by Susan Arden
“Seriously, you sweat too much over the details.”
Shawn stared at the photograph taken for the Downtown Den’s file. Diana looked uneasy with her amazing eyes. In the photograph they were a bit too wide-open and her pupils were fully dilated, a sign of an impending shift. His gaze moved to her mouth. He could feel his pulse begin to race and he scrolled down the document. He rapidly reviewed the notes from the counselor’s records, then almost slammed his mouse on the desk.
“I’m less than impressed given those are words coming from a man who does everything that crosses his sex-saturated brain. For a moment, can you see your way clear to understanding this issue? Intake has paired her with a regular player. The man is a running back on Denver’s professional ball team. A regular Johnny Rocket of the Den’s alpha males.”
“Well, she’ll leave a happy woman. Refresh me. What is she? Felidae or Canis?”
Shawn grunted, “What the hell do you think? Christ, you’re such of lying sack of … .”
“Your tone says one hundred percent feline. By chance, is she leopard?” Quinn’s mockery rose.
Shawn spoke through clenched teeth. “Full-blood leopard. For five generations, at least.”
“No stuff? Amazing coincidence, considering your lineage. How rare is that, do you think? And in Denver?”
At first Shawn didn’t respond, preferring to rub his hand over his jaw. That same thought had twisted his gut for the last year. He looked away from his computer screen. “I’ll send Sonya up to the room since the intake counselor has already gone for the day. She can talk with Diana; explain to her that the club alpha she’d been paired with didn’t show. If Diana tries to place some demands on us, Sonya can show her the contract and terms. Sonya can always say we ran a background check and discovered Diana was linked to Matrix. Jesus, a simple online search of Diana links her to my company. I don’t know why she chose the Den. She’s more than aware that Matrix Design does the advertising, retail design, and branding for the club. I’m sure she won’t stand her ground. Hell, Diana’s not an attorney. I doubt she’d be one to put up an argument. She’s nothing but a kitten at heart.”
Shawn almost snorted at the idea of Diana naked and in the depth of heat. He halted his imaginings that were about to go on a rampage, envisioning Diana, a full-blood leopardess, naked and splayed open. His cock did more than twitch. He steadied his breathing, forcing the image of a hardworking designer back in place. His reverie was broken by Quinn’s odd cellphone ringtone.
“What do you want me to do?” Quinn asked, glancing down at his cell screen. He silenced the phone.
“Go talk to the jock and find him another woman. I’m certain you’ve got several on call tonight for your own needs. Take him along and make a party out of it.”
Quinn smirked. “Don’t knock a ménage if you haven’t tried it. When it comes to naked, shifting women — the more the merrier. I intend to take my fill before I settle down. It’s now or never, buddy.”
He wasn’t going to waste his breath with Quinn. Women were best kept at a distance. And joining with a mate was a road he’d almost traveled down until he’d plummeted off a cliff at the last moment when his fiancée had run off with his ex-partner. It had taken a healer’s powers to break that bond and it hadn’t been easy or short, and he still had the scars. Shawn had decided long ago that a tender heart was a weak organ. He’d rather have no heart than one that could be broken, and refused to let anyone get that close again.
He pulled out his cellphone, tapping the screen to bring up his contact list, and pressed the icon for the club manager’s number.
“Yes, Shawn. What’s up?” Sonya answered. He bet she was in the storeroom moving boxes of liquor from the muffled sound of her voice.
“I thought I told you to get the bartenders to stock the bar?”
“Well, since I don’t know how to mix drinks, it’s either one of them leaves the bar shorthanded, or I get what’s needed on the floor. This is an efficient way to delegate work, even if it means I pick myself to lug bottles. Don’t you agree?”
“No. But that’s not why I called. We have an issue in room eleven.”
“Did she leave?”
“Not to my knowledge.” He wondered why Sonya had suggested Diana would flee. “Do you think she wants to leave?” He squeezed the back of his neck, easing the tension brewing in the cords running from his shoulders up to his skull.
“Ms. Hambre reminds me of Bambi.”
