“You okay, Nisa?” Benny smirked, perusing the places where her robe was flopping open. “You need something?”
“I’m fine, Benny.” He was the last person she wanted to see right now, except for maybe Shelby. Or Shane. “I thought I heard someone out here. A housekeeper, maybe. See anyone?”
“Nope. Just me.” His finger waved in the direction of her collarbone. “You got a little something there.”
She slapped her hand over it and retreated. “It’s lotion. I have to finish getting dressed.”
The door swung shut with the force of her foot, then she marched over to the balcony and shut that door too.
CHAPTER 11
By the time Nisa joined the party they were clearing the salad plates for the main course. After her encounter with the Beast she’d showered again, gotten dressed, and hunted down clean sheets. It had put her behind, but she’d been too preoccupied to be bothered by it. She couldn’t stop thinking about how it felt to have him inside of her, to be overwhelmed with sensation, to see herself as he saw her . . . Most of all she’d thought about his kiss good-bye. She didn’t know how it was possible, but she was sure that in that moment he’d been entirely human—and that they hadn’t been meeting as such for the first time.
The patio looked magical. Lounge chairs and potted plants had been replaced with long, rustic tables, fresh cut flowers, and candle-filled lanterns. Clear, naked light bulbs formed a canopy overhead with tiny, gold butterflies floating on invisible wires. Pyramid flame heaters and soft music from the band made for a cozy atmosphere, while the tinkle of wine glasses mixed with laughter and murmurs of conversation.
Nisa drew lingering gazes as she walked toward the chair Shane had clearly been saving for her. She’d stayed with the red dress. Both the front and the back had a ‘v’ that dipped to the waist, then expanded from a thin belt with diaphanous, floor-length layers. Crimson beading formed swirls on the bodice and skirt, preserving a hint of modesty in all the right places. Her sandals were flat and a similar shade to the dress, but for her ears she’d chosen simple gold hoops that peeked out from her mane of uncontrollable corkscrews.
Shane watched her as he would a dangerous stranger. She considered sitting somewhere away from him. But he was probably already drunk, which meant the odds of him making a scene were higher. He pulled out the chair next to him as she approached, and then draped his arm across the back.
Nisa narrowed her eyes. She recognized the gesture for what is was—an attempt to rein her back in. It was so typical Shane that part of her wanted to laugh. But it also set her teeth on edge. It wasn’t until Arlo spoke that she realized he was walking next to her.
“You look exquisite.”
Arlo’s tousled hair gleamed under the lights. He was in a black, slim-cut suit, not unlike Benny’s from the night before yet worn infinitely better. His shirt was battleship blue, his tie black with a subtle sheen. He held her eyes as they walked, fingers feathering her spine for the last few steps to her seat.
“As do you.”
Arlo helped push in Nisa’s chair, then walked around to the other side of the table and sat just a few guests down. He gave Shane an unfriendly smile, and Shane flushed red as he hissed in Nisa’s ear.
“You’re really starting to piss me off.”
“I’m really starting to not give a shit.”
Toby leaned between them offering carafes of wine. “Red or white?”
Shane pulled back, wiping the murder from his face. “A scotch. Quickly.”
Nisa bristled at the command but Toby seemed unperturbed. “I’ll have the white.”
Toby filled her glass, then winked as Nisa mouthed “thank you.” Down the table, Arlo caught her eye. Not because he was looking at her, but because he was staring at Shane with open derision.
It was actually the man across the table who was studying her. She’d met him last night but couldn’t remember his name. “I wonder who it was.”
Shane’s curt tone belied his calm expression. “Who what was?”
The woman next to the man laughed. “Before dinner. Mill Valley’s version of ‘Wild Kingdom’.” Nisa had met her too. Daphne or something.
The man slid his hand up the woman’s thigh. “Someone was either getting killed or fucked.”
“Well if you ever kill me,” she purred, “do it just like that.”
Nisa pressed her wineglass against her lips. The scent was heavenly. Stone fruit and freshly cut grass.
