Cat Snips - a Short Story Collection by Cat Johnson Page 4

  He let his hand wander down to her breast and felt the weight of it in his hand. She responded to his touch by pulling off her nightshirt, allowing him full access to her warm, naked body. He was briefly torn between taking her now, in case he awoke, and prolonging this ecstasy for as long as possible.

  He decided fairly quickly on the latter and searched hidden, forbidden places with his fingers. She moaned and allowed him access to wherever he chose to go, and he chose to go many, many places.

  She spread her legs for him as he lowered his head and tasted her. His fingers filled her. He heard her breath quicken, felt her muscles tighten around his fingers. His dreams had never been this real before. Her body gripped him as her orgasm quickened within her. He felt every hair in his head as she tugged at it with both hands to pull his mouth closer to her as she cried out.

  When she calmed and finally released her hold on his head, he let his tongue explore further to find the puckered entrance lower. Perhaps next dream, he’d take her there. He considered what that would be like as he let his finger dip inside her tight hole. She tightened, but then relaxed for him.

  He loved how she trusted him completely to not hurt her. He took that trust very seriously, even in his dreams, and made sure his touch was gentle as he pushed deeper and her body accepted him. He’d pretty much acknowledged that this was just one hell of a dream and didn’t think too much about the fact that he could feel each and every band of muscle within her as he breached them with his finger. All he cared was that it was extremely nice, dream or not.

  But right now he wanted to be buried hilt deep within her and thrusting, so he crawled back up her body.

  Kissing his way as he went, he raised himself above her.

  His cock ached for her, and he let said appendage find its own way between her legs, sliding easily into her slick channel. He loved it that she was ready for him. In his dreams, she was always ready for him, but never had he felt so completely her warmth or so vividly smelled her scent.

  Not like this.

  She sighed as he raised her legs and sank deeper. He closed his eyes and held himself there. God, he never wanted this dream to end. But it would, they all did eventually. And before that happened, he fully intended on taking his own gratification.

  With that in mind, he drove himself home over and over, hard, fast, until she cried out again in pleasure. Her fingers raked down his back, and he felt each and every scratch she left behind. Finally he exploded, spilling his seed deep within her. Panting as he lay on top of her he thought again, this was one hell of a dream.

  She awoke in her king-sized bed tangled in the sheets and feeling extremely satisfied…and actually, a bit sore.

  God, she’d had one hell of a dream. It must have been a combination of the rum, the thoughts of love spells and those two hunky fireman. Although, the man starring in her dream last night didn’t look like either one of them.

  This one was a strong, dark haired man with the hard body and muscles of a warrior.

  She’d have to tell Grace that her red candle caused extremely vivid sex dreams. She remembered tangling her hands in his long hair, seeing those piercing blue eyes bore into hers as he loved her.

  She rolled from her side to her back and smacked into a warm hard body. “Sorry, Black Cat,” she mumbled.

  “No problem.” A man’s deep voice answered her. Her eyes opened wide. That was not Max’s voice. And that was definitely not Black Cat. A scream ripped from her throat, followed by many more.

  The man leapt from the bed. Looking down at himself, his face showed as much shock as she felt. “What in the bloody hell…?”

  She did take a moment to consider his odd accent as she scrambled from the bed and sprinted for the door, still screaming.

  He finally sprang to action. He grabbed her around the waist and covered her mouth with one very large, strong hand.

  “Hush, woman. I can’t think with all your screaming.” He breathed in deep. “How the hell did this happen?”

  Heart pounding, she watched him look over at the rumpled bed that still smelled of sex. He shook his head, still holding her tightly, and whispered, “It wasn’t a dream.”

  She was nearing the point of hyperventilation when he turned his attention back to her. “Please don’t be frightened. I would never hurt you.” He glanced back at the bed again. “And as for that. I would never have done that either. I thought it was just a dream. An exceptionally good dream.”

