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  “I’m sorry for the blood in the water.” She looked around, searching for the machinery she knew had to be hidden somewhere that kept the water so clean and pure. “Will it mess things up?”

  “Nah. It’ll be okay. I installed a heavy duty system here. It’s more powerful than most backyard swimming pools. By morning the water will be fully cycled and any residue will be filtered away. It’s all good.”

  She nodded and walked deeper into the water, thinking about that. This entire setup was like something out of a magazine devoted to billionaires’ mansions. The pool was no cookie-cutter design either. It had been given a floor and walls that had an almost sandy texture to them. They were also the color of sand. No neon-aqua-blue pool here. This was definitely unique. And there were no sharp angles. Everything flowed as if nature had put it here. There were plantings all around in strategic places and on one side it looked like there was a waterfall that could be turned on.

  The lighting was subtle too. Muted yellows and oranges illuminated the scene but kept the atmosphere intimate while deterring bugs. Very nice. And she couldn’t find any trace of the machinery that kept the water in such fine condition. Maybe under the waterfall? She stretched out and began a leisurely swim toward that end of the pool. She could see everything under the crisp, clear water because there was underwater lighting placed very discretely, but so that it illuminated every point along the large body of water.

  It was really amazing. And gorgeous. She would never have imagined something like this could exist out here in the desert. He must have to add water all the time because the heat probably made it evaporate quickly. Or maybe the framework she saw above as she floated on her back was more than just decorative? Maybe it allowed for some kind of covering during the daylight hours?

  She wanted more than anything to see this place in daylight. She’d bet it was even more beautiful when she could really see the intricate patterns in the tile work on the patio and the true colors of the vegetation all around.

  Red—make that Steve, she corrected herself—had to be really well off financially if he could afford to build a place like this. Of course, Redstone Construction was one of the most successful companies of its kind. And he was a Redstone, after all. She hadn’t really thought about it before, but he must be loaded.

  And he had an eye for beauty and design. From the way he talked, he had built the place. It was his home. He had selected how it would look. And she loved everything he’d done with it. If this backyard was anything to judge by, they had very similar taste.

  All things in his favor. It didn’t hurt that he was also irresistibly handsome, smart and fierce to boot. Steve was the complete package. So far, there wasn’t anything she’d seen him do, or heard him say, that turned her off.

  Okay, the whole turning-into-a-cat-and-clawing-people thing was a little hard to take, but she had her own unique abilities that set her apart too. At least with him, she could be completely honest about those abilities. She’d never been able to tell anyone about any of the things she could do. In fact, she’d had to go out of her way on many occasions to act normal, so her friends and boyfriends wouldn’t realize there was anything different about her. That had been a real drag sometimes.

  With Steve, she could be who she really was and she didn’t have to hide anything. The idea was liberating. And very, very seductive.

  Chapter Six

  Steve watched her swim, and damn if she wasn’t the most graceful thing he’d ever seen in the water. Even wearing the short skirt and top she’d been in all evening—except when they’d been fucking like bunnies in the lab—she swam gracefully.

  Which reminded him. He had to get someone to transfer some of her things to his place. There was no question in his mind that she wouldn’t be going back to the hotel. Someone was targeting her. After tonight’s second ambush, there could be no doubt. He’d have to figure out what it was about her that made her such a hot target.

  Besides the obvious, of course. She was beautiful and by all accounts, very magical. He couldn’t see magic the way Slade and his mate could, but the way she responded to water was a very obvious thing.

  It had been a hell of a long day. He needed to get the investigation moving, but he also needed to get some shuteye. She, especially, needed sleep, and he would see to it that she got it…eventually. He had big plans for the two of them and his king-size bed first, but once he took the edge off, he’d let her sleep. Safe and sound, in his arms. Skin to skin. Body to body. As it should be.

  But he had a few things to settle first, before he could get them both to that special place where only the two of them existed. He moved out of the pool and reached for the phone he’d discarded on the ground. He punched one of the speed dial numbers while Trisha submerged and seemed to swim around like some sort of mermaid in the deep end of the pool. She stayed under a long time and if she hadn’t warned him she might, he would have gone in and fished her out. As it was, he had time to make a few calls.

  First, he updated his brother Grif on the events of the night. Then he started gathering intel from his men and doling out assignments. He sent some of his female security detail out to get Trisha and her friend’s things from the hotel. He instructed them to bring Trisha’s stuff to his house. She would need her clothes and toiletries if she was going to stay here.

  Eventually, Trisha’s head broke the surface of the water again. He’d timed it and she’d been under for at least twenty minutes. She wasn’t breathing hard so he imagined she probably could have stayed under longer. Amazing.

  She swam toward him, making barely a ripple in the water. She seemed to be part of the water. At one with it.

  She stood when she reached the shallower end and began walking toward him. As she rose out of the water, she…dried. It was the darnedest thing he’d ever seen. Before she was even on the first step, her hair was flowing, long and clean down her back. Completely dry. As were her clothes and skin as she continued up the steps out of the pool.

  “Now that’s a nifty trick,” Steve commented as she sauntered toward him, holding his gaze. She smiled and the knowing look in her eyes sent his libido into overdrive.

