Free Quench by J. Hali Steele Page A

had done this week.”
Case peered at him. “Does she know you’re a performer and that you like to be
watched having sex?”
    “We haven’t gotten that far in our relationship yet. Shit,
now I know how you felt with Tres watching me. If I smelled you getting hot for
her I’d claw your heart out.”
    Case laughed so loud in the quiet hallway Alek was sure
everyone heard him.
    “Tres would beat you to it. Not a woman in the world gets my
blood running like my little snow cat and it’ll be like that until we die.
You’ll see. Still, I like to watch. We both do so it’s no big deal.” He pushed
in a code and threw open the door to a room three times larger than any other
on the premises.
    A king-size bed sat against one of the four mirrored walls.
    Alek asked, “No two-ways?”
    “This is for patrons who like to be up close and personal.
It’s only for those who can handle that kind of action.”
    “Nice. In the old days I’d have loved a space like this.”
    In the far corner was a fully stocked bar and a dining table
with four comfortable chairs. An oversized sofa sat in the middle of the floor
facing the bed.
    Looking around the walls, he saw what he searched for. One
mirror had a small glass button. Alek pushed it and a panel swished open. The
spacious pale-blue bathroom held a sunken hot tub and was stocked with plush
navy-blue towels, oils and anything else an adventurous couple would need.
    “Nice. This will bring in big bucks.”
    “I hope. Push the same button, the door closes.”
    “I need to go order a couple steaks, you guys joining us?”
Alek asked.
    “Taken care of and should be here any moment.” Alek’s mouth
opened but Case raised his hand to stop him. “A meal with friends, man. You
know better than that. It’s a private room where we can talk and catch up
without being disturbed. No one does anything they don’t want to in my clubs.”
    Alek’s lips compressed in a stern line. Suppose he couldn’t
perform anymore? Would he be okay with that? Hell, there was too much to think
about with this mating crap. What if he freaked when somebody watched her? He
spun around at the chuckling behind him.
    “I’m sorry, it’s just funny to see a cat, you in particular,
go through the same thing I did. Things have a way of working out, Alek.”
    “She doesn’t even want to be a cat, no way am I asking her
if she likes to perform. This is going to take some time.”
    A tray rattled in the hall and he looked up to see Tres
pushing a trolley loaded with steaming rare steaks and all the trimmings into
the room. Viv, on her heels, closed the door.
    “Dinner is served. Don’t look for this treatment all the
time, Case.”
    “Babe, you never have to lift a finger if you don’t want to.
Wait, sometimes you do.”
    Alek watched closely as his friend kissed his mate on the
back of her neck. Would he ever have an easygoing relationship like theirs?
    Viv silently came up behind him and her arms slipped around
his waist. “I’m hungry, lover.”
     
    Viv was glad she’d taken the time to talk with Tres. She had
liked her immediately and could tell she loved her mate, Case, fiercely.
    “Why are you cats afraid of sexuality?”
    “You carry his scent and that’s the only reason I’ll answer
the question you’re trying to ask. You want to know why Alek is afraid to take
a mate.”
    That was the other thing she liked about the snow leopard.
Tres respected her friendship with Alek, protected his privacy. The tiny cat
valued her friends and would be a hell of an opponent if someone tried to hurt
one.
    “Vampyres are sexual creatures. We enjoy our carnal senses.”
    “Cats are different,” Tres said. “In the wild most of us
live solitary lives, only looking for sexual release a few times a year to
procreate.” She peered into her drink as if she were reading tea leaves. “God,
the Fates, screwed us up. I’m snow leopard and no cat is more elusive—except
the tiger.” She glared across the