The kampachi crudo came first, then roasted squab with lemon potatoes, and finally Moroccan-spiced lamb shank with fennel. After dinner the guests were invited to build gourmet s’mores by the fire pit, or visit the dessert table for fresh peaches with ricotta and honey, toasted panna cotta, or pistachio tarts. Nisa had gone right for the peaches. She could never pass up the simplicity of fresh fruit and the sweetness of honey. Shane had followed her toward the desserts, but some producer had sucked him into conversation and she’d made a grateful escape. For a few more minutes at least, she could really enjoy the evening.
Once dinner was done, the music changed from ambient to a much more danceable tempo. The band’s repertoire was fun and upbeat, with solid renditions of popular songs from the last thirty or so years. Nisa didn’t feel much like dancing herself. So, she wandered down to a lawn couch on the second tier where she could watch.
Benny and Shelby led the charge, with Benny swinging Shelby around in the space left open for the dance floor. But it was John the stable master who stole the show. Rather than a suit, John had opted for sharp looking cowboy boots, clean dark denims, and a pressed shirt. His beard and moustache looked barbershop trimmed and shone under his dark Stetson hat. He was dancing with Phil Hanley, an executive from MGM. And by the looks of it, if John wanted to get lucky tonight Phil was a sure thing. John was pure swagger as they moved through the crowd and it wasn’t long before another man she didn’t know politely cut in. With moves like that she’d have cut in on Phil too.
Willa and Callum were still seated where they’d eaten dinner. Most of the weekend guests were at the party to make deals. Tonight was their last, best chance to get face time with the couple, which meant Willa and Callum had been inundated as soon as dessert was announced.
Toby was busy freshening up drinks, but his eyes still scanned the party, playing silent watcher. It was strange that in just twenty-four hours Nisa and Toby had formed this unspoken alliance. He clearly knew more than he was willing to say and that was frustrating, but she appreciated him looking out for her anyway.
The man Nisa really wanted to see was Arlo. She didn’t know him very well, or really at all, and yet her gut told her that he was the cause of this weekend’s intrigue. Much like the Beast, he’d crushed her inhibitions. If John hadn’t come into the tack room, she’d have abandoned all decorum for wanton exhilaration —just as she’d done in the woods last night.
The Beast had herded her to that clearing. Not just played cat and mouse as she’d originally thought, but corralled her to that particular spot. When he’d left her room this evening he’d left through the bedroom door. That meant he knew the inside of the house—and, nude or not, he wasn’t all that worried about being seen. The forest and the house were his territory. Judging by her afternoon ride, Arlo clearly knew the woods, and being Willa’s nephew, he presumably knew the house. The Beast had to be him. It was the only theory that made sense.
There was Toby, but he felt like a little brother. The kind of guy you set up with your best friend’s daughter. Not the guy tongue-fucking strangers in the woods. John was a sexy bastard, but he emanated morality. He’d never seduce someone who was married, and it was clear that women weren’t his thing. Then there was Callum . . . Just the idea of it made Nisa giggle. Callum could barely stay on his horse this afternoon. There’s no way he was chasing down a woman thirty years his junior. He was also devoted to Willa in a way that was rare. He’d never cheat.
Which brought her back to Arlo. He challenged
her. He made her feel sexy. She wanted it to be him.
The music crept louder as more and more guests crowded the dance floor. The intensity of the movement had shifted. What started as a respectable sway had escalated to full-blown undulation. Nisa smiled to herself, unsure whether mass inebriation made for better dancers or for worse. She was still smiling when Shane showed up to sour her mood.
CHAPTER 12
Nisa knew the routine. He’d smile, feign contrition, try to hold hands . . . Last night’s stroll in the woods would be blamed on insecurity or stress or wifely failings. He usually saved the “Sorry I Fucked Another Woman” speech for when they were alone, but she supposed that now was as good a time as any.
Shane was jaunty as he came down the steps—scotch in one hand, chardonnay in the other. He paused before sitting down and presented her with the wineglass. Nisa eyed the peace offering and reached for it. Shane held onto the stem in a playful tug-of-war before letting it go, then held the scotch out to Nisa as well. She took it as he unbuttoned his sports jacket and wriggled out of the sleeves, then Nisa leaned forward as he draped the coat around her shoulders.
“May I sit?”
