Things That Go Bump In the Night 2004

by Ashleigh Raine

  While most of the dancers bounced around the dance floor as if they’d drank too much coffee, she moved like a cat, slow and sensual. A soft smile curved her pink lips and her eyes were half-closed. That dreamy smile let him know that she heard the music on a whole other level than those around her.

  Cat Woman raised her arms over her head and he held his breath, waiting to see if her abundant breasts would spill from the corset. They didn’t, though he could have sworn he glimpsed the slightest edge of a rosy areola.

  He set his empty glass on the bar. There was something about the woman in black vinyl that made him both hungry and aroused. It could be the sensual dancing or the fact she seemed to be completely unaware of the crush around her. She could have been dancing alone in her bedroom for all the attention she paid to anyone else. Even in the midst of hundreds of people there was a sense of serenity and innate sensuality that surrounded her, and it set his senses on full alert.

  He pushed away from the bar and started toward her. Lust curled in his belly and the need to mate burned hot. He lifted his head and inhaled. Through the crowd his cougar senses allowed him to discern her scent. Feminine and sweet, it drove a bolt of heat through his gut that threatened to steal his breath.

  He wove through the crowd until he stood at the bottom of the steps, just feet away from her. Up close, his Cat Woman was even more exquisite. Her face was heart-shaped, her pink mouth was slick with gloss and her eyes were a deep, emerald green.

  A tall woman dressed in red leaned over and said something to his Cat Woman. She tilted her head back and the musical laughter that poured forth transfixed him. He adored women who laughed, and this one had a full body laugh. She wrapped her arms around her belly and held herself upright, her eyes dancing with amusement.

  This was his kind of woman. Lush, curvy, and she knew how to laugh. She had a mouth made for kissing, a body created for sin and he wanted to sample both.

  He wondered how she liked to be bedded. Would she be energetic and vocal, or did she expect him to do all the work?

  Once he had this unpleasant business out of the way, he’d have to make her acquaintance. They’d laugh, flirt, maybe have a few cocktails and before dawn, he’d have her in his bed.

  Already he could imagine taking her, sinking into her slick flesh and feeling her tighten around him as she took her pleasure. His cock hardened. Without speaking to her, he knew it would be good between them. Just watching her dance was making him hard as a pike; he could only imagine how he’d feel once he got her clothing off.

  A man jostled Rik from his reverie and a slim blond man walked up the steps toward the woman. Rik frowned when the blond caught the long tail that was attached to her skirt. He tugged on it to get the woman’s attention.

  She turned and her eyes widened when she saw the person who held her tail. She grabbed the padded vinyl appendage and shook her head but the man didn’t relinquish his grip. She was smiling but it was a forced expression.

  Judging from her body language, she didn’t want her tail manhandled by this man. It looked like Rik would have to make her acquaintance sooner rather than later. He started up the steps.

  How he loved a damsel in distress.

  * * * * *

  “No, really, I’m flattered but I don’t want to dance with you. I’m already dancing with my friend—” Char broke off when she realized Maribel was nowhere to be seen.

  “Come on, Cat-babe. I’m the best dancer here.” The man shook his hips in a lewd movement that made her nose wrinkle. “Let’s give it a shot.”

  Char retained her grip on the troublesome appendage and rued the day she’d decided to dress as Cat Woman. At the library, most men had a tendency to overlook her, even on her good hair days. Maribel claimed that her clothing choices enabled her to blend in with the woodwork, but that certainly wasn’t the story tonight.

  In the past hour, more men had accosted her tail then had ever asked her out on a date. While it was funny the first few times, now it was just downright tedious. Did these men really think if they tugged on her tail she’d jump right into their arms?

  Because it had been manhandled so much this evening, she was afraid that if she let go of the tail, this fool would pull it free and destroy her pitiful excuse for a skirt.

  “Look, I’m sure you’re a fabulous—” She gave the tail another tug.

  “Darling, did you miss me?”

