“He didn’t touch me. I touched him.”

Nik blinked. “What?”

“He held his arm out and I took it. Your father never touched me. Unlike you that man understands boundaries.”

“I see.” He moved away from her. But he wasn’t angry. Far from it based on the grin spreading across his handsome face.

“What are you smiling at?”

“Get your pretty ass in the car, Sugar. Before Szervác’s family get out here and start somethin’ they can’t finish.”

Angie didn’t like this one bit, but she wouldn’t argue the point. Not now. Not here. But she had the feeling this was far from over.

Chapter Eight

Angie had to admit, she never slept so well before in her life. Between the fresh smell of real pine trees, the wonderful bed she currently slept in, and the soothing sounds of absolutely nothing, Angie found herself catching up on any sleep she may have missed over the last few months.

She rolled out of bed sometime around eleven. Took a quick shower, and changed into a comfortable pair of denim cut-off shorts and a T-shirt. Then, barefoot, she headed to the kitchen. A fresh pot of coffee waited, and Nik even put out a mug for her.

Damn him. Why he suddenly felt the need to be so nice she would never know. On the drive back from the party, he didn’t say anything to her unless she asked him a question. But he did keep smiling. She hated that smile. True, it was gorgeous, but that wasn’t the point. It was a cocky, I-own-the-world smile. And it annoyed the living shit out of her.

***

He heard her bare feet slapping against the marble floor as she headed back to the stairs.

“Hey. Angie. Could you come here a sec?”

He knew using her name would freak her out. But he needed to keep her a little off balance. She didn’t answer him or move for a good minute. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. And when she gave a big dramatic sigh, he had to bite down harder. She walked into the study.

“Well? Where are you?”

He raised his arm so that she could see it over the couch. She walked around the huge sofa, and stopped to stare at him.

“Is there a problem with the couch?”

“No.”

“Then why are you sitting on the floor?”

He shrugged, “I like it.”

“Whatever. What do you want?”

“Come here.”

“I am here.”

He patted a spot right next to him, “Here.”

Grumbling curses, she stomped over to the front of the couch and sat on the floor. But she still kept her distance.

“What?”

He grabbed the loop on her denim cut-off shorts, quickly snatching her over to his side. Just as quickly he released her before she could start hitting him.

“Now, that’sbetter.”

“What do you want,” she bit out between clenched teeth.

“To talk.”

“About?”

The temptation to say—while staring deeply in her eyes, of course—“About us” so that he could watch her lose her mind, almost overwhelmed him. But he really did have a purpose here. His purpose became clear as soon as he pushed her up against the car last night. His no-human rule didn’t matter anymore. Nor did it matter she had a whole Pack of hounds protecting her. Or that the woman made being mean a lifestyle choice. He wanted her. More than he’d wanted anything before in his entire life. First, though, he would have to find a way around the wall of ice she built up.

But tigers were all about waiting for their prey. She would be no different.

And when they had their fill of each other, he’d send her back to her pound puppies and he’d go back to looking for the right tiger females to bear his cubs.

“I wanted to discuss our conversation from last night.”

She sighed. Another big dramatic sigh. “There’s nothing to discuss. Really.”

“See, but I think there is.”

And another sigh. “Fine. Let’s just get it over with.”

Good. He got through the hardest part. Getting her to sit and listen being a major triumph.

“So, I was thinking…”

She opened her mouth to say something, but seemed to think better of it. “Too easy,” she muttered.

He kept going, “…about what you said. And I wanted to ask you if you’re okay with not wanting to be touched?”

She frowned in confusion, then shook her head. “Yes. I’m fine. Can I go now?”

“No. We’re not done.” He worked hard not to smile. When this cranky, she didn’t make it easy but she made it fun. “You see, I think it’s about control for you?”

Her head snapped around to glare at him, her eyes dangerously narrow, and he knew in that moment he’d been absolutely right.

Oh, baby, this is going to be fun.

“What?”

“Well, I just thought you didn’t like to touch or be touched. But you don’t like anyone touching you but you can touch anyone you want. So it’s about control and trust for you.”

Once again she opened her mouth to say something and, again, apparently changed her mind. Instead, “What do you want, Hillbilly?”

Got her! “To try a little experiment.”

***

No. No. No! She did not like the sound of that. The last experiment she’d become involved in she’d lost all her hair for three weeks and had beaten Miki Kendrick within an inch of her life. She was twelve at the time, and she’d grown intelligence-wise since then.