Tigers Like It Hot (7 page)

“Just set them on the floor. We’ll take care of them later.” She moved out of the way while he set the bags down. “I know those are heavy, but you carried them like it was nothing.” She looked at his arms, her eyes getting a faraway look.

“Shifters are strong. We’re
very
strong.” He sucked in a deep breath when she ran her hands up his arms and over his shoulders.

“You look strong.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I don’t want any more than a kiss. It’s all Gareth got, but he got two.” She grinned. “So make yours a good one to make up for it. Okay?”

“You got it.” He pulled her tight against him. He cupped her face in his hands and slanted his mouth over hers. Lightning shot through his blood as he thrust his tongue into her mouth, mapping her teeth. Reaching up with one hand, he cupped the back of her head. Drawing his fingers tight, he fisted his hand in her hair, drawing her head back to deepen their kiss. He cupped her ass with his other hand, his fingers squeezing the soft flesh.

His cock hardened. Mac couldn’t stop himself from rocking his hips into her as she gripped his hair tight and pulled him closer.

This woman was the hottest woman he had ever been with in his life. She felt wonderful in his arms, her body was decadent and her kisses intoxicating. Mac knew if he didn’t pull back soon, he would have a difficult time stopping himself from taking her right here, right now and he knew she didn’t want that.

His stomach growled loudly and she chuckled, then pulled away. “I never did let you eat, did I?” She shook her head with a grin. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. If I wanted to eat, if I really
needed
to eat, I would have. I rarely let the opportunity to fill my stomach pass me by.” He grinned. “You’ll find that out for yourself, soon enough.” He waved his arm toward the door. “Shall we go rescue your friend before all of us get into trouble?”

Jessi nodded. “Yes. I think we should. I don’t think we can get in too much trouble in an elevator.”

“Don’t count on that.” He raised a brow. “I can think of a lot of interesting things to do in that elevator. The only problem with that is knowing that the doors could open on anyone at any time, and I don’t need my tail waving like a flag sticking out of my ass for everyone to see.”

“That would be an interesting thing to have to explain, wouldn’t it?” She giggled. “I’d like to hear what you’d have to say about that.” She checked her pockets, held up her key and he closed the door behind them.

“It
would
be a difficult thing to explain.”

Jessi pressed the button for the elevator and turned to him with a gleam in her eyes. “I have an idea.” She moved up beside him, her hand sliding around him.

Mac closed his eyes, reveling in the feel of his mate so close, her arm snaked around his waist. “Holy God!” He choked the words out as she grasped the base of his tail and stroked it up and down. “You can’t—I can’t—“ He swallowed thickly, his eyes crossing as she used a jack-off motion to drive him crazy. “I can’t take this. Not in public.” He hissed the words as he stood stiff as a stone, unable to do anything but enjoy her ministrations.

Mac held his breath and gritted his teeth as the elevator dinged, signaling its arrival on their floor. A man exited the elevator, leaving two couples inside.

Thankfully, Jessi released his tail as they entered. He didn’t know how long he would be able to take her stroking it the way she had been. They entered the elevator. He pressed the button for the seventh floor on the way in. The pair of couples eyed his tail, the women smiled and batted their eyes. The men did their best to stay out of its way.

Jessi, on the other hand, latched onto it the minute he backed up against the wall next to her. He inhaled sharply as she stroked his tail again. His cock hardened instantly behind his fly. He immediately covered his groin with his hands and glanced around, hoping no one noticed. It was one thing to show off a raging hard-on to his mate, but he didn’t want to show it off to all and sundry.

The bell chimed for the sixth floor. Thankfully, the two couples exited the elevator. Just as the doors began to close, Gareth ran up and jumped into the elevator. “What took you so long? I started to head back to the room.”

“We went out and got the girls’ luggage. Did you expect to have them carry it up themselves?”

Gareth sighed. “I suppose not.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Where are we going now?”

“We’re headed up to Zach and Derek’s room to gather Kelly,” Mac replied. “It seems that our women have a strict code of their own. They do not sleep with men on the first date, even if they are their fate-intended mates.”

“Date?” Gareth frowned. “Oh, they wish us to court them.”

