by Eve Langlais
In the end it didn’t matter what this ex-boyfriend or the investigator wanted with the women. Ark was going to put a stop to it, and that meant paying a call to yet another cousin. Matthias—who really hated the nickname Matty—ran the New York City sleuth, a fancy term for a bear clan, four hundred strong, and scattered throughout. The Big Apple sleuth was the biggest of its kind in the United States and they were snotty about it. Thought that living in the city made them better than their cousins from the country. Ark had to teach little cousin Matty a thing or two about pride when they were younger. Taught that snooty bear not to mock his wilder cousins.
Taught the lesson so well that apparently his cousin Matthias hadn’t forgotten about the broken nose Ark had given him as a teen. I gave him character. But did Ark get any thanks for it?
None. It also appeared as if Matty might not have forgiven the fact that Ark borrowed his car the night of the prom, which happened to hold his girlfriend, who later that night dumped Matty for Ark.
Matthias never did thank him for showing just how fickle she was. It didn’t even last two weeks.
But his cousin’s vendetta? Still going strong more than a decade later. It explained the gun pointed at his forehead when the metal reinforced door to the townhouse swung open.
“Give me a good reason to not pull the trigger.”
Ark smiled. “Cousin, so good to see you. We have business to discuss.”
“Is that business your imminent demise?” Said with a sneer, and yet Matty stepped aside.
“Are you still bent about the girl in high school? So what if she chose my big péos over yours. Get over it.”
“You think this is about the girl.” Matthias shook his head as he headed past Ark into a living room. He went straight for a decanter full of amber liquid. “It was never about the girl but the fact you ruined my fucking car.” A sweet convertible with supple leather seats—before the storm.
“I didn’t know it was going to rain. I’m sure it was fine once it dried out.”
Matthias leveled him with a glare.
“Okay, I’m sorry about the car. In retrospect, I should have put the cover up.”
“Finally, he apologizes.” Matthias raised his glass. “About time. Drink?”
“Make it two.”
“Double fisted. By my recollection, you only resort to that when really giddy or really pissed.”
He should have been giddy about finding his mate, but events kept conspiring. “There’s a thug in the city. I think he’s on a contract, and he’s made a move on my mate.”
“A mate? You got mated? When did this happen? The aunts usually keep me well informed.”
“The aunts don’t know yet.” And would probably meddle to ridiculous lengths once they did. “Anyhow, this rather irritating fellow broke into her place tonight.”
Matthias arched a brow. “I take it you foiled that plan.”
“Yes. But the guy got away.”
“Has someone been hitting the burger joint instead of the gym lately?”
“My mate required my attention.” Actually, she wanted to doctor him, which he would have enjoyed more if it had involved a bed and the pair of them naked. Instead, they talked. What a shitty way to end his evening.
“She was attacked, and yet here you are with me. Don’t tell me you left her unguarded. Are you sure it’s wise to leave her alone? Perhaps she should have some company.” Matthias smiled, not the jovial smile of a friend.
Ark grinned right back as he said, quite pleasantly, “Lay a single body part on her and I will murder you and scatter the ashes. She. Is. Mine.”
“So you licked her.”
Did in his head count? “Not quite. There’s a bit of a problem. We’re waiting to see if I impregnated her sister.”
The admission had Matthias laughing and he kept laughing as Ark explained the situation. “That’s a fucking mess. Glad I’m not you.”
“Which is another reason why I’m here. Weren’t you at that Halloween party last year in Beverly Hills?” Ark thought he’d smelled him, but Matty took the art of avoidance to great levels.
“Yeah, I was there. Why?”
“And were you dressed as Zeus?”
“Yes.” His cousin frowned. “Where are you going with this?”
“The sister I was telling you about, the pregnant one, she was at that party. Claims she slept with a god.”
“Doesn’t mean it’s me. I counted at least eight other Zeuses that night.”
There could have been more, hard to tell through the alcoholic haze. “I don’t suppose you hooked up with a cat woman?” There were plenty of them roaming around, meowing and in heat.
His cousin blinked. “I think we need more alcohol.”
Copious amounts of it were drunk, which led to Ark weaving back to the hotel and relieving Stavros from his post in the hall so he could keep a watch on his mate’s door—with his eyes shut.
It was the giggles that woke him. “Look, Matilda, he’s naked.”
“And hairy.”
He was also in so much trouble according to the look in Jade’s eyes when she flung open the door.
CHAPTER 8
“What is wrong with you?” Jade hissed as she ushered him into the hotel room and slammed the door shut to hide the giggles of the other hotel patrons.
“Nothing. I’m perfect.” He raised his arms and spun, tossing her a devilish smile.
He was indeed quite perfect in shape and contagious in his madness because, when he crooked a finger at her, she almost went to him.
“What are you doing here, naked?”
“Well, I kind of lost my clothes on the way here.”
“How do you accidentally lose your clothes? Did you accidentally put your dick in a woman too?”
