Authors: Nicole Austin
Cats Meow
Cat’s Meow
Predators, Book One
Micah Lasiter won’t let age or physical
wear and tear slow him down. Presented with the chance to be stronger than ever
before, he doesn’t hesitate to join the Predator Project—not that refusing is
an option. Too bad nobody warned him about the possible side effects.
Dr. Rebecca Southerby works with cats. Big
cats. She’s not sure why a scientific research organization wants a zoologist
on staff but the great perks make it easy to overlook a few peculiarities. What’s
shocking is finding her one-night stand at the secret lab and discovering how
much he’s changed.
Ensnared in a strange new reality, they’ll
have to work together to bring down the corrupt organization and untangle a web
of secrets with the power to either bind them together—or kill them.
An
Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication
Cat’s Meow
ISBN 9781419924057
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Cat’s Meow Copyright 2009
Nicole Austin
Edited by Shannon
Combs
Cover art by Syneca
Electronic book publication
October 2009
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Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.
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This book is a work
of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or
locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’
imagination and used fictitiously.
Cat’s Meow
Nicole Austin
Dedication
To Annmarie McKenna, without whom this
story would have crashed and burned.
And to Candy, the first person to read
everything I write. Thanks for keeping me from falling into those big fat scary
plot holes.
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked
status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work
of fiction:
Superman: DC Comics
Taser: Taser International, Inc.
Chapter One
“We hope to have a table for you in about
thirty minutes, Mr. Lasiter.”
The perky blonde hostess flashed a bright
smile, taking a bit of the sting out of the message, and held out one of those
pagers shaped like a drink coaster.
“You’re welcome to wait in the lounge if
you’d like to have a cocktail.”
Micah took a cleansing breath and tried not
to take out his frustration on the hostess, who was only doing her job.
“Thanks, that sounds good.”
He rubbed the stiff muscles in his neck and
waited for his vision to adjust before glancing around the dimly lit,
jam-packed bar for an empty seat. A long wait to have dinner alone topped off
his horrendous day. He’d started with a vigorous predawn workout, followed by
one hell of a tedious business meeting and a miserable cross-country flight.
I’m getting too old for this shit!
Thirty-five was hardly ancient, but he’d
packed a lot of hard living into those years and had the physical scars to
prove it.
A rather intoxicated man vacated a stool
toward the end of the long bar and staggered from the room while muttering
under his breath. Micah made a beeline for the open chair and sat down next to
a tiny brunette, dropping his pager next to hers on the bar. “Mind if I join
you?”
The woman studied him for a moment then
grabbed his arm in a death grip. “Oh thank goodness, yes! Please.” Big moss
green eyes sparkled up at him and she sighed in relief. “How about you keep
that drunk away and I’ll pay for your dinner? I can’t bear another moment of the
idiot groping me.”
A powerful surge of protectiveness came
over him. His spine stiffened and Micah turned, intent on going after the fool.
The instinct was ingrained from years in the military and working security, but
he didn’t view it as doing his duty. He’d always felt protective toward women.
“No! Don’t go.” She sat straighter, squared
her shoulders and lifted her chin. Firm, determined and strong.
Micah’s gaze trailed over her petite frame.
Narrow shoulders, small breasts and waist, slightly flared hips. She had a
delicate, angular face, pert nose. By far, her best features were those
beautiful green eyes that missed nothing and her genuine smile. Not the classic
definition of a beauty, he thought she was pretty. And there was a certain
indefinable quality that drew his interest.
“You look respectable…and sober. I don’t
think he’ll come back, but I’d feel better with you sitting here in case he
does.”
He swiveled to face her and extended a
hand. “Micah Lasiter, barroom white knight at your service.”
Her musical laughter sent a shiver of
awareness zinging from one nerve ending to the next. She placed her hand within
his for a surprisingly firm shake. The instant their skin touched his blood
heated, surging through his veins and heading straight for his cock, which
jerked to full attention behind his zipper.
What the fuck?
The sudden corporeal response threw him off
balance. She wasn’t anywhere close to his type—tall, blonde and easy. He didn’t
go for brainy, complicated women. Too much work. With her hair pulled back in a
simple chignon and practical business attire, she appeared prim and proper—a
lady.
Ladies never went for him.
“Rebecca Southerby, distressed traveler.”
Micah felt dizzy as she turned the full
power of that megawatt smile on him. Then he did the most confounding thing. He
gave a slight bow, brushed his lips across her knuckles and breathed her in,
intoxicated by her warm cinnamon-and-honey scent.
