his hips pumping up into her grip. “Yeah,” he said, before doing something sneaky and unexpected that managed to flip her.
She fell into the petals, not having anticipated the maneuver from her submissive lover. Brushing the petals from her face, she said, “Where did you learn that?”
Coming down over her, his body braced on one arm, he kissed her and the kiss was long and soft and delicious. “I asked Drew to teach me a few things,” he said afterward, his hand firmly on her breast. “I figured I needed to get myself some tricks to deal with my mate.”
She ran her claws down his back, hard enough to bite. “I’m not your mate yet.”
“Just a matter of time.” That gorgeous smile back in full force, he bent down to scrape his teeth over her jaw.
Growling, she tussled with him, tumbling him to his back. He managed to get her under him again, their bodies rubbing against each other. The scent of arousal grew hotter, deeper, until the tussling was slower, her claws kneading his shoulders as she welcomed him into her body. His cock was thick and hard; the stretching sensation made her moan and wrap herself around him.
She held him close as they moved together, his breath mingling with hers and his skin sliding hot and a little damp over hers. She loved how he smelled, how he felt, everything about him. Her leopard was in full agreement, but she was a cat, wanted to play some more, wanted to see what else he had up his sleeve.
• • •
Felix received more than a bit of gentle ribbing after people glimpsed his smile the next day—and especially when he stripped to go for a run and word got out about the claw marks on his back. Whistles sounded from his packmates, but he could handle it. As long as Desiree wanted to be his, he could handle everything.
Including a mating dance with a cat.
He thought of her smile the previous night, of the way she’d pounced so playfully on him, and knew he’d got it right. He’d surprised and delighted her. But the game wasn’t over yet, wouldn’t be over until he’d won her. So he found out her watch route and left her cake pops, sparkly bracelets made of faceted crystal, tiny chocolate sculptures, and other silly, fun things in secret places, then messaged her clues.
Her DarkRiver packmates accidentally found a few of the treats and, after figuring out what was going on, started turning up along her watch route to see what she’d discover next. Word spread to the wolves, and suddenly Felix had to avoid not one but two groups of nosy packmates when he went to hide the treats.
Then there was his mom, who beamed at him whenever she saw him, then tried to get him to confess his plans, and his dad, who slapped him on the back and said, “That’s my boy! Showing these cats how to court a woman.”
His sister, meanwhile, teamed up with Drew and Sienna to distract packmates so Felix could slip away quietly to hide his surprises for Desiree.
As for Desiree’s parents—Harry had taken his measure during a work shift, while Meenakshi had invited him down for a “little chat” that turned out to be more of an interrogation. Felix had liked Harry since their first meeting and, during the interrogation, he fell a little in love with fierce, protective Meenakshi. Apparently, he passed muster, because they’d smiled and wished him luck—then told him he’d need it with their independent and strong soldier daughter.
His courtship of Desiree had become far more public than he’d intended, but Felix found himself dealing with it without worry.
Because he had Desiree.
And he was going to keep his cat.
• • •
Desiree bit into a cake pop with a goofy grin on her face. Felix had hidden this one high up in a tree. The climb had to have taken him forever, which made it matter all the more. Sitting on the tree limb, legs swinging, she suddenly caught his scent when the breeze shifted. She froze and, finishing the cake, walked very carefully through the canopy until she was almost right on top of him.
He was hiding something else, this time in the roots of a tree. She saw the hint of a sparkle before his body blocked it.
Her leopard grinned at having caught him.
Muscles bunched, she pounced. They went rolling to the forest floor, Felix’s startled eyes looking up into hers as