There were still no answers to the dilemma he found himself in.
* * * * *
Case didn’t tell Alek what happened in the hallway or the parking lot. He did tell him about everything else.
“Goddammit, you took her blood?”
“I don’t need your shit, Alek.” Case was serious. “What the fuck should I do? If she is my draga, I can’t work there and watch her every day. What if some bastard starts to pant after her? I’ll kill him.” He already wanted to tear a cat apart for hurting her and he didn’t even know who it was.
“Hell, you got yourself hired by your manager at your club… You asked for this.”
“I meant to have a little fun, nothing else. But…” He knew Alek saw humor in his situation.
“But my ass, buddy. You know what this means. The great, the mighty Hard Case is going down. You may as well hang out the ‘Out of Business’ sign.”
“Screw you. That won’t happen, man.”
But Alek was right. His single days were numbered, or gone. How was he going to fix this? He liked being single. How could he watch with a mate? His people were too possessive. A little voice in the back of his head told him with the right woman, he could do whatever he wanted. Was Tres that woman? He couldn’t think about it now. Concentrate. Find a way out of this.
“You’re not stupid, Case. Draga, dude, you know what it means. I have to keep reminding your ass what you are. Hell, even the vamps and wolves have true mates. You can’t fight the Fates. There’s not a thing you can do if she’s the flame of your life, man.”
“Her girlfriend, Holly, came on to me last night. If I take her, this can all change. Maybe I’m wrong. Draga dream together and we haven’t. It could be I had a…weak moment.” Case’s teeth worried his bottom lip.
“Sometimes the dreams take a while to come. Anyway, you’ll dig yourself into a hole worse than the one you’re already in for lying about who you are. Leave it be. And what happened to ‘her hair is green, for crying out loud’?” Alek roared with laughter.
“Go to hell.”
“Yeah, I do have to go. By the way, don’t you have to get to work?”
Case heard Alek’s laughter drift through the air. He was going to be late for work if he didn’t get his ass in gear. “That’s it. I’ll quit my job and go back to Malibu.” Great, now he was talking to himself. But it wasn’t a bad idea. Tonight he would tell her something had come up and he couldn’t stay on. Then he’d hightail it out of town.
Out of town might not be far enough.
Chapter Five
Tres tried again to concentrate on her work. Mine. He’d said mine. Twice. Both times he was with her. Inside of me. There was no room for anything else in her mind. She knew she had to stop doing this.
She didn’t belong to anybody. No one would ever own her. She’d been down that road before with a possessive asshole. Her skin crawled as she remembered that day. Tres still didn’t believe Griffin had planned to do her permanent harm but he’d locked her up.
Things had been fine between them until that night at the club she managed. Grif got into a fight with another leopard and she’d had to have them both removed from the premises. The other cat was one they’d both watched with other women and there had never been a problem. From that night on, Grif would get out of control if she even spoke to another male. It affected her work and Tres had had to break it off.
When she’d gone to get her things from his place, he’d tried to keep her there by locking her in a windowless room in his basement. She thought she’d lose her mind. Her leopard’s claws were bloodied nubs from scratching at the door when Holly found her two days later. Hol and she moved away after that. It’d been five years but Tres had built a few walls around her heart since then. Specifically to keep cats out. If she felt the slightest attachment to anyone she slept with, she moved on.
No more. She intended to stay out of the fray of personal relationships. They were bad news. At least for her. She thought about her new guard.
The fact that he cared enough to hang around and wait for her said he wasn’t all bad. Maybe he hadn’t hung around. There was plenty of time for him to screw Hol and get back to the club. Again, her stomach knotted. What the hell is going on with me? She’d been with the vampyre so why did she care what Case did? The last thing Tres needed was to get involved with another crazy-ass cat.
Plus, the vamp, who was still a mystery man, may as well have locked a chastity belt around her ass. All she could think about was his cock. How sweet he tasted. She had thought of nothing else since last night. An attachment that tonight she vowed to break off if he showed up.
“Come in,” she called in answer to the light knock at the door. Tres knew who it was immediately. She could smell the lion. Her heartbeat escalated and her leopard stretched and sat up inside her.
“You got a minute?”
“Just let me finish this, I’ll be right with you.
“Damn, the ink ran out,” she mumbled to herself as she flipped the pen in her hand into the trash can.
She opened her desk drawer to retrieve another one. When she pulled it out, a skimpy, silky red thong came with it. Wrapped around the pen like a rubber band.
Tres, caught by surprise, coughed in embarrassment. Shit, how the hell did I let that happen? She guessed she should have taken better care how she placed the underwear in her drawer. Duh. Earlier she’d been pleased with herself for remembering to bring them. But now, as Case stared at her panties, she wasn’t so happy anymore.
Suddenly, she realized the scent of sex permeated her office. His and hers. She was hot for this guy. A freaking lion. And if her senses were right, he was hot for her. Last night he seemed to really care about her welfare. Maybe…
She put the slinky underpants back in the drawer without looking up. She took her time and shuffled papers around her desk until she recovered her composure. What was going on? She never lost control like this. Now there were two creatures in her life. A lion and a goddamned mystery vampyre. Maybe if she got it on with the cat, she’d forget about the vamp, who wanted to own her. Mine, my ass.
