STRIPE-SEARCH

FUR-OCIOUS LUST SHORTS (TIGERS)

BOOK 5

NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

MILLY TAIDEN

EXCERPTS, AND MORE!

http://eepurl.com/pt9q1

Gabriella Cantur is a curvy dancer who’s not interested in hooking up. No way, no how. As a matter of fact, she’s too busy being a big

sister to have a life. When her lying brother gets into trouble, it’s Gabby who’s going to pay the price. Suddenly the girl who grew up

feeling unwanted is chased by the sexiest tiger she’s ever seen.

Slade Tigris knew the moment he saw Gabriella, she was his. What he needed was a way to strip her naked and show her just how

much he wanted her. Thanks to good old dad’s meddling, he might just get that and then some.

Falling for a shifter was never in Gabby’s plans, but Slade is gnawing through her walls and making her heart skip a beat. Who knew she

had a soft spot for pussy? Now all she needs to do is get rid of the pesky man accusing her of being a thief before her big kitty mauls

someone to death.

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-Search

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

May 2015

—For Tonya

Gone but never forgotten. I love you.

ONE

Gabriella Cantur knew she shouldn’t have gone to the casino with her costume still on. The

fact that she wore a long, pink-satin trench didn’t help. She hated the damn thing and felt it only gave

her curves extra attention. Oh, it wasn’t that she didn’t adore her body. She did. One thousand

percent. What she didn’t like was that the pink was so bright it made her eyes water. The coat had

been a gift from her brother, and she didn’t have it in her to refuse the ugly thing.

She sucked back the frustration from having to leave her job to go searching for Joel. Again.

The constant sounds of slot machines and music surrounded her, along with laughter and cheers.

Striped hotel was better known for being a massive, non-smoking casino that catered to the shifter

community. Gabriella knew to stay away from that kind. They were big and dangerous. Yet here she

was, in the center of their playpen, thanks to Joel.

Bypassing rows of slots until she reached the roped-off back section of higher bet table

games, she tried hard not to growl at anyone who got in her way. A woman bumped into her and clung

to Gabriella’s jacket for a second.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Gabriella helped the woman steady herself and not fall on her face. She had just gotten the

woman to straighten up when she took a step back and a waitress tripped, flinging a tray of drinks on

Gabby’s trench. In the blink of an eye, she was bathed in so many beers she smelled like a brewery.

She couldn’t believe her luck was this bad.

“Oh, my god!” the waitress screeched. “I am so sorry!” she said, wiping the liquid off

Gabby’s coat. “I didn’t see you there.”

Right. Because a bright-as-hell pink trench didn’t stand out in a casino.

Gabby took deep breaths and tried not to take out her anger with her brother on the waitress.

She shook her head and gave a tight smile. “It’s ok. I’ll be fine.”

She pushed the waitress’s hands away and headed for the poker tables.

There he was. Joel sat ten feet away with a group of men, shoving the last of his poker chips

into a giant pile. She curled her hands into fists and marched toward the table when someone stood up

and slammed a hand over Joel’s.

“He’s cheating.”

Oh, god. Her stomach did an instant flip, and bile shot up her throat, burning her with its

acidity. “Joel?”

The other men at the table stood. All had varying degrees of gold in their eyes. One man in

particular held her attention, with his short blond hair and intense, golden gaze. His jaw clenched

tight, and he held up his hand on the men approaching from all sides.

Joel turned at that moment, guilt written all over his face. “What are you doing here?”

She shook her head, trying desperately to hold back the anger that made her want to hit him.

“Are you out of your mind? You’re gambling? You haven’t bought your daughter food in days, and

you’re gambling?”

“Mind your business, Gabby,” he muttered.

“No!” She ignored the security men surrounding her and the fact that the sexy man was

watching her. “You are my business. She’s my business.”

“You shouldn’t be here. I didn’t ask you to come here!” he threw back. “I don’t need you

babysitting me.”

“The hell you don’t!” She motioned to the people surrounding them. “This doesn’t look good

right now, Joel. What the fuck did you do?”

“He cheated,” someone said.

Fucking hell. So what she heard had been right. Her idiot brother had decided to cheat when

there was no way he’d get out of it alive—not in this place filled with shifters. He had to be high to

come up with a stupid plan like this one.

“You’re going to have to come with us,” said one of the security guys.

Then, when she thought shit couldn’t get worse, a man yelled from the roped-off section.

“That’s the woman!”

She turned around and saw two other security guys with the woman who’d bumped into her

not more than ten minutes before, and a giant of a man walking alongside her. The woman appeared

shaken and scared, something Gabby hadn’t noticed before when she’d bumped into her.

“What’s going on, guys?” Asked the hot-blond guy with piercing eyes.

“She stole my wife’s winnings,” said the giant walking beside the woman.

“Excuse me?” Gabby gasped. “Are you out of your mind?”

“Look lady, I saw you bump into my wife earlier. She had a ticket in her hand, and when she

finally came back to me, she didn’t have it. You must have stolen it.” The man might be big, but he

sounded like total jerk. With a black tank top to show off his over-bulging muscles. He looked like

he’d walked out of a weight-training room.

“Are you fucking drunk?” Gabby asked, now getting pissed that the man continued saying

she’d done something she clearly hadn’t. “First of all, your wife bumped into me, you asshole. And

second of all, what the hell would I want her winning ticket for?”

“You’re a thief,” the man said. “That ticket was worth almost three thousand dollars.”

“Yelling isn’t going to get us anywhere,” hot blond man said. “Trys, Mike. Take the couple to

one of your offices.” Then he glanced at Gabby and Joel. “You two will come with me. My father

wants to meet with you.”

“You shouldn’t have come, Gabby!” Joel hissed.

“Shut up! Keep talking, and I will bash your head in.” She knew Joel would understand she

wasn’t in the mood if she used her usual line on him. She’d never put a hand on her brother, so when

she said that, it meant she was angry and didn’t want to talk.

The group was split, with two guards taking Joel in one elevator and sexy blond and another

guard taking her in a second one. They went up two floors. The doors opened to a large office. It was

a bit confusing since she expected a hallway leading to an office, not coming out into the office itself.

A man that looked a hell of a lot like hot blond stood in the center of the room. “Gabriella

Cantur, right?”

She nodded, pretty sure he had done a background check before she even got up to his office.

“And you are?”

He grinned, his smile wide with enjoyment. “Vincent Tigris. But please, call me Vincent.”

TWO

She gulped. Holy shit. She was in trouble now. She’d heard about Tigris. He owned half of

Las Vegas, and some said he made people disappear if they ever crossed him by breaking his trust

or...stealing. Stupid Joel.

Vincent glanced over her shoulder at the men standing behind her. “Gentlemen, please leave

us. I need to speak to Ms. Cantur for a few minutes.”

She glanced at sexy blond man and saw him hesitate. He stared at her, his gaze so bright and

deep she almost forgot there were others there with them.

“Slade. You too, son.”

Slade. What a name. It went with him: strong, powerful, sexy. Okay, so maybe the name had

nothing to do with any of that, but he was all of the above, and she saw it from a single look. He took

a step toward her, and as if realizing what he was doing, stopped and nodded at his father.

She stared longingly after him, wishing him back but knowing she’d have to deal with the big

man before she was able to get Joel out of there. That’s if Vincent was willing to be understanding to

her plight.

“Come, Gabriella. Have a seat.”

She turned to Vincent and followed him to a seating area to the right of his massive office.

“Mr. Tigris. I didn’t steal anything. I don’t know what the guy was going on about, but that wasn’t

me.”

He nodded and didn’t say anything, only stared at her for a few moments with an odd

expression on his face.

“You work at Charlie’s, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve seen you there a few times. He and I go way back.”

Oh, good. Maybe he would be more understanding to her problem. “Mr. Tigris—”

“Vincent, please. Mr. Tigris reminds me of my father.”

“Sorry. Vincent. My brother has gambling problems. He needs help, and I’m trying to get it for

him. I’m really sorry he tried to cheat today. Just tell me how much he owes, and I’ll take care of it.”

She wasn’t rich, but dancing at Charlie’s had allowed her to save a lot of money. She wasn’t

into the extravagant lifestyle. Her one vice was traveling, and she hadn’t done that in a while.

Watching over Joel and making sure he paid his child support was like a second full-time job most of

the time.

“Five hundred thousand dollars,” he said and stood by the bar next to the sofa. He filled a

tumbler with something and passed it to her. “I think you need a sip of this.”

Half a million dollars? Joel had bet money he didn’t have. He’d bet money she didn’t have.

What the hell was she going to do? Her damn house wasn’t worth that much money. She glanced

down at the amber liquid swishing back and forth in the glass and blinked. Then she lifted it to her

lips and took a giant gulp, letting it burn as it went down. She didn’t drink—ever—so for her to do it

now was a sign of weakness she wasn’t fond of.

“Now don’t stress about the money. I’m sure we can figure something out.”

She snorted and then slapped a hand over her mouth. “Sorry, but there’s nothing that can be

done. Joel doesn’t have that, and neither do I.” Shit. She’d thought her hundred grand in savings was a

big deal, but not when it came to her brother’s debts. Charlie’s paid well, but not that well.

“There is something you can do, but it will require a commitment from you to see my request

through, or I won’t forgive your brother’s debt. The first thing is that Slade will handle getting your

brother help. If what you say is true, and I have no reason not to believe you, he should go to rehab

and have the problem addressed. Second, my son needs a mate.”

She raised her brows and stared at the handsome older man like he’d grown a second head.

“A what? A what?”

“A mate.”

She knew well and good what a mate was. That didn’t mean she was going to sell herself to a

tiger for her brother’s debt. No fucking way!

“Look, Mister… Vincent. I don’t think your son would appreciate having his father finding a

woman for him.”

Vincent waived a hand dismissively. “My sons are too slow, at least according to my wife.

She wants to see them with children. Happily mated.”

“But I thought with shifters the animal decided who the right partner for them is?”

He nodded. “This is true. But I can tell you’d be perfect for him.”

He had to be crazy. “Thanks for the offer Mr. Tigris, but I’ll pass. I like men who ask me out

themselves, without their dads doing the foot work. I’ll get the money some other way.” Maybe she

could get a mortgage on her house or even beg Charlie to help. Something had to work.

He sighed. “Okay, that didn’t work. I guess I will give you another option before I have to

send your brother to jail for cheating. I don’t like seeing how upset you’re getting over this.”

