Read Online Claws and Effect by Jessica Sims - Free Book Online

And he continued to press light, grazing kisses against my face until my breath was panting in my lungs and I was watching him with longing in my eyes. These butterfly-light kisses were sweet, but they weren't quenching the ache that was building inside me.
    Ellis seemed to realize that I needed more. He moved back toward my mouth, and his nose brushed against mine in a gentle tease, and then he leaned down and studied my mouth.
    I licked my lips, panting.
    As I did, he leaned in and caught my tongue between his lips, capturing it before it could disappear back into my mouth.
    I gasped, lust rocketing through my body in response. My mouth fell open and I moaned, the sound an invitation I hoped he would take.
    He did. Ellis's mouth swooped over my own and then he was kissing me. Not soft and sweet like before, but rough, fierce, claiming kisses so deep that I felt like I was being devoured. I was helpless under the onslaught of his kiss...and I loved it. Over and over, his mouth moved over mine, tasting, licking, flicking, teasing. A moment later - an endless, delicious moment later, he lifted his head and I whimpered a protest.
    "We need to get up," he said, though he wasn't moving from his spot on top of me. His eyes were shining, his lips slick, and I wanted to kiss them all over again.
    "Why?" My voice sounded ragged even to my own ears.
    "There's a party today."
    That startled me out of my kiss-drugged haze. "A...party?"
    "For Marie. And she wants you there." He leaned in and gave me one quick last kiss on the mouth, and then got off of me.
    I sat up on the bed, my senses reeling from that kiss. I pushed at my messy hair, trying to grasp everything. The kiss. He'd gone nuts when I'd bitten his throat. Did I regret it? God no. I wanted to bite him again, see if he reacted the same way. But...Marie. Party. "Why am I going to a party?"
    "Because I'm invited and I can't leave you? And because Marie wants to see you?"
    "Oh. But what about the kittens?" I looked over at the box, where SuperGirl and Wonder Woman were sleeping (Ellis and I were terrible with names, we'd decided). "Will they be okay?"
    "We'll feed them before we go, and we'll be back in time for another feeding, I promise."
    I touched my hair again. "I don't have anything to wear."
    He laughed.
    I blushed. "Okay, that sounded stupid, but you know what I mean. All I have are sweatpants."
    "It's not a super formal party, and all of the shifters will probably be stripping down at some point anyhow." He wagged his eyebrows at me. "Try to keep your hands to yourself."
    I snorted. "Don't worry."
    He laughed. "Just hurry up and dress so we can get you blindfolded."
    "Blindfolded?" I sputtered. "Why?"
    "So you won't know where our super secret cabin is and how to leave." He waggled his eyebrows at me.
    I crawled from bed and grabbed my cleanest pair of sweatpants, switching them out. "I don't see why I have to be blindfolded," I grumbled. "It's not like you can't smell my trail, remember?"
    "Boss's orders," Ellis said cheerfully, but there was a forced note in his voice.
    "Your boss sucks," I said, picking up a long-sleeved shirt and sniffing it. Clean enough. I dragged it over my head and maneuvered so I swapped out my sleep shirt with it. There. All dressed. I dragged my fingers through my tangled hair. "I don't suppose there's a comb around here?" I normally didn't bother since it was only Ellis, but since we were heading out to see the others, I felt self-conscious at how I looked.
    "No comb, sorry. But you're going to put the other women to shame as it is, so it's probably for the best that you look like a wreck."
    I laughed and threw my shoe at him. "You beast."
    He gave me another playful look. "Meow, baby."
    This...was flirting. And it was fun. Still shaking my head, I took my shoe when he tossed it back to me and put it on, and spent a few minutes finger-combing my hair while Ellis changed his clothes and fixed bottles for the kittens. We fed them, cleaned them,