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“Um. Okay. You’re a shifter, right?”
“Jaguar. Eons in the past, my pride resided in what is now Central America. Long, long ago. Still, it accounts for my earthy skin color.” He held his arm next to her pale one. “Along with this nose.” He tapped it.
She loved his nose with its slight hook.
“The rest is pure jag. My hair. My eyes.” His lids slid closed. Open. A languid journey. A stretch of a lazy cat. “My canines. My purr.”
He leaned in, his chest brushing her shoulder. A soft sound in her ear shot a tingle to Celene’s toes. “Do I get to see your jaguar?”
His finger trailed along the side of her thigh. “That would indicate a very close relationship which we don’t have. Yet. When we do, I’ll let you pet the beast. Often. What else do you want to know?”
“How did you become a Firebrand?” She stroked the mark on his arm, the feathers ruffling.
“Same as my frerons. One day, the Phoenix called me to duty. When it happens, you have two choices. Accept or reject. I soldiered up. After many successful missions, Cadmon chose me to be commander of the North Shelters stronghold. My aggressive nature didn’t hurt the promotion. What’s your life story?”
Celene swiped a hand across her face. Whew. It was hot in here. Nace curled his arm, pulling her closer. “Trust-fund baby. Parents died when I was young. I imploded. I’m all about the thrill of danger. That’s how Cerberus’s men caught me. I was base jumping in Venezuela. Angel Falls. Ever hear of it?”
“Sure. Been there. Beautiful place.”
She was impressed with his knowledge of the area. “Well, I jumped, chute opened, but guys were waiting for me at the bottom.”
When his hot palm moved to her thigh, it sizzled. “What other crazy shit did you do in your wild youth?” he asked, seeming interested.
“I sailed around the world by myself. Heli-biked in New Zealand. Fun stuff.”
“A female who loves adventure. No male to rescue you from yourself? You know, make you want to set up a home, cook, have babies.”
She grunted, a smirk tugging her lips. “I’m not domestic.”
“Perhaps you lack the right incentive.”
Celine replied with a vigorous shake of her head, “Nope. If you’re in the market for a tame kitty, you’re shopping in the wrong pet shop.”
He withdrew his hand, crossing an ankle over a knee. “I’m flexible.”
“How does this courtship thing work?”
“Step one is complete. I announced my intentions. Next, we go out to crowded places so I don’t have my wicked way with you before the proper time. If things are good, we move on to more intimate encounters. Just the two of us. From there, we’ll see.”
She’d have to turn the thermostat down just thinking about the more intimate encounters. It was damn hot in here. Celene was ready now. Did that make her a slut? “Sounds like a long, complicated plan. What if we don’t … uh … have sparks?”
“Then we say goodbye. No hurt feelings.”
“I’m a little more spontaneous than you sound.”
He smiled, arrogance carved into his face. “Nobody’s wilder than a jaguar, Celene. Still, you’re not ready for the big cat yet. Hence the courtship. You get to know my needs while I tame the kitty.”
She stiffened. “I don’t do well leashed.”
He leaned in, his breath gentle on her cheek. “You’ve never felt my leash.”
Damn heat. Her panties were damp.
She should turn down the courtship idea and boot him out of her apartment. He was bossy, way too old-fashioned for her. She studied the shifter, liking what she saw, but relationships weren’t all about the physical. Still, Nace was a challenge. Celene was always up for a challenge. It was why she was an adventurist, climbed mountains, base jumped falls, ran with the bulls at Pamplona. “Where are we going for this first date in a crowded place?”
Nace sniffed the air as if he could smell her arousal. He grinned, obviously pleased with his effect on her. “I love a female who lets the male make the decisions.”
“Don’t purr yet. I reserve the right of final approval.”
