My Romantic Tangle Read online

  He ran a finger across her upper thigh and glanced up in a silent order to part her legs. He inhaled and traced a finger over the pouty folds of her pussy, taking in the delicate flush suffusing her face. Damn, she was pretty. Leaning closer, he tasted her. God, he loved going down on her. She was doing that sexy rumbling sound deep in her throat. He lapped her juices then slowly pushed a finger inside her.

  Heat. It burned his finger, the sensation of warmth echoing in his cock. He wanted to burrow into her core and never leave. Ambar made his worries disperse and gave him peace. His tongue curled around her clit, gently teasing the distended nub until she couldn’t contain her whimpers, the jerk of her hips. He added another finger, pumping slowly while he built the intensity, layer upon layer. Her hips gyrated, her purrs coming harder and faster.

  “Jake,” she whispered, her vaginal walls clamping down hard on his fingers as she came.

  The ripples were still pulsing through her when he lifted his head and reached over to grab a condom from the nightstand. With trembling hands he rolled on the latex, lined up and surged inside her clinging flesh.

  Their mouths met in a gentle kiss that gradually morphed into needy. Desperate. He crushed her mouth under his, invading and retreating in hard, even strokes. Good. It felt so damn good whenever he was inside her. Ambar made him forget his problems.

  “Hell, Ambar. You’re amazing.” The bed creaked with the force of his thrust.

  “You always say that.”

  He grunted, having trouble thinking. It was much better concentrating on the sensations rippling through his body. “I’ll have to go for different next time.”

  “Bite me,” she said suddenly. “Mark me so I can look at it later and remember doing this with you.”

  He stopped, fully embedded, and his brows rose as he looked at her. “A love bite?”

  “Yes, please.”

  “Anywhere I want?”

  “As long as it won’t show at work.”

  He’d marked women before during sex, but Ambar’s request was different. He felt his cock throb the second he registered her demand. There was nothing he’d like better, to know she carried a souvenir of him when they parted. He dropped a slow kiss on her mouth, his tongue surging inside.

  Her hands snaked around his neck, and she clung, arching her body against him and throwing herself into the kiss. Everything she did was with enthusiasm, and that was an incredible turn-on. When he lifted his head, her eyes glowed with gold flecks and her skin bore a delicate flush while his cock bathed in liquid heat. He rocked into her, a small teasing thrust that dragged against her flesh.

  “Faster,” she demanded, her fingernails digging into his shoulders with painful intensity. The sensual ache served to drive his need for her higher.

  “Soon.” The idea of marking her skin held enormous appeal. Where? That was the question. His gaze roved her breasts with their peach-tipped nipples, her upper chest and higher to her neck. Decision made. Jake swooped, sucking on the soft pad of skin partway between neck and shoulder.

  She gasped the second he started sucking, hips jerking hard enough to send a frisson of pleasure right through him. When he lifted his head, she breathed hard, the red mark very obvious against her golden skin.

  “There,” he said, eyeing the mark with satisfaction. “That should do the trick.”

  Ambar didn’t say anything, merely remained lying there with her eyes closed. It made him start to worry.

  “Ambar?”

  A slow smile curved across her lips and her eyes flicked open. They glittered, the corners of her eyes narrowed and surprisingly catlike. “That felt really good. Fuck me now.”

  “Good idea.” Jake didn’t know what had happened, but somehow the sexual tension between them had ratcheted sharply upward. He thrust into her with hard, digging strokes, relishing the friction, the searing fervor between them. The fact she was robust and didn’t freak when he used his strength was an incredible turn-on.

  Instead, she clung to him, buried her head in his neck and used her sharp teeth on him, leaving her own mark.

  A groan escaped him when he felt her teeth on his upper chest. He thrust once more and exploded, groaning loudly as he came. A couple more slow thrusts were enough to make Ambar climax again, and he savored the pulse of her pussy clasping his cock and massaging him through the final pulses of his orgasm. Sighing, he withdrew and dealt with the condom. Once finished, he rolled to his side, dragging her against his chest.

