"ow." she lay there dazed.

"sorry about that." he leaned over, offering her a hand to help her up. "are you okay?"

the amused look on his face made her snap. he'd tortured her for the last few hours. and he was eager to leave her so he could find a mangy were-panther.

she grabbed his hand, rolled halfway up, then jerked hard, making him fall on top of her. his weight knocked her breathless for a second, but the victory was worth it.

"sorry about that," she said sweetly. "are you okay?"

he lifted himself onto his elbows and frowned at her. "not a good strategy, menina. you don't want your opponent on top of you."

"really?" she rubbed a bare foot against his leg and wrapped her hands around his neck. "i kinda like it."

the golden flecks in his eyes glittered like amber. his jaw shifted as if he was grinding his teeth.

she slipped her fingers under the neckline of his white t-shirt and tugged it down. "i've been wanting to see your tattoo for days." it looked like a black panther leaping through flames.

he grabbed her wrist. "stop it. we can't - "

she shoved him. since he'd been supporting himself on only one arm, he lost his balance and landed on his back. she straddled him, sitting up on her knees. "don't tell me what i can't do."

he attempted to sit up, but she pushed him back down, pinning him down at the shoulders.

his eyes gleamed. "i could get up if i wanted to."

"then i guess you don't want to." she lowered her hips until she was sitting on his groin.

he hissed in a breath.

"sorry," she murmured. "i was aiming for your chest."

his mouth twitched. "that's what you always say." his smile turned into a grimace. "you naughty minx. you're torturing me."

"i hope so. 'cause you're torturing me, too." she moved her hips to rub herself against him. he was already swollen. and hard.

"catalina." he placed his hands on her face. his breaths were quick and choppy. "you've got to stop me."

"no."

with a growl, he flipped her onto her back and claimed her mouth with his own.

chapter thirteen

to hell with it all. he wanted her. he wanted to taste every inch of her. he wanted to make her squirm in his arms and scream his name and beg for more.

a low growl rumbled in his throat as he kissed her. all the hunger he'd kept locked away broke free, and he ravaged her lips. his mind whirled with a frenzy of passion, yet somehow he managed to make an important observation. she wasn't afraid of him. she seemed every bit as frantic and determined as he was. that in itself filled him with awe.

"catalina," he whispered as he nuzzled her neck. her scent filled his nostrils, sending a cascade of pleasure through his mind before rushing to his groin.

"yes." she skimmed her hands down his back and lifted a knee to rub against his hip.

he planted a hand on her thigh and squeezed. he nibbled her lips while his hand slid up her thigh and under the loose opening of her gray shorts. there it was. that beautiful round butt he'd seen that morning when the little minx had mooned him. he'd wanted to grab it for hours. he dug his fingers underneath her underwear so he could clasp her bare ass.

she moaned, her breath sweet against his mouth. he invaded her mouth with his tongue, and she met him with equal passion. she tugged at his t-shirt, gathering it underneath his armpits so she could rake her hands down his back.

he broke the kiss just long enough to pull his t-shirt over his head. he fell onto his back, rolling her on top of him. she traced his tattoo with her fingers, then bent down to tickle it with her tongue.

with a groan, he slipped his hands underneath her t-shirt. "sit up."

"mmm?" she lifted her head with a questioning look.

he unhooked her bra, then whisked her t-shirt and bra over her head. she gasped with surprise, then gasped again when he pushed her onto her back.

"catalina." he'd never seen such lovely breasts. full, with plump pink nipples that pebbled as he watched.

her chest heaved with quick breaths. she reached for him, wrapping a hand around his neck. "kiss me."

he touched his lips to hers and relished their softness and sweet strawberry taste. he kissed the base of her neck, then scraped his jaw against a breast.

she moaned, arching toward him. the hardened tip of her nipple nudged at his lips, and he couldn't resist. he clamped his mouth around the nipple and suckled hard.

"carlos," she cried, raking her hands into his hair.

he released her nipple and blew on it. she shuddered. a surge of joy swept through him. victory. possession. with a grin, he glanced at her face.

he froze. she was looking at him with so much tenderness and trust.

and he couldn't be trusted. if he found a were-panther woman, he would marry her.

the truth hit him like a sledgehammer, and he reeled back from the pain. caitlyn deserved more than a romp on the floor. she deserved loyalty and...love.

her eyes clouded with concern. "carlos?"

he scrambled to his feet. "forgive me. i had no right."

she struggled to sit up. "you wanted this. i did, too."

"we can't!" he stepped back. "i'm sorry."

her eyes glimmered with tears. "don't apologize for how you feel. there's...something between us. you know it."

"i'd better go." he strode to the door, then halted. "i can't go. i'm on duty." he glanced back, wincing at the tears in her eyes. "we'll...take a break. maybe after you've rested awhile, you can do the grocery shopping. i would do it, but i can't leave the vamps unprotected."

"i left my heart unprotected," she muttered.

her words hit like the jab of a knife. "i'm sorry. i...i'll see you later." he ran up the stairs as if he could run away from the pain he'd caused. beautiful catalina. how could he do this to her?

he sprinted up the stairs to the office on the fifth floor, then paced around the large room, breathing heavily. coward, he chided himself. running away from his crime. he ought to go back to the basement and let caitlyn slap his face.

what was she doing to him? he couldn't let her get ahold of his heart. he had to stay away from her. for her own protection. if he kept succumbing to passion, he could end up doing the unthinkable.

just bite her, an inner voice nagged him. then you can have her forever.

