by Scarlet Day
Chapter Six
Laci frowned as she finished listening to the latest voice mail from Price. Her mom and dad had left their own desperate messages. Well, maybe not quite desperate. Her mom had sounded more exasperated than anything. She’d said exactly what Laci had thought she would say—that it was time for her to come home and settle down like a good girl. Laci seethed at the thought of crawling back home with her tail between her legs. She shook her head and tossed the cell phone on her bed. Nope. Not going to happen.
At least Nicki had been understanding. Laci had gotten only one voice mail from her sister, telling her to ignore the rest of the family. Laci smiled as she recalled the rebellious tone Nicki’s voice had carried when she’d left the message.
She’d been at the resort for almost a week and still hadn’t returned any of the phone calls from her family, even Nicki. The less her sister knew about where she was, the better. Her mom’s attitude had only served to piss Laci off. The messages Price and her dad had left over the last couple of days, though, made guilt gnaw at her. They had stopped begging her to come home and just asked that she let them know she was safe.
She stared at the phone for a few moments before sighing and snatching it back up. She typed out a quick text to Price and hit send. Her message didn’t tell him where she was, but at least he would know she wasn’t dead on the side of the road somewhere. If she knew Price—and she did—he would try to call or text her again as soon as he saw her message, so she turned her phone off.
This was her first evening off from her bartender duties and restlessness made her edgy. She had taken the day shift in the lounge and had been surprised at the number of guests who frequented the bar during the day. She’d figured they all would have been outside enjoying the ski slopes, horseback riding and other outdoor activities the lodge offered. The customers had kept her busy, but not so busy that she felt like collapsing into bed, especially since it was still early in the evening.
The thought of going for a run crossed her mind, but she didn’t really feel like shifting. Her cat was controlling her life enough lately as it was. Instead, she grabbed the television remote control and crawled onto the bed. The room she was assigned was in a separate wing off the main lodge and was equipped with a bed, small dining table, a bathroom and a kitchenette, though she could also order food from the lodge’s restaurant whenever she wanted. She’d already finished off the sandwich she’d picked up after her shift. Room and board were part of the benefits of working for Tucker and Colt, who treated their employees well.
The thought of the lodge’s owners sent heat racing through Laci’s body. She couldn’t deny the attraction she felt toward both men, but getting involved with one of her bosses was probably not a good idea. She reminded herself she wasn’t here to get involved with anyone, anyway. Maybe she could have a little fun with a guest every now and then just to take the edge off her cat’s cravings, but a relationship with her employer would be asking for trouble, in more ways than she wanted to think about.
Laci flipped through the television channels, but nothing caught her interest enough to get her mind off her two sexy bosses. They had been kept busy with the peacock convention during the day, but they’d both come to the bar for a beer or two every night toward the end of her shift. They would sit and talk to each other, and to her, for a couple of hours. She didn’t know if they had always done this or if it was something new. Either way, she liked it.
The jeans she had worn during her shift were still in a heap on the floor next to the bed, so Laci reached down and scooped them up. She dug into the pockets and pulled out the folded bills she’d gotten in tips. Dylan had been right. The peacocks were great tippers. The tip jar had stayed stuffed, giving Laci more spending money than she really needed.
During her free time she had explored much of the resort, but thinking of Dylan reminded her of one area she hadn’t ventured to yet. She didn’t know exactly what the basement contained, but he’d hinted more than once that she should check it out. She’d gotten the impression it was some type of club. Maybe hanging out there for a while would help her unwind a little and meet a few more fellow employees. Making up her mind, she switched off the television and hopped off the bed. She’d only brought a few things with her, but the lodge gift shop had a surprising selection of clothing and she’d picked up a few things yesterday with some of her tip money.
Halfway to her closet, a knock sounded on her door. She crossed the room and cracked the open the door. Colt stood in the hallway, with his hands stuffed in his jeans pockets.
