Jaguar On My Mind: Book Two - Bridenapping Jaguars Read online

  “Umm hmm. Not much like the library you used to work in?”

  Mary chuckled softly. “Not really, but this is nice in a different way.”

  It was not so grand, but quaint and charming.

  “You enjoyed working in a library?”

  “I suppose. I think I just liked being around the books. Course, most people just used to show up to use the computers. Since I lost my job, I’ve been working from home trying to talk people into buying things they don’t need over the phone. Though I doubt I’ll have that job much longer as I haven’t sold anything in a month. I’m too nice.”

  Tomas pressed a little closer. “I believe that,” he said, his breath hot against her neck.

  Mary’s insides quivered, and she let out a coo as his talented fingers worked her shoulders.

  “Though one woman I called managed to talk me into buying a vacuum cleaner.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep, it’s a great vacuum cleaner, too.” It should be considering it cost two hundred dollars of her savings. The woman had been damn persuasive.

  He laughed, and she let out a moan as he smoothed out a knot.

  “Don’t you want to go back to being a librarian again?” he asked, his voice low and close.

  Mary closed her eyes, concentrating on his touch. “Uh, yeah, I suppose.”

  She loved books, but actually, she had kind of gotten used to her rut of not leaving the apartment much.

  “What about you?” she asked, changing the subject. “You’re a leap enforcer, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That sounds interesting, what do you do?”

  Tomas grunted. “Basically security for the leap. Enforcing the prime’s orders. But we’re generally on call to help out as well. Like if anyone needs furniture moving. Whatever leap mates need.”

  “Mmmm, that’s nice.” She meant both what he was doing with his hands and what he did for the leap.

  “It’s okay.”

  “Do you enjoy it?”

  “I guess,” he replied, not entirely convincingly.

  “Would you rather be doing something else?”

  “Maybe.”

  Mary smiled, thinking of the picnic he said he just ‘threw’ together. “Like cooking?

  “Maybe,” he admitted, a little shyly she thought.

  “Why not try and do that then?”

  “Prime picked me as an enforcer. My parents needed the money that comes with that.”

  “Ah.” She hadn’t told Tomas about his father’s visit. She wasn’t sure what he would say. “But you won’t live at home forever.”

  His hands slowed. “When I mate, I’ll move out.”

  “Maybe then you can pursue what you enjoy,” she said cautiously.

  The mating thing was hanging over them like an ominous cloud. She wasn’t planning on staying. How could she? If she moved there, her stalker would find her and lord knows what he would do to her or anyone around her. Her stalker hated her even going on vacation! However, she couldn’t bring herself to shoot Tomas down. She didn’t want to disappoint him, though obviously, she would. His father’s words returned to her – ‘the boy will get over you in no time.’ Would he?

  “Maybe. But I’m not very good at taking orders from anyone other than the prime.”

  “No?”

  “I ah… I get angry easily.”

  “I noticed,” she said in a teasing voice.

  “Doesn’t bother you.”

  “No.”

  Tomas harrumphed. “Bothers everyone else.”

  Though it didn’t stop them from teasing him, she thought sourly. Male shifters appeared to have death wishes, or perhaps just very poor judgment.

  “My father was a very angry man,” she admitted. Undoubtedly still was, in fact. “He could be violent and vicious, and he scared me.”

  Tomas growled.

  “You’re not like him.”

  Whether naïvely or not, she didn’t believe Tomas would hurt anyone who hadn’t provoked or injured him in some way. Okay maybe those two lion shifters didn’t deserve to feel the wrath of a six foot eight jaguar shifter – but it didn’t bother her. No, her father beating her mother with his belt because she dared make eye contact with the mailman was something that bothered her. Course, the fact that her mother was so beaten down that she agreed she deserved it was another matter. Unlike her father, Tomas made her feel safe.

  Tomas’ hands moved around her waist and settled on her stomach. “You are safe with me,” he whispered into her ear.

  Mary snuggled back against him. Look at her, cuddling with a man! If she went back in time two weeks and told her past self where she would end up, there was no way she would believe herself.

  She placed her tiny hands – or tiny in comparison hands – on top of his. She no longer flinched at all at his touch and she hadn’t even known him a week. Tomas really was special.

  “Is it your jaguar? Is that why you get angry?”

  “A little. He’s pretty restless. When I was a kid, I was always picked on for being slow. I couldn’t think of an insult, so I just punched anyone who said anything. Got worse as I got older. But when I finished school, prime made me into an enforcer. He trained me, got me to control my temper… mostly.”

  “He helped you?” Her feelings toward the prime warmed exponentially. She had very briefly met him. He was a huge guy – not Tomas huge, but still big – and he was darned scary. He could inflict fear into people with just a grunt.

  “He insulted me every chance he got,” chuckled Tomas.

  “What?” The warm feelings quickly melted.

  “Then, when I went for him, he smacked me down, put me in my place.”

  “That’s terrible!” she cried, seriously considering marching out there and finding the prime to give him a piece of her mind. She probably wouldn’t – she was pretty cowardly – but the urge was definitely there.

  His thumb started stroking her stomach. “Nah, it’s what I needed.”

