by Milly Taiden
“How are we going to do that?”
“You take care of Gabriella. I’ll handle the brother.”
Slade shook his head. His dad was at it again. The old man couldn’t keep his nose out of his kids’ business. “How do you want me to handle her?”
He shrugged. “I am having her work for you for a few weeks to pay for her brother’s debts.”
“Half a million dollars’ worth of work in two weeks? What exactly is she going to be doing for me?”
Vincent stopped messing with his phone and glanced up at him. He chortled a laugh and slipped the cell in his pocket. “You are definitely my son. She’s not doing anything bad. Covering for your assistant.”
“In other words, you didn’t want her to see what a softie you are for damsels in distress, so you came up with a fake job to save your pride,” Slade laughed. His father would never change. He’d been that way all his life, trying to save anyone down on their luck. Sometimes it worked, but other times he’d ended up losing friends over it.
Slade, on the other hand, was much more discerning with his friends: he didn’t have any. He had his brothers and didn’t bother with anyone wanting to be a friend. It kept those who only wanted to be his friends to take advantage out of his life. The Tigris family had a lot of money. Women and men alike always wanted to be friendly with him. But he’d learned the hard way that friends fry you in the end.
“Go talk to her,” Vincent said. “She needs you to fill her in on what she has to do.”
He twisted his lips in a wry smile and marched out the door.
“Son!” Vincent yelled, stopping Slade in his tracks and making him turn to look over his shoulder. “Remember. She doesn’t want to date you.”
The tiger inside him snapped at the words his father said. He had to stop himself from baring his teeth at his old man. His dad must have noticed it, because his laughter followed Slade out the door.
He stopped outside his father’s office, unsure how to proceed. He could hear Gabriella inside, pacing and mumbling.
He listened intently and made out her words…
“Why the hell did I come here? I should have let Joel deal with this on his own. Carajo! But now I have to work for that man. Slade,” she mumbled with disgust. “Even his name turns me on. God, he’s so sexy. And those eyes. Where did he get them?”
A slow smile spread over his lips. He didn’t know where his father got the idea that she didn’t want Slade, but from listening to her angry muttering, she wanted him all right. It sounded to him like she wanted him as much as he did her. Physical attraction happened when a person least expected it. In their case, at a bad time, but he’d take it. He’d take it if it meant having her.
He let the smile slide off his face and opened the door. She jumped and stopped talking, giving him a deer-in-the-headlights look that made her look damn cute.
“Hi,” she said, visibly gulping and glancing down his body. She probably didn’t even realize how her hands shook or her pupils dilated. She didn’t just want him. She craved him. And he’d yet to touch her.
He marched by her, picking up increases in her breathing and heart rate. Interesting. “I understand my father has discussed with you working for me for two weeks?”
She followed him to the desk. “Yes. I’ve got experience with office work, so it’s no problem.”
He motioned for her to have a seat. She did, and her robe slid open, showing an expanse of golden-brown thigh. She tried to fix it, but all it did was make the material pull against her breasts and jerk open at the neckline. She had something glittery underneath the coat.
Now all he could think about was getting the damn coat off and seeing her outfit.
“What exactly do you do for a living?” he asked, dying to know more about her and listen to her sexy voice.
“I work at Charlie’s,” she said, mentioning one of Vincent’s favorite poker hangouts.
It didn’t take much for him to realize she was a dancer. Now he was pissed he hadn’t ever agreed to go to Charlie’s all the times his father invited him. Instead, he stayed at the main hotel and handled the security team.
“I’ve never been, but my father says it’s a great spot. Reminds him of a 1920s cabaret.”
She grinned and nodded. “It’s got a definite look that can’t be duplicated.” She licked her lips and glanced at his mouth before shooting her gaze up to his eyes. “What’s going to happen to my brother?”
“We’re going to make sure he gets the help he needs.”
Confusion clouded her gaze. “Why? Why the interest in helping him?”
