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  Uncut, interesting. She forced herself to look him in the eye. The half-grin returned. He may be some unearthly, were-something, but he was still a typical man.

  Jaime dropped to a prone position. "I'll lie still in cat form. So you feel safe."

  "That's thoughtful." Kelsi couldn't keep the sarcasm from her voice. Likely, he played her like some pervert exhibitionist. Although, he did have goods worth looking at.

  "Remember, I cannot harm you. You are—special."

  Before she could ask what he meant, Jaime grimaced. His body shimmered with a dark light that grew beyond his form. The nimbus cast a beast shape around his body, darkened further, then melted away.

  Kelsi's strangled yelp cut the air. She scrambled back from the massive jaguar lying in Jaime's place. Black Beauty. The cat settled his muzzle on his front paws and raised amazing blue eyes to her. True to Jaime's word, the beast didn't move a muscle.

  Kelsi froze in wonder. If the dart drug did this, she'd know eventually. But wow, what a ride! Her knees sank into the damp earth as she crawled on all fours to the cat.

  "Hi there, Black Beauty. Such a pretty boy."

  The lush fur, so close, called to her. As Jaime predicted, the jaguar's sedate manner gave her a sense of safety. Ferns near his nose quivered in time with his regular breaths. She reached a hand to his neck and slid fingers into his pelt. Aside from leaning into her touch, the animal didn't move.

  Kelsi edged closer. She reveled in the nearness to the great cat. Like a child who couldn't stay away from a fluffy kitten, she ruffled his ears then leaned in to nuzzle his fur. His luscious scent further soothed, melting away any remaining angst.

  "Thank you for saving me," she whispered. Fully into the fantasy, or her delirium, she lay next to him and stroked his side.

  Black Beauty blinked and lifted his face to hers. He flicked his whiskers before the tip of his tongue dabbed her nose.

  She giggled. A visceral part of her wanted the magnificent animal to accept her touch. All those times the big cats approached her—unusually interested in her over the other zookeepers—she'd yearned to tousle their ears or ruffle their fur. Logic never allowed her to indulge.

  Petting the cat, she couldn't help the smile that split her face. "You're amazing."

  White light rose from the jaguar's form enveloping her hand. While the glow hid his body, fur turned to bare skin under her touch. The halo of light receded. With that same knowing, half-smile, Jaime propped his head on a raised elbow and turned to his side. "So are you, anjo."

  His arousal lay prominent, front and center, along his abdomen. Kelsi's mouth froze in an "O". A beat too late, she yanked her arm to her own personal space. Heat flushed her cheeks and other hidden parts.

  Chapter Six

  Jaime's eyes flared with new awareness followed by a less than subtle sniff. He traced her cheek with his fingertip. "Ah, anjo, I don't know what's more intoxicating, your touch or your scent."

  Traitorous feminine flesh dampened between her legs. Jaime's grin spread as anticipation lit his eyes. Kelsi swallowed her humiliation. He thinks I have a kink for the exotic!

  Sitting up, she looked down her nose at him, indignant. "Don't believe for a minute that I'm a beasty girl."

  Lines creased his face, his affront plain. "Nor am I a beast."

  "Sorry." Jeshe! How to navigate this.

  His face softened. "You only forgot a man lay beneath the fur. But you're special. There's none other like you in the world. Unless you have sisters?"

  Creep! She gave him her most disgusted look. "I'm not into threesomes, either."

  Jaime's brows drew together, his blue gaze turning to frost. He lifted to a sitting position, with an arm draped over one knee. "Good, because I don't share—at all."

  "Unless they're sisters?"

  As the silence stretched, Kelsi sensed he fought an internal dilemma and came to a decision. "You don't understand. Your scent is that of a female shifter, yet you don't shift. Your cat remains hidden. Since none have seen a jag queen in over seventy years, your family is of great interest."

  If a jaguar lurked inside her, she'd know it. This tranq-induced dream had taken a warped twist. "Look, your nose led you astray. In more ways than one. Put your pants on."

  "Soon, I'll bathe first."

  Jaime leapt to his feet with feline grace and grabbed his cotton trousers. His still-thick manhood bobbed disconcertingly against his thigh. "You may join me or bathe alone, your choice."

