STRIPE-CLUB

FUR-OCIOUS LUST SHORTS (TIGERS)

BOOK 6

NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

MILLY TAIDEN

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Emilia Roca, curvy flower-shop owner, adores her body and all things curves. She loves her Uncle Charlie’s strip club so much she

wants to open her own, until some jerk by the name of Tigris takes her plans out of her hands. She’d give the stupid man a piece of her

mind if she ever got him in her sight.

Zander Tigris loved curves. When he met Emi, he knew she was the perfect mate for him. Suddenly, his need to talk to the shop owner

takes a backseat, and getting to know Emi supersedes all business—including buying the shop to open up a new club.

Getting wrapped up with a sexy-as-sin shifter wasn’t in her plans. Finding out the man she’s falling for is the one who took her dream

from her won’t bode well for him…especially since he’s more than ready to claim her as his mate. She’ll either slap him for deceiving

her or sue him for butting in to her contract. Either way, she’s not giving in without a fight. And he’s not giving up his mate without

calling her: MINE!

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be

construed as real in any way. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Published By

Latin Goddess Press

New York, NY 10456

http://millytaiden.com

Stripe-Club

Copyright © 2015 by Milly Taiden

Cover by Willsin Rowe

All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except

in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Property of Milly Taiden

June 2015

—For Robyn

For giving me the strength to finish. I love you.

ONE

Emilia Roca, better known as Emi, glanced at her uncle with shock. “What do you mean I

can’t open up Charlie’s Deux?”

Her Uncle Charlie, owner of one of the hottest strip clubs in Sin City, glanced everywhere but

at her face. Something else was going on, and she was going to get to the bottom of things. “I gave a

friend the chance to use Charlie’s for his son’s next club.”

Her jaw ached from how hard she ground her teeth. “But you knew I was going to open

Charlie’s Deux! Does Vanessa know about this?”

Her cousin would have never allowed Charlie to go back on his word to Emi. There was no

way Vanessa could know he did that.

Her mouth hung open from shock. “But we had decided to turn my flower shop into a new

club. Now that I have the lease for the business next door, I can do it,” she said, curling her hands into

fists at her sides.

“I understand, but Mr. Tigris had a proposal I couldn't turn down. Lia and Tomas would

understand.”

“A proposal you couldn't turn down? Couldn't turn down? I'm your niece! My mom and dad

would not understand this. I'm your family! What the hell, Uncle Charlie?”

“I’m sorry, cariño. I wish there was something I could do.”

She stood there, in stupefied shock, unsure what else to say. Charlie leaned forward, gave her

a kiss, and turned away to leave. What the hell just happened? Even when she heard the sound of the

bell at the entrance, indicating his departure, she couldn't move.

She'd saved like crazy to open Charlie’s Deux. For almost two years, it had been her dream.

She'd scrimped and gone without, having always loved the way Charlie’s was set up.

The 1920s burlesque style of the club had been one of the things she'd loved the first time her

mother had taken her to her uncle's place. The next thing that made her fall in love with Charlie’s had

been the numerous curvy women onstage.

Charlie’s catered to men who appreciated curves. As a big girl herself, she’d learned to

embrace every roll on her body. Her mother had danced at Charlie’s in her youth and met her father

there.

Emi’s cell phone rang, and she glanced down at the screen. It was her cousin, Vanessa.

Currently in a blissfully happy relationship with one of the Tigris men, Vanessa was taking a break

from the club to plan a wedding with her tiger.

Emi hadn't really dealt with shifters, but she knew the Tigris family name. Her flower shop

was only a few streets away from the well-known Striped hotel and casino.

For a second she considered not answering the phone, but gave up the idea as soon as the

name showed up.

“Hello?” She cleared her throat, trying not to sound like she was going to start crying at any

moment, which she was.

“I'm really sorry! I had no idea what Dad had done.” She heard the frustration and sadness in

Vanessa’s voice.

“It's...okay,” she said, pushing away at the lump in her throat.

She'd wanted so bad to open Charlie’s Deux for her parents. Before their accident, it was all

they spoke of.

“No. It's not okay,” Vanessa said with a bite of anger in her voice. “I just did something, but

I'm not sure it’ll help.”

“Oh?” She really didn’t want her cousin getting into trouble over the club. She’d just have to

wait a few years, like Charlie said, and open up Charlie’s Trois. It wasn’t that she couldn’t wait,

she’d just been excited to start her adventure in opening the club.

“I kinda told Cash that the location my dad had for Charlie’s Deux isn't available anymore.”

She smiled at her cousin's idea. It was true. The location that would have housed Charlie’s

Deux was going to stay her flower shop, so it was no longer available. “He can get another. They’re

Tigris.”

“Yeah, but you have prime real estate there. They wanted that location badly.”

Too fucking bad. She’d keep her flower shop until she could open up the next Charlie’s.

Screw what Tigris wanted. It wouldn't do any good. She appreciated Vanessa’s idea, but the Tigris

men had enough money that they could buy half of Vegas if they wanted.

Vanessa sighed. “I’ll talk to Vincent myself, if I have to. I’ve got your back, chica.”

Her shoulders slumped, and she licked her lips. “Thanks, but don’t worry about it. I’ll just

have to wait to open up Charlie’s Trois.”

TWO

Vincent Tigris leaned back on his desk and waited. Three. Two. One. His office door flung

open, and his son, Zander, the largest of his three boys, marched in with a fierce scowl that would

normally make the guards nervous.

“Father,” he said, stopping in front of Vincent’s desk and watching him intently. “I got your

message. What is it that’s so urgent you needed to see me?”

Vincent grinned at his son. He loved all his boys like crazy. Zander was the youngest, but in a

way he acted like he’d been the oldest all his life. He didn’t smile, and he kept to himself. Even

during family dinners, he was the quietest of the bunch—especially now that his two brothers were

mated and the women joined in on the family events.

“Remember that project you were interested in?” he asked casually, picking up some papers

and biting back the smile threatening to let loose.

“Charlie’s?” Zander’s eyes widened. Vincent saw the immediate interest spark to life.

“Yeah. I had a chat with him.”

“He said he couldn’t endorse a Charlie’s Deux, because he’d backed someone else on the

project.”

Vincent cleared his throat and nodded. “He did have someone before, the florist, but now that

we’ve spoken, he feels you’re the right man for the job.”

“Wait. You’re saying he’ll back me opening a Charlie’s Deux?”

Vincent knew he had to word things carefully, or Zander would wonder what was going on.

“Yes, but there is a problem, and since you’re the one interested in opening the second club, you’ll

have to handle it.”

“What?”

He handed his son a file folder with all the pertinent information on the location where

Charlie’s Deux was supposed to be built. “This. The flower shop owner owns one and has the lease

to the second location we want.”

Zander’s frown deepened. “How’s that a problem? Just offer the owner money to get a

different location, and we have our spot.”

Vincent stood. “It’s not that simple. You see, the florist own one of the building. And the

building owners next door really like her…so much so, that they won’t give anyone else a lease on

that place if she wants to use it to expand the flower shop. It’s your job to get her to move.”

“Again, how is that a problem? Why don’t we just get her a bigger place and help her move?”

Vincent walked calmly to stare out his office window at the strip. “She doesn’t want to move.

She likes it there.”

“Fuck!”

“It’s going to be your responsibility to get her to go, or you’ll have to find a different location

for your project.”

