Kendrick gradually slowed his licks, nips, thrusts. Addison dragged him closer, wanting more, but Kendrick forced himself to back away, pressing a final kiss to her sweetness.

He climbed to his feet, not in the least stiff from kneeling on the hard floor. In fact, he wanted to race away, to run, until he dropped in exhaustion. Only then would his frenzy abate, only then could he leave her alone.

Addison was flushed, her hair in tangles, her shaking hands balling at her sides. Her eyes shone, though, and when Kendrick took a step back from her, her smile blossomed.

She gave him a shy but happy look and started to reach for her sagging jeans, but Kendrick caught her around the waist. Addison started, but he pulled her to him, tight against his body, loving the feeling of her bare flesh against his clothes. He didn’t try to kiss or caress her, he simply hugged her.

For a Shifter, holding was the next best thing to sex. Hugging meant touch, soothing, warmth, protection, happiness, safety, complete trust. Kendrick held on, burying his face in the curve of Addison’s neck.

She hugged Kendrick in return, laughing softly as he squeezed her. They swayed back and forth as heat sifted around them and dust hung in the air.

Addison suppressed a small sneeze. Kendrick raised his head but he didn’t want to let her go.

He had to, though, or he’d say to hell with it and take her. Kendrick would mate-claim her, go into mate frenzy, and forget about Dylan, his Shifters, those hunting him.

A snarl worked its way up through his throat. Kendrick’s skin was hot, itching, but there was no relief because the wild heat was inside him.

The snarl came out. Kendrick pushed away from a startled Addison and stripped out of his clothes. He tossed his own T-shirt at her feet right before he shifted to tiger.

He heard the horse whinny in terror, Addison cry out. But Kendrick was gone, the white tiger sprinting out into the sunlight and rising heat of the desert morning.

*   *   *

Addie managed to pull up and fasten her jeans before her strength left her. Then she fell back against a stall door and pressed her hands to her face.

She’d just had the most brilliant orgasm of her life, with a man who could change into a tiger. Her body was still shuddering with it, hot all over, a tightness within her easing.

She realized she’d just changed somehow. The Addie who’d walked into the barn, ready to pry out of Kendrick a clear explanation of events, was gone. A new Addie stood in her place, and she wasn’t sure what she’d learn about her.

One thing—she loved what Kendrick had done with his tongue. He’d done it to pleasure her and also to frighten her, to show he could do anything to her.

Well, if he’d been going for terror, his plan had backfired. Addie felt cleansed, as though some darkness she’d been holding on to without knowing it had been ripped free.

Kendrick had only made her want him more, hope he’d continue what this first pleasuring had meant to lead to.

The sound of voices cut into her afterglow. Addie jumped then swooped down and snatched up the shirt Kendrick had dropped. She stepped back into deeper shadow and slid the shirt on, kicking Kendrick’s empty jeans into a corner just before Charlie and the three cubs walked up to the barn.

The barn had no doors, and she could see the four clearly in the sunshine—Charlie with his slightly stooped shoulders, the littler cubs dancing around, Robbie walking more sedately. Addie scooped up the tattered remains of the other shirt and her bra and crumpled them into a ball in her hand.

The horse had ventured forward again after Kendrick departed and now watched in curiosity as the boys and Charlie came in. She whickered a greeting to Charlie but gave the cubs a wary eye. She knew that they, like Kendrick, weren’t human.