Prey & Prejudice: Cougar Falls, Book 7 (10 page)

Zoe took her top in hand and quickly tied it behind her neck. She hadn’t come back to mate. And the fact she even considered the notion scared the crap out of her.

“What are you doing?” Miles asked, playful now that he’d had some relief. He lowered his hands to her shoulders and tugged at her string. Feeling it knotted, he pulled back and frowned.

No man should look this good wet.
She forced herself to remember him making her beg and then pushing her to orgasm twice before walking away—all to make a point. That he didn’t consider her worthy when it came to running the pride.

The pride, Zoe. Do what’s best for all of them, not for you.

She pressed him back and the shower hit him in the face. While he sputtered, she quickly stepped from the stall and found a towel.

“What the hell?”

“I’m going back outside.”

“Not while smelling like you’re in heat, you’re not,” Miles snarled.

She blinked. “I’m not in heat.”

“No, but you’re wet. And not just from the shower.” He smirked. To her astonishment, he seemed half-hard again. “Now why don’t you bring that fine pussy back in here and let me get you off?”

She laughed and hardened her resolve—because she
really, really
wanted to let him satisfy her. But she couldn’t afford to show weakness. He had to see her as an equal, even in regards to sex. Deliberately enticing him again, she lowered her bottoms to expose her trimmed pussy, devoid of hair but for a thin strip on her mound.

“Get in here,” he ordered, his cock getting larger.

She wiped her arousal away with a towel, then pulled her bottoms back up. “There, all solved.” Except for her tight little clit still throbbing and her insides all aflutter with need.

“Zoe?”

“Well now, big man. If I need ease, I’ll find it, never fear. I just wanted to make sure
you
were okay, because you looked pretty needy.” Zing.

He glared at her, fury now mingling with his growing arousal. To her astonishment, she caught a hint of the mate scent as well.

Apparently he noticed it too, because his eyes widened and he yanked the shower curtain closed to separate them. “I’m fine now, thanks.”

“Sure thing.” Her heart raced. What the hell had just happened? “I mean, you were begging so nicely and all…”

He yanked the curtain back, enraged and gloriously golden all over. “Begging?” he roared.

She only caught rage in his scent now, well, that and the carnal need he hadn’t yet lost. His dick was once again rock hard. So pretty and more than a mouthful…

Satisfied she’d finally shown her bearing as a female not to
fuck with
, she danced back. “Well, I’m back to the pool and all my new friends. Might want to take care of that, though.” She looked pointedly at his cock and chuckled when he scowled. “You’re pretty pent up, aren’t you?”

“I wouldn’t be if you’d take care of this. Never mind. I’ll get someone else to play with.”

Yet she didn’t rise to the bait, because she somehow knew that he wouldn’t. This new connection between them, though strictly sexual, had only deepened with today’s intimacy. Plus she had finally pulled ahead, if they were keeping score. Which she was.

“Go ahead.” She shrugged. “A man like you has needs. Just like me.” The dark look he shot her only increased her pleasure. “Oh yeah. Can’t control that base desire. Like a lot of men I know.” She shook her head.

“I don’t
have
to fuck.” He turned off the shower, which had to be super cold by now.

“Oh? So you chose to be with me then?”

He opened his mouth and closed it, obviously aware he’d walked into that one.

“Lovely, and you’re such a polite cat. I hadn’t expected that.” She smiled at him. “You asked me so nicely. ‘Please, baby,’” she mimicked and reached behind her for the doorknob when he stepped out of the shower. A quick flick of her fingers and the lock turned. “I’m flattered, Miles. Really. But I’m focused on the pride. If you’re needing a girlfriend, maybe you should look elsewhere.”

“If I—” He took a deep breath and let it out in a gust. Then he smiled through his teeth. “Come here and we’ll solve this question about need right now,” he said smoothly.

Knowing when to beat a hasty retreat to regroup for another day, she smiled brightly, twisted the doorknob and then turned and darted out of the bathroom before he could reach her.

