Desert Bound (Cambio Springs) by Elizabeth Hunter

form, just so he could see her naked.
    He reached over and grabbed the small bag he kept in his bedside drawer ever since he moved back to the Springs. The cat lurched back as he opened the bag.
    “Oh yeah. You know what this is.”
    Her eyes glazed over a second before her head dipped down to nuzzle the blanket. Then she shook her head and immediately shifted back to her human form.
    Alex grinned. “Still like the catnip, huh?”
    “That is so wrong, Alex.”
    He laughed wickedly, even as Ted grabbed a corner of the sheet to wrap herself up.
    “But it’s so cute.”
    “I hate it when you do that!”
    “Big scary cougar acting like a kitty cat? How can I resist?”
    “That stuff should be regulated.” She scrunched up her nose and shook her head, as if still trying to rid her senses of the smell. 
    Seeing the advantage in her distraction, Alex grabbed Ted and rolled her under him, trapping her hips with his legs. He always slept naked, and it wasn’t lost on him that the only thing separating their bodies was a sheet.
    “My turn to pounce.”
    “That’s not why I came over.” She was trying to brush him off, but he could scent her arousal and feel her pulse picking up.
    “You’re the one who snuck in my trailer naked.”
    “I wasn’t naked. I was wearing fur.”
    “You’re not now.”
    She shrugged. “I felt like having a run and I wanted to talk to you. It’s quicker this way.”
    “Definitely quicker.” He leaned down to her neck, taking in her scent. “We’re both naked. Saves time.”
    She could shove him off if she wanted to. She was more than strong enough. But she just lay there, staring at him with an inscrutable expression, as if they were in business negotiations, not naked in bed. She had to feel how aroused he was, it wasn’t something she could miss with his legs caging her in, but she did nothing. Said nothing.
    He let his mouth whisper across her neck, felt her pulse spike, then he pulled away. “What did you want to talk about, Tea?”
    “Why do you keep antagonizing Caleb?”
    He lifted an eyebrow. “You want to talk about Caleb Gilbert while you’re in bed with me?”
    She huffed out a breath. “I’m going to keep you in the loop on this, but it makes it more difficult when you’re pissing him off. I do have to work with the guy. And he’s married to one of your best friends.”
    “I wasn’t consulted on that.” He braced his elbows beside her shoulders and played with a curl of her hair. “I like it when you don’t straighten it.”
    “It’s a pain in the ass.”
    “You didn’t straighten it in college.”
    “I didn’t have time in college.”
    “Hmm.” He didn’t say anything more. Didn’t push things, even though his body wanted him too. It was this he’d missed, as much as anything. Whispering with her in bed. Arguing about things, then kissing the frown from her mouth. He pulled a thick curl from behind her ear and pulled it out to it’s full length, laying it across her face, so the soft strands touched her lips. Then Alex bent down the slowly took the curl between his teeth, letting his lips brush hers as he pulled it away.
    Ted let out a soft breath, and her scent bloomed around him. He buried his face in her neck as her hands came to rest at his waist.
    His lips trailed up to her ear.
    “Kiss me, Tea.”
    “Alex, we shouldn’t—”
    “A kiss.” He spoke against her lips. “Just… a kiss.”
    She drew in a breath and he felt her body relax. Her hips sank into the bed and her hands spread across the small of his back. His lips rested against hers. Not moving until the opened her mouth and let him in.
    A ferocious need tore through him, but he clamped it down and sank into what she offered. Just that. Soft lips pressing and moving against his, then her mouth opened and he tasted her again. Slick tongue licking the inside of his mouth, lapping at him like the cat she was.
    His Tea could do amazing things with her tongue.
    He smiled as he kissed