A Cougar's Claim (Charmed in Vegas Book 7) Read Online Free Page A

conflicting emotions. How in the hell could he not know what to say? Sorry I took your virginity and ran away after I’d made you think I loved you would have been a decent start.
    “Unbelievable,” she muttered, and rolled her stare up to give him her best I-hope-your-balls-shrivel-up-and-fall-off glare.
    The ding of an arriving elevator caught her attention. A tall, waifish woman with hair the color of a sunset and the multifaceted gem-like eyes of a dragon shifter sauntered toward them in four inch spike stilettos, pausing to read room number plaques. Waving, Rhiannon forced a smile at the woman. She could use a friend right now, and spotting the dragon shifter felt like a mulligan tossed her way by the Fates. The whole kiss thing made sense now. Kit must have put in a call for some professional company and grabbed her by mistake.
    “This makes way more sense than you grabbing me randomly and thinking I’d want to make out.” She really hadn’t known him at all, had she? The guy she’d fallen for wouldn’t be in Vegas partying with his irresponsible, thieving cousin, and patronizing prostitutes. No, her Kit was a hard working home body who’d loved small town life in the mountains.
    “Hey, Inila, I think this is the room you’re looking for.” Rhiannon waved to the dragon shifter. Inila had two hobbies: having sex and making money.
    “What are you talking about? I didn’t grab you randomly.” Kit frowned.
    “Don’t lie.” Rhiannon turned her back on him to hug her friend. A few more minutes and she’d never have to see his sexy jerk ass again. A good thing too, because tears were gathering in her eyes and her throat felt funny. “Hey girl, I heard a rumor you applied to get a license to fly around the Grand Canyon for sightseeing trips. Is that true?”
    “You know I’m always looking for a new market. The human FAA is giving me some grief, but I’ll find a way around them. Some promo photos with you on my back in the flame themed costume would be amazing. Don’t even think about saying no.” The dragon grinned, flashing the ever-sharp points of her canines. “We’ll hammer out a deal for upfront payment and something to take care of you on the back end as well. Where have you been? I haven’t seen you much at the club.”
    If Inila ever decided to expand her empire into loan sharking, she’d take over the entirety of Vegas inside a month. The woman had unparalleled business sense.
    “My mother got sick. I went home to check up on her,” Rhiannon cleared her throat. There’d been more to it than just checking up, but family business was best kept private. And now she had to find Jase. The dick.
    Inila bent down and kissed her on the cheek, a subtle way of marking her with a measure of protection. “You smell like this male. I thought you were done fucking shifters.”
    “I am. He grabbed me before I could get out of arm’s reach. Typical alpha-hole.”
    “Really? I thought maybe you fell with your mouth open and landed on his face.” Inila snorted in irritation.
    Well, maybe she deserved the derision. Inila had witnessed the walk of shame and the accompanying battles with ice cream too many damn times.
    “No. This was all him. Him and his grabby hands and his muscles and his freakin’ sexy ass mouth—”
    Kit smirked. “You liked it.”
    “Go away Kit.” A flush prickled over her cheeks and across her chest. She shoved against his heavy chest with both hands. Muscles tensed under her palms. Kit sucked in a deep breath and before she could snatch her hands back he trapped them beneath his.
    “No.” Turning so he obscured her view of Inila, Kit dipped his head and captured her gaze.
    She stared, transfixed, as his eyes flared with magic and his beast looked out at her. A shiver raced over and through her, and every tiny hair on her neck rose. “Hi?”
    A barely audible purr vibrated past his lips.
    A deep, grinding growl that sounded like rocks sliding against each other rolled