Wild Cat

CHAPTER SEVEN

Diego found his arms full of luscious, beautiful Shifter. Cassidy’s mouth opened his, and she swayed against him, arms tight around his neck.

The taste of her… He had to have more. He had to have more, now.

Diego cupped her head in his hands and pressed her up to him. God help him.

Her mouth was on fire. He devoured her, licking, tasting, sliding lips on hers. Her tongue met his in a rapid dance, her mouth strong.

He was hard, and Cass wriggling against his front wasn’t helping. She smelled like beer and musk and Cassidy. And damn, he loved what she was wearing.

The dress under his hands hugged every inch of her. He felt her ass, her back, the curve of her waist, and he wasn’t finding a line of any bra. When she’d walked out of the house in that, he’d forgotten how to breathe.

Cassidy kissed him hard, harder. Diego wrapped one arm around her buttocks, pulling her up against him, his hand finding bare thigh. Her skin was satin soft and hot, so hot.

Cassidy’s fingers furrowed his hair, while Diego moved his hand upward…

“Whoa.” The male voice boomed through the living room-not Eric, not Jace, not Xavier. “What the hell?”

Diego eased his mouth from Cassidy’s. She made a little sound of protest and sought his kiss again.

Shane the bear stood in the doorway to the kitchen, empty beer bottle in hand. The man was nearly seven feet tall and radiated menace with a capital M. Grizzlies could be placid when content, but get them mad, and it was a different story.

“Listen, human cop,” Shane said, a growl in his voice. “I get that you let Cassidy go when you didn’t have to, but that don’t give you the right to touch her. If you don’t stop touching her, I’ll pull your arms off. Understand?”

“If I let go of her, she’s going to fall,” Diego said. Cassidy was sagging in his arms, her eyes half closed. “She’s drunk off her ass.”

“Am not,” Cassidy said in an indignant slur. “Shifters don’t get drunk.”

“This Shifter is.” Diego scooped her into his arms. Cassidy smiled up at him, still holding on. She was so beautiful when she smiled. “Where’s her bedroom?” Diego asked Shane.

“Aw, Diego,” Cassidy purred. “I didn’t know you felt that way about me.”

Shane gestured, still looking unfriendly. “This way.” He led Diego down a short hallway to a door at the end.

Diego carried Cassidy into a room that was painfully bare. A four-poster bed covered with quilts stood against one wall. A nightstand with a lamp and a pile of paperbacks reposed next to the bed, and a rocking chair with a cushion stood in the corner. Nothing more, no pictures, knickknacks, or electronics.

When Shane snapped on the lamp, the room glowed-Cassidy had painted the walls a soft yellow that made the barren room seem warm.

Shane stripped back the quilts, and Diego laid Cassidy on the sheets. Diego had to deliberately unclasp her hands from his neck to make her let go.

Cassidy was already barefoot, the soles of her feet dirty from dancing outside. Well, she might have to wash the sheets tomorrow. Diego turned Cassidy onto her side, in case she decided to lose all that beer in her sleep, and pulled the quilts up over her shoulders.

“Thanks, Diego,” she murmured. “You kiss nice.”

So did she. Damn, did she ever. “Glad you think so.”

“You’re not so bad, for a human. Stay with me, and keep kissing me.”

Shane rumbled. “She’s really drunk if she wants to kiss a human.” He bent down and dropped a peck on her cheek. “Sleep it off, Cass, honey.”

Diego looked down at Cassidy with a hunger he’d not felt in a long, long time. He pictured himself stripping off his clothes, climbing in behind her, pulling her back against him. Holding her all through the night. And in the morning, if she felt better, rolling into her warm nest and making swift love to her.

Diego settled for squeezing her shoulder. “Good night, Cassidy.”

She didn’t answer, already asleep. Diego turned off the lamp and left the room.

And found himself against the hall wall with a half human, half bear face an inch from his.

“I’m not kidding, human.” Shane’s voice was guttural, his teeth sharp, his breath like… that of a bear who’d been drinking a lot of beer. “Don’t mess with Cassidy.”