  She tried to ask a question, which came out only as a mumble from behind his hand.

  He slowly uncovered her mouth, but kept his hand close by. She didn’t scream again. Instead, she asked, “Who are you? How did you get in here?”

  “My name is Lar. And as for how I got here, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” He laughed.

  The phone rang, startling her. He continued to hold her tightly through the five long rings until the machine picked up. Belinda heard her own voice recite the outgoing message. Then, following the beep, she heard Donna’s voice say, “Oh my God. Belinda, you will never believe this. I got into work this morning, and found out that I won five hundred dollars in the baby pool. Everyone put in twenty bucks and then guessed what day the receptionist’s baby would be born. I said midnight on Halloween and I won. I think that money spell we did last night actually worked. I’m going out right now to buy a lottery ticket. I’ll try you at work. Bye.”

  Belinda wasn’t actually convinced that Donna winning the baby pool proved their spell had worked. Although, she had wished for love over a red passion candle and was currently being held by a naked man who had been quite passionate.

  Her heart still pounded with fear, but he made no move to hurt her. But he also had not told her how he got in.

  The phone rang again. She looked longingly at it. If only he would release his grip enough so she could break free and grab it to yell for help.

  She heard Grace’s voice. “Belinda. Call Donna or me, we’re worried about you. Those stupid spells we did last night actually worked. I got into work this morning to find my boss cleaning out her desk and crying. She got fired. And you were right. Karma is punishing me for cursing her. They just gave me her entire workload. I’m probably going to be here all night trying to just sort through it. I’ll try your cell phone. Call us.”

  Belinda took another look at the man. Lar. Wow. Had she actually conjured him?

  She looked into those blue eyes again, and there was something very familiar there. Oh, no. She recognized those eyes. She looked around the room. Her black cat was nowhere to be seen. She swallowed hard, her legs feeling weak. Good thing this muscle man was holding her or she probably would have crumpled to the floor.

  Taking in a deep breath, she released it slowly. “Tell me how you got here. I think there’s a good chance I’ll believe you.”

  He smiled sadly. “I got here when you brought me home with you. I was, I am, your black cat.”

  She closed her eyes and digested this information.

  She had turned her beloved Black Cat into this man before her. What the hell was she going to do now?

  Unexpectedly, tears filled her eyes and spilled over onto her cheeks.

  He wiped them gently from her face. “Don’t weep, my lady.”

  My lady. Not only had she conjured herself an incredibly hot sex machine of a man, she’d made him from another century. She’d have to stop reading those historical romances.

  “I’m sorry. It’s stupid, it’s just, I miss my Black Cat.” She wiped at her eyes.

  He shook his head. “Your black cat is right here.” He stroked her hair from her face and kissed her forehead gently. “I’m right here.”

  Damn it. Why did the perfect man have to be magical? Of course she couldn’t keep him. How would she explain him? He didn’t even have a social security number. She’d have to turn him back.

  A loud banging on the door and the sound of Max’s angry voice interrupted her thoughts and regrets.

&nb
sp; The man, Lar, looked angry at the sound and growled, “Max-man.” He released her and strode, gloriously naked, out of the bedroom and right to the front door.

  Belinda threw on a robe and scrambled after him. She watched as he flipped the locks and flung open the door.

  The look on Max’s face would have been funny if the situation weren’t so dire. He practically sputtered.

  “Wwwhat the hell?” Max’s gaze dropped to take in Lar—all of him, and she could attest to the fact there was a lot of him to see. She’d conjured a very well endowed lover for herself. Max peered at her around the wall of naked muscled man in front of him. “You’re whoring around…with him?”

  Lar’s eyes flashed with anger as he lifted Max by the collar and smashed him against the doorframe. “You will never speak to my woman like that again. You will never speak to her at all, ever again. You have insulted her and belittled her for the last time. Take your things, go to your nympho-whore and never return. Do you understand me?”

  She watched Max’s eyes bulge as he nodded.

