Date: 2022-11-22 05:00:00+00:00
Keywords: M M Romance; Shapeshifters; Paranormal
Description: One of the new guys at the young Apex Security company, Lucas loves his work as a bodyguard, and he's pretty fond of his work family too. When they send him out to protect jaguarundi shifter movie star Cash Weatherby, Lucas figures he's going to get a spoiled, bored actor who has way too much time and money on his hands. Cash's reputation bears that out, too, but Lucas soon finds out nothing could be farther from the truth. Cash is easy to work with, good to his team, and is under threat from someone who sets off a bomb on one of his movie sets. As Lucas tries to keep Cash safe, two things beg
Publisher: Turtlehat Creatives
Rights: Copyright 2022 Julia Talbot. All rights reserved.

Solids and Stripes

Apex Security

Book One

Julia Talbot

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Epilogue

Want More?

Afterword

About the Author

Also by Julia Talbot

Turtlehat Creatives electronic edition 2022

Solids and Stripes

© 2022 Julia Talbot.

Cover Art

Copyright 2022 Kanaxa

All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Turtlehat Creatives www.turtlehatcreatives.com

ISBN: 978-1-953438-56-0

To all the Apex fans who’ve stuck with the series and, as always, to my wife, BA.

For Jason, Jaymi, Michael, and Kanaxa, who make me look better than I am.

One

“Did you hand out assignments today, querido?” Brock asked as he swung through the office to check on his lover, Paddy Locke, aka Griz. The big bear shifter was staring at his computer screen, unblinking, which Brock was certain meant either he was asleep, or the Apocalypse was coming. When Locke didn’t answer, Brock put a hand on his shoulder.

“Huh? Yeah. Look at this email.”

He peered over Locke’s shoulder, scanning quickly. “Huh.”

“Yeah.” Locke turned to face him, putting them nose to nose. “Big, huh?”

The email was from an old contact of Locke’s, back from when Locke had been working odd security jobs all over the world. The offer was impossible to resist, and it shouldn’t be too difficult, since it was a one-month assignment.

But it was a big deal.

“How did your old buddy end up with this gig?”

“God knows, because Dan is worse at customer relations than you,” Locke said, irony heavy in his voice. “Last I heard he was still retrieving kidnap victims from drug cartels. But then, by all accounts, this guy has gotten himself kidnapped three times on location.”

Brock whistled. “Damn. That seems like a lot for an actor.” The guy in question was a super familiar face, having been in at least three blockbusters in the last few years. And he was also notoriously reckless. Skydiving. Base jumping. Free climbing. Briefly dating a many-sons-down-the-line descendent of a very not-gay-friendly king of a very not-friendly country…

“Looks like he’ll be in town shooting for not quite five weeks, and his management wants someone for security who’s local, unfamiliar to the press, and, uh, attractive enough to maybe pass as boy toy.”

“That leaves both of us out.” Brock grinned at his grizzly bear. “Do we know any boy toy types that can do the job?”

“Oh, I think we ought to give it to Lucas.” Griz grinned right back, and Brock had to laugh.

Lucas was the new guy at Apex Security Services, and he was a six-foot-two tiger shifter. The man screamed alpha male—like top to bottom—but he was a classy, consummate, old-school bodyguard.

That could be entertaining as hell.

“Let’s call him in. I know he’s done with the Whittaker job.”

Mrs. Whittaker was still calling and singing Lucas’s praises.

Daily.

“Sure.” Locke picked up his phone and texted. A chime came back a few moments later. “He’s on his way. He was with James and Rey in the tech office.” Fox shifter Rey and mountain lion James were two of their three tech analysts, and the best in the business.

“I think Rey’s jealous of his voice. Listening to him is like listening to you rumble. Sex-ay.”

“Mmm. Nice way to work me in so I don’t get jealous, baby.” Locke waggled those eyebrows, grinning like a fool.

“Have I been summoned?” Lucas knocked on the doorframe before ducking in. Much like their old boss and now investment partner Mick Hartness, Brock and Locke tried to keep an open-door policy unless they were on an important call.

“You have. We have an assignment for you. Actor. He’s a bit of a danger mouse. The studio needs someone to keep him out of trouble.”

Lucas chuckled, the sound dangerous and rough. “Tell me he’s not a rabbit or a deer shifter. I don’t do particularly well with prey.”

“Jaguarundi.”

Tilting his head, Lucas squinted at them. “Is that even real?”

“All through the southwest and down into Central and South America, sim.” Brock’s lips twitched. Lucas had the biggest of cats’ slight disdain for the smaller breeds. “They’re fast and agile, so you’ll have to do more than rumble softly and vibrate the ladies this time.”

“Hmmm. Who did you say the primary was again?”

“Cash Weatherby.”

Lucas’s eyes widened. “Holy shit.”

“Exactly.” Well-known both on-screen and off, Weatherby was an out-and-proud action hero with a bad boy reputation for getting himself in over his head.

“You don’t want much, do you? How long is the assignment?”

“Projected to be a month. As long as he’s shooting here in Colorado.” Brock grinned at the shock on Lucas’s face.

“And the pay?”

Locke scribbled something on a Post-It and handed it over.

“Sign me up,” Lucas said. “When does he hit town?”

“Tonight. So wrap up anything you need to get done by then. Like those expense line items from your last job.” Griz could be a hard-ass about the paperwork. Him? He didn’t care. He just wanted happy, repeat, wealthy customers.

“Aye-aye.” Lukas saluted. “I’m on it. Send me the dossier?”

“You got it.” Locke waved him out, then grinned at Brock. “Happy?”

“God, yes. Look at you, bringing in the jobs.”

“We have to pull our weight to be able to justify our cushy apartment.”

Brock laughed. The building they lived in was what he liked to call the Apex hive, the brainchild of Mick, who was a werewolf, and who liked to have his chosen pack around him. It housed Apex Investigations, Apex Security, and pretty much all of the employees. Lucas had, in fact, just moved in. They would see how long it lasted, because he was a little solitary compared to the rest of them.

But then, Brock had been too.

He was part of a pack, now. No question. Now he was where he belonged.

So was his bear. “Well, send that to Lucas, and we can go test the luxury for a bit with a nap.”

“Naaaap.” Locke growled it, making Brock’s body tighten. He did love that sound.

If he was lucky, they would have at least a day to enjoy each other before their new client called to complain about Lucas. That would do nicely.

Two

“And cut! Great job, Cash! Excellent.”

Cash Weatherby gave Maureen Lazenbee a thumbs-up instead of flipping her off the way he wanted to. Maureen was one hell of a director and a kick-ass person; he was just hungry and in need of a couple of days off.

They’d been filming in Australia for weeks, but the shots that were left were all snowy mountains and skis and cabins, so they were off to the Rockies.

Cash wasn’t complaining, except that he had been used to heat and sun and surf, and now he was freezing his nuts off…

One of the assistants came to toss a down jacket over his shoulders, and Cash headed to his trailer, wanting a hot something to drink and to stand in front of his heater for like, an hour. When he got back to the condo they’d rented him he would hit the hot tub.

The trailer door banged against the outside wall, and he jumped inside, taking all three steps in one bounce. He was a hell of a jumper like most of his breed.

“Oh, very nice,” someone growled. From his couch.

“Get out.” He held the door open, refusing to get stuck in his trailer with some—he sniffed—other cat. “Jesus, where the fuck is security?”

“Right here.” The man stood up. And up and up. He was a giant. “Lucas Devenboro from Apex Security. I’m your new bodyguard.”

“Uh-huh.” Nope. No, this dude didn’t look like he was going to be fun. He tended to ask for wolves or foxes. They liked to play. “Prove it.”

Lucas took a step toward him, making him fight to hold his ground. He might be small, but he was mighty, dammit. Credentials came out of a pocket, as well as a letter on the production company’s letterhead. Signed by Heath Morton. Shit, no one could forge that big, loopy signature with any kind of precision.

“Apex Security, huh? Clever. They didn’t have a nice puppy for me? That seems odd.” Go away, man. I want someone that wants to get in trouble with me.

“Nope. Just me.” Lucas grinned, and it was total predator. Jeez. Just what he needed.

“Bummer.” He turned his back on the dude with a grunt. He needed to find something warm and fuzzy. He would just ignore tall, dark, and pretty until the bastard went away.

“You done for the day?”

Ugh. Why wasn’t the guy shutting up?

“Yeah. I’m just waiting here for the fans to ease up and the car to come. You can have off ’til tomorrow.” He didn’t need a goddamn babysitter, just someone to assure the more rabid fans didn’t gnaw on his bones.

“I’ll hang out in here until we go to the condos. Warmer.”

“So you’re a hot-weather tiger?” He was snapping, and he hated that he was letting this man get to him.

“By genetics? Siberian. And my human side is a full-on European mix. But I like creature comforts.” Oh, now, there was some wickedness.

“I’ll have the car drop you off wherever you’re staying.” Nell had been his driver for five years, and her wife, Mags, was his assistant and the only force that kept him organized. Together they formed the last line of his emotional defense, and those otters would protect him from anyone.

“I’m staying where you are, buddy. So no rush.”

Cash gritted his teeth. “I don’t need you to do that.”

“I’m not working for you. I’m working for the production company and your management. I suggest you call them if you have issues.”

His door flew open again, Mags zooming in with a tray of coffee, heavy on the cream. “I just heard they’ve found you security. Good. Those condos are too easy to get to. I don’t love it. I don’t, but they’re what we’ve been given, and they are very comfy. I brought you coffees—cream, no sugar. OH! Oh, hello! Aren’t you tall and pretty? New security? Credentials, please?”

Lucas smiled and presented them easily, which also made him growly.

“Thank you, dear. It’s nice to meet you. I’ll give you my contact info. I’m the person you’ll get a hold of for…well, almost everything.”

“Good deal.” They exchanged phone numbers, and Cash glared at Mags for being a traitor.

She raised an eyebrow at him, and he thought of all of those offended-looking otters in the internet memes he saw. So he sighed and winked at her. She rewarded him with a smile and a gentle pat. “It’s important, sweetheart, to have security. You’re a star. Nell will bring the car around in about fifteen, and we’ll get you home.”

“The seats are warmed, right?”

“They are. I got your skinny backside.” She grinned and kind of sparkled at him. “It’s a lush vehicle. I think we should stay here instead of going back to Sydney. This place is magical.”

Silly otter. She fell in love with every place they shot. It was one of the things Cash loved about her. She saw the good in everything. “We’ll see. We have options. Nell just didn’t love driving on the wrong side of the road.”

“Oh my god, she hated that.” Mags winked. “Anything else?”

“No.” He said it before tiger tail there could interrupt. No coffee for him, no more little grins. Just no.

“Cool beans. I’m going to get tomorrow’s schedule and see if there are script changes. I’ll call when Nell shows.”

“Thanks, lady.”

Mags left them, and he tried to decide whether to pace, call his manager, or flop down and pout.

“Otter, huh? I like her.”

“Everyone does. She’s amazing.” And she deserved it.

“Yeah. Even you, huh?”

“Oh, clever.” So he pushed past the man and did flop on the couch. Screw him.

All Cash wanted was to play hard on his days off, maybe have a little fun with somebody pretty and fuck around.

Mr. Tiger didn’t look like he played. At all.

He looked watchful. Not by the book but definitely in charge. He would want to run the show.

That was Cash’s job. He was the star of his own life. He didn’t need some overbearing apex predator telling him what to do. So tigers were the biggest big cats. Blah blah blah.

“You know, you pout a lot for someone with an amazing life.”

He arched one eyebrow at Mr. Asshat, but he didn’t bother answering. He was supposed to be some brat actor, so he could do that. He wasn’t a brat. He was easily bored, sure, and he had a lot of energy that was cooped up in a trailer more than he’d like, but he wasn’t an asshole.

Directors liked working with him. His people stayed with him. Hotels didn’t tend to wince when he showed up. Late-show hosts asked for him.

He prided himself on being… decent.

So he’d be decent now. Decent and silent.

Lucas smiled again, then sat in the little chair across from the couch. He looked… well, he should have seemed ridiculous. Instead, he loomed, big and hot and intimidating.

Cash grabbed his phone, popped in his earbuds, and turned his music up loud. The pounding helped him relax and his eyelids drifted closed.

Sleeping was good. He could nap until Nell showed.

Three

The condo sat high on the side of the ski mountain. In fact, it had a ski-out patio, which was great if someone headed a family of four and had the family dog with them.

If a guy was trying to keep a megastar actor with a bad history of self-destructiveness safe, well, it was a nightmare.

Lucas finished his rounds, then headed back out to the car to get Cash, who had been studiously ignoring him, earbuds in his ears. Lucas kind of wanted to tug them out and hide them, make Cash pay attention to him, but that wasn’t his gig. He was really good at prowling around behind the scenes, being noticed for what he was so people backed off, but not being obtrusive. And it was Cash’s job to be charismatic and make people want him, so what Lucas felt wasn’t real.

Not at all.

Didn’t make the hormones any easier to deal with.

When he walked up to the car, Cash was curled up in the back seat, snoring softly.

He glanced at Nell, the driver, and she nodded.

“Mr. Weatherby. We’re at the condo.” There. Business. Strictly business. His earlier pushing was all an aberration and it was gone now.

“Oh, shit. Sorry.” Cash went from asleep to wide-awake in a split second. “Have your lady send me what she needs me to learn, Nell. I’m going to curl up in the hot tub for the evening.” Cash kissed Nell’s cheek and then bounded out of the car, moving faster than Lucas could believe.

Good thing he’d done a pre-check. He waved to Nell, then followed Cash up the walk, ducking inside before the guy decided to lock him out. He’d had a quick look at the deck, but before little and quicksilver went to bubble away, he’d need to test the water, check the ski-out area thoroughly, and find a good spot to sit and read his book.

Lord, Weatherby was good-looking. Prematurely gray hair. Bright golden eyes. Lean but packing muscle in all the right places. Did he do the hot tub naked?

Weatherby headed for the fridge, sucked down a protein drink, tossed the trash, then headed for the back door to turn on the bubbles and pull the cover off the—

He heard Weatherby’s gasp about the time three nearly naked girls popped out of the hot tub, phones flashing.

Growling, Lucas pushed between them and Cash, grabbing the nearest one’s phone. He scrolled through since it was open and deleted the picture. “Inside,” he rumbled at Cash, then turned back to the girls, who squealed and shrank back.

Cash disappeared in a rush, the back door of the condo clicking closed.

“Hey! That’s mine! Give me the phone back!” the girl cried. “I have rights!”

“Sure. But I’m not a cop.” He handed it back to her after checking that no other pictures were there that could identify the condo. They would move as soon as he could get ahold of the production. “Next.” He held out his hand to the other girls.

“No!”

“I either delete the photos, or you do wait here for the cops to show up.” He ticked off on his fingers. “Trespassing on private property. Stalking. Harassment. You might get out in the morning with a warning, but I can make sure they hold you overnight.”

“No! No way! We worked for this, man!” One of the girls was tugging on a Cash Weatherby sweatshirt over her bikini. “This is not fair!”

“What’s not fair is popping up at someone’s house when they’ve worked hard all day and taking their picture without asking.” He stood there, staring. The girls handed over their phones in the long run, and he deleted pictures. “Go. And I never forget a face. Next time I’ll see you coming.”

He needed to figure out how to secure this goddamn courtyard, at least for the night. Then find a place to go that was gated. Safer. This was the exact disaster he’d thought it would be.

The girls scrambled, and he almost felt sorry for them, as wet as they were. The cold bit hard tonight. He needed to call Cash’s people and let them know there would probably be a spate of evil social media out there too.

He supposed that was Mags. She would know what the situation was as far as Weatherby’s publicity folks.

But first, he would check on Cash.

Lucas headed back into the house. “Mr. Weatherby? You all right?”

“Yeah. Going to shower. How does this work for you? You staying here? Somewhere else?”

“I’m staying here. Sorry about that. I checked the patio area, but never thought of looking under the cover. Do I need to order you some food?”

“It happens all the time. No thanks on the food, but feel free to order whatever turns you on. I’m going to take a shower.” Cash seemed to Lucas like he was just barely keeping himself together.

“Got it.” He pulled out his own phone, and when Cash went to grab clothes or something, he checked the bathroom to make sure no one would pop out of the drain or something.

The bathroom was sterile and clean, but the peek inside Weatherby’s room was like looking into a tornado. Clothes and books lay everywhere, the mattress sat on the floor, with pillows stacked up in corners. Such a kitty. It actually looked really comfortable, and his tail would have twitched if he was in tiger form.

Cash came out wearing a towel, lean body ripped within an inch of his life. “Bathroom clear?”

“Yessir.” He stepped back, his heart pounding. Lord. “Holler if you need me.”

“Um. Sure.” Cash edged past him.

He waited until the door shut. “Shit.” Then he grabbed his phone, dialing Mags.

“Mags. What’s up?”

“Hey. We had three young, female tourists under the hot tub cover tonight when we got back.” He headed downstairs, rubbing the back of his neck. “I had checked the area, and I couldn’t even smell them because they’d been in the water so long.”

“Oh fuck a duck sideways. Seriously? He’s been in town three days. Okay, so I need to make sure the social media team knows. Is this place defensible?”

“I don’t know. The ski-out patio makes it tough, because there’s no gate to shut or way to keep people from viewing the hot tub from the ski slopes. If you can find a better place for a more permanent stay… Or I can look into it since my firm is Colorado based. We might have something on tap. My boss owns a lot of properties. Then there’s no rental paper trail either.”

“Just make sure there’s a hot tub or a heated pool, a fireplace, a treadmill, and somewhere for him to play in the snow.”

“I can do that.” Those were all musts for Brock too. The boss was a jaguar shifter. All kitties liked their comforts like that, and if they had more money than god, well, they paid for them. “Let me make some calls.”

That was just the best idea. Let Lucas control the access. The company had to have something up here. This was close enough to Denver to be on someone’s list.

“Just let us know and we can mobilize.”

“We can move tomorrow while he’s at work. I can secure the place for the night, and he’s in the shower. What do I feed him?” He didn’t like that Cash hadn’t eaten since they’d been together.

So it wasn’t really his job to feed the client. So what? Cash made him want to take care of the guy.

“Oh, that’s a drama. He had to lose fifteen pounds for this role. He’s forgotten how to eat, even now that the half-naked ocean scenes are done. He loves cheese. Tacos. Anything crunchy and spicy.”

“Mmm. I like tacos myself.” And he knew a great little place that would still be open from his last job up this way. “I’ll order something.”

“Cool. Once he gets a whiff of salsa, he’ll eat.”

Good to know. He hung up with her, texted in an order to Gloriana’s Tacos, and then called the boss.

“Hey. How’s it going, amigo?”

“I need a secure location up here at Granby. We had tourists pop up in the freaking hot tub. I need a place where he can unwind in private. The guy is wound pretty tight.”

“I’ll get Craig to look it up. I know I have something up there not too far from the lodge. It has a hot tub, and the complex is private, with an indoor pool in the clubhouse. I think.”

Brock cracked his shit up. Of course the man knew all that without looking it up. He probably just needed Craig, the lowest on the totem pole tech guy who worked for both businesses in their building, to send the address to his phone.

“Thanks, boss. This place makes the back of my neck itch.”

“Sim? Interesting. Make sure to watch the primary then. I trust your instincts.”

“Thanks.” It was always good when the bosses put a little praise on him. “Will do. I’ll keep you posted.”

“Boa. Obrigado.”

They hung up, and he prowled around. The bedroom upstairs had a balcony, but he would have heard it if Cash had tried to bolt. The guy had looked pretty subdued by the hot tub incident, so Lucas thought they were safe tonight.

Cash’s music and the running water pounded along the walls, but it didn’t feel as if Cash was pushing him, just that the kitty was trying to decompress. Being famous had to be crazy. If Lucas had ever thought people in the public eye had it easy, his stint as a bodyguard had proven him wrong. There were always exceptions but, in general, they worked crazy hours, dealt with tons of fans, a small percentage of who were nutso stalkers, and were expected to always be “on”, even when they were sick or exhausted or on leave.

Of course, he’d been a bitch and needled Cash, even though he’d known better. He couldn’t help it. Something about the man just got to him, both good and bad. He wanted to protect Cash from everyone else, but he wanted to poke and prod until the guy actually exploded all over him. Metaphorically, at the very least.

The shower went off, and even from downstairs, the scent of clean man made his nose twitch and his mouth water. Maybe he needed a shower. A cold one. After Cash headed to bed, he would hop in. Tigers did love the water. A pool sounded really good, actually.

Cash appeared, brushing past him to go to the kitchen. He stood in front of the refrigerator for long moments after he opened it, then shook his head and closed it back up.

“So, Mags says you had to lose down for the naked shots.”

Cash whipped around. “What?”

“You know. She said you had to be all buff and lean for the surfing stuff.”

That had Cash snorting. “Oh. Yeah. I did. Now I’m just not hungry.”

His phone chimed, so Lucas headed for the front door to grab the tacos. He heard the ice maker running, heard the water in the door.

“Thanks, Lita. Tell your mom hi for me,” he told the girl who handed over the bag. These people were discreet.

“I will. Night, Lucas.”

It was good to be known, even if he hadn’t been there for almost a year and he was expensing through a new company.

“Night, you.”

She waved and bounced off, heading for her Jeep.

“Hey.” He locked up, then carried the bag to Cash. “Tacos. Beef, chicken, and potato and cheese.”

Cash blinked up. “I—yeah? There’s enough to share?”

“I got this whole bag full. No rice or beans, though. I hope that’s okay.” He didn’t want to worry Cash with too many carbs.

“That’s cool.” Cash offered him a surprised little smile. “Thank you. Do you—want to sit?”

“Sure. Let me grab a drink.” He pulled out a glass and filled it with ice and water. “So what’s your favorite kind of taco?” He wasn’t great at small talk, but he wanted Cash to get comfortable enough with him to establish something of a rapport. He needed to be able to have a little trust.

Cash gulped down his drink, then stopped, breathing hard. “Of all time? Beef and potato. You?”

He tore his gaze away from that tanned throat. “Fish. Crunchy fish, acidy slaw, pickled onions.” Lucas smacked his lips. “Yeah. But that’s not good delivered, and not common around here.”

“I have experienced this phenomenon in Mexico and Australia, both.”

Lucas grinned. “In Cali from a food truck is pretty decent as well.”

“God, yes.” Look at that smile—it lit Cash up from within.

They laughed together, then dug in, and the best thing was the salsa. It was almost a pico de gallo, but it was a little wetter, like a good chunky cooked salsa too. And the potato tacos were amazing.

Cash got through two tacos and then started to doze right there at the table.

Lucas didn’t figure he knew the guy well enough to carry him, but he did kind of help him up out of the chair and half drag him up to his room, checking the closet before leaving him asleep. His phone chimed again, the call time of six a.m. and the schedule for makeup and wardrobe popping up on the screen. He would make it happen.

Cash sighed softly and shifted in a rush, curling in the little nest of pillows like it was a cave. The jaguarundi was gray, with tiny ears and a huge tail, the lean cat stealing his breath with his beauty.

Look at that fur. It was silvery, with a gold sheen underneath, and Lucas wanted to touch. He didn’t. But he wanted to.

He’d never seen a casual shift that was so fast, so effortless. Cash must be exhausted.

He headed out, making sure the balcony doors were closed before he did. He cleaned up the taco trash, then washed glasses. He would just go tiger and sleep on the couch. No sense in making housekeeping deal with another bed when they would be moving tomorrow.

Lights shone in the windows periodically, fans driving by, no doubt taking pictures of the condo. Goddess, he needed to get Cash out of here. This was asinine. No wonder they’d replaced whoever was doing his security before if it was so lackadaisical.

Lucas paced, his nerves jangling enough that he couldn’t settle.

His phone dinged, Mags’s name popping up. <Everything ok? Lots of looky-loos>

<So far so good, but how do all these people know he’s here?> The condo was nice, but not super luxury. Nell had been careful not to pick up a tail. Dammit. This should be fairly out of the way.

<Once 1 found it, it was all over SM>

<Shit. Okay. We’ll work on the move tomorrow and see if we can keep it more under wraps> And then look at the production and see who was leaking shit.

<Fair enough. I will pack him up once he’s on set>

<Good deal.> He liked her willingness to let him lead on this, to make sure Cash was safe. Most fans were just a little intrusive, but he’d seen at least one go rogue.

Mags and Nell both seemed to genuinely love Cash, and Lucas was all over that. He needed people around Cash to support him.

He finally stopped prowling when the lights stopped flashing by, the hour late enough for even the determined kids to give up.

He sighed and shifted, the couch creaking and groaning beneath him.

Lord, he was tired.

Four

“What do you mean, we’re moving? I was only at the new place two nights!” Cash didn’t want to be a diva, but dammit, he was running on weeks of constant shooting, and this was supposed to be the end of that before a pre-reshoot vacation. He knew this was his danger zone—he was frustrated, tired, and he was feeling trapped.

He needed downtime.

“This place isn’t secure.” Lucas, the big guy, kept his voice even. “I’m sorry, but that ski-out area is a nightmare, and you’re not safe.”

Okay. Okay. Reasonable. He started bouncing on his toes. “Can you find somewhere I can stay that has a place to play in the water? And I need my bedding. Please.”

“I have a gated community with an indoor heated pool, a private hot tub, and we can take all your things. Mags is ready to pack you up.” Lucas smiled, and it lit up those crazy bright green eyes.

“Okay. I just want a space to settle when I’m not on.” He wanted that clear. He felt his tension clawing up his spine, and that made him reckless.

“I can see that. You crashed and burned last night. I want a place you can really relax. I have that. No one else needs to know where, though.”

Cash nodded easily. “I’m not the party-at-home type. If I’m going to get into trouble, it will be out and about.”

“I thought I had noticed that last night.”

“I just need—I’m—” Shut the fuck up, Cash. He doesn’t understand you. He thinks you’re spoiled.

“You need a place to be you without prying eyes. I get it.”

Maybe that was actually true. Lucas seemed way less sarcastic today. Gentler, somehow.

“Yes.” What was worse was that he was in between houses—he’d given up his apartment in LA and sold his house in Dallas. Now he was trying to decide where home needed to be.

“Good deal. Once you’re on set, Mags will get you packed up and moved. Nell will pick us up this afternoon after shooting, and she and Mags will be the only other ones who know where you’re staying. Someone posted your location here on social media, and it was like a parade last night.” Lucas’s jaw tightened, but Cash got the impression it wasn’t about him. “You’ll love this place, I promise.”

“Okay.” Cash didn’t have a choice, and no one needed to deal with the fans popping out like daisies from the snow. He started walking up and down the stairs.

On his hands.

Lucas never said a word. He just moved into a spotter position, and Cash got the feeling the guy could bound up the stairs and catch him in a heartbeat. It didn’t matter. He just needed to work off his—

“Come on, Cash. Time to get to makeup. Quit showing off.”

“Me?” He did roundoffs down the stairs.

“Yep. It’s go time.”

“Okay. Work mode.” He put on a serious face. “Manly.”

Lucas chuckled. “Nice. Now, let’s go.” They headed out, and he had to admit, Lucas checked every danger area there might be. And then some. It should have been annoying, but after the hot tub pop up last night, it felt comforting.

“You’re coming with us?” That was interesting. Usually Nell sort of… controlled security with the car.

“I am. Then I’ll coordinate the move with Mags. You have some extra onsite security today because of the stunts, so I’ll be back before you wrap for the day.” Lucas got him into the car.

“Morning, boss,” Nell said.

“Good morning, lovely. How did you sleep?”

