Page 18 of Purrfectly Mated

The big man lifted an impossibly large hand and held a damp lock of hair off her shoulder, pressing it to his nose. He moaned as he sniffed her golden curls, eyes questioning as he hit her with their full intensity once more.

“Why are you wet?”

“Uh, it’s raining,” was her immediate response.

“Name?”

“I’m, uh, my name is-”

A shake of a familiar white head behind him reminded her she was not alone with the mountain of a man.

Sad sigh.

“Back off, Hunter. Give the lady room to breathe,” Uncle Uzzi said, clearly exasperated.

A rounded, and short, body gently pushed its way between them, and Elissa found herself staring at the back of Uncle Uzzi’s thick white hair. He dug a stick of some sort into the man’s chest and shoved him back an inch.

“Hunter, really, you exasperate me,” he said, but the Tiger still didn’t move.

“Bad kitty! We do not paw at ladies!”

“Uzzi? You brought her?” The man asked, seemingly stunned.

“Now, I thought from the tone of your letter you needed this situation resolved as soon as possible, so I headed out to see you almost immediately. I was in the area, anyway.”

“I see,” he said, clearing his throat and moving back an inch.

Was it wrong Elissa wanted to shove Uzzi out of the way to get closer to the stranger?

Probably.

Okay, fine. Definitely wrong.

Bad girl!

“I apologize for my behavior, Mr. Stregovich. My Tiger is pushing harder than ever, but good news. I believe you have brought me thepurrfectsolution to soothe my beast,” he said, speaking in a low voice.

Elissa still made out the slight tip of his head in her direction from where she was standing behind Uncle Uzzi. The acknowledgement made her giddy to her utmost mortification.

“I can see that. Give us a second, please. Hunter! Shoo,” the older man said, and waved him away.

Hunter did move back. Barely. His eyes never leaving Elissa’s face as he waited for them to converse in private.

“Uncle Uzzi, did you see that? He’s so intense,” she whispered and shivered.

It wasn’t with fear. Not exactly. He was literally the biggest man she had ever seen. Hugely muscled with shoulders wider than a professional wrestler’s. She felt drawn to him, mesmerized even, especially by those sexy as hell eyes.

Yes, he was a stranger. But he was really,reallypotent up close. And somehow, Elissa knew almost instinctively that he wouldn’t harm her.

Her heart thudded in her chest, and she felt butterflies knocking around in her stomach. She wanted to walk around Uncle Uzzi, to put her arms around the man just to see for herself if he was a good fit. Though, honestly, somehow, she knew he would be.

A purrfect fit.

It was like something inside of her recognized him. Elissa felt light as air and a happy sort of anxiety washed over her. She wanted him. Like now.

Not to mention her knees were knocking from lusting after him so badly. Was this love at first sight? She didn’t even know if she believed in such a thing, but no one else had ever made Elissa feel this way.

I should go.

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