Rain's Three Leopards [Leopards of Leopold 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read online

  Shit. Didn’t help he saw his brothers’ cats doing the same. Everyone in the pard knew the Cantrell brothers shared their women. Hell. Back when they were nothing but road vagrants, before they settled down and made Leopold City their permanent home, every unmated shifter female in vicinity they come across knew Ed and his brothers didn’t do commitments. None of their leopards had reacted this way to another female leopard the way they reacted to Rain, though.

  “Oh, yeah. She made that abundantly clear,” Tom muttered. Being the second oldest, Tom was probably the closest to Ed. He ran a frustrated hand across his hair. “What was I thinking, suggesting we hit Topless Lucy tonight, when we can have our pick of single females in the damn pard after the weekly meeting?”

  Jake stopped pacing to clasp Tom’s shoulder. He’d always been the peacemaker of the three of them. The one who called time-out when Ed and Tom wanted to wring each other’s necks.

  “Not your fault, man. None of us knew Rain worked here. Hell. If you think about it, she’s always been vague when anyone asks her what sort of job she worked at night.”

  Ed thought on that, and he bristled when he realized it was true.

  “Never mind this.” Jake embarrassingly gestured to his tight jeans, unable to admit the words out loud. Ed saw his brother’s cat let out a lazy growl, eyes searching and waiting for Rain’s wolf to arrive. “What are we going to tell Lars, Cas, and Des?”

  “I’m not too worried about Cas. She used to be a dancer, too, and Des can’t stay mad for long,” Tom mused. “But Lars? He’ll fucking explode.”

  “More likely beat us to a pulp. He reacted the same way when Noah and Mason courted his sister, but Rain’s different from Lex. Lars practically sees Rain as his daughter,” Ed said.

  “More importantly, what are we going to do about the werewolf that scared the shit out of Rain? I’ve never seen her react like that to anyone.”

  “Haven’t seen the wolf around, but there’s a lingering scent of the local wolf pack about him, so maybe he’s a new member?” Tom mused. “Need to do some digging around. See what else I can find out.”

  “Either way, I don’t think Rain’s going to appreciate us interfering with her personal life, not openly at least,” Jake added. “She’ll talk when she’s ready, but we’ll stick close. Make sure she’s safe.

  All three of their heads whipped to the sound of the backdoor of the club swinging open like guilty school children caught planning mischief.

  Ed’s cheek twitched. Rain’s scent hit him like a sudden sledgehammer. Unbearably sweet mixed with the slight musky scent of her wolf. Thank God, she had some sense to cover up after work, but even in a pair of tight jeans, sneakers, and jacket over a plain shirt, Ed had started undressing her in his mind.

  Never one for being gentle, he’d rip apart fabric until he could lay his eyes on her smooth, gorgeous curves. Fuck, and those perfect tits of hers and that rounded ass just begging for a smack. If rumors from the other young cats in the pard true, Rain liked it a little rough herself. Jesus, did that make him a sick bastard?

  “Ed,” Jake hissed in a low warning voice beside him. “Control yourself.”

  “I know.”

  Rain had another woman, mortal by the smell of her, by her side. She gave him Ed a scathing glance. Pissed and a little annoyed, Ed didn’t know he’d crossed the inconceivable distance between them. His hand closed over Rain’s bare wrist. Huge mistake. Her pulse leaped excitedly against his hand, sending a jolt of electricity through him. Ed could hear her heart slightly speeding up. Her wolf, not the least bit frightened, peered back at his leopard with unconcealed interest.

  “We need to talk, Rain,” Tom thankfully interrupted, before Ed said anything rash.

  “These gentlemen friends of yours, Rain? One of your adoptive uncles?” The human female asked curiously.

  Ed got to hand it to the other woman. She had guts, where most humans kept a distance from shifters despite the fact the supernatural community and normal folk have been co-existing together for a while now.

  He really didn’t want to scare off a woman, who looked like Rain’s friend, but he couldn’t help but lean in close, bare his teeth and say, “we aren’t her uncles, babe. Far from it.”

  This time, the woman looked spooked. She backed away a few steps uncertainly.

