She’d gone to find her other mate. She’d sought out another shifter and Jagger would have to accept him in his life.
Another man would soon claim his position in Ariela’s bed.
Chapter Two
“He’s tearing me apart, Leon.” Ariela stood in front of the ninety-inch screen, watching Jagger as he worked the casino floor. Security had called for him when they suspected a card counter, and now Jagger was dealing the cards, flipping back-to-back blackjacks and soft seventeens that somehow pulled a three or four every single time he took a hit.
“He’s concerned about you, Ariela.”
“But you aren’t.” She wheeled around and stared at him. “It’s because you’ve seen our future, but you refuse to show us. Why?”
“I can’t this time.”
“Can’t? Don’t you mean won’t?”
“It’s all the same as far as I’m concerned.” Leon nuzzled her cheek. Undoubtedly he smelled her building arousal, her insatiable need to mate already resurfacing.
She pushed aside her growing desire and Leon at the same time. She liked to watch Jagger when he was in his element. He loved, absolutely cherished, taking a player’s money, particularly when the casino patron had arrived there with an obvious goal of cheating the house for their take.
Even though card counters weren’t exactly cheats, Jagger viewed them as such because they stomped on the house’s advantage. Jagger prided himself on returning the favor.
“Barlo won’t let me have Sanchez.”
“Barlo is dangerous, Ariela.” Leon bunched her hair in his hands and kissed her nape, dragging his tongue up and down the itty bitty indentation at the base of her head.
Her nipples throbbed. Her skin tingled.
“I want to see the future, Leon,” she whispered. “Show me.”
“Not this time.” He lifted her shirt and released her bra clasp, freeing her breasts.
“Why? What risks are there if you show me what to expect?”
Leon pinched her nipples, gently twisting the hardened points until Ariela’s pussy clenched in expectation. She needed fulfillment then. She yearned for that first stroke, the pulse of his penis-head raking against her channel, caressing her walls.
Leon mashed his cock against her hip. The bulge in his slacks made her shiver and she started to turn.
“No,” he deadpanned, dragging a chair directly in front of the large monitor.
He didn’t disrobe. Instead he unzipped, but didn’t bother to unsnap. He motioned for her then, crooking his finger back and forth.
Lust marked its place in his eyes, and his nostrils flared as her arousal became alarming. She needed to fuck, and Leon apparently wasn’t interested in making her wait.
“What do you most desire, Leon?”
“You know what I like at the start of these breeding bouts.”
She undressed and climbed on his lap, slipping her legs through the opening on either side of the executive chair. “Is this what you need?”
“No.” He impaled her quickly. “This is what I want. This is what you need, lover.”
She flung her head back and stared at the ceiling fan, watching the slow propelling motion as Leon fucked her with hard-pounding beats. He devoured her breasts hungrily, lapping at her nipples and suckling her fullness until she was tender and excited.
“Ah Ariela,” he rasped, bracketing his arm around her waist and sitting upright. “Use the balls of your feet, Ariela. Ride me.”
She gripped his shoulders and clenched her ass-cheeks. Using his body for leverage, she undulated with him, the desire forcing her to ride faster. She clamped down on his cock and shook her bottom, driving down on his cock as he screwed himself high inside her quivering channel.
“Leon!” Her voice carried, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t stop. She jammed her pussy against him, squeezing around his cock.
The reckless fucking turned even wilder. The chair spun around and their bodies swayed one way and the other.
Leon’s hard thrusts left her yearning for fulfillment, and when the pronged head emerged, she released a shattered breath. “Ah yes. Ah….” Her voice caught in her throat as the lion-shifter’s barb stroked her. She swallowed once, staring down at their physical connection.
“Squeeze,” Leon crooned, extending his legs and using his weight to hoist her above him.
“No, no, don’t do that.” She grabbed the back of the chair and pushed her pussy down, forcing him all the way inside her.
