by Jenika Snow
The Lion & The Lamb
Jenika Snow
THE LION & THE LAMB
By Jenika Snow
www.JenikaSnow.com
[email protected]
Copyright © November 2020 by Jenika Snow
First E-book Publication: 2013
Cover Designer: Designs by Dana
Editor: Kayla Robichaux
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: The unauthorized reproduction, transmission, or distribution of any part of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
This literary work is fiction. Any name, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental. Please respect the author and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials that would violate the author’s rights.
Contents
Synopsis
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Epilogue
About the Author
Working at a strip club for the notorious lion shifter Leo Castill?
It sounded dirty, wrong… exciting.
It took many years for Tatum Weatherton to grow comfortable with her curvier body, but she was confident now and took a chance to apply at one of the hottest gentlemen’s club in the city, The Lion and the Lamb.
But from the moment Tatum and Leo met, something changed in her. He made her feel hot, needy, wanting things she’d never even dreamed of, things that were arousing and obscene.
He was bigger than life, his body strong and muscular, built to pleasure the opposite sex.
Built to make her feel good.
And when he said she was his mate, that he’d claim her, mark her so every other male knew who she belonged to, Tatum should have ran in the other direction.
But she couldn’t stop wanting him.
When a threat forced Leo’s inner lion to come free and protect her, the blood of his enemy covering her powerful beast, Tatum knew the only place she’d ever feel safe, the only spot she was meant to be, was at Leo’s side.
Reader note: This book was previously published under the same title. It has been re-edited and minimally revised. The story itself is the same for those who previously read it. There may be sensitive material to some readers.
1
“I can’t work at a strip club, Kiki.” Tatum would have laughed out loud at her best friend’s suggestions if she didn’t know without a doubt Kiki was being dead serious.
“And why not?” Kiki gave a little huff of irritation.
“Well—” Tatum cut the rest of the watermelon and tossed it into the bowl. “—for one thing, it’s a strip club.” She said those two words like they were the dirtiest thing imaginable, and she instantly felt the air chill. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Kiki cross her arms under her huge breasts and scowl.
“What in the hell is that supposed to mean?” The indignation in Kiki’s voice was crystal-clear.
Tatum sighed and turned around. She placed her hands on Kiki’s shoulders, and said, “You know I didn’t mean anything by that. It’s just…” Tatum sighed and looked at the ceiling. “Do I look like someone who would be prancing around a strip club?” When she looked back at her best friend, she could see a smile touch Kiki’s red-painted, Botox-injected lips.
“First of all, it’s a gentlemen’s club.” Tatum rolled her eyes. She refrained from pointing out that “gentlemen’s club” was just a fancy and expensive name for a house full of strippers. “Second of all, if you wanted to dance, you so could. You definitely have the body for it.”
Tatum held up her hands. “No, no, no. I do not want to dance, and I most definitely do not have the body for it.”
“Whatever. We are so not going there again.” Kiki picked up the bowl of fresh fruit. She turned away and started walking out of the kitchen, talking as she went. “Besides, the position that is open is for a waitress, not a dancer.”
Tatum had no choice but to follow her. She grabbed the paper plates on her way out the door. The outside patio of Kiki’s home was like some kind of oasis. A small Koi pond sat off to the side and was surrounded by greenery and a trickling waterfall. A pool was situated on the far end of the yard, the color an unrealistic blue, but looked refreshing nonetheless. The covered deck held the table that Beau and Kiki filled with grilled meats and side dishes.
The heat of a Las Vegas evening in July was close to the surface of the sun. Beads of perspiration started to cover the back of Tatum’s neck as the dry heat slammed into her. Sitting on one of the chairs, she watched Kiki wrap her arms around Beau, who stood behind the grill. Smoke billowed around him as he laughed softly at something Kiki murmured to him. Coming over to eat dinner with Beau and Kiki every Sunday evening was the norm. Tatum had known her since they were bratty, pimply teenage girls.
Beau had come into the picture the year they turned twenty. That had been five years ago, and even after all that time, Kiki and Beau acted like teenagers in love for the first time.
Tatum did this a lot—just watched them interact with each other. They were so intense together. Maybe it was a bit creepy that she watched them, but she liked to see the person she cared about most in the world happy. Her own love life was nonexistent, and aside from a few boyfriends after she graduated high school, she had been alone.
“I told Tater that she should go apply for the waitress position at the Lion.” Kiki sashayed back to where Tatum was seated.
She refrained from rolling her eyes at the ridiculous nickname Kiki had given her when they were kids. It did no good asking her to stop calling her a vegetable, because Kiki did whatever the hell she wanted. Beau turned and brought over a heaping plate of more meat. There was already enough on the table to feed an army, but then again, Beau was built like a soldier.
