Tiger Time (8 page)

She froze in place. She would have bet her life she’d heard him, but she couldn’t have, could she? “I must be crazy,” she said more to herself than Ty.

“You heard me, didn't you?” The voice was in her head, not out loud.

Tabitha shook her head. “No, I'm losing my mind. This must be some kind of dream, and I’m going to wake up any moment.”

“Tabby, it’s not a dream. You can really hear me. I think we just found out what your power from your father's line is.”

She wanted to turn this into something to be happy for, but she worried he might be able to hear everything she was thinking. “Does that mean you can hear my thoughts also?”

“No, you don’t have to worry. I can't hear your thoughts now. I might be able to hear them when you’re in tiger form if you project them to me. I don’t have the gift to hear what others are thinking. But let me tell you that you’re amazing. You have taken this all so well. Most people would have run off screaming by now. We normally don't shift for newbies.”

She was still rubbing Ty's head. “You’re pretty amazing yourself, big guy. I needed to see the change. I was starting to freak myself out about how bad it would be. It doesn't look nearly as bad as I thought it would. The only thing I can't get over is how much of
you
that you still are when you’re in tiger form. I was thinking that the animal would take over more.”

“You can feel the animal there, but it’s not all consuming unless you allow it to be, and that's when we get rogue shifters. Want to feel the teeth? I know you wanted to earlier but thought I might bite your hand off. Come on, darling, I only nibble.”

She had to chuckle at the last comment. “Only nibble, huh?” She could have sworn the tiger smiled at her. “I didn't think you would bite me. I just thought it wasn't such a good idea. They are so long and look so sharp.”

“Come on, I know you want to.”

He opened his mouth, and slowly, she started to move her hand toward it. He wouldn't hurt her. He was gentle and loving, but another tiger could turn in a moment. “They are so sharp.”

When she moved her hand away from his mouth, Ty looked up at her. His crystal clear blue eyes gazed at her with so much trust. “Satisfied, love?” she heard him say in her head.

“With you changing, yes.” She chose to keep silent about other things she wanted him to satisfy. She wanted Ty to claim her as his mate. “Do you have to stay like that all nigh—” Before she could finish the sentence, he changed back to human form. One moment he was a tiger and she was rubbing his head, and the next moment he was a naked man with his head resting in her lap.

“Oh my.” She shivered from the magic in the air.

“Sorry, babe, didn't mean to frighten you. I was anxious to change back and continue what we started before I changed. That is if you’re still in the mood?” He gave her a cocky grin, as if to say she wouldn't turn down a naked man in her lap. To wipe the smile off his face, she bent to kiss him.

Their lips met, and it was like a drug they couldn’t get enough of. Ty leaned up, taking the kiss that started off sweet and innocent to a whole ‘nother level. As their kisses grew deeper and longer, Ty slid her turtleneck up, parting their mouths only long enough to lift it over her head.

The sweater slid over her head to lie lost on the floor, and Ty kissed her neck before slowly working his way down to her breasts. He drew his tongue along the tops of her breasts where the cups of the bra hid the best part from view, as he slipped his hands around back to unhook her bra.

When the bra slid down to join her sweater, a purr filled the space between them, making her freeze.

“Did you just purr at my breast?” Her voice held the disbelief she felt.

He glanced up at her and nodded slightly. His mouth never left her breast. Taking her nipple into his mouth, he rolled his tongue around it before gently placing it between his teeth and pulling. Her thoughts skittered over those huge tiger teeth, but his gentle nipping stole her control. Her back arched, leaving Ty no choice but to loosen his teeth or cause her pain. He removed them from the nipple and slowly kissed his way across to the other one.

Ty pulled the blanket from the back of the couch and laid it behind her on the floor, and in a deep sexy drawl, he instructed her, “Lay down, Tabby, and let me pleasure you.” She stretched out on the blanket, watching him with wanting eyes. He was the only thing she could see.

Ty leaned over her, claiming her lips before taking his sweet time kissing a path down her body, spending extra time for each breast. As he kissed her abdomen, his fingers worked to unbutton her jeans before he pulled them down her legs. Using her toes, she kicked off her sneakers, allowing her jeans to slide completely off. Once they were out of the way, his teeth latched onto her red thong, tugging on it until it broke free.

“What the hell?” she gasped as she propped herself up on her elbows.

“My patience wore thin.” He cocked his head to the side, giving her a sly grin.

She had to agree with him there. He spent so much time and effort taking off her clothes, it was beginning to feel like torture. She’d never had anyone take her clothes off, and tonight all she wanted to do was be as naked as he was. She wanted every inch of their bare flesh touching.

She caressed his cheek, and he turned his head to kiss her wrist. Her face heated with awareness from the way he was staring down at her. “Let me make this time memorable for you. Mating is supposed to be special and all about the female. Lay back and enjoy this.” She did as he asked, running her hands over his body, feeling the muscles on his skin contract as he moved and the warmth he gave off.

