Show Rachel your animal soul.”
Grady’s eyes lit up with approval. “Don’t freak, Rachel. This is totally normal.” He began removing his clothes, much to her surprise and admitted appreciation. The Chastells were enough to make any woman’s heart race. A glance at Dean showed him leaning against the doorframe, his gaze glued to her. Burke sat beside her scowling, but said nothing more.
“Why would I freak, Grady?” She couldn’t believe he was actually stripping down to nothing but golden skin. God, Grady was just as big and almost as gorgeous as Burke.
“There’s a handsome man getting naked in front of me and his brothers. I keep thinking I should be giving you money or something. How about some music to add to the mood?”
Dean chuckled, and even Burke choked on a laugh.
50
She had mere moments to see Grady naked, however, because as soon as he shucked his underwear he went down on all fours, and she had to lean over the table to watch. He seemed to shimmer, his tanned flesh growing brighter and then softer as skin became fur, joints realigned and a tail formed. His eyes, as they stared at her, turned a brighter gold, the pupils slitted in what appeared to be a catlike face. It seemed to take forever, but in mere seconds Grady had disappeared, replaced by a mature male cougar.
Rachel forgot to breathe as she stared at a freaking cat person, one of her aunt’s favorite Shifters in the many tales she liked to share. Rachel didn’t know what to say, and could scarcely believe what she was seeing.
“He’s real,” Burke said softly. “Go ahead and touch him. He won’t bite.”
Rachel stood slowly and walked around the table to…Grady? His tail swooshed along the floor where he sat waiting, his eyes unblinking. She glanced again to Burke, afraid and excited and disbelieving all at once.
Burke pushed back his chair and crouched with her in front of Grady. He lifted her hand and placed it on Grady’s head. “Go ahead, honey. Feel him. It’s Grady in there.
We’re feline Shifters, catamounts. Better known as cougars or pumas.” He pressed his warm hand over hers, pushing her fingers along Grady’s soft coat.
“Oh my God.” She stared at their hands, then at Grady’s half-closed eyes. When he began to purr, her gaze shot back to Burke. “You did that. After…when we…at the alley.
You purred.”
“I did.” Burke caressed her hand before letting go. “I was very content.”
His sexy drawl gained her body’s immediate response, and Grady tensed under her hand. She immediately stilled, unnerved when Dean approached and stood behind her, boxing her in.
“You see, Rachel, it’s like this,” Burke began, licking his lips as he stared at her.
“You and Charlotte are a lot alike. Neither of you cast a scent. Or at least, you don’t unless you’re aroused. And at least three times since you’ve been here you’ve set me off like a rocket. You accused me of taking advantage of you in that alley to get Charlotte’s land. Honey, I hate to break it to you, but I’m helpless when you’re turned on.”
51
Grady nodded, an odd sight, seeing a big cat nod in agreement.
“We all are,” Dean added. “It’s been so long since we’ve had a female feline.”
Rachel swallowed around a dry throat. All this talk of turning her on was doing just that. Grady pushed his head under her hand, forcing her to stroke between his ears and under his chin.
“Cut it out.” Burke pushed his huge head away. “Quit rubbing all over her. She’s mi—” He broke off just as he glanced back at her. “Sorry. Grady can get a tad possessive.”
Behind her Dean snorted.
“What did you mean before when you talked about marking a female?” She wanted to know, as much as she didn’t want to know.
Dean answered. “Marking a female means you accept her as one of your own, as part of a pride or clan, a family unit. Shifters are born, not made. So marking is very, very rare. But every now and then,
Grady’s eyes lit up with approval. “Don’t freak, Rachel. This is totally normal.” He began removing his clothes, much to her surprise and admitted appreciation. The Chastells were enough to make any woman’s heart race. A glance at Dean showed him leaning against the doorframe, his gaze glued to her. Burke sat beside her scowling, but said nothing more.
“Why would I freak, Grady?” She couldn’t believe he was actually stripping down to nothing but golden skin. God, Grady was just as big and almost as gorgeous as Burke.
“There’s a handsome man getting naked in front of me and his brothers. I keep thinking I should be giving you money or something. How about some music to add to the mood?”
Dean chuckled, and even Burke choked on a laugh.
50
She had mere moments to see Grady naked, however, because as soon as he shucked his underwear he went down on all fours, and she had to lean over the table to watch. He seemed to shimmer, his tanned flesh growing brighter and then softer as skin became fur, joints realigned and a tail formed. His eyes, as they stared at her, turned a brighter gold, the pupils slitted in what appeared to be a catlike face. It seemed to take forever, but in mere seconds Grady had disappeared, replaced by a mature male cougar.
Rachel forgot to breathe as she stared at a freaking cat person, one of her aunt’s favorite Shifters in the many tales she liked to share. Rachel didn’t know what to say, and could scarcely believe what she was seeing.
“He’s real,” Burke said softly. “Go ahead and touch him. He won’t bite.”
Rachel stood slowly and walked around the table to…Grady? His tail swooshed along the floor where he sat waiting, his eyes unblinking. She glanced again to Burke, afraid and excited and disbelieving all at once.
Burke pushed back his chair and crouched with her in front of Grady. He lifted her hand and placed it on Grady’s head. “Go ahead, honey. Feel him. It’s Grady in there.
We’re feline Shifters, catamounts. Better known as cougars or pumas.” He pressed his warm hand over hers, pushing her fingers along Grady’s soft coat.
“Oh my God.” She stared at their hands, then at Grady’s half-closed eyes. When he began to purr, her gaze shot back to Burke. “You did that. After…when we…at the alley.
You purred.”
“I did.” Burke caressed her hand before letting go. “I was very content.”
His sexy drawl gained her body’s immediate response, and Grady tensed under her hand. She immediately stilled, unnerved when Dean approached and stood behind her, boxing her in.
“You see, Rachel, it’s like this,” Burke began, licking his lips as he stared at her.
“You and Charlotte are a lot alike. Neither of you cast a scent. Or at least, you don’t unless you’re aroused. And at least three times since you’ve been here you’ve set me off like a rocket. You accused me of taking advantage of you in that alley to get Charlotte’s land. Honey, I hate to break it to you, but I’m helpless when you’re turned on.”
51
Grady nodded, an odd sight, seeing a big cat nod in agreement.
“We all are,” Dean added. “It’s been so long since we’ve had a female feline.”
Rachel swallowed around a dry throat. All this talk of turning her on was doing just that. Grady pushed his head under her hand, forcing her to stroke between his ears and under his chin.
“Cut it out.” Burke pushed his huge head away. “Quit rubbing all over her. She’s mi—” He broke off just as he glanced back at her. “Sorry. Grady can get a tad possessive.”
Behind her Dean snorted.
“What did you mean before when you talked about marking a female?” She wanted to know, as much as she didn’t want to know.
Dean answered. “Marking a female means you accept her as one of your own, as part of a pride or clan, a family unit. Shifters are born, not made. So marking is very, very rare. But every now and then,
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