by Zoey Thames
That made her sag against him in relief. She realized that had been one thing she’d been terrified of.
Brian, his bare, muscled torso shadowed in the overhead dance floor lights, came over to her. He smiled at her, leaned down, gently cradled her face in both his large hands, and claimed her lips with his. The kiss rocked her on her heels. The passion in the kiss was almost overshadowed by the raw lust that vibrated below the surface. She kissed him back just as fiercely.
“Good luck,” she whispered after they finally drew back enough to breathe.
His grin widened. “With that kiss, I can’t lose.”
The two fighters squared off with one another as the crowd yelled and cheered. There were bets taken on the outcome. She watched it all, feeling strangely disconnected, as if this were a staged show instead of something very real and dangerous. Brian and Jimmy paced around the outside of the crowd, sizing each other up with fighter-glares. She found Brian’s glare to be far more intimidating—his expression ice cold, but his eyes blazing with a warrior’s intensity. It did seem to be having an effect on Jimmy too. The other fighter didn’t seem as confident, especially since Brian was far more muscular and outweighed him by at least fifty pounds. The expensive suit had hidden the body of an athlete at the top of his game. She allowed herself a smile as she admired Brian’s chest and broad shoulders. She also noticed something she hadn’t the first time she’d seen him…naked…um, earlier in the locker room, because he’d been facing her. On his back, near his right shoulder, he had a stylized tattoo of a wolf silhouette howling at the moon.
Dominic must have seen her staring because he leaned in close again and his warm breath raised goose bumps all across her flesh and caused her nipples to peak. “You like that ink? He got that for me.”
All she could do was nod and swallow the lump in her throat. She didn’t trust herself to answer, and he probably wouldn’t have heard her choked whisper anyway when the crowd roared as the fighters stopped circling and went after each other.
It all happened so fast that she thought she must have missed something. Jimmy charged him, swinging at his head. Brian sidestepped and landed a devastating kick to Jimmy’s stomach, doubling him over. Before Jimmy could do more than grunt, Brian had followed up with an uppercut to the other man’s jaw that sent him backward on his ass, skidding along the dance floor in a crumpled heap.
The crowd was cheering wildly. More than a few scantily clad females seemed to be trying to get Brian’s attention. She couldn’t blame them, except she kind of did, a little. But Brian was focused on Jimmy. He stayed in his fighter’s stance, balanced on his feet, ready to spring. But Jimmy was only holding his face and groaning as he rolled from side to side. After a moment, Brian turned away as one of the bouncers grabbed his arm and raised it high, signaling him as the winner.
He turned and grinned at Dominic, and then he turned his gaze to her and they locked eyes. His eyes flashed amber, and the sheer, primal magnetism radiating off him seemed to scorch her body until she was weak in the knees. If they’d been alone, she would’ve run to him and torn off those suit trousers with her teeth. As it was, she barely resisted the urge.
Dominic yelled, “Not bad, bro!” at the top of his lungs and let out a whooping cheer that was so enthusiastic it had Ruth grinning.
She still didn’t like Jimmy. At all. But she was glad there hadn’t been any really brutal violence, which she’d been afraid of. The end-up-in-the-hospital kind of violence. She didn’t want to be the cause of anything like that. But Brian was clearly a good enough mixed martial artist that he’d handled the likes of Jimmy with no problems.
Brian was headed toward them when Jimmy rolled back to his feet in a fluid motion filled with catlike grace. His eyes flashed. She sucked in a breath, meaning to yell a warning. Beside her, she felt Dominic tense. Then Jimmy leaped through the air, and as he moved, he shifted forms. Because she worked with shifters often, she’d seen them change shape before, but it never failed to mesmerize with its impossible beauty. Jimmy’s body was surrounded by light, his clothes vanishing, and his form turned to silhouette as it changed from human to cougar in midair so fast it was breathtaking.
