He took a deep breath and looked at Charlie. He’d had Reign’s back, good man to have in a crisis. It might be smart to bring him in. Except he was full human. Again dangerous for the Cats and for Charlie.
Besides, Reign had Max as a backup. Little good it would do him tomorrow night at Spirits. No way was Max getting inside. It was a Clowder, a gathering of Cats—no dogs allowed. There would be a few humans in attendance—pets kept by various Cats. That’s how Reign would get Dani inside. Reign smiled thinking about the Cats’ reaction if he showed up tomorrow night with a wolf in tow. They’d think he’d gone off the deep end. God knows what they’d do to Max.
Cats were easily offended and their retribution came fast and vicious. Most days, Reign wouldn’t mind. He didn’t exist or even socialize within any of the Prides. But he needed access to the Cat community…at least long enough to save them.
No, the wolf couldn’t go and that was going piss Max off. Reign sighed preparing himself for the fight.
“You okay over there?”
Reign looked at his partner. “Yeah, why?”
“First you’re grinning like a Cheshire cat.” Reign’s ears twitched at the reference. “Then you’re sighing like a teenager in church.”
“It’s nothing. Listen—” Reign wiped his hand across his chin. “I’ve got some stuff I need to do tomorrow so I’m going to take the day off. Cool?”
Charlie shrugged. “Fine by me.” He paused and looked across the desk that separated them. The intent look in his eyes warned that Reign hadn’t been as discreet as he’d thought. “Anything you need help with?”
“Naw. I got it. Just some errands.”
“Right. Errands. Don’t let those errands get you killed.”
Reign nodded and flipped open the file folder on his desk. He scanned the contents but his mind was tracking the clock. Off duty in forty-five minutes and he could call Max. Max would balk about not being inside the party but it would be better if he remained outside anyway. Someone to rescue Dani if things went south. Reign scoffed. Right. Like the wolf is going to accept that. Still, it was his best argument so far. Not that he expected the wolf to be logical. They relied too much on instinct.
A meeting with his lieutenant took up most of the rest of Reign’s day and when he was done, he grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. Being that it was Vegas in the midsummer, he really didn’t need a coat but it helped hide his shoulder holster.
He dialed Max’s cell phone and it immediately switched to voice mail.
Reign closed the phone and headed home. By the time he’d cooked dinner and paced around the living room, thinking up possible scenarios, outcomes and trying to decide the best place to station Max, two hours had passed and he tried Max’s phone again.
This time it rang. Twice. Then Max growled, “This is Max.”
“And don’t you sound cheery,” Reign replied. He liked to tease the wolf. Hell, teasing any of the dogs was fun. That’s what Cats lived for.
“Reign, what do you want?”
“So polite. Does your mama know how you answer the phone?” he taunted, knowing how protective dogs were of their families. Cats, whatever. Once the kittens were old enough to be on their own, their parents shoved them out.
“Leave my mama out of this. Now I’m busy. What do you want?”
Reign rolled his eyes. And people said Cats were rude.
“I have no idea what Dani sees in you.”
“A better fuck than you’ll ever be.”
“In your dreams, wolf-boy.”
“Listen, Cat, is there a reason you’re calling me? Or did you just want to jack off to the sound of my voice?”
Reign felt his lips pulled back into a snarl. Damn the wolf was an irritating bastard. It amazed him that a woman like Dani intended to marry him. She was too fine to be locked into a one-man relationship.
“Bite me.” It wasn’t the cleverest of comebacks but it worked.
“And risk turning you into one of mine? Not a chance.”
“Asshole.”
“You know it.” Max laughed and the tension between them disappeared. That’s how it was with dogs. From growling to tail wagging in seconds. Reign thought about pointing that out to his wolf friend but they needed to move onto actual business. “So what do you want, Reign? I have a friend here,” Max said.
Reign sighed. “I got word the bastard’s back in town. There’s a party tomorrow night. It’s all set. Invitation only. I’ll take Dani and you station yourself—”
“Can’t do it.”