She gulped. Hell. She’d been refusing stuff like she had options. “Look, whatever it is, I’ll do

it. But don’t ask me to be your son’s girlfriend. That sounds really weird, considering how hot he is

and the fact he’s also a grown man.”

Vincent laughed. “Then you will not mind two weeks of filling in for Slade’s assistant. She is

out on vacation, and the lack of help is making my son cranky.”

She’d bet. His gorgeous face appeared carved from stone. “Like office work? How do you

know I can even do that?”

A sly smile spread over his face. “I have my ways.”

She should be worried Vincent seemed to know everything about her. It was true, she had

worked at an office up to some months ago. When one of her co-workers, a guy who wanted to force

her to go out with him, saw her there, he gave her an ultimatum: go out with him or he’d tell human

resources she was a stripper and gave their company a bad image. She told him to fuck himself and

got fired. But she’d managed to slap the smirk off his face before she was booted from the building.

Jerk.

“Are you serious? Half a million in debt forgiven for two weeks of work? What the hell, is

your son an ogre?”

He barked a laugh. “Not at all.”

“Well, something’s gotta be wrong with him for you to be offering that kind of money. I have

never heard of anyone paying that for a two week temp job. No offense. I hope you’re not thinking of

setting us up, because like I said, I just don’t have the patience or time to be hooked up.”

“I understood you, child. Nobody is hooking you up or playing any games. I am a bit of a

charitable man and want to try to help you. This is your only other offer aside from me letting my staff

handle things. Your choice.”

She gulped, trying to figure out what to do. For a second, all she could think of was her niece,

Jill, and how badly she couldn’t afford her work schedule to be interrupted. “Alright, Vincent. You

got a deal.”

He stood and offered her his hand. “Excellent. I’ll get Slade in here to talk to you.”

THREE

Slade Tigris paced his office like a...well, like a caged tiger. It had been absolute hell holding

back the need to rip Joel’s throat open. To make shit even worse, when Gabriella arrived, he realized

he had even bigger problems. She was his mate. And she was Joel’s sister. Fucking hell.

A knock sounded at the door, and his father walked in before he had a chance to say anything.

“I have good news and bad news,” Vincent said.

“Dad...”

“The good news is that she’s not a thief, though the same can’t be said for her brother.”

He sighed, scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck, and started pacing all over again. “I

know. I saw the guilt in his face when she confronted him. And I heard the truth in her voice when the

man accused her of stealing the money.”

“Good. We’re on the same page.”

He folded his arms on his chest and waited. “What’s the bad news?”

“She won’t go out with you.”

“What?” He frowned. “How do you even know that?”

“I asked her,” Vincent said, matter-of-factly. “Not like you were going to. Your mother is all

over me to get her boys mated.”

He lifted a brow and stopped pacing in front of his desk. He leaned back over the edge to

stare at his father. “Mom?”

Vincent flushed. “Yes. Your mother. She wants grandbabies as soon as possible. So much so

she’s gotten me to try and find you boys mates.”

“Dad, I don’t need you to find me a mate.” Not before and certainly not now that he knew who

his mate was.

“No, but try telling your poor, sweet mother that. She’s been sitting quietly by the windows

just gazing out at the yard, wishing for grandbabies.”

“Dad, Mom has never sat quietly for a second. She’s too busy for that,” he grinned. He had to.

His father was the one desperate for grandchildren. It would have to be his idea to get his sons mated

and quick. “I can find my own mate.”

“Glad to hear it, son. Because it won’t be Gabriella Cantur,” his father said with command.

“But she needs help, and I can’t help having a soft spot for a woman who’s trying to help out her

family. Family’s very important.”

Slade knew that. Not only in the shifter community was family important, but it was an integral

part of how Vincent had raised his children. Family always came first.

“What did you decide?”

“The brother needs help. Putting him in a program that allowed him to get right out wouldn’t

do much for him. We need to make him want to be there.” Vincent pulled out his cell phone and

started pressing buttons.

“How are we going to do that?”

“You take care of Gabriella. I’ll handle the brother.”

Slade shook his head. His dad was at it again. The old man couldn’t keep his nose out of his

kids’ business. “How do you want me to handle her?”

He shrugged. “I am having her work for you for a few weeks to pay for her brother’s debts.”

“Half a million dollars’ worth of work in two weeks? What exactly is she going to be doing

for me?”

Vincent stopped messing with his phone and glanced up at him. He chortled a laugh and

slipped the cell in his pocket. “You are definitely my son. She’s not doing anything bad. Covering for

your assistant.”

“In other words, you didn’t want her to see what a softie you are for damsels in distress, so

you came up with a fake job to save your pride,” Slade laughed. His father would never change. He’d

been that way all his life, trying to save anyone down on their luck. Sometimes it worked, but other

times he’d ended up losing friends over it.

Slade, on the other hand, was much more discerning with his friends: he didn’t have any. He

had his brothers and didn’t bother with anyone wanting to be a friend. It kept those who only wanted

to be his friends to take advantage out of his life. The Tigris family had a lot of money. Women and

men alike always wanted to be friendly with him. But he’d learned the hard way that friends fry you

in the end.

“Go talk to her,” Vincent said. “She needs you to fill her in on what she has to do.”

He twisted his lips in a wry smile and marched out the door.

“Son!” Vincent yelled, stopping Slade in his tracks and making him turn to look over his

shoulder. “Remember. She doesn’t want to date you.”

The tiger inside him snapped at the words his father said. He had to stop himself from baring

his teeth at his old man. His dad must have noticed it, because his laughter followed Slade out the

door.

He stopped outside his father’s office, unsure how to proceed. He could hear Gabriella

inside, pacing and mumbling.

He listened intently and made out her words…

“Why the hell did I come here? I should have let Joel deal with this on his own. Carajo! But

now I have to work for that man. Slade,” she mumbled with disgust. “Even his name turns me on.

God, he’s so sexy. And those eyes. Where did he get them?”

A slow smile spread over his lips. He didn’t know where his father got the idea that she

didn’t want Slade, but from listening to her angry muttering, she wanted him all right. It sounded to

him like she wanted him as much as he did her. Physical attraction happened when a person least

expected it. In their case, at a bad time, but he’d take it. He’d take it if it meant having her.

He let the smile slide off his face and opened the door. She jumped and stopped talking,

giving him a deer-in-the-headlights look that made her look damn cute.

“Hi,” she said, visibly gulping and glancing down his body. She probably didn’t even realize

how her hands shook or her pupils dilated. She didn’t just want him. She craved him. And he’d yet to

touch her.

He marched by her, picking up increases in her breathing and heart rate. Interesting. “I

understand my father has discussed with you working for me for two weeks?”

She followed him to the desk. “Yes. I’ve got experience with office work, so it’s no

problem.”

He motioned for her to have a seat. She did, and her robe slid open, showing an expanse of

golden-brown thigh. She tried to fix it, but all it did was make the material pull against her breasts

and jerk open at the neckline. She had something glittery underneath the coat.

Now all he could think about was getting the damn coat off and seeing her outfit.

“What exactly do you do for a living?” he asked, dying to know more about her and listen to

her sexy voice.

“I work at Charlie’s,” she said, mentioning one of Vincent’s favorite poker hangouts.

It didn’t take much for him to realize she was a dancer. Now he was pissed he hadn’t ever

agreed to go to Charlie’s all the times his father invited him. Instead, he stayed at the main hotel and

handled the security team.

“I’ve never been, but my father says it’s a great spot. Reminds him of a 1920s cabaret.”

She grinned and nodded. “It’s got a definite look that can’t be duplicated.” She licked her lips

and glanced at his mouth before shooting her gaze up to his eyes. “What’s going to happen to my

brother?”

“We’re going to make sure he gets the help he needs.”

Confusion clouded her gaze. “Why? Why the interest in helping him?”

Seeing her distressed didn’t sit well with him, and telling her that she’d eventually be his

wasn’t the answer she needed at that moment. He went for simple instead. “My father’s heard good

things about you from Charlie and is willing to take a chance to help out one of his friends. Charlie

appealed to him for you.”

She glanced down at her hands, folding them tight on her lap. “When do you want me to

start?”

Right fucking now, by taking off the damn trench and showing him what lay beneath. It took

every bit of internal strength to keep the tiger from roaring and hopping over the desk and shredding

her clothes off.

“Monday. We’ll get you acquainted with our system, and then you can catch up on all the

things my assistant wasn’t able to do while she’s been gone.”

She nodded and stood, offering him her hand. “Thank you so much for helping my brother

through this.”

He grasped her hand. The simple touch shot currents of pure pleasure to his heart. His mate.

He loved the feel of her smooth, soft skin in his hands. “You have really soft skin.”

FOUR

Gabby’s heart thundered so hard in her chest she barely heard him. He stared at her so

intensely it kept her from looking anywhere but at him. Something about him drew her to him. A

definite, wild magnetism that combined with his rugged looks made her hormones sigh in delight. His

powerful jaw, covered in bristles from his late-day beard, left her throat dry. She wanted to kiss him

so bad, to run her fingers over his face and memorize every line. Everything about him screamed wild

and untamed. And instead of turning her off, it pulled her in.

They stood there for what felt like forever, and she watched his muscles tense more the longer

he held her hand. She didn’t even have it in her to pull out of his grasp. He had such an amazing body

on him. The black T-shirt didn’t hide his lean, muscular build. She could see his abs contract, along

with his arms. Some men had bodies so buff that they scared her, like the man in the casino who

claimed she’d stolen his wife’s winnings. Then there was Slade. He had a strong body with enough

definition to make any woman sigh, but without the bulk. It was sexy as hell.

She wanted to tear at his shirt and lick her way up his abs. Lord, she visualized that more than

was healthy in the past five minutes.

“Thank you for your time.” She heard her voice turn flinty and sexy. His continued deep stare

heightened her desire. She wondered what it would be like to have him kiss her, touch her, to do all

the things she hadn’t done since she’d vowed to keep her legs closed until she found Mr. Right. Hell.

Mr. Right Now was starting to sound pretty damn good.

She slowly pulled her hand out of his grasp and tried not to fall on her face as she walked

toward the door. She knew he was watching her. His gaze burned holes in her back.

“See you Monday, Gabriella.”

Oh, yes. Yes, he would.

* * *

Gabriella stared at the new costume Vanessa handed her. “What is this?”

Vanessa grinned. “A new line of costumes. I debuted them a few weeks ago. The men keep

asking if more girls will be dressing up in them, so there you go, tigress.”

Gabby’s gaze roamed over the gorgeous short skirt and beaded bra top with awe. Vanessa had

managed to recreate tiger stripes with bling. It was amazing. She wanted to wear it right now.

