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  “Turns out our gunman was a last minute hire. One of your father’s business rivals recognized you at the resort where we went for lunch, Marcia, and he put in a call to this local man who does contract killing. Your dad has some enemies who want to hurt him by hurting his family.”

  “Seriously?” Trisha felt compelled to ask. After all the magical stuff that had happened up to this point, it seemed almost anticlimactic that this gunman was of the ordinary hit man variety.

  “Seriously,” Steve answered, giving her a nod. Yeah, he was just a normal hit man. If such a person could be described as normal.

  “Wow.” Marcia flopped back in her seat. “I mean, I knew he had enemies, but this is just…”

  Some of the other girls began to comfort Marcia, who seemed to be really shaken by Steve’s news. The mood was subdued as they made their way back to the Pack house. Going out on the town was out of the question tonight. Nobody felt like it to start with, and it just wasn’t safe.

  The girls ate dinner in the Pack house dining room, joined by Jed, Paul, Jeremy and a few other werewolves. Conversation ranged far and wide until Marcia suggested she call her father and cut their trip short. She wanted to leave tomorrow and most of the girls agreed.

  Molly went along with the group but Trisha could see she really wanted to stay and explore the budding romance between herself and the big werewolf. Well, if it was real, they’d probably get their chance at some point. It wasn’t like Molly didn’t have ties to the Redstones now. She was one of Trisha’s closest friends and Trisha was marrying into the Clan. Molly would probably see Jed again sooner or later.

  They spent a quiet evening among the werewolves, though only Lynda and Trisha knew the true nature of their hosts. Lynda was in deep conversation with the Alpha and his wife, studiously ignoring Deke and his attempts to talk to her. Trisha knew her brother had always had a thing for Lynda, but she’d never returned his interest. It made Trisha feel sad for her brother, but now that she knew Lynda was a magical half-fey being, she was almost glad Deke’s advances had been rejected. She didn’t want to see him hurt even worse by a fickle fey.

  When everyone started to go up to bed one by one, Trisha turned to Steve.

  “Better stay here tonight,” he answered her unspoken question so quietly that only she could hear him. “Go on up and I’ll join you when the coast is clear.” He winked at her and she gave him a peck on the cheek before excusing herself and going to her assigned bedroom.

  When Steve snuck in a few minutes later, she was primed and ready for him. It seemed she was always ready for him, but in this case, anticipation had heightened her awareness to a fever pitch.

  “It occurs to me that if your bachelorette party hadn’t been interrupted, you girls might have gotten up to all sorts of naughtiness. Am I right?”

  “Maybe.” She played coy. Her cat was in a mischievous mood and she was eager to find where it would lead.

  “What was on the agenda? Come on, you can be honest with me. I’m sure it wasn’t anything too bad.” His smile dared her as he leaned against the door, his hand on the knob, fingers turning the lock back and forth, back and forth. Was he going to lock it? Or leave it open so that anyone might be able to just walk in on them?

  “Well, we had tickets to see some of the shows,” she temporized.

  “What kind of shows?” He pounced verbally when she didn’t go into detail. “Was there, by chance, a ticket in your portfolio for a strip club? That seems pretty standard fare for bachelor and bachelorette parties.”

  “There might have been something like that on our itinerary,” she admitted, the mood in the room decidedly playful.

  “Well, then…” He straightened and she noticed that the door was definitely unlocked. “I’m sorry you had to miss such an evening’s entertainment. I’m glad though too. I wouldn’t want you ogling any other men. Not now that I’ve claimed you as mine.” He said it as if he had every right to say such barbaric—thrilling—things. And maybe he did, she realized. She certainly felt possessive about him.

  “That goes both ways, you know,” she warned him.

  “Agreed,” he said immediately, stilling her heart. “My days of roaming are behind me now. Thank the Goddess.” He advanced another pace into the room. “But that doesn’t mean I still wouldn’t like to see a strip show. A very special strip show with only one stripper. You.”

