by Jane Jamison
She was everything he liked in a woman. Full of luscious curves, hills and valleys he couldn’t wait to explore, she was fairly short at a little over five feet in height. But what she might have lacked in stature, she more than made up for in spunk. He had a feeling that some of her confidence was pretense, but he didn’t care. Once she became their mate, once she’d gone through the transformation, she’d find the confidence she needed. What lioness wasn’t confident?
He touched her hand, needing to feel her skin next to his in any way he could, thankful her friend had been lured away by the Rogen men. Her soulful brown eyes, so filled with play, as well as now clouded with lust, drew him in. He ached to clutch a handful of her curly brown hair in his hand and pull her mouth to his.
Soon. Very soon.
“Tell me about yourself, Julia Roberts.” He smiled. “Other than not being the movie star, that is.”
She blushed. “Yeah. Maybe I use that line a little too much.”
“Nah. Not at all. I think it’s cute.” He leaned even closer. Zack, the bartender he’d nodded at earlier, would pick up the slack. He was due for a break, anyway. Besides, now was one of those times when being the owner was a good thing. Those customers crowding near him, trying to get his attention, would have to wait. He wasn’t about to leave her alone. Anything could happen during Shifter Days even after giving her a whiff of his allure to draw her to him. “Are you always this pretty?”
She blushed again, and he liked it even more. If she were as confident as she pretended to be, he wouldn’t be able to get to her so easily.
“No. I don’t think of myself as being pretty. Cute, maybe, in a quirky kind of way.” She narrowed her eyes, perhaps catching on to his teasing. “So are you always this sexy?”
He laughed. A woman with a good sense of humor was a rare find. “Trust me. You’re more than cute. As for the other?” He grinned and hoped she wouldn’t take him seriously. “Am I always this sexy? You bet. Except when I’m knee deep in cow shit.”
She laughed now, liking his joke. “I’ll bet you’re still sexy, even then. In fact, I’ll bet you’re a big hit with all the women in town for the festival. You must feel like a kid in a candy shop.”
He shoved his hair back and shook his head, his hair dancing at the tip of his shoulders just like his mane did. “I don’t mess with the festival-goers. It’s not my thing.”
Her eyes narrowed even more. “Oh, come on. You’re a bartender and sexy as all get out. And you expect me to believe you don’t get hit on every single night?”
“I didn’t say I didn’t get hit on.” He gave her his best come-to-me smile. “But that doesn’t mean I take them up on their offers.” He straightened up, taking his hand away from hers. Had he just told her not to make an offer? Damn, he hoped not. He recognized the disappointment in her eyes since he felt the same twinge of regret in his gut. “I mean I appreciate the offers, and a few of them are tempting, but I’m not easy. I’m selective.”
“But you don’t mess with festival-goers.” She pouted, making her lips even plumper.
“No, I don’t.” Until you.
She smiled, obviously still liking the game they played. “Damn. That’s too bad. And here I was just about to ask you to take me home.”
Chapter Two
Bold. Very bold. At least, on the outside.
Yet as soon as Julia had spoken, Samuel saw the flicker of uncertainty, the fear of rejection, light in her eyes. She pretended to be confident, but it was more than that. There was a deep pain in her that he could not only sense but smell in her sweet fragrance.
She’s afraid of something. Not of men, but of something else.
He pledged right then and there to protect her from whatever she feared.
“You want me to take you home? Already?” He reached under the bar and found a mug then set it under the spigot. “Shouldn’t you at least buy me a drink first? Maybe even dinner?”
The twinkle was back in her eyes. “Really? I have to go through all that first? Couldn’t we just cut to the chase?”
Yep. Acting bolder than she actually is. Should I call her on it? Or would that scare her away?
“How are you about ranches?”
She blinked, thrown. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Are you okay with the smell of manure and hay? Are you good with getting dirt on your boots?” Once more, he leaned over the counter, acting as though he could get a look at her feet. “Do you even own a pair of boots?”
