The Lion and the Lamb (9 page)

Kiki moved and sat in the seat beside her. “Listen to what I’m saying.” She took Tatum’s face in both of her hands until their eyes locked. To the patrons around it probably looked like they were about to kiss. “Since I started working at the club I have never seen Leo more enamored with a woman
than he is with you. The way he looks at you.” She shivered, and a dreamy look passed over Kiki’s face. “The way he looks at you is the kind of look a man gives a woman he wants to devour. And honey, Leo Castill wants to gobble you up. I don’t want to hear about what might happen if you open up to him. If you are serious about him, and he is a good guy who is willing to give you what you deserve, he’ll stick by your side.” Kiki leaned in close. “You should see the way he looks at you when you aren’t aware. It makes me wish I could find Beau and make him do me against the bathroom wall in the club.”

Tatum gasped then giggled. “You’re so bad.”

“Yeah, but that’s why you love me.” A serious look replaced Kiki’s playful one. “Now, what are you going to do? You plan on letting that bitch of a mother continue to control your life, even from the grave, or are you going to dive in head first and take what you want?” The hopeful look on Kiki’s face made Tatum want to take that leap forward.

“I’m going to take what I want.”

“Thatta girl.”

They finished lunch and did a bit of shopping, but all Tatum could think about was going to Leo and laying it all out for him. She
threw caution to the wind and was ready to let herself feel free for the first time in her life.

“What do you want to do, boss?”

Slade sat behind his desk and stared out the window of his office that overlooked the strip. Since going to The Lion and the Lamb his thoughts had been consumed with Leo and the sweet little mate he had staked his claim on. He and Leo could have been business partners and ruled Vegas if not for the other Lion’s need to do everything by the book. That initially had been what started the rift between them, and over time that tension had grown and grown until it was like a third entity. The fact Leo thought he was better than him, that he didn’t have to resort to back alley business deals infuriated Slade. Staying away from the other male hadn’t done anything but piss Slade off more, because all he could think about was his enemy across town laughing at him, thinking he was nothing more that the scum on the bottom of his boot.

It had been weeks since
he had gone to Leo’s club, and Slade hadn’t bothered going back to the Lion and the Lamb, but he certainly intended to, especially now that he knew the luscious female who worked there. He hadn’t sensed that Leo’s lion had mated with her yet, but he had no doubt in his mind that Leo had done so since. The possessiveness that poured off his enemy had been thick enough to strangle him, and the scent that surrounded her had been strong. Of course no human would have been able to detect it, and even though he hadn’t fucked that sweet little ass of hers, Leo’s scent had clung to her.

It was a subtle warning
, meant to warn off other males, but to Slade it meant a challenge. He wanted to see the female again, wanted to touch every fucking inch of her. True, he could have any female he wanted, but having the one that Leo claimed was a far better pick.

He turned and looked at his right-hand man, Collin. There were only a few
who worked for Slade that knew of his shifting abilities, and all of those were shifters as well. Collin, a lion shifter, the same as Slade, had come from the same pride. When Slade had decided to take root in Vegas, he had instantly butted heads with Leo. Whereas Leo started a legal shop, Slade had gone the more nontraditional route. He might own a “legal” club and a strip club as well, but his girls did a little extra work on the side for him. They made sure each and every one of the horny bastards that stopped at Stripped got their happy ending. Prostitution was such an ugly word for what his girls did, so instead he liked to think of it as a business transaction of mutual understanding. Yeah, the men paid for his girls’ services, but what good business didn’t make money?

“You really gunning for Leo’s girl?” Collin tapped his fingers on his thigh. Any other male
who questioned his motives would have found themselves castrated, but he and Collin and been through a lot of shit, and therefore Slade let a lot slide with him.

“I think she’d make a good addition to Stripped, and also as a permanent fixture in my bed.” He had a lot of plans, ones that included starting his own personal pack, and Leo’s sweet piece of tail was going to help him accomplish that.

****

Tatum let herself think about what she and Kiki talked about. She didn’t work tonight
, but she wanted to see Leo for more than one reason. He needed to know where her head was at, and she needed to find out the same with him. If he wasn’t into her with the same intensity as she was for him, then she wanted to know up front. What if their night together was just that—one night?

No, she didn’t want to think about it, because now that she had let herself contemplate more with him, the idea that she meant nothing more than a piece of ass had a sick sense of dread settling inside of her.

It was going on ten at night, and she could have just sent him a text asking him to talk to her, but she knew what she had to say needed to be done in person. Deciding that she would just go to the club to talk to Leo, Tatum grabbed her purse and keys and headed out. That damn SUV sat parked across the street again, but she was smart enough not to go over there as it sat where the light didn’t quite reach it.

She quickly got into her car and headed to the club. It was time to come clean.

****

“She left the house. I think she’s onto the detail as well. I’ve noticed she’s been looking at the car every time she leaves.”

Shit.
Leo leaned back in his chair and ran a hand over his eyes. He really wasn’t surprised. Tatum was a smart girl, and nothing got by her. “Keep on her ass but stay back. Just make sure she’s okay.” He hung up and tossed his cell across his desk. He had a fucking headache and was tired as hell. All day he had tried to get Tatum to spend some time with him. She declined at every turn, and he started to worry that her skittish nature would keep a wall between them. Ever since their night together it felt like she avoided him. He didn’t like it, wasn’t used to it, and all it did was make him want her more.

Too many times to count he had grabbed his keys, on the verge of going to her, and demanding they talk about what happened between them.
He had no doubts she felt the same desire he had, hell, he had seen it on her face, smelled the sweet aroma come off of her when he buried his cock deep inside of her. His little mate was stubborn, but she wanted him, and he just needed to show her that.

