She tried to yell at him behind the gag and managed to flail in place. But when he just stood there staring down at her, waiting, she ceased.
“Yeah. This isn’t the fun part. Well, it is for me. I mean, I was dying to get you back for what you did to me a week ago. Sorry. This might sting.” He inserted the tranq quickly, not wanting to hurt her. If the woman hadn’t been so stubborn, he might have cajoled her into accompanying him into the forest. But she seemed to want nothing to do with him, and he was tired of it.
Her eyes started to droop, and he leaned down to kiss her cheek. “I’ll take care of you, baby. It’s time we had a real heart-to-heart anyway. Don’t worry. When you wake up, you’ll be free to claw and yell at me. But we’ll be away from everyone, just the two of us.”
Then he straightened and moved with real purpose. After grabbing her garage remote from her car, he made sure to lock up her house. Then he opened the garage door, pulled the SUV out and down the driveway, and closed her garage again.
He turned up the music and grinned as he shot out of the driveway. Part one accomplished. Now time to seduce a yes out of his mate, the fun way.
Joy wanted to punch him. He’d let her avoid him for an entire week, making no real move to come after her. Apparently he’d wanted a fuck, had gotten it and no longer had any interest. He didn’t ask about Miles or her sisters, so she didn’t think he wanted an in with her family, at least. His moves must have been to bring her back home to help with the pride. Those brief references to dating or mating—bullshit. Even worse, according to rumor, Alissa Roberto was the leading contender to being Mrs. Castille. Sure. Why take Joy when he could have Stacey’s stand-in? Alissa was beautiful, rich and scheming. Perfect for a man who apparently wanted the best the pride’s females had to offer, now that Stacey, Amy and Melissa were unavailable.
What the hell did he think this kidnapping would prove? Fuming, because she’d known he shouldn’t be trusted, she gave in to the drug and fell into a deep sleep. When she woke, she found no trace of a headache. A little dry mouth, but when she moved, no other aches or pains.
He’d removed her restraints, as well as her clothing, and watched her sleeping from a lazy pose on the floor. Once again fully cat, his glossy black fur shone under the spill of moonlight filtering through a skylight in a bedroom.
She immediately recognized her surroundings. The pride’s central meeting area in the Everglades—what they called the House—was like a cabin gone horribly huge. Full of smaller rooms for privacy, the place had an expansive, open main area complete with a full kitchen, fireplace and entertainment area large enough to satisfy the pride.
And speaking of the pride… A short moment of silence alerted her to the fact they were alone. No scents or sounds of anyone nearby.
Good. When she tore him apart with her bare claws, there’d be no witnesses.
She sat up and deliberately ignored the way he stared at her breasts. Ac-taw were casual about nudity. She never minded, unless it was Quince doing the looking.
She drew in a deep breath, then exploded. “What the hell do you mean by kidnapping me? Isn’t it enough I came back to handle the female problems you stupid males started with the pride?”
He grinned at her, showcasing sharp teeth.
“Oh no. Don’t even try charming me.” She ignored his loud purr. “And quit staring at my breasts,” she snapped.
To which he grinned wider and chirped his amusement.
“I don’t think Alissa is going to appreciate you ogling me.”
He cocked his head. “Alissa?”
“You know, your fiancée? Alissa Roberto?” she said nastily, wishing the woman’s hair would fall out. She was a bitchy woman who’d done her best to create tension in the pride from the time she’d hit puberty. It didn’t help that Alissa’s beauty rivaled her ego.
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
“You know. Your future ‘mate’. The one you need to secure your position as pride leader.” With Alissa by his side, no one would think to question him. Not even Lex’s supporters. Her family money nearly matched Bermin money for sheer power.
He groaned and lowered his head to the floor, covering his nose with his paws. She hated that he looked so cute in his misery. A predatory cat she wanted to pet and hug and…hit hard. She told her inner cat to back off and let her handle this mess.
“Yeah. Her. So if Alissa isn’t your new squeeze, did you bring me back here to mate, so that you can stem the doubters wondering about your ability to financially manage the pride? Or am I just back to fix the female problems you asshats created in the first place with all that, ‘Mine is bigger than yours’ posturing? Which is it?”
He dropped his paws to the ground, rose and roared at her with such violence she took a step back, then scowled because she’d let him intimidate her.
His tailed whipped back and forth. His whiskers twitched, and he glared at her. “You are the most difficult, annoying, aggravating woman I know.”
“Aggravating and annoying mean the same thing.”
“Fuck. I know that!” He snarled and scratched at the nearby wooden bedpost, gouging the wood with his lethal claws. “I’ve been trying to get you to spend time with me. To see I’m more than a dickhead who once helped Lex. But anytime I get close, you run away.”
“Bull.” Okay, he had a point. She’d needed distance from the sexy male to build her resistance to his lethal charm. Her poor history with men wanting to use her had soured her on relationships. Especially considering her one-time crush on Quince had returned full-force since they’d had sex, when he’d looked at her with affection that made her think—hope—he might feel something more. So foolish to hope. You know he’s just playing you. She swallowed hard. “I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Yeah, because I drugged you.” He hissed his irritation.
“I meant in Miami. I came with you because I wanted to help the pride.”
“But what about me?” He shifted back to six feet four inches of man, throwing her for a real loop. Quince was huge, angry and sporting a mouthwatering erection. “Why couldn’t you be here for me?”
“Right back at you,” she yelled, more than irritated because she wanted to jump into bed with him all over again. Stupid, and Joy prided herself on her intelligence. “Why can’t you be here for me?”
He closed the distance between them but stopped when she held up a hand. “What the fuck does that mean?”
All her frustration with her position in her family, the pride, Alissa, Quince and men in general came rushing out. And it felt righteous. “It means where were you thirteen years ago? Why did it take you this long to realize you want me? Because I’m convenient?”
“Convenient?” He snorted. “Please.”
She talked over him. “Why did you never once ask me out before my family left the pride that first time? You show up, Lex’s right hand man, talking about how you want to save us. Well, where the hell were you when I was right here not even a year ago? I don’t remember you knocking on my door then.” She planted her hands on her hips, furious with him. “No, you were dating Linda. Then sleeping with Gloria. Or was it Karen?”
He blinked. “I wasn’t—”
“Save it. You want me to believe you all of a sudden want to date me? Hell, mate me? Do you love me?” she asked boldly.