  “Good.” Lar dropped him none too gently to his feet, gave him one careless shove back into the hall, and then shut the door in his face.

  Belinda stood, open-mouthed and practically melting. She never thought she liked the caveman type. She was wrong.

  Lar took a calming breath and turned away from the door and the sounds of the fool Max-man struggling with his baggage in the hallway. He walked back to his woman. “I apologize for his rudeness.”

  She was practically quivering. It was the shock, he knew. It was too much for her to handle all at once. He pulled her into his arms and held her gently. He heard her mumble against his chest. “I don’t want to turn you back into a cat. But how can I keep you?”

  He pulled back and looked down at her pained expression. Lar knew his woman thought she and her friends had somehow conjured him with their ridiculous gift shop novelty spell book. But since waking to find himself changed back, he had pieced together what had more likely happened.

  The battle that injured him took place exactly one thousand years ago, on Samhain, what modern people called Halloween. And although the words the witch used to curse him were unfamiliar to him at the time, he remembered them exactly. He’d never forget them. He’d picked up enough knowledge over his long life to recognize now that she’d cursed him in Latin.

  As soon as he could, he would find a Latin dictionary and look up the words the witch had spoken. He’d bet he would find she had destined him to be a cat for only one thousand years. Only. Ha!

  He thought briefly of Sebastian, hopeful that he too had been turned back. But at the moment, his woman needed all of his attention. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

  “What’s wrong, my love?”

  “I’m frightened.”

  “Surely not of me?” That thought cut him like a knife.

  She shook her head. “No. I’m afraid of losing you.”

  That thought pleased him above all else. He ran his hand up and down her back. “I have a lot to explain to you, my love. But take comfort in this thought. I am with you now, and I will never leave you. I knew the moment I first saw you standing before my cage that my future lie with you.” He bent to softly kiss her trembling lips. “You stole my heart then, and I gladly let you.”

  She reached up and pulled his mouth down to hers again. When she finally broke away, he said, “I know you loved your black cat. Can you also love the man?”

  “Yes.” She shook her head and laughed. “It’s crazy, I know. But yes.”

  He smiled and leaned down, intent on claiming his woman as his own once again. His hardened cock was more than ready.

  She blocked his kiss with one raised finger against his lips. “Um, maybe now is the time for your explanation.”

  He nodded. He would explain, but he would make it quick. His cock was already bobbing with desire for her.

  “One thousand years ago, a vengeful witch turned me into a cat. I have lived that way until last night, when the spell expired. So you see, you didn’t turn me into a man. I always was one.”

  She ran her hands up and down the muscles of his arms. “And what did you do when you were a man a thousand years ago?”

  “I wielded a sword for a living. And did it quite well, if I do say so.”

  She pressed closer against him, smiled and raised a brow. “You still do.”

  He felt his face grow hot but couldn’t help but smile.

  Modern women were shameless, and he loved it. He scooped her up and as he carried her to the bedroom, he actually thought fondly of the witch whom had set him on this path a millennium ago.

  Sometimes a curse turned out to be a blessing, if you just gave it enough time.

  The End

  FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS

  Chapter One

  There was a clattering of the receiver and then, “Uh, hello?”

  Judging by the grogginess of Jeff’s disembodied phone voice, Meg had woken him, but she didn’t feel bad about that. After all, she figured what she was offering would be worth his losing a little sleep.

  “Hi. You wanna come over?” Meg purred in what she thought of as her irresistible, sex kitten voice.

  “Why don’t you ever get horny earlier at night?” That sounded distinctly annoyed, which annoyed her even more. What the hell did he need to get to sleep early for? The next day was Saturday. Jeff didn’t have to work. He could sleep late in the morning.

  “Who says I’m horny? Maybe I just want some company to watch TV.”

  “Meg, I know a booty call when I hear one. It’s after midnight. One civilized person does not call another after twelve unless one, someone is dead or two, they want sex.”

