by BA Tortuga
Pure, luscious danger.
Too bad it smelled like the law-abiding type.
Those bright eyes searched the shadows for a moment, the long, strong nose twitching. Then the man cupped Yvette’s arm and pulled her away, whispering in her ear.
Julian headed for the main room and mingled with the little groups of two or three, chuckling at the bodies pressed against him. Yvette always had such a varied crowd. They loved to pretend they were more than animals, but when it came down to it, they were all just slaves to instinct.
An emerald ring slipped from a finger; another man was careless with a BlackBerry and a watch. That was why he came late—the alcohol did most of his work for him.
“You know, that’s called stealing.” The deep voice also screamed danger, even though the man was almost whispering.
“I’m sure I haven’t the foggiest idea what you’re talking about.” Somewhere, his tail twitched.
“I’m sure you do.” Goodness, the man had a voice that sent shivers down his spine.
“Nonsense. Are you enjoying the fete?” He had to get out of here. Honestly. Tall, broad, and lovely just dripped with warning.
“I am. The entertainment is something else.” One big hand landed on the small of Julian’s back, steering him toward a deserted hallway.
Oh no.
No, he didn’t think so.
“Excellent. I’m afraid I’ll have to slip away. I have a rendezvous.”
“Do you? With what? More art photography?” The hand on his back slid down to grasp his hip.
“Photography? You have me confused with someone else. I’m not a photographer.” His muscles twitched, and he moved from the touch, his skin tingling.
“No, but obviously you’re an admirer.” The man leaned close, breath fanning his cheek. “I recognize your scent.”
“Armani, of course.”
Fuck.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
He forced himself not to show his panic, forced himself to stay loose, relaxed. He only needed to make the window.
“Underlaced with a hint of a rare sort of musk.”
Damn it, this one knew. He really did.
He managed to get to the window, fingers flicking the lock. “Is that an insult, my friend?”
“A compliment. Now that I see how big you are, I’m amazed you made it through the doggie door.” The big man moved close, pressing against him, and now he could smell musk.
His nostrils flared, body responding immediately, instinctively. “Doggie door? Do I look like the type of man who would deal with a doggie door?”
“Not in this particular disguise, no.” The other hand came up to hold his other hip, and suddenly the whole length of the man’s body was pressed up against his back.
The bastard was tall—tall enough that a heavy cock cradled against the top of Julian’s ass, pressing against that spot that made him arch, made his ass push back uncontrollably.
That was incredibly awkward.
“God, I knew it. Knew when I smelled you the other day that you would be trouble.” Sharp teeth sank into the very top of his ear. “With a capital T.”
He yowled low, the sound rumbling out of him like water bubbling from a spring. “I’m nobody you’d be interested in. Nobody at all.”
“You’re wrong. Just tell me. Did the husband pay you to grab the photos?” One hand flattened over his fly when the question came out, distracting him.
“Fuck.” He was caught, instinct and urge battling his nowhere-near-human-enough brain. Damn it. Things started getting sharp, the shadows deeper, the glint of moonlight dazzling.
“If you want, sure. You’re really bad for my self-preservation instinct. And I don’t even know your name.” Slowly, ever so slowly, the guy started rocking, cock like heated steel against him, even through all that cloth.
He reached out, nails sliding on the velvet curtains, eyes going heavy-lidded.
What.
Was.
He.
Thinking?
“Mmm.” The talking appeared to be over. Now there was just purring. The sound settled deep in his spine, and it was all he could do to step away, push the window out, and let the wind clear his mind. Julian leaped onto the sill, eyes searching for the best landing place.
There.
Tree.
He could make it.
A low growl told him that he only had seconds to make his escape, the air moving behind him too. Much warmer than the outside breeze.
“Sorry, pretty one. I have to hustle.” It was a shame too, because he could so do a sexy kitty dance for that one. He leaped, muscles stretching just enough, the top of the tree catching him and swaying.
The low roar said volumes about how pissed off that one was, how he didn’t like to be left behind.
