Second Nature (75 page)

Jorie's lashes fluttered when she thought about it for a moment. "Well," she finally said, "I think I changed my mind."

Sudden fear made Griffin's skin itch. "Oh?" she asked weakly.

Jorie nodded. A smile slowly inched its way onto her face, making her dark eyes sparkle. "A little help with my research would be highly appreciated."

Griffin growled and then rushed her. At the last second, she slowed her approach. She enfolded Jorie in her arms and pulled her against her body, still holding back not to overpower or hurt Jorie.

But apparently, Jorie didn't want her to hold back. She slid her arms up Griffin's back and tried to pull her onto the couch with her.

As much as Griffin wanted to, she couldn't let that happen. "The couch is not the best place for this if you're a shape-shifter."

"I thought you said you're just Griffin right now, not a shape-shifter?" Jorie asked. Her lips teased Griffin's neck, where her wounds had long since healed.

"Right," Griffin said. She ducked down to return Jorie's gesture, trailing kisses over the faded marks on her throat. "But being Griffin comes with a few unique issues, and one of them is weighing four hundred pounds."

Jorie blinked once but then said, "I have a very sturdy bed."

Griffin looked into her face, searched the dark eyes for what Jorie was feeling. When she sucked in a breath, she tasted Jorie's desire and her nervousness. There was no doubt and no fear, though.

Her fingers found Jorie's. Hand in hand, they walked over to the bedroom and closed the door behind them.

Jorie's sweatshirt dropped to the floor. For once, Griffin's neat cat side wasn't tempted to pick it up. She was too busy watching Jorie, who was now struggling to pull her T-shirt over her head.

For someone who was usually not shy about her body at all, she suddenly found herself hesitant to undress and reveal her body to Jorie's eyes. Her Puwar girlfriends had always complimented her looks, but would Jorie, a human, find her equally pleasing?

"You're not undressing," Jorie said. "Want me to help you?" Without waiting for a reply, she stepped up to Griffin, so close that her scent and the heat of her naked skin enveloped Griffin.

Her eyes closed in pleasure, then shot open again when slender hands slipped under her shirt, following every curve of her body as Jorie lifted the shirt up and over Griffin's head.

Jorie groaned at the sight of Griffin's breasts. "You're not wearing a bra."

"Have you ever tried to unhook and quickly get out of a bra when the urge to shift gripped you?" Griffin shook her head. "Highly impracti —" Her explanation was cut off when Jorie's warm lips kissed one of her nipples. Desire rushed through her. "Oh, Great Hunter!" She growled and closed her eyes as she reined in the urge to throw Jorie onto the bed. Jorie deserved their first time to be slow. Making the bed collapse under them before they even got started was not on her list of romantic things to do.

Jorie stopped, her lips one inch from Griffin's other nipple. "What is it?" she asked. Jorie's warm breath on her chest made Griffin shudder. "Am I doing something you don't like? Is there anything you —?"

"No." Griffin covered Jorie's lips with one of her fingers, silencing her. "I like what you're doing," she said, trailing her finger over a silky bottom lip. "Maybe I like it a little too much. All my life, I trained hard to always stay in control around humans, to control my emotions and physical reactions, and now you're making my blood boil and my head spin. I don't want to overwhelm or accidentally hurt you."

"We're Griffin and Jorie tonight, not a shape-shifter and a human," Jorie reminded her again. "I don't need your control. I just need you." Her eyes widened when something occurred to her. "You won't shift in the middle of... this, will you?"

The sound of Griffin's laughter chased away most of their doubts and worries. "You're worried about suddenly having a tiger in bed — literally?" she teased, then shook her head. "No. Not every strong emotion causes us to shift, only anger, fear, and pain. So unless you are into SM stuff, you should be safe."

Full lips grinned back at Griffin. "Good." She trailed her hand over Griffin's side, lightly skimming her breast. "Because as much as I like your liger form, I find this one much sexier."

The compliment made a purr rumble up Griffin's chest. She reached around Jorie to unhook her bra, sliding her hands over the warm, soft skin of Jorie's back and shoulders while she did it. "And as much as some Wrasa pity humans for having only one form, the one you have is beautiful. Really beautiful." She pressed closer and rubbed her nose against the side of Jorie's neck, deeply breathing in the scent of coconuts and fresh forest air in springtime.

