by Jessica Sims
Beau’s response was grudging. “Chicken is Tony’s term for non-supes. He likes to say that they taste like chicken.”
“That’s fairly disturbing.”
“He’s trying to be tough. His pack is full of assholes who like to push around as many people as they can. They refuse to join the Alliance.”
Well, that explained why they’d been going at it like cats and dogs. It also made me want to throw up. To think that he’d sat next to me … tried to touch me … to think that he could have smelled Sara if I hadn’t been careful. I took a hasty sip of my mojito, my hands shaking. And then I choked, my throat too tight to swallow properly.
“You all right?” Beau said, the growl receding from his voice. “I’m sorry if he scared you.”
I shook my head. “No, I’m fine. My drink just went down the wrong way. So who’s Arabella?”
He sighed. “My ex,” he admitted. “I haven’t seen her in months.”
“Word must travel slow.”
“Yeah. We don’t talk to the wolf pack much.” He didn’t seem to want to expand on the subject.
Thank God for that. “What kind of supe is Arabella? Were-skunk?” I asked, my tone sweet.
His lips twitched with mirth. “No, just a were-cougar that hung around far too long. Haven’t you ever dated someone like that?”
I gave him a look. “I can’t say that my little black book is full of were-cougars.”
He laughed. “Then I am delighted to be your first.”
My entire body tensed. But that was silly. Beau couldn’t possibly know that I was a virgin.
“Before I forget,” Beau said, pulling out his wallet. He flipped through it, then handed me a small salmon-colored card. “Sign this.”
I took it from him and turned it over, reading. Lots of very small print crept across it on both sides. “What is it?”
“Your visa.” At my startled look, he flashed a grin. “It says you are legally approved to date in the Paranormal Alliance.”
From what I’d heard, this sort of permission took forever. “So why did you let Tony think that I don’t have one?”
He picked up his drink. “Maybe I want you all to myself.”
Chapter Two
Several drinks and a delicious, normal meal later, we wandered out of the restaurant, smiling. He had my hand clasped in the crook of his elbow, and I had enough drinks in me—and good conversation—to let him.
I found myself liking Beau quite a bit more than I should have. It was a mistake, through and through, but when he smiled down at me, I got a little weak in the knees and even weaker in resolve.
He was supernatural, I kept reminding myself. That meant bad news for Sara, bad news for me. He was everything I was supposed to avoid. Dating Beau meant Alliance politics I couldn’t even begin to understand, mortal enemies (every supe had them), and all kinds of complications. As a human on the fringes, I knew my fair share about how their secret society operated, but there were levels that I’d never be privy to. For all I knew, the guy turned into a ravening, man-eating cougar at the full moon.
Suspicious, I glanced up at the sky. No full moon.
Everything about the setup of our date told me to run away, and run away fast. But he was charming, and funny, and incredibly sexy. He listened to everything I said with an interested look on his face. I could talk about the bizarre goings-on at Giselle’s office and knew that he’d understand because he was part of the Alliance. It was seductively freeing, even more so when he chuckled at my anecdotes.
I also learned a bit about him. Beau was the eldest child of his family and had three younger brothers. His dad had died when he was eighteen, and his mother lived in California with her second husband—a were-lion. He loved his clan. He was the head of the Paranormal Alliance and owned a large security firm staffed by shifters.
He was … nice. I liked him. I couldn’t like him, though. Sara was in danger if I allowed my feelings for someone—especially a supe—to come between us. I was her shield to the world.
Lost in thought, I was quiet as we walked out of the restaurant. Neither of us spoke, but he still had my arm in his, possessive. A taxi stand was just down the street.
He started to steer me away from the taxi line and toward the restaurant’s private parking lot, and my happy, almost-bubbling mood dissipated. I stopped. “I think it’s time for me to head home.”
“Want to go have a nightcap somewhere?” His hand slid over my shoulder.