Maybe the next time they met, there’d be fewer questions and more time. Maybe.
Right now he didn’t have the luxury to worry about it. He needed to go underground for a little while. Let the trail cool.
He leaped for the next tree, then the next, managing to keep everything but his shoe, the tie for his hair, and his hard-on.
“QUITE A party, Yvette.” It had taken Thayne nearly a half hour to compose himself and find his hostess again. Goddamn, that was one hot cat burglar. And definitely trouble.
“Thank you, darling. You know I do love to entertain.” Yvette’s eyes glistened, gleaming, the tigress barely hidden beneath the surface, the champagne glass held carefully in her long fingers.
“I do. I know you love good gossip too, hmm? Who’s the new kitty in town?” He snagged a canapé with one hand and popped it into his mouth.
“Oh, you must mean Julian. He’s a clever, slinky little thing, isn’t he? I adore him.”
Slinky was about right. Thayne had had that slim body pressed against him, long black hair that smelled of citrus fruit caught between them.
“That would be the one. What’s his story?” Hopefully, Yvette was in a chatty mood.
“He’s only been in town three months, came in one night and introduced himself. He’s an artist, simply amazing. I asked him if he needed a patron, but he didn’t seem interested.”
“An artist.” Huh. A con artist maybe. “Well, he’s interesting. You’ll have to have us both for dinner one night.”
“Oh, wouldn’t that be entertaining? He isn’t the most social of men, but I do enjoy him.”
“I bet I would too.” He had to grab a drink as well, just to shut himself up.
“Of course, I’m not sure he’s into… rules.” Was that an evil smile or what?
“No?” No, he knew for sure Julian wasn’t into the whole law-abiding thing. Not at all. Still, the man had to know he was putting every one of their kind at risk should he get caught.
“No. No, he’s a touch of a maverick. It’s incredibly appealing to have someone who still has a hint of… feral in him.”
“Not a domesticated house cat, huh?” His cell phone vibrated in his pocket, and Thayne sighed, bending to kiss Yvette’s cheek. “Don’t forget to set up that dinner, honey. Work calls.”
“I’ll do my best, dear.” One surprisingly heavy hand patted his shoulder. “Go protect us from the bad guys, will you?”
“You know it. I’ll see you later, honey.” He headed out, pulling out his phone and seeing Donny’s number.
As the phone opened, he heard, “The ex-husband? Just turned in the pictures—they’re fucking fake.”
“No shit?” Well, now. That made Julian smarter than advertised. “So we need to look at fences, huh?”
“You bet. Mr. Man is pissed, and the little lady is screaming. This is something. You think our perp kept the real thing?”
“I’d bank on it. Well, or sold them.” He’d have to make sure he got Yvette to make that date. If the kitty was a collector, that would present a whole new set of problems.
“Yeah. Do you want me to hold the husband? He says he hired a private investigator to find the picture
s, not a thief.”
“No. Cut him loose, but give him a tail. We’ll see for sure who he hired that way, I bet.” Private eye his ass.
“Good deal. I’m on it. What’re you up to?”
“I think I’m going to do some checking at places that might have a vested interest in those pictures.” He had a few sources that the regular cops didn’t know about. Underground sources.
He walked, remembering that lean, slinky body moving against his cock.
His body tightened at the very thought, and Thayne thumped himself when he slid into his car. That kind of thinking wasn’t going to do him any good, no matter how much he wanted to fuck Julian’s slinky little ass.
He reached up to loosen his tie, and the smell of Julian hit him, deep and sudden. No. No, not any good at all.
This whole damned case was gonna drive him crazy.
He could tell.
THE PHOTO looked amazing.
Julian stood in the crowd, glass of wine in hand, listening idly to the buzz, to the excited chatter of journalists and academics. It was about damned time that piece was available for everyone.
The crowd shifted, ebbing and flowing, but he stayed where he was, staring. Smiling. Until a voice he knew he’d hear in his dreams sounded at his ear. “Looks much better there, huh?”
