Born Cheetah Read online

  Grinning at her damp state, she crept up on him, carefully positioned herself, and then, she lay out on top of him, head for head, arms for arms, legs not quite matching up, but it was as close as she could get. The entire response from her lover was a grunt.

  Rayna rolled her eyes and checked the time. They had spent the afternoon re-introducing themselves, so it was now time for dinner.

  “If you want to join me for dinner, you had better get up, pony boy.”

  That insult got him up with a scowl. “That is a mean way to wake up.”

  “I tried lying on your back naked and wet, but you didn’t even flinch.” She shrugged and grabbed another stunning bra and panty set. She knew he didn’t care, but it felt good to be coordinated under her clothing. A small bit of confidence that she could carry with her. A maxi dress and sandals finished her covering.

  “I apologize, that was an invitation I should never have ignored.” He turned to one side and smiled winningly, beckoning her to join him.

  “Nope. Dinner first. We can’t live with sex alone. We still don’t know where you are willing to live when we bond. That is a conversation to have in public.”

  He wrinkled his nose and pulled his clothing on without showering. To her and any scent-sensitive species, he was advertising that he had gotten lucky with the female of his choice.

  Rayna thought it was a little heavy handed, but scent marking was really a guy thing.

  He offered her his arm, and they left the room that they had just ravaged.

  Teebie was so good-natured about housekeeping that the only thing Rayna was sure of was that Teebie didn’t have to touch any of actual sheets, but it was still a tremendous effort when there were four rooms full. It had happened for one night during Rayna’s stay.

  Teebie was gradually getting more shifters in who didn’t mind that she was a djinn, and she was rapidly becoming part of the community.

  Rayna smiled at her as they passed the reception desk. “Incoming tonight?”

  “Yup. Three. We are going to be getting closer to a full house again. Is your companion staying for breakfast?”

  Rayna looked at Gregory and smiled. “I think he might be interested after our morning run. Is that okay?”

  “Fine. I just need to calibrate my meals.” She inclined her head and waved them on. “Enjoy your evening.”

  Smiling, Rayna hauled Gregory out of the Open Heart and down to the restaurant next to the café. It was slightly more formal but a lot more substantial than most of the diner meals.

  They were seated immediately, and when they had placed their orders, she looked into her mate’s eyes. Whether they would live together was immaterial. He was her mate and no other would do.

  “Gregory, will you move in with me? I mean, I haven’t asked you what you do, but I am fairly sure that it can be accommodated.”

  He propped his chin on his fist and blew his hair out of his eyes. “I am an accountant. I work in a home office and teach after-school programs on money management twice a week.”

  “Wow. I never pegged you for an accountant, though you always had high math scores.” She sipped at her water glass.

  “Well, numbers were a good place to lose myself after you were gone. I concentrated on my studies, and now, here we are. I am in a job I can do from anywhere, and you have a property with enough room to run.”

  She frowned at him. “Will you agree to a prenup?”

  “Why? I trust you with my money.”

  “I know, but I want to give you half interest in all of my properties aside from the business.”

  “All of your properties?”

  “My parents left me a wad of money, and while I have invested a lot of it, I have used a bit to buy up properties in my area. I own several commercial buildings now that are doing rather well, but I never get close to the capital.” She wrinkled her nose.

  He grinned. “It seemed like you took an interest in your finances.”

  “Aunt Reggie insisted. Since most cheetah females are single parents, it was important to give myself a solid financial base before I found a male to give me cubs.”

  “Very sensible. Is she a relative?”

  “Not that I know of. She was my tutor for all things cheetah. Mom found her for me after that first change, and Reggie helped me to keep myself under control and focussed at all times. It wears on me, but it helps me to deal with all the other species and humans running around in the world.”

  “Well, I am going to state this now and you can tell me what you think. If you are amenable, I will move in with you, arrange an office and work from home while you run your shop.”

  “What about children?”

  “I am willing to try for as many as you like. I have always wanted a herd of my own.” He grinned and her heart flipped in her chest.

  “Well then, I guess we have a deal.” She extended her hand, and as their food arrived, they shook hands on their relationship. It wasn’t the most romantic moment ever, but it suited Rayna. Her life was not precisely a fairy tale, so this was a far more solid start than glitter and dreams. Though, she did get a pony, and he could do tricks.

  Chapter Seven

  By the time dessert arrived, Rayna was on the verge of overheating. Gregory had scooted to the chair next to hers, and his left hand was constantly skimming between her thighs under the tablecloth.

  “I really enjoy the fact that you wear skirts, Rayna. It makes things so much more tempting.”

  She cleared her throat and drank her second glass of ice water in twenty minutes. “How so?”

  “Because, I know I can just slide the fabric out of the way and you are mine.”

  “There is the underwear in the way.” She gulped at the water.

  “I can buy you a new pair.”

  She shivered at the implication. Rayna tried to calm the riotous thumping of her heart. She was looking around the restaurant and looking for likely places where he could pin her up against the wall.