“But that’s the place. We’ve surveyed the area, and that corner is at the right distance from the

hotel where we can offer guests passes. Plus, it’s next to our newest restaurant, and on top of that,

we’d have them right by the strip. The most important part about that building being perfect for the

club is that it was built in the 50s. It already has the look. It was once owned by a famous gangster

and you couldn’t make that kind of history show up on a new building.”

Vincent shrugged. “Look, son, I know this is important to you. I’m leaving it in your hands.”

Zander Tigris swallowed the growl threatening to come out. From the first time he’d gone to

Charlie’s, he’d known that was his future. He’d fallen for the set up and the vibe. The club was

unique in every way, and he wanted to have one like it. He’d propositioned Charlie for a chance to

open a second, but had been quickly turned down due to someone else having already gotten ahead of

him.

He had a chance to have his dream of owning a Charlie’s back, but changing locations had

never been in his plans. He wanted the building the flower shop was in. That meant he’d have to go

speak to the florist himself and try to talk some sense into her.

“Owners?”

His father glanced away. “Mrs. Lia Roca bought the building about fifteen years ago. It’s been

in the family for a while now.”

As the youngest of the Tigris males, Zander was normally the one everyone left alone. He had

helped in opening up the various clubs in the Striped hotels, and now his father was giving him the

opportunity to do his own thing.

Opening his own Charlie’s would be a solo project, not a Striped hotel club. When he’d

visited Charlie’s, he’d noticed the dancers and how much attention they had from the men. At first

he’d been interested, because it wasn’t a regular club. The women were curvy, with real bodies.

Perfection was each woman and how she looked. There was no beauty standard. Charlie’s offered

big, beautiful women, and as one of the shifters who loved curves, he’d enjoyed every visit.

Though visiting Charlie’s had been nice, he had not met his love there like his brothers.

Instead, he’d found himself entranced with the atmosphere and the women. He wanted to create a

second place to mimic it and encourage more women to embrace their curves. He loved curves, and

every shifter he knew did as well. A Charlie’s for shifters only would be something the male hotel

guests could really connect with.

“I’ll go visit the owner,” he said to his father. Already, ideas on how to make the place look

like he wanted floated in his mind. “I’m sure a better place for a flower shop can be found and

offered for the right kind of money.”

“You do whatever you have to, son.” His father nodded. “Just remember that if she doesn’t

agree to move, you’ll have to find a new place to set up the club.”

No way. That building would be his.

THREE

Emi sat down for the first time that day and groaned. Her back hurt, and her feet were

swollen. She needed to eat something soon, or she’d end up bitching at the next customer who walked

in the door. Instead of eating, though, she climbed up a ladder to put up a new row of vases on a shelf.

She paid the bell no mind and instead continued fixing her vases.

“I’ll be right with you,” she called out. “Just give me a second.”

She glanced over her shoulder, ready to step down the steps, when she realized she had the

hottest man she’d ever seen in her store.

She leaned back, which only made the ladder wiggle on its unsteady feet before she slipped

and went flying. The floor zoomed up to meet her face. She closed her eyes and braced for the pain of

the fall—all because she was caught up in looking at a hot man.

Then, as if something out of a movie, she was caught mid-flight. She opened one eye, then the

other, and glanced around. The guy she’d been ogling had run and caught her in his arms. She’d

landed in his powerful arms with a tiny shriek and her heart beating a million miles per hour.

She clung to him hard, gripping his suit for dear life. Their gazes met, and she had a hard time

remembering what the hell she was going to say. He had the most beautiful lips. There was a hint of a

smile on them, and she couldn’t help but think she wanted to see a full-blown one on his mouth.

Something raw and wild flooded her senses, and she got the urge to rub her nose on him. That was

unusual. She never got like that with David, the last man she’d dated. Come to think of it, she never

got that way with any man.

“Hi,” she gulped, her gaze roaming his face until she reached his eyes. They went from a

thunderous blue to a bright gold in the blink of an eye. “Wow. Your eyes are amazing.”

“Yours are pretty amazing too.”

She shook her head. “No way. You’re the one with the color-changing ones. I bet you get a lot

of women with those eyes.”

Oops!

A wide, sensual smile spread over his lick-worthy lips. “Are you always this outspoken?”

She grinned. “Maybe. I’m still trying to figure out how you can stand there, carrying me, and

not be out of breath.”

He lifted his brows. “I don’t understand?”

“I’m a big, big girl. You should have a hernia or some back pain by now.”

“Trust me, beautiful, you’re lighter than you think.”

He called her beautiful...and didn’t appear to be wanting to put her down any time soon. Her

heartbeat started to go faster and faster, like she’d been running all day, except she didn’t run. Ever.

“You can...uh...put me down now.”

He helped her back on her feet. Her skin felt all tingly and hot everywhere he’d touched her,

which was actually not enough places according to her very perverted mind.

“You shouldn’t be up on ladders. You could hurt yourself,” he chastised.

Once she was standing on her wobbly legs, she realized he was huge. Like frickin’ huge.

Bigger than any man she’d ever dated. Or seen. Her Uncle Charlie was tall, but this guy was over

Charlie by more than a few inches. If he didn’t have such an interesting face, she might have found

herself intimidated. As it was, all she could think of was the fact he was staring at her like she was

the sexiest woman ever.

Too bad she was in the no-dating zone right now. She’d stopped dating in order to focus on

doing what she wanted in her life: opening a Charlie’s Deux.

“Thanks for the warning, but I’m up on ladders all the time, big guy. And I don’t need anyone

saving me.” Well, not usually. This one time it had been his fault she almost busted her ass anyway.

He’d distracted her.

“The owner should get you an assistant. Or some help. It’s wrong to have someone as small as

you climbing high and getting hurt.”

She eyed him with surprise. “First, I am not small. Didn’t I just say I was a big girl? Look at

me. Big, remember? Second, I do what needs doing without any help. And for your information, I

have an assistant. She’s gone for the day, but I’ll be sure to complain to the owner. She should totally

get me more help, instead of taking care of whatever she’s doing,” she said with a grin. She loved

messing with people. Acting like someone else was in charge always gave her a break from having to

answer questions when she wasn’t in the mood. Like right now. All she wanted was to have dinner

and go to bed.

“You need better help,” he continued.

She rolled her eyes and tried to bite back the laugh over how worked up he was getting.

“What are you doing here anyway? If you need flowers, I can make you something quick, but I was

about to close.”

He glanced at his watch and then around the flower shop. “I guess it is kind of late.” He shook

his head and met her gaze. “Do you want to grab something to eat?”

“Thanks, but I don’t date men I don’t know,” she lied. She’d been on enough blind dates with

men she would rather not remember, but that was another story. This guy was gorgeous, but she was

tired and a bit cranky.

He offered his hand and smiled. “I’m Zander. I like steak. I enjoy watching you smile, and I

think your curves are the sexiest thing you have on.”

Air swooshed out of her lungs. “Wow. You’re good. Okay, Zander. I’m Emi.”

He laughed and shook his head. “I know what you’re thinking, but I’m usually not this vocal

with women. Something about you caught my attention, and I’d love to spend some more time getting

to know you.”

Now that was where things got dangerous. She knew better. Dating was not in her short-term

career goal. But what the hell, no? Charlie’s Deux was now out of the running. Maybe getting a drink

and some food with the sexy giant would soothe her sadness.

“Alright, I give. But only because I’m starving, and you’ve managed to mess with my ability to

say no.” She grabbed her keys and wallet from the drawer she’d shoved them in. It was probably not

a smart idea to be going anywhere with He-Man, but she needed food. “We can go to a spot around

the corner. It’s a hole-in-the-wall, but the steak is to die for.”

