“It’s not your fault he tried to kill me,” she said firmly. “Austin blamed himself for years, and even though we’ve moved past it, I don’t think he’ll ever forgive himself for not getting up to my apartment sooner. If he hadn’t cared enough about me, then he wouldn’t have parked outside that night and I wouldn’t be sitting here. Sometimes one second is everything.”
Female Shifters were dangerously desirable to human men—probably something in our pheromones or energy. Some would go so far as to stalk or even assault one of us, as this was something I’d discovered in my life as an exotic dancer. I’d never liked Beckett, her ex-lover. He’d always had an abrasive personality and used to pick fights with other men. Maybe that’s why Lexi had been attracted to him—those traits would have appealed to the wolf in her. But that’s a dangerous combination with human men; they often don’t know how to control their compulsive behavior. I’d done everything I could to get her away from that psychotic boyfriend of hers, and I sure hadn’t batted an eyelash when Austin’s wolf tore out his jugular. It was a good thing my animal hadn’t gotten a hold of him, or there would have been nothing left of him to clean up but a few bones.
Fate had a sense of humor in pairing me up with a wolf as my best friend. Of all animals! I’d always considered them nefarious creatures—at least the men who came into my club to watch me dance. Always posturing, territorial, aggressive. My mother had raised me to live independently of others, so I couldn’t relate to their pack mentality. Plus, my fiery personality would eat them alive.
And so would my animal—a black panther.
Jaguar, to be specific. Common sense dictated how each Shifter animal lived. Those who were lions lived in a pride, and some animal species were loners. Wolves lived among a hierarchy and often congregated in the same cities. Regardless of animal, the instinct to mate was strong among all Shifters, and that’s why Shifters often sought out cities populous with their animal. Life was just easier when you shared common ground with someone.
I chuckled to myself while Lexi organized a stack of messy papers. “Don’t you worry about a thing, darling. I have a friend who owes me a favor, and she’ll make your menus the most beautiful in the city. In fact, we’re ordering extras.”
Her eyes widened. “Do I need extra?”
“Of course you do! She’s a good friend of mine, and for a first-time customer, I know she’ll throw in a few hundred at no charge. Denver can pass them out at Howlers, or maybe your brothers have big connections who might be interested. Everyone is going to want a bite of your cookie,” I said with a suggestive wink.
“Only one man gets my cookie,” she said, nibbling her bottom lip. “And Austin’s a man with a hearty appetite.”
“Now that’s what I like to hear,” I said, rising to my feet. I adored the chemistry between those two. It almost made me wish I had my own man around the house, but no man had ever fit the bill, let alone paid it.
Packs were fortunate because they spread the wealth around. It wasn’t so easy for loners like me. A girl has needs, and one of mine was getting out of this life. I’d been able to set aside money working as an exotic dancer, but in order to quit, I needed enough to support me for centuries. Maybe some turned up their noses at my profession, but without skills, dancing was the only option to make real money. I didn’t care about people’s silly judgments about my lifestyle. I was a phenomenal dancer, and a woman in control of her sexuality is a powerful thing.
“Do you have the website up yet?” I asked.
She leaned against my front door, crossing her arms with a look of frustration. “I have no clue how to build a website. I live in a house full of Internet illiterates, so none of them can help with something like that. I know enough about computers to be dangerous, but most technology is over my head.”
I raised my hand. “Consider it taken care of.”
Her shoulders sagged. “Really, Naya?”
“It’s the least I can do for a friend.”
Lexi gave me a tight hug, and I patted her shoulder before stepping away.
“I really owe you big time. I’m glad Austin made me wait a little while before opening the new store. I’m sure I’d be more stressed out if I hadn’t planned ahead. If that’s even possible.” She smiled and leaned against the door again. “Ivy was a godsend and got a few big clubs interested in placing orders, so we had customers right out of the gate. Some of them came into our store to check us out and that helped spread the word. Even after a couple of years, it still feels like a scramble. I’ve had so much to do that the website has been the last thing on my mind.”
“One day at a time. You’re off to a great start, and you made a smart choice hiring Izzy to manage the bakery. You were doing way too much on your own. Don’t fret. I’ll talk to my guy and have him call you to work something out. He’s a genius. Met him in the club—a real sweetheart. Sent me tulips and candy, so I finally gave in and went on a date.”
“How did that go?”
I smiled wolfishly. “He knows a thing or two about putting RAM into a hard drive,” I said seductively, sliding my hand down my hip.