by Jessica Loft
“Well, excuse me for being concerned about you facing murderous men on your own. I-I guess I had no reason to worry.” She swallowed, eyeing his shoulder. “You’re wound is already healing.”
“My kind heals fast.”
She let out a breath.
“I should be freaking out right now, but I guess I’m much too relieved that you’re still alive.”
He took a step toward her and she retreated. Hurt flickered across his face.
“It’s still me, Eve.”
“I know, but the fact that you’re a-a-”
“Tiger shifter.”
“Yeah, that. It’s hard to swallow, Damon. Now it’s clear why you kept making all those weird comments. That’s why you were so sure Aidan was your nephew when you first saw him.” Her eyes widened. “Is Aiden like you?”
“He is only half tiger shifter. His mother was human. He won’t be able to shift, but he will have some attributes of a shifter. He will be extra strong and fast.”
Eve nodded.
“Awesome. Now I really have to leave. I’ll be way out of place here.”
“You can’t go,” Damon murmured.
She sighed, eyeing him from head to toe. Even after seeing him change into a tiger, like something out of a Sci-Fi movie, and kill seven men, she still wanted him.
“Um, maybe you should put on some clothes, Damon.”
“I don’t care about clothes when you’re talking about leaving.”
“I can’t focus when you’re standing in front of me in all your naked glory. The only thing I can think about is jumping you.”
He blinked and then grinned. “You’re not afraid of me?”
“I am a little, but I know you won’t hurt me.”
“Come here, Eve.” He held out a hand to her. If she took it, she accepted him. If she refused, he would have to let her go, even if it killed him.
She looked at his outstretched hand then glanced up to meet his gaze. Blue eyes bore into hers with burning intensity. She didn’t want to leave. No matter what he was, she still loved him, and she loved Aidan as well. Picturing her life without them wasn’t very appealing. What was there for her back in Texas anyway? Nothing but a life of loneliness. She found herself moving slowly toward him. Eve placed her hand in his, and he let out the breath he had been holding.
“You might think it’s too soon for me to say this but I love you, Eve. You were created just for me. After meeting you, I don’t think I can live without you. I know, it’s a bit crazy since we haven’t known each other very long.”
“Well, I guess we’re both crazy because I love you too. I don’t care if you’re not fully human. I love animals, especially cats,” she finished with a slight smile.
Damon let out a laugh and pulled her to him.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“I want to know everything about tiger shifters.”
“You will in due time, I promise.”
“Um, what do we do about the bodies laying in your front yard?”
He glanced down at her.
“They will be carried to the woods, far from here and everyone will assume a wild animal attacked them. I doubt many people will mourn Brock’s death.”
“You’ve done this before haven’t you?”
“I have only ever killed to protect my own, Eve. Brock and his men would have killed you and Aidan. I had to-”
She placed a finger against his lips.
“I get it.” She stretched up to plant a tender kiss on his mouth.
“Now about those clothes, you need to put some on before we both end up naked in your bed.”
He gave her a lascivious smile.
“Our bed and that’s exactly where we are going to end up after I shower.
Eve grinned, her violet eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Now Enjoy The Next Story Below Or Choose One From The Table of Contents
The Scandalous Duke’s Bride
CHAPTER 1
William growled as the eager lass snaked her curious hand down his trousers, tracing her fingertips up and down his already erect shaft. His chocolate brown eyes darted up to her pale blue ones, and he gave her the most devilish of smiles. She was ready to go, just like he wanted her.
“Careful there, beauty,” he warned, his own hand travelling up her dress. “If you wake the beast, you have to feed him. Those are the rules.”
His eyes raked over her figure, more for her sake than his own. He believed the girl’s name was Melissa, and like all of the others, she was tall and plain. Mousy brown hair, freckles, and no prominent feature of beauty to be found. Not that he minded. Hell, it’s what he always aimed for. The plain ones were always grateful for his attention, and he knew better than anyone that there were more plain women in his country than pretty ones. Melissa was just his type. Plain, eager, and not all that bright.
