Panthers' Prey

Black Panthers 1 

Panthers’ Prey Bailey Knox knew the good price she paid for her new bar came with consequences, but she didn’t count on nearly getting killed before she could even move into the place, which was also her new home. Waking up to the two complete strangers who have saved her, she’s alarmed at her overwhelming response to both of them. Marcus Brand and James Archer are different from any men she’s ever met, but she didn’t realize how different. Shape-shifters don’t exist. Then they tell her something even more remarkable. She is their mate. She fights the emotional pull, even while reveling in the passion that only seems to grow stronger, passion that just can’t be ignored. Neither can the attacks. When black panthers save her life once again, the trio must hide the truth from the rest of the world while struggling to come to grips with their own destiny— and overcoming the danger surrounding them. Genre: Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Shape-shifter Length: 93,406 words 

PANTHERS’ PREY Black Panthers 1

Leah Brooke

MENAGE EVERLASTING

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting

PANTHERS’ PREY Copyright © 2012 by Leah Brooke E-book ISBN: 1-61926-383-1 First E-book Publication: February 2012 Cover design by Les Byerley All art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of Panthers’ Prey by Leah Brooke from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book. The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment. This is Leah Brooke’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Brooke’s right to earn a living from her work. Amanda Hilton, Publisher www.SirenPublishing.com www.BookStrand.com

DEDICATION To my husband, for fighting the brave fight.

PANTHERS’ PREY Black Panthers 1 LEAH BROOKE Copyright © 2012

Chapter One Marcus Brand took another sip of beer he didn’t taste. Unnerved at the oppressive threat in the air, he ran his hand through his hair, grimacing that it had gotten too long again. He would have to tie it back when he started his new piece, one that he should have started hours ago. He was dying to get back to work again, his fingers itching to stroke the smooth wood, but he knew he had to settle some before he could even try. The image in his mind lingered just out of focus, an image he knew would sharpen as he carved away the excess, but right now his hands shook too much to even attempt it. Tomorrow was soon enough. Tonight the air held something else. Scanning the woods behind his house and the snow-capped mountains in the distance, he took a deep breath, sniffing the air. Something was out there. He caught a scent on a breeze, an unfamiliar, sweet scent, one that somehow seemed as familiar to him as his own. Frowning, he sniffed again, trying to place it, but couldn’t. Odd, since it seemed almost a part of him.

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The strange restlessness that had plagued him ever since he’d come home that afternoon grew stronger by the minute. He needed to shift. He needed to run, but something held him back. Whatever caused this unrest inside him was out there and carried a scent with it that tightened his body and heightened his awareness to a level that just screamed danger. Something else was out there. Something powerful and enticing came to him with every breeze. It knotted his stomach and made his body burn with a hunger that roused something dark and primitive inside him. He didn’t need to turn his head to feel the attention of his friend, who’d been unusually quiet for the last several minutes. The urge to shift grew until his skin felt too tight for his body. Fighting it back, he took another sip of beer to ease his dry throat and stared into the distance. He didn’t want to take the chance of shifting and being seen, something that could endanger the others in his pack. The combination of threat in the air and irresistible draw made him nearly crawling out of his skin. It could be an ambush from the cop who had been hounding him and scouring his woods lately, obviously searching for something. Marc suspected Brown had somehow figured out the truth. Sensing the growing restlessness coming from the man who’d been his best friend ever since he could remember, he glanced over and made an attempt to distract himself. “So what did you think of the get-together this time?” James Archer shrugged, scanning the mountains in the distance while tapping a beat with the tips of his fingers on the table in a rare show of restlessness. “It’s always great to see everyone again, but it just seemed…I don’t know. Off, somehow. A little depressing this time.” He glanced at Marc, smiling faintly. His gaze sharpened as it slid back to the mountains, silent proof that Marc hadn’t managed to distract either one of them.

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“And still not a woman in sight. I guess that’s something we’re going to have to learn to live with. Maybe that’s why I still feel uneasy. Everyone was talking about it. Why the hell was everyone so obsessed with wives and families this time?” Scrubbing his jaw, he blew out a breath. “Christ, maybe that’s what’s making me so jumpy.” Too restless to sit, Marc came to his feet and moved to the railing, his body tense with an alertness he hadn’t felt in a long time. “No, I feel it, too. Something’s out there— something…disturbing.” Clenching his jaw, he set his beer on the railing, knowing the emptiness inside him couldn’t be filled with alcohol. “As to the other, women don’t care much for men who need their solitude as much as we do. We’re loners, James. We can’t stand being boxed in. No women in their right minds would put up with any of us.” His stomach clenched as it did each time he thought about the limitations imposed on him at birth. “We’re too different. Primitive.” James took another sip of his beer and sighed. “One-night stands are getting old. Do you ever get the feeling there’s a piece of the puzzle missing somewhere? If any of us knew our parents, maybe we’d have the answer to that. They had to make it work somehow, didn’t they?” The knot in Marc’s stomach tightened and turned cold. “Since they’re all dead, it doesn’t appear they figured it out either, now does it?” Marc grabbed the beer off the railing, downed the remainder, and fought the almost overwhelming impulse to hurl the bottle against the side of his stone house. Smashing it would be rewarding, but the reward wouldn’t last long enough to make up for having to clean up the mess afterward. Setting the bottle on the table with careful deliberation, he rolled his shoulders to ease some of the tension that had settled there. The

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beast inside him fought to get free, and it surprised him to discover that it took more effort than usual to hold it back. “Who the hell knows? Maybe we’re supposed to be alone.” He turned back to the mountains, swallowing down the loneliness that he thought he’d overcome years earlier when he’d realized that, although he loved women, he couldn’t develop relationships with them. The intimacy involved in sleeping next to a woman he’d just taken never materialized, making him anxious to leave and go home to his own bed. He protected his thoughts and feelings, keeping them carefully locked behind an invisible barrier that he’d never once been able to lower. If only the pack had more guidance from others who suffered the same affliction, they all might have been able to overcome this need for solitude, but life didn’t always provide all the answers. Not many of them even remembered their parents. Some of the older ones remembered being gathered together one dark, snowy night by Ed and Alice Tremaine in a truck loaded with blankets. Huddled together, they’d been taken to a farm the older couple owned, a farm that Leland and Joe kept as their home base even now. Many remembered the sounds of gunshots ringing out through the woods that night. Even more remembered Alice had been crying. Marc didn’t remember either. The couple had raised them on their large farm close to the mountains of North Carolina and, once they got older, tried to help them to understand how different they were from others. The older couple stressed the importance of keeping their true selves hidden and trusting no outsiders, a lesson that had saved them on more than one occasion. The Tremaines had passed away years ago, but what they’d taught the young group of misfits stuck. They trusted no one but each other.

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Rolling his neck again, he tried not to imagine having a wife to sit out here on the deck with him, one who would understand the needs inside him. One who would accept everything he was. “Maybe everyone was right. Maybe it’s our fate to be the last of our kind. It doesn’t seem that any one of us can find a woman we can be around for more than a couple of hours between the sheets. Hell, I can’t even fall asleep with one. It just never feels right. It’s like being suffocated.” James came to his feet and joined him at the railing, looking out over the property Marc had purchased almost ten years earlier, his eyes constantly in motion. “And yet we’re blessed with libidos that make abstinence nearly impossible. Highly sexed, solitary creatures. Makes you wonder if Mother Nature is having a little fun at our expense.” Marc thought about the number of women who’d passed through his life, beautiful, smart women, none of whom had even come close to easing the emptiness inside him. None that he would ever have dreamed of trusting enough to let down his guard and sleep next to. Gritting his teeth, he looked out over the large yard and into the woods. “Yeah. Blessed.” After a pregnant pause, James sighed. “It’s nice here. Private. I’ve always liked this place.” Looking out over the yard, he moved to the other end of the large deck and leaned back against the railing. Just as quickly, he straightened and started tapping his fingers again, his own restlessness apparent. “I thought I’d like living in a small town. The problem with that is that in small towns everyone knows everyone else’s business.” Crossing one leg over the other, James allowed a small smile.

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“The more I avoided everyone, the more curious they got. So, I moved to the city where I was surrounded by strangers, thinking I’d be anonymous.” Inwardly cringing, Marc stretched in another attempt to loosen the tight muscles in his neck and shoulders. “I still don’t know how you stayed as long as you did. I’d go fucking nuts.” “I did. That’s why I left.” Shaking his head, James chuckled softly. “I can almost hear Alice clicking her tongue.” Sighing, he looked back out at the mountains and frowned. “I’ve got to buy my own place around here. I appreciate the invitation to stay here until I do.” Amused, Marc shot his childhood friend a glance. “You don’t get on my nerves.” James lifted a brow and smiled. “High praise from you.” Turning away again, Marc went back to his seat, propping his feet on the railing, determined to shake this restlessness and relax. He’d been gone for a week, attending the yearly get-together, one that Leland insisted on, with the only family he had. He loved them, but after a week of them, he was glad to be home and wanted to get back to work. The object for his next piece, however, lingered just out of focus, frustrating him immensely. Several minutes of tense silence followed, with both he and James scanning the area behind the house. Marc knew he wouldn’t be able to stand much more of it, but he prided himself on his ability to control the beast inside him. He wouldn’t shift until he was damned good and ready, no matter how fiercely the beast clamored to be free. James ran his hands through his hair and sat forward, his agitation apparent. “I don’t remember this place ever feeling like this. Or is it just us? I must still be antsy after all that talk about mates. Mates? Really?

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And that two of us can share the same one? I think Leland’s lost his mind. Christ, if what he was saying is true, it would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Talk about depressing. And how the hell are we supposed to know who this magical woman is? How the hell do we know who’s supposed to share her? Why would I want to share my woman with anyone?” Marc shrugged. “Mitch said that Leland met a woman who he thought was his mate. He wasn’t sure what the hell the signs were, but he said Leland fell head over heels. He let her go because he wasn’t going to let his cock rule his life, so he pushed her away. Apparently, her other mate was Joe Diablo, who fought with Leland about it. By the time the two of them came to terms with sharing her, she was gone.” James grimaced, his eyes widening. “So that’s what was wrong with them.” With a sigh, Marc dropped his feet to the wood deck, unable to sit still. “Yeah. Mitch said Leland and Joe have been like bears with sore paws ever since.” Coming to his feet, he stripped out of his shirt, tossing it aside. “Face it, this is not going away. I usually check the place over when I come home, and I haven’t done it yet. I don’t know what it is, but something’s off. I just hope it’s not an ambush set up by Brown.” James had already toed off his shoes. “We’ll smell him if it is. Damn, he’s becoming a real pain in the ass. I’ll go with you. I don’t know your woods as well as you do, but whatever it is, it’s driving me nuts. I keep getting a whiff of the most incredible scent.” Marc didn’t bother answering, since he’d been expecting James to join him, but the fact that James was just as taken by the scent shocked him. He shifted, the raw power running through his veins making it possible to leap effortlessly over the railing and land without a sound onto the grass below.

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When James jumped over the railing a heartbeat later, Marc was already running for the woods. Something was very wrong. His woods didn’t feel right. An ominous tenseness filled the air, and he could sense the distress and fear of some of the smaller animals. The intoxicating scent hit him again, stronger than before, slamming into him with the force of a sledgehammer. So shocked he tripped on a fallen branch, Marc came to a dead stop, feeling as though he’d slammed into a brick wall. His insides tightened, knotting into a ball of hard, cold steel. His breath quickened, each one filling him with the scent that clouded his head and heated the cold steel inside him into hot, molten lava. His heart beat nearly out of his chest, pounding so loud he had to fight it back in order to catch the sounds of the woods he needed to hear. The intoxicating scent that nearly drove him out of his mind became almost completely overshadowed by another scent, one that had the beast inside him shaking with rage. Terror. Primal instinct took over as the beast fought for control. Before he could prevent it, a low growl, one filled with lethal intent bubbled from deep inside his chest. The remaining small animals stilled with terror and scurried away. James came to a stop beside him, sniffing the air and turning toward him. Baring his teeth, he growled in his throat, his entire body tense and alert. A loud sound splitting the air, making them jump and heightening the tension even more. The sharp crack that echoed through the trees couldn’t be mistaken. Gunshot. Marc crouched and stilled as a slight breeze carried another unmistakable whiff of the same scent, this time stronger. Woman. Fear.

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And something else. Some indefinable scent that created an answering urgency inside him that couldn’t be ignored, one that raised his hackles and had him struggling to hold back another growl in an effort to be as quiet as possible. He had to get to her. Nothing in his life had ever been as important as getting to her. Filled with urgency, he forced himself to remain still when other sounds permeated the thick woods. Listening intently, he caught the rustle of movement, the unmistakable sound of running, and slipping, footsteps over damp earth and dead leaves, coming from at least two miles away. Two sets of feet, one light and one much heavier. A woman was in his woods, and in danger. The rage inside him exploded. He leapt in that direction, already at a dead run with James close beside him when he heard the unmistakable sound of a feminine scream splitting the air. And the beast inside him broke free. **** Ignoring the stitch in her side, Bailey Knox ran as fast as she could, struggling to get enough air into her lungs. Stumbling yet again, she managed to catch herself and jumped over one of the large roots that, in the dimming light, seemed to reach out for her, like gnarled fingers curling into the damp ground. She choked back sobs, hardly able to believe this could really be happening. He’d actually shot at her, the shot hitting the tree in front of her and sending shards of bark flying. The farther she ran, the denser the trees got, making running more dangerous by the second. Concentrating on just staying on her feet, she raced through the woods, dodging tree limbs as she ran for her life.

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But, no matter how fast she ran, the footsteps pounding into the damp earth behind her got closer and closer. She braced for him to shoot again and for the pain that would slam into her if he didn’t miss this time. The muscles in her legs felt rubbery, making her clumsy, but she knew if she tripped, he would be on her. Her breath came out in short, sobbing pants as she raced on, almost falling several times. Her hands burned from the countless times she’d had to grab on to tree trunks to stay upright. “You’re pissing me off! How long do you think you can run from me, bitch?” His voice came from directly behind her. He was too close and seemed to be gaining no matter how fast she ran. Choking back sobs, she fought her panic and ran on, digging deep for the burst of speed she needed to put some distance between them. The muscles in her legs burned as she raced up an incline, another panicked sob escaping when she stumbled, almost losing her balance. The heavy tread of running footsteps behind her seemed to get closer every second, increasing her panic until it felt as if her heart would burst from her chest. Small branches slapped at her, but she barely felt the sting, too intent on getting away from the evil closing in on her from behind. The reality of her situation hit her hard. She was in the middle of nowhere with a psychopath chasing her through woods that grew darker by the minute and that were completely unfamiliar to her. He kept gaining on her, and she knew it was only a matter of time before he caught her. She couldn’t get enough air. She couldn’t run fast enough. She couldn’t believe that her life may actually end in the next few minutes. This couldn’t be happening. The inner voice inside her screamed at her to run faster, but with all the roots, trees and brush, she couldn’t gain any speed.

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Making a sharp turn, she cut between two trees in a vain attempt to lose him, hoping that if she could for even a few precious seconds, she’d be able to hide in the darkness until he gave up or she could get some help. Inwardly cursing that she couldn’t seem to gain even an inch of distance between them, she choked back another sob. The pain in her scalp caught her by surprise as he grabbed a handful of hair, the sharp pull unbalancing her and jerking her neck backward. She screamed, a scream she knew no one would hear. In desperation she grabbed at a tree trunk to keep him from pulling her to the ground. Ignoring the pain, she held strong and somehow managed to get her legs under her again. Oh, God! She couldn’t let him win. She had to fight and keep fighting. If she gave up, she would die. She screamed again, struggling to keep from sliding on the slick leaves. Flailing her arms for balance, she somehow managed to hit his arm and miraculously loosened his hold just enough for her to shake off his grip. She heard a curse and a dull thud and realized she’d somehow also managed to knock the gun away from him. It gave her hope and with it, renewed strength. Thankful that she’d managed to get rid of the threat of being shot, she made a break for it, but her sudden burst of speed cost her. Her foot hit one of the large roots and turned sideways, her ankle twisting painfully, and then went numb, collapsing under her. Screaming in pain and horror, she fell hard, facedown on the damp ground. Terrified, she screamed and tried to scramble to her feet again, but he landed hard on top of her, knocking the breath from her and effectively cutting off her screams. Desperately grabbing for something solid, she tried to dig her knees into the ground, but the large, hard roots under her made it impossible to get any leverage.

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After several long seconds, she finally managed to gulp precious air into her lungs. On her second breath, she tried to scream. “Get the fuck off of me, you piece of shit. Ow!” Even though her voice came out low and breathless, she was proud of the anger she managed to inject into it. He yanked her long ponytail, and she just managed to turn her face to the side before he slammed her head into the damp earth. She tried to scream again, using her arms as leverage to lift herself in an attempt to ease the pressure on her chest, but the heavy weight covering her made it impossible. She used the little bit of air she had left to curse at him again. His hands came around her neck and tightened, cutting her air off altogether. “Shut the fuck up.” His fingers squeezed into her throat in a bruising, punishing hold, and although she clawed at them, she couldn’t manage to loosen it at all. Adjusting his position, he held her down with a hard arm in the middle of her back, pressing her face into the dank earth and making it almost impossible to get even the smallest amount of air anymore. He moved to her side, holding her face against the ground, and grabbed her hip, ripping her shirt as he forced her to her back. Grabbing desperately at the hand at her throat, she fought to get free, terrified because she couldn’t get any air at all. Her mind screamed in horror at what was happening, and everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. His silence and the evil intent in his eyes as he stared down at her would be the last thing she would ever experience. No! No! No! Oh, God! He was killing her. Her vision blurred and darkness began to close in, but as hard as she fought him, she couldn’t get any air.

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Deprived of air, she panicked and fought with everything she had, but her struggles grew weaker and weaker until they became almost nonexistent. Desperate, she tried to kick at him but couldn’t reach. She dug her nails into the hands around her neck, trying to pull at them until she had no strength left to fight him at all. Looking up into the face of her killer, the man whose features she could barely discern now, she felt the rest of the strength fade away. No matter how much her mind screamed at her to fight, her fingers lost their grip on his hands at her throat and dropped to her sides. Her vision dimmed, the faint slice of moonlight penetrating the thick trees becoming smaller and smaller. It was then that her mind started playing tricks on her. The vicious growling she heard sent cold chills of terror through her already horrified system. Growls of a wild, tortured beast. Then everything went black.

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Chapter Two Bailey woke in small increments, savoring the feel of warmth surrounding her. Stretching, she groaned at the various aches and pains that seemed to be everywhere. Stilling, she frowned, wondering why the hell she felt as though she’d been run over by a truck. She smiled again at the delicious feel of softness brushing against her skin, feeling pampered and warm. It took several seconds before she realized that it brushed over every inch of her skin. She never slept naked. A sense of urgency filled her, making her heart race and every muscle in her body tense, which brought all of the aches back with a vengeance. With a moan, she froze, blinking her eyes open against the dim light coming through the French doors. French doors? She blinked again and took in the dark, masculine furniture— furniture more expensive than anything she could ever afford. Alarmed that nothing around her looked familiar, she stiffened, listening for any sound that would tell her where the hell she was. Fighting panic, she tried to remember. She’d been driving to her new home in Denby, anxious to get start cleaning and remodeling the bar she’d just bought and— With a gasp, she grabbed the sheet and jerked upright, whipping her head around in search of her attacker. Oh, God. What the hell had happened to her? She didn’t know where she was or how the hell she’d gotten here.

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Frowning, she rubbed her head, eyeing the closed door and trying to figure out what had happened. The last thing she remembered was her attacker staring down at her, smiling as he choked the life out of her. He wouldn’t have stopped and brought her here, but nothing else made any sense. Was she dead? No, if she’d died, she wouldn’t have all the aches and pains. Would she? The more she thought about it, the more it made her head hurt, but she didn’t have the luxury of lying here trying to figure it out. She had to find her car and get to town. First, though, she had to get the hell out of here. She started to get up, wincing when her foot fell from the pillow it had been propped on. Moving it tentatively, she bit back a groan at the throbbing pain, knowing she had no choice but to walk on it. Biting her lip to hold back a cry, she tried to be as quiet as possible as she eased her way to the edge of the bed. “Don’t try to get up.” With a cry of surprise, she yanked the covers up from where they’d fallen to her waist and spun toward the dark corner where the deep voice had come from. She hadn’t seen anyone there before. Cursing her own stupidity at thinking herself alone, she tightened her grip on the covers and kept her eyes glued to the corner. What she’d thought a shadow came to life as a dark form separated itself from the wall and moved toward her. Dressed in dark clothing, and with dark hair and glittering blue eyes, the mesmerizing man seemed almost ghostlike as he moved, his footsteps silent on the wooden floor. Hard. The word popped into her head and seemed to describe everything about him. His hard, masculine features appeared to be chiseled from

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stone. His body didn’t appear to have an inch of flab anywhere. He moved gracefully across the large bedroom, the strength and purpose in his slow, careful stride more than a little intimidating. The fierce intent in his eyes shook her, eyes so laser sharp and beautiful she couldn’t look away, his dominant presence both alarming and fascinating her. Those cool, assessing eyes stayed on hers, watchful and patient as he approached, using slow, cautious steps, the way one might approach a wounded animal. No amount of stealth could hide the barely leashed power emanating from him. It was a power unlike anything she’d ever witnessed before, one that he exuded with no apparent effort at all. Intrigued, and alarmed just enough to be irritated, she gripped the sheet tighter between her breasts and held out a hand as though that would be able to hold him off. “Stop right there.” Surprised that her voice came out as a hoarse bark, she swallowed, annoyed to find her throat hurt. Realizing it was a result of being choked, she lifted a hand to her neck, never taking her eyes off of what had to be the most captivating male she’d ever set eyes on. To her relief, he stopped several feet from the bed. Standing there, he appeared to study her, the strangest look coming over his face. His nostrils flared, his expression becoming hard and tense for several heart-stopping seconds before he closed his eyes, a muscle working in his jaw. When he opened his eyes again, she sucked in a breath at the unadulterated lust swirling in the deep blue. Although his body remained tense, he extended his arms, as though trying to prove himself harmless. A soft bubble of hysterical laughter fought to break free. Never in a million years would anyone looking at him consider him harmless.

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As she swallowed the sound, some of the hard lines of his masculine features softened, the small smile he allowed making her toes curl. “I won’t hurt you. You need to stay in bed. You’ve been injured.” The soft huskiness in his tone touched something deep inside her, scaring her more than even his presence. Bringing her other hand to her chest, she swallowed heavily, grimacing that the pain in her raw throat made it difficult. Keeping the covers pulled high, she fisted her hands to hide the fact that they shook. Watching him out of the corner of her eye, she surveyed her surroundings, looking for a way to escape. The stark masculinity of the room matched the man, dark, solid, and undeniably sleek, telling her that this must be his bedroom. Scanning the room, she searched unobtrusively for her clothing, her unease growing when she didn’t see a trace of her things. Wrapping the sheet more tightly around her, she slid a glance at the French doors, weighing her chances of making a getaway. She considered using the sculpture of an eagle standing on the dresser as a weapon, if necessary. It looked heavy enough to do serious damage, but probably too heavy for her to swing with enough force. She had no idea how she got here, wherever here was, or how she’d come to be naked, and hated the fact that not knowing terrified her. She also didn’t know if the man watching her intently was a friend of the man who’d attacked her last night or had simply found her. Had he found her naked? Or had the other man done more to her than just choked her? What had the man who attacked her done to her after she passed out? Taking a deep breath to hold back her panic, she tightened her hands on the sheet and cleared her throat, wincing again at the burning. “Who are you? Where am I? How did I get here?”

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Her voice, scratchy and hoarse, came out low, probably too low for him to hear, and she opened her mouth to try again, but he surprised her by answering. “My name’s Marcus Brand. Marc. We’re in my house. You’re in my bed. As for how you got here, I carried you.” Swallowing again, she tightened her hold on the sheet, trying but unable to tear her gaze from his. “Last night—” Shaking his head, he started toward her again. “Last night is over. All that’s important is that we got to you in time. I need to take a look at that ankle.” He started around the foot of the bed toward her, the aura of power and danger surrounding him overwhelming her already shaky system. In a surge of panic, she leapt from the bed, keeping a death grip on the sheet. “Get back!” Her breathless shout, barely audible over his bit-out curse, hurt her throat even more, as did the husky cry that followed. Pain shot through her ankle and she crumbled, her other foot tangled in the sheet and making her lose her balance. Instinctively, she let go of the sheet and grabbed for anything that would stop her fall. Unfortunately, that something turned out to be Marc. He’d somehow crossed the several feet that separated them and caught her with a speed that made her blink. Cursing under his breath, he tightened his arms around her for several heart-stopping seconds, burying his face in her neck. “Christ, your scent’s driving me crazy.” Bailey froze at the low guttural tone, so out of place after his calm demeanor just moments ago. Breathless at the strength and heat surrounding her, she gripped his shoulders, her fingers flexing on the hard muscle there.

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She’d never before been held by a man who made her feel so amazingly feminine, and she surprised herself by letting down her guard and reveling in the delicious feeling. Closing her eyes, she breathed in the warm scent of him, the scent of male and the outdoors. She froze as a strange sense of inevitability hit her, as though everything in her life had been nothing more than a buildup to this moment. Her breasts swelled, naked against his broad chest, her body softening in his arms and molding itself to the harder contours of his. This is where she belonged. Shaken by the outrageous thought and her body’s automatic, almost instinctive, response to being held against his, she started to pull out of his arms. Before she could, he cursed and pushed her away. With his hands on her shoulders, he eased her back to the bed and bent over her, a muscle working in his jaw as his gaze lingered on her breasts, exposed when she lost her grip on the sheet. Bracing one hand on the bed next to her hip, he lifted the other to her breast, his slow, measured movement keeping her transfixed. Holding her breath, she braced for his touch, her nipple hardening in anticipation. She couldn’t look away from his hand, taking in the number of scars on his long, graceful fingers. Her heart raced in anticipation, the entire atmosphere taking on a dreamlike quality. Without having any intention of doing so, she arched her back, touching her nipple to his finger. Gasping at the contact, she lifted her gaze to his, shocked at what she’d done. Expecting him to laugh or smile smugly, she stiffened, her breath catching when his gaze lifted to hers. His eyes narrowed, glittering with emotion. “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. I’ve been sitting here all night, watching over you, watching you sleep in my bed, and imagined touching you this way.”

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Not knowing what to say to that, Bailey swallowed again, following his gaze when it lowered to her breast again. He cupped her breast, lifting as though weighing it in his palm. “Look how beautifully your breast fits in my palm. So soft. So firm. Perfect.” Taken in by his gentleness and his apparent fascination with her, she remained perfectly still, silently giving him free rein. She’d never in her life done such a thing, but nothing she’d ever experienced had ever felt so right. At that moment in time, she wanted him as she’d never wanted another man, not just physically, but emotionally, which made no sense at all. Some instinct had her curling her hands into fists at her sides and leaning back slightly to give him full access, lifting her breast against his hand in an unspoken demand that he follow. To her relief, and amazement, he did, the threat of his powerful body looming over her, thrilling her when it probably should have terrified her. She gasped at the gentle slide of his rough finger over her nipple, the shock of it like nothing she’d ever experienced before. The jolt to her system startled a cry from her as her abdomen and pussy tightened. Unsurprised at the moisture that dampened her inner thighs, she moaned when he ran his thumb over her nipple again, mesmerized by the sight of his dark hand against her much lighter skin. Still hovering over her, he brought his other hand to her hair, threading his fingers through it and tilting her head back, his eyes steady on hers as he ran his thumb back and forth over her nipple. “So responsive.” Closing her eyes, she let her head fall back, arching her back in offering. “Marc.” His name slipped from her lips with an ease and familiarity that shouldn’t have been an issue under the present circumstances, but she

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didn’t care. His overwhelming presence made it hard to care about anything except the heat and strength surrounding her. Tugging the sheet to the side, he slid his hand down her belly and over her mound, the sizzling warmth from his hand making her abdomen and pussy clench again, releasing even more of her juices. Her insides turned to jelly, every inch of her skin quivering with nerves and a need unlike anything she could have ever imagined. Bending, he touched his mouth to hers, the nip to her bottom lip startling her into parting her lips, allowing him access. He took full advantage, sweeping her mouth with his tongue, the tenderness in his kiss in no way masking the strength and possessiveness in it. She moaned again, a moan he swallowed, as his fingers closed on her nipple, rolling it with a sure touch and making her pussy clench even harder. Rubbing her thighs together for relief, she touched her tongue to his as another moan escaped. A low groan rumbled from his chest, one deeper than she’d ever heard before, a raw, sexual sound that spiked her arousal. Lifting his head, he licked his lips as if savoring the taste of her, his eyes flashing dangerously. “It’s not enough. What the hell have you done to me, woman?” The desperation and confusion in his tone got to her, making her feel like a temptress for the first time in her life. Her body came alive under his touch, every erogenous zone going on full alert. Releasing her nipple, he dropped to his knees in front of her, yanking her thighs apart with another of those deep groans that sent a heart-racing thrill through her. His eyes met hers as he lifted her knees, urging her onto her back. “I could eat you alive.” His provocative statement in that low, almost growling tone and the sharp, barely leashed hunger in his blue eyes had Bailey’s clit tingling and her pussy clenching with a intense hunger that made her toes curl. She didn’t even consider trying to stop him.

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Her breath hitched as she watched him lower his head, her heart pounding nearly out of her chest as he parted her folds. The shock of his tongue on her clit made her scream, a high-pitched, pitiful screech that sounded nothing like her at all. Fisting her hands in the covers, she thrashed on the sheets, trying to escape the most incredible pleasure she’d ever experienced. He feasted on her. There was no other way to describe the way he used his mouth to explore her. His tongue moved everywhere at once, dipping into her pussy and teasing her clit with a forcefulness that left her teetering on the edge between fear and ecstasy. She couldn’t fight it, though. She stood no chance of resisting as the tingling pleasure swept over her, tightening her body and sending a rush of heat from her cheeks to her toes. The low growls coming from him as he lapped at her juices sent a chill of fear through her, but in no way deterred from her pleasure. The almost animalistic way he ate at her, his hands not as gentle now as they tightened on her knees, made her feel more desired than ever, sending her closer and closer to the edge. Her body tightened and bowed as the enormous pressure built inside her. Her clit burned. Her pussy clamped down each time his tongue slipped inside her, releasing more of her juices, something that seemed to excite him very much. Those throaty noises coming from him, sounds that sounded hungry and delightfully primitive brought her own hunger to the surface with a force that both alarmed and thrilled her. With each pass of his tongue over her clit, the tingling grew sharper. Her stomach muscles tightened under the onslaught, and instinct had her trying to close her legs against such an extreme sensation, crying out as it threatened to consume her. Marc growled again, a low menacing sound, filled with impatience and an underlying threat. He tightened his hold on her

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knees, pushing them back to expose her even more, letting her know without words that he wouldn’t be denied. Reveling in his dominant display and obvious hunger for her, she writhed as he ate at her. Her breathing quickened as his movements became rough and even more demanding as he apparently attempted to draw every drop of moisture from her. She’d never been wanted like this. She’d never had a man take her over completely this way, to take what he wanted and drag her into a web of erotic pleasure with a speed and determination that she had no chance of resisting. Her body tightened even more as the pleasure at her slit exploded. “Marc!” Arching, she cried out as her orgasm slammed into her, the sizzling heat racing outward to touch every part of her. His rumble of satisfaction and hum of approval sent her soaring even higher, and before her first orgasm ended, she came again. Her clit burned under Marc’s decadent caress, the firmness in his hold exciting her even more. No matter how much she bucked, she couldn’t escape his ministrations and burned even hotter with every stroke of his tongue. Her senses went on overload, the tingling so sharp and intense that sanity seemed to slip through her fingers. To her amazement, instead of coming down completely, she eased back to the edge and remained there. Several small orgasms in rapid succession had her twisting restlessly and did nothing to satisfy her enormous hunger. Every inch of her body trembled, her breath catching over and over as she tried to adjust to, and then fight, the incredible pleasure that just wouldn’t stop peaking. Another small orgasm drew another series of whimpers from her, frustrated sounds because no matter how many times she came, she couldn’t get enough. Breathless now, she kicked at him, inadvertently hitting her ankle against his shoulder.

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She cried out again, this time in pain, which Marc seem to realize almost immediately. Lifting his head, he stared down at her, his expression hard and slightly dazed. “What the hell?” He blew out a breath, shaking his head as though trying to get his bearings. “Your ankle. Hell. I’m sorry. Let me see.” He lifted her ankle, his gaze going frequently to her slit as he licked his lips, lips that still shone with her juices. Now that the pain in her ankle had eased, she pulled at the sheet with her fisted hands and rocked her hips, the need for his touch making it impossible to be still. Marc’s gaze met hers several times as he inspected her ankle, the knowledge of her predicament in his eyes. He ran his fingers over her ankle, setting off a series of tingling ribbons shooting up her leg. He settled her foot on the pillow again, a muscle working in his jaw as he pulled his hand away. With his hands on his hips, he stared down at her, grimacing as he adjusted his dark trousers, drawing her attention to the huge bulge pressing against his zipper. Her pussy clenched with the need to have that hardness inside her, and without thinking, she sat up and started to reach for him, a little startled at her forwardness. She’d never been shy about sex, but she’d never been in a position like this before, and she’d certainly never let lust rule her actions. Right now, though, nothing mattered but fulfilling this aching need. She throbbed everywhere, the awareness in her pussy and clit close to driving her insane. Instead of taking her hand and coming forward again, Marc stared at her with a strange look on his face, half stunned, half furious. He closed his eyes and lifted his face to the ceiling.

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“Fuck. What the hell am I doing?” He dropped his gaze again to hers, his sensuous lips thinning and his eyes hardening even more. “What the hell are you doing to me?” He turned away abruptly, but not fast enough to hide the hunger in his eyes, a hunger she wanted desperately to satisfy. Slamming his hand on the heavy armoire, he spun back to face her. “I told you to stay in bed, damn it. I’m doing my best to stay the hell away from you, and you do something stupid like that and hurt yourself. I sat there in agony all night, breathing in your scent and imagining sinking into you. It was hell. After peeling you out of those clothes, I knew what that body looked like. I know how soft you are. Your scent is all over me. Fuck. Cover yourself, damn it.” He turned his back to her with another of those fierce growls, bowing his head and muttering under his breath, his anger apparent. Insulted, but still consumed with an arousal so strong it made it difficult to think, she gathered the sheet, her hands shaking as she pulled it to her neck. Nervous at the situation she found herself in, and with a man she suspected could be far more dangerous than the one she’d encountered the night before, she took a deep breath, fighting for calm. “That man last night—” She stopped abruptly, gasping as he whirled, his fury unmistakable—and terrifying. “He’s gone.” The finality of his answer sent a chill through her. Shaking uncontrollably, she swallowed heavily, forcing a calm into her voice she was far from feeling. “What do you mean, gone? What happened to him? Did you scare him away? Did you even see him at all?” She swallowed again, trying to clear the huskiness in her voice. Marc’s jaw tightened, but she could see the effort it cost him to keep his voice low and even. “We saw him. We stopped him. That’s the end of it.”

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“We? You said that before. Who’s we?” Straightening, he looked expectantly toward the door of the room as though he heard something she couldn’t hear. Following his gaze, Bailey stared in horror as the doorknob turned, stiffening as the door slowly opened. Not knowing who would be coming in, or even if Marc had lied and it was the man from last night, she cursed and scrambled toward the headboard, wincing each time she hit her ankle. She reached for the lamp to use as a weapon and braced herself on her knees to give herself enough leverage to swing it. “Stop that!” Marc leapt forward and reached for her, yanking the lamp out of her grasp with an ease that both shocked and infuriated her. Keeping his eyes on hers, he set it back on the table, holding his hand out as though expecting her to reach for it again. His voice held a calm that belied the storm brewing in his eyes. “I told you that no one is going to hurt you. This is James. He and I have been taking care of you. Hell, woman, if we’d wanted to hurt you, we would have already done it.” Pulling one of the soft pillows in front of her, she gripped it and the sheets tighter and kept both men in her sights, studying the other man carefully. Hell, who was she kidding? If possible, he was more handsome than Marc and just as compelling. He had the same black hair, but had dark-brown eyes that melted her insides instead of a blue so deep she could drown in them. His features weren’t as hard as Marc’s, and he had a cleft in his chin that she couldn’t look away from. Even from this distance she could see he had about the same lean, muscular build and, like Marc, moved with the same stealthy grace as a hunter. She didn’t much care for the feeling that she was the prey. Alarmed that she experienced the same sexual awareness with him that she did with Marc, she squirmed and pressed her thighs together as even more of her juices coated them.

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Wondering if they’d drugged her, she lifted her chin and sat up straighter, trying to hide the fierce arousal that almost had her tossing the covers aside and begging both of them to take her. “Who are you? What do you want? How many people are here? Is that man from last night here, too? Why the hell did you take my clothes? Did you think it would keep me from escaping?” She hoped the huskiness in her tone hid her fear of her own overwhelming reaction to their presence. She had to get the hell out of here. And soon. James took one step into the room and stopped abruptly as if he’d run into a brick wall. He looked at Marc, his eyes going wide. “That scent is…fuck. It’s like it goes straight to my cock.” Marc dropped his hand and took a step back, and then another. “Yeah.” James took another step into the room and then stopped again, tossing what she recognized as her clothing onto the bed His eyes held hers, some indefinable emotion warming them until they resembled melted chocolate. He shook his head slightly, his lips curving on one side. “We undressed you because your clothes were muddy and wet. I threw them in the washer last night. They just came out of the dryer. No one else is here but the three of us, and that man who attacked you last night is long gone.” She felt more secure once she’d gathered her warm clothes against her, but still didn’t take her eyes off of the two men standing near the bed, both of them looking at her like they would a favorite treat. “Okay. Fine. Look, I appreciate your help. If you both leave, I’ll get dressed and be on my way.” Checking to make sure the sheet wouldn’t slip, and keeping a firm grip on her clothing, she scooted to the edge of the bed and started to get up, careful to avoid jostling her ankle. To her alarm, both men leapt forward.

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Grabbing the sheet tighter, she froze and glared at both of them, fighting the urge to rub her thighs together against the ache that had settled there. “Don’t you even think about touching me.” Just the thought of either one of them reaching for her had her skin tingling and coated her inner thighs with even more of her juices. Marc lifted a brow at that and took a step forward. With a curse, he stopped abruptly, a low rumble coming from his chest. “Don’t reject my touch again.” The violent snap of his words made her jump, but he looked just as surprised by his outburst. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and blew the air out slowly. With a small shake of his head, he opened them again, his eyes even a deeper blue and glittering with silver sparks. “Please, don’t do that. Don’t be afraid of my touch. I could never hurt you.” Not about to show how much he intimidated her, she glared at him, furious and more than a little scared at her body’s demand that he take her right there and then. “Fuck you.” With a warning look at Marc, James stepped between them and held out a hand, his eyes warm, but his features remained lined with tension. He swallowed and took a deep breath, blowing it out just as slowly. “Calm down. Just stay there. We don’t even know if that ankle will support your weight.” Marc scrubbed a hand over his face and glanced at James. “It didn’t when she got up right before you came in. I had to catch her. I need a minute. I’ll start a bath for her.” She had no intention of being here long enough to take a bath, and started to say so, but by the time she could get her tongue to work, Marc had already left the room. Surreptitiously sniffing to see if she smelled as bad as both of them seemed to think she did, she kept James in sight as she moved her ankle to a more comfortable position.

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James nodded distractedly in the direction of the door Marc disappeared through, staring at her bare shoulders, while the sound of running water came from the bathroom. “Uh-huh. Yeah. Good idea. She can soak a little and calm down.” Taking a deep breath, he smiled reassuringly, as though she would fall for that. “Okay. Let me see your ankle.” Kneeling beside the bed, he held out his hand, eyeing her expectantly. “Well?” Sneaking a glance toward the bathroom, and then another toward the open bedroom door, Bailey weighed her chances of getting away. She didn’t understand why the hell they both seemed to affect her so strongly and, because of it, she no longer trusted her own instincts. A hard blow to someone who’d learned to trust her own instincts more than she trusted any person on the face of the earth. Wearing a sheet and with an injured ankle, she lacked her normal confidence and wanted, very much, to get it back. She had a strong suspicion that the only way she’d be able to clear her head would be to get as far away as she could from both men as soon as possible. Disturbed that his nearness sparked a renewed awareness that intensified her arousal, she clenched her jaw and moved back a few more inches. She couldn’t understand how she could be so turned on by both of them so much. Unused to the surge of lust that made it hard to even think, she struggled to rebuild her defenses. They had to have drugged her. If they had any plans for her, they would be sorely disappointed. “My ankle’s fine. Since you and your friend seem to find something wrong with how I smell, maybe it’s better if you stayed back.” She did smell sweaty, but it wasn’t as bad as they made out. Still, if it kept them away… Why the hell did that hurt her feelings?

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Clenching his jaw, James placed a hand on her knee, and even through the covers, the electric current from his touch startled her so much that she froze, almost losing her hold on the sheet. Coming to her senses, she gasped, yanking her clothes and the sheet to her throat. Her breath hitched at the wave of longing that went through her, a hunger unlike any she’d felt before, one that made her pussy and bottom clench and scrambled her thinking. To her surprise, James looked just as startled, staring at the hand that almost negligently caressed her knee as though he’d never seen it before. He blinked when she jerked the sheet as though coming out of a trance, his eyes lifting to hers and narrowing into slits. She stilled when his lips curved, a slow smile that made her clit throb with renewed vigor and sent a chill of alarm through her. His warm brown eyes twinkled with playfulness. “I’ve been trying to get the image of you naked out of my mind all night. Don’t make me stick my hand under there to get to your ankle. Who knows what I might encounter?” Alarmed at the jolt of heat to her slit, she jerked her leg away, crying out at the sharp stab of pain in her ankle. Unnerved at the arousal that seemed to keep growing despite her best efforts, she slapped at him. “Leave me alone, damn it. Just get the hell away from me.” Without making a sound, Marc came racing back into the room, startling the hell out of her. “What the hell’s going on?” He stopped abruptly, his nostrils flaring, and scowled at James. “Jesus! What the hell did you do? She’s—hell. That scent. She’s even more aroused.” James nodded, scrubbing a hand over his face. Bowing his head, he blew out a breath and just as quickly breathed in another, closing his eyes as though savoring it. “Okay. Now I need to get out of here for a minute.” ****

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Marc gritted his teeth against the surge of blood rushing to his cock, one that made him so hard it hurt. He grimaced as he watched his friend leave, swallowing the automatic urge to call him back. Finding himself alone with her was no hardship, but he needed some time away from her to absorb the enormity of the situation he suddenly found himself in. Adjusting his jeans to gain a little more room, he breathed in the most alluring scent he’d ever experienced, wallowing in it like an addict who couldn’t get enough. He’d delighted in the scent of a woman’s arousal all of his adult life, but the sweet scent of hers threatened to steal the little bit of selfcontrol he had left. Whether helpless or spitting fire, she shook his hard-earned control to the point that he found it difficult to think straight around her. God, he wanted her. No, what he felt went way past want. If it had only been sex, he would have felt a hell of a lot better. After carrying her almost two miles, he’d spent the night watching her sleep and missing the feel of her in his arms. He still itched to hold her, to feel her nestled warm and safe against his chest. The urge to join her in bed, to keep her warm and reassure himself that she was safe plagued him all night long. Reliving the horror of that other man choking her over and over, he’d been unable to sit still, the restlessness inside him even stronger than it had been before he found her. Throughout the night, she’d whimpered and thrown off the covers as though trying to escape, her sobs as she grabbed at her throat tearing him up inside. He’d gone to her each time, surprised at how quickly she’d responded to his crooning tone. His touch also seemed to calm her, and once she’d settled, she allowed him to cover her again. Scared

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that she would hurt herself, he’d also gently pulled her hands from her throat, relieved that she’d allowed it. The fact that she trusted him so completely, even in her sleep, without ever setting eyes on him, confirmed his suspicions more than anything. Something told him that after today, his life would never be the same. Now he just had to figure out what to do about it. Unsettled at how strongly she affected him, he’d done his best to keep his distance from her. When she’d tripped, he’d reacted instinctively, catching her against him. Having her naked and in his arms, clinging to him as though she never wanted to let him go, he’d wanted to toss her back into bed and spend the day taking her every way imaginable. He had already known that the honey-blonde curls covering her mound almost exactly matched the long, silky hair that flowed like a waterfall down her back. He’d also known the curls hiding her secrets felt just as soft. His mouth had watered, the hunger to taste the sweet juices coating her creamy thighs bringing out the feral animal in him, and he’d reached for her before he could prevent it. When she’d arched toward him in invitation, nothing on earth could have stopped him from tasting her. Now that he was alone with her again, his body demanded that he take her just as fiercely as his mind insisted that he step back. He had to get a fucking grip on himself before he did irreparable damage to the trust she had for him, trust she probably didn’t even know about. He had to build on that and do whatever it took to make Bailey part of his life. It took tremendous effort not to rip the sheet from her, bury his face between her thighs, and feast on her again. Her defiance by covering herself from his eyes enraged him, challenging him to overcome it.

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She was his, damn it. From the moment she’d set foot in his woods, she belonged to him. Because he’d shifted back from panther form, he’d been naked when he’d held her against him. Listening to every breath she took, he’d carried her limp form over two miles in the darkness, every step both torture and heaven. The tantalizing scent emanating from her threatened to bring him to his knees several times. He’d never smelled anything like it. He’d never in his life experienced a scent that not just tickled, but beat like a sledgehammer against his emotions. By the time he’d gotten her home and into his bedroom, his cock was hard enough to drive nails. James hadn’t looked any better, especially when they’d stripped her out of her wet, muddy clothes. They’d done it in record time, both tense, worried, and aroused, neither taking a steady breath until they’d tucked her under the covers. Each breath he’d taken had teased him with her delectable scent, made worse when he’d uncovered her to check for injuries. His mood had gotten worse with every scratch he cleaned. His anger that someone would dare do this to her and his own remarkable response to her scent had combined to become something dangerous and primitive inside him, something he didn’t want to look at too closely. Relieved to find nothing more than a sprained ankle, a bruised neck from where that bastard had been trying to choke her, and an assortment of scratches and bruises, Marc had taken several deep breaths while pacing the room in an effort to regain some sort of calm. James had left immediately afterward to go back to look around, leaving Marc to endure a sleepless night watching over her and pondering his reaction to the most delectable woman he’d ever met. He’d never been so scared in his life, and the relief to find her basically unharmed weakened his knees.

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From the moment he’d found her, he’d been scared to death she’d been shot. Now she not only covered herself from him, but looked at him with fear in her golden-brown eyes. Even though she raised her chin defiantly, her full bottom lip trembled, and the scent of her fear made him want to plow his fist into the wall. She’d invaded his life, taken over his senses, and scrambled his emotions. And he didn’t even know her name. Hoping that a bath would calm her and get rid of the scent that made it almost possible to have a rational thought around her, he smiled. “You don’t have to be scared. Neither one of us will ever hurt you.” Ever? Why the hell had he said that? Trying not to stare at the swell of her breasts above the sheet, he took a deep breath. “What’s your name?” He figured it was only fair that he knew the name of the woman who’d teased the beast inside him and who’d turned his world inside out. Her hesitation pissed him off, but he kept his features carefully schooled, not wanting to scare her further. “I know it hurts to talk, but I need to call you something.” “Bailey.” Her raspy tone tore at him. Each time she spoke, he relived the horror of finding that son of a bitch trying to choke the life out of her. “Bailey. Cute. It suits you. Bailey, I’m going to carry you into the bathroom and put you in the tub. Take your time and soak. When you’re done, I’ll take a look at that ankle. Okay?” While waiting for her answer, he tried to convince himself that he could carry her into the bathroom with her delectable scent tickling his senses, her firm little body pressed against his, and not go out of his fucking mind.

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She bit her bottom lip, something he desperately wanted to do himself. “And you’ll leave me alone while I take a bath?” Biting back a curse, he fought the tenseness that came over him along with the possessive urge to overcome her resistance to his presence. Hiding his frustration, he nodded once. “Absolutely. I’m going to go start breakfast. It’ll be ready by the time you’re done. All you have to do is call me and I’ll come help you dress and carry you out there.” God help him. She nodded, pulling the sheet more firmly around herself and gripping her clothes tighter against her chest. “Okay. But I can dress myself. I still have some questions for you, though.” Gathering her against him felt far different this time than it had the night before. This time, instead of being naked, he wore clothing while she had nothing more than a sheet covering her. Instead of being unconscious, she stared up at him in fascination with those golden-brown eyes, doing her best to hide the fear he could feel emanating from her. Instead of being a dead weight in his arms, she held herself stiffly. One thing, though, remained the same. He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life, and would kill—die to keep her safe. He stopped beside the bathtub, gritting his teeth. He could have carried her in his arms all day, and he hated that he had to put her down. Putting her down, though, meant he would be stripping that sheet off of her and lowering her lush nakedness into the warm water. He could easily imagine stripping off his clothes and joining her, taking her in his arms and feeling her sleek, wet body against his. Instead, he had to walk away. His cock jumped again, pressing uncomfortably against his zipper.

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He hardly knew himself like this and certainly didn’t trust himself right now. The animal in him lay just below the surface, the animal that he’d successfully controlled his entire life, the animal that now clawed to be free. To take what belonged to him. He couldn’t hope to deal with her until he confronted his own demons and got the beast that yearned for her back under control. Watching her through the night, he’d noticed a change in himself, one that he needed to come to grips with. For the first time in his life, the man and animal had begun to merge in ways they never had before. Because of her. Both the man and the animal wanted her, needed her—a primitive need he wouldn’t be able to control much longer, a need that had grown even stronger once he’d tasted her. The need to take. To protect. To possess. Wincing as his cock jumped, pressing too hard against his zipper for comfort, he forced himself to inject a calmness into his tone he was far from feeling. “I’m going to set you down and turn off the water. Can you stand on your good foot for a minute? Hold on to me.” He set her on her feet, careful not to jar her, allowing her body to slide against his in the sweetest torment he’d ever experienced. Instead of standing, she sank to the side of the tub, her face at eye level with his cock. God help him. His cock swelled even more, demanding that he take her, sink into her warm pussy and fuck her until she screamed his name. Desperate now, he started to grab the clothes out of her hand with the intention of tossing them aside. When she yelped and jerked away, almost falling into the tub, he grabbed her shoulders instead, his hands lingering on the smooth skin that trembled beneath his hands as he steadied her.

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Furious with himself and his lack of self-control, he ripped the clothes out of her hand and tossed them onto the teak bench nearby. “Damn it, stop pulling away from me!” The fear emanating off of her in waves shook him, and he took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Every time she pulled away from him, he wanted to drag her under him and imprint himself into her soul until she realized where she belonged. He had to get away from her before the combination of desire, defiance, and fear in her eyes threatened to snap the last tenuous thread of his control. With an arm around her waist, he lifted her to her feet, a growl breaking free before he could hold it back. “Fuck it. I’ve had enough of this.” He ripped the sheet from her, revealing her magnificent curves. Her firm breasts and upturned nipples made his mouth water. Lifting her against him, he couldn’t resist running a hand over her hip, taking advantage of her shock to lower her into the tub and feast his eyes on her nakedness. As soon as he’d settled her, he yanked his hands out from under her, desperate to get the hell away from her before he did as his body demanded and fuck her senseless. “Take your bath. Call out when you’re done.” Inwardly wincing at his gruff tone, he paused at the door, taking a deep breath when he heard the splash of water. Forcing himself not to look back, he dug his fingers into the wooden door frame, and had to clear his throat before speaking. “That man last night—did you know him?” The question had plagued him all night. The thought that the animal who’d attempted to kill her knew her intimately filled him with a rage he didn’t want to inspect too closely. “No. I had a flat tire. I was changing it when he stopped.”

