Tempting Evil (Riley Jenson Guardian #3)

I froze. What the hell was Gautier doing here? How had he gotten here? He might be a vampire by design rather than choice, but he was still restricted by the same rules all vampires faced. He wasn't old enough to be walking around in late afternoon daylight - and though he could certainly move around in a blacked-out van like Jack did, there was no way on earth he could have gotten into one without being seen or tracked by those watching him.

And Jack would have warned me. He might have faith in Liander's skills, but he still would have told me Gautier was on the loose in the estate, simply because he knew Gautier was the one person who could blow the whole mission wide open.

My gaze rose to that of my nemesis, but those muddy brown depths held none of the hatred, none of the sick evil that was usually so evident in Gautier's gaze. This wasn't him, but yet another clone, one who shared his image and his smell. Relief swept through my system, leaving me momentarily shaking. Some guardian I was.

Not that I was one. Not a kill-on-order one, not yet.

"That almost has to be a record for going through the course," he said. "How did you sense the vampire?"

I sniffed, feigning a confidence I didn't feel. "His scent gave his position away."

"And the spirit lizard?"

"What the hell is a spirit lizard?" I knew, but Poppy wouldn't have, so the question had to be asked.

"The black creature who first attacked you. How'd you sense him?"

"The hiss of air as he whirled the nunchakus." I studied him for a moment. "You the guide to the next stage?"

His smile had a decidedly nasty edge. "And the bearer of the final set of rules."

"More rules? Haven't we enough already?"

"Babe, the boss is paying you extremely well for your services, so you'd better get used to doing what he wants."

I guess he had a point. I shrugged.

"You have two choices of clothing during your time here. The overalls that you will find in your wardrobe, or your skin."

I raised my eyebrows, though I was neither surprised nor particularly worried. "You mean run around naked?"

His glaze slid down my body, then came back up to rest on my tits. He grinned. "And those would look pretty damn special without the hindrance of a bra."

Yeah, and he wasn't getting his mitts anywhere near my D-cups. I might be a wolf, but I did have some taste - and vamps who smelled worse than offal were definitely off my "to-do" list.

But I kept my mouth shut on that particular topic. Until I had more of a feel for who was who, it was better not to comment on anything, whether or not Poppy was a renowned mouth. He motioned me to follow him as he turned and headed for the door.

"Why the choice? Seeing we're getting paid big money to fight and have sex with your boss's lieutenants, I would have thought nakedness would have been a prerequisite. You know, a bit of viewing pleasure for those who can't touch."

He opened the door and ushered me into a long white hall. A polite stinker - not what I expected to find here. "Those who parade around in their skin are given the choice of saying no. Those who wear overalls aren't."

"That's not what military man said in the bus." Nor was it what Dia had suggested. But then, maybe she didn't socialize with the fighters, and therefore didn't know the entire truth. Which might also mean she didn't know the entire truth in other areas.

And wasn't that a fantastic thought?

He flashed me another nasty grin. "Didn't want you all leaving now, did we?"

"And the arena fighting is all naked?"

"And in mud." He hitched his pants in that way all men did when in the presence of a woman they were attracted to. "Very exciting."

"I bet," I said dryly.

We moved into another corridor, and from down the far end came raised voices. One of them was Berna's.

"Your quarters," he said. "You can pick who you wish to share with. We don't care."

"Cool."

"Dinner is at seven in the main dining room and is not optional. Other meals are." He stopped near the first door. "You are free to explore or use any of the facilities before and after the dinner show. Myself or one of the other guards will be here to escort you to the dining room at six forty-five. Don't be late."

"Or what?"

He gave me another nasty grin again, and I seriously had to resist the urge to smack it from his thin lips. "We'll dock your pay or punish you in other ways."

"What other ways?"

"You'll see an example tonight, over dinner." Anticipation gleamed in his eyes, giving me the bad feeling that it was something normal, sane people wouldn't like.

I nodded. After another look at my breasts, he spun around and left. I followed the sound of Berna's voice, passing several rooms that were already full, and stopped in the last doorway.

The bear-shifter stood in the middle of the room, her large paws on her larger hips, and her short dark hair fairly bristling with anger.

