by Rosanna Leo
She sipped her martini and made a face.
He sidled up next to her. “First real drink, sweetheart?”
Her pulse sped up, its erratic beat a lullaby to his ears. “No,” she lied.
“It’s okay. I won’t tell anyone. I just think if you’re going to have a martini, you should maybe start with something sweeter. Next time, order a caramel martini. You’ll love it.”
“That does sound sweet.”
“Not as sweet as you.” Ricky allowed his gaze to travel over the length of her in appreciation. She wore tights under her miniskirt because of the cold weather and he wished he could see her skin. “I’m Ricky. What’s your name?”
“Ella.”
He leaned in, inhaling her scent. Bubblegum, hairspray, and an alluring tease of fear. Delicious. “Ella, you’re the prettiest thing I’ve seen in a long time.”
“Sure.”
“It’s true.”
“My boyfriend says I’m too skinny.” She glanced over her shoulder at her derriere. “That he’d like a girlfriend with more junk in her trunk.”
As much as Ricky agreed, he didn’t admit it out loud. “Don’t listen to him. What does he know? If you were heavier, I bet he’d still complain.”
And there it was…the beginnings of a smile. He had her. Now he just needed to reel her in.
“Is that why your boyfriend isn’t here with you tonight?”
“We had a fight. I broke up with him.”
Ricky reached for her hand to see how receptive she was. She watched his movements, wary, but still let him stroke it. This girl was way too easy to manipulate. Hadn’t anyone ever lectured her about speaking to strangers? “Ella, I’d say you did a smart thing. You should be with a man who appreciates you.”
“Thanks.”
“You know, when I saw you sitting here alone, I got this amazing feeling. Like we’re connected somehow.”
“You did?”
“Yeah. I just knew I needed to meet you. I feel like you might be a very important person in my life.” Ricky kissed her hand and smiled his best knight-in-shining-armor smile. “I feel like I could talk to you forever. Do you want to go somewhere private and…talk?”
Her eyes widened in wonder. “Okay.”
Way too easy. The young ones never put up a fight. He put a hand to the small of her back and eased her off the barstool. Her miniskirt rolled up and he glimpsed more of her tights-clad thighs.
She threw her jacket on and Ricky led her to the back of the bar into the hallway leading to the bathrooms. There was a staff exit at the back but no one monitored who used it. Another reason he loved this place. He pushed open the door and led Ella into the dark alley.
The door shut behind them, locking automatically as he knew it would.
She shivered in the cold. “Wait. It’s too dark out here.”
“You’re safe with me.”
“No. I want to go back in.” Her pulse raced, rendering her scent even more intoxicating.
No more Mr. Nice Guy. Ricky liked to instill a bit of fear in his girls. He pushed her up against the alley wall. He wasn’t worried about anyone finding them. He’d done this enough times to know people didn’t look for trouble in back alleys. He shoved his hand between her legs, aching to unleash his wolf and terrify her into submission. “Now be quiet and do what I say. If you make me hurt you, it’ll really hurt.” He put his other hand over her mouth as she tried to scream. For good measure, he uttered a wolfish growl.
From somewhere down the alley, a fiercer growl sounded.
Ella squirmed under his hands, her eyes bulging.
As a shape-shifter, Ricky knew to trust his instincts. He should probably investigate the other growl. However, lust overrode his good sense. Nah, it’s probably just some drunk at the other end of the alley. He clawed at her tights.
A feline snarl echoed in his ear. “Let her go.”
Ricky glanced over his shoulder and stared into the darkness. “Fuck off, dickweed. Find a human of your own.”
As soon as he said the words, a familiar scent filled his nostrils. Two bright eyes blinked at him. Tiger eyes.
“What the fuck?” Ricky swallowed hard and let go of the girl, just for a second. “Who’s there?”
A human figure emerged from the shadows, one he recognized.
“Oh shit.” Fleur’s mate, Jani. Ricky pushed Ella away from him and she tore off down the alley, leaving as wide a berth as possible when darted past the tiger man. “Look, buddy, I don’t want any trouble.”
Jani grinned. “I spared you last time because my mate asked me to do so. Thing is, Fleur’s not here right now.”
“I promised I wouldn’t touch Fleur again.”
“I know you won’t. I wouldn’t allow you in the same postal code as her.”
“Buddy, look, you don’t understand.”
“I do, trust me. I know all about men like you.” Jani rubbed a hand over his shaved head. “Fleur is a good woman and I truly believe she found it in her heart to forgive you for taking advantage of her all those years ago. I’m not quite so forgiving, on the other hand. You raped my mate. You need to suffer now.”
“But I’ve changed! That woman tonight was twenty-one. She told me so.”
“Anyone with eyes in his head could see she was a child.” He sighed. “It’s clear you have reverted to your old ways. You probably never gave them up.” He put his hands in his pockets and kicked at the snow on the ground. “You like raping young girls, don’t you?”
“I, uh…”
“You’re sick. A pervert. A threat to women everywhere.”
Ricky considered running but knew he’d never get past the tiger brute. “Look, man. It’s just a little fun.” An idea occurred and he pulled out his wallet. It only contained a couple of bills but he might be able to bluff. “Hey! No one needs to know what happened here tonight. How much do you want? I’ll pay you anything.”
Jani advanced at a slow pace that made Ricky want to cower. “I want nothing from you.”
“Then let’s call it square. I won’t do it again.”
The dude made a humming sound. Was he considering it? “Here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to give you a thirty second head start, and then I’m going to chase you. When I catch you, Ricky, and I will, I won’t show any mercy.” He waved him away. “Go on. You should probably start running for your life now.”
As a terrified whimper escaped from his wolf, Ricky shot down the alley past the tiger man. He didn’t dare look back. He didn’t stop once as he careened down the dark street into town. The snow seemed to muffle all sound and all he heard was his heartbeat hammering in his ears as he tried to pinpoint the best way to escape.
But then he heard a feline growl, right behind him.
Ricky turned, just in time to see the massive jaws open. In that split second, he knew he wouldn’t escape this time.
The End
Publisher’s Note
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About Rosanna Leo
Rosanna Leo is a multi-published romance author. Winner of the Reader’s Choice 2015 in Paranormal Romance at The Romance Reviews, Rosanna draws on her love of mythology for her books on Greek gods, selkies and shape-shifters.
From Toronto, Canada, Rosanna occupies a house in the suburbs with her long-suffering husband, their two hungry sons and a tabby cat named Sweetie. When not writing, she can be found haunting dusty library stacks or planning her next star-crossed love affair.
A library employee by day, she is honored to be a member of the league of naughty librarians who also happen to write romance.
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Other Titles by Rosanna
Leo
Gemini Island Shifters Series
Predator’s Kiss
Predator’s Serenade
Predator’s Refuge
Predator’s Claim
Predator’s Fire
Predator’s Trinity
Orkney Selkies Series
The Selkie
Selkie’s Revenge
Greek God Romances
For the Love of a God
Sweet Hell
Sunburn
Contemporary Romances
Up In Flames
The Stand-In