“I know the place. Casey’s Diner?”

She nodded and waited for him to leave the shop before she locked up. “Yeah. I guess word

gets around how good their steak is.”

“Let me tell you, I eat a lot of steak, but Casey’s has to be one of my favorite places. She

sends me my lunch daily.”

Really? Somehow the idea of him and the pretty blonde who owned Casey’s didn’t appeal to

her. But Casey was nice. She was one of the few shifters Emi had come across for more than just a

business transaction. Casey was always there when Emi went over for lunch or to grab something to

take home for dinner. Living alone meant sometimes not being in the mood to cook, especially when

she’d had a long-ass day with crazy flower orders.

The weather at night in Vegas could drop dramatically from the heat of the day. That evening

it was warm enough that she didn’t need her sweater. Walking beside Zander felt nice, even if she

really didn’t know him. But at this stage in her life, after thirty years trying to be the good girl who

followed her life plan, she found that breaking one of her rules wasn’t making her feel too bad.

FOUR

Casey’s Diner’s neon “Open” sign blinked, welcoming them inside. He reached forward and

opened the door for her, something she immediately took notice of. Men weren’t rude with her, but

rarely did one take the time to actually hold a door open for her. And with a smile like the one he had

on at the moment. His gaze locked on to hers.

They walked into a quiet Casey’s, which was unusual. It being a 24-hour diner meant there

was always a crowd.

Tall, blonde Casey came out of the back with black shirt and a pair of slacks on, looking

better than should be legal in the crazy weather they were having.

“Ooh! My two favorite customers.” She grinned, her bright blue eyes dancing with mirth.

“Emi, I had no idea you knew Zander.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when he lifted her hand to his lips and grinned.

“Some things aren’t for the world to know, Casey.”

Emi bit her lip to stop herself from drooling on the floor. Lord have mercy, this man was

dangerous. She hadn’t noticed he had a dimple that showed when he gave a full-blown smile, like the

one he threw her way.

“You two are so cute! Come on, I have the perfect, private booth in the corner for you. We

just got rid of a huge group of people, so things are pretty quiet for the moment. Take advantage

before the crazy comes back,” Casey said, as she guided them toward the right side of the restaurant

and placed menus on the booth that was partially out of view from the adjoining tables.

“I don’t need a menu, Casey,” Emi said. “I’ll have my usual with some iced tea, please.”

“You got it,” Casey said, glancing at Zander. “What about you? The usual?”

He nodded, not once looking away from Emi. “Yes. Same as always.”

“That was easy,” Casey said, picking up the menus she’d just placed on the table. “I’ll send

some iced water for you Zander,” she said and marched away.

“What’s your usual?” He asked.

“Petit filet with vegetables.” She smiled at the waiter placing her drink on the table and turned

to face Zander. He was so close. So warm. She wanted to lean into him and rub her nose on his neck.

“You?”

“Porterhouse with mash.”

“We like us some cow, huh?” She laughed. “Sorry, that sounded weird.”

“We do seem to like it. At least we enjoy it from one of the best places there is.” He drank

from his water and stared deep into her eyes. For a second there, she wasn’t sure what to say, but she

was happy staring right back at his. They had been going from bright gold to dull yellow to blue for a

while.

“Do you work around here?” she asked, hoping he wasn’t some gambler looking to strike it

rich.

“I do. At Striped,” he replied.

“Oh, so you’re, um, a shifter, huh?” From what she’d heard from Vanessa, Striped employed

mainly shifters, because they understood the needs of their guests. It was what distinguished the hotel

amongst the larger ones on the strip.

He nodded. “And you’re a human. A very, very lovely human with a scent that’s driving me

crazy.”

She picked up her glass and took a sip. It was getting hot in there. “Are you always this good

at giving compliments?”

He smiled wide again, showing that dimple she now wanted to lick. “I don’t give

compliments. I tell the truth.” He leaned forward, his arm brushing over her bare one. “Your scent is

such a seductive perfume. It’s driving my animal wild.”

Wow. She sniffed. “You smell really good yourself. What is that you’re wearing?”

“Nothing.”

Holy crap. Did he mean he was commando? The images that put in her head were some of the

dirtiest she’d seen in a long time. She needed to go to confession, but wait, she never went to church,

so she was in twice the trouble now. “I don’t mean if you have, um...something under your clothes. I

mean what cologne are you wearing?”

“I’m not. Wearing cologne, that is.”

“Oh. Well, you still smell good.” Which was strangely true. She didn’t usually like a man to

smell like nothing. But he did smell like something. He had the scent of a day in the forest and mud

and rain all emanating from him. It reminded her of when she’d been a kid, and her parents took her

camping in the woods. She’d loved it. She hadn’t had any brothers or sisters, so being an only child

meant she was spoiled with her parents’ attention.

“Thank you. My father would probably try to bribe you down the wedding aisle if he heard

you say that,” he joked.

“Why? Why would he want you getting married?” She asked and moved her tea out of the way

for her plate of food to be placed in front of her.

“He’s got it in his head that all his kids need to be mated. Like we’re running out of time or

something.” He laughed. “But I leave him alone. He’s gotten both my brothers mated, and I’m not

going to allow him to interfere in my life.”

She nodded. That had to suck. Her parents had always been good about letting her make her

own decisions. They’d supported her, and when they didn’t agree with something, they’d calmly

given her advice without trying to sound dictatorial. They ate quickly and barely spoke a word until

the food was finished. It was that good.

“What are you having for dessert,” he asked after they’d finished their food.

She laughed and shook her head. “How’d you know I’d want some?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. Something tells me you’re a caramel lover.”

“I am. I’ll have the vanilla ice cream over the warm chocolate brownie, drizzled in caramel.

All my favorites in one plate.”

“I have to say, that sounds great. I’m not usually into dessert, so I’ll enjoy watching you.”

When her dessert was brought out, she picked up a spoon and bit into the decadent brownie

covered in caramel with gusto. She moaned at how smooth and silky it was in her mouth. His hand on

her leg brought her back to reality. She glanced at him as she put the spoon down and swallowed.

“Do you want a taste?”

A naughty smile spread over his lips. “Don’t mind if I do.”

He cupped her neck and pulled her toward him. It took all of two seconds to realize he’d

decided the taste she offered meant her. Instead of arguing over his inappropriate behavior—

something she’d have done with anyone else—she met his lips halfway and let him taste her.

He brushed his lips lightly over hers, sweeping his tongue and parting her lips to glide into

her mouth. Her breath hitched, and heat seeped through her pores, warming her from the inside. She

lifted her hands to grasp at his shirt. Good god, he was strong. Strong and muscled. A small whimper

left her as she traced his arms with her fingers. He slid closer, his body all but pressing her into the

cushion. Her mind shot straight down to the gutter. Instinct told her to get him naked.

Some part of her heart, one she hadn’t used in too long, called out that she was in over her

head. Emotions surfaced: desire, lust, need, ache. Everything she kept at bay when dealing with men

suddenly came free, and it urged her to give in to him. To let him take more. As much as he wanted.

The sound of someone clearing their throat jerked her out of her lust-induced coma. She took

deep, choppy breaths and glanced at Casey. She stared at them with a grin a mile wide.

“Sorry to interrupt, but things are going to get crazy. We just got a call for a large party. If you

want to get out before the insanity begins, now’s your chance.”

Emi nodded. What in the world was wrong with her? She knew what. She’d been working so

hard to achieve her dream of opening up the club that she’d slowed down doing the fun things in life.