Nerida, the fox lady, stood in front of her, defiance written all over her red features. She was game, I had to give her that. Berna was twice her height and four times her girth.

"I got here first," she said. "The window is mine."

"I need fresh air or I snore. Believe me, if you cherish sleep, you would not want me snoring."

All this angst and noise over a damn window? "Really ladies, this is easily settled."

Berna gave me a dark glance as I walked in. "We don't want thieves in this room."

"The thief doesn't steal from friends, and there are no other beds left anyway, so tough." I walked across to the bed in question and stripped off my coat. "To settle the argument, I'll take it."

Nerida glanced up at Berna, then the two of them stepped forward as one. Something about that itched at my senses. There was just a little too much precision in the way they did that - like it was a move they'd practiced more than once. Maybe Nerida was also a wrestler.

And maybe something else was going on.

Dia had mentioned that someone in this group wasn't who they pretended to be. Maybe there was more than just one pretender.

And why would they fake a fight? To make it seem they weren't friendly to watching eyes, perhaps? Now, why would they want something like that?

"I'm at least three times your girth, wolf, and probably twice as strong. I could thump you into the floor without even thinking."

"You could try," I said mildly. "I doubt you'd succeed."

She bristled. "That a challenge?"

I shrugged, and kicked off my shoes. Feigning disinterest when every sense I had was tuned on the both of them, waiting for a move. Any move. "Take it any damn way you please."

I half-turned, and that's when the fox sprung. I dropped, moving under her leap, then grabbed her and whirled her quickly around before letting go. I had no time to see if she'd hit the bed I'd been aiming for, because the air screamed with the warning of an approaching blow. I surged upright and caught Berna's fist in a two-handed grip. Held it and stopped it, even if the force of her blow sent Shockwaves up my arms and rattled my teeth.

"Looks don't always indicate strength," I said softly, as surprise flitted through her brown eyes. "Do not try and attack me like that again." I looked at Nerida, who'd landed beside the bed rather than on it and was currently rubbing her hip. "Either of you."

I pushed Berna backward and released her, then got back to the business of stripping off. "Do you know what's happened to our bags?"

"Coming once we've sort sleeping positions out."

I glanced at her. "Which we have."

She sniffed. Whether that meant acceptance, or whether it meant I was going to have to turf her out of the bed when I got back was anyone's guess.

"Why are you stripping?" she asked.

"I'm going to explore."

"Trust a wolf to do the naked thing," Nerida said, contempt heavy in her voice.

"Better naked than having no choice."

"They're paying me to fight and fuck. They are not paying me enough to flaunt myself to all and sundry."

I couldn't see the difference and said as much.

She snorted. "That's because you're a wolf, and everyone knows wolves have no morals."

I raised my eyebrows. "So what's so moral about fighting and fucking for money?"

"Perhaps not a lot, but there are lines some of us won't cross. Werewolves don't seem to have any lines."

"And you've had how many years experience with werewolves?"

She looked away and mumbled, "None."

I snorted. "One good thing about wolves is that they prefer to judge a person by their actions." I stripped off my knickers and dumped them with the rest of my clothes. "I'm off to explore."

Neither woman commented or offered to come along, for which I was extremely grateful. Not only did I plan to scout the house and grounds, but I also wanted to find me a stallion. And maybe even catch a little riding action.

The main house seemed a whole lot bigger in life than it had on the plans and, as Dia had warned, there were cameras everywhere. If the halls weren't darkened at night, then moving through them without being seen was going to be next to impossible.

After touring the rooms that were accessible, I glanced at my watch and was relieved to see I still had nearly two hours before I had to be back. I found a door that led outside and followed the white pebbled driveway around to the paddocks that housed the barns and the horses. There were several women out riding - some of them naked, some not - and men in dark uniforms hanging over the fence, wolf-whistling and throwing lewd suggestions at the women. Like that was attractive or something. I guess some men simply never grew up.

A crinkled, weather-worn man who had to be at least eighty came out of the barn as I approached. "You here to ride?"

I nodded and looked past him, searching the shadows for Kade. I couldn't see him immediately, but the barn was huge and he could be anywhere.

