by Josie Hunter
“You’re absolutely right, sir.”
Santos gestured with his tumbler. “Drink, Talon. Enjoy the heat. Love the suit.”
Sadistic bastard. Of course he loved the suit. He loved watching anyone suffer, and what better way to do that than dress him in a portable sauna?
“It fits you well.”
“You have an excellent tailor, sir.” Damn, why can’t we just get on with this?
He took a sip of the bourbon and, within moments, was burning on the inside as well as the outside. He caught the cough in his throat and managed to keep the liquor down, though his entire body seemed to be going up in flames. He ignored the trickles of sweat running down the inside of his shirt, and he steeled himself to not swipe at the one running down his temple. He’d give anything for a blast of arctic air. Better still, he’d love to be cruising on a cool current high in the clouds. There was nothing greater than—
“Isn’t that good news, Talon?”
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
“I’m sorry, sir. I was savoring this delicious bourbon. What’s the good news?”
Santos gave him a look, almost impossible to read, but if Talon had to guess, it said, “One more chance, buddy. Fuck it up and you’re toast.”
Which wouldn’t have been too much different than how he felt at the moment because he already felt like toast. And not the good, crispy, toasted-to-perfection toast. He felt like soggy, burned toast smothered in hot, gooey, bourbon-flavored gravy.
“The blood sample results came back. My daughter’s blood contains the same mutations as my dear departed Juan’s.”
“That is excellent news, sir.”
“Indeed.” Santos swirled his glass, watching the expensive bourbon lick against the side of the tumbler.
“So, what’s the next step, sir? What do you need me to do?”
There. Initiative. The boss loved initiative.
“Nothing at the moment,” Santos said.
Crash and burn. Never good for a bird of any sort. This wasn’t going to be good if he weren’t needed.
“I have a plan, Talon, which I intend to implement in the next few days. I’m going to head to Texas and visit my beautiful daughter.”
“I’m sure she’ll be delighted, sir.” Delighted, my ass. If he had to take another guess, he’d guess Rosa Santos would run for the fucking hills if she knew her psychotic daddy was anywhere near the state of Texas.
“Sí, perhaps,” Santos said. “She doesn’t yet know I’m planning a visit. We spoke earlier though, and I believe she’ll be receptive in time.”
“I fully concur, sir.”
Not.
They sat for several moments sipping on the firewater while Talon baked in the bar-cum-sauna. Several of the serpent-shifters had moved to the tiny dance floor in front of the bandstand, and they now slithered around each other in a disgusting display as the drummer drummed lackadaisically and the trumpet player tooted out some really sad notes.
“You may go now,” Santos said.
Huh? What the fuck?
“No orders, sir?”
“No, Talon, no orders. I called, and you came. That’s all. Now get out.”
Talon rose and moved toward the door as normally as he could, though honestly, he couldn’t get away fast enough. When he reached the sidewalk, he ripped off his tie and jacket then rolled up his sleeves. He mopped the sweat off his face and glanced once more toward the open French door.
“What a psycho,” he murmured.
He rounded the corner and headed down Bourbon Street, planning to slide into the first bar with air-conditioning. He needed an ice-cold glass of wine something fierce.
* * * *
“I made it a bit stronger than I normally do,” Rosa said as she handed Robb the coffee cup. “I know just about everyone at Cattail likes to drink mud.”
He shook some wet hair out of his face and gave her a smile as he took the cup from her. “Thanks, Rosie. You have a great shower.”
“One of my vices. I love nothing more than a really hot, really steamy shower.”
“My ex was the same way. You serpents with your cold blood. Gotta have that heat.”
“At least we’re fairly predictable.”
“Riiiight,” he said with a smile. “Predictable.”
She settled at the bistro table overlooking the balcony, adjusting her flowered silk robe modestly over her legs. When he joined her, she pushed the plate with the bagel and cream cheese toward him. “I love to cook, but not first thing in the morning.” She glanced at the clock to see it was just after six.