“Yes.” Mac grinned. “She wants us to take her to dinner tonight and tomorrow she will make her decision.”

“So you haven’t rejected us outright, then?” Gareth asked Jessi.

“No. I haven’t rejected you outright.” Jessi reached up and cupped his cheek with a smile. “In fact, I just might accept your offer later tonight. Or…” She grinned. “I might make you work for it. First off, though, we need to go collect Kelly before she does something she might regret.”

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. They stepped out on the seventh floor and headed to Zach and Derek’s room.

“It’s kind of nice that you guys get along so well. It saves money on hotel rooms.” Jessi reached up and knocked on the door.

“Money means little to us.” Gareth shrugged. It’s a means to an end.”

That was good to know. They might be shifters, but that didn’t mean they weren’t driven by the need for money, and she had a lot. She wasn’t sure if they could read her mind, and if they could, they already knew she had money. She didn’t really think they were that way, but she’d learned a few years ago that she couldn’t be too careful. One of the men she’d allowed into her life had almost convinced her to sign a will with him as sole beneficiary. She’d caught it in time. It was a habit of hers to read every document set before her for her signature. It was a good thing, too. Otherwise, she was certain she would have met with a horrific end not long after signing that document.

Of course, she called the man out on it and kicked him to the curb. Ever since then she’d had a difficult time trusting. While everything in her told her that she could trust these two, it was still a difficult decision to make.

“What are you doing here?” Zach asked when he opened the door.

“We’re here to get Kelly.” Jessi shoved the keys and driver’s licenses into Mac’s hands, pushed the door open and forced her way into the room. She had no doubt the man could have stopped her had he really wanted to, but she also knew that they had that strict code about the way they treated women.

She strode into the room and glared at Kelly who stood in the center of the room, straightening her clothes, her hair a mess. “Tell me you didn’t.”

“I didn’t.” Kelly lifted her chin. “I was just telling them that we had to go find you.” Her face flushed. She smoothed her top down and her hair back. “I wish I had a brush.” She shook her head as she glanced in the mirror over the dresser. “I’d rather not run to the car looking like this.”

“Then, I guess it’s a good thing we’ve already been out there and gotten your things. They’re in our room.”

“Oh.” Kelly’s smile was a little too bright. “We’re sharing a room?”

“Yes.” Jessi crossed her arms and gave the two men standing on either of her friend a narrow eyed look. “Something told me you were having a willpower crisis and, like the good friend that I am, I’m here to remove you from temptation.” She checked her watch. “We have just enough time to get back to the room and change before dinner.”

“I wish we had costumes.”

“I do, too, Kelly, but we’ll just have to do without.” Jessi knew how much they would stick out in this town wearing regular street clothes, but she didn’t care. At the moment, all she cared about was getting back to the room and into the shower. Dinner time was fast approaching and she didn’t give a damn about whether or not she ate. Jessi wanted her second date over and done with. Frankly, she couldn’t wait for an excuse to accept the guys’ offer. In reality, Jess knew she might not have known them for very long, but it felt as though they’d been together for an eternity. There really
was
something about that mating bond.

She loved the way Gareth and Mac looked at her. Their expressions were always intense. It was almost as though she was the sexiest woman in the world and they couldn’t stop looking at her.

Thankfully, Zach and Derek seemed to feel the same way about Kelly. Jess didn’t know what she would have done if she had two men drooling over her when her best friend had none. Now, she didn’t have to worry about it, if the little caresses and hot looks the guys kept sending Kelly’s way were any indication.

Jessi grabbed Kelly’s hand and dragged her toward the door. “Come on. We’re on the sixth floor, room Six-fifteen,” she called over her shoulder so Zach and Derek would know which room to find Kelly in when it came time for their second
date.

Generally, liberal wasn’t something she would attribute to her dating habits, but Jessi just couldn’t wait to accept Gareth’s and Mac’s offer, and the only way to do that was to agree to mate with them.

She shivered at the thought. It had been years since she’d felt her naked body pressed between two warm men. Her body responded every time she thought about it. Her womb clenched, her clit throbbed, and cream slid from her channel and soaked her already damp panties.

