Taming The Cougar Page 7

  Just the same, he wanted to hand her a lesson before pulling her back to her feet. By increasing his hold on her left thigh, he kept her anchored as he rubbed a thumb against the taut fabric over her core. His intention had been to impress her with how easy it was to invade her privacy and give her a hint of her future, but as he continued his massage, she stopped straining to get away.

  “You want this?” Drawing as much of her mons as he could into his palm, he shook it.

  More head shaking. The rest of her, however, remained motionless. He wanted to say something to her, speak words that had the power to break down the barriers between them, but she’d started panting and suddenly he couldn’t think beyond the sound.

  Leaning closer, he worked his hand even farther into the warm cave, stopping only when the boulder he’d placed her on got in the way. Releasing her thigh, he cradled a breast. His thighs had begun to protest, but the discomfort was nothing. He’d waited so long for a moment like this, sometimes doubting it would ever happen, or that even if he captured a woman, she wouldn’t understand.

  Was it possible? This woman knew what he was about?

  Risking more than he wanted to admit, he again looked into her eyes. Her lids sagged, yet she returned his gaze. Unable to read her expression, he nevertheless told himself she wanted this moment and for the world to be about the two of them.

  Floating in a current of need, he sought to wrap his mouth around her breast. But as he closed in on her, his left thigh threatened to cramp. Wise in the need to remain strong, he gathered his legs under him and stood. Doing so forced him to release her.

  Kneading the knotted muscle, he continued to watch her. She’d already drawn her legs together and had sucked in her breath as if trying to put as much distance as possible between them. Her eyes remained heavily lidded, her nipples hard.

  He shifted his weight. As he did, she leaned away from him, turning to the side at the same time. Whatever spell he’d managed to cast over her was fading. She was no longer wrapped in her primitive nature, and had become a captive again, a woman who wanted nothing to do with what was happening to her.

  She feared him, maybe hated him.

  Something cold and hard seeped into him. The more wary her expression, the more he wanted to strip it from her. Breath whistling, he slapped her. Her head snapped back, and she made a half-angry, half-frightened sound. The strangled cry put him in mind of a dying prey. Once again the inner animal shuddered.

  “Get up!” Not giving her time to obey, he hauled her to her feet and shoved, thinking to get her walking. Instead, she stumbled. He could have helped her right herself. Instead, he watched, not caring as she fell. She landed on her knees, but without her hands to brace herself, she tipped forward until her upper body rested on her left shoulder.

  Fingers repeatedly knotting and releasing, he studied her naked back. Her backbone and ribs were silhouetted beneath flesh that seldom saw the sun, her arms worthless. As Cougar, he sometimes crippled a catch and watched it struggle to drag itself away. Cougar cared nothing about a creature’s pain or fear, but when he returned to human form, he had nothing but loathing for what the beast was capable of. Then he did it again.

  This time the man had done the crippling.

  Swallowing against self-loathing, he helped her stand but was careful to keep her back to him so she couldn’t read his expression. Still fighting himself, he gave her a gentle push. After a few false tries, she found a mincing gait that kept her on the move.

  When he’d matched his stride to hers, he closed a hand around an elbow to remind her of his presence. Her breasts shuddered with every step, and she kept dropping her head, only to jerk it upright. A warm breeze seemed to be following them, and every time it blew her hair about, it took all he had not to take hold of the pale length so he could feel its warmth.

  Not looking at her was easier on his nervous system, yet he couldn’t keep his attention off her for more than a few seconds. He kept telling himself it was because he’d finally accomplished what had long been a horny man’s fantasy, but that wasn’t the full truth. Giving into thoughts both revealing and dangerous, he acknowledged that he was drawn to not just any female body, but hers.

  The faintest of memories told him he’d had considerable experience with women before he’d been wrenched from that all-but-forgotten world. His captive was attractive, not as lean and long-limbed as a model, but healthy, without exploiting her physical body. His brief exploration of her sexuality made him wonder if he could exploit it, and yet even that didn’t touch what made her unique, did it?

