Brooke, Leah - Panthers' Prey [Black Panthers 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (11 page)

Forcing a laugh, Bailey rang up another order, pleased that business appeared to be booming on her first weekend open, and gestured toward the baseball bat she kept propped up in the corner.

“Maybe the
convincer
had something to do with it.”

Patting her shoulder, he looked up, his face going pale.

“Uh, yeah. Maybe.”

Following his gaze, she looked straight at Marc, shocked at the furious glare he gave Ricky.

Leaning on the bar right in front of his face, she glared back.

“Back off with my employees, or you’ll be on the receiving end of my bat.”

To her surprise, Marc’s eyes flared and he leaned closer, fisting his hand in the front of her sweater when she would have pulled back. He pulled her close, his eyes lingering on her lips before meeting hers again.

“God, woman, you excite me. If we were alone, I’d have you bent over this bar with your pants down around your ankles. Don’t give me that look. You did this to me.”

He brushed his lips over hers. “You’re aroused. Christ, I want you. It’s been hard as hell staying away from you all week. I can’t forget the feel of you—the taste of you.”

Her lips tingled, feeling swollen and warm against his, making it nearly impossible to resist licking them.

Swallowing heavily, she covered his fist with her hand. “Let go.”

To her surprise, he smiled, running his thumb over her bottom lip.

“I love the way your voice sounds when your throat’s not sore. Sexy. I can’t wait to hear that hitch in your breathing when I take you.”

Shaken, it took several moments before she realized he’d released her.

The man who’d accompanied them slid onto the bar stool next to Marc.

“Please excuse my friend. His obsession with you has made him lose his manners. I’m Leland Moran. It’s nice to finally meet the woman who has my friends so tied up in knots.”

He met Marc’s glare, his silver eyes sparkling with amusement. “Please be patient with them.”

From the other side of Marc, James took her hand in his, smiling broadly.

“No, no patience is needed. Feel free to jump me anytime you want. I promise you, I’m going to do the same to you at the first opportunity.”

Shaking with need, Bailey looked around, surprised that no one else seemed to have heard them. Taking a deep breath, she shot a glance at Ricky, who glanced back at her with a raised brow, half listening to a customer placing his order.

Nodding that everything was all right, she turned back to the three men whose presence had all eyes turning their way.

Yanking her hand from James’s hold, she shook Leland’s. “It’s very nice to meet you, but your friends are delusional. What would you like to drink?”

James pulled the bowl of peanuts she poured for them closer. “Three beers. What do you mean we’re delusional?”

Keeping an eye on Ricky to make sure he could keep up with the orders, she served their beers. Ignoring Marc’s glare, she turned away from him and gave her attention to Leland.

A little taller than Marc and James, easily over six and a half feet of rugged looks that had men near him shifting in their seats, he somehow managed to appear less threatening than his friends.

Leaning close so as not to be overheard by the other patrons, she gestured toward Marc and James.

“They have some sort of obsession with the way I smell. It drives me nuts. Have they told you they saved my life?”

Leland’s eyes hardened. “They did. You okay?”

She waved off his question. “Fine. They act like they’re interested in me—”

James paused with a handful of peanuts halfway to his mouth.

“Interested? That’s putting it a little mildly, don’t you think?”

Giving him a dirty look, she turned back to Leland.

“And then they drop me off. I don’t hear from them all week, and they walk in here like they never left off. Your friends have a hell of a lot of nerve. Who the hell do they think they are?”

Marc looked straight ahead, sipping his beer. “We looked in on you.”

To her surprise, Leland sighed.

“It’s not my place to tell you what you want to know. They will, in time. Let’s just say that I was in their position not long ago and made the wrong decision—something I’ve regretted every minute since then. I don’t want my friends to make the same mistake with you.”

Seeing a customer come up to the bar and lift his hand to get her attention, Bailey nodded in acknowledgment and moved away, shooting a look at Marc and James, who both stared at her.

“Too late.”

On her way to her customer, Marc startled her by grabbing her arm and pulling her close.

“Who the hell is that kid you have working here?”

Bailey tried unsuccessfully to pull away.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but that’s Ricky, my bartender. Why?”

Apprehensive now, she placed herself between Marc and Ricky, not understanding the anger on Marc’s face.

“Marc?”

Ricky chose that moment to come over, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and attempting to tug her away from Marc.

“Bailey, I’ll handle the customer. You have a phone call
in your office.
”

Marc smiled, a smile that had chills going up and down Bailey’s spine.

“Ricky, you lay a hand on my woman again, and I’ll break it off for you. Clear enough?”

Struck by his arrogance, Bailey jerked her hand out of his.

“You’ll do no such thing. How dare you! You touch Ricky or Gun, and I’ll hit you over the head with my bat.”

