Dating the Panther: A Shifter Dating Agency Romance

by Ruby Forrest

  Most of it made sense. It was basically a reminder that Blake didn’t keep women around for long. Except the back had points on it like don’t interrupt if I shift and I am not a housecat, don’t try to pet me. They had been tacked on, Raelyn noticed with some interest, which meant he hadn’t told anyone else about his secret before. Raelyn felt a little honored, but more than that, she felt nervous.

  Her nerves were worse when her doorbell rang the next afternoon. Raelyn glanced at her reflection in the bathroom before deciding it didn’t matter. She opened the door, fully expecting a critical stare and Blake’s broad shoulders, but instead, there was a box. The delivery man drove away from the curb while Raelyn took the package inside; it was slim and long and she suspected its contents were expensive. When she opened it, Raelyn felt her heart catch in her throat.

  It was a dress. A very expensive dress. She recognized the designer, of course, and the fabric felt like water under her hands. It was a deep purple, almost like the dress she’d worn to the party, but more luxurious than anything Raelyn had ever worn. It was a complicated waterfall of fabric, but Raelyn could immediately tell that it had a wide open back and a neckline that plunged halfway down to her stomach. It was the sort of dress made for red carpets and Greek goddesses.

  The card on top of the dress said Eight o’clock. Be waiting at the Hotel Lily. Change there. Raelyn turned the creamy cardstock over in her hand, but there was nothing else. She glanced at the clock and realized she had only four hours. Raelyn ran to her bathroom and threw her makeup and other things into a bag before sitting in her living room, anxious and strangely excited. She spent the next few hours biting her lip and wondering what Blake was planning.

  The Hotel Lily was an expensive place Raelyn had only ever dreamed of visiting. It was tall and white, with soft gold details. Raelyn walked in feeling out of place and approached the front desk uneasily. Giving her name surprisingly resulted in a key being handed to her. Raelyn took the elevator with her things, curious. Did he rent a room just, so I could change? Does he not want to be seen at my apartment, or is he planning on using the room? Are we even going anywhere? A dozen things crowded her mind, but Raelyn focused on getting ready, instead.

  Raelyn was dressed and prepared only five minutes before the phone by the bed rang. She answered it after a moment of hesitation. “Hello?”

  “Someone waiting at the desk, Ma’am,” the person at the other end said. Raelyn thanked him quickly and gathered her skirt, heart in her throat. She wasn’t sure what to expect.

  Blake was waiting at the desk. He was casually gorgeous, like he didn’t care how he looked because he knew anything would look good on him. His dark hair was pushed away from his face and Raelyn could see the lean lines of his body even under the suit he was wearing.

  “This is a lot,” Raelyn said when she approached him. There was flicker of something in Blake’s eyes that she couldn’t place. He could have been annoyed by her comment, or maybe interested.

  Blake turned without taking her arm, leading the way out. “It isn’t. It’s the minimum.”

  Raelyn wasn’t sure she wanted to think about where they were going that a gown was the minimum requirement. She followed Blake to a waiting car, black and sleek and low to the ground. Blake didn’t stop; the valet held the door for Raelyn and she slipped inside, nervous. Everything was almost too nice.

  Blake had to keep his mouth shut. He didn’t trust his own voice after seeing Raelyn. The dress fit her perfectly; it was just the right shade and it hugged her body like a glove, lying over her like a second skin. Blake hated the skin-tight, squeezed outfits of the women he was used to seeing. He was glad to have Raelyn as a blank canvas. She looked like the height of class and beauty, instead of a frumpy and disheveled attempt at beauty or sex appeal.

  “This is business,” Blake said, trying to focus. “Don’t talk. If any of them ask you anything, keep your answers short.”

  Raelyn turned to look at him, but he couldn’t see her face. Blake was focused on the road. This is a bad idea, he thought. It was a gamble to keep Raelyn around at all, and it was a bigger risk to bring her into a business dinner. There was no reason for him to have a date along; no reason but his desire to have her there. Blake had thought about the way Raelyn had kissed him from the moment she left his office. He’d thought about the sounds she’d made and the way she was so ready and willing to open to him. It was stupid of her, to trust someone so dangerous, but he couldn’t help feeling triumphant and pleased. Raelyn gave, and Blake was used to getting his way.

