Shifters Forever Worlds Mega Box: Volume 1

by Thorne, Elle

I’m the bitch?

  Layla kept her gaze on Gavin. He wasn’t dropping his. She wasn’t going to drop hers either. She kept staring at him, wanting him. She could see the light of his tiger in his eyes. The tiger was close to the surface. She knew his tiger wanted her just as much as her fox wanted him.

  So why is he fighting this? Why would I fight it? I have no reason to fight it. As long as I’m hidden and the Romanoff can’t get to me, everything is fine.

  A part of her wondered about her sanity. Choosing to go to Europe would be so much wiser. From New York, her father and his family couldn’t find her as easily in Europe, whereas, here in Dallas, she would be much easier to locate. Much, much easier.

  Still, she wasn’t leaving. She couldn’t leave Gavin behind. The call to be with him was too strong. The urge to claim him as hers, overwhelming.

  A tap on her shoulder and she averted her gaze from him. She turned to find Lila standing right behind her.

  “He wants you,” Lila said.

  Layla gauged Lila’s face, looking for an expression, something, anything that would tell her how Lila felt about what she’d just said. “Does that bother you?”

  Lila’s smile was genuine. “No. Not at all. I never thought what he felt for me was right. It seemed forced. I never felt it. You know what I mean. That magical it. I felt it immediately with Cy. Like being hit by a bolt of lightning and the heavyweight champion of the world.”

  Layla knew exactly what Lila meant. She felt that way about Gavin. “What makes you think he wants me?”

  “The chemistry is tangible.” Lila handed her a leather check presenter. “One of your clients left this on my table by accident. I think it’s yours.”

  “Thanks.” Layla took it from Lila.

  Each hostess had their own color. Green was Layla’s.

  She opened it to see if there was a credit card she needed to process.

  She bit back the gasp and slammed it shut. Dizziness overwhelmed her. Her face felt like the blood had drained out and pooled at her feet.

  “What’s wrong?” Lila’s perceptive glance studied her face.

  Layla leveled her breathing. Controlled her pulse. Tried to hide her anxiety. “Nothing. I thought it was someone’s check I’d forgotten to run.”

  Layla took off without waiting for an answer, trying to appear normal. Striving hard not to look like a scared rabbit looking for its hole.

  * * *

  Gavin almost smiled a victory smile when the little white fox dropped her gaze and turned away. Then he noticed what had drawn her attention.

  Lila.

  Now what would Lila want to talk to his little fox about?

  And why the fuck am I calling her my little fox? She’s not my anything. It’s not like I’m willing to do something about it.

  Hell no. He couldn’t do anything about it. The last thing she needed was a man who almost had to face steep repercussions with the shifter community.

  Sure, some would say killing another shifter happened.

  Killing your superior officer in the Sigma Eps didn’t.

  Was Lila going to tell her about that? He didn’t think Lila knew. He didn’t believe for a second Vax would have told her.

  Maybe it was best the little fox knew about his history. Maybe, that way, she’d stay away. It would be better for her.

  He could tell she was used to men not quite as rough around the edges. Probably men that didn’t dirty their hands.

  He growled inside at the thought of her being with a man who had soft hands and a soft demeanor. Hell, no. He was far from okay with it.

  He’d watched Lila hand her a check presenter. Green. It was one of Layla’s. Layla had opened it, and, immediately, her face paled and she slammed it shut. He concentrated to ignore all other scents and pulses in the room so he could focus on hers alone.

  He smelled fear on her. Her pulse beat rapidly. What had scared her? What was inside that check presenter? He tracked her movement across the floor and all the way back to her station.

  “What’s up?” Dane frowned, clearly having noted the expression of consternation on Gavin’s face.

  Gavin could remain stoic for the whole world, but Dane was never fooled.

  “Nothing. I need to look into something.” He pushed his chair back. “Keep an eye on the southeast territory. Let me know if anything else happens.”

