Sebastian Aristide (Bayou Heat)(15)
Reny might have stayed in her cat form for the rest of the day if she hadn’t known that despite his seemingly carefree enjoyment, Sebastian was desperately worried about the lurking assassins.
They would have plenty of time in the future to indulge her long overdue exploration of what it was to be Pantera.
Closing her eyes, she once again relaxed her muscles, allowing the magic to race through her blood as she shifted back into human form.
A painful rapture that could easily become addictive.
Stretched out on the mossy ground, she was only partially aware that her clothing and even cellphone survived the transformation. Her focus was centered on the blazing awareness of Sebastian that was buried deep inside her.
It wasn’t just sexual, although there was plenty of lust burning with an incandescent heat in the pit of her stomach.
It was more the sensation of being connected to him on a primitive level.
Lying directly in front of her, Sebastian gently framed her face in his hands, his eyes dark with concern.
“What is it?” he demanded. “What’s wrong?”
She gazed at his exquisitely beautiful face in wonder. “I feel as if we’re connected.”
A slow, unexpected color crept beneath Sebastian’s bronzed skin. “Because we are,” he said, reaching down to pull her jacket and blouse to the side, revealing four silvery slashes that marred the skin just above her collarbone.
She blinked in surprise. “What’s that?”
“I marked you.”
“Marked me?”
He grimaced. “My cat was a little…overenthusiastic.”
Reny felt a small flare of amusement. Was he embarrassed? It seemed impossible that the suave, perfectly composed diplomat could actually be flustered.
“What does that mean?”
His fingers gently traced the silver slashes. “I’ve chosen you as my mate.” His voice was low, reverent. “And I’m very much hoping you’ll choose me as yours.”
“Mates?”
“For eternity.”
She should feel overwhelmed by the soft words. Just a day ago she was a career woman who cherished her independence.
Now…
Now she felt nothing but a wild exhilaration that fizzed through her body like champagne bubbles.
Her fingers stroked through the tawny satin of his hair, recalling the beauty of his pelt when he’d been a puma.
“There’s no doubt?” she demanded, her vulnerable heart not ready for any unpleasant surprises.
She needed to be absolutely certain that this gorgeous, insanely sexy cat wasn’t going to disappear from her life.
A wry smile twisted his lips. “My cat knew from the moment I entered the office to see you standing there…” His fingers moved toward the buttons of her shirt, slowly tugging them open. “Your passionate nature buried beneath the starch.”
Heat curled through the pit of her stomach, a hungry ache pulsing through her body.
“Is that why I wanted to rip off your clothes and lick my way from your very sexy lips to the tips of your toes when I first saw you?” she asked, her voice husky with need.
There suddenly seemed to be something incredibly erotic in the thought of making slow, delicious love surrounded by the bayou.
“The mating heat is only a signal that our cats are sexually compatible and that you’re fertile,” he explained, his finger tracking the lacy line of her bra. “The actual mating is a melding of our souls.”
“Melding.” She sighed in pleasure as his lips nuzzled a path of kisses just beneath her jaw. “Yes. That’s exactly what it feels like.”
“Reny.” With a groan he found her lips, claiming them in a kiss that spoke of blatant ownership.
Which was just fine with Reny.
She belonged to Sebastian. Just as he belonged to her.
The thought had barely formed when instinct took over, and scarcely aware of what she was doing, Reny’s claws emerged and she was swiping them across his chest.
“Jesus,” he rasped in shock, yanking back to glance down at the four perfect rips in his shirt.
“Did I do it right?” she demanded in concern, catching sight of blood on his beautiful bronzed skin before the shallow wounds were healing before her very eyes.
Raw, primal satisfaction smoldered in his eyes as a slow smile curved his lips. “Oh, sugar, it couldn’t be more right.”
Reny watched in sizzling anticipation as he started to lower his head. The mating heat was flaring back to life with a vengeance. Then with a low curse he was pulling back, and with swift efficiency had her shirt buttoned and her jacket smoothed back into place.
“What’s wrong?” she demanded as he rose to his feet and pulled her upright.
“Someone’s coming.” He kept hold of her hand as a male appeared between two cypress trees. “Hiss,” he murmured.
The Pantera male, with dark hair pulled into a tail at his nape and gray eyes, moved forward, his expression impatient.
“Finally,” Hiss muttered.
Reny felt Sebastian tense. “What is it? Have the assassins been found?”
Hiss gave a shake of his head, something about the action oddly familiar to Reny.
