Cats Meow (6 page)

“Getting you out of here is not going to be
easy. As much as possible, keep a tight leash on the lion. My plan is
simple—prove to Weltman that you are not a danger to me, and that I can control
you.”

Micah began to pace again and rubbed at his
jaw.

“I’ve made arrangements to get you outside,
but you’ll be sedated.”

He stopped short, his gaze narrowing on
her.

“Weltman insisted on a mild sedative
because we don’t know if you will be able to control the lion’s natural
instincts once you get out in the open. I had no valid argument for the point.
Two guards will be with us, within sight at all times.” Reaching the part of
her plan where things go dicey, she took care to school her features. “Once
it’s proven that I can handle you in both forms, I’ll convince Weltman the lab
setting is detrimental to what he wants to accomplish.”

“How the hell are you going to do that?” he
barked.

“Simple. We establish a pattern. Right now
Weltman believes strong emotion brings on the shift. You have to become
unpredictable around everyone other than me. You will gradually decrease your
activity, become lethargic when here in the cell and come to life when we go
outside. I’ll convince Weltman the results he wants are not possible in the lab
setting. We get you out of here, I gather the records of what’s been done to
you, then you disappear.”

His penetrating stare turned cold and
contemplative. “What do you know about making someone disappear?”

“I’m an Army brat, born and raised. My
father made sure I know how to survive no matter the circumstances. Helping you
vanish off the radar will be child’s play.”

He advanced toward her. “Do not touch me,
Micah!”

She clenched her teeth and forced herself to
appear unaffected. “Don’t touch me or show personal interest in me or this
won’t work.”

He came to a dead stop. She could tell it
grated on his nerves, but Micah fell into the role she’d set for him. Tense
muscles relaxed as he took several deep breaths. He sat on the floor, putting
himself in a vulnerable position and under her control.

She squeezed the bridge of her nose,
fighting off a stress headache. “This is not going to be easy for either of
us.” She moved to him, blocked the camera’s view and stroked his cheek. “All I
can think about is stripping off those clothes, getting my hands and mouth on
you. Making love until we’re both exhausted and sweaty.”

A low, warning growl vibrated through his
chest. She clearly saw the same desire reflected in his eyes.

“I know. It’s okay,” she assured. “We have
to be strong. There’s so much we have to talk about.” So much they had to
figure out. She thought about the baby and her natural inclination was to rub
her belly where their child rested. Instead, she balled her hands into fists at
her sides.

“First we have to get you out of here.”

That had to be her top priority. They’d
deal with everything else once he was safe.

Chapter Six

He kept his eyes closed, breathing even and
stayed motionless. He’d been in the facility long enough to figure out the
regular pattern and movements of the guards. They’d already made rounds and
weren’t due for at least another hour. Yet someone moved down the corridor,
making no attempt to mask their presence. The light click created by a heel
with each footfall made him guess his late-night visitor was female.

The night guard muttered a familiar
greeting, which told him it had to be someone on the lab staff. What did they
have planned for him now? Micah gritted his teeth in anticipation of more
anesthesia drugs and another painful procedure.

Fuck, Becca was right. They had to get him
the hell out of here.

His nostrils flared as the delightful scent
of cinnamon and honey reached him. What the hell was she doing? There was no
way she could have worked out an evac plan this fast.

Keys rattled, metal grated on metal as the
cell door swung open. Sheer will and discipline were almost insufficient to
keep him from rushing forward. He had to play this out and follow her lead or
put both of them at risk.

He’d rather undergo multiple torturous
procedures than put her in any more danger than she already faced.

The gentle caress of her fingertips along
his jaw was at odds with her abrupt tone. “Wake up, Lasiter. I don’t have all
night.”

“Want me to chain him, Doc?”

“No, thanks. I’ve got my Taser and we’re
not going far.”

What the hell?

“Come on, Lasiter. Don’t make me change my
mind and have them sedate you. Let’s get this procedure done and over with.”

“No more damn procedures.” The thought of
her performing one of Weltman’s horrible procedures on him make Micah’s blood
run cold.

The guard took a step backward as Micah
swung his legs over the cot and sat up. Becca tapped her foot, waiting
impatiently, but her sweet face told a different story. The lighting was dim
but he had no trouble making out her flushed cheeks and dilated pupils with his
enhanced eyesight.

He took a breath, drawing her musky aroma
deep into his lungs. She wasn’t afraid or agitated. She was wet and aroused.

As he rose to his full height the guard
took another step back while Becca latched on to his biceps and guided him out
of the cell. They went through the anteroom where another guard watched a bank
of monitors displaying the empty cell, and down a short corridor to one of the
treatment rooms. The guard shadowed their every step until the door closed
behind them and the lock snicked in place.