  “Jesus, Ed. This a new hobby of yours, scaring random humans off?” Rain tried to peel his fingers off her wrist, but Ed refused to let go.

  “Like Tom said, you aren’t going anywhere until we’ve settle this mess out, princess. Unless you want Lars to hear you’ve been lying to his face about what you’ve been doing at night?” Ed knew he hit the mark when her tough persona cracked a little at the mention of her adoptive father.

  “Fuck.”

  “Yeah, princess. All of us are fucked,” Tom muttered. “How ‘bout this, we drive your friend back home, and we four have a good old talk like we used to?”

  Rain looked glumly at Ed, then to Tom and Jake, finally sighing. “Fine. We’ll do this your way, but make it quick. Still need to finish up a paper later.”

  “That’s our girl.”

  Jake threw him a warning look. Ed didn’t know what possessed him to say those words. Maybe some part of him wanted to bait Rain, see how their firecracker would react.

  “I’m not yours, or anyone’s girl,” Rain automatically said, jabbing a finger into his inked collarbone. “What the hell was it you said, that I’m all grown up now? I’m twenty-one. Can’t you treat me like a bloody adult for once?”

  The mere contact of flesh made his leopard growl, made Rain’s wolf snarl in answer. Not angry though. Heat emanated from their bodies, and Ed saw Rain again on stage in his mind’s eye. Didn’t know it had been Rain at first. Just saw a sexy woman with fucking tempting curves and a bold and fiery attitude to match.

  She let out a breath when Ed caught her fingers and thoughtfully thumbed the smooth silken skin.

  “Language, princess. Besides, won’t be long before someone claims you, slaps a collar on you, and make your their girl,” Ed drawled, and paused dramatically to let the implication sink in. Tom muttered a curse under his breath, but Ed ignored him and continued, “If you want us to treat you like an adult, then shouldn’t you be acting like one?”

  Her lips dangerously curved to a smile in response. Without warning, she gripped his fingers and Ed was too stunned to stop her from sliding them to her half-opened lips. Warm moisture caressed his skin and she sucked, all the while watching him, and, fuck, Ed couldn’t cancel the image of Rain wrapping those lips around his cock.

  Rain on all fours, while he taught her mouth a lesson and Tom pounded at her from behind. His mind went on overdrive, going over various configurations and positions.

  Not stopping, Rain pushed his fingers in deeper, taunting him maybe, showing him how much of an adult she’d become without any of them knowing. Three glaring words flashed in Ed’s head over and over again like a neon sign. No gag reflex.

  “Goddamn it, princess. Just what are you trying to prove?” Jake asked hoarsely.

  Finally, one of them finally found his voice, because Ed was about to lose his mind and all the self-control he prided himself on having.

  Rain withdrew her mouth, licked her lips, and tilted her head at Jake. “Maybe Ed’s right. Maybe it’s about time someone leash me up before I run off with someone else.”

  “Is that a challenge?” Tom demanded. “Dangerous game you’re playing, sweetheart. A game where you might end up getting burned.”

  “I’m not afraid of fire,” Rain threw back, her usual dark blue eyes shifting to wolf-like amber.

  “We’ll see.”

  Ed warily noticed how his brother’s voice had gone thick, his eyes dark and heavy with desire. He didn’t need to look at himself at a mirror and see his own eyes reflected Tom’s, and even Jake’s. They were the same blood, after all. Should’ve been born triplets, Tom liked to say.

  Someone cleared her throat
. Rain’s friend. Ed nearly forgot about her.

  “Let’s go,” Ed growled, keeping his gaze on Rain. “We aren’t done talking.”

  Chapter Three

  The drive turned out to be a silent one. Awkward. The tension so thick Tom could slice through it with a knife. Hell. He was relieved to be at the wheel, so he could occasionally catch glimpses of Rain riding shotgun beside him, constantly looking out the window. Tom would gladly pay a few pennies to know what the hell went on in her pretty little head.

  How was it possible, he’d only noticed how beautiful and desirable Rain had become, when she started strutting her half-naked body on stage in a pair of ridiculously high heels?

