by Dunbar, Natalie; Glass, Seressia; Jeffries, J. M. ; Banks, L. A.
Turning her head, she spotted Kadim at the bar near the kitchen, uncorking a bottle of wine. His gaze met hers, and maybe it was her imagination or simple longing, but she swore she felt something in his gaze. His eyes were a soft black, full of mischief and mystery.
His eyes had gotten to her from the beginning, almost a year ago. His eyes had lured her as few could, causing her to cross the line from employee to friend so smoothly she didn’t know when it had happened.
Sometimes during their weekly dinners, she’d found her mind wandering beyond Kadim’s latest inexplicable feat and the crowds that packed the amphitheatre to see it. Instead, she’d imagine those full lips moving over her skin, those hands weaving a seductive spell on her. Kadim’s body moving like magic inside her.
She shook her head again. It wasn’t fair to think of Kadim as a potential lover, simply because it couldn’t happen. Apart from the whole pseudo employer-employee relationship, Kadim was human. Maybe a decade ago she could have afforded taking a human as a lover, but not now. Now she had the future of her pack to consider.
That didn’t mean she couldn’t pretend that something more was possible between them, especially if it netted a signed contract.
Kadim took his time opening the bottle of merlot, watching Simone thinking furiously out on the deck. She was curvy and leggy, filling her designer skirt and skimpy halter-top beautifully. Her skin had a warm brown tone, like toffee-coated pecans, eyes dark and intelligent and way more observant than most. The spiky cut of her dark sable hair, streaked with browns and copper that glinted in the sunlight, gave her a pixie-ish appearance. Except he didn’t know any pixies so earthily sexy.
Simone Temple.
She’d come, just as he’d known she would. If he’d learned anything about her during their dinners, it was that she was a woman who didn’t take no for an answer, especially in business. As valid as his reason for refusing the broadcast, he knew it would seem lame to Simone, even lamer coming from his agent. So of course she’d come to his home to confront him.
He poured a generous glass of the dark wine, and then filled a cut crystal glass with ice, enjoying the sight of her in his space. He’d been planning his moves carefully for months, ever since he’d entered the French Quarter Hotel and Casino. He’d been drawn there inexplicably, when there were plenty of hotels on the Strip that could have fit his plans. Once he’d seen her, however, he knew.
She was the one.
Not that he could tell her that, of course. Not yet, anyway. She had to think he still had the advantage in their negotiations. Once she realized that he needed her as much as she needed him—or perhaps more—he’d be in trouble.
Reaching for a crystal decanter, he poured himself a healthy measure of Di Saronno. He’d have to play his cards just right. Simone wasn’t skittish—none of the Weres were—but she was certainly cautious with her emotions. He’d have to take one step at a time, reveal his secrets one by one. Beginning with the fact that he, too, could shift into a wolf.
Cradling the glasses in his hands, he joined her out on the deck. She turned at his approach, giving him a slow smile that made him think dangerous things.
“I suppose I don’t blame you for not staying in your suite on your off days.” She accepted the glass of merlot, wrapping her fingers around the bowl. “A girl could get used to this.”
He certainly hoped so, since he’d built the place with her in mind. Not that he could tell her that either. Instead, he leaned on the railing beside her, holding his glass to catch the last of the sunlight peeking through the trees. “Yes, I enjoy living out here.”
He turned to her, the better to see her reaction as he said, “But I enjoy our dinners more.” She looked down into her wineglass. “Laying it on pretty thick, don’t you think?”
“It’s true,” he insisted, hiding a smile at her discomfiture. “I figured that I’d get that out of the way before you rip me a new one over not signing the Mystery Channel contract.”
“I’m not going to rip you a new one.” She shifted, took a sip of her wine. “I’m perfectly capable of having a rational discussion about this.”
“So you think I’m being irrational?”
This time she looked up at him, her dark brows lowering. He had no doubt that she’d probably just swallowed a growl. “I didn’t say that.”