  “I showed you mine, now why don’t you show me yours? Can you let the cat out to play?” She stopped right in front of his chair, looking down at him with a challenging light in her expressive eyes. The water had reenergized her, all right. It had also made her daring and bold. Two things he liked in women, as a rule.

  “Are you sure? You seemed afraid of my other half before. I don’t want to scare you.”

  “Show me what you got, tiger,” she dared him and he hoped it wasn’t all bravado.

  Standing, he crowded her a bit as he unbuttoned his sodden pants. Unlike her, he wasn’t able to magically dry off. He dropped trou and stood before her, hard, as he had been almost constantly since first catching her real, unmasked scent.

  Naked, he moved a short distance away to let her get the full effect. He called on the cat that lived inside his soul and changed. He didn’t linger in the half-cat, half-human battle form he’d used to fight those bastards earlier in the evening. He figured that’d be the hardest for her to handle if she really was still apprehensive about his kitty side.

  He went straight to the big cat form—the resolution of his shift from human to cat. He was big as a man and his cat form was just as large. Way more massive than most wild cougars, he was proud of his stature and knew he looked reasonably good in both his forms.

  He yawned, showing his teeth to her, watching her carefully to see if she was frightened. She seemed more fascinated than scared, so he padded over to her, prowling closer until he could rub against her legs like a much smaller cat would. She ran her fingers through his fur and he purred deep within his chest, the sound vibrating out into the darkness.

  This woman was everything he wanted in a mate—and then some. He’d never really counted on having a mate of a different magical species. If he found one, he figured she’d be an
other cougar. He hadn’t ever expected to meet an Other that flipped his switch so entirely.

  There was no doubt inside him. She was his and he was hers. The whole nymph thing be damned. He knew his own mind and the cat that shared his soul was purring mate, over and over. That cat recognized her. And he’d never known his cat’s instincts to be wrong. Ever.

  “Your fur is so soft,” she marveled, stroking his flanks as he twined around her legs.

  She giggled and he knew she wasn’t afraid of him. Good. They were making progress.

  He nudged her toward the glass door that led into the house and she laughingly complied, picking up her ever-present bag along the way. He carried his cell phone in his mouth, which wasn’t ideal but would do for now.

  She opened the door and let him precede her inside, then shut it behind them.

  He didn’t waste time on the ground floor. He knew Slade and the other security guys had checked it out already. And Steve trusted his nose—and his security measures—enough to know that no bad surprises lurked in his own home.

  He ushered Trisha toward the stairs and padded upward behind her, then nosed in front to lead her to his bedroom door. It was a simple matter to reach up and open the levered door handle. Most shifter households had handles rather than knobs. They were just easier to manipulate if one didn’t want to shift to get inside.

  Steve dropped his cell phone on the night stand next to his bed before turning to face Trisha. He made sure she was watching as he shifted form, holding the scarier battle form for a moment this time, allowing her to get a good look at all phases of his shift. She seemed fascinated rather than petrified, judging from her expression and the subtle nuances of her delectable scent. Good. She wasn’t afraid of the cat or the beast.

  When he was a man again, she walked forward into his arms as if she belonged there. And she did. She laid her head against him, her cheek over his heart.

  “You’re an amazing guy, Red,” she whispered and his heart expanded, taking in her words. They made him feel warm. Almost…loved.

  Was it too soon to hope that his magical mate felt something for him besides the rather obvious desire? Lust, he understood, but he hoped for love. Craved it with every fiber of his being, when he’d never wanted any of his bedmates to go that final step before.

  Love was permanent. Everlasting. Divine.

  He wanted that with Trisha, and he knew in his heart that he already loved her. Now the question was, could she reciprocate?

  “You’re pretty amazing yourself, Doc.” He stroked her back, loving the way she fit against him. “Only thing is, you’re overdressed, honey.”

  She giggled. “Yeah, I guess I am, aren’t I?” She pulled away and would have begun undressing, but he wanted to do it.

  “Allow me,” he rumbled, his voice dropping into an almost-purr that he couldn’t quite control. She seemed to like it, so he moved closer, taking over the task of removing her clothes. He’d done some of it before, in the lab, but he’d been in too much of a rush then to truly appreciate her beauty.

  This time, he took his time, running his fingers over her skin, then following with his lips and tongue…until she was moaning in pleasure and writhing against him. When he finally had her completely bare, he stepped back, admiring his handiwork. Her clothes lay strewn around her feet on the floor and her lithe, bare body beckoned to him. Demanded his possession in the most subtle way.

  Steve backed up, taking a seat on the edge of the big bed and just watched her for a moment. She began to squirm a bit under his scrutiny and he realized she wasn’t comfortable enough with him yet to play this particular game. Soon though, he promised himself. He’d do his best to convince her of how beautiful she was to him and how much he enjoyed just looking at her gorgeous body. For now, he’d move slowly. Let her learn him step by step, as he learned her.

  Or maybe not. He finally realized, as much as he was looking at her, she was also looking at him. Unbidden, she moved forward, her gaze focused on his cock, standing straight and hard, ready for her. Without so much as a word, she reached out, grasping him as he gasped at her sudden movement.