  Kelsi scanned the shores for phobia triggers, snakes and any type of alligator. "You're not worried about caimans?"

  Smaller than crocs and gators, caimans were more aggressive and hid easily. Their only predator, the jaguar.

  "We could get lucky. They're tasty." He shot her an amused glance before striding into the shallow pool.

  Kelsi puffed air between pursed lips. Of course they are.

  He submerged his pants and gave them a vigorous scrub. "And my nose never leads me astray."

  She turned from him in a huff and eyed the rippling pool with longing. Cool relief from the heat only a few steps away. A short waterfall even made a respectable shower. Jaime floated on his back looking more refreshed every minute.

  She tried to make sense of a man turning jaguar and back again. The sedative should be out of her system by now. So, she was delusional, or Jaime was a jaguar shifter. Bare feet entered her peripheral vision. He'd moved fast. She looked up at him grateful he wore his wet pants, though they hid little.

  "I'll leave you to the pool, but not so far I won't hear you. My scent will keep caiman away for a few hours."

  "Thank you."

  "When I return, we move."

  Not a request.

  Anxious for a shower, she strode along the rocky shoreline to the falls. She stacked her clean clothes nearby, stripped and toted soiled laundry with her as she picked her way up to a stone ledge under the cascade.

  Self-conscious, suspecting Jaime watched from the jungle, she turned into the rock face. Cool water rinsed her scalp and caressed her overheated skin. Blissful relief shoved any worry over an audience from her mind. Wishing for shampoo, she scrubbed and finger-combed her thick hair.

  Reluctantly, she dragged herself back to shore and dressed. Anxious to have a “where're we going” conversation with Jaime, she called out. "Ready when you are."

  Before her words died away, he stepped from behind a vine-covered echo tree toting a limp peccary piglet. He dropped it near her pack. "Feel better?"

  So much for privacy. Kelsi stomped to him and pulled a comb from her rucksack. Working knots from her hair, she accosted him. "Are we going someplace with a phone so I can report David's murder?"

  "Have you forgotten Erico killed Carlos? I'm taking you to safety."

  "Okay, two murders." No concern for Carlos haunted her. For some reason, Jaime dodged her question. "Phone?"

  "Erico is dangerous. He'll want to prevent your testimony."

  She agreed. "So where're we going?"

  "My treehouse."

  "What?" Even tourist jungle treehouses had open windows, open doors, and a welcome mat for snakes, spiders, insects, and—snakes.

  Her expression must've given her reaction away. Jaime's eyes danced, then he laughed outright. Shoving her belongings into her pack, she hefted it to her back. "I thought you were taking me to safety!"

  "I am." Jaime placed a hand on her shoulder, but she slapped it away.

  Kelsi pushed by him to grab her pilfered rifle and machete from the ground. "How far to the river?"

  Amusement gone, Jaime glowered down at her. "Too far."

  Ignoring him, she trudged north. Before she traveled three yards, he wrapped a heavy arm around her waist and lifted her from her feet. Her angry screams punctuated two elbow strikes to his ribs. Not even a grunt came from him, before he mummied her upper body with his free arm.

  She should've been frightened, but fury took over. "You bastard!"

  Jaime kept her torso ti
ght against his while he marched them back to the pool. Her bottom bounced against his hard shaft with every step. Safety at the treehouse. Yeah right! Livid that she couldn't reach his groin, Kelsi connected a booted heel to his knee, eliciting a rash of Portuguese. She discerned, "Hellcat," along with some not-so-pleasant profanity.

  He dropped her among the crushed ferns and glared down at her.

  She leapt to her feet to minimize his height advantage. She'd had a gun to her head, throat sniffed by a giant jaguar, not to mention getting shot from a tree with a tranquilizer dart. This was nothing.

  Kelsi gave his bulging crotch a pointed look. "You save me from murder and slavery to kidnap and rape me?"

  A sledgehammer couldn't have given him a more stunned expression. His arms fell slack at his sides. In tense silence, he tossed the rucksack and rifle to the ground. He sent her a seething look. "Wanting a woman is not rape."

  He wanted—well, she wanted, too. To get the hell out of the jungle! She fisted her hands on her hips. "What do you call taking me to a treehouse against my will?"