She knew lions could be possessive too, but the one across from her didn’t seem the type. He works for you, so forget that. There was the problem of him being an employee. If he was promoted to assistant it could work out. They’d be more like partners.
As she ran these ideas around in her head, Tres thought it really might work. And Holly had been right—he was eye candy. Really scrumptious. Since he’d lost the suit she was able to size him up better. The black slacks and tee only served to emphasize his gorgeous physique, and the pants showed off his package to great advantage. His eyes were sexy as hell. His chest was broad and layered with muscle. She imagined his strong arms around her. I’ll need the dry panties anytime now.
“Okay, done. I’m glad you stopped in because there’s something I’d like to discuss with you.” She got right to the point. “I, umm…liked the way you handled the wolf yesterday. Things have picked up and I could use an assistant. Would you be interested?”
“Will your boss approve?”
“He hired me to manage his club. He trusts me to make the right decisions.”
“I see. I guess it’ll be okay then.”
“Good, it’ll mean wearing suits.”
“You know that’s not a problem for my people.”
“Well, it’s settled then. You will, of course, be given a raise.”
“Good.”
“Okay. I have to finish some work here. You can go change into a suit. You’ll handle the main room and be responsible for the bar. This will allow me time to concentrate more on the private rooms and the paperwork.”
“Sounds good. I’ll get started then. Holly can assist me?”
“Uhh, sure, but run everything by me first.”
Tres didn’t like Case’s idea at all. This guy exuded pure animal magnetism. She’d have to make sure her friend knew it was hands off now. This would be h
er ticket out of the clutches of the mystery vamp. She hoped she wasn’t jumping from the proverbial frying pan into the fire.
She should have let him walk her home last night. They could have run together. Chasing a rabbit on the way home helped her unwind. What would a white lion look like in his fur? They were rare as hell and Tres had one right under her nose. Damn, why did he have to be a warm cat? A cat, period.
Paperwork done, she took a walk through the club, made sure everything was okay. She watched Case talk to one of the hostesses. He seemed at ease in his new position already. He had great taste in clothes. His suit fit him to a tee. He looked awesome in whatever he wore.
Tres decided to get to know him better. She had the excuse of being the manager to back her up. She approached the bar.
“Case, have you done this kind of work before?” Tres asked.
“I’ve spent time in clubs like this one.”
“Any place I might know?”
“I don’t think so. I’d remember seeing you.” His lids were heavy and seductive as his green eyes slid over her body. Shit, he’s flirting with me.
Tres might have bitten off more than she could chew.
* * * * *
Case couldn’t believe it—blindsided. That’s what happened. She’d blindsided him. With the tiniest pair of red panties he’d ever seen. His cock hardened at the thought of them. He’d love to see her ass in them. How the hell did this happen? He had come in early to quit his new job.
As planned, he’d arrived at his club a few minutes before his shift. He intended to tell her he had to leave immediately. He didn’t think there was any other way out of this mess and it would have eliminated the need to tell her his true identity.
Shit, he’d sat across the desk from her and watched her play with ink pens and underwear. Then he waited for her to finish what she was working on. While he waited, his freaking mind decided to go on a fucking walkabout. It pictured how her face would look framed with the same honey-blonde-colored hair he’d wanted to bury his tongue in last night. His mouth watered with the smell of sex that had permeated the office.
Hell yeah, he was blindsided. She offered him a goddamned promotion.
Instead of quitting, he’d been made the assistant manager. His vampyre didn’t help at all when it rifled through her mind and read every thought there.
She promoted Case so she could fuck him and forget about the vampyre. Just like that, forget about him.
To top it all off, she hadn’t even cleared hiring somebody with him. Well, not him since she didn’t know Case owned the club, but she should have called corporate first. She’s got some balls and she’s spending my goddamned money!
His cock leaked. This was another reason he should leave this job. He remained in a state of arousal around her. Hard as a rock. Damned job could be bad for him. It was painful at the very least.
And right now it hurt like hell as she questioned him about where he worked before. What would happen when she found out he’d not only worked in clubs like this but owned many of them, including The Looking Glass? Tres came on to him hard and he had to think of something to say.
“Most of the clubs I’ve worked in are in Europe,” he told her.
“Oh, I did the circuit overseas for a while, mostly Asia.”
“Hmm, did you find it much different?” His shaft painfully nudged at his zipper. He couldn’t take this much longer.
“You’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.” She ran her hand through her green hair and licked her lips. Case felt the wetness gather at the front of his slacks. He had to put an end to their conversation now.
“Why don’t you let me go with you to your place tonight?” He watched her smile fade.
“Uhh, that’s okay. I usually let my cat run before I go home. You know how it is with leopards. We like alone time.”
“Sure, I see. Maybe some other time?” Damn, he needed to get away from her. Tres’ scent drove him nuts.
“We’ll see,” she said. Holly picked that time to call her and Case was relieved. Yet he felt the anger build inside him. Not over the job. He was pissed about the fact he’d smelled she was hot for him and she’d come on to him.