  He was glad when Rain’s friend, Lindsay, got off at her stop. Lindsay tapped at the glass and Rain lowered it down. Tom, Jake, and Ed could hear the words she whispered.

  “Take care of yourself, babe. Call me.” Lindsay sounded worried, but that didn’t stop her from shooting a glare at Tom or at Ed and Jake in the passenger seat.

  “Don’t worry. These guys babysat me,” Rain told her, although Tom wasn’t sure why the word she used, ‘babysat’, didn’t sit all that well with him.

  “Yeah? In case you hadn’t notice, they don’t look at you like a kid they used to baby-sit. More like something edible.” Lindsay sighed. “Just take care all right? Remember how Bran turned out?”

  At the sound of the name, Rain shuddered and Tom frowned. “These guys are nothing like that bastard.”

  The blind confidence and ferocity in her words tugged at Tom’s heartstrings. Did Rain truly know what kind of men he and his brothers were? They did their share of hurting and violence for the sake of the pard. Did what needed doing and that didn’t make them the best of men.

  “Good then.” Lindsay nodded, satisfied, and began walking to her apartment.

  The wisest thing the three of them should do was back away from Rain. Leave her to live her own life and make her own decisions. Do the right thing, but Tom couldn’t just back off now. He also had a feeling leaving Rain to her devices had been the last thing on his brothers’ minds.

  Rain’s sudden vulnerability at the mention of this guy’s name, combined with the newfound awareness she might be the potential mate they’d been searching for all their lives, changed things. Maybe for the worse, or for the better, either way, they were sticking with her until they found out which.

  “Got guts that one,” Tom remarked with approval at Lindsay’s retreating back. He started the car again, and asked in a casual tone, “So who’s Bran?”

  “It’s hard not to dislike Lindsay,” Rain agreed, finally shifting her gaze from the window to Tom.

  “And who I see, saw,” she corrected at the last minute, “is none of your business.”

  “Thought you said you weren’t anyone’s girl,” Jake asked. “So Bran’s what? An ex?”

  Tom heard the unasked question in Jake’s voice. Is he the dangerous werewolf stalking you at the club? Why the fuck are you so frightened of him? Just say the word and we’d take care of him for you.

  Rain snorted, and tried to play off and sound unaffected despite the fact Tom sensed the notable spike in her emotions coming from her ruffled wolf. “He’s no one important. Just some asshole I met at the club.”

  “Doesn’t sound like you’re over him,” Jake commented.

  From the rearview mirror, Tom glimpsed his brother rolling down the windows to let out the smoke from his newly lighted cigarette stick. He grunted at the sight. After going cold turkey for almost two years, Ed felt like he was suddenly in need of a smoke?

  Hell. Tom needed one, too, a smoke or several shots of hard liquor.

  “Why do you care?” Rain asked, her tone defensive. “You’ve never bothered about what I did before.”

  “News flash, princess. From now on, you’ve just made yourself our business,” Ed said.

  Tom glimpsed him throwing out his smoke through the window. Hell, why did Ed look like he had probably made some sort of decision without consulting Jake or him?

  She crossed her arms over her breasts, and abruptly changed the topic. “Where are we going?”

  “To our apartment,” Tom answered, trying to keep his eyes on the road. Sitting this close to Rain, he could drown in her scent, see her wolf watching his cat intently, thumping her tail like an impatient feline.

  “If I remember correctly, busses run late in your area right?” Rain jerked to the limits of her seat belt and Tom’s gaze shifted to see Ed leaning in close to her seat.

  “You aren’t going to be taking the goddamn bus, or a cab. It’s late. You can bunk in with us.” Tom recognized his brother’s tone. Ed’s authoritative and firm voice had a little tag attached to it that said, ‘challenge me or else’.

  Rain, unfortunately, chose to ignore that tag. “Like hell I will. Don’t think you can order me around.”

  “You’re going to use that ‘I’m an adult’ bit again? Because it’s getting pretty old, sweetheart,” Ed said against her ear. “Know what I think? I think you’re the kind of woman who says one thing, but does another. You like orders, when it comes from the right mouth. What you need is a firm and guiding hand.”

  Ed had hit a mark. She didn’t wrench away this time, but Tom saw the shudder that passed through her body.

