Leopard 05 - Savage Nature

frightened. He kept his fingers tight in hers, allowing his body to slowly come down from such an amazing high. Her muscles continued to rock them both, little aftershocks that kept sending electrical currents rushing through him. Her soft breasts felt perfect against his chest, his body still entwined tightly with hers.
    Nuzzling her neck, he kissed his way up to her mouth, easing his weight just a little from her, although he kept his hips tight against the cradle of hers. Kissing her was a forever pastime. It was easy to lose himself in the heated velvet of her mouth, that dark, enticing erotic taste that was Saria. He levered himself up onto his elbows and framed her face with his hands, kissing her over and over. He loved kissing her. She gave herself to him, as she had when he made love to her. Totally. Holding nothing back.
    “I can’t live without you, Saria,” he admitted softly, searching her eyes for an answering sign that she might feel the same way. “I’ve been alone too damned long. No one will ever need you or want you the way I do. Don’t run from me.”
    She moistened her lips. “I’m scared.”
    The admission turned his heart over. “I know you are, baby. I swear I don’t want to take over your life. I want to be a part of it. Say yes. I don’t want to make love to you once or twice and then have you disappear out of my life.”
    “It’s a big commitment. I’m not easy, Drake. Nothin’ about me is easy. Ask my brothers. Ask Pauline. I don’ know if it’s my leopard, but since I was a child, I’ve gone my own way and I don’ know any other way.”
    “Has it occurred to you that your independence is one of the things that attracts me most? I don’t want to change you. I like you a little wild, honey.”
    “I don’ want you to tell me it was all a terrible mistake a few weeks from now, Drake. I think it’s your leopard and my leopard makin’ you so crazy about me. You belong with someone like Charisse or Danae. You told me yourself every leopard for miles would be crazy for me. Look what happened the other night.”
    He kissed the tip of her nose. “Is that what you think? That I don’t know the difference between a woman I want and one my leopard wants? We’re shifters, Saria, not separate entities. I am my leopard, just as you are yours. We both are the same and we both choose you. Your leopard would never allow you to choose anyone incompatible. Mates can repeat for many life cycles. You’re the one I want. Just as you are.”
    She blinked, but held his gaze. “I know I want to be with you, Drake. I’m not afraid of commitment, just of myself. I know how I am. I don’ want to disappoint you. What if you want to live somewhere else and I go with you and can’t stay? That could happen. When I was away at school, I couldn’t breathe.”
    “Then we’ll come back.”
    “But you’d resent me.”
    He laughed softly and leaned down to kiss her again. He did it thoroughly, until he almost lost track of what had been said. “Silly woman. I don’t give a damn where we live. Besides, someone has to clean up this lair. And you’d probably run up thousands of dollars in phone bills calling Pauline.”
    A slow smile started at the curve of her mouth and warmed her eyes. She raised her head to capture his mouth with hers, her kiss not quite so tentative this time.
    “So the answer is yes.” He made it a statement.
    “Yes.”
    “So are you Catholic? Do we get married in a church?”
    She blinked at him again. He nearly laughed at the shock on her face. “Love. Commitment. Marriage. Babies. That’s what that yes was all about, Saria. You said it and I know a woman like you won’t go back on your word.”
    “Commitment. I was agreeing to commitment. I thought I was findin’ my way to lovin’ you until you mentioned that baby part. I wouldn’t know what to do with a baby. Sheesh, Donovan. You don’ want much do you?”
    “No, just everything.”
    She shook her head, but her eyes told him she was already his. He kissed her again before she could form any more protests. This time when he lifted his head he laughed softly. “Fine, we’ll put the baby idea on hold for a little while, but not too long. Miss Pauline wants grandchildren.”
    “That’s such a low blow.”
    “Because you’d do anything for Pauline,” he said.
    Drake eased his body off of hers and rolled onto his side, taking his weight from her. Saria’s gaze drifted over his face.
    “It’s hard