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Not trusting himself to speak, Marc noted the surprise in her tone, nodded and left, scared that if he stayed any longer, his cock would explode. Walking through the bedroom, he headed for the kitchen, where he knew James had gone. Eyeing his best friend, he crossed the room. “Thanks a hell of a lot.” To his surprise, James took his time looking up from his coffee, his eyes bleak. “I want her, Marc. I want her so bad I’m fucking shaking with it. That scent. I couldn’t stand it anymore. It’s driving me out of my mind.” Marc sighed, pulled out the seat opposite James and dropped into it, scrubbing a hand over his face in frustration, anguish, and not just a small amount of confusion. “I know. I feel the same way. As soon as she gets her bath and we feed her, we’ll take her back to her car and get her the hell out of here—at least until we figure out what the hell to do about the fact that both of us want her so much we can’t stand to be in the same room with her without taking her.” James sighed. “She’s it, you know.” Marc clenched his jaw. “Yeah, I know. I thought they were full of shit. It appears mates do exist.”

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Chapter Three As soon as the door closed behind him, Bailey reached for the soap and started to wash. Clenching her jaw against the arousal that made even the warm water caressing her skin almost unbearable, she soaped the washcloth. Running it over her skin proved to be torture, each brush of it making her wish it was Marc’s hands on her instead of a wet, soapy cloth. Unable to resist the lure, she ran the cloth over her nipples, shuddering at the surge of heat to her clit and pussy. With another glance at the door, she lay back and closed her eyes, dropping the cloth into the water with a small splash. Running her hands over her soapy breasts felt good, but not nearly as good as Marc’s strong, slightly callused ones. As hard as she tried to fantasize, she couldn’t feel him there the way she’d felt his presence so strongly in the bedroom. Remembering the look in James’s eyes as he threatened to reach under the covers, she parted her thighs and let her hands trail down her belly to her slit. She didn’t know what it was about both men that aroused her so much, but hoped that an orgasm at her own hands would ease the torment that raged through her. Touching her throbbing clit, she braced her feet against the edge of the tub and, careful to not jar her ankle, lifted herself slightly. She spread her thighs as wide as she could within the confines of the large soaking tub, the fingers of one hand parting her folds while she used the fingers of the other to stroke her clit. She knew her body well and concentrated the strokes where she knew it would give her the most pleasure. Using slow, light strokes

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didn’t give her the pleasure it normally did, so she pressed harder, touching herself the way she imagined Marc would. Frustrated that it didn’t feel as good as when Marc used his tongue there, she groaned and redoubled her efforts, fantasizing about the low, throaty groans that seemed to pour out of him whenever he touched her. Lifting her legs higher against the edge of the tub, she rubbed harder, but she couldn’t get what she needed to come. Her slick fingers moved over her clit easily, the combination of soap and her juices allowing her fingers to slide in a way that in the past had always enabled her to get the relief she needed. This time, though, her efforts took her closer and closer to the edge, but left her hanging there, unable to go over. She accomplished nothing more than making herself even more aroused. Biting her lip to hold back her cries of frustration, she brought her other hand to her breast, pinching the nipple hard and tugging it away from her body in the rough touch she liked best. The sharp tug sent a jolt of pleasure to her clit, but it wasn’t enough. Remembering how Marc’s much gentler touch felt, she eased back and tried to duplicate it, rubbing her fingers in a circular motion over her nipple. The arousal kept growing, the tension inside her making her toes curl against the slick tub and tightened the muscles in her abdomen until it hurt. Her thighs tightened, and she pushed against the tub, easing back when it hurt her ankle. Swallowing her cries of frustration, she threw her head back and rubbed her clit harder, so close to coming she could practically taste it. Rubbing so hard that the water in the tub swished back and forth, she opened her eyes and groaned in anguish. Need still hummed through her, but the orgasm that had been only strokes away had disappeared, and no matter what she did or how hard she caressed her clit, she couldn’t get it back. “Damn it. Fuck. Come on, Bailey.”

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Giving up with her fingers, she used the cloth, hopeful when the sharp tingling started again, but less than a minute later, she found herself in the same boat as before. So aroused she couldn’t stand it, but unable to come. It was all Marc’s fault. He’d gotten her wound up, and it appeared her body demanded that he satisfy it. Like hell. Furious at herself, him, James, the man from last night, and life in general, Bailey sat up. A leaf in the water caught her attention. She ran a hand through her hair and found another, along with bits of dried mud. With another glance at the bathroom door, she found herself torn between relief that neither man bothered her while she bathed and outrage that they’d left her like this and hadn’t bothered to come back while she was sitting here naked. Bastards. She washed her hair, scrubbing it harder than necessary, and with a bit of effort, rinsed it clean. By the time she’d finished, she’d finally run out of names to call them. Getting out of the tub required a bit of maneuvering, but she found that by using her good leg, she could lift herself onto the edge of the tub and turn herself around. Drying herself, she studied her foot, pleased that it didn’t look as bad as she’d feared. She moved it experimentally, relieved to find that she could do so with less pain than before. As long as she babied it for a day or two, she figured it would be okay. It still hurt to put weight on it, however, which made dressing a little challenging, but she managed it. Staring at herself in the mirror, she froze, her attention going to the rip at the hem of her sweatshirt. Memories of the night before came rushing back, memories she’d rather forget. She had to call the police and report the man who’d attacked her before he had the chance to do it to someone else.

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That bastard. If she’d had her baseball bat when he’d attacked her, he’d be lying in the woods with two broken legs. Wiping a sweaty palm over her jeans, she hobbled out to the bedroom in search of her sneakers, moving as quietly as she could and listening for any signs of movement coming from the rest of the house. With lust still humming through her veins and the alarming knowledge of how close she’d come to giving herself to complete strangers, she figured her best course of action would be getting out of here before either one of them came back. Glancing frequently toward the bedroom door Marc had left open, she made her way around the room, her gaze going often to the bed. Trying not to imagine Marc in there with her, she fought back irrational jealousy at all the women who’d spent the night there in his arms. What she wouldn’t give to spend one night in the arms of such a strong, self-confident man. She’d bet her new bar he would know his way around a woman’s body, and that he would satisfy her every erotic need. Five minutes with him had given her more pleasure than any man ever had, but amazingly still left her wanting more. Damn, men like him didn’t come along very often, confident men who didn’t need to raise their voices or swagger. He had the kind of quiet demeanor that only the strongest men had, men who got all the attention simply by walking into a room. The kind of man she could fall for, something she sure as hell didn’t need in her life. Annoyed with herself and her fantasizing, she looked away from the tangled bedcovers and focused on escaping. Spotting her sneakers in the corner, she hurried over, dropping to the floor beside them to put them on.

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She had trouble with the right one, having to loosen the laces quite a bit to get her foot inside. She tied it as tight as she could, hoping the added pressure would give her the support she needed. With a last glance toward the bed, she stood, fighting back the regret that she wouldn’t have the chance to know what it felt like to be taken by such an intriguing man. Holding her breath, she made her way carefully across the wood floor, praying that none of the boards creaked and gave her away. Careful not to put too much weight on her ankle, she made it to the French doors and reached for the knob. “Going somewhere?” Bailey gasped, lifting a hand to her throat as she whirled to face James. Her ankle buckled at the sudden movement, and she would have fallen if she hadn’t caught herself in time. She snapped at him in a desperate attempt to hide her reaction to the cool strength in his tone. “Is there any reason to sneak up on me like that?” Meeting two such forceful and self-assured men at any other time would have delighted her. She hadn’t had sex in years, finding it not worth the effort, but something told her men like Marc and James would make a night with them a memorable experience. Of course she couldn’t have sex with both of them, but damn! She’d bet either one of them would give her a night she’d never forget. Standing just inside the doorway with his hands on his hips, he narrowed his eyes, giving him a menacing look. His calm, controlled tone, one that she’d love to hear while lying beside him in the middle of the night, sent a shiver through her. “Well?” Wondering if she’d had a knock to the head the previous night, she surreptitiously rubbed her thighs together against the ache that grew even stronger. Shrugging, she gave him her most innocent look, one she’d mastered years ago to get out of trouble. “I was just—”

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He started toward her, coming to a stop, his entire body going tense. “Don’t give me that innocent look. Christ, don’t be afraid. I’m having enough trouble dealing with your scent, and that of your arousal, without having fear thrown into the mix.” Bailey blinked. They both had to be crazy. Nothing else explained why both men seemed obsessed with the way she smelled. She wasn’t afraid—exactly. She just had a healthy respect for both James and Marc and sure as hell had no plans to underestimate them. Forcing herself not to panic at the leap of desire his presence caused, she started to edge toward the French doors, intent on escaping before things got even more out of hand. Keeping a close eye on him, she backed up against them, reaching behind her for the handle. “Look, I appreciate everything you and your friend did for me, but I really have to go.” James shocked her by holding up a hand. “Save it. Shit. Look, I know I’m not making any sense, but I’m not crazy. It’s just that…your scent. We’ll explain everything to you. I promise. You have nothing to fear from us. Let’s just go out to the kitchen. We can eat and talk about this.” Straightening to her full height, several inches short of his, she lifted her chin. “I’m not afraid of you, but you and your friend don’t listen when I say I’ve got to go. I need to get my car and call the police.” A dark brow went up, a smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah, you’re afraid. You don’t want to admit it, but you are. Not a lot, just enough to make the next several minutes very interesting. By the way, do you even know where you are or how to get to town?” Bailey shrugged, not about to admit that she had no idea. Weighing her chances of making her way through the woods she could see behind the house, her heart raced. She started to slowly turn the knob, inwardly wincing when her hand slipped.

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Keeping her movements hidden, she wiped her hand on the back of her jeans and tried again. “Of course.” He surprised her by closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, his entire body going tense. “Amazing. I can even smell when you lie.” Taking advantage of his inattention, she spun, turned the handle and yanked the door open. At a noise from behind her, one that sounded very much like a growl she shrieked and raced out—falling straight into Marc’s arms. To her amazement, James somehow moved fast enough to reach her at the same time. Wrapping an arm around her from behind, he pulled her back against him. “Damn, you’re even softer than I remember.” Sandwiched between them, Bailey sucked in a breath as the most incredible sensation of comforting warmth washed over her. Between one breath and the next, she went from panic and anger to the most delicious feeling of being safe and…cherished. Irresistible. She had no idea how being in their arms could make her feel so exquisitely feminine and secure, as though nothing in the world could ever hurt her, but it did. Momentarily shaken, she felt herself calm inch by inch as that comforting sensation washed over her again. She didn’t know them. She didn’t trust them. She couldn’t deny, though, that at that moment she felt safer than she ever had in her life. Four hands moved over her, their touch firm yet caressing as they explored her curves, their touch hungry and exploring as though they couldn’t get enough of her. Lust slammed into her harder than ever. Her head spun, a kaleidoscope of colors swirling behind her eyes. In defense, she held on tighter to Marc’s shoulders, a moan escaping when he cursed softly and his hands clenched on her waist.

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Threading his fingers through her hair, he took a deep breath and pulled her closer. “That scent. The feel of you. Soft and firm. Delicate. You fit so perfectly against me, it’s like you were made for me.” His low growl seemed to rumble from deep within his chest, the sound vibrating against her nipples and making her slit burn even hotter. Closing her eyes against the comforting, almost purring sound and the sizzle of heat that danced from her nipples to her slit and back again, she moaned, slumping against him. The feel of James touching his lips to her hair sent another wave of heat through her. She tilted her head, letting it fall to the side, exposing her neck in an attempt to coax him to nuzzle her there. Hell, she wanted them in ways she’d never wanted any other man. She wanted to taste their cocks, to hear those low growly sounds as she sucked them to completion. She wanted them to take her—to fill her pussy with their hard heat and thrust into her with the strength and purpose their eyes promised. More alarming, she craved having her bottom breached—to have them satisfy the tingling awareness there and take her in a way she’d never wanted or allowed. Sucked into their seductive web, she kept her eyes closed and, for the first time in her life, just let herself feel. Erotic need bubbled in her veins, the desire to give herself to Marc and James burning hot inside her. She wanted to fulfill every fantasy she’d ever had, to lose herself in the heat and strength wrapped around her. Reveling in her own sexuality, she pressed against each of them in turn, twisting in their arms in her need to get closer. She didn’t think she’d ever be able to get close enough. She kept trying to remind herself that they were strangers, but since it felt as if she’d known them forever, it didn’t work. She felt

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closer to them than she’d ever felt before, an intimate closeness that she had no chance of resisting. It was as if they knew just where she liked to be touched, just how she liked to be stroked, their every caress designed for the ultimate effect. She kept trying to remind herself that she never let sex rule her, but this felt like a lot more than just sex, the overwhelming bombardment to her system much more than just physical. This was something totally out of her element, so strong and decadent, she couldn’t wait to explore it to its fullest. How could such delicious pleasure be ignored? Dropping her head back, she gave up trying to lock her knees and let them support her. James’s warm lips caressed her ear, the threat in the low growl coming from him tickling her memory, but it was forgotten when he chose that moment to slide the neckline of her sweatshirt aside and nibble at her shoulder. White-hot need shot through her, making her nipples draw even tighter as their combined efforts layered sensation over mind-numbing sensation. “I could kill him for these bruises alone.” His words accompanied a menacing growl, one that sent a chill through her. The pleasure, though, made it impossible to think, especially when he curled his hard body around her from behind, covering her breasts with his hot hands. “Luscious. I could nibble and nibble until I eat you up.” Reminded of the feel of Marc’s tongue flicking over her clit, she moaned as another rush of her juices dampened her panties. His gentle massage and soft tone contrasted sharply with the tension in the hard muscle surrounding her, his low growl half threat, half purr, and all sex. The hand Marc curved around her jaw felt rough against her skin, but the gentle caress of his fingers on her cheek turned her knees to rubber.

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Dropping her head back against James’s shoulder, she opened her eyes in time to see Marc bending toward her, his hooded gaze dark and mysterious. At the first touch of his soft, firm lips on hers, her eyes fluttered closed again as she found herself caught up in the magic of the moment, a moment it seemed she’d waited her entire life to experience. If this was a dream, she never wanted it to end. Marc kissed her with a tenderness that brought tears to her eyes, his kiss carrying the unmistakable stamp of possessiveness and sharpening the bone-melting arousal even more. Tender, but firm, his lips caressed her and explored her lips as though learning each curve. With a soft groan, he placed his mouth over hers and applied pressure, forcing her mouth open and slipping his tongue inside. He took. He explored. He conquered. He demanded a response, one she gave without hesitation, digging her fingers into the hard muscle in his shoulders as the world spun around her. With James pressed against her from behind, she couldn’t imagine a more perfect moment. Her abdomen tightened with growing need, the low, vibrating rumbles from both men adding to her arousal, each one like decadent fingers dancing over her skin. Pressing her breasts more fully into James’s hands, she dug her nails into Marc’s wide shoulders, groaning in protest when he lifted his head. She trembled everywhere, her senses overwhelmed. She wanted them—needed to be taken by them in ways she knew she’d never forget. Shifting restlessly, she gasped at the jolt of pain that shot from her ankle and would have collapsed if both men hadn’t caught her.

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“Fuck!” Breathing heavily, Marc held her away from him, waiting until she steadied herself before scraping a hand over his face and turning away, but not before she saw the tortured look in his eyes. The enormity of what she’d done hit her hard, even as desire continued to flood her veins. She’d let her body overrule her determination not to let her guard down, and had almost had sex with not one, but both of them. She scrambled to get away from James, dropping into a nearby seat on the deck. Curling her hands around the cold metal arms, she struggled to regulate her breathing. “Oh, my God. I can’t believe I…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” She had no idea what happened, but now felt as though she’d been splashed in the face with a bucket of ice water. It left her trembling and needy, when she’d never in her life been either. Shooting a dirty look at each of them, she fisted her hands in her lap, pressing them together to warm them. “Don’t touch me again. Either one of you. I mean it. I don’t know what the hell you’re doing to me but—” Realizing that she’d given away too much, probably because lust had addled her brain, she snapped her mouth shut and glared at them again. They both looked entirely too smug for her peace of mind. The amusement in James’s eyes flared for just a second before he clenched his jaw, moving to the railing. With both hands gripping it so tightly his knuckles appeared white, he bent his head and sighed. “If that’s not a provocative statement, I don’t know what is. If I was you, I’d be careful throwing too many of them out there.” Turning his head, he shot a glance at Marc. “It’s both of us for sure.” Nodding, Marc stared out toward the woods. “I’ve got to talk to Leland. It seems that life’s about to get very interesting.” He glanced back at her, his contemplative tone making her a little uneasy. He looked as though he wanted to say something else, but firmed his lips instead and turned away.

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Although the two men kept their distance and spoke to each other, she could feel their attention on her. It was like a living thing, surrounding her with an awareness that electrified the air and that both warmed her and alarmed her. The connection that had given her such comfort and pleasure just moments ago now unnerved her. Marc shared another of those unreadable looks with James before turning his attention to her. “As soon as we eat, we’ll take you to your car and fix your tire. Then you can be on your way.” Bailey nodded, ignoring the tinge of hurt that she had no business feeling. “Thank you. I’d like to get to town and notify the police. I don’t want that maniac doing that to another woman.” Lifting his head, Marc grimaced, his eyes hardening. “I don’t think that’ll be necessary. They already know. Brown said he’d be back. He didn’t waste much time. He’s coming down the road now. Persistent as always.” He turned and walked away, going back into the house through another nearby door off the deck and into what Bailey assumed was the kitchen. Aware of James’s probing look, she stared after Marc, once again struck by the powerful figure he made. He always seemed to be scowling, but she didn’t think she’d ever forget the softening of his expression and the look of fascination in his eyes right before he kissed her. Or the incredible need in his eyes right before he’d spread her thighs wide and used his mouth on her. Squirming at the tingling in her clit the memory provoked, she swallowed heavily, thankful that the rawness in her throat had eased some. Once Marc disappeared from view, she snuck a glance at James, forcing herself to remain motionless under his steely stare.

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“I’m not usually like that. I didn’t mean to give you the wrong impression.” James smiled, a half smile that didn’t match the turmoil in his eyes. “I don’t think there’s anything usual about any of this, honey.” She glanced toward the trees and shrugged, not knowing what to say to that. “I’m sorry for all the trouble. I appreciate that you and your friend helped me last night.” His eyes narrowed. “My friend? Do you mean the man who sucked your clit into his mouth and made you come? The man who almost made you come just by kissing you? We have names, Bailey. You were in our arms only a few minutes ago, and if it hadn’t been for the reminder that you were hurt, the three of us would be in that bed burning up the sheets right now.” Staggered to realize the truth in his words, she turned away to hide her burning face. Even now, she knew that if either one of them touched her, she’d be a willing participant for whatever decadent pleasure they could dream up. The knowledge didn’t sit well with her at all. Staring out toward the woods, she pushed her still-damp hair back, unsurprised that she didn’t feel the cold at all. “Christ, I don’t even know you. I can’t explain what happened, but I’m not like that. Maybe the stress of last night or something.” “Bullshit.” It made her feel better that he seemed just as shaken. Biting back a smile at his bluntness, Bailey looked up at him curiously. “I’ve been meaning to ask you—how did you find me last night?” His eyes hardened, making him look so dark and dangerous, she had trouble believing he was the same man who held her just moments earlier. He blinked once, and his expression became shuttered, leaving her feeling bereft and cold that he’d closed her out so easily.

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“We just happened to be in the woods and heard you. How the hell did you end up in the fucking woods at night?” She knew there had to be more to it than that, but before she could ask, Marc appeared, his wide shoulders filling the doorway to the kitchen. “Good question. Bailey, your breakfast is ready, and Officer Brown is waiting to talk to you.” Noting the emphasis he placed on the policeman’s name and sensing disapproval in his tone, she eyed him curiously as she got to her feet. James moved fast, crossing the deck and lifting her into his arms before she could protest. “You should stay off that ankle.” Fighting the urge to curl against him, and inwardly cursing at the warm delight that being in his arms produced, she pressed a hand to his chest, determined not to give in to it and to keep as much distance as possible between them. “How did the police know I was here?” Marc moved aside to make room for them to enter the kitchen. Running a hand over her hair as they passed him, he smiled faintly when she turned her face automatically, seeking his touch as he searched her features. “Evidently, they were already searching the woods for you and had found the man who attacked you. They came by very late, but I guess you don’t remember.” James bent to whisper in her ear. “We didn’t undress you until everyone left.” Bailey looked up at him through her lashes, keeping her voice low. “Appreciate it, but you and Marc both saw me naked.” His sly grin sent a thrill through her, one that irritated her on many levels. “Yeah, we did, but you weren’t a hell of a lot of fun. You cursed at us and grumbled a lot.”

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The policeman stood in the middle of the kitchen, his brow going up as he watched James carry her in and settle her into one of the padded kitchen chairs. “Ma’am, I’m Officer Brown. Is your name Bailey Knox?” Not understanding the hostility in his eyes as he glanced at Marc, she looked from one to the other, trying to figure out what she’d missed. Although both Marc and James appeared relaxed, she would swear she could feel the tension emanating from them. Eyeing both of them curiously, she nodded at the policeman. “Yes, but then if you were here last night, you already knew that. So, you got the asshole who attacked me?” Marc set a steaming plate of scrambled eggs in front of her, his lips twitching. “Eat.” The officer frowned, apparently not liking her forwardness, or the fact that she dug into her food instead of giving her full attention to him. She didn’t care. It smelled delicious, making her empty stomach growl, and she saw no point in waiting. Officer Brown eyed her breakfast, glanced toward the counter where Marc stood and sighed. “We found your car. One of our officers drove by there last night and actually found two cars. There was a man in one of them, passed out and cut up good. The other car was yours. You wanna tell me what happened?” Stunned at the tone of the cop’s questions, Bailey could only blink at him for several long seconds before anger kicked in. Furious, she jumped up, slamming her hands on the table, only to be caught by James, who lowered her back to her seat. “I told you to stay off that foot.” Bailey brushed off his concern, and his hold, and jumped up again, leaning over the table to face Officer Brown squarely.

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“If he’s going to accuse me of cutting him up, I’ll go down to the hospital with my baseball bat and—” Marc pushed her, gently but firmly back down to her seat and set a cup of coffee and a glass of orange juice in front of her. “Eat your breakfast before it gets cold.” The steel in his tone raised her hackles, but she looked up in time to see his lips twitch. Before she could say anything else, Officer Brown leaned toward her, his eyes narrowing in anger. A low sound had the cop snapping his head in Marc’s direction. Red crept up his neck at the cold fury in Marc’s eyes. Shooting a glance in her direction, he cleared his throat, pulling out a small pad of paper and a pen. “You’d better not be going to that hospital threatening anybody, young lady. He didn’t say anything about you cutting him. Says a panther attacked him. Did you, uh, see or hear anything that you think you should tell me?” Bailey blinked at the hesitancy in his tone and looked at both Marc and James, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. Something felt wrong, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She could literally feel the tension and sharpened awareness from both of them. Unable to make sense of it, she started to ask about it, but some instinct warned her to keep her questions to herself. Keeping her eyes on the officer, she reached for her coffee. “Yes, a crazy man running after me and trying to kill me. Did you say a panther? Like a real panther? Like a panther you would find in a zoo?” A slight chill went through her when Marc and James both stiffened. The officer nodded grimly and flicked a hostile glance at Marc. “Yeah. We’ve heard stories of a black panther wandering around these parts for years—just haven’t been able to catch it. Get reports of one being seen every now and then, but it’s never attacked anyone

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before. Don’t know if it’s the same one or not. I can’t have a panther roaming around in my woods.” “Actually, they’re my woods.” Hiding a smile at Marc’s proprietary tone, Bailey turned in her seat and scanned the woods behind the house, the horror of the previous night crashing back. “You’re serious? A real panther? How about that man? You said that he told you it was a panther. So, he’s alive. Did he tell you he attacked me? Did you arrest him?” The officer tapped his pen on the table, his eyes hardening. “He’s in the hospital and not going anywhere. Did you see the face of the man who attacked you?” Bailey sipped her coffee, ignoring Marc when he pushed the plate of eggs closer. “Faintly. It was getting dark. I had a flat tire. I was in the middle of changing it when that man came along. He offered to help and I told him I appreciated it, but that I could change it by myself. It was getting dark, and I just wanted to get to town. He said he couldn’t leave a woman stranded on the side of the road. The next thing I knew, he grabbed me and tried to hit me. I ducked and got away. If I’d been able to get to my baseball bat, he would have limped away with a few broken bones. Did you find the gun? That bastard shot at me.” James came to stand behind her, dropping a hand on her shoulder. “You’re safe now.” At the warm sensation that flowed over her, she stiffened, only to have James rub her shoulders until she unwillingly relaxed again. She turned her head to look at Marc as he lowered his big frame into the seat next to hers, remembering that he’d said the same thing to her only an hour ago. His eyes softened, a faint smile tugging at his lips, making it obvious he also remembered that—and what had happened just a few minutes afterward.

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Smiling at the shared memory, she swallowed heavily, inwardly cursing that her cheeks warmed and turned back to the policeman. “I ran into the woods, hoping to escape him. I was so mad at myself for not jumping in the car as soon as he got there, and my bat was in the trunk. I thought if I could hide behind a tree, he would eventually give up and leave.” Wrapping her now cold hands around the coffee cup to warm them, she stared down into it. “I’m fast, but he was faster. I couldn’t get enough distance between us to hide. The longer we ran, the madder he got. It was getting dark. The leaves were slippery and the roots from the trees were everywhere. I tripped and fell. He landed on me and I couldn’t breathe.” The panic and helplessness she’d felt the night before had fear and rage surging inside her again, the remembered horror making it difficult to breathe. She would swear she could feel that bastard’s hands closing off her air. Lifting her hand to her throat, she drew a deep breath, turning away from the almost identical looks of concern on Marc’s and James’s faces. “That son of a bitch. He started choking me. I couldn’t fight him anymore.” Swallowing the lump in her throat, she blinked back tears. “I just couldn’t fight him anymore. The last thing I remember was seeing his face, but it wasn’t very clear.” God, it scared the hell out of her to think about how close she came to dying. “That’s enough.” Marc’s voice lashed out like a whip. Turning to glare at Officer Brown, he ran a hand over her arm and drew her closer. “She’s been through enough. You’ve got the guy who attacked her. If you want her to identify him, we’ll take her to the hospital as soon as we go pick up her car.” Officer Brown nodded, tucking away his small pad of paper. “We’ll finish this later. I’m just glad the panther didn’t attack you, Miss Knox.”

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Sliding a look at Marc, she nodded. “So am I. I guess these two must have found me before the panther did.” He eyed Marc and James skeptically. “You sure you didn’t see anything?” James stood, clearly anxious for him to leave. “I told you last night that we heard a scream and went to investigate. We didn’t see anyone but her and brought her back here. As soon as she finishes her breakfast we’ll come to town. I’m sure Bailey wants to be on her way.” Not understanding the look of anger on his face, Bailey smiled. “I’m not exactly going far. I just bought the bar in town. You might have heard of it. Captain’s Den. I’ll be living in the apartment above it.” Marc came to his feet and shot a look at James. “Yeah. There’s something going on here that I don’t like. We’re going to have to keep a close eye on Bailey. I don’t think that’s going to be too hard for either one of us.” He sighed, his eyes narrowing on her face. “Something tells me it just might become a habit.”

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Chapter Four Turning off his motorcycle, Marc sat back and looked up at the new, lighted sign of Bailey’s bar. He’d ridden past the bar many times but had never been inside. He hated being around a lot of people and he hated noise, but he hadn’t been able to stay away any longer. He’d avoided her as long as he could, trying to lose himself in his work, but even then, she wouldn’t stay out of his thoughts. The image in his mind had come into focus, and he’d worked long hours into the night bringing it to life. Nights when need became so sharp it was unbearable. And so he was here, sitting outside a bar, aching to get to her, the lure of her too strong to resist any longer. To test himself, he forced himself to sit there for several long moments, growing more anxious and aroused every second. Even at this distance, Bailey’s clean, sweet scent reached him through the assorted smells of liquor, food, and heavy perfume. Her enticing scent made him hard as a rock, his body going tense with the need to get to her. His mouth watered to taste her again, to bury his face between her thighs and make her come over and over and feast on her sweet juices. Fuck. He hadn’t slept worth a damn all week, even after stripping his bed in an effort to get rid of that delicious scent that had permeated his sheets. It hadn’t worked. Nothing had, and it had begun to grate on his nerves.

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He’d shifted and gone for a run every night, the beast inside him refusing to be suppressed. He still hadn’t completely come to terms with it. He and the beast both ached for their mate, an ache that grew stronger the longer he stayed away from her. James stilled beside him. “Just smelling her makes my cock hard.” Leland Moran, who, as the oldest member of their pack, took it upon himself to look after everyone. He basically bossed them around with the authority and affection of an older brother. His expression remained hard as he eyed them curiously and sniffed the air. “I don’t smell anything unusual, but then the others didn’t either when my mate was around. Only Diablo.” Turning to them, he smiled, a sad smile that gave Marc a bad feeling in his stomach. “Congratulations. Just don’t fuck it up the way we did.” Marc lifted his head. “You don’t smell that? Christ, it’s driving me nuts. Are you sure?” He’d been tense since Leland arrived, worried that his friend and Alpha would react the same way to Bailey’s scent. He’d had a hard enough time this week coming to grips with the fact that she had the same effect on James that she had on him. Bailey also seemed to respond to James the way she did to him, that look of surprised delight mingling with need that nearly took him to his knees. His possessiveness of her astounded him, and he sure as hell didn’t want to worry that every panther shifter in his family would want her. Leland smiled faintly. “No. I smell her because your place is full of her scent, but trust me, it isn’t to me what it is to you.” James slid the kickstand in place and got off his bike, moving to stand on the sidewalk.

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“Don’t look so fucking grim, Marc.” He grinned, looking toward the entrance of the bar. “There are a hell of a lot worse things in life than finding a woman you want to distraction.” “I don’t like my decisions made for me.” Anxious to get inside and see Bailey again, Marc joined his best friend, his attention on Leland. “Nobody else has ever had this happen to them before?” Leland grimaced. “Just Diablo and me. At least now we know what’s going on. And don’t be so fast to push her away just because you can’t resist her. It’s not her fault, and she’s in the same fucking boat.” Bowing his head, he shook it before looking up again. “I never stopped to consider what my mate was going through. I didn’t know. Now I do, and when I find her, I’m getting on my knees if necessary to get her back.” The look of anguish in his eyes tore at Marc. He gritted his teeth, hating that the two men he’d always considered big brothers still missed the woman they’d let get away. He didn’t blame them, though. He couldn’t quite adapt to having his future handed to him and not having any choice in the matter. “How do you know these women are our fucking mates? How many times did Ed tell us that we could sow wild oats, but not to get seriously involved with any woman?” Leland sighed and shook his head again. “You always listened to what you wanted to hear and nothing else. He said that we shouldn’t force it and that we would know when we met her. We just had to wait and be careful to make sure she was the right one. Look, I’m not saying you should just jump into this. Just don’t dismiss it out of hand.” Grinning, he slapped his shoulder. “If nothing else, think about how nice it’ll be to have a woman in your bed every night.” His smile fell as he stared into space, his tone lowering so much that if not for

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their excellent hearing, Marc knew he never would have heard him. “Sleeping safe right between you. Soft, warm, and sated.” James shot a look at Marc, one filled with worry, but kept his tone even as he started toward the door. “If you’re trying to get us to believe you’re lonely, you’re full of shit. You have a different woman in your bed almost every night.” Leland seemed to snap out of his melancholy, shaking his head sadly. “Not anymore. I used to think we were too highly sexed to go without it, but now I can’t touch another woman.” James stopped, spinning on his heel, his eyes wide in disbelief. “You’re kidding, right? You’re just exaggerating.” Staring down the street, Leland sighed. “I wish I was. Makes me sick to my stomach every time I try. Believe me, I’ve tried. I’d love to be able to forget her, but I can’t. It wasn’t until after she left that I realized I’d fallen in love with her. I was too fucking busy fighting the inevitability of the whole thing to see what was staring me in the face.” Turning back, he smiled humorlessly. “And now she’s gone, and I may never get her back.” Meeting their gazes, his eyes hardened. “Try living with that.” Running a hand through his hair, Marc didn’t bother to raise his voice over the loud music coming from inside, knowing that both James and Leland would have no trouble hearing him. A hard band seemed to close around his chest, making it difficult to breathe. “Christ. So what you’re saying is that two of us share a mate? She’s ours and if we let her go, we may never find another? That’s bullshit. There are plenty of women out there. I can’t believe that there’s only one woman that I could build a future with.” He wanted her. Badly. He’d never wanted another woman more— but something inside him rebelled at the thought that he had no choice in the matter at all. With a shrug, Leland started inside. “I can only tell you what I’ve discovered for myself. As for sharing—I suppose it has something to

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do with us being loners. Maybe it works out better that way. Who the fuck knows? Look, let’s just go inside and have a beer. I can’t wait to meet your woman.” Marc swallowed heavily. He’d never scared easily. None of them did. But knowing that he might have found his mate, that his future had already been decided, and that if he lost her he might never recover scared the hell out of him. **** When the door of the bar opened, Bailey looked up from drawing a beer, sucking in a breath as her world tilted. Her senses sharpened, and everything else around her seemed to disappear. Her welcoming smile fell, her mind going numb while her pulse quickened and every inch of her skin tingled with awareness. Moisture pooled at her slit, her pussy and clit coming alive in anticipation. Her breasts seemed to swell and become heavy, and her nipples pebbled, already aching for their touch. Damn, she didn’t think it would be possible for them to look better than she remembered, but they did. She didn’t think it would be possible for her body’s response to be as intense as she remembered, but it was. They seemed larger than she remembered, big and strong and so damned sexy and dangerous, she just wanted to jump them. All conversation in the bar stopped, their presence seeming to suck all the air and vitality out of the room to make room just for them. For several long, heart-stopping seconds, only the music from the jukebox could be heard as everyone in the bar seemed to hold their breath. All eyes turned to the doorway, watching Marc, James, and another black-haired man enter the bar and cross the room. Marc and James headed straight toward her while the other man brought up the

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rear, eyeing her with an intensity that shook her, and she instinctively took a step to the side, keeping Marc and James between her and the stranger. She got mad at herself as soon as she did it, not being the type of woman to hide behind anyone, but it struck her that Marc and James somehow managed to keep their bodies between her and the other man with no apparent effort. She stiffened, gritting her teeth as two women separated themselves from the group of men they’d been with and approached the three intimidating men, not looking the least bit intimidated at all. In fact, they looked hungry. All smiles and swaying hips, they sauntered over, smiling seductively and looking up at each of the men through their lashes. Gritting her teeth and watching them out of the corner of her eye, Bailey finished drawing the beer and started drawing another one. Her heart thudded so hard she feared everyone in the bar could hear it, even over the loud music. Her hands shook with rage, jealousy, and pure unadulterated fear. Fear that Marc and James would take these women up on their offer. Fear that they regretted touching her. Fear that they no longer wanted her. Hell and damnation! What the fuck did she care? She’d already decided she didn’t want to get involved with either one of them anyway. Sure, she’d decided after they’d stayed away for several days, but that didn’t matter at all. She never got jealous. She never cared enough. Being jealous of two men she barely knew just pissed her off. The fact that she’d been in their arms didn’t mean a fucking thing. Assholes. She didn’t care what they did. She tried to convince herself that only curiosity had her watching them, just to see how they would react.

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The icy cold hitting her hand yanked her back to the present to find the glass she’d been filling overflowed, the foam covering her hand and wetting her sleeve. Cursing under her breath, she stopped the flow and stood there, taking several deep breaths in an effort to get herself under control. Her hand shook as she set the beer on the bar—the beer that no one had ordered— spilling even more of it. “Everything okay, boss?” Distracted, she jumped at Ricky’s question, unable to look away from the scene playing out in front of her. With no small amount of satisfaction, she watched Marc and James turn the other women away, adjusting their strides so the women didn’t even get the chance to touch them. Biting back a grin at the bubbles of happiness rising up inside her, Bailey kept her attention on the other man, curious to see what he would do. She took the opportunity to study him, wondering how he knew Marc and James, but even from here, she could see the three of them knew each other well. It was in the unspoken communication between them, the hint of amusement in the stranger’s gaze as he watched Marc and James deal effortlessly with the women. Curious at the sadness in their eyes when the stranger also turned the women away, she studied him, struck by his hard, tight expression as though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. She rarely saw anyone with truly black hair, but the big man with Marc and James had the same midnight hair they did, so black it gleamed with bluish highlights. It hung loosely past his shoulders, giving him a wild, untamed look. She glanced at Marc and then at James, a little surprised that in some ways they had the same primitive look about them. They’d just managed to refine it, somehow. Funny, she hadn’t noticed that before. She’d been too distracted by the way they made her feel, but now she had to admit that raw,

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almost animalistic look in their eyes and in the way they moved turned her on even more. It also made her realize just how careful they’d been with her the other night. Watching them now, she decided she didn’t want them to be careful with her. She wanted the hunger she saw glittering in their eyes. Just the thought of them turning all that pent-up sexuality loose on her had her abdomen clenching, her arousal already building to the point that it became uncomfortable to stand here and go on working as normal. She forced herself to turn away before she started drooling and smiled reassuringly at Ricky, her bartender. “No, Ricky. Everything’s fine. Do you know those three men who just walked in?” To her surprise, Ricky smiled and nodded. “The one on the middle is Marcus Brand. He’s a sculptor. Lives about five miles from here—a real beauty of a house. Bought all the land around it so he didn’t have any neighbors. He’s a real loner— only comes to town for gas and groceries. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him in here. I don’t know the other two, though.” Frowning, he nudged her aside. “They look like trouble, though. Why don’t you go upstairs and let Gun and me handle it.” Amused, Bailey hid a smile, not wanting to hurt Ricky’s feelings. Ricky and Gun had worked for the previous owner, and from what she’d observed, had been pretty unhappy. Their displeasure showed, and she was more than a little surprised that they’d asked her for a job. Ricky, five years younger than her at twenty-four, and Gun, his father, had both been protective of her right from the beginning. She appreciated it, but she didn’t really expect either one of them to stand between her and danger.

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Since she didn’t want to hurt his feelings, she nudged him playfully. “Is that another one of those references to my height?” Ricky fixed two more drinks, his hands always in motion. He shot her a smile, his attention clearly on Marc, James, and their friend. His wide grin made him look even younger, and suddenly made her feel very old. “For someone as short as you are, you pack quite a punch. I’ve seen you in action. They’re still talking about that troublemaker you threw out of here the other day.” Forcing a laugh, Bailey rang up another order, pleased that business appeared to be booming on her first weekend open, and gestured toward the baseball bat she kept propped up in the corner. “Maybe the convincer had something to do with it.” Patting her shoulder, he looked up, his face going pale. “Uh, yeah. Maybe.” Following his gaze, she looked straight at Marc, shocked at the furious glare he gave Ricky. Leaning on the bar right in front of his face, she glared back. “Back off with my employees, or you’ll be on the receiving end of my bat.” To her surprise, Marc’s eyes flared and he leaned closer, fisting his hand in the front of her sweater when she would have pulled back. He pulled her close, his eyes lingering on her lips before meeting hers again. “God, woman, you excite me. If we were alone, I’d have you bent over this bar with your pants down around your ankles. Don’t give me that look. You did this to me.” He brushed his lips over hers. “You’re aroused. Christ, I want you. It’s been hard as hell staying away from you all week. I can’t forget the feel of you—the taste of you.” Her lips tingled, feeling swollen and warm against his, making it nearly impossible to resist licking them. Swallowing heavily, she covered his fist with her hand. “Let go.”

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To her surprise, he smiled, running his thumb over her bottom lip. “I love the way your voice sounds when your throat’s not sore. Sexy. I can’t wait to hear that hitch in your breathing when I take you.” Shaken, it took several moments before she realized he’d released her. The man who’d accompanied them slid onto the bar stool next to Marc. “Please excuse my friend. His obsession with you has made him lose his manners. I’m Leland Moran. It’s nice to finally meet the woman who has my friends so tied up in knots.” He met Marc’s glare, his silver eyes sparkling with amusement. “Please be patient with them.” From the other side of Marc, James took her hand in his, smiling broadly. “No, no patience is needed. Feel free to jump me anytime you want. I promise you, I’m going to do the same to you at the first opportunity.” Shaking with need, Bailey looked around, surprised that no one else seemed to have heard them. Taking a deep breath, she shot a glance at Ricky, who glanced back at her with a raised brow, half listening to a customer placing his order. Nodding that everything was all right, she turned back to the three men whose presence had all eyes turning their way. Yanking her hand from James’s hold, she shook Leland’s. “It’s very nice to meet you, but your friends are delusional. What would you like to drink?” James pulled the bowl of peanuts she poured for them closer. “Three beers. What do you mean we’re delusional?” Keeping an eye on Ricky to make sure he could keep up with the orders, she served their beers. Ignoring Marc’s glare, she turned away from him and gave her attention to Leland.

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A little taller than Marc and James, easily over six and a half feet of rugged looks that had men near him shifting in their seats, he somehow managed to appear less threatening than his friends. Leaning close so as not to be overheard by the other patrons, she gestured toward Marc and James. “They have some sort of obsession with the way I smell. It drives me nuts. Have they told you they saved my life?” Leland’s eyes hardened. “They did. You okay?” She waved off his question. “Fine. They act like they’re interested in me—” James paused with a handful of peanuts halfway to his mouth. “Interested? That’s putting it a little mildly, don’t you think?” Giving him a dirty look, she turned back to Leland. “And then they drop me off. I don’t hear from them all week, and they walk in here like they never left off. Your friends have a hell of a lot of nerve. Who the hell do they think they are?” Marc looked straight ahead, sipping his beer. “We looked in on you.” To her surprise, Leland sighed. “It’s not my place to tell you what you want to know. They will, in time. Let’s just say that I was in their position not long ago and made the wrong decision—something I’ve regretted every minute since then. I don’t want my friends to make the same mistake with you.” Seeing a customer come up to the bar and lift his hand to get her attention, Bailey nodded in acknowledgment and moved away, shooting a look at Marc and James, who both stared at her. “Too late.” On her way to her customer, Marc startled her by grabbing her arm and pulling her close. “Who the hell is that kid you have working here?” Bailey tried unsuccessfully to pull away.

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“Not that it’s any of your business, but that’s Ricky, my bartender. Why?” Apprehensive now, she placed herself between Marc and Ricky, not understanding the anger on Marc’s face. “Marc?” Ricky chose that moment to come over, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and attempting to tug her away from Marc. “Bailey, I’ll handle the customer. You have a phone call in your office.” Marc smiled, a smile that had chills going up and down Bailey’s spine. “Ricky, you lay a hand on my woman again, and I’ll break it off for you. Clear enough?” Struck by his arrogance, Bailey jerked her hand out of his. “You’ll do no such thing. How dare you! You touch Ricky or Gun, and I’ll hit you over the head with my bat.” Marc sighed and dropped his hand, a muscle working in his jaw. “I don’t like anyone touching you.” Furious at the surge of lust that hit her, and more than a little shaken at the stormy intent in his eyes, she backed away before she gave in to the urge to throw herself at him. “Fuck you.” Spinning on her heel, she stormed out from behind the bar and into the small office in the back, so mad and aroused she couldn’t even think. Asshole. God, she wanted him. **** Marc watched her go, cursing under his breath. Jumping to his feet, he started to go after her, stopping short when Leland shoved him none too gently back down into the chair.

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“I thought I explained about coming on too strong.” Since Leland happened to be one of the few men who could strong-arm him, he sighed and resigned himself to hearing the lecture looming in Leland’s tone. “Look, Leland, I know what you’re going to say, but I’m not going to stand by and watch another man touch her. Would you let another man touch your mate?” He shot another glare at the young bartender, reluctantly amused that, even though he paled, Ricky met his glare head-on. Leland took a sip of his beer, turning slightly in his seat, his lips twitching. “I probably wouldn’t have been as nice as you were. Do you really think she’s interested in her young bartender?” Gritting his teeth, Marc turned to his friend. “If she had been, he would have already lost that hand.” Marc turned, following Leland’s gaze toward the mirror against the back wall, one he realized was a two-way mirror. His gaze sharpened when Bailey came into view, pacing back and forth in front of it. She stared out at him, making a face, obviously certain that no one could see her. But he had better eyesight than she would expect. Although he couldn’t see her clearly, he could see her well enough to keep an eye on her. Amused that she appeared to be muttering to herself, he watched her, unable to look away at the sight she made. Her ponytail whipped back and forth as she paced in front of the mirror, her body stiff with anger. He wished he could hear what she was saying, but he couldn’t hear her over the noise in the bar. He’d bet the money he’d made on his last sculpture that she was cursing him. James ignored his beer and stood, his eyes alight with challenge. “I’m going to her. She’s not pissed off at me.”

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Marc sighed and reached for his beer, fighting the urge to join James. One by one, he forced his muscles to relax. He watched James go around the bar to follow the path Bailey had taken down the small hallway, forcing back jealousy that he wouldn’t be the one overcoming that temper. Just the thought of it made his cock jump. After James left, Leland turned back to the bar, tracing a drop of moisture down the glass of the beer sitting in front of him. “Smart man. I think it’s a good idea to approach her one at a time. You don’t want to overwhelm her. It’s going to be a lot to take in.” Marc swallowed heavily, turning back to watch the two-way mirror, unable to keep his attention away from her for more than a few minutes at a time. “Bailey doesn’t seem to scare easily.” He bit back a laugh when she stuck her tongue out at him. If she was in front of him, he’d show her exactly what she could do with that tongue. And then he’d use his on her. “Nope, she doesn’t scare easily at all.” He didn’t even stop to wonder about the pride that came through in his tone. Seeing James take Bailey into his arms, he bit back a groan at the answering twinge in his cock. “We can’t tell her everything. We don’t know her well enough to trust her with that. I won’t risk the pack. Not even for her.” Leland stared straight ahead. “You’ll have to. She’s your mate, and she’ll have to know…to understand. For now, though, it’s going to be hard enough for her to take in the fact that two men want her. But don’t make the mistakes Diablo and I made. Yeah, it’s going to be hard to swallow, but you already said she doesn’t scare easily. Our mates would have to be tough.” The pride and regret in his friend’s tone pulled at him. Not taking his eyes from the scene unfolding in front of him, and glad that the other patrons didn’t have his vision, he kept his tone low, knowing only Leland would hear him.

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“Are you sure Bailey didn’t smell any different to you?” Leland sighed. “No. I know—at least I think I know—how she smells to you.” His voice lowered musingly. “Warm, sweet, a hint of vanilla and honey. Enticing. Addictive.” With a sigh, he reached for his glass again. “You have nothing to worry about with me. She’s definitely not my mate. Stunned, Marc whipped around. “Wait a minute. Your mate smelled the same way to you that Bailey does to us?” Shrugging, Leland stared into his beer. “Apparently. I had that once and was too hardheaded to grab it with both hands. Just don’t scare her off. I have no idea if we get second chances or if there’s more than one mate for us. But I’m forty and have never found another in the years before or in the months since.” Marc turned now, unnerved. “I don’t want my decisions made for me. It pisses me off. I want to pick my own woman.” Leland turned, his eyes bleak. “I felt exactly the same way. Now I’d give anything to have her back. I want her so much I can’t even sleep anymore. Haven’t slept a night through since she took off—hell, since I pushed her away. It feels like a part of me is missing.” He took a sip of beer to ease the knot in his stomach and swallowed heavily. “Are you still looking for her?” The torment in Leland’s eyes tore at him. To see a man he’d always looked up to and admired look so defeated unnerved him more than he wanted to admit. Leland looked at him as though he’d lost his mind. “Of course I’m still looking for her, but by the time I realized what she meant to me, she was long gone. Not a fucking trace of her. It’s like she fell off the face of the earth.” Turning back, Marc stared at the mirror again, unable to take his eyes from the sight of James wrapping himself around Bailey. The scent of her arousal reached him even through a closed door despite several feet separating them, and the abundance of scents in the bar. Hers still came through, strong and sweet and undeniably all woman,

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making his cock ache and filling him with a tension that made sitting here damned uncomfortable. He wanted her with a need that he’d never experienced with any other woman. The beast inside him clawed to be free, the beast that had remained conspicuously silent with every other women he’d ever taken. Handling both a raging hunger that threatened to burn out of control and the primitive beast inside him at the same time tested the boundaries of his control. His strength grew and his senses sharpened more with each moment he spent with her. He’d spent the last several days coming to grips with the changes inside him, changes that came about as the beast and man merged. He’d become…more. The image of how she’d looked naked and in his bed had haunted him all week. Sleeping with the scent of her on his pillow had nearly driven him out of his mind. Still, he liked to think he was in charge of his own destiny. Turning away from the mirror, he watched Ricky expertly mix and serve drinks, keeping his voice low. “I don’t like being tugged around by my cock any more than you did. I’d like to think I have a choice in choosing the woman I’m going to spend the rest of my life with.” Leland smiled humorlessly. “That’s one of the reasons I wanted to come out here. I want to make sure you don’t fuck this up the way I did. There isn’t a day that goes by that I haven’t regretted letting her go. I was a little alarmed at the changes that took place inside me, but it seems that meeting our mate affects us in more ways than one. I know it heightens the senses and makes us stronger, but since our mate is no longer around, I’m not quite sure how else it affects us. I do know, however, that my choice is to have her with me.” He took a sip of beer and chuckled softly. “I’m sure that’s your choice right about now, too.”

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Marc clenched his fist, not in anger, but in frustration. As he watched James strip Bailey, his own hands itched to touch her. Knowing Leland would be able to hear him, even over the music, he kept his voice at a whisper. “Since you’ve been so honest with me, I think it’s only fair to tell you what I’ve discovered about that. Hopefully, you’ll be prepared when you find your mate again.” He glanced toward the mirror again, his cock jumping to see Bailey responding to James’s kiss. “When she defies me, argues with me, gets mad at me—it enrages me.” Leland paused with his glass of beer halfway to his mouth. “Please tell me that doesn’t mean you want to hit her.” Turning his head, Marc scowled at him, keeping his voice so low he knew only Leland would hear him. “Hell, no. I don’t want to hit her. I’d cut off my own hands before I hit her.” He scrubbed a hand over his face, ignoring the probing look from Ricky. “You saw how she was a few minutes ago. When she stormed away from me—fuck. I want—no I need to show her who her mate is. I need to take her in a way she’ll never forget. I want to work my cock into her tight ass and bury myself balls deep inside her. I need to take her in the most dominant way a man can take a woman. I want her bent over, ass in the air and taking every inch of me. I don’t want her thinking about anything else but submitting to me and admitting who the fuck she belongs to.” Just the thought of her lifting that chin defiantly and his cock ached with the need to work it into that round ass of hers. He would work on her clit while he did it, making her so hot that she would accept anything he wanted to do to her. Fuck. He had to calm down before he did something that would scare the hell out of Bailey and ruin any chance of ever getting close to her.

