She moved with him, catching the rhythm with ease and settling Into his larger, harder body. He turned them, his thigh thrusting higher until she almost rode the heavily muscled limb. She gasped and clung to him, forced to trust his greater strength as he dipped her back. Her hair cascaded over his big hand holding the nape of her neck and she shivered as she felt his lips graze the front of her throat.
The Lathar didn’t have any women, so where had he learned to dance like this? Jealousy hit her hard and fast at the thought of him holding another woman like this, and her nails bit into the leather over his solid upper arms.
A small smile played on his lips as he pulled her upright, spinning her until her back was tight against his chest. Then he started the dirty dancing all over again, his groin against her ass. She couldn’t help the whimper that escaped her at the feel of his thick, hard cock against her.
“Well hello, buttercup. What’s Landon’s goody two-shoes ex doing in a place like this?” a mocking voice broke through and she gasped as she remembered she’d only started the dancing to get the alien away from Phillip and his little gang of friends.
She stopped dancing, as did the alien, facing Phillip in front of them. The dance floor had partially cleared, the general crowd recognizing the aura of danger that hung around the group. They were well-known in the clubs and bars in this area and nobody wanted to cross them.
She didn’t bother flicking a glance toward club security. Despite the fact she was a regular here, none of them would get involved, not against Phillip and his buddies. Nothing had ever been proven but accidents tended to happen to people who crossed them, and all the bouncers had families they needed to protect.
“Phillip,” she said, inclining her head in acknowledgment. “I’m surprised you’re out this early. I thought you lot needed to wait till after midnight or something.”
He chuckled, a flash of white teeth highlighted by the multicolored lights of the dance floor. Tall and dark haired, he would have been handsome if not for the permanent sneer across his face. She had no idea what his issue was, but something somewhere had twisted him into a right bastard. Looking at him sent a chill across her skin.
“We thought we’d slum it on this side of town tonight. Good job we did. Looks like you’re into showing guys a good time.” He leered as he looked her up and down. “I could use a good time myself…”
The alien behind her stiffened, and she put a hand on him in warning. She knew the Lathar were dangerous, but Phillip had at least ten of his cronies with him, and she knew without a shadow of a doubt they wouldn’t play fair. No way could he take them all on. And the last thing she wanted to explain to anyone was how one of their alien guests had ended up badly injured in a downtown bar.
“Sorry. You’re really not my type,” she said with a sweet smile.
His gaze flicked to the guy behind her. “If I’d known you’re into leather, I’d have bought you some bondage gear.”
“Thanks… but no thanks.” Turning, she tried to push the hot alien back across the dance floor. They needed to leave. Now. Before the situation got ugly… well, uglier than it already was.
But he wouldn’t move and continued glaring at Phillip.
“Zeke,” she said loudly. “We’re going. Now.”
Her hands on his broad chest brought his attention down to her and she shivered at the look in his eyes. Surrounded by his own people, he’d seemed the least dangerous, but now she was forced to revise her opinion.
A shiver rolled down her spine. Nothing human looked back at her from those eyes. Because the Lathar looked so human, it was easy to think they were. But now she found herself in the sights of a predator.
“That’s it, Zeke-y boy. Do what your momma tells you,” Phillip jeered.
The alien didn’t argue with the fake name she’d given him. He just smirked and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I can kill him right now, if you like.”
His voice was a low rumble, the rough timbres stroking something deep within and making everything feminine in her sit up and take notice. Beg even. For a moment all she could think about was pressing closer and pleading with him to kiss her properly.
Then what he’d said registered in the scrambled chaos of her brain. A small squeak escaped her. Having an alien kill even an asshole like Phillip would raise too many questions. She had to get him out of here. Now.
Shoving harder at his chest, she forced him off the dance floor ahead of her. “No, no killing. We’re leaving. Now.”
6
His little female was just as beautiful up close.
Cade allowed her to herd him out of the entertainment venue, mostly because he enjoyed the feeling of her small hands on him. Each touch sent tingles across his skin. Her hands were so soft, tiny and delicate… It was hard for him to keep focus on what was going on around them when all he wanted to do was study her.
Which was why the male interrupting their courtship dance had sent fury so deep and complete through him that he’d instantly wanted to smear the male’s blood all over the floor and walls of the dimly lit, smoky room. Only the scent of dismay and worry rising from his mate had stayed his hand. That and the fact he’d only just met her. The last thing he wanted was to reveal the monster within and have her running from him before he’d managed to bond her.
Fortunately it seemed the human was only interested in exchanging words, rather than stepping up like a real male and putting his body and blood on the line.
Cade dismissed him as a threat after a few exchanges. It seemed his limit was intimidating smaller females, so Cade had let his female extricate them from the situation. He only paused for a moment to take a good lungful of the draanthic’s scent. Now it was memorized and locked into his brain, so he’d be able to find the male wherever he went.
The cold air hit him in a refreshing blast and he took a deep breath to clear his lungs. It took him three breaths to expel the toxic smog from inside the venue out of his lungs.
The air out here wasn’t much better, but at least it was cooler and he didn’t have to deal with the fetid artificial stink of human bodies piled in together or the scent of their lust as it rode on their skin. Not that it bothered him. Normally, back home, it was just a hint that he should make himself scarce… There weren’t many pairings in the village, so everybody tried to be courteous to the ones they had.
But here, surrounded by so much lust and desire, and with his own mate standing in front of him, it affected him on a far deeper level. Heat rolled through his veins as the little female turned and studied him. All his instincts clamored, demanding that he pull her close again… kiss her until she whimpered and clung to him and then bury his fangs in her throat and bond her to him with his bite.
“Shit! That was a close call,” she breathed, lifting her hands to run them through her hair. His gaze caught on the riotous cascade of raven curls for a moment and then her agitation registered.
His little female was worried. Afraid even. It was his job to reassure her…
He stepped forward, intending to slide his arm around her waist and pull her against him, but somehow he missed. She wasn’t where he expected her to be, sidestepping neatly away from him.
“Oh no you don’t, handsome,” she said chidingly, wagging a finger at him. “You stay over there.”