  There’d been something in her glances, a penetrating quality, a determination to dig deep into him. Despite her fear, she remained clearheaded. She was searching for more than the obvious. She wanted to understand what made him the way he was. Maybe she’d glimpsed or sensed Cougar. Much as he needed to throw up his defenses, part of him ached to let her in.

  But first and foremost, he vowed to turn her into what he needed.

  Unless the beast overpowered him.

  Thank goodness, Hok’ee had finally gotten rid of the damnable ropes around her ankles. That done, he’d refastened her wrists so her arms were no longer forced into such an unnatural position. She might have taken that as a sign that he’d regretted kidnapping her, and would eventually release her, if he hadn’t fashioned a collar out of the former ankle rope and used the loose end as a leash so he could haul her behind him.

  To hell with him! He might treat her like a dog, but she’d be damned if she’d act like one. No matter what he did to her, she wouldn’t cower and tuck her nonexistent tail between her legs.

  What were his plans for her? Unfortunately, the answer was as clear as his broad, tanned, naked back. She’d have to be a fool not to get the message in the way he’d manhandled her after plunking her down on the boulder.

  He’d gone right for her crotch. And although her jeans prevented him from reaching her sex, between shaking her mons and rubbing her labia, he’d given her a vivid demonstration of his intentions.

  Why then wasn’t she fighting?

  Staring at the rope running from her neck to his hand, she nearly laughed. Like resisting would accomplish anything. Eventually they’d reach wherever he was taking her, he’d remove her gag, and give her something to drink, at least she reverently hoped he would. The moment she was capable of speaking, she’d…

  What? Would she really ask if he was going to rape her?

  Maybe it was the sun, wind, thirst, and her wearying body, but although the word spread throughout her, she didn’t try to shove it away. Rape meant being taken against her will, which had already happened. How she’d react to the ultimate in violation was up to her, at least she hoped that was true.

  What gave her doubt was her response to his hand between her legs, and another on her breast, and his fingers on her ass. When he’d done those things, she’d no longer been aware of her imprisoned body or useless shirt. Everything had revolved around the pressure against her cunt and the big, rugged man responsible for that pressure.

  Swallowing, she tried to count steps, and when that failed to distract her, she tried to imagine where he was taking her. However, despite her need to stick with reality, her mind painted fanciful possibilities.

  Her captor had taken her to a clear, slow moving stream where he removed her boots and jeans. Then he led her into the water, laughing when she gasped at the cold. Deeper and deeper they went until they stood in the middle, water lapping at her breasts. Her hands were still tied, albeit in front now. The gag was gone.

  When he placed his hands on her shoulders, she believed he intended to help her maintain her balance. Instead, he pushed down and forced her underwater. Before panic could swamp her, he pulled her back up. Then he gently washed her hair and face before turning to the rest of her body. His movements were slow and sensual, making her feel as if she was floating, even when she wasn’t.

  When he was satisfied he’d thoroughly cleaned her, h
e closed his hands around her waist and lifted her, guiding her legs around his hips. She placed her arms over his head and around his neck to keep from losing her balance. Then she floated with eyes closed and mouth open as he ran his erect cock into her. With his hands on her buttocks providing the necessary support, she demonstrated her devotion to him, her captor, by drawing him deep. Again and again she pulled back, only to dive at him until they were both panting.

  Although she’d been shivering since going into the water, she quickly warmed herself on his cock. She barely felt her arms, and her legs seemed capable of gripping forever. Her pussy loosened, swelled, embraced, then slid unrelentingly toward release.

  He came first with sharp, hard thrusts, and a cry like a wild animal. Goaded by the primal sound, she caught up with him, gasping as everything spiraled. Sex muscles clenched, collapsed, clenched again.

  And as her climax died, his cry echoed inside her.

