CAPTURED: 9 Alpha Bad-Boys(63)

Well, damn, wasn't he pushy? Her heart melted. Even as he growled the  words, his touch was gentle and caring. After a few moments of silence  and weighing her options, she decided that some of the mysteries she  kept were no longer wanted and spilled the whole sordid tale.

"Both my parents were shifters. But unlike lions, jaguars aren't social  creatures. We're pretty solitary and don't mate for life."

"Wanna bet?" Aaron snarled, pausing the cloth mid-stroke at the base of her spine.

"Do you want to hear the story or not?" she said firmly, tucking her  head into the fold of her arms to hide a grin. His response was a single  grunt, which she took as a yes.

"Anyway, after my mother conceived, my father disappeared. It's what was  expected so none of my family was shocked, surprised or even  concerned." Another humph from Aaron, but she continued.

"One day, when Reyna … "

"Reyna? Who's Reyna?"

"My twin sister, my littermate," she whispered, fighting back the tears  that threatened every time she thought about her sister. A sister she  would never see again until the hereafter.

"We were really young and hadn't mastered our shifting abilities yet.  We'd just slipped into our jaguar forms unexpectedly when my father  showed up. My mom tried to run him off, but he was feral, infanticidal  actually."

"The man was a baby killer?" Aaron asked incredulously.

"In large cats, it's not uncommon for adults to kill cubs. My, uh … " she  paused and took in a shallow breath. "Reyna didn't survive. My mom  survived long enough to get me to my aunt's home. My Aunt Sulu raised  me. From that day until I was grown enough to take care of myself, she  never let me out of her sight. That woman was a stern old biddy, but she  loved me and always looked after me, even after I was a grown woman.  She raised me to understand the importance of secrets and survival. The  keys to any shifter's survival."

"Secrecy? Don't you think the world would be amazed at what you can do?"

"Yeah but after they finished being amazed, they'd try to cut me up as this week's biology project."

She sighed when his hands settled on her backside for a moment, gently  stroking and kneading the flesh. She loved when he touched her ass. The  man was almost reverential about it. Then he moved lower, bathing the  cuts across her hamstrings.

Just then, Dr. Matons came in. Reya was somewhat surprised. The doc knew  all she needed was a good wash and a painkiller. Give or take a day or  two of rest and she'd be good as new. When he walked in and winked at  her, she knew exactly what he was up to. Meddlesome old matchmaker.

"How are you feeling, my dear?"

It was a stupid question. She hurt from the back of her neck to the  heels of her feet. The pain accompanied the myriad of slashes covering  her body. How did he think she felt?

"A strong narcotic would be nice," she growled, then grinned when he winked at her.

Aaron left the room and returned with a glass of water and a straw. When  she raised her head and quirked a brow at him, he said, "Well, it's not  like you can sit up right now with all those cuts everywhere."

"Dr. Matons," she pleaded, "will you please tell him?"

"I already did, my dear. He's aware that you'll be fine in a day or two.  Already your cuts are beginning to heal, but you're going to be quite  sore until then."

Dr. Matons stuffed a couple of little, white pills into her mouth, and  Aaron was right there ready with the water, fitting a straw between her  lips.

"What is it?" she asked, hoping he remembered that certain drugs made her queasy.

"Tylenol with codeine. Two now. Two in four hours."

Aaron stroked a large hand through Reya's hair. "I'll see to it, doctor."

"Good," he said, his eyes locked with Reya's drooping ones. "I'll let Bethsaida know you won't be down in the morning."

"I'll be down to help," Aaron said resolutely.

Now what kind of sense did that make, Reya wondered as the painkiller  started to take effect. He would be in Belize City tomorrow morning.

As if he'd read her mind, he looked down at her and said, "I'll be here,  Reya. I'm not going anywhere until I'm sure you're all right."

"But your brothers are meeting you … "

"They can reroute and meet me here instead. Besides, they'd love to meet  their soon-to-be sister-in-law," Aaron said lazily as he took a tube of  antibiotic ointment from Dr. Matons' fingers and began to ease it  lovingly into the slashed skin on her calves.

"Sister-in-what?!" she gasped.         

     



 

"You heard me. Marry me?"