Like dating. Kissing a hot man. Hell, even having good sex. Though to be fair, she’d never really had

great sex. Decent sex? Yes. Great? Not outside her dreams.

She glanced at Zander and met his gaze.

“Ready to go?”

FIVE

To bed? Heck yeah! She nodded, worried if she opened her mouth she would say that in front

of Casey.

“Let me take you home,” he offered, as they walked out of the restaurant. “I promise it’s just a

ride. I’ll feel better knowing you got there okay. It’s late.”

She licked her lips and thought for a second. She didn’t know him from a can of paint, but her

instinct was usually spot on when it came to men. He didn’t give her any weird vibes. Though she

hadn’t dated shifters before, she knew enough to know he wouldn’t mess with her emotions.

Apparently they hated to sense a person in pain. What did she have to lose? Nothing. Dammit, she

hadn’t had sex in too long. She wanted someone to hug her, kiss her, and maybe fuck the living

daylights out of her. Was that so wrong?

“Okay,” she replied. She wasn’t far from there, and most of the time she tried not to drive in

or she’d find herself stuck in traffic. The traffic from the strip during busy months was not something

she wanted to go up against.

He led her to the private parking behind Casey’s. “I’m guessing you were planning on coming

here anyway?”

He laughed. The sound made her heart skip a beat. “Yeah. I was going to pick something up on

my way home.”

“No going to Mom’s for dinner?” she joked. “Or are you too worried they’d have a line of

single women waiting for you?”

He pressed the alarm on a super sexy, low-hung silver Bugatti. Even her panties sighed when

she looked at it. “That is one gorgeous car.”

“Do you like it?” He opened the car door and held it for her to get inside.

“It’s sex on wheels,” she replied. “But I don’t know if it’s comfortable enough for you to do it

with how big you are.”

He winked and leaned down to bring his face to hers. “Is that a challenge?”

Um, maybe. She glanced at his mouth and forgot what she was going to say. “If you say so.”

What? If he said what? She didn’t even remember the question. He pulled back and shut the

door. Her fingers shook on her lap. She slid her hands on the buttery leather of her seat. It was soft

and warm.

“I don’t know anything about cars, but this car is a lot more comfortable than I would have

thought looking at it from the outside.”

He chuckled and asked for her address, inputting it into the GPS device. He started the engine,

driving them into the nighttime traffic on the strip. “It was custom-made for me. I’m a big guy, so it

needed to be more comfortable.”

The guy had money. For once, she was kind of glad about this. That meant she wouldn’t get

calls in the middle of the month from him, asking to borrow a hundred bucks until his next paycheck. It

had to take way more than a hundred to maintain that car’s gas alone. Buying her groceries for the

month was probably cheaper.

“Tell me about you,” he said as he drove. “I already know you’re beautiful, but I want to

know what you like to do when you’re not at work.”

She snorted a chuckle. “Who says I do anything? As is, I have a pile of laundry that needs

doing, and I’ve stopped using the dishes, because I don’t want to wash them.” Wow, that didn’t sound

sexy at all. “I bet that’s not what you wanted to hear, but as a person who works long hours, this is

really what I do most of the time.”

“I want to hear anything you want to tell me about you. Why would your preferences be

shocking? You’re a busy person. Work can make it more difficult for us to do anything, like laundry

or cooking.”

She grinned. “You don’t do laundry either, do you?”

His laughter made her heart sigh. “No. I don’t have time either. But to be fair, laundry is

overrated. If we were meant to do it, why would there be places to take it so they can do it for you.”

She nodded. “You are such a smart man. I have to agree with you there. Same thing with food.

And cleaning.”

He lifted a brow, his smile showing off that dimple again. “Uh-oh. Is your place going to be

ten pounds of dust?”

“No. I clean. Sometimes. Okay, I hire people to do it, but like I said, I’m busy.”

They were both laughing hard after that. She hadn’t ever felt this comfortable with a man

before.

“So, television show. What do you like to see?”

“You’ll laugh at me,” she said.

“Come on, try me. Can’t be that bad.”

“Oh, yes it can. I find humor in the weirdest things.” She had been told by previous men that

she needed her head examined. And not over her television preferences. They said it because she had

no filter. “I like to record food shows. Then I think about all the places I want to go eat.”

“Nothing wrong with that. I like food shows, too.”

“There’s this one chef who always has the best food, and whenever I watch it I have to eat or

I end up hungry.”

They passed an intersection, and a guy on a bike drove though their light. She gripped the side

of the seat, waiting for the car to hit the guy, but Zander’s reflexes were amazing. He turned the

vehicle at the last second, moving out of the guy’s way and then returning into the lane without

missing a beat.

“Holy shit!” she screeched the words out, slapping a hand on her chest. “You’re amazing with

this car.”

They were only a few blocks from her house, so he continued driving, and then brought the car

to a full stop in front of her place. He turned to her with a worried frown. “Are you okay?”

She nodded, pushing down the nerves making her hands shake. “I’m fine. I should probably

offer you something to drink after that. Wow. I’ve been in two car accidents, and this is the first time I

ever felt like we were going to hit the person for sure.”

He got out of the car, came around, opened her door, offered a hand, and helped her out. “The

past accidents were minor?”

She nodded. “Bumper to bumper stuff. And they were not my fault, so I barely had a chance to

know what was going on. This time, I swear I saw you hitting that guy.”

“I’m a careful driver. I have a sharp eye, and my instinct is always on point when it comes to

what’s going on around me.”

Well, hell. She wished she had some of that. The last time she’d gone to the casinos to spend

an hour of fun with some friends, she’d ended up losing fifty bucks and decided it wasn’t her night.

Ten seconds later, someone got on the machine she’d stopped playing and hit the jackpot. Sometimes

it just wasn’t for you.

They headed into her house, and for a second she worried that she might have a mess inside,

but she remembered she’d had the cleaning lady visit that morning. She glanced around to be sure and

smiled when she all she saw was neatness.

“Come in,” she said. “Do you want some coffee?”

What she really wanted to do was suggest he take off his clothes and get comfortable, but that

would probably not sound right just walking in. She so wanted to push him up against the wall and

kiss him like she’d never seen a pair of lips that sexy before.

“Sure.” His voice was so close. She continued on her way to the kitchen and tried to stop her

hormones from dancing the mambo. The hairs on her arms rose with her nerves. The cleaning lady

had left fresh flowers and set up the coffee on automatic to brew. Emi loved that about her. Whenever

the cleaning lady came over, she found a fresh pot of coffee, a clean house, and fresh flowers. It was

the reason she paid for the service more than anything. She felt so relaxed coming home to a clean

house.

“I thought you said you didn’t have time to clean,” he said from right behind her. She flipped

around and bumped into him. She glanced up, her throat going instantly dry from how good he looked

this close.

“I have a cleaning woman.” She licked her lips and stared in fascination at his eyes. “She, uh,

came today.”

The lighthearted atmosphere changed to something dark and sexy in the blink of an eye. She

walked backward until her back hit the kitchen counter. She raised her hands, pressing them to his

chest and almost moaning at the warmth caressing her palms. “You’re hot.”

His lips tipped up in a sensual grin. “No, baby. You’re the hot one here.”

SIX

Before she got a chance to explain what she meant, his lips came down over hers, tasting

everything she willingly wanted him to take. Lust engulfed her in a cloud of need. She gripped his

shirt, yanking him closer and pressing herself into his body. The feel of his erection, rubbing her

belly, let loose a desperation she wasn’t familiar with. She moaned loud. Raw. She hadn’t had sex in

a while. The fire he started in her core warmed her to a fiery blaze.