  The restaurant was carved into the high side of a slope, trees flanking its glass dining floor. It was a luxury place, but Blake had a front-line ticket. He’d only called a week ago, when he’d realized a business partner would be in town, but the reservation had cleared. Blake expected no less. After all, he wasn’t spending his time building a family or anything as ridiculous as that. His time was occupied by moving forward with his business.

  “Blake.” He gave the host his name and followed the man to their waiting table. The other men were already waiting, just as Blake had planned. He kept one hand on Raelyn’s lower back, trying to direct her while fighting the urge to raise his palm and feel Raelyn’s exposed skin.

  “Ah! The man of the hour,” one of the seated man cheered, standing. He laughed good-naturedly. Blake wondered if he even realized what Blake had done. “And what a lovely woman!”

  “It’s a pleasure,” Raelyn said. She laughed a little, arm moving as if she was about to shake the man’s hand. Blake felt a flare of protectiveness—stupid, he told himself after the fact—and he took Raelyn’s arm from behind, slipping the thin scarf resting on her shoulders higher up her body. He pulled her seat out as she froze, surprised.

  “You weren’t waiting too long,” Blake said, waiting for Raelyn to sit. He didn’t ask; he wanted the other men to know, even if it was only subconsciously, that he was the most important person at the table.

  Blake had to keep himself safe, and to do that, he had to stay on top. He wasn’t going to play around with his wealth—the only thing that allowed him space and comfort to shift—or his importance. The more people that were afraid to question him, the better.

  Raelyn noticed the way Blake changed his tone when he spoke to the men at the table. She also didn’t miss his subtle redirection when she’d reached out to the man that greeted her. Is it him, or his other side? She wondered as she sat. Raelyn didn’t like the idea of being someone’s possession, but she got the feeling Blake wasn’t feeling that kind of control over her. He was trying to keep himself safe and powerful; it wasn’t about her.

  Well, she thought, I’ll just have to show him it is. Raelyn didn’t spend her time handling difficult people to just give up on Blake. She knew just as well as he did how to make people feel like they owed her, or make people think she’d done something fantastic for them when it was much simpler than that. The difference between Raelyn and Blake was that she did it to keep her job; he did it to stay alive. Raelyn could give him a pass, if only for a little while.

  Blake started talking to the men. They went on at length about something business-related while drinks came to them; Raelyn found a glass of wine at her wrist and sipped it, tasting something like roses. It was nice to be pampered, she thought, and Raelyn found herself amused that she was beginning to understand why Lucy was an escort. Could I do that? It was a silly question, of course. Raelyn would never even try. She didn’t want to put herself through that. She’d had enough of a bruised ego when Christian had left her for not being sexy all the time. Making a living from being attractive was never in the cards for Raelyn.

  Eventually, one of the businessmen turned to Raelyn. He appraised her with an appreciative gaze and Raelyn had to bite her tongue not to say something first. “What do you do, darling? Besides look stunning.”

  “I manage men,” Raelyn said, before she lost her nerve. She grinned and raised her wine glass to her lip
s. “It’s interesting, how many of them can’t handle their affairs. All the better for me.”

  The man’s mouth opened and closed while Raelyn sipped her wine. She noticed that Blake’s attention had turned to her. Good, she thought. She was done being quiet. Blake might have been dangerous, but Raelyn wanted to prove to him that she wasn’t afraid. He could try and be intimidating, but he’d kissed her back in his office. Blake had the same attractions as any other man. She was counting on it.

  “That’s bold,” the man said, flustered as he tried to get back to the conversation he’d been imagining he’d have. Raelyn nodded sagely and waited for his next words. “So, do you manage housework?”

  Raelyn wanted to snap, but she didn’t. “Oh, I’m not a maid. I work with accounts and scheduling. Making appointments, cancelling them, rearranging calendars…balancing budgets. It’s nice to be paid to remind someone what they should already know about their expenses.”

  “Isn’t that harsh?”

  “Of course. But I manage well on my own. Of course, it must be so hard, dealing with so many commitments.”

