Fame Read online

  “You and Jagger may have stood before God and promised to love one another—and there’s no doubt in my mind that you will keep that promise to an extent—but you didn’t marry in the eyes of the law. You aren’t legally bound to him.” Lane chuckled. His laughter was deep and raspy, dry as a bone but sexy as hell. “Jagger may have been your first love, but he will not be your fulfilling love, Ariela. The love you share with Jagger will pale in comparison to the love you will have, hold, and cherish, only with me.”

  Chapter Six

  Touching her had been akin to drowning one’s sorrow in a stout shot of whisky. It soothed the pain for a moment, masked his ulterior motive, but in the end, he was still drunk — only he couldn’t blame his inebriated state on draining a liquor bottle. Besides, he’d barely taken more than a sip.

  Lane was high on Ariela’s scent, that mix of berries and vanilla along with her lioness-shifter aroma. His need for sex had driven her arousal, too. One simple caress had sent them both careening into a tailspin of emotions. Unable to dismiss his straining erection, he pushed down on the weight of his shaft and watched her.

  She’d quickly reassembled her clothing and somehow regained her composure. She still hadn’t quite mustered up the courage to come over and sit next to him.

  He moistened his lips, enjoying the way she kept her distance. She hadn’t rushed him or asked him to leave, something he’d halfway expected when he’d turned away from her in her time of need.

  Aware then of the shifter’s mating season, and how the lust could easily turn into excruciating pain, he said, “You can take a moment if it’s necessary.”

  She jerked. Lifting her chin in outright defiance, she glared at him through the mirror. A misty haze washed across those pretty blue eyes and all he saw then was pure fire. “If I need a minute, I’ll take a minute.” She grabbed a glass and filled it with ice before dousing the cubes with liquor. “I don’t need a man’s permission.” She turned the tumbler upside down and drank every drop before replenishing her glass.

  “Stop.” Lane felt the surge of the powerful beast, the rise of the carnal man. The lion, pacing within the man, raged. The other mix of breeds fought for control. His resistance weakened as he tried to tame them, and eventually won. Those animals were shadowed by the lion’s will and determination. Survival instincts were always managed by those with the strongest powers, but even his strength was challenged in Ariela’s presence.

  “Please tell me you aren’t going to preach about how alcohol is horrible for a lioness-shifter in heat.” She tilted her glass and smirked. “Been there. Heard that. I’m afraid you’ll have to try a new line.” She laughed then. “That’s l-i-n-e, not l-i-o-n.”

  Agitated, but refusing to show his discomfort, Lane took a sip of his scotch before setting his glass on the table. “We have a business deal to finish discussing, and if you’re interested in the arena, you should probably wait to toast your successes at the close of business.” He glanced around the suite, noting the French doors leading to the master suite. He could see the bedroom from there and his balls tightened. His spine tensed. What he’d give to take her there and fuck that bold rebellion right out of her well-bred sexy ass.

  “Ariela, I don’t have all day.”

  “Did I ask you to walk me to my room? No.” She took another hearty drink and set the glass aside. “I did not.” She practically sang the last part.

  “Exhibit A,” Lane said, rising to his feet and retrieving his coat. “This is why I don’t do business with women in heat, particularly women who drink.”

  “You didn’t seem to mind my company when your hand was on my tit,” she slurred.

  Taken aback by her crude reference, Lane slapped his coat against the sofa and took long strides, stomping out a few sexual frustrations as he debated how he’d handle her once he captured her. He balked at his thought. Captured, hell. She wasn’t running. She wasn’t trying to deter him. In fact, she wasn’t just easy prey, she was eager and willing.

  He came to an abrupt halt. “Now what, Ariela?”

  She laughed and reached for her glass again. He caught her slender wrist and held her arm against her side. She snarled, apparently offended when he stopped her pursuits.

  “Now you let me go.”

  Oh, those eyes. Damn her for staring at him with such determination, such resolve!