I slid it right back off again. His hand was very warm and felt great on my bare skin, but I wouldn’t let that sway me. “I’m not going to the hotel with you.”
His lips quirked. “I won’t lie—I would love to get you into my bed. But I was thinking more along the lines of a drink. Or coffee, if you’d rather.”
Sure, and I was just whistling Dixie. “I’ll pass, thanks.” I pulled away and turned toward the cab stand.
When a cab pulled up, Beau opened the door.
Before I could get into it, however, he shut the door. Irritated, I slapped his arm lightly. “What are you—”
“Shhh,” he said, turning back toward me. His eyes were slitted like a cat’s, gleaming yellow-green and reflecting light.
I stared at him, openmouthed in surprise. His nostrils flared slightly as he sniffed the air, searching for something. I wanted to ask him what was wrong, but I remembered his request for quiet and obeyed.
He blinked and the unnatural shine faded from his eyes, his pupils a regular size once more. Then he looked down at me. “Don’t take the cab.”
“Why?” I glanced over at the waiting taxi, unnerved.
He pulled me closer to him in a protective grasp and led me back down the sidewalk. “The cab driver smelled like … like alcohol.”
Something about his statement rang false. I remembered the way his eyes had gleamed, as if he’d been hunting prey. “Uh-huh.”
“I’ll take you home. How far are we from your place?”
“About twenty minutes,” I said.
“Got a roommate?”
“My sister,” I said, wariness returning. “Why?”
“Good.” He handed me his cell phone. “Call her and tell her you will be home in twenty-five minutes, and to call the police if not.”
That seemed trustworthy enough. I took the phone from him and dialed my home number. Sara answered on the second ring, and I could hear her computer game blasting in the background. “Hello?”
“It’s me,” I said, my eyes on Beau. He watched me calmly, his hands in his pockets. He didn’t seem like he was setting me up, at least. “I’m still out with Mr. Russell. He’s driving me home, so I’ll be there in twenty-five minutes.”
“All right,” she said slowly, and I couldn’t tell if she had picked up on my anxiety. I needed to tell her about the other wolves we’d seen tonight, the veiled references he’d made. Maybe we needed to move again.
“Tell her that if we’re not there on time, to call the police,” he said, misunderstanding my awkward silence.
I parroted it back into the phone, feeling a bit like an overly paranoid freak. He was being so calm and easy about this.
“I guess I don’t need to tell you that Giselle just called and gave you a late assignment?” Sara said, reciting the excuse we’d agreed upon in case the date went badly and I had to exit fast. She dropped her voice into a whisper. “He must be cute.”
Oh, jeez. Had my were-cougar date heard that? I glanced over at my date and saw his mouth curl into a faint smile.
“Very cute,” he agreed.
I nearly died of embarrassment. “Look, twenty-five minutes, okay? Will you keep track?”
“Sure,” she said, yawning. “I’ll start an egg timer or something. You two kids have fun.”
I hung up and handed him the phone back, disgruntled. Sara wasn’t taking this seriously, and Beau had just heard the entire conversation, thanks to supernatural hearing. “We have twenty-five minutes,” I announced.
“I know,” he said. “We’ll be there in fifteen.”
“You’re very confident in yourself.”
“I am,” he agreed. “I know what I want, and I get what I want.” He gave me a pointed look.
I ignored it. “All right then. I’ll get in the car as long as you tell me what you smelled back there.”
He hesitated. “A shifter. I know you don’t want to be seen with me, so I thought it might be best if we took my car.”
That made sense, and I felt relieved that he’d been so quick to catch that. “Thank you.”
He simply grinned at me.
Beau’s car was a Viper. I nearly melted at the sight of it. The valet at the parking lot had the same expression I did—he looked loath to hand the keys over to Beau.
I ran my hand along the hard top as he opened my door to let me in. The inside was cramped, but posh—just what I expected for this kind of car. It was amazing that a tall man like Beau could fit in the car. I eyed the size of the seats. Pretty much in the clear, here. This was a date-rape-safe car—there just wasn’t room for that sort of thing.
