“R-Really?”
“You’re stuck with me until the end. I’m so sorry I barged in like that. That was all my fault.”
“Your fault? No, sweetie, no. I told you to come at any time to us at any time you needed us, remember?”
“I could have at least knocked. Jeez. I mean, I kinda…” I cleared my throat and hid my flaming face in his chest. Oh my God, he smelled amazing, the warmth of bay rum and amber infused in heady masculine scent. “Really ruined the best moment, huh?”
Nadir barked out a laugh that shook his entire body. “Ah, you are wonderful. Thank you,” he said, finally releasing me.
“For?”
The shy smile on his face touched his eyes, crinkling them at the corners. “Being you, of course.”
Suraj
Coworkers.
Why did the term send me into such an irrational fit of rage? I wanted to throw him beneath me in a position of submission and show him exactly how unlike coworkers we were. The drive had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with the innate animal urges begging me to have another shifter’s submission. It took a lot of restraint to hold a tiger at bay. Mine wanted to be particularly volatile now.
But self-control was what divided us from animals. I was better than that.
More and more since my arrival to Houston, I was struggling to retain control of my shifter impulses. Handling Penny was already hell, but now that I’d had a taste of Nadir, I wasn’t so sure I’d entered the right field of work, or that I was cut out for the professional lifestyle.
For the first time since I’d left Quickdraw, I missed the idyllic little town where nothing more significant happened than the local pastor’s wife catching him with his cock in another woman.
The drama never involved me, and I’d enjoyed the simplistic living.
A walk around the city block gave me a chance to cool down and resist the natural inclination of my body to shove Nadir face down into the bed and make him mine.
My mate.
No. Impossible.
Sasha, Esteban, and the other lionesses had something special and unique, but whatever was happening with my body had to be mere lust. We were not lions. Tigers did not take multiple mates.
Nearly an hour had passed by the time I returned with a carry box holding four coffees. Harper had asked me on my way out to grab her a latte, too.
Once Harper had her coffee, I knocked on Penny’s door with her peace offering, only for Nadir to open it and flash a handsome grin that sent fire surging through my veins.
“Did you have to run to Alaska for the coffee, man?”
“There was a line,” was all I muttered while passing one into his hand.
Penny bounced to her feet and took her coffee with a vibrant smile that warmed me to my soul. “Thank you, Suraj. Ahem. A lot. For all that you do.”
Before I could brush it off, she leaned in on tiptoe and kissed my cheek, steadying herself with a hand to my chest. Sweet breath scented maple and strawberry washed over my senses, and fingers splayed just over my heart. I couldn’t help the low rumble in my chest or the way just having physical contact with her soothed my irritable nerves.
“I should probably start getting ready for tonight. Thanks, guys. For being awesome.”
“Yes, definitely,” Nadir agreed. “You are very welcome, Penny.”
“Of course,” I replied, forced to take shallow breaths while fighting off the crushing, intrinsic desire to give in to my shifter instinct. I’d never been so full of need in all my life as I had been since meeting these two. “Let us know when it is nearly time to relocate.”
“Sure thing.” Penny’s charming smile shone brighter than the sun, filling me with warmth. I wanted to bask in her glory and lay at her feet. I wanted to worship at an altar dedicated to her beauty.
Somehow, I parted from her and returned to my own hotel room. Soon as the door clicked shut, I shot Nadir a look. “What was that about?”
“She apologized for storming in on us and said whatever we do is our own business. She adores us both and hopes we can move on, past a…very awkward situation.”
“Ah.” I offered his cold brew, which he took then set aside on the adjacent table before emptying my hands of the remaining drink and carrier. Before I could question his behavior, my back hit the bed. He was on me, his mouth slammed against mine, our hips grinding together. Long fingers tangled in my hair as he stole my breath and all the fury I’d felt melted away.
“Nadir,” I groaned against his mouth.
“I’m sorry.”
