Free Her Lycan Lover by Susan Arden Page B

entertainment had been carefully screened. Sherry quickly scanned the medical reports and noted one club Dom had failed to show up for a tox screening. She pulled up his file. Too late and so sorry, but she marked him as a no-go and sent him a message his services were no longer required.
    Stud records were vital to maintain and one no-show at a medical screening meant release from services. No ifs, no ands, no buts .
    “Oh, shambles.” This meant she needed a replacement. She clicked her mouse and brought up her file on possible studs. Karpunia was a Bengal tiger shifter. Sherry bit the center of her lip.
    “Doll, when you do that, it makes everyone in the room lose their concentration.” Quinn lounged in the doorway.
    “Loitering?” she asked, refusing to gawk at his clean-shaven yummy face and turned her attention back to her computer screen. For a second. Over the top, she watched him through her lashes. Laughing, he sauntered in. A predator’s prowl .
    Immediately, her chest tightened so much her nipples hardened as though he’d done more than flirt. She pushed back in her chair, uneasy with his agile bodied grace moving into her office and taking up way too much space. He had the self-assurance to make a woman—this woman—understand he was always up for a shag.
    Dressed in a perfectly fitted dark suit had her brain in Bedlam. And it had been a while since she’d seen him in a starched white shirt and tie minus the five o’clock shadow. In the evenings when their paths crossed, he arrived suited up and quickly changed. His usual mode of dress for an evening at the Den was dark pullover and trousers. And with the dim lighting, she’d bumped into him countless times in the corridors on the top floors when she’d been moving at a fast clip.
    With his damp dark hair combed back and freshly shaven face, his square jaw was even more pronounced. She seriously had to force her gaze elsewhere if she didn’t want to stare a hole through him.
    “Coffee is almost ready” she announced and rose, crossing the plush carpet of her office.
    “I should just open a vein.” His watchful eyes followed her, making her racing heart beat that much faster. “What’s got you biting down on that lush lip of yours so early in the day?”
    “Staff.”
    Quinn walked around her desk and peered down at her screen. “Stud books? On the pull?”
    “Please. Have you gone daft? We already discussed my dating habits.”
    “No harm if you’re looking out of self-interest? I can recommend a couple but honestly, there’s only one stud who can take care of your needs. Wouldn’t you agree?”
    From her chest upward, heat surge and in turn he chuckled licentiously. There was no sense arguing. He ate up whenever she argued back; worse, like right this second when he made her blush.
    With a mug in hand, she focused on pouring the steaming coffee. “Get serious. I had to let one from our active rooster go. Now, I’m scrambling. Karpunia is a tiger. Not an easy match if things get rambunctious. Staff working the floor must be for sure low ranking betas.”
    “Mind if I click out. Those you tentatively highlighted are cagey. Their strong natures aren’t in synch with the client. Controlling the evening requires a light touch. I’ll need a couple of bangers that can keep things moving in the right direction, since you’d like me to take second chair. Does that mean you’ll be around when… things start to heat up?”
    “I think not. Here,” she said, setting his mug down on the desk. In the evenings, she worked at maintaining the shields. She told Quinn she went to the gym. It was her cover. “I work the morning. I’m sure Sonya is perfectly capable of tending to the Karpunia’s get-together.”
    “If we find the right match. Otherwise I’ll deal.”
    “I’ve never understood how you can step in when a beta is needed?”
    “Ah, an alpha doesn’t rank above me. So it’s a simple matter to keep control. Everyone cooperates.