The Jaguar's Mate (Shifters-Match.com Book 3) Read online

  Chapter Eight

  The day had been … enlightening. Piran hadn’t been kidding when he said that he got very into his work. It took her several tries to get him to notice her when she had pizza brought in. Now that they were at his house she felt, well, to be truthful she felt strange. She liked it, though. His home was to die for. It was set back off of the road a great deal and surrounded by woods. In the front, the windows went from roof to ground. “Wow,” she whispered. “This place is incredible. Your home is beautiful. How did you get something like this? Was it on the market and you scooped it up?”

  He snorted at that and shook his head. “Hardly. I bought it for the land. When I purchased it there was this old hunting cabin about forty yards from the west wall. It looked like if you sneezed on it it would fall down. I had the place built. Did a lot of the projects myself but things like the windows, the plumbing, and electricity I hired someone that knew what they were doing. Mainly because I know my own limitations and have no issue owning up to them.” He dug out keys he used to open the front door. Then he waved her inside, where he quickly disarmed the security system and took her jacket. “Go ahead and wander around. Everything’s on the main floor except the bedrooms, which are upstairs.”

  “This is incredible. The architect for the place certainly knew how to use the angles of the light and the woods to make the place peaceful and protected.” She walked into the house and went immediately to the floor-to-ceiling bank of windows. “Piran, this is amazing.” She could see nothing but woods where she was, but it was beautiful. “I can see places where your mom had a hand in things,” she said as she looked at the colorful pillows that were strewn all over the couches and chairs.

  “She felt the need to make it more homey and less like a bachelor pad. Drives me nuts. Every time she’s over here she sneaks something else in. I know she’s done it, but it takes me weeks to figure out what she’s done. And she’s smug about it, too. Damn annoying.” He moved closer to her and looked around. “I have to say I am rather proud of how it turned out, especially since I had no clue what I was doing when I started.”

  “I like it, a lot. And she’s done a lot to make this house a home.” She ran her hand over one of the pillows. “I love the wood in this house. I can see where you carved pieces in it as well. You did do all the carving, right?”

  “Naturally, except for one. The guy I told you about that trained me, he did the one on the mantel there. It was a parting gift of sorts. But everything else is my work from when I first got going. Did you want something to drink? I have water, juice, beer, wine, and I think lemonade if my mom didn’t finish it off when she was here a couple days ago.”

  “Water would be good.” She walked to the mantel and let her fingers trace over the piece in question. “I like this. It looks like a meeting of a bunch of alpha animals.” She saw a jaguar, bear, lion, wolf, and a few smaller animals. “This is pretty fabulous. The depth and creativity. The way that it looks as if we are really looking at it.”

  He came back a minute later and handed her a glass of ice water. “He did a fabulous job with it. I was completely shocked when he gave it to me. For a guy that normally does cabinetry for a living, to have him give me this meant a lot. It deserved a spot where it could be appreciated fully.”

  “I can see that. This lake, you can almost smell it. You can practically feel the sunshine. Wouldn’t it be amazing to find a place like this and to watch the animals as they all gather there and have their drinks and simply relax together? Being peaceful even with so many of them being predators.”

  “You’d be surprised what you can find in your own backyard.” Touching her arm, he led her to see the rest of the main floor. The dining room off the kitchen was massive in its own right, with a good-size breakfast nook and more glass facing out into the woods. He allowed her a quick peek into his home office, which looked like a tornado had ripped through. Then he took her upstairs. Pointing out a window in a spare room, he explained, “That’s my home workshop.” It was a large, shed-like building about thirty feet from the house. She hadn’t noticed it downstairs, but at the vantage point now she could see the roof outline.

  “Nice,” she said softly. “You’ve done an amazing job with this place. Except for your poor office.” She snickered. “You thought I didn’t see that, didn’t you? Poor man. You need a serious filing system for your stuff. I can’t believe you’re able to find anything in that mess.”

  “It’s not a mess,” he huffed out. “Everything is strategically placed for easy access. If my mother can’t shame me into cleaning it up don’t bet you will either, sweetheart. Come on, one more space to see and then we can head out. From the master bathroom you can see the creek that runs through the property.”

  “Sounds good to me.” She touched her hand to his back and let it stroke over the muscles. “I happen to really, really like the fact that you are messy at least in one area. It makes life just a bit easier to tolerate knowing that you aren’t completely perfect, ya know,” she teased.

  “I’m far from perfect, but I’m happy how I am. The only level of perfection I demand from myself is in my work. Other than that I putter through life screwing up just like everyone else does.” Piran slung his arm around her shoulders and led her along the hall, which was more a loft with a view down into the living room, to the master bedroom. As soon as they entered she saw the huge bed with its carved posts sitting up on a platform.

  “Holy shit, your bed is massive. And to think you slept in one of my small beds last night.” She wanted to jump into his bed and see just how it felt, how comfortable it might be. Instead she moved to the windows and looked out over the forest. “Beautiful. And to think you live in this home and are able to enjoy these views every single morning.”