“So I have to wear boots and be friendly with cows before you’ll take me home?” She frowned then relented with the softest, sexiest smile he’d ever seen. “If so, then tell me where I can buy a pair of boots. Once I get them, I promise I’ll even hug a cow. Will that make you happy?”
He laughed, once more loving her sense of humor. “Never mind. I have a feeling you’d do fine in any situation or place. So when would you like to come out to the ranch with me?” He’d given her enough of The Allure that he knew she’d come with him, but now he doubted he would’ve needed it. She was already drawn to him without the help of the mystical scent that brought werelions and their mate together.
Suddenly, he could see them together so clearly. She’d wrapped her legs around his waist and tug him closer. He’d nuzzle his face between her breasts and torture her nipples between his fingers. She’d be wet, all right, but he’d make her even wetter. He could already feel her pussy walls wrapped around his cock, holding it snugly inside her until he couldn’t hold back his seed any longer.
He searched her face and fell into her eyes. She was going to make a great mate and even better mother to their children. But first, before he shared her with his brothers, he wanted some time alone with her.
He took her hand, saw her face light up, then squeezed it before letting go. “Meet me at the other end of the counter.” Without waiting for the answer he already knew she’d give, he strode down the bar, clapping Zack on the shoulder as he passed him. “Close up for me.”
“No problem, boss,” answered the werelion. “You go and have your fun. We slaves will stay here and keep making you money.”
“Bullshit,” answered Samuel as he lifted the pass-through bar, his gaze locked on Julia as she made her way toward him. “Any time you want me to start paying you a wage instead of sharing in the profits, you just let me know.”
“No thanks,” joked Zack. He might not have been the brightest shifter in town, but he was smart enough to know when he had a good deal.
“That’s what I thought.” Samuel pulled Julia against him. She was even curvier than he’d imagined. In fact, he wasn’t sure he could ever turn her loose. “Hey.”
“Hey,” she answered. “Damn, but you’re tall.”
He liked the way her mind worked, giving him twists and throwing him off guard. “Yeah. I’m tall. Almost seven feet. Is that a problem?”
She eased back and ran her sultry gaze along his long body, taking her sweet time to make the journey. “Nope. I like it. Makes me feel small. Almost petite.”
She wasn’t talking only about her height. He understood that, and it irritated him. “You’re the perfect size.” Size. Not height.
A flicker of understanding raced across her face. “Thanks. You’re not so bad yourself.”
He leaned back but didn’t let go of her. “I thought we’d already established that I’m sexy as hell. Now I’m only ‘not so bad’? What happened? Did you already find someone better?”
An eyebrow arched skyward. “Don’t get your feathers ruffled. You’re still sexy. Maybe a little conceited, but we’ll change that soon enough.”
He mimicked her smile and resisted the urge to kiss her. If he did, he doubted he’d be able to hold back. The Whiskers and Whiskey Saloon had seen a lot of things happen since its first owner had opened its doors in 1955, including people fucking in the hallways, on top of the tables, and even on top of the bar, but he didn’t want his friends’ first impression of his future mate to be
one of her spread-eagled over one of the pool tables in the back room. His mate deserved better.
“Bro, someone told us you were taking off.”
Samuel grimaced at the sound of Myler’s voice and knew his other brother, Tad the “Tonk”, would be with him. One rarely left the ranch without the other. He loved their Wandering Wind Ranch, but he preferred to run the saloon. His brothers were better in the saddle than he was, although he could still sit a saddle well enough to herd cattle. He simply preferred the smell of alcohol to cow shit.
He turned Julia around to face his brothers but kept his hands protectively on her shoulders. Of course, he wanted to share his mate with them. They, like most shifters, wanted to share one woman. Still, it would’ve been nice to have more one-on-one time with her.
Tonk’s black eyes studied the voluptuous woman. No one within sight of him would’ve doubted his instant attraction to her. “And who is this pretty little thing?”