Seeing her distressed didn’t sit well with him, and telling her that she’d eventually be his wasn’t the answer she needed at that moment. He went for simple instead. “My father’s heard good things about you from Charlie and is willing to take a chance to help out one of his friends. Charlie appealed to him for you.”
She glanced down at her hands, folding them tight on her lap. “When do you want me to start?”
Right fucking now, by taking off the damn trench and showing him what lay beneath. It took every bit of internal strength to keep the tiger from roaring and hopping over the desk and shredding her clothes off.
“Monday. We’ll get you acquainted with our system, and then you can catch up on all the things my assistant wasn’t able to do while she’s been gone.”
She nodded and stood, offering him her hand. “Thank you so much for helping my brother through this.”
He grasped her hand. The simple touch shot currents of pure pleasure to his heart. His mate. He loved the feel of her smooth, soft skin in his hands. “You have really soft skin.”
FOUR
Gabby’s heart thundered so hard in her chest she barely heard him. He stared at her so intensely it kept her from looking anywhere but at him. Something about him drew her to him. A definite, wild magnetism that combined with his rugged looks made her hormones sigh in delight. His powerful jaw, covered in bristles from his late-day beard, left her throat dry. She wanted to kiss him so bad, to run her fingers over his face and memorize every line. Everything about him screamed wild and untamed. And instead of turning her off, it pulled her in.
They stood there for what felt like forever, and she watched his muscles tense more the longer he held her hand. She didn’t even have it in her to pull out of his grasp. He had such an amazing body on him. The black T-shirt didn’t hide his lean, muscular build. She could see his abs contract, along with his arms. Some men had bodies so buff that they scared her, like the man in the casino who claimed she’d stolen his wife’s winnings. Then there was Slade. He had a strong body with enough definition to make any woman sigh, but without the bulk. It was sexy as hell.
She wanted to tear at his shirt and lick her way up his abs. Lord, she visualized that more than was healthy in the past five minutes.
“Thank you for your time.” She heard her voice turn flinty and sexy. His continued deep stare heightened her desire. She wondered what it would be like to have him kiss her, touch her, to do all the things she hadn’t done since she’d vowed to keep her legs closed until she found Mr. Right. Hell. Mr. Right Now was starting to sound pretty damn good.
She slowly pulled her hand out of his grasp and tried not to fall on her face as she walked toward the door. She knew he was watching her. His gaze burned holes in her back.
“See you Monday, Gabriella.”
Oh, yes. Yes, he would.
* * *
Gabriella stared at the new costume Vanessa handed her. “What is this?”
Vanessa grinned. “A new line of costumes. I debuted them a few weeks ago. The men keep asking if more girls will be dressing up in them, so there you go, tigress.”
Gabby’s gaze roamed over the gorgeous short skirt and beaded bra top with awe. Vanessa had managed to recreate tiger stripes with bling. It was amazing. She wanted to wear it right now. Working at Charlie’s had given Gabby’s love of her body a big boost. She didn’t mind he
r curves one bit, but seeing all those men panting and begging for her to shake her booty made her feel good. Heck, it made her feel damn great. Most of her life, she’d been so shy—trying to blend into the background, to not be seen. Like there was something wrong with her. Until she started taking dance classes; things changed for her forever with that.
“I thought I was dancing in the leather room tonight?” She’d already put on the black corset that hugged her curves and pushed her generous breasts out far enough to poke an eyeball. The zippers at the sides allowed for easy removal while she danced. She flicked the tiny badge at her breast and sighed. She liked dressing up. It was fun.
“You are. Charlie is excited. It seems some hot shot with a shit ton of money will be there tonight.” Vanessa winked. “I heard he’s a big fan of yours.”
Lovely. She’d had too many weirdos trying to get her attention for the past few months. The last thing she needed was to have to push off some guy thinking it was open season to try to get in her pants…because she had no pants.