"You know the rules?"

Again I nodded. "We're allowed to ride anywhere, aren't we?"

"As long as you do your half hour in the front paddock for the boys, you can go where you like on the estate. Within the boundaries already outlined, of course."

Which meant we weren't likely to raise suspicions when we nicked off into the forest. Excellent. "And are we at least allowed a saddle blanket? Horse hair and nether regions are never a pleasant combination." And I knew that from experience.

He gave a short, sharp laugh. "You got that right, girlie." He reached behind the door, then handed me a blanket, girth, and halter. "Any one of them bad boys is yours."

I raised my eyebrows. "They're all stallions?"

"Mostly. The boss does sometimes bring in a mare in heat, just to watch the boys fight."

"Nasty."

He shrugged. "It's nature at its finest."

Or madness at its finest. "Thanks."

He nodded. "Just remember - you get hurt, we aren't responsible."

"Has anyone ever got hurt?" I asked, curious.

"Yes."

"So what happened to them?"

He shrugged. "Isn't my problem."

I very much suspected they weren't Starr's problem, either. Not after he'd tended to them in a less than conventional way. Like burying them. Dead people don't talk - unless, of course, they were vamps, and Starr was the type to stake first, ask questions later.

I flung the girth and blanket over my shoulder and walked into the shadowed barn. A careful study of the upper spaces of the barn didn't reveal any cameras or microphones. Maybe they figured nothing of interest would happen in the barn and hadn't bothered - and for that I was extremely grateful. It at least meant I could sneak in here after hours and not worry about anyone spotting me.

The air was rich with the scents of horse, hay, and shit, and as I moved down the aisle, heads swung my way, dark eyes gleaming intently in the muted light. They were all tall and strong looking, most of them chestnut or bay. And all of them reacted to my presence, either snorting in fear or backing away. Horses and wolves were never a good combination. Kade, a magnificent mahogany bay, was down the far end.

"Hey, big boy," I said, for the benefit of the stable hand cleaning the stall opposite. "Want to go for a ride?"

He stomped a foot and snorted, his velvet brown eyes seeming to gleam with anticipation. I grinned and opened the stall door, not bothering to lock it again because Kade wasn't going anywhere. I looped the halter over his nose and ears, threw the reins over his head, then tossed the blanket across his back. And noticed, when I was bending down to cinch up the girth, his erection.

"Someone's pleased to see me," I murmured, and had my rump nipped for my trouble. I chuckled, and hauled myself onto his back.

Kade was moving before I was fully settled, trotting back down the aisle and breaking into a canter once we'd reached the paddock. I moved in rhythm with his stride, enjoying the whip of wind across my skin and through my hair as much as the sensation of being a part of so much contained power. The bouncing boobs weren't so enjoyable - actually, they were downright painful - but I doubted the wolf whistlers hanging off the fences would care either way.

We did our allotted half hour, then cantered around the lake's shoreline before into the trees, not stopping until we'd reached a small stream deep within the shadowed, green darkness.

I slid off his back and stepped back as the golden shimmer of shapeshifting appeared on his nose and quickly spread across the rest of his body. He was just as magnificent in human form as he was in horse, his mahogany skin, black hair, and velvet brown eyes a truly striking combination. And it wasn't only his coloring that was magnificent. He was built like a thoroughbred - broad shoulders, powerful chest, slim hips, and long, strong legs. I knew the power of those legs. Knew how hard and strong they could hold a person as he drove himself deep.

I wanted to reel that again.

Badly.

He stepped free of the blanket and girth, his gaze holding mine as he pulled the halter away from his neck.

"Do you know," he said, his voice deep and somewhat husky, "how long it has been since I've had a woman?"

I let my gaze slide down to the tent pole he had happening. "A while by the look of that."

"Three weeks," he murmured, as he moved toward me. "Three horrible, torturous weeks in which heaven was so close, and yet so far."

I grinned as he pressed a hand against my shoulder and pushed me backward, until my spine was pressed up against a tree. "I gather we're talking about the naked women riding you?"