“This is great, more than great.” He spread some cream cheese over his bagel and took a big bite. “You know, I could have taken a shower at the ranch. We have great facilities in the security hut.”
“Sí, Tyler takes care of everyone well. He’s a great alpha. I don’t believe anyone could make a complaint.” She took a sip of coffee then poured some more cream into the cup.
“You sure as hell won’t get any from me. They even took Bobby last night.” He took another bite, and she watched him studying her as he chewed slowly. “So why did you get up with me, Rosie? You don’t seem like a morning person.”
She laughed and raked the hair away from her face. “Do I look that bad?”
“Hell no. You look great.” He reached across the table and lifted a strand of hair from her shoulder. He tickled her nose with it, and she laughed again. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful woman in the morning.”
“Then you, Tomcat, don’t get out enough.”
He sat back, looking very large in the small chair. His eyes glittered in amusement. “Then we’ll just have to remedy that.”
“Jackson, I…”
“Uh-oh, here it comes.” He took a sip of his coffee, staring at her as though daring her to say the words.
“I tried to bring it up last night. You know this…” She gestured between the two of them. “You know it can’t possibly work. We’re two of a kind, and I just don’t see how—”
“We worked it out last night, Rosie.” He leaned forward and took her hand, twining their fingers together.
“It was just one night,” Rosa said.
“Yes, just one night, but we still did it.”
She leaned forward and stared into his eyes, desperately trying to make him understand why this would never work. “We’re dominants, Jackson, both of us. It’s not about either of us allowing the other control. It’s the fact that both of us need control. We need to see people kneeling before us. We need to see the plea in someone’s eyes, hear the appeal in someone’s voice, watch a supplicant’s body vibrate with restrained pleasure.”
He lifted his eyebrows up and down in a rakish movement. “You’re turning me on, kid.”
She huffed and fell back in her chair. “Sí, exactly. It’s a turn-on because it’s what you need, what you crave, and it’s what I crave as well.”
“I’d let you flog me.”
She took his hand. “I believe you would. And I’d have a bit of fun just watching your face, but it’s not the same, and you know it. Unless you feel the need to be flogged?” She glanced at him hopefully.
He shook his head. “I wish I did because it would make this relationship a heck of a lot easier.”
“We can’t have a relationship, Jackson.” There, she’d said it. “It’s impossible.”
“Nothing’s impossible, Rosie,” he said quietly.
“This is.” She wrapped her hands around her coffee cup because she suddenly felt cold.
“Isn’t there some way to compromise?” He gave her one of his really nice smiles. “You said you’d go on another date with me. Are you changing your mind?”
“I–I don’t know.” She glanced out the window and saw a wheelchair moving through the park across the alleyway. Larry was up and at ’em early. She waved as usual, and he waved his hat in the air, giving her a big smile. When she turned her attention back to Robb, he was staring at his half-eat
en bagel. “How can we date and not have sex?”
Robb’s head shot up. “We can have sex.”
“But we’d still be having relationships with our playmates at Clandestine…wouldn’t we?”
“I don’t know,” Robb said. “Would we? I’m not sure I’d like that.”
She raked her hair back again. “You see? It’s impossible. We can’t share with people we’re not involved with, and we can’t find our own satisfaction and relief unless we see those people.”
Robb’s brow furrowed. “You said people.”
“I did?” She racked her brain, but she’d been so confused since the night before she had no idea what she’d said. All she knew was she needed to dominate people, and dominating Robb Jackson was not an option.
“Yes, you said, ‘We can’t share with people we’re not involved with.’”
“Oh, I imagine I’ve been living with the Lucases too long. To me, almost every viable relationship seems to be a ménage or more.”
“And they work,” Robb said.
She smiled. “I don’t know about all of them, but both Jillian’s and Carly’s marriages have been happy and healthy. Of course, maybe the Lucas men are just special.”
“Bullshit,” he said with a smile. “I’m just as special as they are.”
She dropped her gaze for a moment then met his eyes again. “You might be right.”
“I am right, and there are others in this town just as special as I am.”