“For?” I gazed up at eyes filled with lust, a smoldering vision gift-wrapped in an overpriced designer shirt. Fabric stretched taut over his broad shoulders as he reached between us. My cock practically jumped up to say hello.
“I misunderstood last night.” Another sizzling kiss branded my mouth. I moaned and tried to reverse our positions, but Nadir resisted. “Thought it was just sex. I know better now. I just…all this time, I’ve been trying to resist the fuck out of having you. Now I can’t anymore.”
I didn’t want to believe he could feel the same way.
I didn’t dare to dream that he did.
Disbelief was all that kept me pinned beneath his slighter weight and leaner frame, gazing up into the genuinely apologetic features of a man I’d wanted for months.
But I want Penny, too.
I wasn’t greedy enough to test my luck there. We’d narrowly avoided one landmine. Hell if I planned to dive headfirst into the next by making a risky pass at our client.
“And?”
“Last night doesn’t have to be a one-time thing unless you want it to be. I’m yours, if you’ll still have me,” he whispered against my lips, fingers maneuvering the waistband of my sweats until they were beneath my balls. His fingers teased delicate skin, then possessively palmed my groin in his large grip. “And Penny will belong to both of us. She just doesn’t know it yet. We only have to prove to her that we belong together.”
I groaned, a needy, desperate sound, torn between disbelief and longing.
Tigers weren’t supposed to have two mates.
It couldn’t be true.
By the time Nadir’s weight lifted from my body and he knelt in supplication between my spread thighs, I didn’t care.
Chapter Fifteen
Suraj
Things between Nadir and I continued to go smoothly, but Penny was altogether another issue. We both agreed she was meant for us, but how to go about it was a whole other matter, and not one meant for the tour.
Every city was a repeat of the last. From Chicago, we hit up Detroit, then crossed the border into Canada to perform shows in Toronto and Montreal before making our way back into the States.
In Boston we bundled up to take a haunted walking tour, and in New York City we waited in line for nearly an hour to get cups of edible raw cookie dough which we devoured while exploring Central Park. I hadn’t been prepared for just how much snow there was, much to Nadir’s amusement. Each time we passed a vendor selling scarves and mittens, he bought a wooly length to drape around me. Soon enough Penny joined in, until I had over a dozen scarves tied around my neck.
In Washington, D.C, Ian had pulled strings to get the band private, after-hours access to the National Museum of Natural History. Penny and Harper practically ran around like children, going from one exhibit to the next. As I wandered along behind them, I often wondered what an exhibit dedicated to shifters might look like.
It seemed a lifetime had passed before I finally woke up to the sight of no snow along the highway. The tour progressed south into Atlanta and then into Florida, where we spent a week in Orlando. Three nights in concert and four days to enjoy the spectacle of Disney World and Universal Studios.
I’d never been to an amusement park before. Not because my home country didn’t have them—we had several amazing parks—but because I simply didn’t have the desire or opportunity. Protecting my village had always been the main priority.
Experiencing my first parks with Nadir and Penny made them more memorable, even if I did have to be on high alert. Much to my surprise, our visits went smoothly. Most people passed by without ever realizing a celebrity walked amongst them. The few times someone did recognize Penny, we managed to keep it contained. She posed for a quick picture, gave an autograph, then continued on her way. Most fans seemed content to let her have a day of fun without complicating things.
If only all her fans could be so considerate. We still hadn’t made any progress on her stalker, but they also hadn’t made any more moves.
Still, somehow, I doubted they had just given up.
“Baton Rouge,” Nadir said, pulling me from my thoughts and drawing attention to the city coming into view. “Final stop of the tour. A few more days and we’ll be back home.”
“I can’t decide if this trip dragged or went too fast. It seemed somehow to do both.”
His grin widened. “Welcome to showbiz. Thankfully we don’t have any more tours for a good, long while.”
“What’s next for Penny, if not touring?”