When Jorie took a step back toward the bed, the bra that had been trapped between their bodies fell.

Griffin stood still and just looked. She let her gaze trail over Jorie's lithe curves and admired the golden hue of Jorie's skin. The urge to touch that skin, to feel its warmth, overcame her, and she followed Jorie to the bed.

With the practiced moves of someone used to undressing quickly, Griffin kicked off the rest of her clothes while she watched Jorie do the same.

Jorie pulled back the covers and slid onto the bed.

Griffin moved to settle down next to her, but Jorie instantly reached for her. Supporting herself on her forearms and carefully keeping her full weight off Jorie, Griffin slid over her.

The feel of Jorie's skin against hers, her body pressing into Griffin's, made Griffin moan in pleasure. Her lids fluttered shut. She moved, just to feel Jorie's skin slide against hers. Jorie's skin was cooler than her own, and it felt like smooth satin brushing against her.

Jorie gasped when Griffin's movements pressed her thigh more firmly against Jorie. She surged up and captured Griffin's mouth in a deep kiss.

Oh, Great Hunter!
Heat shot through Griffin. She sank into the kiss. She barely managed to hold on to the remains of her self-control and moved back just a little, now crouching over Jorie on her hands and knees.

Her gaze drank in Jorie's features, the fluttering black lashes, the lips that had opened in expectation, and the dark eyes that were staring back at her. How could someone look so beautiful and delicate, yet be so strong and confident at the same time?

No one had ever made her feel as much as she did when she looked at Jorie. She leaned forward, her knee still pressing lightly against Jorie, and nipped the muscle of Jorie's shoulder.

Delicious.
Even the way Jorie's skin tasted was perfect.

She trailed kisses over her collarbone, then gently tasted the skin of Jorie's neck, creating teasing circles with her tongue until she reached Jorie's ear.

"I love the way you smell," she whispered into Jorie's ear and felt her shudder under her. Jorie wore no perfume, and Griffin enjoyed the clean, fresh scent and taste of her. She tenderly bit down on Jorie's earlobe.

Jorie clutched her back, her nails scratching lightly over Griffin's skin. "And I love the way you make love to me," she whispered back.

It is making love,
Griffin realized. They both weren't in it just for a night of fun. After everything they'd been through together, after the trust they had shown each other while fighting against Jennings and the Saru, their connection ran much deeper. Griffin bent down and drew Jorie's bottom lip between her own, teasing with the tip of her tongue until Jorie's mouth opened beneath hers.

Jorie's hands slid up and into Griffin's hair. Her thigh pressed firmly between Griffin's legs.

Heat rolled through Griffin's body. Her arms threatened to buckle. With a gasp, she broke the kiss and rolled around, taking Jorie with her. "Come on," she said breathlessly. "You can be top cat for a while."

Jorie threw back her head and laughed.

An automatic smile pulled at Griffin's lips. She loved the sound of Jorie's laughter.

Jorie's back arched, making her breasts strain toward Griffin. Instantly, she wanted to see her do it again. She wanted to bring Jorie all the pleasure she possibly could. Her hands now free, she pulled Jorie down on top of her. She caught one of Jorie's nipples between gentle teeth and flicked her tongue across it, making Jorie's back arch even more and her center press against Griffin's.

Griffin sucked in a breath around the nipple still in her mouth.

Jorie moaned and rocked against her. She lowered her head to rain kisses over Griffin's shoulder and chest.

Oh, no,
Griffin thought when her head cleared enough for her to even attempt rational thought.
This'll be over embarrassingly fast, and she'll think Wrasa have no stamina at all.

But Jorie wasn't far behind her. Jorie's breath was coming in short gasps and ragged pants too. Her skin flushed as she moved faster against Griffin and was covered in a light sheen of perspiration.

Griffin slid her hand down between their bodies and into Jorie's wetness.

Jorie groaned. Her eyes fluttered shut.

Beautiful.
Usually, Griffin would have closed her eyes too, would have allowed herself to get lost in pleasure. Not this time. This time, she wanted to get lost in Jorie. Her free hand trailed down Jorie's back until she could grasp the firm flesh of her ass.

