patrols until you were found. But I knew you’d come back tonight. You were about to get caught. I had to make it look like we were just fooling around.”
He turned to look at her. She stood stiff as an oak in the middle of his open living/kitchen area. Her hair was wild and messy, hanging low enough to touch her hips. His gaze combed her from head to toe.
Damn, she was beautiful. In the roughest way. An uncut diamond. No makeup, flannel shirt, muddy boots.
She wet her lips, and his eyes settled there.
Those lips. My god, he hadn’t meant for that to be their first kiss, but hell if he’d regret it. She’d tasted sweet as a summer peach. And the way she’d rolled her tongue against his… he burned at the memory.
He took a deep breath and continued. “But Magic recognized you, and I had to change the game a bit.”
“Lie, you mean.”
He lifted one shoulder, looking away. “A little.”
“Are you really a… cat-man.”
Tea. He’d make tea.
He dug in the cabinet for his bags and then set the kettle to boil before he answered her.
“A werecat. A shifter. My animal is a jaguar.”
From the corner of his eye, he watched her. She crossed her arms, uncrossed them, crossed them again.
“But all that stuff you said about mating… that wasn’t real, right?”
He got out two cups, setting them too hard on the counter.
Damn it.
“My turn to ask questions.” He turned to look at her. “What is your name?”
Fuck, this whole ordeal narrowed to a pinpoint of absurdity. He didn’t even know her name. He’d seen her, touched her, fed her, helped her escape, kissed her… but he didn’t even know her goddamn name.
She shifted on her feet. “I shouldn’t tell you.”
“Yes, you fucking should.” Eagan hooked his hands on his hips. “I chose you over my family. The least you can do is tell me your name.”
Her brow furrowed.
“That guy, h-he wasn’t serious, was he? He wouldn’t really kill you over this.”
Eagan rubbed his palm over his jaw, the day’s growth rasping against his skin. “I don’t know,” he murmured. “But one thing’s for sure, I’m out of my clan.”
“Your clan?”
He sighed. “My shifter family. The only family I have. Woman, would you tell me your name already?”
His cat was dying to know. Now that she was here and they were talking, the information seemed crucial.
“Clara.” Her tone was quiet. Barely more than a whisper. “My name is Clara.”
“Clara.” Eagan let his mouth feel the syllables. It was perfect. His heart thumped at the sound of saying it.
The kettle whistled. Eagan pulled it from the stove and set the tea to steeping.
“Sugar?” he asked.
“Yes, please.” That same barely there tone. He didn’t like it. He’d rather her be hissy.
He carried the cups over to the couch. “Sit,” he urged.
Clara looked around his place, but this time he saw the fear in her eyes. She wasn’t looking for an escape, she was uncomfortable.
“What is it?”
“You have so many… things,” she murmured. “It’s stifling.”
Eagan followed her gaze around the room. He was a bachelor. Most of his time was spent working. He didn’t actually have many things. A couch, a bed, some small tables, and a TV/stereo system. That was about it.
“Well, I guess it’s fine you don’t like it. We won’t be here long anyway. We’ll find some place you’re more comfortable.” He gestured with one of the tea cups. “Please. Sit.”
Clara nodded, but bypassed the sofa, crouching low on the floor instead. Eagan opened his mouth to stop her, then thought better of it. He handed her one of the cups and she settled in, crossing her legs yoga style. Taking a spot on the floor next to her, he sipped his tea.
“Didn’t know cats were tea drinkers,” she said, staring into her cup.
Eagan shrugged. “We’re part human.”
She was quiet.
“Why do I get the feeling you already knew about us?”
The corner of her mouth turned up. “I saw one of you
He turned to look at her. She stood stiff as an oak in the middle of his open living/kitchen area. Her hair was wild and messy, hanging low enough to touch her hips. His gaze combed her from head to toe.
Damn, she was beautiful. In the roughest way. An uncut diamond. No makeup, flannel shirt, muddy boots.
She wet her lips, and his eyes settled there.
Those lips. My god, he hadn’t meant for that to be their first kiss, but hell if he’d regret it. She’d tasted sweet as a summer peach. And the way she’d rolled her tongue against his… he burned at the memory.
He took a deep breath and continued. “But Magic recognized you, and I had to change the game a bit.”
“Lie, you mean.”
He lifted one shoulder, looking away. “A little.”
“Are you really a… cat-man.”
Tea. He’d make tea.
He dug in the cabinet for his bags and then set the kettle to boil before he answered her.
“A werecat. A shifter. My animal is a jaguar.”
From the corner of his eye, he watched her. She crossed her arms, uncrossed them, crossed them again.
“But all that stuff you said about mating… that wasn’t real, right?”
He got out two cups, setting them too hard on the counter.
Damn it.
“My turn to ask questions.” He turned to look at her. “What is your name?”
Fuck, this whole ordeal narrowed to a pinpoint of absurdity. He didn’t even know her name. He’d seen her, touched her, fed her, helped her escape, kissed her… but he didn’t even know her goddamn name.
She shifted on her feet. “I shouldn’t tell you.”
“Yes, you fucking should.” Eagan hooked his hands on his hips. “I chose you over my family. The least you can do is tell me your name.”
Her brow furrowed.
“That guy, h-he wasn’t serious, was he? He wouldn’t really kill you over this.”
Eagan rubbed his palm over his jaw, the day’s growth rasping against his skin. “I don’t know,” he murmured. “But one thing’s for sure, I’m out of my clan.”
“Your clan?”
He sighed. “My shifter family. The only family I have. Woman, would you tell me your name already?”
His cat was dying to know. Now that she was here and they were talking, the information seemed crucial.
“Clara.” Her tone was quiet. Barely more than a whisper. “My name is Clara.”
“Clara.” Eagan let his mouth feel the syllables. It was perfect. His heart thumped at the sound of saying it.
The kettle whistled. Eagan pulled it from the stove and set the tea to steeping.
“Sugar?” he asked.
“Yes, please.” That same barely there tone. He didn’t like it. He’d rather her be hissy.
He carried the cups over to the couch. “Sit,” he urged.
Clara looked around his place, but this time he saw the fear in her eyes. She wasn’t looking for an escape, she was uncomfortable.
“What is it?”
“You have so many… things,” she murmured. “It’s stifling.”
Eagan followed her gaze around the room. He was a bachelor. Most of his time was spent working. He didn’t actually have many things. A couch, a bed, some small tables, and a TV/stereo system. That was about it.
“Well, I guess it’s fine you don’t like it. We won’t be here long anyway. We’ll find some place you’re more comfortable.” He gestured with one of the tea cups. “Please. Sit.”
Clara nodded, but bypassed the sofa, crouching low on the floor instead. Eagan opened his mouth to stop her, then thought better of it. He handed her one of the cups and she settled in, crossing her legs yoga style. Taking a spot on the floor next to her, he sipped his tea.
“Didn’t know cats were tea drinkers,” she said, staring into her cup.
Eagan shrugged. “We’re part human.”
She was quiet.
“Why do I get the feeling you already knew about us?”
The corner of her mouth turned up. “I saw one of you
Similar Books