“But you’re thinking it, aren’t you?”
“Kadim.” Her wineglass settled on the railing in a deliberate motion. “I understand your desire for privacy. Believe me, I do. It adds to the hype and the mystery surrounding you, making you the hottest act in Vegas. Which is why the Mystery Channel wants to tape a special on you. Don’t you think you’re taking it a little too far?”
“Actually, no I don’t.” He took a measured sip of his Di Sarronno, almost wishing he’d brought reinforcements out. Getting either of them drunk wouldn’t help his negotiations with Simone, however. “Believe it or not, I have my reasons.”
She folded her arms beneath her breasts, pushing them up in a movement he’d have to be blind not to notice. “Do you mind sharing those reasons?”
He paused before answering her, pretending to consider her question. He did have reasons for not shooting the special, very valid reasons. The exposure wasn’t something he wanted or needed. Only a handful of people worked behind the scenes on his shows. He paid them ridiculously well for a few hours work, and he trusted them as much as he trusted anyone.
And if loyalty and money didn’t keep them from recording his act, the electronic disruption field he’d installed guaranteed it.
“I’m content with where I am and what I do,” he finally said. “I have no desire for the exposure or the money that they’re offering.”
Simone took a deep breath. “So what is it that you do want, Kadim?”
He stroked the rim of his glass. “What do you have to offer me, Simone?” he asked, his voice soft, amused, sexy.
Simone watched his finger make lazy circles on the glass. It was all too easy to imagine him making lazy circles around her nipples. Her breasts perked in response.
She sidled closer, looked directly up at him. “I’m sure you realize, even though you’re not an employee in the strictest sense, that we offer an excellent benefit plan, very competitive.”
She reached out, resting her hand on his. “I’m confident that I can make this arrangement as good for you as it will be for me.” She dipped her finger into his drink, brought it to her lips.
His gaze tracked the movement of her finger. “Good for you?” he whispered.
She smiled, licking the last drop of Di Sarronno off her finger. “I mean the hotel, too, of course.”
“So we should enter into an agreement that will be mutually beneficial. Explore all the opportunities such an agreement has to offer.”
“Exactly.”
“Why?”
“Why?” she echoed. “What do you mean, why?”
“Why should we deepen our relationship? Why should I allow myself to fall victim to your ample charms?” Stung, she backed off him, put a hand to her hip. “Trust me, if we went there, you wouldn’t be feeling like a victim.” “Really? How many times have you used your generous gifts to get what you want?”
Before she could think about it, she swung. He caught her wrist easily, eyes sparking. That surprised her. No human should have been able to see her swing, and certainly no human should have been able to stop it.
“That was uncalled for,” she ground out, pulling at his grip.
“So was thinking that I’d be seduced into signing the agreement so easily,” he said, relaxing his grip enough to let her pull free. It rankled her enough that she balled her hands against the urge to leap at him again.
As if reading her mind, he stepped out of arm’s reach. “If you want to play games, Simone, then let’s play. If you win, you get your cable special.”
“A game, huh?” she asked, stalling. The fact that he didn’t fall for her seduction ploy so easily uppe
d her respect for him, though her ego had taken a hit. The wolf in her knew stealth could be just as effective as a direct charge, and she actually liked the idea of a challenge. It had been a while since she’d hunted. This would do until she could get outside.
“So, what are the rules for this little endeavor?”
“I have three confessions to make to you,” Kadim said, his voice mellow as he placed the rocks glass on the ledge beside her wine. He held up his hands, spread his fingers. A fan of playing cards appeared. “Of course, the only way you get to hear them is if you win a bet. One bet, one confession. If you win all three, you not only get the confessions, you also get the contract signed.”
Simone stared at the confident expression on the magician’s face. The offer he was making benefited her in every way. Not only would she get the show for the Mystery channel, she’d also learn more about her mysterious magician.
“What’s the down side?” she asked, watching him manipulate the cards.
