Jaguar’s Rule
By TJ Michaels
After an irresistible night of passion with Reya, Aaron James longs to hold her close forever. Little does he know that the tall, sleek beauty has a carnal secret — and he’s the one who needs protection.
Reya Daines has dedicated her life to the conservation of jaguars. With the only bed-and-breakfast at the entrance to Cockscomb Jaguar Sanctuary, she can keep an eye on poachers and still indulge her guests in her first love-scuba diving. But something has invaded the preserve and the big cats are restless…and that something wants Reya.
Aaron James can take care of himself, but he finds he’s not quite up to the job after his plane goes down in the jungles of Belize. The woman who rescues him is a loner just like him. When he learns she’s in danger from the same menace she’s saved him from twice, what’s a determined man to do with an equally stubborn woman?
Warning, this title contains the following: explicit sex, graphic language, and violence.
TJ Michaels Bio
Born into a musically eclectic family, TJ’s first love is music. She enjoys singing, even outside of the shower. So, where does this writing stuff come in? It actually began with reading. TJ is an avid reader and you’ll find her with her head buried in a book every day of the week, whether it’s her own creation or something snagged at the bookstore.
What about ideas? Working for an interesting organization allows her to interact with even more interesting customers. With an imagination expanded beyond belief after the birth of her two (now teenaged) children, spinning life’s experiences into tales is a blast! And now that books have caught up to technology, TJ’s eBook reader is shown no mercy, forced to entertain her at all hours of the day or night. Even in the dark!
Writing like a madman, er, madwoman, TJ hasn’t lost steam. Her mind? Yep, that’s gone, but steam there is aplenty. A true Taurus, TJ isn’t slowing down and she’s definitely too stubborn to stop when she sees the fence!
An Excerpt From: JAGUAR’S RULE
Copyright © TJ MICHAELS, 2011
All Rights Reserved
“Well, our little patient was lucky tonight,” Dr. Matons drawled around his pipe.
“Little patient?” Reya queried with amusement. She was sure she’d never met a man so long his feet practically hung off the edge of her bed, or a more muscularly perfect specimen as the one lying in her bedroom. She and Dr. Matons had spent the past several hours removing glass and plastic from various patches of skin. They’d stitched the deeper cuts across his back, wrapped his chest tightly and cleaned off all the blood. She’d seen every inch of his magnificent body and there was nothing, and she meant nothing, little about him.
“It’s a good thing you were out on patrol when his plane went down. I don’t know if he would have made it otherwise,” the doctor said, blowing out a ring of thick smoke. “He is certainly handsome, as men go.” His eyes crinkled at the sides as he watched her. The old matchmaker. Always looking for someone to pair her up with. Even an unconscious man in serious condition.
When she didn’t answer but stared out into the night, he continued. “I gave him a strong painkiller, but he’s not out of the woods. Do you mind if I sleep here so I can check on him during the night?”
“No, I don’t mind at all. Why don’t you take the office? The futon in there is pretty comfy. I’ll take the couch.” Her eyes hadn’t strayed from the tangle of ferns and vines leading into the dark canopy of jungle no more than a hundred yards from her back stairs.
“You’re not planning on going back out in this deluge, are you?”
“The storm is almost past. I’ll be fine. Besides, something weird happened out there tonight. If you’re still awake when I get back, I’ll tell you about it.”
The moon, pale and obscured by dark thunderheads, was the only light shining onto her second-story veranda. Reya unlaced her boots, toed them off and set them beside the screen door that led down the back stairs. Dr. Matons continued to puff on his pipe while she peeled off her tank top and blood-spattered pants, tossed them in a pile and loosely tied a small bundle around her neck.
“Be careful, my dear. Wake me when you return,” Dr. Matons called quietly. Extinguishing his pipe, he rose and slipped through the sliding glass door and into her living room.
Reya watched his retreating back until the subtle snap of the office door told her she was alone. Shirt, pants and shoes in a neat pile on the floor, she dropped to her knees. Muscles rippled and bunched as raw power surged through her limbs—heady, thunderous power as her body shortened then stretched. Her tall frame shuddered as thick fur burst through her pores, replacing smooth skin. The cooling breeze ruffled the sleek fur on the tufts of the ears of a black jaguar as she stalked down the stairs and loped into the surrounding jungle.
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