“I think that’d be sweet. That way I can watch over both of you.” Beau’s deep voice was like an instant fire-starter. At well over six feet tall and layered with thick muscle, Beau wasn’t someone to mess with. He had a headful of auburn hair that fell to his shoulders and only intensified his dangerous persona.
Most of the time, he kept it in a tight, short ponytail at the nape of his neck, especially when he was at work, but at home, he let those silky locks hang free. His body was corded with muscle, and the tribal tattoos that wove their way up his arms added to the whole intimidating factor.
Kiki had started working at The Lion and the Lamb two years ago. She certainly had the body and moves to be a “dancer” there. Beau had gotten a job as a bouncer shortly after Kiki started her employment there. Even now, Tatum suppressed her laugh as she remembered the way he went all caveman when he tried to get his girlfriend to stop working at a strip club. He didn’t know how stubborn Kiki was, and at the end he loved her enough to have trust in their relationship and calm down with the alpha shit.
But it also help
ed that he could keep an eye on the drunks and their grabby hands.
“I just don’t think working at a ‘gentlemen’s club’ is really something I’d like.” She didn’t look at Kiki, because she knew her friend would be staring daggers at her. Instead, she started piling fruits and veggies onto her plate. The table was silent, and she chanced a glance up. Of course they were both staring at her.
“I thought you said you were sick of being the cigarette girl at the Flamingo?”
Tatum exhaled and leaned back in her seat. “Yeah, I am, but I don’t think working as a waitress at a strip club is much of an upgrade.”
“Gentlemen’s club,” Beau said through a mouthful of food.
“Whatever.” Tatum speared her fork into a chunk of watermelon and shoved it in her mouth.
“You’d be making triple what you make now. Just think of how fast you could get out of debt.”
Tatum dropped her fork and rubbed her hands over her eyes. Of course Kiki was right. With her mother passing away last year and her mom leaving her a ratty house and debt up to her neck, Tatum was the sole person responsible for fixing everything. It didn’t help that she had no other family to rely on for help. Kiki was like a sister to her, but Tatum refused to take money from her.
Tatum didn’t mind stepping up and getting things cleared up, but when the majority of that debt stemmed from drinking and gambling, it made dealing with everything so much harder.
“I don’t know, Kiki.” The opportunity sounded great, and even though carrying around a tray with cigarettes to gamblers wasn’t the most lucrative of jobs, it had kept her afloat, until she felt like she was drowning in late notices and past due letters, courtesy of her mother. She looked at Kiki and saw a sheepish look cross her face.
“What? What did you do?”
At least Kiki had the courtesy to look embarrassed by whatever she was about to admit, which couldn’t be good.
“I actually already set up an interview with Mr. Castill.”
“Ugh!” Tatum speared her hands in her hair and tugged on the strands. The dark locks slipped through her fingers easily, but she really wanted to rip them out. “Why would you do that?”
Kiki rolled her eyes. “Quit being so dramatic. A lot of girls are applying for that position, but you have an insider to help you nab it. Why wouldn’t I help my best girl out?”
Tatum knew Kiki only tried to help, and she loved her for it, she really did, but sometimes Kiki took matters into her own hands when they were better left alone.
“Your interview is tomorrow at noon,” Kiki said, and Tatum made a noise in the back of her throat. “Oh, and make sure to wear something sexy that shows your killer cleavage and curves.” She wagged her eyebrows and grinned.
“I’m not going.”
Kiki knitted her brows in what Tatum knew to be frustration. “You’re going to go, because if you don’t, you’re going to make me look bad in front of my boss.” She got a smug look on her face. “Is that what you want to do?”
Ugh! Damn her! “You know damn well I don’t want that.”
Kiki clapped her hands, and her smile widened. “Great! Noon, don’t forget.”
Like Tatum would forget. This would either be the best thing that happened to her or the worst. She had a feeling it was the latter though.
Lord, help her.
2
The interior of The Lion and the Lamb was ostentatious. Tatum had seen plenty of strip clubs working in Vegas, but this place topped anything she had ever seen before. A large stage with a pole sat in the center of the room. A bar was to the right of that, the counter curving in a crescent shape with gleaming counters and top shelf liquor lining the mirrored wall.
A second level showcased more intimate tables that looked down at the “main attraction area.” The main floor was huge with dark carpet, lush leather chairs, and intimate lighting. The whole place screamed of class and sophistication, which almost seemed like an oxymoron, since half naked women was the selling point.
At that moment in time, she only saw one person actually working, and that was a gorgeous blonde with a chest so large Tatum wondered if she could see her feet. The woman didn’t pay her any attention, just continued to stock the back of the bar with bottles of alcohol. She felt increasingly uncomfortable just standing in the middle of the deserted strip club.
