by Jade White
Sable nodded, turning back to his book and dismissing them with his silence. They left without another word. They passed Egan on their way out the door. Aldrich stopped, giving Egan a long glare before speaking.
“I hope that you will grow to make better choices than your brother. We’ll be watching you both closely.” Without further explanation, Aldrich joined the other men as they strode down the steps and into the waiting car.
*
Olivia pulled her car to a stop in front of Sable’s house, eager to show him the dress she’d chosen for this evening’s gala. A shimmering blue number with a high slit up one side, she felt like a million bucks when she’d put it on in the department store. Good thing, since it cost more than my monthly salary. She’d seen Sable’s mystery woman there as well, her personal shopper buckling under the weight of her purchases. Olivia doubted that her purchase would even register once he got the bill from blondie’s spree.
Still two hours away from having to leave, Olivia threw the dress over her shoulder and carried her heavy make-up case up the steps. Her apartment wasn’t shabby by any means, but nothing beat Sable’s master vanity. Like a backstage dressing room on Broadway, the room featured bright lights, a long table, and more outlets than she had hair appliances.
She took the short steps carefully and leaned her shoulder into the doorbell. When Egan opened the door, she dropped the heavy case into his outstretched arms and breezed by him on her way up the stairs.
She went through the open door, shocked to see Sable standing in his room, nude and dripping from his shower. Olivia blushed prettily, though she had no idea why; she’d seen him naked more times than she could count over the last ten years. Right on her heels, Egan grunted when he saw his brother, making a beeline for the vanity door and setting Olivia’s things down before he made his hasty retreat to his room. Olivia watched Egan leave, wondering what all that was about.
“He’s still sulking since you won’t go with him. He’s decided to stay here and be miserable instead of finding another date and having a good time.” Sable shrugged.
“Could you put some clothes on?”
He chuckled and advanced on her, taking the dress from her and setting it on the chaise lounge near the wall. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a deep, passionate kiss. She ran her hands over his broad shoulders, then down and across his toned chest as he trailed kisses across her swollen lips and down her throat to her collar bone. His tongue teased her, setting her nerves on fire and drawing a soft moan from her lips.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her up to him, smiling as she wound her legs around his hips. He cupped her backside and kneaded the flesh, wishing her jeans weren’t between him and her soft skin. Her breath quickened and she pushed into him, kissing him deeper. He pinched her round cheek, chuckling when she squealed and broke the kiss.
“Later,” he growled into her throat. “I can’t get through tonight if you’ve already got me wound up.”
Olivia slid down to the floor, making a point to run herself against his growing erection as her feet touched the plush floor beneath her.
“As you wish.” She winked and walked into the dressing room, picking up her dress as she went. “I saw your lover at the department store. Have you gotten the bill yet?”
“No, but I’m sure it will be fine. Did she look happy at least?”
“I don’t think I’ve seen anyone look that happy in my life. I think she’s already over it.”
Sable smiled. The woman had his number, so she could have called him at any time. He’d gotten a simple text from her late yesterday morning, “Thank you. For everything.” There was nothing else from her, and Sable doubted there would be.
He pulled on some shorts and headed into the dressing room, pulling up a chair and watching Olivia in the mirror as she curled her long hair. She was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever known, a natural beauty who didn’t need make-up to look her best. But he’d taken her to more than one of these events, and he was impressed by what she could do with the tools in her kit. She went from knock-out to movie star gorgeous, though she still looked fresh, as if she’d woken up that way.
He watched in rapt attention as she curled her hair one strip at a time until her hair hung loose, perfect wavy tendrils adding body and fullness to her shiny mane. She sprayed her hair and let the mist settle before she stood and moved to another chair where her brushes were set up.
Sable followed her, and she began recounting her time at the department store. He laughed when she described the personal shopper frantically running behind the petite blonde as she bought every dress that caught her fancy. Olivia’s voice was sweet like honey, her lips mesmerizing as he watched her apply make-up to her freshly washed face. He lost track of her words, just enjoying the sound as she continued to tell the story, when he realized she was waiting for an answer.