Becca lifted a finger to her lips. “Get on
the exam table, Lasiter. Now that’s a good boy.” She snapped the wrist
restraints shut with a loud click. Once the sound shot through the room a
second time, he heard the guard’s booted footsteps echo down the corridor.

“We won’t have long. An hour at most—”

Micah backed her against the door and
sealed his lips to hers. She tasted of coffee and her own unique flavor that
had been imprinted on his soul. He’d missed her so much and when they both made
it out of this mess, he was never letting go!

Pain bit into his shoulders where her
fingernails dug deep. He didn’t mind. Especially as her leg rose and hooked
over his hip, aligning her warm pussy with his hard and ready to explode cock.

It had been too long since he’d felt the
tight clasp of her pussy around his shaft. Too long since he’d been buried
balls-deep in paradise. “Becca,” he groaned. “This is going to be hard and
fast…the first time.”

“Yesss. Hard and fast is good. Now is
better. Hurry!”

They were on the same page, thank goodness,
because he couldn’t wait another second. Finesse be damned. Going straight for
the tie of her scrub pants, he cursed as it knotted. The hellion just laughed
as she released the tie securing his pants with ease then wrapped her slender
fingers around his aching cock.

Micah didn’t screw around with the knot for
long. He simply ripped the drawstring in half. One hard pull tore the crotch
from her lacy panties and her slick, warm flesh filled his palm. He sniffed,
wondering briefly at the slight difference in her scent but chalking it up to
something in the laboratory setting.

“Have you been thinking about me, baby?”
Without any preamble, he thrust two fingers between her sodden folds. Wet flesh
sucked at his fingers and he came close to finishing before even getting inside
her.

“Have you suffered through endless nights,
remembering how damn good it was to have this sweet pussy stuffed full of my
cock?” Waiting for her answer was torture but he had to know she’d suffered,
same as he had.

“Micah,” she gasped.

Thrusting his fingers hard, he found the
small spot guaranteed to drive her crazy and stroked the area with his
fingertips. Becca rose up on her toes, canted her hips and followed the rhythm
he set. Her body tightened on his fingers as she neared release but hell if
he’d let her get there without him.

Her fingernails dug painfully deep as he
withdrew his fingers. He made a point of letting her see the glistening digits
before sucking them into his mouth. As her heady flavor burst across his taste
buds, Micah dropped his head back.

“Answer me, baby? Did you lie awake every
night wishing I was in your bed?”

“Yes, okay. Yes. Now fuck me already, damn
it.”

He didn’t know why it had been so important
for him to hear the words. Thankfully, she’d said them. He wasn’t sure what he
would have done if she’d denied wanting him all those empty nights they’d been
apart.

Without another word or further delay, he
lifted Becca. As her heels hooked at the small of his back, he slammed her down
on his straining cock. He pressed his mouth into the curve of her neck, hoping
to muffle the sounds refusing to be held back.

This is where he belonged, buried within
his woman’s body. Cradled between her thighs. It was so fucking good.

He couldn’t breathe, didn’t move. The mere
idea of withdrawing from her brought the lion closer to the surface. All
rational thought fled as Micah gave in to the animal’s need for its mate. A
roar of possession rumbled up from his chest. He finally had her back where she
belonged but they didn’t have any protection.

His mouth opened, dangerously sharp teeth
closed over her vulnerable throat.

Mine!

“Move, damn you.”

Her complaint had his teeth tightening
their hold on her neck for a moment before Micah gathered his control. “No
condom.”

“It’s not an issue.”

Thank god. He didn’t think he could stop.
Not with her warm heat surrounding his cock. Micah didn’t question her
statement. The idea of filling her with his semen was irresistible to both the
lion and the man. Of their own volition, his hips began to move in a slow and
easy rhythm.

To hell with that
, Rebecca thought. Using powerful thigh muscles, she moved in
counterpoint, slamming her pelvis against his. Micah took the not so subtle
hint and ran with it. He began powering into her, each hard thrust punctuated
by the wet slap of their bodies.

It was heaven and hell. She wanted it to
last forever but her body screamed for release. The pleasure built quickly,
taking her to heights she’d never known existed.

His mouth released her neck long enough to
state his claim. “You. Are. Mine.”

“Yes!”

“Say it, Becca.”

Normally his demanding tone and dominant
words would have her spine stiffening. Not with Micah. Hearing the claim on his
lips was a total turn-on. She longed to be his.

“Yours. I’m all yours.”