  “Will do.”

  Chapter Seven

  Layla slipped away from Lila, away from After Dark. She slid through Sanctuary’s entrance and hid in the area just beyond viewing for the guests and just out of sight from the shifters lounging in the refuge.

  She took a deep breath. She couldn’t believe it. She opened the leather-bound check presenter again.

  Romanoff. Put this on the Romanoff tab.

  That’s all the beverage napkin had on it. In bold, black handwriting.

  Someone somewhere knew her secret. It had to be. She hadn’t seen any Romanoff in the club. And if they’d been in her section, they’d have seen her. They’d surely have talked to her if it were a Romanoff cousin or a Romanoff soldier.

  She leaned against wall. The sweat of fear cooled, leaving her with a chill that covered her body.

  Plan. I need a plan.

  What kind of plan? How could she make a plan with an unknown entity?

  The door whisked open.

  Shit!

  A shifter walked through the doorway of the club and headed toward her.

  Damn.

  She’d better get out of the way and get out of Sanctuary. She should go back to her station and do her job before she found herself unemployed and homeless.

  Would Veila fire her for failing to do her job? Probably.

  Would the Tieros kick her out for that? Not likely.

  But Layla couldn’t stay in good conscience if she were fired. She’d feel too bad.

  “Layla.”

  Gavin’s voice.

  Footsteps.

  Damn!

  He was approaching.

  Her body responded immediately to his presence, even with the fear she felt because of the note scribbled on the beverage napkin.

  “Had to step away for a second.” She made to pass him.

  He put his arm up, blocking her. “What’s going on? You seem flustered.”

  “No. I’m fine.” She looked into his eyes.

  Dark, dark eyes. The eyes of a predator, assessing her.

  “I’m fine. Really.” She slipped beneath the arm he had placed on the wall. “Really.”

  She found herself sad she couldn’t tell him the truth about anything. She gave him a backward glance, tucked the check presenter under her arm, pinned it to her side with her elbow, and scooted out of the door.

  * * *

  Well how do you like that reaction?

  Gavin stared after her, that luscious ass in its sheath of sparkly green eveningwear. The way it highlighted rich thighs. Her hair swung back and forth, keeping rhythm with her ass. He smelled her reaction to him. Her sweet cunt had released its scent. Breathing deep, he filled his nostrils with the aroma of her. He wanted to lick her until she screamed his name. Eat that pussy like he was starving.

  He was starving.

  Starving for her pussy, her tits, her ass, her body, all of her. Her heart, her everything. He had to have it.

  But for now, something else was going on. She was lying. She was upset. What was in that check presenter? Why did she have to step away?

  What’s your secret little fox?

  * * *

  Layla wasn’t going to back down. If there was a Romanoff here looking for her, she would face them. If her father was coming to get her, she had a few thoughts for him, too.

  She returned to her station, worked her shift, and had no incidents. No Romanoffs. No familiar faces. Even Gavin was scarce.

  Why had Gavin followed her tonight, though? Why had he followed her into Sanctuary?

  Last call had been announced, and all the guests were gone. Ove
rhead lights came on. She was done, for the night anyway. Lila, Sophie, and Veila stopped by her station.

  “We’re going to an after-hours club. Coming?”

  She didn’t want to put her friends into any danger if there were any of her father’s men around. They weren’t always the friendliest bunch.

  “Not tonight.” She rubbed her head, hoping they’d take a hint. “I have a headache.”

  Lila gave her a weird look, shrugged, and the trio walked away.

  Layla reached into her bra, where she’d stuffed the folded beverage napkin and unfolded it. She looked at the handwriting again, for what must have been the twentieth time.

  Still unfamiliar. Still no clue who it could be. What exactly was the message they were sending?

  The Raffertys knew her father had money, she’d told them that. But she’d never revealed who her father was, no matter how many times they’d asked. That was how her arm had gotten hurt. One of those assholes, the shorter one, had twisted it behind her back, hoping to get her to tell them so they could ransom her off.