Olivia repeated her question, “Did you give her a spending limit, or did you just hope she would be reasonable?”
“No, should I have?”
Olivia laughed. “Well, I’m sure you can afford it, I just think you’ll be a little shocked when you get the bill, that’s all.”
Sable leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose lightly, “Are you jealous? I could buy you another dress.”
“No. Actually, yes.” She blushed, surprised that she’d admitted such a thing. She and Sable had an agreement, put in place by her no less; they both saw other people, and when they tired of those people, they saw each other. The arrangement had served them well all this time, so even Olivia was surprised at the twinge of jealousy she felt towards the woman in Rolland’s yesterday.
Sable moved to stand behind Olivia and began rubbing her shoulders, slowly working the tension out of her muscles as she worked on her make-up in the brightly lit room. He kissed her neck, taking his time and reveling in the feel of her heart beating beneath his lips.
“I’m not going anywhere, you know that. No woman can tame me, or make me settle down. I’ll always be yours, and you’ll always be mine.”
Olivia snorted. “Sable.” She slapped him over her shoulder. “Don’t ruin what we have. I’m not asking for a commitment.”
“But you are hinting that you’d like to have sex.”
She bit her lip and met his eyes in the mirror. “What do you think?”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and laid his head on her shoulder. He whispered softly into her ear, his hot breath sending goose bumps along her bare flesh.
“You can have me any time you want; just say the word.”
He kissed her quickly and walked away, heading for his closet to pull out his tux for the evening. Olivia leaned heavily against the chair back, watching him walk away in the mirror.
Way to get a girl worked up and walk away, Sable. Well played.
She’d be lucky if she made it through the entire gala without ravishing him on the balcony in full view of the other guests.
She went back to the task at hand, putting the final touches on her make-up before she slipped into her dress. Only an hour before the event, she wanted to make sure she had plenty of time to get completely ready, just in case Sable had plans for her before the event. She looked at herself in the mirror and scowled. He’d better have plans for me afterwards.
She puckered her lips and applied the deep red stain. Satisfied, she shimmied into her tight dress, careful to pull it over her hips slowly to prevent stretching the delicate fabric. She pulled the straps over her shoulder and turned to look into the mirror.
Sable came around the corner, already clad in his tuxedo. He whistled softly through his teeth, winking appreciatively at her.
“Best $5,000 I’ve ever spent on a dress.”
Olivia rolled her eyes at him. So he’d already checked his bill to see how much she’d spent. She felt a tug and Sable snipped the price tag and set it on the vanity. Or he just saw the tag dangling from your underarm. Olivia resisted the urge to
slap her forehead in disgust.
CHAPTER TWO
Sable opened Olivia’s door and held out his hand for her. The valet got behind the driver’s seat and slid the Jaguar into gear as Olivia slipped one delicate arm through Sable’s and walked alongside him into the grand hall. Music from a string quartet floated on the breeze, leading the way to the spacious dance floor.
Sable wasted no time, leading her directly to the dance floor and pulling her close to him.
“When this boring show of inter-species cooperation is over, I’m going to destroy that beautiful dress and the lovely woman inside of it.”
Olivia shuddered, the heat of his words exciting her. She could buy another dress, well, he could. But a night with Sable was priceless, and it had been a very long time. She rested her head on his chest, trying to hide the crimson creeping up her neck as the heat grew inside her. His hand slid down to her waist to the small of her back, pulling her tightly against him and sliding his leg between hers as they floated across the floor.
The song ended and the dancers stopped to applaud the quartet. A grey-haired man strode onto the stage, microphone in hand. Sable grabbed Olivia by the hand and led her to one of the many balconies. He sat on the ornamental marble bench and pulled her onto his lap. The muffled sound of the politician was barely audible as they kissed in the light of the full moon.