His hands spread her legs wider, gripping
her thighs tight enough she’d have bruises. Not that she cared. She’d be proud
to wear his mark on her skin.

Each forward thrust was harder than the
last. Faster. More intense. As if he attempted to get beneath her skin. To lose
himself in her body the same way she was losing herself in him.

It was flat-out, balls-to-the-wall sex.

If she had the breath, she would have
laughed over that thought. All she managed was to hold on and enjoy the wild
roller-coaster ride. As she reached the highest peak her body tensed, preparing
for the free fall.

“Now, Becca. Come now.”

The command triggered her orgasm and a
scream strangled in her throat as mind-numbing pleasure gathered in her core
and whiplashed through her body. Micah continued to fuck her through her orgasm
then followed her over the edge. He roared again as he climaxed. Hot jets of
cum bathed her womb, setting off aftershocks, leaving her limp and shaking in
his arms.

Micah collapsed against her, his weight and
the wall were all that held them upright. Not until she got her breathing under
control and the last tremor ended did she realize his erection still stretched
her tender tissues.

“Micah?”

“Not done,” he gasped. “Just a second.”

It took slightly longer than a second, not
that she minded since Micah stayed inside her. Holding on to her ass cheeks, he
kept her impaled on his erection and maneuvered them over to the exam table
where he rocked her world again. This time they went slower, savored the
perfect joining of their bodies. They’d just cleaned up and found a pin to hold
her pants up when the guard knocked on the door, bringing an end to the all-too-brief
stolen moments.

It was sufficient to renew her motivation
to get him the hell out of the lab and hopefully in her bed permanently.

Chapter Seven

After three days of working with Becca his
control was tenuous at best. Only two thoughts filled Micah’s mind each day
when as he woke—sex and escape. Both were very high on his list of priorities,
but getting Becca to safety had to come first.

It wasn’t as if they had not already had sex,
several times, in a variety of different positions. But that had been days ago
and he wanted more of her. Not sneaking into unmonitored rooms at the lab under
the watchful eye of the security staff, though. He wanted her somewhere they
didn’t have to be afraid or quiet.

So far everything was going as planned. Their
trips outside had gone off without a hitch, although the guards seemed
disappointed they hadn’t gotten the chance to shock him with the collar.

The day-shift guard was making his rounds.
Micah had nicknamed him Smiling Jack because the man always wore a cheesy grin.

“Mornin’, Lasiter. Sleep well?”

He muttered a banal response, distracted by
the sight of Becca headed in his direction. His cock jerked to attention as his
gaze swished from side to side following the subtle swaying of her hips.

Jack’s attention shot to her lithe body and
Micah fisted the edge of the cot, trying to restrain the lion who wanted to
claw the bastard’s eyes out. He agreed with the cat but had to stay in
character. Part of Becca’s strategy involved his appearing to be lethargic and
depressed. Jumping to his feet, rushing the bars and reaching through to choke
the fucking grin off Smiling Jack’s face would hamper their cause.

“Jack.” Becca gave the man an absent nod of
dismissal.

Hah, take that!

If he were less mature, Micah would stick his
tongue out and blow raspberries at the other man.

Becca’s green eyes narrowed on him while she
unlocked the door. He had no problem reading the warning to behave in her tight
expression.

“Did you sleep?”

“What the hell else is there to do in here?”
he grumbled.

She pulled back and gave him an assessing
stare. “I could bring you something to read or perhaps you’d like a pen and
notebook.”

“What, so I can write down my feelings or some
other psychobabble crap?”

Her brow arched. “I’m not staying if you’re going
to be nasty. Shall I come back later?”

He ignored Jack’s snicker and rubbed his
aching temples instead. “No, don’t go.”

With a curt nod to the guard, Becca closed the
cell door and dragged a chair—the only other piece of furniture in the
cell—closer to his cot. As Jack ambled away, the tension between them changed,
becoming charged with sexual energy.

“I know it’s been difficult. How are you
holding up?”

“Honestly, right now I’d gnaw off my right
hand to get you alone. It’s taking a supreme effort to stay put when I want to
let my claws extend and slice through your clothes. I want to taste every inch
of skin that’s hidden from view. Then I want to spend several days recreating
that night.” The sudden flush spreading over her neck and onto her face told
Micah she was remembering their one night together. “I’ve dreamed up with a few
new positions for us to try out.”

Becca swallowed hard. Perspiration dotted her
brow. He didn’t want her to suffer, but damn if being close to her wasn’t
killing him. “I need you.”

She nodded and wrote something down in the
notepad she always carried. Had it not been for his feline-enhanced hearing he
would have missed her whispered words.