  The man wasn’t sure how to respond. He kept glancing at his friends, as if he needed reassurance that she wasn’t making fun of him. Raelyn bit back a laugh. She was never so rude or catty in her daily life, but something about Blake watching her and the expensive dress she was wearing made all her inhibitions disappear. In the dimly lit restaurant, she wasn’t a woman struggling to hold her tongue against men that earned too much money and wasted it on golf and expensive lunches. Raelyn was a treasure, candlelight flickering over her skin and the smell of roses rich in the air, and she fully expected Blake to make a move. There was no way he couldn’t, with the way he was looking at her and the dress he’d bought.

  The rest of the dinner went by in a flash. Blake took Raelyn back to the hotel; she didn’t ask any questions, instead leading the way to the elevator, sweeping her skirt around her body in a graceful arc. She could feel the tension between them like a strained rubber band, waiting to snap. It only took the rest of the ride for things to become unbearable.

  Raelyn had barely stepped into the suite before Blake was crowding up to her, his eyes flickering with some kind of oddly mirrored light. It reminded Raelyn of her cats, but her breath caught in her throat when the color subsided and she was left looking into Blake’s eyes.

  “I told you not to say anything,” Blake said. Raelyn smiled. Finally.

  Chapter Ten

  She was smirking. Raelyn was smirking, and Blake could barely keep himself together. He wanted to be angry at her, but he couldn’t. Not when she’d suddenly become someone different at dinner, smiling and arching her eyebrow at the fool across the table from her. She’d lounged in her chair like it was made for her, sipping wine like the glass was gold. Blake had barely been able to hold his conversation at the other side of the table.

  “I got bored,” Raelyn said, shrugging. Blake watched the way she looked at his eyes, surprise and interest in her gaze. Interest still, he thought. It didn’t make sense. Raelyn was too nice—too ordinary to be attracted to him, especially after what he’d shown her.

  But there she was, alone in a hotel room with him, her head tilted and her hair gold in the dim light. Blake didn’t want to fool himself any longer. He wasn’t ashamed of what he wanted, and he was done ignoring his need just because Raelyn could be dangerous. I’m dangerous. She couldn’t hurt me if she tried. I don’t care.

  Blake stopped thinking. He kissed Raelyn instead, pressing against her with enough momentum to push her into the wall. Raelyn practically threw her purse, the scarf at her shoulders falling to the floor without a second thought. Her hands were under Blake’s jacket before he could say anything. For the time, Blake let her explore, moving fabric away.

  It wasn’t until his jacket was gone that Blake took control again. He moved away from Raelyn, pressing a hand against her collarbone. She paused, a brief look of curiosity lingering on her face before she let him turn her around. He could hear her breath hitch and her heartbeat stutter when he traced a finger down her spine. I was right about the dress; it really does suit her perfectly. He’d been pleased when she’d first walked out, and he’d been greeted by the curve of her back on full display.

  Blake slipped the dress down Raelyn’s shoulders, sliding it over her hips while she waited. He froze when he watched it fall, realizing why he’d felt cloudy all evening. Raelyn had apparently forgone underwear, instead settling for thigh-high stockings held up by a silky band at her waist. It was almost too much for Blake to take in; he felt like she’d somehow read his mind, or maybe given him something he’d never considered he wanted.

  “You’re going to keep these on,” Blake said, drawing his words out. He liked the way that sounded, and apparently, so did Raelyn. She shivered as he continued. “And I’m going to take you right here.”

  Raelyn started to say something. She turned her head, words on her lips, but she stopped when Blake gathered her dress and draped it over a nearby chair. Blake was almost surprised by himself at the turn things had taken; this was tame, for him. He wasn’t one to coddle his partners, either. Still, the sight of Raelyn was enough to make him certain he was right. He needed this.

  Blake undressed quickly, practice making him efficient; his suit was on the chair in the corner in under a minute. Before he did anything, Blake slipped a hand between Raelyn’s legs to feel the heat, smirking when he felt how wet she was. “You must have been uncomfortable at dinner. How long have you been waiting for me to do this?”