Her mouth dropped open and stayed there. He wanted to marry her? Even  after learning she was a shifter? Her eyes went as wide as they were  able, given the swift arrival of her latest groggy state. Lord knew she  wanted him, but they hadn't known each other that long. And what about  his brothers? What if they didn't like her? And what if Aunt Sulu didn't  like any of them?

"Aaron … I-I, well … " Her mind was a jumble of questions and muted  excitement, but in seconds the codeine won the fight with her head as  Aaron's fingers smoothed the antibiotic up the backs of her thighs,  lulling her into deep, healing sleep.

The last thing she remembered was wishing she could stay awake long  enough to tell him to linger on her ass. And to say she'd be honored to  marry him.





Chapter Nine

He couldn't decide whether he should be seething mad or deliriously  happy. His brothers absolutely adored Reya, doted on her. They'd come  down on Cockscomb Jaguar Sanctuary like a pack of flirtatious mother  hens. Hell, he couldn't even wrap his mind around how they managed to  baby him, flirt with every woman in sight, including his own, and have  everyone still love them like sons. Austin and Anthony James had even  managed to thoroughly charm Bethsaida and Dr. Matons was a close second.

Now they were working on Reya. The bastards had stormed right into her  bedroom while she was still in bed. Reya, you're just so beautiful. Oh  Reya, we're so glad you've caught yourself a James boy. Reya, we look  forward to going scuba diving with you. Reya, it's so nice and green  here, unlike dry-assed Colorado. Reya, your bed-and-breakfast is  exquisite. Shit, it was Reya this and Reya that. On and on it went. It  didn't matter that their compliments on Reya's B&B were warranted.  He had to admit, it was a well-designed structure with the best  amenities, and if the James boys knew anything, they knew architecture.  But they were damned annoying, flirting with his woman like shameless  hussies, er, hussie-men!

And Reya loved every minute of it. Had even had the nerve to tell him  how good-looking all the James boys were, him included of course. He'd  wanted to smack her as she went on about how tall Austin was, how he  looked so much like Aaron. Oh and then there was the Ode to Anthony's  Dimples. Damned woman. And she still hadn't agreed to marry him.  Admittedly, he asked her when she was half-delirious with pain and  enjoying a nice dose of pain meds. But still!

She'd sat in the damned bed, skinning and grinning up at Austin and  Anthony as they brought her anything and everything her little heart  desired. Hell, there wasn't anything left for him to do because his  thick-headed brothers had taken care of all of Reya's needs.

All they cared about was the fact that she was the woman he wanted to  marry, and they were busy sinking their claws-that word held new meaning  for him-into Reya to secure her as part of the family. And all because  he wanted her. As if he couldn't do it himself. Damned meddlers.

Aaron's spine stiffened as his head filled with a possible explanation  for his ire-he was jealous! Nah, that couldn't be right, could it? No.  Hell no. Absolutely not! He'd never been jealous over a woman in his  whole life. But then again, since he'd met Reya, he'd had all kinds of  new emotions dancing around his brain.

Right now both Austin and Anthony were downstairs filling in for him and  Reya in the dining area, no doubt trying to run the kitchen by now. And  here he sat on the side of Reya's bed, grumbling about all their  playboy-laden clucking. A resigned sigh huffed from his chest. May as  well get over it. After all, they meant well.

Aaron tensed at the feel of fingertips traipsing down the middle of his  back. His breath hitched as warmth spread from his spine, wrapped around  his kidneys and dove straight for his heart. Only one touch could do  that. Reya's.

"I thought you were sleeping," he said quietly without turning around.  The lid of Reya's laptop snapped closed as Aaron braced himself. Any  second now his brothers would somehow sense his woman was awake and come  barging into her apartments to kiss her feet.

"I was asleep, but I like being awake much more when I can wake up to  you here with me," she drawled. Her voice was low, sweet, and held him  completely in thrall. God, he loved this woman. He set her laptop on the  nightstand and turned to face her. She took his breath away, all  tousle-headed, and her lips tipped up in a sensual half-smile. Her gray  eyes twinkled in the dim early morning light that filtered in through  the closed blinds. Oh she looked so ready to be loved.