  A deep, purring voice drew her attention away from her tormenter and she looked up to see a giant walking up the steps.

  Her mouth went dry.

  The stranger was huge, well over six feet of hard-muscled bad-boy fantasy. Dressed like a biker in a black leather jacket and worn jeans, he looked tough with his tousled, streaky blond hair and chiseled jaw. His dark, golden gaze flicked over her face and she felt as if he’d touched her with his hand. He moved with an easy predatory grace that set every feminine instinct within her on alert.

  The new arrival took her wrist, and the grip on her tail loosened. He raised her hand to his lips and his deep golden eyes twinkled with amusement. His mouth brushed the back of her hand and shivers raced up her arm.

  “The kids are fine and they’re tucked into their little beds. Your mother says hello and hopes we’re having a good time.”

  She gulped.

  “Do you know this guy?” the tail-tugger asked in an arrogant voice.

  Char blinked. She wasn’t sure she could even form a coherent sentence as the stranger’s scent, leather and warm male, surrounded her. Her tongue felt thick and uncoordinated while her body felt unexpectedly loose. He released her and the stranger propped his hands on his hips. His jacket parted to reveal a sculpted chest along with a six-pack of abs that she’d only seen on magazine covers.

  Yowza! He wasn’t even wearing a shirt.

  Their gazes met and a slow tingle began in her belly. His smile widened and her toes curled in response. He was hot.

  Red hot.

  Volcanic.

  Mute, she couldn’t break her gaze from the newcomer’s so she settled for a jerky nod.

  “Of course she knows me; she’s my wife,” the stranger said. “Doesn’t she look great for someone who gave birth less than a month ago?” He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close. Her hand landed on his bare chest and his skin seared her palm. “This is our first night out since the newest arrival.”

  Char felt the other man release her tail but she paid him no mind. Instead, she fell headlong into the depths of her “husband’s” eyes. Thickly lashed, they were twin pools of molten gold surrounded by a ring of darker gold. The depth of blatant male appreciation would have rocked her off her heels if he hadn’t held her so closely. She’d never had a man look at her with such desire, and she longed to wrap herself in his arms.

  To taste his lips…

  His skin…

  His cock…

  An overly exuberant dancer slammed her elbow into Char’s ribs and his arm tightened around her waist. Jolted from her sensual trace, she was horrifyingly aware that she’d been staring at him like a love-starved dimwit. She looked away and cleared her throat.

  “So how many children do we have?” she asked when she found her voice.

  He made a tutting noise and shook his shaggy head. “How soon you forget. We have four children.” He slid his other arm around her and they began to sway to the music. “The twins, Jessica and Frank, are five, Michael is three and little Hermantrude, just a month old. We call her Herman because she looks like your mother.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I’m pretty sure she looks more like your mother.”

  “Hmm,” he pretended to consider her statement, “I guess you’re right. They do have the same moustache.”

  Char felt the laughter bubble up in her throat and she shook her head at the stranger’s nonsense. “Sounds like we have a beautiful family.” She couldn’t help but stroke the hard planes of his chest. She’d never seen one so well-sculpted and yummy-licious in her life.
She wanted to treat him like an ice cream cone and lick him from head to toe.

  “We do, and we’ll have more children in the next few years.” His smile grew. “I think we decided on twelve when we married.”

  “Indeed.” She tipped her head back and smiled. “That sounds like a litter to me.”

  He chuckled. “Exactly.”

  Dazzled by his smile and the sensuality he exuded from every pore, she could barely keep her mind on their conversation when her attention wanted to venture lower…much lower. He moved well, and judging from the hard length pressed into her belly, it would be well worth the trip.

  “And what, pray tell, is the name of the father of my children?” she asked.

  “You can call me Rik.”

  “Rik.” She rolled the name over her tongue. The name suited him—short and to the point. It was a strong name, the name of a warrior or a rogue lover.

  “And I would know the name of my lovely wife,” he said.

