Chapter 1 10 years later… Loud music pumped rhythmically from the club, its large purple neon sign shifting colors in synch with the beat. The light cast an eerie glow onto the building across the street. On the roof of that building, a man with short, light blonde hair stood with one foot resting on the edge. He leaned forward, an elbow braced on his bent knee, while he smoked a cigarette. Kane Tripp bent his head slightly and ran a hand through the short spiky hair. He’d hated cutting it, missed the length it had been. He could still remember the feel of its silkiness caressing his lower back. Lifting the cigarette to his lips, he inhaled deeply knowing he missed a lot of things, like the cigarettes he used to smoke before he was buried alive and left for dead. Forty long years ago he’d been caught off guard by Malachi, the leader of a small jaguar clan, and accused of murdering the shifter’s mate. Prior to that night, Kane had been in good standing with the jaguars,
Chapter 2 Envy felt the heat slide over her like a second skin as she descended the steps. She tried to relax her tense muscles and moved onto the dance floor. Taking several steps in Trevor's direction, she felt like she was in a mosh pit of sex, as fingertips softly touched her bare skin and unfamiliar bodies slid against hers. The dance floor was darker than the other clubs she’d been in or worked at and she found she liked the privacy. It wasn’t so much individual couples dancing as it was a group mingling of warm bodies. Feeling the change in the atmosphere, she slowly raised her hands letting her own fingertips brush across strangers in the darkness. The adrenaline rush that followed pounded through her to the beat of the sultry music. Not looking forward to confronting Trevor, she took a moment to close her eyes and simply move with the music that could only be described as the sound of lust. As she felt the fleeting touches growing bolder, Envy opened her eyes a
Chapter 3 Jason pulled Envy into his arms, “You owe me a dance.” He was so glad she wasn’t the type of person that would shoot the messenger. If it weren’t for him, she’d still have a boyfriend… granted it would be a cheating boyfriend but then that’s why he’d made the phone call in the first place. “Sorry,” he whispered in her ear, as he pulled her tighter against him and started to move with the music. Envy rolled her eyes letting him off the hook without a second thought. “Nothing to be sorry for.” She trailed her fingers down his spine as she moved against him. “I’m free again and I landed me another job in the process.” She smiled as she glanced around the dance floor again. “This place is a little different from the clubs that I’ve worked at but I think it should be interesting.” Jason didn’t say anything for a moment as he felt the leather covering her breast glide across the front of his shirt and felt himself swell. He was glad she didn’t know what she was
Chapter 4 Envy was part of the way through the parking lot before she realized she didn’t have a car to run to. With Jason and Chad both gone, she’d have to call a taxi, or let Trevor take her home. Seeing his car out toward the end, she pretended she’d been heading toward it the whole time. She didn’t know if it was all the adrenalin rushes she’d had tonight or what, but she simply wasn’t mad anymore. Not that she wanted to make up with Trevor. Hell no. Seeing him come around her like he was going to get in the driver’s side of the car, she smirked defiantly and decided to sit on the hood of the car instead. Trevor nearly rolled his eyes but let go of the door. Jumping up beside her, he looked around the parking lot to see if they had any company, but thankfully it was quiet and empty. That was good. He really didn’t need an audience for what he was about to tell her. He didn’t know where to start. It wasn’t like he could just blurt out; ‘I’ve been lying to you since the d
Chapter 5 Envy could taste herself on Devon’s lips and it shot even more heat through her already overwhelmed body. Right now, she didn’t care that he was her new boss. If she wanted to, she just wouldn’t show up for work tomorrow night. She had other jobs. Tonight, all she wanted was more of what he was giving her… a few untamed moments to forget everything except this primal need rushing through her. “You’re killing me,” she murmured against his lips, then joined in the rough kiss with a touch of her own passion clashing with his. For a moment they fought to see who was going to dominate the kiss, but he won hands down on that round. “That’s not what I’m doing to you,” Devon breathed harshly, fighting the need to take her right there on the edge of the dance floor. “But I know what I’m going to do to you.” She felt his hand come down to cup her thighs and lift her. She didn’t hesitate. Envy raised her shaking legs and wrapped them around his waist while she kept a hol
Chapter 6 Steven was upstairs checking every door he came across looking for the vampire who had tried to get inside their club. The last door in the hall was locked so Steven braced his shoulder against the wood before ramming into it. The door fell inward and he was abruptly splashed with water. “Back demon, be gone!” an aged voice raged at him. Steven shook his head and glared at the priest who looked like he’d just stepped out of a bad vampire movie. “What the hell?” The priest slowly lowered his cross while placing his other hand over his heart as if he were striving off a panic attack. “You’re not one of them?” Steven growled, “Last time I checked my teeth were normal.” He shook his head trying to dislodge some of the water droplets. ‘Normal for a cougar anyway,’ he thought to himself. He cocked an eyebrow, already knowing the answer before he asked it, “Have you seen any vampires tonight?” The priest nodded vigorously, “Yes, I’ve been a virtual pris
Chapter 7 Envy sighed in relief when she saw her front door come into view. It’d been a long night and she couldn’t wait to crawl into bed. She fished out her key, which thankfully hadn’t been lost at the club. Another thing she was extremely thankful for was Kriss not asking any questions. She had a feeling he knew something was wrong but didn’t want to pry. When he asked how she and Trevor were doing, she’d given him the one-word answer of ‘Fine’ and left it at that. Kriss pulled to a stop in front of her place and put the car in park. “Here we are milady, home sweet home.” Envy grinned, “Such a gentleman,” she said then sighed, “Why do you have to be gay?” Kriss chuckled, “Tabatha asks me that at least twice a week and I tell her the same thing I’m about to tell you.” “And that would be?” Envy asked, really wanting to know the answer. “I don’t know,” Kriss shrugged, like even he was totally lost on the subject. Envy laughed and slapped him playfully o
Chapter 8 Envy was towel drying her hair as she walked out of the bathroom, steam following her path like something alive. Grabbing the alarm clock from the nightstand in her bedroom, she set it for two in the afternoon and smiled in satisfaction. That would give her about seven hours of sleep. After last night’s activities, that little catnap in Devon’s bed hadn’t done a thing for her, so seven hours of undisturbed sleep sounded like heaven. Setting the clock back down beside the cordless phone, she climbed into bed. Just as she was closing her eyes the phone rang. Leaning up to look, she glared at the caller ID. It was Trevor. With an evil smirk, she turned on the answering machine and fell back on the pillow. She knew Chad wouldn’t answer the phone because he used his cell phone for everything. If someone was calling the house, then it was for her and after she’d destroyed the other phone last night, it left the cordless as the only backup. “Envy? I know yo