There was only inches between us. The heat of him burned across my skin, and the air was deliciously filled with his musky odor and the rich scent of desire. It had me melting in an instant, and wanting him more than I'd wanted anyone for a while. Well, for at least the last twenty-four hours, and for wolf, that was a long time.

He raised a hand and brushed wispy strands of hair from my cheek. "I missed you."

His fingers trailed heat where they touched, and the longing already trembling inside became a symphony. I touched his chest and let my fingers explore the well-defined ridge of muscles that ran down his stomach. This man was hot in so many ways. "And I you."

The smile that tugged his lips went beyond sexy, and my hormones did an excited little jig. Of course, my hormones never needed much prompting.

His touch moved gently down my neck, and sent my pulse tripping. Between his caress, the way his breath teased my lips, and the desire that singed my senses, I was pretty much in danger of internally combusting. But he didn't get on with it, just said, "You realize this first time will be fast. I need you too badly for it to be anything else."

"Fast is good." Right now, even I didn't want slow.

He smiled, then wrapped his arms around my body and crushed me close. His lips claimed mine and for several minutes, it felt like I was tasting heaven. And yet, despite the urgency that burned between us, our kiss was slow, and tender, and so very, very thorough.

But I could feel the tension in his broad shoulders. The hardness of his erection pressing against my stomach. The quivering in his muscles as he restrained desire. It was too much. I didn't want his restraint. I wanted him. Wanted to feel the heat of him deep inside. Not in five minutes, not in two minutes. Now. And if he wasn't going to take any action, then I damn well would.

I slipped a hand between us and wrapped my fingers around his cock. His body reacted to my touch, seeming to jump with eagerness.

"Someone's anxious," he murmured, as I guided him to where it was warm and wet and ready.

"Very," I whispered. "So stop mucking around and get down to the serious stuff."

The words were barely out of my mouth and he was in me, driving hard and deep. Horse-shifters took after their animal counterparts when it came to the shape and size of their cock, and having him fill me so completely was an incredibly satisfying sensation.

His thick groan was a sound I echoed, especially when he began to move. His strokes were fierce, like he couldn't drive himself hard enough or deep enough. Or simply couldn't get enough - a feeling I understood completely. Sex with Kade was entirely different to sex with either Quinn or Kellen - not better, not worse, just different. And it wasn't something I was ready to give up in a hurry - no matter what the other two might wish.

I wrapped my legs around his hips and urged him deeper still, using the tree to support my back as he thrust and thrust, until it felt as if the rigid heat of him was trying to spear right through my spine.

My breathing sharpened as pleasure spiraled, and all too quickly my climax hit, the convulsions stealing my breath and tearing a strangled sound from my throat. He came a heartbeat later, his body slamming into mine, the force of it driving slivers of bark into my back.

At that moment in time, the slivers could have been daggers and I wouldn't have given a damn.

When the tremors eased, he leaned his sweaty forehead against mine, his breathing harsh, velvet eyes alive with amusement and desire.

"Well, that took a little of the edge off."

I grinned and ran a hand down his hot, sweaty cheek. "So there's energy left for a more timely seduction?"

"Hell, yeah." He kissed me fiercely, then added, "Did I mention I haven't had sex for three weeks?"

"It's a wonder the sperm factories didn't explode under the stress of all that production and no outlet."

He snorted. "Isn't that the truth."

I lowered my feet to the ground, and he stepped back. "How much time have you got?"

I glanced at my watch. "About three-quarters of an hour."

"Good." He took my hand, walked across to grab the saddle blanket, then led me to the water's edge. "Sit," he ordered, after spreading the blanket. "And I'll remove the bark you undoubtedly have in your back while I update you."

"Update being a new term for sex?" I said hopefully.

He grinned and slapped my butt. "Behave. We need to discuss business before we get down to more serious pleasure."

"And here I was thinking sex came first, second, and third in line for horse-shifters."

"When I'm not working, it does. You turning Jack on?"

"God, what a revolting thought."

He chuckled. "You know what I mean."

I did, and flicked the com-link into action. "Jack? I'm with Kade."

"About time you reported in. I was getting worried."

"I had to pass a few more tests, and that house is shored up tighter than a straight boy's ass at a gay bar."