Nisa nodded. He squeezed in next to her on the couch and she returned his drink. She could tell it was Chivas Regal. His favorite.
“You’re beautiful tonight, Nees. All weekend really. I should have told you that.”
“Thank you, Shane. And you look very handsome.”
“Do I? Still look handsome to you?”
Nisa sighed. “You always look handsome, Shane. That’s never really been your problem.”
“No, I supposed it hasn’t.” He swirled his glass as Nisa took a sip of wine, then brightened like a little boy. “Callum and Willa agreed to produce my script. We shook on it before dinner. End-of-day Monday, Benny will have the contract.”
“That’s great, Shane. Truly. I’m glad you got what you wanted.”
“What we wanted, Nisa.” The fingers on his free hand interlaced hers. “I build the towers but you lay the foundation. I know that. It makes me feel ashamed sometimes. Like I have to prove I don’t really need you when we both know I do.”
Nisa laughed, extricating her hand. “Seems you’re proving yourself a great deal these days. Must be a lot of shame indeed if you have to bury it in so many women.”
A vein pulsed in his forehead. “I didn’t say I was proud of it, but if you’d listen for a minute, you’d see I’m apologizing.”
“‘Shane’s Shame’,” she tested. “Perfect name for your next big tower. All four and half inches of it.”
Wine sloshed as Shane grabbed Nisa’s arm and yanked her to him. Hello, real Shane. Nice to see you again.
“You’ve been a cunt lately, you know that?”
“Remove your hand,” she warned.
“Or what?”
Nisa’s fist dropped like a hammer, right onto Shane’s testicles. Shane collapsed forward, releasing Nisa’s arm. She took another swig of wine. Shane hyperventilated and cradled his nuts. “Foundation my ass. I build the fucking towers, Shane. You just wash the windows.”
She stood up, more than done with this conversation. But Shane hopped up too, breathless and face contorted with evil. “No way, bitch. You’re not getting out of this.” Nisa threw wine in his face, and in turn Shane grabbed her by the hair. “I tolerate you, Nisa. You’re the one who’s lucky. Not me. I’m the talent here. ME . . .”
Shane’s tirade continued—but Nisa was busy staring at the Beast stalking across the lawn. He was down on all fours, eyes fixated on Shane as he moved along the grass next to the second tier’s retaining wall. It gave him some cover, but not enough to completely hide his body. Nisa’s eyes darted up to the patio, worried someone might see him, but the only person watching was Shelby.
Most of the partygoers had their backs to Nisa and Shane. They’d migrated to the dance floor and were facing the band, who were positioned against the house. The few guests who weren’t watching the band, were too preoccupied with business to pay Nisa and Shane any attention, or were waitstaff busy picking up after the guests. Except for Shelby, who had purposely turned her back on the band to spy. She looked drunk and smug, delightedly bearing witness to Nisa and Shane’s showdown. The Beast on the other hand looked furious and huge. It wouldn’t be long before Shelby spotted him too.
“Now say you’re sorry.” Nisa’s eyes flitted back to her husband. He sneered, pleased with her distress, sure that he once again had the upper hand.
The scotch tumbler shattered as the Beast launched himself at Shane. Nisa stumbled, brusquely thrown to the side. Shane had been flung to the ground and was now scrambling backward through Chivas and broken glass. The Beast stalked over to him, lips curled into a lethal snarl as he snatched Shane by the throat. Shane wheezed. The Beast roared and slithered drool on Shane’s cheek. The scent of urine hit Nisa’s nose. Shane had pissed himself.
The Beast whipped his head toward the patio. Nisa followed his gaze to see that Shelby was screaming. The music was even louder now. The band was playing LL Cool J, the guests singing along to “Headsprung” at the top of their lungs. For Nisa, it drowned Shelby out. Not so for the Beast. It was his cue to leave. He tossed Shane away, and Nisa gaped as the man who mere seconds ago had talked so tough slid across flagstone like a ragdoll.
The Beast turned to Nisa, eyes burning, body heaving. She took a step back. But he lunged for her, and in one deft move threw her over his shoulder. The world went upside down.
Before she’d even settled they were past the tree line and running into the night.
