Temptation Read Free

turned to watch his progress.
    “About time.” Faran scowled and looked from the screen in front of him to Marloth and back again. “Where were you?”
    “I’d done a security circuit, and just got back.” He didn’t add, ‘as you requested, I’m duty security guy,’ though he could have done. “I was going to shower as a human when you asked me to come here.” He didn’t add, ‘and I didn’t have time.’ He reckoned the whiff of damp big cat was a giveaway.
    Faran grunted. The other occupant of the room grinned, and opened a window. Faran rolled his eyes.
    “If you can’t stand the stench after all this time, Christophe, I worry for you.”
    Christophe laughed. “I can stand it without a problem. But why, when I don’t have to? Right young man, what have you been up to?”
    Marloth bit his lip. Which indiscretion was Christophe referring to?
    “Er . . . .”
    “We seem to have several women here who’d rather be anywhere else,” Christophe said. “That’s not a good advertisement for us. I’ve got Dylan helping one; you better do your best with one of the others. Meryl wants a boat trip to a deserted atoll with a good book and a bottle of champagne. You need to drive the boat. You have an hour to get things ready.” He turned back to the security screen, his mind no longer on Marloth.
    Marloth hesitated, but it was clear neither Christophe nor Faran needed or wanted to say more.
    Faran gestured with his thumb toward the door, and bared his teeth for a brief second.
    Marloth hid his grimace, and with a courteous dip of his head, he spun on his heel and left the room. Faran and bared teeth was not a good sign. When he did that, everybody ducked. He closed the door quietly and with care. Dylan was waiting for him.
    “And?”
    “Huh?” Marloth shook his head. “Baby-sitting the one woman who’d like my balls on a platter.”
    “Serves you right. I get to take care of a woman who has no dreams or fantasies.” Dylan rolled his eyes. “Mind you, maybe I’ll catch up on my reading.” He laughed.
    Marloth grinned, with Christophe in the mood he was in, there wasn’t much hope of that.
    Dylan punched Marloth on the arm. “Stay cool, and for all our sakes, no unnecessary shifting please. I couldn’t cope with freaking out women who think they’ve seen big cats and worry what they’ve been drinking or what’s been put into the food. Not after everything else.”
    “Yeah.” Marloth walked away from Dylan and along the corridor toward the kitchen. He reckoned he’d need more than a bottle of Champagne to make Meryl happy. He didn’t have long to plan, either. There was no time to try to evade his responsibilities, which he guessed was Christophe and Faran’s intention. He’d screwed up; he would pay. It was Faran’s way of keeping him in check. He glanced at his watch, there was just time to grab anything of his own he wanted before he sweet-talked the chef.
    Condoms or no condoms? Even though there was as much chance as a snowball’s survival in hell, he shoved a handful of foil packets into his pocket. He could dream. Er, no I can’t. This is not my dream or fantasy, but Meryl’s.
    Of course, he mused as he rummaged through the giant larder fridge, after promising the chef he wouldn’t mess the contents around, maybe Faran wanted him out of the way for another reason? If he was off the island, then that was one cat less. Faran was well aware that Marloth could and would shift on a whim if he were in the right mood. And, Marloth admitted to himself, those moods were becoming ever more frequent. He had to sort himself out. Unfortunately, the one sure way of soothing the savage beast was the last thing likely to happen. I must keep my muzzle out of other tigers’ business . He grabbed the picnic basket and the cool box, and exited the kitchen. If he wanted to beat Meryl to the boat, he needed to get a move on.
    * * * * *
     
    In the end, he had a good half an hour after he’d checked