PrimalDesign (10 page)

Rounding the last curve before the city limits, she was
nearly blinded by headlights that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Kitty
squinted against the glare just in time to see a truck scream around the curve
taking up the middle of the road. Everything seemed to slow down. Ice trickled
down her spine, a numb sensation spreading through her limbs. The truck didn’t
slow, didn’t attempt to turn away.

Kitty said a quick prayer and jerked the wheel to the right
and the wide, gravel shoulder.

Chapter Seven

“Where’s Kitty?” Monk asked Daisy Lynn when he met her in
the reception line.

She rolled her eyes, looking beautiful in what he suspected
was one of Kitty’s creations. “
Mais
,it’s good to see you too,
Monk. Thank you for congratulating my fiancé and me on our upcoming wedding.
Why yes, I do think it’s getting warmer out. No, you can’t kiss my feet for
being the reason Kitty came back home, but you can get me a wonderful wedding
present. How are you?”

He laughed and leaned over to kiss her cheek, ignoring Ram’s
subvocal growl next to them. “Sorry, Daisy Lynn. You look beautiful and I
already have a wedding present picked out. As for kissing your feet, I wouldn’t
get near those things if someone paid me.” Ducking her swing, he laughed. “But
seriously, I thought Kitty would be in line with y’all.”

Daisy Lynn frowned. “I know. She should be here by now. Mama
said she was running a little late by the time they left the house, but you
know Kitty, she’d have broken speed records to get here on time. Maybe she’s
having a little trouble getting in. There’s a big crowd of spectators out there
who came to watch Ram sashay his ass into the hall.” She squeaked and jumped,
her mate obviously pinching her in retaliation. She stuck her tongue out at the
lion shifter before turning back to Monk. “Besides, there’s that whole red
carpet thing with photographers and stuff. A red carpet in Maison Rouge, who
would’ve thought?”

She laughed and waved at someone across the hall. “They
freaked Mama so bad, she almost tripped. Maybe the reporters stopped to ask her
some questions.” More people walked in behind Monk and Daisy Lynn turned to
them. “I’m sure she’ll be here any minute. Have a drink while you wait and
thanks for coming.”

Strolling away from the line with his hands in his pockets,
Monk nodded to a few people and tried to ignore the bad feeling in his gut. It
was just paranoia because the past couple of weeks had been great. He and Kitty
were bonding again as friends and lovers. She had a wicked tongue she used to
cut like a knife, or to pleasure him until his eyes rolled to the back of his
head. She was so much more than he deserved in a mate, but he wasn’t giving her
up.

Monk leaned against a wall so he could see the door of the
gym, which was decorated in silver and black. It looked elegant for a
basketball court, but he saw Daisy Lynn had made sure there were several
pirogues full of iced-down beer. He grinned at the blank looks on Ram’s band
mates’ faces. Likely they’d never seen a party like this. He almost couldn’t
wait for the wedding reception.

“You certainly look like you’re in a good mood,” a female
voice purred next to him.

Stifling a sigh, Monk looked over to see Callie standing
next to him. He supposed she was going for sophisticated, what with her glass
of champagne and the little black dress, but all he could picture was her
standing like that over a grave with the same smirk on her face. There was
something cold about Callie that he hadn’t noticed as a younger man. Of course,
all he’d thought about back then was fucking someone to make him forget Kitty.
Yeah,
and that worked out well.

“Evenin’, Callie,” he said politely. “It’s a party, of
course I’m in a good mood.”

She shifted on her heels, moving a little closer to him.
“Hmm, you sure weren’t in a good mood that day in the diner.” Her sly smile
raised his hackles. “Then I heard Kitty Chambers turned that frown upside
down.”

He didn’t say anything, looking away from her in the hopes
she’d get the message that he wasn’t interested in talking to her. Besides, if
Kitty walked in and saw him with Callie, there was no telling what she’d do. He
hadn’t asked her what would happen, but he had a feeling it wouldn’t be good
for either him, or Callie.

“So you and Kitty are back together, huh?” she continued,
oblivious to his lack of interest. “Well, that’s a surprise, I must say. After
what you told me about her so long ago, I would’ve figured you wouldn’t go near
her with a ten-foot pole.”

“As you pointed out, that was a long time ago.” He shot her
a hard look. “The past is in the past.”

She laughed, throwing her head back, exposing her fragile
throat. “The past always comes back to bite us in the ass, Monk. Don’t you know
that?”

