STORY EXCERPT

“Hi.” Dane’s following low growl, meant only for his friends’ ears, was enough to keep them silent.

She swallowed as her nervousness flowed off her in waves. But she had another vibe wafting over him. One of hard, primal need. “Hi.”

She needs to get fucked and fucked good. And I’m the man who can help her with that.

“Hi.” Her African American friend stuck out her hand to Brett. “I’m Rhonda, and this is Heather and Jillian.” She paused and pointedly stared at the beautiful woman. “And this is our friend, Mazie.”

May-zee? Different. I like it.

“Hi, Mazie. I’m Dane.” He didn’t offer his hand, thinking she might be too skittish to take it. Women were like young fillies that way.

“Hi.”

He grinned a genuine, non-smirking grin. “Hi again. Would you girls like to sit down?”

“No.”

He wanted to ignore Rhonda but couldn’t. “Okay. Do what you want. But is there something we can help you with?” If he could have made Rhonda leave, along with Mazie’s other girlfriends, he would have. Anything to get the hazel-eyed beauty to stay with him.

His inner cat picked up her scent and purred. She had a unique fragrance. Sweet yet not cloying. He lacked the right words to describe the aroma, especially when it suddenly mixed with a different kind of sweet smell coming from between her legs. His cat purred again.

Take her. Pick her up and take her outside. Hell, to the men’s room. Hell, on top of the table.

He had to remember where he was. This was Atlanta. Not Fate. Again he asked, “Do you need help?” She’d never know he was referring to her raw sexual need.

“Yes,” answered Mazie. She still hadn’t stopped staring at him.

He suppressed another grin. Was she the quiet type? He hoped not. At least not in bed. “Okay. Do you want to tell me how to help you?”

“We want you to marry her,” blurted out Jillian.

He had to admit he hadn’t seen that one coming. His attention darted from Jillian back to the hot Mazie. “You want me to marry her? Why?” Was she pregnant? Or really lonely? Yet he couldn’t believe loneliness was the reason. No one who looked like her could ever be that hard up. He repeated the question. “Why?”

“It’s a prank.” Mazie swallowed again, her chest rising prettily as she dragged in a breath. “A joke. I mean, kind of. Although my reason is serious.” She ran a hand through her thick black hair. “I want to play a joke on my fiancé.”

Fiancé? Shit. Figures she’d already have a mate.

“Why do you want to do that?” He sensed Brett and Rick leaning back in their chairs, letting him handle the situation. “Are you trying to piss him off?”

“Yes. Because he cheated on her and she wants to teach him a lesson,” added Heather.

“No kidding? He cheated on you?” The man had to be the dumbest human alive. If she were his woman, he’d never look at another woman, much less touch one.

Her gaze finally broke from his. “Yes.”

“So why not confront him? Why not just kick him to the curb?” As a werecat, he’d never be disloyal to his mate. If only he could find his mate. His friends, Mel Carter and Stefan Reid, both co-owners of the Double X Ranch and fellow werecats, had waited a long time to find the woman they’d share.

He drew in Mazie’s scent again. She smelled so fucking good. Could she be their mate? He was too drunk to trust his judgment, but he wasn’t too drunk to know he had to find out.

“Because I love him.”

He stared at her, hard and long. No, you don’t. You just think you do.

“So I want to pretend to marry another man and make him angry. Don’t worry. It won’t be a real marriage.”

“So you’re not kicking him to the curb, huh? Just wanting to make him angry and jealous?”

“Right.” She lifted her gaze to his again. She bit her lower lip, and doubt crossed her face. “Maybe I shouldn’t. I mean, this is crazy. Never mind. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

He took her arm before she could dart away. “Hey, hold up.” Granted, her fiancé must be dumber than dirt, but did she really think this lamebrain plan would work? More than likely, she’d succeed in pissing the guy off. If Dane was lucky, the man might just get pissed off enough to call it quits for good. “Was this your idea?”

She blinked, her eyes lost, giving him his answer even before she spoke. “No.”

“It was mine,” answered Rhonda. “And it’s a good one.”

“Huh.” Should he try and talk Mazie out of going along with the plan? Granted, the idea of hitching up with Mazie—even if only pretending to do so—was appealing, but would she blame him later once she sobered up? He drew in Rhonda’s scent and didn’t like it. While Mazie’s scent was fresh and clean, Rhonda’s had an aroma that burned his nostrils. He’d give her a little push and see how she reacted. “What are you willing to pay me?”

“Pay you?” Rhonda jerked back. “We’re not going to pay you anything.”