“Just keep someone by the door. I’m trying not to break someone’s nose again.”
Vanessa burst into laughter. “Don’t worry. I’ll have one of the guys ready to tackle your horde of fans.”
“Real funny. You’re not the one up there trying to dance while ignoring all the dirty things they say.”
Vanessa’s smile dropped, and she nodded. “You’re right. One night was enough for me to see how difficult what you do is.”
“Tell that to those who think dancing ‘isn’t brain surgery’ and anyone can choreograph a routine that’s specifically for a curvy body.”
Vanessa pursed her lips. “Yeah, well. There are idiots everywhere. I think we both knew that one.”
“Thanks for the costume. I’ll make sure to try it on and let you know how it fits.” She knew Vanessa wanted everyone to feel comfortable in everything she made. “I’m sorry about what happened when I was out that night.”
Vanessa waved a hand in dismissal. “Chica, come on. You being out and me meeting Cash was probably the best thing ever.”
“Still...”
Vanessa’s gaze turned scrutinizing. “I heard you were at the Striped hotel and there was some kind of problem?”
She sighed and took a seat in front of Vanessa’s desk. “Can you believe this? My dumbass brother lost so big, now I have to work off his debt.”
“What?” Vanessa gasped. “Work it off how?”
“Nothing bad, I promise.” She rubbed a finger on the side of her temple. The damn migraine she got every time she thought of the money Joel owed made her nauseous. “Joel cheated! The idiot cheated while at a table with shifters! I think he has a fucking death wish!”
Vanessa pulled a chair in front of Gabby’s and patted her arm. “He’s addicted. Gambling is hard to beat when you live surrounded by it. Look around us. There are slots and games in the fucking toilet at the airport.”
Gabby pressed her lips into a thin line. “I don’t know how to help him.”
“Do you have any family? Anywhere he can go to get away from all this?”
Her shoulders dropped with a heavy slump. “We do, but right now Mr. Tigris is getting him some help. He’s in a rehab facility.”
“How’s he doing in there?” Vanessa’s worried gaze and warm smile helped ease some of the distress in Gabby. She didn’t normally share her life with anyone at work, but Vanessa had become a good friend. And she really needed someone to vent to. Life had gotten all kinds of crazy and miserable the past few weeks. Joel’s daughter and his ex had been calling nonstop, wanting to talk to him. The little girl wanted to see her daddy. The mother wanted child support. It was hell for Gabby. She wanted to fix everything for her niece. She hated that her brother was not being the father she needed.
“He curses me out daily, begging me to get him out.”
Vanessa’s eyes widened. “It’s not one of those where he can just leave?”
“No. He had to sign an agreement stating he’d given me all rights to make decisions as to when he could go. The deal with Tigris is that I will follow their advice, and he’ll stay in there until they think he’s better. In other words, if he fails to live up to the agreement, they won’t forgive his debt. There will be nothing I can do. Mr. Tigris will prosecute and I won’t be able to get him out of this one. I don’t know how long that will be!”
“I’m so sorry, Gabby.” Vanessa gave her the first hug she’d had in years. Gabby wasn’t much into emotional displays. Once her parents died, being nineteen wasn’t all that fun anymore. She’d given up college and grown up really fast to try and help her brother out in life. It seemed nothing she did helped. Finally having someone care enough to hug her after all she’d been through lately, it was too much.
A lump grew thick in the back of her throat. Her eyes blurred and stung with unshed tears. Worst of all, she realized she’d been living a shell of a life. All this time trying to make her brother a man he refused to be, she’d stopped dating, going out with friends, and just having fun. She’d stopped living.
“Thank you,” she said, sniffling back the pain of realization. Her life needed a drastic change. She was not nineteen anymore. She was in her thirties. The last time she’d been with a man had been when Joel had a clean streak a few years back. She’d gotten comfortable, thinking things had finally changed, and allowed herself into a relationship only to have to dump Daniel. Joel had ended up in jail, and she’d gone over to get him, but Daniel had made it clear her brother was ruining her life and he wasn’t going to be along for the ride. As much as it hurt, Daniel had been right. She’d stopped living to be there for Joel. She needed to have a life again.
