from his throat and watched her
pulse increase even more. He sat up slowly so that their faces were very close
together. He could feel her breath on his face as she exhaled sharply.
When Tony let the pendant drop it he watched Carly struggle not
to lean back in her chair away from him. He could smell her arousal. It made
him want to sweep the table clean and lay her out on it for dessert. He
wondered if she knew he’d been fighting not to pull her head up to his and kiss
her as he had studied the pendant. Not for the first time, Tony wished he could
read minds. What had she been thinking ?
Tony watched Carly, keeping his expression purposefully
blank. There was an almost magnetic pull between them. He knew she felt it. She
started to lean toward him. Tony’s eyes were locked on hers as she closed the
distance between them. Her heart pounded loud enough for him to hear and her
lips parted as if in anticipation of contact.
“Well, well, what have we here?” The voice was unfamiliar
and deep. Tony went ice cold but slowly leaned back in his chair. Carly turned
her head to see the tall man standing beside their table.
Tension rolled off Tony. He felt sure Carly could see it.
She slowly leaned back in her chair as the stranger moved around the table so
that he was standing just to her side. She would have had to turn her head to
see him comfortably. Tony on the other hand could now see him more clearly.
Tony kept his eyes on the other man as he reached out to
touch Carly’s hand. His touch was fleeting, meant only to reassure her and he
felt her take a deep breath. Satisfied that she was in no immediate danger,
Tony concentrated on the man in front of him. It was the same man who had
appeared outside his shop.
“Hello, Tony. Just thought I’d drop by for a minute when I
saw you with this lovely lady.” Tony watched the other man touch the ends of
her hair. He felt the slight shiver snake its way down her spine. Good. She
knew instinctively that this man was dangerous.
Tony was proud. No fear pheromones came from this human. He
knew in her line of work she’d probably dealt with his type before. However,
Tony hoped she could tell that there was something about the man behind
her. He nodded his approval as Carly stood her ground, obviously resisting the
urge to move away from him. She stared at Tony. He gave her a lazy wink before
he turned his full attention back to the other man.
“What do you want, Slade?”
“So you do know who I am. That’s gratifying, really.”
The man’s voice was not nearly as seductive as Tony’s but
Carly could still feel the power in his voice. He moved slightly and she caught
a whiff of sandalwood. “I thought I’d have to introduce myself but I guess you
got my earlier message.”
“I’ll ask again, what do you want, Slade?” Tony’s voice had
deepened, his words were almost but not quite growled at the other man.
“An accounting, Tony.” The way the other man said Tony’s
name made it sound like an insult. “I hear one of your kitties has had a little
trouble with the human police. I’d like to offer my help.”
“Why?” Tony’s voice was still very deep but strangely calm.
“Isn’t it obvious? She could set a new precedent for all of
us. Fuck with us—we’ll kill you. It’s that simple, really. We’re tired of
hiding who and what we are. We want an accounting from the humans for all the
years of hiding, being ashamed, scared. We want to let them know who we are.
“So, what do you say, Tony? Are we going to help each other?”
Slade leaned forward so that his breath brushed across Carly’s shoulder. It was
all she could do not to move away from him.
Tony’s eyes were more golden than ever now. His lip curled
slightly. Carly could feel the man behind her tense then his voice came again.
It was right next to her ear. She turned her head slightly then looked out of
the corner of her eye at the man leaning over her back.
“So, what is it with you
pulse increase even more. He sat up slowly so that their faces were very close
together. He could feel her breath on his face as she exhaled sharply.
When Tony let the pendant drop it he watched Carly struggle not
to lean back in her chair away from him. He could smell her arousal. It made
him want to sweep the table clean and lay her out on it for dessert. He
wondered if she knew he’d been fighting not to pull her head up to his and kiss
her as he had studied the pendant. Not for the first time, Tony wished he could
read minds. What had she been thinking ?
Tony watched Carly, keeping his expression purposefully
blank. There was an almost magnetic pull between them. He knew she felt it. She
started to lean toward him. Tony’s eyes were locked on hers as she closed the
distance between them. Her heart pounded loud enough for him to hear and her
lips parted as if in anticipation of contact.
“Well, well, what have we here?” The voice was unfamiliar
and deep. Tony went ice cold but slowly leaned back in his chair. Carly turned
her head to see the tall man standing beside their table.
Tension rolled off Tony. He felt sure Carly could see it.
She slowly leaned back in her chair as the stranger moved around the table so
that he was standing just to her side. She would have had to turn her head to
see him comfortably. Tony on the other hand could now see him more clearly.
Tony kept his eyes on the other man as he reached out to
touch Carly’s hand. His touch was fleeting, meant only to reassure her and he
felt her take a deep breath. Satisfied that she was in no immediate danger,
Tony concentrated on the man in front of him. It was the same man who had
appeared outside his shop.
“Hello, Tony. Just thought I’d drop by for a minute when I
saw you with this lovely lady.” Tony watched the other man touch the ends of
her hair. He felt the slight shiver snake its way down her spine. Good. She
knew instinctively that this man was dangerous.
Tony was proud. No fear pheromones came from this human. He
knew in her line of work she’d probably dealt with his type before. However,
Tony hoped she could tell that there was something about the man behind
her. He nodded his approval as Carly stood her ground, obviously resisting the
urge to move away from him. She stared at Tony. He gave her a lazy wink before
he turned his full attention back to the other man.
“What do you want, Slade?”
“So you do know who I am. That’s gratifying, really.”
The man’s voice was not nearly as seductive as Tony’s but
Carly could still feel the power in his voice. He moved slightly and she caught
a whiff of sandalwood. “I thought I’d have to introduce myself but I guess you
got my earlier message.”
“I’ll ask again, what do you want, Slade?” Tony’s voice had
deepened, his words were almost but not quite growled at the other man.
“An accounting, Tony.” The way the other man said Tony’s
name made it sound like an insult. “I hear one of your kitties has had a little
trouble with the human police. I’d like to offer my help.”
“Why?” Tony’s voice was still very deep but strangely calm.
“Isn’t it obvious? She could set a new precedent for all of
us. Fuck with us—we’ll kill you. It’s that simple, really. We’re tired of
hiding who and what we are. We want an accounting from the humans for all the
years of hiding, being ashamed, scared. We want to let them know who we are.
“So, what do you say, Tony? Are we going to help each other?”
Slade leaned forward so that his breath brushed across Carly’s shoulder. It was
all she could do not to move away from him.
Tony’s eyes were more golden than ever now. His lip curled
slightly. Carly could feel the man behind her tense then his voice came again.
It was right next to her ear. She turned her head slightly then looked out of
the corner of her eye at the man leaning over her back.
“So, what is it with you
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