The Tiger's Offer

by Lila Jean

  He leaned in, ticking off the boxes in his mind as his larger frame slowly pushed her against the soaking wet tile wall. Her eyes darted across his face. He lowered his chin and kept her gaze, daring her to look away.

  He set his hands on her waist and pressed her gently against the tile. He lowered his mouth to hers, keeping eye contact until the last second and forcing her to close the final inch of space to prove she did, indeed, want to kiss him.

  She pressed her lips to his, and his mind went blank.

  The checklist disappeared. Every book, every article, every scrap of knowledge he had summoned to woo her darted from his mind.

  He became fully aware of her at that moment. Each of her breaths pressed her chest against his body. The gentle flick of her eyelashes against his face soothed his soul. Every subtle brush of her tongue against his pulled him deeper into her embrace.

  Deep within, his normally dormant tiger woke. It growled, hungry for something other than knowledge for the first time in Zane’s life.

  No more talking. No more thinking. He didn’t want to wait a moment longer, and she could wait a few hours to hear about the priest.

  Zane kissed her more deeply, the water rushing over their faces as he pulled her close. She melted into him, nibbling his lip as he ran his fingers along the curves of her butt. His tiger rumbled with desire, pacing inwardly as it finally got what it wanted. He ran his hands over her body, hungrier with every second as her soft skin dipped beneath his fingers.

  His erection pressed against her thigh as he tried to make this last. He wanted nothing more than to take her right here, to feel her tense around his cock, to hear her moan his name. Even the few feet between them was too much. He needed her, all of her, right now.

  With one hand, he grabbed her ass to hold her in place as he rubbed his cock against her clit, teasing her, testing her, seeing what she would do. She bit her lip and wiggled her butt, egging him on. Her nails dug into his shoulders, and she tilted her hips toward him. Eyes closed, she gasped, those sexy red lips parting as he played with her.

  If only for the moment, she was his, and he would make it count. He spun her, shoving her against the shower wall until her breasts pressed against the glittering tile. Her body relaxed into him, surrendering entirely. She gasped and giggled, her wet hair sticking to her face as the water pummeled his back.

  His cock teased her sensitive folds, but he had no intention of lingering. The seductive scent of her arousal ignited the fire deep in his core, and he couldn’t hold back any longer.

  He slid into her in one slow, powerful stroke. She gasped. He paused as his dick filled her, savoring her warm sex and the way he stretched her. She moaned. He slid slowly out, savoring every spark of need as he retreated, and thrust into her again with the same vigor. She gasped again, moaning with pleasure.

  “Harder,” she ordered.

  He nipped at her shoulder. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Zane thrust again and again and again. He rode her as the steam billowed around them. His grip on her ass tightened as he thrust into her, her beautiful curves filling his hands as he filled her with his cock.

  He had never been so present, so completely satisfied and happy as he was with her. Just a taste of her left him completely at her mercy, in awe of her and needing more. Not just sex, but more of her. Of her wit, her kindness, her compassion.

  She set a hand against the wall, moaning louder now as he dominated her, her lust intermingled with bouts of sultry giggles. The sensations running up his shaft and through his thighs overwhelmed him. Her legs spread wider as she took him in, and as he rode her, her mouth parted in the delightful expression of ecstasy.

  “Oh my God, Zane, more,” she moaned.

  He indulged his woman, bucking into her with everything he had. The desire and yearning he’d felt for her culminated here in the shower as he finally took her.

  Her sex tightened around his dick, and her nails scraped against the tile. She pressed her forehead against the wall, and she moaned his name, loud and fast. Her warm sex pulsated around his cock as she climaxed.

  When her moans finally quieted, Zane let himself come. His orgasm rocked him to the core. With one hand on her shoulder and the other on her hip, he tensed as he released himself inside her stunning body.

  They paused in the aftermath, neither moving. He set his head on her shoulder, delighting in her soft skin as he held her. He never wanted to let go, never wanted to share, never wanted to lose the sense of joy and peace she gave him. He couldn’t, not now that he’d had a taste, and that kiss under the showerhead had sealed his fate.