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Leland’s brows went up. “Fuck me. Are you sure?” Marc grimaced, even now fighting not to run into Bailey’s office and bend her over her desk. “I’m sure. She makes me feel primitive—like the fucking animal I am.” He glanced around to make sure no one could overhear. “It’s like we merge. You know—what’s inside us. I know it doesn’t make sense.” Leland sighed. “It makes sense.” He took another sip of his beer. “It’s damned uncomfortable at times, but it sure as hell makes sense to me.” Marc’s gaze went to the two-way mirror again, his gaze constantly drawn to her. “I can watch James touch her and I don’t want to rip his head off. It gets to me, but just makes me want to join them. It bothered me, though, that you would feel the same way about her.” “Is that why you didn’t want me to come here?” Unsurprised that his friend had noticed, Marc shrugged, not bothering to answer and only slightly irritated at Leland’s low chuckle. “Was it the same with you and Joe?” Leland downed the last of his beer and slammed the glass on the bar with a force that should have shattered it. “Yeah. Fuck.” He sighed, staring down at the bar. “From the pieces Diablo and I put together from the stories we’d heard from Ed, I’m wondering if the same thing happened to our parents. But, instead of sharing their mates, they fought over them. It caused so much commotion that people found out about us and hunted them down. I’m not about to let that happen. If you and James can’t work this out, you’re either going to have to both walk away from her, or you’re going to have to make a decision about which one gets her. Remember, though”—he eyed him meaningfully—“we have no idea

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if there’s another mate out there for you or not. But, decide soon. I’m not letting what happened to our parents happen again.” Marc grimaced. “You take being in charge too seriously. We’ll work it out.” Leland clenched his jaw, his eyes hardening into two chips of ice. “Damned right I take it seriously. Most of you were not much more than babies when we left. Joe Diablo and I had a hand in helping to raise each and every one of you. I’ll be damned if I let anything happen to any of you. That means protecting all of you—even from yourselves. Shit, there’s trouble brewing.” Marc swallowed the instinctive growl that rose in his throat and wrinkled his nose at the sour scent of evil coming from the three men who just walked in the door. He looked toward Bailey to make sure she was all right, checking her instinctively as though he’d done it all his life. Seeing her draped over the desk with James’s face buried between her thighs, Marc gripped the edge of the bar and willed his cock to behave. “Yeah—and I’m just in the mood for it.” Leland apparently saw no need to suppress his growl. “Yeah, but I’m meaner.” He leaned forward, signaling a frightened Ricky to come closer. “What do you know about those men who just walked in?” Ricky glanced over at the trio, but kept his attention on Leland, who he obviously considered a bigger threat. “They’re trouble. I’d better ring for Bailey.” He pushed a button before Marc could stop him. Grabbing Ricky’s arm, Marc yanked him closer, careful not to pull too hard and slam the kid into the edge of the bar and break a rib or two. “Why the hell are you getting Bailey? She’s a woman, for God’s sake. What the hell’s wrong with you?” Shooting an anxious glance at the three men, who even now started trouble with customers, Ricky shrugged, looking more than a

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little nervous. “I agree with you, but she’s my boss. They’ve been coming in and causing trouble ever since we opened. Bailey’s already thrown them out twice this week. The last time she broke that guy’s arm.” Gesturing toward the man with the cast, he smiled. “When he shoved her, she hit him with the baseball bat. She always wants to know about trouble in her bar.” Marc jumped up, intent on getting to the office before Bailey came racing out here. A quick glance showed her still in the grips of pleasure, but he couldn’t count on her not hearing anything. “I’ll go, just because I know if she sees what’s going on, she’ll come rushing out here. Leland, Bailey would probably get upset if Ricky got hurt. Can you see that he stays out of trouble for a minute?” Leland grinned, turning to face the troublemakers, who’d stopped to eye Leland warily. “Absolutely. I haven’t been in a bar fight in…days.” **** Slamming the door to her office didn’t give Bailey even a small percentage of the satisfaction she’d hoped it would. So she kicked the desk. Too agitated to sit, she paced back and forth, but the postage stamp size of her office made it impossible to take more than a few steps before she had to turn back again. Shooting a dirty look at Marc through the two-way mirror, she kicked her desk again. “Asshole. Who does he think he is, coming into my bar and trying to tell me what to do?” I can’t wait to hear that hitch in your breathing when I take you. Christ, she’d come so close to just grabbing him and taking him upstairs to her apartment so they could finish what they’d started that night at his house.

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Just by walking through the door, he and James had aroused her. She’d never been taken in by smooth talk before, but the hunger in Marc’s voice had her pussy clenching at emptiness and a flood of juices dampening her panties. Even now, her clit tingled. Asshole. She glanced through the mirror again, disconcerted to find him staring straight at her. Her breasts swelled, her nipples poking insistently against her sweater. Crossing her arms over her chest, she purposely looked away from him to the empty stool beside him. Wondering where James had gone, she resumed her pacing. They’d been so wonderful to her that night, taking care of her when she’d been so defenseless. She couldn’t believe how brave they’d been. Hearing her scream, they’d gone into the woods despite the fact that a panther reportedly lived there. Not every man would do that—but then they’d already proven themselves to be much more than ordinary men. She’d had several days of backbreaking work getting the bar ready to reopen, work that didn’t require much thought, which gave her way too much time to think about Marc and James. She wasn’t really alarmed by her attraction to both of them. Strong, attractive, and superbly masculine, they put other men to shame. Over the last week, she’d convinced herself that she’d been an idiot to be so nervous around them and vowed that if she had the opportunity to get to know them a little better, she would sure as hell take it. She knew either one of them would make a magnificent lover, but each day that went by with no word from them, her anger at herself grew. Never in her life had she allowed a man to consume her thoughts the way both Marc and James did. Apparently, they didn’t

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feel the same way, but she understood herself enough not to blame them for that. She’d pretty much talked herself out of them, and then like a schoolgirl, had been so excited to see them walk in, only to have Marc ruin it by acting like an ass. She looked at him again through the glass, surprised to see that he still seemed to stare straight at her, apparently not paying any attention at all to whatever Leland was saying to him. Knowing he couldn’t see her, she stuck her tongue out at him. She knew it was a childish gesture, but it made her feel a little better. At least it didn’t hurt like kicking the desk had. God, she ached. Bracing her hands on her desk, she took several deeps breaths, hoping to calm herself down. The need that clawed at her felt even stronger than it had the day after they’d rescued her, the intensity of it so alarming, it hurt her stomach. A knock startled her and had her spinning on her heel, her hand going to her chest. Staring at the door, she took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She didn’t want either Ricky or Gun to see her this way. She didn’t want anyone to see her this way. Weakness of any kind had to be hidden at all costs. Forcing a smile, she opened the door, shocked to find James standing on the other side. Her smile fell, lust slamming into her with a force that stole her breath. Her fingers just itched to explore his wide chest and to run her hands through his incredibly dark hair. Remembering his teasing when he threatened to stick his hand under the covers, she pressed a hand to her quivering stomach. The epitome of tall, dark, and handsome, he looked good enough to eat. The idea of starting at his full, sexy lips and then working her way down his magnificent body appealed to her. Lowering her gaze, she admired his flat stomach before allowing her gaze to move lower.

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He made no attempt to hide the fact that he was hard, the impressive bulge pressing against his jeans making her stomach tighten even more. To her shock, her pussy and bottom both sizzled with awareness, the sensation so unfamiliar and overpowering that she took a step back before meeting his gaze again. His hard, brown eyes sharpened and darkened until they appeared nearly black, but remained hooded as they raked over her. The trail of heat left behind had her gripping the edge of the door, fighting to get her raging hormones under control. The knowing light in his eyes told her he knew exactly what he did to her, and that he had every intention of using it to her advantage. Not about to let him get the upper hand, she started to slam the door in his face. “Get out.” He moved fast, slipping into her office, frowning when she stepped back. He closed the door behind him, leaning back against it. “I’ve missed you, Bailey.” The deep silky cadence of his tone carried an intimacy that sent a delicious shiver through her. The way he said her name made her want to throw herself into his arms. Women, like the two in the bar, probably fell at his feet all the time, and she sure as hell didn’t plan to be one of them. Struggling not to rub her thighs together, she lifted a brow, forcing a smile. “What happened? You get lost on your way to town? I’ve been right here.” Mortified at the hurt that came through, she turned away. “Forget it. What do you want?” He lifted a brow, his eyes glittering as he leaned close, running a finger down her arm from behind before turning her to face him. His eyes seemed to darken even more as they held hers. He ran a finger from her jaw to her chin and then to her throat, tracing where

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the bruises had faded. “If I told you what I want from you, Bailey Knox, you’d run screaming into the night.” He smiled, a flash of white that made her stomach clench. “Of course, that wouldn’t stop me at all.” His gaze went lower, lingering on her breasts and making her nipples tingle. “For now, let’s just say that I couldn’t stay away from you any longer. I keep thinking about the way you felt in my arms, and I’m very much looking forward to having you there again.” Slanting a look at him, she inwardly cursed at the rush of moisture and the growing awareness in her pussy. “Hmm. Really? I haven’t given it another thought.” Gripping her shoulders, he began to massage gently, bending close and touching his lips to her ear, chuckling when she shivered. “Liar. You’ve missed me just as much as I’ve missed you. Did you think I didn’t notice that you got aroused as soon as we walked through the door? Your nipples are pressing against your shirt, your eyes have that clouded look to them that makes me crazy, and your breathing isn’t quite steady. Your heart is racing, and my cock came to attention the second I saw you. That pussy’s already wet for me, isn’t it, Bailey? You want me every bit as much as I want you. The scent of you—the scent of your arousal—is close to driving me insane to have you.” Bailey fisted her hands at her sides as another surge of longing went through her, each wave stronger and more consuming than the last. Hoping to get a grip on herself, she shrugged off his hands and hurriedly moved out of his arms to squeeze into the small space behind her desk. “I think you and your friend are full of shit. You claim to smell all sorts of things that you couldn’t possibly smell. If it’s a line, I’m not biting.”

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Plopping into her old, dilapidated chair, she gave him a smile of amusement and raised a brow, not about to let him see how badly she wanted to jump him. “So, what do you want to do? Fuck me right here on my desk?” Coming around the side of her desk, James seated himself on the corner, effectively blocking her in, his big body positioned between her and the door. To her surprise, he appeared to consider her question, his eyes narrowing for just a few seconds before he nodded once. “Fuck it. If that’s the way you want it—sure. Why not?” He moved so fast she didn’t manage more than a yelp as he bent, lifted her, and dropped her onto his lap to straddle him in a move that required a great deal of strength—one that impressed the hell out of her. With his hands on her hips, he moved her slit over his cock, his eyes narrowed as they lingered on her small breasts, making her nipples tingle with the need for his touch. “We wanted you, you know. This week we spied on you to make sure you were all right.” Surprised, she opened her mouth to ask why she hadn’t seen them, but he pressed a finger over her lips before she could speak. “We couldn’t come near you. We wanted you so much and it terrified us, but we wanted to make sure you didn’t have any lasting effects of the attack.” Gathering her against him, he pressed his cock against her slit. “I was scared of hurting you. I was scared of how you made me feel. I could see that you were scared, too. The need is strong, isn’t it, honey?” Pushing against him so she could see his face, she rocked her hips, moaning at the feel of his cock pressed against her slit. “And you’re not scared anymore?”

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James grinned. “Honey, you terrify the hell out of me, but I’ve come to grips with it and decided maybe it’s time we scare the hell out of each other.” Gripping his shoulders, she sucked in a breath as another jolt of heat went though her. Arching her back, she pressed her slit against the hard bulge of his cock, pushing her breasts out in invitation. She hated giving in to him so easily, but the pleasure and the promise of more was just too much to resist. “James! Holy hell, that’s good.” Threading his fingers through her hair, he cupped her face, using his thumbs to lift her chin until her eyes met his. He smiled, the tension around the edges unmistakable. “Scary, isn’t it? We’ve barely touched, and you want me inside you every bit as much as I want to sink into you and feel that sweet pussy ripple all around my cock.” Clenching his jaw, he loomed over her, running his thumbs back and forth over her bottom lip, his eyes flashing. “I’ve spent days imagining burying my cock inside you. I’ve woken up in the middle of every fucking night hard as a rock with wanting you, and no amount of jerking off even comes close to satisfying me. You’ve ruined me, Bailey. I don’t want any other woman, and I would want to kill any other man who touches you. I think that goes way past good.” Bailey trembled with nerves and need, each vying for supremacy. God, she wanted him. She’d never before experienced such excitement, such total loss of control in a man’s arms the way she did when he or Marc touched her. She didn’t want to give up a single minute of it. Tugging his hair, she pulled him closer, her breath mingling with his. “You’re good at sweet talk, too, but I’m not that gullible. You’ve stayed away too long to have wanted me that way. You’re here now,

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though, and I want you. I don’t know if I can wait until the bar closes. Why don’t we go up to my apart—” With one hand in her hair and the other at her back, he pulled her against him and took her mouth in a scorching kiss that left her breathless. Each stroke of his tongue over hers created an answering tug to her clit, his kiss so intimate and possessive, she found herself melting against him. A thrill went through her each time one of those growls rumbled in his chest, the sound of it both alarming and darkly erotic. Lifting his head, he sipped at her lips, the tension in his body pressed against hers telling her he was just as affected by their play. “I want you too much to put it off until later. The only reason I stayed away from you is because I had to come to terms with some things. That’s done. I won’t be staying away from you anymore.” His deep voice, so sexy and full of intent, washed over her in rippling waves, the promise in it too irresistible a lure to allow her to attempt to play any games with him. She wanted him too much to do anything but give in to her need for him. Her breasts swelled against his chest, her nipples tight. Her pussy clenched repeatedly, her clit swollen and aching for attention. She couldn’t deny the thrill that went through her at his admission, but she wouldn’t allow herself to believe that it was any more than physical. She just knew that she wanted him with an intensity that wouldn’t be denied. The muted sounds of music and conversation came through the thin walls, reminding Bailey that others were in the bar. She’d never ignored her responsibilities before, but right now the entire bar could fall around her ears and she wouldn’t care. James worked her shirt up, freeing her breasts to fall into his waiting hands, and covered her mouth again, swallowing her soft cries of pleasure.

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Rubbing her slit against the hard bulge of his cock, she pushed her breasts more fully into his hands, crying out against his mouth again when he gave her nipples the attention she needed. Grabbing his arms, she moaned at the light tug of her nipple, loving the feel of his hands on her bare flesh. Her body tingled everywhere, shaking so hard she had trouble holding on to him. She shivered, loving the feel of his fingers sliding over the underside of her breasts. James lifted his head, his eyes dark and hooded and flaring when she moaned. “I’ve got to taste you.” With a hand wrapped in her hair, he pulled her head back and cupped her breast, using his thumb and forefinger to pinch her nipple a little harder than before. Keeping his eyes on hers, he studied her reaction, groaning with each deep breath he took. “I’m going to spread those thighs and eat you up. Lick you and suck that clit until you come against my mouth. Imagining it is one of the things that keeps me awake at night.” The low timbre of his tone almost made her come on the spot. Her clit throbbed at his erotic threat as though he’d already touched her there. She could clearly imagine that same tone as he reached for her in the dark, the husky need it in vibrating deliciously over her skin. Lifting her, he turned and placed her on the desk, shoving everything aside to make a place for her. He ripped open her jeans, making short work of stripping them and her panties down to her ankles. “James!” Being exposed turned her on even more, especially at a time and in a place she hadn’t expected it. Even though she knew no one could see them, seeing and hearing people just on the other side of the glass mirror added a level of danger that excited her. Not wanting them to hear her cries, she bit her lip at the look on James’s face, a look that said he wouldn’t be denied. That determination combined with the look of tender affection in his eyes

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proved to be irresistible. Her heart melted at the slight smile he gave her as he adjusted her to his liking. He ran his hands over her thighs, squeezing slightly as though testing the feel of her. “Soft and firm, with a little tremble that tells me that I’ve managed to shake you up a little. Let’s see if I can shake you even more.” Arching in invitation, she tried to smile, but didn’t quite manage it when he ran a hand down her abdomen to her mound and tugged the curls there. “Do your worst.” With a slow smile, James slid his hands higher and tugged both of her nipples simultaneously, grinning when she cried out and arched higher to relieve the sharp pull. “This isn’t the time or place for my worst, honey, but I’ll do my best to hold your attention.” Her clit felt as if it might explode as he emitted another of those sexy-as-hell growls, her excitement and touch of fear at his almost animalistic hunger driving her own need even higher. She cried out at the ease with which he lifted her legs high and wide and buried his face between them. His wide shoulders kept them spread, her ankles effectively tied together by the material bunched around them. “Consider this a little down payment on what I’m going to do to you as soon as I get the chance.” Parting her folds, he lowered his head, his hands tightening on her hips to hold her when she squirmed. The feel of his hot tongue on her clit nearly sent her through the ceiling. The friction of the rapid series of flicks of his tongue over the delicate flesh proved to be so intense, she froze for several breathtaking seconds as her body and mind struggled to absorb the sensation. The sharp pleasure hit her fast and hard, so extreme that she’d already started coming before she could get over her shock enough to move.

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The pressure exploded, washing over her in wave after wave of sizzling heat that burst from her clit outward, showering her in sparks that seemed to touch her everywhere. She thrashed on her desk, grabbing handfuls of his hair in an attempt to hold on to something solid as her body arched, tightening so much that it made her movements jerky and uncoordinated. Her orgasm went on and on, the low growls coming from him adding to the incredible excitement. She shuddered beneath him, her cries becoming desperate whimpers when he showed no signs of slowing. He seemed determined to lick every drop of her juices from her, even as each flick of his tongue created more. Through it all, those low growls hummed through her, adding an excitement all their own. Overcome by his own obvious pleasure in her, she closed her eyes, surprised at the sharp tug to her emotions. The ensuing vulnerability hit her hard. His tongue stabbed repeatedly into her pussy, stroking her inner walls and setting off another string of sizzling jolts that made her pussy and bottom clench. The awareness in both openings never failed to disarm her, the incredible naughtiness of it something she’d only experienced with Marc and James. He licked her clit again, the shock to the too-sensitive bundle of nerves making her jump so hard she would have fallen off the desk if not for his hold. “James, oh God. I can’t take any more. Take me. Come here, damn you.” She fought to sit up, hoping that while he took his pleasure, she would lose the alarming defenseless feeling, but he merely lifted her hips higher, holding her thighs in an iron grip and refusing to let her up. Lifting his head slightly, he slid two fingers into her pussy. “I want more. Come again.” The deep dominance in his tone had her pussy clenching as a series of mini orgasms rippled through her.

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Alarmed at her own response, she pushed at him, shaken by such intensity during sex. His seemingly endless hunger for her stirred up her own, and even before the last shimmers of her orgasm had the chance to fade away, she found herself climbing again. She didn’t know herself like this. She had no idea pleasure could be so all consuming. It scared her on several levels that he and Marc both seemed to be able to release something inside her she never even knew existed. Her clit pulsed beneath his tongue, her skin tingling everywhere his hands and mouth touched, the electric sizzling making it impossible to concentrate on any one sensation. Heat filled her, surrounded her, his magical tongue and lips in constant motion as though he wanted to get every single drop of her juices, while his attention there kept her body constantly giving him more. The growling sound rumbling from him provided a delicious vibration against her clit that nearly sent her through the roof. The effect proved to be even stronger than her vibrator, sending her soaring into orbit. Tugging his hair, she cried out in alarm when her vision blurred. “James. Take me. James. I mean it. Fuck me, damn you!” Her sharp tug to his hair seemed to bring him back to the present. Shaking his head, he groaned, staring down at her, his lips shiny with her juices. “Fuck, Bailey. I can’t stop. I want to eat you alive. I can’t get enough. I need more.” Lifting her from the desk, he sat in her office chair and pulled her down to straddle him, her feet tucked immobile behind his back, leaving her wide open. His ragged breathing and the barely restrained tension in his tone made her feel only marginally better. “I should have known that once I touched you, I was finished. God, Bailey.”

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The desperation in his voice got to her, as did the combination of her own need and the cock pressing against her slit. Not about to be denied, and practically naked, she pressed herself against him, fisting her hands in his hair. “Don’t you dare think about walking away from me now!” James cupped her face, his eyes going dark and mysterious, holding hers. “Something tells me that’s something you’re never going to have to worry about.” Every part of her body became hypersensitive, the need inside her growing like never before, a hunger that demanded to be satisfied. Her arousal had grown to the point that tears stung her eyes, her body so desperate for his possession that she would have fucked him in the middle of the crowded bar to get relief. Needing to feel his naked flesh against hers, she started ripping at his shirt, popping buttons in her haste to get near him. She’d never felt so primitive before, so wild and hungry for physical pleasure. She rocked her hips, unable to stay still. Her insides clenched, her body so tight and hot it made her weak and clumsy. She rubbed herself against him, unashamed of her hunger. “Damn it, James. You’d better fuck me. Oh, hell. Please tell me you have a condom.” His lips moved over hers, his hands digging into her bottom cheeks and pulling her slit against his cock as he lifted her to the hard surface of the desk again. “I was coming to see you. Of course I have condoms.” His hands moved over her, caressing and squeezing, his mouth hungry on hers. “Christ, I want you. Wait.” He straightened, groaning when she clung to him and followed. “Wait, honey. Damn it, Bailey, be still a minute so I can get it out of my pocket. Fuck. My cock’s going to explode. God, you feel good. When I get inside you, I’m never fucking leaving.”

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Bailey went still when he produced a condom and reached for the fastening of his jeans. Her pussy clenched, releasing even more moisture to coat her thighs. It amazed her how close she was to coming again, the first warning tingles making her clit pulse and swell even more. “James, hurry! I need to come again. How the fuck did you do this to me?” The door to her office opened, startling a cry from her. Seeing it was Marc sent a thrill through her she didn’t have time to assimilate. Her pulse leapt and desire exploded. To her further surprise, James made no attempt to cover her, caressing her in front of Marc even as he looked up. “You joining us?” Oh, God. Yes! Marc took a deep breath, a storm brewing in his eyes, one that she wanted to meet head-on. “I didn’t think you’d heard it. Take her upstairs. There’s trouble.” That got her attention. Bailey fought her way out of James’s arms, having to pull off one of her pant legs in order to stand. Cursing, she ran to the other side of the desk, almost tripping on her pants, and looked through the twoway, furious to see that those troublemakers had come back to her bar. Her limbs still trembled, and although she would never have admitted it, she was thankful for James’s support as he came up behind her and tugged her shirt and bra back in place before wrapping his arms around her. “Sons of bitches. I’ll show them. They think they can come in my bar and cause trouble. Let’s see how much trouble they’re going to cause when they’re on the receiving end of my bat!” Trying unsuccessfully to pull her arm from James’s grasp, she tried to kick him, but only ended up tangling her pant legs together. More kicking

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sent her panties and jeans flying, leaving her naked from the waist down. “Let go of me, damn it. I’ve got to get out there.” Marc’s eyes darkened to midnight, his face going hard. His gaze lowered, lingering on her mound, making it nearly impossible to stand still. “You go out in the bar like that, sweetheart, and James and I will have to start killing people. Go upstairs.” Blinking at his arrogance, Bailey put her hands on her hips, trying to look as intimidating as possible while naked from the waist down. “Go fuck yourself.” His smile fell, one dark brow going up. “Now. Don’t push me on this.” He turned and left, the quiet click of the door behind him more threatening than a slam would have been. That formidable control turned her on in ways she didn’t want to consider, and she stared in stunned disbelief at the closed door before turning back to James, trying to come to grips with the arousal still humming through her even now. Straightening, she cleared her throat before attempting to untangle the mess she’d made of her jeans. “I’ve had about enough of your friend’s arrogance.” James appeared distracted, keeping an eye on the bar while keeping her steady by holding on to her shoulders. “Come on. Let’s get you upstairs.” It took some fumbling, but she finally managed to get dressed again, her hands trembling due to arousal and anger making her clumsy. She couldn’t believe those assholes had come back. The ringleader’s uncle owned the only other bar in town, and they resented the competition. She’d known before she bought the place that it was the reason the other owner sold to her, but the price had been right and she’d been determined not to let them intimidate her.

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Not only were they bothering her customers, but they’d interrupted what promised to be an orgasm she’d never forget. Unforgivable. “Those sons of bitches are going to eat my bat.” She turned, pushing against James to get enough room to pull her jeans back up. Staring into the bar through the mirror, James patted her shoulder. “Stay here.” Bailey fastened her jeans and shoved at him, both impressed and irritated that she didn’t move him at all. “Just because we’ve messed around, don’t think you have any say in what I do. Get out of my way.” Straightening, he crossed his arms over his chest, the arrogance in his posture and in his expression putting her back up and adding to her anger. “No.” Furious, she took a swing at him, even more furious when he caught her fist in his open hand before she could connect. Standing on her toes, she tried again to shove at him with the same result. Respecting and turned on by his strength, she was still frustrated that he kept her from doing what she needed to do. “Let go of me, you arrogant jerk! I’ve got a fucking bar to run, and I need to get out there and deal with those assholes.” Concerned for Ricky and Gun, and also for the bar, she struggled to get her arm back. She kicked his shin, was rewarded with a satisfying grunt, but couldn’t get free. She continued to fight, using every move she knew, her anger growing with every thwarted effort. James cursed, his movements lightning fast as he avoided the punches she threw at him and even several of the kicks. He somehow managed to pin her arms at her sides and lifted her several inches off of the floor. He shook her once, his eyes flashing with fury. “Damn it, you little wildcat! Stop it. You’re our fucking mate, and you’ll stay in here where it’s safe and let us protect you.” Setting her none too gently on her feet, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him, leaving Bailey staring after him in shock.

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Cursing, she raced after him, sure she must have misunderstood him. “Mate? What the fuck?” She ran out and down the small hallway, hurrying to the corner behind the bar to grab the bat she kept there. Without pausing, she raced back out again and shoved past Marc, who stood blocking her way, to confront the troublemakers. Only to find them gone. “Where the hell are they?” She scanned the bar to see several of the customers smiling in amusement and pointing toward the door. One of her regulars grinned.“Your friends got rid of them. Never thought those guys could run that fast.” Ricky shook his head, smiling, his relief evident.“You should have seen it, Bailey.” Another man called out from the corner booth. “I don’t think they’ll be coming back.” Forcing a smile, she nodded and leaned toward Marc, bristling at his smug smile. A glance at James, who stood sipping his beer, and a grinning Leland just pissed her off more. “I appreciate the help, but I don’t appreciate the arrogance. I also don’t appreciate that you and James think you can tell me what to do. You can’t. Now get out—and take your friends with you.” Marc shook his head and lowered himself back to the stool again. “No.” He held up a hand before she could speak, grabbing the bat from her with remarkable ease. “I appreciate that it’s your bar and that you want to handle things yourself, but as long as I’m around, I’m not going to stand back and watch you get hurt.” She grabbed her bat back, filled with satisfaction that she could. “Thankfully, you won’t be around for long.” She started to turn away, gasping when he grabbed the back of her sweater and yanked her back, his face just inches from hers.

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“I wasn’t looking for you. To be honest, I don’t care much for wanting you the way I do. Now that I’ve found you, though, I’ll be damned before I walk away.” Brushing the tendrils of hair that had come loose during her encounter with James, he smiled. “Guess you’re just going to have to get used to having us around.”

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Chapter Five “Shit. Shit. Shit.” Bailey pounded the steering wheel, staring through the windshield at the spot where she’d run into the woods to escape her attacker over a week ago. She could do this. She could go in there. It was only trees. No panther would really be in there. She had to go in there if she wanted her necklace back. After Marc and James had dropped her off the night she’d been attacked, she’d realized she didn’t have her necklace on and panicked—until she remembered her intention to take it off and pack it so it didn’t get lost while she worked on the bar. After that, she’d put it out of her mind. She’d been so busy this week cleaning and reorganizing the bar, that she’d fallen into bed each night, obsessed with thoughts of Marc and James and the bar and not thinking about much else. Last night, after spending hours tossing and turning, aroused and angry, she’d finally fallen asleep, only to wake up with a gasp, reaching for her throat, her heart pounding at the knowledge that she’d lost her necklace. While sleeping, her mind had wandered, and she remembered taking the necklace off to pack it for safekeeping, only to put it back on again, hoping it would bring her good luck. So tired she could barely keep her eyes open, she knew she’d never rest until she found the necklace her grandmother had given her, her only link to her past. It was her most prized possession, and she wanted it back.

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Well, she wouldn’t find it sitting here in the car. She’d parked a little farther up than she had that night in case it had fallen under her car. Taking a deep breath, she swung the door open and got out. Armed with a flashlight and her baseball bat, she scanned the woods, her heart pounding at the idea that a panther could pop out at any moment and horrifying memories of the night she’d been attacked here. She hated this place. Already her skin crawled, but she wanted her grandmother’s necklace and wouldn’t allow a claim from a stoned asshole to keep her from it. Besides, the sun had just started to come up over the horizon, and she hoped that panthers only came out at night. Gun had told her earlier in the week that it was rare for anyone to see the black panther that presumably haunted these woods, but the fact remained that something had sliced into Billy Davis. She suspected he’d fallen and hurt himself, but was too embarrassed to admit it or too stoned to really remember anything. If the authorities really believed there was a panther on the loose, they’d be out here scouring the woods for it, wouldn’t they? “Hell and damnation, Bailey. Stop dawdlin’ and go get Granny’s necklace.” Shivering against the early morning chill, she closed the door as quietly as she could and started forward. Keeping one eye on the line of trees, she scanned the area where she’d parked her car that night, hoping that the necklace had come off when Billy Davis grabbed her and she’d find it right there on the pavement. After going back and forth and then in circles and not finding it, she sighed and stared toward the trees, knowing she had no choice but to go in there if she ever wanted to see her necklace again. Another chill went through her, one that had nothing to do with the cold.

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It didn’t help her self-esteem to realize she wished Marc and James were here. Approaching the woods, she couldn’t help but remember the looks on their faces when they’d left the bar last night after closing. Leland had already gone ahead of them, looking more than a little disapproving. She’d expected James to make an attempt to finish what they’d started in her office, but to her surprise, both men had spent the evening talking in low tones, and although they watched her constantly, left her alone. Once everyone else had gone, they’d each given her a light kiss on the forehead, Marc’s eyes gleaming with the knowledge that he knew what she’d expected, satisfaction in surprising her, and the promise that this wasn’t over. James didn’t appear as cool or as composed, his hand a little rough as it slid over her ass. “We’ll finish what we started, Bailey. Consider this a reprieve and a chance to calm down. You’re too upset to listen to anything we have to say tonight.” Leaning close, he’d run his hand over her breast, and tapped her beaded nipple under Marc’s intense scrutiny. “Don’t even begin to think this is over. Sweet dreams, honey.” Bastard. That son of a bitch knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight, especially with her body still humming from what he’d done to her in her office. Thinking about the way he’d touched her, the low growling tone in his voice that she’d already become addicted to and the look of hunger in his eyes when he reached for her, had the ability to arouse her even now. She liked sex, but her response to both Marc and James had started to border on the ridiculous. Forcefully shoving all thoughts of them out of her mind, she concentrated on the task at hand.

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Searching the ground, she entered the woods, keeping her steps as slow and steady as she could manage. She didn’t want to disturb the ground any more than necessary and sure as hell didn’t want to make noise that a panther would feel compelled to investigate. Although she’d almost convinced herself that the panther had to be the figment of someone’s overactive imagination, she found herself lifting her head often to take in her surroundings and whipping it around at each little noise. The air got cooler and damper the deeper into the trees she went, making her glad she’d worn thick sweatpants and a sweatshirt, but the chill that came with memories of the night she’d been attacked came from inside and wouldn’t go away. The panic of that night came back, closing in on her as she made her way through the trees, making it more and more difficult to keep her breathing even. She kept scanning the surrounding area, jumping at each sound as she made her way across the spongy ground. She kept her steps slow, not wanting to miss her necklace, and tried her best to retrace the steps she’d taken that night, something that proved nearly impossible. She’d been so scared she’d just run, not paying much attention to where she was going in her attempt to escape, and she didn’t know these woods at all. Nothing looked familiar. Just tree after tree and what seemed like miles of those roots that had almost gotten her killed. It also looked far different now, with sunlight dappling through the trees instead of moonlight. She also spent as much time scanning the woods and jumping at every noise as she did searching for her beloved necklace. She backtracked several times, trying to retrace her steps, but nothing looked familiar at all. She should have taken the time to stop to ask Marc and James where they’d found her.

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After a while, the quiet began to soothe her and some of her panic subsided. She stopped jumping at every noise and only looked up occasionally as the sounds of the forest became more and more familiar. Concentrating on finding her necklace and retracing her steps, she blocked even those out. Making her way over the assortment of tree roots, leaves, and slick, muddy patches, she paused to look between the roots and kicked aside leaves, searching for anything that glittered. An hour later, she’d found nothing but a few gum wrappers, a nickel, and several shiny stones. Another officer had come into the bar while she’d been cleaning and remodeling earlier last week to tell her that they’d found the gun her attacker had dropped while chasing her, which meant that the police had disturbed leaves and foliage, making her search even more difficult. With that in mind, she kept moving, using her bat to push against small bushes. The number of footprints going in every direction just made her search even more confusing. She didn’t know who’d walked where or if any of the tracks she saw had been made by her attacker. She followed trail after trail of them, looking for her smaller ones, but they were so trampled and smeared from the rainstorm this week, that she couldn’t make out one from another. After a while, she glanced at her watch, surprised to see that almost two hours had gone by. Hot and thirsty, she wished she’d taken the time to grab a bottle of water, but she’d been in such a hurry and too tired and anxious to think about it. She also hadn’t imagined it taking this long, somehow imagining that it would jump right out at her, but now she realized it would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. She couldn’t quit, though, even if she had to come out here every morning before opening the bar to search. Today and tomorrow the bar would be closed, though, so she’d spend every minute she could here.

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Maybe if she stayed out here long enough, she could push thoughts of Marc and James out of her mind. They confused her, and she didn’t like it. She would have bet money that she would have ended up with James in her bed last night. She knew he wanted her, but after several hours of low conversation with Marc, he’d walked away. Men. Who the hell could figure them out? What did they want to talk about that was so important that they couldn’t talk to her about it last night? They probably wanted to make sure she understood that neither one of them wanted a commitment. Arrogant assholes. What made them think she wanted one? Fuck it. The next time she saw them, she would make it perfectly clear that she didn’t want anything more than what she suspected would be the best sex she’d ever had. Blowing out a breath, she propped the bat against a nearby tree trunk, dropping the flashlight onto the soft ground next to it. Closing her eyes, she lifted her face to the sky, lifting her arms and arching backward to relieve the tightness in her back from spending so much time bent over and looking down. She stayed in that position, enjoying the tranquility for a few precious moments and the chance to just be alone with her thoughts. She’d been too busy this week to even let herself to think about the attack last week, keeping herself focused on getting her bar ready in time. She hadn’t wanted to think about it, hadn’t allowed herself to think about it. Now, though, the fear she’d felt that night came rushing back, and she found herself gritting her teeth, blinking back the tears that formed at the corners of her eyes. Damn that bastard for making her lose her necklace, and damn Marc and James for being so unforgettable.

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Damned tears. She never let herself cry. It didn’t help anyway. It never did more than make her nose run and give her a headache. She sighed and straightened, rubbing her stinging eyes with the heels of her hands and holding them there as though doing so would prevent any more tears from falling. Damn, she hated crying, and more than that, she hated feeling sorry for herself. She’d only been in town a little over a week and, in her usual style, had already made a mess of it. Between her attack, the loss of her necklace, the missed opportunities with Marc and James that left her frustrated, and the thugs who continued to plague her new bar, things couldn’t get much worse. Unless, of course, she got eaten by a panther. Furious at herself for falling into a well of self-pity, she rubbed her eyes again, forcing back tears even as a sob erupted. Damn it. She could do this. She could run her own business. She could finally settle in one place and make a home. She could sure as hell handle the troublemakers who came in. Dealing with Marc and James, however, left her shaken. She’d known what they wanted from her—at least she thought she had—until last night when they walked away from her. Now she wasn’t so sure. Blowing out a breath, she opened her eyes again, determined to do what she’d come here for, get back to her bar and get on with her life. She blinked, and then blinked again, not quite believing the sight in front of her. She froze, sucking in another breath, her heart in her throat. Holy hell! Swallowing heavily, she forced herself to remain perfectly still when every instinct screamed at her to run.

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Two huge black panthers stood unmoving only about ten yards away, their unblinking stares sending chills up and down her spine. Shit, they really lived here and were far more terrifying up close than she could have ever imagined. Knowing they could pounce at any second, she swallowed heavily, her mind racing as she tried to remember everything she knew about panthers. Not much. They were big, dangerous cats. That was about all she knew, other than the fact that they stared at her as if they wanted to take a huge bite out of her. Fighting back her panic, she weighed her chances of getting back to the car before either one of them could strike. She’d never make it. She’d come too far into the woods, but even if she’d been close, she wouldn’t make it more than a few steps before one of them pounced. But, she sure as hell wouldn’t go down without a fight. Keeping her movements slow and as steady as she could despite her shaking, she reached out a hand toward her bat, hoping that if she managed to hit them hard enough, she might just have a shot of getting away. She never took her eyes from them, stunned when they looked at each other as though trying to figure out what to make of her. Or trying to figure out who gets the first bite. Gathering her courage, she took a deep breath and grabbed the end of the bat and whirled around, tripping over the flashlight and those damned roots before she could take more than a step and hitting the ground hard. Shit. Shit. Shit. Scared out of her mind, she tried to scramble to her feet, but fear had made her too clumsy to accomplish it. Expecting to feel sharp teeth sinking into her at any moment, she screamed, rolling onto her back with the bat held out on front of her and braced herself for an attack.

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“Easy, sweetheart. No one’s gonna hurt you.” Bailey sucked in a breath and blinked again, wondering if she was hallucinating. Marc and James stood over her, as naked as the day they were born. James smiled, his eyes holding hers. “We’re going to have to tell her the truth now, whether she’s ready for it or not.” Marc nodded, seeming unconcerned with his nakedness, his cock lengthening and getting harder as he stared down at her. He reached out to touch her cheek, frowning when she jerked away. “I hadn’t planned on scaring her to death before we did it. Let’s get her back to the house and get her calmed down. I’m not discussing it out here.” Whipping her head around, Bailey scanned their surroundings, getting that sick feeling in her stomach again. “What the hell’s going on? Where are they? Did you see the panthers?” Scrambling to her feet, she picked up her bat again and looked around in search of them, scared they would jump out from behind a tree trunk and attack at any moment. She still couldn’t make sense of the fact that both Marc and James seemed to have appeared, stark naked, in the middle of the woods. Was she dead? Relieved, but more than a little surprised that she didn’t see either one of the huge, black cats, she grabbed Marc’s arm with her free hand, holding the bat at the ready with the other. “Hurry up! My car’s on the road. They have to be close. What the hell are you two doing out here naked? Forget it. I don’t want to know. Move, damn it! I swear I saw them. There were two of them. Let’s get to my car before they get back.” Turning, she raced away, looking over her shoulder. “Hurry up, damn it! They could come back any second.” To her surprise, Marc reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her against his naked chest, whipping the bat out of her grasp and

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tossing it aside, all in one smooth move. He shook her once, lifting her to her toes, his eyes hard and glittering like blue chips of ice. “Calm down, damn it. Nothing’s going to hurt you. The panthers are gone. Come on. Let’s get back to the house so we can talk.” “Talk?” Struggling to get out of his arms, she pushed against his naked chest, trying not to notice how firm it felt under her hands or that it seemed wider without being covered. She didn’t dare look down at the cock, hard as steel against her belly. Christ, even with the threat of being mauled by a panther, she wanted him. “You really are crazy, and you’re making me crazy right along with you! You’re in the woods naked and want to stand around talking when there are panthers on the loose. Let go of me, you maniac!” Shaking her again, he bent low, getting in her face. “We’re not crazy. Settle down.” Trying to look around his shoulder, she brushed off James’s hand over her back. “How the hell can I settle down when they could come back any minute?” James moved to stand behind her and rubbed her shoulders, his cock pressing into the small of her back. “I’ve got news for you, baby. They’re already here.” Bailey stilled, keeping her voice at a whisper. Tightening both hands on the bat, she whipped her head around. “Where?” Marc gripped her chin despite her struggle and brushed his lips over hers. “We’re the panthers, Bailey. No, don’t look at me like that. We’d never hurt you, and we’re not crazy. Let’s go back to my house so we can talk.” Looking up into his glittering blue eyes, Bailey swallowed heavily and carefully stepped to the side, tightening her grip on the bat. She didn’t know what kind of trick they were trying to pull and didn’t know why, but she wanted no part of it.

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“Uh, no. That’s okay. I’d better get back into town.” Christ, she had to get out of here. She kept both of them in her line of sight and, holding her hands out in front of her, started to back away. Oh, God. They were more than just a little crazy. They were certifiable. James lifted a brow. “The bar’s closed today and tomorrow. You have no reason to rush into town, unless, of course, you’re planning to go to Officer Brown and report a panther sighting?” Since she’d planned to do just that, she fought not to look guilty, not even sure why she did feel guilty, and managed two more steps backward. “No, of course not. I just have things to do.” Marc rested his hands on his hips, drawing attention to his cock, which seemed to grow larger by the minute. His eyes held hers as he took one step forward for every one she took back. “Liar. What are you doing here? Looking for the panther? You like danger, honey?” His eyes and half smile told her he’d be willing to give her as much danger as she could handle. Lifting her chin, she took another step back, feeling like she’d stepped into some kind of dream world. “No, I, uh, was looking for my necklace.” She took another step backward and then another. “I didn’t realize until this morning that I lost it, and I knew it had to be here. Look, I’m sorry. I really have to go.” James shared a look with Marc, smiling as he turned back to her. “Did you find your necklace?” She kept scanning the woods, listening for any sound that a panther might make. “No. Look, I don’t know who owns this land, but—” Marc’s brow went up. “I do.” Of course, he did. She gulped and looked in the direction of her bat. “The panthers were here. Two of them. I can’t believe you want to stand around and talk. We have to get out of here.” She kept looking

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behind them, expecting the panthers to reappear any minute. Maybe Marc and James’s appearance scared them off, but she took several more steps in what she hoped was the right direction. It happened in the blink of an eye, so fast she could only stare in shock as a black panther appeared, standing next to Marc in the spot James had occupied only seconds ago. That funny feeling in her stomach turned cold and heavy as the panther leapt away, leaving her alone with Marc. Her knees turned rubbery, and she had to lock them to remain upright. She stared after it, turning her attention to Marc to find him watching her intently. He didn’t even seem alarmed, even though she knew he had to have seen it. What the hell was going on? Turning back to stare in the direction the panther had disappeared, she took another clumsy step backward, remembering James’s claim that they were the panthers. She’d never believe something so outrageous, but couldn’t figure out what the hell they hoped to accomplish by telling her such a blatant lie. Or how they’d made a panther appear and James disappear at the same time. She would just get the hell out of here as fast as she could and ask Gun and Ricky to come back out here with her another day. “Bailey, look at me.” Shaking her head at Marc’s low demand, she gulped and took another step backward, her mind going numb as she stared in the direction the panther had disappeared. “Bailey, look at me. Now.” Unable to ignore the steel in his tone, she lifted her gaze to his, struck by the warmth and affection she saw in the eyes that had appeared so cold only moments ago. Trying not to look at the hard lines of his amazing body, she took another step back, shaking her head, but still couldn’t look away.

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“No.” He smiled and took a step closer. “Yes, Bailey. I know it’s hard to believe and will be even harder for you to understand. James and I are shifters. We’d never hurt you. We couldn’t.” He smiled wryly. “It appears you’re our mate.” She stiffened at the word—the same word James had used last night at the bar. “Mate?” She gasped and watched in horror as the black panther came into view again, its powerful body moving toward her. Marc moved so fast she couldn’t react in time to get away before he wrapped his arms around her from behind and pulled her against him, effectively holding her in place. Frozen with fear, she couldn’t have moved anyway. His hard arms tightened around her, his breath warm on her cheek. “Don’t be alarmed. Look. It’s James. He wouldn’t hurt you. It appears he has something for you.” His calm tone got through to her, as did the feeling of warmth and security that surrounded her like a blanket, his ability to soothe her so easily a little startling. She sucked in a breath as the panther took another step closer. “Let go of me. Oh, God.” Marc nipped her earlobe. “Look. In his mouth. Is that your necklace?” She plastered herself against Marc’s naked body, unable to take her eyes off of the black panther’s slow approach. Her terror subsided somewhat when she saw how cautiously the panther moved, almost as though it didn’t want to scare her. As soon as he stopped several feet in front of her and lifted his head, she saw the glint of gold dangling from the panther’s sharp teeth. Marc nuzzled her neck from behind, sending a shiver through her, and tightened his arms around her.

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“Look. See? He’s trying not to scare you. That’s James. Is that your necklace?” Holding on to Marc’s strong forearms, she stared openmouthed at the gold heart dangling from the panther’s mouth. Her necklace! Keeping her voice at a whisper, she dug her feet in to the soft earth as the panther came to stand directly in front of her. Pushing back against Marc, she tried to ignore the hard cock pressing against her back. “Yes. That’s it. I can’t believe he found it. Tell him to put it down and go.” She held her breath as the panther stopped directly in front of her and sat, tilting his face upward and opening those strong jaws. The sight of his razor-sharp teeth with the precious gold chain dangling from them had her shaking even harder. She sucked in another breath. “Marc?” Marc chuckled. “First of all, he can hear you. Panthers have excellent hearing. That’s how we knew you were in trouble that night. Second, it’s James. He won’t hurt you. He understands everything you say. Take the necklace from him.” Shaking her head, she tried to back away, but Marc wouldn’t let her. “No. I’m not sticking my hand in his mouth. That’s not James. Why are you doing this to me?” Marc sighed and cursed under his breath, but his tone gentled, much the way it had the morning she’d woken up in his bed. “Watch the panther, Bailey. Don’t blink. Don’t close your eyes. Don’t look away. Go ahead, James.” Bailey’s jaw dropped as the large panther became James. It happened so fast. It happened too fast for it to be some kind of trick. Even though she’d seen it with her own eyes, she couldn’t believe it. James smiled, took the necklace from his mouth, and placed it in his hand. “Now would you take it?”

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Bailey snatched the necklace and tried to back away, but Marc held strong. “No. It’s not true. You’re magicians or something.” She just wanted to get out of here. She could handle things she understood, things that made sense. But this… Marc turned her in his arms and slid his hands to her shoulders, his eyes gentler than she’d ever imagined they could be. It tugged at something deep inside her, something that she didn’t want to look at too closely, something that brought tears to her eyes. “No, darling. We’re not magicians. We’re panther shifters, and you’re our mate. You’re the woman who we’re fated to spend our lives with.” Shaking her head, she tried to pull away. “No. This is crazy. Leave me alone.” He pulled her back, looming over her, the unmistakable glint of lust and determination in his eyes. “I wish to hell I could. Now we’re going to the house. You can walk, or I can carry you. One way or the other, you’re going, my mate, so we can calm you down and talk about this. We’re not going to let you push us away the way you did last night. It’s time to tell you everything.”

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Chapter Six Bailey paced back and forth on the deck of Marc’s house, cradling the thick mug of coffee he’d given her only minutes before. She’d hoped it would warm her, but the cold came from inside, a cold so deep that it made her bones ache. Unable to keep her gaze averted from where they sat sprawled on the padded deck chairs, she took another sip, trying to hide the fact that her hands shook. At that moment she felt a difference between herself and the rest of the world more acutely than at any other time in her life. The loneliness she experienced looking out at the mountains in the distance hit her hard, bringing tears to her eyes, tears that stung in the cold breeze that kicked up. Blinking, she carefully kept her gaze from the two men behind her, feeling their eyes on her back as she leaned against the railing. None of them had spoken since they’d forced her into her car and driven the short, winding road to get here, each apparently lost in their own thoughts. She sensed their attention however, and no matter how lost and confused she felt, she couldn’t deny the warm, safe feeling of sitting between them, as though they surrounded her protectively while she struggled to regain some sort of calm. After what had happened in the woods, she had a lot she wanted to say, a lot of questions she wanted to ask, but didn’t even know where to begin. The events of the last several minutes had left her thoughts so jumbled that she couldn’t even get her questions in any kind of order.

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Need for both of them, especially after sitting between their naked bodies on the way here, tugged at her, making them the only grounded thing in a world suddenly gone crazy. Now that she’d managed to put a little physical distance between them, she’d thought she would be able to establish a little emotional distance, but the connection remained, one that made her aware of their every movement, and more than that, aware of the fact that they wanted her. She felt like prey, much like she had in the woods when the two panthers had appeared. Panthers Marc and James wanted her to believe they could become at will. She took another sip of coffee, not daring to turn around. Putting a hand to her throat, she rubbed the gold heart on her necklace with her thumb, a nervous habit she’d had as long as she could remember. She probably shouldn’t have been surprised that it didn’t calm her the way it usually did. Taking a deep breath, she blew it out slowly, rubbing the charm even harder. “It’s not possible. You’re not panthers. I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but I’m not playing your fucking games.” From behind her, James sighed. “It’s not a game, honey. I know it sounds far-fetched, but we aren’t lying to you. We need you to trust us.” The steel in Marc’s low tone carried easily over the several feet that separated them. “We’re the ones you can trust more than anyone, Bailey. We’d never do anything to hurt you.” She whirled on them, her coffee sloshing over the side of the mug and onto her hand, her anger spiking at their relaxed positions. “Yeah, I can trust two men who want to get into my pants and tell me they’re shape-shifters.” The punch of lust to her system staggered her, and she had to grab the railing to steady herself.

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“Damn it. Would the two of you please get dressed?” Despite the chill in the air, both sat on either side of the small round table, sipping coffee, seemingly unconcerned at their nakedness. The cool air had no obvious effect on other parts of them, either, judging by the thick cocks rising from their laps. Neither attempted a seductive pose or did anything to draw attention to their cocks, but they didn’t have to. Her gaze kept going from one to the other, her stomach tightening as need built and made her shake even harder. To make it even worse, they just sat there, drinking coffee and staring at her, idly fingering the small pile of condoms Marc had retrieved with the coffee and placed in the center of the table. Turning her back to them, she stared out into the distance again, trying to come to terms with her body’s traitorous response to them while still trying to make sense of what she’d just seen in the woods. Nothing made sense anymore. She couldn’t even believe what she’d seen with her own eyes. Shape-shifters didn’t exist. It was the kind of thing that could be found in stories, but didn’t exist in real life. She’d seen it, though, with her own eyes. There had to be another explanation. She’d stopped believing in fairy tales long ago. She took another sip of coffee, unsurprised that her hands shook so badly that she spilled even more of it. Careful not to make the mistake of looking at either one of them, she kept her gaze on the snow-capped mountain tops in the distance. “Shape-shifters can’t exist. There’s no such thing. I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, or what tricks you’re playing, or why, but I’m not buying it.” “Turn around and look at us, Bailey.” Closing her eyes, she shivered at the velvety steel in Marc’s tone. She didn’t want to turn around and face their knowing gazes. She

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hated the vulnerable feeling of being out of her element and just wanted to get away, to be alone until she could build her defenses around her, defenses they both seemed to destroy with alarming ease. Blowing out a breath, she opened her eyes again before turning, swallowing heavily when she saw each of them in the process of rolling on a condom. “Stop doing that. I told you that I’m not playing your fucking games.” Marc clenched his jaw, tossing the empty packet aside. “I’ve never been more serious in my life.” James finished and stood, moving toward her, smiling when she took a step to the side. “Do you really think that’s going to stop me, especially when I know you want me every bit as much as I want you?” Reaching out, he snagged her around the waist and pulled her against him, taking her cup from her shaking hands and setting it on the railing. “I’ve been up all night, aching to have you under me again and to finish what we started in your office. I can’t get the feel of you out of my mind. Those soft little sounds you make when you’re taking your pleasure.” Need flared, the memory of such exquisite pleasure the night before setting off a barrage of decadent tingles to every erogenous zone. She tensed briefly, and as if it had a mind of its own, her body softened against his. Marc came to his feet, fisting his cock as he moved in behind her, immediately surrounding her in a blanket of warmth that sent her arousal several notches higher. “And this time, I won’t be in the next room. I’ll be right behind you. Holding you. Listening to every hitch in your breathing and absorbing your trembles.” The silkiness of his tone couldn’t disguise the hunger in his voice, his warm breath against her cheek making her shiver.