Reign squeezed his hand in to a fist, wanting to punch the wolf or the wall. Instead he forced oxygen into his lungs and said, “I know it’s not your first choice but you can’t walk into a Clowder.” Max tried to interrupt but Reign talked over him. He needed to get his argument out. “You’ll be ripped to shreds. I’ll position you close. You’ll have Dani within hearing at all times. Let’s meet tomorrow—”
“I’m not in town.”
“What? Where are you?”
There was a pause. “I’m in Alaska, visiting my brother.” He paused. “Sort of. Either way, I’m not there. It can’t happen. You’ll have to wait until the next time he comes through.”
Reign shook his head. He couldn’t wait. Too many Cats would die if they didn’t act now.
“I’ll just take Dani myself.”
“Alone?”
“No. Charlie would act as backup.”
“A human? No fucking way. Dani is not going to one of your Cat orgies without someone who can actually protect her.”
“I think that’s her decision, don’t you? She knows I’ll take good care of her.”
“You stay the fuck away from her.”
Reign grinned. He loved riling the dog. Strange, Max had never been possessive of Dani before—at least not what Reign had come to expect from wolves and their mates. Max had to be blind not to have noticed the energy that hummed between him and Dani. They’d never done anything about it but the few times they’d met, it had been like someone had electrified his dick. And Max appeared oblivious to the situation.
Reign would have acted on it—if Dani wasn’t engaged to the big bad wolf. If Max had been a Cat, Reign wouldn’t have been concerned about moving in on her. Cats did that, they accepted that only the strongest got the mates.
The wolves were a little more traditional and once a mate had been claimed, she stayed claimed. And while Reign wasn’t sure he agreed with that theory, he respected the dogs enough to stay back.
But that didn’t mean he couldn’t tease the wolf just a little.
“Again, that’s her decision,” he drawled.
“I’ll be back in town in a few days. You stay the hell—”
Reign opened his mouth to defend his case but noises on the other end of the line stopped him. Or more, the lack of noise. Like Max had stopped breathing.
“Damn.”
The word came out low and sexual. Just the tone made Reign’s cock twitch. He could only imagine what Max was doing to cause that kind of sound. Was Dani with him? Or was he fucking around on her?
“Hello? Max?”
The phone clicked and Reign knew he’d been hung up on.
He sighed and stared at the phone. Damn dog.
Well, Reign couldn’t wait. Tomorrow night was his best chance and Dani had to be there.
He hit the speed dial for Dani’s number, smiling grimly. Did Max even know that Dani was on Reign’s speed dial? Or that he was just waiting for Max to bail before he made his move?
Dani’s voice mail picked up. Damn, am I the only one without a life?
When she finished her recorded greeting, Reign spoke. “Dani, it’s Reign. I just got word that Winston is back in town and he’s doing business at a party tomorrow night. Are you still up for this? I know Max is out of town but I don’t want to miss this chance. I’ll come by tomorrow morning, maybe around eleven? And we can talk about it. Have a good night.” His voice dropped, hoping Dani could h
ear the hunger in his tone.
He closed his phone and stared at the little silver box. He had work to do. If Max wasn’t there, it almost made it easier. Dani was as anxious, if not more so, to get Winston out of the picture. But with no Max, Dani would be vulnerable. If Reign had to go after Winston, there was no way he could leave Dani unprotected. Not in a room full of Cats.
Individually the Cat Community was reasonable, not quite trustworthy but not dangerous. When they got together in a Clowder, the human traits they tried to assume disappeared and they turned feral. The atmosphere was sexually charged and inhibitions were thin-edged lines. It could be a dangerous situation. Particularly with a human like Dani as the instigator.
* * * * *
Dani skipped downstairs, her body alive and tingly. And the man upstairs was the cause. She licked her lips and couldn’t hide her smile. She’d definitely been dating the wrong brother for the past five months. Thank God she’d realized it in time. Even after a night of great sex with Max—and she had to admit there were more than a few—she’d never felt like this. Of course, Max never stayed over. Ever. He always had a reason for slipping out in the middle of the night.