Fuck him raw.
He was getting tired of escaping, and he’d just put his apartment together the way he liked it.
“Hmm? Did you come to see the image? It’s always been one of my favorites.” Strong, clean lines, amazing clarity, stunning light.
“I did, actually. Did you know that the previous owner had no bill of sale?”
“How on earth would I know that? I saw the advertisement in the paper. I heard it was an anonymous donor. I find that rather romantic.”
He never turned, never gave Detective Thayne Terra the benefit of his gaze.
“Do you?” Moving even closer, big body against his again, the detective tilted his head and stared at the photograph. “I like it.”
“It’s stunning.” Julian’s cock jumped, jerking a little. “How are you, Detective? I wouldn’t expect you at this type of opening.”
“Oh, I’m a huge fan of the arts. Besides, when a gallery showing advertises something from a recent case, I have to attend.” He got a sideways kind of smile, a pair of green eyes shining at him. How had he missed those eyes?
“A recent case? Honestly? How exciting for you.” He stepped backward as a couple pushed in front of him, bumping into Thayne.
“Yeah. My days are full of nothing but excitement. I must be a real junkie, to come track you down.”
“Now, now. I thought you came for the photograph….”
“Let’s quit playing, kitty.” Thayne caught him when he would have moved away, hands on his hips, just like at their first meeting.
“Playing is my job.” Last time there had been little bruises—hot, dark, little bruises that he’d touched, over and over.
“Mine is a little more serious, though.” Grinning against his neck, Thayne moved them back a little, toward the shadows. Someone liked to hide in the dark.
This was getting ridiculous.
Really.
Honestly.
He tried to turn, tried to break free carefully so it wasn’t obvious and so his slacks wouldn’t tear.
He loved those pants.
“Stop.” There was a darkness to the order, a deep sense of danger that froze him in his tracks. Made him hard.
He growled low, the sound vibrating in his chest. “I don’t take orders.”
“No? It’ll be fun to try to make you.” Laughing, breath fanning his neck, Thayne licked at his skin, tasting him.
“This is not the appropriate place.” He twisted a little, keeping the sensitive, delicate skin of his nape out of reach. “What do you want?” He thought he probably knew the answer to that question.
“I have no idea. I know I should be trying to find a match for the evidence I found at the scene….” The words trailed off, Thayne’s lips brushing his skin again.
“What did you find?” He had to stop talking before he moaned.
“That would be telling, honey.” One big hand slid up to flatten on his belly, fingers moving too slowly to tickle.
His muscles went rock-hard, everything in him wanting to purr. “I have to go, Detective. I have… plans.”
“You always seem to have plans. What does it take to get on your calendar? I told Yvette to have us for dinner.”
“Yvette knows that I’m incredibly sensitive. Dinner requires sitting in one place, being social.” Being unable to escape those eyes.
“Uh-huh. Just with me. We’ve been pretty social so far.” Thayne overwhelmed him, rubbing and touching and breathing on him.
“Is that what we’re calling it?” He reached back, let his fingers curl into claws, dragging up the man’s legs.
“Well, if you want to be all civilized, yeah.” Those strong legs flexed under his touch, Thayne’s hips slamming against his ass.
Julian groaned and tried to step forward, tried to avoid that touch to his lower spine. Thayne’s teeth grabbed his neck, dragging him back. He supposed he should feel lucky it wasn’t his hair. Still, he knew Thayne was scenting him, was marking him, and damn it, it shouldn’t feel so good. Cave cat shouldn’t be sexy.
“Fuck.” He went up on tiptoe, rippling. Caught. “I have to get out of here.”
“Let me come with you.” It was the barest whisper, almost a tiny growl. Thayne cupped Julian’s cock, pushing against it, and he had another moment of déjà vu.
He was going to yowl like a kitten needing milk. “You’re too tempting for words.”
“I try. Come on. You obviously like to live dangerously.” Thayne started pulling him back toward the exit, slow and sure.