  She grinned. “Charlene, but you can call me Char; everyone does.”

  “Well, Char, I think we’ll make beautiful babies together.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh. Whoever this man was, she found herself in serious danger of being completely charmed by him. He might look tough but he had a quirky sense of humor that was appealing, not to mention the fact she could eat dessert off his flat stomach.

  Meow!

  “Don’t you think you’re forgetting something?” she asked.

  His brow arched. “What would that be?”

  “Asking me out might be good for a start,” she said. “It’s hard to get to first base if you don’t step up to the plate.”

  His big hands slid down to her hips and her eyes widened as he insinuated his knee between hers and pressed even closer. She felt the warm slide of his jeans-clad cock against her stomach.

  Yowza!

  “But, we’re already out,” he said.

  “Some more than others,” she whispered.

  He laughed. “A man can’t hide when he’s interested.”

  Her cheeks warmed and she could have sworn the dance floor tilted. This man was like no other that had paid attention to her. Handsome, funny, and he packed a strong sexual punch. If she wasn’t mistaken, he was definitely flirting with her.

  Was he trying to pick her up? If he was…then hurray for her!

  “I think you should kiss me first. I’ve been here a while and it’s just possible that I’ve received other offers to father my future children.” She ran her tongue over her lips, and a thrill snaked down her spine when his gaze dropped to her mouth. “I think it’s prudent to make a comparison study.”

  He laughed again and she enjoyed the play of muscles in his throat. She liked a man who knew how to laugh and this one did, in spades.

  “Do you kiss every man you meet?” he teased.

  She gulped. “Actually, no. I can’t remember the last time I kissed a complete stranger.” She paused when his head dipped toward hers. “In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever done so.”

  His eyes heated and his breath was warm against her lips. “Let’s make an exception then.” He took possession of her mouth in an intense kiss that made her head swim and her body melt.

  She moaned when he swept into her mouth and his taste hit her already overloaded senses. His tongue was nimble and surprisingly rough as it tangled with hers. That added roughness sent her nerves into overdrive, and she moaned again. His grip tightened, aligning her to his brawny frame.

  The raw, heated scent of his body invaded her senses and she gave herself over to his mastery. With each sensual movement of his hands and his mouth, he proclaimed himself very knowledgeable about how a woman needed to be touched, caressed.

  Her body burned and she clutched at his leather jacket, desperate to remain upright. She’d never experienced anything like this, this raw need for the touch of a man. It was as if she were starving for him, and only him. Only his hands, his body, could assuage the need that had come to life the moment he’d spoken to her.

  When he pulled away she realized she’d pressed against him as if she were trying to scale his big frame like a tree. With her cheeks burning, she lowered her leg from where she’d wrapped it around his.

  He ran his thumb over her lower lip and she shivered at the tender caress. His other hand landed on the small of her back; his agile fingers slid over the narrow strip of bare flesh above her waistband, sending chills of delight up her spine.

  “That was some kiss.” His voice was low and rumbling, and she quite liked the sound of it.

  “It was.” Her gaze fixed on his mouth and she leaned toward him until her aching breasts were pressed against his chest. Even through the corset she could feel his strength, his heat.

  “Kiss me again,” she whispered.

  His lips quirked and he captured her mouth. She opened for him, moaning as he moved inside to search out her secrets. She longed for him to press closer, to spread her thighs and touch her where she ached for him most. To caress her breasts and free them from the torturous confines of the corset, to take her nipples into his mouth and suckle her until—

  “Well, well, what do we have here?”

  * * * * *

  Rik silently cursed as he set Char away from him. A Shadow Hunter who failed to pay attention to his surroundings was a dead Hunter. Even though he was retired, it had been years since he’d forgotten that lesson.

  He turned and placed himself between the newcomers and Char. His gaze raked over the rangy wolf standing only a foot away.