“Hey, Laci. Um, are you busy?”
Laci tried to think of something to say, but it was hard to think with her lioness growling in her head, demanding that Laci drag Colt into her room and have her way with him.
She shook her head and opened the door. “Uh, no. Come on in.”
Colt walked into the room and she shut the door behind her, suddenly aware that she was alone with Colt in her bedroom.
“I just came by to see if you maybe wanted to grab some dinner with me.”
His offer took Laci off guard. “Um, I already ate.” As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she wished she could take them back. What a stupid thing to say! Her gorgeous boss was asking her to dinner. The only response should have been a resounding yes!
Colt’s gaze slid down her body and a frown creased his forehead. Too late, Laci realized she was wearing her pajamas. The pink flannel ones with pictures of kittens on them.
“Damn. I’m sorry, Laci. I didn’t realize you’d already settled in for the evening. “I’ll um, just go.”
He moved to the door and Laci panicked. “No! I mean, you don’t have to…”
Colt stared at her for what felt like an endless moment. And then he was all over her. One arm went around her waist and pulled her tight against his body. His lips crushed down on hers and she opened them, allowing his tongue to delve deep into her mouth. His free hand found its way under her pajama top and cupped her breast, his thumb flicking across her nipple and sending an electrical charge straight to her to her clit.
But as fast as it started, it was over.
Colt broke the kiss and pulled away. “Shit. Laci, shit, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” Laci felt empty as he backed away, his hand reaching for the doorknob. “I’ll just go. Damn, I’m really sorry.”
And just like that, he was gone. Laci stared at the closed door, her lips and skin still tingling from his touch. Her head spun. What the hell had just happened? And why did it have to stop?
Laci sighed and sunk down on the bed. She already knew the answer to that last question. Colt was her boss. Apparently, they’d both forgotten that little detail for one brief moment. But Colt had obviously come to his senses.
She stared around the room, at a loss as to what to do next. Her heart still raced. There was no way she could just sit here for the rest of the night, not with adrenaline running though her veins and her cat pacing in frustration.
She leapt off the bed and then wiggled out of the pajamas. She slipped into her favorite pair of denim short-shorts and the new silver sequined top she’d picked up in the gift shop, along with a new pair of silver sandals. She was glad the employee wing was attached to the main building so she didn’t have to bundle up against the cold outside.
She ran her fingers through her hair as she headed for the door, hoping there would be something in the basement that would be distracting enough to get her mind off of her interrupted encounter with Colt.
Chapter Seven
Tucker cursed as the white ball sank into the pool table’s corner pocket. His game had been off all evening and he didn’t have to think very hard to know why. Hell, the whole lodge carried the distinctive scent that only another male lion shifter would detect. Even though he had sworn to stay away from the little vixen he’d hired to tend bar, he had wandered into the bar every night to see her. It amused him that Colt had done the same thing. At this point, Tucker w
ondered which one of them would break their no-employee rule first. He’d come down to the lodge’s club to try to unwind and get away from the ever-present siren song of Laci’s pheromones. Judging from his lousy performance at the pool table, his attempt was obviously failing. Badly.
The club, which didn’t have an official name but was simply referred to as the basement by staff and long-time guests, was busier than usual tonight. The peacock convention was in full swing and they were a partying bunch. Most of them preferred to stay out of the cold and enjoyed the indoor amenities at the lodge, which included an indoor swimming pool, full day-spa, and of course, the basement. The peacocks were big fans of the basement, especially the back rooms. Those rooms, combined with the remoteness of the resort, were the main attractions that kept his specialized clientele coming back as repeat guests.
“The table does not like you tonight, my friend.” Matt slapped Tucker on the back and laughed. Tucker scowled at his club manager, who was the general go-to guy for anything the guests needed involving the basement. He was also one of Tucker’s oldest friends, though several years older than Tucker. “What’s got you so distracted?”