The cougar hit the ground near Brian and slammed him aside. But it wasn’t going for him. The cougar’s golden eyes were locked on her. She froze in place, unable to move. Her heart was pounding so hard she wouldn’t have been surprised if it was louder than the bass of a dance beat. Time seemed to slow down.
The cougar leaped again—
—and Dominic pushed past her and launched himself at it. As he sailed through the air, he turned into a gorgeous, gray-brown wolf. But even as Dominic jumped at the cougar that meant to pounce on her with its huge teeth bared and its claws out, a second wolf, this one white, also charged at the cougar from behind. It was Brian, she realized, as she watched both wolves smash into the cougar from opposite directions. Snarling and growling filled the air as the wolves brought the cougar down hard. The crowd gasped and a few people screamed. Dominic’s powerful wolf pinned the cougar by the throat, his jaws a millimeter from clamping down and tearing out the big cat’s throat. Meanwhile, Brian’s huge wolf loomed over the sprawled cougar with his teeth bared, growling menacingly, ready to attack the cougar’s unprotected underbelly if the cat dared move.
Jimmy was smart enough to know he’d lost. He went completely submissive and didn’t dare move under the jaws of the two wolves. By then, the bouncers had rushed over. Brian and Dominic’s wolves moved back enough for the bouncers to grab Jimmy as he shifted back to human form in a flash of light. They dragged him away naked while women in the crowd cat-called him. Jimmy hung between the arms of the two beefy bouncers, completely defeated. He didn’t even glare at her as they dragged him past. She was grateful, because she’d never been so terrified in her life.
The big white wolf she knew was Brian padded over to her and nuzzled her hand. She bent down and stroked him along his furry head and she could feel her hand shaking. He licked her face playfully, and she had no choice but to laugh at him for doing it. Then Dominic was there, also still as a wolf, and he was vying for her attention, so she had to pet him too. The whole thing was surreal, but she had to admit, petting them helped drain away some of the raw terror she’d felt only seconds ago. It wasn’t long until her heart rate returned to normal and her breathing calmed.
Brian shifted back into human form, the explosion of light so intense she had to squint her eyes for a moment as she felt the power of the magic wash against her like heat. Then he stood there before her completely naked and completely cavalier about it. She knew from past experience that shifters were completely unashamed about nudity. That was always something she’d admired about them. She wished she was the same way, but she knew that she was carrying more pounds that the average pinup model. It sometimes made her self-conscious about her body, even when she told herself not to be.
But Brian had plenty to be proud of. All those perfect muscles and—her gaze dropped down along the short, blonde hair that dusted his chest to his navel and lower—and a beautiful, large cock. Heat exploded along her neck and cheeks, and her pussy grew damp as she bit her lip to stifle a moan. That cock…she wanted to touch it.
But before she could do something completely out of the ordinary in the middle of the dance floor in a club, Dominic also shifted back from his wolf to human form. Good lord, he was another stunning male specimen. She’d only seen him from behind before when she’d crashed their love scene in the locker room. Hell yes, he had an ass that wouldn’t quit, but he also had a cock worthy of the name, and if it wasn’t as big as Brian’s, it was damn close. What she wouldn’t have done to take each of those cocks into her and try each one out. She doubted she’d be able to choose a favorite.
“Are you okay?” Brian asked her, touching her chin and bringing her gaze back to his.
“I’m fine,” she replied, though her voice wasn’t steady. “Just a little shaken up.”
“I ca
n’t believe that bastard,” Dominic growled. “We should’ve taught him a lesson he’d never forget.”
“I think we did.” Brian shook his head and frowned.
“I’m glad you didn’t hurt him more than necessary,” she said quickly. “I don’t want to be the cause of that.”
Brian gently brushed her hair back from her face and hooked it behind her ear. “You’re a good person. But you don’t need to worry. The Shifter Council will hear how he nearly attacked a human woman in this club. He’ll be punished.”
“What will they do to him?”
“He’ll be caged for a short while. Forced to stay in cougar form. It’s like prison, but for shifters.” He hesitated when he saw her eyes widening. “You have a kind heart, Ruth, but don’t waste your concern on him. He will serve his time and be released.”