  Weylyn was tall and thin, with unruly pelt-like hair that women seemed to find attractive. Behind him was another man who could have been his twin, and beside him was a third man Rik didn’t recognize. The one who resembled Weylyn was probably his younger brother, Bo.

  Three against one, the odds weren’t weighted too heavily in Rik’s favor.

  “Ulrik,” Weylyn spoke first.

  “Lyn.” Rik felt a spark of satisfaction at the flash of anger in the wolf’s eyes. He knew the other man hated it when people shortened his name. Rik crossed his arms over his chest and straightened his stance.

  “You were looking for me?” Rik asked.

  Lyn gave a pointed look at the crowds around them. “Let’s go somewhere a little quieter, where we can talk in peace.”

  He nodded then turned to Char, careful not to present his back to the wolf. “I’ll be back. Will you wait for me in the bar?”

  “But I wouldn’t dream of separating you two young lovers,” Lyn spoke up. “Please, bring her with you. I insist.”

  Rik shook his head. “She’s not involved.”

  “Oh, but she is now.” Lyn made to move past him toward Char and Rik grabbed his arm.

  “No, she isn’t,” Rik ground out. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a movement. It was the brother. His grip tightened. “I just met her with the intention of bedding her. She is nothing to me,” he hissed, hoping Char couldn’t hear him.

  Lyn’s eyes narrowed and his lip curled. “You were-cats are such amoral creatures.”

  “And you would know, wouldn’t you, Fido?”

  Rik released him and Lyn stepped away. His dark, contemptuous gaze flicked over Char.

  “Let’s get this over with.” The wolf jerked his head toward the back of the club. He said something that sounded like a short series of growls to the third man, who nodded then disappeared into the crowd.

  Rik caught Char’s arm. “Will you wait here for me?” he asked.

  Her troubled gaze met his. “I don’t like them.”

  Rik chuckled. She was a good judge of character and he was liking her more and more. “Not many do, Char. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Meet me in the bar?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Are you doing something illegal?”

  “No, it’s just business.”

  Her disturbed gaze moved back to Lyn. “Yes, I’ll be there. But you watch your back, I don’t trust that one at all.”

&nbs
p; “I’ve got that covered.”

  “Oh you do, do you?” She seemed to shake off her dark mood and gave him a saucy smile. “I’ll wait for you, but only for about ten minutes. It doesn’t do a girl’s self-esteem good to be waiting any longer than that.”

  Rik grinned and dropped a kiss on her soft lips. “I’ll make it nine and a half then.”

  With the sound of her musical laughter following him, he walked down the steps to follow Lyn and the brother. They wound their way through the crowds toward a doorway that exited into an alley behind the club. When they approached the door Marcus materialized beside him.

  “Been busy?” Rik asked.

  “The same could be said for you,” Marcus said. “I don’t think that shade of red is quite your color.”

  Rik rubbed his mouth and grinned when he saw the faint stain of lip-gloss. “Maybe the color isn’t, but the woman suits me just fine.”

  Marcus chuckled and they exited the building. The alley was deserted, and the stench of rotting garbage and spilled alcohol lingered in the air. Rik didn’t detect the presence of any other preternaturals lying in wait for them.

  “What is it you want, Lyn?” Rik spoke first. He was eager to get this nonsense over with so he could get back to Char and her magical laugh.

  “I believe you received your directions from Trey earlier.” Lyn smirked. “I’m waiting.”

  Rik ground his teeth. It was bad enough he had to apologize to the smug bastard but having him know he’d received a direct order from the Council was more humiliation than he wanted to deal with. Apologize he must, but Trey never said he couldn’t needle the hell out of the mangy bastard in the meantime.

  “You seem to think I owe you an apology.” Rik shrugged. “Sorry, dude. I didn’t know she was marked as yours.” He smiled, and it wasn’t a pleasant expression. “She couldn’t tell me that while she had my dick in her mouth.”

  Lyn snarled and started toward Rik when the brother stepped in to block his brother’s lunge. He threw a pained look at Rik.