He finally pulled away, slowly lowering her back in her chair. “In case any of my kin get any funny ideas.” He winked at her, then walked off to greet the others.

Angie, staring down at her lap, rubbed her lip, and tried to be calm and rational about all this. Not really working, but a worthy attempt nonetheless.

When she felt confident she wouldn’t embarrass herself, she finally looked up…only to face pretty much all of Nik’s female relatives. They sat on and around the table, while two took the time to clean off everything and bring it back to the house.

“Aw, hell.”

***

Nik slapped one of his younger cousins on the back as way of greeting, sending the poor kid flying into Alek.

He winced. “Sorry ‘bout that.”

Alek helped the kid to his feet. “Don’t take it personally, Jimmy Ray. Nik’s feeling a little primal right now.”

“Shut up.”

But his brother was right. Angelina brought out his most base instincts. She turned him into that tiger protecting the female and the cubs he knew was his.

Christ, she brought out the Boris in him. He shuddered at the thought. But he knew. Hell, now everybody knew. But if he’d just wanted to get in her pants, he would have fucked her by now and sent her back to her Pack in the family jet. He sure as hell wouldn’t be waiting to fuck her. Waiting for the right moment. Waiting until she was so crazy in lust she’d never be able to simply walk away from him.

He mentally shook himself. He wouldn’t go that far down Boris-lane. His father wanted to be trapped with one female his whole life that was down to him. Nik just wanted this to be memorable. Of course, Angie’d already made it that way.

A knife fight?

“By the way,” Nik announced to his brothers as he caught the beer Cleats chucked at him, “I got a call this afternoon.”

“Oh?” Alek took the beer Ban handed him.

“Yeah.”

“And?”

“I’m supposed to keep you away from his sister.”

The three brothers stared at each other. Then they burst out laughing.

***

“Can I help you?”

An older woman leaned forward. Angie waited for it. The interrogation. Or the “scare off.” Whatever. She could handle it.

“So, what would you put me in?”

Well this has gone suddenly weird. “I’m sorry?”

“I think Chanel. But my sister thinks Dolce & Gabbana.”

“I thought Dolce & Gabbana only made shoes,” one of the younger females tossed out.

“No. They don’t only make shoes. What is wrong with you?”

Good God. They wanted to know about clothes.

Angie shook her head. “Um…I’d put you in Marc Jacobs.”

“Really?”

She smiled to keep from laughing hysterically, “Definitely.”

Chapter Eleven

Nik couldn’t believe she’d fallen asleep in the back of his brother’s pickup truck. That was awfully “down-home girl” for his little hellcat. But that’s where he found her when the impromptu party began to break up. She had the sweatshirt he’d been wearing over his T-shirt, wrapped around her like a blanket. He pushed her hair off her face. She didn’t swat him away this time. Instead, she smiled in her sleep.

Alek gripped his brother’s shoulder, “You ready to go?”

He agreed by quietly climbing into the back with her. He carefully pulled Angie into his arms, careful not to wake her. She cuddled into his body and sighed as one hand gripped his T-shirt.

They got home far sooner than he would have liked, although he knew his brother took his time. Alek opened the rear door, allowing Nik to get out of the vehicle like a normal human being.

Nik picked Angie up in his arms and jumped out of the truck. He nodded at his brother and went into his house as Alek pulled off. He carried her up the stairs, and to her room.

The cleaning people must have come by because the bed had been changed and made. He used one hand to pull the comforter and sheets back, then carefully laid her out. He took off her white Keds, stopping to rub her chilled feet. He carefully unwrapped the sweatshirt, pulling it off her. He tossed it on the floor, and dragged the sheets and comforter back over her still body.

He crouched down beside her, staring at her face. Damn, but she sure was pretty. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

“Night, Sugar,” he whispered softly.

He walked back to the door, shut off the light, and closed the door after him.

***

Angie laid in the darkness for what felt like forever. What in hell was that anyway?

She thought for sure he’d try and cop a feel while she was asleep. Actually, she kind of hoped he would. But he didn’t. Nor did he have one of his brothers simply dump her ass in the bed while he went off to do whatever tigers do after a certain hour.

But a chaste kiss goodnight? What the hell was that? What exactly did that mean? And when exactly did she start analyzing anything anyone did or said? Especially a man. Normally that stuff didn’t mean shit to her. Miki did the analyzing. Sara did the obsessing. And she worked hard trying to prevent the two of them from driving themselves into a mental institution.

And the long, revealing conversation with the females of Nik’s family had confused her even more. Tigers were notorious players. Both the men and the women. The majority of them didn’t want anything beyond the fucking and the kids. The women had their own lives, their own careers, their own homes.