“Album production,” Shantal replied from her seat at the small table. Penny’s manager tended to spend most of her time in her bunk, claiming traveling made her tired and nauseous. I only ever saw her first thing in the morning for her coffee and bagel, and again in the evening for a meal with Penny and the other ladies.
“So soon after her recent one?” I asked.
“Gotta keep yourself fresh and relevant in the music industry,” Shantal explained. “That, and making an album takes time. We’ll be ready for another tour in about two years, I wager.”
“Sooner, if she gets her way,” Penny said from the other end of the bus. Her hair was sleep-mussed and she still had on her pajamas. “Then the whole cycle starts all over again. New album, new tour to release it. Maybe even go overseas if we do well enough.”
“You’ll make it. Your fans love you, Penny,” Shantal said.
“Agreed, and I hope that we’ll get to be with you when you make that worldwide trip,” Nadir added.
“Of course you two will be. Stalker or no stalker, I’m always going to want a security detail when traveling, and I trust you both.” She filled her mug from the waiting coffee machine and smiled.
“Yes, MacArthur Security has certainly proved to be capable and efficient. So long as Penny is happy with you, so am I.” Shantal checked something on her phone then rose from her seat. “Better take that coffee to your room, hun. We need to get you dressed before we reach the venue.”
“Back to the grind.”
“Two more shows,” I told her. “Finish strong.”
“Always.”
Nadir
The Baton Rouge venue was one of our smallest on the tour, leading to a more intimate concert for her fans, but it also meant that it put her fans closer to her as well. More than once I thought I’d have to stride onstage and nudge an overzealous fan aside, but the venue security handled those issues flawlessly before we needed to step in.
Penny put on a strong show, as vibrant and enthusiastic as her first. She thrived on the crowd’s energy. The whole band did. Harper, as always, reminded me of a sprite running on a constant sugar high. Each time she and Penny shared the mic, the crowd went wild.
Even the extra hour of VIP time went without a hitch. No idiots trying to snip Penny’s hair, no drunken fools trying to fondle her tits. Rather, it was people who genuinely wanted to meet a musician they admired.
One show down, one to go, and then home. Home, and hopefully a chance to show Penny that she belonged with me and Suraj in a more personal relationship.
“Why don’t we grab a late-night dinner somewhere?” Harper suggested once we ushered everyone outside to the bus.
“I just wanna take a scalding shower at the hotel and order in,” Penny said. The moment she sat on the couch, she put her feet up in Harper’s lap.
“But foooooood,” Harper whined. “Back me up, Aiko.”
“Sorry, I’m with Penny. I plan to order room service and enjoy a glass of wine with a bubble bath.”
“Spoilsports.”
“We’ll do lunch tomorrow,” Penny promised. “Pick out a restaurant and we’ll make a reservation right now.”
“Any place I want?”
“Yup.”
Harper turned her gaze to me and Suraj. “Any place?”
“We’ll make it work, wherever you choose,” I assured her.
Maybe I should have given some restrictions, because the look of pure, impish glee on her face spelled trouble. She dragged Aiko down onto the couch beside her so they could start their search on her phone. By the time the bus pulled around to our hotel for the night, they’d picked an upscale cafe with an impressive drink list.
“You know, I feel bad that you two live on room service,” Penny said after we’d gone through the usual routine of sweeping her room for bugs and any other unwanted surprises.
“Don’t be. Room service in these places is always first class. We eat just fine.”
“I know, but I’m sure you guys have places you want to visit in all these cities. You probably want to spend time together.”
My brow arched at the silent insinuation there. “We spend plenty of time together.”
“Working.”
“We had fun at Disney.”
“Working,” she said again.
“Sweetheart, don’t worry so much. If we needed a break, we’d get a team up here to relieve us. Believe it or not, we enjoy our work and don’t feel like we’re missing out on anything.” Giving in to temptation, I leaned forward and dropped a light kiss against her cheek, and then I promptly turned her back toward her room and gave a gentle nudge. “Now go. Enjoy your shower.”