Not Jackson. He’d stayed and cuddled and loved her. The center of her stomach dropped away at the sexual memory. He’d held her, touched her, whispered delicious words to her—and when she would have expected him to seduce her into more sex, he’d lulled her to sleep, never leaving. She had been the one to wake up in the middle of the night, hungry and wanting more. She moaned, remembering the sleepy way he’d come awake, his cock in her mouth, on the verge of coming. He’d been stunned, she’d been thrilled. From their short acquaintance she could tell Jackson was used to being in control. He’d managed to pull back but it had been close.
She licked her lips, remembering how it felt, tasted to have Jackson’s cock in her mouth. He’d been downright yummy. Of course it had been months—maybe a year—since she’d sucked cock. Max, for all his sexual needs, wouldn’t let her mouth near his dick.
She liked sucking cock—liked the tastes and textures, the thrill of power at making her lover groan.
Hmm, now she wanted more. Wanted Jackson.
He’d tasted delicious. It wasn’t a word she usually used when she thought about sucking a guy off, but Jackson…hmm, almost sweet. She wanted more.
Her pussy tingled and she giggled. Last night the lust had been overwhelming, now it lingered in the background, teasing and tempting her.
Jackson was up in the shower. She had a couple of hours before rehearsal. There was time for breakfast. Assuming Jackson was planning on staying. Of course, she had promised to make him coffee. Strong and black, he’d said. She smiled as she threw an extra scoop of grounds into the basket. She had an espresso machine but somehow Jackson didn’t strike her as the espresso-latte kind of guy. He was a little too practical to spend four bucks a day on a cup of coffee.
The drip machine bubbled happily along as she opened her refrigerator. And groaned when she saw what was inside. Or what wasn’t there.
She had no food. Leftover Italian and bagged salad didn’t qualify. This is so not how she wanted Jackson to see her apartment. Max—no problem. He hadn’t cared. But somehow she just imagined Jackson as having the perfectly tidy house with a full pantry.
She slammed the fridge door shut and leaned against it.
New plan. Breakfast out. Before she could slip upstairs to see if Jackson would be interested in making a run to the café down the street, her doorbell rang.
She hurried to the door, the energy in body moving her quickly across the carpet. Hand on the doorknob, she peeked through the curtains beside the door.
Reign? Oh, that’s right. He’d said he was coming by today. Was it already eleven?
Unable to resist, she took another look between the curtain slats. Her body reacted as it always did seeing Reign—like she’d been dipped in honey and was just waiting for him to lick it off her body. It had been like that from the first meeting—sexual sparks had ricocheted between them. If she hadn’t been engaged to Max at the time, she might have pressed the issue to see where it might go.
She glanced toward the stairs. Her reaction to Jackson had been as intense though considering she’d thought he was Max the first time they’d met and that she’d been about ready to fuck him, she hadn’t really recognized it then. Her body sparkled with a similar anticipation.
This could be interesting. The two men who made her turn into a sex kitten in the same room.
Knowing she’d left him standing on the porch for too long already, she scraped her fingers through her wet hair and tugged on her cropped shirt. It hung midway between her breasts and her bellybutton. Leaving most of her stomach bare. It was one of her favorite outfits, comfortable and sexy. She’d hoped to inspire Jackson to return tonight.
Oh, what was Reign going to think when he saw Jackson?
That she was a slut. Working her way through the males in Max’s family. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It didn’t matter what Reign thought. And you really need to let him in.
It took her another dozen seconds before she found the courage to open the door.
“Reign, hi!”
He looked at her and those sparks that had previously bounced between erupted into a full-grown fire. Oh, this was bad. She had one man upstairs in her shower. She really shouldn’t be lusting after another. Particularly not when she’d just spent huge chunks of the previous night having incredible sex. Her body should be beyond wanting to fuck.