Olivia leaned into him, smiling when his roaming hand cupped her breast. Sable’s other hand ran up her leg, sneaking slowly towards her thigh.
He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Wanna do it right here, right now?”
Olivia shook her head. Was he crazy? There were hundreds of people roaming the great hall. One of them could walk through the door to the balcony at any time, catching them in the act.
“No. I can wait.” She licked her lips and looked into his brown eyes. “I think.”
The door opened and he stood suddenly, setting her on her feet and pulling her into the shadows as Aldrich walked through the archway.
He pulled a long cigarette out of his coat pocket and was about to light it when he noticed the pair trying to appear casual against the wall. He nodded to Sable and left the balcony as abruptly as he’d arrived.
“What was that about?”
“Just some shifter politics, nothing that applies to us.” He grabbed her hand and led her back inside, grabbing two delicate champagne glasses and handing her one. “It’s going to be a long night, drink up.”
Hours later, an exhausted Olivia filled the large jet tub with fragrant bubbles. Sable moved behind her to unzip her dress, sliding the fabric down her shoulders and leaving it in a puddle on the floor. True to her word, she hadn’t worn panties to the gala. Sable’s nostrils flared with need.
“If I’d realized that you were naked beneath that dress, I would have taken you right there on the balcony.”
Olivia broke away and slipped beneath the bubbles, shooing Sable away. She was too sore to even think about sex, especially not with Sable. She’d change her tune once the hot water worked the tension out of her screaming calves and thighs. Until then, she wanted to be alone.
“When you’re through, I’ll be in the library.” He looked at his watch. “It’s two a.m., do you work tomorrow?”
“No.”
“Egan is asleep, so take your time. I’ll be ready when you are.” He leaned to her and kissed her sweetly on the head, his right hand reaching into the water to give her breast a squeeze.
“You’re awful, Sable.”
She slid down until the bubbles brushed her chin and pushed the timer on the jets, moaning with pleasure as the one directly behind her massaged her back. Sable left the room, humming a little tune as he made his way toward the library.
Olivia played the evening over in her head. There was so much talking, the words of each politician were a jumbled mess in her head. All she had gathered from the endless chatter was that shifters and humans were coexisting without issue, but there was still much work to be done. A small group of journalists had been present, shouting questions at each delegate as they finished their pre-written speeches. None of the questions made much sense, and were based solely on supposition. None of the issues they brought up were based on reality, and Olivia was certain the footage would be edited to fit some agenda against shifters roaming the country freely. They’d lived among the humans for generations without incident, but once their existence was revealed, the protesters came out in force.
Olivia hated all the negativity surrounding people like Sable, and the politicians had been hard to listen to. Beneath their seemingly-positive messages were thinly-veiled promises of retribution if the peace that had always been was ever broken. Olivia had barely contained herself when one man went on and on about the perceived, wide-spread insemination of female humans with the intention to take over the species, one baby at a time. Aldrich caught her gaze at that moment, his stare leveled on Sable as the men glared at each other across the room. There was so much tension beneath the surface that Olivia had been ready to go long before they finally made their way to the Jaguar.
Rousing herself from her wayward thoughts, she began to scrub her pink skin, working the remaining knots out of her muscles and sighing with the release. She felt a million times better. Maybe next time I’ll buy myself a jet tub instead of a dress. Olivia laughed at her own joke. As generous as he was, Olivia had no interest in living off handouts from her dear friend. She had her own job and paid her own way. Of course, she didn’t mind using his massive tub once in a while.
She stood and wrapped a large, plush towel around herself and wrapped a smaller towel around her head. She searched the dressing room for her t-shirt, unable to find it. She rummaged through his clothes, choosing a soft, green shirt from his collection. Forgoing underwear, she headed down the hall towards the library, the heat within her rising in anticipation.
The library door was open, and Sable lay in the recliner asleep, book resting in his lap. Olivia tip-toed to him and set the book down on the table beside him. She slid onto his lap, kissing him softly, drawing him out of his slumber. His eyes flew open, surprised that he’d fallen asleep.
