Page 32 of Last But Not Leashed

I’d underestimated the appeal of a frustrated, desperate woman wanting me. “Once I’m rich, I can get a nice house for us, and I can pay for any damages we do to the hotel room, but I need to be rich first, which means we can’t detour to a bed right now.”

“I’ll pay for it.”

“I know you can.”

“Why is it an issue?”

“Because I need to prove I can?”

“Damned lycanthrope males!”

Unable to help myself, I laughed. “You only have yourself to blame for charming my virus so thoroughly.”

“Good. But I can provide for both of us.”

“I know that, but I want to be a competent partner.”

“I have no doubts of your competency. Except in a fight.”

As I deserved that, I sighed. “That’s something.”

Unbuckling her seatbelt, Ethel crawled onto the driver’s seat before wiggling her way into the back with me. “Leash me.”

With two words, she tested my patience, dignity, and general ability to string two words together. Had I been thinking earlier, I would’ve seen the cuffs and leash as the traps they were. I’d spend the entire evening pretending I didn’t want to use Jerome’s truck to stake an intimate claim on the woman I loved.

Maybe thinking about my taxes or various brutal ways to die would get me through the evening without my scent betraying my desire. After two work-related catastrophes, my taxes would be a nightmare.

“Leash me,” she whispered in my ear. “Then you can cuff me. Securely.”

I growled. “You’re evil.”

“It’s your fault you’re so handsome. I have itches I want you to scratch, sir.”

With her talking like that, I was done. “Where’s the nearest hotel?”

Laughing, she pointed at her parents’ mansion. “All bedrooms are essentially soundproofed as my parents enjoy feeding people liquor. Drunk people get rowdy. Rowdy people often decide to sleep together, and no one here wants an audience. We’re rowdy but private.”

“There’s no way I’m surviving tonight is there?”

“They’ll ply you with booze and lock you in my bedroom the instant they learn who you are. And they’ll probably hold you hostage at gunpoint until I get what I want. You. In case you weren’t certain.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Are you sure you’re not the one who’s behind the bounty?”

“I’m going to make them pay for coming up with the idea first—after you’re safely mated to me. For now, this benefits me. I’m going to take advantage of their idiocy. I’m willing to bet my asshole uncles helped talk my father into this.”

I started with the collar, as she’d ordered; wrapping it around her throat and buckling it tested me far more than I’d anticipated. Cuffing her gave me and my virus ideas, all of them perverted. Handing her the duffel with my clothes helped remind my virus waiting was necessary.

Long enough to confirm her bedroom was soundproofed—or partially soundproofed. I could deal with partially soundproofed.

“I disapprove of this bag.”

As I could see Ethel wanting to tear into her family, even cuffed, I replied, “Swing it like a weapon.”

“Oh, I like that. You’re not going to stop me from beating my family?”

“While I’d like to get paid, I’ll accept any losses should your temper snap before they can cut me a check. Just don’t hurt yourself hurting them.”

If they hurt her, I’d join in the fray and lose miserably.