Page 7 of Claimed By the Panda
Jian sighed, stroking Dandelion’s fur as the cat finished eating. “I need you to forget what you saw and focus on our agreement.”
I should have said no. I should have demanded answers or run screaming from this cabin and the impossible man inside it. Instead, I found myself nodding.
“Fine. But after breakfast, I’m petting you.” My cheeks heated as I realized what I’d said. “I meant panda you.”
His eyes held mine for a long moment, then he reached up and wiped something from under my eye with his thumb, probably a smudge of mascara. “We’ll see. Come on, I’ll find you a spare toothbrush and some face wash.”
Chapter 3
Jian
I showed Cody tothe bathroom, brushing my teeth right beside him in a moment that was oddly domestic in a way that forced me to remember I’d just met this guy. Sharing a bathroom should have been awkward at best. Just as I was rinsing my mouth, I caught movement through the small window above the toilet. A familiar figure in flowing scarves and an impractical number of jangling bracelets strode up the path toward my cabin.
“Fuck. My mom’s coming.” I spat out my toothpaste and spun away from the window, adrenaline spiking through me. Had she heard the news already? She must have. Why else would she come to my cabin when she expected me at the main house in fifteen minutes?
Cody set his toothbrush down, looking confused and vulnerable with his rumpled blond hair and that damned panda costume bottom still clinging to his hips. He was cute, but he didn’t look like he’d just been fucked by a ravenous shifter who’d just found his mate. My lie was already falling apart.
I grabbed Cody’s arm and yanked him back toward the bedroom. “We need to make this look real. Now.”
“What? I don’t—”
I pushed him through the bedroom doorway. “Take those ridiculous pants off.”
Cody clutched the waistband of his furry panda bottoms. “I’m not—”
“You want to see a panda?” I backed him against the bed. “Take those off and kiss me. Just a sweet, romantic-looking cuddle on the bed. After breakfast, I’ll shift. You can pet me all you want.”
His blue eyes widened. “Promise?”
“Yes.” I ran a hand through my hair, hating how desperate I sounded. “Please, Cody. I just... I can’t disappoint my father again.”
Cody stared at me for a long minute. Okay, he mostly stared at my abs. And my dick.
“Fine,” he sighed, shoving the waistband down. “Whatever you need to make it look convincing.” He looked up at me, cheeks pink. The guy was pretty in a way that made something primitive stir inside me, all slender limbs and subtle curves.
I shoved him onto the bed harder than I’d meant to. He bounced against the mattress with a small “oof.” I followed, landing with my arms bracketing his shoulders, hyperaware of my nudity as my skin came into contact with his. His eyes traveled down my chest, his tongue darting out to wet his lips.
This wasn’t the romantic cuddle I’d planned. My body was responding to him in a way that made me pretty sure I wasn’t as straight as I’d thought, but it didn’t bother me. Most shifters weren’t, especially not when their animal selves got involved.
“What exactly are we—”
I didn’t let him finish. I crushed my mouth against his, telling myself that it was because he needed to look like I’d been kissing him. That was the only reason. The only fucking reason.
Except the moment our lips connected, my panda roared to life inside me. Cody’s mouth was soft, pliant, opening beneath mine with a startled gasp that I swallowed hungrily. He tasted of toothpaste and something sweeter that made my head spin.
I hadn’t meant to use my tongue. Hadn’t meant to groan when his hands tentatively settled on my shoulders. Hadn’t meant to press my entire body against his.
But fuck, I did all of it.
My cock hardened against his thigh, and the thin cotton of his boxers did nothing to hide his growing bulge. I ground down, chasing friction, forgetting why we were doing this in the first place. His answering moan vibrated against my lips.
My panda was alert and wide awake now.
Ours,it grumbled.
I pushed the voice away, but my body didn’t get the message. My hands slid up to tangle in Cody’s soft blond hair, tugging just enough to tilt his head back, exposing the pale column of his throat. I dragged my mouth from his lips to his jaw, then lower, tasting salt and skin.
“Jian,” he breathed, voice cracking. “What are we—”
