by U
He moved toward her, feeling the burn of anger through his veins as it battled with his need to drag her back in the house, rip off her dress, and smear her makeup with his kisses.
“You’re not going out dressed like that!” he growled.
She narrowed her eyes until all he saw was a glitter of darkness framed by her lashes. “No. A, you’re not the boss of me, and B, you’ve given me no reason why I shouldn’t dress like this.”
She continued to glare up at him, challenging him in the deepest way. The situation was spiraling out of control and he didn’t give a damn.
“A, I am your mate, and B, I prefer you to wear actual clothing,” he shot back.
She laughed. “I am wearing actual clothing and I’m not changing. What’s wrong, Pierce, afraid someone might put the moves on me? We’re not mates. I keep telling you that. You just don’t get it.”
Madison didn’t take a step back. She met him head on, stoking the fire in his belly. A growl filtered up from his chest, climbed through his throat, and slipped past his lips. “Damn you, woman, you test my patience. Don’t make me take you over my knee.”
Her eyes widened and he could scent a bit of musk coming off of her before she tossed her head, sending a wave of dark brown hair streaked with highlights to cascade over her shoulder.
“Try it and we’ll see who’s over whose knee. I’m going to go get my coat. And no, I’m not changing, and no, I won’t invite you in.”
As she turned on her heel, her tresses slapped him on the chest, dragging the silken mass over his arms and tearing a groan from him. He wanted to take her hair in hand and give it a yank, drag her face around and give her a kiss that would bend her to his will. This test of wills had increased his fervor to have her.
Goddess, she tried him. Rather than allow her to block him out he followed her into the small cottage but stopped at the threshold. She’d made herself a home there, rather than in the main mansion. It was cozier than when he’d stayed there. Warm peaches, browns, reds, and yellows decorated the space. Two couches, an ottoman, and a chaise longue were grouped around the fireplaces in the living room area. The kitchen and dining area were to the left of him, separated from the main area by a massive island.
It was her and yet it wasn’t. There was something missing in the space. A loud purr and something brushing up against his calf drew his attention. He grinned as he stared down into bright blue eyes gazing up at him with great affection. Pierce placed the gifts he had yet to give Madison on a small table next to the door and scooped up the mass of white fur. The cat snuggled into his arms, purring all the more loudly, brushing her face in his forearms. Tension melted away from him as he held this small, affectionate package.
Balancing the Persian cat in one arm, he scratched behind her ear with his free hand. “Hello, beautiful. What’s your name, hmm?”
The cat responded by rumbling all the more loudly and then closed her eyes and settled in for what seemed to be a mini nap. Pierce chuckled and headed over to a couch and sat down, careful not to jostle the cat too much.
“I told you not to…” She stopped, coat in hand in the doorway of what he knew to be the main bedroom. “Is Zoe asleep? She’s been restless all day. I thought she might be getting sick. She hadn’t touched her food.” Madison made her way over and dropped into a crouch before him. She reached out with a shaking hand and let her fingers drift through the mass of white, cream, and gray.
“Zoe, huh? Beautiful name. Do you want to leave her alone or would you prefer to drop her off at the vet. We could see if Doctor Burrows can look her over?”
The worry she expressed made his heart constrict. It was clear that this small feline meant a lot to her. He didn’t want her worrying or regretting leaving the cat during their date.
“Would you mind?” Madison looked up, relief in her eyes. “I considered going earlier but I didn’t want you to think I was trying to duck out on you.”
Pierce reached out and brushed a stray curl away from Madison’s cheek. He watched her eyelids flutter before she turned into his touch. He sucked in a breath. The fire in his stomach blazed to life from that small, simple response.
“Of course we’ll go. Carrier?”
She gave him a beautiful smile and stood up. “I’ll go get it. She doesn’t need much. Zoe loves to travel, weirdly enough. Even likes the vet.”
Madison left him with a tangle of perfume and musk in her wake. When she returned, Pierce stood and placed the cat into the fabric-lined pet container that she carried and shut the door.
