Hot Blooded

head to find her mouth with his. His kiss was gentle, loving, tender
even. "Absolutely, you are Carpathian."
    "So how do I make the change?"
    "In much the same way as before. I have the image and structure in my head.
Study it, focus on it and reach for it. I will help. With us, we actually have
to hold the image in our mind the entire time we stay in the form. You become
the jaguar. We are the image of the animal. We have all of its senses and
abilities, but we must maintain the outer shell."
    She liked the idea. It would occupy her thoughts entirely. And she found she
wasn't quite ready to give up the freedom she always felt running in her jaguar
form through the heavy canopy. Juliette stretched her arms up to the night sky.
"Show me the leopard."
    "The leopard is in your mind. Hold its form, Juliette, do not think you can
forget it as you did the jaguar," he cautioned.
    "With you to remind me, I doubt I would have a chance," she teased, already
reaching for the image. It wasn't all that different from her own unique
beginnings, but it was complex. As she changed form, so did Riordan. He made it
seem easy and natural and fun.
    The moment Juliette felt the familiar ropes of muscle, joy spread through
her. She turned her head to look at the large cat beside her. He was big and
shiny black with darker rosettes covering his body. He looked powerful and
muscular and very alluring. She rubbed against him, body to body, a long
affectionate signal to play. Whirling, she took off running in the direction of
their private grotto.
    Riordan, deep inside the body of the leopard, paced just behind her, admiring
her sleek lines and beautiful curves. They leapt over fallen logs, rousted
rodents from the shrubbery, chased a small squirrel through several trees and
splashed through two creeks and up an embankment. Both raked the bark from the
trees, Juliette trying to reach higher than the much larger male.
    He rubbed his muzzle along her face and neck. His teeth playfully bit at her
neck and shoulder. Her fragrance was ripe and enthralling, captivating him until
all he could do was think about her. She teased him openly, running away,
waiting for him to catch up, crouching temptingly in front of him, only to leap
away before he could blanket her.
    Riordan was grateful to see the shimmering pool of water waiting for them in
the natural rock grotto. The high ferns screened the lush oasis from prying
eyes, making it a virtual paradise.
    They shifted together, Juliette laughing with glee. "That was so fun." Her
gaze drifted boldly, possessively over him. "I see the experience was
particularly arousing to you." Juliette stepped close to him, inhaling his
scent. Her fingers trailed with tantalizing expertise over his aching erection.
    Before he could react, she shifted her palms to his bare chest, "I don't
think the change completely took the cat out of me." She ran her hands over his
chest, feeling every defined muscle. "I thought I wanted all of it gone, every
last bit of that DNA from my body, but I've changed my mind."
    Her fingers rubbed over his skin in small, demanding caresses, transmitting a
certain urgency. "What part of the cat remained behind?" It was hard to breathe
when she was so close to him. When he was already throbbing and mercilessly hard
for her touch. For her taste. He closed his eyes briefly. For the feel of her
tight hot sheath surrounding his body and milking him dry.
    She leaned forward and lapped at his chest, rubbed her body the length of
his. "Touch. Touch is very important to cats." Her hand slid down his body, over
his belly, wrapped around his thickened penis. Her thumb rubbed the sensitive
tip gently. "Like this. Cats love to touch and feel. We like to be stroked." She
smiled up at him. "Do you think you can manage a little stroking?"
    She didn't give him the chance, kissing his chest, her mouth open and wet,
her tongue working along his ribs and her teeth nipping until he thought he
might go out of his mind. Riordan stood it as long as he could, with his body
growing harder and the pressure building with every touch of her fingers and
lips. He tunneled his hands into her hair and pulled her head up to fasten his
mouth on hers. He devoured her, kiss after kiss, unable to stop to take a
breath, his tongue dueling with hers.
    The roaring could have been in his head, maybe it was hers, the roaring was
so loud he couldn't tell. His body burned and ached and