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The hard lines of his body burned against her skin, the promise of erotic pleasure in his tone giving her an inner glow that sent her senses reeling. The arms that wrapped around her both comforted and excited her. Trembling with excitement, she melted against him without hesitation. Her breasts felt swollen and heavy, her nipples hard, sensitive and just aching for their touch. Her stomach quivered, the slide of James’s fingers over it setting off a shower of sparks through her lower body to match the ones Marc created in her upper. As James gathered the hem of her sweatshirt in his big hands, she sucked in a breath, her heart beating faster in anticipation. With his eyes steady on hers, he started to lift it, drawing out the anticipation for both of them. Her abdomen tightening painfully, her breathing coming faster with every inch he raised her sweatshirt until he removed it completely. Tossing it onto the chair he’d just vacated, he reached for her, his fingers tracing over the upper curve of her breast above the cups of her cotton bra, making her nipples impossibly harder. Holding her gaze with his hooded one, he undid the front snap of her bra, his eyes darkening even more as he parted the two sides, exposing her breasts to the cool air and sending sharp delight racing through her. His eyes lingered on her breasts, making them swell under his gaze as he pushed the straps of her bra from her shoulders. Marc caught them from behind and slid them down her arms and off, his low murmur of approval hot against her ear as he tossed the bra to land on top of her shirt. “You have the most gorgeous breasts. Just the right size. That’s it, my mate.” He pulled her shoulders back a little more, encouraging her to arch back against him. “Stick those pretty nipples out there. Look how needy they are, beaded tight and waiting for my touch.”

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Bailey didn’t even bother to try to resist, her need too strong to ignore. Unaccustomed to the sensation of having her breasts exposed outdoors, she lost herself in the naughty, erotic feel of the cool air blowing over them. Her nipples tightened even more with the cold, and she desperately craved the relief of having their warm hands on them. When Marc did just that, sliding his hands up to cover her breasts, rubbing his rough palms over them, she sucked in a breath, letting it out on a moan as the heat from his hands warmed her nipples. With a low groan, he captured her nipples between his strong fingers, rolling them as he scraped his teeth over her shoulder. “This time, when James touches you, I’ll be able to touch you, too. To taste. To explore. Won’t that be fun? Hands everywhere at once.” “God, yes!” She shivered, her body trembling with excitement and an arousal strong and fierce enough to wipe away all of her inhibitions. Reveling in the raw sexuality of the moment, she ran her hands up James’s chest, arching back to lift her breasts, a hiss escaping when Marc pinched her nipples even harder. Struggling through the fog of intense pleasure, she dropped her head back against his Marc’s chest, letting her eyes flutter closed as she fought to absorb everything. “Oh, God, that feels good. Too good. Oh, my God. We’re outside, and I don’t even care.” She squirmed, crying out when her movements created a tug on her nipples from Marc’s fingers. Moaning at the white-hot jolt to her clit and pussy, she thrilled at the feel of James’s firm chest under her hands and Marc’s cock pressing insistently against her back. She felt so sexual and wanton, so free to let herself go in ways she never had before. Safe in their arms, she let Marc take her weight and looked up to meet James’s eyes as he bent closer.

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“You two are crazy as hell, but damned if you aren’t sexy. And you’re both real good with your hands, oh, hell. I’m sure I’ll—oh, do that again—regret this later, but—oh, yes—but it’s too good to stop now.” Marc’s devious tugs to her nipples hit her like hot jolts to her system. Her head spun as though she was drunk, every inch of her skin supersensitive. James nipped her bottom lip as his knuckles brushed over her stomach and slid lower into the waistband of her sweat suit. “Your scent is driving me out of my fucking mind. And those sounds you make…and this soft skin, trembling under my hands. I have no idea how the fuck these guys think they can resist their mate.” Her stomach muscles quivered and tightened even more under his hands, her pussy clenching in anticipation. Pushing against James, she opened her eyes, sucking in air like a drowning person as his hand moved lower. “You keep saying things like that, you’d better be able to deliver. Just stop talking about mates. Oh, God! That feels incredible.” Her body no longer even felt like her own, so taken over with need that she would do just about anything to satisfy it. She spread her thighs to give James better access, thankful for Marc’s support when her legs threatened to give out on her. James ran his fingers though her folds, his eyes flaring at every gasp of pleasure. He gathered her juices with a slow, deliberate stroke before sinking a thick finger into her. “Oh, baby. Don’t you worry. I can deliver.” With his other hand, he tangled his fingers in her hair and tipped her head back. “I spent all night tossing and turning, thinking about the way you felt in my arms. Thinking about how your pussy tastes and how soft your skin is. It’s like you were made for me. I think this mate stuff is something that needs to be thoroughly explored.” “I think our mate needs to be explored, too.”

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Marc shoved her sweatpants to her knees and ripped her panties from her in one smooth move, the sound of the cotton tearing sending another wave of dark hunger through her. Now completely exposed, she nearly wept at the sensation of cool air blowing over her wet folds, clenching tight on James’s finger as it moved inside her. With a muscular arm around her waist, Marc swept her off her feet, lifting her high against his naked chest. Nuzzling her neck, he kept his tone low and intimate. “When I realized you were in my woods this morning, I knew I wouldn’t let you leave until I’d had you. It’s like you’re in my blood, woman, and I don’t like it one bit. It’s pissing me off to need you so much. I’ll be damned if I’m going to be alone in this. I’m going to make sure you need me as much as I need you.” Clamping down on the finger James used to stroke her pussy, she rocked her hips, her movements frenzied in an effort to get the relief she needed. “I do need you, too. I couldn’t sleep either, you bastards. What the hell have you done to me?” Oh, God. Everywhere they touched her, she burned. It was too much and never enough. James tapped her still tingling clit, chuckling at her pleasure-filled cry. “Behave yourself, darling. I have a strong feeling that until you accept us as your mates, you won’t get the relief you need anytime soon.” Bailey bucked, her body bowing as sizzling heat radiated from her clit outward. She’d never wanted like this before. She’d never had need clawing at her this way, so strong and sharp she’d do anything to assuage it. “Fuck you. I’m nobody’s mate. I don’t want to hear any more of that shape-shifter crap. Jesus, do that again.” Marc slid a hand to her breast and lightly tugged her nipple, his voice like black silk. “As you wish, mate. And we’re going to fuck

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you. I don’t know what the hell you’re doing to me, but I never seem to get enough of you.” With a shudder, Bailey pushed her breasts more fully into Marc’s hands and pumped her hips, fucking herself on James’s finger. Amazed that her body gathered already, she moaned with pleasure as Marc cursed and hurriedly stripped her out of the rest of her clothing. Naked now, with the sun shining on her and surrounded by the heat of their bodies, she no longer felt the cold. “Then take me, damn you.” Twisting restlessly against the tremendous pressure building inside her, she cried out with every sharp breath. She’d never felt such unadulterated lust, or the amazing sensation that she was right where she belonged. “Holy hell, you’re both good at this. Fuck me, damn it. Oh, hell that feels good.” She clenched on James’s finger as he pressed against a particularly sensitive spot, moaning in protest when he withdrew it with a speed that left her clenching at emptiness. James tightened his hands on her hips, lifting her as though she weighed nothing, and thrust his cock into her, her slick juices easing his way. His eyes glittered with need, his face tightened with tension, but his voice slid over her like hot silk. “Anything for my mate.” Lifting her against him and taking her mouth with his, he swallowed her gasp of pleasure as he slid his cock deep. His thick heat filled her, stretching the inner walls of her pussy, the friction of each thrust of his cock making her body tighten on him. Even through the condom, she felt every ridge of his cock brushing over her inner walls, his slow, deliberate strokes pressing insistently at a spot inside her that had her body tightening and ecstatic cries pouring out of her. Through it, Marc held her from behind, his breath warm on her neck, his chest hot against her back. His hands moved over her, from her breasts to her waist and around to cup the cheeks of her bottom,

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his fingertips teasing the crease and raising the sexual tension to a fever pitch. “These breasts fit right in the palm of my hand as if you were made for me. Those sounds you make are making my cock ache to get inside you. I know you’re going to fit me like a glove, and my cock’s hard and hungry to feel your tight pussy snug and hot all around it. James groaned and thrust even harder, sending her over the edge. “She’s so fucking soft and tight. My cock’s tingling, for God’s sake. Holy shit. So. Fuck. Ing. Good.” He surged deep, his hands tightening on her hips as he came, the corded muscles in his neck standing out as he threw his head back. Low growls rumbled from him, one after the other, each sending shivers over her skin that intensified when she clamped down on his cock. Her orgasm rolled through her, on and on in waves of bliss that made every inch of her body tighten with ecstasy. Lifting her arms around Marc’s neck she let him take her weight, arching her back in a pose of submission she’d never adopted before, but that seemed to suit her perfectly right now. She thrust her breasts out in offering, crying out as Marc pinched her nipples, the jolts sending her higher. The sharp tingles spread, warming every inch of her body and making her shake. He scraped his teeth over her neck, the amusement beneath the seductive steel in his voice sending erotic chills through her. “Already, my mate? I haven’t even had a chance to play with that clit.” Her clit tingled in response, so swollen and sensitive that the slightest brush of Marc’s fingers over it proved to be too sharp to endure. Crying out again at the jolt to her system, she grabbed his wrist to pull his hand away. “No. Oh, God. Don’t touch my clit. It’s too much. I can’t take it.”

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Both men stilled. The threatening silence surrounding them became a tangible thing, sending chills through her and making her tremble even harder. She tightened her legs around James’s waist, digging her heels into his tight butt and rocking her hips against his, her breath coming out in short, labored pants. The feel of his cock pressing deep inside her and the threat of the fingers Marc still held over her clit filled her with a sense of anticipation that sent her senses soaring. The erotic tension could be cut with a knife. James lowered his head, holding her gaze. A muscle worked in his jaw as a look of raw possession came into his eyes. He withdrew slowly, his eyes searching as they held hers. “Hmm. That’s interesting. Very interesting.” He shot a look at Marc over her shoulder before turning his gaze back to hers as he rid himself of the condom, his cock still hard and intimidating. “Your defiance seems to have the strangest effect on me.” Marc’s arms tightened around her, his lips warm on her shoulder. “It seems, my mate, that your defiance and resistance makes both of us more possessive than ever. It also fills me with a hunger that would probably terrify you, and one that I’m going to have to deal with. I wouldn’t do it very often if I were you. With you, Bailey, I seem to have very little control at all.” In a move too fast for her to anticipate, Marc spun her around, pressing her belly against the railing. Using his incredible strength to overcome her weak struggles, he positioned her facing the woods, her legs spread wide and her breasts resting on the smooth, cool top rail. His bare feet pushed hers outward, widening her stance even more. Her resistance was only halfhearted, but it struck her that his strength would have made even her fiercest struggles useless. God, she loved their strength, their sheer erotic nature. They pulled no punches when it came to pleasure, overwhelming her with a need unlike anything she could have ever imagined.

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A need she wanted to explore to the fullest. Every sensation seemed intensified. Sex with Marc and James proved to be nothing less than astounding. She shivered at the feel of the smooth, cold wood against the underside of her breasts, a sharp contrast to the heat that surrounded her from behind. The cool air blowing over her damp folds gave her a thrill, made even stronger by the threat of the hard cock pressing against her back. Feeling more exposed than ever, she shivered again, a moan escaping when Marc slid the tips of his fingers up her thigh, pausing just before he reached her slit. “I want all of you. You’re mine, Bailey. You’re like a fucking drug in my system. I’m addicted to you already, and I haven’t even had you yet. But, I will, my mate, and in every way possible.” Without any warning, he sunk his teeth into her shoulder and delivered a sharp slap to her clit. Her strangled cry seemed to echo through the trees as she automatically reached down to protect her clit, whimpering in frustration when the railing kept her from reaching her mound. “Damn you. Oh, God.” She tried to close her legs, but he wouldn’t allow that, either, keeping them spread with his own. Dropping her head back on his shoulder, she lifted her hands to his upper arms, her breath coming out in short pants as she struggled to absorb the combination of sizzling heat from his slap mingling with the cold air blowing over her wet folds. “Please. Oh, God. It’s cold. It burns.” His low chuckle somehow carried sex, threat, and promise all rolled into one. “Does it now? It excites you as much as it does me. It sounds like something I’ll have to do to you often.” She gasped at the next slap, grateful that Marc caught her when her knees gave out.

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Her thighs shook with the effort it took to steady herself, her hands gripping the railing while her entire body trembled helplessly. Gulping in air, she couldn’t hold back her cries, the sensation so intense she could only stand there, frozen in place. With a hard arm around her waist and his cock pressed against her back, Mark reached up to play with her nipples, keeping her breasts resting on the cool railing. “Does it still burn, my mate? Or is it something else? Do you want me to touch you there and give you the relief that you know is only a few strokes away, or do you want me to avoid your clit because it’s too sensitive now to endure any touch at all?” Bailey whimpered at the pinch to one nipple and then the other. “I don’t know. Oh, God. Both. I want to come. It burns. It’s tingling, but if you touch me there, I won’t be able to stand it.” She sucked in a breath and let it out with a whimper. “If you don’t touch my clit, I’ll die.” Sliding his cock back and forth between her thighs and coating it with her juices, he chuckled, the sound raw and deep. “We can’t have that now, can we, my mate? But, I think it’s only fair that you suffer the same torment I suffer. I want you so much that it hurts.” Now that the initial shock had worn off, she couldn’t stand still, moving from one foot to the other, but still unable to close her legs. The cool air blowing over her pussy and burning clit, both slick with her juices, heightened her awareness there even more. “Do something, you son of a bitch!” Feeling more exposed than ever, she froze when Marc increased the sensation by gripping the cheeks of her bottom, his fingers gathering her juices at her slit before sliding back to tease her puckered opening. Even the smooth velvet in his tone couldn’t disguise the uncompromising threat behind it.

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“Careful, or I’ll do what every instinct inside me is screaming to do. I’ll bend you over that table over there and shove my cock up this tight little ass.” Her breath caught at the erotic threat, her bottom hold clenching tight in denial. “You wouldn’t dare.” Raspy and weak, her words didn’t have the punch she’d intended. Marc chuckled and pulled her cheeks wide, making her puckered opening sting. “You wouldn’t want to bet your ass on that, would you? How do you think that would feel, having my cock in your ass? Think about it. The ultimate surrender to your mate. That’s what I want from you, Bailey, and eventually, that’s what I’ll have.” He scraped his teeth over her shoulder again, murmuring his approval when she shivered. “Each time you fight me, each time that temper of yours flares, it excites the hell out of me and makes me want to take your beautiful ass. To dominate you. To prove to you what we both know. You arouse things in me that no woman ever has. Be careful, my mate, that you don’t push me too far right now. I don’t think either one of us is ready for what I want from you.” James cursed from beside her, reaching out to place a hand over her breast. “Our mate. Unbelievable. Be careful with her, Marc. Christ, she’s so delicate.” Bailey took offense at that. “Delicate? I’ll show you delicate you son of a—oh!” Marc growled and thrust into her pussy, the force of his thrust lifting her to her toes. “I’d never hurt her. Never. So fucking hot. So fucking tight.” His hands tightened on her hips as he began to move. He withdrew almost all the way and then pressed deep again, burying his face against her neck.

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“You’re going to be putty in my hands by the time I get done with you.” The arrogance in his claim set her teeth on edge, but the pleasure proved too strong to fight. Spread wide and impaled on his cock, she gripped the railing and held on tight as Marc’s quick, rapid-fire thrusts threw her over the edge. She held on to James’s arm as wave after wave of wicked pleasure washed over her. She let out a startled cry as Marc thrust deep and growled against her neck, a low, husky, animalistic sound that shook her to her core. Holding on tight, she swallowed heavily and tried to control her breathing as the waves continued, her body jolting in aftershocks, each one moving her on Marc’s cock. She swallowed again and licked her dry lips, her breath coming out in short pants. “Never. I’m never going to…ah…no more, no more…be putty in your h–hands.” Still inside her, Marc lifted her limp form against him and dropped back into the seat at the table. Wrapping his arms around her from behind, he buried his face in her hair. “You will, my mate, because I’ll be damned before I let a woman, even you, have this kind of control over me without having the same level of control over her. I’m going to do my best to make fucking sure you can’t live without me.” Bailey shivered at his promise, very much afraid he already had.

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Chapter Seven Looking toward the doorway, James fought the almost irresistible urge to join his mate in the shower. Instead he sat at the kitchen table to think, to try to wrap his head around the changes she’d already begun to make in his life. His mate. He found it hard to believe, but now that he’d started to come to terms with it, he had to admit, he enjoyed it. A lot. For the first time since he’d left the farm, he experienced a sense of belonging. He had a woman now, one to care for, to protect, to share with. He smiled at that, doubting that she would take too kindly to his efforts to protect her. His mate was a fighter. She didn’t even realize the distance she’d run into the woods that night, her bravery and stamina astounding him. While looking for her necklace, she hadn’t come anywhere near where they’d found her. The stories he’d heard about how she kicked those kids out of her bar filled him with both fear for her safety and pride. Damn, she was something! Although she was small, she packed a lot of energy into that body, and she had surprising strength. She was definitely a woman he would have wanted to know better even without suspecting that she was destined to belong to him. With her long, honey-colored hair and eyes, dimples, and a fresh peaches-and-cream complexion, she looked sweet and adorable. Her

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full lips just begged to be taken, and she had a petite, tight little body that appeared almost frail. All in all, she looked delicate, fragile, and cute as hell. He smiled to himself as he imagined her reaction to being called cute. The combination of delectable beauty and amazing strength and courage drew him in even more, filling him with pride and curiosity. He wanted to know everything about her, wanted to explore the mysterious woman he’d been lucky enough to find and had no intention of letting go. Unlike Marc, he didn’t see the need to fight something he already knew he wanted. He considered the wild attraction to each other as a form of chemistry, one that would keep her close and give him the opportunity to tie her to him in as many ways as possible. He’d never met anyone who excited him sexually as much as Bailey did. Emotionally, though, they still had a few hurdles to cross. The most important of those hurdles would be to get her to accept the fact that he and Marc really were shape-shifters. She didn’t believe it. He couldn’t blame her for that. Hell, he wouldn’t have believed it, but he had to convince her that it was true, and get her to accept it, before they could go much further. He couldn’t help but notice that she carefully avoided the subject, something that he understood, but that frustrated him all the same. Any logical woman would have trouble accepting it, even when she’d seen it with her own eyes. Sighing, he lifted his cup again. In the end, she’d have no choice but to accept it. He and Marc would have to bring the subject up again soon, but they both wanted to wait until she settled some. They could press their advantage with her in other ways, and hopefully, they’d all be much more adjusted to the changes they all faced.

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He sighed and glanced at his best friend, who’d been even quieter than usual. Marc appeared to be having a hell of a time accepting Bailey as their mate. He could see his friend’s confusion and anger at his own loss of control around her, which prompted his constant need to get the upper hand with Bailey. James had to admit, he enjoyed watching the two of them together. It both amused and aroused him to watch his friend and his mate fight their attraction for each other. It also frustrated the hell out of him because it added even more stumbling blocks to an already difficult situation, but he figured the two of them had to work it out for themselves. In the meantime, he would enjoy learning more about the fascinating creature who had come into his life, one who made him happier than he’d ever been. Hell, she excited him. He’d become so fascinated with her that he couldn’t stand being away from her even long enough for her to take a shower. Pitiful, but right now he didn’t care. Grimacing, he adjusted his jeans, wondering if his cock would ever go down again. Watching his friend move around the kitchen, he cleared his throat, deciding to bring a few things out in the open. “You were a little hard on her, weren’t you?” Marc spun, his eyes laser sharp. “I know that, damn it. But I’ll be damned if I let a woman’s scent decide my future.” “Well, if it’s only her scent that draws you, I agree with you.” With a shrug, James looked away to hide a smile and traced a drop of moisture down the side of his glass of iced tea. He knew his friend well, and that snap of temper told him that Bailey had gotten to Marc even more than he’d suspected. Even through his amusement, the need to defend his mate burned hot, and he had to consciously bite back his own anger, reminding

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himself that Marc cared for Bailey just as much as he did. He let a minute or two pass before he spoke again. “It’s not her fault, Marc, and it appeared to affect her, too. She was scared, mad, and insulted, but she still couldn’t fight how much she wanted both of us. She was like a cat in heat, for Christ’s sake, and it shook her. Badly. On top of that, we dropped a hell of a bombshell on her.” Marc glared at him over his shoulder and set about breaking a dozen eggs into a bowl, saying nothing until he started to whip them with a fork. Using more force than the task called for, he turned from the counter, still whipping eggs and dangerously close to spilling them, his jaw clenched. “We can’t let her leave here until we’re sure she’s not going to betray us by running to Brown. He’s been suspicious of me ever since I came to town. He’s like a fucking dog with a bone, and he just won’t give up, even though he has no idea what he’s looking for.” Blowing out a breath, he dropped the fork into the bowl and turned away. He slammed the bowl of eggs on the counter, sending raw egg flying over the edge and onto the black granite countertop. “I should never have listened to Leland. What the hell was he thinking? We should never have told her the truth. By telling her, I’ve put all of us in danger.” Amused at the absence of his friend’s usual calm, cool demeanor and his usual eagerness to blame himself, James sat back, trying to ignore the sound of water running in the other room. Imagining Bailey warm, wet, and pliant just served to keep his cock hard and fucking uncomfortable. “You didn’t exactly do it alone, and Leland wouldn’t have said it if he didn’t think it was the right thing to do. You know he weighs any decision that affects the rest of us very seriously.” Marc’s quick, jerky swipes of the dishcloth got rid of the egg mess as he glanced at James over his shoulder.

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“Yeah, well, he didn’t have to stick around and deal with the consequences, did he? Christ, that’s all I need, for my mate to be the one to bring the pack down.” This time, James couldn’t hold back a grin. “At least you acknowledge her as our mate now. I was getting worried.” “Fuck you.” Marc tossed the cloth into the sink and sighed, turning toward the table and gripping the back of the chair across from James, bowing over it. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, obviously fighting for control as he looked toward the doorway. “When she defied me, I wanted nothing more than to bend her over and sink my cock into that fine ass of hers. I wanted to take her in an act of possession I’ve never felt before. I don’t get possessive over women. Ever. It scared the hell out of me. When she cried out there in the woods, I swear I would have killed for her. If this is how Leland felt, I’m not surprised he pushed his mate away. I don’t like losing control like this. I’ve got to figure out a way to get her the hell out of my system. I can’t let the beast have control.” His eyes darkened in anguish. “Can you imagine what would happen if that part of us lost control? Can you imagine what we could do to her?” Aware that the water in the shower had stopped, James stiffened, grimacing at the pressure of his cock against his zipper. Although he felt the same about Bailey, he didn’t feel the need to get her out of his system. He actually looked forward to exploring this phenomenon with Bailey as much as possible, the chemistry between them too enticing to ignore. “We would never hurt her, in any form. Did we hurt her the night we rescued her?” Trying not to think about her running the towel over her naked curves, he took another sip of his iced tea to ease the dryness in his

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throat. Setting it back on the table, he looked up at Marc, shocked when his friend’s tight grip actually snapped the back of the chair. “I couldn’t live with myself if I hurt her.” What struck James the most was that Marc didn’t even appear to notice that he’d damaged the chair. With a sigh, James sat forward and pushed Marc’s hand away before he could do even more damage, smiling faintly at Marc’s look of surprise when he saw what he’d inadvertently done. “Calm down. Look, we’re not going to hurt our mate, and there’s nothing we can do about her knowing about us. Don’t blame her for that. We had to go. What the hell were we supposed to do when she screamed and started crying? With your asshole cop running around the woods at all hours of the day and night, we had to go to her, and she had to find out, Marc.” He knew he wouldn’t forget the sound of her sobs anytime soon. Remembering her cries still had the power to enrage him and scare the hell out of him at the same time. He’d never imagined the terrified cry of his mate would ever affect him the way it did, but it was a sound he never wanted to hear again. They’d already known she was in the woods, catching her scent on a breeze while sitting on the deck having coffee. Brown had already been through there in the middle of the night and had left only an hour before Bailey arrived. Curious to see why she would go back to the place she’d been attacked, and eager to see her again, they’d shifted and headed out to investigate. Finding it faster and easier to cover the uneven ground in panther form, he hadn’t given shifting a thought, not even caring about hiding his true self. His only concern had been to get to her. After all, they’d done it the day after they’d found Bailey while the police searched for the gun, and no one had even caught so much of a glimpse of them. This time, however, Bailey’s scream and sobs had drawn them out from hiding. This time their mate was in trouble.

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James sighed. None of that seemed to make any difference to his best friend. Marc went to the stove and turned on the burner, glancing at him over his shoulder. “You seem to be taking all of this pretty well. Like being dragged around by the cock, do you?” James grinned at his friend’s grouchiness, not bothering to hide his amusement. “There are a lot worse things in life than being with a woman who excites, fascinates, and intrigues me. I’m looking forward to exploring this thing with her. I’m dying to get to know her better. I’m surprised you aren’t. Have you noticed that she doesn’t even realize she’s beautiful?” Clasping his hands behind his head, he leaned back, grinning, his amusement growing at Marc’s glower. “But if you’re not interested, it leaves more of her time for me. It looks like I’m going to have to start looking for land to build a house around here. You wouldn’t be willing to sell me some of yours, would you? We could live nearby.” Hearing the shuffle of Bailey’s stockinged feet over the hardwood floors, he ignored Marc’s glare and straightened, his cock jumping. He’d taken her clothes and replaced them with his white robe and thick, white socks, and he couldn’t wait to see her in them. Interested in seeing what Marc’s reaction would be to seeing her wearing his things, he straightened and waited, smiling at her scowl when she appeared in the doorway. “Where the hell are my clothes?” Taking a deep breath, he savored the clean, sweet scent that was uniquely hers. “Ah, the beautiful, twinkling sound of my mate’s voice.” Delighted with her scowl, he grinned back at her. His cock stirred as he took in her slicked-back wet hair, much darker now than its usual honey brown. His gaze travelled downward

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to her eyes, the same gorgeous color as her hair. Rimmed with impossibly long, dark lashes, they shot sparks at both Marc and him as she entered the kitchen, going wide when she saw the damage to the back of the chair. The shadow between her breasts deserved more than a cursory glance, and he allowed his gaze to linger there, his fingers itching to get his hands on those small, firm breasts—something he planned to do as soon as possible. Marc turned, his gaze also raking over her and lingering on the enticing valley between her breasts. Clenching his jaw, he lifted his gaze. “Hidden. You’re not going anywhere until we talk.” A honey-colored brow went up. “And you don’t think I’ll leave dressed like this? I’ve got news for you, buddy—” Seeing Marc’s face, he knew his friend experienced the same reaction to her defiance as he did. James came to his feet and stepped between them, hoping to diffuse the situation. Smiling, he approached her, bending to kiss her forehead, his body tightening at another surge of rippling pleasure to his cock. He had to clench his hands against the urge to grab her and throw her over his shoulder. Deciding his lap would do just fine, he smiled. “I’m sure you have lots of questions for us. Why don’t you sit down, and I’ll get you some coffee while Marc finishes fixing breakfast. I’m going to have to take over soon. The only breakfast food he can make is scrambled eggs.” **** Bailey frowned, still not sure how James had managed to snag her waist and settle her on his lap while handing her a mug of hot, fragrant coffee.

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She’d have to be dead not to notice the hard bulge pressing at her bottom. She couldn’t resist wiggling her ass, hiding a smile when his cock got even harder. James groaned and pinched her hip in retaliation. “Behave.” It didn’t seem to matter that she’d had two orgasms only a short time ago. She couldn’t seem to get enough, her body flaring to life as soon as she got close to either one of them. It didn’t help that she was naked under the robe. The soft material proved to be a poor substitute for their firm hands. Eyeing Marc’s fine ass, she took a sip of the strong, dark coffee. “I want my clothes.” James’s hands came around her from behind, parting her robe and exposing her breasts with a casualness that spoke of a deeper intimacy than their short acquaintance warranted. With a soft chuckle, he started to massage her breasts, lightly teasing her nipples. “And I want to fuck you again. Which one of us do you think is going to get what we want first?” Setting her coffee aside before she spilled it all over herself, she leaned back with a moan, enjoying the feel of his hands. It didn’t escape her notice that both men seemed to know exactly how to touch her for maximum effect. James used his fingertips to delicately stroke the tender underside of her breasts as though he enjoyed how she felt there and had no intention of rushing. Her nipples tingled unbearably, aching for his touch, but he seemed to want to take his time, driving her crazy in slow increments. As he set plates on the table, Marc’s eyes fell to her nipples, the feel of his gaze on them while James caressed her incredibly erotic. Meeting his searching gaze, she bit her lip to hold back a moan as James cupped her breasts in his palms as though offering them to Marc.

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With a faint smile and a flash of heat in his glittering eyes, Marc accepted the invitation, bending to kiss a nipple, his eyes steady on hers as he ran his tongue all around it. Gasping at the heat that shot to her slit, she wiggled on James’s lap. “Stop that. Oh, hell. Do that again. I thought you were going to answer my questions.” Marc smiled and scraped his teeth over her nipple before straightening, the devious smile on his face one right out of her fantasies. “You like that hint of danger, don’t you? Good.” James adjusted his position, turning her to sit sideways on his lap. With a hand at her back and one lightly massaging her breast, he grinned and teased her damp nipple. “Ask your questions.” She bit back a moan as Marc finished setting out food and lowered himself into the chair across the table from them. Both Marc and James seemed to be getting great enjoyment from watching her torment. Marc seemed particularly enthralled, his eyes moving over every inch of skin James uncovered. He licked his lips as though savoring the taste of her, his eyes full of intent. Being with them made her feel so alive, her senses sharper than ever. It seemed she’d become attuned to both Marc and James in ways she’d never been connected with another man. Knowing she wouldn’t stand a chance of holding a rational conversation with so many distractions, she pushed out of James’s arms and shot to her feet, slapping his hand away. “Stop it. I can’t think when you do that.” Ignoring his satisfied grin, she secured the borrowed robe more tightly around herself and plopped into the seat between them. She reached for her coffee, hoping the jolt of caffeine would help her to make sense of what she’d seen earlier.

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A look passed between them, one borne from longstanding friendship, and one she didn’t have a hope of interpreting. After several long seconds, Marc sighed and shoved his plate away, his impatience showing in his eyes while his voice remained soft and controlled. “Let us explain some things to you first. We’re shifters. You saw that. Black panthers. We don’t know how or why. We just know that we are. We know very little about it and have no one to ask. An older couple, friends of our parents’, gathered us together one night. None of us were much more than babies. They took us from a small village in California, and brought us to North Carolina to live on a farm they owned.” His flat tone didn’t fool her for a minute. His face, also devoid of expression, didn’t either, not when she could feel the anger and frustration emanating from him. Their rage burned in her stomach, and she swung her gaze to James to see if he felt it, too, but he didn’t appear to notice anything different. Before she could do more than wonder about it, Marc continued. “Several of the older ones say they heard gunshots and screams that night, but no one knows for sure. Leland, the eldest of all of us was the first one to shift.” Horrified at what had happened to their parents, Bailey swallowed heavily and looked again at James, who wore the same morose expression as Marc. Marc ran his thumb up and down the side of his mug, staring down into his coffee. “The Tremaines couldn’t answer our questions about it. Evidently our parents never explained much to them, just trusted them to get us all out of there and somewhere safe. The Tremaines evidently went to California to visit the same area every year, had somehow run across them, and befriended them.”

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Shrugging, he sighed. “Our parents must have known something was coming. What it was, we don’t know for sure, but we suspect that someone found out about them and decided to rid the world of us.” Bailey reached for his hand, surprised and delighted when he curled his around hers in an automatic gesture that warmed her heart. “That’s horrible! All of your parents are dead? How many of you are there? What happened then?” Marc’s lips curled. “It is a horrible thing to have happened, but most of us don’t even remember them. As the Tremaines got older, we took care of them, running the farm and getting jobs to put food on the table and trying to act like everything was normal. But it wasn’t. One by one we each began to shift, and not until Leland and Joe figured it out were we even able to control it.” James leaned forward and took her other hand. “We keep to ourselves, and the Tremaines always stressed how important it was to trust no one but each other and to keep our existence a secret. We guard that secret, with our lives if necessary, because one slip could mean the end of our pack. The same thing that happened to our parents could happen to us.” Marc released her hand and stood. “Outsiders would never let us live if they knew. They would think we were freaks and dangerous. You can never tell a soul about us.” A chill went down her spine at the memory of what a panther supposedly did to her attacker. With shaky hands, Bailey reached for her cup, wrapping her fingers around it for warmth. “So, you attacked Billy Davis?” James narrowed his eyes. “He was killing you, Bailey, and I didn’t hurt him too badly, just a swipe to get him off of you. What were we supposed to do? We’d heard your scream and—” Bailey jumped to her feet, no longer able to sit still. “How could you have heard me scream? That place is over a mile from here.”

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Marc turned from refilling his coffee, eyeing her intently. “Actually, it’s closer to two. You weren’t anywhere near where you ended up that night. Our hearing and eyesight are very good, Bailey. It’s part of the package.” James sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “Look, Bailey, I know all of this is a lot to take in. We didn’t understand a lot and still don’t understand everything. We’ll answer your questions the best we can, but you don’t have to ask them all in one day.” He slid a glance at Marc. “Just trust that we would never—could never hurt you. Our pack will also consider you one of their own and will guard your life with their own.” Finding all of this confusing and difficult to believe, she nodded, too dumbfounded and shaken to get her thoughts organized enough to ask questions. She wanted to ask them why she reacted so strongly to them, but didn’t know if they knew it yet, and she wanted to keep that piece of information to herself for now. One thing did bother her, though, a question that couldn’t wait. Wrapping her arms around herself, she nodded again. “Okay, but tell me this. If no one else knows, why are you telling me?” Marc looked decidedly uncomfortable, causing a cold knot to form in her belly. He smiled, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “James already told you. Evidently you’re our mate.” Shaking her head, Bailey took her seat at the table again, reaching for her coffee, and shot a look at James. The reality of the situation crept in no matter how hard she tried to push it back. For now, though, she’d learn all she could. “What’s that mean? That you want to fuck me?” James grinned, sending a wicked surge of lust through her, one that caused another surge of moisture to coat her thighs. “Oh, we definitely want to fuck you, but it’s a little more involved than that. Apparently, you’re the woman nature has decided is ours.”

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Bailey carefully came to her feet, once again convinced that they had a screw loose. They had her so tied up in knots she didn’t know what to think anymore. Shape-shifters. Panthers. Mates. She didn’t think she’d every truly believe it, no matter how sincere they sounded. No matter what she saw. She felt as though she’d somehow stepped into a dream world and didn’t know how to get out. She didn’t know if she even wanted to. She just knew that she reacted too strongly to them for comfort. The thought of being with both of them forever enticed her far too much, and she knew she’d better put some distance between herself and them as soon as possible. “Well, that sounds nice, but I’m not in the market to be anyone’s mate, so if you just get my clothes, I’ll be going.” Marc moved fast, backing her against the granite countertop and, with a hand gripping the counter at her hips on either side, effectively blocked her in. “You’re not going anywhere until we settle some things.” More than ready for a confrontation, Bailey lifted her chin, sucking in a breath of alarm and white-hot need at the feel of his body against hers and the possessive hunger in his eyes. Not giving in to her instinct to look away, she fought to hide her alarm at the sheer size and strength of the body pressed against hers and her own traitorous body’s reaction to it. Poking him in the chest, she felt no give at all and fought for bravado. “Look, buddy, I don’t answer to you. You can’t keep me here against my will. You and you friend are nuts. I’m not your woman. I don’t give a shit what nature has decided for you. I decide what I want.” Leaning back as far as the small space allowed, she crossed her arms over her chest, the anger on Marc’s face, the anger she could

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actually feel, telling her that she had to figure out how to extricate herself from this situation as soon as possible. Deciding to go for sarcasm to hide her unease, she forced a smirk while inside she trembled. “How do you know I’m supposed to be your mate? Did a little birdie come and tell you or did you just figure that since you saved my life, it was an omen or something?” A muscle worked in Marc’s jaw, his eyes narrowing dangerously in a way she’d already come to respect. “Careful, my mate. You’re treading on dangerous ground. No matter how smart that mouth gets, I can smell your fear, so I know you’re smart enough to understand exactly what you’re doing.” His nostrils flared, and his eyes darkened even more. “I can also smell your arousal. It’s a scent that drives me insane with wanting, so unless you want to be turned and fucked in the ass right here at the counter, you’ll tread carefully.” Gasping, she glared at him and tried to take offense, but her body had other ideas. Her bottom clenched repeatedly, her puckered opening tingling at the erotic threat. He would do it. She knew it. The promise gleamed in his eyes, as did his obvious frustration at holding back. Sucking in a breath at the brush of Marc’s thighs against her as he boxed her in, she tightened her grip on the cool granite. Careful not to show the fear he couldn’t possibly know just by smelling her, she glared up at him. “My scent? Are you kidding me? What the hell is your fascination with my scent? I smell good so you think I’m yours? You are crazy. You can’t decide I’m yours just because you like the way I smell!” She pushed at his chest, forcing back panic when he didn’t so much as flinch. “Get the hell out of my way.” Marc’s reaction proved to be more than she’d bargained for.

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Lifting her, he set her none too gently on the counter, crowding her and ruthlessly pushing her knees apart to make a place for himself between her thighs. With one hand in her hair pulling her head back and the other at her lower back pulling her against his cock, he got in her face, the storm in his eyes both fascinating and frightening to behold. “Don’t.” Gritting his teeth, he took several ragged breaths, his obvious struggle for control alarming her. “Don’t throw my need for you or my instincts back in my face.” Taken aback at the anguish in his voice, she glanced at James. Apparently also alarmed, he got to his feet and rushed to her side, putting a hand on Marc’s shoulder. “Marc? Easy. It’s making me crazy, too.” Bailey gulped, looking from one to the other, the surge of lust raging through her as shocking as it was scary. “What? What’s going on? What’s making you crazy?” James gave her the semblance of a smile, but his dark eyes held a hunger that stole her breath. “Your scent, Bailey. Just being around you makes our cocks so hard, it’s painful. When you’re aroused, as you are now, it’s even worse. Simply put, we can’t be around you without wanting—no— needing to take you.” Marc grimaced. “It’s like I’m going to die if I don’t sink into you, and when you deny that you’re my mate, I want to put you under me and fuck you until you scream my name.” Pushing the ends of the robe aside, he bared her to his gaze, his face lined with tension. “Or better yet, bend you over and sink my cock into that tight ass. I want to dominate you, have you at my mercy, and erase everything from your mind except the feel of my cock taking you in your ass— taking you in the most dominant and intense way a man can take a woman. I don’t want you to think about anything else except my cock stretching that tight hole and filling you in a way that’ll make you

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think twice about ever denying me again. I need to take you in a way that makes you mine.” Reaching down, he parted her folds, the hunger in his eyes making her own need for him even stronger. “You’re aroused, and it’s making me crazy to have you. Hell. I can’t stand it. If you don’t want this, Bailey, you’d better run like hell. James, get me a fucking condom.” The inner walls of her pussy clenched, the need to have him inside her almost unbearable. Running was not an option. Rubbing her breasts against him, she whimpered in frustration, sucking in a breath when he moved his fingers. Marc watched her eyes as the tip of his finger slid over her clit, something that never ceased to arouse her. Taking advantage of her gasp, he took her mouth with his, sweeping it with his hot tongue. Moaning into his mouth, she conceded to his dominance without a moment’s hesitation. Another moan escaped when James ran a hand over her breast and tugged her nipple, the slightly rough caress sending another jolt of white-hot need to her pussy and clit and making her bottom tingle with awareness. The sensations always seemed far more intense when both of them touched her at the same time. Groaning, James slid a hand over her breast, letting his fingers trail over the sensitive underside while his hot mouth moved over her shoulder. “I’ll get two.” His words sent a thrill through her as Marc kept her thighs parted with his and, with a hand on each one, brushed his thumbs over her clit. “Hurry up.” The barrage of pleasure to her already overstimulated system left her light headed with need. Every brush of his fingers over her swollen clit, every demanding stroke of his tongue over hers drew her

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deeper and deeper into an erotic whirlpool of pleasure that made her head spin and took over her senses so completely she couldn’t even think. Each second she spent in his arms aroused her more, her pussy clenching incessantly now. Her clit felt huge, tingling hotter and hotter with every gentle caress. Digging her heels into Marc’s rock-hard ass, Bailey melted under his passionate assault. Throwing her head back, she hit her head on the cabinet behind her and cried out at the sharp pain, the shock of it momentarily stunning her. It only lasted an instant, but Marc noticed. He lifted his head, breathing heavily, appearing momentarily disoriented until he realized what had happened. “Fuck. No room.” Gathering her to him, with a hand at her bottom under her robe and another at the back of her head, he buried his face in her neck and carried her out of the kitchen, pausing at the entrance to the huge family room. “I’m sorry, baby. God, it hurts me when you’re hurt.” The pain somehow disappeared almost immediately under his hand. Assuming she’d become so aroused she didn’t even feel it anymore, she rubbed her clit against his flat belly, her hands in his hair as she struggled to get closer. The wall of large windows in the family room overlooked another part of the deck, the sight of the railing reminding her of the way he’d taken earlier, spiking her need even higher. Pulling his head back, she nipped his bottom lip, her breath catching at the flare of heat in his eyes. “If you stop now, I’ll hit you.” His hands tightened on her bottom and in her hair, his eyes narrowing as he loomed over her. Around her. “I couldn’t stop now if the house was on fire.”

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With a growl, he positioned her facedown over the back of the sofa, holding her down when she would have risen. “Damn it, Marc. I—oh, holy hell!” He held her in place with a hand at her back and tossed the ends of the robe out of the way, kneeling between her thighs and keeping them spread with his wide shoulders. The first swipe of his tongue through her slit startled a sharp cry from her as she collapsed onto the cushion, unable to hold herself up any longer. With her cheek pressed against the sofa, she fought to push the robe off of her face in an effort to get more air as the strokes from his tongue got more intense. Finally managing to push it aside, she drew several ragged breaths, her pleasure-filled moans filling the room as Marc growled and ate at her with a hunger that kept her underlying fear humming just beneath the surface. When the sofa dipped next to her, she turned her head, grabbing onto James’s muscular thigh like a lifeline, delighted to find him naked and in the process of donning a condom. His eyes stayed on hers as he rolled it on, his large, thick cock jumping each time she glanced at it. Her pussy clenched with the need to feel that steely heat inside her, which released more of her juices, much to Marc’s apparent enjoyment. She cried out again when he slid his tongue deep, his growl of appreciation vibrating against her clit. “Oh, God. I’m going to come already.” Running his hand over her hair, James chuckled, a raw sound, tight with tension. “I see Marc’s discovered how sweet you are. You’re going to have a hard time keeping either one of us from getting our mouths on that pussy every chance we get.” With his fingers digging into her bottom cheeks, Marc held her steady. His tongue stabbed into her repeatedly, the occasional flicks of his devious tongue over her clit keeping her squirming in frustration.

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Kicking her feet, she cried out over as the heat of his mouth burned her, the fingers on her bottom tightening and making her bottom hole sting. She had a healthy sexual appetite, but the amazing awareness at her puckered opening had her body going stiff and her toes curling in guarded yearning. Still, she arched her back, pumping her hips in time to the quick flicks of his tongue over her clit, unable to resist the lure of his decadent assault. Each stroke of his hot tongue took her closer to the orgasm her body craved, and she knew she would go over at any moment. With a growl, Marc nipped the sensitive place between her buttock and thigh, chuckling when she clenched, which made the sting around the tight opening even stronger. When she whimpered and struggled to scramble away, he nipped her again, seeming to anticipate her every reaction. “You’re not going anywhere. Does it sting, baby? Do you want me to kiss it and make it better?” Bailey shrieked at the first swipe of his tongue over her puckered opening, the raw, too-sexual sensation overwhelming her. It also shook her, his attention there leaving her clit bereft. “Damn it, oh fuck, oh fuck, I was going to come!” Marc came to his feet, covering her body with his from behind, surrounding her with hard masculine heat. With a groan, he slid his cock deep into her pussy with one forceful thrust. Holding himself still, with his body shaking against hers, he groaned again. With a hand at her jaw, he lifted her to him, running his teeth over her shoulder. “Before we let you leave here, you’re going to come and come and come. You’re going to come so much you won’t have the energy to defy me. You’re going to be fucked so much, you won’t be able to walk. Maybe then I’ll be able to get you out of my system.” James lifted a brow and ran his hand under her to caress a breast, his gaze holding hers.

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“That’s a fine way to talk to a woman when you’re balls deep inside her.” Although she appreciated that James came to her defense, she shook her head as a series of tingles went through her, each wave building the pressure inside her. “It’s true. It’s too much. This can’t last. Oh, God. Fuck me hard. This can’t last. Take me good, damn you!” Marc’s cock felt like hot steel stretching her pussy walls, filling her completely, but it wasn’t enough. She was starting to wonder if it would ever be enough. She couldn’t get mad or insulted when the desperation in Marc’s tone matched her own. She couldn’t get enough of him. As soon as he touched her, she wanted him. Want was too mild for what she felt with them. Arching back, she cried out again and again with each of Marc’s deep thrusts. If Marc felt anything like she did, she could understand his need to rebel against it. She did, too, not caring for the fact that she could be so mad at him and still want him with a hunger that she couldn’t fight. It seemed almost as though her anger spiked her arousal, making it impossible to resist him as she’d been unable to resist James in her office. Her pussy sizzled all around his cock. The friction of each stroke over her inner walls made her quiver all around him, the sensation so intense she couldn’t catch her breath. From behind her, Marc growled, a throaty sound that made her heart race and sent a surge of another kind of satisfaction through her—one of a woman who knew she gave pleasure to her man. This primitive need shook her, the need to please him, the need to give herself over to him so overwhelming she didn’t stand a chance of holding it back. But with her need to submit to him came hungers of her own.

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She didn’t even recognize herself, crying out and pushing back against Marc, urging him on. His deep and animalistic growls excited her as much as they scared her, harsh reminders of the beast living inside him. The beast she still didn’t know if she believed in and sure as hell didn’t understand. She’d never known lust could be so all encompassing or that it could have such a strong effect on her emotions. She didn’t like it any better than Marc did, but damned if it didn’t feel incredible. Too luscious and decadent to deny. His thrusts came faster and harder, the friction over her inner walls unlike anything she’d ever felt before. Each accompanying growl sent shivers up her spine, sharpening the pleasure and sending those tingles shooting from her slit outward until they touched every part of her. All of a sudden, it burst free, sending sharp explosions of tingling heat through her. She came hard, harder than she thought it was possible to come. It left her unable to breathe as her body became impossibly tight, the wave of pleasure holding her in its grip as Marc roared his own release. She held on to James, tears blurring her vision at the sharp emotion that slammed into her, one that grew even stronger when Marc held himself deep inside her and gathered her against him, his teeth sinking into her shoulder. “Fuck. Mine. Do you hear me? Damn you for making me want you so much. You’re mine, damn it.” He stayed plastered to her back for several long minutes, his cock pulsing against her inner walls. With another curse, he moved. Bailey sucked in a breath as he withdrew and straightened, shivering against the sudden chill. Drawing in several ragged breaths, she pushed away from the sofa and stood on shaky legs, fighting the urge to throw herself in his arms. It was something so out of character

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for her that she didn’t recognize herself. Still shaking, she held on to the back of the sofa for support. “Kiss my ass. You’re not going to get the chance to fuck me again.” He took a threatening step forward, smiling in satisfaction when she hurriedly stepped back. “Watch yourself, baby, or you’re going to end up with my cock up your ass.” Furious that she’d allowed him to intimidate her, she lifted her chin. “Fuck you.” Marc took another step forward, but before she could step back, she found herself in James’s arms and lifted high against his chest. “You two can fight all you want later. Right now I want my mate.” **** Staring after them, Marc fisted his hands at his sides, already feeling his loss. His groin tightened again with want for her that never seemed to diminish, but it was the blow to his heart that almost sent him to his knees. Leaning back against the sofa, he unclenched his hands and stared down at them, unsurprised that they shook. Straightening, he ran his fingers through his hair, fighting the urge to pick something up and throw it. Each time he took her, the invisible bond between them only grew stronger. It had ceased to be just sex. He wanted all of her, her needs, her desires, her thoughts, hell, even her bad moods. Hearing her cries of pleasure from the other room, he dropped onto the back of the sofa, breathing in the scent of her arousal like an addict. If any other man even attempted to touch Bailey, he knew, without a doubt, that he could gladly rip his throat out.

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Knowing that James would pleasure and care for her while he got himself together, though, filled him with a sense of relief. It didn’t make any sense, but it was something he would have to think about later, when his head cleared. He also knew how she felt. It floored him when he first realized it, but could no longer be ignored. He and the others had always been able to read people easily, but in Bailey’s case, it went much deeper. Her arousal made his even stronger. He felt her anger almost as strongly as he felt his own. It burned in his stomach, and if directed at him, filled him with equal parts fury and the almost overwhelming need to make her happy again. He’d actually felt the slice of pain his need to fight his desire for her caused her. Before he could get over the shock of it, she’d made sexual demands of him, demands that sent adrenaline and the need to conquer through his veins. He’d also felt something that terrified him, something he didn’t know if she even realized. She loved him. He sighed, reeling at the knowledge. He could already imagine her living with him and dreaded the time she would leave and go back to her apartment in town. He appeased himself with the thought that he couldn’t possibly let her leave here until he made sure she understood the importance of keeping their secret. The future of his pack depended on secrecy. Another of her cries reached him, followed almost immediately by a deep growl. Breathing in the scent of her, which now permeated his home, and the intoxicating sounds of her surrender, Marc groaned as his cock stirred. He needed to shift. He needed to run. He sighed, rubbing his forehead.

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After he calmed down, he needed to apologize to his mate. And come to terms with his own feelings. He loved her. Fuck.