He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up, setting her on the edge of the counter. Desire

grew wings in her chest and pounded deeper into her heart. There had been men in her life. More than

a few, but this was the first man making her melt with his single-minded kiss. Every swipe of his

tongue felt like a new explosion rocking her system.

He moved his lips from her mouth and continued kissing her jaw, licking and sucking up to her

earlobe.

“You are so fucking sexy, Emi.”

Good lord, she wouldn’t be able to handle much more of those low, raspy words by her ear…

or the way he started tugging and her top and gliding his hands underneath to feel on her belly. She

had rolls. She was a big, big girl. A big girl that loved her body. She had no issues with self-esteem

or any of that non-sense. Her mother having been a curvy dancer and had instilled in her a pride in her

curves and how beautiful different bodies were. She had large thighs and chubby feet. Heck, even her

arms were quite big, but instead of focusing on that, at that moment all she focused on was how

fucking sexy he made her feel.

She clutched at his shirt and pulled up, stopping him from removing her top first. His T-shirt

came off, and she sighed at the first sight of his lean muscles. She wasn’t a woman wooed by a man’s

physique. Had he been a big guy like her, she’d still have found him just as sexy, but the way his abs

shifted when she touched them made her clit throb.

“You’ve got such an amazing body,” she whispered.

“Fuck my body. It’s yours I want naked.” He tugged at her top and removed it quickly. Her bra

followed. He inhaled sharply and cupped her breasts. “This. Fucking gorgeous.”

He pushed her tits together and brought his face down to her chest, sucking a nipple into his

mouth and groaning as he did.

She arched her back and pushed her tits into his face. Jesus, that felt good. “Oh, god, you do

that so well.”

A low rumble sounded from him, and he moved to her other breast. She opened her eyes,

unsure when the hell she’d closed them, and realized she was digging her nails into his shoulders.

He continued his decadent sucking of her nipple and slid his hands down to her skirt, pushing

the material up her legs until he reached her panties. At first, he rubbed a finger over her wet crotch,

and she shuddered. Then he pressed harder. Her pussy ached with the need to be fucked. She wanted

him so damn bad. It had been too long since the last time she’d had sex, and even longer since she’d

had good sex.

“Please, Zander,” she gasped.

He let go of her nipple, but not before he got a last, stinging bite. “Please what?”

She pushed closer to the edge of the counter. “Fuck me.”

He inhaled deep and licked from her breast up to her neck, grabbing her panties by the center

of the crotch and yanking. “First, I need to eat you up like the sweetest fucking dessert. The scent of

your pussy wanting my cock is driving me crazy.”

The sound of the panties tearing didn’t bother her a bit. In fact, it excited her to know he could

reach her sex with nothing in the way. “Zander...”

“Lean back for me, love,” he said, lifting her legs up to place her feet at the edge of the

counter and then glancing down at her pussy. “Yes. See, this is what I mean. Look at you.” He slid his

finger between her pussy lips, gliding it up to her clit and then down to her entrance. “So wet. So

slick. So fucking ready for me to feast on.”

A heartbeat later, his lips were on her, tasting and driving her mindless with pleasure. He

licked up and down her sex, rolling his tongue in circles over her clit. She gripped his hair, holding

on to him in order not to lose her balance. Her belly quivered. Her temperature rose to feverish heat.

Everything sounded far away. All she could hear was her own breathing growing rougher and louder

in her head.

“God, yes. Lick my pussy,” she heard herself say. She wasn’t shy in sex, but she could not

stop herself from urging him on. The way he glided his tongue on her folds had her toes curling tight.

“Eat me.”

His head rose from between her legs, and she almost came at the sight of his eyes bright gold

and his face wet with her body’s essence. “I’ll do more than eat your delicious pussy, Emi. I’ll make

you come. Hard. And then I’ll pound you until you come on my dick too. Want that?” he asked,

rubbing his finger in circles at her entrance before dipping it in and out of her slowly. “Want me to get

your sexy body shaking and coming on my face, and then fuck you so hard you lose the ability to

walk?”

She gulped a moan. Her breaths pumped hard out of her lungs. It was almost impossible to

reply to him. “Yes. Do. It.”

“Ah, baby. Maybe that’s not good enough,” he chuckled. “Maybe you want me to make you

forget how to breathe when I suck your clit and get you to come for me. Does that sound better?” He

grinned. “Or are you looking forward to feeling my cock spread your cunt open and claim you?” He

pushed the fingers deeper inside her. “Ah, you really are fucking hot. I want my cock inside you. I

want to feel your pussy gripping tight, clinging to me and begging me to make you come.”

Oh, hell. “I can live with that too.”

He dropped his head back between her legs and sucked her clit so hard her ass came off the

counter. She choked on a whimper. Tension mounted inside her, winding around her limbs and

holding her stiff. He flicked his tongue over her pleasure button and fingered her pussy. She was so

close to diving off that ledge, to taking the leap and swimming in the ocean of pleasure.

“Mmm,” he rumbled. “Can’t get enough of your taste. Want your pussy squirting on my mouth.

Your scent on my tongue.”

SEVEN

Another suck of her clit and there was no controlling her limbs. She let out a low cry of

delight as every sensation possible swept through her. Pleasure, pain, shock, need, and hope all

flowed out of her heart. She gasped, trying to catch her breath and clinging to his hair to keep her

shaking legs from falling off the counter.

He licked at her channel, dipping his tongue deep into her and rumbling his pleasure. She

blinked her eyes open and didn’t bother wondering when she’d closed them this time. Zander should

come with a warning label: “Might make you forget what the hell is going on” or “You’ll need oxygen

after he’s done with you.”

She almost laughed at her own humor, except she could barely hold a breath. She got to a

sitting position and pulled his head from licking his way up her body to her mouth. She wanted a kiss.

A deep, raw, hungry kiss that would tame some of the need for him inside her. She took the reins,

dipping her tongue into his mouth, tasting herself. A low groan reverberated from his chest. He helped

her down to her feet and slid his hands down her back, grabbing handfuls of her ass cheeks.

The kiss grew hotter. Dirtier. Louder. She sucked at his tongue and loved how he dipped in

and pulled back, adding to her need for more. Sex had been pretty good in the past, but not this wild,

not this desperate, nowhere near this demanding desire to be taken by a man. She tugged at his fly and

lowered his zipper, pushing his jeans down and circling his erection with her hand. She’d yet to see

it, but what she felt was massive. And hot. Smooth, hot steel.

She jerked up his length in her hand, and his body tensed. He broke their kiss and met her

gaze. “Now. My cock. Your pussy.”

She nodded, her body already halfway toward her next orgasm.

He flipped her to face the counter, pushing her to lean on it. She spread her legs open and

grabbed the other end of the counter for support. Suddenly, he grabbed her large thighs and lifted her

off the ground. She squealed and tensed. Dammit, these stupid shifter men’s ability to lift a woman

like she weighed nothing was messing with her head.

“Relax, beautiful,” he grunted at the same time he pushed into her, filling her pussy with his

cock in one quick, hard drive. She couldn’t feel the floor, and all she could do was cling to the other

end of the counter and hope he didn’t drop her. “Fuck, Emi. You’re so wet and slick. Your pussy

slurped my cock right up.”

She gulped, loving how full she felt. “Oh, my god, you’re insane.”

“Ah, baby. If wanting to fuck you until you can barely stand and leave you full of my cum is

crazy then yes. I’m fucking crazy for you.”