  Piran was digging through drawers and turned to look at her, a smile curving his lips. “You can crawl up there if you want and give it a go. I don’t mind. And I liked your guest room. It was close to you and that was all I needed to sleep well.” With a wink, he pulled open a door and headed into what turned out to be a damn huge walk-in closet. It was mostly empty from what she could see, but considering it was the size of most bedrooms she had a feeling that might be why it was so barren.

  “Holy hell, your bedroom and closet are both freaking huge. I can’t believe you have so much space. Why did you build it so big anyway? Are you hoping for a large family?”

  “Mainly I like to have a lot of space,” he said. Coming out, he had a small suitcase in hand that he quickly started to toss jeans, t-shirts, and socks into. “But eventually I’d like to have a family. Not huge, but a couple kids would be all right I think by anyone’s standards. Just have to get the woman I want to be the other part of that partnership on board with the program when the time is right. The bath is through there if you want to take a look,” he said.

  “Well, one day you will find her, I know you will,” she said with a smile. She saw where he was pointing and walked into the bathroom. What she saw amazed her. “Wow.” The bathroom was like a Roman palace from the ancient times. There was a deep bathing pool, a massive shower with river rocks for the flooring, and a closed-off space that looked like it was the toilet. At the vanity, dual sinks fed into a lovely glass bowl. “You paid a shitload for this place, didn’t you?”

  “Not really,” he called out to her. “Most things I got at contractor rates because of my connections. Others have small marks that make them unsalable to the common consumer. But I couldn’t care less and it just meant being slightly more creative in how I built the place to hide anything of that nature. The flooring, tile, and especially the rocks in there I got dirt cheap because they were discontinued items. In the kitchen I got the appliances way below market value because someone had custom ordered them and then never came to claim them. Turns out they’d gone bankrupt before they could finish the project, so the guys at the store gave them to me practically.”

  “Amazing. You were born under a lucky star or
something, Piran, because this doesn’t happen to most people. Most people pay through the nose for a home that looks like this.” She hadn’t paid for her home. The government had provided it. “Don’t forget, my handler is in town and I’m sure he will want to meet with us again sometime soon.”

  “I have not forgotten about dear old Joe. I’m sure he’ll be around again as soon as he finishes running the background check on me.” He appeared in the doorway and grinned at her. “I was really lucky when I built this place, but I also asked. A lot of folks forget that they can ask to see pieces that are deemed unsalable. In some cases the store is still willing to sell at a reduced price just so they don’t have to send it back to the manufacturer or pay to get it recycled themselves.”

  “I think that when it comes time for me to do something with my house I’m totally taking you with me so you can save me some cash. As for Joe,” she shrugged, “I bet you’re right. He’s probably pulling every single detail of your life as we speak.”

  “He won’t find much,” Piran said. “I’ve lived a fairly boring life thus far. Besides the army and wherever they sent me, I’ve never traveled outside the US. Was born and raised here in Shifter Falls and, except for that short stint to gain some knowledge from a master in woodworking, I’ve always been here. Didn’t much like the place as a kid—too many people knowing way too much about me and my business. But now I don’t mind it nearly as much. Most days.”

  “I’m happy you did all you wanted to do, that you were able to serve in the military and all that. I’m sure a hell of a lot of your past will be redacted and blacked out because of whatever you did in the service.”

  “Highly doubtful. Like I said, I was a military cop. Not exactly a lot of black ops opportunities in that line of work. There might be a couple locations blacked out, but that would be about it.” Pushing off the doorjamb, he moved in closer to her and slipped his arms around her waist. “You ready to head back to your place?”

  Quinn shook her head. “I want to jump on the bed and see if it is as comfy as it looks. The bed looks like it’s to die for,” she admitted to him bluntly. When he shifted slightly, she moved back into the bedroom and jumped up and onto his bed. She had to jump because it was waist high to her. She let herself fall back on the pillows. “Damn, this is as good as it looks.” She closed her eyes and sighed in pure happiness.

  His chuckle warmed her. “Glad you approve. You are welcome back any time you want, Quinn. I’d suggest staying out here instead but I have a feeling your buddy Joe would call in the National Guard, the Marines, and every government agency to storm the joint.”

  “You would let me stay in your home?” she asked with surprise. She looked at him and smiled. “I would like it, a lot. I think we should tell Joe that I’m being taken to an undisclosed place for safety.” No, wait, she couldn’t do that. If the men after her came calling, they would destroy Piran’s beautiful home. She couldn’t do that to him.

  “Of course I would. I like seeing you here.” Hitching up a leg, Piran sat on the bottom corner with a post at his back. “Even better in my bed but that’s something we can work toward. No need to rush into anything after only the second date.”

  “If only our first date would have worked out.” She was watching him, how at ease he was sitting there on the side of his bed. “If our first date would have worked out can you imagine just where we might be now?”

  “I’ve already worked it out in my head several times over. Last night being the most accurate since I finally got to see you in the flesh and adjusted my minor inaccuracies. For the record we would not have been sleeping all that much. Maybe a couple hours but that would have been about it.”

  “I’m all for that,” she whispered. “Only sleeping a couple of hours and simply loving being in your arms for the rest of the time. It would have been fabulous, actually. But that was a what-if that we can’t change.”