  Blinking, Kai brought herself back to the here and now, but even as she reacquainted herself with her aching insteps and jaw, she heard that wild animal sound. A warning from deep inside told her not to question, not to open herself up to something she might not want to know, but just as she’d never been able to ignore her connection with living creatures, she couldn’t turn her back on this step she’d never imagined she’d take.

  A thread of life ran from his hand, along the rope and into her veins. It pulsed with energy and mystery, fascinating and frightening her at the same time. When she gave herself over to it, she caught bits and pieces of images with little meaning. Once she’d reconciled herself to the fragmented blips, she pulled what she understood around her. The blips weren’t unrelated snapshots of nothing after all. Instead, much as if she were working with puzzle pieces, she began constructing a whole.

  She was watching an animal, a predator. Because it was night in her mind, she couldn’t be certain what she was looking at, just that the creature was a member of the cat family. It moved with the supreme grace of one whose existence depended on silence and stealth. Every muscle was finely tuned, each step silent. She didn’t have to touch that sleek and powerful body to know it feared nothing and felt nothing for whatever it was stalking.

  The image sharpened, putting her in mind of a camera lens being adjusted. The feline form took on definition, and she was closer to it now, so close she could hear the creature breathing. Despite the possibility that it might attack, she focused on shape and size, color and energy.

  Weighing upward of two hundred pounds, the animal had a disproportionally small, round head. Dark markings ringed its eyes and muzzle. Its ears were erect and in constant movement as it took measure of its world. Powerful hindquarters briefly distracted her from the powerful forequarters, neck, and jaw. Its paws were large in proportion to the rest of it, and the claws were capable of clutching, ripping, and tearing. The thick tail reached to the ground and slowly lashed back and forth, reminding her of a house cat signaling its intention to pounce.

  Swallowing against fear and more, she returned to what she had to do. When the beast opened its mouth, revealing potent fangs, she admitted her admiration for a creature created for ending life. In strange contrast to the deadly body, its thick, rich coat was a soft tawny color that faded to blond on its underside, jaw, chin, and throat.

  It wasn’t looking at her. Just the same, she sensed the beast was aware of her presence and prepared to leap should she try to flee. Determined to learn everything she could about the creatures she was in tune with, she’d researched the various big cats. But even if she hadn’t, she would have known this was a cougar. After all, hadn’t her dream man told her?

  Dream man? No longer, because she’d become his captive.

  After assuring herself that she was still walking, and the ground ahead of her was level, she forced herself to take her thoughts even deeper. When she studied the masculine back ahead of her, she saw a man. When she drifted into what existed inside her mind, she saw a massive cougar. But when she concentrated on both, they became superimposed one over the other, first one form and then the other taking control.

  Man and predator in the same body? Maybe sharing the same soul?

  Head throbbing, she waited for horror and disbelief to wash away the insane thought. Instead, conviction settled over her. It was impossible, of course. A man couldn’t also be an animal. But if they shared the space, sometimes the predator would demand that space. Then when it had accomplished whatever it needed to, the man would emerge.

  Much as she needed to close her eyes so she could concentrate, she didn’t dare. Telling herself to accept this new reality, she continued to study the dark naked back. Hok’ee—she had no doubt that was his name—was beautiful in a harsh and untamed way, and confident in his body. And yet she’d sensed an inner struggle. Saying that anyone capable of shape-shifting had a lot on their mind was simplistic.

  What did he want from her? Sex, obviously. But it had to be more than that, didn’t it? A rational human being didn’t rob another human of her freedom simply because he craved a sex partner. Especially not a man who could bed any woman with a look and a touch.

  What if he somehow knew she was different, in tune with his animal nature? Was that why he’d captured her? But for what purpose?

  Her head ached, forcing her to stop searching for answers she might never find. Wherever he was taking her was more than a mile from where he’d brought her down because they’d already traveled that far. Either that, or she’d lost track of time and distance. It didn’t matter. He’d do what he wanted, when he wanted.