Somehow that didn’t seem to be the case. Her pussy warmed and she had the urge to rub against the door, needing pressure to her clit. She let her eyes wander down his body, stopping just below his waistband. The worn jeans did nothing to hide his erection. The heat from her pussy spread and she pressed her knees together.
“Good morning, Dani.”
The sound of his voice skipped over her skin like hot fingers. Her body moved with the sensation. She looked into Reign’s eyes and saw a shimmer of gold so strong it almost glowed. Pure undiluted lust flowed from that stare and it was all Dani could do not to fling open the door and throw herself on top of him. Jackson had said he wouldn’t mind watching.
She grabbed the door tighter, bracing her body against and using it as a shield against the wild thoughts going through her brain.
“What’s going on?” she asked, trying to keep her mind off sex. God forbid that Jackson come downstairs while she was lusting after another man.
Her question seemed to stabilize Reign as well. The golden glow from his eyes faded.
“Did you get my message?”
“Yes, I just didn’t know it was so late.” Realizing she’d left him standing on the front step, she released the death grip she had on the doorknob and stepped back. “Come on in.”
As he stepped inside, he took a deep breath. And for a moment the heat in his stare turned to confusion. Cautiously, Dani inhaled as well. Did her house smell funny? Was it possible he could smell the sex from last night? She really needed to open a few windows.
He sniffed the air and looked around, as if trying to catalog the strange scent.
When he turned to look at her, the heat had returned to his eyes—so strong it almost burned her. Dani’s body moved through instinct, wanting to be closer. She took two steps and stopped. What was she thinking? Jackson was upstairs.
She pulled back, stepping behind the couch, needing some distance between them. She shoved a strand of hair behind her ear and noticed that her fingers were trembling. She needed to get back in control. Reign is here so you can identify a killer.
That did it.
“So you said he’s back in town.”
Reign’s eyes popped up toward the stairs then back to her. “That’s what my source says. Tonight—”
He stopped in mid-sentence. The tension radiating from his body infiltrated her body until she reflected his stress. He froze and looked up at the stairs. The muscles in his shou
lders rolled backward and shifted, straining the material of his shirt. His eyebrows dropped low followed by a deep warning growl.
Jackson came down, slowing as he reached the bottom.
“Dani?”
Already she could hear the differences in his and Max’s voices. She opened her mouth to introduce him but never got the chance. Reign stalked forward, his arm snapping back and forward in one sharp punch. Fist connected with jaw and Jackson flew, groaning as he hit the wall. Pictures rattled on their hooks as his skull dented plaster.
“Reign, what are you—?”
“Listen, asshole, we don’t have time for this shit. I have less than twelve hours to put together a reasonable plan because you wanted to spend the night fucking?” Reign’s voice rose and Dani started to worry her neighbors might call the police.
“Reign, that’s not—”
Again her explanation was interrupted. Jackson moved—faster than she’d thought possible—jumping away from the wall and landing a punch on Reign’s jaw, mirroring the hit to his face. Reign’s head snapped back and he stumbled under the force of Jackson’s fist.
“I’m not Max, asshole.” Jackson straightened and took a deep breath. The crinkles around the edges of his eyes deepened. “Oh this is just perfect,” he said in disgust. “I got sucker punched by a pussy.”
“You know it, ball-licker.”
Both men seemed to condense. Their bodies pulled in tight, preparing to attack. Dani didn’t think her furniture could handle a full-out battle between these two. Jackson’s lips pulled back from his teeth and Reign rolled his shoulders back.
And all thoughts of her furniture disappeared. Her pussy clenched and creamed, sending a violent jolt into her core. What the hell was that? She was not a woman who got off on men fighting over her—tended to think the men were idiots—but something about the way they stood, ready to battle. God, all that power, strength. She squeezed her knees together trying to contain the sensation. Or at least stop it from getting any worse. It really didn’t make any sense. Yes, she was attracted to Jackson—obviously—and she’d always had a lust crush on Reign but this was ridiculous. Particularly after last night. She should be completely immune to desire.
Jackson's Rise Page 8