“Bambi’s a boy.” He retorted. And sure, he agreed, Diana didn’t possess the predator cover that most female leopards evoked. She’d been through some sort of hell, leaving her a widow, so he wasn’t surprised by the intake notes on that front. The stark details that she’d divulged during her interview last year ran to a summary recollection on his part. He only recalled that she had lost her husband due to a camping accident. He didn’t believe it was prudent to stick his nose where it didn’t belong, especially when he preferred to keep Diana and his dick on opposite sides of his desk. The less he knew, the better for both of them.
Shawn explained to Sonya that a conflict of interest existed and asked her to bring a hard copy of the contract. “I’ve already printed her signed agreement. Pick it up at the printer.”
“I think you should accompany me and remain outside. I’d rather you hear her response with your own ears than an interpretation. Nothing against me, but I know how tense a female can get.”
“I don’t blame you. Good idea.” He sucked in a breath.
Sonya arrived and stood in the doorway to his office. She shifted nervously from woman to coyote just around the eyes and mouth; her boundless energy and small frame never ceased to astound Shawn. “I’ve got the hard copy of the contract,” Sonya said.
They climbed the backstairs in silence. Their feet echoed within the stairwell. The whoosh of the opening door and the free-flowing current of air sent a shiver up his spine. Instinctively he sniffed, and female leopardess pheromones saturated his senses.
Moses. His cock thickened. They walked down the hall, the plush carpeting padding their footsteps. Shawn knocked on the door for room eleven.
Diana called out. “Yes. Please come in.”
Sonya opened the door and went in without a glance at him. He inhaled a sip of air over his tongue, nearly slurping in Diana’s scent pervading his mouth. A growl formed on his lips. He could feel his pupils dilating, signaling the onset of leopard night vision. Fuck if he’d spontaneously shift. He forced an iron-willed determination to surface and take hold of him.
He listened to Sonya launch into her explanation and the rustle of papers.
Hell, he swore softly. One last taste. He opened his mouth, and let his long, rough tongue lap at the chemical-cocktail-saturated air swirling around his nostrils once more. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva, fighting the urge to run his cheek against the doorframe, marking his territory. His fully-erect cock throbbed. Shawn took a step closer to the doorway.
Diana’s silky voice came out rich and low, drawing him to glance past the jamb. He nearly bit his tongue, holding back a responsive growl. She stood within mere feet of him, wearing a short robe tied at her incredibly tiny waist. Her skin gleamed, near-golden in the light. A seductive pattern of paired spots covered her skin. Her almond eyes were half-closed, her fangs just visible between blood-red lips. She was on the verge of shifting. Her body rippled, feline muscles pushing toward the surface, making her lush curves stand out against the material of her thin robe. Diana’s scent intoxicated him.
“I can’t leave here. You don’t understand. I’ll shift. The last time … ” Diana’s voice broke.
When Diana’s tears spilled down her face, he choked on his breath. Retractable claws sprang from his fingers. He rasped them down the wall, unable to stop, even with the tearing sound of wallpaper being shredded.
“Sonya,” he called, unable to contain himself another second. “Hold on.”
Chapter 3
Diana’s ch
est heaved, catching her breath. No way had she heard the woman correctly. Her shoulders shook uncontrollably as tears flooded her eyes. A dry sob filled her throat. She whispered, “No, this can’t happen.”
Out in the hallway, the woman’s name was yelled. In unison, they turned toward the empty doorway. She wiped the remaining tears from her eyes using the back of her hand.
A dark masculine form began filling in the space of the doorway. She strained to separate the shifting shadow from the man. Her brain echoed the woman’s name, replaying the familiar voice, ready to chalk up this whole idea as insane, bordering on the surreal. The shadow took human form, imperceptible at first, even with her perfected feline vision. She blinked, then stared, unmoving. No, how is this possible? This couldn’t be another warped imagining.
Shawn’s outlined face teased the darkness, confirming her suspicion. Her ribcage solidified, preventing her next inhalation.
“Good evening, Diana.” His gravelly voice preceded him through the doorway.
