Pride Before the Fall Read Online Free Page A

delectable kitten realized it was him, she would bolt. Or kill him.
    When she opened her mouth to sing, he about came undone. The words spoke of sex and passion deep in the night. Only Vivian could turn him on like this. No other woman had registered in his mind the way she did. No other woman had intrigued his wolf. Pretty women were a dime a dozen, especially among shifters. But to him, Vivian was so much more than beautiful. He never imagined a woman so perfectly made. And here she was not three feet away from him looking naughty and sexy and provocative.
    Then he thought about the fact that she had done this in front of other men.
    He couldn't stand it any longer. This was too much. The wolf couldn't take it. "Stop," he ordered, lowering his voice. Vivian's eyes flew open and she took in a deep breath. He knew all she could smell was the candles. It didn't take him long after Bristow left him sitting in the room for him to lose all other smells. He figured it out.
    "Something wrong?" she said, her voice like silk against him.
    "Can I get more?" Kasey probed, wanting to know just how far his kitten would go to make a buck. "Money is no object."
    "Sorry, babe, all I do is dance." She paused, trying to focus on him. The odd lighting made both of their night vision useless. "Do I know you?"
    "Not nearly as well as I now know you."

CHAPTER FIVE

    Shit! Vivian quickly gathered the robe off the floor and covered herself. She flipped on the light. "What are you doing here?" she whispered, her face heated up and every breath was labored.
    "I had a tip that cats were turning tricks in my territory. I came to check it out."
    "Jake," Vivian guessed.
    Kasey nodded. He would have stood up, but at the moment that wasn't a good idea. "Are you doing more than dancing, Vivian?"
    "No."
    "Is Amilynn?"
    "No." She couldn't look at him.
    "Vivian?" He walked over to her, erection or not. He wanted the truth. Using two fingers he tilted her chin up and looked her in the eyes. "Is Amilynn selling sex in my territory?"
    "No," she growled, her pupils narrowing a fraction as her cat reacted. "No touching below the waist or the guy gets his nuts handed to him. Topless lap dances. That's it. You really think we could stand screwing humans?"
    "It doesn't matter. You're done. No more of this."
    Hazel eyes morphed to yellow. "What makes you think you can tell me what to do? Besides, you seemed to like it." Vivian reached out and grabbed the hard evidence in his pants.
    Kasey growled as his eyes nearly rolled back in his head. "You're playing with fire."
    "Actually, I'm playing with your hard—" she stopped, tilted her head in a feline manner, sniffed.
    Kasey knew the minute she leaned in and inhaled that he was in trouble. All this time he'd hoped the candles would cover the scent his wolf gave off when it found his mate, but not in close proximity.
    "You sonofabitch!" She let go and backed away like she'd been burned. Long teeth exposed, Vivian hissed. "Get the hell away from me!" Her voice was gruff with the emerging of her cat.
    Tyrone came through the door upon hearing her yell. Vivian was behind him and guarded before she could register that he was in the room. "What the fuck?" He looked at Kasey, then Vivian, and back to Kasey. He wasn't an idiot, and the scent Kasey was giving off was much stronger than the candles. "V?"
    "I'm fine. We need a moment."
    Tyrone nodded. He might have shut the door, but he remained on the other side.
    When they were alone, Vivian was all business. She'd put the robe on and her cat was fully in her eyes. "I am not the mating kind, Kasey. So get the idea out of your head. I'm not like Melissa. There will never be one man for me. And it sure as hell won't be you. Just leave, okay? Take your money and go."
    Kasey touched her cheek. "Keep it," he whispered in her ear. "You're well worth twelve hundred. I would pay much more to see you again if that's the only way I can get you."
    Vivian's face showed her confusion.