Monk turned on Callie with a snarl that made her back up a
step. “If you cause trouble for me and Kitty, you’ll regret it. Now go the fuck
away.”

Her face paled, but bright spots of color appeared at the
tops of her thin cheeks. She glanced away from him, her gaze sharpening on
something across the gym. Her hand trembled as she raised her glass and drained
the rest of the champagne. She licked her lips when she finished, turning back
to him. “You wanted me once, Monk. I know you did.”

He didn’t want to be cruel, but she didn’t get it and never
would without blunt honesty. “I was trying to use you to forget Kitty, Callie.
It was wrong of me and I’m sorry, but I thought of her the entire time.”

Her nostrils flared and her dark eyes blazed with fury. “I
know you’re lying,” she whispered but she stepped back. “I don’t know why
you’re doing this, but I’m not giving up without a fight, Monk.”

Before he could say another word, she whirled away and
stalked across the room. Feeling like a bastard for touching her and giving her
hope, Monk glared at the door. He needed Kitty. His cougar paced in his mind,
snarling at the arrogance of the raven who thought she could ever replace his
mate. Callie hadn’t lied though, the past did come back to bite you in the ass
because right now, he regretted going near her in an attempt to forget Kitty.
It had given the raven a false sense of ownership. He didn’t get it. Sure,
Callie had pursued him for years, but never so aggressively. It was only since
Kitty came home that Callie stepped up her pursuit, following him all over
town. It was unnerving and not in the least bit flattering. He didn’t want her
anywhere near him. He just wanted Kitty.

As though some divine power heard his thoughts, Kitty
appeared in the doorway of the hall, looking absolutely stunning. The print
dress she wore showed off her curvy figure, the jewel tones making her dusky
skin glow the way it did after they made love. His heart lurched in his chest
at the sight of her, his cougar thrilled to see her again.

Monk started across the hall as she hugged Ram and Daisy
Lynn and took her place at their side along with Nick, Ram’s best man. Monk
approached them, not liking the appreciative look in the tiger’s eyes. His
cougar snarled out a warning that made Nick laugh and back away with his hands
in the air.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Daisy Lynn asked Kitty as Monk
walked up.

Kitty smiled at him, ignoring Daisy Lynn’s question. “Hey,
Monk.”

He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, inhaling her
sweet, musky scent. “You look gorgeous.”

She gave a little laugh. “Thanks.” She surveyed him, her
gaze like a caress he felt beneath his dark suit. “And you clean up very, very
well.”

There was a breathless quality to her voice that made Monk’s
cock twitch. He recognized that sound, especially when it was accompanied by
the sharp scent of her lust. He licked his lips. He’d planned for them to dance
tonight, to act as though this was a real date, but those thoughts flew from
his mind as he took in her dilated pupils and her nipples, which had tightened
beneath her dress.

Daisy Lynn snapped her fingers in front of Monk’s face,
breaking the trance Kitty’s arousal had put him in. “I’m trying to talk to my
cousin,” she said loudly.

Monk let go of Kitty’s hand, but couldn’t resist slipping
into line next to her, his hand sliding across her waist to rest on her lower
back. The heat of her skin scorched him through the fabric of her dress. He
wanted to tear it off her and bathe her with his tongue.

Kitty grimaced at Daisy Lynn. “I knew I shouldn’t have said
anything,” she grumbled. Daisy Lynn glared at Kitty until she sighed. “It was
nothing, really. I didn’t even get a ding on my car.”

That managed to break through Monk’s lustful thoughts.
“What?”

She flicked him a wry glance. “I was driving to town when a
truck came barreling around that curve right by the big oak tree. They nearly
ran me off the road, but thanks to
Nonc
Thomas’ defensive driving
lessons, I got out of their way.”

Monk couldn’t believe she was being so blasé about her near
accident. He gripped her hand again and looked her over carefully while Daisy
Lynn fired a round of questions like the cop she was. Kitty didn’t look hurt
and the fine tremor in her hands abated the longer he held her.

“I’m fine, I’m fine! I think it was probably either a drunk
driver or a kid who was afraid of losing control in the curve. But you might
want to call one of the deputies on duty to let them know it was a dark four-door
truck with off-road tires.” She shrugged. “It was too dark to see exactly what
color it was though. I’m just glad it was me driving and not someone else. They
might have been hurt.”

“
You
could have been hurt, you idiot,” Daisy Lynn
breathed, her face white.