Diego had faced plenty of hard, conscienceless men in his time. But he’d also faced desperate men, and he’d learned the difference between anger born of arrogance and anger born of worry. Shane had anger born of worry.

“You care about Cassidy,” Diego said. “Are you in love with her?”

Shane’s eyes didn’t soften. “I met Cass twenty years ago, when we were shoved into this Shiftertown together. Brody and me thought my mother would be leader, because she’s naturally alpha. But Nell conceded dominance to Eric. If something happens to Eric, Cassidy takes over, not my mother, not Jace. Do you understand what I’m saying? Cassidy’s next in line. That’s weird for a Feline, because Felines rarely let their females rule. But no Shifter is able to touch Cassidy. The only things that can hurt her are humans and human laws. That means you, human cop. So don’t.”

A hand that ended in sharp grizzly claws landed on Diego’s chest, just below his throat. One swipe, and Diego would be dead. Shane’s Collar wouldn’t be quick enough to stop him.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Diego said calmly.

The bear snout receded and Diego looked again into Shane’s human face, but the claws remained.

“Of course I love Cass. I have for years. But she’s out of my reach, and I know it. When Donovan started chasing her, I faded in her eyes. Donovan, the charmer, charmed himself right into Cassidy’s bed. The two of them didn’t come out for days. Eric and Jace couldn’t sleep inside the house, and me and Brody had to get earplugs.”

And I’m standing outside the bedroom in question, while a half-drunk grizzly tells me about the sex life of the woman I’m seriously attracted to.

“Donovan passed a year ago,” Diego said. “What’s stopping you now?”

“Cass herself.” The claws became blunt fingers again. “She’s not interested in me. I’m fine with that.” Shane gave a shrug, a man long used to the fact that he’d have to look elsewhere for happiness. “But I’m not going to let a human start confusing her and threatening his way into her pants.”

The claws had receded, but Diego knew that Shane could easily crush his windpipe with his huge fingers.

“First, I’ve already seen her without her pants.” A sight Diego would never forget, though that blue dress was damn sexy too. “Second, I want to keep her safe as much as you do. That’s why I want her here in Shiftertown. If she gets caught out again by someone besides me, she’ll be arrested and jailed, and I might not be able to protect her.” Diego fixed Shane with a sharp stare, even though he had to look up to do it. “Do me a favor and watch her for me, Shane. If she tries to leave Shiftertown, you stop her. And if you can’t stop her, call me. Me, and no one else. Can you do that? Help me out?”

Shane’s eyes narrowed. “You should ask Eric to help you.”

“Eric already let her go once.”

“That’s a point. Eric won’t stop Cass doing what she thinks she needs to do.” Shane drew a breath. “But I will.”

For some reason, Diego wanted to pat Shane’s shoulder and say, Good bear, but decided that might not be wise.

“I’ll come by, but I can’t be here all the time,” Diego said. “Just keep her out of trouble.”

“You got it, human cop.”

“Call me Diego. And I’ll tell you something.” He leaned a little closer to Shane. “If you think your mom’s tough, you should meet my mother.”

Shane’s face finally softened, and he chuckled. “Humans have a saying: When Mama ain’t happy…”

“… ain’t nobody happy,” they finished together.

Shane laughed a little harder and clapped Diego on the shoulders. Diego fought to keep to his feet.

“You’re funny, human cop. I mean, Diego. I’ll watch over Cass. I’m your bear. Time for you to leave now.”

Diego let the man put a heavy arm around his shoulders and lead him to the front door and out of the house.

Diego wondered, as he watched the bear Shifter sway toward the house next door, whether Cassidy would remember in the morning what had been the most spectacular kiss of Diego’s life.

Diego figured he’d get shit from Shifter Division for how he’d handled Cassidy’s arrest, and sure enough, Lieutenant Reid, a man with ambitions in Shifter Division, accosted him the next day.

