“Okay.” He watched her warily. “I guess you don’t need any clothes right now. How about some food?”
Her muscles rippled, begging to be used. She pushed off the bed with a graceful leap and landed, knocking Russell over with her front legs. She settled half on top of him, pinning him to the ground.
He grimaced. “That was impressive.”
She flexed the paw that rested on his chest, and when her claws emerged, she sliced open his shirt a few inches.
His eyes widened. “Nice claws.” He lifted a hand to pat her head, but when she grinned, he jerked his hand back. “Nice teeth.”
She growled low in her throat.
He gulped. “By the way, when I mentioned food, I wasn’t referring to myself.” He motioned to the table. “Sandwich?”
She eased closer to his face.
He stiffened. “Jia? You’re in there, right? Those are your eyes. They were glowing before, but they look more normal now.”
She butted her forehead against his, then turned to the table. Stretching up, she placed her front paws on the table and gobbled down the sandwiches.
He scrambled to his feet. “That was fast. I’ll make some more.”
The heat inside her ratcheted up till she felt she would combust. She ran into the stream and settled up to her neck in the cool water.
He smiled. “I’ve heard that tigers like water.” He moved behind the table to make more sandwiches. “You had me worried there for a second. I thought I might have to teleport away.”
Even in the stream, she was still on fire. Her skin tingled, signaling her body was ready to shift back to human form. She closed her eyes and let it happen. Maybe the fire would go away once she was back to normal.
The shift didn’t hurt this time. With a whoosh, her bones adjusted and her fur receded. Grinning, she opened her eyes. Was shifting going to be that quick and easy from now on?
“That was amazing.” Russell watched her with a stunned look. “How do you feel?”
She was still crouched in the stream up to her neck. “I feel wonderful. So strong and . . .” She sucked in a breath, suddenly aware of how the water current was sweeping across her skin. It felt so good. As if all her nerve endings were being caressed. The burning sensation receded from her head and moved down her body.
“The sun will rise in about twenty minutes. I brought plenty of food to get you through the day.” He motioned to the new stack of sandwiches he’d just made. “Are you hungry?”
“I’m fine.” She shivered as the rushing water sent tingles up her arms and down her spine. The fire burned in her belly, but her skin was pebbled with goose bumps. How could she feel hot and cold at the same time?
She unbraided her hair and leaned her head back to wash it. As she arched her back, the water tickled her breasts.
With a gasp, she sat up. Her nipples had hardened. The fire inside her moved between her legs, scorching her with a sudden need. A hunger.
She squeezed her thighs together, hoping to squelch the fire, but the flames grew hotter. What was happening to her? She crossed her arms, hugging herself, but that only made her breasts ache to be touched.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“I-I’m fine.” Was this what Rajiv had warned her about? An overwhelming desire to . . . Her breath hitched as she looked at Russell. God help her, she did want to mate.
He tilted his head, studying her. “You don’t seem fine.”
The sizzling sensation between her legs was growing stronger. The heat unbearable. Pressing her thighs together just made her more sensitive. More desperate. A whimper escaped her mouth.
“You look like you’re in pain.” He grabbed a towel and walked toward her. “Maybe you should lie down. Get some more rest.”
She stood up, the water waist high, her long hair concealing her breasts. “Russell.”
“Come on out.” He stopped at the river’s edge and stretched the towel out between his arms. “I won’t look.”
“But I want you to.” With a sudden move, she shoved her hair behind her shoulders.
He stiffened, his eyes flashing red before he turned his head.
A thrill of victory shot through her. He wanted her. And she needed him. He would know how to quench the fire inside her. But she needed to hurry. He would go into his death-sleep when the sun rose.
She strode toward him, and the movement of her thighs brushing against each other made her want to scream. She had to mate. She wasn’t sure how, but Russell would know. He would help her through this.
She ripped the towel out of his hands and tossed it aside.
“What are you—?” He turned back to her. His gaze swept over her quickly, and his eyes turned a darker, more intense red. “Jia—”
She placed her hands on his chest. “Russell.”
He stepped back. “Do you want a . . . sandwich?”
“No.” She kept moving toward him, and he retreated till he bumped into the table. “I want you.”
“But—”
“I need you.” She smoothed her hands over his T-shirt, then slipped her fingers into the hole she’d made earlier with her claws and ripped the shirt in two.
“Sheesh! You can’t—I have a limited number of shirts, you know.” He hissed in a breath as she caressed his bare chest.
His skin was so smooth, so deliciously sculpted over his chest and abs. He was a beautiful man, and he would be her mate. If she could just figure out how to go about it.