He snorted. "You have such a lovely way with words."

"Blame my pack-mate for that one." Kade still wasn't aware that Rhoan was my brother - it was a secret we kept from all but a few. I folded my legs and sat cross-legged on the mat. Kade squatted behind me, filling my senses with his warm, musky scent.

"Has Rhoan reported in yet?"

I repeated the question and Kade shook his head. Not that I could actually see it, but right now all my senses were attuned to his every move, so the head shake was something I could "feel." Which maybe was something I should be scared about, because I wasn't emphatic, and I shouldn't be able to "feel" anything.

"It often takes several days for the new security officers to appear." His fingers skimmed my skin, sending little skitters of pleasure across my skin and stirring barely sated desire.

"Do they lose security personnel that often?" I asked.

"Yes, because part of their job is checking the zoo. Let me tell you, there's some very angry creatures penned in that area, and they often take it out on the guards."

No surprise, given the fact that being penned for any amount of time was enough to drive most nonhumans insane. There again, the nonhumans filling these particular pens were bred in a lab then locked in the zoo, so they probably wouldn't have had much of a grip on sanity to begin with. Not that Starr would care what his creations did as long as they killed on order.

"Did Kade get the floor plans I sent to him?" Jack asked.

Again I repeated the question, then winced as Kade pulled a sliver of wood from my skin.

"Yeah. Not that it'll do me much good. I have to stay outside - they'd pick me up as an unknown the minute I entered any of the buildings."

"So the cameras are monitored twenty-four hours a day?"

"Afraid so." He picked another bit of wood from my skin and flicked it away. It landed in the middle of the water and bobbled its way downstream. "Shift changes are seven in the morning and seven at night. You might have a few minutes leeway there, but that's about it."

"Has he seen Starr about at all?"

I repeated Jack's question.

"I get the impression that except for mealtimes, he never moves from his bolt-hole."

"And there's been no mention of Libraska from anyone else?"

"None at all." He kissed my shoulder then sat down, his long, leanly muscled legs stretching out either side of me. "But there's been a lot of new arrivals in the last few days. Something is happening."

Jack snorted. "Starr is marshalling his forces for a war against the other cartels."

I repeated the comment, felt more than saw Kade's disagreement. Which was yet another worrying indication that the drug Talon had forced onto me was starting to effect my system.

Damn it, I didn't want any more psychic powers. And I definitely didn't want an increase in power in those that I did have. I was quite happy as I was, thank you very much.

But like so many other things in my life of late, I didn't appear to have much choice.

"I've studied the files and know most of Starr's generals by sight," Kade said. "A lot of the arrivals don't match what's in the files."

I frowned. "Maybe there's more generals than we know about."

"Or there's a whole lot more happening than we realize."

And wasn't that a pleasant thought. "Have you seen Dia Jones around?"

"The white psychic? Yeah, Pretty bit of tail, too."

"You seen her with a kid at all?"

He hesitated. "No. But word is Starr's holding her kid hostage for her good behavior."

So she was telling the truth there, too. "In the labs underground, apparently. You know anything about them?"

"Not really. I know they're on a lower level, but not the same one as Starr's. I also heard they have completely different access points and codes than Starr's quarters."

"Riley, why is this important?" Jack said. "You are not going after the kid. It'll jeopardize everything."

I ignored him. I was here, he was sitting in his van, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do to stop me now. And short of endangering Rhoan or Kade, I was going to do what I could to rescue that kid. "What about the scientists?"

"Six that I know of."

"You able to point them out?"

He pulled me back against him. The stallion was up and ready to go again, and I couldn't help grinning in anticipation.

"Why?" he asked.

"I need to get in there, which means I'll probably have to fuck one of them to get the information I need."

"Riley, I forbid you to do this."

"Bite me."

"Me or Jack?" Kade murmured, his teeth grazing my neck and sending shivers of delight skittering across my skin.

"Jack. And I'm not a fool, boss. I won't jeopardize the mission. I want Starr every bit as badly as you do."

He grunted. Whether that was agreement, or merely the realization he couldn't actually stop me was anyone's guess.