Ha. Try to seduce me, will you?
More than pleased at her victory, she hurried out of the cottage and made a long trip back to the pool, returning only after she’d tamped down her lingering arousal.

That mating scent she’d detected still bothered her. Miles had known he’d projected it, because otherwise, why try to hide behind the curtain? Or had he done that for another reason? It made no sense, but her cat wanted to roll in that smell again. To lift her tail and await a proper mounting.

Good God, but Zoe wanted to be mounted as much if not more than her feline half. It had to be the lack of sex frustrating her. Oral was all well and good, but a true physical joining would ease the ache in her. She hoped. Because for once, she didn’t want to scratch her itch with anyone else, but with one particular cat—a male too arrogant and no good for her. One who stood in the way of her destiny.

Forcing herself to remain outwardly carefree yet focused on her end game, she rejoined the party by the pool and talked to the group growing in number. Miles rejoined them, and they ignored each other for the most part. She felt his gaze on her at odd times during the day, but she wasn’t able to catch him looking.

She agreed to accompany Jace and Ellis in the evening to tour their rounds and watch the way they policed the pride, much to the displeasure of Willow and Dana. Knowing she needed to deal with those two, she pulled them aside and sat with them under an umbrella.

Diego, a handsome cat in his mid-twenties, brought them a tray of margaritas and slid her his phone number on a napkin.

“Thanks, sweetie.”

He winked and walked away, but not before nodding at the napkin, as if she hadn’t seen his number in big, bold black numbers. Men. Subtlety was not in the chromosomes for most of them. And not with the women glaring at her right now either.

She turned to them and sighed. “Relax, girls. I have no intention of screwing with my future lieutenants. I need to know what they face and where they go, that’s it.”

“What?” Willow asked.

“I need to know so that when I take over the pride, I’m familiar with our defensive perimeters and our territory as a whole.”

They blinked at her. “Seriously?” Dana asked. “You’re still planning to assume control?”

“I am. Is that a problem for you?”

Dana frowned. “I don’t get it. Why are you doing this?”

“Why do I want to rule the pride?”

They nodded.

“Because a long time ago my mother saw my future. And it’s to help the pride. I’ll bring back what’s been missing. Michael was a good leader, but once his mate passed, he grew stagnant, and from what I’ve heard from the females at least, things suffered. I want us to be stronger than before. I bring good change, a new way of looking at gender roles, not to mention an infusion of ideas from other places. I spent years roaming Ac-taw settlements and Shifter nations. Africa. China. South America. So many different ways of doing things. The key to growth is change, and that’s something men seem to have a hard time understanding.”

Dana’s frown eased. “You make a good point. I hadn’t thought this was about more than your ego, but maybe I was wrong.”

“Joy said you’ve been connecting with the women. That you even got Marla Jones to talk with you, and Marla hates everyone,” Willow said. “Do you really think you have what it takes to help us?”

“Look, I don’t think it. I know it.” Her cat agreed. This was what she’d been born to do. “I’ve learned a lot over the years. I can’t help that I’m beautiful. Blame my parents for that. But I’m not about an ego trip. I don’t need the pride to know I’m great.”

Dana snorted. “Apparently not.”

“My point is I’m here to help the pride. You’ll see. I’ll bring everyone together, on equal footing. Even if you all tell me you hate me, it’ll be said in unity. No more Lex followers or Leonard Silas types trying to make a name for themselves at the cost of the pride. And I hate to break it to you, but trouble is coming.”

Willow shook her head. “Rumors of a takeover aren’t new. We can handle a few rogue wolves and scraggly birds.”

“But you haven’t handled Baltimore raptors yet. Trust me, they’re a pain. Manageable, but not in a cat-to-bird, one-on-one kind of conquest. They have numbers, and Lex’s takeover left the pride in shambles.”

“We’re nearly solid again,” Dana argued.