  She huffed. “Still sounds mean.”

  He shrugged lightly.

  “Would he mind if you told him you didn’t want to be an enforcer anymore?”

  “I don’t know. As long as I didn’t leave the leap, he’d probably be fine with it.”

  “You should think about it,” she said encouragingly.

  “Maybe.”

  They sat in silence for about ten minutes. They just enjoyed sitting in one another’s arms. But sadly, Mary did start to feel a little uncomfortable on the floor.

  “I had a really nice time today,” she said and started moving to get up.

  She twisted to get up, and her hand slipped as she tried to grab a chair. She fell headfirst towards Tomas, and their lips smashed together.

  His eyes widened, but he was quick to get with the program. He pulled her small frame into his arms and pushed his lips against hers. Mary was a little more hesitant. She flat out panicked, tensing against him. As his tongue tried to gain entrance and his arousal throbbed against her, she wanted to run and hide. No, she shouldn’t be doing this. But why not? Asked a logical part. It was wrong. No, it wasn’t. She was a grown woman – a single woman. This was natural. She just thought it was wrong because of all the years she spent under her father’s thumb and then under her stalker’s. They made her feel ashamed, made her feel like being attracted to men and kissing them was wrong, but it wasn’t. It so wasn’t.

  Little by little, the tension ebbed away, and she allowed the kiss to happen. Allowed herself to feel happy. Who knew when she’d next get the chance?

  *

  Tomas was thrilled at the progress he was making with her. He had taken her back to the guest house and now had a quick cooking lesson with Maria. He wanted to learn how to make croissants. He planned on putting lemon in them for Mary.

  “How are things going with her?” asked Maria as she fussed putting an apron on him.

  A smile spread across his face as his jaguar yowled smugly. “Well.�
� Very well. Incredibly well. Monumentally well.

  “Good.”

  Maria seemed like she wanted to say something, just as she had the other day.

  “What is it?” he asked in suspicion.

  She pursed her lips. “You are taking your time with her?”

  “Yes.”

  “She’s a delicate woman.”

  He knew that, though delicate had not been the word that sprang to mind when they were kissing earlier. Lusty, hot, writhing – they were the words.

  “You will be careful with her.”

  “Yes!” he and his jaguar snarled.

  “Good now let’s get cooking!”

  Twenty

  Tomas’ father was waiting for him when he returned home. The male was smoking a cigarette in the kitchen, surrounded by leftover food and unwashed dishes in the sink. The mess didn’t seem to bother him. His father appeared to be using a coffee mug as an ashtray.

  “Where’s Mama?” grunted Tomas.

  “Gone to bed, she was tired.”

  Not surprising considering her pregnancy. Maybe it was time his father was neutered – do the whole world a favor considering his brothers.

  “The dishes?”

  His father rolled a shoulder. “I said she could do them in the morning.”

  How generous thought Tomas bitterly. He pushed up his sleeves and found the dish soap. His father watched him start cleaning without comment.

  “Been out with Mary?” he asked after Tomas had cleaned four plates and a large serving dish.

  Tomas grunted.

  “You should have been here.” His tone was critical, to say the least.

  Tomas ignored him.

  “Your mother was on her feet for an hour cooking dinner.”

  His family should have eaten in the leap hall then – where food was available for those who didn’t want to be at home alone. True his brothers usually started a food fight, but they were welcome to go there, though everyone else had a habit of leaving when they arrived. But no, his father liked being in his own home where he could kick off his shoes and have his pregnant mate get down on the ground to rub his feet. Tomas was never one who could get his point across easily in speech, but even he had tried to talk to his mother about her mate’s behavior. It did no good though. She worshiped him through and through.

  “Mary could have done the washing up.”

  “Not her job,” snapped Tomas, turning a furious look on his father.

  His father’s eyes hooded. “It would be if she stayed here to be your mate.”

  His jaguar snorted. “If she stays, we’ll get our own place.”

  “Nonsense, your mother needs you here.” His tone became angry.

  Tomas finished the last dish. “I’m going to bed.”

  His father was selfishly delusional if he honestly thought Mary would move in with all of them. Would she share the bedroom Tomas shared with two of his brothers?!

  “I would have done the same,” his father said piously.

  Tomas snorted. Tomas’ father was an only child, whose parents died before he found his mate. Living with obnoxious brothers was never an option for him.

  “Your mother relies on the money you bring in.” The tone was now wheedling.

  No, his father relied on the money. His mother stretched her household budget to the limit while his father wasted money on poker games with his friends.

  “If Mary stays,” said Tomas slowly, “we will find our own house. And if she does, I’m going to quit being an enforcer.”

  “What?!” snapped his father, back to angry. To him being an enforcer would have been an honor. It was the only thing about Tomas that made the male a little proud. The strongest members of the leap were chosen. His father would have given his right nut to be one. Instead, he worked at the timber mill.

  Tomas took a deep breath; fortified by his beast and Mary, he declared, “I want to be a chef.”

  His father burst into raucous laughter. “You a chef – that’s the funniest thing I ever heard. I always knew you were an idiot, but…”

  Tomas slammed his fist down on the counter, silencing him immediately. “Not your decision.”