“Excellent, after the drive-bys stopped. The fans were busy last night.” She grinned back at him. “I put my life-sized Cash cut out in the window on the third floor.”

“Oh, good one. They get their pics. I get sleep. Thank you, lady.”

“Really?” Lucas looked at Nell in what seemed like awe.

“I know. Sometimes we don’t have a choice but to stay in less-than-ideal areas. It usually keeps them from coming closer.”

Lucas tugged out his phone and started texting, thumbs flying.

He chuckled softly, put in his earbuds, and began running his lines. He didn’t like to waste the director’s time, or his own, or his costars. The cleaner they worked, the sooner they wrapped.

The car stopped, and Mags was there to usher him to makeup and costume, and Lucas was gone.

That was okay. Cash had a feeling he was just going to be a distraction.

Five

Lucas did the site check, all the while talking to Locke and the main tech guy at Apex, James.

“So I really think it’s inspired. I just need two lookalikes. Nothing major. Just similar body type and kitty walk. Bobcats or mountain lions would work.”

“Uh, hello, bigger than a jaguarundi,” James said. He was very proud of being a mountain lion.

“Yeah, yeah. You’re all small to me,” Lucas teased. “But we’ll send one to the ski resort and one to another condo in town as decoys. They can move every couple of days. Surely someone will do short pay to sit around and play video games and read.”

“Oh, that’s not going to be a problem. You know that the guys love being decoys, especially when it’s little teenyboppers.”

“I know.” Lucas loved this idea, and he had Nell to thank. “I need to finish up here and go get the primary. We got all his stuff set up. Mags thinks he’ll be pleased.” The place had a bonus Lucas hadn’t known about; a game room sat down there with a pool table, workout equipment, and a sunken movie-watching area with couches big enough to use as trampolines. It would be great for all that energy Cash had.

“Good deal. He’s going to be in a bit of a holding pattern after this week. Reshoots.”

“Gotcha.” He shook his head. Lord, this was a busy guy.

“Yeah. Good luck keeping tabs on him.” James’s laugh was not nice at all.

“Wow, thanks, buddy. Right now, we’re having a truce, I think.”

“No one has ever said the kid was mean, just hyper and easily bored. He’s got a great reputation as a hard worker, no hard drugs, just hard living.”

“Playing, you mean? He’s got a ton of energy.” Lucas thought of how Cash had been doing handstands on the stairs. “I imagine watching him will mostly be keeping him amused, but the tourist situation did bother me yesterday.”

“Yeah, I’ve been watching his social media accounts. I don’t love it,” James said. “Lots of stalkery type attention.”

“Yeah, and someone inside the production company leaked his info, I think.” He would look into that. “Which is why the decoys, and also them paying the rent to Apex directly. I don’t want them knowing where he’s staying.”

“You and I are on the same page, man. You keep people you trust, and I’ll watch the ’net for leaks.”

“You got it.” Lucas could do that. He liked Apex so much for just this reason. They always had his back, and they were never just a job. They were friends and family.

“Have a great time, buddy. Out.” James clicked off, and he finished his walk-through. This place was luxe, with plenty of room to jump and play, but one door to the big courtyard, one to the front.

He could control the access, which he approved of wholeheartedly.

Mags brought in the last load of stuff, which was food, and grinned at him. “Just in time to go get him. I like this place. Nell will be sure to take the long way around.”

“Thanks. And I have decoys mobilizing.”

“Excellent. We’re next door?” Mags looked around. “Nice. I’m assuming Nell and I will take over for you on your days off?”

“Yeah. I’m not sure I’ll need too much downtime, since there’s tons of extra people on the set. But we’ll see.” They locked up, and he set the security code on his phone.

He didn’t share it—not because he didn’t trust Mags, but because he wanted to control access, at least for now. Mags didn’t ask, which told him a lot about how good she was at her job, and about how confident she was in his work. He appreciated her.

“Do you mind checking our place, too? I mean, I know it’s a silly ask, but—”

“Nope. Never silly. Anytime you feel the need for someone to come, let me know. Hell, if you and Nell want Apex to provide someone for you, we can.” He grinned at her. “I’m all about it.”

“No. No, I just need to… Nell usually does that for me.”

“You got it. Come on.” He would totally do that for her. “So Nell is your go-to for your personal security, huh?”

“And a lot of times for Cash. When he escapes.” Mags chuckled softly, winked. “She’s my ride-or-die.”

“Does he escape a lot?”

Mags lifted an eyebrow. “Daily?”

“Huh.” Okay, so he needed to think strategy. He needed to keep Cash interested enough after hours not to run off. He had to challenge the guy enough to keep him stimulated.

Why did that thought feel so dirty?

Because the thought of that long, taut body…

When what Lucas really meant was mental stimulation.

Maybe Cash played cards. Poker. Rummy. Canasta. Skip-Bo…

Yeah, probably not. But he would ask, just to see the expression on the man’s face.

Mags’s phone rang, and she answered. “Hey, hon—What? What? Where?”

She grabbed his hand and pulled, heading for the door.

He followed, matching her urgency. She would fill him in on the way. Better for her to get all the details than for him to make demands.

“The hospital. Hurry. There was a bomb. Nell is with him, but she needs us.”

“A bomb? I’ll drive.” There was one regional hospital nearby. “He wasn’t airlifted, was he?” He would get on the horn with his people when he knew more.

“No. No, I’ll put her on speaker.”

“He’s got stitches. On his arm. Leg. Whatever. He’s freaking out and won’t shift back. We’re assuming there’s no head injury, but it’s a zoo in here, literally.”

“We’re on the way. I’ll get my people to get a doctor who can evaluate him privately if we need to,” Lucas said. He slid behind the wheel, Mags putting her phone into a holder attached there.

“Good. He’s totally freaked out. Pacing and bouncing off the walls. I don’t want them to sedate him.”

“No. Tell them to wait.” He could grab Cash and run. The guy had already decided to work with him once. They could do it again, he knew it.

“That’s what I’m doing. This is nuts. It took out a huge chunk of the set.” Nell sighed. “Cash, honey. I’m right here. Mags is coming with your private security.”

He heard a rough cough that he knew was cat sound, and that was pure distress. So he pushed it, Mags indicating turns.

They made it to the hospital in no time, parking as close as he could before they started to fight through the layers of press.

“Sir. I need you to—” The hospital security guard looked at his credentials when he presented them.

“I’m Mr. Weatherby’s private security, and this is his personal assistant. His driver is with him.”

“I—Shit. Man, I don’t know what to do here.”

Mags called Nell. “They don’t want to let us in.”

He could sense Mags’s frustration like a chitter in his brain.

“Let me talk to him. I’ve already chewed his ass.” They could all hear Nell, and the guy winced.

“She works with you?”

“She’s married to me. Please, we’re here to help.” Mags tried to smile.

“Okay. I—Okay. People are trying to get in to take his picture, man.”

“We got this, okay?” Lucas soothed, rumbling softly, and the security guard relaxed.

“Thank you. Seriously. Take care of him.”

“We will.”

Mags nodded, the motion short and sharp. “We will. Where?”

“Bay eight.”

He charged into the ER bay and found Cash crouching at the very back cubby. He looked as though he would attack anything that moved, but clearly he’d stayed with Nell and been okay with her. “Hey. Hey, buddy. We need to get you out of here.”

“Rowl!” Cash was telling him all about it, obviously pissed off and desperate to get out.

“Okay. Nell, I need you to go bring your car around to the front like you’re about to leave. Mags, you’ll bundle up and try to look as Cash-like as you can. Then I take him out the back. I’ll wrap him up in a blanket and put him in a wheelchair.”

“You’re taking him in your car, then?”

“I am. It’s not known yet, so I have an edge. A better chance of getting him out of here.”

“Good deal.” Nell stole a kiss from Mags and ran to get the car. Mags tugged on Cash’s coat, the man’s sunglasses, and ball cap.

“All right. You guys lead them on a merry chase.” He grabbed a blanket and a couple of hospital gowns. “Once half or more of them are following you, we’ll head out.”

“Fair enough. Don’t bite him now, Cash. He’s here to help.”

He wrapped Cash in the gown and then the blanket before plopping him in a wheelchair. “You stay put, okay? I need you to act like a slumped-over patient.”

“Rowl.” The sounds were unhappy, but quiet, rough. Accepting.

He’d take it.

“I know, bud, but we have to get you out of here. And you’re not safe. I don’t know why, but I’ll damn sure find out.” A freaking bomb on set? What the hell was this movie about? He would text the tech crew and get them to find a script.

Those gorgeous, pure gold eyes met his, the dull fear in them stealing his breath.

“I’m with you, man. From now on, I’m on you like glue, I promise.” He wasn’t letting anyone else hurt this man. This kitty. His bones told him this was his job. To keep Cash safe.

He rolled Cash out while the cameras popped and flashed, the crowds howling for Mags. Excellent. This was going to work.

He wanted to rush, to puff up and be the big, protective tiger. But he had to look like just a dude who was taking his grandpa or something out the back to avoid the hubbub up front.

Slow but sure, they got to the car, and he loaded Cash into the back. There were a couple of people staring at him, so he hurried around to the driver’s side. He could drive around for a bit, throw off any tails.

He didn’t gun it, but he picked up a tail. Four-door sedan. Rental. Paparazzi, for sure. Good thing he’d been in this area before on assignment. He drove right to the one big assisted living facility he knew of. As soon as he pulled into the circular loading zone in front of the main doors, the car zoomed off, no doubt to head back to the hospital.

Lucas waited, texting the details to Brock and Locke and James. They could assign duties as needed, but this was suddenly more than a one-man op with decoys.

Cash needed him full-time, and he needed a team.

His phone beeped, Brock’s text just saying <On it. Call when you’re secure>

<Thnx. Primary will need medical>

<I’ve got someone on tap>

He tucked his phone away, watching to make sure no one looped back around. Then he headed out, watching his six hard.

He noticed that Cash was human now in the back seat, wrapped in the blankets, eyes bruised. “That sucked, man. Are Mags and Nell okay?”

“They are. They’re working the distraction. I’ll have decoys in place by this evening, but we had to think fast.”

“There was a bomb.” Cash blinked at him, shell-shocked. “On set. A bomb.”

“I’m sorry, man. That’s fucked up.” It really was. “I take it everything is shut down pending the investigation?” He checked his rearview. So far so good. The plan was to get to the safe house and stay there for the moment. And to get Cash checked out by another doctor.

“I don’t know. I imagine so. Is everyone okay? Do we know?”

“I don’t know for sure. Nell seems to think most of the injuries are superficial, like yours. Does anything else hurt?”

“My ears are ringing, but that seems like it’s normal. It was so loud. Are we going back to the condo, or somewhere new?”

“We moved during the day. That’s why I wasn’t there. I should have been, and I apologize.” He’d been complacent, thinking onsite security would be enough.

“You aren’t expected to be with me all the time.”

“No, but I do need to be there when you’re under threat.” He met that tired gaze in the mirror. “I’ve got your back.”

“Thanks.” Cash closed his eyes, and Lucas drove, getting them to the new digs without any more drama. And without a tail.

The gate opened, and Lucas waited to assure that it closed behind them. He wanted to be sure they were able to get into the condo and be defensible.

They reached the house, and he parked as close as he could to the front door, then went around to open the back door for Cash. Who was sound asleep.

“Gonna pick you up, man. Just stay relaxed, huh?”

Those gold eyes held his for a long second, then Cash eased and leaned back and allowed him to lift him up.

He gently hoisted Cash into his arms, then carried him to the front door, keying himself in. He’d coded out the alarm before he’d left the car. He locked up behind them, heading for the den, which he’d memorized the location from the plans. Yeah. This room had only one set of windows, and they led to the private, fenced patio and hot tub. He left Cash on the cushy leather couch there and made his rounds.

He heard footsteps behind him, whirled around, and there was Cash, back in his jaguarundi form, following him. He held out a hand, palm down, telling Cash to stay behind him, and that tail lashed once, but Cash inclined his head, and that was how they cleared the rooms. One after the other, with Cash prowling along with him.

“Okay, man. We’re golden. This is your room. Your bedding is here. My boss will be sending a doctor. Nell said your exam wasn’t complete.”

Cash curled up in his blankets and pillows, chirruping softly.

“Yeah. I told you we’d have your stuff. You hungry? I can make something up.”

Cash closed his eyes tight, a posture that totally said, “Shh, sleeping.”

“Yeah, yeah. Okay, then I’m going to go check in with the company.” He smiled, going for comforting. “And I’ll check on Nell and Mags.”

Cash’s tail twitched.

That was a soft spot with Cash, and he would have to make sure they were well protected too. Someone could use those ladies as leverage. He didn’t like that—although Nell was tough and would be fierce where her Mags was concerned.

He grabbed his phone, relieved that this time Cash didn’t follow him. He wanted to be able to speak freely. He dialed the office, and it was Locke who answered. “Hey, Lucas. Let me put you on speaker. We’re in the tech office so we can give you all the info we have.”

“Thanks. What the hell happened on the damn set?”

He could hear the clack of the keyboard as James, he assumed, typed away. “According to the preliminary police report, an explosive device went off in a set piece. A fake building front. Blew out a bunch of glass, collapsed some siding. Injured five, including a broken ear drum from the grip who was closest to the blast. Unlikely that it would have killed anyone, but if someone had been right on top of it, it was definitely a possibility.”

Lucas blew out a breath. “So was it targeted, or just something to cause chaos?”

“Nothing conclusive there. There are rumors on some Reddit threads of threats to the production, but they’re just that. Rumors. No full-on this production is cursed shit yet or anything. Cash is pretty popular, so maybe it’s a publicity stunt.”

“If it is, he’s not in on it.” Lucas would bet the farm on that.

“Good, because that would suck.” James sighed. “How is he?”

“Looks like minor shrapnel, but you have a doc coming, right?”

“Yep. Abel is bringing him in for you.”

“Good deal.” Abel was one of their other bodyguards, and he was good at coming in and out without getting noticed. “I don’t like this.”

“No one does.” Griz’s growl was deep and low, aggravated. “But you’re more than qualified.”

“Yeah, I’m on this one for the duration.” He wasn’t going to abandon Cash. No way. The guy needed someone to have his back, and so did Mags and Nell.

“You just let us know what you need, and we’ll make it happen.”

He chuckled softly. “No tiger is an island, right?”

“Nope. Solitary cats or not, you need a team, man.” James laughed with him. “Trust me, the guys here taught me the same lesson.”

He had the inkling that all of them had learned to stick together, one way or the other. Lord knew Lucas had heard some stories.

“Well, we’re sending in a bunch of groceries, movies, games—things to keep everyone safe and indoors.”

“Thanks.” He would have to find ways to let Cash expend his physical energy too, and what popped into mind immediately wasn’t appropriate. That was the last thing he needed—to get involved with a movie star. He was a professional, dammit.

“No problem. Call me if you need anything else. Us,” James added when Locke growled again.

“I will. Thanks.”

He signed off, and then his phone buzzed again. Mags.

<We’re here. Where do you want us to park?>

<There’s a private, covered spot around back. I’ll let you in there.>

<On our way.> The lights were off, and he frowned at the darkness of the early afternoon. That was one hell of a snowstorm brewing. That delivery needed to come soon, because he had a feeling they were holed up for the duration, and he didn’t have time to order anything more than what he and Mags had brought in earlier today.

“Looks like the snows are about two hours away. Do we have plenty of wood and supplies?” Nell got Mags moving inside. “Do I need to go get food?”

“We have plenty of wood and medical supplies, and a load of groceries, snacks, and pastimes are on the way.”

“Good job. I’m going to get settled. They won’t be shooting tomorrow for sure, and the scuttlebutt is not for a couple weeks.” Nell smiled at him. “Is there a connecting door between the condos?”

“Yeah. This is actually not really a duplex, because the boss owns them both. But it has to be unlocked on both sides, so if you need us…”

She chuckled. “I’ll text. It’ll make Mags more comfortable if she doesn’t have to go outside to see him.”

“Yeah. Him too, I think. And I like that we can confab without the public. This place used to belong to some super famous football guy. He had it all done right.”

“Perfect. Holler if you need us. I’m going to get my lady settled.”

“You got it.” He waved Nell off, then went to check on Cash. He just—he needed to see the guy again. Make sure he was okay.

Cash was sleeping hard, but those eyes popped open when he walked in. Then Cash chirruped and scooted over in a clear offer.

Oh, Lucas wished.

“I have to wait for a food delivery, honey. But thank you.” He smiled, walking over to rub Cash’s stubby cat ears. “You rest. Maybe I’ll join you later.”

“Rowl.” Cash was vocal, telling him about how unhappy this whole thing made him.

“I know. I do. We’ll get you nesting, and we’ve got comfort food coming. There’s a big old storm on the way, but Nell and Mags are settled in.” He just kept talking, explaining, soothing.

He saw Cash relax, and he felt this wave of…relief. Pure relief.

“Yeah. That’s it. Just rest up. I’ll be back up once the delivery comes in, okay? It’s another Apex guy, so no one is coming in we don’t trust.” He didn’t mention the doctor yet. That could be more…spontaneous. That way Cash wouldn’t get all tense waiting for it.

Cash put a paw out to touch him, then rolled back to the other side, so Lucas tucked him into the covers. “You’ll be comfortable here. There’s a hot tub, a pool. We’re defensible.”

He heard another moan, and then a light snore sounded, Cash already asleep again. So Lucas made his rounds, then settled downstairs to wait for Abel. They needed to just settle in for the storm.

Six

Cash woke up feeling almost human, though his arm hurt like a son of a bitch. No handstands for him until it healed, he guessed.

He was disappointed to be alone in the big bed. At some point, he did remember offering to cuddle with Lucas, but as cats. Still, it was probably just as well Lucas hadn’t taken him up on it. That way could lie madness.

Rolling out of bed, he padded to the bathroom, then pulled on a heavy robe and some socks, because dude. Cold. Then he headed downstairs. He could hear the clack of billiard balls and the soft sound of Motown playing, so he followed that to a huge game room.

“Hello?” he called out, hating how tentative his voice sounded. He didn’t appreciate being frightened. He hated it, in fact.

“Hey.” Lucas came out to meet him at the doorway. “Come on, man. Come in and sit with us.”

“Us?” He frowned.

“Mags is here. So is Nell. And one of my guys, Abel just made a food and meds and supplies delivery. The storm is starting, so he’s with us until it’s over.” That smile was warm. Easy.

“Oh.” One of Lucas’s guys, hmm? That was handy. Still, he couldn’t blame the guy for bringing his lover to shack up for a big storm. “Good deal. I just came to get a drink. I’m dry.”

“Sure. What would you like?” Lucas led him into the game room where his two ladies and a rangy blond guy were playing pool. “Water, Cokes, and juice in the fridge here, or I can run get you milk or a beer from the main kitchen.”

“I’ll take a water, thanks.” He had to watch his weight, just in case they decided to have reshoots. Not like before, but still…

“Cool.” Lucas went to grab him one, and Mags grinned at him.

“You crashed and burned, babe.”

“I was in a bombing. That stresses me out.” He went to get a hug. “You’re okay? How about the rest of the crew? Is anyone hurt bad?”

He didn’t understand why anyone would want to hurt them.

“I’m fine. So is Nell. The worst was a cut that needed about twenty-five stitches and one blown eardrum. Everyone is off for the duration of the storm, at least, with pay.”

“Good. Good. I want a few days to rest, for sure, and I want to make sure there’s better security on set. That’s…” Scary. “…wrong.”

“We’re going to work on that,” Lucas said, and somehow, that put his shoulders back down from around his ears. “This is Abel, by the way. He’s a good guy, worked on a lot of movie projects.”

Abel lifted a Coke can. “Mr. Weatherby.”

“Cash, please. Nice to meet you, Abel. I’m glad you made it here before the storm.” Which he needed to go look at. “I’m going to explore some.”

See the snow. Find the pool. See where everything was.

“Sure.” He could feel two sets of watchful eyes on him, but it was Lucas who followed at a respectful distance.

Which was good.

“I’m not running away. I just want to see the snow.” His nerves were shot. Completely wrecked.

“I know. I’m not worried about you, honey. I’m worried about whoever bombed your set. Let me take care of things, okay?”

He pondered that, then nodded sharply. “Sure. Okay.” He headed to what must be the patio.

It was cold and windy, the snow was coming down, and he leaned back against the wall of the condo. He couldn’t stay out here. He was in his socks. But this was…wild.

Lucas’s shadow fell on him but stayed right there. Not intruding but protecting him.

“Someone set off a bomb. That’s never happened to me before…”

“No. No I imagine not. It’s unnerving at best, downright terrifying at worst.”

“Yeah.” Maybe Lucas got it. At least a little.

He stood there, shaking, the cold seeping in deeper and deeper.

“Hey. We’ll make sure nothing like this can happen again. I promise.” Lucas came to steer him back inside. “You want to fire up the hot tub in a minute, that’s cool. But it’s too cold out here.”

“I—I’m okay.” But he was freezing. He was cold in his bones.

“No you’re not.” Lucas actually picked him up, carrying him inside. “You’re cold. Freaked out. At loose ends. I get it.”

“Do you?” Lucas smelled good. Strong.

“I do. My second assignment in the field after I went to protection work, there was a personal explosive device. We didn’t lose anyone, but there were injuries and a lot of chaos.”

“I’m sorry. That sucks. I didn’t have anything to do with it. You have my word.”

“I know.” When he glanced at Lucas in surprise, Lucas shrugged. “If you’d done this, you wouldn’t be wigged.”

Okay, that was funny. Seriously. Funny as hell. He started chuckling, tickled as anything.

Lucas put him down in the kitchen, then brought a blanket to wrap him in. “I want a snack.”

“Okay.” He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do about it. He could…burn popcorn in the microwave.

“I’ll make it, honey. You can just join me.” Lucas got in the fridge, and before he could blink there was cheese and meat, pickles and olives on a tray. Cool.

“That’s…that’s pretty neat. You just put that together.” He thought so, anyway. Maybe they’d bought it that way.

“I like charcuterie.” Lucas’s cheeks went pink, so yeah. The guy had done all that himself.

“I do too. I could live on cheese and meat, but olives are magical.”

“They are.” Lucas offered him one, and it was salty and sour and perfect when he nipped it out of those long fingers.

They stared at each other, because electricity had jumped between them when Lucas had touched his lips.

He hadn’t just felt it, he’d seen it. Lightning. They had lightning together.

“Oh, cool. Snacks.” Mags interrupted anything he might have said by coming out to grab a beer out of the big fridge. “Man, maybe I ought to make hot chocolate instead. That storm is intense out there.”

“It is. It’s cold.” And he wasn’t sure if he was grateful or pissed that Mags interrupted him. “How long’s it supposed to last?”

“At least eight hours. Come to the den and snuggle with us. We can binge-watch chef shows.”

“Not movies?” Lucas raised an eyebrow.

“Nope. I love competition shows.”

“Can we bring our snack, Mom?” he teased.

“God, yes.” Mags led the way, beer in hand. They followed, sharing a grin, because he had to.

The big couches in the den were strewn with blankets and pillows and he had to admit, it did look like the perfect place to weather a snowstorm. And the Abel guy had disappeared, so he didn’t have to feel weird.

They settled in, Mags next to Nell, and he curled up with Lucas close by. He was warmer now, and he felt like he was real again. Thank god.

They put on some show about baking that required the bakers to pull a Sherlock Holmes and decide what to bake, and he just floated, listening to Mags laugh. She did love silly cooking shows, and he appreciated not having to watch movies. He could be too critical, or too weird because he worked with a lot of these people.

He didn’t want to think, if he was honest. He wanted to float and breathe. To soothe himself and eat cheese and olives.

So he did just that. And if he kind of missed the opportunity he might have had to explore that lightning, well… That was just his own problem. Lucas was right there, and if he leaned just right, he’d be in the guy’s lap.

Mags wouldn’t thank him for being inappropriate with his bodyguard. It was not on the list of approved actions, so far as he knew. So he tucked the blanket around himself tighter and closed his eyes. Maybe the best way to pass the time during a blizzard was to sleep.

Seven

Lucas figured Cash was about to explode.

A day and some later, and it was still snowing. They had almost fourteen inches on the ground, and Cash had slept about as much as the guy needed to in order for that arm to heal. Foreleg. Whatever form Cash was in at the time. The doc had come and gone before the snow got too deep, pronouncing him on the mend. That was all that mattered, he guessed.

But he was about to have to get very entertaining. Even Mags and Nell had abandoned them, and Abel was staying out of the way, the rangy coyote shifter knowing when someone wasn’t responding well to his presence.

Cash had opened the door for the eighth time, staring around the snow and getting prepared to leap.

“Wanna bubble in the hot tub, man? Or we can try to wade over to the pool. It’s indoor, and it’s heated.” He was willing to get wet. Hell, tigers loved the water.

“Heated is good. Indoor is good, but then is getting back bad?”

“Well, we can bundle up. There’s a bathroom in there. And it looks like they’re trying to keep up with the walkways.” Cash could swim laps, maybe. Work off some energy. He wanted the guy to stop contemplating running off into the snow and becoming an icicle.

“Okay. If I have to pull the big-star card and have someone carry me, I will.” Cash’s wink was pure wickedness. Little shit.

“Good thing I’m a tiger. Come on. Get your suit and then get some layers on.”

“Got it. Meet you back here in five.” Cash leaped up the stairs, two at a time.

Lucas walked instead, texting Abel. <Going to the pool to swim. Keep an eye on the camera feed?>

<Will do>

Lucas changed into his swim trunks with a shit ton of clothes over it. He stomped into a pair of Wellies, then headed back out to meet Cash.

Cash was wearing a little pair of shorts, and precious little else. Oh, flip-flops. That was… not practical, but adorable.

“You’re going to freeze.”

“You’re going to wrap me in blankets and haul me.”

“Oh-ho! You were serious. Lazy butt.” Lucas loved the idea of being able to touch, though. So he grabbed a couple of blankets from the couches downstairs and wrapped Cash in them. “Ready?”

Cash pushed right into his arms. “Let’s do this!”

They were both laughing as they ran, and Lucas surprised himself with how fun this was. He wasn’t expecting any more than a spoiled star, and Cash was so much cooler.

They skidded into the pool building, the warmth and humidity almost making him moan. He did love that feeling. He plopped Cash down on his feet and started tossing off clothes, piece by piece.

Cash stepped out of his flip-flops and jumped right into the pool, the lean body slicing through the water.

Lucas watched Cash swim for long moments, then went to check the access points to the pool room so he’d know where to keep an eye out. Not that he wasn’t going to get his swim on. Because he totally was.

Cash moved constantly, never stopping, never even slowing. He just cut through the water way more like a dolphin than a cat, with clean strokes and an economy of movement Lucas admired.

Someone had more energy than was reasonable, that was for sure.

Lucas spent a few pleasant seconds thinking of ways he could work off Cash’s extra fuel. Then he dove into the water, cutting through like the tiger he was. Even if he would have backed into the water in his tiger form.

Cash lapped him, once, twice, three times, then tickled his toes on the way back by.

Laughing, he surfaced for some air, just treading water and watching, waiting to see when Cash would slow down. That way he would know what it would take. He needed to know Cash’s limits, needed to know where he was in endurance and such.

It took forever before the kitty began to slow, to ease himself along in the water. Then Cash turned onto his back and stroked that way for a little while, his expression blissful. This guy had some issues to work through.

“Mmm…this is a nice pool. Good find.”

“Thanks. The boss has good taste in houses.” Brock had as much land as god, maybe. But that made for safe houses all over, so who was he to complain?

“Neat. Do you like him? Your boss?”

