He licked the seam of her lips, and she snuck the tip of her tongue against his. Head rush followed, sensory overload. Mark got lost in the complete rightness that was his mate.
If stolen kisses were all he could get, he’d force the beast inside to accept them. He and Tessa would have forever together. If it took a few more days than usual to start on the journey, well, he had enough patience to make it through.
In the end, it would be worth it.
Mark savoured the kiss, the weight of her in his hands. The intimate contact between their bodies. He stored up all the sensations in the hopes his wolf wouldn’t rebel and ruin his good intentions.
The beast grumbled, but settled, at least for now.
Chapter Six
By the time dinner had rolled past, Tessa found herself strangely fatigued. She transferred the dirty dishes from the counter into the dishwasher, though, before standing and stretching her lower back.
“Sorry again about the mess I made this morning.” There was no excuse for it. She wasn’t some flighty teenager who needed to be cared for by mommy anymore. Her lack of consideration annoyed her.
She was a capable grown woman.
She’d organized and run a cruise ship—and this morning she’d childishly left a disaster behind her?
Tessa straightened from her task and gasped in surprise at how close Mark was. He cupped her face and shook his head. “Stop apologizing. It wasn’t a big deal. We’ve had a great day, very productive, and a few extra dishes have been forgotten. Okay?”
“Sure.” Only guilt remained.
Her eyelids were heavy, and she was dog-tired, although that particular thought made her want to giggle.
His touch remained gentle on her skin. His thumb caressed her cheek as he searched her eyes. “Let’s get some fresh air. Would you like to go for a run?”
Her cat uncoiled like a spring, frantic relief washing her limbs. “Yes, oh, that would be marvelous.”
Mark pushed between her shoulders and directed her toward the bedroom. “Strip and shift. I’ll wait for you at the back door—it’s set up so we can open it in either form.”
“Wait.”
He paused in the middle of turning away.
Tessa wasn’t sure where the confusion inside had come from. Something wasn’t right, but she couldn’t imagine what it was.
“Tessa?”
She forced down the strange sensation and smiled. “Nothing. I’ll meet you at the door in a minute.”
Why did the silence in the room echo as she took off her clothes and set them aside? She glanced around, looking for a clue of what was making her so uneasy. Nothing twigged. Nothing made sense except her cat’s increasing demands for that promised run now.
She walked naked through the kitchen, not wanting to shift in the bedroom. Her cougar curled upward, pushing at her skin, and she stopped at the top of the stairs and gave in. Let the shift come over her, limbs and muscles rearranging as she settled into her other form.
The usual rush of “feels good to shift” that was always a part of the transformation was so diluted she sat on her haunches for a moment in bewilderment.
Now the cat was more in control than the human, and the cougar wanted to keep moving. She slipped down the stairs, ignoring all the things that would have sidetracked her before, instead eager to get to the place she could be free to run.
Run with Mark. Her mate.
Tessa had imagined that thought would piss her cougar off far more than it did. The sight of Mark in full fur might have had something to do with the inner calm. Tessa wished she’d taken the time to examine him before she’d changed skins, because he was a beautiful animal, at least as far as a cat could appreciate a dog.
White muzzle, thick silver fur with black markings. He tipped his head at her before standing on his hind legs to reach the doorknob. The flat lever twisted under his touch, the door swung open, and he waited for her to slip out ahead of him.
He nudged the door closed with his forehead, then while she was getting her bearings, he brushed past her shoulder and took off.
The chase had begun.
Directly behind the paddle wheeler, they met wilderness. The backfence line met the trees, so once they stepped over that point there was nothing but rolling foothills. Narrow but well-worn paths led through the underbrush, and Mark leapt from one to the next, always guiding them upward. The heat of day faded to be replaced by the cooler air clinging to the earth, trickling down from the heights.
Tessa pushed herself to catch him, the demand on her muscles finally surpassing the strange malaise that had waylaid her. Blood pumped, and her mind calmed, as if all the excess ideas flitting through her brain were used up in the mechanics of paws hitting the dirt.
Mark vanished from sight around a corner, and she put on a burst of speed to close the gap between them. She flew into a clearing and found herself tackled to the ground, his attack coming from the side.
Laughter bubbled up, the sheer joy of the cat relishing his playfulness as a wolf. He crawled off her and backed away, head low, tail wagging furiously.
Tessa licked a paw and wiped it over her ears, grooming them back into order and knocking off the leaves that clung to her.
Mark’s jaw opened, and his wolfie grin said it all. He thought she was being a typical cat, did he? Tessa ignored him and glanced around the clearing he’d brought her to, admiring the panorama visible on the leeward side of the hill.
The view from the paddle wheeler was gorgeous, but this was spectacular. The last rays of the sun fell in streaks, creating a spotlight effect over the field. Tessa didn’t plan it, just reacted, heading for the nearest patch of sunshine and stretching lazily as warmth furled over her.
Another kind of heat hit her. Mark, rubbing his way along her side until he’d managed to wrap himself around her and clearly state his ownership. In her cat form, it was strange how little that idea bothered her.
The human, however, was the curious one. She bumped her nose against his muzzle before separating herself so she wouldn’t hurt him. Then she shifted back, coming to her human skin at his side.
“So lovely.” She ran her hand over his head and down his back, and Mark rumbled happily.
All the anxiety she’d felt earlier had dissipated, popping like bubbles, and Tessa went with her instincts. She stretched out on the thick layer of moss and rested her head on his soft furry back. The steady beat of his heart and the last heat of the sun lulled her to that point midway between sleeping and being awake.
She had him pinned. Mark laid his chin on his forepaws and slowed his racing thoughts. Tessa’s cat form was pretty cool. There would still be questions regarding the pack accepting her, but…
Time. Give it time. He breathed out through his nose and watched the tiny grasses in front of him sway.
The sun slid off them in less than ten minutes. While he hated to disturb her, they should head inside, especially since she was lying butt-naked in the bush. He twisted his head slowly, until he could see her face. Temptation beckoned. Mark licked her, cheek to temple.
Tessa’s nose wrinkled as her eyes popped open, and she grinned. “Hey, none of that, or I’ll catch you catnapping sometime and get my revenge.”
She returned to her cougar form, and this time he let her set the pace, following to be sure she took the correct paths that would lead them home.
Home. The word made him happier now than it ever had.
Within half an hour they were in front of the fireplace, the kettle on the stove whistling softly. They’d both pulled on sweats, Tessa wearing a T-shirt from his drawer that satisfied the hunger inside him.
When he slipped onto the couch, Tessa abandoned the easy chair she’d been curled up in while he worked, instead crawling into his lap and cuddling in tight.