“Come here, lass,” he groaned, wrapping his arms around her to move in for the kiss.
Quick as a flash she was up off of his lap and a few paces away, a naughty grin gracing her thin lips. She wagged her finger back and forth as she shook her head. Suddenly, William realized that his reputation might have preceded him. Again.
“You think I don’t know ye?” Melissa asked, bunching her fists into her faded blue dress. “Ye think I don’t know about William the Rake? The man who’s slept with more women than the courtesan’s of Venice combined?”
William winced. “Is that what they’re saying now, eh?” He asked, lifting his pint of dark ale to his lips. “That’s a new one. Anyway lass, I wouldn’t worry about it. I may sleep around, but I’ve become quite good at it. Very good at it. If you come upstairs with me right now, I’ll give ye a free taste. Maybe even teach you some things.”
By now, the rest of the men in the tavern had their ears leaning heavily on the conversation. They were braced to cheer, but for who, they weren’t quite certain. Not even pretending to be uninterested, everyone’s eyes looked back and forth between Melissa, the tavern wench, and William the rake.
Coming forward, Melissa sashayed her hips and bowed her back so William could see the large swell of her breasts. “Do you like what you see, Rake?” She teased, knowing she had the upper hand for a man who was ruled by his prick. “Do you want what’s inside this pretty little dress?”
“Oh, aye,” the handsome devil replied, his hands outstretched. If he was sober and at the top of his game, he would know he was being played. But four pints of his favorite ale and having a cock tease in his lap for hours had made his mind weak and his reflexes slow. He got up, stumbling, and ripped the front buttons off of his shirt to expose his tanned and muscled chest. Many a women had laid their dresses down for him as he bared his muscles, and knew it to be a great wooing trick.
For a moment, Melissa was one of those women. Men of her stature often didn’t have bodies like Greek Gods. Often times they were bone skinny or had an overly healthy layer of fat around their middle. But this man, this man was so perfectly sculpted that she was sure God himself had spent extra time making him.
“Come and touch me, lass,” William murmured, taking another step closer. “Ye know ye want to see the rest of me.” A deviance glittered in his eyes, and he could tell he was winning. “I promise ye a night ye’ll never forget.”
His very last statement was what brought Melissa out of her hypnosis, and she laughed heartily at his attempt. “Ye a pretty man, Duke Rake. Prettier than me I’ll admit that. But ye ain’t goin’ te rest ye bones here t’night. Not with me anyways. Nay, not with anybody in this tavern. We all know your reputation, Duke, and it’s dirtier than the pig sty we have in te back.”
A roar of laughter went up through the tavern as the plucky Melissa clearly won the round of temptation. Her rosy cheeks lit up with pleasure, and her eyes filled with contempt. “Face it, rake, no one in this town wants to be in your bed anymore,” she sneered.
“Easy wench,” William slurred, taking off the rest of his shirt. “Or I’ll
put ye over me knee.”
“Ha! Ye can barely stand, ye dumb ox,” she shot back, sashaying to the lap of another onlooker. He gave her his legs willingly and all but buried his face in her breasts when she sat down.
Embarrassment poured through William as he took a look around at the people in the tavern. They were all either looking at him or her, and all held mockery in their eyes. He cursed, and picked up his wooden pint. “Forget ye all,” he roared, stumbling into the bar area. “Forget ye and ye peasant ways!
“Would ye listenin’ to the wee Duke,” a patron whispered, watching in fascination as the titled man staggered from the large drinking room into the smaller bar area. “He’s completely foxed!”
“Aye,” Melissa agreed. “He’s been so out of his head lately that he doesn’t even realize that he’s hit on me before.” She settled further into the man’s lap, content on going home with him for the night.