  To test her spunk, he held her still tighter. As expected, the lioness within reared its head. She tried to slap him with her free hand. He caught her other toned limb as well.

  “Let me go.”

  He leaned forward. “You flicked your tail at the wrong beast, Ariela. And you made a substantial error in judgment. See, I’m not here for just business.”

  “As if I couldn’t figure that out on my own.”

  “But,” he drawled, emphasizing the lone word. “I’m here to discuss a very important opportunity. You can quit pouting because I teased you but didn’t finish you. Then, you can march in that bedroom and take care of yourself or you can sit out here and suffer. Frankly, I don’t care either way, because it’s not my libido that’s burning. It’s not my twat that needs a tight screw, a full-throttled fuck.” He lowered his head to hers so he could look her in the eye and give her a real glimpse of the kind of rapture she could enjoy if she’d put aside all those distorted feelings and unexplainable guilt.

  She gasped as soon as he flashed a real picturesque image, one he’d delved into his mind’s eye to retrieve. They were on a round mattress, an elevated platform, and he was coming in from behind, throwing down some hard-pounding strokes. He gripped her hips as he thrust inside her ass, breaching that tight puckered circle, pulsing with excitement.

  His male heat had the best of him now. His balls were weighted down with masculine power and the tip of his cock swelled as he too, saw that image he’d painted.

  Instead of discussing what he’d shown her, he said, “My lust isn’t out of hand.” Why admit anything when all she had to do was look down and see the kind of effect she had on him? “Yours is way past the boiling point. Go handle it, Ariela, so we can discuss a few things. It’s imperative that I have your full attention because there are some things we need to talk about, matters you won’t want the others to know, particularly now when you’re beginning to come to terms with your fate, the destiny we’ll share together.”

  Ariela took a shattered breath.

  “Now I’m releasing you. If you test me, if you try me, I’ll bend you over my knee and spank you like you deserve, and then, Ariela, I’ll show you why you belong to me. And for a while, no other man will touch you after you give yourself to me, so be very careful before you play near the flames, doll. This is one inferno that has long since burned, a raging fire that the mere sight of you has long since fueled.”

  * * * *

  Fifteen minutes later, they were seated on the balcony, at a safe distance. The irritating need to breed had long since destroyed Ariela’s desired level of consciousness and she was trying to focus on the conversation, but every now and then, she’d shift her weight, stuff her foot under her Indian-style pose and rub her heel against the bud of her painfully hard clit.

  They’d discussed business, and Lane had pretended not to notice her growing discomfort. Perhaps he’d pretended, but he wasn’t a very good actor. She could see the determination in his expression, but his eyes told a sultry tale. He would handle her lust if she asked. He would take her in that bedroom and ravage her body as if he’d never taken another. Fantasies took her to the brink of submission.

  She jolted forward at the thought. Submission was exactly what the act would entail, which had become the main item on a list of reasons of why she’d kept Lane at bay.

  She reminded herself of Jagger, of the heartfelt love they shared. She considered their history, the time they’d lived together as man and wife. And she thought of Leon and Sanchez, too.

  Ariela couldn’t risk taking Lane to her bed. He’d alread
y promised the act would lead to subservient behavior, and that was pretty much how she’d translated his threat.

  No other man will touch you after you give yourself to me.

  “Prior to meeting with you and the others, I gave some thought to the name I’d like to use. We have to look at this new venture from the marketing approach right from the start. The greatest competition will be Rise to Power: Search for Pride.” He smiled. “Your show here will still be a sold out event even though you’re moving venues. Jagger will be your competition.”

  “Not Jagger,” she said, her breath catching in her chest as she once again considered why Lane might have been presenting this opportunity. He was using business to gain a personal edge. Perhaps he thought if he placed Jagger on one side of the business court and Ariela on the other, he could pit them against one another. “I will always be part of Rise to Power, Search for Pride. The show’s success, is my success, too.”