  "Keeping you alive. A thankless job, it seems." He spat his words from inches away.

  Her ire melted. He'd saved her life, twice. Embarrassment heated her cheeks, and she dropped her gaze in shame. She’d overreacted. If he weren’t so naked all the time, she could think straight. "Sorry about the rape thing. I was wrong.”

  “You’ve been through much today.” Suddenly gentle, Jaime lifted a hand to her face.

  “But I have to report the murders." Tears of guilt stung her eyes. "And tell David's parents…"

  "His death was not your fault. Who killed him? Not you."

  His intuition stunned her. "Julio."

  Jaime threaded fingers into her hair and drew her to him. "David is avenged. Can't that be enough? Make Erico come here to find you, meu anjo, where I can protect you. Please."

  Chapter Seven

  He kissed her forehead and slid an arm around her then nibbled her ear. "A helicopter comes for me in three days. Stay with me, be safe. Ask your questions. Be the first in the world to learn about jaguar shifters."

  Jaime's scent traveled her body. Invisible tendrils teased her breasts and whispered against her feminine sweet spot. Without a touch, he beaded her nipples and thickened the flesh between her legs. She couldn't think. His essence aroused and his offer lured her mind.

  "Ask anything?" she sighed. She'd wanted to touch him at first sight.

  "Yes."

  He fisted her wet hair and slanted his lips over hers. He tasted of the fresh water that rushed over moss-covered rocks. On impulse, she grazed her cheek against his male stubble, and he hissed a breath as if sensitive. Retaking her mouth, his tongue played along her lips, and she opened for him. As he lowered them to the flattened fern bed, her last shred of resistance abandoned her.

  Jaime kneed her legs apart to plant his thigh firmly between hers. His hardness pressed to her hip. "Cristo, your fragrance. I've been like a rock for hours."

  She responded instinctively, flexing her pelvis against his, but her need only escalated. A frustrated whimper crossed her lips. Kelsi wanted like she'd never wanted before. Almost frantic, she buried her face in his neck, tasting him with open-mouthed kisses.

  Condom! Spontaneous sex with a near stranger wasn't something she'd ever done. But Jaime's spell overcame all her inhibitions.

  She couldn't help the pleading note in her voice. "I have to know…"

  "Anything." He groaned the word in her ear. Lifting her shirt, he slid his hand along her side to her breast.

  "Can you get me pregnant?"

  Jaime lifted to meet her gaze, his eyes solemn. "Yes. But I won't. Disease transmission is impossible between us."

  Relieved, she reached up and undid the top buttons of her shirt. Jaime followed her lead with a swiftness bordering on preternatural. He bared her body to the late afternoon, shadowed canopy, then stood to strip away his machete belt and pants. His heavily muscled physique would make Michelangelo reach for a chisel. Flush to his abdomen, his hooded cock strained toward his navel.

  Another wave of need washed over her. The tip of her tongue traced her upper lip. When her gaze returned to Jaime's, his eyes darkened.

  "I want to see you." With a firm touch, he separated her legs then lowered to his knees between hers. He trailed his hands up her abdomen to caress her breasts. "You're so beautiful."

  So was he. Dark, inky lashes framed the heated blue. His scar only added to his feral appeal. The jungle canopy behind him couldn’t look more natural.

  "You look wild, gorgeous like your jaguar," she said.

  With an answering smile, he spread her knees wider then pressed them flush to the ground, a most immodest position. Jaime licked his lips and swallowed as if savoring a delicacy. "Your scent leads me astray again, Kelsi."

  In spite of the jungle heat, her spiked arousal forced a shiver through her. If he didn't touch her soon, she'd rise up and mount him. She hooked her legs behind his to pull him to her.

  "Don't move. Watch me." Command laced his tone. He pressed her knees back down.

  She hissed a frustrated breath.

  "Patience, kitten." He rewarded her by trailing two fingers on either side of her entry and painted her folds with her own slickness. One finger dipped inside her, then a second. He moved them in and out until she joined the rhythm.

  "Yes, let go for me." His eyelids lowered and his breath quickened while he watched her. With his other hand, he caressed her abdomen. Still, he made no move to cover her. His dew-coated thumb entered the dance, teasing her sensitive nub until, half crazy, she tossed her head.