Leon roared, the lion within was undoubtedly outraged. The breeding season was an inconvenience. The mating hours upon them would mandate regular fucks, and she would guide that passion and dictate some of the movements. She required good loving, so much fucking.
Ariela knew what she needed, and even though her mates seemed happy to provide the service, Ariela wanted them to understand. This was one time when the sex was about her, when the fucking needed to be satisfactory each and every time.
She smiled at Leon, wondering if he could tap into her thoughts. He pushed the chair with his feet and sent them flying against the wall. After they crashed there, he hooked one foot under the end table and shifted his hips, pushing his cock forward.
“Leon!” The gushing heat poured from her body. Leon’s cologne, mixed with the nearby bowl of peppermint candies, filled her senses.
He was almost there. She could feel the flex of his rigid cock, the way the barbed head hardened as he stroked her.
“Come,” he rasped, leaning back. “Give me pleasure, vixen. Show me how you move when it’s just me and you.”
“Oh God,” she murmured, thinking this mating match would be worse than ever before. Leon and Jagger willingly shared her, but they always liked the one-on-one action, too. It would definitely worsen with the threat of another lover joining them, another mate she would claim as her own.
She cupped Leon’s face and kissed him then, wanting to reassure him as her pussy convulsed around his cock. She tried to hold their kiss, swirling her tongue inside his mouth as he rammed inside her pussy with more determined beats.
Their lips parted then and Leon wrapped his hand around her neck, holding her firmly in place as he pounded inside her, ripping through her channel at ferocious speed, with the kind of strokes a woman didn’t forget. “There, Ariela. Oh God, yeah, right there.”
“Le…on!” Her shattered cries were pitched high and loud. “Don’t stop, Leon. Give it to me harder. Faster.”
As her climax shook through her, the leather seat hammered against the wall. In a matter of seconds, she came down from the satisfying fall, screaming out her lover’s name and wishing like hell, he would do the same.
* * * *
A door slammed behind them as they were reassembling their clothes. Melinda, now the CFO of Pride’s Las Vegas Casino, crossed her arms and glowered at them. “Well, well, well. What do we have here?” She moistened her lips and stared at Leon.
Ariela didn’t know what it was about her mates and Melinda, but Melinda seemed to think she owned the right to challenge her position with them whenever she had a chance.
“Wait outside, Melinda.”
“Oh, but I already did that, handsome.” Melinda fluttered her eyelashes. She wanted them to know she’d heard them. In Melinda’s narrow mind, she probably believed a full house had just landed in her lap.
“Don’t even think about using this against me,” Ariela said, stalking her.
Melinda stood her ground. “Use what, Ariela?” She smirked. “I’m a patient woman.” She glanced at Leon, and a low, seductive purr seeped through her venomous lips. “One of these days you’ll get caught, and Jagger will leave you, or this—” she purred again— “hunk of a man will get tired of playing second fiddle and come see me when you aren’t looking.”
“Don’t watch for me,” Leon said, totally dismissing her.
“Oh, I’ll watch for you, tiger,” Melinda said, striking a p
ose. “You know what they say about rebounding men. When they’re on the take, they don’t just seize a given opportunity; they snatch up a chance and immediately ride the hell out of it. Consequences aren’t important when immeasurable pleasure is at stake. With that prospect hanging in the balance, I want you to know how much I’ll enjoy our hours together.”
With that, she turned and exited the office. Passing Jagger, she said, “Better look out, Jagger, you never know what the kitty is up to when the cat’s called away.”
Jagger collapsed to the sofa and let the door slam behind the woman who had once held the position of his executive assistant. “Sometimes I think one of us should fuck her just to scare her off.”
“Try it, and see how that works out for you.” Ariela had threatened him many times before because Melinda’s availability often wore on her patience.
“We have hundreds of rooms here. Couldn’t you choose one out of Melinda’s territory?”
“Melinda watches my every move. I couldn’t escape the sniffing hound if I tried.”
