"I'm afraid to get dressed. That's when I changed back last night, while I was trying to put on my clothes."

"I doubt it was the clothes that made the difference. I think the potion only worked for a short time."

"You're probably right, but I just-I just don't want to take a chance." Besides, bringing this s.e.xual desire under control was the first order of business. Murmuring together in the dark wasn't helping, either. But if he let her turn on the light, she'd probably guess what his problem was.

"Can I get you anything? Something to eat? Something to drink?"

He thought about it. Not knowing when he might suddenly revert back to his cat status, he was reluctant to make big plans, like heading over to his condo. Going through the change in the backseat of a taxi didn't appeal to him. In fact, going through the change while being anywhere but here was a dicey proposition.

Maybe he should set his sights low. "You got any beer?"

"Um, yes, I think so." She seemed taken aback. "Maybe one or two. I don't even know what brand they are."

"I don't care about the brand. I'd just like to taste some beer. It's either that or have s.e.x." He heard the words come out of his mouth and couldn't believe he'd actually spoken them aloud.

Anica sucked in a breath.

"Whoops." He had the inappropriate urge to laugh, so he coughed instead. "I didn't mean to say that."

The mattress shifted as she slid out of bed. "I'll get the beer."

Chapter 13.

Anica's heart thumped crazily as she hurried into the kitchen, Orion close at her heels. Orion always followed her into the kitchen with the optimistic hope she'd feed him something yummy. Instead, she picked him up and carried him back into the living room, where she closed him in the coat closet.

She wasn't sure what had prompted Jasper to say what he did, but she'd been thinking about that very subject from the minute she'd become aware of his transformation. She hadn't expected him to be thinking about it, though. Yet the more she considered the matter, the more it made sense that he would.

First of all, he was a man (again!), and weren't they supposed to think about s.e.x every four minutes? Something like that. Second of all, he might be a man now, but after last night's experience he couldn't count on staying that way.

She certainly wouldn't advise him to leave the apartment, at least not until several hours had gone by with no change. Essentially he was trapped here with her while he waited to see what would happen. A man with nothing much to do but wait, when finding himself naked in a woman's bed-well, it just stood to reason what he'd be thinking.

Anica walked back to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator and found two bottles of Sam Adams. She held them to her hot cheeks. Whew. So how about her? Was she seriously considering going back in there specifically to have s.e.x with Jasper?

Yes, she seriously was. After all, he'd woken her up with what was definitely a pre-climax moan and then he'd called her name. She'd bet anything he'd been dreaming about having s.e.x with her, and if he hadn't covered himself with the quilt no doubt the evidence would have been overwhelming.

She longed to be overwhelmed. When it came to Jasper Danes, legendary lover, she might never have this chance again. A good game of mattress bingo would serve many purposes. It would pa.s.s the time, get rid of a boatload of frustration-his and hers-and it might soften his heart enough that he wouldn't try to ruin her once he regained his human form permanently.

There was no downside to jumping into bed with Jasper right now. Okay, he might turn into a cat during the event, but there were worse things. Many men turned into pigs in bed, even though they didn't actually grow a snout and tail.

She'd take a cat transformation any day over a couple of other s.e.xual misfits she'd had the bad luck to go to bed with. Better a guy who turned into a cat than one who had a foot fetish or was a premature ejaculator.

She wasn't about to waste precious time drinking beer beforehand, either. Neither of them knew how long before he would change again. She put the bottles back in the refrigerator.

Too bad she'd worn this granny gown, but at least she could unfasten all seven b.u.t.tons that ended where her cleavage began. She could untie the ribbon holding her braid and fluff her hair, tossing it around to give herself a tousled look. She could dab some vanilla behind her ears and between her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

When she'd done all that, she went through her s.e.xual readiness checklist. Legs shaved-check. Recent shower-check. Condoms in the bedside table drawer . . . were there condoms in the bedside table drawer? She hadn't had s.e.x since Edward, and hadn't thought to restock. There had to be at least one left, though, and one might be all they had time for.