“I was waiting for you,” he said against her mouth as she gently kissed him.
“I’m here now.”
Sable ran his hands up her legs and under the hem of his shirt. He caressed her gently, letting her touch slowly pull him from the fog of sleep. She rocked her hips slowly, kissing him with growing hunger and need. He was pulling the hem of her shirt up, ready to throw the garment off and onto the floor, when they heard Egan in the doorway.
“What the hell, Sable.”
He spun and ran out of the room, banging into the wall as he tried to put as much distance between himself and the two of them. He roared in anger, over and over, until the tone changed. With a final roar, Egan began to shift, breathing heavily with discomfort as he shifted in anger. Sable ran into the hall, hand out to stop Egan from completing the transition. The young man still struggled to control his anger and himself. Egan was known to run off for days when he shifted in anger, and nothing Sable had said or done had helped his brother get control of himself.
In the hall, Egan was on all fours on the floor, transition nearly complete, only his face still held hints of humanity in its features. Egan roared at his brother, using his last moments in human form to express his rage at the unfairness of the world.
“You can have anyone, Sable. Why her?”
Sable moved to explain; to tell his kid brother that they’d been together off and on since he was eight years old. Whether Egan loved her or not, Olivia was not interested, and had said so on several occasions. Sable didn’t want to hurt Egan, but he had to understand that Olivia was not the woman for him.
Before he could give voice to his thoughts, Egan turned and jumped through a hall window that looked out on the acres of forest that stretched behind their home. Sable ran towards the window as the blur of orange and black fur disappeared into the
night.
Olivia ran from the library, her hand holding the bottom of the shirt down to keep it from riding up. Hot tears streamed down her face as her eyes locked with Sable’s.
“I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. He knows you’re too old for him. It’s just a crush; he’ll get over it eventually.”
Olivia nodded. Egan’s overreaction was a symptom of some other internal struggle, though both adults were clueless as to what that could be.
“I’ll take care of myself, you worry about Egan.”
Sable nodded, and with smoothness born from decades of practice, shifted and leapt out the window, racing after the angry teen.
**
Sable raced through the trees, his ears pricked, eyes focused on the ground before him. Egan’s large prints stretched out ahead of him as he ran, his sleek body moving freely as it ate up the ground before him. Within minutes, he could hear Egan crashing through the woods. In his anger, the teen wasn’t thinking about his actions, nor did he even consider trying to be quiet to avoid detection. As if on cue, the teen let out a ferocious roar several yards ahead of Sable. Sable slowed slightly, crouching low to the ground as he creeped up behind Egan.
Egan was perched on a large boulder, roaring repeatedly into the night sky, sending birds flying out of trees around him. They were still within the boundaries of the family land, though a human town was not far from the southern edge of the forest. On a night as clear as this, it was likely that his roars could be heard in the distance, however faintly. Sable wanted to catch Egan before he went too far, putting unnecessary strain on the already shaky alliance between human and shifter.
Unaware that his brother was just feet away, Egan looked up at the bright moon, roaring mournfully into the sky. Even without his human features, Sable could see the pain etched on the younger tiger’s face. His heart hurt for his brother, but he had to put a stop to this now.
A twig snapped under Sable’s paw and Egan swung around towards the sound. Sable moved out of the shadows and Egan charged, leaping into the air from the elevated rock. Sable ducked out of the way just in time, and Egan hit the hard ground with a thud, rolling in the dirt and getting up. He shook himself off and lunged again, this time hitting Sable in the shoulder and knocking him down. Egan pinned Sable to the ground and bared his sharp teeth, roaring loudly as he lunged for his brother’s throat. Sable swiped at him with his free paw, slapping his head with his full force, throwing the young beast off and down a short embankment. Egan yelped in pain, though that didn’t stop him from coming back at his brother, his face filled with rage.