“There isn’t one,” he said, his smile putting her on alert. “We can alternate the parameters of each wager. I’ll even let you go first.”
Simone stopped herself from scenting the air for a lie. There had to be a catch—Kadim wouldn’t be this generous if he didn’t think he’d have a chance of winning and sending her home empty-handed.
“What do you want?”
He arched a brow, and even that looked good on him. “What do you mean?”
“That’s some serious bait you’re dangling in front of me,” she told him, settling her hands on her hips. “Everything I could want from you, and all I have to do is win three wagers. You act like I’m a tourist fresh off the bus.”
He actually looked offended, and stopped shuffling the deck. “I don’t think of you like that. I know very well you’ve got a mind like a trap. You wouldn’t be able to manage the French Quarter’s entertainment or your brother otherwise.”
“Then lay it out straight,” she retorted, trying not to blush at the compliment he’d given her. “Everything you’ve said is in my favor. It looks like you’re getting the crap end of the deal, which you seem unusually content with. That tells me that you’re getting more than I can see, and until I figure that out, I’m not agreeing to this at all.”
“All right.” He turned to face her, his dark eyes glittering in the last of the sunlight. “If I win, I get you.”
It was what she expected, but the way he said it made her insides clench. “I get the cable show that’ll make us both a lot of money, and you get me. That seems a little lopsided, don’t you
think?” He gave her that heavy-lidded glance again. “Not from my perspective.”
She licked her lips, watching as he watched the movement. She knew then that he did want her. Knowing the stakes were as high for him as they were for her made it more agreeable. More than agreeable. It would almost be worth it, to lose deliberately.
Almost.
With a little thrill of excitement, she reached out, took the deck of cards from him. “All right, you have a deal. Since I know what I’m getting if I win, I think it’s only fair to give you a taste of what you could expect in the unlikely event you best me.”
“A taste, huh?” His gaze felt like a caress as it moved over her features. “All’s fair in love and war, or something like that.” She put the stack of cards beside their glasses, then stepped closer, her hands flat against his chest. “Something like that.”
Keeping a whisper of space between them, Simone stood on tiptoe to brush her lips against his. His hands settled on her hips, neither to pull her closer nor push her away. The moment her lips touched his, warmth stole through her, like a sip of expensive liquor. Her eyes slid closed as one hand reached up to cup the back of his neck.
Then he started kissing her back.
His lips bowed against hers, heating her senses. With a little moan she angled her head, wanting more of him. Wanting to taste him. She traced the sweet outline of his mouth with her tongue, smiling as she felt a shudder pass through him. When he mimicked her gesture, it was her turn to shudder, especially when his tongue glided against hers in a heated, sensual dance.
His hands kneaded her waist as if fighting the urge to roam. Then her hands wound their way around his neck, pushing her breasts against his chest. His hands slipped, cupping her buttocks, bringing her closer. The feeling of the hot, hard length of his body pressing against hers caused Simone to widen her stance as his mouth continued to devour hers.
They needed to stop, but God, she didn’t want to. Kadim seemed to come to the same conclusion, slowing the kiss, giving her opportunity to pull away. She did, loosening her grip as she breathed, kissed, breathed again, her hands sliding back to his chest. Kadim’s hands felt like they were burning through her skirt, his fingers inches away from discovering that she wore a thong beneath her short skirt.
Her feet were planted on the deck, but she definitely felt like she floated on air. She looked up at him, at her lipstick marking his mouth, and decided that before the night was over, they’d both get what they wanted.
“Let’s get started.”
Chapter Three
As the sun dropped behind the mountain, she beat him at blackjack. He didn’t seem too upset about it, though.
He folded his cards onto the glass tabletop of the rattan patio set. “All right, I’ll give you my first confession. Run with me.”
She looked down at her strappy heels, then back up at him. “I’m not dressed for running.”
Kadim smiled as he rose to his feet. “Who said anything about being dressed?”