  And then all thoughts of going slow left his mind as she straddled his hips and sank down onto him, her hand guiding them together in the most amazing way. The pressure of her fingers was replaced by the warm, wet pressure of her body as she sank onto his cock, taking him balls deep in one long, sensuous stroke.

  Adjusting her position by grabbing his shoulders and sinking lower onto his lap, she finally met his gaze, a smile of impassioned deviltry on her face. She was in control here, contrary to what he might’ve believed before. This was a woman who knew damn well what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to reach out and grasp it. Steve, for one, was all in favor of that.

  “Is it okay?” she asked, a moment of uncertainty showing on her lovely face.

  “Nothing has ever been this okay in my entire life. Honey, you can slide your pussy down over me anytime, anywhere.” His voice was almost a growl, but she didn’t seem to mind.

  “Be careful, big guy. I might just take you up on that.”

  Her playfulness made him think sinful thoughts. “Oh, I like the sound of that.”

  “Good, because I like the way you fill me, Red.” She let out a gasp as he shifted, jostling her over him. He needed a better hold.

  “You want to ride or would you rather I did all the work? Is your leg up for this?” Concern knitted his brow as he remembered the injury she’d sustained.

  “My leg is fine,” she answered off-handedly. “Why don’t you lay down? I think I’ll give this a try.”

  He laid back, helping her settle into a better position over him, loving the friction as they moved together and apart, adjusting their position. Damn. This was going to be so good.

  And then she began to move. Slowly at first, hesitant in a way that told him she hadn’t done this a lot. She gripped his shoulders, then found her balance and sat up, deepening the penetration and changing the angle. Oh, yeah.

  He watched her breasts jiggle above him and he couldn’t help but reach upward to tease her nipples and then stroke down over her soft skin with his fingers. He held her hips, reached around to squeeze her luscious fanny, then moved forward to find the little button at the juncture of her thighs that made her moan.

  Steve rubbed her clit, loving the way she said his name as her pleasure mounted. When she climaxed on him, he almost came with her, but he had other ideas. He held it, knowing he’d have his chance, and it would be even better for waiting.

  Allowing her only a moment to stretch out the first climax, he rolled them over and repositioned them on the big bed. She was under him—a place he’d wanted her since he’d first seen her. And now, here she was. Ready. Primed. His cock already deep inside her. A dream come true.

  Steve began to move, watching her responses for the minutest change. Within moments, she was with him again, her body straining under his, her breath hitching in time with his thrusts.

  “More!” she cried out as he ratcheted up the tempo, straining toward release. It would be a big one this time, taking them both to the stars and beyond. He just knew it.

  Steve reached between them and played with her clit, holding her gaze as her eyes glazed with passion. He breathing was fast and harsh in the quiet of the room, as was his. Never before had a woman driven him to such heights, and Steve knew his life would be different from here on out. He had a mate now. Sex would never be the same. It would be better.

  He increased his pace, something primitive driving him to claim, to possess. Trisha didn’t seem to mind as she made his name into a litany of passion that drove him higher, harder, faster.

  Until the tension burst in a blinding flash of rapture that made him groan even as she screamed his name, her body convulsing in pleasure around his, drawing out his climax. They shot to the stars together, dancing among them for long, long minutes of the most intense sexual satisfaction he had ever known.

  Damn. It was e
ven better than he’d imagined. Having a mate. Fucking her brains out. Wanting to do it all again. Always. With love. And respect.

  Having a mate was a magical thing and the fact that his mate was Trisha was the most magical thing of all. His heart expanded and he wasn’t surprised to know she now lived within it for all time. As far as he was concerned, Trisha was it for him. He’d never love another.

  A phone call woke Steve early the next morning. It was so early, in fact, that the sun wasn’t really up. He fumbled around for the cell phone he’d left on the night stand, finally snagging it on the second or third try. He wasn’t normally so uncoordinated, but a certain little water sprite had taken most of his energy, he thought with an inward grin.

  He looked over at her sleeping next to him. The phone hadn’t disturbed her slumber and he was glad. She needed her rest after everything she’d been through in the previous twenty-four hours. Steve could use a little more sleep, but cats were mostly nocturnal anyway. And shifters didn’t need much shut-eye compared to their human counterparts, so he was alert and awake enough to deal with whatever the ringing phone at oh-dark-thirty meant.

  He rolled out of the bed and padded barefoot across the carpet. He didn’t want to disturb Trisha if he could help it. He went into the hallway and pushed the door to the bedroom until it was only open about an inch—through which he could clearly see his sleeping mate still snuggled in his bed.

  “What?” he finally answered the phone with only a bit of impatience. Being with his mate had definitely already mellowed him a bit.

  “I just got a call from Tony.” Grif’s voice came through the earpiece of the phone clearly. An early morning call from the local Master vampire couldn’t be good news. “Somebody staked Jorge a few hours ago. Tony had already heard about your run-in with Jorge last night, and wanted to know what he’d done to earn a conversation from my second-in-command.”