“Brock is an enigma, but he’s a good guy. And his mate is a bear, so he’s an open book. It works.” He liked them both, really. His last situation hadn’t been nearly as good.

“A bear? Dude. Like grr-arrg and shit?”

“Grizzly shifter. Huge.” Locke could take the head off most anything that moved.

“I know one of those. She’s a chef in Jackson Hole. Fierce and wonderful.”

“Locke is laid-back, but if you go after his people, he will fuck up your world.”

Cash opened one eye to look at him. “Brock and Locke?”

“Right? Too cute, huh?” He winked over. “Locke is a last name, Brock a first. The bear is actually named Paddington.”

Cash flailed, then went under, laughing his ass off.

Fuck, don’t let the primary drown. That would suck. He grabbed Cash, popping him back up to the surface. “No breathing water, man. It’s not good for you.”

Cash clung to him, wheezing. “No. No, that’s bad. Paddington? Seriously?”

“He says his mom had a sense of humor.”

“That’s fucking glorious. I love it.” Cash’s eyes were gleaming. “He doesn’t go by Paddy?”

“No way. Though Brock calls him that often. He also goes by Griz.” All he could do was grin in return. “Makes me glad my name is just Lucas.” He did wonder if Cash was the real name of this man in his arms, or if it was an actor name.

“Lucas is a great name. I’m an Anthony Cash, but I’ve been Cash since I was a little kid.”

“Yeah? Is the Anthony a family name?” He let Cash float away, but damn, he was reluctant to let go.

“Yeah, my grampa’s. He’s a hoot. He’s a math professor. Smart guy.”

“That’s cool. My mom just liked Lucas.” He chuckled. “Nothing weighty about it.”

“It means bringer of light. That’s pretty cool, really.”

“No shit?” Had he known that? At some point he had to have. “Cool. You swim like a champ. Did you play a swimmer at some point?”

“I was surfing in Australia a week ago, man. It was a late summer there and an early winter here.”

“Oh, right. I forget, you’re like, the extreme sports guy. You like that? I mean, doing movies that are so physical?” He started stroking lazily to the other end of the pool, both to check the doors, and to get his own exercise in.

“Sure. I like challenging myself. I don’t do bored well, eh?”

“No. I can tell.” He laughed, turning to backstroke back to Cash, proving he could do it too.

“Oh, like you don’t do what you do because you’re an adrenaline junkie.”

Lucas thought about that. “I got into it for that, yeah. But these days, it really is about protecting people. It makes me feel like I’m useful. Like all this training wasn’t for nothing.”

“What kind of training? I want to know all about it.” Cash floated, those gold eyes gleaming with interest.

“Well, I did all sorts. Military. Private security. I even did SWAT training, though I found out I was ill-suited to police work. Too many guys who failed their psych eval handling guns…”

“Oh, man. You probably hate guarding spoiled little assholes.”

“I’ve had my share of those.” He met that gold gaze again, unable to stop looking. “I thought you might be one, but I’m betting no.”

“I try not to be.” Cash held his eyes. “I do get tired, though. I admit it.”

“I bet. You live in the public eye.” Lucas snorted as water got in his nose. “Now, that doesn’t mean we won’t clash.”

“Of course we will. You want me safe, and I want to not be bored.”

“Mmm. You also have a bit of a rep to uphold, even if it makes you crazy. But you’ll stick with me because a bomb is way more serious than the occasional nutty fan who rushes you.” He knew that deep down. The bomb had freaked Cash right out.

“Yeah. That wasn’t great.” Cash swam away from him, moving into the shadows.

“I know.” He checked his danger areas before going after Cash. “But I got you here. I promise.” And he knew Abel had eyes on the security cams as well.

“Do you think it was about me? Do you think it was my fault?”

“Your fault? No. Were they trying to get to you? I don’t know. Our tech guys are diving into the web, looking for scuttlebutt. Have you heard any rumors about someone being unhappy about the film or the team?” Sometimes, there were things tossed around on set that no one else heard.

“No. No, it’s been a surprisingly friendly film. We’ve all gotten on fine.”

“Okay. Well, if anyone can find out what’s happening, it’s our guys.” They were the best in the business. That was why Lucas had gone after the position at Apex so hard.

“Cool.” Cash came out of the shadows to meet him halfway. “Wanna play Marco Polo?”

“I could just toss you around like one of those Scottish cabers.”

“I could pole vault over you, just leapfrog away.”

“You could. But you don’t want to.” No, he was banking on Cash wanting to play.

“I don’t. I’m bored. Let’s play.”

“You got it. Tag.” He shoved Cash and struck out, swimming strong and hard. He’d been holding back until now.

“No fair!” He heard Cash’s words, and then the jaguarundi took off after him.

They made laps and cut across the pool, and at one point, they were a tiger and a much smaller golden cat, who managed to get the tiger by the tail.

He roared and lunged out of the water, flailing, and Cash launched himself at him, fearless. He had to catch Cash by the scruff of his neck to keep him from sliding back into the pool and banging his skull. His paw was the size of Cash’s head, and it was so hot, so right.

Cash pounced, nibbling on his ear, and he chuffed, the laughter coming right to the surface. Then Cash backflipped off his shoulders, the motion smooth and quicksilver.

Lucas couldn’t maneuver quite that well, but he planted his front paws, then turned, giving chase. He was an opportunity predator, but at short distances, he was hard to beat.

Cash was fast, but he’d used up the bulk of his energy in his original swim, so Lucas caught him easily.

They rolled over and over, away from the pool, taking out a couple of lounge chairs. Cash growled at him, but the sound was more playful than warning.

He gnawed on Cash’s neck, but gently, careful of that foreleg. It seemed to be healed, but a guy never knew, and he didn’t want to damage the primary.

Cash was altogether too much fun to play with. Lucas could get used to this.

Rolling over, Cash gave him that fuzzy belly, tongue hanging out. Yeah. Now it was time to feed him.

He nuzzled in, incapable of denying himself that sweetly scented fur.

Cash went still, all but for his tail, which curled and released. Not lashing back and forth, but more… moving. Showing curiosity.

He chuffed again, inhaling deep. That scent was heady, filling his nostrils.

Wiggling, Cash pushed at his head with those oversize paws, so he let go, allowing Cash to escape him. He went to the blankets, using his nose to push their stuff into one and make a bundle with his teeth. They could go back like this.

Cash stood on his hind legs and opened the door, those paws clever and quick.

They padded back to the condo, and for a moment, he thought Cash might have to ride him like a pony the snow got so deep. Then they hit a patch that had been shoveled and took that the rest of the way up.

He wasn’t sure if he was disappointed or not.

They got into the condo by way of him shifting and typing in the code, and he rushed Cash inside, the cold intense all of a sudden. His nipples went hard and his balls tried to crawl back up in his body, and he closed the door behind them, doing a super quick danger area check before rushing to the couch so he could pile up under the blankets.

“Damn, that’s cold, kitty.”

Cash made a rough noise that might sub for a meow in a domestic cat, and came to leap up on the couch. On his lap.

“You’re cold too, huh?” He wrapped Cash in a blanket. “I guess you’re from warmer climes.” Jaguarundis ranged in the southwest and Texas, and down into Mexico and possibly Central America. They were built for way less weather than he was. “I was going to feed you, but we can snuggle some first.”

Cash licked his chin and snuggled hard, pushing against his muscles.

He rubbed that sleek, wet back, warming them both up with the motion. Cash made the most amazing noises—chirrups and purrs and meows—and his tiger heard them all.

Cash was way easier to please as a cat. He’d have to remember that. Shift, play, snuggle. Eat. He’d almost forgotten that part. As soon as they warmed up, he would see what he could tempt Cash with. He and Mags had laid in all sorts of Cash’s favorites, according to her. Today he thought he would assemble frachos, or French fry nachos.

Cash purred softly, cheek sliding along his collarbone, scenting him with those tickling whiskers.

He laughed, the tickle amazing. This was probably a bad idea, but he could feel how starved Cash was for touch, for closeness. Not sex, he would bet. Just…contact.

This poor kitty lived in a bubble where he was isolated from danger, from the public, but there weren’t any friends, no posse, so to speak. Even Mags and Nell, who clearly loved the guy, were in the employee bubble.

So food could wait a tiny bit.

Cash slowly relaxed, the soft purrs getting longer, softly, more rhythmic.

“That’s it, honey. I got you.” He hummed, letting Cash relax. “Is it okay if I get some food on now?”

Cash blinked up at him, then slowly shifted back to human. “Jesus, I’m sorry, man. That was uncalled for.”

“Nah. We had a good hard swim, and you were feeling right with the world.” He patted Cash’s back, slipping out from under him with real reluctance. “But now I’m starving.” He kept it light, grinning a little.

“Starving. I hear that. I could eat a moose.” Cash stood up, bare and beautiful. “Let me grab my clothes, and I can help.”

“I’ll meet you at the kitchen.” He winked, then headed off to get dressed himself. It was far safer to be fully clothed.

He peered out the door, surprised to find the snow still falling. It was heavy and wet, and it seemed like it was going to last forever. Lucas shook his head. Cash would crash after he ate though. He would bet on it.

Mr. Kitty had worked hard, and now Lucas intended to fill him up with food, wrap him in warm blankets, and let him sleep.

Lucas dressed, then went to the kitchen to look at the food he and Mags had laid in. Maybe something like a soup or a pasta. Yeah. Yeah, chicken tortilla soup. That could cook up faster than frachos in the Instant Pot he saw on the counter and be low carb enough for the hard body.

“What can I do?” Cash bounced in, wearing a pair of loose sweats that were huge on him.

“Do you chop?” Without losing fingers? “I need carrots and celery in soup-size pieces.” He grabbed a can of Ro-Tel and one of black beans. Chicken stock, chicken tenderloins…

“Carrots and celery. Totally.” Cash grabbed the vegetables and took them to the sink to wash, whistling softly as he did.

Lucas poured all the cans and boxes into the pot, then cut up chicken to toss in. Salt. Pepper. Garlic. Cumin. He’d made Mags get all the Mexican spices. Tacos, quesadillas, all that shit he could do.

“Mmm… you have my number. All those smells are nummy.” Cash brought him the very nicely cut vegetables.

“Sweet. Now we dump these and the onions into the sauté pan, sweat them, add them to the pot, and boom. Soup in half an hour.”

“Rock on. I like soup.” Cash headed for the fridge and pulled out two bottles of water, handing one to him.

“We’ve got tortilla chips and avocado to put in it, and cheese and sour cream if you like. I do.” He wasn’t sure how far into the calories Cash would go.

“I love cheese.” Cash grinned. “I earned some with that swim. Thanks for that. I could have bubbled in the hot tub, but that really worked out some of the kinks.”

And the energy.

“Thanks for the water. I’m looking forward to hot chocolate in my coffee tonight.”

“Mmm… coffee. I’m in.” Cash grinned. “Is it sugar-free hot chocolate?”

“I do think Mags got some,” Lucas said. “Not for me, though. I got Swiss Miss.”

“No shit? So no artisan Mexican chocolate or Belgian ganache?”

“Nope.” Lucas boogied. “I want the taste of my childhood.”

“I love the Abuelita brand. That’s what my best friend from school always had at home.” A bittersweet expression crossed Cash’s face.

“Yeah? Tell me about them?” He stirred onions and stuff, not wanting to pressure Cash, but intensely curious about the man before the famous actor.

“His name was Kent. Kent Villareal. He was a giant dork, an ostrich shifter. He was all-state in track and went to school to be a teacher.”

“Wow. An ostrich.” Lucas chuckled. “Did he bite? I’ve heard they’re biters.”

“Well…we met in detention, so…” Cash chuckled, and that turned into warm laughter.

“Oh, man. I was way more of a loner in school, and if I had gotten detention, I would have gotten my ass whipped.” His father was a stern fellow, and he and Lucas rarely spoke any longer.

“We had a lot of friends and a lot of fun. He passed away a year ago from liver cancer. He has three little ones.”

“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry.” Shit. Now he felt like an ass for pushing Cash to talk about his friend. What if he wasn’t ready to? “That sucks so hard.”

“It did. I hated it, but it was fast, so he didn’t suffer long. He was a neat man, and his wife is a sweetheart.”

“So you stay in touch, huh?”

Cash nodded easily. “I’m helping save for his kids’ college and all. Leah is a good person, and she works hard, but I don’t want them to need anything that I can give. Within reason, of course. She won’t let me spoil them too much.”

“That’s decent of you.”

“Bullshit. I’m a spoiled movie star with no responsibilities and no sense. He was a schoolteacher with a family and a wife and a house. I can’t just turn my back on them.” Cash shrugged and sighed. “He was a great guy. Seriously.”

“That doesn’t mean you’re not.” Lucas paused. “No matter what I said about you to begin with.”

Cash popped the top on his water and took a long pull. “One good day might not be the best way to decided I’m not a dick. I get bored. Frustrated. Growly.”

“Mmm. It’s my job to deal with that.” He got the lid on the pot and the timer set. “And I’m a quick learner.”

“I’m glad you were here yesterday. That was scary.” Cash took another drink. “So is that your lover, your partner there?”

“Abel? God no. We met like a month ago. I mean, he’s a good guy, but he’s not my type.” Abel was damn omnivorous, a total player. And he also preferred to do just what he was doing with his time. Supply runs, pinch hitting, in and out.

Lucas liked to work a job, get immersed in it, and be challenged.

And Cash was a challenge.

“Oh. So, um, just a colleague?”

“Yep. That’s why he’s retreated to his room unless we need him. He’ll sneak out from time to time until the storm is over, and food will disappear, but you’re stuck with me, really.”

Cash shrugged, the move elaborately casual. Bad acting. “I can work with that.”

“Oh, good.” He pulled out the avocados and limes, ready to get them going as soon as the pot went off. They would steam it out while they sliced and squeezed.

“So, do you like it? Bodyguarding? Have you met anyone cool?”

“Mmm. I’ve met a lot of rich people with bad taste.” He grinned. “Apex has been much more fun. You know that leopard shifter, Jeanne Magritte? I got to work for her for a month.”

“The model? Yeah, she’s a hoot.” Cash chuckled. “And she must have made you nuts. She’s a wild child.”

“You know her?”

“We shot a comedy together. She loves to play Truth or Dare.”

Of course. Lucas shook his head, amused as hell. “Who’s the coolest person you’ve met so far?” He wanted to know all there was to know about Cash, and he’d met so many damn people that his answer might be pretty revealing.

“Honestly? I met Josephine Dellama, the poet? Talking to her is like knowing that you’re in the presence of brilliance. She’s funny and clever, and she loves to play cards.”

“Oh man. Do you like card games?” How cool would that be? Lucas knew it made him a fuddy-duddy, but he could play rummy or cribbage for hours. His grandparents had taught him all the old card games, eschewing things like Uno in favor of something they could play with a regular deck.

“What do you think we do in the trailers for hours when we’re waiting? I love to play cards.”

“Then we’re in luck. I have a travel cribbage board and a deck of cards.” Every so often he could convince one of the other guys to play when they were on assignment together, but Abel wasn’t much on cards unless the game was poker.

“Yeah? Cool. I’m in. I have a deck for Canasta and Five Crowns in my luggage.”

“Oh cool. We can have a marathon session if it keeps snowing.” Which it was going to, he thought.

“Mags and Nell play Pinochle and Spades, too.”

“Damn. I lucked out.” Though really, he wasn’t sure he wanted the ladies intruding.

“I know I seem too young, but this doesn’t require a Wi-Fi connection or a ton of pieces. I like having an option.” Cash’s smile was warm, eager. The kit’s nose actually twitched.

“Well, if you want to play while we wait for lunch…”

Cash was gone in a swirl of motion and back moments later with two decks of cards. “Which one first?”

“Let’s go with Canasta. You’ll have to teach me the crowns game.” He felt like a kid. This was awesome.

“Fair enough. Have a seat. We have time, right?”

“Yep.” They settled at the table to play cards, and Lucas figured this was all going pretty damn well.

Go him.

Of course, who knew what would happen when it stopped snowing?

Eight

Cash sat on the roof of the condo and stared at the snow.

Three days it kept falling, and it was huge and deep and white and insane. He wanted to run around, but it was too much, so he perched up next to the chimney and watched the flakes just come down.

He’d never seen a blizzard like this. He wondered if this was the kind of storm that caused avalanches. Big wet flakes on ground that hadn’t really frozen yet when it started… The Texan in him was horrified at the idea of a moving wall of snow.

Still, it was worth pondering. It was weirdly exciting, when he got right down to it.

He grinned. Exciting was the name of the game these days. Blizzards. Bombs. Lucas… Damn.

Cash wasn’t sure he should be thinking thoughts about Lucas, but he was. He could lick Mr. Stripes all over. The man was a brick house.

He was also way more fun than initially advertised. Lucas played cards with reckless abandon, swam like a fish, and gave as good as he got at kitty tag. All-in-all, if Cash had to have security, Stripes worked just fine.

Maybe he engendered a little late-night fantasy jerking off, but that was okay. Cash wasn’t exactly able to go out and find someone to play with anyway. Not with the paparazzi and crazy fans about to pop up anywhere and everywhere, so his hand was his best friend. And it wasn’t like he’d even smelled the Abel guy, let alone seen him. But he was oddly relieved Lucas and that guy weren’t a thing.

Man, it was getting bitter up here, and the snow was wet, but he was sort of frozen and snuggled up against the chimney. So he stayed where he was until he heard a thump and scratch on the roof, and suddenly Lucas was there.

“Holy shit. When Mags told me to check the roof, I thought she was nuts. What the hell are you doing up here?”

“Watching the snow.” Duh. “What are you doing up here?”

“Looking for you. You’re a sitting duck up here if you don’t freeze to death first.” Lucas had his security-man voice on. “Come on.”

“I am not a duck.” He was frozen to the roof tiles, though. Like totally. If he moved, his balls might break off.

“You aren’t? Quack.” Lucas came to peel him off his perch. The guy was awfully fond of manhandling him. But he was kind of frozen, so he was grateful to be on the move. “God, you’re freezing.”

“A little, yeah. I was woolgathering.” Thinking deep thoughts.

“About what?” Lucas got him inside, then grabbed towels to rub him dry.

“I, uh…what?” Oh, burning. His skin was burning.

“What were you thinking deep thoughts about?” Lucas dropped the towel and rubbed his arms. “Let’s get that blood flowing in you again.”

“Avalanches and sex.” His teeth started chattering.

“Uh…” Lucas pulled him close, stroking his back. “Okay, this calls for hard-core warming before your heart explodes.” Lucas hauled him to the room nearest the window, which looked to be Lucas’s from the neatly arranged bag and the bed made with military precision. Lucas tossed the covers back, stripped his ass naked, then pulled him into bed and covered them up.

“Oh.” His eyes went wide, and he cried out, his body shaking hard. “So hot.”

“I know. I need you to breathe. You can overwhelm your system really easily, but man, you were so damn cold. Too cold.” Lucas felt like a blast furnace against him.

“I wanted to w-w-watch the snow. It’s so b-b-big.”

“It is. I could go wallow in it. In tiger form. As a human, we need to bundle up.” Lucas held him close when he would have tried to escape.

“I—” His body was warming up, and his cock was trying to respond. No fair.

“Shhh. It’s okay, man. You’ll be fine. Just breathe and try to relax your muscles.”

Yeah, no. The feel of those big hands on him was not relaxing. “Dude, you aren’t soothing. You’re so hot—not. Not, I mean.”

God, was his brain frozen?

“I know it feels too warm, but that’s what hypothermia feels like.”

“Trust me, some of my parts are too heated.”

Lucas paused. “Oh?”

“Yeah. I know, rude, but true. I’m sorry.” And embarrassing. God.

“Nah. Not rude. It happens. I just don’t want you to think I got you in my bed for that.” Lucas sounded…amused? Was that cool or maddening?

“No. No, of course not.” And that totally killed the urge too. No one wanted to be the joke, even when he deserved it. “I think I’m going to go jump in a hot shower.”

“Hey.” One hand landed on his ass, holding him right there. “Don’t run off.”

“Don’t laugh at me.” He wanted to pop Lucas in the nose now.

“I’m not. I was laughing at me.”

“What? What did you do that was funny?” He was getting tired of being confused.

“I have you in bed with me, and I tried to convince you it was totally innocent.” Lucas shook his head. “It’s not.”

“Are you coming onto me when I was busy getting hard against you?” Surely direct was the right way to handle this.

“Yep. I mean, I was worried you were freezing to death, but I could just as easily have put you in a lukewarm shower. I wanted to hold you.” Lucas’s arms tightened around him. “Like the other night, only skin-to-skin, not fur. Much sexier.”

“You are fine as a tiger too. Strong, fierce.” He dared to snuggle right in. “I should get cold more often.”

“Yeah, not that cold.” Lucas petted and stroked his back, his ass. “But snuggling is good. So is touching. And now you’re not shaking.”

“I guess not.” He let his lips graze Lucas’s shoulder. “In fact, the heat feels good now.”

“I think so too.”

He could feel Lucas’s cock rising hard against his belly, hot as a brand. “Is that for me?”

He dared to reach down, stroke Lucas once, base to tip.

“Uhn.” Lucas moaned, cock jumping in his hand, body rocking against him. Oh, wow. Now that wasn’t just a casual ‘this is a little bit okay’. That was real heat. Someone had been wanting him for more than just a few minutes.

He got a rush, the sensation so powerful, so he stroked again, thumb sliding across the tip.

“You are one naughty cat, honey.” Lucas grabbed his hand, not pulling it away, but pressing it around that long, thick cock to get more pressure. “No teasing.”

“No? You’re sure?” He couldn’t stop his smile or his purr, for that matter.

“Nope.” Lucas laughed, the sound breathless. “But it sounded good.” The hand not holding his slid down over his ass, then under his balls, cupping them firmly. No fair. Those were some long arms.

He spread, rocking down into that touch, jonesing on the pressing, the little zing. Damn, that was something. He could get into that.

“Mmm. Now you’re not cold at all, honey. You’re on fire.” Lucas rubbed and pushed and pressed. His toes curled, his body undulating. He wanted more, and he was suddenly glad he’d been so fascinated by the storm.

Who knew how long it might have taken to get into Lucas’s bed otherwise?

Cash tried to give as well as he took, fingers dragging over Lucas’s skin, petting and teasing, nails brushing over the tight nipples. That big body was full of hot spots, Lucas twisting and moaning, those fingers making him nuts. Lucas opened him up a tiny bit at a time, and it wasn’t enough.

“Don’t you have lube?” he complained.

“In the kit bag on the dresser.”

“Thank goodness. I didn’t want to have to bite you.” That was reasonable, right.

“Mmm. Bite away, but not over that.”

“Yum. Be right back.” He bounced out of bed, his ass freezing for the ten seconds it took him to find the lube. “Whew! Your room is damn cold.”

“I know. I even checked the vents to make sure they were open. I think I just have all the big windows near me.”

“My room is toasty. Weird.” He tossed Lucas the lube and dove back in.

“That just means we make a blanket fort.” Lucas popped the lube open but pulled him up to straddle those long thighs before getting two fingers wet as hell.

“Mmm…hot, steamy, under-the-blanket sex. I approve.” He bent down and licked a lazy circle around one of Lucas’s nipples.

“Uh-huh.” One wet finger slid inside him, the scrape intense even with the lube.

He responded by fastening on, sucking firmly. He wanted Lucas to feel him too.

“Damn, honey. Your mouth. So good on me.” Lucas stroked him with the other hand, long sweeps of those fingers making him tingle.

He was a closet bottom, and he loved that Lucas somehow read that, knew it, got it, and managed to make him purr. He wiggled, asking for more, and Lucas gave it, two fingers inside him now. Those hands were huge, and he felt full already.

“Listen to you, sweet. So many sounds.”

His kind were vocal, that was for sure. They chirped and chuffed and growled and generally made noise.

“You have a very nice bedside growl,” he shot back.

“I get a little intense.” Lucas nipped his lower lip after pulling him back up for a kiss.

He pushed into the kiss with a low moan, arching back onto Lucas’s fingers. He rode Lucas’s hand, his muscles clenching, his cock bouncing. He could get off just like this. Maybe he would. Maybe he would beg Lucas to fuck him. Who knew?

There weren’t rules to this sort of thing—a cat did as he would.

And Lucas seemed down with anything he wanted, just giving and giving, even though he could feel Lucas’s heartbeat in the big cock pressed to his belly.

He grabbed the slick, lubing up the fat cock so he could take it. He needed to feel it pressing inside him and filling him up.

“You sure, sweet? I mean, I’m ready if that’s what you want, but you don’t have to.”

“Are you kidding?” He gave Lucas an astonished stare. “I need this.”

“Thank god.”

“Yeah. Let’s see if we can make each other insane.”

“Oh, I know we can.” Lucas’s laugh was just pure sex, and those fingers worked him for a few more long moments before Lucas pulled free, then lifted him up.

The fat cock was topped with a thick, mushroom-shaped head that burned against his hole. He wiggled, getting it into a better position so he could slide down, and it popped right into him, his muscles clenching, then opening up.

“Fuck.” Eyes going wide, Lucas stared at him, right into him. “Yeah.”

“Uh-huh.” Damn, that burned just so, and he panted as his body adjusted.

Lucas nodded hard, then arched up while pulling him down, filling him all the way. He grunted, his eyes trying to roll back in his head. He was in so much trouble. This was too damn good.

Then Lucas moved him again, and he stopped thinking. He didn’t need to do anything but feel. He let Lucas take him, that huge body undulating under him, Lucas making these tiger noises. They were amazing.

His own sounds were higher, lighter, but they melded with the tiger’s and made their own music.

They rocked together, panting, both of them straining toward the end now. It was amazing how they’d gone from foreplay to main event in mere moments, but there was no stopping them now.

They could play games after this first need was relieved, Cash knew it. They had plenty of time. It was still snowing, and there was no call sheet in sight.

Lucas growled, grabbing Cash’s cock in one hand to stroke it.

The pressure was perfect, making his toes curl, and his eyes cross. He humped into that hand, his whole body on fire, his skin too darned tight. Damn. That was better than his own hand by far. Better than anything he’d had in a long, long time.

“Hot little bastard. Look at you move.” Lucas licked his lips, eyes like lasers. They stared into him, giving him something to latch his own focus onto, something solid in a world gone wobbly without enough air in it.

Cash swore that the room began to shrink, to tighten up around both of them. The bubble was going to have to pop, and he worked his body up and down, back and forth.

“More, Lucas. Harder.”

Lucas drove into him, giving him thrusts that rattled his teeth. “Everything. Take me, sweet. Take all of me.”

“Bring it—bring it on.” He was willing and able, no matter how much smaller he might seem.

“Fuck, yes.” Lucas bit his neck, not where it would show, and not hard enough to leave a mark, but damn he wanted that. He wanted to wear bruises that Lucas left on his body. They would heal fast. He was a shifter.

“Do that again and mean it.”

Lucas struck, biting hard, really giving it to him.

He arched violently, the zing rocking through his body and making him burn. Spunk sprayed from his body, his balls emptying in a rush.

That seemed to be all it took for Lucas to come along with him, inside him, filling him with hot seed. He felt every spasm of that huge cock, Lucas giving him every bit of sensation.

He slumped down against Lucas, the huge chest making a perfect mattress under him. “Whoa.”

“Mmmmhmm. Warm now.” Lucas tucked the covers around them, though, which he was grateful for. Any finger of air that seeped in was freezing cold. They needed to move the man to another room.

Maybe his.

He grinned, loving that idea. He’d have to make sure that Lucas didn’t snore, of course, but that was all.

“What are you so goofy about?”

“Access. So, that was amazing.”