  “Since the party,” Raelyn gasped, trying to push back into his hand. Blake held her to the wall with his free hand, waiting for Raelyn to stop moving. She obeyed quickly, but he could tell she was fighting the urge to throw him off and turn around. Has she ever done this before, or is she just nervous?

  There was a condom in his jacket pocket. He always used one, not trusting his partners and not caring to take any chances. Blake’s body was screaming at him to leave it off, but he stubbornly ignored the desire. He wasn’t going to go that far; if he did, Raelyn would have won. She would have broken his control; the very thing he prided himself on. Blake rolled the condom on and ignored the way it felt like defeat anyway.

  Blake thrust into her, but his movement stuttered when Raelyn made a surprised noise. He was used to women that were loud and some that tried too hard to sound like porn stars. The noise that Raelyn made was different. She sounded shocked; like she’d never been touched this way or like she hadn’t expected to feel such pleasure. Either way, the sound spurred Blake on. He moved again and listened to Raelyn’s gasp, his hands tightening on her hips.

  I can’t believe I forgot this, Raelyn thought. Her fingers uselessly grabbed at the wall beneath her hand while Blake thrust into her from behind. She wasn’t sure how long she could hold out; standing was all good fun, but Raelyn’s legs were getting weak. It hadn’t been until Blake pushed into her for the first time that she’d realized just how long it had been for her and how good it felt to have the warmth of another body against her skin.

  Blake was moving faster, and Raelyn felt her breasts push into the wall as she arched her back as much as she could. One of Blake’s hands was suddenly on her thigh, pushing her leg further out, and Raelyn followed his direction. She felt awkward with her legs spread so far and her cheek on the rose-patterned wallpaper, but it was a feeling that passed when she became overwhelmed with the pleasure pooling below her stomach.

  While Blake was slamming into her, Raelyn noticed how tight his grip on her hips was. She guessed there might be bruises and found she didn’t mind the thought. I like that I didn’t have to tell him not to be careful with me, she thought. It had always been dangerous to tell her partners that she didn’t like things gentle or slow; surprisingly, out of everyone she’d been with, she trusted Blake the most. If he could keep half of himself hidden, she was sure he wouldn’t hurt her.

  Raelyn’s thoughts w
ere fleeting until Blake changed his angle and all coherent thought flew from her mind. She was only just trying to hold on, hearing her moans echo in her ears while Blake filled her deeper than she’d thought possible. For a moment, Raelyn tried to reach back and touch him, but her hand was pushed back to the wall. Raelyn was left clinging to nothing while she felt her climax hit, her entire body tensing with a sudden jolt before she shuddered through wave after wave of pleasure. Blake didn’t stop for her, thrusting through the wave, and Raelyn almost fell to the ground at the way it felt raw against her sensitivity. She was still shivering when Blake came, warmer inside of her than before. She was surprised that he’d managed to wear a condom, but not displeased.

  “Don’t shower,” was the first thing Blake said. Raelyn’s brow furrowed. She turned to look over her shoulder, but she was still pinned against the wall and couldn’t look far.

  Raelyn sighed, waiting for Blake to withdraw. The emptiness she felt after he pulled out was odd, but her body was remembering what this was like. Was it ever this good, though? “I should still clean up.”

  Blake didn’t answer. Raelyn didn’t take his brusque manner to heart; she’d expected him to be closed-off at first. He was more of a playboy than anything else, but even that term didn’t fit him—Blake, according to Lucy, used the matchmaking service to find short-term partners. He would sometimes see two or three women at once, always bringing new faces with him to important business dinners and other events. Lucy had been excited to match with Blake; he was known for spending money lavishly on his partners without asking much from them other than silence, grace, and sex.

  I’m going to change that, Raelyn thought. She wanted to prove that she was on equal footing with him, especially since she’d seen him shift. Raelyn needed to show Blake that she wasn’t afraid and that maybe it hadn’t been a mistake to show her his other side. She just had to play by his rules first, and Raelyn was fine with that. Ignoring the attraction between them would be stupid. Raelyn was going to enjoy his attention for as long as she had it, and hopefully, she’d manage to change his mind and his self-centered ways.