“You must be Ms. Weatherton.”
The deep drawl behind her had her heart instantly pounding and chills forming along her arms. Turning around, Tatum felt her breath stall as she looked at the imposing man before her. His shoulders were as wide as a linebacker’s, all broad and strong and irresistible. Those incredible shoulders tapered down to a hard stomach and narrow hips. All of that hard muscle was sheathed in a white button-down shirt, which did nothing to hide what lay beneath.
His legs were incased in a pair of designer jeans, the denim molding to his tree trunk thighs. She let her eyes travel back up the length of him and settle on his face. Eyes the color of the Caribbean stared back at her. The way he watched her was very knowing, like he could see into her mind and knew exactly what she thought. Heat started to travel up her neck and settled in her cheeks. The only problem was it wasn’t from embarrassment, but from arousal.
“Ms. Weatherton?” One blond eyebrow cocked, and she felt herself grow even warmer. Now she felt humiliation take place the of her desire. Despite her embarrassment for blatantly checking out this stranger, she couldn’t stop where her thoughts were headed. His blond hair hung loosely and brushed the top of his collar.
He wasn’t one of the pretty boys who walked up and down the strip, their tans artificial and their smiles bleached. The man standing before her was rugged and dangerous, and the air around him became electrically charged.
She swallowed and clutched her purse tighter. “H—” Ugh, she acted like she had never seen a gorgeous man before. Straightening her shoulders, she forced a smile and pushed back her ridiculous and lustful thoughts. “Hello. You must be Mr. Castill.”
The corner of his mouth twitched in suppressed amusement, but it was gone as soon as it arrived. He strode toward her, and she felt herself take a step back. He lifted that damn beautiful brow again, and she forced herself to keep her cool.
“Please, call me Leo.” He lifted her hand before she could object and brought it to his mouth. His lips were full and soft, and when he brushed them against the back of her hand, she could have sworn she felt the roughness of his tongue stroke her. Before he dropped his hand, she caught sight of a ring around his pinky finger. She had never thought jewelry on a man was attractive, but he worked it. He gestured for her to have a seat in one of the leather chairs.
Feeling out of place didn’t even begin to describe what went through her at that moment. He sat in the seat across from her, his long, thick legs slightly parted as he relaxed into the leather. He slung his arms over the back of the chair and regarded her silently. This man could make her feel so unnerved with just a look. Fortunately, he didn’t make her squirm for too long.
“So, Tatum—may I call you Tatum?” The corner of his mouth curved up in a devilish smile. Why he even asked was beyond her. A man like him did whatever the hell he wanted.
“Sure.”
His smile grew. “Kiki tells me you’re in need of employment.” At her nod, he continued. “Do you have any special skills you would bring to The Lion and the Lamb?”
For some reason, she thought he’d ask her to strip down and ride the pole as part of his interview process, but the fact that he wanted to know her skills instead of her bra size had her feeling a little more at ease.
“Well—” She dropped her gaze to her lap. “—I have great people skills. I kind of have to work the floor at the Flamingo.” When she lifted her head, she became caught in his icy-blue stare.
“Go on, Tatum.”
Gawd! The way he said her name was like the smoothest, sweetest chocolate. Her nipples hardened, and she prayed he couldn’t see the way her body bet
rayed her. “I, uh…” She became speechless and shifted in her seat. “Since graduating high school, I’ve always worked in the casinos as one trade or another.”
“And that’s what you like?” His question caught her off-balance.
“I’m not sure I understand what you mean.” She shifted again.
“You enjoy working at low-paying jobs that put you constantly around drunken men who most likely molest you on a daily basis?” All amusement left him, and the man sitting before her looked frighteningly calm.
“I….” How was she supposed to respond? She should have been offended by his statement, but Tatum was in a little bit of awe that this man had described every single shift she worked. She hated her job and longed to go back to school, to actually do something with her life that meant something.
“What is it you really want out of life, Tatum? You have to want more than this.” He waved his hand around the club, and she felt her face heat.
How in the hell had this interview turned into a look at her personal needs and wants? She should have told him to fuck off and stormed away, that asking questions that delved too deep would likely blow up in his face. “I don’t think this is proper interview etiquette.” Despite the words coming from her, they were empty and held no real heat.
“Why don’t you just answer the question?” He sounded steady, but she could hear a slight hint of amusement laced through his tone.
“Are you always this pushy and demanding?” Pulling her shoulders back, she really didn’t like someone wanting to see more than what there was. She stood and tightened her hold on her purse. “Thank you for your time, but I think this was a bad idea.” She turned, but before she could take another step, his steely voice stopped her.