Working at Charlie’s had given Gabby’s love of her body a big boost. She didn’t mind her curves one

bit, but seeing all those men panting and begging for her to shake her booty made her feel good. Heck,

it made her feel damn great. Most of her life, she’d been so shy—trying to blend into the background,

to not be seen. Like there was something wrong with her. Until she started taking dance classes; things

changed for her forever with that.

“I thought I was dancing in the leather room tonight?” She’d already put on the black corset

that hugged her curves and pushed her generous breasts out far enough to poke an eyeball. The zippers

at the sides allowed for easy removal while she danced. She flicked the tiny badge at her breast and

sighed. She liked dressing up. It was fun.

“You are. Charlie is excited. It seems some hot shot with a shit ton of money will be there

tonight.” Vanessa winked. “I heard he’s a big fan of yours.”

Lovely. She’d had too many weirdos trying to get her attention for the past few months. The

last thing she needed was to have to push off some guy thinking it was open season to try to get in her

pants…because she had no pants.

“Just keep someone by the door. I’m trying not to break someone’s nose again.”

Vanessa burst into laughter. “Don’t worry. I’ll have one of the guys ready to tackle your

horde of fans.”

“Real funny. You’re not the one up there trying to dance while ignoring all the dirty things they

say.”

Vanessa’s smile dropped, and she nodded. “You’re right. One night was enough for me to see

how difficult what you do is.”

“Tell that to those who think dancing ‘isn’t brain surgery’ and anyone can choreograph a

routine that’s specifically for a curvy body.”

Vanessa pursed her lips. “Yeah, well. There are idiots everywhere. I think we both knew that

one.”

“Thanks for the costume. I’ll make sure to try it on and let you know how it fits.” She knew

Vanessa wanted everyone to feel comfortable in everything she made. “I’m sorry about what

happened when I was out that night.”

Vanessa waved a hand in dismissal. “Chica, come on. You being out and me meeting Cash

was probably the best thing ever.”

“Still...”

Vanessa’s gaze turned scrutinizing. “I heard you were at the Striped hotel and there was some

kind of problem?”

She sighed and took a seat in front of Vanessa’s desk. “Can you believe this? My dumbass

brother lost so big, now I have to work off his debt.”

“What?” Vanessa gasped. “Work it off how?”

“Nothing bad, I promise.” She rubbed a finger on the side of her temple. The damn migraine

she got every time she thought of the money Joel owed made her nauseous. “Joel cheated! The idiot

cheated while at a table with shifters! I think he has a fucking death wish!”

Vanessa pulled a chair in front of Gabby’s and patted her arm. “He’s addicted. Gambling is

hard to beat when you live surrounded by it. Look around us. There are slots and games in the fucking

toilet at the airport.”

Gabby pressed her lips into a thin line. “I don’t know how to help him.”

“Do you have any family? Anywhere he can go to get away from all this?”

Her shoulders dropped with a heavy slump. “We do, but right now Mr. Tigris is getting him

some help. He’s in a rehab facility.”

“How’s he doing in there?” Vanessa’s worried gaze and warm smile helped ease some of the

distress in Gabby. She didn’t normally share her life with anyone at work, but Vanessa had become a

good friend. And she really needed someone to vent to. Life had gotten all kinds of crazy and

miserable the past few weeks. Joel’s daughter and his ex had been calling nonstop, wanting to talk to

him. The little girl wanted to see her daddy. The mother wanted child support. It was hell for Gabby.

She wanted to fix everything for her niece. She hated that her brother was not being the father she

needed.

“He curses me out daily, begging me to get him out.”

Vanessa’s eyes widened. “It’s not one of those where he can just leave?”

“No. He had to sign an agreement stating he’d given me all rights to make decisions as to

when he could go. The deal with Tigris is that I will follow their advice, and he’ll stay in there until

they think he’s better. In other words, if he fails to live up to the agreement, they won’t forgive his

debt. There will be nothing I can do. Mr. Tigris will prosecute and I won’t be able to get him out of

this one. I don’t know how long that will be!”

“I’m so sorry, Gabby.” Vanessa gave her the first hug she’d had in years. Gabby wasn’t much

into emotional displays. Once her parents died, being nineteen wasn’t all that fun anymore. She’d

given up college and grown up really fast to try and help her brother out in life. It seemed nothing she

did helped. Finally having someone care enough to hug her after all she’d been through lately, it was

too much.

A lump grew thick in the back of her throat. Her eyes blurred and stung with unshed tears.

Worst of all, she realized she’d been living a shell of a life. All this time trying to make her brother a

man he refused to be, she’d stopped dating, going out with friends, and just having fun. She’d stopped

living.

“Thank you,” she said, sniffling back the pain of realization. Her life needed a drastic change.

She was not nineteen anymore. She was in her thirties. The last time she’d been with a man had been

when Joel had a clean streak a few years back. She’d gotten comfortable, thinking things had finally

changed, and allowed herself into a relationship only to have to dump Daniel. Joel had ended up in

jail, and she’d gone over to get him, but Daniel had made it clear her brother was ruining her life and

he wasn’t going to be along for the ride. As much as it hurt, Daniel had been right. She’d stopped

living to be there for Joel. She needed to have a life again.

“Listen, come over for dinner tomorrow? Cash is having a father-son day with his dad and

brothers, and I would love for you to come hang out with me.” She smiled. “I promise we’ll only talk

about things you feel comfortable with.”

She thought about it for a second and then realized what she was doing. She’d been about to

say no because of Joel. It stopped now. “Yes. I’ll come. Thanks for inviting me.”

She needed a life again. Her mother would be angry if she knew that Gabby had stopped

having friends for her brother. Even her father used to tell her how one day she’d take care of her

brother. Sadly, he’d been right. Her dad always said he’d never amount to anything. Gabby didn’t

want to believe it. She refused to. Now, it was getting harder and harder to fight the words her dad

had spoken when she’d been fourteen.

“I kept you too long! You’re up in a few. Go get that sexy ass in the leather room.”

She stood and smiled at Vanessa, her new friend. It felt good to have a friend again. “Yes,

boss lady.”

Vanessa chortled. “Hah! Yeah, okay. You got more pull in this place than I do. Now go before

they come in here looking for you.”

Gabby rushed out of Vanessa’s office, dropped the new costume in her dressing room, and

gave herself a once over. The near-tears didn’t mess up her makeup. She’d enjoy tonight. It was one

of the nights she got to let her frustrations out. Who would have thought men would come to watch her

dance in leather, put one of them onstage, and order him around? Tonight, she wouldn’t go crazy with

the demands, but the fun was using her paddle if they disobeyed her.

She entered the room from behind the curtains, keeping her profile low to the floor. Showtime.

The music pumped a low, sexy song that had been combined with moans and groans thumping through

the walls and floor. She loved it. This was why she danced. The leather room was an escape from the

daily struggle of having to be the savior for her brother, from the daily struggles of having to be the

big sister instead of the single woman who wanted happiness. This was her moment.

She turned around from the audience to face the curtains at her back. Slowly, she leaned

forward and caressed her way up her big legs, while shaking her ass. She did a slow wiggle of her

hips and continued journeying her hands up her sides to her hair. The sensuality of the music soaked

through her pores and warmed her to the bone. She let herself go with the music. Let her body tell its

own story.

FIVE

Slade struggled to breathe. He’d been sitting in the black-and-red room all alone. He’d given

in to temptation and decided to come watch Gabby dance. At least being near her would calm his

damn tiger from trying to rip out of his skin. Running had done very little to get the animal to calm

down. Every time he thought of her lips, her scent, and her body, his animal roared for release.

The lights flickered low, and music started to pump through the speakers, low and sultry. He

knew a security guard stood by the door, something he didn’t care for. Right now he wanted alone

time with Gabby. He’d been lucky he’d gotten Charlie to close off the room she was dancing in, so

he’d be the only one watching her.

Curtains opened, and she came out. Sex on heels. Fucking hell! His cock ached watching her.

She wore leather. Lots of it. From the black, spiked heels up to what he guessed was supposed to be a

navy skirt but looked more like a loincloth, then a corset that pushed her breasts out as if serving them

on a platter. A small silver badge clung to the edge of her top.

He gulped and bit back the groan floating in the back of his throat. She flipped around, leaned

forward away from him, and his eyes zeroed in on her ass. Those big, curvy hips wiggled and showed

off a tiny pair of satin panties with the words “eat me” in shiny, glittery letters.

She swung her hips from side to side. How the hell could she move so easily in that

constricting corset? The question flew out of his mind when she raised her hands to her hair. Her

long, brown hair shimmered in the club lights. The lighter highlights in her curls made her golden skin

appear to be glowing. She stopped and slowly turned to face him, a slow, wicked smile on her lips.

Her brows drew slightly down to show her confusion, but it was quickly replaced with a wide smile.

“Do you know what goes on in this room?” She asked, her voice low, sexy, and making him

all kinds of ready to fuck her right then and there.

“Want to enlighten me?”

She grinned, and a spark of naughtiness filled her eyes. “Stand.”

“Excuse me?”

She laughed. The sound melted over him like smooth chocolate. “I give the orders. This is

how things work in here. You do as I say. Ready to play?”

He glanced at the guard by the door then back at her.

“Phillip, no one comes in. No matter what you hear.” She did a head motion, and the guard

walked out without a word. “Now, are you ready?”

He smiled at her anticipation. “Bring it, gorgeous.”

“Stand.”

He got up slowly, watching her for a second to see where she was going with this. He took a

few steps toward her, until she stopped him with the raise of a small hand. “Yes?”

Her gaze roamed down his body, and the perfume of her desire floating to him from where she

stood.

“Against the wall.”

He turned to face the wall covered in black, satin drapes. Making his way there, he glanced at

her from the corner of his eye, noting the smile flirting on her lips. “You enjoy telling me what to do?”

“I’m the law. I can and will tell you what to do.”

He glanced at the silver piece at her breast and finally made out that it was a fake police

badge. She was in charge. “Madam police officer, if I may...”

“You may get up against the wall. Anything you say can and will be used against you...in this

room.”

He tried not to laugh and placed his hands on the wall she’d motioned to. “Is this good?”

“Spread your legs,” she said, the heat of her body pulling the tiger closer to the surface.

“Now, let’s see what you have in your pockets.”

She giggled and ran her hands up his back, pressing her fingers over his back muscles and

breathing hard the higher she went.

“I’ve got nothing back there. You might want to check the front though.”

