Free Claws by Karolyn Cairns Page B

proof.”
    Vivvie was outraged and pulled her son
in her arms, livid and helpless as she held them both.
    “Say nothing. I will handle this,” she
assured them, stroking their curly dark heads and cursing Eli
silently. “Now let’s get this mess cleaned up.”
    They helped her put their toys away and
Vivvie made short work of cleaning their litter box out; fuming to
know her children were being neglected and abused in her absence.
The desire to rip the woman apart was overwhelming.
    The desire to neuter her husband became
overwhelming when they told her how much time the pair spent in the
bedroom. Jealousy licked at her innards to think of Eli lavishing
his attentions on his exquisite companion.
    She put them back in their cribs and
kissed them goodnight. She tiptoed out of their room and set aside
the bag of litter at the door. Her eyes filled with fury. She went
to the door of the bedroom and peered inside.
    She saw Tania slept on one side with a
silk mask over her eyes. Eli slept with his back to her. A devious
light filled her gaze as she went back to the door and picked up
the bag of dirty litter.
    Vivvie stood over them satisfied after
she emptied the contents into their bed, leaving as quietly as she
came. She felt little hesitation in finding Jericho.
    He woke up and turned back the covers
for her. He took her into his strong arms without a word. She gave
herself up to the exquisite sensations, unable to resist the
pleasure found within his arms.
    Jericho was tireless, patient, and
nurturing. As a lover, he brought her to feverish ecstasy. As a
friend, he tried to council her on her crumbled marriage. She
refused to discuss Eli anymore.
    “He is your mate,” Jericho pointed out
as he handed her the water bong and lit it for her
later.
    Her answer was to blow bubbles as she
took a long pull on the bong, letting the smoke fill her lungs,
exhaling with satisfaction as the euphoria made her eyes glow. She
handed the bong to him and flopped back onto the
pillows.
    “I think he’s made his choice,
Jericho,” she commented after she exhaled and wanted to enjoy the
languorous sensations without thinking about her messed up
life.
    Jericho took another hit and held it
in. He set the bong aside, blowing smoke out before he turned and
pulled her to his side, studying her intently.
    “There’s nothing wrong with you,
Vivvie,” Jericho whispered and his lips found hers and clung to
them, easing her up across his chest and sighing under her lips.
“I’d take you over her any day. You’re my kinda girl
cat.”
    She stared down at him with a raised
eyebrow. “She’s freakishly beautiful, Jericho.” She bit her lip and
looked away from his knowing eyes. “You don’t have to say that to
make me feel better. I know I can’t compete with her.”
    Jericho slid his hands up through her
long hair, his eyes intent. “I see much more than just the outer
shell, Vivvie. You’re beautiful in the way it counts. Stop bashing
yourself to me. Is it compliments you want?”
    She made a face. “She’s smokin’ hot and
I’m barely lukewarm. Don’t bother.”
    Jericho touched her cheek, tracing her
features. “Then you don’t see what I do.”
    Vivvie felt those eyes move over her
and felt self-conscious, knowing he was mentally comparing her to
Tania. She knew he had twenty-seven children with the female elder.
He was just saying what any guy would when they were getting laid.
Even here in her dreamscape it never changed.
    “Your eyes are your very best feature,”
he concluded with a smile. “I noticed them the first time I met
you. You have an interesting face, not too pretty, but enough to
take a second look. The ones that do look again never stop looking.
I didn’t and haven’t since.”
    Vivvie was overwhelmed at his
assessment and felt a bit uncomfortable by the look in his eyes as
he held her on top of him, his hands sliding where they
would.
    “Your breasts are small but perfect,”
he said admiringly as his