  "Look at me." Biting her lower lip, her gaze locked to his. "Touch yourself, anjo. Nothing would please me more than to see you please yourself."

  A wanton freedom came over her, as if his permission freed something long buried. She pinched her nipples then swirled her fingertips over the pebbled flesh. Her walls clenched around him.

  Pleased surprise lit his eyes, followed by a helpless-sounding, male growl. "Yes. So tight."

  He pulled his dancing fingers from her and raised them to his mouth to suckle her essence. His lids dropped as if in ecstasy. She'd never affected a man like this. His primal response captivated her. Despite his subtle dominance, in this moment, she controlled him.

  "Your honey's so sweet." He opened his eyes to meet her gaze. "That's right, watch me enjoy you."

  He returned his maddening fingers to her center, and she groaned her approval.

  "See what you do to me?" He glanced down. His free hand circled his shaft. He stroked himself, the hood riding up and down the wide, mushroom head. With a muffled cry, she worked her hips hard against his hand. A gush of fluid coated his fingers. Jaime's eyes widened.

  "Come for me, Kelsi. So close. Peak with me." He added a come-hither motion, stroking the tender spot inside.

  Her climax started under his thumb, spreading through her core. A primitive noise left her lips, and she writhed as her orgasm crashed over her. Her knees clamped to the outsides of his thighs while aftershocks coursed through her.

  As she came back to herself, Jaime's male roar of release cut the air. His face contorted with pleasure, while his hips thrust in short strokes. He pressed his cock against her thigh, and warm seed jetted onto her abdomen.

  He held still for a beat, breathing hard, then their eyes met. "There's no one for me but you, Kelsi."

  His confession stunned her. His scent was an addictive aphrodisiac, he was gorgeous, but she couldn't commit to him. She'd only known him for a few hours. Fortunately, he showed no such expectation.

  Trailing kisses along her legs, Jaime crawled up her body to collapse next to her. He pulled her into his chest, and she snuggled into his arms. His lips took hers with an affection she'd never known. So tender and gentle. His mouth wove a spell that pushed away her concerns. He broke the kiss to gaze at her.

  So much mystery surrounded this man. Bolder now, she traced his scar. "
How did this happen?"

  "A car accident, before I was old enough to shift and heal. My mother didn’t have time to shift. She was killed instantly."

  "I'm sorry."

  "It was long ago, but thank you." Jaime's jaw tightened. No doubt, his mother's loss had been traumatic.

  If none had seen a female in seventy years… "How old were you, when you lost your mom?"

  "Eight."

  The numbers didn't compute. "So, you're how old?"

  He gave her a wry smile. "Seventy-eight."

  Kelsi's mouth fell open. Just as she adjusted to one impossibility, he made another crazy statement. "No way."

  He laughed at her. "Good genes."

  "You look early thirties."

  "And how old are you? Legal, I hope."

  "Thirty-eight. Too old, according to Carlos."

  "Traffickers prefer teens, the worms. You barely look late twenties, for a human, I mean. Your shifter ancestry keeps you young." His eyes changed when he said the last part. Like a thirsting man looking at water.

  "Sorry, you've got wishful thinking. My mom looks great at sixty-six, but nowhere close to thirty."

  "Our lore tells of latents manifesting their cat later in life, but only after time spent with full shifters."

  For an instant, she imagined running through the trees, fearless. Like my dreams after Mom’s bedtime stories. She cut off the childish thought. "What does it feel like to shift?"

  "Heat and electricity. Then I'm me again, mostly, in my jaguar body."

  "What's different?"

  He paused, as if carefully considering his words. "Jaguar instincts sometimes challenge my humanity. Like when I smell a female shifter who's not supposed to exist."

  She smirked. "Again, wishful thinking."

  His or hers? She cuddled into his fresh-scented warmth, his fragrance sating a need previously unknown. Kelsi's stomach growled, interrupting the moment. "Oops, sorry."

  "You need more than aguaje. My home is less than one hundred meters to the east. I promise to make it up to you."

  "Not with that darned pig, I hope. He stinks." Nothing reeked like those animals. Something about glands.