“He’s made a mess out of his title, that’s for sure. If I’d been born with his name and money, you’d best believe ye wouldn’t catch me in the likes of this place. I’d be roamin’ around the world, wooin’ and courtin’ every fine woman in the world.”
Melissa laughed. “Don’t you know? He’s already done that. That’s why he comes to the taverns. We’re the only ones left.”
~
William landed heavily on the bar, his weight sending him into it with a solid thrust that would have knocked out any other man. Not him though. He’d been through worse with his uncles and father. Shaking his head to turn the memory away, he lifted his eyes and saw the very pretty, very innocent looking bar maiden staring straight at him. Normally he didn’t go after ones so good looking, but there was a softness in her doe eyes that he felt he just had to touch.
“Hello little love,” he slurred, pulling out his purse. “Pour me an ale, would ye?” He tossed down three times as many coin as he needed, and watched in pleasure as her eyes grew wide at the sight of such money.
“That’s too much sir,” she breathed.
“Aye,” William nodded, reaching out to stroke her cheek. “Tis not for ale. Tis for you.”
A beautiful blush spread through the peasant girl’s cheeks as she understood the proposal that was just given to her. She had been courted by men many times but none had ever looked as good as this one. He seemed to be chiseled out from stone, his jaw and muscles hard as rock. His hair, long to his shoulders, looked dark and silky to the touch. She thought of what it would be like to run her fingertips through those locks, and have him run his through hers.
“How’s about that ale, love?” William asked, seeing he was distracting her. Not that he minded. It was a very good sign.
“Oh! Um, yes, of course.” She turned her back to him to pour the ale into another pint, and quickly spun around to serve it to him.”
“Thank ye, lass,” he answered, pushing all of the coins forward for her to take.
“My name is Tabitha, sir,” she replied, her voice as soft and low like the hum of a flute.
“Tabitha. Aye, that be a pretty name,” William noticed, taking a swig of his ale. “Well Tabitha, I’ve paid ye my due. What do you say you give me what I’ve bought?”
“Hells fire and damnation!” A man suddenly roared, making William jump from his stool. From his left, a large, bald man with a ruddy nose pushed his way in between William and Tabitha. He had a hatchet in one hand and a single shot pistol in the other.
“What the hell do ye think ye doin?” The man roared.
“Drinking,” William replied simply. “And procuring company for the night.”
“Aye, ye may be drinking. But ye ain’t under any circumstances procuring my daughter for your night.”
William stood up indignantly. “Do you know who I am sir?” He asked, barely able to stand.
The big man in the apron nodded, a bead of sweat rolling down his nose. “Ye the Duke’s son, Sir William,” he replied.
“Good. Then ye know that disrespecting me has dire consequences,” William warned, his tone suddenly very serious. He saw the large man soften a little, and he knew he’d regained some ground.
“Leave.” He said suddenly. “Leave now in one piece.”
William cracked his knuckles, rolled his neck from side to side, and then proceeded to throw one of the sloppiest punches in history. The barkeeper easily dodged the hit and brought the hilt of the hatchet up to hit William square on the chin. The hit had a lot of motion into it, and sent the drunk Duke flying backwards.
“Get him the bloody hell out of here!” The barkeep roared. Immediately two other men were on their feet, ready to carry out the order.
In a move of saving grace William was able to bring down one of the large men, but the other hauled him up to his feet just to punch him in his stomach with enough force to send him flying out the door and into the alley.
“Och, come on!” William gasped, wheezing from both pain and laughter. “Is that te best ye got for me?”
The barkeeper came strolling into the rain; his hands now empty, but his eyes full of flaming anger. He cocked back his fist and slammed it hard into William’s left eye. The hit took him down to the ground, and this time he couldn’t get back up. An involuntary wince shot through him as he felt the larger man wrap his fist around his soaked and muddy shirt.
“I don’t care if ye were born with a silver spoon stuck up ye ass or not,” the barkeep whispered, his tone deadly. “Ye know the rules. Ye know me daughter is the only one off limits, yet ye came after her anyway. The next time ye set foot in me bar, I don’t care if the King himself is with ye, I’ll kill ye.”