* * * *
Pretty little thing?
Julia had to stop herself from looking around for another woman. Obviously, he was talking about her, but she still found it hard to believe. Now, not only one amazingly stunning man had told her how hot she was, but two.
“This is Julia Roberts. No relation,” answered Samuel. His grip on her tightened, becoming possessive. “And these are my two brothers, Myler and Tonk.”
“It’s Tad, but people like to call me Tonk.”
Should she be afraid of them? Was that why Samuel was gripping her so hard? Or was there another reason? Did he not want to share her with them?
Hmm. Share her with two more men. Three incredible men at one time. Now that’s one hell of an idea.
Suddenly, her mouth went dry in direct contrast to the rest of her. “Hi.”
Myler was almost as tall as Samuel but seemed a little taller with his spikey black hair. His black eyes, so much like Samuel’s, held similar secrets and promises. The hard outline of their jawlines spoke of their blood relationship, just as it did for Tonk. Samuel’s brothers were as buff as he was, full of hard muscles. While Samuel was dressed all in black, Myler and Tonk wore blue jeans and plain T-shirts. She wondered where their cowboy hats were. No doubt Myler’s spikey hair would get mussed under a hat, but she could imagine Tonk brushing his average-length dark hair back into shape.
“Hi yourself, sugar.” His smile lifted higher on one corner. “I’m going to call you Jules.”
“But that’s not my name.” She wasn’t offended, merely curious as to the why of it.
“Maybe not exactly, but you have no right sharing your name with that actress woman.”
She wondered if she should be offended. “And why not?” Didn’t he think she was pretty enough to have the same name? Okay, maybe she wasn’t, but he didn’t have to be rude and say so.
“Because you’re a hell of a sight prettier than her. Jules is going to be my special name for a special woman. For a fuckin’-A gorgeous woman.” He chuckled. “Hell, I’ll never call anyone Jules again, even if it is their name.”
How could she argue with such blatant flattery? Besides, what did it matter? It wasn’t as though she planned on staying in Lonesome.
I wonder what it would be like to live here? Would I really be living in a town filled with shifters? Or would the fun of the fantasy be gone as soon as the festival is over?
Myler bumped against Tonk, moving him over a foot or so. “I’m going to call you darlin’, darlin’. Because that’s what you’re going to be. Our darlin’.”
She couldn’t help herself. She giggled. “Seriously. Do all the men in Lonesome talk like you three?”
“What’s that mean?” asked Samuel, bending over her shoulder. “And just so you know, I’m going to call you baby.”
“I mean you talk like you’re in some sappy romance novel.” She bit her bottom lip the moment the words were spoken.
The men lifted away from her, their eyes narrowing. Tonk recovered the fastest. “I don’t know about that, Jules.” He shrugged, his shoulders moving down like massive boats riding on the waves of the ocean. “I’ve never read one of those books.”
“He’s never read any books,” joked Myler.
Tonk shot him a glare. “Fuck off, bro.” His tone softened as his gaze met hers. “I meant that I say things straight out. I say what I mean, and I mean what I say.”
She didn’t doubt his or his brothers’ sincerity. They were the best-looking men she’d ever seen with bodies any woman would die to caress, but they weren’t players. Not by a long shot. “Okay. I get that.”
The awkwardness of the earlier moment was gone as Samuel leaned over and crossed his arms over her chest. A thrill rushed through her, followed by the almost overwhelming need to skim her palm along the stubble of his beard.
“We were talking about taking you out to the ranch.”
“Oh, yeah,” she whispered then swallowed. She was throwing caution to the wind, but she didn’t care. She firmly believed that sometimes in life a person had to take a risk to reap a great reward. Her gaze jumped from one man to the next. If ever there might be a great reward, it was those three men.
“You two sure moved fast.” Confusion mixed with another emotion on Myler’s face. “From what I heard, you two just met.” His attention centered on Samuel. “Did you do something to her, man?”
