He set Catalina down. She staggered, clutching at his arm for support. Shane didn’t feel too steady himself. Luckily, the bed was right there beside them. They collapsed on it and lay together, gasping and sweaty and content.
Catalina gave a long sigh of pleasure and ran her fingers through his hair. “It’s good to be home.”
Shane knew she wasn’t just talking about her apartment. He was her home, the place where she was loved and safe, respected and treasured. And she was his.
Her soft breasts pressed into Shane’s chest, and her strong legs curled around his. He’d never felt such a sense of belonging in his life.
She ran her fingers around his upper arm, tracing the marks she’d left. Before Apex had taken and remade him, such new bruises would have been red. But with his accelerated healing, they were already black against his pale skin, the outlines of her fingers sharp as tattoos. By the next morning, they’d be gone, just like the closing bites he’d left on her shoulder.
Catalina knew him too well to apologize or ask if he minded. Instead, she said, “I saw a king’s armlets in a museum once. They were pure gold. From the size of them, he’d have worn them right there.”
“Lucas probably has some of those,” Shane said. “But I like yours better. Property of Catalina Mendez.”
“All others keep out.” She bent to kiss them, her lips hot against his sensitized skin. Then she rested her head on his shoulder, turning deliberately so he could smell her hair.
He never wanted to move from that spot, but he did have one arm free. Without disturbing her, he reached out across the bed to the opposite side from where Catalina kept her flashlight. It was empty, of course, but there was a space where his gun would fit.
“You could keep your gun there, if you like,” Catalina said.
Shane was no longer surprised that she’d known what he’d been thinking. After all, he’d known that her flashlight was as much a weapon as a tool.
Mates know, he thought.
Finally, hissed his panther.
“Want to move in?” Catalina asked, her eyes bright with hope. “I know it’s small and the neighborhood’s not that great— it was the best I could do on a paramedic’s salary— but I like it. But if you hate it, we could both keep our own places. Or I could move in with you, if you really wanted me to and you’re okay with the cats moving in too. Your place is probably much nicer.”
“Not even close,” Shane replied. “Yeah, it’s bigger and I’m sure the rent is higher. But I’ve lived there for a year and it still looks like a hotel room. I’ve seen barracks with more individual character. Now that I know I’m not going to just vanish some day and never be seen again, I’d like to have a real home. And you’ve already got one. I’d rather live here, if you want me here.”
“Of course I want you here. The kitties will just have to deal.”
Shane heard a scratching noise that was almost certainly an annoyed cat, but just maybe could be something more sinister. He moved to get up.
Catalina tightened her arms around him. “Where’re you going?”
“To check the front door.”
“I locked it,” she said. “That’s just Natasha trying to get into the cupboard where I keep the catnip. That’s
locked, too, but she never gives up.”
Shane relaxed, trusting her. Her hair fell across his face in tickling strands and smooth locks, soft as cream. He held her tight, utterly content. He didn’t need to go anywhere. He had everything he needed, right here.
The soft huff of Catalina’s chuckle warmed his cheek. “I can hear you purring.”
***
A note from Zoe Chant
Thank you for reading Protector Panther! I hope you enjoyed it. If you’re starting the series here and would like to know more about Shane’s team, the first book is Bodyguard Bear and the second is Defender Dragon. Please click here to review Protector Panther, even if you only write a line or two. I love hearing what my readers think.
I’ll write more stories about Protection, Inc., but I haven’t decided who should star in the next one. Can you help me figure it out? If you know whose story you’d like to see next, please leave a comment in an Amazon review or email me. Your votes last time helped me decide to have Shane and Catalina star in this book.
If you’d like to be emailed when I release my next book, please click here to be added to my mailing list.
Please keep paging down to read a special sneak preview of Laura’s Wolf (Werewolf Marines). If you enjoy Protection, Inc, I highly recommend Lia Silver’s Werewolf Marines and Lauren Esker’s Shifter Agents. All three series have hot romances, exciting action, brave heroines who stand up for their men, hunky heroes who protect their mates with their lives, and teams of shifters who are as close as families.
The cover of Protector Panther was designed by Augusta Scarlett. The kata Shane shows Catalina is called Tomari Bassai, which means “Storming the Fortress.” Click here to see it performed by Japanese champion Rika Usami. The Sea of Stars is a real place.