Read To Hiss or to Kiss for Free Online Page B

narrow my eyes, anger making the color rise in my cheeks again. Hot and bothered, indeed.
    “Hey, don’t get defensive. I understand the fear of being judged.” He reaches out and pushes a stray lock of hair behind my ear. “And, yes, I suppose I am stalling. But for some reason I want to trust you.” His fingers dance along my jaw as he pulls away, and I meet his heated gaze, willing myself not to grab his hand and pull it back to my face for a nuzzle.
    My lips part, my gaze locked with Jorge’s. I lean forward slightly, my pulse racing. I think, “Kiss me. Fucking kiss me now. ”
    Suddenly there is a flash of light and sitting before me is a giant black jaguar. I scream, leaping up. Thankfully I have the presence of mind to at least hold on to the Dalwhinnie.
    As quick as that, there is another flash of light, and Jorge again sits on the couch.
    “What the fuck was that?” I exclaim, because really the point of trying to keep my potty mouth to myself has passed.
    “OK, well, maybe showing you wasn’t easier than just telling you.” He gives me a wary look.
    I’m not sure what my face looks like, but I’m pretty sure it’s something between I-need-to-run-now and complete and utter shock.
    I try to catch my breath. People do not turn into jaguars .
    Or do they? I think about mythology and legends of people who shape-shift and a plethora of movies and fiction novels. I sit back down. “Holy fuck, you’re a shape-shifter.” I look at him, and I’m sure he can see my tonsils, my mouth is so agape.
    Jorge seems remarkably calm about this. I realize he’s probably known he’s a shape-shifter his whole life, but I just screamed! At least I held on to my scotch. Oh, scotch, I definitely need a swig of that…
    I down the rest of my glass. It burns, and the sensation brings me back a bit.
    His face relaxes as he watches me calm, and I realize he wasn’t remarkably calm before. He was remarkably stoic. “Yes, shape-shifter is one of the common names given to my people.” He shoots me a cautious glance, trying to catch my eye. I let him.
    “So there are more of you? Your whole family? Other families?”
    “Yes, there are more like me in my family and in others, but not all my family are shape-shifters. Only some of us are born with the, uh, talent.” He is now studying my face, which I imagine is even more pale than usual, despite taking a whisky shot, but at least my mouth is no longer hanging open. “More Dalwhinnie?”
    I nod, and he takes the glass, walking to the kitchen.
    My mind reels. A shape-shifter? A jaguar? A cat? Oh, that is why I could hear him. He’s literally an animal, not merely human.
    Or maybe not human at all. I start to feel a little panicky again. Am I in danger? But I think of his face, the future I irrationally have already planned for us, how safe I felt in his arms even when I didn’t know who he was back at the other farmhouse.
    Yes, I feel safe with him. In a way I never have with anyone I so recently met. Maybe with no one ever. Naomi is right. I have the hots for a guy who can hear my thoughts.
    No, not a guy, a jaguar guy. My jaguar guy?
    I find myself suddenly smiling goofily up at Jorge when he returns with more Dalwhinnie. The flirt is taking back over.
    “Is something funny?” He suspiciously eyes my grinning face.
    I probably do look like I’ve gone off the deep end, which I think I’ve been doing a pretty good job of hiding up until now. Suddenly my daydreams seem like they could actually come true and I am utterly twitterpated. Especially if I’m actually letting myself believe in the fairy tale ending my heart has always wanted but my head dismissed as impossible. So much for my jaded façade. I picture Naomi with a smug look on her face, telling me she told me there was a romantic deep down inside and then grinning and hugging me.
    I finally find my voice. “No, I’m just happy.” And then I sip my Dalwhinnie and snuggle back into the couch.
    “You are a