DINNER had been fantastic. Or at least Julia assumed it had. Her plate was clean, she just couldn't remember actually tasting any of it. Ever since she'd returned to the boarding house, all her tongue seemed to want to register was Parish. And if that wasn't bad enough, all her mind wanted to bring forth were images of their incredible time at the bayou pool.

She let out a long breath. She could still feel his arms around her, so tight, so possessive, his mouth working hers with soft kisses, hungry bites and snarls of arousal. She'd known what he'd wanted from her. Not because it was pressed against her belly, inciting the blazing heat inside her sex to liquefy, but because it was exactly the same thing she'd wanted from him.

The deepest, most intensely erotic fuck of her life.

Her body contracted at the thought, and she gripped the table. What would it be like to be touched by him? Her back to the mattress, Parish looming above her, the muscles in his arms and chest and stomach pulled tight under sweat-laced, tanned skin?

"Dr. Cabot?" came a soft male growl.

Julia glanced up from her empty plate and caught Parish staring at her across the dinner table with a mask of sensual ferocity, his black hair loose to his shoulders. He was so sexy. Every inch of his face, from his eyes to the scar near his lips, tempted her, made her mouth water.

His nostrils flared. He glanced left, saw Nathalie chatting it up with one of the other boarders down the table, then returned his gaze to Julia as he leaned forward.

"You have to stop thinking about us or I won't be able to stop myself from throwing you over my shoulder and hauling your sexy ass upstairs to bed."

Julia's mouth dropped open. "How did you know-?"

"Your scent."

My scent?? She tilted her head in the direction of Miss Nathalie. "Does she know?"

"Probably."

Oh my god. "I'm so embarrassed."

"Don't be. She knows how I feel about you." He grinned, molten gold flashing in his eyes. "And now she knows that as you're thinking about my tongue in your mouth," his voice dropped, his chin too, "I'm thinking about my tongue somewhere else."

Julia's eyes widened, yet everything below her neck went hot and tight. "Stop that," she whispered.

"Impossible. Your scent makes me insane." His canines lengthened.

"You're not the only one," remarked the male down at the far end of the table beside Nathalie.

Julia turned apple red and cursed, while Parish flashed the male his puma. "Don't even think about it, Mace. In fact, keep your eyes on your plate."

The male grunted. "I'm mated, Hunter."

"Then you remember exactly what's running through my blood right now," Parish said with a deep growl.

Nathalie stared at Parish, but spoke to Julia. "Perhaps you should retire, Miss Julia. Might I suggest a bath?" She sighed. "With soap."

At first, Julia was so consumed with the aggressive banter of the two males at the table she didn't catch the woman's meaning right away. But when she did, she closed her eyes and winced with humiliation. She was turned on thinking about Parish, every damn feline in the room could smell it, and she was being told to get upstairs and wash it off. What the hell ever happened to privacy? She pushed back her chair and scrambled to her feet. Her eyes were drawn to Parish. "Are you staying tonight or..."

"He'll be sleeping on the porch," Miss Nathalie said quickly.

Parish hissed at her. "I will sleep wherever I want, Female."

"Outside?" Julia said. "But-"

"Not to worry, Miss Julia," Nathalie continued. "He's used to it."

"Isn't it time to clean up?" Parish growled softly, his eyes narrowed on the older female.

Miss Nathalie ignored him. "After all, he still sleeps in those caves a mile out, don't you, Parish?"

"Dammit, Natty!" He pushed back his chair and stood.

"What?" she grumbled. "Isn't a secret, now is it?"

Julia turned to him, confused. "You live there? Where we were today?"

He didn't answer. His nostrils were flared with irritation as he continued to glare at Miss Nathalie.

Julia stared at him. Why wouldn't he have told her that? And why was he refusing to look at her? Was he hiding something? Or was it that he just didn't think her important enough to share information about his personal life?

A spark of apprehension moved through her. She hated this feeling, that something was being kept from her. That the man she'd just been fantasizing about, had just kissed like she'd needed it, needed him, to breathe, wasn't being honest with her. It gave her a killer sense of deja vu.

She turned from him and offered Miss Nathalie a small smile. "Good night. Thank you for dinner."

She needed a moment to herself. Needed to really think about what she was doing here, and how long-

As she walked out of the room, she heard Parish growl behind her. "Julia."

"Let her be, Parish," Nathalie scolded.

"Like hell I will."

"You're acting like a jackass."

"No," said Mace. "He's acting like a mated Pantera male."

Julia only made it to her bedroom door before Parish was upon her.

* * *

"I didn't tell you about the caves for a good reason." He followed her inside the blue and white bedroom suite.

"They're all good reasons," she said, heading for the windows.

"I know what you're doing, Doc." He kicked the door closed behind him. "Don't compare me to that lying bastard who cheated on you."

"I'm not."

"Turn around."

She heaved a great sigh and turned to face him. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes a shocking blue against the pale hair that hung about her face.

"I'm not comparing you to Gary," she said. "There is no comparison. He was a mistake, and you...you're a hope, a dream...magic..." Shadows moved over her eyes. "It just scares me, Parish."

Fear was the last thing he ever wanted her to feel with him. "What scares you?"

"I've never wanted to be with anyone more than I want to be with you." Her voice caught as she spoke, and her eyes brimmed with tears. "I actually ache for you. I think about you every second." She shook her head. "My body responds to your voice like it's your touch. That's not normal."

He hated how upset she was, how fearful she sounded because to him her words were his magic, his potential first step back into life, and a future he never thought he'd see. He crossed the room and pulled her into his arms. "Look at me." One hand raked up her spine to her neck. "That's our normal, Doc. My mind is filled with you, too. Your tears make my fucking heart ache. I don't know what to do with this desperate need I feel for you, except...this." He dropped his head and kissed her, groaning at the raw hunger and blatant need between them. When he pulled back, he found beautiful, stormy blue eyes gazing up at him. "Julia..."

"I love when you say my name," she whispered.

His gut tightened. "I didn't tell you about the caves because I was ashamed."

Her brow furrowed. "What?"

"I know you're aware of what happened to Keira." The damned tortured sound in his voice never went away. "Ashe told me. But what you don't know is that she was my everything, my only family, my best goddamn friend, and when she left, when she was killed I...fuck...I went to the one place where I felt closest to her."

"The caves," Julia whispered.

He nodded. "I never left. Never wanted to." He reached up and cupped her chin and cheek in his palm. "Until you."

"Oh, Parish..."

He smiled. "I love it when you say my name too, Doc." He captured her mouth again, kissing her frantically. "I want you." He nipped her lip. "Christ, the scent of your heat. It calls to me, begs me to taste." With one hand around her waist, he easily lifted her. "Let me earn my way into your bed."

"You already have," she said breathlessly.

He tossed her onto the bed, then drew back. "Not even close." He stripped bare, and grinned as her gaze moved hungrily over him. "You know what I am."

Her eyes lifted, connected to his. She nodded.

He growled softly at her. "Then open your legs for me, Julia. This cat must have his cream."