“I need you too!”

Lust boiled his blood and his balls ached. The
cat roared and tore at the restraints he’d placed on it. Whenever she got him
all tied up in knots, which was most of the time, the cat went wild. Over the
past few days he’d learned to control the cat’s reactions.

He wasn’t the only one feeling the heat.
Micah’s nostrils flared, drinking in the musky scent of Becca’s arousal. If he
slid a hand under her sensible skirt, he was sure to encounter warm panties
dampened with her cream.

“Fuck! Get me the hell out of here. I have to
be outside. The lion is going to make an appearance whether we’re ready for it
or not.”

Their eyes met, voracious desires arcing
between them. She fumbled the notebook and dropped her pen as she shot to her
feet. At the door, she banged the keys against the bar while trying to fit the
right one in the lock.

The ruckus drew Jack, no longer smiling, back
down the hallway at a fast clip. “You okay, Doc? What’d he do?”

Rebecca glanced at the guard. “Everything’s
fine. I’m just a bit clumsy this morning. Must have had too much coffee.” She
shuddered as the cell door shut behind her with an ominous thud.

“We’re ready to go outside. Would you please
go get one of the other guards? I’ll wait here.”

Jack shot her a dubious look. “You sure? Fine
doesn’t mean the same thing to women. At least with my ex it didn’t. When she
said she was fine, I had to duck and cover ‘cause the shit was gonna hit the
fan.”

“Jack.” Becca placed her hand on the guard’s
forearm then let it drop again as a menacing bark-like sound rose from Micah’s
throat.

“It’s all good for the moment. We’ve got to
get him outside so it stays that way. Understand?”

“You want the drugs?”

“Not today.” Their previous outings had all
gone well and they hadn’t used the medication again after the first time.

Jack spoke into a portable radio and another
guard soon joined them. Micah only managed to make it a few steps into the yard
before being overtaken by the change. The rapidness of the shift still amazed
him. One second he stood tall and human, the next he was a lot closer to the
ground with tattered clothes tangled around his legs.

Using sharpened senses, he surveyed the area
from his new perspective. He lifted his snout, scenting the crisp mountain air.
Fertile land, blooming flora, the distinct saline scent of the guards and
Becca’s feminine aroma. He homed in on her, filling his lungs.

Acute hearing picked up a soft sound in the
underbrush several hundred feet away. Micah sniffed the wind—hare.

He crouched low, pushed off with a flex of
powerful muscle and raced across the yard. Long ears poked up from beneath tall
grass and twitched. The jackrabbit detected the predator hot on its trail and
the chase was on.

Surrendering control to the lion, he simply
enjoyed the hunt for the short time it lasted. When it was over, he pranced
back to Becca, head held high, feeling proud and dominant. A primal beast
providing for its mate. He dropped the limp brown creature at her feet,
awaiting praise for a successful hunt.

The anticipated pat on the back didn’t come.
Instead, she made a soft, sniffling noise. He took in her horrified expression
and the twin tracks of tears flowing over her cheeks.

Aw, fuck!

She may be accustomed to the behaviors of
fierce cats, but she definitely had a soft side. Irritation prickled over his
skin as conflicting emotions vied for supremacy. Micah understood her distress
at the senseless taking of a life. The lion, however, didn’t appreciate the
rejection of his offering and became enraged. Tossing back his head, he
released a mighty roar.

Rebecca scrambled to control her instinctive
response, but the battle was doomed from the start. Thankfully, no blood marred
the brown pelt that lay across the toe of her shoes. She could almost fool
herself into believing the rabbit slept if not for the unnatural oblique angle
of its neck. At least it had been a clean break and the animal had not
suffered.

She squatted down and ran her fingers over its
soft fur. The lion paid close attention to her every move, while the guards
kept their focus elsewhere.

“Jack—” Her voice came out a weak whisper. She
cleared her throat and tried again. “Go get a shovel, Jack. We have to bury
it.”

Despite the lion’s lack of comprehension, the
part of his consciousness still occupied by Micah understood. He headbutted her
out of the way, knocking her on her ass, gently closed his jaws on the animal
then loped away and disappeared into the woods.

The guard’s hand tightened on the control to
the shock collar and headed out after the lion.

“Jack, no. Wait a minute. I want to see what
he does.”

“We’re not supposed to let him out of our
sight.”

“I know, but you’ll have to trust me. He’s not
going far.”

After a few minutes, Micah returned without
the rabbit. Rebecca observed his demeanor. The lion’s movements were sluggish
and lacked purpose. The internal conflict between man and beast was palpable.