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Chapter Eight Loving the warm weight of James’s body pressing her into the mattress, Bailey opened her eyes, only to close them again, smiling as the dark, silk curtain of his hair brushed her face. “I think I’m blind.” James chuckled, a deep sound that made her break out in goose bumps. Rolling with a hand at her back holding her to him, he somehow managed to keep his cock inside her. “Honey, your eyes are closed.” Draped over his chest, she opened her eyes again and lifted her head from his shoulder, her movements clumsy and lethargic. Pushing herself up, she ran her hands over his chest, sinking her fingers into solid muscle. His hooded gaze and small smile, both filled with satisfaction, sent her heart racing. His black hair, mussed from her fingers, looked even darker against the stark white of the pillow. Remembering what the silky strands felt like against her nipples, she clenched on his cock and stroked his magnificent chest. “You know, you really are sexy as hell.” His slow grin sent a rush of heat through her as he lifted a hand and ran it over her shoulder, down to her hip, and back up again, using the ends of her own hair to tease her nipples. “I’m glad you think so since I plan to get inside you every chance I get.” Running his hands up to her breasts, he toyed with her nipples. “You are, without a doubt, the most desirable woman I’ve ever met. The perfect woman for me.” Bailey stiffened, a cold chill going up her spine.

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“How do you know?” Depressed, irritated, and reluctantly afraid, she pushed against him with the intention of getting up, but James moved fast, rolling again and pinning her under him, his eyes flashing with fury. “Excuse me?” She pushed at him, wondering when the hell her mouth had decided to have a mind of its own. Annoyed that he somehow managed to grab both of her wrists in one hand and hold them over her head, and lamenting the fact that his cock was no longer inside her, she couldn’t help but lift her hips against him. “Get off of me.” He tangled his legs with hers in a powerfully smooth move, effectively taking away her leverage. Scowling, he tightened his fingers on hers. “No. What the hell do you mean—how do I know? What the hell kind of question is that?” After a brief struggle, which probably wouldn’t even be considered as one based on how little she actually could move, she blew out a breath and glared up at him, wishing she’d just kept her damned mouth shut. “You know damned well what I mean. According to you and Marc, I’m nothing more than a scent to you. That…damn it, get off of me…animal stuff—” A shift in his weight kept her immobile, as his eyes went flat and cold. “We’re shape-shifters, Bailey, not animals.” Ashamed of herself, she turned away, facing the far wall. “Whatever. You growl.” After a long silence, James dropped a kiss onto her shoulder. “Interesting. Never happened with any other woman. It’s being with my mate that brings that out in me.” “Don’t care.” Oh, God. She was going to cry. Taking a deep breath, she shrugged, saying nothing.

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With a sigh, James rolled to the side, allowing her to escape. “You and Marc sure are determined to do this the hard way, aren’t you?” Both relieved and disappointed that he released her, she scrambled from the bed, putting several feet of distance between them. Spotting the white terry robe, half on the floor and half tangled in the sheet, Bailey grabbed the end of it and tugged, cursing until she got it loose. Aware of James watching her as he strolled into the adjoining bathroom, she turned her back to him, feeling the warmth of his gaze on her bottom. Wrapping the robe around herself, she pushed back her hair and frowned as he disappeared, closing the door behind him, raising her voice to be heard. “You have no problem with your life being turned upside down by being attracted to a woman you don’t even know?” James stuck his head out. “There are worse things in life than finding a woman I can’t resist. Think of it as chemistry, honey. Haven’t you ever had chemistry with another man?” Scowling, he held up a hand a shook his head. “No, don’t tell me. I don’t think I could stand to hear it right now.” His tender smile tightened her stomach. “There’s no reason to get so bent out of shape. Why not just relax and let nature run its course?” Bailey sighed as he disappeared again, closing the door behind him. Plopping onto the bed, she glared at the closed door, muttering under her breath. “I don’t do nature.” Dropping back, she stared at the ceiling. “Chemistry, he says. I think it’s a little more than chemistry. Shape-shifters. God. They can’t be real. It’s got to be some kind of trick. I’ve gotten involved with nutcases. Sexy as hell nutcases, but nutcases all the same. Shit. Let nature run its course. Right. We can’t talk without arguing and can’t even eat together without jumping each other’s bones. Ah!”

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The feel of a rough, warm tongue touching her ankle startled her so badly, she yelped. She scrambled to sit up, her heart pounding furiously at the sight in front of her. “Oh, God! Oh, shit. Don’t do this to me. Fuck.” Swallowing heavily, she remained perfectly still, staring into the brilliant blue eyes of the panther that sat at her feet, one that seemed even larger this close. “Don’t you dare bite me. Don’t bite me. Nice kitty.” She gulped again, her breathing harsh as she looked toward the closed bathroom door. What the hell was she supposed to do now? Holding her gaze, the panther swiped his warm, wet tongue over her knee before dropping his head on her thigh. He stared up at her, apparently waiting for something—or perhaps just enjoying the fact that he’d scared her. Instinct told her it had to be Marc, but she still couldn’t quite wrap her head around it. She remained perfectly still, her breath coming out in sharp pants. Her mind raced as she struggled to come to grips with the fact that this amazing creature and the sexy and compelling man who’d bent her over the sofa and taken her were one and the same. Drawing in a shaky breath, she lifted a hand, hoping like hell she wasn’t making the biggest mistake in her life, slowly extending it outward. “I hope like hell you know who I am.” “He does.” She jumped, but didn’t turn, not daring to look away from the deadly beast in front of her. She caught sight of James standing in the doorway to the bathroom out of the corner of her eye, his presence making her feel a little bit better. “Even when he’s like this?” “Of course. He knows you very well, my mate, and understands every word you’re saying.”

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As if to prove the truth of those words, the panther showed his teeth in what she hoped was a smile, and purred. Bailey spared James a quick glance, her breath catching at the sight of him wearing one towel and rubbing his long hair with another. “Do you mean he can understand everything I’m saying, even though he’s a panther?” James chuckled and tossed the towel he used to dry his hair aside and came around the bed to recline behind her. “Of course. We’re not ordinary panthers, Bailey.” “Then why doesn’t he change back?” Toying with the ends of her hair, James sighed. “I guess that’s up to you to figure out. Maybe he wants to know that you accept that part of him.” Sensing the undercurrents in his tone, she gasped when the panther nudged her palm with the top of his head. “He does? Or both of you do?” Sitting up, James wrapped his arms around her from behind. “I guess both of us need it, Bailey. We need to know that you accept everything about your mates.” Fascinated despite her fear, Bailey stroked the panther’s head, smiling as he lifted his face and pushed against her. With remarkable ease, James pulled her back into the bed and cuddled up behind her, tossing his towel aside. “You’re beat. You probably didn’t get much sleep last night because you were worried about the necklace, and it’s been a big morning for you. Why don’t you take a nap? Your mates will watch over you. Sleep, honey.” The thought that she needed to be watched over seemed ridiculous, but he sounded so serious and sincere, she found herself reluctant to offend him. To her amazement, the black panther—Marc, she reminded herself— leapt onto the bed and cuddled close to her. Much to her

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surprise, the warm body and soft fur against her had a soothing effect. Unable to help herself, and as naturally as though she’d done it a million times, she laid a hand on the silky fur and began to stroke. James was right. After the almost sleepless night, and then her search for her necklace, followed by amazing, mind-boggling sex, it had been an eventful day. As James stroked her from behind and she stroked the sleek panther, her eyes began to droop. “Okay. I believe you. I can’t really argue with what’s right in front of me.” She noticed that her words began to slur, but couldn’t do much about it. The purring of the big cat nestled against her lulled her. As did the warmth surrounding her as James snuggled up behind her. “I don’t believe in mates, though.” Yawning, she got into a more comfortable position, finding it increasingly difficult to get her thoughts together. “No such thing. Can’t meet somebody and know just by smelling them.” Between one breath and the next, the sleek fur became warm flesh, and she found herself cradled in two sets of arms. With a hand at the back of her head, Marc urged her to lay her head on his shoulder and kissed her hair. “No, baby. Sometimes it takes a little more than that, but it appears the results are the same. Go to sleep. We’ll work it out somehow.” She thought she heard something like, “It doesn’t appear that we have a choice,” but couldn’t work up the energy to reply. As soon as she’d managed to escape the system, she’d grown to rely on one thing. She was in charge of her own destiny.

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Chapter Nine As it had for the last several mornings, the sound of grumbling woke her. As it had for the last three days, it was followed almost immediately by Marc’s inventive cursing as he extricated himself from the bed. “Damn it, Bailey. This bed’s too fucking small for the three of us.” Without opening her eyes, Bailey groaned, rolling into the warm spot Marc just vacated and burying her face in the pillow. Breathing in his warm, male scent, she smiled as James followed and curled himself around her. “You can sleep at your house.” Sliding a hand under the covers, Marc patted her thigh, sending a barrage of delicious tingles to her slit as his fingers edged close. “You won’t sleep there, and the bed’s too cold when you’re not there.” Marc’s reluctance in admitting that came through in his tone, but at least he didn’t sound angry about it this morning. James chuckled and nuzzled her shoulder. A hand slid up over her hip and came around to cover her breast. “How’s my mate this morning?” Not a morning person, and still a little put out at the mate thing they seemed so obsessed with, Bailey grumbled and snuggled into the pillow. Without opening her eyes, she got into a more comfortable position and sighed, still worn out from the previous night. “I’m not your mate. Why don’t you go play with string or something and let me sleep?”

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Still half-asleep, she didn’t react as fast to the brief moment of stunned silence as she should have. She also should have known that there would be consequences for the insult. The sharp pinch to her nipple startled a yelp from her and had her eyes popping open. She scrambled to get away from James even as the jolt of electricity to her slit had her rubbing her thighs together for relief. The feel of his cock pressing into her back made her giggle, but before she could turn, Marc tossed the covers aside, grabbed her ankles, and flipped her to her back. Reaching desperately for something solid to hold on to, she grabbed at the covers, gasping as Marc forced her knees wide. She held her breath when his gaze settled on her mound, her flesh warming and tingling, a sensation that grew stronger when he licked his lips. His eyes narrowed, lust glittering in their depths. “The scent of your arousal drives me mad. That smart mouth only makes it worse. If we were at my house, you could scream all you want to and no one would hear you.” The low cadence and hunger in his tone sent a shiver through her, one of lust and just the smallest hint of fear that she could never quite overcome. Fear that she would never admit excited her. Before she could do more than blink, he pressed her knees back against her sides, holding her wide open. His steady gaze held hers as he lowered his head, rendering her helpless with longing. Closing his lips over her clit, he sucked hard, flicking it with his tongue, he and James holding her still for his decadent torment. Her clit burned, swelling even more under his mouth, but no matter how she twisted, she couldn’t get away. “Marc! Oh, God. I’m gonna come.” Two large fingers pressed into her pussy, stretching her and rubbing at a place inside her that never failed to stun her. She bowed

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off the bed and screamed in shock and ecstasy, her pussy clamping down on his fingers. She opened her mouth to scream again, a scream she bit back when James touched the tip of his cock to her lips. Hungry for him and grateful for something to hold on to, she gripped his thighs above her head and took him into her mouth, thrilling at his low groan. Marc never even paused, licking her folds and her clit with hot, steady strokes, his fingers pressing relentlessly against that sweet spot inside her. Spread wide and with her legs held immobile, she found herself helpless against his assault, one that kept the pleasure rolling through her. James groaned again, a harsh sound that thrilled her. “Fuck. Her mouth’s incredible.” Closing his hands around her breasts, he began to tug at her nipples, pinching and pulling them in just the way she liked it. Reveling in the taste of him, and in the feel of his hard cock against her tongue, she sucked harder, desperate for more of those deep groans, more of his taste. Just more. Her own moans sounded almost as animalistic as theirs, the sounds of sex and lust filling the room. Digging her fingertips into James’s thighs, she used her tongue, sucking him as hard and as deep as she could, thrilling that the muscles of his thighs tightened, his weakening control obvious in the jerky, shallow thrusts of his cock. His fingers at her nipples also tightened as he rolled them, the pain and pleasure sending jolts of white-hot fire to her already burning clit. She whimpered around James’s cock, bucking in alarm when Marc scraped his teeth over her clit. James chuckled softly, sucking in a breath when she cupped his sac.

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“Play with string? You might have two cats in your bed, babe, but you’re the one with the pussy. You know how much cats love sweet cream.” Marc hummed his agreement, his mouth never pausing. It seemed to be everywhere at once, while the slow slide of his fingers in and out of her pussy drove her insane with pleasure. The tingling of her clit grew stronger, and she knew her body well enough to know that coming again was only seconds away. Marc chose that moment to lift his head, slipping his fingers out of her drenched pussy. “But we want more than just your mouth and pussy. You want more, too. Don’t you, mate?” James pinched her nipples again, just as Marc pressed against her puckered opening, applying pressure with his slick fingers and forcing the ring of muscle to give way. Taken aback at the overwhelming intimacy and totally foreign sensation, Bailey screamed around James’s cock, digging her nails into his thighs. She shuddered against the too-invasive possession, struggling to adjust to Marc’s hot, hard fingers pressing against the walls of her most vulnerable opening. It stretched. It burned. The sensation of his fingers moving over her inner walls had to be the most erotic and decadent thing she’d ever experienced. Shaken at her own defenselessness, but also aware of the warmth of their affection surrounding her, she found herself letting go, giving more of herself than she wanted to. She had no choice. And yet she did. She thrilled at the freedom of being herself, of letting go with two men she trusted to handle the strength of her passion as she’d never trusted another man. Her lust grew, becoming a living, breathing thing that threatened to consume her. The warning tingles and the pressure became almost constant now, the threat of her next orgasm looming close. She braced herself

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for the impending explosion, her body clamping down on Marc’s fingers in her ass, her clit throbbing beneath his tongue. Without any warning, he straightened, depriving her of the next swipe of his expert tongue over her clit and withdrawing his fingers from her bottom with a speed that left her shaking. At the same time, James withdrew from her mouth and fisted his thick cock as he stared down at her. Crying out in agony as her bottom clenched at emptiness and her clit burned and swelled even more, she bucked and kicked at Marc. “You son of a bitch. Fucking teasing bastard. How dare you—oh, fuck!” Marc slipped on a condom with remarkable speed, lifted her ankles high and wide, and thrust into her pussy so deep and forcefully that it took her breath away. His face tightened, his eyes darkening with lust. “I didn’t hear you complaining at the time, mate. In fact, you were getting ready to come.” “Stop calling me that!” “No.” James moved the head of his cock over her cheek, the tension in his body and in his silky voice thrilling her. “Christ, I want her more every day. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough.” Marc’s thrusts came shallower and faster now as he dug at a place inside her that had those tingles sharpening and growing. “Never enough.” His guttural tone sent those little thrills of trepidation through her, the hint of danger that always kept her senses razor sharp. Starving for the taste of him, she held on to James’s thighs, taking the head of his cock into her mouth. Reveling in the hard heat of him and the deep groans he made no attempt to hide, she tried to focus her attention on the sensitive underside, but Marc’s thrusts distracted her so much she couldn’t give it the attention she wanted to. Promising

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herself that she’d make up for it in the future, she sucked hard and was rewarded with more of James’s answering groans. Marc’s voice had become so deep and low she could barely understand him now, his tone more animal than human. “Christ, the way she clamps down on me. She’s so wet and hot. Come again for me, Bailey. My mate. Come again.” The cock in her mouth seemed to grow as she sucked it, and she shivered at the tightening of James’s big body looming over her. Delighted in his response, she sucked harder, crying out in protest when he cursed and pulled away. Bending lower, he tugged at both of her nipples at once. “No. I’m not coming in that hot mouth. I’m coming in that pussy. We’re going to fuck you so often you won’t remember what it feels like to not have a cock inside you.” Bailey couldn’t stop moaning, the rush of sensation everywhere making it impossible to think. Her pussy clenched on Marc, her abdomen becoming unbearably tight. Her clit had a heartbeat all its own. Her bottom tingled with awareness, the need to be filled there alarming and so strong, she came close to begging them to take her there. She cried out as James tightened his fingers on her nipples at the same time Marc brought his hands around her upper thighs and pressed against her lower abdomen, using his sandpaper-rough fingers to stroke her clit. Lightning shot from her nipples to her pussy and clit and back again. Thrashing on the bed as much as Marc’s hold allowed, she pushed against James’s thighs for leverage, her body bowing as she came, the wave of pleasure rolling through her with a force that brought tears to her eyes. Her body stiffened, her cry raw and low as every nerve ending in her body seemed to explode all at once. She groaned at the force of Marc’s final thrust, the power and thick heat filling her completely. The need for comfort after coming so hard had soft whimpers pouring out of her, her pussy clamping

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down on his cock as its slow slides and the purring sound from Marc’s throat washed over her. Struggling to catch her breath, she lowered her arms to her sides as he covered her body completely with his and gathered her close. Hiding her face against his neck to hide the feminine vulnerability that overcame her, she blinked back tears and hugged him back, grateful for his masculine strength. Threading his fingers into her hair, he lifted her chin, running his thumbs over her jaw. His hooded eyes moved over her face, the need and confusion in them tugging at her, even as he smiled and crooned to her. “You’re okay, my mate. I’ve got you. God, I can’t get enough of you. Every time I touch you it gets stronger.” Wrapping her trembling legs around his hips, his low purr dancing over her skin, she dug her heels into his tight ass and lifted herself against him. No matter how close she got to him, it never seemed to be enough. As though to remind her of his presence, James stroked an arm and leg she’d wrapped around Marc, the low rumbling from his chest sending a sharp burst of awareness through her and making her clamp down on Marc’s cock even harder. “I know. Me, too.” Struggling for air, she gripped his shoulders, needing a cuddle she would have never admitted to needing. Drawing a shaky breath, she let it out slowly. “It’s just sex. It’s okay. It’s good. We’ll wear ourselves out soon.” Marc chuckled, a raw sound that sent delicious shivers through her. “I think I could fuck you on my deathbed. Did you know how sexy you are when you come? That high-pitched little cry does me in every time.” Holding on to him in an effort to stop shaking, she kept her face hidden and strove for sarcasm to lighten the mood that became increasingly intimate and uncomfortable.

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“That’s because you’re a cat. Or is it dogs that like those highpitched sounds? Hmm, maybe you’re part dog, too. Has anyone checked into that?” Lifting his head just enough to glare down at her, Marc pushed his cock deeper. “Excuse me? A dog! Be careful, honey, or you’re going to get yourself in more trouble than you can handle. Look at you. You’re the one who snuggles just like a cat.” James bent to kiss her shoulder. “She purrs, too, after she comes.” Embarrassed at her neediness, she stiffened. “Do not.” “Oh, yeah, honey. You do. And as soon as Marc gets the hell of off you, I’m going to make you purr again.” Marc groaned. “I’m not quite sure why we seem destined to share you. It can be a pain in the ass sometimes. I’m comfortable right where I am.” With a kiss to her forehead, he withdrew and started to move away, his smile full of affection. As soon as Marc rolled to the side, James gathered her against him, running his fingers over her breasts and belly. With a hand at her jaw, he turned her to face him. He stared down at her for several long moments as though searching for something, a slow smile spreading over his face when he apparently found it. “You really do belong to both of us, don’t you, my mate?” Bailey sighed, fighting back panic. “I know you call me that just to annoy me.” On the other side, Marc kissed her shoulder and caressed her thigh. “Yep. You, know it’s getting harder and harder to walk away from you after I take you.” Uneasy with the intimacy they seemed eager to maintain, Bailey smiled and cupped Marc’s jaw. “You know you say the sweetest things to me after you get laid.” Marc’s smile fell, his eyes narrowing at her insolence.

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“Yeah, well, don’t get used to it. You got me in a weak moment.” He glanced at James. “I’m going to get a shower. I want to get home and get some more work done.” Bailey watched him walk away, not as upset by his words or his cool expression as she would have been if she hadn’t known, known, that he used both to cover how much he desired her. She kept the knowledge to herself, too uneasy to tell either one of them that she could feel their emotions. Even now she could feel the waves of lust pouring off of James as he stared down at her, mingling with something more than affection, something much stronger, and that scared her to death. Turning toward him more fully, she smiled to hide her inner turmoil and slid her hands over his biceps, thrilling at the bunch and flex of muscle as he rolled her to her back and positioned himself on top of her. Keeping most of his weight off of her, he pressed his cock against her slit. “You know he’s doing a sculpture of you, don’t you? He spends hours every night on it. That’s what he wants to get back to now. He works on it like a man possessed.” Stilling, Bailey blinked, shocked at that piece of news even as she parted her thighs wider and tried to take his cock into her pussy. “You’re kidding.” Warmed, and a little shaken that Marc would do such a thing, she glanced at the closed bathroom door. James bent, taking a nipple between sharp teeth, effectively turning her attention back to him. “Nope.” He rolled to the side, turned her to her belly, and rolled back on top of her again with a speed that left her breathless. Scraping his teeth over her shoulder, he pressed his cock against her. “I prefer the real thing. Warm. Soft. Hungry.” His mouth hovered over the sensitive spot between her neck and shoulder. “Mine.”

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Crying out at the jolt of lust as he sank his teeth into her shoulder, she lifted herself to her elbows, arching upward to allow his searching hands to close over her breasts. Taken aback at the sensation of his hard cock sliding dangerously close to her puckered opening, she shivered and inadvertently lifted her bottom against him, the tingling awareness there leaving her confused and unnerved. Her breasts, ultrasensitive beneath his hands, seemed to swell against his palms, hot and heavy against his much rougher skin. James closed his fingers over her nipples, his warm breath against her neck sending shivers of delight racing through her. “You like living dangerously, don’t you? Now that Marc’s teased that little hole, you want more, without even knowing just how completely you’ll feel taken when I fill your tight ass.” Using his knees to push her legs apart, he pressed his cock against her slit, rolling her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. “You already know that shifters have better hearing, better sight, are stronger, and have a better sense of smell than other men. Did you also know that we’re very highly sexed?” Bailey moaned, not daring to move, but her bottom and pussy clenched despite her best efforts. That low rumble in their voices when they were angry or aroused excited her more than she’d like to admit and had her trembling with need and fear every damned time. Struggling not to let her vulnerability show, she cleared her throat and made her tone as firm as she could. “I thought all men liked sex. Oh, that feels good.” She tilted her head to give him better access as his lips moved with confident expertise over her neck and shoulder. James chuckled, the dark seduction in his tone drawing her deeper into an erotic daze. “I can make it feel even better. My cock’s aching to get inside you.” Slipping a hand under her abdomen, he lifted her hips several inches off of the bed, pressed the head of his cock at her slick entrance, and thrust his hips forward.

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Bailey gasped as the steely hardness entered her, the thick head opening her wide. Each time James or Marc filled her, the low-level vibrations made her insides tingle with warmth, a phenomenon she’d never experienced with any other man. At first she’d thought it just a figment of her imagination, but when it continued to happen, she couldn’t deny it any longer. “It’s tingly. Oh, God. Why does it do that? No! Don’t stop. More.” James stilled for a moment and then pressed against her back, sliding his cock deep. Pushing her hair back from her face, he kissed her cheek and lifted his head slightly to stare down at her. “What are you talking about?” To her chagrin, Marc approached from the side of the bed she faced and eased in beside her. “Yes, Bailey. What are you talking about? Are you saying it feels good?” James withdrew and slid deep again. “Tell us, honey.” Inwardly cursing at herself for revealing so much, she moaned, pushing back against James in an effort to get him to move faster. “It’s like a vibrator, but warmer. Oh, God. It feels so good.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Marc and James look at each other before both turned back to her, their eyes twinkling with amusement and lust. James withdrew and slid deep again, sending those staggering sizzles over her inner walls. “Are you saying it feels different when we take you?” “Yes, damn it. Now, are you going to move or not?” She bucked against him, but James seemed content to stay where he was, deep inside her. Marc’s eyes narrowed in speculation. “Now, that’s an interesting piece of information that I plan to make use of the next time I’m inside you. James, I suggest you move. Our mate needs to come.”

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With a bit-off curse, James slid one hand over her abdomen and one at her lower back. “She’s not the only one.” He started moving slowly, almost experimentally. “I thought it was just us. My cock sizzles every time I take her. It must affect her, too. Fuck, that makes it even more exciting to take her. I didn’t think that was even possible.” Bailey turned her face into the pillow to avoid Marc’s probing stare and groaned. “I didn’t mean to say it, but it feels so damned good. Harder, damn you.” James swiped his fingers over her clit, his hand on her back firming when she cried out and bucked against him. “Yes, ma’am. You can have it as hard as you like, but you’ve got my motor revved up good. Now I’ve got to experiment just a little.” Not quite sure what he meant by that, Bailey turned her head to the side, moaning when Marc reclined next to her and reached under her to toy with her nipples, his fingers applying just the right amount of pressure. “I’m not a science project, damn you! Just fuck me. Make me come. I need to come again.” Exhausted from the most incredible sex she’d ever had, she still wanted more. Wondering if she could die from pleasure, she attempted to buck harder. James scraped his teeth over her shoulder in warning. “Easy, babe. Cats might play with string, but panthers play with their mates. You’re just going to have to suffer through being my little play toy.” Marc bent closer, running his lips up and down her arm and under her, chuckling softly when her breath hitched as he drew circles on her belly before making a trail to her breasts. He teased her nipples without mercy, tugging them and sending spikes of jagged need through her.

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“I just had you, and I’m already hard for you again. The way you respond fascinates me. I could play with you all day.” James ran both hands over her hips and bottom, his slow, deep thrusts filling her completely, taking her to the edge only to back off, holding only the head of his cock inside her for several heart-stopping moments before filling her again. Her pussy spasmed around the thick cock filling it, the need to come like a living, breathing thing clawing at her. Marc’s firm hands moved over her breasts, down her belly, and toward her slit, circling it with a devious finger. “Beautiful. Needy. Ours.” Pushing back into James’s strokes, she whipped her head around to glare at Marc. “Stop playing with me and make me come.” “And give up seeing you like this? Not a chance.” With the intention of taking matters into her own hands, she started to reach for her clit, stilling when James pressed a thumb threateningly against her bottom hole. When he pressed a little more, her bottom stung, startling her so much she sucked in a breath and lifted up on her hands until she was on all fours. Taking shallow breaths, she closed her eyes, once again struck by the erotic nature of her two lovers. “What—what are you doing?” Marc chuckled and traced circles on her belly, making her clench again. “Got your attention, didn’t he, and he kept you from playing with that clit. Well, I’ll be damned. It’s nice to know we aren’t the only ones out of control here.” Sucking in another breath as James withdrew his cock almost all the way before surging deep again, she cried out as Marc’s fingers grazed her clit. Each orgasm seemed to prepare her for the next, her body never quite sated.

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“If you think I’m going to let this…thing control me, you—” A strangled cry escaped as James applied more pressure and the tip of his thumb passed through the tight ring of muscle and into her ass. Shivers went up and down her spine, and she clamped down on him in both openings, moaning harshly at the sting and sharp tingles at her puckered opening. With his cock filling her pussy, the thumb in her ass felt huge. She liked sex raw and sweaty, but Marc and James brought a dark, primitive decadence to the act that staggered her. Stunned her. Enthralled her. James held her steady with a hand at her hip. “You were saying, love?” Throwing her head back, she closed her eyes, losing herself in the sheer pleasure of his wicked invasion. Her trembling made her movements clumsy as she rocked back against James, inadvertently causing a tug to the nipple Marc held between his thumb and forefinger. It felt so good she did it again, rocking harder this time, thrilling at the feel of the thick cock moving inside her. Marc’s low growl, followed by a string of curses, vibrated over her skin, the taps of his finger to her clit like little jolts to her system. “I have no fucking idea how we’re supposed to fight this.” Bending toward her, he brushed his lips over her shoulder. “Sometimes I don’t even know why the hell I want to.” With a hand flat on her lower back, James pushed his thumb a little deeper. “I’m sure as hell not going to. There’s not a chance in hell I’m letting her go.” Bailey shook her head in denial of his arrogant claim, moving in time to James’s quick thrusts. “Oh, God.” The slow roll of pleasure seemed to come from deep within her, a place she’d never even known about before.

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So big it frightened her, her orgasm swelled impossibly, consuming her as it hit, leaving her panting and breathless, her body frozen in shock. The pressure and strength of it made it impossible for her to even cry out, the pitiful whimpers pouring out of her, unfamiliar and frightening. Her orgasm went on and on, keeping her in the grip of the most sublimely sexual release she’d ever experienced. Her clit seemed to explode with pleasure, her pussy and bottom clamping down on James and making the too-full sensation even stronger, setting off another swell of indescribable pleasure, one that forced a silent scream from her and made stars burst from behind her eyelids. James cursed, thrust deep, and came, his cock pulsing his release as he pushed his thumb even deeper. To her utter shock, and amazed delight, James let out what could only be described as a roar, a deep rumbling sound that probably should have scared her, but only added to the intensity of the moment. Marc slowed his strokes and then stopped altogether, running his hands over her. “Jesus, baby. Shh. You’re okay. Breathe, Bailey. Fuck, James. What the hell happened? Come on, baby. Breathe for me. I’ve got you.” Marc’s voice sounded as though it came from a distance and held a tenderness she’d never heard in it before, one that had her fighting back tears. Blaming it on the weakness as she came down from the most incredible orgasm of her life, and the intense vulnerability that hit her again hard, she went willingly when he gathered her against him. Slumping in his arms, she couldn’t hold back a whimper when James withdrew from both openings and dropped to the bed behind her. Still shaken by what had just happened and trying to stop the tremors that raced through her, she held on to Marc, grateful for the strength and warmth of the hard bodies surrounding her.

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She wanted James to hold her. It made no sense, but she needed to be held by James as she’d never needed before. She was cold without him. Bereft. And she wanted to cry. Wrapping an arm around her from behind, James kissed her shoulder. “You okay, honey?” The incredible sense of warmth and caring surrounded her, bringing her alarmingly close to blubbering like a baby. She could never let them know. Helplessness wasn’t an option. Held against him, her shaking began to subside, and without thinking, she pulled his arms more firmly around her, holding on to them to keep him from moving away. She had to clear her throat before speaking, firming her voice to hide her alarm at the riot of emotion bubbling up inside her. “I’m fine.” She wasn’t fine. Far from it. Marc lifted his head. “Something’s wrong. What is it?” She didn’t dare tell him. How could she, when she didn’t really understand it herself? Clearing her throat, she forced a drowsy smile. “Nothing. I’m worn out. I’m going to sleep a little bit more and then go downstairs. I have a shipment coming in. Just let yourselves out.” She needed some time alone to think. She’d responded to Marc’s every touch, every caress, but she hadn’t been completely satisfied afterward the way she had with James. No matter how much pleasure Marc had given her, she couldn’t get over the fact that she’d needed James to hold her in order to settle. James leaned over her shoulder, caressing her with long strokes that calmed the tremors just under her skin. “Trying to get rid of us? I thought we’d already established that you’re our mate, Bailey. You’re not getting rid of us. Do you think we

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don’t feel your insecurity? The vulnerability that you’re trying so hard to hide?” Alarmed that they knew so much, she pushed her way out of their arms, a little surprised—and alarmed—that they let her. Without looking at either one of them, she crawled over Marc and got up from the bed on shaky legs. Grabbing her robe, she slid her arms into it and started for the bathroom, hoping her legs didn’t give out on the way there. “I already told you I don’t believe in that mate crap. Just because you say it’s true doesn’t make it so.” Turning, she smiled sarcastically. “I still can’t quite believe that other stuff. I can’t quite figure out what’s going on, but it has to be something else.” James lifted a brow. “Do you mean the fact that we’re shape-shifters?” A cold knot formed in her stomach each time he said that. No matter what she’d seen, she couldn’t quite accept it. Waving her hand negligently, she swallowed the cold ball of fear working its way up her throat. “Whatever. I don’t want to talk about it. Look, the sex is amazing, but I’m not going to let you run my life or make decisions for me just because you’re good in bed. You want to have an affair? Fine. But that’s it. I just don’t want to hear any more about fucking panthers.” Turning, she ran into the bathroom, slamming the door shut and locking it behind her. She couldn’t believe any of this. She felt like she’d walked into a movie and was the only one who didn’t know her lines. Staring into the mirror, she blinked, hardly believing that the image staring back at her was really her. Her eyes looked huge in her face, lighter and more golden than they’d ever looked before. Her cheeks were flushed a flattering pink, her hair a wild golden-brown tangle around her face, and she had a look about her she couldn’t quite identify. Blowing out a breath, she stared at her reflection.

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“Wonderful, Bailey. You could never do anything the easy way, could you. Having an affair with not one, but two men. Smart. Like that could work out. “ Turning away, she dropped onto the edge of the tub. “Shape-shifters. Panthers. Oh, God. They can’t be. They don’t exist. It’s some kind of trick. It’s just not possible.” She looked up as the bathroom door flew open and both Marc and James came inside, shutting the door behind him. Between one breath and the next, two black panthers sat on her bathroom floor. “No!” Jumping up, she threw herself into the corner of the shower. “Stop it. Turn back.” She blinked as the black panthers became Marc and James again. Blowing out a sigh of relief, she wrapped her arms around herself. James came forward and cupped her cheek. “It’s not only possible, it’s a fact—one that you’re going to have to get used to, my mate.” “Don’t call me that!” Marc closed in on her from the other side, cupping her chin and running his thumb back and forth over her swollen lips. “I wasn’t ready for you any more than you’re ready for me, but we’re just going to figure out a way to make this work. I find, my mate, that I just can’t live without you. We’re both going to have to find a way to deal with that.”

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Chapter Ten Even with her back to the door, Bailey stilled, a smile tugging at her lips. No matter how busy she got, she always knew the exact second Marc and James walked into the bar. The atmosphere changed, their overwhelming presence making the bar seem smaller, adding an element of danger and tension to the room that hadn’t been there just moments ago. Unable to resist the opportunity to watch them move, she turned to watch their approach, her stomach clenching in admiration of their smooth, long-legged strides. She looked up to meet James’s steady gaze and then Marc’s, hardly able to believe that the two darkly intimidating men closing in on her were the same men who’d been in her bed this morning. Men who’d shifted and shifted back again right before her eyes. Both appeared formidable and unforgiving, the hard light in their eyes as effective as her bat in clearing a path as several of the patrons scrambled to get out of their way. She didn’t know if she’d ever get used to the fact that the same men walking toward her, the men who had every man in the bar eyeing them with respect and the women with feminine interest, came to her bed every night. The most fascinating and masculine men she’d ever met made love to her each night as though she was the most desirable woman on earth. Even now, although she knew they had to be acutely aware of their surroundings, they only had eyes for her. Her body reacted, as always, to their presence, becoming tight with need, achy and hungry in a way she knew that only they could

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satisfy. Her nipples tingled and pebbled, pushing against the front of her bra as though reaching out to them for attention. The inner walls of her pussy quivered expectantly, already coated with her juices. The awareness in her clit grew as it swelled, her arousal sharpening as they got closer and making it nearly impossible to stand still. Even her puckered opening responded, awakening with little pinpricks and becoming alert with anticipation. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to that. Reminding herself of her resolve that she would not let her body make decisions for her, she greeted them with a pleasant smile. “Hello. What would you like?” James lifted a brow and slid onto a barstool, eyeing her coolly, but Marc’s reaction stunned her. He came around the bar so fast she didn’t have time to react, grabbed her arm and hustled her into her office, breezing past Ricky, who stared in wide-eyed astonishment. Closing the door behind them, he loomed over her. “I can’t stop thinking about you. I can’t get any sleep because you’re curled up against me with that hot little body. Your scent drives me crazy to have you. I can’t sleep alone anymore. You distract me from my work. All I can think about is getting back to you. So do me a favor, mate, and save that polite little smile for your customers.” Bailey blinked up at him, stunned by the flash of heat in his dark eyes. Inwardly cursing that her pussy clenched in response, she lifted her chin. “It’s not my fault you can’t keep your dick in your pants.” Gripping her shoulders when she would have backed away, Marc pulled her close, pressing the evidence of his arousal at her belly and sending a surge of lust and reluctant alarm through her. “Yes, as a matter of fact it is.”

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In a show of strength that stunned her, he lifted her by the waist and sat on the corner of her desk, putting her on his lap so that she straddled him. Low groans rumbled from him as he moved her slit against his cock. “I told you we were highly sexed, but that doesn’t mean I go around with a raging hard-on every minute of the day. That’s only happened since I met you. You’re slowly driving me out of my mind.” The tenderness and confusion in his eyes undid her. Threading her fingers through his silky hair, she lifted her face, touching her lips to his jaw. Unable to resist, she rubbed against him, smiling when his hands tightened on her hips and he growled. “I want you, too. All the damned time. I want you inside me every minute. I can’t be with you without wanting you. I can’t sleep if you’re not in my bed.” Tilting her head, she studied his expression, humbled at the affection she saw there. “Really, Marc. It’s too much. It’s making me crazy, and starting to piss me off. Damn, I love the feel of your body against mine.” Rubbing her slit against his cock, she cursed that their clothing kept him from being inside her. Wrapping her legs around him, she began to rock, running her hands over his chest. Marc groaned, bending his head to meet her lips with his. “This can’t go on.” “I know. We’ll kill each other.” Taking her mouth in one of those long, drugging kisses, he ran his hands up her shirt and rubbed her back in long, firm strokes, holding her against him. He lifted his head, his lips brushing over hers. “It’ll ease soon. It can’t go on like this forever.” Bailey gasped into his mouth, moaning as his hands came around her to cover her breasts. Without hesitation, she wiggled to get closer, wishing he would sweep her bra out of the way. Every inch of her body came alive, every erogenous zone screaming for his attention.

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She ached. She throbbed. She couldn’t catch her breath. Pulling away slightly, she nodded. “Okay. We’ll just keep jumping each other until this thing settles.” Licking her lips, she bit back a moan as her clit swelled even more, the taste of him like a drug running through her system. “As long as we both agree this has nothing to do with that mating stuff and how I smell.” Marc took her mouth again, the possessiveness and expertise in his kiss making it nearly impossible to think. Sliding a hand to her butt, he pulled her closer, rubbing his cock against her slit. “Agreed. It’s much more. I want you, Bailey. I want you to come home with us tonight. I want you in my house. In my bed.” Her head spun with need as they sank into each other, and she lifted her hands to his hair again in an effort to get closer. Turning her face, she ran her tongue over his jaw. “I like my bed.” She couldn’t give up the independence of sleeping in her own bed. Not for him. Not for James. Not for anyone. Her thoughts came to a screeching halt, a cry startled from her when he ripped her bra away. She always loved when the hunger made him forget his strength, thrilling that his need for her became so strong that it ripped the civilized veneer away, leaving only primitive need behind. Pushing her breasts against him and rubbing her clit against his cock, she whimpered in her throat at the delicious feel of his hard body against hers, tugging at his hair in an effort to get even closer. “I ache everywhere. Take me.” Bending her back over his arm, he nibbled at her breast, sending currents of electricity through her. “I’ve got to have you. I ache for you, too. I need to feel that pussy clamp down on my cock. But that’s not enough. I need to feed on you. Everywhere.” Gripping his hair, she sucked in a breath, crying out again when he took her nipple into his mouth and sucked with enough force to make her pussy clench.

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He growled, that low sound that never failed to send a thrill through her. “I need to feel your softness all around me. I need to fill my lungs with your scent.” He lifted his head to stare down at her, taking her nipple between his thumb and forefinger and squeezing, his eyes flashing at her answering cry. “I need to hear those cries that pour out of you when I pleasure you. I need those moans of frustration when you can’t get close enough. I need to be inside you and feel all of you surrounding me. I want it all. And then I want more. Always more.” She yelped in surprise when he set her on her feet, his hurried movements not quite as graceful. Thankful for his steadying hand when he reached into his pocket with the other, she reached for the fastening of her jeans, but her fingers shook so much she couldn’t undo them. “Hurry. Oh, God, please hurry.” As soon as he produced a condom, she reached for it, grabbing it with clumsy fingers out of his hand and using her teeth to rip the package open while he undid his jeans and worked them down to his knees. Seeing that his hands shook made her feel even better, giving her more confidence, but only made her want him more. When he reached for the condom, she yanked it away, staring up at him and trying not to drool. “I want to do it.” Hiding a smile when he groaned and fisted his hands at his sides, she trembled with excitement as his hard, thick length jumped in her hand. Marc’s low animalistic growl made her shake even harder, his hands rough as he made quick work of getting her pants undone and lowered. “You’re running out of time, Bailey.”

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The tension in his voice spoke volumes, telling her more than anything how close he was to losing that formidable control and that now wouldn’t be the time to tease him. She wouldn’t have had the patience to do it for long anyway. Maybe someday she’d get the chance to explore him, but now she just wanted it hard and fast. Apparently, he felt the same way. He barely let her finish before yanking her hands away and bent, pulling her pants off of one leg and lifting her to straddle him again, sinking into her with one smooth thrust. To her shock, instead of moving, he gathered her against him, tangling his hand in her hair and burying his face against her neck with a harsh moan. “Christ, I can’t get enough of you. I can never get close enough. You’re under my skin, and I don’t like it one bit.” She couldn’t get insulted at the sentiment because she felt much the same way. “I know. While I was taking a shower, I got aroused just thinking about you and James. Even my vibrator isn’t enough anymore.” He lifted his head, his eyes narrowed. “I don’t like the idea of you using that vibrator. Whatever you need, James and I can give it to you, and we’re a hell of a lot better than your vibrator.” Unable to resist, she moved on him, loving the feel of his fingers flexing on her bottom. “My vibrator’s pretty good.” “I’m better.” He lifted and lowered her again, torturing her with his slow invasion. Tightening his hold, he lifted her again, sliding his teeth over her neck as he lowered her again. Threading her fingers through his hair, she threw her head back, tightening on him as he filled her. “Yeah, but my vibrator doesn’t give me the trouble you do.” With a growl, he withdrew and surged deep, drawing a breathless cry from her. “I have a feeling there’s going to be more trouble when

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you realize that James and I each need time alone. We need to shift. We need to run. As much as I want you, nothing can change the way we are.” He pumped his hips faster, his fingers gripping the cheeks of her ass. “Fuck. Nothing feels as good as being inside you.” Bailey clung to him, clamping down on the thick heat filling her, hardly able to believe she could be having this conversation with hot lust running rampant through her veins. Her indignation couldn’t take hold as much as she would have liked, the feel of his cock pressing deep numbing it somewhat. “I need to be alone, too. More. Faster. I’m not clingy. Go wherever the hell you want. Oh, God. That feels good. Panthers. Shifting. Shit. I still can’t believe it. Fuck me harder, damn you!” His eyes flashed at the demand, glittering brilliantly. “Demanding little thing, aren’t you? I like that in a mate.” His jaw clenched, his hands firming even more. Keeping her head tilted back and watching her face, he used his other arm to raise and lower her onto his cock, which seemed larger each time he plunged into her. “Demands from my mate seem to have an interesting effect on me.” His cock seemed to grow inside her, the delicious warm vibration shocking her and making her toes curl. She threw her head back as her body tightened, leaving her struggling to hold on to something solid. Her hands kept slipping from his shoulders as the pleasure mounted. Thankful for his firm hold, she let herself go, unable to hold back any longer. “Marc, oh God! Too good. Too good.” She cried out, a cry Marc muffled with his mouth, trembling helplessly when he came to his feet and backed her against her office door. With his hands squeezing her buttocks, he thrust into her over and over, his movements smooth and sure but frenzied with growing desperation that added even more to the excitement.

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Wrenching her mouth from his, she gulped in air and held on, his thrusts so quick and strong she couldn’t even tighten her legs around him. They moved with him, rubbing against his hips as he held her up and fucked her hard with a strength that absolutely astounded her. She loved it. He took what he wanted, but she could feel his rapt attention on her the entire time, as though making sure he didn’t hurt her, but also gauging her pleasure. She loved that hooded gaze, loved the way he looked at her as though she was the most important person in the world to him. His jaw clenched tight as he took her, but his eyes glowed brilliantly with emotion. “Bailey. Fuck, you feel so good. Come for me. Clamp down on my cock and take me with you.” He dug at the magical spot inside her, the friction of his firm thrusts against her inner walls so hot and erotic, she bit her lip to hold back the cries building inside her as the hot tingling ball of fire hit her. She came hard, clamping down on him, her pussy milking his cock in spasms so hard they made her abdomen ache. Her nipples burned at the friction against his chest, and her clit sizzled as though it had been touched by a live wire. When she couldn’t hold back her cries any longer, they started to burst free. Marc covered her mouth with his again, swallowing them and sliding his tongue over hers in an erotic dance. Each stroke of his tongue on hers proved his mastery over her senses by controlling her response, drawing it out until she thought she would die of it. He changed the angle of his thrusts, his cock going impossibly deeper, and even before the last waves of her orgasm diminished, she started to come again. Alarmed, she pushed at him, screaming against his mouth as her entire body stiffened, her toes curling against his thighs as the waves of pleasure got even stronger.

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She thrashed in his arms, fighting his hold, the pleasure and shock of it too intense to bear. Fisting her hands, she beat at him, scared of the need that never seemed to end, no matter how hard she came. Marc’s reaction stunned her. Ripping his mouth from hers, he grabbed her hands in his and held them over her head, thrust deep, and with quick, shallow strokes, kept her orgasm rolling through her. “Mine! Yes. My mate.” Keeping her plastered against the door, he moved with a violence that she’d never seen in him before. “No. You’ll take it all, my mate. All. Yes. You’ll take all of me. Come. Come for me. Fuck. That’s it, mate. More. Take more. Come again. And again. And again. I want all of it. All of you.” Bailey bit her lip to hold back a cry when he thrust deep and growled, a deep vicious sound that would have scared her to death in any other circumstance. Now, though, she reveled in it. Understood it. Loved it. She couldn’t imagine anything more irresistible than a strong man whose only weakness appeared to be her. She’d never felt that way with any man before, and now she had it with two. It stripped away her defenses like nothing else could have. Holding himself deep inside her, his big body shook, his breathing ragged against her forehead, signs of his own loss of control. Slumping against him, she appreciated his strength once again when he gathered her limp form against his chest and, although the muscles surrounding her quivered, he managed to get both of them to the chair behind her desk before he collapsed. Sprawled over him, she rested her head against his chest and concentrated on nothing more strenuous than getting her breath back. She shook everywhere at once, but her toes and her fingertips were numb, making her clumsy as she reached for him. Still, she clamped down on his cock, her hunger for him never quite satisfied.

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Knowing she’d never survive another round, she blinked back tears, tears of frustration and weakness. Because of them, her voice came out in a sob. “We can’t keep doing this. We’re going to kill each other. How the hell long can this last?” Marc’s hands never stopped running up and down her back. Sucking in air, he blew it out in a rush. “I don’t know. It doesn’t seem to be easing at all. If anything, it gets stronger. I can’t even go more than a few hours now without seeing you—touching you—taking you. I’m addicted to you, Bailey. Even now, I want you again, but I’m scared of hurting you. It’s never enough.” Running a hand over her hair with one hand, he used the other to lift her chin, meeting her gaze squarely. “You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met, but being controlled by my cock is pissing me off. I don’t like it one bit.” Bailey swallowed against the hurt, knowing it was stupid to be stung by his words. Pushing against his chest, she sat up. “I feel the same way. I haven’t been controlled by hormones since I was a teenager. I’m thirty-two years old, and I’ve been making my own decisions for a long time now.” Narrowing his gaze, Marc sat up, his quick movement throwing her off-balance and toppling her back over his arm. “I’m forty-two and I’ve been making my own decisions even longer. I’m sorry it hurts you. That wasn’t my intention. I just want to be honest.” “You didn’t hurt me. I’m not a child.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before he opened them again. “Don’t. Do not lie to me. Ever. I know I hurt you. For some fucking reason I can even feel what you feel.” “You, too?”

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He froze, staring down at her incredulously. “What the hell did you just say?” Bailey looked away, wondering if she’d ever be able to control her tongue again. “Damn it, I wasn’t going to tell you that.” She slapped his chest in frustration, a slap that he ignored. Gripping her jaw, he forced her to look at him. “Are you serious? Why the hell didn’t you tell me about this before?” Bailey tried and failed to push his hand away. “Let go of me, you…you cat. I didn’t tell you because it isn’t any of your fucking business what I feel. I don’t give a shit that you want to get rid of me. I want to get rid of you, too. Let go of me, damn you.” Marc got in her face, not letting her look away. “Cat? Did you just call me a cat? I swear, woman, you would pull a lion’s tale.” Bailey sucked in a breath when his cock jumped inside her. Not wanting to show any weakness, she punched his shoulder. “No, a panther’s!” She scrambled from his lap, surprised, relieved, and disappointed when he let her, and already missing the feel of his cock inside her, his arms around her. Knowing how fast he could move, she rushed to put some distance between them, nearly tripping over her pant leg. She couldn’t put more than a few feet between them in her small office, so she backed away while trying to slide her foot into her panties and jeans, yanking them up and fumbling to fasten them. “Since we can’t stand each other, it should be easy enough to—” Marc shot to his feet, started forward, and cursed. Ripping off the condom, he tossed it into her garbage can and pulled up his pants all in one swift movement. “What the fuck do you mean ‘we can’t stand each other?’ I haven’t done anything to you, and face it, baby, I’ve given you a hell

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of a lot of pleasure. Or, are you going to try to tell me those screams when you came were protests?” “Fuck you.” “No, Bailey, I fuck you!” “Not anymore you don’t. I’m not going to let my body tell me what to do. I’ve got a vibrator.” Backing her against the two-way mirror, he reached out to cup her breast and ran his thumb over her nipple, smiling when she gasped. “That doesn’t work for you now, remember? It doesn’t satisfy you the way I can.” Keeping his tone low and intimate, he leaned close, sliding his hand into the opening of her jeans that she hadn’t been able to fasten. “Come back to my house tonight. My bed’s a king, and you can sleep safe and warm between James and me.” Flicking a finger over her clit, he brushed her lips with his. “And there’s lots of room for moving around.” Bailey pulled his hand out of her jeans, once again disappointed that he’d allowed it, and hurriedly fastened them. Crossing her arms over her chest, she gave him a sarcastic smile while inside her heart raced. “I thought you said you hated wanting me.” Scowling down at her, he spoke through clenched teeth. “There’s no way we can stay away from each other, and we both know it. It’s like an addiction. I want you at my house, Bailey. We’ll take it one day at a time.” Bailey gaped at him, her heart leaping in her throat. She’d give anything to be able to spend every available minute with him and James, but knew they’d just end up hurting each other. “Are you kidding me? We’re either screwing or fighting. I’m not moving in with you.” Marc’s slow smile filled her with foreboding. “Yes, Bailey. You are.”

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Dumbfounded, Bailey watched him storm out the door, wincing when he slammed it behind him. Turning toward the two-way mirror, she watched him appear at the bar. If she hadn’t been paying attention, she would have missed his lips moving as he said something to James as he passed him. Without even glancing in her direction, he strode through the bar and out into the night. Already she missed him. Moving behind the desk, she dropped into the chair and sighed. One tear fell, and then another. Angrily wiping them away, she came to her feet and started pacing her office, looking up as the door flew open and James filled the doorway. With a curse, he kicked the door closed and opened his arms. “Come here, honey.” His wide chest was too damned inviting to resist, and without meaning to, she flung herself against him, shocked at the sob that broke free. “He hates me, James. He wants me, but he hates me. I don’t care. I mean it. I don’t give a damn.” Humiliating herself even further, she burst into tears. **** Sitting in his truck, Marc wrapped his hands around the steering wheel in an effort to stop them from shaking. How the hell could one woman be so much trouble? Christ, she made him crazy. One minute he’d been telling her that he wanted nothing more than to get her out of his system, and the next he’d been trying to figure out a way to get her to move in with him. Turning his head, he looked back toward the bar, missing her already.

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Sighing, he sat back, a chuckle escaping before he could prevent it. His mate. She sure was a handful. God, he loved her. He froze, staring unseeingly out the windshield. Oh, Christ. He loved her. Fighting to resist her suddenly seemed like the stupidest thing in the world. He’d always been taught to trust his instincts, and they’d never let him down yet. Yet, he sat out here in the parking lot, trying to talk himself out of trusting his instincts on what could be the most important decision he ever made in his life. Suddenly, he felt as if an incredible weight had been lifted off of his shoulders, and grinned for the first time in weeks. She was his mate.

