Page 31 of Nicolette

A hand gripped my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “What if I want to spoil you?”

“I’d prefer you didn’t. I’ve been on my own for a long time. The last thing I want is to find myself reliant on anyone else when you never know if they’re going to be around long term,” I reasoned.

“See, this is the part I don’t think you’re understanding about our situation,” he countered. “You and me. We’re fated for forever. There’s nothing that can change that. From what I can tell, our feelings for each other will only grow stronger for each other, not less. However, I realize you’re going to need some time to accept that, so I’m going to get you clothes while you shower.” He pressed a quick kiss to my lips and headed out of the bathroom. “Oh, and don’t leave the apartment.”

“Figures,” I muttered as I stepped into the shower.

Since I’d just showered, I didn’t really need to wash my hair, but the ride over had tangled it all to hell. The perk of having a man with long hair is he had useful things like a comb and conditioner. After I got out and toweled off, I rummaged around to see if he had a blow dryer, but that was a hope too far. Instead, I decided to French braid my hair like I did for fight nights.

As I used the mirror to make sure I was keeping things even, I considered whether I would grow my hair out or not, now that I didn’t need to worry about it. I always kept it shoulder length so I could braid it tight and out of people’s fucking fingers.

I noticed the deep brunette color had a slightly more golden tone to it. Could it be because of my lioness? I leaned forward and looked at my eyes more closely to see if they’d changed at all, but they were the same gray-green they’d always been. However, there was a slight glow to them, like you’d see in cats giving them a more supernatural look. I’d been distracted with other things at the house to notice these small changes, but they were merely subtle reminders that I wasn’t human any longer.

Wandering to the bedroom, I started to pull open drawers looking for a shirt to at least wear while I waited for Nine to return. I felt much better after grabbing a pair of boxers and a black T-shirt to pull on over the sports bra I’d been wearing. I knew they mentioned nudity was normal, but I didn’t feel willing to be that vulnerable until I knew what to expect.

When I padded into the kitchen and pulled open the refrigerator feeling hungry, I found it contained beer, nothing else. Frowning, I started to open the cabinets and found dishes, cooking utensils, dry spices and ingredients, and a large bag of beef jerky. Snatching the dried beef, I stood there staring at the kitchen that was clearly not being used. What the hell did the man do for meals?

A knock at the door snapped me out of my contemplation. I listened carefully, trying to see if I could tell if it was one of the guys or if Nine had forgotten his keys. The person’s heart rate was erratic, as if they were nervous or something. Definitely not one of my guys.

There wasn’t a peephole to look through, not that it would have made a difference since I didn’t know anyone. Setting down the bag of jerky, I removed a piece and started to gnaw on it as I answered the door.

There stood a tall, slim woman who could easily be a swimsuit model or a Playboy bunny. She had long, flowing russet hair, bright blue eyes, and lips that pouted perfectly. I cocked my head and wondered if they were naturally that way or if she’d had them filled. Could shifters get filler? Okay, bigger question, breast implants, because there is no way boobs could be that round and perky, even wearing a corset like she was.

When I didn’t greet her, she flashed me a smile and did this little hip pop that made her boobs jiggle. “Hi.”

Tearing off part of the jerky, I waved. “Hey.”

“Um… is Nine here? I heard he got back from a trip just now,” she asked.

“Nope,” I offered, not feeling particularly helpful.

My lioness seemed to realize something was going on and stood to come forward, getting a better look at this girl. Taking a deep breath, I had trouble getting her true scent under the cloying scent of perfume. Cheetah—my lioness determined. She gave an unconcerned chuff as she sat on her haunches watching the woman. Right then, this woman was no threat, but she was dead wrong if she thought she could step food in my space.

“Oh, um… if he’s not here, how did you end up in his apartment?” she questioned.

“He let me in,” I answered.

She frowned. “You said he wasn’t here.”

Rolling my eyes, I struggled not to lash out at her because she was a fucking idiot. “You asked me if Nine was here, and he’s not. When we got back, he let me in, and while I was showering, he left to grab me some clothes.”

Batting her lashes at me, she took a minute to process what I’d said. “So he’s back, just not here.” She summed it up perfectly.

“Ding, ding, ding, you are the winner,” I said, giving her finger guns. “If you tell me your name, I’ll let him know you’re looking for him.”

“That’s okay. I’ll just come in and wait,” she said, waving off my offer.

“Yeah…” I drawled. “That’s not gonna happen, Bambi.”

Now it was her turn to cock her head in confusion. “I’m not Bambi, my name’s Amaretto.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Nicolette,” I shared, hoping the change in topic would keep her from doing something stupid.

“That’s such a pretty name, is that your real name or the name they gave you?” she asked.

“Mine… why would they give me a different name?” I questioned.

“Oh, well, they do that for all the sweetbutts who work with the crew. That way, people know which of us have agreed to free use and others who work normal jobs,” she answered.