She lifted her feet up to the edge of the bottom drawer on her counter and used it for leverage,

so she wouldn’t feel like she was getting fucked while flying. There was no way in hell she was

Superwoman. Although she’d willingly give Zander a trophy for the best man to do her in a long time.

He pulled back, almost taking his dick all out, and then drove forward, grinding his pelvis into

hers.

“My god!”

“That’s it, baby. Take my cock. You feel so fucking good. Tight and wet.” He pulled back and

plunged deep again. “I love the heat of your pussy surrounding me. I want to fill that tight little hole

with my cum.”

She moaned, clawing at the other end of the counter and gasping for breath. “Zander...”

“Yes. Say my name, Emi. Tell me to fuck your tight little cunt and fill you with my scent. Tell

me.”

“Yes, yes! I want you. Fuck me and fill me,” she groaned.

He gripped her hips, fucking her deeper. Harder. Raw. Her pussy felt aflame. Every thrust

was an explosion shooting up her spine.

He bit his fingers into her hips. She swore blades were digging into her flesh. Then he slowed

down. He pumped deep. And again. Faster. Tension snapped inside her, taking her breath away. She

choked a moan out and clung to the counter, her body shuddering with the force of her climax. He

licked up her spine and drove deep one final time before stopping and roaring by her ear, filling her

with his cum.

His cock pulsed inside. Jets of his semen continued shooting into her channel. A loud rumble

sounded from his chest, making her back vibrate. He pulled out of her slowly, leaving her feeling like

his cock had imprinted itself in her. As soon as he pulled out, she felt his semen slide down her

thighs. She let go of the counter and tried putting her feet on the ground for all of two seconds before

he lifted her back in his arms.

“Bedroom?”

She curled her arms around his neck and grinned. “Behind us.”

He carried her to the room. Well. She didn’t usually bring men home. If this was going to be a

one-night stand, the night was still young. She grinned, her emotions much too exposed for her own

good, but she didn’t care. She didn’t know him, but her instinct told her he was exactly what she

needed in her life—a new and interesting man to pull her out of the sadness of losing the club.

Zander’s golden gaze held her entranced. She saw the beast in the depths of his eyes. Instead of

scaring her, it made her want to know more about him.

“Now I want to lay you on the bed and lick every inch of your gorgeous curves,” he said,

opening the door to her room.

Yeah. This was a really good idea.

EIGHT

Zander couldn’t help the grin. Hell, he knew that as far as he was concerned, he’d found the

woman for him. Emi was perfect in every way. Now all he had to do was spend time getting to know

her better.

He entered his office and thought about the club. Soon, he’d have Charlie’s Deux under his

management. He already had the plans drawn up. Today he’d go visit the flower shop early to see if

the owner was there. Sneaking a chance to see Emi so soon had nothing to do with his impromptu

visit.

He sat down, the weight of his body barely hitting the seat cushion when his phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Zander, hi. It’s Vanessa.” She was his brother Cash’s mate. He’d gotten to know her the past

few weeks. He liked Vanessa and her infectious smile and laughter. She was good for Cash.

“Hi, Vanessa. Everything okay?”

She didn’t normally call him, so he wondered what was going on.

“Not really. You see, my dad made a mistake. When he offered up Charlie’s Deux to your

father, he didn’t tell him that my cousin was going to open it at her flower shop.”

He leaned back in his chair, visualizing Emi’s smile and the twinkle in her eyes when she

laughed. “I understand, but your father has agreed that having us back the new club would be better

for Charlie’s.”

“That’s all great except for the fact my cousin had been expecting to be the one opening the

club. She’d been working on all kinds of licenses, and by Tigris taking over, she’s pretty much left

out in the cold.”

“I’m sorry, Vanessa. It’s nothing personal, I’m sure. Business is this way. You have to go with

whoever will be the best management of the club. Maybe your cousin is not the right person for this

project.”

“I don’t agree,” she said, sounding exasperated. “My father made a decision years ago and is

now backing out so he can give your father what he wants. And as much as I love Vincent, I think this

is wrong. I think you, being the project manager, should let him see that taking someone’s dream away

from them is not the way to move forward in any business.”

He thought about his love for Charlie’s and how badly he wanted the club for himself. It had

been his only request of his father since he started going to Charlie’s. Now that he had the opportunity

to make his own dream come true, he couldn’t find it in him to feel bad.

“I’ll speak to my father. I make no promises. You know how hardheaded he can be.”

She sighed. “Yes, I know. Please try. I don’t think it’s fair that she had put in a proposal first

and gets shoved to the back of the bus for your family name. No offense. I love you all. And I am not

forgetting I’m giving my own name up soon to take Cash’s, but a deal’s a deal.”

She was right. A deal was a deal. If he’d made the deal with Charlie first, he’d be pissed that

the old man changed plans for someone else. Now all he could do was talk to Vincent. But first he’d

go visit the florist. See if she and he could work something out.

“I’ll talk to you later. Thanks for calling.”

He readied to stand again when his office door opened, and his father walked with an angry

scowl.

“Have you had any luck with the florist?”

“I haven’t met her yet. I met her employee, Emi.”

Vincent’s brows flew up. “Emi?”

“Yeah. She was there last night. Owner had left already.” He tried to stop the grin threatening

to come loose, but his father noticed.

“Tell me about this Emi.”

“Dad, I know what you’re thinking. Stay out of it.” He picked up his sunglasses and readied to

walk to the door. “I don’t need you to do anything to hook me up. I can find my own mate.”

Vincent nodded. “I’m sure you can. You’re the biggest and strongest of my boys.”

Zander grinned. His father actually thought he couldn’t read the reverse psychology going on.

“Thanks, Dad. Glad you agree.”

“Where are you going now?”

“To meet with the owner of the shop. See if I can get her to sell.”

Vincent coughed. “Leave that, son. Why not call up this Emi girl and take her to the park

inside the building?”

Being a shifter hotel meant they got a lot of people wanting to let their animals roam in forest-

like conditions. It was why they’d created a massive indoor park taking up three floors above the

lobby and extending out above the parking area. They’d even created a man-made waterfall and pool

where guests could swim as their animals without the worry of humans.

“You’re right. That’s a great idea. Humans don’t normally get to see that area of the hotel.”

Vincent nodded. “Exactly. Give the florist a day or two to cool off for not getting the club.

You never know what tomorrow will bring.”

He stopped and returned to his desk. He’d set up a picnic in the park. That would be a nice

way to get Emi out.

“I’ll see you later, son,” Vincent said, a wide smile on his lips.

Zander couldn’t fault him. He hadn’t tried hard enough to disguise his interest in Emi. He’d

have an area by one of the waterfalls closed off for them.

A quick call to his assistant and he had food and drinks being set up in his favorite spot.

NINE

Emi sighed. Her stomach grumbled in hunger. She’d been setting up masses of arrangements

for some of the largest hotels, and now she could barely move. Her arms were tired, and she wanted

to eat. Her thoughts zoomed to Zander. Oh, good lord, of all men with amazing cocks. He’d left early

that morning, but not without leaving her trembling and shaking in the bed. He’d picked up her cell

phone and added his contact information to make sure she had it. And before he left, he’d kissed the

daylights out of her.

The stupid man had made her heart flutter and get all kinds of ideas about romance and love.

She could have sworn she’d mentally talked herself into a one-night stand. Lord, she didn’t even

know his last name, and now that she’d had his mouth all over her body, it felt wrong to ask him.

The sound of her cell phone ringing knocked her out of the daydreams of feeling like she was

too easy for her own good. Seeing Zander’s name pop up on the screen made her forget all about

food.

