, just a little. Then he bent his head and licked the full curve of her lower lip. She shivered and pushed at his chest. "No licking. Definitely no licking."
"Why not?" He was almost sure he saw flames racing in the ring of amber around her irises. "I'm a cat. I like licking - all sorts of places."
Her cheeks blazed. "You don't want me that way."
"What way?
"Sexually." It seemed as if she had to force the words out. "You hate me for what I did with those other men, remember?"
Both man and cat continued to wrestle with the sharp edge of jealous rage, but..."How can I hate you after what you told me last night? I'm learning to deal."
Her mouth dropped open, then snapped shut. "Yeah, right."
"Hey." He leaned closer, until all he could scent was her. "I'm trying. You could be a bit more encouraging."
"Why?" Her lips pressed down into a harsh line. "So you can play at being the all-forgiving leopard and I can abase myself at your feet? Don't tell me you're a virgin!"
"I've about had it with you," he threatened, such a feeling of life shooting through him that he was drunk on it. Fighting with Tally was more fun than doing anything else with any other woman. "It has nothing to do with the sex."
"Uh-huh."
"You hurt yourself, Tally. You fucking did to yourself what - " He bit off his words, refusing to bring Orrin back from the grave. "That's what makes me really mad. And yeah, maybe I'm too possessive with you, but fuck that. You were ready to claw out Faith's eyes over some flowers."
She sat silent, mutinous.
"I figure we're even in the forgiveness stakes."
A narrow-eyed glance. "How's that?"
"I'll try to handle you being with other men that way, and you try to forgive me for not saving you from Orrin all those years ago when he hurt you."