  “True enough. We’re a little behind schedule, but we can still play catch-up,” he pointed out. Moving suddenly, he crawled toward her and leaned down to press a kiss to her lips. “We should get back to your place before I say to hell with it and keep you here as my willing captive. Naked and in my bed for the next week.”

  “Would it really be bad?” she wanted to know. She moved her lips over his again, very lightly. “I want you to kiss me again. I want you to get naked with me. I want a hell of a lot of things that I really shouldn’t want, not if I’m going to keep you safe.”

  He had that odd expression again before he gave her another kiss. “It would not be bad at all. But I have a feeling your buddy Joe won’t approve of you being out here with me, alone, without him supervising from behind his Glock. He might decide to finally shoot me, something I know he’s been thinking about since we met this morning.”

  “Yeah, but the good thing is that he doesn’t matter. All that really matters is what you think and what I think. We are the only ones who make a difference in this. I like you, Piran, a hell of a lot more than I should. I care a great deal for you, and the only thing I want to do is keep you safe. Having you at my home and knowing how in danger you were was one thing, but bringing the fight to your home, that’s something else altogether. I want to stay here with you, to see what all we could be together, but I’m afraid for you. Silly, I know.” She took a deep breath and added, “I don’t feel safe at the house I’m living in. And I don’t want to start a life with you feeling as if I’m being watched.”

  “You are welcome at my home, honey. Always. And you don’t need to be worried. Not even a little. Not for me and not for about eighty percent of Shifter Falls. We can take care of ourselves, even more so when we band together. There’s a very specific reason it’s called that, you know, and it isn’t for the falls in the river.”

  Chapter Nine

  Quinn stared at him, confused. “I don’t get it,” she said as she snuggled in close to him on the bed. “What do you mean there’s a reason for the name of the town. Talk to me, Piran. I have felt like you are holding out on me since you walked in my door last night.” She could see the indecision in his eyes before it was swept away with a blink.

  “All right, but you have to swear to me you will not freak out. I need you to sit up and remain perfectly still.” He pushed off the bed and began to strip down. Well, okay. She wasn’t sure where this was going, but it was starting out well.

  She watched him as he got rid of his shirt and felt her mouth watering. When he started on his pants, she looked from his hands up to his face and searched his eyes. “Why do you need me to stay still?” She was confused but had given him her promise to not freak out. “And why do you have to get naked and leave me with clothes on?”

  “You’ll see in a minute,” he told her. Bending, he pushed down the jeans, tugging off his boots at the same time. Then he straightened up partially so she could see his face. A face that was warping like a bad acid trip until suddenly she was staring into the eyes of a jaguar—a large, black jaguar who licked its lips to reveal extremely sharp-looking teeth. It jumped up onto the bed, and she was pretty sure her heart stopped. After it had its balance the animal sat and eventually lay down, tilting its head to watch her.

  She could only stare, her breathing coming harder and faster. “Piran, is that you?” When the animal nodded its head, she felt as if she had been gut punched. “Can I touch you?” she asked in that warbly voice. She was terrified, but she was also so damn curious it wasn’t even funny. She wanted to know what he felt like. Quinn wanted to touch him and feel every part of him and see if he was as soft as he looked.

  Slowly he crawled in closer to her and lowered his head. He was still watching her closely and with concern if she didn’t miss her guess. It was odd to see such a human emotion in the cat’s eyes, even knowing it was Piran. When she reached out hesitantly, he didn’t move a single muscle.

  She placed her hands on his head first and stroked him. She couldn’t believe she had a living jaguar under her hands. A beast tha
t she had always loved. She began to giggle as she pet him, scratching him behind his ears and earning herself a purr from him. “I can’t believe this. Jaguars have always been my favorite animal and now I have one on the bed with me. You amaze me, Piran Raske, completely amaze me.”

  He thumped his tail on the bed and dipped his head to give her better access. He was clearly enjoying the attention she was giving him and seemed to be in no hurry at all to change back. After a time he drew back and, lifting his rear end into the air, stretched before jumping off the bed. In no time at all she had a naked, human man in the room with her again. One that was pulling on his jeans even though he didn’t button them before climbing up next to her again. “You okay?” he asked softly.

  “I’m okay.” She reached out her hand to him and smiled. “Come on, I want to feel you again. I want to touch your skin and know that you are really here with me. I’m shocked to death about the revelation that you’re a shifter, and the fact that I kept wanting to touch the jaguar that you created amazes me. Please tell me that you weren’t laughing at me the whole time?”

  Shaking his head, Piran moved until he was close enough to rub his nose against hers. With an arm thrown over her, he pressed his chest warmly to her own. “I would never laugh at you. I knew you were human the instant we met. The rest was easy to deduce since you were new to town. The likelihood you’d know about the majority of the population around here being actual shifters was unlikely. I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you since we met and I knew you were mine. Especially when you kept trying to find ways to protect me. Which was adorable, by the way.”

  “If only I had known, right?” she asked as she shook her head. “The fact that you could tear him literally limb from limb just stymies me. Wait, what do you mean?” she questioned, turning her full concentration on him. “What do you mean when you met me you knew that I was yours?”