“Who says I’m distracted?” Tucker picked up the glass he’d left on the nearby high-top table and took a swig of whiskey. “Anyone can have an off night.”
Matt’s laugh sounded more like a snort. “Uh-huh. Anybody but you.”
Tucker ignored his friend’s comment and stared at the amber liquid in his glass. Pretending he wasn’t affected by Laci wasn’t working. His lion had been pacing and growling non-stop for almost a week, demanding that Tucker answer the she-cat’s call. If he admitted the truth, he wasn’t just distracted by her. He was downright obsessed.
Tucker studied Matt for a moment. “So how come you don’t seem affected by her?”
Matt snorted. “Well, she hasn’t come down here yet.” A shadow of pain crossed his face. “Besides, you know there hasn’t been anyone for me since Anne.”
Tucker could have kicked himself. “I’m sorry, old friend. I shouldn’t have asked.”
Matt shrugged. “It was a long time ago.”
A wave of concentrated scent hit Tucker hard. He looked up to see the entrance door swing closed behind the very female he’d been hiding from tonight. Laci looked around and then headed toward the bar.
“Looks like I’ve got a customer.” Matt set his pool stick down on the table and walked to the bar to serve Laci.
Tucker leaned back against the pool table and watched the female who was giving him and his cat so much internal trouble. The Dom in him knew exactly how to handle the problem, but the employer and business partner side of him struggled against that approach. He could only see the back of her as she stood at the bar, but that was enough. His gaze slid across her bare shoulders and followed the curve of her sides down to her ass. The skimpy denim shorts she wore only fueled his curiosity at how she would look with them off. His gaze continued its journey down her long, shapely legs. So many women Tucker saw come through the resort were too thin for his taste, but Laci had the right amount of curves.
He watched for a few more minutes as Matt served her a Corona. She took a couple of sips and then looked around. Her gaze worked its way around the club. Tucker waited, the tension in his body growing as her gaze neared his direction. Then she made contact with his stare. Her eyes went wide and she whipped her head back around, but not before Tucker caught the enticing blush that flooded her cheeks. It was the same blush he had purposely pulled out of her so many times over the last few evenings, whether it was from a remark he’d made or a hooded look he’d thrown her way. He loved that blush.
Tucker fought the urge to join her at the bar, even though he had spent hours with her during her shifts this week. Colt had been there all those other times, but he wasn’t here now. Tucker didn’t know if he could trust himself to remain in control if he was alone with her. And losing control was not something he was prone to doing.
His cat growled its frustration, but Tucker stood his ground. It had taken years of training and a healthy dose of sheer stubbornness to master his beast’s urges. He wasn’t going to allow one she-cat to sabotage his hard-earned willpower, regardless of how much his lion protested or how damned sexy that she-cat was.
He continued to watch her as she sipped her beer and exchanged greetings with a couple of other employees who were enjoying some time off in the club. He waited to see if she turned back around to check if he was still watching her, but she kept her back to him. His lips turned up in a grudging grin. He couldn’t help but notice the way she had looked at him over the last week whenever she though he wasn’t watching her. He had caught her stolen glimpses and the way her pheromones grew more intense whenever she caught him watching her. Of course, he’d also noticed she reacted the same way to Colt, but that amused Tucker more than it annoyed him.
Tucker kept watching. He wondered if she could sense his stare on her back and if it was affecting her. A heady wave of her scent wafted toward him and he grinned. Yeah, she knew he was watching, all right. But she still didn’t turn around. She was stubborn and strong-willed. He liked that about her.
He’d gotten a hint of that stubbornness a couple of nights ago, when Laci had opened up to him and Colt about her reason for accepting the job offer. Her jaw had set into a hard line as she told them she refused to be mated off to someone just because her biological clock was clanging loud enough for half the lion shifters in the state to answer its call. Tucker had been more than a little unsettled at his strong negative reaction to the thought of her being forcibly mated to another male. He’d had to remind himself that he had no reason to feel possessive toward Laci.