Madison set the case down and brushed the strands of Zoe’s fur from his jacket. “No tie?” she teased.
The contest of wills before was forgotten in the face of his introduction to her pet.
“Hate the bloody things. They’re like nooses.” He looked over her outfit once more. She tensed but stayed silent.
Pierce sighed. “Madison, I love the way you look without much makeup, and this outfit just isn’t…well…it isn’t you. Where’s the corsets or the pencil skirts?” He reached out and traced a finger over her bare arm before meeting her gaze. “Don’t get me wrong, love. This outfit is sexy—but on someone else. You look enticing in your regular clothes.” He waited for her to bite his head off.
Her jaw clenched. “Is it wrong to want to try something new? Lea and Alec wanted me to get laid and I wanted to try a different look.”
He chuckled. “If you wanted sex from me you’d just have to smile or give me a kind word. I always want to have sex with you.” Pierce groaned inwardly, even as he said it. It wasn’t like him to be so crass.
She rolled her eyes. “Do you always have to be a perv?”
Pierce shrugged. “I am a man and a tiger to boot. How are you doing with your heat cycle?”
She grimaced. “It comes and goes, like PMS on steroids. It’s never been this bad before. Hold please.” She held out the carrier and put on her coat. “Ready to go?”
He smiled and nodded. “That’s my line. And yes.”
She held out her hand and he shook his head.
“Nope. I’ll take her. Come on.” Pierce led her out the car and opened the door. “Your carriage, m’lady,” he teased.
“What am I, Cinderella? As long as this doesn’t turn into a pumpkin at midnight.” She smiled and got in, careful of her short skirt.
Pierce chuckled at her attempt at propriety. “Told you you should have changed. Now you’re gonna be worried about flashing everyone in there.”
“Not going to happen. And if you think you’ll be getting a peek, think again.” She reached out, grabbed the carrier from him, and slammed the door shut.
Rather than argue with her, he went around and got in on the driver’s side.
“So how was your day?” Pierce wanted to establish a sense of normalcy between them after their fight about her outfit. He wanted this to feel like they were going on a real date of their own free will and that she wanted to be there as much as he did.
“Busy. Last minute touches to Shadows. And of course Sully was being his usual grumpy self.” Amusement tinged her voice.
A sense of pride and happiness filled Pierce. She was obviously contented with her job. “Do you like it at Shadows?” he asked, even though he already knew the answer from her tone.
“Yes. It’s more challenging than I thought and I have to be more creative, but I’m really enjoying it and the pay is pretty damn good. I’ll be able to get my own apartment soon.”
Waves of pride filled the cabin, chased by the scent of feline musk. Did working at Shadows arouse her? His tiger’s curiosity was piqued. He shoved away that line of thought and turned back to the mundane. He had to build bridges with her that didn’t involve sex.
“Do you have a place in mind? I hear that the Tigris Lily Gardens is nice.” He cursed himself for suggesting a place that he had an investment in.
“I think so too, but with the deal that the players are getting I’m thinking it could get a bit rowdy, es
pecially after the games.” She didn’t point out that he was the one trying to make that deal. “So, I’m not sure yet. Lea’s offered to let me move in with her but I think not. She’s far too messy for me.”
Pierce chuckled. “Can’t stand mess, huh? I’m the same way. Even when I’m bone tired I have to put things away.” He glanced over at her to see a smile on her face.
“There is a time and place for messy…but in a roommate, no. I can’t move in with Alec, he’d just use that as an excuse to set me up.” She shuddered.
“And you don’t want that?” Again his tiger pressed forward, wanting to have its curiosity satisfied. He prayed the answer would be no, that she’d throw him a bone at least.
“No. I’m not…ready for that. For the whole blind date, crap. I just started a new job and I’m about to get a new place. I’m not…I can’t…” She stumbled over her words.
His heart clenched. He could hear the indecision in her voice. He wanted her to confide in him, trust him. Pierce opened his mouth to say something but she pressed on before he could utter a sound.