He waited, his heart beating harder than ever, while she came around and dipped under his

arms to stand between him and the wall. Their faces were millimeters apart, and he saw the desire

bright in her eyes. Thirst for a taste of her punched him in the chest so hard he saw stars.

She licked her lips and scanned his face. “Are you concealing any weapons I should know

about?”

He grinned, unable to help himself. “I might be. But you’d have to search for yourself.”

She glanced at his mouth and lifted a hand to rake her nails down his chest. “I guess we’ll just

have to strip search you.”

He laughed and widened his stance. “Do whatever you need to do, beautiful.”

SIX

Gabby knew she was flirting with danger. Okay, more like waving a neon sign telling it to

come over, but whatever. She decided at that moment that she’d never give up her life to ensure her

brother was always taken care of. She needed live again. She needed to feel wanted. Fuck! She

needed sex!

She inhaled deep and shuddered when Slade’s eyes changed color. They went from blue to

gold. His animal was making itself known. She glanced at his lips again, and the temptation to finally

taste him became too much. Leaning forward slowly, she pressed her lips to his, sliding her tongue

over his bottom lip.

A low growl emanated from him and sent pulsing waves straight to her clit. His immediate

response caught her off guard. One second, she was exploring his mouth, the smooth texture and

amazing sensations he brought out of her. The next second, he was the one pushing her against the

wall and pressing a very large erection into her midsection.

The kiss, if it could be called that, was more of a possession of her mouth. It was as if he

needed to remember the contour of her lips and the feel of her tongue on his. Her nipples drew into

tight points under the constricting corset. She struggled to breathe and moaned as he ground his hips

into her.

He pulled back, kissing down her neck and to the tops of her breasts. She blinked her eyes

open and glanced at his short, blond hair.

“Slade...”

His head jerked up. The feral set of his features left her already-wet panties needing a

massive wringing.

“Say my name again.”

Good god, what the hell did she do? He sounded fucking amazing when he spoke with the

rough, growly voice.

“Slade.”

“Yes, gorgeous. You know who’s going to eat your pussy and make you scream. I’m the one

who’s going to fuck you.”

She swallowed back at the lump in her throat. She shouldn’t be doing this, not at work. There

were no cameras in the dance rooms in case the girls got freaky with a client, though Charlie never

encouraged it. Still, she had never done that before.

“I don’t think—”

“You’re right. Stop thinking. Just feel,” he said, grabbing her hands from his chest and

bringing them down to his erection. “Feel what you do to me. I’ve never wanted a woman as badly as

I do this very second.” He thrust into her hand, and her world spun. “I want inside you. Deep. So

fucking deep you’ll think we were born that way.”

He grabbed her by the waist and turned to face one of the red sofas he’d been sitting on.

Placing her on the leather, he dropped down to his knees and pushed her legs open. She gripped the

edge of the cushions at her sides, needing something to hold on to. The look on his face said it all: he

was doing her now. And she couldn’t be happier about it.

He inhaled deep. “I love what your panties say. That’s exactly what I’m going to do. Eat you.

Tongue fuck that slick pussy of yours.”

She bit her lip and tried to lean back, but the corset made it hard to do. He pulled her forward

and hooked a hand around her neck, bringing her mouth to his and starting a fire with his lips. The

sound of the zippers on her corset took her attention away from his sinful mouth. The way he sucked

on her tongue made her clit throb. Before she knew it, the corset slid open, and she was able to lean

back on the sofa, her breasts fully revealed to him.

He glanced down at her naked torso. “Fucking gorgeous.” He grabbed her hands and brought

them up to her chest. “Offer them to me. Tell me to suck your nipples.”

She pressed her breasts together and arched her back toward his face. “Do it. Suck my

nipples. Suck me all over.”

Her voice sounded hoarse and so husky she would have sworn it was someone else talking,

some sex goddess open and on display for her man. He sucked a nipple into his mouth and bit down,

dragging a low cry from her. Then he laved the tiny, aching tip with his tongue, flicking it until her

hips wiggled on her their own.

“That’s it,” he murmured over her chest. “Get wet for me.”

She was already there. She was slick and wanting. He licked her other breast, sucking her

nipple into his mouth and rubbing his tongue over it. Her pussy pulsed as if with its own heartbeat.

The fire at the pit of her stomach expanded through her limbs. She hadn’t had sex in so long,

and even then it hadn’t felt this decadent. Naughty. Good. Slade’s gaze roaming over her body with so

much appreciation sent her heart soaring. The shy woman inside Gabby fist pumped.

She had learned that her body was beautiful thanks to her dance instructor. It had taken time to

train her to do some of the moves that came easily to the slimmer dancers, but she could do anything.

And she’d realized that men could see the sexiness in her when she danced.

But dancing was one thing. She hadn’t dated in so long thanks to Joel. Now, having Slade

stare at her as if she were a piece of his favorite dessert reinforced her belief that her curves fucking

rocked!

He licked down her belly and lifted the bit of skirt up to glance at her panty-covered crotch.

“These need to come off.”

She opened her mouth, but before she had a chance to say anything, he tore through her panties

like a knife through butter. Then to amplify the need thickening in her veins, he slid his fingers lightly

over her inner thighs.

“Oh, Slade,” she moaned.

He met her gaze and then glanced back down at her pussy. “That’s what I want. I want to feel

your slick heat on my face, stroking me. I want you coming and grinding your pussy so hard on my

mouth I won’t be able to breathe.” He slowly lowered between her legs, taking ragged breaths. “I

want to fuck you while you’re still clenching from my lips on your clit.”

Oh, good lord. Her body shuddered from the image he planted in her head. Then, his mouth

was on her, stroking her pussy lips and gliding between them until he was on her clit. Her rolled his

tongue over the hard, little bundle of nerves, in precious circles that made her see double.

“Oh, my god!”

She gripped his short hair between her fingers, clinging to him for dear life. There was

nothing else she wanted. With every lick he took, she pushed closer to his mouth. He fondled her clit

with his mouth and slipped two fingers into her sex. His large digits, coated in wetness, slid in

without any problems. Her pussy contracted around his fingers.

“Ah, baby,” he groaned, lifting his face to show his mouth and jaw wet from his saliva and her

desire. “You’re tight. I can’t wait to have my cock inside you, fucking you. Going deep and hard.”

Her muscles tightened from the oncoming orgasm. She took gulping breaths, but there was no

slowing it down. Fire held her tense as he continued fucking her with his fingers and sucked hard on

her clit one more time. That was it. She dropped her head back, and her legs tensed to the point of

near breaking. A loud moan escaped her before she could stop it, and a wave of overwhelming

pleasure washed over her. She gasped, trying to catch her breath, but she couldn’t. Her legs shook,

and her pussy contracted on nothing for a few seconds.

Then he was there, sliding his cock on her wet folds and pushing his way into her. Her eyes

snapped open, and she glanced down. He was big. He was already inside her, and there was still

more of him to go. She moaned and spread her legs wider. He pushed her knees back toward her

chest and lifted her legs up to his shoulders. He continued driving into her in a long, slow glide. When

he finally stopped, she was panting from feeling so full.

“Oh, god, Slade,” she choked out. “Fuck me. Please… Don’t... Just fuck me.”

SEVEN

She didn’t want him to stop the fantastic sensations. She wanted it enhanced. She wanted to

continue the orgasm and feel her pussy cling to his cock as he drove in and out of her. He pulled back

and thrust forward so hard, she whimpered and clawed at the cushions to her sides.

“Fucking hell, babe. Your pussy’s slick and hot. I can’t get enough,” he groaned. “And

watching your tits jiggle every time I slide back in you is making me want to bite your nipples.”

She brought her hands to her chest and tugged at her own nipples, tweaking and loving the

painful pleasure.

“That’s it,” he said. “Every time you do that, your pussy contracts hard around my dick.” His

drives were faster, harder with every breath. “I want you coming again.”

She pinched harder, the sensation coupled with his thrusts sent her soaring again.

Involuntarily, she moved her hands to grip the cushions as she came. She dug her nails deep into the

leather and screamed while her channel contracted around him.

He groaned and plunged so hard into her that she slid up on the sofa, only to be pulled back

down by his strong arms. He gripped her hips hard, pulling her ass off the sofa and fucking her with

more than a little of his animal’s power. He grunted and rumbled unintelligibly. Suddenly, he slowed

and held tense. His cock felt hotter, bigger than before. She gasped, her orgasm still making her pussy

clench every few seconds. This was unlike any other sexual experience in her life. He licked her calf

and sucked on her leg as he came into her with a loud rumble, filling her with his seed.

“Fuck, yes! I love my scent inside you, Gabriella,” he roared, his cock jerking into her.

“That’s it, beautiful. Take my cum. Fuck, I love how your pussy just keeps sucking it all in, taking it

deeper and deeper. That’s so damn sexy.”

She couldn’t have stopped her body if she’d wanted to. She’d lost all control over her mind,

body, and ability to breathe.

He spread her legs, placing one to either side of him and then slowly pulling his cock out and

rubbing it over her mound. “I like this. Our mingled scents all over you.”

To her surprise, he was still releasing small drops of cum on her belly. A wild need rushed

through her. She lowered a hand to where he’d let the drops fall free and spread his cum over her

skin, massing it over her belly and pussy. “I think you’re right. Our scents are sexy.”

He groaned and brought his face over to hers, giving in to a wild, hungry kiss. “That’s right.

My scent is what belongs on you. My cock in your sweet little pussy and that sexy-as-hell ass. My

lips all over your body.”

She took a breath and tried to stop the giddiness from taking over. He sounded so damn Alpha.

It was not something she was used to, but she realized she liked a hell of a lot in a man.

“Let’s get the hell out of here. I want you on my bed: spread open and ready to be feasted on

again. I want your legs wide and your pretty folds glistening wet for me. Then I want to taste you all

over and fuck you every way I can.”

She nodded, the words stuck in her throat. Fuck it all. She needed a thorough night of amazing

sex—something she had been depriving herself of. More than that, she needed to live her life

however she wanted, without the constant worry over her brother or what he was doing.

“I need to grab my jacket, but—”

He shook his head, shrugged his T-shirt over his head, and proceeded to hand it to her. “I

don’t want to waste time. I want to be fucking you in the next ten minutes.”

Well, all right then. She slipped the shirt over her costume, glad that the edge landed mid-

thigh. He was so much taller than her. Even though she was a big woman, she wasn’t very tall. He, on

the other hand, had sleek muscles galore and was tall enough that she’d have to get on her tiptoes to

reach his lips.