"So, the scientists," I prompted.

"They're a pretty motley looking lot," Kade answered.

"As long as they're male and therefore have a dick that takes over from the brain when confronted by a naked woman, I don't give a damn."

He chuckled, and slid his hands up to cup my breasts. "God, I do so love a werewolf's lack of inhibitions."

And I loved his touch. They way his large hands could cover and contain my breasts. The finesse of his clever fingers as they teased and pinched my engorged nipples. I leaned my head against his shoulder, closed my eyes and simply enjoyed.

And it was in that moment I heard it. The snap of a twig, the gentle rustle of undergrowth. Someone was coming toward us.

I tensed and sat upright.

"What?" Kade asked immediately.

"Shift shape," I murmured as I scrambled to my feet. "Someone's approaching. Jack, I'm switching you off."

"Be caref - " His warning was cut off as I flicked the com-link. Kade shifted into horse form and moved away to graze while I stepped into the icy water and began scooping it up to wash away the evidence of lovemaking. Goose bumps fled across my skin, but the cause wasn't only the chilly water. The presence of the person approaching burned across my skin, as powerful as the electricity that ran before a summer storm. Unpleasant and yet, at the same time, exhilarating.

A man stepped through the trees to my right. He was thick set, broad shouldered, with golden skin and rippling muscles. His hair was a mane of darker gold, thick and lush, and his face was almost feline. His eyes, when he looked up, were tawny. Like a cat's.

He stopped, his eyes suddenly narrowing. The electricity in the air sharpened abruptly, rolling around me in waves that left me breathless, hot. But there was an undercurrent of brutality in what he was projecting, suggesting this man was into more than just vanilla sex.

"Who are you?" he said, voice harsh, rough. He moved his hand, and I noted the gun at his waist of his jeans.

"Poppy Burns. You?"

"And who is Poppy Burns when she's home?" he asked.

"I've been employed to fight in the arena. I came in today."

"Indeed?"

His gaze slid down my body, and moisture skated across my skin, tiny beads of perspiration that had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with arousal. My nipples hardened almost painfully and the throbbing, low-down ache got stronger, especially when his gaze seemed to linger on my hips and groin. As if, even from that distance, he could see the pooling desire. His gaze completed its erotic journey, and rose to meet mine again. The lust so evident in those tawny depths just about melted my insides.

I might be wolf, and I might be so very easily attracted to a good-looking man, but what this particular man was projecting wasn't natural. It was too overwhelming. Not even a male werewolf using the full strength of his aura could create this sort of reaction in me. Not if I didn't want it to.

But I had reacted like this several times before - with Talon, who'd been lab-made by Starr's father. Obviously, given the heated desire boiling around me and his feline features, this man had werelion in him rather than lion-shifter. Shifters - even wolf-shifters - didn't possess this sort of aura. It only came with those who were forced to shift shape on the rise of the full moon. It was her gift to us, if you will.

Or curse, as many shifters and humans seemed to think.

Only I didn't actually think he was a part-breed, or a even clone like Talon, nor did I think he was he a lab-born crossbreed. I think he was something else entirely - and someone I had been warned about. A human who, while still a fetus, had undergone several procedures that involved cross-planting DNA from shifters and weres to enhance reflexes and senses. According to Misha, the experiments started by Starr's predecessor had finally been successful, but one of the side effects was an overdeveloped sex drive and an aura to match. And given Starr's lieutenants were apparently the end result of such experiments, I was betting this man was one of them. There was too much authority in his expression, and in the way he stood, for him to be just another guard.

If it was Leo Moss, I had to tread carefully. Misha had warned that Moss and his counterpart, Alden Merle, weren't exactly chummy with sanity, and the last thing I wanted was to get in their bad books straightaway. But by the same token I didn't want to seem too submissive, if only because the unattainable often held the interest longer than the easily gained. I needed to hold their interest until either Rhoan or I got Libraska's location. Killing Starr and tearing down his cartel would be useless otherwise. Someone else would just step into the breach, and keep producing nightmares.