Shoot, they might not have time for that if she didn't get on with it. She might even walk back into the bedroom and discover he was a cat again, which would be a b.u.mmer. Spontaneous-that was the watchword tonight. She was going in.

She noticed that the bedroom light was on when she entered the hall. She decided to start the conversational ball rolling before she walked in there, mostly because she wanted to hear his voice and rea.s.sure herself that she wouldn't find a cat in her bed instead of a man.

"Jasper, I've been thinking about what you said a couple of minutes ago."

"It was uncalled for." He came to the door wearing a towel wrapped around his hips. "I . . ." His voice trailed off as he stared at her.

"I think it was totally called for. I think it's the best idea I've heard in ages." Dear Zeus, he was gorgeous. He'd transformed back into exactly the man he'd been in the restaurant-except for the being-naked part. He was clean-shaven, with great hair and a terrific body. Add to that the obvious benefit of wearing nothing but a towel and you had the perfect setup for outstanding s.e.x.

Jasper's gaze traveled from her unbound hair to her unb.u.t.toned nightgown. Her nipples peaked under the soft flannel, and she was quite sure he noticed. His nostrils flared and the intensity in his eyes reminded her of the way he'd looked at her across the restaurant table . . . was it only two nights ago? It seemed like a lifetime.

He swallowed. "You didn't bring the beer."

"Nope." She advanced, backing him into the room and toward the bed.

His chest rose and fell as his breathing grew more labored. "I don't think you want to do this."

"Oh yes, I do." If he took a moisture meter reading about now, he'd know exactly how much.

"But something could happen right in the middle of-"

"That's why we can't fritter away valuable time drinking beer and debating the issue." She surrendered to basic instincts and hooked a finger inside the knot of his towel.

He looked into her eyes. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"I have a working knowledge of the subject but I'll bet I could take lessons from you." Holding his golden gaze she loosened the knot until the towel fell to the carpet with a naughty whisper.

She wanted to look but she was afraid if she broke eye contact, he might bolt. She recognized performance anxiety and it must be a novelty for him, the man who, as Sheila had said, was that good.

In this situation, though, he didn't have total control of his body, and at any time it could betray him. He might be willing to abandon the idea of s.e.x in favor of avoiding potential humiliation. She didn't want to give him that chance.

So instead of feasting her eyes on his endowments, she took matters-and his considerable endowments-into her own hands.

When she touched him, his eyes darkened from gold to mahogany. His p.e.n.i.s was thick with desire and his b.a.l.l.s tightened as she cupped them in her other hand. Feeling the heft, she shuddered to think that he'd almost lost them to the vet's knife today.

He cradled her face and leaned close to brush his lips over hers. "I guess you're committed to this."

"You betcha."

"It's a really bad idea." His breath caught as she stroked the length of his p.e.n.i.s. "But I guess we'll do it, anyway."

"I'm counting on it." She closed her eyes when he leaned down to nuzzle the base of her throat. This was familiar. They'd made out before, and she knew he was good at that.

Then he took the open neck of her gown in both hands. "This is just wrong." In one swift movement, he tore the material right down the middle. He kept ripping until he broke through the hem and had the whole thing apart and every inch of her exposed. "Much better."

That was totally unfamiliar! The thrill of such an unexpected a.s.sault left her gasping and even more drenched with need.

His gaze moved hungrily from her aching b.r.e.a.s.t.s to the curls between her thighs. "I believe you said we had no time to waste."

She wanted him so much she could barely speak. "We don't."

"Then let's get to it, woman." Turning her so her back was to the bed, he gave her a firm push that left her sprawled across the mattress, breathing fast, her legs open, her body completely available to him.

He followed her down, his mouth first at her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, then sliding down her rib cage to lick the indentation of her navel and finally coming to rest at her juicy center, where he lapped at the bounty there with a groan of triumph. Dimly she remembered that she'd meant for this to be a mutual event, not one geared specifically to her pleasure.

Then any thought of a plan, any idea of an agenda was swept away on a tsunami of sensation. With an artistry that left her squirming helplessly against the quilt and bunching the material in her fists, he brought her to the brink and eased her back down, took her up again and let her slide back. The roller coaster careened around one curve only to dive headlong into the next roaring free fall.

