“And just like that, I’m the enemy again.” But it was par for the course with a teen, and Sable was just thankful that all Egan had done was slammed a door. There was a time not long ago when the slightest upset sent him into a fit of rage that ended with him shifting and running off into the woods. There were guidelines about shifting around humans, and Sable had had his hands full trying to keep Egan from flying off the handle when they were out within the community. Nothing like an angry teen throwing a tantrum in the grocery store that ended in a tiger tearing everything up as it fled the scene.
Olivia let out a heavy sigh, picking at what was left of the food on her plate.
“It’s not your fault. He knows you can’t date him.”
“I know, I just feel so bad. I know he’ll find someone, someday, that is exactly who he thinks I am. But for now, I’ve been that teenager before, and I know it hurts him, and he feels like it truly is the end of the world. I can’t wait until he sets his sights on another woman and I can be his friend without walking on egg shells all the time.”
They finished their meal in silence and Sable cleared the plates in front of them. He washed each dish and stacked them in a strainer by the sink. Olivia watched him, wondering as she always did why he didn’t just hire someone to take care of the house for him. His parents had left them millions; he didn’t need to do the dishes himself. But he insisted that Egan needed to have as close to a normal life as possible, and that included learning how to do menial tasks for himself.
Olivia rummaged through Sable’s wallet and pulled out a black credit card, one that had no spending limit.
“I want to go shopping today, but I don’t want everyone to know it’s on your account. Can I just give this back to you later?”
Sable shrugged. If it were anyone else, he would worry that she’d buy herself a million dollar car before the hour was up. But Olivia was his best friend, and he knew she’d come back with only what she needed for the gala. He nodded and kissed her cheek as she headed out the door.
“I’ll let you know if I see the mystery woman. I’m sure she’ll be easy to spot. She’ll be the one with a million dresses on her arm. Does Rolland’s still have personal shoppers?”
“Yes.”
“Oh good. You’ll probably pay for those for her, too. I don’t blame her. You’re hard to get over.” She winked at him and slipped out the door, ducking to avoid another kiss. She had to hurry if she was going to catch a glimpse of his latest fling. She was sure that the woman had been waiting in front of the store when they opened. Olivia knew that, in her place, that’s exactly what she would do.
*
Sable sat in his library, a well-worn hardcover held gently in his massive hands, when Egan burst into the room.
“The council is here!” He was gasping, having run the entire length of the house after buzzing them in at the gate. Sable looked up from the book, his finger casually marking his spot, his eyebrow arched somewhat comically.
“All one hundred thirty-two of them?”
Egan blinked. “What? No. Just the three from our region and that one really weird man that follows them around with a tablet, typing their every word.”
“Then I’m sure it’s nothing.” Without another word, Sable went back to his reading.
“Don’t you even want to know why they’re here?”
“I’m assuming they’re here to see one of us and that they’ll explain why once they get here. Why, little brother? Have you done something that I should know about?”
“No! It’s just, the last time they were here, they came to tell us about Mom and Dad.”
Sable set the book on his lap and looked at Egan. The massive teen looked suddenly smaller, and Sable saw before him hints of the twelve-year-old boy Egan once was.
“It’s nothing bad, I promise. The fundraiser is tomorrow night. I’m sure they’re here about that. If not, I’ll deal with whatever it is.” He smiled at Egan, trying to ease the young man’s fears. “It’s going to be okay.”
As if on cue, the front doorbell rang, the reverent tones echoing through the house.
“Let them in and then make yourself scarce.”
Egan started to protest, but Sable held up his hand. “Now is not the time to argue, please just do as I say.”
With that, Sable began pulling the fine glassware out of the cabinet above the mini bar, preparing himself to have guests. He doubted the council members were here to discuss the gala tomorrow night, but it wouldn’t help matters to have Egan panicking over something he couldn’t control. Sable had no idea why they were here, but he would deal with it once he did. He took his seat once more and picked up his book, waiting for the men to make their way into the library. Sable didn’t care why they were here, but he certainly wasn’t going to rush to meet them like some frightened subject.
The men filed into the spacious library, fanning out to take their seats around the sitting area. Laskin—or as Sable liked to call him, “the weasel”—took the liberty of pouring each man a drink in the glassware that Sable had set out.
The oldest of the councilmen, Aldrich Stone, began to speak, his voice steady and firm.
“Sources tell us that you’ve been bedding multiple human women once again, and it’s been brought up to the council that you’re not taking the regulations regarding such interactions seriously. We, the council, wanted to impart upon you the importance of this matter so that the future of our species is protected.”
Sable waited patiently as Aldrich droned on, his voice ebbing and flowing monotonously as he recounted the days of old, and that time, generations ago, when their kind had almost been bred right out of existence.
“The guidelines were not meant to be circumvented the way you continue to do. Please understand that, if you do happen to get a female human pregnant, you will be forced to marry her or face execution. Nevertheless, the preference is for each prospective human mate to be vetted and approved by the council before marriage and mating occur.”
Aldrich sat back, sipping his drink and waiting for Sable to respond.
