“Do you? You’re being a dick. She’s crying, man. Save your evil bullshit for someone who deserves it. Stay out of her fuckin’ head!”
Tears streaming down her face, Candace stumbled upward and yanked open the door. She fled down the stairs and to her car as fast as she could. Vyr was a monster. The Red Dragon could read minds. He could pull her memories right from her. And without her consent.
She slipped on the way to her car, almost fell, but righted herself and pulled open the door. Crying so hard, she jammed her key into the ignition with shaking hands and turned it over. Nothing. Shit! She tried again and again and again. Of course, her car would break down now when she needed a quick getaway.
Of course!
This was so perfect. The perfect comment on her life. Anytime she needed anything, actually needed something, everything fell apart even worse.
She rested her forehead against the steering wheel and wrapped her arms around her stomach. And then she just…broke down.
The door opened, and the car rocked with a great weight as someone sat in the passenger’s seat. She didn’t even care if Vyr was here to finish her off. “If you’re going to eat me, make it fast,” she said with a pathetic sniffle.
“Eating out girls isn’t as fun when they’re crying. Or so I assume,” Torren said.
Relief flooded her body, and she sagged against the wheel. Rolling her head, she angled her face to him.
“Your make-up is shot, woman. You look like a raccoon.” Torren was squished into the passenger’s seat of her tiny Volvo, and his knees were nearly up to his chest.
“Well, you look like you’re in a clown car.”
He stared at her blankly for a three-count, but then his lips curved up into a smile. He chuckled.
Which made her giggle.
His chuckle got a little louder.
And she laughed.
“God,” he muttered, running his hand through his dark hair and shaking his head at whatever he was staring at out the window.
When she followed his gaze, Nox was pelvic thrusting against the big picture window of the mansion.
Torren sighed. “Are you okay?”
“No. My life is circling the toilet, and I came to see about having sex with a man for money. And then I met the Red Dragon and he took memories from me. I feel violated.”
“Yeah, he shouldn’t have done that. He forgets sometimes.”
“Forgets what?”
Torren arched his blazing bright green gaze to hers. “He forgets to feel. He’s cold. It wasn’t always like that, but he’s complicated.”
“Um…thank you.”
“For what?”
“For making him stop. That was a huge risk you took.” She gripped the wheel and stared out at the snowflakes that had slowly started falling. The idea of how powerful all three men were was intimidating. “Because he blew a fireball. In his human form. That’s fucked up.”
“You have a filthy mouth.”
“It’s not going to change with you complaining.”
“Didn’t say I was complaining. Were you really going to sleep with me for money?”
“Maybe. I don’t know. I had a plan.”
“Tell me the plan.”
She frowned at the sexy stranger beside her. “Okay. I wasn’t just going to jump into bed with you. I was going to negotiate. I was going to make you take me out on dates. At least three so we could see if we could be friends with…you know.”
“Benefits?”
“Yeah. Um…I’m a tiger.”
“In the sack?” he asked with a hopeful tone to his voice.
“No,” she said with a giggle. “I mean I’m a tiger shifter. Not a pretty white one, though. I’m an orange one. My stripes are thin so I look solid orange from a distance other than my white points. I look like my dad. He was mostly orange, too. My mom was a white tiger, but I don’t remember her much. She left when I was three, so it was just me and my dad. I always liked looking like him and not her.” She shook her head and laughed nervously. “I don’t know why I just told you that.”
“He died?”
She bit her bottom lip and nodded. “Last year. Still feels new sometimes, though.”
“Pretty kitty. Broken kitty.”
“Not broken. You just met me during a hard chapter of my story.”
Torren smiled sadly. “Same.”
“At least you have a crew,” she said, because positivity had always been her thing. Look for the bright sides. There was always at least one.
“You’re alone?”
She nodded. “It was part of the appeal of trying to be your friend.”
“With benefits.”
“Yeah. That was just a bonus. You’re kind of hot.”
Torren looked surprised and then belted out a single laugh. Was he blushing now? She definitely was.
“I got a problem with my animal, but sex won’t fix me. Nox shouldn’t have asked you. Nothing is gonna fix me.”
“Because you’re HavoK?”
He jerked his gaze to hers. “You researched me?”
“Hell, yeah. I want to know the type of man I’m prostituting myself for.” She cracked a smile so he would know she was joking, but he only frowned deeper.
“You would hate being friends with me, and I would terrorize you in the bedroom. I’m not a man you want to make a deal with. But your car probably has a dozen things that need to be worked on, it’s cold, and Vyr has the burgers on the grill by now. This ain’t a date because, trust me when I say, you don’t want that with me. But how about you spend the evening with a few fuck-ups and the Red Dragon?”
“Will Vyr hurt me?”
Torren shook his head somberly. “I won’t let him.” Torren shoved open his door with a creeeaaak and got out. Then he strode around the front of her car, pulled open her door, and offered his hand. “I promise you, Wildcat. You’re safe.”
You’re safe. That was the best combination of words in the whole wide world. And she’d listened to his voice when he uttered them. He’d been telling the truth. She was safe with him. He was a beast and could be swift with violence as she’d seen when he’d fought Nox and Vyr. But with her? He was being careful. He was being gentle. He would make sure she survived the night.
And she trusted him—this stranger. He’d gone after the Red Dragon to keep him out of her head. He’d earned that trust in just seconds.
“What do you say? You want to have a non-date with me? You want to pretend to be friends without benefits just for the night?”
She slid her hand against Torren’s palm and allowed him to help her out of her car. “Yeah. That sounds like just the kind of adventure I was looking for.”
Chapter Five
“Your swan looks cold,” Candace pointed out.
“Not my swan,” Torren said, leading the way around the half-frozen pond toward a glass-encased patio off the back of the mansion.
“Nox’s?”
“Nox is going to eat it at some point. Nevada and I have bets going on how long Mr. Diddles will last.”
Candace giggled. “You named him Mr. Diddles?”
“His name was supposed to be Fergus or some fancy-schmancy name like that, but Nox saw him humping that duck statue over there on the edge of the pond and re-named him. That idiot came in and ruined everything. Vyr is going to burn him at some point. Nevada and I have bets on that, too.”