The accusation apparently annoyed him. His back straightened, and his dark eyes flashed. “I haven’t touched another woman since we met.”
“Wow, what’s it been? A whole day?” She rolled her eyes. “Feels like forever.”
“See, you also feel like we’ve known each other longer.”
“That isn’t a good thing in this case.” She turned away from him, even if all she wanted to do was stare. He made it so hard to remind herself why he’d come into their lives.
Don’t fall for it. He might have slept with Ruby. She clung to that “might have” part because it helped with the guilt. He was the forbidden fruit, and she began to understand why Eve caved to temptation in the garden.
“I don’t suppose you have some clothing I could borrow.”
“Sure because I’m such a slut I keep men’s clothes lying around and pack them when I go to hotels in the middle of the night.”
Actually she did have men’s clothes, mostly their boxers and T-shirts, which she bought, she might add, and didn’t steal, because they were freaking comfortable to lounge in.
Thing was her T-shirts and shorts were much smaller in size than Ark. The bottoms didn’t make it up his thighs before getting caught on his backside.
As for the shirt, it stretched and threatened to split at the seams. Add in his below-the-waist bareness, and she laughed.
She laughed so hard the door to the second bedroom in the suite flung open and her sister peered in, uttered a gasp, and fled.
“Shit.” Jade took off after Ruby while Ark grumbled, “Way to shrivel a man’s confidence.”
It would take a lot of shriveling to shrink him enough for that. Yes, she’d noticed, how could she not? The man took well endowed to a whole new level.
Jade found Ruby in the bathroom, getting a glass of water.
“It’s not what it looks like,” she said.
Her sister whirled. “Are you going to tell me you didn’t have a naked man in your room?”
“Well, I did, kind of.” As her sister’s gaze narrowed, she sighed. “Fine. But he didn’t spend the night. I found him in the hall. Naked. And he won’t say how it happened.”
“Oh dear God. This nightmare is get
ting worse.” Her sister placed her head on the counter.
“What nightmare? No one is going to hurt you. Most especially not that two-timing prick harassing you.”
Ruby waved her glass of water. “I’m not worried about him hurting me. Xavier would never harm me.”
“And yet you ran away from him.”
“What else could I do?” Ruby scowled. “Even if he did dump his fiancée, how was I to explain this?” She pointed to her belly. “‘Hey, sweetie, I love you but guess what, I hooked up with someone else before we met. Surprise, I’m pregnant with another man’s kid.’”
“I should have never let you move out west.”
“We are not arguing about this again. What happened, happened. I’m more interested in what you’re going to do with the naked guy in the other room.”
Do? The problem was she wanted to do so many things.
Jade shrugged. “I don’t know what to do about him. He seems determined to keep popping up. And given that other dude who broke into my place last night, I really think we should go someplace for a few days. Maybe go stay with Pearl until the baby is born.”
“The three of us in that tiny studio apartment?” Ruby grimaced. “No thanks. I’d rather stay in a hotel.”
“Great plan,” Ark announced from the doorway, the sheet from her bed tied sarong style around his torso. “But not this hotel. I know just the place we can go.”
Which was why an argument, a phone call to her work, and a hastily packed suitcase later, they were at the Jersey Shore, booking into a penthouse suite with two bedrooms. Stavros, the man who’d shown up with clothes for Ark and a car to drive them there, had just left, leaving her with just a warning to not leave the suite unless he or Ark accompanied them. Apparently, he was staying a floor down.
As for Ark, he’d only seen them off, and she had no idea if he planned to join them and surely she wasn’t disappointed about the fact he hadn’t yet.
She wandered out to the living room to find Ruby staring out the window. “You look awfully serious,” Jade noted.
“Maybe I should talk to him.”
“Who? Not your stalking ex?”
Ruby nodded. “He deserves an explanation for why I left.”
“Isn’t the fact he was engaged enough?”
“It’s not like that. He didn’t love her. Their families arranged it.”
Jade rolled her eyes. “Well then, that makes it okay. I can’t believe you ever got involved with a practically married man. At least you had the sense to end it.”
“But not because I wanted to.” Ruby whirled, her body tense and her eyes flashing. “You seem to keep conveniently forgetting that part of the reason I left was to save Xavier from the pain of watching me raise another man’s child.”
“And what of your pain of seeing him with another woman?” She couldn’t understand her sister’s mindless devotion to the guy.
“I already told you he didn’t have a choice.”
“He could have chosen to not brainwash you into loving him.”
“Sometimes you can’t fight fate. One day you’ll understand.”
One day? What about now? She’d been separated from Ark only a few hours and yet already she anticipated his return. Kept expecting him to appear.
Yet, the day passed. They ordered room service.
Got hell from Stavros for letting the room service guy in.
They watched a movie …
Got hell again from Stavros for screaming at the scary parts.
And during all that, still no Ark.
Surely she didn’t suffer from disappointment. She latched the deadbolt on the door. Then went to bed.
Alone.
Always alone.
Sigh.