  She hummed with delight. Her body glowed white, and it took a moment for him to notice the light had spread to him as well. “I think I know what I want to do with our day together,” she said with a chuckle.

  He laughed and gently bit her shoulder. “As do I, but I have something to show you first.” Zane ran his hand down her body, delighting in every delicious curve, and kissed her neck. “As much as I hate to suggest it, let’s get dressed.”

  28

  Tina

  Once she had pulled on a fresh dress and dried her hair, with Zane kissing her shoulders and caressing her back at every opportunity, Tina finally set her hands on her hips and eyed the tiger shifter. He stood by her door with one hand in his pocket, all nerdy charm and tousled hair.

  Tina grinned. “What’s this surprise you wanted to show me, professor?”

  “I want to take you on an adventure,” he said.

  “Oh? Where?”

  “Within your temple.”

  She tilted her head in confusion. “Huh?”

  He lifted his finger and backed against the far wall of the corridor. Gently, he pressed his hands against the frame of a portrait, and a secret door in the wall next to it slid open.

  Tina’s mouth dropped open. “How did—where did you—”

  Zane shrugged modestly. “There are always secrets to discover if you know where to look and what to look for.”

  His comment both scared and excited Tina. Zane was clearly full of knowledge, and not all of it was knowledge he was supposed to have.

  “Impressive,” she admitted.

  He stepped into the secret passage and offered her his hand. “Ready?”

  “Where does this go?”

  “You’ll see.”

  She raised one eyebrow and set a hand on her hip, waiting for him to say more.

  Instead, he pulled out his cell phone and turned on the flashlight to light the dark tunnel. He offered her his hand again. “Do you trust me?”

  She peeked her head in the secret tunnel, reaching out to Damara about whether this was safe. No warning bells. No sirens. No red flags or nagging worries.

  Tina took his hand. “Yes, I trust you.”

  29

  Zane

  Zane led Tina through the twisting tunnels of her temple, careful to guide her around the holes in the floor hidden by the darkness. Her soft hand in his sent unfamiliar sparks of desire through him, and he held on even when he didn’t need to.

  The secret passage finally ended in a stone door on a well-oiled hinge. He gave her his phone to hold as he used his shifter strength to pry the exit open. As it budged, a gust of wind tore down the tunnel. Rays of light shoved through the gaps in the door, shattering the darkness.

  A crooked grove of trees greeted them, the quiet forest creaking softly in the occasional gust.

  “Where are we?” Tina asked.

  “The forest outside of your temple.”

  She tilted her head at him in mock admonishment. “I believe one of my rules was to ask me first if you wanted to take me on a date outside the temple.”

  “Technically, you’re in the temple until you set foot out there.”

  Tina sighed, though her chiding tone had no real bite to it. “You of all people would find all these loopholes.”

  “I take that as a compliment.” He laughed. “Glad to see you figured me out already. You pic
ked up on that faster than most. Honestly, though, I only wanted you to know the way out in case you ever needed a quick escape. This is the best route to take.”

  Her shoulders drooped, and a flickering look of worry crossed her face. She turned her attention outside, as though considering it a viable escape plan for the first time.

  Zane hesitated, wondering if he should say what he wanted to say, but he couldn’t quite tell what she was thinking. He took her hands in his. “Tina, thank you for giving us, for giving me, a real shot. I never thought I would see the day a goddess returned to Earth, let alone be worthy of her presence. That you would spend any time with me at all is an honor.”

  She caught his eye, and a slow smile crept across her lips. With a quick kiss on his cheek, she took his hand and gestured back down the dark tunnel. “Let’s go get something to eat. I think I’ve had enough with obsessing over getaways and contests.”

  “Of course,” he said, and he closed the secret door to the outside.