She was reduced to incoherent babbling, whimpers, and at last, when he finally took her all the way home, she erupted with wild cries of unrestrained bliss. Only as she lay spent, dragging in each breath as if she'd run a marathon, did she think about the neighbors. And promptly dismissed them again.

Easing himself back up her body, he kissed her, going deep with his tongue, imprinting her with the taste of her own climax. It was the s.e.xiest thing any man had ever done to her. As he plundered her mouth she felt the tightening begin again.

Miraculously, she wanted more of him. He was a fever in her blood and she wouldn't be satisfied until he was buried deep within her, touching the very essence of who she was.

His lips left hers and moved close to her ear. "Condoms," he murmured.

Her brain had officially checked out, and she couldn't remember the names for things. "Table," she muttered, but she couldn't for the life of her think what to call the sliding compartment that held the precious condoms. "Inside table." She sounded like a warrior chief in a bad Western.

He chuckled and briefly left her. She was bereft. She wanted his body covering hers for the rest of recorded time. After what seemed like eons he was back, his warm skin sliding over hers. And then what she'd craved since the day she'd met Jasper Danes finally happened. His c.o.c.k thrust deep inside her and life was complete.

Or so she thought until he started a seductive rhythm. Okay, so life wasn't totally complete yet. But if he would increase the pace a little, and shift the angle a bit, exactly like that, and if he'd lift her legs and tuck her ankles around his neck, and hold her hips so that she could arch against him while he stroked even faster, and faster yet, then maybe, at last, life would be . . . oh, dear Zeus . . yes . . . yes . . . yes. Complete.

She erupted in a rainbow of colors that seemed to shower them like confetti. With a low growl he drove home once more and held her tight while his body shuddered and pulsed within her. She offered up a silent prayer of grat.i.tude for a fabulous lovemaking session that no one could take away, no matter what happened later on. She also gave fervent thanks that she'd stopped Edna from taking Jasper to the spay-neuter clinic.

Jasper hoped he hadn't just allowed his p.e.c.k.e.r to lead him into a ditch. s.e.x was one thing, but he sure as h.e.l.l didn't want to get emotionally involved with this witch. So he simply wouldn't do that. He'd practice containment.

s.e.x without commitment, that's what he'd just had. And he couldn't have ignored the temptation, either. Once she'd walked into the bedroom with her hair down and her nightgown unb.u.t.toned, he was beyond stopping himself, except for the niggling fear that he wouldn't be able to finish what he started. Then she'd taken hold of his p.e.n.i.s and he'd decided to risk a potential disaster.

But just because he'd dipped his wick in enemy territory didn't mean anything had changed between them. They had no future, with her being a witch who would eventually get her magical powers back. That would make her capable of all sorts of weirdness, things he didn't even want to know about.

He liked being a commodities broker with a normal American lifestyle. If something about this s.e.xual experience felt all happily-ever-after, then he'd blame the transformation for crossing some wires in his brain. She was just a good lay. That's all she meant to him at this moment and all she'd ever be.

She seemed lost in a daze of satisfaction and he felt pretty much that way himself, but he was the guy with the condom, so he was a.s.signed the job of getting out of bed and heading for the bathroom. He glanced at the bedside clock as he went by and noticed it was almost twelve thirty.

Maybe he was getting tuned in to this magic stuff, because after he saw the time he had a strong feeling that his interlude as a man was about to end. Sure enough, he'd no sooner disposed of the condom than the dizziness started. He dropped to the floor so he wouldn't fall and crack his head on something when he blacked out. He really, really hated this part.

When he regained consciousness, he was crouched on the floor, back to viewing the world from the feline angle. He was p.i.s.sed that he'd transformed back, but not quite as p.i.s.sed as he had been the night before. Great s.e.x could mellow a guy out, even when he faced returning to life as a housecat.

Besides the s.e.x, he had another reason for optimism. He'd extended his time from ten minutes to an hour. He hated to think how much of that glop he'd have to drink in order to get two hours of human time, but at least there was a ray of hope that he wasn't stuck like this forever.