Why did she find herself suddenly bothered? This was the way it should be. The way she liked it and yet despite her usual preference for solitude she could have sighed with relief when a voice whispered in her ear, “Did you miss me, koukla?”
Yes. I did. But it would be so much easier to handle if she didn’t.
CHAPTER 9
Expecting Jade to react, Ark was ready when she tried to shove at him. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them over her head, which made it easy for him to settle his body atop hers.
“What are you doing?”
“Saying hello. Can you not feel my obvious delight?”
“What I feel is you crushing me. Get off me, you giant oaf.”
“I wouldn’t have to get on you if you’d not hogged the bed.”
She stopped struggling and said, in a tone pitched with incredulity, “I will hog it if I want to. This is my bed.”
“Ours,” he corrected just because he wanted to see how round her mouth could curve.
She made a spectacular O. Perfect for—
“There is no ours. You are deluded.” She writhed under him. It proved distracting, enough that he found himself bucked off and hitting the floor.
Her playfulness had him bouncing to his feet with a smile. “You never fail to please me.”
“Do you have a problem with the word ‘no’? I’m not interested in you.”
She claimed it and yet her arousal perfumed the air. Her heart beat fast. Her nipples pressed against her thin shirt, the sheet covering her having gotten pushed down during their foreplay.
“Why do you keep denying your attraction to me?”
“Do you really have to ask? Pregnant sister for one.”
“Which is not mine.” For some reason he felt that certainty, especially since the more he thought back on that night, the more he recalled, and those memories did not include sleeping with a cat woman. Making out with one, yes, but a certain cockblocker interrupted before he sealed the deal. Of course, telling Jade would accomplish nothing. He doubted she’d believe him.
“Claiming it’s not your baby doesn’t make it the truth. And even if you aren’t the daddy, I’m still not interested. You’re a little too aggressive for me.”
“I can’t help it. You drive me wild.” He pounced back onto the bed, framing her body with his, drawing close enough he could nuzzle the skin of her cheek with his nose. The intimacy of the gesture made her squirm—which he very much enjoyed.
“You can’t force me to feel the same way.”
“How have I forced you to do anything?”
“Asks the guy pinning me to the bed.”
“Have I hurt you? Done anything you don’t want?”
“I don’t want to have you on top of me.”
“You’re right, you’d rather I was in you. Sinking balls deep into your heat.” The dirty words slipped from him and she reacted by sucking in a breath.
“I do not want you!” she exclaimed.
“Liar,” he chided before he nipped her chin. He heard the hitch of her breath. She was not unaffected, but she was certainly stubborn. “If you really wanted me to leave, I would go.”
“I really want you to leave.”
He didn’t move.
“Now who’s the liar?” she chided.
“I said if you really wanted me to I would. But…” He leaned down until their foreheads touched. “You don’t want me to go.” She might not be able to admit it, but he sensed it on a primal level. The same level that claimed she was the one for him.
“I do want you to leave.”
“If you insist, then I will go.” He rolled off of her, and stood beside the bed.
She seemed surprised by his capitulation. Didn’t she yet understand he’d do anything for her?
“You’re really leaving.”
“Your wish is my command.”
“What happened to making me yours?”
A crooked smile pulled his lips. “It will happen. You cannot fight destiny. Even now, your desire rages inside. You want me.”
“I…”
He could see she wanted to deny him. She fought so hard against fate. But the soft words spilled out of her in spite of it.
“I do, but I shouldn’t.”
“We shouldn’t be doing this.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Surely this is wrong.”
“On the contrary, I think you’re afraid because you know we are so right.”
She closed her eyes before his gaze, but she couldn’t hide the tremble in her frame.
He wouldn’t let her hide from him. “There is something between us, koukla. Something that won’t be denied.”
“It’s just lust. It will go away.”
“What if it’s something more?” He couldn’t help but brush her lips lightly, feeling the tremor that shook her.
“Is this your suave way of convincing me to have sex with you?”
“If I wanted to convince you, I would kiss you.”
“You really think you can seduce me with a kiss?” She laughed, a high and breathy sound that held a note of fear, anticipation, and … challenge? She dared to meet his eyes, provocation dancing in their depths.
“Are you daring me to try?”
She finally uttered the permission he’d been waiting for. “Yes.”
Drawing close, his lips touched hers, more than with just a brushing glance. He took her mouth with a fierce, possessive embrace. He branded her with his kiss, and finally—fucking finally—tasted her sweetness.
Given her complaints, he expected some kind of attempt to freeze him, to pretend she was not affected. To his surprise, it took not even the barest second to push past her weak defenses. Her mouth went immediately pliant under his, her body softened and accommodated his weight.
The parting of her lips allowed him to plunder with his tongue, starting a sinuous dance that made him hum. The sound rumbled against her, and she stopped the slide of her mouth to tug at his lower lip. “What is that noise?”
“It’s my happy sound. Which is not as loud as my really happy sound. I can’t wait to see what noises you make.” He ground himself against her.