A Jaguar's Kiss. Katie Reus

agony on his face.

      It was as if someone sucker punched her in the stomach. No one in her family had told her. Of course no one talked much about the wolves to her, especially not about Owen. They didn’t know exactly what had happened to end their friendship, but her family was smart enough to figure out that Owen was off-limits in the conversation department. She’d been traveling so much the past few years she’d been pretty awful at keeping in contact, anyway. She let her arms relax, not bothering to struggle anymore. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea.” Another sudden thought slammed into her. “So that means you became Alpha at…twenty-three?”

      Swallowing hard, he nodded again and let his hands drop, freeing her wrists. She didn’t move away but she did cross her arms over her bare breasts. Looking away he stripped off his T-shirt and handed it to her. Though he still didn’t step back and give her even the illusion of personal space.

      Taking the shirt, she quickly tugged it on. His scent wrapped around her like a warm embrace and she hated that her inner jaguar was practically preening, wanting to strut around for him. It was a stupid biological reaction she’d had to him ever since she was sixteen. Her body just flared to life in his presence. “What happened?” she asked, her throat tight. She and Owen might not be friends anymore but she knew how close he and his father had been.

      “Rogue vampire. The pack hunted them down but it didn’t bring him back.” Owen’s eyes locked on hers and when he let her see such raw pain there, it ripped at her insides.

      For a moment he looked like that seventeen-year-old boy she’d been friends with. Heck, he looked even younger than that. He reminded her of the kid she’d first gone hunting with as a cub. The kid she’d gotten into a lot of trouble with over the years. She wasn’t supposed to feel sorry for him or care about him, but she did. Seeing him all vulnerable made something inside her break.

      Without thinking she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him tight against her. “I’m so sorry.” To her surprise he didn’t pull away. He hugged her with a startling fierceness, pulling her close as he buried his head against her neck.

      And didn’t let go. “I…haven’t been able to mourn much.”

      The statement seemed to rip from his throat. Even more surprising than his hug was the honesty in the admission. They hadn’t seen each other in a very long time. Once they’d been closer than anything, even family, but…she shut that thought down and just held him.

      It felt strangely right to be in Owen’s embrace. Even if she was wearing only his shirt and his crazy brother had tried to kidnap her a few hours ago. Being with him now reminded Gabriela of when she’d been sixteen. She’d entered her first mating cycle and her body had become aware of Owen almost overnight. It didn’t matter that they’d been friends since they were young cubs. She’d been so stunned by the realization that Owen was attractive and strong and exactly what her inner jaguar wanted in a mate. Then to discover he wanted her, too had been another surprise. Of course their relationship had been short-lived after that.

      When she started to pull away he held her tight. “Don’t,” he murmured against her hair. The uncharacteristic note of need in his voice made her heart turn over.

      That’s when she felt his erection against her lower abdomen. She’d be lying to herself if she said it didn’t turn her on. Gabriela was glad she had the power to get him hot, but she knew it wasn’t because of his attraction to her. It was just biology and the mating heat she was putting off. It wasn’t real. “Owen, I’ve literally just started my mating cycle. What you’re feeling is because of my pheromones. I need to leave—”

      “What I’m feeling has nothing to do with that and you know it,” he growled softly, his hold on her completely possessive.

      Uh, what? Maybe his brain was more rattled over the subtle scent of her heat that seemed to be growing stronger each second that ticked by. The cycle only happened once a year for jaguar shifters and usually she just took a week off work and holed up in her condo in a desperate attempt to ease her sexual frustration. It had hit her a couple weeks early this year, on one of the plane rides home. She’d been able to contain her discomfort and sexual frustration but being around Owen was going to disrupt everything. Hugging him had definitely been a mistake. Any sort of touch with this big, very sexy male was stupid. Her body was tingling in raw awareness and she needed to get away from him now. “Owen—”

      His mouth was on hers before she could blink. She couldn’t breathe, could barely think as his tongue delved into her mouth.

      There were no teasing little strokes. This was hot and needy and very grown-up. None of the innocent kisses from when they were teenagers.

      Gabriela wanted to push him away. She really meant to. When her hands slid away from his waist, they somehow wound around his neck instead of shoving at his chest like common sense told her to do.

      His hands were holding her in a very possessive manner. One was cupped against her behind, tugging her so that her hips were flush against his—like she needed the encouragement—and the other threaded through her hair as he cupped the back of her head.

      She was too physically on edge to fight what he was offering. Lifting one leg, she wrapped it around his hip and began slowly grinding against him. Without any panties, she didn’t have much of a barrier against him and the rubbing sensation was deliciously erotic. She couldn’t believe what she was doing but she also didn’t have the strength to stop herself. It had been so long since she’d been with a man and to be held in Owen’s arms like this was too good to walk away from.

      She thought about blaming it on her mating heat but she wasn’t stupid. Right now, not just any man would do for her. She knew she was stupid for letting him kiss her and hold her like this but just once she wanted to feel what Owen had to offer. Then she could get him out of her system. And a tiny, very dark part of her hoped that when she walked away from him, it hurt him, too.

      Of course that would imply she meant something to him other than a warm female body. And she didn’t. To him, she was a feline and would never be good enough. He’d made that clear years ago.