Look at him. I could never get tired of his body. His washboard abs that make me want to run my tongue over them and to have his arms wrapped around me as if I am his world. Now that would be the life.

She was jolted out of her thoughts by the heat of electricity sparking around their bodies. There was a beauty to it that whipped away any fears she might have had.

“Tabby, I need to ask, are you sure about this? Once I have claimed you as my mate, there is no going back. We’ll be mated forever; we’re not like humans. You won't be able to divorce me. If you have doubts, it’s best to wait.” His voice cracked.

Propping herself up on her elbow, she kissed him. “Ty, I’m sure. As you said, I’m your mate. Why would I want to fight it? I want you.” She kissed him again but this time, she let her desire race through her. She wanted to chase his worries away.

As Ty entered her, she could feel the air explode around them, as if they had just unleashed something. He took his time allowing her core to adjust around him.

There was a gentle quality to Ty, not only during sex, which would have surprised many. Most would have just seen him as menacing and intimidating because of his size. She was lucky enough to see another side of him, a side she was sure not many got to see.

He made sure to please every inch of her. She loved his body touching hers. Every touch like the first touch. When she wasn't sure she could take any more and was at the edge of bliss, she heard Ty say, “Baby, come for me.”

As their bodies relaxed, a burning sensation coursed through her right hand. A whimper escaped her, and Ty hissed as they brought their hands into view. There was a moon design burned into the tops of their hands.

Ty rolled off to lie beside her on the blanket.

Motioning toward their hands, she asked, “Did you know it would happen?” A faint trace of the pain she felt from her hand still in her voice.

“No, Tabby, I didn't...” He couldn't tear his gaze away from their hands as if he couldn’t believe it. “Not really.”

“What do you mean not really? Either you did or you didn't. Which is it?”

“Tabby, I'm sorry. I guess I knew there was a chance.”

“You knew there was a chance of this and you didn’t tell me?”
This time she couldn't keep the pain from her voice. The searing pain from her hand made her testy, leaving him the unfortunate outlet for her discomfort. She was hurt that he’d tried to hide something like this from her.

“Let me explain.” He must have taken her silence as a sign that she would listen, because he continued, “There hasn't been a tiger of your line to mate with another tiger in the last eighty-five years. There were rumors that it would happen if someone from your line mated with another tiger and not a human, but no one could be sure. It was just information that the elders passed down from generation to generation. I never believed it until now. I’m sorry I didn't tell you, but I honestly didn't think of it.”

She could hear in his voice that he was telling the truth.

“So what does this mean?”

“If I remember the story right, it means we’re the highest ranking tigers. Once you mated with me, it brought me into the line. It means we could claim our rightful title as King and Queen of all the tigers and not just of the Alaska tigers.” He paused as if gathering his thoughts. “If this is a fact, then I would say everything that the book says is true.”

Tabby could feel her eyes go big, and she wasn't sure she wanted to know but had to ask. “What book? What does it say?”

“Your father gave me a book to give to you once we were sure you were going to go through the change. No one can open it besides your line. But since I was entrusted with helping you through the change, your father opened it one evening and we read it together. If I remember correctly, it says there will be a female tiger that claims her place as Queen and unites the tigers.”

“Where’s this book now?”

“Babe, you are a genius.” He leaded over to kiss her cheek before he shot up onto his feet and grabbed his discarded jeans. “I brought it with me. It’s in my bag in the car.”

Chapter Nine

By the time Ty returned from the car, Tabby was dressed again and digging around to see if there was anything in the cabinets to make coffee or tea. There was a slight chill in the cabin, causing her to shiver.

Ty must not have spotted her when he opened the cabin door because there was a slight edge of panic in his voice. “Tabby?”

“I'm over here. It’s chilly in here.”  She closed the cabinet door.

Ty gave her a smug little grin. “Come here; I'll warm you up”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn't we just do that?” Grabbing the book from his hands, she gave him a rewarding kiss.

“Honest, Tabby, I was just going to offer to have you sit on my lap while we looked at the book. You would be warm in a matter of moments. Once you go through the transition, your body temperature always runs at one hundred and one. But I do plan to do what you were thinking again later. Come on, we need to find out what is in store for us and if there are any more little surprises.” Ty led her to the couch. Once there, he grabbed the blanket she’d thrown there from the floor and set it next to him. “On my lap and I promise to be good.”

She
was
pretty chilly, and he was right; his body was like her own personal heating blanket. She sat on his lap, and he threw the blanket over them. The heat coming from him made her want to curl her body into him. He seemed to know what she was thinking and put his big arms around her, pulling her closer. She rested her head against his chest and opened the book.