He paused a moment, partially encased in shadows which prevented her from assimilating the vivid details of his face. Instead of moving, she stood rooted to the floor. Tongue-tied.
“Never mind, Sonya,” he whispered. “I’ll take care of this case. You’ve got the club tonight.” He handed the woman jangling metal.
Diana squinted, distinguishing a key ring being passed from his hand to the woman’s.
Sonya responded, “Sure thing. A walk in the park. Call me later.”
Then Sonya glanced across the room. The woman’s easygoing expression changed with the grim set of her mouth. Diana clutched her robe, suddenly conscious that she was less than dressed. The material fluttered. Regardless of how she adjusted the robe, the top of her thighs was exposed, or her nipples were visible points pushing outward.
They were alone, and her focus was drawn to him — his power evident in the way he leaned against the doorframe, more so in the way a ticking muscle worked the line of his jaw. He briefly regarded her with a brooding stare before his gaze journeyed down her body. Her skin heated under his contemplation.
She waited for her breath to return, swallowing a hundred questions; each one begging for the reason for his appearance. Yearning to claw him into speaking, she laced her hands around the chain draping down across her chest. The set of his lips foretold he had inauspicious news to deliver. All she kept thinking was, why was he here?
She couldn’t help flinching when he pushed off the frame unexpectedly. Her heart skittered at the sound of the door closing. Locking. His entry into the closed room charged the atmosphere. Their gazes snapped together. A smoldering awareness unfurled between them — time slowed.
Her mouth went dry. Not knowing why, she stepped backward, the chain dragging against the floor. Her eyes darted from his muscular form toward the metal-barred window. His male leopard scent overpowered her.
“I understand you’re in heat and alone.” His stalking voice completely severed her last bit of confidence. “I’m here to help.”
“You? You’re the stud … ” She couldn’t finish speaking. Her knees weakened. If she didn’t do something fast, her legs would buckle. She grabbed at the wall, clawing and digging. He moved too fast to perceive.
He encircled her with his forearms, anchoring her against the hard plane of his torso. “Diana,” he whispered, “I could take you right now. But I’ve much better plans for you.”
The voice in her head screamed in protest. No, no. Don’t do this. She ignored it and molded her body against him. She shimmied her hips, moving from instinct, and curled fingers around his arms. A growl rumbled deep within his chest. His scent filled her head. Her pussy swelled and moistened. He bent his head over her throat, nipping the skin at her neck.
She pushed against a wall of muscle. “No. Shawn, tell me what you’re doing here.”
Barely able to get the words out, she fought a throbbing ache to let him fuck her. Not pretty romantic sex, but down-and-dirty rutting, with him pulling her hair and bending her to his will. She didn’t care if he threw her on top of the futon or up against the wall. The smell wafting off his skin charged her hunger, urging her to unzip his pants. She’d experienced this type of hunger once in her life. This man had the power to bring her to her knees. Her eyesight sharpened, a sign the leopardess within her was ready to leap.
His voice drew her focus. “Suffice to say, Matrix is involved with more than designing the Den’s logos and ads. I’m part owner of this club. I saw your name on the list of solo shifters. I couldn’t turn you out or give you over to some stud willing to bang your brains out. I believe there’s a third choice, if you’re interested. Even so, I’m confused why you, of all people, are here.” He squeezed her hips.
She stared at his angular face, taking in the way his jaw squared below a mouth that curled up at the corners. The spark from his golden eyes sent arcing shivers up her spine. He released her, barely stepping back more than an inch or two.
“I agreed to come here because of the Den’s impeccable reputation. This is my first solo venture into joining.” Her gaze never left his face. She was drawn to him, yearning wildly for his mouth, his hands, his body.
“Do you want to join with a stranger, or with someone who knows what he’s doing with a leopardess?” His seductive voice and body pressed her back into the wall. His cocked rubbed against her belly, sending a wave of hungry spikes lancing across her skin.
Unabashed, she lifted her face. “Kiss me,” she murmured.
His gaze clashed with hers, sending a jolt to her chest. He wrapped his hands around her hips. “First, answer my question. Are you interested in spending the night with me? A one-word answer will do. Yes or No?”