  As the day sped by, Zane barely noticed the hours as they passed. Tina had him laughing most of their time together, and she listened intently when he shared the other secrets of her temple. The hidden passageways, secret spying spots, and doors to the outside were her favorites.

  Toward the end of the day, they sat among the rafters high above the sparring arena. A catwalk had once been built along the edges, and over time most of it had been bricked up into a proper passage. One small section had a strategic viewing area cut out of the stone to allow a handful of people to observe the matches below.

  “Are you sure they can’t see us up here?” Tina asked in a whisper, peeking over the edge as Killian and Flynn wrestled on the mat. Anthony leaned against the wall, arms crossed as he watched the match, studying the competition.

  Zane nodded. “Not even Anthony can smell us up here. Why? Don’t want them to know you’re spying?”

  “It feels a little intrusive,” she admitted.

  “We can leave.”

  “I didn’t say I didn’t like it,” she added with a grin.

  Zane chuckled. The more time he spent with her, the more he liked her. She was enchanting and fun, full of fire and courage. He didn’t want her to take him up on his offer to help her escape. Not now, not ever.

  Though they were only just getting to know each other, he wanted her even if his odds of winning were slim at best. Though he had figured he had the advantage in the beginning, her beauty and ferocity had softened even the most stubborn prince. Now that she was getting along with them all, she would be more likely to choose Flynn and live with those who could answer her questions. If not Flynn, she would pick Anthony because they seemed to have a history. Anthony’s intense protectiveness over her suggested there was more between them than met the eye.

  On the mat below, Killian flipped Flynn onto his back with a mighty thud. The demigod prince groaned but took Killian’s hand when the eagle shifter offered to help him up.

  Flynn rubbed his neck. “Anthony, you get up here. I’m done getting my ass kicked.”

  “Nope.”

  “You’re no fun at all,” Killian said.

  Anthony shrugged. “Being dull is fine with me.”

  From her place beside Zane, Tina chuckled softly. Zane nudged her. “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  “I take it Anthony isn’t like this around you?”

  She grinned but didn’t say anything more.

  Though Zane would have loved some information on the elusive wolf shifter, he had to admire Tina’s loyalty. At least she could keep a secret.

  Flynn gestured to the door. “Well, go make yourself useful, then, and find Draven.”

  Killian snorted. “Make sure you check the temple priestess’s bedrooms first. He might have gotten an early start on his nightly conquests.”

  Tina’s shoulder’s drooped, and she backed away from the viewport. “Maybe we should call it a day.”

  Zane leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets. “Tina, Draven isn’t sleeping with your priestesses. He’s in the library reading tantric books.”

  Tina laughed, the worry dissolving from her face. “Really?”

  “Really.”

  She rubbed her neck. “Thanks for telling me that.”

  Zane nodded. He should have smeared his competition for a better shot in the race, but he couldn’t bring himself to lie. Not to Tina, anyway.

  30

  Tina

  On her second day off in the first week of her competition, Tina strolled down the path that cut through the lake in front of her temple. She patted her skirts, hand catching on the dagger hidden in the folds of her dresses, which she had made a habit of wearing all the time more to appease Draven than out of fear or concern. The path she walked led to the road, but she wouldn’t leave. She paused halfway down, staring at the rippling water, lost in thought.

  Thus far, there didn’t seem to be a clear winner in the contest for her heart. There were pros and cons to each of the dashing princes vying for her hand, which only made everything more difficult. Besides, it wasn’t like picking from a pros and cons list was a very sexy way to choose a husband. Talk about a story to not share with the in-laws.

  A surge of desire swirled through her, and she wondered if she should go pay Zane or Draven another visit. Or better yet, Anthony. With his powerful frame and protective nature, Tina wanted nothing more than to explore his body. She couldn’t resist chuckling at the horny little goddess that had taken residence within her, but she loved Damara. She and her goddess complemented each other. Tina wanted power and safety. Damara wanted sensation and pleasure. It was a dance, a give-and-take, and Tina had never felt this alive.

