Eat Prey Love

Chapter Seven

Carlos strode down the hall toward the MacKay security office, his duffel bag in hand, his head throbbing, and his angry frustration barely in check. Caitlyn Whelan was screwing up everything.

He’d wanted to catch a plane to Thailand tomorrow, but no. He had to stay in New York so he could train her. He couldn’t refuse when Angus was the one funding his trip.

He’d wanted to hunt for his mate, full of anticipation for discovering the perfect were-panther woman, but no. Caitlyn Whelan kept invading his thoughts and dreams. He had a doomed feeling that no woman of any species would excite him like she did.

How could fate be so cruel? He snorted. Why did he even question it? He’d already lost all his family and most of his species. No one knew better than he did how cruel life could be.

He’d paced angrily in his bedroom in the basement for twenty minutes before packing his few belongings and heading back to the office. Hopefully, she would have finished filling out forms by now. Hopefully, she would be on her way back to the townhouse.

But he would still have to live there with her. And train her. Merda. Maybe she would be like Toni and learn martial arts quickly. Or maybe she’d be like Lara and Olivia and already know how to fight and wield a weapon. That would be even better. A few days of training and he’d be able to leave.

But would he be able to forget her?

He heard a squeal from the nursery that sounded like Constantine. The Draganestis must have arrived while he was downstairs.

He jogged up to the half door to peer inside. Tino was all right. He was opening a birthday present from his grandfather.

“This is cool, Grandpa!” Tino admired a boxed remote-controlled police car. “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome.” Sean Whelan’s usual harsh expression melted into a loving smile as he tousled the little boy’s blond curls. “I’m sorry I had to miss the party.”

“That’s okay.” Tino hugged him, then went to work ripping open the box.

Sean glanced at Carlos and frowned. “I’ve seen you around here before. Who are you?”

“This is Carlos Panterra, one of our day guards,” Shanna quickly explained before he could answer. She was sitting in the rocking chair, holding Sofia in her lap.

Sean continued to regard Carlos suspiciously. “Are you a mortal, then?”

Carlos gave him a bland look. “At the moment.”

Sean’s blue eyes narrowed. “Explain.”

Carlos shrugged. “Why should I?”

Sean stepped toward him. “I could haul you in for questioning. What kind of accent is that? Where are you from?”

Carlos’s jaw clenched. One more reason Caitlyn was all wrong for him. Her father was an ass hole. He smiled slowly, envisioning Sean’s reaction if he found out about the kiss Carlos had shared with his daughter.

A sudden hot blast crashed against his brow, wiping the smile off his face. He immediately blocked Sean’s attempt to invade his mind, but it took all of his concentration. For a mortal, Sean’s psychic power was incredibly strong.

“You’re not getting in, Whelan,” Carlos gritted out.

“Dad, leave him alone,” Shanna muttered.

Sean dropped the mind probe but continued to glare at Carlos. “You’re not a normal mortal.”

“He’s a shifter,” Shanna explained. “I told you Angus had a few in his employ.”

Sean gave his daughter a horrified look. “He’s one of those damned werewolves? And you let him around the children?”

“Carlos is nice,” Tino mumbled. “I like him.”

“Me, too,” Sofia said.

Sean frowned at the children. “You’d better stay away from him when there’s a full moon.”

“The children are perfectly safe,” Shanna insisted.

“Yes.” Carlos leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms. “It’s been ages since I gobbled up a small child for breakfast.”

Tino giggled.

Carlos winked at him. “You might be good with ketchup.”

“It’s not funny,” Sean growled. “Werewolves are too dangerous to be around children.”

“I disagree, since I know some children who are werewolves,” Carlos said. “Besides, I’m not a wolf.”

Sofia stretched her arms out, grinning. “He’s a big kitty cat!”

“A what?” Sean asked.

“I’m a were-panther,” Carlos said.

Sean grimaced. “Shit, that’s even worse. Jungle cats are notorious man-eaters.”

Carlos glowered at him. “I spend most of my time in human form. Even as a panther I retain my human thoughts and feelings, so I don’t appreciate being called a cannibal.”

