Catching the Thief Ch. 04

A pair of gold and black leopards stepped out of the bush in front of her. The male looked concerned - or puzzled at her fall and the other looked like it wanted to eat her.

"Erm. I don't suppose there's any hope you didn't see that?" She asked still trying to figure out if the hungry looking female cat was going to attack.

Jess dropped down from the tree above them next to Max. The female obviously hadn't seen her up there, and a line of fur rose along her back. The male took one look at her and changed.

When he was done it was clear that he was Gabriel's cousin. He had the same facial structure the same height, the same long, dark hair. He was younger and had a less muscular frame than the older cat though.

"Hi I'm Rider, and this is Alexis. She's a bit tetchy because long car trips don't agree with her." Alexis growled and swiped at Riders leg.

"Also because I called her my sex slave to Gabriel. I'm not sure she was quite ready to break the news."

Max swallowed a giggle and introduced herself and Jess. Rider cocked his head on the side and looked her over.

"So you're the girl Gabe's all worked up in a frenzy about?" He asked.

"Nope that would be some other girl" Max growled and turned to head back to the house.

"Its a bit of a touchy subject." Jess explained before heading after Max.

"Enjoy your run."

The cat behind Rider grumbled dangerously again. "Oh sure. Its going to be a load of fun."

****

Max lay belly down in a mountain of bean bags in the rec room mulling over her choices. A pretty woman wandered into the room with a bag of popcorn and flopped onto the beanbags to the left of Max. She had long dark brown hair with hints of red and startling green eyes.

"Hi, I'm Alex." she said gesturing at herself with the popcorn.

"Nice to meet you. Well you know. Properly. You seem to be in a better mood than this afternoon." Max grinned at her.

"Ha! We made up." Alex grinned lasciviously and offered the bag of popcorn to Max.

"So want to talk about it?" Alex asked

It was a nice offer but Max hardly knew the girl "Uh no thanks. I'd rather claw all of his furniture to pieces, but it feels a little too 'angry house cat' to me. Plus we don't really have that kind of relationship, so I'm not really sure what I'm all upset about. Well I do know, but its not really his problem. It's mine."

Max looked up to find Alexia looking up past her. "He's behind me isn't he." She signed.

How did a guy that big sneak up on her so often? Gabriel's hands slid around her waist and lifted her up and onto his shoulder in a fireman's carry.

"Is this really necessary?" She asked.

"Would you come otherwise?" Gabriel rumbled.

She didn't answer him. They both knew damn well she wouldn't have gone anywhere with him - and she definitely wouldn't have gone with him to his private quarters.

He set her on her feet in his lounge and gestured towards the couch. She stayed on her feet, pacing in front of the seat he'd offered to her. Gabriel stayed warily standing also.

The room was modern looking, with a wall full of books huge TV she'd bet he never used. There were two doors behind her, on would lead to the bathroom and the other to the bedroom. Neither would help her, and Gabriel was leaning up against the door back into the hallway.

"I think we need to talk." Gabriel started.

"Yes we do. I'm moving out, and I want you to make good on your promise of an apartment. You know. To replace the one that nearly killed me when it was bombed by your enemies." Max snapped, still pacing.

"That's fine but we need to talk first. And you need to stop pacing. Please sit down." Gabriel pleaded.

Max did as he'd asked. He'd never pleaded with her before and it made her nervous. She pulled her knees up to her chest and waited tensely for him to continue.

Gabriel cleared his throat. "First off you are entitled to be upset with me, I'd be raging jealous if i ever caught you in a situation like that with another guy. I want that kind of relationship with you. I'm in love with you."

He hated the insecurity he could hear in his own voice. He still couldn't believe what had happened with Christina and how stupid he'd been. If she said no to him he'd deserve it.

Gabriel was so caught up in berating himself that he almost didn't hear her question.

"What about Christina?"

"She ambushed me, and it turns out she has some special abilities I didn't know about. That's not an excuse though. It shouldn't have happened and I'm sorry." Said Gabriel.

Max was intrigued despite herself. "Special abilities like what? Her boobs are super perky?"

"Some shifters can have secondary abilities to supplement the big ones.. I have an easier time finding things because of mine, and Christina has the ability to confuse anyone who finds her attractive to the point where they don't know their own names. Its the reason she's so good at her job and the reason I think I haven't fired her or kicked her out." Gabriel explained crossing the room to join her on the couch.

"So you find her attractive." Max stated.

Gabriel slid onto the couch next to her and hauled her onto his lap. "Yeah I find her attractive. But I love you kitten."

Max ignored the 'L' word. He didn't mean it. "Your ability to find things is how you found me that night my apartment was bombed then?"

"Yeah you come through a little more vivid than everyone else I've tried to find... I guess that should have been my first clue that you were not an average woman."

"Stop it Gabriel. You can't keep throwing words like that around. You don't love me, and there's nothing here that makes me more special than any other shifter in this town. We both know this is a freaking game for you - what are you going to do if you catch me huh? Trample on my heart and then throw me back out into the city?" She tried to wriggle out of the cage his arms had become.

"I'm not just throwing these words around kitten. You're the most amazing person I've ever met. You fascinate me - it doesn't matter what you do or say, I could watch you and listen to you for hours." Gabriel paused, to haul Max closer. She wasn't fighting as hard to get free any more.

"Yeah sex with you is great, but its more than that. You are beautiful. Your smile is amazing. You have a stubborn mouth. You're nosy. You avoided other shifters for all these years because of your past, and you're scared that I'm going to treat you like they did. You use humor to avoid things that scare you. You're not scared to knee me in the balls. You cook terribly. And I love you." Max was still in his arms.

She sat for a moment stunned into silence. Then he kissed her. Soft slow strokes of his tongue against hers. Her teeth nipping at his lips and her hands sliding over his shoulders. In his arms she felt safe and protected.

Stiffening slightly she pulled back. "Wait, Christina?"

"Gone. I kicked her out and fired her right after Rider and Alexis showed up. Oh - and I was quite far off the mark with their relationship." Gabriel said with raised eyebrows, moving his mouth back to hers.

She smiled against him. "I knew that. Being nosy has its advantages. And Gabriel?"

She leaned closer to him and dropped her voice to a whisper. "I love you too. I have for a while - you're right about me being afraid though - so don't do anything stupid with my heart."

She moved to straddle his thighs and cupped his beaming face in her hands. "Do me a favor and don't tell the guys. They'll think I'm not tough."

Gabriel roared with laughter and rolled them both off the couch and onto his rug, smothering her with kisses.

"I wouldn't dare Kitten."

The End

(for now)