She wondered who had spread the word so quickly. Then again, did she really care?
She craned her neck around to look up at Samuel. “What does he mean?” Had he drugged her? Yet she didn’t feel drugged. Turned on like crazy. Needing to be with him more than anything else. But not drugged. If anything, she felt more aware, more invigorated than before meeting him.
But then why wasn’t Samuel answering?
“Not a damn thing.” His voice held a hint of a threat as though daring Myler to challenge him.
“Uh-huh.” Tonk took hold of her hand. “How about we go enjoy some of the fun before we take you anywhere else?”
Didn’t he want her at their ranch? Or was that letting her get too close to home? “Sure. Okay. I’m ready for a little fun.”
She allowed Tonk to pull her toward the front door. Strangely, Myler and Samuel held back, following them from a distance. The two looked like they were in a heated conversation.
Were they arguing? And what about? What had she missed?
* * * *
Julia stood in the middle of the throng out in the street. Even with the Conway brothers standing close to her, she was still getting jostled by the crowd. The number of festival-goers seemed to have doubled since she’d walked into the saloon. “This is better than anything I ever imagined.”
Tonk edged closer, his hand on her shoulder as he placed his body between hers and the crowd. “Yeah? What other things have you imagined?”
There was no mistaking his hungry look and the meaning behind it. “Oh, I don’t know. Just things.”
“Uh-huh,” he said knowingly. “Things.”
“Like maybe going to bed with three men?” Myler’s hair didn’t move with the breeze.
So all three of them were interested? She hadn’t been sure when they’d first left the saloon. “I can honestly say that I’ve never imagined that.” She made a funny face. “Okay. Maybe I’ve thought of two before, but never three.”
“Why the hell not?” asked Samuel. He smiled at her then glared at a young man who almost stepped on Julia’s foot.
She couldn’t answer and still look at them. “Because a girl like me could never get that lucky.” Inwardly, she cringed and wished she’d kept her mouth closed.
“Lucky, huh?” Tonk shoved another man back and made a growling sound, warning the man to stay back. “I’m not sure being with these two lugs could be considered lucky, but whatever you think, Jules.”
His growling sound had sounded very real. Almost too real.
Stop it. You’re letting the festival’s craziness get to you.
While other girls had dreamed
of a handsome prince on a white horse, she’d dreamed of a wild man with an even wilder secret. A man she’d have to tame in more ways than one. Sneaking a peek at Samuel, she wondered if maybe, just maybe, she’d found one.
Or two.
Or even three?
Her mind jumped to the mysterious blond man again. Maybe even four? Now you’re getting greedy.
She laughed.
“What’s so funny?” asked Samuel.
She shook her head. “Nothing. I’m just happy.”
“Good.” His black eyes ate her up. “I want you to be happy forever.”
She blinked, unsure how she should take his words. Instead, she refocused on the crowd. Although pointing was rude, she couldn’t help herself. The woman pushing toward her was dressed in an incredibly authentic-looking costume. The woman’s skin was covered in a light golden fur. Sharp fangs peeked from between her lips while eyes the color of amber flashed.
She leaned closer to Samuel. “How’d she get the fur to stay on her skin? Please tell me she didn’t use glue. And the fangs? And the eyes? Wow. Now that’s what I’d call a great costume.”
“Trust me. She didn’t use glue.”
Julia hoped she hadn’t. Taking the fur off would take skin along with it.
Her phone vibrated in the pocket of her jeans. “Sorry. This is probably TJ.”
“Who’s TJ?” asked Myler with more than a hint of jealousy in his tone.
“Her friend,” answered Samuel. “Her girlfriend.”
Julia laughed as she answered TJ’s text telling her friend she was fine. “He means my friend who is a girl. I’m straight. One-hundred percent straight.”
“Good to know.” Myler touched her under the chin and tilted his head to the right. “Want to see something cool?”