me.”
“I know, love, and I’m sorry for that,
but I didn’t know. I thought once was the only chance I’d ever get.” He walked
her to the elevator. “May I kiss you again?”
He didn’t really wait for her to answer,
which she supposed was a good thing. He took her mouth in the most amazing,
gentle kiss she’d had. But then she hadn’t had that many to begin with. When he
stepped back, she entered the elevator, and he stopped the doors before they
closed.
“Your real name, what is it?” She shook
her head and stepped further into the cubical. “No matter, you’ll give it to me
soon enough after you learn to trust me.”
She was nearly a block from her
apartment when she realized she had gone that far. She moved into the first
store she saw and watched the street. She hadn’t been paying attention, and
that would get her killed.
When no one seemed to be watching, she
walked around the store again just to make sure. When the clerk looked at her
for the second time, she purchased the first thing she touched and put it on
the counter. He smiled at her when she realized what she’d bought.
“That one is pretty reliable. My
girlfriend and I use it all the time. I suppose one of these times we’re going
to get caught, but it’s a good pregnancy test.” He asked her if she wanted a
bag and she nodded, mortified.
She stuffed it into her bag and left,
this time more alert than before. She was just rounding the corner to her
apartment when she saw him. It took her a few seconds to remember if he’d been
someone from the office or from the house. When she remembered his name, her
skin grew clammy and she backed against the building. She was sure he’d not
seen her, but she was still afraid. She watched him move to a car. He drove
down the street before she moved again. It was time to go. They were too close
for her to live there any longer.
Chapter 6
Marc waited for her to come out of the
building for ten minutes. He wished he’d realized sooner that she lived there,
but he’d been so wrapped up in not believing she was his mate and hadn’t bothered
to look into where she was or even how close she was. Her fear had made him
move toward her to find her. Dumb luck had him in the alley when she’d gone
into the building at the basement level. He pulled out his key to open the door
when she didn’t come out after ten minutes.
The entire first floor looked like she’d
never been through there. He looked at the stairs and noticed right away that
she’d gone that way, but she’d been careful to step on the carpet and not the
wood on either side. Even the cobwebs hadn’t been disturbed. He moved up to the
second floor and noticed the same thing. He looked up the stairs to the third
floor, where he heard her talking. He wondered if she was alone, and realized
she was. There were no other scents in the stairwell but hers.
This part of the building was vastly
different than the rooms below. She’d cleaned it, and it nearly sparkled. He
looked in the kitchen and saw that she had two more boxes of the noodles on the
counter, and there was a single plate and fork on a clean towel on the counter.
He moved toward where she was, pulling his gun just in case. She was stuffing
clothes into her backpack when he saw her.
He had expected her to be on the defense,
but her shifting from human to cat startled him, especially how smoothly she
did it. He didn’t move as she looked at him, a low growl coming from her
throat. He slowly put his gun away, stepped into the room, and closed the door.
If she wanted to, she would be able to break it down, but he was hoping to get
to talk to her before she wanted to run again.
“You’re a beautiful panther. I knew you
would be the moment I saw you.” She snarled at him and circled around him as he
moved closer to her. “I knew you were a cat, you see, even if you didn’t tell
me. I could smell you as one of my own kind.”
She stopped moving and sat down.
“I know, love, and I’m sorry for that,
but I didn’t know. I thought once was the only chance I’d ever get.” He walked
her to the elevator. “May I kiss you again?”
He didn’t really wait for her to answer,
which she supposed was a good thing. He took her mouth in the most amazing,
gentle kiss she’d had. But then she hadn’t had that many to begin with. When he
stepped back, she entered the elevator, and he stopped the doors before they
closed.
“Your real name, what is it?” She shook
her head and stepped further into the cubical. “No matter, you’ll give it to me
soon enough after you learn to trust me.”
She was nearly a block from her
apartment when she realized she had gone that far. She moved into the first
store she saw and watched the street. She hadn’t been paying attention, and
that would get her killed.
When no one seemed to be watching, she
walked around the store again just to make sure. When the clerk looked at her
for the second time, she purchased the first thing she touched and put it on
the counter. He smiled at her when she realized what she’d bought.
“That one is pretty reliable. My
girlfriend and I use it all the time. I suppose one of these times we’re going
to get caught, but it’s a good pregnancy test.” He asked her if she wanted a
bag and she nodded, mortified.
She stuffed it into her bag and left,
this time more alert than before. She was just rounding the corner to her
apartment when she saw him. It took her a few seconds to remember if he’d been
someone from the office or from the house. When she remembered his name, her
skin grew clammy and she backed against the building. She was sure he’d not
seen her, but she was still afraid. She watched him move to a car. He drove
down the street before she moved again. It was time to go. They were too close
for her to live there any longer.
Chapter 6
Marc waited for her to come out of the
building for ten minutes. He wished he’d realized sooner that she lived there,
but he’d been so wrapped up in not believing she was his mate and hadn’t bothered
to look into where she was or even how close she was. Her fear had made him
move toward her to find her. Dumb luck had him in the alley when she’d gone
into the building at the basement level. He pulled out his key to open the door
when she didn’t come out after ten minutes.
The entire first floor looked like she’d
never been through there. He looked at the stairs and noticed right away that
she’d gone that way, but she’d been careful to step on the carpet and not the
wood on either side. Even the cobwebs hadn’t been disturbed. He moved up to the
second floor and noticed the same thing. He looked up the stairs to the third
floor, where he heard her talking. He wondered if she was alone, and realized
she was. There were no other scents in the stairwell but hers.
This part of the building was vastly
different than the rooms below. She’d cleaned it, and it nearly sparkled. He
looked in the kitchen and saw that she had two more boxes of the noodles on the
counter, and there was a single plate and fork on a clean towel on the counter.
He moved toward where she was, pulling his gun just in case. She was stuffing
clothes into her backpack when he saw her.
He had expected her to be on the defense,
but her shifting from human to cat startled him, especially how smoothly she
did it. He didn’t move as she looked at him, a low growl coming from her
throat. He slowly put his gun away, stepped into the room, and closed the door.
If she wanted to, she would be able to break it down, but he was hoping to get
to talk to her before she wanted to run again.
“You’re a beautiful panther. I knew you
would be the moment I saw you.” She snarled at him and circled around him as he
moved closer to her. “I knew you were a cat, you see, even if you didn’t tell
me. I could smell you as one of my own kind.”
She stopped moving and sat down.
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