  Her breath caught. And then her own playful side came out. “That also goes both ways. You strip for me and I’ll return the favor.”

  “Ladies first?” He gave her an almost boyish, appealing look. She laughed.

  “Nice try. But I’m the one who missed out on the floor show. I think maybe you should make that up to me. Then, if you do a good job, I’ll do it for you.”

  “Oh, you do it for me, all right,” he agreed. “But I think I like this game. Sit back and prepare to be entertained.”

  Giggling, Trisha sat on the bed, switching on the clock radio on the night stand. She tapped a few of the preset buttons until she landed on a song with a sexy groove. She turned it up a little and waited.

  Sure enough, Steve’s lean hips began to sway. He had the sinuous grace of the cat that shared his soul as he began undressing, one item at a time. He stalked slowly across the floor toward her, holding her gaze as he bared his skin, swaying in time with the music. He wasn’t really dancing, but she didn’t care. This was the hottest thing a man had ever done for her. And Steve was better than any man she’d ever been with. Probably because he wasn’t really a man. Not entirely, at least.

  His animal nature showed in the way he moved, the way he focused on her as if he was going to pounce and then eat her up. She hoped there would be some eating involved, but not the painful kind. She wanted his mouth on her skin. Everywhere. Just as she wanted to devour him. She wanted to suck him and make him come in her mouth. She wanted it all with him. Only him.

  He tore his shirt off over his head and swung it around on the tip of his finger a few times before tossing it aside. It landed on the other side of the room, but she didn’t care. She was too busy salivating over his chest and the sleek muscles that rippled every time he moved. He saw the direction of her gaze and flexed a few times, posing almost comically for her like a muscle man would do.

  But she wasn’t laughing. Oh, no. Her lady parts were quivering along with his every flex. Damn, he was fine. Quite possibly the most amazingly fit man she’d ever seen. There was grace and power in his every move, and if she turned on her imagination, it wasn’t hard to see the slithering gait of the cougar in his sexy walk as he came toward her again, his hands unbuttoning the buttons on his pants.

  Oh, boy. Was it getting hot in here?

  He lowered the pants—no underwear—an inch at a time. And there were a lot of inches to uncover. He kept walking, his hard cock bobbing slowly in time with his movements as he released it from his pants until he stood in front of her. He nudged her knees apart until he stood between them. She was perched on the edge of the bed, his cock in line with her mouth.

  It seemed only natural to reach out and lick him.

  He groaned and she felt the need to hear that sound again. She lifted her hands, one to fondle his balls, the other to wrap around the base of his cock as she guided it into her mouth. She knew a moment of triumph when he groaned again, louder this time, as she sucked and played with him.

  He pushed her away before he could come, rubbing her cheeks and hair with his hardness before he stepped back. He flopped onto the bed next to her, propping himself on his elbows as he looked at her.

  “Your turn, sexy.” His smile invited her to kiss him, which she did before climbing to her unsteady feet.

  She fiddled with the radio for a moment, finding a song she could dance to and then she began to sway, working her way into the song and the proper frame of mind. She’d never stripped for anyone before, but she knew she was a good dancer. She could do this. In fact, she really wanted to do this.

  Stev
e made her feel like a sex goddess. Nobody had ever made her feel that way before and it was empowering. Enlightening.

  She moved, swiveling her hips in what she hoped was a sinuous move. Judging by the look in Steve’s eyes, she was doing okay. She slid her top off over her head, moving it a few inches at a time, slowly, as sensuously as possible. She repeated his little twirl of fabric before tossing it in the opposite direction of where his shirt had gone earlier.

  Steve’s gaze was focused on her breasts, spilling out over the top of her push-up bra when she bent over to rid herself of her pants. Those too, went sailing over the floor to another part of the big room. And then she was in her underwear. A matching set, thank goodness. She’d packed new stuff for the trip, not liking to have old, mismatched pieces when she was on vacation.