  She wouldn’t tell them anything. She’d rather face the fiercest competitor in the cage in the underground fighting arena and know she was bound to lose than to tell them who her father was. Her father would have paid the ransom and then lit the place on fire, killing everyone in it. Not that Layla minded the Raffertys dying, but she didn’t want to be back in the Romanoff fold.

  If she really wanted to be away from her father and his influences, she had to make it completely on her own. No easy feat when she had become accustomed to having everything handed to her all her life.

  On a silver platter, no less.

  She wanted some relaxation tonight and hoped Sanctuary was isolated. She wished she’d had a place like Sanctuary when she’d been growing up in her father’s mansion.

  She slipped into Sanctuary and shifted into her fox form with a quick and relatively soundless effort. Just a slight creak and a tiny crunch gave away the shifting.

  She pounced out of the area, her mind on the idea Gavin had been there earlier, next to her, blocking her exit.

  Big, hunky, muscular, sexy, panty-soaking Gavin with his sexy scars and amazing muscles.

  She could still smell him, as if he were right there next to her.

  Layla should have been paying better attention.

  She really should have.

  A force slammed into her, knocking her down. She lay on the cold hard rock and found a huge white tiger above her. His dark eyes pierced her with their predatory gaze. He growled and wrapped her throat in his huge canines.

  She snarled back, wrestled herself from his grasp, and landed on all fours. With her back against the wall, she growled at him.

  Gavin.

  No wonder she had been able to scent him so vividly. The sexy bastard had been right here with her the whole time, in his tiger form.

  She established a sync with him. He accepted the link.

  What the hell, Gavin. You scared me.

  Why are you sneaking around?

  Sneaking? She snarled her displeasure at his choice of words.

  Yes, sneaking. Especially when there’s a Do Not Disturb sign on the door. Sanctuary was to remain private tonight.

  Sign? She didn’t see a sign.

  Layla shifted into her human skin so she could leave.

  “No need to be an asshole about it, Gavin. It’s just a sign. I didn’t mean to interrupt…” She blew out an exacerbated breath. “I didn’t mean to interrupt whatever the hell you were going to do. And whoever you were going to do it with.”

  A small sound of creaking gave away he shifted, too, behind her.

  “Interrupt? Whoever? What the fuck are you talking about?” His voice was gravely, husky from just shifting.

  Sexy beyond belief.

  She creamed her panties. God, she hated his effect on her. And, yet, she loved it. She wouldn’t hate it so much if they were together, but this torture, this “turn on then walk away” thing that always happened with him was too much.

  She reached for the switch to open the door and let her out of Sanctuary.

  “I didn’t mean to be a prick,” he said.

  She whirled on him, half-tempted to accept his apology and half-tempted to scream at him for not being her friend anymore.

  And then she saw him.

  Really saw him.

  Really focused on him.

  And all that sexiness.

  All that manliness.

  Oh. My. God.

  How could this man do that to her? He made her mouth go dry while her panties became a drenched mess.

  Chapter Eight

  Gavin bit down on his desire to grab her and bring her close for a crushing kiss.

  Layla was stunning, fucking stunning, with that dress hugging her curves just so. Sexy with the way her dress also looked like she’d been roughhousing in the backseat with someone. Not just someone. With him.

  She approached, her cheeks flushed with anger, serving only to give him dirty thoughts of her body being flushed from a bout of some healthy sexual acrobatics.

  Don’t get too close, little fox, or the tiger will eat you alive. The tiger will eat that sweet pussy till it’s squirting a mess dripping down my face.

  He wanted to warn her, to let her know what she was doing to him. She closed in quicker than he could get a warning shot off. And boom! Just like that, she was in his face, her fury a scant heartbeat away from the passion of lust—he could tell from the scent of her.

