“Now what?” He leaned in, sniffed her neck. “I know, how about anything?”

“You had a shot at anything this morning, and from what I remember you blew it.”

A damn sassy little thing.

“Well, there’s anything, Sugar,” he licked her neck and she gave that sexy little whimper. “And there’s anything.”

“My friend warned me about you cats.”

“The dog?”

“No. The genius.”

“Interesting friends.” He grazed his thumb across the pulse point on her neck. “Did ya miss me today?”

She slapped his hand off. “Yes. I pined all afternoon. Can’t you tell?”

“Hey, girl,” O-E-G barked from the house and Angie’s eyes rolled back in her head with serious annoyance. “Get your butt back in here. We ain’t done.”

“I’m so close to killing her.”

“I’ll go hide the steak knives.”

***

Angie reached across the table to put down a bowl of green beans and both Nik’s brothers tilted their heads to get a good look at the long legs stretching out from her shorts.

He slapped both of them in the back of the head. “Stop doing that. Now.”

“A man can appreciate a view.”

“A man can also lose both his eyes in a tragic tiger mauling.”

His brothers snickered and he felt his annoyance grow. Hard not to let it happen when he was as horny as a dog. Just watching her move had his mouth watering. Classy. Sweet. Funny. A real lady.

Angie evaluated the table, then stepped back. “Dinner!”

All three brothers jumped. A real lady who could out-scream a football stadium.

His parents showed up as they made their way to the table. His mother stormed out of Boris’ pickup truck, slamming the door behind her. She looked angry as hell, but she still had a hickey on her neck.

“Good,” Boris boomed. “I didn’t miss momma’s fried chicken.” He smiled at Angie. “Best fried chicken in the entire South.”

Boris stood at one end of the table while Nik helped his grandmother into a chair on the opposite end. His father pulled out a chair for Angie and then another for his mother. Angie sat while Natalia slapped Boris’ hand away, re-adjusted the chair, and sat down. The fact his mother agreed to stay for dinner at his grandmother’s house was quite a feat for his father. No wonder the old man beamed like he bought another company.

Nik settled his grandmother and walked down to the seat beside Angie. Ban already took Nik’s seat next to Angie, so he grabbed the chair his brother sat in, lifted up both, and moved him closer to Reena. He grabbed another chair and sat down beside her.

Angie shook her head, “And to think I used to wish I hadbrothers and sisters.”

“What do you mean? I love my family.”

Angie simply snorted in response.

Nik pushed a stray hair behind Angie’s ear, “So, Sugar, why exactly are you here?”

“Spending quality time with the Clampetts really can’t be beat.”

His hand strayed down to her bare leg, caressing it under the table. He loved that she jumped at his touch. “Still think you’re better than my family?”

“Oh, honey. I don’t think I’m better than your family.” She lifted his hand and placed it on the table. “I think I’m better than you.”

Nik smiled as his father slammed his fist down on the table.

“I do like this girl!”

***

Well, Angie had to admit it. She liked these people. They were funny and interesting. They kept her laughing all through dinner with stories of their other relatives and the people from town, shifter and human. Broyna said very little except for the occasional snide remark about a cousin or local. She seemed simply to enjoy having her grandkids and son around.

Of course, Angie found none of this surprising. Southerners always did tell the best stories. Of course, they were also the ones with relatives named Big Earl and Jackie Ray.

After dinner, things slowed down a bit. The family wandered from the table, Ban and Alek helping their grandmother back into the house. Reena and Kisa went off to talk to Natalia while Boris stepped away to check his messages on his cell phone.

All of which essentially left her alone with Nik.

He grabbed hold of the chair by its legs, turning it, and her, around so that she faced him. He pulled the chair in close to him, so that his big legs ended up bracketing hers.

She expected him to say something, but he didn’t. He simply stared at her face. After two minutes of that, she grew considerably uncomfortable.

“What?”

“Nothin’.”

“Then stop staring at me. You’re freaking me out.”

“Everything freaks you out.”

“Not true. I have a very high tolerance for weirdness. I have a high tolerance for you, don’t I?”

“And my family.”

“They’re nice.” She always wondered what it was like to come from a big family. Angelina didn’t know. Her parents were never close to their few siblings and other relatives. And once they dumped her off in Texas it was like she no longer existed to the rest of her family.

He rubbed her legs with both of his hands, stopping to touch a rather long, simple scar cutting across her right knee.

“How’d ya get this?”

She glanced down at it, “Knife fight.”

“A knife fight?”