Diego was still reeling from the kiss he’d shared with Cassidy, still reveling in the scent and taste of her. He’d dreamed about her all night, thought about her while he showered, shaved, and readied himself for work. Imagining her being in the shower with him, smiling her red-lipped smile as she soaped his back, almost made him late.

Reid stopped him in the wide hall downstairs as Diego made for the elevator. “Anything to do with the Wardens is mine,” Reid said without greeting him. “You overstepped, Escobar.”

Diego eyed the man in dislike. Reid had a tall, lithe body-a runner’s muscles rather than a bodybuilder’s-and his eyes were so dark they were almost black.

“I made the arrest,” Diego said. “It was my call.”

“Two weeks’ confinement to Shiftertown?” Reid stepped closer, his dark eyes narrowing. “That’s it?”

“If you read my report, you’d know why I made the decision,” Diego said.

“Yeah, I read it. She still broke the law.”

Diego had no intention of explaining his motives. He’d learned as soon as he’d become a detective that people would question his every decision, especially those in his own rank in other divisions. Human nature, his captain told him.

“I’ve worked on Shifter cases a hell of a lot longer than you have,” Reid said. “They can look human, and they try to act human, but if you don’t treat them like the dangerous animals they are, you’ll pay for it. Don’t let the Collars fool you. You can’t tame them, you can’t trust them, and most of all, you can’t be their friend.”

Reid’s eyes held conviction, but Diego gave him a neutral nod. “Thanks, Reid. I’ll keep it in mind.”

Reid gave him a disgusted look but turned and marched away down the hall.

Diego could almost feel sorry for him. Shifter Division was the crap assignment-to make sure Shifters obeyed rules and didn’t go where they shouldn’t. For the most part, it was an easy assignment, because Shifters seemed to be pretty anal about obeying strictures. Shifter Division cops sat around panting for a chance to arrest and harass Shifters. Reid obviously fit right in, maybe too well.

Diego went upstairs to his desk and greeted his brother, whose bloodshot eyes looked worse than Diego’s. Xavier gave him a tired wave but a cocky grin. Xavier loved a good party.

Diego turned to his reports for a three-month-long case he’d concluded a couple of days before he’d met Cassidy. Now, the final bust, which had been such a victory, seemed to have happened in another lifetime. He’d met Cassidy and… everything changed.

Diego walked around that thought as he finished the report and e-mailed it to the captain. Then he got Xavier, who wasn’t getting much paperwork done here, and took his brother with him to Shiftertown.

Cassidy lifted her aching head from the kitchen table when she heard the throb of the Thunderbird outside. “Oh, Goddess, it’s Diego.”

Shifters weren’t supposed to have hangovers. Their metabolisms were strong enough to negate the dehydration of too much alcohol. Cassidy didn’t remember drinking that much beer, but then, if she’d been able to remember all the beers, she probably wouldn’t have this hangover.

What she did remember was the kiss, finding herself in Diego’s arms, his mouth slanted over hers in the dark living room. His big hand on her thigh, the strength of him as he held her. He’d tasted of warmth and power, and she’d loved it. She’d flung her arms around him and kissed him with wild abandon.

How embarrassing.

Jace opened the front door and greeted Diego and Xavier. Eric was… Who the hell knew where Eric was? Cassidy struggled to her feet as Jace led the brothers into the kitchen and offered them coffee.

Did Diego look ashamed of the kiss, of the way he’d scooped her up to him with his arm under her buttocks? No. He flashed her a grin, his eyes dark and sparkling with teasing wickedness. He looked fresh and rested and not the least bit worried.

Cassidy felt her face heat. What was the matter with her? Shifter women weren’t prudes. They enjoyed their love affairs and made no secret of the fact that they were after the best mate they could get. Cassidy hadn’t pulled up her shirt to flash Donovan on accident.

She found herself wanting to look away from Diego, so she made sure she met his gaze. “Hey, Diego. I’m still in Shiftertown. I feel too crappy to run away anywhere today.”

