put a human in the line of fire, especially not Gray’s mate. “I think Alyssa would disagree with you. I have amazing skills. She just screamed it to the world about an hour ago.” Stripes held the can by his lips and shook his head. “Thanks. I really needed that. It’s not enough my sister is ready to drop her pants like you’re a sexpert or something. Now I have to hear about your success with someone you met only a few hours ago?” Hearing Stripes say it like that didn’t sit well with him. He had met Alyssa about six hours back, but there was something there. She was his mate. They had a connection. “She’s not just someone. She’s mine.” Stripes sighed. “Yeah, okay. I get it. So what will we do?” His mind had gone distant, thinking about Alyssa naked in his bed. “About?” “Lucas, Eli and others trying to push you out.” There was not much to do. He could wait it out and prepare for an attack, or he could do what was usually done and find himself someone to bear him some cubs. Ideally his mate. Rage heated his blood to boiling. “We’ll wait. If they want to fight, they’ll get a fight.” Stripes stood, dropped the empty soda can in the recycling bin and stopped at the kitchen door. He turned to glance at Gray. “I’m glad my signing you up for the PDA got your mate.” Gray folded his arms over his chest. “I’m glad too. I don’t like the idea of her being around here but I don’t want her far either.” He clenched his teeth, biting back the urge to roar. “Keeping her near is the best way to protect her. Eli and Lucas got a good look at her. They know.” Stripes frowned. “Do you need someone on hand to help guard her?” Gray thought about it but decided against it. She was his. His responsibility. If she needed guarding then he’d watch over her. What kind of mate would he be to push her off on someone else? Her. The most precious person in his life. “We’re fine.” Stripes nodded and walked out the door. Gray managed to stand there for a few minutes, wondering how to explain to Alyssa that he didn’t want her to ever leave his side without sounding like a maniac. Soft footsteps sounded coming down the stairs. He knew she’d woken. He waited for her to enter the kitchen. When she did, she took his breath away. She’d put on one of his T-shirts in lieu of her clothes. The shirt landed mid-thigh, showing off her flesh. Her nipples were clearly delineated through the soft cotton material. He couldn’t have picked a better outfit for her himself. There was just one thing he needed to know. “What do you have on under the shirt?” She smiled, a sexy little grin that did all kinds of things to his heart. “Nothing.”
SEVEN
Lyss grinned, slowly making her way to Gray. Clad only in a pair of boxers, she’d forgotten what she was going to say when she first saw him. Dear lord please make the boxers disappear didn’t sound right. “I have a proposition for you,” she said, coming closer to him. He leaned on the kitchen island, his gaze dropping to her chest. She was sure her hard nipples were visible through the thin fabric. Instead of going to her room and putting on her own clothes, she’d decided to go against her instinct for once in her life and seduce the sexy tiger. What he’d said earlier, about needing a woman and some kids, she’d thought about it for a while and decided she could help him. Though she tended to be too nice with guys and allowed them to overstay their welcome, she’d come to the conclusion that Gray needed help. And she’d give it. Already he treated her so differently than most of the men she’d been with. He listened. Not just nodding and faking it, he actively spoke and asked her about herself. He’d fucked her brain-dead. That alone was enough to drop her to her knees and beg him to let her stay as his sex slave for life. Looking at Gray, her stomach flipped flopped and her heart clenched with all kinds of new