Jagger looked at Leon. “Have you ever noticed how jealous Ariela is when she’s in heat?”
Leon laughed. “I’m starting to believe you keep Melinda around just to irritate her.”
“I do,” Jagger said, crooking his finger back and forth, summoning Ariela.
“I’m well satisfied. Thank you very much.”
“I’m not,” he said, eying her chest. “Maybe you need to remember that I have needs, too. And I get a real rise when your green-eyed monster makes an appearance.”
Ariela straddled him. Giving him a sultry kiss, she whispered, “No you don’t. You get a hard-on after you take back our money from a player. And after you empty a player’s pockets and send him home broke, you believe you can put the screws to anyone.”
“Not just anyone, Ariela,” he rasped, pulling his cock free. “Only you.”
Chapter Three
By nightfall, the breeding bout had taken its toll. Ariela was exhausted.
Jagger had carried her to the car after she’d passed out on the office sofa. Leon had trailed them, keeping his eyes open for bystanders.
Since they’d actively begun searching for pride members, Leon had been on guard. He knew they faced significant dangers. He was aware of another large pride in the Mojave Desert, a pride that was believed to have strengths to match and exceed his own.
Leon couldn’t risk Ariela’s safety, particularly now when she seemed so vulnerable. Her mating season often drew her to the desert. He’d met her there the year before, when Jagger had left her at home unattended.
According to Jagger, nature had called to her in an undeniable fashion, summoning her away from home and placing her in unimaginable danger, a danger she might have found had Leon not been there waiting and watching, expecting precisely what she demonstrated—the need to be wild and free, the deep-seated longing to roam alongside others like her.
Leon entered their SUV and glanced over his shoulder. Unable to resist, he brushed her pretty blonde hair away from her fair skin and traced the bone structure of her high cheek.
“Let her sleep,” Jagger said, sticking the key in the ignition and backing out of the parking space. “She’ll be restless for the next several days.”
A few minutes later, they left the parking garage and took a right onto the Las Vegas Strip. Jagger frowned when the traffic light forced them to stop in front of Barlo Matheson’s Magical Kingdom, a casino noted for its mix of entertainment—particularly its growing lion exhibit.
“You should go see Barlo.”
“Tonight?”
“Why not?” Leon stretched his neck, casually looked around, and quickly added, “Yes, I think tonight would be a good time.”
Jagger rested his wrist on the padded steering wheel. “Are you telling me this because you know what will happen?”
“I’m making a suggestion, Jagger,” Leon said, unwilling to give him more than that. The sooner Jagger stopped relying on Leon’s wizard-shifter gifts, the sooner he could assume a more powerful position within the pride he’d soon lead. Besides, Leon didn’t know as much as Jagger believed. At the moment, he was drawing blank.
Jagger blew out a hard breath and whipped into the parking lot at their neighboring casino. He slammed the gearshift into park position and said, “Wait here. I won’t be long.”
He was met by the valet attendant as soon as he abandoned the vehicle. He stuffed a few bills in his hand and said, “Leave me parked here for thirty minutes, and I’ll make it worth your while.”
“Yes, Sir,” the attendant said, grinning at another nearby employee.
Leon watched the casino entrance until Jagger disappeared inside. Resting his neck on the headrest, he breathed a little easier with the realization. They were about to start down one treacherous path with a formidable opponent, a man who not only held one of their own in captivity, but also a very powerful fellow noted for his violent tendencies. For some reason, he was relieved. Anticipation in mating matters left little to be desired.
“You know what they say about Barlo.” Ariela leaned between the bucket seats, rubbing her right eye and yawning.
“I’ve heard gossip, but I don’t put much faith in rumors, Ariela. The tales surrounding Barlo generate for a reason. His competitors smile in his face, shake his hand, slap his back, and then put a knife between his shoulder blades as they’re walking out the door. They try to convince others that it’s dangerous to do business with him yet they feel no angst when they meet with him here on his turf, in his casino.”
