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  “Right, Colette?”

  She almost strangled on her tongue. Instead, she jumped and bit it, her head jerking at the sudden intrusion into her dirty, nasty, sexy thoughts. The taste of blood flooded her mouth, but she only betrayed the pain by the smallest wince. Everyone was looking at her again.

  “What?” she asked when they continued staring.

  Daniel rolled his eyes, shooting Zach a commiserating look as though to say “women”. She was going to kick his ass as soon as she could walk straight.

  “Zach wanted to know if he could take the swamp tour tomorrow,” he said slowly and carefully. “I told him we didn’t have any clients scheduled, so you could probably do a short tour, right?”

  “Well now,” her dad said loudly, looking between her and Zach as though he wasn’t sure he liked that. “Tomorrow’s Colette’s day off. Weren’t you going to New Orleans to visit your Uncle Sun and Aunt Antoinette tomorrow? Isn’t Kanda expecting you?”

  That naturally had Colette’s mom looking up from her plate in shock. It was no stretch of the imagination to say Willis Robicheaux did not get along with his brother-in-law. It was a “hunter, nearly extinct species thing” that started the minute Sunan Banthao, a Thai immigrant who was also a clouded leopard shifter, learned his mate was related to a hunter. The two men were never seen in each other’s company, didn’t speak of each other—as though ignoring the other meant they didn’t exist, but neither did they attempt to stop their wives and children from being friendly. It was a silent feud no one spoke about, but for Colette’s dad to throw an impromptu trip to New Orleans to visit a shifter he didn’t like meant he was desperate to get her away from Bayou Ange.

  He ignored the incredulous stares Colette and her mom sent him, turning to Alcide, whose eyes nearly bugged out of his head. “You can take him on the swamp tour.”

  Alcide gaped. “You mean, you’re letting me drive the airboat again?”

  Her dad opened his mouth and closed it again, a chagrined expression on his face. The last time Alcide had taken the airboat out, he’d somehow gotten a thick cypress branch caught in the propellers, causing extensive damage and had nearly gotten himself killed at the same time. Colette, along with everyone else, waited to see what the patriarch of their family would say.

  The minute stretched out and she couldn’t help but glance over at Zach to see how he was taking this obvious ploy to keep them apart. He didn’t seem worried in the least. He sprawled with one arm draped over the back of the chair, the other drawing patterns on her mom’s tabletop, his heavy-lidded stare trained on her. Her palms grew damp. The small smile playing at the corners of his lips seemed to suggest he gave a rat’s ass what her dad planned.

  Considering how he’d slipped into the neighborhood and left, without anyone but her knowing, she figured he probably had a right to be smug. She really shouldn’t have thought of that again because it reminded her of what he’d done when he arrived in Bayou Ange. The spark in his eyes told her he knew exactly where her mind had gone.

  “That’s enough,” her mama said firmly, silencing everyone at the table and drawing Colette’s attention. “Alcide is not driving the airboat. At least not until I’ve gotten grandchildren out of him.” Her brother squawked but it did no good against his determined mom. “He’s going on the boat with you tomorrow as planned while Daniel takes Beau’s place, the way y’all were planning to do all season. Colette will take the chat on a tour of the swamp and that’s it. Fini.”

  Alcide continued mumbling under his breath, but dropped his eyes to the table in front of him, unwilling to challenge their mama when she got that expression on her face. Not even Colette’s dad gainsaid her, although his body language spoke volumes. He glared at Zach, eyes glittering with anger.

  “Now, how did the hunt go?” Mama asked with false brightness.

  * * * * *

  Hours later, Zach crouched in the shadows behind Colette’s house, waiting for her father to leave. The older man had walked his daughter home, bringing a dog with him. The hound had gotten a whiff of Zach’s markings all over the place and refused to go near it. Listening to Colette and her dad curse as they realized all her traps were scent-marked by him, had him rethinking the means he used to keep others at bay. He hadn’t given any thought to what would happen with her traps and equipment once he marked it. His only concern at the time had been making sure the damn wolf knew she was off-limits. Now though, realizing she was going to have to have new traps made and spend hours trying to clean the ones he and the wolf hadn’t smashed, he wanted to gnash his teeth in frustration.