  She tried her best to make the awkward, reaching-behind-her-back move to unhook her bra look sexy, but she was afraid she’d failed when Steve motioned her over. He crooked his finger and she went to him like a slave being ordered around by her master. Now that was a fantasy she’d like to try with him…later. For now, she was the stripper. Yet another of her fantasies come to life with, and for, this incredible man.

  Using his finger again, making a circular motion in the air, he instructed her to turn so that her back was to him. She almost jumped when he touched her, his hands sliding over her ass and up her spine to the catch on her bra. He unhooked it easily and backed away to recline on the bed once more as she stood in front of him between his spread knees. His cock was standing at attention and he stuffed some pillows behind his back as she turned. That freed up his hands and one immediately went to his cock, grasping and rubbing as he watched her.

  She licked her lips and saw the way his muscles tightened. Good. He was hot and hard. Ready and waiting. But she had to finish the show first.

  Slowly, she lowered the straps of her bra, one at a time, turning and teasing him, jiggling and bouncing as much as she could manage without dislodging the cups altogether. She was built on the big side, which she thought he liked judging from his rapt attention. All the men she’d been with—precious few that there had been—had liked her breasts. Steve seemed no exception.

  Trisha lowered the straps and then, one by one, allowed the cups to slip free, baring her nipples to the night air. They immediately went hard—both from the air and from Steve’s laser-like gaze following their every motion.

  She let the bra fall to the floor, raised her arms over her head and gave him an eyeful as she moved to the music. Her breasts swayed with her, bouncing in time with her movements. And then she couldn’t take it anymore, she moved her hands downward, between her legs, rubbing and then retreating. Taking the thin fabric of her panties in her fingers, she slid them down over each hip, turning to shake her ass in Steve’s direction. He seemed to appreciate it, if the way he squeezed his cock was any indication.

  And then he growled. And pounced.

  In one move, he sat up and moved his hands over hers on the sides of her panties. He moved them downward and the silky fabric slid off her ass and slithered down her legs. She stepped out of the leg holes when they landed on the floor and followed Steve’s guiding hands on her hips, turning to face him.

  He lowered his head, biting her small belly with playful nips as he moved his hands around to cup her ass, the fingers delving between her cheeks and downward. One found her anus and pushed a little bit inside as she squeaked. Nobody had ever done that to her before. If asked, she would have thought it wouldn’t feel good at all, but she surprised herself by pushing back to make him go a little deeper.

  Then he slid his other hand into the slick wetness between her thighs and pushed inward. Big, blunt fingers swirled around her clit for a moment, making her knees tremble before he pushed two thick digits up into her opening. That surprising penetration, coupled with the pressure behind made her shout as a small climax hit her, almost making her knees buckle. As it was, she reached out to support herself, grabbing for his shoulders to keep her upright.

  He held her throughout, kissing her skin, nibbling on the places he could reach.

  When she had a reasonable amount of control over her body again, she pushed at his shoulders, pushing him back onto the bed. He complied, a questioning smile hovering around his lips. He didn’t have long to wait to see what she had in mind as she climbed over him, both of them scooting farther back on the big bed for stability. She reached between them and guided his ready cock into her wet opening.

  Almost triumphantly, she sat on him, taking him deep, loving the feel of him filling her, taking her, making them one for this brief moment out of time. She couldn’t savor it though. She had to move. The passion riding her made it imperative that she begin moving almost immediately.

  His hands went to her hips, guiding and helping as best he could while she jumped his bones. Her movements grew erratic as her climax hit and he flipped them over and began a pounding rhythm of his own that drove her even higher. She became one long, never-ending, orgasm of pleasure as he claimed her body, pushing into her with more force than she’d been able to manage in the other position. She loved every minute of it. And when she cried out, it was his name on her lips.

  His groan followed a moment later, her name sounding sweet when he said it in just that tone of total and complete ecstasy.

  A knock on the bedroom door woke Trisha from a sound sleep. She was snuggled in Steve’s arms when reality hit and she realized where they were and who was likely knocking on the door. Her eyes widened in panic. One of her friends was out there and would likely barge in if she didn’t answer the door.