Kitty sighed and extracted her hand from Monk’s grip to hug
her cousin. “I shouldn’t have said anything.” She pulled back to look at Daisy
Lynn. “I swear I’m fine.” She glanced at Monk. “Could you get her a glass of
champagne or something to help calm her down?”

“I’m fine,” Daisy Lynn muttered and gave Kitty another tight
hug. “I’m fine. I’ll have Dad call one of the guys to look for the truck. Now,
let’s get this over with so I can sit down. My feet are killing me.”

As the cranky bride-to-be turned back to greet more guests,
Monk brushed a kiss over Kitty’s cheek, breathing in her scent. He felt just as
frantic as Daisy Lynn did at the thought of something happening to her, but he
was trying not to crowd his mate. She eyed him as if she expected him to freak
out and while he wanted to pitch a fit, he held his shit together.

“I’ll see you in a little while,” he murmured against her
ear, feeling her shiver. “I have a surprise for you.”

When he pulled back, her face was lightly flushed and her
breathing a little faster. “I look forward to it.”

Monk winked at her and stepped out of the line. He had to
find the perfect spot to seduce his exhibitionist mate.

* * * * *

It was a lot harder to pretend everything was fine than
Kitty thought it would be. She’d sat in the parking lot for a few minutes to
compose herself, the rest of the drive to the gym occurring without further
incident, but she’d been a nervous wreck the entire time. She hadn’t lied to
Monk and Daisy. If it hadn’t been for
Nonc
Thomas teaching her how to
drive defensively, she would’ve flipped or crashed into the truck. And the
driver hadn’t even stopped to see if she was okay, roaring away with a squeal
of tires. She grimaced. She shouldn’t have told Daisy about it because her
cousin had been on the verge of having a shit fit. To her surprise, Monk hadn’t
said a word, although his eyes had glittered with concern.

Then she’d had to brave the crowds of people lined up
outside the gym. She’d never seen anything like it in Maison Rouge. As she’d walked
up to the doors, cameras had flashed and reporters, more than the few hounds
who’d been dogging Saber around town, shouted questions. They’d recognized her
and she’d had to stop and pose for them to look at her gown, pretend that she
wasn’t having the biggest freak out of her life. Some of the people in the
crowd had given her slightly hostile looks, which hadn’t helped her at all.

Stepping into the gym, which was decorated better than it
had for any of the high school dances she’d been to, Kitty had almost fainted
with relief to see Daisy and Ram. A quick glance around the gym showed it was
packed again, this time with extended family and what looked like some of Ram’s
friends from LA. She even recognized a few of them as clients.
Fun. I’m sure
they’ve already heard about the fur fiasco.

Then she’d seen Monk and every worry, every fear flew out of
her head. God, he was gorgeous in what she knew had to be a tailored suit. He
looked as if he should have been standing on the red carpet himself with some trophy
wife on his arm, not going stag. Then he’d given her
that
look, the one
that said he was thinking of her naked. Her body immediately heated, her thighs
growing slick with arousal. He left her standing in the receiving line with
Daisy and the others, her mind buzzing with the need to see what the promise in
his eyes meant. An hour and a half later, Kitty was dismissed from the line and
able to mingle. She couldn’t find Monk right away, so she headed over to talk
with her parents, who were with some relatives Kitty hadn’t seen in years.

“And here’s Kitty,” Francine announced with great pride.
“You remember Aunt Martha?” she asked Kitty.

“I’m sorry, no,” she said with a grimace.

Francine gave her a disappointed look. “Aunt Martha was your
grandmother’s oldest sister. Anyway, this is Aunt Martha’s daughter’s son,
Michael and his wife Marla. Y’all used to play together when y’all were
babies.”

Kitty exchanged polite smiles with Michael, not recognizing
him as anyone she would remember, but they were family. Her dad slipped his arm
around Kitty’s waist and hugged her close. Her paternal family was very small
and a lot quieter than the black bears of Pointe-Aux-Chat Parish. Every time
there was a reunion, wedding or funeral on her mother’s side of the family, Hunter
would go into silent mode, shadowing behind his vivacious wife, or sticking
close to Kitty.

“Everything okay, little bear?” he whispered against the top
of her head while her mother talked with her hands.

It figured her dad would know something was wrong, but this
wasn’t the time to talk with him about it. If Daisy was a loose cannon when she
was angry, her father was an atom bomb. “For now,” she said with a small smile.
“I’m going to see if I can find Monk.”