Along Came a Tiger (Tiger Shifters) (14 page)

He cut her off again, this time jumping in front of her so suddenly, she fell into him. The feel of her weight against his side and back was a satisfaction all its own. With a laugh, she pushed away and started to jump into a new direction, but he moved in a tight circle around her, giving her nowhere to go.

Grinning at him, she shook her head. “Shift, my beautiful man. I’m caught.”

He still sensed the other males, hovering close enough to be a problem. But Sarah simply knelt on the ground and stared at him, a gleam of anticipation in her eyes.

Her black hair hung in a straight cloud around her bare shoulders. Her small breasts drew his attention as he moved a little ways away to begin his shift. So beautiful. The night was warm and humid, and sweat glistened on Sarah’s skin in the bare light from a crescent moon. They were in a small break in the trees, not enough to be a clearing, but enough to cast faint light over her lithe form. He wanted her so much he ached.

The shift only increased that ache, a low level of discomfort adding to his excitement and desire. He changed as quickly as was safe and then rose to his full height. She stared up at him with heat in her eyes, her gaze traveling over his body.

He could never resist the way she looked at him.

She was on her feet by the time he reached her, but she didn’t touch him immediately. Her gaze dropped to his erection and she licked her lips. He growled and flexed his fingers. He wanted to touch her more than he wanted to breathe. But he held back, letting her lead the way this first time.

She smiled as she gripped his cock, stroking him in long, slow pulls. Jaw clenched to keep still, he watched her small hand moving, the feel of her skin like hot velvet.

“Does that feel good?” she asked.

He could only grunt in response. But it was enough to make her laugh. The sound brushed over his naked skin. A sharp spike of pleasure raced up his spine.

“I know what will feel even better,” she sang, and dropped to her knees.

When her mouth closed over the tip of his cock, he dug his fingers into her hair, unable to keep from touching her any longer. The scent of their mutual desire rose up around him in a cloud of delicious sweetness and musk, mingling with the smell of pine, oak, and the rich soil. He closed his eyes to savor the feel of her wet mouth, the scents of sex and Sarah, and the wilderness around them.

She licked the length of him, then took just his tip into her mouth again, tonguing him before sliding all the way down. He wasn’t going to last long this way, but he couldn’t muster the strength to make her stop. His muscles quivered as her fingers brushed delicately over his ass. The combination of hard suck and soft touch made him see spots.

“Sarah…” Her name came out rough and low, his desperation a physical thing between them.

Her laughter vibrated over his cock and he gasped, on the brink of coming despite his best efforts.

“Up,” he ordered. “Now.”

She complied with a smug grin, licking her lips as she stared up at him.

God, he loved this woman. He lifted her off her feet, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, bumping her wet heat against his cock. He sucked in a breath, then lifted and lowered her until his erection settled at her entrance. He held her gaze, savoring the moment before thrusting up at the same moment as he dropped her down.

Her head fell back and she moaned loudly. He could listen to that sound for the rest of his life and never grow tired of it.

The advantage of his strength and her small stature meant he didn’t need to lean against anything to fuck her this way. He gripped her ass and kept her balanced as she clenched and released, rising and falling onto his cock, her eyes narrowed to slits, her mouth parted. He was so enchanted by the sight of her, he actually forgot how close he’d been to orgasm. Every pant, every flare of her nostrils, every flutter of her lashes tied his soul up further. He’d never thought to love someone like this. She was beautiful, smart, strong
…perfect for him.

And she’d chosen him again.

Keeping her balanced with one arm, he moved his other hand around to thumb her clit. Her inner muscles clamped around him hard. Her legs around his waist squeezed him tighter.

“Daniel,” she panted. “Oh, yes. Please.”

She moved faster, her eyes closed now. He watched with unabashed pleasure as her chest and face flushed, her breathing increased, her moans got louder. Sweat dripped down her temples, and beads of perspiration streaked over her chest, drawing his attention to her breasts.

“So fucking perfect,” he said, his heart pounding in his chest. “Come, Sarah. Come for me.”

“Yes.”

She moved faster, her hands clenching his shoulders, her fingernails a sharp, delectable pain. Her inner muscles were so tight, his own building need for release suddenly bit down hard and he felt himself losing control. He adjusted his hold, pressed his thumb against her clit a little more firmly, and Sarah cried out as her body jerked and tightened.

He held out as long as he could, but watching her come, savoring the sight and the scent rising up between them, did him in. He closed his eyes and pumped into her hard, letting all his pent up fear and hurt go with a release that broke through him like an avalanche.

Long moments passed before he breathed normally again and brought his body back under his control. When he opened his eyes, Sarah was staring at him. She smiled and kissed him, angling her mouth over his.

And all was right in his world.

Sarah unwrapped her legs from Daniel’s waist and slid to the ground, enjoying the sharp shocks of sensation as her sensitive skin glided over his hot, firm flesh. The brush of his body hair against all her most delicate parts sent little sparks of pleasure shooting through her.

“I’m so glad you’re here with me,” she murmured.

“God, that’s a relief.” He blew out a breath and kissed her, hard.

“You were worried?”

“Of course. What did you think?”

“That I’d ruined things.”

“
You’d
ruined things?”

“By going after—”

Daniel put a hand over her mouth, stopping her. “I know we still have a lot to talk about, when it comes to all that, but…I’d like to forget about him for a few more hours. I just want to be with you, like it was before all this. We’ll talk. I promise. But…”

“Oh Daniel, I’d love that. So much.” She pulled his head down to hers and kissed him soundly.