Diego’s gaze roved her up and down. “Yeah, you look a little ragged.”

Xavier took the steaming cup of fresh-brewed coffee from Jace. It smelled wonderful in the kitchen-the rich coffee scent overriding everything. Jace’s brew was legendary. Cassidy reached for the cup Jace handed her and cradled it like a lover.

“Never tell a woman she doesn’t look her absolute best,” Xavier said. “Bad, bad idea.” He took a sip of coffee and shot Cassidy a white-toothed grin. “You look great, hermana.”

Diego shrugged as he sipped his coffee. “This is good.” He gave Jace an admiring look. “Do you always make the coffee?”

Jace gestured to the old-fashioned coffeepot with the percolator on top. “Just call me coffee king.”

Diego looked around. “Where’s Eric? I’m going back out to that rock cave to look around, and he might want to come too.”

Cassidy opened her mouth to say she’d join them, then she remembered that she was grounded. Damn humans and their stupid laws. Shifters had never worried about going everywhere they pleased before the Collar. She sat down, head pounding, and filled her mouth with beautiful coffee.

She sensed warmth next to her. Diego had sat down with her and now smiled into her face. “You all right, mi ja?”

Cassidy loved it when he called her that, the beautiful syllables rolling in his dark voice. She heard Xavier and Jace in the background, the two men walking out the back door, but she barely registered them.

“Headache,” Cassidy said.

“I thought Shifters didn’t get drunk.”

Cassidy blushed again. “Hey, last night was rough for me.”

Diego’s arm rested across the back of her chair. His body heat touched her through her thin T-shirt, making her want to squirm. She inhaled his scent… and stopped.

What met her nose was Diego’s usual musk and spice, but something touched it a tiny bit, a hint of acrid smoke and mint she’d smelled last night at the place where the hunter had hidden. Cassidy turned her head and sniffed his suit jacket. No, she hadn’t mistaken it, though it was very faint.

Maybe something lingering from last night? Could be. Diego had showered-she smelled the soap, and he was wearing a different jacket today. Plus, she hadn’t noticed the same kind of smell on Eric.

“What are you doing?”

Diego’s low voice arrested her. Cassidy looked up at him so close, noting his face was clean-shaven again this morning. She liked his dark skin, his hair as black as midnight, and his eyes nearly as dark.

“You smell… interesting,” she said.

“Oh, great. Do I need more aftershave?”

“No.” Cassidy inhaled the scent of his coat again while Diego sat very still. Eric had told her, when she’d limped out this morning, feeling like shit, what the smell up in the mountains had been.

Fae.

Cassidy had never met or seen a Fae in her long life. Fae hadn’t lived in the human world for centuries, leaving finally for Faerie after the Fae-Shifter war. Shifters had elected to remain in the human world and live the best they could, while the Fae had gone. The Fae had already begun leaving when humans started using more and more iron. Fae hated iron.

Cassidy’s head was too fuzzy to puzzle it all out this morning. Eric hadn’t given her a long explanation. Cassidy had just sort of mumbled, “Fae, right,” before sitting down and begging for coffee.

But now she wondered. The shooter had been using a rifle-which was made of steel. Plus he’d vanished in a bright light, just as he had up in the construction site. Did Fae do that? And why did Diego smell like one now?

“Cass.”

Cassidy looked up at Diego, who was watching her with dark eyes. “Hmm?”

“I shouldn’t have kissed you last night,” he was saying. “Or let you kiss me. I was way out of line. But I haven’t been doing anything right since I met you.”

Cassidy could only look at him. She should think of something witty to say. She’d always been able to be witty with Donovan. Their mutual wisecracks had filled every room. Now, with Diego, Cassidy sat tongue-tied. She couldn’t think of anything more witty to say than, “Oh?”

“But I don’t regret it,” Diego said. He drew his thumb along the back of Cassidy’s neck. “I don’t regret it at all.”

Cassidy shook her head. “Me either.”

