“I pull out all the stops for my unwanted guests.”

“I can see that.” She took a bite, closing her eyes and letting the flavor roll around her mouth. “Oh, my God,” she finally bit out.

“Is that good or bad?”

“Good. Definitely good.”

The hillbilly grinned, “Why thank you.”

“Where did you learn to cook like this?”

“Momma. She taught all her boys to cook. She said with our attitudes, we could never expect a woman to stay very long.”

Angie’s head snapped up. Unlike her grandmother and her best friends, her parents’ love always remained in question. So, the fact that someone’s mother would say that to them bothered her.

Nik caught her look. “Don’t worry. She says the same thing about daddy.” He sighed, “And Lord knows she still hasn’t gotten rid of him.”

Angie didn’t know if he meant divorce or murder. And she wasn’t about to ask.

Instead, she decided to change the subject before they got around to her family. “What do you know about Victoria Löwe?”

He shrugged, “Not much. Her Pride’s territory is out your friend’s way. Up near San Francisco, I think.” Angie had no idea lions lived so close to the Pack. “And I know she’s making lots of changes among the Prides. But the tigers don’t involve ourselves in too much of that Pride crap. Always seemed to me they brought that war on themselves.”

“I thought you were all part of a Cat Nation.”

“I guess. I mean, honestly, none of it is really my business.”

“It is now.”

“Well, you can blame my brothers for that.”

“You know, I don’t remember seeing you with your brothers. Exactly why did I end up here? Did they not have enough room in their trailers?”

Nik glared at her as he bit into a piece of bread. “Actually, they rolled dice for ya…and I lost.”

“They rolled…for…and you…lost!” She threw her fork down and started to get up, but Nik’s hand on her arm stopped her. “Get off me!”

“Sit. Now.”

She didn’t have much choice. He had an iron grip. She sat back down but wouldn’t look at him.

“That was mean. I’m sorry,” he released her arm. “My momma raised me better than that.”

She finally looked at him. “So you didn’t roll dice for me?”

“Oh, no. They did,” he gave her that goddamn devastating smile again. “But I won.”

No. She’d never be able to control this one.

“As a matter of fact, you did win. And don’t you forget it.”

“Don’t worry, Sugar. I won’t.”

***

Nik rolled onto his back, his arms behind his head, his eyes locked on the ceiling, his cock hard, ready, and demanding satisfaction. Preferably from the hot piece of ass just a few doors away.

He couldsmell her. She’d taken a hot shower and her scent now flowed through the entire floor. His mouth watered. His heart hammered against his rib cage. Christ, he wanted that little lady. He wanted her bad.

He closed his eyes, trying to sleep. But that was a mistake. As soon as he closed his eyes he saw her…with her head in his lap. Her mouth on his dick, her tongue swirling around the tip. Her cheeks hollowing out as she sucked him long and deep.

No. That wouldn’t help him sleep. He opened his eyes.

He wondered what she’d do if he sauntered on down her way and knocked on her door at one o’clock in the morning. Welcome him in or kick him in the nuts? Probably welcome him in only to kick him in the nuts once she got him in there.

A growl from underneath his balcony pulled him away from his fantasies about Santiago riding him like a cowboy on a buckin’ bronco.

His brothers. They wanted to go hunting. Not a bad idea really. Besides, as much as his brothers drove him crazy, he did love ‘em.

They growled again and Nik laughed. They wanted to go hunting. Now. And they basically told him to get his head out from between Angelina’s legs and get a move on.

Smart asses.

Well, anything had to be better than laying here all night pining for a woman who treated him like an annoying alley cat she couldn’t get out of her backyard.

He shifted, while still in bed, and slid out from under the covers. Bounding across the room, he leaped over the balcony. His brothers were already running, the scent of deer filling their heads, and he followed. Loving the feel of the cool Carolina night on his fur and the power of his people flowing through his veins.

***

Angie sat on the balcony staring out at the yard through the bars of the railing. Wearing an oversized sweatshirt she’d gotten that day and nothing else, she had her knees tucked up under her chin.

When the two tigers suddenly appeared, she almost dashed back inside, but she forced herself to stay put. She knew they had to be shifters. They roared at the house while simultaneously batting each other around with their enormous paws. Within a few minutes, another tiger she could only guess was Nik, jumped down and the three ran off into the trees.

They were beautiful to watch. Their long powerful limbs moving with such precision. It must be interesting to watch them hunt, to see them take down their prey. You know… as long as it wasn’t her.

Angie finger-combed her wet hair. Except for Sara, Miki, and Marrec there was no one else to tell that she was okay. That dangerous shapeshifters hadn’t killed her. Her parents didn’t know she had been missing and she wasn’t really sure they’d care. Last she heard, they were on a dig somewhere in the Sudan. Two scientists who had just enough love for their work and each other. Angie had been an accident from the beginning and eventually they couldn’t even pretend to care anymore. So they left her with her grandmother and every once in awhile they’d stop by to remind her she had parents.