“No,” he said, “But Ashe has gone into labor.”
Sebastian gave a short, strained laugh. “I suppose Raphael is a fucking basket case.”
The other Pantera snorted. “Worse. He needs you…” With a shocking speed, Hiss was abruptly focusing his attention on Reny, his hand lifting toward her face. “What the hell?”
“Hey.” Sebastian slapped the man’s hand away, his voice filled with aggression. “That’s my mate.”
“Mate? I’m…”
“What?” Sebastian snapped.
Hiss gave a shake of his head. “Never mind. Are you coming or not?”
Sebastian wrapped his arm around Reny’s waist, gazing at her with blatant devotion. “Ready for this, sugar?” he asked softly.
She leaned her head against his shoulder, giving a firm nod. “With you at my side, I’m ready for anything.”
About The Author
Alexandra Ivy is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Guardians of Eternity series, as well as the Sentinels. After majoring in theatre she decided she prefers to bring her characters to life on paper rather than stage. She lives in Missouri with her family. Visit her website at alexandraivy.com.
Book list:
Guardians of Eternity
Hunt the Darkness
June 3, 2014
978-1420125153
Wicked Firsts
August 19, 2013
Darkness Avenged
June 4, 2013, Zebra
ISBN 978-1420111385
Levet
March 26, 2013
Fear the Darkness
September 1,2012, Zebra
ISBN 978-1420111378
Bound by Darkness
December 6,2011, Zebra
ISBN 978-1420111361
The Real Werewives of Vampire County
November 2011, Kensington
ISBN 978-0758261588
Supernatural
September 2011, Kensington
ISBN 978-1420109887
Yours for Eternity
September 2011, Kensington
ISBN 978-1420112283
Devoured by Darkness
November 2010, Zebra Paranormal
ISBN 978-1420111354
Beyond the Darkness
April 2010, Zebra Paranormal
ISBN 978-1420102987
Darkness Unleashed
November 2009, Zebra Paranormal
ISBN 978-1420102970
Darkness Revealed
March 2009, Zebra Paranormal
ISBN 978-1-4201-0296-34
Darkness Everlasting
May 2008, Zebra Paranormal
ISBN 978-0-8217-7939-2
Embrace the Darkness
November 2007, Zebra Paranormal
ISBN-10: 0821779370
ISBN-13: 978-0821779378
When Darkness Comes
January 2007, Zebra Paranormal
ISBN 0-8217-7935-4
Immortal Rogues Series
* Please note this series is a reprint from the 2003 Historical Vampire Series written as Deborah Raleigh *
My Lord Vampire
#1 in the Immortal Rogues Series
February 28, 2012, Zebra
ISBN 978-1420122718
My Lord Eternity
#2 in the Immortal Rogues Series
December 4, 2012, Zebra
ISBN 978-1-4201-2861-1
My Lord Immortality
#3 in the Immortal Rogues Series
December 31, 2012, Zebra
ISBN 978-1-4201-2272-5
Sentinel Series
Predatory
Sentinel Anthology
May 7, 2013
ISBN 978-1-4201-2512-2
Born in Blood
Book #1 Sentinel series
December 31, 2013
ISBN 978-1420125146
Bayou Heat Series
Bayou Heat Raphael & Parish
Book #1 and #2 in the Bayou Heat Series
January 7, 2013
ISBN 978-0-9886245-0-4
Bayou Heat Bayon & Jean-Baptiste
Book #3 and #4 in the Bayou Heat Series
April 11, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-9886245-1-1
Bayou Heat Talon & Xavier
Book #5 and #6 in the Bayou Heat Series
ISBN 0988624575
July 8, 2013
ARISTIDE
By Laura Wright
CHAPTER 1
Hot.
Smoking hot.
And by the smell of her, human.
Aristide tracked the waitress with his dark gaze even as he sent the solid green ball into the far right pocket of the one decent pool table at The Cougar’s Den. Around him, a couple of his Pantera brothers hissed and cursed at the clean shot as they finished off their beers. But Aristide barely heard them. His eyes and his nose were trained on the wickedly hot human female working the room. The human female he shouldn’t even be acknowledging, much less lusting over. Dressed in The Cougar’s uniform of black miniskirt and white tank top, she took orders, stopped traffic and made tongues loll. Small, maybe five foot two, she had the body of a pin-up: round and lush up top and around back, where it counted. The perfect amount of succulent flesh for a horny male to fondle and kiss and grip and lick.