Micah had mentioned his discomfort in making
the transition back to human form with the guards watching. Since then she’d
had the guards bring along a change of clothes whenever they went outside. She
took the bundle from Jack and walked with Micah behind some trees.

Rebecca grinned with the knowledge that Micah
didn’t have a problem with her witnessing his shift in form. She forced herself
not to blink and miss the whole thing. It happened so fast.

She saw no point in wasting the gift she’d
been given and drank in the magnificent sight of more than six feet of prime
naked male flesh. He was even better than she remembered. With the altering of
his DNA, Micah’s body had adapted in thrilling ways. He had more body hair. The
smattering of baby fine blond hair was almost invisible under the direct
sunlight. Her fingers itched, longing to glide over his chest. And his
muscles…oh my. His body had been ripped before. Now he was chiseled perfection.
Beefy sinew undulated across his broad back as he shrugged into a shirt. She
bit her lip to hold back a whimper when the cloth blocked her splendid view.
But then he bent to put on the pants and her pussy dampened in appreciation.

Damn, she could orgasm just watching him bend
over. The flex of those tight glutes, the tiny dimples above each round cheek…
There were no words to do the beautiful sight justice. Her breasts swelled and
the soft material of her bra rasped against her hard nipples. Tingles raced to
her core with each shallow breath.

Micah turned and Rebecca had to steady herself
against a tree trunk as her knees went weak.

His cock had been big before, both thick and
long, but now— Damn! She hadn’t gotten a clear look at it in the treatment
room. Uh-uh. No way could that be the same cock. Full and erect, it hung
heavily down his leg. The idea of taking him in her mouth made her lips tingle.
Saliva pooled with the memory of his taste. She almost dropped to her knees but
she had other, more pressing needs. Her pussy clenched, empty and aching to be
filled.

That sure as hell won’t fit in me now!

To hell with that. He’d fit perfectly the
other night and she’d reveled in every thick inch stretching her wide. She
wanted to hold him in her hands, stroke the warm length between her palms.
Rebecca started to reach for him then remembered the guards. She had to curl
her fingers into the material of her skirt to keep them off Micah. Last thing
she wanted was an audience.

“Doc? Everything okay?”

Oh, thank goodness!

She twirled around, latching on to the guard’s
voice as if it were a lifeline.

“Yes!” The word came out high-pitched, almost
shrill. She cleared her throat as she tromped through the brush, racing toward
the guards. “We’re ready to go back inside now.”

Becca tapped her foot impatiently as Micah
took his sweet time strolling back into the clearing, arrogant grin firmly in
place.

Jack shot her a strange look. “Are you sure
you’re all right, Dr. Southerby?” He moved closer and
whispered so the other guard wouldn’t hear. “You’re breathing kinda shallow and
you face is all flushed.”

“I’m
fine
,” she gritted out from
between clenched teeth. “Now if you’re done lollygagging—”

He held up a hand in surrender. “Whoa, okay,
Doc. We’ve already covered that kinda
fine
.”

No one spoke on the way back to his cell.
Micah covertly watched Becca in his peripheral vision. She was acting strange.

The first time she’d seen him shift, she
passed out from shock. That had been days ago. Yesterday her innate curiosity
had won out over her reserved demeanor. She had asked tons of questions and
developed a few theories. All predictable, expected behavior.

Something was different today. When not being
terse with Jack, she’d been quiet and distracted. She’d been impatient with him
but he figured it had to do with arousal. Now he wasn’t so sure. Especially
since she kept rubbing small circles over her abdomen.

Maybe she didn’t feel well.

He loathed going back into the cell while
Becca went to her office. Of course, in Weltman’s place he’d take the same
precautions. Until he had full command of the shift, as well as the lion’s
reactions, keeping him locked up was the safest course of action.

After the guards left, Becca lingered, still
unconsciously rubbing her belly.

“Either you’re sick or something has happened.
Which is it, baby?”

Her head snapped up. “Huh?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I, uh…I have lots of work to do.”
She backed away. “I’ll stop by before I head home for the night.”

Damn it!

He was so frustrated that he wanted to rip the
bars from the wall. She shouldn’t be going home alone to deal with whatever was
bothering her. How fucking ironic that he finally wanted more than a quick fuck
from a woman and he couldn’t be with her.

The only woman he’d ever longed to hold in his
arms through the night and he was stuck in a cage. They should be lying in bed
together, dreaming of the future. Instead he had to moderate every action and
put on a show for the guards, while learning to share his body with a cat.

Micah sat on the cot and stared at the
ceiling. His shitty fucking karma had finally come back around to bite him in
the ass.