was a taunt she'd never have made before she'd started to spend so much time with changelings.
"Oh, yeah, kitten, I want to play." Lucas moved toward her in that lightning-fast way of his, his emotions a mix of exhilaration and challenge.
She was ready. Using her remaining strength, she jumped backward onto the table, the action almost catlike. Her Psy mind had watched the way the leopards moved and now it mimicked the beautifully smooth motion. Lucas's eyes widened as he found her halfway across the table. "You've been keeping secrets."
"Poor baby," she taunted.
He started to smile. "Come here."
"Are you going to behave?"
"No."
Her lips twitched. Feeling silly crouching on the table now that he was no longer chasing her, she jumped off to stand in front of him. His hand went to her neck again, holding her in a possessive grasp. Except this time, there was sensuality instead of anger in his touch. His kiss burned her through to her toes.
When he lifted his head, she took a few moments to catch her breath. "Have you heard of privacy?" she asked, aware of her skin turning scarlet. She could no longer curb the physical reactions of her body. That shield had burned out last night.
Tamsyn laughed. "Sorry, couldn't help overhearing."
Sascha batted at Lucas's hold until he let her go, content to prowl behind her as she walked to stand on the other side of the counter from Tamsyn. "What?"
The woman rolled her eyes. "DarkRiver males are damn possessive and complete exhibitionists during the mating dance."
Sascha ran through her dictionary of changeling terminology and could find no fit. "Mating dance?"
Mercy whistled. Dorian winced. Tamsyn suddenly got interested in her dough. Clay and Vaughn mysteriously disappeared. Behind her, Lucas's body was a hard wall of heat. "I think we need to discuss this upstairs."
"Oh, now you want to be alone?" she muttered.
He picked her up in his arms, shocking her into immobility. Before she could find the breath to complain, he was running up the stairs. A minute later, he dumped her on the bed and lay down beside her.
"Nuh-uh." She shook her head and tried to move away.
He threw a leg over hers. "Don't try any more tricks, kitten."
Just for that, she found another spurt of power and pushed his leg off her. A second later it was back.
"We're going to have to talk about this trick of yours," he said, sounding more amused than worried.
She narrowed her eyes. "I could turn your mind into mush if I wanted."
"But then who'd lick you to orgasm?"
Her entire body turned into a flame. "You can't say things like that!"
"Why not?" His hand parted the sides of her white shirt and it was only then that she realized he'd unbuttoned it.
Long fingers found her breast through her bra and plucked at her nipple.
"Lucas." It was more moan than word.
"The mating dance is what two leopards go through on their way to mating for life." He closed his hand over her breast and squeezed.
Her eyes flicked open, cold fear dousing the fire he'd stoked. "What happens if one half of a mated pair dies?"
"The survivor will never mate again." That possessive hand was pulling down the cup of her bra to rub lazily at her aroused flesh.
"No, Lucas." She tried to wiggle out from under him but he wouldn't let her. "You can't. I might not survive the week."
"You aren't going anywhere." He sounded more dominant than she'd ever before heard him sound, his eyes completely panther. "You belong to me."
They were words she'd waited for her whole life but she couldn't accept them. "Don't I get a choice?"
"You made it when you brought me into your dreams, into your mind." He nipped gently at her lower lip. "And you made it again when you let me into your body."
There was no way Sascha was going to leave Lucas without a mate for the rest of his life. "I won't cooperate."
"Sure you will." Moving his head, he sucked her nipple into his mouth.
Her fingers tunneled into the silky lushness of his hair. "Stop."
He murmured in pleasure and his other hand slipped down to cup her between her legs. Even through the material of her slacks, she felt the rough heat of his hold.
She tugged at his head and he lifted it only enough to give him room to move to her other breast. Instead of pushing down the cup, he licked her through it, one hand molding her stomach. It was impossible to think with this