“Really?” She pursed her lips and studied him. “So this topic of conversation has come up before?”
“It has,” he said, his expression serious.
“Concerning me?”
“Yes, ma’am. Concerning you.”
“Hmm…” She rubbed her lip with her finger. “I’m not sure I like people discussing me.”
Robb chuckled. “I’m not sure I believe that.” He gave her a sexy grin. “I think you like it just fine.”
“You seem to think you know a great deal about me, Tomcat. Why is that?”
“It’s part of my job,” Robb said. “I listen, I observe, I—”
“You discuss.”
“True,” he said with a nod, “but just so you know, we say only the finest things about you.”
Rosa laughed. “Oh, I can just imagine. And may I ask with whom you hold these discussions?”
“No, ma’am, you may not.” He winked at her, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
She tilted her face and eyed him up and down. What a pretty package he made with his hunky body, adorable smile, and his hair falling boyishly over his forehead. “So someone has proposed sharing me?”
He stood, and she huffed in disbelief as he shoved the rest of his bagel in his mouth to avoid answering. He moved to the counter, put his empty plate in the dishwasher, and slurped down the rest of his coffee. When he tugged her to her feet, he cupped her face in his hands.
“We’ll finish this conversation later, but you’re very perceptive, Rosa Santos.”
“It’s six thirty in the morning, Jackson. I’m never perceptive before ten.”
His gaze roamed over her face. “I love my kid, but I almost wish I didn’t have Bobby this summer. We could…” His wiggled his brows. “You know.”
“Sí,” she said, giving him a little push and herding him backward through the swinging door, “I do know, but you have work, and you have a son, and I seriously need some more sleep.”
He laughed and gave her a hearty kiss, one of those you’re-a-doll-doll-but-I-gotta-go kisses. She jerked when he pinched her butt.
“Can I call you next week?” he asked.
“You better.”
And with that he was gone in a flash. She heard him whistling as he hit the staircase.
“You, chica, are in some serious trouble here.”
She smiled and headed back to bed. A ménage. He certainly didn’t seem the type to entertain an idea like that, but wouldn’t that be interesting?
Chapter 6
On Monday afternoon, Rosa walked the shady block until she came to the blue awning of Delectable, a small café right off Main Street. One glance in the window told her she’d arrived right on time. Carly, Lucia, and Suzie were just sitting down at a table by the window. Two female Tomcats dressed in black stood off to the side. Rosa recognized one as Danielle, the panther usually assigned to Suzie at the ranch. The other one had been to the studio several times.
Suzie grabbed her cowboy hat and began to bounce up and down when she saw Rosa. Rosa gave her a big wave then yanked open the door to the sound of a tinkling bell and reluctantly stepped into the air-conditioning. She’d just pulled the silky shawl closer around her shoulders when a small mint-clad body plowed into her legs.
“Hola, Suzie Q. Going for green today I see.”
“I was watching My Little Pony today, and I liked the color.”
“It’s a great color.”
“Mommy wanted to wear pink today, but I talked her into this.”
Rosa glanced toward Carly to see the mint-green sundress, which looked great with her ash-blonde hair and pretty tan. “You both look wonderful.” She took Suzie’s hand, and they made their way to the table. Carly immediately stood and gave her a kiss on the cheek, and Lucia waddled to her feet and threw her arms around Rosa.
“Dos semanas, muchacha,” Lucia said. “Two weeks without my Rosa. Te echo de menos en el rancho.”
Rosa cupped the old woman’s cheeks and gave her a quick buss on the forehead. “I miss you, too, mi amiga.”
“Visita más,” she said sternly, her dark eyes filled with fire. “Cada semana. Every week.”
“Oh, will you listen to her, Carly? She’s ordering me around now, just like she did when I was a girl. And here I’d thought I’d grown up.”
Carly laughed, and poor Lucia looked beyond embarrassed. Her plump cheeks blushed, and she hung her head for a moment.
“Sí, old Lucia is wrong. Visita más, por favor. Please.”