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Chapter Eleven Mortified at her earlier breakdown, Bailey closed her eyes and lifted her face into the spray, letting the warm water soothe her. The cool burst of air was her only warning before James wrapped his arms around her from behind, pulling her firmly against him, and began to massage her breasts. “You look good wet, honey.” Dropping her head back against his shoulder, she reached up to grip his forearms, loving the feel of slick, sinewy muscle beneath her fingers. She didn’t understand the sudden sense of warmth and affection that surrounded her, one that seemed stronger than just an embrace would induce. She only knew that it warmed her from the inside out, much like a shot of her finest whiskey. Slumping back against him to get closer, she smiled when she felt his cock against her back. “You feel good hard.” Chuckling, he tugged her wet nipples, the feel of his strong fingers sliding over them creating an answering pull at her slit. Rubbing his cock against her lower back, he kissed her shoulder, his lips warming her there even over the heat of the shower. “I’m glad you think so because I’m always hard when I’m with you. Need a little help washing?” It felt so good to be in his arms. Not only did she experience the lust she felt whenever she was with Marc, but also a closeness that somehow smoothed some of her rough edges. Not just sex. Intimacy.

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It made her more than a little uncomfortable, but in his embrace, she didn’t have the willpower to fight it. She felt safe with him physically, but his effect on her emotions made her nervous and jittery, which eased under the glide of his hands, a phenomenon that she noticed with increasing frequency. Hiding her confusion and determined to keep the mood light, she handed him the soap, her body already humming in anticipation. “If you think I’m going to pass up a chance to have your hands on me, you’re crazy.” Lifting her arms around his neck in invitation, a slight shiver went through her at the level of emotional vulnerability that slammed into her as she offered herself. All of a sudden, she felt like throwing herself into his arms and crying, something she wouldn’t have ever dreamed she’d do, something she’d already done once today. She had no desire to repeat the performance. The burst of emotion seemed to come out of nowhere, but once it struck, it wouldn’t go away. She wanted to push him away as much as she wanted to curl into him. Thankful that the shower hid the unexpected tears that gathered at the corners of her eyes, she rubbed against him. Leaning back, she tilted her head and kissed the strong line of his jaw, closing her eyes against the stinging spray. “Thank you.” The low, husky words were out before she could stop them. Uncomfortable now at bringing up the subject of her earlier breakdown, she took the soap back from him and turned in his arms, fighting the urge to squirm under his close scrutiny. Lifting her chin with soapy fingers, he frowned down at her. “What exactly are you thanking me for, honey?” Shrugging, she looked away and started lathering his chest, not finding it difficult at all to focus on the sleek muscle beneath her fingers. “For putting up with me when I acted stupid.” Looking up at him through her lashes, she shrugged again. “I’m never like that. I

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made a big deal out of nothing, and I’m sorry I fell apart all over you.” The memory of it still made her feel like an idiot. Sliding his hands through her wet hair, he dropped a kiss on her lips, a small scowl marring his features. “You were upset. I’m honored that you trusted me enough to let me see you that way.” A hint of something more glittered in his eyes, but while she debated with herself on whether to ask him about it or not, he started to lower his head. He brushed his lips over hers again, his breath mingling with hers. “And that you let me comfort you. You and Marc are both fighting this, and you’re only going to end up hurting yourselves and each other. I hate watching it.” Wiping some of the water from her face, he tilted her head back and ran his thumb over her bottom lip. “And I can’t stand to see you hurting.” Shaken by the emotion in his eyes and the almost overwhelming need to beg him to hold her, she pulled out of his hold. Fascinated by the streams of soap bubbles that ran down his chest, she toyed with a male nipple, not daring to look up at him. She had to ask the question that had been plaguing her, one that had been niggling at the back of her mind for days, but she didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. Attempting nonchalance, she smiled and traced another soap bubble. “I can’t believe I’m asking about this since I don’t even believe in such a thing, but are you really my mate, too, or are you just saying that?” He moved fast, pressing her back against the shower wall and catching her jaw in an unbreakable hold, his eyes narrowed and snapping fire. “Excuse me?” “Forget it.” She tried to pull away and failed, so she settled for pushing at him, which only served to make her lose her balance. Before she could

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even cry out, he caught her, wrapping his hands around her upper arms to steady her. “Why would you ask me that?” “I said, forget it.” Hell, she didn’t even know why she’d asked. She didn’t even know why the hell she cared since she didn’t believe in that mate crap anyway. A little tremor went through her when she realized she’d started to accept what they told her as truth. How the hell could she have started to believe that bullshit? Lifting her to her toes, James loomed over her. “I want an answer, Bailey. Stop acting like a child and—” “Put me down, damn it. I’m not acting like a child. You and Marc barge into my life—” “Saved your life.” “And right away you start talking about shape-shifters and mates and I’m just supposed to fall for it.” A muscle worked in his jaw, and she could swear she could almost feel his struggle for patience. Gritting his teeth, he let out a breath. “Damn it, Bailey, we wanted to be honest with you from the start. We’re proving to you what we said is the truth, and we’re giving you time to adjust to it. We know it’s hard. We’re trying to be patient.” Wrapping his hand in her hair again, he pulled her close. “But if you think I’m going to let you turn a blind eye to what’s happening between us, you don’t know me at all.” Running a hand down her back to her bottom, he pulled her even closer. “And I think you and I know each other very well, don’t we, Bailey?” She gasped at the feel of his finger sliding between her legs, moaning as he slipped the tip of it into her pussy. Without hesitation, she tilted her hips back to take more of it inside her, rubbing restlessly against him.

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“It’s different with you than it is with Marc. If I’m…ah… supposed to be the mate to both of you, oh, God that feels good, shouldn’t it feel the same?” He slid his finger a little deeper and moved it inside her. “We’re not the same, Bailey, something that you’d better come to terms with right from the start.” His hooded gaze narrowed even more as he slid another inch of his finger into her slick pussy. “Don’t try to tell me you don’t respond to my touch every bit as much as you respond to Marc’s. I’ve been inside you, baby, and I know better. I’ve held you while you came apart in my arms. You want me every bit as much as you want him.” She couldn’t deny it, especially not when she almost came when he slid his finger all the way into her, her slick juices easing his way. Coming to her toes as he pressed against that supersensitive spot inside her, she grabbed his shoulders and slumped against him, his determination to prove his point apparent in every mind-numbing stroke. “I know, and it’s—oh God, that feels good—and it’s wonderful.” “But there’s a difference, isn’t there, honey?” Shrugging, she nodded, curious enough to be honest with him. “It’s not as frantic, but it’s more…I don’t know—” “Satisfying?” To her surprise, James slid his finger from her, trailing it up the crease of her ass, pausing at her puckered opening, his broad grin making her nervous as hell. His breath feathered over her cheek, the silky cadence of it sliding over her with as much warmth as the hot shower. “That’s because you’ve already accepted the fact that I’m your mate—just as I’ve accepted the fact that you’re mine. It’s just as good, but we’re both sated afterwards. No matter how much you fight it, you’ve already accepted that you belong to me.” Nothing he could have said could have surprised her more.

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Infuriated her more. Terrified her more. Panicked, she tried to push at him, only to find herself once again backed against the shower wall, both of her wrists caught in one of his strong hands and raised over her head. Sputtering against the shower spray, she kicked at him, furious at being manhandled so easily and alarmed at her reaction to it. “Let go of me. I haven’t accepted a damned thing.” Her stomach tightened in arousal, her clit throbbing in time to her heartbeat. His grin only managed to piss her off more, but did nothing to diminish her hunger. He raised a brow, his eyes glittering with challenge. “You think not? Go on, honey. Try to deny it. I’m going to enjoy listening to you beg. But be careful, because it affects me, too.” She sucked in a breath when his fingers trailed over her belly, her stomach muscles quivering under his hand. It took tremendous effort to fight him with need clawing at her, the tingling in her nipples and clit growing stronger. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. I never agreed to be your mate. We fuck, that’s it.” James tapped her clit, his eyes narrowing to slits. “Keep it up, honey. No, I’m not talking about a few weeks of fucking you every chance I get. I’m talking mate, as in, for life. You know, sleeping in the same bed every night, kids, the whole thing.” A surge of panic welled up inside her. “I never agreed to anything like that.” God, she burned. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t keep her eyes from his cock, mesmerized by the sight of the wet, purplish head. Her pussy clenched with the need be filled with his long, thick heat, already soaked in anticipation of the pleasure she knew he would give her.

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James’s eyes raked over her. “Maybe you didn’t consciously make the decision, my mate, but you accepted me as your mate on some level, which is why sex between us is so good.” Struck by his ridiculous claim, she struggled against his hold, fighting the surge of panic that bubbled up inside of her. “No, damn it. It’s not true. I didn’t accept a fucking thing. Just because we’re good together in bed doesn’t give you—oh, hell.” James reached out to circle a nipple, his touch effectively cutting off her rant. His hooded eyes held hers, filled with an emotion that left her transfixed and breathless. “Let me tell you a little something and maybe you’ll understand.” Using his entire body to press her against the shower wall, he released her hands to tilt her face up to face his, a muscle working in his jaw. “That night we found you, I felt a rage unlike anything I’d ever experienced. I caught your scent long before we ever got to you, and all I could think as we ran through the woods was mine. She’s mine. She’s in danger, and I’ll never get to her in time. I didn’t know you. I didn’t know your name or what you looked like, but I knew your scent, even though I’d never smelled it before.” Bending close, he brushed his lips over her temple, the tension in his voice and in his body pressed against hers keeping her silent as much as her fascination in his words. “I knew that I’d spent my life waiting for you when I didn’t even know I’d been looking for you. I knew you were in danger, and I couldn’t get to you fast enough. I’ve never been so scared.” He sighed, touching his forehead to hers. “I could never explain to you what I felt. It’s more than a human emotion, and I wish I knew how to put it into words for you. Maybe one day I’ll figure it out. Let’s just say that I would have, and still would, gladly kill for you. I would risk my life to keep you safe without any hesitation at all.”

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Bailey lifted her gaze to his, stunned by the raw emotion blazing in his eyes. She swallowed heavily at what she saw in them, an emotion she’d been looking for her entire life. Everything around her seemed to fall into place. Sucking in a breath at the warm sense of belonging that surrounded her, she let out a shaky breath, lifting her face to his. “James, I don’t know what to say.” “There’s nothing to say. Just listen.” Releasing her, he straightened. With a sigh, he scrubbed a hand over his face and blew out another breath, staring at the shower wall. “Here we were, racing to get to you, only to find someone in the process of killing you. I struck without even thinking about it. I didn’t care if I killed him or not. I only wanted to get him to stop hurting you. My mind went completely blank except for one thing—the instinct to protect my mate at all costs. If I hadn’t gotten to you a step before Marc, he would have done the same thing.” He rinsed them both and with a snap of his wrist, turned off the water, his voice low and kept at a monotone the entire time. “The walk home lasted forever. Here I was walking through the woods with a man who’s been like a brother to me ever since I can remember, and all I wanted to do was fight him and rip you from his arms.” Snapping a towel from the nearby towel bar, he wrapped it around her and lifted her chin. “And then I saw his face. Jesus!” Turning away, he reached for another towel and wrapped it around his waist before getting out of the shower and reaching back for her. “While we got you out of your wet and muddy clothes, we checked you over for injuries. We couldn’t stop shaking. Neither one of us knew what the fuck was going on. After we finished getting you settled, I left. I stayed away from you that night. I was so wound up I shifted and ran through the woods. I finally stopped and sat there for

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hours wondering what the hell had happened. But, I knew. Deep down, I already knew. When Leland arrived, he only confirmed what I already knew in my soul was true.” Bailey’s pulse tripped. Stopped. Raced. Her heart filled, swelling with a joy so powerful it stole her breath. Shaking her head, she searched his eyes, the knowledge of how deeply he could hurt her nearly choking her. “I don’t understand. None of this makes any sense.” James smiled, a mixture of amusement and sadness. “Well, since none of us had ever found a mate, it didn’t make sense to us either. It turns out Leland and another member of our pack—family—had found theirs and fought it. They rejected her and she left.” The tortured look in his eyes pulled at her as he ran a finger down her jaw. “They’ve been searching for her ever since. They feel like part of them is missing. But they discovered it too late. They can’t find any trace of her.” A sense of inevitability closed in on her. The feeling that she was about to choose a path that would decide her destiny loomed large. The fact that all of her instincts screamed at her that happiness lay just at her fingertips didn’t ease her fears at all. Although she’d learned long ago to trust her instincts, she didn’t trust theirs and feared that they’d chosen her for all the wrong reasons and one day would regret their decision. A rejection she knew would devastate her. In an attempt at nonchalance, she shrugged, swallowing the lump that threatened to choke her. “You can’t pick someone just because you think they smell good.” His smile made her heart race. “I wouldn’t choose a mate on that alone. I prefer to think I decide my own fate as much as the next person. I figure it’s like pheromones. It got me hooked, but it’s not what keeps me there. The more time I spend with you and the more I get to know you, the more I want to be with you. That’s what allowed

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me to accept that you really are my mate. As soon as I came to grips with it, some of the desperation eased.” “What do you mean by that? Are you saying you don’t want me anymore?” She looked down meaningfully to where his towel tented. Shaking his head, he grinned. “It means, honey, that whenever you resist what we have between us, or I do, I want to take you so much that my fucking brain doesn’t even work. Instinct takes over, and I need to claim my mate—you— and earn your surrender.” Smiling, he circled her nipple through the towel. “If you hadn’t already accepted the fact that you’re my mate, you would be going through the same frustration you go through with Marc. You can never get completely satisfied, can you, Bailey? Marc’s never fully satisfied either. No matter how many times he comes, he can’t get relief. Neither one of you will until you learn to accept the truth.” No matter how much she wanted this, she didn’t see how a relationship with two men could work, especially two men who swore to be shape-shifters. Shaking her head, she looked away. “No. I can’t just accept it.” James rubbed his body against hers, his hard cock pressing against her belly. “Well then, I guess that’s going to make tonight a lot more interesting.” His seductive tone and the anticipation lighting his eyes sent shards of white-hot heat straight to her slit. Alarmed at her immediate willingness to give in to it, she pushed at him again. “Get away from me. How the hell can you just accept something like that?” Taking her hands in one of his, he raised them above her head and used his own body to press hers against the bathroom wall. With an ease that both thrilled and frustrated her, he rendered her struggles

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useless, his gaze falling to her heaving breasts before holding hers again. “I look at it this way. I want you. You want me. If nature wants me to take a path I’m already anxious to take, why should I fight it? You’re the most desirable woman I’ve ever known. You intrigue me more every day, and I’m looking forward to spending the rest of my life learning everything there is to know about you. Why would I fight something I want so badly?” Sucking in a breath at the feel of the lines of his hard body against hers, she fought the urge to rub against him. “That’s so…so primitive.” She loved it. He made her feel all woman, warm, soft, vulnerable, but at the same time overflowing with a feminine power that made her head swim. His face hardened, and it took a tremendous amount of effort not to let her alarm show. “Marc and I are primitive on many levels, my mate, something you’re just going to have to accept.” He whipped the towel off of her and tossed it aside. Before she could move, he lifted her high in his arms and strode to the bed, tossing her onto the center of it. She bounced once and would have scrambled away, but he dropped on top of her, effectively pinning her to the mattress. Her soft curves molded themselves to his much harder lines, yielding as much as the rest of her did. James chuckled, nuzzling her neck. “Now, let’s see how long you can resist what both of us want, my beautiful and hardheaded mate.” The feel of all the lines and angles of his hard, leanly muscled body against hers had her squirming beneath him in an attempt to get his rigid length inside of her. God, she wanted him. “That’s it, honey. Keep trying to deny what your body’s already accepted.” Sliding a finger deep into her pussy, he held her gaze, a small smile playing at his lips.

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“Yeah, that’s it. This tight little pussy’s clamping down on my fingers like it needs to be filled. You’re already soaking wet. You need my cock inside you, don’t you, Bailey?” Stiffening at his arrogance, she closed her thighs on his hand. “Fuck you. Get off of me.” To her surprise, James did just that, rolling to the side. He waved an arm, grinning when she scrambled from the bed. “Sure thing, sweetheart. You’ll be back.” “Kiss my ass.” She didn’t know how he did it, but she found herself on the bed, facedown before she could blink. “Damn it, James, I…oh! What are you doing?” Fisting her hands in the bedding, she squeezed her eyes closed as the warmth of his lips moved over her bottom. “I’m doing what you asked me to do, my mate.” “Stop calling me that!” “No.” Spreading her bottom cheeks, he ran his tongue over her puckered opening, chuckling when she cried out and lifted to him. “You’re going to give me this ass before we’re through here tonight. Not only that, you’re going to beg me to take it.” Angry at herself and alarmed at her body’s response to his decadent touch, she clawed at the bedding in an effort to get away. Her bottom hole tingled, needing attention. “Never.” Ignoring that, he released her, smiling as she scrambled away, his eyes hooded as he followed her movements around the room. “Oh, yes, my mate, you will. Tonight I won’t accept anything less than your complete and unconditional surrender.” Propping himself against the headboard with several pillows, he folded his hands behind his head, his eyes following her movements. “Is it really so difficult to accept, Bailey? Chemistry plays a big part in attraction, honey. For us, it’s just stronger than most.”

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She tried, she really tried, not to look in his direction, but the sight of him lying back on the bed, his cock standing almost straight up, proved to be too tempting to ignore. Her pussy clenched repeatedly, the need to be filled with his magnificent hard thickness almost overwhelming her. Looking away helped a little, but not much. “I make my own choices.” James laughed softly. “Of course you do, but some of them make no sense at all. For example, you can choose to keep pacing back and forth and eyeing my cock, or you can come over here and let me help you with that arousal that has you shaking so hard you can barely walk.” “I don’t need your fucking help.” “Sure you do. I can smell your arousal from here, a scent that’s driving me slowly out of my mind. You know you need relief, and you know that until you and Marc make your peace with each other, I’m the only one who can give it to you.” His expression softened somewhat. “Why do the two of you insist on fighting the inevitable?” “Because it’s not inevitable!” With a sigh, James sat up. “Of course not. Look at Leland and Joe. You and Marc are headed down the same path. The two of you are both going to let something we all want slip through your fingers because you don’t like the fact that you want it so much. That doesn’t make any sense, Bailey.” When he put it like that, it didn’t make a hell of a lot of sense, especially when her body was screaming for the release she knew he could give her. Still, she couldn’t quell her inward struggle to fight against something that had the potential to change her life so dramatically. It took tremendous effort, but she kept her tone even. “This mate stuff is a little extreme, don’t you think? What’s wrong with just having an affair or something?”

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James shrugged, his eyes going flat. “Not a thing. If you and Marc want to keep going the way you have been, that’s up to you, but I want more than that. I want a relationship with a vibrant and exciting woman, one who excites me, intrigues me, and who falls apart in my arms. I want the woman who purrs when she’s stroked and cuddles against me in the middle of the night. I want a woman who looks to me for protection and for pleasure.” The truth of his words struck her hard. Feeling extremely vulnerable, she grabbed her robe from where she’d tossed it over the back of a chair and wrapped herself in it. Her nipples pressed against the soft fabric so that each time she moved, it rubbed against them, sending jolts of sensation to her slit and making her clit throb even harder. More of her juices coated her thighs, and a fine sheen of perspiration covered her as the warmth inside her continued to grow. She needed to come. Badly. James lay back against the headboard again, saying nothing, and continued to watch her, his hooded gaze decadent and sexy as it followed her around the room. He looked like exactly what he was—a male in his prime, hard and ready and supremely confident that he could satisfy his woman. She already knew how strong those arms would feel around her. With his hands behind his head, his magnificent body showed to perfection. The memory of how firm and warm it felt under her hands and against her had her taking a step toward him. The knowledge of her inner struggle reflected in his eyes, and she caught herself before she could move any closer. Pressing her thighs together, she let her gaze wander over him, down his chest to his thick cock, which appeared to grow harder and thicker each time she looked at it. His thighs, corded with muscle, parted a little more as he bent a knee and turned slightly toward her. Hell, even his feet looked sexy.

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God, she wanted him and didn’t know how much longer she could keep her distance when everything inside her screamed for his possession. Meeting his gaze again, it thrilled her to see that he didn’t appear as cool and calm as he had a few minutes ago. She needed to challenge him, to make him pay for his arrogance in assuming she’d already accepted him as her mate. Dropping her arms to her sides, she pretended not to notice that her robe loosened. It parted several inches, allowing the curve of her breast to show, and as she moved, she could feel the material brush against her thigh and hoped he got a glimpse of her mound as she knelt as gracefully as she could at the foot of the bed. “I think you’re wrong about this. I come when I’m with Marc.” James nodded, appearing a little distracted when her robe parted even more. “Yes, you come, but you’re never fully satisfied. You won’t be until you accept him as your mate. Why don’t you come over here and let me touch you?” Bailey couldn’t help but notice that his cock jumped, his growing arousal evident by the tenseness in his body and the hard glitter of need in his eyes. She gritted her teeth against her own need, adjusting her position to rub her slit against her ankle. “I don’t think so. I think you’re full of shit. Get out.” Sitting up, he leaned closer, reaching out to tug the sleeve of her robe, his eyes moving over her bared shoulder, a caress she would swear she could feel. “No. How long are you going to torture both of us?” She reveled in the role of seductress, but had no idea how long she could last. The need inside her burned, making it impossible to sit still. Suddenly, it became imperative that he give in first. She leaned a little closer to him, letting her robe fall several more inches, until the edge of it dangled perilously from her left nipple.

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“Is that what I’m doing? Torturing you?” Lifting his gaze to hers, James inclined his head, acknowledging the game. His eyes flashed at the challenge, gleaming with the knowledge that he would win. “Like I said, you’re torturing both of us.” Shrugging, he held her gaze, his eyes narrowing even more. “Not that I object. It heightens the senses, but I would like to know why. Is it for fun? It is because you want to prove to me that you can deny your need? Or because you want to provoke me into taking you? If it’s the first, that’s fine with me. You’re not going to have any luck in the other two. I won’t rape you, no matter how much I want you. I’m here and willing to satisfy your every need whenever you want. All you have to do is beg me to fuck that tight ass and I’ll give you more pleasure than you can stand.” Lifting a brow, she let the robe fall a little more, exposing her breast completely. “That’s awfully arrogant, don’t you think?” She didn’t know where the urge came from, but she ran her fingers over her breast, teasing herself by avoiding her nipple. Of its own accord, her head dropped back, her eyelids becoming heavy. She didn’t dare look away from him, though, not wanting to miss the slightest change in his expression. His need for her shone clearly in every look, in every graceful move of his lean, muscular body as he came forward, a panther stalking his prey. His eyes hardened, a muscle working in his jaw as he followed the movement of her hand, and when he licked his lips, she shuddered with the need to feel his hot mouth close over her nipple. Unable to stand it anymore, she pinched her nipple, throwing her head back and crying out at the tug that went all the way to her clit. A low growl came from somewhere deep inside James’s chest, the rumbling sound of it vibrating over her and causing little pinpricks of

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delight everywhere. Fisting his hands at his sides, he came to his knees and slid closer. “Let the robe fall, Bailey. Let me see that gorgeous body.” The way he looked at her and the erotic threat in his deep tone made him impossible to resist. The look of hunger in his eyes and the coiled strength in his powerful body, as though he could spring at any moment, added an element of danger to their play, one that she found incredibly exciting. To tease both of them, she shrugged her shoulder, letting her robe fall to her waist. Her breasts swelled under his gaze, the need inside her growing. Thinking about nothing but relief, she slid her hand down her belly, her breath catching as James licked his lips, his narrowed gaze following the movement. He started to reach for her, only to curse and pull his hand back. “Spread those thighs and part your folds, honey. Let me see you. Do it now, Bailey.” All embarrassment fled under his steely command. Hunger wouldn’t allow her to deny him. With shaking hands, she slowly spread her thighs, shivering with awareness when his gaze caressed her slit. Feeling daring, she did something she’d never done before. She touched herself in front of a lover. Taking a deep breath, she parted her folds and slid her fingers over her clit. With a gasp, she let her head fall back, shocked that the slightest swipe of her fingers enflamed her, sending a shock of heat through her, one much sharper and more intense than anytime she’d touched herself in the past. Hearing the low, almost continuous growls coming from James, she found herself lost in a world of erotic pleasure, one that she knew she’d visit again and again if she accepted him as her mate.

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She knew her body well and went over almost immediately, a small wave that relieved some of the pressure but that in no way satisfied her. In fact, her orgasm only seemed to make her want more. Frustrated, she spread her thighs wider and stroked faster, bending to get the angle she needed. Her fingers, soaked with her juices, slid easily over the burning nub, the next small orgasm rolling through her only increasing her need for more. Frantic for relief, she rubbed harder, a sob escaping when it kept her on the edge but didn’t come close to giving her the satisfaction she strove for. “I want you, Bailey. End this fucking game and let me have you.” Startled at his deep, almost vicious tone, she paused, so shaken by the fury in it she remained frozen, staring over at him. He looked at her as though starving for her. Raising his eyes to hers again, he moved forward, his hands and jaw clenched. “It’s not enough, is it, Bailey? You need your mate.” His eyes flashed with heat, the anger and need in his voice pulling at something deep inside her. Her pussy and bottom clenched almost continuously now, the need to come making her desperate. Whimpering in frustration, she rubbed frantically at her clit, unwilling to accept that she believed him. How could she if she couldn’t even wrap her mind around the fact that things like shape-shifters and mates even existed? “No mates. No shape-shifters. James, I need to come.” James slid from the bed and went to her nightstand drawer, where he’d already stashed a huge box of condoms. He rolled one on with none of his usual finesse and came back to stand at the foot of the bed, never taking his eyes from her. “Make yourself come again. And again. It won’t satisfy you anymore. The only thing that will satisfy you now is being taken by your mate.”

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In the past, masturbating had given her all the relief she needed. Now, it only served to arouse her so much, she couldn’t even think. “No. James, make it stop.” Increasing the speed of the strokes to her clit, she cursed, tears filling her eyes. “It burns. It won’t stop.” “You’re fucking stubborn, do you know that? If you want relief, all you have to do is stop fighting what we both know you want.” The sight of his hard cock proved to be more than she could stand. Coming to her feet, she swayed, her legs unable to support her. Grateful that he caught her, she held on to him, pressing her breasts against his chest and reaching for his cock. “Fuck me, James. Damn you! This is your fault.” “No, it’s yours.” He stared down at her, his face tight with anger and need. “I already told you, I want that ass this time, Bailey.” He reached out to roll a nipple between his thumb and forefinger, tangling his hand in her hair and pulling her head back. Looming over her, he pinched her nipple, his eyes narrowing to mere slits when she cried out. “You won’t be satisfied until you admit the truth to yourself. It looks like it’s only going to get worse for you until you do. You have two mates, Bailey, and we’re both shape-shifters. You know they exist. You’ve seen us shift. You know the truth, damn you! All you have to do is admit it to yourself. Let yourself believe, Bailey. In us. In this.” Touching his lips to her forehead, he groaned. “I’ll give you all the relief I can, but it’s up to you, Bailey. But if you want me to take you, you’re going to have to give me that ass. I want it all from you. I need your ultimate submission, and for you to admit what we both already know. You belong to me.” Her fear grew even stronger as she struggled to come to terms with the truth. Heart, soul, and body, she belonged to him.

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Chapter Twelve Holding her trembling body against his, James fought his own raging need, wanting nothing more than to toss her facedown in the center of the bed and fill her tight ass with his cock. He wanted to hear her scream his name as she came, the cry of a woman to her mate, a cry to show how much pleasure he gave her. His cock throbbed in response, the hunger so strong he knew he had to rein it in and proceed with caution. He wanted to see her look at him the way she had in the shower. He needed for her to admit to him what he’d seen in her eyes. Although she still fought it, she loved him. It hit him hard, the need to see that look again, the need to have her admit that she belonged to him. The force of the possessiveness that rose up inside him staggered him. When she’d asked if he was sure he was her mate, he’d wanted to smash his fist into the wall, so outraged that she would doubt it for one minute, especially after he’d seen the truth of her feelings in her eyes. Felt them. He’d told her about the night they’d rescued her, hoping she would understand how strongly he felt the bond between them, even without knowing her. That look in her eyes had done him in. To have a woman like Bailey as his mate would make him the happiest man on earth. He would have it. He would have it all. Now, without even thinking about it, he couldn’t stop running his hands over her soft skin, memorizing every curve and valley and attentive to her reaction to each caress. All the while, he drew her

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closer and closer until he held her fully against him. The sweet scent of her juices tantalized him until the need to taste her became overwhelming. “I can’t wait any more, Bailey. I want the taste of my woman, my mate, on my tongue.” He ran his hand down her soft, tight body, not stopping until he parted her folds and rubbed his fingers against her clit, his cock jumping again to find the sensitive little nub swollen and slick. The sweet, helpless sounds she made stirred the primitive need to dominate burning inside him, one that he knew would be allconsuming if unleashed. He soaked his fingers with her juices before turning her in his arms. Using the fingers of his other hand to tease her clit, he growled in his throat as he pushed his drenched fingers against her puckered opening. Using strokes to her clit to keep her on the verge of coming, he applied pressure. “I want this ass. I want to fill it with my cock. I want to feel that tight ass clamp down on me. I want it to ripple all around me when you come. I want you to come hard, to get the satisfaction we both need. Admit the truth, Bailey. Admit that you love me.” To his delight, she pushed back, gasping when she took the tips of two fingers into her ass. “I can’t. Oh, God. James.” The fear in her voice got to him like nothing else could have. Her ass tightened like a vise on his fingers, the contractions of the tight ring driving him insane. “Don’t be afraid. I would never hurt you.” A shudder went through her, spiking his need. “Oh, God. James. Yes. Take me. Fuck me hard.” Another growl broke free, one he didn’t even attempt to suppress. He withdrew, lifted her high into his arms, and headed for the bed, hunger for her making his skin feel too tight for his body.

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“You make me fucking crazy. Before we’re done here, I’m going to do the same to you.” **** Bailey didn’t even have time to catch her breath before James pulled her thighs apart and buried his face between them. Once she felt his hot tongue slide into her pussy, breathing didn’t seem so important anymore. He used his strength, but Bailey knew without a doubt he would never force her, which gave her the freedom to give in to him without fear. Her inhibitions seemed to melt away under his wicked assault, and she made her own demands, squirming and grabbing at him. “More. James, I’m going to come. Harder!” The hands he wrapped around her thighs held her still while he ate at her, overpowering her struggles with an ease that thrilled her. The low growls coming from him seemed to vibrate over her clit, setting off a wave of sizzles that grew and burned. Her cry of pleasure became a moan of frustration when he lifted his head and bit the cheek of her bottom. “I want you, mate, as I’ve never wanted anything in my life.” His words washed over her in a blanket of warmth, so natural and uninhibited, that she responded immediately. “James. It’s never been like this for me. Never. God, I want you so much.” The tingling heat racing through her held her on the brink of coming, but James wouldn’t let her go over. Her breath came out in sharp pants, her senses overwhelmed by the pinpricks of pleasure that broke out over every inch of her body as he teased her pussy and clit. With a cry, she reached for him, tangling her fingers in his hair, and tugged to pull him closer. She couldn’t get enough. “James. Oh, God. It won’t stop.” Shocked by the tortured look on his face, she swallowed heavily.

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“Take me, James. Now.” Lifting a hand, he brushed the hair back from her cheek, his hand shaking. “You know what I want from you, Bailey.” The telltale sign of his weakness for her did her in as nothing else would have. Lifting her chin in challenge, she smiled, knowing without a doubt that her fate would forever be tied to this incredible man. Her ass clenched in anticipation, the need to be filled there so foreign, scary and too strong to be ignored. “Then take it, mate.” She only got a brief glimpse of his grin and the glint of heat in his eyes before he flipped her to her stomach and used his hard body to press hers into the mattress. Raising her hands over his, he interlaced her fingers with his and placed several hot kisses over her neck and shoulder. “With pleasure, my mate.” He slid his hand under the pillow, taking hers with it. She felt something against her hand, and not knowing what it was, she tried to pull away, but he closed his fingers over it, holding it against her palm. She moaned as he pressed his cock against her, rubbing it through her slit, and used his knees to push hers wide. He pulled their hands from under the pillow and opened his, showing her the tube he held against her palm. “Hmm, look what you found.” She barely had time to read the label before he took it from her and let go of her other hand to loosen the screw cap. Her eyes went wide, but to her amazement, fresh moisture coated her thighs and her bottom clenched and tingled with renewed awareness. “Anal lube? James, I’m scared.” A shudder went though him, and he closed his arms around her, nuzzling her ear.

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“I would never, ever, hurt you. By the time my cock goes into that tight little hole, you’re going to be ready and begging for it.” She shivered as he scraped his teeth over her shoulder, her breath catching as she watched him squirt a generous amount of lube onto his fingertips. Her bottom clenched in anticipation and fear, but she couldn’t prevent her traitorous body from pushing against the cock at her slit. James chuckled and tossed the tube aside, his right hand disappearing from her peripheral vision. “That’s it, honey. Push back against me. Do you know how good it feels to have that ass against my cock?” Lost in the raw sexuality of the moment, Bailey pushed up against him again. “Tell me.” James chuckled again, a soft, rumbling sound that made her clit throb. “It’s so lush and full pushing against me, and my cock is aching to get inside that tight little hole and feel you clamp down on it the way you do with my fingers.” Rolling partially to the side, he placed his hand on the cheeks of her ass and lifted, exposing her bottom hole while his fingers slipped between her legs. Gasping at the cold against her puckered opening, she tried to close her legs, but he’d obviously anticipated that and blocked her move by pressing his knees against her inner thighs. “You don’t really want to close me out, do you?” Trembling now, she groaned at the underlying intent in his teasing tone, fisting her hands under her pillow when he applied pressure and pushed her legs wider, making her bottom hole tingle. “James, oh, God.” His lips moved over her shoulder and back.

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“That tight little ass is trying to keep me out. I can’t allow that, now, can I?” With a low growl, he pressed insistently against the tight ring of muscle, forcing it to give way. Bailey sucked in a sharp breath at the cold and deep intimacy as a thick finger slid deep. As before, the incredible vulnerability of having her ass filled both thrilled and scared her, adding a wickedness that she couldn’t resist. She could never get used to the defenselessness and the erotic decadence of being touched there, the confidence and expertise of James’s firmness making it even more exciting. He stroked her inner walls, spreading the lube all around and crooning in a low purring tone that had her lifting her bottom to give him more. “You’re doing so good, Bailey. That tight little bottom is trying to suck my finger in. Let me stretch you just a little more. I’ve got to get a little more lube.” He slid his finger free, only to press it back against her seconds later. “I’m going to use two fingers now, honey. Yes, I know it’s cold, but that only excites you more, doesn’t it? That ass is trying to keep me out again. But we both know it’s not going to happen, don’t we? Yes, that’s it. Tighter now, isn’t it? Stick that ass up higher for me. Show me you want me to have it. Do it, Bailey. Now.” Shivering at the steel in his tone, Bailey moaned. Her breath caught in her throat when he came to his knees behind her, slid a hand under her, and lifted her to her knees, using his own to spread hers even wider. Throwing her head back, she grabbed the headboard, a long pitiful cry escaping when two fingers pressed insistently against her puckered opening and into her. Struggling to adapt to the too-full burning stretch, she trembled in helpless surrender when his relentless push sent them deep inside her.

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The inhuman sounds that poured from her were as alarming as they were unfamiliar as the inner walls of her bottom stretched to accommodate the invasion. “Burns. Too tight.” Still, she pushed back, arching her back to lift to him. She had no choice. She gave him everything, the thought of holding back even a small part of herself no longer an option. Every inch of her belonged to him, body, soul, and heart, and she couldn’t hold back from him any more than she could give up breathing. Her breasts swelled, becoming hotter and heavier than ever. Her stomach remained tight as her entire body tensed. She shook everywhere, her juices dripping to coat her thighs as her pussy clenched desperately. Her clit throbbed so hard she sobbed. “James. Oh, God. Hurry. I need to come. Please. Please. Please. I can’t, oh, oh, stand it anymore.” His fingers slid free with a speed that left her gasping. Leaning over her, he brushed her back and shoulders with his lips until she settled some, his soft words of comfort a direct contrast to the tension emanating from his muscular frame. “Shh. I’ll give you what we both need, Bailey. I plan to spend the rest of my life giving you whatever you need. Neither one of us can wait anymore. It’s time, my mate, to make you mine.” A shudder went through her, her breath coming out in sharp pants as he fitted the head of his cock against her puckered opening and started to push. “Yes, James. Take me. Make me yours.” Her pussy clenched, her bottom tightening against him even as she arched higher, shaking with the effort to remain as still as possible. The ring of muscle at her opening proved no match against the relentless pressure. It gave way, and with a whimpered gasp at the sting and the sensation of being stretched to her limit, she took the head of James’s cock into her ass.

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She shook even harder, chills racing down her spine even as the hot threads of heat threatened to consume her. “James! Oh, God. It’s inside me. Oh, God. Your cock’s inside my ass.” “Yes!” Several harsh groans followed as James’s hands went to her hips and clenched. “It is. Be still, Bailey.” His voice, as sharp and rough as broken glass, would have scared the hell out of her if not for the underlying emotion that came through loud and clear. Alarmed at the burn, which only got worse when she tightened on him, she wrapped her feet around the backs of his knees, needing the connection. His fight for control, apparent in his low growls and harsh breathing, warmed something inside her as she realized how hard he fought to take care of her instead of putting his own needs first. The promise of satisfaction made her even hungrier for his possession, and without conscious thought, she pushed back against him, crying out when she took another inch of his cock. His thickness kept her tight ring of muscle spread wide open, the stretch and sting adding a dangerous element that made it seem even naughtier and took her lust even higher. “James. Oh, God. It feels so…different. It’s too much. More. Give me more.” She wanted everything, every part of him. With a need that stunned her, she craved having James take her for his own. She wanted him to take her in a way she’d never been taken before. The hands on her hips tightened as James withdrew until only the head of his cock remained inside her and pushed into her again, gaining another inch. Groaning when she shivered and cried out, he spoke again, his voice nearly unrecognizable now. “You’re going to take it all, my mate. Just be as still as you can. Easy.”

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His voice, harsh and with a jagged edge that told her his control had slipped several notches, sounded deeper than ever, scaring her just a little, but not enough to deny what her body craved. “Fuck easy.” She lifted, bracing herself on her hands, and used her ankles around the backs of his knees to pull him closer. Amazed at the sharp tingling in her ass, she moaned her pleasure when his slow, shallow strokes took him even deeper. His answering growl was filled with appreciation and approval. “Anything for you, my mate.” She didn’t even get the chance to process the threat in his tone before he adjusted his position, pushing down on her back to flatten her to the bed, using his strong thighs under hers to keep her hips lifted. His hard chest covered her back, holding her down as he pushed his hips forward. “Take more.” His teeth closed over her shoulder at the same time he slid a hand under her, lifting her hips even higher. She held her breath as he parted her folds, kicking her feet as he withdrew until only the head of his cock remained inside her. Pushing back against him, she took several more inches of his cock inside her, the full, stretched sensation so naughty and all-consuming, she froze, whimpering as sparks seemed to ignite in every nerve ending. “James. I’m gonna come. It’s too much. Oh, God! I’m coming. I’m coming.” “Fuck! Yeah, my mate. That’s it. Come for me.” Surging deeper, he used the pads of his fingers to rub her clit, emitting a growl that didn’t sound human at all. “My mate.” The cries from her didn’t sound any better. Desperate and needy, they sounded almost tortured as they filled the room. Her clit burned and then seemed to explode in a thousand shimmering sparks. She

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bucked under him, barely conscious of his growls as she fucked herself on his cock, rubbing herself over the fingers poised at her clit. The sparks washed over her in waves, each stronger than the last until she knew nothing else but the most sublime pleasure she’d ever experienced. The cock in her ass seemed to grow, filling her with a decadent sensation she never would have imagined. Moisture seemed to explode from her, drenching his fingers and making the erotic slide of them over her clit even smoother. Her cries became whimpers as her body continued to clamp down on his cock, the too full feeling, the sensation of being stretched beyond her limits growing even stronger. Burying his face in her neck, James groaned, lifting her hips several more inches and thrust deep. Bailey cried out again as he filled her completely, her legs stiffening when she felt his cock pulse his release, the movement setting off another barrage of tingling heat. Combined with his insistent strokes to her clit, she came again, the waves of pleasure rolling over the previous ones until they all combined into something so powerful, she couldn’t even cry out anymore. Whimpers poured from her on each ragged breath, her body trembling with aftershocks of the most intense orgasm she’d ever experienced. After one last stroke to her clit, James wrapped himself around her, nuzzling her neck and holding her close. “You’re my mate, Bailey.” His warm lips touched her shoulder, his hair silky against her cheek. “And I’m yours.” Bailey lifted her head and managed to open her eyes. Turning to face him, she blinked, smiling when he caressed her trembling body. She had to swallow and take several shuddering breaths before she could speak. “Is it going to be like this every time?” His grin, drowsy and full of satisfaction, warmed her.

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“It can be. Would you like that?” “It would kill us.” James grinned and lifted her into his arms. “But what a way to go.”

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Chapter Thirteen “So you’ve been living on your own for a while now? You haven’t lived with another man? A roommate? Anyone?” Bailey shivered as James ran his fingers down her arm, cuddling back against him. She couldn’t ever remember feeling so warm and sated, so drowsy that she could hardly keep her eyes open. Inside, though, her mind raced with renewed awareness, and she found she didn’t want to fall asleep and miss a single moment of this delicious feeling. Lying in the darkness, they kept their conversation low and intimate, and she found herself telling him things about herself she never intended to tell him. Frowning at the ease with which she automatically answered him, she shrugged and cuddled closer. “No. After escaping from the last foster home, I never wanted to live with anyone else. I’m selfish. I like having my own space and my own things, and I don’t like that other people want parts of me they’re not entitled to. My bosses always wanted to get into my personal affairs. Ask questions about things that were none of their concern. That’s one of the reasons I went into business for myself. I hated being called in on my day off when I’d already made plans or told that I had to take shit from assholes and keep a smile on my face. No one had the right to grab my ass just because I brought them a beer. Fucking assholes.” James stiffened behind her and just as quickly relaxed again. “No friends?” Thinking about the waitresses she’d worked with, she shrugged. “There were a few of them, but for the most part—no. I can’t stand

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gossiping or giggling, and friendship makes demands as well. I hate calling someone just to chat.” “And there’s no other family? Aunts? Uncles? Cousins?” “I never had any family—well, except for my grandmother. My mom took off when I was a baby. Heard she OD’d later. Who knows?” James kissed her shoulder before covering it with the blanket. With a groan he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back against him. Wrapped in warmth, the chill disappeared. James’s strong arm held her close while he lightly traced a pattern on her belly. “Well, you’ve got a big family now. I can’t wait until they all meet you. They’re going to love you almost as much as I do.” Unable to deny the inner warmth his words gave her, she stilled as the knot started to form again. Not knowing how well he could see in the dark, she was thankful that he lay behind her. “James, I’ve never loved anyone before. I don’t know how. I don’t do family. No knack for it, I guess.” She touched the necklace she wore all the time now. “I vaguely remember my grandmother. She’s the only one I’ve ever loved, and I was four when she died. When she was gone, there was no one left, and I went into foster care.” After a pregnant pause, James hugged her close. “I think you’re a lot more loving than you give yourself credit for. Look how you took Gus and Ricky under your wing when you bought this place. You knew they had nowhere else to go.” Frowning, she looked over her shoulder, struck by the way his eyes caught the faint moonlight coming through the window and glittered. Turning away, she snorted. “That’s bullshit. I needed help, and since they’d already worked here, they knew the place.” Chuckling, James sank his teeth playfully into her shoulder.

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“Okay, honey, now you’re the one who’s full of shit. The others had more experience and had been working at the bar longer. Even Gus and Ricky were surprised when you hired them.” Curiosity had her turning fully, leaning up on an elbow to see as much of his expression as she could. “How do you know that?” Reaching out, he circled her nipple with unerring accuracy, teasing her relentlessly and making her wonder just how well he could see in the dark. “They told me. They’re very loyal to you, which is what I needed to know.” She promised herself that in a minute or two, she’d push his hand away, but since the circles he drew around her nipple kept getting smaller, she decided to let herself enjoy the pleasure, dropping back onto the pillow and arching toward him. “I don’t need you to watch out for me, James. Hmm. That feels good.” Without touching her nipple, he moved to circle the other. “That’s part of loving someone, my mate.” Her breath caught when he leaned over her, his eyes taking on a predatory gleam. A cloud had blocked out even the little bit of moonlight, making the gleam all the more breathtakingly primitive. “You can’t love me. We hardly know each other.” She gasped when he unexpectedly tapped her nipple and arched higher to get more, but he denied her. Her stomach and abdomen quivered under the slow slide of his fingers over them, her breath hitching when he paused to trace the delicate area right above her mound. James bent and touched his tongue to a nipple with an accuracy that told her how well he could indeed see in the dark. Keeping his voice low and intimate, he continued to tease her. “I know all I need to know about you, mate. I know you respond beautifully each time I touch you. I know that I’ve always liked being alone, but now when I am, I can only think of being with you. I can’t

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sleep if you’re not beside me. You’re the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning and my last thought before I go to sleep at night.” Since she felt much the same way about James and Marc, she chose to remain silent as she fought back tears. She turned more fully onto her back, hoping to coax the hand beneath the covers to move lower, and had to clear her throat of tears before speaking, firming her voice. “That’s lust.” James chuckled and avoided her efforts to get him to touch her more intimately, teasing her by tracing his fingers lightly up and down her inner thigh. “No, lust is what makes my cock hard every time I get near you. Lust is what makes you wet every time I touch you. What I’m talking about is much more than that. It’s—” He froze, every line of his body going hard and tense against hers. Alarmed, Bailey started to sit up, only to be pushed to her back again. “James, what—” “Quiet!” His voice, barely a whisper, carried a steely edge that silenced her immediately. Bending close, he put his lips to her ear and pressed a firm hand on her belly. “Someone’s outside. It’s those three men from the bar. I can smell them. Stay right here.” Tossing the covers aside, he stood, and she heard denim rustle as he pulled on his jeans. Not bothering to argue with him, Bailey began feeling around the covers for her robe, staring toward the window. “Are you sure? I don’t hear anything.” Finding her robe, she bundled herself into it, not hearing much of anything. She couldn’t hear James move around at all and jumped when he touched her shoulder from the opposite side of the bed.

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Putting his hand over her mouth, he silenced her instinctive gasp and leaned close, his lips brushing her ear. “I’m sure. One of those men from the bar is kin to the man who attacked you in the woods. I can smell it on him. Now, stay put while I deal with them. I mean it, Bailey. I smell gasoline. Get dressed and get ready to move.” Assuming that the other men wouldn’t be able to hear her any more than she could hear them, she disentangled herself from the covers and got out of the bed, grabbing James’s arm. “Their uncle owns the bar down the street, and he doesn’t want any competition. That’s why Dave Hopper sold the bar to me. He couldn’t deal with it anymore.” James surprised her by wrapping his hands around her upper arms and lifting her several inches off of the floor. “You knew this and bought the place anyway?” Kicking his shin got her nothing but sore toes. She smacked at him, encountering his hard, naked chest. “Put me down. Yes, I knew it. How the hell do you think I got the place at a price I could afford? Let go of me so I can stop them before they burn my bar down.” James tossed her to the bed, somehow not jostling her much at all. “Stay here, Bailey. Do what I told you to do. Stay here and get dressed.” She bounced once and scrambled to the other side. Getting to her feet, she pushed her hair back and stumbled over his boots, barely managing to catch herself before she fell. Keeping her voice at a furious whisper, she made her way through the darkness toward her dresser, hitting her already sore toes on it. “Damn it. I’m not used to this room yet. Of course you don’t run into anything. If you think I’m staying here while you go get those guys, you’re crazier than I thought you were.”

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She rummaged through the drawers for sweatpants and a sweatshirt, not bothering with underwear. Her robe kept getting in her way, and she couldn’t tie it because she’d put it on inside out. With another string of curses, she threw it off and tossed it aside. “Just how well can you hear and see in the dark, anyway?” She jumped up and down on one foot as she struggled to get her sweatpants on. “My baseball bat will take care of them.” She had a little more trouble with her oversized sweatshirt, but finally managed to get it on. “If you want to come with me…James?” She hurried over to where he’d been just moments ago, but stilled when she realized she could no longer feel his presence. Careful to keep her voice low, she started cursing. “Son of a bitch! Fucking asshole. Who does he think he is to go without me? You get yourself hurt, James Archer, and I’ll kick your ass.” Fear nearly choked her, the thought of never having James’s strong arms around her again too unbearable to contemplate. She didn’t even bother to put on shoes, just choked back a sob of panic, grabbed the bat she kept by the bedroom door, and raced down the short hallway to the front door. Finding it already open, she started down the steps just in time to hear angry shouts. Pausing, she looked around, not seeing anyone, but she could tell by the direction of the yelling that everyone had gone around back. Furious that these assholes thought they could intimidate her into leaving her bar, she raced down the steps and around the corner of the building, just as a shot rang out. Terrified for James, Bailey froze, almost stumbling. Staring in horror, she watched James grab his head and fall to the ground. Rage and horror gave her a strength and courage she never knew she possessed. She screamed and raced toward them, her only thought that of getting between them and James to protect him, terrified that it was

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already too late. Knowing she needed to get help for him as soon as possible, she leapt over him and swung her bat, hitting the man with the broken arm first. He fell back, screaming. “You fucking bitch!” The one with the gun lifted it from where he aimed it at James and turned it on her. With a scream, she swung her bat toward him, knowing she only had one chance to knock the gun from his hand before he shot her. The horror of her attack that night in the woods came rushing back, only this time, James’s life was in danger, too. James! Putting her entire body into it, she swung the bat, expecting to be stopped short when she hit his arm, but it didn’t happen that way. With a snarl, he moved at the last second and the momentum of her swung spun her around too far. Furious and terrified that she’d missed, she screamed and rushed to stop her momentum to swing again the other way. Her movements seemed far too slow as she took a step to the side, placing herself in front of the gun he had pointed at James. Bracing for the pain of being shot, she sucked in a breath and started to swing the other way. Suddenly, she found her legs knocked out from under her, and cried out as the bat was yanked from her hands. Instinctively, she reached out to break her fall, her mind screaming at her to hurry. Ready to jump up again, she started to roll, only to find herself caught and pinned to the ground. “Stay still, damn it.” Stunned that the deep, growling voice above her belonged to James, she panicked and rushed to push him to his back, to protect him from being shot again, but couldn’t roll him, his strength keeping her in place as he kept her body under his. Not knowing where he’d been shot, she wrapped her arms around him and used her legs for leverage to try again, desperate, choked cries erupting one after the other.