“It won’t be long enough,” Dominic said. “Since we stopped him in time.”
“Long enough to reflect on his actions and maybe even change.”
Dominic shook his head and growled. “You’re such an optimist…and it really pisses me off sometimes.”
“Guys,” she said, her voice a little choked. “You’re still…completely naked.” She blushed. She couldn’t help it. It was hard to look them in the eyes and not concentrate on their other assets…
They both laughed. “I’ll go round up some clothes,” Dominic said, heading for the bar. He winked at them. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do…without inviting me first.”
Brian took her hand and squeezed it gently. “Don’t worry. This club has plenty of extra clothing we can buy. They do a good trade in it, with shifters anyway. We’re always shifting out of our clothing, ripping them up, or otherwise losing them.”
“Must be expensive,” she said.
“You don’t even know. Luckily I only need pants.” He searched her eyes. “Are you sure you’re all right? I’m very sorry that happened.”
“That a man stood up for my honor? I think it was one of the most romantic things I’ve ever seen. Thank you.”
He slipped his arms around her. There was a genuineness to his eyes that made it impossible for her to look away. “You deserve it. And more. But you know one of the things about you that I…” He hesitated, as if searching for the right word. “That I adore? Your honesty. You say what you really think and what you truly feel.”
Dominic spoke up from beside them. “And she’s polite too. A real lady.” His grin widened. “And believe me, I’ve met plenty of rich women who don’t qualify as ladies.”
Ruth blushed, but she also cherished the words. She would always keep those words in her memories, no matter how this night turned out. Even tomorrow, when she went back to being a limo driver who was saving up for classes at NYU and struggling to get by. A magical night like this—how could she ever forget it?
Brian nodded in agreement with Dominic, but he kept his gaze locked on her. “I’ll understand if you’d prefer to leave after a scene like that.”
“We didn’t get to dance,” she said, hating the uncertain sound of her voice but unable to do anything about it.
His grin lit up his entire face. “Then far be it from me to deny a lady a dance.” He took her hand and kissed the back of it. “Would you do me the honor?”
She nodded, flushed at the touch of his lips on her skin, and wished those lips were kissing her, kissing her in all kinds of places. “But…um. You’re still naked.”
That earned wicked grins from both males, and she thought she might just spontaneously combust right there. Dominic gave Brian his discarded shirt, suit jacket, and new trousers, holding a pair for himself in his hands, and they both went to a changing room. She waited for them to come back as the music amped up again.
Soon they were back. Brian led her out onto the dance floor. The DJ started up the driving techno dance music. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the music. Brian danced with her, moving to her rhythm, making a perfect, graceful partner. A moment later, she felt someone behind her and opened her eyes only to find Dominic was there, running his hands up and down her sides as he also moved in rhythm to her. She danced with them, the three of them perfectly complimenting each other. It was clear that Brian and Dominic were very familiar with each other’s body movements, but they were equally skilled at matching hers, at leading her, at teasing, stroking, grinding, holding, caressing as the beat drove on, all exactly timed to the music, and shifting her off between them without greed. And she was perfectly content in their arms as the music pounded away and the lights swirled.
It was a perfect dance. A perfect time.
CHAPTER SIX
Brian had been afraid they’d lose Ruth after that scumbag cat Jimmy had provoked the fight. Jimmy was lucky to be alive. When he’d gone after Ruth…well, Brian hoped the bastard appreciated the amount of mercy he’d been shown. If he had managed to hurt her, nothing on this earth would’ve saved him from either Brian or Dominic.
Brian stared out the limo window as Ruth drove them through the streets of Manhattan, taking them back to their hotel room. He thought he’d managed to soothe away the worst of her fears. Many times modern humans didn’t understand shifter ways and the sometimes-necessary combat that kept order and the hierarchy. He was an alpha. He could not let another male, especially a shifter of another species, come after his female or threaten her safety. The need to defend those he considered under his protection was as basic and powerful as the need to breathe.