Ariela studied him for a minute before she said, “You hate this city. Why?”
“I don’t hate the city. I hate what this city does to good people. It’s definitely a place where a lost person can never be found. It’s a city said to be built on losers, but it’s also a town of winners, too—those who learned how to best manipulate the game of business, how to score big regardless of the chips in front of them.”
“Spoken like a true gambler.”
“But I’m not a gambler.”
“Oh, really?” Ariela drawled, reaching for his cock.
She stroked him through his slacks, gripping his flaccid cock with digging fingers until she roused him. “You took a gamble when you came here for me.”
“I didn’t gamble. When you can predict the future, you don’t gamble. You bet on a sure outcome.”
Ariela stopped her pursuits and rested her hand on his forearm. “Leon, are you always right? Have your visions ever been wrong?”
He shifted in his seat. “I’m not wrong when I can see the complete picture.”
“Can you see it now?”
He thinned his lips. “You mean about Sanchez?”
“Yes.”
Leon glanced back at the casino, debating how he could best answer her without alarming her. After much thought he said, “I can see what I need to see where he’s concerned.”
“Then show me!” Ariela jerked his arm. “Please, Leon. Don’t deny me.”
“What bothers me is what I can’t see, Ariela. There’s a stronger force that keeps me from seeing beyond a certain point. And that barrier is disconcerting because beyond it lies trouble, danger I’m certain we’ll overcome, but trials and tribulations for sure.”
“Then how do you know we’ll conquer what awaits us on the other side?”
“I’m optimistic because of our position at the top of the food chain.” He winked. “What doesn’t conquer us, we can divide. Through that division is where we’ll find enormous power, the kind of power you’ve always craved and Jagger has always wanted you to have, but first you have to earn it.”
“I’m not a fighter, Leon.”
“Oh no?” He laughed. “I see those claw marks on Melinda’s back whenever she makes a pass at me or Jagger.” He took a deep breath. “After you went to see Barlo, you told us what you said to him. You said every man had a price, but what you didn’
t stop to think about was whether or not Jagger would let you pay it.”
“Jagger or you?”
“Both,” he readily admitted.
“Will you?” she asked, frowning. “Will you let me pay what’s required?”
“No, but you’ll go behind our backs and do it anyway.”
* * * *
Barlo Matheson’s office was all glitter and bling. As soon as Jagger entered, Barlo’s stance changed. Standing at the expansive bar, he squared his shoulders before he looked up. First impression would lead someone to believe they were about to shake hands with one of the devil’s right-hand men.
“What the hell brings you over here this late, neighbor?”
Perhaps there was a lot to be said for first impressions.
“We’re a month away from debuting Rise to Power-Search for Pride.”
“Oh?” Barlo arched a brow. His dark features lightened, a true sign that even evil creatures took great joy in some things. “I hadn’t heard.”
“Blame that on selective hearing, do you?” Jagger took the liberty to sit on Barlo’s leather sofa.
Barlo scoffed. “I’ve never been one of these casino owners to dwell on what my neighbors are doing.”
“I see,” Jagger said, stroking his chin. “In which case, I’ll cut right to the chase. You have a lion I want.”
“You or Ariela?”
“Both of us think he would make a nice addition to our forthcoming project.”
“I’m sure you do,” Barlo muttered, sipping his cocktail. He still hadn’t offered Jagger a drink, but Jagger wouldn’t have accepted anyway. “And this forthcoming project of yours, it’s the only reason you want one of my lions?”
He and Jagger swapped loathing glares. It was then that Jagger realized Barlo was holding Sanchez for leverage. A powerful man who liked to throw his weight around, the wealthy casino owner apparently thought Sanchez would buy him an extra ounce of control. Jagger wanted to know why.
“Ariela wants Sanchez for one of our acts,” Jagger said.
Money Page 2