  Finally, she said, “I think I need a run.”

  “You say the naughtiest things.” Gregory paid for the meal with a swipe of the charm on his wrist, and he got to his feet, lifting her in his arms.

  The other couples in the restaurant laughed good-naturedly as they swept out and into the night.

  She sighed, and leaned her head against his shoulder, “That was a dramatic exit.”

  “I have been told that a woman needs to be swept off her feet as often as possible. I intend to make a regular habit out of it.” He nuzzled her cheek.

  “So far, I have no objection. I will let you know when I do.” She chuckled and enjoyed the feel of him against her as he took her to the shifter’s meadow.

  He carried her into one of the cabanas and set her on her feet while his hands gathered her dress and pulled it up and over her head.

  She worked his shirt over his chest, but he had to finish extricating himself. She couldn’t get the stretchy fabric up with his hands caressing her.

  He solved the issue by sending his clothing flying into every corner of the small space.

  Rayna laughed and kicked off her shoes. It was all she had time to get rid of before he slipped his hands around her and unfastened her bra. The happy sigh that passed his lips sent a shiver through her.

  He dropped to his knees and nuzzled at her breasts in turn.

  Rayna threaded her fingers through his hair and shifted his attention from one breast to the other with sharp tugs.

  His erection flexed every time she pulled his hair, so she pulled his head back and kissed him with low snarls accompanying every lick, nip and tug of her lips.

  Gregory sat back on his heels and removed her panties with a savage tug. The light lace gave way, and he pulled her toward him, straddling his hips with his erection between them.

  To her surprise, he simply hugged her to him. “God, Rayna, the feel of your skin against mine...”

  She knew what he
meant. “It’s like being wrapped in home.”

  He tilted her head up and smiled, “Exactly.”

  She leaned up and kissed him. “I hate to say this, but I still wouldn’t mind a run.”

  He chuckled. “A woman after my own heart.”

  “I think I already have it, but let’s go running anyway.”

  He stood with her in his arms and set her on her feet. Gregory grabbed her by the hand and tugged her out of the cabana, into the night.

  Once outside, he whispered, “Get on my back.”

  Knowing where he was going with this, she moved behind him, stroked her hands over his shoulders and hoisted herself up and onto his back with her legs around his waist.

  Riding him through his shift was a very strange feeling. His flesh rippled and twisted under her as he pulled energy from the ground beneath them to fuel his increase in size. When she shifted, it was the opposite, she gave to the earth when she transformed to cheetah and took to resume her human shape. With Gregory, she could literally feel the power running through him and fuelling his change.

  He leaned forward, his fingers joined together and his nails became his hooves, his neck extended and thickened dramatically. Her legs were forced wide as his ribcage expanded, and she moved her fingers into his mane the moment that she could.

  It took under thirty seconds for him to go from man to equine, but the moment he was settled, he took off.

  He wasn’t using the seductive beat that she had experienced that morning. This was a flat-out run.

  The pace went from bone jarring to a smooth glide that made her feel like she was flying. They flew around the meadow in wide, sweeping circles that stole her breath but spread a smile on her features that time would not be able to budge. Almost all the speed with none of the effort.

  Sweat formed along his flanks, and she pulled sharply on his mane. He stopped short, his hooves burrowing into the soft grass.

  Rayna shifted her leg over his back and slid down to stand next to him. “That’s enough of that, big boy. You are all sweaty.”

  His skin shivered, and he tossed his head. He shifted and then snapped back into full horse.

  “Oh, Gregory, don’t tell me you normally don’t shift this much.”

  He shook his head.

  She blinked. “Right. Well, I will keep you company then, don’t flinch.”

  She shifted into her cheetah and jumped to his back, using her claws as little as possible to settle herself in a curve on the broad expanse she had just been seated on.

  He blew hard and started the slow walk back to the cabana where their clothing was waiting. She purred and started licking the sweat from his back in slow scrapes. It seemed to perk him up a little, so she turned a bit and kept going.

  His skin was dry by the time they returned to the cabana and she vaulted from his back, walking in front of him for the last twenty feet, lashing her tail.

  When the shift went from hooves to bare feet, she felt a surge of triumph and turned to weave herself around his legs. Her head was at mid-thigh which would make a lesser man nervous, but he simply scratched her head and walked with her into the place where they had left their clothing.

  She shifted easily into her human form and hugged him.

  “Thanks for that. You make it look so easy.” He muttered it against her hair.

  “From the time I went to live with Aunt Reggie, I went through speed drills to see how fast I could get my shift. With my kind, speed is everything.”

  “Even sex?”

  She snorted and bit his chest carefully. “A male cheetah fucks and leaves. Most are too self-involved to even care if they have left a child in their wake.”

  “Ouch. So, the women of your species are fairly self-reliant.”

  “Yup. Apparently, we have had to be. Even my parents had a skewed financial situation. My mother made the money, and my father kept house. It was years before I found that out and even longer before I realised that they were giving in to their inner beast a little too much.”