  She put her hand on his chest as if to admonish him, and he snatched it, yanking her against his hard body. She tilted her head back as though to argue, her mouth open, her eyes angry, the fox behind those eyes lit up with desire.

  He caught her lips in a kiss, relishing the taste of her mouth, ready to taste other parts of her. Every other part of her.

  He secured her hips with his hands, spanning the flesh, pulling her tight against his cock, letting her feel the hardness she motivated in him without even trying. She gasped when his erection pressed against her, feeling it even through their clothing. It fueled his desire even further. He fought the ripple of his tiger straining to come out.

  His hands moved up, cupping full delicious breasts, his thumbs sweeping across nipples that were hardened peaks, ripe and ready for his mouth. His hand slid down, along the front of her, until it reached her mound, covered by her shiny evening wear. He hauled the fabric upward, brushing his fingers along the bare flesh of her thighs pressed together, way too close.

  How’s a man supposed to get a taste of her sweet pussy with legs clamped together tighter than an oyster shell?

  He wedged a leg between her knees, nudging them apart, waiting to see if she’d resist, then pushed her dress up. The last thing Gavin wanted to do was force a woman. He’d never had to force one before.

  Ah.

  He slid his fingers against her panties. A silky concoction. He pushed against her mound with the heel of his palm and was rewarded with her grinding motion against his hand.

  His tongue captured hers while his heart soared with her acceptance.

  Hell yeah, he was taking this pussy and making it his. Her sweet cunt belonged to him.

  He slipped one finger under the elastic band of her underwear, lingering as he dredged it through her moisture, then ended, resting on her clit.

  She gasped again.

  With his mouth, he drank in her small exhale of breath , not allowing the sound to escape any more than he planned to allow her to escape. He dropped his finger again, this time parting her lips more fully, this time dredging deeper. He slid a digit across her folds then stopped and dipped it in.

  Fuck.

  Her slick pussy practically sucked his finger in, clamping on it with her tight muscles. He bit back a groan at how eager she was for him, how wet.

  He moved his digits in and out at a rapid pace, curling them just so, monitoring her pulse, his tiger keen to her responses.

  That’s i
t. There we go.

  She moaned, and he knew he’d hit the jackpot. The slurping sounds her pussy made while he finger-fucked her was pushing him into a different realm.

  He could feel the head of his cock releasing some of his pre-cum; his balls tightened in response to her reactions.

  Fuck.

  He better get her off or he’d fucking lose it just like a damned teenager. He kept at it as she convulsed around his fingers. He slipped another one in, enjoying the way she tried to ride his hand, her body bucking as she climaxed. His hand filled with her moisture, dripping down between his fingers.

  “That’s the sweetness I want.” He brought his fingers to his mouth and licked them.

  Wide-eyed, but with a look of rapture on her face, Layla pulled his hand closer and touched the tip of her tongue to it.

  Christ.

  Seeing the tiniest flicker of her pink tongue lap at her essence made him go crazy. He took her hand off his arm and lowered it to his abs. If she wanted him, she could take it from there. If not—

  Fuck.

  He swallowed hard.

  * * *

  Layla looked at her hand. It lay pressed against his hard abs. Abs so defined, it was obvious even within the shirt he had on. She wanted him so bad.

  She could almost imagine tasting him the way he tasted her on his lips. She wanted to feel him. Yes, she even wanted to wrap her lips around his cock. She could tell it was huge, based on the outline of his thickness straining against the fabric of his pants.

  Heaven help me. I fucking want this man.

  And she did. Like she’d never wanted anything before. Nothing. Ever.

  Her pussy ached with need for him. She felt no shame at what had just happened, but it was so over the top with him. Her hand tensed when his muscles flexed with each breath he took.

  She lowered her hand, and her fox heard his pulse grow rapid, beating fiercely with desire. She touched the bulge in his pants, traced it with her fingernails, letting her nails lightly score the fabric.

  Gavin pressed forward.