the change, he’d need a different day job.’
Travers said, ‘Dances on stage? What does that mean?’
Someone near the shadowy back of the crowd called out, ‘He’s a stripper.’
The woman, Becker, said, ‘Oh, my God, he works at Guilty Pleasures.’
‘How do you know that, Becker?’ one of the other rangers asked.
She looked embarrassed even in the dark.
There were more calls of, ‘How do you know, Becker? Did you take a road trip? … You seen him without his clothes?’
I raised my voice to be heard over it all. ‘Yeah, he dances at Guilty Pleasures.’
‘Why doesn’t he speak for himself?’ one of the Boulder officers asked.
Another officer said, ‘I heard some wereanimals lose the ability to talk like a person.’
‘If that were true, then Anita would have to do all the talking for everybody,’ Nicky said.
Ares sighed. ‘Great, now they all hate us.’
‘It’s what we are,’ Nicky said. ‘I’m not ashamed of it, are you?’
Ares gave him a very serious glare. ‘No.’
‘Then stop complaining.’
The two tall men looked at each other, and I was reminded that they didn’t partner each other much. In fact, I couldn’t remember ever having the two of them as a team. Nicky had broken Ares’ arm once in a fight. Ares hadn’t held a grudge, because Asher had used his ability to control hyenas to force the guard to attack Nicky. It had been one of the things that led Jean-Claude to exiling Asher.
Nathaniel said, ‘I hadn’t heard the rumor that we lose the ability to talk. It’s not true.’ He stepped a little ahead of me, with a glance to make sure I was okay with it; I was. ‘If I were going to shift to leopard form and eat somebody, it wouldn’t be any of you guys. I see beautiful, hot women every night at work. They’re worth eating. You guys are so not my type.’ They laughed; some of it was a little nervous, but they laughed.
Someone in the back called out, ‘Should we be insulted?’
Nathaniel flashed that brilliant smile, the one he used to charm the men who brought their women to the club. ‘Yes.’ More laughter, and this time it was that deep, rumbling male laughter. ‘I could never do your job, but I can trail the Crawfords for you. Anita will put me on a leash just like the dog that was up here.’
‘Why put you on a leash if you aren’t dangerous?’ Travers asked.
‘Because I’m going to look like a big-ass black leopard and I don’t want to get shot by some hunter. With a beautiful woman leading me around on a leash, they won’t shoot me. They may think they’re hallucinating, but they’re less likely to shoot me by accident.’
They couldn’t argue with him, and they stopped trying after a little while. Nathaniel charmed them, kept making them laugh, and we got our way.
‘Since when did you get to be this charming?’ Ares asked.
‘I’ve always been charming,’ Nathaniel said, ‘but I’ve learned how to talk to guy-guys thanks to hanging around with all the guards.’
Ares nodded and sort of shrugged. ‘Wow, not just a pretty face after all.’
Nathaniel smiled. ‘If I tease you for noticing I’m pretty, it might give the other tough guys the wrong idea, so I’ll just strip instead.’
Ares rolled his eyes and turned his back, acting as a barrier to help block everyone else’s view. Nicky did the same on the other side. I stopped Nathaniel with his jacket off and the shirt halfway unbuttoned. He looked at me.
‘Let me change into my other work clothes, before you strip down.’
‘Why?’ he asked.
‘Because if you’re naked at the same time that I’m out of that much of my clothes I may get distracted.’
His smile broadened, and he wrapped his arms around me, drawing me in against his body. We were mostly hidden by the car and Nicky and Ares, but … ‘Not a good idea to get all romantic on the job, honey.’
‘I know, but I love that you can admit how much my body moves you now. You fought so long to not want me.’
I shook my head. ‘I wanted you; I just wouldn’t let myself admit it out loud even in my own head.’
‘Then kiss me now, before we get nude, and maybe you’ll be able to resist my charms.’
I laughed, and then he kissed me, and there was no more laughing. I changed clothes and once I was securely in jeans, combat/hiking boots and T-shirt, it was time for me to put on