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A deep, deadly growl came from behind him, freezing her in place. It sounded like the hounds of hell, the threat in it absolutely terrifying. She couldn’t hold back a gasp as a streak of black soared over James’s back a split second before his shoulder blocked her vision. Unable to see anything except the stars through his dark curtain of hair, she shoved against him. Another shot rang out, and then another. More growls and screams followed, and then the sounds of running. Her struggles with James proved futile. She couldn’t move him at all, every inch of her body covered by his. She ran her hands all around him, searching for blood and at the same time trying to push him off of her so she could protect him. “James. Let me up. Let me help you. Damn it. You’ve been shot!” He cursed and came to his feet, lifting her about a foot off the ground and tossing her onto the sleek black panther apparently waiting for her. A glance toward the trees showed the men running in their direction, the one with the gun leading the way. “Hang on, Bailey!” At James’s hoarse shout, she automatically dug her fingers into soft fur, holding on for dear life as Marc raced through the woods. She glanced behind her, horrified to see James running toward them, still in human form. “No! James! Marc, help him.” Before she could finish, James became a black panther before her eyes and raced to join them. It had all happened so fast she drew on instinct and held on, keeping as low as possible. She glanced back again just in time to see the men behind them entering the woods, sucking in a breath as the one with the gun lifted it and fired. Sirens sounded in the distance, and she turned again to see the men trying to follow, but they got smaller and finally disappeared as Marc and James raced through the woods, weaving in and out of trees with remarkable ease, their pace never faltering.

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Her hand slipped and she grabbed again at Marc’s fur, but her shoulder burned and her hand went numb and didn’t seem to be cooperating. Struggling to hold on, she tightened her knees on him. In a remarkably short period of time, they broke through the trees behind Marc’s house and covered the distance to the back deck. As soon as they climbed the stairs, Marc shifted back to human form, turning and catching her against him. Burying his face in her throat, he tightened his arms around her and pulled her close. “Oh, God. Shh. Be still. Just let me hold you.” Breathing in the scent of him, the scent of male and woods, and warmed by the heat of his naked body, she turned her head to look for James. “James! Oh, Marc. They shot him.” Ignoring the pain in her shoulder, she pushed against his chest and scrambled out of his arms and toward James, who now sat naked in one of the deck chairs, holding his head. Rushing over, she knelt in front of him, sucking in a breath at the trail of blood coming from his temple. “Oh, God, James. You’re hurt. He shot you in the head. We’ve got to get you to a hospital.” She looked up as Marc cursed and hurried over, tilting his friend’s head back. “Marc, do something.” Marc cursed violently, the thread of fear evident. “James, what the fuck? Damn it, if you fucking die on me, I’m going to kill you.” Pushing the fear back, she inspected James’s forehead with Marc, using the sleeve of her black sweatshirt to dab away most of the blood. “We’ve got to get him to the hospital. Look at all the blood.” Pushing Marc’s hand away, James reached for her. “I’m okay. He just grazed me. Come here.” Marc held his hand out, preventing James from taking her into his arms. Gripping his arms, he lifted an equally naked James to his feet, steadying him when he swayed.

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“Let’s get you inside so I can take a look at that. It’s a wonder you haven’t passed out. That must hurt like a bitch.” He half carried James into the house and eased him into a kitchen chair. “Bailey, there’s a first aid kit in the bathroom closet. Get it for me.” Rushing to do his bidding, Bailey rolled the shoulder she’d pulled, biting her lip to hold back a cry of pain, and hurried to the bathroom. Finding the box on the shelf in the closet, she grabbed it and raced back to the kitchen. Her hands shook so badly that when she opened it, half the contents spilled out onto the kitchen floor. James reached for her hand before she could clean it up. “Calm down, Bailey. Christ, you’re as white as a sheet.” Marc tossed everything back into the kit and rummaged through it for a bottle and some prepackaged gauze. James closed his fingers around hers and squeezed, his pain-filled smile bringing a lump to her throat. “Easy, baby. I’m not going anywhere, especially now that I’ve found my mate.” He winked and grinned, grimacing when Marc started to wipe the blood away with the gauze. Bailey shuddered, swearing she could feel his pain. “Damn it, James. You need to go to the hospital.” “No.” Reaching out to cup her cheek, he winced when Marc dabbed gauze drenched with something against his head and held it there. “We can’t explain how we were there and then two panthers were. We have to be here, and when the police come, tell them we were here all night.” Laying her hand on his chest, she looked up at Marc. “Marc, tell him. Make him go to the hospital.” Marc and James shared a look before Marc resumed cleaning James’s wound.

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“He’s right. There’s no way to explain away the panthers they saw. What the hell were they doing there?” James nodded and winced again. “Hopefully, they took off and no explanation will be necessary, but if they got caught and started talking…” Bailey laid her hand on his chest. “But you need—” “No, Bailey.” He pushed Marc’s hand away and glanced down at himself, frowning at the blood on his chest. “Where the hell did this come from? I feel another kind of pain. Not mine. What the hell?” Marc paused and cursed, checking for another injury. “I’m hurting, too, and I wasn’t even shot. Now that we share Bailey, maybe we feel each other’s pain.” Bailey snatched her hand away and held up her sleeve, the black material making it impossible to see the blood. “Sorry, I wiped your forehead with my sleeve.” Marc blew out a breath, his relief evident. “Okay. As long as you’re not hurt.” He bandaged James’s head, his hands steady, but his eyes filled with concern. Not wanting to bother him about pulling her shoulder, she nodded. A hot shower would take care of it anyway. Marc finished up and sighed. “You got lucky. Hell, he could have blown your fucking brains out. What the hell happened? Tell me on the way to the shower. You’ve got to get cleaned up before the cops get here.” With a wave, James headed toward the back of the house while Marc cleaned up the supplies and closed the box. Marc watched as James staggered through the doorway and pointed after him, the concern in his eyes still evident. “Go with him. I’ll be there in a minute in case he gets dizzy.” Bailey nodded and started after James, scared now that he would fall and hurt himself even more. Pausing at the doorway, she took a shuddering breath, shocked at the tears that stung her eyes, and had to swallow the lump in her throat before speaking.

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“Marc?” He turned with a bottle of aspirin in his hand, his expression grim, his eyes shuttered. “What is it, Bailey?” She took another breath and blew it out slowly, alarmed when even more tears fell. “Thank you. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t come along. I thought for sure they were going to kill him. I can’t believe it. You’re really shape-shifters.” She couldn’t hide the emotion in her voice—didn’t even try. She loved James and somehow had to figure out a way to make a life with him. Thinking him dead had been like a knife to her heart, making her realize just how much she loved him. He’d been right all along. She had already accepted him as her mate. Now, she just had to come to terms with it. Something flashed in Marc’s eyes, but disappeared before she could interpret it. “You’re welcome.” He handed her the bottle. “Go look after James. I’ll be there in a minute.” She started out of the room again, anxious to get to James, but turned back. She couldn’t get the image of Marc leaping between her and the man with the gun. Her fear that he would be shot had frozen her in place and the anguish that she would lose both of them was a blow to her that staggered her. She loved them even more than she’d suspected, and the thought of losing either one of them was more than she could bear. She’d done it.. She’d given her heart to them without even meaning to. Marc’s eyes sharpened, making her look away. She couldn’t face him until she came to grips with the strength of her feelings. “Marc, what were you doing there?” Shrugging, he turned away. “I went out for a run in the woods. I was only about a mile away when I heard them.” “Do you think they burned down my bar?”

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“No. I would have smelled the smoke from here. I think the cops scared them off before they had the chance, or hopefully, they just took off. We’ll go out there as soon as the cops leave and hose the gas off.” He looked different, his features harder than ever and a look in his eyes she didn’t understand. Standing naked in the middle of his kitchen, he looked intimidating as hell, but somehow vulnerable, which made no sense at all. Hearing the shower running, she wanted to get to James, but something in Marc’s expression worried her. “Is something wrong?” Marc sighed. “Other than having a hardheaded mate, a best friend who just got shot in the head and who could have died if the bullet had gone an inch to the left, men trying to burn down my mate’s bar, and a cop who’s already suspicious because of the panther sightings around here and who poses a threat to my entire pack, no. Not a thing. Go see to James while I get some clothes on.” **** Marc waited until Bailey walked away and blew out a breath. Something was going on, and he hated like hell not having a clue as to what it was. Too many scents in the woods, the sour smell of the men who’d attacked Bailey, that of Brown, and several others he couldn’t identify. He had to figure out what the hell was going on and why these people seemed so intent on getting to Bailey. Now that the danger had passed, he couldn’t stop shaking. He doubted that he’d ever sleep again and already felt the loss of not having Bailey where he could see her. He held his breath and let it out slowly, but it did nothing to ease the torment still raging inside him.

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Seeing a gun pointed at his mate had been the most horrifying moment of his life, and one that he knew he wouldn’t recover from anytime soon. Shaking off the image that kept playing over and over in his mind, he went down the hall to the master bedroom, pausing outside the hall bathroom to listen to Bailey and James argue. “It’s cold with the damned door open, Bailey. Either get in or shut the door. I don’t need a fucking babysitter.” “What if you fall?” “I’m not going to fall. I’m going to freeze. Why don’t you come in here and keep me warm?” “James, you could have been killed. I want you to promise me that you’ll never do anything like that again.” “Sure, honey. The next time someone tries to burn us to the ground, I’ll just stay in bed. Maybe if I just yell out the window they’ll go away.” “I sense sarcasm.” “Do you? Imagine that. Now get undressed and get in here with me or I’ll drag you in here clothes and all.” Feeling like an interloper, Marc continued down the hall to his bedroom and threw on the clothes he’d stripped off before going for his run. He hadn’t told Bailey everything. He hadn’t told her that he’d needed to shift and run off the incredible hunger for her. No matter how much he had her, he couldn’t ease his torment. Each time he took her only made him hungry for more. While running through the woods, he’d called himself all kinds of a fool for pushing away the one thing he wanted the most, and worried that he’d never recover the ground he’d lost with her in pushing her away. He only knew he had to try.

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He’d changed direction and was running toward town with the intention of doing just that when he’d smelled gasoline and heard the voices of the men and their drunken bantering. Knowing it came from the direction of her building, he’d raced ahead, his fear held back by the knowledge that James was with her. He’d broken free of the tree line just as the man holding the gun shot James. He’d already caught Bailey’s scent and watched in horror as she’d run to stand between the gun and James. He took another deep breath and allowed a small smile as he listened to her lecturing James. The love and worry in her tone couldn’t be mistaken. Admitting to himself that he’d made mistakes with her didn’t come easily for him. His stubbornness and determination had almost made him turn his back on the woman he had a strong suspicion he’d already begun to love. He’d already made the decision to accept her as his mate, a woman to take as his own, but seeing her with a gun pointed at her had made him see the truth. The enormity of what he felt for her hit him hard. He’d fought his attraction for her so hard that he’d fallen in love with her without even realizing it. He needed to talk to her and make some plans for the future, but right now, he had other responsibilities. His mate was scared and worried, and his best friend was hurt. Catching a sound he’d been listening for, he swung the door to the bathroom open, smiling faintly at Bailey through the steam. “I hear a car coming. My guess is that it’s Brown.” At her worried frown, he smiled reassuringly, determined to protect her in all ways. “It’ll be okay, honey.” James shoved the shower curtain aside and reached for a towel. After wrapping it around his waist, he dropped a kiss on Bailey’s forehead. “Go with Marc and try to look like you’ve been here all night. I’ll get dressed and be right out.”

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Unable to resist, Marc pulled a twig from her hair as he led her down the hall and cuddled her closer, loving the feel of her softness against him. “You should have taken a shower with James, honey.” When Bailey flinched, he thought at first she didn’t want him to touch her now that she and James had gotten closer, but when she cried out, he realized he’d somehow hurt her. “Bailey? What is it? What’s wrong?” A cold knot formed in his stomach when she grimaced and rolled her shoulder. “It’s nothing. I think I just pulled it when I was trying to hold on to you.” Tilting her head back, he frowned at her paleness, which he’d blamed on fear after the events of the last hour. Now he wasn’t so sure. He kept his hands gentle, turning her toward the light and started to raise her shirt. “Let me see. I can give you a rubdown—son of a fucking bitch!” Everything inside him screamed in protest, but he fought not to scare his mate. Bailey gasped at the pain that went through her shoulder when he raised her shirt, sending an answering jolt of pain through him. “What? Put it down. It hurts when you pull it. I’ll just take a shower—” A growl escaped before he could prevent it, the rage of his mate being hurt almost more than he could bear. “I should have ripped his fucking throat out when I had the chance. No, honey. Stay still. We’ve got to get you to the hospital.” He forced himself to speak calmly, when every instinct inside him made him want to roar his rage. She turned to him, the fear in her eyes almost bringing him to his knees. “What is it?” James appeared in the doorway. “What’s going on? The cops are at the door.”

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Marc forced a smile. The trust in Bailey’s eyes made him feel invincible, and the depth of his responsibility to her warmed him from deep within. She was his and he would care for her. Always. Injecting a calm in his voice he was far from feeling, he couldn’t quite keep the anger and dread from his tone. “Bailey’s been shot.”

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Chapter Fourteen Looking away from the police officer, Bailey hid a wince and put a hand to her throat, doing her best to look shocked. “They really tried to burn down my bar? Oh, God! Did you catch them?” Officer Brown eyed all three of them, shooting a glance at the other straight-faced officer, the one he’d introduced as Officer Cannon, before turning back. The suspicion in his gaze sharpened, his lips thinning as he looked down at his pad of paper. He opened his mouth to speak, but Cannon spoke first. “We caught one of them. Don’t know who the others were, and the one we caught said he was just passing by. Said he was a witness to the whole thing. Nothing more. He said that you and Mr. Archer were there, and then the panther showed up, tried to attack him, and carried you away. They also said that Mr. Archer ran into the woods and disappeared.” Marc kept his arm around her waist in what she hoped appeared to be a loving gesture, when in reality, it gave her the support she needed to remain on her feet. “Interesting.” She let her eyes go wide. “A panther carried me away? You’re kidding, right?” Marc squeezed her waist, his eyes full of concern. “Honey, sit down. You’re shaking. Don’t worry about your bar. We’ll take care of it.”

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Grateful that he’d given an excuse for her trembling, she automatically reached back for James’s hand from where he sat on the sofa and immediately regretted it when pain shot up her shoulder. The tension coming from both Marc and James could be cut with a knife, their rage and fear washing over her in waves that made her shake even harder. Marc stepped between her and the policemen, threading his fingers through her hair, and bent low to touch his forehead to hers, keeping his voice at a barely audible whisper. “Bailey, I don’t care what they know. We’ve got to get you to the hosp—” “No. I don’t want to be responsible for—” “Is something wrong, Miss Knox?” The cold suspicion in Officer Brown’s tone put her back up, and she found she wanted nothing more than to protect both Marc and James. Warmed by the concern in Marc’s eyes, she smiled and touched his chest before she took a seat on the sofa next to James. Unsurprised that Marc lowered himself gracefully to the empty spot on her other side, she lifted her gaze, meeting Brown’s. “Of course something’s wrong. These lunatics were trying to burn down my place. It’s obvious they’re on drugs or something. They keep coming into my bar and causing trouble. Now they’re seeing things.” Officer Brown’s brow went up. “How do you know these are the same guys?” Marc squeezed her hand in warning, eyeing the officer coldly. “We just assumed it’s the same men who’ve been coming in the bar causing trouble. I heard that they’re related to the man who owns the bar down the street, you know, the one where fights break out every night? The guy who attacked her in the woods that night is related to the owner of that bar, too. Have you checked into that?” James sat forward, wrapping his arm around Bailey and gently pulling her closer to him.

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“What the hell kind of town is this when a woman can’t even be safe in her own home?” Brown looked up, his eyes full of hostility. “Don’t tell me how to do my job.” Bailey resisted James’s effort to pull her closer, not wanting to get blood on him, which the policeman would see. She didn’t lean back on the sofa either, hoping the sweatshirt she wore would absorb any blood that still ran from it. Surprisingly, it didn’t hurt as much as she’d thought a gunshot wound would hurt. The adrenaline surge contributed quite a bit to her shaking, and she had trouble focusing on the steady stream of questions from both officers. Thankfully, James and Marc took over, but her mind wandered when Marc answered that they had all been here all night and that, no, he hadn’t seen any sign of the panthers these men kept claiming to have seen. She could see the pain in James’s eyes, but also saw his concern for her. His teasing in the shower hadn’t fooled her a bit, not when she could see just how much each movement hurt him. Eyeing him now, she swallowed the lump in her throat, the emotion nearly overwhelming her. She couldn’t get the image of him falling to the ground out of her mind, or the horror she’d felt when she thought she might have lost him. She couldn’t help but notice how often his gaze slid to hers or how he constantly touched her as though to make sure she was still there. It occurred to her suddenly that she did much the same thing to him. She touched his thigh, his hand, his knee, and found it increasingly difficult not to let her worry show. His hair had fallen over his forehead, giving him a rakish look and making her fingers itch to push the dark, silky strands back, but she

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realized that they covered the bandage Marc had placed there only minutes ago. Officer Brown shared a look with his partner before settling back, his eyes narrowing on Marc’s. “I just think it’s interesting that several other people from around here have seen this panther, but you haven’t. You live here, miles from town, and most of these woods are on your property. I think it might be a good idea if you stay out of the woods until I have them checked out.” Marc shrugged, rubbing a gentle hand over Bailey’s back, his warm hand settling right under where she hurt the most. “I think your little arsonists are imagining things, or making them up. You don’t really believe that Bailey rode off on the back of a panther, now do you?” Officer Brown scrubbed a hand over his face. “To tell you the truth, I don’t know what to believe. I want you to stay out of the woods until I tell you it’s okay.” In the blink of an eye, Marc’s eyes became cold and hard. “It’s my property, and I’ll go where I please.” So alarmed at the icy temper emanating from Marc that she actually shivered, Bailey reached out to touch his arm, shocked at how stiffly he held himself. He whipped his head around, his arm tightening around her, his eyes cold and razor sharp. Almost immediately, they warmed again, some of the tension leaving his body. “Honey, why don’t you go into the bedroom?” Bailey shook her head, a little distracted by the incredible warmth generated under her hand. “No. I want to go get the gasoline off before someone goes past and throws a cigarette or something.” The other officer lifted his head from where he’d been taking notes, his eyes flat and cool.

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“The firemen are already taking care of that. We called them in when we realized that they’d poured gas all over the outside of the building.” “Still, I want to check out—” “No.” Marc helped her to her feet as he stood, shooting a dismissing look at both policemen. “I think we’ve answered enough of your questions. I appreciate you letting us know what happened. Bailey’s upset and shaken. Excuse us.” Both officers looked up, Officer Brown’s look becoming one of impatience while the other policeman merely nodded, his eyes sharp as he glanced at Brown. Marc ignored both, turning his back on them and leading her from the room. As soon as they disappeared from view of the others, Marc bent and lifted her in his arms. Holding her against him, he studied her face, his eyes dark with worry. “Christ, you’re so pale. I’m scared you’re going to pass out. Are you in a lot of pain?” She opened her mouth to answer, but snapped it shut when he started talking again. “Forget it. I can feel it. Your adrenaline is keeping it at bay for right now, but it’s going to hit soon.” He sat her on the edge of the bed, took out his phone, and punched in a series of numbers. He put the phone to his ear before kneeling in front of her to remove her shoes. “Joe? It’s Marc. I need you here. Now. My mate’s been shot, and you’re the only one I trust to remove the bullet. No. We can’t go to the hospital. If I thought the damned thing was fatal, she’d already be there! It’s lodged in her shoulder. Looks like it went in at an angle. It must have been when we were running away. No exit wound.” After another pause, he sighed. “Yes. We’ve got some trouble. Yeah, well, James got hit, too. Grazed him in the fucking head. I’m almost positive he has a concussion. No, we can’t explain how the hell he got shot without exposing ourselves. I’m about ready to take

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my chances and get both of them to the hospital. Brown’s up to something, but I have no fucking clue what it could be. I haven’t done anything to make him that suspicious.” He listened to whatever the man named Joe said and nodded, raking his hand through his hair. Coming to his feet, he paced to the window. “I had to get them both out of there, and—yes. We shifted. Yes, there were witnesses. I know, Joe. I know.” He turned and came back toward her, staring down at her, his eyes dark and bleak. “If we hadn’t, both James and our mate would be dead.” He looked grim, never taking his eyes from hers. “Thanks, Joe.” He disconnected and tossed the cell phone onto the nightstand, looking up as James entered the bedroom. “Are they gone?” James smiled faintly and held on to the doorway, his eyes narrowed to mere slits. “Yeah. Brown’s suspicious as hell but has no idea what to suspect. He is acting strange.” Marc nodded grimly. “He’s up to something. He wasn’t this bad before, but since I’ve been back—hell, since we found Bailey in the woods—he’s been worse. Christ, what a mess. I’ll deal with it later. Joe’s on his way here to look at both of you. James, don’t fall asleep. Bailey, I’ve got to get you cleaned up.” Bailey nodded and tried to lift her arm to take off her bloodsoaked shirt, but her arm felt twice as heavy. Since it only hurt when she lifted it, she put it back down and reached for James, who looked as tired as she felt. “Okay. Did you say James might have a concussion? Can’t we just make up a story about how he got hurt and—” “No.” Marc pulled the hem of her shirt away from her, sank his teeth into it, and ripped it. Straightening, he continued to rip her shirt

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to shreds, his movements careful and slow and his eyes watchful on hers. “Let’s just get you out of this, sweetheart. Help’s on the way.” Bailey grimaced as he tossed her tattered shirt toward the bathroom. “Sorry about this. It seems like you’re always taking care of me.” Leaning forward, he touched his lips to hers. “I know you’ll find this hard to believe after everything I’ve said, but I’d like the chance to spend the rest of my life taking care of you and keeping you safe.”

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Chapter Fifteen Lying on her stomach, Bailey kept looking back and forth from James, who lay propped against the headboard next to her, and Marc, who never stopped pacing. “You’re as nervous as a cat.” Pleased with her joke, she met his glare with a smile. “Maybe a glass of milk would calm you down.” From beside her, James chuckled. “It appears our mate likes to live dangerously.” Unable to resist, Bailey grinned, trying to move to a more comfortable position. “Danger from you? Nah, you’re just two pussycats.” “Jesus, she sounds just like my mate.” Startled at the unfamiliar voice, Bailey started to turn, wincing at the pain in her shoulder. With a hand on her back, James kept her from rising, the obvious effort it cost him keeping her still more than anything. “Stay still. It’s Joe Diablo, another member of our pack—family. He’s had quite a bit of medical training, and he’ll take good care of you. I promise. He’s the one who we called for advice the night we found you in the woods.” Marc came forward and knelt at her side, running a hand over her bare back and hitching the covers just a little bit higher. “He’ll take care of both of you.” His gaze lifted to a spot over her other shoulder. “Thanks for coming, Joe.” James looked up toward the doorway and smiled. “I see you brought a posse.”

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Curious, and very aware of her nakedness beneath the covers, Bailey turned her head toward her injured side, alarmed at the amount of blood soaking the towel Joe lifted from her right shoulder. She supposed she shouldn’t have been surprised to see that he, too, had black hair, which framed a face so incredibly gorgeous and hard it appeared chiseled from stone. His brown eyes, several shades darker than James’s, sharpened as he inspected her shoulder, his lips thinning. The gentleness in his touch surprised her, his fingers light as they probed. From her left side, she heard two low growls as both James and Marc caressed her back and hair. Joe glanced over her back before smiling down at her. “Easy. Your mate’s safe with me. As for the posse…you said you had trouble. Why don’t you go out to the other room with them and tell them what’s going on while I take care of your mate? Hi, honey. I’m Joe. I’m going to give you something to numb your shoulder. It’s going to hurt a bit, but then it’ll feel much better.” Marc pulled the covers up higher. “I’m not leaving.” Bailey shivered at the cold liquid Joe poured over her shoulder, clenching her teeth when he started to dab around her wound. Now that she’d had a chance to calm down, it had really started to hurt, and now it stung. “Hi, Joe. I’m Bailey. Can you take care of James? Please.” She’d kept up a running conversation with James over the last two hours, needing to hear his voice and to know that he was all right. Joe smiled, but he appeared to be concentrating on the contents of what she assumed was a bag he’d placed next to the bed. “James is being tended to right now.” “Son of a bitch! What the fuck is that?” She turned her head again just in time to see James snarl at yet another black-haired man.

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“Jeez, do all of you have black hair?” Joe nodded and began to fill a syringe. “Yes, and it tends to draw attention when we’re together, so we tell everyone we’re related. Hell, we may be. Who knows?” Another man came over, took her hand, and placed it close to her face, easing the pillow out from under her head. “Hello, Bailey. I’m Vincent, Joe’s better-looking younger brother.” Bailey couldn’t imagine a man more handsome than Joe, but, amazingly, Vincent was. His face didn’t have the hard lines and edges of his brother’s, but his eyes held the same intelligence and strength. They also held concern and a twinkle of amusement. Even being this close to him, though, her pulse didn’t race as it did with Marc and James. Joe shook his head as he brought the needle toward her shoulder. “He keeps saying that, hoping that one day it’ll be true. A little pinch here, honey. Just stay real still for me.” Vincent pressed a hand between her shoulder blades as Joe stuck the needle into her shoulder, the firm pressure not allowing any movement when she flinched. Drawing a hissing breath, Bailey squeezed her eyes closed. “Shit. That hurts.” The deep growls from behind her, so fierce and familiar, made her smile. Joe finished and removed the needle, glaring over her shoulder. “Don’t you fucking growl at me. I’m trying to help her. If you didn’t trust me, you wouldn’t have called me, remember? Mitch, will you please finish up with James? Joshua, help Mitch get them out of here. Call in Dane and Graham if you need to.” “I don’t need any help.” The voice, much deeper than the other men’s, rumbled with amusement and threat. Marc’s hand came over her back as Vincent removed his.

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“I’m not going anywhere, and if you try to make me, you’re going to end up even uglier than you already are.” His lips touched her left shoulder. “It’s okay, baby. I know it hurts. I won’t leave you.” Anxious to see who else was in the room, Bailey turned her head, careful not to move too fast. One man tended to a glowering James while another huge man, dressed entirely in leather, stood back a few feet, his arms crossed over his chest. He had a barrel chest, heavily tattooed arms, and thighs like tree trunks. Everything about him, including the smile he shot at Marc, appeared threatening. His features, hard and cold, softened somewhat, but didn’t make him look any less intimidating. This was a man who would draw attention wherever he went, scaring the hell out of all those around him. Bailey didn’t scare easily but, even with Marc and James between her and Joshua, had to admit to being more than a little daunted by the giant of a man. James smiled at her reassuringly and gestured toward the man unwrapping gauze from a package. “Bailey, this brute with no compassion is Mitch. The giant standing over there trying to look intimidating is Joshua.” Wincing at the probing fingers at the back of her shoulder, Bailey swallowed heavily. “He looks pretty intimidating to me.” **** As soon as Mitch finished bandaging James’s head, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small tan packet, worry evident in his smile as he handed it to James. “Take one of these and go lie down someplace else. I need to help Joe with your mate.” Bailey frowned. “You people like to throw that word around a lot, don’t you?”

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A pregnant pause followed as the men looked at each other somberly. Almost as one, all eyes turned toward Joe. Curious, she turned her head again, pleased to find it didn’t hurt her shoulder at all. Joe and Vincent were in the process of tearing gauze and instruments from packages, but Joe paused, his eyes meeting hers, a sadness in them that pulled at her. “We’ve all come to appreciate the value of mates and realize they’re irreplaceable. We also realize we have a responsibility to them to keep them safe, and part of that is keeping our true identities hidden.” Mitch finished cleaning up the supplies he’d used for James. “Now that we know that it’s possible, we all have hopes of finding our own mates. You can bet that we’re not going to fuck it up the way these guys did.” Marc never took his eyes from her, the gentle plea in them melting her heart. “Hopefully, we figured it out in time to get her to forgive us.” James moved closer to her side, shooting Marc a look of superiority. “Speak for yourself. I didn’t act like an ass the way you did.” Wincing, he dropped his head onto the pillow next to her, his eyelids drooping. “Why you people insisted on fighting what you want is beyond me.” Joshua shook his head and grunted, but Bailey could see the concern in his eyes when he helped a groggy James to his feet. “Well, it took a shot in the head for you to figure it out.” James smiled in her direction, his eyes glassy. “No, we figured it out before, didn’t we, Bailey?” Smiling back, she reached for his hand. “Yes, we certainly did.” Joshua met her look of concern and nodded once in understanding, the bare semblance of a smile touching his lips

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softening his features and making him appear almost approachable. His concern for James, and his obvious affection for him, made Bailey feel much better. “Don’t worry. Your mate will be just fine. Come on, James, and you can tell me all about it.” Marc looked over his shoulder. “Put him in the other bedroom.” As Joshua left the room, half dragging, half supporting a disgruntled James, Bailey tried to turn her head back toward Joe, but Mitch stopped her with a hand in her hair. “Keep your head turned this way, honey.” Alarmed, Bailey lifted her gaze to Marc’s. “Oh, shit. He’s doing something, isn’t he? Something he doesn’t want me to see.” She could feel pressure against her shoulder, but nothing else through the numbness. Gritting her teeth, she imagined all sorts of things he could be doing to her. Hell, he could be cutting into her for all she knew, the mental image of it making her slightly nauseous. “What’s he doing? No. Don’t tell me. Shit. Tell me.” From behind her head, Joe chuckled, the tension in his tone hard to mistake. “Don’t worry about what I’m doing. You just concentrate on staying still while I fix you right up. Tell me how you met Marc and James. You must have met them recently because we just had a reunion and neither one of them mentioned you. If they’d met you, I’m sure we would have heard about you.” Mitch shot a look at Marc and removed his hand from her head, his attention on her shoulder and what must have been a variety of items above her head. He reached for something, and then his hand disappeared behind her. “If I found my mate, I’d sure as hell mention her, especially if she was as beautiful as you are.” Marc rubbed her arm. “Stop flirting with my woman. Easy. Oh, God, Bailey, does that hurt?”

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“Would you shut the fuck up? Bailey, honey, you’re fine.” Mitch rubbed her back, and shot a dirty look at Marc. “Why don’t you go check on the others?” “I’m not leaving her.” Touched by his concern, Bailey reached for his hand, trying not to imagine what Joe and Mitch were doing to her shoulder. “It doesn’t hurt, Marc. Tell them how we met.” Mitch grinned and wiped her back with something. “We’d rather hear it from you.” Bailey kept her eyes on Marc’s. “He and James saved me. I’m surprised Leland didn’t tell you.” Mitch glanced over her shoulder. “Leland didn’t come back. He got a lead on his mate and called. We’re waiting to hear from him.” Marc looked toward where Joe worked on her shoulder. “And you came here instead of going with him?” “You needed me. I’m joining him as soon as I leave here. Just don’t let yours get away from you the way ours did. They can be hard as hell to track down again. Bailey, honey, finish your story. How the hell did these two save you?” As she told her story, the men cursed and started shooting a barrage of questions at Marc. “Did you kill him?” “Who the hell was he?” “How bad was she hurt?” “Did he get a good look at either one of you?” She watched with interest as Marc answered their questions, the men displaying a camaraderie she didn’t often get a chance to witness. Several minutes later, Joe, who’d been conspicuously silent, taped her shoulder. “Vincent, go fill the others in. We’ll be out as soon as we get Bailey settled.”

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Marc shook his head. “I’ll settle her in. I need a few minutes alone with her.” Joe came around to the other side of the bed and felt her forehead. “Just don’t undo my handiwork. We’ll be in the other room, and I’ll work out a plan of action for your troublemakers and that nosy cop.” She watched with drowsy interest as Marc stretched out on the bed beside her, a firm hand stopping her when she would have risen. Twirling a strand of her hair around his finger, he kept the atmosphere lazy, but his eyes still held remnants of concern. “Leland and Joe both think they have to handle everything and won’t take it well when I tell them we don’t need their help.” Smiling at the affection in his tone, she snuggled against him. “It must be nice to have family—to have people who would drop everything to come help you.” Marc shrugged. “We’ve always been close. I guess it comes from not trusting anyone else.” His eyes narrowed slightly on hers, his voice low and intimate. “How do you feel?” Bailey moved her shoulder experimentally. Finding it didn’t hurt, she propped herself up on her elbows, hiding a smile when his gaze went to her breasts. “It doesn’t hurt at all. A little pull, that’s it. Do you really think James is all right? I want to go see him.” Marc lifted his gaze to hers, his expression unreadable. “I know you do, honey. You and James seem to have things all worked out.” He smiled sadly, brushing her hair back from her forehead. “You and I are going to have to do whatever it takes to work this out between us.” With a small sigh, he slid his hand over her breast, his eyes flaring when her breath caught and she leaned into him. “Because I sure as hell can’t live without you.”

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Chapter Sixteen Bailey finished the last of her scrambled eggs and jumped up, ignoring eight almost identical looks of concern. “I’m going, too. I wouldn’t miss this for anything.” “No.” Marc dismissed her without hesitation and went back to his conversation with the others, who all stood around his kitchen watching expectantly. Blinking, she folded her arms across her chest and tapped her foot, glaring at him. “If you think I’m going to stay away and miss seeing all of you in action, you’re crazy.” She glanced around the room, eyeing the men. They all wore jeans, boots, and all but Joe and Vincent wore dark leather jackets. Together, they looked more menacing than any group of men she’d ever met. All hard bodies, sharp eyes, and smooth, predatory movements, they had a presence unlike any other men she’d ever met. Even with the others present, she found her gaze drawn to Marc and James, admiring their tall frames, wide shoulders, and tight butts as they interacted with the others. The looks in their eyes as they raked over her, though, turned her on more than anything else. Intrigued by the camaraderie and their apparent familiarity with each other, she raised a brow, slightly nervous at the looks she kept getting.

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Sitting in one of the chairs to pull on her sneakers, she pretended not to notice that all six of Marc and James’s friends shared impatient looks with each other and appeared to be struggling to keep quiet, their attention divided between her and her mates. “What’s wrong with you guys?” With a look at his friends, James zipped his jacket and grabbed hers from the back of the chair. “They want to jump in with their opinions but, knowing that you’re our mate, they’re doing their best to hold back.” Bailey tried to take her jacket from him, sighing when he held it just out of her reach. Turning, and aware of the men’s sharp attention, she hid a wince as she slipped into the warm coat. “I don’t need your permission to go to Duke’s. I want to see these guys in action.” Joe sighed. “They’re not going to do anything except talk.” Nodding, Bailey zipped her denim jacket and started out. “Since you’re only going to talk, there’s no reason I can’t go.” After all the trouble those men had caused her, she’d be more than happy to join in any fight started at Duke’s. Marc caught her before she made it to the door, the deep threatening growl emanating from him just spiking her temper even more. Turning, she poked him in the chest. “Don’t you do that growly thing at me. You don’t scare me.” She’d die of embarrassment if they had any idea how much that sound they made intimidated her. Gritting his teeth, Marc tightened his hands on her shoulders. “I’m not trying to scare you. You make me so fucking mad I want to shake you.” Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close, the desperation in his hold both unexpected and needed more than she realized.

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“I don’t think I’ll ever get over the fact that you were shot. If anything had happened to you…” Bailey held on to him, absorbing the feeling of being safe and warm, meeting James’s eyes as he crossed the room to her. “Marc, I—” Reaching her, James touched her hair. “You have your own business to run. We’re going with you—” He held a finger to her lips when she started to object. “And while we’re sitting there at the bar, in plain sight of dozens of witnesses, Joshua, Mitch, Dane, and Graham will pay a little visit to Duke’s and convince his nephews and their friends that you and Captain’s Den are off-limits to them.” Joe grinned and stripped off his jacket. “And Vincent and I will make sure there are enough panther sightings tonight to confuse the hell out of Marc’s nosy cop.” Irritated at their logic, Bailey pulled away from Marc, immediately missing his warmth. “Okay, I get it. I just don’t like it. I don’t need somebody fighting my battles for me—” Joe’s brows went up. “You’re family now.” Joshua and the others nodded. “And you’re a woman.” Feeling her temper rise, Bailey took a deep breath, preparing to blast them. Only the touch of James’s palm curving against her cheek stopped her. “You’ll have to forgive us. This is all new to us. None of us ever thought we would find a woman we could have such a bond with.” He glanced at Joe, who nodded once, his jaw clenched. Rubbing her cheek with his thumb, James smiled. “We’ve seen what happens when a mate is no longer around. Thankfully, Joe and Leland have the chance to find theirs. If anything happened to you now, I don’t think Marc and I would ever recover. Be patient with us, baby. We’re just scared of losing you, and, I’ll admit, a little overprotective.”

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Shaking her head, Bailey laughed softly, her anger at them melting away. “You sure know how to take the wind out of somebody’s sails, don’t you?” Deciding they looked far too smug, she poked James in the chest. “Look, I understand what you’re trying to do, and I’ll do whatever I can to keep Brown from knowing the truth—God, I can’t even believe I believe it—but I’m not happy about missing Duke’s. I’ll bet it’s going to be a hell of a show, and I’m used to taking care of myself, something you’re going to have to get used to. All of you have been fussing over me all night, or didn’t you think I noticed when you kept coming in to check on me, even though Marc and James were right there with me?” Crossing his arms over his chest, Joe lifted a brow. “You’ve been injured. We had to make sure you didn’t get a fever. And we had to change the bandage after you got it wet in the shower.” Blinking, Bailey looked at each of their innocent expressions in turn. “None of you has left me alone for a minute! I couldn’t even get dressed by myself. You watched me constantly, even arguing about what I ate and drank.” Mitch and Joe looked at each other as though she’d lost her mind. Marc frowned. “What if you’d gotten dizzy? What if you moved wrong and ripped those stitches?” Mitch nodded and shook out another one of the tablets he’d given her last night. “And you needed to eat to heal. You needed to drink to stay hydrated. Now that you have, here’s another pain pill. Make sure you don’t drink anything alcoholic today. I’ll be by later when it’s time for another antibiotic tablet.” The hilarity of the situation got to her, and Bailey would have burst out laughing if not for the serious looks on their faces. She hadn’t been on the receiving end of such caring and concern before, but she had to admit that it was hard to resist.

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“Okay. At least I’m going to get to watch Joe and Vincent in action.” **** Staring toward the door, Bailey mixed another drink, setting aside the rum bottle she’d just emptied. “What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall at Duke’s. I’d love to see their faces when they get a look at Joshua.” Marc paused in the act of taking a sip of club soda and set the glass back down again, his stonelike expression in sharp contrast to the storm in his eyes. “Just make sure you keep your eyes off of Joshua.” Bailey blinked and burst out laughing, drawing the attention of several customers, who smiled and eyed her indulgently. His jealousy seemed so ridiculous under the circumstances, making her a bit giddy. It hit her suddenly that she’d laughed more in the past week than she had in years. Leaning forward, she kept her voice low, knowing they would be able to hear her even over the loud music. “You’d have to be blind not to notice Joshua. I can only feel sorry for the woman who turns out to be his mate.” The reminder that shape-shifters more or less had the choice made for them always depressed her, and she cursed herself for ruining her own good mood. Turning away, she set out the drink orders she’d just made. “Bailey, you know that we wouldn’t be with you if we didn’t want to be, don’t you?” The concern in James’s tone pulled at her. Nodding, she picked up the empty rum bottle and glanced at both of them. “I know. It’s just that sometimes I wish—forget it. I’ll be right back. I’ve got to get more rum.”

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“Damn it, Bailey!” Marc started to come after her, but she shook her head, gesturing toward Ricky, who eyed her in concern. “We’ll talk later. In private. Ricky, I’m going back to get more rum. I’ll just be a minute.” She turned away, wishing the subject had never come up. After being deserted and feeling unwanted most of her life, she had a hard time coming to grips with the fact that Marc and James had decided she was their mate even before they had gotten to know her. She figured it would be an issue she would have to deal with for some time and hoped that one day she could get past it. Loving both of them didn’t help. It only made her feel more vulnerable. She only knew that they were the best thing that had ever happened to her and she couldn’t just walk away. At the same time, though, she wanted to keep her independence. Blowing out a breath, she searched the racks for the rum she needed, determined to put on a smile when she went back out there and hoping they’d just drop the damned subject. “I knew your watchdogs couldn’t watch you every minute.” With a gasp, Bailey spun, dropping the bottle of rum. Before she could do more than that, a hard hand clamped over her mouth, and she found herself dragged toward the back door. Recognizing the men as the same ones who’d tried to burn the place down the previous night, she fought furiously. Rage and adrenaline gave her added strength, but it wasn’t enough to get away from the man holding her. With a hard arm wrapped around her waist and another hand over her mouth, he half dragged, half carried her through the door and outside. The man holding on to her reeked of whiskey and sweat, his movements clumsy, but surprisingly strong as he pulled her outside. “You made us all laughingstocks. What kind of tricks are you pulling? How the hell did you do that with those panthers last night?”

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As he pulled her outside, the one with the broken arm stood aside and slammed the door behind them. “Yeah. How the hell did you make it look like you rode off on a panther’s back?” Bailey heard the door click closed and knew that it would lock automatically, cutting off any chance of getting back inside. Without the light coming from the storeroom, it was pitch black behind the bar. Realizing they must have done something with the street lights, she tugged harder, desperate to get away. She feared that Marc and James would come tearing around the corner any minute and turn into panthers, giving themselves away. Panicked, she sunk her teeth into the hand over her mouth, grimacing at the taste, and stepped to the side to ram her elbow into the stomach of the man cutting off her air, breaking his hold. The man holding her cursed as she broke free, keeping his voice at a furious whisper. “You fucking bitch! Get back here. Where the hell is she? Get her. She knows too much.” Bailey took several clumsy steps backward, scrambling to put some distance between herself and the men, but stopped almost immediately, scared they would hear her. She had no idea what the hell they thought she knew and started to wonder if they’d somehow confused her with someone else. Frozen in place, she prayed they couldn’t hear the furious pounding of her heart in the dead silence and made a conscious effort to slow her breathing. Memories of the night she’d been attacked before threatened to choke her. Moving carefully despite every instinct to run, she glanced around, trying to make out their forms, but the absolute darkness made it impossible to even see her hand in front of her face. “Spread out. She’s right here. Come on, bitch. Scream for your boyfriends.”

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The taunting voice, that of the man who’d been holding her, came from directly in front of her, much closer than she’d expected. Being as silent as she could, she took several steps back. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of white, a brief glimpse of what she assumed had to be the second man’s shirt. Thankful that she wore all black, she ducked lower and moved cautiously to the other side, listening carefully for the sound of the third man, the one with the broken arm. “Where are you, Lou?” Bailey spun in that direction, realizing the one with the broken arm hadn’t moved at all, which left a gap between him and the man in white. “Shut up, you fucking moron! Close in on her.” Making as little noise as possible, Bailey stepped backward, forcing herself to take one slow step at a time, moving out of the circle they’d formed. With each step, she braced herself, ready to make a run for it if she happened to bump into one of them. “Sorry, Lou. Where are you, Jeff?” Elated to realize that she’d managed to get behind them, Bailey kept backing away, glancing toward the bar and weighing her chances of crossing the yard to get back there. “Making sure she doesn’t try to make a break for the bar. You hear that, slut? There’s no way out except through us.” Finding herself backed against a tree, she paused, trying to make out the form of the man in the white shirt, the one the other had called Jeff. Suddenly, the back door of the bar flew open, the force of it slamming the door back against the wall. She would have known the outline of Marc and James anywhere, their tall frames filling the doorway a split second before they stepped to either side and disappeared. The door suddenly slammed shut again, once again plunging the small yard behind her bar into complete darkness.

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“Don’t say a word, Bailey. We know where you are.” Relieved to hear the sound of Marc’s voice, Bailey hurried behind the closest tree, jumping and inadvertently crying out when fur brushed against her hand. “She’s in the trees. Get her!” From the other side, she felt another form against her legs and a tug as teeth sank into the hem of her shirt and pulled. She heard an oof sound from the side, followed quickly by the sound of a body falling. “One down. Two to go. Think you can fuck with our woman, do you?” The sound of James’s voice made her realize that neither one of the panthers beside her could be Marc or James. She didn’t know who they were, probably Joe and Vincent, but she trusted them with her life. If they hurt her, Marc and James would kill them. She knew that with the same certainty that she knew her own name, the realization of her trust in Marc and James staggering her. Bailey jumped at the sound of a gunshot, ducking instinctively. The panthers closed in on both sides, shielding her body with theirs, the one at her side tugging again, growling in his throat. The other grabbed her by the sleeve and together they pulled her through the trees, not once letting her run into anything. Their sure-footedness kept her moving through the dark woods at a fast pace, one she knew she never would have been able to achieve if she’d been on her own. Before she knew it, they’d tucked her beside a large tree and released her. The sounds of scuffle in the distance filled her with dread. “Oh, my God. He’s got a gun. The last time, he shot James in the head. We have to go back there.” “We’re going. You be still and stay right here.”

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Recognizing Joe’s voice, she automatically reached out for him, startled when the skin she encountered changed back to fur beneath her hand. A second later, Joe and Vincent, as panthers, took off at breakneck speed, running in the direction they’d just come from. She sank to her knees beside the tree, alarmed when she no longer heard anything. “This is not happening.” She jumped, gasping as the sound of another gunshot rang out, and then another. Motionless, she listened for any sound that would give her a clue as to what had happened, but heard nothing. Hoping with each passing second that Marc or James, or even Joe or Vincent, would come back, she gripped the tree trunk and slowly came to her feet. When several minutes went by and she heard nothing, she knew she couldn’t stand it any longer. With her nerves stretched to the breaking point, she ventured forward, nearly tripping over one of the large roots. Wiping her stinging eyes, she kept going, desperate to get to Marc and James. Oh, God. If anything happened to them, she didn’t know what she would do. How could she have fallen so hard for them in such a short time? They understood her. They accepted her for what she was. As she accepted them. Holy hell, she’d tied her fate to shape-shifters! They’d somehow plowed through her defenses and stolen her heart, making her need them, for God’s sake. She sure as hell had no plans to lose them now. Moving cautiously through the woods, she held out her arms, her breathing coming in sharp pants as she tried to find her way back to the bar. She had to get to them. Nothing else mattered. They’d been moving so fast, with lots of turns, but she thought she knew the general direction they’d come from.

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As she made her way through the trees, it didn’t take long before she lost her sense of direction completely. Looking up to the sky didn’t help. What little bit of sky she could see through the treetops had become dark with clouds, the impending storm blocking out the moon and the stars and leaving nothing but blackness. Her breath caught, and she found herself blinking, the darkness as complete as if she’d had her eyes closed. Trying to push back memories of the night she’d been attacked, she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to ignore the cold. Surely, Marc and James would find her. They said they could smell her, after all, and they’d found her that night in the woods when she’d been over a mile away. She would wait for them. They’d be here before long and give her crap for moving. She stopped again, listening intently for any sound that would tell her they were coming for her, holding on to a fairly large tree trunk and peeking around it in all directions. She couldn’t believe it was so dark. And cold. Her thin sweater didn’t do much against the chill in the air, and her shivering got even worse. The snap of a twig had her spinning around, her heart beating nearly out of her chest as she scanned the woods for any sign of movement. Holding her breath, she waited for Marc or James to call out to her, but nothing happened. Biting her lip, she scanned the darkness, but couldn’t see a damned thing. Suddenly, the beam of a flashlight appeared, a faint light pointed toward the ground, one that disappeared almost immediately. Neither Marc nor James would have any need for a flashlight. With slow, careful steps, she made her way around the tree, plastering her back to the other side. Her senses sharpened, the

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adrenaline and absolute darkness making her acutely aware of everything around her. The urge to run grew strong, but remembering what happened the last time, she fought every instinct and forced herself to remain still. Another twig snapped, this time a little closer than before. Who the hell was out there? Out of nowhere, she felt it. A warm, strong essence seemed to wrap itself around her. Recognizing it immediately, she let it wash over her, her insides settling in slow increments. She smiled in the darkness, absorbing the delicious feeling of having Marc and James close by. They approached from in front of her, not making a sound, while from behind, she still heard the occasional snap of twigs or the unmistakable sound of dry leaves crunching. She didn’t understand how Marc and James could approach so silently, but it meant that the others could do so, too. She didn’t know who approached from behind, but she knew it couldn’t be one of them. If she heard the unknown threat, they would, too. Keeping her breathing slow and even, she listened for Marc and James, waiting expectantly for them to appear. She jumped at another noise from behind her, one that sounded as though someone had fallen. Between one breath and the next, she found herself tugged against a hard chest, strong arms wrapping around her like steel bands and pulling her close. James. Relief had her slumping against him, holding on to him for several long seconds before grabbing him tightly, her fear for both of them making it hard to breathe. “Thank God. Are you okay? I heard gunshots. Where’s Marc?”

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She stilled when she heard the unmistakable sound of a fist connecting and a body falling. James chuckled softly. “There he is.” “Fuck. Freeze, damn it!” Brown? James stiffened, pulling her even closer. Bailey poked her head out just in time to see the flashlight beam illuminate Officer Brown’s angry face. Holding up a hand to shield his eyes, Brown used the other to reach for his gun. “I wouldn’t, Brown.” Marc’s deep voice came out of the darkness, cold and full of venom. “What the hell are you doing out here stalking Bailey?” Brown stilled, moving his hand away from his gun. “I’m not stalking her! I swear, I ought to arrest you for hitting me. I got a call that there was trouble out here and came to check it out. Then I heard shots. Who the hell did you shoot?” “I didn’t shoot anybody, but you’ve got those kids you let get away the other night lying over there waiting for you. They were the ones shooting.” He grabbed the flashlight from Marc, but Bailey knew he’d been able to do so only because Marc allowed it. “You’ve caused me nothing but trouble ever since I came to work in this town.” Marc placed himself between Brown and where James kept her hidden. “Funny, Brown. I was just thinking the same thing about you.”

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Chapter Seventeen Bailey dropped facedown on the bed, crying out when a hand landed hard on her bottom. “Hey!” She spun in time to see Marc toss a handful of her socks into one of the cardboard boxes she hadn’t thrown away yet. Sitting up, she watched them toss her clothes into the boxes she’d finally managed to empty. “What are you doing?” James came out of her small closet with the meager contents and tossed them into a box. “Brown’s up to something, and he was in a hell of a hurry to get rid of us. He didn’t ask enough questions and seemed really pissed once he found out the identities of the men we’d tied up.” The urgency in his tone and in their hurried packing had a surge of adrenaline rushing through her veins. “What do you think he’s up to? What are you going to do?” Marc lifted a box onto his shoulder and grabbed another. “I have no idea, but he’s acting worse than he did a few weeks ago. We’re going to go check out the woods and see if we can find anything. Something’s going on in there, and I haven’t been going out there as often as I did before.” Pausing in his packing, he bent over her and took her mouth in a hard kiss, one full of possession. “For one reason or another, I’ve been busy.” “You’re not trying to blame this on me, are you?” Bailey scrambled from the bed, grabbing Marc’s arm as he turned and started

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packing another box. “I didn’t make you come over every night. Whatever happened to wanting to run free and needing your space?” Marc dropped the handful of panties he’d just gathered into the box and turned back to her, lifting her with an arm around the waist. “Freedom doesn’t seem as important to me as it once did.” His eyes darkened and narrowed in a look she’d already come to recognize and one that always made her heart beat faster. “And I don’t want any space without you in it.” James came up behind her, nudging her toward the door with a firm hand on her hip. “Neither one of us do. Let’s get you moved into Marc’s house and see if we can talk you into staying there.” **** Strolling around Marc’s masculine, but elegant living room, Bailey turned away from the embarrassing sight of the stack of beatup cardboard boxes in the corner and eyed Dane and Graham, who stared out into the night. They’d been quiet and withdrawn ever since they’d hustled her into their truck and then into Marc’s house with a speed and efficiency that left her stunned and impressed, but still a little uncomfortable. Even though neither one of them looked at her, she could feel their attention, sense their disapproval. It hurt her more than it should have. After all, she’d had a lifetime filled with people who didn’t approve of her for one reason or another, and she’d long ago developed a thick skin. Developing a thick skin meant that nothing could hurt her anymore. Suddenly, Graham turned. “I’ll take your things into the bedroom so you can unpack. You’re worried, and it’ll give you something to do until the others get back.” “Why would you care?”