  “You shouldn’t see him,” her father said in disgust as he helped her sort equipment that could be salvaged from the mess they’d left behind. “He’s nothing but trouble.”

  Instead of arguing, Colette shrugged. “That’s what Mama said her dad told her about you when y’all started dating,” she said absently, picking through the smashed crab traps. “Besides, I’m not dating Zach. He’s just coming around because he’s bored.”

  If her father hadn’t looked as though he could spit bullets, Zach would’ve stormed out of the brush and stalked Colette up those stairs again so he could paddle her ass in private. And this time he’d really do it. She thought the only reason he was hanging around was because he was bored? Her dad seemed just as insulted, but for an entirely different reason.

  “I don’t like it,” he spat and folded his arms over his chest. “You’re not some kind of toy he can play with and go on his way when he’s finished with you.”

  Colette said nothing in response and after several minutes of silence, Willis sighed heavily and caught her arm as she went to walk past him. With the familiarity of a parent knowing when he stepped over the line, he pulled her into his embrace, hugging her tight.

  “I’m sorry,” he muttered after nearly squeezing her to death. “You’ll always be my little girl, yeah? You deserve a good man who will take care of you, not someone who just wants to have a good time.” He leaned away to look her in the face. “How about Pierre Dubois, hanh? He’s a good provider and he cooks too. Maybe not as good as the tiger, but he makes a good sauce picante.”

  Zach vowed to find this Pierre Dubois and castrate him, especially when Colette gave a little laugh. Yes, the rival had to go. Why she hadn’t told him about this Pierre character was something he’d find out as soon as he had a moment alone with her. Tonight. Colette thought he’d put his mark on her and her home before? She hadn’t seen anything yet. As for her dad, he’d have to work out exactly how to win the old Cajun over. Cooking hadn’t worked. The man approved of this Pierre guy because he would be a good provider.

  He and his tiger almost snorted at the thought. Who better to take care of a female than a shifter who could hunt with her? A male who could cook her all the sweet delights she seemed to love? There was no way he’d ever forget the look of ecstasy on her face as she sat down with her after-dinner dessert. He’d always assumed the phrase “the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach” applied only to men, but he was quickly learning his Colette was a woman who adored food. He was a chef. He created dishes that had members of Hollywood’s A-list begging him to cook for them. His desserts were quickly becoming a tourist attraction and the demands to ship internationally had grown over the last year. There was no way this Pierre person cooked better than he did.

  So no, he wasn’t worried about some human winning Colette from him. She was too wild and predatory herself to ever be content with a non-shifter. His tiger purred softly as it watched her work with her dad, the fine muscles of her body moving together in a symphony of lethal grace. Tonight, he was going to have her. Tomorrow, they were spending the day together under the guise of a swamp tour. He licked his lips. He’d have to work double-time when he got back to the bakery in a couple of days, but it would be worth it because he planned to fuck Colette until they were both raw and barely able to move.

  A plan solidly in place, he rested on the cooling soil, wa
tching father and daughter work together in perfect synchronicity. It was evident this wasn’t the first time they’d cleaned up, or worked on traps, because as one would do something, the other was there to provide help without being asked. Even knowing Willis was his main obstacle to being with Colette—well, besides her continued belief that he was just amusing himself with her—there was something poignant about watching them together. He couldn’t help but picture this same type of scene, but instead of Willis and Colette as the stars, it was Zach and a little girl with her mama’s violet eyes.

  This time though, instead of shying away from the images in his head, the fantasy of a life spent with Colette, Zach considered it rationally, or as rationally as a horny tiger shifter could. She was tough. He liked tough women. She was independent. Maybe too independent, he thought as she lifted a crate too heavy for her. She wasn’t afraid of him, or anything really. He admired that, even as he worried about her. And it was that worry, the constant concern he felt for her, that made Zach think about what he expected to happen with Colette. What’d started out as raging lust was turning into something else, something softer and warmer than just sizzling sexual attraction.

