from lonely guilt to being at ease with himself for the first time in decades, all because of this woman.
Peigi made a noise in her throat. She slid her hands down his back, and his thoughts fled. Sensation took over—her fingers at his waistband, her breasts against his chest, her spectacular kiss he hoped would never end …
Wanting gauged him, the longing that woke him in the night. He’d be hard, the enraging frustration that she was just down the hall, quietly sleeping, destroying him. She’d make a soft sound, as though enjoying her dreams, her skin scented with the winter tea fragrance.
Stuart imbibed her fragrance now as he kissed her, their mouths fitting exactly as he drank her in …
“Oops.” Dimitri’s good-natured voice broke through the fire. “I’ll j-just … wait inside.”
Reid heard Dimitri’s footsteps retreat. Again, Peigi didn’t jump away, or gasp, or act ashamed. She pulled back a tad and brushed her fingers across Reid’s cheek, her eyes shining.
“I guess we’d better go,” she whispered.
Shit. Reid reluctantly released her, and Peigi turned away without awkwardness, as though they’d merely been chatting. Reid caught her hand. Peigi glanced back, inquiring.
“Later.” Reid coughed, his voice hoarse. “We’re going to talk.”
“Of course.” Her smile blossomed. “We’ll have a nice discussion.”
He couldn’t tell if she teased or was serious. Peigi surprised him with her humor but it sometimes left Reid baffled. Dokk alfar could be wild partiers, but Shifters infused everything with teasing that bewildered him.
Peigi’s fingers drifted from his and she walked into the house, her body swaying in her natural gait. When the door closed, Reid turned to the railing and leaned heavily on it, dragging in breath after breath. His cock was rock hard and not about to go down anytime soon.
“Son of a bitch,” he whispered, a growl of frustration escaping.
Wind chimes rang and the rose vines vibrated, Reid could swear in sympathy.
Peigi hadn’t packed party clothes, not that she owned any, but it didn’t seem to matter at this Shifter club. Her jeans and sweatshirt weren’t out of place, she saw as they walked in.
Most Shifters dressed casually, though a few Shifter women wore slinky dresses or skin-tight pants. The only people who truly dressed up were the groupies, in their fake ears, painted on whiskers, and clothes that bared skin. A few had tied on tails, though they had to hold them up to dance on the crowded floors.
Dimitri had driven them to New Orleans in the semi, which they’d parked several blocks away, approaching the club on foot. The four had decided, after a confab, that if Shifter Bureau or police lurked, they’d quietly go back to the house, but if not, the three Shifters would put on their fake Collars and blend in with the others.
No official-looking guys were hanging around, so on went the Collars. Other Shifters would know they were Shifter without any problem, and not having Collars would attract attention. Peigi wanted to have fun tonight, not be noticed.
A large Lupine Shifter guarded the door. “Angus, my old friend,” Dimitri called out as they approached.
Angus, who wore a scowl over wolf-gray eyes, unbent a little and greeted Dimitri with a Shifter hug, Jaycee likewise. On their way from the house, Jaycee had told Peigi and Reid the entire tale of how Angus had helped her rescue Dimitri last year.
Angus had a mate, she’d related, a fox Shifter. Peigi hadn’t known fox Shifters existed, but obviously they did, though they were extremely rare. She was there tonight, the red-haired young woman emerging from the darkness inside the door, greeting Jaycee with a warm smile and a delighted hello.
They embraced, the smaller woman nearly engulfed by Jaycee. The woman emerged without harm and hugged Dimitri, then turned an interested face to Peigi.
“Angus told me you were coming,” she said to Peigi as she led them deeper into the club, Angus returning to his door duty. “Well, Angus said maybe three words about it, which is all I had time to pry out of him. I’m Tamsin, by the way. Angus’s mate.”
She said the words proudly. Tamsin had a pointed face and tawny eyes a similar color to Jaycee’s, but those eyes held a quick dart that spoke loudly of fox. Tamsin grinned at Peigi, as though understanding her curiosity.
“We both have histories,” she said, slipping her arm through Peigi’s. “And I’d love to get to know you, and your dokk alfar friend, but first, we’re gonna dance the night away.”
She pronounced dokk