Lucas smoothed a hand over his back again. “More than. Damn, sweet. You’re built for me. I swear.”

“Mmm…” He purred again, this time deeper, and arched under the caress. The feel of Lucas inside him and all around him, the scent of them together, all of it conspired to make him a very happy kitty. “Not sorry I was on the roof.”

“I’m not either, but damn, sweet. Try not to freeze so hard before I find you next time. Even us shifters can lose a toe if it gets too frostbitten.”

“I promise not to lose anything important.” He would just lure Lucas in to play with him when he got bored. Which he would. This snowstorm was a real force of nature and even swimming was out of the question right now. So he would just climb Lucas like a jungle gym.

He yawned, snuggling right in, rubbing one cheek against Lucas’s chest.

Lucas held him, loving on him, really letting him relax. And he did. He could sleep now.

And he hadn’t even had to freeze his nuts completely off to do it.

Nine

The storm finally blew out two days later, and Mags and Nell were able to make it out and get some groceries. Abel left, and Lucas checked in with the bosses, just to see if James had found out anything about the bomb on Cash’s set.

“The scuttlebutt is that it was someone who’s targeting the director, but there weren’t problems in Australia… They’re still investigating. Shooting is at a halt. Two of the other big names have gone home for the holidays.”

“Okay. So am I on holiday duty with the primary?”

“You are. His people are paying you a bonus for it,” Brock said. “Does that work?”

“Yeah, it’s good.” In fact, he kind of loved the prospect. Maybe they’d even head out of the ski area and drive up to his cabin farther off the grid. That way they could ski and stuff, have some fun without the worry about someone spotting Cash…

Unless Cash had family he wanted to go visit, at which point, he would head to Texas or wherever Cash wanted to go.

“Are you sure? I mean, I know that the holidays are…special.”

“I would just be hanging out with you guys and being a nuisance.” He really didn’t have a lot of people anymore. “I’m good.”

And he wanted to know how Cash celebrated. Did he have family? Was he religious? Did he travel over Christmas?

So he would find out, which made him happy.

“You’re liking this assignment, huh?”

“Turns out he’s a good guy, man.”

“That’s good. You want that—someone easy to get along with. He doesn’t tend to keep personal security—although you’re the first who’s another cat.”

“Yeah, his jacket said he tended toward foxes and wolves.” That was a mistake. It took a cat to understand how bored a cat could get, and how much trouble they could get into. They had an innate wickedness, and Cash? Was begging for someone to rebel against and be reeled in.

Lucas was more than willing to be the one to give Cash what he needed. And then some.

“Heading out for a hike, Lucas! I’ll have my phone.”

“What?” Lucas did a double take. “Got to go.” He hung up and went to catch Cash. “Not by yourself. Let me get my boots and coat.”

“You want to come? Cool! I want to play!” Cash’s eyes lit up, and it warmed him, to see the excitement.

“Well, all you had to do was ask.” Lucas grinned back. “Be right back.”

“I didn’t want to interrupt your work. Did I hear we are off through the holidays?” Cash followed him, bouncing like Pepé Le Pew.

“You did. No call sheets until after the first. What are you wanting to do?” He didn’t bother to bite back his grin at Cash’s antics.

“Can we stay here? It’s comfortable.”

“Sure. I like it too. I mean, I have a high-country cabin, but it doesn’t have the pool.”

“Oh? You have a house?” That was a curious look.

“It’s a vacation cabin. I don’t live there full-time, but sometimes I want to get away, yeah.” He loved to go off the grid for a month or so every year.

“Neat. Can I go see?”

“Don’t you have family you want to see? Or a place of your own?”

“Nope.”

No explanation, no answers, no excuses, just nope.

“Okay, cool. I’ll have someone go clear my cabin for use, and we can go up for a few days. We need a Christmas tree.” He stomped into boots and grabbed gloves, a hat, and his coat.

“Sounds good. We need lights and stuff for hot chocolate too.”

“We do. We can do some shopping online after we go hike.” They could do some in person, too, but not in town. They needed a smaller place. Somewhere less prone to star watching.

“Sure. Just—somewhere not here.”

“Yeah. No problem. We’ll figure it out. You got a hat?”

“And sunglasses and a scarf.” Cash did a crazy little dance.

“Maybe we’ll get you a long wig.”

“Ooh…like a Willie Nelson pair of braids?” Cash laughed, making him smile. “I’m so in.”

“There you go.” He could just see that. A little bandana. Some scruff on Cash’s chin. “You’d be cute as fuck.”

“I so am. I’m adorable.” Cash waggled his eyebrows.

“You are already, but in disguise? A bug-in-a-rug cute.”

Cash tilted his head. “I thought that was snug, not cute.”

“Am I mixing my metaphors?” Sometimes he did get them confused. Locke gave him no end of shit for it. Said it had to be that he was a first-generation American, and his folks had different idioms when he was growing up. Or something equally brainy, which surprised people about the damn bear all the time.

“I like it. Tiger bug adorable.” Cash kissed his nose. “Let’s go play.”

“Mmmhmm.” He loved that Cash hadn’t been trying to sneak out on him. They progressed. It was a good thing. “I’ll run your ass ragged.”

“Promises, promises.” That tight little ass wiggled, and then Cash bounced out into the snow, moving like a jackrabbit.

He sure knew how to bound. Not that he had the…length of stride of a tiger. Lucas gave chase, and they headed up the rise behind the house, the careful landscaping giving way to scrub as they headed up the slope. There was a trail up here, one made for hiking, and it led to a little gate that left the planned community and became what he thought was public land.

The snow was deep here, and more than once he lost Cash in a drift. The last time, he had to pull the man out like it was quicksand, Cash laughing maniacally as he dangled.

“I’ve never seen snow this deep,” Cash said. “This is nuts.”

“It is. I need to tie you to a rope in case you disappear.”

“I’ll just wave my tail. It’s nice and long.”

“It is at that.” He loved how wild Cash looked as a cat. He was just this weird stubby cat with this amazing tail. He had a feeling if the movie audiences knew what he looked like, they would be stunned.

Such a pretty breed, the jaguarundi, but so unusual.

So vocal and sleek and utterly athletic for his size.

Not like him. He had bursts of energy, but he was made for bulk. For surprise predation. He could leap, and he could run, absolutely, but his body was designed to exert itself to hunt, then to rest for long periods. Sometimes it made him want to just nap in the sun for hours.

Cash was like a wind-up toy—going on and on and on and then falling sound asleep before he started again.

Case in point, Cash bounced from drift to drift, on his hands.

Backward.

“Whoa.” He leaped downhill and caught Cash before the slope gave way under him. They both crashed down, sliding a good six feet downhill on top of a drift. Then they sank. “Oh, fuck! Cold!” He was going to beat that tight, tiny ass. Hard.

“Shit. Sorry.” Cash was laughing, though, wasn’t he? “Good thing we won’t melt from a little snow down our shirts.”

“And in my pants. Do you want me to lose important bits, sweet?” His teeth weren’t actually chattering, but he kind of let them for effect.

“No! You want me to warm them up?” Cash waggled his eyebrows at Lucas, playing hard.

“Not as cold as you are now. You’d touch me and it would just make things worse, not better. Now, if you wanted to head back to the hot tub…”

“Ooh. Wanna?” Cash kissed him. “Warm, bubbly, naked. I’m so in.”

“I wanna. I’m ready to head back.” He had to admit, the creature comforts sounded so good right now. Hot tub, glass of brandy, maybe a nibble of food before they got…busy with other things.

“Perfect. Let’s go be decadent kitties in the mountains. I want to get warm.”

They headed back toward the house, tossing snowballs and laughing, Cash running ahead and bouncing back. By the end, he was holding Cash’s hand just to keep him close, since the area a hundred yards from the condo was really the danger zone as far as being seen.

When they got close, Cash sniffed, and his eyebrows lowered in a frown. “Lucas?”

Lucas stopped. If Cash felt something was off, he needed to move in slowly and check. “What is it?”

“I don’t know…something is—” He stopped short and pointed. “Footprints. And the kitchen door is open.”

“Back.” He swept Cash back and away from the condo, whipping out his phone. “Text Mags and Nell and make sure it’s not them, and tell them not to come back yet if they haven’t.” He called Abel. “I need a sweep. And a team to move our stuff. I’m heading to another location.”

“What? We’re just leaving? What about my computer and stuff?”

“Abel will come and get it, your bedding, everything. We’ll move Mags and Nell to another safe location, but I’m wondering if someone didn’t recognize them.” He pressed Cash back toward the fence line. “We’re going to the pool house. We’ll stay there and wait for a vehicle.” Abel was still on the phone, so now he knew the plan too. Send a car. Get them someplace safe. Apex would send him a duplicate set of credentials until his could be recovered. “I can’t take chances. Not with someone who was willing to bomb a set.”

“I don’t like this. Not at all.”

No, Lucas didn’t either, and he hated the lines it left around Cash’s mouth. Those had faded until just now.

“We’ll make it right.” They would find another safe house that was comfortable, or they could go to his cabin if they had to. But first, they needed to clear this scene.

“I want to go in and throw them out.”

“I know. I do too. But it’s my job first and foremost to keep you safe.” He got it. Cash had very few things that were important to him, and they were mostly in there. “Abel is on the way.”

“There’s two of us. Can’t we just—run them out?”

“No. What if they’re armed? I can’t take a chance, Cash.” He caught Cash by the arm and turned them face-to-face. “Not just because you’re my job.”

“But… I’m supposed to be a hero. I’m not supposed to run.”

“You ever heard discretion is the better part of valor? Real bullets hurt.” He took Cash around to the pool house. He got it. He wanted to go all tiger and eat whoever was in there.

“Fake bullets can too.” Cash’s cat was right there at the surface, the man panting.

“Exactly. Breathe with me, sweet. Just breathe. It will be okay.” He had to keep Cash calm.

“This isn’t okay. I’m just an actor. I signed up for paparazzi, not this.”

“No. I know.” He hugged Cash once they were in the pool room and he knew they were alone.

Cash pushed right in and held on. “I hate this.”

“I’m sorry, honey. I am.” He patted that lean back. “I got you. Whoever it is, if they’re still there, Abel will get them.”

Cash shook his head. No. No, we can’t just sit here.

Had he heard that? Had Cash said it out loud? Lucas shook his head. “We’re going to stay. Right here.”

“But—” Cash tilted his head. “What?”

“Here. We’re going to wait for the car, and then we’re going to another location while Abel gathers your stuff. He’ll be sure to get everything. I took an inventory when I did it with Mags.”

“Mags. God. You said to call them.” Cash grabbed his phone and dialed.

Shit. He hoped Mags wasn’t in there unloading in the kitchen or something.

“Hello?” Cash had put her on speaker, so Lucas could hear her too.

“Someone is in the condo, Mags. It’s not you and Nell?”

“Nope. Nell! We need to get Cash. Now.”

“No.” Lucas said it right away. “No, we’re relocating, but I’m worried you’ve been made, and that’s how they found us.”

“What do you want us to do? Where can we meet you?”

“I want you to go somewhere and have an amazing Christmas.”

“What?” Mags and Cash said it at the same time.

Lucas bit back a smile. “There’s no shooting schedule until after the holidays. If you guys head out of town, that takes some of the pressure off Cash, as people might assume he’s where you are. And you can just get away from the stress for a month or so.” He glanced at Cash. “I got this.”

“Cash? Honey? Are you okay with this? You’re good?”

Cash met his eyes and held his gaze. You want to be with me? Still?

He nodded. There was nothing he wanted more.

Cash took a deep breath. “You should do what Lucas says, Mags. If this person is nuts enough to break into a place like this, or blow off a pipe bomb on set, they could hurt you. Lucas will take care of me over the time off. We’ll have a quiet, private holiday. I’ll send pictures.”

“Okay. If you’re sure.”

“I am.”

“What do we do?” Mags asked.

“I’ll give you an address. One of my team members will meet you there with your things, and we can arrange travel from there. You just tell them where you want to go, and the trip will be set up for you.” He wanted them not only safe, but happy.

“Okay. I can give your person gifts for Cash and you? I need to know he’s got something coming.”

Cash rolled his eyes. “Thanks, Mom.”

“Shut up, you turd.”

He chuckled. “You can. And I’ll even make sure he doesn’t steal them as long as they aren’t some kind of salted caramel. Abel can’t resist those.”

“Then we’ll get him some. If he’s part of the team, he gets presents.”

“He’ll be ecstatic.” Abel loved those ridiculous candies or cookies or whatever.

“We love you, Cash. Be careful. Text us.”

“You too. Just be careful, guys, okay?”

“We will. And we’re sorry if we—”

“Nope.” Lucas cut Mags off. “This isn’t on you. This is on the nutter who is so determined to get to Cash that they’re going above and beyond what you’ve had to do before. It’s all good, and you’re a vital part of his team.”

“Thanks, coach.” Mags was laughing now. “Okay. We’ll be in touch.”

“Good deal.”

They hung up, and Cash looked at him gain, seeming to shrink some. “Will they be safe?”

“They will. I would never insult them by telling them, but I’ll put a guy on their six, too, just to make sure they stay solid.”

“Is the studio paying you? My management?”

“The studio, mostly. But your people have a hand in it too. Why?” He wasn’t sure he followed that question.

“Because someone needs to pay for Mags and Nell to have protection, and if they won’t, I can.”

Lucas already knew he liked Cash, but that just made it better. Loads.

“I won’t leave them hanging. This whole cluster is in part because your management waited until the last minute to set up security on this job. They can suck it up.”

He knew privately that the production company had given them carte blanche on this job, so he wondered if they knew more than they were saying about what suddenly seemed to be happening.

“Okay. So long as they’re safe. They’re my responsibility.”

“Of course. I’ll have Abel on it. He’s good.”

“He’s quiet.” Cash grinned. “You think he was afraid of me?”

“No, I think I warned him off you.” He might as well be honest.

“Did you now?” Cash arched an eyebrow. “Were you worried I’d choose him over you?”

“No. I just didn’t want to lose my job because I had to kill him.” He deadpanned it, grinning when Cash laughed out loud.

“You’re bad. Can we please go now, Beast? Please?”

“Yes. We can. The guys will bring your stuff.” He could see the car now, waiting for them. It was a totally different vehicle than the usual black SUV. It was a sleek little light blue crossover that people would think was a soccer mom’s. He knew better. It would have bulletproof glass, armor in the frame, and racing tires.

“Okay. I trust you. We can stop and get chargers and clothes somewhere else, but this isn’t cool.”

“Then let’s go.” He hustled Cash out to the car. The key was sitting in the cupholder, and he saw a starter pack of food in the back seat, along with a kit that he knew would hold a modem to hook up at the new location, a bug sweeper, and a small frequency jammer if he needed it.

Cash slumped low in the seat, frowning and making himself small.

“I’m sorry, honey.” Where would people not really know Cash? He needed basic clothing items and chargers for their phones, which they’d had on them, thankfully. All of the places right in town were the kind of exclusive spots where people would know Cash, and the big-box stores would be his fan base…

Tractor Supply, maybe. There was one of those down in Glenwood Springs.

Or he could make a Walmart order in Grand Junction, have them put it in the SUV. That would work too. He would do that. Hell, that way they could get a shit ton of stuff.

“You okay?” Cash asked.

“I am.” He got them rolling, and he watched carefully for anything that might look like a hint of a tail. No one came out of the gates after them, so that boded well.

“Okay. I liked this place. Hopefully, I don’t ruin your place for you.”

“You won’t. And if it doesn’t suit us, we’ll go to another one of the boss’s properties. I know he has one in Rifle that’s a ranch. It has all the bells and whistles, plus half a dozen cowboys who would kick ass for you.”

Cash barked out a shocked laugh. “You never know, you might have me kick ass for them.”

“This is true. But my money is always on the cowboys.” He had to laugh, though, because it was good to hear Cash not sound so damn down. He got it; this sucked. But they could still have some fun over the holidays.

“I know I shouldn’t bitch, but if I’m in a place that’s private, I never think about…about being hunted.”

“No, I get that. And I’m trying to make this a good time for you to rest and relax.” The bombing had brought into sharp relief that this was no ordinary job. And now this.

“You are, huh? Cool. I—That’s cool.” Cash pinked and smiled for him. “Thank you for not just…quitting.”

He would bet a lot of people just gave up on Cash. Usually jobs like his were high turnover and highly disposable, so he knew people had to come and go. “I’m a stubborn one, sweet. I don’t give up easily, and you’re worth fighting for.”

Cash didn’t say anything, but he did reach out and squeeze Lucas’s hand, so that was an answer, in and of itself.

“So my cabin is a ways away on Grand Mesa. Why don’t you grab my phone and start making a Walmart order in Grand Junction? We can stop there and grab a bag of food from a drive-through, have them load the order in the car, and then head up.”

“That’s a ways from Denver, right?”

“Yeah. When I get away, I get away.”

Cash nodded to him. “I can handle that. Chargers, clothes, toiletries.”

“Yeah. And we’ll get your bedding and laptop in by tonight, I’m sure. Abel will make sure of it even if he goes with Mags and Nell.”

“Okay. Do you want to get any snacks or anything?”

“Sure. Road snacks would be good. If I stop, you have to stay out of sight, though. We’ll go to one of the big gas stations or truck stops.”

“I meant the Walmart order. I’ll just stay low.” Cash’s thumbs flew over the keyboard.

“Oh! Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good. I love Slim Jims.” Anything with meat. “And Doritos.”

“Slim Jims, Doritos, cheese, olives?”

“Sounds like heaven.” He liked olives best in Bloody Marys, but he wasn’t going to quibble. “Oh, and some kind of ice cream. I’m easy as long as it’s not lavender.”

Cash tilted his head. “Ew. They make lavender?”

“With white chocolate. It’s like sucking soap.”

“Ew. No. We need a cooler and ice too. How do you feel about chocolate?”

“Love it. The darker the better, but milk is fine too.” He watched the road, but took little glances at Cash because the way his mind worked fascinated him.

“I’m not a milk chocolate person, really. Dark works for me. Will we be able to do Christmas still?”

“We will. In fact, I have a bunch of stuff stored up at the cabin. I’ve done Christmas up there before.” And there were a plethora of off-the-grid places to shop up where he would bet people had never seen a movie, let alone watched one of Cash’s.

“Cool. I just…cool.” Cash went back to typing, ordering god knew what. He didn’t care. He could cover it, and then he would expense it.

Cash was engaged, the idea of roughing it at Lucas’s cabin clearly making him think all kinds of adventurey thoughts, and that was better than the subdued worry that had been there before.

Lucas would take it and run with it.

Once they were out on the highway down to Glenwood and Cash had made the order to his satisfaction, Cash turned on the radio, and they sang all the way down to I-70. Cash watched everything with a curious gaze, and DeBeque Canyon fascinated him with its twists and turns.

“Wait, isn’t that the turnoff to Grand Mesa? It says so.” Cash turned to watch the exit whoosh by.

“It’s one entrance, yeah. The Powderhorn ski mountain is on this side. My cabin is on the other and, in the winter, a lot of the roads are closed. So we’ll pick up our order and circle over to Delta to go up through Cedaredge.”

“Wow. So you’re really a Colorado boy, huh?”

“I am. You know someone is if they know the Western Slope.” He chuckled. He would teach Cash all the slang so he could blend in if he had to. “I love the mountains, and this place has them. So this is where I come when I come home.”

“I love mountains and oceans both. I learned how to surf, you know, when I was training in Sydney.” Cash’s grin warmed the entire cab. “It was fun.”

“I like to swim, but the ocean is a little nuts for me. I’m a lake and stream kind of guy.”

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re solid on your feet. I imagine in the short run, you could catch me.”

“I could if we had the same starting line. Now, if you managed to outmaneuver me, you’d be gone. I’m a burst runner.” He would admit it. Cash wasn’t trying to get away from him anymore.

“I can go and go, which you know.” Cash chuckled softly. “Do you ever feel like you’re living in a dream?”

“I do. A lot, in fact. Comes from being a nomad, I think.” They both had lives like that, he figured. Cash would get that.

“Yeah. You look around at everyone else and go—this isn’t real, is it?”

“I bet it’s even harder for you because you have to live in someone else’s life for long periods of time, even if it is just when the cameras are rolling.”

“I think prepping for a role is even harder. Then you are pretending for no real reason.”

“Does it feel really weird?” They were almost to Grand Junction in no time, rolling along well.

“Only when I step outside my circle. When I’m working, we’re all in the same boat. We’re all in the business. We all know.”

“Huh. Okay, so which Walmart. The one on North Avenue or the one over the other side of town?”

“Uh… It says Rimrock Avenue.”

“Got it.” That was easy enough.

Cash pulled his sunglasses on, put his hood on and slumped down. Suddenly he was just a dude. A teenager looking at his phone.

He grinned and pulled off the highway to go through to the Walmart. He tried to remember what was right around there for food, because there wasn’t much in Delta and nothing beyond that with a drive-through. “Sonic work for you?”

“Love it. Route 44 diet cherry limeade, triple bacon cheeseburger.”

“You got it.”

They were back on the road in half an hour, loaded for bear, the little SUV groaning at the seams. And they had greasy road food. He headed out the state highway toward Whitewater, ready to settle in, though it would be an hour or more. He hoped Brock had found someone to go open up his cabin and air it out and get the heat going. They could build a fire themselves, but he had solar, propane, and a generator as well.

Cash was a great road trip buddy. He knew the lyrics to everything and had a decent singing voice. He told stories and jokes, but even better, he listened to Lucas’s. He ate hearty too. Lucas would work it off him. They would be at eight thousand feet in a dump of snow. If nothing else, he would make Cash shovel.

That idea had him snorting, and Cash glanced over. “What?”

“Just thinking of ways to keep you busy.”

“With orgasms?” Cash shot back.

“That too.” He winked, playing with Cash some. He felt like they were out of the danger zone right now.

“Are you going to make me chop wood?”

“God no. I don’t need you cutting something off!”

Cash laughed out loud. “But I can watch you, right?”

“If I need to. I put in a cord of wood in October.” Lucas winked. “I can find something else for you to watch me do.”

“Yoga? Weightlifting?”

“Kitty lifting…”

“Mmm…soaking. There’s a big enough tub for us?”

“There’s a hot tub. No pool, but yeah. And I also have a whirlpool in the cabin.”

“That works. I love to bubble. You know that.” Cash sighed softly, staring out the window. “How much farther?”

“Not much.” They were passing through Delta now. “We turn left at the old bowling alley and up the road. You need a nap, sweet?”

“No. No, when do we meet Abel?”

“Soon. He cleared the condo. Said things had been disturbed but not taken.” He’d checked his texts at the Walmart. “We’ll meet him in Cedaredge so he doesn’t bring anyone to the cabin by accident.”

“That’s a cool name. And he’s heard from Mags?”

“Everyone is good. He’ll be joining them. They have another team member with them now.” He would run through this as many times as Cash needed to hear it.

“Okay. I just worry. They’re my people.”

“Hey, I get it. I’m nuts about my team and anyone trying to hurt them.” He would give his left arm for anyone at Apex. They were like family. He protected them.

“Yeah. Yeah, and my guys aren’t supposed to have anyone trying to hurt them.”

“No. No, they aren’t. They’re going to have a grand holiday, sweet.” He reached over to put a hand on Cash’s leg. “It’s going to be okay.”

“And you and I are going to be okay, too. We’ll Christmas with the best of them.”

“We will.” He pulled off at the Apple Shed in Cedaredge, and sure enough, Abel was pulling in five minutes later. “Here he is, sweet. Let me get our stuff.”

“Should I stay in here?”

“Yeah, just in case. I’m sorry. I know you want to stretch your legs. Soon.” He leaned across the console and took a kiss.

“Soon.” Cash gave him a tired smile. “Say hi for me.”

“I will.” He got out of the SUV, going to shake hands with Abel. “Thanks, man. I know it’s been a long day.”

Abel’s lips curved in a wry smile. “About to be longer for me. At least you’re almost home.”

“Yeah. You’re getting double time.”

“I am. The stuff is all here. His bedding was pretty rumpled. I would wash it first, just in case. I didn’t have time.”

Dammit. “Okay. I have that little combo washer and dryer unit.”

“Good. He okay? The ladies are worried.”

“Yeah. Tired. A little worried in return. Any sign of the guy? What about the cameras?”

“They’d been disabled.”

“What?” Shit. That was more serious than the average looky-loo.

“Yeah. I think they were made, Mags and Nell.” And Abel didn’t like it. It was clear.

“I think so too. And I admit, I’m hoping he goes after them again if he needs to do more than he has. Not to hurt them, you know that. Just believing they have him.” He hated using them as decoys, and the ones the team were putting out would also be out there blowing smoke, but he needed Cash safe.

“Right. You go through James if you need anything. He’s our contact.”

“Will do. Same, man. Be safe. And Merry Christmas.”

Abel laughed. “Oh, man. I forgot.”

“Cash didn’t.”

“I’ll have James send gifts. In your name, of course.”

“I can handle it. Never fear. We have hot spots. I can order shit.” And he could do it so no one knew where it came from or where it was going. He had people in Delta the company had no knowledge of.

“I’ll see you in a month. Enjoy your kitten, buddy.” Abel gave him a man hug.

“I will. I promise that.” He clapped Abel on the back, then headed to the car to take Cash home. The man deserved some rest.

Ten

Cash couldn’t sleep.

He didn’t want to go to bed without his stuff, so he stood in the cozy kitchen of Lucas’s cabin, watching the dryer spin his shit clean.

Someone had been with his stuff. Someone had been touching his stuff.

He paced back and forth in the little laundry area, one way on his feet, then on his hands, then on his feet. He was…

Okay, he was furious. He’d done everything right. He’d let a new production company dictate that he get security he hadn’t wanted. He’d let them tell him where he could live. He’d had to let Mags and Nell go have the holidays alone. And someone still got to his stuff.

Not that it was Lucas’s fault. That condo had been tight as a drum, and Lucas had been thorough. But still.

Still.

This was his stuff!

He growled low and headed to explore the house, the grounds, anything. He wanted to hit someone.

He just wanted his own pillow!

“Hey.” Lucas caught him at the back door, that voice rough with lack of sleep. “What’s up?”

“Nothing. Go back to sleep.” Leave me be. I’m so angry.

“Please don’t run out into the snow tonight, sweet.” Lucas came to slide an arm around his waist. “Come on and sit with me. Your stuff is almost ready.”

“Someone touched my bedding, man.” And it made him want to scream. He didn’t have much that went with him from job to job. Dammit, it was his, but now it…wasn’t.

“I’m sorry.” Lucas picked him up, carrying him out to the couch to settle with him in Lucas’s lap. “Is it special to you aside from being yours? Like nothing is vintage or family?”

“No. No, but it was mine…” Which made him sound like a whiny baby.

“Of course it was. I’m not discounting that.” Lucas’s voice was soothing, but not humor the lunatic or anything. “But we can get you new ones and break them in.”

“They’ll be dry soon. I’m just being a drama llama.” Pun intended.

“Lllllamma.” Lucas bleated more like a goat, making him laugh.

“Shut up.” His shoulders came down from around his ears though.

“Nope. I sing a mean llama song. My boss is from South America. He taught me.”

“You’re a shit!” But he was laughing hard now. A mean llama song. Fuck him, that was funny.

“Yep. I am, but I want you happy.” Lucas pulled him down for a kiss that made his head spin. It was as unexpected as it was amazing. Long and slow and possessive, not just rushed and distracting.

He breathed out into the kiss, whimpering softly. Oh, so happy-making.