  And so what? Since no one was dead, it was obviously the latter. She didn’t see any problem. Didn’t it just figure that Meg might have possibly found the one and only man in the world who didn’t single-mindedly think about sex and how to get it twenty-four hours a day. “Fine. Never mind.”

  He let out a deep sigh. “Don’t be like that. I’m not saying no or anything, but can’t you come over here for a change?”

  Meg hated losing the home team advantage. It was cold outside. She would have to get dressed. And Jeff, being young, single and male, lived in a typical bachelor pad. Nothing to eat. No diet soda. Science experiments living under the couch and in the shower. Besides, all her stuff was here at her own nice, comfy place. The list of reasons went on and on…

  He noticed her hesitation. “What? My apartment isn’t good enough for you?”

  “No, that’s not it.” Not exactly anyway. “Um. When did you change your sheets last?”

  His sarcastic laughter resonated through the phone. “I thought you said you only wanted to watch TV. What does it matter when I changed my sheets?”

  A little nookie was not worth this much humiliation. She could service herself with a bit of help from the battery-operated friend she kept in the nightstand. She’d done it before and was quite sure she’d do it again.

  “Never mind. Good night. Sorry I woke you,” Meg added even though she wasn’t sorry in the least.

  Having known Jeff forever, well, actually, since they were both in eighth grade at Wilmont Middle School, she didn’t hang up the phone, but instead waited for his predictable resignation-filled sigh. She wasn’t disappointed. “Okay. I’ll be over in fifteen minutes.”

  Perfect. Meg smiled. “I’ll see you then.”

  After disconnecting the call, she flew into action. First hiding the steamy romance novel she had been reading, which had thrown her into such a physically needy state to begin with. Jeff would only tease her on her choice of reading material if he saw it. Then she ran to the bathroom to brush her teeth and scrub the day’s faded makeup off her face. The apartment would just have to remain as it was, there wasn’t time to fix both her and her home, and it was still worlds better than his place anyway.

  The good thing about Jeff was he didn’t expect much in the wa
y of preparation on her part. It was pretty convenient actually. For instance, in the dead of winter when the apartment was chilly because the landlord wouldn’t turn up the heat, she could remain in her favorite soft and faded flannel pajamas, warm and toasty. On those cold nights, while having sex with Jeff she wouldn’t even take off her pajama top or socks, just the bottoms.

  Tonight, she didn’t need to do much more than clean the raccoon circles of old mascara from below her eyes and maybe run her fingers through her hair. She knew what to expect from him too. He would arrive in his favorite pair of old sweatpants and a t-shirt, tasting of toothpaste, hair a mess, but the important part would be hard and ready for her.

  When it came down to the serious stuff, the reason she’d called him, he knew exactly how to get her off and always did before he took care of himself. A nice predictable lover, that was Jeff. More importantly, there was no messy, emotional, romantic entanglement, just a friendship as comfortable as her favorite old pair of sneakers. Broken in. No surprises. He was a known constant in a sea of unknowns. With Jeff, she got none of the pain you risked with either a hot new pair of high heels or a hot new guy.

  This “friends with benefits” thing she had going with him really was the perfect arrangement…almost.

  Admittedly, it wasn’t exactly as exciting as falling madly in love with someone who made your pulse race at the very thought of seeing them, but hey, you had to compromise sometimes.

  Looking at herself in the mirror, Meg pulled the rubber band from her unruly dark curls and fluffed them into some semblance of order. Her dark eyes stared soulfully back at her from the mirror as she ran the tissue beneath them one more time to remove the last smudges of makeup. Then she paused and continued to evaluate her own reflection. She was happy, wasn’t she? Twenty-something and single, she had an all right job and a cute apartment all to herself. She struggled with her weight but managed to maintain a size at the low-end of the double digits. She had her health, her family and her friends, and sex whenever she needed it. Really, what more could she ask for?