The stranger walked toward me. I resisted the urge to step away. The nearer he got, the more my skin burned, and it wasn't just the intensity of his aura. There was madness in his eyes, in the very feel of him - as if his spirit, his soul, was infected with death and decay.

I licked my dry lips, saw his gaze follow the movement. Saw the flame of desire burn darker in his gaze. It was almost hypnotic, and it took a lot of effort to pull my gaze away, to look down.

Which is when I saw the fine down of hair covering his skin. It was silky, shiny, more like a small cat's than the coarser texture of a lion's coat. My fingers itched with the need to feel it, but I had to wonder if the hair covered all his bits. I wasn't into fuzzies when it came to that.

He stopped within arm's length. I crossed mine, feigning indifference when every inch of my skin trembled with desire and every sense was urging me to turn and run from this foul thing. "So who are you when you're home?"

A smile twisted his lush lips, but it held a hint of arrogance that provided a whole lot of reinforcement to my resistance of his aura. I might be a wolf and technically easy, but no one should ever think they could have me without at least a little effort involved.

"I'm the man you'll be spending the night with."

A shiver ran down my spine at the thought - even if that was what I was sent here to do. "Really? And why is that?"

"Because I want you."

"So? I can pick and choose who I wish to be with, and I sec no reason to do so now when I haven't seen the other goods on offer." I let my gaze run down his length. If he wanted me now, it wasn't actually showing through his pants. But then, I fooled around with a stallion, so everyone was small in comparison.

"Have you read the small print on the contract?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

"Because if you had read it, you'd know it states that while it is mandatory the winner spends the night with Starr's lieutenants, said lieutenants can also choose to spend the night with someone other than the winner, and he or she will comply."

And Jack had said it was a standard contract. I'd like to see what he termed a nonstandard contract. "I think you people are making these things up as you go along."

He produced that arrogant smile again. "Then I shall have another copy of the contract delivered to you. I suggest you read it more thoroughly." He looked me up and down again, and again I reacted with the intensity of a bitch in heat. If he'd have dropped me to the ground and screwed me senseless right there and then, I wouldn't have cared. Kade might have, but not me.

Of course, my reaction afterward would be an entirely different matter. And one that would involve many showers and much soap.

But Moss didn't push the matter, just stepped back. The blast of his aura and lust abated, allowing me to breathe properly again.

"I shall have you brought to my rooms after dinner."

"Joy."

He raised an eyebrow. "Sassy. I like that."

"I couldn't give a damn what you like."

"Oh, you will. You surely will." He gave me a nod, then moved on, quickly disappearing into the trees.

I took a deep, relieved breath, then glanced around as Kade approached. "Wait here. I'm going to follow him."

"That's danger - "

"Is it usual for Moss to be roaming at this hour of the day ?"

"Not that I know - "

"Then we need to know what he is up to."

I turned and walked into the trees. Moss's scent hung in the air, though it wasn't actually a smell as much as a teasing touch of heat, desire, and foulness. Now that I thought about it, the man didn't actually have a scent. Maybe it had been bred out of him.

I padded through the shadows, keeping close enough to follow his non-scent, to hear the soft crunch of leaves under his shoes. I was naked, my steps lighter, so hopefully I wasn't making enough noise for him to hear me. But given his senses were supposedly heightened, I had to be extra careful.

Especially since the forest itself was quiet. There were no bird calls, no fluttering of wings, not even the irritating songs of insects. I hadn't noticed it before, but then, I'd been wholly occupied with the prospect of satisfaction. Now, though, it struck me as odd. Eerily so.

We walked for a good ten minutes through the strange hush before I noticed the steps ahead had stopped. My heart just about leapt into my throat. God, had he heard me?

I paused in the shadow of a pine and listened intently. The only thing to be heard was the galloping of my heart. I took a deep breath, trying to cairn my nerves, then slowly padded forward. The pines and gum trees seemed to close in, and the shadows thickened. Even the air seemed cooler, less welcoming.

His weird non-scent no longer rode the air, but the traces of Moss's passing - the faint disturbance of leaves and twigs - provided a tangible trail. At least it did until it disappeared.

I stopped and looked around. No smell, no trail, nowhere he could have gone.

The damn man had just vanished into thin air.