“Is there a back door to this place?” he asked, glancing at the closed door he knew a guard

stood behind.

She nodded. “Come on.”

They walked through the back of the stage and hallway that linked all the areas of the club

together. It led past Vanessa’s office and, finally, to a back entrance they never told any of the patrons

about. He moved ahead of her, ensuring he was at the front at all times.

She grinned. The guy had a dominant streak a mile wide. “Can you find your way?”

The sound of a car turning on filled the quiet from the dark lot. “That’s my car.”

She blinked at the low-hung, silver sports car. “You fit in that thing?”

He laughed and opened a door for her. “Get in and find out.”

Her breath caught in her chest. She’d sat down when he leaned into her and gave her a kiss.

Just as quickly, he shut her door and left her ready to beg for another meeting of lips. Dammit. He was

far too tempting and so freaking sexy with all that skin on display.

Within seconds he was in the car, his seat pushed so far back she thought he’d pop through the

trunk, driving her to his place. She probably shouldn’t be sleeping with a shifter. She knew they were

dangerous. They were strong, commanding, and hot as hell. She now knew why Vanessa wouldn’t

stop gushing about Cash.

“Ready to scream my name some more?” he said, putting his car in drive and jetting off.

She bit back a smile at the hungry way he glanced at her. “Let’s see how fast you can get us

there.”

EIGHT

Gabby knocked on Vanessa’s door and waited, holding a bakery box housing a chocolate cake

so famous that people lined up for it. She’d been delayed by Slade and his insatiable need for sex.

Not that she minded. Okay, she probably encouraged him more than anything. Still, it had made her

late for dinner with Vanessa.

Vanessa opened the door with a wide grin. “I know what you did last night.”

Gabby blinked her eyes wide. “What?”

Vanessa laughed and motioned her inside. “I’m kidding. I finally found out that it was Slade

who went to watch you dance last night. Dad made a point of telling me to make sure nobody went

into that room with you guys.”

Heat crawled up Gabby’s face. She wasn’t used to people joking with her like that. Most that

saw her dancing didn’t realize she still had the shyness that she’d grown up with as a big girl.

“Aw, don’t be embarrassed,” Vanessa said and led her into the kitchen. “He likes you. You

like him. The rest isn’t a big deal.”

Gabby laughed and shook her head. “You sound like Charlie. Didn’t he say those same words

to one of the other girls?”

“Sadly, yes. My dad’s personality is rubbing off on me.” Vanessa eyed the bakery box with a

widening grin. “Want me to take that?”

“Oh! Yes. Please. I wasn’t sure what you had planned for dinner, but cake goes with

everything, so that’s what I got.”

“Smart woman. And that has nothing to do with the fact that I’m in love with cake. And

chocolate.” She put the box on the kitchen table and rushed to the stove. “I hope you like chili, rice,

and salad.”

“Oh…” Gabby sighed. “That sounds really good. It smells delicious. It’s awesome someone

knows how to cook.”

“You can’t cook?” Vanessa asked, after she’d put the lids back on the pots.

“I can eat, does that count?” She laughed. “No. Though to be fair, I haven’t really tried to

learn. It’s just been one of those things I haven’t really had time for.”

Vanessa brought a pitcher of iced tea to the table. She’d already put some glasses there for

them. “You’re always so worried about your brother.”

Gabby pursed her lips and nodded. “Yes. He’s been my responsibility since my parents died.

I‘ve been like a second mother to him.”

“But you’re not his mother,” Vanessa said, patting Gabby’s hand. “You’re just his older sister.

You are allowed to be happy and have a life. He’s a grown man. What he does at this point isn’t

something you can control.”

She knew that. Deep down she did, but how could she turn her back on her only family? She’d

never be able to live with herself if she didn’t try to help him. He needed her. She wouldn’t stop

herself from having a life though. That was a new promise she’d made to herself the previous night. It

was time to do whatever she needed to be happy.

“You seem a lot more quiet than most of the other dancers, which surprises me because you

dance so wonderfully.”

She smiled and shrugged. “It took a long time for me to get comfortable with the dancing. I

think one of the things I enjoy is that Charlie’s allows us to be who we are. Have the bodies we have

and dance.”

“Hell, woman. Have you seen you dance? You’re like a snake. No bones. None!” Vanessa

exclaimed.

“I have bones. Believe me. I started dancing when I was in school, mainly to try and lose

some weight. It didn’t really help, but that’s okay, because my dance teacher loved to tell me

everyone is beautiful in their own way.”

“That’s the truth.” Vanessa nodded. “And you, my friend, are gorgeous. I’m particularly fond

of your gorgeous hair with those amazing highlights.”

“Thank you.”

“Do you feel awkward dancing in a curvy-women club? Is that why you’re so shy?”

She shook her head and did a circle around the rim of her glass with a finger. “I’ve always

been shy. I liked my body, but a lot of people didn’t. They always had something to say about the fat

girl. So after making myself invisible—well, as much as I could, anyway—I later on realized that I

was fine as I was. That I didn’t need to hide myself.” She bit her lip and scrunched her nose. “The

other kids, they were the ones who needed to learn to accept that not everyone had the same body. I

didn’t mind being big. I felt I had a nice body, just bigger than a few women. Sure, I have some

trouble areas like my arms or my belly, and even my thighs, but overall, I’m a happy, big girl.”

“Good, I’m glad to hear that. We need more happy, curvy women in this world. Love your

body, and fuck those who don’t.”

Gabby giggled and lifted the tea to her lips, took a sip, and set it down again. “I’ll never be

small, and I’m okay with that. It’s just been hard finding someone who’ll be okay with it along with

me.”

“Ah, see that’s the beauty of shifter males. They love them some curves.”

“What about you?” she asked Vanessa. “How are you enjoying being a shifter’s woman?”

“Mate,” Vanessa corrected with a grin. “It’s great. The sex is amazing. He treats me like a

fucking goddess. Not to mention his parents are ecstatic he finally found someone. I can’t say I’m

upset he waited this long, since I got him myself.” She poured the iced tea and continued. “I don’t

know how things are looking between you and Slade, but I’ll tell you this, if he wants you, then he

really wants you. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts. He will not want another woman after you. It will only

be you.”

It was so refreshing to hear of a man who wouldn’t just want some ass and move on. As much

as she questioned what the hell she was doing with a shifter, she didn’t want to reject how he made

her feel. Boy did he make her feel. Her insides were all over the place from how nervous and excited

she got from a single look…or when he growled or slid his hand between her legs and did things that

made her forget her own name.

Was that enough? Great sex and chemistry? She didn’t know. There were other things to factor

in, like the butterflies she felt in her chest when he smiled or kissed her so softly she was left

breathless. His making breakfast and bringing it to bed was not going to be forgotten any time soon.

Deciding what to do was proving a lot more complicated than just sleeping with him—that had been a

no brainer. Apparently all she needed was a sexy shifter to smile, and she’d drop her panties like they

were on fire.

NINE

Slade glanced at his watch for the fifth time in ten minutes.

“Looking at it won’t make this car move faster,” his father said.

“I already know that, dad.”

“Then stop doing that, because you’re making me nervous. I keep thinking I forgot something

important, like your mother’s birthday or our anniversary. Not that it’s ever happened, but if it did I’d

never hear the end of it.”

“Sorry, dad.” He said, curling his hands into fists in his lap and glancing out the limo window.

Traffic was backed up due to an accident. They’d been gone from the office all day in meetings, and

now all he wanted was to go back and see Gabriella, to give her a hug and fill his lungs with her

scent.

He glanced at his father and caught the smile on his dad’s face. “What are you so happy

about?”

“You. Cash. You make your mother happy. Finding your mates and giving her those

grandbabies she wants so bad.”

He snorted and shook his head. “She wants?”

“Well, it’s certainly not me. I am not the one needing to bounce children on my knee,” he

stuttered.

“Right, Dad. It’s all Mom.”

“Forget your mother. Tell me how are things with Gabriella. I see how you two look at each

other in the office. You know she’s the one.”

He couldn’t deny it. She was. Having her near all day appeased his tiger but at the same time

tortured him. “She’s the one.”

“Don’t waste time, son,” his father said, grasping his arm. “Life is too short. We never know

when love will be taken away.” Vincent gave a sad sigh. “Family is everything.”

His father was right. He needed to come clean to Gabriella about what he wanted with her.

More than that, he had to explain to her that her life was never going to be the same once they mated.

There was no divorce. No cheating.

Nothing but the two of them forever.

* * *

Slade rushed into his office and caught Gabriella standing by her desk. “Want to go out for

dinner?”

Her shoulders slumped, and she sighed. “Tonight is my night off at Charlie’s. I was going to

go by my niece’s house and bring her mother some money for groceries, but we can go somewhere

after if you’d like?”

He raised his brows. “You want me to come along on your trip?”

She laughed. “I wouldn’t suggest it if that’s not what I wanted. Come on, little Jill is waiting

on me to finally bring the doll I got her a few weeks ago. I hadn’t been able to bring it to her.”

He dropped some files on her desk. “Leave those here. Let’s take my car.”

“I drove in,” she said, powering down her computer and opening a drawer to pull out a

handbag, then a second to get a gift bag. “What about my car?”

“I’ll have one of the guys take it to your place. It’s probably easier if we go in the same car,”

he exaggerated. What he really didn’t want was for her to be in one vehicle and him in another, but

saying that out loud would make him sound like a teenager in love for the first time.

“Okay. I’ll come with you.”

Hell, yes!

The drive was quiet until his curiosity got the best of him. “What got you into dancing?”

She gave him a side smile before replying. “Wow. Not even a warm-up, huh?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. How was your day?”

She laughed, the sound warmed him from the inside and made the tiger inside purr with the

delight. “Sort of boring, really. I expected you to be in the office, trying to cop a feel or something.”

He shook his head, a smile on his lips. “Sorry to have disappointed you. I’ll make sure to

meet your expectations tomorrow.”

“All right… Dancing. All through my childhood I was a shy wallflower. My mom and dad

tried to raise us to be responsible from an early age, so I was always more adult than kid.” She said,

her gaze trained on the road ahead. “My brother was always the one getting into some sort of trouble,

so I tried to make sure I didn’t bring my parents any more headaches. Being in the lower middle class

meant they lived from paycheck to paycheck. There were no real vacations or money for any extras.”

She glanced at him and grinned. “Until one day I was in school and my teacher sent me to run a note to

the dance instructor.”

He loved the way her face lit up at the memory of the dance instructor. “You liked her?”

