“There is a pretty stream ahead,” he rasped. “We will go there.”

That sounds romantic. She smiled, liking that. “Okay.”

She studied his face. He really was gorgeous in a masculine, exotic kind of way. His hair did resemble a mane. The thick strands waved down his shoulders and the multicolored streaks were a truly striking sight. Her hand turned and she ran her fingers through some of it, enjoying the silky texture. His gaze flicked to hers for a second before he concentrated on where he stepped.

“We’re almost there.”

He had walked really fast but wasn’t out of breath and it made her realize how strong he must be. That probably should have made her a little leery of him but she didn’t feel any twinges of fear whatsoever. She was all for ha**ng s*x with him. The chemistry between them was off-the-charts hot and his size actually made him more arresting.

The woods opened into a small oasis of flowers, a narrow stream and plush grass. Tiger stopped walking, sniffing the air as Zandy gazed around in wonder.

“It’s so pretty.”

He turned to stare deeply into her eyes. “This is my new favorite spot. We recently acquired the land and I come here to bathe sometimes when I’m patrolling the area. Not many of the officers know about it and only a few of us hunt this section for intruders. We’ll have privacy.”

He placed Zandy on her feet. Thick, soft grass cushioned her toes. The blanket nearly slipped to the ground but Tiger grabbed it. He straightened, stepped around her and bent to spread it over an area of moss by the water’s edge in the shade.

His body twisted her way as he straightened and reached for his shirt to remove it. He exposed his impressively sculpted abs to her view. “Do you need help undressing? I’d like for us to remove all our clothes.”

Her heart pounded as she made a final decision—she really wanted to have sex with him. It wasn’t much of a choice. The memory of him had haunted her since the night they’d kissed in that parking lot, the attraction between them too strong to deny. She wanted him. It had been nearly a year since she’d sworn off men after her divorce and the idea of being touched by him tempted her too much.

Her fingers shook slightly as she unbuttoned her shirt, spread it apart and kept her gaze locked on Tiger. His eyes were stunning, so exotic she didn’t want to look away, but the view he exposed when he peeled off his shirt was too tempting to miss. Tan, golden skin, that broad chest, dusky flat ni**les and thick bands of muscle was enough to convince her she’d made the right choice. He was perfection.

The zipper at the back of her skirt sounded unusually loud as it came down. The material just dropped to her ankles and she stepped away from it. He softly growled at her as his gaze strayed down her body and she hoped that meant he liked what he saw. She was grateful to be wearing matching underwear. Her hands still trembled as she unfastened her bra, shrugged it off, and reached for her h*ps to ease her blue thong down her legs.

He stalked closer to her, his pants still on, until only inches separated them. She felt totally exposed, standing there completely na**d when he wasn’t.

“You didn’t take off your pants.”

A grin curved his sexy mouth. “I will soon but I don’t want to frighten you.”

Her eyebrows arched. “Why would that scare me?”

Hesitation made her worry until he spoke. “I really want you and I’m very hard. I’m also different from your males.”

That stunned her and she glanced down. The outline of his c**k was clear. It was big but appeared the same shape as a normal penis would be. Her gaze lifted and for the first time she really worried about being alone with him, yet she was prepared to deal with any physical differences they might have to overcome.

Tiger seemed to read her mind. “I’m shaped and function the same way but we’re just bigger than your males. I don’t want you to be intimidated or risk you changing your mind.”

“We’ll just take it slow.” Her hands reached for his waist. “I think I’ll risk a little fear.”

His hands stopped her from opening his pants as he tugged her along with him. He backed up to the side of where the blanket waited and lowered to his knees, still holding her hands.

Zandy dropped to her knees on the grass then moved onto the blanket. Tiger released her and touched her body instead. She gasped when he suddenly had her pinned down flat with him half over her until their mouths were nearly touching.

“I want you more than I’ve ever wanted any female.” His voice came out gruff and sounded a little raw. “I am trying to slow down but it’s so difficult.”

Her hands cupped his face. “I want you too. This is insane, isn’t it?”

He nodded. “A little, but there is a strong pull between us.”

Animal magnetism. She refused to say that aloud in case he took offense. She could have said raw lust but staring into his exotic catlike eyes, the first one fit more. Whatever the draw, it was incredibly strong.

“I’ve never wanted anyone as much as I do you either,” she admitted. “Crazy or not.”

A soft purr came from him and it surprised her but, at the same time, turned her on a little more. He certainly wasn’t like anyone she’d ever known. It was a good thing.

“I’ll try to slow down.”

“You don’t have to.” She decided to be blunt. “I ache for you.”

His mouth came down on hers to end any further conversation between them and his aggressive kiss notched her passion higher. Her fingers frantically explored every inch of his chest she could reach. He was hot, figuratively and literally. One of his legs lifted and she spread hers to make room for him as he slid it between them.