The run had released a lot of her pent up anxieties. She’d felt powerful and sexy and strong. The frustration and helplessness plaguing her fell away under the control she exerted in the Run. Here she was in charge. Here she could take what she wanted and the outcome was in her hands.

And at that moment, what she wanted more than anything in the world was Daniel.

She wrapped herself up in his heat, basked in the mingling of their scents that created a uniquely perfect perfume. Relief and release warmed her muscles and lightened her heart. She poured all her attention and focus into the need and lust, and love, Daniel inspired, pushing everything else away. For now, for this moment, she simply enjoyed the freedom of having him all to herself, without worrying about anything else.

The other males still lurked in the forest at a distance. They would hover in the Run territory for a few more hours before giving up and going home. Knowing they were still out there added an element of excited danger to sex with Daniel that was almost exhibitionism. The others were witness to the power and strength of her bond with Daniel. And she wanted him again, wanted to rejoice in the passion between them.

Rubbing her body up against his, she felt him growing hard again. “Oh, good,” she purred into his mouth, reaching down to wrap her fingers around his thickness.

His chuckle was choked and gravel rough. “Insatiable,” he accused.

“For you? Yes.”

He cupped her breasts and rubbed his thumbs over her raised nipples, sending bolts of sensation through to her core. She was more than ready for him, the satisfaction of her last orgasm a fading memory as the need built again.

He lifted his mouth from hers and looked around. Then he picked her up and carried her to a nearby fallen log, putting her back on her feet only when he’d cleared an area on the ground with his foot so she could stand in warm soil instead of on broken branches and fallen needles.

The padding on the bottom of their feet was harder and rougher than a human’s, so she was perfectly able to move across the ground without hurting herself or being uncomfortable. But his care for her comfort made her heart beat a little harder.

“Turn around,” he ordered. “Brace your hands here.”

She complied with a hum of anticipation. Looking over her shoulder, she watched him studying her, his gaze on her ass, his hand unconsciously stroking his own cock. She loved watching him like this so much she could come without ever touching him. He looked up and caught her staring. His blue eyes were dark and heated, his expression full of intensity, his focus entirely on her.

She swallowed as her muscles trembled in reaction to his obvious desire.

He slid a hand down her spine, a gentle pass that made her arch and moan. Then he cupped her ass cheek and kneaded her flesh, coming up so close she felt the bump of his erection against her hip. His other hand swept up to her heat, his fingers going unerringly to her most sensitive flesh. As he teased her clit with one hand, he slid the hand on her ass under her and nudged her legs wider. She was so eager to have him in her, she clenched her teeth to keep from rushing him. This time, he would lead the way and she would take what he gave her.

She dropped her head back, arching her spine and letting her hair fall over her shoulders to tickle her skin. Sweat, musk, and sex, and that unique mix of pheromones, surrounded them like a fog.

“You like me here,” he murmured against her ear as he slid his fingers through her slick folds, dipping his middle finger inside before pulling out to play with her clit.

“Yes,” she groaned.

When he started pulling away, she gripped his wrist to keep him where he was. He laughed, his hot breath brushing her neck. She shivered but didn’t release her hold. So much for letting him lead, she thought.

A moment later, she stopped thinking all together. He shifted to stand directly behind her and pulled her hips back until she felt the press of his cock against her entrance. The warm night air was still and heavy around them, and a light sheen of sweat coated her skin. All of it heightened her focus on Daniel’s touch. With one hand still wrapped around the front of her, his fingers buried in her curls, he nudged her legs wider and slid his full length into her tight heat.

The slow entrance let her savor every thick inch of him until she felt his hips bump solidly against her ass. Then he moved, stroking in and out, creating an erotic friction that sent her climbing to orgasm fast. She didn’t care. She let him take her, let him push her until she came with a cry that echoed in the trees.

He didn’t give her time to come down before he pumped faster, harder, the sound of skin slapping against skin joining with her cries. Her clit was so sensitive now his touch almost hurt, but even that felt perfect, overwhelming, and wonderful. She looked over her shoulder again so she could watch him lose control. The sight of his face tightening, sweat clinging to his hair and body, was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.

He slammed into her hard enough to bring her up on her toes and then his body went stiff, his muscles tightened, and she felt him pulse inside her as he groaned her name. He continued pumping into her as his muscles relaxed and his breathing slowed, then he pulled her up and wrapped his arms around her, his chest warm against her back.

She held his arms in place and relaxed into the strength and rightness of being with him.

“I’m glad we have three full days,” she murmured as she dropped her head back against his shoulder.

“I’d prefer if we had a lifetime,” he said against her temple.

“Me too.”

She turned in his arms and kissed him, relieved beyond words. She’d lost sight of the future over the last week and a half. She hadn’t been able to think of happiness or love or hope. Here in the deep forest, holding him close, their naked skin pressed tight together, their mingled scent a halo around them, she could consider the future again, and could believe in happiness and hope.

Daniel gave her something to look forward to, something to live for. And she loved him so much for that, she didn’t have the words.

When her knees wobbled and she almost fell, she dropped back against the log and laughed. “Do you want to go to the cabin yet?” she asked.

There was a lovely little cabin maintained and kept tidy for the couples who ended up together after the Run. The cupboards were stocked and the bed always had fresh linen. But the freedom of the open air often kept couples outside, away from the cabin for at least the first day. She and Daniel were no exception.

“Not yet,” he said. “But I do want you to sleep.”

She raised her brows. “You’re sure you want to sleep?”

“No. But you need to.”