“Then why should I go along with this scheme? Her fiancé might get angry enough to track me down. Nah.” He turned back to his drink. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

“Please,” said Mazie. “I can’t pay you, but it would really help me out.”

“You’re not even sure you want to go along with this.”

“I’m sure.” She straightened, gripping his arm to keep her balance.

She was drunk and probably being pushed into a stupid plan by her friends. He should stop her. Or, at least, tell her no. But then he looked into those tantalizing hazel eyes. What man could ever refuse her? “What the hell? I’ll do it.”

ADULT EXCERPT

Catching her off-guard, Dane took her by the arms. His penetrating gaze focused on hers. “Tell the truth, Mazie. Do you really think Tyler loves you? Does he make you happy? Because I swear to you, we will always make you happy.”

Her pulse thundered in her ears as she struggled to pull in breath after breath. “I don’t know what’s happening.”

“What’s happening is what’s meant to be.” Mel moved behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.

Her body acknowledged the men, lighting up like a candle in the dark of night. “Tyler.”

“Forget about him,” ordered Stefan.

Dane captured her, his fingers driving into the hair at the back of her neck. “Tell me, sugar. Do you love Tyler? Can you see yourself spending the rest of your life with him?”

She tried to say yes, yet nothing would come out. Instead, she stared at Dane, her legs growing weaker as Mel’s hands slid down her butt to cup her cheeks.

Dane kissed her, gently, sweetly, then looked into her eyes again. “Let us show you how much we want you.” Slowly, sexily, he went to his knees in front of her. Keeping his gaze on hers, he unbuttoned her jeans. He paused as though giving her a chance to tell him to stop. When she remained silent, he tugged the jeans over her hips and down to her running shoes.

“Damn.” Mel’s whisper against her ear was filled with reverence.

When was the last time Tyler had looked at her with such awe? Their lovemaking had not only become non-existent since the night she’d married Dane but their kisses, their looks of desire had grown cold, too.

Taking his time, Mel eased his fingers underneath her panties and edged them over her hips. Dane took hold of them and put them with her jeans.

She gasped as Dane put his face against her smooth mons. His breath was warm. Her skin tingled as he spread her pussy lips and slicked his tongue between her folds. She gasped again when he caressed his tongue over her clit. She reached out, needing something to hold her up, and found Stefan.

Mel bent low and put his tongue to good use on her butt. He licked her flesh as though she were the best meal in the world then added quick nibbles. “You taste good, baby, but I bet your hole tastes even better.”

Stefan lifted her arms above her head. “Got to get my taste, too.” He tugged her shirt over her head then laid it on the top rail of the stall. Her bra soon lay on top of her shirt. His large hands took hold of her breasts and pushed them together. She arched her back, welcoming his mouth to both of her nipples.

Staying on her feet became even more difficult. She dug her fingers into Stefan’s shoulders then clutched a hunk of his hair. “Please.”

They answered but not with words, their tongues licking her, their fingers finding seductive ways to entice her. Dane’s sucking noises as he drank her juices drove her burgeoning climax higher and higher.

Mel drove his tongue into her dark hole then switched to biting her flesh. He added fingers to her tight hole first one, then two, plunging into her over and over. His move was abrupt, catching her by surprise, yet she loved every thrust.

Stefan tugged on her nipples, one being pinched as he caught the other between his teeth. “Love your tits, darlin’,” he murmured.

As hard as she tried, she couldn’t think straight. Their touches, their words had taken command of her mind. Her body was under siege, yet she was an easy, willing victim. She gripped Stefan hard as Dane sucked on her pussy, lapping her juices up like a kitten. Mel squeezed and bit at her butt cheeks while Stefan feasted on her breasts.

She closed her eyes, reveling in their attention. Her release roared to life, shaking her already weak legs. If they hadn’t held her up, she would’ve gone to the ground. Her climax rushed through her, wave after wave shaking her until, at last, it showed her mercy. The release rolled through her like a tsunami breaking over the beach. She was breathing hard by the time the climax was over.

Buttercup’s nicker was the only thing to bring her to her senses. Mazie opened her eyes and sucked in a hard breath. “No!” Pushing Stefan back, she lunged for her shirt, taking it away from Buttercup’s nibbling lips.

What am I doing?

Perhaps if she’d answered the question earlier, she might have kept her senses about her.

Tyler. He’s my fiancé.

But Dane is my husband.

“No.” She jerked away from them, pushing them away as she held the shirt in front of her. “I can’t do this. No.”

“Baby—”

“No,” she said again as she backed toward the barn door. “I can’t do this. We can’t do this.” Snatching up her clothes, she ran out of the barn.