“After dinner, Catarina, I’m going to see what I can do about those very sore muscles of yours. First the hot tub, then a hot shower and then I massage you.”

She turned her face up to his, her blue eyes searching his face. A slow smile took his breath.

“Massage?” She licked her lips. “That sounds like fun. Do I get to give you a massage too?”

She was killing him. He cleared his throat. “Would that make you happy?”

“Yes. I like touching you.”

The way she made the admission, so honest, made his heart stutter. Sometimes just looking at her hurt, she was so beautiful. But this, the way she moved into him when he touched her, the way she allowed his hands on her so willingly, and her ready confession, meaning it, that she liked touching him, nearly brought him to his knees.

He didn’t answer her immediately, he was too busy fighting for air. Fighting to keep his hands off of her and his cock out of her while she healed.

She tugged at her lower lip again with her teeth. “Your muscles have to be sore too, Eli. You were conditioning just like me, and your leopard was crazy last night. But if you don’t want me to…”

He stopped her with another kiss. “I want you to. Coffee. Eat. Hot tub. Let’s get it done so I can feel your hands on me, Kitten.”

He smacked her on her bare bottom and then slid his palm over the heated skin. Her eyes went wide. He grinned at her. “I owed you that, remember.”

“I didn’t think it would feel like that if you actually did it,” she said.

“Baby, I love seeing that wild look in your eyes. I love what wild does to your body and then what your body does to mine. I’m going to think up all kinds of creative ways to keep that look there.” He let her go, stepping back because it was either that or lift her into his arms and slam her body down hard on his pulsing cock.

Catarina went back to the coffee machine and he put the sandwiches on the table. He’d started to put them on plates but at the last minute put them on napkins. Straddling his chair, he snagged one of the roast beef sandwiches and dug in, all the while watching Cat at the coffee machine. It was a thing of beauty seeing her work, the concentration on her face.

“Stop staring at me.” She didn’t turn around.

Eli found himself smiling. Her leopard senses were becoming acute. Either that or she was really aware of him. Either way, it was a good thing. “I like looking at you. Especially when you’re making coffee.”

She laughed. He loved her laugh. He watched her while he ate his second sandwich and she delicately picked at hers. She definitely enjoyed the coffee and she looked far mellower. He was glad she didn’t want a second cup to take with them out to the hot tub. She hadn’t even said a word about the napkins versus plates, although she had raised her eyebrows and her little smile was very amused. He didn’t want her smile to disappear when he told her he didn’t want her drinking more than one cup of coffee.

“You like my bossy,” he announced.

She nearly spit out her coffee. “Where did that come from?” She narrowed her eyes at him. “You were thinking about ordering me around again, weren’t you?”

“I spend a lot of time thinking about ordering you around,” he admitted, unrepentant. “It’s a good thing you like it.”

“I think shifting into your leopard yesterday has made you a little crazy. Just drink the rest of your coffee, you’ll be all right.”

He threw his head back and laughed. She also made him happy in ways he hadn’t imagined.

She barely ate her sandwich and he let her get away with it because he could see she was still exhausted and he wanted her in the hot tub. He rinsed the coffee cups before she could and tossed the napkins before grabbing her hand and taking her out to the lower deck where the tub was.

“I don’t have a swimsuit,” Cat pointed out as she stood uncertainly, watching him take the cover off.

He glanced at her. “Kitten.” Amused. “I’d just take it off of you anyway. Have you not figured out yet that one of the greatest joys of my life is to look at you naked?”

She smiled at him. “I guess I missed that.”

He stalked over to her, caught the hem of the shirt and pulled it over her head without unbuttoning it. There was very little moon, but he could see her lush body. His mark was still everywhere, the finger smudges and small bite marks. He brushed his hand down her left breast, watching her face. She was sensitive. The shiver ran through her and her eyes heated.

“Get in, before I decide I need you right now.”

Her gaze dropped to his fully erect cock as he shed his sweats. “Any time you need me, Eli, I want you. You have to know that. I’m never going to be too tired or too sore.”

She trailed her fingers over him and his cock jerked in response. His belly tightened. That was his woman. “Look up at me, baby,” he commanded softly.

Her gaze jumped to his. He saw the heat. The fire. The sexy. He nearly groaned aloud, not believing the miracle that was Catarina.

“I really mean it. Not just for you, but for me too.” The last was admitted in a low voice, but her gaze didn’t waver from his.

“I know you mean it, Kitten. I love that you mean it. Stop tempting me and get the hell in the hot tub.”

She laughed softly and climbed in. He watched her, shaking his head, still having a hard time wrapping his head around the fact that she was his. He watched her face carefully as she sank a little gingerly into the hot water. She winced just enough that he knew he’d been right to ensure she had a break. She still looked exhausted, and he made up his mind he would postpone his own massage in an effort to get her to relax and go back to sleep. If she had her hands on him, he doubted if he had the discipline to keep from taking her. And he knew she’d offer because she was just that generous.