The door swung open again and Dylan and Kyle, another employee, strode into the room and headed straight to the bar. Dylan sidled up to Laci and threw his arm over her shoulders. The too-familiar gesture grated on Tucker’s nerves, catching him by surprise. His determination to remain passive toward her disappeared. He stalked across the room, coming to a stop right behind Laci, with his stare locked on Dylan’s arm. He had a sudden urge to rip it from the young shifter’s shoulder. Tucker wasn’t sure which bothered him more, Dylan touching Laci or his own possessive reaction to that touch. Either way, Dylan needed to remove his arm from around Laci’s shoulders. Now.
Tucker cleared his throat, even though he felt like doing so much more than that. Laci jumped. Dylan withdrew his offending arm from around Laci’s shoulders and then turned around. The kid broke out into a smile, not realizing that Tucker’s self-control had been the only thing keeping him from ripping the kid’s arm off and beating him with it.
“Hey, Tucker. Haven’t seen you down here in a while.” Dylan nudged him with his elbow. “Did you finally find someone to play with?”
Tucker’s gaze flicked to Laci of its own accord. He covered it by setting his empty glass down on the bar between Dylan and Laci and motioning to Matt. He turned back to Dylan and silently cursed his unanticipated reaction to Dylan’s question. The kid’s eyebrows were practically stuck at the top of his forehead and his gaze flicked back and forth between Tucker and Laci, his mouth open and his whole face slack with apparent shock. Tucker narrowed his eyes and silently dared him to say a word.
Dylan was young, but Tucker knew he wasn’t stupid. His expression cleared and he averted his gaze. “Um…hey, Kyle, I think there’s a pool table open. Looks like you’re gonna lose some money tonight.”
Tucker kept staring at Dylan until he and Kyle had crossed the room, and then he turned back to Laci. She still hadn’t turned to look at him since he’d walked up behind her. Matt set Tucker’s fresh drink on the bar next to Laci. Tucker ignored the smirk that twitched at the corner of his old friend’s mouth.
“Mind if I join you?” Tucker’s voice sounded strange in his ears.
Laci finally glanced up. “Um, sure.”
He sat down and took a quick drink of his whiskey. “So, is this your first time down to the baseme
nt?”
“Yeah, Dylan said I should check it out.” She turned to look in the direction Dylan and Kyle had gone. They were starting a game at the pool table Tucker had just vacated. “He said something about playing, so I guess he must have been talking about pool.”
Tucker almost choked on his drink. She didn’t know. She had no idea what was in the basement. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He’d assumed she would have already heard about the basement from another employee.
Tucker had avoided the basement during the tour he’d given her when she’d first arrived. He hadn’t trusted himself to remain neutral, given his sudden and unexpected exposure to her pheromones. But surely he was used to her scent enough by now that he could maintain his distance while showing her around. Besides, Tucker would probably have to kill Dylan if she ended up taking the tour with him, instead.
“Actually, he wasn’t talking about pool.” He took another drink of whiskey and made up his mind. He stood up, taking his drink with him. “Come on, I’ll show you around.”
Laci grabbed her beer and followed him to the far side of the room, opposite the door she’d used to enter the bar. A black velvet curtain hung on the wall. Tucker pushed it aside, revealing a door. He opened it and stood aside, motioning for Laci to go ahead of him. She swept passed him and then stopped and turned around while he closed the door behind them.
The hallway they entered was wide and dimly lit. The décor here was completely opposite from the club, which had a rustic theme. This space was more modern castle, with smooth walls and a dark-stained cement floor that had been highly polished. The light fixtures along the walls were designed to replicate candleholders and the light flickered, just like candles. It had been a while since Tucker had been back here. Too long, in fact. Laci’s scent seemed to be magnified in the enclosed space. His dick swelled and twitched, but he reminded himself to keep this tour on a professional level.