  “Did your father work?”

  “Yes, he was a police officer. That is how he and my mom met the Samuels.”

  “Right, and Mr. Samuels is a firefighter.”

  “Yup, they met at the Crofton Annual picnic a few years before I was born. Justine said that my mom was working with the kids’ costume pageant, making sure that everything was the best that it could be. Mom was a designer of children’s clothing.”

  It seemed so easy to have this conversation plastered against him. He thought so too because he said, “If we ever fight, let’s do it in this position. It seems that you are limited in your attacks, and I can’t use my weight to hold you down.”

  She chuckled. “I guarantee you that a pointy claw in the right spot would get you to shift to one side really quick.”

  His body shook as he laughed quietly. “If I do anything to make you pull out your claws, let me know.”

  She rubbed her head against him. “I think we are both avoiding something here.”

  “What would that be?”

  “We are going to have to face our parents eventually. I think you should grab your stuff and meet me at the Open Heart. We will head home in the morning.”

  He rubbed his chin against her hair. “See? I told you, you have confidence.”

  “I have a distaste for wasting time. We are in a safe bubble here, and while it is useful, we don’t need it, do we?” She looked up at him, and he smiled slowly.

  “No, we don’t need it. Your place it is.”

  She rubbed herself against him slowly. “Meet you at my room in ten minutes?”

  He broke from her so suddenly that she staggered.

  It came to her that he was racing her, and she jerked herself into the bra and looked for her panties a moment before seeing him tuck the shredded lace in his back pocket. She wrinkled her nose, stepped into her shoes and slipped her dress over her head.

  “You are the only woman I have ever met who does that.” He was standing with his head cocked curiously.

  “What?”

  “Puts on her shoes before her dress.”

  “Oh, have you ever tried to put on shoes when fabric hides your feet?”

  “I can’t say that I have.”

  “Then, deal with my peculiarity. You will have plenty more to get used to.” She put a threat into her tone and slowly glided toward the opening.

  He turned and sprinted out into the darkness, leaving one shoe behind. The race was on.

  Chapter Eight

  In a silky burgundy negligee, she smiled as he opened the door that she had latched open with the flipped lock.

  He walked inside and closed the door, using the lock for its intended purpose. “Do you always leave your door unlocked?”

  She grinned and got to her feet. “Do you always rush away without your footwear?”

  Rayna gestured, and his shoe was sitting in state on top of one of the silk-covered cushions. “I know that it fits, but I figured you could use your Cinderfella moment.”

  Gregory dropped his bag at his feet and took her in his arms. “All I know is that I have caught the attention of the eligible princess, and I am delighted with it. Would it be a horrible start if we just got some rest tonight?”

  He was looking at her silk-covered body with something akin to agony on his face.

  Rayna smiled. “Of course. As long as you are with me, I don’t care what we do. Wanna go downstairs and play checkers with Teebie?”

  He chuckled. “Nothing as drastic as that. I just want to rest with you in my arms.”

  “That sounds like the kind of evening we have earned.” She turned and flipped the covers back.

  He was out of his clothing in two minutes; this time, his shirt and jeans were folded carefully and set at the foot of the bed.

  She swept her hair up over one shoulder and snuggled into the warmth of the covers.

  His arms moved
around her, and he spooned her tight against him. “I am sorry I am not up for more.” The exhaustion in his tone was clear.

  “I am sorry that I didn’t think about the stress your shifting puts on you.” She lifted his hand to her lips and kissed it.

  “It isn’t easy. I was a little excited, and I gave away too much energy on my previous shift.”

  “I would feel guilty, but this just feels so good. I will see you in the morning. Rest and relax. I have been dreaming about this for years.” She ran her hand over his arm and settled more firmly against him.

  “So have I, and I was always much more of a stud in my dreams.”

  She twisted in his arms, facing him. “I am in love with the reality. The dreams can stay there.”

  He blinked and a slow smile that came from his heart crossed his features. “You love me?”

  “It was a crush when I was twelve, it was love when I was fourteen. It is why I was so heartbroken when you started to go out with Leyline when I was sixteen. I had been in love for two whole years and hadn’t considered anyone else.”

  He kissed her forehead. “I was not so smart. I only realised that it was love when you left. What did you love about me?”

  She chuckled. “It was very simple. You were too big for me to eat.”

  He blinked at her, and he realised she was serious. He started to laugh and held her tight. “It was a start.”

  She squeaked and he eased off. “It was definitely a start. Later, I was focussed on your strength, your shoulders and the way your head tilted when you looked at me.”

  “I loved the way your hair tumbled over your shoulders, the way you tutored Augusta when she was failing science class, volunteering at the local kids’ club and your determination to learn how to swim against all your instincts.”

  A tear ran down her cheek. “Well, that settles that.”

  He brushed the tear away. “Why are you crying?”

  “You were paying attention. While we may have thought we were thwarted in getting together, I think we were kept apart until we were ready. We are ready now.”