“This is the first time I’ve been on a date since my dad’s heart attack. I’ve given a year of my life over to supporting my parents.” Pain laced her tone. “Now is the time for me, you know? To focus on rebuilding me and figuring out who I am as a person…as a woman.” The last words were said so softly that even with his tiger hearing he’d almost missed them.
Pierce licked his lips. “So, this date is a testing of the waters…as well as a way for you to see who I am?”
The atmosphere in the car became suddenly laden with unspoken thoughts. As the silence stretched out, Pierce almost told her to forget it, not to answer him, but again she beat him to the punch. He glanced over at her. Her face was filled with concentration, tension.
“Lea won you for me in the auction. It would have been rude not to go.” She fell silent.
He wasn’t sure how to feel about that. “That’s it?”
“Yes.”
The spice of her arousal floated on the air. He grinned. She was lying.
He decided to switch gears. “Your father told me what a great assistant you’ve been over the past year, running things and handling emergencies. He’s proud of you. Hell, I’m proud of you.”
“Why are you so proud? You’re not my father,” she threw out, acid in her tone.
He ignored the sharpness. “Because you’ve shown yourself to be capable, able to handle anything. You’ve shown that you’re willing to do the hard work. I love that about you. You don’t make excuses or palm it off on other people, or expect people to wait on you hand and foot. You just go for it. Also, you’re open and considerate, otherwise you wouldn’t be here.”
“What do you mean?”
The leather creaked on her side of the cabin but he didn’t take a peek. Some of the tension and suspicion between them had faded.
“Because even though you don’t want to be here, you are. You and I have been at loggerheads right from the start.” He couldn’t stop a grin from forming on his face. His arousal wound tight in his stomach. “But here you are, with me, because you don’t want to disappoint your friends.”
“Well, they did spend a lot of money.”
“Yes, they did.” He didn’t add anything. He let her take the lead.
“And there was a lot of bidding from what I heard.”
He chuckled. “That’s a bit of an understatement. I didn’t think they’d go that high. Jesus, I was terrified.”
“You were scared?” Skepticism dripped from her voice.
“Those bright lights, all those women wanting a piece of me, and no escape whatsoever. Gods, I was sweating bullets. I thought my heart would beat out of my chest at any moment. My tiger was terrified.” His feline huffed in annoyance at the admission. Pierce ignored it. A little honesty wouldn’t hurt.
“That bad?” Her tone was soft, curious. More tension faded from the atmosphere.
“Pretty much. On the field, in business, I can handle it. On that catwalk—or even here—I’m out of my element. I have no control and I hate it,” he confessed.
“Well…we don’t have to…if you’re scared.”
“No, no, as much as I hate blind dates and the like, I want to be here. I want to spend time you with.” He let out a little laugh. “I may not get another chance.”
“Well, if you’d just act like a man instead of a beast once in a while…” She let out her own laugh.
The tension was gone. Ease filled the tight cabin.
“I try to. I tell myself, be calm, be normal, and you just…you drive me crazy, love.” He let that confession float in the air between them.
“You drive me crazy too.” She fell quiet.
He opened his mouth and shut it again. He wasn’t sure what else to say or what to confess that wouldn’t sound sexual.
“You’re the first man who’s shown any interest in me, as a person and a woman. It’s…flattering, nice. Most guys just want access to who I know or to my money.”
Sadness tinged with a sliver of spice spiked the air and he had to look at her. He couldn’t resist any longer.
Warmth rolled off of her body in waves and her mouth was soft, not melancholy. He wanted to rip those men apart for using her like that. Instead, he focused on what she was giving him—a little bit of herself. A smile tugged at his lips. He couldn’t resist pressing on.
“It’s good to know that you’re allowing me this, even if your friends had to use subterfuge to get us to this point. And I am interested in you as a person, as a woman. I always have been. Can I ask you about your heat cycle? What you’re doing about it?”
“I’ve booked a munch with two Doms at Shadows. I’m using this time to explore my sexual interests.” The words rushed out, followed by quiet on her side of the car.