But the lion, a warm cat, wasn’t good enough to run with her leopard.
His game had gotten way out of hand and he was confused as hell. He didn’t know why he needed her to want his cat as much as she wanted the goddamn vampyre. He shouldn’t blame her.
Tres didn’t know the lion Case let her smell was the vampyre whose fingers were buried deep inside her yesterday, or whose cock filled her mouth last night. But she hadn’t seemed concerned about the vamp at all when he’d sat across from her. Shit I’m jealous she came on to me. Why was he so angry?
Either way, she belonged to him. She’s mine.
He forgot about leaving town.
Now his main thought was to find out how far she would go with him—the lion—not the vampyre whose tongue had wanted to search her pussy for honey not many hours ago.
And he hadn’t even begun to deal with the draga issue.
I am fucking losing it.
* * * * *
Alek’s voice pulled him out of the mire of bullshit he’d spent hours stumbling through.
“So why are you out of uniform?”
“I’ve been promoted to assistant manager.” Anger laced his voice. As the evening wore on, Case had grown more and more agitated. He didn’t know why Alek stopped by the club, but he was glad to have someone to blow off steam with. “She promoted me so she could fuck my brains out and forget about the mystery vampyre.” They talked in hushed tones shifters would be unable to hear.
“Jesus Christ, man, you better come clean and fast. Tres will scratch your eyes out when she finds out about your little game.”
“To hell with her. Can you believe it? I told her she was mine. And what does she do? She gives me a promotion so she won’t feel guilty about being with a regular employee. She feels okay if I’m the assistant manager. We’ll be like partners.” The words dripped with sarcasm. Case really fumed now as he told his friend about what he read in her mind.
“And she thinks my lion has fleas,” he finally mumbled.
“Let me get this right,” Alek said. “First, you’ve got no business in her mind. You have spent too much time with those nosey-ass vamps. Kind respect the privacy of others.” He continued, “You’re mad because she wants the real you instead of the other you who has no scent, the vampyre you?”
“She’s using me, Alek, to forget my vampyre.”
“I’m confused as hell.”
“Because you’re not listening! I told her she’s mine, dammit. She doesn’t know I’m the vampyre. She thinks I’m the lion. So she’s going to screw around on me. Don’t you get it?”
“I thought you didn’t want a mate. And then there’s the green hair.”
“Alek, piss off, I’ve had it with your shit.” His feelings were all in a muddle right now. How the hell did I let this happen?
“It sounds simple to me, Case. She’s probably attracted to the vampyre because it is you. Or you because you’re the vampyre. Damn, now you got me doing it.”
“I intend to find out what she’s up to. Anyway, why are you here and not training the Reign?”
“Your secretary called and left a message for you. Something about your manager at The Looking Glass hiring an assistant. HR needs your approval.”
“Well I’ll be damned. She hires me then checks to see if it’s okay. What if I said no?”
“You’re a fucking lunatic. I’m leaving before you drive me crazy.”
He still stared morosely at the table when he heard Alek’s voice in a whisper above him.
“By the way, do I tell your secretary you’re hired?”
“Get the fuck out, NOW!” Case hissed.
Chapter Six
“Holly, remember our conversation yesterday about the new guard?” Tres asked.
“Sure.”
“I’ve changed my mind. I made him my assistant.” She still didn’t want to go into detail with her friend about everything that had happened.
“And?”
“This thing with the vamp, it’s made me nuts. He keeps saying mine whenever… Hell, like he wants to own me or something. You know how I am about the possessive type. I’d never be able to watch again with someone like him.”
“It’s how he met you, Tres. Why wouldn’t he let you watch? When are you going to stop living in the past?” There was true concern in Hol’s voice. Tres couldn’t answer the question so she ignored it.
“They always end up thinking I would rather be with the person on the other side of the mirror. I’m tired of men who have no confidence in themselves. Or trust in me, for that matter. When they get all uptight, it’s not good anymore.”
“So what are you saying about the lion?”
“You’re right about him turning me on. Christ, Hol, I had to bring in a change of underwear. It happens when I’m around him. Or the vamp. They both keep me in a constant state of wetness.” Tres hoped she’d done the right thing. What if she got hooked on the lion? She couldn’t think that far ahead yet. One thing at a time. Get rid of the vampyre first.
“No problem, the California high desert is full of Kind cats. I don’t even mind if they want a sip of blood now and then. Plus, last night I gave it my best shot with Case. He seemed preoccupied. Almost as if he’s serious about somebody already.”
Tres’ heart did an odd tumble in her chest. He hadn’t fucked Hol last night. The fact that they hadn’t been together made her happy. So when he waited in the parking lot, he’d really waited for her. While she screwed around with her mystery lover. Her new high spirits sank quickly. How was it she’d allowed herself to get so involved with these two creatures? She continued to talk so Hol wouldn’t get suspicious.
“I don’t think so. Shit, all you could smell in this office earlier was us. We both gave off the scent of two cats ready to mate.” Tres relayed the story about the red thong and at least that gave her a good laugh.
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