By the Tail

She laughed out loud, then couldn’t stop when he started tickling her. He released her wrists and put her hands on each of his shoulders.

She clutched him tight, falling for this Quince, the man with the incredible body, happiness in his face and a sense of humor.

“Yeah. That’s my favorite part of you,” he said with satisfaction.

“What?”

He kissed her tenderly, and her cat rolled over and purred like crazy. “That. That sparkle of joy in my Joy.”

Her heart raced. He sounded possessive, and she surprised herself by liking that. “You’re such a comedian.”

“I try. Let me say it again. Joy is great. At being a huge pain in my ass.” He narrowed his gaze. “And speaking of ass, have you ever let anyone take you there?”

She blushed. Stupid, because they lay naked together, and she’d just blown him, but still. “Um, not yet.”

His gleaming pleasure stole her breath away. “Good answer.” Then he stood and pulled her to her feet. “What do you say we hunt for a late night snack, then head back to the House so you can use and abuse me some more?” He ran a hand over her ass. “And maybe I can tempt you into something…different.”

She wanted to say something obnoxious, to dare him to catch her, but when she met his gaze, her mind blanked.

“Joy?” He smiled.

She fell hard. The scent between them intensified, and to her dismay, she couldn’t fault him for it this time. She wanted him for more than sex. For more than a dare. Joy Bermin wanted Quince Castille to mate. Horrified, she pulled back, but she feared he’d caught an inkling of what her cat really wanted.

Quince’s eyes narrowed and he inhaled deeply, then chuckled. “Oh yeah, we’re definitely going to hit different.” He stepped back and shifted into a jet-black panther. “But if you don’t want Alissa to get a crack at this fine body, you’d better catch me first. This time I won’t make it so easy.” He laughed at her before darting away.

She sputtered as she turned and raced after him. “Easy, my ass. Nothing easy about you, you big pussy!”

She followed his laughter all the way back, feeling as if she’d just found something new and beautiful. Something she was determined to keep.

Chapter Six

Miles Bermin ran a weary hand through his hair. Damn, he was tired. Tired of flying to New York because Jerome Stanton couldn’t understand what condensed distribution meant after three times of explaining it to him. Tired of darting to Cougar Falls every five seconds because Stacey needed financial help, and God forbid she explain herself in person. Though to be fair, expanding their line on the West Coast and in Montana did need a bit of finessing. But Stacey acting so demanding annoyed him to no end. As did his future brother-in-law.

Especially since the last time he’d been in Cougar Falls seeking investors, Miles’s hair had been blue. Fucking Dean Chastell and his stupid pranks. Jesus, Miles needed a break from Cougar Falls already. He’d learned to tolerate Burke, but the other males… His head throbbed. At least Melissa and Amy seemed to be thriving in the far north.

His taxi pulled into a section of drive not blocked by the security gate. Miles left the cab, accepted his bags from the trunk and paid the driver, including a generous tip for the man’s blessed silence on the way home from the airport. His house sat just down the road from the pride’s estate—Michael’s house. He refused to consider it Quince’s.

After inputting the code, he waited until the gates opened, then strode through and up the drive. He didn’t mind the walk. He needed it to clear his head. He hated being cooped up in airplanes. Maybe it was time to invest in a private jet. But that would mean more time away from home.

He sighed with indecision and let himself inside, not surprised to find a layer of dust on everything. Time to call the cleaning service again. Like most of the others in the pride, Miles used an in-house service as often as possible. Supporting the pride financially made sense. He’d call the Lorenz sisters tomorrow.

After tossing his coat and briefcase on the couch and leaving his bags behind, he decided to stop putting off the inevitable and checked his personal cell phone messages. As usual, nothing from Joy, even though he’d left her six messages since last week. At this rate, she was neck-and-neck with Stacey for most annoying sibling of the year.

He swore to himself then paused at the next message on his phone. Alissa Roberto? Hell, he hadn’t talked to her in months, not since the last time he’d shot her down. He wasn’t looking for a quick hook-up with a woman whose ego rivaled his own. He knew his worth, and he would pick and choose his mate on his terms. Not that he was interested in mating, not yet.

He figured at some point he’d feel the urge, but he had too damn many things to do to spend time with just one woman on a regular basis. Sex was all well and good, but he could get that easily enough. At the thought, he wondered if Willow was currently unattached. A pretty cat with a good head on her shoulders, she never asked for more than he wanted to give. Like him, she didn’t want to settle down. Just a bit of fun every now and then.

Miles listened to Alissa’s message with half an ear, not intending to call her back or get together with her, until she mentioned how Quince had been hounding his little sister. How the man continued to stalk her, going so far as to force her to spend time with him, or else.

“Or else what, motherfucker?” Miles set down the phone and stalked to his side bar. After pouring himself a straight vodka, he downed it in one gulp. Not sure if he should deal with Quince now or later, he decided to give himself a break. Joy could handle herself, for the most part. After a good night’s sleep, he’d find the bastard who’d made his family’s life a living hell the past few months. Then he’d pound some sense into him. And if Quince thought about running Joy or any other Bermin into the ground, Miles would gladly disabuse him of the notion.

Quince drove them back to the pride’s estate the next evening in the best mood he’d been in ages. Talk about a hell of a party. He and Joy had spent quality time together. He’d once again explained how everything had gone down with Lex, and this time she acted as though she believed him. Even better, she’d willingly shared stories of her time in Cougar Falls with him.

But even knowing that she and Dean Chastell had never fooled around, he still wanted to beat the smooth- talking cat to a pulp. Then again, the poor guy was stuck with Stacey for life. Punishment served.

“What’s that smirk for?” Joy asked. Her hand lay on his thigh as he drove. Since they’d made love that first time, they hadn’t stopped touching each other. As if worried this new, fragile peace between them might be severed, he kept in physical contact. And she accepted it.

“Oh, just thinking about Dean…and your sister. Such a perfect pair.”

“I know, right?” Joy chuckled. “I’m not sure which one of them they consider prettier.”

He grinned.

“Amy and Melissa are doing fine up there. I’m just worried about the wolf rumors.”

“Oh?”

“I think the dogs are taking a look at my sisters. Man. Can you imagine wolves as family?”

He gave a mock shudder. “Thank you, no. My dealings with Monty GrayClaw were enough to scare me for life. How the hell is a wolf in a pride, anyway? Cougar Falls is a weird place.”

“True.”

The closest wolf order to Miami was in Texas, a place Quince had no inclination to visit. Ever. If he wanted sun and sand, he had plenty of it in Miami. And no thick drawls, thuggish canines or ten-gallon hats to contend with.

“So what now?” he asked, loath to bring it up, but not wanting any misunderstandings. He’d have confessed