Lucas grabbed his ass and squeezed, which was also amazing, those hands so damn big, hot, and strong. “As soon as the dryer buzzes, I’m taking you to bed.”

“Okay. That works for me.”

“Me too.”

That would be grand, actually. To break his bedding back in with Lucas. Make new memories and wipe away anything weird he might think about.

“What do you think of my place?”

“It’s perfect—a great size for two, cozy, warm, but it has some real luxury as well.”

“Thanks. I try. It has to be kind of off the grid up here, but I worked with some buddies of mine to make it really energy efficient and have that touch of class at the same time. It’s a good place to unwind.” The pride of place in Lucas’s voice was nice to hear.

“That’s excellent. I can’t wait to explore.” This was in the woods, and it felt protected, hidden away. It also felt high and cold, and he loved the aspen groves. The place was amazing, and he’d never really even heard of it. Which meant most of his fans never had either.

“I want you to see it all. Tomorrow I’ll dig out all the Christmas stuff from storage and see what we need too.” Lucas never stopped touching him, but he could tell Lucas was waiting for his stuff to get clean, to get them to bed.

Cash appreciated it. He needed his stuff. It wasn’t a compulsion, exactly, but it was… Well. It was what it was.

“You okay?”

Cash pondered that. “I’m looking forward to playing with you, Beast. But I’m mad. I hate that someone is able to interrupt my life this way, and I’m furious that they’ve put Mags and Nell in danger.”

“I’m sorry for that, sweet. I didn’t figure the bomber to be after you, to be honest. I thought he was after shutting down the production.” Lucas petted him with long strokes, up and down his back, soothing him.

“Yeah, because you’re supposed to be a mind reader.”

Lucas gave him a very serious look. “I am supposed to be when it comes to your security. The problem is that in this line of work, I play percentages. A bomber usually isn’t that personal. He wants to be able to sit back and watch his work and the chaos he creates.”

“And wallowing in my bed is personal.” He grimaced.

“It is.” Lucas sighed. “It’s also a crime of opportunity. Mags and Nell were out. We were out. A bomber is usually a meticulous planner. I don’t like the unpredictability here.”

Cash just kissed Lucas. Hard. “Can we not talk about it anymore? I want you. Just to be with you and have you and pretend we’re on a vacation.”

“No pretending needed. We are on a vacation. In our own little bubble, just you and me. Christmas and hot tubs.”

“That should be a Hallmark movie.”

Lucas snorted. “Too much sex. They don’t do that, right?”

He hooted. “True enough.” He rocked his pelvis against Lucas. “And I definitely want the sex.”

“You and me both.” A chime sounded, and Lucas crowed. “Clean sheets and pillows. Come on, sweet. Let’s go get that stuff and go make all sorts of new memories with it.”

“Please.” He wanted that so bad. Cash wanted to be able to stop thinking and do nothing but get sweaty and work off enough energy to get some sleep. It had been a long damn day.

Lucas rose, lifting him like he weighed nothing, which wasn’t true. Jaguarundis were dense kitties, and he always weighed more than people expected him to. He guessed that was really nothing to a tiger, though, and it was kind of hot as hell, that casual strength.

They went to grab his bedding before going to the bedroom, which was like something a designer would create when given the task of log cabin. Lodge pine bed that went on forever in all directions, Southwest-style blankets. Lots of dark wood and rich colors and a comfy, overstuffed reading nook.

It said a lot about Lucas. The few pictures and art pieces scattered around said more. They told him what was important enough for Lucas to keep it. A piece of Native American pottery sat on a wall shelf, lit with a spotlight. A picture of a tiger that had to be Lucas hung on the wall opposite the bed, and a lovely woven rug hung beside the door to the en suite.

“This is amazing, Lucas. Really.”

“Thanks. This bedroom is kind of like my version of your bedding and stuff. The few things I really can’t do without are here, and I always know where they are. So I know I can come back to them whenever I need to.”

Yeah. Okay, yeah. He really felt like Lucas got him, which he hadn’t expected when they met. In fact, he’d really thought they would clash constantly.

Maybe they still would but, right now he just wanted to settle in and be loved. He knew Lucas would give that to him. He only had to lift his face to ask for the kiss.

Lucas gave it, and his pillows ended up on the bed, his sheets and all on the chair so Lucas could lift him up to toss him on the bed. His sweats came off easily under Lucas’s hands, and he wrapped himself around Lucas as soon as they were both naked, needing to feel skin on skin.

This was what was real. Not some jerk who invaded his privacy.

“I have you, sweet. Breathe. You’re mine, hmm?”

“Am I?” He liked that. He could hear that, over and over.

“You are. I decided it the moment I saw you walking on your hands.” Lucas bent to nibble on his shoulder, those teeth sharp, leaving a sting. He held his breath, because Lucas could leave marks right now if he wanted to. They would heal long before he had to go back to work.

He lifted his head. Yes. Yes, please. I want to feel.

I want you to feel everything, sweet. Every bit. Every inch of me.

He blinked. Had he said that out loud? Had Lucas? He didn’t know. He was too overheated.

“Yes. Every inch. Please.” He tangled his fingers in Lucas’s thick hair and drew him in closer.

“That’s it.”

They kissed again, Lucas driving it this time, lips warm and damp on his, that tongue pushing into his mouth to taste him. He could feel Lucas’s cock against him, rising up hard, so hot it burned. He was so into that, and into the scent of them together, their musk heavy in the air around them. He could just climb on Lucas and ride until he passed out.

When he chuckled, Lucas grinned against his mouth.

“I do like a challenge, Cash.”

“Me too.” He braced himself and pushed, flipping Lucas and landing on him. “Mine. Going to ride you until you scream.”

“Good. Come on, love. Lube in the drawer there.”

“Prepared. I like that.”

“You ordered it from the Walmart. I just made sure it was where it needed to be. I put the other tube in the bathroom.”

“We can use the one from your kit bag for the hot tub,” Cash said. He grabbed the tube of lube out of the nightstand and popped it open, glad he’d gotten the easy-open cap. He got his fingers wet, intent on giving Lucas one hell of a sexy show. He bit his lower lip and pushed one finger inside himself, arching his back to get a better fit.

Lucas growled, a huge hand surrounding Cash’s shaft and pumping a couple of times. That made his eyes cross, and his toes curled, and he almost lost his focus. He panted, hanging on by a thread. Not to his orgasm just yet, but to his control. And he needed a little more lube before he slammed himself down on that amazing cock.

He didn’t need to hurt himself. Not if he intended to ride all night.

It was easy to add another finger and make it two, spread himself wider.

“God, you’re fucking hot, sweet. Make me sweat. Can you see it?” Lucas arched under him, and he did see the gleam on Lucas’s skin. It made him shine, made him incredibly beautiful. He was already, but goddess, like this, Lucas was edible. Maddening. His.

“I can. I see you.” And he felt like he was buzzing, like he wanted to scream with pleasure, because he could.

“That’s it.” Lucas reached around and pressed a finger to his hole as well, not pushing in, but letting him feel the sensation. It made his own fingers feel bigger, made the burn that much more intense. Lucas’s eyes flashed gold, the intensity all ratcheting up ten notches.

His lips parted, his belly went tight, and his hole clenched around his fingers. Oh, fuck. Fuck, that was amazing.

“I feel that, sweet. I can feel your muscles getting ready for me.” Lucas’s voice was this low, almost guttural growl. It sent shivers up and down his spine, and he bucked, his cock bouncing.

“Soon. I need to ride.”

“Uh-huh. Soon.” Lucas pushed at him again.

“Now. Now, Beast.” He needed Lucas now.

“Yes. Now.” Lucas lifted him, and his fingers slid free. He let Lucas position him, let the man put him on that amazing dick, and he sank down, his eyes rolling as he took Lucas in.

“Fuck!”

“That’s the idea, sweet,” Lucas said on a breathless laugh.

“Oh.” He pinched Lucas’s nipple. “Ass.”

“Nope, your ass. Around me. So good.”

He would have argued, but he needed more, harder, deeper, now. So he started bouncing, wanting friction and depth. He got it, because Lucas grabbed his hips, yanking him down, pushing him back up, helping him get what he had to have.

Those moans drove him on too. Lucas sounded like he was in pain, they were so intense. That big body bucked under him, Lucas’s muscles rolling under that hot skin, and he leaned down to cling to Lucas’s shoulders, needing something solid in a world that was suddenly like a roller coaster ride.

Damn, this was fun.

Lucas’s hands wrapped around his hips, the fingertips digging in and leaving bruises, he knew. That made the heat ramp up again, because the idea of Lucas leaving marks on him set him ablaze.

“More.”

Lucas nodded, breathing hard, moving with him, almost bucking him off. “More.”

His eyes rolled and he barked out a sharp cry, the brush of the heavy cock inside him perfect. “There! There, Beast.”

“Yes. Fuck, yeah.” Lucas banged that spot over and over, making his sight go dim, white noise filling his ears. He was so close, just—

Lucas grabbed his cock and squeezed, and Cash lost it, his head snapping back, his body arching impossibly as he came all over Lucas’s chest.

“Cash. Baby!” Lucas filled him deep, the jets of his completion so distinct that even through his orgasmic haze, Cash felt every one.

Then he slumped forward, heedless of the mess, utterly spent.

Lucas held him, not talking, not disturbing the moment. Just holding on.

A guy could get used to this kind of care. Cash knew he could. And that was a little scary. Maybe more frightening than a weird stalker.

Then again, Lucas probably wouldn’t bomb him.

Eleven

Lucas woke up in the early morning, the long catnap he’d had after his marathon session with Cash just enough to energize him. That was one of the best things about being a cat shifter. Small bits of sleep throughout the day and night could do just as much as a full night’s rest.

He slid out of bed, leaving Cash clinging to his favorite pillow which, thankfully, seemed to be back in his good graces, and headed for the kitchen. He’d make some coffee, then check to see if they’d gotten snow overnight. He also wanted to check on the wood and fuel situations, just to make sure everything had been laid in as he’d asked.

Not that he doubted the Apex team. They were top-notch, and he needed to talk to them as well, come to that. Cell service could be spotty up here, but he had satellite internet, so he’d ask James or Rey or Craig for a video call. He really needed to coordinate in case they had to move again. And see if they’d found anything more on the bomber/stalker.

He cracked the door open, smiling when he saw a new crust of snow on top of what was already there. Nice. They could play in it later. He wasn’t dressed for that kind of cold, or any kind really, so he closed up before his balls shriveled to nothing.

He made coffee, taking mental notes about what he needed to do today. The Christmas stuff was in a loft area in the sunroom that led out to the hot tub deck, so at least he wouldn’t have to slog through the snow to get that. And then he and Cash would have time to order or shop for anything else they needed. Like holiday food.

Maybe they could get some of those cut-and-bake cookies. Man, this was when he missed Kit at Apex. That bear could cook.

He wondered what Cash craved at the holidays, what did Cash like to cook. Hell, what did a movie star ask Santa for?

Because he got to be Santa this year for Cash. And Lucas wanted to make it good.

He washed up from the acrobatics the night before, then fixed himself a cup of coffee before he wandered to the main room to start a fire. The house heated mainly with propane, but if he kept the fire roaring, it helped a ton.

“Mmm. Toasty.” Cash slipped up behind him while he stood in front of the fireplace, watching it catch and sipping his coffee.

“It will be, yeah. Morning, sweet.”

“Good morning, Beast. You smell good.”

“Do I? I smell like sex. And wood smoke.” He chuckled. “Cinnamon rolls for breakfast? I see you got the refrigerator kind.”

“You know it. Cinnamon rolls are proof of a higher power.” Cash nibbled on his shoulder, the touch lazy, hungry.

“Mmmhmm. So you’re really on vacation.”

“I am. I will work out five hours a day and eat nothing but fish right before shooting starts again.”

“Yay.” He had to laugh, though. “I’ll keep you burning calories.”

“Promise.” Cash nipped his earlobe, hard enough to sting.

That was a demand, not a question, so he just took one of Cash’s hands and pushed it down to feel his cock. “Absolutely.”

“Mmm…” Cash measured him from base to tip. “Yummy.”

“Oh, that’s good.” He rocked into Cash’s hand, then back against that hard little body. Sweet kitty. That touch was an addiction.

“Mmhmm.” Cash’s chuckle tickled his ear.

“You’re an evil little cat.” His balls did pull up this time, but they didn’t shrivel. No this was all about desire.

“You have no idea.” Nails tip-tapped up along his shaft.

“No? You gonna show me?” His breath caught when Cash tugged all the way down, then grazed his balls. That had him shivering like it was still freezing, even if he was burning up.

“I can, absolutely.” Not-so-soft little nips traveled up along his spine.

“I like that idea.” Maybe Lucas could get Cash to let him turn around. A morning blow job wouldn’t go awry.

It was a lovely idea, to be honest. He wanted to feel Cash’s lips all around his cock.

So he slid around, breaking Cash’s hold. “I want your mouth, sweet. Is that greedy of me?” He knew it was. He just hoped Cash was as into it as he was.

“Mmhmm… Terribly.” Cash chuckled and walked around him, going to sit on the sofa before quirking one finger at him in a come-hither motion.

He followed like Cash was pulling a string attached to his cock. So damn pretty, just waiting for him right there. Fuck. He stopped right in front of Cash, staring down at him.

“Mmm…look at this sweet body.” Cash leaned in and nuzzled him, nudging his balls.

“Thank you.” He arched a little, his cock grazing Cash’s cheek. The stubble there made goosebumps rise up on his skin.

Cash chuckled and rubbed against him again, and he rocked up on his toes.

“You like that, huh?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” He thought it was pretty plain from the state of his dick.

“Perfectly.” Cash opened up around him, a soft moan sounding as he was surrounded.

Hot and wet, Cash took him in and sucked, licking at the underside of his cock. He couldn’t stop the moans that came from him even if he wanted to, and he didn’t want to. He wanted Cash to hear them all. He wanted Cash to know exactly how he felt, what kind of pleasure his lover was giving to him.

His mate.

Cash sighed deeply, hands wrapping around his thighs and tugging him in deeper. My mate.

He moaned again, his body bucking, the muscles pulling up tight in his belly and thighs. His whole body was tingling.

Cash rolled his balls, tugging them just hard enough to make them ache. He widened his stance, giving Cash more space to explore, and it was fucking perfect.

His mate took him down to the root, swallowing hard around his prick and leaving him shivering and shaking. Fuck, yes. He watched Cash suck him, that gorgeous face creased with concentration. Cash looked as blissed-out as he felt, to be honest, which was a damn fine thing.

He would never ask Cash to do anything that he didn’t want to.

They rocked, him filling Cash’s mouth over and over, his cock nudging the back of Cash’s throat. They were like a damn lock and key; they fit together with such well-oiled precision.

Cash groaned, curling over to take him down to the root, swallowing around him.

He sank one hand into Cash’s hair, holding him there so he could fuck Cash’s face. He knew from those amazing moans that Cash loved it as much as he did. So fucking perfect. So good, mate.

Cash’s eyes flashed up at him, huge and tasty.

He smiled, hoping he looked less like a shark than he thought. He was about to bust his nut in a huge way.

Fill me up. I have you.

Damn, that was the hottest thing ever, that hungry touch to his mind. And he did as Cash asked, his balls rising hard, his ass clenching as he shot into Cash’s mouth.

Cash groaned and swallowed, taking him in, humming around his prick.

He stroked Cash’s hair, his neck, his shoulders, praising him with every touch. “That’s it, baby. That’s it.”

Fuck, he’d never felt anything quite so big, like the emotion was pressing at his sternum. This was far from just sex. This was—well, he’d said it already. Mating.

And he’d laughed at all the mated guys at Apex telling him it was like getting hit by lightning.

They were right.

This was like being beaned right between the eyes.

“Rar.” Cash licked the tip of his cock as he moved off, smiling up at him after.

“Thank you, sweet. What do you need?”

“Coffee. Breakfast. Snuggles.” Cash was hard as nails, cock erect and curved against his belly.

“I can always do snuggles.” He pulled Cash to his feet, then grabbed that hardness in hand.

Cash’s expression went lax, and a soft moan filled the air. “Beast.”

“Yeah. You’re so damn pretty, sweet. And you feel so good against me.” He stroked, holding Cash up. He could tell Cash was close, was hungry for him, was ready.

So Lucas took a toothy kiss, letting Cash sway against him as he jacked that needy prick. Hot pearls of need slipped down Cash’s shaft, slicking the way, and Lucas gathered them up, letting his hand ride up and down more and more quickly.

It took precious little time before Cash was crying out, moaning into Lucas’s kiss.

“Perfect mate.” He had to say it out loud. To hear it spoken. And it rang with truth.

Cash’s golden eyes went wide, the cat right there, burning into him. “Mate. Oh fuck. Yes. Yours.”

“Mine.” He bent to bite at Cash’s shoulder, leaving a mark where he sank his teeth into flesh. He did love the way Cash’s skin took his marks.

He was going to mourn it when he had to stop, to quit leaving proof of his need.

“No thinking,” Cash told him, patting his chest. “At least not right now.”

“No. Now we’re on vacation.” He kissed Cash one more time. “Let’s get cleaned up and I’ll make you food.” Those cinnamon rolls weren’t going to make themselves, no matter how easy they were.

“Mmhmm…” Cash kissed him again. “Come on, Beast. Need coffee.”

“Yes, please.” Caffeine was good. Then maybe food, shower, nap in that order. They could play in the snow later.

Twelve

Cash’s phone buzzed, and he grabbed it, tickled that he was getting signal. There was a picture from Mags of her and Nell sipping margaritas somewhere. He wasn’t sure where, and that was good. He sent a thumbs-up and a, “It’s snowing” to her. He didn’t want to share with her where he was, because Lucas was worried Mags and Nell had been made so there was still a chance they were being followed by whoever was looking for him.

“You got signal?” Lucas asked, coming in from the storage room with a big armload of boxes.

“I did, yeah. Mags and Nell say hi. Look at that!” He stowed his phone and ran to help.

“I had more than I thought. I was sure some of this was in a storage unit in Denver.” Lucas laughed wryly. “My mom liked Christmas.”

“Is she gone?” He liked Christmas too. A lot. He always celebrated—whether it was in a hotel or a beach or Hollywood. He loved the lights and the spirit of giving.

“She is, yeah. It was a freak accident. Dad disappeared after that too. I haven’t seen him since. I have a feeling he’s off the grid somewhere living as a tiger.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. That so sucks.” He got it. His family was still alive, but they were…strict and conservative. He didn’t fit in with their lifestyle.

“Yeah. Well, he and I weren’t close, you know? Two big male tigers in the same territory… But Mom was a wonder. These were her favorite ornaments.” Lucas indicated one of those fancy plastic totes with the slots for ornaments.

“I’d love to see them, hmm? I really would.” And he wanted to hear the stories.

“Cool. You really okay with all this, sweet?”

“Are you kidding?” He wouldn’t be anywhere else. “So do you have a fake tree, or do we need to cut one?”

“I have a fake one. This is mostly national forest land, so I don’t cut. If you want a live one, we can run to the tree lot at Cedaredge.”

“Nah. Fake is fine. I’m not a picky Christmas person. I’ve done a ton of different types of holiday celebrations. I love them all.” And he meant that. He was into it.

“Cool.” Lucas opened the one crate, smoothing his fingers over a little glass horn. “I’ve been all over the world at Christmas, so it’s kinda weird to be here. But it’s good to be with you, baby.” Lucas put the lid back on before turning to kiss him.

Oh, he got a baby. He liked that. “Thank you, Beast.”

“Mmm. Do we need hot chocolate? I got the fire stoked up again. I thought it would be—” This time, Lucas’s phone went off, and Lucas grabbed it, smiling faintly. “Hey, man. You’re on speaker. James, this is Cash. Cash, James, one of our tech guys.”

“Hey. Nice to meet you, Cash.”

“Hey, there. If there’s a catastrophe, don’t tell me. I don’t care.” He deserved a day off.

“Nope, no catastrophe. I was just going to fill Lucas in on what little info I have, but I can just email it. Not too much to tell, really.”

“Oh, good. We’re decorating for Christmas. Are you guys decking the hall?” He had zero idea what sort of setup the agency had, but he assumed there was one.

“You know it. Kit, he’s our resident softie, is setting up trees and blasting Christmas music. He’s instructed us that we’re all watching White Christmas tonight.”

“Oh, too cool. We can have a Christmas movie marathon, Beast. I love Elf.”

“Beast? You call him Beast?”

“Um. I also call him Stripes on occasion.” Was that bad? Would that get Lucas no end of shit?

“He does. It’s a good thing. Send me that info, James. Anything else?”

“Brock is having Christmas dinner fixings sent. Tell me where you want to pick them up. I know you don’t want them coming direct to the house.”

“No. No, I’ll send you coordinates, and I’ll meet you. I have a snowmobile.”

“Oh, even better. Nanook of the North.”

“That’s me,” Lucas said, laughing. “That way there’s less of an obvious trail.”

“I’ll probably send Lee, okay? Abel has been seen enough around you, and he’s having beach times.”

“Got it. Lee is a good guy.”

Cash raised an eyebrow, but Lucas just winked.

Oh, he was so going to tickle that information out of his beast, no question.

“Okay, cool. The info is on the way. Have fun with the trimming and all. James out.”

Lucas hit end and chuckled at him. “What? You look devious as hell.”

“Who is Lee? Should I be jealous?”

“Nope. He’s like Abel. He’s another bodyguard. I worked with him before Apex, though, so we know each other better.” Lucas paused, looking into his eyes. “No hanky-panky. Just work buddies.”

“I’m glad. I have a lot of those—genuine work buddies.” Elvis MacAllen, Benji Rotter, Eloise Graham—they were best friends.

“That’s it. I’ll take you with me so you can meet him. I don’t want to leave you here alone.”

“Cool. I love riding on a snowmobile.”

“Did you learn it for a movie?” Lucas asked, drawing him to the kitchen. Lucas pulled out cocoa and milk, and he was going to have to see if he could get a pair of cross-country skis or snowshoes so he could start getting cardio. He was indulging and it felt so darn good.

“I learned while I was on location shooting a movie. Does that count?” Man, they’d been pissed at him.

“I think so. I imagine that means your stuntman was meant to do the snowmobiling.”

“Yeah. He was a hoot.” And not near as pretty, sexy, or his as Lucas. But still.

“Mmm. Good thing I’m not the jealous type.”

“You’re hotter. You’ll be even hotter on the snowmobile.”

Lucas chuckled for him, the sound deep and happy. “Well, that’s good to know, baby.” The milk went into a pan and Lucas pulled out his phone again. “Just let me check what James sent, and then no more work for the day.”

“Promise?” He hated to sound…whiny or whatever, but he had to admit, he wanted to be more than a job to Lucas.

Lucas glanced up. “You are, mate. You could never be just a job. You got it?”

His heartbeat thudded against his rib cage, and he nodded, unable to look away from those green eyes. “I got it.”

“Good. Now, come stir.”

He snorted, glad to break that tension, which would have ended with him leaping at Lucas and gnawing on him or something. He stirred milk while Lucas read, frowning, and if he’d been in cat form, his tail would be twitching with curiosity and impatience.

Finally he gave in. “Well?”

“Huh?” Lucas looked up. “The tech guys think it had to be someone who worked on set.”

“Really?” Shit, that would suck.

“Yeah. They say security was tight. It was a closed set, and hard to get into even for someone who worked there. What was a bit lax were background checks on local personnel.”

“Dammit. So how do they find out who did it?”

“Craig is running new background checks on the whole roster. Seeing if he can dig anything up.”

“So that means we…”

“Sit tight, as planned. Stir.”

“Shit.” He didn’t want the milk to stick, so he stirred. “Okay, that’s good. Right?”

“Hell, yes. I love my time with you.”

Okay, that felt really good. He liked how that sounded, in fact, and he purred, rocking up on his toes as he stirred.

Lucas’s chuckle was like a caress. The man did have his share of charisma, dammit. Cash loved that. There was no shrinking violet in this relationship, and no one to accuse him of having an excess of personality.

No one to call him a drama queen or high-maintenance, right?

Lucas took another kiss on the way by, and he hummed, trying not to dump hot milk on him.

“Be careful. We don’t want a mess.”

“Nope. Not with milk. I dropped a gallon of milk once when I was a kid. It was on the ceiling. It was on top of the refrigerator. It was everywhere. And it stank for days.”

“Oh.” Oh, that sounded like hell. “A whole gallon?”

It would have been an amazing sight, though.

“Yeah. A fountain of milk. My mom had a fit.” Lucas’s laughter was warm and fond.

“Yeah, mine would have lost her mind.” Mom wasn’t the most patient with nonsense.

“Well, mine just yelled and then made me mop milk.” Lucas put the cocoa in the milk, a little at a time.

“Still, no fun.” Cash watched Lucas move with fascination. Every movement had a purpose. Not like him. He’d had more than one person compare him to Tigger. Bouncing and such. But he was fun, just like the song said.

Lucas was prowly and hot and good.

One day he’d totally steal that for a role.

Right now he wanted to just enjoy it for himself. And he would. With hot cocoa.

“Here we go. Okay, back to the trees.”

“The Christmas trees.”

“Yep. Climbing comes later when you’re bored.”

He goosed Lucas. “Be nice. You don’t want to chase me in the snow.”

“Done it. I do have longer legs.”

“Hush.” Lucas was an amazing specimen. But he was a jaguarundi. He had stamina on his side, and he could fit anywhere.

Still he wanted to relax for a moment, breathe, feel like he was where he belonged.

They opened all the boxes, and there were two trees, one maybe as old as Lucas, one super new with built-in lights. Ornaments. Garland. A wreath. And a dancing, singing rainbow poop emoji.

“Wow. Wow, this is an heirloom.”

“I know. Future generations will marvel at it. The guys all went together to get it for me last year for my first holiday as an Apex team member.”

“It is spectacular. I mean… I’ve never seen anything like it…”

“You wanna see it go?” When Lucas flipped the switch on the bottom, it came on, and it played a mash-up of “Jingle Bells” and “You Can’t Touch This”.

Cash danced around, doing his best MC Hammer, thankful no one was taping him.

Lucas laughed and clapped hard. “I like it. I had no idea you were a double threat. Do you sing too?”

“Oh yeah. Well enough that I know I can’t do it for a living.”

“One of these days someone will talk you into doing a musical,” Lucas teased.

“Shit. I’ll retire before then.”

“Yeah? You don’t plan to do this forever?”

“God no. I’m not going to be an action star forever. I will get behind the camera at some point, I think. Or maybe I’ll write a script.”

“I like that. I can totally see you directing.” Lucas nodded, unwrapping some icicle lights.

“Yeah, I mean, I’ll be honest, I’ve been crazy careful with investments, but I want to try my hand at camera work.”

“It suits your view of the world. You want to see and experience everything.”

Cash flushed with pleasure because he was so glad Lucas thought that about him. “What about you? What do you want to do when you stop doing protection?”

“Laze about in a pool somewhere.” When Cash blinked, Lucas waved a hand. “Seriously? I’d like to do what my boss does. Run some teams of my own.”

“Oh, that’s cool. Your own famous spoiled-person team.”

“You know it. I know the boss wants to do retrievals and such. Ransom situations. I would be happy to take over some of the personal security management so he can focus on that. In the future.” Lucas handed him a foil and cardboard ornament. “I made that one.”

“Oh, that’s adorable! How old were you?”

“Five, maybe?” Lucas got a faraway look for a moment. “Okay, come on, you. Decorations, ho!” Lucas stood, and for the next two hours, they hung ornaments and lights and tinsel and danced with the poo.

When they collapsed on the couch, he breathed a huge sigh. “That was like work.” But it had been genuine fun, and he’d loved every single story, every memory.

