Page 11 of Pleasured By the Panther
“But won’t you… scratch me?”
Korrath raised one hand slowly.
“You have no need to worry, lovely one. See?” He flexed his fingers with practiced ease, and his claws slid back into their sheaths. Only smooth pads and furred fingers remained. He spread his palm toward her. “My claws are retractable. I would never hurt you. I only want to give you pleasure.”
Her shoulders relaxed a fraction, though her chest still rose and fell quickly. He felt her heartbeat drumming through the air between them. She wanted to bolt—but she also wanted to stay.
He let a bit of steel slip into his tone, enough to remind her who was in control.
“Now… are you going to be good for me and undress? Or must I undress you myself?”
He watched her lips part, saw the pulse flutter at her throat. She hesitated, caught between propriety and the pull of something older, deeper. The part of him that was all predator wanted to strip her himself—to lay her bare across the moss and taste every inch of her soft human skin. But the male in him—the Warrior, the Fated Mate—wanted her surrender to him. He wanted her to want to give herself. But would she ever reach that point?
Korrath hoped so.
9
MIRANDA
Miranda lifted her chin, a spark of defiance burning in her chest even as her heart thundered. She wasn’t going to let the big Monstrum see the fear she felt in her eyes.
“You undress me, then,” she challenged, putting a hand on her hip. Let him see what he was so eager for. Let him take in every curve and roll and stretch mark on her body. Maybe once she was naked, he’d see her for what she really was—a middle-aged woman over fifty—and lose interest.
Her ex, Martin, certainly had. He hadn’t wanted the lights on during sex in years. And right before he left, he’d told her flat-out that her body killed his sex drive, because she was too fat and he couldn’t stand the sight of her anymore. The words had dug into her, deep and sharp, until she believed them. They felt like a piece of jagged glass embedded under her skin—something that still pricked and stung—something she couldn’t remove.
So let the huge alien warrior see the truth—maybe then he’d leave her alone.
But Korrath didn’t hesitate. He stepped close, filling her vision with heat and shadow, and began unbuttoning her blouse. His claws were gone—retracted into soft, furred fingers—and his touch was unhurried and deliberate. He held her gaze the whole time, his emerald eyes steady…burning as he spread the blouse open to reveal her bra.
Miranda’s breath caught in her throat when he dropped to one knee before her and slipped off her shoes, his massive hands surprisingly gentle against her ankles. Then he rose again, unfastened her skirt, and let it slide down her legs in a whisper of fabric until it pooled on the mossy floor. She stood in her blouse and bra, in her plain panties, feeling suddenly raw and exposed.
Korrath seemed to like what he saw. He let out a low purr.
“Gods, you’re so beautiful,” he murmured, emerald eyes half-lidded with lust. “So lush… so tempting, my lovely one.”
Miranda’s throat tightened.
He can’t mean that…can he?
She wanted to laugh, to scoff—but his words wouldn’t leave her. And the way he was looking at her—like she was the most gorgeous thing he’d ever seen—made her think he was being sincere.
He tilted his head.
“Are you ready to be fully naked for me?”
Miranda nibbled her lower lip, nervousness mixing inside her with something warmer…something needier. How long had it been since a man had looked at her like this…since a man had actually wanted her?
Too long, whispered a little voice in her head. And since you’re here, you might as well have some fun—right?
Probably not, but what the hell. Against her better judgment, she nodded.
“Yes,” she murmured. “I…I think I’m ready to be naked.”
A low, rumbling purr of approval rose in his throat.
“Good. Let me see you completely bare.”
His fingers worked the clasp of her bra deftly, slipping the straps down her shoulders. The cups fell away, baring her breasts to his gaze.