Simone’s mouth dropped open as he pulled his shirt over his head. As she watched, mouth still hanging open, Kadim hooked his fingers into the waist of his loose cotton pants. With a knowing smile on his face he turned away, then pushed the beige material off his hips.
Damn. Simone’s mouth went dry as she watched the smooth expanse of Kadim’s backside come into view. He had the most perfect ass she’d ever seen, well-muscled, juicy and firm like a dark plum she very much wanted to sink her teeth into. Turn around, she silently willed him as he stepped out of the pants and his boxers. Please, God, make him turn around.
He turned around.
Heat that had nothing to do with desert summer swept up her body, coalescing solidly deep inside. Kadim was very happy to see her. And getting happier by the heartbeat.
Somehow she found her voice. “Is this a three-legged race? Because you have me at a disadvantage.”
He laughed. “I was thinking of all fours, actually.”
Simone warmed again as a picture of Kadim taking her from behind filled her mind. Moisture filled her panties, nothing to do with sweat. “All fours?”
“Yes. Here’s my confession, Simone. Run with me the way you want to, the way you need to. And if you beat me, you get the second confession.”
As she watched, his outline blurred. He bent over double, sleek chocolate fur sprouting through his skin. By the time he hit the floor, his human shape had been replaced by that of a wolf.
Kadim was a werewolf.
Simone stared at the gorgeous creature in shock. Why in the world hadn’t she scented his wolf on him? And he wasn’t a Turned or young Natural—not with the fluidity with which he’d changed form.
A mature Natural werewolf living in Vegas—working for their hotel—and none of them knew about it? Incredible. If this was the first confession, what were the other ones about?
She held out her hand. The large animal padded over to her, cautious. She sank her fingers into its coat, feeling the very real thickness of it. He felt like a wolf.
Laughing, she straightened. “You are full of surprises, aren’t you, magician?”
The wolf yipped, nosed her thigh, and then turned toward the lower deck in obvious entreaty. Night beckoned just over the railing, the mountain air filled with promise. Her wolf squirmed inside her, eager to break free, to run wild.
Without another thought, Simone bent to remov
e her heels. The wolf watched her with golden eyes, tail wagging, as she removed her jewelry, then rose to her feet. She untied her gold halter, and then in a teasing turn of modesty, turned her back to him to slip it off. Next came the skirt, which she folded neatly onto a chair, then her thong.
She shifted, shedding her human form as easily as she’d shed her clothes. Her body, mind, and DNA had been shaped for this in the womb, making the transition less painful and more fluid than the bone jarring rearranging that Turned Weres had to endure.
Colors faded to shades of gray, but losing colors was insignificant compared to all she gained with her wolf senses. Sounds rained on her: night insects, the house settling, and the gurgle of rushing water. Her muscles tightened with the urge to go bounding into the night, but she shook herself and padded over to the large male instead.
He scented her in greeting and she returned the favor, her nose filling with the scent of burning spice instead of wolf musk. Before she could react to the strange scent, Kadim nipped her in her left flank before bounding over and down to the lower deck.
She immediately gave chase, leaping over the railing to the ground below. Adrenaline flooded her veins as she stretched under-used muscles in the joy of running flat out. She caught up with Kadim, then pounced, sending them both rolling.
They wrestled, played tag, and explored their surroundings. Simone was having the time of her life, reveling in her lupine side, feeling the underbrush beneath her paws, scenting pine and scat and prey and the wolf beside her. She paused to howl with the pure, unadulterated joy of being completely alive.
A jackrabbit broke from the brush in front of them. Simone immediately gave chase, Kadim keeping pace beside her. He broke left as the rabbit zigzagged. Simone instantly mirrored him to fence their prey in. Fresh kill would be so much better than rare steak.
A large dark shape struck Kadim’s flank, sending the wolf crashing to the ground. Simone turned, fangs bared, only to be knocked over by a smaller shape.