  Exhaustion caught up with him and he drifted off to sleep with Ambar clasped possessively in his arms.

  Ambar sensed the second Jake dropped off to sleep. Typical male. Her lips curved in a grin until she remembered she’d almost bitten him and mated with him in the heat of the moment. She’d wanted him as she’d never wanted another man. The feel of Jake thrusting into her, his mouth sucking at her neck had even driven Hari from her mind.

  Bad. It was a bad idea for her to suggest biting.

  The last thing she needed was a mate. Heck, she’d scarcely avoided an arranged marriage, so why would she want to do something stupid like biting Jake—a human? Not that she had anything against humans, but having to explain the mating process and her tiger shifter status raised a new set of problems.

  Her mind chased ‘round and ‘round. Even though she enjoyed spending time with Jake, sleeping with him, she didn’t want a serious relationship. She wanted to play, to experience life and enjoy everything she could squeeze from it.

  Jake was her first lover. It didn’t mean he had to be her last one, no matter what her parents might say. It didn’t.

  Confusion clouded her thoughts as she recalled the excitement she’d felt when he’d sucked on the mating site—the fleshy part where her shoulder and neck met. Surely, she shouldn’t have felt so excited or tempted if they weren’t prospective mates?

  Carefully, she turned in Jake’s arms, not wanting to wake him when he was so tired. Jake didn’t want a serious relationship. He’d made that clear right at the start of their relationship, before they’d slept together.

  The faint pad of footsteps in the passage outside Jake’s bedroom jerked her from her stewing thoughts.

  Hari. Another problem.

  When she and Jake had first retired tonight, she’d felt self-conscious, knowing Hari would hear more than she was comfortable with him knowing. That had disappeared once she and Jake had started kissing and touching, but hearing Hari prowl the house brought it back again.

  This was weird. She should have told Jake about Hari traveling from England with the expectation of marrying her. But Hari hadn’t told the truth either.

  Sighing softly, she closed her eyes and counted imaginary sheep. They transformed into tigers, beautiful tigers that smelled of honey and spices and seductive male musk. She wanted to follow, tried to pursue, but they flicked their sexy tails and left her in the dust.

  Soft lips and roving hands woke her.

  “What’s the time?” she mumbled, cuddling closer and enjoying Jake’s warmth.

  “Almost time for me to get up.”

  She felt the distinct prod of his cock against her belly. “Almost?”

  “Yeah. About ten minutes before the alarm goes off.”

  “We’d better make use of that time then.” Ambar burrowed under the blankets, reaching for his cock.

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I want to. I like the way you taste.”

  “But what about you?” The bed covers muffled Jake’s voice.

  “I’m not useless. I can get myself off easily enough if I want.”

  “Is that right? Some men might worry about all that self-sufficiency.” Laughter threaded through his words.

  “You’re not most men,” Ambar retorted, knowing her words were true. Jake was a special man. She fingered the mark he’d made on her neck. It didn’t hurt yet touching it sent a sensual jolt through her. “Let me start your morning off the right way.”

  She wouldn’t
think about Hari in a nearby room. Her sharp hearing caught the sound of footsteps in the kitchen, the running of water and the clink of a pot. Her mouth tightened as she hesitated. She’d told Hari she wasn’t interested in a relationship with him, and no matter how good he smelled she refused to change her mind.

  Moving closer, she caressed Jake’s cock and ran her fingers over the smooth shaft. She wrapped her lips around the tip and licked and sucked until he groaned, letting his taste wash over her and reveling in his soft groan of appreciation. His hands crept beneath the covers to hold her head in place. She lapped at the slit, gathering a drop of fluid with her tongue. Aware of the timeline and the ticking clock, Ambar upped her pace, taking him deep and sucking hard. He trembled, groaned and jerked his hips. He started to move, using her mouth, taking his pleasure. His scent intensified, surrounding her in the enclosed space, making her head swim and her body surge with unremitting need. Unbidden, her feline pushed to the surface, sharp claws protruding from her fingertips.

  Holy crap.