CHAPTER 13
Nisa yelped as the Beast leaned forward and she abruptly slid from his shoulder. She’d been bouncing against his back for a good ten minutes. Now she steadied herself on a bed of dewy moss, her aching breasts thankful their sprint was over.
They’d run deep into the woods, far from Shane and the party. But the Beast was still furious. She stood, leery, as he circled and snarled, fear skittering through her when he sprung at her from behind. She’d yelped again. But he’d been lunging for Shane’s sport coat, which in the melee had managed to not fall off. The Beast tore it from her, ripping it with claws and teeth, then discarded the remnants to howl in rage at the sky.
Nisa watched, apprehension giving way to titillation. His entire being promised violence, but she was done being afraid. Her body wanted pleasure and she’d make his body want it too.
She reached behind her, releasing the back closure of her dress and fabric slid to pool on the ground. She stepped free of it, leaving her sandals behind. The Beast feasted on the sight of her as she neared him in the moonlight.
A low growl formed in his throat, but quieted as she stroked the length of his muzzle and pressed her naked body to his. “Shhh,” she murmured, “shhhhh. It’s just you and me now. It’s just us.” His arms curled around her, her back arching as he anchored their bodies together.
She had closed her eyes, basking in the warmth and the softness of his fur, wrapping her arms around his neck when he began to shrink around her. She opened her eyes again, curious then mesmerized as flesh rippled and pelage melted way. His body compacted, his muscular frame pulling in by inches, as he transformed from a beast to a living, breathing man—into Arlo.
Arlo was smaller than the Beast yet still an imposing figure. And it was not lost on Nisa that they were now flesh to flesh, her breasts pressing insistently against his chest. They’d been here last night, faced off under the same silvery moon. Yet now the rules had drastically changed. He pulled her even closer, searching her eyes for acceptance, and Nisa tipped her head back, inviting him in for their very first kiss.
His mouth was sedulous, at first moving gently then hungrily over hers. She reveled in it, soaking in the tenderness she hadn’t known she’d needed. He’d been inside her, made her come, yet this was the most intimate they’d been. Nisa pushed to her tiptoes, teasing his erection with the softness of her belly as his tongue slipped
past her parted lips. It was sinful, delicious. Her tongue grazed his, impatient for more.
Her fingers drew through his hair, urging him to continue, as he freed her mouth and kissed a trail down her neck and chest. He lingered there, sweeping a hand up her rib cage to cup her ample breast and devour the nipple. He suckled like he was starving for it. Tonguing and nipping the peak until her nethers ached with envy. She writhed against him, her pussy growing frantic, then pushed him to his knees.
Arlo inhaled her arousal, eager to satisfy as she draped a leg over his shoulder. He held her gaze, the Beast visible in his eyes as he kissed her inner thigh, then buried his face in her silkiness and heat. His mouth locked onto her clitoris, his fingers a slow piston in her cunt. She cried out, dizzy with the swirl of his tongue. When he sucked the swelling bud, her body edged closer to delirium.
Nisa was breathless. “Wait,” she said, “wait. I want us to come together.” Arlo fell back into a half-crouch, pulling her by the hips as she shifted to an intimate straddle. She kissed him, tasting herself on his lips as his hands slid to firmly grasp the meat of her ass. She reached for his cock. He gripped her harder as she ran the tip of it between her folds. Their eyes locked, Nisa trembling with desire as she eased herself onto his thickness and rolled her hips forward.
Arlo moaned as Nisa rocked into him, slow and indulgent. Forward, up and back. Forward, up and back. She felt powerful—in control. Arlo’s hands coaxed her to ride faster, but this was her show. She’d decide when they were ready for the final act.
The walls of her pussy flexed in time with her hips. She was milking him. Testing his self-control, pulling every bit of patience out of him. She hooked a hand behind his neck, letting her tits rise and fall before his eyes. Her other hand reached back, caressing his balls until even human, he had to let loose a howl.
Only then did she pick up the pace.
Nisa crushed her mouth to his. It was so easy for them now, the rhythm effortless as she drove their bodies towards climax. Her thighs ached, her back ached, but this was heaven. It was the center of the universe. She somehow had to live here forever.
Night Creatures: Book 1 Page 5
