touch had eased his stress and calmed his beast, leaving him more relaxed than he’d been for years.
Any female could have accomplished that . He sipped the cognac, savoring the hints of leather and dry fruit. She wasn’t special .
Mate , his inner lion purred, undulating inside of him, his animal sexually sated.
He’s confused . Royce rejected his lion’s claim. A mate would expect to be wooed and seduced -- activities he hadn’t the time or energy for. Starr merely gave us what we needed; what we’ve craved for months, years, forever .
And it was glorious . He smiled.
“He’s smiling,” Dirk announced, the second eldest Leone male lounging in the chair beside him, his long legs stretched out before him, his black shoes scuffed.
“He is smiling.” Tanner, the youngest, leaned against the bookshelf, holding a glass of cognac as though it were a mug of beer, having no respect for the aged liquor. “He’s been smiling all morning. What the hell happened last night, bro?”
“You should know.” Royce slid his gaze to the young male, his smile fading.
“How would I know?” Tanner’s constantly moving mouth dropped open, and his eyes widened. “You hired her.” He hooted, slapping his thigh, spilling his cognac. “I knew she’d be perfect for you. You’re both workaholics.”
“Who are you talking about?” Dirk demanded.
“Starr, the woman from the sausage place.” Tanner grinned his foolish grin, his face unblemished, the young lion having never fought for anything in his life.
Royce tilted his hand back and forth, creating waves of cognac in his glass, his role as pride alpha requiring him to be stern. “My present for a birthday I distinctly said I didn’t wish to have acknowledged.”
“Right.” His youngest brother laughed. Royce leveled a hard glance on him, the safety of the pride depending upon all members following his orders, and Tanner’s laughter stopped. “Come on, big bro. You may be a workaholic but even you can’t claim an assistant as a birthday present.”
“Stop with the assistant story.” Royce set his cognac down on the table, glass clinking against wood, his brother’s continued lies disturbing him. “I know who she is.”
Tanner’s forehead creased with lines. “Is this about her being a waitress? She went to school for business administration and she… I don’t know… when she waited on us, she was so…” He scrunched up his nose, acting and sounding too damn sincere for Royce’s comfort. “Motherly, as though she truly cared for us. I liked that. I thought you might too.”
Motherly ? Royce stared at his youngest brother, the sexy woman he had spent the night with as far from motherly as any female could be. Does Tanner seriously believe I don’t know about her being a prostitute ? “Her name is Starr,” he pointed out dryly.
“Yeah.” Tanner grimaced. “I asked her about that. Her late mother had a thing for Belle Starr, some badass Wild West cowgirl. Starr likes to joke about it being her stripper name. I don’t think clients will care once they get to know her and hell, we’re in advertising. If you want to hire her, we’ll figure out some way to frame it, making it a plus, rather than a negative.”
She’s not a prostitute . Royce gazed at the fire, unsure whether to be horrified or relieved, having used her body last night for his own selfish sexual gratification. It doesn’t matter. I still don’t have time for a relationship .
Mate , his lion rumbled, aggravated by his statement.
“You’re hiring the waitress from the sausage place as your assistant?” Dirk raised his eyebrows. “Can she get us a discount on bratwurst?”
“Ohhh… their bratwurst is the best, bro.” Tanner rubbed his stomach. “I ate over a dozen the last time I was there. I slept the entire afternoon.”
“You always sleep the entire afternoon. I --”
I don’t have time for this . “I’m not hiring Starr.” Royce interrupted their banter,
Any female could have accomplished that . He sipped the cognac, savoring the hints of leather and dry fruit. She wasn’t special .
Mate , his inner lion purred, undulating inside of him, his animal sexually sated.
He’s confused . Royce rejected his lion’s claim. A mate would expect to be wooed and seduced -- activities he hadn’t the time or energy for. Starr merely gave us what we needed; what we’ve craved for months, years, forever .
And it was glorious . He smiled.
“He’s smiling,” Dirk announced, the second eldest Leone male lounging in the chair beside him, his long legs stretched out before him, his black shoes scuffed.
“He is smiling.” Tanner, the youngest, leaned against the bookshelf, holding a glass of cognac as though it were a mug of beer, having no respect for the aged liquor. “He’s been smiling all morning. What the hell happened last night, bro?”
“You should know.” Royce slid his gaze to the young male, his smile fading.
“How would I know?” Tanner’s constantly moving mouth dropped open, and his eyes widened. “You hired her.” He hooted, slapping his thigh, spilling his cognac. “I knew she’d be perfect for you. You’re both workaholics.”
“Who are you talking about?” Dirk demanded.
“Starr, the woman from the sausage place.” Tanner grinned his foolish grin, his face unblemished, the young lion having never fought for anything in his life.
Royce tilted his hand back and forth, creating waves of cognac in his glass, his role as pride alpha requiring him to be stern. “My present for a birthday I distinctly said I didn’t wish to have acknowledged.”
“Right.” His youngest brother laughed. Royce leveled a hard glance on him, the safety of the pride depending upon all members following his orders, and Tanner’s laughter stopped. “Come on, big bro. You may be a workaholic but even you can’t claim an assistant as a birthday present.”
“Stop with the assistant story.” Royce set his cognac down on the table, glass clinking against wood, his brother’s continued lies disturbing him. “I know who she is.”
Tanner’s forehead creased with lines. “Is this about her being a waitress? She went to school for business administration and she… I don’t know… when she waited on us, she was so…” He scrunched up his nose, acting and sounding too damn sincere for Royce’s comfort. “Motherly, as though she truly cared for us. I liked that. I thought you might too.”
Motherly ? Royce stared at his youngest brother, the sexy woman he had spent the night with as far from motherly as any female could be. Does Tanner seriously believe I don’t know about her being a prostitute ? “Her name is Starr,” he pointed out dryly.
“Yeah.” Tanner grimaced. “I asked her about that. Her late mother had a thing for Belle Starr, some badass Wild West cowgirl. Starr likes to joke about it being her stripper name. I don’t think clients will care once they get to know her and hell, we’re in advertising. If you want to hire her, we’ll figure out some way to frame it, making it a plus, rather than a negative.”
She’s not a prostitute . Royce gazed at the fire, unsure whether to be horrified or relieved, having used her body last night for his own selfish sexual gratification. It doesn’t matter. I still don’t have time for a relationship .
Mate , his lion rumbled, aggravated by his statement.
“You’re hiring the waitress from the sausage place as your assistant?” Dirk raised his eyebrows. “Can she get us a discount on bratwurst?”
“Ohhh… their bratwurst is the best, bro.” Tanner rubbed his stomach. “I ate over a dozen the last time I was there. I slept the entire afternoon.”
“You always sleep the entire afternoon. I --”
I don’t have time for this . “I’m not hiring Starr.” Royce interrupted their banter,
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