“I caught her in the middle of a lesson. She was so...amazing. You see, she was a big woman.

But she moved with so much grace. I was floored by how much I wanted to move that way.”

“So what happened?”

“I was a big girl then...still am. And my parents didn’t discuss my weight with me, other than

to tell me I needed to do more to try and lose the weight. The other kids in school didn’t notice me,

because I was the unpopular, shy, fat girl. I didn’t have friends. I was alone.” She shook her head.

“No, I was okay with that. Don’t feel bad.”

He couldn’t not feel bad. He imagined the young version of Gabriella feeling lonely, and it

did something to him nothing ever had. It tore him up thinking of her having ever felt alone.

“Anyway, I continued passing by the dance classes, just to stop and watch for little bits at a

time. Then one day Ms. Glenda invited me inside. She asked me why I wasn’t in her class.”

“You already knew you wanted to dance.”

She nodded. “I’d known from the first day. I think she saw it in my face. I told her my parents

said I needed to take classes that would help me get a job in the future, and dance wouldn’t do that.

So instead of messing with my school schedule, she contacted my parents and suggested I stay after

school and take a new fitness routine she was going to teach.”

“Ah, smart woman,” he laughed.

“Very. It ended up being just me and her. She taught me the basics of ballet, mambo, street,

hip-hop and pretty much every dance out there. We had so much fun. Just dancing. Me learning how to

move my body and control it. Did I lose weight? A little, which pacified my parents into letting me

stay for the next two years.” She cleared her throat, and the smile slipped off her face. “Then when I

graduated high school, I continued the classes, but mixed things up with other things like pole dancing

and belly dancing. By then, my brother was getting into all kinds of trouble, and so I started trying to

control him more and had less time for myself.”

“When did you become his caretaker?”

There was a moment of silence. He’d driven past the hotels and reached a not-so-nice area in

Vegas, north of the hustle and bustle of the strip but still poverty stricken. Unlike the nicer section

where she lived, this was where the achingly poor lived.

“I lived in this area when I was a kid. Not far from where Jill and Janie are now. It reminds

me every time I come of how much I’ve done to try and better myself. Sometimes, it doesn’t feel like

enough.” She sighed and glanced at the street. “My parents died when I was in college. I tried to be

Wonder Woman at first: going to school and working, but with Joel, you can’t do that. He needed me

to be on his ass all the time.” She sighed. “It got to the point I got fired from work for constantly

having to go searching for him in the slums. Then I left school. I went to work at Charlie’s and haven’t

looked back. That’s where my dancing helped me.”

So many things ran through his mind. How brave and amazing she was to stop her life for her

brother when he clearly didn’t give her the respect she deserved. “Was it weird? Dancing for men in

those small outfits?”

She cocked her head to the side. Her lips turned up in a smile. “At first, yes. I had to be

broken in.” She laughed and shook her head. “I danced for the employees for a few weeks. Got used

to the eyes looking me over and people making comments. But Charlie is great. He made sure I knew

there was going to be no touching and that I would never get naked. Some of the girls have private

events they do and will take it all off for more money, but I just can’t. As it is, I’m lucky I know my

routine so well I can do it with my eyes closed.” She bit her lip and inhaled deep before letting it out

slowly. “I fantasize I’m just dancing for myself when I dance. The crowd disappears, and there’s just

me and the music.”

His gut clenched as he watched the multitude of emotions cross her face: disappointment,

sadness, and longing. “Do you ever have issues with clients?”

“Rarely. Charlie will send me out with a guard any time we have someone waiting around too

long after a show. Or when they act like I’m their girlfriend even though they don’t know my real

name.”

The tiger beat at his muscles, wanting out. He didn’t like her words. She was his. Only his.

There was no other man that could touch her, that could claim her. Her words filled him with the need

to protect her, to make sure that she knew she didn’t have to do anything else alone. He was there for

her now. He’d take all the burden of her problems and gladly fix things. Her happiness and peace

would be payment enough for him.

TEN

Gabby was torn. She wanted to see Jill and loved visiting with Janie, but once they reached

Janie and Jill’s apartment, Gabby was ready to leave. She hated the conditions her niece lived in, but

she could not help any more than she already did and keep Joel bailed out.

She knocked on the door, her hands feeling frozen from nerves, and waited.

“Are you okay?” Slade asked. “I can tell something’s wrong. You’re highly agitated.”

“Jill’s got Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. She is super energetic but a handful for

Janie.”

“That’s it? You sure you’re okay?”

She blinked up at his handsome-but-worried face. “I’m fine. I just hate how Janie and Jill

live. If I could, I’d help Janie find a better job, but she’s had a tough break between my irresponsible

brother and the pathetic amount of money she makes working at one of the lower end casinos.”

The door opened, and her niece, holding her favorite cloth doll, flung herself into her arms.

“Auntie Gabby!”

Gabby sucked in a breath to stop herself from bursting into tears. It was like this every time

she visited. Jill was so desperate for some time with family. As an only child who didn’t have any

friends because Janie worried over the neighbors, Jill was lonely.

Gabby hugged the six-year-old and kept from glancing at Slade. He’d probably sense her

sadness, too. “Look how big you’ve gotten, in less than two weeks,” she exclaimed. Jill’s tiny body

and angelic face tugged at her heart. With curly dark hair, warm brown eyes, and mocha skin to match

Gabby’s own, Jill reminded her of herself when she’d been a kid. “What is mommy feeding you?”

Jill was followed out by Janie. Gabby’s ex-sister-in-law had bags under her eyes and looked

pale. “Hi, Gabby.”

She frowned, scanning Janie’s face for an illness or something she might not know about.

“Janie, are you okay? You look like you’re not feeling well.”

“Mommy’s tired. She’s working all the time,” Jill supplied, bouncing on her heels.

Gabby handed the gift bag to Jill. “This is for you, sweetheart.”

Jill squealed and dug into the bag, pulling out a brand-new baby doll. “Oh, I love her, Aunt

Gabby! It’s so pretty.”

Gabby smiled at Jill and then frowned at Janie. “Are you okay?”

Janie shrugged. “You know how it is. Have to pay the bills.” She glanced at Slade and shoved

clumps of brown hair behind her ears. “Hello. Sorry for being rude. I’m Janie.”

“No, no!” Gabby said. “It’s my fault. I should have introduced you guys right away. Jill, Janie,

this is Slade. Slade, this is my niece, Jill, and her mother, Janie.”

Slade shook Janie’s hand and squatted down to get eye level with Jill. “Nice to meet you,

lovely young lady.”

Jill smiled shyly at Slade. “Do you like dolls?”

“I think dolls are great. Especially when owned by pretty little girls like you.”

“Hey, Janie,” Gabby said casually, “can I talk to you for a second?” She glanced at Slade, and

he nodded for her to go, continuing his conversation with Jill.

Janie nodded and pulled her inside the apartment, just a few feet away: enough for them to

have some privacy for the little girl’s curiosity while leaving Slade to chat.

Gabby went into her handbag and pulled out an envelope. “I’m sorry about the delay. I know

you expected this two days ago.”

Janie glanced down at the envelope. She took it without saying anything and grasped the paper

hard. “I can’t thank you enough for ensuring Joel does his job. Until you came around, he was so

irresponsible. Now, he actually pays his child support. He didn’t make any attempt to answer my

calls, or even Jill’s, in the past. I’m hoping in time he’ll start calling her.”

“He’s in a place where he’s getting help, but I will make sure he keeps paying.”

“Thank you.” Janie threw her arms around Gabby’s neck and pulled back before Gabby got a

chance to really hug her. She always felt like she didn’t do enough for Janie and Jill. Ensuring they

had the child support her brother should have been paying was something she could help with even if

it meant she had to pick up a few extra shifts a month at work.

“Are you sure there’s nothing else going on? Something you need my help with?”

Janie sniffled and shook her head, breaking Gabby’s heart a little more. “We’re fine. This

helps tons.”

“Okay, then let me know if there’s anything at all you need.”

Janie nodded. “Thank you, Gabby. You’re amazing.”

She didn’t feel amazing. She felt like she should be doing more. She glanced up and noticed

Slade watching her intently. Shit. He’d heard their conversation. She’d forgotten all about the shifter

super hearing. He spoke softly to Jill and guided her away from the door so the child couldn’t hear the

women speak.

The ride back to her house was quiet. She was distracted with Janie and Jill until Slade

spoke. “Why didn’t you tell Janie that you were giving her the child support check? You and I both

know your brother didn’t give that to you.”

She glanced at him on the driver’s side and bit her lip. “Janie is really stubborn. If she knew

that I was the one giving her the money, she wouldn’t take it.” She leaned her head back on the seat

and sighed. “As it is, I can’t get them to move. I offered my house for them to come stay. Janie says

that she won’t burden me. I tried and tried, unsuccessfully, to explain they’re family and never a

burden, but it didn’t work. She’s super independent. Will only take the child support because it’s for

Jill from Joel. I have to gift Jill clothes and shoes or else Janie won’t take money.”

“Why is she so set on doing things herself when you’ve offered?”

“She knows how much I’ve tried to help Joel. She’s seen my struggles with him and refuses to

add to my stresses. I think if she’d just get a better-paying job, she’d be able to move out of there and

work less hours. It’s just hard, because when Jill needs help, Janie drops everything, and not all jobs

are that accommodating.” She cleared her throat and rubbed a hand on her lap. “I...wish I could do

more. It drives me crazy to see them living that way.”

He grabbed her hand and gave her a warm smile. “Don’t worry, beautiful. You’re not alone

anymore. We’ll figure this out.”

She loved how he said that. Even though it was a lot to hope for, she was getting attached to

Slade…a lot more than she’d ever allowed herself to be with any other man. All she could hope for

was that if he ever chose to walk away, she’d be able to handle the heart break.

ELEVEN

Gabby stopped wearing the pink atrocity her brother had gifted her and instead wore a brown

nondescript trench she’d gotten herself. At least now she didn’t feel like there were neon signs on her

saying: “I have something hidden under this coat.”

Her cell phone rang just as she was about to leave the club. It was Slade. The thought of his

name made her belly flip-flop. She’d not seen him all day and missed him. “Hi.”

“Hello, beautiful. Can I come over?”

She loved that he didn’t assume she wanted company. Working two jobs lately was taking a

toll. Not that Charlie hadn’t been wonderful and cut down her hours so she could do both, but she was

still exhausted.

“You may.”

He laughed. “Good, because I’m sort of already here.”