  “You’ll change your mind.” His phone buzzed, and he withdrew it and checked a text message. Thoughtfully, he responded, pausing every few seconds after he typed out one phrase and then another.

  “I won’t,” she said quietly.

  Lane splayed his legs, gripped the wrought-iron chair and leaned against the cushioned back. “I was at the show on opening night, as I mentioned to Jagger. Sanchez acted like an agitated lion. Yes, he dutifully stood by you, watching out for you as you took the limelight and stole the show, but you have to remember. He was once hailed as a glorious beast, one which made headlines and stole away with film credits.”

  “He was learning to accept his role within this particular production. He might have been happy here if you hadn’t shown up today and offered him another option.”

  “There’s a big difference between contentment and happiness, Ariela. Which would you rather Sanchez have?”

  Given Lane’s arrogance, she shouldn’t even justify his question with a response. She debated on the best way to move the conversation along before she said, “Jagger and Leon believe Sanchez still craves the spotlight. They must’ve picked up on the same disposition you noticed as well.”

  “His pursuit of fame will bring problems for the pride, Ariela. And that’s where I come in. The spotlight you have here at the Rise to Power, Search for Pride show places you in danger. No one, not even I, can tell you when you’ll land within the clutches of a powerful force, but if you remain here, it will happen. That spotlight shining on you doesn’t symbolize fame. It draws attention to you. Your enemies will use it to their advantage.”

  “I don’t have any enemies.”

  “We all have enemies, Ariela. Your opponent simply masks his face a little better than some.”

  “You believe Barlo’s brother will be back for me.”

  “He’s already arrived.”

  “That’s impossible. Leon would’ve sensed him and he would’ve mentioned something to Jagger. They would’ve told me.”

  “Jagger had no idea until I walked in his office today.”

  They locked in a knowing gaze. What he said was true. Jagger hadn’t suspected anything. In fact, since Sanchez had joined them, they’d been focused on the Rise to Power: Search for Pride production. Their days had been a whirlwind of practices, dress rehearsals, and performances. They’d often return to the desert exhausted and until the grand opening, they’d barely had time for one another.

  Ariela took a deep breath and savored a few flashes of intimate memories. It was no surprise that her breeding season had reared its inconsiderate head during their grand opening. Prior to the show’s debut and the mating that had followed, it had been weeks since they’d taken her together, weeks since any of them had touched her.

  Her nipples spiked at the recent memory and she mashed her knees together as her damp pussy demanded attention. She tried to shake off the interference but it was no use.

  She could either embarrass herself or go take care of her problem in private. Shaken by how quickly the lust rolled forward, she rose on unsteady legs. “If you’ll excuse me.”

  “I can take care of you, Ariela,” he called after her.

  She stopped at the terrace door. Refusing to face him, she let the temptation have her mind, if only for a moment. “I know you can.”

  “Let me, Ariela.”

  A light breeze carried his wild and masculine scent forward. She inhaled the rich air, marveling in its fresh odor. She’d noticed the unique scent the first time they’d met in the desert. His glorious male form had towered over her that day when she’d stumbled upon his home and made use of his swimming pool. She’d pleasured herself in front of him without realizing he’d been watching her, just as he watched her now. Only now, he wouldn’t remain in the shadows, watching. Now, he wanted to participate.

  Maybe, just maybe, she’d let him.

  Chapter Seven

  Jagger slammed his fist against the desk and rose to his feet. “I’ve waited long enough.”

  “Sit down, Jagger,” Leon said, just as agitated but refusing to tell Jagger the particulars. “We can’t change what is happening. There’s nothing you can do.”

  “What have you seen?” Jagger rushed around his desk. “Tell me.”

  Leon noticed Sanchez, then. A peculiar man, Sanchez rarely stepped up to the plate to question either of them. He seldom spoke at all, but when he lingered nearby Leon always had the feeling he was absorbing everything, taking in his surroundings and storing each bit of information in a bank of memories, so he could withdraw the data as needed.

  “I’ve been blocked,” Leon said, conceding quicker than he’d planned.

