He kept possession of her, refusing to allow her to move or look away. “When we’re alone together, you call me Fyodor.” He was so close his mouth was a whisper from hers. His voice so low that she had to use her leopard senses to hear him. “That’s my name. Fyodor. Only for you. Just you. When I make love to you, that’s the name you call me.”

Before she could answer, before she could protest or say a single word, he spun her around, her front to the wall, holding her there, his body pressed tightly against hers. He kept his face close to hers. “I’m giving that to you and it’s my life in your hands. Do you understand, solnyshko moyo?”

One hand stayed on the nape of her neck, pressing her face forward while the other unzipped her camisole and opened it slowly. Her breath hitched and she tried to pull away from him, but his body was too big, too strong, and she couldn’t move.

“Trust me, devochka moya, I am only going to claim you. Do you feel her inside of you? Right now, is she pushing to rise?” He whispered each word into her ear.

She tensed even more as his hand pushed the material of her camisole up her back until he gathered it into the fingers at her nape, leaving her back exposed.

“What are you doing?” she whispered, matching his tone.

“Answer me. Do you feel her?” He bent his head, holding her in place as he kissed his way from the little indentation at the base of her spine all the way up to her shoulder.

“Yes.” Her voice trembled. Her body did as well.

“Trust me. This is for them. For us.” He felt the joy in his leopard. He’d never felt that before. He didn’t know his leopard could feel anything other than sheer savagery. The beast leapt for the surface.

For just a moment Alonzo hesitated. What if he was wrong and the leopard killed her? Could he take that chance? He bent his head to her shoulder and kissed her. Once. Twice. His leopard was so close he felt the ache in his bones. In his jaw. In his mouth. So close.

Evangeline moaned and suddenly cinnamon and spice were wild. Female. Wanton. Her cat was close and throwing off enough pheromones that his leopard feared the other male leopards would scent her and come bursting in. At once he raked and clawed for freedom and Alonzo partially shifted. Fur slid along Evangeline’s bare back and his cat rubbed up her spine and over both shoulders, scent marking, and then he sank his teeth into her shoulder, pinning her in the way of their kind.