“Yes. We need to make some things clear. I don’t share what’s mine. So you have no worries about my brothers…ever.”

Too stunned to respond, Angie stared at him.

Nik grunted. Seemingly satisfied with her lack of response. He carried her over to the sink and set her down. If he’s expecting me to do the dishes, he can forget it. I cooked the meal, he can damn well clean it up.

But Nik seemed pretty disinterested in the dirty dishes and the mess she’d made on the stove. Instead, he grabbed her hands and spread her arms out away from her body and across the counter. He leaned into her, trapping her against the stainless steel.

He stared at her for what felt like forever. Looking down at her face, her arms pinned against the counter. God, his body felt good. Just one, hard, long piece of flesh.

And, for the moment, all that flesh belonged to her.

A hard bang against the glass doors leading into the backyard startled her away from Nik’s gaze.

“I think they’re here for you.”

He smiled as his two brothers pressed up against the glass. They stood on their hind legs. Big paws sliding over the smooth surface, long tongues hanging out. They were so adorable and goofy, she found it hard to believe they were deadly predators.

Nik snarled and bared his fangs. After responding growls, the two brothers ran off.

“I’ll be back soon.” He kissed her and Angie’s body throbbed to life. She didn’t want him to go. She never wanted him to leave. She never wanted to leave.

Nik pulled back slightly, his lips still against hers. “The spaghetti was great, by the way.”

Spaghetti? “Uh…thanks.”

“Now what are you going to do while I’m gone?”

Masturbate until my hand falls off? “Shower. Sleep. Put the dishes in the sink so you can wash ‘em later.”

His lips smiled against hers. “Good. But don’t get yourself off.”

“What?” Oh, God! The hillbilly can read minds. Damn witch one-eyed grandma genes!

“You heard me, Sugar. Don’t you dare make yourself come.” He rubbed his mouth against hers. “That’s my job now.”

Gee. What’s that puddle at Nik’s feet? Why, that’s Angie Santiago. She used to be an ice princess now she’s just a sopping mess.

***

“Ya hear?” Funny how controlled he sounded. Cause he didn’t feel like he had any control. He felt like if this woman twitched even once, he’d come all over the floor.

Oh that would be classy, Nik.

“Yeah. Yeah.”

He let her go before she squirmed in his arms and he lost it. But he did give her a quick kiss on her neck. “Good.”

He walked out, slamming into the two idiots right outside the house. He barely had time to shift before they tackled him. Nik knockedthem both off, batting them with his paws. Christ, you’d think they’d grown out of this. But clearly they hadn’t.

Knowing he would make this patrol the shortest of his lifetime, Nik charged off into the woods, his brothers barely pacing him.

Chapter Fourteen

Angie stepped out of the shower, grabbing one of the towels. She couldn’t believe this. Horny as she was, she couldn’t bring herself to jack off.

What had the man done to her?

She always controlled every relationship she’d ever been in. To the point where one ex-boyfriend referred to her as his “Nazi-girlfriend.” Rude, but accurate.

Quickly drying off, she yanked a big T-shirt over her head. She started pacing.

Exactly how long was “back soon” anyway? She didn’t know how much longer she could wait. Not known for her patience, Angie was ready to go track her tiger down.

Yeah, brilliant, Angie. Go wandering in the woods wearing nothing but a T-shirt, screaming, “I’m ready to get fucked now, Nik!”

Instead of that daring plan, Angie turned out the lights in her room and wandered out onto the balcony. She rested against the railing, looking down at the woods, but seeing nothing but the outline of pine trees and tall grass. A cool breeze chilled her, but she didn’t want to go to bed. Alone.

So, instead, she sighed.

***

Nik skidded to a sliding, slipping halt. His big paws, tearing up the leaf-covered ground. A good mile away from the house, he still heard that damn sigh of hers. And the wind brought her lust-filled scent down to him, stopping him in his tracks.

Her scent triggered something in him. Something primal and dangerous. Something he couldn’t contain or control. And, apparently, neither could his brothers. They charged past him, heading back toward the house. Back toward Angelina.

***

Angie watched them tumble out of the woods. She couldn’t tell from where she stood on the balcony, which tiger was which. And, at first, she couldn’t tell if they were playing or not.

It took her less than a minute to figure out they weren’t playing.

Two tigers headed toward the house, a third, moving faster than anything she’d seen before, came up behind them. He slashed the hind quarter of one. Tackled the other, sinking his teeth into the back of its neck.

They rolled, the one on top eventually flinging the other away. Now, thoroughly wounded, two tigers limped off. Back into the woods and away from Nik’s house. The other spun around and faced Angie. She stepped back from the balcony. She still had no idea which one this was.

He took a step, then leaped, easily clearing the railing. Angie stumbled back inside. Slowly, he moved toward her, a low, low growl rumbling through the room. Angie held one hand up in front of her. Oh, yeah, Ang. That’ll work.