With obvious reluctance, she drew her hand
away to trace the rim of her wineglass, gaze downcast, focused on the task. The
shy response balanced out her bold strength and was damn sexy.
Signaling the bartender, he ordered a
scotch. She enchanted him and Micah wasn’t going to watch her slip through his
fingers. Not before he investigated this bewildering attraction. He pretended
to misunderstand her offer to pay for his meal and took control of the
encounter. She was his…for the night. Or part of it anyway. “Would you like a
refill while we wait for
our
table, Becca?”
His words had an immediate effect. Honest
pleasure lit up her sweet, pixie face, transforming her from stuffy
businesswoman into an exquisite beauty. Her eyes sparkled, her lips spread into
a dazzling smile and an appealing pink blush spread across her cheeks. When was
the last time he’d seen a woman blush? He couldn’t remember.
She must see something in him too because
she’d put her faith in him, asked for his protection. He sensed a fiery spirit
at her core. Intrigued by the enigmatic woman, he was unable to resist the
challenge she presented.
* * * * *
“You are a very cunning linguist.”
Catching only part of what her unlikely
savior said, Rebecca’s gaze snapped from the pager, which had started flashing
red lights and vibrating, to Micah. She studied his calm expression and shook
her head.
He did not just say something about
cunnilingus.
No, she had to be mistaken. Or perhaps it
was a case of wishful thinking. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
He’d been a perfect gentleman for the short
time they’d been talking, damn him. From the first moment he’d sat down her
heart had beat faster. She wanted him, badly. Her ploy of being the timid
damsel in distress had worked to keep him close, giving her a chance to be
certain he was worth her attention.
Micah rose and extended a hand to help her
down from the tall barstool then offered his arm as they walked to the dining
room, where he held out the chair and seated her. His good manners impressed
her, but he seemed to be holding back. The subtle flirting didn’t tell her if
he shared the strong, sexual pull exciting her.
She wanted him to feel it. To be turned-on.
To want her as much as she wanted him.
Rebecca overlooked the fact that she had
not invited him to join her for dinner. All she’d offered was to pay for his
meal in exchange for protection from the touchy-feely drunk. At first, anyway.
But once they had started talking, she found him to be fascinating and didn’t
want their time together to end. Not that soon. Not before she got to know him.
Yeah, and it’s such a hardship looking
at him too!
She almost snorted.
There were no words to do him justice.
Tall, fit and muscular, more than handsome, but not quite up to the Hollywood
standards of gorgeous pretty boys. His long, dark blond hair tied behind his
neck added to the severity of harsh features in a face full of character. There
was stark menace in brown eyes that missed nothing, implacable resolve in the
hard line of his jaw. While his sexy lips were very kissable, she felt certain
they could turn vicious under the right conditions.
Beneath the façade of cultivated charm
lurked dark shadows he kept hidden from polite society. She sensed an affinity
for action and risk. The suit he wore, tailored to his tall, powerful frame,
felt wrong. He was no desk jockey.
She had grown up around military men and had
no problem spotting one. It was easy to picture him in fatigues, heavily armed,
making his way through a jungle. Strong, intense and aggressive. Rambo times
ten. Or better yet, in a white billowy shirt, tight pants and boots,
brandishing a sword.
“Now what’s brought that naughty smile to
your pretty lips? Thinking about me?”
Ah ha.
There’s
the bad boy she’d sensed lurking. The kind of arrogant guy who went for shallow
beauty and stayed far away from intelligent women like herself.
She decided to test the theory. “Just
calculating quadratic equations in my head.”
His robust laughter turned her insides to
mush. “Need a calculator?”
A sense of humor and not afraid to use it.
Nice. She intimidated most men, but Micah was proving to be a delightful
exception to the rules. Perhaps there was more beneath the exterior than she’d
thought.
Sure, he oozed charisma and sex appeal.
Their waitress salivated over him and thrust her fake breasts in his face at
every opportunity. Micah remained polite and ignored the blatant flirtation. In
fact, she was impressed. Not once had his gaze wandered to the waitress’s more
than ample cleavage.
“Is there a boyfriend or husband waiting at
home?”
For her?
That
would require having a life outside work. She shook her head.
“What’s brought you to Asheville, business?
Family?”
“A job interview.”
“Really? What do you do?”
“I’m a zoologist. My studies are focused on
Felidae—big cats.” Her life was boring. She’d much rather talk about him. “What
about you?”
“I’m in town for an art show.”
