Wildcat by Cheyenne McCray

when she spoke, the word barely came out in a whisper. “No.”
    “That’s my condition, little wildcat.” Jarrod pressed his forehead to hers. “I aim to tame you.”
     

Chapter Five
    The man was serious—Catie could see it in Jarrod’s eyes, could hear it in his tone. Yet at the same time she couldn’t believe he intended to keep her cuffed to the bed until she agreed to spend the night with him.
    “What’ll it be, honey?” Jarrod brushed his lips over hers, and sparks skittered through her belly like a dozen firecrackers. “I’ll feed you in bed if you’d rather be cuffed all night.”
    All right. Fine . If he wanted to play rough, she’d give him as good as he dished out.
    Like hell he would tame her. And before sunrise she would get her own revenge.
    When he drew back, Catie glared at him the best she could manage. “I’ll spend the night, but only because I don’t particularly feel like being cuffed to the bed.”
    A smug smile crossed Jarrod’s handsome features as he reached up, removed the cuffs and tossed them on the comforter. He massaged her wrists, the sensation of his touch soothing and arousing all at once. Passion burned through Catie, coupled with warmth from the caring she witnessed in his expression.
    Even though she barely knew him, somehow this man stirred emotions and longings within her that she didn’t want to admit, and had never allowed herself to consider.
    Like a possibility of happiness and a future with one man.
    No, dammit. Make believe and fairy tales—she didn’t believe in either.
    Jarrod pressed his lips to the inside of one of her wrists, and flicked his tongue against her pulse point, sending a shiver throughout her body. “You ready for some chow?” he murmured.
    “S-sure.” She frowned at the way her voice trembled. What the hell was he doing to her?
    Satisfaction curled in Jarrod’s gut as he took her by the hand and helped her off the bed. He’d always been able to trust his instinct, and that instinct had told him from the beginning that Catie shied away from real intimacy. Why she was afraid of a serious relationship, he didn’t know, but he was determined to find out.
    And by the time all was said and done, she’d be his.
    Catie took her hand from his grasp and scooped his shirt from the floor. Her voice was muffled as she pulled it over her head. “So what’s for dinner, other than steak?”
    When she reappeared, static caused her hair to poke up all over her head in a blonde halo. She was so petite that his shirt reached her knees, and she looked like a woodland pixie. Jarrod grinned, holding back a laugh.
    “What?” Catie put her hands on her slim hips and narrowed her gaze.
    “You.” Shaking his head, he took her by the shoulders and kissed her forehead, then drew back to look at her again. “You’re adorable.”
    “Hmph.” She tried to look grouchy, but in his gut Jarrod knew it was all an act. For some reason she preferred to keep an emotional distance, which was something he’d have to change.
    He released her shoulders to grab his briefs and jeans off the floor, then pulled them on. “How about rolls, tossed salad and mashed potatoes? I might even be able to come up with something for dessert, too.”
    “I have to warn you, I’m not into cooking, so I won’t be much help.” Catie walked at his side as he headed out of the bedroom toward the kitchen. “If it wasn’t for pre-packaged meals and the microwave, Steve and I would probably starve.”
    At the mention of her brother, a cloud passed through Jarrod’s consciousness. It probably wasn’t real smart of him to fuck a suspect’s sister, but when it came to Catie, Jarrod had to make an exception.
    “Dinner’s my treat, so sit your pretty ass down,” he said as they reached the kitchen. He took a package of t-bones out of the fridge and brought them to the grill built into the center of the stovetop. “My mom saw to it that my sisters and I learned how to