Marc sighed and dropped his hand, a muscle working in his jaw.

“I don’t like anyone touching you.”

Furious at the surge of lust that hit her, and more than a little shaken at the stormy intent in his eyes, she backed away before she gave in to the urge to throw herself at him.

“Fuck you.”

Spinning on her heel, she stormed out from behind the bar and into the small office in the back, so mad and aroused she couldn’t even think.

Asshole.

God, she wanted him.

* * * *

Marc watched her go, cursing under his breath. Jumping to his feet, he started to go after her, stopping short when Leland shoved him none too gently back down into the chair.

“I thought I explained about coming on too strong.”

Since Leland happened to be one of the few men who could strong-arm him, he sighed and resigned himself to hearing the lecture looming in Leland’s tone.

“Look, Leland, I know what you’re going to say, but I’m not going to stand by and watch another man touch her. Would you let another man touch your mate?” He shot another glare at the young bartender, reluctantly amused that, even though he paled, Ricky met his glare head-on.

Leland took a sip of his beer, turning slightly in his seat, his lips twitching.

“I probably wouldn’t have been as nice as you were. Do you really think she’s interested in her young bartender?”

Gritting his teeth, Marc turned to his friend. “If she had been, he would have already lost that hand.”

Marc turned, following Leland’s gaze toward the mirror against the back wall, one he realized was a two-way mirror. His gaze sharpened when Bailey came into view, pacing back and forth in front of it.

She stared out at him, making a face, obviously certain that no one could see her.

But he had better eyesight than she would expect. Although he couldn’t see her clearly, he could see her well enough to keep an eye on her.

Amused that she appeared to be muttering to herself, he watched her, unable to look away at the sight she made. Her ponytail whipped back and forth as she paced in front of the mirror, her body stiff with anger. He wished he could hear what she was saying, but he couldn’t hear her over the noise in the bar.

He’d bet the money he’d made on his last sculpture that she was cursing him.

James ignored his beer and stood, his eyes alight with challenge. “I’m going to her. She’s not pissed off at me.”

Marc sighed and reached for his beer, fighting the urge to join James. One by one, he forced his muscles to relax. He watched James go around the bar to follow the path Bailey had taken down the small hallway, forcing back jealousy that he wouldn’t be the one overcoming that temper.

Just the thought of it made his cock jump.

After James left, Leland turned back to the bar, tracing a drop of moisture down the glass of the beer sitting in front of him.

“Smart man. I think it’s a good idea to approach her one at a time. You don’t want to overwhelm her. It’s going to be a lot to take in.”

Marc swallowed heavily, turning back to watch the two-way mirror, unable to keep his attention away from her for more than a few minutes at a time. “Bailey doesn’t seem to scare easily.”

He bit back a laugh when she stuck her tongue out at him. If she was in front of him, he’d show her exactly what she could do with that tongue. And then he’d use his on her.

“Nope, she doesn’t scare easily at all.”

He didn’t even stop to wonder about the pride that came through in his tone.

Seeing James take Bailey into his arms, he bit back a groan at the answering twinge in his cock.

“We can’t tell her everything. We don’t know her well enough to trust her with that. I won’t risk the pack. Not even for her.”

Leland stared straight ahead. “You’ll have to. She’s your mate, and she’ll have to know…to understand. For now, though, it’s going to be hard enough for her to take in the fact that two men want her. But don’t make the mistakes Diablo and I made. Yeah, it’s going to be hard to swallow, but you already said she doesn’t scare easily. Our mates would have to be tough.”

The pride and regret in his friend’s tone pulled at him. Not taking his eyes from the scene unfolding in front of him, and glad that the other patrons didn’t have his vision, he kept his tone low, knowing only Leland would hear him.

“Are you sure Bailey didn’t smell any different to you?”

Leland sighed. “No. I know—at least I think I know—how she smells to you.” His voice lowered musingly. “Warm, sweet, a hint of vanilla and honey. Enticing. Addictive.” With a sigh, he reached for his glass again. “You have nothing to worry about with me. She’s definitely not my mate.

Stunned, Marc whipped around. “Wait a minute. Your mate smelled the same way to you that Bailey does to us?”

Shrugging, Leland stared into his beer. “Apparently. I had that once and was too hardheaded to grab it with both hands. Just don’t scare her off. I have no idea if we get second chances or if there’s more than one mate for us. But I’m forty and have never found another in the years before or in the months since.”

Marc turned now, unnerved. “I don’t want my decisions made for me. It pisses me off. I want to pick my own woman.”

Leland turned, his eyes bleak. “I felt exactly the same way. Now I’d give anything to have her back. I want her so much I can’t even sleep anymore. Haven’t slept a night through since she took off—hell, since I pushed her away. It feels like a part of me is missing.”