  Father and daughter sat side-by-side on the tailgate of her truck, their hands working on straightening wire. Willis said something under his breath that made Colette laugh and Zach’s heart did a strange flip-flop in his chest. He wished he could say it was something like indigestion, but watching her dad reach out to tuck hair behind her ear in a move he’d probably done a million times over the years, Zach finally stopped fighting his instincts.

  If it took him the rest of time, he’d make Colette his.

  * * * * *

  When Colette woke up the following morning, it was with the knowledge that Zach hadn’t come over, hadn’t knocked on her door, sultry eyes watching her like a hungry beast and his signature killer smile ready to slay her. She stumbled off the sofa, nearly going to her knees when her legs finally came to life. Pins and needles burned all the way down to her toes. She leaned against the sofa with a wince. No more sleeping on the sofa. It wasn’t exactly comfortable for all its chic design. She was never going to let her cousin Kanda help her furniture-shop again. Yes, it looked good, but it was a bitch to sleep on. Not that she made a habit of crashing in her living room. The last time— A blush heated her cheeks at the memory of the last time she fell asleep on the couch. If Zach had been there, he could’ve carried her to bed the same way, but he hadn’t shown.

  Once her legs were under her control again, she shuffled to the door, her heart pounding with excitement. Maybe he was standing on the other side with a knowing smirk on his face. But a peek showed no tiger lounging on her porch, no naked Zach storming up the stairs. Disappointment sat heavy in her throat.

  She stood in the middle of her living room, feeling lost. How ridiculous was that? The man had only come to her house once, yet in that one night he’d managed to leave his imprint everywhere. She couldn’t look at her kitchen without seeing him leaning against the counter, or sprawled on her table. Her sofa was another piece of furniture she couldn’t look at without remembering what he’d done to her on it. Getting horny over furniture was just messed up. Seriously messed up.

  The muscles of her face hardened as she realized he’d taken the coward’s way out. “Well, fuck him,” she said to the empty house, trying to ignore the way it seemed to absorb the sound of her voice and bounce it back. “Better he left now before I put a hole in his troublesome ass.”

  Concentrating on how much work he’d caused her, how much money his actions were going to cost her was a lot easier than thinking about how easily she’d been suckered in by a handsome face. She hurried through her morning routine, grumbling under her breath all the while. As she bathed, she scrubbed her skin harder than usual, causing her to tear up a little. She wasn’t crying over a puffed-up excuse of a house cat. Her sunburn stung, that was all.

  And when she got out of the shower, her eyes were dry. No tears, no problem. Maybe it was time to ask Kanda to come out for a visit. She hadn’t had a night out with her best friend and cousin in months. Or maybe she really should go to New Orleans. It had to be better than hanging around Bayou Ange, watching the road for a man who’d run at the first sign of trouble. If she played her cards right, she could get Beau or Cotton to take her place on her dad’s boat for a couple of days. She pulled on a pair of her favorite jeans and a white tank with the B.A.S.T. logo on the front. She’d probably have to be designated driver for the boys on one of their wild nights, but it would be worth it if she could leave the area for a few days.

  Thinking of going away, if only for a weekend, helped center her and drive away the hurt Zach’s desertion caused. She didn’t need him or any man. She’d proved that time and time again. Sure, it would’ve been nice to fuck something other than her toys for a change, but did she really want to deal with the problems that entailed? Like, what if he was a bad lay? What if the gossip around the parish was all wrong? Or what if he had fleas? The evil thought popped into her mind and it helped wipe a little of her anger away. She knew he didn’t have fleas, but it was a great image. And she used it to get her out the door of her house.