“I do, but I don’t do well in a cage, hmm?” He slipped out of those amazing hands, baring his teeth a little, panting.
“Tonight is off the record. We can go back to our little game of cat and mouse tomorrow.” Thayne’s eyes gleamed at him, and so did those very white teeth, bared right back at him.
“Off the record.” He nodded, nostrils flaring. “There’s a hotel, not a block away. Very understanding about torn sheets and caterwauling.” Or so he’d been told.
“Let’s go.” Thayne didn’t quite let go of him, though, fingers lingering on the small of his back as they turned to leave.
“Don’t. Don’t touch me there.” He growled, heading for the door. Sometimes he was too feline for his own good.
Damn it.
“Oh-ho.” Laughing, Thayne followed him closely, right on his tail. So to speak.
Julian let himself bare his teeth, rumble, trying to shove back.
“Shh. Be a good kitty, and I’ll give you a treat.” Pushy, pushy.
“You going to pour me a saucer of cream?” He could feel his tail twitching somewhere.
“Maybe. Maybe I’ll just take a hairbrush to the base of your tail.” Oh. No fair. No. Fair.
“Don’t make me hurt you.” He moved faster, forcing Thayne to keep up. He needed some privacy, damn it.
“Who knows. I might like it.” The man was just… relentless. Planting all of these images in his head.
He paid for the room, using a throwaway name and a credit card that belonged to it, got the key, and headed for the stairs. “Ninth floor.”
Here kitty, kitty, kitty.
“Right behind you.” In fact, Thayne was so close Julian could feel all of that body heat, all of those hard muscles.
He bounded up the stairs, leaping, knowing the stairwell was empty and that he could let some of his energy out, get himself loose. All the way up, he ran, heading for the landing, the door. The room. Thayne stayed with him, tumbling against him just as the lock yielded to him, sending them careening into the room.
Bed. Window. Dresser. Oof. Floor.
Thayne landed on him, cock rubbing just right against his ass.
“Don’t ruin my slacks. They’re my favorites.” It wasn’t a yes, but it was close.
“Then let’s get them off.” After spinning him around, Thayne undid his fly, yanking his slacks down and off before tossing them aside. That left the man kneeling in front of him.
Oh, the possibilities.
He stretched, reaching one hand out, sliding on clothes. “Yours now. My turn to see.”
“You think so?” His little briefs went next, and damned if Thayne didn’t rub against his cock, cheek to head.
His growl actually echoed, even as his body arched up, responding eagerly.
“Smell amazing.” Rough as sandpaper, Thayne’s tongue brushed his slit, back and forth, tasting him. “Taste better.”
Eyes rolling, Julian went with it. The beautiful son of a bitch could cuff him right now and he wouldn’t care.
Humming, fucking purring, Thayne went down on him, sucking him all the way in. Just like that, Thayne’s nose was buried in his short curls.
Julian howled, feet planting on the floor, head tossing. That mouth was pure heat, pressure.
Big paws shaped around his hips, holding him in place so that mouth could work him, up and down, harder and faster with each pull. Thayne wasn’t wasting time, wasn’t teasing. The top of Julian’s head was going to blow right off. He twisted, pushing deep, desperate for more.
“Mmm.” The noise vibrated around him, raw and hard, going right to his balls. Thayne sucked, cheeks hollowing, those bright eyes meeting his. Daring him to resist.
“Fucker.” He groaned, breathing hard, trying to relax and keep his shit together.
Pulling away just a tiny bit, Thayne grinned. “If you want, honey.”
“Honey? Where on earth are you from?” He reached out, fingers on the strong jaw.
“Does it matter? You’re not from around here either.” Licking at his palm, Thayne moaned, eyes closing for a second. “You taste good everywhere. Damn.”
“You’ve got a great tongue.” He rolled them, pouncing, scenting the long throat.
“Thanks.” Laughing, chuffing, Thayne grabbed him, rolling them again, their bodies touching all the way up and down.