Rosa put her arm around Lucia’s shoulders and squeezed her tight as Carly got Suzie settled in her seat. Lucia plopped back down, and Rosa sat beside her. When the waitress placed a water glass and menu in front of her, Rosa glanced up to thank her.
She was met with a friendly face behind black glasses, a blonde ponytail, and a tag that read Stephanie.
“Oh, hello,” Rosa said.
The girl gave her a bright smile, and her brown eyes lit up behind her glasses. “Hi, ma’am, nice to see you again.”
“You must be pretty busy with two jobs.”
“Pretty much,” the girl said with a laugh. She continued to place glasses and menus around the table, and then she excused herself.
“I don’t think I’ve seen her in town before,” Carly said, staring after the bouncy young woman. “You seemed to know her.”
“She was our waitress at Paradiso Friday night.”
“That’s odd, working at a place like Paradiso and also a café. I’d think…” Carly’s eyes narrowed. “Wait a minute, you said our waitress.”
“Robb Jackson,” Rosa admitted before Carly could grill her.
“Oh, Tomcat 6,” Lucia said on a sigh. “Es muy guapo. Y muy sexy, sí?” She fanned herself.
“I like Tomcat 6,” Suzie piped in. “I like Bobby too.”
“Bobby’s a nice little boy,” Carly said.
Suzie nodded. “I’m going to marry him someday.”
“Oh really?” Carly said. “And what does Bobby say about that?”
Suzie shook her head, her blonde curls sliding over her shoulders. “Oh, I haven’t told him yet. But he’ll do as I say because I’m going to be the boss someday.”
The women laughed, and Carly said, “She gets more like Tyler every day.”
Stephanie came back to the table, and while Lucia and Suzie ordered, Carly leaned forward. “You and Robb would be perfect together.”
Rosa pursed her lips. “I think you’re forgetting a very important thing here, Carly.”
Little Miss Innocent stared at her with wide blue eyes. “What would that be?”
“There’s a little bit of something called d-o-m-i-n-a-t—”
“I hate when y’all spell,” Suzie said. She lifted her face to her mother. “When can I learn to spell-talk too?”
“Once we hire a tutor for you in September,” Carly said.
Suzie’s face transformed into a pout. “I want to go to school with the other kids.”
“Not this year,” Carly said. “Daddy and I—”
Suzie flounced in her seat. “I’ll talk to Daddy. He’ll understand.”
Carly glanced at Rosa over the top of Suzie’s head and shook her head with a smile.
“Sí,” Lucia said with a nod. “She will do so, and Tyler will listen too. Two alphas butting heads.”
Rosa laughed. “Then Carly will just have to do something else to persuade him.”
Carly slapped Rosa’s hand. “You’re incorrigible. You and Robb Jackson are going to be quite the pair.”
“It might end up being more than a pair,” Rosa said softly.
Carly leaned toward her. “Oh my God,” she whispered. “Seriously?”
Rosa nodded. “Seriously.”
“Just for fun or in a real relationship?”
“Possibly real,” Rosa said with a shrug. “We will see.”
“They looked very nice together,” a voice said.
Rosa realized Stephanie had moved between them, pad at the ready. When everyone’s face swung toward the server, a pretty blush stole over her face, and she smacked a hand across her mouth. “I am so sorry. That is so not my business.”
Rosa laughed. “It’s perfectly fine. He is a bit…”
“Guapo,” Lucia said. “Muy guapo. And the girl is right.” She nodded toward Stephanie. “You and the Tomcat look very nice together.” She popped a piece of bread in her mouth after her pronouncement.
The afternoon passed pleasantly, with everyone enjoying her food. Stephanie was a good server and made sure they all had everything they needed. At the end of the meal, after Stephanie had cleared the dishes and served the coffee, Carly called Danielle over, and within a few moments, she and Suzie were hand-in-hand on their way to the ice cream parlor. The other Tomcat—a blonde by the name of Claire—gave them as much privacy as she could and still keep her eye on the colony’s alpha female.