  And then the jig would be up. They’d know she was sleeping with Steve, which wasn’t exactly in character for her. She’d never jumped into a physical relationship with a man so fast. Her friends would be surprised. And probably concerned.

  Not to mention they’d tease her mercilessly.

  The knock sounded again and Trisha scrambled out of bed, searching helplessly for her robe. She finally snagged it near the foot of the bed. She had laid it out on top of the comforter yesterday but hadn’t worn it and it had slid to the floor in a silky heap.

  It took her a moment to sort out where the arm holes were and struggle into the difficult piece of fabric. She hopped toward the door, dodging other bits of their clothing that had ended up strewn all over the room. By the time she reached the door, the handle was beginning to turn. One of her friends was getting impatient. Dammit.

  Trisha took hold of the slowly turning door handle and opened it, peeking through a small crack in the doorway.

  “What’s up?” Trisha asked, well aware that her voice was scratchy with sleep. She blinked a few times at the light coming in through the window in the hall. It was later in the morning than she’d thought.

  “You slept late, so I thought I’d give you a wakeup call. My father is sending the jet to take us home, so we need to leave in a couple of hours. Everyone else is already downstairs, eating breakfast.” Marcia looked suspicious, trying to get a look behind Trisha into the room. “Do you have company?” Marcia’s voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper as she grinned.

  Caught, Trisha felt her cheeks heat with a blush. Damn her fair skin.

  Marcia’s eyebrows rose as her grin turned into a full-out smile. “Well, good for you. Is it that hunky Steve? He was all over you yesterday. Is he as good as he looks?”

  Trisha knew Steve could probably hear every whispered word with his shifter ears. “Yes and yes. Now give me a few minutes and I’ll join you downstairs for breakfast.”

  Marcia backed away, giving Trisha an exaggerated thumbs up as Trisha closed the door and turned the little lock for good measure.

  “Busted.” Steve’s amused voice came to her from the bed. After the light in the hallway, she couldn’t see too well. They’d closed all the curtains in this room and they were thick fabric that hid most of the light.

  She sighed. “Yeah. This is going to be fun. Half of them will be
high fiving me and the other half will be asking if I’m sure about all this.”

  Steve stood and came over to her to take her in his arms. He was so warm. So strong. So comforting as he rocked her from side-to-side, hugging her, offering so much support without even being asked. He was a very tactile man, always touching her, stroking her skin, hugging her. She liked it. A lot.

  “Don’t get on the plane. Stay with me,” he whispered, and she was so very tempted.

  “I want to, but I have to face the music at home and get some things settled with my friends and family. But…” she looked up at his face, all shadows and angles in the uncertain light, “you could come with me.”

  His lips widened in a smile and he bent his head to align their lips so he could place a tender kiss on her mouth. “Are you taking me home to meet Mama?”

  “Something like that,” she agreed. “But don’t worry. She’s going to love you. Because you love me.”

  Epilogue

  As it turned out, Steve hit it off with Mrs. Morrow, who insisted on calling him Steven, much to his amusement. She was a dynamic woman who reminded him a little bit of his own mother, though she wasn’t a shifter, of course. For all intents and purposes, she was human, though Slade had confided that Deke probably had some mage blood in his lineage, though it was dormant. Whether that affinity for magic came from his late father or his mother, Steve didn’t know. That wasn’t one of his talents. At some point, Slade or his mate would meet Mrs. Morrow and be able to tell more, but it wasn’t a high priority.

  Steve loved Trisha. It was as simple as that. Whether or not she had mage blood in addition to the amazing gifts of her father’s lineage didn’t really matter to Steve. No, what mattered most was that she loved him too.

  One thing that had surprised Steve was the sheer number of people watching the Morrow home. There was all kinds of surveillance going on and it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end to be watched so closely. He’d had a talk with the admiral about it when he’d first arrived, it had bothered him so much.