Rebecca laughed then coughed, nearly
choking on the sip of wine she’d just taken. She didn’t buy his answer even
before she caught the devilish sparkle in his eyes, belaying the serious
expression.
“What, I don’t look artsy to you?” He
appeared offended.
A crack in the veneer? Interesting. Perhaps
even men of steel require reassurance once in a while. “Somehow I can’t imagine
you having the patience for artistic pursuits.”
Micah appeared relaxed as he took a sip of
his drink then leaned back in the chair. He didn’t fool her. The piercing
intensity in his dark eyes told a different story. What she thought of him
mattered a great deal to Micah.
“I can be very patient. Want to try me?”
The sexual implication in the simple
statement sent tingles racing along her spine.
“How do you see me, Becca?”
His deep, sensual voice flowed over her,
heating Rebecca’s blood. Their conversation was rife with double entendres, a
subtle and skillful mental seduction stimulating her intellect. But the way his
hungry gaze devoured her brought new meaning to their playful banter.
The sexual tension that had built between
them soared. His expression told her the time for teasing had ended. Awareness
spread through her, awakening her body. Her breasts were swollen and heavy. Too
bad she’d taken off her suit jacket earlier. Her taut, aching nipples had
surely become visible through the thin silk blouse she wore, an indication of
her arousal he couldn’t miss.
Her head spun and she said the first thing
that came to mind. “You’re a swashbuckler—a pirate captain.”
She wanted to recall the words as soon as
they left her mouth. It had to be the wine loosening her tongue since Rebecca
did not often imbibe. She had a strong aversion to feeling altered and losing
control.
Emboldened when he didn’t laugh, she went
into vivid detail. “You’re supremely confident, larger than life. You buck
convention, living by your own rules and code of conduct. Freedom and being in
command are your ultimate goals. You’re brave, a mysterious renegade with an
insatiable lust for life. A total scoundrel, pillaging and plundering women,
stealing the hearts of those who are turned-on by the danger you represent.”
He remained silent when she stopped
speaking and Rebecca bit back a groan.
You idiot. Now he’ll make a hasty retreat.
Micah’s unwavering gaze was disconcerting.
He made her antsy, but she refused to turn away as he studied her for several
long moments.
“Your tone and attitude give the impression
you’re afraid. That you dislike what I make you feel,” Micah stated.
She narrowed her gaze, wondering how he’d
come to such an outrageous conclusion. So what if she was leery of the
unaccustomed arousal bombarding her. The man made her long for hot, sweaty sex
and screaming orgasms. For all the good it would do him. She wasn’t a one-night
stand kind of woman.
He leaned over the small table, encroaching
on her personal space until they were almost nose to nose. Getting way too
close for her good intentions to remain intact. She wanted to thread her
fingers through his thick hair and feel Micah’s lips on hers.
“Your body is sending a very different
message.”
She figured the weighty, knowing stare was
an attempt to intimidate. Her spine stiffened. She would not be the one to
avert her eyes or pull back. Not going to happen even though she knew he was
baiting her, waiting for a reaction.
“You want me.”
Then again, why hold back? She hated games
and preferred to make sure people knew where they stood with her. “You’re
right. I was wrong. You’re no pirate. You’re an arrogant ass!”
Tossing her napkin on the table, she
started to rise. Micah’s hand shot out, strong fingers encircled her wrist in a
solid but loose grasp, shackling her.
“No, it’s my turn and I’m not finished
yet.”
Oh, great. She couldn’t wait to hear more.
This should be hilarious. Hurtful words from the past raced through her mind.
Uptight…prudish…cold.
She settled on the edge of the chair, ready
to bolt. Micah didn’t release her. His thumb stroked her inner wrist, slow and
gentle, making her pulse race. His voice dropped to a low and provocative
whisper.
“Nice speech. Too bad it’s not how you
really feel. Your body tells me you want me.” Micah held her securely when she
tried to pull away.
“Your eyelids are at half-mast and your
pupils are dilated, looking up at me from under those thick lashes. Your cheeks
have turned the most enticing shade of pink and are flushed with desire. Even
now, your shoulders are pulled back but you’re leaning in toward me and
restlessly rubbing your legs together.”
Rebecca made a conscious effort to still
her movements, but she’d given too much away. Micah was right. The light touch
of his fingers on her wrist wasn’t anywhere near enough. She was desperate for
more.
“You’re breathing fast and shallow. A blind
man wouldn’t miss your beaded nipples lit up like headlights, aching to be
touched. Those beautiful, pouty lips are parted. I’m sure you’re not even aware
of how often the tip of your tongue has slipped out to lick them.”