  Colette clomped down the stairs, her thoughts far away. At least until she saw something shiny out the corner of her eye. Knowing she and her dad had picked up the traps she could keep, she stopped well short of the bottom stairs and stared. Brand-new crab traps were stacked neatly along the steps, the metal gleaming in the early-morning light. Beside them were spools of new ropes, her others going straight to the trash since the deer would scent the tiger on them and flee. The come-alongs, cargo straps, and even the waders she’d left on her carport to air out had been replaced, everything shiny, bright and new.

  Her eyes widened in shock even as they darted over everything, trying to take it all in. She hadn’t owned new equipment for…well, a long time. Most of what she used was inherited crap from her dad and cousins. It was like Christmas. She darted down the rest of the stairs, nearly tripping over her feet in her haste. She stumbled through the maze of traps, touching them reverently. New, never-been-used before, they were the best things she’d ever gotten.

  Over the years, she’d made a wish list of things she wanted to buy, things she needed to replace, but something always came up to prevent her from getting them. While she made a living on the water, she’d never strike it rich, so her wish list was almost more of a bucket list of things she’d love to have. Here, she saw everything she needed to hunt and fish. It was as though whoever bought this had taken her dog-eared hunting magazines and went shopping. She reached out to touch a high-dollar game bag, her fingers trembling a bit.

  The question was who had done this? Her dad? She shook her head at the thought. Her parents made decent money, but they didn’t have the kind of money it took to fully equip someone out. In fact, she didn’t know anyone in the Bayou who could afford something like this and even if they’d all pooled their money together, she would’ve heard about it. Nothing stayed a secret in Bayou Ange for long.

  “I hope I got everything. If I missed something, let me know.”

  Her heart seemed to stumble in her chest before galloping wildly, hope blossoming like a morning glory with the first rays of sunlight. Colette tried not to let it show on her face, yet there was nothing but happiness and relief at hearing that voice. She spun slowly to look at him, barely able to keep a goofy smile off her face. It proved impossible, especially when she studied him.

  The immaculate, unruffled tiger shifter who’d invaded her life and her dreams looked harried and stressed. His jaw was dark with scruff, something that only made him sexier than ever, his hair was mussed as though he’d run his hands through it multiple times and his clothes were wrinkled. The rumpled appearance seemed to magnify his sex appeal, at least for Colette. He’d been sexy all clean and put together in his casual way, but looking like a man who’d obviously stayed awake all night to replace her things, he was a
dream come true. In more ways than one. Her heart melted at his apparent care and her stomach clenched with want. Sexiness, thy name is Zachary Trahan.

  She’d missed him. Silly and pathetic as it sounded in the much quieter, logical part of her brain, she’d wanted to wake up the same way she had last night, with him cooking her a snack and then making her fantasies come true. The anticipation of seeing him again, even if she’d planned to bitch him out for ruining her traps and equipment, had come to an abrupt halt when he didn’t show. Now though, wonder overcame any anger she’d felt the day before. Wonder that he’d gone through the trouble to replace everything.

  “Why?” she found herself asking.

  He grimaced and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I wasn’t thinking that night.” He tilted his head back to stare at the underside of the house above him for a few minutes before looking at her again. His face was resolved, as though he’d come to a major decision. “My tiger,” he paused and shook his head. “No, I don’t think rationally where you’re involved.” He ran a hand through his hair. Colette wasn’t sure the last time she’d seen such a stressed-out man, maybe her dad the day before when he realized Zach was staying for supper. “I was an idiot,” he finally said in a near mumble. “And I’m sorry.” His shoulders lifted as though a huge weight had fallen from them.

  Colette had seen hard-given apologies before. She had two younger brothers who’d made her teenage life hell. How many times had her mama made the boys tell her they were sorry for some infraction or another? Zach reminded her of that, except where she’d still wanted to wring her brothers’ necks, she felt more inclined to forgive the man in front of her. Only this once, and only because he’d made restitution. She supposed a better woman would turn down his expensive gifts, telling him an apology was more than enough, but she wasn’t couillon. The crab traps alone were nearly forty bucks apiece and he’d bought her five dozen. She’d be able to make enough to pay him back for them in a couple of seasons since she wouldn’t have to constantly trade them out for repair.