Sean grunted, glaring at him.

Carlos smiled. “Nice to meet you.” He winked at Tino. “Enjoy your new presents.” He strode down the hall to the MacKay security office. What he needed was some aspirin and a big steak dinner. Then he could settle into his old bedroom at the townhouse and try not to think about her.

He was swiping his card when Emma opened the door to let him in. He spotted Angus sitting behind the desk.

Carlos dropped his duffel bag on the floor. “I’m ready to go to the townhouse if one of you can teleport me there.”

Emma perched on the corner of the desk. “Do you mind staying a little late tonight? We’re expecting some MacKay employees here in about ten minutes for a strategy meeting.”

“All right.” So his steak dinner would be delayed a few minutes. He could handle that as long as he didn’t have to deal with her.

“Could you go down to the firing range?” Emma asked. “Caitlyn’s there with Phineas, and she needs to be warned that her father’s on the premises. She might not want to see him right now.”

Damn. “Why don’t we just call Phineas?” He reached in his pants’ pocket for his cell phone.

“We tried,” Angus explained. “But he dinna answer. He must be…verra busy with her.”

Carlos’s hand flinched around his cell phone. Merda. He was reacting like a jealous lover. He took a deep breath to calm the raging beast, then made sure his claws hadn’t emerged before removing his hand from his pocket.

He realized Angus and Emma were watching him curiously. They know about the kiss. A shot of pain speared his temple. “I’ll be right back.”

A few minutes later Carlos swiped his ID card through the security pad next to the indoor firing range and slipped inside. Both Phineas and Caitlyn were wearing headphones and didn’t hear him enter. He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest as his gaze meandered over her body.

Her feet were spread wide to maintain balance. Her legs were long and tanned, beautifully shaped. Her wide stance stretched her gray skirt taut around her thighs. If he was one of the wolf shifters, he’d be drooling by now.

She’d removed her jacket, and her sleeveless silk blouse clung to her torso, clearly showing the elegant line of her back and how it narrowed into her waist. He wondered if the rose-colored silk was the same color as her nipples.

Bam! She stumbled backward from the recoil but managed not to fall over. At the far end of the room the large paper outline of a man remained perfectly still.

Carlos sighed. So much for his hopes that she would already know how to shoot. She was woefully inexperienced.

Next to her, Phineas slid his headphones off to rest around his neck. “Damn! You missed again.”

She ripped off her headphones and dumped them on the counter in front of them. “This is so frustrating. I’m doing everything you said.”

“I know what’s wrong,” Carlos said.

With a gasp, she spun toward him.

He winced and held up his hands.

“Whoa!” Phineas shoved her hand down. “Remember the first rule I told you? Don’t point your gun at anyone unless you want to kill him.”

“But who knows what a lady wants?” Carlos murmured.

She glared at him with a look that could kill. “Right now I’d like to hit the damned target. I’m halfway through my box of bullets and I haven’t come close.”

“You’re too tense.” Carlos pushed off the wall and strode toward her. “Kick off your shoes.”

“What do my shoes have to do with anything?”

“You’re teetering on those high heels,” Carlos explained. “It’s distracting you.”

“Yeah.” Phineas nodded. “She has been stumbling a lot.”

“Fine.” She kicked off her shoes. “What now?”

He smiled slowly. “Your skirt’s too tight. It’s restricting your movement.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not taking off my skirt.”

“Damn.” Phineas slapped his leg. “That was a good try, Carlos.”

She snorted. “Do you have any useful suggestions?”

“Yes.” Carlos’s gaze lingered on her sweet mouth. He could think of a lot of suggestions. “Will you do as I ask?”

She licked her lips. “Maybe.”

He motioned with his hand. “Turn around. Face the target.”

She turned her back to him and rested her hands on the counter, the gun still gripped in one hand.

Carlos waved at Phineas to leave, but he just grinned. He wandered over to a chair and plopped down, obviously determined to enjoy the show.