“Will you guys join me for dinner afterward?”
“Of course. Just give us a shout.”
Chapter Sixteen
Nadir
When I’d told Penny to give us a shout when she was ready to order up dinner, I never expected it to be literal. Suraj and I had already cleaned up and were reviewing our schedule for tomorrow when Penny’s panicked cry pierced the silence. The scream had us both bolting through the door, bumbling into each other in a desperate bid to enter her room. We’d resumed leaving the doors between our adjoining suites unlocked, but Penny adopted a policy of knocking first or texting me on the phone to avoid future incidents.
In her room, nothing stood out as dangerous. My heart pounded in my throat instead of my chest where it belonged. Suraj spun around with me, wild-eyed with the protective fury that only arose when a mate was in danger.
Penny’s next shriek was all the motivation he needed to take the bathroom door off its hinges. I moved in on his heels, spent a split-second assessing the situation, but all I could see was wet, naked skin and flailing arms. Not caring that the curtain came with her, I scooped Penny into my embrace and rushed her into the bedroom while Suraj swept the bathroom for whatever had threatened her.
A rosy flush deepened the color of her cheeks. “Nadir, ohmigod, what are—what are you doing?”
“You screamed,” came out in a breathless pant. The blood continued to thunder between my ears. I was ready to tear through the hotel room door into the corridor to bear her to safety, and then I’d return to the bathroom to murder whoever had dared to peep at her.
Suraj came out of the bathroom wearing a baffled expression. “There’s no—”
My tiger’s sudden silence drew my attention. His hyper-focused gaze was on Penny, golden eyes intent and wide, his body tense. He leaned forward, then struck out and plucked something brown from Penny’s hair.
“This must be our culprit. A roach.”
Penny shuddered in my grip. The next thing I knew she was flailing again, shoving herself from my arms and ripping at the shower curtain.
“Get it off! Get it off!”
“I don’t see—”
“Get it off!” she screamed again, reaching blindl
y for her back.
A second roach abandoned its perch on Penny’s skin and flew at my face like the world’s ugliest hummingbird imposter. I stumbled backward, one hand still on Penny, and hit the bed, pulling her with me. Suraj swore in the background and rushed over. The ten seconds that it took to find the intruders and smash them into oblivion felt eighty-four years long.
“Shhh, it’s all right now,” Suraj soothed, chafing his hands up and down Penny’s arms.
“Are you sure? Is there another one?”
I ran my hands down her back, fingertips gliding over her damp skin. Suraj did the same at her front, starting with her hair, running his fingers through the coppery coils.
We should have left and called Harper in to help her. I knew it, Suraj knew it, and I was pretty sure Penny knew it as well. I could smell the sudden shift in her emotions, terror flipping to pleasure. She trembled ever so slightly beneath my hands, but her skin flushed hot. My touch skimmed lower despite my better judgement, curving over her perfect ass.
“Better?” Suraj asked softly. His hands rested lightly on her hips.
“No,” Penny said.
Suraj began to pull away and my stomach flipped, but then Penny reached out and caught the tiger by his shirt and pulled him back close. Then she kissed him and my heart, and my cock, swelled.
Ours. We had to make her ours.
Penny
I had no idea what overcame me when I grabbed Suraj and kissed him, but I couldn’t stop myself. Not even knowing the two of them were gay. Something about the way they touched me and looked at me told me I’d misjudged and that my gaydar wasn’t broken after all. There was no way these two could be gay when they touched me like that. There hadn’t been anything professional about the wild-eyed fear in Nadir’s eyes when he swept me into the bedroom.
My hunch was right. Suraj seized my face between his hands and deepened the kiss, his tongue sweeping into my mouth with a demanding presence. Behind me, Nadir kissed his way up my back, his erection thick and tempting between my ass-cheeks when he pressed in closer.
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