  His father gaped incredulously. “You’d really give up being an enforcer to make sloppy joes?”

  “Maybe.”

  He scowled. “This is all Mary isn’t it – she’s putting ideas in your head?”

  “No.” Kind of, but he knew he liked cooking before she came along. It was just that she was the first person to give him any encouragement really.

  “Well someone is because you don’t have anything else rattling around in there.”

  Tomas glowered at his father, who had the sense to squirm a little. “I’m going to bed.”

  He slowly and quietly walked up the stairs, making sure he didn’t wake anyone. He thought of Mary’s words, telling him that the people who made fun of him were jealous. He didn’t fully believe that, but it was nice to have someone on his side. His sweet little Mary.

  She had looked mighty fine today. She always did to him, but freeing herself from that ratty old cardigan and pushing the hair away from her face, enhanced her loveliness. He adored the way her round cheeks turned rosy red so easily, and the way her brown eyes darkened when she was aroused, and the way her breasts felt pushed up against him as he…

  Tomas groaned and lumbered towards the bathroom. A long cold shower may be in order.

  *

  “You don’t have to do this,” grumbled Tomas.

  Mary had agreed to have dinner at his family’s house again. Julia caught her and persuaded her to come. How was Mary supposed to say no to a pregnant woman with huge pleading eyes? There was no way she could – even when she considered that she would have to spend time with Tomas’ awful brothers and idiot for a father.

  “It’ll be okay if you’re there,” she said, and she meant it. As long as Tomas was beside her, she could concentrate on him, and everyone else would just fade into the background.

  “No it won’t, my brothers will still be assholes.”

  “Oh, I don’t mind, it’s just one night.”

  Tomas looked at her a little sadly, and she wondered how many nights they had left together. That was down to her and her decision. She could choose to stay, and they would have dozens together. Or she could leave, and they would barely have any left. It wasn’t something she wanted to think about that night because then the pressure would start again, and really, she already knew what her decision had to be.

  Tomas let out a breath. “If you’re sure…”

  He waited for her to answer and she nodded, disappointing him. But he led her in, and they duly ate dinner. His brothers were loud and irritating. His mother spent the entire time waiting on her mate and younger children while staring at her mate adoringly. Her mate spent the entire time glaring at Mary. Tomas alternately scowled and held Mary’s hand under the table. She was glad he did – the hand holding thing, not the scowl. It comforted her.

  His brothers were pretty awful – as she expected. But mostly this was directed at Tomas, who surprisingly took their jibes without going full-on jaguar-Hulk on them. He put up with a lot, though she hoped she was in some way a comfort to him.

  One of the brothers complained about the other smelling bad, and he did indeed smell how Mary would expect a bag full of old wet socks to smell.

  “Water was too hot for me this morning,” said the smelly brother, an evil smile on his face, “all the cold water was used up by Tomas last night.”

  They all smirked in Tomas’ direction, and he went bright red while munching on some fries.

  “It’s what happens when you aren’t getting any,” commented another throwing a smug glance at Mary.

  Then they all started whispering and looking in her direction. The father chuckled while he read a magazine, and the mother tut-tutted, but that was it.

  “Well, you would know,” muttered Mary. She hadn’t realized she had said it out loud until the b
oys stared at her.

  “I mean,” she explained, “what girl would allow you near her when you smell like cheese that went out of date three months ago?”

  The brother in question scowled while the others hooted in laughter.

  Tomas squeezed her hand. Okay, the brothers didn’t let up after that, and his dad was equally as disapproving of her, but the dinner felt a little easier. The trick was not to let them get her down and to insult them at every available turn before they could get a shot in. She realized with a small sense of triumph that she could handle them – maybe not every night, but a couple of times a week, she could definitely handle them.

  Twenty-One

  When Tomas wasn’t called away to other duties, they spent all their time cleaning and redecorating the library. Some of the books were falling apart, so Mary insisted they recycle them.

  They spent their time together, talking and getting to know one another, and it was lovely. Mary hadn’t felt so happy in… ever. She would go hours without thinking of her stalker. She could almost imagine just staying up there with Tomas forever and completely forgetting about going home. But could she? She would always be looking over her shoulder, expecting him to appear. Her hands would always tremble when opening her mail – expecting some kind of threat. And would it be fair to Tomas? She knew she liked him, knew she was attracted to him, but would she just be using him to escape her problems?

  She wasn’t half as skittish as she had been when she first arrived at the leap. She was starting to feel like her old self – like the person she had briefly blossomed into at college. The real her, rather than the cowering wussbag her father and stalker turned her into.

  She and Tomas were getting along well. Things were good. Well, almost, someone had poisoned one of the other girls in the house. Laurel – although they were after the cheetah shifter – Hester. It was strangely surreal being on the outside of it. Usually, she was the victim – someone was usually after her. Not that her stalker had ever done anything violent – just sent her many threatening notes, broke into her apartment time after time, cut up her clothes, sent her pigs hearts – that kind of thing.

  But for once, Mary was not the victim. No, and it while it may be selfish, she was glad it was someone other than her for a change. Meant she could focus on other things – like whether she wanted to stay with Tomas.