“Thank you for doing that with me, baby.” Lucas tugged him over to sit on those heavy thighs. “Should we heat up some frozen pizza and watch a movie?”

“Sounds great.” In a minute. This was perfect.

“Mmm. We can stay right here and have a rest too.” Lucas kissed his neck, then his shoulder, right where the mark was Lucas had left.

“We can do both. It can work.” He shivered and lifted his face for another kiss.

“It can totally work, mate.”

That word made him shudder even harder, the whole world narrowing to Lucas.

“I’m going to hold you to that,” Cash said.

“I know it. I do.” Lucas held him tight, and this was suddenly about more than Christmas.

“So do I. We just have to be flexible. Together.”

“That’s it. And first, we have to get through this movie, right?”

Cash nodded, though that meant less and less all the time. “We get through all of it, Beast.”

“One day at a time.”

He could live with that. Even if he wasn’t the most patient of kitties.

Thirteen

“Come on, Cash! We’re gonna be late to meet Lee, and then he’ll call in the cavalry.” It was time to get on the snowmobile and go pick up whatever Brock thought was appropriate for a Christmas feast.

“That sounds exciting.” Cash came bouncing up, wearing his parka and boots, eyes lit up and laughing.

“Oh, man, you don’t want Apex descending en masse on the cabin. They’d bring all the guys, not just the security team. Bear shifters, man. They can eat and sleep.”

“Aren’t they hibernating?” They pulled the sled out of the shed and piled onto it.

“No, but Locke slows down a lot this time of year, and Kit delegates now so he can focus on Christmas. And they do both sleep a lot when they think no one is looking.” They were totally reliable in a situation, though.

“Huh. That’s kind of cool. I know a couple stunt coordinators that just stay tropical.”

“I can see that. Locke and Kit are both Colorado bears at heart. They don’t want to go south. Though Locke will go down to Brazil with Brock for a few weeks every winter.” That was hilarious. Pale human Locke and gorgeous sun-kissed jaguar shifter.

“Oh yeah?” They started going, and there wasn’t a lot of opportunity to talk as they headed out. Cash was pressed against his back, arms wrapped around his waist. Lucas gunned it, because with two people he had to keep them moving at a good clip so they didn’t sink. He could hear Cash’s wild chuckling against his neck, just under his ear, and he had to grin.

Adrenaline junkie. The man made him happy in ways he’d never expected to experience. He wanted to know everything about Cash deep down. All his secret hopes and dreams.

They zipped through the trees, and Cash’s laughter rang out, over and over. Delicious. This was perfect. One hard bounce almost sent Cash over his head, and they both whooped, sliding sideways a bit before everything righted itself.

They made it to the little campground where the pull-behind sled was stored. He could use that to carry the food and whatever Christmas goodies that had been delivered. He’d made a few requests, because he wanted gifts for Cash, and those should be wrapped and under the tree ready according to Kit.

Lee was there to meet them, his truck pulling a little pop-up camper. Nice.

“Hey, man,” he said once he turned the motor off. “No trouble?”

“Nope. I picked up the load in Grand Junction, so if someone followed from headquarters, they were lost in the exchange.”

“Good deal. You have plans for the holidays?” He did. He was going to snuggle with his jaguarundi and make merry.

“I’m going to slide in and spend it with the office crew. They’re doing an ox roast.” Lee was an oddity in the apex predator lineup. He was a giant otter in his other form, but he liked his land meat as much as he did fish.

“Really? That’s exciting.” He would have regretted missing it, but he had Cash, right here, right now.

“Yeah. You get a cabin in the snow, man. That’s just as awesome. And Kit made sure to send you all the stuff.”

“I knew he would. The guys are good to us.”

“Brock said to check your account for your Christmas bonus, too.” Lee winked, then peered curiously at Cash. Cash bounced, and he rolled his eyes.

“Cash, Lee. Lee, Cash.”

“Hola. An otter, huh? My two closest friends are otters. Mags and Nell. They rock.”

“Oh, man. I knew I should have taken that job and made Abel stay in town.” Lee winked. “I do love a kindred spirit.”

“You should meet them sometime. They’re fierce and mad about each other.”

“I’d like that.” Lee checked his watch. “Okay, let’s offload this for you. I’m on a schedule to hit back at the Junction, just in case one of the guys picked up a tail and needs me to lead them back toward Denver.”

That meant they’d coordinated at least three decoys. Good guys. Lucas approved.

“Let me get the sled.”

He loved the little sled that hitched to the snowmobile. It carried a good amount and it didn’t make things that much more unstable.

Cash silently helped him and Lee move loads from the camper to the sled, and then Lee was waving and heading off.

“Alone again,” he teased.

“It’s getting colder, Beast. We need to get home and settled. There’s a storm coming.”

“I can feel it too.” It made his whiskers want to twitch. “We won’t be able to play, but we can still make good time.”

“Works for me.” Cash’s eyes were on the sky. “Let’s do this. I want to be inside and cozy when this hits.”

He nodded and hopped on the snowmobile, letting Cash grab him from behind. He got them moving, pushing the machine a little because he could feel the pressure in the air changing.

The snows are coming. Cash didn’t sound as worried as he did excited, curious.

They are. We’re gonna have a white Christmas week, I think. Not just day. It was tough to remember to keep an eye out for danger with Cash pressed to him, but he had to. He scanned the trees around them, making sure no one had followed Lee.

They headed in a beeline for home, following their tracks straight back. It seemed to take forever with the sled, but less than if they had to turn it back upright.

They pulled in at the cabin just as the big, fat flakes started to fall, and he parked it in front of the cabin door. “Help me unload, and then I’ll go put the equipment away.”

“On it.” For as lean as Cash was, the kid could work, hauling load after load like a pack mule.

They got it all inside, and by the time Lucas got the snowmobile and sled put away, he could barely see a foot in front of him, the snow was coming down so hard.

A light flashed, and then Cash had him, helping him find his way in.

“Thanks, baby. That storm is really crazy, huh?”

“It is. I warmed up a couple of towels. Do we need to do anything with the power?”

“No, but I will turn off anything we don’t need and start a fire.”

“Sounds good. I’ll start coffee and unpack groceries.”

The towels were amazing, warming him right up as he dried off, so Lucas went to start the fire up. He had the fireplace, but in the kitchen he also had a more efficient woodstove that forced air out into the room instead of mostly just putting out a centralized heat. He got them both going.

They got the food put away, and then they started warming up soup for an early supper. Lucas loved how they worked together.

“Look at that,” Cash said, peering out the kitchen window. “Wow. I thought it was crazy in town when that storm hit. This is nuts.”

“It’s cool, huh?”

“Yes. It would be freakish if you weren’t here, though.”

“I hear you. I tend to clear out if I’m here and a big storm is coming in. Too much of The Shining.” He winked at Cash, who hooted.

“With me being all famous it’s more Misery, right?”

“I won’t hobble you, I swear.” He shook his head, shuddering at the idea.

“Yeah, that’s a comfort.” Cash gave him a look, and they both cracked up.

“Mmm. That soup smells good.” This was…weird and wonderful at the same time for Lucas. He kept his distance from his clients usually, but Cash wasn’t a client. He was a lover. And Lucas had never had more than a casual one of those, had never brought anyone to the cabin.

Cash was his mate. His soulmate. And he knew it. So he had to get used to the weird and wonderful, he thought. There was going to be a lot of it coming up.

* * *

Cash woke up to a heaviness, a quiet, and when he peered outside, the snow was deep.

Fire. He needed to stoke the fire and get it going so they didn’t freeze into kittysicles.

Lucas was still deep asleep, so he padded over to the stove first, because it really seemed to warm up the house and use less wood. Then he stirred up the fireplace too and put some new kindling in. Once it caught, he put on a log, which crackled to life.

He heard a rustle, and Lucas yawned. “Hey. You okay?”

“Mmm. Cold.”

“Well, come back to bed while the fires heat up.”

“Need to pee first.” He slipped off to the bathroom, then came back, shivering. “Woo. It’s like a barn in there.”

“I’m just glad we don’t have a barn we have to go to in this weather.” Lucas caught him when he leaped into bed, covering him with blankets. “Jesus! Cold hands and feet.”

“Uh-huh.” He pushed them all up against Lucas. “You’re toasty.”

“I was.” Lucas’s teeth chattered for a moment. “Evil kit.”

“I’ve been told that more than once,” Cash teased. “Do you come up here a lot in the winter? Have I asked that?”

“If you have, I don’t remember. I’m not home a lot in the winter. Lots of work. And I hate to put chains on the vehicle, so no. This is a novel experience.”

“Well, cool. We can create a new load of memories.” Cash chuckled softly. That was corny as anything, and he was a dork of mammoth proportions.

“We can.” Lucas nuzzled his neck. “I’m tickled as hell, baby. I mean, we have the sat phone and the radio if things get all Stephen King, but we’re gonna have a ball.”

“I think so, yeah. I didn’t buy you a copy of The Shining for Christmas, so we’re safe.”

Although a LEGO version of the Overlook Hotel would rock.

“Oh, good.” Lucas patted his butt, which made him wiggle happily. “What should we do for breakfast?”

“Always thinking with your tummy,” he teased.

“It takes a lot to keep a tiger going.”

“Do we have a waffle iron? I get carbs until the day after Christmas.”

“We do. We also have those pie things we can use in the fireplace.” Lucas chuckled, which bounced him around on that wide chest.

“Those seem fun as hell, but that’s desserty. I’m breakfasty which means ‘with sausage’, by the way.”

“Oh, I see how it is. Man, I need to pee, and it’s cold out there.”

“It should be way warmer now. I promise.”

Lucas nodded, then yodeled and hopped up to run to the bathroom.

“Hurry! Don’t freeze your pecker!” Cash rolled, wrapping himself in the blankets as he chuffed with laughter.

“Evil!” Lucas came zooming back, but just to grab a big robe and a pair of enormous fuzzy socks. “Waffles…”

“And sausage!” He put on his biggest, warmest jogging suit, socks which had to be knitted directly from sheep…

“Yep. We have that, so yay.” Lucas pulled out a waffle maker.

He found a pan and sausage, along with milk, butter, and syrup. “What else did you need?”

“Eggs. And there’s dry goods in the pantry. I need the flour and sugar. The baking powder and salt are out here.”

“Eggs. Flour. Sugar. On it.” Eggs, flour, sugar. Eggs. Boom. Then he went to the pantry, finding huge canisters with staples. Cool. No mice or bugs. It was a good setup. He sang under his breath as he brought them back, and Lucas bumped hips with him. Well, hip to rib.

Whatever.

Good thing he didn’t have Napoleon complex or anything.

That would be rough.

Like his tongue.

R-r-r-rough!

He started laughing, the chuckles just tearing out of him.

“Are you plotting my downfall or something, kit?” Lucas was grinning, though, willing to share the joke.

“No, I was thinking about our tongues.” He stuck his tongue out and waggled it.

“Um. It’s early to get snow-addled.” Lucas pinched his butt. “Pace yourself, baby.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” He didn’t have to explain, though. This was plenty funny enough in his head.

“Hey. C’mere and use that tongue a moment.” Lucas paused in the waffles, kissing him, then went back to work. It was hot to watch him cook. Lucas went after it just like he did personal security. Total commitment.

Cash settled close, stealing touches whenever he could. Lucas’s skin was an addiction. When he had to turn the sausage, he did it without burning anything off or splashing grease all over, so he figured that was a win, and he heated up the syrup when it was time.

Together, they managed a perfectly reasonable breakfast that smelled like heaven.

“Yum.” Lucas sat, then pulled him down, letting him sit on Lucas’s lap. “Gonna feed me since I made breakfast? Mostly?”

Oh, man, Lucas was flirting hard, hands sliding on him, which felt good even through the sweats.

“I did the syrup and sausage!” And of course he would. It was his pleasure.

“You did. I am impressed, but my waffles are light and fluffy yet crisp.”

That wink had him painting Lucas’s nose with syrup.

“Sticky! Naughty kit.”

They laughed together and he licked the tip clean, the thought making him snort.

“You’re chortling again. Still tongues?”

“Tips.”

“Mmm. No syrup there, but if you want to lick it later…” Lucas touched his lips.

“Ooh… Kinky.” And appealing. He liked it.

He leaned in and took Lucas’s finger in, sucking and purring simultaneously. He knew the vibration was a very good thing because Lucas’s eyes darkened, and his growl made him moan.

“After we eat, kit. I want to enjoy our waffles.”

He nodded, but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t.

“Cash.” Lucas tugged him free. “Soon, baby. But not yet.”

That commanding tone sent shivers down his spine. “Okay.”

He wasn’t going to apologize; he wasn’t sorry.

Hard, yes. Sorry, no.

Lucas cut a bite of waffle to feed him, then opened his mouth for a piece of sausage. Oh, that was a sensual dance he could do, and he wiggled, feeling Lucas hard under his ass.

Together they luxuriated in the meal, licking and humming over each bite. There was a lot of touching, but no more sticky fingers on important parts. That waited until after they put the dishes in the sink and washed up.

Then Lucas backed him up against the counter. “Now, we can have at it.”

He wrapped his arms around Lucas’s neck. “Oh, thank god. I want to play, Beast. Can we now?” He climbed up Lucas’s body.

Lucas kissed him. Hard. “All we have is time, baby. Let’s go.”

Fourteen

Lucas hummed along with a Christmas tune, putting presents under the tree. It was Christmas Eve, and they were going to play cards into the wee hours and eat munchies.

He loved that Cash was willing to do that with him.

Cash was a joy to be around, sensual and energetic, sure, but also well-read and smart, and a great listener. It was rare in a celebrity, at least in his experience, to have someone who wanted to hear his stories.

And as long as he worked off Cash’s intense energy, they were golden.

“How are those mini corn dogs coming?”

Their bear crew member Kit had sent crescent roll dough and Lil’ Smokies. They were doing those and some cheese and pickles and olives. Salt.

“Good! I’m watching them to assure no burnage.”

“Excellent.” He poured the adult cocoa once he got back to the kitchen. The tree looked damn festive. They’d decided to leave the wine for tomorrow and the champagne for New Year’s. All in all, he was in for a good night.

“Mmmm. Whipped cream?”

“Uh-huh?” He dolloped some on each cup. “Yum.”

“So what are we playing?”

“I’m going to teach you two-handed Spades.”

“Cool.” They settled with their snacks at the low table near the fire, Cash grabbing the pad and a pencil. “Merry Christmas Eve, Beast.”

“The same to you, baby.” He moved to sit down, but the sat phone buzzed, letting him know a call was coming in.

He frowned, going to answer it. “Hello?”

“Merry Christmas!” A chorus of familiar voices came to him.

Lucas went to sit with Cash. “Thank you.”

“We wanted to call before it got too late. We won’t bother you tomorrow. All is well?” That was Brock, the mother hen.

“Everything is amazing. We’re all snowed in and snuggly.” Cash winked at him. “How are Nell and Mags?”

“Good. I gave them a call window for tomorrow and sent a burn phone that they won’t activate until then. They want to hear Cash’s voice.”

“He’ll be tickled to hear from them as well.” He knew Cash worried about his best ladies.

“I will, and I want to meet all of you! I’ve heard so much about you.”

“You will, Cash. Is Lucas treating you right?”

Cash gave him a smoldering look. “Perfectly.”

“Ah, good. I’m pleased to hear it.”

“You guys watching movies?” Locke asked, the big bear’s voice rumbling.

“We are—we have a lovely lineup, thanks to you guys.” He was looking forward to having a good, hard snuggle after the card game. This was like…a dream. Like a holiday movie in its own right. Two lovers snowed in with nothing to focus on but each other, allowing them to get to know each other.

“Well, you two stay safe and warm, and enjoy your holiday.” The guys signed off, laughing and happy for them.

“They sound great,” Cash said.

“They are. It’s a good place to work for.” In fact, this assignment had highlighted how much leeway he had and how the guys backed him up, no matter what he asked for.

“Sounds like it. I work for some good people myself.” Was that a hint of sadness?

“Hey. This is our holiday. No long faces.” He remembered he was shuffling.

“No, no. I just—I’m so happy to be with you.”

“Me too.” Lucas reached across the table, holding off on dealing the cards. Cash took his hand, and he squeezed. “We’ll figure the rest out when we have to okay?”

“I’m the king of figure it out.” Cash winked and fed him a bite of cheddar. “Deal the cards.”

“You got it, baby.” He pushed the cards out fast and easy, ready to really kick Cash’s ass. It might be Christmas Eve, but he was still a competitive bastard.

Maybe they should play for sexual favors.

Or cheese.

Strip rummy? Cheese Spades. They both had a nice ring. Cutthroat cribbage. He walked Cash through the two-person Spades game, and they got going. Before he knew it, they were laughing, singing carols, and Cash was proving himself to be a fierce competitor.

He’d never had so much fun.

By the time they were on the couch with cookies and another cup of hot chocolate, he was more in love than ever, ready to follow Cash to the ends of the earth.

Cash looked up at him, golden eyes flashing. “I want to be here, with you.”

“Good. This is exactly where I want you to be as well, baby.” A soft chime sounded. “Oh, Merry Christmas.” He took a kiss, wanting that to be the first thing they did on Christmas Day.

When their lips parted, Cash’s eyes were sparkling. “Merry Christmas, mate.”

“Are you ready to go open our first present?” He tugged at Cash’s shirt, hoping for playful.

“Ooh. Are you my first gift from Santa?”

“I am. Let me bank the fire, and you can come unwrap me.” He put another log in the stove, because it was safer after bedtime, then moved the fireplace coals around and put the screen up closer to catch anything.

“Do you want to take this to bed? We can leave the lights on overnight.”

“Let’s. It’s warmer there.” He linked their hands, and they headed, first to the bathroom, then to bed in silent accord. They were definitely vibing on each other, and he was happier than he’d ever been.

Cash stripped down and leapt into the bed, bouncing and rolling on the sheets.

“Silly kitty.” He threw off his clothes to crawl in, stalking his mate. “What was the best part so far?”

“You. You are the best part, and I love it.”

“I love you, mate. I know it’s crazy, but I do.” And it wasn’t just the magic of Christmas. He’d never wanted to say that to someone he wasn’t related to before.

He felt more than heard Cash’s gasp of wonder, and then his lips were taken in a hard kiss.

He cupped the back of Cash’s head, holding his lover there for that kiss to go nuclear, and he growled, his whole body waking up, warming to their actions.

“Mmm… Merry Christmas, Beast.” Cash bit his bottom lip, taunting him.

“Merry Christmas, Cash.” He grabbed Cash’s cock, stroking it. “You’re all I want.”

“Yes. And you can have me. For as long as you want.”

They sealed that with a kiss as well, and he knew they were going to have the best Christmas.

Starting now.

Fifteen

Cash woke up to the smell of bacon frying.

Now, that was the best way to wake up on Christmas morning. It really was. He stretched, the covers sliding, but the cabin was warm and yummy, so he didn’t bother to bundle up.

He had slipped from their bed early this morning to fill the space under the tree with his presents—books and funny socks and a new cribbage board, along with a set of signed movie posters that he had seen Lucas lusting after.

There were several wrapped gifts for Lucas with names like Brock and Locke, Kit and Mick, and more on them. Then a bunch for him. Wow. Lucas had snuck stuff in on him. Terrible tiger.

There were even two gifts from Mags and Nell under that.

It was perfect.

“Something smells amazing, Beast!”

“Bacon. I thought we’d have that and French toast so the bread doesn’t go bad.”

Lucas wore nothing but an apron with a reindeer on it. That was absolutely adorable.

He got himself a double handful of butt, humming as he squeezed.

“Oh, now. Don’t make me burn things.”

Cash laughed. Too much of his life he’d been without this. Someone to spend time with, to be him with. He ran from place to place, and that was okay, but to have time to breathe with a lover right there? It was amazing.

“No burning. I’m lacking in first aid skills. Should I start coffee?”

“Please. Mags and Nell have texted twice. They want to call.”

Cash blinked. “Is it that late?”

“No. It’s eight.” The irony was heavy in Lucas’s voice.

“Oh… Can I call them?” He got the coffeemaker going. He wanted to celebrate with them, tell them that he had a mate now. They would be so tickled for him, he knew it. Maybe a little worried until they saw him in person, but they both knew he wasn’t easily led. This was a very special circumstance.

Mags and Nell were his family as much as anyone else, more than most of his blood family, and he wanted to share this with them.

“You should, yeah.” Lucas beamed at him, flipping bacon.

He grabbed the burner phone and dialed the number.

“Cash?”

“Mags! Merry Christmas! I miss you both!” He couldn’t stop smiling.

“We miss you too, kiddo,” Mags drawled.

“But not too much!” Nell hollered.

He laughed, because Nell was always such a giant pain in his ass, and he loved her for it. “Good. How’s vacay treating you?”

“I? Am fab. Nell is bored.” Mags chuckled. “She did get to go parasailing, though. Sadly, there were no dinosaurs like in the third Jurassic Park movie.”

“Chomp. We want our girl in one piece, though.” He grinned at Lucas, who shook his naked butt, making him chortle.

“We do,” Mags agreed. “Did you open your presents yet?”

“Lucas just woke me up with bacon.”

“Mmm.” He could hear her tapping her finger against her teeth, something she did when she was thinking hard. “You sound more cheerful about him than you did.”

“Well, yeah. About that. I have some news, Mags.” He glanced at Lucas, who had stilled but for his cooking hand.

“That sounds serious, bud.”

“It is. I—” He took a deep breath, because this was kind of weird with Lucas right there.

“Want me to go to the bedroom, baby?” Lucas asked.

“No. No. I got this. Lucas and I are together, Mags.”

Her sharp intake of breath spoke volumes.

“Yeah. Mates.” He said the word out loud, and he liked how it tasted in his mouth. “My mate. He’s my mate.”

“Wow. Wow! I mean, I was going to lecture you about how this was all so sudden, but I should know. Mating is mating. And he feels the same way?”

“I dooooooooooooo,” Lucas called out.

“He does. I hear him, Mags. In my soul.”

“Oh. Oh, wow. Nell, did you hear that? Our little action figure hero has a mate!”

“I heard. Yay!” Nell hooted and clapped.

He glanced over at Lucas, who might have been beaming some, and grinned. “Yeah. Yay.”

“Good deal. That’s a great Christmas gift. No more weirdness?”

He shook his head. “No. You?”

“Not a bit. We’re beaching happily.”

“Fab. We have like, three feet of snow. I think we might be buried soon.”

“Better you than me. Have fun. I miss you. Thank you so much for the cured fish. You rock.”

He grinned. He knew them, didn’t he? Hell yes, he did. “Anything for you ladies. Love you. I’ll text you after we open presents. I have bacon waiting on me.” Lucas had just taken it off the heat.

“That’s important. We’ll see you soon. Love you, Cash!”

“I love you both!”

He was smiling when he hung up. That had been perfect.

“Mmm. They sound happy.”

“Just like we do.” Cash bounced up and went to jump on Lucas, who caught him easily.

“We do. We are.” Lucas kissed him hard, and he ended up wrapping his arms around Lucas’s strong neck, letting the kiss deepen before he reached down to the bare ass and squeezed again.

That had Lucas rising up on his toes, almost lifting him off the floor.

“Damn, baby. Hot.”

“We are. We burn together.” And he loved it.

“We do.” Lucas gave him one more hug. “Okay, let me finish up breakfast. Then we can talk presents and cuddles.”

“What else do you need me to do? We have coffee.”

“Can you lay out the bread in the egg mix for me while I heat the griddle?” Lucas nodded to a dish covered with a towel, which was full of egg, milk, and cinnamon. Right. French toast.

“No problem.” The four thick chunks of bread were a little dried out and ready to suck up the liquid. He stirred once more, then he slipped the bread in. He would flip them in a few after he got the butter and syrup out. He knew that drill now.

Together they created the rest of breakfast, and Cash went to grab a fuzzy robe for Lucas and his poor frozen butt. Even as warm as the cabin was, Lucas had to be freezing, and he’d had the effect he’d meant to, driving Cash crazy.

Once they sat, it was warm and the food was delicious, and it was Christmas. Like honestly Christmas.

They opened presents after breakfast, leaving the dishes in the sink. They could deal with that while they were making dinner in a bit.

“These are from Mags and Nell,” Lucas said, handing him gifts. “This is from my team. These are from me.”

“And these are for you. From Santa.” He pushed over a nice-sized pile of gifts.

“Wow. This is amazing, baby. How did you sneak these in?”

“I conspired with Mags and Nell before we came up. They just got Abel to bring it all.”

“Sneaky monkey.”

“I try. I wanted you to have Christmas. It’s important, you know? That you know I care.”

“I know that. I do. I wanted that for you too, so I sent Abel a list. I also had a few things delivered that he didn’t get to see.”

Cash tilted his head, intrigued by that.

“Yeah? Like what?” Also how? And yay.

“Like this one.” Lucas handed him a package that was smaller than the rest, a little flat box that was wrapped in green foil paper.

“Can I open it?” He almost vibrated off the sofa. He loved surprises.

“You can, yes.” Lucas’s eyes crinkled at the corner. “Please do.”

He tore off the paper and smoothed his fingers over the box underneath. It was a jewelry-type box, covered in embossed velvet material. Wow. He snicked the catch open and caught his breath when he saw what was inside. A masculine bracelet made of tawny and black leather braided together, it had silver plates around it, engraved with tiger stripes, and a gorgeous tiger’s eye set in the center of the band.

“Oh… Oh, mate. This is beautiful…” And he was completely honored. “Put it on me?”

“Yes.” Lucas concentrated for a moment on opening the clasp and fastening it around his wrist. “I know in your line of work, suddenly wearing a ring can be a publicity disaster. A bracelet you got on vacation, not so much.” Lucas smiled gently. “And I wanted to make it a promise.”

“My management will learn to deal with that eventuality, although it’ll depend on the role.” His body was part of his package, and it was good to know that Lucas understood that.

“I know. I do.” Lucas grinned and bent forward to kiss him. “But it’s important. Now, what should I open first?”

“Whatever you’d like.” Nothing was as wonderful as his bracelet.

“How about this one?” Lucas opened a midsize package that he knew held the cribbage board. “Oh, wow. Look at that.” Lucas ran his hand over the carved edges. “That’s gorgeous. Walnut?”

“With inlays of other woods, yes.”

“Thank you, baby. That’s amazing.”

They’d had so much fun learning and playing different card games, that he’d thought it was a perfect gift. They took turns after that, Lucas laughing over the crazy pajamas and hot sauces his team had sent. They’d sent Cash a selection of Texas products so he could get his fix of home, which he thought was a hoot. Spicy ketchup from Whataburger. That was awesome.

When Lucas opened the movie posters, though, he stared. “Wow. Oh wow, baby. Look at those.”

“You said they were your favorites. I got Trace, Marina, and Oliver to sign them for you.” The movie posters were from an action-adventure movie that was a few years old, but not too long ago, and the hero, the love interest, and the villain were all actors he knew.

“That’s amazing. Thank you. I’ll hang them up in here. As long as you promise to get me one of yours too.”

“You. Can have all of them. I have them in storage.”

“Be careful, I’ll paper walls with them.” Lucas’s grin grew. “I have seen pretty much all of your movies.”

“That’s good, right? I like that idea, that you liked what you saw, early on.” He loved it, in fact. “And that I’m not as spoiled as you thought.”

Silly, possibly, energetic, absolutely, but not spoiled.

“I was determined to think that. It was safer. Then I met you and I knew resistance was futile. You’re amazing. Even if I do have to sit on you.” Lucas twined their fingers together, then brought his hand up to his mouth to kiss it.