He slid into the car next to me and paused, his eyes flashing that odd color again for a moment.
“What is it?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Nothing. Just me being paranoid.”
The drive home was a brief one. I’d considered not giving him my home address, but Sara knew he was taking me home, and we had his information on file at work. If there was one thing that the Alliance didn’t cater to, it was killers and lawbreakers. They were extremely careful to keep up appearances, and someone who couldn’t follow the basic rules of normal society was usually “disposed of” pretty readily.
Kind of like the mafia, but a little hairier and with less garlic.
About fifteen minutes later we pulled into the driveway of the small suburban house Sara and I rented. I saw her part the drapes and look out the window. She saw the car and I raised a hand to let her know it was me.
She nodded and pulled the curtains shut again, giving Beau and me privacy.
I wanted to stay in his company for a few minutes more, but part of me was on edge. My mind was stewing with Tony’s appearance tonight, my thoughts full of wolves and Sara’s safety … and I couldn’t stop thinking about Beau’s smile and when his fingers had brushed my palm earlier.
But I’d accepted my role as my sister’s protector a long time ago, and it didn’t leave room for a man in my life, especially one with a tail.
Beau put an arm behind my shoulders and I stiffened, but he only toyed with a lock of hair that had escaped my bun, his fingers brushing against my neck in a small motion that sent shivers down my spine.
“I had a nice time tonight,” he said.
Lord, he was gorgeous. His dark brown hair looked inky black in the darkness, his eyes pale. “Listen, Beau—”
He laid a finger over my mouth, silencing me before I could shoot him down.
“Shh,” he said, not perturbed in the slightest at my reluctance. “The week is young, Bathsheba. There’s plenty of time. I have until Saturday before things get desperate.”
“I don’t follow you.”
He tilted his head, eyes gleaming in the moonlight. “How so?”
“You call the agency and demand a date—any date. And when you decide you don’t want to date a harpy, a vampire, a doppelganger, or anything else I can pull up on file, you ask for a stand-in. Me.” I threw my hands up in the air. “And now you’re saying it’s okay, because we have time until Saturday. What does Saturday have to do with anything?”
He stared at me, and then he laughed.
I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling wounded and embarrassed. “What’s so darn funny?”
“I thought you knew. I figured someone in your line of work would guess …” He smiled. “I have to say that this puts a new spin on things.”
“What are you talking about?”
He leaned in close, setting my pulse to thrumming hard, and I instinctively leaned back.
“I’m going into heat,” he said.
Chapter Three
I shied back at his declaration. “You’re what?”
He reached for the lock of hair again, playing with it. “In heat. So to speak.”
“I … I …” I blinked, trying to gather my thoughts. “I thought only females went into heat.” Didn’t men have the wrong equipment for that? Trying to be nonchalant, I flicked a glance at his package. Well, now. Either he truly was in heat, or he was as well built as he claimed.
“We all use the term, and you’re right, only females go into heat.” His mouth twisted. “One of the female cougars in my clan is about to go into heat in a few days. Her need affects all the males, so there’s fighting among the unmated guys to claim her, and clan politics get really messy right about now. Normally she would just leave town if she didn’t have a mate, but … she can’t this time.” His face grew tight.
“Oh,” I breathed, thinking hard. My gaze darted rapidly to the sensual curve of his mouth, the hint of tongue that touched his lips. Oh, my. “So why don’t you and the female hook up?”
“It’s complicated,” he said, and slid a little closer to me. “And I want you.”
“Oh,” I repeated, retreating. The back of my head smacked against the fogging window of the Viper. Maybe it was taboo for him to date her? I didn’t know much about Alliance politics—or cougars in general—but they had their own special hierarchy. “Is that why … Rosie … ?”