Diego grinned down at her. Damn, he had a nice smile. “Good. But if I try anything like that again, you stop me, all right?”

Oh, sure, stop him. Cassidy had been the one pretty much climbing up him last night. “OK,” she said. Could she carry on a brilliant conversation, or what?

“I’m supposed to be watching over you,” Diego said. “I’m the arresting officer, and you’re under probation. I don’t have any business kissing you. Or wanting to kiss you.”

Cassidy casually leaned back until her head rested on his shoulder. “What about after my probation is over?”

His smile widened, his dark eyes warming. “We’ll see what happens after that.”

Cassidy’s heart started pounding off the scale. The promise in his smile sent hot things through her body, awakening a frenzy she thought had died the day Donovan had.

Oh, no.

Oh, yes. It was happening, the tingling in her fingers, the buzzing in her head, the hot need that flushed her body. She felt warm, open, needy. And it wasn’t just the hangover. Crap.

Cassidy rubbed her head on Diego’s arm again, and again, he sat unmoving. She didn’t like the Fae-like scent, but if she nuzzled hers on him, she could cover it.

“Mi ja,” Diego said softly.

Her mating frenzy wanted to answer. It wanted Cassidy to turn around and straddle him in the chair, strip off his tie and open his shirt. She wanted to unbuckle his pants, open them, reach inside to find him hard for her.

She’d shed her own shirt and jeans, let him lick her bare skin, touch her all over. Some Shifters liked to have sex only in their animal forms, but Cassidy loved the feel of human skin against human skin, where she could make love face-to-face. Kissing was the best thing, mouths melding as male and female joined.

Diego’s breath came faster. Cassidy looked up into his eyes, her heart thumping as she saw the naked need in them.

He wanted her. Whatever he was fantasizing right now, it was driving him as crazy as Cassidy’s fantasies were driving her.

But Diego was holding himself back. He was a strong man, would be an alpha if he were Shifter. Diego had rules he had to follow, and by Goddess, he was following them.

Cassidy was about to throw the rules to the wind and let her frenzy out when Eric walked in the back door. Her brother took in Cassidy and Diego sitting so close, and his nostrils widened.

Eric must have smelled the faint Fae scent, because he stopped, sniffed, and riveted his gaze to Cassidy. She shook her head the slightest bit.

Diego was definitely human, not Fae, not even half Fae. Though Cassidy had never seen a Fae, she knew what signs to look for; every Shifter did. Full-blood Fae had pointed ears, white blond hair, and cold, cold eyes. Half human, half Fae could look human, but their eyes were just as cold.

Eric didn’t pursue it. “Your brother says you want to have a look at that outcropping where the shooter was,” he said to Diego. “Good idea. You can drive.”

Cassidy itched and burned. She wanted to go with them; she wanted to find out why this hunter was stalking her, and whether he had anything to do with Donovan’s death. Despite her awakening frenzy, she wasn’t letting go of her quest to bring down the hunters who’d killed Donovan. He’d been her mate and hadn’t deserved to die.

She knew that if she told Diego she wanted to hunt and kill the men who’d shot Donovan, he’d do his best to stop her. Shifters were Collared, tamed. Supposed to be anyway. Diego would say it was his job to stop her.

Cassidy had things to do, anyway. She folded her arms as Diego stood up, his warmth going away. She had this hangover to get rid of, for one, and people she had to take care of. Being Eric’s second meant she helped Shifters with their troubles, keeping Eric from being overwhelmed with all but the direst problems. People came to Cassidy first.

“Just tell me everything,” she said.

Eric came up behind her chair, leaned down, and folded his arms around her. He nuzzled her cheek, his warmth comforting her as it had since she’d been a tiny cub. Eric rubbed her arms, kissed the top of her head, and straightened up.

Diego was looking at them, as though he longed to give Cassidy a good-bye hug too. Cassidy stood up, arms slightly open at her sides, a signal that she was open to an embrace. Whether Diego understood the body language or not, he gave her a regretful look, turned away, and followed Eric out the door.