A knock on his door had him dropping his hand and staring at the thick metal. “Yeah?”

The door pushed open, and Sugar stood on the other side. The mini skirt and belly shirt she wore was meant to entice, but he felt nothing stir below his belt. He couldn’t even get hard anymore unless it was with Tatum.

“Can I talk to you, Leo?”

He motioned for her to enter. She closed the door and took a seat in front of his desk. Her dirty blonde hair was teased in what reminded him of the eighties. The thick layer of make-up she wore seemed to make her appear a hell of a lot older than her mere twenty-two years. 

“What is it,
Sugar?” He rubbed his eyes again and tried to relieve the pounding ache that settled behind his head.

“I actually wanted to talk about the new girl.” Leo leaned back in his seat and stared at her. He didn’t let any of his emotions show, not until he knew where this conversation was going.

“Yeah? What about?” Hand resting on his desk, Leo strummed his fingers over the top of it. He smelled her nervousness and arousal.

“I just don’t think she’s a good fit for The Lion and the Lamb.”

Lifting a brow, he spoke calmly. “And why’s that? She do something that is against club policy?”

“No, well, no…” She looked around the room
, and her nervousness became a tangy scent in his nose. “She just … she just doesn’t really fit the look. Know what I mean?”

“No, I don’t know what the fuck you mean.” The image of Tatum’s lush curves, bountiful breasts, and snug pussy slammed into his head. His cock instantly got hard
, and his body temperature soared. He closed his eyes and swallowed. Who knew that once a lion found its mate all common sense and self-control flew out the window?

He felt the lightest touch across his chest and snapped his eyes open.
Sugar was right in front of him, her breasts inches from his face. She leaned forward and brushed her lips across the collar of his shirt. The fact she moved quick enough he hadn’t even noticed showed exactly where his mind was. His thoughts were a jumble, and if one waif of a female could make a move on him without him even realizing, he needed to pull his head out of his ass and get back in the game. Shit like that could end up getting people killed.

She started trailing her hand down his abdomen, but before she could get to his erection, which was most definitely not for her, he grabbed her wrist in a gentle, yet secure hold.

“What are you doing, Faye?” He rarely used the girls’ real names, but this particular instance called for the stern approach. It seemed as of late she became more insistent with her attraction to him, despite the fact he had reinforced that he wasn’t interested.

It wasn’t because she worked for him, but more so there was the scent of desperation that lingered around her. She also wasn’t the type of woman that he found attractive. He
had caught her glaring at Tatum on more than one occasion, and the putrid stench of her jealousy came out like a crack of a whip.

“I just think you should reconsider your policy.” She gave her hand a tug and tried to continue her downward path. “I see the way you look at her, Leo.” She placed her ass on his desk and thrust out her chest. The fucker behind his fly had yet to relent, and he noticed the way her eyes widened when she glanced down at the bulge.

“You can’t tell me you don’t want me when that monster is about to rip through your slacks.” Her other hand rested on the desk beside her leg, and before she could touch him with it he had it in his grasp.

“I’ll tell you once again, Faye, because it seems you have forgotten the last time I said I wasn’t interested.” He leaned in close enough that she could get a good look in his eyes. “There won’t ever be anything between the two of us. Even if you didn’t work for me you’re not my type.” The change that came over her face wasn’t subtle. Her eyes narrowed
, and her lips thinned.

“So you’d fuck a fat bitch over this?” She ripped her hands free and stood. Her hands moved up and down, as if she were showing him what she thought he
might be missing.

When he stood it was slow and deliberate. His anger
clawed right at the surface, and he could feel the change trying to take over. He would never harm a female, but the low rumble that left him was a subtle warning that she pushed him to a dangerous point. It was instinct to defend the woman he had grown to care for, the female that was
his
. When someone hurt her, verbally or otherwise, his lion wanted to cause harm. It was his human side that kept it in check.

“You’d do well to watch your tongue when speaking about Tatum.” She crossed her arms under her breasts
, and he knew she didn’t do it just to appear pouty. She still tried to entice him. Her indignation was at the same level as her need to try and tempt him.

Both had no effect on him.

Taking a step toward him, she looked up and him and popped out her bottom lip. The act reminded him of a petulant five year old child

“I’ve worked for you for three years, Leo. At every turn you’ve turned me down, yet this bitch is here for a few fuckin’ months and you’re all over that shit?  Why her and not me?” Her voice rose as her anger, frustration, arousal, and even hurt swam in the air. “What does she have that I don’t?” He really didn’t want to hurt anyone, especially one of his female employees, but enough was enough.

“I’m only going to tell this once, Faye. If you value your job then you won’t insult Tatum again.” He spoke low and conveyed exactly how serious he was through his words. “My personal life is none of your fucking business.” He took another step toward her. Her neck craned back, and he had to give her credit because she held her ground and refused to be intimidated.

“I’ll tell you
this, though.” He flashed his teeth at her. Her eyes flashed fire right back at him. “What she has is class. She would never insult a fellow employee, or another person for that matter, because her jealousy got the better of her.”

A terse moment passed where they did nothing but stare at each other. He was frustrated and annoyed over plenty of things, Slade being one of them. He didn’t need his employees giving him a hard time over stuff that didn’t concern them.

Faye’s nostrils flared before she turned and stalked out of his office. He sat back down in his chair and leaned his head against the back of it. A sigh escaped him when he loosened his tie and undid the first few buttons of his shirt. If things didn’t start looking up he was liable to shift in front of a room full of humans, then the shit really would hit the fan.