"Yes!" Jorie arched up. Her leg rubbed more firmly against Griffin, making her twitch and the pressure rise. She felt Jorie pulse against her fingers in response.

She pulled Jorie even closer and buried her head against Jorie's neck, pressing her lips to the wildly racing pulse and tasting the saltiness of the damp skin. Incoherent sounds and gasps rained down on her. She forgot about her own need for release, never wanting this moment, this connection, to end. With Jorie, she was one, not part Puwar and part Kasari. Just one with Jorie.

Then one of Jorie's hands slid up her body and found her breast.

Griffin groaned as she felt the first convulsive tremors. She moved her fingers faster, circling with more direct pressure.

"Griff!" Jorie gasped. Her eyes flew open, instantly connecting with Griffin's. They had become so dark that they looked nearly black, and Griffin fell into them.

Her breath caught.

The muscles in her legs stiffened against Jorie's thigh.

Climax washed through her just as she felt Jorie begin to shake and quiver against her.

With a deep groan, Griffin collapsed back against the pillows, and Jorie fell on top of her.

Limply, Griffin lifted the hand that was not still caught between them and ran her fingers through the damp hairs on Jorie's neck.

Jorie's breath tickled the skin of her chest as Jorie murmured something.

"What?" Griffin asked, barely able to hear because the blood was still rushing through her ears.

Jorie lifted her head and gazed down at her. "You
are
a tiger in bed," she said with a smile.

*  *  *

Jorie closed her eyes. The heat of Griffin's body engulfed her from behind, keeping her warm even though the sheets had slipped off the bed. She turned her head and kissed the bare arm on which her cheek rested. In return, she felt Griffin's lips press against her neck.

A gentle rhythmic pressure began against her belly, where Griffin's other hand was resting.
She's kneading like a content cat!
If she were a cat, Jorie would do the same. She couldn't remember when she had last been so relaxed and happy.

"Why are you humming?" Griffin asked directly into her ear, making Jorie shiver pleasantly.

"I'm just enjoying this," Jorie said.

She felt Griffin's lips grin against her neck. "It was pretty awesome," Griffin agreed.

"No," Jorie said. "I mean... yes, it was great, but that's not what I mean. I've had good sex before, but this is different. I never felt so... connected to someone before. Usually, when the postcoital bliss is over, no one has ever managed to make me want to stay for breakfast or even longer."

"Mmm." Griffin purred into her ear. "I know exactly what you mean."

"Ava once called me an 'unromantic bastard' because I got up after making love to her to write down a new idea. And I guess she was right," Jorie said. She had always felt guilty and inadequate, emotionally damaged somehow, but she now knew that she was able to feel that kind of connection with someone.

"You don't feel the urge to get up and write now, do you?" Griffin teased. Then her grin vanished, and she kissed the back of Jorie's neck. "If sudden inspiration ever strikes you, you can go ahead and write down whatever you want to. I hope you know that."

Jorie blinked against the sudden dampness in the corner of her eyes. No one had ever understood her as Griffin did. Not that she had any inclination to get out of bed right now. Pulling Griffin's arm closer around her, Jorie cuddled back into Griffin's body. "The only urge I'm getting right now is the urge to roll over," she rolled around and covered Griffin's body with her own, "and make love to you again."

"Well," Griffin grinned up at her, heat and affection mixing in her eyes, "your instincts haven't misled you before, so I'd say, go for it."

Jorie leaned down and lost herself in Griffin again.

*  *  *

Jorie wrapped her arm around Griffin's waist and settled her head down on a warm shoulder. Griffin's arms slid around her like a blanket. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she slipped into a contented sleep.

Freshly grown grass and soft moss tickled Jorie's bare feet as she wandered through the forest. Rays of sunlight filtered through the forest canopy and danced over Jorie's skin, warming it.

Behind her, she heard the soft sounds of paws padding over the forest floor.

Jorie started to run. Her hair trailed behind her in a gentle current of spring air. She yelled loudly, this time not in fear, but in sheer joy. Her body vibrated with happiness. Never had she felt so alive.

At the edge of a sunlit clearing, she stopped to breathe in the scent of wildflowers.

Soft fur brushed against her leg.