“And sometimes I get to sit on you…” he teased back, cuddling in. They had games and books, a jigsaw puzzle, and movies to watch. It was homey and old-fashioned and wonderful. He never would have thought this would be his jam, but with Lucas he was never bored. Because of the…sitting.

“You’re thinking wicked thoughts,” Lucas said, hugging him close.

“Nah, just sexy ones. I know how I want to spend the time between now and supper.”

“Are we going to mess the sheets up again?” Lucas teased, and he nodded happily.

“I should have asked Santa for four or five spares.”

“Mmmm. We’ll just have to buy them for ourselves.”

“We will.” Lucas had the best ideas. Cash sobered. “Thank you, love. This is the best Christmas.”

“It is. And we still have New Year’s.”

“Kisses at midnight? I can’t wait.” He was excited about all the firsts he and Lucas would have together.

“Kisses at midnight. Wishes. All the things.”

Oh. Wishes. Those he was good at. “Did you know jaguarundis are extremely lucky?”

“Nope. I mean, you found me by accident, so you must be.” Lucas waggled his eyebrows.

“Mmm…you picked me, my Beast.”

“I did. I couldn’t let someone else have the job.” Lucas nuzzled his neck, then just picked him up and took him to bed. “Time for our other present,” Listen to that growl.

“Unwrap me.”

It didn’t take long at all for Lucas to do as he was told.

Not long at all.

Sixteen

Lucas woke up New Year’s Eve to the sat phone ringing.

He rolled out of bed and padded across the chilly floor to grab it, leaving Cash in the pile of warm blankets.

“Hello?”

“Lucas? You need to move out.” That was James, and he sounded urgent.

“What? Why?”

“Because Lee has been burned, and he was on his way up to the halfway point. Someone ran him off the road.”

Shit. “Is he okay? And has he been on any other jobs?”

“He is. And no. And the campground shed has been broken into and searched.”

Dammit. This was really gonna suck. “We’ll move out in less than an hour.” If they could dig out the damn vehicle and get chains on.

Cash was already awake and moving, the man packing bags with quick, economic movements. He hated the rounded set of Cash’s shoulders and the grim expression.

“Where are you going?” James asked.

“The safest place I know.”

“I’ll tell Brock and Mick you’re coming in then. See you in about five hours.”

“Good deal.”

Cash had packed his bags and was clearing out the bathroom, erasing his presence. “I’ll clean out the fridge next.”

“Okay, baby. I’m gonna go dig out the SUV.” Lucas stopped Cash and gave him a kiss that left his mate breathless. “We do it together, whatever we do. Remember that. And we can come back here once we get this guy.” And they were going to get this guy. Once Cash was with the team at Apex, he was going to hunt this fucker down.

“Yes. Together. That doesn’t change.”

He loved how those words sounded. Loved it.

“Make sure you put my movie posters someplace safe.” He’d hung them in frames he’d had other things in, but he knew if the guy broke in, he would probably trash anything to do with Cash. Better to lock them in a closet. He had one that locked in the master.

He stomped into his boots and put on a hat and gloves with his big coat before he headed out with the shovel.

Fuck, he’d been hoping for at least another week or two of solitude and peace, but no…

Then again, without this psycho, he would never have met Cash, so he guessed he ought to be grateful.

Wait. So if the production company had hired him pre-bomb, had there been a threat to Cash they’d known about but hadn’t discussed with him or Apex?

Fuckers.

He was going to find this lousy piece of shit and beat him until he couldn’t fucking breathe.

First, though, he had to get this goddamn car dug out.

It took him the better part of the hour he’d said he needed to get on the road, but he had chains on, and the car started and loaded. He and Cash did one last walk-through, and he grabbed their cribbage board. “Ready, baby?”

“I am.” Cash hefted their bottle of champagne and made sure everything was as it should be. “Let’s go. I’m ready as I’m going to be.”

“I’m sorry. We’ll grab some breakfast in Delta. He was on the ski mountain side.”

“That’s fine, Beast. Seriously. Safe is best.”

“It is.” Cash was being super calm, and Lucas had to wonder how long that would last. Maybe Cash had other things to think about now. Lucas hoped having him, having a mate, helped.

“Are the ladies safe? They’ve checked in?” Cash got in the car and got himself cuddled in.

“Yes.” He knew James would have said something if Abel hadn’t checked in okay. “But we’ll call them once we hit I-70, okay?”

“Works for me. Should I find a countdown of best music of the year?” Cash’s eyes sparkled in the darkness.

“Yes.” He grinned. “You should. This is our New Year’s Eve.”

“Well…will we have a bed to share where we’re going?”

“Yeah. We all have an apartment at Apex. It’s near the old airport, and it’s a huge building.” He loved the Apex complex. “The old one was demolished by croc shifters, and they got another building in the same area. So now it’s a fortress.”

“Croc—like chomp-chomp death roll croc shifters?”

“Apparently. Like, super gross ones. I mean, I knew an alligator shifter once. Like a tank, he was. These guys were on some kind of drugs cooked up by the bad guy. I guess he had his hand in every case they did for like, three years and no one knew it was all related until it was almost too late.

“Oh man. That’s scary. I’ve worked with rhinos, who are honestly the coolest, and hippos, who can be a little pushy.”

“I bet. I’ve heard things.” Lucas had to laugh. Hippos. Wow. Where his people came from, it was the kind of the…well. The tundra, really. Hippos were also a little like tanks, he thought. “I’m kind of tickled that you get to meet the team.”

“Are you?” Cash grinned at him. “I hope they don’t hate my movies. That’s always weird.”

“Are you kidding? They have explosions in them.” Hopefully not while filming.

“Shut up.” Cash began to laugh, quiet chuckles getting louder and stronger.

Lucas grinned, pleased that he’d made his mate happy. He did love that open, free laugh that just seemed to boom, filling the whole cab.

“Do you think…why haven’t my media people found this guy hunting me? It doesn’t make sense.”

“Because they’re looking at people they don’t see every day. James really thinks he’s on your team somewhere. And he’s running checks, but this guy is hiding. So he falsified his information.”

“But I’m not a bitch to people. I’m good to work with. Ask anyone!”

“I know that, baby. Mags and Nell love you, and the production company and your people thought enough of you to hire us. But I worry they had some prior information and didn’t tell us.”

“Not my ladies.”

“No. The higher-ups. They were banking on us being able to keep you safe.”

“Well, I am still banking on that, mate. I’m going to be the safest actor on earth.”

“I know.” Lucas reached across the console to hold Cash’s hand. “I love you, baby.”

“I love you too.” Cash put his head back. “Is it cool for me to sleep?”

“If I need you, I’ll wake you.” Better for Cash not to see how much creative driving he had to do to get them to breakfast.

“Mmmmkay.” Cash shut his eyes, trusting him, and Lucas was going to do his dead-level best to keep earning that trust every minute. Get them to Apex, then go get this weird-ass stalker.

Then he would have to make some serious decisions.

* * *

Cash woke up for the third time that day when Lucas put them into park. He blinked his eyes open, staring at what looked like a parking garage. “Are we here? There?”

Lucas chuckled at him, his voice a little raw. “We are. Come on, baby. Let’s go see what the guys are up to.”

“What time is it?” he asked.

“Just after six. We hit an accident in Golden.”

“Man. It—are we in a parking garage?” Cash unhooked his seat belt.

“Yeah. It’s all self-contained, with a double-door system. Very secure. Kit is on his way down. He’s the building manager.”

Cash nodded. The bear. He remembered the stories. He guessed Kit would check them in, make sure they weren’t under duress and trying to bring someone. Check and balance. That was smart.

Even if he just wanted to go have a shower and a sandwich. They’d stopped in Delta, but his gut had been churning, and he’d eaten a few pieces of toast while Lucas had wolfed, or tigered, down steak and eggs.

He wasn’t sure he even wanted to do anything but get in a shower and go to bed. Maybe he’d want to countdown the New Year, but he didn’t know whether Lucas wanted to. The tiger had to be exhausted.

“Mmm. You okay, baby? Kit won’t be but a minute. I need him to check the car since it was out of our sight for a few in Delta.”

“I’m fine. How are you?”

“Not bad, surprisingly. You’re good company even when you snore.”

“Oh, butthead.” He pinched Lucas’s leg.

“Ow! Mean little house cat.”

“You know it.” He hopped out of the car, looking around, so curious. There were a bunch of different cars, from neat to boring, and the garage was a class act.

Cash waved to the camera, then went to grab up some of the bags.

A door opened, and a big guy shuffled into the garage, holding some kind of an electronic device. “Wow. Cash Weatherby. So nice to meet you. I’m Kit. I’ve seen all your movies.”

“I’ve heard so much about you. It’s great to meet you.”

Kit straightened up, the bear’s smile widening. “Yeah?”

“Yes. I hear that you’re the most amazing facilities guy ever.”

Kit’s cheeks pinked. “Thanks so much. Can I scan your bags?”

“Of course.” Cash stepped back to allow Kit to do his job.

Lucas stepped out of the car to give Kit a back-pounding hug. “Hey, little bear. How’s it going?”

“Better than your day, I bet. The car and bags are clean. Come on in, guys.” Kit helped them load their shit into this wild tactical wagon, then led the way back into the building. There was a set of fire doors, then an elevator, which was also smart. Man, these guys had some tales to tell, he would bet.

Maybe they would let him make a movie…

They were led into a big lobby, with one door labeled “APEX Investigations,” one labeled “APEX Security,” and the final said, “EMPLOYEES ONLY.”

“This one is ours.” Kit winked at him.

He laughed with Kit. “I feel special.”

“You should.” Lucas goosed his ass. “You get to be in the inner sanctum.”

“That’s the tech office, dude. We’re just going to your apartment to begin with,” Kit teased. “James and Rey and Craig will have to meet you before you get to see their domain.”

“You’re inviting us to the party, though. Right?” Lucas asked, and Kit nodded.

“You know it. We start at eight. There are hats and noisemakers.”

“Wow.” He glanced at Lucas. “Are you good with that?”

“I am. There will be games and silly TV and food. So. Much. Food.” Lucas smacked his lips. “We’ll take a shower and all first, huh?”

That sounded good. Maybe he could con Lucas into letting him give the big guy a massage too, since he’d had a nap, and Lucas hadn’t.

Kit nodded. “I put some goodies in your fridge, got the cleaners to run through, change your sheets.”

“Thanks, man. That’ll make it comfy.” Kit was a wonder.

“Look forward to seeing you both downstairs. Glad you’re home, Lucas.”

Cash loved how Lucas lit up, and he bumped hips with his mate as they went into the cozy, luxe apartment with lots of leather, a little chrome, and some Navajo rugs and such.

“This is nice. Not as cozy as the cabin, but still very you.”

“Thanks, baby. If the building owner, Mick, had his way, everyone would live onsite full time. All of the guys from the PI office do, and three or four of the bodyguards have a place here like I do. There are a few apartments that are just furnished for the guys who prefer to be on assignment full-time. They rotate if they need to come in.”

“So…” He didn’t know how to ask what happened next. Not tomorrow next. But once the studio wasn’t paying for Lucas.

“So?” Lucas raised an eyebrow, then started tugging them toward what turned out to be a bathroom he saw in his dreams. Rain bath shower with five jets. Two big benches. Towel warmer. Look at all that.

“Oh…” Forget questions. He had tons of time for questions. Eons. “Let’s take a shower.”

“Sounds good, baby.” Lucas stripped him down with a single-minded intensity, clothes flying. He was layered up, after all.

He tried to help out, but Lucas was a whirlwind, and he was just getting in the way. They were naked, the water was on, and he was in the shower before he could get Lucas’s coat off. And then those clothes were flying too. Whoosh.

“This is an amazing bathroom. Like a dream.”

“You’re a movie star. Ask for an amazing bathroom in your rider.”

“That makes me an asshole. I’m not big enough to be an asshole without repercussions.” One day, but he didn’t think he was going to be an asshole then.

“I’ll just have to start negotiating for you. Tigers love the water, so I designed this with Kit.” Lucas stepped in with him.

“It’s amazing. Seriously.” He held his arms open, welcoming Lucas in.

“Mmmm. So are you. You mind rubbing my lower back?” Lucas hugged him and they shared a kiss that was long and warm and happy.

“Of course not.” He turned Lucas around, had his mate brace against the tile, and soaped up his hands. Then he proved that he understood how to touch a man and make him feel better.

The low moans and growls he got proved it. If Lucas had his tail right now, it would be straight up in the air and vibrating with pleasure.

“Mmm…pretty kitty. That feels good, does it?”

“So good. Making me pant, and I’d be sweating if we weren’t in here.” Lucas wiggled for him.

“That’s all that’s important.” He dug in with his thumbs, pushing in, good and hard, making firm, steady circles.

“It is. So stiff.” Lucas chuffed, the sound so happy, that unique love sound tigers made. It made him smile.

“Mmhmm…” He appreciated a little stiffness, and more than that, he loved feeling Lucas melt for him.

By the time his hands were getting tired, Lucas was so much more relaxed, and his eyes were heavy-lidded. “Mmm…so much better. Thank you, kit. I appreciate it.”

“Any time, Beast.”

“We can probably sneak in a nap before the festivities.”

“As long as we get there early enough for me to meet people before things get going good.”

“We’ll go up about seven thirty, then. That gives us some time.”

“Mmhmm. Perfect. I can snuggle like a champion.”

“We both can.” Lucas chuckled. “Shifters in general. God, you should see the piles here. Like those furry things but without all the humping or yiffing or whatever. Just a bunch of shifters sleeping in animal form.”

“Oh, we did that in college. No sex, just comfort and closeness.” He wasn’t jealous. Lucas was his mate. That wasn’t breakable.

“Yes. Exactly. It’s a bonding thing here. The guys are really like Mick’s pack. I’m still one of the new guys, and I work for Brock and Locke. But they’ve all been amazing to me, so I can’t bitch.” Lucas turned off the water after washing him down, then got them both big, warm towels.

“No reason to bitch, man. Enjoy it.” He didn’t believe in denying himself things that were healthy and happy-making.

They snuggled down in the bed, the scent of Lucas all around him. The day had started out for shit, but this didn’t suck, and now he’d get to know more of what made Lucas tick.

He just wanted things to calm down, go back to his normal.

Not that holidays with Lucas needed to be abnormal. Work was fine, but Luas was addiction. This stalker shit,, though, did he want it? No way. It needed to go right down the drain.

Glub glub, motherfucker.

He chuckled and cuddled into the sheets with his mate.

Seventeen

Lucas took Cash to the party, not the least bit nervous to have him meet all the guys. They might rib him, but he knew they would be polite and welcoming to his mate. Always. And there would be food. Which was good. His belly was trying to eat his backbone, and he knew Cash had eaten less than him.

“Hey! There they are. Amigo. It’s good to see you.” Brock came to clasp arms and rub cheeks with him.

“Hey, boss. Sorry we had to bust in on the party. This is Cash. Cash, my boss, Brock.”

Cash’s nose quivered. “Jaguar.”

Brock’s lips twitched. “Jaguarundi. Pleased to meet you.”

“Ditto. Thanks for having us.” Cash shook hands, grinning. “Something smells good.”

“Kit and Rey have been making goodies for hours. Come meet my mate, Locke.” Brock led them over to a table where the big bear shifter, Locke, was handing out hats with the year emblazoned on them. And noisemakers. God help him. Cash would love those.

Cash beamed at Locke, nodded once. “Pleased. Thank y’all for letting me come and celebrate with you.”

“Hey.” Locke enveloped a very startled-looking Cash in a grizzly hug. “Glad to have you. You hungry? So far we have patty melt sliders and pizza rolls. Also onion rings.”

Cash gave him a sideways look. “Now I see where you get it from.”

“This is not a Keto place, honey. You can start that shit tomorrow.”

Cash laughed, the sound merry as all get out. “I might have to run ten miles, but I’m not much on fad diets.”

“Mmhmm.” No carbs and all chicken breasts, but no fads…

Shut up.

Lucas grinned wide, and Locke shook his head. “You two have progressed to mind meld already. Terrifying. Congratulations, though. Really.”

“Thanks, boss.” Lucas beamed at Locke, and if his grin got any bigger his tiger would pop right out.

“Thank you.” Cash’s cheeks went bright red, but he grinned wide. “It’s amazing. He’s amazing.”

Now it was his cheeks that heated. “Ditto, kitty.”

“Hey!” James the mountain lion tech guy came bouncing over to rub cheeks with him. “Good to see you, man. Are you really a jaguarundi, Cash? I’ve never seen one in real life. You guys are really rare.”

“As shifters, yeah. Most of us are pretty shy and retiring.” Cash rolled his eyes making Lucas laugh out loud.

“Good thing that’s not you, huh, baby?”

“Nope. I’m the big goofball of the family, seriously. Everyone else is incredibly anti-see and be seen.”

“Oh my people were all, go find your own territory, young man. We’re solitary.” James sounded a raspberry. “My ass. We’re all half-human. That means we’re not meant to be alone.”

“Yes.” Hank stared at James, the expression burning and hungry. “And you’ll never be again.” Hank was James’s bobcat shifter mate, and an ex-cop who’d seen his share of shit doing undercover work.

Lucas respected him immensely.

“This is James and Hank, and this is the buffet table. Which I need.” He hauled Cash to the food. To say there were sliders and pizza rolls was vastly understating the stuff they found there.

“Wow. Wow, I’m going to have one of everything. Is that okay?” Cash was literally vibrating.

“Yes. It is. I think I’m going to have two.” He handed Cash a plate, then took one for himself and started loading up.

“I got your champagne chilling, guys.” Kit was just beaming at them. “I hope it’s okay that it’s up here.”

“Totally.” Cash bounced at Kit to hug him after setting down his plate for a moment. Lucas picked it up. Around Apex, an abandoned plate got stolen. “Look at this!” Cash went on. “Did you cook all this?”

“Me and Rey. We conscripted a few others too.”

“It’s amazing. It’s a real party, but no one is taking pictures and staring!”

Mick leaned close and whispered, “They keep him on a tight leash, do they?”

“They do. And he’s not tight with his family.” Lucas loved how Cash was reacting to the Apex guys, though. It was hard not to. They folded a man, or woman, though their last female employee, Carrie, had left to take care of her mom, into their hearts pretty fast.

It was really a family as well as a workplace.

And Cash accepted them all, from raven to wolf to bear. He chatted with Cole and Greg, who were ex-cops and agents, and who still had a little twitchiness going on, laughed with fox shifter Rey and his wolf mate Dylan… Cash was just a lover. And he wasn’t on. He wasn’t acting or faking it. Lucas kept tabs on his mental state, in fact, willing to call it at any hint of exhaustion or sign of withdrawal.

They watched bad TV and played pool and foosball and cards, and just laughed their asses off.

Then, suddenly, it was two minutes to midnight.

“Hats and champagne, guys! Hats and glasses!” Kit actually sounded a little panicked.

They all plopped hats on, and Lucas and Locke popped champagne like madmen, both of them pulling off the sword maneuver with ease.

By the time the ball was dropping, they were all set up, and he had Cash in his arms. His mate in his arms for New Year’s Eve for the very first time.

“Happy New Year!” Everyone shouted, glasses clinked, but it was the midnight kiss he got to have with his mate that really did it for Lucas.

That was the icing on this cake.

Mate. Cash’s eyes were clear, bright, focused on him. Cash could have been a jerk about having to move today, about having to spend their first New Year’s together among strangers. Instead, Cash was just alive and happy and so good right there in his embrace.

“I like him,” Brock told him at one point while Cash and Kit were gyrating to some song no one else knew the words to. Maybe it was K-Pop?

“Thanks, boss. Me too.”

“It’s obvious. Are we going to lose you to him when the job is done?”

“We haven’t talked about it. But I can’t see me letting someone else be with him 24/7.”

“No, no. So we’ll just work to get the job made permanent, hmm? He’s been with his driver and his assistant for years. He’s known for long-term arrangements.”

“I’m happy to keep on going through you.” Lucas winked. “That way all I have to do is pay my taxes, not do all the business shit.”

“Exactly. If you are both good with that, we are too.”

“Then I’ll put it to him.” He hoped Cash felt good about it. He would hate to lose this connection, but for Cash he would move on if need be. He would do whatever his mate needed him to.

Beast? What’s wrong? Everything good? His Cash was focused on him like a laser.

Nothing is wrong, love. Brock was just chatting with me about what’s going to happen going forward. I told him I would talk to you first. We don’t have to do that now. Or even today. Since it was the first the phrasing worked…

All right. I’m not losing you. We’ll manage.

We will. Brock made an offer, so we can talk it over. That warmed him so much, that Cash wasn’t worried. Or stressed. He was just solid and sure.

They were together. Boom.

Then Cash was dancing again, and Lucas simply sat and admired.

He would have his time once they were back in their bed with the door locked. New Year’s at Apex was for their extended family. For the time they all got to spend together without feeling guilty about it.

This was home, as much as the cabin was.

And the fact that Cash fit right in spoke volumes about the man he was. This was his best New Year’s to date.

Eighteen

A hard knock woke Cash up with a jolt, someone banging on the door. Even after being there three days, it still took him a few to figure out he was in Lucas’s apartment. With Lucas. Who was sprawled on him. In tiger form.

“Just a minute! Lucas, wake up. Someone is at the door.”

Lucas raised that huge head and yawned, his teeth showing, whiskers moving like mad.

The knock came again, and Lucas grumbled, jumping down off the bed, shifting to human smoothly as he walked to the door. He opened it a crack. “What?”

“I think we found your guy. You weren’t answering your phone.” That was… Rey?

“You did? Where? Who?”

Cash sat up too, sheet pooling around his waist as he listened.

“Get something on and come up to the brain center.” Rey disappeared, and Lucas came back to grab clothes.

“Can I come too?” He was already pulling on pants and socks.

“Of course you can. This is about you. Maybe you know something about this guy.”

He tossed Lucas a sweatshirt and grabbed himself a sweater.

They headed up on an elevator, and the doors opened into an outer office area with fire doors that could be closed. They looked more like bomb-safe doors, but he’d heard a few of the stories about the crocs and all. The room they went into next, though, looked like something out of a futuristic crime lab show. Computers, monitors, glass boards, and a huge espresso machine dominated the space.

“Wow. Control room, huh?” He knew producers who would be so jealous.

“Yep. We had to make more space for the new guy.”

“Hey.” A pretty guy with bright golden-brown eyes and a beaky nose smiled and waved. “Coffee?”

“Hey, Craig. Missed you over the New Year’s thing,” Lucas said.

“I had a family thing. Nice to meet you, Mr. Weatherby. I’m the new guy.”

“Hey, new guy! Tell me who this fucker is, please?” Cash needed this to go away.

“Well, as best we can tell, it’s this guy.” Craig pointed to one of the big screens, then went to make espresso.

“Wait, him? He was on security at the shoot.”

“Yep.” James spun his chair in a circle. “Good fake resume and credentials, too.”

“What’s his deal? What’s his beef with the shoot?”

“I think it’s you, not the shoot.” James’s fingers flew on the keyboard. “Before he worked for the production company, he was with a company that applied to be your personal security. We were better. And the bomb…well, I think he was hoping you would need him to sweep in and take you someplace safe, but Mags and Nell called in Lucas too fast.”

Cash growled, the sound vibrating him. “He hurt someone. Asshole. Do we know where he is now?”

“His last phone tower ping was in New Mexico. Looks like he’s headed south. We’re trying to get any kind of security camera evidence to prove it.”

“South. Why south? Is he heading for my folks? They don’t acknowledge me. It won’t matter.”

“Maybe he’s trying to throw us off.” Lucas crossed his arms over his chest, staring at the guy’s picture. “What’s his name?”

“According to employment records? Tad Lowry.”

“Tad. Oh, god, he was always so chatty.” Cash shuddered. “He’s a creeper, and he was totally inappropriate with his language. He called me Cashie.”

“Yuck.” That was Rey, who handed him a cup of coffee passed on by Craig. “That’s gross.”

“It was with him.”

Lucas tapped his finger against his chin. “No. I don’t buy it. I bet his burn phone is on the way in a bus or something and he’s nearby. He has to know who got hired.”

“So should we go?” Cash looked to Lucas. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know where they would go this time.

“No, baby. No. We’re going to stay right here, and find him. We need to figure out where he was on New Year’s after the break-in at the campground. Go from there.”

James rolled his eyes. “I’m on that. We’re tracing him from tower to tower, trying to figure out what his closest location to us here was. Then we’ll triangulate that area and send our gumshoes out to canvas the area.”

“Gumshoes. I haven’t ever heard that outside of a movie script,” Cash said.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m older than I look. Chill. I just needed to know something about him; if there was something to know.”

“I remember him vaguely too,” Lucas said. “I saw him somewhere not at the set. The store maybe. Somewhere. So that first day he was following me. The one right after the bomb when we were moving.”

James nodded. “So you must have lost him, and then he caught Mags and Nell and followed them back to the condo.”

“He’s resourceful. I’ll give him that.”

Cash looked at Lucas. “You’re very calm.”

“Oh, fuck no. When I find him I’m going to rip off his head and shit down his neck.”

“Promise?” That worked for him, even though his muscles weren’t for show. Not even a little bit. He was capable of laying down a smackdown.

“Hell yes. He tried to blow up my mate or maybe kidnap him. He’s got to go.”

Rey snorted softly. “Apex predators.”

“Hush up, foxy,” Lucas said.

“At least I’m not an oversized chicken.” Rey winked at Craig.

“Bawk bawk.” At Cash’s glance, Craig flushed. “Falcon shifter.”

“Killer cool. Celia Lin is too. She’s a stud.” Scary as fuck to have to do a love scene with too. Damn.

“I bet.” Craig shivered. “She seems like a—”

“If you say harpy, I’m going to whap you.” Cash winked over.

“No. No. I was going to say badass. Harpy eagles are way bigger.”

Okay, that was fucking funny. He snorted, then covered his mouth with his hand.

Craig winked at him, then turned back to his keyboard.

“So what do I need to do?” Lucas asked.

“Right now? Keep your guy safe. Once we have a real location, I’ll holler. Cash, if you think of anything else about this guy, let us know. Like if you saw him in Australia or before that.” James was back to typing, fingers flying.

“Not in Oz. The security there is all local folks. He wasn’t there. Maybe in Long Beach? Maybe in North Carolina? But not in Australia.”

“I’ll look into those locations. Good info. Thank you.”

“No problem.” He watched, fascinated by the ebb and flow of these guys at work. It was like the movies, and it wasn’t. There was a lot of coffee and keyboard clacking, but there was a lot less clever banter. These guys were buried deep in business.

He sat in a chair in the shadows while Lucas did whatever it was Lucas did. It was quiet and comfortable, and he found himself dozing off, drifting away.

“Hey, man. You new around here?”

He looked around confused. Wait, why was he in Wilmington? He’d been in the mountains. “Uh, no. No, why?”

“Oh, I just haven’t seen you in here before.” The guy grinned, and there was something about it that made him back up a step.

“I’m just doing a cameo. A walk-on.” Nothing serious. A favor for a friend and the studio. “See ya.”

“I’m Tad, head of security. I watch you so no one else has to.”

“Okay. Cool. I think they need me in makeup.” Not creepy at all, right?

“Sure. You have a good day, okay?” Tad touched his shoulder as he hurried by.

“He touched me!” The words popped out of his mouth as his eyes flew open. “In Wilmington. On the set of Gigantor. I did a walk-on.”

“He was there?” That actually had all three techs swiveling to stare at him.

“Yes. Yeah, he said he was the head of security. And he went by Tad.”

