“N-not much. Just that you two have always been close. Great friends for years, and that seeing her again now, you just knew she was it for you.”
His arms tightened, and she cursed herself for being so tactless. “I don’t think I’d say I knew she was it for me. I like Joy. Hell, I like all the Bermins.”
“Except for Miles.”
He snorted. “That ass—ah, particular cat is not my favorite, no.” He paused. “What about you? Do you like Miles?”
“He seems nice. And you can’t miss how handsome he is, but I don’t know him that well.”
“To anything female, he’s a paragon. But God forbid you don’t wear the right shoes with your pants. He’s a frickin’ woman when it comes to clothes.”
She felt him take in a deep breath, his chest rising and falling beneath her.
“Sorry. I mean, you’re not like that. You’re sexy and beautiful, but not into labels. Not like a lot of women I know.”
“You know a lot of women?” she teased. His crack about Miles being like a woman didn’t bother her because he’d called her beautiful. I’m such a moron. Her fox echoed the sentiment. But her stupid cat preened.
Grady chuckled, and she wished she could have seen his face. “Gabby, don’t listen to everything you hear. Sure I’ve dated women. I’m no saint. But I’m ready to settle down. My cat wants to mate a cat. Funny thing is, not just any cat. She has to be right for me.”
She felt so bad for him. She just wished her body would heed his feelings and stop thinking about ways to get those jeans off him. “Maybe Joy wasn’t right for you. I’m not saying she’s a bad person or anything,” she hurried to add. “But sometimes things happen for a reason.”
“Yeah? What about you? I still don’t get why you’re available. I’ve never met anyone like you before.”
“Thanks, I think.”
He shifted and rubbed his chin over her head. “That’s a compliment. I’ve told you a thousand times, but you never believe me. You’re beautiful. All the guys want you, and it has nothing to do with you being able to take on two animal spirits.”
Didn’t it? Where had all her supposed suitors been before?
“Yeah, well they never bothered me before Julia spilled the truth about our family.”
“Maybe because they’re men, and all men are by definition assholes.”
She laughed hard and pulled back to look at him. The sly smile made him that much more handsome. Her fox loved mischief, and Grady had enough in him to have made a fine silver fox. “Aren’t you the one in need of a pep talk?”
His smile faded. “Not really.”
Not really?
“I mean, I do, but this is helping a lot.” He stared at her, looking at her with an intensity that brought her attention to the stiff part of him growing stiffer under her bottom. “I’m sorry I had to dance for you the other night. ‘Foxy Lady’ isn’t one of my better tunes.”
“Um, that’s okay.” She wanted badly to move, but she didn’t want him to think she was paying attention to his arousal. What if she’d reminded him of how he normally held Joy, and that’s why he was hard? Physical stimulation could get most guys off—partners didn’t matter.
“I think Monty and Dean cheated. I lost a bet.”
“Right.”
“Yeah.” He sighed. They continued to stare at one another, and she wasn’t sure, but it felt as if Grady really looked at her. “You’re so nice to me, Gabby. Thanks.”
“It’s okay,” she said, sounding way too breathless. Her nipples hurt, aching to be touched, kissed. God, it had been nearly a year since she’d last had sex. Had to be the reason why she couldn’t think of anything but his mouth right now.
“I want to thank you back. Will you let me?”
“You don’t need to thank me. I’m your friend.”
He frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
The frown faded as quickly as it had appeared. “Nothing. It’s just, I don’t want to piss you off, but I want to… I need to… Hell.”
Before she could ask what was wrong, he kissed her. Three long months of unfulfilled Grady fantasies pushed her cat and fox in front of the woman. They refused to be denied a moment longer.
Grady wanted to punch Dean for putting him in this position as he much as he wanted to thank him. Gabby had comforted him, offered him her home. He loved the damn woman, and she smelled so fucking sweet. The scent of arousal mixed with feline and fox was driving him absolutely crazy.
He wanted nothing more than to thrust up inside her and come, to fill her womb with his seed and let everyone know she belonged to him. But doing it under false pretenses was wrong. So wrong.
Yet the kiss couldn’t be more right. Damn it. He wouldn’t fuck her. But he could do a lot else. Her lips softened under his, but she didn’t relent from pursuing his tongue with her own. Aggressive and demanding, she made his pulse race. His cock throbbed, and he feared losing it right in his pants.
Her hands against his chest and arms rocked his entire world. That she participated in the kiss, that she wanted him, stoked him to new levels of hunger. And then there was the purring. She’d started it, but now he couldn’t stop himself. His chest vibrated, his entire being content now that he finally had this woman in his arms.
But it wasn’t enough. He wanted to feel her need, to taste it.
She moaned when he caught her lower lip in his teeth and nipped. Then he trailed his lips over her cheek to her chin and back, toward her ear. He shifted her silky hair out of the way, all too aware of the need to wrap his hand in the stuff and draw her down his frame. To watch her suck him off while he dominated her body and laid claim to her heart.
“Thank you,” he whispered into her ear before he thrust his tongue inside.
She cried out and rubbed those hard nipples against him. She might as well not have been wearing a top for all the protection her clothes gave her breasts. Heat blossomed between them, and he couldn’t wait.
He shifted her over him so that she straddled his waist. Her position gave her some room, enough for him to push his hands between them. One hand went immediately under her shirt to her bra. He pulled it down and ran his thumb over her nipple, gratified when she growled low and shoved her breast harder into his palm.
“Oh yeah. Touch me. Please.”
“Whatever you want, honey. This is for you. All for you.” I’m for you. Grady withdrew his hands to quickly unfasten her jeans, then returned one hand to her breasts. The other delved down, past her jeans and panties into the heat of her.
He found her slick and hot, and he couldn’t help thrusting up, wishing nothing separated them. But he knew lies stood between them, so he contented himself with pleasing her, hoping she’d forgive him when she found out the truth. He slid a finger over her clit, rubbing the hard nub as he returned to her mouth. Her lips, her breasts and her pussy, all his, finally.
Moaning his pleasure, he thrust a finger inside her and began fucking her with it. She rode him hard, so he added another finger. Her nipples taunted him, her lips tugged at him, and he wanted nothing more than to yell out his feelings. Gabby Easton responded to him as if made for him. Her cat purred and growled. Her fox sniffed at him too, curious and surprisingly accepting. His cat welcomed the attention, which told him what words couldn’t.
Gabby was truly his—she just didn’t know it yet.
Wanting to give her something to remember, to show her he had more than a pitiable situation going for him, he centered his attention on her. All for her.
Grady pulled back from her mouth and watched her face while he excited her. “I want you to come, Gabby. That scent is driving me wild. So hot and spicy. Sexy. Cat and fox. You’re so fucking beautiful. Come for me, baby.”