Panther's Claim

Panther’s Claim

written by JL Oiler

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Cover Artist: Carl J. Franklin

Second Edition

©2013, Rebel Ink Press, LLC

www.rebelinkpress.com

Dedication

For
Annie Rea,

your
love of the season is always awe-inspiring!

Love
you, Sis!

Lyssa yawned as she plopped
unceremoniously down in the chair and waited for her morning coffee to brew.
The smell of the fresh grounds still hung heavy in the air, lifting her spirits
as she faced yet another day unpacking the dozen or so large boxes still littering
the floor of each room in her new home. She had moved to North Ridge two weeks
earlier, needing to escape from her hometown of Bridgeport and the ex-husband
who still tried to run her life. The only drawback was having to leave her
volunteer work with CASA. The Court Appointed Special Advocates group allowed
her to give a voice to the kids caught up in the court system. Still, she
figured the small, isolated community would be the perfect place to disappear
for a while. Luckily, the sale of the house she'd received in the divorce
settlement would allow her to vegetate for a few months before she needed to
find employment.

The green light blinked on the
automatic coffee pot, signaling her morning addiction was ready. She pushed
herself up from the table and walked to the counter, anxious to wrap her hands
around her favorite mug. Motion just outside her window caught Lyssa's
attention, so she moved the thin curtain she had hung over the window yesterday
out of her way to get a better look. She still needed to meet her neighbors, so
she was anxious to sneak a peek.

Instantly, her mouth went dry at the
sight of the large Adonis who smiled and waved at her from the other side of
the dusty glass. He wore only a pair of drawstring pants. Muscles covered his
massive frame, dark hair hung loosely just above his broad shoulders, and his eyes
screamed sex. She said a silent 'thank you' for the warm weather the southeastern
states boasted. Even with tomorrow being Halloween, the temperature was seventy
plus degrees.

Lyssa reminded herself to breathe.
It wasn't as though she had never seen a sexy man before, but then again, the
last time she came close to having sex was nearly a year ago on the evening her
divorce became final.

Holding her coffee mug high, she
returned his smile and motioned for her new neighbor to join her for a morning
cup of fresh joe. Lyssa opened the cabinet door and grabbed a large mug from
the shelf. Hearing a rap at her back screen door, she realized she still wore
the thin tank top and shorts she'd worn to bed, and a sudden feeling of
uneasiness fluttered through her stomach. “Too late now!” she mumbled under her
breath before telling him to come into the house.

“Would you like cream or sugar?” she
asked before she was struck dumb. Even more gorgeous close up, he stood a good
six foot plus with eyes the color of the summer sky, more god than man.

He gave her a slow once over then
grinned. “Just black would be fine.”

When she did not immediately respond,
he chuckled, bringing her out of the wild fantasy which had stolen her attention.

“Oh all right, you can have a seat
if you like.” She turned back toward the coffee pot, and her face began to
flush.
Great, why don't you just stare at
him? Smooth, Lyssa, real smooth. Now he probably thinks you're some sort of
psycho,
she chastised herself silently.

“I'm Lyssa Saintlier,” she said with
a smile while handing him the steaming mug.

“I know,” he said cryptically as he
took a slow sip of the hot liquid.

“Oh.” Lyssa wasn't certain what to
say to that. North Ridge was a small, secluded community, but the only people
she'd actually met were Caroline Jones, the bank officer, and Gage Wright, the
realtor who'd rented her the house. Evidently, it was true; there were no
secrets in a small town.

“Forgive me. I didn't mean to be
rude. I'm Ren Lehner.”

Taking the seat across from him,
Lyssa nervously fidgeted with the edge of the tablecloth. “So, do you live next
door with your… wife?” She looked up to find him studying her with a
mischievous grin.

“No. I share the house with my twin
brother Trey.”

Lyssa caught herself wanting to jump
on the table and crow like a rooster. Twins! Two sexy, available men lived right
next door. Someone up there really loved her. “So how do you know who I am?” She
shot him a questioning look from over the top of her own cup. Instead of
answering, Ren shrugged and took another sip of coffee.

“You have plans for dinner?” he
asked, as he stood and returned the now empty mug to the tabletop.

“No, I figured I would finish putting
everything away and hand out goodies to any kids who come by.” It was a lie. She
had intended to sit on the couch and watch reruns unless the doorbell rang.
However, the thought of joining him for dinner was much more appealing.

“We'll expect you at eight,” Ren performed
one last once over and then stepped out her door.

“We?” Lyssa coughed as she choked on
her coffee.

****

By the time eight o'clock rolled
around, Lyssa had changed clothes four times and redone her hair at least as
often, finally settling on a white draped tank top and black skirt. She pulled
her hair into a ponytail. “What are you doing? You don't know anything about
these men. They could be murderers or part of some sick cult.” She ridiculed
the image staring back at her from the small bathroom mirror. Never had she
been so reckless, and it excited her.

As the last of the trick-or-treaters
finally departed around seven, she was in a complete panic. The town held its
trick-or-treating the evening before Halloween. Lyssa wasn't certain why. It
seemed to her that with Halloween falling on a Saturday, they would have it
then. That, however, was unimportant; there were other things to worry about.
Not only had a man never asked her to his house for dinner, but she'd also never
gone on a dinner date with two men at once. Yet, when she thought about it, Ren
never said it would be just her and the two of them. Perhaps this was a dinner
party, or even a double date.

“Heels or no heels?” she asked her reflection
as she looked down at the bright red paint decorating her toes. Thinking about
how tall Ren had been standing inside her kitchen that morning, Lyssa decided
to dig her black heels out of the hall closet. Taking one last look at her hair
and makeup in the hall mirror, she headed out the door and down the sidewalk.

A strong wind whispered a coming
storm as her heels clipped a somewhat hesitant beat across the concrete path. A
shiver ran down her spine when Lyssa reached her hunky neighbors' front door and
pushed the small oval call button. While she waited for someone to answer, she
couldn't help the strange suspicion that after tonight her life would never be
the same.

When the door opened, Lyssa once
again found herself awestruck. Ren, at least she thought it was Ren, greeted
her at the door wearing a pair of tight black pants and a red silk shirt. She forced
her gaze away from the large bulge of his cock straining against the dark
fabric. The sight of him made her want to growl in delight. She had come for
dinner, but she hoped he was dessert.

“Lyssa, we've been waiting. I hope
you brought your appetite. Trey makes the best pasta around.” He moved back to
allow her to cross the threshold. Well, that answered the question of who'd met
her at the door. As she stepped into the room, the scent of tomato sauce and
garlic bread engulfed her. The smells were so delicious her stomach grumbled in
response, making her blush in embarrassment.

“Sorry,” Lyssa said, red faced.

“No worry. I see it as a compliment
to the cook.” He gazed at her with the most brilliant set of blue eyes she had
ever seen. The look told her she might just be on the menu. “Turn and let me
get better look at you,” Ren said as he made a sort of twirling motion with his
hand.