  Feeling herself slipping into a strange nothingness, she tried to pull free by concentrating on Garrin and the others who would be joining them, including Dr. Carter. Although she vaguely remembered what Dr. Carter looked like, Garrin’s features eluded her. Garrin was take-charge. He’d organize a search party and come looking for her.

  But where would he look? Would she ever see any of them again?

  Maybe she’d die like her father had.

  8

  Although he spent considerable time with his pride, Hok’ee had fashioned a home for himself in what had once been an Anasazi apartment. A long-ago earthquake had collapsed most of the stone walls, but a few spaces remained intact. When he’d first spotted the cavelike opening, he’d been hesitant to enter it, but a thorough examination had convinced him it was solid. Protected from the elements, it needed little in the way of refinements, beyond a bed made from stolen blankets. Two folding chairs, taken from campsites, provided him with places to sit. He occasionally pondered what the campers thought had happened to their chairs.

  Because he’d spent little time inside the cave, he hadn’t concerned himself with making it more comfortable, but he’d need to before winter because as much as he loved the other Tocho, he must have been a solitary human because he craved solitude.

  Winter, snow, and cold, and long days and nights when the weather would keep him inside with his thoughts and loneliness.

  Maybe for the first time, he didn’t hesitate before ducking his head and stepping through the low opening. Tonight he wouldn’t be alone.

  Straightening, he turned and studied the woman. She’d come in far enough that she wasn’t in danger of hitting her head on the low entryway ceiling but had stopped without his permission. Instead of looking around, she stared at him. Because daylight was behind her, he couldn’t read the look in her eyes. She was gnawing on the rope in her mouth, and her stance was wide. Her breasts seemed to sag more than they had earlier, alerting him to her bowed posture.

  Puzzled by his concern for her comfort, he let go of the leash. It slid between her breasts and legs, the end draped over the dried grasses he’d brought in to insulate the stone flooring. Half-expecting her to run, he folded his arms across his chest and planted his weight on the balls of his feet. His heart rate picked up.

  Aware that Cougar would soon demand freedom, he looked around for a way to keep her here. The cave walls were jagged in
places where ends of slab stuck out. He could tie the rope to one of them.

  But what if she panicked when she saw what he became? She might choke herself. Thoughts of anything digging into her soft throat penetrated his fading brain, and he shook himself back to awareness. An instant of self-loathing shot through him, then was gone.

  “Come here,” he said, indicating a spot in front of him. After a moment, she shuffled forward. Then she sagged again.

  Alerted by his own body’s needs, he knew he had to give her something to drink and let her rest. Thinking about removing the gag made his fingers twitch. Taking hold of her elbows as he’d done before, he turned her so her back was to him. Warmth from the sun radiated off her. Caressed by her heat, he untied her gag and pulled it off her.

  Pivoting on her left leg, she faced him. Doing so caused the leash rope to curl around her legs. She licked her lips and worked her jaw muscles. He waited for her to scream, but she remained silent. When she continued to lick her lips, he acknowledged the self-restraint it took for her not to ask for water.

  Leaving her, he stepped over to the stone and wood table that had been here when he found the cave. He kept his water supply in a five gallon plastic bladder he’d taken from a sporting goods store. Filling a ceramic cup with the water he’d gotten from a nearby creek, he held it to her mouth. Not taking her gaze off him, she downed it. He gave her another cupful, then drank himself.

  The necessary chore over, he leaned against the table. Every time he looked at her it was as if he’d never seen a woman’s body before. Her youth and strength, and slim, healthy body spoke to him, but even more, he embraced the thought that she belonged to him. Unlike the strangers he fucked when he had no choice, he wanted to know everything about her. He needed to hear her voice, to touch her hair, to draw her breasts into his mouth, to plunder her pussy.

  He also needed to know what was different about her.

  A painful knotting in his groin captured his attention. No matter how much he tried to ignore his swollen cock, it was controlling more and more of his mind. Cupping the hard organ, he fought its power. At the same time, he made no attempt to hide what he was doing from her.