If she didn’t manage to get her mind centered on mundane things for at least a little while, she would be so wet and ready before dinner, she might leave a stain on her seat. The thought was embarrassing. Jessi was certain that experiencing it would be even more discomfiting.

As quickly as she could, she made her way to the elevator. She wanted to leave the men behind. She needed some alone time with Kelly and she didn’t want to slow them down with talk if she didn’t need to do so.

“Okay…what’s up?” Kelly asked, her hands on her hips. She could tell something was wrong. That much was sure. “I haven’t seen you this agitated in a long time.” She smiled. “I don’t know why, either. If Mac and Gareth told you the same thing that my guys told me, I figured you’d be elated.”

“I’m pretty sure they did.” Jessi jammed the button for the down elevator. She turned to Kelly and grasped her arms. “We can’t loosen our rules. Even for them.” She bit her lip. Once we do, we’ll have no reason to abide by them in the future.”

“We won’t have to.” Kelly sighed. “I don’t believe you’re worried about that.”

“Why shouldn’t I be? Just because they both say they want me?” She paused as the elevator door opened. It was one thing to discuss the matter with Kelly, but the entire hotel didn’t have to know the men were shape shifters. She continued as they noted the empty elevator and stepped inside. “I can’t take the chance that they’ll get tired of me and then I’m back to my old habits. I might drop my rules all together. After all, if I do it for them, what’s to say I won’t do it for everyone?”

“They didn’t get a chance to tell you all of it, did they?” Kelly chuckled. “Either they omitted something, or my guys aren’t telling me the truth. I can’t be certain, but they seemed earnest enough. I don’t think they were lying about it.” She bit her lip with a frown.

“Tell me what?” Jessi hated the fact that all of the men didn’t give the same story. What if they were
all
lying? What if the Anderson twins had put them up to this after all? She shook her head. No. Now, she was just being paranoid. If she was certain about anything in her life, she was certain that the Anderson boys didn’t know any shape shifters. The Anderson boys liked to talk too much for that. They couldn’t keep a secret if their lives depended on it. With a secret like being able to shift one’s shape into that of an animal, she had no doubt in her mind that their lives
would
depend on keeping
that
secret.

“When they mate, they mate for life. If you agree to be their mate, you’re agreeing to a lifelong commitment. They also said once it’s done, it can’t be undone, so we have to be sure it’s what we want.” She snorted. “What I want to know is what they think there is
not
to want about having two men love you, cherish you and treat you like a friggin’ queen for the rest of your life.”

The elevator door opened and they stepped out onto the sixth floor. “Yeah,” Jessi agreed as she led the way to their room. “What’s not to like about it?”

The four men stood at the counter in the lobby of the hotel waiting for the clerk to return. “Do you think we’ll find good costumes for them?”

“We will. This town is a costumer’s dream. I can’t imagine it would be
that
difficult.” Zach checked his watch. “What in the hell is taking the man so long?”

He’d just finished the sentence when the young man appeared, a stack of towels in his arms. “I’m sorry. I’m just getting ready to run these upstairs. I didn’t realize you guys were out here. What can I do for you?”

“Where’s the best costume shop in town?” Derek asked as he slid a twenty-dollar bill across the counter. “The absolute best shop. We need costumes for the women.”

“Oh.” He frowned. “What women?” His face cleared when he remembered. “Oh, the…uh full-figured girls I saw you with earlier?”

“The perfect women you saw us with earlier.”

“Goddesses.”

The four of them spoke at the same time.

“Yeah, right.” The clerk cleared his throat. “The best one, huh?” He rubbed his chin for a minute before his face cleared. “
The
Costume Shop Two
on Paris and Devine. They have awesome costumes, but the prices are out of this world.” He made a face. “Would you rather go somewhere cheaper?”

“No. We asked for the best. We want the best. Only the best will do. The ladies are very special.”

“Sure. Sure. Whatever you say, man.” The young man picked up the twenty and stuck it in his pocket before grabbing the stack of towels. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have to take these towels up to three where a rather rotund gentleman has apparently been in a wrestling match with a water buffalo.” He rolled his eyes and then headed for the elevator. “Good luck finding your ladies’ costumes. There’s not much to choose from, this time of year.”