“That’s it. That’s the real reason. I’m not the white knight. I’m not even a good DEA agent. I’m the man who for the first time in my life wanted a woman for myself. You can’t know what my life is like, Cat. I’m alone all the time. I don’t have a clue about a real relationship. I’m a leopard, a shifter, so I’m bad-tempered and mean and sometimes violent. I can be as cold as ice or in a fiery rage. That’s the life of a shifter. There are few of us and most choose to stay within our kind, in lairs. I don’t have a lair. I don’t have friends. I do my job and I’m damn good at it, no regrets. Until you came along.”

“Eli,” she whispered. “Stop talking. I can’t process any more. I have to think about everything you’ve said. I’m very hurt and confused and feeling raw. I’m embarrassed about throwing myself at you, and the things you talk about scare the crap out of me.”

He frowned. “I’m not trying to frighten you, baby. I’m trying to make you see where my head was.”

“Not about that. About sex. You and me. That scares me.”

“I know,” he said gently.

“You said you wouldn’t hurt me, and you did.”

“I know,” he repeated, his voice dropping an octave. “You need to come out of there before the water cools down. I really don’t want you sore.”

He had no idea when her leopard would choose to push close to the surface again, or worse, emerge fully. She couldn’t be sore for that event. It would be wild and uninhibited, a primal joining and both human and leopard would claim their respective mates. There would be no turning back once Catarina’s leopard made her choice.

He removed a towel from a drawer and held it up. “Stand up.”

“I’d really prefer to do this alone,” she said.

“I know.” He stayed where he was, holding the towel so she could step out of the tub and he could dry her off.

“Stop saying ‘I know,’ that doesn’t really say anything at all,” she snapped, exasperated. “You just do whatever you want, don’t you?”

“Pretty much, yes.” He flashed a small smile. He loved her sass. Catarina broken tore his heart out. Catarina full of attitude made his body harder than a rock. “It’s the only way with you. I learned that from watching you in the dojo. You aren’t predictable at all. Like attacking me in your bedroom. That was the last thing I expected. And you did pretty well. I was proud of you.”