  “Then we have to go up there!” Jagger marched to the far end of the office, preparing to leave.

  “And if you go there and find them together, then what?” Sanchez spoke up this time. “We’ve already seen the future. Ariela belongs to him, just as she belongs to us. How do we stop that?”

  Jagger’s shoulders slumped. His wild eyes softened. He studied Leon as if he wanted Leon to tell him what Sanchez had said wasn’t true. There were ways to stop a fated mating, or at least methods to use in order to postpone the inevitable. Perhaps Jagger believed Leon could help in that capacity.

  He could not.

  Lane was stronger. His multi-breeds made him impossible to match.

  “I’m not ready to share her with him,” Jagger said, dragging his hand down his face. “I can’t even fathom sharing her with him.”

  “You don’t have a choice,” Leon said.

  “How did you deal with adding me to the mix?” Sanchez asked.

  “You don’t want to know.” Leon laughed. “He wasn’t exactly thrilled over the matter.”

  Jagger shrugged. “When you came into the picture, we had a lot going on. The expansion plans were already in full swing. Ariela kept us busy with her mating bout and—”

  “And if you were honest with yourself,” Sanchez interrupted him, “You would admit the real reason why you didn’t fight her association with me.”

  “What are you implying?” Jagger crossed his arms. “Are you suggesting I wanted Ariela to take another mate?”

  “Yes,” Sanchez replied, grinning. “Admit it Jagger. She’s more woman than any man can handle, but when she’s in her breeding season, two shifters can’t satisfy her. The three of us have enough trouble now when her bouts occur. As her connection with Lane grows, we won’t be able to sate that yearning. It’s the nature of that sexual beast within the lioness-shifters.”

  “He’s right,” Leon said.

  Jagger sneered. “Lane is dangerous.”

  “Yes.”

  “And that’s okay with you?” Jagger’s piercing gaze further showcased his angst. “If you know he’s dangerous, Leon, why would you allow her to go upstairs with him?”

  “Because he isn’t a threat to her,” Sanchez answered for Leon. “Just as we will protect her, Lane will keep her safe as well.”

  “He still h
asn’t explained the circle of commitment to us,” Jagger said. “The only thing we know is that as a pride we’ll become stronger, and yet he refuses to tell us how this circle is formed.”

  “I told you about my parents,” Sanchez said. “When we first discussed this several months ago, you yourself realized your parents and Ariela’s parents possibly died together because of their commitment ties. Perhaps Lane understands the dangers even more. Maybe that’s why he advised against it. Maybe he feared we’d discover how to fulfill the circle and we’d form one without him.”

  Jagger stroked his chin. “The day I went to see him, he said When her true mate comes for her, he won’t know and he won’t care if she is part of a circle of commitment. Forming that circle could get her killed and now it’s starting to make sense.”

  “He believes he’s her true mate,” Leon said.

  Jagger shook his head. “My guess is, because of his breed, whatever the hell that may be, he thinks he can better protect her.”

  “That’s well understood,” Leon said. “But what about Shoc Matheson?”

  An ear-piercing and quite evil chuckle filled the room. As if they’d summoned the devil himself, Shoc Matheson entered the office like he had a standing invitation and those there were delighted to see him.

  Leon started to stand, but Shoc tossed a bolt of light against his gut. “Please Leon, don’t get up on my account.”

  “What the—” Sanchez’s voice faded out as Shoc swept his arm in a forward motion and an invisible cage of plexi-glass fell over Sanchez’s body, trapping him on the other side.

  Shoc took a deep breath, swatted his hands together and turned to Jagger, “Now then, you and I have some business to discuss. If you want to make a physical attempt and fight me, do that now so I can put you in your place and we can move forward. If not, have a seat behind your desk and let’s talk.” He shot Leon a wicked smile. “I don’t think we’ll be interrupted. Besides, from what I hear, my mate is enjoying her last fling. When Livingston is through with her, we’ll be on our way.”