“You wait until my father hears about this!” William snarled, shame filling him.
The barkeep stood up and nodded his head. “Aye. I’ll be sure te tell him first thing in the morning. I’m sure he has a few things te say about the matter of his drunken, whoring son.”
With nothing else to say, the barkeep let go of William’s shirt and left him there in rainy alley. Personally he didn’t care if he found his way back to the Duke’s Manor or not. All he wanted was for him to be off and away from his property.
William winced as he sat up, his hand going to his eye. It hurt like something awful, and already he could feel it swelling to the size of grapefruit. On wobbly legs he stood up and leaned heavily against the stone wall. Home. He had to get home. With one foot in front of the other, he slowly began to make his way. As he did, he thought of what would happen with his father tomorrow after someone spilled the details of the brawl.
“Bloody hell,” he groaned, wishing he could take another punch from the barkeep instead of another lecture from his father.
CHAPTER 2
The cold water woke William up immediately from his drunken stupor, soaking him to the bone. He coughed and blubbered as it splashed up his nose and into his ears. Sitting up, he opened his mouth roaring.
“Hell’s fire!” he yelled, wiping at his eyes. “Who the bloody hell”-
A hard cuff came across his ear and he immediately fell silent. He didn’t have to open his eyes to know that signature move. It was his father. Sighing, William threw the covers off of his naked torso and stood up to look his maker in the eye.
“You’re a disgrace,” Walter Stanin, Duke of the lands snarled. If it weren’t for his graying hair, he and William would pass for brothers, not father and son. The old man still had his boyishly good looks and masculine figure still very much in tact. He was dressed as usual to the nines, ready to receive the complaints from the villagers. It was then, William assumed, that the barkeeper made his displeasure for his son known.
“Tell me something new my lord,” William sighed, walking past his father, naked, to his bathing room. He sank down into the marble pool of warm water, grateful to get the stink of stale ale off of him.
“You’ve tainted every part of this country,” Walter hissed, his fists balled up tightly, shaking.
“Come now father,” William said nonchalantly as he r
ubbed soap into his hair. “You know that’s not true. We both know I’ve tainted several other countries as well.”
“That’s enough!” Walter roared, slamming the booted foot into the ground. The sound sent a loud echo through the marbled cavern, catching William’s attention.
“You listen to me, and you listen to me good, boy. Your mother, God rest her soul, died giving birth to you, my one and only child. Though I was advised to remarry I decided against it out of respect for her precious life. I did my best with you. Raised you the way I could, hired the best nannies, tutors, and sword teachers for you. I took you with me every chance I could so that you could see what it would be like to eventually rule this land.
But, no matter how hard I tried, you bucked against my reins. You found a way to spoil every moment, and along the way you entered every bed you possibly could. I was like you, before I met your mother. I remember what it’s like to taste a young maiden’s eager flesh. But I grew up, and now so must you.”
William rolled his eyes, not believing his father. “And how, old man, do you plan to do that?”
“Simple,” Walter replied. “I’ve arranged a marriage for you. One, I believe that will be well suited for you. Both she and her father have agreed to the arrangement. All we need now is you.”
Laughing, William shook his head. “No. I will not.”
Raising an amused eyebrow, Walter gave his spoiled son a devilish grin. “Very well. If you choose to not accept this offer.”
“Which I’m not,” William interrupted.
“All right then. Since you have chosen to reject this gracious offer, you will be disowned.”
William’s cockiness dropped right out of his gut. “What?”
“You heard me my dear boy. You have a choice. Either stay as you are; a drunken whore who will soon be title-less and penniless, or, you accept the marriage proposal from Rolf Havisham and his daughter Gloriana; and you not only keep your title but you also gain a very nice size dowry. Not to mention her lands.” Walter, knowing that he had the upper hand, turned his back to leave.