Pierce swallowed. He must be suicidal, he thought, to torture himself like this. But he found himself pushing even further.
“What about if you and I…” He didn’t finish the sentence. Now that they had formed a bond of sorts he didn’t want to sever it by pushing her too far. “Never mind.” He let out a nervous chuckle while he ignored the glare and challenge in his tiger’s eyes.
“No, it’s a suggestion,” she said. “Did Lea tell you about the ménage thing?” The waves of heat emanating from her pounded against his left side.
He nodded. “Yes, she did mention that. And if you want to do it, I have a friend I’ve done this with before. He knows the rules and will follow any addendums you add.”
Pierce couldn’t believe they were discussing this or that he was telling her about his past with Ryan. Would this take their relationship a few steps back? Put her out of reach? He prayed not.
“You’ve done this a lot? I’ve read things in the papers about…but for me it’s not a lifetime thing. I can only handle seeing one man at a time.” She let out her own nervous chuckle.
“You tell us what to do, love. I’ll follow your lead.” He reached over and brushed his fingertips against her cheek. “I just want to be here for you. Help you. And maybe let you see what we can be together.”
“OK. We’ll talk over dinner?”
His heart threatened to burst from his chest as happiness bubbled up inside of him. “OK.”
He focused on the road and turned into the vet’s office. The night had begun better than he could have dreamed. Now if only dinner would follow suit he could end the night happy.
Pierce wouldn’t think about the possibility of her coming home with him. He knew that was out of reach—for now, at least.
* * *
At the vet they found out that Zoe had a bit of a cold, nothing some rest and a bit of medicine wouldn’t cure. As they got back into the car, relief swept over Madison. Zoe would be OK. A weight lifted off of her heart and shoulders.
“OK, I have an offer for you,” Pierce said. “How about you let me drop off Zoe at my house? Inga, my house manager, could watch over her and we can grab her aft
erward. Or do you think that’s too far out of our way?”
Pierce started the car and reversed out of the space. He darted looks toward her. She tried to figure out what to say. Did she want to leave Zoe with a stranger? Was it too far? Madison had never been to Pierce’s house. She’d seen pictures of it, passed by the entrance on her way out of town, but had never been inside.
She turned over her thoughts and feelings on the subject before giving him an answer. He’d held her hand while they waited as the vet’s assistant checked Zoe over. Pierce had soothed Zoe when she’d woken up. Could she trust him with her furry baby?
“OK, we can take her to your place. Shadows isn’t far from there, right?” She tried to orient the town in her mind and figure out where the club was and where Pierce lived.
“Yes, it’s not too far out of town. Toward the mountains and wolf land.”
“How’d you convince them to give you the land?” She’d heard snippets about the deal but nobody seemed to know the whole story.
“Zane Bannon is an investor in the league. As part of our agreement he gave me a sweet deal on the land as long as I didn’t make too many changes or cut down too many trees. I also made sure my place was built with green materials.” Pierce glanced over at her. “You OK? Do you want me to turn up the heat?” He reached out to hit a few buttons.
Without thinking about it, she gave his forearm a squeeze. “Thank you for all your concern. I really appreciate it.”
Seeing this new side of him—gentle, caring, and not focused on trying to get her into bed or boss her around—melted a lot of her reserve. He wasn’t doing this to gain brownie points with her. He was doing it because he genuinely liked Zoe.
“Don’t thank me yet. We haven’t had dinner and I’m starved.” He gave her a tiger’s smile that sent a shiver down her spine.
A flare of heat spiked in her stomach as desire filled her vagina. She’d been on a low simmer since she’d scented him coming up her walkway. It had been a nerve-wracking day at work. Sully had yelled at her twice, telling her to get her head back in the game or he wasn’t going to give her leave to go home and change. They’d opened up different levels to give the couples an intimate experience. Sully hadn’t told her what level of table she and Pierce had been put at, but assured her it would give her privacy. She didn’t like that her boss was now in cahoots with her friends.