He nodded and whisked his hand to my hair, pulling out the clip that kept my tight bun in place and releasing the blond strands to spill over my shoulders. “I’ve been wanting to do that all night,” he said, running his fingers through it and then kneading them against my neck, like a cat kneading its paws. His voice was a low growl. “Your hair is sexy as hell. How long is it?”
“To my waist,” I breathed, my breath quickening to match his, my eyes locked on his face. “So you were using the dating service to find someone because you were in heat?”
He lifted a handful of my hair and let it slide between his fingers like silk. Definitely a hint of purring in the back of his throat. “I don’t give a shit about Rosie. Your dating service was the only option available for a last-minute date that wouldn’t mind what I am, so I paid the ridiculous fee and set up a profile in the same hopes.”
I jerked my hair back out of his hand. “Our business is not ridiculous. We cater to a very specific need.”
“It’s a dangerous business, and Giselle knows it. What’s worse is that she doesn’t care.” His gray eyes searched mine. “She’s a fool for hiring humans to do a delicate job. You’re going to cross some line you won’t even know about, and then you’ll all end up in trouble.”
“Oh?” I shoved my hair back over my shoulders. His eyes followed the move, and my body tingled with awareness. “Like the way you crossed a line by dating a human?”
“Something like that,” he growled, leaning in.
I planted my hand on his face and shoved. “You picked the wrong girl for your heat.”
His smile curved against my fingers. “What makes you say that?”
“I’m a virgin.” No one had gotten into my panties for twenty-five years, and this cocky guy wasn’t going to be the first.
“I suspected as much,” he said.
I opened my mouth to ask why when something caught the corner of my eye. A shadow passed behind the upstairs window, blocking out the light. “Someone’s in my bedroom.” I leaned forward, staring out over the dashboard.
Sara never went into my room. She was too afraid of her scent contaminating my clothing.
His eyes were intense on me. “Are you trying to distract me?”
But then Sara peeked out of the downstairs window—in the living room—and the shadow passed behind my bedroom window again. My heart pounded, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Beau tense.
“Hold this,” Beau said, handing me his keys and his ce
ll phone and leaping out of the car.
“Wait,” I called after him, throwing my door open. “Where are you going?”
“I’ll get her out of there,” he said. “Stay in the car.” He disappeared to the far side of the car and out of my sight.
I stared at my bedroom window, wanting the shape to reappear so I would know I wasn’t mad, and dreading it at the same time. Sitting in the car was pointless. I jumped out of the Viper and dialed the home phone, my hands shaking so hard it was difficult to dial. I had to try twice before the call went through.
“Hello,” Sara said, confused.
“Sara, are you there with Beau? Is he in there with you?” I was babbling so fast that I sounded incoherent.
“Beau? I thought he was with you. Why are you calling from the driveway?”
“Never mind. Just get out of the house, right now. Come meet me on the front lawn.”
“I’m not dressed—”
“Just do it, Sara!” I ended the call and scrutinized every window. Where was the intruder? Where was Beau? He was nowhere to be seen.
And neither was my sister. Damn. If she wasn’t coming out, I was going in after her.
I tossed Beau’s keys on the hood as I ran forward … and stumbled over a man’s shoe. Confused, I looked down. There was the match to it, along with a pair of slacks and an expensive shirt matching the one Beau had worn to our date.
It didn’t register in my mind at first.
The sound of breaking glass made me look up, and I saw an enormous tawny shadow disappear through the downstairs window.
Had … had Beau shifted to go after Sara? I heard the roar of the cat inside—and Sara’s scream.
Shit.
I ran forward, the urge to protect Sara overwhelming, nearly blinding me with fear. My sister needed me—
As my hand touched the doorknob, the bushes on the side of the house rustled. I turned, drawn in that direction despite myself. My purse wasn’t heavy, but I’d use it as a weapon anyhow if I needed to. I took a few steps toward the bushes. “Beau? Is that you?”