“Listen, come over for dinner tomorrow? Cash is having a father-son day with his dad and brothers, and I would love for you to come hang out with me.” She smiled. “I promise we’ll only talk about things you feel comfortable with.”
She thought about it for a second and then realized what she was doing. She’d been about to say no because of Joel. It stopped now. “Yes. I’ll come. Thanks for inviting me.”
She needed a life again. Her mother would be angry if she knew that Gabby had stopped having friends for her brother. Even her father used to tell her how one day she’d take care of her brother. Sadly, he’d been right. Her dad always said he’d never amount to anything. Gabby didn’t want to believe it. She refused to. Now, it was getting harder and harder to fight the words her dad had spoken when she’d been fourteen.
“I kept you too long! You’re up in a few. Go get that sexy ass in the leather room.”
She stood and smiled at Vanessa, her new friend. It felt good to have a friend again. “Yes, boss lady.”
Vanessa chortled. “Hah! Yeah, okay. You got more pull in this place than I do. Now go before they come in here looking for you.”
Gabby rushed out of Vanessa’s office, dropped the new costume in her dressing room, and gave herself a once over. The near-tears didn’t mess up her makeup. She’d enjoy tonight. It was one of the nights she got to let her frustrations out. Who would have thought men would come to watch her dance in leather, put one of them onstage, and order him around? Tonight, she wouldn’t go crazy with the demands, but the fun was using her paddle if they disobeyed her.
She entered the room from behind the curtains, keeping her profile low to the floor. Showtime. The music pumped a low, sexy song that had been combined with moans and groans thumping through the walls and floor. She loved it. This was why she danced. The leather room was an escape from the daily struggle of having to be the savior for her brother, from the daily struggles of having to be the big sister instead of the single woman who wanted happiness. This was her moment.
She turned around from the audience to face the curtains at her back. Slowly, she leaned forward and caressed her way up her big legs, while shaking her ass. She did a slow wiggle of her hips and continued journeying her hands up her sides to her hair. The sensuality of the music soaked t
hrough her pores and warmed her to the bone. She let herself go with the music. Let her body tell its own story.
FIVE
Slade struggled to breathe. He’d been sitting in the black-and-red room all alone. He’d given in to temptation and decided to come watch Gabby dance. At least being near her would calm his damn tiger from trying to rip out of his skin. Running had done very little to get the animal to calm down. Every time he thought of her lips, her scent, and her body, his animal roared for release.
The lights flickered low, and music started to pump through the speakers, low and sultry. He knew a security guard stood by the door, something he didn’t care for. Right now he wanted alone time with Gabby. He’d been lucky he’d gotten Charlie to close off the room she was dancing in, so he’d be the only one watching her.
Curtains opened, and she came out. Sex on heels. Fucking hell! His cock ached watching her. She wore leather. Lots of it. From the black, spiked heels up to what he guessed was supposed to be a navy skirt but looked more like a loincloth, then a corset that pushed her breasts out as if serving them on a platter. A small silver badge clung to the edge of her top.
He gulped and bit back the groan floating in the back of his throat. She flipped around, leaned forward away from him, and his eyes zeroed in on her ass. Those big, curvy hips wiggled and showed off a tiny pair of satin panties with the words “eat me” in shiny, glittery letters.
She swung her hips from side to side. How the hell could she move so easily in that constricting corset? The question flew out of his mind when she raised her hands to her hair. Her long, brown hair shimmered in the club lights. The lighter highlights in her curls made her golden skin appear to be glowing. She stopped and slowly turned to face him, a slow, wicked smile on her lips. Her brows drew slightly down to show her confusion, but it was quickly replaced with a wide smile.