  Jake yelped. “Watch those teeth, babe.”

  Ambar froze, muttering an apology around Jake’s cock. Double holy crap. Her canine teeth had popped into prominence. She could feel the faint ache in her gums, her feline pushing her body to complete the shift to tiger. Ambar placed her left hand on the mattress and curled her claws into the fabric, focusing on remaining in human form. Tension simmered inside her as she wondered what to do next. She could hardly stop, not when she’d offered in the first place. One thing was clear—she needed to get him off quick so she could leave, or at least get away from Jake before he saw her claws and teeth. And would he notice her tongue had become rougher than usual?

  Using a combination of hands and her mouth, she worked harder to get him off, relieved when he started to rock his hips, pushing his shaft deeper into her mouth. Her usual enjoyment in Jake and his sexy body had faded with the attempted takeover of her feline.

  On automatic, she moved her head faster and mentally urged him to hurry. He was close—she knew it. Even as the thought entered her mind, he gave a raw, guttural cry and climaxed in her mouth. Ambar swallowed automatically and carefully licked him clean, trying to act as usual even though her mind screamed at her to get the hell out of his presence.

  “Babe, that is a brilliant way to start the morning.” He dragged her from beneath the covers and hugged her tight, running his hands through her long hair. Ambar turned her face into his chest, concentrating on holding her human form. He dropped a kiss on her shoulder then sighed. “I’d better get moving. I have a long day in front of me. Is it okay if I take the shower first?”

  Normally, she’d insist on sharing the shower. Not today. “You go ahead. I might laze here.” The stupid canines made her words emerge with a strange lisp. Thankfully, Jake didn’t seem to notice.

  The moment he left the bedroom, Amber leapt from the bed and scrambled into her clothes. She couldn’t seem to get her nails and teeth to return back to normal. Still barefoot, she hurried down the passage, the scent of coffee becoming stronger as she neared the kitchen.

  “Good morning,” Hari said without turning away from the stove. “You timed that well. The scrambled eggs are almost ready. I’ve made extra.”

  “Hari,” Ambar said urgently.

  Something in her voice must have alerted Hari to her alarm. He removed the eggs from the heat and turned to face her. She bared her teeth and held up her hands to show him her fingernails. The beginnings of black claws protruded above her fingernails.

  “They won’t go back.” One whiff of Hari’s scent and her body went into high alert. She battled an inappropriate urge to rub against him and, in desperation, moved to the other side of the kitchen. Panic filled her as she fought the change to tiger. “What do I do?”

  “Has it happened before?” Hari moved closer, concern in his brown eyes.

  “Never. Don’t come any closer,” she blurted finally in desperation. She was running out of room to retreat, and his scent was driving her crazy. Worst of all, she was a hairsbreadth away from jumping him. Her sharp claws dug into her palms until the faint scent of blood drifted up to her.

  “I’m not gonna bite,” Hari said, his English accent holding a trace of irritation.

  Ambar rolled her eyes. Men were so slow, so dense sometimes. She decided to spell it out for him, halting her flight. Instead, she prowled across the kitchen to him, letting her need blaze across her face. “It’s you I’m worried about.”

  Chapter Three

  “Get a grip,” Hari snapped, holding up his hands in a halt motion. He spoke to himself more than Ambar. He had to stop, to rein in his desire for her. “You don’t want me. You’re with Jake.” He thought quickly, part of him cursing the way he was guarding the other man’s interests. “What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you? Quick. Tell me.”

  “The elastic snapping on my panties when I was at school,” Ambar said without hesitation. “I had to take them off and go without. It was a windy day.”

  Hell. That wasn’t a good visual to sear into his brain. “Picture your human form and recall how you felt when it happened, your embarrassment.” He would not think about her bare ass. No matter how much he wished otherwise, Ambar had made her choice and it wasn’t him. “An embarrassing moment always works for me when I want to lose an erection. According to my cousins, it does the job for them as well. This isn’t much different from an unruly erection.”

  “You’ve got that right,” she said, her words distorted and lispy because of her teeth.