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Bailey picked up one of the boxes and headed for the bedroom, determined to stay there until Marc and James came back. “Excuse me?” Slamming the box down, she spun to face Graham, who’d followed her into the bedroom. “Look, you don’t like me. I get it. Get out.” Graham dropped the box he was holding and sighed, rubbing his forehead. His growled curses sounded so much like the ones she’d heard from Marc and James that she smiled reluctantly. Meeting her eyes, he sat at the edge of the bed. “I know you won’t believe this, but I don’t dislike you. None of us do, but we do have reservations. That’s not your fault.” Swallowing the hurt, she shrugged and started unpacking the box at her feet, tossing clothing haphazardly onto the bed. “Of course you’d have reservations. I’m not exactly the kind of woman you’d want your friends to get mixed up with. No family. I run a bar. I used to work as a cocktail waitress. I’m sure you wanted someone sweet and innocent—” “Leland and Joe’s mate is innocent and sweet, and it didn’t make a hell of a lot of difference.” The snap of anger and impatience in his tone appeared to surprise both of them. Staring at each other across the room, Graham grimaced and glanced toward the window. “They’re back.” Turning away, he paused at the bedroom door. “We don’t hate you, Bailey. Some of us are just worried. This has never happened to any of us before, and now Leland and Joe are miserable and you seem to be trying to keep Marc and James at a distance. I know we’re not easy to love, but I don’t want to see Marc and James end up as unhappy as Joe and Leland are.” Bailey blinked.

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“Neither do I. Why the hell do you think I’m trying to keep some distance? Don’t you realize how much they’re going to regret getting mixed up with me once all that”—she waved her hand, unable to put the intense sexual desire she had for both of them into words—“stuff fades and they realize they got stuck with me because they liked the way I smell?” “Is that what you think?” Graham reached her in two strides, grabbing her by the shoulders and lifting her to her toes. “It doesn’t work like that, Bailey. It’s much more complicated than that. Don’t you realize what Marc and James would do to keep you? To protect you?” “Get your fucking hands off her.” Bailey froze, Marc’s deep menacing growl coming from the doorway sending chills up her spine. Gulping, she watched in alarm as Graham took his hands from her and held them out in surrender. Turning her head, she encountered the angriest glare she ever had before, the intensity of it holding her attention for several heartstopping seconds before she even noticed that Marc stood there, totally naked, erect, and with his fists clenched against his sides. His cock stood out from his body, hard and threatening, the large purplish head already glistening. She had no idea what Marc would do under the circumstances. She only knew that the animal side of him rose to the surface, showing more of the wild panther than she’d ever seen before. She couldn’t deny that it scared her more than just a little, and she found herself thankful for Graham’s presence. Meeting her gaze, he smiled faintly, his eyes lit with understanding. “Now do you see what I mean? I’ve been friends with Marc my entire life, and yet he’s ready to kill me just for touching your shoulders.” Bailey turned her head, another shiver going through her when she saw the look of deadly intent on Marc’s face. Knowing she had to get

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him calmed down, she started to step between the two men, coming to a halt when Graham nudged her aside. “Marc, I—” Graham shook his head, never taking his eyes from Marc’s. “Don’t get between us.” With his hands on his hips, he faced an enraged Marc. “Marc knows I would never make a move on any woman he was with, but especially not his mate. He knows that, and yet look at him.” In a show of bravery—or stupidity—he turned his back to his friend, and took her by the arms again. “Do you see how much he loves you? Do you have any idea how close we all are, and yet he’s willing to kill one of his family for you? If you turn away from him, he’ll be as unhappy as Leland and Joe are. So would James. Now can you see why we’re all worried?” Bailey jumped as Marc flew across the room and grabbed her arm, pulling her away from Graham. Stunned by what the other man had told her, she searched Marc’s features. Her heart pounded nearly out of her chest, at Marc’s nearness, at the feel of his hard body pressed against hers, and more than anything—at the rage and possessiveness on his face. Hiding her apprehension, she went on the attack. “I think you’re mistaken. Marc feels the same way I do. Neither one of us likes our decisions made for us. He’d better stop this bullshit before he gets himself a nice kick in the balls.” Marc’s eyes narrowed dangerously, his hands tightening on her waist and pulling her closer while lifting her to her toes, until the heat of his body covered the front of hers. “I realized that falling in love is not something a man can decide anyway. It just is. You’re mine, Bailey. Make no mistake about that.” Bailey heard a soft chuckle from behind her and the unmistakable sound of the door closing. “Marc, I—”

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“Don’t.” His clipped tone and clenched jaw told her his control had reached a breaking point. “After seeing another man touch you, I have the uncontrollable urge to claim you as my mate and let you know in no uncertain terms that you belong to me. If you try to deny what I can see in your eyes out of some irrational need to put some distance between us or pretend you don’t love me, I swear to God, I’ll turn you over my knee and paddle your ass before I take it.” God, she wanted him, man, panther, and all. She wanted the emotion she saw burning in his eyes just as much as she wanted the wild, primitive hunger sharpening them and making them go dark with arousal. She’d never needed those three magic little words before—never wanted them—but now she found she desperately needed to hear “I love you” from Marc, just as much as she needed him to take her with all the passion his eyes promised. “I hate being needy.” Frowning at the pout in her tone, she looked up at Marc through her lashes, narrowing her eyes at his satisfied smile. “What are you smiling at?” Cupping her cheek, he tangled a hand in her hair and lowered his head, his eyes possessive and promising pleasure to come. “You’re cute when you pout.” Pressing against him, she moaned, wrapping her legs around him when his hands went to her bottom and he lifted her. “I’m not cute as I don’t pout. Fuck it. I don’t need a damned thing from you.” Marc’s face hardened again, his eyes slits of glittering need that she wanted with alarming desire. “I’m about to change your mind about that.” He had her stripped and facedown on the bed in seconds. Lacing his fingers with hers, he scraped his teeth over her shoulder, the low growl in his tone when he spoke to her sending shivers of awareness racing through her.

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“You know what I want, don’t you?” Using his powerful thighs, he pushed her knees outward and nudged her bottom hole with his thick cock, leaving her in no doubt as to his intentions. Her puckered opening already tingled, both openings clenching with the need to be filled. Her clit throbbed as it swelled, but with the position Marc placed her in, she had nothing to rub it against. “Marc! Oh, God.” He nipped the sensitive place between her neck and shoulder, his growl carrying more of a threat than ever. “I’m going to take this tight ass. Tonight, my love, you’re going to give me your ultimate submission.” Stunned at the endearment, Bailey started to turn her head, crying out in surprise at his fast move. Flipping her to her back, he covered her body with his again. “And I’m going to be looking into your eyes when I take you. Tonight, I want it all, my mate.” As soon as he released her hands, she reached for him, more shivers going through her as he reached over her, took the lube from the drawer, and coated his fingers with it. Sliding a hand beneath her hair, he held the back of her head cradled in his large palm, keeping her facing him. Supporting his weight, he leaned to the side, using his powerful legs to keep hers spread wide. Shaking uncontrollably, she dug her fingers into his shoulders, closing her eyes against the intensity of his searching ones. “Open your eyes, Bailey.” Bailey gasped at the feel of the cold lube on her most private opening. The need to be filled made her anus clench against the tingling awareness that kept getting stronger by the moment. Her breasts felt swollen and heavy, her nipples so hard and sensitive that they almost hurt

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With her legs spread wide, she had no way to close against the thumb Marc used to circle her pussy opening, spreading her juices. He was too big and strong, too masculine for her to feel anything but small and feminine against him. Not only did she have to deal with the vulnerability of being so exposed, so soft against his hardness, she also had to come to terms with her own willingness, craving, to give in to him completely. She knew he would see too much. “I can’t.” She tried to turn away, but Marc tightened his hands in her hair, preventing it. “I want it all, my mate. I want to see your surrender, feel your surrender when you clamp down on my cock as you come. That’s what I need from you, Bailey. I need it all.” Arching, she lifted her breasts, rubbing her nipples against Marc’s chest, biting her lip to hold back a cry at the delicious jolts to her bottom, pussy, and clit. She couldn’t hold it back any longer, though, when Marc applied pressure and the tip of his finger breached the ring of muscle and pressed into her. “Open those beautiful eyes, Bailey.” The underlying steel in his gentle, coaxing tone couldn’t be ignored. Unable to resist it, Bailey did as he demanded, gasping when she saw the raw emotion blazing in Marc’s eyes. She hurriedly blinked back the tears that stung hers, not wanting to miss a single moment. “Oh, Marc.” His indulgent smile held more than just a small trace of wicked intent. “Loving you doesn’t change the fact that I’m taking this ass. In fact, I think it makes me want you that way even more.” He thrust deep, his eyes watchful as he moved his finger inside her ass, spreading the slippery lube. Struck once again by the too-intimate invasion, Bailey tried to lower her legs, but Marc used his own to keep hers held high.

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“There it is. Do you know how much that look of shocked pleasure in your eyes and your submission to me turns me on? I could never get it quite right, but now—Christ, I’ll never forget it.” Bailey didn’t have any idea what Marc could be talking about, but didn’t have the ability to ask as his head lowered, his lips brushing over hers as he withdrew and added another finger. Fire raced through her as he explored her ass, her inner walls clenching on Marc’s thick fingers. She couldn’t help but think that by doing so, she gave more of herself away, but couldn’t seem to stop. Her nipples and clit ached with need, the knowledge of her hunger flaring in Marc’s eyes a second before he tapped her clit with his thumb and took a beaded nipple into his mouth. She cried out again at the sharp pleasure as he nipped lightly at her nipple at the same time he moved his thumb over her clit, the circular motion driving her closer and closer toward the edge. Using her thighs as leverage, she bucked, unable to be still any longer, her movements creating more friction on her nipples and clit, the sharp warning tingles growing sharper and sharper. “Not yet, baby.” Marc swiped her nipple one last time as he withdrew from her bottom, leaving her ass clenching in desperation and her clit swollen and throbbing. “Marc! Damn it, I—oh!” He slipped on a condom she hadn’t even seen him retrieve and lifted her legs higher, keeping them parted as he pressed the head of his cock against her puckered opening. Using his thighs to keep her propped up in position, he fisted his cock and applied pressure, forcing the tight ring to give way. He groaned, a low, primitive sound that never failed to excite her. “So fucking tight. So hot. Mine, Bailey. Yes. Fuck. The way you clench on me is driving me out of my mind.” Harsh and low, his words washed over her.

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Spread out and completely exposed, Bailey lifted her hands above her head, holding on to the headboard. Marc’s eyes raked over her, the heat of his gaze warming every inch of her exposed flesh as he thrust his cock several more inches into her. Knowing he could see and touch anything he wanted only added to the level of feminine vulnerability she experienced by having her ass taken in such a dominant and possessive manner. His cock stretched her ass, filling her in slow increments, each slight thrust claiming his possession of more than just her bottom. Each one took part of her inner self, her emotions, her dreams, and her fantasies, leaving her wide open in more ways than one. Tightening her grip on the slats in the headboard, she arched again, lifting her body in invitation, and at the same time taking more of his cock. “Marc. I need, too. Oh! God, I’m so full. I’m coming. I can’t stop it.” The cock in her ass thrust impossibly deeper, so deep she knew she couldn’t take another inch. It set off a series of tingling shocks, one right after the other, making her shake uncontrollably. Her cries couldn’t be held back, each one louder and more desperate than the last. Marc’s growls, on the other hand, grew lower and lower, both in volume and in timbre, sounding more violent and animalistic than ever. “You won’t. I won’t let you.” She couldn’t deny the slight apprehension any more than she could deny the waves of pure bliss that washed over her. Caught up in it, in the shimmering pleasure that tightened every muscle in her body, she screamed her release, wishing the bliss and tingling over every inch of her skin could last forever. Her bottom tightened on the thick heat stretching her anal walls, making the cock filling her feel even larger. Tightening her thighs on

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Marc’s waist, she let her eyes flutter closed, her stomach muscles quivering under the hand Marc placed over it. “Again, damn it. Open yourself. Hold your legs up for me.” Bailey didn’t even consider denying him. She released her death grip on the headboard and wrapped her hands around the backs of her shaking knees, holding herself wide. The slow slide of Marc’s cock withdrawing several inches had her crying out again, the friction of his thick heat against her inner walls so intense she couldn’t hold it back. “Higher.” Bailey shivered at the growled demand, sucking in a breath when Marc’s thumb brushed her clit. “Oh, God. Do that again. I—oh!” She shook uncontrollably, tightening her hands on her legs as Marc pressed deep again, rolling her clit between his thumb and forefinger. “Keep those legs high, my mate. I love seeing you all spread out this way. My cock’s buried deep in your ass, and you’re loving it.” He let his thumb slip lower, gathering more of her juices before sliding it over her clit again. “You’re a woman with strong passions—a woman who isn’t afraid to let those passions loose.” Bailey’s cries and whimpers grew more frantic by the second when he began slow, shallow thrusts, his cock pressing deep into her ass while he continued to manipulate her clit. The tingling spread, until, inch by inch, it consumed every part of her. Her clit had become so sensitive that each stroke of his thumb brought both pleasure and pain, a sensation that stole the last of her resistance. “Marc. Oh, God. I’m coming again.” Without thinking, she started to buck her hips, using her grip on her legs to rock her as she fucked herself on Marc’s cock. Amazed at her decadent move, she bit her lip to hold back her cries, her legs

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straightening of their own volition as the waves of bliss began to wash over her. She felt so taken, so weakened against his strength and the strength of her own response. Marc growled again, thrusting his cock even deeper. “That’s it, my mate. Take my cock deep up your ass and come all around me. Fuck. So fucking tight. Hot. Sweet.” Clamping down on the cock filling her, Bailey cried out again, a husky, pitiful sound she couldn’t hold back. Her orgasm slammed into her with a force that had her arching up off the bed, a scream rising up in her throat. With a final thrust of his cock in her ass, Marc pinched her clit and bent over her, using his knees to keep her legs high and wide as he covered her mouth with his, swallowing her scream before she could release it. She parted her lips as soon as his touched them, eagerly giving him everything. Tangling her tongue with his, she sucked gently, a submissive, but demanding gesture that earned another of those low growls from him as he pulsed his release deep inside her ass. Beneath his persistent thumb, sparks of heat shot from her clit outward, making her stiffen and cry out again. His tongue slowed, caressing the inner recesses of her mouth as she came down, her body going limp in the aftermath. Replete, she curled her arms around his wide shoulders, her head dropping back against the pillow as he lifted his and stared down at her. “Holy fuck!” Smiling at the exhaustion and male satisfaction in his tone, she opened her eyes, surprised to see James approaching the bed and kneeling beside her. Marc lifted his head to glance at his friend, his breathing not quite steady. “I’m never going to get enough of her.”

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Turning, he stared straight into her eyes, the emotion she’d seen in them earlier blazing even hotter. “I love you, my mate.” She opened her mouth to tell him that he didn’t have to say that, but Marc shook his head before she could speak, silencing her. “No. Don’t say it. I know I said I didn’t want decisions made for me, but I want you, Bailey, more than I’ve ever wanted a woman. I can’t imagine not waking up to you every day. I want you in my life, in my home, in my bed. Forever. I can’t let you go. Please don’t ask me to.” James stilled, blinking once before he bent and kissed her shoulder, his eyes widening and his hand going down her body as Marc straightened. Turning to hold her gaze with his, he smiled faintly. “So, what do you say, Bailey? Can you live with us? Be our mate? Bear our children? Can you tie your life to two shape-shifters who love you more than their own lives? We’ll do everything in our power to protect you and make you happy.” Completely sated, Bailey smiled, struggling to keep her eyes open. Happiness like she’d never known swelled inside her, and she found herself blinking back tears again. She turned to look at Marc, moaning as he withdrew, her breath catching as the large head of his cock passed the tight ring of muscle. “I never cry. Never.” Reaching out a hand to each of them, she blinked back tears of love and vulnerability. After their lovemaking, she always felt as though she’d lost a part of herself, but wrapped in their arms, with their hands moving over her and their eyes full of love, she got it back. And more. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly, looking from one to the other. “I love you. I love you both so much.”

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At their slow smiles, she shrugged. “I’m afraid I’ll probably suck at it.” Marc dropped to one side of her, running a hand over her breast while James did the same with the other. “You’re doing just fine.” Arching her breasts into their palms, Bailey turned to Marc. “It’s different now, isn’t it?” Marc groaned and rolled to his back, closing his eyes and dropping his forearm over them. “It sure as hell is. I think you sucked all the life out of me.” Not about to be undone, Bailey laughed softly and turned to lie across his chest, moaning at the slight tenderness in her bottom. Snuggling against him, she pushed into the warm hand James had on her back and bent to run her tongue over Marc’s nipple. Grinning when Marc looked down in surprise and narrowed his eyes at her, she licked it again. “Not yet, I haven’t, but it’s on the agenda.”

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Chapter Eighteen Sitting on the deck of Marc’s house—her new home now—Bailey sipped her beer, raising a brow at the rapid dialog of raised voices from inside. When the conversation went low again, she inwardly shrugged and came to her feet. Since Joe had left a little over an hour ago to join Leland, the men had sat talking about what they’d discovered while searching the woods. Although they’d made it clear she was welcome to stay, she’d been shaken and needed some air. They’d called her family. With a sigh, she took another sip of her beer and sat staring down at the beer bottle. Still trembling from Marc’s lovemaking and struggling to come to grips with all that had happened, she’d wanted to be alone. Marc’s attentiveness as he showered with her and his careful attention to rebandaging her shoulder, and James’s concern as he checked it, made her feel soft and mushy inside, and she’d just wanted to get away. She still couldn’t believe she’d fallen in love and that Marc and James loved her back. Her! Bailey Knox. Born on the wrong side of the tracks. Daughter of a drug addict and, according to one of her foster mothers, a prostitute. Loved by a world-famous sculptor and a…what? What the hell did James do for a living anyway?

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Mentally shrugging, she reminded herself to ask him the first chance she got. Now, apparently, she’d have plenty of time to ask. Shaking her head again, she couldn’t prevent a small smile. She’d never expected to have love in her life. She’d been honest with Marc and James about that. She simply didn’t know how. She’d probably blow it, and they’d both end up hating her. She’d never even considered herself loveable, and the fact that both Marc and James seemed to think she was still amazed her. They were certainly a different breed than any other men she’d ever met. Laughing to herself at her own joke, she made her way to the railing. Shape-shifters. God help her. Looking out over the yard, she saw with no small amount of satisfaction that the sun had started to set, inching behind the snowcovered mountains. Shivering against the chill, she pulled her jacket more tightly around her. Still chilled, she set her beer on the railing to stick her hands in her pockets to get them warm, not ready yet to go in. She loved looking out at the mountains, and loved the peace and quiet she found here, surprised to find how much it soothed her. Fingering her grandmother’s necklace, she leaned against the railing, smiling to herself at the memory of the way Marc and James had taken her in this spot the morning they’d found her looking for her beloved jewelry. The morning they’d told her the incredible truth about themselves. Rolling her shoulder, she straightened, turning slightly to watch the men inside. Marc and James talked animatedly with the others, Marc shaking his head emphatically while James jumped to his feet and began pacing.

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She stiffened at the anger that washed over her, along with a jittery nervous feeling that she had no reason to be feeling. It had to be what they felt. Wondering if she’d ever get used to that aspect of their relationship, Bailey rolled her shoulder again and stretched, trying to get rid of her unease and working out some of the kinks from her earlier romp with Marc. When the sensation didn’t go away, she decided to see if a little distance would work. Making her way to the railing stairs, she looked back again to see that the men all looked upset and worried. She didn’t even want to consider that it might have something to do with her. If Marc and James regretted telling her that they loved her, she’d deal with it. Later. Walking across the yard, she glanced at the trees, shivering again. She hated being afraid of anything, but couldn’t help but admit that the woods behind her new home scared the hell out of her. Uneasy, she kept her distance from them, wondering what Marc and James would think of her if they knew how scared she was of a place her lovers called home. Glancing at the trees again, she saw that they seemed much darker now than they had just a few minutes ago. The sun had gone down almost completely, and she sure as hell didn’t want to be caught out here in the dark. She turned to go, pausing when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Staring into the semidarkness, she stood motionless, waiting to see if she saw it again. Just when she’d given up and thought she’d imagined it, she saw it again. A faint flicker of light in the distance, gone almost as soon as it appeared. Tensing, Bailey glanced toward the house, a little unnerved that she’d walked farther than she’d thought.

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She considered calling out for the men, but didn’t want to alarm them for something that might have been nothing at all. Then she saw it again. This time it moved. She took a step backward, inwardly wincing at her own cowardness. The most dangerous things that roamed the dark woods sat in the family room right now talking. Lifting her chin, she started into the woods, wishing she’d brought a flashlight. Making as little noise as possible, she proceeded cautiously, checking behind herself often to make sure she could still see her way out. She’d be mortified if she got lost and the men had to come find her. “The price goes up ten percent next time. It’s getting too dangerous to keep meeting out here. Since you can’t keep people out of here, we’re going to have to find another spot.” Stunned, Bailey stood perfectly still, straining her eyes to see the man who’d just spoken, listening intently as another voice came from just off to her right, not more than twenty feet in front of her. “It’s not my fault! What the fuck do you expect me to do? I thought spreading rumors about panther sightings would keep people the hell out of here. Your guys have been the ones causing all the fucking trouble. Why the hell do they give a shit about that bar anyway? Now I’ve got Brown up my ass trying to figure out what the hell’s going on.” Bailey blinked as she recognized the voice. Officer Cannon. She heard the rustle of something before the other man, now much closer, cursed. “You really are stupid, aren’t you? The Captain’s Den backs up to the woods and Duke’s doesn’t. We tried to get Billy Davis to sell to us, and then part of these woods would be ours. We could fence it in

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and there wouldn’t be any fucking trespassers trying to mess in our business!” “That Knox woman is becoming a pain in the ass, but it was your guy who chased her into the woods in the first place. Why the hell didn’t he just leave her alone? Or, better yet, help her fix her tire and let her be on her way?” “He knew who she was. Since you were kind enough to get us her license plate number and we knew where she was coming from, he thought it was a lucky break when he saw her. If he’d managed to kill her before she came to town, Duke could have taken over the bar himself and nobody would have been the wiser.” “Guess your man fucked up.” “Yeah, well, I guess those rumors you started about panthers weren’t rumors after all. Now you’ve got Brown all worked up.” “He thinks Brand is doing something suspicious out here, but he can’t figure out what. He doesn’t believe the rumors of panther sightings, and figures Brand denies seeing them because he’s the one who made them up to keep people out of here, but doesn’t want to cast suspicion on himself.” “Good. Let him keep looking at Brand. We need to get him, his friend, and that pain in the ass woman of theirs out of the way. Did you hear something?” Bailey held her breath as both flashlights came on, the twin beams of light arcing in her direction. “Who’s out there?” The voice of the other man sounded very much like the man who’d had the gun that night behind her bar. Afraid that he had one now, Bailey ducked behind the nearest tree, biting back a curse when she tripped over one of the large roots and fell, landing hard on her hip. “Did you hear that? Someone’s out there.” The panic in Cannon’s voice had Bailey scrambling to hide, once again reliving the night the other man had attacked her. Glancing

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toward the house where warm light shone from the windows, she wondered if the men would hear her if she screamed. Even if they heard her, would they get to her in time? She couldn’t take a chance, not with Cannon and the other man getting closer by the second. She looked around for a place to hide, but knew that as soon as she came out from behind the tree, she’d be caught in their flashlight beams. She wouldn’t go down without a fight. Wishing for her bat, she looked around and found the next best thing. Bending low, she reached out and curled her fingers around the dead branch lying at her feet. About four feet long and two inches in diameter, the hard piece of wood felt good in her hand. More confident now, she slowly rose to her feet, bracing herself against the back of the tree. Thankful for the thick jacket that kept the rough bark from rubbing against her injured shoulder, she plastered herself against the side of the tree, trying to make herself as small as possible. Her eyes kept going to the house, searching for any kind of movement, but seeing none. She wished she’d never left the damned deck. Alarmed that she could no longer see the flashlight beams, it alarmed her even more when she realized she could no longer hear either man approach. Even though her pulse raced, she tried to control her breathing, concentrating on any sound that would tell her the men’s location. Holding the stick in both hands, she planted her feet, her breathing becoming ragged as her nerves stretched to the breaking point. Suddenly, she realized that her senses had grown sharper. She would swear she could feel the night—the air, the scents, even the presence of the men who steadily closed in on her.

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The snap of a twig.. A crunch of leaves. The brush of clothing. The sounds came from one side and then the other, each one making her jump. The man on her right, the man who’d shot James, was closer. He would reach her first. One thing that she didn’t sense at all disturbed her the most. Marc and James. The last time, she’d known they were there. This time she didn’t feel them, and it scared her to death. She had to be realistic. Chances were she wouldn’t get out of this alive. She knew that Cannon, at least, carried a gun, and her experience with the other man told her that he did, too. She wouldn’t go out without a fight, though. Feeling the other man’s presence only a few feet away, she went on the attack. Spinning from behind the tree, she swung the stick for all she was worth, at the same time letting out a bloodcurdling scream. She’d managed to surprise him, hitting him hard against his arm. “Bitch!” He grabbed her, spinning her and yanking her back against him with a strength that surprised her. Scared out of her wits, she screamed again as she fought him, hoping the others would hear her. She kicked and tried to pull his arm away from her throat, terrified of being strangled. Something hard pushed into her temple. Cannon pointed his flashlight in her eyes, blinding her. Gasping for air against the hold that threatened to break her ribs, she stilled, not giving the man holding her an excuse to fire the gun he had pointed at her head. They’d never get to her in time! Cannon started cursing as the other man pulled her deeper and deeper into the woods.

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“Son of a bitch. She must have heard us. We’ve got no choice but to get rid of her. Bring her this way.” “Shut up. I don’t take orders from you. Feisty little thing, isn’t she? Feisty enough to handle having two men in her bed. I might just have to have a piece of that ass before I kill her. I’m sure she’ll be real lively now that she knows she’s dead afterward.” Bailey shivered in revulsion when he bent close to whisper in her ear. “Maybe I’ll keep her for a little while. Having her might keep Brand from interfering where he isn’t wanted.” “Don’t forget about the other one. Neither one of them looks like men you’d want to mess around with. There’s something about them that—” “Don’t tell me you’re scared of a sculptor! Maybe that’s why our little troublemaker here has to have two men. Neither one of them can handle her on their own. I’m going to show her what a real man is like, and then I’m going to kill her for her fucking nosiness.” Her heart pounded furiously as he pulled her deeper into the woods. She hadn’t been able to escape one man when he’d decided to attack her. She knew her chances of escaping two would be even worse. “Let go of me. I didn’t see anything. I didn’t hear anything.” “Liar. If you didn’t hear or see anything, why did you come out here?” He paused, laughing when Bailey almost tripped over something. Cannon shone his light on the object on the ground in front of Bailey’s feet, a large tote bag that lay open just enough for her to see stacks of money inside. “Come on. Let’s get out of here. I don’t like the feel of this place.” Bailey closed her eyes against the harsh glare of the flashlight, her body slumping in relief at the warm feeling surrounding her. Marc and James had come for her!

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The man holding her had to take the gun away from her face in order to grab the bag. He’d only taken two steps before Marc appeared out of nowhere to stand in front of her. “Get your hands off of her.” They were the same words he’d spoken to his friend earlier, but the deadly intent in them now made her realize just how much he’d held back before. Before the other man could react, James ripped her from his arms and pushed her behind a nearby tree, placing his body between hers and his. Pulling away from the tree, Bailey reached for James, having to raise her voice to be heard over the deadly growls. “He’s got a gun.” She didn’t even get the words out before the man who’d been holding her swung the gun around and Marc grabbed it from him and stuck it in the waistband of his jeans. “Not anymore.” “Shit!” Bailey jolted as Cannon started shooting at the panthers surrounding him. Scared to death that one of them would be shot, she started toward them, but found herself knocked off her feet when James tackled her to the ground. The growling got louder as the panthers attacked, the terrified screams from Cannon echoing through the woods. The shooting stopped, but the growling didn’t. Pressed into the dank ground, Bailey held on to James, burying her face in his neck. Looking over his shoulder, she saw a flash of movement and then the unmistakable sound of Marc’s fist connecting, a groan, and a body hitting the ground. Cannon, though, didn’t seem to be faring as well. He sounded desperate now, and scared for his life. She couldn’t help remembering how it felt to be in that position, and although he’d been ready to kill

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her, she knew watching him be torn apart by panthers would give her nightmares for years to come. “Oh, God. They’re killing him. James, they’re killing him.” “It would serve him right after what they did to you, but no, honey. They’re not killing him.” As Marc crouched beside her, shining the flashlight over her, James rolled off of her. “Are you hurt?” Sitting up, Bailey brushed aside their hands as they searched for injuries and stretched to look over toward the direction Cannon’s screams and the growling came from, straining her eyes to see into the darkness. “No. Please. Don’t let them kill him.” Snatching the flashlight from Marc, she struggled to get to her feet, only to find her legs shook so badly that they wouldn’t support her. She shook everywhere, her heart beating frantically as she struggled for air as though she’d been choked. Raising a hand to her throat, she fought off memories of the first time she’d been attacked, memories that had come back with a vengeance. With a curse, Marc lifted her high into his arms and strode in the direction of the others. Terrified of what she would find, Bailey turned the flashlight on Cannon, who stood perfectly still, his hands in the air, not taking his eyes from the five large panthers surrounding him. With their teeth bared and growling in their throats, the sleek black panthers made a terrifying sight, one that she knew she wouldn’t soon forget. “What the hell were you doing out here, Bailey? Damn it! You could have been killed! If we hadn’t heard your scream—what the hell are you smiling at?” Snuggling against Marc, Bailey lifted her face to his.

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“I love you. Both of you. So much. I knew when you got here. I felt you.” The growling all around her stopped. James chuckled from behind her, bending to brush her hair with his lips. “You sure as hell picked a great time to tell us that. You wanna tell us what the hell’s going on?” With Bailey in his arms, Marc strode toward Cannon. “Cannon? I would have bet money on Brown. What the fuck have you been doing in my woods?” Bailey pushed against him so he would put her down, but Marc held firm. “There’s a bag over there full of money. They said something about doing something here that they didn’t want anybody to know about. They want the woods. Duke’s in on it. They’re not trying to run me out of my bar for the business. They want the woods behind the bar. They don’t want anyone seeing what they’re doing.” James walked around as she spoke, stilling and looking in the same direction as the five panthers. “Well, Brown, it’s about time you showed up.” Picking up the other bag from the ground several feet away from Cannon, James opened it and whistled softly. “Well, what do we have here?” Pulling out a bag, he held it up to the light for Brown to see. Cannon came to his feet, looking around frantically. “Brown! Arrest these men. They attacked me.” He pointed toward the unconscious man. “I followed that man into the woods. He looked suspicious. These two men jumped me.” With his hand on his gun, Brown came into the light, his eyes widening when he saw the bag of white powder. He eyed both Cannon and the unconscious man before glancing around. “Yeah, right. I heard more than enough to believe otherwise.” His brows went up to see Bailey in Marc’s arms. “I thought I heard growls.”

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Marc stared down at Bailey, the love and concern in his eyes visible even in the low light of Brown’s flashlight sweeping the area. “Must have been us. Went a little crazy when they grabbed our woman.” Brown handcuffed Cannon, who didn’t put up much of a struggle, before handcuffing the still unconscious man. “That must’ve been it.” Gesturing toward the bag of drugs and the one filled with money, Brown sighed. “This explains a lot. Sorry I doubted you.” Marc nodded once, never taking his eyes from her. “As long as I don’t have to hear any of those panther stories anymore.” Bailey cuddled into Marc, raising a shaking hand to cup his jaw. “Cannon said he made those stories up to keep people out of the woods.” James lifted his head, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “So that’s how they got started.” Brown said something into a walkie-talkie before eyeing the ground, which bore tracks and signs of a struggle. Looking up at all three of them skeptically, he scratched his head. “Uh-huh. I sure as hell can’t prove otherwise. I am going to have some questions later, though.” Marc turned his back and headed back toward the house. “Make it tomorrow. We’re going back to the house to see to our woman.” James started to follow and paused, turning back. “Brown, I think it might be a good idea to let everyone who believes in these panthers to know that they’re very protective of Bailey.” Brown grinned, nodding once. “I have no idea what the hell’s going on, but I don’t doubt it for a minute.” Bailey waited until James caught up with them, trying once more to wiggle out of Marc’s arms.

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Marc tightened his hold, patting her bottom threateningly. “You’re fine right where you are. You couldn’t even stand up a few minutes ago.” Secretly pleased, Bailey sighed in resignation before grinning up at him. “Thanks for rescuing me again. I was afraid you wouldn’t hear me.” Marc paused and handed her over to a waiting James. “We’ll always be there for you, Bailey. Besides, the way you scream, I’m surprised half the town didn’t show up.” James cuddled her close. “Once we make sure you’re okay, we’ll do our best to make you scream again.” **** Standing at the living room window, Bailey smiled at the laughter that reached her as she watched Marc and James saying good-bye to the others. She could still feel the warmth on her forehead where they’d each kissed her good-bye, welcoming her to their family. Even now, they turned before driving away, waving to her as they pulled away. Returning their waves, she grinned, still finding it hard to believe that Marc and James’s friends had accepted her. She understood their concern for their friends and had to admit it had been quite a shock. They weren’t worried that she would stay. Their concern came from the fact that she could leave and break their friends’ hearts. For the first time in her life, someone needed her and wanted her around. Still smiling, she turned to watch Marc and James make their way back into the house, their eyes going to hers as soon as they came inside.

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She wore nothing beneath the plush robe she’d slipped on after taking her shower, and her nipples pebbled, poking against the soft material as James strode toward her while Marc dealt with locking up. As his smooth strides brought him closer, his eyes raked over her, the concern and lust in them sending a surge of love for him through her and making her heart beat faster. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Reaching for him came easier now, and she ran her hands up his chest to play with his collar as he moved in, wrapping his arms around her. The feel of his body against hers, always so exciting, felt more familiar now, and she rubbed up against him in an automatic gesture she’d just recently developed. Looking up at him through her lashes, she smiled. “You and Marc both checked me out, but now that everyone’s gone, I think it would be a good idea if we checked each other out a little more thoroughly.” She didn’t have much experience when it came to flirting and figured she’d said something wrong when, instead of laughing and making some sort of a dirty comeback, he threaded his fingers through her hair and pulled her even closer. “God. I’m never sleeping again. The thought of those men having you and what they planned to do with you is going to give me nightmares for a long time to come. I’m never letting you out of my sight again.” Tightening his fingers in her hair, he pulled her head back, his eyes dark and mysterious. “I love you so fucking much. If they’d hurt you, I—” “They didn’t.” Standing on her toes, she touched her lips to his, her heart swelling with love. “I knew when you got there. I sensed it. I also knew which one of them would attack first.”

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She glanced at Marc, who came to stand at her side. With one hand on each of their chests, she looked back and forth between them. “It was like I could feel the night. Everything got sharper.” Their brows went up as they looked at each other. Marc toyed with the belt at her waist, loosening it. “Interesting. It seems that now that we’re mated, both of us, you’ve developed a little of our instincts. Good. Just listen to them. It’s something we’re going to have to work on and tell the others about.” Grimacing, he pulled her closer. “If I hadn’t come to my senses in time, you might not have had even that small advantage.” Knowing what a tough time he’d had in coming to terms with their mating, she cupped his jaw. “Do you regret it?” She didn’t know what she would do if he did, but she hoped he’d come to accept it as much as she did. Marc’s eyes narrowed as they searched hers. Dropping the belt of the robe to the floor, he bent slightly and lifted her against him, urging her to wrap her legs around his waist. With her legs spread and her clit brushing up against his taut belly with every step, she gripped his shoulders, unable to prevent shooting a look of concern at James as he followed. “Marc, I asked you a question.” He nodded once, holding her with one hand and rubbing her bottom with the other. “I’m about to answer it.” Instead of taking her to his bedroom as she’d expected, he paused outside one of the closed doors in the hallway. “This is my workroom.” He opened the door and pressed a finger against her puckered opening. “Stay out unless you’re invited.” Sucking in a breath at the slight sting, Bailey smiled as her pussy clenched, leaking moisture against his shirt.

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“You don’t have to threaten me.” Marc’s grin sent another wave of need through her. “It’s obviously not much of a threat if your pussy’s soaking the front of my shirt. Look.” Surprised, Bailey turned her head to follow where he pointed, sucking in a breath as he pulled a cloth from a breathtakingly beautiful sculpture. The naked woman sat with her legs tucked to the side, some sort of material draped all around her and covering her legs and her mound. Her breasts thrust upward, the pointed nipples evident as she reached out for something. She reached for her lover. Bailey knew it as well as she knew her own name, the look of love and yearning as clear on the woman’s face as if it were a photograph. “I had that vision in my head, but it wouldn’t come into focus.” Setting her on her feet, he turned her to face the beautiful piece and slid her robe from her shoulders. “Then James and I rescued you and brought you home. As soon as I saw you lying there, the vision came into sharp focus. It’s you, Bailey.” Running his hands over her, he cupped a breast, toying with her nipple while he slid the other hand down her body to her pussy and slipped a finger into her. Brushing her clit with his thumb, he leaned over her, his breath warm against her neck. “That next morning, that’s the way you looked, but instead of reaching out for me, you held a hand out as if to push me away. When we got back from taking you to town, I started this. Every night I spent away from you, I made you here. In my home. Looking at me with love in your eyes—the way I wanted you to that morning. I’ve been dying to see that look on your face ever since.”

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Leaning back against him, Bailey moaned and spread her thighs wider to give him better access. She couldn’t believe someone like her could inspire such a masterpiece. Turning to look at him over her shoulder, she nuzzled against him. “I do love you.” Marc smiled, a smile filled with male satisfaction and need. “I know. Come to bed, my mate, and I’ll show you how much I love you, too.” James came to stand beside her and held out a hand, smiling when she readily took it. “We both will.” Walking hand and hand with them, Bailey glanced up at Marc. “When are you going to sell it?” Marc smiled and shook his head. “It’s you, my mate, and I wouldn’t part with either one of you for all the money in the world. I’m—we’re keeping both of you forever.”

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Epilogue “Damn it, I hate these fucking woods.” Bailey came to her feet after tripping over another root, determined that this time she would outmaneuver them. She’d become more comfortable here over the last several months, a fact that seemed to please Marc and James immensely. Once they’d discovered her fear of going back into these woods, they’d brought her out here with them as much as her schedule allowed, in an effort to get over her fear. After several outings, they’d started to play games with her, both of them fascinated with her sharpened senses. “No, you don’t. Stop complaining and pay attention. How are you going to hear us stalking you if you’re talking to yourself?” James’s voice came from her left, the frustration in it making her smile. Wiping her hands on her sweatpants, she shone the flashlight in that direction, unsurprised to see he’d already gone. She turned the flashlight back off again and moved behind the tree closest to her, listening for any movement. The rules were simple. She had a head start and made her way into the woods, and after five minutes, they came in after her. All she had to do was shine the light of the flashlight on them before they could reach her and she won. She’d only won once, so far, and she had a sneaky suspicion that it had only been because they let her. Memories of that still had the ability to make her horny as hell. The winner got whatever sexual favor they wanted from the loser, or

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losers. Her clit tingled at the memory of how they’d both licked her from head to toe that night, lingering on every one of her erogenous zones until she’d become so aroused she’d cried and begged for release from their torment. A release they gave her over and over until she couldn’t even move. Determined to get that kind of treatment again tonight, she remained motionless. She kept her breathing slow, hoping they would think she’d moved from her position and would be searching elsewhere, or wonder if she’d been hurt and come to investigate. Staring straight ahead, she focused on her surroundings. She smiled to herself, feeling the warmth and safety of Marc and James around her. Knowing that nothing could happen to her out here freed her to concentrate on the task at hand, with nothing to distract her except thoughts of the pleasure ahead. Several minutes must have passed, long minutes in which she didn’t move at all. She knew they had to smell her and would be trying to move in closer. So, she waited. Damn, they had more patience than she ever would. She had no idea where they’d gone, only knew that they remained close. Another minute went by, one filled with frustration, and she decided she couldn’t stand it anymore. Separating herself from the cover of the tree, she took a step, and then another, wincing at the snap of a twig beneath her booted foot. With their hearing, she knew it would be a matter of seconds before they caught her. She could still win, though, if she shone the flashlight on them before they did. With a snap, she turned it on. Since they would already know her position, she might as well go on the offense. Sweeping the light

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around the surrounding area, she screamed at the feel of tugging coming from both sides of the back of her jacket. Alarmed, she tried to run, falling to the ground when they both let go of her at the same time. Cursing, she flipped to her back, shining the flashlight into the faces of two sleek black panthers, panthers who looked suspiciously amused. Unsurprised that they’d chosen to stalk her in panther form, something they did with increasing frequency, she shone the flashlight in their eyes, knowing it annoyed them because it messed up their night vision. “Very funny.” Marc shifted from powerful, graceful panther to powerful, naked man in one smooth transition. “You’re always too impatient, my mate.” James shifted a second or two later, lifting her to her feet as he stood and holding her up with a strong hand under her bottom as she straddled him. “We won again. You know what that means, don’t you?” Bailey pinched his nipple, smiling when he cursed and grabbing onto his neck so he wouldn’t drop her when he let go to rub his nipple. “That means I won’t get licked all over. Thinking about what happened the last time I won is what distracted me.” James’s arms came back around her again, and he slapped her ass once in retaliation before gripping her bottom cheeks again. “Oh, I think licking all over sounds possible. In fact, it sounds real good.” In between long, drugging kisses and searching caresses, by the time they reached the house, Bailey had been reduced to a creature of need. Struggling to get closer, she held on to James as he entered the bedroom and set her on her feet.

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Marc undressed her, taking his time to remove her sweatpants, his hands roaming over her bottom, his fingers moving closer and closer to her puckered opening. “To the victor go the spoils.” That low silky growl got to her every time, sending shivers of delight up and down her spine. Just the thought of the way she knew they intended to take her tonight had her pussy and ass clenching in anticipation. Tearing her mouth from James’s, she struggled to get out of her sweatshirt while Marc cursed again in his haste to get rid of her boots. “Hurry.” She couldn’t stay still, rubbing her clit against James’s hard belly, her breath catching when his cock touched her slit. Her nipples, already pebbled, hardened even more, burning against the heat of his body. “Fuck me.” James chuckled as the last of her clothing came off. “Like Marc said, you’re too impatient.” Gripping his shoulders, Bailey moaned and slid her pussy over his cock, coating it with her juices. A groan rumbled from deep in his chest, his eyes narrowing to mere slits. His big body tightened even more against hers, his hands clenching on the cheeks of her ass. “Fuck waiting.” With a growl, Marc took her from James and strode toward the bed, bending his head to take a nipple into his mouth and shooting incredible jolts of need to her pussy and ass. As soon as they touched her, she went up in flames, but over the last several weeks, they’d learned her body well. And she’d learned theirs. Reaching down, she cupped Marc’s sac, running her short nails over the tender flesh in the way that always tipped him over to the primitive side of him that she loved so much.

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Rewarded with another harsh growl, she watched James toss a condom and the tube of lube onto the bed before donning another condom, his eyes narrowed on hers the entire time. “On your back, baby. I want a taste of that pussy before I fuck it.” She’d learned a lot about her lovers in the past several weeks and realized they all benefited when she teased them. She waited until Marc released her to reach for the condom before she made a break for it. She felt their shocked surprise as, laughing, she cleared the doorway. “Bad kitty. No cream for you.” “The hell you say!” James tore after her while Marc finished with his condom, grabbing the tube of lube before he followed at a much slower pace. She hadn’t known sex could be so much fun, but once Marc and James had introduced play into their lovemaking, she couldn’t seem to get enough. They’d taught her how to play with as much patience and understanding as they’d taught her how to love. Excited by the growling noises that came from James, Bailey made the mistake of taking her eyes off of Marc, a mistake that proved to be her downfall. Her laughter stopped abruptly when Marc hooked an arm around her waist and lifted her high back against him. A deep threatening growl and a nip to her now-healed shoulder had her stilling, a low moan escaping when James parted her thighs and lifted her hips, going to his knees to take her with his mouth. That wicked tongue of his stabbed into her, the heat and silkiness of it stroking her inner walls with a determination that always excited her. Lifting his head between swipes, he teased her clit. “Think you can run from us, do you, my mate?”

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Marc slid his free hand over her breasts, tugging at her nipple until she cried out, the pleasure and pain combining and arrowing to her slit, making both her pussy and bottom clench with need. “She knows she can’t get away from us. She’s our mate, and we mate for life.” Her stomach muscles quivered as James focused on her clit, sending her over with a speed that never failed to stun her. Coming to his feet, he took her by the waist and sat on the sofa with her straddling him. Licking his lips, he lowered her onto his cock. “All that sweet cream. You know how much we love cream, baby.” Holding on to his shoulders, Bailey threw her head back, once again taken in by how completely he filled her. “Oh, James! Oh God, it feels so good.” A hard, hot hand settled on her back, pushing her against James. A second later, a firm lubed finger pressed against her bottom hole. Marc emitted another of those low growls. “I never get enough of taking you, but when we both take you this way, it brings out the beast in me. Christ, I’m always afraid of hurting you.” Bailey jolted as Marc’s cold finger entered her. She cried out at the sting and the too intense pressure against her inner walls. James groaned, his cock jumping inside her. “Fuck. Hurry up.” Bailey cried out again, holding on to James’s wide shoulders as Marc pressed the head of his cock at her opening and began to push forward. “Are you okay?” His voice, barely human, came out on a groan as he stilled. His harsh breathing told her how difficult it had been for him to stop, but she knew he would do anything to keep from hurting her.

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Not wanting him to stop, and to relieve his worry, she admitted something she never had. “Damn it, it feels good when it hurts just a little. Now move!” James groaned, his hands tightening on her hips as Marc pressed deeper. “We know that, my mate.” Marc eased back and thrust again, holding her bottom cheeks parted wide. “And we love that about you, love that you’re so adventurous, but I’d never forgive myself if I hurt you.” The cocks inside her felt huge, the sensation of being taken in both openings always overwhelming her. On either side of James’s thighs, her legs shook, the pleasure and eroticism of the act growing stronger each time. Now that she knew what to expect, she didn’t fear it as she once had, but had a healthy respect for the intimacy and care that went into having sex this way. As always, when they took her this way, this beast in them came to the surface more than usual, which would have alarmed her if she hadn’t had the trust in them that she did. Her bottom hole stung and burned, stretched to the limit and held open by Marc’s cock. She clenched on him as his shallow strokes took him deeper, making her inner walls feel stretched even more. James’s tortured expression got even more stonelike as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her firmly against him. “I swear, I could spend the rest of my life inside you.” Turning her face, Bailey breathed in the scent of him—woods and clean male. “God, I love when you—oh!—take me this way. It’s dangerous and exciting and—oh, dear God.” Marc’s thrust stole her breath for several heart-stopping seconds as her body struggled to adapt to the dual invasion.

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Her breasts felt heavy and swollen against James’s chest, her clit throbbing to the beat of her heart, already swollen and sensitive from James’s ministrations. Holding her breath in anticipation of what was to come, she let it out on a cry of shocked pleasure as they started to move. She never got used to it. They filled her everywhere, their cocks so large inside her that she could feel nothing else. Marc pulled her back against his chest. “God, I love you.” His hands went to her breasts, rolling her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers as he withdrew and surged deep again, setting the rhythm with James that she knew would drive her insane. She knew she didn’t have much time. She never did, and the jolts of heat to her clit had the already sensitized nub tingling already. Holding on to James’s forearms, she threw her head back, closing her eyes as the tingling grew and started to spread. When she felt James move his arms, she knew what he would do and tightened her hold to stop him. “No. Please don’t touch my clit. I want it to last forever.” With a groan, James touched his thumb to her clit, sending a sharp, almost painful shock through her. “You want it to last? Let’s see how much you can take, tough girl.” Holding on to him, Bailey couldn’t hold back her cries as they took her in earnest, their thrusts coming faster and faster. Marc pinched her nipples just often enough to keep her pleasure growing, but not enough to send her over. Their groans and low growls got steadily louder and more primitive, their touch much greedier and forceful with each passing minute.

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In sharp contrast, the flick of James’s thumb over her clit stayed light and almost fleeting, each touch sending a flash of heat through her and threatening to send her over the edge. She shook uncontrollably, her movements clumsy as she fought their hold and attempted to rub her clit against James. The muscles in her stomach tightened painfully as the sensations grew, each tug to her nipples, and caress of her clit promising more pleasure than she could handle. She waited expectantly for each touch to her clit, whimpering in frustration when it didn’t come soon enough. James would surprise her then, and rub or pinch her clit lightly, and then release it just as suddenly, leaving her clenching on their cocks and cursing as coming eluded her. “Enough. Make me come. Oh, God, I’m so close.” The tingling and tightening of her body seemed never ending, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to take much more. Marc’s laughter sounded harsh and diabolical. “Come on, baby. You can take it.” He thrust deep, pinched her nipples and moved his hips in a way that changed the thrust of his cock and sent her soaring. Her scream echoed off the walls, mingling with their harsh shouts of release as they both surged deep, their cocks pulsing in both openings. James pinched her clit between both thumbs, holding on to her thighs with an iron grip. “Fuck! Yeah, baby. Keep coming. Squeeze my cock. So fucking tight.” Marc closed his hands over her breasts, running his teeth over her back. “Incredible. Oh, hell. She’s clamping down on my cock so fucking hard that—fuck. She’s coming again.”

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Before she recovered from one wave, another slammed into her. Digging her knees into the leather sofa, Bailey grabbed on to the back of it and rocked, taking all the pleasure she could. Thrilling at the groans coming from both of them, she did it again and again until the shudders overtook her and she collapsed against James’s chest. James pulled her close, threading his fingers into her hair and cupping the back of her head as he settled her. “Damn, woman. I love you.” Marc closed in from behind her, caressing her hip and moving her hair aside to run his lips over her neck and shoulder. “I couldn’t have chosen a better woman for my mate.”

THE END WWW.LEAHBROOKE.NET

ABOUT THE AUTHOR When Leah isn’t writing, she’s spending time with her family and friends. While writing or relaxing, her two puppies are always around her.

Also by Leah Brooke Ménage Amour: Desire, Oklahoma 1: Desire for Three Siren Classic: Desire, Oklahoma 2: Blade’s Desire Ménage Amour: Desire, Oklahoma 3: Creation of Desire Ménage Amour: Desire, Oklahoma 4: Rules of Desire Everlasting Classic: Desire, Oklahoma 5: Dark Desire Ménage Everlasting: Desire, Oklahoma 6: Raw Desire Ménage Everlasting: Desire, Oklahoma – The Founding Fathers: Untamed Desire

For all other titles, please visit www.bookstrand.com/leah-brooke For titles by Leah Brooke writing as Lana Dare, please visit www.bookstrand.com/lana-dare

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