“Yeah, you know that. The pride knows that. But the rest of the world that watched you guys flailing thinks you’re ripe to be taken over. Everyone needs a message to steer clear. And I know just how to provide it.”

The women considered her, and Zoe mentally encouraged their good will. She wanted their approval. They carried weight with Miles’s inner council, and with the senior council as well. But more than that, she would need their support and friendship if she was to have a shot at ruling a healthy pride.

“So let’s say we back you,” Dana said slowly and looked over her shoulder at Jace across the pool. He currently sat with Ellis and Miles, who’d rejoined the group. The three seemed in deep discussion about something. “What’s your deal with the slutty swim suit? ’Cause you’re not making friends with that body.”

Zoe chuckled. “Maybe not, but I can tell you I’ve scored a direct hit with Miles.”

As one, the women glanced at Miles. He must have sensed their attention, because he glared at them before stalking away from his friends. He left the pool and didn’t circle back.

“Oh, now I get it.” Willow’s expression eased. She even grinned. “This isn’t about payback or casual flirting at all. You really don’t want Jace or Ellis. You want Miles.”

“Yes. No. Wait, what?”

Dana nodded. “You know, if you plan on ruling the pride, you have to take a mate. It’s an old tradition that the senior council wants back in place. Especially since Lex was such a hothead. They think a mate calms the pride leader.”

“Really?” That she hadn’t considered—she’d have to mate in order to rule. But, her cat rationalized, really, it tied in nicely with having a certain blond Adonis at her side. They suited, physically, at least. And from all she’d heard and seen about him—despite his ego—Miles had earned that respect.

“Yep,” Dana said. “And guess what? You get Miles to mate you, and I’ll back you a hundred percent. My backing means the entirety of the females.”

“Mine too,” Willow agreed. “With me comes the financial sector and a few judges. My family is tight with Nettles and a bunch of stubborn old-fashioned men you want in your corner. We really only need to swing the senior council votes for you. But it would help to have the majority of the pride on your side. Can you count on Quince to vote your way?”

Could she? “I’ll talk to him, but I think so.”

Dana nodded. “Then it’s just Miles, Danville and probably King you have to convince. I don’t think anyone wants a Pride Fight again.” Where two cats fought—usually, but not always, to the death—to rule.

“I don’t suppose I could trick Miles into fighting me for it?”

Willow snorted. “Doubtful. He’s stubborn. He really doesn’t want to rule, but he loves the pride too much to let it fall into the wrong hands. Prove to him you’re the right one for the job. So far, you’re doing good. You made headway this past week.”

“Prove to him she’d be right for the job?” Dana snorted. “That’s if Miles can look past his ego. Change is hard, but so is having a woman boss you around. I’m in, Zoe. But it’s up to you to get Miles on board.”

“And as a mate,” Willow reminded her with glee. “This is going to be so much fun to watch.”

“Yeah.” Dana grinned wide. She rose and slapped Zoe on the shoulder. “Have a good time tonight following the guys around. But a warning—you touch Jace, I hurt you. Same goes for Willow with Ellis.”

“Relax you two. If I’m going to effectively set my sights on Miles, sleeping with his lieutenants isn’t the way to make that happen. And no offense, but I’m not into either of them like that.”

The more she thought about it, the more right the notion seemed. Taking Miles to mate. Who else had she ever met that stood up to her like he did? Who could resist her and arouse her and amuse her all at the same time? They could join for the pride, to stabilize the group. And maybe, hopefully, in time she’d have his affection as well.

Why that part should feel more important than the rest worried her. Her dream to make the pride strong had always overruled everything else. But this—
liking
—for Miles felt oddly like a crush turning deeper.

The women relaxed. “Okay then.” Willow glanced at the pool. “Then let me fill you in on Ellis and Jace. And Rain. Don’t want to forget about our stellar CPA either.”

Chapter Seven

Four days later, Zoe sat in Joy’s new digs and watched the woman manage Quince with ease. She kissed him goodbye after making him swear to tell her everything about his meeting later.