"Jasper? Are you okay?" Anica walked naked into the bathroom, spied him crouched there and began to cry.

He hated that she was crying, even though, looking at it realistically, this was all her fault. Still, she'd been so happy a moment ago, lying there flushed and smiling in the light from the bedside table lamp.

"Jasper, I'm so, so sorry!" She scooped him up, cradling him against her bare b.r.e.a.s.t.s as she buried her face in his fur and cried some more.

He was sorry, too, but she was getting him wet. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s were cushy and nice, though. She'd be good to cuddle with after s.e.x, but he hadn't had that chance. That was also her fault, but he wished she'd stop crying about it.

She sniffed and raised her head to reveal eyes that were red and still leaking. She wasn't a delicate crier. "I'll bet you don't like this emotionalism, do you?"

He gazed up at her and tried to signal in the affirmative by blinking at her.

"I mean, you're the one with the big problem, and I'm the one falling apart over it. You didn't fall apart when you changed back." She gulped. "Instead you made wonderful love to me."

Not love. s.e.x. He wasn't about to confuse the two, and he didn't want her to, either. They'd had s.e.xual chemistry from the get-go, and even though she'd changed him into a cat he still craved her body, especially when he had a body that matched.

He might always crave her body, but she wasn't destined to be his mate for life, not with that witch thing going on. Their s.e.x tonight had been a good use of time and he was glad they'd done it, but he could easily give her up once he was fully released from this curse she'd put on him.

She carried him back into the bedroom. "At least you changed for an hour this time." She sniffed again. "We're making progress. Maybe you'll change back once more before the night's over."

Nice thought, but he doubted it. Although he'd only changed twice, it had followed a pattern. The first time he'd been allowed five minutes on each side of midnight. Tonight he'd had thirty minutes on each side of midnight. Midnight seemed to be the key.

Still holding him, Anica climbed into bed. He struggled to get away, but didn't use his claws because of her silky bare b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

"Humor me, Jasper," she said. "I need someone to hold."

Jasper looked around for Orion. Orion could be the man for the job. But the orange tabby wasn't in sight. Come to think of it, he hadn't been seen since Anica had left to get the beer.

Then Jasper figured it out. He'd dated a few women with cats, and usually they closed them away if things got hot and heavy. On one memorable occasion, a woman hadn't done that. Jasper had been pumping away when he'd felt an excruciating pain in his b.a.l.l.s. Seems the cat had mistaken them for a dangly toy.

Thank G.o.d Anica had used good sense and apparently tucked Orion in the closet. An incident like that might have seriously affected the budding friendship Jasper felt for the orange tabby.

Keeping her grip on Jasper, Anica reached up and switched off the bedside lamp. Then she snuggled him close and sighed. "Thank you."

Jasper admitted it wasn't horrible being nestled against Anica's plump b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She seemed to need him there. He didn't really care whether she did or not, of course, because he didn't really care about her. Yet it seemed sort of mean to leave her alone when she was so upset.

Slowly she began to scratch behind his ears and under his chin. "I just want to say what I didn't get a chance to before you went into the bathroom. I want you to know, whatever happens, I'll always treasure tonight."

Oh, s.h.i.t. She was mixing up love and s.e.x. He'd do well to remember that next time. If there was a next time. He'd like that, from a s.e.xual satisfaction point of view, but it wasn't like he needed to have her again.

Anica kept scratching his chin, and although he didn't want to, because it sent exactly the wrong message, he began to purr.

Chapter 14.

Lily arrived at ten thirty the next morning to cat-sit for Jasper while Anica went to meet Dorcas and Ambrose at Wicked Brew. Lily was early. Lily was never early, which told Anica how much her sister was worried about the situation.

The steady rain falling outside had prompted Lily to break out her favorite purple raincoat that reached to midthigh, the exact point where her boots stopped. Underneath she had on a short denim skirt and a tight red sweater.

She shook the rain from her coat onto Anica's carpet, stomped the water from her boots and propped her dripping black umbrella near the door. "You didn't call last night. Does that mean he didn't transform at all?"