  “And what, you and your brothers think you’re the right one to give me that?” White-hot defiance sparked in her eyes, a clear challenge.

  “We don’t think, princess. We do.”

  Ed licked the side of her neck, tonguing the fragile unmarked skin. Tom’s jeans, if possible, felt even tighter. His want hit him twice as hard. Like his brother, he wanted to taste, to close his mouth over the salt of Rain’s skin. God. He knew she’d taste so unbearably sweet. Tom nearly lost control of the wheel. He settled for stopping by the nearby curb to calm his nerves.

  “Here’s how it works. We see what we want and take what we want.”

  “Jesus, Ed. Don’t fucking scare her right off the bat,” Jake interjected.

  “It’s okay, Jake. I know exactly how you three work,” Rain said softly, her tone adding another layer of confusion.

  Just what the hell did Rain mean, she knew? Fuck. What had Rain seen? Three bastards who didn’t give a fuck? Who moved on from conquest to conquest, without intentions of settling down?

  Tom and his brothers never had a serious long-term commitment with any other woman until they did the impossible. Find a mate who would suit all three of them. Who knew, she might have just been right there, in front of them, all along?

  “Two things the Cantrell brothers are good at. Breaking bones and breaking hearts. Am I wrong?” No bitterness or anger in Rain’s tone. She sounded like she simply stated a fact.

  Ed halted abruptly. Immediate denial hovered on the tip of Tom’s tongue, but if they wanted this to go to the right direction, they had to start right. With complete honesty, even though that would leave them exposed and vulnerable. Hell. Tom was willing to take the risk and the chance.

  He and his brothers had spent too many miserable mornings with the damning realization that one wild evening of casual sex would only leave them unfulfilled and unsatisfied. What they needed was a woman to dote on, to take turns giving their affection, and complete the missing hole in their hearts.

  “You’re completely right, but that’s only because we haven’t found the right woman.”

  “Right. You guys say that to every woman you meet?”

  Ed frowned.

  Tom breathed hard and met her gaze. “Only to you as far as we know.”

  “Prove it then,” she said, her tone playful and teasing.

  “Glad to,” Ed said, eyes gleaming. “No taking back what you freely offered.”

  “Do you know what you’re asking for?” Jake asked quietly. “We aren’t kidding around and this isn’t a game.”

  “It is a game, just one played by adults.” Rain shrugged. “I’m up for it, if you are.”

  “Fuck, Ra
in,” Tom said, finally losing his temper. “This a joke to you? Because it isn’t to the three of us.”

  Just like that, Rain’s expression faltered, hovering between uncertainty and fear, excitement and something else. Hope. God. Was Tom imagining things, or was the attraction not only one-sided?

  One look was enough to tell him Rain was the kind of woman who usually gave everything without reserve. Complete surrender. That made everything a thousand times worse, because it meant she’d open herself up to hurt more easily.

  Tom remembered her words. That she wasn’t afraid of being burned, but she’d been burned before. He was certain of that. As if she realized she just revealed too much, Rain’s expression, all her shields and barriers closed up again, forming a hard and unreadable mask. The disgust there, that he’d think so little of her, shamed Tom on several levels.

  “I’m not joking. Are we going to waste any more time talking?”

  Underneath her coyness, Tom sensed something else. He no longer saw Rain as a kid, but he also didn’t just see someone trying to play at being grown up. Her wolf looked back at his cat, calculating and watchful. There was a patience there that would’ve sat better with an experienced woman than a girl half his age.

  “We’re done talking,” Tom agreed, starting the car back again. Only two roads opened up to them now. Either uphill or downhill, but if they didn’t take their chances now, they might end up regretting not seeing where this road could lead.

  Chapter Four

  “Since you’ve seen our apartment far too many times to count, we’ll spare you the grand tour, princess,” Ed said once Jake locked the front door. The locking mechanism clicking into place sounded like the finality of a decision being cemented.

  His brother ignored the frown Jake gave him. The last thing anyone needed was the reminder Rain knew the place inside out. Had spent afternoons and evenings by the kitchen counter or the dining table, hunched over her schoolwork while one of them hovered around the apartment.