“Hello?”

“Hello, beautiful.”

She curled a hand around the edge of the table she worked on and rubbed one foot atop the

other. Great. He wasn’t even physically there, and she was all fidgety.

“Hi. How are you?”

Oh, brother. She needed to snap out of it. Just because he was sexy and fucking amazing in bed

didn’t mean she had to get all stupid shy.

“I’m good. I wanted to ask if you haven’t had lunch, can you come over and eat with me?

There’s something I want to show you.”

Lovely. Why did her mind immediately think of his words as an invitation to see him naked?

She glanced around at the work she still had to do. She should eat a protein bar and continue working,

but instead she found herself saying yes.

“I’d love to grab some lunch. I can meet you at the hotel in about ten minutes.”

Who knew that a man with a pretty face and a big penis could get her to be so unprofessional?

Just as well, it was her business. Besides, she hadn’t had enough penis in her life to feel guilty over

it.

She ran to the back of the building and thanked her cousin for pushing her to get a shower put

in by her office. After taking the quickest shower in the world, she put on a spare sundress from the

clothes she kept there and headed for Striped.

The casino was amazing. Unlike the tons of lights in other hotels, Striped was decorated in

earth tones. From dark-brown carpeting and tiles with specks of gold, to tree trunks being used for

columns all over the lobby, the hotel felt like being out in the wild. It was awesome.

She met Zander by the VIP area. Her breath came faster. She wasn’t sure what to say, but

didn’t get a chance to figure it out. He grabbed her by the waist, pulled her in, and dropped his head

down to hers. The kiss was fast, intense, and hot. For a second there, she forgot all about being in the

middle of a public area. He hugged her into him, pressing their bodies close and sucking the breath

out of her lungs. There was an invasion of his tongue into her mouth. Hunger broke free in her chest.

She wanted more. Wanted him. Then, he was gone. His lips separated from her, and she almost

cursed at him for stopping.

“Come on,” he said, grabbing her hand and engulfing it with his much larger, hotter one.

She blinked and nodded. Sure. Pretending to be fine worked too.

They got into an elevator, and he used a card to press a P button. She wondered if he’d

changed his mind about staying in and was taking her to the parking area. The elevator opened, and

she gasped. She’d swear they were outside, but they weren’t. There were trees everywhere. It was

like suddenly opening the door, and the forest was inside. She could hear birds chirping, and glancing

up, she noticed the roof was glass, which allowed the sun to shine in but gave the hotel the ability to

control the temperature from the horrific Vegas heat.

“This is amazing!” She watched the floor change from tile to dirt and grass. “I had no idea this

hotel had this inside.”

He laughed and motioned for her to follow. “The park is in the furthest area back of the hotel

while still keeping both connected. We are actually right above the parking area.”

“This is unreal,” she said, glancing all over the place and trying to figure out how there was a

forest in the hotel. “Do people know this is here?”

He nodded. “Guests do. Shifters are the only ones allowed back here.”

She gasped. “Wow, you must have pulled some strings to get me in here, huh?”

“Yes, yes I did. And I expect to be rewarded handsomely,” he joked.

They reached a sectioned-off area with a metal door. He put in a security code, and they got to

go across. On the other side, she stopped in her tracks.

“That’s not really a waterfall, is it?” She squealed.

“It is.”

“Holy shit!” She gazed at the clear water with amazement. Heck, she wished she could throw

herself into the inviting water and cool off from the crazy heat. “This is just... Wow.”

“Do you like it?” He guided her to the left, where a big fluffy blanket lay on the floor set up

with a bottle of something in a bucket of ice. Plastic containers of what looked like food and utensils

had been wrapped in napkins.

She glanced from the floor to him. “You did this?”

“I didn’t necessarily do it. I just made a few calls and hoped you’d like to enjoy a nice meal

by the water.”

She threw her arms around his neck and gave him a hug. The pitter patter of her heart sang

with joy. This was beyond dangerous. Her emotions were all over the place when it came to him. He

was being incredibly romantic and thoughtful.

“Thank you so much,” she said, gazing into his bright, golden eyes.

“I’m glad you like it.”

He led her to the blanket and even went as far as helping her sit on the cushions someone had

laid out for them. He sat down next to her and immediately set on opening the bottle of wine and

pouring her a glass.

“I’m really impressed with this spread.” Shit. She was ready to toss her panties at him and

hopefully have him realize she wanted to get her freak on as soon as possible. The longer she stared

at his sexy grin, the more she wanted to lick her way up his body. She took a sip of her wine and

licked her lips, tasting the smooth light flavor of the white. “You must have some pull in this place. I

can’t even imagine what it would take to get permission to do this.”

“It’s not pull.” He shrugged and handed her a plate with chicken, a roll, and some salad. She

took a bite of the Caesar salad and almost came on the spot.

“This has to be the best Caesar salad ever. It’s so light and perfect.” She moaned as she ate

another bite of her food. “You cannot tell me you don’t have pull. I bet the owner has to like you.”

He lifted his own wine to his lips and winked at her. “He kind of does, but he’s known me for

over thirty years, so he might be biased.”

She raised her brows in surprise. “Wow. You’ve known the owner that long?”

He frowned and then laughed. “That’s right. We never did get around to last names. Zander

Tigris,” he said, lifting her hand to his lips. “At your service, gorgeous.”

TEN

“Wait, what?” She blinked, yanked her hand back, and frowned. “You’re a Tigris? You’re

one of them?” She knew her voice was rising with anger, but she couldn’t help it. He was one of the

people who had taken her dream of owning Charlie’s out of her hands.

Zander took the plate before it flipped on her lap. “Do you have something against the

Tigrises?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. You suck!”

His brows drew down in a frown. “Why do you say that?”

“You people and your money. You got Charlie to give you the rights to opening up my club.

My club,” she snapped watching recognition light his eyes. “That’s right. I was supposed to open up

Charlie’s Deux, but got bypassed for you!”

She shoved the glass into the holder in the empty basket and jumped to her feet. “You should

be ashamed of yourself. I worked damn hard to get that club. I’ve been working sixteen-hour days to

make my mother’s dream come true, and instead you get it because of your last name.” She curled her

hands into fists at her sides. “Thanks for stealing my dream.”

She stormed off, fury riding hot in her veins. She had no idea where she was going. They’d

walked a while, and all she saw was trees, but as long as she got away from him then she’d be fine.

A hand shot out of nowhere and grabbed her arm. She screeched, and he whirled her around to

face him.

“Emi, wait!”

“Let me go, you asshole! You and your dad ruined my life!” Her throat started closing, and her

eyes welled up. She wasn’t going to fucking cry in front of him. No way in hell. She should have

known this was too good to be true. Him, with all his romance and amazing sex. It was all a façade.

“I didn’t know. I had no idea it was you,” he said, pulling her into his arms and holding her

immobile.

“Who cares who it was? I had a contract that was ignored, because you people wanted the

club and had more money than me. Do you really think that’s fair?”

He stared at her for a long, quiet moment before shaking his head. “No. It’s not fair. You’re

right. Whether it was you or someone else, this was yours first.”

“It doesn’t matter, because Uncle Charlie told me he’d given you all the go ahead,” she said,

losing some of her steam. She couldn’t be fully angry at just them. Charlie was in charge. He had

taken things out of her hands, too. She glanced down, pushing back the need to let the tears flow. “Let

me go. This wouldn’t work anyway.”