“I assure you, Aldrich, that I am well versed in the laws of our people.” He stood and motioned towards the door. “If that is all, gentlemen.” Without another word, he bowed reverently. Aldrich was the first to stand, though none of them moved to return the genuflection. They knew when they’d been blown off, and it was obvious that this virile young man thought himself invincible.
Aldrich turned as they were passing through the door, his expression threatening.
“We’ll be watching you, Sable. And young Egan. Make no mistake, if you impregnate a human woman, you will marry her. Your money won’t weaken our resolve. There’s more at stake here than just your freedom. I hope you recognize the gravity of this situation.”
Sable nodded, turning back to his book and dismissing them with his silence. They left without another word. They passed Egan on their way out the door. Aldrich stopped, giving Egan a long glare before speaking.
“I hope that you will grow to make better choices than your brother. We’ll be watching you both closely.” Without further explanation, Aldrich joined the other men as they strode down the steps and into the waiting car.
*
Olivia pulled her car to a stop in front of Sable’s house, eager to show him the dress she’d chosen for this evening’s gala. A shimmering blue number with a high slit up one side, she felt like a million bucks when she’d put it on in the department store. Good thing, since it cost more than my monthly salary. She’d seen Sable’s mystery woman there as well, her personal shopper buckling under the weight of her purchases. Olivia doubted that her purchase would even register once he got the bill from blondie’s spree.
Still two hours away from having to leave, Olivia threw the dress over her shoulder and carried her heavy make-up case up the steps. Her apartment wasn’t shabby by any means, but nothing beat Sable’s master vanity. Like a backstage dressing room on Broadway, the room featured brigh
t lights, a long table, and more outlets than she had hair appliances.
She took the short steps carefully and leaned her shoulder into the doorbell. When Egan opened the door, she dropped the heavy case into his outstretched arms and breezed by him on her way up the stairs.
She went through the open door, shocked to see Sable standing in his room, nude and dripping from his shower. Olivia blushed prettily, though she had no idea why; she’d seen him naked more times than she could count over the last ten years. Right on her heels, Egan grunted when he saw his brother, making a beeline for the vanity door and setting Olivia’s things down before he made his hasty retreat to his room. Olivia watched Egan leave, wondering what all that was about.
“He’s still sulking since you won’t go with him. He’s decided to stay here and be miserable instead of finding another date and having a good time.” Sable shrugged.
“Could you put some clothes on?”
He chuckled and advanced on her, taking the dress from her and setting it on the chaise lounge near the wall. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a deep, passionate kiss. She ran her hands over his broad shoulders, then down and across his toned chest as he trailed kisses across her swollen lips and down her throat to her collar bone. His tongue teased her, setting her nerves on fire and drawing a soft moan from her lips.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her up to him, smiling as she wound her legs around his hips. He cupped her backside and kneaded the flesh, wishing her jeans weren’t between him and her soft skin. Her breath quickened and she pushed into him, kissing him deeper. He pinched her round cheek, chuckling when she squealed and broke the kiss.
“Later,” he growled into her throat. “I can’t get through tonight if you’ve already got me wound up.”
Olivia slid down to the floor, making a point to run herself against his growing erection as her feet touched the plush floor beneath her.
“As you wish.” She winked and walked into the dressing room, picking up her dress as she went. “I saw your lover at the department store. Have you gotten the bill yet?”
“No, but I’m sure it will be fine. Did she look happy at least?”
“I don’t think I’ve seen anyone look that happy in my life. I think she’s already over it.”
Sable smiled. The woman had his number, so she could have called him at any time. He’d gotten a simple text from her late yesterday morning, “Thank you. For everything.” There was nothing else from her, and Sable doubted there would be.
He pulled on some shorts and headed into the dressing room, pulling up a chair and watching Olivia in the mirror as she curled her long hair. She was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever known, a natural beauty who didn’t need make-up to look her best. But he’d taken her to more than one of these events, and he was impressed by what she could do with the tools in her kit. She went from knock-out to movie star gorgeous, though she still looked fresh, as if she’d woken up that way.
He watched in rapt attention as she curled her hair one strip at a time until her hair hung loose, perfect wavy tendrils adding body and fullness to her shiny mane. She sprayed her hair and let the mist settle before she stood and moved to another chair where her brushes were set up.
Sable followed her, and she began recounting her time at the department store. He laughed when she described the personal shopper frantically running behind the petite blonde as she bought every dress that caught her fancy. Olivia’s voice was sweet like honey, her lips mesmerizing as he watched her apply make-up to her freshly washed face. He lost track of her words, just enjoying the sound as she continued to tell the story, when he realized she was waiting for an answer.
Olivia repeated her question, “Did you give her a spending limit, or did you just hope she would be reasonable?”
“No, should I have?”
Olivia laughed. “Well, I’m sure you can afford it, I just think you’ll be a little shocked when you get the bill, that’s all.”
Sable leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose lightly, “Are you jealous? I could buy you another dress.”