The fact that he felt so strongly that she was his female had startled him a little. Few times in life had he been so powerfully attracted to a woman. Of course, he was also attracted to Dominic, but they’d always shared women—if the girl was willing—without feeling overly possessive. Mostly he had been involved with female wolf shifters, but this was the first human woman in a long time. And he found himself intrigued by her. She was strong but sweet. Or perhaps he should say kind. He could read that kindness in her eyes. He could also sense that she was innocent in many ways but hiding a deep hunger, a sensuality, that burned at her core. Together, he and Dominic could stoke that fire, get it blazing with heat.
All the same, part of him was hesitant to do so. Oh, he certainly wanted her. He wanted his lips on her skin. He wanted her head thrown back in passion, wanted her making sounds of bliss as he drove his cock into her. He wanted to see her full lips wrapped around Dominic’s cock. Wanted to see her make his friend wild with pleasure. He wanted to share all of that ecstasy with them both. And yet, their worlds were so different. He wasn’t a man to casually use people, women or men, for his own pleasure and discard them when he was done. Yes, he felt desire for her, he was intrigued and attracted by and to her, but he also respected her as a person. A brave person, who had boldly stepped out of her shell to take a chance with them tonight. He appreciated that. And no matter what, he didn’t want her to end up hurt or to finish the night with any regrets.
Dominic placed his large, warm hand over his and squeezed. His tone was uncharacteristically serious. “What are you thinking about?”
“Tonight,” he replied, then glanced at Ruth, who was wearing her chauffer hat again and was back behind the wheel. “Her.”
He wished she was back here with them, but someone had to drive, and when he’d offered to do it himself, she’d laughed and told him the insurance company would boil her alive if she let a client drive the car. He didn’t want her to get in trouble, but he missed her, and he could tell that Dominic missed her as well. The limo’s sunroof was open, and he could hear the sounds of the New York City night, the traffic and the sirens and the clubs and the people. The city was alive, and he always felt alive being here.
“I thought we were going to lose her thanks to that piece-of-shit furball,” Dominic said as he also looked past Brian to stare out the window at the buildings and lights. “I really hate cats.”
Brian snorted. “You love kittens.”
“Big cats, I mean. Shifter cats. Arrogant jerks, all of ’em.�
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Brian glanced at Ruth again. “She’s braver than we gave her credit for.”
“You maybe. I knew she was a wildcat the moment I first laid eyes on her.”
“You’re so full of B.S., you squeak like a chewtoy.”
Dominic laughed. “Is that a dog joke? Because I will kick your ass at any time, any place, my friend.”
“Only if you get another lucky cheap-shot.”
“Anyway,” Dominic said with emphasis, as if trying to end what he considered Brian’s crazy-talk. “She’s bolder than we gave her credit for. Barging in and interrupting your blowjob.”
He grinned. “If I remember correctly, she didn’t interrupt it. She just enjoyed it too.”
“That’s right. And I really admire that. But I’m feeling like I’m not ready for this night to end just yet.”
Brian glanced at the digital clock in the back of the limo. It was after just after midnight, but he wasn’t ready for the night to end either. One thing was certain—he didn’t want to go back to his hotel room and have to say goodnight to her yet. “Where else do you think we can take her?”
“How about the Brooklyn Bridge?”
“She lives in New York,” Brian said. “She’s not a tourist, she’s a limo driver for God’s sake. I’m sure she’s driven across that bridge a thousand and a half times.”
Dominic shrugged. “How often does she walk it, though? And she was impressed by the view from Skytower. So she likes to stare at things. And New York’s skyline at night is a hell of a lot prettier than your ugly ass face.”
“That’s what I love about you, Dom. You’re so supportive. Always building a man’s ego up with boundless praise.”
Dominic raised his hands as if to punch him, and for a moment they shadowboxed. “Quit whining. You’re rich enough that your ego doesn’t need any stroking.”
“Maybe not, but there’s other parts that need stroking.”