  Hari watched her for a moment longer, noted the mismatched shirt buttons, the color in her cheeks and her kiss-swollen lips before he returned to the scrambled eggs. He’d heard her and Jake last night and it had almost killed him. No wonder he was so bloody tired.

  Right now he wanted to touch her so bad his hands trembled, the wooden spoon tapping the edge of the saucepan in a rhythmic manner even though he tried to hold it steady.

  Jake’s arrival added a buffer and made Hari concentrate on cooking, but his senses kept working, scents and sounds causing his feline to writhe beneath his skin. “Are you ready for breakfast?” He should keep Jake talking until Ambar controlled her tiger. Hell, he could do with a spot of control himself.

  Jake glanced at the clock on the wall. “I should get moving. I need to muster some cattle.”

  “By yourself?” Hari asked, grabbing some bread and putting it into the toaster.

  “Yes, just me and the dogs.”

  “I don’t have anything pressing to do today. If I help, will that leave you time to have breakfast? It’s ready now.” Hari competently dished up the scrambled eggs and handed Jake a plate.

  “You?” Ambar said in disbelief. “You’re from the city.”

  “So?” Hari pulled a face at her, set two more plates onto the table, grabbed some toast and the coffeepot. “I have a brain. I can follow instructions.”

  Jake collected coffee mugs from the cupboard and slid onto a chair. “You’d really like to help?”

  “Yes.” Hari poured coffee for them all, noting Ambar’s teeth and fingers appeared normal again. “I need to think about the website I’m designing. A change of scenery will give me a chance to think.”

  “That would be great,” Jake said. “I’d appreciate the help.”

  The expression on Ambar’s face told Hari she didn’t welcome his offer. Too bad. He’d thought over his situation during his sleepless night and decided to go ahead with his plan to stay. Despite being with Jake, Ambar was aware of him. While he wouldn’t do anything underhanded, he didn’t intend to walk away either. It wasn’t as if he had anywhere else he needed to be. That reminded him, he’d better check in with his uncle and aunt and let them know he was in New Zealand. They were the only family he had left and would expect him to contact them. He didn’t need to give them specifics regarding his whereabouts.

  Jake asked Ambar about her plans for the day, and Hari listened attent
ively, thirsty for knowledge of the woman he wanted to mate.

  “I’m working in the store most of the day.”

  “Don’t you need to do laundry?”

  Ambar snorted, her golden-brown eyes gleaming with humor. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

  A private joke. Harry tried not to feel left out and failed. He stared at his scrambled eggs, fighting to keep a frustrated growl trapped in his throat. The color bled from his knuckles as he gripped his knife and fork.

  “Hari, do you have any boots?” Jake asked.

  The air hissed through his lips, and he forced himself to relax. “Just a pair of runners.”

  “There are spare pairs of boots in the laundry. Check to see if any of them fit you.” Jake stood and grabbed his plate and coffee mug. With efficient moves, he opened the dishwasher to stack his dirty dishes inside. “I have to get the dogs. Meet you outside.” After bending to kiss Ambar goodbye, he left them alone, his cheery whistle audible long after he’d disappeared.

  Ambar glared at him. “Why do you have to stay here?”

  “My nearest relatives are my uncle and aunt in London. I don’t have any better place to go. Besides, what do you care? You’re with Jake.”

  Her mouth firmed and she stood, anger evident in the flash of her eyes. She stacked her breakfast dishes in the dishwasher and slammed the door shut hard enough to make him wince. “I’ll finish here,” she said in a tight voice. “You don’t want to hold up Jake.”

  “See you later.”

  “Not if I see you first.”

  Hari grinned and strolled off, whistling a tune similar to Jake’s. His presence bothered her and that gave him hope.

  * * * * *

  Jake hadn’t realized how lonely his days had become until he took Hari with him to muster stock. Hari asked constant questions, and Jake found himself telling the other man about the things he hoped to achieve with his cattle-breeding program and his present problems with cash flow.

  “Maybe you need an investor,” Hari said. “Or perhaps you need to diversify.”