“This is a little bit more than deciding on scrambled or poached. I didn’t expect to see you here as my … my date.” She bit her lip. In the next second, she’d have no control. She was a step away from hurling herself at him. This was harder than joining with a stranger. She signed up for wham-bam-thank you. Not see-you-on-Monday with her boss.
A fleeting thought broke through her trepidation, past her urge to couple, prompting her to discover whom the woman was who’d asked her to leave. Was Sonya his intimate consort? Shawn’s scent told her he was an unmated alpha leopard and the type of male that, if she wasn’t careful, would dominate her.
But she could be wrong. There were scent masks some shifters wore. If she shifted, he’d have the power to cleave her to him. His seed spilled inside her body would forever change her DNA, bonding her in ways that were nearly unbreakable. Or he’d leave her marked with his scent. Either way, she’d yearn to return over and over to him for heat cycle sex. Hard, mind-blowing fucking where he’d have the power to dictate her every move. A bonded female in heat would submit and agree to anything her mate desired. Anything.
The city was filled with males who mated with several females simultaneously. If he were the same, she wouldn’t need a cage or collar to be affixed to him. Shawn would own her. Her dazed brain screamed one last time to reconsider her options. Her hands shook when she unclasped his forearms. She brushed her hair in a swift motion, almost scratching her face with talon-like claws she retracted at the last second.
He took hold of her wrist, pulling her hand away from her face. “Sweetheart, be careful.” The harsh concern in his voice tore into her sex-soaked brain.
Shawn released her wrist. Gently, he traced the edge of her mouth with his thumb. He pulled her up against him, heat pouring from his core. The leopardess in her sensed the tenuous need in him. She was not alone in wanting to feel him thrust his length deep into her.
A snarl issued from his lips. “You’ve got ten seconds.”
She rubbed herself all over his body, molding herself to him. Slow. Deliberate movements. When she spoke, she answered breathlessly, “Without a doubt, I want to spend the night with you.”
“Damn, I thought you’d never answer.”
He pressed his erection against the space be
tween her legs. The movement drew sharp breaths from both of them. The leopardess in her held back. This hungry longing overpowered her reason. Being with him reminded her too much of something she’d lost. She forced herself to pry away from him before all hell broke loose.
“What will happen? I want you to promise me … ” How could she extract a vow that would insult him? She’d have to first insinuate he’d commit such a treacherous act. Plenty of males did, though. She had to prevent him from marking her. Or worse, bonding with her. A simple yes or no. She wanted to snort. Maybe simple for him.
She cocked her head against his face, preventing him from biting her neck at the point below her ear. “Do you promise nothing will harm my free will?”
He stopped trailing open-mouthed kisses over her throat. His warm breath shot over her skin. “So you feel it, too? Are you sure you’re not the one who will have me caught? You, my kitten, aren’t the only one in danger.” He growled the challenge.
“No. I’d never trap a man. You’re wrong if that’s what you believe I want.”
“Kitten, put away your claws. I believe you’d never intentionally ensnare a man. You’ve got a secret weapon. I bet you don’t realize the spell you cast, do you? Baby, you could tempt a saint.” He softly laughed.
She twisted in his arms. He pressed against her, and she felt his erection graze her mons, making her shudder as a burst of pleasure exploded.
He restrained his lust instead of overtly pushing her. He could have easily reached up under her robe and touched her. She wanted his hands on her skin, but needed to clarify the ‘what-ifs’ before she let him unsheathe her.
“I’ve never wanted to risk my job,” she panted in a hoarse voice. “I’ve always taken off work. Never once tried to tempt you or any other male. All I want is for a man to fuck the heat out of me. Can you do just that and nothing more?”
“Christ, darling. You have to ask? I think we both don’t want any complications. Not with our work relationship. For God’s sake, I’ll take care of your needs if you promise me you won’t quit working at Matrix. If you think us coupling will cramp our working together, then I’ll leave and send up a stud banger. Your choice. If you let me, I’ll fuck you past your heat and then it’s back to business as usual. How far are you into your cycle?”