He raised a hand to her face and cupped her cheek, lifting it in the process, for her to look at

him. “Why not? We have something. A connection. You feel it, and I do, too. I didn’t want to scare

you with talks of mating, but you’re the one I want.”

She knew very well how shifters worked. Mating meant forever. The idea should have

terrified her, but instead it excited her. An hour ago she’d have been over the moon, but now she

knew he was the one who ripped her heart out. The club didn’t feel like it had in the past. The sole

dream. Since talking to him, Zander had somehow wormed his way into her heart so fast she’d been

caught unawares by the flood of emotions choking her at that moment.

“It just wouldn’t, Zander.”

“We can work. You know we can. Before the talks of Charlie’s, there was just us, and you

know you want me as much as I want you. I want to be with you, and nobody else. Does it sound

crazy? Probably to a human to hear a man say that after a few days it does. But I know for a fact there

will be nobody else in the world I will ever want to be with besides you. No one.”

She gulped at the knot in her throat. “Charlie’s...”

He shook his head. “No. Charlie’s is not even a project. We can work together on this.”

She licked her lips and tried to figure out what he meant. “Together?”

“Yes. Mates. Business partners. We can both have Charlie’s Deux and see our dreams made

into a reality. We can make it exactly what we want. As long as we do it together.”

Hope pushed hard at her chest. She wanted to agree, to say yes so bad, but she had worked so

hard, for so long, on making that dream a reality.

“The reason I want to open a second Charlie’s is because of the women.”

She frowned, no longer fighting to get out of his hold. “The women?”

He grinned. “Yes. My mother taught a class once to humans about positive body image. When

I went to Charlie’s and saw how revered curves were in there, I realized we needed more of that in

the world. More men showing love to women’s bodies, instead of making them feel insecure and

upset.” He caressed her cheek, down to her neck, and hooked his hand around the back of her head.

“Charlie’s is a place to worship curves. Women feel good working there. Men love being there. The

atmosphere is about a new level of sexy. Beauty. Not society’s standards. The personal one.”

She nodded. “My mother worked there. She met my dad at Charlie’s. It was one of the things

she loved to talk about. For a long time, she felt unhappy with her body, until she went there and saw

how special her curves were.”

He smiled softly. “In a society of perfection, Charlie’s did something no other club did. It

embraced curves, large hips, big asses, and any rolls women usually felt insecure about. It brought

sexy back to being about what shines from within with a love for real women. I wanted to be a part of

that.”

She curled her lips up in a small grin. “I do too.”

“We can do it. Together. Be my mate. My partner. Let’s teach more people to love their

curves.”

Her smile widened over her lips. “When you put it like that, it’s kind of hard to say no.”

“Good,” he said, cupping her face with both hands and tugging her to him. “Don’t say no. Say

yes.”

His head lowered to hers, followed by a quick, almost non-existent brush of his lips on hers.

“Yes,” she said. “I’ll be your mate and partner.”

Their lips meshed in a rubbing of tongues. Lust sparked bright inside her. She clung to his

shirt and allowed him to take control of the kiss, to brand her with his lips, and she even sucked his

groan in with her breath, her chest quaking with the rumble.

Life was all about taking chances. She looked forward to a lot more time with Zander.

Thoughts of a long-term relationship with him filled her heart with joy.

EPILOGUE

Vincent stood to greet his guest. “Thank you for coming, friend.”

“You’re welcome,” Charlie grinned.

“You know, we are very good, working as a team.” Vincent walked to his bar and poured

himself and Charlie some whiskey.

“When you first told me about your crazy idea to get your sons mated, I had serious doubts

your plans would work.”

Vincent nodded. “I know. Ye of little faith. But I showed you, huh?”

Charlie nodded and took the glass from Vincent, clinking it with his. “You sure did. Now my

lovely Vanessa is mated. My sweet Gabriella, who’s like a daughter, is finally doing what she wants

with that dance studio. My niece Emilia is getting Charlie’s Deux and a protector.”

Vincent took a sip of his drink and sighed. “Those kids were a handful, but we showed them

who’s boss. And Suzanne didn’t think I could pull it off.”

Charlie snorted. “I hate to admit it, but I didn’t think we’d pull it off.”

“You know kids nowadays are too busy with stuff to realize we parents know what’s good for

them.”

“That’s right. Every time I tried to explain to one of them they needed a partner, they gave me

some excuse about not finding the right men. Took me and you to find them the right people for each

other.”

Vincent shook Charlie’s hand. “Too bad I don’t have any more kids.”

Charlie raised his brows. “I’d really like some grandkids, though.”

Vincent nodded slowly, a plan already forming. “Yes. I agree. Let’s see what we can do about

making sure they all have plenty of time alone together.”

Raising three tigers had been no easy task. Finding them mates had been harder than he’d

thought. Getting the grandkids he wanted? That would require the big guns. Time to get his wife to

help him out.

THE END

C

HECK

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HER PURRFECT MATCH

CURVES

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TALL DARK AND PANTHER

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–

BOOK

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FUR

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GOTTEN

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BOOK

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STRIPE

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T

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4.3

A

BOUT

THE

A

UTHOR

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Milly Taiden (AKA April Angel) loves to

write sexy stories. How sexy? So sexy they will surely make your e-reader sizzle. Usually
paranormal or contemporary, her stories are a great, quick way to satisfy your craving for fun
heroines with curves and sexy alphas with fur.

Milly lives in New York City with her hubby, their boy child, and their little dog “Needy

Speedy.” She’s aware she’s bossy and is addicted to shoe shopping, chocolate (but who isn’t, right?),
and Dunkin’ Donuts coffee.

She loves to meet new readers!

SIGN UP FOR MILLY’S NEWSLETTER FOR LATEST NEWS!

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Find out more about Milly Taiden here:

Email: [e-mail]

Website:

http://www.millytaiden.com

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/millytaidenpage

Twitter:

https://www.twitter.com/millytaiden

If you liked this story, you might also enjoy the following by Milly Taiden:

Sassy Mates Series

Scent of a Mate Sassy Mates Book One

A Mate’s Bite Sassy Mates Book Two

Unexpectedly Mated Sassy Mates Book Three

A Sassy Wedding Short 3.7

The Mate Challenge Sassy Mates Book Four

Sassy in Diapers Short 4.3

Federal Paranormal Unit

Wolf Protector Federal Paranormal Unit Book One

Dangerous Protector Federal Paranormal Unit Book Two

Black Meadow Pack

Sharp Change Black Meadows Pack Book One

Caged Heat Black Meadows Pack Book Two

Paranormal Dating Agency

Twice the Growl Book One

Geek Bearing Gifts Book Two

The Purrfect Match Book Three

Curves ‘Em Right Book Four

Tall, Dark and Panther Book Five

FUR-ocious Lust - Bears

Fur-Bidden Book One

Fur-Gotten Book Two

Fur-Given Book Three

FUR-ocious Lust - Tigers

Stripe-Tease Book Four

Stripe-Search Book Five

Other Works

Wolf Fever

Fate’s Wish

Wynter’s Captive

Sinfully Naughty Vol. 1

Club Duo Boxed Set

Don’t Drink and Hex

Hex Gone Wild

Hex and Kisses

Hex You Up (coming soon)

Hex with an Ex (coming soon)

Alpha Owned

Bitten by Night

Seduced by Days

Mated by Night

Taken by Night

Captured by Night (coming soon)

Match Made in Hell

Hellhound Needs a Mate (coming soon)

If you enjoyed the book, please consider leaving a review, even if it's only a line or two; it

would make all the difference and would be very much appreciated.

Thank you!