“Good. That’s good. Fantastic.” James whirled back to his computer. “Oh, man. He was fired from the Wilmington job. He falsified records. He also hacked into the computers to send camera footage to his own cloud server.”

“That’s fucked up, man. Seriously. Not. Cool.” He shook his head. “Did they figure out what the footage was?”

“Actors in the showers at the beach set.” Rey shuddered. “Yikes. He even hacked the security cameras to get that. Had to turn them in places they weren’t meant to see. He also had cuts from love scenes.”

“Ew.” Perv. He hated this stalker bullshit. “So you figure he’s from the East Coast?”

“I think so.” James clacked some more. “Virginia, looks like.”

“Goodie.” What was he supposed to do? Wasn’t his security team supposed to just keep all these assholes away? He knew he’d had someone back then.

“I got you now, though, baby.” Lucas came over, then kissed him gently, distracting him before lifting him to his feet. “I’ll keep them off you.”

“This sucks, man. I want to make movies and entertain people.” And even as he said it, he felt like a dipshit. He put himself out there; this was part of the deal.

“Of course you do.” That was Craig. “And like, public life means you give up some privacy, but that doesn’t mean people get to creep on you in person or whatever. They need to keep their shit to themselves.”

“Spoken like a true Marvel fanboy,” James murmured.

Craig tossed a light-up ball at James. “You hush.”

“Fanboys aren’t all bad. Just the psycho stalker ones.”

“Exactly!”

Lucas’s soft chuckle had him smiling into those gorgeous eyes. “You’re something else, Cash Weatherby. I hate sitting and waiting.”

“Me too. Let’s go beat him down.” He was only mostly teasing.

“We will. I promise.”

“What should we do in the meantime,” Cash teased. “Play tiddlywinks?”

“I’m going to take you back to bed and let you sleep. You look exhausted.”

“I do?”

“Yes.” Lucas traced the skin under his eyes. “We were up late.”

Cash chortled at the looks they got.

“What? We were. It was lovely, but he needs his beauty rest.” Lucas just picked him up. “I will have my phone handy now, though. Holler if you need us.”

“We’ve got this. Go keep him beautiful or whatever.”

Craig winked at him, and Cash knew he’d found a fast friend.

They crawled right back into bed, and he wasn’t sure if he should apologize or just keep his mouth shut, because this had brought him his mate, but it was a lot of trouble for some jerk with a star-fucker obsession.

“Don’t apologize. This is ridiculous. This guy is disturbed.” And you’ll have decent protection from now on.

Thank you, love. Mags and Nell have always tried.

They were working with a deficit. With Apex behind us, we’re good to go.

Mmhmm… He snuggled in, finding his perfect spot before yawning, his jaw cracking. Oh. This was nice. This whole, sharing a bed, sharing a life and his worries… He could get used to it.

Hell, he hadn’t stood on his hands in days.

Nineteen

Lucas’s phone chimed in the early morning hours on the sixth of January, and it was James. They had a line on the Tad Lowry guy. Not in New Mexico. He was in a roadside motel over by the stock show arena in Denver proper.

He slid out of bed, leaving Cash sleeping. He would go track the guy down, make sure he understood what was what, and then turn him over to the police for the bombing. For all that Cash wanted to be involved, he was still a civilian, as it were. He was in amazing shape, but he’d never done cop work. Or military.

Not only that, but this was his mate.

His.

He wasn’t going to risk his lover for a psycho. Not a chance.

It was his job, and his pleasure and right, to keep Cash safe. So he grabbed some clothes, dressing out in the living room before slipping out to get the address from James and sign out a vehicle from Kit.

“I’ll check in. Don’t panic him. Let him sleep.”

“Will do. Take care of yourself, will you?”

“I will. I have Lee on call as back up.”

“James and the team will be offering all the assistance they can.”

He nodded and headed out, going directly for the asshole. No way was he letting his mate deal with this prick. He hit I-70, and it wasn’t going to take long to reach the roach motel the guy was at, even with a huge dump of snow and a three-car pileup. He keyed up his phone to call Craig.

“We’re with you,” Craig told him by way of answer.

“Do we have any visual confirmation he’s there? Or just a phone ping?”

“Credit card hit, actually.”

“Okay. Cool. So you’re getting me a room number.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yep. Room…” There was a fury of tapping. “Eighteen.”

“On it. I’ll deal with it, then contact the locals.”

“Just keep us in on the comms.”

“Yep.”

He gunned it, loving the feel of the big, armored SUV. He’d love to say this guy was harmless, but he’d managed to get a pipe bomb on a closed movie set and get hired as security with a background check on fake credentials. So he might be a sleaze, but he wasn’t stupid.

And Cash wouldn’t thank him for getting himself hurt, that was for sure.

So he kept Craig on the line, and he knew Lee would meet him there but stay out of sight unless Lucas required the help.

The motel had a truck stop-style restaurant and parking area, so he parked out of sight of the rooms, which all opened to the outside, and found room eighteen on the second floor.

Lucas wanted to get this asshole before he scared Cash more. He knew Cash was chafing under the bit, wanting to get out and play. The press didn’t scare him. Neither did garden-variety fans. Bombs were hard to outrun.

He pounded on the door, his phone still active so the guys could hear what was going down.

There was no answer, so he pounded again, frowning. “Mr. Lowry! It’s the front office. There’s been a problem with your credit card.”

Something was wrong. Something felt off.

He frowned and backed away. “No answer. I don’t like—”

That was when the door blew.

* * *

Cash’s phone rang, shocking him out of sleep. The bed was cold, and Lucas was gone. Weird. He grabbed his phone, Mags’s number popping up.

“Hey, lady! How are you?”

“You want to see her alive again, you’ll shut your fucking mouth, Cashie.”

He blinked, putting his phone on speaker, shocked to hear a man’s voice where he was expecting Mags.

“You listen, now, and do what I tell you. Only speak when I tell you. Do you understand? Yes or no?” That snarl was ugly.

“I hear you.” The fucker was implied.

He dragged on his jeans, an undershirt, a sweater. Then he texted Lucas. <he’s on the phone>

There was no answer, and he frowned, waiting, trying to decide what to do.

“Good. I have them. The women. They decided to come back and surprise you. Left their guard in Houston. Wasn’t that nice of them?”

His frown deepened. That didn’t sound like Mags and Nell. They were trained security people. They would have waited for the all clear.

“What do you want?”

“I didn’t tell you to speak!”

Wow. Shouty pouty baby man. “Nope. But I’m not all that good at keeping my mouth shut, am I?”

<please mate. He’s on the phone. He has mags and nell>

He thought the words toward Lucas too, but there was no answer. What the heck was going on?

“Don’t bother texting that tiger of yours, you fuck. He’s dead. I blew his ass up at the decoy hotel I sent him to.”

“Huh.” Lucas was silent inside him, but not…empty. Surely if Lucas was dead, he would feel destroyed inside. Still, if Lucas was gone and there was a bomb, his beast needed to be able to keep his wits about him. This guy wanted him to believe he was stripped of all his help. But he was in the Apex compound and whatshisface wasn’t.

“Did you hear me?”

“Yes.”

“Well, don’t sound so broken up.” The petulance stunned him.

“Shall I sing a sad song for you?” He got his coat and his shoes on and went to find help.

“You little shit. You think you’re so much better than me. All that fancy private security, and I got through it all. I’m the head of security, dammit. I am. Me. So you answer to me if you don’t want to get hurt.”

Cash gritted his teeth against a sharp reply. In the movies he could be flip. This was real life, and he needed to think. Think. He eased the door open, hoping the guy couldn’t hear it, then crept up the hall to the stairs. The elevator would ding.

Someone would be able to help him. He needed a car, if nothing else and, for that, he needed keys.

He headed up the stairs, trying to keep his footsteps as quiet as possible.

“Are you listening to me?” the dude screamed, and Cash bit back his snarl even as he rolled his eyes.

“Yep.” Motherfucking fucker fuckity fuck!

“This is what I want you to do. I want you to leave the Apex building. I want you to get an Uber or a cab. Don’t talk to the driver except to give him the address as I give it to you. Say you heard me.”

“I did. I’ll need you to be quiet while I do, though. They have people on me when Lucas isn’t here. I’ll need to get past them.” He hoped that might get the guy to hang up until he was out of the building. He eased the fire door open at the top of the stairs, peering toward the brain center where he knew James and Craig and Rey never seemed to sleep.

That was like a friggin’ beehive. So yeah, Lucas was in trouble and needed them, but he needed someone. Just one someone.

Kit. The bear. He moved until Kit looked, feeling a little like an outré Rumpelstiltskin doing his dance, and caught the bright brown gaze and waved, holding one finger to his lips and slipping back inside the stairwell.

The door opened again, and he shook his head, holding up his phone. “I’m looking for a way out. I think I can get a vehicle.”

“No! No trackers. They have them in all their vehicles. Just get outside and then get an Uber.”

Understanding dawned on Kit’s face, and he nodded, padding silently past Cash and leading him to the garage.

“Okay. I’m out. I’m just going to get a car.” He hoped to hell this guy wasn’t smart enough to ask for a screenshot of the Uber.

“Okay. I’m sending you the address.”

“I’ll be there.” Hang up. Fuck, hang up.

Cash typed on the notes app on his phone so Kit could see.

“Asshole has Mags and Nell. I need help. Lucas is okay?”

Kit nodded. He pulled out his phone and tapped out. “There was an explosion. Lee has him, and he’s stunned and bruised, but he’ll be okay. I’ll send them the address he sent you.”

Then Kit was motioning for him to cover his phone up so he could open the big bay door so they could take out one of the big SUVs.

He nodded, praying this bastard didn’t hear them. There was a fairly good chance, since he was ranting and hollering like an idiot.

They managed to get into the car, Kit killing all radio communications before they even got moving, and then the bay door closing was silenced by the vehicle noise.

“I’m coming. The Uber driver is looking at me weird. He can hear you.” He couldn’t resist that poke.

“Fuck you. Get here now before something happens.”

“I’m on the way, dammit!”

Kit rolled his eyes dramatically, making yak-yak motions with his hand, and he almost lost it, but he tried to tamp it down. The relief of knowing Lucas was okay was making him hysterical, he thought.

He just needed to focus on making sure the ladies were going to be okay. Whatever the bastard had done, he had to have disabled Nell somehow. Kit kept them rolling, and he tried to figure out what he was going to do when he got there.

He dared to hit mute before he whispered to Kit. “I’m going to need your help. I’m not sure what the situation is, but I don’t want to get kidnapped by a psycho stalker.”

“I won’t desert you. I’ll drive off, and then I’ll be there. Trust me.” Kit patted his leg.

He nodded, taking a deep breath and letting it out. Okay, right. Kit was a pro. He did this all the time. Right? Even if he was a PI and not a bodyguard. He’d fought crocodile shifters and won.

And this was the guy that was here.

This was his shot to make sure his best friends were okay.

He turned the sound back on so Kit could hear, then watched the GPS. He wasn’t going to speak until he was told to. That way he didn’t give anything away.

The GPS was taking them to a set of old warehouses, big industrial buildings. So likely, he wanted to do a switch to another a car. If there was a switch.

In the movies they’d have a switch and then a car chase…

Kit held up a finger, then pointed at a big warehouse at the end of the lane they turned onto. Then he made a circle motion and pointed to another that said it had parking. Right, so it would have an entrance on more than one street. Smart bear.

He nodded. “I’m pulling up. Where are you?”

“Get out of the car and tell the driver not to stick around.”

He looked at Kit and rolled his eyes.

“Okay.” He winked at Kit. “Thanks. You did great. Have a good one.”

“You too, sir.”

“Thanks. I’ll just call for another ride when my business is done.” He stepped out of the car, praying the guy didn’t just shoot him. He really wasn’t ready for that, but it could happen. Sometimes these guys were all “if I can’t have you no one can.”

He would nut the guy. He really would.

He moved into the shadows, out of the bulk of the snow. “I’m here, asshole. Come on. It’s cold.”

“You little fuck.” He could hear the guy but not see him.

“I’m little, but I’m fucking bouncy.” His clothes were loose, loose enough to shift if he had to.

He flexed his hands, trying to keep his shit together long enough to see what was going to happen. No one shot him, so he started thinking hard, formulating a plan.

Okay, if he was going to get shot, he’d be dead or hurt. So it was a stealing situation. He moved farther into the shadows, bouncing on his toes and sliding out of his shoes.

“I can sense you, Cash, even if I can’t see you. I can feel your thermal signature and smell you.”

Snake? Was this guy a snake shifter?

Rock on. It was cold. Snakes were twitchy in the snow. “I’m good with that, buddy. Why me? Do I smell yummy?”

“Because I want you. That’s enough. You’re famous, after all.”

“So is everyone I work with. Try harder.”

“Because you need a keeper! You need a firm hand! Someone to keep you in fucking line!” The guy’s voice rose to a shriek.

“I have a couple, thanks.” Okay. Okay, time to bounce. “You’re not up to the job.”

He shifted and took off, moving with all his pent-up energy and fear.

Go find Mags and Nell, Kit. Get them safe.

He knew Kit couldn’t hear him, but it didn’t matter. He was running for all three lives.

Twenty

Lucas’s head throbbed, and he thought he might just throw up if Lee took one more corner on two wheels. It was necessary. They needed to get to Cash. Get him back, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to expire himself.

“How could you just leave him there, Kit?” he snarled. They’d been on their way back to Apex when Kit had called to tell them about the trip he and Cash had taken.

“What am I supposed to do? Just hang around. I came out and saw him run. I’m looking for the two women. I called the office, and no one has heard from Abel, but they were in town as of last night. They were on their way back, but they got in so late they stayed at an airport hotel.”

“But not the shithole we just came from?”

“No. But no one has seen them this morning.”

“Somebody find me Abel! Right now!” He needed to know what the fucking sitrep was.

“Don’t make me tranq you, buddy. I don’t need you having a stroke,” Lee barked.

“On it,” Craig said. They were all on the same comms.

“They’re not in the building he came out of.” Kit sounded totally out of breath. “I checked both floors.”

“Go after Cash, then!”

“Dude, dude, Lucas. BEAR. I’m a BEAR. Have you seen him run?”

“I’ve seen you run,” Lee said. “We’ll find him, Lucas. Just breathe, for fuck’s sake.”

“I know I should have put a GPS collar on him or something.” Lucas closed his eyes a moment.

“Abel’s vehicle is at the airport hotel lot. We’re sending someone to get into it and see what they can find.” James was in work mode, a snap in his voice.

“Good.”

“I hate to be a jackass…” Craig drawled. “But you did say you two were mates, didn’t you?”

“What?” He shook his head, then gagged. “My head is very, very wrong. I tried to call to him.”

“Try again. You’re closer now.”

Mate? Mate, can you hear me?

—ake. A fucking sna—ry! Need he—

Shit. “I need to get closer. I can hear him, but just barely.”

“Okay. Which way is he headed from the building?”

Cash! Which direction did you go!

North!

Okay. Okay, that was clear. Good. “He says he went north from Kit’s location.”

“That’s good. Keep trying. You don’t need your brain anyway. Let it dribble out your ears,” Lee said.

“Fuck you.” He closed his eyes again, focusing on his bond with Cash.

Cash was scared, but moving, streaking across Denver, but his mate didn’t know the city, didn’t know how to get somewhere safe.

He sent a shaft of pure suggestion at Cash, hoping it would get him to turn toward one of Brock’s safe houses. A big one, with a big plot of land. They could trap the fucking…snake. Cash had said snake.

“He’s a snake shifter.”

“Oh yay. Go team cliche.” Craig, as a falcon, had a natural disdain for snakes, but he tried to keep it under wraps.

“Yeah. But that means he’s moving slower than Cash. Probably a lot slower. We have time to get our shit together.”

“Abel and the ladies are safe,” Brock growled, suddenly on the comms with them. “They’re in Abel’s vehicle. Some sort of toxin was ingested, and he left them tied up in there.”

“Goodie. Get them to the hospital.” They’re all safe. The ladies are safe.

YES! COME GET ME!

We’re coming. I need you to keep going. Listen to me. Follow where I send you. Goddess, he hoped this worked.

I will. Cars! So obviously Cash had hit a major thruway.

Be careful. I’m coming for you. “Head for Brock’s place near the vineyards.”

“The one that’s got the big lot beyond the winery?” Lee asked.

“Yes.”

“Good thinking. Close. Private. Big.”

“Yeah. I need to get to him before dorky, violent, and venomous does.”

“You got it.”

“I can clear some traffic down that way,” Craig said. “Gimme thirty seconds.”

God he loved their team. They did what needed to be done.

Now he had to do the same and protect his mate.

* * *

All Cash had to do was keep moving.

He knew Tad was behind him, but the bastard was moving slow, at least when he was on foot. The motorcycle was quicker and damned maneuverable, when he got right down to it.

Of course, that told him a lot—one, that Nell and Mags weren’t wherever that bastard said. Two, that he couldn’t shift and function in the snow. Three? Tad needed to keep both hands on the handlebars because he wasn’t a fucking stuntman.

That meant Cash wasn’t getting himself shot.

How much farther, mate? He had stamina, but he wasn’t gas-powered.

Less than a quarter mile. He could tell Lucas was closer now, because it was as if he could see through Cash’s eyes. Turn right. See the big house at the end of the lane?

The white one with the fence. I do. He hoped he could squeeze through the slats of the iron gate. He thought he could, and if not, he was fucked, because Tad was right there.

And he was a good jumper, but damn.

He slowed just enough to make the corner into the driveway, then gunned it, all four paws hitting the ground hard, digging in, and he made it with barely a whisker to spare.

Good. Good. Just a little more, Cash. There’s a utility shed behind the garage. Go! We’re almost there with you.

Almost there. He could do this. Exhaustion slowed him down, but he knew Tad had to shift to get to him, and that would make him falter too.

The motorcycle cut off, and he put on a last, desperate burst of speed, trying to get to the shed so he could barricade himself in.

He didn’t stop to ponder how, once he got in, he was going to keep a snake out. Hopefully there was a hoe.

That made him chuff, and he slid into the shed, trying to find the energy to shift back to human.

Yeah, no.

He was worn through.

He leapt up into the uppermost shelf, praying it was strong enough to hold him.

I can’t shift, he told Lucas. I’m going to hide.

We just pulled in. I’m coming, baby. Kit is half a mile away. Just hang on.

Hanging. He’s coming in.

And he was going to stay here in this corner—still and silent.

Tad barreled into the shed. Luckily for him, in human form. That meant he had to wait for his eyes to adjust to the gloom in the shed and his snake senses would be duller. Fucker.

“I saw you come in here, you stupid puss. You could have run anywhere but a fucking shed.”

Still. Silent. Crouched. Ready. He willed his heartbeat to slow. He understood Lucas’s strategy. He could have run anywhere, but this way Tad was cornered too. He just had to stay out of the man’s way until the cavalry got here. And, barring that, he would give Tad a nice dose of cat scratch fever.

His whiskers felt the brush of air as Tad moved around the shed, hunting him. He’s in here. Hurry. Hurry please.

I’m twenty yards away. We’re trying not to make noise, baby.

His ears twitched, trying to catch any sort of sense that Lucas and his team was really out there. Oh, please. Tad was almost on him.

“I’m going to find you, kitty. And I think I’m just going to strangle you now. I mean, I’m not a constrictor, but I want to watch the life leave your eyes slowly.”

Christ, Tad had moved from I’m keeping you to I’m killing you pretty fast.

Still, strangling meant not biting. He could do a ton of damage in a few minutes.

Tad whirled, nose working. “There you are.” He stepped within two feet, reaching for him, and Cash had to make a split-second decision. He leaped for Tad’s head, sailing over his outstretched arms and landing on one shoulder. He tried to stay on Tad’s back, clawing at his head and neck. He screamed, using all the power of his lungs to raise the alarm, warn his loved ones that he was here, and it was bad.

BAD SNAKE. WARNING! SNAKE! SNAKE!

The door behind them burst open, and he heard a roar, which was clearly a tiger.

Tad whirled around, and Cash went flying, crashing into the back wall. He whimpered as something in his shoulder popped, but he refused to give in, so he jumped again, screeching out his pain and fury. Lucas crashed into Tad in tiger form, a bear thundering in behind him. Kit. There was no snake shifter who was a match for that.

Hell, the shed was no match for this.

The best part was the giant otter. He had no idea those fuckers got that big. Lee was freaking huge, and he snapped at Tad’s head while Lucas held him down, mouth on the guy’s throat.

Kit grabbed Cash, and he cried out in pain, but the huge bear cradled him, hauling him out of the shed and toward a car he didn’t recognize.

Lucas! He’s not worth it! He had to admit, he just wanted Lucas with him. He didn’t want to have to deal with someone dying for stalking him, either.

I’m coming, love. Lee is dealing with things. No stress.

No stress? What did dealing mean? What was going on?

Kit took him to the vehicle, and the guy laid him on a nest of blankets before shifting to human. “I got you. Lucas is right behind us. You have a dislocated front right shoulder, but I’ll deal with that back at Apex. It will hurt, but it will be safer.”

He panted, his ears twitching.

Lucas came padding up, jumping up into the vehicle, and Kit closed the back doors. The tinted windows would keep anyone from seeing exotic animals.

“Lee has Tad, and Brock is on his way to deal with the legalities. So keep him from rolling around, Lucas. A couple of the contract guys went to get Abel and Mags and Nell, and will meet us at Apex.”

They’re okay? Mags and Nell and the coyote?

They are. Kit says James passed it on to him. They ingested some kind of toxin, but they’ve been sleeping it off. They’ll feel gross a couple more days, but they’re already recovering. Lucas curled around him, protecting him.

Tired. The bomb? You’re hurt?

He couldn’t bear it if he’d caused harm to his beast.

No. No, I was knocked out, but all I have is scrapes and bruises. Not even a concussion anymore, really. We’ll fix your shoulder. I’m sorry I let him distract me. Lucas groomed his ears with a gentleness that stunned him.

Beast. I thought they had Mags and Nell. I tried to get you, I promise. He hadn’t been stupid or reckless.

I know you did. James told me about the calls and texts. He took my phone. And Kit told me. I’m so proud of you.

I couldn’t let them suffer because of me. I had to try. He yowled softly, snuggling in. I can stay with you.

Okay, love. Kit is a medic. He can help you.

It wasn’t a question. No hospitals, no press, no management involvement.

Just tell my people you caught him. That’s all.

Lucas’s soft mental laughter sounded. Trust me, they’ll get the edited report.

Good. They had to be able to believe in each other, to cope with this. Because if they were going to be a couple, Lucas was going to be his permanent security.

No more leaving without telling you. I promise. I lost one of my nine lives when I heard you’d been taken. Lucas nuzzled and licked and kept him solidly in place as the car rocked.

I swear to you, I reached for you, and you weren’t there. And he’d been terrified. Absolutely shocked.

I thought it would be out and back. That we would take him and I’d be back before you woke up. I wanted you to just rest and be safe. I know better now. In it together or not at all. He could hear the promise ringing in the words.

Yes. Together. We’re going to have so much fun, Beast. You. Me. Traveling to exciting places, meeting neat people…

We are. And we’ll always have a place here. I love you, baby.

Speaking of “here”, the car stopped, the cool gloom of the Apex parking garage surrounding them.

“We’re here,” Kit announced. “I need to look at that shoulder.”

Lucas rumbled, and Locke and Dylan brought a stretcher from out of the shadows.

Lucas jumped down, then was back as a man, easing him to the stretcher. “Careful. Please.”

“You know it, buddy.” Locke sounded very serious. Cash looked at Lucas, and he was covered in scrapes and bruises.

Please. Take care of yourself. You look sore. And he felt utterly exhausted.

I’ll be fine, love. As soon as you get patched up, we’ll go to sleep.

Okay, Beast. Together.

For like, a hundred years.

Twenty-One

“Hey, boss. How’s it going in snowy Colorado?” Lucas had to tease. He’d heard they were having a big old storm in Denver, and it was mid-April.

He was on set with Cash in Mexico. Living the freaking dream for a jaguarundi. Maybe as a Siberian tiger he would rather be in the cold, but hey.

“Good. Good. How’s it working out with Cash’s people? They still giving you grief?”

Once the threat was over, Cash’s management, and the movie production he’d been on, had tried to stop paying the Apex Security prices and fire Lucas.

Cash had told them where to stick that.

He glanced at his mate, who was out by the private pool, baking in the sun. Their rental was in bumfuck, and the only way paparazzi could get pics was by drone. So Cash was naked.

“Nope. They’ve laid off. You still getting checks?”

“I am.” Brock chuckled. “And they’re going into the general fund and your account, half and half, like you asked.”

“Good deal.” He only needed emergency funds in his name if something happened that required immediate secret action. He and Cash had gotten married on Valentine’s Day, which solved any other issues they had. “I’m having a ball.”

“Are you? You’re heading to Vancouver next?”

“We are. He’s shooting there for three weeks before we head to New Zealand.” He’d never thought he’d enjoy this so much—traveling, playing, being mated. But he was really in love. Really, really. In fact, he wanted to go play now.

“Well, let me know if you need anything.”

He chuckled. “Been boring at work?”

Brock snorted. “Deadly.”

“Good to know. I’ll holler.” He hoped not to have anything emergency like for a decade.

“Recommend us everywhere. Tell bouncy kitty to get into trouble so you can save him.”

“I’ll tell him to tell his co-workers.”

“Good. Go play. We’ll see you at least by Memorial Day?”

“I would never miss Kit and Mick’s cookout.”

Beast. Come and play. Cash laughed, and then Lucas heard the water splash as he dove in.

“I’ll see you soon. Check in with me next week,” Brock said.

“Will do, boss. Thanks.” He hung up and tossed his phone on the lounge chair he was vacating. He dove into the water, ready to play their second favorite game.

One way or the other, catch the kitty was his life’s work.

Epilogue

“How’s Lucas?” Locke asked, coming up behind Brock to wrap brawny arms around him.

“Happy. Mated. Not coming back to work for us, so we need more people.”

“Well, Cole is ready to come to work. That’s good, right?” Cole was a former government agent who had worked with them on the case that had almost killed them all, and Apex, forever. He’d promised to come work with them, maybe as a silent partner, after he’d stepped down from his post and the Feds had washed him clean for civilian life.

“That’s excellent. He’s a great agent, and boredom makes him dangerous.” Brock looked up into his bear’s eyes, begging a kiss.

“Yeah. And he needs to coax Greg out of being so damn depressed.” Locke gave him what he wanted, kissing his mouth hard.

Which meant he could forget about Cole and Greg, the former policeman who was another victim of that last case of theirs when they were PIs, as well as Abel and Lee and Craig telling him about dark web feelers about the dead snake shifter and focus on his mate.

This was his favorite way to pass the time.

And if it kept him and his grizzly out of trouble? All the better.

They were the bosses after all.

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Afterword

Hey, folks!

Thanks so much for reading my book! I’m so glad you made it here. If you liked the book, I hope you’ll consider leaving a rating or review at your retailer of choice or adding the book to your Goodreads shelf.

If you’re interested in more of my books, or in news about when they come out and what’s coming soon, please check out my Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/juliatalbot/ or my newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/A9CRUzp/baandjulia

XXOO and Keep reading!

Julia Talbot

About the Author

Julia Talbot lives in the great Southwest with her wife and four basset hounds. A full-time author, Julia writes paranormals and more with lots of love and action and, as her alter ego Minerva Howe, she writes mpreg and alpha/omega stories. She believes that everyone deserves a happy ending, so she writes about love without limits, where all of her stories leave a mark.

Visit Julia’s website: http://www.juliatalbot.com

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