She tripped on the step as she walked to the back door. She opened the big, metal door and

stopped. “Huh?”

“I took the liberty of starting a barbeque in your backyard.”

“How did you even get over the big-ass fence?” She laughed. “Let me guess, tigers climb

fences?”

She heard his chuckle along with some movement on the other side of the line. “This one

does.”

“Alright. I’ll see you soon.” She readied to take the final step when she noticed someone

hanging by her car. It was a man. Ah, fuck. The big guy from the casino, the one who accused her of

stealing his wife’s winnings. She didn’t know what that man’s problem was. He’d called multiple

times saying she stole his money. She’d had to explain the whole thing to Charlie and the security staff

to make sure he wasn’t allowed inside.

She rushed back into the building and waited for two of the security guys to escort her outside

before heading home. It was getting ridiculous. The last thing she wanted was for the idiot who

believed she’d taken money from him to keep showing up at her workplace.

The incident didn’t stop her from feeling excited to see Slade. She’d missed him. He’d been

so sweet and concerned with her and what she wanted for Jill and Janie. The fact that he’d sat there,

listened, and then given her input and moral support meant more to her than anything else.

“Hello?” She called out as she entered her house. The doors were locked, and the inside of

the house was dark. She couldn’t figure out how he’d gotten inside.

She tossed her bag on a sofa, dropped her cell phone on the kitchen counter, and marched to

the backyard. She’d been so excited when she bought her house. Her first real piece of property. She

didn’t owe anyone any money on it. Sure it was small, but it was hers. It had a decent-sized yard and

a pool. She’d gotten it with a pet in mind, hoping to one day get herself a dog or cat and share the

space with an animal.

When she reached the backyard, she was left speechless.

“Oh, my god. Did you pimp my yard?”

He started laughing and almost sputtered out the beer in his mouth. “You say the funniest

things.”

He had pimped her yard. Previously, her yard had been a plain spot with a few chairs by the

pool and a small grill. Now, there was furniture. In her yard!

“I came by earlier to see if I could set up a surprise outing for us in your yard and noticed it

needed some stuff to make it more comfortable.”

“But...how did you do all this?”

He winked, a sly smile on his lips. “I got over the fence and opened the door. Once I was able

to do that, it was easy, since everything I needed was being delivered, including this awesome

cooler,” he said. She glanced at the giant column that housed a flower pot on top of it.

“What cooler?”

He pressed a button, and the top of the column, the section housing the flowers, lifted and

moved off to the right, revealing a massive, hidden cooler.

“Holy shit! That is so awesome!” She gasped in complete awe.

He chuckled at her excitement. “Yeah. It’s great. Anything for you, my curvy goddess.”

Her smile couldn’t grow any wider. He’d done this for her. There was a fire pit surrounded

by a three two-person seats. An outdoor wicker sofa with big, green cushions was placed near the

pool. New plants had been set up around the perimeter of the yard. Heck, he’d even had her one giant

tree decorated with white Christmas lights. A small round dining area was set off near the barbeque

area.

“This looks amazing,” she gushed. The dining area had already been set up with a pitcher of

tea, plates, and silverware. “How long were you doing this?”

He strolled casually to her and pulled her into his arms. Their lips met, and it was coming

home. She loved his mouth on hers. It was sweet and sexy. His tongue drove into her mouth, taking

from her but leaving his mark at the same time.

A slow sizzle started in her belly and spread outward. She’d just managed to grab onto his T-

shirt to keep herself from turning into a puddle on the floor when her cell phone went off. Reluctantly,

she let go of him. His eyes had turned a bright gold that raised passion-filled goosebumps over her

skin.

“Hold that thought. I need to get out of this outfit and have a super quick shower,” she said,

rushing inside to get the phone from the kitchen counter.

“I’m holding you to that, beautiful.”

She grinned and lifted the phone. It was Janie. “Hi, Janie.”

“Gabby,” Janie said, her words teary and thick. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

“Thank me for what?” she asked, confused. She shrugged out of her jacket and ran to her room

to shower.

“Your boyfriend. I didn’t know he was related to Vincent Tigris.”

“Okay?” He wasn’t her boyfriend per se, but whatever. “What does that have to do with

anything?” She asked, now climbing into the shower and putting Janie on speaker.

Janie sniffled. “Mr. Tigris, the father, came to my house and interviewed me for a job.”

“He what?” She glanced to where she’d put the phone so fast she almost got whiplash.

“He said he trusted your judgement, and he offered me a desk job for three times what I was

making.” Janie sobbed between her words.

“Janie... I’m... I don’t...” She stood in her shower, water sluicing over her body, frozen in

place.

“That’s not all. The job comes with one-hundred-percent health insurance coverage. Gabby,

nobody offers that.”

Gabby blinked. “Apparently, they do.”

“Oh my gosh, Gabby. The company offers extended childcare. I’m allowed to go pick up Jill

and bring her to the childcare center when she gets out of school,” she sputtered through her tears.

“This is just…so…amazing.”

It was beyond amazing. It was incredibly selfless of Vincent and Slade to do that for a person

they didn’t even know.

“We get to move!” Janie squealed. “Because I’m so far from work, I’ll need to get a place

closer, so someone from the hotel will work with me to find a better apartment. In the meantime, we

get a few months of corporate housing until we’ve settled. I was worried Jill would be upset. You

know how she is with change, but she’s ecstatic. Mr. Tigris told her there’s a pool at the corporate

housing unit we’re using, and she is ready to go right now.”

TWELVE

Holy crap on a cracker! If she hadn’t slowly been falling for Slade, love would have hit her

just now with the force of a two-by-four.

“I’m so happy for you, Janie! Really. I... It couldn’t have happened to someone more

deserving,” she said, the lump in her throat almost killing her ability to speak.

“It’s all thanks to you. This means more to me than you know. I’ve been wanting so hard to get

Jill out of this dump. Child support has helped a lot, but this will be the change we need to start fresh.

This can never be repaid. Thank you.”

Gabby showered faster than she ever had, rushing out of her bathroom with a robe stuck to her

still-damp body. When she got to her backyard, she saw him sitting by the edge of the pool in a pair of

swimming trunks. Her already-tense muscles burned with need.

She shrugged out of the robe, leaving her completely naked. Thankfully, she had a high fence,

and none of her neighbors had two-story homes. She walked around him until she could see him from

the front steps as she descended into the water.

His gaze ate up every inch of exposed skin, leaving her flushed and breathless. “You look

beautiful.”

She couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips. “Thank you.”

She waded deeper, until the water floated around her shoulders, and headed in his direction.

He slid into the pool, his feet hitting the pool floor at the same moment she reached him.

There was so much care and concern in his gaze as he stared deep into her eyes, so much

passion and possession. All of it made her feel so wanted, so desired…something she wasn’t used to.

She curled her arms around his neck and pulled his head down, meshing their lips together in

a toe-curling kiss. “Thank you.”

He ignored her words and continued kissing her, grabbing her ass and lifting so she could get

her legs around his waist. When he finally pulled back, they were both breathless and panting. “Why

are you thanking me?”

She nuzzled his jaw and neck, her nipples pebbling tight at the manly scent of him. Wild. Sexy.

Part clean and part woodsy. “What you did for Janie. I can never thank you enough for it.”

“I did nothing special.” He lifted her higher, flipping them over and setting her on the edge of

the pool. He spread her legs wide and pushed his body between her thighs. She sucked back a moan

and loved when he grabbed her breasts and thumbed her nipples.

“You,” she moaned, her pussy contracting, ready for more. “You did something I couldn’t. I

tried to solve the problem by giving her everything I could. What she needed was to feel like she was

making progress in her life. That she could take care of herself and Jill. You’re amazing.”

He pushed her big legs wider, dropping a wet hand between her pussy folds to stroke

delicately at her clit. Up. Down. Round. “So what do I get as a thank you?”

She shuttered at his low, hungry words. “Anything. Everything.”

He slipped a finger into her and pressed his thumb on her clit. Sucking her tit hard, he finger-

fucked her slowly, driving the fire in her body into a giant, blazing inferno.

“Oh...” She gripped his shoulders, digging her nails into his flesh, hard. “Slade, please. Don’t

tease.”

He released her nipple with a resounding pop and grumbled against her chest. “You just gave

me everything. I’ll tease and fuck and tease and fuck you until your body’s a mess of nerves.” Her

body’s response was another hot shudder down her spine and straight to her clit. “Your tight little

pussy’s going to squeeze hard around my fingers when you come and wet them with your scent.” He

groaned. “I can’t fucking wait to get another taste of you on my tongue. It’s going to be so fucking

good. Your slick folds dripping on my face.”

Holy mother of pool sex. He was so good at giving her images. Dirty, dirty images…stuff she

thought she was the only one imagining.

Tension coiled in her belly. “Keep going! Talk to me some more,” she said, shocking even

herself with her words. “It makes me wet, and I’m so close.”

“Ah, baby. You like thinking of my mouth on your slick little hole,” he mumbled on her chest,

licking circles around a nipple.

“Yes! Good god, I do,” she groaned, pushing her hips closer to his fingers and her chest into

his mouth.

“You want my dick inside you, don’t you? Want me to fuck that little pussy raw?”

“Hell yes!” She whimpered, her stomach clenching along with her pussy on his driving

fingers.

“You’re a dirty girl. I fucking love that.” He nibbled on her tit. “I love how fucking wet and

hot you are. Tight and wet. It’s like heaven.”

“More...”

“Greedy aren’t you?” He chuckled and bit on her nipple hard enough to make her whimper

again. “Fuck that’s sexy. I bit you, and your pussy squeezed at my fingers. That’s what I want around

my cock. All of you shivering and clenching and fucking coming so hard it hurts me every time your

pussy closes around my dick.”

That took her over the edge faster than her brain could process. Tension unraveled with

reckless speed inside her—so quickly it left her breathless. Her legs shook, and her pussy grappled

around his thrusting digits.

“That’s it, baby. Keep doing that.” He slid his fingers out of her and replaced them with his

mouth and tongue, licking and sucking at her tender sex. “Yesss. I love the taste of you coming. So

fucking sweet.”

She was still gasping and trying to get her ability to move back when he picked her up and

moved toward the steps leading into the shallow end of the pool. He placed her on all four and didn’t

give her a second to breathe before he was pushing into her from behind. He grunted and drove deep,

pounding into her without stopping. Water lapped at their sides with each harsh dive.

He felt so good inside. So deep. So fucking big.