"no!" he shouted, stopping to clench his fists.

he couldn't bite her. it was too dangerous. he'd seen mortal women die, writhing in agony, their bodies unable to sustain the massive genetic change that came with transforming into a different species. caitlyn was strong mentally and emotionally, but physically she was soft.

so soft. her legs, her breasts. he groaned. his erection strained against his karate pants.

he couldn't train her anymore. that was obvious. and yet, he still needed to get her trained, so he could leave for his trip.

"merda," he growled. merda was right. he was in deep shit.

"surprise!" tino bounced into the foyer, followed by his little sister.

"oh my gosh!" caitlyn feigned shock even though she wasn't surprised. her sister had called earlier to let her know they would be arriving about six-thirty.

shanna set two heavy tote bags on the floor so she could give caitlyn a hug. "how are you?"

"mommy!" sofia covered her ears. "the noise is too loud!"

"what noise?" shanna looked confused, then glanced at the security monitor by the door. "oh. the alarm went off."

"it did?" caitlyn shut and locked the front door. she hadn't heard anything.

"you have to turn it off before opening the door." shanna punched some numbers on the keypad. "it's set at a high frequency that only vamps and shifters can hear." her gaze settled on her daughter. "sofia, you could hear it?"

the little girl nodded.

caitlyn felt her skin tingle with goose bumps. it wasn't just a reaction to sofia, it was...him. she could actually feel his presence.

she glanced at the staircase, and sure enough, carlos was there on the first landing. the alarm must have lured him out of hiding. he'd spent the rest of the day barricaded in the office on the fifth floor. she'd done the grocery shopping around noon, and when she returned she noticed the empty plate in the sink. he'd come downstairs to eat lunch while she was gone.

his eyes met hers for a sizzling moment before he looked away. she turned her back to him so he wouldn't see how much she was hurting.

shanna touched her son on the shoulder. "did you hear the alarm?"

"no," he grumbled, then lifted his chin. "but i can teleport and sofia can't."

"tino." shanna gave him a look of warning. "this isn't a competition. sofia's gifts may be entirely different from yours."

sofia nodded and gave her brother a prissy look. "i'm different."

"yes, you are." shanna leaned over to hug her daughter.

the phone on the nearby console rang.

"oh, that'll be howard." shanna strode toward the phone. "he'll want to know why the alarm went off."

"he knows?" caitlyn asked.

"sure. he knows everything that goes on here." shanna answered the phone.

caitlyn winced. she glanced at the stairs and carlos had disappeared.

shanna listened on the phone for a moment. "okay." she turned to caitlyn. "howard wants to know if you've learned how to operate the alarm system."

caitlyn shook her head. "no." as long as carlos was avoiding her, she'd have a hard time learning anything.

"i'll show her how it works," shanna told howard, then waved at a camera. "don't worry about us. as you can see, we're perfectly safe." she hung up.

caitlyn stared at the surveillance camera in shock. "howard can see us?"

"sure," shanna answered. "he's able to monitor whatever goes on here. it's another safety precaution."

caitlyn gulped. "how many cameras are there?"

shanna shrugged. "a few. none in the bedrooms, of course."

"how about the basement?"

"i don't know. maybe." shanna gave her a curious look. "are you all right? you seem awfully pale."

it was bad enough that angus mackay had watched her kiss carlos in the garden at romatech, but now she had to wonder. had she performed in an r-rated sex video for howard? she cast a wary look at the camera. "does that red light mean it's turned on?"

"yes." shanna tilted her head, her eyes narrowed. "is something wrong?"

"i'm hungry!" tino announced as he attempted to lift one of the tote bags.

shanna rushed over to grab the bags. "let's go to the kitchen then." she smiled at caitlyn. "i hope you like chicken."

in the kitchen, caitlyn helped her sister set the table and pvy up the food. the whole time, she wondered if there was a camera in the basement, and if so, was it turned on?

she sat and stared at the grilled chicken thigh and coleslaw on her plate. she had to know. now.

"excuse me." she stood and eased toward the door. "i'll be right back."

the children paid her no mind, but shanna gave her a worried look.

caitlyn dashed downstairs to the exercise room in the basement. she halted, her heart lurching in her chest. there was a camera. and the exercise mat where she'd rolled around with carlos appeared to be in its range of view.

she stepped closer, examining the camera. no red light. it wasn't turned on.

for now, but what about that morning? she swallowed hard, then wandered up the stairs to the kitchen.

"are you okay?" shanna asked.

"sure." caitlyn sat at the table and stared at her food. maybe carlos would know.

she jumped to her feet. "i think i'll take some food up to carlos." she heaped chicken and mashed potatoes on a plate. "he's on the fifth floor. apparently there's an office up there."

shanna smiled. "that's roman's and my old room. it's a long climb. why don't we just call him to join us?"

sofia nodded, her mouth full of potatoes. "i like carlos."

"he's...busy." caitlyn tossed a biscuit on the plate. "i'll be right back." she needed to talk to him in private.

she dashed up the stairs as fast as she could, then stopped outside the fifth floor office, gasping for air.

carlos opened the door and looked her over. "are you having a heart attack?"

she glared at him. her heart was already breaking, thanks to him. she marched into the office and plopped the plate down on the desk. "i brought you supper."

"thank you." he shut the door and approached her slowly. "how are you doing?"

she pressed a hand to her chest. "i'll catch my breath soon."

"i meant...about earlier."

"oh?" she raised her eyebrows. "are you referring, by any chance, to the most humiliating rejection of my life?"

he winced. "that would be it."

"do you really care?"

"yes, i do. i hate causing you pain."

"you have a strange way of showing it. you've been avoiding me for hours."

he raked a hand through his loose black hair. "i have good reason. but you don't need to worry about it ever happening again. i asked toni to take over your training."

ouch. she lifted the plate. "chicken."

he arched an eyebrow. "are you calling me - "