  A flash of movement in her periphery caught her attention, and she turned to find Anthony running toward her. As their eyes met, his shoulders relaxed ever so slightly, but he reached a hand for her. “Tina, we have to go inside,” he said, voice tense with concern.

  “What’s wrong, Anthony?” She jogged toward him, her skirts swishing along the stone pathway. “Did something—”

  Overhead, something roared. It was a sickening screech, the sort that turned Tina’s stomach over with dread and fear.

  “What the …?” She scanned the sky, pressing her body against Anthony as he held her close. Without a word, he grabbed her hand and ran for the temple door, and she did her best to keep up.

  A shadow passed overhead, the massive silhouette blocking the sun. A sharp whistle filled the air, and as Tina looked up, she saw a massive rock plummeting towards them from above.

  “Tina!” Anthony pulled her close and spun her, his hands never leaving her waist, and he yanked her out of the boulder’s way seconds before it flattened them both, blocking their way to the temple.

  Breathing heavily, Tina leaned into him, terrified and simultaneously pissed. Someone had just tried to kill her and Anthony, and she would rip them a new one. No one messed with her temple or her men.

  She glared into the sky. Seven gray dragons circled her beautiful temple. From the gardens behind the building, a familiar red dragon soared toward them, his massive red body dwarfing his attackers.

  Breathless, Tina could only stare as the chaos unfolded in the sky.

  With black smoke billowing from his mouth, Draven sunk his teeth into the closest gray dragon. It coiled and sprang, flailing as they circled each other in the air. Draven adjusted his bite, this time digging into his enemy’s neck. It clawed at Draven’s face, scooping bloody gouges out of his face. Draven didn’t budge. He snarled and shook his head to deepen his hold. The enemy dragon’s wings beat frantically at the air as it gasped for breath.

  With the first dragon still in his mouth, Draven dug the spikes on his tail into the soft underbelly of a second attacker. Cutting open the creature’s skin with a single slash, Draven roared in victory as a waterfall of blood fell from the other dragon’s body. It screamed, the sound shooting ice through Tina’s veins.

  The dragon’s wings sl
owed, as though it couldn’t muster the strength to fly anymore. With nothing keeping it in the air, the creature plummeted to the earth, crashing into her roof and crushing it in an instant.

  “Stay behind me!” Anthony told her, pinning her between his body and the boulder.

  “Someone’s attacking my home, Anthony!” she shouted, pushing against his shoulder. “I’ll help. I’m not some damsel who needs saving, damn it!” Though Anthony’s back blocked most of her view, Tina focused her attention on one of the dragons, intent on not letting her princes have all the fun.

  As Flynn had taught her, she dove into the magic deep within her core, accessing it even faster than before. In mere seconds, the powerful sensations of her surroundings hit her. The smell of Anthony’s cologne, the overbearing roar of the dragons above her, the sweet aroma of the fresh water in the lake at her feet. As it always had, the heartbeats began to thunder in her ear, this time dozens of them. She could feel every priest and priestess huddling in fear inside her temple, all of her princes, and even the dragons circling her home.

  With all her might, she reached for the nearest unfamiliar heartbeat in the sky. “Come on,” she muttered to herself, pressing on the accelerator, eager to take him down. His pulse quickened, and she grinned with pride. No one messed with her home, not even a bunch of dragons.

  His pulse raced like a wild drumbeat, erratic and out of control as she pushed it to its maximum. She peeked through her closed eyes and, above her, a dragon faltered. His wings no longer beat in tandem, and he occasionally lost dozens of feet in altitude as he began to drop. He roared, struggling to stay in the air, and she forced his heart to beat faster.

  “Tina!” Anthony shouted, his voice tinged with horror.

  A hand grabbed her and spun her around, pinning her to the boulder. She struggled, surprise and the shock of a sneak attack shaking her concentration enough that she lost connection to her magic. A strange man snarled at her, a scar across one eye, his grip tightening around her neck. He watched her, his eyes heavy with lust and desire, and he pressed his body against hers.