“Fuck,” he grunted. “I can’t wait to have you full of my cum. Sticky and slick with your scent

and mine combined. Your pussy,” he groaned, each thrust harsher, deeper than the last. “Clinging to

my cock. Wanting every drop of my cum in you. I want to feel your body drinking it in. Taking it all

thirstily.”

“Yes, yes, yes, yes,” she mumbled. It sounded perfect. She wanted all of him in her.

Everything. She’d take it all—all he had to give—and then give herself fully to him.

Another plunge and she could barely breathe. Her focus was him. Fucking her. His cock going

in and out of her body, and the raging fire he fanned in her pussy. That’s all she could see, smell, and

feel. The branding of her body with his dick.

His fingers bit into her hips, hard, so hard she glanced down and noticed they’d turned into

claws, and there was blood dripping from how deep he’d dug them into her hips. She didn’t give a

fuck. Hell. Knowing he’d lost his control for her only turned her on more.

He rotated his hips, hitting her at a new angle. She gasped, her eyes rolling to the back of her

head with the new move. “Oh, my god!”

“That’s my girl. Come on, sweetheart. Let go.” He breathed by her neck, licking her shoulder.

“Come so I can fill your pussy with my cum. Fill it until it slides out of you. Then we’ll fill it again

and again. When your pussy can’t take any more, we’ll fuck that tight little ass and make it spill my

cum too.”

She tried to grip the slick pool tile. Her body shuddered, her release knocking her so hard that

she dropped her head forward and screamed.

He fucked her harder, each plunge stronger than before. And suddenly, he stopped, his body

so tense he vibrated behind her.

“Fucking hell, that’s amazing!” he roared, the sound almost deafening as he came into her. His

cock thickened and spilled his warm semen into her channel. “So fucking sexy.”

He pulled out and stroked his slick cock on her asshole. “This is next,” he rumbled by her ear.

“My cock in your ass will be fucking amazing.”

She’d never done that one before, but as sexy as he made it sound, she had no doubt she’d

enjoy anything he did to her.

It was long moments before either could breathe without sounding like they ran a marathon. By

then they were laying on a massive set of beach towels on her new sofa.

“What you did for Janie,” she began, glancing into his eyes. “Thank you.”

“I don’t want you stressing over something that can be fixed, Gabriella,” he said, pushing a

long strand of hair behind her ear, the soft gesture not lost on her. “I want you to be happy. With less

stress.”

“I’m always going to have stress with Joel.”

He nodded. “Yes, I get that. But you can share the burden with me now. I’m here for you. I’m

not going anywhere.”

She loved hearing him say that. It was a matter of acceptance on her part. She knew shifters

had a deep sense of the right person for them. At that moment, she had no doubt he was the man she’d

been hoping for her entire life. If only her brother wasn’t such a pain in the ass.

“Joel is always going to be my brother,” she said, half-warning him of the chaos he was

asking to be involved in.

“I understand that. I’m not asking you to stop being the loving, caring person that you are.

What I’m hoping is that now you can share some of that stress with me. I’ll happily listen, and if I can

help, I will.” He snuggled her tighter in his arms.

The safety of being with him lulled her into relaxation. “I appreciate that.”

She more than appreciated it. She loved it—loved him, for it.

THIRTEEN

Gabby walked out of Charlie’s excited. Janie had called. Things were going good with the

move, and Jill was adjusting, which was something they’d both been worried about. She turned the

corner of the building and saw Slade’s car parked at the other end of the filled lot. It had been one

crazy night, with multiple private parties filling the club to capacity.

Slade got out of his car, and she smiled. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure

coming her way fast.

“You fucking bitch!” the man said, grabbing her by the arms and squeezing so hard she

screamed. “You better give me my fucking money.”

It was the same man from the hotel casino. He screamed in her face and dug his fingers into

her arms. She had been caught off guard and didn’t get a chance to catch her bearings when a loud

roar filled the air. Then the man was yanked away from her so fast she fell to the ground.

She scrambled backward, watching a massive tiger toss the evil man like he was one of Jill’s

rag dolls. She got up slowly, aching from the fall and knowing she’d have bruises on her arms where

he’d grabbed her, and scrapes on her legs too.

The tiger tossed the man against one of the back walls, from which he bounced and landed on

his face. The guy got up and pulled out a knife. Her heart jumped to her throat as fear clogged her

lungs.

The tiger leapt forward and took the man down. She couldn’t see enough to know if he’d been

injured from the knife. She rushed forward, completely ignoring the common sense that screamed

“Stay back!”

“Slade?”

The tiger turned to face her. Suddenly a mass of cars showed up, and the tiger rushed off into

the woods. A group of men she recognized wearing the Tigris Striped logo picked up the injured man

and put him into a van.

Had she blinked, she would have missed it all. She wasn’t sure what to do. Slade had run off

so fast she didn’t get a chance to see which way he’d gone. She decided to go to his car and wait.

He’d have to come back at some point.

She’d been waiting for about ten minutes when a woman jumped out of a taxi, glancing around

the parking area. She recognized her as the crazy man’s wife. The woman saw her and ran forward.

“Oh, my god. He was here, wasn’t he?” She glanced around, her gaze filled with panic. “What

did he do to you?”

“Not much, thanks to someone helping,” she said, rubbing the sides of her arms, which hurt

like hell. “What the hell is wrong with your husband?”

The woman glanced down, her shoulders dropping and embarrassment written on her face.

“It’s my fault… You see, the day we saw you at the hotel, I’d gotten a small check from my mother for

groceries. He wanted to go gamble.”

“But you didn’t?” Gabby supplied, seeing the answer in the woman’s face.

“No. I couldn’t say no, or he’d get angry and break everything. So I went with him, and I put

some of the money into a machine, let it load, and then pressed the max button by mistake. I won five

thousand dollars.” The woman glanced at her with pure disbelief. “I’d never won anything. I don’t

even like gambling. Anyway, he didn’t want to leave the machine in case it was hot, according to him,

so he told me to take the ticket and go cash it.”

Realization dawned then. “You didn’t cash it. You ran into me!”

She nodded, shame making her pale features crimson. “I didn’t want him to get ahold of that

money, so I accidentally dropped it into your coat pocket and told him I lost it all on a different

machine.”

“He didn’t believe you, did he?”

“He’d been watching and saw when I bumped you. I think he realized what I’d done, but since

I’ve never lied to him for fear of being hurt, he assumed you stole it out of my hands when I wasn’t

paying attention.”

Wow. All that time she’d had the paper and had no clue. She’d hung up that coat and hadn’t

bothered to check the pockets since. “How did you know to drop it there? What if I’d been a real

thief?”

The woman shrugged. “It was a chance I took. I just didn’t expect him to obsess this much. I

had hoped that I’d be able to catch up with you and explain and hopefully you’d give it back. Either

way, it’s not like I would have been allowed to keep it if I gave it to him.”

“Your husband was hurt tonight,” Gabriella blurted out. “I feel the need to tell you that. I don’t

know how badly, but it was bad.”

The woman didn’t even blink. “I needed that money to run away from him. I’m tired of his

gambling and his anger. It would be a fresh start.”

Gabby nodded. “If it’s in the pink coat, it’s yours. I’ll go inside and check. I’ve got it hanging

in the club. Come with me.”

They went back into the club, and Gabby ran into the section reserved for her costumes and

extra clothing changes. She reached into the pocket. Sure enough, she pulled out the piece of paper

from the Striped hotel for five thousand dollars and change.

She turned to face the woman and handed her the casino payment voucher. “I wish you luck.”

The woman’s eyes filled with tears, and she nodded. “Thank you. You’re so kind. I’m getting

as far from that man as possible.”

She gave Gabby a hug. Gabby stopped a security guard and asked him to put the woman safely

in a cab.

She was walking out the back of the building a second time when she saw Slade. No longer in

tiger form, he was dressed in sweats and a T-shirt. She ambled toward him slowly, unsure if he still

wanted to be alone or what.

Then she saw the insecurity in his eyes. He was afraid of what she might think over what he

did. She marched with more power in her step and threw herself in his arms.

“I was so worried about you,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry I scared you.” He held her tight. “When I saw the guy grab you, I lost all control of

my tiger. The tiger wanted him dead, and I wasn’t going to stop him.”

She glanced up into his molten-gold eyes and nodded. “I understand. I’m yours to protect.”

“I thought seeing that would have made you disgusted or scared.” He searched her face,

looking for something.

She shook her head. “I still love you. Probably more now. No one has ever come to my rescue

before. We’ll just have to work on your mauling your way through the Strip.”

A smile broke over his lips. “I’d do anything to protect you. I didn’t want to rush you,

Gabriella, but I love you. You’re the one woman I want. The only one.”

She hugged him again. “You’re the man I want, Slade. I’m sure of it.”

He glanced up at the club at her back. “Do you have to keep working here?”

She smiled, knowing why he asked. “I’d been saving to open up my own curvy dance studio.

I’ll get there sooner than you think.”

He cupped her cheek and brushed his lips over hers. “What if I want to invest in this studio?

Can we get this done sooner?”

She nodded. “I’m open to negotiation.”

A sly grin curled his lips. “Great. I’m about to negotiate us being together forever.”

She laughed and kissed him. “You don’t need to. I’m in agreement with you there.”

He turned her to face his car. “Good. Let’s go home, so we can fine tune these new ventures

between us,” he said, guiding her to the car and opening the passenger side door. “Just remember,

you’re never alone. Never again.”

She leaned back into the seat and let the stresses of most of her life slide off her shoulders.

She still had Joel to deal with, but with Slade by her side, she could do it. Her heart filled with love

for her tiger. He’d given her more than she’d thought anyone could. The shy girl finally got her man.

And he was a more than just wild in bed.

THE END

HECK

ARANORMAL

ATING

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CENTS

READ

FOR

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WITH

INDLE

NLIMITED

TALL DARK AND PANTHER

LSO

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FROM

ILLY...

HECK

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OCIOUS LUST SHORTS

(

BEARS

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READ

FOR

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WITH

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NLIMITED

FUR

BIDDEN

–

BOOK

FUR

GOTTEN

–

BOOK

FUR

GIVEN

–

BOOK

LSO

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ILLY...

HECK

FUR

OCIOUS LUST SHORTS

(

TIGER

)

ERE

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ARANORMAL

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READ

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STRIPE

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–

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–

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ASSY

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WITH

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WITH

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EAT.

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YOURS!

BOUT

THE

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!

http://eepurl.com/pt9q1

Find out more about Milly Taiden here:

Email: millytaiden@gmail.com

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!

Document Outline

ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE
THIRTEEN

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