Prince of Cats - Tasha Black Page 0,1

reflection disappeared into the dark hallway behind her.

She spun around and craned her neck, trying to get a better view down the real hallway.

But there was no trace of it.

“You okay?” Allie asked.

“Yeah, I’ve got to go the bathroom,” Piper said distractedly.

“Sure,” Allie said. “Bring me a drink when you come back?”

“Sure,” Piper agreed.

She moved through the other dancers, barely avoiding the hips and elbows circling wildly in time with the music, until she reached the hall and broke away from the crowd.

Compared with the ballroom, it was almost unnaturally quiet in the corridor. The thick old walls must be great at blocking sound. She’d only gone halfway down, but the party already sounded far away.

A whisper of movement near the back of the hall got her attention, and she jogged a little to catch up.

It was definitely some kind of animal. She could just make out the soft fur sliding over sinuous muscle in the soft light.

It had a feline kind of movement, but was far too big to be a house cat. She knew that it wasn’t a great idea to go chasing after some kind of wild animal, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. It was like the thing was calling to her, even though that didn’t make any sense.

The creature turned a corner and Piper dashed after it.

But when she stepped into the adjoining corridor, she came up short.

There was no sign of the cat.

Only a man, leaning against the wall, gazing at her intently, almost as if he’d been expecting her.

He was tall and lean, his muscular frame evident under leather breeches and a silky white shirt. One black leather boot rested on the floor, the other was braced against the wall. On anyone else, the outfit might have seemed odd or out of place, but it suited him perfectly.

“Hello, my love,” the stranger said in a lazy, honeyed timbre.

Something about his voice tickled her insides. Piper found herself unable to reply.

He chuckled, and the flash of his smile made her forget to breathe for a moment.

“I saw you in the mirror,” he said simply. “Walk with me.”

She’d never met this man before. She had no idea who he was, or what he wanted. But when he took her hand, she found she had no desire to shake it off. Instead, a rush of warm fuzzy tingles washed over her.

Piper gasped.

She had done her share of dating. But she had never felt that zing they talked about in the romance novels she binged on. She had never felt like she was losing herself over someone.

She’d been into guys before, but this feeling was something altogether different. It made anything she’d thought of as attraction feel like listening to music through a passing car window, compared to sitting front row for the live orchestra.

“Don’t be frightened,” the man murmured. “Come with me.”

But she wasn’t frightened. Even though her mind told her maybe she should be.

Piper had spent her whole life making measured choices, being disciplined and practical.

But in an instant, this man had made her feel she would be willing to try anything. She would let him buy her a drink, go drag racing, maybe even jump off a cliff if he told her it would be okay. Anything that would make this heat in her blood and lightness in her heart continue for one more second.

She was addicted, she knew that much, and he hadn’t even told her his name.

2

Piper

Piper allowed herself to be coaxed up the curving staircase.

“I am Killian,” the man murmured, as if he had read her mind. “I’m going to show you pleasure you cannot imagine.”

His words seemed to shimmer in the air before entering her ears. Was he even speaking out loud?

She wasn’t sure. She didn’t care.

They walked on, passing room after room.

At last he threw open a thick walnut door at the end of the upstairs hallway.

Moonlight from the big windows illuminated a canopied bed.

There was nothing else in the room.

He drew her to the window, and she gazed out over the circular driveway and the woods beyond as he held her from behind, looking over her shoulder.

“So beautiful,” he murmured, that confident voice filled with wonder.

She thought he was talking about the view, but he pulled her hair away from her neck and lowered his face to nuzzle the tender flesh, sending a shiver down her spine.

“Mine,” he growled, his voice half-strangled.

She felt him tugging at her clothing and she helped him, turning lifting her arms, allowing