Carlos moved behind Caitlyn, placed his fingertips on her shoulders, and she flinched.

“Shh, menina.” He pressed her shoulders down. “You’re hunched up to your ears. You need to relax.”

“How can I relax when I’m holding a freaking gun? I’m not a violent person.”

“Any person can be violent.” He leaned toward her and breathed in the sweet scent of her hair and skin. “Close your eyes.”

“Why?” She turned her head slightly, and her temple brushed against his mouth. She looked away, her muscles constricting under his hands.

“Relax.” He gently massaged her shoulders. “Close your eyes, menina.”

“What are you going to do?” she asked with a breathy voice.

“I’m going to tell you a story.” He stroked his fingers along the tender skin of her neck and paused when she shivered. Merda. She was so susceptible to his touch. And she smelled so good, it took all his control not to pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless. “Close your eyes.”

“I don’t trust you.”

“Catalina,” he whispered. “You have the gun. You have the power. Close your eyes.”

She lowered her head and her eyes flickered shut.

He leaned close, his lips next to her ear. “You have a lover.”

“I don’t think so.” Her shoulders rose, tensing again.

“Play along with me.”

“You wish.”

He dug his fingers into her shoulders, pressing them down, and she moaned. “You were madly in love with him. You gave him your heart, your soul. But then he did you wrong.”

“He kissed me, then acted like it was a mistake?” she muttered.

Carlos winced. “Yes, that is exactly what the bastard did. Now open your eyes and shoot him in his black heart.”

She lifted her head, clasped the gun with both hands, and took aim. Bam! She swayed back from the recoil, bumping against Carlos’s chest. He steadied her, holding her against him. The paper man shuddered with a hit.

“You did it!” Phineas ran up to the counter and pushed the button to activate the pulley that would slide the paper target close to them.

“Damn, woman.” Phineas gave her a horrified look. “Remind me never to make you angry.”

Caitlyn gasped as the paper came close enough for her to spot the bullet hole with her mortal vision. “Oh dear.”

Carlos winced. She’d blasted the man right through his balls. “Well, I think we should be positive about this.”

She looked over her shoulder at him with a grateful smile. “That’s what I always say. We should look at the bright side.”

Carlos returned her smile. With a small mental jolt he realized his headache was much better. The scent and feel of her was so damned sweet.

“There ain’t no bright side,” Phineas objected. “The man’s got no gonads.”

“But she hit the target,” Carlos said.

“The man has got no gonads,” Phineas repeated forcefully.

“It was an accident.” Caitlyn set her gun on the counter. “I was aiming for his chest.”

“You blew his pecker into Connecticut,” Phineas muttered.

She grinned. “I think you have issues, Phineas. It was only a paper pecker.”

“The worst kind,” Carlos added.

She laughed, and his heart stopped. She sounded like music and tinkling wind chimes and the trill of birdsong all in one. Making her laugh made him feel like he could conquer mountains.

“Would you like to practice some more?” he asked.

“I think I should stop while I’m ahead.” She ejected the cartridge from her automatic. “My ears are ringing.”

Carlos removed his cell phone from his pants’ pocket. Maybe enough time had passed and her father was gone. “I’ll see if it’s okay for you to go upstairs.”

“Why wouldn’t it be okay?” she asked.

He hesitated. “Your sister and the children are in the nursery.”

“Oh, I’d love to see them.” Caitlyn slipped her shoes back on and reached for her suit jacket.

“And your father’s there,” Carlos added.

She paused with her jacket half on. “Oh.”

“He brought a present to Tino,” Carlos continued. “Angus and Emma sent me down here to warn you. They figured you wouldn’t want to see him right now.”

“Oh, man.” Phineas shook his head. “Your dad’s gonna be pissed when he finds out you’re working for MacKay.”

“He has to find out sooner or later.” Caitlyn finished putting on her jacket. “I might as well get this over with.”

“Are you sure?” Carlos asked.

She took a deep breath. “Yes. I made my decision, and I’ll stand behind it.” Her eyes hardened with a glint of anger. “Besides, I have a few questions for my father.”