“No. Actually, yes.” She blushed, surprised that she’d admitted such a thing. She and Sable had an agreement, put in place by her no less; they both saw other people, and when they tired of those people, they saw each other. The arrangement had served them well all this time, so even Olivia was surprised at the twinge of jealousy she felt towards the woman in Rolland’s yesterday.
Sable moved to stand behind Olivia and began rubbing her shoulders, slowly working the tension out of her muscles as she worked on her make-up in the brightly lit room. He kissed her neck, taking his time and reveling in the feel of her heart beating beneath his lips.
“I’m not going anywhere, you know that. No woman can tame me, or make me settle down. I’ll always be yours, and you’ll always be mine.”
Olivia snorted. “Sable.” She slapped him over her shoulder. “Don’t ruin what we have. I’m not asking for a commitment.”
“But you are hinting that you’d like to have sex.”
She bit her lip and met his eyes in the mirror. “What do you think?”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and laid his head on her shoulder. He whispered softly into her ear, his hot breath sending goose bumps along her bare flesh.
“You can have me any time you want; just say the word.”
He kissed her quickly and walked away, heading for his closet to pull out his tux for the evening. Olivia leaned heavily against the chair back, watching him walk away in the mirror.
Way to get a girl worked up and walk away, Sable. Well played.
She’d be lucky if she made it through the entire gala without ravishing him on the balcony in full view of the other guests.
She went back to the task at hand, putting the final touches on her make-up before she slipped into her dress. Only an hour before the event, she wanted to make sure she had plenty of time to get completely ready, just in case Sable had plans for her before the event. She looked at herself in the mirror and scowled. He’d better have plans for me afterwards.
She puckered her lips and applied the deep red stain. Satisfied, she shimmied into her tight dress, careful to pull it over her hips slowly to prevent stretching the delicate fabric. She pulled the straps over her shoulder and turned to look into the mirror.
Sable came around the corner, already clad in his tuxedo. He whistled softly through his teeth, winking appreciatively at her.
“Best $5,000 I’ve ever spent on a dress.”
Olivia rolled her eyes at him. So he’d already checked his bill to see how much she’d spent. She felt a tug and Sable snipped the price tag and set it on the vanity. Or he just saw the tag dangling from your underarm. Olivia resisted the urge to slap her forehead in disgust.
CHAPTER TWO
Sable opened Olivia’s door and held out his hand for her. The valet got behind the driver’s seat and slid the Jaguar into gear as Olivia slipped one delicate arm through Sable’s and walked alongside him into the grand hall. Music from a string quartet floated on the breeze, leading the way to the spacious dance floor.
Sable wasted no time, leading her directly to the dance floor and pulling her close to him.
“When this boring show of inter-species cooperation is over, I’m going to destroy that beautiful dress and the lovely woman inside of it.”
Olivia shuddered, the heat of his words exciting her. She could buy another dress, well, he could. But a night with Sable was priceless, and it had been a very long time. She rested her head on his chest, trying to hide the crimson creeping up her neck as the heat grew inside her. His hand slid down to her waist to the small of her back, pulling her tightly against him and sliding his leg between hers as they floated across the floor.
The song ended and the dancers stopped to applaud the quartet. A grey-haired man strode onto the stage, microphone in hand. Sable grabbed Olivia by the hand and led her to one of the many balconies.
He sat on the ornamental marble bench and pulled her onto his lap. The muffled sound of the politician was barely audible as they kissed in the light of the full moon.
Olivia leaned into him, smiling when his roaming hand cupped her breast. Sable’s other hand ran up her leg, sneaking slowly towards her thigh.
He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Wanna do it right here, right now?”
Olivia shook her head. Was he crazy? There were hundreds of people roaming the great hall. One of them could walk through the door to the balcony at any time, catching them in the act.
“No. I can wait.” She licked her lips and looked into his brown eyes. “I think.”
The door opened and he stood suddenly, setting her on her feet and pulling her into the shadows as Aldrich walked through the archway.
He pulled a long cigarette out of his coat pocket and was about to light it when he noticed the pair trying to appear casual against the wall. He nodded to Sable and left the balcony as abruptly as he’d arrived.
“What was that about?”
“Just some shifter politics, nothing that applies to us.” He grabbed her hand and led her back inside, grabbing two delicate champagne glasses and handing her one. “It’s going to be a long night, drink up.”
Hours later, an exhausted Olivia filled the large jet tub with fragrant bubbles. Sable moved behind her to unzip her dress, sliding the fabric down her shoulders and leaving it in a puddle on the floor. True to her word, she hadn’t worn panties to the gala. Sable’s nostrils flared with need.
“If I’d realized that you were naked beneath that dress, I would have taken you right there on the balcony.”
Olivia broke away and slipped beneath the bubbles, shooing Sable away. She was too sore to even think about sex, especially not with Sable. She’d change her tune once the hot water worked the tension out of her screaming calves and thighs. Until then, she wanted to be alone.
“When you’re through, I’ll be in the library.” He looked at his watch. “It’s two a.m., do you work tomorrow?”
The Tiger's Pregnant Bride Page 2
